Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'Damn it, Iida!' Izuku growled with effort as he launched himself off a rooftop. The drop to the street below barely registered as he streaked above it, an arc of crackling green against the evening sky. 'Of all the times to go rogue, you do it during a crisis? REALLY?'

Izuku desperately scanned the roads below as he leapt between buildings. As he flashed between the rooftops, he took special care to inspect alleyways that fit Stain's usual hunting grounds. He hoped that the league's presence, and Stain's possible association with them, didn't completely invalidate what little information he had. Leaping another street, Izuku nearly missed the flash of people as he passed. He only stopped when he heard the sound of voices calling for help, just barely audible over the distant din of combat and wailing sirens.

To his shame, he hesitated for a second. While he wasn't a pro and thus not normally qualified to help, he'd already gotten the HeroNet update that Disaster Protocols were in effect. Technically, he was authorized to use his Quirk to help himself and others evacuate. At the same time, he needed to find Iida, hopefully before his wayward friend found the Hero Killer or a Nomu.

As Izuku wavered, his vision flicked to the building behind the crowd and assessed its condition. A large hole had been smashed through the front, the damage making the structure above it sag. As his eyes trailed upward, Izuku saw that a swath of the roof seemed to be missing. Decision easily made, Izuku leapt from his perch. While Iida was certainly something to worry about, there was also no guarantee he was in trouble. His friend could have been similarly waylaid by disaster relief, or could still be wandering the city looking to fulfill his vendetta. There was no guarantee he'd succeed in his hunt for a serial killer that even the police hadn't been able to properly track despite months of effort. Here, however, Izuku was certain that the danger was very much immediate. The building didn't look like it would last much longer, and he couldn't live with himself if he just ignored these people to chase his anxious hunch.

Izuku's first leap ended as he slammed feet first into a wall. He sank into a deep crouch, then immediately kicked off into a low arc that took him safely to the ground. Shards of broken brick and concrete ground under his boots as he skidded to a stop in front of the surprisingly well dressed group, though he found many were speckled with grime and bits of debris. At their front, a younger man in a suit rushed forward to meet Izuku, concern clear on his face.

"Some kind of hulking black monstrosity smashed through the building earlier, and it's falling apart!" The man shouted before Izuku could even speak. "We took a head count, and we think the Soras, the Aikawas, and Doctor Kinenkō might still be inside. Please, you need to get them out!"

Izuku nodded, relieved at their initiative. "Description, floors, and apartment numbers?"

"Kinenkō’s an older man in apartment 1, ground floor on the far left. The Soras are an elderly couple in apartment 8 on the 3rd floor, in the middle. The Aikawas are a mother and daughter in apartment 13 on the top floor. Please, hurry, part of the upper floors gave out a few minutes ago and I don't know how much longer it'll stay st-"

Izuku didn't hear the last of the man's words, already gone in a streak of green energy. He dashed through the front doorway and found himself in a main foyer that would have looked like the peak of upscale luxury if it wasn't half collapsed and covered in dust. The groan of the building echoed ominously, which spurred him towards the stairs. 'The upper floors are likely the most dangerous. Hopefully the bottom floor retains its integrity, it's supposed to be the safest in a collapse scenario.'

As he leaped from landing to landing, Izuku nearly bowled over an elderly couple struggling to make their way down from the 3rd floor. A white haired man who looked to be in his 90s weakley leaned on an equally old woman, their skin wrinkled and glistening with sweat. "Are you the Soras?" Izuku asked, quickly checking them over. The man seemed to be favoring his right leg and had a bruise on the side of his head, but otherwise both looked ok.

"Yes!" Mrs. Sora gasped, relief all but shining from her eyes. "He fell when the building started shaking! We've been trying to get down the stairs as fast as we can, but with his leg and my knees… OH!"

Carefully taking Mr. Sora's weight, Izuku hefted him over his shoulder so the injured leg hung out of harm's way, then did the same with Mrs. Sora. "Sorry, we have to move fast! I'll be as gentle as I can."

Gentleness would have to be something he worked on, from the groans his passengers made during his descent. Hopefully some discomfort would be acceptable in the face of surviving the ordeal. He quickly deposited them among their neighbors, then returned to the stairs and resumed his frantic ascent. Opening the doorway to the 5th floor, Izuku rushed out and spun towards the left side of the building before he screeched to a dead stop. From the front, the building hadn't looked anywhere near as bad as it did from his new perspective. Viewed from within, the back of the building seemed to have just… fallen away. Through a collapsed wall, Izuku could see the remains of a once lavish apartment that came to an abrupt end as the floor gave way to complete ruin.

"Hello? Is anyone there? I'm here to get you out!"

Izuku waited, hardly breathing as he strained to hear anything. Had they fallen in the collapse? Were they buried somewhere beneath him? How would he find them if they were? Shigaraki had crashed the USJ disaster training, so most of his rescue knowledge was purely theoretical. How should he-

"We're down here!" A voice called from below him. Izuku scrambled to the edge with as much care as he could afford and hung his head over the lip. He swept his gaze the barely-there room one floor down, frantic eyes taking in the ruins below. There he saw a tall woman and a little girl with skin he could barely tell was blue beneath the layer of dust and debris that covered them. They were both crammed onto a small island of flooring in the corner of the former room, barely enough space for them to stand pressed to the wall. Izuku's eyes focused on the little girl pressed tightly into the corner. Tear tracks cut through the grime on her terrified face.

"Don't worry. I'll get you out of here." Izuku called, voice sounding far more confident than he felt. "Just hang tight, I'll figure something out."

A relieved sob broke from the child, an emotion he could see reflected in her mother as the woman almost sagged at the sight of someone, anyone, arriving to help. He was still looking into their eyes, a hopefully reassuring smile plastered on his face while he desperately planned a rescue, when the boards under them finally gave way. The world seemed to slow as they dropped, their startled screams a knife through his soul.

Izuku didn't hesitate. He flipped himself around to plant his feet at the edge of his platform, kicked off with all his strength, and hurtled downward after the falling family. He slammed into them, wrapped both in his arms, and spun to aim his feet towards the ground. The ground which was approaching fast. Extremely fast. Too fast for Full Cowling to fully absorb the impact, much less to protect the people in his arms. 'Crap Crap CRAP! What should I do? What should I-'

Just before Izuku struck, he flared One for All for just a moment and let the power surge up to around 7%. The rush of pure power made his entire body tingle, but brought with it a stinging wave of pain. Fortunately, it was just barely enough. His feet crashed into the rubble beneath, sinking nearly to the knees amidst the grinding crack of breaking masonry. Within, he felt the familiar twinge of muscles strained and bones a hair's breadth from being snapped under the pressure. Even so, he'd managed to absorb the impact, having brought the people in his arms to a safe, if likely bruising, stop.

With a grimace, Izuku released Full Cowling, the growing agony receding in favor of the garden variety pain of having pushed his body to the brink yet again. A quick mental inventory of his limbs informed him that the landing had probably dislocated something in his feet, along with a serious ach in his shoulder from catching the mother. Both injuries seemed to be from the impact of landing, rather than his use of increased power for the short time he'd channeled it.

'Ok, good to know. I can handle a brief jump to higher percentages.' Izuku thought absently as he wincingly set his passengers down, all three of them shaking from the adrenaline rush. 'Hell of a way to find out. Better than blowing up my limbs though, so I'd call it a win.'

"Both of you, head outside. I still need to find-" At the bottom of the pile of rubble they stood atop, something moved, and Izuku's eyes snapped to it. For a moment, as he locked gazes with gold-ringed brown eyes set in an old face, Izuku thought things might have taken a turn for the better. Then, his eyes traveled downwards to the bloody hands pulled tight to the man's chest, and below them, to his torso.

What was left of it, at least.

His hips and everything below them disappeared underneath a slab of concrete. A spray of blood fanned out from the puddle around it, crimson illuminated by the dying light outside. The rough material had visible tracks of blood scrabbled across the surface, grim evidence of his failed attempts to escape.

'Oh…' Izuku swallowed down the acid taste of bile as he pulled his legs free. 'Oh no.' He gingerly clambered down the rubble and further into the building. The scent of blood grew heavy in the air as he got closer. With a poorly controlled stumble, he came to a stop next to the man. He knelt at his side and looked over him again in the desperate hope that it wouldn't look as bad up close.

It looked worse, if anything. How the man was still alive was nothing short of a miracle, unless he had some kind of survival Quirk. Going by the glittering flecks of gold that swirled in the blood, Izuku suspected it was the latter.

"H-Hello, sir. Are you D-Doctor Kinenkō?" Izuku forced out. He desperately sifted through his memory of first aid and rescue training, hoping there was something he could do for the man. When the man nodded, Izuku continued, trying to project some degree of confidence through the swirling panic and horror as he pulled out his phone. "I'm Deku. I'll call for an ambulance, and they'll get you taken c-care of. Don't worry. E-everything will-"

Izuku's words came to an abrupt stop as a bloody hand fell on his shoulder, lifted from what Izuku could now see was a shard of wood lodged in his lower right side. "Deku." Kinenkō grit out, voice ragged with an underlying bubbling sound Izuku distantly recognized as very bad . "Kid, I'm a surgeon. I know when someone is beyond saving. As a hero, even a new one, you should too."

The words struck Izuku like a hammerblow. He knew the realities of heroics, but casualties had always been something abstract, to varying degrees. Casualty reports on TV, lectures from Mr. Aizawa, the grim look in the teacher's eyes when they returned from a particularly nasty confrontation with a villain. But coming face to face with someone he couldn't save… it didn't feel real, somehow. Like if he just looked at it from another angle the obvious facts of the situation would change. "I… I'll lift the slab. Maybe it's not as bad as you think, and I can get you to a medical team?"

Kinenkō rolled his eyes. "Kid, if my legs are even attached anymore, I'll eat-" the old man's eyes flew wide, and he unleashed a violent cough. In a flash of red, Izuku felt something wet splatter across his face, a salty-metallic tang on his tongue. Spluttering, he lurched backwards as he wiped at his face, hands coming back smeared with red and gold.

'Oh… oh hell, it's in… don't throw up. Don't.'

"Sorry." Kinenkō grimaced as he turned his head to spit bloody phlegm to the side. "I told you, I'm done for. Can't get out of this. I'd die even if I did. That damn thing keeping pressure on the mess is the only reason Boon can keep up." Kinenkō stopped for a moment, recovered his breath, then continued. "You hurt yourself in that landing, I saw it on your face. My Quirk lets me give others a vitality boost that helps the body survive and heal. Let me use it on you, so you can go help the people who still can be saved."

Part of Izuku's scattered mind was deeply curious about the specifics of that Quirk, but even that was drowned out by the waves of horror, frustration, and despair, uselessness. 'Get it together Izuku. You knew you'd face this some day. Just because it came so much sooner than expected doesn't mean you can let it stop you. You still need to find Iida.'

Sucking in a breath, Izuku forced himself to focus, taking the overwhelming tide of emotions and cramming them down. He'd face it all later. For now, he needed to be as close to a hero as he could be. A sharp groan of tortured architecture made Izuku tense. He glanced up, and Izuku saw the dust drifting down. He looked back down and nodded sharply, resigned and resolved at once. "It was an honor to meet you, Kinenkō. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you."

The ghost of a smile flickered across the old man's face, and he reached up to press a bloodied finger against Izuku's forehead. He felt a wave of something flow into him at the contact, something that energized his body and eased the ache in his limbs. As Izuku watched, the golden ring in the old surgeon's eyes faded, leaving behind only warm brown. "You'll be an amazing hero, Deku…"

Kinenkō's voice trailed off as his eyes locked with Izuku's, as look of what Izuku could swear was awe broke across his face. Suddenly, the influx of warmth grew brighter, the waves of foreign energy beginning to churn and grow. It was like the time he'd downed Kaminari's All Night Energy concoction before their English exam, except a dozen times stronger and escalating by the second.

Kinenkō wheezed a breath as his hand dropped away, suddenly limp. Panicked, Izuku grasped it, fingers wrapped around the wrist automatically but found… nothing. No pulse. Kinenkō's eyes had lost focus, and just stared blankly up at him. '...He's dead. Why is he dead? He was… just a second ago he was talking. Why was it so sudden? What happened?'

Izuku's head snapped up as he heard a gasp above him. His eyes locked onto the Aikawas where they still stood atop the rubble, having ignored his instructions to escape through the gaping hole in the wall next to them. Both looked stricken, but Izuku's focus was on the dust drifting from the ceiling between them.

Right. Building on the brink of collapse.

Full Cowling flared to life around him as he leapt to his feet, only a small ach remaining from his previous overextension. Izuku dashed forward, swept both into his arms, then flung all three of them from the building. Moments later, another section of the upper floors crashed into the room where they'd just been, a blast of dust and debris roaring out to follow them.

Izuku didn't stop his sprint as he shot from the cloud. He skidded around a corner, then hurtled down an alleyway a few buildings away. As he emerged onto the main road, he saw the group who'd flagged him down. Relief washed through him when he saw police officers talking with them. 'Good, people who actually know where evacuation points are.'

Before he could approach the group, Izuku heard it. It was distant, but no less distinctive for it.

Iida's engines roared.

Izuku set his passengers down, quickly made sure they were steady on their feet, then backed away. "Go to the officers, they can help get you to safety!" Izuku instructed, waiting just long enough to see a nod from the mother before spun and ran back the way he'd come.

Izuku leapt towards the side of a building, then launched himself from wall to wall with frantic speed as energy thrummed just beneath his skin. He barely touched the first rooftop as he shot off like a bullet in the direction he'd heard his friend. The sound of voices gradually grew louder, until he could clearly hear Iida's as it rang out from a narrow gap between two buildings.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU SAY NOW! YOU'RE STILL THE CRIMINAL WHO HURT MY BROTHER!"

Izuku leapt down into the alleyway and spun to plant his feet against the opposite wall. Mid flip, he saw a figure he could only assume to be Stain standing over Iida, blade beginning to fall. Izuku flared Full Cowling back to 7% for the barest moment as he pushed off. It sent him streaking downward far faster than he'd expected, but still barely fast enough. He only just managed to bring his fist around to slam crackling green knuckles into the side of Stain's head. The man was violently flung in a backwards arc, a streak of blood trailing his mouth.

Crouched from his landing, Izuku didn't let himself hope as he watched Stain's involuntary flight. Solid as the hit was, there was no way that the Hero Killer hadn't taken worse. A split second later, Izuku was proven right when Stain planted a hand, arced his body into a backwards somersault, and landed on his feet. Sparks flew as the metal of his boots scraped against the ground. Even as he skidded to a stop, his eyes never left Izuku as he examined him. Izuku examined Stain right back.

The black-haired man looked rough and cobbled together, standing hunched. Around his neck he sported a ragged red scarf, with a similarly worn gray cloth mask pulled across an angular face. Both draped behind him, begging to be grabbed in a fight so blatantly that Izuku wondered if it was some kind of trap. He wore roughshod body armor over dingy clothes, multiple knives sheathed at his ribs. His arms and upper thighs were unarmored, though he wore armored boots with spiked metal added to the toes.

The man looked at Izuku with indignant annoyance as he rubbed his jaw, as though Izuku had interrupted his lunch instead of an attempted murder. Stain absently wiped blood from his mouth, glanced at it with a bemused smirk, then returned his gaze to Izuku.

"Midoriya?" Iida asked from the ground behind him, voice uneven. "What are you doing here?"

"From what happened to your brother, how you were acting, and where you went for your Internship, it was pretty obvious you were gunning for the Hero Killer once it all came together." Izuku remained guarded, eyes never leaving his foe. "From what I remember from the news, about 60% of Stains victims were found in isolated areas. I searched the city for anywhere that fit his MO, but was helping with an evacuation when I heard your engines. Finding you was easy after that."

Izuku desperately hoped Stain didn't notice the way he was holding an arm behind his back now. The last thing he needed was to be stabbed before he could send out the distress beacon. He wasn't sure if his hand jittered with the stress of the situation or the way this unfamiliar energy surged through him. Either way, it was NOT making things any easier.

"Can you move?" Izuku continued. "We need to get out to the main street. The pros are stuck dealing with Nomu, but someone might be able to help us."

"I can't." Iida grunted, still trying desperately to fight off his paralysis. "Ever since I was stabbed, my body's been locked up. It must be his Quirk." Iida paused. "Wait, did you say NOMU?"

"Yeah, I guessed as much. And yes, kind of like the one from USJ, but I don't think they're as strong. The heroes are struggling, but nowhere near that badly." Izuku muttered absently, mind racing. 'So is the Quirk activated by being stabbed, or probably just wounded? From what I remember with some of the previous victims, there were signs of combat on the scene, so it's unlikely it's instantaneous… " As Izuku's eyes swept the alleyway, they settled on another slumped figure against a wall further behind Stain- Pro Hero Native. 'Shit, that makes this way more complicated. I can't just abandon him with Stain, but I also can't get to him without leaving Iida open. I'd have to push Stain back past him, but can I really pull that off?'

Izuku grimaced, prepared to try. He didn't have another choice that he could live with.

"Midoriya, don't interfere." Iida grit out, voice ragged. "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!"

"What are you talking about, Iida?" Izuku almost, ALMOST made the mistake of taking his eyes off the serial killer in front of him so he could gape at his apparent idiot of a friend. The only thing that stopped him was the sight of Stain as the man shifted his stance, the simple movement nonetheless radiating danger .

"A friend dropping from the sky, declaring 'I came to save you.' That's a classic line." Stain's smirk dropped to a frown. "But it's my duty to kill these false heroes, to expunge their corruption from the name of Heroism. And if we're forced to fight, then naturally…"

Stain's glare sent a shock of raw fear through Izuku as every hair on his body stood on end.

"The weaker of us will be culled."

Somehow, it was the matter-of-fact way Stain said it that was the most terrifying part. The sun would set, the winter would come, and Stain would slaughter anyone who interfered with his crusade. The man was clearly insane, but it was far different from the villains at USJ. Shigaraki's mania couldn't hope to compare to the indifferent malice Stain radiated in that moment. Murderer though he was, murder wasn't his goal. It was just a means to an end, something he did without a moment's hesitation or enjoyment.

"Now then." Stain's voice was like ice water poured down Izuku's back. "What will you do?"

Even face to face with Stain, there was only one thing Izuku could do. He slipped his phone into a pocket, SOS hopefully sent, and raised his fists.

This did not go over well with Iida. "No! I told you to run! This has nothing to do with you, Midoriya!"

"And what kind of hero would it make me if I abandoned you just because I'm in danger too?" Izuku shot back. "There's a LOT I need to say to you after this, but that's for later. For now, it's like All Might said."

Izuku tried to smile, but it probably came across as more of a grimace.

"Giving help that's not asked for is what makes a true hero."

The new expression on Stain's face was somehow more horrifying than his glare had been. Izuku never wanted a mass murderer to look at him with gleeful approval ever again. 'I feel like I need a shower.'

Shaking off the disquiet, Izuku launched himself towards Stain. He watched as the man's jagged blade swept forward, trying to gauge its speed. Definitely slower than Gran Torino, but Izuku didn't trust it. He ducked down as the blade passed overhead, slid between Stain's legs, then immediately flung himself into an upwards arc. Beneath him, he could hear the flutter of Stain's mask and scarf as he whirled, followed by the humm of steel ripping through the air again, far faster than his first swing.

Izuku twisted in the air in an amalgamation of Bakugo’s and Gran Torino's styles, hesitated for a fraction of a second, then committed. He amped Full Cowling to 7% for a third time, then completed his swing. The Detroit Smash descending like an emerald meteor, swift and decisive. It cracked solidly into Stain's head, driving the man down to a knee with a grunt of pain and effort. Izuku continued his twist in the air, but as he landed on all fours, his arm gave way under him and he dropped to the ground. 'Crap' he fumed, the arch of pulled muscles and possibly fractured bones familiar but still biting. 'I got greedy and held 7% for too long! I'll need to practice the timing-'

In Izuku's peripheral, Stain licked a knife Izuku hadn't even seen him draw. A flash of red and gold, briefly visible on the killer's horrifying tongue, vanished into his mouth. In that instant, Izuku's body locked up. Still just at the edge of Izuku's vision, Stain's face scrunched up. The Hero Killer smacked his lips and worked his jaw before he spat something onto the ground. "Gold?" the murderer wondered aloud, before he glanced at Izuku with a curse.

'What? I can't move! When did he even cut me? I don't feel anything… but he licked the blade, and I saw blood. It didn't look like he cut himself, so much as the blood was from the knife…'

"It's blood!" Izuku hissed aloud. "Consuming blood is what freezes people!"

Stain chuckled, a gritty sound, as he adjusted his askew mask. "I'll admit to being impressed. You tracked my movements, exploited my blind spot, and followed a well considered plan on how to take me down. You even landed a pretty damn solid hit. But you just couldn't keep up the pressure."

Footsteps approached from the side, lighting Izuku's nerves on fire as he desperately tried to find a way out of his situation. But his body was completely unable to move. All he could do was watch as Stain walked past him, radiating grim purpose.

"So many fools out there are nothing but talk, but you… are worth keeping alive."

Stain stopped before Iida. The tip of his jagged katana skittered along the ground behind him before it came to rest before Iida's terrified eye.

"Unlike these others."

The blade pulled back, like a snake about to strike.

Fire roared even as ice crackled, the two opposites flooding through the alleyway in an explosive surge that forced Stain to abort his killing blow. He leapt backwards and away, kicking off a wall to avoid a spike of ice. "Another interruption." He growled as his leap carried him back over Izuku. "And Endeavor's spawn at that."

"Midoriya." Todoroki deadpanned from the back of the alley. "Learn to write specific instructions. I was almost too late."

"Todoroki, you too?" Iida's voice did not sound particularly pleased to see another classmate inject themself into his fight. Even if, yet again, it had saved him from being stabbed.

Izuku, on the other hand, would have sagged in relief if his body were capable of it. "You got my message? And you're using your fire!"

"Yes, and begrudgingly yes." Todoroki responded flatly as he stomped his foot. Another wave of ice crashed out to scoop up the bichromat's paralyzed allies, angled to slide them backwards and behind its creator. "It took me a few seconds to figure out why you were sending your location without anything else. It seemed out of character. When I noticed it was in Hosu, I realized you were probably in need of help, though I can't say I expected Stain." He unleashed another blast of fire, which forced Stain to leap away yet again. "In just a few minutes, the Pros will be here. You're not killing these guys today, Hero Killer."

"Don't let him draw blood!" Izuku called as his eyes strained to watch everything at once. "I'm pretty sure he paralyzes people by ingesting it!"

Todoroki grunted in acknowledgement, but even that tiny distraction was enough to nearly end the fight. In a flash, a knife shot towards his face. Todoroki lurched to the side, an instinctive motion that likely saved his life. Even so, the blade still drew a line in blood across his cheek before it embedded itself in the wall behind them. Stain, having capitalized on the moment of distraction, rushed in a breath behind it. Izuku was forced to watch as Todoroki barely kept up with the murderer, Stain's attacks masterfully woven together into a deadly net, pulled tighter by the second. Suddenly, the Hero Killer's katana was spinning up into the air, and Izuku's head tilted back to watch it.

It took a moment to process that fact, but the second it clicked, Izuku sprung into action. He kicked from the ground at an angle, then launched himself again from a wall to shoot past the Hero Killer. He saw Stain's eyes widen as he passed, and thought he heard a growled "God fucking DAMN blood Quirks-" before he wrapped his hands in the man's scarf. Bringing all the force and momentum he could to bear, Izuku planted a foot and swung Stain into the opposing wall like a wrecking ball. There was a sharp crack at the impact, though Izuku wasn't sure if it came from the wall or the man.

A sharp pain in his hands alerted him to the fact that he'd been right earlier. The scarf was definitely a trap. Stain yanked on it from the ground, which dragged the material mostly out of Izuku's grasp. The razor wire woven into it, having already slashed his gloves, cut into his hands as it was pulled through his fingers. Blood beaded up from the scratches, oddly seeming to shimmer in the flickering light of Todoroki's flame. Another tug wrenched the scarf free entirely, but before the bloodied end could reach its owner, a surge of ice crashed into Stain's location. Izuku caught a brief glimpse of the killer as Stain flung himself backwards, but the abandoned scarf was mostly trapped within the miniature glacier. Izuku stared into the ice in an attempt to spot any movement on the other side.

"Both of you, just stop this!" Iida yelled, and Izuku startled at the loud sound. "I've inherited my brother's name. This is my responsibility!"

"You inherited his name? Odd…" Todoroki responded, and glanced at Iida for the barest of seconds. "I remember an Ingenium that never made faces like that. But I guess your family's also got a dark side to it, then."

It was at that moment that Stain struck. He hacked the glacier to splintered chunks in a flash. Shards of ice scattered as the structure collapsed, and a fine frozen mist floated into the air.

As Izuku kept watch, an odd feeling washed over him. It almost felt like a headache, though one that had come from nowhere. Unconsciously, Izuku shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

That moment was all Stain needed. Izuku noticed the knives that flew through the falling ice too late to stop them, and heard the awful sound of metal piercing flesh behind him. Izuku spun, fearing the worst. Todoroki's arm bled badly from the blades now buried in his forearm, but at least it wasn't immediately lethal. 'Shit, he needs a way to stop the- wait, it's obvious!'

"Todoroki, dry the blood out with your fi-!"

ATTACK BACK DANGER NOW

Pain lanced through Izuku's head again, far more intense, and he desperately lurched away from the… whatever the hell it was. A split second later, Stain's blade punched forward from the shadowed remains of the ice wall, barely passing between his left arm and ribs. Unfortunately, a dingy back alleyway littered with scattered chunks of ice wasn't the optimal environment for lurching. With a startled shriek, Izuku's foot slipped out from under him on a slick patch, and he fell in a tangle of limbs.

ATTACK DANGER

Another spike of pain behind his eyes, a feeling of something coming for his arm. He jerked it to the side, but didn't have the grounding to do much. This time, Stain's blade carved a line up his forearm, blood flying from the wound. In a surreal moment as the world seemed to slow, Izuku watched as his blood glittered with gold moutes on the edge of the blade, and saw a brief reflection of gold and green eyes on its surface.

Stain's tongue swept out, and the oppressive feeling of his paralysis returned. Yet again, Izuku's body was nothing more than a statue caught mid-fall.

'God damn it, I just can't keep up!' Izuku fumed. Twice now, Stain had taken him down with virtually no effort. The sheer degree to which they were outclassed here was horrifying, and now Shoto was once again the last man standing. 'I need to be better than this! I can't have all this power and still be useless-'

A spiked boot slammed down next to Izuku's head, cutting off his train of thought like a guillotine. A moment later, he was hauled into the air by his hood. One of Stain's knives found his throat, cold metal pressed roughly to the skin. "A dark side?" Stain snarled towards Todoroki as his head poked into Izuku's vision, just over his shoulder. The malice seemed to physically radiate from the man, palpable to Izuku's senses as clearly as light or sound. "Your bastard father is a shadow over the entire fucking hero industry."

"Yes." Todoroki responded immediately.

Stain faltered slightly, a moment of confusion visible on his face. Then, his eyes narrowed. "So eager to stab your own family in the back, just to try to live. Sickening."

Todoroki's eyes narrowed right back, and his mouth opened to dispute that radically incorrect assumption, but was cut off by an unsteady voice at his feet.

"Unhand Midoriya. Todoroki and he are only here because of me." Iida said, face a rictus of horror, eyes locked on Izuku as he dangled in Stain's Grasp. "Neither of them deserve to die because of me. Just please, stop this!"

"None of us are leaving before this fight is over, Iida. Asking nicely isn't going to end it, either." Todoroki snarled. "If you want to stop this, then stand up and do something about it! Never let yourself forget what you want to become!"

DANGE-

Stain moved before the spike in Izuku's head could even fully register.

Izuku was flung at Todoroki like a sack of potatoes. With a startled yelp, he slammed into the boy's left side and sent him stumbling. Todoroki had automatically moved to catch Izuku, unthinkingly occupying his left hand, and thus limited his most adept use of flames. At the same time, he was still in a stumble from the impact, which compromised his footing, and as a result inhibited his usual method of conjuring ice.

Todoroki's eyes had only tracked Izuku for a second, but that second was enough for Stain to have approached in Izuku's shadow. By the time Todoroki's brief lapse of attention was corrected, the Hero Killer's katana had already stabbed towards his chest, far too close for him to do anything about without incinerating Izuku. Stain had maneuvered him masterfully, and he was too slow to recover.

Iida wasn't.

Izuku, still paralyzed and slumped in Todoroki's arms, heard the roar of engines, the sound of footsteps, and felt the lurch as both he and Todoroki were flung aside.

As they fell, Izuku had a clear view of his friend. Blue light illuminated the alleyway from behind him, glowing from the flames that erupted from his engines. Countless shadows danced before him, each step sending them coruscating across the narrow space. Iida's face was set in grim resolve, turned towards the oncoming villain. His eyes, however, remained locked to his companions, and spoke volumes. Determination. Pride. Acceptance. Fear.

The scrape of metal on metal would echo in Izuku's memory for years, the sound burned into his mind along with the scene that unfolded before him. The Hero Killer's katana pierced Iida's armor at the sternum, the thin metal doing little to stop the blade as it was pressed deeper by Iida's momentum and Stain's strength. The blade burst from his friend's back, a spray of blood flung free as the sword was buried to the hilt.

"IIDA!"

Chapter Text

“IIDA!”

Stain ripped his blade free from Iida’s chest with a screech of metal and a frown. With a rapid twist, he drew a machete from his side and lashed out. The blade sang through the air faster than Izuku could track and swept just before his chest, so close Izuku could feel the wind it displaced. Over his shoulder, he heard Todoroki’s breath hiss out in pain as another wound was added to his arm. Stain’s blade snapped back, and the Hero Killer’s tongue swiped out to collect his crimson prize.

The murderer had moved so quickly that it wasn’t until after his attack that Iida’s body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. The armored boy crashed limply to the ground, the sound harsh to Izuku's ears. Iida's fingers scrabbled weakly at his chest. Izuku only caught a glimpse of the wound as he fell as well, still carried away by Iida’s shove. That look had revealed a terrifying amount of blood.

Izuku rolled as he hit the ground. He bounced free of Todoroki’s paralyzed arm before he came to a rest on his side. He was facing the center of the alleyway.

Facing Iida.

His friend’s eyes jerked wildly, panic and fear evident as his lips quivered silently. He desperately clawed at his shoulder and side, where Izuku knew the clasps that kept his chest plate in place were, but he couldn't seem to find them. Above their prone forms, Stain loomed like a monster cast in shadow. The malevolent shade raised his katana again, gripped it tight, then swung.

Izuku and Todoroki cried out, but the only blood the swing shed was from its own coated length. Red droplets splattered across ground and walls alike, but came nowhere close to the fallen children.

“Perhaps there was a shred of heroism in you somewhere after all.” Stain hummed thoughtfully as he gazed down at Iida. “Too little too late, but your sacrifice was a respectable one, if useless. Your life is yours for what time you have left, Ingenium. Die knowing you acted in service of others, at least once.”

Iida’s eyes had lost much of their focus, and were losing more by the second. Blood streamed from the joints in his armor to form a steadily growing puddle beneath him. The scene was horribly similar to one Izuku had seen… minutes ago? Hours? One he’d desperately, perhaps naively, hoped he wouldn’t see again for a long time. His friend’s mouth worked silently, and blood began to trail down his cheek to join the pool below.

Stain turned towards Native, dismissive of those he left in his wake. The Pro was still paralyzed, and had landed face down against a wall after Todoroki’s rescue. Izuku could barely hear muffled sounds coming from the man, though the desperate fear in them was unmistakable. “This fake is next, before anyone else gets free.”

Tears mixed with blood as they trailed down Iida’s face.

Horror. Pain. Sorrow. Fear. Anger. Fury. WRATH.

Something within Izuku surged to life. It twisted, it warped, it split, and it ripped outwards from his body in a burst of power. Tendrils of inky blackness shot from his skin. They emerged from his hands, his arms, his torso, even his face, shredding any clothes that got in their way. In mere moments, the world was swallowed by darkness cloaked in radiant emerald light as they lashed out to grasp onto every surface within the alleyway. It was like a spider’s web spun from ink, and Izuku was the spider caught within its own creation.

The tendrils went wild. They wrenched Izuku from his position to drag him along the ground until he was met by the assortment of garbage bags they pulled towards him. He burst through, but was then flipped into the air. For a moment, he was left to hang upside down at the center of his dark web, every part of him pulled in a different direction. Occasionally, one side would win out, and Izuku found himself slammed into a wall, another garbage can, or the ground. But Izuku wasn’t concerned about his own treatment by the tendrils.

Because, for however much they were doing to him, they were doing far, far worse to Stain.

For every strand the Hero Killer managed to cut away, another took the opportunity to further ensnare the man. Before long, his arms had been pinned to his body and his weapons ripped away, leaving him helpless to resist the whims of his inky captor. Concrete cracked as Stain was swung into a wall by a tendril wrapped around his ankle. Another, one coiled around his arm, wrenched him upwards along the wall. A third and fourth strand ensnared his midsection and wrenched Stain back downward with sudden violence, which ripped a ragged scream from the murderer as he sharply changed direction.

Stain smashed into the ground with such force that blood sprayed from his mouth. Several knives were flung from his body to spin away towards the mouth of the alley, the sound of skittering metal loud in the moment of silence that followed.

Then, more and more tendrils lashed out at the Hero Killer. They wrapped around his body, bound his limbs, strung him up, squeezed. What little breath Stain had left was forced out in a hiss as the inky strands tightened. His eyes went wide and frantic as his mouth wrenched open in a silent scream. His body arched, went completely rigid for just a moment, then he fell slack within the dark cocoon.

However, more tendrils kept coming.

Izuku slammed into another wall before the tendrils returned him violently to the ground. He skidded along, arm raised instinctively to protect his face. Having found he could move again, Izuku clawed at the tendrils sprouting from his face as best he could, given his bare hands also had strands stretching from them, but he could do little to the tendrils.

Then, Izuku saw Iida. The tendrils had seemingly left Izuku’s allies alone, thankfully. But Iida was still, even beyond when he’d been paralyzed by Stain’s Quirk. Izuku couldn’t see him breathing. His eyes were half lidded and still, his mouth slack.

Izuku’s anger died an abrupt death as shock overwhelmed him. With it, the inky web around him froze, then frayed and scattered as though it had never been there in the first place. Izuku barely heard the thump of Stain striking the ground as he dragged his battered body towards his friend. He frantically released the clasps on Iida’s armor, just as he’d seen the boy do after training, and pulled it away. He found Iida’s chest covered in blood, trickling weakly from a grizzly wound in the center of his chest.

Izuku’s hands trembled as he reached forward. Frustrated, he bit the inside of his cheek, dragged focus back from blind panic, and checked for Iida's pulse.

It was weak, so weak Izuku could barely feel it, but there nonetheless.

Desperately, Izuku pressed one hand each side of the wound in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. To Izuku’s horror, he found that the wound was right by Iida’s spine, possibly having struck it.

‘Was that why Stain didn’t lick his Katana? Because he didn't need to?’ A small part of Izuku wondered. He ruthlessly crushed the thought and forced himself to function. Iida needed him. “Todoroki! I need you to call an ambulance here, NOW!”

“I still can’t move!” Todoroki called frantically from somewhere, and dread soaked through Izuku.

‘No. Nononononono. NO!’ Izuku’s mind was a juddering mess, thoughts flickering and dying faster than he could latch on to them. ‘No, I’m not letting Iida die. I’m not letting another person die in front of me tonight. I refuse. You. WILL. LIVE!’

Something within Izuku resonated, and he desperately grasped at it. An instinct, a feeling foreign yet somehow natural. He followed it.

In a surge, Full Cowling ignited. Along with it, the thrum of energy he’d felt coursing through his body since Kinenkō used his Quirk began to condense. Warmth bled from Izuku’s body, pooled in his palms, then flowed into Iida. As Full Cowling flickered out, it left him cold, unutterably exhausted, and with a lingering feeling of emptiness. Even so, he kept his hands in place. He didn’t know what had happened. He didn’t care so long as whatever it was helped save Iida.

The moment he felt more blood begin to seep between his fingers, his panic redoubled. Iida had already lost copious amounts, surely he couldn't afford to lose more. But the amount of blood continued to increase, until the trickle had returned to a gush. Izuku was pretty sure that was NOT how bleeding out was supposed to work, so he took it as a promising sign. The sound of Todoroki as he dashed over, phone ringing in one hand while the other shot out to check Iida’s pulse, was another.

“His pulse isn’t anywhere as weak as I expected.” Todoroki sounded baffled, then twitched and immediately started yelling their situation to whoever had answered his call.

Moments later, Izuku heard a familiar hiss of air as Gran Torino shot over the alleyway, quickly followed by loud swearing, another blast of air, and the small man slamming down next to them.

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE- Oh, shit .” Torino took in the scene around him. His eyes initially found Stain, then landed on the two bloody children tending to a third, even bloodier, child.

Torino moved quickly. The elderly hero whipped off his cape, ripped it in half, then leaned over. “On three, pull away and I’ll get my cape in place to better staunch the bleeding.” Torino grunted, then shot a look at Todoroki. “You, you’re the Todoroki boy with the ice, right? Good. Can you make a brace of ice gently enough not to move him too much, but tight enough to keep everything in place?”

At Todoroki’s mute, possibly shell shocked nod, Torino prepared to move. “Ok. One, two… THREE!”

All three moved in near perfect unison, but even so Izuku caught a glimpse of the wound before the cape covered it. A golden ring glowed around it with a bright, rich light that briefly illuminated the ground around them. In that moment, Izuku could clearly see the swirls of gold in the fresh blood that spilled from Iida’s wound.

Relief slammed into him, tinged by the chill of frost as Todoroki froze everything in place. ‘I guess Kinenkō’s vitality was able to be given to someone else too. That's… that’s incredible! Oh god, please, please, please live, Iida.’

Torino and Todoroki both looked down at the sparkling blood in confusion, then at Izuku. Todoroki squinted. Carefully, he cupped a small flame in his hand, then lifted it to better illuminate Izuku.

“...the blood on your face is sparkly too.” Todoroki murmured, head tilted to the side, then looked at Izuku’s wounded arm. “I don’t remember your blood being sparkly, Midoriya.” Torino leaned in as well, a more pronounced frown than usual on his face.

“You were out of my sight for twenty minutes at most , brat. What on earth happened?” Torino sounded half way between perplexed and begrudgingly impressed.

“I was helping with an evacuation, and someone used their Quirk on me to help with an injury.” Izuku sagged, his exhaustion starting to overwhelm him now that he wasn’t actively trying to stave off disaster. “I’ll tell you about it later. But I think the… er… sparkly blood is from that. I guess the Quirk let me pass the effects on to Iida instead, which is incredible. I’ve never heard of anything like that…” Izuku blinked, then refocused. “I think it’s helping, or at least he’s better off than he was before, but I don’t know how much longer it’ll last. I don’t really know anything about it.”

Izuku's eyes drifted, and he took in the scene around him. The alleyway was in shambles, cracks and craters littering both walls and ground, shards of ice scattered among them. More than one pile of garbage was on fire. Native still lay near a wall, vague sounds of confusion drifting from him. Stain was in a crumpled heap a few yards away, unconscious but still a threat for as long as he went unrestrained. When his eyes settled back on Torino, the old hero seemed to be thinking along the same lines, eyes locked on Stain’s sprawled form.

“Ok, let's wrap this up. Todoroki, keep an eye on the Iida boy. Midoriya, go check on Native, then come help me search Stain if you can.” Torino turned once he got an acknowledgement from both of them. He patted at his belt for a moment as he walked towards Stain before he stopped with a curse. “I don’t suppose any of you had cuffs or something to tie him up with?”

Todoroki pointed towards a pile of garbage bags, one miraculously not on fire, close to where Torino stood. “I noticed some rope over there.”

Torino followed his gesture, then sighed. He rooted through the bags for a moment before he paused, then pulled out a full, if stained, coil of rope. “Who… who just throws away rope?” The old hero asked, sounding oddly offended at the idea. “It’s not frayed or anything. This is a perfectly good rope! Ugh, people these days…”

Izuku opted not to question how Todoroki had been able to spot the rope amidst the chaos. Instead, he hauled himself upright and shuffled towards Native. Carefully, Izuku checked the pro's back for injuries before he rolled the hero away from the wall. Izuku willfully ignored the bloody handprint he left on the hero’s shoulder in doing so.

Native immediately gagged, then spat small bits of gravel and dubious alleyway dirt from his mouth. “God, thanks for moving me. If I had to taste alleyway for much longer I’d have hurled.” Native gave him a weak grin, though it faded when Izukju’s face remained flat and exhausted. The pro’s eyes flicked over the cramped battlefield. He winced, in as much as he could while paralyzed, at the sight of Iida. “I’m sorry you all had to go through this. I know you weren’t really here for me, but I appreciate you all nonetheless. You’re…”

Native squinted up at Izuku, then glanced over at Todoroki and Iida again. “...shit.” The man muttered. “You’re all from UA’s first year class, aren’t you? You’re on your internships. None of you have a license .”

Too tired to properly respond, Izuku just shook his head and continued to inspect the man for wounds. The stab in his left shoulder was the only injury of significance, though he had a scattering of rips in his costume from what Izuku assumed were a few close calls.

Native seemed to mull the situation over before he continued. “I’m guessing none of you had explicit instructions to use your Quirks in combat, yeah?” Izuku certainly hadn’t, and from the way Manual had been acting in the brief time he’d seen him, Izuku doubted Iida had either. Todoroki… Izuku wasn’t sure.

Izuku’s silence was evidently enough for Native, who sighed. “You’re probably going to be raked over the coals for vigilantism, even if you did it to save someone’s life. You’ve gone over how strict Quirk law can be about any kind of unlicensed combative Quirk usage, right? That won’t be pretty.”

‘Oh, yes. Mr. Aizawa was very clear on that front.’ Izuku thought resignedly. He couldn’t bring himself to feel guilty for his actions, but he could absolutely dread the fallout.

“So,” Native’s eyes locked with Izuku’s. “If anyone asks, I authorized Quirk usage under the Disaster Protection Clearance Protocol. It’s a little shaky, given I’m low ranked and don’t have a whole lot of authority to throw around, but it’s technically within what I’m authorized to do.”

Izuku frowned as he tightened the bandage he’d pulled from one of Native’s pouches around the man’s shoulder. “You’d lie about that for us? You'll probably end up reprimanded at best. If the commission doesn't buy it, you could be stripped of your license.”

Native chuckled. “Kid, given that I’d be a lukewarm corpse at the moment if not for you lot, I can deal with some suits getting uppity that I gave you permission to defend yourself. They might still be grumpy because three unlicensed first-years managed to track down Stain, but they can’t exactly charge you for ‘criminal stumbling on an attempted murder’. That said, probably best not to do that too often before you get your license.”

Izuku nodded tiredly. “Thank you, Native. I’ll try to avoid this kind of situation, but…” The sludge villain flashed through his mind’s eye, quickly followed by the villains from the USJ incident. Turning, Izuku threw a glance at Stain. Behind the limp figure, Izuku could see Gran Torino crouched and watching him with a raised eyebrow as he went through Stain’s pockets. “I’ll admit that my track record isn’t very promising in that regard…”

Native smirked. “Yeah, that tends to happen with the good ones.”

Izuku stood with effort, then tried for a smile. “Thank you, Native. I’m going to go check on Todoroki and… let him know. Mind if I take these?” Izuku gestured at the remaining bandages in his hand. With a grunt of approval from the paralyzed hero, Izuku shuffled back towards his classmates. He stayed just long enough to see that Iida’s condition was as stable as when he’d left, bind Todoroki’s arm, and inform him of Native’s retroactive authorization. After he received a nod of understanding, Izuku dragged himself towards Stain and Gran Torino. With a grunt, he dropped to his knees and joined the murder weapon scavenger hunt.

“Plotting to circumvent the vigilante laws, huh?” The old man jabbed, not bothering to look up. Izuku didn't see much point in trying to evade, so just shrugged and continued hunting for knives. Torino snorted as he tossed a folding blade onto the frankly absurd pile behind him. “Not like I’m going to judge. I only got my license so I could freely and legally use my Quirk to help out an old friend. It was simpler, back in my day, especially if you were a good enough Vigilante that they couldn’t prove you were one. Just don’t go looking for trouble too often, it makes people grouchy.”

“Er… Sure.” Izuku blinked at Torino, caught off guard. “I honestly thought you’d be more mad. About everything.”

Torino shot him a look, eyes smoldering. “Oh, I’m pissed you didn’t listen to me and stay on the damn train. You could have gotten yourself killed doing what you did, not to mention it would have been hard for me to cover your ass given I was with a bunch of witnesses until a few minutes ago.” A sigh hissed from his lips, the harshness easing from his expression. “But you’re alive, and I’m guessing more than one person would be very dead if you hadn't shown up. You did the same damn-fool thing Toshinori would have done, so I can’t be too surprised.”

The two worked in silence for a time, until they finally determined that they couldn't disarm the man much more without literally stripping him. They’d taken his spiked boots, removed the blades from his visible sheathes, and searched just about every inch of him for his stash of hidden weapons. Frankly, Izuku was amazed Stain hadn’t been ripped to shreds by his own neurotic blade hoard during the fight.

“You lot really did a number on this guy, huh?” Torino grunted as he looked down at the Hero Killer. “I can spot a few pretty heavy impacts, which I assume was your doing. He’d got a few scorch marks, presumably from the Todoroki brat. But these…” He pulled down the wrappings around the Hero Killer’s arms, revealing stripes of angry bruises that criss-crossed the limb. “I’m not rightly sure what to make of these. They’re all over him. They from Native?”

Izuku shook his head, and began tugging at his lower lip. He grimaced as he felt dried blood flake off his skin. “I haven’t really gotten to think about it, with everything that was going on, but something… weird… was happening during the confrontation with Stain. Something with my Quirk.”

Torino cocked an eyebrow at him quizzically.

“There were a few times where I got this shooting pain in my head, and it felt like I had some kind of warning about attacks before they were made. It saved me from getting stabbed once, but that threw me off so badly Stain got me anyway on the second try. At the end, after he… stabbed Iida, something else happened.” Izuku sucked in a breath through his teeth as he remembered the feeling. “Some kind of black tendrils shot out of me. They latched onto everything, and were flinging me around, but that was nothing compared to what it did to Stain. They smashed him up, literally squeezed the consciousness out of him, then went back to swinging me around like a kid with a toy. It wasn't until I noticed Iida’s condition again that they stopped. They just fell apart after that.”

Torino’s eyebrows had been steadily climbing through Izuku’s description, but had fully shot into his hairline at the end. “Did someone else use their Quirk on you before ya got here?”

Izuku shook his head. “No, just… just Doctor Kinenkō, that I know of. But here’s the thing. I think it was coming from One for All. They felt different, but at the same time, they were familiar somehow. I don’t really know how to describe it. It was kind of like back during the sports festival…” Izuku shot a covert glance at Todoroki, who was thankfully focused on tending to Iida. “When the vestiges appeared.”

Torino stared at Izuku for a second before he slumped. “I’ll get Toshinori’s ass over to my apartment, and we can talk it over once this mess is sorted out. I doubt the big lug has much of an idea, but he’s had the power for over 40 years. Maybe he has some insight rattling around in that empty head of his.” He muttered, not sounding particularly convinced.

Izuku was… admittedly pretty skeptical as well, but he could hope.

Their conversation was interrupted by a relieved cry from Native as the man sprang to his feet. He looked around, wilting slightly when he found that there wasn’t much left he could do. Moments later, Izuku could faintly make out the sound of running footsteps as they approached, and beyond them the distant sound of sirens as they got closer. After a brief exchange of looks, Izuku and Torino stood and dragged Stain towards the mouth of the alleyway.

As they stepped onto the main street, the pack of approaching pros stopped to goggle at them. Frankly, Izuku thought that was a fair reaction. A tiny elderly man and a kid were probably not who they expected to see, much less for them to have a notorious serial killer bound and on the end of a rope leash.

The stunned silence was broken when they exploded into a cacophony of questions, though Torino cut them off almost immediately. “Save that shit for later, we have a critical injury back in the alleyway, through and through with likely spinal damage.” Izuku winced as Torino spoke. He wished his suspicions hadn’t been confirmed. “Anyone here with anything resembling a healing Quirk?”

A tall man with a long… Neck? Head? With stitches circling it stepped forward. A section of stitching at the front separated, revealing it to be his mouth. “I’m Patchwork. I can perform emergency stitches, but they won’t hold for too long.”

Torino nodded and urged him into the alleyway. “Go. Everyone else, we keep an eye on-” The old hero’s head swung around, eyes wide and alert.

“GET DOWN!” Torino shouted, too late.

In a sickly yellow streak, a Nomu shot down from the sky, massive wings pumping. The creature trailed a streak of blood from an empty eye socket nestled within its exposed brain, but it's functional eye was locked on Izuku. He barely had time to register what was about to happen before taloned feet snatched him up by the ribs and whisked him upwards and away.

While he desperately clawed at the talons holding him, Izuku watched in horror as the heroes grew further away. The feeling redoubled when he saw Stain leap to his feet, one foot extended oddly. ‘I knew they were working together!’ Izuku thought, panicked. ‘I’m just the distraction so that Stain can make a break for-’

Stain plucked something from a shadowed corner with his toes, then flicked it up behind his back to his waiting hands.

‘Wait. Was that one of his knives?’ Izuku squinted, trying to see. It looked to be the case, as the ropes that had bound Stain fell away. Like lightning, the Hero Killer lunged towards one of the heroes. But rather than go for the kill, the hero killer’s tongue swiped out towards his target’s cheek.

Izuku was momentarily confused before the Nomu froze, then began to fall. His stomach lurched up into his throat at the sudden descent, and he renewed his attempt to escape the claws that trapped him. ‘Wait, did Stain…?’

His unfinished question was interrupted by the answer. Stain sprinted towards him with inhuman speed. The Hero Killer left the heroes in the dust as he dashed after Izuku’s captor. With a leap, Stain planted a foot on a balcony, then launched himself into open air.

DANGER

“BOTH THIS SHAM FILLED SOCIETY…” Stain rasped as he slammed a knife through the Nomu’s surprisingly resilient wing, then used it to drag himself forward. The Hero Killer shredded the wing as he went, before he finally managed to clamber onto its back.

“AND THE CRIMINALS WHO WIELD THEIR POWER IN THE NAME OF PETTY MISCHIEF…” The chill Stain’s words sent through Izuku contrasted with the boiling heat of the blood that rained down on him from above. Briefly, the slick heat made grasping the Nomu's frozen claws harder. However, once he got a proper grip, the paralyzed monster’s inability to react let him escape it's clutches with ease. As he slid free, there was another lance of pain through his head. Above him, he caught a glimpse of Stain’s knife as it fell a final time, driven into the Nomu’s brain.

“Are targets of my PURGE!” Stain’s hand snapped out and snagged Izuku from the air, much to his chagrin. Stain yanked Izuku under one arm, then leapt from the Nomu’s back.

‘... Staying with the Nomu might actually have been safer…’ the small part of Izuku's brain that wasn't a chaotic mess of confusion and fear mused. The creature seemed to shrivel as it fell below them, then smashed into the ground with the sharp crack of breaking bones and a sickening splatter of blood. ‘...Yeah, probably still safer than this.’

Stain landed before the slain horror in a deep crouch, then ripped the knife free of its brain. The sharp motion flung blood and chunks of brain in a gorey arc behind him.

“All… for the sake… of a better society…” Stain growled, voice harsh.

Izuku tried to pull away, but Stain’s grip was extremely tight. On one hand, that prevented Izuku from falling into the mess of blood and graymatter splattered across the ground, which was nauseating enough at arms length. On the other hand, he was already covered in it's blood, and he was stuck with Stain. That probably didn’t bode well for his prolonged health. Regardless, trying to escape Stain while the man had a knife and a solid grip on Izuku would probably take more than he had to give. At least not without taking the 100% nuclear option and making Stain live up to his name, which he obviously wasn’t going to do.

Izuku looked back towards the heroes as he heard their distant shouting, but saw that of the whole group only Gran Torino was even trying to do anything. His mentor was circling around, likely in an attempt to find an angle of approach from which he could disarm Izuku’s captor before the Hero Killer could carve him up. Izuku’s gaze returned to Stain’s knife, which was held loosely in a trembling hand. ‘Maybe I can-’

“WHY’RE YOU ALL BUNCHED UP TOGETHER?!” A familiar voice roared from the distance, and Stain’s hand tightened on his knife with a spasm.

‘Well, there goes that plan…’ Izuku grit his teeth. ‘Of course he’d show up NOW.’

Izuku watched as Endeavor rounded a corner and shouted over the other heroes. “THE LAST OF THE NOMU SHOULD’VE HEADED YOUR WAY- Wait, is that…?”

“Endeavor…” Stain’s voice sounded inhuman in Izuku's ear. A glimpse of movement in Izuku’s periphery had him overwhelmed with panic in a second. Stain tossed him away like an afterthought as the murderer spun, and Izuku caught a glimpse of the Hero Killer’s mask as it fell away.

From the direction of the heroes, Izuku heard the crackling woosh of flames. “Hero Killer!” Endevor bellowed, voice audibly getting closer even as Torino called for him to stop.

Izuku weakly shoved himself to his feet, back against the wall he'd struck. To his horror, he had front row seats to see Stain’s face as the Hero Killer’s eyes locked with those of the Flame Hero. Stain’s eyes were bloodshot and wide with mania above the scarred crater where his nose had evidently been carved off.

“You Fake.”

It was like the world stopped.

Izuku watched the heroes freeze in place, himself feeling a primal urge to just stay still and hope the predator left him alive . His skull felt like it was about to split wide open from the waves of danger rolling off the Hero Killer. It was overwhelming.

“If I don’t fix it…” Stain hissed, spittle flying. The Hero Killer stepped forward, uncaring as he stomped down on a ruined wing. Several of the distant heroes took an instinctive step backwards. “If someone isn’t stained with blood…” Another step. Endeavor’s charge staggered to a halt as he dug in his heels. Across the street, even Torino shuffled nervously.

“If I don’t reclaim my hero status…!” Stain continued his slow steps, menace radiating from him like a bonfire. Izuku felt himself start to hyperventilate, and he was behind the man. Endeavor was under the full weight of Stain’s glare, which was evidently enough to make the titan of a hero take a few hurried steps backwards.

“COME! JUST TRY TO KILL ME, YOU FAKES!” Stain roared his challenge as he lurched forward. Even wounded and with only a knife in hand, the pro heroes he faced looked ready to break and run at any moment. “THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO KILL ME IS ALL MIGHT, A TRUE HERO!”

Stain grew still as his words echoed through the deserted street.

The lancing pain behind Izuku’s eyes cut off instantly.

One of the pros collapsed and scrambled a few feet away before they regained themself.

Silence.

“This guy, he…” Endeavor sounded shaken, something Izuku couldn’t have imagined before that moment. “He’s… out cold."

Izuku leaned hard against the wall behind him. Slowly, he slid down the rough surface, legs unable to hold him up.

On a distant rooftop, a lanky man dressed in loose black clothes absently flicked his fingers. The motion flung free motes of dust, which only moments ago had been a set of binoculars. A gust of wind carried the dust away and tousled his ragged gray hair, which brushed over the severed hand that grasped his face. He’d watched the confrontation with the heroes. He’d watched the little fucker Stain kill the last of his Nomu, denying him the green brat in the proccess. He watched the heroes collectively shit themselves as Stain shuffled a few steps then just stood there. He had so many questions about that hax-ass bullshit.

Nothing had gone his way, and he had no idea why anything had happened the way it did. That just added a whole new dimension to how pissed off all this made him. He wanted to go break something. Within him, Decay howled in agreement, hungry for more destruction.

“Let's head back.” Shigaraki growled at Kurogiri.

The shadowy butler swirled to look at him, luminous yellow eyes giving the impression of reserved curiosity. “Did you achieve the results you wanted, Tomura Shigaraki?”

“Idiot. That all depends on tomorrow.” Shigaraki huffed.

Darkness. Absolute, impenetrable darkness.

Izuku tried to move, but his body felt numb and unresponsive. He strained to speak, but all that he could do was whimper. He struggled to call upon One for All, but found the power absent.

No. No, that wasn't right. The power wasn't missing, it just wasn't where he expected it. The power was outside of him, surrounding him, smothering-

“... nine …”

The sound was so distant and muffled Izuku barely registered it, mired as he was in panic. When the voice repeated itself, more clearly, his mind finally latched onto it, desperate to grasp at anything in the void.

“Nine! Can you hear me?” The voice finally sounded clear, if not a bit strained.

“...mmMph…!” Izuku had tried to scream, but all he could get out was a grunt.

“I… think that's a yes?” The voice didn't sound entirely convinced, so Izuku repeated his grunt. “Ok, I'll take it. Honestly the fact I can reach out like this at all is amazing enough.”

The darkness… thinned, for lack of a better word, and Izuku could vaguely make out a figure beyond. The man looked sickly despite his young age, with pale skin, drawn features, and lank white hair that hung over teal eyes. The man approached him slowly, the darkness clinging to him oddly, and looked as though he was pressing against a great weight.

“I can't do this for long. Nine, something’s happening to One for All. I've never seen it absorb something like that before. It’s always just stockpiled an imprint, not actually taken... I don't know… what's happening… be… careful…”

As the man spoke, he gradually lost his battle against whatever force he worked against. He slid backwards into the darkness once more, consumed by the void.

Izuku thrashed weakly as the nothingness rushed in around him again, desperate to resist. Try as he might, however, it was inexorable. With a final muffled cry, he was washed away.

With a jolt, Izuku awoke to find himself laying in a hospital bed, the energy of Full Cowling crackling faintly around him. Even just the 1% that shrouded him was a sharp contrast to the permeating exhaustion that weighed him down. He looked around himself, momentarily confused about where he was.

Then, he registered the still form of Todoroki where he lay in a bed across the room, medical monitors unused in the corners. Everything was cast in the flickering green light of One for All, though the dim rays of morning shone through the blinds on the far wall.

The hospital. Right. They'd rode in with Iida in the ambulance, been treated for their injuries, and left to sleep and recover after their ordeal.

‘I hope Iida’s ok.’ Izuku thought. Worry momentarily cut through the unease at what he’d just experienced, but the confusion crashed back in soon after. ‘What was that? Was it a dream? It felt like it, but at the same time… that same feeling was back. The vestiges… All Might said he only ever saw them once, but now I’ve seen them as shadows, felt three distinct presences during the fight, and actually saw a person just now.’

Izuku closed his eyes, then turned his focus inward, trying to feel the power of his Quirk. It felt as it always had, a well of energy vast beyond comprehension. That power had become more and more familiar over time, but it still had a sense of… foreign-ness to it that made it hard to consider his own.

Izuku gradually relaxed his draw on the power until only the barest sliver still coursed through him. It wasn't enough to even classify with a percentage, and certainly too little to glow from his skin. He contemplated the power, felt the way it flowed through his body. He sank himself deeper, and found he could sense the power more clearly. It was made from interwoven motes of energy, a prismatic braid he could trace back to the core-

It felt different. Larger, somehow, despite Izuku having never consciously considered it before. There was a feeling within, almost distilled concepts. A sense of generosity, of anxiety, of coiling anger, of persistence just barely out of reach…

Izuku’s focus slipped, and he found himself alone with his thoughts once again. They were not reassuring. ‘...What on earth is happening to One for All?’

Izuku sat in his bed at Hosu General Hospital. In his hand, he held the loose assortment of glass and electronics that was his phone.

Initially, he’d fished it out of his tattered costume to try and call his mother not long after he’d woken up. Given the state he found it in, he’d opted to set it aside and call her using one of the public phone booths the hospital offered. Once he’d assured her he was alright, he’d very, very carefully explained what had happened the previous night.

All things considered, his mother had actually taken the news better than anticipated. She’d only dropped the phone three or four times that he could hear, and he didn’t think she’d fainted for any substantial length of time. He could only hope he’d put her fears at ease enough that she wouldn’t be a nervous wreck between now and when he returned home in a few days. Even if he had, he knew he’d be in for quite an ordeal when he returned. He loved her dearly, but his mother worried about him at the best of times, and it always made him feel guilty. The last thing he wanted was to worry her, but so long as he was a hero, it would be an inevitability.

‘Just another reason I need to master One for All as quickly as possible.’ Izuku had thought on his way back to the room. ‘Once I have complete control, once I’m strong enough to really be called All Might’s successor, she’ll never have to worry about me again.’

On his return, Izuku had found Todoroki awake. The two had talked for a brief while over their hospital breakfasts once the food arrived. Mainly, they tried to come to grips with the events of the previous evening. The fact that their fight with Stain had only lasted a few minutes, despite it having felt like hours during the confrontation, hardly felt real. In the end, the lingering stress, exhaustion, and worry over Iida’s wellbeing had brought the conversation to a gradual stop.

Afterwards, Izuku had quickly spiraled into a pit of worry. So much was happening, and so little felt like it was within his control. On one hand, that was a familiar feeling. On the other, that was a feeling he’d hoped he could escape now that he was training to become a hero. But with the first death of his career, his friend being grievously injured right in front of him, and his inherited Quirk behaving strangely, he felt adrift. In a desperate bid to distract himself, Izuku had gently grabbed his phone and set about seeing if anything was recoverable.

The fact that it even turned on was a shock. That it displayed 386 notifications from HeroNet was even more of one. It took rotating the phone several times to get some of the necessary keys in functional sections of the screen, but eventually he was able to unlock it and navigate to the app.

To his pleased surprise, his most recent message was actually from Uraraka. Izuku eagerly tapped on the chat, but what he found within was definitely not what he’d expected.

Conversation: Ochako Uraraka [Uravity]

Uravity: Are you ok Deku? What’s going on?

Uravity: I hope everything’s ok!

Uravity: Give me a call when you can please! I know you're probably fine, but I can't help but worry, ya’know?

Uravity: **You know

Any confusion Izuku felt was blindsided by the idea that Uraraka wanted to call him. Call him . A girl. Uraraka. Call .

“Midoriya, are you ok?” Todoroki asked, clearly alarmed. “I’m pretty sure people aren’t supposed to turn red like that. Do you need me to call a doctor?”

“I’M FINE!” Izuku did not squeak, and if Todoroki said otherwise, he was lying.

Deku: Im k srry to wrry yu phn damagd will call when I can

It was only after he’d successfully brute forced a readable text that his confusion returned. ‘Why was Uraraka concerned in the first place? I wasn’t supposed to be in Hosu, and I doubt Todoroki’s the type to update the class on what happened unprompted…’

Izuku backed out of the chat, then scanned further down. He quickly realized he’d also received messages from Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Asui, and… actually, quite a few of his classmates, along with All Might. All of them were below the second chat in the list, a bloated monster that, going by the timestamp, he'd created during the fight with Stain. ‘… Wait… Why is that massive thing in my personal conversations? That should be in… oh.’

Izuku tapped into the bloated chat, then broke out into a cold sweat as his newfound fears were confirmed. Apparently, despite his jittering hand, he’d managed to get just about everything right while he sent out his SOS. The one thing he’d done wrong had been accidentally sending it as a group message to his HeroNet contact list, rather than as a proximity message that would have alerted other heroes within a five mile radius as he’d intended.

‘No wonder Todoroki was confused at first. If I was calling for help, why would I have sent it to the class? If he hadn’t taken the time to check it and realize where it was…’ Izuku really didn’t want to consider how things might have ended had Todoroki not arrived when he did, or worse, if nobody who’d gotten the message had been close enough to do anything.

Izuku looked up at Todoroki in the bed across from him, who was busy tapping away at his own phone. “I just realized what happened with my message. Thank you for coming to help, Todoroki.”

Todoroki glanced up at him, then returned to swiping at his phone. “You saved me at the sports festival. It was the least I could do.” He paused, though his eyes never left the screen. “Also, please call me Shoto. The less I have to hear my fathers name, the better.”

“I wouldn't go so far as to say I saved you, To-Shoto.” Izuku caught himself. It would be odd to adapt, but it made sense, given what he knew of the Endeavor issue. “And even if I did, helping you come to terms with your power is way different than tracking someone down in a massive city, mid disaster, to help them fight off a serial killer.”

Shoto looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “I believe, as the recipient of your assistance, it’s up to me how valuable I think it was. You saved my hero career. I helped you fight a villain, sure, but you were the primary reason he was taken down regardless. From my perspective, I still owe you.”

“I… You’re underselling yourself a bit there, but I don’t really have a good counter argument to that.” Izuku responded after a surprised moment of hesitation as he scratched the back of his head. “Thank you, regardless.”

Shoto gave a satisfied hum, then returned to- ‘Wait, is he playing Fruit Ninja?’ Izuku filed that baffling tidbit away for later, then returned his attention to his phone.

Most of the messages within the group chat he’d accidentally started were a confused jumble of questions, concern, and horror as more news came out of Hosu. Then the class had collectively realized that the only two who hadn’t responded in some way were Shoto and Iida, both of whom they’d worked out were likely in Hosu as well. The resultant pandemonium raged for hours, until it gradually tapered off some time during the night.

With a sigh, Izuku once again fought valiantly to type something understandable. It went just about as well as the first time, which meant a half dozen attempts that still mostly consisted of nonsense when he hit send.

Group Chat: Untitled

Deku: Hi tdrki and I rcvring at the hspital Iida in surgry will updat whn i can phn damagd

Chargebolt: Guys is my brain still scrambled or is Midoriya’s

Uravity: Deku! Are you ok? Iida’s in surgery? What happened?

Creati: There are reports that Nomu were attacking the city. Did you run into one of them?

Deku: Cant txt phn bad Uraraa right

Deku: 1 nmu but not hurt by it

Creati: I'm glad to hear you weren't hurt by one of those monsters. Were there more villains attacking then, or were the injuries from something else? There hasn't been a lot of information released yet.

Shoto: To my understanding, Midoriya found Iida and Native being attacked by Stain and intervened, then sent his location. I saw it and went to assist. We managed to fend off Stain for a few minutes, but he outmaneuvered us. Iida intervened to save us, but was stabbed through the sternum in doing so. Midoriya managed to restrain Stain with a new technique of some kind afterwards, then applied a healing Quirk that had been used on him to stabilize Iida. I don’t have much information on that or what happened afterwards, as I was tending to Iida. I'm given to understand Midoriya was kidnapped by a Flying Nomu that escaped Endeavor, which Stain killed after escaping. Stain then faced down the pros, but passed out before another fight began. We were picked up by an ambulance, and are now in recovery waiting for further news on Iida’s condition.

Chargebolt: Guess my brain is still fried weird I thought that wore off a while ago

Uravity: YOU WHAT??????

Uravity: OH MY GOD IIDA

Creati: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Uravity: He's going to be ok, right?

Red Riot: Midori-bro! You're alive! What happened?

Katsuki Bakugo: THIS IS BULLSHIT I’M STUCK WITH THE DENIM DICTATOR WHILE YOU WERE FIGHTING FUCKING STAIN???

Red Riot: WAIT WHT

Red Riot: WHAT

Chargebolt: Wait are other people seeing the same thing

Chargebolt: Oh shit

Chargebolt: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED

Eraserhead: All three of your internship mentors are getting blacklisted.

Tsukuyomi: What a mad banquet of darkness.

Izuku felt a headache coming on as notifications continued to pour in, suddenly thankful that his phone’s speaker was apparently broken. “Er… Shoto? I’m not sure we should have told everyone about Stain yet.”

Shoto glanced up from his phone, head slightly tilted. “Why not? Native gave us permission, so we shouldn’t have any reason to hide our involvement.”

“Well, no, there hopefully won’t be any legal problems with it.” Izuku conceded. “But everyone’s freaking out now, especially given Stain’s track record for crippling anyone he doesn't outright kill. I…” Izuku deflated slightly. “I don’t really know how the situation should have been handled, but it probably would have been a good idea to tell everyone a little more gently?”

“What do you mean?” Shoto asked. “I thought it was best to present reports concisely while focusing on important details.”

“While you’re right regarding reports, this… isn’t really a situation where that’s the right approach.” Izuku said hesitantly. “It’s too impersonal, and that will make everyone more worried. I’m sure they want to know what happened, but they’re probably more concerned about us than the specific breakdown of events.”

Shoto’s eyes narrowed as he rubbed his chin contemplatively. “That’s always been how I talked with my family, when I got the chance. I… I knew how they talked with each other was different, but I never really understood why . It always seemed easier for them.” Shoto blinked, then wilted slightly. “I wonder if that’s why my mother looked sad when I was telling her about what I’ve been doing.”

That… Izuku wasn’t sure what to say to that. He’d known that Shoto’s upbringing had been, frankly, horrifying. It pained him to no end that he couldn’t tell anyone in a position to do anything about it without breaking Shoto’s trust. “Well, now that you know… maybe it’ll get easier? Talking to them, that is.”

Shoto hummed inscrutably, then stood and walked over to Izuku’s bed, uninjured arm stretched forward to offer his phone. “Your messages are even more indecipherable than before. Just let me know when you’re done.”

Izuku stared at the phone for a moment before he took it gingerly. “Thank you. I’ll try to calm things down and get it back to you as quickly as I can.”

Shoto nodded, then walked over to look out the room’s window. Izuku watched his new friend, worry only growing. Just how isolated had the poor guy been?

Shelving the concern for another time when he could hopefully better address it, Izuku turned his attention back to the chat. He quickly reread Shoto’s previous message, then began tapping away. The experience of using a functional keyboard after his last few messages was almost blissful.

Shoto: Hi, Izuku here. My phone is basically a pile of scrap at the moment, so I’m borrowing Shoto’s. He covered everything fairly accurately, though I think he gave me more credit than I deserve.

Katsuki Bakugo: That was fucking obvious.

Red Riot: Dude, not the time

Uravity: Are you ok Deku? You’re not hurt too badly, are you?

Uravity: And Todoroki too?

Shoto: Pretty beat up and needed some stitches, but that's honestly not too different from how I was when I arrived in Hosu. Shoto also needed some stitches in his arm, but managed to keep Stain mostly at range.

Creati: Get some rest and focus on recovery. Please keep us updated.

Uravity: I’m glad you're both mostly ok. Hopefully Iida will be too! How was he looking when you last saw him?

Shoto: It wasn't good, but better than he was immediately after the injury. I'm not going to say much until I know more.

Froppy: Because of the healing Quirk, right? Where did that come from?

Izuku winced. Leave it to Asui to find the most uncomfortable question, albeit through no fault of her own. He wasn't sure how to approach that situation himself, much less with anyone else. Before he could even try, the door to their room slid open violently to reveal the small form of Gran Torino.

“Look alive, boys. We’re going to see your friend!”

Chapter Text

“Look alive, boys. We’re going to see your friend!”

Relief washed over Izuku. He quickly jabbed at Shoto’s phone to update the chat, then returned it as they both rushed towards the door. “He’s ok?” Izuku asked as he approached the little man.

“He’s alive and awake. I don’t know the specifics yet, but the doctors seemed overall pleased when they said he could have visitors.” Torino grunted.

Izuku took solace in the knowledge that Iida had at least woken up. That comfort faded as Torino glared at him over a shoulder.

“Don’t get too happy just yet, you’re still in the doghouse.” Torino smirked grimly in a way Izuku did NOT like. “The Chief of Police wants to talk to the three of you shortly.”

Izuku and Shoto exchanged worried glances, then continued onward in silence.

Iida’s room was smaller than the one Izuku and Shoto shared, with medical equipment around the head of his bed. Iida had a brace around his torso, his right forearm in a cast, and bandages visible around his left shoulder, but his eyes were open and darted between them. While Izuku and Shoto approached the bed, Torino stepped off to the side and settled into a chair next to an exhausted looking Manual.

“Iida? How are you doing?” Izuku asked, eyes roving the countless wires vanishing into his friend’s hospital gown.

“I've certainly been better!” Iida responded with an energy incongruous with his current state of health. After a moment, however, he deflated somewhat and his eyes fell. “I regret that I can't thank you both properly for what you did, even if I wish it hadn't been necessary in the first place. I made a tremendously foolish series of errors, and it nearly got all of us killed.”

“Everyone makes mistakes, Iida… though I can't deny that when you go off script, you really go all in.” Izuku sighed, then his eyes drifted to the disquietingly still shape of Iida’s legs beneath the thin sheet. “Have you… heard anything about…”

“Don't worry, it seems I won't be down for good. Estimates have me back on my feet in under a month, assuming treatment goes as well as they hope.” Iida smiled wanly. “The doctors ran a series of tests before I woke up. Apparently, like many mutation Quirks that alter or add to aspects of the human body, the nervous system leading to my Quirk is more advanced and robust. As a result, they have a better chance to recover from damage they sustain. Between that, the quick response to staunch the bleeding, Patchwork's temporary stitches, and some manner of survival Quirk from one Doctor Kinenkō, I was in far better condition than I had any right to be.”

Iida frowned slightly for a moment, then shook his head. “On top of that, with Kinenkō’s Quirk in effect, the surgeons felt confident enough to try some manual treatment before Recovery Girl arrived for disaster relief. I'm about as ready for her ministrations as the doctors can make me, though even with sedatives and painkillers in my system I'm… a bit… hyper. Midoriya, are you ok?”

Izuku realized his face had fallen, and tried to rally himself. “I'm just tired, don't worry. I'm glad you're going to be ok!”

Iida stared at him.

Despite Izuku's best efforts, he couldn't hold his friend’s gaze.

“He seems to react the same way whenever someone mentions the golden blood Quirk, or whatever it is.” Shoto said, voice deadpan. “He used it on you, not a doctor.”

Iida looked shocked for a moment, which Izuku could understand. He himself certainly hadn’t expected such a thing to be possible, and Izuku had probably studied Quirks as a whole just as much as Iida had studied his own. Then, his friend’s expression shifted to one of determination.

“I received some advice recently that I dismissed out of hand. I find myself deeply regretful of having done so.” Iida continued to stare at Izuku. “While I might not have the right to say this, given the circumstances, I hope you'll heed this advice better than I.”

Disbelief all but radiated from Izuku as he met Iida’s eyes. ‘Oh, this is SO not fair Iida. You can’t just-’

“If it ever gets to be too much and you need to talk, just say something.” Iida turned Izuku's words against him. “It doesn't have to be me. I'm sure Uraraka would be more than happy to listen to you, and the teachers at UA are there to help us. Don't just try to ignore or hide whatever it is that's bothering you. From my experience…” Iida grimaced. “It doesn't go well.”

Izuku managed to keep a straight face for all of a second before a begrudging laugh broke through. “Iida, the sheer audacity… I’m not sure if I should be encouraging that or not.”

Iida smirked. “Join the bad decisions club, Midoriya.”

Izuku nearly choked on his own spit, while Shoto began tapping his chin in thought. “... You're sure you didn’t just happen to find Iida’s well-informed doppelganger in that alleyway, right Midoriya?”

“...er…” Iida blanched, then looked away in a fluster. “Sorry, that’s something my brother often says. He always tries to get me to loosen up a bit...”

“Heroics is a field that puts its practitioners under an immense amount of stress. Staying completely rigid at all times just means you break under it instead of bending to accommodate.” Izuku recited. “Sir Nighteye said that in an interview a few years ago.”

Iida seemed to ponder this, brow creased. “The sentiment is nothing I haven't been told before, but… I suppose that seeing what ‘breaking’ meant for me puts it in perspective. It’s something to consider.” Iida’s eyes sharpened. “Though I won’t let it distract me from the matter at hand, if that’s what your intent was.”

Izuku shrunk into himself slightly. “I… I’ll tell you. It’s not really something I was going to keep a secret, it’s just... I mentioned that I was helping with an evacuation before I found you, right?”

Iida thought for a moment before he nodded. “Yes, I believe so.”

“Something, I'm guessing one of the Nomu, had punched through an upscale apartment building not too far away from where I found you. I managed to get some elderly tenets and a mother and daughter family out, but there was another person I’d been asked to look for. I found them in a mostly collapsed section of the first floor while I was trying to evacuate the family.” Izuku hissed out a breath at the memory. “That was Dr. Kinenkō.”

Iida and Shoto watched him, curious.

“He was trapped underneath the rubble, and most of his lower body was crushed. He… there was no way he should have been alive. Hell, he himself said he was as good as dead, no matter what I did. He’d seen that I hurt myself trying to help the family, and offered to use his Quirk on me so I could keep helping people. Kinenkō said he could boost people’s vitality to increase survival and healing, and that it was what had kept him alive. But when he used it… he died immediately. And going by what it felt like when I used it on you, Iida… I think it was actually a vitality transfer.”

Iida sucked in a sharp breath as an expression of sympathy and, oddly enough, confusion flashed across his friend's face. He looked like he was about to say something, but Shoto spoke first.

“You think he deliberately didn’t tell you that because he wanted to get rid of it.” Shoto murmured. “That he wanted to die.”

Reluctantly, Izuku nodded. “He said he wanted to use it on me so I could keep helping people, and I had landed badly from a few floors up, so I agreed. If I’d known he would die from it, I definitely wouldn’t have. But if I hadn’t, he’d have suffered for who knows how much longer, and you…” Izuku looked at Iida, badly injured but nonetheless alive . “So, I don’t know how to feel. There was no way he’d have survived the injury, and it had to be horrifyingly painful, but at the same time… it feels like he used me to kill himself. Like I helped him do it.”

Iida and Shoto exchanged glances, neither sure how to handle the situation.

“Midoriya-” Iida began with his usual energy, though he cut off with a sharp hiss when he tried to chop with his arm. After a moment, he continued, far more subdued. “You can’t hold yourself responsible for someone taking such actions, if things did happen as you believe. In such a horrible situation, I can’t imagine how I or any of our classmates would have reacted. Knowing you, you did everything you could.”

It didn’t make Izuku feel much better, but he appreciated his friend’s attempt.

The sound of the door as it slid open startled all three of them, and drew another hiss from Iida as his body tensed up. Izuku spun, but was met with a well dressed chest where he’d expected to see a head. He swept his eyes upwards, but the expected head continued to elude him. Instead, he found the head of a Beagle set atop the gargantuan body that had just ducked into the room, large eyes locked squarely on the three of them.

“My apologies for startling you three. My name is Kenji Tsuragamae, and I’m the Chief of Police. I’m given to understand you’ve had quite the interesting night, between encountering more of those Nomu and taking down the Hero Killer.” The titanic dog-man said. His words ended with a huff that sounded suspiciously like a ‘Woof’. “Stain is currently in treatment for a laundry list of severe injuries, most notable among them multiple broken bones and a severe concussion. The man looks like he was hit by a bus.”

Izuku winced.

“As I’m sure you’re all aware, you’ve crossed some serious legal lines. Heroes require extensive training for a reason, which you’ve only just begun. Were Stain not so tenacious, it’s quite likely he’d have died from his injuries tonight. Frankly, he’s still not in the clear.” Tsuragamae crossed his arms, gaze unwavering. “Quirk use to this degree far exceeds the normal parameters for self defense. Had Native not given you permission under his assumption of a disaster event, you’d have just committed a stunning breach of the law.”

Izuku’s relief at Native keeping his promise was nearly dashed the moment he heard Iida’s voice.

“Sir, I feel compelled to admit my shortcomings. I-”

Chief Tsuragamae held up a hand as his gaze fell on Iida like an anvil. Even near immobile as he was, Iida managed to grow even more still. “Young man, think very carefully before you continue. Native has put his career on the line to vouch for the three of you. While I’m sure everyone in the room knows that certain events may not line up perfectly in the timeline, what he did was technically within his purview. The last thing anyone wants is to further muddy this mess of a situation, so I’d recommend accepting it at face value.”

An awkward silence followed. Izuku’s eyes briefly strayed to Gran Torino as the old man rubbed his brow tiredly, Manual by his side as he watched events unfold with dark-ringed eyes. ‘They’ve probably been trying to settle this all night.’

Having evidently taken Iida’s silence as acquiescence, Tsuragamae continued. “Now, while you are officially blameless in the situation, you all are still getting flagged for special attention in the police systems. Though you were given authorization for the combat you partook in, you all still approached a dangerous situation without the proper authority to engage. While this is not a crime in and of itself, such actions are commonly associated with Vigilante behavior, something which the police closely monitor for.”

“Hold on a minute.” Shoto stepped forward. “You’re saying that we shouldn’t have even approached the situation to try and help? We should have just all ignored any signs of trouble and stayed away? Iida saved Native. Midoriya saved both of them. I alerted the pros that something was happening, and went to try and gather information. If I hadn’t, then all three of them could be dead. Should each of us have just… ignored it? Walked away from people that needed help? Doesn't that go completely against the job description of a hero?”

Tsuragamae snorted, then shifted to loom over Shoto. “Clearly, you’ve much to learn. There’s a fine balance that needs to be maintained. Civilians are encouraged to report situations to heroes, but not to get so involved that they themselves become victims. You could very easily have been killed, had Stain chosen to get serious.” He shook his head, large ears flopping. “Whatever Midoriya did to take him down, it must have caught Stain well and truly off his guard to have worked. Without that, all of you might be in Iida’s situation at the moment, if not worse off. More than anything, that’s what I wanted to get across to all of you today. As messy as the situation is, and even with Iida’s injury in mind, your fight with Stain ended far, far better than it had any right to. Putting the legality of it aside, don’t do this again for your own sakes, and the sake of your families.”

The unexpected plea hit all three of them hard. Shoto almost immediately stepped back and dropped his gaze. Though the movement seemed to catch Iida by surprise, Izuku's newfound insight into the boy had made clear how much he valued his family.

“As the police chief, I’m obligated to ensure you understand how badly this could have gone for you, both legally and for your wellbeing in general. Massive indiscretions such as these Cannot. Be. Repeated.” After a moment, the air of authority around the man diminished as Tsuragamae sighed. He slumped slightly, and his crossed arms fell to his sides. “Personally, I just don’t want to see the careers of such promising young heroes cut short by good intentions gone wrong. If you turn the drive you displayed last night towards your training and getting your license, you’ll be a force to recon with in no time. And, of particular note, ones that work both safely and within the laws we all strive to uphold.”

“We’ll be sure to go over proper procedure with our interns.” Manual stood as he sensed the conversation had drawn to a close. “Our negligence in that regard, as well as losing track of them in the chaos, is the root of the problem.”

Iida’s eyes dropped. “I’m so very sorry, Manual. I shouldn’t have run off as I did.”

Manual shook his head, hands planted on his hips. “For now, just focus on recovering. But don’t do something this idiotic again.”

“At the risk of undermining my point, there is one last thing I’d like to say.” Tsuragamae huffed, then bowed. Even bent crisply at the waist, his head was still nearly level with Izuku’s. “As someone invested in keeping the peace, thank you for stopping Stain, woof.”

With that, the giant straightened, nodded to the pros, and ducked out the door. The silence was thick for a moment, before Manual let out a weary sigh. “All things considered, each and every one of you have experienced an incredible string of good luck these past few hours. Hopefully you survive when the universe returns to equilibrium.” Manual ran a hand down his face, then glanced at Iida. “I’m going to go home and sleep. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. Ok?”

“Thank you, Manual. For everything you’ve done for me.” Iida responded. “Forgive my inability to bow as you deserve.”

With a shake of his head and a tired chuckle, Manual waved him off and said his goodbyes. The hero weakly shuffled from the room, which left the students with Gran Torino. Three sets of eyes shifted to the tiny man, unsure if he’d have something to add.

Gran Torino snored. Loudly.

“...Yeah.” Izuku grumbled as his shoulders slumped. “That makes sense, I guess.”

The three sat in silence for a time as they reeled from the experience they’d just shared. Another encounter with the Nomu. A disaster that spanned a whole ward of Tokyo. A fight with one of the most infamous killers of the decade. A confrontation with the police chief in the aftermath, one that didn’t end with their careers up in flames.

Izuku weakly scratched the back of his head. “It is kind of miraculous we’re still alive, all things considered.”

Shoto nodded as he gingerly prodded at his injured arm. “Everyone’s been saying that Stain wasn’t taking us seriously. From the way he was wounding us, rather than just taking our heads off and being done with it, I would have been inclined to agree. But…” he glanced at Iida, then looked away. “Thank you for what you did. I froze up, and that’s unforgivable.”

“Nonsense, Todoroki.” Iida said, then winced as his arm twitched. “We were facing someone who far surpassed us in skill and experience. The fact that you managed to avoid falling to his tactics for so long is a phenomenal achievement, true killing intent or not. And…” Iida sucked a breath through grit teeth. “Much as I loathe to admit it, I think they’re right. He wasn’t really trying to kill either of you. Even at the end when he struck me down, I was the one providing much of the force behind the attack. He seemed genuinely surprised when it hit home.”

Izuku thought about it, then slowly nodded. “With as inflexible as his views seemed, it’s entirely possible he genuinely didn’t see you moving to save us as a possibility. When you did, it caught him completely flat footed.”

“He definitely could have gone for my throat when we were falling back. Instead, he cut my arm, and not even that deeply.” Shoto nodded in agreement. “He just got enough blood to incapacitate me, then immediately tried to finish off Native. Maybe he would have come back if Midoriya hadn’t done… whatever those tendrils were, but maybe he was genuinely finished with us.”

Iida blinked. “Tendrils?” Then, slowly, his brow furrowed. “Now that you say it, I vaguely remember something, but I thought they were attacking Midoriya.”

Izuku winced. “My Quirk went haywire. I gained better control over it during my internship, but something weird started happening during the fight with Stain. I don’t really know what’s going on with it.”

Shoto nodded, eyes unfocused. “It was… like they had a mind of their own. They stayed away from everyone other than Midoriya and Stain, but it was flinging both all over the place. I'm pretty sure the human body isn't meant to crunch that much.”

Izuku rubbed at his neck, both out of soreness and guilt. “Yeah. Having him take down a Nomu with a knife to save me was terrifying enough. But knowing he did it fresh off that was even more crazy. He's freakishly tenacious if nothing else.”

“Wait.” Iida balked as he stared at Izuku with incomprehension. “Wait, he WHAT?”

Shoto leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “Yes.” He said in a tone that concerned Izuku immediately. “Unfortunately, I didn't get to see anything other than the aftermath once Patchwork had me melt the ice. But apparently a wounded Nomu escaped my father, flew in, and snatched Midoriya out of the middle of the heroes so fast nobody could react. Stain used the distraction to escape his bindings, but instead of running, he got some of the Nomu’s blood, jumped on its back, and killed it. Endeavor showed up, and Stain faced everyone down, screaming that only a true hero like All Might could kill him. I actually heard that part.”

Iida stared at Shoto, goggle-eyed. His gaze shifted to Izuku questioningly, confusion evident on his face.

“Shoto has it more or less right.” Izuku shrugged. “It was terrifying. I thought he was working with the league, so when I saw him escaping I expected a bloodbath. Instead he hauled himself something like 30 feet into the air and stabbed it in the brain while ranting his manifesto.”

“Clearly” Shoto said, a glimmer of something deep in his eyes that redoubled Izuku’s concern. “He saw that Midoriya is All Might’s illegitimate lovechild, much as I did at the sports festival. From there, it’s easy to see that he’s a close follower of All Might’s ideals, which likely made him ‘A worthy hero’ in Stain’s worldview.”

Once again, Iida’s wide eyes turned to Izuku, pleading for him to make Shoto’s sudden plunge into conspiracy theory mania make sense.

Izuku sighed, long and deep. “I retract my endorsement of Shoto’s version of events.”

“You cannot hide the truth forever.”

Afterwards, their conversation meandered for a time. It ranged from Izuku’s more measured explanation of events after Iida’s injury to their experiences at their internships. Both Iida and Shoto had looked at Izuku strangely at his explanation of ‘The Taiyaki Breakthrough’, but neither could argue with his results.

They also, somewhat belatedly, directed Iida to the HeroNet chat. After a prolonged battle to convince Iida he didn't actually have to read every post in the conversation before he could respond, he finally joined the fray. The influx of messages celebrating his presence brought a smile to Iida’s face, something which had been sorely lacking prior.

Before long, however, another interruption arrived with the sound of a door being slammed open.

“TENYA!”

Gran Torino shot upwards with a startled snort, punched through the paneling of the hospital ceiling, and vanished into the space above it with a crash. Izuku, equally as startled but far less mobile, simply fell out of his chair. Shoto took it completely in stride, barely reacting beyond a disinterested glance over his shoulder.

“...Tensei? What on earth are you doing? I thought you wouldn’t be allowed in a wheelchair for weeks yet!” Iida looked stunned.

The former Ingenium sat in a wheelchair that looked far too small for his broad physique, his blue hair little more than stubble above eyes ringed with dark bags.

“Well, that’s true. But Recovery Girl swung by on her way down the list. I’d recouped enough stamina that she could take nearly a month off my recovery time, which was the perfect amount to finally get into one of these blasted things and come check on my little brother.” Tensei said as he wheeled himself over to his brother’s bedside with some evident effort. Izuku cleared a path, for which Tensei nodded in appreciation. He raised a shaky hand to grasp his brother’s good one and squeezed it tightly. “She should be here soon, from what she said. Which is perfect timing. She can heal whatever damage I do by trying to cram some common sense into your thick skull. What the HELL were you thinking, hunting down Stain?”

“I couldn’t just let him go free, after what he did-” Iida’s mouth snapped shut as Tensei’s eyebrows shot up in challenge, eyes glinting.

“You decided that you, having been at UA for all of a few months , could go after Stain and not just survive, but beat him? I realize my point is pretty badly undermined by the fact that the three of you actually managed to take him down, which is patently absurd and stupidly impressive, but REALLY Tenya?” Tensei’s voice cracked as he spoke. The thin veneer of sternness crumbed away to reveal a bottomless well of fear, sorrow, and guilt. “Now look at you. I know you wanted to be like me growing up, but… you really, really shouldn’t have emulated me like THIS!”

“I… The doctors said they’re optimistic. That I got help soon enough that the damage can be reversed. I should be-”

“But what if you DIDN’T?” Tensei sobbed, head resting on Tenya’s good shoulder. “What if he’d killed you, or you didn’t get that help and ended up permanently crippled like me?”

Both the Iida brothers were crying now, each the sole focus of the other. Izuku felt like he was intruding on the moment and stepped back. After a not-so-subtle glance in Izuku's direction, Shoto did the same.

“Well isn’t that a touching scene.” Torino grumbled from above, having stuck his head out from under a ceiling panel. Dust drifted from his hair and beard, along with small pieces of the panel he’d plowed through on his way up. “Let's leave them to their reunion. Besides, I’m pretty sure I saw Chiyo on her way down the hall while I was poking around up here, so you might as well clear out now. If she asks about me, no I’m not here, and yes I’m remembering to take my pills.” Torino’s head retreated into the darkness, and the panel fell back into place.

Izuku and Shoto stared up at the ceiling. Slowly, Shoto’s gaze lowered to Izuku. “I don’t think your description of your internship mentor was… entirely adequate.”

Izuku could only nod in agreement. He opened the door as silently as he could, then slipped out. As Shoto was about to slide the door closed behind them, a needle-shaped cane poked Izuku in the foot, which drew his attention to its wielder. True to Torino’s words, Recovery Girl had arrived. She scrutinized Izuku closely, and for a moment he felt like some kind of animal on a dissection table. “Well I’ll be. You look like you’re mostly intact!”

Izuku scratched at the back of his head, then shifted absently to scratch at his shoulder blades. “Yup. Worst I did was a minor fracture in my arm and some… extensive bruising, but that’s a pretty big improvement!”

“I’ll say.” Recovery Girl smiled up at him. “You look exhausted though. Go get some rest, and I’ll swing by to heal up the both of you once I finish with the requests from the hospital. Though, given that you’ve all gotten plenty of excitement already, which I’m sure you’ve already been suitably chastised for…” Her gaze turned piercing for a moment, and a chill ran down Izuku’s spine. “Maybe focus a little more on the mundane aspects of hero work for the rest of your internships, hmmm?”

Izuku mumbled something that was somewhere between an apology, an agreement, and a whimper in an attempt to mollify the elderly heroine's ire, and bowed with a frantic edge. With a nod of acceptance, Recovery Girl cocked her head slightly and glanced around. “Speaking of internships, where’s that old coot who’s supposed to be training you, Midoriya? I’d have expected him to stick around, though if Tensei coming in tipped him off…” She glanced through the door, and her eyes settled on the dust and bits of broken paneling on the floor.

Slowly, and with long suffering exasperation, her eyes trailed upwards as she stepped forward to find the hole in the ceiling. “Ah. Well, I suppose I should have expected as much. Next time you see him, tell him I know damn well he hasn’t gotten his prescriptions refilled in four years, and that I’ll find him if that doesn't change."

With a click, the door closed. For a time, Izuku and Shoto were left to stare blankly at its surface as staff and patients alike wove around them in the hall.

“I have many questions.” Shuto muttered as his hand returned to his chin. “I don’t suppose you know…?”

“You’re not working on another theory, are you?” Izuku rubbed at his brow.

Shoto’s eyes shifted evasively. “...No.”

“Well, if you come up with something good, let me know. I’m just as curious as you.” Izuku sighed, before he looked around. “...You don’t happen to remember how to get back to our room, do you?”

Izuku groaned as he walked down a hallway beside Shoto and a very dusty Torino. He lightly slapped his own cheeks in an effort to keep himself awake. Recovery Girl had stopped in after a little more than an hour, more tired than he’d ever seen her but smiling all the same. After she quickly planted a peck on their cheeks, she’d been happy to share the good news regarding Iida’s recovery.

Recovery Girl was extremely pleased with how the procedure had gone. Apparently, the Quirk Iida was affected by worked amazingly well with her own, giving the patient a deeper well of vitality for her Quirk to draw from. She’d had to proceed with caution given the nature of the injury, but by the time Iida’s reserves had been mostly drained, he had some feeling in his legs. According to her, another few healing sessions and some physical therapy, and Iida would likely be mostly back to normal within two weeks. The final round had left Iida well and truly exhausted, however, and he’d fallen asleep almost as soon as her lips had left his cheek.

While Izuku was somewhat sad he couldn’t check in with Iida again before they left, such a feeling had been trivial compared to the sheer relief. Iida would be fine. After Recovery Girl finished their own healing, albeit somewhat incomplete due to Izuku’s lingering exhaustion, she’d wished them well and promised to get their checkout rolling.

A few minutes after she left, Gran Torino had casually dropped from the ceiling in a puff of dust and announced they were free to go. Rather than feed the tiny man’s antics, Izuku had just gotten changed into some hospital issued clothing, gathered his belongings, and prayed Shoto wouldn’t go too far down the rabbit hole. Luckily, his friend had been studiously working on an update for the class, something he had surprisingly requested Izuku let him do. He was crafting his third iteration, the first two having been highly detailed and overly formal, actually rather reminiscent of Iida.

Izuku shook his head as he pushed the doors open with one thankfully painless hand, while the other stifled a yawn. ‘I can’t wait to get out of here. Hopefully some rest in a bed that doesn't smell like antiseptic will help me shake off this fatigue.’

The hospital waiting room was, distressingly but unsurprisingly, packed to the brim. Every seat was filled, every wall had people leaning on it, most doubtless waiting to hear news of someone injured in the attack. The sight sent a wave of guilt through Izuku. ‘Should I have turned Recovery Girl down? I could have returned to my internship with a stitched up arm and some bruises, so surely she could have helped someone else instead of…’

Izuku’s train of thought was cut off by a sharp smack to his shin. With a yelp, he glanced down to see Gran Torino looking up at him, deadpan. “Yer’ mumbling again. If there were any other severe injuries left that she could treat, the only way she’d have left was if someone was dragging her.” Torino snorted quietly. “And make sure she never hears you say anything remotely accusing her of favoritism. She’ll put you right back into that bed, and you’ll be there for a good reason.”

Shoto glanced down at the diminutive hero, red eyebrow raised. “You sound like you know her awfully well.”

Torino smirked. “I used to be a teacher at UA. And we’re part of a very exclusive club.”

The gleam in Shoto’s eyes had returned, and with it was sure to come a headache for Izuku. ‘Damn it, Torino, why are you baiting him like that? His theories are crazy enough that he might actually get things right!’

“E-er, Shoto.” Izuku tried to get his attention. “Want me to take another look at the update for the group chat?”

The way Shoto looked at him, eyes narrowed and mouth pressed to a thin line, made it extremely clear that Izuku’s poor attempt at distraction had been very much noticed. Even so, he quickly typed something, then handed his phone to Izuku.

Shoto: Shoto here. Recovery Girl came through, healed us, and said she expects Iida to make a nearly full recovery within two weeks or so. He’s resting now, so we weren't able to talk to him again. We’re going to check out, but we’ll share anything else we find out. Also, Midoriya’s mentour is VERY strange.

“The last part stays.” Shoto muttered, resolute.

Izuku sighed as he glared down at Torino, who looked up at him with the single most unconvincing expression of innocence Izuku had ever seen. “The last part stays. The rest of it looks much better, too. Go ahead and send it.”

Shoto’s expression let just a hint of satisfaction through as he retrieved his phone, then tapped send with a small flourish. Shoto glanced around the room as he slipped it into his pocket, before he stilled as his gaze landed somewhere over Izuku’s shoulder. His expression rapidly sunk into its usual disinterested blankness, suddenly cool and collected as ever. “Looks like Endeavor sent Kido to get me. Makes sense, he’s one of the least flammable.”

With a glance over his shoulder, Izuku saw the bandaged man in question as Kido waved at them. He turned back and gave Shoto a small bow. “Thank you again for your help, Shoto. If you need anything, just say so.”

Shoto hesitated, then nodded slightly and bowed in return. “Thank you as well.” He glanced down at Torino before he looked back at Izuku. “And likewise.” With a bow and a somewhat hesitant “Thank you” to Torino as well, Shoto marched over to Kido, and the two quickly left.

“He’s fun.” Torino chuckled.

“He’s probably trying to research you as we speak.” Izuku shot back.

Torino shrugged. “Not like my career is all that interesting. I got into heroics late in life, flew around with someone actually good at it for a while, taught an important guy for a few years, then fucked off into relative obscurity.” Torino headed off towards the doors. “Speaking of one of those things, our ride is here.”

Izuku trotted after his mentor, scanning the stretch of parking lot visible through the door. He didn’t see anything for a moment, then…

With a deep rumble, a navy blue car sprung to life and pulled out of a parking space. It was a solid looking vehicle, though no less sporty for it. Sleek lines lent it an angular look, with red accents and white walled tires. As it pulled up, the passenger seat window rolled down to reveal a sheepish looking All Might, his skeletal features wildly out of place in the extravagant vehicle and marked with even more exhaustion than usual.

“Subtle.” Torino snarked, while Izuku just stared.

“...I may have grabbed the wrong keys on my way out of the office, and was in too much of a rush to get here to bother going back for the right ones.” All Might scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Luckily, the 2118 model of the Mustang had decent passenger seating, and it wasn't lost with the upgrades.” All Might’s eyes narrowed as he leaned further forward and looked down at Torino more closely. “Speaking of how nice this car is, what are you covered in?”

“Shotgun?” Torino asked, blithely ignoring the question.

All Might sighed before he set his shoulders and glared at the diminutive man. He drew in a breath-

Torino raised an eyebrow and absently popped his knuckles.

All Might’s resolute visage was quickly undermined as he started to sweat bullets. “I got a citation last time?” He squeaked plaintively.

Torino scoffed. “You should’ve let me kick him.”

All Might sighed. “Suggesting a booster seat was a bit much, but the officer had a point. Young Midoriya, you’re up front.”

Torino grumbled irritably as he opened the back door, and Izuku was pretty sure he heard something along the lines of “Gonna reshape your damn spine” before the door slammed closed. The old man, who’d brought out his most vindictive grin, shuffled over to sit behind an even more nervous All Might. Izuku just smiled at the incongruous sight. He opened his door, limply flopped into the passenger seat… and it took damn near everything he had not to melt as the incredibly comfortable seat cradled him. He had to pinch himself to keep from immediately dozing off.

“Thank you for coming to get us, All Might.” Izuku said around what definitely wasn’t a stifled yawn. “I really appreciate it. A lot has happened since yesterday, and I don’t know what to do about any of it.”

All Might flashed him a smile, though kept his eyes on the road as he pulled out. “Gladly, my boy. From what I understand, you definitely had quite the evening. And, might I add, did a…” All Might trailed off as a series of kicks slammed into the back of his seat. His eyes briefly trailed to the mirror before he tensed, then cleared his throat. “Did a very foolish thing that I should not endorse?”

“Make it sound less like a question next time, you damn oaf.” Torino grumbled from the back, though he lowered his foot.

“Regardless, I’m glad none of you died in that mess, and that Young Iida is on the mend.” His expression turned morose, as did Izuku's. “The fact that the Hero Killer was acting in my name, and nearly killed one of my students doing so… it’s sickening. I’m sorry that you had to be the one to face him down. I was hoping you wouldn’t have to experience such things for a long time yet, but…” He sighed, the sound ending in a small cough. “It seems far greater threats loom on the horizon.”

“Well, that sounds ominous.” Izuku forced a small laugh, in the hope the hero was just being melodramatic, as he sometimes was. The resounding silence in the car squashed that hope like a bug. “Ah. Is it because of what’s going on with One for All?”

All Might lifted a hand, tilting it side to side. “It’s related to One for All, but probably not specifically whatever you’re dealing with. Hopefully.” The skeletal man glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “We can talk about everything later. Relax for now Young Midoriya, you look exhausted.”

Izuku was tempted to refuse, given the sense of foreboding now hanging over them… but then he shifted slightly and remembered just how ridiculously luxurious the seat was. With a small groan, he gave in. “These seats are almost more comfortable than my bed. How aren’t you falling asleep at the wheel? You look as tired as I feel.”

“They’re delightful, aren’t they?” All Might smiled, the expression wistful. “The driver’s seat was built with a different figure in mind, so I’m not as comfortable as I once would have been. I don’t drive it very much anymore, but on the upside it’s probably been long enough that nobody will recognize it. I brought it back with me from America after my time there, and it's customized pretty heavily.” The smile turned fully nostalgic as he held the wheel. “I’ll have to get in touch with David some time soon. Maybe get him to change out the seat. It seems ridiculous to ask of him, but who knows what all he built into this one. The last thing I want is to get some poor soul hurt because they triggered an ejector seat, or lasers, or both.”

“David? As in David Shield?” Izuku roused himself, curiosity piqued. “I remember reading about him while I was researching your time in the states. He’s the one who developed most of your suits, right? And, now that I think about it, he did make you another vehicle at some point…”

All Might let out a sharp laugh. “Oh! The Allmobile! I haven’t thought about that thing in… goodness, I don’t know how long. David certainly had a dramatic streak.” He paused, then shot a look into the rear view mirror again. “Yes, Torino. I’m aware. Anyway, after about a year using it, he realized it was a bit too much form to go with all the functions, and started working on more discrete models. This isn’t one of them, but he did soup it up for me before I returned to Japan as a going away gift. Something about how it needed to be under a certain threshold, otherwise the government would refuse to let it through customs.”

“That makes sense.” Izuku hummed. “Kind of a shame, though. From what I remember, his support tech was incredible. Even back then, some of his work was as good as modern equipment.”

All Might smirked. “And that was only the public facing stuff. Some of his more subtle inventions…” He gave a sharp whistle as he leaned back. “Really superb stuff. My strength outpaced most of the materials he could source about halfway through my time in America, so the equipment I could keep on my person mostly shrunk down to my suit and my phone. Even then, the phones he made usually only last me about a month before I slam into something too hard, or I make a shockwave just a bit too big, and some of the internal components break. It’s something you’ll have to deal with eventually.”

“Given my phone didn’t even survive the fight with Stain, I can definitely see how that would be a problem…” Izuku said. “What was some of the old support equipment you used to use? I remember a little about it, but your gear never got as much attention as things like the Allmobile.”

“In terms of what I carried on my person? Not much. There were the collapsible handcuffs. Those were the first to go, unfortunately. The mechanisms were too fragile. They were great while they lasted though, I’m still not sure why they didn’t catch on for more low level heroics…”

The rest of the drive seemed to fly by. The opportunity to have All Might talk about some of his old gear, which branched out into his perspective on old fights, was like a dream come true for Izuku. It wasn't until they were nearly at their destination that he finally realized what that destination was.

“Wait. Wait wait wait. Are we going to Might Tower?” Izuku asked, exhaustion nearly forgotten in favor of sheer excitement. He pressed his hands and face to the window in a vain attempt to get a better look at the colossal structure and the double ringed planet atop it. “I thought we were going back to Torino’s apartment!”

All Might huffed. “No offense to Torino, but I think this will be a much better place for the discussion at hand. Also…” He stifled a yawn of his own. “It’s closer, and aside from a power nap while I waited in the car, I’ve been going for about 28 hours now. I don’t think I’d be up to the trip back to Yamanashi by car at this point, and I’m certainly not letting Torino drive.”

Torino slammed a foot into the back of All Might’s seat, then continued snoring.

“Why on earth have you been awake that long?” Izuku asked, stunned. “You said your time limit was down to 50 minutes, right? Surely you had to rest to recoup some of it at some point.”

All Might coughed into his hand. “I’ve… never been good at resting while people are in trouble. I paced myself most of yesterday, but I was still out of time and back at UA when I heard about what was happening in Hosu. Once I was back in Tokyo, you’d already managed to take down Stain, but the city was still in chaos. I spent the night helping organize a response with my staff, then making appearances with what little time I recovered.” All Might sighed, downcast. “It wasn’t much, just a few quick takedowns, but at least it made it clear that I was there. That knowledge probably did more to help than the crimes I personally stopped.”

Izuku had seen All Might in a funk before, but something about it felt different this time. He could understand some of that sadness, more than he could before. ‘Maybe it’s because of what I went through last night?’ Izuku pondered, guilt swelling up once again. ‘That horrible feeling of knowing I had power, and far more of it than I was using, but I still couldn’t change anything for Doctor Kinenkō. Waiting for the ambulance to arrive so Iida could get help, and just having to hope Kinenkō’s Quirk would be enough.’

Izuku was pulled from his increasingly morose thoughts as All Might reached forward towards the dash, hesitated briefly, then poked a black button. Quickly, the windows of the vehicle dimmed until they were probably at the edge of the legal limits. Moments later, All Might turned the car down a side street next to the tower, then into the parking garage built into one side. The shift in the sound as they entered the structure was enough to wake Torino, much to his displeasure.

“This is bullshit.” Torino groaned. “The past 12 hours of being awake drag like nothing else, but the moment I go to sleep? Bam. Half an hour in an eyeblink.”

All Might grunted in response as he navigated his way through the lot. Eventually, he stopped in front of a metal door. After a moment, a light flashed green, and the door slid to the side to reveal a cylindrical, metallic room, which the car slowly rolled into before All Might shut it down. With a low hum, the room began to rise.

“A car elevator?” Izuku murmured.

“I may have allowed myself to indulge a bit while I was having this building expanded.” All Might agreed. “It ended up coming in very handy, after my injury.”

For a short while, the only sound was that of the elevator. Then, with a ding, the walls of the room retreated into the floor, leaving the car in the center of a large room. The space was mostly simple, with comfortable looking furniture, some plants, framed pictures of All Might in various poses and places, and a few closed doors.

Two walls, however, were outliers. The first Izuku noticed was completely dominated by a display case packed with countless objects. While Izuku couldn’t pick out many of them at this distance, he could clearly see an american flag, some kind of eagle statue, and a massive gold trimmed cowboy hat. The backdrop of the case seemed to be various magazines, most of which Izuku could identify as having All Might on the cover. The other wall was dominated by a massive metal blast door, with the same crest as appeared on many of All Might’s suits.

Izuku blinked. Then blinked again.

“We’re behind the Might Gate?” Izuku whispered, awed.

All Might smiled. “Of course! Sure, I don’t let too many people back here, but you’re my successor. If anyone should have the clearance, it’s you.” All Might bit back a yawn, then quickly glanced at the time. “I’ll go grab us some lunch from the cafeteria. Let me know what you’d like, then go ahead and take a look around. I’m sure you’re curious.”

He was. Oh, how he was. The moment All Might shuffled off through a side door, which he said connected to the office of ‘Secretary Manager Toshinori Yagi’, Izuku started exploring. Torino simply chuckled at him from his spot on the couch, valiantly fighting off sleep as he waited for All Might to return with his food.

Izuku found a variety of things. A trophy room that he might have spent a bit too long looking through, a long disused meeting room, a living room with couches and a truly massive tv, bedrooms, servers, and a bathroom bigger than his bedroom at home. The last door, however, was the room Izuku guessed he’d be spending most of his time behind.

To call it a gym would be like calling a primordial rainforest a garden. When he’d first seen the exercise rooms at UA, he’d thought he struck the motherlode. After most of a year exercising and working out by cleaning a beach, access to such a vast number of tools designed to help build up his body had been a godsend. This, however, dwarfed even UA’s many options.

‘I don’t even know half of these things are meant to make me work out. That one just looks like some kind of medevil torture device.’ Izuku thought as his eyes drifted over the maze of machines. Part of him was intimidated. Another part grew even more exhausted than he already was. The rest was elated at the prospect of further improving his body, and hopefully with it, his grasp on One for All.

Behind him, he heard a door close, then the smell of food drew his attention from the exercise equipment. ‘Food first.’ Izuku decided. 'Destroy myself later.’

Chapter Text

Behind him, he heard a door close, then the smell of food drew his attention from the exercise equipment. ‘Food first.” Izuku decided. “Destroy myself later.’

“Between UA and you.” Izuku said around a mouthful of Katsudon. The food was almost as good as his mother’s, though he would never say that out loud. “I’m going to have a very skewed idea of what ‘cafeteria food’ is.”

All Might chuckled as he sucked down his blended meal, lanky body splayed across a couch. “Just because I can’t fully enjoy the food most of the time doesn't mean my employees shouldn't. Even donating most of my income to charities leaves me with a frankly disgusting amount of money, so I splurge a bit on the agency.”

Torino snored from his position on a recliner, having handily demolished his massive plate of Taiyaki. Next to him, the plate of actual nourishing food All Might had also brought him sat untouched, much to All Might’s visible exasperation.

“I swear, he gets more petulant every year.” All Might shook his head. “He was always a bit odd in retrospect, but I guess age really brought it out in spades. And him being tired doesn't help any. Not that I can really fault him.” He blinked as he looked into his reflection on the TV, the dark rings under his eyes visible even there. The hero’s expression shifted subtly, determination bleeding through the exhaustion as he turned to face Izuku.

“Young Midoriya, it’s long past time that I tell you something about both myself and One for All. I’d hoped it would be unnecessary, but…” All Might slumped. “It has become increasingly clear that I have failed in a fundamental way. Several ways, really.”

Izuku jolted upright in his seat, startled and confused. “What? No! You-”

All Might simply shook his head. “My boy, I'm not being needlessly self critical. We had months together, and yet you were completely unprepared to handle One for All. Physically, I prepared you well enough to survive. In terms of application…”

Izuku shifted uncomfortably as All Might's gaze settled on his scarred hand. He wasn't ashamed of them. He'd gotten them doing something he considered worth the price. All the same, they were a permanent reminder of the control he’d lacked.

All Might swallowed, then clasped his hands. The man looked unsure of what to say. Occasionally, he opened his mouth and worked his jaw, but he said nothing. Finally, after a long silence, All Might set his shoulders and raised his gaze.

“When I first received One for All from Nana, my predecessor, I took to it like a fish to water.” All Might absently gestured towards a picture on one of the tables, which depicted a woman in a dark blue hero suit as she flew through the air. Her white cape fluttered in the wind, and a yellow gloved hand extended before her in a fist. It wasn’t entirely clear from his position, but it looked like she was smirking down at whoever was taking the picture. “From the jump, I could use the full breadth of One for All’s power. Actually, if anything, I struggled to use less than its full power, but a month or two of practice sorted that out.”

All Might's eyes, which had grown unfocused with his recollection, refocused on Izuku as he slumped down. “Make no mistake, Young Midoriya, this is in no way a condemnation of your progress. When I received the power, I'd been training my body for years. The last year with Nana and Torino might have made the biggest difference, but I had a much stronger foundation.” All Might smiled gently. “The fact that you went from that scrawny boy from under the bridge to someone who could even hope to hold One for All in under a year is a marvel. Never mind the fact that what you received is almost incalculably stronger than what I was given. You're doing a fantastic job.”

Izuku gave All Might a hesitant smile, his moment of hurt quickly alleviated. “Thank you, All Might. It means a lot to hear that from you.”

All Might's smile faltered somewhat. “But that's the thing. Since the moment you received One for All, I haven't done much to help your growth. I looked at my experience and just… assumed you would learn to control the power in your own time, even when all evidence indicated otherwise. It only took Torino a few days to get you on the right path. The fact that I couldn't see the problem in all the time I had… it makes me feel sick. And even then, it's far from the worst way I've failed you.”

Izuku waited pensively. Clearly, this was part of what had been weighing on the hero at the start of their ride to the tower. However, All Might’s next words veered off in an unexpected direction.

“I suppose I should start with the unique origins of our power, back at the dawn of quirks.” All Might huffed. “Many of the details have been lost to time, but the gist of it has persisted over the decades through what the previous users left behind. Once we cover the basics, we can go over their notes and recordings whenever you want.”

All Might paused, and Izuku nodded. The lanky man cleared his throat as he settled himself. “Per the accounts left by the 5th user, which he learned from the 4th, One for All was originally derived from a different quirk altogether. That quirk was All for One, and it possessed the power to give and take other quirks. Its user went by the same name.”

Izuku released an awed breath. He'd thought the implications of One for All transferring itself had been massive, but All for One… even from such a brief description, Izuku knew that was the kind of ability that could warp the course of history. From the look in All Might's eyes as he said the name, Izuku suspected it had.

“As I said, this was back at the dawn of quirks. I'm sure your history courses touched on how unstable the era was. The norms that dictated what it was to be human collapsed like a house of cards. Progress ground to a halt. Law and order crumbled. In that chaos, one man managed to rise to the top of society's smoldering ruins.”

“All for One.” Izuku whispered.

All Might dipped his head somberly. “He built an empire by taking quirks that he fancied, or those which desperate people sought to be rid of. He could wield these powers himself, or give them to his underlings. With such an imbalance in power, it is perhaps unsurprising that he eventually took control of Japan.”

Izuku frowned, contemplative. “Now that I’m hearing about it, pieces of the story sound vaguely familiar. The specifics are new, but there were some stories on the Internet that talked about a deific warlord from the dawn of quirks. Most of the stories claimed he vanished around 2075, but some said he had just gone into hiding. I mostly dismissed them as urban legends because there was nothing in the history books about it, but if they had even a crumb of truth to them…” Izuku felt goosebumps prickle his skin.

“The same textbooks that gloss over the Yakuza, no doubt.” All Might grumbled, dissatisfaction obvious. “One of the hallmarks of people abusing power is that they try to hide that fact from future generations. I'm not surprised history forgot about him, especially given he was one of those writing it for many years. But I digress. This is to be an explanation of One for All as well, so I best get to it.”

All Might leaned forwards, elbows on his knees and chin resting on his intertwined fingers. “As I mentioned, All for One could not just take quirks, but give them. With such an ability, he could easily buy the trust of those who desired a quirk of their own, or could at least buy their subservience. However, many couldn't take the burden, and were left as little more than unthinking, unspeaking puppets.”

Prickling dread swept through Izuku's soul. “Like the Nomu.”

All Might grimaced. “Unfortunately so. There was, however, at least one extremely important outlier. All for One had a twin brother, one thought to be quirkless. He was small, sickly, and fragile, but even so resisted his brother. As such, All for One attempted to… compel… his brother's loyalty the best way he knew how.”

“With a quirk. He forced a quirk on him.” Izuku whispered.

All Might gave a small humm of agreement. “A Power Stockpiler. One that was, by all accounts, horribly weak, but evidently had great potential. However, there was an unforeseen element, one that by all rights should have rendered the brother as one of those unfortunate puppets. He had a quirk, supposedly so underdeveloped that All for One couldn't detect it. Seemingly useless. The ability to pass his quirk to others.”

Izuku let out a breath. “One for All.”

All Might gave him a small smile. He spread his hands wide, then slowly brought them towards one another. “Rather than whatever conflict usually overwhelmed quirk recipients…” His fingers clasped together with a soft clap. “The abilities merged into one. Throughout history, the legacy of this fused quirk has been to resist All for One. Seven before me tried, but couldn't strike the villain down.”

Izuku froze as All Might absently pressed a hand to his wound. “I, however, managed to kill him, even if he wounded me grievously in the process.”

Unconsciously, Izuku recoiled. “You… killed him?” When All Might looked away, Izuku caught himself. “I understand. Sometimes, heroes don't have a choice. It's just… I never heard about you having to. You're so strong that you don't need to. But, against someone that old, that powerful…”

“I couldn't afford to let him live.” All Might grimaced, though there was a fire in his eyes. “Though I'll admit, albeit with shame, that it wasn't just for practical reasons. I… he taunted me. Claimed that he’d kept Nana after he defeated her. Said he’d tortured her for years, that she'd always believed I would rescue her until the day she finally broke. He… the things he said he did…”

All Might swallowed hard, fingers twisted in his shirt over his wound. “I was stronger than him. I knew it. He knew it. I should have just finished it, but once he got under my skin I just couldn't get him out. I didn't realize I'd fallen into his trap until the last second, and it cost me dearly.” Bloody flecks appeared on All Might's lips as his breath hissed between his clenched teeth. “But even then, I was stronger. It only took one final punch to end the bastard.”

All Might seemed to remember himself, then winced as he saw his successor. Tears traced their way down Izuku's face, and his trembling hands clenched at the arm rests of his chair.

“I-I’m sorry, my boy.” All Might quickly put on a smile. Except Izuku could recognize it. Despite being in a different form, it was the same smile All Might had admitted was a fake, plastered over fear and pain. “I'm ok. It was a harrowing experience, but I survived-”

Somehow, despite All Might's years of experience, Izuku managed to catch him off guard. By the time the gaunt man even tried to jump up at his successor’s sudden movement, Izuku’s arms were wrapped around his thin frame.

Silence surrounded them for a moment, and Izuku almost let go. Then, lanky arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. All Might shuddered once, then released a slow breath.

“Thank you, my boy. Truly, I couldn't have hoped to find a better successor.” Though it sounded wet, All Might’s voice held unmistakable warmth. “Which makes my failure all the worse. Despite my efforts, it's now clear to me the ancient bastard is back. He's probably been building up the League of Villains under my nose ever since our confrontation. The Nomu are a dead giveaway. I didn’t want to acknowledge it when it was just the one, but now… I don’t think it could be anyone else.”

All Might's voice trembled, and he held Izuku tighter. “I gave you One for All hoping you'd be the first of us to live free from his shadow, from the grief and fear he wields like a dagger in the night. I wanted you to be safe . But if anything, I’ve just put you, your friends, and your mother in his crosshairs.”

“No.” Izuku denied, though the idea sent horror prickling through his body. “You couldn’t have known. You thought he was dead.”

“I never saw the body after the fight. They said it was cremated, but it happened while I was still in the hospital. I should have been there to make sure. If anyone could survive having their head evaporated , it would be that bastard.”

“So, what exactly should you have done? Stayed alert for any signs of him? Jumped at every shadow he might be hiding in? Stayed isolated so that nobody else would catch a dead man’s attention?” Izuku questioned.

“...I did. For years. It wasn’t until the last two that I finally convinced myself it was truly over.” All Might pulled back, and Izuku released him. The hero’s sunken features looked all the worse with red rimmed eyes. “He played me completely. For forty years, I held the power. In all that time, I only told four people other than you my secret, and one wasn’t even until after my battle with All for One. But within weeks of my starting to teach? Of surrounding myself with people for the first time since I left America? The USJ happens. Then an attack in Tokyo, while I was hours away.”

“...He’s feeling out what condition you’re in.” Izuku realized.

“That’s likely the case.” All Might heaved a sigh. “The one silver lining is that his doing so shows some of his own hand. When it comes to One for All, he’s always done things himself. The fact that he didn’t waltz into UA in person probably means he can’t, or at least thinks it’s a legitimate risk, so at the very least I’m not the only one still feeling the aftereffects of our little scuffle.”

Izuku relaxed a fraction, and began turning the situation over in his brain. “So… he’s probably less powerful. He’s trying to find other avenues to attack you from, because just outright attacking isn’t something he thinks is a winning strategy. He was willing to send his specialized Nomu and an army of thugs to the USJ, but not to the school itself…”

“UA is the best heroics school in the world. Its teachers are heroes of the highest caliber, and were they full time, they'd probably shake up the upper ranks of the billboard. With Nezu at the head of the school, and me regularly in attendance, it’s likely All for One doesn't consider the risks of directly attacking it worth the potential payoff.” All Might agreed.

“And you’d have wanted me to attend UA, regardless of if you were teaching there.”

All Might narrowed his eyes. “...Yes. It’s the best, and I wouldn’t want anything less for you.”

“So attention would have fallen on UA regardless of your presence, unless we assume All for One would have missed me punching glaciers into snow during the sports festival.” Izuku crossed his arms. “So unless you think UA on its own would be enough to dissuade him from attacking, you teaching there is purely beneficial to its safety.”

“Yes, yes. You have a point, my boy.” All Might sighed. “And… this is the situation we find ourselves in, regardless of whether I like it or not. Cursing myself for decisions made does nothing to change the danger that we face now.”

“You’re All Might. You punch danger until it passes out, surrenders, or both.”

All Might huffed a small, surprised laugh. “Maybe I shouldn’t have left you unsupervised with Torino.” His expression turned serious. “But you’re also right. I… apologize… for letting my fears get away from me.”

Izuku nodded, then took a shaky breath. “It’s ok, All Might. It’s easy to forget sometimes, but you’re still just human.”

“A human adult, who just unloaded decades of stress on a 15 year old.” All Might chuckled weakly, self-deprecating. “I really am a washed up old fart, huh?”

“No, you’re the Symbol of Peace.” Izuku countered. “And you don’t let a little thing like fear stop you.”

“Well said, my boy.” All Might smiled, a spark of his usual self returning to his eyes. “Things are changing in ways I’ve never had to handle before. But that’s just life. I’d be a fool for trying to resist the changes rather than adapt to them.”

Izuku nodded in approval… then let the assurance he’d been clinging to by his metaphorical fingertips slip. He slumped, and All Might carefully guided him to sit on the free side of the couch.

“So, how do we keep everyone safe?” Izuku asked, mind whirling. “We have to be able to do something .”

“Well, for starters, I think Nezu’s already got the jump on us. At the last staff meeting, he made an off hand comment about how he’s been considering turning UA into a boarding school for quite some time. His primary reasoning was that it would help students avoid all the bloodthirsty landlords in the area, and let him ensure they had easy and consistent access to UA’s amenities. But I thought there was something off.” All Might shook his head. “I don’t think he knew for sure, otherwise he’d have just said it outright in private. But he’s already taking steps to ensure the safety of the students.”

“Ok. That’s a relief, at least. But… that would leave Mom all alone.” Izuku let out a shaky breath. “I wouldn’t want to do that to her at the best of times, but if she’s at risk too…”

“There are a few ways to address that, at least ones that come to mind.” The blond giant said, though he hesitated a moment before he continued. “Though most of them probably involve… telling her about One for All.”

Izuku stared at the hero in surprise. “I thought you’d still want to keep the secret as closely as possible.”

All Might grimaced. “On one hand, yes. The fewer people who know, the less likely an accidental slip up is to occur. But the larger part of that is to keep people from actively drawing the attention of powerful villains. If they’re already in All for One’s sights… it doesn't make as much sense to keep them in the dark. Especially if it may actively make it easier to protect them. Unless your mother would be inclined to try and hunt down the Boogeyman herself…?”

“...Probably not?” Izuku hazarded. “She can get pretty… intense, sometimes. Her version of ‘Fight or Flight’ is ‘Faint or Feral’... On that note, she’s probably not going to be especially happy with me. Or you.”

“So if I survive her, All for One should be a piece of cake.” All Might mused. “Duly noted.”

Izuku hummed nervously. “With that in mind, what were you thinking to keep her safe?”

