My Super Robot Academia

by Navek

Summary:

When Izuku was four, it seemed like his dream of becoming a hero was over. But after a day with his father, that dream is reborn into something greater.

"Maybe I can't become a hero like All Might...but I can build a hero just as great as him!"

Get ready for a hot-blooded, heavy metal revolution!

Chapter 1: Resolve and Comradery

Chaotic was the only way to describe the current state of Hosu City. Fires blazed across every corner of Hosu. Homes and businesses were brought crumbling down, dozens of citizens dead, and even hundreds more were injured and panicked. Even as the heroes worked tirelessly to save Hosu and its citizens, it felt as if hell itself had come to earth.

The culprits behind this devastation were inhuman creatures. They were vastly different in body shape and colors, but they all shared their lidless eyes and exposed brains. These were Nomus, genetically-spliced abominations created with the sole purpose of being hero-killers. One dark gray Nomu spat fire from its mouth, unleashing a torrent of flames.

One of the fireballs was speeding toward a man and his daughter. They fled for their lives, but the fireball was too fast for them. Then, mere moments before the blast could consume them, two blurs, one silver, and one red, raced towards them. The blurs swiftly grabbed the father and daughter, and, in the blink of an eye, the two were far away from the fireball's blast.

The girl looked up and saw a man in a full-armored costume. "Thank you, Ingenium."

"Um…I'm not-"

"Ya, good job, Ingenium," said a blond man with a pair of red wings, an aviator-like outfit, and yellow shades as he brought the father down to the street. "You guys better get to safety." He then gave a thumbs up. "Let the pros handle this."

"R-Right," the man said as he picked up his daughter and hightailed it out of there. The two then looked into the distance, seeing the monster continue to rampage.

"A Nomu," the armored teen said, his voice shaking his horrific recognition.

"That's the thing that attacked your class, right?"

"No, this one's different. But to think there would be more of these…abominations."

The young hero wasn't the only one reminded of that terrifying experience. All across Hosu, several of his classmates were either helping out the civilians or trying to fight off the Nomus. And anyone who wasn't in that city was watching the events unfold online and live on tv.

Across town, a Nomu with superstrength was throwing massive pieces of rubble all around, destroying buildings and threatening to crush civilians. One of those pieces collided with the local train track, collapsing part of the bridge. The conductor saw the collapsed section of the track and quickly activated the brakes. But the train was going too fast. There was no way for it to come to a complete stop before it went flying off the track.

And suddenly, they were falling.

The train had launched off the track and plummeted toward the streets filled with terrified civilians. Passengers and pedestrians alike screamed in terror. Then, suddenly, something shot through the air and miraculously caught the falling train by its lead car.

The conductor opened his eyes, and his jaw went slack as they saw who…or rather what saved them.

Their savior was a humanoid robot that was easily over ten feet tall. Its metallic dark green body was big and bulky, its shoulders large & circular, its arms & legs shaped like massive cylinders, and its chest was equally large and circular, with two silver stripes running down each side. Contrasting to the rest of its dark metal colors were the bright red mechanical wings with rockets keeping it afloat and the angular blue eyes over a vent-like mouth.

"Don't worry, everyone! Let's get you guys back on track," a young male voice came from the robot as it pushed the train back on the tracks. The passengers looked out the window to see their savior, amazed at the sight of the flying robot.

"Isn't that the robot kid from U.A.?"

"Dude, it is! That's the same guy from the Sports Festival!"

"Thank you!"

Inside the cockpit of the robot was a fifteen-year-old boy. His helmet kept wild and frizzy green hair in check, matching his eye color. His outfit consisted of a bright green spandex outfit with white lines in the pattern of his robot, red boots, matching red fingerless gloves, a white scarf around his neck, and a circular green helmet with goggles and a mic near his mouth.

"Is anyone seriously injured?" The young boy asked as he looked through the live footage on the screen in front of him.

"Doesn't look like it," the conductor replied. "A few mild bruises, but nothing too serious."

The boy was about to reply but saw that he had gotten a message on his heads-up display.

Idaten HQ: Striker, assistance ASAP! Ammo's been cornered by a Nomu on 13th street.

Striker: On my way!

"Alright, emergency dispatch should be on its way," the pilot said as he turned his mecha to face the carnage happening in Hosu. "Just stay here and let the heroes do their job."

The jets on the robot's wings roared as the dark green mecha flew through the city. The armored turbo hero Ingenium and several of his sidekicks had been dispatched throughout Hosu, alternating between fighting the monsters and saving any civilians caught in the crossfire. When Striker arrived at the coordinates, he saw that Nomu had grabbed one of Ingenium's sidekicks, a man with gun belts around his chest, camo pants, and a gun arm. And he was being held by the neck.

"Let go, ya damn monster!" The man shouted as he unloaded a barrage of bullets from his gun arm, but the creature was unphased by the rounds piercing its skin.

"Ammo! Hang on!" The young pilot said before quickly pulling a level, causing the robot's right arm to rear back. "ANCHOR KNUCKLE!"

Plates shifted up from Striker's elbow as it threw its fist forward, blasting ahead thanks to the rockets within it and tethered to the bicep by an industrial-grade chain. The rocket-propelled arm hit with the force of a speeding truck, causing the Nomu to let go of Ammo as it was knocked into a nearby (and thankfully abandoned) store. Ammo caught his breath, seeing the dark green robot flying down and retracting its arm.

"Thanks for the save, kid."

"No problem." But then, a loud screech was heard, and a warning alarm blared. The pilot of Striker saw that the Nomu had quickly gotten back up and charged at the two. "Look out!"

Striker quickly stepped in front of Ammo, grabbing the Nomu's hands in its mechanical ones. Two mighty figures, one mechanical and one organic, grappled, each trying to push the other back. The pilot quickly pressed a big blue button on his dashboard, the vent mouth on Striker's face opening up and glowing bright blue.

"STRIKER BEAM!" The robot's mouth opened and fired a blast of bright blue energy, hitting the Nomu in the face. But even still, the creature refused to back down, pushing and straining the robot's pistons as they struggled against each other. "Ammo, go for the brain! That's the weak spot!"

"Roger that!" the commando-dressed man said as he climbed over Striker's frame, standing on its head and shoulders and aiming his gun arm once more. "Eat lead, freakshow!"

With a mighty yell, Ammo unloaded a torrent of bullets, shredding the Nomu's exposed brain into a pile of gray matter and viscera. In seconds, the creature stopped pushing back, falling dead to the ground. The young pilot held back some vomit at the sight of the eviscerated brain.

"Thank god," Ammo said as he stepped off of Striker. He looked down at the Nomu's corpse before turning towards the machine. "Sorry, kid. This definitely ain't what you and the other rookies signed up for."

"No. No, it isn't," the young pilot said shakenly. But the melancholy would have to wait as the two heard another roar, seeing a Nomu standing on top of a building, unleashing sonic attacks from its mouth as it blasted the nearby rooftops. The boy's hands shook for a bit, but he took a deep breath and gripped the controls. "But still, this is what heroes do. We put ourselves on the line to protect those who can't protect themselves."

Ammo had a brief smile on his usually scowling face. "Well said, kid. Now come on!" The man said as he cocked his arm. "We got a job to do. And we can't let the rest of Idaten do all the work."

"Right!" Slamming his foot on the pedal, Striker took off into the air, ready to face the Nomu perched on the roof.

Even though Izuku Midoriya always imagined himself in this kind of situation, rushing into danger, a small part of him was still in disbelief. Yet, here he was, piloting his masterpiece. This machine was the culmination of over a decade of dreaming and hard work. This was what he'd dreamed of, fighting against the forces of evil to save an entire city in peril.

Was he scared? Of course. But that was normal, even for the most experienced heroes. So without hesitation, the young man and his robot flew ahead, weaving in and out of sonic blasts as he closed in on his target. This was the path he had been aiming towards his whole life. To prove that even someone like him could protect people and give them hope.

"Let's do this, Striker!" Izuku shouted, his robot's blue eyes glowing brighter, blasting ahead to fight this abominable evil head. But unfortunately, this wasn't the first time the young man and his creation would throw themselves into danger, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Navek and xpegasus present

A My Hero Academia Fanfiction

My Super Robot Academia

Chapter 1: Resolve and Comradery

Twelve Years Ago…

A tired salaryman walking home late at night was a dime a dozen sight in Japan. Even more so, considering how plain this man looked. He looked like your average, unassuming salaryman with a mop of curly black hair, black eyes, and a smattering of freckles across his face and dressed in a business suit. But even this late at night and with how tired he was, the black-haired man had a song on his lips as he took the elevator to his apartment, the thought of his lovely wife and adorable son putting a smile on his face.

'Wonder what Inko's making tonight.' he thought as he reached for his keys. He opened the door with a smile and exclaimed, "Guess who's home!"

"Oh, welcome back, Hisashi," the man's wife, Inko Midoriya, said. Her face was strangely expressionless as she cooked dinner. Hisashi could tell that something was wrong.

"What's going on, honey?"

Inko abruptly stopped chopping vegetables. A tense, awkward silence filled the room as she looked at her husband. "It's Izuku," she began, her voice unsteady. "When we went to the doctor's appointment, he said…" Inko was nearly in tears but forced herself to continue. "Izuku isn't a late bloomer. He's Quirkless."

"What," Hisashi exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. "But he— but we both— are they sure?" Inko nodded. Hisashi went silent. He slumped into a chair, his head in his hands as Inko rubbed his shoulder. "H-How is Izuku doing?"

Tears almost spilled from Inko's eyes. "He…he's been in his room, just watching that All Might video on a loop."

"…I'll go talk to him," Hisashi said. As he made his way toward his son's room, Hisashi felt a heavy sense of dread building in his chest with every step. He could already hear the familiar audio from the other side of the door. Slowly, Hisashi opened the door. The room was dark, the only light coming from Izuku's computer screen.

"Because I am here!" Just as Inko said, Hisashi found their son watching his favorite video of All Might's debut.

"Hey, little guy," Hisashi said as he approached the chair Izuku was sitting in, unable to see his face. "Mom told me what happened today. How are you feeling?"

Izuku slowly turned in his chair. Hisashi saw a sight that broke his heart; tears flowing freely down his son's face and Izuku trying to put on a smile despite his unmistakable sadness.

"D-Dad? Can I s-still be h-hero? Even without a Q-Q-Quirk…can I still be like All Might?"

Hisashi reached down, hugging his son. "Izuku, you can be whatever you want to be," the black-haired man replied, his eyes beginning to water. Izuku's smile flattered, and his tears began to stain his father's suit.

"B-but how am I…what can I do…without a…w-without a…" The child could barely finish that sentence before just sobbing into his father's embrace. They stayed like that for an hour until little Izuku cried himself to sleep. Then, after tucking his son, Hisashi left the room, where he saw Inko waiting for him.

"Is he gonna be...alright?" she asked.

Hisashi ran a hand through his hair and slumped against the wall. "I don't…god, out of all the kids this happened to…" he said before looking back at their sleeping kid. "…it had to be the one who wanted to be a hero more than anything in the world."

The next morning, little Izuku woke up. He was feeling a bit better…but only slightly. And he definitely wasn't looking forward to pre-school that day.

What would his classmates think of him being quirkless? What would Kacchan think?

The green-haired boy lay in bed for the next few minutes, looking up at the All Might poster on his ceiling, before he heard a knock at his door. "It's open."

The door opened, and Hisashi walked in. And Izuku noticed that his dad wasn't dressed in his usual business suit, which was weird since it wasn't Sunday.

"Hey, little guy. You don't have to worry about going to preschool today." Hisashi said. "Mom's making some breakfast if you want."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, Izuku was sitting at the dining table, absently poking his grilled fish and rice with a down look on his face.

"So…you got anywhere you want to go today?" Hisashi asked.

"Not really," Izuku replied, his lightless eyes never leaving the breakfast he continued to poke. Hisashi and Inko shared a worried look. They knew that Izuku was going to feel down, but all of life seemed to have been sucked out of him. Hisashi hated seeing such a defeated look on his son's face. A little kid like Izuku should never have such a devastated look on his face. He had only seen that kind of look in his co-workers, who were utterly defeated by their workload and life. Hisashi himself had that look before…and that's when an idea came to his head.

A few minutes later, Izuku was sitting on the living room couch, his father browsing through the DVD/Blu-Ray cabinet next to their TV set. Little Izuku knew his dad collected pre-quirk era shows but had never actually watched any of them. Hisashi picked a Blu-Ray set and placed the disk in their player. As the player loaded, Hisashi grabbed the remote and sat next to Izuku.

"I know this might not be what you had in mind today, but whenever I'm feeling down, this stuff always cheers me up." The black-haired man said as he handed the Blu-Ray set to Izuku. The little boy saw there was a man in a weird costume and some scary lizard-looking guys. But the thing that stood out the most on the cover art was a red & white robot holding a tomahawk and the title.

"Getter…Robo?"

"Yup. It's a personal favorite of mine." Hisashi said with a smile as he pressed the play button. Izuku watched as the show began. He saw the man on the cover with two other men in costumes and saw three jets combining into the titular Getter Robo. And then…the theme song kicked in.

GAN, GAN, GAN, GAN!

For the next hour, the two Midoriya men watched the older anime, Hisashi, with a look of nostalgia and familiarity, while Izuku was intrigued. The green-haired boy watched as the evil Dinosaur Empire started attacking humanity with the terrifying Mechasaurus'. He saw the hot-headed Ryoma, the cool Hayato, and boastful yet cowardly Musashi (though Izuku could understand his fear of lizards) coming together to pilot the titular Getter Robo. The action, the music, and the voice acting; it was all so different from the kid's shows he usually watched. And as the fights ramped up in the 2nd part of the opening two-parter, Izuku felt himself growing more and more excited. An excitement he only felt before when watching videos of All Might.

As the credits for episode 2 played, Hisashi was happy to see a smile on his son's face. "So, did ya like it?"

"Uh-huh!" Izuku said with an enthusiastic nod.

"Well, we can keep watching Getter Robo if ya want…or we can check out some of the other super robot shows I got."

"There's more shows like Getter Robo?!" Izuku asked.

"You better believe it, little guy," Hisashi said, Inko looking on with a smile as her two special boys started their marathon.

Izuku and Hisashi spent the rest of the day watching a variety of super robot shows or even tokusatsu shows with giant robots within them.

Exkaiser, Super Robot Red Baron, Mazinger Z, Gaiking, J-Decker, Kiramager, Gaogaigar, Raijin-Oh, GoGoFive, Dekaranger, and a bunch of other shows. They sampled the first two or three episodes of each one, and Izuku was blown away by the variety of action and unique characters. Sure, some parts scared the little boy a bit (especially concerning villains like Dr. Deviler). Still, overall, he was having a blast. But as they watched a fight between Kiramajin and a Rugby monster, a question burned in Izuku's mind.

"Hey, Dad."

"Ya?"

"Why do you keep calling these robots super robots?"

"Well, that's what they are," Hisashi said. "Basically, these machines are like giant mechanical superheroes."

"Oh, so like if All Might was a giant robot."

"Exactly!"

That comparison made plenty of sense to Izuku. Most pro-heroes had super moves, some of them like All Might shouting them out. And that seemed to be the case with all the super robot pilots within the shows as well.

By the end of the day, the melancholy Izuku felt from this morning was long gone. And unlike last night, when his parents tucked the little boy into bed, he definitely felt better.

"I had a lot of fun today. Thanks, Dad." Izuku said, giggling as Hisashi ruffled his hair.

"Glad to hear it."

"Night, sweetie," Inko said before kissing his forehead.

"Sweet dreams, kiddo," Hisashi said as he turned off the light, Izuku's All Might night light being the only thing illuminating the room.

As his parents left, Izuku's mind was still thinking about all the cool robots and battles he had seen earlier throughout the day. They were almost as cool as the real-life heroes he admired. In his mind, he thought about the comparison his dad had made. And more and more, that comparison clicked in Izuku's head. A robot could be as inspiring and heroic as All Might. If only someone could make one.

And then…that's when it all started to click in Izuku's head.

The Getter Robo was created by Dr. Saotome.

The Rescue Mecha the GoGoFive used was created by their father, Dr. Tatsumi.

The Super Robot Red Baron was built by Kenichiro Kurenai.

J-Decker was an invention of the Brave Police.

While some mechas like Exkaiser or Kiramejin had alien or mystical origins, many super robots were created by ordinary men without any kind of superpower. Just their raw intelligence.

With a pep in his step, Izuku got out of his bed and headed to his desk, turning on the desk light and pulling out an empty notebook and pencil. Yesterday, he had been at his lowest point. His dream of being a hero was seemingly impossible now that he was confirmed quirkless. But now, thanks to his father's attempts to cheer him up by sharing his love for giant robots, Izuku had an idea for how he could be a hero.

Super Robots were fictional, but the same could be said about superheroes before the age of quirks. Izuku lived in a world where the fantastical was ordinary. And as he wrote down all the ideas going through his brain, a thought that would set the course of his life manifested. He thought about how the doctor said that his dream of being a hero wasn't ever going to happen.

'Maybe I can't become a hero like All Might…but I can build a hero just as great as him!'

The world was unaware of it now, but this was the origins of something fantastic. Something that would change the face of heroism as their society knew it. And it began with a little boy's new dream.

Two years later…

"Just make sure you don't lose Mr. Astro."

"Okay, mom!" Izuku said as he took his remote-controlled robot and ran towards the playground, Inko sitting on a nearby bench. As she watched her son playing with his robot toy, the green-haired woman had a soft smile on her face. Two years ago, she was worried that her little green bean would be devastated. But ever since the day Hisashi and Izuku spent watching super robot shows together, she had rarely seen her son with that horrible, distraught look on his face. In fact, that day seemed to spark an interest in robotics in him.

Inko was a bit miffed to have another robot fanatic in the family. At the very least, he could give Pretty Cure a try. But then again, as long as her son was happy, that was all that mattered to Inko. But even still, in the back of her mind, she was worried for Izuku and his future.

It was clear that he still wanted to be a hero. But in her mind, Inko couldn't really see how that was possible. Hisashi was always onboard for encouraging their son's dream, regardless of his lack of a quirk, but Inko couldn't help but worry. Hero work was one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet, even for those with amazing Quirks like All Might, Endeavor, or anyone in the top ten. And that was the field her little boy wanted to go into, without any kind of superpower.

As much as she hated thinking like this, there was a small part of her that kind of hoped that Izuku would grow out of this. And she hated feeling like that.

But speaking of Izuku, the green-haired boy had made his Mr. Astro walk all the way to the slide. "Alright, up you go!" Using the controller, Izuku made Mr. Astro put its arms on the slide and had the idea to push the robot toy up to the slide. As he played with the toy, Izuku was trying to pay attention to how it moved and wanted to figure out how it did. So he pushed the movement stick on the controller. Mr. Astro pushed itself up so that its feet were slightly off the ground…but it couldn't move.

Izuku stared at the robot in confusion. He kept moving the lever back and forth. But no matter what, Mr. Astro couldn't seem to push himself up the slide.

"It's probably the shoulder joints." Izuku turned and saw a girl his age walking toward him. She had bright pink dreadlock-like hair, bright golden eyes, and was clad in a yellow t-shirt, blue overalls, and a pair of sneakers.

"The shoulder…joints?"

"Yup! Walking toys like this aren't made to do complicated stuff like what you're trying to do." The girl said with a bright smile. "Their joints are built specifically to just move around, and they aren't really made for anything extreme."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense." Izuku replied, finally letting Mr. Astro down. "So, he would need better shoulders to move up the slide?"

"Well, not just that." The girl picked up the robot toy and moved its stiff legs a bit. "This guy would need articulated limbs in order to do that. So these little cuties aren't really walking; they're waddling."

"Ar-ti-cu-late." Izuku repeated, having never heard that word before. "What about the rest of him?"

"Hm." The girl put a finger to her lips as she looked over the toy. And that's when Izuku noticed her eyes had strange lines that moved around. "I mean, the limbs are probably the most important part of making it more agile. The torso and head are fine…but just kind of boring to look at."

Izuku shook his head in agreement. "You're pretty smart."

The girl crossed her arms in pride. "My papa says I'm a certified genius!"

"So this is where you ran off to." The two kids turned and saw a pre-teen boy with light purple hair and amber eyes, dressed in a light blue t-shirt and yellow shorts. "Mei, you shouldn't just approach a stranger like that."

"But I wanted to know what he was doing with his toy." The girl, Mei, replied with a pout before turning to Izuku. "I'm Mei Hatsume, by the way!"

Izuku smiled and held his hand out. "Izuku Midoriya; nice to meet ya!" The two shook hands and continued to talk about how to make his robot toy cooler, completely ignoring the older boy, who simply sighed and took a seat on a bench next to the one Inko was sitting at.

"Your little sister?"

"Yup." The boy said. "I'm Koshin Hatsume."

"Inko." The woman said as she watched Izuku and his new friend talk and play. At the very least, the future could wait. Right now, she was content with watching her little green bunny and the pink girl go about their day.

By the time the sun had started to set, Izuku had learned that Mei's family had recently moved to Musutafu. The two siblings had gone out to explore and get familiar with their new surroundings. They even learned that Mei was going to the same elementary school as Izuku.

"See ya tomorrow, Izuku!"

"See you then, Mei!"

Izuku and Mei went home that day, walking alongside their respective chaperones, happy to have made a new friend. And little did they know that this was simply the beginning of a life-long bond.

The next day at Aldera Elementary, Mei was introduced as the new student in Izuku's class. And naturally, the pinkette gravitated to sitting with her new friend. After a few hours, lunchtime rolled by, and Izuku and Mei were eating in the cafeteria.

"Oh, Mei, looky here," Izuku said as he pulled out his notebook. The title read: Super Robot Ideas. Izuku handed the book to Mei. She opened it to see several crudely drawn sketches of dozens of super robots in action poses and using cool weapons.

"You really like robots, don't ya?" The green-haired boy gave an excited nod in response.

"Someday, I'm gonna make a super robot!"

"Really? That's so cool!" Mei said with just as much excitement. She pulled her own notebook out of her backpack called Future Babies. She opened it up and showed Izuku the contents, including drawings, schematics, and even notes on various gadgets.

"Woah! That's a lot of gadgets." Izuku replied. "Is that a jetpack?"

"Yup! That's gonna be a future project since Papa said I can't handle anything flammable until I turn ten." Mei said with a bit of a pout. "But I still got ideas for plenty of other babies!"

"Babies?" Izuku asked with a tilt of his head, confused by Mei's choice in terminology.

"So why do you want to build a robot?" Izuku smiled, but before he could explain…

"Oui, new girl." The two turned their heads and saw a boy their age with wild dirty blond hair and red eyes, dressed in the same elementary school uniform as them. While Mei didn't know him, Izuku sure did. "You probably shouldn't be hanging around with Izuku here."

"Kacchan…" Izuku said with a sad tone.

"Why not?" Mei asked.

"Because he's a Deku," Kacchan explained as he looked at the notebooks on the table, one that he recognized and chuckled. "So he's showing you that dumb robot idea of his."

"It's not dumb!" Izuku yelled back. "I'm gonna build a robot that's just as strong as All Might!"

"Quit lying to yourself." Kacchan sneered before looking at Mei. "This loser's got no quirk, but he thinks he can build a dumb robot to make up for it. You hang around him, and everyone gonna think you're a loser too."

"So what?" Mei answered, surprising both Kacchan and Izuku. "I already got Izuku as a friend, and he thinks my babies are cool. I don't care if I make any more friends: Izu's the only friend I need." She then glared at Kacchan. "And who's to say Izuku can't use a robot to become a hero? Plenty of real heroes use support gear, so it would just be like using a big piece of gear."

"B-But…he's Quirkless," Kacchan replied, taken by genuine surprise.

"Again; so?" Mei said as her expression turned sour, her golden eyes glaring at the dirty blond boy. "My papa and mama say that if as long as you put in the effort and don't give up, even the most far-fetched dream can become a reality."

Before Izuku knew it, his eyes began to water up. For the past two years, he had endured so much ridicule. Every time he told anyone about his dream of building a robot and using it to become a hero, they would laugh at him and call him a Quirkless idiot dreaming an impossible dream. Even worse, his best friend became the biggest jerk of them all, often being the first one to insult the green-haired boy's ambitions. It was one thing for classmates he didn't even know that well to make fun of him. The fact that the harshest words came from someone he admired stung even more.

But here was Mei, this near-stranger he had only met yesterday; not only did she refuse to scoff when he talked about his robot ideas, but she also said he could be a hero. She didn't care if he was quirkless.

"T-Thank you, Mei," Izuku said as tears flowed from his eyes.

"Tch. Whatever." Kacchan said as he walked away. "Have fun being a loser, Crazy Eyes."

Mei stuck her tongue out before turning back towards Izuku, who was trying to wipe the tears from his eyes, but the water kept coming out.

"That guy was a butthead," Mei said, making Izuku chuckle. "He so doesn't deserve a cute name like Kacchan."

"Oh, that's not his real name. It's actually Katsuki Bakugou." The boy replied. "I just call him Kacchan."

"Well, 'Kacchan' is gonna be dead wrong when you become an awesome hero."

"...you really think I can be one?"

"Of course!" Mei said before holding Izuku's notebook open. She flipped through it, showing all of the different drawings and notes, pages upon pages of them. "You've definitely thought about this loads of times. I can tell just by looking at these that you're super-duper passionate."

Sufficed to say, the last two days and the following week, Izuku enjoyed having someone he could undoubtedly call his friend. The two energetic elementary schoolers would spend time at and away from school talking about ideas for robots and gadgets.

Life at Aldera Elementary went on as normal. But then, a few days later…

"I still can't believe you got a ghost rare." One of Katsuki's two buddies (one with wings) said as the explosive blond walked with a ghost rare All Might trading card, holding it up like it was the Holy Grail.

"What can I say? I'm just that lucky." Katsuki said with a smirk, thinking about how he could rub his new card in stupid Deku's face.

"Can I hold it?" The other kid with long fingers asked.

"Hell no! I don't want your germs al-OOF!" The red-eyed boy was knocked onto his butt like he had just walked into a wall, hearing the sound of a bento box falling onto the floor. Katsuki looked up and saw a kid about three times his size with short blue hair and yellow eyes staring down at a bento box he had just pulled out of his locker. "Watch where you're going, dumbass!"

"...you made me drop my bento."

"You shouldn't be standing in the middle of the hallway like a freakin' wall," Katsuki shouted, only for the huge boy to stare blankly at him, seemingly showing no emotion in his eyes. "Quit staring at me! Are ya retarded or somethi—"

Without warning, the taller boy picked Katsuki up by his head, making the blond drop his All Might card as he failed around.

"That was cheeseburger steak, my favorite. I was really looking forward to having that for lunch."

"LET GO OF ME, YA GIANT DUMBASS!" Katsuki shouted as he held up his hands. Sparks began to fly out of his palm before he created a small explosive in the air, causing his friends to flinch, yet the bigger kid barely reacted. "IF YOU DON'T LET GO OF ME, I'LL BLAST THE HELL OUT OF YA!"

But the taller boy did nothing. In fact, Katsuki could swear he felt the grip around his head becoming even tighter. "Okay, you asked for it!"

Katsuki grabbed the boy's wrist and let off an explosion from each hand. But to the shock of Katsuki and his buddies, the boy's arm wasn't hurt at all, like the blast didn't even happen. Hell, the boy looked like he barely registered the explosion at all.

"That wasn't very nice." The taller boy said as he squeezed Katsuki's head harder, causing the smaller boy to get out a pained yell.

Around the same time, Izuku turned the corner when he heard an explosion, and he saw Katsuki being held by his head.

"H-He's crazy!" The winged boy yelled as he and the long-fingered boy ran away. Izuku watched, his body shaking as Katsuki continued to try to use his explosive quirk to make the bigger boy let him go. But no matter how many explosions he let off, the bigger boy would let him go and kept squeezing his head tighter and tighter. And there was no one else in sight to help.

Sure, Kacchan had been a real jerk to him for the last two years, but even someone like him didn't deserve to get his head crushed like a grape. And in his worry, Izuku quickly wondered; What would All Might do in a situation like this? What would the Getter Team, the SSI, or the Brave Police do?

Only thinking for a second, Izuku got his answer. He sucked his breath in and charged ahead, tackling the bigger boy from the side. But the boy simply looked down, unphased as Izuku attempted to punch his sides.

"Let Kacchan go!"

"Deku?" Katsuki asked, genuinely surprised. However, the bigger kid was less than impressed and slapped Izuku away with enough force to leave a bruise on his chin. Tears from the pain welled up in Izuku's eyes, but he simply got up and wiped them away before glaring at the big guy.

"I said let him go!"

"He bumped into me, made me spill my food, and he's been doing nothing but yelling and exploding at me." The large boy said with all the interest of a bored supermarket employee. All while he continued to squeeze Katsuki's head harder and harder, making the blond cry in pain. "He deserves this."

"No, he doesn't!" Izuku shouted back. "Ya, Kacchan's a jerk, but he doesn't deserve to be hurt like that."

The green-haired boy charged again, but he was smacked on his back again…and again…and again. But no matter how many times Izuku was knocked down, he kept getting back up, determined to help the boy he once considered his best friend.

"What the hell's going on?!" The three boys looked and saw two teachers approaching them.

"These two are annoying me," the emotionless boy replied.

"Yamamoto, let go of that boy right now, or you'll be in serious trouble!"

Yamamoto sighed, finally letting go of Katsuki, who fell to the group and clutched his pained head.

"We're gonna have a serious talk with your parents, young man." One of the teachers said while the other helped Izuku and Katsuki to the nurse's office, both boys were being treated for bruises.

"Just relax and wait until your parents arrive." The nurse said as she left to take care of other business, leaving Izuku and Katsuki sitting on opposite beds, bandages applied to their bruised areas.

"I really hope Mom's not gonna be too mad at me," Izuku said as he rubbed his wrist while Katsuki grumbled.

"You're an idiot." Katsuki spat out, to Izuku's surprise.

"I was just trying to hel-"

"I didn't need your help!" Katsuki screamed. "I didn't need your help that day at the creek, and I didn't need your help today! I'm not some weakling who needs a Quirkless Deku like you looking down on me!"

Izuku was hurt and confused until he remembered what the heck Katsuki was talking about. About two years ago (a few weeks after Izuku's quirkless diagnosis), the two and some other boys were out on a bug hunt near a creek. While the troop was walking across a log, Katsuki slipped and fell into the water. So naturally, Izuku was concerned that his friend might've hurt himself.

But when Izuku tried to help him up, Katsuki knocked his hand away and yelled at him. And things started to connect in the green-haired boy's mind. After that day, the relationship between the two boys soured significantly, with Katsuki basically becoming a bully.