“Well, for one, she could move closer to UA. It’s almost certain that Nezu will go through with the boarding school plans after I confirm the new developments, and from what you’ve told me of her, she’d probably want to be close by. That might not even necessitate informing her… though it would likely be wise to do so regardless.” All Might said. “Alternatively, she could move to the area around Might Tower.”

Izuku nearly choked. “We, uh, don’t have that kind of money, All Might. This area has to be premium real estate. With your agency, the crime rate is effectively nonexistent for miles around.”

“Firstly, the price is a non-issue. I own several additional buildings, one of which is an apartment complex primarily for heroes, where she’d be welcome to stay free of charge.” All Might started, and this time Izuku really did choke. “While they may not serve as a full deterrent against All for One, it would likely change the math. And, as you pointed out, the area is extremely safe due to my agency’s presence, even if I’m not actively there. I would, unfortunately, consider this to be the weakest option, simply due to the fact that I won’t actually be in the area all that often.”

“So the best option would just be to have her move closer to UA? Wasn’t one of Nezu’s original reasons for wanting to be a boarding school that the landlords were particularly aggressive?” Izuku asked. After a moment of consideration, his brow furrowed. “Unless you own a few places around there too…”

“Not yet, but that’s subject to change.” All Might chuckled. “As far as the best of the two options go, I think that living nearby the campus would be just about the best we could hope for… As things currently are. If we assume that UA will indeed become a boarding school, that could very well change things. For one, it would almost certainly open up new jobs at the school, which your mother could apply for. If she gets one, she’d be on campus most of the time, which would be leagues safer for her. Secondly, if students are already living on campus full time, it wouldn’t be a stretch for some faculty to be able to opt into a similar arrangement.”

Slowly, Izuku began to smile. “Before she retired to raise me, she was a home economics teacher. I don’t suppose dorms might require some kind of overseer?”

All Might grinned, then shot a finger gun at him. “You know, it may just! I’ll be sure to mention it to Nezu, assuming he hasn’t already gotten the paperwork together. With UA’s resources, I wouldn’t be surprised if construction is done in a week, and we can proceed from there. Just in case, I’ll have someone look into acquiring a house near the school.”

“Thank you, All Might.” Izuku untensed and sagged into the couch. “I don’t know how I’d be able to protect Mom without your help.”

“It’s quite literally the least I could do, my boy. If anything, I should thank you for being so understanding of my shortcomings.” All Might’s smile turned soft, and he rested a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “Also, just call me Toshinori, kid. All Might’s the big muscle head who does the heavy lifting. I’m just Toshinori Yagi.”

Izuku’s jaw worked for a second before he remembered how to make sounds. “W-will do, All- er, T-Toshinori.” He coughed into his hand.

Toshinori smiled down at him, and with a final squeeze of Izuku’s shoulder, released him. A second later, the man unleashed a jaw popping yawn, exhaustion evidently winning out now that the heaviest of the subjects was addressed. Things were still terrifying, but the knowledge that plans were formed or in motion to address that helped take the edge off Izuku’s fears.

“Now then.” The skeletal blond mumbled, shaking himself slightly. “I believe next on the list would be… whatever it is that’s been going on with One for All.”

Izuku was about to launch into his own recounting, but then hesitated. Without a doubt, the man before him looked minutes from falling asleep with his eyes open. He was paler than usual, and up close the dark bags beneath his eyes looked even more awful than they had earlier, doubtless enhanced by the redness that still lingered. While Izuku wasn’t anywhere as utterly exhausted as Toshinori looked, he could certainly use a few hours of rest himself. Reluctantly, Izuku decided on his course of action.

“As much as I want to figure out what’s happening with One for All… I’m tired, you’re exhausted, and Gran Torino managed to sleep through that whole conversation.” Behind Izuku, Torino unleashed a bone-shaking snore, which only emphasized his point. “Why don’t we get some sleep, and we can try to figure out what's going on once we’re all awake? Maybe there will be something in those notes you mentioned the previous users left.”

Toshinori eyed him suspiciously, then sighed with a wan smile. “I’m sorry, my boy, but that’s probably a good idea. I… doubt I’d be of much help right now, and I’m not sure either of us would survive trying to wake Sorahiko up again.” The man rubbed his face, then pushed back his hair as he leaned into the cushioned backrest. “Let's get you settled into the spare bedroom, and hopefully we’ll all be functional before too long.”

Carefully, they stood from the couch, then left Torino where he lay. As they stepped into the main room, Toshinori paused, then quickly stepped over to a cabinet on one wall. As he pulled it open, Izuku briefly caught a glimpse of rows upon rows of identical red smartphones sitting on charging docks before the cabinet was once again closed. Toshinori returned with a smile as he held the device out for Izuku, along with several small tools. “I forgot to grab you one when we first arrived. This should be able to keep up with you for a good long while. To my understanding, it’s compatible with just about any SIM card out there.”

Curious, Izuku took the phone. He almost immediately dropped it, not having expected the sheer weight of it. Toshinori snatched the phone from the air as a small smirk danced across his lips. “Didn’t want it to damage the tile. Like I said, they’re designed for me, which means David went all out with heavy, durable materials. These things have survived being flung through buildings, shot, and one held a signal from the bottom of the atlantic for three days. But that does come with a bit of a tradeoff. I hope you don’t mind.”

Izuku shook his head as a smile of his own appeared. “No, not at all. It’ll take some getting used to, but having a five pound cellphone is more than worth not having to worry too much about breaking it again.”

“Excellent. Now,” Toshinori lightly clapped his hands before his chest, then turned towards the side hallway where Izuku had previously found the bedrooms. “Let's get a bed put together.”

With a twist and a click, his surprisingly intact SIM card slid into the new phone. Izuku let out a satisfied sigh, then stood from the desk chair and made his way to the freshly dressed bed. He held the power button, and with a small ping, the screen lit up and proudly displayed “Shield Industries” before it prompted him to complete the setup. It was a simple task, and Izuku quickly found himself staring at the phone’s default wallpaper.

It was a young, happy looking All Might posing next to a man in a lab coat and hoodie; presumably David Shield. The picture immediately brought a smile to Izuku’s face. He'd seen All Might happy plenty of times, but it was rare to see the man so obviously relaxed . After a brief moment of hesitation, Izuku swapped the image to a stylized shield. As cool as it was that he had a previously unseen picture of All Might, it felt a bit too personal for him to keep on display, at least without permission.

Izuku quickly set up his HeroNet, and checked to see if any updates had come through in the time since he last checked. Nothing new had appeared in the group chat, however…

Uravity: Ok! I’m just glad to hear from you. Talk to you soon!

Right. Uraraka wanted to call. Uraraka. Call. Him.

Izuku sucked in a breath, lightly slapped himself with one hand, then nearly dropped the phone on his face. ‘Friends call each other sometimes. And she wants to make sure I’m ok.’ Izuku thought to himself. ‘It’s nothing more than that. Don’t get in your head. Just call her. Call Uraraka. Call. Uraraka.’

Slap.

Thud.

“OW!”

Izuku tenderly rubbed the new dent in his forehead as he pulled up her contact. Before he could psych himself out, or concuss himself again, he hit call.

Each ring played on Izuku’s anxiety, and it only got worse the longer it went on. What if he was calling at a bad time? He should have texted first to see if she was free. Should he hang up? He should probably hang-

“Deku? Are you ok? How are you doing?”

Relief.

“I-I’m ok. Just got my new phone set up, and wanted to give you that call. Is now ok? I can call back later if you’re busy.”

There was a pause before he could hear her voice again, further from the phone as she asked if she was free to go.

“Oh? Talking with your lo-”

The audio suddenly went scratchy and muffled, cutting off the words. Was that Gunhead? It sounded kind of like an interview he’d seen of the man, so that was probably who she was talking to.

“Uraraka? Are you there?” Izuku asked.

“Yes! Sorry, just making sure we were breaking for lunch.” The muffling vanished and Uraraka’s voice returned with a huff, though she sounded… off. Kind of squeaky. Nervous? Why would she be nervous? “I’m glad to hear you’re ok! I know you said so earlier, but… well, Stain. He’s not exactly known for leaving people ‘Ok’, ya know?”

Izuku flexed his hands. “Yeah, you’ve got that right. He was… terrifying. That whole situation was. I was just riding past Hosu with Gran Torino, and all of a sudden a Nomu was ripping into the side of the train. Then I ran into the city, and there were MORE of them. For a second I thought it was going to be a calamity, but they weren’t anything like the one from the USJ. They were still dangerous, but the heroes working together could keep up.”

“That sounds awful. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if they were like the one All Might fought.” Uraraka responded, an edge to her voice Izuku could identify with all too well. “The damage they caused was devastating enough. Broken windows, fires, structural damage, even full collapses in some areas. At least the fast hero response kept the casualties pretty low.”

Izuku winced, then rolled onto his side. He pulled in a breath that utterly failed to calm him, then let it out. “Yeah, it was awful.”

There was a long pause.

“Deku? Did something happen? Aside from what you’ve already told me, I mean.”

“I couldn’t save someone.” Izuku said, then blinked in surprise. He’d struggled to talk about it with Shoto and Iida, but… for some reason, it was easier with Uraraka.

“Oh no!” she gasped. “What happened? Was there someone else involved in the fight with Stain?”

“No, it wasn’t during the fight. It was before I found Iida and Stain, while I was searching the city. There was a collapsing building, and he was crushed under some rubble. He...” Izuku trailed off, trying to ignore how raw the memory was. “He died, and I couldn't do anything.

“I’m so sorry, Deku.” In the brief moment of quiet that followed, Izuku could almost see her bite her lip as she hesitated. “Do you… do you want to talk about it?”

He didn’t. The last thing he wanted was to burden her with what he’d experienced, even if he knew she wouldn’t see it that way. At the same time, he did. He knew he needed to talk through it, and despite doing so briefly a few times, there was always something of greater immediate importance that took priority. But now, it was just a call between friends, and Uraraka had offered to listen.

“If you really wouldn’t mind…”

“Of course! You’d do the same for me.”

“Ok. Thank you.” Another deep breath, this one far more effective at calming him down. “I was looking for Iida, because I’d seen Manual looking for him too. I wasn't sure how they'd been separated, but given what was happening, I was worried. While I was searching, I ran across a group of civilians…”

Once he started, he couldn't stop. Everything poured out. Rescuing the other tenants. Finding Kinenkō, and all that entailed. The fight with Stain, or at least the parts he could tell her. Iida. The Winged Nomu. He had to mentally pump the brakes as he approached the end, as while the conversation he’d just had with All Might weighed heavily on his mind, he couldn’t exactly unload that on Uraraka. The fact that he had to hide things from his friends stung, as it always had. Even so, not just telling Uraraka everything in that moment was almost agonizing.

Through his recounting, Uraraka had let him talk. She’d only spoken to reassure him when he’d found himself choked up, or when he was lost in the memory. The gentleness with which she’d handled what turned into his breakdown was incredible.

“Thank you so much for listening, Uraraka. I can’t even begin to say how much this helped.” Izuku whispered as he rubbed a hand over his eyes. “You’ll be a fantastic rescue hero. Anyone you pull from the rubble will be lucky to have you help them through the experience.”

“O-oh! Thank you, Deku!” Uraraka’s spluttered response caught him by surprise.

‘Wait, is she actually surprised I think she’ll be a great hero?’ Izuku thought, stunned. ‘Why? She’s a wonderful person with a perfect quirk for rescue. She just helped me talk through one of the worst experiences of my life, which will definitely be important for heroics. She’ll be incredible!’

The spluttering intensified.

Izuku blinked. Slowly, he closed his stupid, muttering mouth, and very intently kept it that way as his thoughts raced. ‘Damage control? No, I don’t think I let anything slip that wouldn’t be reasonable from a friend. But then why is she embarrassed? If she genuinely thinks she won’t be a fantastic hero… I can’t let that stand.’

“Uraraka…” Izuku said, hesitant. “I just want you to know I meant that, even if I didn’t mean to say it out loud. You helped me so much just now. With everything that happened in the aftermath, I haven’t been able to really talk about it with anyone else, and it was eating me up inside. You were the one who helped me, and I know you’d do the same for other people who need it. You’re already great at helping people. By the time we graduate, you’ll be spectacular.”

The sudden silence that replaced the spluttering briefly left Izuku to wonder if he’d somehow made it worse. That worry intensified when he heard a small sniffle. Before he could apologize, however, Uraraka spoke.

“Thank you, Deku. I… I really appreciate you saying that. Knowing that you believe in me, it feels really good. And I know I’ll be good at Rescue work, I've been trying to prepare for it since I was little. I guess it’s just…” She paused, then continued more quietly. “What you said about Stain, and his views on heroes. It’s ridiculous and awful and has so many issues. But at the same time, I can kind of see where it probably started from, and… that he’d consider me a fake. I don’t care about what he would think, but… I guess I’m still kind of self conscious about wanting to be a hero to earn money, you know?”

“You’re right, he probably would.” Izuku agreed, then quickly continued. “Because he’s a crazy person with a worldview so twisted up on itself I get nauseous just thinking about it. Yes, some heroes abuse their power. Yes, some are in it for questionable reasons. But the thing is, his judgment of what makes a true hero is so shallow . Sure, he’d deem you false for wanting to earn money, but you could have done any number of other things with your quirk that would have earned more than heroics.”

Izuku took a brief moment to collect his thoughts. “If you’d genuinely wanted to pursue construction or engineering, you’d have been the go-to within a few years. All it would have taken was some schooling and getting quirk use clearance from the bureau. Or, you could have shot for the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and completely changed the game. Just thinking about the amount you’d save them by being able to effectively just… throw small crafts into space is mind boggling. But you chose to become a hero, and a rescue hero at that. Why?”

“I like making people happy.” Uraraka’s response was immediate, followed by a moment of silent consideration. “I remember always being happy when I saw a hero arrive on the scene, even back when I was a kid. I’d look around and see everyone else was happy too. I wanted to be able to make people feel that way. I wanted to make people smile because they felt safe.”

“And there you have it.” Izuku spoke with uncommon confidence as he poked a finger into the air, even though Uraraka couldn't see it. “Sure, your choice was partially determined by wanting money. But you opted for the career that would let you make that money by helping make people feel safe and happy. That’s the kind of nuanced decision that Stain would arbitrarily judge as false, simply because money was involved. Anyone who thinks less of you for that shouldn’t be throwing stones.”

Izuku was rewarded by the delightful sound of a giggle, and some of the tension drained from his body.

“You know, Deku.” Uraraka said, voice still a little wobbly but far better than it had been. “You’re pretty good at comforting people too. Pulling a speech like that out of nowhere. That’s just not fair!”

Izuku flushed. “I-it wasn’t that special. I just put the obvious into words, really.” With a firm shake of his head, Izuku tried to clear his thoughts. “Anyway, that’s more than enough about me. How are things with Gunhead going?”

“I think everything is going really well!” Izuku could hear the enthusiasm overflow from the brunette’s words, and relaxed into the bed with a smile. “Most of our focus has been applying his style of martial arts to my Quirk, and it seems like a great match! I actually managed to throw one of the second year interns from Seiai Academy out of the ring! And… er… an open window. But she was fine!”

Uraraka recounted the highlights of her time with Gunhead, which ranged from other sparring successes to some of the insights her mentor shared about hero work. Unfortunately, an enthusiastic and mildly concerning description of how she’d clubbed a sparring opponent with another sparring opponent was interrupted by a loud knock over the phone.

“Uravity? Are you ready for patrol?” Gunhead’s voice was muffled but still recognizable. “We still have some time, but you’re about ten minutes over on your lunch-”

“AHH!” Uraraka yelped, shortly followed by an assortment of shuffling sounds and the distinctive click of a UA Costume Case being popped open. “I’ll be out in a second! I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it! I figured you’d want to talk for a while, you were really worried about your little cru-”

“NOT ANOTHER WORD!” Uraraka snapped. “IF YOU WANT YOUR FIX, GO READ YOUR BOOKS!” Gunhead just laughed, then the sounds of footsteps trailed away.

The shuffling intensified, along with what sounded like Uraraka as she hopped around on one foot. “Sorry, Deku. I have to… uuuuUUUGGGH!”

“Uraraka? You ok?” Izuku asked.

“I…” Uraraka signed, voice borderline despondent. “Maaaaaay have forgotten to actually get lunch…”

Guilt landed like a ball of lead in Izuku’s stomach. He’d spent her entire lunch break spilling his issues to her, and she’d been so focused on making sure he was ok that she hadn’t eaten. Even worse, from the sounds of it, she’d just finished some pretty intensive training before he called. She was probably starving.

“I’m so sorry, Uraraka!” Izuku apologized. “You could have eaten, I wouldn’t have minded!”

“Nonsense!” His friend shot back, followed by a sound Izuku could only assume was her gauntlets as they snapped into place. “After what you went through, I can survive without a sandwich. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve skipped lunch… accidentally.”

Izuku hummed noncommittally. “You should still have gotten to eat something . With all the work you’re doing, you definitely need the energy. Maybe a protein bar? I’d be shocked if a hero like Gunhead doesn't have some of those somewhere.”

Uraraka gagged. “Oh, he definitely does. They’re awful. It’s like barely flavored sawdust packed into a brick.” A sigh. “You’re right, though. I’ll… ask for one. Maybe it won’t be so bad if I chase it with water faster this time?”

She didn’t sound particularly convinced.

“Maybe…” Izuku tried, and failed, to sound hopeful. Then, an idea struck him. “Well, how does this sound? As a thank you for listening, I’ll make the missed lunch up to you after internships. Whatever you want!”

“Eep!”

A loud clattering sound, like her phone had fallen to the floor.

Silence.

Silence.

A soft thump, which sounded further away. Maybe the ceiling?

“Uraraka? Are you ok?” Izuku asked, hesitant. A second later, his brain caught up with what he’d just suggested.

‘I basically just asked her on a date, didn’t I? ’ he considered, oddly calm. ‘How exactly do I manage to keep this from freaking her out? She just listened to me break down over the phone, and now I’m asking her out. Kind of. Accidentally. I’m not muttering, am I? No? Good. Anyway, there’s no way that this doesn't make her think I’m weird or creepy or-’

Another, louder thump shocked Izuku from his dead-eyed musings. The sound was quickly followed by a scrabbling sound, then a loud smack as her phone slammed into her cheek.

“Sure!” Uraraka’s voice was up several octaves. “That sounds nice! Thanks!”

“Great!” Izuku’s own voice was just as squeaky as hers.

“Great!” Uraraka parroted.

Silence.

“I should probably head for th’ meetin’ room fr’ patrol I'lltalktoya’later’Izukubye!” Click.

Silence.

‘Huh. She said yes.’ Izuku very, very calmly thought. ‘She did sound kind of freaked out, though. Did she just say yes so she wouldn’t hurt my feelings? And at the end, the way she was talking… She did say she was from the country before coming to UA. Does she have an accent? Wait…’ Izuku blinked, then stared up at the ceiling as his facade cracked. ‘Did… she call me Izuku at the end?’

Calmness was suddenly and explosively replaced with confusion, embarrassment, elation, and countless other emotions he’d just barely kept at bay. Mere moments thereafter, the combined stress, exhaustion, and overwhelming emotion finally won out, and he took a page from his mother’s book; He fainted. Even in unconsciousness, however, Izuku kept his phone clutched tightly to his chest, and an unsteady smile graced his face.

A moment later, Izuku found himself smothered in a swirling world of darkness once more.

Chapter Text

Calmness was suddenly and explosively replaced with confusion, embarrassment, elation, and countless other emotions he’d just barely kept at bay. Mere moments thereafter, the combined stress, exhaustion, and overwhelming emotion finally won out, and he took a page from his mother’s book; He fainted. Even in unconsciousness, however, Izuku kept his phone clutched tightly to his chest, and an unsteady smile graced his face.

A moment later, Izuku found himself smothered in a swirling world of darkness once more.

Naturally, Izuku panicked. He tried, and mostly failed, to move his body within the grip of the void. It felt as though the world around him resisted every move he made, snuffed out every sound, restrained him on a fundamental level. He wouldn’t have pegged himself as claustrophobic before, but now…

‘Apparently near complete physical restriction and sensory deprivation will do that to a person. ’ Izuku gibbered within the confines of his own mind. ‘Go figure.’

He strained, desperate to do anything, to prove that his body was even there. He was on the edge of giving up when he noticed something. Just before him, occasionally obscured by the shifting of the dark veil, he saw the tiniest pinprick of light. It was like the glow he used to see through the keyhole in his old bedroom door first thing in the morning, before his father had left and his mother had moved them to the apartment. It felt safe, inviting, like there’d be someone there for him on the other side…

The light felt warm. He could feel it.

The sensation renewed his will, and he found that he could just barely sense his body while it was cast in the light. With what felt like a titanic effort, Izuku slowly brought his arm up. As his hand neared the pinprick, it expanded, and light flooded into the darkness to further strengthen him. With a final muffled cry, Izuku thrust his hand forward, and it passed through the keyhole.

Another hand clasped his, and pulled. As more of his arm passed through, another hand grabbed onto him, then what felt like a rope. Izuku managed to bring his other arm forward and pushed it through as well, where it was met with yet more hands to drag him from the void.

With a final heave, Izuku’s head was pulled through, and the brightness on the other side blinded him for a moment. Suddenly, it was like his body was anathema to the world on the other side of the portal, and he was shoved through entirely. With a startled cry, he shot out into warm bodies, who scrambled to catch him before he fell. Around him, he heard more than one startled cry, a distant and alarmed “Midoriya?!”, and several sets of feet that either stepped back or rushed forward to stand around him.

Shakily, Izuku blinked the dots from his vision, then looked around. Before him were seven people, each gazing down at him with expressions ranging from shock to confusion to exasperation. He only recognized two, and those only barely.

The one with a grip on his right hand was the pale man he'd seen in his first experience with… whatever was happening. Behind him stood two other men. One broad and strongly built with a shaved head, goggles, and an open vest. The other was shorter with shaggy dark hair, most of his face and body hidden within a tall collared coat.

His left hand was swallowed by the vaguely familiar yellow glove of Nana, All Might’s mentor. Behind her stood another man, pale blonde with two odd scars over the left side of his face.

Further back, two final people watched, their expressions more closed off than the others. Both wore some manner of green military gear. The salmon haired man had a ragged scar across the bridge of his nose, and wore massive metal devices on his arms. The other, larger man wore his gray hair in a spiked man bun, with a black bandana covering his forehead.

Overwhelmed and confused, Izuku swept his gaze around the room. Or, well, ruin. The darkness roiled beyond the crumbled walls of whatever fragment of a structure this was. The far wall held some manner of vault door, while the majority of the floor was occupied by a series of thrones.

As odd as the sight was, Izuku's attention was dominated by another figure who he'd initially missed. One simultaneously more and less familiar than any of the others.

All Might sat upon one of the thrones in all his muscular glory. But at the same time, it wasn't him as Izuku knew him. If anything, he resembled the All Might from his Phone’s default background, a more lean appearance than his more iconic figure. There was, however, another difference of greater note.

“Why…” Izuku croaked, then cleared his throat. “Why is All Might on fire? Er… made of fire?”

Nana snorted as a grin flashed across her face. “I'm given to understand that all of us kind of look like that after we pass along the power, at least while we’re still kicking.”

On his right, the large bald man gave him a giant grin. “Speaking of people who are still kicking, welcome to the party Nine! It's not every day we have guests instead of new roommates around here! Though I guess we do have a few more of those…”

Izuku blinked at him, then looked between the white haired man and Nana. “...You're all the previous users, aren't you.”

The white haired man blinked, evidently startled. Then, a small smile twitched into being. “Damn kid, you catch on quick. Which is good, probably. There's a LOT we need to explain, and that's not even touching on the new shit.”

“Like me predicting the future, growing black tentacles, and ending up… here?” Izuku ventured.

“Yes to all the above.” The pale man responded. His eyes trailed upwards as he continued. “Among… other things.”

Izuku followed the man’s gaze.

“I for one would greatly appreciate an explanation!” Iida called from what looked to be some manner of agency office that hung upside down in the darkness above. He was clad in his hero costume, though it was undamaged and the helmet was sitting on a desk. “While the absurdity of Doctor Kinenkō’s description of events leaves me unsure, I'm increasingly convinced that this isn't just some medication induced fever dream!”

Next to Iida, an older man who wore a lab coat over surgical scrubs rubbed at his temples and gave a long-suffering groan, then looked upwards. Now that Izuku could see his face, it was clear this was the same man from the collapsing building, albeit in far better condition than the last time they’d met. Kinenkō gave a small, resigned wave.

“Ah, Deku. I can’t say I was expecting to meet you again like this. Or at all, really.” Kinenkō coughed into a hand as gold-ringed eyes drifted over the scene above him. “As it turns out, I may have been a bit… hasty in assuming you couldn’t get me out of that building. After a fashion, at least.”

Izuku’s jaw worked, but no words emerged.

He’d been completely unprepared for any of this. Sure, he’d had good reason to expect some part of the previous wielders might still be kicking around in the Quirk, somehow. He’d felt their presence multiple times, and he’d seen the pale man in his dreams earlier that morning. That, however, was basically nothing when compared to A) Being pulled into some kind of dreamscape or pocket dimension within One for All, B) Making physical contact with the vestiges he’d sensed for weeks, and C) Being faced with a man he’d seen die and his wildly out of place friend in an upside down room hanging in the sky.

If he'd been looking into this situation from the outside, it probably would have been one of the most fascinating things he'd ever seen. Clearly, there was at least one very esoteric Quirk at play here, and those were undoubtedly his favorite type to analyze. Unfortunately, with himself in the eye of the storm, it was so overwhelming that he was left adrift. The sheer deluge of emotions that crashed over him, from the bafflement at his situation to the tangled mess around Kinenkō, left him stunned.

Izuku felt something squeeze his left hand. His eyes snapped downwards to meet Nana’s once more, and she gave him a comforting smile. For a moment, she reminded Izuku of his mother. Thankfully, that moment helped him a great deal.

Izuku closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. When he opened them again, the overwhelming tumult of confusion and emotion had ebbed to something he could cope with, for the moment at least. He returned the lone woman’s smile, albeit shakily.

“U-um.” Izuku cleared his throat and swept his gaze over his predecessors. “An explanation would be fantastic. Please.”

The white haired man smiled sympathetically, then nodded. “That probably falls to me, since I’m kind of the epicenter for all of this. I’m Yoichi, the First user that All Might told you about.”

Izuku blinked, then nervously glanced upwards again. “You could hear that?” Then, he paused. “Wait, I’ve been able to sense you since the sports festival. Have you been able to…?”

“They…” Yoichi gestured upwards. “Just showed up a bit before you did, so I doubt they could see anything. As far as we go, we’ve been semi-conscious since the beginning, but could only interact with each other. Occasionally, we’d catch a bit of what’s happening on the outside while someone was using One for All, but that was it. The physical space part happened yesterday, which we’ll get to, and with it came a much greater awareness of what you’re doing. We figured out pretty quickly that we can tune the outside world out, so don’t worry, we haven’t been intruding on your privacy, at least not intentionally. That said, uh…” Yoichi coughed into his hand, and his smile became more apologetic. “Panic does kind of bring our attention forward…”

The large bald man behind Yoichi shot Izuku a thumbs up. “Pretty smooth, but you’ll need to work on some of your delivery. Pro tip, make sure the next time you ask her out is on purpose.”

Izuku blinked, then his face glowed scarlet.

“Daigoro, no.” The short man next to him grumbled from behind his collar as he swatted the scruffy man on the arm.

“Daigoro yes!” The large man laughed, though he faltered when Nana shot him a look. “Or no. No works too.”

One of the men in the back groaned.

“Regardless…” Nana cut in, which silenced the peanut gallery and drew Izuku from his embarrassment. “It seems Kinenkō already tried to explain things to your friend up there before they appeared here as well. I can only imagine how well that went, given WE didn’t have much time to explain before he faded out. It would probably be best to just bring Iida fully into the loop at this point. It’s better than having some fragment of the truth festering out there.” Nana smiled reassuringly at him, a knowing look in her eyes. “Plus, having confidantes beyond your predecessor and whatever team they may have can be a massive help.”

“Whatever is going on, Midoriya, I promise to keep your secret!” Iida called from above. “Something extraordinary is clearly happening here, and I merely wish to understand my part in it. And, admittedly, how All Might is involved. Or any of these many people. Or what’s happening at all.” Iida paused. “On second thought, I wish to know a great number of things.”

Izuku smiled up at Iida. As clear as it was that his friend was wildly out of his depth, Iida was still trying to reassure him in his own way. He couldn’t deny that the idea he could finally talk to a friend about One for All was a relief, even with everything else that came with it.

“Thank you. Both of you.” Izuku said.

“Don’t thank us yet, kid. We haven’t even really dug into how fucked up shit is in here.” The salmon haired man in the back grunted.

“Language!” Iida scolded.

The gray haired man smirked at his companion, who just crossed his arms despite the gauntlets on them and rolled his eyes.

Yoichi shook his head tiredly. “Well, I suppose that we should start with introductions. As I’ve already said, I’m Yoichi, First holder of One for All. Which, for those newly introduced to the concept, is a meta- er, a Quirk passed between generations from the Dawn of Quirks. Originally, my Quirk was what I’ve come to call Quirk Bestowal, before my dear brother crammed the Quirk Power Stockpile down my throat and the two merged to become One for All.”

Iida just stared blankly for a few seconds, then glanced at Kinenkō. The doctor gestured in a very ‘See? I told you so’ manner towards the vestiges below. Looking understandably lost, Iida forcefully held himself back, then opened a drawer in the desk. He pulled a clip board with a stack of papers on it from within, then plucked a pen from a cup on the desk. “I will save my questions for the end.”

“That’s greatly appreciated, Iida. Now, those two pleasant individuals…” Yoichi gestured at the vestige duo at the back of their group. “Are Kudo and Bruce, the Second and Third users respectively. They're the ones that rescued me from the vault my brother kept me locked in. Their Quirks are Gearshift and Fa-Jin, but we can get into the details later, seeing as they’re being petty.”

“In fairness, we’re not just being petty.” Bruce responded. “I died by blowing myself up trying to punch All for One out of existence with Fa-Jin, and that was back when One for All was just a drop in the ocean it is now. Given what the kid was doing to himself with just One for All, I don’t really want to push our luck by adding a new and interesting method of self destruction to his arsenal.”

“The Laws of Physics are there for a reason. Gearshift bent them before, but it changed and expanded in scope so much that I’m not sure it wouldn't outright break them now.” Kudo grumbled with a sneer. “I don’t think I want to find out quite yet.”

Izuku slowly processed their words in the resounding silence that followed. “There’s a lot of implications in what you both just said, and I’m kind of terrified by every single one of them.”

“That’s probably the correct response.” Yoichi said as he nodded towards the strangely scarred man behind Nana. “Regardless, next is Hikage Shinomori, the Fourth user. This is probably where some of those implications will start to fully make sense for you, Nine, given his Quirk is Danger Sense.”

As Yoichi had said, things almost immediately clicked into place within Izuku’s mind. “So that feeling that warned me about Stain’s attacks…”

“Was my Quirk.” Hikage confirmed, voice flat. “I apologize. It can be unpleasant, especially when unexpected. For the time being, I'm suppressing it as Kudo and Bruce are, so as not to overwhelm you.”

Izuku nodded wincingly, the memory of the migraine-like flashes still clear. “Thank you. Even with the discomfort, it’s a remarkable power. Once I get used to it, it’ll be incredible!”

“I hope you get the opportunity. It took me many, many years.” Hikage responded impassively, then stepped back.

“Next, if I’m remembering how to count correctly after all this time as a ghost, would be me!” Daigoro stepped forward, and extended a hand to Izuku over Yoichi’s shoulder. “Daigoro Banjo, formerly the Fifth user and Pro Hero Lariat, at your service. My Quirk is Blackwhip, whom I’m sure you recognize.” Daigoro lifted his free hand, from which familiar black tendrils writhed up.

“Whom?” Izuku asked. “Wait, is it sentient?”

Daigoro tilted his hand from side to side, then with a flick dismissed the dark strands. “Kind of? Before, I wasn’t completely sure, but it definitely had something going on. It could somewhat act on its own when I wasn’t directly controlling it, but tended to act on my emotions when it did. Given it feeds off emotions to strengthen itself, everyone always told me it was probably a subconscious control thing. But at the same time, I always thought of it as a partner rather than just a power.”

The big man’s brow furrowed under his goggles, and he scratched at his stubble. “When you manifested it, it showed WAY more independence than it ever did for me, but was still acting on your wrath. You managed to keep enough control that it honed in on Stain and didn’t touch your allies, but it dragged you along for the ride. Which, by the way, I’m sorry about. The conditions basically guaranteed it would be a rough introduction. That said, I think you handled it well.”

Izuku gaped at him. “Well?! It nearly put me through a wall! It nearly crushed Stain to death!”

Daigoro smiled grimly at him. “Counterpoint; There were walls left standing, and Stain wasn’t squeezed out of his skin like a fleshy gogurt.” At the look on Izuku’s face, the hero’s smile turned sheepish. “Sorry. Dark humor.”

A hand appeared on Daigoro’s shoulder and pulled him back in what looked to be a practiced move. “Sorry about my student, Daigoro can be a bit… much.” The short man pulled down the collar of his coat and gave Izuku a small smile, even as Daigoro huffed. “My name is En Tayutai, Hero Name Smoke-Eater and the Sixth user. My Quirk, Smokescreen, hasn’t yet manifested, but more or less does what it says on the tin.” En demonstrated by releasing a puff of purplish smoke from the length of his arm. “It’s got some uses, but my Quirk is definitely the weakest of the lot.”

Izuku frowned. “You were a hero. Even if it’s not something explosively powerful, you could clearly use it well.”

En smiled. “I appreciate the vote of confidence! That said, heroics back in the day was just as much about who was crazy enough to put their neck on the line as it was about power and skill. Even so, I’d like to think I was pretty good.”

“Back in the day.” Nana snorted. “Say it like that, and you’re going to make me sound old. I’m clearly not a day over 35. Have been for 40 odd years.” She smiled at En’s eye roll, then returned her focus to Izuku. “Nana Shimura, Seventh holder and The Ascending Hero: Uplift. My Quirk is Float. Like with Smokescreen, it hasn’t manifested yet. It started as the ability to quickly hover up or down, but let me fly once One for All enhanced it. Even then, it was still especially fast as ascending or descending. It’s a bit finicky, so you’ll have to be careful, but that seems to be par for the course around here.”

Nana shook her head, then chuckled lightly. “Before I passed it to Toshi, I’d say One for All was somewhere around what you’d call 34%. At full speed and in conjunction with the full power of One for All, I could pretty consistently hit Mach 6, soooo… maybe don’t go all out when you first get it.”

“Oh.” Izuku said, voice small, while above he could hear Iida splutter in disbelief. “Every time I think I understand just how ridiculously powerful One for All is, the universe reminds me of just how absurd it is.”

“Exponential growth will do that to you.” Nana responded blithely.

“...exponential?” Izuku whimpered.

Nana blinked. “Didn’t Toshi ever tell you? The power of One for All compounds on itself the more you use at once. When you were using your full cowling yesterday, you thought of it as 5%. When you used 7% to jump at that Stain guy, you nearly ran yourself into the ground because of how much faster it made you. That’s because 7% was nearly double the effective output of 5%.”

Izuku stared at Nana, eyes wide. “...But I’ve used 100% before. Granted, it destroyed my limbs, but it wasn’t anywhere even close to what it should have been based on what you’re describing.”

“The fact that you even have limbs LEFT is a testament to how powerful One for All is.” Kudo hissed, startling Izuku. “The only thing that kept you in one piece is the fact that it reinforced your body. So much of the power you were trying to use in those punches was burned off to keep you from atomizing yourself that the actual force of the punch was negligible.” Kudo turned to glare daggers at the glowing, flame-like All Might vestige, and nearly spit in rage. “And that FUCKING IDIOT JUST LET YOU KEEP. DOING. IT! ”

“HEY!” Izuku snapped, and Kudo whipped around to glare him down. “All Might is far from perfect. I’ve learned that the hard way. But he’s trying . He never had the problems I’m having, and from his own experience thought it was just a matter of time until I got a grip on it naturally. The fact that I chose to repeatedly break myself with the power is on me.”

Izuku clenched his shaking hands into fists, but didn’t stop. “I could have, hell, I SHOULD have sat down and analyzed it like I would any other Quirk. Broke it down. Tried to do something other than just punching as hard as possible every time. ESPECIALLY in the leadup to the sports festival, where I knew there was a chance I’d have to fight other people. Instead, I nearly crippled myself with it because I thought I knew what it did.” Izuku finished, then fell quiet save for his heaving breaths.

Silence dominated the two rooms for a moment. “You shouldn’t have had to piece things together yourself.” Kudo’s voice was far calmer now, but no less resolved. “You’re a child. You don’t hand a child a gun and expect them to figure out how to shoot. But no, he didn’t do that. That’s thinking too small. No, he gave you the damn launch codes to a nuke. ”

“I shouldn’t have.” Izuku conceded. “But I’m 15. That’s old enough to know that I shouldn’t just press the trigger and see what happens, much less keep doing it when it’s hurting me! I should have just asked him, even if I shouldn’t have needed to. But…” Izuku slumped. “...I didn’t want to disappoint him. He’s the first person who really believed in my dream. I didn’t want to admit I couldn’t use the gift he’d given me. I… I didn’t want him to give up on me.”

The admission stung, but Izuku nonetheless found it was true. He hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it, he’d tried to ignore it for months, but the fear had been festering since he’d thrown that first punch. If Toshinori had given up on him back then, he wasn’t sure what he would have done. Nothing good, that was for sure.

When Izuku came back to himself, it was to the startling realization that Nana had wrapped him in a hug. From the feeling of her chin in his hair, she was facing Kudo. From the nervous look on the Second user’s face, he suspected that her expression wasn’t a pleasant one. With a defeated sign, Kudo stepped forwards, then knelt before them.

“Listen, kid.” Kudo grumbled, albeit more gently. “I have a lot of issues with All Might, and I’m not thrilled about having a kid as the next user...” Kudo’s eyes briefly darted up to Nana’s then snapped back down with a nervous edge. “A-anywyay, regardless of my feelings on the matter, I can recognize the guy is a good one. He’s a shit teacher, and that pisses me off, but he cares about you. You could have been completely unable to use One for All at all, and he wouldn’t have abandoned you. Pretty sure he’d have just kept training you along with Torino, probably gotten you a license through some vigilante onboarding program if those still exist.” He shot a look at Daigoro, then at Nana, who shrugged.

“I know. Now, at least.” Izuku said softly. “At first it seemed too good to be true, and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. But even when using One for All broke my body, it didn’t. That’s when I started to really believe he wouldn’t abandon me.”

Kudo nodded even as Nana’s arms squeezed him tighter. “You’re learning, kid. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in that, even if we’d have preferred it to start sooner. I’ll hold my judgment until you’ve made some headway.” The Second user stood, then turned to walk back towards the thrones. “I’ll admit, I’m curious to see how you handle the complete mess that One for All has become. I expect you to live up to what you just told us. Learn the Quirks, don’t just use them blindly like you did One for All.” Then, under his breath. “You’ll need them, if All for One managed to survive having his head evenly distributed over a few miles of countryside.”

As Kudo passed Bruce, Izuku realized the silver haired man had been staring at him for some time. He had a contemplative look in his eyes, and a small smirk on his face. He shot a glance at his companion, then gave Izuku a small shrug before he turned to follow Kudo towards the far corner of the room.

Not wanting to let another period of silence start, Izuku pulled himself together, gave Nana a thankful smile, then turned back to a very uncomfortable looking Yoichi. “Where were we?”

Yoichi paused, then glanced at Nana.

“Well, I’d just finished my introduction. That just leaves the 8th user, but you probably wouldn’t have heard of him.” Nana said. Her initial hesitation slowly shifted into a mischievous smirk. “He was a small time guy, never made much of a splash. Wall Fight or something.”

Daigoro chortled, and Izuku let out a snort. “I’ll be sure to tell him you said that.”

“Oh, please do.” Nana’s wicked smile turned soft. “There’s a lot I’d like you to tell him, but we can address another time. For now, that’s the resident Vestige introduction out of the way.”

“Well, that’s not really true anymore.” Yoichi amended. “Aside from the obvious inclusion of Izuku, yesterday changed things pretty significantly.”

Izuku glanced at Yoichi worriedly. “There’s more?”

“Oh yes. As near as I can tell, given that for all intents and purposes I AM the Quirk, One for All reached some kind of tipping point yesterday evening.” Yoichi sighed. “Once that happened, you started manifesting the Quirks in order, from oldest to newest. The thing is, something weird kicked it off. Rather than the usual slow cultivation of power that One for All usually experiences as it’s used, it received a larger infusion of power all at once. Previously, that only ever happened when a new user received the Quirk.”

Izuku frowned. He tapped at his chin for a moment as his thoughts raced, then his eyes flew wide. “Oh. Oh god no.”

Yoichi blinked, then cocked his head to the side. “What?”

“You said that there was a jump in power, like when a new person is granted One for All.” Izuku started pacing in tight circles. “But I didn’t give it to anyone, obviously. Not intentionally. But Stain, he licked my blood! All Might said that the transfer is performed by consuming DNA. Did Stain receive One for All? Is that why One for All started getting stronger? Is the power I have right now just the embers like All Might, except somehow still connected? Oh god, all of that and I already lost the power to a serial killer, what kind of hero am I-”

“Good thought, but no.” Bruce called from the corner. “Kudo and I were the ones who figured out how One for All could be transferred back at the start of this whole saga. The transfer has to be deliberate on the part of the one giving it, or they at least have to be willing to let it happen. The exact theory behind it is a little iffy, given the circumstances under which Kudo received it. The cognitive requirement of the Quirk is pretty clear, though. General rule seems to be that the Quirk can’t be given or taken without the consent of the current holder.”

“Regardless of the recipient’s desires.” Hikage added, sharply.

“...Correct.” Bruce agreed after a moment’s pause.

Izuku’s gaze jumped between the two, noting the way they stood just about as far from one another as possible. “...ah. Ok, so it wasn’t transferred. Then what happened?"

“The part that I didn’t get to say before your little brain blast…” Yoichi smirked to himself, though Izuku wasn’t sure why. “Was that the boost I’m talking about has been noticeably absent for you and Eighth. Notably, the two Quirkless holders.”

Izuku hummed in thought as he stopped pacing. “So you’re saying that the power increase comes from some kind of Quirk interaction.”

“Effectively, yes.” Yoichi responded. “One for All must have been at the very edge of that tipping point since Eighth was injured. Had his confrontation with All for One come just a month or two later, and had he kept up his training, he would probably have been the one dealing with this development rather than you. If the power had gotten any kind of boost from transferring to you, this would likely have started the day you received it.”

For a brief moment, Izuku tried to imagine what would have happened if he started sprouting black tendrils in the middle of the entrance exam. ‘Well, I'd probably have gotten way more villain points purely by accident… or brought down a building. And that’s assuming I got the same Quirks I did, instead of sending myself to orbit with Float, or ‘breaking physics’ with whatever Gearshift is.’

Izuku shook his head. No, that would have probably been an even bigger mess. He pulled his mind back on track, and quickly arrived at what he thought was the most likely culprit.

“It’s something to do with Doctor Kinenkō’s Quirk, I assume. Something about it being used on me interacted with One for All and triggered all of this. I’m guessing it also caused…” Izuku gestured upwards, where Iida was paying rapt attention to the proceedings.

“That’s actually pretty close, as far as we can tell.” Yoichi said. “Though not quite complete.”

“Something wildly abnormal happened when I used Boon on you, Deku.” Kinenkō spoke from above. He took a moment to consider his words, then continued. “I’ve been somewhat aware of the fact that my Quirk could interact with people when I used Boon on them for a while now. I’d get these hazy half-memories sometimes, when my Quirk wore off. Which, by the way, is probably going to happen soon.” He scratched his head in thought. “There would also be times where a patient would come out of anesthesia and claim they’d been talking to me the whole time. I’d have written it off as some strange semi-conscious hallucination if their description didn’t line up with what I’d remember.”

“I’d like to add that such a thing happened with me, both before I woke up in the hospital, and after my healing session with Recovery Girl finally put me to sleep.” Iida added. “That’s part of why I was so confused when you said Doctor Kinenkō was dead before you arrived to help me. I’d been talking to him. Initially, I just thought it was a strange, coincidental dream, until it continued after my healing.”

Kinenkō winced, but nonetheless gestured at Iida. “Exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about. Anyway, to my point. All of those experiences were fundamentally different to what happened with you. I pushed my Quirk towards you, like I normally would. But instead of keeping a tether to my own body, the tether attached to yours, and I flowed after it.”

“Which leads into the point I’ve been building up to.” Yoichi resumed. “As Nana mentioned, the Quirks within One for All have grown stronger alongside the stockpile of energy. Until yesterday, I didn’t consider the possibility that might have included Quirk Bestowal. Then, you got some of Kinenkō’s blood in your mouth. All of a sudden, Quirk Bestowal started to flare up in a way reminiscent of when One for All is passed on. The moment he pushed his Quirk towards you, Quirk Bestowal reached out to meet it halfway. Except, where the transition between users always feels like I’m in freefall, this felt like a puzzle piece being pushed into place. Suddenly, Kinenkō’s standing with us in this room, which was a pretty big surprise in no small part because the room didn’t exist until that moment.”

Yoichi held up his hands helplessly. “The next thing we know, we’ve got everything you’re doing and seeing wired directly into our minds. We tried to fill Kinenkō in on what exactly was happening, but he just… sort of faded out after a few minutes. We’d have been more concerned about that if Kudo and Bruce hadn't started freaking out, followed by Danger Sense coming online, then Blackwhip going on a rampage. Kinenkō popped back into existence for a second, then vanished again when you used Boon on Iida.”

“I gotta give you props, kid.” Daigoro laughed. “I didn’t think anything would ever top the chaos of Eight nearly dying, then turning around and annihilating All for One. But yesterday sure as hell gave it a run for its money. Didn’t score any points on catharsis, unfortunately, so I think the old guy has still got you beat.”

Izuku’s head was spinning. “Wait. Hold on. You’re saying that I have Boon now. That I have it permanently . I got Kinenkō’s blood in my mouth, he effectively authorized a transfer somehow, and...” Izuku swallowed hard. “Are you saying…”

“Yes. Yoichi said, voice tinged with something Izuku couldn't quite define. The pale man stepped past Izuku to stand at the edge of the floor, where he gazed out into the churning darkness beyond. Somehow, in the face of the void, he seemed to become more. “Omo was always the strong one, so much so that he was already overwhelming in my very first memories. By the time he took the name All for One, the gulf seemed impassable. I could never grow beyond being his possession, because he would never let me. Even now, after more than one hundred years, it seems I still can't escape his shadow.”

Yoichi once again turned to face Izuku. His back to the inky tempest, he no longer appeared weak or small. There was a regality to him, a power . It bled from his very figure, an ethereal white light, a brilliant corona that stood out starkly against the darkness. “I once told Omo that his ability could have been the kindest power in the world. He laughed in my face. Now it seems you'll get to test my hypothesis, after a fashion. Quirk Bestowal has always let the user give their Quirk away. But now, it seems others can give you their Quirk as well.”

There was a gravity to the moment, a feeling at Izuku's very core. Izuku's breath shook as he let it out. “I-I… T-thats… When I heard about All for One from All Might, it was terrifying. That kind of power, it numbs the mind. One for All is already so overwhelming, I don't know how to handle this on top of it…”

Izuku’s tremulous voice stilled as Nana squeezed his shoulder from behind, and Yoichi stepped forward to clasp his other. “From what I've seen, I don't think anyone would be better suited to such an ability.” Yoichi smiled. “I trust you. Some part of Kinenkō evidently trusted you enough to let the transfer go through. And… there was another.”

Izuku blinked, then looked upward. “What? Wait, it's not-”

“No! No, it's not Iida. He still has his Quirk. I believe his being here is an effect of Boon and One for All blending together.” Yoichi reassured him. “Even if he had, I'm pretty confident you could give it back, with how things have changed.”

Izuku slumped in relief. “Ok, good. But…” He hesitated. “Who else could have given me their Quirk?”

Yoichi hesitated, and shared a glance with the vestiges behind Izuku. He felt his skin prickle as radiant teal eyes locked once more with his own. “The Winged Nomu.”

Before Izuku could even start to process that bombshell, chaos was unleashed.

“Sorry about this, everyone, but my time limit is up!” Kinenkō called from above. “Brace for-”

Within Izuku's chest, he felt a trickle of energy begin to flow. In a rapid escalation, that trickle became a torrent, a flood, a tsunami. The room above and its occupants began to fade, much to Iida’s obvious distress.

“Wait! I have so many questions!” Iida called as he dug through his now partially transparent notes. “How is any of this possible? Who is All for One? Where are we? What- Gah!” the page in his hand vanished completely, and Iida scrambled for another.

“I'll explain everything to you as soon as I can!” Izuku hollered upwards. His skin tingled, and he noticed the shape of Kinenkō as he coalesced from faint golden light in the center of the ruins. “Let me know when you're awake, and I'll try to get you up to speed!”

“I will contact you immediately upon awakening!” Though it was clear Iida was shouting, his voice sounded distant. “Everyone, have a wonderful rest of your evening!” In the next moment, Iida and the room around him vanished entirely.

Izuku once again found himself shaky as the undirected energy continued to grow, though it was slowing now. He fidgeted, then began to pace. However, as he took a step, he noticed dark wisps seemed to trail behind him. He swept an arm through them, only to find the same black motes trailed the limb as well. On closer inspection, sections of his arm seemed to be fading away, revealing only darkness beneath.

“W-what's happening now?” Izuku asked, alarmed.

Yoichi smiled reassuringly. “I can feel you slipping out of One for All. I think you're just waking up.”

Kinenkō’s mostly formed figure raised his hand. “That's probably Boon at work. It's a wonderful thing, but I had more than a few sleepless nights because of it.”

“Ok. Um…” Izuku’s thoughts raced as his vision started to fade. “The Nomu. What happened to it?”

“As near as I can tell, only one of its Quirks came through, but it was damaged. It never physically manifested here.” Yoichi explained, then gestured vaguely around himself. “I can still feel it in here, but I don't know how to communicate with it. I don’t think it’s fully integrated yet.”

Izuku released a tense breath, tinged with dark mist. “Good to know. Anything else before I go?”

“Tell Toshi and Torino that I'm proud of them!” Nana requested, though it sounded somewhat garbled to him.

Izuku wasn't sure if his parting words made it to the vestiges before the darkness swallowed him.

The next thing Izuku knew, he’d launched himself from the tattered bed at high speed, Full Cowling around him and energy in his veins. His semi-conscious leap made the frame screech in protest, and sent his phone hurtling across the room where it embedded itself in the drywall.

Izuku grimaced as he landed, then released One for All. He scampered over to retrieve his phone, which was completely undamaged. As he pulled it free, the pristine screen blinked to life. Thursday, May 14th, 2178, 8:21 pm. Almost exactly 24 hours after he’d been fighting Stain in an alleyway.

As he tilted the screen, he caught an unexpected flash against the surface. Izuku twisted to look behind him, but couldn’t see anything out of place. Hesitantly, he scanned the room, only to catch another flash of light in the door mounted mirror across the room.

Even without Full Cowling, his eyes faintly glowed from a golden ring around each iris.

‘So, pretty definitely not just a very realistic dream.’ Izuku thought. ‘I can't tell if I should feel relieved or not.’

Regardless of how Izuku felt on the matter, his reflection vanished as the door whipped open with a crash. Beyond, All Might stood in his full glory, eyes blazing as they swept over Izuku. Behind him, a disgruntled Gran Torino peeked around a muscular calf nearly as big as his entire torso.

Satisfied that nothing was obviously amiss, All Might deflated with a hiss of steam, which he stepped through on his way into the room. “Young Izuku, what happened? Are you alright? What happened to the bed? Wh-” He faltered. “What on earth happened to your eyes?”

“Yeah, Zygote. What gives?” Torino grumped. “From all the thumping and squeaking, I was at least expecting something blackmail worthy.”

“Nana says she's proud of you both.” Izuku blurted. “Also she called you Wall Fight.”

“Blerglemph?!?” Toshinori coughed a gout of blood in shock, eyes wide as they darted between Izuku and Torino. He descended into a hacking fit after the first, though Izuku thought he picked out “damn nickname” and “Why??” in its midst. Torino shook his head in denial, then squinted suspiciously around him. After a moment, he pinched himself viciously on the thigh. When he failed to wake up, the illusion failed to dispel, or whatever else he was expecting failed to happen, the old man blinked owlishly in surprise.

“I think… You might need to start from the top.” Torino said uncertainly over the sound of Toshinori’s continued coughing.

Chapter Text

“I think… You might need to start from the top.” Torino said uncertainly over the sound of Toshinori’s continued coughing.

Izuku was drenched in sweat. Below him, the scream of the treadmill was broken only by the rapid impact of his footfalls and his labored breathing. In each hand, he held a 10lb dumbbell, which he curled with every step. The strain was familiar now, even if it hadn't been when he started twenty minutes ago. Before that, he'd run a gauntlet of different machines, but none had done what he needed. In the end, it was a good old fashioned dead sprint that managed to take the edge off the energy that thrummed through his veins.

Toshinori and Torino watched him, a mix of slack-jawed awe and concern evident on their faces. Part of it was from Izuku’s absurd continued efforts, which had gone on many times longer than would have ordinarily been suicidal for an unenhanced human. Most of it, however, was from the experience the ninth holder had had recounted to them while doing so.

Toshinori had taken each new revelation like a blow, and had been following along in a daze. Once they’d reached the treadmill, he’d fallen into a nearby chair and taken up alternately staring at Izuku or his hands as if he’d never seen them before. Torino had taken the developments marginally better, and had taken up rigidly walking laps down the aisle next to the treadmill. Some steps turned into short hops, as he released some stress through a burst of his Quirk.

“So you mean to tell me that you've basically got All for One now?” Torino spluttered. “All it takes is blood, or hair, or anything with genetic material?”

“Basically.” Izuku huffed. His body was gradually growing sore, and he’d likely need to stop in the next few minutes. The thought was almost blissful. “The important part that you missed is that, from what they can figure, it follows the same rules as transferring One for All. It has to be allowed by whoever's giving up the Quirk. It'd be more accurate to say I can be given Quirks, rather than that it can take them.”

“This whole time…” Toshinori mumbled. “Nana's been in One for All this whole time, and I couldn't reach her. I was so close, and I fell short.”

Izuku shook his head. Torino grumbled as he jetted back a few feet to avoid the spray of sweat from the movement, then continued his pacing. “You didn’t fail anyone, Toshinori. Far from it. Yes, Nana’s in there. But if you didn’t progress One for All as much as you did, it’s likely nobody ever would have discovered that fact. The fact that you managed to take the stockpile from what Nana estimated to be around 34% all the way to what it is now… it boggles my mind.” Izuku tried to give Toshinori a comforting smile, but given his heaving breath, he probably didn’t succeed. “If anything, you went above and beyond what anyone could have expected. You’re the reason that meeting could ever have happened.”

Within him, One for All pulsed once in concurrence. The first time it had done that, he'd nearly dropped a 50lb weight on his foot while he was frantically setting up one of the machines. Over the course of his explanation, it had happened a few more times, mostly in a ‘once for yes, twice for no’ capacity to either agree with or help correct his explanation.

“One for All agrees.” Izuku added.

Toshinori groaned, but pulled himself together. “I can't help but marvel at how absurd that sentence is. Then again, it's not like anything else about the Quirk really makes conventional sense.” He rubbed his hands over his face vigorously, then slapped his cheeks. “You should probably stop now, Young Izuku. Enhanced stamina or not, you likely still need to let your body rest.”

“I was about to. I finally feel like I’ve actually been exercising.” Izuku huffed, then started slowing down the treadmill. When he finally stepped off, he had to keep a hand clamped around one of the machine’s handles to maintain his balance. The room seemed to keep moving around him, his body now forcibly acclimated to his constant sprint. Toshinori quickly lurched from his seat, then delicately guided his successor to it instead.

Izuku groaned in relief as he took his weight off his feet, though the sensation of his soaked clothes as they squelched against him soured his enjoyment.

Toshinori blanched. “I'll run out and get you a change of clothes in a bit. How are you feeling?”

“Physically? Like I took a short but aggressive morning run. Also, thirsty- Oh, thank you!” Izuku happily took the bottle of water Toshinori plucked from a mini fridge Izuku had missed, and quickly drained it. With a satisfied sigh, Izuku leaned back in the chair to enjoy his moment of rest. Unfortunately, it only took a minute for his relief to fade. “This would be fantastic if it didn't come with the mother of all caffeine highs. Even now, I can feel it creeping back as the soreness fades. I'll probably be back to a jittery mess in a few minutes.”

“Didn't you say Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb could hold their Quirks back? Same with the quiet guy?” Torino questioned. “Can't the doctor just… turn it off?”

One for All pulsed twice.

Izuku shook his head. “Apparently not. Maybe it's just because Kinenkō is new, or maybe it's always on by nature. I don't know, and they can't actually tell me right now.” Izuku’s hands started fidgeting, and he sighed. “I guess I'll start back up again.”

“Actually, Young Izuku.” Toshinori cut in. “You said Boon could transfer the vitality to others, didn't you? Why don't you just transfer it to one of us so you can take a moment to recover? I'm sure we could handle an extra bit of pep in our step.”

Izuku hesitated. “Are you sure? It's not exactly a pleasant experience…”

“If I can wield the raw power of One for All at its peak, I'm sure I can handle this for an hour or two!” Toshinori puffed out his still scrawny chest, a cheesy grin on his face.

“Oh, I should get some popcorn.” Torino snarked. “This should be good.”

“If you’re sure…” Izuku said, then tentatively extended a hand towards his idol.

“Quite sure. Hit me!” Toshinori returned the gesture with far more confidence, and clasped his successor’s hand within his own much larger one.

“Ok…” Izuku let a small smile through, then put on his best All Might imitation. “Then take this!”

Toshinori pulled back slightly, startled at the accuracy. Then, he yelped and tugged his hand away, shaking it as though he’d just touched something hot. When he held it to his face, Izuku could see a faint ring of gold light reflected in the man’s deep set eyes. Toshinori sent a quick glance at Izuku, then rapidly crossed his arms and tried to lean casually against a wall.

“See? I’m fine.” He said, as his fingers began to drum on his arm. “Toooooootally fine.”

“You’re fidgeting like the time that villain hit you with their itching Quirk, and you had to do an interview right after.” Torino smirked up at him.

“Whaaaat? No. Definitely not.” Toshinori denied.

“I can take it back, if it’s bothering you.” Izuku offered. While the return of his prior lethargy was a welcome respite for now, it was just as unpleasant in its own ways.

Toshinori pressed his lips tight, though his eyes had a hesitant cast. He looked like he was about to say something when his phone went off.

“A villain is here! A villain is here!”

Lightning quick, the phone was in All Might’s massive hand. He jabbed at it rapidly as he shot off towards the main room.

“I’ll be back shortly!” All Might called behind him, and a moment later a vibration ran through the floor.

“Um.” Izuku murmured, feeling a bit guilty. “Should I try to pull Boon back? I think I can do that. I don’t want him to have to deal with that in the middle of an emergency.”

“Give it a second.” Torino said under his breath.

The building vibrated once more, and All Might swept back into the room. “I AM BACK!” He boomed, then shrank down into a sheepish Toshinori. “And I give. This energy feels completely different than One for All’s. I haven’t felt this invigorated in years .” The lanky giant looked down at his jittering hands, one still marked by a glowing ring, and grimaced. “But I see where you’re coming from. If I’m not actively using it up, it’s a little maddening. I’ll still keep a hold of it for a while though, so you don’t have to literally run yourself ragged. I don’t know how Young Iida could stand to stay in bed like this, let alone how a civilian lived with it.”

Izuku took a moment to recover from the hero’s sudden return and subsequent verbal barrage. “To my understanding, it was far more mild before One for All started fueling it. As far as Iida goes, he said the doctors tried to sedate him, but that just brought him down to hyper instead of...” Izuku gestured to his sweat soaked self, then the fidgeting hero before him. “This.”

Toshinori smiled. “Given his personal brand of kinetic enthusiasm, I’m not sure if the idea of him under the full effects is entertaining or terrifying.”

“Probably both.” Izuku laughed lightly. Then, he cocked his head to the side as a thought occurred. “Do you mind if I try something, Toshinori?”

“Sure.” His mentor responded without a second thought. “Do you need me to do anything?”

“Other than holding out both hands, no. I’m going to try taking back Boon for a moment.” Izuku shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’ll give it back afterwards. I’m not going to start wearing a hole in your treadmill again.”

Toshinori snorted. “Kid, that thing was designed for me . You’re not going to do a damn thing to it until you’re past the sound barrier.”

Izuku sent an appreciative glance at the unassuming mechanical marvel, then returned his attention to the man in front of him. “Ok. Here goes test one.”

Izuku reached out and clasped the hand marked with gold. With some focus, he could feel that distant sense of persistence that he’d noticed during his introspection in the hospital. With a clumsy effort, he… for lack of a better word, grasped at it, and it responded. Slowly, it flowed from the mark into Izuku’s hand, a trickle of warmth that reinvigorated him. With another, more confident pull, the trickle became a torrent.

“That is a strange sensation.” Toshinori muttered, goosebumps down his arm. “It feels like it should be alarming, but it’s not.”

Izuku hummed in acknowledgement, but kept his focus on the feeling. After a few seconds longer, he cut off the flow of vitality.

Toshinori blinked in surprise. “You stopped?”

“Yes.” Izuku grinned, excited. “I took back a little under half.”

Toshinori whistled a sharp, clear note. “Well that certainly opens up a lot of possibilities.”

“It does!” Izuku exclaimed. He began to pace, though more from excitement than an excess of energy. While what he held was certainly enough to make him antsy and urge him to move, it was far and away easier to handle than it was at full strength. “It also begs a lot more questions… but let me finish the first tests before we get sidetracked.”

Izuku reached out to Toshinori’s unmarked hand, then tried again. The return was marginally slower, but still easy enough. Once Izuku was satisfied with that test, he released Toshinori’s hand without ending the transfer. The flow of energy slowed to roughly half as fast as the first attempt, but walking to the other side of the exercise room didn’t produce any noticeable difference. He’d need to test it further, but it was possible that distance wouldn’t matter, given Iida had been half of Tokyo away when Boon returned the first time.

Once all but a smidgen of Boon’s vitality had returned to him, Izuku tried the opposite. Unfortunately, he couldn’t remotely push vitality back into Toshinori, even though some still coursed through his body. He could, however, reapply boon through contact. A new ring appeared on Toshinori’s other hand, and both rings began to glow with increased intensity.

Izuku cut the flow of energy once more, which left him with roughly two thirds remaining. Much like One for All, getting a grip on the exact measurements would probably take time, but he was already a bit better at controlling the flow. Izuku was satisfied by what he’d learned, but there was a final test he wanted to perform.

“Hey, Torino…” Izuku turned towards the short hero, one hand extended. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to…”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be a guinea pig too.” Torino grumbled, though he didn’t hesitate to pull off a glove and clasp hands with Izuku. A surge of power later, and the old man was left blinking in surprise.

“Ohhh…” Torino grunted with a bemused smile. He flexed his fingers, then did a few crouches. “That soothes some old achs reeeeal nice.” With a thump of air, Torino shot over and through the sea of equipment, cackling. “I feel like a damn kid again!”

“ ...how much did you give him ?” Toshinori whisper-hissed at Izuku, alarm evident.

“It's more or less evenly split between the three of us right now.” Izuku replied, attention mostly dedicated to staying out of Gran’s way.

“I am officially glad you tried it on me first.” Toshinori mumbled as he ducked, a yellow blur streaking over his head. “He’d probably be hopping all over Tokyo right now with the full package.”

“Don’t tempt me!” Torino's voice rapidly approached from the far corner. He skidded to a halt by an elevator door a few feet from where Izuku stood. Torino had to go up on his tip toes slightly, but he managed to press a button. A second later, the elevator slid open with a cheerful “An elevator is here!”

Toshinori coughed into his hand and flushed. “...It was a bit of a running joke, back in the-”

“Oy, Zygote!” Torino called from within the elevator. “Let’s go spar, unless you’re too chicken! You still need practice with that Full Cowling of yours, plus whatever you can figure out with those bonus Quirks! Toshinori, go get those new clothes, he’ll probably need them even more soon.”

Toshinori glanced at Izuku from the corner of his eye, as if trying to determine if he needed to cover his protege’s escape. “I'm not so sure that leaving you with him down there is a good idea. He tends to get… enthusiastic… in open spaces.”

Izuku hesitated, then shook his head. “He's not wrong that I need the practice, and I don't want to burn your time with something like sparring.” Izuku smiled slightly. “Besides, I have to pay him back for the training in his apartment. Will I succeed? Probably not. But I definitely won't if I don't try.”

A grin spread across Toshinori's face, and he gave Izuku a firm pat on the back. “Give em’ hell, kid.” He said, then headed towards the main room. “And Torino! No breaking my successor! We need him!”

“Spoil Sport!” Torino blew a raspberry from within the elevator.

Izuku, for his part, just shook his head with a grin. He jogged over to the elevator, took what he hoped wouldn't be his last breath, and stepped in. Torino rolled his eyes at him, but nevertheless pressed the button labeled ‘Gymnasium’. With a cheerful ding, the elevator doors closed, and it began to descend.

Much like the exercise room far, far above, calling the cavernous area located deep under the tower a gymnasium felt like a disservice. How such a thing had been excavated, much less authorized underneath a major metropolitan area, was beyond Izuku's understanding.

Shortly after Izuku walked into the empty space, the room began to rumble. Horrifying thoughts of an earthquake flashed through Izuku’s mind, especially when the walls began visibly shifting, and he spun to dash for the elevator. As his gaze swept the area for Torino, he caught sight of the man hanging from an open panel next to the elevator.

“Relax, brat.” Torino grunted as he twisted another dial with his free hand. “I’m just reorganizing the room a bit. Too open concept for my tastes right now.”

Warily, Izuku glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, the walls were still moving, as was the floor and ceiling. On a second glance however, it was clear that every surface of the room consisted of square panels, many of which were now extruding into the gymnasium. As he watched, it transitioned from an empty space to an abstract environment of slopes and pillars.

“...This is absurd!” Izuku spluttered.

“Mmhm.” Torino grunted. “The amount of money the world has thrown at All Might over the years boggles the mind. I certainly enjoy some of the perks, though.”

Izuku shook his head as the room finally fell still. “Well, that definitely makes the environment more interesting. Where should we-”

Izuku’s words were cut off as a foot planted itself on the back of his head, and he immediately felt foolish for having let his guard down. A split second later, a surge of air blasted him bodily towards the center of the room. He hastily activated Full Cowling, skipped across the floor twice, twisted himself to avoid a column, then flipped onto his feet. Thankfully, his shoes didn’t squeak as he slid across the floor like they did in his middle school gym. At these speeds, it would probably have been deafening.

Rather than waiting to come to a stop, Izuku leapt backwards to plant his feet on an oncoming pillar. As he sunk into a deep crouch, he briefly turned his attention inwards. ‘Hikage, I don’t suppose…?’

A wave of goosebumps flared to life across his body, then settled. ‘ I’ll take that as a y- ’

…danger…

Izuku almost missed the extremely mild prickle of warning. Thankfully, he’d been specifically waiting for it, so was still able to leap away before the blur of Gran Torino shot past. ‘...what? That was clearly an attack. Why was that so much less intense?’

One for All pulsed three times, which wasn’t especially helpful.

“Good dodge!” Torino’s voice called from somewhere in the room. “Was that Danger Sense in action?”

“Kind of?” Izuku called. “It wasn’t as intense as it was before. I’m not sure-”

DANGER

Izuku yelped, then flung himself to the side. Even so, a smirking Torino was able to poke him on the cheek on his way past.

“Would I be correct in assuming that was ‘more intense’ than the first try?”

“Uh…” Izuku gulped, suddenly remembering All Might’s description of how well Torino’s training had gone for him. “Yes?”

“The first one was just testing the waters. I wasn’t really intending to hurt ya’.” Torino called. His voice dopplered as he rapidly moved around the room, and the effect it caused was unsettling. “That time, I was actually aiming for you.”

Izuku hummed absently as he considered the implications, even as he leapt between two columns to reach higher ground. ‘Does Danger Sense detect things that can actually cause me harm, or something else?’

Two pulses.

‘Ok…’ Izuku’s thoughts were interrupted by another warning pang, and he had to launch himself away as Torino’s foot ripped through the air where a leg had been. A moment later, Izuku twisted in the air as Torino changed direction and plunged after him. Izuku lashed out in an attempt to grab his opponent’s arm as he passed, but instead came face-to-sole with a yellow boot.

DANGER

‘I may have figured that one out on my own.’ Izuku groused as he spun away, face stretched back from the blast of air. He barely managed to orient himself and grasp the edge of a column as he passed. At the same time, another pang of Danger Sense struck. Between the pain in his head and the strain his maneuver was putting on his arm, Izuku could feel his grip slipping. Panicked, he acted on instinct.

Izuku let a little more of One for All flow through him, and with an instant of 7% Full Cowling, he managed to swing his momentum around and shoot off at a different angle. Thankfully, the maneuver fowled Torino’s next strike, which hissed through the air where Izuku would have been a fraction of a second later. ‘So, it’s not just a general threat detection. Does it have something to do with attacks in particular?’

One pulse.

‘So I’m going in the right direction…’ Izuku struck the ground in a clumsy roll, and a small flare of pain flashed along his right side. Boon’s warmth suffused the area, and began to sooth his likely bruised flesh. ‘How does it determine what an attack is? Precognition? Something to do with the movement? Does it detect intent?’

Three rapid pulses, and a distant sense of satisfaction.

‘Huh. I felt that-’ Izuku whipped towards the direction he’d hoped Torino would approach from even as Danger Sense flared, and swung a punch. Gran flipped, and in a rapid sequence of bursts Izuku could barely track, shot himself over the punch, past Izuku’s head, and into the back of his knees. Mid fall, Izuku felt another pang as two small feet planted themselves in the middle of his back. “Shiiiiiit.”

“Yup!” Torino agreed gleefully. “Enjoy your flight!”

Izuku felt like he’d been hit by a car as he tumbled upwards, pain radiating from his back. In the brief moments where his spinning frame faced the ceiling, he could see that Torino had aimed him at a flat section, without anywhere for him to grip on his way up or down. Even if he managed to absorb the impact on the ceiling, he’d be a soft target on his way back to earth.

Izuku knew a spar with Gran Torino would be more than he could chew, but even then he was shocked by how easily the elderly hero was running circles around him. From their spar in his apartment, Izuku had thought that he might stand some chance of at least touching the man. Evidently, Torino had been holding back to keep from literally bringing the building down on them, because he was going far faster than he had back then.

‘He’s toying with me.’

The thought wasn’t especially surprising, but it was definitely frustrating. Izuku latched onto the emotion, and reached for Blackwhip. It responded quickly, and Izuku directed the tendrils to reach for several passing pillars.

The maneuver worked. Kind of. Multiple tendrils shot out and latched onto pillars around him, though more than he’d intended. However, he’d failed to take into account the fact that he was still spinning, and quickly found himself tangled in the inky strands. On the upside, it brought his disoriented tumble to a stop. Unfortunately, it also left him a sitting duck, which Torino was more than happy to shoot down. Izuku could see the yellow missile approaching at Mach Terrifying, and quickly tried to untangle himself. Then he paused.

‘Blackwhip doesn't seem to have a defined physical form. It can branch out from other strands, or blend together…’ Izuku thought as he watched his doom approach. ‘Maybe I can…’

He pushed the idea towards Blackwhip, and it seemed to do more or less what he wanted. The strands melted together, shifting from threads to a sort of second skin. While it still held him in the air, which wasn’t exactly what he’d wanted, at least his arms were free to move.

The sudden shift from restrained victim to potential threat caught Torino by surprise, and Izuku was just barely able to block his opponent’s feet before they slammed into his chest. The impact still caused them to stretch backwards as the tendrils strained, but that only served to further diffuse the blow.

Blackwhip quickly crawled up Torino’s boots of its own volition, dark tendrils seeking the one who’d attacked its wielder. The one in question, however, wanted nothing to do with them, and suddenly Izuku was left with two yellow boots stuck to his arms as Torino shot backwards.

“Nice try, Zygote! But you're fifty years too young to catch me that easily!”

Izuku groaned, then shook the numbness from his arms. The thin sheet of Blackwhip had actually helped guard against the impact, but Torino was very clearly not screwing around. With some coaxing, Izuku managed to detach Blackwhip from all but one of the pillars, which let him swing towards it. As he approached, he managed to call an inky film to his hand, which he used to adhere himself to the column.

As Izuku clung to the vertical surface, he tried to think. ‘Torino’s clearly got me outclassed, and he’s fighting me hard enough to get Danger Sense to engage. He’s crafty, and excellent at ambushes using his superior speed and mobility. With all the room he has in here, he can go faster without worrying about running into things before he can flip around… though without his boots, maybe he'll have to be more careful.’

Izuku didn't particularly want to keep ahold of the things, as the stench of old man feet was difficult to ignore, but he didn't want Torino to get them back. With a grimace, Izuku plucked them from his forearms and shoved them under his free arm.

Distantly, Izuku heard the tell tale hiss of air, and tried to detach his hand from the wall. He dropped away, but found himself still attached by a black tether that slowed him as he approached the ground. He’d have been completely fine taking the drop with Full Cowling activated, but he couldn’t deny the landing was far easier thanks to Blackwhip’s assistance.

“Thank you!” Izuku whispered at it. In response, the tendril frayed and came apart, though the final strands seemed to deliberately wiggle at him before they faded with an odd, external sense of satisfaction.

‘Well…’ Izuku mused as he took off running. ‘I think that pretty much confirms that Blackwhip has some level of sentience now. Daigoro, if you have any suggestions, please have them ready the next time I end up visiting you guys.’

One for All pulsed, though somewhat hesitantly.

Focus once again entirely on the game of cat and mouse at hand, Izuku began plotting. It was clear that the environment greatly favored Gran Torino, but it was equally obvious the hero was letting him feel out his abilities. Could he use that slack to turn the tables? It was possible, if unlikely… but still a better shot than beating his mentor as things stood. He just needed to find the right spot…

Izuku hurled himself into a backflip as Torino swept beneath him, then twisted so a punch that should have taken him in the gut instead grazed his ribs as the menace shot upwards. Gran flipped above him once more, a vicious grin on his face as he aimed downwards. Just as Izuku's left hand brushed the ground, Torino shot towards him.

The small part of Izuku's brain not dedicated to avoiding death noted that, as he’d hoped, Torino was definitely going slower without his boots to help absorb impacts. Small victories.

Izuku jumped Full Cowling to 7%, and managed to coax a bit of Blackwhip to coat his palm and afix it to the ground. With that lone point of leverage, Izuku awkwardly swept a leg through Torino's path of descent far faster than he had previously moved. Torino dodged it, because of course he did, but Izuku could see a flash of wariness on his face as he did so.

‘I’ll call that progress…’ Izuku thought as he brought his percentage back down. A bit of soreness lingered, especially in the shoulder that had supported his ad-hawk attack, but it wasn't anything debilitating.

What was debilitating, on the other hand, was Torino’s counter. Evidently Izuku’s moment of unexpected speed had taken off whatever kid gloves were still on, because once again Izuku found himself launched away by a blast of pressurized air. Except his arm was still attached to the ground by Blackwhip. The dark substance stretched, almost elastic, and began to slow Izuku's flight… only for Torino to catch up and slam a shoulder into Izuku's gut.

The impact blasted the wind from Izuku's lungs and sent Torino's boots flying from his grip. Blackwhip detached from the ground and tried to grapple Izuku’s assailant, but Torino had already twisted around to plant his feet on Izuku's chest. Another, albeit weaker, blast from Jet sent Izuku soaring backwards again, and launched Torino clear of the tendrils. The series of attacks had come so quickly that Danger Sense’s warnings blended into a single multilayered throb.

With a choked whimper of pain and effort, Izuku uncurled from around his abused abdomen and took stock. He wasn't convinced he could take much more, but he doubted Torino would stop until he was satisfied or Izuku literally couldn't stand anymore. He needed to try and finish this now, before the last bit of control he had over the spar was beaten out of him.

Izuku swept the environment for anything he could use. ‘High ground is asking for a beating given Torino's mobility, and large empty spaces aren't much better. Something cramped with an overhang would be best, so that I'm not easy pickings whenever I'm off the ground. It doesn't look like there's anywhere like that… but maybe…’

With a more attainable target in mind, he scanned the landscape in the direction he was going. Pretty quickly, he spotted what he was looking for. Equally fast, he realized Torino was catching up with him once again.

Panicked, Izuku tried to fling Blackwhip towards his preferred destination, but the Quirk seemed to resist. A sense of aggression prickled at him, and it wasn't hard to interpret what exactly it meant.

‘We’re still going to fight him!’ Izuku mentally shrieked to Blackwhip. ‘We just need to get out of his element!’

Somewhat begrudgingly, Blackwhip snapped several strands more or less where Izuku had wanted them. The chords of energy pulled taught, and Izuku was yanked downwards just in time. His already wind-whipped hair was buffeted back from the rush of Torino's passing, just over his head.

As he had several times before, the yellow blur changed direction rapidly to shoot down after Izuku. This time, however, Izuku let Blackwhip act on some of its aggression. He cast several tendrils up from his shoulders to intercept, and a foreign thrill raced through him. Torino’s grin visibly widened as he zipped between the dark threads, avoiding each snare as they tried to tighten around him.

“This is what caught Stain?” Gran Torino called, bursts of air breaking up his words. “He must have been off his game!”

“Blackwhip feeds off negative emotions. I'm way the hell less angry now than I was then!” Izuku returned fire. “But go ahead, keep running your mouth. Maybe that'll change!”

“Ha!” Torino sounded delighted. “And here I was, worried there wasn't any heat to ya’!”

With a final surge, Gran Torino shot through a narrow gap, then crashed his crossed forearms into Izuku's hastily raised guard. Both flew downwards like a meteor, and it took all of Izuku's concentration to guide Blackwhip into doing what he needed it to.

Behind Torino, the Blackwhip tendrils that had missed him melded together to form a makeshift parachute. Though it jolted his shoulders roughly, Izuku smiled as the shift in movement caught Torino by surprise. The hero tried to pull away, though this time he had to sacrifice his gloves to the tendrils of Blackwhip that clung to them. However, before he could fully disengage, they landed just about exactly where Izuku wanted, albeit faster than he would have liked. Even with Full Cowling, the impact rattled his brain a bit.

Torino, who enjoyed the benefits of having Izuku to absorb some of the impact, leapt off his student’s chest. Cast in dim green light, his aged face looked impassive as he gazed down at Izuku. “Nice try, welp. It was a good first run, but you'll need to do better than… Oh, you sneaky little shit.”

Izuku coughed weakly as he staggered to his feet, but managed a weary grin nonetheless. They'd landed in a roughly 15ft by 15ft pit surrounded by pillars that were just tall enough to meet Izuku's needs. There wasn't anything that hung low over them like he'd initially searched for, however he'd managed to fix that.

The Blackwhip parachute, now repurposed as a sort of tarp, clung to the walls above them. It remained attached to Izuku by the tendrils that still hung from his shoulders, which he could only hope wouldn't end up tangling him again. Blackwhip itself didn't seem particularly pleased that its primary job was to stay where it was, however. Izuku got the distinct impression it wanted to grab things. Specifically, Gran Torino shaped things.

‘You’re doing a good job!’ Izuku encouraged it. ‘You have him trapped! That's kind of like grabbing, isn't it?’

Something like sullen acceptance rolled over him. Izuku's own relief must have been palpable, because Torino chose to break the silence.

“What do you look so happy about?” The hero grumped. Without his cape, boots, or gloves, the man stood in just a rumpled white unitard, a belt, and a mask, which was an… odd look.

“I was negotiating with Blackwhip.” Izuku responded, to which Torino just shook his head in bemusement. “I'm really hoping that Daigoro has some good suggestions, because I don't think this is how it's supposed to go.”

“You certainly have your work cut out for ya’, kid.” Torino grunted. “But you should probably address the more immediate problem.”

“The fact that you're going to beat the stuffing out of me now that we're in here?”

“Eeeeyup.”

“Yeah…” Izuku sighed, then fell into his usual stance. “Probably better than it would have been out there.”

DANGER

A knee propelled by Jet crashed into Izuku's instinctive block as Torino shot forwards. At nearly the same time, the old man’s other leg swept around in a round house kick, foot angled in such a way that Jet could power it as well. The blow crushed Izuku's second attempt to block and took him in the ribs, the force of it sending him stumbling. Before Izuku could even think, he ducked under the next kick Danger Sense warned him of, then retaliated with a punch of his own.

Only to find Torino standing on his arm, one foot raised.

The next flare of danger came directly for his face, and Izuku barely managed to bend backwards in time. The kick Torino had chambered lanced just before his nose, then Gran lightly jetted back and away. A tendril of Blackwhip swept down from above, briefly letting a lash of light into the dark confines, but Torino swerved around it.

With a slap of a foot on the wall, it ended. Torino became a constantly moving blur in the dim light, something Izuku couldn't hope to track even with Danger Sense. Though he was slowed by the confines and limited by his inability to use the ceiling, Torino’s mobility was too much. Izuku partly or completely avoided the first few strikes, but once the first solid hit landed, he was almost helpless to defend himself.

A glancing blow to the shoulder spun him around. A hit to the side of his shin made him tilt, only for a blow to the ribs to flip him the other way. Even when he lost his grip on Blackwhip and it began lashing out, the strikes only slowed by a fraction. Finally, it ended with a punch to Izuku’s stomach that folded him over and made his gorge rise.

Izuku collapsed to his knees, battered and exhausted while the world spun around him. His head thundered both from a glancing blow, and the sheer number of spikes Danger Sense had driven into it. Though Blackwhip fought it, he managed to dismiss the tendrils connected to him, and by extension, the sheet covering their little arena.

“I… I-I giv- hrrrrng…” Izuku nearly lost his lunch, then actually did lose his fight against gravity. In a slow collapse, he let himself sink to his side on the nice, cold floor. “I give.”

“Huh. Either you've got a stronger stomach than the oaf did at your age, or I'm getting soft.” Torino quipped.

“Don’t make me throw up at you.” Izuku growled around clenched teeth. “The headache will probably do what you couldn't at this rate.”

“Headach?” Torino sounded a touch alarmed. “I was trying not to hit your head too hard. I didn't make ya’ pop something, did I?”

“No.” Izuku bit out, then had to swallow down bile. “Danger Sense did a number on me in that last barrage. It's like someone used my head as a pincushion for railroad spikes.”

“That’s a nasty backlash.” Torino hissed. “But it made a huge difference. Do you have any idea what you were doing out there?”

Izuku squinted at Torino through one eye. “I didn’t think I was doing anything too different, other than trying to get a better grip on Full Cowling and the new Quirks.”

“How fast do you think I was going?” Torino asked, eyes intense.

“Way faster than back in the apartment, that’s for sure. Maybe three times as fast, while we were out in the open? Probably a little under twice as fast while we were down here.”

Torino laughed. “Kid, compared to what I just did, I was taking a casual stroll around the apartment. I’m talking six times as fast up there, not much below my top speeds. Most people wouldn't have been able to see me coming at all, much less even try to do something about it.”

“Damn…” Izuku hesitantly tried to push himself upright, succeeded, then determined that the ground was far too comfortable to part with just yet. “I don’t feel quite so bad for being on the back foot the whole time then.”

“If you thought you’d actually beat me, I’ll have to use my full speed next time.”

Izuku quickly shook his head in denial. He immediately regretted the movement, and groaned into the floor.

“Good. Rest up, we can do a lighter spar in a little while now that I have your measure. We’ll focus on mobility and getting you used to Danger Sense, maybe touch on that Blackwhip thing. It looked like you were having a hard time with it.”

Izuku managed to roll onto his back, then reached a hand up towards Torino with a groan. “Let me take your third of Boon back. It'll get me back up faster, and I need to get a read on how quickly it works anyway.”

“Heh. That's the spirit!”

Izuku grimaced at his reflection in the foggy mirror. Damn near every inch of his body had a bruise decorating its surface, ranging from sullen purple to mottled green. Interspersed among them were partly healed abrasions and some cuts that hadn’t fully healed over. Overall, he looked like shit.

Boon, as it turned out, wasn’t some top-of-the-line healing Quirk, even after One for All had enhanced it. The Quirk definitely accelerated the healing process, especially while he had Full Cowling in effect, as evidenced by hours old bruises that looked like he got them days ago. However, despite the thrumming vitality’s ability to sooth his achs, the beating he’d received eventually put him down for the count. Given its performance in keeping Kinenkō and Iida alive, Izuku suspected Boon was far more geared towards surviving trauma than recovering from it.

Hopefully that wouldn't be put to the test again any time soon.

When Toshinori returned from his quest for clothes, he'd found Izuku freshly laid out after the fifth round of sparring. By that point, the tattered remnants of Izuku's clothes did little to hide how battered he was. Toshinori’s response had been to immediately veto any further sparring for the day, and similarly any unsupervised spars going forward.

While that had seemed like a bit much at the time, given that Izuku had been just as responsible as Torino, he could now recognize that was precisely why Toshinori had made the call. Izuku didn’t exactly have the best track record for personal care, in retrospect, though he didn’t miss the irony in Toshinori being the one to point it out. It had still been frustrating, even if more understandable.

Once they’d made it back to the penthouse office, Toshinori had pressed a fresh set of clothes into his arms and shuffled him off towards the gigantic bathroom. Any reservations he’d had about the abrupt end to the day’s sparring were washed away by the delightful omnidirectional shower. Izuku had promptly added it to the list of things he’d miss about Might Tower once he had to leave, just a rung or two below the utter insanity of the gymnasium.

Izuku shook himself from his reverie, then set about gingerly drying himself. Once finished, he slipped into his new clothes, a black long sleeve shirt and light blue jeans. He found them to be a touch on the tight side for his taste, but they were nonetheless extremely comfortable. After a slightly self conscious once over in the mirror, he made his way to his bedroom to retrieve his phone. The light of dawn shone through the window, which made for a breathtaking sight overtop the sprawling city.

Izuku’s phone was on his desk, where he’d accidentally left it as he rushed to the exercise room. Next to it, however, was something he hadn’t been expecting.

The book was large, and clearly high quality even before Izuku laid a hand on it. The deep green of the leather cover nearly matched his hair, and simple golden accents only added to its elegance. On top of it, a sleek red pen stood out starkly, ablaze in the morning light.

Gingerly, Izuku sat at the desk to inspect the new additions. The pen had a delightful heft to it, and once he’d unscrewed the cap, he quickly doodled a small shape on the back of his hand. The smoothness of it brought a smile to Izuku’s face, and he began to flip the pen between his knuckles as his attention returned to the book. He tried to open it, but found that the cover was held closed by a combination lock built into it. Izuku flipped it over to see six numbers scrawled on a sticky note, which he carefully entered. The lock clicked softly, and Izuku quickly flipped the book open.

Inside the front cover, he found familiar handwriting.

I hope this notebook will aid you on your journey to master your Quirk, in all its forms.

– Toshinori Yagi

Izuku smiled gently at the words, and the relative simplicity of the signature compared to All Might’s bombastic, multi-page scrawl. It seemed his favorite notebook, the burned, water damaged, and sludge stained Campos that contained that signature had a new challenger.

His eyes drifted from the writing to the first blank page. It was lined, but they were so faint he could easily sketch over them without them interfering. Izuku gently brushed his fingers over the page, and found it supple but sturdy. It would last him a good, long while, and would likely hold up to punishment far better than his usual fare.

With a wide smile, Izuku picked up his new pen and began to write.

Izuku’s Hero Analisis for the Future, Introspection Addition

Quirk Bestowal

Original Owner: Yoichi

One of the two base Quirks of One for All, Quirk Bestowal is the component that allows the power to be passed from one user to the next. The transfer requires both the intent of the user, and the recipient taking a catalyst containing the user’s genetic material into their body. To my understanding, this can be achieved by ingesting the catalyst (such as eating a hair) or by blood entering the body through a wound.

At an unknown point in time, Quirk Bestowal’s scope expanded to allow others to give the user their Quirks as well. This transfer seems to require the same things as the usual transfer, that being a genetic link and some degree of willingness from the one giving it up.

Additional Notes

• Thankfully, the Quirk seems to protect the user from whatever backlash causes the mindlessness of the Nomu.
• Yoichi implied I should be able to give others individual Quirks, rather than passing on the entirety of One for All.

Power Stockpile

Original Owner: Unknown

The second of the base Quirks of One for All, Power Stockpile is the physical enhancer Quirk that has grown ridiculously powerful over time. The stockpile of energy that fuels it is vast, and seems to be the force that has amplified the Quirks within One for All, Quirk Bestowal included.

The power output of the Quirk compounds upon itself, leading to an exponentially growing output. While this wasn’t immediately obvious to me due to my own limited experience with it, it’s now immediately noticeable in the jump from 5% to 7%. My actual speed doesn't grow exponentially, but some quick calculations show that the energy I output does. The implications that this has for true 100% output… are unspeakably terrifying. The fact that All Might in his prime had access to the entirety of this power and still nearly lost to All for One feels impossible.

Additional Notes

• Under controlled circumstances, I should try to test exactly how far I can jump my use of Full Cowling. From 5% to 7% is a strain for a few seconds, and can cause some lingering soreness afterwards, but shorter bursts seem to have less to no lasting impact. Perhaps talk to Recovery Girl, as knowing my current limits will go a long way towards limiting future significant injuries.
• Actively using Power Stockpile seems to enhance the power of other Quirks, in addition to the enhancement they evidently received after being incorporated into One for All.

Gearshift

Original Owner: Kudo

Breaks physics, apparently. Given that many Quirks seem to do so, the fact that Kudo seems especially worried about Gearshift means it may do so in a particularly dangerous way. Given the name, probably something speed based.

FaJin

Original Owner: Bruce

Bruce said he died due to the Quirk blowing up part, or all, of his body in his confrontation against All for One. Many Quirks from earlier generations lacked the safeguards most naturally have today, so it’s possible it’s a highly self destructive ability.

Danger Sense

Original Owner: Hikage Shinomori

Danger Sense seems to cover an area with a roughly 400 meter radius around the user, within which it can detect hostile intent. The warning is clearest if the attack is made within 50 meters, which provides some insight into where the attack is targeted. After OFA enhancement, range is unknown, as it covered the entirety of the gymnasium. Further testing is needed.

The warning comes as a pang in the mind, which can be rather painful. The intensity of the pang seems to correlate to the severity of the intent, with an attack not really intended to cause harm barely registering while an attack with definitive intent of harm is far more taxing.

Additional Notes

• The attack doesn't have to target me to trigger Danger Sense, which would make it an excellent alert system for hero work. That could, however, make it extremely overwhelming in a large scale combat situation.
• I kind of get a sense where an attack is coming from, if I pay close attention. More practice needed with ranged opponents.

Blackwhip

Original Owner: Daigoro Banjo

Blackwhip is an extremely interesting Quirk. From my extremely limited experience with it, I can already tell its versatility and potential are both absolutely phenomenal. It can alter its properties to adhere to surfaces or detach at will, can stretch or remain relatively rigid, can meld with itself and change shape, etc. With sufficient practice and cooperation, the potential applications seem nearly endless.

However, the Quirk seems to be some degree of sentient. This is extremely interesting on a multitude of levels, as companion Quirks were breathtakingly rare prior to the 4th generation of users. As far as I know, there are only two in all of Japan, one of whom is Tokoyami.

As it stands, Blackwhip is willful and somewhat hard to control. Even when I try to directly control it, the results I want are often only partly achieved as Blackwhip chooses to do them differently. Sometimes it outright refuses, or acts entirely on its own, which can interfere with my own intentions.

However, when cooperation is achieved, the results have already been fabulous. Blackwhip nearly caught Torino during the parachute plan, and managed to slow his approach down dramatically in the attempt. At the same time, I was able to direct the tendrils to form the parachute, which was a complex task I probably wouldn’t have been able to achieve if I was completely in control of them. The sentience it displays could easily be one of its greatest assets if an understanding can be reached.

Blackwhip will likely take a great deal of time and effort to develop, but I’m looking forward to it. Once I can get back to the Vestiges, I hope Daigoro will have some suggestions, though I’m unsure how much his experience will be applicable. Perhaps I should ask for advice from Tokoyami on control. Sero, Aizawa, and Midnight could also be extremely helpful in learning useful applications for it as well. Maybe even Mineta, given the ability to adhere to surfaces.

Additional Notes

• Blackwhip damages clothes, which means I’ll need either DNA infused materials (expensive!), self-healing fabric, or vents in my costume that I can direct it through. Vents are the simplest addition, and will likely be necessary for Smokescreen eventually, but Blackwhip may not always want to pass through them. Time will tell.
• A layer of Blackwhip over my arms not only proved extremely effective as a trap, but also helped absorb a direct impact from Gran Torino. Defensive properties should be examined.

Smokescreen

Original Owner: En Tayutai

Smokescreen has yet to manifest, though it’s evidently the ability to produce smoke from the body. En himself has downplayed the power of smokescreen, but I’m certain it will have a plethora of uses. On its own, I imagine it’ll be great for escape or stealth. Depending on the smoke’s composition, it could be useful for forcing opponents out of an area if it can’t be breathed, though I may have to get improved filters for my respirator if that’s the case.

Additional Notes

• It also seems like it could be a fantastic combination move with Danger Sense, if I can properly get a grip on it. While I’m not sure how Smokescreen would impact the intent necessary for Danger Sense to trigger, any level of compatibility could be fantastic.
• Integration of thermal vision goggles into my suit, along with the potential vents and updated respirator, should be considered if compatible with Smokescreen.

Float

Original Owner: Nana Shimura

Float has yet to manifest, and is the remaining Quirk that I look forward to the most. The ability to fly is a dream come true. The sheer utility of it could help in so many situations, even aside from the mobility advantage. Torino demolished me with high speed limited flight, and I’m already an abnormally mobile hero at 5%.

From Nana’s description, the sheer speed she could achieve in her time would put her among the fastest heroes in history, alongside Hawks and Brittain’s Sir Sonic. This was when she only had access to roughly 34%, by her estimation. At 100%... definitely best I ease into using it very, very carefully.

Additional Notes

• Ask Nana about the specifics of how float works, to see if I can get a head start on practice by having Uraraka remove my gravity.
• As with Smokescreen, having goggles and an updated ventilator could help with high speed flight, or even upper atmosphere flight if need be.
• Could a wing suit help with flight, or would it be redundant? Could Blackwhip serve as a wingsuit with practice? Things to consider.

Boon

Original Owner: Kouki Kinenkō

Boon enhances the vitality of the user, dramatically increasing their energy and ability to survive serious injury, as well as moderately enhancing their recovery speed (Degree to be determined.) Sufficient physical activity, and presumably injury, can use up this vitality. However, it quickly restores itself during rest.

Boon can be applied to another person through physical contact, transferring some amount of the user’s enhanced vitality to that person. This gifted vitality fades slowly over time, but is actively used up faster through injury or physical activity. Even if the gifted vitality is used up, the effect seems to last up to 24 hours unless actively withdrawn.

The degree of these effects is unknown, but was able to stabilize Iida from a nearly lethal injury, and kept Kinenkō alive with half his body crushed prior to its incorporation into OFA. The effect seems to be enhanced when I actively use OFA as well, as I found by studying my injuries between spars as compared to the rest period after.

Additional Notes

• Highly compatible with Recovery Girl’s Heal, as she found when treating Iida. Heal rapidly consumes the gifted vitality, however.
• Boon seems to act as a link for others to somewhat interact with OFA’s Vestige Realm, as with what happened to Iida. Further testing necessary.
• Having the entirety of Boon at once energizes the individual to an uncomfortable degree, potentially inducing fidgeting and difficulties focusing. Efforts to see if I can acclimate to the entirety should be made, so that I don’t have to constantly foist it on others to keep myself sane.
• Causes my eyes to glow from rings around the iris, but does not seem to have the same effect on others. Instead, they form a ring around the point of contact the transfer occurs.
• Causes golden swirls to appear in both my blood, and the blood of the recipient. This direct interaction with blood may be part of why it better assists with survival, such as when it brought Iida back from nearly bleeding out.
• Suit should have a way to easily remove gloves, have DNA pads on the fingers, or otherwise allow me to directly touch things to facilitate Boon’s application. I’m extremely lucky that Stain and Blackwhip destroyed my gloves, or I may not have been able to use it on Iida.
• Do not give the entirety of Boon to Gran Torino.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s jab plowed into one of Toshinori’s punching mitts, and he quickly followed it with a right cross. His mentor shifted to catch the incoming blow easily, then did the same for his left hook. Their movements almost seemed choreographed as they shifted back and forth, a dance to the beat of muffled impacts and firm steps.

“Good!” Toshinori said in the space between punches. “Your form is better, and that’s letting you put more behind each strike. I can almost feel those!”

Izuku prepared to dart another jab forward, but a sudden sound rang through the room.

“A Villain is here!”

In a now practiced motion, Toshinori whipped his hands upwards. The movement flung the punching mitts free, and before they even struck the ceiling, All Might was on the move.

“Switch!” Torino called, and Izuku spun to face the small man. Gran’s hero costume had been replaced with a white button up shirt, jeans, and some boots. He held two polls, pads affixed to the end with a healthy layer of tape that had so far managed to keep them in place. Izuku was less familiar with kickboxing, as what little time he and Toshinori had dedicated to combat training on the beach was focused on how to throw a halfway decent punch. However, his training with Torino had highlighted just how useful adding his lower limbs to the equation could be.

With greater caution, Izuku snapped out one kick, then shifted to bring his heel back down towards the second paddle. Once he planted his foot, Izuku brought his opposite knee up into the paddle as Torino moved it to a new position, then leapt to once again strike the other with the first once more. His landing was a bit unstable, however, and Torino jabbed one of the paddles forward. Izuku swatted it away with a hasty swipe of his arm, then recovered his stance.

“Could be worse.” The elderly man grunted.

Given that was a pretty significant step up from his initial grade of “God awful, did you just discover your legs?” Izuku opted to take it as a compliment. He still had a lot of room to improve in his melee skills, but at least the general consensus seemed to be positive, albeit begrudgingly.

All Might returned with a rumble, swept into the room, then retrieved his gloves as he shrank down. “Switch?”

“Sure.” Torino called. “Brat, see if you can throw a kick in here and there.”

Izuku nodded, then shuffled cautiously towards his teacher. Toshinori grinned at him, then did his best to make the ‘Bring it on!’ gesture through the thick pads on his hands. It didn't work especially well, but Izuku caught his drift. He sucked in a deep breath, then leveled his full focus on the man in front of him.

Izuku stepped forward with a quick jab, then twisted at the waist and snapped out a cross punch. Toshinori used his right hand to block each with casual ease, not bothering with his off hand. Izuku quickly stepped back, then snapped a straight kick towards his opponent’s center of mass.

One for All pulsed twice, but the warning came too late.

Toshinori swiveled to the side, letting the kick shoot past him. He immediately retaliated with a shove to Izuku’s extended leg that sent him spinning away, Toshinori’s gaunt frame belying the strength he still possessed. Izuku stumbled for a few steps, then regained his footing and spun to face his teacher.

“Good try, but you overcommitted.” Toshinori chuckled. “You’re doing well. Keep it up, Young Izuku!”

Izuku’s only response was another series of jabs, testing for any opening. As expected of the Symbol of Peace, even in his diminished state, there were none that Izuku could pick out. As such, he tried something else.

Izuku darted forward and feinted a right hook, then shifted to swing a low kick at Toshinori’s ankles. The tall man danced back, and Izuku snapped out a straight punch as Toshinori’s foot left the ground. His predecessor blocked the strike, but was forced to shuffle back slightly to try and regain solid footing. Izuku pounced on the opportunity, tightened his core, and swept a roundhouse kick towards his opponent’s ribs.

Toshinori managed to ground his footing just before he blocked, but even so his gloved hand actually moved a little as he caught the blow. The result was equal parts gratifying and frustrating, but at least it was some evidence Izuku hadn’t been sparring with an immovable bulwark. The maneuver earned him a nod of approval from Toshinori, which sent a warm glow of pride through Izuku. He hopped backwards slightly, then resumed his approach.

This time, Izuku opted for greater aggression. He led with a left hook, peppered Toshinori’s guard with a series of jabs, then put just shy of everything he had into a right cross. Before his fist had even left the pad, he followed the strike with a stomp towards Toshinori’s foot. The maneuver achieved exactly what Izuku had wanted; like the last attack on his legs, Toshinori opted to move backwards rather than block. Izuku chased him with an uppercut.

As the glove came up to intercept, it momentarily blocked his mentor’s line of sight. Izuku abandoned the uppercut and twisted, shifting the momentum he’d built into a knee strike that rocketed upwards towards Toshinori’s gut.

Less casually than before, but nonetheless clearly unconcerned, Toshinori's other hand swept in to block the strike. “Nice try, Young Izuku!” Toshinori called from behind the pad that still blocked his face. “That might have worked on a less experienced fighter.”

Izuku huffed, then reset his stance and chambered his next punch. Before he could throw it, another alert rang through the room.

“A message is here!”

Once again, All Might was nearly out of the room a moment later. This time, however, the hulking figure paused as he stared down at his phone. “...That wasn’t mine.”

Izuku, who’d already turned towards Gran Torino once more, hesitated for a moment before he plucked his own phone from his pocket. Sure enough, he had a new message.

“You may want to change those.” All Might chuckled as he deflated. “Can’t have you stealing my bit, now can we? The similar quirks people could dismiss, but the same ringtone? That’d be a dead giveaway.”

Torino snorted. “That conspiracy nut friend of yours would have a conniption, Zygote.”

“Who?” Toshinori cocked his head, an eyebrow raised. “I thought you’d only met Young Iida and Young Todoroki. Did you run into another friend at the hospital, my boy?”

“No, he’s talking about Shoto…” Izuku muttered as he punched in his password, then navigated to HeroNet.

Toshinori pulled back slightly, the very picture of consternation. “That doesn't sound right. He’s such a level headed boy, surely you’re exaggerating.”

Torino just hummed, smug amusement in his tone.

Tenya Iida: Good Morning, Midoriya! I am awake, and wish to discuss a rather interesting dream with you, at your convenience. I apologize if that seems odd.

Deku: That’s completely fine, Iida. Does it have to do with the… meeting we had?

Tenya Iida: I believe it does.

Deku: I’ll see if I can come visit you so we can talk about it in person.

Tenya Iida: That would be appreciated. I’m still in the same room I was the last time you were here.

“It’s Iida.” Izuku said as he looked up from his phone. “He’s awake, and would like to discuss what he saw. I think it would be best to do it in person.”

Toshinori and Torino both paused their squabble, then collected themselves.

“I completely agree. Let me change out of my costume, then we can be on our way.” Toshinori shook the pads from his hands, then jogged off towards his room. “Best not to keep Young Iida waiting. I can only imagine the state he must be in, given whatever fractured information he received.”

Izuku nodded hesitantly as he headed for the car, still on the elevating platform. “Yeah… I just feel awful that he got caught up in all of this.”

“You can't blame yourself for that, my boy.” Toshinori shook his head as stepped back out of his room, and Izuku had to do a double take. In the span of seconds, Toshinori had changed into a red t-shirt over jeans, and was in the process of pulling on a black leather jacket. Izuku absently retook the passenger side, despite Torino’s displeasure, even as Toshinori caught up and clambered into the driver’s seat. “The circumstances that conspired to bring Young Iida into this mess were absurd. No sane person could have seen it coming.”

“I know, just… If I hadn’t been paralyzed by Stain-” Izuku’s words were cut off by a swift smack to the back of his head as Torino climbed into the rear seats.

“If your argument is ‘If I’d just avoided any and all injury while fighting a prolific serial killer who targeted pro heroes, he wouldn’t have found out’ then I must have hit you harder than I thought. I was pretty sure you were smarter than that.” Gran groused. “Sometimes, the best possible outcome still has pitfalls and unforeseen consequences. Just take the damn win, and accept that for better or worse you’ll have another person who knows the secret.”

“Fine…” Izuku rubbed the back of his head and sent a mild glare Torino’s way, but nodded nonetheless. “I just hope this doesn't end in tears.”

“We’ll do our damndest to ensure it won’t, Young Izuku.” Toshinori said solemnly as they descended.

“I know you will. But thank you, regardless.” Izuku let out a long breath, and leaned backwards into his seat.

For a time, he watched the car park, then the city, pass through the tinted windows. Tokyo was truly titanic, the buildings stretching up as if to pierce the sky. However, it didn’t take long for the silence to start weighing on him. After a moment of consideration, he glanced towards the driver. “Care to share any more stories from years gone by? Maybe how you got Wall Fight of all things as a nickname?”

Torino cackled. One for All pulsed merrily. Toshinori groaned.

“Even at UA, I was strong enough to easily punch through walls. Hell, I just walked through a few because I wanted to show off. But then, Nezu decided to take a personal hand in designing the scenario for me, and that involved ridiculously reinforced walls…”

“He lost a fight with an inanimate object.” Torino crowed. “Got all huffy because he dented his noggin on it, then bruised his knuckles enough that he gave up and used the damn door he’d been ignoring. Never saw the rat so smug.”

“Shut up, Sorahiko.”

As Izuku walked into the hospital, part of him was relieved to note that the number of people in the waiting room had noticeably decreased. Another was horrified by how many remained. While there were no longer people leaning against walls for lack of seating, most of the lobby was still filled with civilians. He even recognized one or two from his exit the previous day, slumped in their seats.

‘To think that casualties were relatively low from this incident, considering the area, and yet there were still so many affected.’ Izuku thought, heart sinking. ‘It’s one thing to see rescue efforts on TV, but this… it’s so much more real.’

Izuku was broken from his thoughts when a sudden movement caught his eye. A man relatively nearby had glanced at the door, then done a double take so visible it had grabbed Izuku’s attention. When he met the man’s eyes with a questioning look, he just gave a short nod, then started tapping at his phone.

‘Well that was odd…’ Izuku thought. Then, he caught another similar movement elsewhere in the room. A woman in the far corner was quickly looking between him and her phone, an odd force to her typing. ‘Why do I feel like I should be worried?’

Izuku felt a hand fall on his shoulder, and glanced up to see Toshinori still at his side. He leaned down close to Izuku’s ear. “They recognize you, kid. Guessing someone got a clear shot of you during or after the confrontation with Stain.”

“Um…” Izuku wasn’t sure what to do with that information. He’d received a bit of attention in the aftermath of the sports festival, but that had felt… different. Where before there’d been an almost casual feel to it, this was more… intense. “What should I do?”

“Not much, really.” Toshinori replied as he ushered Izuku forward. “I just hope the vultures- er, the press don’t decide to show up. We’d probably be able to leave another way, but things might get dicey if we have to. There’s a 99.9% chance nobody here will recognize me from the Might Agency, but if the press show up, they’ll make the connection in a heartbeat.”

‘Well that’s reassuring.’

The three quickly checked in at the front desk, received their visitor wristbands, and were given directions to Iida’s room. Though less so than the previous day, the hospital was a bustling place filled with staff and other visitors rushing all over the building, a disquieting number of whom gave Izuku lingering looks. Thankfully, Torino had evidently done some reconnaissance during his time in the ceiling, because he easily led them to a remote stairwell. Though their footsteps echoed loudly, it was still far quieter than the bustle of the main hallways, and before long they’d arrived on the appropriate floor. From there, the trio made their way to Iida’s room with relative ease.

That ease lasted right up until Izuku opened the door. The moment he looked into the room, he found a very stern Iida glaring at the entryway like it owed him money.

The wrong Iida.

Tensei sat in his wheelchair between the foot of his brother’s bed and the door, arms crossed over his chest and a stormy expression on his face. Behind him, a very nervous looking Tenya lay in his bed. On seeing Izuku, he gave a weak wave. “Ah… Midoriya… I’m glad you could make it…”

Toshinori stepped into the room behind Izuku, and he watched in real time as recognition, concern, and confusion flashed across Tensei’s face. “Yagi?”

“Ah, Young Ingenium! I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I was sorry to hear about your injury, though I’m glad to see you’re on the mend.” Toshinori said, though Izuku could clearly hear the hidden alarm in his tone.

“I appreciate the sentiment.” Tensei gave a rueful shrug. “But it’s just Tensei, now. The Ingenium name is Tenya’s for the taking.”

“It’s in good hands.” Toshinori nodded gravely. “I hear your brother has the makings of a fine hero.”

“You know each other?” Izuku asked, surprised. “Actually… that makes sense. The areas Iidaten and the Might Agency generally cover overlap a bit, so I’m sure they’ve needed to interact a few times… Uh, even if just for incident reports.”

“We’ve handled a report or two together, when All Might accidentally stepped on his toes.” Toshinori chuckled.

Tensei looked sheepish for a moment, his fingers fidgeting with the arms of his wheelchair. “Actually, I'm pretty sure I stepped on his toes.”

“In a literal sense, maybe. You only ran into him because he popped around a corner and snatched up the villain you were pursuing at the last second.” Toshinori chuckled. “He felt bad about that one for a while. I hope you don’t harbor any hard feelings.”

A smile snuck its way onto Tensei’s face. “Are you kidding? I have a helmet with All Might’s abs imprinted on the front. I keep that thing on a shelf in my office so I have an excuse to tell people about it.”

Tenya let out an embarrassed groan from his bed, and flopped an arm over his eyes. The sound seemed to remind Tensei why he was there, and his gaze hardened. “That aside, I’d very much like to know what All Might’s agency has to do with whatever has my brother so frazzled. I do hope it’s nothing to do with the poor optics Stain’s ideology has doubtless caused.”

Izuku glanced up at Toshinori, only to find the lanky man looking down at him with a raised brow. The staring contest continued for an awkward moment before the man’s other brow raised as well. “This isn't my call to make anymore. The choice is yours, Young Midoriya.”

“Wait… That sounded like…!” Tenya’s head shot up, and Izuku’s attention snapped to his friend. Tenya’s eyes were wide, and his gaze swept up and down Toshinori’s figure. He pointed at Toshinori with a trembling hand. “All M-”

“Don’t panic!” Izuku stepped into his friend's line of sight, hands raised placatingly. Once Tenya had closed his mouth and lowered his hand, Izuku sent a quick nod over his shoulder at Toshinori.

“I’ll keep anyone from barging in.” Torino grunted, then stepped outside and shut the door behind him. Izuku almost felt bad for inflicting the old curmudgeon on anyone who tried to check on the Iidas, but at the same time he didn’t want any more surprise additions to the situation. Hopefully they’d be able to wrap things up before Torino’s intervention became necessary.

“What’s going on here?” The former Ingenium snarled, hands shakily gripped around the wheels of his chair. “I won’t let you intimidate us into any-”

“If someone could please tell me what’s wrong with All Might?” Tenya nearly shouted over his brother, gaze still locked on the skeletal man in the doorway.

Tensei turned slightly, somewhere between surprised and baffled. “Tenya, what are you-”

“I’m sorry to startle you so badly, Young Iida.” Toshinori sighed. “I was intending to ease you into this, but things haven’t exactly gone to plan…”

Tensei’s head snapped back around to stare at Toshinori like a deer in headlights. “What?”

Toshinori grimaced, then swept his gaze around the hospital room. Evidently satisfied at their privacy, he took a deep breath, then swelled into All Might. With a sharp snap, his visitor band ripped from his wrist, and limply flopped to the floor. The colossus stared at the ruined bit of plastic for a long moment, then released his breath and shrank down. “Crap.”

Izuku kept a careful eye on the Iidas as Toshinori retrieved the remains of his visitor’s pass. Tensei hadn’t moved since Toshinori had revealed himself as All Might, save for a few abortive attempts at speech. Tenya was similarly gaping at Toshinori, though he recovered faster. “...Ah. I apologize, but I believe my questions are growing in number, rather than shrinking. I don’t suppose…?”

“We’ll explain everything.” Izuku reassured his friend, then glanced towards the still stunned Tensei. “To both of you.”

“I apologize emphatically, Midoriya.” Tenya ran his hands down his face, then met Izuku’s eyes through slightly askew glasses. “I… didn’t intend for Tensei to be here. But when I woke up, I was… unsettled, and he picked up on it immediately. I thought I could convince him to go get some rest after I sent you the message, but the harder I tried to convince him everything was ok, the less he believed me. I fear that, despite keeping my promise in spirit, I’m responsible for your current position.”

“Don’t worry about it, Iida.” Izuku sighed, though he sent his friend a small smile. “I can’t exactly blame you for freaking out at what you’d experienced, much less for your brother picking up on it. How much do you actually remember?”

“My memory of the events is a bit fuzzy, enough that I wasn’t completely sure of its veracity until you confirmed it.” Iida pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, then readjusted his glasses. “Overall, however, I believe I remember most of it, as well as a few of my questions.”

“I’ll do my best to answer those, though I’ll be limited to my own knowledge, which isn’t all that much.” Izuku shook his head ruefully. “All Might can probably fill in more holes, but there’s going to be things that neither of us-”

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO ALL MIGHT?!” Tensei exploded, arms flinging out to gesture at the entirety of Toshinori’s body so violently he nearly tipped from his wheelchair. He hissed as his back shifted, then returned his hands to their grip on the arms of the chair.

Tenya opened his mouth and raised a hand, then wilted. “I’ll let you have that one, but please keep your language in check, Tensei.”

“I think if there was ever an occasion to curse, now is probably the time!” Tensei let out a sharp laugh that sounded a hair’s breadth away from hysterics. He tried to run his fingers through his hair, but found only stubble. “Is this what freaked you out? If so, I completely understand. This has to be a national secret or something. How’d you find out?”

“Yes, brother. This is the extent of it. I found out because… uh…” Tenya faltered, and Tensei shot him a flat look. “There was a… um… a conference? That I stumbled into? During my internship. Yes.”

Awkward silence.

“Ok, so THIS is somehow not the end of it.” Tensei shook his head in disbelief and waved a hand in Toshinori’s direction. “So what else has my brother managed to get himself mixed up in? If it’s more shocking than All Might being the skeleton in his own closet, I’ll eat the abs helmet.”

“...That’s an inadvisable wager to make, Young Tensei. Are either of you aware of any interruptions that may be coming up?” Toshinori asked as he moved to take a seat in one of the chairs by the wall. Tensei shifted, eyes darting between Toshinori and Izuku warily.

“I have physical therapy in fifty one minutes.” Tenya offered. “I apologize, I wasn’t aware of that fact until a few minutes before you arrived.”

“So we’ll be doing the abbreviated version, to leave time for questions.” Toshinori waited for agreement, then settled into his chair. Izuku opted to stand, though he moved to do so near his predecessor. “The story begins at the dawn of quirks, with two brothers…”

The abridged rendition of One for All’s legacy went surprisingly quickly. Though much of the fanfare and deeper explanations were stripped away, the story still left the two inductees stunned. Izuku’s explanation of Kinenkō’s death, his acquisition of Boon, and how it resulted in Tenya’s surprise visit to the Vestige Realm hadn’t made anything better. Tenya was visibly unnerved by One for All’s history, but had the benefit of prior knowledge and having experienced the latest development himself. His brother, however, had been left reeling.

“So there’s some kind of insane quirk kleptomaniac who’s been running around since the dawn of quirks. Your quirk is basically a mythological super weapon passed down the generations to fight him, except now it can shuffle quirks around too.” Tensei clarified, eyes burning a hole in Izuku’s skull as his hands clenched around his arm rests. The flustered former hero then switched his gaze to Toshinori, laser focused. “You nearly got yourself killed taking the thief out, but now you only have an hour of hero work in you per day, and they’re back to take pot shots at you and everyone around you.”

Toshinori blinked, then furrowed his brow. “That’s… more or less correct, unfortunately.”

“And my baby brother got mixed up in this because you…” His haggard eyes bore down on Izuku once more. “Accidentally picked up a quirk from Doctor Kinenkō, and it let him spectate you and your weird quirk ghosts.”

“Uh… yes?” Izuku responded hesitantly. “But it saved his life, so I’d say it’s worth it.”

“I’m in full agreement there. I’m not sure if I thanked you yesterday, as it’s all kind of a blur, but I can’t possibly do so enough for what you did.” Tensei responded somberly, but with no less intensity than before. A second later, his mania reignited. “Tenya!”

“Yes, Tensei?” The younger Iida asked warily.

“I’m not just hallucinating all of this because the doctors hooked me up to the good stuff, right?” Tensei asked, deadly serious.

“...Not unless we’re both hallucinating the same thing, which I find to be rather unlikely.” Tenya rubbed his brow tiredly. “Also, with how long you’ve been in here, I’m reasonably confident anything like that would have worn off.”

Tensei nodded as he brought a hand to his chin. After a long moment, his eyes narrowed to slits and his mouth pressed to a thin line. “How long ago were you injured?”

“A little over six years ago, now.” Toshinori said. “If you’re trying to figure out which fight it was covered up with, there wasn’t one. It was recorded as an unknown facility exploding."

“Six years ago?” Tensei breathed in horror, wide eyes briefly darting towards where Toshinori’s wound was concealed. “You've been working through your injury for that long ?”

“Yes. My condition degraded gradually over time, to the point I only had a few hours left about a year ago.” Toshinori grimaced. “After the USJ… I was already at my limit for the day when it started. That's why I wasn't there at the beginning. I was able to push myself past my limit long enough to defeat the Nomu, but it worsened my condition afterwards.”

Tensei didn’t look especially pleased at the reminder of the USJ attack, but before he could say anything, his brother spoke up.

“...How long do you think…?” Tenya asked nervously. “I-I mean, if it wouldn’t be impolite-”

“It’s alright, Young Iida. It’s an understandable question.” Toshinori rubbed his brow, eyes narrowed and staring blankly at the far wall. “Probably no more than half a year, assuming I don’t have to push too many boundaries. The teaching job actually helps quite a bit in terms of moderation. It strains me physically to stay in my heroic form, but it uses up very little of my remaining power.”

Ice ran down Izuku’s spine. “Six months? No, that can’t be right. I… You… I know you said your power would fade over time, but… it can’t be that fast.”

Toshinori rested a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, large and warm. “I know it’s a shock, my boy. Retirement isn’t exactly something I look forward to. But it’s an inevitability. I wanted to ease the public into the idea a bit slower, but… fate has conspired to make that impossible.”

Izuku collapsed into the second seat, feeling faint. “I… have my work cut out for me, if I’m going to take up your mantle by then.”

“Oh goodness no, my boy!” Toshinori spluttered a surprised laugh. “For all my encouragement to let the world know you’re here, I never expected you to be able to take my place before my retirement, or even soon afterwards. Nana continued hero work for three years after she passed One for All to me, but she scarcely used her embers in that time. She relied on her own quirk, saving her power for the inevitable confrontation with All for One. I don’t have that option, unless I retire effective immediately.”

“Ok. That’s more than a little relieving.” Izuku released a shuddering breath. “Regardless, I need to make progress on everything. One for All. The other quirks. My technique. Even if I don’t need to master everything in a few months, the sooner I’m able to make headway, the better.”

“You have my complete confidence, my boy.” Toshinori gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Just do your best. I’m sure the other heroes will be able to keep the world together for a bit longer after I’m gone.”

Tensei stared at the older hero, gaze contemplative. After a time, he leaned forward slightly. “How can I help?”

Toshinori blinked. “Pardon?”

“How can I help keep Japan together in the interim?” Tensei clarified. “I may not be able to continue my heroics career as I am, but I can still run the Iidaten Agency. If there’s anything I can do personally, or a task I can set my agency on that will help Japan handle the transition, I’ll do it.”

Slowly, Toshinori smiled. “Well, for one, if you could start expanding your partols further into the Might Agency’s normal area, that could help a great deal. With your brother in my class, some increased interaction between our agencies wouldn’t be especially unusual. It would help a great deal to know that other heroes are familiar with the area I usually cover.”

“Would that not draw undue attention to Tensei and his agency?” Tenya asked, brow furrowed.

“Even if it does, we’re heroes. It’s our job to protect the citizens of Japan, even if we’re at undue risk. The people here deserve safety. If it falls to us to ensure they have it, then that’s what we’ll do.” Tensei responded, then turned back to face Toshinori. “I’ll start looking into recruitment opportunities.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Young Tensei.” Toshinori bowed in his seat. “You are a fine hero, regardless of your present condition. If there is any help I can offer in preparing your agency, all you have to do is ask.”

“Thank you.” Tensei blinked hard, eyes momentarily misty. “It’s an honor to hear that from a hero of your caliber, All Might.”

“It’s well earned.” Toshinori smiled softly.

A quiet moment followed, but before long Tenya raised a hand. “May I ask a question, and possibly make a request?”

“Go ahead, Iida.” Izuku nodded.

“You can call me Tenya, Midoriya.” The blue haired teen smiled wanly. “I’m not entirely sure where all of… this… falls in terms of interpersonal relationships, but I’m confident we’re well past surnames at this point.”

Tensei huffed a small laugh at his brother, a fond smile wrinkling his eyes.

“I can’t exactly fault that logic, Tenya.” Izuku scratched the back of his head as he gave his friend a smile of his own. “Likewise, feel free to call me Izuku.”

“It would be my honor.” Tenya nodded, then turned more serious. “Many of my questions from before were addressed with the overall explanation of your quirk’s history. However, after your explanation of Boon, I have to ask. Do…” Tenya swallowed thickly. “Do you believe that it could help Tensei recover?”

Izuku shot a glance at Tensei, who’s expression was unreadable. He hesitated for a moment. He suspected he knew the answer, but… One for All remained still. Izuku focused inward, hoping he’d get some kind of answer, but the quirk remained quiet.

‘That’s odd…’ Izuku thought. ‘Usually, they can communicate with me. Is something stopping them?’

Two pulses. With so much of his attention stretching for any sign, the sudden response startled Izuku enough to make him jump slightly.

“Izuku? Are you alright?” Tenya asked.

“I’m ok.” Izuku responded. “I’m just trying to get a response out of One for All, and it wasn’t pulsing like it usually does until just now. I’m not completely sure what’s going on.”

“Is it possible it… er, they… don't know?” Tensei asked hesitantly.

“Given that Kinenkō is in there somewhere, to my understanding, I’d be shocked if he doesn't at least have a guess…” Izuku paused as a quick pulse hit, followed a moment later by three pulses. “Ok, the issues with a yes/no/maybe answer system are coming to a head here. I have no idea what I’m meant to take away from this.”

Many pulses, tinged with frustration.

Izuku sighed, then reviewed his options. ‘Clearly, the Vestiges are trying to tell me something, but the pulse system isn’t really getting it across. They could pulse to count out letters, but that would probably take all our remaining time for any kind of meaningful conversation. I have a pretty solid track record of direct communication when I’m asleep, but that’s not exactly an efficient method either.’ Izuku absently pinched at his chin in thought, churning through ideas. Finally, a relatively obvious thought occurred.

Carefully, Izuku activated Full Cowling at a fraction of a percent, then returned his attention inward. With One for All coursing through him, he was once again confronted by the flows of power he’d encountered the first time he’d done so. He examined them with his mind’s eye, letting the power wash through him.

Izuku found that, on closer inspection, the strands had a color to them. When he focused on the pure white strand, he felt an intertwined sense of generosity and power, much as he had when looking into the expanded core of One for All. Another strand, this one a pale yellow, radiated an anxious feeling that pricked his skin in a familiar way. A dark green chord felt like anger, though a chorus of other emotions thrummed beneath the surface. The last he could properly sense was a dim gold color, a faint glow carrying with it a sense of persistence. The remaining strands were oddly hard to focus on, though he was briefly able to focus on a strand of deep purple.

As he watched, the strands seemed to ripple, and a pulse rolled through him. Izuku pressed deeper, his attention focused on the intertwined lines of power. Another pulse hit, and Izuku could feel that it coursed along a single line within the braid of power that made up One for All. As he watched, more pulses raced down the other strands, each distinct in a small way.

Hesitantly, Izuku reached out.

“NINE!” Yoichi’s voice burst into Izuku’s mind, and he leapt to his feet.

“Young Izuku?” Toshinori reached up to steady him, voice concerned. “Are you alright? What just happened?”

“I just heard Yoichi.” Izuku said, stunned. Quickly, he dropped back into his seat and returned his focus to the power as he had before. “Yoichi? Can you do that again?”

“Nine! Finally!” Yoichi’s voice returned on a pulse. “We’ve-”

“We’ve been trying to reach you about your vehicle’s extended warranty!” Daigoro’s words thrummed down another strand of power, quickly followed by his laughter.

“Can someone mute him?” Nana groaned, though she sounded amused.

“I really should have seen that coming.” En sighed. “He looked way too smug.”

“Pretty sure we don’t have a mute button…” Daigoro said. After a moment, his voice returned. “Oh come on En, Hikage, don’t- Gah!”

“...Should I be worried?” Izuku asked, already concerned.

“No, he’s fine.” En said, a bit of strain in his voice. “Daigoro’s just excited he has someone new to joke around with. He’ll probably calm down before too long… hopefully.”

“Ok, everyone. We can experiment with this later.” Yoichi cut back in, and the other voices faded slightly. “Izuku, we didn’t have an answer because Kinenkō isn’t active right now.”

Izuku frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Do you remember what we said about him fading in and out?” Yoichi asked. At Izuku’s confirmation, he continued. “Well, that happened again. After you woke up, he was in the vestige realm for a few minutes before he faded away. When you split boon up between Eight and Gran Torino, he appeared for a time, but faded away again after a while. I think his vestige only appears when you’re actively using it, or trying to draw it out.”

“Why would it work that way? You guys are always there.” Izuku asked, confused. “Is there something different about Boon?”

“It’s probably more a matter of US being different, more than anything.” Bruce responded. “Technically speaking, we’re-”

“I guarantee we don’t have time for that explanation.” Nana cut in. “Izuku, could you try to actively focus on Boon? Like you’re about to use it?”

Izuku shook off his curiosity over whatever Bruce had been about to say, then nodded to himself. Splitting his focus, Izuku examined the threads of power of One for All. Within the coil, he found a chord of gold, dim but lustrous. He reached for it, calling on it, and Boon responded.

“Well this has been an interesting experience. Being split three ways is like having three movies playing in different rooms, and having to keep up with all of them.” Kinenkō’s gruff voice finally joined the others. “As for your question, seeing as Tensei’s in a sufficiently recovered state that he’s able to use a wheelchair, Boon would do little to help his spine. Any lingering injuries he’s suffering from would heal faster, but it can’t do anything about what’s already been healed. If everything was still fresh, that would have been one thing, but even a few hours after the injury would have left him with lingering mobility issues.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Izuku slumped. “Thank you, Doctor Kinenkō. Also, if you’re uncomfortable with being split like this, I can consolidate Boon again.”

“I’m sorry it can’t do more, Deku. I’m sorry for putting you in this situation at all, which I’d like to discuss in greater depth at a more opportune time.” Kinenkō said. “As for splitting Boon up, it’s not all that bad. Given how much it expands our ability to help people, I’m certainly not going to ask you not to utilize the new property. It will simply take some getting used to.”

“I would… appreciate that.” Izuku said after a moment of consideration. “Now to tell Tensei and Tenya.”

A wave of sympathy and reassurance rolled down through the connection as Izuku pulled away, words shifting back into a series of pulses as his focus on the power faded. When he opened his eyes, Izuku found the room staring at him in interest. Toshinori, in particular, looked flabbergasted.

“What?” Izuku asked.

“You were muttering again, Izuku.” Tenya responded. “Though it sounded more like half a conversation, as opposed to your usual rapid flow of consciousness.”

Toshinori shook himself, slightly, then nodded. “From what I could make out…”

“It doesn't sound like you can do anything.” Tensei finished, a sad half smile on his face. “I wasn’t really expecting you to. Regeneration quirks are even rarer than healing ones are. Regeneration that can be shared so easily? I think Recovery Girl would tie you up and drag you to every hospital and disaster site in the country, super strength be damned.”

“I didn’t think I could, but wanted to know definitively before I said anything.” Izuku shook his head morosely. “I’m so sorry, both of you. I wish I could do something to help.”

This time, Tenya shook his head. “I apologize, Izuku. It was unfair of me to put that on you. If you thought you could, I’m sure you would have already tried.”

“I could still use some of Boon on you. It helps with pain, and would speed along any recovering you still have left to do.” Izuku shrugged slightly. “Unfortunately, it comes with some extra energy, which may not be pleasant while bound to a wheelchair. It’s not bad in small doses, but in full effect, it’s… uh… more than a little maddening, even when you can work it off.”

Tensei grimaced, then shook his head. “I’m getting enough of that from my own quirk. Engine does a lot of things beyond the obvious, and one of them is giving me a drive to move. The only thing keeping me from climbing the walls is experience.”

Izuku considered for a moment, then blanched. “I’m so sorry, Tensei. That sounds awful.”

“Yeah, it’s not great.” Tensei said grimly. He stared at Izuku for a moment, gaze piercing. “...There is something that might be able to help, though.”

Izuku blinked, then met Tensei’s eyes as his own flew wide.

“Would you be willing to take my Quirk?”

Chapter Text

“Would you be willing to take my Quirk?”

Silence.

“You… y-you can’t be serious, Tensei!” Tenya spluttered. “You only just found out it’s possible a half hour ago! You can’t really be ready to just give your Quirk away!”

“I’m not THAT irresponsible, Tenya! Have at least a LITTLE faith in me.” Tensei scoffed. “It’s something I’ll need to consider more before I make a final choice. Even if I tend to make hasty decisions, I’m not just going to jump into this with no thought. Not to mention the absolute chaos a patient just up and misplacing their Quirk would probably cause in a hospital. I’m just considering my options.”

Tenya released a weary sigh. “I suppose I can't fault you for that.”

Tensei nodded. “Maybe some time in the next few days, after we're released.”

Tenya went very, very still.

Silence permeated the room. Next to Izuku, Toshinori shifted uncomfortably in his seat. For his part, Izuku felt almost detached from reality. In what world would Tensei Iida, Ingenium , want to give Izuku his Quirk? From the sound of it, Engine was making things difficult now that Tensei was wheelchair bound, but to give up his Quirk so readily? To hand over something so intrinsic? It boggled Izuku’s mind.

“Why?” Tenya grit out, voice unsteady.

Tensei heaved a deep, exhausted sigh. “For several reasons. The most immediate being that Engine and a forcibly sedentary lifestyle are wildly incompatible. Or are you going to tell me that lying there isn’t driving you nuts too?”

“Surely you could do SOMETHING to address that!” Tenya responded. “You can still use your arms. Couldn’t you-”

“What, set myself up on a treadmill and just constantly roll myself to burn off energy?” Tensei cocked his head to the side. “Would it be a rollmill? I guess the wheels on this thing still have tread… regardless. While that would be an option, though I’m using the term very generously , it would be a miserable experience. Quirk suppressants might blunt the effect, but even ignoring the psychological side effects, those don’t mix well with Mutations long-term. The last thing I want is my Engines rotting in my arms.”

Tenya blanched at the thought. “But… to give up your Quirk…”

“Makes it real.” Tensei said, sadly. The elder Iida rolled his wheelchair around until he sat next to his brother, and extended a hand towards him. Tenya released the sheets he gripped with one of his own trembling hands and clasped it. Unable to muster words, he nodded as tears gathered behind his glasses.

“I’m sorry, Tenya.” Tensei whispered. “Even if I keep it, my time as a hero is done. The odds we could convince some miracle worker from another country to come in and magic up a new spine for me may as well be zero. If there was someone like that to be found, I assume All Might would have already tracked them down to put himself back together.”

“I won’t lie, I certainly looked for such a person.” Toshinori agreed soberly. “Regrettably, I have yet to find one that doesn't have horrifying drawbacks.”

“What kind of drawbacks are you talking about?” Izuku asked, morbidly curious. “They must have been awful if remaining in your condition was the better option. Did they run the risk of making it worse?”

“Well, the best option I found amounted to Necromancy, so ‘make my health worse’ would have been an understatement.” Toshinori chuckled as Izuku gaped at him. “She was a European doctor who could graft corpses together almost seamlessly, then reanimate the body. If the brain was less than a minute dead and everything went smoothly, it would regain control of the body. Otherwise, it would be a puppet, if it successfully reanimated at all. The fact that she was a doctor rather than some horror movie villain was no small relief.”

“...and that was the BEST option you found?” Tenya asked, horrified.

“The most likely to result in a complete recovery, at least.” Toshinori sighed. “I wish I was able to offer a better option, Young Tenya, but I don’t know of any. For as varied as Quirks are, some abilities simply don’t exist yet.”

Tensei nodded. “So, for the time being at least, I think giving Engine to Midoriya might be my best option. I still need to think on it, like I said.” Tensei paused, then sheepishly glanced back at Izuku. “That is, if you’re willing. I don’t think we actually gave you a chance to say anything.”

Izuku shook himself to recover from the nightmarish thought of a zombified All Might, then turned his attention back to Tensei. “Well, my gut reaction is to say yes. If you’re really that uncomfortable and I can do something to help, I’d be more than happy to. But there would be a pretty big problem. While the Quirks from the previous users apparently have some kind of off switch, Boon doesn't seem to.”

One for All pulsed once in agreement.

“I mean, it’s a mutation Quirk. I don’t really know what turning it off would do to a person. Maybe it would be like what happens when Shota uses Erasure on me.” Tensei considered, then frowned as he raised an arm to look at it. “Though I guess I’ll be finding out, for all intents and purposes…” His eyes landed on the metal pipe extending from his elbow. “...Ah.”

“Yeah.” Izuku grimaced. “If I suddenly have those, then people will start asking questions. Luckily, none of the other Quirks have especially hard to explain traits, and the glowing eyes from Boon can probably be explained as a lingering effect of One for All, given my eyes glow a bit when I’m using Full Cowling.”

Tensei nodded, then crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling. From the small movements of his mouth and the flicking of his eyes, it was clear he was thinking something over. His eyes momentarily landed once again on Tenya, and a small smile twitched to life. “Well, I can think of a few ways around that.”

“Oh?” Izuku leaned forward in his seat, curiosity piqued. “Do tell.”

“The first is something I was going to suggest to Tenya for his own Quirk at some point.” Tensei started. “The visible part of our family’s Quirks are mufflers, which can be removed. The first time you do, they grow back over a month, and the process strengthens the Quirk pretty dramatically. It’s quite painful to remove them, but after that it’s not so bad. Pulling them out again doesn't make Engine stronger, but the mufflers still grow back.”

Tensei stopped for a moment, then scratched the side of his head. “Actually, I think I still have my original set laying around somewhere as a keepsake. I could probably figure out a way to rig them up so it looks like I still have Engine…”

“So I could just keep removing them, or possibly file them down, and keep my elbows covered.” Izuku nodded, albeit hesitantly. “That could work. Elbow braces would be completely believable, given my history of arm related injuries…”

“But that’s an awful lot of hurtles to ask you to jump through.” Tensei acknowledged. “You’d be putting yourself and your secret on the line to help me. Which leads into the second option I can think of, one that would probably be a whole lot more believable…”

Tensei looked at his brother, then back towards Izuku. “You said that you could probably give Quirks to other people, right? Would you be able to give Engine to Tenya?”

Tenya’s face went slack at the idea, eyes wide behind his glasses. “I… Your Quirk? You want Izuku to give me your Quirk? ”

“Of course!” Tensei smiled at his brother. “If it’s going to anyone, I’d like it to be you. That way I can help you and keep you safe, even if I can't be there myself.”

Tears spilled down Tenya’s face as his mouth twisted up, a clear attempt to keep it together. He squeezed the hand Tensei had left in his grip, and gingerly tugged his brother forward. Equally careful, Tensei leaned down, and the two embraced in as close to a hug as they could manage.

“It would be the greatest honor of my life, Tensei.” Tenya whispered wetly. “Ingenium will carry on, and we'll save people together like we always dreamed.”

From the way Tensei’s shoulders trembled, it was the elder brother’s turn to cry.

Izuku had to surreptitiously wipe at his eyes as the scene unfolded before him. Next to him, Toshinori looked stricken, and it took Izuku a moment to realize why.

‘He said that people who received Quirks from All for One often ended up as puppets… It might not be possible to do this for them.’ Izuku realized, then felt awful. ‘Maybe it's different with One for All? The previous users had Quirks, so maybe it works differently?’

It was then Izuku noticed One for All pulsing rapidly, an overlapping staccato thrum that showed no signs of stopping. It rolled through him, more intense than he'd ever felt before.

“Are you alright, Young Izuku?” Toshinori asked lowly.

“The Vestiges are pulsing up a storm. I don't think they're even really trying to communicate at this point.” Izuku murmured. “Let me find out what's going on before… we give them an answer.”

Toshinori glanced at the brothers, then nodded.

Izuku tipped his attention inwards once more as the barest trace of One for All began to flow through him. The process was faster this time, and Izuku was almost immediately in the thick of it.

“It KILLED me!” Hikage snapped, far louder than Izuku had heard him speak before.

“That was One for All, along with all the abnormalities that came with it.” Bruce responded coolly. “Given how compatible they should be, it’s probably a fantastic fit.”

“I’m well aware.” Hikage bit out. “But how many of All for One’s goons who sought out the resistance were ‘probably a fantastic fit’?”

“In fairness…” Yoichi hesitantly interjected. “Quirk Bestowal has proved different from All for One, even in its new state. There was a clear difference between Boon’s transfer and One for All’s.”

“That’s true.” En said. “But I wouldn’t ignore the fact that Boon also seems to have a pseudo transfer component of its own. That may have eased things.”

“Fair point.” Yoichi acknowledged. “Though the subsequent transfer from the Nomu felt pretty similar. It hasn’t settled in fully yet, but I’d put that down to the condition it was in when it arrived. I think Quirk Bestowal might handle things better when it’s not trying to transfer itself at the same time.”

“Uh…” Izuku faltered when the Vestiges went suddenly silent, evidently startled by his voice. He continued after a second, taking care not to let himself mutter. “Should I take this as a veto on giving the Quirk to Tenya?”

“Yes!” Hikage responded quickly.

“No!” Bruce said at the same time.

“It’s complicated.” Yoichi sighed. “There’s a lot of baggage that comes with the idea, regardless of its viability.”

“Some of which is the fact that One for All was slowly killing most of us .” Hikage growled.

“WHAT?” Izuku yelped. “AM I DYING?”

“NO!” A clamor of voices washed over him.

“You’re not dying, Izuku.” Nana spoke again after a moment, her voice tired. “And if everyone could get themselves under control, maybe we can explain everything without needlessly worrying you.”

“I apologize, Nine.” Hikage let out a harsh breath. “This is… sensitive, to me.”

“Which is completely understandable, Hikage.” Daigoro said in a somber tone. Izuku almost didn’t recognize his voice, it was so far removed from everything he’d previously heard from the man. “Nobody wants a repeat of what you went through.”

“I know.” Hikage sounded more like his usual self. “Yoichi, if you would?”

Yoichi sighed, but acquiesced. “As you know, those who received Quirks from my brother often suffered complications. As Eight put it, they became little more than puppets.”

Izuku nodded, which Yoichi seemed to pick up on. “Which is obviously not something I want to happen to Tenya. I thought it might be different here, given you all had One for All in addition to your natural Quirks, but I’m guessing that may not be the case.”

“You weren’t entirely wrong. Even those who retained their faculties after receiving my brother’s ‘gifts’ suffered complications born of incompatibility, or simple carelessness on his part. Few survived more than 10 years, last any of us were in a position to track.” Yoichi sounded understandably disgusted at the thought. “When One for All transfers, it’s… hard for me to guide. When that difficulty intersected with someone who already had a Quirk… it caused problems that didn’t become obvious until the long term, which Hikage was the first and only of us to suffer.”

“I died of old age at Fourty years old. I had One for All roughly eighteen years.” Hikage said. “The scars on my face were the first sign, in retrospect.”

When Hikage didn’t elaborate further, Daigoro continued for him. “He didn’t really connect them to One for All at the time. Then, when his body started failing, he just thought he’d picked something up from living in the woods for so long, maybe ate a bad mushroom. We’d known each other a few years at that point, and he managed to make his way to my family's house.” Daigoro sounded momentarily wistful, then sad. “He passed One for All to me, told me what he could, then died a few days later. The doctors thought he was in his 90s.”

“That happened because you had two Quirks?” Izuku asked, quietly.

“That happened because of a combination of factors.” Bruce amended, though Izuku could feel the heated glare Hikage shot him. “Theoretically, having two Quirks shouldn’t be too harmful to a person, so long as they don’t conflict. We managed to capture one of All for One’s upper echelon at one point, and they had two Quirks that had been meshed far better. He was one of All for One’s favorites, so the bastard probably took special care plugging the new Quirk in. He theoretically could have lived a full life without complications.”

“Theoretically.” Hikage stressed.

“The point being, having multiple Quirks isn’t necessarily a death sentence. It’s highly reliant on how well integrated they are, and their complexity…” Bruce started to push onwards, but begrudgingly stopped as Yoichi brought himself to the forefront.

“Given I had all of nine chances to improve my skill in guiding the transfer over the course of all these years, I thought the impact on lifespan was simply a limitation of my Quirk.” Yoichi said. “But after feeling how easy it was to integrate Boon and whatever the Quirk from that Nomu is, I think it's more to do with the transfer of One for All itself.”

“That was transferring in.” En pointed out. “The mechanisms for transferring out could be more in line with what we've previously experienced.”

“So what we need to do is test it.” Bruce stressed. “None of us went blank from receiving One for All. Nana survived 14 years with One for All without noticeable drawbacks, despite how much more powerful it was. If we don't try it at some point, we're ignoring a tool that could completely shift the balance of power in this conflict.”

There was a lingering pause in the wake of Bruce's point. Izuku was at a loss. He didn't want to run the risk of hurting Tenya, but the majority of the Vestiges, including Yoichi, seemed to think the possibility was viable. Was that worth the risk?

“Daigoro? Kudo? Any thoughts?” Yoichi asked.

“...I don't like that our options consist of ignorance or experimenting on a child. But I think trying would be better than ignoring the possibility.” Kudo said after a moment, though he didn’t sound particularly happy about it. “As far as testing goes, the Iida brothers seem like the ideal opportunity. I can't think of any other people who'd have Quirks even a quarter as compatible as these likely are. The only other person in the know who isn't too old to risk would be Eight’s detective friend, and Lie Detection doesn't seem especially compatible with anything on offer.”

“I don't like it either, Hikage. It was horrible seeing what happened to you, and even worse once I got here and realized what caused it.” Disgoro spoke softly. “But I agree that we need to know. Yoichi thinks it'll be safe, and if anyone would know, it's him.”

“...Ok.” Hikage released a sigh. “Be careful about it, Nine.”

Izuku hesitated for a moment. “If we do try it, we’ll be as careful as humanly possible. Tensei suggested it happen in a few days… so we could probably do this back at UA. With Recovery Girl keeping an eye on everything and running tests, I can take the second Quirk back the moment we find anything problematic.” Izuku said. “Is that acceptable to everyone?”

The Vestiges agreed with varying levels of excitement or reluctance, but it seemed a consensus had been reached. That done, Izuku tiredly released One for All and opened his eyes. The Iidas had settled themselves, though the glistening of tears on their faces told him it was a recent development. Toshinori was looking at him curiously. “Well, Young Izuku?”

“They think giving Tenya Engine would work, but it won't come without risks. If we go through with it, we’ll handle the transfer at UA, with Tenya under observation by Recovery Girl.” Izuku began. “As it turns out, the passing of One for All hasn’t been an entirely harmless process…”

The reactions to Izuku’s revelation had mostly been within expectation. Toshinori was horrified by the knowledge that Nana may not have lasted much longer, regardless of All for One’s attack. Tensei had grown hesitant, reluctant to put Tenya’s wellbeing at risk no matter how many precautions they took.

Tenya, on the other hand, had defied expectation. Despite his own rebuke of Tensei’s hasty decisions not long before, he’d almost immediately said he still wanted to take the chance if Tensei really wanted to give up Engine. Tensei, in turn, had momentarily tried to play the responsible one… to mixed success. The two resolved to spend the following days discussing the choices, and get back to Izuku once they’d been released from the hospital.

Shortly thereafter, someone knocked on the door. Izuku had opened it, which revealed a bored Gran Torino and a mildly terrified nurse, there to take Tenya for physical therapy. They’d said their goodbyes, Izuku had resisted the urge to slip Tenya or Tensei some of Boon, and they’d left.

Or, well, tried to.

“Ooooooh yeah, they’re definitely out there.” Torino grunted as he stepped back around the corner. He’d acted as reconnaissance, and it was apparently a good thing he had. “Could see several news vans in the lot. More than a few suspiciously vigilant people standing around the main exit. The vultures are circling.”

Toshinori signed, then glanced around. After a moment of searching, Torino gestured down another hallway, and the two set off in that direction. Izuku followed, trying to figure out where they were going, until…

“The bathroom?” Izuku asked, somewhat confused.

“I’m going to change real quick, to make it easier to get out unnoticed.” Toshinori said, then gave an apologetic half smile. “Sorry, I should have thought to suggest you bring a change of clothes. I didn’t consider the possibility reporters would come after you.”

“Uh…” Izuku blinked, then looked Toshinori up and down. He wasn’t carrying a bag, and the pockets on his jeans didn’t look especially full. “Wait, did YOU bring a change of clothes?”

Toshinori smirked, and discretely inverted the collar of his shirt. On the opposite side, the shirt was a forest green instead of the bright red outside. “Reversible clothes. Not the most comfortable, but great for looking just different enough people dismiss you. This set just happened to be sitting out when I went to change.”

Izuku nodded, mildly impressed at the subtlety. Toshinori stepped into the bathroom, then returned a few moments later. He now wore the shirt with its green side outwards, black slacks with a nondescript belt buckle, and a baseball cap with a gray man-bun poking through the back opening.

Izuku gaped.

“Collapsible hat in one of the interior pockets. Has the fake hair built in.” Toshinori huffed a laugh as he strung a disposable mask over his mouth. He reached into a pocket of his slacks, then withdrew another disposable mask. He handed it to Izuku, along with the jacket he had slung over his shoulder. “Put these on. Probably want to invert the jacket and roll it up a bit.”

Izuku quickly put on the mask, then examined the jacket. Inside was a soft fabric lining, and when he tugged a sleeve inside out he found the cuff looked like that of a sweatshirt. Testing further, he found that the jacket’s collar folded down, and that a hood was tucked into the lining. Once finished, it looked like a perfectly normal, if quite oversized, hoodie. He rolled the hems up, and the end result looked relatively passable.

“Oh, this is fun.” Izuku grinned up at Toshinori.

“Isn’t it?” Toshinori smiled right back. “Granted, I could live without it being necessary , but-”

Torino cleared his throat, still in the same outfit he’d been wearing. “Shouldn't we be going, you two?”

“Yes, yes. Spoil sport.” Toshinori huffed. “We’ll pick you up at that coffee shop we passed a few blocks from here.”

Torino grunted an affirmation, then trotted off in the direction of the stairs.

“What’s he doing?” Izuku asked as he watched Torino go.

“If people did any amount of looking into you after your encounter with Stain, the fact that you’re interning with Gran Torino would be easy enough to find.” Toshinori said. “So he’s going to take off from the roof, get their attention. We’ll go out the side and work our way around. Between the outfit change and the distraction, we should be able to get to the car. If they’ve somehow found that, I guess you get a piggyback ride.”

‘...I know I shouldn’t, but I kind of hope they find the car.’

One for All pulsed.

Izuku blushed in embarrassment, then narrowed his eyes. ‘I thought you said you weren’t always watching.’

One for All remained suspiciously quiet.

To Izuku’s mixed relief and disappointment, the reporters hadn’t found the car. They’d had little trouble slipping through a side door, something the staff was apparently used to heroes doing, and worked their way around the building. While some bystanders had paid them more attention than Izuku was strictly comfortable with, the sight and sound of Torino shooting off from the roof had proved the more interesting sight. By the time attention might have fallen back on them, they’d safely made it to the car, and Toshinori had gotten them onto the road.

Izuku leaned back in his seat and let out a long, relieved sigh. Toshinori chortled from the driver’s side, then nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry they’re already after you, my boy. They’re tenacious creatures, but their attention span is relatively short. Hopefully they’ll lose active interest in a week or so.”

“Here’s to hoping.” Izuku said, eyeing the hospital in the rear view mirror warily. “Do you think they’ll go after Tenya when he’s released?”

“I’m sure they’d love to.” Toshinori grunted as he took off his mask at a stop light. “But I’m equally sure Iidaten has plenty of experience extracting people from such situations…”

Izuku glanced at Toshinori as his voice trailed off. He found the man staring in surprise at the mask in his hand. A car behind them honked, which startled Toshinori, then he started driving again.

“Is something wrong?” Izuku asked.

“...There’s no blood.”

Izuku blinked, processing. He glanced at the mask, still hanging from Toshinori’s hand. “Now that I think about it, you haven’t been coughing…”

“No, I haven't.” Toshinori said, stunned. “I’ve felt like something was off for a while now, but just put it down to Boon making me feel less awful than usual. But I haven’t really coughed since you gave me a chunk. Or at least badly enough that it brought blood up.”

“Well, you haven’t spent that much time as All Might. How much do you think that affects things?”

“Considering my current limits, I’d still have expected issues after a half hour. I haven’t gone much over that, but I would still usually have seen something by now.”

Izuku let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “So do you think Boon extends your limit, helps mitigate your health issues, or both?”

“Frankly, I don’t know. We’ll have to run some tests.” Toshinori gave him a wide smile. “But either way, this might let me make it through more than one class without having to rush off at the end! I might even be able to squeeze more heroics into my day!”

“Let's actually try to figure out what it’s doing before we get too excited.” Izuku said, though he knew he wasn’t fooling anyone.

Toshinori smirked knowingly, then dramatically rolled his eyes. “Fine then, Torino .”

He froze.

“Shit!” Toshinori hissed, swerving to turn rather than continue towards Might Tower. “I forgot about Torino!”

“I’ll say something nice at your funeral.”

Luckily, Torino had been feeling merciful, and Toshinori was spared. Mostly.

If his expression had been anything to judge by, promising to let Torino drive his car might have hurt Toshinori more than just letting Torino beat him half to death would have.

Once they’d made it back to Might Tower, Izuku had excused himself to his room and flopped into his tattered bed. For a time, he’d just laid there, trying to grapple with… everything that had happened. When he’d accepted One for All from Toshinori, he’d known he was signing up for something far beyond the normal hero experience. In retrospect, though, he hadn’t known a damn thing.

Granted, he’d have made the same choice with just as little hesitation even if he had, but still.

Izuku sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly, trying to let his body relax. It did, marginally. Unfortunately there was still a tension that hadn’t faded, and likely wouldn’t for a while. What had happened in the past two days was too much to just let it roll off so easily, especially when some of it was as of yet unresolved.

Izuku eyed his phone, half way hoping he’d get a message so he could keep putting that impending resolution off. Unfortunately, the universe didn’t see fit to send him such a lifeline. The phone remained inert, displaying only the reflection of the twin gold embers within his eyes.

‘Fine. Let's get this over with.’

Izuku gently tugged on One for All and let himself sink into the power. Once again confronted with the flowing network of energy, Izuku picked out the line of gold amidst the braid and reached out to it.

“Hello, Deku.” Kinenkō’s voice reached him. “It seems you managed to single me out, somehow?”

“Hello, Dr. Kinenkō.” Izuku responded. “And I think so? You’re able to tell?”

“I’m still in my office, so it’s an easy conclusion to reach.”

“Your office?” Izuku asked. “The one you and Tenya were in when I first entered the Vestige Realm?”

“No, that was something of his own creation, I think.” Kinenkō responded. “He said it looked how he always imagined his office at Iidaten would look once he graduates. He kept finding things just where he expected them as well, like he’d organized everything and simply forgotten about it somehow.”

“Well, that’s certainly interesting. I wonder what’s responsible for…” Izuku trailed off. Now that he’d made contact, he felt something… odd. He’d almost missed it, but he had the sense of standing at the edge of something. The feeling was disconcerting, given that he could still feel himself laying on his bed if he let his attention drift outward. Intrigued, Izuku pressed forward ever so slightly.

‘It’s almost like the keyhole…’

“Deku, are you doing something-”

With a momentary feeling like the ground falling out from under him, Izuku stumbled into a brightly lit room. The walls were a pale blue, with white trim where they met the dark oak flooring. There were a few seats along one wall of the office that looked a newer version of the ones he’d sat in at the hospital, while a bookshelf and filing cabinets dominated another. At the opposite end of the office sat a large L shaped desk, covered in various organizers, cups of pens, and two computer monitors. Behind everything was Doctor Kinenkō, who looked as startled as Izuku felt.

“Uh.” Izuku said intelligently. “I guess I can get in here, apparently. Sorry for the intrusion”

“That would seem to be the case.” Kinenkō responded in kind. “So far, only that Yoichi fellow seems to be able to interact with me here, and that’s been rather hit or miss.”

Izuku gave a contemplative humm, then did another quick once over around the room.

Kinenkō cleared his throat.

Awkward silence.

“You can have a seat. If you’d like.” Kinenkō offered hesitantly, voice stilted. “And, er, if you’re not ready, you-”

“No. We need to talk, I’m just… not great with confrontation.” Izuku absently rubbed an elbow, grimacing. “If I don’t commit now, I don’t know how long it’ll take me to work up the nerve again.”

“Well then. Let's address the elephant in the room.” Kinenkō rolled himself out from behind his desk, the wheels of his chair clattering over the floor, then swiveled around to face Izuku.

Izuku bit his lip, but nodded. He lowered himself into one of the chairs, which was surprisingly comfortable. After a final span of silence, Izuku braced himself and spoke.

“Why did you use Boon on me, back in the building?”

“I wanted you to be able to keep helping with the evacuations. I didn't lie to you, Deku.” Kinenkō heaved a sigh. “But… That wasn’t my only goal.”

Kinenkō clasped his hands in his lap, the fingers squeezed tightly together.

“I was in bed when that Nomu thing smashed through the wall. It stepped on my leg, and I couldn’t get myself to the hole it left before the ceiling came down. I don’t think I could properly describe the pain I was in even if I wanted to.” Kinenkō swallowed hard. “Between the pressure that chunk of concrete was putting on the worst of the wound and Boon, I couldn’t even pass out, much less die. I don’t know how long I was like that, but by the time you got there, I had a ranked list a dozen entries long on what I thought would finally kill me.”

“That’s horrifying.” Izuku whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“You.” Kinenkō pointed firmly at Izuku. “Don’t have a damn thing to apologize for. I… just wanted to give you context. I wasn’t exactly in my right mind, but I still made the choice to use Boon on you, even though I knew it would kill me. Because I knew it would kill me.”

“So I was right.” Izuku curled in on himself slightly. “You used me to kill yourself.”

“Yes.” Kinenkō stared at one of the plaques on the wall. “Yes, I did. I was hurt, and you were there, and I just wanted it to end. I’ve been alive for a long, long time Deku. I may not look it, but I’m over 90 years old.”

Izuku blinked at Kinenkō, surprise poking its way through the myriad other emotions fighting for dominance. “I thought you were in your mid 60s, maybe a graceful 70.”

“You wouldn’t be the first. In fairness, part of that is just good genetics.” Kinenkō shook his head. “But with the way Boon was enhanced, you probably have quite the lifespan to look forward to. I hope you do better with it than I did. I thought I was doing well, but in the end I was just a lonely, bitter old man with nothing to look forward to.”

“Is that why you let yourself die?” Izuku asked. “Because you didn’t think you had anything left for you?”

“I didn’t lie when I said I would die there either. It was simply a matter of when and how. I told myself that using Boon on you could at least be one last effort to help someone, but in reality…” Kinenkō’s face fell, and his gold rimmed eyes lowered to the floor. “I just wanted the pain to end, and didn’t care how. It could have been a random civilian at that point. I wouldn’t be there to see the consequences, so I didn’t care what they’d be so long as I was free of the pain.”

Kinenkō stood from his chair, lowered himself to his knees, then bowed his head to the floor. “I cannot possibly apologize enough for the distress I put you through, but I will try regardless.”

Izuku shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he inspected the man before him. Kinenkō’s back was hunched and rigid. His fingers pressed into the floor, the knuckles white. He trembled slightly, be it from emotion or simply the discomfort of holding his position.

Izuku lowered himself from his chair, and carefully encouraged Kinenkō upright. As he did, the two made eye contact, and Izuku could see the harsh redness around the gold. “I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit.”

Kinenkō stared at Izuku as though he'd grown another head. “I beg your pardon?”

“If you genuinely hadn't cared, you wouldn't have talked to me. You'd have just done it the moment I was within reach, and I wouldn’t have had any idea what happened. I can’t say I'd have handled it well , but I also probably wouldn’t have pieced together what happened.”

Kinenkō rubbed his hands over his face, then leaned back on his heels. “You dropped from the upper floors with the Aikawas in tow, then dragged yourself down to try and help me. I didn’t realize you were a first year student at the time, but I could tell you were young, and that made me hesitate. I felt awful, thinking about how it would hurt you… but not awful enough that I could convince myself to just deal with the pain until something finished me off.”

Izuku absently rubbed his thumb over the scars on his right hand as he thought back on the past two days, and everything they’d brought with them. Some of the worst moments in his life so far had happened in quick succession, and even the high points were extremely overwhelming. Even if Tenya would likely recover and Kinenkō would live on, the memory of what happened to them still left him nauseated and shaky at times. But, even then…

“I’m glad it was me.” Izuku said quietly.

“How can you possibly say that?” The odd look Kinenkō had given him before was nothing compared to the flabbergasted expression he wore now. “I was there watching how it hurt you before I died, and I saw some of the aftermath from in here.”

“It did hurt. It was an awful, horrible experience that will probably stay with me for the rest of my life.” Izuku shrunk in on himself yet again, though there wasn’t much smaller he could go. “But, of all the people who could have found you… I’m probably the only one who could give you another chance at life. And without your help, the fight with Stain could have gone so, so much worse. I’m pretty sure Boon’s interaction with my blood messed with how long the paralysis lasted, and without using it on Tenya…”

Izuku’s took a shuddering breath, then wiped at his eyes. “I wish that all that never happened. But it did, and there’s no use wishing for a better outcome.” Izuku met Kinenkō’s startled eyes. “It happened to me, and because of that, something good was able to come out of it instead of being a pure tragedy. I was able to save lives. I’ll be able to save more in the future, with your help. In the end, that makes what I experienced worth it to me.”

“You seem alarmingly willing to forgive what I did to you.” Kinenkō eyed Izuku warily. “My judgment may have been impaired, but I still actively made a decision I knew would hurt you badly.”

“You’re not entirely forgiven, at least not yet. But I won’t let my misgivings stop me from turning this into something good.” Izuku hesitantly extended a hand towards Kinenkō. “Let's save the people who need to be saved, Kinenkō, rather than mourning the things we can’t change.”

Kinenkō stared at the hand like he thought it might bite him for a moment. He hesitantly reached forward, paused at the last second, then tentatively clasped Izuku’s hand.

“I would like that a great deal, Deku.” Kinenkō gave him a sad smile.

Izuku’s smile mirrored Kinenkō’s, and he nodded. “As would I.”

They shook hands, somewhat stiltedly, then returned to their respective seats. Izuku released a relieved sigh, a little more of the tension leaving him. They let the calm quiet linger for a time, which let Izuku mull something over.

‘If Kinenkō has his own little realm, and it seems like Tenya did as well, I wonder…’

“If you wouldn't mind, I'm going to try bringing Yoichi here. I have an idea I'd like to run past you both, and I think getting him in here would be a good proof of concept.” Izuku said. “If you'd rather we just speak to him instead of physically bringing him here, I understand.”

“I don't have anything against that. There's really nothing in here to hide, unless he's going to smuggle dubiously accurate patient information into the world somehow.” Kinenkō paused for a moment. “Or try to beat my high score in Mahjong.”

“...you have Mahjong? Wait, your computer works?”

“Solitaire too. As far as the computer goes, I don’t have a way to access the internet or anything. If I go digging through the files, I can find things I expect to find, but it’s incomplete. There are fewer files than I know there should be, but I can’t remember what exactly the missing ones were.” Kinenkō shrugged. “The games work fine, though, as do some functions of my organizational programs. Considering how absurd many Quirks are, yours even more so than most, it coming with classic games installed doesn't seem that outlandish.”

Izuku shook his head, bemused. “I’m going to see if I can drag Yoichi in here now. I don’t want to keep Toshinori waiting too much longer.”

At Kinenkō’s nod, Izuku turned his attention outward. His hunch paid off, and he could sense the energy of One for All around the bubble that was Kinenkō’s office. Izuku carefully reached out for Yoichi’s line of power. The moment he made contact, it felt like he'd just poked a hole in a dam. In a surge of energy, Yoichi popped into existence in the chair next to Izuku with a startled yelp.

“Uh.” Izuku blinked. “I was expecting that to be harder. Were you already trying to get in?”

Yoichi hummed in agreement, eyes drinking in the room around him. “I was, yeah. Have been since I felt you manage to do it. I think I could probably bridge the gap on my own, now that I’ve felt what it’s like. Reality in One for All seems… alarmingly malleable, now that I’ve poked at it enough.”

“That’s good to hear!” Izuku said, his smile growing. “That’s actually part of why I brought you here…”

Once Izuku had emerged from his bedroom, far later than he’d intended and extremely careful not to let too much excitement show, he and Toshinori had begun their testing. Izuku had collected the entirety of Boon, then evenly split it between himself and Toshinori. At half capacity, both found themselves more than a little antsy. But while Izuku forced himself to try to relax and adjust to the energy, it was All Might’s turn to test his limits.

The Symbol of Peace cautiously doing simple stretches and exercises was an odd sight. But the genuine joy on his face when twisting in a certain way was merely uncomfortable rather than agonizing had brought a smile to Izuku's face.

Another lap of the penthouse office completed, Izuku tossed himself onto a couch. It was far and away the most comfortable couch he'd ever sat on, par for the course with basically everything All Might owned. Unfortunately, no amount of comfort could let Izuku fully ignore the sheer volume of nervous energy coursing through him.

Izuku flopped onto his side, momentarily considered another walk, then sighed. Much as it would help, he needed to get used to the energy while he wasn't moving. He couldn't exactly spend his classes wandering around once he returned to UA. He’d have plenty of time to wear himself out later, but he needed to make some progress on living with Boon before then.

‘I'm gonna go nuts.’ Izuku thought as he glared up at the ceiling, as though it were at fault for his circumstances rather than him. Desperate for a distraction, he pulled his phone from his pocket and punched in his pin.

A half read article on Quirk Metaphysics that he’d started before his last lap was quickly set aside, the interesting material just a bit too dry for his current state. He pulled up one of his favorite heroics compilations, but quickly found the fights only urged him to move even more. A clip of the Wild Wild Pussycats led him down a brief detour into funny cat videos, which was moderately better, but still lost his interest after a few videos.

With a groan, Izuku levered himself upright and stalked out of the living room, heading towards the sound of metal clanking.

‘I’m just going to see how Toshinori’s doing.’ He rationalized. ‘I’m not going for another walk. That’s definitely not what’s happening.’

Thankfully the Vestiges didn’t call him out, because he was having a hard enough time convincing himself.

He found All Might on one of the various exercise machines, carefully pushing on a bar to lift a completely stupid amount of weight with ease. “How’s it going?”

“I’d say it’s going quite well!” All Might sent him a wide grin. “An hour and a half in with light activity, save for the occasional villain, and I’m only now starting to feel the strain of holding this form. I’d guess I could hold it for a bit over two hours before I start having serious issues. It’ll be less with heavier exertion, but I’ll take it!”

“That’s amazing!” Izuku smiled widely, though it dimmed after a few seconds. “We should probably check to see if you have any issues after I take Boon back, though.”

“That would… probably be wise.” All Might sighed. “It would be unfortunate if I’ve just exhausted myself for the rest of the night.”

Reluctantly, All Might extracted himself from the machine, then extended a gold-marked hand towards Izuku. Izuku flashed him an apologetic grin as he clasped the hand, then gave the power within a gentle tug. The return flow was gradual and smooth, rather than the torrent it had been the previous times, which he hoped would ease any issues the withdrawal might cause.

All Might’s brows drew together slightly, then he preemptively plucked a handkerchief from his pocket. As the last of Boon trickled into Izuku’s now jittery hand, All Might frowned contemplatively. He looked over his body, flexed slightly, then twisted carefully. He winced and aborted the maneuver, shaking his head. “Ah, there it is.”

All Might released a slow breath, and with it shrank down. The end of the breath turned into a single harsh cough into the handkerchief. On it, Izuku could see a small streak of blood, but nothing as extreme as he often saw from one of Toshinori’s fits.

“Well, I’m inclined to call that a success! I felt mostly fine for a second after you finished taking Boon back, but that twist was definitely a bad idea. If I hadn’t done that, I may have stayed in better condition for a bit longer.” Toshinori said cheerfully, eyeing Izuku as he started shifting from foot to foot. “From the feel of things, I probably have about ten minutes left in the tank, which lines up pretty well with my estimate.”

“Fantastic!” Izuku exclaimed with a bit more force than intended, then noticed he’d started pacing. He made himself stop walking, but found that complete stillness was beyond him as his foot began to tap and his hands fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. All things considered, however, it was already a marked improvement from the previous night.

Toshinori extended a hand, one eyebrow raised, and Izuku quickly reached out to siphon 15% of Boon back into him. A bit of tension in Toshinori’s shoulders eased, though he cocked his head at Izuku.

“You’re still looking a bit jittery there, my boy. Are you sure you-”

Izuku shook his head vigorously. “I’m planning to give Torino about the same amount. That’ll hopefully be the right amount to both keep me sane and let the two of you sleep.”

Toshinori frowned. “You should get some rest as well, Young Izuku. You’ve been pushing yourself hard.”

“I don’t feel especially tired, which lines up with something Kinenkō mentioned. Sure, it might be a long night, but I have to get used to Boon as soon as possible. I can’t exactly keep foisting chunks of it on you and Torino forever.”

“I suppose that’s true, though you could just refresh me during the school day.” Toshinori offered. “But… I guess I shouldn't let myself become too reliant on it either. As good as it feels, you’ll need to use Boon to help people in the future, and that means I can’t be hoarding a piece of it because it soothes some aches.”

“If anyone’s earned some relief, it’s you.” Izuku countered, jabbing a finger in Toshinori’s direction. “It’s not like I can’t pull it back if I need it. Though… I guess it might be problematic if I did that and it caught you by surprise.”

Toshinori hummed in agreement. “It’s something that we’ll have to play by ear. But until the day you can hold all of Boon without it driving you up a wall, don’t hesitate to ask for some help. I certainly won’t be complaining.”

“Thank you.”

“Gladly. Now, I don’t know about you, but I think this success calls for some dinner!”

Behind Toshinori, Izuku saw Gran Torino’s head poke through the exercise room’s doorway.

“Someone say dinner?”

Izuku’s earlier conversation with Kinenkō and Yoichi had borne far, far more fruit than he’d hoped. He had quickly secured their cooperation after he’d explained the rough outline of his plan, and they’d subsequently began to experiment.

Their catalyst had been their attempt to figure out what, exactly, made Kinenkō’s computer work. It had seemed an almost impossible task, until Yoichi sat down and began poking at it directly. Almost immediately, he’d made headway in a rather unexpected way.

Yoichi had found scans of old comic books. Specifically, his old comic books. The files had familiar wear and tear, small doodles he’d made in the margins, the same missing pages, etc. That had suggested a very important piece of information.

Whatever they were seeing was likely drawn from the memory of the Vestiges. That theory had quickly expanded to include Izuku when he’d successfully pulled up pages from his notebooks.

The next major development had come from Izuku himself. He’d mulled over what Kinenkō had described from Tenya’s initial arrival, and decided to test a hypothesis. With great focus, Izuku had opened one of the filing cabinets and looked inside. Just as he’d hoped, he found a limited edition Silver Age All Might figurine, pristine in its box, with All Might’s signature in silver marker on the side. Kinenkō was quite sure that the cabinet in question had contained records of previous surgeries the last time he’d opened it.

The confirmation that the Vestige Realm was actively malleable had been like dropping chum in a tank full of sharks. After they’d managed to do it once, the three of them had begun pulling open drawers left and right, finding everything from food to long lost car keys. Many attempts failed or were dubious successes, especially those created from muddier memories, but the fact that it worked at all was astounding.

Then, Yoichi had managed to skip the middleman and conjure a copy of his favorite comic book directly into his hands. After that, Kinenkō had opened his office door, which had previously led to a hallway that faded to darkness at either end, and found his once again intact apartment on the other side. Then, after a great deal of focus, Izuku had managed to achieve their greatest achievement yet.

He made a new realm.

Technically, Tenya and Kinenkō had achieved it before him. But Izuku had been the first to do so deliberately . It had been a far more difficult process than anything he’d created before, but he’d managed to carve out a foothold in the void beyond Kinenkō’s realm. Once he’d done that, the realm had unfurled around that point as if by its own volition. But rather than a room, it had become a replica of Dagobah beach from the morning he’d received One for All.

It was just as he’d remembered it. The chill ocean air. The sound of the gentle waves. The golden light of dawn glinting off the water and casting the world in a hopeful warmth. He’d just stood there for a time, in awe, before he pulled Yoichi and Kinenkō in after him. They’d been just as dumbstruck as he.

By that point, Izuku had spent far more time in the Vestige realm than he’d intended. It was agony to stop testing the limits of what he could do in the realm, but he still had a plan to enact. A plan that would likely work much, much better thanks to what they’d just discovered. With great reluctance, Izuku had confirmed that his co-conspirators knew what they needed to do, then pulled himself back into his body.

It had been torture to spend the rest of the day idling, as had keeping his attention away from One for All to avoid tipping certain individuals off. Once Toshinori and Torino finally went to bed, after Toshinori had quintuple checked that Izuku didn’t want company all night, things had gotten easier. That was largely because Izuku could finally start trying to wear himself out.

Izuku wiped the sheen of sweat from his brow with a slightly shaking arm, then brushed damp strands of hair from his face. He was mostly pleased with his current condition, but exhaustion was unpleasant even if it was the goal. It might not be necessary for what he intended, but he’d rather be safe than sorry.

With care, Izuku crept from the exercise room and into his bedroom. Hopefully they’d be asleep by now, as that was an important factor in Izuku’s goals for the night.

With growing skill, he flickered on One for All and brushed against two of the chords within.

‘Status?’

‘Mostly set up in here.’ Yoichi responded. ‘The grouches were happy enough at the idea of some peace and quiet, so they're willing to cooperate.’

‘Excellent. Kinenkō?’

‘I think we’re just about good to go.’ Kinenkō said a moment later. ‘It’s hard to tell for sure without being invasive, nevermind that I’ve never actively tried to do this before.’

Izuku nodded, then carefully rolled himself onto his bed. Even as he did, he could feel Boon revitalizing his tired body. ‘Ok, probably now or never. Here it goes.’

With a flex of his will, Izuku quickly delved into One for All, then pressed further. A moment later, he stood before the thrones. Only two of them were occupied.

“Hey, Izuku. Glad you could make it!” Yoichi waved to him, posed in his throne with an exaggerated nonchalance that made Izuku huff a laugh. Next to him, the swirling mass of energy that was Toshinori’s Vestige sat impassively, as it always seemed to.

“Yeah. Waiting was rough, but if it works, it’ll be worth it.” Izuku glanced around. “Didn’t do any renovations?”

“For all that this place isn’t somewhere with many positive memories, it’s still important to me. I think that’s why it took this shape when everything appeared.” Yoichi looked at the crumbling structure around them solemnly. “The others can do what they choose with their realms, but I think I’ll keep the core of One for All like this for now.” A small smirk flickered across his pale lips. “Well, mostly.”

Izuku glanced around again, but still couldn't see anything out of place.

Yoichi grinned widely, then pulled something on the side of his throne. With a thunk, a red cushion swung up from beneath the throne to support Yoichi’s legs, and the tall back reclined. “I always wanted one of these. Now I can read my comics on something more comfortable than the floor or a wooden stool.”

“A reclining throne.” This time, Izuku laughed outright. “Just make sure nobody’s behind it when you do that, it looks like the top was moving pretty fast.”

“If any of us could be taken out by that, we wouldn’t have made it this far.” Yoichi snorted.

“You probably have a point, there.” As Izuku spoke, he gave a gentle tug on Boon, and Kinenkō appeared next to Yoichi’s throne. “Any new developments, Kinenkō?”

“I think we’re ready.” Kinenkō said, though he sounded distracted. “I’m keeping the process from starting for now. Once you give the word, I’ll let it run its course.”

“Fantastic.” Izuku smiled excitedly. “Well, shall we?”

“By all means!” Yoichi matched Izuku’s smile. “Let's get this party started.”

Izuku broadened his focus, connecting to each thrumming line of power within One for All, save for Kudo’s and Bruce’s.

‘Everyone! I know you’re all probably exploring what you can do with your realms, but I’d appreciate you all coming back to the core for a moment.’

It didn’t take long for the previous users to return. Hikage appeared almost immediately, quickly followed by En. A few moments later, Daigoro appeared with some manner of drink in hand and a wide smile on his face. He lifted his glass in Izuku’s direction, then quickly drained it.

Last to arrive was Nana. While she’d obviously tried to pull herself together, Izuku could immediately spot the tear tracks that ran down from reddened, puffy eyes.

Izuku blinked, caught off guard. “Nana? Are you ok?”

Despite her obvious distress, Nana gave Izuku a smile that was small and sad, but nonetheless genuine. “My realm took shape as somewhere extremely important to me, but that came with… painful memories. They don't outweigh the good, but… it was kind of a shock to the system. I'm glad I get to see it again.”

En reached over from his throne to give Nana a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. She patted his hand gently in thanks, then shifted to sit more upright in her throne. She swiped a finger under each eye, cleared her throat, then glanced towards the empty thrones. “Are they protesting something again, or are they just slow?”

“They're sitting this one out.” Yoichi replied. “Though it's not a bad thing, in this case, so please don't hold it against them.”

Nana raised a brow, but nodded in acquiescence. “Then I suppose we should get to whatever this meeting is about.”

The collective attention of the Vestiges shifted to settle squarely onto Izuku's shoulder's. ‘Right. The public speaking part.’ He took a settling breath that completely failed at its only job, then began.

“T-thank you all for coming. I’m sorry to c-call you away from your newfound freedom, but I think this will be important.”

“We were stuck in the dark for several decades.” Daigoro said. “If anything could teach me a little patience, it would be that.”

Izuku nodded in the large man’s direction, then continued, slightly more relaxed. “I was lucky enough to meet you all yesterday, despite my short time with One for All. For as absolutely crazy as things have been since, you’ve been helpful and supportive. I can’t thank you enough.”

Four smiles of various intensities came his way, as well as a nod from Hikage.

“But, had things gone differently, I might not be the one who got to meet you all first. I wasn’t the one who made One for All what it is today, who put it on track to make this possible in the first place.” Izuku smiled as he saw realization dawning, and gave Kinenkō a nod. “Which is why, hopefully, the person who really earned this meeting will be arriving shortly, along with a guest who’s just as deserving in his own way.”

Izuku turned his eyes skyward.

Above him, golden light flared. Rapidly, a vaguely familiar room began to form in the sky. Initially, Izuku wasn’t sure why he recognized it, but eventually it clicked. The furniture was new. The walls were brightly colored and intact. The checkered tile floor was clean and polished until it shined. It was the same room Torino had punted Izuku around when they’d sparred in his apartment, but it looked to be nearly thirty years newer.

At its center, Torino stood in his complete hero costume. He tried to rub the sleep from his eyes, then peeled the mask from his face. He shot it a confused look, then glanced around. He froze for a moment, then wandered over and poked a rocking chair with his foot, sending it swaying back and forth.

“What the hell is this?” Torino griped as glared at the room around him, then eventually glanced upwards. He squinted at the darkness, then the up-side-down structure hanging in his sky. “Weird ass dream. Shouldn't have… taken… those…” Torino trailed off, blinking rapidly as he looked closer at the room below him.

“Nana?” Torino whispered hoarsely.

“Sorahiko?” Nana gaped upwards.

For a moment, everything was extremely still. Then, in a flash of movement, Nana was pressed against some kind of barrier between the two spaces. Torino had likewise reached the barrier, hands and face pressed against an invisible surface as bursts of air kept him aloft.

“It’s good to see you, Nana.” Torino said roughly between blasts of air. “It’s been too long.”

“No kidding!” Nana laughed wetly. “You look like shit, Old Man!”

“Oh, you asshole!” Torino cackled as he fell back towards the apartment, his merriment depriving his Quirk of the air it needed. Even so, he landed with the ease of long practice, then turned his attention towards Izuku.

“You could have warned me I was getting an invite, Zygote.” Torino said gruffly. Despite the tone, Izuku could clearly hear the tremble in his voice.

“What, do you not like surprises?” Izuku asked. “I think it’s fair, after you tenderized me this morning.”

“At my age, surprises like this can give people heart attacks.” Torino snarked, but he smiled broadly as his eyes flicked back to Nana. “Eh, would have been worth it.”

Izuku smiled back, but inwardly was growing worried. Toshinori still hadn’t appeared above them. There weren’t any signs of another room forming either, nor could he spot Toshinori in Torino’s apartment. Izuku glanced at Kinenkō, wondering if he’d been wrong about Toshinori being asleep, or the theory that multiple people could appear at a time. However, Izuku found the doctor wasn’t looking at the sky. Instead, he was staring towards…

The shroud of roiling energy that made up Toshinori’s Vestige was changing. Condensing. Golden fire pulled in on itself, transmuted into something solid. Something human.

Toshinori sat on his throne, clad in his Gold Age costume. He was in his smaller form, but his face looked starkly different. His eyes weren’t sunken, nor were his cheeks. On further examination, the costume didn’t hang off of him anywhere near as badly as it did when he’d seen him earlier in the day. While it was still loose, the figure beneath filled it out much more than the gaunt body Izuku had last seen the costume on.

Toshinori blinked, shook his head slightly, then glanced around. His eyes turned wary as they swept over the past users, then shifted into confusion as they settled on Izuku.

“I-I would l-like to formally introduce most of you to Toshinori Yagi, the Eighth User of One for All and the world’s Symbol of Peace.” Izuku pushed through his surprise and smiled radiantly as he gestured towards Toshinori with all the grandiosity the occasion called for. “All Might!”

Toshinori blinked, then shook off the lingering fog of sleep. “Young Izuku? What’s going on here? Where am- OOPH!”

Nana slammed into Toshinori like a missile from on high. His throne reclined violently with a mechanical thunk, which let both slide up its ridiculously long back and tumble to the ground behind it. All Might shot up from the floor, half crouched and visibly alarmed as he tried to assess what kind of attacker had latched themselves onto his torso like a hyper aggressive koala.

When Nana looked up, tears flowing freely, Toshinori went completely, utterly still. Realization dawned on his face like the first rays of sun after a century of night.

“...Nana?” He whispered in a tone that bordered on reverence.

“TOSHI!” Nana wailed as she buried her face in his chest. She hugged him even tighter as her body shuddered with the force of her heaving cries.

All Might collapsed to his knees as he shrank down, arms wrapped tentatively around the master he had lost. He just stared for a moment, seemingly unsure what to do. Then, the dam burst. He gathered Nana tightly in his arms, buried his face in her hair, and sobbed.

“Nana! Oh, god, NANA!”

Chapter Text

All Might collapsed to his knees as he shrank down, arms wrapped hesitantly around the master he had lost. Toshinori held her loosely for a second, seemingly unsure what to do. Then, the dam burst. He gathered Nana tightly in his arms, buried his face in her hair, and sobbed.

“Nana! Oh, god, NANA!”

The scene that unfolded before Izuku was an odd combination of heartwarming and gut wrenching he’d never experienced before. He’d known it would be an emotional event for both of them; how could it be anything else? He’d obviously misjudged the scale of it, however, considering he now bore witness to two of the greatest heroes he knew of completely breaking down in each other’s arms.

This wasn’t just friends who’d been reunited after they thought all hope was lost. It wasn’t even what he’d have expected from a master and student who thought they’d lost one another forever. There was something deeper here. It was…

The realization hit Izuku like a ton of bricks. It was like when he’d first seen his mother after the USJ incident. The way she’d clung to him. The way he’d hugged her back, the stress and fear all crashing in at once now that he felt completely and utterly safe in her arms.

He was witnessing a mother and son, reunited beyond death.

Izuku had to smother a sob of his own as the enormity of what this must mean to them slammed home. He glanced upwards and caught Torino as he wiped something from his own wrinkled cheek, alone in his realm in the sky. The sight left a ball of guilt festering in Izuku’s stomach. How much must it hurt Torino to see Nana, but be separated from her by whatever rules kept the spaces apart?

‘Can I change that?’

Carefully, Izuku reached upwards with his will. Through it, he could feel the Vestige Realm around him, and its connection to Yoichi. He pushed past it, into the expanse of nothingness beyond. He’d done so before, when he initiated the creation of his own personal Dagobah Beach. He pushed further.

Suddenly, there was a wall. A barrier he couldn’t push past, a frictionless surface impossible to grasp. Try as he might, he couldn’t breach it, couldn’t interact with it at all.

Above, Torino’s gaze snapped from Nana and Toshinori to look down at Izuku. “You doing something?”

“Oh, you could feel that?” Izuku asked. At the answering nod, he grimaced. “I was trying to see if I could pull you down here, but I don’t think I can. I’m sorry I can’t…”

Izuku choked up, unable to finish.

“This is already more than I could have ever hoped for.” Torino smiled with a gentleness Izuku wouldn’t have thought possible before that moment. The lines creasing his face deepened and tears rolled along them. “Thank you, Izuku.”

Izuku’s attention was wrenched back downward by a massive arm closing around his shoulders. It tightened to squeeze him between it, Toshinori’s chest, and Nana’s shoulder.

“Thank you, my boy. Thank you.” Toshinori whispered brokenly. “This is… the most wonderful gift I’ve ever been given.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Izuku.” Nana’s arm snaked out from between Izuku’s stomach and Toshinori’s ribs to find its way around his back, squeezing Izuku all the closer. “I thought the next time I’d see Toshi was after he died, and his Vestige appeared in here like the rest of us. As much as I wanted to talk to him again, I was terrified of the day I would. Thank you for bringing him here without something as awful as his death being the cost.”

Izuku pulled Nana close with one arm, then managed to get the other about half way around Toshinori’s broad back. “I’m happy about that too. I’d kind of like to keep him for a while.”

A watery laugh burst from Nana, and she grinned at him through her tears. “We can work out a custody agreement. I call dibs on the weekends.”

Toshinori snorted a surprised chuckle, which sounded absolutely disgusting given his nose was running. “Aren’t those usually for children?”

“Oh, as if you’re not crying like a big baby right now.”

“And you’re not?”

“Nope.” Nana buried her face in Toshinori’s chest again. Her next words were muffled, but still just barely audible. “Can’t see my face, can’t prove anything!”

Toshinori bellowed a laugh, the smile on his face more brilliant than any Izuku had ever seen. “God I’ve missed you.”

“You too, big guy.” Nana murmured. Then, louder; “And Sorahiko too, I guess.”

“Hey!” Torino called from above, mock indignation in his voice.

“Thank you, Izuku.” Nana smiled wider even as she choked down another sob. “Thank you for letting me have this again.”

“You’re welcome. But Yoichi and Kinenkō deserve some credit too.” Izuku replied. “Yoichi helped set everything up with the personal realms so that Kudo and Bruce could step away for this, rather than just staring at a wall or something and ruining the moment. And Kinenkō’s the only reason we can do it at all.”

Toshinori spun around sharply to face the thrones again. Izuku caught sight of Kinenkō just as he un-subtly stepped out of sight behind Toshinori’s throne, while Yoichi’s eyes went wide and he raised his hands wardingley. “It was Izuku’s idea, I just-”

“Come’ere!” Toshinori and Nana roared in unison, then shot towards the First user as Torino cackled from above.

Once Toshinori and Nana had been convinced to release their captives, Toshinori had finally realized the condition he was in. The sheer joy he radiated at the simple act of taking a deep breath had been bittersweet, but nonetheless an unexpected blessing. Toshinori had spent a few minutes marvling at his restored health before he’d turned his attention towards the Vestiges around him once more.

Toshinori’s introduction went relatively smoothly after that. Yoichi had taken to mock-pouting in his throne once he’d been put down, but wasn’t particularly convincing. Kinenkō had been nervous, and Toshinori visibly unsure what to make of him, but with Izuku to guide the interaction it hadn’t been too bad. Hikage had given his greeting and immediately passed the walking force of personality on to Daigoro, who was still periodically giggling when he glanced Yoichi’s way.

Izuku had suspected that Daigoro and Toshinori would get along, but he’d underestimated them in grand fashion. Daigoro had immediately segwayed his greeting into an appreciative discussion of Toshinori’s sense of showmanship and spectacle. Evidently, Daigoro had similar tendencies during his time as a hero, though the darker nature of his Quirk had lent itself towards a more ‘Heroic Rebel’ brand. They’d immediately began bouncing stories off of one another, grins growing wider and laughs growing louder with each one.

Nana, who now stood tucked against Toshinori’s side, had shared a glance with En as the exuberant duo chatted enthusiastically next to them. Izuku didn’t think he’d ever seen a look convey ‘This might have been a mistake’ quite so clearly, and doubted he would ever see its match. It had taken Nana actively working her way into the conversation to remind the two that others were still present, at which point Daigoro bowed out in favor of En.

“Toshinori!” Izuku couldn’t see En’s mouth past his collar, but the way his eyes crinkled suggested a smile. “It’s an honor to finally meet you. I've heard a great deal.”

“The honor is entirely mine, En.” Toshinori replied, then bowed. Deeply . “I cannot possibly thank you enough for what you and yours gave to protect Nana, and by extension, myself.”

En went rigid for a moment, then closed his eyes as he breathed deeply. After a moment, he returned the bow. “I am glad their efforts weren’t in vain. I’m sure they would be as well. Nana did an amazing job of hobbling All for One’s empire, and when you returned, you continued her work with aplomb. I didn’t expect any of us to pose a serious threat to him for another few generations, but you very nearly saw our cause to its end. Even if he managed to evade death, you did far more than I could have even dreamed.”

“I still intend to see it done.” Toshinori said grimly. “My time isn’t up quite yet.”

En nodded in response.

Izuku looked between the three of them, obviously missing some important context. Nana noticed his confusion first, and deftly slipped from Toshinori’s side. She slung an arm around Izuku’s shoulders and guided him towards the opposite side of the room. Izuku glanced behind them to see En and Toshinori watch them go. After a pause, En nodded towards Nana, then he and Toshinori continued their conversation.

“I take it Toshi never explained much of our specific history?”

Izuku shook his head. “Not really. I never got a chance to read any of the notes that were left behind either.”

“Those were mostly dry case files and research into All for One. Daigoro’s contribution had a bit more personal information, but that was mostly in his memoir for Hikage.” Nana said. “That’s actually the only reason we knew anything about One for All’s earlier history.”

Izuku glanced in Daigoro’s direction, and found the man quietly leaning against Hikage’s throne as he fiddled with a strange multicolored cube. Hikage meditated in his seat, but Izuku thought he could see a faint upwards tilt to the stoic man’s lips.

“After that, it was just a bunch of information that’s wildly outdated now. I honestly don’t think I included many specifics on what happened to En and his team as a precaution.” Nana grimaced faintly. “Granted, if anyone had managed to get their hands on my notes that probably would have been a moot point, but it pays to be safe.”

“So… what happened?”

Nana glanced at Toshinori and En again, then turned her attention back to Izuku. She looked vaguely ill.

“I assume you've heard about the Kamakura Slaughter?”

A chill ran through Izuku like someone had dumped ice water into his veins. “...A-as in one of the single greatest losses of Japanese life in the 22nd century? The one where the government told the First Responders to evacuate, because they were just adding to the death count?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Nana nodded grimly.

“Of course that's what you meant. Nothing else would be called that.” Izuku muttered distantly. “Did En rescue you from it? Is that what Toshinori meant?”

“He did, in a way, but that’s just the beginning.” Nana sighed. “The Slaughter was All for One hunting En.”

“Oh.” Izuku said. He glanced around for a place to sit. Thankfully, someone conjured a chair for him to drop into as his legs gave out, because he certainly couldn’t manage it at that moment. “The history books say it was a terror attack from a hidden MLA cell.”

“They said that about a lot of things, in those times.” Nana carefully sat in her own chair, and the two of them gazed out into the swirling darkness beyond the border of the ruins. “All for One ambushed En and one of his sidekicks while they were investigating a drug ring. I don’t know most of the specifics, and I wouldn’t recommend asking En about them either. In the end, All for One incinerated both the sidekick and En’s legs in one attack. Somehow, En managed to escape through the sewers anyway.”

Izuku raised a shaking hand to his mouth. He tried to speak, but found that words escaped him.

“He stumbled on me when he dragged himself out of a storm drain. We were acquainted, but I wouldn’t have called us friends. But given his condition, I was his only choice. I accepted One for All willingly, though I didn’t really have the full picture of what it entailed at the time.” Nana continued. “It kicked in pretty quickly for me, and I got to figure out flight on my way out of the disaster zone. En guided me to one of his hide-y holes half way across Japan, and gave me the debrief on the way.”

Nana swallowed hard, eyes unfocused. For all she’d warned Izuku off asking En about the events she was describing, she certainly wasn’t having an easy time of it herself. Izuku doubted anyone who’d survived that disaster would.

“Once we got there, he was barely hanging on. He contacted his second in command and introduced me as his successor, then told them to start Operation Smoketrail. The last thing he did was tell me to get out on the streets, make myself seen, and not to use One for All in any obvious way for as long as I could.” Nana said. “So I did. I stayed out for two days, only used Float the way it was before I received the power. Rasen was furious with me, because he knew I was supposed to be in Kamikura. I hadn’t even thought to tell my fiancee where I was. He only found out I survived because someone he knew saw me on TV. Sorahiko was pissed too.”

Tears trailed down Nana’s cheeks again as she stared out into the void. Above, Izuku saw Gran Torino watching them, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. When he noticed Izuku looking up at him, Torino patted himself on the shoulder, then pointed to Nana. Izuku took the hint and placed his own hand on her shoulder, then gave it a light squeeze.

Nana startled. Her head snapped around to look at him, but she relaxed under his hand as her eyes cleared. “You don’t have to tell me the rest. This is clearly an awful memory for you.”

“I’m almost done anyway.” Nana shook her head. “En’s second got in touch with me through her Telepathy Quirk around then, and told me where to find En’s stash of research on All for One. She never told me her name, or any of the names of his sidekicks. En never has either. All I know is that they spent almost 16 years leading All for One on a wild goose chase across most of Asia.”

“16 years?” Izuku breathed out in awe. “They managed to evade All for One for that long?”

Nana nodded solemnly. “I think they were greater heroes than I ever was for that. They took the brunt of All for One’s focus off of Japan for the better part of two decades. As near as I can figure, they convinced him that En was still alive and hiding in another country. In that time, I was able to live a mostly normal life while being a hero and poking holes in his organization.” The tears returned, though there was a hint of a smile beneath them. “I got married. I had a ‘Quirk Awakening’ a year later that I claimed turned Float into a kind of Tactile Telekinesis, so I could use more of One for All. I had my Son.” Nana choked up at the mention of her child. “I met Toshi, and the crazy little bastard actually convinced me he could be a hero to the whole world.”

For a moment, Nana’s smile turned brilliant as she glanced over her shoulder. Izuku followed her gaze, and found Toshinori looking back at them, only stopped from rushing to them by En’s hand on his shoulder. Toshinori considered them a moment, then sent a small, reassuring smile their way.

Nana turned back towards Izuku, and set her shoulders. “They held out the entirety of my time as the Seventh holder, into Toshinori’s second year at UA. That’s the last time we got an update, at least. After that… we never heard from any of En’s team again.”

“All for One found them?” Izuku asked quietly.

“We don’t know. Something definitely happened to the second in command, otherwise she would have contacted us at some point. But one day, her usual check-ins just… didn’t come anymore.” Nana stared out into the void once more, and looked like she was about to say something before she bit her lip. A moment later, she continued. “Once I got here, one of the first things En asked me about was what happened to them. He was against the entire plan from the start, but when they insisted, he agreed to it as a failsafe. He was both proud and horrified by how long they managed to keep it going, but more than anything he felt awful that they did that because of him.”

“That’s… Incredible. Horrifying. They must have been amazing.”

Nana nodded. “Most of them were Vigilantes before En got to them, from his stories. He’d keep an eye on them for a while, try to figure out what made them tick. If he liked what he saw, he’d catch them, then give them the option of going through the Hero Onboarding System, like he did with Daigoro. He stuck his neck out for them, and they repaid him with loyalty unlike damn near anything I’ve ever seen.”

Izuku nodded absently, then belatedly latched onto something he’d nearly missed. “Daigoro was a vigilante?”

“Yep.” Nana said, popping the P. “His story is his to tell, obviously, but I don’t think he’d care that I mentioned that. He was the first stray En picked up, back when he was still fresh out of The Academy. Daigoro didn’t have One for All yet, but I’d still call it an impressive achievement. They worked together for years.”

“I really need to get a more in-depth explanation of One for All’s history at some point.” Izuku muttered. “The lives you’ve all lived… I’m sure you all have things I could learn from.”

“Oh, you’ve got that right.” Nana chuckled. “I’d like to think we were all spectacular in our own ways. Then again, you’ll also get stories like the time I used Sorahiko as a potato gun, or the Origins of Wall Fight…”

Izuku snorted. “I got that story earlier.”

Nana glared upwards at Torino. “I can’t believe you stole that opportunity from me!”

“The kid asked!” Torino cackled, hands raised innocently. “And the Big Lug was gonna tell it wrong!”

“Don’t make me come over there!” Toshinori called from the other side of the ruins.

Nana blew a raspberry at him.

Afterwards, they sat quietly for a time as Izuku digested everything he’d just learned. En had seemed rather unobtrusive when Izuku had first met him, but he’d clearly underestimated him. In retrospect, it was obvious; No wielder of One for All would have led an average life. Every one of them had probably experienced things that would send Izuku reeling. What might the others have seen or done in their time? How many historic events had they been part of, or even been behind? How many history books could be rewritten with the knowledge that lived on within One for All?

Izuku was broken from his contemplations by a tapping sound. He glanced around, then finally found the culprit; his own hand. The excitement of the introduction and the suspense of Nana’s explanation had kept him thoroughly distracted, but now that he had a moment to think, he was made aware of Boon once more. It was… less overwhelming than it had been, which Izuku took to mean he was finally acclimating a bit better, but it was still a lot to deal with. He clenched his hand into a fist to stop the incessant tapping.

“I was wondering when you’d notice.” Nana glanced at his hand, then grinned. “At least you know that you can stick around in here with most of Boon in effect.”

Izuku hummed in agreement. “It was probably just the shock of Boon rushing back in that woke me up the first time. Then again, I’m not actually asleep right now, so maybe that makes a difference…”

Nana chuckled and wiped her mostly dry cheeks. “Well, it works for now. I’d take that win, if I were you.”

“Fair point.” Izuku conceded.

Nana stood, and gestured back the way they came. Izuku stood as well, and the chairs they had been sitting in vanished. Izuku glanced around, and saw Yoichi give him a small wave. Izuku returned it gratefully, then he and Nana returned to En and Toshinori.

Izuku wasn’t sure what to say. Or do. The enormity of what he’d learned still spun in his head. In the end, Izuku just… kind of gave En a silent nod of acknowledgement. From the slight crinkle of his eyes, it seemed the message was received and appreciated.

“Well. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think I’d like to lay down for a bit. If there weren’t any sun chairs in my yard before, there are now.” Nana said. A nostalgic look flashed across Toshinori’s face, and Nana smiled widely. “Anyone who wants to can join me.”

Nana sent En a specific glance. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. “...It would be good to see it, I think.”

Nana nodded, then swept her gaze around the room.

Daigoro glanced down at the silent Hikage, then back to Nana. “I think I’ll pass. You lot deserve a chance to catch up in private.”

Kinenkō, who was starting to look a bit transparent around the edges regardless, nodded his head in Daigoro’s direction.

“I agree with the others. It feels like I should be able to transplant Sorahiko’s bubble to your realm, so you should all go catch up and relax.” Yoichi called. “Plus, I can finally go on a proper comic binge for the first time in… longer than I’d like to consider.”

“You do that.” Nana turned. “Izuku?”

Izuku considered for a moment, then slightly shook his head. “Maybe later. I…”

All for One had caused the Kamakura Slaughter. He’d BEEN the Kamakura Slaughter. Objectively, Izuku knew the ancient villain had been able to match All Might in his prime, but something about this felt different. He knew the death figures. He’d seen pictures of the aftermath. There was a memorial holiday for it every year. It was an event that had altered the course of Japan’s history over 50 years ago, and still shook the people who witnessed it to their core.

“I need to train. I don’t have long before I go back to UA, and I need to get everything as under control as it can be before then.” Izuku finished. “Daigoro? Hikage? Would you mind giving me some tips on working with your Quirks while I’m here?”

Hikage opened one eye, then nodded. Daigoro glared at the cube in his hand, the sides of which were one square away from a uniform color, then chucked it over his shoulder and into the darkness beyond. “Sure thing, kid.”

Izuku looked back towards Nana apologetically, but saw only understanding on her and Toshinori’s faces. “You’re still welcome to join us later, Izuku.”

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to drop in before the night is over.” Izuku smiled at her. “I hope all of you enjoy this! I know things have been pretty heavy so far, but this was intended to be a happy surprise.”

“It has been, Young Izuku.” Toshinori smiled widely. “I look forward to seeing you again later. Best of luck, my boy!”

Izuku looked around him as the world resolved. He was in a clearing on a forested mountain, the peak a massive edifice in the near distance. The clearing was a combination of bare stone and lush grass, while the dense undergrowth along most of the perimeter blocked his line of sight after a few feet.

One section of the perimeter was demarcated by a stony embankment, which stretched maybe 30 feet above the ground at its tallest. Within that ridge was the opening to a cave, though a makeshift curtain of dried plants and vines covered it.

Not far from the opening was a bolder that had been split down the middle. Hikage sat atop one of the broken halves, having returned to his meditation as soon as they arrived. Daigoro stepped up behind Izuku and patted him on the shoulder, then nodded towards the flattest of the bare stone sections. They both set off in that direction.

“Well.” Daigoro started. “I’d be happy to say I have a perfect solution to your troubles with Blackwhip…”

“But you can’t.” Izuku finished, confirming his fears.

“Oh, I absolutely could. I’d just be lying through my teeth.” Daigoro corrected with a smirk. “I can still pull off some of my old tricks, but… I think that’s because Blackwhip’s familiar with me, so it’s more willing to cooperate. That, or it’s humoring me.”

“...humoring you.” Izuku stared at Daigoro as the man shrugged.

“Listen, it’s not like I have the communication thing down to an exact science. All I have is that the techniques I can most consistently make work get a similar response.” Daigoro raised one finger, which sprouted a single wiggling strand of Blackwhip from the tip. “Blackwhip feels nostalgic. It’s like it remembers doing the same thing in the past, and it thinks its fun.”

Daigoro looked towards the woods, then snapped out an arm. Blackwhip shot from his palm and splashed across a tree branch, then went taught. He clenched his hand and tugged. The branch sheared off, flew across the distance, and snapped into his outstretched palm. “For instance, that works just about as well as it used to. But if I tried something new, things wouldn't go anywhere near that smoothly. I think Blackwhip is trying to work with me more than it did you, but that’s probably just because it’s familiar with me.”

Izuku considered the black tendrils that still clung to the branch, then summoned his own. They writhed up from his palm, then waved in the air. “Daigoro… how do work with Blackwhip? Like, how do you give it instructions?”

Daigoro considered for a moment. “I think of Blackwhip as an extension of myself. That’s probably obvious, but-”

Izuku slapped his forehead.

“...Or maybe it wasn’t.” Daigoro blinked. “What were you doing?”

“For the most part, I was telling it what to do, or pushing it in a certain direction.” Izuku said. “I think I got closer to what you’re describing with the parachute plan, but it wasn’t really a conscious decision.”

“That actually worked waaaaaay better than I expected it to.” Daigoro chuckled. “I think Blackwhip was more cooperative because you let it have some fun trying to catch Torino first, then gave it a specific goal.”

The threads of Blackwhip wiggled faster, and a sense of happiness rolled off them.

An absent smile found its way onto Izuku’s face as he watched the swaying tendrils. ‘An extension of myself…’

Izuku hesitated for a moment, then raised an arm towards the treeline. He tried to grasp the power of Blackwhip, but it resisted his attempt at direct control. Izuku pulled back, then… extended a metaphorical hand to it instead. ‘Help?’

Blackwhip responded better this time, and the dark energy pooled in his palm with far less difficulty than before. Once there, Izuku found he could… feel it, in a way. It wasn’t quite like a numb limb tingling back to life, but that was the closest analogy he could think of. How he hadn’t felt it before was a mystery to him, though it seemed likely that his frame of mind had something to do with it.

‘Quirks are a part of the person.’ Izuku considered. ‘Thinking of Blackwhip as something separate from me might have been a big part of the problem.’

Cautiously, Izuku tried to picture his arm extending as a dark mass, reaching towards a branch he could pick out. Blackwhip shot from his palm to splash against the branch he’d focused on. Through his connection to it, Izuku could feel a sense of satisfaction from Blackwhip.

“It really likes grabbing things.” Izuku observed.

“Damn right it does.” Daigoro laughed. “It’s good at it too!”

The thrumming satisfaction redoubled.

“Ok, so now I just-” Izuku tugged at the branch through Blackwhip. Izuku, much lighter than Daigoro, was yanked towards the branch even as it ripped free and hurtled towards him. He lost his grip on Blackwhip, which in turn launched out additional threads to grip the ground and the branch alike. With this additional leverage, it swung the branch upwards, just high enough to miss Izuku’s head, and whipped it down onto the stone ground. The branch exploded violently into wooden shrapnel, most of which showered Daigoro.

Blackwhip vibrated with what, now that Izuku felt it, was definitely a sense of nostalgia.

Daigoro spat out a wood chip, then brushed himself off. “That would be the New Moon Suplex. I… uh… wouldn't let it do that to anyone you want getting back up in the next day or so. It was always a good finisher, but I think it might be a little too Mortal Kombat for your tastes now.”

“Yeah, no, that seems like it would be bad.” Izuku shook his head, which dislodged bits of bark and a mostly intact twig from his hair.

“But hey! That seemed to work pretty well, at least in the first half!” Daigoro encouraged him. “Assuming that was the branch you were aiming for.”

“It was!” Izuku said, then blinked as another twig still lodged in his hair flopped down between his eyes. He focused, then… the twig vanished, as did whatever had fallen down the back of his shirt. He glanced down, and found that he now wore his hero costume instead of the clothes Toshinori had gotten him. That was better. “Let me try that again.”

Izuku hauled himself to his feet, then gathered Blackwhip in his hand. He paused, then glanced at it. Or, well, his glove. ‘Right. Lets see here…’

It wasn’t as easy as simply conjuring his costume. Much as Yoichi, Kinenkō, and himself had discovered earlier, it was easy enough to recreate something they were familiar with. It was harder to alter things in ways you hadn’t seen, however. Izuku had discovered that limitation himself when he tried to create an action figure of Yoichi to… mixed success. In retrospect, using a figurine of Miruko he’d seen as a base because they both had white hair had been a deeply ill-considered idea.

“What’s a Miruko?” Daigoro asked.

“Nothing!” Izuku squeaked, then raised his other hand from his chin to block his mouth, and any other traitorous mutters that might escape. They’d both agreed that Daigoro in particular could never know. Neither would ever live it down.

It took a few minutes, but Izuku eventually managed what he’d intended. Though they were far from perfect, his glove now featured several alterations. Each fingertip and the palm of his glove had a pad on it that would hopefully mimic the properties of DNA fabric. On the back of the glove were four small vents, one above each of his knuckles. That would serve to test another method of releasing Blackwhip, and let him utilize the strands while his hands were closed.

That dealt with, Izuku once again summoned Blackwhip, though this time with far more focus on where it emerged. The DNA pad on his palm seemed to work well, as Blackwhip pressed through the surface as if it were his own skin. Izuku wasn’t sure how faithful his reconstruction of the material was, but hopefully it would have a similar result in real life. His fingertips seemed to overall work as well, though from the way the gloves bulged around the edges of the pads, he’d need to be careful how much of Blackwhip he used through them.

The vents on his knuckles, though, had an unforeseen side effect.

“Uh…” Daigoro muttered as he looked over Izuku’s shoulder. “I think it’s playing peek-a-boo?”

Blackwhip shot out from one of the vents, wiggled, then retracted with a giddy thrum. A moment later, it repeated the process from another vent, then another.

“Yeah, I think it is.” Izuku grinned. “I’m definitely getting those added.”

Blackwhip shot tendrils from all four vents and twirled exuberantly.

“I’m glad you like the idea!” Izuku smiled at the small black filaments. “Are you up for some practice? See if we can’t figure out how to work together?”

More wiggling, and a bubbly vibration of excitement.

“I’ll take that as a yes!” Izuku raised his modified hand and focused on the same tree as before. His last attempt had broken several branches in the process, one of which dangled from just a few bits of frayed wood. Once again, Izuku reached out through Blackwhip, and tendrils shot from his palm to latch onto the branch. With a slight lean backwards and a yank, it shot towards him, then smacked into his waiting palm.

Izuku hissed slightly at the stinging sensation in his fingers, but the worst of the impact seemed to have been absorbed by Blackwhip. Carefully, Izuku released it, then let go of Blackwhip. The tendrils wiggled happily around the branch before they retreated into his hand.

“Nicely done, kid!” Daigoro cheered. “That’s a definite improvement!”

“Yeah, that went way better than before!” Izuku agreed, then tossed the branch aside. “Any other techniques you think would be useful to start with, until Blackwhip and I get used to each other?”

“A few. That was one of the two it seems to like the most, which makes sense. Grabbing is its favorite.” Daigoro chuckled. “It’s a good thing, too, because that’s the core of my kit. You can use it to swing around, you can set traps, you can make a hammock, all kinds of things with just a few alterations to how you handle it. Once you get the basic version down pat, we can work on expanding what you can do with it. As for some of the other basics…”

Daigoro whipped around to face the ridge, and flicked one of the cartridges in his bandolier with his thumb. It popped out and spun through the air for a moment before two strands of Blackwhip leapt up to catch it. The filaments brough the cartridge back down to hang between the index and middle finger of Daigoro’s left hand, which he’d raised in front of him. With his right, he grasped it, then pulled it back like a slingshot.

“Blackwhip also likes to throw.”

Daigoro released his grip, and Blackwhip snapped the cartridge forward with a sharp thwip . Izuku could hardly see it move until Hikage casually snatched it from the air about a foot from his face. In a motion that looked practiced, he returned the lump of metal to Daigoro at speed, which the large man barely managed to duck under. Izuku heard the resonant thunk as it struck a tree somewhere in the forest behind them, and decided he wouldn’t be trying his luck in the same way.

“I was wondering when you’d do that.” Hikage sighed.

“Just like old times, eh?” Daigoro chortled.

Hikage said nothing, but Izuku was sure he could see a small smile this time.

“You’ve made fast progress.” Hikage said as he hefted another rock. Izuku wasn’t entirely sure why he’d insisted on gathering the stones himself rather than conjuring copies of the first one, but wasn’t going to ask. Not when the Fourth user had already demonstrated an alarming accuracy with the improvised projectiles.

“Thank youAGH!” Izuku yelped as a pang shot through his head, and he leapt to the side to avoid a rock aimed towards his feet. He nearly ate the second rock, which he’d almost dodged into. He stumbled, but managed to throw himself backwards and out of its path before something occurred to him. ‘Wait, danger sense didn’t warn-’

Izuku’s train of thought was cut off yet again as a third rock crashed into his shoulder. The impact stung and sent him spinning through the air, but thanks to Full Cowling the strike didn’t do any real damage. Frankly, he wasn’t sure what even counted as ‘Real Damage’ here.

Izuku struck the ground in a roll, then popped back to his feet. He scanned around, but didn’t see another-

Izuku glanced up just in time to dodge the fourth rock, which had been thrown in a high arc to come down just a bit to the side of him. Yet again, no sign from Danger Sense.

“Well done.” Hikage said, then reached for another rock.

“Hold on a second!” Izuku yelped, holding up his hands. Hikage blinked, then absently began tossing the head sized stone to himself like someone would a baseball. “Did you disable Danger Sense?”

“No.”

“Then why didn’t it warn me of the last three rocks?”

“I didn’t aim for you.”

Izuku stared down at the large rock embedded in the grass next to him. It likely would have either concussed him or taken off his ear on its way to dislocate his shoulder if he hadn’t dodged. “...you didn’t aim for me.”

“No.”

Izuku glanced to the treeline, where a smugly grinning Daigoro lay in a Blackwhip hammock as he watched Izuku be pelted. Izuku returned his gaze to Hikage, half way expecting to see the rock on its way to rearrange his face, but it was still in Hikage’s hand.

“So Danger Sense can’t warn me if the attack isn’t aimed directly at me?” Izuku asked. “If someone leads the shot while trying to shoot me, it wouldn’t pick up on it?”

“It would.”

Izuku rubbed the bridge of his nose, then looked back at Hikage. ‘Wait, was that a hint of a smirk I just saw? Is he- Oh. Oh I see why he and Daigoro get along.’

“So someone trying to shoot where I’ll be would trigger Danger Sense, but you throwing rocks where I’ll be won’t.”

“No.”

Izuku took a very, very deep breath, then let it out. He considered for a moment, breaking apart the deeply unhelpful responses he’d received. ‘Obviously, I know intent matters. Intent is what Danger Sense is picking up on. So what’s the difference between the two? There’s no way he just randomly threw the rocks where I’d be… So maybe…?’

“Does Danger Sense have a blind spot of some kind?”

“In a sense.” Hikage nodded. Then, thankfully, he elaborated. “It didn’t warn you because I was aiming for things that weren’t you. You just happened to be in the way.”

“But they were still perfectly placed to hit me, or get close to it.” Izuku countered, then considered. “You figured out how I would dodge, then threw a rock at something else in a way that could hit me. But because you intended to hit something else, Danger Sense didn’t pick up on it?”

“Yes.”

Izuku sighed, then brushed crumbs or rock off his shoulder. “That seems like a very specific flaw in its awareness. How often did it come into play?”

“Many times, but only two people used it deliberately.” Hikage answered. “The battlefield is a hectic place.”

It clicked. “You were trying to warn me about stray shots?”

Danger.

“Yes.” Hikage nodded to him, then whipped around and hurled his rock at Daigoro. The Fifth User's Blackwhip hammock dropped a foot, and the rock sailed over him harmlessly. “Had you been in the way, Danger Sense would have warned you about the attack against him, but not that you were also in its path. Few would realize this weakness, or be able to void their intent as I do. But it shows a core weakness of Danger Sense.”

“It reads intent, but intent isn’t a perfect reflection of what an action causes.” Izuku realized. “It won’t warn me about accidents, and it might even be possible for people to trick it by ‘intending’ to do something that they don't consider an attack.”

“Very good.” Hikage began to walk towards Izuku, away from his pile of rocks. “Now for its offensive use.”

Izuku blinked. “It has an offensive use?”

“Punch me.”

Izuku hesitated. He had a well-founded suspicion that doing so wouldn't end well for him, but he doubted doing nothing would be much better. He squared himself, then darted out the quickest jab he could-

Izuku blinked the stars out of his eyes as he stared up towards the void sky above. He wasn't sure when exactly he'd ended up on his back, but he certainly was now. The grass tickled his cheeks, while the back and sides of his head and body were held firmly in place by the soil he’d been driven into. His lower body was embedded even more deeply from the feel of it. Once again, he’d received no warning pang.

“Did you intend to hit the ground with me, instead of hitting me with the ground?”

“No.” Hikage loomed over him with a tiny, almost invisible smirk. He released Izuku’s arm, and it flopped limply onto the ground above his head. “I turned Danger Sense off.”

“HAHAHA!” Daigoro’s bellowing laugh echoed across the clearing.

‘Blackwhip. We can grab and throw more things later if you drop him.’

“HAHAHahaaaaAAAAAAA-”

THUD.

‘Thank you.’

A strand of Blackwhip emerged from his forehead and happily wiggled at the upper edge of his vision.

With a groan, Izuku used his free arm to peel himself from the ground, then shook the lingering shock from his system. Hikage glanced at Daigoro’s prone form on the forest floor, then nodded appreciatively at Izuku.

“So, what was I supposed to learn from that?” Izuku glared pointedly at the uncannily accurate earthen imprint of his suit. “Clearly, you were able to see the attack coming a mile away and respond.”

“The moment you fully committed, I started to counter.” Hikage said. “Danger Sense can reveal not just where an attack is aimed, but both the type of attack and its point of origin. With that and experience, you can take advantage of likely openings before they happen.”

Izuku hummed appreciatively.

“I’ve enabled Danger Sense. I’ll attack now.”

“Wha-”

DANGER

The attack was coming for his head. Izuku focused, and the throb of Danger Sense seemed to unfold in his mind’s eye for a second. ‘Punch with the left hand aimed for the center of my forehead, moderate force.’

Izuku twisted even as the punch lanced towards him, and he grasped the arm as it extended. He turned in order to throw Hikage, then-

DANGER

‘Right knee approaching kidney, high force.’ Izuku let go with one hand and reached behind his back to push the incoming strike wide-

DANGER

‘Right elbow… head…’ Izuku winced as he jerked his head to the side. He suspected it wouldn’t be enough, but-

DANGER

Hikage used his momentum to roll with Izuku’s original throw, then retaliated with a throw of his own. Izuku was too overwhelmed by the sequence of events to do more than lash out with a desperate swipe as he passed through the peak of his arc, then he was once again on his back, ears deep in the soft earth.

“Skilled combatants can still counter your counter attacks.” Hikage said, evidently feeling more forthcoming than before. Maybe he felt bad for planting Izuku like a bed of flowers. Maybe Izuku had just lain in his hole for longer than he realized, and even Hikage had gotten impatient. “Perhaps another with Danger Sense is an unfair first opponent for this. Daigoro?”

Daigoro groaned, still sprawled across the rocks and roots where he’d fallen.

“I will tell him about the time you-”

“So, you need a sparring partner?” Daigoro asked, a hand covered with Blackwhip firmly planted over Hikage’s impassive face. “Lucky me.”

“...I’m sorry about the hammock?” Izuku offered.

“Nah, it’s fine. That was well done.” Daigoro waved Izuku’s concerns away flippantly. Then, like a switch had been flipped, he smirked darkly. “Besides, Blackwhip’s all excited about some Grabbing and Throwing , and this is a GREAT opportunity for that.”

“Uh. I’m supposed to be practicing counters?”

“Cool. Counter this, Punk! ”

“Rough time?” Yoichi glanced at Izuku over a comic book.

Izuku groaned at him from his position face down on the floor of the ruins, where he’d willed himself to appear after Hikage had deemed his progress acceptable. Blackwhip still wiggled happily from his cheek. It had greatly enjoyed getting to grab him and chuck him back and forth across the forest clearing, or outright into the woods, so often in the past few hours.

Daigoro hadn’t been mean about it, though that hadn’t lessened the intensity of the practice. Some level of legitimate threat was required for Danger Sense to function, which was the entire point. All the same, Izuku could have done with a little less time dangling upside down in Blackwhip’s grasp. Or a little more time. The preference had been entirely dependent on if he was airborne at the time.

“From what I could pick up on, it seemed like you were doing pretty good!” Yoichi said as he carefully closed his comic and set it on a small table next to his throne. “For having the Quirks all of, what, a little more than two and a half days now? You’re making great progress!”

“Tell that to the army of me-shaped pits all over Hikage’s little slice of paradise.” Izuku grumbled as he dragged himself upright. “I can make the grime disappear at will, and I still feel like I need a shower.”

“In fairness, you probably do.” Yoichi snorted. “Pretty sure whatever you did to wear out Boon before you got here would have left you more than deserving of one.”

Izuku grimaced. “Yeah, that probably won’t be a great sensory experience once I leave.”

“Eh, that’s later Izuku’s problem.” Yoichi smiled. “For now, I think you’ve earned a break.”

“As much as I want to keep going, I think I need one. Mentally, if not physically.” Izuku rubbed his eyes, more out of habit than anything. “Would I be interrupting anything if I went to Nana’s realm?”

Yoichi raised an eyebrow at him. “You could check yourself, you know.”

“You’re already aware of more things from their past than I am. I don’t want to accidentally spy on something they’d prefer to keep private.”

“So you’ll throw me under the bus instead, huh? There were plenty of things we didn’t see in Toshinori’s time.”

“You have a point.” Izuku said guiltily. “I’m sorry. I’ll just reach out to Nana-”

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m just messing with you a bit.” Yoichi waved him off. “You’re fine to jump in.”

“Thank you.”

Izuku took a step forward, and the ruins blurred into a new form. While the sky remained the same swirling darkness, as seemed inescapable in the Vestige Realm, it now once again featured the sight of Gran Torino’s apartment hanging upside down above him.

Much like Hikage’s realm, he found himself in a grove surrounded by tall trees, though these ones were Red Cedars. In the center of this clearing, however, was a house. It was modern style with two stories from what Izuku could see, and painted a light blue where it wasn’t constructed from wood likely harvested from the surrounding trees. He couldn't see anyone from where he stood, but Torino’s bubble of reality seemed centered somewhere behind the house, which looked to have a fenced in yard.

As Izuku jogged his way around the house, he heard a loud laugh that couldn’t be mistaken for anyone other than Toshinori, and a smile broke across his face. Izuku glanced upwards, and caught sight of Gran Torino in his rocking chair, a steaming drink in his hands and a massive stack of Taiyaki on a table next to him. Torino noticed him, and gave a little wave as Izuku rounded the corner of the house and jumped the fence into the back yard.

Toshinori lay on a yard chair, a titanic bottle of something Izuku guessed to be alcoholic in one hand and a tub of ice cream in the other, what looked to be a soup spoon buried in it. Next to him, a table with a selection of crunchy junk food looked like it had been ravaged by a bear. On the opposite side of the table, Nana relaxed on her own chair, a smile on her face as she watched Toshinori pour a concerning amount of whatever it was in the bottle down his throat.

Past Nana, En lay in the grass rather than a chair. He’d discarded his jacket in favor of a black tank top, and looked more content than Izuku had seen him before. That wasn’t really saying much, given Izuku hadn’t known him long, but the sight still struck him.

“Ah, Izuku!” Nana called once she noticed him. “Thanks for coming by! How did your training montage go?”

Izuku jogged to a stop just before them, then tilted his head to the side. He smacked the upward side while he conjured a small stream of dirt from the opposite ear. “It went well.”

Toshinori snorted a short stream of alcohol out of his nose, then began to laugh and cough simultaneously.

Torino started cackling.

“Yeah, that tracks for those two.” Nana got out between her own giggles. “One’s overenthusiastic, the other’s like a less openly snarky version of Torino.”

“Openly seems to be the operative word there.” Izuku groused. “Pulled his punches about as well, too.”

“Oh ho! A challenger!” Torino laughed from above. “A shame I can’t come down there and compare notes with him!”

“We’re never letting them in the same room again.” Izuku told Nana and En quickly. “Not allowed.”

En huffed, one eye open. “Best of luck telling Hikage what to do. He’s spent years perfecting his antisocial skills.”

Toshinori glanced at En, then up towards Torino. “Oh god, there really are two of them.”

“Hey!”

Once their banter had run its course, Nana had told Izuku to take a seat wherever he liked. He’d spawned a partly reclined sunchair, much like what she herself sat in but with more cushions. Izuku wasn’t actually sore, but the thought of something soft and comfortable had sounded fantastic.

“So.” Izuku said. “What were you talking about before I showed up?”

“Toshi was regaling us with some stories of his time in the states.” Nana said. “What did you say you were going to talk about next?”

“Ah! That would be the…” Toshinori glanced at his mostly empty bottle. “...Slightly ironic story about how David decided to cure his inventor's block by getting drunk and putting pieces together.”

“That sound… safe.” Izuku offered hesitantly.

“The off switch was inside the thing, behind a massive wall of lasers and knives on randomly moving tentacles.” Toshinori reminisced. “The knives weren’t much of a threat after a few minutes, because the lasers cut all of them off. Granted, that turned them into short lived, half molten projectiles that flew out of the top, but at least it took them out of the equation.”

“Um…” Nana eyed him warily. “What exactly was the thing even supposed to do?”

“Other than burn away most of my clothes when I dropped through the lasers to turn it off?” Toshinori blew out a breath. “I think it was supposed to be a really, really big toaster? He just forgot the bread.”

Silence.

“He was crushing hard on a girl with a gigantism Quirk at the time. I’d bet money it was for her. Never got a clear answer, unfortunately, given he didn't remember any of it the day after.”

More silence.

“How was your college experience more insane than my time in The Academy?” En asked. He sounded somewhere between baffled and offended at the idea.

“David.” Toshinori nodded sagely, as though that explained everything. Maybe it did. “That incident in particular actually helped prepare me for a real nasty villain I faced in Wisconsin…”

Chapter Text

“How was your college experience more insane than my time in The Academy?” En asked. He sounded somewhere between baffled and offended at the idea.

“David.” Toshinori nodded sagely, as though that explained everything. Maybe it did. “That incident in particular actually helped prepare me for a real nasty villain I faced in Wisconsin…”

Time passed in a blur. The vast majority of it had been spent listening to Toshinori recount the highlights of his life and hero work outside his pursuit of All for One, all involved happy to avoid the unpleasant topic. Izuku had been delighted to hear about some of his encounters with Star and Stripe during her early days.

Torino had occasionally poked in to heckle his old student, but for the most part had been oddly quiet.

Unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end. After hours of conversation, Toshinori began to flicker, wisps of golden flame drifting from his skin. He leapt to his feet with a yelp, twisting around to look at as much of his body as possible. “What’s happening?”

“It kind of looks like the opposite of what happened when you first arrived.” Izuku murmured, transfixed by the corona of golden fire that was forming around his mentor. “It probably means you’re waking up.”

Toshinori blinked at him, then slapped himself in the forehead. “I had an alarm set for 6:00am. Damn. ”

Nana floated from her seat to land in front of Toshinori. “Hey, at least you can both come back, right?”

“Whenever we can make it happen.” Izuku confirmed. “Toshinori shouldn’t be a problem during the week, given I can slip him some of Boon easily enough-”

“Hey!” Nana put on a frown about as convincing as Torino’s imitation of innocence. “I thought I called dibs on the weekends!”

“We’ll work on that.” Izuku conceded with a smile. “But Torino might be a bit harder, given how far away he lives from UA.”

“Fuck that.” Torino called down. “I’m not just going back to boring-ass retirement now that things have gotten interesting again. I can probably talk Nezu into letting me guest instruct now and then. My teaching days are far enough behind me that there shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“...I feel like Danger Sense should be going off.” Izuku muttered.

“Right there with you, my boy.” Toshinori whimpered. “He’s going to make sure none of you respect me ever again.”

“If you make it easy for me, that's your fault!”

“Sorahiko, be nice to Toshi!” Nana called in a way that made it clear this wasn’t a new request. “I already mentioned the potato gun incident to Izuku. I can arm him with more than enough to ruin your reputation too.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

Izuku stared at the contrite Gran Torino, then at Nana’s sweet smile. “That’s kind of terrifying.”

“Yup.” Toshinori agreed as his skin briefly flickered gold. “Crap, I probably don’t have much longer in here.”

Nana turned from Torino to wrap her arms around Toshinori as best she could. “It was amazing to see you again, Big Guy. I’m so happy you got to live your dream, even if… even if it all went so wrong at the end.”

Toshinori engulfed the much smaller woman in his arms, then once again buried his face in her hair. “I got to see you again. I think things are going great right about now, All for One’s zombie ass be damned.”

Nana snorted, but didn’t say anything.

For a moment, a peaceful quiet descended over the group. Then, there was a golden flash from the sky.

“Well, looks like we’re both heading out now.” Torino grumbled. “Probably for the best, we have quite the day ahead.”

Nana gently extracted herself from Toshinori’s grip, then floated up to the edge of her realm. Above her, Torino conjured a stack of boxes, then jetted up to stand atop it. They each pressed a hand to the barrier, as close to touching as they could get.

“Keep an eye on the brat while I’m not around, eh?” Torino asked. “You were always the sensible one.”

“I was, yeah.” Nana agreed. “It’s a miracle we made it as far as we did.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Torino snorted as he slowly began to turn transparent. “It was good to see you again, Airhead.”

“You too, Old Man.”

Torino groaned. “It was bad enough when you called me that in my 20s. Now I actually am one, and it somehow feels worse.”

“You’ll just have to live with it.” Nana laughed.

“I suppose I will.”

En, who’d watched the goodbyes from his position on the ground, chose that moment to stand.

“I’d like to thank you all.”

Nana turned to look at her predecessor, one eyebrow raised. “Oh?”

En nodded. “It was… you told me many times about the life you lead while my team kept All for One busy. It was good to know their plan worked, and that a One for All user’s life wasn’t completely dominated by the shadow of All for One looming over them.” En swallowed harshly, then tried to duck his face behind his collar. It took him a moment to remember he wasn’t wearing his coat, and he flushed slightly before he continued. “But seeing the home you lived in. Meeting not just your successor, but your friend. Seeing you all together. It helps make it all feel more real, as opposed to hearing it from yet another person All for One killed in the end.”

En took a deep breath as he looked around himself. “So thank you all, again. For letting me sit in on this. For showing me just what their sacrifice bought.” Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. “For proving my team right.”

Toshinori stepped forward and clasped En’s shoulder with a glowing hand. “Thank you, for turning them into such fine heroes. I aspire to do the same for my students, despite my…” Toshinori grimaced. “Admittedly poor start. Perhaps I can ask you for suggestions, some time?”

“I think I’d like that.” En smiled after a moment. “Maybe we can get Kudo in on it, start wearing away at some of his distaste for you.”

Toshinori nodded soberly. The golden flames surrounding him flared upwards for a second, and his eyes flashed a luminous white. He grit his teeth, then looked towards Nana in the sky. “I’ll… Visit… Soon.”

“I look forward to it, Toshi.” Nana smiled softly. “Just keep them as visits, will you?”

“That's… The… Plan.” Toshinori raised his hand, waved it weakly, then burst fully alight with golden fire. His features blurred and became indistinct, and his ethereal hand fell to hang limply by his side. The vestige blurred away, likely returning to its seeming default position on its throne in the core.

“Well, I don’t think I can manage that flashy of an exit, but I think I’m out of here too.” Torino said. He and his bubble of reality looked as if it were made of stained glass, and he was hard to pick out unless he moved. “Take care, Nana.”

“You too, Sorahiko.” Nana patted the barrier, then slowly began to descend. Torino nodded, then let out a sigh. He and his realm vanished in a small flash of gold, leaving behind an unadorned sky of flowing black. As she touched down, Nana turned to look at Izuku. “You’re heading out as well, I assume?”

Izuku nodded. “I’m heading home today, which means I get to explain all of this to my mother.”

Nana blew out a long breath. “I can kind of understand where he was coming from, given he thought All for One was dead. But man, suggesting you leave your mother in the dark on One for All has to be one of the worst ideas he’s ever had. And he apparently decided to drop himself into a weaponized super toaster to turn it off instead of just punching a hole in it.”

“Yeah, I don’t see this going great for anyone involved.” Izuku agreed. “But it’s what has to happen. No use wishing we’d done it differently now.”

“True enough.” Nana sighed, then stepped forward to wrap Izuku in a hug. “I know we’ve been throwing around a lot of ‘Thank you’s’ today, but here’s another. This has been the best day I’ve had since I woke up in One for All. Nothing could ever have gotten close, and I seriously doubt anything ever will again.”

“You’re welcome, Nana.” Izuku returned the hug. “Thank you for helping me through everything that’s happened in the past few days.”

“Gladly.” Nana pulled back. “Now get out there and keep Toshi and Sorahiko in line. I’m stuck in here, which makes you the voice of reason by proxy.”

“M-me?” Izuku gulped. “I don’t think that’ll go well.”

“Give yourself some credit, kid.” En said. “You’re handling all of this better than most of us probably would have.”

“If you say so…” Izuku gave En a somewhat wobbly smile. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good.” En put his hands into his jacket pockets even as they formed. “Take care, Izuku.”

“Will do.”

Izuku cast his focus outwards for a second, letting it touch on all the intertwined chords within One for All. ‘Thank you, everyone, for tonight. I appreciate the help in both setting things up for our guests, and for the help in training.’

A chorus of responses rolled in, along with well wishes for the day ahead from Yoichi and Daigoro. Then, Izuku focused his intent on two chords in particular.

‘Thank you both for letting him have this.’

‘Even if I don’t like some of the choices he’s made, the man deserves to have something nice happen for all the good he’s done.’ Kudo grumbled. ‘I’m not heartless.’

‘Nah, just a bastard.’ Bruce added.

‘And?’ Kudo challenged.

‘Just saying.’ Bruce chuckled. ‘We’re glad things went well, kid. We wouldn’t have caused a scene-’

‘You wouldn’t, maybe.’ Kudo grumbled. ‘We both know my temper.’

‘I wouldn’t have made a scene.’ Bruce amended. ‘But I’m not going to complain, given I got to relax in an actual bed for the first time in over a hundred years, instead of one of the abominations from the compound.’

Izuku didn’t hear Kudo say anything, but he felt a muted sense of agreement roll through his chord of power.

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Izuku said. ‘Maybe next time I can introduce you properly, even if it might not be a pleasant interaction to start.’

‘Your optimism is adorable.’ Bruce huffed. ‘But I would like to meet him, even if Kudo decides to postpone the apocalypse a bit longer. I won’t be nearly as bad as him, I guarantee it.’

Kudo didn’t respond.

‘...well.’ Izuku wasn’t entirely sure what to say. ‘Thank you both, regardless.’

‘No problem, kid.’ Bruce said as he pulled away. ‘Best of luck.’

Izuku blinked in surprise as his connection to the Second and Third user was cut.

‘Huh. Apparently there really is a mute button.’

Izuku opened his eyes to the light of dawn and clothes that were alternately crunchy where they’d been exposed to the air all night, and damp where they’d been trapped between him and the bed. ‘Oh, delightful.’

He rolled himself off the tattered comforter, gathered a set of fresh clothes from the bag that still hung from the corner of the desk, and made his way into the hall. From the thumping sounds he heard from Toshinori’s room, it seemed he was up as well, but Torino’s room was still silent. Izuku gently rapped his knuckles on Toshinori’s door.

“Is it alright if I grab a quick shower?”

“By all means, my boy! Wore yourself out before the party, I take it?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t sure if Boon would snap me out of it. I’m honestly not sure it changed anything.”

“Well, the effort was appreciated.” The door swung open to reveal Toshinori in one of the loose fitting golden suits he usually wore at UA. Though he was back to his gaunt self, there was an energy to him that made Izuku’s breath catch in his throat. Toshinori’s smile was wider, his eyes were brighter, and a tension that had seemed a permanent fixture of his existence had eased. “I just received an update from Nezu on the Dorm project, and they’re coming along quite well. He suggested we meet your mother at UA to discuss One for All, given it’s a much more controlled environment than an apartment complex. If all goes well, we can discuss where she might fit into UA afterwards.”

“That sounds perfect! I’ll shower quickly.”

Izuku spent the entirety of his shower cursing himself. Bits of him were still slightly sore from his spar with Torino from the previous day, and he wanted few things more than to just stand in the omnidirectional spray for another minute or ten. He didn’t let himself, though he mourned the loss as soon as he turned the water off.

After a quick check in the mirror, Izuku was pleased to note that many of his bruises had begun to fade, though the worst of them were still a mottled green. Thankfully, the shirt he’d grabbed was long sleeved, so the worst he’d have to worry about his mother seeing were the small bruises on his knuckles.

Dirty clothes bundled under an arm, Izuku stepped from the bathroom and nearly tripped over Torino.

“Oh! Sorry Torino, I didn’t see you there.”

“Don’t worry about it, kid.” Torino grumbled.

Izuku did a double take at the complete lack of heat in the elderly man’s voice. Torino watched him with heavy eyes that still showed hints of red. He looked exhausted, despite the fact that Izuku knew he’d been asleep all night.

“...Are you ok?”

“I’m fine.” Torino huffed, but crumbled almost immediately under Izuku’s disbelieving stare. “Fine, fine, that was bullshit. We both knew it. You don’t have to look at me like that.”

“Is it because of last night?” Izuku asked. “I’m really sorry you couldn’t-”

“Zip.” Torino pinched his fingers together, and Izuku immediately snapped his mouth shut. “I’m not upset with you that I couldn’t interact with Nana like Toshinori could. I already said what I got was more than I ever could have hoped for. I’m just… really feeling my age, right now. And seeing some of my more glaring mistakes in even clearer detail.”

“What do you mean?”

Torino absently rubbed his arm as he stared past Izuku into the main room. “Toshinori. Last night was the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time. It’s not surprising, really. I was the happiest I’ve been since her death too.” Torino sighed. “He told her so many things. Stories from America. The occasional fun thing he let himself get away with once he returned to Japan. And I realized something.”

“What?” Izuku asked gently. He’d never seen Torino like this. Even last night, he’d seemed happy despite the moment of tears he’d caught. Now, he seemed nothing short of despondent.

“I didn’t know damn near any of it.” Torino glanced at Izuku, his eyes glossy. “Sure, he told me a few things, but… it was almost always because they intersected with something relevant to our hunt for All for One. We didn’t have the bond he and Nana shared, back before she was killed, but we were still close. Then… she died. And part of us did too.”

“Grief can strain relationships.” Izuku offered.

“It wasn’t the grief that strained things. It was me.” Torino bit out. “Toshinori wanted revenge. I tried to beat it out of him, because I wanted it too but we weren’t strong enough to take it yet.”

Izuku fell quiet.

“I was always the harsh one. The taskmaster. Nana could be rough with him too, but her soft spot kept her from really drilling the lessons home.” Torino sighed. “When she was around to ease things, we could work around that. Once she was gone… I just kept getting harsher. Once he graduated and went to the states, I stayed here and destroyed my life. Broke it off with Chiyo in the hopes All for One wouldn’t care about her. Quit my job at UA because Toshinori wasn’t there to teach. Went underground to keep working with less of a traceable footprint. It all seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

Izuku blinked, then surreptitiously raised a hand to cover his mouth. ‘Ask about the part with Recovery Girl later.’

“But then Toshinori came back a new man. Larger than life. More powerful than I could have imagined. And I…” Torino stopped for a moment. “I was the same person, just worse. I pushed him hard, because I wanted revenge. We both did. But then, all of a sudden, we had All for One in our sights. It took years of constant effort, but it hardly felt like any time at all before we were mobilizing to take him down. Except…”

Torino lowered his head.

“I was the one who set Toshinori up to fail.”

“What?” Izuku asked before he could think. “That doesn't-”

“All for One baited Toshinori by playing on his desire for revenge. He taunted him with Nana. Stoked his rage. Then, while he had Toshinori blinded, he sprung his trap. Gutted him like a fish. It was only Toshinori’s pure, unadulterated stubbornness that let him pick himself up and take All for One down.”

“...oh.”

“Yeah.” Torino rubbed at his face. “I started to realize just how much I’d fucked up right around then. Then I fucked it up even worse by supporting the suggestion he retire after his injury.”

“In fairness, that was probably the sensible thing to do.” Izuku offered weakly, even as he reeled at the idea of All Might retiring so much earlier. “It would have caused other problems, but for Toshinori’s health, you weren’t wrong.”

“Oh, I know. So does he. But he wasn’t concerned with his health. Never has been. And me suggesting he retire? Give up? ME? ” Torino scoffed. “I was the one who’d driven him on for all those years. Only reason I’d tell him to give up was if I thought he couldn’t do it anymore. He took it as a damn challenge . I don’t think he’d have retired on the spot if I’d have shut my damn yapper and let the others do the talking, but he might have slowed down a little. Actually taken the time to recover as best he could.”

Torino spun and kicked the wall. His foot bounced off, and he hissed.

“But no. He pressed onward. I got out of his way. We barely spoke for years. Then I came along and poached his student because I didn’t think he was teaching right. ” Torino growled. “And yes, I know I was right about that too. But I could have done things in a way that wasn’t basically a slap to his face.”

Torino turned his back to the wall and leaned against it. He slowly slid the short distance to the ground and hung his head.

“And even after all that, I didn’t fully get it. It wasn’t until last night, where the three of us slotted back together and everything was wonderful, that I really realized just what had been going wrong all these years. That I was the one who’d pushed everyone away.” Torino’s voice got progressively quieter as he spoke, until he ended in a whisper. “And I don’t know how to fix it.”

Izuku stood frozen for a long moment, stunned into complete silence. Torino remained equally still, staring through Izuku as if he weren’t there. Carefully, like trying to approach a skittish animal, Izuku crept towards Torino and sat against the wall next to him.

“You could try telling him all this.” Izuku suggested. “He might have heard part of that anyway.”

“He’s getting breakfast.” Torino huffed. “And in case you didn’t pick up on it, I’m a grumpy old codger who’s so emotionally constipated it took more than half my life to realize I was the problem. You’re just the unlucky person who gets to deal with the emotional diarrhea that came after.” Torino let out a short, sharp laugh. “You seem to be dealing with an awful lot of that recently, between what Toshinori mentioned I slept through, Nana, and myself. The three of us should be paying you for your time.”

“It’s been an… eventful… few days.” Izuku agreed. “As far as fixing things go… you said that last night showed you what you’ve been missing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Toshinori feels the same way. Maybe that’s your opening.”

“Wedge myself back into Toshinori’s life now that you propped open the door?” Torino raised an eyebrow. “I think he’d let me do it, if only because he doesn't want me to try and kick his ass for saying no. But that doesn't seem like a good way to go about it.”

“Less wedge yourself in and more stand by the open door and see if you get an invitation. ” Izuku clarified. “From my perspective, it’s pretty obvious you both care. Given the opportunity, I think he’d like to give you a chance.”

Torino stared at him for a while. In the dimmed light of the hall, the wrinkles on his face looked deeper than they had before. For the first time, Gran Torino looked as fragile as his age would suggest.

“Maybe I can give that a try.” Torino said as he looked away. “Sorry to lay all this at your feet after everything you did to make the reunion happen. We old folks shouldn’t be doing this to you when your plate is already so full.”

“Heroes help people who need it.” Izuku said. “And a Hero is all I’ve ever wanted to be.”

Torino considered him for a moment before a small, genuine smile crawled onto his face. “And you’ll make a damn fine one, Izuku. If you don’t mind me calling you that.”

“Thank you. And absolutely, To-”

“Call me Sorahiko, kid.” Sorahiko grumbled as he clambered to his feet.

“Sorahiko it is.” Izuku smiled as he stood as well.

Just then, the door to Toshinori Yagi’s office swung open, and the man himself appeared with a large tray in his hands. “Who wants breakfast?”

After a split second of hesitation, Sorahiko’s face lit up. “Taiyaki?”

Toshinori rolled his eyes, but grabbed something off the tray with one hand and flung it their way like a frisbee. Torino jetted forward to intercept, caught the treat in his mouth, and sailed out into the main room.

“Wooo Taiyaki!”

Toshinori laughed raucously.

‘They’ll be just fine.’

Nana pulsed.

Izuku gaped.

“Young Izuku?” Toshinori asked. “Are you alright?”

“Uh.” Izuku managed. “Um?”

“Use your words, Zygote.” Sorahiko grumbled as he clambered from the back of the car. “What’s got you all- Oh. Well damn, the Rat’s still got it.”

“Ah, I see.” Toshinori nodded as he walked around the front of his car. “They’ve made remarkable progress, haven’t they?”

“IT’S BEEN, LIKE, TWO DAYS!” Izuku found his voice, and promptly used it as loudly as possible. “HOW ARE THEY ALMOST DONE BUILDING THE DORMS?!”

“Nezu.” Sorahiko said, sagely.

“Nezu.” Toshinori agreed.

“Nezu!” Nezu joined in as he pushed through the double doors of UA’s parking lot entrance. “I just received word from the front gate that Mrs. Midoriya will be arriving-”

“IZUKU!”

Toshinori was nearly flung over the hood of his car as Inko barreled through him to tackle her son. Izuku barely kept his footing as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest in a move alarmingly similar to Nana’s meteoric hug. Toshinori apparently noticed the similarities as well, as he stared at her for a moment before chuckling.

“Are you ok, Izuku? Are you still hurt? You haven’t been straining yourself after your fight with… with…” Inko swallowed, and Izuku caught the glimmer of tears on her cheeks. “With that nasty villain, right?”

“Uhhhh…” Izuku froze, resisted the urge to make sure his sleeves were still down, then stared directly over his mother's head. “No?”

Inko pulled back and stared at him.

‘Tenya gets full slack for not getting anything past Tensei.’ Izuku decided. “Recovery girl healed me up when she came to the hospital after the incident. I was fine before I even left. I kept training because I didn’t want to waste the rest of my internship, but I didn’t do anything while I was injured from fighting Stain.”

Inko seemed to waver for a second at the use of Stain’s name, but recovered quickly. “Well I’m glad to hear that. How did the rest of…”

Inko trailed off as she peered intently into Izuku's eyes. She gently grasped his chin and turned his head so the sun wasn't in his face, then gasped. “What happened to your eyes?!”

“That's due to one of the developments with my Quirk.” Izuku responded quickly. “We'll tell you more about it soon.”

“OH!” Inko finally seemed to remember there were more people present than just her and her son, and she spun to face the bemused Toshinori. “I’m so sorry for running into you, sir! I just saw Izuku and… and…”

“It’s quite alright, Mrs. Midoriya.” Toshinori chuckled lightly. “You’re far from the first person I’ve seen rush to check on a loved one regardless of who or what was in the way. My name is Toshinori Yagi.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yagi.” Inko bowed, as did Toshinori. Next, she turned to Sorahiko, and bowed again, though more stiffly. “You’re the hero Izuku was interning under, correct?”

“Sorahiko Torino, formerly and currently the hero Gran Torino.” Sorahiko said. “I apologize for my shortcomings during the internship. I should have ensured he was where I’d left him as soon as I dealt with the Nomu that attacked our train.”

Inko blinked in surprise. “You fought one of those monsters?”

“A weaker one.” Sorahiko waved a hand dismissively. “For all that he shouldn’t have been involved in the mess, Izuku acquitted himself exceptionally well in Hosu. Assisted in the rescue efforts, then only engaged in combat to save two more lives. You’ve raised a fine young man.”

Sorahiko’s words appeared to mollify Inko somewhat, which was a relief. It seemed Sorahiko could navigate social interactions without threats of violence or deliberately confusing people after all.

Finally, Inko turned to Nezu. “You’d be Principal Nezu, I believe. Thank you for inviting me to visit UA.”

“Am I a dog, a mouse, or a bear? Regardless, I’m pleased to have you here!”

“Um.” Inko blinked. “You kind of look like a stoat?”

“Another delightful possibility!” Nezu squeaked. “Now, if we could proceed to my office, we can address the several reasons behind your invitation.”

“The dorms being one?” Inko asked, shoulders slumping. She glanced in their direction, then did a double take. Izuku followed her gaze.

‘...did they add another floor while I wasn’t looking?’

“Indeed! I do hope I can convince you of their merit.” Nezu said. Toshinori pulled open the doors, and Nezu led the group inside. “UA has spared no expense in improving our security since the incident at the USJ, and these dorms in particular will be equipped better than most bank vaults. We’ve even secured the clearance necessary to utilize Dimensional Frequency Resonators, such as those used in high security prisons to prevent teleporters from getting in or out.”

“I should hope so. Things seem to be getting…” Inko gripped the hem of her sweater. “...Bad again. I haven’t heard of so many large scale attacks since before All Might took the Number One spot.”

It was a good thing Inko’s focus was on Nezu, because Toshinori’s steps faltered for a moment.

“We will see to it that our students are protected.” Nezu assured her.

Inko nodded stiffly, then turned to Izuku. “So, how was the rest of your internship, sweetie?”

“It was amazing!” Izuku gushed. “I’ve made so much progress with my Quirk! There's… uh… kind of a lot going on with it. But the part I think you'll be most excited by is this!”

With a flexion of will, Full Cowling ignited across his body. Inko startled slightly, then examined him closely. A wobbly smile graced her lips before she clasped her hands over her mouth.

“You glow! It’s like what happens when I use my Quirk on something!”

Izuku blinked, then glanced down at his arms. “Yeah, actually. I hadn’t considered that before, but it does kind of look like Attraction’s glow.”

“What does it do?” Inko asked. “Other than lighting up a room, that is.”

“It’s a smaller and evenly distributed form of my super strength.” Izuku said. He smiled as his mother’s eyes went wide and watery. “I can finally use some of my power safely.”

This time, when Inko slammed into him, she had all the impact of a feather striking a wall. He gently wrapped her in a hug, and he knew her tears were those of joy and relief. Hopefully that moment of happiness would help her handle what she was about to learn.

“This is my office.” Nezu said as he pressed a paw against the wall. The door swung open smoothly, and he waved everyone in.

Izuku guided Inko to a seat while Nezu settled into his chair behind his desk. Toshinori took up position behind the principal, then awkwardly crossed his arms. Torino hopped up to sit on the far corner of the desk, while Izuku stepped back to stand at its side.

Inko eyed the formation warily. “I get the impression that this won’t be a simple sales pitch. You’re SURE nothing else happened after the incident?”

“Well…” Izuku rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “Nothing after this incident . ”

Inko cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. “When, then?”

“...after the Sludge Villain incident?”

“A year ago?” Inko’s other brow rose to join the first. She glanced at the men next to Izuku warily. “What does that have to do with the Principal of UA, your Internship Mentor, and…”

Inko trailed off as she stared at Toshinori. “I'm sorry, but how exactly are you involved with my son?”

“I was… present for the Sludge Villain incident. Afterwards, I offered to train him in preparation for the UA entrance exam.”

“Oh! The meal plan, and the exercise equipment!” Realization flashed in Inko's eyes, then she glanced at Izuku. “I thought you said you'd gotten those online?”

“He didn't mention me at my request. My identity is something of a secret.” Toshinori said, then raised his hands in surrender as Inko began to rise from her seat. “In retrospect, I realize that was a particularly suspect sounding mistake. Correcting it is a large part of our meeting.”

Inko settled back into the chair, though her stormy expression remained. “Then I would recommend doing so quickly . Who exactly are you, Mr. Yagi?”

“Someone in a unique position to help Young Izuku achieve his dreams.” Toshinori said, then gulped when Inko’s eyes narrowed further. “I'll just get to it then. Please try to stay calm.”

Inko leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and glared at Toshinori.

In a flash, All Might stood in the room.

Inko continued to glare.

“I’m All Might.”

Inko continued to glare.

Delicately, Izuku stepped forward and waved a hand in front of his mother's face.

Inko continued to glare without so much as a twitch of a response.

“She might need a minute.”

Once Inko had recovered from her fainting spell, thankfully before Nezu overrode Izuku and called Recovery Girl, the explanation had begun in earnest. It had gone relatively well, in that Inko hadn't leapt across the desk to throttle Toshinori where he stood. Instead, she’d maintained a mostly blank expression despite the escalating absurdity of their story. She hadn't interrupted. She hadn't even spoken. She just listened.

She remained quiet for a time once their combined retelling of recent events had come to a close. The silence was ominous.