"Kacchan…you're not a weakling," Izuku replied, looking right at Katsuki. "You're so cool and brave, even if you're angry all the time. And you got one of the coolest quirks I've ever seen."

Katsuki was quiet before speaking up again. "Then why did you-"

"Because I was worried about you!" Izuku cried out. "I just wanted to make sure my best friend was okay, not because I was looking down on you!"

The explosive blond boy was surprised by his old friend's outburst.

"I don't need help. I'm strong." Katsuki grumbled.

"Kacchan, even strong people need help." Izuku retorted. "Remember when All Might fought Dr. Desmadon in London?"

"Oh, yeah." Katsuki thought to himself as he recalled one of All Might's most notable battles against a mad scientist with a devolution quirk who wanted to turn all of Europe into dinosaurs. But the Symbol of Peace didn't fight the mad doctor and her army of dinosaur men alone. Instead, he was joined by the Knight's Calvary, the UK's top superhero team. After the villainess was defeated, All Might spoke about how no hero, no matter how powerful, should never be afraid to ask for help when dealing with evil.

The blond boy said nothing for a while, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed as he thought about something.

"You still want to build that hero robot?"

"Y-Ya," Izuku replied, a bit confused. "Not just build it; I'm gonna pilot it too."

"Then you better make it sturdy enough to protect your squishy butt," Katsuki replied, confusing Izuku a bit more as the blond laid down on the bed and turned away from him.

Later that day, after a discussion between the three boys, their mothers, and the principal, Izuku, Kacchan, and Yamamoto were let off the hook after the boys apologized to each other (or forced to apologize through gritted teeth in Katsuki's case). The next day, Izuku told Mei about what had happened. The pink-haired girl was a bit concerned while the two were enjoying their lunch on a bench.

"Sounds scary."

"It was," Izuku said. "But if I want to be a hero, I gotta be brave."

But before the two could continue, they heard footsteps approaching. They looked up and saw Katsuki walking towards him, bento in hand.

"Hey." The blond said, scratching his cheek a bit. "Is it cool if I sit with you guys?"

"That depends if you're gonna be a butt," Mei said without hesitation.

"I'm not a butt! You're a butt!"

"Hey, don't yell!" Izuku said before smiling at his old friend. "Sure, you can sit with us, Kacchan."

"Okay." And the explosive boy did just that. There was a bit of awkward silence between the three as Katsuki opened his bento, but Mei decided to talk again.

"So…Izuku says you got an explody quirk. How does it work exactly?"

"Oh, he sweats netro…niatro…" Izuku said, trying to think of the word.

"I sweat nitroglycerin," Katsuki chimed in.

"Ya, that's the word! He sweats that, and then he can ignite it to make explosions."

"Okay." Mei thought about it for a second. "But what if you try to fight when it's really cold outside? You probably wouldn't have enough sweat."

"Huh." Katsuki thought to himself. "Maybe I could just wear heavier clothing to work up more of a sweat."

Mei quickly pulled out her notebook and began to draw something, surprising both of the boys. Her hands were moving so fast that they were practically a blur. "Or…" She showed the page to the two, showing a costume that had some kind of panels inside it. "...you can put in a heating system that you can turn on and off."

"That's…that actually sounds cool!" Katsuki with an excited look on his face. For the rest of their lunch period, the three kids talked about ideas for different hero gear, with Katsuki even saying ideas he had for Izuku's robot (though Izuku thought that adding six Gatling guns to each shoulder was a bit excessive). While the three chatted, and even after they went back to class, Izuku honestly felt like his short life had become brighter and brighter. Not only did he have his new best friend Mei, but his best friend was actually talking to him again without calling him a Deku.

And when school ended, Katsuki joined Izuku and Mei on the walk home. Izuku felt like he could do anything now.

Neither of the three knew it at the time, but the three of them would grow up to make one hell of an impact in the world and also help change the three of them for the better. But that would be a story for later. For now, they were just three elementary school kids talking about cool heroes on the way home.

Notes:

This is a story that's been in my head for about half a year now. Basically, when I was watching the dub of the anime Knights & Magic (pretty underrated if you ask me), I noticed that the main character Ernie had the same voice actor as Izuku Midoriya (Justin Briner). And that put this image in my head about Izuku nerding out about building a super robot.

I've also been reading plenty of fics in the 'Quirkless Hero Izuku' subgenre of MHA fanfictions. Some are better than others. While plenty of these stories have Izuku using an Iron Man-like suit, gadgets, or making him more of an acrobat, I have yet to see a story where Izuku builds and pilots a super robot. And as they say, if you can't find a fanfic like that, just write it yourself.

Me and xpegasus have been bouncing off ideas for the last few months. But between college and Elden Ring consuming all my time and work ethic like an ever-expanding black hole, I've been pretty slow to write…well, anything (a recurring problem for me, it seems). However, with the semester coming to an end and my time with Elden Ring becoming more manageable, I think I'm gonna get down to a decent upload schedule…hopefully. I make no promises.

So, I hope you guys, whether you follow me from my previous stories or are discovering me and xpegasus' work for the first time, will join me as I throw my hat into the ring for my take on a Quirkless Izuku fic. I promise that there'll be plenty of action, heartfelt moments, super robot anime/Toku references, weird-ass humor, and everything else you've come to expect from us.

Next time: Coding for Dummies!

Until then, have a safe and pleasant day. Catch you guys later!

Chapter 2: Coding for Dummies

Summary:

As Izuku's middle school days roll by, meets two people who will help him solidify his dream.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 2: Coding for Dummies

Life went on for Izuku and his friends. Before they knew it, elementary school had passed them by, and the three were now in their first year of middle school. Over the years, Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki were basically inseparable. Of course, there were still some kids who made fun of Izuku and bullied him for his lack of a quirk…but they always tried to make sure to do it when the greenette was alone, lest they also deal with an explosive backlash…or a weird invention messing with them for weeks.

"See you later, Mom!"

"Bye, Inko."

"Bye, boys. Have a good day!" Inko said as Hisashi and Izuku left for work and school, respectively. The Midoriya family had changed quite a bit in the last few years. Hisashi was the least different, though he often smelled like aftershave since he found having any kind of beard to be unbearably itchy and a fire hazard. Inko had gotten a bit chubbier over the years due to inactivity…and because she often snuck some melon bread when her boys weren't looking. And Izuku had grown up to be about as average as a twelve-year-old could be in terms of physique. He was somewhat on the scrawnier side but still in relatively good shape.

After walking some distance, the two Midoriya men said goodbye, with Hisashi heading to catch the bus to get to his office and Izuku walking towards the nearby residential area to pick up Katsuki. Finally, the greenette arrived at the Bakugou household, where he was greeted by a woman who looked like an older and feminine version of his friend.

"Morning, Aunt Mitsuki."

"Heya, Izuku. Come on in." Izuku was lead in by Mitsuki to their living room and saw Katsuki cooking something in the adjoining kitchen.

"Mornin', Kacchan. You almost ready to go?"

"Ya, give me a minute." Izuku looked and saw that the explosive blond was making two bentos. While it was hidden by his middle school uniform, Katsuki was in far better shape than most of his peers, Izuku included. With the U.A. Entrance Exam a mere three years away, Katsuki began to take his training very seriously. Not just by practicing his Quirk but also by getting into shape. As such, the middle-schooler was developing quite a muscular physique. He was also about a few inches taller than Izuku by now.

"You're making two of them again?"

"He's been up early making lunch for his girlfriend," Mitsuki said with a smirk, making her son scowl.

"Ah, that's sweet, Kacchan," Izuku said with a knowing smile.

"SHUT UP! How many times do I have to spell it out: Crazy Eyes ain't my girlfriend!" Katsuki shouted back. "I just know for a fact that she's probably been tinkering all night and forgot to make herself lunch. And I need to be the responsible one and make sure she doesn't keel over since you can't cook for shit, Deku!"

"Hey, I can cook!" Izuku retorted.

Katsuki gave Izuku a dirty look. "Microwaving Katsudon doesn't count!"

"He's got ya there, Izuku," Mitsuki chimed in, making Izuku pout.

A few minutes later, both Izuku and Katsuki were heading toward the Hatsume residence. But when they turned the corner, they saw a familiar face leaning on a nearby telephone pole. It was none other than Mei's older brother Koshin. The purple-haired boy had grown up to be rather handsome and was wearing his high school uniform, holding his bag in his hand as he continued to look around.

"Mornin', Koshin!"

"'Sup, Pretty Bo-" Suddenly, Koshin leaped at the boys, slapping his hands over their mouths to shut them up.

"Shush!" He whispered. "They'll hear you-"

"Senpai!"

"Ko-baby!"

"Hatsume!"

"Aw, shit," Koshin grumbled as the middle schoolers looked and saw three high school girls approaching them. One of them was a tall yet shy-looking girl with short red hair. The other was a blonde, long-haired ganguro girl. And the shortest of the girls had brunette hair in a bun, glasses, and a surprisingly muscular physique.

"Oh, it's those catty bitches."

"Kacchan!"

"What? It's true."

The brunette looked at Katsuki before addressing Koshin.

"Hatsume, you shouldn't be associating with delinquents."

"Who are ya calling a delinquent, you bespectacled bitch?!" Katsuki shouted. "I had a near-perfect attendance record last year!"

"Exactly, near-perfect," the brunette said with a scowl. "A punk like you is a bad influence for someone like Hatsume."

"Hey, hey. Don't let Miss Gorilla Arms tell ya what to do," the blonde said as she grabbed onto Koshin's arm, causing his face to turn red. "You can be friends with whoever you want, Ko-Baby."

"Miyako! You're a little too c-close." Koshin stuttered out as he tried to ignore the feeling of the blonde girl's bosom against his arm.

"Oh? What's wrong with being close?"

"M-Miyako! Y-You're making Senpai uncomfortable!" The shy redhead stuttered out.

"Kotori's right!" The brunette said as she pulled Miyako off of Koshin. "That's borderline harassment!"

"U-Um…I wouldn't go that far, Tagumi," Kotori responded.

"The hell's your problem, gorilla arms?" Miyako said as she glared at the shorter girl.

"Stop calling me that, you hussy!"

While the two continued to trade insults and Kotori looked on in worry, Izuku and Katsuki noticed Koshin sneaking to the nearby manhole, putting a finger to his mouth as he climbed down the sewer pipe and put the manhole cover back. The two boys stared before noticing that the girls had stopped arguing.

"Hey, where did Ko-Baby go?" Miyako asked as she and the other two girls looked around.

"He went that way," Katsuki said as he and Izuku both pointed in the opposite direction of the manhole. The three girls ran off like wolves chasing a deer while the boys continued towards the Hatsume house.

'Koshin's really got it rough.' Izuku thought to himself. And this was true. Koshin was always a polite and friendly boy. And as he grew to be a handsome young man, he ended up becoming really popular with the ladies…which also included some really intense ladies. Soon enough, the two finally reached a two-story house with a large garage.

And the two were met with the sounds of tinkering and a welding torch going to town on some metal. It was a cacophony they had become intimately familiar with. Katsuki grabbed the handle and slid the garage door open, and was greeted with the sight of Mei Hatsume. She was clad in her usual outfit of a black tank top, her 'specialized' goggles over her eyes, welding gloves, long pants, and boots. The pinkette had also changed a bit in the last few years, becoming as tall as Izuku, and even started to develop a bit in terms of curvature. Except for her chest. And she was in the middle of welding a plate onto a cannon-like object before noticing the sun's rays hitting her face.

"Oh, Izuku! Kacchan!" Mei said with a bright smile as she slid her goggles off. "You guys really came over crazy early."

"It's 7:30 in the morning," Katsuki stated, making the pinkette pause as she looked behind her friends and saw the sun.

"…huh, so it is."

"Mei, have you been up all night again?" Izuku asked.

"No," Mei said with a pout and crossed her arms. "Stupid Koshin won't let me stay up past eleven when Mom and Dad are on a trip."

"Okay, good." The greenette replied, only to see the smirk on his eccentric friend's face.

"But nothing says I can't get up early when inspiration strikes!"

"...how long have you been up?"

"Oh, don't worry. I got a solid three hours of sleep."

"THAT'S BARELY ANYTHING, MEI!" Izuku exclaimed while Katsuki face-palmed.

After a few minutes of letting Mei clean up herself and putting on her school uniform, the three childhood friends were soon walking toward Aldera middle school.

"So, was that cannon thing what you're gonna bring to the expo?" Izuku asked.

"That's top secret, Izu," Mei responded. "Speaking of the expo, how's Skelly coming along?"

"Oh, it's going great!" Izuku said with an excited look in his eyes. "I think I finally got the kinks worked out, so he should be ready just in time."

"So ya finally fixed its wobbly wrist?" Mei asked, getting a nod in response.

"You were right about the computer paste. It worked like a charm."

As the two continued to talk tech, Katsuki just watched with a bemused smile. There was something comforting about hearing these two energetic nerds he called friends just geeking out over the smallest stuff.

"You coming to the expo, Kacchan?" The pinkette asked.

"Nah. I'm gonna try getting some training in over the weekend."

"You sure? It's probably gonna be a ton of fun," Izuku asked.

"Ya, for tech nerds like you guys." The blond replied, making Mei narrow her eyes at him.

"Didn't you get all excited when you finished those grenade gauntlet blueprints?"

"That's different! That's hero stuff, so it's automatically cool."

"Hey, our work is hero stuff, too," Izuku replied.

"...well, I ain't as nerdy about it as you guys are." Katsuki retorted.

"Oh, come on, Kacchan," Mei said as she patted his back. "They're nothing wrong with being nerdy."

"Says you."

Izuku chuckled to himself as the three continued their little back and forth before arriving at Aldera Junior High. And just as he had been doing for the last week, he would be counting down the hours until the weekend. After all, if everything went according to plan, his dream of being a hero would be that much closer to becoming a reality.

That following weekend…

Dozens of students, their friends, teachers, and parents gathered in the gymnasium as the Aldera Junior Science Expo had officially begun. Any scientifically gifted youngster from the school district could show off a science project, be it chemistry, robotics, or physics; any branch of science was welcome. Some did it for extra credit, others hoped to get the attention of anyone handing out a scholarship, and some just wanted to show how smart they were.

Izuku was one of these young inventors as he, Hisashi, and Inko were busy setting up his booth. Which consisted of an upgraded office chair with foot pedals, a foldable keyboard & two joysticks attached to it, a closed fold-out display sitting on a table, and something human-sized covered in a blue sheet.

"Alright, looks like everything's good with the chair," Hisashi said as he gave it a test swivel.

"Thank you, dad," Izuku said as he attached his phone to a speaker set.

"Are you nervous, sweetie?" Inko asked.

"...a little bit."

"Just remember to breathe in…" Inko said as she demonstrated. "…and breath out."

"Right," Izuku said, taking in a short breath before calmly getting it out.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo," Hisashi said with an excited grin. "You're gonna knock their socks off."

"Hey, Izuku!" The Midoriya family turned and saw the Hatsume siblings approaching them, with Koshin holding a camcorder in his hand. "Looks like you're all set up."

"Pretty much," Izuku said as he noticed the camera. "Recording it for your parents?"

"Yup, Dad would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't record this little gremlin's special day." Koshin joked before ruffling Mei's hair, much to her irritation.

"Well, we better go get a good view," Hisashi said before offering the pre-teens a thumbs up as he, Inko, and Koshin made their way.

"Okay, let's do our best, Izuku!" Mei said as she held her hand out.

"Right!" The greenette said as the two high-fived. While the two went back to their booths, Inko, Hisashi and Koshin tried finding a good vantage point.

"Yo! Guys!" The three turned and saw Mitsuki, her husband Masaru, and a grumpy-looking Katsuki standing next to his folks, with the Bakugou matriarch waving at them.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Mitsuki," Inko said to her oldest friend.

"Nice to see ya, Masaru," Hisashi said as the two fathers shook hands. "Glad you could make it too, Katsuki."

"No problem," Masaru said with an easy-going smile.

"I'm here under protest," Katsuki grumbled.

"Oh, it's not gonna kill ya to show your friends some support," Mitsuki said with a disappointed look.

"Woo-hoo," Katsuki said with as much passion and excitement as a bowl of plain oatmeal. "Is that enough?"

"When did he become such a smartass?" Mitsuku whispered to herself, making Inko sweatdrop at the obvious answer.

Soon enough, the expo began, with the judges going to each booth and allowing the young scientists to present themselves and their inventions. An hour or so went by, with some showing off elaborate volcano simulations and electric roller skates, others showing the bare minimum for the extra credit opportunity. Finally, a pair of judges came to Mei's booth, and the pinkette wearing a headset with a microphone.

"Tell me, good people: have you ever wanted to grab something from a far distance, but you can't quite reach it? Well, have I got the solution for you!" Mei went to her display table and pulled off the curtain, showing a hand cannon with a dial on top of it and a screen right under it. "Say hello to the Hatsume Industries Grab Cannon!"

Mei grabbed her invention and lightly pushed the trigger, allowing a padded claw attached to a malleable steel pole to slide out of the barrel. She then moved the hand to grab a pen out of a judge's breast pocket, waving it in front of his impressed face.

And while Mei continued to demonstrate the Grab Cannon, another group of judges approached Izuku's booth.

'Alright, here it goes.' Izuku said before addressing the judges. "The field of robotics has long been considered a niche among most scientific fields. Any robot built nowadays is often used to test equipment meant for hero work, provide menial tasks for researchers, and let's face it; even the most top-of-the-line robot tends to be a bit on the clunky and awkward side. But what if I told you there could be a robot just as strong and versatile as even the most powerful heroes?"

This got the judges and crowds intrigued as Izuku reached the certain. "Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to the future of robotics!"

The greenette pulled the curtain, revealing a robot about the size of an adult male. It was all frame, no armor, giving it a skeletal appearance. What was immediately noticeable about the robot was that each individual finger was articulated, the shoulders and thigh joints were circular, and the wires were integrated into the framework.

"This is Skeletron, a prototype frame that'll give any robot the same kind of freedom of movement we humans take for granted," Izuku said as he took a seat in his special chair, flicking a switch on the keyboard to remotely turn on Skeletron, its optics taking on a blue glow.

The greenette took hold of the joysticks and moved the right joystick in a circular motion. In response, the robot began to move its shoulder in the same kind of circular motion, impressing some of the audience.

"As you can see, every part of Skeletron's frame has been designed to stimulate human movement," Izuku said before using the left stick to move Skeletron's left arm up. Next, the boy pressed the trigger, turning the robot's wrist 360 degrees. "And it can even perform motions we can't pull off."

Just to show off, Izuku typed some commands into the keyboard, and the fingers on Skeletron's rotating wrist began to move up and down. That earned a few 'oohs' and 'aws' from the crowd and even some of the judges.

"Alright, now I'm going to have to ask you all to stand back a bit, so I can show you Skeletron's full range of motion," Izuku warned. The judges did just that, and Izuku pressed a music icon on his keyboard. This activated his speaker-attached phone, which began to play some rhythmic music.

(Music Que - Overnight Sensation by TRF)

hatachi yasokora ja jinsei no MOCHIBESHON (motivation)

mi ni tsuitara kibun mo shirakeru dake dashi

Izuku got to work, moving the joysticks and pressing on the foot pedals. And to the amazement of the audience, Skeletron began to dance. There was little to no stiffness in its movements as Izuku piloted the machine in tandem with the beat of the music.

tomodachi mo douryou mo shigeki o uketsutsu otagai RAIBARU

"He actually picked that song," Inko said with a giggle.

"Don't blame our son for having good taste," Hisashi said. "Besides, Mitsuki seems to like it."

"Hell yeah, I do!" The blond woman said as she shimmied with her shoulders. "This shit is my jam!"

Masaru chuckled at his wife's enthusiasm while Katsuki held his head in his hands.

'God…Buddha…whoever the fuck is watching; please just do me a favor and kill me right now.'

Izuku continued this dance routine for a while…but he quickly began to notice something was off with Skeletron's movements. Each movement started to become more and more exaggerated, and they also began to become less fluid. And no matter what motion Izuku did with the joysticks and foot pedals, Skeletron's movements became more and more erratic, something that the audience was beginning to notice. Suddenly, Skeletron began performing movements other than what Izuku commanded it to do.

"Um, j-just a few technical issues. N-Nothing to worry about!" Izuku said nervously as he tried entering a few commands to fix the issue. But if anything, that made Skeletron begin to move more erratically until its motions resembled that of a spastic child, frightening the judges as they took further steps back.

If that was the end of it, Izuku probably could've salvaged his presentation. But unfortunately, Skeletron began jumping and landing on other presentation booths, causing the kids, parents, and judges to flee from the insane robot. Though there were some rubberneckers recording the robot and its creator freaking out on their cellphones.

Katsuki honestly felt bad that Izuku's invention was going haywire, but his eyes widened when he saw it heading towards Mei's booth, and the pinkette was too invested in showing off her invention, despite Koshin and the judges looking towards Izuku's robot.

"Crazy-eyes, look out!" Without even thinking, Katsuki ran and leaped towards Mei, grabbing and rolling with the pinkette while the judges and Koshin ran as Skeletron demolished Mei's booth. "Izuku! Shut the fucking robot off!"

Seeing no other option, Izuku mentally said 'screw it' and pressed the emergency shutdown button. It worked instantly, with Skeletron's optic shutting down…and the robot falling to the floor face first.

"Ow, I almost got clobbered," Mei commented before looking down at Katsuki with a smile. "Thanks for saving me, Kacchan."

The blond's cheeks turned red before he threw the pink-haired girl off him, much to her dismay. "W-Whatever. I ain't saving your oblivious ass next time."

While that happened, Izuku was trying to salvage whatever dignity he had left. "Obviously, we got a few kinks to work out," Izuku said, chuckling nervously at the judgemental looks he was getting from the adults while noticing that some of the audience was laughing and recording. "Oh, boy."

"Yikes." Mei thought to herself as both she, Katsuki and the other members of their families were concerned for the young greenette.

As the next few days rolled around, news of Izuku's blunder began to spread through the district. And it wasn't long before memes, and YouTube videos of Skeletron's failed performance began to circulate around the web, as well as making their way into quite a few 'fail' compilations.

Sufficed to say, as he laid facedown in his bed on the following lazy Wednesday afternoon, Izuku was feeling pretty down about himself. For the last few days, Izuku was the laughing stock of his grade. More than a few classmates mocked him by mimicking Skeletron's sporadic moves, no matter how many times Katsuki told them to fuck off.

'Maybe I can just move to another country and start over.' Izuku thought in an overdramatic fashion. 'Who knows? Maybe Spain needs a new dancing sensation.'

He then heard a knock at the door. "It's open," Izuku replied thought, his voice slightly muffled by his pillow.

"Hey, Izuku," Inko said as she opened the door, a bit saddened to see her son in this state. "Listen, I know you're still down about…you know. But I was wondering if you would do me a small favor."

Izuku sat up. "Ya sure. What is it?"

"I'm still in the middle of cleaning, so I was wondering if you could take that welcome basket I made for our new neighbor."

'Oh, right. That happened.' Izuku thought back. Over the last week, the Midoriyas had noticed that someone was finally moving into the apartment on the opposite side of the floor. And wanting to be neighborly, Inko made a bundle of snacks to welcome the new tenants, even if they never talked to them again. "Alright, I'll do that in just a second."

"Thank you, sweetie," Inko said before kissing Izuku on the cheek.

A few minutes later, Izuku was walking across the hall, still clad in his middle school uniform as he carried a basket full of various treats. The boy knocked on the door, tapping his foot as he waited for their new neighbor to open the door.

Eventually, someone did answer, an older woman of Korean descent. She had a lazy, almost ragged appearance, what with her graying black hair tied in a loose side-ponytail, the red t-shirt with the word 'Manowar' written in English, black shorts with torn up ends, bare feet, and the uninterested look within her brown eyes.

"I ain't lookin' to buy anything, kid." The woman said right to the point.

"Oh no, I-I'm selling anything," Izuku said as he held the basket. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. My family lives in the apartment down the hall. We just wanted to give you this and welcome you to the building."

The woman looked at the basket, staring at the dango in particular. "Eh, sure."

As Izuku handed her the basket, the greenette noticed the woman's eyes narrowing at him. "You know, you look really familiar, kid."

"I mean, you've probably seen me when you were moving in-"

"Oh, wait!" The woman said with a snap of her fingers. "You're the kid with the dancing robot!"

'Of course.' Izuku said with a sigh. "Ya…that's me."

"Sorry about that, kid." The woman said. "I mean, it was going well for a bit, but whoever you got to program the thing was a bit off the mark."

"…I programmed it."

This made the woman raise an eyebrow. "Bullshit."

"Huh?" Now that confused Izuku.

"You're like what? Eleven?"

"Twelve, actually." The greenette said, getting a bit more nervous at the look his new neighbor was giving him.

Moments later…

Inko hummed to herself as she moped the floor, only stopping when she heard the front door open. "So, did you giv-" Inko's train of thought came to a screeching halt at the sight of their new neighbor standing next to her son.

"You must be his mom," the woman said in between bites of dango.

"Y-yes," Inko sputtered, taken aback by the woman's demeanor. "Um…hello, Ms…."

"Professor Eun-Ji Lim," the Korean woman said.

"Professor?" Inko parrotted, caught off guard by the disconnect between her title and ragged appearance.

"Mom! Professor Lim said she could help with Skeletron!" Izuku said with an excited look in his eyes.

"Hey, I said I'd give it a look over. Don't know how you got 'helping you out' from that." The woman said. It honestly amazed her how quickly this kid went from nervous to ecstatic after she told him she knew a bit about coding, and could probably give him a few pointers.

Though she had to admit, the little guy was adorable with how excited he was. And even someone like her couldn't really say no to such an earnest boy.

Inko was unsure of how to feel about her son bringing a stranger into their home…but then again, if this Professor Lim was suspicious, well, people usually don't expect a random object flying at their head.

Izuku brought Professor Lim to his workroom, which also doubled as extra storage for whatever nerdy merchandise any of the Midoriya's bought that couldn't fit into their rooms.

Skeletron stood in the center of the room, wires attached via a computer tower under the nearby work desk. All across the desk and around the floor were various bits of scrap metal, circuitry, and gears that no doubt went into the robot's creation. Lim even saw smaller robots on a shelf, which she would later learn were earlier experimental toy robots Izuku made when he was younger.

"So this is him, huh?" Professor Lim asked, getting a nod from Izuku. "Aight, let's see what's under the hood."

Izuku turned on his desk computer and brought Lim to his programming software, allowing the woman to see the wall of coding that made up Skeletron's operating system.

"Okay, this is exactly what I thought: this coding is shit," Professor Lim said tersely. "It's no wonder he went crazy at that expo. This code is so clunky and inefficient that it got all turned around when it tried to execute commands until it got stuck in an endless loop."

"Ya, I know," Izuku said with a sigh.

"How did you learn to code?" Professor Lim asked.

"Mostly YouTube videos and beginner books I got from the library," Izuku said. Really, that was all he could do to learn about coding. It wasn't like his elementary or middle school offered classes like that. "So it's pretty bad, right?"

"Objectively, yes." Professor Lim said. "But the fact that you were able to even put this shit code together without any kind of formal education and somehow made it work for a bit…kid, you're some kind of mad genius."

"Really?"

"Kid, college students would struggle to put something even this shitty together," Lim said before putting her hand to her chin, thinking about something for a moment. "Tell ya what, if you keep bringing me that delicious dango your mom makes, I'll teach you everything I know about coding."

"You will?!" Izuku asked, and when Lim nodded in return, the greenette couldn't help himself but hug the older woman, no matter how much she protested.

Later that night…

Higari Maijima, otherwise known as the pro hero Power Loader, crashed on his couch with a thud and tired sigh. The life of a professional hero was not for the lazy nor the faint of heart, even for a lesser-known hero like him.

Just today, he helped Deatharms stop a collapsing building, saved some workers trapped in a dam that got caught in a villain fight, and helped in a construction project he was aiding on the side. Overall, the orange-haired man just wanted to sit down and relax. To do so, he pulled out his phone and opened the YouTube app. Maybe a funny meme or game review would take his mind off of things.

Before going to his subscriptions, Higari checked his recommendations, and one particular video caught his eye. It was labeled Dancing Robot Goes Apeshit. He figured that would probably be good for a laugh.

But what he clicked on was so much more than that. As the video showed the skeletal-like robot flailing, Higari shot up from his couch.

The comments said it was a hilarious flop, but for someone like Higari, he saw something amazing. Yes, the robot's movements were jerky and erratic, but the way it moved was seamless! While it still had the natural stiffness of a mechanical being, the way its limbs, shoulders, and legs moved were more fluid than anything he would expect a middle school student to make. Hell, it took him up until eight years ago to come up with something that smooth.

When the video showed Izuku's panicked expression, Higari paused the video, his eyes focused on the greenette.

'I don't know who you are, kid, but I'm gonna find out.'

Sunday…

It was pretty quiet in the Midoriya household. And after a busy week at the office, that was exactly how Hisashi liked it. Izuku was in his room, studying some of the coding notes that Professor Lim had made for him, and Inko was sleeping in. So that left Hisashi building a model kit on the living room table while Gaiking played on the tv as background noise. And he was currently tackling one of the most annoying parts of kit building; the stickers.

'Come on. Steady hand.' Hisashi thought to himself, his tongue out as he slowly moved a q-tip holding an eye sticker towards the head of his High-Grade Gundam Leopard. But right as he was about to carefully apply the sticker, he heard a knock on the door that caused him to spit some fire and drop the q-tip. 'Dammit!'

The knocking continued, and Hisashi sighed as he put the q-tip on the table. "I'm coming. Look, if you're trying to sell some tissues, we already got so-"

Sufficed to say, when Hisashi opened the door, he wasn't expecting to see a short, hunched-over man with messy orange hair that covered his eyes, long arms, thick dark orange fingers, and a white t-shirt with the English word 'HOLE' written on it.

"Hey, so is this the Midoriya residence?"

Hisashi wearily eyed the man. "...who's asking?"

"I'm here to see…" The short man pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "...Izuku?"

That immediately set some alarm bells in Hisashi's head. And without hesitation or even a word, he slammed the door in the stranger's face.

"What the-Dude, what the hell?!" The short man said as he banged on the door. Hisashi opened it again and glared at the shorter man.

"I don't know what you want with my son, but you better leave before I call the cops!" Hisashi shouted, smoke starting to come out of his mouth.

"Woah, no need to panic! I just want to talk to the kid-yeowch!" The man held his foot in the door to keep the Midoriya patriarch from it in his face again and regretted it as the door slammed against his foot.

"I'm gonna keep doing that if ya don't leave!"

"Just give me a sec—OW—to expl—AGHH!" The short man said through cries of pain as Hisashi relentlessly bashed his foot with the door.

"Dad? What's going on?" Izuku asked as he walked into the living room.

"Nothing. Just trying to get this creep to leave."

Izuku looked at the aforementioned 'creep,' and his eyes widened. "Dad, stop! That's Power Loader!"

"What?"

'Oh, thank Buddha,' Power Loader thought, relieved that the slamming stopped.

"His real name is Higari Maijima. He's a Pro-Hero!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Huh. Impressive, string bean," Higari said. "Almost no one but my friends recognizes me out of costume."

"Well, you have the same height, hunch, and hair color that you have in costume. Your voice isn't that different from when it's spoken out of a filter. And well, there's no mistaking those fingers." The green-haired boy said with a hint of pride. Sure, Katsuki would've called Izuku a nerd for that little bit of deduction, but how many teenagers could claim to recognize one of their favorite heroes out of costume?

Hisashi, in the meantime, pulled out his cellphone and looked up a picture of Power Loader. And his jaw went slack. It was just as Izuku said; the hunched man he had been trying to shoo away was a dead ringer for the Pro-Hero…a Pro-Hero he had repeatedly slammed in the foot. Small embers leaked out from Hisashi's mouth before he quickly got on his hands and knees.

"I'M SO SORRY, MR. MAIJIMA! Or would you prefer Mr. Loader? AH, IT DOESN'T MATTER! I'M SO SORRY I WAS SO RUDE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" The black-haired man said, repeating bowing as sparks of fire spewed out of his mouth.

"DAD, BE CAREFUL! YOU'LL LIGHT THE CARPET ON FIRE AGAIN!" Izuku comedically shouted.

'Again?!' Higari thought before speaking up. "Look, no hard feelings. And honestly, I probably could've handled that better."

"…maybe a little," Hisashi whispered. "But wait a minute; what do you want with Izuku?"

That certainly threw the greenette for a loop. Why would a professional hero be interested in him? After all, he was just some random kid from a random middle school. What had he done to earn any kind of atten—Oh! Izuku's face turned into a frown.

"It's because you saw that video from the science fair, isn't it?"

"Just about," Higari said but saw the look on the kid's face. "But ain't here to bust your chops over it, greenie. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite."

This day just kept getting more surprising for Izuku.

A bit later…

"Huh. So that's it."

"Ya." Izuku said as Inko brought some tea to the coffee table and took a seat next to her son. The conversation between the middle school student and the pro-hero took an interesting turn. Higari mostly asked Izuku about all the components and techniques he used in order to build Skeletron. But the subject soon turned to why Izuku built a machine like that, asking if he had an interest in Support or Robotics. Naturally, though, the green-haired boy admitted that he wanted to become a hero, building and piloting a super robot suit to make up for his lack of a Quirk and how he would be aiming for UA High School. "Skeletron's basically a prototype for the inner-skeletal structure the final model is eventually gonna have."

"And have you started on this final model?"

"N-No," Izuku replied but then pulled out his notebook. "But I did draw up schematics for it."

Izuku handed his notebook to the Pro-Hero. As Higari looked through the book, it was hard for any of the Midoriyas to read his expression, what with his hair covering his eyes. After looking through it, Hajire spoke again.

"You know heroics is a dangerous line of work, right?" Higari stated, causing Izuku to flinch. "I've seen it way too much these days. Kids see flashy heroes on TV and think it's all fun and games. But they don't realize that what I, what we do, is quite possibly the most dangerous job on the planet."

And then, Higari turned his head at an angle allowing the Midoriyas to see a scar across his orange eye. "I've seen shit that still gives me nightmares. Good people dying at the hands of a maniac, or in a rescue operation that spiraled out of control. And they usually had some kind of quirk to fall back on. So, Izuku Midoriya, knowing all that, do you still want to be a hero?"

This made Izuku tense up, looking down at the trembling hands in his lap. The boy wasn't ignorant of the dangers inherent to his dream job. And unlike many kids his age who only saw Pro-Heroes for the fame and glory, Izuku learned about the dangers heroes face in their line of work. The stuff he read and saw was just as, if not more, haunting than the stuff he had seen in super robot anime or tokusatsu.

The heroic duo Water Hose were killed by a criminal calling himself Muscular just a few weeks ago. Fatgum had recently been hospitalized after his part in saving people from a collapsing building. Eraser Head was constantly dealing with drug dealers hopped up on Trigger. And he had lost count of how many near-death scenarios All Might had faced down.

But even with his parents and best friends constantly giving him support for his dream, there was a part of Izuku that doubted his dreams. A part that believed the kids who taunted him at school were right, and his dream of being a Quirkless Pro-Hero piloting a super robot was impossible. But Izuku knew in his very core; that this is what he was meant to do.

"I know it's dangerous," Izuku said, his eyes brimming with determination. "I know that I'll be put in harm's way. And that it's especially gonna be an uphill battle for someone like me. But I've always known that in, in my heart, I want to be a hero. I want to be the kind of person that makes people feel safer just by being there. And I'm going to make that dream a reality, no matter what."

Hisashi and Inko felt a sense of pride in their boy's declaration. Sure, they had always been worried about their son's safety when it came to his dream, but they were always there to support him. And to everyone's surprise, Higari started to let out a good-natured chuckle.

"Now that's the kind of answer I like to hear!" Higari said with a smile. "Alright, kid. I'll help ya out."

Izuku slowly blinked in confusion. "…what?"

"Well, if you want a working mecha suit in time for U.A.'s entrance exam, you're gonna need some help. And who better to teach ya how to build an awesome robot than a certified genius like me?"

This…this couldn't be real, Izuku thought to himself. A professional hero…was offering to help him achieve his dream.

"You…you want to help me? You think I can make it, even if I'm…well…"

"Izuku, my Quirk just lets me dig better. You think anyone around me thought I could be a hero," Higari's face turned into a genuine smile. "Us underdogs gotta watch out for each other."

Izuku had tried from sadness plenty of times in his life. But this, well, the boy couldn't help but let out tears of joy.

After giving Izuku a chance to calm down and wipe his tears, he and Higari spent the day having the first of what would become regular brainstorming sessions, with Hisashi and Inko giving ideas when they could. It was around 10pm by the time they finished, with Izuku having filled out three new notebooks full of ideas for his super robot. He even had a few more possible names for it.

"Alright, you get some sleep, kid," Higari said as Hisashi and Inko escorted him to the door. "We'll chat after school tomorrow."

"Right!" Izuku attempted to bow in respect but ended up yawning instead, the adults having a good chuckle from that. "Good night, Mr. Maijima."

As Izuku walked towards his bedroom, Hisashi and Inko continued to chat with the pro.

"You really meant all of that?" Inko asked.

"Of course. Why would I spend the last hours chatting with the kid if I didn't think he had potential."

"I guess, well, we always thought our little Izuku was special…but I think almost every parent thinks that about their kid," Hisashi said while rubbing the back of his head. Inko, however, had a concerned look on his face.

"Mr. Maijima, did you mean what you said about hero work being dangerous?" Higari understood where Inko was coming from and nodded. "Well then, do you think you can keep an eye on Izuku? He's got a good heart and is incredibly kind…but he can also be stubborn and reckless."

Hisashi nodded in agreement. They had lost count of how many times Izuku tried to protect other kids from bigger and stronger bullies. Katsuki and Mei always tried their best to keep Izuku out of harm's way, but they couldn't always be around.

Higari placed his fist over his heart. "You have my word: I'll do all I can to protect the little greenie until he's ready. And I'll make sure that robot of his is strong enough to protect him too."

As Higari made that pledge to his parents, Izuku laid down in bed, excited for what would happen next. He put his notebooks away but also noticed the phone he left on his desk had a few unanswered text messages. He opened them and had to hold back a laugh.

Kacchan: Deku, what the fuck?! Auntie told the old hag you spent the day chattin' with an actual pro?! Dude, why the shit didn't you let me know?!

Mei Mei: OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH! YOU MET POWER LOADER! I'M SO JEALOUS! PLEASE TELL ME YOU GOT HIS AUTOGRAPH.

Izuku could already tell he was gonna have to deal with a lot from his energetic best friends tomorrow.

Notes:

So now we meet Izuku's two mentors. Expect some fun interactions between Professor Lim and Power Loader in the future.

Next chapter, we're gonna jump ahead some more…and the next chapter title should give you a hint on who's gonna appear. So get excited!

Next Time: The Gravity Girl! Please remember to read, favorite, and review!

See ya next time!

Chapter 3: The Gravity Girl

Summary:

During his last year of middle school, Izuku ends up meeting and befriending a certain gravity girl.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 3: The Gravity Girl

"Kacchan, we should probably stop."

"Come on! Are ya getting tired already?"

"I mean, I could properly last another mile…but Mei looks like she's gonna pass out."

"Ugghhhhh…."

"Alright, fine. Let's grab some drinks in this store."

Two years had passed, and Izuku, Katsuki & Mei were now starting their final year of middle school. The three were on a Sunday morning jogging session through the streets of Musutafu and stopped for a break inside a convenience store.

Katsuki was dressed in dark orange sweatpants, sneakers, an orange sweatshirt wrapped around his waist, and was wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms and toned torso.

Izuku was clad in a light green tracksuit and his signature red shoes, while Mei was clad in a burgundy one with white sneakers. Izuku was definitely in better shape than he was at the start of middle school, but he wasn't quite as in shape as Katsuki. However, he definitely had more stamina than Mei.

"Ten-minute break, guys," Katsuki said.

"Oh, thank god," Mei said as she plopped down next to the snack stand. The eccentric inventor unzipped her top, letting out a sigh of relief while Izuku politely looked away, and Katsuki's face turned red. "That feels so much better."

As it turned out, puberty has been extraordinarily kind to the Hatsume girl. She was easily the bustiest girl in their grade, and it was plain for all to see in the gray sleeveless undershirt she was wearing. A few boys in the store checked her out…until they saw Katsuki glaring at them.

"Did ya really have to unzip in public, Crazy Eyes?"

"But it's so hot! Why do I even need to do this stupid running?! I'm not even applying for the hero course!"

"Hey, a little exercise is good for you, Mei," Izuku replied.

"And if you didn't, you'd just be getting fat in that lab of yours," Katsuki retorted. "The last thing you need is more fat on ya."

Mei pouted and glared at him for that.

"I mean, you seem to like that fat," Izuku mumbled.

"What was that?" Katsuki asked.

"Oh, nothing," Izuku said with a knowing smile as he looked over the energy drink.

Honestly, it was amusing to Izuku. It had been blatantly obvious since 5th grade that Katsuki had developed a crush on Mei. The explosive teen never outright admitted it, but Izuku knew Katsuki like a brother. He saw the jealous looks whenever Mei hugged Izuku, the light blush that would appear on Katsuki's face whenever Mei smiled at him, and the bemused smile Katsuki had whenever Mei talked about a new invention. And countless other little things that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Katsuki was head over heels for Mei.

Of course, whenever Katsuki was pressed or teased about his feelings for the pinkette, he would go full tsundere and adamantly deny it. And Izuku wasn't sure if Mei even knew what a crush or romance was outside of the manga she read. So it seemed their romance was on the slow burn…but that didn't mean Izuku couldn't have some fun teasing his friends.

But while the three were resting, they heard a commotion happening outside. Out the window, they saw people running somewhere.

"What's going on?" Izuku asked out loud.

"Dude, there's a supervillain loose near the train bridge." They looked over to see a teenager showing his phone to his buddy. "Ami said she spotted some heroes heading to the scene."

"Well, there's your—" Before Katsuki could finish, he and Mei noticed Izuku was suddenly gone. And knowing their friend, it took them less than a second to figure out where he'd run off. "Dammit, Izuku!"

"No! More running!"

A few minutes later, Izuku arrived at the crime scene alongside a crowd of people, with Katsuki and Mei not far behind him. And on the train bridge overhead, everyone saw a gigantic man with a dinosaur-like nose roaring.

"Woah!" Izuku said in awe.

"Holy shit! What the hell did that guy do?" Katsuki said out loud.

"Apparently, he stole some lady's purse." A guy standing next to Katsuki answered.

"Wait, that's it? Lame!"

"Deactivate your Quirk and surrender peacefully!" A policeman said over a megaphone while his squad aimed their weapons at the giant criminal. "We have you surrounded!"

"EAT SHIT, PIGS!" The criminal shouted, grabbing a rail from the train tracks and throwing it at a nearby building. Civilians ran screaming as chunks of the building came crashing down. One man tripped as he ran. Then, as his life flashed before his eyes, the rubble suddenly stopped. The civilian looked up and saw his savior was a muscular man in a blue & green costume, wristbands that looked like caution signs, and a metallic headband.

"It's Death Arms!" Izuku said with glee, taking notes as the crowd cheered on the roughhousing hero. The crowd then noticed water flowing around them and forming a fence in front of them.

"I recommend staying back, folks." A shorter man dressed like a firefighter, wearing a mask with a singular yellow eye, proclaimed. "Let the professionals handle this."

"Ooo, it's Backdraft!" Mei said, her mind racing as it thought of devices that could aid his water manipulation Quirk. The crowd once again heard the villain roar as the police fired tranq bullets at him, to no avail. But then, another hero swung onto the scene, retracting his elongated wooden arm as he landed on the train tracks.

"Your rampage ends here, criminal scum!" This hero was clad in dark blue spandex and had arms & a helmet made of wood.

"Oh, hell yeah! Kick his ass, Kamui Woods!" Katsuki shouted with excitement while the girls in the crowd swooned at the sight of the up-and-coming hero. The giant villain swung his colossal fist down at Kamui, but the agile hero was quick to leap away, his arm transforming into a wooden whip that allowed him to swing out of danger.

"Endangering innocent civilians! Destruction of public and private property! Halting rush hour traffic! Truly, you are the embodiment of evil." The wooden hero proclaimed as he landed on a nearby electric pole. "Looks like you've earned my full wrath!"

Anyone who followed Kamui's career knew what was gonna come next as his right arm began to split into several quickly growing tendrils.

"Here it comes!" Izuku shouted with excitement, Mei and Katsuki just as hyped up as their friend.

"Forest Lari-"

"CANYON CANNON!"

Before Kamui could strike, a woman leaped from the crowd and grew to the size of a building in the blink of an eye. The momentum of her double kick sent the villain crashing into the evacuated street below while she landed with a heavy thud. The woman had long, creamy blonde hair, a horned purple mask, and a spandex costume that was primarily purple & orange but was beige around her bottom half, highlighting certain…assets.

"Hey, everybody! The name's Mt. Lady," she said, addressing the awe-struck crowd with a cheeky smile. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd offer some ass-sistance." Mt. Lady knew what she was doing, wiggling her rear end towards the crowd. The sound of several…interesting people taking photos followed.

"Huh, she must be new," Mei stated while Izuku frantically took notes about this debuting heroine. However…

"OUI, FATASS!" Katsuki shouted, getting everyone's attention. "I wanted to see Kamui beat that bad guy, not you waving your overgrown chee—"

Izuku quickly muffled Katsuki before he could rant while he and Mei dragged the flailing blond away. "Sorry about that! Our friend is just, uh, enthusiastic. We appreciate all you guys do."

"Oh, and if you guys need any good support gear, keep an ear open for Hatsume Industries!" Mei said as the two dragged a belligerent Katsuki away. All four heroes sweat-dropped as the trio left the scene and thought the same.

"Weird kids."

The Next Day…

'Alright, so if I use this capture data, I can have Striker emulate the movements more efficiently. But the question is, who should be the mo-cap subject?' Izuku thought as his final class of the day neared its end, the teacher's words just background noise to him.

"Midoriya."

'All Might's way too fast for Striker to emulate. Probably should automatically cross off any speedy hero like Ingenium.'

"Midoriya."

'Maybe I should use footage of old brawler heroes like Crimson Riot. Or maybe a more modern one like Fatgum. Or-'

"IZUKU!"

"AAAGHH!" Izuku fumbled, seeing Katsuki smirking at him while the rest of the class and their teacher chuckled at his reaction. "S-Sorry."

"Anywho, before class is let out for the day, I'd like to remind all of you that you need to submit your high school applications and career assessments to the guidance counselors by the end of the week if you haven't already." The man said as he held up the submitted ones as a demonstration. "But I can probably guess what you all want to be."

The excited middle schoolers joyfully showed off their Quirks, as all of them at least wanted to try their hand at applying for a hero high school. Izuku chuckled at their enthusiasm while Mei tried to join in…by zooming her eyes in and out.

"Yes, yes, you all have wonderful Quirks that are perfect for hero work."

As Izuku looked at his classmates' various Quirks, he saw the shit-eating grin on his best friend's face. 'Oh no,' Izuku thought.

"You shouldn't lump all of us together, teach," Katsuki stated loudly. "Most of those losers would barely make it as a sidekick, let alone a fucking pro."

"Oh, and what the hell makes you so special, asshole?!" A student with rock hands shouted.

"Language!" The teacher said while Katsuki stood up on his desk.

"Because while you extras have been spending the last few years twiddling your thumbs and goofing off, I've been training my ass off! The best heroes have the best work ethic and drive, and I'm following in their footsteps! I'm guessing all of you applied for some no-name schools while I'm aiming for the top: aiming for U.A. High School!"

A lot of the students were stunned by this. U.A. (or United Allies) High School was THE top hero school in all of Japan. It was insanely hard to get into with a notorious challenging entrance exam, and anyone who graduated from there was guaranteed some modicum of success as a pro-hero. After all, top 10 pros like All Might, Endeavor, and Mirko all graduated from U.A.

"So I hope you guys like being footnotes in MY legend."

"Kacchan, why?" Izuku mumbled while Mei giggled, and the other students booed and yelled at Katsuki. Izuku always knew his friend had an arrogant side. Of course, it was a lot worse when he was a kid. But, quite frankly, his powerful Quirk, good grades, and hard work ethic slightly justified Katsuki's attitude. While Izuku thought his friend was amazing, he often wished the explosive boy would reign it in from time to time. This, along with his hair-trigger temper and general crassness, was the main reason why he and Mei were Katsuki's only friends.

"Actually, if I'm reading this right, Hatsume and Midoriya are aiming for U.A. as well," the teacher stated.

"Yup! I'm joining the support course and putting Hatsume Industries on the map!" Mei proclaimed with a big smile.

"And I'm gonna try for the hero course too!" Izuku proclaimed. The rest of the class was silent for a moment…before they all started laughing like a pack of hyenas. Izuku let out a disappointed and frustrated sigh.

"Seriously, Midoriya?! A Deku like you wants to try going to UA?"

"Bakugou's an ass, but at least he has a Quirk! A worthless idiot like you couldn't even pass the entrance exam."

"Maybe you and that spastic robot of yours can dance your way in."

Honestly, this wasn't anything Izuku hadn't heard before. Anytime someone their age other than Kacchan and Mei learned that Izuku was going to try and become a hero without a Quirk, they called him all sorts of names and mocked him. That mockery got worse when he told them about his plan to build a super robot, calling him a childish idiot. Izuku had gotten numb to these insults, but they still stung a bit.

Mei frowned and glared at the jerks laughing at her best friend. She made sure to remember their faces, so she knew who was getting stink bombs and/or a glitter bomb snuck into their lockers. As for Katsuki…

BANG!

The laughing stopped at the sound of a small explosion, Katsuki's face turning from smug arrogance to anger.

"Listen up, ya dumbasses! Sure, Izuku doesn't have a Quirk, but so fuckin' what?! At least he's got the balls to try and aim for the top, which is more than I can say for any of you losers!"

"Bakugou, sit down, or it's a week of detention!" The teacher said, finally having enough of the swearing and screaming in his class. Luckily for everyone's sake, the final bell rang, and everyone started packing and heading home. The trio of Izuku, Katsuki, and Mei started walking a familiar path.

"I appreciate what you did, Kacchan, but-"

"But nothing! Those idiots don't get to make fun of ya if they ain't even got the spine to try to go to UA. You should tell them to fuck off!"

"I don't think that would work," Mei said. "Izuku swearing is like a puppy barking."

Izuku chuckled in agreement before addressing Katsuki again. "Besides, I plan on proving them wrong with actions instead of words."

The blond nodded in agreement. The three soon arrived in a small private junkyard nestled between two buildings. They saw a familiar face walking towards the gate.

"Professor Lim!" Izuku and Mei greeted.

"Hey, Prof," Katsuki said, the older woman smiling as she saw the three teenagers she had gotten to know quite well over the last few years.

"Good to see you, kids." The woman was watching a video on her phone. Out of curiosity, Izuku peeked and saw it was a video of All Might saving people from a collapsing building.

"That's the Jakuto Mall collapse from a week ago."

"Yup. Shame All Might was in his civilian clothes," Lim said as a perverted smirk appeared on her face. "That costume does wonders for his tuchas."

Izuku and Mei sweat dropped at Professor Lim's statement while Katsuki just grumbled. One thing they definitely learned about the coding expert was that she was a big fan of male heroes. Specifically, how great their butts looked in spandex.

Izuku pressed a button on the door, and the gate slid open. Higari was busy hammering away at a private project in a far back corner of the junkyard. The Excavation Hero was trying to build a real-life version of a flying drilling machine he had seen in an old tokusatsu movie as a child. It was a long shot, but he had the frame built.

"Ah, there's the crew," Higari said before approaching his protégé. "So, ya ready for today's testing, Izuku?"

"Sure am!" Izuku said excitedly.

A few minutes later, Katsuki was helping set up a training dummy. At the same time, Mei and Lim prepared the camera to record the following test. The garage door attached to Higari's place opened, and the sound of metal feet stomping soon followed.

Out of the garage came Izuku, strapped into an open cockpit in the center of a torso. The prototype body was made out of welded parts from old WWII war machines, and Izuku's cockpit was made out of a driver's seat from a dismantled car. A targeting harness, joystick controls, and a computer/keyboard were attached to it, and it had wires coming out of its back, attached to a massive battery unit on wheels.

This was Proto-Striker, and it was the closest thing to Izuku's dream of a piloted super robot that he and Power Loader had made so far.

"Still looks like a clunker," Lim commented.

"Hey, we work with what we can get," Higari retorted. Most of his earnings went to maintaining his office and keeping the machines he used for hero work up to code. So for personal experimental projects like Proto-Striker, the inventive duo had to make do with whatever scrap metal and old equipment they could find.

"Okay, we're rolling!" Mei said as she turned the camera on.

"Hey, Izuku here." The boy said, moving the right joystick to make Proto-Striker wave its right arm. "And today, we're testing out what's possibly the most important weapon in a Super Robot's arsenal: the Rocket Punch!"

"Well, a version of that," Higari interjected. "We're using a wire to return the fist back."

"But the principal is still the same." Izuku then looked in Katsuki's direction, getting a thumbs-up from him as he finished setting up the targets. "Alright, here we go."

Izuku pulled the right trigger back, PS's right arm rearing back like it was about to throw a punch. The targeting screen moved down in front of Izuku's face, targeting the dummy made of scrap metal. With a punch of a button, the clamps near PS's elbow unlocked, and Izuku took a deep breath before looking at the target.

"Wired Knuckle!"

Izuku pulled the trigger, and Proto-Striker launched its arm forward. Rockets came to life and launched the fist ahead, a thick black wire connecting the fist to the elbow. The fist went further and further, almost reaching the target when suddenly…

SNAP!

The wire broke, and the fist went flying, smashing the target and into a pile of scrap.

"Huh. I mean, it technically worked." Lim stated while Izuku sighed. He got out of Proto-Striker before he, Mei, and Higari went over to examine the arm.

"Think the rockets had too much thrust?" Mei asked.

"Naw. If we went any lower, it wouldn't have enough force to stop most villains with enhanced durability." Izuku replied as he held up the broken wire. "Maybe the wire was just too flimsy."

"Well, I can't really afford the high-end stuff." Higari said before thinking about it for a moment. Then, an idea flashed in his mind. "But I think I might know a place where we can get something better than this for free."

After school the next day, Izuku and Higari took the Pro-Hero's truck and drove to a beach…well, to call it a beach was a little off. Dagobah had become an absolute trash heap in less than two decades, both from the garbage that would wash up on shore and the stuff people just straight-up dumped. It was absolutely disgusting.

But as the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. So the two split up, reading to call each other if they found something they could use in Striker's arms. Izuku looked around and eventually came across an old fishing boat.

He climbed onto the boat and looked at the net wire in the back. Izuku pulled and felt the old wire. Not only was it not in the best condition, but it was made out of thinner material than the wire he had already used.

But then, the chain connected to the ship's anchor was in way better condition. Sure, it was a tad rusty, but a bit of cleaning should make it right as rain. Izuku tapped on the chain. It was definitely more durable than the wire they used. And if a link broke, they could simply replace it with a new one.

But as Izuku started to think about the possibilities of adding a chain to Proto-Striker's arms and the structural changes needed to accommodate it, he noticed something. The boat he was on had started floating.

"HUH?! WHAT?! Why is the boat floating?!" Izuku freaked out.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" A feminine voice shouted from below. "I didn't know anyone was on it! I can release-no, wait, that'll just crash it."

Izuku quickly put it together that this unseen girl (or possibly a very effeminate boy) has used their Quirk to make the boat float. He looked down and saw that he wasn't that far up. Just a few feet. "Give me a sec."

Izuku jumped off, rolling as he hit the sand to reduce impact. "Okay, you're good!"

"Right! Release!"

The boat then crashed onto the sand, the bow breaking in several places. Izuku then heard footsteps approaching him, and he looked up.

"Are you okay?" She was a girl about his age with short brown hair, dimples on her cheeks, and brown eyes. She was a bit on the chubby side, with decently-sized breasts. She was dressed in dark purple sweatpants, sneakers, sweat wristbands, and a sleeveless black shirt.

"Ya, I'm fine." But then, Izuku's brain started again. "So you used your Quirk? Some kind of telekinesis?"

"Actually, I negated its gravity." The brown-haired girl replied. And before she knew it, this green-haired boy was up in her face, green eyes sparkling with an excitement matched by his smile.

"That's so cool! How'd you do it?!"

"I…um…I just touched it." The girl held her hands up, showing small pads on each of her fingertips. Izuku, ever curious, touched her pads with his own fingers, quickly figuring out that the pads were a mutation as part of her Quirk.

'They kind of feel like cat paws.' But then Izuku looked at the girl and noticed her eyebrows raised curiously. And that's when it hit Izuku that he had just invaded a stranger's personal space. And a girl at that. The boy's freckled face turned red, and he immediately retracted his hands and stepped back, his arms flailing.

"Oh god, I'm sorry! I just get really excited when I see cool Quirks, and I-I-I…sorry." But then the girl giggled.

"Nah, I get it. I'm pretty hyper myself when I get excited about something. No big whoop." She then held her hand out. "Let's try this again: Hi, I'm Ochako Uraraka."

Izuku gave a small smile and shook her hand. "My name's Izuku Midoriya."

"Young Uraraka, what was that noise?!" Asked a man in his…well, it was hard to tell exactly how old he was, but he certainly was no spring chicken. He was an incredibly skinny skeleton of a man with tan skin, messy yellow hair with exaggerated bangs, a pointed chin, and peculiar-looking, sunken-in black & blue eyes. His white t-shirt, long cargo pants, and black shoes all seemed like they were one size too big for him, despite how tall he was.

"We're fine, A—Mr. Yagi." Ochako replied.

"Good to hear." Mr. Yagi then noticed Izuku. "Oh, hey there, young man."

"Hello," Izuku replied. He was a bit unnerved by the man's appearance but knew better than to be rude. Something about the man's voice made Izuku feel at peace and want to trust him.

"Haven't seen you around these parts."

"Well, my sensei and I were just looking for spare parts for our experiment." Speaking of the devil…

"Yo, Izuku! I know this ain't exactly what we're lookin' for, but I found an industrial fridge that can help with the coolin—oh, what's up, Yagi?"

"Maijima? Should've figured I'd see you rummaging through here at some point." Yagi said as the two shook hands, confusing the two teenagers.

"Sensei, you know him?"

"Yep. This is Toshinori Yagi, secretary and part-time hero trainer."

"Really?" Izuku asked with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, I can see you being a secretary, but you don't really look…um…"

"It's alright, young man," Toshinori replied. "For medical reasons, I haven't been able to exercise properly in years. But I got plenty of advice left in this old noggin." He then addressed the brunette. "Young Uraraka, this is Higari Maijima, otherwise known as the hero Power Loader."

"Really?!" Ochako then looked over at the shorter man. "Huh; you look waaay different without your fancy robot armor."

"I get that a lot," Higari replied with a good-natured chuckle before addressing his pupil. "So, did ya find anything useful?"

"I did! I found a chain that could work on that boat." Izuku replied. "But I got no idea how we'll carry it back."

"Oh, I can help!" Ochako volunteered.

"You sure?" Izuku asked, getting a nod in return. And as the two teens got to work on moving the chain to Higari's truck (with Ochako making the chain weightless), the two adults were left alone to talk.

"So that's the boy you were talking about?"

"Yup. The kid's a bit odd, but he's got grit," Higari said before he looked up at his taller counterpart. "And speaking of students, I didn't think you would ever take one on."

Toshinori looked at Ochako as she walked away with Izuku. "Young Uraraka's got the potential to be a great hero. So I just figured I'd help her reach that potential."

As the two walked to Higari's truck, the two teens talked, both realizing they were in their final year of middle school. And…

"You're aiming for UA, too?"

"Yup," Ochako said as the two secured the chain into the truck bed. "Mr. Yagi promised he'd help me get into shape before that."

"Okay, but why are you guys at Dagobah beach of all places?"

"Well, clearing all of this," Ochako gestured to the mountains of trash around them, "Is apparently going to be my main exercise. And it's also supposed to help me train my Quirk better."

"…that's kind of weird."

"I know, right?!" Ochako exclaimed. "But he also said that cleaning this place up would be a good public service."

"I see," Izuku replied. "Makes sense. Heroes do public and charity work all the time, so you might as well get used to it."

"That's pretty much what he said, too," Ochako said as she sat on the sand, looking up at the boy. "So what course are you going for?"

"The hero course."

"Oh, neat. Me too! You must have a pretty cool Quirk to aim for that."

Izuku sighed and thought, 'Might as well get this over with.'

"I…I don't have one."

Ochako's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Izuku nodded and prepared for the worst. Laughing, name-calling, saying he was a delusional moron. He had heard it all before.

"Huh. I mean, I heard UA changed it so that Quirkless kids could apply for the hero course. I guess it was only a matter of time before someone tried it."

…what?

"You…" Izuku began, eyes wide with shock. "You don't think I'm weird? For trying?"

"I mean, I haven't heard of a Quirkless hero before, but I've read some old comics about heroes with no superpowers." The brunette said as she looked up at Izuku with a bright smile. "And my folks always said that if you're willing to put in the work, you can accomplish anything. So ya, I'm sure you can do it!"