“To recap. You trained my son, in secret , with the express purpose of arming him with your Quirk. A Quirk which, as it turns out, was horribly detrimental to Izuku's wellbeing.” Inko grit out with all the warmth of an Arctic winter’s night. “Rather than inform me of its origins, I was kept in the dark to protect him and myself from some nebulous threat. As such, I was unable to properly support him through what was no doubt a particularly stressful point in his life.”

“It wasn't-”

“I'm talking to All Might, sweetie.” Inko turned a cheery smile Izuku’s way that was chillingly out of place. “I understand why you went along with everything. I just need to make sure I'm understanding his point of view.”

Izuku gulped and retracted his hand. ‘Sorry, Toshinori. I tried.’

“Now then. Gran Torino stepped in after you couldn't properly teach my son how to use this power with which you were deeply familiar. As a result, Izuku has finally found a way to use it without…” Inko bit her lip for a second. “Without nearly crippling himself when he does so. Which is a marvelous, wonderful, incredible thing.”

“Really, he figured it out himself.” Sorahiko hesitantly added. “He's a smart kid. I just had to shift his perspective a little.”

“My Izuku is a brilliant boy.” Inko agreed. “Which somehow didn't keep him from running off into an active combat zone the moment he wasn't supervised to pick a fight with a serial killer .”

Izuku raised a finger.

Inko smiled at him.

Izuku lowered his finger.

“I'm not even going to get into the madness of the magical generation spanning super Quirk being haunted, or its ability to redistribute Quirks. I know a fair bit, but I'm nowhere near educated enough in the nature of Quirks to have anything productive to say on the subject.”

Nezu made a small sound of approval.

“But the other thing the Quirk comes with is an ancient madman hell bent on retrieving it .” Inko hissed. “A madman capable of crippling All Might himself, and surviving what everyone in the know believed to be a thoroughly lethal injury.”

If looks could kill, Izuku was fairly sure they'd need a new Symbol of Peace much sooner than expected. The potent silence both dared a response, and warned that any attempt at speech would invite swift retribution.

Toshinori squared his shoulders and met Inko's glare. “A madman I believed I had killed for six years before I even considered the possibility of finding a successor. Had I found any indication of his survival in that time, I wouldn't have chosen a successor from among anyone outside the top 100 heroes without excellent reason. Had that been the case, I feel I’d have done the world a disservice by denying Izuku the chance to be a hero, but at least he would be safe.”

Izuku went rigid, but held his tongue. The feeling of Toshinori’s hand as it gently squeezed his shoulder helped somewhat, but he’d still caught his mother’s attention.

Inko took a deep breath, eyes fluttering closed. “I would like to speak with All Might alone for a moment.”

“Mom, I’m a part of this whether you like it or not. I’m not-”

“EVERYONE OUT!” Inko roared.

Izuku was outside the office before he realized he was moving. Sorahiko skidded to a stop just past him, a look of mixed surprise and respect on his face. Izuku spun to find Toshinori just inside the door, alarm clear on his face and Inko’s hand knotted in the back of his shirt.

“NOT YOU!”

The handle of the office door glowed green for a second, then it slammed closed with a force that rattled Izuku’s teeth.

Silence.

“I do believe…” Nezu mused aloud, which startled Izuku. He hadn't realized the principal had left with them. “This is the first time I’ve ever been kicked out of my own office.”

Toshinori stared down at the short, green embodiment of wrath that currently had a hold of him. He couldn’t fault her for her rage. Hell, he agreed with quite a bit of what she was saying. But Izuku was his successor, and for all that he wished the boy could live free of All for One’s shadow, he knew he could have never found a better person to pass his power to. His mistakes didn’t change that.

Inko released his shirt and began to pace. The office didn’t afford her too much space to do so, but he stepped out of her way so she could make the best of it. As she passed, Toshinori caught the quiet sound of her furious muttering, the words inaudible but the tone crystal clear. Finally, she stopped and once again turned to face him.

“My son has looked up to you since he found the video of your debut when he was three. Hell, he outright Idolized you for the majority of his life.” Inko ran her fingers through her hair with such force she mostly dislodged her bun, but she didn’t seem to notice. “You were the start of his desire to become a hero, and the desire to be like you is something that drove him onward through the worst parts of his life. Even when he was diagnosed as Quirkless. Even when I broke down and apologized that he couldn’t, instead of supporting his dream.”

Inko choked up, and Toshinori had to forcibly crush the instinct to try and help. That wouldn’t do anything good at the moment. She didn’t want his support, she wanted to know he was paying attention . That was something he’d been critically deficient in of late.

Inko recovered herself, then continued. “Then, after years of struggling against a world that didn’t believe in him, you come along. The hero he looked up to the most. The hero damn near EVERYONE looks up to the most. And you tell him that he can be a hero! All he has to do is train under you in secret, and accept the Quirk he can’t tell anyone anything about.” Inko’s voice edged into hysterics. “Except, once he does and discovers that the power in question actively destroys his body , YOU DON’T HELP HIM! He struggled on his own, trying to figure things out in the dark, unable to talk to anyone about it except the people who already knew, through you . I would bet every yen I have to my name that he didn’t speak to them, because he didn’t want to disappoint you, or to tarnish your name.”

Toshinori winced. ‘That… sounds like Izuku. Had he spoken with Nezu or Chiyo, they’d have at least mentioned the conversation took place unless he’d made them promise not to. Even then, they’d have tried to pull the strings for something to change. They… probably thought we’d already dealt with the issue by the time the Sports Festival rolled around, right up until he broke himself again.’

Inko stared at him, gaze continuing the assault her words had begun.

“Why?”

Toshinori considered for a moment. “Why did I choose him, or why did I fail him so completely?”

“The latter. I’ll decide if you keep your tongue long enough to tell me the former.”

‘Feral indeed.’

“Unfortunately, I lack any adequate explanation.” Toshinori admitted tiredly. “At first, it took me largely by surprise. When I received the power, I was immediately able to use it without harm. To my knowledge, the same had been true for each of my predecessors. I suspected it might prove difficult for Young Izuku, but I certainly didn’t expect the degree of injury it caused.”

Inko’s eyes widened and her nostrils flared, but Toshinori continued anyway. “Afterwards, it was simply my incompetence. I incorrectly believed that Young Izuku would adapt to the power, and would soon wield it with little issue. I was so blinded by my experience, my belief that it would work out as it had in the past, that I failed to consider that it might not.” Toshinori slumped. “Then my old teacher swooped in and set Izuku on the proper path. I… realized then, in full, how much of a damn fool I had been.”

“You realize you’re not making yourself sound any better with this, yes?” Inko growled.

“I’m well aware.” Toshinori agreed. “The truth reflects poorly on me. I won’t shy away from that. I’ll face whatever consequence you see fit, so long as they do not prevent me from ensuring Young Izuku remains as safe as possible, and receives the training he needs.”

“And what, exactly, do you deem necessary to keep him safe?”

“I won't leave UA, even if you feel I must step back from teaching him personally. My presence is too much of a deterrent for criminals, All for one Included. I will accept needing to interact with Izuku privately only under your supervision, but I won't agree not to see him at all. I will not abandon him .” Toshinori said forcefully. Then, his face darkened. “I will ensure All for One is dealt with , even if it costs me my life. There will be no miraculous return this time. ”

Inko flinched slightly, but her gaze never stopped boring into his soul. Toshinori lay himself bare before it. “I failed Izuku before. I will not do so again.”

“You genuinely care about him, don’t you?” Inko sighed, almost as if she were disappointed by the revelation. Or that such an admission meant she wouldn’t be ripping out his tongue. “Why did you choose my son in the first place? I know you saved him from the Sludge Villain. Was it something to do with that?”

“That day, he reminded me of what it truly means to be a hero.” Toshinori admitted. “For a long time, I’d been letting my ideals go. My life was a ruin, my health a travesty, and all I had left was the scant few hours of time I could spend as All Might each day. It was horrifyingly easy to forget who I was when I wasn’t running around the country like I had in my prime. Then came Young Izuku, so earnest in his desire to help simply because someone needed it.”

Toshinori smiled wistfully at the memory. “That, more than anything, was what convinced me he would be the right person to give One for All to. That kind of genuine, unwavering heroism is painfully rare, and the sheer intensity of it…” Toshinori felt his eyes prickle with unshed tears. “To deprive him of the opportunity to achieve his dream, to deprive the world of the hero he could be? That would have been a greater mistake than I could ever make up for. Young Izuku was born to be a hero, Mrs. Midoriya. He’s a marvel, and some day he’ll be a greater hero than I could ever hope to be. I’ve only become more sure of that with every passing day.”

Toshinori shook himself from his reverie, and found Inko staring at him. Unlike before, however, the heat in her eyes had been replaced by a stream of tears. She blinked as they gazed at each other, and her tightly pressed lips wobbled.

“It would be so much easier if I could just hate you for what you did. For the danger you put him in.” Inko whispered. “But then you go and see the same thing I do in him, when nobody else ever bothered to take a second look.”

Inko lowered herself shakily into a seat and pulled a handkerchief of her own from her pocket. She dabbed at her eyes, though the action was futile in the face of her continued tears.

“I’ve been torn on Izuku being a hero for most of his life. It was so obviously what he wanted, and he was so passionate about it. But at the same time, I wanted to keep him safe from the world. I know the kind of dangers Heroes can face. I’ve seen the casualty reports. That’s not the kind of thing any parent wants to send their child into.” Inko whispered. “And it was made all the worse when things started to go wrong around Japan again. The crime rate slowly rising. Heroes doing less. Then came the Hero Killer, the USJ invasion, and now the attack on Hosu.”

Inko’s watery gaze rose to meet Toshinori’s. “I’m old enough to clearly remember what life was like, for civilians and for heroes, before you came back from the states. The staggering crime rate. The disastrous attacks. The death tolls.” Inko choked down a sob. “Before, I was worried that things might be inching back that way, and I was terrified Izuku would have to contend with a fraction of what I experienced as a child. Now, though? Now I know your retirement is almost here, even though I don’t think Japan is ready for it. And I know for a fact that Izuku won’t just be one of the ones to face that down, he’ll be leading the charge in your stead.”

Carefully, Toshinori moved a chair so he could sit across from her. His gangly self looming over her wouldn’t help anything.

“I’d like to think things will be better off after I retire than they were before. I don’t doubt that things will get worse for a time, because unrest follows on the heels of change. But I believe that other heroes will step forward to help fill the gap I leave.”

Inko looked up at him, and a flash of her former heat returned. “How much attention do you pay to the average, every day hero?”

Toshinori blinked. “I can’t say I keep up with many of them. On occasion, I might look into an up-and-coming hero when they catch my attention; I still remember Miruko challenging me to a street brawl when I stumbled upon her during her internship with Foxfire. But… I can’t say I’m particularly familiar with much of the rank and file.”

“I can’t say I expected you to be. I’m sure that you’re quite busy, between your agency and the time you spend teaching. And, in fairness, some of this may just be my anecdotal experience.” Inko sighed. “But after the heroes on site bungled the Sludge Villain incident for so long, I started noticing things. At first, it was small things. A few heroes lounging here and there, who might have been on a break. A hero not responding to a call for help because they saw another already on the move. Things that unsettled me a little, but were easy enough to dismiss. But then…”

Inko pulled out her phone, and rapidly began typing. After a moment, she showed him an article from a website he was distantly familiar with.

“...The Dark Wards: The Places Heroes Forgot.” He read the title aloud. “That sounds awfully dramatic.”

“It goes over the correlation between the relative wealth and registered population size of certain areas, and how well patrolled they are by heroes.” Inko explained. “Obviously, somewhere with a small population size is going to have fewer heroes. But some areas that have a higher population of poorer citizens, even in areas of large cities, can see far fewer heroes than even those remote small towns. Even if they have disproportionately high crime rates, fewer heroes patrol because doing so garners less attention.”

‘That… can’t be right.’ Toshinori frowned as he scrolled through the article. He was fairly sure that the publication it was from had been known for its stellar journalism the last he was aware of, but he hadn’t paid it much attention. As he scrolled, he noted the assorted graphics that highlighted various assertions by the author. Each had a laundry list of citations, which he’d have to dig into at another time. On the surface, though…

“This is… disturbing.” Toshinori glared at the phone. “When I first returned to Japan, the poorer areas were where I focused my initial efforts. I never told the media, but I grew up in an area like that. It’s where I met Nana, my predecessor, as well.”

Inko blinked at him in shock. “You?!”

Toshinori hummed in affirmation. “There’s probably a record somewhere of some half feral blond thug who went around slums trying to hit villains with a bat. Really, it’s a good thing Nana showed up when she did, because I’m fairly sure I had caught the attention of the Yakuza by that point. Not that I’d actually managed to do anything meaningful to them at that time.”

Inko’s jaw worked for a while as she stared at him.

“I’m sorry.” Toshinori winced. “I made this about me.”

“N-No! No. It’s a-alright.” Inko stuttered. “It’s just… shocking to have you tell me something like that so casually. The public really doesn't know anything about your past.”

“That’s by design.” Toshinori grunted. “But you’re far more than just some member of the public, now.”

“So I am.” Inko sighed. “Though hopefully the public won’t know that for a long, long time.”

“Agreed.” Toshinori nodded, then passed her back the phone. “Back to what you were saying?”

“Of course.” Inko nodded. “There are other articles covering a range of issues, from the increasing number of ‘Celebrity Heroes’ who treat the job as a means to garner attention with minimal heroic work, to a general decline in the proficiency of active heroes. The last one is a bit shakier than the rest, but reflects my personal observation with an alarming level of accuracy.”

Puzzle pieces were snapping together in Toshinori’s head, and he did NOT like the picture they were forming. “You’re saying that the relative peace of the last decade has made some heroes complacent.”

“To a degree.” Inko agreed hesitantly as she watched him warily. “While many of the upper ranks of heroes still reflect a more heroic attitude, I worry about how many of the lower ranks would remain if their safety net disappeared.”

Toshinori frowned. “For all that I’ve tried to hide it, I’ve been doing less and less heroics work ever since my injury. The difference between my 50 minutes a day, a non-zero amount of which is dedicated to teaching at UA, shouldn’t be enough to so completely undermine the heroics industry. It’ll be a blow, sure, but Endeavor surpassed me in Yearly Cases Solved back before my injury, at least going by the HPSC’s records. He might not be able to cover distance like I can, but-”

“Endeavor has a fine track record of cases solved. But you seem to be overlooking something.”

Toshinori raised a brow.

“You make people feel safe.” Inko said gently. “The idea of you standing between me and danger feels a great deal safer than Endeavor looming above me with that glower of his, even if it’s aimed at a criminal.”

Toshinori frowned. “Be that as it may, Endeavor is legitimately a more prolific hero than I am right now. How people see him doesn't change that fact.”

“People see you as being almost everywhere and nigh invincible despite the fact that you’re apparently only active for less than an hour a day, because that’s the image you’ve crafted.” Inko pointed out. “Like it or not, how people perceive the strongest heroes is important. Villains worry you’ll drop out of the sky on them whenever they commit a crime. Heroes believe you’ll always be there to bail them out if something goes wrong. Civilians know no disaster will be a complete loss, because you can sweep in and save the day. Do you think any of them would feel the same about Endeavor? Anyone in the top 10? Anyone at all?”

Toshinori stared at the small woman in front of him, and found he had no answer. He considered the stricken look he’d seen on Tensei’s face just the day before, when he’d revealed his expected retirement. The flash of horror and hopelessness the young former hero had buried just barely too slow to hide it from Toshinori’s experienced eye. The way he’d jumped at the opportunity to help prepare Japan in any way he could, as though it were something even more urgent than Toshinori himself believed it to be.

“You’ve made some exceptionally compelling points, some of which have completely recontextualized things I thought I understood.” Toshinori sighed.

Inko looked up at him, her shock clear. “I did?”

Toshinori blinked. “...You didn’t think you were?”

“No, no. I hoped I was. I just…” Inko flushed. “I didn’t think you would really listen to me? I’m just a civilian stay-at-home mother who started looking into some of the pitfalls of her son’s career path. It’s not like what I’ve done is all that special.”

“The information might have been out there for me to find, but that does me no good if I never found it. Considering how busy I’ve been for…” Toshinori considered. “...basically my entire career, I didn’t fully consider the negative impact I might have had. That revelation comes distressingly late, but perhaps not so late that nothing can be done.”

Inko nodded firmly. “That’s one of my conditions, then.”

“Your conditions?”

“For allowing you to continue training Izuku.” Inko sighed. “I know he wouldn’t listen to me if I tried to stop him at this point. While I’m still deeply unhappy about all of this, I recognize that you and UA represent the best chance he has to stay safe. So, I’ll agree to his continued attendance, and to the Dorms, so long as you agree to a few conditions.”

“Name them.” Toshinori didn’t hesitate for a second. “I’ll honor them to the best of my ability.”

“Firstly, there’s what we were just discussing. I want you to do what you can to find any weak links in the heroics industry before your retirement, then continue working on any that remain afterwards.” Inko said. “Secondly, I want to supervise any extracurricular training between you and Izuku, or with Gran Torino. I want to make sure Izuku isn’t being mistreated in a way he can’t see past his respect for you.”

“Done and done.” Toshinori agreed instantly. I’ll set a subsection of my staff on research duty as soon as possible, and begin considering my options once I feel I have a working understanding of the issues.”

Inko nodded. Then, some of the cold sternness in her demeanor thawed. “Thirdly, don’t sacrifice yourself in order to defeat All for One, if at all possible.”

Toshinori’s agreement lodged in his throat as he registered what she’d asked. “What?”

“I want you to live.” Inko said, a flash of concern behind her eyes. “Is that so shocking?”

“I suppose not, but…” Toshinori sighed. “It will be no simple task to defeat All for One. I suspect he’s in nearly as bad a condition as I am, given he hasn’t personally launched an attack. But I was also certain he was dead the last time. My life may be the least I have to sacrifice to defeat him, and I’ll do it without hesitation if it’ll keep Young Izuku safe.”

“I appreciate the lengths you’re willing to go to for his sake. But you mean more to Izuku than even I know. Your death might ensure his life, but his life would be diminished by your death. For the sake of his happiness, please try to live.”

Nana grew smaller in his vision as her push propelled him backwards. He saw her look back, saw her lips move, but couldn’t hear her. Sorahiko slammed into him, pushing them both further away from Nana. His throat hurt from words he hadn’t consciously yelled. Nana was barely a dot. The wind howled. He screamed. “Mom-”

Fushigi Island exploded.

Toshinori blinked, and he was once again looking at Inko, rather than living his worst memory. He unclenched his fist carefully, hopeful that she hadn’t noticed his lapse.

“I will try.”

Inko nodded her acceptance. “If I determine further conditions are necessary, I’ll let you know. But these should be the most important ones.”

“Fix the hero system, let you sit in on training sessions, and kill the strongest villain in history for the second time without dying.” Toshinori mused. “That second one sounds like a doozy.”

Despite herself, Inko let a single small laugh slip out. “I’m sure it’s well within your abilities.”

“It had better be.” Toshinori agreed. They settled into a silence that was less awkward than he’d been expecting, but was still uncomfortable. “Should we let the three of them back in?”

Inko blinked. Her eyes darted past Toshinori to the empty desk, around the rest of the room, then back to him. Slowly, she turned beet red. “...Oh dear.”

Izuku watched on as his mother bowed feverishly to Nezu even as she apologized profusely.

“Really, Mrs. Midoriya!” Nezu chuckled delightedly. “It’s quite alright! If anything, that has to have been one of the most compelling applications I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving!”

Inko continued bowing for another few seconds before she came to an abrupt stop. “...Application?”

“With the transition into a dorm school, we’ve opened up a number of positions at UA. While Ectoplasm has volunteered to handle as many of them as he can until applicants can be vetted, there’s only so much even he can do. Among the most urgently needed personnel are Dorm Building Supervisors.” Nezu explained. “Considering your background in home economics, the circumstances surrounding Izuku and yourself, and your demonstrated ability to command a room when needed…”

Inko flushed scarlet once more, but her focus remained laser focused on Nezu.

“I would like to extend you a preliminary offer for the 1-A Dorm Building Supervisor position, contingent on a quick interview we can have shortly.” Nezu continued with a wide grin. “Between you and me, though? You’d have to work exceptionally hard to talk me out of hiring you at this point. I find myself quite impressed already.”

Inko blinked. Her jaw worked. Then, a radiant smile broke across her face, even as unshed tears once more glistened in the corners of her eyes.

“I would like that very much!”

Chapter Text

Inko blinked. Her jaw worked. Then, a radiant smile broke across her face, even as unshed tears once more glistened in the corners of her eyes.

“I would like that very much!”

Izuku considered his shelf critically, arms crossed and eyes squinted in concentration. He wanted to make sure each piece of his collection had enough room to stand out, but at the same time needed to use his limited space well. A colorful array of heroes adorned each section of the shelf, and while All Might still dominated, he’d made sure to give other heroes a place of honor as well. Many of the teachers at UA held prominent positions, along with a scattering from up and down the Hero Billboard who’d caught his eye.

Despite his best efforts, however, something about the arrangement just didn't sit right with him. He’d been having a bit of trouble concentrating, and the headache he'd been nursing for most of the day wasn't exactly helping anything. He resigned himself to yet another attempt to rearrange the shelf, but was almost immediately distracted by his newest addition. It was enshrined in his nicest plexiglass case, and hidden as best he could without the indignity of outright stuffing it in his closet. Much as it deserved to be the indisputable centerpiece of his collection, this was the most he could risk.

Following his mother’s acceptance of the Dorm Supervisor position after her interview, Toshinori and Sorahiko had escorted them back to their apartment so they could pack. The heroes had alternated between keeping watch for any signs of danger and helping the Midoriyas… which had resulted in both eventually seeing Izuku’s room.

Toshinori had seemed somewhere between impressed and embarrassed by the sheer expanse of his collection. All the same, he’d paid close attention to Izuku’s hoard of All Might merch, much to Izuku’s thermonuclear embarrassment. Sorahiko would likely never let either of them live it down.

Thankfully, Nezu had let them borrow some of UA’s moving equipment. They’d been more than a little worried about how many of their belongings they’d be able to bring to the dorms, but between Inko’s ground floor apartment and Izuku’s 2nd floor dorm, they had a surprising amount of room to work with.

Once they’d returned to UA, Toshinori had bowed out. Evidently, in his search for a local house to provide for Inko should the on-site living situation fall through, he’d found one that struck his own fancy. Sorahiko had opted to join him on the tour, which Toshinori had seemed both surprised and pleased by. Before they’d left, however, Toshinori had pulled a small wrapped package from one of his jacket pockets. “A small housewarming gift.” he’d called it as he handed it to Izuku.

Izuku hadn't even gotten half way though unwrapping the gift before he'd nearly fainted on the spot.

Inko, unfortunately, had done it for him after she took a peek at what had him so flustered. He’d talked about high-value collectables enough that she recognized it on the spot. Thankfully, she'd managed to make her way to a seat before the lights had gone out entirely.

At first, he’d thought it was just an All Might: Debut Edition figurine. As in, All Might’s AMERICAN debut. It was the first line of All Might merchandise ever made, of which there were only 5,000 ever created. As such, it was… very collectable. As in, lightly damaged copies cost several thousand US dollars, and a pristine, in-box and signed copy had recently sold for several HUNDRED thousand. But no. No, it wasn’t JUST that.

It was Toshinori’s review copy. Freshly signed. Completely unique.

Izuku would have cried if he wasn't absolutely terrified his unworthy tears might tarnish the literal treasure in his hands, something probably worth more than the actual All Might's weight in gold. His fingerprints being on the box was enough of a travesty, not to mention it had been in Toshinori’s pocket while he helped them move.

Toshinori had seemed concerned that Izuku didn’t like his gift. That deeply incorrect assumption lasted exactly as long as it took Izuku to remember how to speak human languages rather than incomprehensible gibberish. After that, Toshinori had been gobsmacked by the idea that some plastic could possibly be worth that much, while Sorahiko had simply stared in blank incomprehension.

Izuku was shaken from his memories by the sound of a car door slamming closed. He glanced through his front window, and saw a large silver sedan parked in front of the building. He was just in time to catch a head of navy blue hair before the back hatch of the vehicle opened and blocked his line of sight.

‘Is Tenya here already?’ Izuku thought in surprise. He carefully set his treasure down, then jogged from his room and down the stairs. ‘I know he likes to be early, but a whole day seems a bit much…’

Izuku opened the front doors of the building and took a better look at the car. Sure enough, Tenya sat in the front seat, and his friend waved crisply in greeting.

“Mom!” Izuku called as he leaned back through the door. “Do you know anything about Tenya moving in early?”

“Nezu gave me a heads up earlier!” Inko replied. “I thought it would be a nice surprise!”

Izuku smiled, then darted down the front steps. As he approached, a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Tenya helped his friend into a wheelchair.

“Izuku!” Tenya greeted him chipperly. “I’d like to introduce you to my mother, Yuzu Iida! Mother, this is Izuku Midoriya.”

A look of recognition flashed in Yuzu’s eyes, and she smiled at Izuku before she bowed as deeply as she could from behind Tenya’s wheelchair. “Thank you so much for saving my son, Midoriya! I don’t want to think about what might have happened if you hadn’t intervened.”

“Tenya more than returned the favor. It’s wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Iida.” Izuku said, then turned to Tenya. “So, I hear you’re moving in early?”

“I am!” Tenya puffed up his chest. “I negotiated with the Principal so that I could both receive earlier treatment from Recovery Girl, and be present to perform my Class Representative duties. Even if I’m not in top condition in time to help fully, I can at least help organize everyone moving in tomorrow! Admittedly, I didn’t realize you’d be here early as well.”

“Ah! I forgot to tell you!” Izuku rubbed the back of his head. “My mother was hired as the 1-A Dorm Building Supervisor, so we just finished moving in ourselves. I’m in the first room on the second floor.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! My little man is in room 2-2!” Yuzu smiled. “It seems you’ll be neighbors!”

“I’m not a child, Mother-” Tenya managed to make even his grumbling sound faintly formal, but that was cut off when Yuzu ran her fingers through his hair. Tenya relaxed into the contact for a moment before he remembered himself and glanced towards Izuku. He flushed slightly, but didn’t pull away. “Please, Mom?”

“Oh hush. You’re moving out several years ahead of schedule, so you can deal with a little extra mothering for one evening.” Yuzu replied primly, though there was an amused smile on her lips. “Midoriya seems like a nice boy, I doubt he’s going to judge you for it.”

“By all means, Mrs. Iida.” Inko said as she stepped up next to Izuku and lightly pinched his cheek. “After all, my Izuku doesn't exactly have a leg to stand on, do you sweetie?”

This time, it was Izuku’s turn to blush.

Inko released Izuku’s cheek and bowed to the Iidas. “My name is Inko Midoriya. It’s wonderful to meet the both of you!”

“Likewise.” Yuzu replied. “I was tempted to apply when I heard about the openings, but in the end I thought letting Tenya experience dorm life on his own would be for the best. I do fear that retirement is going to be rather boring without him around, sadly.”

“Oh, it would drive me mad!” Inko agreed with a laugh. “It was bad enough being a stay-at-home mother while Izuku was at school. I don’t know what I would have done with myself without him to look after.”

“I’m considering taking up art.” Yuzu admitted. “It’s perhaps a bit late, but…”

“...would you like to see the dorms?” Izuku whispered to Tenya as their mothers continued to talk. They’d hit it off immediately, and while it had been interesting to hear about Yuzu’s time as the hero Vivacity, the two had been circling closer and closer to baby stories ever since. Izuku wasn’t sure he wanted to be present for that, given what he knew his mother would be sharing.

“Yes, please.” Tenya seemed equally inclined to escape. “I’m scheduled to see Recovery Girl at 6:00pm, but we made much better time than expected. Mother wanted to stop in and inspect the dorms until my appointment, but I think she’s found a different priority.”

Izuku wheeled Tenya up the ramp by the stairs, then through the front doors. Once inside, Tenya looked around with interest. “As expected, UA spared no expense on these dorms. The quality is truly spectacular, especially considering the speed of their construction.”

“Isn’t it?” Izuku agreed. “I saw some of the buildings still under construction when we came in this morning to tell Mom about… everything. Apparently Cementos, Power Loader, Pixie-Bob from the Wild Wild Pussycats, and an army of construction robots are a fearsome combination. It’s a shame Pixie-Bob was only here for the first day, I would have liked to get her autograph…”

“Your mother didn’t know?” Tenya glanced over his shoulder at Izuku as he wheeled them into the elevator, a disbelieving expression on his face. He began to chop an arm furiously. “That seems uncharacteristically shortsighted of you, Izuku!”

“You’re right, and it went about as well as you might expect as a result.” Izuku winced. At least Toshinori had survived being locked in a room with the Mother Bear out for blood. “But she’s been informed, and that’s part of why she was considered for this position.”

“Is that not Nepotism?” Tenya looked aghast.

“She wasn’t just given the position, though she managed to make a… convincing case before Nezu officially interviewed her.” Izuku said, defensive. “We were assured that the only favoritism shown was that she was recommended for the position in the first place. She’s fully qualified, and earned her place.”

“Of course. I apologize.” Tenya seemed mollified, though somewhat guilty. “And your circumstances make such maneuvering understandable regardless, even if it required the rules be… circumvented.”

“It’s ok, Tenya.” Izuku sighed through a small frown. ‘Why am I so irritated? I know he didn’t mean anything by it…’

Izuku tried to clear his head as they stopped before room 2-2. Tenya pressed a finger into the biometric scanner affixed to the front, and the door swung open for them. “Well, this is your room. They’re pretty nice, from what I can see. Especially the showers. I think Toshinori may have put in a recommendation for those as well, actually. They're pretty similar to the one he had at Might Tower.”

Tenya sent him a glance that might have been faintly envious. “What was that like? Tensei said it’s an incredible office.”

“I didn’t actually see much of it?” Izuku rubbed the back of his head. “I stayed in his penthouse or his basement gymnasium to keep people from knowing I was there.”

“Ah.” Tenya slowly shook his head. “You just… stayed behind the Might Gate. That’s all.”

“Yeah. It kind of didn’t feel real, at first.” Izuku blushed. “If I let myself focus on that fact, I sort of go into fanboy mode all over again? So… I try not to think about it too much.”

Tenya adjusted his glasses, then just… stared at him for a second. “You know, I think I understand how you feel. If I let myself consider everything that I know about… all of this, now, I find myself wondering if it’s all just a particularly vivid dream.”

“It feels so absurd, sometimes.” Izuku nodded in agreement. “Like somewhere along the way, I lost contact with reality, and never really got a grip on it again.”

“That’s quite an apt way of putting it.” Tenya agreed. “Better than Tensei’s metaphor about doctors forgetting to turn off the morphine drip, at the very least.”

Izuku snorted a surprised laugh. “How is he doing, by the way?”

“Better in some ways.” Tenya rubbed his brow tiredly. “He’s relieved to finally be out of the hospital, and he already purchased a specialized vehicle for people in his condition, so he’s able to be somewhat independent. But… for all that he’s trying not to let it show, he’s still grieving his situation, obviously.”

Tenya covertly wiped at his eyes as he readjusted his glasses, then glanced at Izuku. He hesitated for a moment, then continued. “We’ve decided we would like to proceed with the transfer, if you’re still amenable.”

“Absolutely.” Izuku agreed without hesitation. “I’ll help however I can. That’s what this power is for, after all.”

Tenya set his shoulders, then nodded again. “Do you know when Recovery Girl will be free?”

“I haven’t had the chance to ask her yet.” Izuku admitted. “If it’s alright, maybe I can come with you to your appointment. I’ll see if I can talk to her before you go in, so I can make sure she knows about Boon as well. We need to load you up with as much of it as you can handle before she treats you, so it can speed up your recovery like it did back at the hospital.”

“That seems reasonable.” Tenya nodded. “I’ll let him know you’re willing, but that we need to coordinate with Recovery Girl first. As for Boon… how exactly does it work?”

Izuku gestured for Tenya’s hand. Once he had it, Izuku let a sliver of the 50% he had on hand flow into his friend’s palm, then released his grip. Tenya pulled it back, then inspected the luminous ring on his palm.

“I vaguely remember something like this feeling.” Tenya murmured as he gazed down at his hand. “How are you going to explain this as a facet of your Quirk? Especially given that Todoroki is aware of its connection to Dr. Kinenkō?”

“Well, I’ll have to rely a lot on how inconsistent Quirks are.” Izuku admitted with a groan. “Currently, my working story is that the energy that fuels my Quirk is just really, really malleable? That enhancing my body with it was the easiest way to use it, but once I started getting better control of it, I figured out how to manifest it differently. That would cover Blackwhip as some kind of physical manifestation, and can maybe explain Danger Sense as a kind of bubble around me that detects attacks. As for Boon, maybe it’s a successful imitation of Kinenkō’s Quirk with my own?”

“You don’t sound especially confident in that explanation.” Tenya observed. “What happens if someone suggests you try emulating another Quirk as you say you did with Boon?”

“Well, no. It’s not a great explanation if anyone really starts picking away at the details.” Izuku signed. “But there are other people in the world with astoundingly versatile Quirks, though they tend to be ridiculously powerful like Star and Stripe from America. For now, hopefully it’ll be enough. But there are still four Quirks from the previous users that I haven’t been able to use, plus whatever Quirk from the Nomu that hasn’t manifested yet. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep up the facade, no matter how vague an explanation I give.”

Tenya nodded soberly. “It’s a conundrum. Regardless, I will help in any way I can.”

“Thank you, Tenya. I really appreciate it.” Izuku smiled at his friend. “Honestly, being able to talk to someone my age about it helps a lot. It’s been… hard, trying to keep from saying something to you or Uraraka.”

“Well, then I’m glad to be of assistance.” Tenya smiled, then glanced at his phone. “We still have 13 minutes until we should make our way towards UA to arrive suitably early. We could suggest to my mother that we leave shortly, so that you could speak with Recovery Girl for a moment prior to my procedure.”

“You don’t think she’d mind?”

“Goodness, no.” Tenya shook his head, then glanced furtively towards the door. “And regardless, it might be in both of our best interest to interrupt them. I honestly expected my mother to have come looking for me by now.”

“...That’s a very compelling point.” Izuku agreed.

Their first sign that they were too late was when the elevator doors opened to the sound of gleeful laughter. The second was the sight of their mothers huddled together on a soffa in the lounge area, talking in low tones as they alternately scrolled and showed each other something on their phones. Sometimes they’d laugh. Other times they’d coo. Far too often, they did both.

“We left them alone for too long.” Izuku murmured dejectedly.

“Agreed.” Tenya nodded solemnly. “I can only hope it will be worth it in the end.”

“On a scale of one to ten, where one is that you cut yourself while moving, and a ten is that you’ve broken something again, how worried should I be?”

“Uh…” Izuku balked for a second, then considered. “I think it’s mostly fine, but you’ll probably be worried anyway?”

Recovery Girl sighed. “I was hoping that would be an easy question to answer. I take it you didn’t follow my advice to take the rest of your internship easy?”

“...no.” Izuku admitted. “But in fairness, that’s because of something that happened before you suggested that. I take it Toshinori and Nezu didn’t update you?”

“Toshinori didn’t contact me, no. Nezu was preoccupied with the transition to a boarding school. There was rather a lot of paperwork to do, even with the preparations he’d already had in place. He did warn me that there was a development with One for All, but seemed oddly reticent to mention what, exactly, that development was.” Recovery Girl sighed, then eyed him through her visor. “Explain quickly. The immediately relevant parts, preferably. We can discuss the broader developments later.”

“One for All can let people give me their Quirks now, and I can theoretically give those Quirks away. Tenya found out, then Tensei, and now they want me to transfer his Quirk to Tenya. According to the previous users, whom I can speak to, the process should work safely but has a chance to be dangerous, so I want you to oversee it.”

Recovery Girl stared at him blankly for a moment, then pressed a button on the side of her headgear. With a hiss and a click, it drooped slightly, then she lifted it off. With great care, she examined something on the inside. “I don't suppose that was my hearing aid malfunctioning, was it?”

“I can give and be given Quirks, the Iida brothers know about One for All, the Quirk is haunted.”

Recovery Girl stared at him for a second, then tossed her headgear to the side and dropped her face into her hands.

“Sure. Why not. It’s not as if everything else about the Quirk isn’t distilled absurdity anyway.” Recovery Girl grumbled into her hands, then she glanced up at him between her fingers. “So you want me to oversee the transfer, run scans to make sure everything goes as smoothly as we can make it. Correct?”

“Yes?” Izuku confirmed warily, unsure if it was his turn to be worried or not. “Especially scans of the brain, from the sounds of it.”

“Well it’s about damn time!” Recovery Girl barked, banging a fist on her desk as an excited smile bloomed across her face. “I wasn't roped in until after Toshinori had received One for All, and then he gave it to you on some god damn beach! You two were walking around with a medical marvel grafted onto your DNA, and nobody ever let me watch it work! That could be revolutionary for Quirk Science!”

“...I’d never considered it that way.” Izuku blinked. “Like, obviously it's incredible and breaks all conventional knowledge of Quirks. But I never really considered the possibility of someone studying it.”

“That's not all that surprising. You're focused on your career and One for All’s direct application for it.” Recovery Girl tipped her head in his direction. “I appreciate that you actually thought to include me in the process, rather than just plugging the new Quirk in and seeing what happened.”

“Of course! It's something new, so I need to be careful.”

Recovery Girl grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ‘where was that attitude a month and a half ago’ as she glanced at the clock on the wall, but Izuku couldn’t be completely sure. “Should probably clear out shortly. I don’t have anything scheduled for 6am tomorrow, if you think that will work.” She frowned slightly. “Not that I don’t appreciate wanting to let me know, but why did you need to speak with me before Iida’s appointment? We’d have had more time if you’d asked to speak afterwards.”

“Oh! There’s another important piece of information I forgot to mention. I wanted to talk to you first because I'm going to apply Boon to Tenya before his procedure, and I wanted to make sure you were aware.” Izuku said sheepishly. “That's the vitality boosting Quirk he was under at the hospital. Accidentally getting it is what set this whole chain of events in motion.”

“YOU DID THAT?” Recovery Girl shot up from behind her desk, eyes blown wide. “More importantly, you can do it AGAIN?”

“YES?!” Izuku yelped. “At the time, I thought it was just a property of Kinenkō’s Quirk, but it was actually because-”

“Extra lessons with me!” Recovery Girl snapped, then glared at a nondescript section of ceiling. “I know you’re watching, Nezu. You're approving that, you little shit!”

Tenya’s procedure went smoothly. Izuku had recalled the Boons he’d bestowed on Toshinori and Sorahiko, then let the vitality flow into Tenya. Izuku had nearly been struck dumb by the exhaustion that followed, at the same time as Tenya had nearly begun vibrating in place.

Thankfully, Recovery Girl had made quick work of the overflowing energy as well as a good chunk of Tenya’s own. By the time she was done, Tenya seemed almost as tired as Izuku was. But after he’d completed Recovery Girl’s assessment, she’d deemed him capable of walking so long as he was careful and didn’t do anything strenuous. She was further pleased to note that, with the addition of Boon, they could proceed with his final treatment Sunday afternoon rather than needing multiple further sessions spread over the next two weeks. That had earned Izuku a surprise hug from Yuzu, but he'd been too exhausted to be embarrassed.

They’d taken a far more sedate pace on their way back to the dorms. While Tenya had started the journey slightly wobbly, he’d made steady progress. By the time they arrived back at the dorms, his stride had much of its previous confidence behind it, albeit still noticeably slower.

They’d opened the doors to the rich scent of Beef Stew, which Inko had prepared while they were gone in the hopes that a celebration would be in order. When Tenya had walked into the kitchen under his own power, Inko had teared up for a moment before rushing to portion out the food.

The rest of the evening had been a blur to Izuku. He’d volunteered to carry most of Tenya’s belongings from the car to his room, and had helped rearrange the space to his friend’s preferences. By the time they’d finished, however, Izuku had barely been on his feet. He’d made it just long enough to see Yuzu off and let his mother and Tenya know about their appointment in the morning, then had all but literally crashed into his bed.

Izuku awoke to the sound of his alarm blaring. He reached for his nightstand, but only bashed his fingers into the wall. The rush of pain brought some semblance of clarity, and he remembered where he was.

‘Right. Dorm. Ow…’

Izuku shook out his hand, then retrieved the screaming phone from his pocket. He swiped at it more than once before he managed to dismiss the alarm, then yawned expansively.

‘...wait.’ Izuku finally managed to corral his sleep-scattered thoughts. ‘Why didn’t I wake up in the Vestige Realm?’

‘Because you needed to rest.’ Nana said. ‘You haven’t REALLY slept since your stay at the hospital, and even that was interrupted by your interaction with Yoichi. Just because you had Boon to keep you going for most of that doesn't mean your brain wasn’t exhausted by everything that happened. We decided to cut you off for the night so you could actually recover.’

‘It's not like people don't stay up a long time without Quirk assistance!’ Izuku retorted. ‘I know All Might pulled a bunch of multi-day stretches of constant work throughout his career, and One for All doesn't do anything to keep me awake.’

‘Do you REALLY want to go on record stating that Toshi is a good role model for self care?’ Nana asked archly . ‘We were aware of parts of a three day stretch about 10 years ago, and I'm pretty sure he started to taste sounds after two and a half days in. Sorahiko had to literally drag his ass to his room after he fell asleep mid jump and face planted through the penthouse entrance rather than landing.’

‘...you may have a point.’ Izuku conceded reluctantly. ‘But I need to be training! I don’t have anywhere near enough control over Blackwhip yet!’

‘Blackwhip isn’t going to listen to you at all if you can barely form a coherent thought, kid.’ Daigoro countered.

‘...Ok, fine. I needed actual sleep.’ Izuku admitted begrudgingly as he rolled out of bed. ‘Everybody out. I need to get changed.’

Izuku released the fraction of One for All he'd been unconsciously channeling since he woke up, then began preparing for a very, very busy day.

“You're both absolutely sure about this?” Izuku asked once again. “It should be reversible if it comes to that, but I don't want you to regret this regardless.”

The Iida brothers looked at one another. Tensei lay on one of the two medical beds equipped with a suite of scanning equipment. Small multicolored wires and electrodes covered his body like a loosely woven blanket, and his head was partly obscured by a metallic arch of sensors. Tenya stood at his side, one hand clasped with Tensei's in support. They nodded firmly, then turned back to Izuku.

“Yes.” They said in unison.

Tensei had already been in Recovery Girl's office by the time Izuku, Inko, and Tenya arrived. The sheer relief on his face when he saw Tenya walk into the office had almost moved Izuku to tears.

“Ok then.” Izuku took a deep breath. “Let's get this going.”

Izuku made his way over to the second sensor-riddled bed and laid down. Inko hurried over next to him, obviously nervous but with an undeniable air of curiosity around her. Recovery Girl quickly set about hooking him up with his own array of wires, the contacts cold on his skin. She then settled behind her desk, and ran several diagnostics tests.

“Both of you, activate your Quirks.”

A low whine echoed around the room as Tensei briefly started his Engines. Izuku let a percent of One for All flow through him, a faint tingle across his skin.

“Midoriya. Activate any additional Quirks you can, please.”

A thread of Blackwhip wriggled up from his hand, carefully held away from as many wires and pieces of equipment as possible. The prickle of Danger Sense rushed across his skin as Hikage let it through. Izuku pulled half of the still depleted Boon back from Tenya, bringing him to the upper limit he could comfortably handle.

Recovery Girl let out a low breath. “Incredible.”

She turned her monitor so that Izuku and the rest of them could see. Tensei’s scan revealed high activity in his arms, as well as minor passive activity across his body. His brain lit up brightly in a strip across the top and along the bottom back near the brainstem.

Izuku on the other hand was lit up with extremely high activity across his entire body, with an extra spike around the hand which Blackwhip emerged from. Given that both Boon and One for All seemed to impact his entire body, that wasn’t especially surprising. His brain, however, was lit up like a beacon. Every bit of it.

Then, Recovery Girl executed a swift series of keystrokes. Suddenly, the shades of green that represented the activity levels shifted and split. While the uniform brightness of his body was largely unchanged, his brain became a prismatic mosaic of dancing lights. Multiple colors flashed and shifted from one section to another, blending into each other as they went.

“Your brain activity is astounding.” Recovery Girl murmured. “We sometimes see this to a lesser degree with multifaceted Quirks like Todoroki’s, or those under the effects of outside Quirks. But you look to have five all intertwined with one another. Some of the Quirk factors almost seem to have melded together at the edges.”

“What do you mean by that?” Izuku asked, intrigued.

“Turn all of them off, then use them one at a time please. Tell me what you’re using at any given time.”

Almost immediately, Izuku felt Danger Sense withdraw. He manually released One for All and Blackwhip along with it. “All that’s left should be Boon.”

Recovery Girl nodded.

From there, Izuku felt Danger Sense return, then called up Blackwhip. Finally, he cloaked himself in a low percent of One for All.

“Interesting.” Recovery Girl said under her breath. “Each time you activated a Quirk, there was activity from One for All. But of all of them, it was Boon that was melding with One for All the most.”

“Really?” Izuku asked in surprise. “It wasn’t one of the Quirks from the previous users? I would have expected them to have the strongest connection.”

“There’s an extremely strong connection between Blackwhip, Danger Sense, and One for All. It’s actually quite hard to tell them apart.” Recovery Girl agreed. “But Boon seems to actively blur the line between itself and One for All.”

‘Kinenkō? Yoichi? Do you have any idea what’s going on with Boon?’

‘This is so far out of my depth it’s not even funny.’ Kinenkō grunted.

‘Honestly? Not really.’ Yoichi admitted. ‘Maybe it’s like what happened with Quirk Bestowal and Power Stockpile back at the start of all this? Boon is an enhancement, and it has a transfer component to give someone enhanced vitality. That sounds like it would be pretty compatible with the key aspects of One for All. Actually…’

‘What?’

‘That might explain why you jumped directly to manifesting Blackwhip when you received Boon, but barely budged when the Nomu transferred whichever Quirk it did to you.’ Yoichi said contemplatively. ‘Initially, I thought it might just be because it was damaged and hadn’t fully integrated. But it’s pretty damn close now, and nothing changed after the first little increase in One for All’s power. If the difference was because of how Boon directly interacted with One for All, that might make sense.’

Izuku brought a wire-clad hand to his chin. ‘Under that assumption, receiving Engine shouldn’t do too much, should it? That could be a useful frame of reference.’

‘Assuming the both of you are right, it might still push you into manifesting Smokescreen.’ En said. ‘It’s felt like I’ve been right on the edge of something for a while now.’

Izuku nodded. ‘Alright. Let's see what happens.’

Izuku returned his awareness to the outside world. “We think the melding might be due to compatibility between the Quirks. There’s also a possibility that receiving Engine might push me into unlocking Smokescreen as well.”

Recovery Girl looked almost giddy at the news. “Oh, this will be interesting! Are you both ready?”

Tensei and Izuku shared a glance, then nodded.

“Excellent. Midoriya, eat this.” Recovery Girl threw him a tiny object. Izuku snorted a surprised laugh, which made him fumble the catch. Thankfully, Inko managed to grasp it with her Quirk, and it came to a stop just before his face.

“A pill?”

“It’s a quick dissolving capsule that I put one of Tensei’s hairs in.” Recovery Girl replied. “Figured it would be better than trying to choke down a hair on its own again.”

“Much.” Izuku shivered at the memory of trying to force down one of Toshinori’s hairs. It likely wouldn't have been as bad with Tensei’s stubble, but that just made it more likely to get stuck in his throat somewhere. “Well… Down the hatch?”

The first thing Izuku noticed was an itch. It started in his forearms, then slowly crept outwards. Before long, his entire body itched with varying levels of intensity. It was more than a little maddening, but…

“I honestly kind of expected worse.” Izuku admitted, which regrettably prompted his mother to squeeze his hand even tighter. “You know, given my arms are being reconstructed.”

Tensei nodded in agreement. “When Engine first came in, it was definitely worse than this. They nearly had to tie me down to keep from scratching myself raw. Granted, that was after the second day of it, so I think a four year old getting a bit antsy about it is understandable.”

Izuku blinked. “...second day?”

“Yep!” Tensei winced. “Out of five…”

‘I’m not going to be like this for five days, right Yoichi?’

‘I doubt it.’ Yoichi responded after a moment, his attention clearly focused elsewhere. ‘You’re probably looking at a minute, tops. It’s a little more complicated than I expected, probably on account of it being a mutation that reinforces the entire body to properly handle it, but this is still a cake walk compared to a new wielder.’

Izuku sighed in relief. “Yoichi says we’ll probably only be dealing with it for a minute.”

“Well that’s good to hear.” Tensei relaxed marginally. “Say, does this mean I’ll get to meet these ghosts of yours?”

“...I’m not sure, honestly. Toshinori’s Vestige is usually just a sort of golden fire avatar thing, and that’s apparently because he’s still alive. So you’ll probably be the same way. I don’t know what will happen once Engine gets to Tenya, but I’d guess the same rules apply.”

“Oh.” Tensei looked mildly disappointed. “So there won’t be a me-ghost running around in Tenya’s head reminding him to lighten up constantly.”

Tenya blanched. “I somehow hadn’t considered that possibility.”

“Oh hush.”

“Well, if you want to meet them, we could make that happen at some point.” Izuku offered. “Kinenkō was in Tenya’s realm when Boon was fully applied to him, so it stands to reason your Vestige would probably be there too. If I give you both some of Boon, you’d likely inhabit your Vestige like Toshinori did when I brought him in.”

“Well, I hope I can, one way or the other. As much as that explanation sounds like hot nonsense, they sound like an interesting bunch.” Tensei said, then visibly relaxed at the same time as the itching faded. “Oh, that’s a relief.”

“Agreed.” Izuku groaned, then turned his focus towards assessing himself. Despite the fact that he still only had half of Boon, his hands trembled slightly. If the energy from Boon urged him to move, it was only as a consequence of having nothing else to do with it. The energy that came with Engine was purely kinetic, however. It urged him incessantly to move , to leap , to RUN . It didn’t even come close to rivaling Boon in volume, but the single driving goal it embodied certainly helped make up the difference.

“How do you feel, sweetie?” Inko asked, her hands cupped around his own. “You’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine, mom.” Izuku smiled reassuringly. “I’m a little twitchy, but that’s all.”

He raised the arm not claimed by his mother and inspected it. At a glance, it didn’t look particularly different. Perhaps his muscles were a little more defined, or the forearm was a touch bulkier. It wasn’t until he rotated it that he caught a glimpse of the true change.

A small ring of silvery metal encircled a hole in his elbow. Izuku focused on his arm, and felt… something. Different. New. He considered the sensation, then flexed his arm. Initially, nothing happened, but the feeling of it had changed. It felt incomplete, like he’d somehow forgotten a muscle in the attempt. With great care and some trial and error, Izuku finally managed to give the new muscle an experimental flex.

Engine began to spin up, a resonant whine emanating from it like he'd heard from Tenya’s many times before.

For an eternal second, the room was silent save for that piercing sound. Then, Izuku carefully relaxed his arm. Engine sputtered out, leaving behind only a faint feeling of warmth.

“Well, I think it worked.” Tensei said.

“That certainly seems to be the case.” Izuku agreed. “Though I’m missing the mufflers.”

“Those would probably grow in over a few weeks. That’s how long it took…” Tensei frowned, then lifted his arm. Just as it had before, a metal pipe extended from his elbow.

Carefully, Tensei gave the protrusion a gentle tug. He poked a finger into the opening. He squeezed his arm in several places. Finally, he flexed his arm. Nothing happened.

“Well this is weird. I can’t feel Engine, but it’s still there. Well, parts of it anyway. It’s not quite the same as the numb-limb feeling I get when Shota erases it, so much as it’s just not there. ” Tensei muttered. “I guess I won’t have to worry about making a disguise to hide that I don’t have it anymore.”

“...They look like vestigial mutations now.” Recovery Girl rapidly scanned over something on her computer, even as she continued typing at a prodigious rate. “Some of the internal mechanisms are still partly there, but for the most part it’s indistinguishable from someone who received non-functional mutations from a parent. The appearance is there, they simply don't do anything.”

“Huh.” Tensei eyed his arm warily. He flexed again, but as it had last time, it remained inert. “Well, at least it worked. I don’t feel like I need to sprint off into the sunset anymore.”

“I know what you mean. It’s almost as bad as Boon in that regard.” Izuku gave a chuckle that was only a little strained. “How are things looking with me?”

‘I think things went well on my end!’ Yoichi said excitedly. ‘No obvious issues in the transfer. Tensei’s Vestige is here, but it looks like Toshinori’s does, just like we expected.’

‘Pretty sure Smokescreen is coming through!’ En announced. ‘Fair warning, it works by trying to press it out through your skin. It’ll make sense once you can feel it properly. Just be careful how hard you press, it can make a LOT.’

‘Thanks for the heads up.’ Izuku said. ‘I’ll be careful-’

“Well this is interesting.”

“What?” Izuku turned his attention to Recovery Girl. “Is something wrong?”

“Not as such, no.” She turned the monitor towards them once again, then pointed towards a blotch of gray on the screen. “This is Engine. That seems to have integrated fine, from the active scanning. It looks to be weaved in just as tightly as the rest of them.”

Recovery Girl shifted her finger towards a darker swatch of color next to it. “This came in at the same time.”

“That’s probably Smokescreen, then.” Izuku nodded, then narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Is it…?”

“Melding together? A bit. It doesn't look to be anywhere near as much as Boon with One for All, but there’s some interaction happening.” Recovery Girl cycled back through the scans. Suddenly, a blotch of red appeared. “This was the anomaly. It flared up for a moment as Engine settled in. It doesn't seem to be anything we’d previously made note of, but it’s strongly melding with both Engine and One for All.”

‘...That might be me.’ Bruce said, bemused. ‘Something happened with FaJin while Engine was on its way in. I guess it makes sense, engines have all kinds of repetitive motion going on in them.’

‘I don’t suppose you’ll explain what, exactly, FaJin has to do with repetitive motion?’ Izuku asked, not particularly hopeful.

‘Maybe.’ Bruce chuckled. ‘Keep up the good work and we’ll see.’

‘...Duly noted.’

“It’s one of the previous user’s Quirks that are still being withheld.” Izuku said aloud. “Nothing to worry about. It does support our working theory that Quirks with compatible aspects might blend a bit, though all I know is that the connection is likely based on repetitive motion. I’d guess that Smokescreen has some overlap due to the exhaust, maybe? I'm less confident about that, though.”

“Fascinating….” Recovery Girl turned her screen back around and quickly ran a few more tests. “Everything seems to be in working order. I don’t see any signs of strain, nor any deformities in the Quirk factor to suggest you’re poorly adapted to it or vice versa. If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume it was completely natural.”

“Well, I’ll call that a good sign.” Izuku sighed in relief. “Are you ready, Tenya?”

“Absolutely.” Tenya nodded, resolute. “Hopefully my turn will go as smoothly. We only have 44 minutes before other students begin arriving, and I wish to be able to help in as much as I am able.”

“Lets be on with it, then.” Recovery Girl said. “Midoriya, may I have a hair?”

Izuku plucked a strand, then paused. ‘Anything special I’ll need to do for this, Yoichi?’

‘Not right now, no. Once the transfer is primed, you should feel a connection. When you do, just focus on letting Engine through, but not anything else.’

It took a few minutes for the mechanical arms that folded out from the wall to return Tensei to his wheelchair, but before long Tenya had taken his place. Once he was properly hooked up the monitoring equipment, Recovery Girl had handed him the capsule which contained Izuku’s hair. Not a second after it landed in Tenya’s palm, he’d popped the pill into his mouth and began chasing it with a glass of water.

Sure enough, just a minute later Izuku felt… something. It was like someone had tugged on a string tied to his soul, a physical sensation from an ethereal force. Izuku shied away for a moment on pure instinct, the idea of relinquishing one of his Quirks suddenly unsettling. It was giving away a part of him. Something fundamental.

Izuku squeezed his eyes shut and got a grip on himself. ‘Is this what it’s always like?’

‘It wasn’t easy.’ Nana said softly. ‘But when your belief in something is stronger than you desire to hold onto the power, I can’t say it was especially hard either.’

Izuku opened one eye and looked to the side. Tenya and Tensei watched him, concern on their faces.

Izuku let Engine go.

He saw the moment the itching started, though Tenya didn’t seem anywhere near as bothered by it as Izuku had been. Where both Izuku and Tensei had full on grimaced at the onset, Tenya just looked vaguely annoyed.

Izuku, however, only felt a light tingle rush through him, followed by a brief wave of drowsiness. There was no itching to speak of. No feeling of his arms shifting. Nothing.

Izuku tentatively let out his breath. “That… actually wasn’t that bad this time.”

Tensei cocked an eyebrow at him. “What, you’re done already?”

“I think?” Izuku said uncertainty. He turned to face Recovery Girl, but as he did so, he felt his arms shift against the bed beneath him. He froze for a moment, then quickly twisted his arm once more so he could see his elbow.

The silvery ring remained, as did the hole in the center.

“I don’t know why I thought it would work differently for me.” Izuku sighed. “I guess I’ll be needing those elbow braces after all.”

Tensei’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Midoriya. If we’d known-”

“If we’d known the mutation traits would persist even after the transfer, I’d have still done it.” Izuku said. “A little bit of inconvenience is a small price to pay for you not to suffer for the rest of your life.”

Izuku flexed his arm, morbidly curious about the sensation Tensei had described. Instead…

He could feel it. He could still feel Engine.

Izuku turned back to Tenya, expecting to see disappointment on his friend’s face. “I’m sorry, I think I stopped the transfer somehow.”

Tenya cocked his head at Izuku in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I still have Engine.” Izuku said guiltily. “We can try again, but-”

“Izuku.” Tenya interrupted, then raised the arm he’d been rubbing. The arm that had a silvery ring at the elbow, a hole in its center.

Izuku glanced at his arm. Engine was still there.

Izuku gave it an experimental flex. It was… harder. Like the feeling of starting a set of pushups when his arms were still exhausted from the last. Even so, he pushed through.

Slowly, Engine spun up. The whine was fainter than before, but undeniable regardless.

Tenya did the same. All four of his engines sprung to life, and the far more powerful sound filled the room. Tenya quickly released his Quirks, though he looked as stunned as Izuku felt.

‘Well shit.’ Bruce grunted. ‘Do you think we have time for the whole “Our Meta Abilities are clones and so are we” talk now , Nana?’

Izuku stared into space for a second, trying to process what he’d just heard.

“If you’ll all excuse me.” Izuku mumbled as he relaxed Engine. “I need to talk with the Vestiges for a moment.”

Izuku paced back and forth before the thrones in the Core. All were occupied, now that Bruce had finished his conjured presentation on the mechanics behind their existence. Izuku had picked up on the fact that Bruce seemed to know a lot about Quirks, but he’d been surprised to learn that he was actually the resident expert on them. Evidently, it had been him who’d figured out some of the most esoteric aspects of what the Vestige’s were.

There were two additional Vestiges in attendance, both behind the arch of thrones. To the side of Yoichi, Kinenkō sat in a conjured recliner, though he’d long since leaned forward to listen intently. Opposite him, to the side of Toshinori’s avatar, a similar golden wraith of Tensei stood. Unlike Toshinori, however, Tensei’s wraith was washed out, dim, and partly transparent.

“Ok, let me get this straight.” Izuku brought his pacing to an abrupt halt, then spun to face the Vestiges. “With the exception of Yoichi and Kinenkō, you’re all some kind of, of-”

“Imprint?” Yoichi offered.

“Yes.” Izuku nodded, then frowned. “I think that’s actually what you said the first time I met you. That before, One for All had just ‘stockpiled an Imprint.’ I didn’t really understand, and it slipped my mind in the face of everything else that happened.”

“I think so?” Yoichi didn’t sound especially confident. “I was kind of terrified at the time, so I don’t fully remember what I said. Not exactly every day you take a stroll into the eternal void.”

“Still can’t believe you did that.” Daigoro grumbled.

“It’s not like we had any real choice. Izuku was clearly struggling out there, and he’s kind of important to keep safe.” En pointed out. “Given that Yoichi was the only one who didn’t outright bounce off the invisible wall, it was the best choice we had.”

“Not like it mattered anyway.” Yoichi sighed. “I didn’t even manage to get to him, and he was fine regardless.”

“The fact that you tried is appreciated.” Izuku said. “But, um, back to the topic at hand?”

The Vestiges nodded.

“So, you’re Imprints. The power of One for All basically made a mold of your Quirk from coexisting with it. Then, when One for All was passed along, the mold was filled in and it just. Just.” Izuku rapidly ran his hands through his hair, then flung them upwards. “Made an exact replica of your Quirk? One for All can just make more Quirks?”

“Almost got it, kid.” Bruce shook his head. “It’s not so much making more Meta Abilities, as it is perfectly imitating them. They’re functions of One for All, not independent Meta Abilities that could be given away. For all intents and purposes, the versions of our Meta Abilities you’re using are just recreations of them from One for All’s power. Something about Meta Abilities is intimately tied to who the person it came from is, though, so we were copied as a bonus. We’re effectively Yoichi’s creepily accurate imaginary friends.”

Izuku opened his mouth. He closed it again. He looked around, but the rest of the past users voiced their agreement with Bruce’s explanation. Even Hikage gave Izuku a nod, albeit a grudging one. The only one who didn’t was…

Izuku gestured at Toshinori’s flaming Vestige. “Then what about him? Toshinori was Quirkless!”

“Frankly?” Bruce shrugged. “We don’t know.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW?” Izuku shrieked.

“We don’t exactly have state of the art equipment in here, kid.” Bruce shot him a look. “Not that we’d have any idea what kind of equipment we’d even need. Literally everything we’ve managed to figure out is because we were floating in the black nothing for over a hundred years and we didn’t have anything better to do than poke around or sleep. When he showed up, I nearly had a breakdown because I assumed I’d gotten something wrong about the rest of us. Spent something like 30 years going over it all again to realize that, to the information available to us, he was an anomaly we didn’t have an answer for.”

“...I’m sorry.” Izuku slumped. “You guys just… seem to have most of the answers, at least regarding things that happened before all these new developments. The fact that you just outright don’t know is… terrifying.”

Bruce took a deep breath, then let it out in a gusty sigh. “Can’t really blame you. We all got to have our little existential crisis over this, it’s not like I can fault you for freaking out.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Izuku bowed, then another thought struck him. He turned to Nana.

“Wait. If the imprint forms when you pass on One for All, how do you remember so much about the time after you passed it on?”

Nana jerked a thumb at Toshinori’s Vestige. “We were like that at first. Our best guess is that something remains connected to the living person, and we don’t fully form until that person dies. We end up in here, with full memory of everything right up until our death.”

Izuku briefly glanced at Toshinori’s Vestige, then to the dimmer one behind it. “Why didn’t you tell me all this about the imprints and the clones before? Nana, you outright stopped Bruce back when we were first talking to Tensei. Granted, he hadn’t actually offered his Quirk yet, but this would have been useful information to know. Like I told him, I’d still have gone through with it, but I would have liked to make an informed decision about it.”

“In Nana’s defense, she wasn’t wrong based on what we thought we knew at the time.” Bruce said. “This conversation wouldn't have been fast, as we’re currently demonstrating. Plus, we thought this happened because we’d actively possessed One for All. When you slapped all of Boon into other people, there wasn’t a second Kinenkō running around in here. Even when you split it up, he was just one person aware of or simultaneously existing in multiple places. It wasn’t exactly the same thing, but it seemed close enough to base a conjecture on, given our lack of other reference points.”

“It’s also worth pointing out that there do seem to be some differences that come from being a previous user, so that theory wasn’t completely baseless.” Yoichi interjected. “For instance, the ability to suppress their Quirk. Even though Tensei’s an imprint now, there’s a difference between him and the others.”

Izuku gave the transparent golden Vestige a once over. “I couldn’t tell.”

“Yeah, him standing next to Toshinori really emphasizes that point. But I think that’s more to do with the fact that he’s a really weak imprint? You had Engine for a few minutes, at the absolute most, compared to Kudo and the three years he had One for All. Then you have Toshinori at over 40 years.” Yoichi said as he gestured to the luminous avatar of energy. “But strength aside, there’s a fundamental difference between them. There’s a stronger connection to One for All inherent to the previous users, and with that comes greater control.”

Izuku nodded his acceptance of that point. “So it was a case of not knowing enough to realize there was something you didn’t know.” Izuku slumped. “That’s understandable. I’m sorry, again.”

“None of that, Izuku.” Yoichi said softly. “You’re extremely new to all of this. We can’t exactly blame you for wanting answers, even if we don’t have all of them. We’ll try to keep an eye out for situations like this in the future, to the best of our abilities.”

“I’d appreciate it.” Izuku nodded, then looked at Bruce. “Thank you for explaining. At some point, I’d really like to talk with you more about Quirks in general. It’s been a long time since I met someone who seemed as interested in them as I am.”

“I think I’d like that.” Bruce sent a small smile his way. “These uncultured simpletons just don't appreciate the wonder of it all sometimes.”

Kudo shot Bruce a disturbed look. “Never say wonder like that again. It sounds wrong coming out of your cynical mouth.”

“I am a delight!” Bruce said with mock indignation.

“No.” Hikage grunted.

“Regardless…” Nana cut in. “You should probably go back. If my timing’s right, you only have a few minutes before the other students arrive.”

“Oh.” Izuku blinked. “Crap.”

Chapter Text

“Regardless…” Nana cut in. “You should probably go back. If my timing’s right, you only have a few minutes before the other students arrive.”

“Oh.” Izuku blinked. “Crap.”

By the time Izuku returned to the land of the living, Tenya had been given a clean bill of health. Tensei’s Engine had settled in well, though Recovery Girl was thoroughly interested by just how much the two Quirks seemed to be melding together. Tenya would be getting routine checkups to ensure nothing changed, but her prognosis was wholly positive so far.

Granted, Tenya was a touch twitchy, but he seemed to be handling that relatively well.

“Thank you again for doing this.” Tensei said as Izuku pulled his new compression sleeves over his elbows. “And I’m sorry you have to hide those.”

Izuku waved him off. “Again, I’m happy to help. An… unanticipated wrench thrown in the plans doesn't change that. And at least I know now, and didn’t find out with something harder to hide.”

“All the same, Izuku. We appreciate what you did for the both of us.” Tenya said. “While it’s not… exactly as we imagined it, you’ve given us back the chance to protect the citizens of Japan together.”

“That’s assuming we survive trying to pass this off as a Quirk Awakening to Mom.” Tensei sighed. “I’m still not convinced you’ll be able to say it with a straight face without bursting into flame or something.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Tenya said with a confidence his face did NOT reflect. “For the time being, we must return to the dorms! I have to perform my duties as Class President, Mrs. Midoriya her duties as Dorm Supervisor, and Izuku…”

Tenya trailed off, then glanced sheepishly Izuku’s way. “If you wouldn’t mind assisting with anything more physical than I can manage, it would be greatly appreciated.”

“Absolutely, Tenya.” Izuku said, and he caught a nod of approval from Recovery Girl at her desk. “You do the administrative part of the job, I can handle any grunt work that the robots aren’t already doing better.”

“Excellent.” Tenya turned towards his brother, then hesitated. “I… would like to see you again soon, Tensei. Maybe if you’re feeling up to it, you could give me some pointers?”

“Of course.” Tensei smiled widely up at Tenya. “Once I have a few things straightened out at the Agency, I’ll make sure to come back and visit. Give you some insider secrets.”

Tenya nodded, then startled slightly. “Of course, Izuku, you’d be welcome to join us!”

“I’d like that.” Izuku nodded. “But if you want to spend time with your brother, I don’t mind. I’m not really expecting to use Engine very much in the near future. I’ll want to learn how to properly use it eventually, but it’s a much higher priority for you.”

Tenya flushed slightly, but ducked his head in acceptance. He turned back to his brother, leaned down for a hug, then returned to his usual stiff posture. “Let's be on our way!”

The first to arrive was Yaoyorozu, who’s moderately sized caravan of black SUVs had just pulled into the parking lot as Izuku, Tenya, and Inko returned. She’d been visibly relieved to see Tenya back on his feet, curious about Izuku’s eyes, and delighted to meet Inko. She’d promised to come assist them in their efforts to corral the move in process once she’d gotten her own move-in underway, then lead her squadron of butlers and robots into the Dorms.

“You know, I somehow didn’t think she could possibly be one of those Yaoyorozus.” Inko had whispered faintly as the heiress vanished into the building, visibly shell shocked by the sheer wealth on display.

Before long, however, more students began to arrive. While many were chauffeured by UA personnel, others had arrived with what Izuku assumed to be family members.

Kaminari had been dropped off by the immediately recognizable hero Livewire, whom Izuku learned was also Kaminari’s aunt. With the two of them side by side, that fact had been overwhelmingly obvious. Izuku had been tempted to slip back to his room and grab something she could sign, but before he could, Livewire had run off to get her own autograph from Jiro’s parents. Izuku couldn’t say he recognized them, but from the vortex of attention they’d formed, he was the odd one out. Jiro herself didn’t look especially pleased by the attention, visibly embarrassed as she talked with a laughing Kaminari.

Izuku had been carrying Kirashima’s punching bag towards the dorms when he saw Tokoyami arrive in what he could have easily mistaken for a hearse. A slender, hawkish man with black feathers for hair stepped from the car, and the shadow he cast was pitch black despite the bright sunlight of the day.

Shoto had arrived a bit after noon, and Izuku had nearly run into him on his way down from helping Sato install his refrigerators. He’d been flanked by two people who could only be his siblings, whom Shoto had introduced as Natsuo and Fuyumi. Despite the slightly stilted way he’d made the introduction, and the admittedly awkward fact he’d done so in the middle of the staircase, there had been a spark of warmth in Shoto’s voice that was quite welcome to hear. About an hour later, Izuku had caught a glimpse of Fuyumi helping his mother in the kitchen.

Mineta’s arrival had been… oddly understated. Though nobody had specifically mentioned it, Izuku suspected they’d all been braced for some kind of incident, given the chaos. However, Mineta had been… well behaved was perhaps a strong word, given the way Izuku had seen him literally gnawing on his lip a few times, but there hadn’t been any obvious problems. Part of Izuku had been curious. The rest of him had just been relieved.

Bakugo’s arrival, on the other hand, had more than made up for it. He’d arrived with his customary aura of impending violence cranked up a few notches, no doubt to compensate for the sensible hairstyle Izuku had tried very, very hard not to focus on. Bakugo had immediately cut a swath through the milling crowd, glaring down anyone who dared look at him for more than a second. He’d done a double take at the sight of Izuku, but had shouldered past him with twice the vitriol to make up for it, then vanished into the building without a word.

Aunt Mitsuki and Unkle Masaru had been far happier to see Izuku. Mitsuki had nearly picked him up with her spine-warping hug, then proceeded to grill him on what, precisely, the fuck he’d been thinking to get involved with Stain. While that had been a… fun… conversation, it had genuinely been nice to see them again. They’d been ecstatic to hear that Inko was still on campus, and even more so to learn that she’d been hired. Mitsuki had been particularly pleased that there would be someone to keep her son properly in line.

Bakugo had returned just in time to hear her mention returning to visit more often, which had prompted a particularly colorful explanation of why she very, very much shouldn’t.

By the time the afternoon had blurred into evening, almost all of Class 1-A had arrived. Granted, most were still in the process of moving in, which left the main entrance more a warzone than a walkway, but progress remained steady. Izuku had stepped away from the overwhelming crowds for a moment to get a breath of fresh air when he saw another car pull in.

It was a smaller model that might have been older than Izuku was, with what appeared to be a bedframe and some boxes strapped to the top. Once it pulled to a careful stop, a tall, broad-shouldered blond man unfolded himself from the driver's seat and stretched, while the back door opened to reveal Uraraka.

Briefly, Izuku’s mind flashed back to his last conversation with her. He glanced over his shoulder towards the dorms, half way hoping Tenya or Yaoyorozu might have already mobilized to intercept, but he couldn't see either amidst the mob of people.

‘This is stupid. All that happened was that you offered to get her a meal to make up for the one she missed. That’s not really a date. She probably didn’t even think about it that way. ’ Izuku mentally berated himself.

One for All pulsed skeptically. Izuku suspected it was Daigoro, but wasn’t entirely sure.

‘You’re not helping.’ Izuku groused, then peaked back in Uraraka’s direction. Uraraka looked oddly stiff as she talked to the man Izuku assumed to be her father, and a shorter woman whose hair was the same color as her presumed daughter’s. Uraraka glanced in Izuku’s direction, seemed to startle slightly when their eyes met, then gave him a small wave.

‘She’s your friend. Go be a good friend and help, instead of standing here like an idiot.’

“W-welcome to Heights A-alliance, Uraraka!” Izuku half choked on his words as he approached. “I-it’s good to see you again!”

“You too!” Uraraka squeaked, then snapped her mouth shut. She gave her family a sidelong glance, then continued in an oddly deep voice. “You’re already moved in? And what happened to…”

“Quirk development.” Izuku replied automatically, as he had after the 8th time he was asked about his eyes. He blinked, then shook himself. “And yeah. My Mom was actually hired as the Dorm Supervisor for our building, so we moved in yesterday. It was kind of a sudden thing, and between that and the packing I forgot to tell anyone. Tenya moved in yesterday evening, too. He’s helping organize everything with Yaoyorozu somewhere in that mess.”

“Oh!” Uraraka brightened. “I bet she’ll do a great job! How’s Iida doing?”

“Much better. He’s walking around now, which is a relief.” Izuku said, then smiled at the way Uraraka visibly relaxed. “Recovery Girl thinks he should be fully recovered after his treatment tonight.”

“Thank goodness.” Uraraka sighed in relief. “I’ll have to go say hi-”

“Ehem.”

Both Izuku and Uraraka jumped slightly, and Uraraka half spun to look back at her father. The large man was smiling widely as he looked between them, and the woman next to him was doing the same. Something about it sent a spike of animal terror through his brain. It was like they were looking directly at his soul, reading him like a book.

“AH!” Uraraka yelped, then blushed as she hurriedly gestured towards the two. “These are my parents, Takumi and Naika Uraraka!”

“I’m honored to meet you both!” Izuku bowed.

“It’s good ta’ finally meet ya’, Midoriya.” Takumi smirked as he crossed his arms. “We’ve heard quite a bit about ya’.”

“Indeed we have!” Naika said as her grin grew even wider.

“EEP!” Uraraka squeaked. “Um! Uh! Moving in! Right! Gotta do that!”

Uraraka dashed towards the back of the car, grabbing and floating her parents as she passed to drag them along with her. Takumi guffawed, then gently ruffled her hair. “Fine, fine. Let's get you all moved into your fancy new castle, Princess.”

Uraraka groaned.

Izuku stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to do. He watched as Uraraka hopped weightlessly onto the roof of the car, quickly undid the straps, then casually leapt down and took the old, wood-frame bed with her. Before he could say anything, she scurried off towards the dorms.

“...Can I help with anything?” Izuku asked hesitantly, then blinked. “Wait, do you and Uraraka have the same Quirk, Mrs. Uraraka?”

“Hmm?” Naika glanced at Izuku from around the dresser perched on her shoulder. “Oh! No, but they’re related. I can interact with things like they got no mass so long as I’ve got ma’ hands on it.”

“Oh! That’s really interesting!” Izuku perked up. “Is there a mass limit? Does the effect propagate to everything inside an object, or just the object itself? What happens if you step on a scale while you’re holding something?”

“Careful ‘bout the scale question, lad.” Takumi snorted. “Wanderin’ into dangerous territory.”

Naika smiled sweetly at Izuku. “Up to 20 times ma’ mass, anything inside an object is fair game, and the weight is still there, I just ignore it. If you’d like a demonstration o’ that last bit, I can club my dear hubby with this here chunk of wood, and we can figur’ out the forces involved based on how far ‘e flies.”

Takumi gulped audibly, then shuffled around to the opposite side of the car to start picking up boxes from the back seat.

“Thought so.” Naika nodded. “If’n you’d like to grab the table from the back and bring that up, since Mister Man’s Man over there threw out his back on the job site earlier, that’d be appreciated.”

“Gladly!” Izuku was just happy he had something to do, rather than stand there. “And if you’re still dealing with any pain, Mr. Uraraka, I might be able to help with that for the time being!”

The large man cocked an eyebrow at him through the car window. “I thought yer’ deal was punchin’ things real good? If this is one of those “If I break your arm, it’ll take yer’ mind off yer’ back” things, I think I’ll pass.”

“I made… several breakthroughs with my Quirk over the past few days.” Izuku said as he made his way to the back of the car. “One of them is a way to amplify my vitality, and to use it on other people through touch. You’ll still need to take it easy, but it’ll help with any lingering soreness and-”

Takumi’s hand was thrust between the worn headrests and almost into Izuku’s face in a second. “Hit me.”

With a brush of Izuku’s fingers, he passed the man a small dose of Boon. Takumi looked at his hand for a second, then carefully leaned backwards. His face still scrunched up slightly, but he looked relieved at the same time.

“Hot DAMN kid. What kind o’ genetic lottery did ya win? ”

Izuku shrugged, then hefted the table onto his shoulder. “What room should I take this to?”

“4-1.” Naika grinned. “Thanks fer’ the help!”

“Gladly!”

Takumi watched the short green haired kid trot off with the table held easily over his shoulder. A table that by all rights should have made him completely lopsided, but didn’t seem to bother him at all.

‘They’re raisin’ some scary ass youngins’ at this school.’

When he’d seen the boy invent a new shade of red just looking at his daughter, part of him had wanted to scare Midoriya straight. He seemed like a good kid, but paternal instincts were hard to ignore.

Plus, he’d received a masters course in suitor scaring from Naika’s father, and it seemed a shame to waste it.

But then he’d seen Ochako make a new shade of her own, squeak like a startled mouse, and immediately overcompensate in the opposite direction in an attempt to cover her mistake. It had been such pure Grade A teasing material he almost felt obligated to thank the boy instead. Then he’d caught a glimpse of Naika’s smirk, and he knew that doing anything that could possibly scare Midoriya off would end with his ass sleeping on the lumpy old couch in his work office for a week.

Of course, the kid had provided a pretty compelling case of his own. The unprompted offer to help move Ochako in had been a good start, if an expected one. He'd gone above and beyond, however.

Takumi rolled his shoulder, then gave another experimental stretch. Over the years, he’d done some pretty inadvisable things to his body in the interest of getting jobs done fast. It had helped him get his feet under him early on, but he was paying for it in his later years when he needed his body just as badly. He could still feel achs old and new through whatever glowy Quirk bullshit Midoriya had pulled, but just barely. He felt a good few years younger, and had a pep in his step he never thought he’d feel again.

“Can we keep ‘em?”

Naika rolled her eyes, but had a wide grin on her own beautiful face.

“You’ll have ta’ ask yer’ daughter about that one.” She drawled. “But I have a hunch you’ll like the answer once she’s bein’ honest.”

It hadn’t taken all that long to get Uraraka’s belongings to her room, and Izuku had found an excuse to flee the scene shortly after. It might not have been set up yet, but being in a girl’s room had been a rather overwhelming experience. The fact that it was Uraraka’s only magnified the experience.

Her parents had been nice, but he’d occasionally caught another glance from them that made him feel like he was under a magnifying glass. On his way out, they’d said they were looking forward to seeing him again, but then Uraraka had slammed the door behind him. He wasn’t sure if he’d overstayed his welcome or otherwise made her uncomfortable, but he’d decided to apologize at another time.

He’d requested that Kinenkō let him know once the Uraraka’s got home so he could withdraw Boon, then returned to his room to finish his own decorating. That attempt to reorganize his collection had gone far, far better, and he’d managed to finish up the rest of his room before his mother called the class downstairs for a meeting.

“I’m sure myself and others have already said so, but let me say it again. Welcome to Heights Alliance!” Inko smiled at the students haphazardly strewn across the lounge.

She looked slightly disheveled from her day of frantic cooking and greetings, though the temporary culinary assistance from Fuyumi and Masaru had lessened the load considerably. Despite that, there was a happy glow to her that brought a smile to Izuku’s lips. From the smell that wafted from the kitchens, Izuku suspected that dinner would be served after the meeting was finished, which he was desperately looking forward to.

“Now then. Seeing as many of you are making eyes at the kitchen like you haven't been fed in three days, I’ll keep this brief. I’m Inko Midoriya, and I’ll be the in-residence Dorm Supervisor for 1-A. My rooms are next to the kitchen, so don’t hesitate to come find me if you need anything at all. In the event of my absence, emergency contact information is posted on the door.” Inko continued. “I assume you’ve all read the rules of conduct for these dorms, and I trust that you’ll follow them like the honorable future heroes you are.”

Izuku caught Kaminari, Ashido, and Hagakure surreptitiously flip through the packet they'd all received, and had to stifle a laugh.

“In the event that any issues arise, I’ve been instructed to inform both Mr. Aizawa, and Mr. Nezu. I assure you, that is not something you want.” Despite her wide, friendly smile, Inko managed to convey an implied warning that gave the room pause. “Anyone who has any questions can reach out to me in person or through the top phone number listed on my door. I hope that we can get along well!”

A murmur of agreement rolled through the room, with the occasional enthusiastic response from the usual suspects.

“Now that that’s dealt with…” Inko gestured towards the dining hall. “I and several kind volunteers throughout the day have prepared everyone an array of dinner options to choose from. I should have all the various dietary requirements UA was told of accounted for, but if anyone needs something added, just let me know!”

The enthusiasm was far more widespread at that, and the group formed an orderly stampede on their way to the food. Izuku was delighted to discover his favorite Katsudon was on offer, alongside a plethora of other dishes his classmates dug into with gusto. Within moments, the room had descended into a clattering din of eating and laughing. Rather than everyone settling into their usual groups as they would in the UA Dining Hall, however, the class ate in a disorganized mass at one table.

Unsurprisingly, the most prevalent topic of conversation settled on their internships.

“Hated it.” Bakugo sneered into a bowl of katsudon he’d carefully seasoned, then annihilated with chili powder. “We barely touched the sparring grounds. Hell, he spent more time trying to give me a fucking makeover.”

“I can see this, Mon Ami.” Aoyama eyed him. “While it clashes with your personality, it does have a certain… homme de salarie chic to it.”

Bakugo’s face twitched violently, and with a sharp pop his hair burst back into shape. “Va te faire foutre.”

Aoyama blinked, startled. “You speak French?”

Bakugo smirked. That lasted right up until Inko spoke up.

“No, at least not unless he learned since the last time I spoke with Mitsuki. He probably just picked that up from her habit of cursing in other languages while in polite company.”

“I’d forgotten that Bakugo and Midoriya knew each other.” Shouji spoke from a mouth on one tentacle, even as he shoveled food into a mouth on the other.

Bakugo sneered, then shot a look in Izuku’s direction, which very quickly prompted him to find somewhere else to aim his attention.

“He was impossible to keep up with!” Dark Shadow groaned animatedly. “It was like someone hopped him up on enough energy drinks to kill an elephant, then told him to fly across the city in as random a pattern as humanly possible! Hell, half the times we found him, it was because he flew in from BEHIND US!”

Tokoyami rubbed his temples, but nodded. “He was indeed a creature of impenetrable intent.”

“Also pretty sure he single handedly keeps all the fried chicken places within 100 miles of his agency in business.” Dark Shadow added. “Half the dumpster behind the place is filled with greasy buckets and bones, and that’s just the stuff that actually makes it that far.”

“That sounds frustrating, Ribbit. And deeply unhealthy.” Tsuyu said. “I’m sorry it didn’t go as well as you wanted.”

“We learned much, we simply did so on the move.” Tokoyami sighed. “If nothing else, he enlightened us to a potential we had not considered…”

A finger poked Izuku in the shoulder, and he turned to see Sato. “Could you pass me the salt, Midoriya?”

He did so, then caught the tail end of a conversation from Sato’s other side.

“...had some seriously weird ideas about rescue work and where it fits into the big picture.” Jiro groaned. “So yeah, Death Arms was a mistake. What about you?”

“Seeing Auntie again was awesome! Her Quirk has a lot in common with mine, she can control electricity instead of being able to generate it. I was able to pick up a few tricks from her!” Kaminari laughed. “Plus, I got a picture of her losing her mind over-”

“Don’t remind me.” Jiro groaned. “I didn’t want anyone to know about them. I love them, but it was kind of nice talking about something other than my parents.”

Mineta visibly twitched, then crammed a wad of rice into his mouth and began to chew violently. By the time he’d finished, Kaminari had turned to face him. “How was your internship with Mt. Lady? I know you were… uh, looking forward to it.”

Mineta grimaced, then forcefully swallowed. “She basically used me as a servant. I spent more time fetching things than I did actually observing what she was working on, much less going on patrols.”

“Ouch.” Sero grunted. “I’d heard she was kind of self absorbed, but I didn’t think she’d be that bad.”

“...well, there were some perks.”

Jiro narrowed her eyes and raised her jacks threateningly.

“Didn’t mean those this time!” Mineta raised his hands in surrender. “Just… When she bothered to talk to me beyond issuing orders, she actually had a few… useful… suggestions. They sucked to hear, but she had some points.”

“What?” Kaminari blinked. “Like critiques on your combat style or something? I think you’re kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum there.”

“Yah, combat training would have been worthless. But that’s not what I mean.” Mineta shook his head. “If she’s good at one thing, it’s image management and marketing. She had… a few criticisms regarding mine.”

“Like the fact that being a little creep who harasses girls is going to land you in jail instead of the hero billboards?” Jiro sniped.

“Not quite like that, but close enough.” Mineta winced, then stared deeply into his bowl. “Said my primary demographic is going to be male incels, and even they’re not gonna want anything to do with me when I’m running around in a metal diaper.”

Sero snorted, then started choking on his ramen. Sato delivered a quick slap to his back, and after a cough and a gasp, Sero recovered. “Thanks, man. And I’m sorry, Mineta. That’s harsh… but she’s kind of got a point? You don’t exactly have the best reputation going on, and I’m sorry, but the bowl just… doesn't do you any favors. Like, at all.”

Izuku nodded along with several other nearby listeners.

“Yeah, I know.” Mineta sighed. “Once I admitted she had a point, she was more helpful. We brainstormed a few new ideas while she had me sorting shit, and I think I have a new brand hammered out. Given I didn’t make much of an impression at the sports festival, and my costume saw the light of day like twice during my internship, I can probably get away with changing… everything.”

“Including being an open perv? Ribbit.”

“...yeah.” Mineta sank into his seat even further, but nodded. “Gonna try to act on it less, at least. I’m still me, I just have to act like I’m… not.”

“That’s… rough, buddy.” Kaminari patted Mineta on the shoulder. “But it’s not like you can’t still be you, just with less of THAT part of you. You can take things a little too far.”

“A little?” Jiro rolled her eyes.

Mineta grumbled, then stuffed another wad of rice into his mouth.

A loud laugh drew Izuku’s attention to the opposite end of the table, where Uraraka had just mimed throwing something, or likely someone, through one of the nearby windows. Hagakure had her gloved hands over her mouth, while Ashido was giggling up a storm next to her. Both pulled themselves together when Uraraka said something around a bite of food.

“Missdirection was great! Making people think I’ve given away my position when I’m actually somewhere else is a great way to triple down on stealth fighting!” Hagakure cheered. “I even managed to pull one over on her before I left, but only because I spent waaaaaay too long setting it up at the agency and got help from some of her sidekicks. How about you, Ashido?”

“It was fantastic!” Ashido gushed. “Pirouette was the perfect choice! Even though it wasn’t directly compatible, a lot of what she showed me was close enough that we could fill in the gaps! My sliding has never been faster, and I managed to work more of my dancing skills into combat! Plus, I got to meet that spinny guy from 1-B, Sen Kaibara. He was kind of the odd one out between the three of our personalities, but he was nice enough. Ran into this guy out on patrol, too.” She gestured towards Kirishima.

“Yeah, that was great timing! One of the only long patrols we went on.” Kirashima gave a shark-toothed grin. “Fourth Kind helped Tetsutetsu and I with our defenses, but mostly got us working on a lot of the non-combat stuff! It, uh, wasn't exactly what I expected going in, but it was still Manly in its own way!”

“The non-combat aspects of Hero work are of great importance, even if they're not what the public sees the most!” Tenya called. “It's imperative that we perform just as well in the office as in the field! Manual showed me a variety of small but impactful ways to improve the documentation process during my hospital time, which will doubtless be of great help in the future!”

In the corner of his vision, Izuku saw Bakugo open his mouth, glance in Inko’s direction, then snap his mouth shut with a sour look.

Tenya’s words, however, had brought the rest of the conversations to a screeching halt as well. Given that it was the first time any of the three who’d been present in Hosu had spoken about their internships, it wasn't all that surprising. It had been obvious for the entire day that some of his classmates were curious, but by and large they’d avoided asking anything directly. While Izuku could appreciate the sentiment, he couldn't deny that the tension had been grinding on his nerves.

Finally, someone broke the silence.

“How are you feeling, Iida?” Shoto’s words were somewhat stilted, but the fact that he’d been the one to speak up first overrode that. “You seem much improved since the hospital.”

“An understatement, if I’ve ever heard one.” Tenya smiled slightly. “While I’m not completely recovered, that’s likely to change in two hours when I go to see Recovery Girl.”

“I don’t want to sound insensitive, Ribbit, but how DID you recover so quickly?” Asui asked. “Last I was aware, you’d received severe spinal trauma. I know Todoroki mentioned Midoriya and a healing Quirk were involved, Ribbit. But even with Recovery Girl, it’s surprising that you’re walking already. Also, what’s on your elbows?”

Tenya froze in the middle of adjusting his glasses, and all eyes turned towards his exposed arm.

“Well that’s new.” Sero raised an eyebrow. “Welcome to the weird elbows club, man!”

“Ah. Um, thank you?” Tenya finished readjusting his glasses, then coughed into his hand. “Well, as far as my recovery goes, that’s as much Izuku’s to explain as my own. As for these, I experienced a… Quirk Awakening, during my recovery. These are almost identical to my brother’s version of Engine, they simply haven’t fully grown in yet.”

“I’d wanted to ask earlier, but never found a chance.” Momo admitted from her seat next to Tenya, then peaked closer. “I’ve heard of Quirks that rely heavily on a specific limb sometimes forcibly manifesting elsewhere in response to sufficient trauma, but that’s usually from extreme damage. When I saw you this morning, I thought the reports might have been exaggerated, but once I noticed those, I was worried all over again.”

“Er, yes.” Tenya made brief eye contact with Izuku. “They first appeared some time this morning, which was after my last treatment. But given the extent of my injuries, your explanation may still fit. My spine was almost completely severed by Stain, which would likely qualify as extreme damage.”

Someone’s fork clattered to a table. It was the only sound in the room.

“Holy Shit!” Uraraka blurted, though she quickly slapped her hands over her mouth afterwards. She began to drift upwards, but she managed to catch herself and tap her fingers together before she got far. “Sorry! Are you, like, absolutely sure you shouldn’t still be in bed recovering?”

“Quite sure.” Tenya nodded. “I doubt Recovery Girl would have let me walk around if she weren’t completely satisfied that I could do so safely. I benefited from a stunning sequence of events, which greatly facilitated my recovery. While I’ll still be attending checkups and some precautionary physical therapy for another few weeks, I should be given a mostly clean bill of health later tonight.”

Asui nodded in acceptance, then turned her large eyes towards Izuku. He took a deep breath, then nodded to himself.

“A lot happened during my internship. I managed to get a better grasp on my super strength, but that just opened up a whole new can of worms. As it turns out, my Quirk isn’t just super strength. That’s just the simplest way to use my power.” Izuku said as he tried to keep the story he’d practiced straight. “It seems the energy I have stockpiled is really, really flexible. I managed to use it to amplify my Vitality, and transfer that vitality to others.”

“Damn.” Kaminari whistled. “And here I thought I made some breakthroughs. You can heal people now? Wait, does that mean you don’t have to worry about breaking your arms, because you can just heal them? What are the other things you can do? Was the green glow in that video I saw-”

“Chill, dude. Maybe let him actually answer.” Jiro elbowed Kaminari, though she’d leveled a considering look Izuku’s way herself.

“It’s ok. Um… it’s not actually that great at healing on its own. It’s better at energizing people and keeping them alive.” Izuku explained. “But that’s what I used on Tenya after he was injured. It kept his condition from degrading anywhere near as fast, and made it easier for the doctors to start correcting the damage. Then, when Recovery Girl went to treat him, Heal used up the vitality I gave him to accelerate the process far beyond what anyone was expecting. The same thing happened during his session last night.”

“But Todoroki said you’d used a Quirk someone else used on you.” Tsuyu pointed out. “He seemed specific about it.”

“Yes, I was. You told us…” Shoto trailed off, then took on a pensive air. “Were you trying not to mention…?”

“No, it’s ok.” Izuku grimaced slightly. “I was getting there, I was just trying to cover how I helped Tenya before I got into the heavy subject.”

“Wait, was Iida getting hurt not the heavy part?” Ojiro set his utensils down, then leaned forward to better see Izuku. “What on earth happened?”

Izuku caught sight of Uraraka at the far end of the table as she watched him, clearly worried. When she noticed him looking, she mouthed ‘Are you ok?’ He gave her a small nod, then braced himself.

“I wasn’t actually meant to be in Hosu. My mentor, Gran Torino, was taking me elsewhere when a Nomu attacked the train. He dragged it away, but we were separated as a result. I went into Hosu to try and help, heard Manual calling for Tenya, then went to go look for him myself. Before I found him, I stumbled on a building another Nomu had smashed through. There were people who hadn’t evacuated, so I went in to look for them.” Izuku stopped, then took a steading breath. “One of the people I was looking for, a doctor named Kouki Kinenkō, was crushed in the initial collapse, and was barely alive when I found him. I’d hurt my leg getting two people off the upper floors, and he offered to use his Quirk on me so I could keep helping with the rescue efforts. It was called Boon, and it amplified his vitality and let him share it with others. He… died, shortly thereafter.”

Izuku stopped for a moment, and the dining room was completely silent once more. He could practically feel the weight of everyone’s gaze, but he couldn’t let himself think about it. He could already feel the prickling of tears, despite the fact that he knew Kinenkō wasn’t completely dead.

“When I was trying to save Tenya, I tried to push Boon into him as a last ditch effort because nothing else was working. When something actually happened, I just assumed that it was part of the Quirk. It wasn’t until later, when I figured out what was going on with my own, that I realized what I’d done. It was all energy manipulation and enhancement, and I sort of had a roadmap to follow, so… I managed to mimic Boon.”

“Holy crap. ” Sato grumbled, audible over the other similarly concerned voices around him. “The fact that you can do that is insane, but… are you ok, Midoriya? Like, actually ok? I thought having to fight Stain was bad, but on the heels of that? ”

“I was a mess once I got a chance to really think about everything. But once I talked through it all, I managed to pull myself together.” Izuku shot another brief but appreciative glance Uraraka’s way. “I can’t change what happened, but I can absolutely do my best to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I already had a lot of ground to make up, and with all the new aspects of my Quirk to learn, that gulf has only grown wider. But if anything, I’m more motivated to improve than ever.”

“Hell yea, Midoriya! That’s the spirit of a true man, right there! You survived something awful, and you’re using it as fuel to make a better future!” Kirashima shot up from his seat and thumped his chest. “If you ever need a sparring partner, or a spotter, or anything else, you just let me know and I’ll be there!”

“Yeah!” Uraraka agreed. “If you ever want to work on rescue training together, all you ever have to do is ask!”

Koda gestured at Uraraka, then nodded quickly.

More and more of the class spoke up, and Izuku could feel the heat of tears as they gathered in his eyes. Inko looked much the same, though he could see the signs of a smile behind the hands she’d clasped over her mouth. “T-thank you, everyone. I really appreciate it.” He managed to get out around the lump in his throat. “And the same goes for all of you. If anyone needs anything and I can help, just ask.”

It took some time for things to settle down after that. Conversations had eventually resumed as people finished their food, and the group had made their way to the lounge once more, though Bakugo had turned in the direction of the stairs instead. Inko had quickly pulled Izuku aside for a hug, then scurried off to address the dishes after dismissing his offer to help. He made it to the lounge just in time for Ashido to speak up.

“Soooooo, now that everyone’s moved in, there’s an idea I wanted to run past you all…”

Ochako couldn't say she'd been prepared for quite how… intense… the tour-turned-competition was, but it had still been fun. Mostly.

Knowing that everyone would see how hand-me-down her room was had put a bit of a damper on the experience. But, as it turned out, she was far from the only one self conscious about their room.

Tokoyami had seemed embarrassed, despite how cool some of the guys thought his room was. Sure, the dark and ominous aesthetic had been a little much for her personally, but it wasn't exactly a surprise.

Kyoka had been bafflingly reluctant to show off her room, even though she was apparently able to play all the instruments in it . And there had been a lot of them!

Momo had been confoundingly shy about her ridiculously lavish room, even if it was pretty cramped. Frankly, Ochako had a hard time imagining her entire family owning so much in their entire house , much less cramming it all in a room just a little bigger than the tiny box of an apartment she'd been living in prior.

Even Tsuyu had been surprisingly quiet, despite the fact that her room was absolutely adorable. She'd just stood on her lily pad rug, surrounded by her rainforest decor, and watched everyone as they looked around. If it hadn't been for Sato's cake, her vote would have absolutely gone to Tsuyu.

However, if anyone had actually outdone her own embarrassment, it had been Izuku Midoriya. His room had been wall-to-wall hero merch, a substantial amount of which she recognized as rescue heroes, 13 one of the most prominent. He'd devolved into a blushing, stuttering mess as he tried to dissuade people from looking too closely at his shelves of figurines, which had been so cute adorkable in character that it had brought a blush smile to her face.

‘Bad.’ Ochako groaned inwardly. ‘Down girl.’

She shook her head. She REALLY needed to get herself under control. Midoriya had just offered to make up for a missed lunch, even though he really hadn't needed to. And gave her that speech about being an amazing hero. And helped move her in. And helped with her father’s bad shoulder and back. And her mother had-

She shook her head again, this time harder. The less remembered about the look in her mother's eyes, the better. She was NOT ready to deal with that. She took a deep breath, then caught an odd movement from the corner of her eye.

Naturally, it was Midoriya.

‘Seriously girl, ya’ need to-’

Midoriya’s fingers twisted themselves into the hem of his shirt. The muscles of his arms danced, and there was a tension to him that worried her as soon as she noticed it. Carefully, she approached.

Midoriya blinked, darted his eyes to her, then blinked again. “O-oh! Uraraka, what's up?”

“Are you ok, Deku?”

“Um. Yes?”

She glanced down. Midoriya followed her gaze, then mechanically released his fingers from his shirt.

“Really, it's nothing to worry about.” Midoriya said, but he wasn't quite making eye contact with her anymore. “It's just that the Vitality boost I gave Tenya yesterday wore off, so I have that energy back. It kind of makes me… hyper.”

She knew him well enough to recognize when he wasn't saying something. That had been happening a… worrying amount, recently, especially when he'd explained things to the class over dinner. She wanted to ask, but at the same time, she didn't want to overreach and make him uncomfortable. She'd just have to play along and let him talk if he wanted to.

“Hyper, huh?” Ochako looked up and down his tense body, did another pass, then snapped her gaze away in a fluster. That tight t-shirt would be the death of her. “W-well, I've been wanting to check out the Exercise Room and the Gymnasium. Would you mind showing me around?”

“Oh! Sure! I was probably going to go there myself, at least until Tenya is ready to head for the nurse’s office.”

‘Shocker. Ya’ look like yer’ about to make a break for it.’ Ochako thought. “Cool. It's down this way, right?”

“Exercise Room is, yep! If you want the Gymnasium, we can take the stairs in the gym, or use the elevator.”

Ochako nodded, then jogged down the hall with Midoriya on her heels. The gym was smaller than the one at Gunhead’s agency, but that wasn't especially surprising. Even UA couldn't deck out so many dorms to that degree. Regardless of the size, it was still astounding to her that she could just use it freely.

She had been horrified at the thought of on-campus housing and the steep costs that would be attached. When she’d found out that the dorms would be free for all current students because of the sudden nature of the transition, she’d cried out of pure relief. Not only was she now living in an upscale dorm with amazing amenities like this, she was cutting down on her expenses at the same time!

“What do you want to use first?” Midoriya asked. “It sounded like you did a lot of weight lifting at Gunhead's agency. Do you want to keep that up, or give something else a try?”

Ochako considered for a moment, then nodded to herself. “I made a lot of headway with muscle building, and I’d like to keep that up. What about you?”

Midoriya hesitated slightly. “Treadmill. It… helps take the edge off.”

“Sounds good. Would you mind spotting me in a bit?”

“Sure!”

They went their separate ways, though Ochako kept an eye on him as she made her rounds of the machines. Because she was still worried. Specifically that. Nothing else.

When he’d first stopped at the dumbbell rack, she’d been taken slightly aback. He’d plucked up two of the 20lb weights, then casually strode to the treadmill as he’d said he would.

‘...he’s not actually gonna… oh. Yeah, that’s exactly what he’s gonna do. Holy shit.’

At first, she’d been concerned he would exhaust himself immediately, given the pace he set. Then, he’d increased it rather than backing it down. Once he seemed satisfied with his pace, Ochako wasn’t sure the treadmill had much left to give regardless. Hell, she was pretty sure she’d be out of breath and sprawled on the ground within a minute, but he just… kept going.

By the time she'd finished her last set on the leg press, she was panting and just about every muscle she had ached. Midoriya, however, had the gall to seem barely phased despite what had to be a solid half hour of sprinting while curling 20lb weights. Sure, he looked as sweaty as Ochako felt, but he wasn’t breathing hard, his movements were crisp and even, and his pace hadn’t slowed.

‘Holy crap. THIS is what he was tryin’ t’ pass off as just a bit hyper?’ She gaped.

Ochako rolled herself from the leg press’ seat, then hobbled her way over to the treadmills. As she got closer, she noticed something else. Not only was he not breathing hard, but he seemed to be muttering to himself in classic fashion.

“Deku?”

No response.

Ochako stepped into his line of sight, but he still didn’t seem to notice her. His eyes were oddly unfocused, more staring blankly ahead than looking at anything in front of him.

“DEKU!”

His eyes re-focused, then flicked to her. He did a double take, then tripped over his own feet.

Ochako lunged forward and just barely managed to slap a hand on his shoulder before he slammed into the ground. At the same time, a flash of green light enveloped Midoriya, and he twisted to plant a hand on the ground.

Or, well, he tried to. Given that he was no longer falling, the only thing he managed to do was send himself into a rapid spin while he hung in the air. The dumbbells tumbled away, one thudding into a wall, the other fetching up on another piece of equipment with a metallic clang.

Ochako observed the spinning, flailing, crackling green blur for a moment before she carefully reached out a hand. In return, Midoriya’s hand snapped out to clasp her wrist, his grip firm. With a solid anchor, his tumble came to an abrupt stop… upside down. For a moment, they just stared at one another, his hair blown to one side from the speed of his Zero Gravity mishap.

Then, he snorted.

In turn, she lost her fight to keep from laughing, and a giggle bubbled up and out of her throat.

At the sound, Midoriya lost his own fight entirely and let out a bright peal of laughter.

They went back and forth like that for a time, each making the other laugh in a cycle they couldn’t break. It wasn’t until she’d collapsed to her side and Midoriya had floated to face the ceiling that they managed to reign themselves in.

“Sorry about that.” Midoriya gasped. “I was a little lost in thought.”

“Oh, were you?” Ochako asked sarcastically. “I just thought you found the wall really, really, really interesting.”

“Given it was made by several pros working together, it is objectively a more interesting wall than most.” Midoriya pointed out around another small burst of laughter. “But no, I was just… trying to brainstorm for my Quirk. I didn’t even notice you until you yelled.”

“Sorry it startled you. I probably should have tried to get your attention a bit more gently.”

“You’re fine, the yell didn’t startle me.” Midoriya said.

“Why’d you trip, then?”

Midoriya simply floated silently for a few moments. “Just clumsy!”

Ochako blinked. “Seriously? After you kept THAT pace up for so long?”

“Yep!” Midoriya sounded oddly high pitched. “Thanks for saving me!”

“Sure…” Ochako said. “But it looked like you would have caught yourself just fine, Mr. Clumsy. Is that the Full Cowling technique you told me about?”

“Oh! Yes, it is!” Midoriya twisted himself in the air in a way completely at odds with his claimed lack of coordination, but the beaming smile on his face made short work of any other thoughts she might have had. “I’m getting a lot better with it, too! When I first figured it out, it took me a few seconds to get it charged up. But I’ve been flicking it on and off so often the past few days that I managed it almost instantly! You were just faster to react this time.”

Ochako stared for another few seconds, then her brain rebooted and her face flooded with heat. “OH! I, uh, was just on guard in case I startled you, so I was ready when you went down. Sorry again!”

“My fault for zoning out. I take it you want me to spot you now, right?”

Before Ochako could respond, someone knocked on the door.

“I apologize for the intrusion, but I must borrow Izuku for my appointment.” Iida called from the doorway, Mrs. Midoriya at his side. She was eyeing the both of them in a way Ochako immediately recognized.

‘Oh…. Oh no. She has the same look as Ma does. Do all parents just share a brain cell or somethin’?’

“Ah!” Midoriya squawked from overhead. “I completely lost track of time! Let me run and grab a quick shower, then I’ll be right down!”

Iida glanced at his phone, then gave a sharp nod. “I’ll meet you in the lobby. Please make haste!”

“Will do!” Midoriya said, then looked back towards her hesitantly. “Er, sorry I didn’t get a chance to spot for you, Uraraka. I’ll, uh, have to make up for that at some point, too.”

The reminder was enough to make her blush all over again, despite her best efforts. “That’s fine! I look forward to it!”

‘Huh. It looks like the exertion finally caught up with him. He’s turning pretty red too.’

She tapped her fingers together, and Midoriya landed easily next to her. In the same movement, he snapped out his arms, and two strands of black something shrouded in green light shot from his palms. Lightning quick, they snatched both dumbbells, which she’d entirely forgotten about, out of the air and pulled them into his grasp. In a green blur of movement, he returned them to the weight station, then took off for the exit like a shot. He casually leapt over one of the machines, wove between Iida and his mother, then vanished down the hall.

‘...Clumsy my ass. What the hell was ANY of that?!’

“I apologize for interrupting your exercise.” Iida turned back towards her, though he seemed slightly… off, in a way she couldn’t place. “I presume it was Boon at work, given how skittish Izuku was?”

“Oh! Uh, yes. I noticed he was really tense after the voting. He said what he’d given you had come back, and that it makes him hyper. I wanted to check this place out anyway, so I asked him to show me around since I arrived too late to get the tour before dinner.”

“Thank you. I should have realized the time myself, but my family called to check in.” Iida nodded. “If you’d like to come along as well, you’re more than welcome to.”

“Oh, that’s ok! I should probably get a shower myself.” Ochako shook her head and felt wet hair slap against her head. “Thank you, though! I hope it goes well!”

“I’m sure it will!” Iida smiled, then turned. “And thank you for helping me find them, Mrs. Midoriya.”

“It was no trouble at all! Now, you should probably run along. I’m sure Izuku will be down shortly.”

Tenya nodded, then briskly strode from the room. “Both of you have a wonderful evening!”

Suddenly, Ochako was alone with Mrs. Midoriya. Who was smiling again, albeit in a way that was a little less alarming than before.

“I apologize you didn’t get a tour earlier, Uraraka.” Inko stepped further into the room. “If you’d like, I can show you around after your shower.”

“Um.” Ochako faltered. “I wouldn’t want to bother you-”

“Oh, nonsense. It’s my job, and I intend to do it well!” Inko grinned. “And besides, I’d love to get to know one of my son’s best friends. I’ve heard quite a bit about you, you know.”

“...You have?” Ochako asked, and knew Inko had her hook, line, and sinker.

“Absolutely! He told me all about your Quirk, how you saved him at the Entrance Exam, how you managed to capture the target during your battle trials, eating lunch together-”

“O-oh, he mentioned that?” Ochako asked, startled. If her blush wasn’t literally glowing, she’d be shocked.

“Yes?” Inko cocked her head. “He said that he usually eats with his friends. He’s mentioned talking to you in particular a few times, though.”

“Oh. That. Not-” Ochako cut herself off, but it was too late. She could see Inko’s smile widening right back to that terrifying mom-smile that promised teasing and questions she wasn’t prepared to answer.

“Is there a lunch I should know about in particular?” Excitement danced in Inko’s eyes. “Perhaps one that happened… off campus?”

Ochako dropped her head into her hands with a groan, then felt herself begin to float towards the ceiling. ‘Nice goin’, Ochako. Now ya’ really gon’ an’ done it.’

Chapter Text

“Is there a lunch I should know about in particular?” Excitement danced in Inko’s eyes. “Perhaps one that happened… off campus?”

Ochako dropped her head into her hands with a groan, then felt herself begin to float towards the ceiling. ‘Nice goin’, Ochako. Now ya’ really gon’ an’ done it.’

Izuku adjusted his respirator as he approached the gates to Field Gamma, the metal chill against his bare hands. A few people had gotten changed faster than him, and were already standing at the gates. Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ashido stood in their costumes, while Mineta was in his PE uniform.

Izuku frowned and tugged on the shoulders of his costume. His back had been itching on and off all morning, and it was getting to the point he thought it might be a rash or something. He twisted to try and scratch the awkward point between his shoulder blades, then caught sight of the rest of the class not far behind him. Tenya, also in his PE uniform, herded them along with reminders of the time and arm chops that seemed even faster than usual.

For a moment, Izuku made eye contact with Uraraka, but she twitched her gaze away quickly.

It had been… something of a weird morning.

Much like the aftermath of Tenya’s treatment on Saturday, Izuku didn’t remember much of the previous night. He vaguely remembered that they’d jogged back to the dorms in celebration of the fact that Tenya could, with a short stop when they’d run across Kendo from 1-B. Once they’d gotten back, Izuku had dropped in on his mother to wish her a good night, then dragged himself to bed. He’d slept through the night, then gotten up at 6:00am for his usual morning run. He’d found Tenya in the basement Gymnasium’s raised track doing laps of his own, and they’d enjoyed several quiet laps together.

Once they’d finished, Izuku had split off to grab a glass of water while Tenya returned to his room. He’d found his mother all but dancing around the kitchen as she prepared a small breakfast for the class. Despite the fact that she'd made it clear she wouldn't be preparing all their meals for them, her nurturing nature wasn't really backing her up.

When he’d asked about her good mood, she’d given him an impish grin that sent every alarm bell he had blaring and told him not to worry about it.

He worried about it. He worried about it a lot.

Then Uraraka had been acting strangely, a combination of watching him and avoiding eye contact that left him extremely nervous.

Once they’d made it to the school, many of the teachers had been especially careful around him. Aizawa had been relatively normal, but Kayama had pulled him aside and completely dropped her persona to make sure he was ok. That had been somewhat jarring. She’d done the same for Shoto, then Tenya, who had returned from his talk slightly disgruntled and with his hair mussed. The sight had prompted Mineta to gnaw on, then bite entirely through, his pen. Even so, Izuku had to give him credit for at least keeping his thoughts inside.

Through Tenya, Izuku had learned that Aizawa, Kayama, and Yamada had all been friends with Tensei during their UA days, and Midnight still tried to get away with ruffling Tenya’s hair like she had when he was little. That had explained the somewhat tense atmosphere he’d noticed after the sports festival, even if the heroes had largely kept it professional.

But now, finally, it was time for Heroics. If All Might showed up and started looking at him strangely, he might scream.

Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“I AM HERE!” All Might crested the high wall of the training grounds in a steep arc, then landed heroically in front of them. He stood, then planted his fists on his hips and pumped out his chest. “FOR YOUR BASIC HEROICS TRAINING! How is everyone doing, after their internships?”

The students answered with a highly varied range of enthusiasm. Some, like Kaminari and Ashido, cheered loudly. Others, like Tokoyami and surprisingly Yaoyorozu, were far more subdued.

‘Now that I think about it, I don’t think I heard her talk about her internship at all…’ Izuku frowned, then glanced towards Tenya. He found his friend watching Yaoyorozu as well, a pensive expression on his own face. ‘I guess I’m not the only one.’

All Might nodded along, though Izuku couldn’t entirely tell if he was actually able to follow everyone. “While I’m sorry to hear that some didn’t go quite as you’d hoped, Young Tenya in particular. I’m glad to see all of you hale and whole now, though! I don’t doubt you’ve all learned something from your internships, regardless of what you may think. And to help show some of that off…” All Might’s grin widened, and he raised a finger. “You’ll be participating in an activity that’ll hopefully be both fun and educational. It’s a-”

“You’ll be participating in a Rescue Training Race.” Aizawa dropped into view on the end of his scarf. Once his feet hit the ground, he gave a sharp tug, and the capture weapon released from whatever he’d anchored it to and fell across his arm.

“...Yes. That.” All Might slumped slightly. “Mr. Aizawa will also be overseeing this exercise, to ensure things stay under control, unlike the Battle Trials.”

All Might very carefully didn’t look at Izuku.

‘...God damn it.’

“Is there a particular reason rescue training is being conducted here rather than the USJ?” Tenya asked. “Is that area still off limits after the attack?”

“The USJ received the same security measures as the Dorms and the rest of UA’s facilities. It’s perfectly safe. In fact, we’ll be making up for your missed rescue training there in the near future.” Aizawa coiled his scarf around his neck as he spoke, then ducked his head back into it.

“And as for why we’re using Field Gamma, the USJ is primarily geared for disaster rescue in particular. This area is better suited for our exercise.” All Might continued where Aizawa had left off. “Which is, as Mr. Aizawa mentioned, A RACE!”

All Might held up a holographic disk. A moment later, an aerial view of the training grounds appeared in front of them. “Field Gamma is a dense urban sprawl of factories that wind together to create a maze of alleyways. This will be a test to demonstrate your ability to navigate a complex environment while trying to track my distress signal. On the way, you’ll likely encounter a variety of hostile robots. Handle them as you see fit, but remember to try and keep substantial damage to property at a minimum!”

This time, All Might did look at him, then moved his gaze elsewhere in the crowd. Based on the growl he heard, Izuku had a pretty good guess at who.

“Let's get on with this.” Aizawa grumbled, then pressed a button on the wall. With a screech of metal, the doors slowly swung open to reveal the industrial maze beyond. A panel in the wall popped open at the same time, revealing what looked to be some manner of wrist-mounted screens. “Everyone grab a receiver. Kirishima, Aoyama, Hagakure, Kaminari, and Sato, you’re the first group.”

All Might gave a cheery wave, then launched himself back over the wall and deep into Field Gamma. “BEST OF LUck to you alllll…”

Izuku shifted from foot to foot, nervous as he eyed the maze on the other side of the gate. Three groups had gone in, but Aizawa wasn’t giving them any information on how the races were going. That wasn’t especially surprising, given Aizawa, but Izuku would have liked to at least know how the others had done.

It had only taken a little over five minutes for Aizawa to call up the second group, which included of Jiro, Koda, Mineta, Ojiro, and Shouji, whose group had seemingly taken about the same amount of time. When he saw who was included in the third group, and by default his own fourth, it clicked.

‘They’re deliberately organizing people based on relative expected performance. The first group is largely locked to human speeds, and have limitations on their higher damage output potential. The second has people with improved sensory abilities to avoid conflict and potentially scout ahead, enhanced strength, and/or have improved mobility. The third…’

Izuku shook himself from his thoughts as Ashido, Tokoyami, Shoto, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu lined up, just in time for Uraraka to glance back. Their eyes met for a moment, and he quickly flashed her a smile and an encouraging thumbs up.

When she didn’t immediately look away, he was relieved. When she continued to stare as the rest of the group prepared, he started to get a little concerned. Thankfully, Ashido came to the rescue.

“O-cha-ko!” Ashido gently poked Uraraka in the ribs. Uraraka nearly jumped out of her own skin, then whipped around to face Ashido, who was grinning widely. She leaned up close to Uraraka’s ear and said something that had Uraraka spluttering, then she turned to hastily prepare herself. Ashido giggled, then sent Izuku a smile.

‘...Danger?’ Izuku thought.

Hikage pulsed twice, though hesitantly.

‘Oh, THAT’S a good sign.’

Unlike the previous races, Izuku could see some of what took place in the 3rd round. After all, it was somewhat difficult to miss the occasional pillar of ice or green robot floating gently into the great beyond. It looked somewhat like a 2 Pointer from the entrance exam, which was at least a little more information to go on.

‘Group three has an abundance of mobility and firepower. Ashido can easily utilize her Acid for mobility and offense. Given how dark the inside of the maze looks, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow will have a lot of power to work with. Shoto can use his Ice for platforming and enemy immobilization. Uraraka can jump between buildings and easily incapacitate robots. Yaoyorozu can make mobility items and weapons at will. If this group also takes five minutes, then it’s pretty obvious Toshinori is deliberately hiding himself further and further away to compensate for increased mobility and combat efficiency.’

Sure enough, a bit under five minutes later, Aizawa waved the last five students forward. Just like that, it was Izuku’s turn, up against Tenya, Asui, Sero, and-

A shoulder clipped his own, and he nearly stumbled. He looked to the side, where he found the familiar sight of Bakugo glowering at him.

“You might have made your little breakthroughs. You might even have helped beat Stain.” Bakugo looked like he’d bitten into a lemon for a moment. “It doesn't matter. I’ll prove here and now that you can’t hold a candle to me.”

“Bakugo! That is deeply unsportsmanlike!” Tenya called from the starting line.

“Can it, Four-Eyes. Same applies to you too.”

“What, are we chopped liver?” Sero asked as he stepped up to the gate with Asui, who croaked in agreement. “Sure, we might not have taken down a high-grade villain, but I know I made a whole hell of a lot of progress in my time with Arachne.”

“Feh.” Bakugo spat, then continued on his way.

‘...Wow.’ Daigoro grunted. ‘He’s a real charmer, huh?’

‘That was actually better than usual, all things considered.’ Izuku replied as he took his place next to Tenya, a faint trickle of One for All already beginning to flow. ‘No explosions, didn’t actively threaten anyone, and the fact that he actually said it to me means he acknowledges I’ve improved. Best Jeanist must be a miracle worker.’

‘...and you were friends with this guy why?’ Nana asked. ‘He sounds awful.’

Izuku considered his words for a moment. ‘Because, for all his rough edges, and I do acknowledge they’re VERY rough, I think he can do amazing things. I’d rather put up with him and try to encourage that potential than give up and watch him get worse.’

‘Hero to your core.’ Yoichi sighed. ‘I hope you’re right about him, though.’

‘So do I.’ Izuku returned his focus outwards. “Good luck, Tenya.”

“Good luck to you as well, Izuku!” Tenya smiled, though it was slightly strained. “Given how much has changed, I fear my success may be far more dependent on it than I’d like.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Izuku lightly patted his friend on the shoulder. “That goes for everyone else as well!”

“Thank you, Ribbit. You too.” Asui nodded.

“Thanks!” Sero grinned. “Looking forward to seeing all these developments you’ve been talking about. Granted, I’ll only see them when you catch up at the finish line, but that’s besides the point.”

Bakugo just snarled and eyed the environment in front of them.

“If you’re all done talking?” Aizawa cocked an eyebrow at the lot of them. When they quieted, he jabbed a button on the wall. “Go.”

In unison, the receivers pinged as they locked onto All Might’s distress beacon. The Engines in Tenya’s legs screamed as he blurred forward and into the maze. He stumbled for a second, but recovered adroitly and vanished around a corner.

Bakugo launched forward with a flash of light and heat, the sound of the explosion muted after the deafening roar of Tenya’s launch. He rocketed upwards and quickly vanished over a rooftop.

Izuku ignited Full Cowling, then leapt for a wall.

He heard sounds of surprise from below as he immediately outpaced Sero and Asui. He bounced between metal monoliths, shot through a tight gap between pipes, then sprung off the lip of a roof to launch himself into daylight.

“Intruder Aler-”

Izuku reduced the disk-shaped green drone to shrapnel with a quick jab, then checked his receiver. It indicated he needed to head in a northeastern direction, slightly off from the opposite end of the training grounds. He easily cleared a large gap between two buildings, flipped over some kind of turret that swung to face him, then delved back into the maze to break its line of fire. A second later, a yellow drone shot over his head, and his hair rose at the crackle of electricity that radiated from its surface. The drone banked sharply, then accelerated back towards him for another attack.

‘Not touching that, and it’s actually catching up. Hey, Blackwhip, you wanna play catch?’

Izuku stretched an arm out behind him, and Blackwhip gleefully complied. Together, they snapped a single thick cord out from his palm. It intercepted the drone’s charge and immediately coiled around it. Izuku squeezed, and with a sharp pop and the smell of ozone, the drone was crushed like an empty soda can.

‘Awesome! Thank you!’

Blackwhip gave a happy wiggle, then receded.

Izuku forged a path through Field Gamma in a flickering arc of green. For the most part, he stuck to the rooftops, where he could best utilize the acrobatic mobility of Full Cowling. However, there were times where ducking into the maze proved beneficial. A few areas were particularly heavy on the turrets, which fired some manner of glue rounds. Others had swarms of electrified drones that weren’t worth the hassle of destroying. In sufficient numbers, it was easier to deal with the 1 and 2 Pointers he had to punch through within the maze itself.

By and large, though, remaining on the rooftops was the fastest option for Izuku. As such, once he’d successfully avoided a particularly tenacious drone swarm and reduced a 2 Pointer to scrap, he opted to head topside. Experimentally, he cast out a strand of Blackwhip to entangle a metal beam as he shot below it, then pulled. Blackwhip thrummed excitedly, then retracted slightly. Suddenly, Izuku’s expected upward swing accelerated into a gut-twisting blur of speed.

‘SHIT!’

Izuku released Blackwhip, then just barely managed to tuck in his arms as he flew upwards through a detached section of ventilation duct. At the far end, he had to kick off one side of the duct to shoot the gap between it and another metal beam, a far closer call than he’d have liked. After that, though, he broke into the open air.

Only to have an already active turret swivel to face him, mere feet away.

‘OH COME ON!’

Acting on instinct, Izuku grasped at the new sensation just under his skin, then pushed. Much as En had said, Smokescreen was easy enough to use once he could feel it. With a hiss, a purple haze churned out from under his suit and into the world around him. It quickly reached the turret, which had surprisingly lost its target despite the fact that Izuku could still see it relatively well. Not wasting time to question his fortune, Izuku cast a strand of Blackwhip forward. It slithered into the gaps in the turrets casing, then tightened like a Boa Constrictor. The metal groaned, then crumpled with an ear-piercing sound.

Izuku landed adroitly, then allowed himself a second to breathe. ‘That was entirely too close… wait a second…’

The feeling of pressure from Smokescreen had shifted. It spread farther now, from his hand… and into Blackwhip, which was also pouring smoke.

‘Ohhhh…’ Izuku grinned. ‘Oh that'll be useful. But I can't let myself be distracted now.’

Izuku dismissed Blackwhip and Smokescreen, then leapt up to another nearby rooftop… just in time to hear several rapid explosions.

“The FUCK?!” Bakugo screeched from several rooftops ahead even as he blasted a turret of his own into a loose assortment of scrap. “How the hell are you up here? And where’s all that smoke coming from?”

“Jumped!” Izuku called back automatically as he ducked a chunk of turret that had flown his way. “And, uh, that’s a new technique! Like I said, I’ve made progress!”

“Tch.” Bakugo snorted, then leaped as he unleashed a massive explosion to launch himself towards the goal. “And like I said, THAT DOESN'T MEAN SHIT!”

‘We’ll see about that.’

Izuku sprinted forward. Buildings passed in a blur. Robots were left shattered in his wake. Turret fire flew past, too slow to properly track him.

‘Not fast enough.’ Izuku thought, frustrated as Bakugo pulled ahead. ‘Still not fast enough.’

Experimentally, he kicked off with 6%. His leg tingled, but didn’t hurt.

He smiled widely into the intense wind.

Carefully, he let Full Cowling creep up to 6%. His skin prickled and he felt a little bit of strain, but nothing even close to worth worrying over.

Bakugo was slowly growing in his vision. He was actually getting closer!