Who was this wonderful girl, and where had she been all his life?!

A bit later, Izuku and Higari drove off, Ochako waving to the two as Izuku waved back from the passenger seat. Ochako wondered if she would see the green-haired boy again.

But it turns out she didn't need to wait long. After school the next day, Izuku walked toward Dagobah Beach with Katsuki and Mei in tow.

"Oh, I've found some spare parts from here. I built my first hover boots using a bunch of old fans," Mei commented. "Ah, memories."

"It smells like shit," Katsuki stated. "You sure they're here?"

"Come on, missy! Lift with your legs, not your back!" The three turned a corner and saw Ochako carrying an old tire, grunting and sweating as she put it on a truck bed, with Toshinori guiding her. "Alright, let's try that old ice box ne— Oh, hello, Young Midoriya. Who are your friends?"

"Mei Hatsume."

"Just call me Bakugou, Scarecrow."

"Kacchan, that's mean," Mei retorted.

"You say that like I care." The blond said before looking at Ochako. "So Izuku said you're trying to go to UA too."

"Um…ya," she replied, wondering how someone as warm and friendly as Izuku was friends with someone so…not. Katsuki looked her over for a second before speaking up again.

"Meh."

"MEH?!" Ochako and Toshinori shouted.

"You made her sound way cooler."

"That's because you haven't seen her Quirk yet!" Izuku exclaimed. Ochako got the message and decided to show this blond jerk that she wasn't 'meh.'

'I know I'm kind of on the average side, but not 'meh.'" The brunette approached an old 40-yard dumpster and placed her hands on it. Pink light appeared from her fingertips, and the massive dumpster began to float in the air, absolutely weightless. Ochako turned around with a cocky smirk, seeing Izuku looking on with excitement. Mei was absolutely astonished, and even Katsuki's eyes widened in surprise.

"…okay, that's actually pretty damn cool."

The four teenagers didn't know it yet, but this meeting would be the start of a new friendship. For the next few weeks, the trio would come to visit Ochako and Toshinori, checking on their progress. They enjoyed chatting with Ochako during her breaks and learned a bit about her.

"So, what's your favorite hero?" Izuku asked as the five sat and enjoyed lunch (well, the teenagers did, since Toshinori's condition heavily restricted his diet) near the sea wall.

"Well, I'm really into rescue heroes. And I gotta say that Thirteen's my definite fav!"

"Isn't that the lady who dresses like an astronaut?" Katsuki asked, receiving an excited nod from her. "Okay then. Obviously, All Might is the best there is, but you got guys like Vlad King and Mirko in close seconds."

"I can probably guess why you like Mirko," Mei said with a suggestive eyebrow raise, only to get a chop from the explosive boy.

"I ain't no hornball, Crazy-Eyes. It's because Mirko kicks ass and ain't afraid to tell people to piss off."

"Ya, All Might's awesome, but there is something cool about underground heroes like Eraserhead," Izuku commented. Neither boy saw the slight grin on Toshinori's face when they mentioned All Might.

"They got any local heroes in Mie, Uraraka?" Mei asked, getting a confused eyebrow from the gravity girl. "That's where you're from, right?"

"How'd ya know?"

"You got a bit of a Mie accent. My papa's from Mie Prefecture, so that's why I recognized it," Mei explained.

"Okay then. Well, my town had this local hero called Wind-Walker, but ya probably haven't heard of him."

'Three, two, one.' Katsuki thought to himself, bemused as he saw Izuku's face light up.

"Oh, that's the air-steeping hero. He's stationed out of Jakuto." Izuku said before connecting the dots. "Wait, you're from Jakuto?! But that's more than four hours away by train."

"Actually, Young Uraraka and her parents just moved here to Musutafu," Toshinori explained before he continued and elaborated. A few weeks ago, Toshinori was visiting some family in Jakuto. He'd been shopping at the local mall when it suddenly collapsed, and Ochako saved him from getting crushed by a heavy object. Toshinori was so impressed that he offered to start training her for UA. Ochako's parents had been hesitant to allow it since the train ride alone would be a more than four-hour round trip every day. But when Toshinori learned they owned a construction company that had fallen on hard times, he figured he could kill two birds with one stone.

"The Hero Agency I work at had been in need of repairs and renovations," Toshinori explained. "I offered them the job and covered the cost of them moving to Musutafu. It's still a bit far from my agency in Tokyo, but it's much more affordable."

"Wow, that was really kind of you, Mr. Yagi," Izuku said. "By the way, what Hero Agency do you work at?"

Toshinori froze for a moment before rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, it's not a big deal or anything, but I work at Might Tower."

Izuku's eyes went wide as dinner plates. "M-M-Might Tower, that means you work for—"

"YOU WORK FOR FUCKING ALL MIGHT?!" Katsuki shouted, almost blowing out everyone's ear drums.

Seemingly unbothered by his friend's outburst, Izuku leaned towards Toshinori with a huge smile, and the blond swore the boy's eyes were sparkling. "Oh my god! Have you actually met All Might?! What's he like in real life?! I hope he's nice." Izuku asked, moving around Toshinori like he had just downed 20 shots of espresso. Toshinori was taken aback while Ochako and Mei giggled at the boy's antics. "Does he wear his costumes around the office? Or is that only for press releases? I heard that the Might-Mobile is up in the higher blocked-off levels for sentimental value. Is it true? Oh wait: you've probably gotten him coffee! All Might seems like a black coffee guy, but you never know…"

Eventually, Izuku's string of questions became less coherent as he continued to ask more and more, becoming a barrage of excited babbling. Toshinori looked at Katsuki. "Is he okay?"

"Give me a second," Katsuki said before approaching Izuku from behind, holding his hand behind his friend's head, and firing off a small explosion. Izuku yelped like a puppy in surprise. Then, realizing what had happened, Izuku turned to Toshinori and blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that," Izuku said

As the weeks went by, naturally, Ochako's parents wanted to meet these new friends she couldn't stop talking about. So, after a few discussions, Mitsuki decided to host a get-together at Bakugous' house. The four youngsters, their parents, and Mei's brother, Koshin, were all hanging out in the backyard.

"I'm telling ya; those rookies didn't know a tamp from a postal digger!" Hiede Uraraka said with a laugh and a can of beer in his hand. He was a man with dirty blonde hair and a muscular physique.

"Well, you can't blame them," Gin Hatsume said. The man was burly, standing taller than the other fathers with a full pink beard and arm hair. "Learning how to use tools is part of the job."

"You following any of this?" Hisashi asked Masaru.

"Just barely."

Across the yard, the mothers were having a discussion of their own. Or rather, Mitsuki was showing Asuka Uraraka and Suzuki Hatsume pictures of her and Inko in college on her phone, much to the green-haired woman's embarrassment.

"I'll admit I didn't know what to expect, but Inko and I blew those nerds away." The picture showed her as Cure Blossom and Inko as Cure Marine.

"Oh my. I don't think I'd ever have the confidence to do something like that," Asuka stated. She looked like an older version of her daughter with back-length brown hair.

"I could probably pull something like that off," Suzuki replied. She was a woman with lilac hair and golden eyes.

"Mitsuki, stop showing them that!" Inko said with comedic tears.

Meanwhile…

"Nice to meet you. I'm Koshin Hatsume." The high-schooler said with a smile. "I gotta say, I'm happy Mei finally has a lady friend."

Ochako looked at Koshin before whispering to Mei, "Hatsume, is it weird that I think your big brother's really cute?"

"You wouldn't be the first," Mei said with a sigh. "Though I really don't see it."

"Better not let the Catty Brigade hear ya." Katsuki joked while Izuku gave a nervous chuckle.

In three months' time, Ochako had fully integrated herself into the friend group. And it became official when Katsuki gave her a nickname.

"Round Face?" Ochako asked as they had lunch in a local ramen joint.

"Have you seen your face? You're like a goddamn circle," Katsuki said.

"Don't take it personally," Mei said. "Kacchan gives nicknames to everyone. Though he hasn't called Izuku a nickname in all the time I've known them."

"He used to call me Deku," Izuku said.

"That wasn't a nickname: that was an insult," Katsuki replied.

"Deku, like 'dekiru'? Doesn't that mean 'you can do it?'" Ochako asked.

"No, Deku means 'wooden doll.' It's a way of calling someone 'worthless,'" Izuku explained.

Ochako gaped at Katsuki. "Why would you call your best friend worthless!?"

"Because I was a kid, and kids are assholes," Katsuki.

Ochako turned back to Izuku. "Well, if it's any consolation, I like 'Deku.' It's punchy and catchy, and I think it could make a great hero name." A bright smile spread across her face. "Plus, I think it sounds kind of cute." She didn't notice the blush spreading across Izuku's face.

As the months trudged on, the group found themselves growing closer, even starting to call each other by their first names (well, Izuku, Ochako, and Mei did. Katsuki still called her Round Face and she took to calling him Kacchan, to his irritation.) And as the UA Entrance Exam was getting closer, everyone took their training more seriously than before.

Izuku often spent entire nights working on Striker, only going home when Higari told him to.

Ochako was determined to clean all of Dagobah Beach and followed Mr. Yagi's workout routine to the letter.

Katsuki spent hours a day blowing up target dummies until his arms started to hurt.

While Mei wasn't training for the Hero Exam, she kept tinkering, hoping to blow the support course entrance exam out of the water with a new baby.

And while the four trained solo or with their respective teachers, there were also plenty of times that they spared and studied together. Ochako and Katsuki would often test their skills against Izuku's Proto-Striker, giving all three a chance to test their skills while providing Izuku with valuable data to improve Pro-Striker's design.

Before the four knew it, it was a week before the entrance exam. Izuku was having dinner with his family when his phone pinged. Ochako had just sent a group text, and Izuku's jaw dropped when he opened it.

"Ochako did it!" Izuku exclaimed as he held his phone up to his parents. "She actually cleared all of Dagobah beach!"

"Really? That's amazing!" Inko said.

"The girl's got grit, that's for sure," Hisashi commented before chowing down on some more Lo Mein. But the older Midoriyas then saw their son's eyes widen and his cheeks turn red. "Um…you alright, buddy?"

"Y-Ya, I'm fine," Izuku said, quickly putting his phone away before going back to awkwardly eating dinner. The reason? Well, Ochako took a selfie of her and Mr. Yagi, with Ochako flexing her right arm in a show of pride. Izuku knew his brunette friend was getting in better shape compared to when the two first met, but she was absolutely shredded now! And for some reason, the sight of her bicep made his heart start racing. Weird. Maybe he just wasn't used to seeing her in a sleeveless top yet.

And then…the day came.

The sky was clear, the wind was calmly blowing, and Izuku was in his Aldera Middle School uniform, standing in front of the gates to UA High School. From a bird's eye view, the main building was in the shape of an 'H,' and the pathway to the school was lined with statues of heroic alumni. Hundreds of other UA hopefuls were walking toward the school. Some were cocky, some were excited, and a lot of students, Izuku included, were nervous about taking an exam that could change the very course of their life.

"It's finally time," Izuku mumbled to himself before taking a deep breath. "Let's do this!"

As the green-haired boy walked forward, he tripped over a loose tile. 'Or I could just die.'

"Woah there, Izuku!" The boy felt a touch and a familiar sense of weightlessness, turning to see Ochako's smiling face. "Don't knock yourself out before the test starts."

"Right. I guess I should watch my step," Izuku chuckled before Ochako let him down.

"You should've seen him earlier." The two turned and saw Katsuki and Mei walking toward them. "I swear if I didn't know he was Quirkless, I would've thought this nerd had some kind of hyper-energy Quirk."

"Well, can you blame me for being excited?" Izuku replied before looking back at UA. "And a little nervous?"

"Don't be! We're gonna crush this damn test!" Katsuki shouted with his usual bravado.

"Well, I gotta go to a different building, but I made these!" Mei pulled something out of her pocket and handed them to her friends. They were charms; a green gear for Izuku, a pink comet for Ochako, and an orange grenade for Katsuki. "Mama said that some handmade charms from a person you care about can really increase your luck! So good luck!"

"Good luck to you, Mei!" Ochako said with a wave as their pink-haired friend went to another building.

"You're gonna do awesome!" Izuku joined in.

"Try not to scare everyone else there, Crazy-Eyes!" Katsuki said, smiling down at the charm before pocketing it and looking at the main building. "Alright, let's fucking do this!"

"Right!" Izuku and Ochako said together. The three youngsters walked towards the building, ready to show what they were made of, to prove why they deserved to walk the hallowed halls of this world-famous hero school.

This was gonna be the day when everything changed.

Notes:

So now we got Ochako in the fold! And anyone with a passing knowledge of My Hero Academia should see where I'm going with this! We also got the Entrance Exam next chapter…and we're gonna get some major action after three chapters of setting up the characters!

Next Time: First Deployment! Striker's Grand Debut!

Please remember to read, favorite, and leave a review!

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 4: First Deployment! Striker's Grand Debut!

Summary:

The time has finally come for Izuku and Striker to show everyone what they can do!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 4: First Deployment! Striker's Grand Debut!

After two hours of a rather grueling written exam, all the applicants had gathered inside the main auditorium, waiting for the exam proctor to show up for the practical. The lights dimmed as Izuku, Katsuki, and Ochako sat next to each other. Finally, after a few minutes of waiting, the lights shined on the center podium, and the screen came to life, showing the golden UA logo.

"What's up, U.A. applicants? Thanks for tuning into me, your school DJ!" Standing in front of the screen was a… unique-looking man, to say the least. He had long blond hair styled up like a single spike and a pencil mustache. His outfit consisted of a black leather coat top with shoulders and pads, matching pants, fingerless gloves, and metallic boots. The man also had orange sunglasses, an oversized silver collar with a speaker, and a pair of headphones covering his ears. "Come on and let me hear ya!"

An awkward silence filled the air, but a few students gave a genuine cheer.

"Well, at some of you kids have spirit." The man whispered before speaking up again. "Alright, let's get to the main show! I'm gonna give ya the 411 on how this practical's gonna go down, ya dig? So are you REAAADDYYY?!"

Again, an awkward silence filled the room, save for the same handful of students who cheered before. The proctor felt even more awkward after that one. 'Man, you kids are killin' me here.'

"Ohmygosh, it's the voice hero, Present Mic! So cool!" Izuku said, covering his mouth as his eyes sparkled with glee.

"Oh ya, that's the radio guy," Ochako whispered back. One of the many things the brunette learned about hanging out with Izuku for almost a year was that he listened to Mic's show every day.

"Dude's even louder in person," Katsuki grumbled. Sure, he was excited at the presence of a pro-hero in front of him. But even hero admiration had its limits, and the explosive blond personally disliked overly loud people like Mic. Unfortunately, the irony was lost on him.

"So here's the low-down: inside those exam folders ya got from the practical, you'll see a letter under your examinee number." Mic explained as the screen displayed an image of eight squares, each with a different letter. "That's your assigned battle site! You rockin' boys & girls are gonna be hitting an artificial cityscape. Your goal: Smash as many fake villains as ya can with style…and before the ten-minute timer runs out."

"Huh," Katsuki said as he looked over his exam card alongside Izuku and Ochako. "Looks like they're separating us by what middle school we went to."

"Hey, you're right," Izuku commented. Even though his and Katsuki's numbers were one after the other, Izuku was assigned to Battle Site B, but Katsuki was assigned to Battle Site A.

"But check it out," Ochako said, showing her card to the boys. She was also in Battle Site B. "We're in the same site, Izuku!"

"Oh, cool!" Izuku said. The two smiled at each other, making Katsuki roll his eyes.

'Get a room, you two.'

"Okay, okay, let's check out your targets." Mic continued as the screen changed to show a mock-up of the cityscape and three robotic silhouettes, each with a different number under them. "There are three types of robo-villains at each of these facilities. Ya earn a set amount of points based on how tough the bot ya just took down was. So your goal is to raise your score, using your quirks, know-how, special fighting techniques, whatever! Just shred them like a heavy-metal guitar solo! Or you can go the less destructive route and just immobilize the robots or shut them down. But don't get too carried away and attack the other examinees. You're here to be heroes, after all."

"Excuse me, sir, but I have a question!"

"Yes, the young man with the blue hair and glasses! You're on!"

"Thank you," the boy said before he stood up. He was a tall and bulky young man, so much so that one could almost mistake him for a college student. He had short blue hair, not a single strand out of place, sharp eyebrows, blue eyes behind a pair of rectangular glasses, and a beige suit. Everything about him screamed, 'serious business' as he held up the exam sheet. "On the printout, you listed four types of fake villains, not three. With all respect, if this is an error on official UA materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students; we expect the best from Japan's most notable hero school. A mistake such as this won't due." He then turned around and pointed to Izuku, Katsuki, and Ochako, glaring at the three. "Additionally, you three have been chatting all this time; stop that. If you would rather pretend that this is a social gathering and refuse to take this exam seriously, please leave and quit distracting the rest of us."

"Geez, what crawled up your ass and died, Shovel Chin?" Katsuki retorted back, getting a few laughs and 'oohs' from the surrounding examinees.

"Kacchan!" Izuku and Ochako chastised while the blue-haired young man let out an offended gasp.

"Shovel Chin?" He said before rubbing his admittedly square chin.

"Alright, alright, settle down, boys! Save that aggression for the big bad bots," Present Mic said. "And as for that 'error,' Examinee 7111, it ain't actually one. Get this; the fourth villain type is worth zero points! Zilch! Nada! Nothing! There's one at every site but think of it more like an obstacle or environmental hazard. Not saying ya can't try to fight it, but there's really no point in trying. Just focus on the ones actually worth something."

"Thank you, sir!" the blue-haired boy said with a bow. "Please continue."

"That's all I got for ya today! But I'll sign off with a little present; a sample of our school motto! As a certain Man of Tomorrow once said: "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." How's that for a sound byte?" Mic then lowered his glasses, looking at the students with red eyes. "You kids ready to go beyond? LET'S HEAR A PLUS ULTRA!"

"PLUS ULTRA!" Izuku, Ochako, and a few other students in the crowd shouted, being pumped up at Mic's speech.

"That's what I'm talking about! Good luck out there, listeners!"

As everyone began to stand up and leave, Katsuki spoke to Izuku and Ochako. "Make sure you two don't blow it. It's gonna be boring as hell if I have to go to UA by myself."

"What makes you think you can't fail?" Ochako teased.

"Oh, please; I'm awesome. I'm gonna get in for sure."

"I don't doubt that," Izuku said before holding his fist up. "Good luck, Kacchan."

Ochako joined in, holding her fist out. Katsuki grinned a bit before bumping fists with the two of them. "Good Luck, guys."

Ten minutes later, Izuku and Ochako changed into their exercise gear and were now standing in front of the gates of the massive cityscape for Site B alongside a crowd of other applicants.

"Woah, that's crazy huge!" Ochako said in awe of the sheer enormity of the battle site. "It's as big as a real city!"

"UA's not the top hero school for nothing," Izuku said, slapping his cheeks to calm his nerves. This was it. This was what a lifetime of training, building, and planning led to. He felt a tightening in his chest, his hands shaking and sweat coming down his brow. 'You can do this, you can do this, you can do this.'

Present Mic was sitting on top of the gates, watching the examinees through a pair of binoculars.

"Things all right at Site B?" A monotone voice asked the mic over his ear comm.

"Everything looks a-okay, my man." The blond hero stated before looking in the distance and seeing something that made him cock an eyebrow. "Hey, Shouta, I think something's off."

"How so?"

"We've got two support trucks on their way to Site B." Indeed, just as Mic said, two UA-owned trucks were driving towards the site. These were the support trucks to deliver any support gear the applicants had requested for the exam. But normally, they only ever needed one truck per battle site. "Was there some kind of clerical error?"

"You really need to pay more attention to the meetings. Apparently, one of the examinees at your site requested a very special piece of support gear. And whatever it is, it's big enough to warrant sending a second truck."

"Seriously?! What kind of Quirk needs a big honkin' piece like that?!"

"No clue. Ask Maijima; he's in charge of all that stuff."

Back below, the drivers were calling any students that requested support gear. At the same time…

"I'm looking for an Izuku Midoriya." A man that looked like an anthropomorphic blue wolf said through a megaphone. "Izuku Midoriya?"

"That's me!" Izuku said as he approached the truck, showing his examinee number. The driver looked it over.

"Alright, that checks out," the wolfman said before unlocking the back of the truck. "Gotta tell ya, I've seen some impressive hero gear…but nothing like this. I definitely wasn't expecting Mr. Maijima to sign off on it."

Izuku had known publicly that Power Loader was also a member of the UA staff. Higari had tried to get Izuku in as a recommended student. Unfortunately, most of the other teachers and the board of education rejected Power Loader's recommendation, citing that it was far too dangerous to allow a Quirkless child such as Izuku into the hero course. Higari had tried desperately to show them copies of Izuku's notes and schematics along with videos of Striker, but they wouldn't budge.

But he did help Izuku with the paperwork to register a special kind of support gear. Izuku hopped into the back of the truck and smiled.

Near the trailer's end was a green robot. Striker looked straight out of a mecha anime from the Showa era. It had a large, rectangular torso with broad shoulders and rounded edges. Its limbs were long and cylindrical with blocky hands and large, wide feet. Striker's head was large and spherical with similarly large blue eyes, a vent resembling a smiling mouth, and a pair of fins on top of the head in the shape of a "V."

Izuku gazed up at Striker. This robot that he had been imagining, drawing, and building for the last three years. It was finally time. No more testing. No more planning. No more dreaming. It was time to make it a reality.

"Okay, big guy; let's show everyone what we can do," Izuku said as he approached Striker. The young man reached to the lower right side of the torso, grabbing and turning a lever that caused the chest to open, revealing the cockpit. Izuku hopped inside, buckling up and pulling the hatch back down. Even though he was surrounded by darkness, Izuku knew the layout by heart. So when he pulled out what looked like a green and black Sci-Fi car key, he knew exactly where it needed to go. The boy took a deep breath before his eyes hardened with determination.

"Ignition Start!"

Izuku inserted the key into the console port and turned it.

"Ignition Key Recognized. Begin Boot-Up Sequence." A computerized voice came from the cockpit's speakers.

The screen in front of Izuku lit up, showing a video feed straight from Striker's optics. A deck containing a keyboard and control sticks slid out from behind the seat and laid out in front of Izuku. Izuku grabbed a headset from another side compartment and placed it on his head.

"All Systems are GO!"

Izuku stepped on the pedals and pushed the levers forward. In response, Striker's eyes flashed blue as it began to stand up. Then, the green mecha leaped out of the trailer, shaking the earth as it landed, knocking a few people over. The other examinees gaped at Striker in awe, confusion, and wonder.

"Wait, is that one of the robo-villains?!"

"No, I saw some green-haired kid climb into it."

"Oh, maybe he's got some kind of technomancy Quirk!"

"Dude, that's so freakin' manly!"

Izuku chuckled a bit as Striker's audio receptors picked up the chatter. He knew his machine would cause a stir, but he still felt bashful getting all this attention from strangers.

"Man, I still can't get over how cool Striker looks!" Ochako said as she walked toward the robot.

"THANK OCHA-" Izuku spoke through Striker's externals…at an exceedingly high volume, making Ochako and several students flinch. Even Present Mic flinched from the sound. Izuku noticed and immediately cranked the external volume down. "Sorry!"

Across the yard was the blue-haired young man who had called out Izuku, Katsuki, and Ochako earlier. He was now clad in a blue spandex suit that cut off at his elbows and knees. Each of his calves had six pipes sticking out the back of them. The young man stared at Ochako and Striker, contemplating her and the boy inside the mech. Honestly, he didn't know what to make of what he was seeing. The two were clearly not taking the exam seriously, given they were pointlessly chatting here and during orientation with their foul-mouthed friend. But even someone with limited knowledge of mechanics could tell that the 5-meter tall robot must have taken months, perhaps even years, to build. Was this allowed? Did UA really let an examinee register that as their support item?

He had heard mumbling and whispers among the other examinees as they speculated what sort of Quirk the green-haired boy had. Some said it was a technopathy Quirk. Others said he had a metal-controlling Quirk. Some even said he had a Quirk that generates electricity that lets him act as the robot's main power source. Either way, the bespectacled young man was intrigued by this odd boy.

'So, that's the kid Maijima tried to recommend,' Present Mic thought to himself as he looked at Striker. The voice hero smirked before looking down at his watch. Just a few seconds left before the test started. 'Well, at least this year's practical won't be boring.'

Without warning, the gates to the battle site opened, and Mic shouted out into the air, "Well, what are you kids waiting for!? There's no countdown IRL, SO GET ON IN THERE!"

As the students made a mad dash for the gate, Izuku smirked and pressed the triggers on his joysticks. Two sections of Striker's back slid open, revealing two boosters. "Striker, Go!"

The jet boosters on Striker's back ignited. With a leap, the mechanical wonder leaped over the entire crowd of students. At the same time, Ochako looked on in amazement, even as she tried to cut through the crowd. After 'flying' past the other examiners and the entrance, Striker landed with a metallic THUD and began sprinting through the cityscape.

'Alright, first one in.' Izuku thought to himself before making Striker turn the corner. 'So it shouldn't be long before-'

"Die, Hero!"

'There we go!' Through Striker's eyes, Izuku saw a lime green robot with a rectangular head and red optics rushing towards him. And he recognized the design a bit from his years of studying robotics. 'So they got their boys from Acorn Dynamics,' he thought, referencing a famous support company that provided robots for hero security and training.

The two robots ran towards each other, but Striker was clearly faster as it closed the distance. The 1-Pointer robot swung a haymaker at Striker. Izuku blocked the attack with Striker's left arm. "Strike Fist!" With no way to block or dodge, Striker landed a devastating punch on the robo-villain, taking its head clean off.

"Opening Fire!"

Suddenly, Izuku heard the sound of hundreds of metallic pings against Striker's armor. He turned and saw two 3-Pointers unloading rounds of tranquilizer darts at him. Izuku couldn't help but chuckle at the robo-villain's efforts, almost feeling bad for them. Almost. Smirking slyly, Izuku raised Striker's arm, and an aiming reticle appeared on his screen. "Anchor Knuckle!"

Clamps on Striker's forearm released. Its fist fired off like a missile while a sturdy chain tethered it to Striker's bicep. The attack pulverized the 3-Pointer's torso. Izuku then retracted Striker's fist and charged at the other 3-Pointer. Striker grabbed the robo-villain with both hands and tossed it into the air. The bot flailed helplessly as it landed on a 2-Pointer, destroying both. "Alright!" Izuku exclaimed. "That's nine points already."

"Dude!" Izuku saw a girl in the distance with purple hair. "I was gonna take that one down!"

"Sorry!" Izuku said before Striker's receptors picked more loud noises. He quickly glanced at the surrounding area. The streets were now full of students and robo-villains duking it out. And Izuku couldn't help but smile as he saw his fellow applicants using their Quirks. There were so many of them, and they were so cool!

He saw a black-haired teen with rock-like skin tanking a barrage of darts from a 3-Pointer before uppercutting its head off. A green-haired girl leaped above the swing of a 1-Pointer like a frog and landed on its back. She climbed across its back and flipped the robot's OFF switch. Another girl immobilized a 2-Pointer by making mushrooms sprout inside its body. A short boy tossed some balls from his head that trapped a 3-Pointer. Another boy slashed a 2-Pointer to pieces with his dragon-like hands. He even saw that intense blue-haired guy using a rocket-powered kick to decimate a 1-Pointer.

"YAAA!" Izuku turned towards the sound, and his eyes widened. Ochako was holding a now weightless 1-Pointer in her hands and used it like a makeshift bludgeon against a 3-Pointer, destroying both robots. "Alright, that's twelve points."

"W-wow." As Ochako rushed to her next target, Izuku looked at her in awe, a light blush painting his freckled cheeks before he shook his head. Taking a quick glance at the corner of the screen, Izuku saw that Striker had twelve minutes of operation time left.

'Focus!' Izuku thought as he and Striker headed towards their next target. Now wasn't the time to think about how awesome…and weirdly hot the sight of Ochako beating up a robot with another robot was.

Meanwhile…

"Well, we seem to have quite the interesting crop of applicants this year," said Nezu, the anthropomorphic rat (or possibly bear or prairie dog) who held the position of UA High School's principal. He and several members of the UA staff were watching all of the practicals going on and, more specifically, how the students were conducting themselves and performing.

There were quite a few notable students to keep an eye on. There was a pink-skinned girl spraying acid on the bots. A boy with a bird head summoning a shadow creature to pulverize a 3-Pointer. A girl with giant hands. And so many others.

One of the teachers watching was a tall, muscular man clad in a red & black spandex costume with a matching domino mask. He had short silver hair, crimson eyes, and fangs. And he was looking at one student in particular.

"So, that's the kid you tried recommending, right?" The tall man asked Higari, who was sitting in front of him.

"Yup! Pretty wicked, huh?" Power Loader said with a bit of pride as he watched the feed of Striker beating another 3-Pointer into submission.

"I'll say." The tall man stated.

"It's really not." The man sitting next to the silver-haired man stated. He was his exact opposite. Lanky, messy black hair, tired eyes, and had a costume consisting of a black coat, pants, a scarf, and a pair of yellow goggles. "Especially considering you obviously built that suit for him."

"What're you trying to say?" Higari asked with a concealed glare.

"I'm saying that anyone would be doing well, or at least be passable, if they had a robot suit like that," the dark-haired man drawled. "So far, nothing about this kid stands out."

Higari growled at that. He didn't expect someone like Eraserhead to understand. Sure, Higari did help build Striker. But everything about its design, its looks, and how it functioned came from Izuku. The kid had spent the last year learning how to pilot it, turning Striker into an extension of himself.

But while Higari grumbled, the tall silver-haired man watched as the practical exam continued.

Soon enough, the exam was approaching the end of the time limit, with less than four minutes remaining.

"Well, I think it's time we see what our applicants are really made of," Nezu said. He turned towards Toshinori Yagi, clad in a yellow pinstripe suit and sitting next to the talking rat. "Toshi, if you will?"

"Of course," Toshinori said before taking a quick glance at the screen. He saw Ochako making several robots drop from the sky, Katsuki blowing up the torso of a 2-Pointer, and Izuku punching a 1-Pointer. 'Young Uraraka, I hope you and your friends can handle this. The real test starts now.'

With that, Toshinori pressed a big red button with the number '0.'

Back at Site B…

'Okay, so that makes twenty-four points,' Izuku thought as he searched for more robo-villains to fight. There were just over three minutes left, and the boys were getting more scarce. But then, everything suddenly started to shake. 'What the hell?! Is someone using an earthquake Quirk? No, that doesn't make sense. I would've felt that earlier if…if….'