Izuku vaulted over a fence, then leapt from the edge of the roof with 7%. He heard a faint crack behind him and winced, then ran a quick mental inventory.

‘Ok, I think that was just the concrete. 7% feels like a little bit too much, though, so 6% is my new stable limit. Might be able to eek out 8% like I used 7% previously, but probably best not to push my luck.’ Izuku passed through a lingering cloud of smoke Bakugo left in his wake, its pungent smell reminiscent of burnt sugar. He was definitely closer now. ‘I can work with that.’

Izuku flung himself through the air, twisted around a stray glob of turret projectile that had missed Bakugo, then slid under a ducting tube. He popped himself up on the other side, but faltered at the sight before him.

One building ahead, there was a massive courtyard, surprisingly devoid of robots. Beyond that, the wall of Field Gamma loomed high only two or three blocks away. According to his receiver, the distress signal was right up against it.

Bakugo wasn’t that far ahead of him now, but he could easily clear that gap with a few larger explosions to keep himself airborne. Izuku, unfortunately, couldn’t. He’d have to leap to the ground and work his way back up on the far side, or work his way through the maze to the goal. That wouldn’t take too long, but it would be plenty long enough for Bakugo to secure his victory.

‘Shit. Too wide for Blackwhip to give me much to work with. Don’t think an 8% jump would work either, and I’m NOT risking 9%. Damn it, I was so close to- THERE!’

Roughly halfway across the gap, a thin tower rose from the ground. A network of pipes ran up its length, then extended towards the buildings on the far side.

‘I can aim for that. If I can land on it, I can run across the pipes!’

He didn’t have much roof left. He’d need to build up as much speed as he could in the space he had. Izuku pumped his legs faster, putting everything he had into a last dead sprint.

‘Catch him.’

His foot smashed down on the lip of the roof, and he crouched low as he tipped forwards. With a heave, he leapt off at 7%.

‘Catch Him!’

He soared forward in a graceful arc, his blood roaring in his ears along with the wind.

‘CATCH HIM!’

His shoulders itched.

‘CATCH KACCHAN!’

‘OH SHIT! IZUKU, YOU’VE GOT INCOMING-’

With a ripping sound and a lurch, Izuku stopped falling far above the pipes, though he continued forward. The jolt snapped him out of his intensely focused state, though it took him a few seconds to process what, exactly, was happening.

‘I’m… flying? Nana, did Float come through?’

‘Um… no.’ Nana sounded hesitant.

‘Then what…’

There was an odd sensation on his back. Like a pressure, except there was far too much of it to all fit between his shoulders. Izuku tried to reach back to scratch again…

The feeling of pressure shifted, and he found himself swooping to the left. He yanked his hand back, but he overcorrected and swerved to the right without pulling out of his dive. He flailed, then braced for impact as the metal wall at the far side of the gap rushed up to meet him.

He struck it with a thunderous, resonant crash, and his vision went starry. He was vaguely aware of an odd fluttering sound for a moment, almost like a flag in strong wind, before he slammed into the ground back first. The feeling of pressure on his back changed sharply, a painful sensation on something that shouldn't be there.

“...Ow.”

Izuku simply lay on the ground for a moment, waiting for his head to stop spinning. From what he could tell, he wasn’t really hurt; Sure, he’d probably have a bruise on his forehead and his back, but nothing seemed to be broken. Full Cowling was a wonderful thing.

Then, he tried to sit up.

He couldn’t.

He tried again. The inexplicable weight strapped to his back remained, keeping him in place.

‘What the hell?’ Izuku thought as he looked to the side. ‘Did I snag on a pipe or-’

Red.

For a second, he thought he’d managed to hurt himself very, very badly despite his mental inventory telling him otherwise. There was a great swath of red that spread out from under him. The color was wrong, though, as was the shape. It was a brighter red than blood, and glittered brightly in a way that was bafflingly familiar. It wasn’t a splatter, but a repeating series of curves joined into points, separated by knobby ridges…

A wing. It was a wing.

‘...Yoichi.’

‘Yes, Izuku?’

‘Is it at all possible that the Nomu’s Quirk might have finished manifesting today?’

‘...I do believe that might have happened, yes.’

‘Literally just now?’

‘Almost certainly within the last few minutes.’

Izuku took a deep breath, then let it out through clenched teeth.

‘I don’t suppose anyone has any suggestions on how to pass full blown WINGS off as some kind of energy manipulation? Because I’m at a loss- are those explosions getting closer?’

Unfortunately, they were.

With a final furious crackle of pyrotechnics, Bakugo slammed into the ground just above Izuku’s head. His eyes smoldered as they raked over Izuku, bright as embers and just as eager to burn something.

“What. The. Fuck. Are. Those.”

‘...Going to need a rush order on those suggestions, guys.’

‘Shit.’ Daigoro hissed. ‘I was going to say you could cover them with Blackwhip, but that would have been a really hard sell. Both for literally anyone with a brain, and also for Blackwhip.’

‘A bit late to just blast out smoke to cover your ass.’ En sighed.

“WELL?” Bakugo roared, explosions crackling in his hands. “FUCKING EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”

“They’re wings, Kacchan.” Izuku groaned resignedly.

“Oh, you don’t FUCKING SAY?” Bakugo snarled. “I thought they were god damn flowers! How could I be so blind- OF COURSE THEY’RE WINGS! More specifically, they’re TSUBASA’S WINGS! WHY DO YOU HAVE THEM?”

“What?” Izuku blinked, caught completely off guard. “What do you mean they’re Tsubasa’s wings? How would that even be possible?”

“You tell me!” Bakugo snapped. He stomped over to the end of one wing, then lifted it. The sensation was extremely odd; Where Engine felt like a part of his arm that he’d somehow never noticed before, the wing was an entirely new limb. “Look at it. You remember all that pompous fucking bullshit he used to spout about his oh-so-subtle patterns? Look at this and tell me it isn’t the same god damn thing.”

Bakugo jabbed a finger into a section of lightly scaled membrane. Izuku’s eyes followed it, and…

“...Oh.” He blinked, then felt the blood drain from his face. Now that he really looked, the subtle striations of red on red, like layers of ruby swirled around garnet, were clear to see.

Just like Tsubasa’s had been. Exactly like Tsubasa’s had been. Except they were from a Nomu. With multiple Quirks.

Which had to come from somewhere.

“Oh. Oh god. Oh FUCK!”

Izuku thrashed as his gorge rose. He tried to roll, but the wings weighed him down and blocked his movement.

‘I’m going to throw up. I’m going to throw up on the wings. Tsubasa’s wings-’

With an odd sensation half way between a muscle cramp and a joint popping, the wings retracted. Suddenly, their weight was completely gone, and Izuku was free to roll. He flung himself away from Bakugo and wretched violently, his breakfast splattering out onto the concrete below.

“Oh what the hell.” Bakugo gagged as he backed away. “Did getting caught out on your years of lying really hit you that hard? I almost started to believe you about your Quirk coming in late, but here you had some kind of copy bullshit all the way back when we were kids! Why the hell did you even hide it? Mimicking people is fucking lame, but it’s better than literaly nothing!”

“I didn’t-” Izuku bit out, then wretched again. “I didn’t have a Quirk.”

“Oh you didn’t? You just decided to go off and borrow his Quirk after years, huh? Copied it like you did that dead Doctor’s? Where the fuck did Tsubasa even move to again? Somewhere in the middle of bumfuck nowhere - Wait.” Bakugo froze, then exploded into a torrent of cursing so spectacular it almost managed to distract Izuku from his existential horror. “YOU FUCKING COPIED ALL MIGHT’S QUIRK, DIDN’T YOU! WHEN HE SAVED US FROM THE GOD DAMN SEWER FUCKER! DID YOU MAKE A FUCKING FORGERY OF EXPLOSION WHILE YOU WERE AT IT, YOU SHITTY GOD DAMN THEIF?”

“No!” Wretch.

“THE FUCK YOU MEAN ‘NO’ ?” Bakugo’s hands were exploding violently in his rage. “IS EXPLOSION NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR REFINED FUCKING PALATE? OR ARE YOU…”

Izuku ignored Bakugo and delved into One for All.

‘It can’t be. There’s no way it’s Tsubasa. It’s just a coincidence!’

Izuku stumbled into the core and nearly collapsed from the sudden transition. Nana caught him as Yoichi sprinted up to them. “The Vestige for that Quirk should be in here, right?”

“He is…” Yoichi said hesitantly, then glanced towards the back of the room. “But I’m not sure-”

Izuku stomped forwards out of Nana’s grasp. With a bit of will, the thrones were pushed out of his path like toys swept aside. This, understandably, alarmed some of their occupants, but Izuku paid them no mind for the moment.

The whole of his focus was locked on someone else.

The figure was almost Izuku’s height and lanky, completely at odds with the rotund child from Izuku’s memory. He sat curled into the fetal position, rocking gently with his back against the wall. The thin tank top he wore was too small, as were the dirty white drawstring pants below them. His hair was still the same barely-there buzz cut, but it was uneven and patchy. His eyes stared blankly ahead from a young face, eyes wide and haunted.

Izuku collapsed to his knees. “Tsubasa?”

Tsubasa blinked twitchily.

“Can you hear me, Tsubasa?”

“Chase.” Tsubasa whispered. “Catch up.”

“What?”

“Catch Bakugo.” Tsubasa whispered, then his eyes flicked up to meet Izuku’s own. “Help catch Bakugo.”

Izuku couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. Tears spilled down his face, but he couldn’t even move to wipe them away. A hand touched his shoulder, then another his back. More joined, until there were seven in all.

“...I’m sorry, kid.” Kudo muttered. “I’d hoped this wouldn’t happen, yet.”

“...Yet?” Izuku croaked, his mind spinning.

“All for One does things like this.” Kudo said softly. “He killed me using the Meta Ability of… someone I knew. Given that you seemed to stay pretty far under the radar until the Sports Festival, I didn’t think he’d have time to pull something like this, but…”

“But why Tsubasa, of all people? He was Kacchan’s friend more than mine, and he moved away when I was six.” Izuku asked wetly. He hesitantly reached out, but Tsubasa twitched away from his hand. “I haven’t spoken to him since. I don’t even remember where he moved to. If All for One did this on purpose, then he must have known about me long before anyone realized he was still alive. He could have…”

Izuku trembled.

“He could have done far, far worse than this.” Yoichi finished for him.

“Maybe he wanted someone that wouldn't garner as much immediate attention?” Bruce said, though he sounded doubtful of the idea himself. “But… actually, no. We’re making a massive assumption here.”

“Which is?” Nana asked.

Izuku felt his physical body shift, but ignored it.

“Tsubasa was completely unrecognizable as a Nomu. If he’d done this to hurt Izuku, that doesn't make any sense unless he already knew One for All could be given Meta Abilities. But if he knew that, he sure as hell wouldn’t have engineered this situation and given Izuku another advantage just to send a message.” Bruce considered. “So unless his intent was for some kind of autopsy report to break the news…”

“Which, mind you, is just fucked up and convoluted enough that it might have actually been his plan.” En grumbled.

Bruce faltered. “You may have a point. But even so, I think it’s extremely unlikely.”

“So, what? Was this some kind of horrifying coincidence?” Daigoro asked, incredulous. “He just happened to sic a Nomu with a Quirk from a former friend on Izuku?”

“...Danger Sense didn’t trigger.” Izuku whispered.

Tsubasa stared at him.

“Back when the Nomu… you… grabbed me. You weren't trying to hurt me, were you?” Izuku whispered. “What were you trying to do?”

“Catch Deku.” Tsubasa brightened slightly. “Tag!”

The world blurred. At first, Izuku thought it was just the fresh wave of tears, or possibly that he was starting to black out. Then, he realized that the world was literally warping and fading out in patches, much to the Vestiges' distress. Before he could ask what was happening, the ground dropped out from under him, and he found himself staring into Bakugo’s face inches from his own. He was holding Izuku up by the front of his costume, glaring down and shaking him. Over Bakugo’s shoulder, Izuku saw two luminous red points in the gloom of the maze.

“I SAID WAKE THE FUCK UP, DEKU-”

“That’s enough.” Aizawa growled as he strode into the light.

Bakugo startled, then whirled to face the teacher. He hefted Izuku, as if for emphasis. “HE’S BEEN LYING ABOUT HIS-”

“I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!” Aizawa shouted, and his eyes grew even brighter. For all that he only had a few inches on Bakugo, he suddenly seemed to loom over them both like some kind of demon. Evidently Bakugo got the same impression, because even he was rendered speechless. “I don’t know what’s going on. But we’ll get to the bottom of it in the principal’s office.”

“What’s wrong?” All Might asked as he rushed into the principal’s office. “What happened? I came as soon as I saw the rest of the class back to the school! Is Young Izuku- Oh. Er. Young Bakugo as well. Hello.”

Izuku groaned as he dropped his face back into his knees. He’d curled up on his chair the moment he’d been pushed into it, and had only looked up when he’d heard All Might’s voice.

“Oh, so you’re on a first name basis with Deku despite the fact that he lifted your Quirk.” Bakugo grumbled. “Fan-fucking-tastic. Today just keeps getting better.”

“...Uh… Nezu? Could I bother you for an explanation?” All Might sounded alarmed. Beneath that, Izuku could also pick out the tell-tale wet sound in his voice that said he was nearing his time limit.

“There’s been a bit of a development, which Bakugo happened to bear witness to.” Nezu said smoothly. “At this point I think it would be best if you close the door and relax until Mrs. Midoriya arrives.”

“Oh? OH! I’m not so sure that’s-”

“Just do it.” Izuku sighed as he lifted his head once more. “I don’t think this is recoverable. The truth is probably the easiest way to deal with the situation.”

Aizawa’s eyes darted between the other occupants of the room in alarm. “You can’t be-”

All Might deflated.

Bakugo stared.

Aizawa’s jaw worked as his eyes continued to flick between Toshinori and the students.

Toshinori grimaced. His chest clenched, and he quickly snatched a handkerchief from his pocket to cough into.

Bakugo stared.

Silence.

“Well.” Toshinori sighed. “This is actually going better than-”

Bakugo started laughing.

“...Shouldn’t have said anything. Are you alright, Young Bakugo?”

“I’m fucking relieved!” Bakugo giggled languidly, a genuine smile on his face. “This was a surreal fucking dream, but at least now I know that’s what it is. Should have known. No way Deku was actually that fast. Holy shit, man.”

Toshinori pinched his brow. “Would anyone mind explaining-”

“WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?” Aizawa snapped at Toshinori, then whipped around to face Nezu. “Why did you even suggest it? Why does Midoriya know? Hell, why was HE the one All Might listened to!?”

Nezu snatched some papers from his desk. “Bakugo, please read this and tell me when you’re done.”

Bakugo took the papers, then eyed them critically. “My Quirk registration? Why the fuck do I need to read this old shit?”

“I simply want to confirm something.” Nezu said. “Please humor me.”

Bakugo grumbled, but surprisingly settled in. Nezu tapped something on his desk, then turned to Aizawa, who’s eye had begun twitching. “We’ll address the why shortly, but this has unfortunately become necessary. Midoriya made the call because the situation involves him as much as it does All Might, hard as that may be to believe. I understand you dislike being left in the dark, but please bear with me for a moment. Rest assured, you’ll know plenty about the situation shortly.”

Aizawa stared at the principal incredulously, but eventually gave a grudging nod.

Someone knocked on the door. All Might instantly returned, then the door swung open of its own accord. Inko rushed in, immediately spotted Izuku, then wrapped him in a hug. “Are you alright, sweetie? What happened?”

The door swung closed, and All Might deflated once again with a harsh cough into his handkerchief. Aizawa looked like he was about to say something, then bit his tongue.

“Fucker accidentally revealed his bullshit Quirk.” Bakugo grunted. “Did he lie about it to you too, Auntie? Or were you helping him keep his fucking forgeries under wraps?”

Inko looked at Bakugo askance. “His… what?”

Bakugo clicked his tongue in distaste, then flopped the pages he’d been reading back onto Nezu’s desk. “It jumps around, but it all checks out. Same dry crap as it was the last time, just a weird order.”

“Excellent. Slightly over two and a half minutes.” Nezu squeaked, then held up a timer on his phone, which showed 02:32.41.

Bakugo blinked. “What? Bullshit, that was a minute at the absolute most!”

“Interesting. And what was the first paragraph on the second page about?”

“Something about how I ignite my sweat. Now fuck off with this, I’m-”

“Not dreaming.” Nezu said seriously as he tapped his phone, which revealed the timer readout to have been a screenshot. He tabbed back to the actual timer, which showed 00:51.62. “The ability to accurately assess time is nearly impossible in a dream, as is actually comprehending and remembering anything you read. You accurately estimated the amount of time it took you to read your assessment, which you correctly identified in the first place. You were also correct that the document was rearranged, but nonetheless remembered the subject at the top of page two. This would have been completely impossible in a dream.”

Bakugo blinked. He snatched back the papers, quickly skimmed them, then tossed them aside. He whipped out his phone, typed furiously, then stared at it as though it had personally wronged him. Slowly, he went pale.

“Shit.” Bakugo whispered, then his eyes rose to scan the room. They settled briefly on Izuku and Inko, then on Toshinori. “What the FUCK?!”

“Now that we’re all accounted for and taking the situation seriously…” Nezu said. “It’s probably time for an explanation. Midoriya, if you would?”

Izuku closed his eyes for a moment, counted backwards from ten, then let out a harsh breath.

“In a very technical sense, Kacchan, you weren’t entirely wrong. I do have both All Might’s and Tsubasa’s Quirks.” Izuku said. “But they aren’t copies, and I didn’t receive Draconic Wings from Tsubasa himself. At least…” Izuku swallowed the acid taste on his tongue. “...It wasn’t entirely him, anymore…”

The silence was a brittle thing. It hung in the air, just waiting to be shattered and rain down razor shards on them all.

Bakugo had visibly explored many different ranges of fury, disbelief, offense, and stubborn refusal throughout the explanation. When Izuku explained where his wings had come from, however, the only thing that had remained was unadulterated horror.

Inko sobbed quietly into Izuku’s hair, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

Aizawa glared a hole into the far wall, as far from Nezu as possible. That was likely due to the faint red glow that flashed from his eyes from time to time.

Nezu was furiously typing away at his keyboard, his tea cast aside.

“That FUCKING monster.” Toshinori spat blood as he paced. “A child. He used a CHILD to make one of those… those… GAH. Should have atomized his corpse when I could, CONSEQUENCES BE DAMNED!”

Izuku caught Toshinori’s arm tiredly as he passed, then pushed up his costume sleeve. Boon flowed through the point of contact, which brought Toshinori’s stride to a faltering halt.

“I’m sorry, my boy.” Toshinori sighed, then wiped the blood from his lips. “This is neither the place nor time for me to let myself go like this. Are… you alright?”

“No.” Izuku admitted hoarsely, and his mother’s grip on him tightened. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I can’t imagine you do, young man.” Nezu said tiredly as he leaned back in his chair. “This isn’t the kind of situation anyone can be prepared for. Sometimes, coincidence can be far more cruel than malice.”

“It was a coincidence, then?” Izuku asked warily.

“Unless you somehow drew an ancient supervillain’s attention a few months before you began training under All Might, then it was.” Nezu’s ears flicked. “Tsubasa Higoi was reported missing from Tottori Prefecture in Yazu on January 2nd, 2177.”

Izuku nodded somberly. “It’s still awful that something like this was done to him, but… God, I feel horrible for saying it, but at least it wasn’t because of me.”

“You have nothing to be ashamed of for that.” Aizawa broke his silence, though his glare remained unchanged. “Atrocities happen every day. You should never blame yourself for the ones you could do nothing about. That merely distracts you from the ones you can.”

Aizawa’s eyes drifted closed, and his head tipped back to thump against the wall. “I want to be angry at you both, Nezu, All Might. But from the sounds of it, the specific nature of One for All isn’t something I’d have needed to know from the start. What I should have known was how short a time Midoriya had been in possession of it… but that’s likely something that… would have been in his file… which I…”

Aizawa signed harshly, then thumped his head lightly against the wall again.

“Didn’t.”

Thump.

“Fucking.”

Thump.

“Read.”

Izuku could feel his mother tense at his side. “And why, exactly, didn't you? You're one of the people responsible for his heroics training. That seems like vital information to have.”

“Ordinarily, the bulk of student files are packed with biased drivel. Delightful Quirk this, keen mind that. I found early on that getting only the baseline information from them, then putting the students through a litmus test of my own, was a better indication of what I'd be working with.” Aizawa’s head tilted forwards, and his eyes slid half open. “Unfortunately, that apparently left a blind spot for substantial changes too recent or too massive for the student to have adapted to. Short of a Quirk awakening or a severe injury, which I have been directly informed about previously, that wouldn't have come up. Except it did , and I wasn't . Which begs the question of why.”

Aizawa’s eyes narrowed to slits, then snapped to Nezu. “Why the hell didn't you intervene when I, in my ignorance, left Midoriya to his own devices? I know UA gives us a lot of freedom in how we teach. I’ve certainly pushed that boundary enough. But not stepping in when I’d obviously failed to help a student seems like a bit too much leeway.”

“In retrospect, I agree.” Nezu sighed. “I should have checked in on his progress and stressed his situation. However, we too were working under faulty assumptions of how his control would progress. From all previous knowledge of One for All, control would come in short order. We should have known that wouldn’t be the case this time when he continued to damage himself so severely, but by then we feared drawing any additional attention to him. As you’ve demonstrated, you would certainly have had questions.”

“The potential extent of which I was unprepared to answer.” Toshinori added tiredly. “Given your apparent dislike of myself and questionable opinion of Young Izuku, I hesitated to give you such access. It’s no secret that you’re a bit trigger happy with expulsion, even with your general education trick. Young Izuku needs every bit of education he can get, and I feared you’d be a threat to it if we tried to hide anything. By the time I felt you trustworthy, you were recovering from the USJ attack, and I didn’t want to distress you. Then came internships, and with them Young Izuku made great strides…”

“So you thought informing me of this mess was once again unnecessary.” Aizawa rubbed his brow tiredly. “Right up until it was dropped in my lap.”

“...Yes.” Toshinori agreed.

Aizawa glanced towards Izuku, then Inko, then past both. “We should continue this conversation later.”

Izuku followed Aizawa’s gaze as both Nezu and Toshinori agreed to his suggestion. Bakugo still sat in his chair, brow furrowed and eyes vacant. He hadn’t moved since the explanation had finished, and Izuku was officially worried. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand-

Bakugo’s eyes snapped into focus, and he slapped Izuku’s hand away. “Don’t fucking touch me, I’m fine.”

“Are you-”

“Yes, I’m god damn sure. Just my fucking worldview being beaten within an inch of its life.” Bakugo growled, eyes burning as they locked with Izuku's. “So all those years of you waiting around for the universe to shit out some miracle actually paid off.”

“He earned One for All, Young Bakugo. That it wasn’t his by birthright should not make a difference.” Toshinori cautioned.

“Through a complete lack of self preservation and some manual labor.” Bakugo snorted. “Sure, that’s completely equivalent to growing up with fucking high explosives literally dripping out of my hands. Learning when and how to burn some off to keep from destroying anything I touch. Building my body into a finely crafted tool to wield Explosion with the skill it deserves. ALL OF THAT just for him to mosey on up and flick shit out of existence after less than a year of dedicated effort. And that’s before all the other bullshit he’s also apparently ‘earned’ since.”

Bakugo stood sharply. For a moment, his hands trembled. Then, he clenched them into fists, the flash of a small explosion flaring between his fingers. “But fuck it. I don’t care if he’s got a Quirk-Eating, hive-minded, old-as-dirt superweapon living under his skin. I don’t care if he’s got your personal attention, All Might. I don’t care because it’s not going to make a difference! Because I’m going to win. If I have to train Explosion until it’s even more bullshit than punching the sky to change the weather , I’LL DAMN WELL DO IT!”

Bakugo panted harshly after his outburst, the room around him silent. His eyes were wide, and Izuku thought he could spot a desperate edge to them before Bakugo spun and began to stomp his way towards the exit. He froze, however, when Inko’s hand caught his arm.

“I know I’m probably one of the last people you want to talk to, Katsuki. But if you need to, I’ll be there.”

Bakugo trembled slightly, then snatched his arm away as he continued towards the door.

“You understand the importance of keeping what you learned a secret, correct?” Nezu asked carefully. “I understand you had little say in learning of it, but-”

“I’ll keep the damn secret.” Bakugo hissed. “I’m going to be a hero, not some two-bit information broker. And I’m sure as hell not going to do anything to paint a target on anyone’s back.”

Bakguo’s head lowered as his hand fell on the door’s handle.

“One dead kid is already too many.”

After Bakugo’s departure, Izuku had needed a bit longer to recover from his ordeal. Thankfully, Inko hadn’t asked him about the sheer hostility Bakugo had displayed, though he could tell it bothered her. He would have to tell her eventually, but… not yet. He didn’t have it in him.

Once he’d put himself back together enough to return to the public eye, he’d given his mother a long hug, then headed for the changing rooms. She’d stayed behind with Toshinori, Nezu, and Aizawa, no doubt for another discussion on how UA hadn’t been living up to its reputation. Part of him wanted to be present for that, but for the most part he just wanted to move on with his day and hope it would distract him.

When he’d pulled off his costume, only to find the two massive holes torn in the back by Tsubasa’s wings, he resigned himself to the fact that the universe probably wouldn’t let that happen. He’d sighed as he stuffed the fabric haphazardly back into the case, then crammed the lid closed. He’d needed to make a trip to the support department regardless, but now it would have to be a priority.

Once he’d finished getting changed, he’d pulled out his phone to check the time… only to see he’d received quite a few messages without noticing.

Conversation: Ochako Uraraka [Uravity]

Uravity: Hey, are you ok?

Uravity: Sorry I’ve been weird today, just had a rough night.

Uravity: If you need anything, just let me know, ok?

Uravity: Bakugo’s back, but he won’t tell anyone anything. Please let me know what’s going on when you can.

Deku: I had a bit of a Quirk mishap. Nothing broken, but Kacchan ended up caught up in it.

Deku: Thank you for checking in. I completely understand, I’ve had some weird nights myself recently, and it really throws off my day. Hope you feel better soon!

Izuku reread Uraraka’s messages again, then smiled slightly in spite of everything. ‘I really need to figure out what to do for that lunch. She does like Mochi…’

Daigoro pulsed.

‘Enough of that. I WILL sic the mute buttons on you.’

En and Hikage pulsed.

Daigoro pulsed twice in resignation.

Izuku tabbed out of Uraraka’s messages, then moved to the next.

Conversation: Shoto Todoroki [Shoto]

Shoto: Bakugo has returned, but both you and All Might remain conspicuously absent. If you need me to cover for your meeting, let me know.

Deku: I appreciate the thought, but there’s nothing to cover for. I just had some issues with my Quirk, which Kacchan was caught up in as well.

Izuku shook his head, but couldn’t help a small chuckle as he moved on.

Conversation: Tenya Iida [Ingenium]

Ingenium: Hello, Izuku. I hope everything is alright. We returned to the school without you and Bakugo, then All Might rushed off even faster than usual. Did something happen?

Deku: Quirk development. Kacchan saw it, and had to be brought into the loop along with Mr. Aizawa. I’ll explain later, but it’s all kinds of a mess.

Deku: Don’t say anything about it to him, he’s not happy.

The next active conversation in his personal chats was… new.

Group Chat: Deku is Missing II, Electric Boogaloo

Cellophane: Does anyone have any idea what actually happened with Midoriya and Bakugo?

Cellophane: They both took off like bats out of hell at the start of our race. There’s no way they wouldn't have finished waaaaay before I did if nothing happened, but I didn’t see them.

Cellophane: @Froppy Did you happen to spot them on your way through?

Chargebolt: Think they got in a fight or something

Uravity: Bakugo had better not have started something again.

Cellophane: @Chargebolt Is that an answer or a question

Chargebolt: Question sry

Earphone Jack: I could kind of hear Blasty’s explosions over Iida’s engines from where I was. It sounded like he almost got to the far end of the field, then there was this Gong sound and he turned back.

Earphone Jack: I heard some smaller explosions after that, but nothing big enough to have been an actual fight.

Ingenium: I sincerely doubt they’d have gotten in a fight. Izuku isn’t the type, and I doubt Bakugo would give up winning a sanctioned competition simply to pick one. However, I have yet to hear from either, so I can’t say with any level of certainty what might have happened.

Froppy: @Cellophane Didn’t see anything. Heard the same Gong sound as @Earphone Jack, but I steered clear of the area. Figured it was one of them fighting a large robot, or maybe something hitting a wall.

‘Oh God.’ Izuku came to a realization. ‘Now I'm Wall Fight’s successor too.’

Exuberant pulses all around from One for All. Izuku groaned.

Tentacole: @Earphone Jack, @Froppy I think I heard the same thing.

Creati: Mr. Aizawa didn’t accompany us back, and I didn’t see him at the front gate as we passed. Whatever happened, it seems likely he handled it.

Shoto: They might have found something unusual in the training grounds.

Shoto: Aizawa was involved. There could have been a hidden objective, or he might have otherwise misled us on the true parameters of the exercise.

Shoto: It was a race, which favors those with mobility. There were also robots that served as obstacles or opponents, which gave those with combative or evasive abilities a way to even the field. Is it possible that there were hidden ‘civilians’ that could be rescued on the way, to favor those looking to specialize in Rescue heroics?

Uravity: Wait, that actually makes a lot of sense.

Uravity: @Tentacole, @Earphone Jack Did either of you notice anything like that?

Tentacole: I didn’t find anything that indicated faux civilians, though I was mostly focused on avoiding the drones.

Earphone Jack: The idea makes sense, but if that’s what actually happened, they were hidden stupidly well. I could track everyone else in my group and the hostile bots pretty well, but I didn’t pick up on anything that stood out as something to save.

Red Riot: We’re absolutely sure it wasn’t just Midoriya accidentally breaking something again? I know he and Bakguo don’t get along, but I’m pretty sure if Midoriya put himself in a legitimately dangerous situation Bakugo would have saved him. That could explain the loud sound, and why Bakugo doubled back.

Earphone Jack: Maybe? There’s usually a lot more general noise when Midoriya really hauls off, though. I think I would have been able to hear a lot more wind and crashing if that was the case.

Ingenium: Izuku faced down Stain with his newly developed technique, which is what he used at the beginning of the race. The worst he did was apparently a fracture in his arm from one of the opening strikes, but he otherwise managed to keep up without injuring himself. I sincerely doubt anything in this test would have pushed him to do much more than that.

Cellophane: That’s a really good point. He shot off like a green bullet, and I didn’t see him again after he cleared a building. If he could keep that up, he wouldn’t have had any reason to risk anything extreme.

Cellophane: Which circles back to what could have possibly happened.

Pinky: Blasty’s back, but he’s not saying anything.

Pinky: Fair warning to everyone, he’s in a weird mood.

Red Riot: Understatement. He’s quiet.

Minoru Mineta: He can do that?

Red Riot: Yeah, but it’s not really common. It’s usually only when he’s absolutely exhausted or pissed past the ability to form words.

Minoru Mineta: I kind of thought he only had the one volume.

Bakugo Katsuki: I can read this too, you little shit.

Bakugo Katsuki: Fuck off.

Chargebolt: Rip

Cellophane: Rip

Pinky: Rip

Ingenium: @Bakugo Katsuki Language!

Invisible Girl: Rip

Bakugo Katsuki: @Ingenium Fuck off to you too.

Bakugo Katsuki: If it’ll make all of you extras shut the hell up, the Nerd is fine. His shitty Quirk pulled a fast one and I had to bail his useless ass out.

Bakugo Katsuki has left the chat.

Cellophane: Well

Cellophane: I guess that works?

Deku: Sorry to worry everyone. I’m fine.

Deku: I tried to use a new technique to catch up with Kacchan, but accidentally ended up tangling both of us up instead of slingshotting into the lead.

Deku: The, um, ‘Gong’ sound was me slamming head first into a wall, which knocked me for a loop. I’m fine, but Mr. Aizawa came to get us because we were taking too long to sort everything out.

Uravity: You’re ok, right?

Earphone Jack: Yeah, seriously. That sound carried, man. You have a concussion or something?

Deku: Completely fine!

Ingenium: Ah, the tendrils?

Deku: Yeah, still trying to get that under control.

Chargebolt: I’m sorry the tendrils???

Earphone Jack: Wow. You actually got Jamming Way to use punctuation.

Chargebolt: Rude

Chargebolt: **!

Deku: It’s another new technique I managed to develop. I can manifest the energy of my Quirk as a pseudo-solid tendril under my control, though it’s still really under development. I was trying to slingshot myself, but missed my intended anchor.

Cellophane: You were that close to catching him?

Deku: I was on his heels at the end, but he’d have probably still won if not for my mistake. It was a last ditch effort to clear a gap he could just rocket himself over.

Red Riot: That’s still a hell of an improvement, man. Congratulations!

Deku: Thank you!

Deku: @Everyone I’ll be back soon. Thank you for your concern.

Izuku tucked his phone away, then made eye contact with his weary looking reflection in a mirror.

“Well. This will be… interesting.”

Chapter Text

Deku: @Everyone I’ll be back to class soon. Thank you for your concern.

Izuku tucked his phone away, then made eye contact with his weary looking reflection.

“Well. This will be… interesting.”

Izuku’s return during the final minutes of Lunch had been somewhat overwhelming. Despite the group chat, many had wanted to check that he was actually fine, as opposed to ‘Midoriya fine.’ Evidently, that had become something of a shorthand for ‘Not literally incapacitated, but close enough.’

‘...maybe I really am that bad.’

One for All had pulsed, much to his chagrin.

Even after his attempt to alleviate their concerns, both Uraraka and Tenya had stuck by his sides like they were glued there. Even if he’d kind of wanted some space, he’d been touched by the gesture, and it had helped improve his mood quite a bit.

Then he’d caught sight of Bakugo at his usual table, though the group lacked its standard level of enthusiasm. Kirashima appeared to be trying to cheer his friend up, but Bakugo was unsurprisingly having none of it. Red eyes had flicked in Izuku’s direction, then had pointedly focused elsewhere a second later. The sheer fact that Bakugo had been the one to break eye contact was somewhere between novel and concerning.

He’d managed to cram a meal down his throat at breakneck speed, not bothering to sit as he sucked down his food. His haste had been a good idea, though it had earned him yet another concerned look from Uraraka and Tenya. Not a second after he’d dropped off his bowl for cleaning, the bell had rung.

They’d arrived at the classroom to find both Aizawa and All Might looking a bit more tired than usual, though All Might at least had tried to perk up once he had an audience. Aizawa had simply told everyone to take their seats in a tone that brooked no argument. Izuku had turned to do so, only to realize that Ojiro was sitting in Bakugo’s former spot. He hesitated, then quickly moved to take his seat.

“We’re going to be reviewing the footage of everyone’s performance.” All Might clicked a remote that was comically small in his massive hand. At the same time, Aizawa turned off the lights. The whiteboard flickered to life, displaying several shots of the Field Gamma gate. “We’ll go one person at a time. Keep an eye out for anything you find notable. We’ll discuss their performance after their recording is finished.”

Izuku plucked a notebook from his backpack and settled in, a little excited to see his classmates in action despite everything.

Surprisingly, the winner of the first race had been Kaminari. Izuku had known, abstractly, that he was capable of pulling in electricity. Evidently, that included pulling it directly out of the robots, which had instantly incapacitated them with no time lost. Once his video was over, he’d received quite a few well deserved compliments on his new technique.

Hagakure had easily circumvented the hostile enemies, cinching second place just a few seconds behind Kaminari. Given she’d immediately discarded her boots and gloves, her video hadn’t had much to see, save for a floating receiver occasionally appearing when she took it out of her mouth. For all that it was somewhat odd, it had certainly been an excellent way of hiding the one visible thing she needed to keep with her.

Kirishima had come in third, having been able to easily dispatch anything other than the electrified drones while retaining a solid pace. Sato had come in a distant fourth at four and a half minutes. Despite the ease with which he’d dispatched the robots, he’d spent an unnecessary amount of time fighting battles he could have easily avoided. Aoyama had been dealt a particularly brutal hand, his lasers often too much of a risk to his environment to use. He’d been in an… unfortunate condition by the time he finished, regardless.

The second block of students had demonstrated a far more diverse means of movement. Shouji had come in first, and not by a small margin. His combination of enhanced senses, the ability to climb and glide, and remarkable physicality had let him easily navigate the maze, or simply disregard it entirely. Ojiro had earned second place through remarkable parkour, utilizing his tail to swing on pipes and take down enemies.

Jiro had taken third after managing to avoid almost all the robots and destroying those that came within range of her jacks. Fourth had gone to Mineta, who’d scaled buildings with his balls. Koji had taken a close fifth, his reliance on the animals living in the simulated city slowing him just a bit more than others. He was, however, the first to know All Might’s exact location, even before Jiro.

The third round had been dramatically more intense. Tokoyami, clad in Dark Shadow and surrounded in the dim light of the maze, had torn through the robots at a breakneck pace. He’d easily scaled buildings by having Dark Shadow drag him up by their connection, and they’d even briefly glided on their way down from a rooftop.

Uraraka had come in second, having launched herself in arcing leaps between buildings and thrown robots into the sky. At one point, she’d successfully grappled a drone and rode it quite a ways towards her goal before she’d smashed it to pieces. The sheer intensity she’d radiated had been something else.

Izuku gently tugged on the collar of his shirt. It had suddenly gotten rather warm.

Shoto had come in an extremely close third, having used his ice almost exactly how Izuku had predicted. He’d also used small, controlled bursts of fire to address drones, much to Izuku’s pleased surprise. Yaoyorozu had come in fourth, a bicycle and sensory equipment letting her move quickly and avoid opponents. She’d occasionally used a grappling hook to clear buildings, but having to block turret fire and remake her bike each time had quickly taken its toll, slowing her down. It had been a near photo finish with Ashido, who’d skated on her acid with remarkable speed. She’d climbed walls by making tiny hand and footholds, and spun her way between and even through robots with remarkable dexterity and liberal application of acid.

Then had come the fourth round. Izuku knew that the teachers and Nezu would have scoured the videos for any sign of things that shouldn’t be seen, but he was nervous regardless.

The first video they’d started was Sero’s. However, much to Izuku’s guilt, he’d immediately stolen the show.

“What the hell?” Kaminari blurted, then whipped to face Izuku. “I know he said you were fast out the gate, but that was NUTS!”

“Quiet.” Aizawa growled.

Kaminari immediately snapped back to attention, then mimed zipping his mouth closed. While nobody else said anything, Izuku could feel more than one set of eyes on him.

Sero had made remarkable time, easily swinging through the environment and securing first place at just over three minutes. Asui had come in second, her ability to jump between buildings exceeding even Uraraka’s weightless maneuverability, and her tongue making quick work of standard drones.

Then had come Tenya’s video. It had proven extremely interesting.

First of all, he was faster than he had been, even just using the Engines in his legs. Far faster. It was only due to Izuku’s familiarity with his friend’s Quirk that he could tell he stayed primarily in 1st Gear, despite the fact that he was able to move at speeds that rivaled his previous 3rd Gear. The stumble he’d seen at the start wasn’t the only one, but Tenya had still been able to blitz most robots he encountered with ease. He’d only used Tensei’s Engines sparingly, but the difference in his speed had been stark when he had. It was obvious, however, that it was new to him, as he’d clipped more than one wall and stumbled more often.

Interestingly, the arm mounted Engines didn’t produce anywhere near as much exhaust as they had in the videos Izuku had seen of Tensei. Instead, they left a thin trail much like Tenya’s did.

‘Perhaps it’s due to the lower speed?’

About half way into Tenya’s run, he’d encountered a straightaway absolutely packed with 1 and 2 Pointers. Tenya had been a blur, sweeping through the enemies in a scene of incredible skill and robotic carnage. Then, he’d shifted into 2nd Gear.

With both sets of Engines.

THAT had thrown Izuku for a loop. He knew for a fact that Tensei’s Engines lacked gears, both from fights he’d seen and from the fact that he could feel it within his own copies. But nonetheless, the familiar signs were there for both sets. The change in pitch. The shift in the glow from within the mufflers. The speed.

Tenya had dropped back to 1st Gear quickly, but not before he’d torn through a dense knot of robots in a stunningly swift display. However, he was now deep in the enemy ranks, and had robots he’d damaged but not fully incapacitated were creeping up from behind. Izuku had briefly assumed that this was the event that had cost Tenya a higher placement in the race, but was almost instantly proved wrong.

Tenya had leapt up, planted a foot on a metallic head, and started running across the robotic mosh pit. It wasn’t anywhere near as fast as his previous progress, but he was still fast enough that the robots were helpless to stop him from literally running over them.

The drone swarm that swept down from above, however, would have been. When Tenya had seen the flying enemies approach, he’d opted to blow through and reach the end of the straightaway in one go using his Recipro Burst. His engines had glowed orange, then yellow, then brilliant blue-

Then there was a stark red flash, and Tenya had vanished.

Camera views flickered past as Tenya blurred through the air, only wide shots capturing him for any appreciable amount of time. Thankfully, he managed to re-orient himself and began using Tensei’s Engines to slow himself, rapidly climbing as high as 4th Gear in his efforts. His impromptu flight came to an end when he slammed feet first into a ducting tube, the metal structure cratering but leaving Tenya mostly unharmed, albeit visibly shaken.

Roughly three blocks away from his starting point.

All Might had landed on a nearby rooftop a split second later, where his path would have intersected with Tenya’s had he not managed to slow himself down. A hop later, and All Might had been checking Tenya over carefully. Once he was satisfied Tenya was uninjured, and that he wanted to continue, All Might had leapt back the way he’d come.

Tenya had taken a while to figure out how to get down safely, and had eventually resigned himself to sliding down a pipe. He’d then completed the rest of his race without fanfare, clearly taking things cautiously after his mishap. Unfortunately, his accidental flight had taken him far off course. Between that and his slow descent from the building, Tenya had finished in just under four minutes.

“Iida.” Aizawa drawled, wasting no time despite what they’d just seen. “Self assessment.”

Tenya stood sharply. “I should have been more judicious in using the unfamiliar aspects of my Quirk. While I moved faster in general, and especially while utilizing my new Engines, I would likely have lost any advantage I’d gained had I tripped at those speeds. I should have limited myself to speeds I could have ordinarily achieved in such an environment for the time being.” Tenya declared, arm chopping. “Moreover, whatever happened with Recipro Burst caught me entirely by surprise. I’d believed I had an understanding of my new capabilities, and was proved completely wrong to the point that All Might had to break his roll and try to rescue me. My performance was critically poor, and I will work hard to ensure such mistakes are not repeated.”

“While that may be true, Young Iida, you still demonstrated several commendable qualities during your race. While it might have been wise to hold off on using your new Engines, you adapted to them quite well given your inexperience. Were it not for the surprise launch, their usage would have put you in the lead, something truly impressive given that you were primarily locked to the maze itself.” All Might gave him a thumbs up. “With proper training to control your new power, you’ll truly be a force to be reckoned with!”

“Thank you, sir!” Tenya bowed, then dropped back into his seat.

“Anyone else have anything to add?” Aizawa panned his eyes around the room. A moment of quiet passed before Yaoyorozu raised her hand.

“I believe that, with exception of his admitted haste in using unfamiliar abilities, Iida performed well.” She said, nodding in Tenya’s direction. “He might have benefited from a bit more general caution, however. While it would have compromised speed, checking around corners rather than rushing onwards could have saved him from several unnecessarily close encounters. From what I could tell, it seemed like he’s able to more quickly reach higher speeds, so momentarily slowing would be less of a detriment."

“Good.” Aizawa nodded. “Anyone else? No? Moving on then.”

There was an immediate tension in the room. Only two people were left. The two who hadn’t finished.

“Next up is Young Bakugo.” All Might said as he clicked the remote once more.

Bakugo had, for all intents and purposes, trivialized the race from the word Go. He’d leapt buildings, annihilated the mechanical nuisances, and navigated any complex environments he couldn’t just go over with ease. His only fault had been a tendency to fight more than strictly necessary, but given the ease with which he’d blasted apart swarms of drones that Izuku had avoided, it hadn’t slowed him down much.

The tension ratcheted up when Bakugo reacted to Izuku, though he wasn’t visible on any of the screens yet. It only grew more intense in the chase that followed, especially once Izuku appeared in the video for the first time, immediately after his first 7% jump. He’d only been in frame for a moment, but it was startling how close he’d been.

Then, Bakugo flew out over the courtyard, his explosions keeping him aloft. He briefly touched down on the far side before blasting off again, a look of intense focus on his face. He glanced back over his shoulder-

The video cut off.

“NO!” Ashido, Kaminari, and Sero all cried out in near unison, only to be glared down by Aizawa.

“Unfortunately, Midoriya’s stunt broke the cameras in the area after that.” Aizawa grunted. “We’ll review what we have. Bakugo, self assessment.”

With a low growl, Bakugo stood. “Excellent mobility and hostile neutralization. I probably did some minor damage to the environment, but nothing more than some scorch marks and possibly a broken window from a shockwave, which is well within standard Heroics Insurance coverages. Shouldn’t have let myself get bogged down in Deku’s mess.”

Aizawa and All Might exchanged a glance, then Aizawa nodded.

“Acceptable. Any further notes?” Aizawa glanced around. “No? Last one, then. Midoriya.”

All Might met Izuku’s eyes, and gave him a small nod. It helped a bit, but Izuku doubted anything could really settle his nerves.

Watching from the outside was certainly an… interesting experience. It was also a cringe inducing one.

‘Should have jumped to the other building instead of taking out that two pointer. Could have kept that turret barrel on hand to keep a little extra reach against the drones. DEFINITELY shouldn’t have used Blackwhip to launch myself up like that, I could have just as easily grabbed that pipe a little further on and swung myself upwards with far fewer obstacles… well that’s odd.’

The shot of him using Smokescreen was from far back, as he’d evidently been in a relatively low coverage spot. From what he saw on the screen, the smoke looked noticeably thicker than it had close up.

‘Probably just because of the distance.’

After that had come the chase. From this perspective, it was even more obvious how close he’d been getting. For a moment, he almost forgot it was himself he was watching; The figure smashing his way through hazards, weaving through obstacles, and visibly gaining ground on Bakugo couldn’t possibly be him.

Then, in a final tremendous leap, he’d vanished from the last camera’s view and the screen had gone black.

Silence.

“...Holy crap.” Kaminari mumbled. “That was some wild shit.”

“Language!”

“Sorry, Iida.”

Aizawa’s eyes flashed as he cleared his throat, silencing both. “Midoriya. Self Assessment.”

Izuku stood nervously. “Much like Tenya, I used several techniques that I probably shouldn’t have yet. In particular, my attempt to swing upwards using the tendrils was nearly a disaster, as was the… accident… that ended both mine and Kacchan’s runs.”

Izuku could see Bakugo go rigid in the corner of his vision, but otherwise he didn’t respond.

“I should have focused primarily on leveraging Full Cowling, which I have marginally more experience with, even if it meant being slightly slower. I became more focused on the competition rather than finishing the race. I should have just leapt down from the building and climbed back up on the other side.”

“I’m glad you’re aware of your mistakes.” Aizawa replied.

“Even with them in mind, I’d like to congratulate you on your progress, Young Midoriya.” All Might popped him a thumbs up. “This is a dramatic improvement over your pre-internship performance. Well done.”

“Thank you.” Izuku returned to his seat, though the attention of the class remained squarely on him.

“Alright, assessments.” Aizawa flicked his eyes over the class, then languidly gestured towards Sero.

“Using your tendrils to deal with the drones was well done, especially the electrical ones. Those things were vicious.” Sero said with a wince. “You’ll want to be careful swinging like that, though, especially when you retract your anchor. The speed change can be… a little hard to grasp when you’re first starting out.”

“Thank you, Sero.” Izuku nodded. “It’s something I still need to practice a lot more.”

“Anyone else?” Aizawa asked. “Asui, go ahead.”

“Your wall jumping could use some work, Ribbit. I spotted some of my old bad habits.” Asui said flatly. “Considering how recent a change it is, that’s understandable. Just something to be aware of.”

“I appreciate you pointing that out. I partly based it off of Gran Torino, but I guess he doesn't really jump, per-se…” Izuku caught himself before he could start muttering. “I’d appreciate it if I could ask you for some recommendations another time.”

“Of course, Ribbit.”

As Asui sat, Aizawa nodded to Yaoyorozu.

“The Smoke. Were you using some kind of Support Equipment? Why did you choose to use it then, when you may have blinded yourself to the turret firing on your last known location anyway?”

“The smoke is actually another technique.” That got a few surprised looks. Izuku scratched the back of his head, then looked down at his desk to keep his eyes from betraying him. “It’s effectively the same stuff as what makes up my tendrils, but without being contained or controlled. If the turret fired while I was still in the air, I was too close to properly dodge regardless, so I thought my best option was to lower its odds of firing at all, or hitting if it did. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but I didn’t have time for perfect.”

Yaoyorozu considered for a second, then nodded in acceptance as she retook her seat.

Aizawa glanced at the clock. “This will probably have to be the last question. Aoyama.”

“Merci.” Aoyama turned to face Izuku. “Midoriya, your speed seemed… inconsistent, once you began your pursuit of Bakugo. At times, you accelerated greatly, and your sparkle was magnifique while doing so. But you sometimes slowed down again after, despite a clear path ahead. Why?”

“Oh.” Izuku blinked, slightly surprised by the question. Though, honestly, Full Cowling’s aesthetic catching Aoyama’s attention made a fair bit of sense. “Full Cowling is my way of using a smaller amount of my Quirk’s power to enhance myself, rather than effectively oversaturating my limbs until they explode. I found that, after my training, I could squeeze out a little bit more without issue, which was my first speed up. After that, I tested a little beyond that, but decided it wasn’t worth the risk of overdoing it, so I slowed back down.”

Aoyama nodded. “Continue to sparkle, Midoriya. It suits you, Mon Ami.”

Izuku… wasn’t really sure how to take that, but nodded anyway. A moment later, the bell rang.

“Well, that’s all for today then.” All Might stood and strode crisply towards the door. “Each of you went Plus Ultra today! Well done, all around. I’ll see everyone Wednesday!”

The rest of the day was blissfully uneventful by comparison. Izuku was more than happy to lose himself in his studies and work, the normalcy a relief after the absolute mess of his Heroics lesson. By and large, the video review had seemed to satisfy the class’s curiosity over his breakthroughs, even if he’d felt more than a few people watching him throughout the day.

The most common of those had been Shoto, but Izuku suspected that was mostly due to the conveniently lost footage and All Might’s rush after the races ended. No doubt he’d be getting those looks for a while.

When the class had finally made it back to the dorms, Bakugo had carved a path directly to the workout room, a slightly alarmed but far from reluctant Kirashima dragged behind him. Inko had almost immediately wrapped Izuku in a somewhat smothering hug, which had drawn a bit of attention. Most of his classmates had quickly written it off as simply how they were, though Shoto had watched as if he were studying for a test. Once she was satisfied that he was ok, Izuku had retreated to his room, Iida in tow.

There was a LOT to catch him up on.

“That’s… horrifying. I’m so terribly sorry, Izuku.” Tenya slumped back in Izuku’s swivel chair, dropped his glasses on the desk, then rubbed his face. “Is there anything I could do to help? Anything at all?”

“You already are.” Izuku gave his friend a wan smile. “Toshinori would listen, but he’s got a lot on his own plate right now. Plus, he obviously feels guilty that All for One was still around in order to do this. I could talk about it with Mom, but I’ve already worried her enough, and she lacks a lot of the Heroics context to really understand. The previous users helped me through the initial shock, but even if they’ve been great so far, I’ve really only known them a week. I trust them completely, but it just… feels different, especially given they were there when it happened. Being able to talk to you about everything helps so, so much.”

“Then I’m happy to listen.” Tenya nodded resolutely. “How are you feeling?”

“I wish I knew.” Izuku sighed, then flopped back onto his bed. “Bad, obviously, but there’s so many other things running through my head that I can't really assess any of it. On one hand, like with Kinenkō, I was able to save at least a little bit of Tsubasa. But on the other hand, he’s… not entirely there. He seemed to recognize me and Kacchan, and he talked to me a little bit, but he could only manage a few words. He won’t respond to Yoichi and the others at all. According to them, he just sits in his tiny room of a realm and either rocks back and forth or sleeps. I don’t know if it’s something he’ll recover from, or if this will be his existence forever.”

“I suppose time will tell. But at least he’s afforded a chance. That’s more than could be said before.” Tenya put his glasses back on, then laced his fingers together. “How should we proceed with Bakugo knowing of One for All? It sounds like he made his thoughts on the matter quite clear, but perhaps we could invite him to train? Do something to curtail this hostility?”

“I think it would be wise to let him have his space.” Izuku sighed. “I don’t know if he’ll come around, but if either of us apply any kind of pressure in that direction, he’ll refuse purely on principle. Besides, I’m pretty sure he’ll be training even more like a man possessed of his own volition.”

Tenya frowned. “That has its own slew of issues, but I fear we won’t be the ones who can address them.”

“Probably not.” Izuku groaned. “Why does he have to be so stubborn about everything?”

“I believe you would know better than I, unfortunately.”

“Well, we’re certainly not going to figure out how to approach him right now, then.” Izuku ran a hand through his hair, then let his arm flop onto the bed. “On a brighter note, I think you did extremely well in your race today.”

Tenya shook his head. “Had your sudden manifestation not occurred, I’d have placed last.”

“If we’re ignoring my sudden Quirk development, then we should absolutely ignore yours. You were making fantastic time before that!” Izuku sat up to look at his friend. “What WAS that, by the way? I noticed quite a few changes, but I assume that they were due to the two Quirks melding. Your Engines gained a higher base speed, similar to Tensei’s. In turn, it looked like his gained the ability to shift gears. But that red flash…”

“I honestly have no clue.” Tenya sighed. “Both sets of Engines function almost identically to one another now. While neither set has access to Tensei’s immediate maximum speed, they’re both dramatically faster than my 1st Gear used to be. From my experience trying to slow down in the air, I’d estimate my new 3rd Gear to be equivalent to Tensei’s previous maximum, despite the fact that I currently have three additional Gears beyond it. And that’s just with one set. But that singular moment of acceleration? That far exceeded even what I could have previously achieved with Recipro Burst in 6th Gear. It’s certainly not something I’ve heard of my family’s Quirks doing before now.”

“One for All enhanced Boon substantially… Maybe this is a product of Engine getting stronger?” Izuku leaned forwards. “What did it feel like?”

Tenya tipped his head back, considering. “...Usually, when I perform a Recipro Burst, I have to manually saturate my Engines beyond their usual threshold. When I tried, however, it felt… to call it an additional fuel source would be wrong. It wasn’t like the literal fuel my Engines use, so much as it was a well of raw energy. When I pushed for more fuel, I unintentionally drew on that energy, and all of it rushed into Engine at once. Suddenly, it was supercharged. After that, I was a bit too focused on my impromptu flight to pay much attention.”

Izuku tapped absently at his chin. “Were there any other anomalies?”

“Both sets of Engines are far more efficient. They can also run on either Orange or Grapefruit juice, but that’s of far lesser consequence.” Tenya drummed his fingers on the desk absently. “What confuses me about that is the fact that Tensei’s Engines were always less efficient than mine. Even if they changed to reflect the more efficient systems of my own, I wouldn’t have expected fuel economy to increase to the point of triviality.”

“A substantial increase in speed, an even greater jump in fuel efficiency, and some manner of turbocharger. That… seems like a lot more than I would have expected, given Boon as a frame of reference.” Izuku tapped on his chin in thought. “Then again… if I’m already presuming the power amplification effect of One for All persists… what's to stop effects from other melded Quirks from doing the same?”

“Recovery Girl did say that two of the Quirks melded with it. Smokescreen, and one of the Quirks that are being withheld from you.” Tenya nodded slowly.

“FaJin.” Izuku murmured, then carefully sent a strand of Blackwhip to grasp the spine of a notebook on his desk, a second splitting from the first to snatch a pen. With a satisfied smile and a tug, both were in his hands. “I don’t really know enough about either of them to be especially helpful. I’d have assumed that Smokescreen would have had something to do with the exhaust, but given that Tensei’s Engine actually produces less of that now, I’m not as convinced. How exactly do the internal mechanics of Engine work?”

“More or less akin to a jet engine, really. Firstly, our bodies generate fuel by digesting the relevant food. For me, it’s Orange juice, as well as Grapefruit juice now. My arms and legs are capable of pulling in air through the skin and compressing it thanks to biomechanical turbines. That’s where most of the sound comes from.” Tenya absently flexed his limbs for a moment, just long enough to briefly make an audible sound. “The compressed air is mixed with aerosolized fuel, then ignited. The resultant superheated gas is expelled from the muffler, generating thrust.”

Izuku finished transcribing Tenya’s explanation, eyes narrowed. He tapped the page with the butt of his pen a few times, then underlined ‘aerosolized fuel’ with a sharp flick of his wrist. “One moment, Tenya. I have to ask the Vestiges a few questions.”

At Tenya’s nod, Izuku turned his attention inward. ‘En? Quick question about Smokescreen.’

‘Yes, it’ll set off smoke alarms.’ Came the immediate reply. ‘Don’t experiment inside.’

‘...Duly noted. Does it consume anything when used? Is there any kind of dietary requirement I should be observing?’

‘Technically speaking, yes. Smokescreen uses up Carbon in the body, though there’s actually no trace of it in the smoke itself.’ En said. ‘But the exchange rate of carbon to smoke is so absurd that you’ll probably never notice it so long as you don’t pump it out for hours at a time while starving yourself.’

‘Excellent! Thank you so much!’ Izuku thought. He started to pull back, then paused. ‘Oh, also. Would you be up to training me on how to use Smokescreen tonight? I should be spending it in the Vestige Realms.’

‘Gladly.’ En replied.

‘Thank you!’ That done, Izuku returned his awareness to his room. “Well, I’d be willing to bet I figured out the culprit for the efficiency increase! Apparently, Smokescreen uses Carbon at a ludicrously efficient rate. My bet is that it had an effect on how Engine aerosolizes fuel. It might even have a hand in amplifying the pressurization process, so it may be partly responsible for your speed increase!”

Tenya blinked, then shook his head with a small grin. “It never ceases to astound me how quickly you can pick Quirks apart with so little information.”

Izuku was too busy turning ideas over in his head to be embarrassed by the compliment. ‘Bruce said that FaJin’s overlap was likely through repetitive motion, which falls on the turbine. It might also play into whatever method of fuel injection is used. If it’s responsible for the red flash incident, it’s likely some manner of amplifier… amplification of repetitive movement? Did it accelerate the pressurization and fuel saturation process enough to launch Tenya that far? But having too high a fuel density would prove detrimental at a certain point, not to mention that Engine might not be able to take that much of a pressure increase…’

‘You’re actually pretty close.’ Bruce chuckled. ‘FaJin accumulates a kinetic charge through repetitive movement, which can be used to enhance the body or impart that kinetic charge into something else.’

Izuku nearly fumbled his notebook in surprise. ‘Bruce? You’re actually telling me about FaJin?’

‘No point in keeping it from you, really. Plus, it would be hypocritical of me to knowingly keep information from you if it’s actively needed. There’s no doubt that what he’s describing is FaJin. That red flash was my calling card, for all intents and purposes.’ Bruce replied. ‘From his description, it sounds like the reserve of energy was applied to Engine, or possibly converted directly into additional thrust. That’s something he should try to identify, along with exactly what he needs to do in order to accumulate a charge. I’d recommend he try running around without actively using his Meta Ability, then while actively using it. Throw in other repetitive motions as well.’

‘I’ll pass that along. Thank you for the information, Bruce. I’m sorry if this development forced your hand.’

‘Not your fault, kid. I thought it might be a possibility, and I was prepared to step in if I was proved right.’ Bruce replied. ‘Tell him to be careful. The more energy FaJin has stored, the harder it is to limit how much you use at once. The stockpile of energy bleeds off over time, but it can have quite the kick if you use too much. That’s especially dangerous if he’s locked into using it to enhance movement, rather than unleashing it with an attack.’

Izuku nodded. ‘Is there a threshold he should avoid crossing? I know you said it could be… dangerous.’

‘That’s something he’ll have to figure out, unfortunately. I’m a little iffy on what MY limits were, much less yours or his.’

‘What do you mean?’ Izuku asked. ‘You said that the backlash from using FaJin was… er…’

‘What killed me? Yeah, it was. But that was a wildly abnormal instance.’ Bruce sighed. ‘Growing up, FaJin had a definitive limit on how much it could store at once. It wasn’t until my last few years that I realized that limit was just… gone. Knowing what I do now, I think that was One for All at work, probably Power Stockpile in particular. I tried to figure out what my new limit was, but I never found it. I actively charged FaJin for three years to try and kill All for One, and in that time I never hit a limit. When I tried to use it…’

‘...oh.’

‘Yeah. I’d put money down that Eight was the first of us to make a bigger Boom than that in one punch.’ Bruce chuckled grimly. ‘So the danger zone is an unknown point somewhere between one week of active charging, and three years. God only knows how fast you could store power given how strong One for All has become, so that muddies the water even further. The second sequential motion stores a pretty small amount of energy compared to, say, the tenth, but if you were to throw out two 100% attacks in sequence…’

‘...It could still power up FaJin to dangerous levels almost instantly, just from the sheer kinetic energy behind the attack. I think I understand why you wanted to hold off on letting me have access to that.’

‘I’m glad you can. Keep honing that fledgling sense of self-preservation, and I might let you take FaJin for a spin sooner rather than later.’

‘I feel the need to point out the irony of you, the person who turned themselves into a Meta-Powered Kinetic Bomb, espousing self preservation.’ Kudo said, his sudden interruption startling Izuku. ‘Not to suggest it’s bad advice, but mind the source.’

‘Let’s just say I have a rather unique first person perspective on its importance.’ Bruce countered. ‘It’s not like you have much room to speak, Mr. “I’ll lead a team to distract the murderous megalomaniac while you lead the others away.”’

‘That was completely different! All for One was there for me because he thought I still had One for All. You actively went out of your way to find him so you could try...’

Izuku quietly extricated himself from One for All as the Second and Third users continued to bicker. Tenya sat patiently, though he was obviously curious. “Sorry, got slightly sidetracked. Bruce said the red flash was definitely FaJin’s influence, and suggested you try to identify what activities store the energy up. It’ll be repetitive motion of some kind, but given this seems to be a part of Engine now, I think it’ll probably have something to do with it directly rather than just twitching your fingers. Bruce also mentioned that it should be possible to control how much of it is used at once, but that controlling the output gets harder the higher the charge.”

“I’m glad to have that confirmed, at the very least.” Tenya nodded, eyes intent. “Perhaps I should go and test that in the gymnasium-”

Tenya was interrupted by a knock on the door. They shared a glance, then Izuku stood and crossed the room to pull it open. “Hello- O-oh, Uraraka! Um, hi!”

“Hi Deku!” Uraraka chirped, though her eyes looked everywhere except at him. “Um, I was wondering if- Oh, Iida. Um. Hi to you too!”

“Hello, Uraraka!” Tenya called.

“Am I… interrupting something?” Uraraka shifted in place. “I can come back later-”

“No! No, you're fine!” Izuku assured her quickly. “What's up?”

“I, um… I wanted to know if you'd like to… go… exercise together again.” Uraraka winced slightly. “Maybe we could spar, too. If you'd like.”

For a second, Izuku flashed back to the moment before he nearly died on a treadmill. Uraraka, casual clothes dampened enough to cling to soft curves and toned muscles alike-

‘StopstopstopStopSTOP!’ Izuku squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head to rid himself of the intrusive image before it rendered him a gibbering idiot.

“Oh…” Uraraka sounded disappointed. “Sorry, you probably already had plans-”

“NO!” Izuku blurted loudly. “No. No plans. I was just clearing my head a bit. Exercising together would be great, and I'd love a spar! I can't wait to see what you learned from Gunhead in person!”

“Oh! Ok, great!” Uraraka perked up. “I’ll go get changed and meet you down there! Um, Iida, you’re welcome to join us!”

“I would like that a great deal!” There was something slightly odd in Tenya’s voice, but Izuku had bigger things to worry about. Like reining his imagination in. And keeping the part of his brain doing the imagining cordoned off from whatever part governed One for All. He could not afford the risk that the Vestiges would be able to pick up on-

Smug Pulse.

‘...damn it…’

“I’m going to get changed now!” Izuku yelped, then dove for his closet, which let his door slowly begin to swing closed on its own. “I’ll see you two down there in a bit!”

Izuku observed Uraraka carefully as they circled one another on the padded sparring mat. She was partly crouched, prepared to spring forward the moment he made a move or exposed a weakness. The difference in her stance was striking compared to the last time he’d seen her fight, evidence of her progress under Gunhead.

Behind her, Tenya sprinted past on the elevated track around the gymnasium.

They’d opted to start with their spar, so that they’d be in top condition for it. That decision had absolutely nothing to do with the way Bakugo had glared at him when they’d stepped into the workout room, even if Kirashima had surreptitiously apologized for it regardless.

Izuku tensed and feinted slightly forward. Uraka twitched, but didn’t fall for it. Her gaze bore down on him, fierce. It demanded he give his all, to try himself against her until one was taken down. It was a challenge, and he was more than happy to oblige.

Just as Tenya passed behind Uraraka again, Izuku swept forward and struck out with a jab. Uraraka twisted out of the way nimbly, and a gloved hand snapped up to grasp at his wrist. Izuku snatched his arm back just in time, the feeling of rough cotton on the back of his hand a warning of her surprising speed. Both stepped back from their brief engagement, eyes roving over one another warily.

Uraraka made the next move. She lunged forward, coming in low with her arms open. Izuku suspected a grapple was inbound, so scampered away. Instead, Uraraka lashed out with a palm strike. The heel of her hand clipped Izuku’s ribs as he lurched to the side, avoiding what would have been a debilitating strike had Quirks been on the table. He retaliated with a jab that caught her in the shoulder, but she moved with the strike to trap his arm beneath hers. She didn’t quite manage to get a lock on him, but the maneuver hampered him enough that she could try to trip him up. Her legs tangled with his, and she heaved.

Izuku felt his balance shift perilously, so he abandoned his grounding and leapt into her throw. The improvised maneuver was enough to dislodge his arm from her grip, though his landing roll certainly didn’t do him any favors. He scrambled away, just barely ahead of Uraraka’s next lunge, this time an elbow strike. Once he was clear, he flipped himself to his feet, then swept a leg out as Uraraka tried to regain her own footing. He’d been hoping to drop her back to the ground, but she managed to catch the blow and give his leg a solid yank.

Izuku stumbled forward, and his training against Hikage engaged. He’d been thrown enough times to have a knee jerk reaction or two.

This one just happened to be literal.

Izuku’s knee slammed into Uraraka’s chest, and she stumbled backwards with a choked grunt and wide eyes. Izuku regained his footing, then reached forward to steady her. “Uraraka, I’m so sorry-”

Uraraka’s fingers once more wrapped around his arm. With a heave, she flipped him bodily through the air to slam his back into hard ground, driving the breath from his lungs in a violent burst. Uraraka wasted no time, slamming down on top of him and pinning his arms above his head in an iron grip. Their legs tangled, hers pinning his to the ground. He tried to twist free, but lacked both the leverage and the oxygen to properly combat her. With a final buck, Izuku let himself go limp. The darkness around the edges of his vision throbbed with his heartbeat as he struggled for breath.

“...hergbh…”

Uraraka’s competitive glare faded. “What?”

“I believe you may have knocked the wind out of him, Uraraka!” Tenya called from somewhere above. “He’s off the sparring mat!”

With a startled ‘eep’, Uraraka released Izuku’s wrists and sat back. With an effort, Izuku forcibly sucked in a lungful of air, then turned his head to cough.

“OHMA’GODI’MSOSORRYAREYA’OKAY?”

“...fine...” Izuku wheezed. “...how’s… chest?”

“I’m fine! Took harder hits than that at Gunhead’s agency!” Uraraka assured him, though the faint hoarseness of her own voice didn’t entirely support her claim. “I completely lost track of where we were on the mat. Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Was thrown worse. A lot.” Izuku grunted as his breathing slowly edged towards normal. Granted, those had happened within One for All, but they’d certainly hurt worse at times. “I’ll be able to walk this off… in a minute.”

“By that Gran Torino guy?” Uraraka blinked. “I wouldn’t have figured him for the grappling type, from what I saw in the papers.”

‘...Craaaaaap. Shouldn’t have let that slip.’ Izuku thought reproachfully. “Er… He was in the newspaper?”

“Yeah?” Uraraka cocked her head at him, thankfully taking the hastily offered bait. “Have you not been paying attention to the news? A picture of you and him dragging Stain out of an alleyway was plastered on half the newspapers I saw being sold on my patrols.”

“...Oh.” Izuku squeaked.

“Were you… not expecting that? You were given primary credit for taking out a high ranking villain during your first internship. If that doesn't get you into the news, I don’t know what would.”

“I mean, I kind of knew? Abstractly? I had to dodge some news crews after I visited Tenya in the hospital again, but I didn’t really run into them again after…”

“Your mentor took you back to Tokyo to visit? Wasn’t that a long trip?”

Izuku was saved from addressing his second blunder by a sharp whistling sound.

“Get it, girl!” Ashido cheered from the stairs, a cheshire grin on her face. “About damn time!”

“Huh?” Izuku stared at Ashido in confusion, then glanced around. Other than Tenya, there was nobody else in the room. “What’s she talking about?”

Uraraka looked down at him, then blinked. In a fluid movement, she’d untangled their legs, flung herself off of him like she was diving for cover, and curled into a ball as she unleashed a high pitched, warbling whine.

Izuku shook the fog from his mind, reviewed their conversation, then their spar… and finally slammed face first into the brick wall of realization. He rolled to his side, then simply lay on the floor for a while, mentally cataloging his merch. Then hero rankings. Then counting backwards from 1,000.

Daigoro pulsed gleefully.

Hikage and En pulsed resolutely.

Daigoro pulsed despairingly, then fell quiet.

‘Curse you, Ashido.’ Tenya gazed down on his friends, then unleashed a weary sigh. ‘They were finally acting relatively normal again, but now they’ll be blushing messes around one another for days. I thought I’d escaped the worst of it when Tensei moved out, but those two are even worse than he and Nemuri are. Please let them figure it out quickly, rather than dancing around it for half their lives and counting.’

He shook his head, then turned back to the track. He felt for the new store of energy within, but found nothing.

‘So just running doesn't seem to do anything…’ Tenya observed, then flexed the Engines within his legs. They spun to life, and… a tiny glimmer of energy. It was faint, hard to notice, but definitely there. He resumed his run with Engines idling, but the accumulation of the FaJin reserve remained consistent. ‘Running in general seems to be unrelated. Other repetitive motions seem similarly useless. So that leaves…’

Mindful of his limited room, Tenya eased himself into the lowest range of First Gear. The whine of his Engines pitched upwards, and with it, the accumulation of energy accelerated noticeably.

‘So it gathers energy from the natural processes of my Engines… interesting. Ordinarily, that would be of limited use, but with my increased efficiency, I could keep Engine idling to accumulate it passively.’ Tenya rounded the bend, then carefully pulled on the well of power. There wasn’t much, but it was enough to boost him the length of the track at speeds equivalent to the lower reaches of his old Second Gear.

As he rounded the bend once more, Tenya cautiously flexed the new Engines in his arms. Immediately, Tenya felt his speed jump. He was still in control, but with both Engines at the low end of First, his overall speed was at the middle-upper reaches of the Gear. It still felt odd not to pump his arms, but something about the Quirk helped him maintain his balance despite it.

The accumulation of FaJin had doubled with the second set of Engines fueling it.

‘I’m going to need a much bigger track.’

Toshinori flopped into the plush swivel chair in his penthouse office with an exhausted sigh. He’d been in meetings from the moment he’d returned to Might Tower after they’d reviewed the student’s footage, and he’d been tired even before that. Were it not for the comforting warmth of Boon propping him up, he’d probably have fallen asleep in the middle of the finance report. It was always a lot of words to say that the agency bank account effectively displayed ‘Yes you can’ instead of a number. Hell, his personal account had so much in it that he needed to hold his phone sideways to make the number fit on screen, so the agency had to be doing pretty well.

He’d been much more interested in the report that had come after that, though.

Inko’s articles had proven a good place for his staff to begin their investigation. They’d thoroughly vetted the sources, verified them against resources they had access to as a Hero agency, and tapped police contacts for relevant reports.

There had been some minor inconsistencies, small embellishments that weren’t strictly wrong but were definitely slanted to support the author’s views. On the whole, however, they’d proved depressingly accurate. By and large, the everyday Hero was doing worse. Poorer areas of Japan and her cities were understaffed, while metropolitan areas were saturated far beyond what seemed necessary. Some heroes were distressingly highly ranked despite a pitiable record, which begged the question of how the HPSC was even ranking them. Crime was going up. Collateral damage was increasing.

It stank of complacency and conceit with a stench that turned his stomach despite the fact that he didn’t have one anymore. And all of it was happening under his watch.

‘What a god awful mess. How the hell am I going to fix this? Where do I even begin?’

Part of him longed for Nana to answer him as she could Izuku, but all he felt was the blazing expanse of power within himself. Compared to the eternal supernova it had been for so many years, it was distressingly small. He was far from powerless, but already the inevitability of it loomed over him.

‘Stop it, Toshi. You’re better than this.’ He berated himself. ‘You’ll do it. It doesn't matter how impossible it seems, you’ll do it. You’re the Symbol of Peace, and you won’t let something like fear stop you.’

Except he wouldn’t be the Symbol of Peace for much longer.

He groaned, then spun himself in his chair. He absently watched his office slowly drift past him until he came to a stop facing his computer. He must have bumped the mouse at some point, because the login screen glowed at him in the dim light. With nothing better to do and plenty of reasons to want a distraction, he punched in his password.

“An Email is here! An Email is here!”

He shook his head. ‘Ridiculous.’

Not that he’d ever change it, even if it was.

He clicked on his email, and to his pleased surprise, found two. One was unexpected, while the other was a response to something he’d sent days ago.

Hi Uncle Might!

I heard that Dad was going to call you sometime soon, and it got me thinking. It’s been ages since you came to visit, and we all miss you. If you have the time, I’d love to invite you to attend the I-Expo this year. I can get you in line for Early Access tickets, just give me the word.

Love you, and hope you’re doing well,

Melissa

P.S. If you want to go through with this, please don’t mention anything to Mom and Dad! I think it would be a LOT of fun to surprise them. ;)

A smile stretched itself across Toshinori’s face. ‘Oh… Oh I do like the sound of that. Perhaps I can invite Young Izuku along… though that would probably seem rather odd. Maybe if I offer them to the entire class? No, that would undermine Young Bakugo’s prize for taking the top score in the entrance exam, and inciting any further conflict with him will only make matters worse. Maybe standard passes for everyone, and a lottery for early access? Guarantee Young Midoriya gets one by giving Mrs. Midoriya an early pass as well, so she can help wrangle the students who get in… that might work.’

Toshinori quickly hammered out a reply, slightly giddy at the prospect of visiting his old friends and their daughter. Once that was sent, he moved on to the more expected of the two emails.

Go ahead and give me a call. I’m mostly working on a personal project at the moment, so I can make time more or less whenever you want.

Looking forward to it,

David

Toshinori glanced at the time. ‘A little late, but I’m pretty sure I-Island isn’t too many time zones away at the moment…’

With a few keystrokes, a hyper-secure video call window flashed onto the screen. After a few rings, the image resolved.

“Toshi!” David grinned on the screen, his office behind him. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day!”

“Here here!” Toshinori smiled brightly. “Sorry it’s a bit late, I had a few meetings run long.”

“The great equalizer.” David nodded with a groan. “I’ve had more than my fair share of those recently.”

“Trying to get something greenlit?” Toshinori asked. “Or trying to backdate a green light, maybe?”

“Something like that, yeah.” David grimaced. “Nothing I can share, unfortunately, but hopefully that’ll change.”

“I know that feeling.” Toshinori gave a grimace of his own, one of both understanding and guilt. “How are Melissa and Cathy doing? Can’t be all bad with your little Wonder Girl running around.”

David snorted violently, then began to laugh uproariously. “Sweet mother of God, we need to get you over here at some point! If you’re still thinking of Melissa as anything even approaching little, you’re horrendously out of date.”

David snatched up his phone and quickly scrolled through his gallery. A moment later, Toshinori received another email. Within, he found a picture of Melissa leaning against one of the guard rails on David’s balcony, with an absolutely glorious sunrise behind her.

“Holy-” Toshinori blinked. “She has to be nearly as tall as you! When did THAT happen?”

“Some time in the past four and a half years, that’s when!” David laughed. “Cathy has to do a double take every time she comes to visit us. She’s having a hell of a time getting that cleared with the government now that we’re getting closer to your side of the world, but she was just in last weekend.”

“Wish both of them well for me.” Toshinori smiled fondly. “It’s been far too long.”

“It has.” David nodded. “But it’s not just Melissa who’s changed. You’re looking better! Did you manage to make some headway on your recovery?”

Toshinori blinked, incredulous. “I look better?”

“Yeah?” David squinted at him. “I mean, you look like death warmed over, but at least someone bothered to warm you at all this time. I’ll take that as a no on the recovery front?”

“I’m afraid not. At least, not in any permanent capacity.” Toshinori shook his head.

“Damn.” David sighed. “You look… I don’t know, lighter. Less stressed. I thought things might have been looking up.”

‘In a way, they are. I just can’t tell you that part.’ Toshinori leaned back in his seat, his heart a leaden lump of guilt. “It’s not all bad, really. Teaching has been incredibly fulfilling, even if I’m… not exactly the best at it yet. My students are making fantastic strides, and it’s a wonder to know I had at least a small hand in that.”

“That Hosu trio, right? I nearly shit bricks when I found out they were yours.” David hesitated. “How’s Tenya Iida doing? Hopefully making a fast recovery.”

“Not making, made.” Toshinori grinned proudly. “Young Iida was able to participate in a Heroics exercise today. Young Midoriya’s Quirk made some interesting developments during his time with my old teacher, and was able to work with Recovery Girl to expedite his friend’s recovery.”

David perked up at that. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but have you considered…”

“Asking him to help me?”

Toshinori considered his friend. He wanted so, so badly to tell him everything. About One for All, about All for One, and most of all about Young Izuku. He’d obscured the truth of the first two for so long that he feared how his old friend might react, but the third…

Carefully, Toshinori rolled his sleeve up to reveal the luminous golden ring. “I have.”

David sat forward sharply, his face suddenly occupying almost the entire screen. He looked excited for a moment, then it fell away. “I assume this is what you meant of when you said ‘Nothing permanent.’”

Toshinori nodded. “It helps with the pain, and it lets me stay in my hero form for longer, but the benefits aren’t permanent. It runs out after 24 hours, and he has a limited reservoir of vitality to give out. Even if he dedicated himself wholly to keeping me up and running, my decline wouldn’t stop. He’d only keep me going for a few extra weeks, at most.”

David nodded resignedly, though his gaze remained sharp. “So, how’d you get him to use it on you without revealing why you really need it? Given he went through an internship with Gran Torino, which I can’t imagine was a coincidence, he’d probably buy that the old goat beat you up too. Camaraderie through mutual trauma or something?”

“Oh, that probably would have worked!” Toshinori belted out a laugh. In that moment, he fully committed. “But no. Young Izuku knows about my condition.”

David’s eyebrows shot towards his hairline like missiles taking off. “He WHAT?”

“He knows. Has known since before he got into UA.” Toshinori grinned at the increasingly startled look on David’s face. “It’s a long story, but suffice to say I've grown rather fond of him. He stayed in the tower with me and Sorahiko after his encounter with Stain for some personal training, at which point we tested what his ability could do for me. I hurt less, I don’t cough up blood, and I can hold my form somewhere between twice and three times as long with half of his Vitality allotment in effect. Unfortunately, it only modestly accelerates healing, which means any improvements I make go away the next time I use my Quirk.”

David nodded along, a careful look in his eyes. “And how long is your limit, now?”

Toshinori grimaced. “...Just under an hour.”

“Shit.” David bit out with a growl. “What happened? That’s a massive acceleration in your decline!”

“I assume you read what was reported on the USJ incident?”

“Yeah. You had to fight some kind of bioengineered monstrosity. Same things were present in the Hosu incident as well.” David frowned. “Unless there’s something else going on?”

“The Nomu at Hosu were far, far weaker. The USJ Nomu was built specifically to fight me. It wasn’t quite a match, but I was fighting it after I’d already ran out my limit for the day.” Toshinori nodded as David went pale. “It did some noticeable damage to me, but I did worse pushing my limits to take it down.”

“How… how long do you think you have left?” There was an edge in David’s voice. A look in his eyes. An intensity that was ever so slightly unsettling.

“Almost certainly no more than six months, with relatively light work.” Toshinori sighed. “But if we’re talking in terms of meaningful fights? Two, maybe three. My retirement is coming soon, David.”

“What if it didn’t have to?”

Toshinori cocked an eyebrow at his friend. “What do you mean?”

“What if there was a way to strengthen you again? Hypothetically, of course.” David insisted. “Something to supercharge your Quirk, to get you back into the prime of your power.”

“...David, are you suggesting I start taking performance enhancing drugs?” Toshinori blinked. “I don’t think the Symbol of Peace dosing himself on Trigger is going to do anything good for the overall safety of the world, much less Japan.”

“No.” David looked pensive. “This hypothetical would lack the downsides of Trigger. Just a piece of gear with a similar, if dramatically stronger, effect.”

“Does this hypothetical piece of support equipment do something about the state of my body?”

David hesitated, then slumped. “No.”

The flickering spark of hope was snuffed out.

“Even if my Quirk were to be restored to its full power, the limit is my body. I could punch with damn near my prime strength right this moment, but doing so would ravage me. More power wouldn't solve my problems, it would make them all the more obvious. Even if I used whatever you’re hypothesizing about to turn mere wisps of power into bonfires, my physical decline is as much the reason for my retirement as my Quirk. All the power in the world would be worthless if I can’t use it.”

David stared at the ceiling for a morose moment. With a sigh, he once more lowered his gaze to the camera, a glimmer of tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Toshi.”

“Don’t be, Dave.” Toshinori shook his head. “Whatever harebrained scheme you cooked up, I’m sure it would have been a marvel.”

“Hairbrained is probably far, far too kind.” David shook his head. “Not to mention what it could have done to the world if someone managed to replicate it, god forbid.”

Toshinori hummed. “Then it’s a good thing I don’t know anything about it.”

“That it is.” David huffed out a breath as he leaned back in his seat. “So. Retirement.”

Toshinori groaned. “Can we go back to talking about hypothetical revolutionary technology?”

“It can’t be that bad, right?” David didn’t sound particularly convinced. “Even if we both wish you could keep doing this until you’re zipping around Japan with a walker and grippy slippers, you deserve a chance to relax at SOME point.”

“My retirement is shaping up to be less relaxing and more a change of focus.” Toshinori rubbed his face. “As it turns out, my becoming a pillar has had some… unfortunate side effects on modern heroics in Japan. Some have grown complacent. The popularity contest aspect has undermined the actual heroics, leaving some less visible areas understaffed in favor of those that offer higher publicity. Everything’s been going to shit, and I was too busy strutting around trying to prop up my Age of Peace to notice.”

“...Fuuuuuck.” David groaned sympathetically. “And you’re not going to let anyone else deal with it because you’re you, naturally.”

“Got it in one.” Toshinori chuckled through a yawn. “Plus, I’m a teacher now. I fully intend to see my students prepared as well as humanly possible. Young Izuku especially.”

David eyed him, then a small smile began to form. “You always had a thing about succession. Are you trying to set him up as the next Symbol of Peace? He certainly seems to have the raw power, if not the durability.”

“The next Symbol of Peace…” Toshinori paused. “That was my original plan, yes. But with how things have fared under me, all the pitfalls I never noticed… I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea. Granted, the public may take that decision out of our hands, but I’m no longer sure a Symbol of Peace standing on its own is a sound strategy. If nothing else, though, he will certainly be my successor as a force of good in the world. He’s marvelous.”

Some of David’s previous energy returned to him. “Sounds like quite the kid. I don’t suppose I could convince you to fill me in on that long story of how he met the real you?”

“I could probably be talked into it…” Toshinori gave his friend a sheepish, wary grin. “Promise not to judge either of us too harshly? We’d both been having something of a rough few years…”

“Well that bodes well.” David plucked a bottle of something clear from beneath his desk, then settled back in his chair.

“No toasters.” Toshinori said automatically.

David rolled his eyes, then spun the bottle around as he unscrewed the cap with a supernatural flick of his thumb. “Sparkling lemon water, asshole. I quit alcohol when Melissa figured out it was flammable.”

“Just making sure.” Toshinori grinned mischievously, then waited for David to bring the bottle to his lips. “Now, it all began when a supposedly Quirkless Young Izuku hitched a ride on my leg as I jumped across Musutafu.”

Liquid sprayed from David’s mouth and nose as he coughed in mid gulp. “Hegh whaght- OGH GHOD ID BHURNS!”

Chapter Text

“No toasters.” Toshinori said automatically.

David rolled his eyes, then spun the bottle around as he unscrewed the cap with a supernatural flick of his thumb. “Sparkling lemon water, asshole.”

“Just making sure.” Toshinori grinned mischievously, then waited for David to bring the bottle to his lips. “Now, it all began when a supposedly Quirkless Young Izuku hitched a ride on my leg as I jumped across Musutafu.”

Liquid sprayed from David’s mouth and nose as he coughed in mid gulp. “Hegh whaght- OGH GHOD ID BHURNS!”

Izuku sat on his bed, at war with himself. On one hand, there were things he wanted to get done tonight, all of which were within One for All. He’d given his mother a shard of Boon so that he could finally introduce her. All Might had his own from earlier in the day, so he’d be able to visit the Vestiges as well if and when he managed to get to sleep. He'd already made plans with En earlier for a lesson on how to use smokescreen.

On the other hand, the Vestiges had pretty clearly been watching while he and Uraraka had enjoyed a nice chat after she beat his ass, with her sitting firmly in his lap. He’d had more immediate concerns at the time, such as pain and breathing, but Ashido had oh so helpfully plugged the implications directly into his hind brain and just about fried him. Which the Vestiges had been very, very aware of.

He hadn’t heard from Daigoro since. He felt a little guilty about his relief in that regard.

Unfortunately, Nana seemed to have jumped on the bandwagon. She’d been far, far more subtle about it, which was a mixed blessing. While Izuku was running Full Cowling fueled laps around the track with Tenya, she’d began asking him more about his friends. When he’d mentioned Uraraka, Nana had directed the focus gradually onto her. Had Yoichi not joined in, Izuku might not have caught on for a while longer, but the First holder had been a little too inexperienced with teasing others to do so covertly. Thankfully, none of the others had joined in after that.

So far.

‘So, do I do something productive with my night, even though it’ll mean facing them? Or do I just…’ Izuku glanced around. ‘...Study more for finals?’

Izuku sighed in resignation, then flopped onto his bed. There was only so much more Hero Law he could read before it started wearing on even him. Begrudgingly, he let himself fall into the well of power within.

“Welcome back, Romio-” Yoichi’s smirk vanished. “WAIT! DON’T LEAVE! I’M SORRY!”

Izuku let himself settle more firmly within the core, then cocked a brow at the First user. Bruce chucked from his throne, while Nana had the decency to hide her own giggle behind a hand.

“I’ll be good.” Yoichi grumbled. “The two of you just basically have “Comic book romance” written in flashing neon lights over your heads. It’s kind of hard to resist.”

“If you say so…” Izuku blushed furiously, but didn’t try to retreat again. “I don’t even know if she likes me. All of this might have finally made sure she never wants to talk to me again.”

Bruce smacked himself in the forehead while Yoichi and Nana exchanged a glance, then all three looked at Izuku.

“You can’t be serious.” Nana said flatly.

“What?”

“He said “Your heads” for a reason, and he wasn’t wrong. If that girl doesn't like you, then something fundamental about human interaction must have changed in the past 40 years.” Nana said bluntly.

“You’ve been able to see her for a few days, most of which you said you wouldn’t watch.” Izuku pointed out.

“I did warn you that stress brings our attention forward. You’re so knotted up over her that every time she’s within line of sight we’re getting tuned in.” Yoichi scoffed.

“Also, we’re really bored.” Nana admitted. “We have a lot more to do than we did while we floated in the void, but having to remember things for them to work is a pretty big limitation if you’re not Mr. Encyclopedic Knowledge of Comics over there.”

“Hey! I have some trouble with a page here and there!”

“I’m having plenty of fun.” Bruce added in. “Your fault for liking complex, hard to recreate things instead of the simple joys in life.”

“Says the Meta Fanatic.” Nana sighed, then smiled apologetically at Izuku. “Regardless, we might be peeking a little more than we originally intended. If it really bothers you, we’ll try to stop.”

“...No.” Izuku slumped. “It’s fine for the most part, so long as I can actually have some privacy when I need it. It’s just… It’s embarrassing, knowing you’re all in here watching me fumble my way around a crush I was trying really, really hard not to have. Uraraka’s this genuinely kind, amazing person who’s going to be a fantastic hero. She makes me laugh. She trains with me, and challenges me to be better. She listens when I need someone to talk to, and it kills me not to tell her everything. I don’t want to screw up one of the best friendships I’ve ever had because she also just so happens to be the cutest person I’ve ever seen and casually makes my brain reboot on a regular basis.”

“Izuku, sweetie. If you tell her that, she’s going to melt into a happy little puddle. I’m pretty sure I’m half way there by proxy.”

Dread pierced through Izuku like a lance. Slowly, he looked upwards.

“My little boy has a crush, and I can’t even hug him! I’ll be making up for that tomorrow, you hear me?” Inko stood in their old apartment living room, smile giddy and eyes teary. “I can’t believe I had to find out by overhearing you tell… your… tenants? Resident ghosts? My, this has been an odd few days.”

Izuku blushed scarlet, then dropped his head into his hands.

‘Oh, god. This is the worst possible outcome.’

“Er… Izuku?”

Izuku’s head snapped upwards, eyes locked onto the second floating room in the sky.

“Did you give me a portion of Boon at some point that I was not aware of?” Tenya asked from his office. The gold-wreathed figure of Tensei stood by a wall, impassive.

“...No.” Izuku blinked, then happily heaped the entirety of his focus on this new development instead of the fact that he’d just outed his crush to two extra people. “The only people with Boon are Mom and Toshinori…”

Izuku snapped his focus to Toshinori’s Vestige. It was thankfully still an entity of pure golden energy.

“...So that’s probably not the reason you’re here.” Izuku continued as his gaze fell on Tensei’s Vestige. A curious thought struck him, and with a flex, Izuku called on his own copy of the Quirk. Rather than his own faded copy appearing, however, Tensei’s Vestige above flickered slightly, then vanished from Tenya’s office as it appeared next to Izuku.

“Did you just… take Engine back?” Tenya gaped. He raised his arm, and a moment later Engine whined from within it. At the same time, Tensei’s Vestige returned to his brother’s side.

“I think that’s closer to what happened to Toshinori, actually.” Yoichi called. “Because he has a Vestige within One for All, he was able to physically manifest here rather than within his own realm. The same principal might be at play here.”

“Huh.” Izuku stared upwards, then brought a knuckle to his chin. “Clearly, there’s still a strong link between the original Engine and the clone of it that I have. One for All maintains a connection to the living person as well, given the fact that Vestiges flesh out when they die. With that in mind, it would make sense for a secondary connection between One for All and the recipient of a Quirk also exists. If that’s the case, that might be what let you in here tonight, rather than Boon… Actually, that might be the mechanism that causes anyone to come here at all. Boon might simply act as a conduit for people who haven’t been given a Quirk.”

“If that’s the case, then why wouldn’t Toshinori or Tensei appear without Boon?” Nana asked.

“It might be a matter of having an active Quirk to serve as a medium of some kind?” Bruce hazarded. “Tensei’s Engines became vestigial. One for All might be the same for Eight, able to use the power left behind but incomplete in a way that prevents it from refueling. That would go a long way to explain why and how the ‘Embers’ work, and how we form after death.”

Izuku hummed in agreement. “As it is, the sample size is way too small to say anything definitive. Tenya is the first person to arrive without Boon as a conduit. It could be a freak accident, it could be some lingering connection due to how often he’s been subjected to high percentages of Boon, it could even be proximity. His room is just a wall away.”

Bruce nodded in agreement, his fingers drumming on the arm of his throne as he thought. Faint arcs of red danced between them as he did so.

“I think this is the first time I’ve heard someone keep up with Izuku on Quirk theory.” Inko murmured from above.

“OH! Right!” Izuku startled at the reminder that his mother was present. He sent out a quick Quirk-wide pulse for everyone to congregate so he could get the introductions underway.

Surprisingly, Kudo was the first to arrive, shortly followed by Kinenkō. Afterwards, there was a lengthy pause as Izuku waited for the remaining three to appear. When they failed to, he mentally prodded them once more.

The three appeared in unison, in the middle of the arc of thrones.

Hikage and En stood tall, a hefty branch slung across both of their shoulders. From the center of the branch, hog-tied and dangling in a slow spin, was Daigoro. His body was almost completely wrapped in rope, save for his head. A silvery stripe of tape covered his mouth below displeased eyes.

Izuku gaped.

“...I’m not sure if I regret showing up, or if this is one of the best things I’ve seen in years.” Kudo sounded genuinely indecisive.

“Um… Izuku?” Inko stared down at the scene below her. “Should I be worried about the kind of company you’re keeping?”

The new arrivals all looked upwards at once. En groaned, then hunched into his collar. Hikage shrugged his side of the branch off his shoulders, which spilled Daigoro to the ground with a muffled yelp.

“Sorry.” Daigoro popped to his feet, restraints suddenly gone. “I, uh, it's kind of an inside joke?”

Inko waited expectantly.

“I may have slightly overstepped my bounds by poking Izuku about something one too many times. The ‘Mute Buttons’ here decided to silence me. They just kept me distracted, but I thought it would be funny to make everyone think that’s how they shut me up.” Daigoro explained as he rubbed the back of his head. “And I was right. It was really funny. Except we weren’t expecting you to be here, and now you think we’re crazy people. Which isn’t really wrong, but this crazy isn’t representative of the usual crazy.”

“Daigoro the wordsmith, everyone.” En sighed.

“Were you, perhaps, poking at him about his crush on Uraraka?” Inko asked archly.

“Er, yeah. Kid’s got a criminal lack of self confidence. It was immediately obvious that the crush wasn’t a new development, and that he wouldn't have actively and deliberately pursued it unless some outside factor gave him a nudge.” Daigoro shrugged. “Life’s too short and dangerous to skip the happy parts, so I tried to alternately encourage and goad him into taking the leap.”

Inko eyed the large man critically, then gave a sharp nod. “I suppose I can let that slide. Assuming you’re willing to share details.”

“Mooooom…” Izuku groaned, his face blazing.

“What?” Inko smirked at him. “Clearly I can’t trust that you’ll tell me about these things, given I only got confirmation by overhearing your conversation earlier. A mother really should know about this kind of thing, sweetie.”

“I just…” Izuku hesitated, nervously rubbing one of his scars with a thumb. “I don’t want to be a distraction for her, you know? Heroics is an extremely demanding field, and I don’t really know how a relationship would work-”

“If I might ask a question, Izuku?” Tenya interjected. At Izuku’s surprised nod, he continued. “Where exactly do you believe I came from? Even moreso, where do you think my brother came from? My parents married shortly after their graduation from Shiketsu’s Hero course, and had Tensei at 21. I can’t imagine you’d argue that Vivacity and Straightaway were distracted from hero work by their relationship. Additionally, if relationships between students were such a potential hazard for their career, would hero schools not have forbidden them outright?”

Izuku’s jaw worked even as his entire argument derailed in spectacular fashion.

“My relationships weren’t generally that serious, but I still made time for them.” Daigoro added. “Having something happy to look forward to after a grim day of fighting helped me get through some seriously hellish parts of my life.”

Nana nodded, though remained silent.

Izuku slumped. “Fine. But the viability of a relationship doesn't change the fact that she might not want one.”

“That’s easy enough to address.” Inko said. “You can ask her.”

“And what if she says no!?” Izuku snapped, half panicked at the idea. “What if she says no, and I can’t stop thinking about her like this? What if that makes everything weird, and then we stop hanging out, and we stop being friends, and-”

“If you genuinely believe that she wouldn’t want to be your friend regardless of your feelings, then I think we might be talking about different people!” Tenya chopped an arm. “Uraraka is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, the new prominence of her aggressive streak notwithstanding. If you know her so poorly as to believe she would excommunicate you, then perhaps you really shouldn’t seek a relationship with her yet.”

Izuku’s mouth snapped shut at his friend’s rebuke. He wouldn’t have expected Tenya of all people to have such insights, which from the looks on the faces of others present had been a common consensus. Clearly, he hadn’t given his friend enough credit. “You’re right, Tenya. That’s not the kind of person she is. I’ll… I’ll ask.”

“Great.” Kudo grunted acerbically. “Was this why you called all of us here, or…?”

“Right! Sorry, we kind of got derailed.” Izuku flushed. The sheepish trio of Hikage, Daigoro, and En retreated to their thrones. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce my mother, Inko Midoriya. This wasn’t… quite how I was planning to do it, but I guess it works. In ascending order of the previous users, this is Yoichi, Kudo, Bruce, Hikage, Daigoro, En, and Nana. Additionally, the man standing next to Yoichi is Doctor Kouki Kinenkō, the original owner of Boon.”

“A pleasure to finally meet you all.” Inko bowed, in as much as she could when the people it was aimed at were directly above her. “I know you all have a vested interest in taking care of my Izuku, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

“It’s our pleasure.” Yoichi responded, a sentiment to which Hikage and En nodded agreement.

“He’s a fine young man. You did a fantastic job with him.” Nana agreed.

“I did my best, but Izuku made it quite easy for me.” Inko beamed with pride. “I understand you’ve been doing a great deal to help him better control his abilities, which has helped alleviate a number of my fears. While I’m aware that UA produces remarkable heroes, my experience thus far has been… worrying. Knowing that he has a group of experienced professionals dedicated to watching over him specifically is a relief.”

Kudo and Bruce glanced at one another, but said nothing.

“We do what we can.” Yoichi replied diplomatically. “Izuku’s growth is our top priority, and his safety is part of that. Rest assured, we’ll look out for him for as long as we remain with him.”

Inko nodded, then glanced towards Izuku. “So, what are we doing now?”

Izuku paused for a moment. “Um. I was planning to have En train me with Smokescreen tonight, given I haven't really had an opportunity before now. I’d offer to have you watch, but… I kind of suspect the whole point of Smokescreen is to make sure people can’t watch.”

“Oh. Okay.” Inko replied. Though she hid it well, Izuku could still hear the disappointment in her voice. He instantly felt guilty he hadn’t planned her introduction better. Thankfully, Nana stepped in to save him.

“Well, if you were planning to stay up for a while anyway, I don’t suppose you’d be willing to spend some time with me?” Nana asked, then glanced around herself. “Not to disparage my companions, but after so long in here with only men around, the opportunity to talk to another woman sounds absolutely fantastic. There’s only so much of… this I can deal with, and that point is looooong past.”

“Oh!” Inko was startled for a second, then glanced around the other Vestiges. “Honestly, it’s been a while since I went on a girls night with Mitsuki as well. But I wouldn’t want to be rude…”

Daigoro waved her off. “You’ll have plenty of time to get to know the rest of us later.”

“Go ahead, Mom.” Izuku smiled in relief. “Enjoy your night, one way or the other. We can spend some time together soon, I promise.”

Inko glanced around a final time. When there were no objections, her gaze returned to Nana. “In that case, I’d be happy to. How do I…?”

“For all intents and purposes, your little pocket of reality will just be transplanted into Nana’s realm.” Yoichi said. “From what Sorahiko said, it’ll probably feel kind of like a particularly fast elevator for a second.”

With a final wave to Izuku, Inko’s realm vanished in a flash, as did Nana.

“Tenya? Do you want to get some rest, or would you rather stick around?” Izuku asked. “Yoichi can probably figure out how to kick you out if you’re tired.”

“That depends. Do you know how much visiting realms can be altered?”

“Well, Sorahiko was able to conjure things pretty easily… What are you trying to do?”

Rather than going to En’s realm, Izuku brought En to his. The glittering waters of Dagobah Beach at sunrise spread out before them, fading into darkness at the far edge. With a flex of Izuku’s will, the lighting shifted. The world around him brightened, shadows shrank, and the air warmed. It was an interesting experience; even if it seemed like a source of light was directly overhead, a sun wouldn’t be present.

Something else was, however.

Above, a massive track hung in the sky overhead. An expansive and well kept topiary garden encircled it, depictions of everything from Cheetahs to what Izuku suspected were Tenya’s ancestors wrought from foliage. His friend stood in the center, inspecting Izuku’s realm even as he returned the favor.

“Dagobah Beach?” Tenya asked. “I’d heard about its restoration, but I've never visited.”

“Toshinori helped me strengthen my body by having me clean the whole thing. This is from the morning that I received One for All.” Izuku replied fondly, then nodded upwards. “I’m guessing that’s your family's?”

“Indeed it is! The pride and joy of the Iida estate.” Tenya beamed. “This shall be much better than the Dorm track, and I’ll enjoy it far more than UA’s larger one.”

“I hope you do!” Izuku turned his attention to En as Tenya’s Engines spun to life. With a moment of focus, the loud sound faded into the background. En leaned against the sea wall, a small smile on his face. “Where should we begin?”

“Probably some basic information.” En lifted an arm, then rolled back his sleeve. A thick haze of purple smoke rose from the bare skin with a hiss, which cast a dancing shadow on the ground. “Smokescreen’s one of those Quirks that was named because of how it looks, rather than something scientifically correct. In large part because whatever this stuff is, it’s not really anything that scientists in my day in age could pin down. It mostly looks like smoke, smells like smoke, and acts like smoke, but it disappears with no trace after a few minutes.”

Izuku brought a knuckle to his chin. “It almost sounds like some kind of illusory ability.”

“I thought that for a while when I was a kid, but there were too many things that didn't line up with that. The Docs eventually gave up and called it a ‘semi-corporal pseudo-matter’ that behaves sort of like smoke, with a few bonuses thrown in. It also dampens infrared light and radio waves.”

“Huh.” Izuku examined the smoke that still flowed from En’s arm. “Are you making the smoke denser? It looks different from mine.”

“Oh?” En seemed surprised. “I can, but I’m not doing that right now. What does my smoke look like to you?”

“A thick purple haze?” Izuku hazarded, confused. “When I used it, it looked more like a purplish fog. It impaired my vision, but I could still pretty easily see through it. Yours looks… actually, it looks a lot like what I saw in the recording of the rescue race…”

“Interesting. What you described seeing from your own smoke is how mine looks to me as well.” En said. “I'd assumed we would be able to see through each other's as well as our own, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Regardless, our smoke is easier for us to see through, while it’s far more opaque to others. Enough to give us the upper hand, even if we’re impaired by it too.”

Izuku rolled back his sleeve, then focused. A plume of Smokescreen rose from his arm. He pressed harder, and the amount of smoke that poured out grew. Soon, he was surrounded by a dark fog, but he could still just barely pick En out from about ten feet away. Izuku cut the flow, then scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, I probably should have warned you before I did that.”

“No, it’s fine.” En chuckled, waving a hand to clear the smoke. “It was kind of interesting to experience my Quirk from the outside.”

“So, you said that we can make the smoke thicker. I assume that would make it harder for us to see through.”

“That it would.” En nodded. “Also ups the suppressive effect it has on infrared and radio, and starts having an impact on air quality. At about half the max, it makes it hard to breathe, though that fades when the smoke does. At maximum density, it’s heavier than air and kind of acrid, which has its own uses.”

“That sounds like it could be extremely useful.” Izuku said. “Why on earth did you shortchange yourself when we first met?”

“I’m up against flight, eldritch grabby tentacles that also happen to be sentient now, and the ability to sense hostile intent.” En said flatly. “That’s not getting into Bruce and Kudo’s, and I don’t think I need to wax poetic about the benefits of One for All. Smokescreen has its uses, but for the most part it’s just the ability to make an area harder to see in for a little bit. I made it work, but for the purposes of combating a machiavellian supervillain, it’s not exactly notable. It doesn't really have much offensive potential unless you’re already using One for All, at least not without a prohibitive amount of effort put in.”

“I still think you’re selling yourself short.” Izuku grumbled, but relented. “Can you show me the focused smoke burst you mentioned?”

“Sure.” En spread his arms, and smoke began to seep from his clothes. It gradually began to darken the air around him, though it would take a while to completely hide him from view. “Smokescreen can be released across the entire body. I’ll stay at low output for the sake of the demonstration. As you can see, that’s not exactly doing much.”

Izuku nodded.

“Now, as you’ve already found, you can release it from a smaller area. When you do that, the volume of smoke being released stays the same. As a result, the smoke is ejected with greater force.” The smoke from around En’s head and legs stopped flowing, while at the same time a greater amount of smoke began to billow from his sleeves. “There’s a limit to how small that area can be. My soft limit is about 30 square inches.”

En’s smoke production moved to his palms and part of his arm. It buffeted out, a violet cloud rushing across the sand to flow over the water. Then it narrowed further, and the cloud flowed forward faster.

“That's closer to 20 inches. Takes a lot of focus, and that's on the edge of starting to damage my skin.” En sounded strained. “Not going to go any lower, because you're not going to either. Clear?”

“Crystal.” Izuku said. “What does that look like at maximum intensity?”

“At maximum, I wouldn't want to go below 30. But that still gets you a whole lot of smoke going pretty fast. Enough to bowl people over, fill a room, or give me a bit of extra lift for a jump.” En grunted. Suddenly, the smoke cloud surged into a wave. It rolled forward with a low roar of rushing air. It struck the outer limits of Izuku’s realm, the surge breaking to blast out in all directions and shroud the faux-ocean.

En cut off the flow of smoke, then dropped his arms to his sides. He let out a slightly haggard breath, then turned to face Izuku once more. “With One for All actively fueling it, the output volume can get genuinely stupid. I could use it to hover, but that also blanketed a city block in a few seconds, so it wasn't especially practical.”

“Even if the application is limited, that’s an impressive display.” Izuku gazed out at the massive plume of smoke. “I could get support gear to let me focus the flow, maybe some kind of compressing container to make a smoke grenade…”

Izuku trailed off into a mumbled string of ideas, things he’d need to test, and potential applications. He pondered a variety of ideas, some with potential, others so dubious even he dismissed them.

‘Ingenium had airbags in his costume, I could add something like that to inflate with-’ Izuku blinked as the hand being waved in front of his face finally registered. He glanced at En, who looked amused.

“Appreciate the enthusiasm, but…”

“Right.” Izuku nodded. “Learn the basics first.”

“That would likely be best.” En nodded. “It’s really pretty simple, so you’ll be free to experiment soon enough. I'll run you through some drills, then we'll go from there.”

“Oh, this is gorgeous!” Inko exclaimed. The feeling of the transition had been more or less as described, though the way she could still feel her weight pressing into the couch despite it had been somewhat disorienting. Now that she’d arrived, however, the sight of the woodland house was a delight. “I’d always wanted a nice home somewhere out of the way, but my husband’s job always kept us near the city. Once Hisashi left for Egypt, I was tempted to jump for this little place in the woods I found, but the distance to the nearest town was simply too much.”

“Egypt, huh?” Nana asked. “That’s quite the move.”

“Yes. A promotion. Apparently, the fact that his Fire Breath came with a resistance to high temperatures helped him land it. Not that he needed much of an incentive to leave, I’m afraid.” Inko sighed, then caught herself. “Oh, I’m sorry! I can’t imagine you wanted to hear about my marital problems when you invited me here.”

“Honestly, it’s refreshing to hear about something other than fighting and hero work. It sounds like this is something you’ve been carrying around for a while as well. If you’re comfortable telling me about it, I’ll listen.” Nana shook her head. “Frankly, he sounds like a fool for leaving. Izuku’s been a delight for as long as I’ve known he existed, back when we caught flashes through Toshinori. I can’t imagine the person who raised him would be much different.”

“You’re too kind.” Inko sighed. After a moment’s further hesitation, she continued. “We were on the rocks for a while before he was offered the position. Izuku was… something of a surprise, and Hisashi had been hesitant about children to begin with. He tried to be a good father, but he started spending more and more time at work. Then, Izuku was diagnosed as Quirkless, and I… admittedly became pretty overbearing. Hisashi wanted to just ignore it, but he rarely saw how much it hurt Izuku. We grew further and further apart, and eventually fell out of love entirely. The promotion was simply the finishing blow.”

“But you still call him your husband?”

“Legally speaking, he is.” Inko glanced at the simple silvery band she still wore. “We don’t hate each other, we just don't love each other. When we realized that it would cost us both less to simply stay married and have him pay the equivalent of alimony, that’s what we did. If either of us ever found love elsewhere, we agreed to end things formally, but so far he’s continued to be a workaholic, and I’ve been a dumpy stay-at-home mother.”

“That’s certainly unconventional, but at least it’s civil.” Nana floated upwards to inspect Inko more closely. “And I think I see where Izuku gets his unfounded self deprecation streak from. You’re adorable!”

“Says the flying muscular goddess in tight spandex.” Inko crossed her arms and dragged her eyes up and down Nana’s figure. “Adorable is exactly what I want to be called in my 40s.”

“Well, what would you prefer? I can think of several options.” Nana spun lazily above Inko, a small smirk on her face.

Inko huffed, the familiar warmth of an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. “Oh don’t you start. I know I let myself go over the years, but I’ve never felt it so keenly as I have within the literal first 24 hours at UA. Everyone’s so ridiculously fit! Then I get in here, and the only exceptions to the rule are poor Yoichi, who looks half way ready to keel over, and Dr. Kinenkō, who’s apparently in his 90s despite looking like he’s 63. Even All Might, who’s the frailest looking person I’ve ever encountered, is… well, All Might.”

“Hero work is demanding.” Nana agreed. “You’re comparing yourself to people who have ‘borderline or literally supernatural fitness’ as the most basic of job requirements. I don’t think that’s a fair standard to hold a stay at home mother to. But if you really want to work towards it, now is probably the best chance you’ll get.”

“How so?” Inko asked. “I have a full time job again. If anything, all the years of sitting at home and reading or baking while Izuku was at school would have been perfect.”

“True.” Nana agreed. “But you also live a few rooms away from one of the best fitness setups anyone could hope for. There’s nothing stopping you from making a few good habits out of it.”

Inko opened her mouth… then slumped. “You know, I’d kind of just categorized that as something the students could use.”

“If nothing else, I’m sure Izuku wouldn't mind some extra company during his morning routines.” Nana suggested.

‘That… actually does sound rather nice.’ Inko admitted to herself. ‘A little more time with Izuku, and some exercise on the side.’

“Wow.” Nana giggled softly. “You and Izuku have a very similar determined expression.”

“I’ve been told he takes after me once or twice.” Inko flushed slightly, but couldn’t help a smile. “I apologize again for this whole… vent. Mitsuki’s never been great at emotional intelligence, so her primary method of helping was to try to distract me. She even bit her tongue and watched a season of Silken Tidings with me right after- GAH!”

Nana had pressed herself flat against the border of her realm. “YOU WATCH SILKEN TIDINGS?!”

Inko gasped, delighted. “YES! It’s been my favorite show since I was old enough to watch! The intrigue, the production quality, the romance! Nobody else I knew liked it as much as I did, and Mitsuki HATED it, so I never really got to share it with anyone!”

“It was my guilty pleasure show!” Nana laughed. “God, I was looking forward to the new episode so badly before everything went to shit. What ever happened with Daisuke and Aya?”

Inko’s eyes widened. “What was the last episode you were able to watch?”

“Season 4, episode 7.”

Inko slapped her hands over her mouth, but she couldn’t keep the squeal of excitement in. “That means I get to tell you what happens with Haruko too!”

Nana’s eyes lit up. “Tell. Me. Everything!”

A fist lanced through a plume of opaque smoke. Izuku danced back, then swept an arm forward. His own ephemeral vapor burst forward, which briefly revealed En’s head and shoulders before another blast surged from the Sixth user.

With the sound of displaced sand, Izuku leapt back even as he unleashed his own violet cloud. The two roiling masses clashed as blasts met in the middle. They seemed to be at a stalemate for a second, until a pitch black cloud punched through the heart of Izuku's wispy sanctuary. Izuku responded with a dense surge of his own as he double checked his respirator, but En’s flow of smoke exploded around Izuku’s counter, and he found himself surrounded within seconds.

Izuku spun sharply even as he kicked his output to the max. A choking vortex of dark purple roared out around him, so thick even he couldn't see through it.

‘Can't see him. Need to figure out where he is without tipping him off. How can I… Hmmm…’

Izuku focused on Smokescreen. He cut off the flow of smoke to everything but his right arm, then went further. It took some effort, but soon enough smoke hissed from a single stripe down the limb’s length.

‘Perfect.’

He lashed out with a sharp spin even as he pushed as much thin smoke through the compressed line as possible. Under such pressure, it cut a trough of visibility through the dense haze, though it didn't penetrate as far as Izuku would have liked. Even so, Izuku scanned the opening carefully.

If En was still producing smoke, the movement of it should disrupt the visible ring more quickly. However, Izuku hadn't considered several key flaws in his plan.

The first thing that went wrong was when his arc of smoke began to rise unevenly. Initially, he thought it was a sign of En’s presence, but the actual explanation was far simpler. The thin smoke was lighter, and was rising within the dense smoke that surrounded him.

The second was just how loud his maneuver had been.

The third was the strike that he couldn't see coming, because it came from within the ultra-dense smoke that frothed around his knees.

Izuku tumbled backwards into the thick purple haze. He tried to recover with a roll, but a hand clasped into the back of his hood and yanked. He yelped, then coughed as the horrible acrid smoke flooded his face.

En had managed to dislodge his respirator.

Izuku lashed out, and his foot struck something solid. Unfortunately, En didn't seem to care as he drove a knee into Izuku's chest. Against his wishes, Izuku’s breath hissed between his teeth, and he was forced to take a gasping breath.

‘Cant breathe stings burns get out get out get out!’

Izuku blasted smoke upwards into the space En occupied, then widened his focus to force the heavy smoke away. En wasn't pushed off, but his grip did weaken enough for Izuku to cough out a cloud, then suck in a less polluted breath. He tried to buck En’s weight, but the more experienced combatant held on relentlessly, then countered viciously.

En unleashed another pitch black blast of smoke directly into Izuku's face. He tried to counter it out with a wave literally launched from his face, the sensation deeply unsettling in its own right, but his smoke was overwhelmed. Blind and choking, Izuku slapped the sandy ground frantically.

Immediately, the stream of smoke cut off as En stood up. With a wave of his arm, he cleared the air around them. Izuku rolled, coughing harshly. Small puffs of smoke escaped his mouth, but thankfully he was able to replace them with clean air. Once the worst of the sensation had faded, Izuku managed to gather his wits enough to manually clear his lungs with a flex of will. He shook his head, then pushed himself to his knees.

En pulled the collar of his coat down, which pulled the respirator built into it away from his face. “Sorry about that one. Want a hand up?”

“It's fine.” Izuku took the offered hand, stood, then shook sand from his suit. “I'm certainly not going to forget that maneuver. You were crawling through my own heavy smoke to sneak up on me, right?”

En nodded. “It's easy to assume you control anywhere covered by the stuff, even if you can't see through it. It's a mistake.”

Izuku nodded. “Lesson very much learned. How did you manage to move across the sand so quietly, and how could you keep track of me in the smoke even when I wasn’t moving?”

“Moving quietly is all about managing force and weight distribution. I can show you some stealth tricks later, if you’d like.” En replied. “As for tracking you, it’s an acquired skill. Learning to fight blind helps with spatial awareness and keeping track of things you can’t see. That’s something else we can work on once you’ve finished getting a handle on Smokescreen. You’re making fantastic progress already.”

“Thank you!” Izuku rolled his shoulders. “Up for another round?”

Something tickled faintly at the back of Yoichi’s mind.

He glanced up from his comic book, staring into the void as he focused on the sensation. He hadn’t noticed anything when outsiders had arrived before, but he also hadn’t really been paying specific attention. The first time, he’d had the greater issue of getting Izuku into the Core. The second, he’d been focused on everyone’s reactions to Sorahiko and Toshinori arriving. The third… ok, maybe he’d been looking forward to teasing Izuku just a bit too much. Sue him.

After Bruce and Izuku’s rapid deconstruction of Tenya’s unexpected arrival, however, he had good reason to pay attention.

With some effort, he managed to get a lock on the sensation. It was something distant, faint, but familiar. Kinenkō. Toshinori. One for All. Yoichi glanced to the side, where he could now see Toshinori’s Vestige begin to flicker and shift.

‘Well damn. They might have been right about the visitors being a function of One for All.’ Yoichi mused. Now that he knew what to look for, he probed further. The sensation he found was slightly different, but he found it all the same.

Tenya. Tensei. One for All. No trace of Boon anywhere, simply an ephemeral strand of connection between himself and Tenya through Tensei’s Engine.

Yoichi shook his head, bemused. ‘They’re inside my Meta Ability, one of them is literally made from it, and they can figure things out about it that I never even considered. I don’t know if I’m an idiot, they’re savants, or it's both.’

With a flick of his wrist, Yoichi dismissed his comic and stood. A moment later, Toshinori finished coalescing and glanced around. The large man smiled widely as he stood and stretched, a pleased groan escaping his lips as he did so.

“Welcome back, Toshinori.”

“Thank you, Yoichi. It’s delightful to return.” Toshinori sent him a grin. “Tonight has turned out far better than I’d thought it would. Where is everyone?”

“Izuku and En are training in Izuku’s recreation of Dagobah Beach, along with Tenya. Apparently, giving someone a Quirk can make Boon unnecessary. We were introduced to Mrs. Midoriya, which was…” Yoichi momentarily debated looping Toshinori in on Izuku’s crush, but opted not to. That would be a bridge too far. “Interesting. She and Nana are having a ‘girls night’ because ‘the raw masculinity within One for All has been too much.’”

Toshinori cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Those may not have been her exact words.” Yoichi admitted with a chuckle, then went still as he felt another presence press towards the core. He blocked it quickly, then turned his attention back to Toshinori. “Regardless, I think they’re having a good time. It’s been a few hours, so I don’t think she’d mind a visit now that you’re here.”

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt…”

“I think you’re an exception to the ‘Too many men’ problem.” Yoichi clapped the much larger man on the shoulder. Honestly, she might kick my ass for keeping you here as long as I have.”

Toshinori shook his head with a huff. “Then I’d best be on my way. Enjoy your night, Yoichi.”

“Will do!”

Once Toshinori had faded entirely, Yoichi released both a sigh and the blockade he’d put up around the Core. A second later, a bemused looking Bruce and a dour Kudo appeared on their thrones. Bruce twirled a combat knife between his fingers, the repeated motion making the red sparks of FaJin dance along the digits.

“Man, traffic was awful getting here.” Bruce said. “It seems it made us miss our audience with the illustrious All Might.”

Yoichi rolled his eyes. “It’s been less than a week since we had any means of communication, and his entire world has effectively been turned upside down. At least let him try to improve before the two of you jump him.”

“I have no idea what you mean.” Bruce said innocently. With a flick of his wrist and a flash of red, the knife vanished as though it had never been there. “Izuku himself wanted us to chat with him. I don’t know why you’d get in the way of that.”

“Because I’m fairly sure Izuku didn’t intend to feed his idol to a pair of sharks.” Yoichi grunted.

“He’s far too kind for that.” Bruce nodded soberly. “I wish that wasn’t a mixed blessing. The fact that it is makes me sick.”

Yoichi slumped. “We can agree on that.”

Silence.

“You know we’ll have to confront Eight about this travesty he calls Peace eventually, right?” Kudo asked as he stared out into the void beyond. “The rest of you might be willing to accept it, but we won’t. Not without at least trying to prove our point.”

“I know, Kudo.” Yoichi nodded resignedly. “I just hope you don’t break him.”

Toshinori stepped into Nana’s realm, aiming for the faint but deeply familiar beacon of her presence. “Hello, NanAGH!”

The moment he fully manifested, Nana shot towards him. Rather than a hug, however, she whipped upwards and grabbed him by the back of his costume like she was picking up a kitten by its scruff. In a flash, she’d dragged him bodily through the air and dumped him unceremoniously on the couch along one wall of her living room.

“Hi, Toshi! Sorry about that, but you kind of appeared in the middle of my plot map.” Nana smiled apologetically, then dipped down for a hug. “It’s great to see you again!”

“...You too…” Over her shoulder, Toshinori could now see that most of the floor was covered in sticky notes, red twine affixed to bobby pins running between them in a baffling web. He couldn’t see what exactly was written on them, but some of the notes were packed absolutely to the brim. “Sooooo… should I be worried about hiding a body for you?”

“Nope! The body hiding part wrapped up a season ago, it’s in the far corner behind the coffee table.” Nana said cheerfully, which only amplified his confusion.

He glanced in the direction she indicated to see a small but dense knot of red string, which occasionally shot a strand out to some disparate corner of the room.

A bit of movement above caught his eye, and Toshinori glanced toward the ceiling. Or, rather, where the ceiling would ordinarily be. Instead, he found that it and the upper floors of the house were transparent, allowing him to see Inko in a familiar looking apartment above.

“Ah, hello Mrs. Midoriya!” Toshinori waved hesitantly. “Sorry to intrude!”

“Oh, it’s all right.” Inko didn’t sound entirely convincing, but far be it from him to call her out on it. “Nana, should we put this on hold so you can-”

“Nah, Toshi can wait. We were almost done with season 9, and I’m not stopping until I figure out what they were setting up for with those Yakuza connections.” Nana zipped back towards the dining table, which had a veritable net of strings leading both under and over it. “You said that Isamu’s missing heirloom could be seen in Yuto’s Kyoto Complex office, right?”

“Yes!” Inko visibly perked up. “I still can’t believe you thought to ask about it! I’d almost forgotten about it myself!”

“I took a chunk out of an ancient super villain’s hidden cabal, honey.” Nana rounded the table, eyeing a red strand that led to a note dappled section of wall. “This is nothing by comparison, especially with yourself as such a helpful wellspring of information.”

Toshinori blinked, the subject vaguely familiar to him. He glanced down at the nearest arm of the web. At its center, a note read ‘Daisuke is kidnapped by Akemi in an attempt to save him from his father’s retribution. In the attempt, the lock on the front door is broken, and Kedama escapes.’ Lines stretched out from it like a starburst, leading to everything from ‘The heirloom is stolen by a street thug’ to ‘Kedama is captured by Animal Control, but is adopted by Aya when she recognizes him. She tries to check up on Daisuke, and after finding the house in shambles, opens an investigation.’

“Oh. You’re talking about Silken Tidings.”

Nana whipped around to stare at him so quickly the nearby sticky notes rustled, only held down by the pins punched through them. Above, Inko had similarly snapped her attention back to him, clearly surprised.

“...I thought you couldn't stand the show. Too much drama for your tastes.” Nana eyed him, then the notes he’d been looking at. “Those are from season five, and we’re talking about things waaaay past that.”

“I… may have given it a chance later on?” Toshinori admitted sheepishly. “After a few years in America, I overheard someone talking about it. I decided to see if I could find what you saw in it. I still can’t say it was my favorite show, but… it reminded me of you, so I’d say it’s in the top five-”

Nana’s arms wrapped tightly around him. He returned the hug with just as much vigor. After a moment, she pulled away, a massive smile on her face. “What did you think of the season 6 plot twist? God, I wish I could watch it, it sounds like it was fantastic.”

Toshinori blinked. “Er, it’s been a while. Was that the part where Gin turned out to be the bartender?”

“No. That was a few episodes into season 7.” Inko called from above, eyeing him appraisingly. “It was the big reveal of where Daisuke’s lab actually was the whole time.”