Izuku's train of thought stopped as a colossal shadow covered the street. Striker's head turned up, and Izuku gasped at what he saw on screen. It was another robo-villain…and one that was easily ten stories high. And in response to seeing the absolutely titanic mechanoid towering over him, Izuku naturally could only say one thing.

"HOLY SH-"

The gigantic robot let out a mechanical roar before smashing the building next to it, raining debris everywhere. Izuku acted on instinct, quickly turning Striker in the opposite direction and running away.

'What the hell is that?! UA expects us to fight that?!' Izuku thought before remembering what Present Mic said about the Zero-Pointer robots. That the Zero-Pointers were more of an environmental hazard than an enemy, and how it was pointless to fight them. 'Forget pointless: I don't even think Striker would be able to even put a dent in that monster!'

Izuku saw all the other examinees running from the Zero-Pointer in the distance, spotting Ochako among the crowd of terrified teenagers. He was about to follow them when suddenly…

"I'M STUCK!" Striker turned around, and Izuku's eyes widened. There was a boy trapped under a pile of rubble. He was a black-haired boy of Chinese descent that Izuku had seen using dragon claws earlier. He desperately slashed at the debris, his eyes filled with terror as the Zero-Pointer stomped closer towards him. "No…someone, please…PLEASE HELP ME!"

Izuku didn't know what happened next. Before he even realized what was going on, Izuku gripped the controls, and Striker blasted off towards the trapped boy.

'W-What am I doing?' Izuku thought to himself. In the back of his mind, he thought that there was no way UA would be so negligent in letting a student get killed by the Zero-Pointer. It was just a test. And yet…it was like his very being was outright refusing to let him ignore the boy in peril. Striker stopped near the black-haired boy, surprising him.

"Don't worry! I'm going to get you out of here." Striker got to work immediately, picking up the building piece and tossing it away. "Can you still walk?"

"I-I'll try." The boy said, grunting a bit as he stood up. "I think I'm-AGGGHH!"

The Zero-Pointer was practically on top of them now, its massive metal foot quickly threatening to crush them. And once more, Izuku acted without thinking and had Striker move. As the foot came down, the metallic green robot actually managed to catch the foot. But its arms immediately began to strain under the sheer weight of the Zero-Pointer, warning alarms blaring inside the cockpit. But regardless, Izuku stayed his course in holding it up, less both he and the dragon scale boy both be crushed.

"RUN!" Izuku shouted. The boy nodded and limped away quickly. That was one problem solved, but Izuku was clueless about how he would escape. If he tried to move out, Striker would have to stop holding the foot up, letting it crush both of them before he could escape. And Striker couldn't hold up for much longer. He could hear the sounds of metal bending and screws popping out of its sockets. 'Is…is this it? Am I going to die here, just taking the entrance exam?!'

In the crowd of fleeing teenagers, Ochako saw Striker struggling under the weight of the Zero-Pointer. And for the second time in her life, Ochako's body moved without thinking.

As she ran forward, pink energy began to shine around her legs, shimmering like stars in the sky. Everyone stared in shock as Ochako leaped into the air, her shoes and pant leggings destroyed by the sheer force. As she rapidly approached the robot's head, Ochako gritted her teeth and reared her arm back. That same energy shimmered around her arm, her sleeves ripped apart and pink glowing veins appearing all across her arm. For a second, the brunette remembered her mentor's words.

"When the time comes, and you feel that power within you, clench your teeth and yell with all of your heart and soul!"

Ochako did just that, only saying one word but shouting it at the top of her lungs.

"SMAAAAASH!"

Ochako's fist made contact with the Zero-Pointer's head, the sound of impact echoing across the entire cityscape. The incredible force caved the giant robot's head in, and the mechanical behemoth was sent hurtling backward, landing on the city streets with a loud thud.

There was a stunned silence among the teenagers, Izuku, and UA teachers as they tried to process what had just happened. All while Toshinori smiled.

"…wh-what?" Izuku sputtered before his brain finally processed what he just saw. He knew Ochako was training hard, but that was the result?! How did she even do that?! Her Quirk didn't work that way!

But Izuku's questions were brought to a halt when he saw Ochako falling. Thankfully, Ochako managed to stop herself by using her Quirk to make herself weightless, stopping several feet before she hit the ground. Izuku got out of Striker and ran towards the floating brunette until he stood directly under her.

"Ochako! I'll catch you!"

"O-Okay," Ochako said. Izuku noticed her voice sounded strained. He also saw Ochako moving until her left arm moved to her unmoving right arm. With the deactivation of her Quirk, she fell into Izuku's waiting arms. She looked up at him and smiled. "Glad you're okay, Izuku."

"Ya, thanks to yo-OH MY GOD!"

Izuku saw the state of Ochako's right arm and legs…and it took all his will not to throw up. Her limbs were bruised purple like they had been run over by a steamroller, bits of blood dripping from them. Overall, combined with the pained tears coming out of her eyes, Ochako looked utterly wrecked.

"D-Does it look bad?" Ochako asked. "Because it feels really bad."

"O-Ochako, what did you—"

"AND TIME'S UP!"

Across the multiple battle sites, all the robots shut down instantaneously.

"ANY STUDENTS WHO ARE INJURED, WE GOT MEDICAL ROBOTS THAT CAN TREAT YOUR INJURIES, AS WELL AS A FULL TEAM OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WITH HEALING QUIRKS ON THE WAY!"

"Okay, Ochako, let's get you some help," Izuku said as he carried Ochako to the approaching medical robots, with the boy from earlier watching both of them.

Later…

Ochako groaned as she opened up her eyes. She saw that she was in a medical bed, with her right arm and legs in casts and held up by slings. "Where-"

"You're in the UA Medical Center, dearie." Ochako turned and saw a small old lady wearing a doctor's coat standing next to her bed alongside Izuku. She had her gray hair in a bun, wore a pair of blue visor glasses, a long pink skirt that covered her feet, and was walking on a cane that looked like a giant syringe. "Your boyfriend over here brought you to the medical transport, but you passed out on the way."

"Boyfriend?" Ochako asked with a raised eyebrow while Izuku had a light blush on his face.

"I'm not-" Izuku began to say before the women continued.

"I must say, dearie, your limbs were absolutely torn and broken. Is your Quirk supposed to work like that?"

"Um…well…" Ochako said, visibly sweating. "...my Quirk sort of…mutated recently. And my body's not used to it yet."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "How recent?"

"...four days ago."

"You never said anything about that." Izuku pointed out.

"I mean, we had the exam coming up, and I didn't want to distract you and others from studying. I…" Ochako said before letting out a big yawn. "...I wasn't even planning on using that part of my quirk for the exam."

"And yet, you still used it."

Ochako looked at the woman, then at Izuku, smiling at the green-haired boy. "I mean, I couldn't just let one of my best friends get crushed."

Izuku gave his own smile, genuinely touched before the brunette yawned again.

"My limbs don't hurt as much…but…so tired…."

"That's Recovery Girl's Quirk," Izuku explained. "See, by planting a kiss on someone injured, she can heal almost any injury. But doing so requires using the injured party's stamina too—"

Izuku was once more cut off, this time by Ochako's snoring.

"You should probably head out, young man. Unfortunately, with those injuries, she'll be out for a while." Recovery Girl stated.

"Are you sure? I don't think I should just leave her here."

"Don't worry; we'll call her parents to pick her up."

"Okay, I guess," Izuku said, taking one last look at the sleeping Ochako before heading out. Recovery Girl looked at the departing greenette and the brunette and smiled briefly. She had seen the two during the entrance exam, and they were two interesting kids, to say the very least.

One week later…

"Well…that was…something," Inko said as she, Hisashi, and Izuku stared down at the half-eaten chicken lo mein, fried rice, and pork buns.

"It is certainly food," Hisashi said as he half-heartedly chewed a strange-tasting bun.

"I think Aunt Mitsuki might've overhyped this place a bit." Izuku chimed in.

"Ya." Inko said with a sigh. She cherished her best friend, but the woman had a habit of overhyping certain restaurants (Indian and Chinese food specifically), leading to some disappointment.

"Well, that's 4000 yen down the drain," Hisashi said. "You guys want to order some Pizza Hut?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Sweet. Izuku, please start cleaning the dishes while I'll place the order."

"Got it," Izuku said as he and Inko began to clear the table while Hisashi went to go get his laptop to place the pizza order.

As Izuku began to scrub a bowl, like what had happened all throughout the week, his mind wandered towards the entrance exam. He had taken out a fair amount of robo-villains, but his mind couldn't help but bring up some unpleasant questions; did he earn enough points? Did Ochako and Kacchan earn enough points? And more importantly…would UA even accept someone like him? Yes, they did let him take the exam, but they could've just been doing that for just a PR stunt. Hell, would they consider using Striker cheating?

While this was going on, Inko was going through the mail they had received earlier that day. And when she spotted a particular envelope, her eyes widened.

"IZUKU!" The chubby greenette shouted, getting her son and husband's attention. The woman quickly ran towards Izuku and showed him a white envelope, closed with a wax seal and the UA logo. "It's from UA!"

A few minutes later, Izuku was in his room, sitting on his desk as he stared down at the letter. How was it he was feeling more nervous about opening and reading a letter than fighting robots? The green-haired boy tried breathing to calm his nerves, to limited success. 'Come on, Izuku; calm down. The worse thing they can do is…reject you.'

After that rather sullen thought, Izuku decided to just bite the bullet and unsealed the envelope. However, instead of a letter, there was a small disk-like object with a blue 'Play' button on the side. Izuku placed it on his desk and hit the button. A hologram was projected, and safe to say, Izuku was not ready for who was in the message.

"I AM HERE…to deliver your test results!"

"N-No way! ALL MIGHT?!" Izuku shouted in disbelief. Indeed, the Number 1 hero and Symbol of Peace was the star of the recorded message, in all his heroic glory, which even his odd yellow pin-stripe suit couldn't wipe away.

"Greetings, Izuku Midoriya! In case you don't know who I am, my name is All Might. Public Servant, arbiter of justice, defender of the meek, and as of this upcoming spring semester, the newest addition to UA's Teaching Staff!"

"Oh, wow!" Izuku said in excitement. 'That must be why he's been spotted in Musutafu so much lately! He's been preparing for a new side job! Oh, the guys on the All Might subreddit are never gonna believe this!'

"Now, onto your results. I must say, young Midoriya, you were quite the unorthodox applicant. As far as I can recall, we've never had someone use a machine quite like yours to take the exam. Which, let me say, very impressive craftsmanship, and a cool-looking robot if you ask me."

All Might thought Striker was cool!

"You did rack up an impressive amount of villain points. However, there was some concern among the examiners for letting someone of your…particular circumstances into the hero course."

"Oh," Izuku said to himself, fearing for the worse.

"But thankfully, we weren't just looking at combat ability." The boy raised an eyebrow at that statement. "You see, that exam wasn't just to test your might. We were also testing how you and the other youngsters conducted yourselves."

The recording changed to show footage of Striker running towards the Zero-Pointer and saving that black-haired boy.

"While everyone else ran, you showed an incredible amount of bravery and fortitude. There was no tangible reward, but you ran in to save young Rin's life."

Rin. So that was that guy's name. The footage then showed Striker lifting the rubble off of Rin and then holding the Zero-Pointer's massive foot up.

"You were willing to risk your life to save someone in danger. Anyone can throw a punch. But there's more to being a hero than just fighting. A true hero saves those in danger, even if they're scared or know they might not make it back alive. And as far as I'm concerned, young Midoriya, you have the qualities of a true hero."

The recording then showed a scoreboard that showcased the top 10 examinees and their scores, which were separated into two columns; Villain Points and Rescue Points.

Izuku read them and smiled as he saw that Ochako and Katsuki were the top two, respectively. And right at number 5, with 34 villain points and 30 Rescue Points…was his name. This breath hitched as the recording showed All Might once more.

"We would be fools not to accept someone whose heart clearly beats with a noble spirit and a desire to save those in front of him."

"D-Does that mean…" Izuku began, his eyes watering as All Might held his hand out.

"Welcome, Izuku Midoriya, to your Hero Academia."

The rest of the recording went into more particulars about his enrollment…but it was all background noise. Tears poured from Izuku's eyes as his mouth formed into the biggest, brightest smile in his life.

"I did it. I passed. I PASSED!" Izuku shouted as he stood up triumphantly. "I'M GOING TO UA!"

The boy's cries of happiness were heard all the way in the living room, Inko shredding her own tears of joy while Hisashi had a proud smile on his face.

Izuku rubbed the tears from his eyes, and they took on a determined look. 'After all this time, my dream is that much closer to coming true.' He clenched his fist, looking up at his roof. 'I can actually do this! With Striker, I can actually become a hero!'

The next chapter in Izuku's life, even though the boy didn't know it yet, was going to be filled with incredible hardship and bizarre surprises that would test his very soul. But for now, he was simply a young man, basking in the joy of being accepted into the top hero school and ready to make his lifelong dream a reality.

Epilogue: A Reawakened Nightmare…

"Sweet, Buddha; this place seems like ass." A scrawny punk-looking teenager with spiked green hair said he followed his friends through a hallway. "Sayuri, you sure there's anything worthwhile in this old place?"

"I'm positive!" A diminutive girl with glowing hands said as she led the group of five friends through an abandoned factory-like location. "Just look at the architecture! If I had to wager a bet, this place must've been built around a century ago! Right around the time of the Emergence!"

"Uh, I'm missing out on my shows for a history lesson. Lame." A girl with bright blue hair and mouse-like features said as she blew a gum bubble.

"Come on, Iori; if there's anything valuable in this place, we can probably fix it up and sell it for a fortune!" A large young man with a bright smile and broad shoulders said before talking to the smaller boy riding his shoulders. "Right, Fudo."

"That's right, Kaido!"

Matsuda couldn't help but crack a small grin. His group of friends had formed a paranormal investigation club in their middle school days and continued as the five went into high school. Even though they didn't find anything most of the time, the young punk just had a blast hanging out with his buddies.

But during one of his training ventures into the forest outside their small town, Kaido had found the entrance to some kind of underground base. After discussing it, the Barbatos High Paranormal Investigation Club decided to make it their latest case.

Eventually, the five came into a lone room deep within the facility. The light from Sayaka's hands illuminated the room, showing a lab with various old terminals and mechanical components scattered about. But in the center of the room was a dark-blue robot on top of an operating table.

It was a few inches taller than an adult male, and its paint job and limbs were scuffed and a bit rusted from time.

"Oh, cool!" Fudo shouted as he got off of Kaido's shoulders to get a closer look at the robot.

"Huh. That's neat." Iori said as she looked at the bot.

"What do you think it is?" Matsuda asked.

"Only one way to find out." Fudo proclaimed before rubbing his hands together, his friction quirk creating a powerful electrical current. He then placed his hand and blasted the bot with electricity. The machine's old battery was jump-started and its eyes took on a green glow. The robot then sat up and looked at the five amazed teenagers. It then spoke in a calm voice, "Four Q-Factors detected."

"What's a Q-Fac-" Fudo was cut off as, without any warning, the robot grabbed the short boy and lifted him up by the neck.

"Hey, what are you-"

SNAP!

Matsuda and the others went silent at that sound, with Fudo's flailing body going stiff. The robot dropped Fudo with a thud, his eyes lifeless, staring straight at his friends. Sayuri screamed in horror while Matsuda and Iori were on the verge of vomiting, and Kaido was shaking.

"Factor 1: Annihilated."

"F-Fudo…you!" Kaido's body began to shift and take on an appearance similar to that of an Oni, flames spewing from his mouth, and he glared at the machine. "YOU BASTARD! I'll TEAR YOU APART!"

Kaido charged ahead, bodychecking the robot and slamming him into the wall. The demonic-looking teenager punched the machine over and over, each punch causing cracks to form in the wall. But then, when he reared his right arm back to punch again, the robot caught the fist with its left hand while its right hand transformed into a metallic sword that began to vibrate at a high frequency. The metallic murderer swung its right hand upwards with deadly efficiency, cutting Kaido's right arm clean off at the bicep.

The young man bellowed in agony, and before could react, the robot stabbed him right through the chest, the vibrations piercing and shredding his heart within seconds. The robot retracted the sword hand from Kaido, and the large youngster fell to the ground, dead.

"Factor 2: Annihilated."

Iori let out a bloodcurdling scream and tried to run towards the room's exit…but the robot locked its eyes on her and pointed its left pointer finger. The finger extended into a barrel, and then…

BANG!

"Factor 3: Annihilated."

Iori barely felt the bullet piercing her head one second, her eyes frozen in terror as she too fell to the ground, slaughtered at the machine's hands.

Enraged, Matsuda grabbed a nearby loose pipe, charging at the robot. He swung the pipe and struck the machine's chest over and over, but strangely, the murderous robot didn't retaliate. It only tilted its head as it looked at Matsuda, its knife turned back into a hand. The machine then grabbed Matsuda by the collar and tossed him aside, causing the young punk to slam into a nearby table.

Sayuri sat on the ground, her legs paralyzed with fear as the robot stomped towards her, tears flowing out of her eyes. "S-Stay back! P-Please…d-do…don't kill-"

The robot swung its fist down and struck Sayuri in the chest, causing her to cough out a dangerous amount of blood. The second swing shattered her ribs. The third swing collapsed her lungs. The fourth swing popped her heart. And the fifth swing brought it all to an end before the robot stood up straight over the now-deceased girl. Its metallic hands were now covered in blood, as well as bits of flesh and bone.

"Factor 4: Annihilated."

"N-No…" Matsuda said. He felt numb and terrified, the horrific realization sweeping over him. In less than two minutes, his club…his friends, the people he had known since pre-school…were all dead. And the machine that killed them all was marching towards him. Matsuda could do nothing but weep at the inevitable, closing his eyes as the robot stopped in front of him. But then, it spoke.

"Do not worry, civilian; all Q-Factors have been annihilated. You are safe now."

"…what?"

The robot turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Matsuda in the dark, alone with the corpses of the Investigation Club. His lips shivered, his body shaking…and then, Matsuda let out a scream of pure sorrow that echoed throughout the abandoned base, his poor young mind shattered like the bodies of his friends.

But the scream did not phase the machine as it stomped throughout the halls, walking towards the exit.

"Objective: Find and activate Chinso."

Ignorance was truly bliss that night. Most citizens of Japan were sleeping soundly, unaware that a nightmare from a century ago had reawakened. Unaware of the metal menace that was soon about to befall them.

Notes:

And with that, the prologue arc to My Super Robot Academia has officially ended! And starting from the next chapter, we're gonna start Izuku and his friends' journeys to becoming true heroes. However, don't come in expecting things to be just like in canon, just with Izuku in a super robot. That ain't how me and xpegasus roll!

You've seen Striker in action, seen that Ochako's packing a bit more firepower than expected, and have bared witness to a new threat that our rookie heroes will soon have to contend with!

Next Time: The Semester Begins! Welcome to UA!

Until then, have a safe and pleasant day! See ya next time!

Chapter 5: The Semester Begins! Welcome to UA!

Summary:

Izuku and his friends start their tenure as UA students, with him and Ochako meeting their new classmates and their homeroom teacher.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

And with the prologue over, here’s the first opening for MSRA!

 

Eden Through the Rough by Takanori Nishikawa

 

(The sun rises over UA High School, the sunlight reflecting off the green metal frame of Striker’s arms, torso, and head before reflecting off the visor of Izuku’s helmet. Our hero stands next to his mecha, clad in his hero uniform and his scarf flowing in the breeze as he looks up into the sky. Then, we zoom out to a bird’s eye view of the school and all of its facilities as the logo manifests in a green light: My Super Robot Academia.)

 

Kudake chitta chitsujo! Sono nani hodokosa reta imi wa nani ka! 

 

(We see Izuku at that fateful doctor’s appointment, being told his dream is impossible. The crying boy moves his head up, giving way to the older Izuku, hard at work repairing Striker after a rough battle. The lab around them is packed with a vast array of weapons and equipment for the robot.)

 

(Having Some Meaning) Tankyu shin ga uzuki dasudarou? 

 

(Striker runs across the beach, with Katsuki, Ochako, and Tenya running alongside them.) 

 

Umareochita hoshi! Kaibyaku no toki ni atae rareta shimei!

 

(Toshinori holds his glowing hand out to Ochako, the brunette hesitant to reach forward before we smash cut to Ochako in her hero costume, pink stars shimmering around her as she and several objects around her begin to float.)

 

(Power of Cybernetics) Sore ga mamorinuku tte koto-sa.

 

(Mei, Power Loader, and Professor Lim standing outside of the Support Department with Mei smiling, Katsuki, clad in his costume, smirks and gives a thumbs up, and Hisashi and Inko standing together smiling and wishing their son luck.)

 

Tadori tsukeru nonara nari yamanu kodo de isamitate!

 

(We see Class 1-B hanging around the classroom, with Tooru, Setsuna, and Minoru giving a peace sign to the viewer, the teachers of UA in a staff meeting, Vlad King and Toshinori feeling unsure about something.)

 

Sore ga hanata rerubeki Trice janai ka

 

(A dark purple portal opens in the USJ, and several villains walk out of it. The final ones out are a demented-looking Shigaraki and a grinning Nomu.) 

 

Aoi kibo ni (toki) o ageyou

 

(Inside Striker’s cockpit, the screen boots up, Izuku looking determined as he grabs the controls, steps on the pedals, and lets out a passionate shout while Striker’s eyes glow blue.) 

 

Minagitta eteru no Axis! Ubattara ubaikaese! Samayo Cluster kara waki agaru Spirit! Mitsukedasu nda!

 

(Striker leaps into battle, bullets reflecting off its armor as it does battle with several villains at once, even tossing a few into the air. Ochako attempts to smash Shiragaki with a massive pillar only for Nomu to block it, followed by Vlad King using his bloodletting Quirk to detain some villains.) 

 

Kokoro yadorunara shinji tetai tomoni sagasu Legend e no (michi)

 

(Izuku, Ochako, and Tenya stand together, their costumes and Striker partly destroyed but all three refuse to give up as they stare down Nomu, followed by seeing the rest of Class 1-B charge into battle with Eijiro at the front.) 

 

Yasahi sa ga tsuyoku sure (Hit in the air sharp blow) 

 

(After a quick flashback to a younger Izuku sitting on the couch with his Mom and Dad, watching some Super Robot shows, we cut back to older Izuku, his green eyes practically glowing with hot-blooded ambition as he yells at the top of his lungs.) 

 

Todoke! Eden through the rough!

 

(Striker’s mouth vent opens up and it unleashes a massive beam of bright blue energy that blasts into the air, blowing through the roof of the USJ and visible from miles away.) 

 

(The final scene shows Izuku, Ochako, Tenya, Katsuki, Mei, Power Loader, All Might, Vlad King, and all of Class 1-B standing in from the UA, all in their hero costumes and Striker towering behind them.) 

 

Chapter 5: The Semester Begins! Welcome to UA!

 

“Man, this place is so cool,” Izuku said. He, Katsuki, Ochako, and Mei were seated inside a large booth along with Toshinori. 

 

It had been two days since the teenagers got their acceptance messages from UA. While they each had celebrated the news with their own families, Toshinori wanted to treat the youngsters to something himself. As such, he took them to an American-style diner he often frequented in Musutafu called The Blue Plate. The restaurant had a checkerboard floor, vibrantly colored chairs and booths, and pictures of various American actors and musicians scattered across the walls. There was even a jukebox in the corner.

 

The kids had never been to a place like this, leaving them all awestruck. Well…most of them.

 

“I honestly don’t give two shits about how this place looks, just so long as the food’s good,” Katsuki said. “And where are our damn—”

 

“Sorry for the wait,” a waitress with cat ears said as she rushed over to their table carrying a tray loaded with far too many drinks. “That’s one iced black tea, one melon soda, one coca-cola, one lemonade, and one canned coffee.” She managed to list their drinks in one breath. “Someone else will be over shortly to take your orders.” 

 

“Oh, thank…” Toshinori started before realizing the waitress had already left to deliver drinks to another table. “Well then.” Toshinori smiled and raised his glass. “Congrats.” 

 

“Congrats!” the teenagers cheered as they clinked their glasses with Toshinori.

 

“To the top 5!” Mei chimed in. 

 

“Only by a few points,” Katsuki grumbled. 

 

“Kacchan, let it go,” Izuku said. 

 

“No, I will not! How the hell was I supposed to know there were rescue points if they never even told us?!” 

 

“That’s sort of the point, young Bakugou,” Toshinori stated. “You shouldn’t need to be told that saving people gives you a reward; it should be something that comes naturally to any hero. Do you understand?” 

 

“I guess,” Katsuki said. “Though speaking of hidden shit, we gonna talk about the elephant in the room?” 

 

“What do you mean?” Toshi asked. 

 

“I’m talking about the fact that, according to Izuku, Round Face managed to knock out one of those goddamn Zero Pointers by punching it in the face,” Katsuki stated. “First off: how? Second off; the fuck?”

 

“Oh, that,” Ochako said, her voice on edge as she suddenly found the ceiling very interesting. “See, about a week before the exam, I was cleaning up the beach like normal, but there was like this super heavy fridge. I was exhausted, my stomach felt like it was gonna explode, and I got really angry and punched it…and then it went sailing across the beach.” 

 

“As it turned out, young Uraraka’s Quirk evolved in that particular moment,” Toshinori explained. “But there was also some physical backlash.” 

 

“Why didn’t you tell us any of this?” Izuku asked. 

 

“Well, the entrance exam was right around the corner, so I didn’t want to distract you guys. I wasn’t even plannin’ on using that part of my Quirk on the practical, but…you know….” 

 

“We’re planning on taking Uraraka to one of the Quirk analysts we have employed at Might Tower. They should help us figure out the ins and outs of this new side for her power,” Toshinori explained. 

 

“Oh, that reminds me.” Izuku reached into his backpack and pulled out a green notebook labeled Friends Quirk Analysis Vol. 1. “I’ve had this theory about how your Quirk might actually work, Ochako. And what you did at the entrance exam kind of leans into that.” 

 

“Really?” Ochako replied out of curiosity. Izuku handed her the notebook, and she flipped past the 30-plus pages dedicated to Katsuki’s Quirk and the twelve dedicated to Mei’s, finally landing on her section. And two words in a circle caught her attention. “G-Field Theory?” 

 

“Wait until you hear it. It’s pretty wild,” Katsuki said, recalling the literal hours Izuku spent bouncing ideas and hypotheses off him.

 

“So, our understanding of your Quirk is that you touch something with your finger pads, and its gravity is negated.” Izuku began to say in between sips of his drink. “And when you do touch it, there’s a faint light that emits. Well, I’ve been thinking, what if that light isn’t just a light?” 

 

“I’m guessing it has something to do with this ‘G-Field,’” Toshinori chimed in. 

 

“Exactly. See, back in the Silver Age, there was a villain called Doctor Alter. At first, everyone just thought he could alter the properties of any object he touched. But in reality, he radiated an ‘Alter Field’ that let him alter any object inside that field.” 

 

“Oh, yeah. I remember hearing about that guy on the news,” Toshinori stated. 

 

“So, maybe Ochako’s Quirk works similarly; an invisible Gravity Field or G-Field constantly around her that lets her alter an object’s gravity.” 

 

“But I’ve only ever been able just to make stuff lighter.” Ochako chimed in. 

 

“Have you ever tried making things heavier?” Katsuki asked, getting an unsure nod. 

 

“I mean…my local Quirk counselor said that. But nothing really worked.” 

 

“Maybe your body just wasn’t ready to handle it yet,” Izuku said. “Nausea might just be a side effect of negating gravity. And since it looked like you hit that Zero-Pointer with gravity several times stronger than Earth’s, the physical backlash could be the after-effect of increasing gravity around yourself. On the other hand, you could only be awakening to it now because your body probably couldn’t handle the backlash when you were younger. But again, this is all just speculation, and that doesn’t really explain why your legs were injured from negation. Maybe it was the speed or….” 

 

Izuku began to mumble a bit more as his brain racked the possible explanations for Ochako’s Quirk mutation, leaving Katsuki to chime in. “In other words, your Quirk is insane and weird, and I’m still the best because mine has no negative side effects.” 

 

“Except for the fact that you can’t ever go to a sauna,” Mei said, making the blond go ‘Tch.’

 

“Those things are overpriced anyway.” 

 

As the four continued to chat, two new patrons entered the diner. They both appeared to be in their late 40s. One was an older gentleman with faded brown hair, a matching trimmed mustache, and yellow eyes, and he was clad in a red polo, brown slacks, and loafers. The woman accompanying him was a woman with blue hair in a bun wearing a light yellow sundress, white boots, and a pair of dark cat-eye sunglasses. As they entered the diner, the woman looked around, and her eyes widened when she saw Toshinori. 

 

“Ryo, isn't that Toshinori?” 

 

“Well, I’ll be damned,” the man said before the two approached the table. Suddenly, the cat-eared waitress came barreling towards the pair, her tray packed with even more drinks. The woman saw the waitress coming and grabbed her companion’s hand before he and the waitress crashed into each other.

 

“Sorry!” the waitress blurted out, barely acknowledging the new customers.

 

“Yeash, and I thought cats were supposed to be graceful,” the man said. He and the woman shrugged and made their way to Toshinori’s table. “Yo, Toshikun! How the hell are ya?” 

 

“Ryo! Mizuki!” Toshinori got up, shook the man’s hand, and hugged the woman. “Wow, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” 

 

“Almost two years,” Ryo said. “Guess you’ve been too busy working with Mr. Big Shot.” 

 

“You know these geezers, Scarecrow?” Katsuki asked, earning him a punch in the shoulder from Mei for this rudeness.

 

“These two are old classmates of mine,” Toshinori explained. “This guy’s Ryoichi Fukuzawa, and this delightful woman is Mizuki Okabe.” 

 

“Yo, what’s up, kids?” Ryo exclaimed with a big grin.

 

“It’s pleasure to meet you all,” Mizuki said warmly.

 

The teens then introduced themselves, explaining they’d come to celebrate getting into UA. Izuku turned bright red at Ryo and Mizuki’s praise while Katsuki soaked it up like a sponge. Although, as they spoke, the green-haired boy couldn’t help but feel like he’d seen the two of them before, but he couldn’t quite place where.

 

“AAHHHH!” someone screamed. Everyone’s heads whipped around to see the cat-eared waitress had tripped, her tray packed to bursting with drinks. At that moment, it seemed like there was no way to stop her fall. Then out of the corner of his eye, Izuku saw Ryoichi point at the waitress, and his eyes flashed gold.