Toshinori blinked, then barked a laugh. “Oh! Yes, now I remember. I’d been so convinced it was one of the defunct Yakuza labs that he’d renovated. When it turned out to be in the rubble of Origin Industries, I thought for sure I’d accidentally sat on the remote and skipped an episode or three.”

Nana snickered as she glanced up at Inko, who looked vaguely embarrassed. “I… may have had a very similar reaction. But it made so many little details fit together perfectly in retrospect!”

“It grew on me.” Toshinori nodded. “Once things started clicking into place, it made a lot of sense. But the complete 180 on what I expected threw me pretty badly at the time. Personally, I liked the twist in season 5 better…”

All for One dismissed Telepathic Contact, his latest update from the sniveling wretch of a mole complete. The sobbing of the Meta Ability’s Vestige faded into the background as he released it, which was a shame. Even after all these years, it was so satisfying to hear.

Unfortunately, there were more important matters at hand.

‘I’m not sure if the buffoon finally passing the torch is a stroke of luck or the worst thing he could have done.’ He carefully brushed his hand along the table next to his reclined seat until the tips of his fingers bumped against the base of his wine glass. Even if his infrared vision was better than the accursed darkness he’d suffered after All Might’s killing blow, it fell terribly short in everyday use. While he could see Kyudai across the room, fiddling away with something on his dissection table, most of the room itself was an indistinct blur. He wrapped his fingers around the stem, then brought it to his lips to take a small sip. ‘If he hadn’t, it’s likely it never would have reached Singularity. That would have made it so much easier to handle. But now, he’s working on fumes, and the child he’s given it to can’t wield the entirety of its power without crippling himself. A delightful irony, really.’

All for One absently tapped a nail against the glass, and it rang with a clear crystalline note.

‘However, even if inexperienced, that child has potential to be… problematic. Access to at least Blackwhip and Smokescreen already means he’ll likely have the rest before long. And if the healing ability he claims to have is another past user whom I missed…’ All for One carefully resisted the urge to annihilate his glass. A wine from the pre-Meta era wasn’t to be wasted over mere wrath. ‘Who knows how many more Meta Abilities it may have in store, or how potent they may have become. Even just the ones I know of, fueled by the power All Might cultivated…’

Once again, the start of his living nightmare flashed through his mind.

It had been unspeakably satisfying to dangle the fate of the fool’s predecessor before his nose, to see his world crumble around him. He’d been so easy to play. A simple illusion, an unassuming stealth ability, and he’d been a mere breath away from All Might before the man could react.

And yet he had. With mere inches to spare, he’d managed to avoid the worst of All for One’s blow. Even so, the sight of All Might, kneeling in a pool of his own blood and desperately trying to keep any more shredded viscera from sloughing out had been a pleasing one.

Until All Might had looked up at him, face a bloody embodiment of wrath, and MOVED.

The last thing All for One had ever truly seen was a fist approaching his face, too fast for even him to dodge. It hadn’t even been the fist that had stolen his sight; The mere air pressure of the approaching punch had ruptured his eyes like grapes, despite the countless durability enhancements he’d been using. The next thing he’d known, he’d awoken to a world of darkness and agony strapped to Kyudai’s table, the Doctor’s latest dark miracle the only reason he was ‘alive’ at all.

An involuntary tremor ran through his body, and the glass held within his hand cracked delicately. All for One frowned at his body’s betrayal, then grasped the wine directly through Liquid Manipulation and discarded the glass. It was less than the wine deserved, but better than wasting it or gulping it down.

‘All Might must fall, and his successor’s potential cannot go unanswered. The time has come to bring a few plans to fruition.’

All for One languidly lifted a hand, then pressed his fingertip to the bank of servers that stood by his side. With a crackle of static, Integrate gave him access to the information stored within. Hundreds upon hundreds of directories, indexes, folders, and files flooded his senses, but he was familiar enough with the ability to filter most of them away. He had a few particular items of interest he wanted to review.

Aeolia. Basophobia. The Precursor Program. The Fourth Horseman Project.

Aeolia had started as an amusement, more than anything. When Kurogiri had first received the request from Giran, All for One had hardly believed his luck, or the sheer idiocy on display. A man named Samuel Abraham, who had been confirmed to be none other than the assistant of David Shield, had been seeking Villains willing to attack I-Island for weeks. The missive had claimed that the island’s oversight council had locked away an invention that would be worth billions, which he’d be willing to split with any Villains able to assist in its retrieval.

As if he genuinely thought anyone capable of such a feat would treat him as an equal partner.

Initially, All for One had merely initiated negotiations in the hopes he might finally discover a means of getting to David Shield, as a final crushing blow against All Might. When he’d learned that the target in question was a Meta Amplification Device, he’d suddenly found the actual goal of substantial interest as well.

It was immediately obvious who Shield intended the device for. It was equally obvious that it must never, under any circumstances, fall into a One for All wielder’s hands. Unfortunately, Tomura was far from sufficiently prepared to take on such a task. Machia would simply sink the Island, with no guarantee that the specific target would be retrieved or destroyed. The new members of the league were far too recent an addition to trust, though if Compress was even a quarter the man his ancestor had been, he might have been able to pull the job off on his own. Which left him with two further options.

All for One quickly reviewed Basophobia for any new breakthroughs the Doctor might have made, but found himself disappointed, as he’d expected to be. The Meta Ability was still rejecting any body it was grafted into. Despite the state he’d left the Vestige in, it seemed her defiance yet lingered.

He’d have to pay her another visit some time soon.

That option discarded, he moved to consider the second. It seemed the most recent subject of the Precursor Program was bearing fruit, though results were varied. From the post-procedure testing, it seemed Nine had little trouble ripping the factors out of people, and was equally capable of utilizing the Meta Abilities he acquired. Even with a heavily restricted version of All for One, he seemed an excellent sign for the project’s future.

Unfortunately, other results in the file left much to be desired. Nine’s original Meta Ability, Weather Control, was breathtakingly powerful. It was, perhaps, the closest he’d ever personally seen a fully natural Quirk to reaching Singularity, though it was still a ways off. Unfortunately, the raw power of it left the factor unstable, something which even the application of… limited resources… had failed to rectify.

All for One frowned. Those screams were ones he never wanted to hear again.

Beyond that, there were only two further points of particular interest. Firstly, Nine was evidently unable to perceive the Vestiges of any Meta Abilities in his possession. Ordinarily, that was to be completely expected; Only a scant few people he’d given a power to could sense or interact with the Vestige connected to it, which was largely for the best. People generally didn’t take well to extra voices in their head, especially when those voices were screaming and wailing after All for One was done with them.

But the fact that Nine couldn’t interact with them came as a surprise. Either whatever part of the ability that enabled it was lost in the process of crippling Nine’s copy, or the ability to communicate with the Vestiges wasn’t an innate property of All for One itself. The thought that he himself might have simply been lucky to be able to interact with them was unsettling. While they were mostly just entertaining nowadays, they were an invaluable source of knowledge in his formative years.

Even if he’d needed to pry that knowledge from between screaming lips.

Secondly, Nine’s mental profile indicated he was obscenely power hungry. That seemed a likely factor in his successful integration of All for One in the first place, however… If Nine caught wind of what, precisely, the target of the I-Island raid was, he’d likely get ideas. All for One certainly would, in his position.

Which, unfortunately, left him with no reliable internal options to address the Aeolia project.

‘So it’s outsourcing then.’

All for One tilted his head to rest on his knuckles as he considered the possibility. Outsourcing was always a mixed bag. On one hand, it was deeply amusing to puppeteer those who thought themselves his equals, ill informed as they were. On the other hand, such arrangements by their nature meant his lessers had to be given some form of incentive, rather than simply complying with his demands. It also left a greater risk of the fools attempting to subvert his will, though they never really thought of something he hadn’t planned around.

The problem was, this was a substantial project, which would require a great deal of compensation. Compensation that, thanks to All Might’s brutal mauling of his organization, he was embarrassingly limited in his ability to provide. Similarly, between All Might’s presence and the HPSC’s back alley assassinations, competent local help was rather slim pickings.

‘Those MLA fools are too proud of their resistance against me, faulty as their assumptions of success are, to ever agree to help in this. They’d be just as likely to fight over the prize as Nine, even if they did. The Creature Rejection Clan is too scattered to be of use to anyone. Veles and his Krasnyy Priliv organization would be almost perfect, but I doubt he’d be willing to work with me despite my graciousness in allowing his little outpost to survive somewhere outside Russia’s borders. Little Kai would lead his Yakuza to their death resisting my control. Truly a shame the complexity of Overhaul is beyond my abilities now…’

Slowly, a smile spread across All for One’s face.

“Kyudai, I seem to remember a report saying that the little Cult that sprung up around your thesis was doing business with the Shie Hassaikai.”

“Yes, my Lord. They call themselves Humarise.” The faint sounds of clicking metal cutting flesh stilled, and Kyudai’s heat signature turned to face him. “They’re becoming quite the force, nowadays. They’re after enhanced forms of Ideo Trigger to use as a bioweapon against the Quirked.”

“I hate that the world has taken to calling Meta Abilities something so childish.” All for One’s smile dropped into a sneer. “As for Humarise, I look forward to slaughtering the lot of them after they’ve been harvested. But perhaps it’s finally time to put them to use. How do you believe they’d feel about handling the Aeolia job, with the promise of ‘saving’ a few from their ‘curse’ as payment?”

A wide slash of white split the red and yellow tones of Kyudai’s face as he smiled. “I believe they’d be quite receptive.”

“Marvelous. Open negotiations. The retrieval or destruction of both David Shield and the device are the top priorities. If they manage to sink the damnable island while they’re at it, the reward will be doubled.” A cruel grin split All for One’s face. “Additionally, I’m willing to offer a little help to anyone on the attack force willing to accept another ‘curse’ for the greater good, in the interest of ensuring the operation is a success.”

Kyudai chuckled. “I’ll be sure to make a special note of that.”

All for One settled back into his seat, then drew a ribbon of wine from the orb he still held in the air. Addressing the I-Island situation was a good first move, however there was still much work to be done. After all, the Nomu project needed test subjects, and even more than that, Meta Abilities to utilize. There were only so many clones they could produce, and the stability of them still left a great deal to be desired.

With that in mind, All for One returned his attention to the files. It was a simple matter to skim a Quirk Directory for suitable abilities, which he organized into a hit list ranked based on priority. Given the offer to let Nine keep one in five Meta Abilities retrieved, he looked forward to the man being quite productive with his newfound power. That resource properly tapped, All for One turned his attention to the final file.

The Fourth Horseman Project.

It had been one of his pet projects for a decade, a finely tuned time bomb simply waiting to go off. He’d been considering setting that moment in motion for several years, but he’d hesitated to tip his hand. After all, the potential harvest only ever increased, and the best of any dieoff made its way to him regardless. There was a time limit he had to respect, but the subject would last at least another year, perhaps two. Why rush, when patience was so clearly a winning strategy?

Now, however, seemed the right time. Everything would be coming to a head sooner rather than later, and his hesitance might have already cost him the opportunity to use his investment fully.

“Kyudai, one additional request.”

“Whatever you need, my Lord.”

“Prepare lab 13. I’m expecting quite the harvest in the coming days.”

“That’s wonderful news!” Kyudai perked up visibly. “Thank you, my Lord! I look forward to the opportunities this will afford us!”

“I’m sure you do.” All for One smirked, then once more pulled on Mental Communication. When her screaming renewed, he permitted himself a moment to appreciate it. She might have caused him more trouble than any person had a right, but the eventual acquisition of her Meta Ability made it almost worthwhile. Unbounded communication, and all it took was an introduction to add someone to his contacts. The limited number he could maintain at any time was frustrating, but it was a small price to pay for something instantaneous and borderline untraceable.

All for One briefly touched the eldritch jumble of Kurogiri’s mind, informing him that he was to be on standby until All for One said otherwise, then moved on to prod the mind of his next target. Thankfully they seemed to be awake despite the late hour, which saved him the effort of waking the pawn up.

‘Otoreru.’ All for One intoned, altering his projected voice to sound deeper. More resonant. Divine. ‘Your time has come, my child.’

‘Oh blessed day! My God, you’ve returned to me!’ Otoreru responded instantly, his words twitchy and off putting even through a mental link. ‘I’ve remained hidden among this wretched filth as you’ve requested. Is their time of reckoning finally upon them?’

All for One allowed himself a smirk. Religion was such a fantastic tool, when wielded properly.

‘It has, my Child. It is time to bring my Judgement upon the filthy masses of the pit.’ All for One instructed. ‘For your service, you shall be saved.’

‘Thank you, my God!’ The poor fool actually sounded like they were crying. ‘Your glory shall reach even these depths, and your wrath shall cleanse the nonbelievers!’

‘So it shall be.’ All for One released Mental Communication, then settled back into his seat. He loathed the way even such paltry efforts sapped his strength. He could have leveled a city block without tiring himself out this much, back before his injury. However, he knew that the following days would make it more than worthwhile.

‘Such a delightful amalgamation of Meta Abilities. Hopefully it doesn't get too out of hand.’ He chuckled in dark amusement, then sipped down the last of his wine. ‘I do so look forward to hearing how they handle this.’

Chapter Text

‘So it shall be.’ All for One released Mental Communication, then settled back into his seat. He loathed the way even such paltry efforts sapped his strength. He could have leveled a city block without tiring himself out this much, back before his injury. However, he knew that the following days would make it more than worthwhile.

‘Such a delightful amalgamation of Meta Abilities. Hopefully it doesn't get too out of hand.’ He chuckled in dark amusement, then sipped down the last of his wine. ‘I do so look forward to hearing how they handle this.’

Izuku held as still as he could manage, his hands buried in the sand beneath him while smoke swirled around him in a heavy cloud. Blackwhip extended from his hands and deeper into the ground, though it wasn’t particularly thrilled about that fact. No matter how much Izuku tried to convince it that this would hopefully lead to grabbing this time, the three failed attempts that had come before had worn on its cooperativeness.

‘Just a little longer, Blackwhip.’ Izuku took a calming breath through his respirator. ‘If we don’t get En this time, then I’ll try for a more direct method again.’

Blackwhip thrummed in anticipation at that promise, but thankfully didn’t wiggle. With as many tendrils as they had spread out through the sand beneath them, that much wiggling might have given them away.

The world around him was quiet, save the faint ambiance of the ocean. Tenya had retired for the night not long ago, in a bit of a tizzy once he realized just how much of the night had slipped past him. Even without the sound of Engines roaring overhead, however, Izuku couldn’t hear En at all. Which was why he’d resorted to other means of keeping watch for the Sixth user.

Suddenly, Izuku felt it. Barely detectable with all the sand in the way, but still exactly what he'd been waiting for. A faint shift in the pressure on the flat sections of Blackwhip he’d spread underground. En’s weight as he stepped exactly where Izuku wanted him.

‘YES!’

Izuku pushed Smokescreen out through the tendril of Blackwhip, though not with excessive force. He didn’t want to blast the sand upwards, just create a flow of smoke up through the loose grains. If he did it right…

There was a hissing sound, quickly followed by a sharp yelp from En. Izuku snapped his attention in that direction, and was just in time to see a vaguely humanoid shape amidst the smoke drop into the ground.

Blackwhip snapped to attention, then gleefully coiled around En as he fell into grabbing range. Izuku stood with a cheer of success, then dismissed all but the occupied tendril. Careful not to disrupt his concentration, Izuku carefully cleared the air of Smokescreen, then approached his fallen foe.

En glared up at him, his head tilted skyward and barely above the surface of the sand. A short distance behind him, the tip of the Blackwhip tendril protruded from the sand like a tiny black sapling, wiggling gleefully in triumph.

“Well this is a fancy little trick.” En grunted, then blew a few stray grains of sand away from his mouth. “I don’t suppose you’d let me out, would you?”

“If you agree not to punch me for putting you there in the first place, sure.”

En eyed him ruefully. “So how’d you manage this? I figured you were going for a trap the past few encounters, but I was expecting Blackwhip to shoot out and grab me, not for the ground to turn fluid.”

Izuku smiled widely. “With Smokescreen!”

En cocked an eyebrow. “Pull the other one.”

“I’m not kidding. It’s a physics thing.” Izuku sat down, then began to eagerly draw in the sand with his finger.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m completely serious!” Izuku replied, then gestured towards the rudimentary sketch he'd made. “When you pump air, or smoke in this case, up through sand, it makes the sand behave like a fluid. I ran Blackwhip under the sand, and used it like a pressure plate so I could figure out where you were. Once I felt you on top of one, I pumped Smokescreen out underneath you, and it liquified the sand enough to make you sink instantly!”

“That’s… actually really interesting, and an extremely clever way of using the two together.” En admitted. “But I meant that you can’t seriously be about to give me a long scientific explanation about how you sunk me chin deep in sand while I’m still sunk chin deep in sand.”

“OH!” Izuku leapt to his feet, pushed Smokescreen through Blackwhip once more, then tugged. The dark tendril easily pulled itself up through the bubbling, haze-spewing sand, and a moment later it had plucked En from his earthen prison as well. That accomplished, Izuku released En from Blackwhip, then retracted the strand to its favorite place; the vents just above his knuckles.

“Thanks.” En sighed in relief as the sand vanished from his body. He distrustfully glanced down at the ground that had moments before engulfed him, then at Izuku.

Quick as a whip, En punched him lightly on the shoulder.

“Hey!” Izuku yelped, more out of surprise than anything. “What was that for?”

“I never promised that I wouldn’t.” En smirked, then leveled an evaluating glance in Izuku’s direction. “I have to say, you’re picking all of this up crazy fast.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Izuku sighed. “With everything that’s going on, I feel like I’m constantly trying to play catch up.”

En scoffed. “You’ve barely had time to learn anything about these Quirks, and yet you actually pulled a fast one on me. Even more impressive, you did it using my own Quirk, plus an eldritch tentacle with the attention span of a small child.”

Blackwhip shot a filament at En, buzzing with mild offense. En ducked, conjured a tiny object that flashed with colorful lights into his hand, then lobbed it into the air. Blackwhip immediately swerved upwards to catch it, then coiled back into its vent with a faintly satisfied thrum.

En snorted. “I was wondering if that would-”

With a blur of movement, the bauble bounced off En’s forehead, then landed in the ocean beyond with a distant plop. Blackwhip’s thrum of satisfaction deepened significantly.

Both stared at the small wiggling tendril for a moment, then glanced back at each other.

“We’re in agreement that Blackwhip learning the concept of deception is kind of terrifying, right?” En asked.

“Deeply.” Izuku nodded. “I’m somehow proud at the same time.”

En hummed in agreement, absently rubbing the small red spot on his head. “How much time do you have left? We’ve been at this for a while.”

“One second.” With great care, Izuku managed to slowly open one of his eyes. His physical eyes.

It was a rather disconcerting experience to simultaneously maintain awareness of both his physical body and the one within the Vestige Realm, but it was interesting at the same time. If he could get better at it, he might be able to train technique within One for All while he trained his body in the gym. He was still a long way from that, though, based on how hard it was to so much as check his phone like this.

“About an hour before I need to get up.” Izuku let his attention fully return to the Vestige Realm, then leaned against the sea wall while the disorientation faded.

En nodded. “Want to go for another round, or do you have something else you’d like to address before you get up?”

Izuku hesitated, gnawing on his lip. Then, he took a steadying breath. “...I should go check on Tsubasa.”

En glanced at him sympathetically. “He spends most of his time asleep, according to Yoichi. If you’re not ready, I don’t think you should force yourself.”

“I… Yesterday was a shock. But I think I’ll be ok now.” Izuku set his shoulders and hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. “If there’s anything I can do to help him, I want to start now.”

Izuku hated the cell as soon as he, Yoichi, and En set foot in it. Tsubasa’s realm couldn’t be called anything else. It was a glorified concrete box with a cot in one corner, a toilet and sink in the other, and a metal door in the far wall. A single recessed light glowed above, dim and sickly yellow. The combined effect made Izuku’s skin crawl.

Tsubasa lay on the ground by the door, curled into a ball. He was perfectly still. He wasn’t breathing.

“Easy, Izuku.” En squeezed Izuku’s shoulder, and he realized he’d begun to hyperventilate. “This is what we mean by sleeping. It’s like we’re in stasis.”

“Oh.” Izuku blew out a relieved breath. He carefully approached the still form, then knelt down next to it. When Tsubasa didn’t respond, Izuku cautiously reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder.

Tsubasa didn’t respond.

“Try doing what you do to summon Kinenkō.” Yoichi suggested.

Izuku nodded, then gently pulled on Draconic Wings. He felt a faint tingle across his back, but didn’t let himself actually activate the Quirk.

Tsubasa’s eyes snapped open, and he scrambled towards the nearest corner away from Izuku. He began rocking again, just as he’d been the first time Izuku had seen him in the Vestige Realm.

“That’s more or less exactly what happens whenever I try to do anything.” Yoichi sighed. “Poor guy is in a constant panic. I don’t know how you managed to get to him the first time, Izuku.”

Izuku nodded absently as he glanced around at the hateful prison of a realm once again. It was horrifying, knowing that this space had become something so significant in the poor boy’s life that his realm took on its shape. His attention returned to the child, and his resolve grew all the stronger.

“Tsubasa? Would you like to go somewhere else?” Izuku asked, on careful watch for any reaction.

Tsubasa continued to rock, eyes vacant.

Izuku shifted slightly closer. When Tsubasa once again failed to react, Izuku sidled another few inches forward.

Tsubasa’s eyes snapped to him, though he continued his rhythmic motions.

“Can you hear me, Tsubasa?” Izuku asked. “Would you like to go somewhere else?”

Tsubasa’s eyes slowly began to unfocus, starting through Izuku rather than at him.

Gently, Izuku drew on Draconic Wings, as he had to wake Tsubasa up. Tsubasa’s eyes immediately refocused, and his rocking stopped.

“Can you hear me now, Tsubasa?” Izuku asked.

It was a tiny, almost imperceptible thing, but Tsubasa nodded.

“Ok.” Izuku smiled gently. “You recognize me, right?”

Another tiny nod. “Deku.”

“You’re right. I’m Deku.” Izuku nodded. “I’m a hero in training now. I’m going to get you out of here.”

“Not allowed.” Tsubasa’s eyes darted around the room as he curled into an even tighter ball, terrified. “Can’t leave. Stay here. Good boy.”

The absolute terror in Tsubasa’s voice stoked a pit of rage in Izuku, strong enough to make Blackwhip strain to manifest. He banked it as best he could, careful not to let any of what he was feeling reach his face. He once more pulled on Draconic Wings, almost stroking the Quirk in a way he hoped was somehow soothing. “You don’t have to worry. Nobody is going to hurt you. You’re safe with us.”

Slowly, Tsubasa calmed down.

“Do you want to leave, Tsubasa?” Izuku asked. “It’s ok if you’re not ready yet. I understand it’s scary.”

Tusbasa stiffened again, but less so than before. His eyes darted towards the door. “Monsters.”

Izuku glanced towards the door, only to see Yoichi push his head through it as though it weren’t there. A moment later, he pulled it back. “There are tanks with what I think are Nomu in them. Everything's sort of distorted, though. I'd guess he didn't see outside the cell very often, and never clearly.”

Izuku nodded, then turned back to Tsubasa. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to go through there. We can take you out another way.”

Tsubasa stared at him for a moment.

“Ok.” Tsubasa whispered. “Leave.”

Izuku slowly closed his eyes, then focused on the world around him. He pushed his senses beyond the confines of the room, then began to work. He wanted something familiar, something that would hopefully soothe Tsubasa instead of keep him trapped in fear.

The park. The one they all used to play at. Izuku’s memories there were… less than ideal, but he could still remember it as clear as day.

When Izuku next opened his eyes, they all stood outside the old maintenance shed that had always been locked. Rumors from his childhood claimed that the decrepit old construction was the home of a child-eating monster.

Now it was, in a way. He'd folded Tsubasa's old realm into it, locked away somewhere the vestige wouldn't go.

Tsubasa, thankfully, had turned his focus elsewhere. He looked around at the scene plucked from Izuku’s memory, eyes wide. He shuffled up to one of the spring riders, one designed to look like All Might, with his hair strands pointing to the sides as handles. Looking at it from the perspective of someone 10 years older, it was actually really creepy looking, but it had been a hot commodity for the kids.

Tsubasa gently nudged the ride with a finger, as though he expected it to bite him. It swayed slightly, the spring creaking, then stilled.

Silence.

Tsubasa spun, eyes roving over the playground. He shot off at a sprint towards the monkey bars, leaping to hang below them. He had to tuck his knees in to keep his feet from dragging on the ground below, but he didn’t seem to mind. He swung from bar to bar, then scrambled down the steps on the other side and flung himself at the merry-go-round.

“Well.” Yoichi said, a small smile on his face as he watched Tsubasa’s mad dash between childhood attractions. “Call me crazy, but I think you managed to get through to him a bit.”

“Yeah.” Izuku felt tears trickle down his face. “It’s a start.”

Tsubasa charged for the swingset, then leapt. He planted one foot on the seat, his momentum swinging him upwards. At the peak of his swing, he hopped forwards, and for the first time since Izuku had seen him in the Vestige Realm, Tsubasa spread his wings. They sparkled in the bright light, a coruscating ripple of red flashing across their length as they churned the air. Tsubasa made a wide, smooth arc through the air, then dove to land in front of Izuku.

“Fly!” Tsubasa commanded, then grabbed Izuku’s wrist and started dragging him forward.

“Um?” Izuku swallowed. His first attempt hadn’t gone especially well…

Tsubasa looked back over his shoulder, a glimmer of worry in his eyes.

Izuku fully pulled on Draconic Wings, and they ripped through the back of his costume once more. They felt strange, the sudden drag and increase in his weight making him stumble, but the flash of excitement on Tsubasa’s face egged him onwards. Tsubasa let go, then dashed forwards, his own wings angled so as not to not slow him down. With a leap, Tsubasa got enough air to start flapping, and in a moment he’d climbed high enough to clear the larger play structures.

Tsubasa swooped low, just barely clearing Izuku’s head. “Fly!”

As Izuku ran faster, he managed to angle his wings in a mimicry of Tsubasa. The shift in the way air flowed over them felt right, and the pressure that had been slowing him down began to push him upwards. He jumped and pumped the wings downward in the same movement, only to have the tips catch in the grass and nearly pitch him forward. He stumbled, then resumed his run.

‘Need to get a little more height.’ Izuku thought, then pulled on 6% Full Cowling. When he jumped this time, he managed to leap several times higher. At the peak of his leap, he beat his wings.

And surged forward in a blur of motion.

Thankfully, instinct kicked in before Izuku could run out of realm. Some unfamiliar part of his brain took hold, and he angled his wings to send him into a clumsy upwards swoop. Face to the sky, he began to fall at the peak of his arc, the wings not made to let him fly upside down. In a quick motion, he pulled them in close, twisted in the air until he was the right way around once more, then snapped them back out to full length. With most of his momentum burned up by the maneuver, he began to gently glide through the sky, his slight downward trend giving him just enough speed to maintain his flight.

‘That was fucking terrifying.’ Izuku thought, his heart hammering in his chest. A wide, slightly manic smile broke across his face, then he carefully tipped into a steeper dive. ‘I have GOT to do that again!’

In a flash of red, Tsubasa flew past him, and Izuku felt a hand slap into his leg. “TAG!”

The adrenaline-fueled smile on his face turned gentle, then he released One for All before he attempted another experimental flap. It was clumsy, but thankfully the Quirk seemed to come with some instinctual understanding of how to use his new limbs, because he didn’t plummet from the sky. He flapped again, then tilted to circle in Tsubasa’s direction. “Here I come!”

Izuku opened his eyes, then quickly dismissed the alarm that had been ringing incessantly for the past 10 minutes. Ordinarily, he’d have ended his time in the Vestige Realm a bit before the alarm even started going off, but he hadn’t wanted to end Tsubasa’s game of tag early.

Meaning he’d been stubbornly trying to catch up to the nimble winged boy, to his complete failure. As it turned out, no matter how much fun it was to fly, he wouldn’t be catching up to Tsubasa’s proficiency in the air for a long time. Frankly, Tsubasa was far, far too good at flying for him not to have received some form of training. Then again, he had always talked about wanting to be a hero some day, so it wasn’t that surprising.

Izuku quickly tapped out a message to Tenya, letting his friend know he’d be late for their morning jog, then made his way to his desk. He pulled open a drawer, then plucked his Hero Analisis for the Future: Introspection Addition notebook from the back. He deftly entered the combination, then flipped it open.

He had some new entries to add, and more than one correction to make.

Inko inspected herself in her bathroom mirror, then nearly let herself just crawl back into bed.

She felt ridiculous.

Though it had only been a brief part of her night, her conversation with Nana about getting back in shape had stuck with her. She’d passively watched herself simultaneously shrink and grow in all the wrong ways for years, aware of the change but unable to bring herself to combat it. Part of that had come from having to take care of a child, though as the years went on that excuse had withered. Part of it had been her depression following the end of her nearly nine year relationship. Even if they’d ended it mutually, she still missed the things that had made her fall in love with Hisashi in the first place. The small things he’d done for her to show he cared, even in the death throes of their marriage.

Mostly, though? It had been apathy. A simple inability to bring herself to care about something as trivial as her weight when the light of her life struggled with something he could never change each and every day.

It had been an irrational thing, that logic. Izuku wasn’t the kind of person who’d look at someone else’s progress and find self pity in it. Perhaps if she’d started exercising, he’d have joined her. Maybe giving him something to work towards would have made his struggles easier, given him a little more self-confidence earlier in life. Maybe he really could have become a hero without a Quirk if she’d encouraged him by helping him improve his body, even indirectly.

Maybe he would have been better prepared to handle One for All if he hadn’t been starting from nothing.

Inko shook her head. ‘None of that. Izuku’s moving forward, despite everything. I won’t shackle myself to the past and make him leave me behind.’

Which meant she needed to leave her apartment and join him for his morning exercises, assuming he and Iida didn’t mind.

Inko once again peeked at her outfit. A pale blue sweatshirt that had been oversized five years ago, but now stretched taught around her stomach. Similarly ill-fitting black sweatpants that she’d been sleeping in for even longer than that, the drawstring haggard from years of use. Her hair tied up in a bun, while a red sweatband that Izuku must have accidentally packed with her clothes was wrapped around her head.

She looked like the exact opposite of someone she’d expect to find in a state of the art gym at a hero school. Or even a gym in general.

‘Which is WHY you’re going to the fucking gym!’ She reminded herself, channeling a bit of Mitsuki. ‘Now get your ass out there and onto a treadmill or something!’

Inko set her shoulders, gave herself a firm nod, then rushed out her front door before she could manage to think herself out of it.

Again.

The soft light of morning filtered through the front windows of the Heights Alliance lobby, illuminating her path down the hallway. As she approached, she could hear the muted clank of one of the weight machines.

She took a final deep breath, then gently pushed open the double doors. She glanced around, intent on finding Izuku… but instead of green, she found red.

Katsuki blinked, arms stilling half way through a rep on the shoulder press. “Auntie?”

“Oh… Good morning, Katsuki.” Inko faltered, the unexpected sight bringing her worries from the previous day right back to the forefront of her mind. She glanced around the room in the hopes that maybe Izuku was there somewhere. If they were coexisting, by some miracle, then maybe she’d misread some of the hostility yesterday.

She desperately wished that to be the case. Unfortunately, the room was otherwise empty. She looked back at Katsuki, who was now watching her with a raised eyebrow. “Are Izuku and Iida downstairs by any chance?”

“No.” Katsuki’s already wary expression soured. “Just me.”

“Ah.” Inko wilted, then stepped back into the hall. “I was going to see if Izuku would let me exercise with him, but I guess he isn’t doing that today. Sorry to interrupt you.”

She started to close the door.

“Wait.”

Inko stilled, then gently pushed the door back open. Katsuki let the bar rise until the weights fell home with a metallic clank. He lifted his gloved hands before himself, palms up, and a muted series of pops and sizzles let her know he was burning off the sweat trapped within.

“It’s not like you have to wait for him to be here, you know.” Katsuki grumbled, eyes flicking back up to hers for a moment before they moved away again. “Plenty of machines to go around.”

Inko edged back into the room cautiously, unsure what to do with the deeply un-Katsuki invitation. She glanced around again, suddenly aware of just how little she knew about any of the machines in it. She was vaguely aware that cardio would be her primary focus, but which machine was best for that? The treadmill was a classic option, but it seemed like a waste to just go for a glorified walk when there were so many other options. Maybe the one labeled as a rowing machine?

“Tch. No escaping the mumbles.” Katsuki clicked his tongue as he set up another machine. “Use the elliptical. The machine three down from the treadmills, with the foot platforms and the handles.”

Inko approached the machine in question cautiously, then stepped on. The handles were a bit high for her, but thankfully it was simple enough to adjust. Given the sheer height disparity present in the class, it was unsurprising it could be changed to fit someone of her stature.

“Why this one in particular, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Good cardio that works your whole body.” Katsuki grunted as he pulled a bar down, a preposterous amount of weight rising behind him. “It’s low impact, which’ll make you less sore. Don’t want you getting scared off.”

“I won’t be scared off!” Inko retorted defensively.

“No, you won’t.” Katsuki snorted as he stood, then once again burned away the sweat beneath his gloves. “Because I stopped you from using the rowing machine when you have no fucking idea how to row properly.”

‘He’s Mitsuki’s son, all right.’ Inko sighed. ‘Then again, that cuts both ways. If either ever decide to actually be helpful, their advice is usually excellent.’

With that in mind, she fiddled with the settings, then began walking.

Save for the clanking of weights and the low whoosh beneath her, they exercised in silence. Thankfully, despite the somewhat shaky beginning, the silence at least didn’t feel hostile. Even so, the ferocity Katsuki directed towards his exercises certainly was. She was far from an expert, but it seemed like he was pushing himself terribly hard if his arms were shaking as much as they were.

“I was surprised to see you down here so early this morning.” Inko said, her breath puffing despite the fact that only a few minutes had passed. “I caught a glimpse of you leaving just before curfew last night.”

The way his hands tightened on the grips of his latest machine made her briefly wonder if she’d just said something wrong.

“I need all the time I can get.” Katsuki bit out. “All the progress I can manage.”

The weights were dropping harder after each rep now, though Katsuki was still controlling their descent. There was an intensity to him… even more so than there usually was, anyway. Something bordering on a need to push harder.

It worried her. Even if she was frustrated and disappointed with him, she was still his Aunt in all but blood. She cared about him, despite everything.

Inko was no fool. She’d known things hadn’t exactly been good between Katsuki and Izuku for quite some time, though they’d managed to be civil during events at either home. She’d hoped that it was merely a persistent rough patch between friends, especially given Izuku’s continued use of Katsuki’s nickname. Her ability to read the situation had been further muddied by Katsuki’s baseline demeanor, which still threw her off at times despite years of knowing him and his mother.

But yesterday had pulled back the veil. Katsuki’s reaction hadn’t been simple competitiveness, nor shock that Izuku had hidden something so monumental from him. There had been real hostility there, a spitefulness that diverged sharply from all the ways he was so much like Mitsuki.

There had been other things as well, though. A mire of frustration, desperation, guilt, and fear that had stood out clearly for the moment she’d seen them. They’d been so stark that, before she’d known what she was doing, she had reached out to him. Offered to listen.

He’d brushed her off, of course. But he’d hesitated. Katsuki never hesitated, not unless he really, really had to weigh his options.

She wanted to be angry at him. More and more, she was sure he’d taken on a far more antagonistic role in Izuku’s life than she would have guessed before. But if he’d considered opening up to her that hard… maybe there was a chance he still would, if she gave him the chance.

She wanted to know what had happened between them. But she also knew just how stubborn both of them could be. If neither had said anything to her by now, it was likely neither would unless something substantial changed. If that change came from her helping Katsuki work through whatever he was dealing with, then all the better.

Inko let herself stop walking, her breaths coming fast and shallow. She’d lost herself in her thoughts, worrisome as they were, and had managed a full 20 minutes. Her arms and legs had a burn to them, the activity dramatically more than she was used to, but it wasn’t a strictly unpleasant feeling.

Her parched throat, however, was. As were her wobbly noodle-limbs.

She gracelessly dismounted the elliptical, then leaned against the metal frame of a nearby machine. It was blissfully cool through her damp sweatshirt, and she leaned her head against it for a moment.

When the metal frame rang from three sharp raps, she felt it in her teeth. She glared up at the offending hand, then followed it back to Katsuki himself. He cocked an eyebrow at her, unimpressed.

“I may have… overdone it… a bit.” Inko panted out.

“You don’t fucking say.” Katsuki snarked. Then, he gently shook his other hand, which she’d failed to notice was also extended towards her. It held a paper cup, water sloshing inside from his movement. “Drink. Slowly.”

She did, to the best of her abilities. The cool sensation was marvelous, and tempted her to just chug the first cup and go find seconds. She resisted the urge. By the time she’d finished, Katsuki was already settled into the leg press, eyes fixed on the ceiling and fingers white around the grips.

‘There’s clearly good in him, however far down he usually hides it.’ Inko mused. ‘Hopefully I can help bring it to the surface.’

Katsuki pushed for a final rep, a string of colorful invective pouring from his mouth, interspersed with threats against the machine’s past and future family line.

‘I just need to do it slowly. After all, I don’t want to scare him off.’

Izuku’s Hero Analysis for the Future, Introspection Addition

Quirk Bestowal

• Bestowal can give individual Quirks to others, though the process poses some potential risks. For the safety of the recipient, Quirk Compatibility should be considered.
• The rapid degradation Hikage experienced was due to the process of transferring One for All itself, as a consequence of its increased complexity and periods where it wasn't fully stabilized on either end.
• This issue was evidently nullified by both myself and All Might being Quirkless.
• Quirks within One for All seem prone to melding together. Evidence of this existed before, with the merger of Quirk Bestowal and Power Stockpile in order to create One for All, but there is now evidence of it happening on a smaller scale. Boon is interacting very strongly with both parts of One for All. FaJin seems to be strongly connected to Power Stockpile. Engine melded with both FaJin and Smokescreen, and even retained properties of that interaction after it was transferred to Tenya.
• Quirk Bestowal is seemingly what allows others to enter the Vestige Realm, though this may be due to its interaction with Boon rather than an innate quality.

Power Stockpile

• Power Stockpile apparently also Stockpiles Quirks and Vestiges, which is where the other past users within one for all come from. Yoichi refers to these as Imprints, as the Quirks and Vestiges are effectively imprinted on the raw power within Power Stockpile.
• These copies aren’t fully independent, and are a function of One for All.
• The amount of time a Quirk is held before it or One for All are given away evidently affects how ‘complete’ the copies are. I held Engine for around a minute. As a result, Tensei’s Vestige is barely there, and my copy of Engine is dramatically weaker than the original. To my understanding, Kudo was the previous holder to keep the power the shortest time, at just 3 years. Given that Kudo seems no different than the others or Yoichi, this indicates that 3 years is long enough to get a perfect copy, though I don’t know how close to that three year mark it actually took.

FaJin

Original Owner: Bruce

FaJin is a kinetic energy stockpiler which builds a charge through repetitive movement, which can be expended to enhance the body. This charge no longer has an upper limit, though it should bleed off over time. However, the higher the charge, the harder it can be to limit how much is used at once. Bruce died due to a single massive release, though he didn’t clarify if it was due to him over-enhancing his body or if releasing the power directly caught him in the blowback.

• The Quirk’s definition of “repetitive movement” seems pretty lenient, as Engine’s functions are sufficient to gather it.
• Could Blackwhip making repetitive movements gather charge? If so, this could allow for rapid accumulation.
• Could Blackwhip act as a conduit of FaJin the same way it can for Smokescreen? Would this shield me from the potential issues with overuse, or would it cause other issues?

Blackwhip

• I have a limited sense that extends through Blackwhip. It’s not quite touch, but that’s the closest equivalent.
• For all that Blackwhip seems innocent, it has displayed an underlying cleverness on a few occasions. Given its slowly increasing cooperativeness, this could be a sign of continuing development of its sentience, or it could be fully sapient and simply toying with everyone.
• I can channel Smokescreen through Blackwhip, which has already led to several interesting (If somewhat niche) applications. Can it act as a conduit for other Quirks?

Smokescreen

• En’s low self assessment of Smokescreen does it an injustice. While the raw power of the Quirk is indeed limited, its potential applications are still varied and useful.
• At its default density, Smokescreen is obscuring but not completely blinding to me while capable of quickly blocking vision for others. Smoke density can also be modulated, ranging from nearly insubstantial even to outside viewers to impenetrable even to me.
• The release area for the smoke can be controlled, though there’s a limit to how small it can be made. Narrowing this window allows for a greater focused pressure.
• Smokescreen consumes a very small amount of Carbon in order to work, though the amount used varies based on smoke density. Consider having a small pouch of food-grade activated charcoal for any emergency situations that may require it.
• Smokescreen will set off fire alarms.

Dual Engine

Original Owner: Tenya and Tensei Iida

Current Owner: Tenya Iida

Both sets of Engines function on the same premise as the above listing, though originally with some minor differences. I suspect that Tensei’s Engines were less efficient than Tenya’s based on the dramatically higher volume of exhaust they emitted.

Tenya and Tensei’s Quirks seem to have melded extremely closely, which is unsurprising given their similarity. Many lines between them have blurred; They now both have access to Tenya’s gears, while adopting a higher immediately accessible speed in first gear that Tenya’s version lacked. The distinction between their fuel sources have blurred, allowing for Grapefruit and/or Orange juice to run either engine. All told, both Engines received a comprehensive upgrade, though technically Tensei’s lacks the full extent of its original immediate speed.

Additionally, the influences of both FaJin and Smokescreen on Tensei’s Engine were passed along to Tenya’s.

To our current understanding, FaJin allows Engine to store up a kinetic charge through Engine’s use, which can be released specifically to achieve even further accelerated movement. Whether this is achieved by directly enhancing Engine itself, or simply converting the stored energy directly into thrust, is currently unclear. Regardless of the method, the acceleration potential of this influence is staggering, when used correctly. Tenya accidentally launched himself several blocks on only a few minutes of charge accumulated in lower gears. Proper output control will be paramount.

Similarly, we believe that Smokescreen is responsible for Tenya’s increase in efficiency, and to a lesser extent, possibly a small part of his elevated speed. Smokescreen is likely involved through the aerosolization process of the fuel, either generating a combustible smoke based on the fuel, or simply improving the degree of aerosolization for greater reactivity.

Additional Notes:

• With two sets of Engines, it’s likely their individual shortcomings in regards to turning and control can be mitigated by using them in unison.

Engine (Imprint)

Original Owner: Tensei Iida

This variation of Engine is housed in the arms, primarily the area around the elbows. Engine runs on Grapefruit Juice, which is converted into some manner of high yield fuel. The area around the Quirk is capable of pulling air in through the skin, which is pressurized by a biomechanical turbine and mixed with the aerosolized fuel. Afterwards, the mixture is ignited, and the superheated air and exhaust is ejected to provide thrust.

While this Quirk is fantastic for straight line speed and for some degree of aerial mobility, it lacks any particular ability to turn beyond pointing the engines in a different direction, which could be difficult to properly control. Additionally, excessive or particularly intense use can cause the engines to overheat, rendering them unusable until they cool down.

Additional Notes:

• My copy of Engine is dramatically weaker than the original, though proper testing has been put on the backburner for now.
• Tensei primarily used kicking for his fighting style, using Engine for leverage and mobility. Consider looking further into his technique, in addition to the possibility of using it to enhance punches.
• Though not yet substantially tested, it is clear that the alterations from FaJin and Smokescreen that Tenya displayed also appear in my copy of Engine. Once I’ve properly learned to use my other, more immediately applicable quirks, testing needs to be done.
• I’m not yet sure if Engine will simply fuel FaJin directly, or if it will have a separate pool of energy to pull from.
• It has occurred to me that it might be possible, if Smokescreen is in fact creating a smoke based off Engine’s fuel, to manually utilize that smoke rather than the normal carbon-based smoke. If so, Smokescreen could be utilized to generate explosive effects. Something to consider, and be wary of.
• Do not test or utilize this in any way that would let Kacchan hear about it right now. Substantiating his concern over me taking Explosion can only be bad.

Draconic Wings

Original Owner: Tsubasa Higoi

Draconic Wings is a transformation type Quirk that allows the user to form large, durable, scale-coated wings capable of flight. Based on my recent experience, it seems likely that their capacity for high speed flight is dramatically higher than what Tsubasa displayed during our childhood, which isn’t particularly surprising.

If my recollection of Tsubasa’s description is correct, the wings should be quite durable, which lines up with what I saw while Stain was attacking the Winged Nomu. They were also supposed to heal quickly while not in use and be resistant to heat and fire, which I’ll have to test at some point.

• Draconic Wings seems to come with some base-level instinct for flight, enough that I don’t have to manually learn to properly flap the wings. The broader mechanics of actual flight are a bit more touch and go, as demonstrated by my several unintentional reunions with the ground while playing tag with Tsubasa.
• Tsubasa often tired quickly while flying. Whether due to my physical training, Boon, or simply the fact that I’m not a little kid, sustained flight with Draconic Wings has thus far proven very easy. This should be tested in real life if possible, to ensure it isn’t simply a consequence of using it within the Vestige Realm.

Izuku tapped his pen against his bottom lip as he re-read his notes once more. It wasn’t the first time he’d reviewed them, but it seemed it would be the last. Finally satisfied, he set his pen down with a click, then flipped the notebook closed. He stretched, deeply satisfied with his work, then leaned back in his chair. And into the sunlight spilling through his window.

Izuku blinked, then tapped his phone.

7:53am.

‘Shit! I completely lost track of time!’ Izuku scrambled out of his chair and dove for his closet. He changed as fast as humanly possible, pajamas flying in all directions as he plucked a fresh uniform off its hanger. He tripped while putting on his pants and stumbled back first into the wall of the closet before he could recover. As Izuku fumbled with his tie, he heard a muffled cry of distress from the other side of the wall.

“Tenya? Are you ok?”

“NO!” Tenya’s reply came, barely audible. “I must have accidentally turned off my alarm when it went off earlier! I knew I shouldn’t have kept training so late…”

Tenya’s voice tapered off, presumably as he moved further from the wall. Not for the first time, Izuku was glad he had Tenya as his neighbor, and an empty room directly above him. The walls did a good job of dampening sound, but weren’t completely foolproof. Who knew how much he'd been muttering while filling out his notes.

Izuku glanced back to his mirror, determined that his tie probably wasn’t going to get any less horrible, then grabbed his school supplies with Blackwhip and left his room. Tenya burst through his own door at the same time, uniform immaculate but glasses akimbo, and both booked it for the stairs.

“Everyone quiet down.” Aizawa grumbled from behind his desk, arms crossed and bloodshot eyes flatly unamused. “I have a few announcements.”

Conversations around the room ground to a halt as everyone turned their attention forward, knowing that nothing good would come of making Aizawa wait. Once he was satisfied that everyone was listening, he stood and hefted two stacks of paper.

“Firstly, I have forms for your post-internship costume updates. Luckily for the lot of you, UA has secured some extra funding for first year costumes, so you’ll have a few more options. Most notably, DNA material. You’ll still have to be judicious about it, though. Anything beyond the stated amount will need to be paid for out of pocket, unless you can present a convincing case to Nezu.” Aizawa’s eyes flicked to the front of Izuku’s row, then the end. “Except for you two, Hagakure, Yaoyorozu. Nezu used your situations as the basis for this allocation, among a few others across the Hero courses. As such, any revisions you make that require DNA material will be fully covered.”

Hagakure whooped, arms shooting upwards in joy.

“That isn’t necessary on my behalf, Mr. Aizawa…” Yaoyorozu said. “I’m more than capable of footing the bill myself. Perhaps the funds could be allocated towards increasing the class’s allotment on the whole?”

“You can take that up with Nezu, if you’d like.” Aizawa grunted. “Regardless, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind if you want to take advantage of DNA material. The basic stuff is based on skin and hair, which will require a sample that more can be synthesized from. For more advanced suits, you’ll need to go see Recovery Girl for a more invasive sample collection.”

Hagakure’s enthusiasm ebbed. “Invasive?”

“Bone, muscle, ligaments, and cartilage. Anything else that might be specifically relevant to your Quirks.” Aizawa said, tone clipped. “From these, the samples can be used to create enhanced versions of the material that can still act as a conduit for your Quirks.”

That revelation brought the mood of the room down a bit, the realization of how macabre DNA suits really were a shock to most. Even so, there was still a sense of excitement amidst the class. They were training to be Heroes, after all. The prospect of some minor pain along the way wasn’t particularly alarming, even if the idea of wearing modified bits of their bodies was rather grim.

Aizawa made another sweep of the room, then hefted the second stack of papers. “Secondly, information regarding the Quirk Training Supervision system on your UAHero.Org accounts. Ordinarily, this isn’t available until the second semester, except by special application. However, UA is giving the first years access wholesale this year. Midoriya, Iida, your participation is mandatory due to the recent developments you’ve undergone, at least until such a time as you develop sufficient control.”

Izuku nodded. This was exactly what he needed. An opportunity to train with his abilities in real life, likely somewhere he wouldn't have to hide part of what he could do.

Aizawa thumped a stack of both sheets down on the first desk in each row, then gathered his sleeping bag. “Fill out your forms as soon as possible, and submit them to Power Loader in person. He’ll probably want to review everything personally.”

The bell rang. With a final sharp nod, Aizawa strode from the room, only to be replaced by Present Mic a few moments later.

“Who’s ready to learn some English? YEAAAAAAAAAH!”

Izuku popped the last piece of his lunch into his mouth as he considered the latest sketch he’d done, then nodded to himself. It wasn’t particularly elaborate, mostly just enough to capture the essentials of what he wanted changed. Given he’d managed to draw most of it up in the time between classes, he was pretty proud of the results.

The largest changes were primarily built around Blackwhip and Boon, with the glove designs he’d tested in the Vestige Realm being joined by larger light armor panels on his back that could open to make a path for the tendrils. He’d also thought to position them in a way that would let Draconic Wings through, if such a thing became necessary.

There were more changes, though. Goggles built into his hood, to help protect him from acrid smoke and the wind from high speed movement. Several small vents scattered across his costume to better release Smokescreen and Blackwhip, including at his ankles and on his heels. A supply of first aid kits in his belt. Reinforcements to the leg guards and his boots to better utilize the kickboxing techniques Sorahiko had drilled into him. It pained him to cover the red of his boots, but effectiveness outweighed aesthetics.

“Wow.” Uraraka said as she swallowed her own food. “You’re really going all out on the updates, huh?”

Izuku hummed in agreement. “I’ve got a lot of new factors to plan around, but I think I have most of it accounted for.”

Tenya glanced towards Izuku’s sketches, then nodded. “Thankfully Tensei still had a copy of his suit’s specs that he was willing to send me. While it’ll need to be trimmed down to fit within the limits UA has provided, it should significantly cut down on development time for my new additions.”

Izuku nodded, absently rubbing at his arm brace. Some day he’d need to design around Engine’s requirements, which would necessitate someone new learning of One for All. Power Loader could probably be trusted, but Izuku wasn’t especially familiar with him…

Izuku shook the worries away. He had plenty to deal with without borrowing more from Future Izuku.

“What about you, Uraraka?” Izuku asked. “I assume you’re adding heavier gloves with DNA finger pads, right?”

“Mmhm!” Uraraka nodded, nibbling on a sweet bun. “I’m also thinking about adding some grappling hooks to my pressure cuffs, sort of designed like Gunhead’s Quirk. It’ll help my mobility a lot, especially since I won’t have to worry as much about overshooting something while weightless.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Izuku smiled. He bit his lip slightly in an effort to keep the ideas now tumbling through his mind from slipping out, but that seemed to catch Uraraka’s attention instantly.

“If you have ideas, you can share them.” She smiled slightly. “It’s always interesting to hear what you have to say about this kind of thing.”

“Wait.” Izuku blinked, startled. “It IS?”

“...Yes?” Uraraka tilted her head to the side, as if that fact should’ve been obvious instead of a revelation. Her eyes were big, and honest, and made his heart skip a beat. “You have this uncanny ability to pick details and possabilities apart, then put them back together in some new way I’d never have thought of.”

“Oh.” Izuku squeaked. He glanced at Tenya, hoping against hope that his friend would help, given his own brain had more or less been reduced to mush.

Tenya coughed into his hand, but didn’t do so in time to hide his tiny smirk. The traitor.

Izuku took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, then hauled his focus back onto his stream of ideas. Funny how, now that he actively wanted to have analisis running through his head, his brain was hung up on something else entirely.

“W-well, for s-starters, you could have some small collapsible propellers built into parts of your costume.” Izuku managed to force out, then cleared his throat. “As you riding that drone proved, it wouldn’t take an unreasonable amount of power to carry you while you’re weightless. If they’re distributed properly, you could even probably use them to orient yourself in the air.”

“That’s a fantastic idea!” Uraraka’s eyes lit up mesmerizingly, as did her smile. “I should have thought of that! I got the idea of grappling hooks from watching you, Tsu, and Sero, but ignored something from my own race!”

‘Focus, Izuku.’ He snapped his eyes down to his notebook.

“Um, another idea is kind of a case-by-case basis, so you’d probably have to talk to Power Loader about testing it. From my research on DNA material, some contact based Quirks interact with it in different ways. The majority only work if the Quirk effects are manifesting immediately on the other side of the material. But some Quirks are able to be conducted through strands of DNA material. Especially if the Quirk requires contact with a specific part of the body, and samples from that part are used in the material’s construction.” Izuku peeked up, only to find Uraraka watching him with growing intensity and snap his gaze back down. “I think your Quirk would work like the latter. It already conducts through objects to affect the entirety of a target, like how you can remove a person’s weight even though you’re touching their clothes. If it does, then that could add a lot of flexibility to Zero Gravity.”

A thump momentarily startled him, and he looked up again. Uraraka had taken out her English notebook, flipped to the back page, and began scrawling something. She glanced up, then blushed slightly.

“Keep going.” She said. “I just need to make sure I’m keeping track of where this is going, because if you’re right… this could be huge.”

“It could!” Izuku nodded emphatically. “You could have strands running through your gloves to your knuckles, your elbows, your knees, anywhere that you usually land strikes. You’d need a way to disable it, so you’re not accidentally applying Zero Gravity that way when you don’t want to, but it would massively expand your application options while protecting your hands.”

“The grappling hooks too!” Uraraka smiled widely as she finished a note with a flourish. “If I could get material running through that, I could apply Zero Gravity from far away!” Then, her face fell. “But… this would all definitely be more than the standard allotment. Even if Yaomomo was serious about talking to Nezu, this would be… a LOT of DNA material.”

“...Yeah.” Izuku reigned himself in. “With the allocations we have, you’d be able to stretch it enough for a contact point on the knuckles. Depending on how much material is necessary for it to serve as a conduit, if it even works, you might be able to stretch it out to the elbows. But, if this works at all, I think you have a shot at making a case for an increased allotment, like Mr. Aizawa said we could.”

Uraraka hesitated for a moment, glancing between him and her page. Then, a flash of determination flickered to life in her eyes, and she nodded. “I was going to go to the support department after class anyway, so I’ll run this past Power Loader then. Um…”

She looked a bit sheepish for a second, glancing between her notes and him. “Would you mind coming along to make sure I’m explaining all of this right?”

“Sure!” Izuku nodded. “I was planning to do the same anyway. My costume was damaged yesterday, so I either need to get this request in today, or I need to order a replacement copy of my old suit. Tenya?”

For a fleeting second, Tenya looked vaguely exasperated. Then he nodded as well. “Time is of the essence, if we want this done quickly.”

“Are you guys heading to the Support department too?”

Izuku, Uraraka, and Tenya stopped just inside the classroom door, then turned back towards the room. Kaminari and Mineta were making their way towards the door as well, though only Kaminari had his paperwork in hand.

Izuku nodded. “Yep. We have some pretty significant changes, so we figured it would be best to submit them now.”

Mineta nodded. “Definitely. I submitted mine as soon as school started up again. I’m just going to check on its progress, and see if I can still use any of the extra budget. I’m not sure how long it will take, given it’s a complete redesign.”

Kaminari pouted. “Still not going to tell me what it is?”

“Nope.” Mineta smiled smugly. “I’m not telling anyone anything until I walk out wearing it. I want to see the look on everyone’s face.”

“Let me guess.” Jiro said as she walked up next to Kaminari, with Yaoyorozu and Hagakure not far behind. “You put the diaper-bowl on your head this time.”

Mineta deflated. “I’m never going to live that down.”

“Nope.” It was Kaminari’s turn to look smug. “I’m honestly curious how you managed to settle on that design in the first place. Even ignoring how it looked, one wrong landing and your back was toast.”

Yaoyorozu glanced away to cough into her hand.

“Listen, my mental image of how it looked and how it actually looked ended up being really, really different things.” Mineta grumbled. “Which is why I made absolutely sure that I had outside confirmation on this one before I submitted it. You’re going to swallow your tongue when you see this, mark my word!”

Jiro hummed doubtfully, but glanced back towards Izuku, Tenya, and Uraraka. “Mind if we tag along?”

“Absolutely!” Tenya replied. “I’m glad to see you all taking the revisions so seriously!”

“Oh, you better believe I am!” Hagakure wiggled in excitement, swaying side to side. “I know the whole gloves-and-boots thing was my idea, but I kind of didn’t think it would actually get the green light. Given the Principal used me as an example, I guess he wasn’t happy about that fact either.”

Yaoyorozu nodded. “The regulations put in place after Midnight’s first costume specify an acceptable amount of ‘visible skin’, which you technically managed to circumvent. My original costume was rejected on that basis, so it had to be added to.”

Mineta stiffened, eyes wide. He glanced back at Yaoyorozu, then snapped his head back around. With great deliberateness, he reached up, plucked a ball from his head, then bit it.

Everyone stared.

“I mean…” Uraraka said hesitantly. “I guess that’s an improvement, even if we all probably know what he’s thinking anyway?”

Mineta grunted as he gnawed furiously on the ball. One eye twitched.

“I guess baby steps are better than nothing.” Jiro grumbled. “Anyway, Support Department. We should probably get going.”

The group made their way out into the halls. Given it was technically class time, they only occasionally passed other students. Despite that fact, more than one did a double take at Izuku and Tenya, those in groups of their own often whispering to each other. Thankfully, a distraction came before he could get too embarrassed by the attention.

“So, what kind of upgrades are you looking at, Jiro?” Kaminari asked. “Improved speakers?”

“Mostly, yeah.” Jiro nodded. “Getting a pair added to my wrists too, and a mic so I can use them to make announcements if needed. DNA materials aren’t really helpful to me.”

“You could probably get caps for your jacks based on modified samples from them.” Izuku said. “I know you can already punch them into concrete, but a harder material could let you jack into them more easily, maybe other metals as well.”

Jiro slowed for a moment, staring at Izuku in surprise. “That’s actually a really good idea. I’ll have to ask if that’s possible. Maybe see if I can get a second set of inputs on my speakers so I can use them with the caps on or off.”

“That seems like a wise addition.” Yaoyorozu agreed. “Perhaps one set of inputs, but which work for both so that you don’t have to keep track of plugging into the right ones?”

Jiro nodded, then began patting at her pockets. Yaoyorozu extended an arm, from which a clipboard and pencil emerged. Jiro grinned in thanks, then began amending her notes.

Hagakure scampered forwards. “Ooh! Do mine next! I more or less just have a jumpsuit right now, given I’m not sure how collecting samples of other materials would go, given… well, you know.” She waved a hand, gloved fingers splayed, in front of her face. “I’ve added supply pouches that’ll hopefully hide what’s in them, but it seems like a waste to have a budget that’s ‘unlimited within reason’ and not really push it, you know?”

“Well…” Izuku tapped his chin. “I overheard you talking about what you learned from Missdirection. You could have small disposable objects wrapped in the material that you can throw as distractions to make sounds elsewhere. You could even look into a sound dampening respirator that hides any sound of breathing. If you did that, maybe a microphone inside paired to speakers in the distraction objects…”

Hagakure bounced as she let out a delighted laugh. “That’s perfect! Chuck them somewhere to make it sound like I’m somewhere else, roll them while speaking though them to make it sound like I’m talking while on the move. Maybe I could spread them around and yell through them to cover my actual movements if I have to…

Jiro finished her amended notes, then waved the clipboard in Hagakure’s direction. She snatched it eagerly, then began writing.

Kaminari hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Mind helping me out too? I did most of my designs with Aunt Seiteki, but maybe you can think of something?”

“Sure!” Izuku said, then blinked when Kaminari handed him his paperwork directly. He took it, then glanced through.

‘Battery packs for storing electricity over time, which he can use without overcharging himself… An interesting way of helping circumvent his issues with shorting out… A few contacts across his costume for direct application in melee, which is another great way to help with his excessive output…’ Izuku blinked. ‘Shoulder and arm mounted extendable cords to conduct electricity at range. From the sketches… they look…’

Izuku’s eyes flicked momentarily to Jiro, then back to Kaminari, who was pointedly looking in the exact opposite direction.

‘Wow. That’s… really not subtle.’ Izuku thought, hiding his smile behind the notes. ‘I really hope I’m not like that. I’m totally not like that, right?’

He deliberately ignored the clamor of pulses from One for All.

“Well, it looks like this is pretty well thought out.” Izuku said, handing back the paperwork. “Might be worth looking into if a DNA material would make a better conductor or electrical storage medium than conventional batteries, but I can tell a pro had a hand in the design. As a side note, I think the increased focus on melee application of your electricity is a great move. It’ll require a whole lot less electrical output to deliver a debilitating shock that way.”

Kaminari nodded, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah. It’s something I was kind of thinking about for a while, but I was worried it wouldn’t be as eye-catching. Big flashy lightning attacks are what got some attention on Auntie, but I guess she does a lot more melee than I thought.”

Izuku nodded. “I remember a few clips of her in close confines. I think they should have gotten a lot more praise than they did.”

Kaminari grinned. “Should have figured you'd know who she was. Your collection had a lot of small time heroes.”

“Just because they're not at the top of the charts doesn't mean they don't do a great job.” Izuku smiled through his embarrassment, then glanced between Mineta and Yaoyorozu. “Um, we're almost there. Would either of you…?”

Yaoyorozu chewed her lip slightly, then nodded. Like Kaminari had, she handed over her paperwork.

Or, perhaps more accurately, her packet. Izuku quickly flipped through the pages, simple sketches and diagrams surrounded by specifications and instructions. His eyebrows hiked up higher and higher as he went.

“It's a lot, I know.” Yaoyorozu blushed. “It's probably completely-”

“Brilliant.” Izuku breathed.

That brought her up short. “It… is?”

“Yes!” Izuku exclaimed. “It's obvious you based several aspects of this design on the same studies on DNA materials that I was using as reference! A DNA leather suit with enhanced bone-based plating for protection is a solid start. But having them be mobile enough to pull together and create a larger seamless surface area to use creation from or block attacks? Having them be backed by artificial lipids to act as both a cushion and a conduit to make a seamless creation surface? I think all of it should work, too! If it does, this will be a pro level costume already!”

Izuku looked up to find Yaoyorozu looking more surprised than anything. “I… um…”

Jiro elbowed her in the ribs, smirking. “I told you it was a kick-ass design!”

“Yes, well…” Yoayorozu still seemed uncertain, but at least she looked a little less nervous now. Given the obvious care and attention she’d paid her designs, he could completely relate to a worry that they might be unviable. “Thank you for saying so, Midoriya. I’m sure there will be some issues, but having a second person with some deeper understanding of DNA materials agree it has merit is reassuring. I appreciate it.”

“Of course!” Izuku carefully handed back the stack of papers with the care they deserved. Just as they approached the doors to the support lab, Izuku glanced at Mineta, who’d ended up walking next to him. “You said you didn’t want to tell anyone anything about your costume, right Mineta?”

“Yeah…” Mineta grumbled, though he looked markedly less enthusiastic about that fact now. “Figures that would backfire when you’re apparently a walking talking costume design resource offering freebies.”

“I’m sure it’ll be just fine without my help.” Izuku offered.

“Here’s to hoping.” Mineta sighed. “It’s about time the universe threw me a bone.”

The wall exploded.

Chapter Text

“I’m sure it’ll be just fine without my help.” Izuku offered.

“Here’s to hoping.” Mineta sighed. “It’s about time the universe threw me a bone.”

The wall exploded.

Something heavy struck Izuku, though thankfully it was too soft to do any meaningful damage. He was caught so completely off guard, however, that he didn’t manage to keep himself upright. He struck the ground, and the soft-heavy landed atop him with a grunt.

Startled shouts came from his left as Uraraka, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu ran forwards to check on him. Kaminari moved towards Izuku’s feet, presumably where Mineta was. Tenya had immediately gone on his guard and positioned himself between the hole and everyone else, while Hagakure peeked an invisible head through the hole as well.

Izuku groggily looked down, and saw pink speckled with flecks of gray debris and smudged patches of soot. Then, the pink moved, and he found himself looking into gold eyes.

“Oh!” Hatsume said, eyes zooming in on his face. “It’s Million Points!”

She pushed herself upright to sit in his lap.

‘Just like Uraraka did!’ His subconscious was happy to remind him, prompting his blush to evolve from blazing to thermonuclear as he returned his eyes to the ceiling. Or maybe Daigoro had managed to hijack that part of his brain to use as an amplifier. Either way, it was NOT doing his composure any favors.

The feeling of hands around his bicep yanked him out of his own head, and he glanced down once more. Hatsume had her fingers wrapped around his arm, nodding to herself as she squeezed, then did the same around his forearm. That done, she moved her hands to his chest, running them downwards-

“Here, let me help you up!” Uraraka snatched Hatsume off of him like someone picking up their overly affectionate dog, then set her to the side suspended in the air. A moment later, she leaned down to offer him a hand. Her hair hung around her face, which was illuminated by a flickering yellow-orange light. “Are you ok, Deku?”

“Fine!” He squeaked out, then blinked. He sat bolt upright, Uraraka’s arm slapping into his chest as his head narrowly missed hers. “IS SOMETHING ON FIRE?!”

Izuku needed a moment to parse everything in front of him.

Tenya had stepped away from the hole to check on Hatsume, which revealed that the answer to his question was yes, but only a little bit. A work desk was scattered with small patches of burning debris, as was the floor to a lesser extent. Thankfully, Power Loader was approaching with a fire extinguisher, his posture screaming of resignation.

Directly at Izuku's feet, a somewhat bemused Kaminari patted Mineta’s shoulder, who was just as covered in dust and detritus as Izuku was. Mineta, however, didn't seem phased by that. No, it sounded like he had much greater concerns to focus on.

“...missed. I was right there. Right. There. I said the universe should throw me a bone, and immediately a hottie explodes through a wall. It was perfect timing. I was in the right place. But she missed.” Mineta’s face snapped skyward, eyes misted with tears. “I'm trying my best. I really am. Why have you forsaken me, universe?”

‘...well, at least he's ok.’

Satisfied that the school wasn’t burning down, Izuku grasped the hand that Uraraka hadn’t yet removed from his chest. She startled, then helped pull him upright. As she did, he got a better look at the soot-blackened visage of Hatsume, still hanging in the air at an angle. “Are you alright?”

“Hmmm?” Hatsume blinked, then glanced away from a frustrated looking Tenya. Most of her front was slightly blackened by soot, and a lock of her hair was frayed from either heat or flame. Thankfully, her skin didn’t look particularly burned. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. The explosion was mostly concussive, and my Babies kept me safe from that. Speaking of, I need to get back to work!”

With that, Hatsume hooked her foot on the ragged edge of the new hole in the wall and pulled herself back through, completely unperturbed by the fact that she still didn’t weigh anything. She wiped extinguisher foam from her desk, then took advantage of her weightlessness to retrieve a part from a higher shelf. As she dropped back down under the part’s weight, Uraraka pressed her fingers together, and Hatsume’s feet plopped solidly into the foam on the ground.

Still unphased, she began tinkering.

Everyone stared.

Power Loader sighed. “Sorry you kids were caught up in that. Everyone’s alright?” At everyone’s agreement, Power Loader nodded, then stepped out of sight. A moment later, the doors a few feet down the hall swung open, and he waved them in. “Going by the paperwork, I assume I know what you’re here for.”

“Indeed!” Tenya snapped out an arm, paperwork gripped firmly in his hand. “We’re here to submit our costume-”

Power Loader tried to shush Tenya, but wasn’t quite fast enough. Hatsume’s head darted from her work station, eyes gleaming. “Costume updates? Why didn’t you say so?”

Power Loader groaned quietly.

Hatsume swept out from her station, feet trailing foam. She snatched Tenya’s papers, much to his distress, then began to flip through them. She slowed with a frown, then pouted. “This is already designed.”

“Yes.” Tenya quickly retrieved his paperwork, then held it protectively to his chest. “It’s from my brother’s costume. It just needs minor retrofitting.”

Without missing a beat, Hatsume spun to face Izuku. “What about you, Million Points? What kind of Baby can I make for-”

Power Loader raised a hand. “How many of you need a consultation regarding DNA materials?”

Save Tenya and Mineta, everyone raised their hands.

Hatsume’s focus snapped to Mineta, eyes visibly zooming in.

“Checking on the redesigned costume I ordered!” Mineta yelped.

“Fiiiiiiiiine.” Hatsume pouted slightly, then darted back towards her work station.

“Sorry about her.” Power Loader grunted. “She’s unquestionably the top student in her year, probably the top 1st year support student in the country. But she can be pretty overwhelming.”

“Indeed.” Tenya grumbled as he adjusted his glasses.

“That said, I’d advise keeping an open mind. She might not have the proper clearances for work on DNA material yet, but that’s just because she quite literally hasn’t been here long enough to start the courses required. Once she has, she’ll probably be your best choice for costume updates short of finding an upper year.”

Mineta fidgeted slightly, then turned towards Power Loader. “You wouldn't happen to know if it’s too late to make some adjustments to my costume with the budget increase, is it?”

Power Loader shook his head. “Sorry. Can’t change anything once the request is submitted. Unfortunately, the DNA material availability wasn’t a done deal when you put in your request, so my secretary didn’t put a pause on it. You could submit a new request to have DNA material added, or use the budget on…” Power Loader lowered his voice to barely a whisper. “Supplementary equipment.”

Mineta nodded, then braced himself. “I’d actually like to look into some extra support equipment then-”

Hatsume shot from her station like a rocket, wrapped a hand around Mineta’s arm, then started dragging him back from whence she’d come. “RIGHT THIS WAY FOR A CONSULTATION!”

“Worth it!” Mineta squeaked.

“Midoriya. Please stay behind for a few minutes.”

Izuku faltered, then glanced over his shoulder. Recovery Girl closed the door on the medical cooler, which she’d just finished pushing their DNA material samples into. It hadn’t been an especially pleasant experience, ESPECIALLY for Yaoyorozu, but a quick application of Heal had been sufficient to let them all recover afterwards.

Power Loader’s review of their costumes had gone smoothly, by and large. Though there had apparently been some necessary tweeks to be made with most of their DNA material requests, he hadn’t outright denied any of them. Uraraka’s and Yaoyorozu’s would both require more extensive testing prior to being fully deployed, but Power Loader thought the rest of the costumes would be ready by the end of the week.

By the time their consultations were finished, Mineta’s had as well. Izuku had stepped out of Power Loader’s office to find the short boy in… somewhat rough condition. There was a dried smudge of blood at his hairline, obviously from over-plucking. One of his spheres was stuck to the front of his shirt, and was covered in bits of paper, a lump of metal and a wrench. His clothes were slightly rumpled, and there was a greasy hand print on his shoulder.

Overall, he looked somewhere between shell shocked and pleased. Izuku didn’t have a lot of experience with Hatsume, but from what he did, that had seemed like an entirely understandable response.

They hadn’t had time to deal with the sample collection process before they needed to return to class, but a quick trip as soon as the school day ended had proved a good idea. Recovery Girl had worked quickly, and after a few precise jabs and incisions, they were all set.

Everyone except Izuku, apparently.

Izuku looked back towards the rest of the small group. Kaminari gave a small wave at the same time Jiro flicked a jack in Izuku’s direction, both chatting about something music related as they headed for the dorms.

Hagakure gave an enthusiastic wave as she set off, along with another thank-you for his help.

Yaoyorozu nodded to him absently and wished him a good evening before she continued on her way as well. She’d seemed distracted ever since her samples were collected, her eyes distant and her lips pursed. Izuku suspected she was chewing over some idea, something he could completely relate to.

Uraraka, however, stopped and turned. “I can wait, if you’d like some company on the walk back.”

“Oh! Um, you don’t have to do that if you have something else you’d like to do.” Izuku replied. At the slight shift in her expression, he quickly amended his statement. “But if you don’t mind, then I’d like the company!”

Uraraka visibly brightened at that. “I’ll see you in a bit then!”

Izuku smiled, nodded, then ducked back into the office and closed the door. He found Recovery Girl eyeing him, a slight smirk on her face.

‘Please, not another one.’

Thankfully, Recovery Girl didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she settled behind her desk and handed him a packet. “I mentioned before that I’d like to give you some extra training, given you’ve got a Healing Quirk now. Even if it’s not an immediate fix-all, it puts you in a rarified group of Heroes capable of doing anything beyond human means to help injured people. While you’ve been studying foundational emergency first aid, I’ll be supplementing that with additional intermediate level information.”

Izuku flipped through the packet. It covered the treatment of more severe injuries, as well as extensive sections of how to tend to non-lethal injuries that still needed immediate care.

“Given what you’ve explained about Boon, and from what I’ve observed during my treatment of Iida, it’ll be extremely useful for giving nearly lost causes a chance. But given its observed properties, just using it to stabilize people seems a waste. If you can properly treat people with it in effect, you might not just give them a chance to survive, but to recover where they ordinarily would not.” Recovery Girl looked at him, her gaze heavy. “Such an ability will be in high demand, both on and off the battlefield. Beyond mundane treatment, it will also be vital to know exactly how to utilize Boon. You only have so much to give, and distributing it in the most effective way possible will be a vital skill.”

Kinenkō pulsed in agreement.

“So I should start by reading through this information.” Izuku flicked his wrist, which caused the pages to rustle together. “What’s the plan from there?”

“Practical exercises with me two or three times a week, whenever both of us have the time.” She drummed her fingers against the desk. “I may also call you down during your other classes if particularly applicable real-life cases crop up, though I’ll be judicious about it. For all this is important, I don’t want to undermine other aspects of your education for it.”

“I imagine I can also get pointers from Kinenkō. He was a surgeon, which will no doubt have areas of overlap with what you teach me.” Kinenkō pulsed again, and Izuku nodded. “I’ll learn this to the best of my abilities.”

“To my understanding, those abilities are quite substantial.” Recovery Girl gave him a small smile. “I look forward to seeing your progress.”

“Thank you.” Izuku hesitated. “Also, there was something I was meaning to mention to you, in regards to my…” He flexed his scarred hand. “Injuries, and your willingness to treat them.”

Recovery Girl’s gaze sharpened. “Did something happen? Nezu informed me of yesterday’s… unfortunate developments, but he didn’t say anything about you being injured.”

“No, nothing like that.” Izuku quickly shook his head. “In Hosu, I discovered a way to eke out a little extra power without hurting myself, or at least without doing so substantially. When I first used it, I managed to briefly go from 5% to 7% in order to catch myself and two civilians from a several story fall. I did it again a few times in my fight with Stain, though I overdid it once. I’m pretty sure that’s what caused those fractures in my arm. I tried the same with 6% yesterday, which is how I realized I’m strong enough to safely use that much now, but 7% might still pose a problem if used too long.”

Izuku took a deep breath, then met Recovery Girl’s gaze. “I want to practice using these momentary jumps to higher percentages, so that I know how much I can use in emergency situations, like I had to in Hosu. I know it runs the risk of hurting myself, albeit in a much smaller way than before. But I think knowing my limits will help me better ensure my safety if I ever need more power than I can completely handle.”

Recovery Girl eyed him, but eventually tipped her head in acceptance. “Knowing your limits is certainly something important for every future hero training here, and that goes doubly for you. So long as you try your best to avoid them, minor injuries while training are… understandable.” She frowned, pinning him with a warning glare. “But even with Boon, I don’t want you getting lax. You’ve finally found a way to use One for All without ruining yourself every time. Don’t backslide by slightly injuring yourself a dozen times instead, simply to push yourself farther than you’re ready for.”

Izuku absently stroked his scars. “I won’t treat my well being as lightly as before. That’s something that quite a few people have emphasized I need to be wary of.”

Recovery Girl smiled at him, small and slightly sad. “Your heart is in the right place, Midoriya. I know what it’s like to want, even need, to give everything you have to save people. Letting that drive push you to your own destruction only means you can’t be there for those who come after.”

Izuku nodded.

“That'll be all for now, unless there's something else you'd like to discuss.” Recovery Girl said. When Izuku shook his head, she flapped her hand at him dismissively. “Out with you then. Don't want to make your friend wait too long.”

Izuku groaned, instantly recognizing the tone. “Am I REALLY that transparent?”

“More than Hagakure.” Recovery Girl snickered. “I've seen plenty of romances pass through these halls, and the both of you are throwing off signals like a fireworks display.”

Izuku dropped his face into his hands. “Yeah, ok. I'm working on it.”

“Good for you.” Recovery Girl turned her attention to some paperwork, then repeated her shooing motion. “Now don't keep her waiting. There's a nice closet about two doors down if you need it.”

It took a few seconds for her meaning to sink in, but when it did, it felt like all the blood in his body had flooded his face.

Within, One for All started pulsing. Nana's pulsing cut through the general noise, however, the laughter behind it as clear as if he'd been using One for All.

“I-I-I HAVEN'T- WE'RE N-NOT- WE DON'T-”

“For future reference, then.” Recovery Girl winked at him. “Off you go now.”

After a minute to compose himself, Izuku stepped out of the office to find Uraraka glaring at her English homework as she lightly gnawed at the end of her pen. Her eyes flicked up to him, and she quickly pretended she'd actually just been poking her cheek with it instead. Her eyes briefly dropped to his elbow braces, then returned to his eyes. “Was everything ok?”

“Yeah. Just discussing some extra lessons so I'm better equipped to use the recovery aspect of my Quirk.” Izuku nodded. “Thanks for waiting!”

“Absolutely!” She smiled brightly, then tucked her homework back into her backpack and bounced to her feet. “Ready to head back?”

The early summer breeze blew past them as they exited UA, its caress a delight to him. Uraraka turned into it as well, her hair fluttering in the gentle wind.

“So, what do these extra lessons look like?” Uraraka cocked her head at him.

“Nothing too structured, from the sounds of it. Mostly a matter of when both of us have time after classes, maybe calling me to the office during other classes on occasion.” Izuku shrugged. “For now, it'll be extra reading and some practical lessons 2-3 times a week.”

Uraraka nodded as she turned a sympathetic grin his way. “Sounds like you'll really have your plate full.”

“Yeah…” Izuku rubbed the back of his head ruefully. “Luckily, with the alternating sleep schedule I'm planning, the amount of time I'll actually have to myself will more or less stay the same.”

“Yeah, but you'll be awake during curfew and while everyone's asleep. That sounds kind of lonely.”

‘Oh, don't worry, feeling lonely is certainly not something I'm worried about.’

“I'll be ok.” Izuku smiled reassuringly. “If there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to keep myself occupied.”

Uraraka eyed him. “All the same, if you're ever bored out of your mind or you just want to talk to someone…” She turned to look over at the other dorms. “Don't hesitate to text me or something, ok?”

Izuku's stomach fluttered. “I'll keep that in mind. I really appreciate it, Uraraka.”

They walked in companionable silence for a bit, enjoying the wind. But there was something… off, when he caught a glimpse of her expression. Before he could ask, she spoke.

“How’s Iida doing?”

“I think he’s doing alright, considering.” Izuku frowned slightly. “Why do you ask? Have you noticed something off with him that I didn’t?”

“No, not that I could tell. Other than the fact that you both came down late this morning.” Uraraka admitted. “It’s just that… given he was trying to hide how upset he was before internships…”

“You’re worried he’s still hiding things.” Izuku nodded in understanding. “I think… Well, he and his brother spent a lot of time together after his injury. I think that helped get him centered again. To my understanding, Tensei will hopefully be visiting to coach him on how to use his new engines some time soon, so that’ll probably help as well.”

Uraraka sighed lightly in relief. “I’m glad to hear it. I was worried something had happened this morning when nobody had seen either of you, but then you basically flew down the stairs and tore through the kitchen on your way to the door.”

“Yeah, it was kind of a mess.” He chuckled. “I started some notes on ideas for my Quirk, and ended up accidentally missing my usual morning exercise. I stumbled into the closet wall trying to get ready, only to wake Tenya up, because apparently he missed his alarm.”

“He can do that?” She sounded genuinely surprised. “I’ll be honest, I just assumed he had some kind of built-in clock, given he’s always on time for EVERYTHING.”

“He said he was up late. I think the race yesterday got to him.” Izuku glanced away slightly, the not-quite-a-lie bitter on his tongue.

Uraraka’s smile held out for a moment before her expression turned more serious. She slowed, and he matched her pace.

“Uraraka? Is everything ok?”

“I just…” She hesitated. “How are you doing, Deku?”

“Me?” Izuku blinked. “I’m doing alright.”

From the flinty look in her eyes, that had somehow been the wrong thing to say.

“I didn’t want to pry, but… I’m worried. After what you went through, after what you told me about it… I want to make sure you’re not just putting on a brave face for everyone.” She studied him intently. “You seem like you’re handling everything really, really well. I’m happy about that, but… I just want to make sure that you’re actually handling it, not just bottling it up so that you don’t worry people.”

Izuku wasn’t really sure what to say to that. It hadn’t occurred to him, but from the outside… it really would seem like he was handling the absolute madness and tragedy of the Hosu disaster abnormally well. That was largely down to the fact that what he was actually dealing with was dramatically different from what Uraraka thought he was, albeit even more insane in its own ways. While he’d failed to save Kinenkō’s life, he’d managed to give the doctor a chance to live on. Without that, he’d probably still be the wreck he was after during their conversation. Beyond that, he was coping with a wildly changed suite of abilities, but he also had people to guide him through their use. He’d messed up his first chance to show his progress after internships, but that was actually due to something far worse that he couldn’t really talk to her about.

In a lot of ways, she was completely right to worry. Worse yet, he couldn’t even try to really put her worries to rest without bending the truth into a knot or outright lying, something he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull off even if he wanted to.

But he had to.

Did he, though?

He’d promised not to spread the secret too much, but this was Uraraka. He trusted her as much as he did Tenya. Hell, he wouldn’t want to actually start dating her without telling her, if that was really something he was planning to try. But would telling her make her feel trapped? Like she had to stick around, even if the danger was now much greater than she’d known?

Izuku sighed, and resolved to really think about what he should do going forward. For now…

“What I told the class wasn’t a lie; I’m trying to make sure nothing like that happens again. What happened to Kinenkō is going to stick with me for a while, but I’ve talked through it with people, which has helped. That’s something you started, and if you hadn't… then you’d probably be right about me just bottling it up, though I doubt it’d have done a very good job at it.” Izuku crossed his arms and stared up at the sky, wispy clouds slowly drifting overhead. “Things are still complicated, but I’m trying to figure it out. It’s a work in progress, but I think things are mostly going as well as I could really hope.”

Uraraka was silent for a time, but eventually seemed to accept his response. “I’m glad to hear you’re talking about everything with someone. I was going to suggest Hound Dog, if you weren’t. I, um, hope you don’t mind my being nosy.”

“Why would I mind?” Izuku looked down, surprised. “You’re making sure I’m alright. I don’t think I can properly say how much I appreciate the fact that you care enough to do that.”

Uraraka blushed lightly and looked away. “Well, I know you can be a bit of a private person, so I just wanted to make sure.”

‘Damn it.’ Izuku sighed. ‘Why does she have to be so cute?’

Uraraka turned back and cocked an eyebrow at him. “What was that? Is something wrong?”

Izuku snapped his jaw shut so hard his teeth clicked. A split second later, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Nope! Um, so, about that lunch! Did you have any idea where you wanted to go?”

Uraraka blinked, then her eyes went wide. “UM! N-no, I didn’t… I don’t really… Do you have any suggestions?”

The complete trainwreck that was his brain somehow fell into even greater disarray. Asking about their ambiguous maybe-date lunch had been the absolute worst thing he could have done to move attention away from his blunder. He’d been musing over it for the past few days, but hadn’t really done any particular research or looked up options. There was really only the one place he thought she might like, but he hadn’t actually eaten there. Unfortunately, he’d gone and brought it up, which probably made it seem like he had a plan, which she may or may not have been expecting him to make, so he should probably say something because he’d been standing there staring at her for a while-

“W-well, there’s a…” He winced at the pitch of his voice, then cleared his throat. “There’s an udon restaurant by Dagobah Beach that I saw a few times, and there’s a mochi place a few doors down from it. I’ve never actually eaten at either, I was under a pretty strict diet to prepare for UA, but I saw a few people going in and out…”

Uraraka blinked, then looked absolutely delighted. “That sounds wonderful, actually! Um, you don’t have to worry about the mochi, given you only really offered lunch…”

Izuku caught the way she drooped as she said that, and immediately waved it away. “N-nope! My treat!”

She blushed.

He blushed.

They stared at each other.

“T-thank you, then!” Uraraka squeaked. “Um, when should we…?”

“T-t-this Sunday?” Izuku offered haltingly. “I don’t think we’ll have time to get there during the school week…”

“Right. Duh.” Uraraka glanced away. “I, um, I’m looking forward to it?”

“Me to!” Izuku said, then vehemently hoped it sounded less manic to her than it had to him. He turned to look towards the dorms, only to find the manicured woodland that UA was built into. He glanced around.

They’d missed the turn for the 1-A dorms several minutes worth of walking ago. They’d just been meandering down the road, so absorbed in talking to one another they’d completely failed to notice.

Uraraka turned, evidently having just realized the same thing.

They glanced at one another.

Uraraka’s mouth wobbled.

Izuku snorted.

They devolved into another round of laughing like idiots. It wasn’t as intense as it had been in the exercise room, but it was a delight nonetheless.

It was a very good thing that Izuku had decided to check his UAHero.org portal shortly after getting back to the dorms. In true Aizawa fashion, he’d informed both Izuku and Tenya that they’d be receiving mandatory training, then left them to figure out the details on their own.

Despite the fact that Izuku was scheduled for 5pm that evening.

He’d discovered that particular detail at 4:54.

His dash back through the still heavily occupied lobby, Full Cowling crackling and gym jacket still partly unzipped, hadn’t been terribly dignified. The moment he’d nearly trampled a cluster of 1-B students as they rounded a corner had been even worse, though part of him had found the way Monoma’s jeering had cut off as Izuku leapt over the group kind of satisfying.

He’d made it to Ground Beta just in time, skidding to a stop before the trio of Aizawa, Toshinori, and Inko. Though he wasn’t out of breath or particularly sweaty, his disheveled ensemble spoke volumes to how rushed his departure must have been.

Toshinori shot Aizawa a glance. “You didn’t tell him? Really?”

“If he hadn’t gotten here, it was because he didn’t check.” Aizawa grunted, not even bothering to deny it as he adjusted the duffle bag he had slung over one shoulder. “If he didn’t check, then that would have told me something about how important he considers this training.”

Inko crossed her arms. “And you REALLY think he doesn't take his training seriously? Izuku, what were you doing before you sprinted over here?”

“Getting DNA samples taken with Recovery Girl for my costume, then talking over my training with her regarding Boon and traditional emergency medicine.” Izuku said, then blushed. “I also talked with Uraraka on the walk back, but that only really slowed me down by a few minutes.”

Inko smiled widely at his last admission, her eyes gleaming. Thankfully, he was saved by Aizawa, though he doubted that it had been the man’s intent.

“Acceptable.” Aizawa jerked his head towards the training ground gates. “Let's head in.”

As the three followed Aizawa’s lead, Izuku sidled up beside Inko and gave her a one armed hug. “Not that I’m against it, but why are you here Mom?”

“I wanted to see what your training is like.” Inko replied. “I hope that’s ok.”

“That’s completely fine. Just… understand that it can get kind of rough by necessity.”

Inko shot him a resigned look. “I know it’s not going to be all rainbows and butterflies, Izuku. But if this is what you want to do with your life, then I want to be a part of it.” The way her hands clenched at her sides told him that she had more thoughts on the matter, but she didn’t say anything further.

Izuku tightened the hug slightly in reassurance, then swiveled his attention to Toshinori. He wore his favorite black leather jacket over a white T-shirt and jeans, though Izuku could see a hint of his hero costume peeking out of the neckline. To anyone else, it would probably just look like some kind of compression shirt, albeit worn unusually loose. “You’re a bit early for Heroics class.”

“Aizawa needed a spotter for this little exercise. Given I might know a thing or two about the specifics of your Quirk already, I figured I’d volunteer.” Toshinori chuckled with a small shrug. “I was in the area today regardless, checking on the renovations at the house. Sorahiko says hello, by the way.”

“Is he in the area as well?” Izuku asked, looking around warily. If he was, it was entirely possible he and Aizawa could have collaborated, which was a terrifying thought.

Toshinori grunted in affirmation, then coughed lightly. Izuku automatically reached out a hand in offering. Toshinori rolled up the sleeve of his jacket and costume, then Izuku pressed a bit of Boon into his forearm. Toshinori nodded in thanks, his body relaxing visibly, then continued. “Given his renewed attention to the goings on at UA, he managed to weasel his way into my new guest room. It’s away from the work, so he was bringing a few things over.”

“Hopefully he wasn’t too mean about it.” Izuku tried not to let his curiosity slip through too clearly, but Toshinori still narrowed his eyes slightly before he shrugged. “Disturbingly, no. Not to say he was nice about it, but I got the sense that he was asking, rather than threatening me.”

Inko blinked owlishly. “Gran Torino can threaten you? You?”

Toshinori smiled weakly, then tilted his hand side to side in a ‘so-so’ gesture. “If we’re talking raw power, not even close. Even in my current state of decline, he’s a far sight from actually presenting an active threat, even if he can be pretty slippery. But… old habits die hard. Even now, if he says jump, I’m usually a few feet in the air before I consider the possibility of asking why.”

Inko eyed Izuku worriedly.

“He’s mellowed out a lot, apparently.” Izuku offered. “No automatic trauma responses here.”

This did not seem to reassure Inko, but any response that might have been pending was cut off when Aizawa stopped walking and turned to face them.

“We’re burning daylight.” Aizawa grunted, eyes locked on Izuku. “I’ve got a simple path laid out for you. Whenever you reach a checkpoint, the next will light up. If you can’t reach one, let us know.”

Aizawa lobbed him a small object, which turned out to be a wireless earpiece. Izuku quickly put it in place. “Anything in particular you want me to do?”

“Start with your Full Cowling. I already have most of what I need, but it’s best to be thorough.” Aizawa said as he slung the duffle off his shoulder, then unzipped it. He pulled four drones from within, then withdrew some manner of large laptop on a tripod. With a few keystrokes, the screen lit up, and a moment later the drones whirred to life and rose into the air, taking a formation around Izuku. “After that, utilize your Quirks as you see fit. To my understanding, that’ll mostly be your Blackwhip technique, which is something we need more data points on.”

Izuku nodded, then called on Full Cowling at 6%. On a distant rooftop, a red beacon lit up brightly.

“Go.”

One second her son was there. The next, all that remained was the outline she could see when she closed her eyes.

Inko blinked, then turned to face the direction Izuku had been facing. She was just in time to see him take a flying leap, briefly alight on a street light, then streak off between two buildings. She blinked again, Izuku’s dim red outline still burned into her vision. She tried to form a question, but wasn’t sure where to begin.

“Didn’t think he’d be that fast, right?” Yagi chuckled, sunken eyes trained on the screen Inko had momentarily forgotten. She mutely shook her head, then stepped forward to get a good view of her own. On the display, she saw four views of Izuku as he leaped back and forth between the walls of two buildings, rapidly climbing the structures with what seemed to be little effort.

The sight made her nervous regardless. What would happen if he slipped? What if he fell? He looked so terribly high up that it gave her a touch of vertigo. Even if he was supposed to be supernaturally durable now, surely a fall from such a height would be bad, wouldn’t it?

Either she was muttering or Yagi already had a read on her expressions, because he smiled reassuringly. “Fear not, Mrs. Midoriya! If Young Izuku needs assistance, I’ll be there long before it becomes dangerous.”

Inko swallowed hard. “I… I know. It’s just… I’ve never really seen him do anything like this. I saw the Sports Festival, obviously, which wasn’t exactly the best experience. But this is so different… Even knowing everything now, I wasn’t really expecting this. It’s…”

In the distance, the red light winked out. Another one flickered on, several rooftops away. She didn’t need to look at the screen to see the green arc of light leap the gap across the wide street below with casual ease.

“It’s just… hard to wrap my head around the idea that not only is it Izuku up there, but that he’s only using such a small amount of One for All.” Inko admitted. “It’s reassuring and terrifying all at once.”

Yagi nodded, eyes fixed on the screen. “He’s making marvelous strides. The thought that he’s only been using his Full Cowling technique for a bit over a week… perhaps closer to two, given his nighttime training… it’s incredible.”

The second light winked out, replaced by a light only a few buildings away from where they stood. Inko cocked her head to the side, then stiffened. “You put it on the hook of a rooftop crane?!”

Aizawa’s only reply was a slurp as he sucked on a jello pouch, his attention wholly on Izuku’s performance.

Izuku reached the base of the crane, then paused. He tapped at the side of his head, for a moment, then-

“Mr. Aizawa?”

“What is it, Midoriya?”

“Am I clear to use additional Quirks now?”

Aizawa took another slurp of jello as he seemed to consider the question. The figure of Izuku on the screen recoiled slightly, then sent an askance look towards the nearest drone.

“Affirmative.”

Izuku nodded, then extended a hand. A black and green streak shot from it and latched onto the end of the chain, which rattled audibly even at that distance.

The light remained red.

Izuku shifted to turn sideways, then cast out a few strands from his opposite hand to anchor himself to the machine. That done, the original strand began to retract. The light was slowly reeled in until it got close enough to Izuku for it to blink out. Izuku smiled, then carefully let the hook swing back to its resting position.

“Not the approach I was expecting him to take. I anticipated him sliding down the cable, then using Blackwhip to get back.” Yagi admitted, to which Aizawa nodded.

Inko was more focused on the look of satisfaction she could make out on Izuku’s face in one of the live feeds. He eyed the city around him until his gaze fixed on something, and a smile crept across his face. He stepped forwards and eyed the side of his current building and the ground below, then leaned precariously out over the edge. The sight made her stomach jump into her throat, but that was nothing compared to what came next.

A strand of Blackwhip shot from his hand to stick to the side of the building, and Izuku stepped off the edge.

Inko clamped her hands over her mouth to stifle her shriek, though the flinch from her companions told her that it hadn’t been stifled enough. Izuku, thankfully, had been far enough away not to be distracted by it. He swung down in an arc, building speed as he went. At the bottom, he was still several feet from the ground, and he began to arc upwards. Then, the chord of Blackwhip detached, and Izuku’s upward arc turned into a shallow downward one. He landed with only a small stumble and kept running, until the next light appeared on the screen.

On the underside of a skywalk. Inko’s initial gut reaction of disbelief was immediately quashed when Izuku simply extended an arm upwards, snapped out another strand of Blackwhip to strike the structure next to it, then reeled himself in.

“His usage of Blackwhip is much better when he has a chance to consider his options first.” Aizawa observed. “We’ll have to work on speeding up his assessment of when and how to use it, but this is a passable starting point.”

The light winked out. The next one appeared atop the tallest building in the training grounds, towering above the surrounding buildings.

Yagi blew out a breath. “Well, that’ll take him a while to climb… wait, why is he taking off his shirt?”

Inko was asking herself the same question. Izuku had deactivated Full Cowling and slipped out of his PE top. He tied the garment around his waist, a wide smile on his face, then extended his arms forward and upwards.

Two strands of Blackwhip shot out, each grabbing near the upper lip of a building on either side of the street.

Aizawa leaned forwards, one eyebrow raised.

With an exuberant woop, Izuku shot himself forward so quickly he momentarily left the drones behind. Yagi cursed, and steam began to rise from his skin.

The drones lurched forwards, and their cameras swiveled to regain visual on Izuku. They found him arcing through the air above the rooftops, arms extended to the sides like he was flying.

Then Izuku grew wings.

He wavered in the air briefly, the sudden change in his aerodynamics obviously throwing him somewhat, but he managed to steady himself with a few tentative flaps. Once he’d stabilized, Izuku carefully banked, then began to climb in altitude as he approached the towering building.

Yagi slowly relaxed. “Well. I can’t say I was expecting that approach, given how he was feeling yesterday…”

“He must have done something last night.” Inko nodded. Her heart still hammered, but a wobbly smile had made its way onto her face. All else aside, Izuku had sounded so excited as he shot off, and now that the cameras had caught up, his smile was splitting his face. Before he’d started at UA, that intense, fully genuine smile had been an aching absence in her life that she’d never been quite able to put a finger on. It had made an occasional appearance in the time since, but she’d seen it more in the past few days than the rest of those weeks combined. Izuku was happy. This made him happy!

“A little less worried about him falling now?” Yagi asked, sounding faintly amused.

Inko could only nod, not trusting herself to speak without starting to cry.

Izuku smiled at his reflection in the building’s windows as they streaked past. Apparently the beacon on its roof had been the last of them, intended to be an obstacle for Blackwhip.

He'd… pretty definitively circumvented that.

After a few seconds, he pulled out of his dive to glide over the rooftops. Draconic Wings barely felt the strain with a bit of One for All reinforcing them, despite the considerable speed he'd gathered.

Within, a feeling of happiness radiated from Tsubasa. He hadn't really spoken though whatever means the other Vestiges could, but Izuku could still get impressions from him. So far, that impression was that Tsubasa really, really liked it when Izuku flew. While he obviously hadn’t gotten over the horror of Tsubasa’s presence within One for All, he wouldn’t let that stop him from doing something to make the poor guy happy.

Especially when flying felt so amazing. He didn’t have words to describe how excited he was at the prospect of finding out how Draconic Wings and Float could be used in tandem.

Izuku angled himself downwards as he approached the place he’d started, the three onlookers watching him directly instead of using the monitors. He wasn’t sure if the drones were even still recording him regardless. Either way, he’d have to do the hard part with an audience.

Landing.

That was something that the Quirk’s natural guidance wasn’t particularly helpful with. He’d managed it a few times, albeit none particularly gracefully, during his time with Tsubasa that morning. The rest of his attempts… left room for improvement, however.

‘Then again, the park didn’t have nearly as many conveniently placed anchor points… Blackwhip, you ready?’

Blackwhip wiggled happily. It had enjoyed Izuku using it during the test, especially the slingshot launch. He had no doubts that he’d probably raised a few hairs with that one, and with his subsequent dive down afterwards. He’d admittedly gotten a bit caught up in the thrill of getting to really see what he could do again, and might have had a bit too much fun with it. Hopefully Aizawa wouldn't hold that against him.

Izuku mentally counted down for the right moment, then simultaneously retracted Draconic Wings and flared Full Cowling back to 6%. He reached out with Blackwhip, guiding it to the concrete and metal of the surrounding buildings rather than the glass. It stretched elastically as he continued to fly forward, but the resistance it provided quickly ate away at his speed. Once he was moving downward more quickly than he was forward, Izuku released the buildings, then snapped out another set of strands a bit ahead of him. His fall turned into a swooping downward arc, and while he’d misjudged slightly and had to take a harder landing than he’d intended, it was well within Full Cowling’s ability to absorb with a low crouch.

‘Nicely done, kid!’ Daigoro cheered. ‘Your Blackwhip Basics are looking pretty solid!’

‘Glad to hear it!’ Izuku thought back. ‘I've been making a deliberate effort to use it where I can so we can get used to each other.’

‘Yeah, I noticed. It's paying off. Also, incoming.’

‘...wait, as in Float coming through or-’

Izuku turned his attention back outward just in time to see his mother hug-tackled him. He caught her on autopilot, barely budging from the impact as she held on tightly, face buried in his chest. He could feel her tears on his skin, and immediately felt awful for likely scaring her.

“I'm sorry about that launch, Mom. That was-”

“Incredible!” Inko pulled back, beaming beneath the tears. “Yes, is was scary seeing you fling yourself across the city, but… but…”

She seemed to run short on words, but he could see it sparkling in her eyes. Yes, there was her usual worry and concern; that had been carved into her face as faint wrinkles over the years. But excitement, happiness, and pride shone through brilliantly.

His chest tightened, and he pulled her close in another hug.

Behind her, he saw Aizawa open his mouth to say something, but Toshinori cut him off with a raised hand. He flashed Izuku a small smile and a thumbs up, then dragged Aizawa back to the display.

Izuku closed his eyes and hugged his mother all the tighter.

Afterwards, the majority of his training time was dedicated to working on slightly more precise usage of Blackwhip under the mixed guidance of Daigoro and Aizawa. Blackwhip wasn’t particularly thrilled by the idea of weaving between things to grab a target when it could simply grab everything, which made progress… difficult. Even so, it had been a learning experience. He hadn’t gotten all the results they were working towards, but he’d certainly made strides in how it felt to finely guide Blackwhip.

The remainder of his time was spent gingerly testing his percent jumping. He didn't push too hard in that practice, focusing on how he could maximize a 1% increase. He was left a little sore afterwards, but by the time 7pm had rolled around, he was quite pleased by his progress.

“Run through smaller scale drills like this throughout the week.” Aizawa instructed as he packed away the drones. “You’ll be scheduled for the same time next Tuesday. You’re welcome to book additional time if you wish, but I won’t be the one overseeing it. You MIGHT be able to get Nezu, but he rarely has time for it without reserving him two weeks in advance.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for doing this much.”

“I’m one of only two teachers who both knows enough to help and who has the proper clearance.” Aizawa leveled a flat look his way, then stifled a yawn. “It wouldn't make any sense to stick you with someone else and have them start asking questions-”

Aizawa cut off as a series of sharp beeps echoed through the empty streets of the faux city. At first, Izuku assumed it was Aizawa’s phone. Then, to his surprise, Toshinori pulled out his phone, and the sound cut off. He scanned over it, then tucked it back into his pocket.

“Is everything alright, Toshinori?” Izuku asked.

“Duty calls.” Toshinori replied, then rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm. “I’m running a little low on time, if you wouldn’t mind lending me more of Boon. If you don’t have any other plans, I’d even take all of it just to be on the safe side. I have quite the trip ahead of me.”

Izuku hesitated for a moment, then placed a hand over the luminous ring already present on Toshinori’s arm. “If you need me to take some of it back later, just let me know.”

“Will do. Thank you, my boy.” Toshinori swelled into All Might, then turned to Aizawa. “Care to go on a bit of a field trip, Eraser Head?”

Aizawa aimed a flat look All Might’s way, then sighed. He slung the duffle bag to Izuku, which he caught easily. “Fine then. How are we doing this?”

Chapter Text

“Will do. Thank you, my boy.” Toshinori swelled into All Might, then turned to Aizawa. “Care to go on a bit of a field trip, Eraser Head?”

Aizawa aimed a flat look All Might’s way, then sighed. He slung the duffle bag to Izuku, which he caught easily. “Fine then. How are we doing this?”

Alert Level: Crimson

Tartarus has been compromised by an attack from within. A pink fog rapidly filled Level B3, and has since spread as far as B1 and B5. The villain of origin has not yet been identified, and it is unclear how Quirk use of this extent is possible despite heavy Quirk Suppressants. Initial response systems have failed to stop continued fog production.

Individuals who breathe the fog have undergone a transformation, resulting in white skin and empty black pits in place of eyes. The resulting entities will henceforth be referred to as zombies. They move in a slow, shuffling manner until they encounter an uninfected individual, at which point they become highly aggressive and attempt to attack them. If a bite or other infecting event occurs, the subject rapidly undergoes the transformation as well. Sporadic Quirk use has been identified among the zombies despite Suppressants.

The situation within Tartarus is rapidly degrading. Local Heroes and Security teams are mobilizing to prevent escapes from the upper levels, however zombies are working their way deeper into the prison, spreading the infection. Report to Tartarus immediately. Requisition any assistance you can on the way, so long as doing so does not slow your arrival. Other ranking heroes with the appropriate clearances have been contacted and will be transported as quickly as possible.

The Head of the Military and the President of the HPSC have recognized the severity of the situation, and have determined that it falls within the purview of the Catastrophe Prevention Empowerment Protocol. You are hereby given authority as Judge, Jury, and Executioner while acting in the interests of Japan and her people. May the Gods be with you, All Might.

The lights of Musutafu blurred past underneath him as Toshinori flew overhead, body buzzing with energy. On his back, Aizawa rode piggyback, much to the man’s extreme displeasure. He’d had to fasten himself in place with his capture scarf, dignity sacrificed in favor of additional safety. Toshinori had handed over his phone before they’d set off, knowing that his own voice would be lost in the wind if he tried to explain.

Toshinori hoped that he’d managed to keep the concern off his face when the Crimson Level Alert went off, especially in the moment when he’d realized what the emergency was. Young Izuku would probably find reasons to worry regardless, but it would be far worse if Toshinori had let through any hint of how unnerved he truly was.

He arched downward, guiding his descent with outstretched hands to ensure he landed somewhere that wasn’t occupied by people or vehicles. He struck asphalt amidst traffic that, to his eyes, crawled through the streets at a snail’s pace. He absorbed as much of his impact as possible to minimize damage, then leapt again. This leap, just as blurringly fast as the first, took him beyond the city limits and into the woodland surrounding it.

Which meant he could finally stop holding back so much.

A few jumps later, Toshinori launched himself over Tokyo. He scanned the city below, hoping he’d be able to pick out the person he was looking for. They tended to stand out, on account of being on fire most of the time. Sure enough, he spotted Endeavor on the roof of his agency, herding his sidekicks into an idling VTOL aircraft.

Toshinori kicked the air to bleed off some of his speed, then guided his descent to land a safe distance from the whirling propellers. Endeavor glanced at him as he all but bodily threw Kido into the vehicle, and a complex series of expressions briefly fought a turf war across his features. Then, with a brief flare of flame, Endeavor turned and shouted into the aircraft. A helmet was tossed out to him, and Endeavor slammed the door. That done, he stomped towards Toshinori, a scowl on his face as the blades above him began to accelerate.

“What indignity am I going to be subjected to?” Endeavor growled over the roaring air, which was an impressive achievement.

“Either I can carry you, or you can join Eraser Head.”

“Like hell he can.” Aizawa grumbled.

“Just get us there before my Sidekicks arrive, or this will have been for nothing.” Endeavor spat as his eye twitched. His flames flickered out, and he jammed the helmet onto his head.

Toshinori zipped forward, scooped Endeavor up with an arm under his legs and another under his shoulders, then leapt from the edge of the building. He took a run up down the length of the Endeavor Agency’s rooftop, then flung the lot of them into a high leap off the far side. Once they were high enough, he kicked against the air once more, which propelled them towards the city limits.

Once he touched down on the far side of Tokyo, he adjusted course slightly. He’d made this trip more than once over the years, enough that he now had his barings. It took him a few minutes to cross a full half the length of Japan, a trail of vapor cones left in his wake as he continued to accelerate.

The trip took him longer than he would have liked. Granted, by the standards of anyone without the highest echelon of mobility Quirks, his speed would have been breathtaking. All the same, it was unquestionably slower than he’d managed in his prime.

Toshinori struck the ground of the Shiretoko Peninsula, just outside the military city of Narkina, then broke into a run from there. Each footfall left another small crater in his wake, even as he blew past the Bronze Gate and onto the Pylai Haidou Bridge. The damage would be costly, but inconsequential if they needed to collapse the whole thing regardless.

He really hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Thankfully, it seemed his haste had been sufficient. He reached the single entrance to the artificial island to find a small crowd of Heroes surrounded by Tartarus staff. Almost all of them were decked out in tactical armor and full-head gas masks, tubes running to armored O2 tanks on their backs. The tension was so thick that it might as well have been another security wall around the prison.

“I AM HERE!” Toshinori announced as he set Endeavor on his feet, though the man almost pitched over the moment Toshinori let go. Many heads swiveled in his direction, as did more than one gun. A second later, a visible wave of relief ran through the crowd. Aizawa shambled around to stand next to Toshinori on shaky legs, having managed to escape his capture weapon cocoon.

“WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? HAS THE OUTLINED SITUATION CHANGED?” Endeavor roared as he ripped off his helmet. One of the security team stepped forwards and pulled off their helmet with a series of clicks and hisses. Beneath was a pale face, lank purple hair plastered to their forehead by sweat.

“Lieutenant Colonel Shishikura, sir. Thank you all for your swiftness. We’ve reclaimed Level B1, however the zombies have managed to breach all the way down to B7, and we’re seeing signs that at least one of them is burrowing into B8. The zombies seem to have a comprehensive physical enhancement, alongside some ability to ignore what should be debilitating injuries, which is why so many are surviving the Auto-Turrets. The transformation seems to have a 5 minute duration, after which they begin to convulse as they transform back. Most of those that have finished that transformation have died from their wounds, but nearby zombies usually bite them before they get that far. That seems to renew the transformation and keep them going. Those who survive turning back are hunted down and turned as well. The CPE Protocols remain in place.”

Toshinori suppressed a grimace. He’d had to kill on the job before; Sometimes, the villain was simply too dangerous to civilians to risk letting them get back up. Before his injury, Toshinori had been so overwhelmingly powerful that he could simply drop an opponent with little issue and next to no resistance. In the years since, however, there had been a handful of times where he hadn’t had the luxury of simply knocking them out with a precision blow too fast for them to avoid. Even as he grew weaker, the villains seemed to grow stronger.

This would be something else entirely, though. This would be a massive number of enemies, each of whom presented a potential catastrophe by virtue of whatever Quirk contagion they carried. He wouldn’t be able to afford mercy.

Shishikura’s sudden flinch snapped Toshinori from his moment of regret. The Lieutenant Colonel snarled, then waved aggressively at another member of the Security team who was approaching with masks. “B8 has officially just been breached. All Might, your job is to get to the bottom and work your way up. Orders from the top are to avoid entering the fog for as long as you can. With Endeavor and Eraser Head on hand, and Hawks about four minutes out, they should be able to handle the upper floors alongside the security personnel.”

Toshinori nodded as he shrugged on the oxygen tanks as best he could given his broad frame. “I’ll need the security shields open for a second so I can launch myself down.”

“They’ll open them in 10 seconds.”

“Make it 5.” Toshinori replied, pulled on his helmet and broke into a run. He entered the Ground Level of the prison in a blur of movement, blew past the security checks, and navigated his way to the elevator shaft. The doors were open for him, which let him look down at the first security shield about 40 feet below him. He kept a mental count of the remaining seconds as they passed, then jumped and flipped to plant his feet on the metal ceiling of the shaft.

Below, the security shields irised open with a sharp hiss.

Toshinori kicked off, cratering the metal and shooting himself downwards. The flashing red lights that adorned the elevator shaft streaked into a line as he passed through a thin patch of the pink fog, then there was cursing from his headset and a strange distortion of the air ahead of him-

It felt like sliding through a foot thick layer of gelatin, and as his head passed through the other side, his sense of orientation went completely haywire. He tumbled through the air as he tried to adjust, and only just barely managed to reorient himself before he stumbled to a stop on a narrow strip of wall… or, he supposed, floor. That was the floor now.

Something nearby howl-gurgle-screamed, and Toshinori turned to face it on instinct. The zombie before him was a massive humanoid crocodile mutant, its eyes black pits and scales a pale white. Its chest was a pitted landscape of blood and cracked scales, several bullets still visibly lodged near the surface while he could see light through other holes. That grizzly oddity barely registered, however, given it somehow stood upside down on the underside of a balcony only about 12 feet away. The zombie unleashed another resonant howl from its bloody jaws, then flung itself towards him.

Then proceeded to fall downwards… upwards? Away, in any case, its howl tapering off until it struck something far beyond with a sharp crack and an even louder screech.

Tentatively, Toshinori looked over the edge, and his sense of balance threatened to abandon him. The world below was a vast environment of gray structures, far larger than could have fit within the prison itself. It was an architect’s nightmare of nonsensical buildings interconnected by stairways, walkways, plazas, offshoot structures, and other features that might not have had actual names. Rather than leading to one another in any way that could be called sane, however, they twisted and fed into one another and themselves in ways completely at odds with the laws of nature. Walkways were supported by pillars, which were in turn supported by other structures that all logic dictated they couldn’t be connected to. Floors transitioned into walls with no point of distinction. Some stairways led back to the same floor without appearing to change direction, while others managed to span vast distances with only a few steps.

The entire panorama made his brain hurt. Every inch of it was fundamentally wrong. It felt like he was simultaneously looking at something distant and nearby, something above and below him, something moving and still. The sense of vertigo was a nightmare in and of itself, made all the worse by the sight of at least a hundred different zombies shuffling their way through the mind-bending structure.

“All Might, do you read? This is Operations Command.”

Toshinori took a wobbly step back from the edge, then looked back the way he’d come. On the far side of the ledge he stood on, there was a dark corridor that ended in a closed security shield.

“I read you. Something happened as I was going down the elevator shaft, and I’m in… I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s like a mind-bending optical illusion I can physically interact with.

“Whatever burrowed into B8 turned Escher, and her Quirk activated almost immediately. It caught B7 through B9 in its area of effect, as well as part of the elevator shaft. You’ll either have to find the other end of the elevator shaft in there, or find Escher herself and take her down to break the effect. In the meantime, be careful. You’re in there with everyone from those Levels.”

“Any chance you can get some idea where Escher is in this mess?” Toshinori asked as he broke into a run along the platform, searching the migraine-inducing environment around him as best as he could. “I can’t imagine there isn’t a tracker somewhere in the prison uniforms.”

“It won’t be helpful. Escher’s Quirk turns the insides of buildings into what you’re seeing. It’s like a halfway point between a pocket dimension and a reality alteration ability. Space is so twisted that our sensors are picking you up in entirely different locations each second. To us, it looks like everyone inside is constantly teleporting from one position to another.”

‘Young Izuku would probably have a field day studying that.’ Toshinori resisted the urge to sigh, then absently swatted away a zombie as he rushed by it and up a flight of stairs. About half way, his perspective flipped so that he was running down the stairs instead, and he nearly tripped over his own feet at the abrupt transition. “If it’s similar to a pocket dimension, is the inside isolated from the outside? Could I smash my way through until I subdue all the zombies or take out Escher, or would that run the risk of destroying the island?”

“Negative on the destructive path, unless there are no other options. Anything you do to an outside wall will transfer into normal space. If B10 gets infected someone might blow a hole in the island anyway, but we have no idea if drowning will stop these things. Or, gods forbid, if they can infect fish.”

And wasn’t THAT a horrifying thought.

“Understood.” Toshinori ducked a stream of what looked like blue lava, then jabbed a fist in the direction it had come from. The zombie screeched as it was thrown away by the wave of displaced air, tumbling up another staircase and through a sideways door in what Toshinori had previously thought was the ceiling. The lava stream continued out into the distorted world beyond, twisting and contorting as whatever served as gravity pulled it in different directions. “Escher is a short woman with black and white hair, correct? I think I remember a bit about her from the headlines after Jeanist brought her down.”

“Yes. A short woman with very long hair, given that she threatened to try and set off the turrets if anyone tried to cut it.”

Toshinori skidded to a halt, his path a dead end. There was a platform a good 50 feet away that he could easily reach, but with what he’d seen so far, it would probably be harder to get to than it looked. He could aim for what turned out to be a ceiling and sail off into the void if he wasn’t careful. While that might not be harmful to him, it could absolutely damage his mask and tank. He couldn’t afford to risk that, even if they thought the fog hadn’t made it that deep yet. A zombified All Might could be orders of magnitude more disastrous than the entire prison population escaping. Scowling, he turned to look for an alternative route when his foot caught on something.

A doorknob, for a door set into the ground.

He stomped it, sending it flying off its hinges and back into the area beyond. A flash of movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. On further inspection, it proved to be the door he’d just kicked, flying through the air in the distance. He followed its trajectory for a moemnt, then glanced towards where he thought it might have come from. Sure enough, he saw his own foot protruding from a hole in the ground-

He yanked his foot back a moment before a zombie snapped multiple sets of mouths closed on thankfully empty air. Toshinori shot his foot back downwards and into the zombie’s chest, sending it flying away on a trajectory similar to that of the door. A moment later, he crawled through himself, his sense of orientation adjusting as he moved through to stand on the other side. Faced with an entirely new set of nonsensical options, he set off in a blur one more.

Zombies all around the space were screeching now, the hoard having evidently noticed his presence. While most seemed to keep to the paths, others were flinging themselves into open air in an attempt to reach him faster. The majority veered off as gravity snatched them away, but some managed to stay on course. Most of those were zombies with some manner of flight Quirk, though the ones who relied on wings were only marginally more successful than the ones with no flight abilities at all.

Even so, the constant assault of ravening zombies quickly proved frustrating. Ordinarily, even this many opponents wouldn’t have proved too difficult for him to address, especially when their Quirks weren’t a consistent factor. The problem was, he couldn’t risk them getting close enough to bite him. The vast majority of them wouldn't even be able to dent his skin, but nobody had a clear idea of what it actually took for the zombies to turn someone. As such, he was forced to knock them all away with pressure waves.

But therein lay another problem. Generating pressure waves strong enough to do the job took far more effort than an equally powerful punch did. He was burning through more of his remaining power than he would have liked, and was straining his body in ways that were growing more and more painful despite Boon. He didn’t have long left, and still hadn’t managed to do what he’d thrown himself down here to do in the first place.

“ALL MIGHT! THE B10 SECURITY SHIELD IS TAKING DAMAGE! STATUS?”

‘FUCK!’ Toshinori snarled silently as he spun sharply, a wave of displaced air blasting an oncoming hoard off a ledge. On one of the buildings above, a zombie’s hands turned silvery, then fired off like rockets. They swerved through the air as they homed in on Toshinori, but with two quick flicks he was able to make them detonate midair. “Still trying to find-”

One of the falling zombies turned into a rock monster at least three times Toshinori’s height just as he tried to launch it away with a wave of his hand. The pressure wave broke across it ineffectually, and it lashed out with a strike of its own. Toshinori easily swatted the blow away and drove a full punch upwards, which flung the transformed zombie off to swerve into a distant structure with an echoing crash.

Unfortunately, Toshinori had been running across one of the thin staircases between impossibly connected structures at the time, and the force of the blow had shattered it beneath his feet. He fell, the vertigo coming back with a vengeance as he tumbled through the air at the fickle whims of Escher’s reality and the force of his own punch.

Toshinori kicked out with one foot, just enough to launch him towards a large section of what he hoped would be floor. He slammed into it, then had to drive his fingers into the strange material to hold himself in place when it turned out to be a wall. If nothing else, it at least offered him a better vantage of the brain-melting area below him than he’d had previously. Vertigo made his vision swim and bile churn in what was left of his guts, but he forced himself to focus. Escher or the other elevator shaft. Either would do.

‘Short, white and black hair. Short, white and black hair. Short, white and black- THERE!’

Several unconnected buildings away.

Escher was hardly visible, but all those years of unchecked hair growth proved to be his savior; Long black and white streaked hair trailed behind the zombie, clearly visible even at this distance. She was shuffling along a balcony full of offshoots that lead to who knew where, each a potential way to lose her for another minute he couldn’t spare. He had to get to her, but he couldn’t afford for the insanity of this place to screw up his course and let her escape.

Toshinori plunged his other hand into the wall and heaved. With a crack, the side of the wall peeled up, and he was left with a warped chunk about the width of his torso. Toshinori twisted, despite the way his chest screamed in agony, and whipped the chunk towards Escher. Even in spite of its speed, the chunk swerved into a structure before it could reach its mark.

Toshinori repeated his experiment as he kept a close eye on the lone zombie. Each projectile veered off or struck something else, but he was getting closer with each throw. He could probably make it if he adjusted course a few times-

“B10 IS BREACHED! I REPEAT, B10 IS BREACHED! ALL MIGHT, DO YOU READ ME?”

Toshinori launched himself as hard as he dared, cratering the wall but hopefully not destroying any kind of vital structures outside the distorted bubble of reality. He streaked through the air, forces yanking at him as he went. He felt himself start to drift off course, as most of his test shots had, and lashed out with a kick to shift his trajectory. That caused him to swerve sharply, entering a pocket of space that tried to swing him upwards. He kicked off again, but once more started to drift. Again. Again. Again-

Toshinori hit the structure below the walkway hard enough to make his teeth rattle, but at least he’d made it. He dug in his fingers as gravity tried to pull towards the side, then heaved himself towards the walkway Escher had been standing on. He crested the lip just in time to see her step towards one of the doorways, and punched-

Suddenly, he found himself falling in relative darkness. He flailed in confusion and disorientation briefly, but his fall only lasted a second before he landed on his side. The sound of his impact rang out, and he stared blankly at the large blocky 8 on the wall before he registered where he was.

The elevator shaft. He was back in the elevator shaft.

“I’M OUT!” Toshinori roared into his mic even as he flipped to rip open the security shield below him. He pulled himself through, then kicked off to plunge towards the depths of the pit once more.

Shota squeezed his eyes shut and rolled them in their sockets, desperate for some scrap of moisture. They were dry and gritty, but he couldn’t exactly put in eyedrops while he was so deep in the fog-shrouded Level B3. Not for the first time, he resolved to ask Power Loader about some kind of support item that could mist his eyes behind his goggles.

His small strike team had pushed further ahead of Endeavor’s assault force. Where the Flame Hero’s job was to accelerate the process of retaking the floors as a whole, Shota had a more specific goal; Find and disable the origin of the miasma that still shrouded the upper floors. Once Endeavor’s team had made a foothold on Level 3B, Shota and his team had forged ahead on their own.

They’d sent him because he could make a small team of Security personnel far more effective by eliminating the Quirks of any zombie that got close enough for him to see it. There had already been many cases where his mere glance had shut down a Quirk that was only just keeping a zombie functional, further easing the team’s job.

A resonant screech rang down the hall, and Shota snapped his eyes open once more. A figure stood in the mist, its dim outline implying a large zombie covered in thorns. Of course the damn thing would wait until just after he blinked. The figure lunged, and Shota caught a flash of white carapace with green tipped spines as it tried to pounce on a member of the Security team.

‘Armored, likely a Mutant Quirk. Green spikes might be poisonous, or could just be coloration. Avoid them regardless.’

Shota slipped past the guards, capture scarf snapping out to wrap around the mutant’s head. He pulled it taught, and heard the zombie’s jaw snap closed harshly even as it tried to bite the person in its grasp. Instead, it merely headbutted the man in his tactical armor, spikes shrieking against the metal. One of the other guards stepped in close and jammed the tip of their rifle underneath the zombie’s arm and opened fire. The zombie screeched and thrashed, knocking both guards away while yanking on Shota’s scarf.

Shota let himself move with the pull and whipped out his tactical knife. Just before he struck, Erasure recovered from its previous uses, and Shota turned his crimson gaze on the zombie. The green hue of its thorns faded even as he planted a foot in a smooth section of its back and drove the zombie to the ground.

It shuddered and screeched weakly beneath him, some combination of the guard’s fire on a weak point and Erasure evidently enough to make the damage meaningful. Shota was already in motion however, ensuring the zombie stayed down with a forceful stab of his knife into a chink in the armor at the base of its neck. The zombie fell still, its howling tapering off into a faint hiss as air escaped unmoving lungs. Slowly, color bled back into the zombie’s carapace until it was a bright yellow.

“Status?” Anaguma, the Squad Leader, asked into the ominous silence that followed.

“I'm fine.” Shota hissed harshly, pulse still thumping in his ears and guts roiling. He'd already doubled his kill count in the mere minutes he'd been in the prison, but each slain zombie still made him sick all over again.

“Ditto here. Thanks for the save, Eraser Head, Takahime.” Kanmuri, the guard who’d been grabbed, grunted.

“Fucker got one of his spines into my arm.” Takahime, bit out in a strained voice. “Lucky shot at the elbow joint.”

Shota’s stomach dropped, and he immediately flicked his capture scarf out to bind the woman even as several others of the team turned to face her. The means of infection was something that hadn’t been entirely narrowed down yet; A bite would definitely do it, but scratches and puncture wounds were inconsistent.

If she started to turn, they’d try their best to disable her without lethal response. A blow to the back of the head to knock them out mid transformation if they could manage it, or bullets to the shoulder and hip joints if not. The latter would be a deeply unpleasant way to manage it, but with specialty Quirk treatment they’d at least have a potential route to recovery if they survived long enough to get it.

The original team that had reclaimed Level B1 had shared those methods with them, though their success had been mostly due to a member of the Security team with a binding Quirk. Without that, any who were infected likely faced a far more grim fate. Shota hadn’t been forced to deal with that so far, though he’d only been on the scene for a few minutes. He desperately hoped he wouldn’t have that weight added to his conscience by the end of the day.

Takahime cocked her head to the side after a moment. “The puncture burns like a sumbitch, but I’m not feeling particularly hungry for brains. I think I’m just the normal kind of poisoned.”

“We’ll get you to a medic team as soon as we can.” Anaguma grunted. “Kanmuri, keep an eye on her. Taiyō, watch the end of the hall for any others that find us. Everyone else, we sweep this block.”

They only encountered two other zombies capable of putting up any kind of a fight. One was unharmed from the turrets, likely due to its ability to turn into water. It had proved far more vulnerable to bullets under Shota’s gaze. The other was a bulky individual who’d literally punched through its cell door, and still had the metal barrier stuck around its wrist like an improvised shield. Once Shota had managed a clear line of sight, however, it had shrunk down and dropped dead. The rest were either too weak or injured to escape their restraints, or had simply died from their injuries despite whatever enhancements the transformation afforded them.

Naturally, they found the orchestrator of the entire catastrophe in the last cell they checked. The blast door had been warped and distended, the fog pouring out in volumes that created a strong breeze. One of the Security team had to wrench it entirely off its track to get it open, while the rest had trained their weapons through the opening. They could hear a faint growling from within, but the fog was too thick to see much. The moment Shota had stepped into the cell, however, the growling had cut off, as had the flow of the fog.

Through a sudden gap in the pink miasma, Shota saw a zombie still partly within its restraints. One arm had been pulled free of its straight jacket, the skin of the wrist and hand shredded and partly still stuck to the metal bands that spanned their chest. Their chest and abdomen was a mess of gore where the turrets had done their work, yet the figure still twitched with life. However, rather than pure white, large sections of the Zombie’s skin were a sickly purple-red-black, sloughing off to reveal discolored flesh and bone beneath. Rivulets of the stuff ran from the empty black pits of the zombie’s eyes like tears.

Shota was about to activate Erasure and end the creature when its head turned to face him. Its jaw worked, more of the horrid putrescence spilling from its mouth, and it spoke.

“My… God…?” The zombie rasped, voice resonant in the same way the other zombie’s howling screams had been. “Have… have you… come for me? To… save me? Your blessings… they burn… But I have done as you commanded. Please…”

The words were like a bucket of ice water poured on Shota’s soul. Behind him, one of the guards cursed, and Anaguma stepped forward. That seemed to alarm the zombie, who twitched violently, then went utterly still in a way that was somehow more unsettling. “...No… You’re not…”

The zombie’s empty sockets stretched wider as it unleashed a horrific shriek that echoed within the tiny cell. It lurched and strained in its bindings, and with the sound of tearing flesh and a splash of blood, its elbow tore free from the forearm still bound to its chest. The fog began to pour out once more as the zombie bucked against its metal bindings, a wind picking up. “Heathens! Degenerates! You will not stop me from completing my divine purpose! My God’s will shall be done! You won’t-”

The horrid voice cut off as Erasure activated. The figure spasmed and thrashed for a moment, its scream stuttering, then the zombie dropped like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Shota kept his luminous gaze firmly locked on the zombie, even as what was left of it shifted back into a human in death. The skin was still pale, but it was the unhealthy shade of a person locked away from the sun rather than the impossible white it had been. The discolored corruption remained, like bruises that had turned fluid.

After nearly a minute, Shota was finally forced to blink, the burning agonizing itch in his eyes overwhelming his need to ensure the zombie would not be getting back up. Even with his eyes closed, however, he could still see the nauseating corpse burned into his vision. He took a deep breath, adamantly refusing to vomit while he had a helmet on.

He turned away and opened his eyes once more, observing the way the fog was behaving. It still hung in the air, but it seemed to be dissipating supernaturally fast. Perhaps it was due to its creator’s death. Perhaps it was just how the fog worked; If it had a very limited amount of time it could last, that might explain why it never managed to spread beyond the 5 floors it had filled.

“Anaguma reporting in. The prisoner in Cell 587 was identified as the origin of the fog, and has been eliminated.”

There was a long pause. “Cell 587?”

“Correct.”

“Was there another zombie present producing the fog?”

Shota frowned, a spike of annoyance arcing through his strained mind. “No. They were definitely the source, given it was cut off the moment I used Erasure.”

“Affirmative.” Anaguma continued. “They were transformed as well, but seemed capable of conscious thought. They were badly degraded, however, even beyond what could be explained by the wounds they received from the Auto-Turrets. Erasure finished them off.”

This time, the pause was longer.

“The inmate in that cell was a man named Otoreru Shissei. His Quirk was registered as an air manipulation ability, albeit one that let him reach into people’s lungs if there was an unbroken conduit of air to follow. Even if he somehow experienced an awakening of some sort, this is… far beyond any recorded alteration to a Quirk through those means. Perhaps a combination of a Quirk evolution and Trigger, though that simply leads to more questions.” Shota could hear a rapid series of keystrokes across the connection. “Endeavor’s team started pushing further into Level B3, and should be at your location shortly. Do any of you have injuries?”

“Takahime took a spike from a zombie with yellow carapace, but that’s the only one who’s had broken skin.” Anaguma reported, then looked towards Aizawa.

“I’ll need a chance to return topside and use some eyedrops if I’m going to join the main fighting force.” Aizawa said after a moment of consideration.

“We’ll send down a team to replace you once Endeavor’s secured a path. For the time being you’re all on guard duty. Nothing gets to that body, no matter what.”

“Understood.” Shota grunted, in near unison with the rest of the team. Much as he wanted to help clear the prison, guarding this particular body was vital. Years of experience were screaming that there was far, far more to this tragedy than they yet knew. He was inclined to trust them.

Toshinori streaked past the final barrier, which had been torn to ribbons, and landed on the deepest level of Tartarus with a crash of warping metal.

It was almost loud enough to cover the screams, a mix of zombie howling and human voices crying out in fear.

The hall before him flickered from damaged lighting, which made the scene unfolding in front of his eyes all the more alarming. At the far end of the hall, the cannibal Moonfish stood hunched, his teeth-blades extending from his mouth and into the walls. Saliva dribbled down his chin and trailed along the blades, dark like tar.

The zombie never even had a chance to react before Toshinori lunged forward and lashed out with a punch. The point blank pressure wave struck the zombie like a bullet train, and it was blasted down the remaining length of the corridor in a shower of shattered teeth and blood. A fraction of a second later, it struck the far wall with a sickening crunch, then collapsed to the ground bonelessly.

For the barest of seconds, Toshinori let himself hope he’d been fast enough.

Then, the human screaming within the cells shifted, became a resonant shriek like the rest of the zombies had been. There was a sudden overwhelming sound of gunfire as the auto-turrets activated. Many voices went quiet, but an alarming number only grew louder.

‘Of course stabbing them with sword-teeth counts as biting them.’

All across B10, the sounds of metal shrieking rang out as zombies began to break out. Several blast doors near him were beaten down, the screams growing all the louder as cells were breached fully.

A few cells down, one of the blast doors began to glow. Toshinori immediately raised a hand to shield his eyes as a wave of bright white-blue light and heat rolled through the hall, so bright he could momentarily see his bones outlined through his skin. The light faded, leaving Toshinori’s vision dim and washed out. Despite that, he still managed to pick out the zombie of villain Badaboom shambling out of the still glowing crater he’d just blasted in the prison. The zombie fixated on him, then flung itself forward, stoot-colored hands grasping.

They were, unarguably, the highest priority zombie in the prison. Badaboom could instantly convert matter between states, which usually meant turning objects or people into a gas or, as he’d just witnessed, plasma. They were among the few inmates who weren't just a threat to the prison, but to Toshinori himself. His durability meant nothing when one touch could sublimate him just as easily as it could a massive chunk of the prison.

As such, Toshinori crushed his reservations and shot forwards. One swift punch reduced Badaboom’s torso to a chunky red paste, the impact of it raising a molten wave from the crater in front of him. In the same motion, Toshinori spun to face another zombie as it lunged at him. He slapped one of Asura’s six hands out of its twisted Mudra, shattering it and dispelling the red glow it emitted. He continued the spin, sweeping the side of his other hand through Asura’s neck, severing the head and sending it tumbling down the hall. As he did so, Toshinori felt something snag the leg of his pants, and he hopped into the air. He looked down, and even with his vision still dim and distorted from the blinding light, watched as the needles forming from a pool of blood underfoot continued to converge where his leg had just been.

He knew that Quirk, even if Edgeshot had been the one to take the villain down. Trypanophobia or somesuch. They were a truly nasty piece of work, and had been one of the most lethal close range combatants in the world.

Near instantaneous exsanguination was another thing Toshinori didn't particularly want to test his luck against. He couldn’t see them in the hall, but they had to touch the blood to control it, which meant… there. A tiny rivulet leaked between the warped edges of the blast door next to him.

Toshinori planted a foot against the far wall as he slapped a hand into the door, which ripped the metal free of its housing. As it struck the far wall of the cell within, a spray of blood burst out around it. A glance down confirmed that the needles were losing their shape, the zombie’s control on them broken.

Something clicked a few feet away, and Toshinori’s attention snapped to it. Lady Nagant screamed silently at him from a nearby intersection, her only wound a gnarly chunk ripped out of her neck and shoulder. Her riffle was fully extended through her torn straight jacket, the muzzle unpleasantly close to his face. Her head bore only stubble, so he doubted she’d been able to load it, but that didn't make the experience any less alarming.

Next to her, a zombie that looked like a humanoid Manticore was in mid lunge towards him, clawed hands reaching forward, its mouth open wide to reveal jagged teeth coated in black and red. If Nagant looked ironically bullet wound free, the horrific state of the Manticore clued him in on where those bullets might have gone.

Toshinori once more twisted in the air, side aching sharply, to bring a foot up into the underside of the Manticore’s chin. The blow obliterated its head and peppered the ceiling with razor teeth and blood. He continued the spin his momentum sent him into, then lashed out with a punch. The pressure wave blasted the decapitated zombie and Lady Nagant backwards to slam into the far wall, while it also threw Toshinori in the opposite direction. As he went, he continued to deal out death to the zombies that stumbled into the central corridor from the blocks to either side, putting the walking corpses to rest as swiftly as he could.

As he touched down, once more near the elevator shaft, he felt it. A vibration in the floor, a thrumming that he could feel in his teeth.

‘Shit. One of them got Tectonic.’

The villain was, technically speaking, less of an immediate threat to Tartarus than Badaboom had been. Despite their name, they didn’t have a Quirk explicitly linked to geologic activity. They had the ability to make inanimate solids vibrate, which wasn’t a particularly uncommon ability. The amount of time it took the vibrations to build up was rather slow as well, compared to most others.

Except that the vibrations could eventually reach catastrophic heights, and the area he could affect was absolutely massive. The vibrations Toshinori felt would definitely reach the surface of the prison, and probably most of the way to the mainland through the bridge if it stayed standing.

No, Tectonic didn’t have a Quirk that specifically affected geological activity. That hadn’t stopped him from mimicking earthquakes across Europe and Africa for fun. He’d even managed to set off a real one that had been brewing in the Philippines. The only reason he hadn’t been executed after Miruko caught him in Nagoya was because so many parts of the world were fighting for the right to do so themselves.

Toshinori raced back down B10’s cellblocks, striking down zombies and punching open cell doors as he went. The vibrations were probably already strong enough to have damaged sensitive equipment, and were getting stronger by the moment. It wouldn’t be long before they started causing structural damage to the facility.

Thankfully, even if he had to move relatively slowly so as not to destroy the prison himself, it didn’t take more than a few seconds to find Tectonic. The zombie had almost been struck down by the auto-turrets and Moonfish himself. Tectonic’s chest was a mess of bullet holes that wept blood sluggishly, while a broken length of blade-tooth protruded from his collar bone. He hadn’t even made it entirely out of his restraints, and barely managed to gurgle at Toshinori when the doors to his cell were ripped open.

Toshinori ended the zombie’s suffering, then assessed the situation as his headset crackled to life.

“ALL MIGHT, WE’RE DETECTING VIBRATIONS! WHAT’S-”

“Tectonic is down, as are Badaboom and a majority of the other potential threats to the prison. Do you have a read on-”

An engine roared.

Toshinori leapt back and through a wall into a neighboring cell, one occupied by a corpse that had taken the bullets even worse than Tectonic had. Opposite him, a massive rotating blade of pale green crystal ripped through the wall of Tectonic’s cell, the metal around it sparking and sizzling. Then, the blade began to melt and deform into a gelatinous liquid, more of it flowing through the gap with a hiss of dissolving metal until all of it congealed on the floor. With a slurp, the ooze reformed into the zombie of Toxic Chainsaw.

Naked, albeit with all the realism of a Ken doll.

Toxic Chainsaw screeched as he lunged forwards, body stretching fluidly to give him extra reach. Toshinori leapt back again, grimacing as the zombie moved directly through the front of the restraint chair that still contained most of Tectonic. He was treated to the sickening sight of Tectonic’s legs dissolving along with the chair beneath them as Toxic Chainsaw flowed forward.

Toxic Chainsaw was a horrendous matchup against brute force types. His body was formed from an extremely dangerous acidic gel that could pose a threat even to Toshinori’s own immense durability. Furthermore, Toxic Chainsaw could harden sections of his body into functional crystalline weapons, then turn them back at a moment’s notice. Toshinori had suspected the villain was one of All for One’s minions, given the odd disconnect between his slime body and ability to create a functioning chainsaw, but had never found conclusive proof.

When Toshinori had beaten him before, it had been by blasting him out of the city where they’d started with a pressure wave, then repeating the process back and forth across unpopulated sections of Japan. Toxic Chainsaw’s body had held together incredibly well under the blows, warping and distorting with the impacts but never coming apart. It had taken almost 10 minutes before Toxic Chainsaw stopped getting back up, a remarkable feat when compared to Toshinori's old track record of putting foes down in seconds on the slow end.

If memory served, Tartarus had needed to suspend the villain in literal tank of suppressants and sedatives, effectively putting him in a medically induced coma. If that had been destroyed, and if Toshinori couldn’t go all out, he genuinely wasn’t sure he had a way to take the zombie down. Even worse, he was definitely on the edge of his limit now, the familiar feeling of blood tickling his lung despite Boon’s best efforts. He needed to finish off the zombie somehow before he ran out of time or Toxic Chainsaw recovered from his transformation and decided to just burrow his way free of the prison. Given the fluid state of his body, he could probably survive the deep sea pressures well enough to escape.

Toshinori burst back into the hall, striking down a hulking oni-like zombie as he went. “Toxic Chainsaw was turned. What’s the status on the other heroes?”

“Endeavor has just taken Level B3 back alongside the local ones. Eraser Head has neutralized the zombie producing the fog, but was assigned to ensure nothing could reach the body. Hawks is almost here, but has not arrived yet. We can reassign a team to come assist, but it may take some time.”

“Please start on it.” Toshinori flicked a finger at Toxic Chainsaw, and the zombie’s body rippled as the pressure wave struck it. He flew back and through a cell wall, deforming briefly before snapping back into shape. A split second later, the metal panel Toshinori had flung after them struck edge first. Unfortunately, the metal melted as it broke through the skin, cutting itself in half on Toxic Chainsaw’s body while only making the zombie stumble. “If you can free up Endeavor, he’s probably our best bet.”

“We’ll make it happen.”

The operator didn’t sound particularly confident in that statement, but Toshinori had greater issues to focus on. Namely, the fact that Toxic Chainsaw had reformed his namesake weapon and was charging again. The zombie swung wide, the structure of the weapon softening and stretching to rip its way through several nearby walls and the zombies beyond them as Toshinori ducked. The weapon returned to its original shape, blades still spinning as Toxic Chainsaw lunged forward again.

Toshinori ripped another metal panel free from the wall next to him, then hurled it at the chainsaw itself. It struck in a shower of sparks and a harsh crack, the force of the impact sending the weapon flying back down the hall. The zombie’s arms stretched comically before his body was dragged along behind it, rebounding like stretched elastic. The chainsaw ripped a jagged line through the ceiling as the zombie slid along the wall, and Toshinori tensed. He wasn’t completely sure what occupied the space between the Levels of Tartarus, but he doubted it was all solid metal. He didn’t think the zombie would attempt to run, but it would be disastrous if Toxic Chainsaw managed to make it into a crawlspace or some pipes.

Toshinori returned his attention to the zombie themself as they once again snapped back to a fully humanoid shape. Except something was different. There was a gash in one of Toxic Chainsaw’s arms, though it sealed up after a moment. Toshinori was half way convinced it had been a trick of the light until he noticed something else; There were greenish streaks on the partly dissolved wall Toxic Chainsaw had struck that were still sizzling. Toshinori knew for a fact that the wound hadn’t come from anything he’d done, and he’d already established that the metal of the prison melted before it could do much, so what had…?

‘There. Near where he first hit the wall, there’s some kind of white spike. It’s in remarkable condition if he actually hit it. What is…’ Toshinori blinked as realization struck him. ‘It’s one of Moonfish’s teeth. If they can survive a second of contact with Toxic Chainsaw’s body… then I can use it as a weapon.’

Toshinori quickly scanned the hall around him. It had been ravaged by the fights held within, despite the Quirk-derived metal it had been constructed from. Ruined bodies were scattered down its length, and blood was absolutely everywhere. Intermixed with that destruction, however, were more pieces of tooth. Some lay scattered across the floor around Moonfish’s corpse. Others he could see still piercing through cells down a nearby block, partly broken by the doors Toshinori had blasted open in his hunt for Tectonic.

He darted over to a longer piece nearby, then grabbed a chunk of metal from the ground at his feet. Carefully, Toshinori used the metal like an oven mitt to pick up the tooth; Moonfish had managed to turn the other inmates by stabbing them with his teeth, so Toshinori sure as hell wasn’t going to touch them directly. The end result was… not particularly encouraging, but probably better than continuing to punt Toxic Chainsaw back and forth across B10 until he ran out of time or Endeavor arrived.

Toxic Chainsaw screamed as he once more lashed out, his weapon ripping a wide gash through several walls as it arced towards Toshinori. Rather than backing away, however, Toshinori leapt the slash, then swept his makeshift sword downwards. With an angry hiss, the tooth met slimy flesh and sliced through. Pale green liquid splattered out as the arm spun away, and Toshinori had to transfer his momentum into a twisting somersault to avoid being splashed with the stuff. The maneuver further irritated his old wound, however, and a suppressed cough brought the familiar taste of blood to the back of his tongue.

Toshinori didn’t let himself slow down, however. He leapt back over Toxic Chainsaw as the zombie lunged to follow him, lopping off the other arm as he arced over it. Toshinori landed behind him, then spun once more to rip the blade through Toxic Chainsaw’s torso. Unfortunately, that proved too much for his weapon; About half way through, the tooth finally snapped as the acrid slime ate through it. The wound gaped open for a moment, a flood of acid pouring out, then began to close. Toshinori danced away from the spray while staying close, then reached for another chunk of tooth protruding from the wall with his metal glove.

There was a squelch, and a burning pain in his left wrist. Horror momentarily flashed through Toshinori’s mind as his eyes snapped back to Toxic Chainsaw. Where before there had been nothing but a stump, a new arm had formed and clamped its fingers around his wrist.

‘Shit. He can regenerate?’

The zombie lunged, mouth agape, but Toshinori ripped his hand free in a spray of acid and leapt away. Toshinori cursed inwardly as he shook the acid from the destroyed fingers free of his wrist, then inspected it as best he could without letting Toxic Chainsaw out of his sight. The zombie’s hand had burned through what was left of Toshinori’s jacket sleeve, and had worked its way through the sleeve of his costume as well. Most areas of his now exposed skin were irritated and raw from the contact, though the place where the acid had stuck to him had burned down to reveal muscle.

‘Sloppy.’ Toshinoir admonished himself, then inspected the zombie as it stumbled towards him. Even as he watched, the second arm he’d cut off was reforming as well, though… it looked as though the slime that made up Toxic Chainsaw’s body was flowing towards the stump. So, perhaps not regeneration, but the ability to redistribute his body. That wasn’t good, but it was a hell of a lot better than outright regeneration. This, at least, he could work around.

He moved quickly, gathering two more blades of tooth as he went, then turned to rush the zombie once more. Metal cratered underfoot as he pushed himself a bit faster. He risked more damage to important structures that way, but Toxic Chainsaw was already ripping the place to shreds. Excess caution would likely end with more damage done so long as Toxic Chainsaw remained a threat.

A new chainsaw was forming from the zombie’s hand, so Toshinori’s first course of action was to once more sever the limbs. The next target was to finish his cut through the zombie’s torso, which he made with a fresh section of blade closer to his makeshift handle. This time, the blade finished its cut mostly intact. Toshinori stepped back slightly, just out of range of the splash of acid, then inexpertly thrust his blade forward to pierce what was left of the zombie’s upper body.

The tooth didn’t support it long before it melted and broke, but it let the lower section of the zombie’s body fall away. Given Toxic Chainsaw had displayed the ability to reform body parts, Toshinori didn’t want to run the risk that he could re-incorperate severed pieces if they touched. Moving quickly, Toshinori cast aside his broken tool, then flicked a finger at the now falling torso. The blast of wind threw it down the hall, where it struck the floor and deformed once again.

Toshinori leapt the zombie’s collapsing lower body, then tossed his remaining blade to his good hand as he caught up to the upper quarter. He struck out, swiping the blade through the deformed blob and cutting away another chunk, then another, and another. Then he waited, eyeing the pieces.

All four started to squirm.

Toshinori skewered a piece and flicked it away, then did the same for two more. They continued to squirm, then began to roll towards one another. He let two blobs meet, and they melded together and reformed into most of Toxic Chainsaw’s head.

It screeched at him.

Toshinori cut it in half again, the end of his second blade breaking down in the process, then glanced behind him. Sure enough, the mass that had been legs and most of the body’s abdomen was rolling slowly down the hall, followed by another lump that Toshinori guessed was probably one of the severed arms. He waved a hand in their direction and sent the lumps sprawling back the way they’d come in a rush of air, then sighed.

The sigh turned into a harsh cough, and he felt blood spill past his lips. His body ached all over, but his wound outshone his other pains by an order of magnitude. He glanced around, spotting the shattered remnants of several cameras, none of which looked like they’d be functional. He was dearly tempted to let himself relax and conserve the minutes he might have left for when it was truly necessary.

Then, from the elevator shaft, he heard a metallic thunk, and the distant roar of flames. Light shone from that direction for a moment, then a wave of fire rushed outwards as Endeavor slammed down into the crater Toshinori himself had made with his arrival. The Flame Hero stalked forward, hands alight and masked head on a swivel until he stopped, staring at what Toshinori held in his hand, then at the ground just before his feet.

“I was under the impression you had urgent need of backup.” Endeavor growled, his voice coming over the radio. “You seem to have the situation quite well in hand-”

Two of the blobs at Toshinori’s feet pulled together, which formed half a head and a chunk of torso. It still somehow managed to start screeching at him again. Endeavor startled at the sudden sound, the flames in his hands flaring for a moment.

“...Ah.” Endeavor grunted. “Is… this the last of them?”

Toshinori hesitated, then sped back through Level B10. Many had died in their restraints, either from being impaled by Moonfish, or by the Auto-Turrets. Others had been crushed when Toshinori had blasted open cells in his hunt for Tectonic. Those that hadn’t were likely among those he’d had to kill directly, or who had fallen to Toxic Chainsaw’s wide area slashes.

Within seconds, he was finished, and had returned to the entrance of the elevator shaft. The heat from Endeavor’s arrival hadn’t even finished dissipating. “We’re clear.”

“Good.” Endeavor grunted. The zombie’s head had fully reformed, and was once again howling in fury. The larger mass of his body had made it most of the way back as well, now only a few feet from the head. Endeavor raised flame-shrouded hands, and a low roar began to fill the corridor. “I’ll deal with what’s left of Toxic Chainsaw. Be on your way, All Might.”

“I appreciate the backup, Endeavor.” Toshinori said, then crouched down in the still sweltering elevator shaft. The heat had momentarily been soothing on his various achs, but the temperature had rapidly become uncomfortable, even for him. “I’ll see you topside.”

Toshinori leapt upwards. His time was limited. He’d damn well make it count.

Enji cut off his torrent of flame, sweat pouring down his face within his mask. He’d been limited in what he could do, given he hadn’t wanted to punch a hole in the bottom of the prison, but he’d still reduced the area where Toxic Chainsaw’s screaming remains had lain to slag. Along with much of the area around them.

The smouldering pit of liquid metal distorted the air with its heat, but even so he could see the destruction wreaked on the hall beyond. Walls destroyed, metal cratered and warped, blood and what remained of bodies everywhere. The sight was sickening on a multitude of levels, both in the conventional horror in the face of death, and a way tailor made for him.

All Might had taken on many of the strongest criminals the prison had to offer, and had managed to do so nearly unscathed despite being catastrophically restricted in how much of his power he could actually use. The only zombie he’d been stymied by was quite literally an opponent that should have been impossible for a brute force type like him to even meaningfully touch, and he’d still found a way to effectively win the fight.

And he’d done it all in less than 5 minutes. After fighting his way through Escher’s gauntlet, which had been filled with the occupants of three other floors.

Enji had worked himself and Shoto to the bone, and drove his entire agency nearly as hard, all in an effort to surpass All Might. While he might have succeeded in regards to cases solved, it was at times like this that he was reminded all over again just how wide the gulf between them still was. The knowledge sat heavy in his gut, the feeling of furious, maddening desperation tearing at him.

They all had so much further to go if any one of them were to hold a mere candle to All Might’s bonfire.

Enji turned from the carnage and stepped back into the elevator shaft. “Toxic Chainsaw has been eliminated. Orders?”

“Hawks brought Best Jeanist, and they’re making quick work of the zombies that remain on Level B5. All Might has cleared Levels B9, B8, and is working on B7. This will likely be over soon. Do you have a means of getting back up?”

Enji grit his teeth. “I do.”

“Return to B5 and resume the push. Security shields opening in 5, 4…”

Enji gathered fire at his hands and feet, carefully ramping up his output. He wasn’t terribly good at his makeshift flight yet, but he’d been working at it furiously ever since his shameful display in Hosu. That Nomu had no business getting away from him like that. He’d sure as hell never let something like it happen again.

The security shield above him irised open, and Enji flew back towards the battle above.

Kurogiri firmly affixed the coordinates within his mind, then pressed a small piece of himself through reality to appear there. Quickly, he popped a tiny device through that portion of himself, then glanced towards Dr. Garaki. The rotund man executed a swift series of keystrokes at his computer, then began scanning through the data that streamed onto the screen.

This wasn’t Kurogiri’s first venture into Tartarus. It was, however, the first time he’d ever been able to access anywhere other than the inside of the cremation oven. The mortician had been under All for One’s thumb even before Kurogiri had been brought into being, and had smuggled more than one sample out of the prison over the years. Once Kurogiri had entered the picture, however, All for One had used the man to get a specially modified oven installed, one which blocked the effects of Dimensional Frequency Resonators when in use. Within that pocket of space, Kurogiri had snatched up countless corpses before they’d so much as started to blacken, and delivered them to Dr. Garaki to be turned into horrors like Kurogiri.

Now, however, things were different. The Mortician had been responsible for retrieving bodies from prison cells throughout Tartarus, which had let him gather the position data necessary for Kurogiri’s Quirks to function. That had done them little good while the Resonators had been functional, but that had simply been a temporary inconvenience..

The original plan was to drop a high power EMP out of the cremation oven and let it shut down a swath of the facility. Tectonic, however, had accidentally done the job far better than they could have managed. The DFR devices were fragile things, and one good blow was often enough to destabilize them and force an emergency shutdown. Within the first few seconds of Tectonic’s Quirk being used, the devices throughout the prison had been either ruined or disabled, which had offered them up a golden opportunity.

“All scans indicate surveillance on Level B10 is down!” Garaki said gleefully, though his enthusiasm soon ebbed. “Unfortunately, it looks like many of the most interesting specimens have been ruined. Some may still be salvageable, however. Kurogiri, if you would?”

Kurogiri pressed more of himself through the dimensional wall, and soon saw first hand what the Doctor meant. Few bodies were even close to fully intact, which would make salvaging Quirks from them difficult. He’d snatch some of the more intact bodies, then take samples from the rest before doing the same on other floors.

Even if the thought of what they’d be used for made the voices within scream in horror.

Chapter Text

Kurogiri pressed more of himself through the dimensional wall, and soon saw first hand what the Doctor meant. Few bodies were even close to fully intact, which would make salvaging Quirks from them difficult, if not impossible. He’d snatch some of the more intact bodies, then take samples from the rest before doing the same on other floors.

Even if the thought of what they’d be used for made the voices within scream in horror.

Katsuki stomped from the Principal’s office for the second time in as many days, his mind a jagged mess.

Therapy. They wanted him to attend therapy.

The idea was galling. He’d always looked forward to regaling people with curated parts of his life story some day, but he’d sure as fuck never imagined he’d do it laying on a god damn chaise longue while a shrink prodded him until the juicy bits fell out. The idea was viscerally unpleasant to him for a variety of reasons.

Katsuki clenched his palms, sweat sizzling faintly as he burned away the thin film that had formed in the past few minutes. Nerves-induced sweaty palms were fantastic in the midst of combat, but were a nightmare in basically every other situation imaginable.

Naturally, Nezu hadn’t outright said what the alternative to therapy was. That would have been far too direct for the cunning little bastard. However, given the subject of conversation had touched on several of his worst moments at UA, Katsuki had a few well founded suspicions. He didn’t think the chimera would actually have the balls to expel him, given what he now knew, but Katsuki suspected the reverse was also true; Nezu knew, no matter how Katsuki felt, that he would never reveal what he knew about One for All in retaliation. He didn’t exactly want a societal collapse even sooner than the one already on the way, and he didn’t actually want Midoriya’s death on his hands despite… certain things he’d said in the past.

‘You’ll have to face that at some point.’ The bastard voice in the back of his head reminded him. ‘If you’re going to go through with therapy, it’ll come to light eventually.’

He hated that it was right.

He’d known, with the kind of detached understanding that probably didn’t say anything good about his mental health, that he’d done some seriously fucked up shit in his life. He’d been holding that knowledge at arms length for years now, judging it as though the sins belonged to someone else. He’d been safe that way, able to keep enjoying his dominance and power while insulated by his conviction that he’d be a hero some day. That he’d make up for it later by crushing villains into fucking dust and being the strongest hero to ever walk Japan.

That defense had always wavered around Midoriya, though. The scrawny little weakling that wanted to make things better now , even though he couldn’t. The one who wanted to be a hero too, but who never put in an ounce of effort to actually prepare beyond making his notebooks, as though they’d save him when he couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag . The one who kept following him around, his mere presence threatening to tear down the dividing line in Katsuki’s brain that kept him safe.

The one who’d brought out Katsuki’s worst, because anything else ran the risk of proving the little fucker right.

Then, Katsuki had won the entrance exam, and was accepted to UA just like he’d always known he would be. The place where he’d become a hero. Where he’d finally be able to put the past behind him and prove everyone who told him how amazing he’d be right. Where he’d become the best.

Except he wasn’t. Sure, he was better than just about everyone in the first year hero course, but he wasn’t the best. And the more time that had passed, the more it had felt like everyone was catching up faster than he himself was improving.

Midoriya most of all.

It had been a kick in the teeth when Midoriya had played him during the battle trial, but he’d been able to write that off as a personal failing after a bit of mental contortionism. After all, he’d still been thinking of him as Deku, the useless weakling. Had he taken things completely seriously from the start, it would have gone differently.

Then had come the sports festival, when the little shit had self sabotaged his way to a loss despite clearly being able to defeat Todoroki if he just went for the win. Katsuki had been strategizing how to handle the fucking instant glaciers for weeks to debatable success, but Midoriya had trivialized them with his self destructive bullshit strength. He’d forced Todoroki to whip out the equivalent of an entire second Quirk with equal potency to his ice, and he’d STILL almost won. Then Todoroki had turned around and completely thrown their match, as good as saying Katsuki wasn’t worth fighting after what he’d just gone up against.

That had been a staggering blow, but still one he could rationalize. Midoriya’s power was absurd, but it had severe drawbacks that he couldn’t seem to escape. He might have had more raw power, but that didn’t mean he would be a worthwhile hero. It hadn’t proved him right about anything.

Then Midoriya had defeated the Hero Killer, using a slew of abilities he’d developed in less than a week, his drawbacks suddenly nowhere to be found.

Then Midoriya nearly caught up to Katsuki in the race, despite the fact that he’d been going all out in an environment that favored him to the extreme.

Then Katsuki had learned the truth, with an unhealthy serving of gut-wrenching horror thrown in for good measure.

Each new development had struck Katsuki like a guided missile, blasting apart everything he’d thought he understood. The revelation that All Might had CHOSEN Midoriya to become the next him had punched a gaping hole right through all Katsuki’s defenses.

Midoriya, who’d idealized instead of training. Midoriya, who put himself between people and what he perceived as danger, which often meant Katsuki himself. Midoriya, who’d apparently been acting like a hero the whole time, to the point All Might recognized it and CHOSE HIM to wield his power.

That had left only one role Katsuki could have been filling.

He hated it. He rejected it. He screamed the same old things he always did, pushed everyone away, then compressed everything he was feeling down into yet another jagged shard of fear-guilt-FAILURE to hopefully never look at again.

Except, with the protective insulation torn away, that blade of pain was lodged in his chest. Without that imaginary distance between himself and the person who’d bullied and abused his way through every school he’d ever set foot in, his loathing landed exactly where it belonged. He could blame his power trip on all the people who’d enabled it, but he couldn’t pass the weight of it off onto anyone else anymore. Even if nobody had stopped him, he’d been the one who did those things. Him. His hands, his words, his Quirk.

He hated Midoriya with a passion forged from a thousand things he hadn’t dared contemplate, for fear of what he’d really find at the heart of his rage.

All he had left was the knowledge of what he’d done, raw and painful and awful. Every acknowledgement was another stab of pain as a shard slid home.

Needless to say, ‘Therapy’ was just a fancy word for ‘acupuncture with broken glass’ as far as he was concerned. But, if he still wanted to be a hero…

“Kacchan?”

Katsuki’s head snapped up, a sneer sliding into place as naturally as breathing. Midoriya and Inko had just stepped out from a side hall near the main entrance, and now both were staring at him. The sight of them made everything inside him twist up on itself, but he managed to bite back the vitriol sitting in his mouth like acid. Had it just been Midoriya, he might not have managed it.

But Inko was there.

Inko added a whole new fucking dimension to the complexity of what he was feeling. Unlike basically every other important person in his life, her belief in him hadn’t felt like an oppressive mandate he had to live up to. It hadn’t demanded anything of him. It hadn’t been a challenge. It had been simple, quiet encouragement from someone who believed in him unconditionally.

He’d failed her more thoroughly than he had anyone else.

“Katsuki? Are you alright?”

Katsuki blinked, then realized he’d been staring. He wrenched his thoughts out of their spiral, then shoved everything back down to deal with later. Or never, if he could get away with it.

‘That’s not an option anymore, and you know it.’

“M’fine.” Katsuki grunted, then pushed through the doors. Inko cocked her head at him as he passed, but he refused to focus on her again. He wasn’t sure if he could take her looking at him with worry or sympathy right now without it triggering some kind of chain reaction. To that end, he decided to distract her.

“How’re your legs doing?” He plastered on a smirk. “Hopefully not bad enough to make you give up.”

“Her… legs?” Midoriya asked warily from behind.

“I, um, went to the gym this morning.” Inko replied, embarrassment clear in her voice. “I talked to Nana last night, and decided to try exercising. I… um… I was going to join you this morning, but you and Iida weren’t there. Katsuki helped me get started, though.” Inko cleared her throat. “As for my legs, Katsuki, they’re fine. I think the elliptical was a good starting choice.”

Despite himself, Katsuki glanced back. He could see in real time as Midoriya processed what he’d just heard. Then, the damn Nerd smiled at him. It was hesitant, but more genuine than Katsuki had seen aimed his way in… longer than he wanted to think about right that moment. He was having a hard enough time keeping his balance in this conversation without actively digging through years of shit that definitely wouldn’t help.

“Well, thank you for helping her!”

Katuski tsked dismissively, but didn’t otherwise respond. Thankfully, Midoriya turned his attention back to his mother.

“As for joining me, I’d love that!” Midoriya looked genuinely excited at the idea. “I think our plan is generally to do warm up laps on the track, then move to the gym. You could join us for that if you’d like, or wait until we’re upstairs.”

“I wouldn’t want to slow you two down on your morning run. That would defeat the whole point of it. I’ll just wait until you get to the gym.” Inko shook her head, then hesitated. Slowly, she turned to look at Katsuki again, and he felt himself tense. “Unless you’re still planning to be there in the morning, Katsuki. Maybe I could join you for a bit as well, until Izuku is done with his laps?”

Katsuki damn near shot the idea down out of hand. Exercising with her around to keep reminding him of everything he was trying to avoid thinking about had been bad enough. There was no damn way he could tolerate Midoriya being there too once he moved to the gym as well.

But it wasn’t like he could just cede the gym to them either. Sure, he could go for longer in the afternoon, but he’d been doing morning exercises for most of his life. That was leaving aside the fact that, even now, there was no way in hell he was going to run away just because someone was invading his space.

Which really only left one choice, even if it was picking between a bed of nails and a bed of rusty nails.

“I’ll be there.” Katsuki grunted, then picked up his pace. The sooner he got back to the dorms and was able to put a door between them and himself, the better. “Do what you want.”

All things considered, Izuku’s morning had been pretty pleasant. He’d slept well enough, and enjoyed his and Tenya’s morning run. Their time in the gym afterwards had been… tense, but given that it involved being in relatively close quarters with Bakugo, that was better than he expected. The extra time spent with his mother had gone a long way to make the experience more enjoyable, and the determined glint in her eye had been a surprising delight.

Despite all of that, something was bothering him as he put on his school uniform.

The previous night, Toshinori’s alarm had been a sharp series of beeps. That wasn’t particularly unusual as far as alerts went, but given his usual penchant for… personalized ringtones, it seemed out of character. His request for a higher charge of Boon had been understandable, though requesting all of it had been a surprise. Given it was the end of the day, however, it was likely that Toshinori had just been running particularly short on time.

Then, he’d pulled Aizawa into it.

That had raised a few more concerns that were difficult to dismiss. There were countless situations where Eraser Head could be extremely helpful, even alongside someone as powerful as All Might. Given the sheer usefulness of someone who could nullify Quirks, not taking him along when he was right there and willing to help would have been a waste. But at the same time, a situation severe enough to have All Might actively recruit Eraser Head… that was concerning.

Regardless, it was All Might and Eraser Head working together. That combination was probably unbeatable. Barring a truly disastrous situation, it seemed unlikely anything would be able to meaningfully resist the two of them.

He’d checked for any indication of such an event, worried that the League of Villains might have made another move, but he saw nothing even remotely like that. Miruko had disassembled an organized robbery in Kochi. Pirouette had stopped a multi-car chase by using her Quirk to forcibly slow the vehicle’s wheels. Edgeshot had spearheaded a raid on a drug den in Nagano. Wash had been involved in rescue efforts in Kobe, where a storm had turned far more destructive than forecasts had predicted. There seemed to be a general increase in hero activity, but that wasn't all that unusual. Otherwise, there hadn’t been any significant events reported.

But there were also no reports of All Might in action, much less alongside an otherwise little known underground hero. The only oddity he found was a social media post, where they’d shared a video of an aircraft flying away from the Endeavor agency. There'd been a brief flicker of movement that he thought might have been All Might, but could have been video artifacting due to the aircraft.

Regardless, Endeavor’s agency mobilizing for something had prompted him to look for anything similar happening around other top Pros. Among them, he’d found that Kamui Woods had been spotted getting in a helicopter and flying north, and that Hawks had been spotted making a beeline north as well.

Toshinori had also set off northward, if Izuku’s barings were correct.

If that wasn't a coincidence, and it REALLY didn't seem like it was, then something had clearly happened. But the complete lack of information on what that something might have been was worrisome. Perhaps it had happened somewhere so remote there were no witnesses to spread information? Even then, the news would have likely gotten wind of that… unless the information was being actively suppressed .

Which was god damn terrifying to consider.

He’d sent Toshinori a message earlier, but hadn’t received a response by the time he made it to the classroom. He’d resolved himself to ask Aizawa when the opportunity presented itself, though he honestly doubted he’d get an answer if the news really was being kept quiet.

Then Nezu had walked into class just before the bell rang, and all Izuku’s fears had crystallized.

“Good morning, Principal Nezu!” Tenya popped up from his seat, arm raised in his usual greeting. “What brings you to our classroom? Is Mr. Aizawa unable to make it today?”

“Good morning to you as well, Iida.” Nezu nodded, then stepped behind the teacher’s desk. A moment later, he clambered up to stand atop it. “Mr. Aizawa and All Might were both tapped for an emergency situation last night, which is now under control. They’re fine, but due to the sensitive nature of the event, they won’t be able to teach today’s classes. For the time being, I’ll be filling in.”

Slowly, Izuku let out a breath, then pressed his lips tightly closed. ‘So it was something being suppressed after all. If they’re being held that long, then it must have been something really bad. But if Nezu is telling us that something did happen… then there’s probably an official statement coming soon.’

Anticipation laced with dread settled into Izuku’s stomach. It was somewhat better than the undirected worry he’d been feeling before, given he at least knew both Toshinori and Aizawa were alright. Hopefully the news would break soon, and he’d be able to put that feeling to rest. Unfortunately, he doubted whatever would replace it would be much better.

Izuku was most of the way through a particularly complex algebra equation when One for All began pulsing.

That, in and of itself, wasn’t particularly unusual. Normally, the Vestiges would keep the pulses under control if they weren’t trying to contact him. But it was possible for them to slip through, as had happened back in the hospital with Tenya and Tensei. He tried to keep his focus long enough to finish the problem, but a realization struck him and completely derailed his train of thought.

He didn’t recognize the pulses.

There was a sense of familiarity to them, but they didn’t belong to any of the Vestiges. Izuku focused inwards, letting the barest thread of power clarify the connection. His initial assumption was that Tsubasa had managed to communicate, but that thought was proved incorrect the moment the voice resolved.

‘It’s fine, Yoichi. I was just a bit startled is all.’

Izuku jolted in his seat. ‘Toshinori?’

‘Ah, Young Izuku! Um… Surprise?’

‘What happened? How are you here?’ A cold spike of terror set every hair on Izuku’s body on end. ‘You didn’t… You can’t have…’

‘NO! No, he’s fine, Izuku! Don’t worry!’ Yoichi replied hurriedly, sending reassurance his way. ‘From what I was able to figure out, I think you and Bruce were right about the Visitors being a function of One for All. I can sort of feel the link between One for All and Tenya through Engine, and I could feel Toshinori through Boon. Kinenkō and I have been trying to use that link to see if we could get a read on Toshinori’s condition and help you relax… Only to accidentally drag him in here once he fell asleep.’

‘Oh thank the gods.’ Izuku relaxed with a sigh. ‘Are you alright, Toshinori? Nezu said there was a highly sensitive incident last night, but didn’t say what happened. Were you or Mr. Aizawa hurt?’

‘We’re alright, Young Izuku. I'm just well and truly out of time for the day.’ Toshinori’s voice was tired, but still comforting. ‘Last night… I’ll explain in full later, once you have some privacy. But I’m safely back at Might Tower now, and I’ll be right as rain once I get a chance to see Recovery Girl. Just a bit of acid on my wrist.’

‘So it was a Villain attack.’ Izuku frowned to himself, brow furrowing. ‘Acid strong enough to hurt you is rare, though. I can only think of a few villains that might be capable of it, but most of them were either last reported in other countries or… Oh. Oh holy shit DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO TARTARUS?!’

‘...how on earth did you manage to put that together?’ Toshinori asked after a moment of stunned silence. ‘I was told the information blackout would be in place until this evening. Were there leaks?’

‘No, I put a few things together this morning when you weren’t associated with any publicly resolved cases last night. Given that the only villain I could think of that was both in Japan and capable of hurting you with acid was Toxic Chainsaw, that indicated Tartarus, which fit with the LACK of leaks. But that’s immaterial. What happened?’

‘It… was likely All for One making moves.’ Toshinoir sighed, though there was a growling undercurrent to it. ‘President Iriyō the HPSC and I discussed it, and All for One’s involvement seems like the best explanation as to how this could have possibly happened. He stands to gain from this no matter what, but God only knows what his specific goal might have been this time. Shake the public’s confidence? Sneak something in or out of Tartarus? Use this as leverage somehow? Hell, was it all a distraction for something else?’

‘What…’ Izuku swallowed, unnerved by Toshinori's unusual demeanor. ‘What happened?’

‘The long and short of it is that one of the inmates was able to unleash their Quirk, which resulted in a prison wide riot. Tartarus took severe damage, and there were a lot of casualties among the inmates. I had to fight my way through a few floors worth to stop the B10 inmates from destroying the whole prison, which is where I had to fight Toxic Chainsaw again.’

Izuku’s brain, which had juddered to a stop at the revelation, latched onto the last bit of information. ‘You beat Toxic Chainsaw without blasting the prison to smithereens? How?!’

“Midoriya?”

Toshinori huffed a tired, grim laugh. ‘Teeth.’

‘...Teeth?’ Izuku and Yoichi asked in near unison.

‘Yup.’

“Mr. Midoriya?”

‘ … You’re going to explain that in more detail later, right?’

‘I can if you’d like.’ Toshinori said, but… his words carried something more with them, like the pulses sometimes did. A moute of emotion. Regret. Horror. ‘But I warn you, it won’t be a pleasant story.’

Izuku wasn't sure how to respond to what he'd just felt. Before he got the chance to try, however, something hit the back of his chair. He startled, then glanced over his shoulder at Mineta.

Mineta cocked an eyebrow at him, then glanced pointedly towards the front of the room.

Izuku looked forward, then froze. Ectoplasm and most of the class was looking towards him, expectant. ‘Oh god, I wasn’t muttering all that, was I?’

“Mr. Midoriya, would you mind telling me the value of X?”

Izuku snapped his gaze to the board, where an entirely different equation was scrawled out, one just as complex as the one he’d originally been trying to solve. He’d be able to figure it out with a few moments to work, but with everyone already waiting for him? With everything he’d just learned still spinning in his head? Not a chance. He was on the verge of spitting out a random number out of sheer panic when his salvation came from an unexpected source.

‘X equals 37.’ Kudo grumbled.

Izuku blinked, then parroted the answer. Ectoplasm nodded, then turned back to the board. “Well done. Now then, the next question is…”

Izuku sighed in relief as the rest of the class turned back to face the front, though Uraraka, Tenya, and Jiro’s gazes all lingered longer than the others. ‘Thank you, Kudo.’

Kudo grunted, then began to pull away. ‘The lot of you. Stop distracting him. This isn’t the time or place for worldshaking revelations.’

Silence fell over the Vestige Realm as the last traces of Kudo’s disapproval faded along with him.

‘...Well.’ Toshinori eventually ventured. ‘He sounds… friendly.’

‘For Kudo, that absolutely was.’ Yoichi sighed. ‘He’s not wrong, though. The middle of Izuku’s classes probably wasn't the best time to dump all this on him, even if it wasn’t intentional.’

‘Indeed. I apologize, my boy.’

‘It’s not your fault. You didn’t exactly expect to be here, and you had no way of knowing what you said would clue me in to everything.’ Izuku assured him. ‘Get some rest. I’m sure you must be exhausted, if you were just getting to sleep.’

Toshinoir yawned audibly, then chucked wearily. ‘I can’t exactly argue with that. I’ll fill you in later. Don’t worry too much until then, if you can manage it.’

‘I’ll see what I can do about that.’ Izuku turned his focus back outwards. A new equation was scrawled across the board, and he began copying it into his notebook. He doubted he’d be able to do it mentally, given everything now occupying his thoughts. ‘No promises, though.’

“So, who do you guys think is going to be covering Heroics today?” Kaminari asked as he tugged on his gym top.

“Probably Principal Nezu again.” Kirashima responded as he checked his hair in the mirror on his way to the door. “He said he’d be filling in for Mr. Aizawa and All Might, and they’re usually the teachers for Heroics.”

“Yeah, but we were supposed to do sparring today. He doesn't look like the type who could jump in and end a spar in an emergency like they are.” Kaminari said, then grimaced. “Unless he’s going to do the usual substitute thing and make us watch a documentary or something.”

“I doubt that will be the case, Kaminari!” Tenya chopped an arm as he stood by the door, waiting for everyone to finish changing. “I imagine he’ll probably just have us run drills of some persuasion, or perhaps Quirkless sparring to better ensure safety.”

“That seems likely.” Ojiro agreed.

Izuku nodded absently in agreement as he made sure his elbow braces were properly in place. From the way he felt them snag slightly, it might be about time to see about filing down the mufflers. It wasn’t something he particularly looked forward to, but he didn’t have much of an option.

Sure enough, they arrived at Gym Gamma to find Nezu just inside the main doors. Before long, the last of the girls had joined them, and Nezu nodded to them all. “Alright, everyone! I’m sure everyone is curious about whether or not you’ll still be sparring today. Well, good news! You will be, though with a small alteration to the plan.”

Nezu waited, eyeing the class. Across the group, Yaoyorozu hesitantly asked the question he seemed to be waiting on. “And what is the alteration being made?”

“I’m quite glad you asked!” Nezu squeaked. “Rather than each other, you’ll be sparring with a special guest teacher! He’s a retired pro, and a former UA teacher who’s taken an interest in this generation of heroes!”

Izuku felt a chill. ‘...Oh. Oh crap, he was serious.’

Around him, he could hear the low buzz of students talking quietly amongst themselves. Several were trying to figure out who it could be, while others were wondering if this had been the plan to begin with. Underneath that, he could hear something else. A faint tapping sound, and the scuff of feet on concrete. A moment later, he saw the source.

Sorahiko shuffled through the doors, walking slowly and relying heavily on his cane. He wore a yellow and white plaid button down and blue jeans, along with western boots. Izuku could see a familiar vapid, mindless smile spread across his face.

The buzz of conversation died as more and more students noticed the tiny man. Once everyone had quieted, the only remaining sound was the click-shuffle-shuffle of Sorahiko’s slow progress further into the gym until he’d reach Nezu’s side. Slowly, and with a faint wobble that screamed of infirmity, Sorahiko’s head turned to face the gathered students.

“...what are all of you doing in my bathroom?”

Silence.

“Well, now that Mr. Torino has joined us, we’re ready to begin.” Nezu said cheerily. “Todoroki, please step forward and take your position. Mr. Torino, please head to the other end of the gym.”

Shoto edged forward, though he shot Izuku a flat look. Izuku raised his hands placatingly, and shook his head. This wasn’t HIS fault. He didn't know about it either! Now that he looked, Uraraka and several other people seemed to be staring at him as well. Maybe they recognized Sorahiko from the reports of the Stain incident as well?

“Um…” Ashido, not among the ones watching Izuku, raised her hand. “I don’t mean to question your decision, Mr. Nezu, but this seems… Kind of like a bad idea? I appreciate that Mr. Torino was willing to volunteer, but are you sure about this?”

“Oh, it’ll be fine!” Nezu dismissed her concerns with a smile as Torino finished shuffling to the other end of the gym. “Are you two ready?”

“Yes.” Shoto nodded, then fell into his usual stance. A chilly mist began to rise from his foot, while a haze of heat formed around his hand.

Sorahiko stuck a pinky in his ear, wiggled it around, then pulled it out. “What was that, Sonny?”

“Excellent.” Nezu chirped. “Begin!”

A glacial wave of ice ripped forward from Shoto in a roar of displaced air. It spread until it spanned the entire width of the gym, then crashed into the far wall in a teeth rattling collision. The sound of crackling frost filled the air as the temperature dropped sharply, and several students immediately began to shiver.

“HOLY SHIT, MAN!” Kaminari screeched. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO ALL THAT FOR? HE’S JUST AN OLD-”

Sorahiko appeared behind Shoto in a yellow blur of movement. Shoto tried to turn and face him, but only received a brutal kick to his shoulder for his efforts. Shoto slammed into his own ice bulwark with a muffled grunt, then swung out with his left hand in retaliation. A wave of fire leapt out, briefly warming the watching students, but Sorahiko was already behind him again, kicking his legs out from under him. Shoto tried to roll as he fell, but Sorahiko grabbed his leg and fowled his attempt. In response, Shoto unleashed a blast of ice from the leg in an attempt to catch his assailant, but Sorahiko rapidly jetted to his left side, grabbing the front of Shoto’s uniform on the way. Propelled by Jet, he whipped Shoto around and tossed him towards the watching students, then shot after him.

Shoto summoned a wall of ice as he rolled across the ground in a final desperate attempt at defense, but Sorahiko zipped around it easily. He stopped Shoto’s roll with a foot planted in between his shoulder blades, then hopped slightly to press his other foot into the back of Shoto’s dazed head. Shoto went extremely still, then weakly raised his hands in surrender. Or, at least he tried, given he was face down on concrete with someone standing on him.

“Not bad, zygote.” Sorahiko grunted. “Should try to refine your small scale focused application of your Quirk, but you’ve got a solid base. You need a lot of work on melee, though.”

Dead silence.

“First lesson of the day, students!” Nezu said as he gestured to Sorahiko. “Never, under any circumstance, judge a book by its cover. Villains come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. If you ever find yourself fighting an elderly villain, be careful. They likely survived that long for a very good reason. Furthermore, in our superhuman society, appearances are often deceiving. Be cautious at all times, especially when it seems like you can let your guard down.”

Several students nodded. Many others were now eyeing Izuku with a mix of sympathy, wonder, and realization. Sato sidled up next to him, then leaned down slightly. “Was he, uh… like this during your whole internship?”

“Um…” Izuku tried to think of a diplomatic way to answer that question. “Well, he let me put my costume on when I first got there, so that was a solid three minutes… And he slept in a bit the second day… And we didn’t spar as much after my time in the hospital… so technically not the ENTIRE internship. But yeah, most of it.”

Sato stared at him for a second, as did what felt like everyone around them. “Well shit. No wonder you made three people’s worth of breakthroughs in less than a week. That’s a trial by fire if I've ever heard of one.”

“He mellowed out a bit at the end, so it probably won’t be-” A small chunk of ice bounced off Izuku’s head, and he turned to find Sorahiko glaring at him.

“Don’t go ruining my reputation, brat.” Sorahiko griped. “I’m not a softie like the teachers here nowadays, and Nezu’s given me carte blanche to drill some fast paced combat instruction into everyone’s head. Don’t make me use you as an example.”

“Was I not an example?” Shoto groaned from the ground, still underneath Sorahiko.

“Multiple examples are often best.” Sorahiko said cheerily, then hopped off the prone student with an unsettling grin. “Alright Nezu, who’s my next plaything?”

Nezu’s eyes gleamed as he swept them over the gathered students. “Who indeed…”

‘...Oh, those two are a DANGEROUS combination.’

Izuku had to give Sorahiko a bit of credit. He didn’t go all out against every student. No, he simply adjusted his speed to the point he was just outside each student’s ability to properly defend against him. Some students made him work for it a bit harder than others, such as Kaminari with his newly developed ability to conduct shocks through contact, Hagakure’s invisibility, and Kirashima’s sheer durability. On the flip side, the vast majority of students struggled to do more than take the blows and stay upright.

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow had seemed to be doing well until Sorahiko had prodded Dark Shadow into a rage-fueled lunge, at which point Sorahiko had zipped in and struck Tokoyami down. Tenya had managed to keep their game of tag going for several minutes, but wasn’t quite able to leverage his speed against an opponent so much more agile than himself.

Bakugo had done the best by far. He was clearly the most familiar with rapid midair combat, and was able to defend against Sorahiko’s strikes with acrobatic dodges and well placed explosions. While he still hadn’t been able to match Sorahiko in an aerial dogfight, it was closer to watching a falcon hunt a sparrow than a mouse.

The one who had struggled the most, however, had been Yaoyorozu. She’d immediately started generating something the moment the match had begun, but Sorahiko had appeared from nowhere and kicked the emerging object. Yoayorozu had been spun around by the force of it, while the object had popped off and clattered away, clearly incomplete. After that, she’d tried to create a few more constructs, but she’d been harried by blisteringly fast attacks until Sorahiko had finally put her down for the count. Izuku had felt awful for her as she limped her way back to the rest of the students, her face downcast and posture screaming of disappointment and embarrassment.

Then, it was down to one last student. Izuku himself.

“Been looking forward to a friendly rematch all day, Zygote.” Sorahiko grunted, rolling his shoulders. For all the world, he looked like he’d barely broken a sweat despite having systematically disassembled 19 other people in little more than a half hour. “Think you can finally land a hit?”

Izuku sucked in a breath, then let it hiss out between his teeth as he pulled on Full Cowling. The buzz of its energy rushed through him, accented by the prickling sensation of Danger Sense awakening. “I suppose we’ll find out, won’t we?”

“I suppose we will.” Sorahiko’s smile turned outright predatory.

DANGER

Blackwhip sprung from Izuku’s ankles and adhered to the ground. Firmly anchored, he leaned backwards at the knees just in time for Sorahiko to pass a foot through the space his head had been occupying. Izuku snapped out a punch, 6% reinforcing him to the point he could do so despite his awkward position. Sorahiko twisted around it, then clamped a hand around Izuku’s wrist in the same motion. He used his anchor to drill a kick downwards, but Izuku was just barely fast enough to snap his head to the side and out of the way with a bit of forewarning from Danger Sense. The blast of air made Izuku’s hair whip wildly, but other than that he was unscathed.

‘Don’t get cocky. He’ll smell that from a mile away and pulverize you for it.’ Nana cautioned.

‘Oh, trust me, I’m aware.’ Izuku replied as he flung himself to the side, Sorahiko streaking back downward to strike the ground. He could vaguely hear Tenya shouting something about Sorahiko not waiting for Nezu to start the match, and smiled slightly. ‘That said, I want to see how I do without Boon. I won’t always have it on hand to let me tank hits, so I should try to spar without it more often.’

‘Picked a hell of a time to start, kid.’ Daigoro snickered. ‘Best of luck!’

‘Thanks for the vote of confidOOFSHITOUCH-’

Izuku somersaulted through the air, his ribs aching. Sorahiko had pulled off a fancy piece of acrobatics, and had converted the momentum of a missed aerial axe kick into a roundhouse that slammed into Izuku’s ribs before Danger Sense had even finished spiking. Another lance of mental pain alerted him to an incoming strike, and Izuku punched a strand of Blackwhip through the back of his shirt and towards the ceiling, then yanked. He arced up sharply and absorbed the impact with a low crouch, watching the area below him warily. More strands of Blackwhip shot out to anchor him as they had before, until Izuku could stand upside down with little issue.

“Taking to the rafters, eh?” Sorahiko called from below. “That’s my domain, you know. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Anywhere with a bit of open space is your domain! I was just trying to be in a different part of it than you.” Izuku shot back, then carefully called Blackwhip to coat his arms beneath his sleeves. He doubted he could catch Sorahiko with the same trick he had before, but if nothing else he could use it to absorb some of the impact.

An idea snapped into place in Izuku’s head just before Sorahiko’s foot tried to do the same. Izuku whipped an arm up to block, but didn’t send Blackwip out to grasp at the limb. Blackwhip thrummed in disappointment, but there was an undercurrent to it. It didn’t like not grabbing when presented with the opportunity, but… it was willing to let Izuku try something. Izuku suppressed a smile, then formed a sheet of Blackwhip across his back, mostly hidden beneath what was left of his jacket.

Izuku let Sorahiko work him over a bit, fending him off as best he could while waiting for his chance. Then, just as he hoped, Sorahiko ended his assault with a kick to the back of the knees, in preparation to punt Izuku back down to earth with a blast from Jet.

In response, Izuku unleashed Smokescreen underneath the sheet of Blackwhip just as the elderly hero lashed out. The layer of Blackwhip shredded the back of his top as it ballooned out and absorbed part of the impact, vibrating with excitement as it tried to envelope Sorahiko. Unfortunately, Izuku was still shot downwards from the maneuver, though Sorahiko’s startled cry was almost worth the bone-jarring impact when he struck the ground. His hands and feet felt like static from catching himself, but he was able to stand all the same. He reached backwards, but to his disappointment it didn’t seem the sudden expansion of Blackwhip had managed to catch his opponent.

Then he felt Blackwhip thrum with satisfaction, and revised that assessment. But if he hadn't caught Sorahiko, then what…?

Izuku released Blackwhip and glanced back at what had fallen from his back.

‘...oooooooooooooh fuck he’s going to kill me.’

Nana burst out cackling.

DANGER

“IZUKU YOU LITTLE SHIT!” Sorahiko shot at him from the ceiling. "YOU STOLE MY FUCKING PANTS!”

“I’M SORRY!” Izuku scrambled away as Sorahiko landed in a blast of air, his shirt fluttering up to reveal, thank the gods, underwear that hadn’t been stripped off him like his jeans and boots had been. Sorahiko hurriedly shoved the pants back on, sending Izuku the mother of all death glares the whole time. “THAT WAS MEANT TO CATCH YOU, NOT… NOT THAT!”

“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU MEANT, YOU’RE DEAD!”

Sorahiko shot forward like a murderous missile, and Izuku pulled out his only other possible trump card.

“Everyone hold your breath!” Izuku yelped, then sucked in a lungful of his own. He blasted out Smokescreen, aiming most of it in Sorahiko’s direction. At the same time, he lunged toward the far side of the gym, hoping he’d spare his classmates the worst of it. Sorahiko shot past him by a hair's breadth, leaving a path of writhing smoke behind him. Izuku could barely see him punch through to the other side, where he started coughing.

“Oh, that’s a vicious little trick.” Sorahiko growled. “I can’t use my Quirk if I can’t breathe properly, so you’re combating me by polluting the air. I guess I’ll have to end this now, then.”

DANGERDANGERDANGERDANGER

Sorahiko shot through the smoke in a dizzying series of movements that, even with Danger Sense, Izuku had a hard time registering properly, much less doing anything about. It became immediately clear that this, at long last, was Gran Torino’s top speed. Even at 6% and in a larger room that was being filled with an ever increasing amount of smoke, Izuku just couldn’t keep up. He held out far better than he had the last time they really sparred, but even so, the results ended more or less the same.

Sorahiko shot through the smoke cloud, dodged a Blackwhip strand with a tiny puff of air, then planted a foot in Izuku’s gut. The impact winded him and carried both of them through the open double doors and out onto the P.E. Grounds, where Sorahiko rode Izuku’s prone figure like a toboggan across the dirt. They slid to a dusty stop in front of Nezu and the rest of class 1-A, who’d evidently left the building to escape the smoke.

Both Izuku and Sorahiko panted heavily as they glared at each other. Then, Izuku let his head drop back onto the dirt.

“I give.” He gasped out. “Good spar.”

“Yer’ a bit better, I’ll give you that much.” Sorahiko grunted as he released the front of Izuku’s top and stepped off his chest. “If you hadn’t given everyone a heads up, you might have actually gotten me with that smoke trick. Kind of had to, though. You can’t go gassing out bystanders, even if it means your opponent gets a bit of an edge.”

“Thanks.” Izuku grunted. “So, did… that count as landing a hit on you?”

Sorahiko glowered at him. “Pantsing someone is not the same as hitting them.”

‘I’d argue that’s actually WAY more impressive.’ Nana countered, then briefly devolved into a fit of giggles. ‘I know that was probably kind of scarring for you, but that was absolutely HILARIOUS for me.’

Izuku huffed, then hauled himself to his feet and stretched. He grit his teeth as the myriad of aches and pains distributed across his body lit up in brilliant detail, the sensations much sharper without Boon to act as a buffer. He tried to will the grime away, then felt foolish when reality didn’t bend to his will as easily as it did within the Vestige Realm. He glanced around, then froze as he realized that the entirety of the class was staring at him in stupefaction. None of them said anything. None of them really moved. They just stared at him.

Behind him, Izuku heard the fire alarm in the gym go off. He glanced back, then winced at the sight of the sprinkler system spraying everything at full force.

‘Warned you.’ Came En’s amused voice.

‘...That you did.’ Izuku mentally sighed. ‘That you did.’

“Well, I think that was an excellent final spar!” Nezu said, finally breaking the silence. “Seeing as we wrapped that up early, and the Gymnasium is temporarily out of commission, we’ll be doing some hand to hand spars until lunch. Everyone form up!”

Chapter Text

“Well, I think that was an excellent final spar!” Nezu said, finally breaking the silence. “Seeing as we wrapped that up early, and the Gymnasium is temporarily out of commission, we’ll be doing some hand to hand spars until lunch. Everyone form up!”

Chiyo carefully inspected Kaminari’s finger. The break didn’t seem particularly bad; It was a clean one, with just a bit of misalignment due to how he’d broken it. She’d already dosed it with local anesthetic, so she delicately applied pressure until it slid back into place. Even with the anesthesia, Kaminari groaned a bit, refusing to look down while she worked. Once the edges of the break settled together, she planted a gentle kiss on the back of Kaminari’s hand, the usual tingling sensation zinging through her lips as Heal did its work.

“Obviously, you’d ordinarily want to splint a break like this, or bind it to a neighboring finger.” She said as she watched the bruised swelling fade. Next to her, Midoriya nodded earnestly, eyes focused on the finger. He still looked vaguely guilty, though it faded a bit as the tension left his classmate’s shoulders.

“Thanks, Recovery Girl!” Kaminari smiled brightly, relief in his tone. He carefully flexed his hand, and his smile broadened further. “Good as new!”

“Of course. Now, take a gummy, and the both of you head for lunch.”

Kaminari nodded appreciatively as he popped the vitamin in his mouth, then both he and Midoriya stood.

“I’m really sorry about all this.” Midoriya said as he pulled open the door for his classmate.

Kaminari scowled at him, then waggled a finger reproachfully. “As you should be! It’s totally your fault I threw a bad punch and broke a finger on your washboard abs.” The mock stern facade broke as Kaminari only half way suppressed a laugh. “I told you already, it's not your fault. It was the last round of sparring, and I got sloppy. Besides, you used your glowy ring thing on it and walked me here!”

“It was the least I could do.” Midoriya’s voice grew fainter as they set off down the hall. “Besides, I got some extra training out of it. Seeing a practical demonstration…”

Chiyo shook her head bemusedly, then waited. The door finished swinging closed with a soft hiss and a click, then the room fell quiet.

She continued to wait.

A sigh came from overhead, and a ceiling panel slid to the side. Sorahiko dropped to the floor next to her, pouting slightly. “Your situational awareness hasn’t dulled I see.”

“Nor has your penchant for hiding in crawl spaces.” Chiyo cocked an eyebrow at him. “Just because you can fit in Nezu’s personal highway doesn't mean you should, Sorahiko.”

He rolled his eyes. “Like I’d pass up the opportunity now that I kind of fit.”

“That level of self restraint would definitely be beyond you.” Chiyo scoffed, then set about fixing the bed Kaminari had sat on. “So, what precisely brings you here? Did someone manage to actually hurt you during what I imagine was a barely disguised pummeling?”

“Just my pride.” Sorahiko sighed. “Can’t exactly ask you to kiss that better, can I?”

She shot him a flat look. “A few years late for that, yes.”

He winced. “Sorry. That probably wasn’t the best way to start… this.”

“No.” Chiyo shook her head. “But it was very you, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise.”

“So it was.” Sorahiko said under his breath. “That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of my character. Then again, neither was the last 30 odd years.”

“Retrospect is very rarely flattering.” She tugged a last fold flat, then turned to face him, arms crossed. “To keep this from becoming yet another thing to look back on and cringe at, I’m going to cut the pussyfooting short. Say what you’re going to say.”

That got a sharp laugh out of him. “I guess it was your turn to be in character. Yeah, fine.” Despite his agreement, Sorahiko spent a painfully long second just staring into open space, a booted foot tapping quickly against the tile floor.

“I’m sorry.”

Silence.

“That’s it?” Chiyo asked, bemused. “You work up the courage to actually talk to me for the first time in years, and that’s what you manage?”

Sorahiko spluttered.

Chiyo laughed.

“Don't laugh!” Sorahiko spluttered harder. “This is hard enough without me feeling any more like a bad joke! I just… I treated you horribly. I up and ended things out of nowhere after almost three years. Sure, I was grieving Nana’s death, but that doesn't excuse me taking any of it out on you.”

Chiyo shook her head, exasperated. “No, it wasn’t exactly a great end to our relationship. But I always knew part of you belonged to her, even if not in a romantic way. Between her death and your empty nest syndrome when Toshinori left, it’s no wonder you were a mess.”

The spluttering stopped, replaced by sheer incredulity. “My WHAT?”

“Oh, don’t act like you didn’t miss Toshinori when he was gone. Sure, it might have been mixed up with a bunch of other feelings, but I saw you in the days after he left. You were so lost, and you were still jumping at shadows after All for One’s attack on Nana. You threw yourself into hero work even harder than usual, and spent more and more time far afield.” She let out a deep, tired breath. “I knew things weren’t going to last much longer. It hurt, but I’d already accepted that it was happening. The only surprise was the absolute hogwash reasoning you spewed for WHY you were leaving.”

Sorahiko sucked his teeth, nodding. “Yeah, in retrospect, leaving UA to avoid drawing attention to it was… really conceited.”

“Try suicidal.” Chiyo snapped, an echo of her old horrified fury flaring up. “THAT’S why I flipped my lid. If he’d really been interested in hunting you down, you would have effectively gift wrapped yourself and sat down on his front porch with that stunt! You basically cut off your entire support network to go play chicken with the shinigami! I was half way expecting to get a call asking when I’d last seen you right up to the day Toshinori came back, because there sure as shit wouldn’t have been a body if he got to you!”

Sorahiko shrunk down in the face of her anger, and she realized she’d unconsciously moved in close. She stepped back, then let out a sharp breath.

“...I clearly wasn’t thinking straight at the time.” Sorahiko said, frowning. At her sharp look, he raised his hands wardingley. “That’s not an excuse, that’s a realization! As much as I knew I was in a bad place, I don’t think I actually realized the full extent of how screwed up I was back then. That’s probably not much of a surprise, given… well…”

“Given that it took 37 years to actually address the fact that you made mistakes?”

“Yes. That.” Sorahiko sighed. “And even then, this is probably only happening because I got to see Nana again. That gave me the frame of reference I needed to realize that so many of the things that had gone wrong in my life traced back to me. I know I probably can’t completely fix a lot of that, but… maybe I still have time to try.”

“And what does trying look like to you?”

“Well, apologizing for one.” Sorahiko grunted. “After that… that’s dependent on what you’re willing to tolerate. Obviously, our old relationship is dead and gone. I’m not looking to reignite that spark. But… we made good friends too, before someone decided to drag me into that broom closet down the hall.”

Chiyo rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Well YOU weren’t going to make the first move.”

Sorahiko pouted. “I was working on that, damn it! I was just planning on taking you out to eat a nice dinner, instead of eating each other’s faces off while I had a mop handle up the back of my cape and my foot in a bucket.”

“Mmhm. Sure you were.” Chiyo patted him on the head patronizingly, which provoked the familiar mixture of indignance and amusement it had whenever they played this joke out years ago. “You’re right that romance is well and truly off the table. Even if I was looking for someone, there’s too many years of hurt and worry between us for you to fill the roll again. But a friend…”

Wistfully, Chiyo leaned back against the wall. They’d been acquainted for years before they got together, though only truly friends for about a year of that. That friendship had been intense though, as most things in the lives of Heroes tended to be. While his friendship with Nana had far eclipsed what they’d shared, that was like comparing a bonfire to a wildfire. She had been more than content to enjoy that warmth, even if she’d eventually decided she wanted something more. To have that friendship back again, or at least something like it…

“I’m willing to see how it plays out.” She smiled slightly at his look of relief, then held up two fingers as she stepped towards her desk and pulled open a drawer. “There are conditions, though.”

He eyed her warily, like he’d just turned over a pretty rock to find a Mamushi coiled and hissing beneath. “And those would be…?”

“Firstly, you’re going to tell me how exactly how a bunch of first years managed to hurt your pride.”

“...should have kept my damn mouth shut.” Sorahiko hissed with a wince. “Ok, fine. What’s your second-”

The bottle she’d thrown bounced off his forehead and spun into the air. “TAKE YOUR GOD DAMN PILLS!”

Sorahiko recovered in time to catch the bottle, then stared down at it owlishly. “...How’d you even get these?”

“You never took my name off the list of people authorized to pick your prescriptions up for you. Given I knew you couldn’t stay away now that things have gotten interesting again, I figured I could shove them down your idiot throat if need be.” She smirked at him as he glared down at the orange plastic tube. “Now then, tell the doctor what hurts.”

Sorahiko turned his glare on her for a second, then a small laugh broke through. “Fine then. Promise you’ll still respect me at least a little bit in five minutes?”

“Not a damn chance. Start talking.”

“Yaoyorozu, could I speak with you for a moment?” Iida asked, then adjusted his glasses. “At your convenience, of course.”

Momo paused in surprise, then hurriedly stepped out of the main entryway so that the rest of the class could make their way into the dorms. Tenya nodded to her appreciatively, then led her towards the dining hall. Though his pace was crisp, he was obviously walking slower for her benefit.

‘Not even fast enough to keep up with him walking.’ Part of her thought. The thought was patently ridiculous of course; Iida, if left to his own devices, would power walk everywhere faster than most could run. He ALWAYS slowed down when walking with others out of politeness. With everything else she had to feel bad about, this shouldn’t even have registered. But somehow that superfluous little failure fit right in with the ones that loomed over her.

The first among those was her farce of a performance at the sports festival. She’d done well enough to get to the third round, but only because she’d quite literally been riding on her teammate’s coattails. She’d provided assistance, but none of her contributions were a defining factor in why they’d made it that far. Once she had to stand on her own, Tokoyami had handily defeated her in a matter of seconds before she could even form a plan.

In broad daylight, when he was at his weakest.

Many had tried to reassure her; After all, he’d gone on to place 3rd. He was one of the powerhouses of 1A. Sometimes you just got unlucky with a matchup. She’d do better next time.

So, naturally, she’d gone and messed up the next thing too.

In retrospect, Uwabami wasn’t even that good an idea on paper. Oh, yes, great plan to go to a hero with literally no overlap whatsoever for training. She’d certainly picked up a few things relevant to her career, mostly about search and rescue work or tracking, but… a depressing amount of her time had been spent as an add-on to whatever advertisement Uwabami was making that day. Part of her felt a little better because Kendo had made the same mistake she had… but then she just felt bad that both of them had wasted their opportunity.

When she’d learned about everything that happened in Hosu, just for a moment, she’d felt slightly relieved at the mundanity of her internship. As frustrated as she’d been by her lackluster performance and underwhelming mentor, she’d told herself she would have the following years to make up for it. None of them were ready to face the kind of thing Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya had found themselves in the middle of, even if they’d miraculously come out on top.

Frankly, when the majority of credit was ascribed to Midoriya, she had felt… doubtful. He was a wonderful person, and unquestionably had near limitless potential if he managed to get his blatantly undertrained Quirk under control. But to have made enough progress to combat Stain in less than a week, even with help? It had seemed impossible, at least without causing catastrophic damage to the city and requiring far more medical attention than he’d needed.

Any doubts that might have lingered were completely and irrevocably obliterated when they’d all watched the Rescue Race footage. Midoriya might not have finished, but what she’d seen in those minutes of video had felt like a completely different person. While she’d been modeling toothpaste, Midoriya had been rising like a rocket. Where she’d barely squeaked in 4th place in her race, he’d been a shoe in for 2nd, and a genuine contender for 1st, in the top bracket.

The exercise with Gran Torino had simply confirmed what she’d already known, albeit in grand fashion.

She'd fallen far, far behind.

“Yaoyorozu?”

Momo blinked, then blushed in embarrassment and shame. They’d been standing in the otherwise empty dining hall for a bit now, but she’d been so absorbed in herself that she’d barely noticed. “I apologize, Iida. What did you want to talk about?”

Iida examined her, brow furrowed, then glanced around… nervously? After a moment, he pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit. She hesitantly obliged. ‘What’s going on here? Did I do something wrong? Oh, I must have done something-’

Iida settled into the seat across from her, then took a deep breath. “Are you alright, Yaoyorozu?”

“Perfectly fine, thank you Iida.” Momo responded automatically. “Why do you ask?”

Iida once again hesitated. “You’ve seemed… upset, several times since we returned from internships. As Class President, I wanted to ensure that you’re ok. Much has happened recently, and it’s entirely reasonable to be overwhelmed. If you wish to talk, I’m here.”

Ah. So she’d been obvious enough that not only had Iida noticed, but he felt obligated to try and address the issue directly. He’d nearly been crippled by the serial killer who'd almost killed his brother. He’d undergone a Quirk Awakening he was still learning to control. And yet here he was, trying to comfort her because she was upset over her failures and shortfalls.

Pathetic. She was pathetic.

Momo snapped the smile she’d learned at her parent’s events in place, artificial but believable enough that people wouldn’t call her bluff. “I assure you, Iida, I’m perfectly fine. There’s no need for you to worry about me.”

“You’re certain?” Iida asked, eyes still worried. “Even if it’s something small, I’m happy to listen.”

‘Small is doing me too much justice.’ Momo thought as she moved to stand. “I’m certain, Iida. I appreciate the concern-”

Iida’s hand snapped out and clasped her around the forearm. They both froze, surprised by the action. Then, a flash of panic raced across his features and he snatched his hand back.

“I-I apologize, Yaoyorozu. That was rude of me. Of course, if you say you're fine, then you’re…” He trailed off, then slumped in his seat. “I'm horrible at this. I should have asked someone else to check on you. Perhaps Jiro, given she’s your friend. Maybe Izuku.”

“Midoriya?” Momo asked, confused. Kyoka was already aware of Momo’s internship woes and had been trying to help cheer her up, so Iida’s instinct there was correct. But Midoriya?

Iida nodded absently as he messaged the bridge of his nose.

“He's proved quite good at talking people through things… assuming they give him the chance.” Iida grimaced. “Back before internships, he checked on me. Offered to listen if I wanted to talk, and to help however he could. Had I accepted… it's possible that the Stain debacle would never have happened. That I wouldn't have charged in, blinded by rage, instead of calling for help. That I wouldn't have failed so spectacularly to live up to the ideal of a Hero.”

Slowly, Momo settled herself back in her seat. “What… happened?”

Iida’s mouth thinned. “Something I’m not entirely at liberty to say. As pertains to me, I made a horrible decision and a foolish mistake that absolutely should have cost me everything. The only reason it didn’t was because Izuku arrived to pull me out of the fire, then did just about everything I should have done in the first place. Had he not, and had Todoroki not arrived when he did, then both Izuku and I would have paid dearly for my failure.”

Iida leaned back in his seat with a sigh. “My actions were unbecoming of a hero in training, much less the President of the class. I’ve wondered if everyone would have been better off if he’d kept the Class President position, or if I’d become Vice President to you. It seems like such a small thing, in the grand scheme, but I can’t shake the question.”

Momo shook her head quickly. “I disagree. You’ve done a wonderful job as President!”

He smiled, though it was slightly wan. “I appreciate that, Yaoyorozu. However, I can also recognize times where I was an ill fit. My rigidity may serve me well when corralling our classmates, but it has made times where a gentler touch was needed… unwieldy. You’ve been there to cover those shortcomings, while also serving in an equal or greater capacity in most areas where I excel.”

“I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit.” Momo shook her head again. “And regardless, I’ve made far too many mistakes this year. I’m sure I would have done everything all wrong…”

Tenya frowned. “Why would you think that?”

Momo paused as she registered what she’d just said, then eyed Iida consideringly. “Did you do that on purpose?”

Iida blinked. “Do… what?”

“Lead me into talking about what's been bothering me.”

Iida looked sheepish. “I wasn’t entirely sure what was bothering you, but I had suspicions. I thought sharing some of my own concerns about my recent shortfalls might help make you comfortable enough to share what was weighing on your own mind. As I said, I’m… not especially good at handling things like this in the usual way. When you went to leave, the only way forward I could see was to try and lead by example. I apologize if it was heavy handed.”

Momo shook her head, then settled more firmly into her seat. “No, it’s alright. Though if you got me here without my realizing, then I don’t think you can claim to be bad at this.”

“While it might have been a workable method to speak with you, I doubt it will be applicable in many situations.” Iida countered. “But I really must ask why you feel you’d have done poorly as Class President. When I said I thought you could have been a better option than I, I meant it. It’s something I’ve wondered over even before internships made the idea so much harder to ignore.”

Momo hesitated, then took the plunge. “That… is tied into what I’ve been upset about. I apologize for refusing to talk about it initially, but I didn’t want to burden you with such a meaningless issue after what you’ve recently been through.”

Iida sat up straight and raised his arm to chop, but then relaxed his posture and settled into his seat again. “I… believe that there is no such thing as a ‘meaningless’ issue. If it is enough to bother you, then it is meaningful. Whatever help I can offer, I will do so.”

“There isn’t much anyone else can do about this.” Momo sighed. “I’ve remained stagnant since the beginning of the year, while everyone else has improved by leaps and bounds. My Sports Festival performance was unbecoming of a Recommended student. My internship was wasted on my Mentor’s photo ops, and I didn’t learn any of what I went in hoping to. The rescue race once again demonstrated how much everyone else improved while I stayed the same. Then, the spar today…”

Iida grimaced. “That was… humbling for me as well. I can see how that style of teaching could make someone like Izuku thrive, but for many in the class, I fear it did more harm than good.”

Momo nodded. “I understand that it was supposed to help us fight against an opponent we can’t keep up with. That’s certainly something I in particular need, which I knew even beforehand. But seeing my performance compared to everyone else’s… I feel like I’ve squandered my time at UA. I started at the top of the class, then spent the entire semester making mistakes and falling behind. I feel like I can’t trust my judgement anymore, and that's terrifying.”

Momo swallowed hard. She hadn’t even outright admitted as much to Kyoka, though she suspected her friend had worked out the core of her worries regardless. For years, she’d worked to learn the composition of as many useful tools as possible. Electronics, medicines, simple utility items, anything she thought would be useful in her eventual hero career. She’d been confident going in, and early on it had seemed like that was well placed. But now, when faced with practical scenarios, she was freezing up. She’d have so many options tumbling through her mind, and she couldn’t tell, or couldn’t trust herself to tell, which was the right one.

Suddenly, what she’d considered to be her greatest strength was now her deepest weakness.

Iida nodded slowly, concern in his eyes. “I would advise speaking to Hound Dog, though I imagine that's already something you were considering.”

“It was…” Momo grimaced. “But it felt like such a silly thing to bother him with that I was questioning that idea.”

Iida blinked, then his brow furrowed. “I see. This does seem to be a particularly difficult issue to navigate from your position. I assure you, this is absolutely something that warrants his attention as soon as you can schedule an appointment. Regardless of how it may feel to you at the moment, you deserve to be here, Yaoyorozu. From what I’ve seen, you have an incredible potential paired with an extremely complex Quirk. Were I in your place, I fear I wouldn’t be able to accomplish even a modicum of what you already do with casual ease, much less what you consider challenging.”

“I appreciate you saying so, Iida.” Momo said, and tried for a smile. It came a bit easier this time than it had before, and felt a bit more natural. What he said wasn’t all that different from what others had, but the matter-of-fact way he said it struck her differently. Perhaps… “Were you in my position, what would you do in order to improve?”

Iida steepled his fingers and considered her. “Am I understanding correctly that your primary concerns are your ability to handle fast paced combat, and to trust your judgement?”

At her nod, he continued. “If memory serves, the relative complexity of what you’re creating impacts the time it takes to produce it. I imagine that comes into play far more with larger and more intricate items than, say, a staff, but it applies to everything you make.”

Another nod.

Iida brought a finger to his chin in a move strikingly reminiscent of Midoriya. Slowly and with great care, he began to speak. “It would likely be a substantial undertaking, but would it make sense to work with support to create a series of streamlined tools for your use? Designed specifically for you, even if they had no means to realistically manufacture them?”

That… somehow wasn't something she'd considered before. Perhaps, it was in part because the templates she learned from were so abstract. After all, she was considering the placement of molecules, not the specifics of internal wiring.

Now that she considered it, even something as basic as a flashlight had a variety of ways it could be made more efficient for her. A single solid piece, rather than a construct that needed threads and clips to hold it together. Rigid casings around wires leading directly from an encased battery, rather than a tangle of internal wires and mechanisms to make the battery replaceable. Little to no shaped plastic needed to accommodate aspects that were removed. It could be made little more than a plastic tube with a battery and a light. Perhaps even metal, so it could pull double duty as a weapon in a pinch.

The idea that she might have to re-learn basic tools after all the time she’d dedicated to memorizing them stung. However, she couldn't deny that streamlining her creations could dramatically accelerate her ability to make them.

Iida, however, wasn't finished. “If nothing else, it could help your choice paralysis by restricting your options for items you need as quickly as possible. With a small selection of emergency items that are as basic as possible while still being useful, it might be easier to choose while under pressure. Similar to how you quickly produced your shield in your fight with Tokoyami. But instead, perhaps it's a flashlight, or a flash bang, or-”

“Magnesium flair.” Momo responded automatically, then blushed when that brought Iida up short. “Sorry. I thought about it a lot after my loss, and that's what I settled on…”

“I think that would have been perfect! Simple, quick, and effective.” Iida smiled brightly. “I'm sure that in time, you'll be able to pull something complex and perfectly suited to every situation out at a moment's notice. But if I was worried about my ability to respond quickly, I'd make sure I have access to a small but broadly useful selection of tools I could make immediately.”

She nodded. That did seem like a good, proactive first step. But that still left her with the issue of being able to respond appropriately in the first place. They had access to the Quirk Training Supervision System now, so she could set up a session with one of the teachers, but that begged an important question.

“Which teacher do you think could best help me with training my combat judgement?” Momo asked, mind racing. “I'm sure any one of them would be perfectly capable, but most don't have the sheer variety of options I'd have to sort through. Perhaps Principal Nezu? I'm sure he'd be too busy, though…”

“Actually…” Iida said, consideringly. “I believe I know the perfect teacher to ask!”

Inko was helping with the post-dinner cleanup when the official statement was released. She’d been elbow deep in sudsy water alongside Ojiro and Tsu when she’d heard the commotion in the dining hall, shortly before Izuku had come to bring them out to the lounge.

So it was that she, clad in her ducky apron and with suds still clinging to her arms, learned the zombie apocalypse had barely been avoided.

The report was clearly framed to make it seem less horrifying than it was, focusing on the relative brevity of the event and the major roles of the heroes in shutting it down. They didn't explicitly mention any link to the League of Villains, which Izuku had warned her of. She supposed that made sense. After all, that link was apparently a high level secret that both sides tried to keep from the public eye.

But no matter how they tried to frame it, there was only so much they could do. In the face of the worst calamity in more than 20 years, and a monumental blow to Japan’s security, no careful words could mask what a disaster it was. Nothing they said could stop the singular thought consuming her mind.

‘They’re starting again.’

Certainly, the disasters of her childhood and early adulthood had been far different. While they’d lacked the potentially apocalyptic threat of the Tartarus Outbreak, they’d certainly felt like the end of the world for many people, herself included. The worst of them had been absent from her life since All Might had returned to Japan, but the memories would always haunt her.

The shaking ground. The thunderous sound. The feeling of falling as her house collapsed, the ground floor simply gone. The cramped darkness while she had to wait for rescue, unsure if it would ever come.

The sight of cratered rubble on the television where there used to be buildings, homes, entire towns.

The gaping, isolating emptiness she’d felt after identifying her parent’s bodies, completely at odds with the overcrowded hospital around her.

Something in her hand shifted, and Inko blinked away tears as she glanced down. At some point, she’d apparently sat down on the couch, with Izuku next to her. She found that her hand was clamped around his forearm, and she released it hastily, leaving behind a red mark. She felt horribly guilty for a second, but then Izuku gently took her hand and squeezed. He smiled at her, trying to reassure her despite the clear fear and worry in his eyes.

She was his mother. She needed to be strong for him. She took a steadying breath, then returned the smile with one of her own.

That seemed to ease a little of the strain on his face, and he turned to look at his other side. Inko could just barely see Uraraka there, nervously fiddling with her flip phone while she continued to watch the news intently. She was lightly gnawing on her lip, brows furrowed over glistening eyes.

Izuku carefully leaned down and bumped his shoulder into hers. She startled momentarily, then glanced at him. After a second, a wan smile of her own appeared, and she leaned her shoulder back into Izuku as her fidgeting lost some of its urgent nervousness.

That was her boy. Always trying to make sure others were ok, even when he himself clearly wasn’t. She let herself watch the two of them for a moment before she turned to look at the rest of the room.

Unsurprisingly, the other students weren’t handling the news particularly well. She hadn’t known most of them for very long, but she’d worked with children and teens long enough to spot their tells regardless.

Some were obvious; Aoyama looked ready to throw up. Koda’s face was slack as he frantically tapped at his phone, tears on his elongated face. Ojiro stood perfectly still, but the broken stool nearby and the bits of wood stuck to his tail told a clear story.

Others were less obvious; Tokoyami stood calmly in one of the corners, something he seemed to do quite often, but his Quirk was hovering around him nervously. Tsu was huddled up on the far end of the couch, but was curled far more tightly than Inko had seen before. Katsuki was unnervingly still for such a kinetic person, his hands visibly glistening even from half a room away.

Then, there were those who were trying to do something. Ashido and Kirishima were trying to comfort those around them, but were both struggling to keep their own energy up. Tenya and Yaoyorozu were talking in hushed tones, likely trying to do what they perceived as their duty to the class despite how far out of their depth they were. Ernest as their attempt would doubtless be, they were still children trying to navigate how to deal with a tragedy.

They were all still children.

With a final squeeze on Izuku’s hand, Inko stood and walked over to turn off the TV. In the silence that followed, Inko took a deep breath, then turned to face the class. All eyes were on her now. Some looked confused, others surprised, but most looked at her with the faintest glimmer of hope. Hope that she’d know what to do, in all likelihood.

She didn’t. There wasn’t really a definitive correct way to deal with something like this. But she’d try.

“I’m sorry that you all had to experience this. I haven’t seen anything like it in longer than any of you’ve been alive. I had hoped that things like it would stay in Japan’s past, so that nobody would have to go through them again.” Inko paused, swallowing hard to get past the lump in her throat. “It’s hard to imagine how something like this could have happened, and even harder not to imagine how much worse it could have gone. But it’s important to remember that it didn’t. The heroes kept the worst from happening, and they’ll keep us safe. Things might feel scary and uncertain right now, but it will get better.”

She really hoped that sounded believable. She knew from experience that things would eventually find a new equilibrium and feel normal again, but that didn’t make the worry about now any less intense. But she couldn’t let that show through. She knew what it felt like not to have anyone tell her it would be alright; She wouldn’t put them through that.

Mineta was the first to ask the inevitable question. “What… What if this keeps happening? The League of Villains have already attacked the USJ and Hosu, and now someone managed to break Tartarus? Hell, it might even have been the League this time too, given they're the ones making all these big moves! I know the teachers and All Might will try to keep us safe, but… but what if they come for us again anyway?”

“Then we need to be strong enough to beat them if the fuckers do, obviously.” Katsuki growled before Inko could respond. “We were already training to face this kind of thing. We just need to be ready sooner.”

“You shouldn’t have to.” Inko interjected, but then hesitated. As much as she hated it, the reality of the situation was far more bleak than most of them realized. All Might was retiring, after all. Without him to serve as a ward against the villains of the world… “But at the same time, the world rarely cares for what should be. I wish you could all have a normal highschool experience, but…”

“But things haven’t been normal since the beginning.” Izuku said, meeting her eyes. “So we should be as prepared as possible for things to go wrong.”

Inko nodded, even if it hurt. She desperately wished she could take Izuku, hell, take the entire class somewhere safe and far away from this brewing conflict. Unfortunately, they were already mired in it, and merely hiding would do them little good. “But that doesn't change the fact that it’s ok if any of you don’t feel ready yet. Even if you're heroes in training, you’ve just begun to learn. If you ever feel worried or scared or overwhelmed, my door is always open. I’ll help as best I can.”

“As will we.” Tenya announced as he and Yaoyorozu stood.

“If there’s anything we can do to help, simply ask.” Yaoyorozu added.

“Same goes for me!” Kirashima immediately jumped in, pumping a fist into the air. Ashido did likewise at almost the same time, a wide smile on her face. More people joined in the call, raising their fists in solidarity. Izuku’s voice was softer than the others, but his determination shone through like a sunrise. Uraraka watched him from the side for a moment, her natural blush deepening visibly, then raised her own fist next to his.

Soon, only one outlier remained. Katsuki was still, his hands sizzling as he burned off his accumulated sweat. He looked around at his classmates, his face blank but his eyes betraying an internal conflict.

‘What is going on in that boy’s head?’ Inko wondered worriedly. ‘He was so quick to step up earlier, but now he’s holding back?’

She wanted to reach out to him again, to offer once more to listen. But at the same time, he hesitated. Would that push him away? With how much she didn’t know, would she accidentally make things worse?

Thankfully, Kirashima came to her rescue. “Come on, Bakugo. We’re gonna need your firepower if we want to face these guys, man!”

Katsuki’s eyes snapped over to his friend, who once more pumped a fist into the air, as though an example was needed. Katsuki rolled his eyes, but a smirk made its way onto his face nonetheless. He raised an arm, hand open and palm up, then released a small explosion into the air. “Damn right you will, Weird Hair.”

Kirashima and several other students laughed or rolled their eyes at the display, the latter of which earned a few glares. Thankfully, it also seemed to help ease a little bit of the remaining tension. But even so, there was still a looming feeling of worry and uncertainty hanging over the group. Brave and resolved as they might be, they were still facing a terrifying future.

They deserved the chance to be children, while they still could.

“Ok, everyone!” Inko called, and the room’s attention returned to her. “I don’t know about you, but I could do with something relaxing to balance out everything going on. What do you all say to a movie night?”

A cheer rose up from the class, Ashido, Kaminari, and Hagakure the loudest voices of the lot as usual. Even the ones who seemed less interested didn’t object, much to her relief. They could sit it out if they wished, but she’d feel horrible if anyone was left alone tonight.

It didn’t take long for a movie night to evolve into a pajama party, nor for the lounge to be absolutely packed with pillows and blankets. Koda had, with her permission, also brought his bunny Yuwai down, which had proved an immediate delight to the majority of the class… With the notable exception of Tokoyami, who had no idea what to do when the small animal had settled itself in his lap.

Once everyone had their popcorn and drinks, the class had begun negotiations on what movie to watch. After the dust had settled and the ranked-choice votes had been cast, they’d somehow settled on a pre-Quirk animated movie about vikings training dragons. She’d never heard of it, but Koda, Shoji, and Yaoyorozu had all agreed it was among their favorites.

As Inko settled back onto the couch, Izuku once more at her side and a mug of tea in her hands, she looked around her. Instead of hero students facing down a terrifying future, she found normal highschoolers tucked into their blankets and talking to nearby friends. Uraraka had once again found a seat next to Izuku, though the two of them seemed far more conscious of one another this time around.

It was absolutely adorable.

She knew it was only a brief reprieve from the weight on all of their shoulders, but she was glad it was something she could do for them. As the classical Dreamworks intro faded, Inko took a sip of her tea and allowed herself to smile.

Times were changing, and the future was uncertain. That just made enjoying the moment all the more important.

While Izuku might have related a little too closely to Hiccup at times, and perhaps because of it, he had thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Or at least what he’d paid attention to. Around the half way point, Uraraka had fallen asleep, and had slumped into his side. Then, as though that hadn’t been distracting enough, he’d noticed Ashido’s too-wide smile just before he thought she’d taken a picture of him. She hadn’t even looked apologetic when they made eye contact, she’d just popped him a thumbs up and winked.

So much for the movie distracting from the existential dread.

He’d somehow still managed to follow along with parts of the movie after that. For better or worse, that had ultimately led to him startling badly enough when the giant dragon lunged out of the pit that it had jostled Uraraka awake. He’d felt guilty about that for all of a second before she'd just snuggled into his side again, clearly still half asleep and not done with the nice warm thing she’d been sleeping on. After that, any hope of focusing on anything else had been a lost cause.

Even when Boon started to return, it took him a few seconds to realize the jittery energy was from something other than the fact that she was effectively cuddling him. Thankfully, his mother had noticed when he began to all but vibrate in his seat, and had taken about 20% off his hands. That had still left him with more than was comfortable, but he’d found it was relatively manageable. It certainly hadn’t helped his focus any, though.

The next and last time Uraraka had woken up was at the very end of the movie, when the collective gasp of the class had startled her awake. She’d stared at the screen for a moment before she’d sheepishly turned to ask him what, exactly, she’d missed.

He hadn’t been able to give a very good answer. Even if he’d known, he was still a little busy blushing like an incandescent bulb at her sleep-mussed hair and half lidded eyes.

That night, he’d trained in the Vestige Realm. He’d fully expected some degree of teasing from Daigoro at the very least, but he’d found them all serious and solemn. Blackwhip had been exceptionally difficult to control, given the tumult of emotions he was dealing with, so Izuku had ended up sparring with En and Hikage for most of the night. It had been hard training, but that had been perfect; It kept his mind firmly planted in the here and now, rather than the nebulous future.

After hours of getting his ass punted back and forth across a forest clearing, he’d dragged himself out of bed and met Tenya in the hall. They’d started their laps as they usually did, but had received a surprise before long.

Asui, Uraraka, and Ashido, in descending order of relative consciousness. Asui had seemed her usual self, Uraraka had looked vaguely sleepy in a way far too reminiscent of the previous night for Izuku’s composure, and Ashido had looked half asleep and like she’d been dragged downstairs under duress.

By the time he and Tenya had headed upstairs, quite a few of their classmates had joined them on the track, or had made their way to the floor of the gymnasium for stretches and gymnastics. When the two of them reached the Gym, they’d found the rest. Katsuki hadn’t looked particularly thrilled about having the relative peace of the morning invaded, but hadn’t objected too hard when Kirashima had offered to spot him.

Once they’d made it to school, things had been… tense. Aizawa had looked more exhausted than Izuku had ever seen him, which was deeply concerning. His eyes were bloodshot to the point his Quirk would probably make his irises blend in more than stand out, and the ever present bags under his eyes looked more like he’d been punched. He’d looked like he might not have slept since before the Tartarus Outbreak, which had seemed alarmingly possible given the person in question.

The other teachers hadn’t been anywhere near that obvious, but Izuku suspected that was largely down to them actively putting on a facade of normalcy for the students. For all their smiles and personas, there was still an unshakable weight hanging over them. Despite that, the day had proceeded largely as normal, with one exception at the end.

Izuku gently rapped his knuckles on the door to the Teacher’s Lounge. After a moment, the door peeked open slightly, and Snipe’s masked face poked out. “Ah, M’doriya. Are ya here for Aizawa?”

“Yes Sir. He’s here then?”

“Mmhm. Nezu said ya’d probably swing by for ‘em.” Snipe stepped back, and the door swung open. “C’mon in. Y’know which one’s his?”

“Actually, no.” Izuku admitted as he glanced around.

The lounge was a large room full of desks, most of which had a few things that gave away who’s it was. Present Mic’s was by the far wall, littered with a variety of nicknacks and one of the awards he’d won for his radio show. Power Loader’s had some kind of mechanical arm protruding from one corner, the end sporting a variety of tools Izuku couldn’t recognize. Thirteen was sitting at hers, her costume hung on a coat rack next to a cork board full of pictures. Most looked to be deep space photographs, but there were a variety of selfies in what looked like space agencies. He could recognize the JAXA and NASA emblems in two of the pictures, but was less sure of the others. Thirteen noticed him looking and waved with a hand dark as the void, and he returned the gesture.

Snipe chuckled as he tipped his hat in Thirteen’s direction as well. “Well, yer’ not gonna find Aizawa’s desk by looking around. The man’s allergic to decoration. Here, I’ll walk ya’ over.”

As Snipe had said, the desk he led Izuku to looked as if it had barely been touched since it was installed. There were a few binders neatly arranged along the back and a pad of sticky notes next to a cup of generic brand pens Izuku wouldn't have been caught dead using, but that was it.

Until they stepped a little closer, and Izuku caught sight of the bright yellow sleeping bag stuffed into the knee space under it.

“Well, this is definitely his.” Izuku glanced around. “Where is he?”

Snipe outright guffawed, then stepped forward and nudged the sleeping bag with a toe. It twitched slightly, then rustled as the front zipper was pulled down. A dim red glow emanated from the opening.

“Aw, don’t be like that. Yer’ the one who told everyone to make sure you were up by about 10 minutes ago. Ya’ got more shuteye, not less.” Despite Snipe’s cheery tone, he took a precautionary step back from the sleeping bag. “Also, ya’ got a visitor. An’ a witness.”

The sleeping bag shifted, and a single glowing red eye fell on Izuku. For a moment, he completely understood Snipe’s decision to step out of grabbing range, but then the red glow winked out. The sleeping bag moved again, this time to thump the head end into one side of the desk with a low metallic thud. Then, the zipper was pulled all the way down, and Aizawa slowly unfolded himself and slid out from beneath his desk.

He looked, in a word, awful. Which really wasn’t all that different than he had that morning. Given that he’d ostensibly been trying to get some sleep since then, that didn’t really bode well.

“What can I do for you, Problem Child?” Aizawa groaned as he set about straightening his capture scarf. “I’m due for patrol in a half hour.”

Izuku blinked. “That soon? I thought you usually patrolled at night.”

“I do.” With a final tug, the scarf settled into its usual heap, and Aizawa turned his attention to Izuku. “Due to the Tartarus Outbreak, the HPSC is encouraging additional patrol time. Teachers get a lighter load because of our obligations, but we aren’t entirely exempt.”

Izuku frowned. “Is that why you didn’t rest after…?”

Aizawa paused, then eyed Izuku appraisingly. After a moment, he shook his head. “No. That wasn’t it.”

When Aizawa didn’t continue, Izuku debated whether or not he should ask. But given the effect the disaster had clearly had on Toshinori, he decided not to. “Well, regardless. You seemed exhausted this morning, so I wanted to offer to help. If you’re going on an extra long patrol, then it’ll be even more important. It’s not as good as being well rested, but…”

Izuku extended his hand. Aizawa eyed it critically, then lazily swiveled his gaze up to meet Izuku’s. “I appreciate the gesture, but I’ve been a hero for years. I can survive being a little tired.”

“In fairness, yer’ not exactly looking just ‘A little tired’ there, partner.” Snipe interjected. “Ordinarily, you’d have dragged yerself out from yer’ little hide-y hole a while ago. I was honestly a tad afraid ya’ weren’t gonna move when I poked ya.”

Aizawa turned a glare on his coworker, and Snipe immediately raised his hands in surrender.

“...Be that as it may…” Izuku said, which drew Aizawa’s attention back to him, much to Snipe’s evident relief. “Just because you CAN survive being tired doesn't necessarily mean you should. Or are you going to argue that you wouldn’t be more effective if you weren’t exhausted?”

Aizawa blinked languidly. “Really. You’re trying to snag me in a logical fallacy.”

Izuku glanced away. “Well, I figured that you’d probably be more likely to listen that way.”

“And you’d be right.” Aizawa snorted, then rolled back his sleeve. “Don’t give me too much. I don’t want to be jittery.”

Izuku stared at the arm in surprise. He hadn’t really expected Aizawa to let him help. Snipe was also shocked, if the way his head was tilted to the side was any indication. Izuku recovered quickly though, and reached out to start the transfer. “A third was enough to make me feel energized without being particularly uncomfortable. How’s it feel for you?”

Aizawa blinked, then stood slightly straighter. He flexed his hands, then his right arm. “Damn.”

“...Is that good?” Izuku asked hesitantly.

Aizawa nodded absently, then glanced at the time displayed on the computer. “I should be going.” He walked towards the door, then hesitated for a moment. “Thank you.”

Then, he was gone.

Friday morning had started much the same as Thursday, with most of the class spending some time exercising before class. However, Izuku had received a text from Toshinori requesting he swing by the teacher’s lounge on the way to class in order to give him a dose of Boon to keep him fresh throughout the day. Following that, homeroom had been largely the same as the previous day, though Aizawa had sent him a message on HeroNet to take back Boon a few minutes after the first period had begun.

Izuku’s other classes proceeded as normal, though Present Mic covertly thanked him for giving Aizawa a pick-me-up. The classes slid by one after the other until it was finally time for Heroics.

All Might’s return was made with his usual level of hammed up grandiosity, but it had been met with a level of general awe that hadn’t been present since his arrival on the first day. All Might had noticed, then proceeded to crank the ham up to previously unseen levels. By the time they’d started their Cramped Environment Combat drills, he’d managed to wear the class’s awe back down to the vaguely exasperated respect it had become over their time at UA. Really, the reminder that the nearly Deific All Might was still the big goof they’d come to know seemed to do a surprising amount of good.

With that good, however, had come some unfortunate news. Following the class, Toshinori had initiated a covert meeting in the teacher’s lounge.

A small number of inmates were missing from Tartarus.

It was as of yet unclear what that might mean. Sweeps of the surrounding area had been conducted repeatedly from the moment the Tartarus Outbreak had been contained, so the odds of a successful escape on foot were staggeringly unlikely. There were multiple instances of highly destructive Quirks being used, which could have wholly annihilated prisoners without leaving a trace. Worst of all, however, there had been a small window of time where the Dimensional Frequency Resonators had been out of commission… during which a well informed teleporter could have gotten in and out.

Such as the League of Villain had already done once, at the USJ.

If that were the case, the branching possibilities were terrifying. Were there now Tartarus convicts on the loose once more, stalking the streets of Japan in search of victims? Had they joined the League, making them exponentially more dangerous?

Were they going to become Nomu?

Toshinori had assured him that he and the HPSC were leveraging every resource they had to scour the country, both to find any escapees and to track down any sign of the league. The intensity in Toshinori’s eyes would have been terrifying had it been anyone else, but from Toshinori it had been reassuring. He’d found All for One when the man had been the kingpin controlling most of Japan from the shadows. He could and would do it again.

With a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, Izuku had been released to his classes, where he’d spent the day trying not to let his attention wander to worries and possibilities.

Saturday had been another surprisingly uneventful day, though it was clear the teachers were looking forward to the weekend just as much as the students were. Even if they wouldn’t get the day entirely off, they’d at least be able to rest instead of teaching.

As Izuku had been packing his bag to head back to the dorms at the end of the day, it had struck him just how overall normal the latter half of the week had felt, despite what had happened. The world was changing around him, yet his day to day had been more or less the same as it was before. With the occasional exception of training with the voices in his head and giving people expresso shots of raw vitality, at least.

That evening, Inko had made a big meal for everyone in celebration of making it through their first week in the dorms. It hadn’t been quite as much of a disorganized mess as the last big meal they’d all shared, but it was still a fun and lively evening.

Izuku had settled into bed, then spent the night practicing with Draconic Wings alongside Tsubasa and Nana.

So it was that Izuku opened his eyes on Sunday morning, surprisingly relaxed and refreshed despite technically being awake all night.

Then he remembered what he had planned for the day.

So, maybe things weren’t quite back to normal after all. And maybe that wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

Chapter Text

So it was that Izuku opened his eyes on Sunday morning, surprisingly relaxed and refreshed despite technically being awake all night.

Then he remembered what he had planned for the day.

So, maybe things weren’t quite back to normal after all. And maybe that wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

‘Not Bad’ did not necessarily mean ‘Not Terrifying,’ however. But that was certainly not something new to Izuku. If anything, most of the recent positive additions to his life had involved some level of extreme terror!

‘That… doesn't seem healthy.’ Yoichi murmured from the back of his mind.

‘Definitely isn’t.’ Kinenkō agreed. ‘Too much of that kind of thing can leave people with issues down the line.’

‘That, or turn them into adrenaline junkies.’ Daigoro added with a chuckle. ‘Given his response to a few things recently, I think that ship might have already sailed, though.’

Izuku was too busy trying to determine which outfit he should wear to weigh in. He’d originally drawn on One for All to get Nana’s opinion in addition to his mother’s, which had helped him narrow it down. He’d been about to cut it off to… dissuade Daigoro from offering his own dating advice, but that thought had just prompted the Fifth Wielder to start laughing.

‘Oh, HELL no! The venn diagram of MY type of woman and yours isn’t so much a venn diagram as it is two barely related circles in different countries.’ Daigoro said between gales of laughter. ‘ANY advice I’m able to give you on wooing your girl is liable to lead to catastrophic failure more than anything. The only applicable thing I know is, like, the most basic rule of dating. Be YOU. Any relationship where you aren’t being yourself isn’t a relationship, it’s a lie.’

In a fit of irony, that was one of the most helpful pieces of insight Izuku had received on the subject. His mother had said something along similar lines, but had seemed convinced that his success was a foregone conclusion. Toshinori, by contrast, had been completely blindsided by the fact that he had a crush on Uraraka at all, and had a grand total of 0 relevant experience with which to offer advice. He had, however, offered his newly finished house up as somewhere private for them to explain everything to her.

So, Daigoro’s input hadn’t exactly needed to clear a high bar, but it had still helped. He had to be himself, for better or worse. Urarka would know if he was being weird. She’d picked up on his acting strangely before he himself had earlier in the week. So, he’d do things his way, and if that wasn’t what Uraraka wanted… well, then at least he’d really, genuinely tried.

So he went with the old blue T-shirt that had ‘Dress Shirt’ written in elegant script on the front, paired with black shorts and his usual red shoes.

Granted, the shirt was… tighter than he remembered. It was actually of a pretty similar fit to the shirts Toshinori had gotten him back at Might Tower now, so it wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was enough to give him some pause. It wouldn’t seem slobish to wear, right? Then again, he didn’t want to look overly well dressed and make Uraraka feel like he was expecting anything. Casual was good. Right?

‘Izuku. Sweetie.’ Nana’s voice had the tone of someone who was actively trying to sound patient. ‘You’ve cycled back through this five times now. I’m sure whichever you choose will be fine.’

‘Other than the All Might merch.’ Bruce added. ‘Whatever else happens, I guarantee she doesn't want your teacher staring into her soul every time she looks down.’

‘Yeah, yeah, I gave up on that an hour ago.’ Izuku grumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair, checking it in his mirror. Then he paused. ‘Please tell me my internal clock is off…’

Silence.

Izuku checked his phone. It was 11:32. They didn’t have a set schedule, but if they wanted to eat around noon…

‘Well, decision made I guess.’

Izuku quickly made his way down the stairs, possibly letting a bit more of One for All out than strictly necessary to accelerate the process. Once he reached the bottom, he covertly eyed the main lobby, hoping against hope that he wouldn’t encounter Ashido and what would inevitably be a lot of teasing questions. She was, thankfully, absent.

His mother, on the other hand, was smiling at him from next to the main doors. There was a twinkle in her eyes that meant he probably wasn’t going to avoid the teasing entirely, but that it would mostly be a problem for later that evening. He finished his descent, then walked up to her.

“Really dressing up for this, hmm?” Inko asked with a small smirk. In a moment, however, it had bled into a warm smile. “I’m so proud of you! Going on your first-”

Izuku arched his eyebrows at her.

“...outing with a coincidentally female friend that may or may not be entirely platonic.” Inko continued innocently. At his sigh, she let out a small laugh and pulled him into a hug. “Really, Izuku. Even if that’s all this turns out to be, I’m proud of you. My boy is growing up and making plans with friends! It seems like just yesterday that you’d hide behind my legs every time you met someone new-”

Izuku groaned, then glanced around once more. Sero nodded to him from one of the couches in the lounge, but otherwise nobody seemed to be paying him any mind. Inko giggled, then pushed him out to arms length.

“Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you.” Her eyes flicked past him, and her smile widened. “I wouldn’t want to ruin the moment, after all.”

Izuku glanced over his shoulder-

Uraraka was quickly descending the stairs, looking flustered. Her hair was up in a bun in the back, but the long strands that framed her face were still free to sway with every step she took. She was wearing a white blouse, high waisted jean shorts, yellow sandals, and what looked like a white pair of artist gloves that covered her pinky and ring fingers.

She looked… really good. Really, REALLY good.

“Sorry!” Uraraka huffed once she reached the bottom of the stairs. She brushed a lock of hair from her face, then smiled sheepishly. “I kind of lost track of time while I was getting ready…”

Her eyes slipped downwards. She stared for a moment, then she blinked and her eyes refocused. She laughed, even as her natural blush seemed to grow. “Wow. You’ve got your bases covered, huh?”

“Hmm?” Izuku hummed absently. Then, his brain kicked partly back into gear. “Oh! Um, this is one of my old favorites.”

Her eyes flicked down again, and her smile softened. “Yeah, I can believe that. Um, should we head out?”

The smile nearly scrambled Izuku’s brain again, but he persevered. “Yeah. If we hurry, we can probably get to the station in time to catch the next train.”

“Well, let's get going then!” Uraraka set a brisk pace towards the door.

Izuku gave his mother another quick hug, then jogged to catch up.

The Good News: They caught the train.

The Bad News: It was the first time Izuku had used public transport since the Hosu incident.

What should have been a relatively short and peaceful trip had rapidly gotten out of hand when one of the other passengers had recognized him. Once they’d made that realization public knowledge by loudly exclaiming “Hey! You’re that kid who beat Stain!” Izuku had been almost immediately swamped by people.

Questions poured over him, his personal space was thoroughly violated, and he was overwhelmed by the fact that more than one person wanted an autograph. Uraraka had tried to help fend them off, but that had just drawn attention to her, which led to even more questions. He was on the brink of just grabbing her and making a break for it the next time the train stopped when a new contender entered the ring.

“Ok everyone, back up! You’re making him uncomfortable!” A commanding voice called. While some looked reluctant about it, the crowd of people quickly backed away. Izuku looked to the side and saw a tall man with quaffed blond hair and odd blue eyes, arms crossed over a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt and yellow shorts. Despite the authority in his voice, he still looked cheerful.

The newcomer stepped forward to stand in front of them, then crouched down slightly. “You ok Midoriya?”

“Y-yes, thanks.” Izuku forced out, then took a deep breath as the tension began to eb. “Sorry, that, um, kind of caught me off guard.”

“My best friend doesn't do well with crowds either, so I recognized the look. I think he’d probably have burst into flames if that many people swarmed him.” He grinned, and it was remarkably comforting. “I recognize you both from the 1st Year Sports Festival, but it’s a pleasure to meet you in person. I’m Mirio Togata of class 3A! You can call me Mirio.”

“OH! I recognize you from last year’s festival!” Izuku finally connected the faintly familiar dots. “Sorry it took a moment. I would have recognized you sooner if I’d seen this year’s recording, but I haven’t gotten the chance yet. Things have been kind of… hectic.”

Mirio faltered slightly, then laughed. “Frankly, if that’s your frame of reference, I’m kind of glad you didn’t recognize me immediately. Maybe that’s finally fading from public memory.”

Uraraka glanced between them. “Um… I don’t want to be rude by asking, given you don’t want people to remember, but…?”

Mirio waved his hand dismissively. “Honestly, it’s funny in retrospect, but not the kind of thing that you really want the general public to think of every time you show up.” Mirio leaned in conspiratorially, a hand cupped around his mouth. “The short version is that my Quirk lets me turn intangible, but it ONLY affects ME.”

Uraraka waited a moment, evidently expecting a continued explanation. When none came, she thought for a second, then her eyes flew wide in realization. “Oh. Um. Yeah, I can see how that might cause a few public opinion speedbumps.”

Mirio shrugged a ‘what can you do?’ shrug, though his grin never wavered. “Midnight still jokes about me being her secret protege, but it’s not like I’m the first hero to have a wardrobe malfunction that severe. Regardless, that’s enough about me. What are you two doing, if you don’t mind me asking? Given your celebrity status right now Midoriya, I’d have expected you to stay out of the public eye.”

Automatically, Izuku glanced to the side, hoping that Uraraka would offer an answer. Letting her set the pace felt like the safest option, and kept him from saying too much or too little, depending on what her expectations were.

Except she was also eyeing him from the corner of her eye.

They stared at each other for a long, awkward second, then both snapped their eyes forward and spoke in high pitched unison.

“Lunch!”

Mirio’s smile widened and his eyes twinkled. Then, they flicked somewhere over Izuku’s shoulder, and his face hardened. “Well, I hope the both of you have a grand time! I do have one quick request, though. What stop are you getting off at?”

“Two down.” Izuku replied. “Why?”

“Great!” Mirio shot him a thumbs up. “Please leave my stuff with the security there!”

And with that, he dropped through the floor of the train. All that remained was his shirt, an indistinct lump underneath it. Izuku stared at it for a second, then glanced back through the window. A ways behind, he briefly saw someone leap a residential house in a burst of flame, then drop back out of sight. A wave of fire surged up from where they must have landed, but it cut off after a second. It was shortly followed by the sight of the presumed villain ragdolling back up and over the building. Mirio’s head and shoulders briefly entered their line of sight before he dropped back below the rooftops.

“Wow.” Uraraka murmured, and Izuku turned to see her watching as well. She glanced at him, then smiled. “Just goes to show how much further we have to go, huh?”

“Yeah.” Izuku nodded, then warily looked back at the shirt still sitting in a pile on the floor. Hesitantly, he reached out and lifted it up.

To reveal sandals.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Uraraka laughed.

After a brief trip to a Donki store for a cheap set of sunglasses and a nondescript white beanie hat, during which Izuku had discovered the money his mother must have slipped into his pocket, they finally started making their way to the small strip of shops near Dagobah Beach. Izuku had walked or jogged past them every time he’d gone there to train with All Might, but he’d never had reason to go in while they were open in the summer months. The shops had never had much appeal; They mostly sold things he didn’t need or food that would never fit into his strict diet. The only reason he’d even remembered them had been the ever-so-tempting smell that had wafted out of the restaurants, especially compared to the dump of a beach further down the road.

Truthfully, the closer they’d gotten, the more worried he’d become. He remembered them seeming nice enough, but maybe a little worn. That wasn’t necessarily surprising, given their proximity to the ocean, but it was enough to make him second guess himself. Was that really where he wanted to take Uraraka on what might possibly end up being a date?

Thankfully, what he found on arrival looked almost nothing like what he remembered. Fresh paint on the buildings, with outdoor seating around the restaurants. Bustling shops, with brightly lit signs beckoning in all who passed. An assortment of food carts and pop-up merch stands scattered along the walk alongside the beach. The medley of scents and sights was a dramatic improvement over the barren strip it had been the last time Izuku had been there.

Uraraka was looking around with a wide smile on her face, the ocean breeze touseling her hair. Whatever else happened, that made the entire trip worth it for Izuku. That smile. It made him feel warm, and made his heart race, and brought a smile to his own face, and-

He blinked.

‘Oh.’ He realized in what felt like a rare moment of crystalline clarity. ‘Oh, I have it bad, don’t I?’

The sheer intensity of the overlapping pulse he felt seemed like a resounding ‘DUH!’ from the peanut gallery, but he couldn’t really hold that one against them.

A light bump on his shoulder snapped him out of it, and he realized she’d swayed into him. She nodded her head to the side, and he realized he’d nearly led them past the Udon shop. If the realization made him blush, it was probably just blended in with the near permanent one already there.

‘Oh, I have it BAD.’ Ochako admitted to herself.

They’d been given a nice table with a view of the beach. The sand was dotted with colorful towels and umbrellas, people were running and swimming everywhere, and the waves glittered beautifully in the sun, but she just… couldn’t look at it. Well, she COULD, but her eyes always found themselves drawn back to Midoriya, with his adorable face and the way his hair fluttered in the wind when he took his hat off to fix it and that smile that turned her brain into a useless puddle and-

She snapped her eyes back up from his chest. Damn him and his newfound penchant for tight shirts that made it very, very clear just how muscular he was. She hadn’t even registered that there were words on it at first when she’d come down the stairs, which had been kind of mortifying because his mother had been RIGHT THERE! It was one thing for Inko to have coaxed a roundabout confession out of her during her tour of the dorms, but it was something else entirely for Ochako to ogle her son’s muscle definition while she was a foot away.

Ochako blinked, then dragged her eyes upwards again. ‘Damnit, maybe I should’a gotten a pair a’ sunglasses too. He’s gotta notice somethin’ sooner or later, and I don’t wanna make ‘em feel weird. If I’m gonna stare, I wish I could do it without ‘em noticing.’ She paused, reconsidered that thought, then blushed harder. ‘Ugh, I feel like Mineta.’

“Are you ok, Uraraka?” Izuku tilted his head to the side, then grimaced when his cheap glasses slipped a little. He pulled them off and looked at her, and suddenly his muscles were the last thing on her mind. His big, earnest, brilliant emerald eyes that caught the light and glinted in the noon sun consumed everything. It was almost like when he used his Full Cowling technique, except they were gentle and attentive rather than focused and intense.

Which, admittedly, had been unexpectedly delightful in its own way…

‘Down girl…’ Ochako groaned inwardly yet again. That particular thought had grown alarmingly close to a mantra in the past week.

“Just looking forward to eating.” She said aloud, then glanced around again. “This seems like a nice place! I wish there had been a public beach like this near my home town.”

“It actually wasn’t really in use until recently.” Their waitress said as she swept in, depositing a steaming bowl of Udon in front of her that immediately set her mouth to watering. “This place was defunct for years because junk washed up from the ocean, then people started using it as a dumping ground. Apparently there was a restoration effort recently, and it was reopened to the public!”

“It’s awful that it got ruined like that in the first place. But I’m glad it made a comeback!” She smiled at the waitress as the woman put Midoriya’s food in front of him, then raced off. “Did you know about that, Midoriya?”

“Hmm?” Midoriya hummed absently as he snapped his chopsticks. “O-oh, um, yeah. Some of the restoration was going on while I was training here. I’m really glad that it let the beach be used again! It seems really nice!”

Something about that felt a little off, but as the wind shifted and the scent of the Udon hit her again, Ochako determined she had more important things to focus on. She quickly snapped her own chopsticks, then tucked in.

It was very, very good. Light and savory, with a perfectly chewy noodle. They were both content to eat in relative silence for a time, enjoying the breeze and each other’s company as they systematically destroyed the contents of their bowls. Once they’d finished and paid, they’d stood and looked out over the beach.

“So, um. Are you full, or do you want to get Mochi now?” Midoriya asked. “If you want to wait, we could go for a walk.”

Ochako pondered that question. On one hand, Mochi. Mochi was ALWAYS welcome, full stomach or not. On the other hand, the idea of a walk on the beach together sounded delightful in a lot of ways, many of which set her heart fluttering. She was a little full, and Mochi would probably top her off enough that a walk wouldn’t be as enjoyable afterwards, so…

“A walk sounds lovely! Let's go take a look around!”

The feeling of warm sand beneath his feet was delightful, especially in contrast to the still slightly cool breeze rolling off the ocean. It was a strangely surreal experience to be casually walking along the waterline; In his experience, Dagobah Beach had meant either hauling junk while building himself up for One for All, or his training in the Vestige Realm. To just… walk, with no real destination in mind, no straining muscles, and no mid-combat tension, was a new experience along this strip of sand.