 

With the grace of a ballerina, the waitress righted herself and twirled the tray to catch the falling drinks. Everyone, patrons and staff, went deathly silent as they stared at the waitress in shock, with none more surprised than the cat-eared woman herself, hardly believing she’d managed to do that without spilling a single drop. Then, suddenly, the restaurant erupted into cheers and applause (sans a few who were hoping to catch her #epicfail on camera) as the waitress smiled awkwardly. 

 

“Woah, that was amazing,” Ochako cheered. 

 

“Pretty sure she just got lucky,” Katsuki said. 

 

“Yeah, lucky,” Izuku said as he looked up at Ryoichi. “That Quirk, I’d know it anywhere. You’re The Good Luck Hero, Fortune!” Ryo stared at Izuku in surprise while Mizuki chortled. 

 

“Impressive,” Mizuki said as she took off her sunglasses to reveal blue eyes with distinctive arrow-shaped pupils. “You know your stuff.”

 

Izuku gasped in delight. “I’d recognize those eyes anywhere too! You’re The Guiding Hero, Pathfinder!” 

 

“Goodness, I can’t remember the last time I was recognized out of costume,” Mizuki said with amusement in her voice. “Ryo and I aren’t even in the top 50. Not many people tend to recognize older heroes like us.” 

 

“And that’s even when we’re in costume,” Ryo added.

 

“Of course, I know who you guys are. You were part of the same graduating class as All Might.” Izuku’s eyes then widened. “Oh my gosh! You guys went to school with All Might! What was he like back then?” 

 

Katsuki was also intrigued while Mei just continued to sip on her drink. Ochako looked at Toshinori and had to keep herself from giggling when she saw her coach start to sweat. Ryo and Mizuki glanced at Toshi, then at each other, and smirked. 

 

“Honestly, the big man was kind of a lughead,” Ryo said. “The guy didn’t know how to handle his strength at times.” 

 

“UA had to replace a few doors when he was late to class,” Mizuki said with a chuckle. “All Might was also a bit of a goofball.” 

 

“What do you mean was? He still is,” Ryoichi retorted. “The man still sounds like he’s straight out of an old comic book.” 

 

“Can you guys please stop?” Toshinori whimpered as he put his face in his hands.

 

“Oh, come on, Toshi,” Mizuki said. “You probably got some fun stories about your boss.” 

 

“Exactly. He’s my boss.” 

 

“So you went to UA too, Mr. Yagi?” Mei asked, getting a nod in response.

 

“Yes, it was actually where I met All Might. Although I was in the General Studies course,” Toshinori said before smirking at Mizuki. “And if I recall, someone needed a tutor for Hero History because it was, and I quote, ‘boring as hell.’’ 

 

Mizuki suddenly found herself looking away and whistling while Ryo had a good laugh. 

 

The celebratory dinner continued, with Toshinori, Ryoichi, and Mizuki regaling the future UA students about their time at the prestigious hero academy. 

 

Times passes…and then, the First Day of the new U.A. semester arrives…

 

“You got your binder?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Got your ID?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Oh, sweetie, let me fix your tie.” 

 

Today was the big day, Izuku’s first day at UA. It was a day every member of the Midoriya family had been greatly anticipating, and Hisashi and Inko were making sure their son had everything he needed. Izuku was dressed in a gray jacket, white button-up shirt, black dress pants, and his signature red shoes that matched the red tie Inko was currently fixing. Finally, a brand new, bright yellow backpack was strapped over the green-haired boy’s shoulders.

 

“There we go,” Inko said as she finished straightening out Izuku’s tie. “Oh, you look so handsome in that uniform.”

 

“No kidding,” Hisashi said as he patted Izuku on the shoulder. “You’re gonna need to beat away those UA girls with a stick.”

 

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen, Dad.” Izuku chuckled in response before turning towards the door. “I’m gonna head to the station. See you guys later!”

 

“Good luck, Izuku!”

 

“Make it a great first day!”

 

The front door to the apartment closed, and Hisashi felt a sense of pride…and relief. He never said it out loud, but a part of him always worried for Izuku’s future. Hisashi always tried his best to be supportive of his son, but sometimes his encouragement felt hollow. 

 

Now though, his son had a real chance at being a hero. And every bit of encouragement Hisashi gave felt that much more sincere.

 

But then, Hisashi heard the distinct sound of crying, looking down and seeing Inko beginning to shed some comically large tears. “Inko?!”

 

“I-I’m sorry. It’s just…it feels like it was only yesterday that Izuku was running around in All Might pajamas. And now…now…”

 

“Hey, come on, Inko.” Hisashi began to say as his eyes began to water as well. “I-If you start crying, then I…”

 

Hisashi only lasted a few seconds before he burst into tears alongside his wife. The couple embraced one another in their little moment. 

 

“Our little boy’s all grown up!” Hisashi cried out.

 

“He’s already in high school!” Inko shouted. The Midoriyas continued to cry happily, wishing their son good luck.

 

In the meantime, Izuku, Katsuki, and Mei were all waiting at the train station. Katsuki wore the regular boys' uniform with a slightly looser collar, and Mei was clad in the girls' uniform, which had a similar top and a knee-length skirt. The pinkette had also opted to wear a pair of shorts underneath her skirt. She was practically vibrating with excitement as she sat on the bench waiting for the train. And Izuku was in a similar state of excitement. 

 

“You guys are making people stare,” Katsuki grumbled as he laid back. 

 

“Oh, don’t pretend you’re not pumped up.” Mei retorted. “I’m gonna have full access to UA Support resources! My babies are gonna be better than ever!”

 

“I know!” Izuku chimes in. “Maijima-sensei said he got us approval to use the lab equipment to upgrade Striker! What should I do first? Maybe add in those treads I’ve drawn up. No, wait; I should make that drill attachment! You can’t have a real super robot without some kind of drill. Or maybe…”

 

Like with most of his life, Katsuki began to tune out as Izuku started to mutter. 

 

“Hey, guys!”

 

“Oh, hey, Ocha…ko…”

 

Izuku.exe stopped working for a moment when he saw Ochako approaching them. She wore the same UA girls' uniform as Mei, with the addition of a pair of black leggings. For some reason, Izuku thought it looked absolutely amazing on Ochako. (And it definitely wasn’t because of the way the leggings clung to her thick thighs and toned calves. No siree.)

 

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m super-pumped!” Ochako exclaimed, waving her arm up and down. “UA, here we come!”

 

“That’s the spirit, Ochako!” Mei said with equal enthusiasm.

 

“R-Right!” Izuku chimed in.

 

“Nerds,” Katsuki grumbled, even though, on the inside, he was just as hyped as his friends.

 

One train ride later, the four friends had arrived, once more walking together through the hallowed UA Academy halls amongst a crowd of other students. Eventually, they needed to split, each heading toward their respective classrooms.

 

“Try not to blow this place sky-high on the first day,” Katsuki said to Mei. 

 

“I could say the same to you, Sparky,” Mei responded before sticking her tongue out. “See ya after class, guys!”

 

“See ya, Mei.” Ochako waved while Izuku turned to Katsuki. 

 

“Hey, Kacchan,” Izuku said.

 

Katsuki raised an eyebrow at Izuku’s tone. “What?”

 

“Do you think maybe…you can at least try to get along with your new classmates?” 

 

“What do you mean? Of course, I will,” Katsuki replied, making Izuku sigh in relief…but then Katsuki continued. “So long as they don’t do anything stupid in front of me or find a way to piss me off.” 

 

‘…he’s screwed.’ Ochako thought as the explosive teen started walking to the 1-A classroom, leaving Izuku and Ochako to walk toward 1-B’s classroom. And after pondering about the comedically giant door (Izuku deduced it was that big to accommodate students with giant mutation Quirks), the two wide-eyed rookies nodded to each other, and Izuku gripped the handle. He flung the door open, ready to meet their fellow heroes in training.

 

Suffice it to say, they were not ready for…this.

 

“You’re insane!”

 

“No, you’re just not listening to reason! Not only can boobs look good at any size, but they also provide the natural breast milk needed for an infant’s development! So they’re not only sexy but also important to our natural development!”

 

“Quit bringing biology into this! This is supposed to be about raw sex appeal, not functionality!”

 

Well, whatever Izuku and Ochako were expecting to find once they opened the door, it certainly wasn’t that. The two students having this strange debate were a girl with long, wavy green hair and sharp teeth, and a short boy with a mohawk made of purple balls. The short boy stood on the girl’s desk as they argued back and forth.

 

“Hey, hey.” Izuku and Ochako turned to see a young man with short black hair, an angular chin, and large, oddly circular elbows seen from his rolled-up sleeves. “Welcome to 1-B. Don’t mind those guys: they’ve been arguing about boobs and butts for like six minutes.”

 

“I see,” Izuku said with a sweat drop.

 

“Kind of a weird thing to argue about,” Ochako commented, making the black-haired boy sigh in relief that at least there were a couple of normal students in this class. 

 

“Enough of this foolishness!”

 

‘It’s the glasses guy!’ Izuku and Ochako thought, recognizing the tall blue-haired young man from the entrance exam now berating the two debaters. 

 

“The hero course should be reserved for discussions of heroism, not for such vulgar debates! And furthermore…” He then pointed specifically at the short boy. “…step off that desk at once! That desk belonged to an alumnus who has no doubt become a great hero. You’re besmirching their memory by standing on it!”

 

“Dude, it’s a desk. Mellow out.”

 

“I will not ‘mellow out’ while two show no regard for common deceAAAGH!!” The tall young man looked down and saw a disembodied hand pinching his buttocks before slapping them. The hand then flew back onto the empty wrist of the green-haired girl, who now had a toothy smirk on her face.

 

“And one point for butts; both guys and girls can have firm & sexy butts.”

 

“Fair enough.” The short boy said while the bespectacled teen gaped in embarrassed shock. “Wait, do pecs count as tits?” 

 

“No, those are completely diff-“

 

CHOP!

 

The pervy debate was cut off as both the purple-haired boy and green-haired were karate chopped in the head. The one who did so was an athletic-looking girl with orange hair tied in a ponytail and teal eyes, her arms now crossed as she glared at the two.

 

“Our first class hasn’t even started, and I can already tell you two are gonna be a pain in the ass.” 

 

“Was physical discipline really necessary?” 

 

“Sometimes you gotta smack some sense into some particularly dense heads.”

 

“I see,” the bespectacled teen said before his gaze landed on Izuku and Ochako, who were just watching the insanity unfold. “It’s you two!”

 

“Eh?!” The two shouted in surprise as the taller teen marched towards them.

 

“Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Tenya Iida! And allow me to say…” He stopped in front of the two and bowed his head. “…I owe you two and your vulgar friend an apology. I assumed you wouldn’t take the entrance exam seriously. But it’s clear to me that you two were able to deduce the true purpose of the exam when you saved your fellow examinee and each other. I apologize for so greatly misjudging you.”

 

Okay, now this threw the two for a loop. 

 

“Um…we really didn’t figure out about the Rescue Points during the exam.” Izuku clarified. “We just did what came naturally.”

 

“Even more commendable!” Iida said as he shook both their hands. “Any doubt I had has been shattered; you two really have the qualities of a hero.”

 

“Aw, thanks,” Ochako said with a smile. She thought that this Iida guy might’ve been just a jerk, but it turns out he was just really…intense about things. 

 

“Well, good to see some of you are already getting along.” The three students turned and saw a particularly tall & muscular man with silver hair and a black & red costume standing behind Ochako and Izuku.

 

‘Woah! Speaking of intense!’ Ochako thought while Izuku…

 

“Oh my god! You’re the Bloodletting Hero, Vlad King!"

 

…went full superhero fanboy mode.

 

“Are you our homeroom teacher?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“That’s so cool! I saw your fight with General Gigaton on tv a few years back. The way you snuck bits of blood into the seams of his armor..”

 

“Izuku?”

 

“…and turned them into a restraint was such a genius move! Oh, then when you and Rock Lock teamed up against the Renegazers, I was so moved and..”

 

“Izuku?”

 

The green-haired boy continued on, his speech becoming faster as he listed more and more of Vlad King’s accomplishments. The pro was a bit impressed that the kid knew so much about his career, down to the more obscure, while Iida wasn’t quite sure of what was going on. Ochako puffed her cheeks before grabbing her friend by the shoulders and shaking him.

 

“I-ZU-KU!”

 

The sudden shaking snapped Izuku out of his fanboy stupor, his face turning red with embarrassment. “S-sorry about that. I’ll go find my seat.”

 

“Does that happen often?” Iida asked.

 

“Only when he gets really excited,” Ochako answered. Vlad chuckled, already amused by his students.

 

About ten minutes later, all twenty 1-B students were present in their assigned seats, with Vlad King now standing at the teacher’s desk in the front.

 

“Well, now that everyone’s here, let me introduce myself: My name is Sekijiro Kan. I’ll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years. Now, you’re all probably thinking that since you got into the UA Hero Course, you’re almost guaranteed to become heroes, right?”

 

The students almost unanimously agreed with their teacher, nodding and giving other signs of affirmation…but they were immediately silenced by Sekijiro slamming his hands on his desk.

 

“WRONG!! All you’ve proven is that you have the potential to become heroes! And it’s up to me to make sure you live up to that potential! Some of you might drop out, and some of you will probably hate me for all the training I’m going to put you through. But come hell or high water, I’m going to make sure you all become amazing heroes that live up to our motto; PLUS ULTRA!!”

 

‘Ya, he’s definitely intense.’ Ochako thought. 

 

“Dude, our teacher is so manly!” A young man with spiky red hair shouted with a smile.

 

“Hell yeah!” The brunette boy sitting next to him shouted in agreement.

 

“And your first trial starts now,” Vlad proclaimed. “With orientation!”

 

‘…huh?’ Was the thought that ran through the minds of all of 1-B.

 

Three Hours Later…

 

“…though, as it turned out, the culprit was still in the room. He could actually shapeshift into objects as well, not just other people. Though I must admit, there was something amusing about getting attacked by what looked like a sentient lamp. But back to the story…”

 

‘Fascinating.’ Izuku thought as he took notes. What was supposed to be Principal Nezu welcoming the new students to UA and explaining all the rules they were meant to abide by had turned into the talking mouse (or dog or bear) reminiscing about some of the various cases he had worked on as an investigator. And Izuku was intrigued since this was stuff that he hadn’t heard of on any of the underground hero forums. “Who would’ve thought to look at the lamp, eh Ochako?”

 

But Izuku was only met with snoring, turning to see the gravity girl fast asleep in her seat with a snot bubble coming out her nose. In fact, almost all of Class 1-B was either sleeping or on the verge of falling asleep. In fact, it seemed he, Iida, and a silver-haired girl with hunched arms were the only ones who were still wide awake. Well, the three of them, along with Kan-Sensei, the Business Course students, and Class 1-A…because they were nowhere to be seen. Even Present Mic fell asleep on stage before accidentally sliding off his seat.

 

Now wide awake, the DJ Hero walked towards Nezu at the podium and whispered something into his ear.

 

“Oh my. It seems I’ve rambled off a bit. So let me just close by saying, Welcome to UA High School. I look forward to seeing how far you all go.” And with that, Nezu stepped off the podium, several students woke up, and Class 1-B headed into the halls.

 

“What the fuck was that?” An intimidating student who resembled a mantis exclaimed. “That was boring as shit!”

 

“I know, right?!” An invisible girl shouted in agreement. “I know its orientation, but that dragged on for-ev-er!!”

 

“I mean, I at least got a good nap in,” Ochako said with a bit of embarrassment.

 

“Preach.” A boy with yellow & black hair chimed in with a yawn.

 

“I am appalled at all of you!” Iida proclaimed, making chopping motions with his arms. “The principal himself was regaling us with his heroic exploits. We should consider ourselves lucky to experience such a thing.”

 

“I mean…maybe if his explanations weren’t so dry.” A girl with short purple hair and earlobes shaped like headphone jacks replied. And Izuku silently agreed with her. He was self-aware enough to admit the only reason he didn’t nod off was that he was a massive nerd who soaked up any and all superhero knowledge like a dry sponge.

 

“Well, I hope you all took this experience to heart,” Sekijiro said as he led his students out of the auditorium.

 

“What experience?” A young man without any lips asked. “Being bored out of our minds?”

 

“Exactly. Get used to it because you’ll be experiencing boredom a lot as professional heroes.”

 

“Really? But hero work looks really exciting on TV,” a short blonde girl with large horns chimed in.

 

“That’s just the stuff they show on television and videos. But, truth is, in between the high-intensity rescues and battles, there’s a lot of busy work heroes need to do,” Sekijiro explained, holding his fingers out. “Property management, paying employees, marketing, merchandising deals, and property damage compensation is just the tip of the paperwork iceberg. Trust me, you’ll need to learn the right attitude to deal with all of that. Being a pro-hero is still a job, after all.”

 

A few students collectively thought ‘bullshit,’ but the more reasonable students could see what their teacher was trying to impart to them. But then, a fanged smirk appeared on Sekijiro’s face.

 

“But since you guys seem to be craving excitement, head to the locker rooms, change into your gym uniforms, and meet up at the track field outside. We’re having a little evaluation.”

 

And the students did just that, changing into the blue & white UA gym uniforms and walking towards the field. 

 

“No doubt throughout your lives, you’ve all had to take physicals. Almost all schools are legally required to do so as part of standard education,” Sekijiro said, addressing his students. “Today, we’ll do something similar to that. Fukidashi, please step forward.” 

 

“Right!” The young man who approached Sekijiro was a strange boy whose head resembled a word balloon one would find in a comic book. Inside the word balloon were three ellipses. 

 

“When you last did the ball toss in middle school, how far did you get?” 

 

“About twenty meters, give or take.” 

 

“Did they let you use your Quirk?”

 

Fukidashi’s head then turned into a question mark. “No, sir.”

 

“What about the rest of you?” Sekijiro asked the rest of the class. After everyone shook their heads, the blood hero pulled a baseball out of his pocket and tossed it at Fukidashi. It had a digital strand running across it. “Alright, Fukidashi; I want you to throw this, but use your Quirk to make it go as far as you can.”

 

Fukidashi’s head turned into an exclamation point. “Alright! I’ll give it my all!” He tossed the ball up above him before shouting at the top of his lungs, “WOOOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!”

 

The word flew out of his head in green English characters, followed by a gust of wind so powerful that most of the students needed to cover their eyes to keep dust from getting in. Said gust blasted the ball far into the distance until it landed on the other side of the field. Sekijiro held up a device that read 260 meters. 

 

“And this is what this exercise is all about; you’ll be put through a series of tests to judge your current physical capabilities and your aptitude for applying your Quirks to various situations. And even though this test isn’t graded, I still expect you to give it your all!” 

 

“Um…sensei?” Izuku raised his arm up. “Are we also allowed to use our support gear?” 

 

Sekijiro gave the green-haired boy a knowing look. “I’m afraid not.”

 

“Dammit,” Izuku said, making Ochako look at her friend with a sympathetic eye. 

 

“I suppose not having access to that robot suit would make using your technomancy Quirk quite difficult,” Iida commented, making Izuku raise his eyebrow. 

 

“Technomancy?” Izuku gave Iida a confused looked. “Iida, I don’t have a Technomancy Quirk.” 

 

“I see,” Iida said, rubbing his chin. “Then perhaps you have a Quirk to generate electricity to power your robot?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Then you have a metal manipulation Quirk?”

 

“Afraid not.”

 

“Well then, I hope you forgive my bluntness, but what is your Quirk?”

 

Izuku froze at the question. Izuku knew it would be impossible to keep his lack of Quirk a secret forever, but he didn’t expect his secret to come out quite so soon. “Actually,” Izuku began, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t have one. I’m Quirkless.”

 

Iida’s eyes widened at the revelation but quickly wiped the shock off his face. “Ah…well, I suppose you’ll just have to give it your all on the physical side.” Before either could say anything more on the matter, Iida was called up by Sekijiro. Izuku could only stare as Iida made his way toward their teacher, unsure what to make of his response.

 

The first test was the ball throwing with mixed results. Only a handful of students could use their Quirks to help make the ball go far, leaving most of them to just throw the ball like normally. The mantis-looking boy (Kamakiri) threw it and managed to get about sixty meters. 

 

“Alright, Mineta, you’re up next,” Sekijiro said. 

 

“This is bullshit,” Kamakiri grumbled before looking and seeing the grape boy walking to the mat. Kamakiri smirked and thought, ‘At least I can’t be worse than the midget.’

 

Mineta took hold of the ball and, to the confusion of the students less knowledgeable about sports, licked his thumb and held it up. After a few seconds, the short boy got into a sideways stance before throwing it at an impressive distance. Sekijiro held up his device to show Mineta had thrown it about 96 meters. 

 

“What the fuck?!” Kamakiri shouted while a couple of other students were also stunned. And it only got worse with the smug look on Mineta’s face.

 

“It’s all in the technique.” 

 

The test continued, with Izuku managing to get a decent 84 meters. Ochako went up next and tapped the ball with her Quirk. She threw the ball into the air where it went higher…and higher…and higher….and higher…and…

 

“I’m going to assume it's not coming back down,” Sekijiro said, marking Ochako’s score as Infinity while she just awkwardly laughed. 

 

As the class moved on to the next tests, Izuku found himself thankful that Kacchan forced him and Mei to exercise alongside him. Sure, he wasn’t doing exceptionally well regarding physicality (Ochako, Iida, that orange-haired girl named Kendo, and an excitable redhead named Kirishima had them all beat), but he was definitely doing better than the invisible girl and the quiet boy with the rock-like face. 

 

But on the bright side, he got to see so many new and amazing Quirks in action! That orange-haired girl named Kendo could make her hands huge and seemed to give her some degree of superstrength! Honenuki seemed to have no limit to what he could soften! Tokage could split herself into at least twenty floating pieces! Tsunotori seemed to have horse-like mutation properties alongside being able to shoot and regrow her horns! Kaibara could twist his limbs with enough torque to create cyclones! Fukidashi could seemingly make any onomatopoeia and sound effects and convert them into devastating attacks! And Mineta could use those bouncy/sticky orbs on his head in a surprisingly vast amount of ways! 

 

His classmates were so cool!! And they just inspired Izuku to keep doing his best! 

 

During one of the tests, Izuku was paired against Iida for the 50-meter dash. The gun blasted, and Iida zoomed ahead much faster than Izuku using the engines on his calves. Their final time was Iida with 3.05 seconds and Izuku with 7.05 seconds. 

 

“Good attempt, Midoriya,” Iida said. 

 

“Thanks,” Izuku said as he caught his breath. “Hey, Iida?” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“You don’t…you don’t think I’m weird for going into the hero course while being Quirkless?”

 

“Hm.” Iida held his hand to his chin as he looked over Izuku, contemplating a moment before answering. “I’ll admit it’s unorthodox, but you clearly have a drive for true heroism. Quirk or no Quirk, you’ve obviously put in the time and effort to be here. As far as I’m concerned, that’s far more important.” 

 

Izuku looked up and smiled at the other student. “You know, you’re actually a pretty good guy, Iida.” 

 

“I would hope so. I am aiming to become a hero after all.” 

 

Two hours and seven physical tests later, including distance jumping, side-stepping, and strength grips, the results of the physical/Quirk test were shown on a hologram screen. 

 

1. Itsuka Kendo

2. Tenya Iida

3. Eijiro Kirishima

4. Setsuna Tokage

5. Ochako Uraraka

6. Manga Fukidashi

7. Juzo Honenuki

8. Sen Kaibara

9. Pony Tsunotori

10. Minoru Mineta

11. Hanta Sero

12. Yosetsu Awase

13. Togaru Kamakiri

14. Izuku Midoriya

15. Reiko Yanagi

16. Shinai Kuroiro 

17. Toru Hagakure

18. Kyoka Jiro

19. Denki Kaminari

20. Koji Koda

 

 

“Um, Sensei, I don’t mean to sound rude, but this entire exercise seemed incredibly one-sided.” Kaminari, a young man with yellow & black hair and yellow eyes, stated. 

 

“How so?” 

 

“Well, it just seems like this test wasn’t made for more…esoteric Quirks like mine.” To demonstrate, he created a small electrical current in his hands. “It’s not like I could shock the ball into going higher.” 

 

“And I found himself at a disadvantage by the abundance of light, mocking a creature of pure darkness such as myself,” Kuroiro said. He lived up to his name with skin that was black as night in contrast to his bright white hair. 

 

“I said at the beginning that this was a test of your current physical and Quirk aptitude,” Sekijiro said. 

 

“Honestly, you guys just sound butthurt,” Kamakiri said with a smirk.

 

“Weren’t you the one swearing a lot?” Tsunotori asked innocently. 

 

“But why the physical stuff? We got superpowers, so why do we need to worry about whether or not we can make a 50-yard sprint in under a second?” Kaminari asked, making Sekijiro sigh before he addressed the entire class. 

 

“Tell me, have any of you heard of Cyclone Tiger?” 

 

“Who?” A couple of them asked. 

 

“The retired wind hero?” Izuku chimed in. 

 

“Nerd,” Kamakiri whispered. 

 

“Well, Midoriya, you’re the first student to get that the first time,” Sekijiro said. “Most students don’t know who Cyclone Tiger is.” 

 

“I mean, I don't know that much about him, mostly because there isn't much to go on,” Izuku elaborated. “He had a pretty short career as a Pro Hero, and the only reason I know he exists is because I study as many heroes as I can.”

 

“That's right, Cyclone Tiger retired after only five years after becoming a hero. When he first hit the scene, he was hailed as a prodigy and an exceptional hero. The public couldn't get enough of him, and his colleagues regarded him as one of the strongest heroes they knew and one of the few people who could potentially surpass All Might.”

 

Iida raised his hand at that statement. “Pardon me, sir, but if this Cyclone Tiger was so exceptional, why did he retire?”

 

Sekijiro then gave the students a glare. “He got cocky. Tiger relied almost exclusively on his Quirk and heavily neglected all other forms of training. One day he went to make an arrest and was seriously injured.”

 

“Man, that villain must have had a pretty strong Quirk,” Kirishima commented. 

 

“They didn't, actually. They weren't even really a villain because the criminal was Quirkless.” As soon as Sekijiro said that, the students began muttering and conversing in disbelief, and Izuku was stunned too. “They were just a petty purse snatcher. Cyclone Tiger cornered them, fully confident that he could take the criminal down. But because he had neglected his physical training, the criminal was able to easily overpower Cyclone Tiger when they got in close and stabbed him. He made a full recovery, but Tiger was so shaken by the experience that he gave up being a hero almost immediately and faded into obscurity.” 

 

The students of Class 1-B were speechless. For most of them, the very idea of a Pro-Hero being taken down by a mere purse snatcher was laughable. But their teacher’s tone and hardened stare made it clear this was no joke. 

 

Sekijiro turned back to Kaminari, not a hint of humor or mirth in the teacher’s expression. “So to answer your question, Kaminari, this exercise and many others like it are to help prepare you for situations like that. Moments where you can’t use your Quirk right away or without endangering those around you. Moments where you don’t have access to support gear or need to rely purely on your physical capabilities to defeat your foe. That is the purpose of this test. Any other comments?”

 

“...no, sir,” Kaminari said, feeling more than a bit embarrassed. But Sekijiro then offered a reassuring smile. 

 

“But here’s the thing, you’re at this school to improve. I don’t expect all of you to be aces from the get-go. So now, we have a good indicator of what each of you will need to focus on in order to improve. That’s all for today, so hit the showers.” 

 

As the students headed out, Izuku had a lot to think about. Their sensei raised a good point about dealing with situations where they couldn’t use their gear or Quirks. Hell, there were several instances in the manga and anime Izuku had watched where the mecha pilots were forced to get their hands dirty. 

 

Kacchan had been suggesting self-defense classes for a while. Maybe he should take up his friend on that offer. A few moments later, Izuku and Ochako were walking through the halls, talking about their own performances.

 

“I’m just saying that if you used that gravity-increasing part of your Quirk, you probably could’ve gotten a higher score on the grip strength,” Izuku commented. 

 

“Ya, but then I would’ve had a broken hand for the other tests,” Ochako said before the two saw Katsuki stepping out of Class 1-A alongside the other students leaving for the day. “Hey, Kacchan.” 

 

“Oh, hey,” Katsuki said as the two approached him. “Did you guys do that physical too?” 

 

“Right after orientation,” Izuku answered. 

 

“So you actually went to that,” Katsuki said with an annoyed expression. “Hobo-sensei just had us take the test and then lied about expelling the lowest-scoring schmuck.” 

 

“On the first day?!” Izuku and Ochako said in disbelief. 

 

“For the record, I got 2nd place,” Katsuki said with a smirk before gesturing to two other students; a boy with hair that was half-white & half-red and a mature-looking girl with black hair tied in a ponytail. “Strawberry Vanilla Swirl over there got first, and Ponytail got 3rd.” 

 

“Not even remembering their names?” Izuku asked with a sigh.

 

“It’s the first day. Give me a break.” 

 

“Guys, guys!” The three turned and saw Mei approaching them. “You won’t believe how amazing the support lab is! I swear, there’s some technology that isn’t even available on the market! Oh, and Izuku, you gotta see where they’re going to put Striker! It’s so cool!” 

 

“Really?! You think we can see it?!” Izuku said with excitement. Katsuki then looked over the green-haired boy’s shoulder. 

 

“Maybe after Shovel Chin over there stops stalking us.” 

 

Izuku and Ochako turned and saw Iida approaching them, standing awkwardly. 

 

“Iida? What’re you doing?” Izuku asked. 

 

The bespectacled young man rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “I…um…forgive me, I’m not very good at this.” He then looked at Izuku and Ochako. “You two have…intrigued me. And I was wondering if you would like to become acquaintances.” 

 

Izuku realized what the taller teen was trying to say, giving off a light-hearted chuckle before smiling and holding his hand out. “I’d like that very much, Iida.” 

 

Iida offered his own smile before shaking Izuku’s hand. 

 

“Ah, what the heck? Put ‘er there.” Ochako held her own hand out, which Iida shook as well. He was then surprised when Mei put her hand on his shoulder. 

 

“Welcome to the group, big guy! The name’s Mei Hatsume.” 

 

“Um…pleased to make your company, Hatsume,” Iida said before looking at Katsuki. “And you’re Kacchan, right?” 

 

A vein appeared on the blond’s forehead before he got up in the taller boy’s face. “Listen up, Specs; I already got these three idiots calling me that dumb nickname! I don’t need a fourth one! Just call me Bakugou.” 

 

“Ah, I see. Forgive me for my rudeness, Bakugou.” 

 

“Hm. That’s more like it.” Katsuki said, his hands on his hips to the amusement of Izuku, Ochako, and Mei. 

 

The first day of the new UA semester had come to an end. And a group of four friends was joined by another. 

Notes:

With this chapter, we have the status quo for MSRA. Izuku and Ochako are in a different version of Class 1-B. So ya, this isn’t going to be one of those stories where Izuku’s in the same class, just with a few changes.