“Ooooh! This one’s gorgeous!” Uraraka cooed as she crouched down to pick up another cockle shell from the sand. She moved a few steps into the surf and dipped the shell into the water, washing away the sand and grit before she showed it to him.

“Wow, that is a good one!” Izuku smiled as he inspected the shell. Near the tail, it was a bright white with orange striations. Towards the front edge of the shell, however, the striations thickened even as the color darkened until a solid band of red-orange occupied the entire arc. It absolutely blew the smattering of sea glass and less colorful shells they’d previously found out of the water.

Carefully, Izuku opened the bag he'd kept from the Donki store, which contained their collection along with their shoes. Uraraka placed the newest addition inside, then smiled up at him brightly. The sight made his heart soar up into his throat.

The fact that he was walking the beach with Uraraka made the experience infinitely better. They’d talked about classes, training, goals, and a dozen other little things while they alternately enjoyed the warm sand or splashed through the cool water. They’d washed off sea shells next to each other, knees knocking into the other’s as they tried not to lose their balance and fall to the waves. They’d playfully flicked water at each other from dripping fingers, laughing and smiling the entire time. It felt unspeakably wonderful to just… relax.

His fears were still there in the back of his mind. He still had the occasional idea for training that he tucked away for later use. But in the moment, with her resuming the enthusiastic description of some of the moves Ashido was sharing with her and how they worked in Zero Gravity, everything felt a little less overwhelming.

They hadn’t even finished their outing and he already wanted to do this again. And again. And again. As many times as she’d agree to join him.

Unfortunately, that desire brought with it concerns that her presence couldn’t banish.

He was almost certainly going to tell her about One for All. There were a plethora of reasons that made it the best choice, in his opinion. She was one of his best friends, and he didn't want to keep hiding things from her. She, by virtue of their friendship, would inevitably have a target painted on her back, and he refused to leave her vulnerable just to keep the secret. He was increasingly sure he wanted to start dating her, if she’d have him, and he wasn't going to do that without telling her what she was really getting into.

But that decision had its own slew of problems. If he just told her without preamble, she would be irrevocably involved with the conflict regardless of what she wanted. It wouldn't be fair of him to force that on her. But if he gave her a choice beforehand, and she declined, then she'd know without a doubt that he was hiding things from her, which could easily sour their friendship.

Perhaps even worse in a way was the fact that, if she did agree to learn the truth, that she would want to join him if and when he faced off against the League or, heavens forbid, All for One himself. The idea of doing so on his own was terrifying, but with her, Tenya, and possibly Bakugo at his side? The comfort that idea brought was drowned by the fear that they'd be hurt because of him.

Tenya had almost died before his eyes once already, and that had been a nightmare beyond comparison. He didn't think he'd recover if any of his friends were hurt because of him, much less killed. It would be even worse with Uraraka, both because of his crush and because telling her would have been his choice. Not an accidental visit to the Vestige Realm like Tenya. Not at Toshinori's suggestion like his mother. Not because of a spontaneous Quirk manifestation like Bakugo. A conscious decision, made with the knowledge that it could lead to her getting hurt.

This was a spiraling loop he’d been trapped within for days. There were so many ways things that could go wrong, and he'd feel culpable for anything that happened no matter what-

The moment his brain registered the incoming projectile just over Uraraka’s head, the reflexes Hikage had been systematically drilling into his skull activated. Before he could even consciously acknowledge it, he’d wrapped an arm around Uraraka’s waist and hopped back, towing her with him. The projectile, which turned out to be a volleyball, zipped past their heads and splunked into the water with a splunk.

He blinked, his brain trying to catch up with what had just happened.

It didn't get the chance.

A woman in a bikini ran up to them, long blue hair flowing behind her like a streamer. “Sorry about that! That was a good dodge, though! Are you a hero student? What’s your Quirk- Oh! Wait! You’re… those two from the train that Mirio mentioned! It looks like it really was a date! You’re so cute together!”

Izuku reeled, the sudden and overwhelming barrage of stimulus far more than he really knew what to do with. Answers sprung to mind, but they all tripped over one another on their way to his mouth. In the end, what he actually said was more a confused gurgle than actual words.

The woman continued, unperturbed by his lack of a comprehensible response. “Anyway, my name is Nejiri Hado! I’m in class 3A with Mirio. It’s nice to meet you! So, your Quirk-”

“Easy, Nejire!” Mirio called as he jogged up, still only wearing his yellow swim trunks. In the distance, two people were chatting by a volleyball net, while a dark haired teen in a black wetsuit sat under an umbrella nearby, a book on his lap. “Remember, he’s a little bit of a Mini-Tamaki!”

The man in the wetsuit looked up briefly, then went back to reading.

Hado’s already large blue eyes widened, and she zipped back a few steps. “Oops! Sorry!”

“It’s… Ok.” Izuku managed to squeak out, still off kilter. “Um. It's nice to meet you. And hello again, Mirio. Did everything go alright with that villain? Did you get your belongings ok?”

“Yep! The Villain went down easy, and it didn’t take that long to get to the station and pick everything up. Thanks for doing that for me even though I dumped it on you at the last second.” His eyes flicked to Izuku's side, and he grinned widely. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thanks?” Izuku replied confusedly, then glanced in the direction Mirio had looked.

Uraraka was pressed firmly into his side by his arm, which was still wrapped tightly around her waist, his hand resting against her hip. She was also tomato red and staring up at him.

“Oh. Um. Huh.” He distantly heard Mirio say after a stretch of silence. “Either they’re having a SERIOUS ‘Lost in each other’s eyes’ moment, or I just broke them again. Maybe both.”

One of her hands was splayed across his chest in a way that felt electric. He thought he could feel her breath on his neck, and it was scrambling his mind with each barely there caress.

He was sure she must be able to feel his heart trying to hammer its way out of his chest. Hell, she could probably hear it from that close.

Uraraka looked nervous. Her brows were pinched over intense brown eyes that sparkled with reflected light from the ocean. They scrunched closed as she took a deep breath, then she spoke.

“Are they right?”

It took him a moment to register Uraraka’s words, though his brain was still too addled by her proximity to really understand them. “About what?”

“About this bein’ a date.” One eye peeked open hesitantly. “Caus’I’dkindofbereallyhappyifitwas.”

It was like the rest of the world ceased to exist. Suddenly, she was the only thing he could see, all he could hear. Had she actually just said that? Had he misunderstood? Was there any other interpretation he could be missing? He didn’t think so. Which meant that she’d actually just said she wanted this to be a date.

Despite everything pointing to that being the case, part of him still hadn’t expected it.

But she really did.

And so did he.

In the face of that, all his reservations crumbled away. There would be dangers, and pitfalls, and they’d still need to have the inevitable conversation about One for All, but damn it he was going to try.

So he tightened the arm around her waist slightly, then smiled through the nerves and the butterflies. “I was really hoping you’d feel that way, because I’d like that too!”

The way she lit up at those words would be etched into his memory for the rest of his life. Her eyes went huge, then crinkled at the corners as she smiled. The wind tousled her hair, which sent thin shadows dancing over her face, contrasting with the dappled light reflected from the water. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged with all her rather considerable strength. Her hair tickled his cheek, and he caught a faint trace of honey past the salty sea air.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but he enjoyed every second of it.

Eventually, however, Uraraka pulled back slightly, and he reluctantly let her go. It did mean he got to see her smile again, which was just as brilliant as it had been before. If anything, she looked like she was almost vibrating.

“YES! Yes yes yes yes YES!” Uraraka pumped her fists into the air with a little hop, then did it over and over as she slowly spun in a circle. She let out a long breath, then looked back at him sheepishly. “Sorry, I’ve just been trying to work up the courage to do that all day. It's such a relief to have finally done it!”

“Same here.” Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head with a giddy smile. “I’ve been thinking myself in circles trying to figure out what to do, but I was intending to ask you before we left at the latest.”

That earned him another hug, and this time he could actually hug her back properly.

“I got the ball!” Hado cheered as she ran up, her now partly wet hair slung over her shoulders. “What’d I miss?”

Oh. Right. They were on a crowded beach, and were right next to their upperclassmen.

Uraraka yelped, then stepped back as her blush exploded again. “Sorry! That was…”

“Don’t worry about it. If anything, we interrupted you two.” Mirio chuckled. “We’ll leave you to your date. C’mon Nejire, I think those guys are getting impatient.”

“Ooh! Maybe I can make them chase the ball this time!” Hado perked up, then spun to race back towards the Volleyball net. “It was nice to meet you both! Have fun!”

Mirio shook his head fondly at his friend’s retreating back, then waved to them as he made to follow her. “I’ll see you around campus. Enjoy your afternoon!”

“You too!” Izuku called back, then glanced at Uraraka, who he found was looking back at him. “So. Um. Mochi to celebrate?”

“This day just keeps getting better!” She cheered, her smile getting even wider. She grabbed his wrist, then started tugging him up the beach towards one of the stairways. She hesitated for a moment, then slid her hand down to his.

It took him a second to realize what she wanted, but he was more than happy to twine their fingers together as they ran through the sand, now hand in hand.

The line at the Mochi shop had been surprisingly long, but the wait had flown by. The list of options was expansive, with a plethora of flavors, toppings, and add-ons available. One in particular had caught his eye, however.

“Supercharged Mochi, huh?” He murmured. “What do you think that is, Urar- Er, O-ochako.”

It would take a while to get used to that. He hoped she got as much of a thrill out of hearing that from him as he did when she called him Izuku.

Ochako squeezed his hand and smiled in a way that made him suspect she did. “Maybe it’s caffeinated? That would be an odd option to have for everything, though. And I don’t think that would justify doubling the price.”

The elderly woman preparing fresh mochi behind the counter glanced up at them with a smile, though one corner of her mouth was tugged down by a ropey scar. “It’s not caffeinated, I can tell you that much. I’m licensed to use my Quirk as part of my business, so long as I charge enough for it that it’s not an ‘Unfair Advantage’ over other competitors.”

“Oh?” Izuku asked, curiosity piqued. “From the name, I’d assume it’s something that’ll enhance the food in some way, probably energize people who eat it. It makes sense that you’d set up shop near the beach, then, given that people could buy some to keep their energy up…”

The old woman eyed him for a moment, and her gaze briefly flicked down to his chest. She looked surprised for a moment, but then her smile broadened as she once again met his eyes. “Clever boy, aren’t you? My Quirk’s called Guilt Free. If I use it on my ingredients, the food I make takes on special properties. No matter how many calories are in it, the food is burned for pure energy. No upset stomach, no peaky sugar rush, no weight gain no matter how many you eat. Just a nice energy boost so you can keep enjoying your day.”

“That sounds dangerous.” Ochako sounded almost envious. “I probably wouldn’t be able to stop myself from eating everything I made.”

The woman’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, you better believe it, Missy. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it doesn't digest any faster than normal food, so I still have to show some restraint. Knowing that didn’t stop me from eating myself sick back in the day, though.”

It took a few more minutes for them to make their orders. Ochako got a Red Bean Mochi, while he opted for a Matcha Mochi. A minute later, the old woman had come to the counter with their plates and had handed them to Izuku.

There was a slip of paper underneath his.

He’d hesitated momentarily, but the woman had simply given him a wink and headed towards the sinks. Once he and Ochako had settled themselves next to one another on a bench, he’d pulled out the slip and unfolded it to find… money? From a quick glance, it looked to be roughly the same amount he’d just paid.

Beneath that was a note.

Thank you for the work you did restoring the beach, Deku. When I discovered you’d finished clearing it over the winter while the shop was closed, I regretted not thanking you for your efforts when I had the chance. Given you're clearly trying to avoid being recognized, likely to do with the Hosu Incident, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to you. Hopefully this will be an acceptable way to show my appreciation.

You’ll never pay for Mochi at my shop, and I’ll happily upgrade you to the Supercharged variety as I have with this order. It's the least I can do for the good you've done here.

Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy your food.

-Sakura Koritsu

Izuku stared down at the note, surprised. He’d known his disguise wasn’t especially good, but the only others who’d recognized him were Hado and Mirio. The fact that Koritsu had not only recognized him as Deku, but had connected him to the scrawny kid she’s apparently seen run past almost a year ago…

A realization struck him, and he couldn’t help but laugh a little. He’d worn this shirt more than once during his training, along with a plethora of similar ones. Between that and the hair peeking out from underneath his hat, it was probably enough for a particularly sharp individual to recognize him.

Ochako made a half choked sound of surprise next to him, and he snapped his attention to her. She was staring at the note, eyes wide and chewing rapidly before she swallowed her bite. “Wait, is she serious? When the waitress said there were restoration efforts, I assumed there’d been, like, a team of people who came in. Did you actually…?”

“Um… kind of?” He gave her a nervous smile.

Ochako blushed, then cleared her throat. “Sorry for reading it. I shouldn't have without asking, but I caught a glimpse of the end and my curiosity got away from me...”

“It's ok.” Izuku huffed a laugh. “I needed to train for UA, and the person training me thought it would be a good way to build muscle while helping the public. I’m sure an actual team did come in to take care of anything I missed under the sand and comb the water, but…”

Ochako turned to look out over the beach once more, eyeing it with something like awe. “How much was there?”

“...Let’s go with ‘A lot.” Izuku muttered. “It took 10 months of spending every minute here I could, but it was worth it in the end.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell anyone about this? It’s incredible!” She turned to look at him curiously. “Actually, you actively avoided saying anything earlier when the waitress was telling me about it. Were you just trying not to draw attention?”

“That was part of it. But it’s kind of a long story that's better told in private. My trainer lives near UA and offered to help explain everything at his house when I asked to tell you. If you're not comfortable with that, I'm sure Nezu will let us use one of UA’s private rooms.”

Ochako arched her eyebrows at him. “The Principal is in on whatever this is too? Is your trainer some kind of UA talent scout or a top secret HPSC Agent?”

“Not quite, no. But those are… actually not that far off, from a certain perspective.” Izuku mused.

She stared at him for a long moment. “...You know what, sure. Let's go see your beach loving, community service obsessed, super secret agent trainer.”

He moved to stand, but a set of chopsticks pointed between his eyes stopped him.

“AFTER we finish our Mochi.”

‘When he said it was close to UA, he wasn’t kidding.’

The house was a large three floor home with a four car garage. It was nestled in the woods only about a 3 minute walk from the UA campus, though it was in the opposite direction of the train station. It was hidden a long way back from the road at the end of a winding, tree lined cut-stone driveway that had easily added another few minutes to their trek.

Honestly, the house wasn’t what Izuku had been expecting. After all the talk of renovations and security improvements, he’d envisioned something that looked more like a fortress than a relatively domestic family home, even if it was a very nice one. It certainly didn’t look anything like what one would expect the Number One Hero to live in, which he supposed was probably intentional.

Ochako whistled appreciatively. “This is a really nice place! Well built, nice clean lines, not a loose stone in the entire driveway.”

The front door swung open, and Toshinori stepped out onto the porch. “Thank you very much, young lady! I'm quite pleased with how it all turned out. I'm Toshinori Yagi, Izuku's trainer.”

Ochako looked him over warily for a moment before her politeness overtook her surprise, at which point she hurriedly bowed. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yagi! Thank you for agreeing to tell me about… whatever this is all about.”

“Ultimately, it's Young Izuku's decision to make. He's just a polite young man and asks me regardless.” Toshinori ruffled Izuku's hair with a grin as they joined him on the porch, much to his chagrin. Toshinori seemed to be enjoying this far more than Izuku had expected. “Now then. Let's head inside.”

Beyond the front door was a short, unadorned hall with another door at the far end. Toshinori strolled down and firmly wrapped a hand around the knob, which lit up with a blue glow. “I am home!”

“Scanning complete. Voice authenticated. Welcome home, Toshinori.” An electronic voice replied, and a series of clicks and beeps echoed through the small space, ending with a deep kerthunk. Toshinori tugged on the door, and the thick metal barrier swung open to reveal the well furnished room beyond.

Ochako stared. “...I kind of thought you were kidding about me being close with the secret agent comment.”

Toshinori guffawed.

“Oh, he’s nowhere near subtle enough for that, kid.” With a quiet thump of air, one of the recliners slowly spun to reveal Sorahiko, fingers steepled and a wide grin on his face.

“And he calls me dramatic.” Toshinori grumbled.

“Oh let me have my fun. I’ve only gotten to be part of this once, and I thought Mrs. Midoriya was going to skin you alive afterwards. Kinda took the shine off the whole thing.” Sorahiko sniped. Then, almost as an afterthought, he continued. “And you don't have ANY damn room to judge. You’re the biggest drama queen I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, I’m not THAT bad!”

“You have to talk to your door to get in here.”

“It's for security!”

“The same way the giant ostentatious blast door at the agency is?”

Toshinori coughed lightly. “You know I barely ever use it.”

“You realize that just proves my point, right?” Sorahiko snarked. “Whenever you DO, it's this whole grand event. Even them just being there is a statement.”

Toshinori just grumbled.

Ochako’s eyes were pinging between the two, clearly trying to figure out what was happening. Eventually, she just looked at Izuku with a vaguely pleading expression.

“Ok, let's actually answer some questions instead of making all of this seem even more confusing.” Izuku turned back to Ochako, then took a deep breath. “10 months before the entrance exam, I was involved in two Villain attacks by the same Villain. Both times, All Might saved me-”

Ochako’s eyes went huge, then she whipped around to stare at Toshinori. “HOLY SHIT I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHIN’ FAMILIAR ABOUT YA’! YOU'RE ALL MIGHT!?”

Dead silence.

“Damn.” Sorahiko sighed, clearly disappointed. “I was looking forward to the grand reveal, but I think she beat us to it.”

“What gave me away?” Toshinori asked. “We weren't trying to be subtle, but I wasn't expecting you to get it this fast.”

Ochako stared at Toshinori for a long moment, then shook her head. “Well, um, this was supposed to be about meeting Izuku's trainer, which was you. But it was a big secret that he was hesitant to share. With what he said about my HPSC secret agent joke being kind of close, I figured you were probably an off-the-books underground hero or something if he was being serious.”

She gestured around herself. “But then we got here. Most limelight heroes don't make anywhere near enough for this kind of house, just from looking at the outside. Then you came out, and you sounded really familiar, but I couldn't place it because… well…”

“Because I'm a skeletal twig man.”

Ochako spluttered. “I mean, I was going to say skinny, but… um… I guess that works too? Anyway, when Gran Torino turned around, for a second I thought HE was the mystery trainer, and you were just… a cover, for some reason? Maybe a middle man? Anyway, he kind of fit the bill. Unknown despite being terrifyingly strong. Used to be a UA teacher, which fit my other guess of you being some kind of UA talent scout. Sadistic enough to make someone clean an entire beach as training, if his one day of teaching us was anything to go by…”

“Guilty as charged!” Sorahiko agreed cheerily.

“But that wouldn't have made much sense. If it only took Izuku a week of training with him to figure out how to do so much with his Quirk, then it didn't make any sense that he wouldn't have had much better control from the start.”

She glanced at him apologetically, but he just nodded in agreement. It was… almost entrancing to listen to her explain her logic. Actually, it was kind of hot.

He blushed. ‘Not the time, Izuku.’

“So that left you. And when he started talking about All Might, it clicked. That's why you sounded so familiar. That's why the two of you seemed to know each other at school. That's why everything was such a big secret.” Ochako finished. “The biggest thing I'm confused by is that you said it was Izuku's secret to share, when the secret is your secret identity.”

“That was excellent deductive reasoning, which led to several very plausible theories based on the information available. Well done, Young Uraraka! I might have to see if I can give you extra credit!” Toshinori smiled broadly, lightly applauding. Between one clap and the next, he swelled into All Might in a puff of steam, which made Ochako jump with a small ‘eep!’ “But there's a key piece of information you're missing. While, yes, my identity is inextricably linked to what Young Izuku wishes to tell you, it is the lesser of the secrets.”

“The lesser of…” Ochako gaped. “What? What could possibly be a bigger secret than your identity?! Are… wait. Izuku, are you All Might's son?!”

“...You know, you're the second person to come to that conclusion.” Izuku couldn't help but laugh a little. “Shoto has been firmly convinced of that since at least the sports festival, and who knows how long before that. I've never seen Tenya look so completely bewildered as when he started explaining that theory back in the hospital.”

“Do they know what's going on?” Ochako asked. “You and Iida in particular were much closer after everything that happened. I thought it might have just been because of what you went through together, but…”

“Shoto doesn't know. Tenya does, but he found out because of… easily the craziest part of the many absurd things we’re going to tell you. His brother Tensei picked up that something was going on, so we brought him in on it. Toshinori suggested we tell Mom after internships. Then… Bakugo witnessed something in the Rescue Race that made it easier to just bring him and Mr. Aizawa into the loop.” He sent her a small, shy smile. “You're the first person that I'm telling purely because I chose to, though. If you want to hear it, that is. I'll completely understand if this is all too much too suddenly.”

The beginnings of what looked like a fond smile froze on her lips, and she looked at him askance. “Do you really think I would just walk away at this point? If nothing else, I'm agonizingly curious now.”

Izuku met her eyes, saw the sincerity and conviction in them, then nodded. “Alright. Then we’ll start from the beginning, at the dawn of Quirks, when our Quirk first came into existence.”

“...Do you mean Quirks in general?”

“No, this one in particular. It’s called One for All, and it has been passed down through the generations since the very beginning. All Might was the Eighth person to wield our Quirk, One for All. I’m the Ninth.”

Ochako blinked.

She opened her mouth.

She closed her mouth.

Carefully, she stepped towards the large couch and sat down. “Ok, go ahead.”

Izuku smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I know that’s kind of jumping into the deep end.”

“Hmm?” Ochako hummed. “Oh, no. That’s a perfectly reasonable way to start an explanation that I’d originally thought would be about cleaning a beach. Kind of buried the lead there, Izuku.”

“I can start there, if you’d like.” Izuku offered.

“Yeah, because you can just drop ‘Oh, hey, me, All Might, and seven other people have all shared a Quirk across a hundred and some odd years’ then not explain.” Ochako giggled a little. “Sorry, just… trying to wrap my brain around this. I’ll try not to interrupt too much.”

“It’s completely ok if you have questions, Young Uraraka.” Toshinori smiled reassuringly. “We’re here to explain everything you want to know on the subject, at least regarding what we know ourselves.”

Ochako took a deep breath, then nodded. “Let's begin, then.”

Ochako proved to be a far more involved participant in the explanation than those before her had been. There were countless questions as she listened intently, trying to wrap her head around the entire situation.

She also managed to get Toshinori to show her a picture of Izuku before his training, much to his embarrassment. He'd expected that from his mother, not Toshinori. The complete disbelief on her face had been pretty funny, at least.

Their hands had been joined throughout, though who was comforting who seemed to change often. All the same, it was deeply reassuring that at no point had she ever pulled her hand away.

Even so, she looked dazed by the time they finished. It was completely understandable; she'd just been saddled with an overwhelming amount of information, much of which would be national secrets if the government knew of them.

Once more, Izuku gently squeezed her hand within his own. “Are you alright, Ochako?”

After a moment, she nodded. “Yeah. It's all just… it's so hard to believe. Not that I don't believe you! Just… if anyone else told me all this, I'd probably start checking to see if any nearby psychiatric hospitals had reported that a patient isn't had wandered off. But it weirdly makes some of the things I've noticed make more sense, as backwards as that feels.”

“That’s entirely understandable.” Toshinori huffed. “The legacy of One for All is a strange one, even before everything that has happened of late. I was uncertain as well, back when Nana and Sorahiko first told me of it.”

“For all of roughly five seconds. Then you were completely gung ho.” Sorahiko snorted. “I was actually a little worried that you would be too gullible, but thankfully that didn’t prove to be a problem.”

Toshinori stared blankly into the distance for a beat, then turned to glare at Sorahiko. “Is THAT why you were constantly trying to trick me and tie my brain in knots early on? I assumed that was supposed to be some kind of weird mental fortitude training.”

Ochako giggled as the two began another bickering volley, some of the tension in her frame defusing. Izuku smiled at the sound, then leaned over to bump his shoulder into hers.

“Thank you for hearing us out.” He whispered lowly. “I know that was a lot, but I didn’t want to keep things from you anymore. It’s been difficult for a while, but not saying anything when we called during internships nearly made me rip out my hair. Once I got the clear, I was planning to let you know about it regardless of if we started dating, to make sure you were prepared.”

She leaned into him as well. “It was, but I’m glad you told me. This is…”

She tapered off, eyes distant and a frown on her face. The frown hardened, determination beginning to burn in her eyes.

“The world is a much scarier place than I thought it was, even though I was so sure I knew what I was getting into by becoming a hero. I need to be stronger if I’m going to help protect people from it.” She turned to meet his gaze. “So. This Vestige Realm is where you’ve been getting all that extra practice time. Any chance there’s room for another visitor?”

Her determination stoked his own, and he felt a smile stretch across his lips. “You know, there might just be.”

Chapter Text

She tapered off, eyes distant and a frown on her face. The frown hardened, determination beginning to burn in her eyes.

“The world is a much scarier place than I thought it was, even though I was so sure I knew what I was getting into by becoming a hero. I need to be stronger if I’m going to help protect people from it.” She turned to meet his gaze. “So. This Vestige Realm is where you’ve been getting all that extra practice time. Any chance there’s room for another visitor?”

Her determination stoked his own, and he felt a smile stretch across his lips. “You know, there might just be.”

“Oh ho ho! What have we here?”

Of all the people Izuku had been expecting to find waiting outside the 1A Dorms, Kayama wasn't one of them. He barely recognized her out of costume; Hair up in a messy bun and wearing a violet sweatshirt over black leggings, she looked almost nothing like her hero persona.

At least until she glanced between himself and Ochako, and her smile turned coquettish.

“What have you two been getting up to, hmm?” Kayama asked, waggling her eyebrows. “It looks like someone's just gotten her mind blown.”

In a way, she wasn’t wrong.

All things considered, Ochako had handled the absurdity of the story quite well, and had come out strong on the other side. Even so, she'd just been on the receiving end of a LOT of information, and was still reeling from it. As such, the walk home had been a mostly quiet one, punctuated by a few questions and clarifications. It had been clear she was distracted by her thoughts, though her grip on his hand had never wavered.

Unfortunately, that lingering distraction had blinded her to their teacher's teasing. As a result, she answered at face value, and with a bit more honesty than might have been advisable.

“Uh huh.” Ochako murmured absently.

Izuku had already been on his way to a five alarm blush before she'd said anything, but afterwards? He felt like he must have been outshining the evening sun.

“Um?” Kayama’s eyes went wide, and she looked the both of them over in alarm. “...Did you…? Ok, time out. Was that a misunderstanding, or do I actually need to run through the safe sex spiel here? You two were the last ones I thought I'd-”

“Wait. What?” Ochako blinked. Then, several octaves higher; “Safe WHAT?”

“Oh, thank goodness. You're both still innocent.” Kayama sighed in relief.

Izuku tried to speak. He wasn't sure if he failed entirely, or if whatever sound he made was just too high pitched for the human ear to hear.

“Nonononono!” Ochako babbled as she waved her hands in denial, rapidly reddening. “We just went on our first date an’ Izuku cleaned a beach and Quirks an’... an’ we didn't do anythin’ like… l-like…”

She dropped her face into her hands with a mortified groan. Had she not been wearing her gloves, she'd probably have started floating away.

“I'm sorry!” Kayama looked half way between genuinely regretful and like she wanted to squeal, which was… certainly an interesting combination. “I was just… I didn't expect that response-”

“Nem?” A voice called. “What did I tell you about corrupting Tenya’s friends?”

“Eep!” This time, it was Kayama's turn to blush as she whipped around. She seemed to freeze for a split second as she caught sight of the speaker, but it was so quick Izuku wasn’t entirely sure if he’d seen it at all. “Tensei! Hi! Um… no, no corrupting here! Just a misunderstanding!”

“Uh huh.” Tensei grunted, sounding completely convinced as Tenya continued to push his brother's wheelchair further up the path from the track. “And I'm sure the fact that I can feel the heat radiating off their faces from here is purely coincidence.”

“I wasn't trying to corrupt them! It was just a little teasing!” Kayama pouted, then gestured to them with both hands. “Can you blame me? They're adorable!”

“Be that as it may, and while I fully endorse teasing...”

“As I can attest.” Tenya sighed resignedly.

“...Your teasing tends to be inherently corrupting.” Tensei continued, unperturbed. “As such, I have no choice but to conclude that you were, in fact, being naughty.”

Kayama grumbled something under her breath, but didn't argue any further as Tenya brought himself and his brother to a stop before them, then stepped around the chair.

“Hello Izuku, Uraraka.” Tenya greeted them as Tensei and Kayama began talking lowly together off to the side. “How was your outing? Hopefully Nemuri didn’t tarnish it too badly.”

Izuku took a deep, albeit shuddering, breath to center himself. “O-our d-d-date went w-well.”

Ochako, face still in her hands, nodded rapidly.

Tenya smiled broadly with a tinge of relief around the edges, then spoke a little louder than seemed strictly necessary. “That’s wonderful! I’m overjoyed for the both of you. I’m sure you’ll be quite happy together!”

Ochako peeked up between her fingers. “You’re… not surprised? Did Izuku tell you what he was planning?”

“He did, but I knew what was coming long before he said anything.” Tenya adjusted his glasses, then once again spoke slightly louder than necessary. “I'm sorry to say that neither of you were terribly subtle about your feelings. The only people who seemed wholly unaware of it were the recipients.”

“That’s more or less what Mina said too. I was kind of hoping she was exaggerating, but… apparently not.” Ochako slumped with another small groan. “How was your day, Iida?”

“Fantastic! It was quite nice to see Tensei again, and his instruction on using my new Engines was immensely helpful, as you’d probably imagine.” Tenya beamed. “I’m quite comfortable with both Engines in 1st and 2nd Gear simultaneously now, and have an acceptable amount of control with 3nd Gear individually. I must say, the way my new engines expand my options for mobility is incredible.”

“You’re a quick study, little brother.” Tensei said as he rolled up, then stretched in order to ruffle Tenya’s hair. “I’m going to give Nem a ride home in the Hot Rod, then head home myself. I’ll try to make sure we can do this again next week, if you’d like.”

Tenya paused his attempts to fix his hair in order to smile at his brother. “I’d like that very much!”

“Great! I’ll hopefully see you next weekend, then!” Tensei wrapped an arm around Tenya’s waist in a side hug, then muffled a yawn as he turned to Izuku and Ochako. “Izuku, good to see you as well. Uraraka, it’s nice to meet you. Congratulations to you both, and stay out of trouble!”

“Thank you. Before you go, would you like a little bit of energy?” Izuku asked, extending a hand. “Just to make sure you can get home safe.”

Tensei seemed like he was about to turn the offer down, then paused when he saw the intense way Izuku was looking at him. Realization dawned a moment later, though Tensei hid it quickly. “Actually, I’d appreciate that. I’m a little worn out from today.”

A quick brush of his fingers later, and Tensei and Kayama were making their way towards a large silver SUV with obvious handicap accessibility modifications. The two of them continued to talk the whole way, laughter carrying on the wind in their wake.

“Tenya?” Izuku asked after a moment. “Was all of that some kind of scheme to goad one of them into making a move?”

“Making a move…?” Ochako asked, looking after the retreating figures with clear surprise. “Wait, they aren’t already dating?”

“No, they’re not. Unfortunately. And… maybe just a little bit.” Tenya sighed. “It wasn’t my original reason for letting her know we were finishing up. Tensei hasn’t let himself rest anywhere near as much as he should have since he left the hospital. Mr. Aizawa is out on patrol and Hizashi is currently at the radio station, but she finished her rounds for the day about an hour ago. She was always the best of them at cheering him up regardless, so I asked if she was available to try and get him to relax for a few hours. But when you two were here as well… I may have taken the opportunity presented. I apologize if that was uncouth of me.”

“It’s fine. I just wouldn't have figured you for a matchmaker.” Ochako replied, bemused. “That’s more Mina’s thing.”

“Is it playing matchmaker when they’ve been doing this for quite literally my entire life?” Tenya sighed. “The match is made. It’s just that they’re too caught up in their insecurities to realize it. Nemuri has always been worried that she's too wild for his tastes, and that being in a relationship with her would ruin his reputation. Tensei, on the other hand, is afraid that he’s too plain for her, and that her entering a relationship would tank her popularity. They’re both blatantly, objectively wrong about the other’s tastes, but they’re also so stubborn that no amount of anyone trying to just TELL THEM THAT has stuck.”

Tenya pushed up his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, then deflated with a groan. “I apologize. It’s just… hard, to see him try to act like nothing’s wrong, especially when I can see right through it. He’s exhausted, and stressed, and understandably depressed, and… I just want something to go right for him.”

There was a moment of quiet that followed Tenya’s explanation. Gently, Izuku reached up to pat his friend on the shoulder. “He's lucky to have you, Tenya.”

“Yeah! You're doing your best to help him when he needs it.” Ochako added.

“He’s always done so for me.” Tenya smiled wanly. “The least I can do is try to return the favor.”

“If you’d like to spend some more time with him, that bit of Boon will let him appear in the Vestige Realm tonight.” Izuku murmured quietly. “If that works out how I expect it to, then it’ll probably be a really good night for him. I’m sure he’ll appreciate having you there.”

“I would like that-” Tenya briefly went still, then another wave of relief visibly washed over him. “Oh, thank goodness. I assumed you would tell Uraraka everything if you made your relationship official, but it’s a relief to know for sure. Will you be joining us this evening as well?”

Ochako nodded. “From what I’ve heard, this is absolutely something I need to experience. I trust what I’ve been told, but… it’s all so crazy.”

“I’ve known since a bit after the Hosu incident, and it still feels unreal most of the time.” Tenya admitted. “That said, time in the Vestige Realm is invaluable. The freedom and safety it offers while training is unlike anything even UA could provide.”

“So I’ve heard.” Ochako said, then unsuccessfully tried to muffle a yawn of her own. “Well, let's head in before someone starts wondering why we’re just standing out here.”

The three made their way up the steps together, then stepped into the dorms.

Just as Ashido was walking by.

She wore a black tank top and yoga pants with a black and pink zebra stripe pattern, and had a bowl of Nato Rice in one hand and a spoon in her mouth. Her eyes immediately snapped to the three of them, then down to where Izuku and Ochako’s hands were twined together.

Her eyes went absolutely huge.

“Uh-oh.” Ochako squeaked.

Ashido did a little dance, then spun to look around frantically. Not finding anywhere convenient, she put her bowl on the ground, then spun back to face them.

“OU DIHD ET?” Ashido frowned, then swallowed hard. “You did it? You asked him?”

Ochako blushed, but gave a little nod.

Ashido squealed loudly, then did something between another celebratory dance and an abortive attempt to tackle them both. “I've been going nuts waiting for an update all day! You said you'd let me know what happened!”

“I meant to!” Ochako defended herself. “But I kind of got distracted by our date, you know?”

This drew more attention from the surrounding areas, including from Inko, who poked her head out from her rooms.

Her eyes immediately snapped down to their still linked hands.

“Uh-oh.” Izuku muttered.

A second squeal joined the first. Unlike Ashido, Inko didn't hesitate to drag both of them into a hug.

Really, he should have expected the ambush. The Vestiges had been quiet during the date, which had been as suspicious as it was appreciated. But the moment Izuku managed to drift off to sleep and appeared within the Vestige Realm, that silence was broken.

“CONGRAAAAAAAA-”

Izuku didn’t even fully register what was happening before he grabbed the arm rushing towards him. With a twist and a heave, he turned his assailant’s momentum into a throw, hauling them up and over his shoulder in an arc. Daigoro slammed into the floor of the ruins back first with a crash and a wheeze, multicolored bits of something whirling up into the air around him.

Izuku stared down at the twitching, gurgling bulk of the Fifth Wielder, brain working overtime to try and parse what was happening. “...is that confetti?”

From behind, he heard En sigh. “We tried to tell him to keep it low key, but did he listen? No. Of course he didn’t.”

Izuku glanced back over his shoulder. Save for Daigoro, the rest of the Wielders were sitting in their thrones, looking varying degrees of bemused or exasperated. Yoichi, looking particularly sheepish, blew half-heartedly into a party noisemaker.

“Well, Daigoro?” Kudo asked, in the tone of someone lightly scolding a child. “What did we learn?”

“...don’t…try…to noogie…” Daigoro forced out, then gasped. “...the…mini-Hikage…”

Hikage nodded in agreement. “That was good form.”

“...Thanks.” Izuku murmured. “So I assume this is about Ochako, right?”

“A genius of deductive reasoning.” Kudo snarked, though there wasn’t any actual heat behind the words. “Personally, I thought we should just keep our noses out of it, but En, Hikage, and I were outvoted because Kinenkō decided to abstain.”

“In our defense…” Nana interjected. “We were just planning a little congratulations. This was something that obviously meant a lot to you. We’re proud of you for going through with it.”

“Even if she beat you to the punch.” Bruce chuckled.

“Regardless, the plan was to get this out of our systems before she got here, so that we didn’t overwhelm her like we did with your Mother.” Yoichi took the noise maker out of his mouth, then flicked it into the void behind him. “As usual, Daigoro had a bit more in his system to work through, though.”

“Bite me.” Daigoro grunted, then dragged himself to his feet, confetti drifting off of him as he did so. He cleared his throat, then very slowly reached out a hand to pat Izuku on the shoulder. “Seriously though, kid. Congrats. You two seem like you’ll make each other really happy, and that’s something everyone could do with more of.”

“She already does.” Izuku smiled, heart swelling.

“Oh boy. Here comes the puppy love phase.” From the way Nana was giggling, she didn’t seem to see that as a bad thing.

“Speaking of…” Yoichi frowned in concentration, then brightened. “We now have incoming! Everyone, let's make a good impression this time, shall we?”

Above, two faint traceries of gold began to form. Slowly, one of the vague transparent shapes resolved into a small homey kitchen. The appliances looked old but well cared for, and the chairs around the heavy wooden table were each different from the other. A cake decorated in pink and white sat in the middle of the table.

Ochako opened her eyes, then looked around. A fond smile spread across her lips as she ran her fingers across the back of a chair with space-patterned cushions, then she looked upwards. “...woah. Tenya wasn’t kidding about this being weird.”

“It's certainly a surreal experience the first time.” Tenya agreed as he took shape in his office, Tensei’s power Vestige silent at his side. “Odd as it may be, however, it's a marvel.”

“That it is. Ochako, welcome to the Vestige Realm!” Izuku called up to her. It felt wonderful to finally get to show her this place. “With the exception of Doctor Kinenkō, these are the previous wielders I've told you about. Everyone, I'm happy to officially introduce you to Ochako!”

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you!” Nana smiled warmly. “We've heard a lot about you. Both because of what he's intentionally told us, and because you've been on his mind in some capacity for most of the time we've been fully conscious.”

“It's adorable, really.” Daigoro chuckled.

“Nana! Daigoro!” Izuku whipped around, blushing furiously. “I thought you guys were going to behave!”

Nana’s smile turned impish. “Oh, Izuku. You know very well that this IS us behaving.”

“...Anyway!” Izuku moved on quickly, hoping desperately that the look he caught in Ochako's eyes wasn't curiosity. “Let's get you up to speed on the ways you can change your bubble of reality, and we can start some training!”

Izuku eyed the maze of wooden posts protruding from the sand in front of him. He had a vague idea of where his target was; A small bauble that periodically made a quiet beep. The back left was his best guess, though anything beyond that was unclear. That was the intent, obviously; He alone wasn’t supposed to be able to find it.

Taking a deep breath, he raised an arm and focused. A curiosity to find the bauble. A desire to grab it. A disappointment for grabbing the posts. The expected satisfaction of success. Then, he and Blackwhip reached out.

Odd, disjointed impressions coursed through the connection between them. Flashes of not-quite-sight as it wove between the pillars, faint tactile pressure as it brushed against them but didn’t grab, and alert flashes of interest at the same time he heard the faint beep with his own ears. Then, with a thrum of glee, the tendril honed in on the bauble and engulfed it. Quick as a whip, they swung it upwards and out from among the pillars, then pulled it into Izuku’s waiting palm with a crisp snap.

“Yes!” Izuku cheered, then focused on his satisfaction and happiness, stoking them and sharing them. Blackwhip thrummed in unison with it, their mutual pride almost seeming to harmonize.

“Nicely done, Izuku!” A third swell of emotion rolled through Blackwhip in an oddly distant way as Daigoro clapped him on the shoulder with a wide smile, his own happiness tangible through their mutual link to the Quirk. “This definitely seems like the right route for working with Blackwhip. Communicating through emotions and using them as incentives is just abstract enough that I probably wouldn’t have thought of it for a while yet, but it’s exactly what Blackwhip needed.”

Izuku shook his head. “I wouldn’t have thought of it either without you running trials for me. All those results you gave me were what led me to the idea.”

“Then I suppose we’ll have to humbly accept co-credit for this breakthrough.” Daigoro nodded soberly, one hand reaching up to stroke the strand of Blackwhip that protruded from his shoulder, much to Blackwhip’s delight. “Go ahead and take a break. You’ve been at this for a while, and I don’t want you to pop something with how hard you’ve been focusing.”

Ordinarily, Izuku would have said he was fine. Which he was. But ordinarily, he didn’t have something so… distracting going on overhead.

Izuku nodded, then conjured three extra-tall pillars spaced in a triangle. With a flick of will and desire, Blackwhip was happy to snap out three strands from his torso, each striking a pillar at their peak. With a yank, he was pulled upwards until he stopped just short of the barrier between his realm and Ochako’s.

Once she’d gotten a hang on her ability to alter her realm, she’d gone absolutely hog wild. En had offered his input from years of experience with old training systems and courses, while Nana had made suggestions tailored around aerial movement before she’d gone to spend time with Toshinori and Sorahiko. The result was a complex course full of challenging terrain, spinning poles, traps, gaps, and countless other elements to simulate both a complex urban environment and a battlefield.

Ochako ran along a narrow walkway, leaping and ducking swinging arms as she approached the far end. Two swept in at the same moment, and she dove through the gap between while clenching a fist, removing her gravity. She soared forwards to the end of the path, where she curled and rolled in the air before slamming her hands down onto the ground. She shot skywards at an angle, roughly on course to reach the second section of the gauntlet that began near the top of her realm.

Once she neared the barrier between realms, she tapped her fingers together, and her straight line turned into an arcing trajectory that would let her fall into the large opening at the top of the structure. At the peak of her arc, she noticed him hanging only about 10 feet away from her, and gave him a little wave as she began to fall into the vertical section of her 3D Obstacle Maze. He briefly saw her once again remove her weight and jump between walls before she vanished within the complex structure.

Blackwhip matched what Izuku was feeling with a thrum of… An emotion that Izuku quickly and firmly clamped down on, blushing furiously. That had been a remarkable display, and was as… stimulating… as it was impressive.

Izuku shook his head to clear it, then conjured another set of three pillars next to Bruce’s column beneath Tenya’s realm. He sent Blackwhip that way, though it was slightly irritated with him for cutting off such a powerful emotion. Thankfully, it accepted his desire to check on Tenya as sufficient motivation to work with him, and the dark threads snapped out with relative precision. Izuku swung down, then swept upwards as they pulled taught and brought him into position.

Just in time to see a red flash, followed by Tenya tumbling across the track and through an already mostly destroyed section of foliage.

Izuku winced. He knew from experience that Tenya would be fine; Injuries within the Vestige Realm seemed to be superficial things that faded quickly. Nothing really broke, and the pain faded far more quickly than it would have otherwise.

That didn’t mean they hurt any less initially though.

Tenya dragged himself upright with a groan, then staggered a few steps away. From the swath of annihilated foliage and the variety of larger craters along the wall beyond them, this was far from the first attempt. If anything, it seemed like an improvement.

“Well, I think I finally managed to utilize the FaJin reserve without also using Recipro Burst.” Tenya spat out a leaf, then conjured a new set of glasses to replace the ones that had likely been lost in his tumble. “Moderation will be my next goal.”

Bruce nodded. “It’s understandable that it’s not intuitive for you. Your Meta Ability starts low, and requires that you push in order to get a larger output. FaJin defaults to going all out, and requires that you restrict it to get anything other than a singular massive burst. Don’t feel bad if you have a hard time getting the feel for it.”

Tenya nodded, then with a wave to Izuku set off around the track with all four Engines roaring. The difference between the Rescue Race video and what Izuku was seeing now was remarkable; Tenya ran with confidence while in 2nd Gear, angling his arms just so to help him stay on course while rounding the end of the track. Each bounding stride covered large swaths of ground, the combined propulsion giving him just a bit of lift. As he rounded the bend a second time, his Engines dropped to the bottom of 1st Gear, then flashed red. Tenya was launched forward once more, though this time he managed to stay on his feet when he landed.

Granted, he was still moving too quickly to completely avoid skidding into one of the few remaining topiary shrubs lining the track, but progress was progress.

Bruce chuckled, a vaguely nostalgic cast to his face. At Izuku’s questioning look, Bruce shrugged.

“I couldn’t practice out in the open, and I couldn’t practice at home because of my Mother. My Dad always loved camping, and his favorite spot back before the world started ending was this little clearing a few miles into the woods outside town.” The nostalgia was tinged by sadness now, but hadn't faded. “But when I say little, I mean little. Didn’t give me a lot of room for error, and my control was pretty shit in the beginning, so Tenya’s tree-hugging is a pretty familiar experience. I’d advise we practice in your realm rather than mine when we get there, unless you really want to continue the tradition.”

“I might just take your advice on that. I think I get blasted through enough trees when I’m training with Hikage.” Izuku nodded, then winced when he saw Bruce go still. “Sorry, I know things are strained between the two of you. I shouldn’t have mentioned anything.”

“Strained?” Bruce looked at him askance, then his eyebrows rose. “You haven’t asked him, have you?”

“...No.” Izuku admitted. “I know that whatever happened, it’s one of the only things that actually seems to upset him. I didn’t want to dredge it up unless he said something first.”

Bruce gave him a flat look. “It's Hikage.”

“...Yes. That was a pretty glaring flaw in the plan.” Izuku admitted.

Bruce seemed to mull something over for a time, frown pulled tight and to the side. Then, he let out a hissing breath. “I’ll tell you. If you want to ask him about it afterwards and he's upset, blame me.”

Izuku eyed Bruce warily. “Won't that just make things worse?”

Bruce barked a single grim laugh, then shook his head. “I forced One for All on him, and everything that came with it by extension. There isn't really much worse I can make anything.”

Izuku sagged as his stomach roiled. He'd suspected as much. It was one of the few things Hikage had almost outright said on the subject, but it had still only been heavily implied. When Bruce had seemed relatively nice, had helped him with figuring out the changes to Tenya's Quirk, and had displayed a fascination with Quirks similar to Izuku's own… he'd hoped desperately that it wasn't as bad as it sounded.

He liked Bruce. The idea that someone he liked could have done something like that was… unsettling.

“You'd figured that much out, then. I'd be worried if you hadn't.” Bruce nodded, staring down at Tenya. His face had gone hard and blank. “The Resistance rescued Hikage from some of All for One's thugs. Apparently, they'd cornered him while they were sweeping the forest for us, and there wasn't much he could do against the ground turning liquid, warning or no. They were keeping him prisoner for whenever All for One swung by to make collections.”

Held hostage, with the knowledge that something intrinsic to you was going to be stolen. Izuku didn't want to think about how terrifying that must have been.

“It had been about 7 years since Kudo’s death at that point, and I was the one running the show. Presented with someone who could detect malicious intent, while being hunted by the most malicious people on the planet, I popped him into a guard position at the main base. He was more than happy with that…” Bruce paused for a moment. “Well, as happy as he is about anything. And it worked. He saved all our asses from discovery hundreds of times over the next few years. Right up until All for One wised up that we were getting some kind of warning whenever he or his men got close.”

Bruce's facade of blank calm cracked, then shattered. Hate and rage boiled from his eyes as a sneer crawled across his face. “Hikage’s range wasn't that insane back in the day, even when he pushed it as far out as he could. Maybe a half mile. Unfortunately, whatever fuck off massive laser beam Meta Ability All for One fired through the heart of that bunker had a much bigger range than that.”

“...Shit.” Izuku muttered, at a loss for words.

“The good news was that the bastard didn't follow it up himself. That let most of the survivors escape his ground crews and make it to another safe location.” Bruce spat. “The bad news was that the upper combat leadership of The Resistance was almost completely annihilated. That included my second in command, Yoko, whom I'd intended to be my successor. Her backup, Kagami, had died covering a retreat in the last big fight. Third string was Minato, who was crippled in the fighting while we tried to get away from the ground crews, and was barely there afterwards. I could go on, but it would keep to the theme.”

“So you chose Hikage.” Izuku said.

“I did.” Bruce agreed. “He was, in my estimation, the best possible choice in order to keep One for All alive. That entire assault was effectively an attempt to get around him in the first place, which was the best possible resume he could have as far as I was concerned.”

Bruce stared off into the distance for a long moment, the anger seeming to fade slightly.

“So, I called him to my office right before dinner for a long meeting. Gave him a ration bar that had a few slivers of hair in it. Told him to eat while I explained the history of One for All to him, what little of it there was at the time.” Bruce sighed. “It was going well until Danger Sense started going into overdrive.”

“The Quirk amplification?” Izuku asked. “Or was it another attack?”

“The former.” Bruce nodded soberly. “He figured it out pretty quick after that. Understandably flipped his lid. Told me he'd have accepted if I'd just asked as a friend rather than taking away his choices.”

“Why…” Izuku hesitated. “Why didn't you just ask him?”

“A wartime general mentality. A knowledge that all he really wanted was a quiet life. Numerous other reasons that seemed wise at the time.” Bruce shook his head. “I hadn't anticipated Danger Sense getting noticeably more sensitive during the explanation. I was going to ask him at the end, even though it was already done. If he'd said yes, I'd have given him a hair and sent him on his way. But I couldn't risk him saying no, and being wary of anything I did from then on. I’m not proud of it, but I had to make many, many decisions I wasn’t proud of to keep the fight against All for One going back then.”

“So… what happened?” Izuku warily asked after a long pause.

“He said exponentially more to me in one sitting than he had before or has since, all of it understandably furious, then deserted. I moved to assassinate All for One while my source said he was recovering from whatever that laser was, in the hopes I'd kill him and end the war.” Bruce replied bluntly. “Evidence suggests I almost succeeded, because Hikage never even had to hide from the bastard. But he did eventually have to deal with other messes I was indirectly responsible for, which didn’t help anything. And, of course… One for All eventually killed him.”

Bruce let out a hissing breath between clenched teeth. “So yeah. Things aren’t strained so much as he rightfully hates me. I agree that I was wrong morally and accept his hate, but history shows that it was almost certainly the right strategic decision to make.”

“That’s…” Izuku searched for words, but struggled to properly articulate what he was feeling. “That’s horrible. Doing that to a person, to a friend and ally… even if it got the best results in the end, it was wrong.”

“It was. But it was something necessary, like so many horrid decisions before it, and so many the others were forced into since. I lived in that gray zone for most of my adult life, fighting tooth and nail to make a future that would condemn me for my actions. Because if it did, then it was a better world than the one I lived in.” Bruce turned to look at him, and suddenly Izuku realized something. Bruce’s anger hadn’t faded, not even slightly. It had simply turned inwards. “I hope you can hold onto that conviction that the ends don't justify the means. The world has a way of crushing that out of people, especially when the world itself is what’s at stake.”

The weight in Bruce's words was oppressive. The rawness of it. The longing. The blend of resolve and regret. It left him at a loss for words.

The moment was shattered as Yoichi appeared in the air next to Izuku, then dropped like a brick with a startled yelp. On instinct, Izuku snapped out a few tendrils of Blackwhip to grab him, his roiling emotional state thankfully not enough to fowl his aim. A moment later, a somehow even more pale Yoichi was settled on a platform next to Izuku.

“Note to self.” Yoichi said through a forced, shaky grin. “Look before I just pop myself in next to you.”

“Yeah, that seems like a good plan.” Izuku agreed. “So, what brings you by?”

Yoichi's eyes lit up, and his smile widened. He turned to stare down into Tenya’s realm, which had fallen quiet without Izuku having noticed. He turned to follow the First’s gaze… and saw Tensei's Vestige solidifying, much as Toshinori's had.

Tensei had only ever been a morning person in a ‘fake it til you make it' context, unlike his brother. He’d always treasured the days where he could turn off his alarm and just let himself sleep until he woke up naturally rather than having to drag himself across his room to make the accursed device stop screaming at him.

His Quirk might have run on Grapefruit Juice, but the rest of him ran on Caffeine.

As such, when he blearily opened his eyes to find himself on the Iida family track, he was nowhere near cognizant enough to understand why. The last thing he remembered was hoisting his barely conscious self into his new bed after spending a few more hours with Nemuri than was probably wise. He'd still been riding the high of her wicked smiles and contagious laugh when he'd drifted off.

Of all the dreams he'd expected after that, one starring the family track was certainly not it. Which probably meant this was going to be one of the oddball weird ones.

“...so.” Tensei glanced around languidly. “When are the ninjas going to start attacking? Or is it going to be Aliens this time?”

“Tensei?”

Ah. Tenya was part of it, apparently. Tensei turned to see his little brother, kitted out in his hero costume and with a few twigs and leaves sticking out of his hair, staring at him with a look of awe.

That was odd. Tenya had moved past the complete hero worship of him years ago. Why was he looking so…

“Tenya? What's wrong?” Tensei’s mind began to clear at the sight of his brother tearing up. He rushed over to him, putting an armored hand on Tenya's equally armored shoulder with a clang. “Is everything ok? Why are you-”

Tenya wrapped him in a hug that would have been crushing were it not for his own hero costume. “Tensei! Tensei, you can walk!”

The pit opened up in Tensei's stomach once more at the reminder. Apparently his subconscious hadn't caught up with his reality, and was dangling this in front of him. He pushed it aside, instead focusing on consoling his dream-brother. “Yes, I can walk. It'll be ok Tenya.”

Then, he caught an odd reflection in the back of Tenya’s armor. Distorted figures against blue and tan that definitely didn't look like the sky. He looked upwards… and found Izuku, along with several unfamiliar figures, hanging disorientingly above a beach in the sky.

Clarity dawned.

Izuku had given him a bit of Boon. Boon had let Tenya and several others enter the abstract reality they called the Vestige Realm while they slept. He was sleeping.

Suddenly, the onslaught of sensations seemed overwhelming. He could feel his legs, rather than the aching nothingness. His back didn't have that constant horrich ache. He could smell the familiar scents of the Iida track mixed with the oil and polish he always used on his suit, a scent he’d started to miss dearly.

This might not have been reality, but it felt far too real to be a simple dream.

And he could walk.

He could run.

He was whole again, even if only for a little while.

Tensei sagged as the full understanding struck him, but thankfully Tenya was there to hold him up. Tensei pulled his brother closer as the tears began, much as they had in the hospital.

This time, they were tears of joy.

“So. What's been going on in that head of yours, Toshi?”

Toshinori blinked, then dragged his attention away from the window and back to Nana. He wasn't sure how she'd made it open into Izuku’s realm to let them watch the training session, but he wasn't about to complain. Watching Izuku figure out his copy of Engine under Tensei’s watchful eye had been quite interesting, even if the Quirk barely did anything in its current state.

“Not much, really.” He chuckled. “Mostly just marveling at Young Izuku's progress. The strides he's taken in such a short time… he's incredible.”

“Two peas in a pod, you and him.” Nana stepped up next to him, a nostalgic smirk on her face. “I remember thinking the same thing when you mastered One for All in a few months. The way you were able to squeeze more out of it than I ever could one moment, then apply it with delicate precision the next was something else.”

“I'm not sure anything about him could be called delicate, Airhead.” Sorahiko snarked from above. “But I guess it was kinda impressive when he stopped blasting out structures whenever he jumped.”

Nana snorted, but then turned a slightly more serious look his way. “Regardless, that's not quite what I was talking about.”

She leaned towards the window to aim a pointed look upwards, to where he knew Young Uraraka's realm to be.

He slumped. “Do you think Young Izuku noticed as well?”

Nana shook her head. “He was a little surprised by how much you were hamming it up, but no.”

“That's a relief.” Toshinori blew out a breath, then stooped down to look upwards as well.

Young Uraraka slowly spun in the air of her realm, twisting and turning to gain and lose momentum until she faced a new direction. From the greenish shade of her face, it was clear the night’s activities were taking their toll, but that didn’t seem to be stopping her.

“Young Uraraka is a wonderful young lady, a fact I’m even more certain of after seeing how she handled today’s revelations. But… It still unsettles me how many people are learning of One for All.” Toshinori leaned back, then released a sigh. “Before, there were extenuating circumstances; Either ones that forced our hand, or which seemed a necessity such as with his mother. But with Young Uraraka, it was a choice. An understandable one, but still a choice.”

Nana watched him from the corner of her eye. “Do you think it was a mistake?”

“That’s the crux of it. Objectively, his reasoning is sound, and is more or less the same argument I made regarding his mother. She’ll be a target. Her knowing could save her life some day. But that doesn't change the fact that after years and years of my trying to keep this secret to as few people as possible, it sets me on edge to have so many learn of it so quickly, logic be damned. It feels like a mistake to me, even if the facts present indicate it isn't.”

Toshinori slumped onto the couch with a groan. “But I also don’t want him to think I don’t support his decisions, because I do. I’ve told him over and over that the power is his, and with it the secret. He’s finally accepting that, and this is a sign of it, even if he still asked my permission.”

He ran a hand down his face, then looked back out the window. Izuku threw a series of jabs, then swept into an Engine accelerated uppercut. Though the difference it made would be negligible with One for All, Izuku seemed as dedicated to mastering it as he was any other Quirk.

“Young Izuku has made so much progress, and I'm so proud of him for it. I don’t want to jeopardize that progress and the confidence he's finally gaining just because I clearly have issues about secrecy.”

Nana floated over next to him and slung an arm over his shoulders. She looked at him with a small smile and soft eyes, sadness and nostalgia and a hundred other emotions swirling within. “That’s parenthood, Toshi.”

That brought his train of thought to a screeching halt. “That's… what?”

“Putting your own feelings and desires to the side so that you can do what’s best for your child, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.” She squeezed his shoulder, even as her eyes misted. “Because you want them to become who they’re meant to be, even if that means things change in ways you weren't prepared for.”

He knew she was talking about Kotaro, but something about the way she’d looked at him said that parts had applied to him as well. He pulled her into a hug, which she returned as best she could. She didn’t cry; Though he could tell the pain was still as agonizing as it was before she died, it wasn’t as raw. This was a familiar pain for her now. When she pulled back, she was composed despite the faint redness of her eyes.

“Honestly, I'm surprised that you're surprised. Have you considered that there might be a reason multiple people have jumped to the ‘Izuku is your son' conclusion?” Nana smirked. “Let me tell you, Toshi. Nothing I've seen behind closed doors would help you beat the allegations. I don't need to be literally in your head to see he's your pride and joy. You want to nurture him and support him, even if it means he moves in his own direction instead of following in your footsteps. Hell, I think part of you WANTS him to follow a different path than you did, even if that entails things that unsettle you right now.”

His conversation with David flashed behind his eyes. Not just when they'd touched on Toshinori moving away from the ‘second Symbol of Peace’ idea, but the rest of it. Suddenly, the number of times his old friend had related Toshinori's stories of Izuku to his own experiences with Melissa took on an entirely different meaning.

It also explained that damnably smug knowing smirk David had worn the whole time.

‘... And that’s another to the tally.’ He inwardly sighed. “So… what do I do?”

Nana shrugged. “More or less the same thing you have been, just with more awareness? Putting a label on the feeling doesn't have to change it or the way you express it. It just means you understand it better.”

Toshinori nodded slowly. It was an odd concept to grapple with. He’d never been particularly interested in a romantic relationship, and had by extension assumed he didn’t want kids, given the two were generally intertwined. No matter how much he cherished the chances he’d had to see Melissa, he'd never been envious of David and Cathy, which had further supported his assumption.

But now that Nana had put a name to the feeling of protective adoration he held for his successor, it made sense. Much as it had been when he’d jokingly called Nana ‘Mom,’ only to realize how accurately it summed up his feelings, it was simultaneously jarring and relieving. Perhaps that wasn’t a great sign for his emotional intelligence, but that didn’t make the realizations any less real when he finally arrived at them.

She was right, naturally. The revelation didn't change anything between himself and Izuku. He'd already been prepared to do anything and everything he could to help Izuku in his journey, after all.

But it did renew his determination.

He wanted to watch as Izuku’s mastery grew. He wanted to witness the moment the meek child he'd met under a bridge fully blossomed into the self assured young man already beginning to take shape before him. He wanted to see his successor become the unstoppable hero he knew with utter certainty he would become.

He would crush All for One and defy fate itself if he had to.

No matter what it took, he would be there for his boy.

Chapter Text

He wanted to watch as Izuku’s mastery grew. He wanted to witness the moment the meek child he'd met under a bridge fully blossomed into the self assured young man beginning to take shape before him. He wanted to see his successor become the unstoppable hero he could see in him.

He would crush All for One and defy fate itself if he had to.

No matter what it took, he would be there for his boy.

Izuku pulled on the white gloves of his updated suit, then inspected them closely. Just as he'd sketched, there were now small rigid vents positioned behind his knuckles. A large circle of vibrant red that matched his belt and boots dominated the center of his palms. The DNA leather was tough on the outside and supple within, adhered to his hand by a specialized DNA Gel Matrix; a necessary addition for Quirks that generated something tangible rather than just transmitting an effect. The material extended up the belly of his fingers in a thin stripe, and ended in an inverted teardrop shape at his fingertips.

Carefully, he extended a wispy tendril of Blackwhip from a fingertip, then made the base travel down the thin trail of leather until it reached his palm. From there, he widened the strand into a much thicker cord, which waved happily.

Satisfied, he released Blackwhip to play in the knuckle vents, then glanced around the changing room. He was among the stragglers this time, having taken longer to inspect the updates that had been finished over the weekend.

Thankfully, they'd been complete in time for class Monday, because Aizawa had announced they'd be returning to the USJ for the day not a second after he strode into class.

Almost everyone had stilled at that, then the class had rushed to collect their suits and get changed. Izuku had understood that hesitance; regardless of the additional precautions Nezu had implemented, he couldn't deny that going back to where they'd all nearly died was unnerving.

Unfortunately, they needed that training. He knew first hand just how big the gulf between theoretical knowledge and practical application was. He'd been lucky that there'd only been one death from the building he'd evacuated, and he wasn't going to leave that to luck ever again if he could help it.

Izuku shook himself from his thoughts, then glanced towards the other two boys left in the changing room.

“Mineta! I must insist that you not waste time!” Tenya called through the stall door. “I understand that you want to make a grand entrance, but Mr. Aizawa won't be pleased if we aren't changed in a timely manner!”

“The girls usually take an extra minute or so to finish changing. I'm only waiting a little longer than that.” Mineta grumbled. “That'll be, like, another 15 seconds. Can you PLEASE just work with me on this?”

Izuku shook his head with a chuckle. “I'm heading for the bus. Maybe you can compromise and wait by the door once I'm gone?”

There was a pause before Mineta grudgingly agreed. Tenya nodded to Izuku appreciatively, then made his way to stand by the door. As Izuku stepped down the hall, he heard the stall door swing open.

“...Huh.” Tenya grunted, sounding genuinely surprised. “That's certainly a change of pace.”

…Damn it. Izuku was really curious now.

He made his way down UA’s halls, letting himself adjust to the new feel of his costume as he went. It wasn't all that different, just a few new places where the weight had shifted or there was a breeze because of the vents. Even so, his mind was swirling with new possibilities up to the moment he reached the bus.

The first person he noticed was Yaoyorozu. That wasn't particularly surprising, given that he didn't even recognize her for a moment. Sure, he'd seen the sketches of individual parts, but the final product was a day and night difference.

The base was a deep red DNA leather, much as her notes had indicated. The pristine white of the bone-based armor paneling contrasted sharply with it, the pieces arranged like advanced body armor to retain flexibility. A red helmet with a dark visor concealed most of her head, though her distinctive ponytail still emerged from the back.

All together, she had a dramatically more intimidating presence than she had before. Or at least she did until she tapped the side of her helmet, which retracted the visor and revealed the nervous look on her face.

“...Wow.” Izuku said after a moment, at a loss for words.

“I know, right?” Kaminari called, nodding enthusiastically as he gestured at Yaoyorozu. “That has to be one of the most badass costumes I've ever seen!”

“I may have gone… a bit overboard.” Yaoyorozu murmured sheepishly, fidgeting with some of the paneling. “I focused so much on the functionality that I didn't entirely account for how… menacing it might look.”

“It was surprising, sure, but it's nowhere near as menacing as some other Heroes.” Izuku shook his head. “I know you had exacting specifications for just about everything in your new costume. If this design improves your effectiveness as much as it should, I don't think it being a little intense is any reason to redesign it. I'm really curious to see how it works in action!”

“Then go sit down so we can leave faster.” Aizawa grumbled. Izuku quickly followed the directive, making his way to the seat he saw that Ochako had kept open for him.

Her costume had also changed, though far less drastically than Yaoyorozu’s. The wrist braces had been expanded into full gauntlets that ran up to her elbows now that her hands didn't need to be bare. Several holes ran around the enlarged wrist of the gauntlet, likely to accommodate the grappling lines she'd wanted. A band of bright pink ran across the knuckles, the same color as a series of dots he could see on her fingertips and elbows as she raised a hand to wave him over.

Her gauntlets weren't the only change, however. There was more light pink armored paneling around her shoulders, chest, and waist, both to add greater protection and to accommodate the propulsion fans. He thought he could pick out a few of them by the circular contours within the larger structures, but the designers had done an excellent job of making them near seamless. The additions were smooth and sleek, lending her costume a look reminiscent of the ‘futuristic’ space suits from old sci-fi movies.

“The updates look fantastic, Ochako!” Izuku said as he sat next to her. “It looks like you got most of what you wanted!”

“Yep! Fans and grappling lines and tethers galore!” Then she mock-pouted. “But that's all I get, after everything you had to say about Yaomomo’s? I'm hurt, Izuku.”

Izuku huffed. “W-well. The rest of you looks fantastic too, but there's nothing new about that.”

Ochako let out a little eep as her blush exploded. Izuku practically choked on his own tongue as his brain caught up with his mouth and tried to intervene, but it was far too late.

“Oh ho!” Sero crowed, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Midoriya's got game!”

Ashido was frantically patting at her suit, grinning like the cat who caught the mouse. She was likely trying to find her phone for more ‘Documenting their romantic progress’ as she'd put it to Ochako. Apparently the picture she'd taken during the movie night had been instrumental in getting Ochako to make a move, so he couldn't really complain.

Daigoro, of course, pulsed merrily.

‘You’re a terrible influence.’ Izuku thought in his direction, but that only made the pulsing more intense.

On one hand, it was embarrassing to have so many people watch him stumble his way through flirting. On the other hand, the flustered little smile on Ochako's face made the embarrassment entirely worth it.

Also, it was objectively true. The new additions to her costume definitely looked good, but that was like putting artwork in a slightly nicer frame. It was completely secondary to her… well, everything.

An everything which he'd been looking at for longer than was probably appropriate, he belatedly realized. Embarrassment redoubled, he quickly looked away… and found something completely and absolutely unexpected.

Roman Gladiator style armor, complete with ornamented greave-boots, arm guards, and a chest piece with artistically sculpted muscles. The torso and legs were partially covered by a toga, which was held closed by a deep purple sash belt that also held an assortment of supply pouches. Hanging below it was a brown coil which Izuku suspected to be a whip, though there seemed to be odd protrusions along its length.

Atop the ensemble was a classical legionary helmet decorated with grape vine designs and purple enamel. But rather than a horse hair plume, a line of purple spheres emerged along the top.

“...Damn.” Izuku blinked. “Yeah. Yeah, that IS a change of pace.”

As one, the class turned back towards the front of the bus, a wave of surprise rolling through them as they did so. Mineta puffed up under everyone’s attention, a smug smile spreading across his face.

“Damn right it is!” Mineta reached up with his left hand, twisting it so a purple circle on the bracer faced outwards. “Introducing The Vineyard Hero: Bacchus!”

With a flick of his wrist, the circle clicked outwards, and a small white shield folded out and into place. It had the look of Roman pottery wrought in purple on white, with a grape motif much like the rest of his armor. Mineta brought the shield down in front of his chest and took a stance, a wide grin on his face at the stunned silence from the class. He opened his mouth-

“We've burned enough time.” Aizawa grunted, leveling a glare at the back of Mineta’s head. “Both of you, take your seats.”

Mineta wilted, then scurried further into the bus. Tenya was on his heels, looking chagrined at the reprimand he'd known would be coming. As Tenya sat down on Izuku’s other side, Mineta flicked his wrist to collapse his shield into his bracer once more, then hopped up to sit next to Kaminari.

“Damn, man!” Kaminari elbowed Mineta lightly, grinning. “That’s an awesome new look! I can see why you were trying to keep us all in suspense!”

Mineta crossed his arms and huffed as the bus began to move. “The grand reveal didn’t exactly go the way I was hoping, but… yeah. I’m really happy with how it turned out. Everything’s all non-stick like my old costume, but it should do a better job of actually protecting me. The helmet has a lining to keep blood from running into my eyes too, which I hope I won’t need too often. The shield and the whip both have a few functions that I’m still getting used to, but they're awesome! Hatsume really came through on those.”

“Wow. You mentioned a woman without drooling.” Jiro snorted, but then gave him a grudging nod. “You were right about this being a big improvement, I’ll give you that. The Roman empire isn’t really my thing, but it’ll definitely go over with the public better than your diaper.”

“...You know what, I’ll take it.” Mineta grumbled after a moment, apparently willing to accept the compliments where he could get them, back-handed or not. Then his eyes went distant. “As for Hatsume… you’ve never been one-on-one with her, otherwise you’d understand. She’s a force of raw, untethered invention. Even if she were interested in something other than building gear, I’m not sure I’d come out the other side without her installing something.”

Mineta paused, consideringly. “Not that I’m inherently opposed to the idea, but given that she somehow made version three of my gear explode, despite mostly being fancy vacuums…”

Kaminari warily eyed the brown coil, then not-so-subtly scooted further away from it.

Mineta popped a thumb in Kaminari’s direction. “More or less that, yeah. Self preservation instincts kicked in and kind of overrode everything else.”

Jiro scoffed derisively. “And those instincts didn’t trigger when you were perving on girls who could melt you, beat your ass into paste, or literally pop a cannon out of their skin?”

Mineta stared her dead in the eyes. “No.”

Jiro paused, considered, then her eyebrows rose. “...well shit.”

Mineta nodded seriously. “Her gear is worth it, though. Just don’t actually try anything out in person until at least version five. But that only took her, like, two days. Either she doesn't sleep, or she has some kind of time dilation Quirk and her zoom-in eyes are just a vestigial mutation that still works.”

“Or she just ignores personal safety regulations until later on in the process.” Hagakure added from nowhere. Mineta yelped and nearly jumped into Kaminari’s lap at her words, and she giggled as her gloves and boots returned to the visible spectrum in the empty seat to Mineta’s left. “That's what I would guess, given that everything apparently explodes at least a few times.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense.” Mineta put a hand over his chest as his breathing started to slow. “Also, we’re going to have to put a damn bell on you now, aren’t we?”

“And ruin the fun?” Hagakure giggled as she faded completely out of sight once more. When she next spoke, her words sounded oddly distorted and directionless. “Why would I let that happen?”

There was a long pause as everyone digested that. Then, Mineta hesitantly reached out to poke a finger roughly where Hagakure’s knee would have been.

Then waved a hand through where the rest of her should have been.

Nothing.

“...Well that bodes well.” Mineta grumbled.

Izuku planted a foot against the craggy stone of the artificial mountain, Blackwhip giving him traction on the vertical surface, then took another bounding leap upwards. His trajectory carried him away from the stone edifice, but a quick strand of Blackwhip pulled him both higher and back in to repeat the process. With both Quirks used in tandem, he ascended the cliff at a staggering speed, aiming for the ridge Koda's recon bird had indicated.

After Thirteen had met them at the main entrance, flanked by Hound Dog and Cementoss, they'd delved into everything they hadn't gotten to last time; A general overview of the various zones, an in depth explanation on the various dummies they'd be rescuing, and an earpiece connected to each other and the teachers. From there, they'd set off for the Mountain Zone.

With a last heave, Izuku pulled himself onto a large ledge. A gray dummy clad in hiking gear was slumped against one wall, right arm twisted in a distinctly unpleasant way. A second hunched over it, posed to convey worry. Both had readouts across their chest, though currently they only displayed names.

Moving quickly, he checked for the injured dummy's pulse, then scoured both for any additional injuries. He found a few small lacerations leaking bright red faux-blood across the injured mannequin's back and hands, but they didn't seem to be substantially injured beyond the arm.

Izuku tapped his coms, then pulled a roll of bandages and a collapsible splint from one of his pouches. "Deku reporting in. Emi and Botan Inoui have been located. Boon and first aid are being administered to Botan. Initial assessment indicates lacerations and a broken arm, but no sign of specific head or spinal trauma."

"Excellent. Bring them back to base camp once they're mobile." Thirteen's voice replied. "There are several critical patients in need of your assistance."

"Roger." Izuku carefully guided Blackwhip to envelop the dummies with a sequence of desire and intent, then pulled them up under an arm each. A quick leap and a series of Blackwhip threads to control his descent later, and he touched down at the bottom of the artificial mountain.

Other students occupied the area around him, all doing their own jobs. Jiro had her jacks plugged into the rocks, helping to direct the other students alongside Koda and his flock. Asui leapt over Izuku's head to begin another climb, Shoji passing him by hot on her heels. Sero swung down from above on a strip of tape, several dummies bound together and strapped to his back. A series of dummies slid down an icy slide in the distance, the forms of Tenya, Kaminari, and Kirishima ferrying them towards the base camp from there.

One for All sparking beneath his skin, Izuku ran for the base camp himself. Within, he briefly glimpsed Hagakure and Aoyama tending to one of the dummies with a frantic edge. He quickly extended a tendril of Blackwhip to tag the dummy as he passed. "Boon on Invisible Girl and Twinkling's patient."

Aizawa nodded from behind his control station, and a moment later some of their tension eased. Izuku continued on towards 13, depositing his charges in an open spot as he went. "Where am I needed?"

"You've already helped address the most urgent on your way in, excellently done." Thirteen said, giving him a thumbs up. "Second up is Pinky's. Go touch base with her for now. There are another few inbound who will need your help."

With a quick scan around the base camp, he picked out Ashido in the far corner. He leapt over to her, then crouched down to inspect her work. The dummy already had most of its wounds bandaged, though there was a particularly nasty gash along its ribs. Ashido looked more serious than he'd seen her in quite some time, though she spared him a small smile. He reached down to tap the dummy, and the readout across the chest beeped as Aizawa marked Boon's effects.

"Thanks for the help." Ashido said as she cupped her hands, a small pool forming between them before she let it trickle into the gash. Apparently certain types of weak acid were an excellent antiseptic, which made her better off in the medical pavilion this exercise. While she could climb the rock face easily, she wasn't especially well suited to bring dummies back down with her. "Already disinfected the wounds that needed it. Just need some help binding this one now."

With a nod, Izuku disengaged his gloves and held out his hands. A quick splash of weak acid later, he leaned down to press the sides of the wound closed. A few threads of Blackwhip proved immensely helpful as temporary sutures while also freeing his hands to help Ashido wrap the bandages.

Less than a minute later however, he heard Thirteen's voice over the coms. "Deku, those inbound patients are almost here."

With a nod from Ashido, Izuku finished his latest knot before he leapt back towards the main entrance. Even as he arrived, so too did the patients.

Ochako touched down with the low humm of her new fans, face drawn and slightly green from Quirk use. Around her floated no less than two dozen dummies, mostly in disheveled school uniforms, connected to her by tethers. One was strapped to a rigid stretcher, which probably didn't bode well for their back. Another looked to be missing an arm, while a third had two badly broken legs.

He quickly moved to settle the weightless dummies onto the ground, calling out each time he 'used' Boon on one. He specified a higher amount for the one strapped to the stretcher, even as the memory of Tenya in a similar condition flashed through his mind.

Once the dummies were all firmly on the ground, Ochako tapped her fingers together. She nearly stumbled under her own weight as her gravity returned, but she managed to keep herself upright. She swallowed hard, and was about to set off again when Thirteen put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're doing exceptionally well, and this on its own was an out of this world performance. But you also need to pace yourself, so you don't take yourself out in the middle of a disaster." Thirteen advised, then offered Ochako a bottle of water. "Drink. Help treat the injured. Settle yourself. If a situation that requires you is called in, move quickly, but give yourself a minute or two to recover before you head back out."

For her part, Ochako seemed torn between vibrating in joy that Thirteen was praising her performance, frustrated that she couldn't keep going, and vomiting. In the end, she just nodded, accepted the water, and plopped down to start binding wounds.

"Good." Thirteen said, then patted Ochako on the back. "Just so you know, nobody has claimed my time slot for Quirk Training this Thursday."

Ochako perked up, then smiled excitedly despite the greenish cast of her face. "I'll put in a request tonight!"

"I'll keep an eye out for it!" Thirteen replied, then moved off to oversee Kirishima's work on a dummy he'd just brought in.

Izuku worked for a moment, disinfecting and binding wounds. "That really was incredible, you know."

"If you say so." Ochako murmured, then took another swig of water before she pulled out more bandages. "It worked, but trying to keep all those cords from tangling together was like herding cats. I felt a little ridiculous."

"Be that as it may, I stand by what I said." He replied. "It was actually kind of like All Might's Japanese debut, except instead of climbing over debris you descended from the heavens like some kind of angel."

That got her blushing again, but she couldn't hide her smile. His girlfriend, a status that still hardly felt real, was so god damn adorable it made his heart skip a beat.

'Smooth.' Daigoro chuckled encouragingly from the back of his mind.

They worked in companionable silence for a time, working their way down the line of new patients. Then Ochako paused, took a deep breath, and tapped her headset. "Roger. I'll be there shortly."

"Duty calls?" Izuku asked as Tenya swept in to deposit another two dummies.

"Earphone Jack managed to narrow down the last people, and they're trapped in a cave behind a massive stone slab." Ochako nodded, then took another sip of her water as she stood. "It's just a bit too precarious for Sugar Man to move it safely, and there's no point in him risking it when I'm available."

Izuku eyed her. She wasn't completely recovered, and it sounded like this might take quite a bit out of her. "Tenya? Are you heading back for anyone else?"

Tenya shook his head. "Our section of the zone is officially cleared, and those on their way aren't in urgent need of medical attention. I and the others can take over attending to the injured here if you're needed elsewhere."

Izuku nodded thankfully, then turned back towards Ochako. "Want a lift?"

He knew it really wasn't the time. But part of him still thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of her in his arms, holding tight to his chest as he sprinted up the rock face once more.

Izuku swam as quickly as he could while towing several life boats, which with Full Cowling was still pretty quick. Even so, Asui had handily outpaced him several times over. This was undoubtedly her domain.

Given how few people in 1A were particularly well equipped to deal with the Flood Zone, they were lucky she was so well suited to it.

Thankfully, Shoto was shaping up to be another zone MVP, as he had in the Mountain Zone. Asui had rapidly deployed him to the ship, where he'd plugged the hole and built up a small island of ice around it to make doubly sure it wouldn't be sinking. Izuku could see him forming a bridge of ice back to dry land, which could expedite the boat evacuation greatly.

Unfortunately, it was slow going for the time being. Izuku's life boat taxi strategy was probably a good plan in the long run, but it wasn't particularly fast. Both Tenya and Bakugo were able to traverse the distance to the boat quickly, but were limited in how many people they could bring back. Ochako was once again proving absolutely instrumental to the efforts, though she was limiting herself to a smaller number of tethered passengers than she had in the Mountain Zone.

Above, Izuku caught a glimpse of Sero taping up the white water rapids slide, which the coms indicated had already helped rescue several dummies. That was pretty good, considering how uncertain Sero had been going in. Izuku was pretty sure Sato, Jiro, Ojiro, Tokoyami, and Yaoyorozu were all at different points of the slide, extracting anyone they came across.

Compared to the constant stream of reports he was hearing, his comparatively slow plod towards the boat felt frustrating. It would be worthwhile, but he just wasn't equipped for rapid water traversal. That would mostly be rendered moot once he unlocked Float, but in the meantime he just had to paddle his way along.

Once again, Asui raced past him, several dummies ensnared by her tongue trailing her. Each strong kick propelled her forwards, amplified by her flippered boots.

Izuku slowed slightly, an idea striking him. Carefully, Blackwhip emerged from the vents along his knuckles and legs, stretching out to affix itself to his fingers and the opposite legs. In a moment, a thin sheet spanned them, and he gave an experimental kick. The way he had to undulate to make it work wasn't horribly intuitive, but even unrefined it was a dramatic improvement. He set off once more, now kicking up a wake as he went.

He heard several of the vestiges laugh, though it was Nana’s voice who called out “Mermaid Man to the rescue!”

The way that had sent Yoichi into uncontrolled howling laughter had seemed excessive, but he'd had bigger things to worry about.

Izuku drank deeply from his water bottle, then dumped the remaining contents over his head. They’d just finished their round in the Conflagration Zone, and he was feeling wildly overheated. He hadn’t expected to long for another trip to the Flood Zone so quickly, given how horrid his costume had felt while soaked and clinging, but here he was.

The Conflagration Zone had been brutal. Where before they’d generally had some time to figure out how to best approach the situation, the ever spreading fire had put them on a very short, very inconsistent timer.

A timer which had run out before they arrived, in several sobering cases.

The Evacuation Line, a conveyor belt there to simulate civilians capable of self evacuation, had helped a great deal. However, everyone had been pressed to their limits trying to clear buildings, especially those who’s Quirks hadn’t actively helped them deal with the incredible heat.

The zone MVPs had once again included Shoto, who’d frozen structures and instantly snuffed fires. Yaoyorozu had skipped the middle man and simply shot streams of fire extinguishing foam from her hands. Ashido had been another huge help, her least corrosive acids at high viscosity having proved extremely effective at smothering the flames. Izuku himself had used a combination of Blackwhip and Smokescreen to choke out fires, though he was limited in what he could do without making the smoke filled environment worse.

However, there were some students who weren’t simply ill suited to the fiery environment, but were actively unable to participate.

Asui wasn’t that surprising; her vulnerability to both heat and cold were well known, and this had CERTAINLY qualified. She’d worked even harder in the medical pavilion to make up for it, though her stellar performance in the previous two zones would doubtless cover for her weakness here.

Bakugo had, reluctantly, admitted that his participation in the zone would be a catastrophe waiting to happen. The sheer heat of the zone would have had him sweating through his suppressant gloves faster than he could burn it off. He'd been seething every time Izuku had seen him in the medical pavilion, but he'd performed his duties with his usual level of perfectionism.

Even among those who could participate, the Conflagration Zone had been a difficult challenge. Apart from himself and Todoroki, only Kirishima had any kind of notable resistance to the heat, which left many struggling. Dark Shadow had barely been able to help in the bright, all-consuming flames. Sero’s tape melted and burned, as did Mineta’s spheres. Animals refused to enter, no matter what Koda said. Tenya’s Engines overheated near instantly, and never cooled properly. Ochako was largely bound to the ground to avoid the clouds of smoke churning the air.

A trickle of water trailed into his ear, and he automatically shook his head to clear it, sending a spray of droplets out around him. Behind him, Hagakure spluttered. “Hey! Watch where you’re spraying!”

Izuku startled, both at her presence and the clear irritation in her voice, then turned to face her. She was maybe a foot behind him, arms crossed and a few drops of water revealing the rough location of her face. “Sorry! I didn’t realize you were there!”

“Story of my life.” Hagakure sighed harshly, and he winced. Hagakure groaned, then her arms fell to her sides. “Sorry, that was completely uncalled for. I’m just a little irritable right now because I haven't been able to help much in these trials. Invisibility is great at what it does, but search and rescue definitely isn’t its thing. In a real rescue situation, it would probably be actively detrimental 90% of the time.”

Izuku gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, Hagakure. I think you’ve been doing a great job, but I can definitely see how not being able to help as directly as some of our classmates must be frustrating. Honestly, I thought you’d probably be better suited to this Zone than most.”

The droplets of water still clinging to her skin gave away that she’d just cocked her head. “Why on earth would you think that?”

“Well, you’d be as susceptible to the ambient heat as the rest of us, but most of a fire’s heat comes from the Infrared Light it emits. Given you’re invisible, I figured most of it would just pass through you. But if it didn’t, then you’re probably only invisible to the visible spectrum. If that’s the case, then infrared cameras will be a problem.” Izuku brought a finger to his chin, eyes narrowing. “That might be something you could learn to change through training, though. Your Quirk is clearly some kind of emitter rather than a mutation that lets light pass through you, given anything inside your body is hidden. Not to mention that you can somehow see despite light passing through your eyes. Emitters usually have some level of control to them, even passive ones. If you could expand the ranges of light you’re invisible to, you could dramatically decrease the danger fire presents to you. If that works, it might be worth looking into how far you can push it. UV Light? X-Rays? Gamma Rays? That kind of immunity might be niche, but would become vital in any situation where it became relevant-”

“Woah there! Hold on a second. You’re saying a lot of things really fast.” Hagakure held up her hands wardingley. “I mostly lost you around the halfway point.”

Izuku paused, then coughed into his fist. “Sorry. I, uh, do that sometimes. I hope that wasn’t too weird.”

“Not at all!” Hagakure shook her head vigorously enough to dislodge the droplets of water, leaving her head once more completely invisible. “Actually, it sounded like you had some pretty neat ideas in there, at least the ones I could pick out. You’re right that I can control my Quirk a little, kind of like my Dad can.”

Hagakure raised a gloved hand, then turned it invisible. A moment later, a faint multicolored light began to glimmer across it. It was like a cut diamond in a ray of sunlight, though it was fainter than the bright colors such a prism would have produced.

“He always called it a parlor trick, and Mom always jokingly complained about how she didn’t get to have instant glitter whenever she wanted. All she got was boring old complete invisibility like me, rather than partial invisibility with sparkles.” Hagakure giggled, then trailed off as a finger came up to tap at either her chin or lips. “But… now that I think about it… she and I both really like a fire in the winter, while Dad never enjoyed one as much. Really, he’s always been sensitive to cold weather. If that’s because he wasn’t getting warmed up by infrared light, while we were…”

“Partial invisibility?” Izuku asked, curiosity piqued. “Is he just transparent?”

“Nope. He’s usually completely invisible, but you can see him with enough violet or ultraviolet light.” Hagakure said. “He's only just barely there with really intense violet light, but he's fully visible with UV light. None of those had an effect on me, so the doctors just marked my Quirk down as the same as Mom’s until I figured out how to do the sparkle trick a year or so ago.”

“So your Mom is invisible to the Visible Spectrum, but is affected by Infrared. Your Dad is invisible to infrared and most of the visible spectrum, but also has some level of light manipulation. You definitely have a combination of the two.” Izuku grinned. “I’d bet that your Quirk has the capacity to be invisible to full spectrum light, but that it’s something you’ll have to actively do with the light manipulation you got from your Dad. If you can manage that, then it’s also likely that you can expand your range of invisibility to protect yourself from all those other wavelengths of light I mentioned!”

“And if I can expand the range… Do you think I could shrink it, too? Could I make myself visible?” Hagakure asked, voice tremulous.

Izuku paused, surprised at the wavering in her voice, then considered the question. “...Possibly? I saw clear reds and blues in those sparkles, so you can probably influence most of the spectrum. If I’m right and you can use that to hide from Infrared, I think it’s pretty likely you could do the opposite.”

“I… I need to start working on that.” Hagakure began to pace as she spoke. “I didn’t really practice the light trick much after I finally figured out how to do it. I was in the middle of preparing for UA, and I didn't think a little light show would help with that. But if I can use it to do more… If I can really do what you think I could…”

She wiped at her eyes with a gloved hand, and he was startled to realize that there were droplets on her face again. There were tears. Then, her posture straightened, and she pumped her fists before herself.

“Alright! First, get through the rest of today. Then, Quirk training until I can’t see straight!” She thrust a fist into the air, enthusiasm radiating off of her once more. “Thanks, Midoria!”

Hagakure scampered off towards the Central Plaza, where several other students were already making their way. Izuku watched her go, more than a little thrown by the sudden and complete changes in mood. He hadn’t expected his suggestions would have that big an impact, but it was clearly something important to her.

He really hoped it would work.

‘I’d put money down that Mr. Aizawa had a hand in choosing the order of the Zones.’ Izuku mused as he raced along the streets, Blackwhip coating his boots for traction in the wet environment. Both he and Kaminari, who he was carrying piggyback, were absolutely soaked despite their Yaoyorozu-made ponchos. ‘Drench us, make us miss being drenched, then remind us how miserable being drenched is. That seems like his M.O.’

‘I don't think anyone's fool enough to take that bet, Izuku.’ Daigoro chuckled.

The Downpour Zone was a primarily urban environment in the midst of something resembling a monsoon. Torrential rain made a low drone in the background, though that was generally overwhelmed by the roar of the wind. Flooding was very much back on the menu in parts of the city, along with fallen trees, blown debris, outright blasts of wind able to take a person off their feet, and a motley assortment of other hazards.

The class had divided up a number of pre-registered emergencies among themselves. Trees fallen across roadways and into buildings, evacuations, flooding, missing persons reports, etc, all while keeping an eye out for civilians lost amidst the storm. He and Kaminari had volunteered to tackle a building evacuation on the far side of the city, where a power line had fallen into the water flooding the lower floor of the building.

He pulled to a stop a half block before the building, a few feet from the edge of the water surrounding it. The deluge of falling rain made his vision blurry, even with the new goggles built into his hood. Between that and their current vantage, he couldn't pick out anything useful.

“I'm taking us up on the side of the building. Are you ready?” He asked even as he wrapped strands of Blackwhip around Kaminari.

“Yeah.” Kaminari replied, sounding anything but. “Let's get going.”

Izuku nodded, then cast out chords of Blackwhip towards a section of wall about three quarters of the way up. Firmly anchored, he leapt, then yanked. Kaminari shrieked as they flew, though it didn't take long for them to reach their destination.

“...Can I change my answer?” Kaminari squeaked, then gave a weak chuckle. A moment later, he reached over Izuku’s shoulder to point at a section of water. “Looks like the downed lines are over there… along with the entire pole. Crap. I'm gonna have to go in, aren't I?”

Izuku clambered in the direction Kaminari had pointed, though that earned them more than one blast of unmitigated wind as they lost the cover of buildings. He eyed the submerged tangle of wire and wood critically, then nodded. “Looks like it, yeah. At least Creati sent along those shears just in case.”

Kaminari sighed dramatically. “Well, time to go swimming again. Yayyyyy…”

Izuku carefully slung Kaminari off his back, though that left his passenger to briefly sway in the wind. A line of Blackwhip shot from the strands already wrapped around Kaminari and splunked into the water, then pulled taught. With an anchor in place, Izuku was able to lower Kaminari along the line like some kind of eldritch ski lift.

“SHIT, that's cold!” Kaminari hissed as one of his feet dipped into the water. “Get it over with and drop me so I can get to work. I'll let you know when it's safe for evac.”

“Roger. See you on the other side.” Izuku released Blackwhip, and Kaminari submerged. A moment later he burst from the water with a muffled shriek, then began to hurriedly push his way towards the downed pole.

Izuku swept a quick glance over the zone before he pushed inside the building to begin gathering dummies for evacuation. He could make out an embankment of ice along a river in the distance, which had likely prevented even more flooding. He caught the flash of Tenya’s engines at work; apparently his suit had retractable cleats for low traction environments like this. A large shape moved through the darkness in the distance, and it took him a moment to realize it was Dark Shadow acting as a barrier against the elements.

Even those he couldn't see were clearly hard at work from the comms chatter. Everyone was organizing to most effectively tackle the situations at hand, and were responding to changes dynamically.

‘Really, it's stunning how well all of you are doing, given how little time you've been training for this.’ En commented, with a smattering of agreement from the others. ‘When I was going through The Academy, you wouldn't have expected this level of coordination out of anyone below the best second years. I can't tell if UA’s methods are just that good, or if the lot of you are freakishly competent.’

‘It's probably a combination of the two.’ Izuku replied as he forced open a hallway window and slipped into the building. ‘It's a good thing either way. I'm afraid we're going to need it.’

The Landslide Zone had seen them dispersed to the site of two landslides, where they'd searched the destroyed buildings and churned earth for survivors. For Izuku's group, Jiro’s efforts had massively expedited the process. Within minutes, they were closing in on the most dire cases, and it wasn't long before nearly every dummy that was still alive had been found and rescued.

Which made the rumble beneath their feet that much more of a surprise.

Izuku had been tending to an injured dummy in the medical pavilion when he felt it. For a second, he'd been afraid that there was a genuine earthquake starting, but a glance at Thirteen and Aizawa had mitigated that concern. They’d been completely unphased, and had simply watched the students around them.

He’d leapt to his feet and dashed out of the pavilion, then looked up at the slope above him. There, he'd been faced with a fresh wave of earth, stone, and rubble picking up speed on its way down towards him.

Towards the medical pavilion.

“NEW LANDSLIDE ON THE NORTH SIDE! EVERYONE RESPOND!” He shouted into his comms, then sprinted back up the slope. It wasn't until he was nearly half way up that he began to wonder how, exactly, he was going to stop a literal landslide.

Blackwhip was his go to response, but that had countless issues. He couldn't haul off with One for All to blast it away for obvious reasons. None of the other students in the pavilion had been heavy enough hitters to contend with a landslide even if he’d hauled them all up with him.

Thankfully, he wasn’t the only one who’d leapt into action.

Ahead of him, he noticed two people on the slope; Sato was hurriedly slamming metal posts into the ground, body bulking up each time as he used his Quirk in bursts. A dark material strung between the posts, forming a barrier across the path of the landslide. Near the other end of the barrier, Yaoyorozu was slumped in an exhausted heap; That much material must have taken a LOT out of her.

Unfortunately, despite how efficiently Sato was working, he wouldn’t be fast enough. If he didn’t turn back soon, he’d likely be caught dead center in the landslide.

“SUGAR MAN!” Izuku called. “THROW THEM TO ME AND GET BACK TO THE OTHER SIDE!”

Sato glanced up, then hurled the bundle of material he was holding towards Izuku. A strand of Blackwhip retrieved it, then he pulled it taught and heaved it downwards, sending a wave along the length of the material. With a staccato series of ringing impacts, the stakes were driven into the ground in a line between them, spanning the entire path of the landslide.

At the far end, Yaoyorozu hauled herself upright, then slapped a hand against a red button on the side of the post. Another series of sounds rushed down the length of the barrier, likely some kind of anchor extending to help keep the barrier in place.

That would likely help a great deal, but there was no doubt in Izuku’s mind that the landslide would overwhelm the hasty barrier quickly; The sheer volume would overflow or surge out around the sides before long even if the landslide didn’t just crush it. But the barrier would help break its momentum, which could let others respond in time to fully evacuate or protect the pavilion. He extended Blackwhip along the barrier in a lattice, binding the bottom edge to the ground and reinforcing it, then braced for impact-

There was a flash of light.

Izuku peeked around the edge of his post, examining the hillside above him. He barely saw the new trench carved in the slope before the landslide rolled over it, a spray of earth bursting up as it did so. With another flash, Aoyama carved a second trench in the hillside before Tenya picked him up and resumed his sprint downwards. The process was repeated a third and fourth time before they passed the barrier and continued on down to the pavilion.

From above, a rain of small shapes began to fall on the landslide and the ground before it. Izuku glanced upwards to find Mineta hanging weightlessly in the sky, throwing a relentless volley of spheres down into the churning flow of earth and stone below. Where they struck, lumps of rock were bound together, becoming uneven roadblocks that slowed areas of the landslide.

From the side, Ashido cast gobs of thick liquid into the tide of earth. Where they struck, the earth turned lumpy, binding together and flowing less freely.

Then, the top of the slope froze. The ice field didn’t extend across most of the landslide itself, but what it did cover was stopped in its tracks, and likely wouldn’t be moving again any time soon.

That was the last intervention before the landslide struck Yaoyorozu’s makeshift barrier. Their classmate's efforts had done a great deal to slow it, but it was still a massive amount of earth and stone moving with tremendous force. That much momentum would take a great deal to halt entirely, far more than they were able to provide.

The barrier bulged under the pressure, the stakes digging trenches and bending under the weight of the initial impact. A spray of dirt kicked up and showered over them, leaving the air dusty and nearly opaque. Earth and rubble began to tumble over the top, much less than the landslide had been but more than enough to still present a problem for those below. It took just about everything he had to both keep a grip on Blackwhip and keep himself and his end of the barrier firmly rooted. Even then, he could feel the pressure pushing him backwards.

He could hear the continuous roaring crash as the overspill continued down the hill. Each grinding crunch as boulders bounced downwards only made him more anxious. Just before he dreaded he'd hear the sound of shattering masonry, he instead heard shouts of effort and the sound of breaking stone. Straining, he glanced over his shoulder.

Near the bottom of the hill, he saw the remains of a second barrier, this one made from tape. While it had been torn open, there were multiple potentially dangerous chunks of rock and debris still bound up by the strips.

Further down, Ojiro smashed a boulder into the ground with a spinning tail strike, then turned his momentum into a leap. Midair, he twisted again to bat another airborne chunk of rock to the side, sending it wide of the shelter.

On the ground, Tenya zipped among the rolling debris, crushing midsize rocks underfoot and kicking larger ones to divert their course. His engines fired in sequence, manuvering him in ways drastically more complex than his originals could have on their own.

A large chunk of destroyed building tumbled down the hill, rebar bristling from it. Kirishima lunged in front of it and braced before it slammed into him. There was a screech as metal scraped hardened skin and bent rather than piercing, but the impact still pushed Kirishima back a dozen feet. Izuku could barely hear Kirishima’s cry of triumph over the tumult around him-

Then, a boulder struck the chunk of concrete and bounced over Kirishima to continue on its path unchallenged.

Izuku's stomach sank at the sight. He was too far away to do anything, and the distant booms that indicated Bakugo's approach were still too distant. He couldn't see anyone close enough to intercept.

‘Shit, shit, shit, SHIT-’

There was a sharp crack, and a streak of purple blurred down to strike the bolder. The projectile deformed on impact, spreading into a wide circle on the stone. The boulder rolled over it and lurched as its rotation abruptly stopped, its momentum carrying it only a little further before it rebounded back and fell still.

It took Izuku a second to properly understand what had just happened, but once he did, he looked back upwards.

Mineta still hung in the air, but now his whip was in his hand. As Izuku watched, Mineta lifted the handle to his head, and his spheres were sucked into it. He cracked the whip in a sharp series of movements, and Izuku saw the spheres pop from the protrusions along its length. They streaked downwards, striking other potentially dangerous pieces of rubble to halt their descent.

Then, with a boom Izuku could feel in his gut, Bakugo finally arrived.

He struck the incoming waves of rubble like a guided missile. The blasts came fast and sharp as Bakugo, finally presented with something suited to his specialty, went to work. Each explosion shattered a bolder or killed some of the flowing earth's momentum, easing the load on those behind him. That let them push further up the slope, expanding the safe zone in front of the pavilion.

The state of emergency finally came to an end when Shoto appeared around the side of the hill. In a flash of crackling frost and creaking ice, what was left of the landslide froze solid. Izuku’s breath misted as he stepped back from the now glacial barrier, a thin sheet of ice crumbling from his gloves. Across from him, Sato did the same, then knelt down to check on Yaoyorozu.

“Excellent work, everyone!” Tenya’s voice called over the comms. “Let’s finish this quickly, before anything else has time to happen!”

To say working in the Ruins Zone was unsettling would be a wild understatement. He'd expected to have issues in the Flood Zone if anywhere, due to his experiences the last time he'd been in the USJ. However, it seemed he wasn't entirely over what he'd gone through in Hosu. Each time he took to the rooftops, his sprint over a ravaged city in search of Tenya flashed behind his eyes. Every building he entered brought to mind the terror of his attempted evacuation.

Discovering dummies they were too late to help hit him like a truck, because he knew how that REALLY felt.

Thankfully, Ochako was sweeping a nearby area, and they bumped into one another often. Even just a small reassuring smile shared between them from afar did a great deal to help settle his nerves.

‘I wonder if she's doing that because she knows this is bothering me.’

‘Given that she tends to read you like an open book, mutual crush incident aside, I'm inclined to think she is.’ Nana replied. ‘It's not that hard a connection to make regardless. I'd be surprised if none of the others have made it as well.’

Izuku grimaced. While he'd appreciate their concern if it was offered, the idea still rubbed him the wrong way a little. This was a fundamental part of heroics, and he didn't want people treating him with kid gloves around it. He hadn't let it slow him down; if anything, he'd been pushing even harder here than he had in the rest of the zones.

He had to prove to himself that he could do better this time.

‘For what it’s worth, I think you're doing exceptionally well.’ Kinenkō added. ‘Your particular skill set is incredible for this kind of work. High speed response, better treatment skills than most thanks to your extra training, and Boon for the emergency cases. You've already evacuated, what, at least 20 dummies from this zone? Several of which probably wouldn't have survived with anyone else? Had more heroes like you been around, I'd have had both far more and far less work all those years at the hospital.’

That actually took Izuku by surprise. He knew he'd evacuated quite a few people, but he hadn't actually kept any kind of count. The numbers weren't the point, and he had far more pressing things on his mind. But it was admittedly rather nice to know what he'd achieved.

Which, naturally, meant it was time for the universe to ratchet things up a notch.

A sharp crack rang out through the Zone, and the sound immediately put Izuku on edge. His gut told him that sound was absolutely NOT a good sign in an environment this unstable.

Izuku spun slowly on his rooftop, eyeing the ruins around him. He didn't see anything unusual at first, to the point he almost, almost convinced himself someone had just accidentally knocked a chunk of concrete off a roof. Then, there was another ringing crack, and he caught the trail of falling debris.

It was one of the few remaining buildings that were mostly still standing, and it was the tallest one at that. If it collapsed… at the very least, it might kick up dust and debris that would make rescue in that area drastically more difficult. More likely, it would crush several other buildings nearby, killing dummies and setting off other collapses.

Which meant it needed to be stopped.

Frantically, Izuku looked around. He could spot several classmates nearby; Aoyama and Ojiro on the ground, Asui poking her head out an open window, Shoto standing on an ice spire, and Ochako floating above the rooftops.

“Uravity, Shoto, we're stopping that collapse!” He yelled, then cast out a thread of Blackwhip to retrieve Ochako. She'd responded almost instantly and was already floating towards him when Blackwhip met her in the middle. With a tug, she was reeled in even as he landed near the peak of Shoto's spire. He easily pulled them onto the top, then wrapped an arm around Shoto’s ribs.

“Uravity, zero us. Shoto, I'll drop you at the base. Please try to make some supports around it. Both of you, hang on!”

Even as he felt their weight vanish, he snapped out threads of Blackwhip from the vents at his hips. They struck two relatively stable structures on either side of the ruined street, anchoring them.

Then, with a flicker of 7%, he pulled-

The three of them streaked forwards like they'd been shot from a gun. The ruined cityscape whipped past beneath them as they flew, grays and browns blending in a disorienting blur. They almost reached their destination before he could get his bearings, and it was only another series of hastily cast Blackwhip strands that kept them from slamming into the side of the building.

At his side, Ochako groaned, looking decidedly more green than she had just seconds ago.

‘What the hell happened?’ Izuku wondered, mind abuzz. He shook his head, marking the curiosity as something to address later.

He adapted quickly, twisting to send Shoto down towards the ground even as he pulled himself and Ochako through a broken window. A moment later, he heard the telltale sounds of ice engulfing the building, followed by a relieved groan from Ochako as his weight returned. He looked around… and found an extremely odd scene.

The inside looked… pre-collapsed, for lack of a better description. There was more rubble scattered around the ground than should have been possible in a building that was still standing. He could see most of the way to the ground floor through various holes, and each level bore the same odd appearance. He could pick out dummies, or parts of them at least, beneath the rubble.

Then, he noticed another oddity.

There was a… whining sound, with undertones of clicking and strained metal. He'd expected more sounds of imminent collapse, like he'd heard in Hosu, but this was definitely different.

Then, it clicked. It was all well camouflaged, decorated with broken masonry, wood, and assorted other material. But once he spotted the pattern, it was undeniable. Mechanical supports stretched throughout the building, and seemed to be straining.

Not to keep the building upright, but to collapse it.

“MIDORIYA, URARAKA, TODOROKI! GET AWAY FROM THERE, NOW!” Aizawa’s voice was loud and harsh in his ears, mic peaking and crackling. “THIS WAS A PLANNED SEQUENCE NOBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ANYWHERE CLOSE TO! WE’VE HALTED IT, BUT CAN’T GUARANTEE THE BUILDING’S INTEGRITY! GO!”

Izuku tightened his grip on Ochako as he scrambled back through the window, which Shoto had thankfully left unblocked. Shoto himself was adding further support structures, though he abandoned his efforts once he saw both of them hurtle back out. With a crackle-flash of ice and flame, Shoto began his own escape.

“Wow.” Ochako breathed as they came to a stop on a distant rooftop. She still looked slightly out of it, though she was recovering quickly. “We actually moved fast enough to ruin the simulation. What was that? Another of your Quirks?”

“No, it wasn't.” Izuku hesitated. “I don't think it was, at least. That didn't line up with what I'd expect from FaJin or Float. So unless Kudo decided to let me use Gearshift out of nowhere…?”

‘There was a similar type and level of physics fuckery happening, but that wasn't Gearshift.’ Kudo denied, though he sounded contemplative. ‘I think that was her, but gravity nullification shouldn't have allowed for what just happened. The lot of you barely had any acceleration time, you just reached maximum speed almost instantly. The only way that could have happened is if something suppressed, manipulated, or entirely bypassed your inertia.’

That gave Izuku pause. More than once, he'd mused on how odd Zero Gravity was for more or less exactly what Kudo had mentioned. Gravity nullification shouldn't have let Ochako do half the things she regularly did, to his understanding. But that was often the case with more esoteric Quirks, or Quirks that influenced fundamental forces; No matter how much he enjoyed picking them apart, there always came a point where trying to explain them with traditional logic broke down.

This explanation fit better than most he'd tried to put together. That said, it still had issues. If anything she applied Zero Gravity to lost its inertia, then theoretically simple air resistance would stop it the moment an outside force stopped acting on it. That obviously wasn't happening… so perhaps there was…

“Yen for your thoughts?” Ochako asked, a small smile playing at her lips. “From the mutter storm, I take it you have some guesses as to what happened?”

Izuku shook his head as he came out of his feuge, then nodded. “Ochako, were you still touching Shoto and I when we shot off like that?”

She seemed to mull that question over for a moment. “No. We shot forward so fast that I lost my grip.”

“Kudo suggested that your Quirk might not just affect gravity, but inertia. I think he’s right, but I suspect it's only while you maintain contact, sort of like how your mom's Quirk is.” Izuku explained. “I’d bet it's a subconscious thing right now, something that comes out depending on what you want to do when you use your Quirk. On top of that, I think it actually has a variable level of effect, instead of the all-or-nothing way you remove gravity. If you applied your Quirk to us with the intent to help us move quickly…”

“...Then it might have suppressed our inertia when we started moving. Then, when I lost my grip, it returned and kept us moving.” Ochako murmured, eyes flicking back and forth as her mind clearly raced. Then, a look of embarrassment crept across her face. “It's kind of obvious there was something else going on with my Quirk in retrospect, but I just wrote it off as Quirks being weird. I could swing around concrete pillars easily and toss around boulders, so I just kind of rolled with it. But if it's another part of my Quirk that I could learn to control…”

“It's understandable. Quirks work in weird, physics-defying ways all the time. Marking a few oddities down to that isn't a bad thing. I did it too.” Then Izuku smiled widely. “But now that we know what to look for? It might open up a whole new WORLD of possibilities! You might be able to stop a runaway car in its tracks just by touching it! You could drop your own inertia to zero, then jump off as fast as your legs could extend!”

Her own smile widened to match his own. There was a glint in her eyes, an intensity that stoked the fire within and made him want to push himself even harder. “You're helping me figure this out as soon as humanly possible.”

“I’m looking forward to it!”

Izuku scrubbed at the remarkably defiant bit of food clinging to the bowl in his hand, then rinsed off the suds once more. He inspected his handiwork critically, tilting it under a light to make sure there wasn't any lingering residue. Satisfied that it was finally clean, he handed the bowl to his mother for drying, who shortly thereafter handed it to Jiro to be put away.

While he'd been the one to draw the much maligned Dishwasher duty today, it wasn't really that bad. It was a simple and methodical task, which was actually relieving after the sheer intensity of the day. Even if Boon had soothed most of his aches and weariness, his mental exhaustion still hung heavy around him.

Perhaps taking some time to recuperate after the end of class would have been wise. But when Ochako had said ‘As soon as humanly possible,’ she’d meant it. The combination of puppy dog eyes and goading challenge Ochako had aimed at him the moment they walked into the dorms had been absolutely unfair. He could have been inchworming around with one functional limb and that look would have still gotten him into the gymnasium to help her experiment.

That testing had borne some fruit, even if they hadn't had that much time. Though she lacked much in the way of active control, they'd gathered enough data to tentatively confirm his hypothesis; She could slow herself in mid air by focusing on wanting to slow down. Similarly, if she jumped while focusing on moving faster, her leap carried her noticeably faster than it would otherwise.

Importantly, it didn't seem like she strictly needed to maintain her five finger contact to influence her own inertia, though she did find it much easier if she did. So long as she was already under the effects of her Quirk, she could effect her inertia at will.

Unfortunately, active application of this newly discovered facet of her Quirk came with a downside. By Ochako's description, the more substantial changes in her movement were deeply disorienting. Each time she moved faster than she should have, or slowed with no outside force, she experienced varying degrees of motion sickness. The side effect was less severe when she applied the effect to something or someone else, but it still had a significant impact on her.

Apparently, it was a somewhat familiar sensation. There had been times in the past where she'd felt a bit of it while using her Quirk, though she'd generally attributed it to her usual nausea. The severity of the motion sickness grew proportionally with the degree to which she suppressed something’s inertia, but that didn’t seem to be the only factor. A jump that sent her a little faster than it should have was disconcerting, but still relatively familiar. Suddenly slowing in the air, however, was horribly jarring and made her feel dizzy and awful.

“Oh, great!” She'd groaned after a particularly nasty bout of nausea, voice thick with false cheer. “A SECOND way to make myself barf on command… yay… urgh…”

Izuku was broken from his memory as he reached into the sink, only to find it empty. Either he'd worked much faster than expected, or he'd been lost in thought for much longer than he'd thought. He quickly let the water drain, then hosed down the remaining suds. To the side, Jiro put the last of the dishes delicately into the cabinets with a barely audible click, then departed with a curt nod and a wave of a jack.

“Thanks for the help!” Inko called after her, then turned to face Izuku. “Same goes for you, Sweetie.”

“Of course!” He replied, then paused. His mother looked… nervous. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine! Just…” Inko sighed, looking apologetic. “I’ve been trying to think of the right way to say something for a while now, but I’m still struggling to put it into words.”

“It’s ok if you need more time to figure it out. You just seemed upset. Sorry I put you on the spot like that.” Izuku gently squeezed her shoulder, smiling down at her.

Inko returned his smile as she covered his hand with her own. “I appreciate that, but this is something better addressed sooner than later. Would you mind if we talked in my rooms?”

“Of course!” With another squeeze, Izuku stepped back, then they both made their way to the Dorm Supervisor’s suite.

It wasn’t much more than the student dorms. There was a small living room, barely enough for a couch, a recliner, and a wall mounted TV, with three doors on the far wall. One was open to the office beyond, where he could see stacks of paperwork next to her laptop. The other two lead to her bedroom, and a small bathroom that connected the three other rooms.

Inko gestured for him to sit on the couch, while she settled into the recliner across from him. There was silence for a time as Inko seemed to think, then she took a deep breath and met his eyes with a determined gaze.

“The past week has been… to call it a rollercoaster would not do it justice. So many things have changed, to the point the world feels like a completely different place. But through all of it, one thing hasn't changed at all. I'm so incredibly proud of you.” Inko beamed at him. “The progress you've been making with your powers is incredible. I know how happy it makes you, and that makes me happy too.”

Then, Inko's face fell slightly. “But I also know how far out of my depth I am with all of this. The others who know are all incredible heroes who can help you, or will be some day. I want to support you however I can, but I know that I can't offer anywhere near as much as they can.”

“Mom, stop.” Izuku raised a hand, frowning. “You're my mother. You don't need to help me fight to support me. You encouraging me, and helping me through things when I need it, means so much. Nobody else can be my Mom.”

Inko smiled softly, then reached across the space between them. Izuku grasped her hand and squeezed it gently, while she ran her thumb tenderly over his knuckles.

“I know, sweetie. Though it warms my heart to hear you say it. Most boys your age probably wouldn't be caught dead being mushy with their Mom.” A faintly teasing smirk made its way to her lips. “But there is another way I think I can still help you. In fact, it's something I think I'm uniquely qualified for among those in the know.”

“Oh?” Izuku raised his eyebrows curiously. “Do tell.”

“Like I said, all the others are either heroes, or are training to become ones. They all need their Quirks on a regular basis, and need fine control of them at that.” Inko placed her free hand on her chest. “I, on the other hand, don't strictly NEED my Quirk at all times. As a result, I'm the perfect person to help you learn whatever you can about your ability to transfer them.”

Izuku's eyes went wide. “You're offering me Attraction?”

“I am.” Inko squeezed his hand. “To begin, I thought we could pass it back and forth. That would probably give you some useful information. But if Attraction might be able to help keep you safe, I’d let you keep it in a heartbeat.”

Izuku nodded, ideas churning. “Passing it back and forth would be extremely helpful. If we can manage to do it in specific intervals, it might give us some insight into how quickly Imprints form. I could even give you Boon while I have Attraction to get a second reference point, and see what happens with Dr. Kinenkō’s Vestige, at least assuming he's ok with that. Maybe we can figure out more about how Melding works this way as well…”

Izuku pulled himself out of his mumble storm. “But if we do this, it seems likely that it'll change how Attraction works, at least partly. You'll probably have to re-learn how to use it. Are you absolutely sure you're ok with it?”

“That's another advantage of doing things this way. While I love my Quirk, I don't need it to do my job every day. I have time to learn things from the ground up if I have to.” Inko paused. “Another bonus is the fact that Attraction is weak. I'm not likely to accidentally rip the building down while I practice.”

“Limited doesn't mean weak, Mom. I've seen how hard you can pull things when you really want to.” Izuku shook his head. “Depending on how One for All empowers it, you might be able to rip the nails out of the furniture, or just throw the furniture itself around.”

“...so I'll do most of my practice in the nice empty gymnasium, then. Bring a few foam balls to make sure I don't accidentally concuss myself if Attraction is that much stronger afterwards.” Inko murmured after a pause. “But that doesn't change my decision. This is a way I can really help you with all this, and I want to do it.”

Izuku stood, then carefully pulled Inko up and into a hug. “Thank you, Mom.”

“Of course, sweetie.” Inko murmured as her arms tightened around his ribs. “I love you, Izuku.”

Izuku smiled into her hair. Even now, a hug from his mother eased his worries. “I love you too, Mom.”

Chapter Text

Izuku stood, then carefully pulled Inko up and into a hug. “Thank you, Mom.”

“Of course, sweetie.” Inko murmured as her arms tightened around his ribs. “I love you, Izuku.”

Izuku smiled into her hair. Even now, a hug from his mother eased his worries. “I love you too, Mom.”

Izuku sat in the middle of an empty street in one of UA’s faux cities. Around him were a variety of objects, most of which Aizawa had brought for their Tuesday evening training. They ranged from a baseball to an empty duffle bag to a chunk of brickwork the size of Izuku's torso. Toshinori had pilfered that from another nearby faux-city, one which was still in ruins after one of 3B’s classes.

He'd done an exercise similar to this a few times with Blackwhip, when he was getting used to the sensations it translated to him. The principles remained the same, even if the Quirk was completely different. With a deep breath, Izuku once more closed his eyes, then cast outward with Attraction.

It wasn't like the sensations he received from Blackwhip, so much as a selective awareness of their size and location. Even with his eyes closed, he could have reached out and grabbed the baseball behind him without much difficulty. The chunk of brickwork, however, was dramatically less distinct to his new sense. He could forcibly make it more clear to his mind’s eye if he focused on it, but it was drastically more difficult.

Izuku returned his focus to the baseball, then intensified that focus. The ball jolted where it sat as his psionic grasp closed on it, then he willed it to rise upwards. It jolted quickly into movement before he eased up on his focus, which slowed its rise until it settled into position several feet in the air.

Izuku repeated the process with a basketball, his backpack, and several other items. Each additional object he brought under his control made his grip on the others more tenuous, until his entire collection was wobbling in the air. The headache he was developing certainly wasn't helping anything either.

Then, he made them start spinning around him.

One of the several upgrades that Attraction had received was a greater range of movement. While it wasn't especially good at moving things directly away from him, it could cause objects to move in just about every other direction quite easily. He suspected that might have been Float’s influence, though there was a lot of testing to be done.

It was still best at making things move towards him, as the textured imprint on his forehead from the Basketball attested.

Slowly, Izuku opened his eyes. His grip briefly wavered as he did so, but he managed to reassert control before anything could entirely slip free of his control. His reward was the sight of a whirlwind ring of glowing objects orbiting him.

He couldn't even hope to count the number of times he'd dreamed of a moment like this throughout his life. He'd spent so much time sitting in his room as a child, trying desperately to make his All Might plush float towards him. Now that it had finally become a reality, he couldn't help the smile that split his face, nor the prickling in the corners of his eyes. Just as he used to imagine, he lifted a hand, then gently pulled the baseball out of its orbit and into his palm-

With a discordant thrum, Blackwhip shot from his forearm, latched onto his backpack, then reeled it in quickly. The green glow around the objects winked out as Izuku's focus shattered, then everything flew in different directions as their momentum carried them away.

“What the…” Izuku stared owlishly at the bag still firmly affixed to his arm. Blackwhip thrummed at him, an indignant mix of anger and…

A laugh bubbled up out of Izuku's throat. “Blackwhip, are you jealous?!”

Blackwhip dropped the backpack and retreated in a way that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than pouting.

“Oh my goodness. It never occurred to me that Attraction might cause a problem like this!” Inko covered her mouth in a doomed attempt to contain her giggles, gold and green eyes twinkling.

As he'd planned, the Quirk Transfer had in fact been a trade. Kinenkō’s vestige had faded to a power avatar as the transfer had completed, a golden figure that burned brighter than Tensei but a bit more dimly than Inko's own. Boon’s potency had dropped, but what remained was still stronger than most Quirks. A bit longer, and it seemed likely he'd have a complete copy.

For the most part, Inko’s reception of Boon had gone as expected; She'd immediately started jittering like someone had poured caffeine into her veins, and had been very eager to divide the energy up. She'd struggled to navigate the transfer at first, but she'd managed to split it well enough after a few misfires.

Izuku had been surprised that Kinenkō hadn't been of more help to her. Then, Kinenkō’s vestige had reacted to the Boon infusion and had returned to full form. He'd seemed almost groggy, and had asked why they hadn't done the transfer.

That had spawned an extensive discussion, but they hadn't had the information to reach a definitive conclusion. Their working theory was little more than that vestiges couldn't manifest in some people, and were rendered comatose by the transfer.

It had been a reminder that, despite all the progress he'd made, there was still a great deal about One for All that he didn't know about. There were still plenty of secrets to uncover and surprises to be had.

One of which was apparently that Blackwhip was quite jealous and possessive.

…In retrospect, he probably should have expected it.

“I'll be sure to make up for it. Maybe some mobility practice before we wrap up?” Izuku smiled as a strand of Blackwhip poked back out of his arm, a tentative thrum of excitement reaching him. He gave it a few pats, then turned his attention back to the chunk of masonry.

Despite his best efforts, it had proved far more difficult than the rest. It seemed that the “Small Objects” restriction had expanded into what he'd call “Medium Object” range, but the mass of brick and concrete was just on the outer limit of what it could handle. He hadn't managed to actually grasp this object yet, but he'd gotten close. He wasn't going to give up this time.

With gritted teeth and a flare of will, he brought his focus down on the masonry. As before, it was only dimly visible to the sense that Attraction came with. He pushed harder, imagining the green glow of attraction engulfing his target, of it responding to his will. It resisted, almost slippery in an abstract way, until he suddenly managed to find traction and grab. With a jolt, he suddenly felt the brickwork yield and fall under his sway.

Izuku slowly let out his breath, careful not to let his focus slip. That had been strenuous, and he REALLY didn't want to go through it a second time if he lost control now. With a little more force than before, he tried to make it rise-

The brickwork shot upwards and out of Attraction’s relatively small range, green glow winking out as it sailed off. Thankfully, it didn't get all that far before All Might caught it with casual ease. Nearby, he heard his mother yelp in surprise.

Aizawa just grunted as Izuku heard him type out his notes.

“...Huh. I thought I'd need to try harder to move that, so I put extra oomph into it. As it turns out, once I actually had a grip on it, it moved just as easily as the baseball.” Izuku murmured slowly as All Might put the wayward chunk of rubble back where it had started. His new sense faintly registered All Might’s costume, but didn't even begin to register the man within. Attraction couldn't affect living things, even if All Might hadn’t been far beyond its size limit. “Mom, did you ever notice a difference between the things you pulled on?”

Inko considered that for a second, then tipped her head side to side indecisively. “Maybe a little bit? Though that might have just been due to size. The heaviest thing I remember pulling to me was my cast iron pan, but I was more focused on keeping my control steady rather than how hard it was to actually move.”

Izuku absently tapped his chin with a knuckle. “Well, it might be an enhancement of a natural feature, or it might be that tiny bit of Melding with Gearshift that Recovery Girl pointed out. Probably both. Either way, we'll need to be very careful how hard we try to move anything. It can get things moving pretty quick now. Hopefully it'll be more intuitive for you, given how much experience you had with it before...”

That line of thinking had brought to mind a new application to experiment with. His mother had been able to grip small parts of an object that was made of multiple pieces, something she’d made occasional use of in day to day life. Putting on puppet shows with his action figures and stuffed animals had been a childhood favorite, but more often she'd used it to open or close doors. The principal should theoretically be applicable here.

Izuku returned his focus to the bricks, albeit with a different goal in mind.At first, it was as uniformly out of focus as it had been before. But Izuku’s goal wasn’t to grasp the whole chunk this time; He wanted to grab one particular brick near the center. The more he focused on that goal, the clearer his target became. After a moment, the lone brick was clearly visible to his senses, and he was able to grab it as easily as he had any other similarly sized object.

“Ah HA! There we… go?” Izuku blinked, then frowned. He’d tried to lift the brick, but the chunk barely budged. He put more force behind the movement, brow furrowed in focus.

The brickwork shifted, rising to balance on a corner but failing to leave the ground.

Izuku escalated the pressure again, and it finally rose slowly into the air, dragged upwards along with the brick. Unfortunately, his success was marred by his worsening headache. This had actually been MORE mentally taxing than simply asserting control over the whole object, and the force he’d needed to put behind it would have shot anything else he'd practiced with up several stories into the air.

“It seems like moving any two objects under Attraction’s control takes an equal amount of effort, but that effect does not extend to anything attached to those objects.” Izuku glared at another brick, unconsciously extending a hand as he brought it under his control. The strain he was feeling lessened sharply, though it was still more difficult than any two individual items he’d lifted before.

“It doesn't seem like this is a workable way to completely cheat the size restriction, or at least it isn't yet.” Izuku said, frowning at the partly glowing piece of rubble.

He experimentally pulled on a few percent of Full Cowling. A quick probe showed that it wasn't any easier to grasp the brickwork as a whole; Apparently, medium was as large as the Quirk would be going. However, he found that the strain of supporting the rubble by just two bricks had noticeably lessened. With a flex of will, he managed to maneuver it with substantially less effort than before, though it was still more difficult than controlling the whole object.