As you can see, Vlad King has more of a straightforward type of teacher. No logical ruses here. And we’ve also gotten a glimpse of this alternate 1-B, and me and xpegasus are excited to write them.

Next Time: Hero 101! Give it Your All!!

Please remember to read, favorite, and leave a review!

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 6: Hero 101! Give It Your All!!

Summary:

The first hero course exercise begins! Class 1-B starts to show what they’re made of!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 6: Hero 101! Give it Your All!!

 

As it turned out, despite all the craziness of the Entrance Exam, Izuku and his pals came to realize that UA’s curriculum wasn’t that far off from most high schools. So aside from the hero-specific courses and lessons, they went through the usuals of mathematics, foreign language, history, art, etc.

 

Though in Izuku’s mind, having pro-heroes teaching those subjects automatically made U.A. way better than any school he went to before. After all, how many people could say that Ectoplasm was their math teacher? 

 

(Aside from almost everyone at UA, but sssh.)

 

Also, his previous schools didn’t provide him with a mechanical bed within the UA Support Department. About three days into the semester, Striker had finally been moved there. Currently, Izuku, Mei, and Higari were looking over some schematics for the robot. 

 

“We definitely need to get work on refitting the armor,” Higari said. 

 

“Any idea what alloy we should use?” Mei asked Izuku. 

 

“Well, I was thinking of using the same material the robo-villians used, but they seemed pretty weak,” Izuku said. 

 

“Oh, that’s just the cheap stuff Acorn gives us for the entrance exams. They’ve got some crazy materials that are way more durable and pretty light,” Higari explained. 

 

“My, my.” The three turned and saw Nezu walking towards them, his eyes drawn to Striker. “I must say, this invention is pretty interesting.” 

 

“Oh, hey, Principal Nezu,” Higari said nonchalantly. “What brings you to the Support Department?”

 

“Curiosity, actually,” Nezu replied before looking up at Izuku. “Mr. Midoriya, do you think we could have a word in private?” 

 

Nezu saw Izuku’s body tense and gave a reassuring smile. “You’re not in trouble if that’s what you’re wondering. I simply want to talk with you.” 

 

“Oh, okay,” Izuku replied, hesitation still in his voice. As the two walked away, Higari did briefly wonder. Sure, the rat liked having a chat or two, but that mostly happened when someone came to him. If Nezu had come to Izuku, he must’ve had something in mind. 

 

“Soooo…” Mei said, pulling out her phone and shoving a familiar set of schematics in Higari’s face. “…while those two are talking, do you think you can…” 

 

“For the 12th time, Mei; no, it is not scientifically possible for you to build a Dimension Door.” 

 

“The march of science will not be stopped by cynicism!” 

 

“It ain’t cynicism; it’s raw scientific fact!” 

 

While those two argued about the practicality of making a multiversal doorway, Izuku and Nezu walked towards Striker’s charging area. A few plates had already been removed from the junkyard bot’s frame to make for its upcoming upgrade.

 

“Mr. Midoriya, you’ve definitely made this new year an interesting one.”

 

“…is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Izuku asked, only to get a chuckle in response.

 

“I suppose we’ll have to wait and see. Though we’re all in unknown territory now. We have our first quirkless student in the Heroics Course. And one with such an eye-catching piece of technology.” Nezu then turned his head to look up at the boy. “I assume Maijima told you about his attempt to get you in through recommendation.”

 

“He did,” Izuku replied. “And it didn’t work.”

 

“Indeed. Though can you blame us? The Board of Education and the vast majority of the teaching staff weren’t exactly keen on the idea of allowing a Quirkless child like yourself into the Hero Course, given the risks and demanding nature of the profession.”

 

“I…I understand,” Izuku replied. Now, this was definitely familiar to the boy. While most people looked down on Izuku for being Quirkless and berated him for his dream, others were far nicer but no less insulting. Teachers, classmates, doctors, and, until a few years ago, his own mother treated Izuku like he was made of glass. They thought they were being kind and only looking out for his well-being, but their words could cut as deep and painful as any insult. All Izuku wanted was for people to treat him like anyone else and be given a chance to prove himself, not be sat at the kids’ table for the rest of his life while everyone else got to take risks and live their lives to the fullest. Izuku looked at Principal Nezu curiously and asked, “Were you one of those people?” 

 

All he got was a chuckle in return.

 

“It would be quite hypocritical of me to vote against the odd one out, given my particular circumstances,” Nezu explained. “I was willing to give you a shot, but others needed some convincing. And your performance in the entrance exam managed to sway quite a few of the naysayers.” 

 

Now that put a bit of a smile on Izuku’s face. 

 

“So here’s the situation: as long as you and Maijima fill out the necessary paperwork, UA will cover the funding for any material and equipment you need to keep Striker at peak performance,” Nezu explained. “Within reason, of course; I can’t exactly let you have a nuke or anything like that.” 

 

Izuku raised an eyebrow at the comment. “Why would I ever ask for a nuke?” 

 

“You’d be amazed what kind of materials our more eccentric support students ask for,” Nezu said as he started to walk away. “We’re all looking forward to seeing the type of hero you’ll become, Mr. Midoriya.” 

 

“I won’t let you down, sir!” Izuku exclaimed, saluting Principal Nezu 

 

Nezu smiled at Izuku’s enthusiasm. “I’m sure you won’t.” Nezu turned to leave but looked back at Izuku as he reached the door. “Oh, and if you ever need anyone to talk to, my door is always open.” 

 

Izuku looked stared quizzically at the principal’s retreating form, appreciative but confused by the offer. But he didn’t have to time mull over UA’s perplexing principal. With all the new resources UA provided him, Izuku’s mind was overflowing with ideas on how to upgrade Striker. Eyes brimming with determination and excitement, Izuku dove back into his blueprints.

 

And so, the first week of the semester went along, with Izuku and his friends learning about their schedules. Soon enough, it was Friday, and the students of Class 1-B were sitting in their afternoon homeroom period. According to Vlad King, another member of the UA staff was going to take over the class for the afternoon for their first real exercise. 

 

“So, who do you think it’s gonna be?” Sero, the young man with circular elbows that sat in front of Izuku, asked. “I heard UA hired a new teacher, but no one knows who they are for sure. My money’s on Fatgum.” 

 

“The BMI guy?” Honenuki, who sat behind Izuku, chimed in. “Doesn’t really seem like the teaching type.” 

 

“I mean, it’s possible,” Izuku said before whispering. “He’s got an impressive arrest record and combat record, and he’s got an amazing approval rating.” 

 

“…so, when the instructor arrives, I expect all of you to conduct yourselves with some level of dignity.” Vlad King said before looking at his watch. “1-A should’ve wrapped their own exercise by now. So he should be—”

 

“I AM HERE…” A loud, boisterous voice proclaimed before the classroom door slammed open. “…COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A TOTALLY NORMAL PERSON!!!” 

 

The students of Class 1-B looked to the door and collectively gasped. Standing before was none other than Japan’s Number 1 Hero, All Might, clad in a red and blue costume with a majestic cape.

 

“No way, it’s really him,” Kaminari exclaimed.

 

“So he is a teacher,” Kirishima said. “This year is going to be totally awesome.”

 

As All Might made his way to the podium, the students continued to chatter excitedly amongst themselves. Some, like Iida and Kendo, managed to maintain their composure despite their excitement. Others tried but couldn’t help but get themselves in a tizzy, like Mineta, who hopped up on his desk to get a better look at All Might.

 

But none were more excited than Izuku himself. He was utterly awestruck by being in the same room as his favorite hero of all time! His body was quite literally shaking with excitement as Izuku barely managed to hold himself back from flying out of his seat and launching himself at All Might.

 

‘All Might! All Might is going to teach us!’ Izuku thought as he stared at the hero he’d admired since before he could walk. ‘He’s even wearing his Silver Age costume!’

 

“Alright, All Might; I’ll let you take over from here,” Sekijiro said as he left the classroom. 

 

“Thank you, Vlad.” All Might said as he took the podium. “Hello, future heroes! Today, you’ll take your first steps towards becoming real heroes. Think of it as Heroing 101. Here, you will learn the basics of being a Pro Hero and what it means to fight in the name of peace and justice!” All Might turned around and started writing something on the blackboard. “And today’s lesson will pull no punches!” Then, he turned back to the student to reveal what he’d written: “BATTLE!!!”

 

“Combat training? Oh yeah!” Kendo exclaimed.

 

“This gonna be freaking awesome,” Kamakiri said. “I can’t wait to show what I’m made of.”

 

All Might let out a hearty laugh. “Now, now, I know you’re all excited, but let me be clear, our job is primarily to ensure the safety of the public. While punching villains is an important part of that, it’s far from the only thing we do. Furthermore, today’s lesson is not only lesson in combat, but teamwork as well.” 

 

Some of the students started whispering among themselves. “But of course, you can’t be heroes without the right clothes.” All Might pulled a remote out of his cape pocket and pressed a button. The wall on the left side of the classroom slid up, revealing several numbered containers arranged according to the seating chart. “Your costumes, boys and girls, tailor-made by some of the best Support Companies in the business. Change into these and meet me over at Battle Site Alpha in twenty.” 

 

With a flair of his cape, All Might exited the room and closed the door with a flourish…before quickly opening it back up again. “Oh, and for those of you wearing spandex, there’s free corn starch in the locker rooms. Trust me, you’ll want to use plenty of it.” 

 

With that, All Might left the class for real, and the student grabbed their suitcases containing their costumes. But as they left for the locker rooms, Izuku split from the boys. 

 

“Midoriya, the locker room is this way,” Iida stated. 

 

“I know. I just gotta go to pick up something from the support department,” Izuku said, giving Iida a knowing wink. The bespectacled teen understood and continued to head to the locker room. Izuku went the other way with a smirk on his face, twirling Striker’s activation key as he did so. 

 

Later…

 

All Might stood in the fake cityscape, with a sheet over an object in front of him. As he was waiting on 1-B to arrive, the Number 1 Hero was currently reading a small book titled Teaching for Dummies.

 

‘Make sure you establish the kind of relationship you want with your students on the first day.’ All Might read to himself. But he then heard footsteps and quickly put the book away in his other cape pocket. The hero turned around and saw the 19 Class 1-B students walking towards them. And he had to admit that he was impressed by the sheer variety of hero costumes the teens had. 

 

Some wore spandex. Some armor. Some had more esoteric outfits like rags, shoulder pads shaped like gears, and…was young Hagakure just wearing gloves and boots? Odd. 

 

“You know, there’s an old saying that goes, ‘clothes make the man.’ And I have to say…” All Might then gave a wide smile and a thumbs up. “…you all look really cool.”

 

All Might wasn’t the only one impressed by the costumes. Though while Mineta was impressed by a lot of the guy’s costumes, he was a tad disappointed that the girl’s costumes weren’t as sexy as he’d have liked. And even if they were on the slightly revealing side, it wasn’t something he was into. 

 

Granted, he figured that someone would be into Ochako’s skin-tight costume showing how surprisingly toned she was or how Itsuka’s costume showed off her ripped arms. But the little guy was strictly a boob (and sometimes butt) guy. Then there were Jiro, Yanagi, and Tsunotori, two of them being too cool and the blonde being too cute for him to perv on. Hagakure was technically naked (at least he thought she was), but with her being invisible, he couldn’t even see anything!

 

But then, the boy’s eyes widened as he saw a feminine ass clad in blue scale-patterned spandex, his eyes bulging and his mouth gaping open. 

 

“Looks damn good, right?” 

 

“I’ll say,” Mineta said…before turning to see Tokage’s floating head smirking next to him, now wearing a blue-scaled domino mask. “AGGHH!! Geez, Tokage, warn a guy before ya do that!” 

 

“Hey, if I did that, I couldn’t see ya freak out.” The smirking gal said her head flew and reattached to her body. But then, she looked down and saw Mineta’s expression turn to one of disgust. “The hell’s with that look?! You were checking out my ass a few seconds ago!” 

 

“That before I knew it was attached to the most annoying person I’ve ever met.” 

 

“Tch. Whatever. I know I look hot in this,” Tokage said, licking her thumb and making a ‘siss’ sound as she tapped in on her rear. “Oh, and boys, this hot lizard’s single, by the way!” 

 

A few of the guys blushed at that declaration, while others didn’t care or were busy chatting with other students. Yanagi rolled her eyes…while Jiro had a light blush on her face. 

 

But what neither All Might nor the students knew at the time was that someone was watching them from afar. On the roof of a nearby building was a young man in the UA uniform, sitting on a blanket and snacking on some rice crackers as he peered through a pair of binoculars. He had white hair with streaks of black, a stubby black and white tail, and a matching pair of cat ears, one black and one white, in place of human ears. 

 

“Alright, we got another punk magnet,” the young man said as he looked at Jiro, then chuckled a bit before looking at Kamakiri. “Wow, there’s enough edge on that boy to cut solid steel.” He then looked at Yanagi. “She’ll be popular with the goths.” Then at Mineta. “And he’ll DEFINITELY be popular with the Shotacons.” 

 

He continued to look over the students, only to sigh in exhaustion. “Looks like this class is full of duds, too.” He then munched on some more crackers. “Not one of these kids got that special ‘zing.’”

 

While the cat boy continued to watch and the students mingled, All Might did a mental head count. “Huh. Only 19 students. Where’s young Midoriya?” 

 

“He said he was grabbing some support gear,” Honenuki said, now clad in an orange & black armored costume, which included a full-face covering visor. 

 

“Doesn’t his costume have all the gear?” Kaminari asked, now clad in a costume consisting of a black jacket, pants, a white t-shirt, and bolt-shaped headphones. “How much gear would he even ne—”

 

“INCOMING!!!” 

 

Everyone (including the peeping cat boy) looked into the sky before an object landed a few feet behind the students, kicking up a big cloud of dust. 

 

“The invincible super robot that brings hope to the hopeless…HAS ARRIVED!!”

 

The dust settled, revealing the towering form of Striker, outfitted with its new armor. It still had the overall face and shape it had at the entrance exam. But now, its frame no longer consisted of reforged scrap metal. Instead, it now sported a smoother frame consisting of Titanium Alpha, a stronger metal similar to the ones used by the robotic villains from said exam. 

 

Its color scheme was also different. Light green adorned its torso, hands, face, and ankle joints. A darker shade of green colored its thighs and biceps, with black shoulders and feet. It also had pieces of red on its forearms and crotch area, making it emulate the classic ‘superhero trunks’ look.

 

The glowing eyes turned off, and Striker’s chest opened, allowing Izuku to step out of it. The boy was clad in a costume consisting of light green spandex with white lining, his signature red shoes with matching fingerless gloves, black knee & elbow pads, and a light yellow scarf fluttering in the wind. On Izuku’s head was a green & white helmet with a blue visor and a green mic near his mouth. 

 

“So…” Izuku began to say as his blue visor slid up, a big smile on his face. “...did you guys like my entrance?”

 

A stunned silence filled the air…until it was swiftly broken by Kirishima.

 

“That’s the robot from the entrance exam! Awesome!” 

 

“T-That’s support gear?!” Mineta shouted in disbelief. 

 

“(Oh my god!)” Tsunotori shouted in English. 

 

“A s-steel knight coming from the sky,” Yanagi stated with widened eyes. 

 

“Awesome!” Kendo said with an eager grin. 

 

“That entrance was a tad over-the-top, but you certainly left an impact.” Izuku looked and saw Iida and Ochako approaching him. The taller boy was in a full-body set of heroic-looking white armor that reminded Izuku of the pro-hero Ingenium, covering everything save for the pipes on his calves. The brunette was clad in a spandex costume made of black & pink, with a helmet most made of pink plastic and a large blue visor. On her wrists were a pair of mechanical pink gauntlets and matching fingerless gloves. 

 

“Well, I thought it was pretty cool. You did a full-on superhero landing!” Ochako shouted with excitement, making Izuku gain a bashful blush. 

 

“Thanks.” Izuku then looked at his friends. “You guys look really cool too.” 

 

Ochako giggled, and Iida smiled under his mask. 

 

In the distance, crumbs fell out of the cat boy’s mouth. He lowered his binoculars, revealing his golden eyes with slit pupils. A mischievous smile spread across his face. “Well, hello, handsome.” 

 

While everyone else was causing a ruckus about Striker’s appearance, one young man, in particular, was looking at the green & red machine in awe. He had spiky black hair held up in a blue & white headband and gray eyes. His costume was mostly brown, with a black metal chest plate and a large number of blue pouches attached to his belt. 

 

“No way…” He whispered to himself. “…a real super robot.” 

 

But the sound of loud clapping got everyone’s attention, with the students turning towards an amused All Might. 

 

“I know, it’s very exciting stuff, people. But we got a lesson to get to. So, here’s the scenario; you’ll be fighting inside one of these buildings. You may think of villain attacks only happening outdoors, but on average, the most heinous crimes occur indoors. Backroom deals, hostage situations, you name it; clever villains lurk in the shadows to hide their evil deeds from prying eyes. To simulate this, you’ll be split into ten two-person teams, where two teams at a time will fight. One team acts as the heroes, and the other team acts as the villains. And how will we determine the teams and who’s fighting who? Simple!” 

 

All Might then picked up the curtain, showing a table with two boxes on it: a white box with the letter ‘A’ on it and a black box with the Number 1 on it. 

 

“By drawing lots!” 

 

And so the twenty students did just that, picking out matching letters from the white box and then drawing numbers from the black box. In minutes, the teams and the matches were determined.

 

Team C (Denki Kaminari & Pony Tsunotori) VS Team E (Kyoka Jiro & Sen Kaibara)

 

Team G (Tenya Iida & Minoru Mineta) VS Team J (Koji Koda & Togaru Kamakiri)

 

Team F (Juzo Honenuki & Hanta Sero) VS Team D (Setsuna Tokage & Toru Hagakure)

 

Team A (Reiko Yanagi & Yosetsu Awase) VS Team H (Manga Fukidashi & Ochako Uraraka)

 

Team I (Eijiro Kirishima & Itsuka Kendo) VS Team B (Shihai Kuroiro & Izuku Midoriya)

 

“Very well, Mineta. Let us do our best to act as up-and-coming heroes.” Iida said as he walked towards his partner. “And I must say, I did not think you would be one to appreciate the classic ‘capes and trunks’ look.”

 

“Oh, t-thanks,” Mineta said. His costume indeed consisted of a purple mask, a matching top, and leggings, and he paired it off with yellow gloves, boots, and a short cape. Of course, he would’ve preferred to be paired or fight one of the girls (save for Tokage), but so far, Iida seemed kind of cool. 

 

“Let’s do our best, Fukidashi!” Ochako exclaimed with glee with a fist pump.

 

“You got it, Uraraka!” The young man said as his speech bubble turned into a ‘thumbs up’ emoji.

 

Meanwhile, Izuku was meeting his partner…and was feeling a bit intimidated. Kuroiro had skin as dark as night, pale white hair, sharp black eyes, and an equally dark costume. 

 

“So fate has deemed us to become denizens of evil,” Kuroiro said with a scoff. “Very well. Such a role suits a creature of darkness like myself.” 

 

“…huh?” Izuku asked with a confused look. “It’s just a training exercise.” 

 

Kuroiro then smirked. “Dude, chill. It’s called getting into character.” 

 

“Oh, okay then,” Izuku said before trying his hand at an evil laugh, getting a thumbs up from his teammate. 

 

“Alright, before we start the first match, let’s lay down the rules.” All Might said to the class. “The villain team goes into the building first. Their goal is to defend a dangerous weapon they’ve stashed somewhere in the building. You’ll have five minutes to prepare, in which the heroes may not enter or look inside. The villains can move around to set up traps and prepare themselves, but they must be back in the weapon room when prep time is up. After the five minutes are up, the match will officially start, and the fifteen-minute timer begins. The heroes must either subdue and capture the villains or secure the weapon without critically damaging it to win the match. For the villains to win, they must subdue and capture the heroes or defend the weapon until time runs out.”

 

“So when say subdue, does that mean knocking them out or…” Kaibara asked. He was an athletic young man with short, spiky brown hair and brown eyes. His costume consisted of a white overcoat, matching pants, and a blue top underneath, while his belt, knee area, neckpiece, arm bracers, and covering on each finger had a silver spiral pattern.

 

“No, no, no. We’re not getting that violent today,” All Might said as he fished something out of his cape’s pocket. He then tossed a roll of special tape at Kaibara. “You’ll be using this special capture tape to subdue your opponents. Each of you will get a roll, along with a set of earpieces to stay in contact with your teammate, as well as myself, while the other students and I monitor the matches. Now give it your all and go PLUS ULTRA!!”

 

A few minutes later, All Might and sixteen of the students were in the rather spacious monitor room, with Striker sitting in the corner with its knees to its chest while Kaminari, Tsunotori, Kaibara, and Jiro headed to the building for the five-minute prep time. 

 

“So, Kuroiro, let’s strategize a bit,” Izuku said to his assigned partner as he pulled out a notebook from Striker’s cockpit. “What exactly does your Quirk do?” 

 

Kuroiro smirked and then struck a dramatic pose straight out of a Castlevania game. “As you can tell by my ebony visage, I have been blessed with the power of Black! Anything dark is my domain, allowing me to traverse through it and control it to an extent.” 

 

“Cool! I guess it goes without saying you can go into shadows, right?” Izuku asked, getting a nod. “Well, Striker can cast a really big shadow. You’ll have plenty to work with during our match.” 

 

“Are you sure? While your metal warrior is impressive, could it even fit inside the building?” Kuroiro asked. Izuku was about to retort, but then he heard someone giggling. Izuku looked behind himself, and his eyebrows shot up as he saw the headband-wearing boy happily rubbing his face against Striker’s forearm. 

 

“Such cold steel,” the boy in the headband said dreamily. “You’re a real beauty!” 

 

Izuku, a little weirded out by the boy’s action, cautiously approached him. “Um, hello?” 

 

The young man snapped out of his stupor and stood back up, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry about that. It’s just….I can’t help it! A real super robot is right in front of me!” 

 

His eyes shined with the same kind of excitement Izuku had when he talked about pro-heroes. “It even looks like it stepped right out of a classic Go Nagai manga! Those proportions and body shape just scream Mazinger Z! And those head fins look like something Tetsujin 28 would have! It’s so cool!”

 

“T-That’s exactly what I was going for!” Izuku said, his voice filling with excitement. “You weren’t wrong, though I based the overall silhouette on Shin Tetsujin rather than the regular Tetsujin. I even threw in some inspiration from Red Baron for the color separation.” 

 

“I knew I recognized that shade of red from somewhere! Oh, please tell me this thing’s got a rocket punch attack!” 

 

“Well, I couldn’t exactly figure out how to do that, but it does have something like Neo Getter’s Chain Knuckle.” Izuku explained before whispering, “I’m also working on giving it a beam attack, but it’s still in development.” 

 

“Holy crap! Awesome!” The young man said. “I can’t wait to see it in action! A super robot in action in real life is a dream come true!” 

 

“I know, right?!” Izuku almost shouted as his eye shined with joy. “The thrill of unleashing a super move, making your machine move in tandem with your fighting spirit…Super Robots are truly…”

 

“…a man’s romance!!” The two boys shouted in tandem. They looked each other in the eye, smirked, and then clasped hands. 

 

“The name’s Yosetsu Awase.” 

 

“I’m Izuku Midoriya.” 

 

Awase chuckled and then wrapped his arm around Izuku’s shoulder. “I think you and I are gonna get along real good, Midoriya.” 

 

“Ditto,” Izuku replied before the two robot fans shared a good laugh. Ochako had to hold back a giggle at how dorky and cute the two boys were, while Kuroiro was a tad confused. But there was someone else watching and shedding manly tears. 

 

“That kind of bond…it’s so manly!” Kirishima shouted, his costume consisting of only two red shoulder pads shaped like gears, a sharp black face guard, black pants, brown boots, a red cape with frayed edges tied around his waist, and a large, red belt buckle in the shape of an ‘R.’ 

 

“Do you even know what they’re talking about?” Kendo asked. Her costume was a sleeveless, knee-length turquoise qipao with a black corset around her stomach, thin grey boots, and a black domino mask. 

 

“Not at all! But that seeing such a passionate bond between men sends my heart aflutter!”

 

“I mean, I kind of get it, but the waterworks are a bit much.” Kendo said before thinking, ‘Then again, I get the same way over top-tier kung fu flicks and motorcycles, so maybe I shouldn’t judge.’

 

Meanwhile, at the building that was about to become the spot of the first match, Kaibara and Jiro were standing next to a missile-like bomb…or at least it looked like that as Kaibara tapped it, the sound revealing how hollow it was. 

 

“Huh. So it’s a fake bomb.” 

 

“Do you really think U.A. would use a real bomb in a training exercise?” Jiro asked. Her costume was more punk-like, with a matching black jacket, pants, and combat boots, with a light red t-shirt underneath and studded wristbands. She also applied some light paint on her face, with red markings under her eyes. 

 

“I mean, they had us fight killer robots for the entrance exam. This school’s kind of hardcore.” 

 

“Fair enough.”

 

Outside the building, Kaminari was attempting to flirt with Tsunotori. Attempting being the keyword.

 

“Hey there,” Kaminari said, a flirtatious grin on his face, as he slid closer to Tsunotori. “Your hand looks heavy. Why don’t you let me hold it for you?” Kaminari extended his hand with a wink. But all he got in response was Tsunotori tilting her head in confusion.

 

“My hands ain’t heavy, though,” Tsunotori said. She was dressed in an orange & cream costume, with several belted rings (one acting as a belt, one on each bicep, and two on her head that formed a headband) throughout. The only thing uncovered were her fingers and her hooves.

 

Kaminari, undeterred by Tsunotori’s response, quickly recomposed himself to try again. “Say, is there a laboratory here somewhere?” Kaminari pointed his finger at Tsunotori and then at himself. “Or do I just feel the chemistry between the two of us?”

 

Tsunotori simply stared at him in confusion.“I mean, there’s probably a lab in the support department.” 

 

Her innocent confusion was like a knife to Kaminari’s ego. “No, no, what I meant was…” Kaminari cleared his throat and seductively leaned against the railing separating the road from the sidewalk. “Are you a crayon? Because you bring color to my life.” 

 

“No. I’m a horse person,” Tsunotori bluntly said. An awkward silence filled as the two blonds stared at each, with Kaminari screaming internally as her befuddled expression remained unchanged. Suddenly, something clicked in Tsunotori’s head. “Oh, wait; you’re trying to flirt with me!” 

 

“Well, duh. I was laying it on pretty thick,” Kaminari replied. 

 

“Sorry. I’m not used to guys flirting in Japanese. Also, I have a boyfriend.” 

 

“Oh…well, now I just feel stupid,” Kaminari said, trying to laugh off his embarrassment. ‘She’s probably got a guy back in America.’

 

“ANNNNDDD….BEGIN!!!” All Might shouted in their ears. 

 

“Time to kick some butt!” Tsunotori shouted before rushing into the building, Kaminari following right behind her. Two blonds began racing through the halls as fast as they could. 

 

“So, where should we look first?” Kaminari asked. 

 

“Let’s check the roof!” Tsunotori exclaimed. “Everyone knows the best place for a dramatic fight is on the rooftops!” 

 

“Why?” 

 

“Have ya never read any shonen manga?” 

 

“That’s your reasoning?!” The young man asked with exasperation. But little did they know that on the very next floor, Kaibara was waiting. 

 

“Alright, just a few more seconds, and they’ll be right under you,” Jiro said over the earcom. 

 

“Gotcha!” Kaibara said with a smirk. He leaped into the air, and then, both of his legs began to spin at superhuman speeds, essentially turning them into drills. “ORA!” Kaibara shouted as he slammed his legs against the floor.

 

Tsunotori and Kaminari only had a split second to register what was happening when Kaibara landed in front of them. Kaibara sent Kaminari flying back with a spinning punch. He then lunged at Tsunotori, but she leaped back to rejoin her teammate.

 

“You okay?” Tsutori asked as she helped Kaminari up.

 

“Not really,” Kaminari groaned as he clutched his chest. He then looked down and realized Kaibara had torn a massive hole in his shirt. “Oh, come on! I just got this thing!” 

 

Kaibara smirked. “That’s what you get for letting me get the drop on ya, heroes!”

 

“B-but how?!” Kaminari asked. 

 

“It wasn’t hard for Jiro to trace your footsteps,” Kaibara said as he got into a stance, his fingers starting to spin. “But you gotta deal with me now!”

 

Kaibara rushed forward, jabbing at them with his hand. But suddenly, Tsunotori grabbed Kaibara’s arm and threw him over her shoulder, throwing him past a stunned Kaminari. 

 

“You ain’t gonna take us out that easy, Sen!” Tsunotori said with a smirk. “Horn Cannon!” 

 

The horns on Tsunotori’s head blasted ahead at high speeds, forcing Kaminari to duck as they flew at Kaibara. But he was quick to respond, spinning his wrists this time and knocking the horns away. Kaminari looked up and saw Tsunotori growing a new pair of horns almost instantly. 

 

“Nice counter, Pony.” Kaibara said with a smirk. “This oughta be fun.” 

 

“Kaminari, find Jiro and the bomb. I’ll hold Sen off.” 

 

“Um…right.” The jacket-clad boy did just that, running in another direction as Tsunotori began to brawl with Kaibara. 

 

For the next few minutes, he looked through a couple of rooms and floors, but eventually, he opened the door and found the fake bomb tucked in the back of the room. “Jackpot!” 

 

But the second Kaminari stepped into the room, he was bombarded by a loud sonic blast, the intensity causing him to fall onto the floor in pain. 

 

‘Well, that was almost too easy,’ Jiro thought, having hidden outside of the doorway, one of her jacks plugging into her specialized boot to bombard Kaminari with soundwaves. “Just so you know, if I keep doing this, your ears are probably gonna pop. So you can just give up now.” 

 

“D-Don’t underestimate me!” Kaminari shouted as electricity began to surge around his hands. He couldn’t really aim while still being bombarded, but he had a move that didn’t require aiming. “Indiscriminate Shocking!”

 

Kaminari slammed his hands on the floor, unleashing a massive burst of electricity that shocked Jiro and even sparked against the fake bomb. Jiro fell onto the floor from the shock. But before Kaminari could celebrate…

 

“The Villain Team wins!” All Might’s voice came ringing through their comlinks. 

 

“Wait, what?!” Kaminari shrieked. “But there’s no way we ran out the clock.”

 

“Young Kaminari, what did I say your objective as a hero was?”

 

“To capture the villains or the bomb.” 

 

“Correct. But I specifically said not to damage the weapon while doing so. Your little AOE attack also hit the bomb.” 

 

Kaminari’s eyes slowly widened in realization. “Oh…well, shit.” 

 

All Might gave a hearty laugh. “It’s alright, young Kaminari. We’ll discuss what you and your teammate could’ve done better in a bit. For now, just make sure young Jiro is okay and head to the observation room.” 

 

“Got it.” Kaminari said before helping Jiro up. “You okay?” 

 

“Ya. Just a bit tingly.” Jiro said. “You’re packing a lot more juice than I thought you would.” 

 

“I could say the same to you. I definitely wasn’t expecting a sound blast.” Kaminari said before putting on his ‘flirting smile.’ “So, you doing anything after school today?” 

 

Jiro just looked at him for a second before her cheeks turned red. “N-Not a chance.” 

 

“Okay, okay!” Kaminari said with a chuckle. ‘Didn’t take her for the violently shy type.’

 

On the lower floors, Kaibara sighed in frustration. “I didn’t even work up a sweat yet. This sucks.” 

 

The hall around him and Tsunotori were covered in scratches and holes made from fired horns. “Ah, I wanted to use my super move!” The blonde said with a pout. She then looked and saw the disappointed look on Kaibara’s face. The half-American girl then thought of the best way to cheer him up, walking towards the brunette boy and kissing him on the cheek. “Hey, we could always just have a sparing date later.”

 

“Yay, you’re right, Pony,” Kaibara said with a smile before placing a light kiss on her lips, making her giggle. “And even if this fight was quick, you were still pretty badass, Pony.” 

 

“You too, Senny!” Tsunotori said, the two starting to exchange some more kisses. 

 

“Ahem!” The couple turned and saw a red-faced Jiro and Kaminari standing at the other end of the hall. “You guys can save swapping spit later. All Might’s waiting for us.” 

 

Kaminari was also really hoping that Tsunotori didn’t tell her boyfriend that he flirted with her. 

 

A few minutes later…

 

“So, can anyone tell me what these four could’ve done better?” All Might said as Kaminari, Tsunotori, Kaibara, and Jiro stood in front of the class. 

 

“Well, if Tsunotori and Kaminari teamed up against Kaibara, they probably could’ve overwhelmed him and then could have focused on finding Jiro and the bomb,” Honenuki chimed in. 

 

“And Tsuno probably could’ve won really quickly.” Hagakure said with a giggle. “One kiss and a wink, and her hubby probably wouldn’t be able to bring himself to fight.” 

 

Kaibara blushed at the teasing while Tsunotori pouted. “No way!” She then wrapped her arms around Kaibara’s shoulders. “If I beat Senny in a fight, it’s gonna be because I earned it fair and square.” 

 

“That’s right!” Kaibara said as he wrapped his hand around Tsunotori’s waist. “If I didn’t go all out of my opponent, I would just be disrespecting them. Even if they’re absolutely adorable.”

 

“Smooth, spin guy,” Tokage commented with a smirk. 

 

“Lucky bastard,” Mineta said in a fit of jealousy. 

 

“You also could’ve been a bit more cautious, Kaminari,” Izuku pointed out. “You just ran in without looking to see if Jiro was anywhere.” 

 

“You were basically asking to be sucker punched,” Awase commented. 

 

“By contrast, Jiro, you did a commendable job, not only guiding your partner but also setting up a trap for your opponent,” Iida commented, making the punk girl blush at the praise as she tapped her jacks together. 

 

“Well said, everyone!” All Might proclaimed. “Now, onto the next match!”

 

A bit later, Iida and Mineta were now sitting outside another building as they prepped time for their match. 

 

“Man, this sucks.” 

 

“How so?” Iida asked. 

 

“We’re up against mister bug face and Koda…and after this, Sero and Honenuki are gonna go up against Hagakure! Those lucky idiots get to fight a naked girl!” Mineta said, his jealous side showing once again.

 

“That’s what you’re upset about?!” Iida exclaimed, shocked at his classmate’s priorities. Then again, it shouldn’t have surprised Iida. After barely a week of being in the same class as Mineta, it was clear to him and everyone else that the diminutive boy was often guided by his baser urges. “Wait, just Hagakure? They’re also fighting Tokage.” 

 

Mineta’s jealous look instantly vanished. “Ya, no thanks. They can deal with her all they like.” 

 

“I see,” Iida said, recalling how Mineta Tokage’s strange and heated debate over…certain body parts. But an idea quickly popped into the taller boy’s head. “You know, Mineta, if you do a good job, I believe that our female classmates will be impressed if you show them what you’re capable of.”

 

And just like that, a spark ignited in the smaller boy’s soul! ‘That’s right!’ Mineta thought to himself. ‘The reason I’m here…is so I can become cool! So that girls will like me! And so that I can finally touch some boobies!!’

 

“Alright, Iida! Let’s do our best to beat the bad guys!” Mineta shouted with a determined smile and his fists pumping. 

 

“That’s the spirit!” Iida said with a thumbs up.

 

At the same time, Kamakiri and Koda weren’t having any luck communicating to form a plan, mainly because Koda was too scared to talk to the bug boy. 

 

“So, ya wanna come up with a strategy or something?” Kamakiri asked. Koda shrieked and hid behind the bomb. Kamakiri sighed. ‘Just my luck. I get paired with the mute pussy.’

 

All Might gave them the go-ahead to start. “Well, if you’re too chickenshit to do anything, I guess I’ll go kick their asses.”

 

Kamakiri left the room, with Koda letting out a sigh of relief. ‘I’m sorry, Kamakiri. I know you can’t help it, but I’m absolutely terrified of bugs. But you’re right; I can’t just do nothing.’ Koda looked around the room, and an idea came to him. He ran and opened every window in the room, and once that was done, Koda stuck his head out of a window and started shouting.

 

Iida and Mineta were zipping through the halls of the building, sticking together by having Mineta ride on Iida’s back while he used his Quirk to look through each room. Iida began to turn a corner, but out of the corner of his visor, he saw the glint of a blade. On instinct, he leaped back just as Kamakiri swung his arm down, cutting into the floor. 

 

Kamakiri pulled his arm up, revealing that a large blade was now sticking out before sliding back into his arm, his skin none the worse. 

 

“Alright, heroes,” Kamakiri said with a wide grin. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.” 

 

“Ah, Kamakiri. I must say, you pull off the ‘manic villain’ part quite well.” 

 

“Ya…a bit too well,” Mineta said, more than a bit nervous at the sight of Kamakiri. The bug boy charged ahead, blades jutting out of his forearms. He swung his blades in a wide arc. Iida leaped away, causing Mineta to lose his grip and fall off Iida as Kamakiri’s blades cut into the wall. 

 

“Mineta! Are you alright?” Iida shouted.

 

“I think I cracked my ass,” Mineta groaned as he stood up. “But I’m fine.”

“That’s enough yapping!” Kamakiri growled. “Come on, ya cowards! Let’s see if you can make the CUT!” Kamakiri charged at Iida. He narrowly avoided Kamakiri’s blades, and Iida grimaced as the attack left a cut across his chest plate. Kamakiri was like a relentless, sentient weed whacker, his wild attacks forcing Iida on the defensive and leaving no openings for an attack.

 

Mineta felt his knees shake as he watched Kamakiri try to hack his partner to pieces. He knew he had to help Iida, but Mineta had no idea what to do. “I-Iida, you need any help?”

 

“If you could, that would be much appreciated!” Iida said as he evaded another strike from Kamakiri. 

 

“Tch, pussy,” Kamakiri spat. “Why don’t we keep this a one-on-one? I’d rather not dull my blades on the midget.” 

 

In an instant, all of Mineta’s fear evaporated. Mineta grit his teeth, his blood boiling, and grabbed two balls from his head. He threw one on the ground and one high up on the nearby wall. He quickly jumped on the ball on the floor, launching himself towards the second ball, ricocheted off it, and went flying towards Kamakiri. Kamakiri had less than a second to react as Mineta sent him reeling with a flying kick to the face.

 

“What the fuck?!” Kamakiri shouted as he wiped the blood from his jaw. 

 

“Not again,” Mineta whispered before glaring at Kamakiri. “I’m in UA! The top hero school! The days of jerks like you making fun of my height are over! Iida, let’s kick his ass!!”

 

“R-Right,” Iida said, taken aback by Mineta’s sudden burst of anger. 

 

“I’ve had just about enough of you, pipsqueak,” Kamakiri spat. He extended his blades and lunged at the hero team. Iida grabbed Mineta and bolted away from Kamakiri. Using his Quirk, Iida brought himself and Mineta to the other end of the hallway, putting significant distance between them and Kamakiri.

 

“While I find your drive admirable, we still need to devise a plan,” Iida said, still carrying Mineta under his arm like a textbook.

 

“R-right,” Mineta sputtered, trying to remain cool in this embarrassing position. ‘Do I weigh anything to this guy?’ Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and Mineta smiled as a plan started formulating in his mind. “Hey, Iida.” The tall boy looked down at his partner. “I’ve got an idea that’s just crazy enough to work.”

 

Kamakiri watched with grit teeth as Mineta whispered something in Iida’s ear. “Enough!” Kamakiri screamed. “I am sick and tired of pussyfooting around like this! If you two aren’t going to fight, I’ll—” His eyes widened in shock when Iida’s Quirk flared to life. Iida came blasting down the hall like a rocket, and in his hands was Mineta, curled up into a ball, held above his partner’s head.

 

“Take this!” Iida exclaimed, throwing Mineta like a basketball.

 

Kamakiri unsheathed his blades, bracing for impact…only for Mineta to go sailing over his head. “Hah!” Kamakiri exclaimed. “You mis—” Iida closed the distance and delivered a punch to Kamakiri’s solar plexus. 

 

Through the pain, Kamakiri grinned, and he swung at Iida. ‘Using the pipsqueak as a distraction, guess that’s all he’s good for. But now it’s time for some real action.’ As Kamakiri relentlessly sliced at Iida, leaving deep gashes in the floor and walls, the armored boy pulled his leg, and his engines lit up. 

 

Kamakiri smirked. “Too obvious!”As Iida unleashed a kick supercharged by his Quirk, Kamakiri had already jumped back to avoid the attack. Iida had overextended himself with that kick, leaving him wide open. And Kamakiri intended to take full advantage of it. But suddenly, Kamakiri’s face fell. His foot was stuck!

 

Kamakiri looked down and saw he’d stepped on one of Mineta’s balls. And his eyes widened in horror as he saw the entirety of the hall behind him covered with those purple balls. ‘The pipsqueak wasn’t the distraction,’ Kamakiri thought as a horrifying realization dawned on him. ‘Iida was!’

 

At that thought, Kamakiri saw Iida running towards him to shoulder-check him into the sticky balls. He held up his blades to guard. But something started pulling on the back of his costume. “What the hell!?” Kamakiri yelled. Distracted, Iida slammed into Kamakiri, sending him crashing to the ground. 

 

Their opponent immobilized, Mineta lept on top of him and tied him up with the capture tape.

“Villain Captured!” All Might’s voice rand through their comlinks.

 

“Dammit!!” Kamakiri growled, angry at his defeat. And his mood only soured more as he saw Mineta looking down on him. 

 

 “Guess you’re the one who couldn’t make the cut ,” Mineta proclaimed the world’s largest shit-eating grin on his. “Take this lesson to heart, bug boy: don’t mess with the little guys. Nehehe!” Mineta started doing a celebratory dance on Kamakiri’s chest. “Who’s the best? I’m the best!”

 

“Um, Mineta,” Iida said.

 

“Who’s the best? I’m the best!”

 

“Mineta.”  

 

“Who’s the best? I’m the best!”

 

“Mineta, please.”

 

“Who’s the best? I’m—”

 

“MINETA!” Iida shouted, picking his partner off of their fallen foe. “That’s enough of showboating, Mineta. Don’t forget, we still have another villain to deal with.” 

 

“O-oh, right,” Mineta said sheepishly as Iida placed the short boy on his shoulders. “Watch out, Koda! ‘Cause, we’re coming right for ya!” 

 

Iida blasted off again with Mineta in tow, leaving Kamakiri stuck to the floor. “Assholes.” 

 

Soon enough, only three minutes remained in the match, and Iida and Mineta quickly looked through all the rooms in the building. Eventually, they came across the last unchecked room in the building. 

 

“Let’s get him!” Mineta whispered, about to kick in the door.

 

“Hold on!” Iida whispered back. “Rushing in recklessly was Kaminari’s undoing. We need to be cautious.”

 

“Oh, right,” Mineta replied. But the two were under a time limit. Yes, they needed to proceed with caution. Partly to keep themselves from repeating Kaminari’s mistake. And also partly because neither of them knew what exactly Koda’s Quirk was. Aside from the obvious physical mutation that gave him a rock-like appearance, he showed no sign of any superpower during the physical exam. And his generic red & orange costume gave no indication of what his power was. 

 

So, Iida slowly opened the door. And when the two peeked their heads in, they spotted Koda spotting them, with the boy hiding behind the fake bomb, shaking with fear. 

 

“I almost feel bad for the guy,” Mineta said, seeing the rock-headed boy quivering. Iida nodded in agreement but knew what needed to be done.

 

“Koda, your reign of villainy ends here!” Iida proclaimed. “Your partner has already been captured! Just surrender yourself, and we can end this without any unnecessary violence.” 

 

Koda peaked his head out from behind the bomb. Iida and Mineta noticed the boy’s lips move. At first, no sound came out. But then, Koda spoke in a voice much higher than one would expect and shouted, “Now, my little friends!!”

 

Then, without warning, hundreds of rats lept down from the ceiling and started crawling out of boxes! And they were quick to start leaping on Iida and Mineta!

 

“AHHH!!! GET THEM OFF!!!” Mineta screamed as the rats crawled all over his body. “THEY’RE GONNA BITE ME!!” 

 

“C-Calm down, Mineta!” Iida shouted, trying to steal his nerves as he batted and shook some rats off of him. “Stand fast! We just have to touch the weapon and…do you hear squawking?” 

 

To Iida’s shock, a large flock of birds flew in from the open windows and quickly swarmed around him. Their pecks couldn’t damage his armor, but the sheer amount of feathers and talons were enough to shroud his vision.

 

‘Dammit!’ Iida thought to himself. Time was running out, and both he and Mineta were swarmed by animals. He quickly battled a bird out of his field of vision, giving him a brief glimpse of the bomb before more birds got in his face. ‘It’s straight ahead, I just need to keep my bearings, and we can win this—’

 

RRRIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP!!!

 

Iida’s train of thought came to a screeching halt at what sounded like fabric tearing. He looked down and gasped. The rats had worked together to tear a large hole in the fabric beneath his armor. With a mischievous look in their eyes, the rats crawled through the hole and started scurrying around inside Iida’s suit!

 

“AAAHHHHHH!!!” Iida screamed, horrified and disgusted at the feel of the rats’ claws and fur rubbing against his skin. “THEY’RE IN MY COSTUME!!!” Mineta could only watch as his teammate started running around like a headless chicken.

 

“Iida, stay calm,” Mineta pleaded, even though he was struggling to do the same.

 

Unfortunately, Iida didn’t hear anything his partner said. “Getthemoff!Getthemoff!Getthemoff! GET THEM OFF!!!”  Suddenly, Iida’s Quirk flared up! His panicked body activated it against his will and sent Iida bursting through the flock of birds—

 

SLAM!!!

 

—and straight into the wall. Iida fell to the floor, out cold. And to add insult to injury, the birds and rats continued to have their way with him

 

In the observation room, everyone, including All Might, was stunned into silence by what had just happened. 

 

“Note to self; don’t ever piss off Koda,” Kaminari said to himself, a couple of the students near him shaking their heads in agreement. 

 

“So that’s what his Quirk is,” Izuku said as he quickly took down some notes. 

 

All Might had seen a lot of surprising things in over thirty years of being a professional superhero. This wasn’t quite as shocking as that one villain who could willingly turn herself inside out, but it was definitely in the top twenty. 

 

“Damn it all!” Mineta screamed. Desperate, he started throwing balls haphazardly, not caring who they hit. It seemed to work as the flock of birds parted for a brief moment. Out of the corner of his eye, Mineta saw the bomb. “It’s now or never!”

 

Flailing his arms like a madman while throwing balls like a pitching machine, Mineta pushed through the deluge of birds and rats. Miraculously, Mineta made it to the bomb. Putting every last ounce of his strength into his legs, Mineta lunged for it! Time seemed too slow for the small boy. After all those years of disrespect and bullying, this was it! This was his moment! This was—

 

“Time’s up!” All Might exclaimed through their comlinks. “The villain team wins!” 

 

…reality hit Mineta like a bucket of ice water as he stood there, his hand on the bomb.

 

Koda breathed a sigh of relief before speaking to the birds and rats. “Thank you, my friends. I’ll be sure to bring some food for you later. But you can go now.” 

 

And indeed, the birds flew back out the window, and the rats ran out the doorway. Koda looked at Mineta and slowly approached him. “A-a-are you okay?” Koda asked. Mineta blinked, suddenly realizing all the animals were gone. “I, uh, asked my friends not to bite you or peck too hard.”

 

“Really,” Mineta said. He looked himself over and found not a single mark on his body. “Huh, would you look at that?”

 

Koda smiled softly. “I wouldn’t want any of my classmates to get infected with something during a training exercise.” 

 

Mineta was genuinely touched by this, with comically large tears falling from his eyes. “You’re a good person, Koda.” 

 

“Uh, what happened?” Iida groaned before sitting up and taking his helmet off. 

 

“We lost,” Mineta said flatly.

 

“I see,” Iida said thoughtfully. He looked at Koda and smiled. “Well met, Koda! You were a truly formidable opponent!” 

 

Koda bashfully rubbed his cheeks at the praise.

 

“Rock Head, what the hell is going on?!” Kamakiri shouted over the ear com. 

 

A bit later, the four boys were standing in front of the class. 

 

“So, can anyone tell me what went wrong and right?”

 

“Well, Kamakiri charged in alone like a dumbass,” Honenuki commented.

 

“Kaibara did the same thing!” The mantis boy shouted.

 

“Hey, I kept in contact with my partner.” Kaibara retorted. “From what we saw, it didn’t look like you had any kind of plan.”

 

“How was I supposed to form a plan when my partner’s too much a pussy to talk?!” 

 

“S-Sorry,” Koda whispered, getting Kamakiri. “I-It’s just…well, I’m scared of bugs. I know I shouldn’t be like around you, but…well….”

 

“O-Oh…” Kamakiri said, suddenly feeling like an asshole. Well, a bigger asshole than usual. “Sorry about that.” 

 

“Well, Kamakiri’s not the only one who could’ve done better,” Kendo said. 

 

“Kendo’s right.” Izuku followed up before looking at Iida. “Iida, you could’ve easily outrun Kamakiri and avoided fighting him entirely. If he chased after you, Mineta would’ve been able to immobilize him, or at least slow him down, with his balls.”

 

“Hehe,” Kaminari chuckled. 

 

“You guys also really panicked at the end.” Kendo chimed in. 

 

“Could you blame us?” Mineta asked. “You would probably freak out too if you got suddenly attacked by rats and birds.” 

 

“Actually, that leads me to a lesson you all need to take to heart…” All Might said. “…you all need to develop a resistance to the strange and absurd. Learn to expect the unexpected and all that. When you’re a Pro-Hero, you’ll come across things that make your head spin, sometimes literally, and make you question your sanity. I guarantee villains throw more surprising and shocking things at you than just birds and rats.” 

 

“I see,” Iida said before bowing. “Thank you all for not holding back on your criticisms! I shall take this all to heart to improve myself and become a better hero.” 

 

All Might had a hearty and good-hearted laugh at this. “Well, you certainly have the humble part of being a hero down.” 

 

A few minutes later, the next match began. Hagakure was sneaking her way through the halls, her gloves and boots removed for maximum stealth while holding the capture tape roll in her palm. 

 

“Find ‘em yet?” Tokage asked. 

 

“Not yet.” The invisible girl whispered. She poked her head around a corner and spotted Honenuki walking past the end of the hall. “Oh, I just spotted Honenuki. No sign of Sero, though.” 

 

“Gotcha. So just go stealth and capture him. But don’t get cocky. The guy’s a recommended student like me, so ya can’t let your guard down.” 

 

“Right.” Hagakure said before gripping the tape. ‘Super stealth time!’

 

Quietly and carefully, Hagakure tip-toed until she could spot Honenuki’s back. He didn’t seem to be looking over his shoulder, making Hagakure think she had the perfect opening. She continued to tip-toe and control her breathing in an attempt to make any sort of sound. Soon enough, she was almost right behind him. But Hagakure’s stealth approach imploded in on itself from the most unexpected source: when she pulled out a strip of the capture tape, the roll made an unexpected sound. And that was enough to make Honenuki look over his shoulder.

 

The sight of floating tape was more than enough of a clue for him, and he quickly threw a punch that Hagakure backed away from. 

 

“Woah, too close!” Hagakure shouted before glaring at the capture tape and throwing it away. “Stupid loud tape.”

 

“Not bad, invisible girl. You almost got the jump on me.” Honenuki said. “But I got ya now!” 

 

The lipless teen attempted to grab the invisible girl but stopped when he heard her scream in embarrassment. 

 

“Hey, hands off my girls, you perv!” 

 

“Oh, shit!” Honenuki exclaimed, letting go of her. “Sorry, abo—” He suddenly got the wind knocked out of him by what felt like a kick to the stomach. 

 

“Sike! You were actually grabbing my shoulder,” Hagakure said. “One of the upsides of being invisible: you can’t see where you’ll hit me or where I’m gonna hit you back!” 

 

And indeed, Honenuki was having a hard time blocking any of Hagakure’s strikes. There wasn’t a lot of force behind it, but with him being unable to see where the hits were coming from, it was nearly impossible to defend himself. And she was surprisingly agile, dodging his attempts to hit her. Or he could be way off his mark. It was to tell. 

 

“Sorry, but ya can’t hit what you can’t see,” Hagakure teased before blowing an invisible raspberry. 

 

But Honenuki just chuckled as he placed his hand on the wall. “Fair point. Counterpoint, though…” 

 

Suddenly, the walls and ceiling around Hagakure began to soften…and Hagakure began to sink into the floor. 

 

“…I don’t have to have to see you in order to trap you. At least with my quirk.” 

 

“Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew! It feels like warm pudding!” Hagakure panicked, her arm hitting a spot near Honenuki, splashing gunk around. Seeing this, Honenuki grabbed his opponent’s arm, pulled her out of the softening floor, and tackled her down. He then felt Hagakure punch him with her other arm, but he took the blow and grabbed his own capture tape before quickly wrapping it around her wrists. 

 

“Hagakure has been captured!” 

 

“Dang it!” she cried. Honenuki was about to joke…but felt something odd. He moved his hand on Hagakure’s forearm…and felt cloth. 

 

“Hagakure?” Honenuki asked as he stood up.

 

“What?” 

 

“You’re not actually naked, are you?” 

 

Hagakure said nothing, but he assumed she was probably giving him a look before sighing. She then moved her wrists a bit and actually pressed a button. In an instant, a lilac costume that looked like a blend of a retro sci-fi dress and a kunoichi outfit appeared on Hagakure’s still-invisible body, which included a skirt and leggings combo, arm sleeves with a button on the left wrist and a matching headband on her head. 

 

“Way to ruin my whole gimmick, spoil-sport.” 

 

“And what gimmick is that? Pretending to be a streaker?” 

 

“Hey, it worked on for a bit? Would you want to touch a naked person, even if you were fighting them?” 

 

Honenuki said nothing for a minute before chuckling…and then just bursting out into laughter. “Okay, ya got me there, Hagakure.” 

 

He continued to laugh, and Hagakure smiled a bit. Honenuki’s cackling laugh was weird but oddly infectious. But she also noticed something real quick.

 

“Hey, where’s Sero?” 

 

“Oh…” Honenuki said in between laughing. “I…he’s following the plan.”

 

And indeed, when the match had started, Sero fired some tape at the top of the building and was currently climbing up the sides using the tape like a climbing rope. His costume consisted of a face-covering visor, a light orange mouthguard with matching shoulder pads, and black and white spandex that cut off at his biceps, letting him use his tape-dispensing elbows without obstruction. 

 

‘Not here, either.’ Sero thought as he looked through the window. 

 

“Ya find anything yet?” 

 

“No. Looks they hid the bomb pretty well.” Sero blinked upon realizing something odd before turning his head and seeing Tokage’s floating head smirking at him, with one eye missing. “Ah, crap!”

 

“Eat this! Titty Torpedo!” 

 

“Wait, what torpedo?!” 

 

From a nearby window, Tokage’s torso and arms flew out, her bosom detaching and flying towards Sero like a projectile. The airborne funbags hit Sero right in his helmet and shoulder pad. The tape boy grunted…while Tokage regretted it. 

 

“Ow, ow, ow! Okay, not my best idea,” Tokage said before smirking again. “But let’s see how much more you can handle!” 

 

With a mental command, Tokage’s torso and arms further split into smaller pieces, launching at Sero and pelting him with a barrage of limbs. But even as he was barraged, Sero still hung on. 

 

“I can take a beating, so you’re gonna have to try better than that!”

 

Tokage chuckled a bit and mentally stopped her body pieces from attacking him. “Alright, then, how about this?” 

 

Sero saw Tokage’s hands move towards his stomach…and then started tickling him. Sero started laughing, shaking a bit as he tried to keep his grip strong. 

 

“Huh. You’re a bit on the lanky side, but you actually got some nice muscle tone going for ya.” Tokage commented. 

 

“T-Thanks, I guess,” Sero said between laughs while he was thinking of a way out of this situation. ‘Looks like I’m gonna have to go for the Hail Mary. Honenuki, I really hope you weren’t just talking out of your ass.’

 

Using his free hand, Sero slid open his visor and looked at Tokage with a smile. “T-Though, this is a bit quick for my taste. Usually, girls don’t get handsy with me until the third date. Guess you don’t play around, eh, Tokage?” And he threw in a flirtatious wink on top of that.

 

A few minutes later…

 

“But this gonna be tricky,” Sero commented as he and Honenuki were figuring out a plan. “Hagakure’s naked, and Tokage’s a massive flirt. This exercise is gonna be really damn awkward.” 

 

“For you, maybe.” Honenuki retorted before thinking a bit. “But I think I might have the solution in case Tokage decides to go all ‘femme fatale’ on you. See, I know a few pervy and aggressive flirts like her. And usually, the solution to dealing with them is just to flirt back.” 

 

“Really?” Sero asked, getting a nod in response. 

 

“She’ll either be down for it, which means you’ll end up with a hot date. Or she’ll end up being one of those people who can dish it out but can’t take it. It’s usually one of those two.” 

 

Tokage stared at Sero for a moment, trying to process what she’d just heard. “…a-ah…I…b-but…h-handsy…”

 

And as it turned about, Tokage was the latter, her entire face turning cherry red, her eye hazed over, and her body shaking. 

 

“…I mean…I don’t….w-what?” 

 

‘Huh, that actually worked. Honenuki, I owe you a soda,’ Sero was about to move when…

 

“Weapon Secured! The Hero Team wins!” 

 

“WAH?!!” Tokage said, looking through the eye she left with the bomb and seeing Honenuki halfway inside the floor, poking the bomb with his finger. And adding insult to injury, softening teen was cackling too. 

 

Later, it was their turn for the post-battle evaluation, but Sero and Honenuki took off their helmets and high-fived each other. 

 

“Nice work on the distraction, Sero,” Honenuki said with a smile. Or at least his equivalent of a smile. 

 

“Hell yeah! The Helmet Bros killed it!” 

 

Tokage still felt thoroughly embarrassed by how she lost while Hagakure was pouting…though no one else could see it naturally. 

 

“Well, so much for being a grade-A flirt,” Mineta said with a taunt directed at Tokage. The blue-clad girl growled before launching her hands at the grape boy and pulling on his cheeks. 

 

“I just wasn’t expecting that, you little gremlin!” Tokage growled, sticking her fingers in Mineta’s face. “And last I checked, I haven’t seen anyone flirt with your gross ass.” 

 

“Oh, I’m not gross. But this is.” Mineta then licked Tokage’s fingers, making her reel in disgust. Before the two could continue, All Might loudly cleared his throat. 

 

“Now, now, you two, save the bickering for after class,” All Might said. “Now, does anyone have any notes?” 

 

“All Might, sir, I believe your lesson about ‘expecting the unexpected’ could have also applied to Tokage’s reaction to Sero flirting with her,” Iida stated. “I’ve heard about both heroes and villains that use their sexual appeal or flirtatious nature to catch their foes off guard.” 

 

“Ya, that’s pretty much Miss Midnight’s entire gimmick,” Ochako commented, referring to their R-Rated History teacher.

 

“Sensuality can often be just as disarming as any powerful technique,” Yanagi chimed in. 

 

“You’re all correct.” All Might said. “Young Tokage, if you want to play up the ‘flirtatious heroine’ angle, you’re going to need to prepare for those that flirt back.”

 

“R-Right,” Tokage said, her cheeks still a bit red. 

 

“Hagakure, I couldn’t really see much of it, but I’m guessing you’re not that good at hand-to-hand,” Kendo said. 

 

“I mean, there’s not really much to it. Just throw a punch and a kick and make it land, right?” 

 

The orange-haired girl’s eyebrow twitched. “There is so much wrong with that sentence.” 

 

“On the flip side, Honenuki and Sero were on point!” Kirishima stated. “You guys kept your cool and adapted like crazy good! You really showed some manly dedication right there!” 

 

‘Is the manly the only compliment you know?’ A couple of the students thought. They barely knew the redhead for a week but had already heard him say ‘manly’ an almost absurd amount of times. 

 

“All right, let’s move on to the next match!” All Might said with a flourish. “Yanagi! Awase! Fukidashi! Uraraka! You’re up next!” 

 

“Awesome! Let’s go!” Awase shouted with a smile. Before the four teens headed out, Ochako and All Might shared a subtle look at each other. The brunette looked down at her hands, feeling the new and immense power she had only just started to understand. 

 

To everyone else, they simply believed the cover story of her quirk mutating. In reality, this new power was something that had been passed down to her. A power that she was determined to own. 

 

‘I gotta do my best. Mr. Yagi trusted me with this quirk, so I can’t let him down.’ With a determined look on her face, Ochako followed the other three. ‘One for All…I’ll make your power my own without breaking my body!’

 

To be continued… 

Notes:

A slightly longer chapter this time on the count of us having a lot of ground to cover. We got a chance to establish some of the dynamics and characterization for Class 1-B, and show off a bit of what they can do, even if it was only shortly.

And as for the next chapter, both Izuku and Ochako show off what they can do!

Next Time: Let’s Rocket!!!

Please remember to read, favorite, and leave a review!

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 7: Let's Rocket!

Summary:

The Heroes VS Villain exercise concludes, with Izuku and Ochako showing what they can do!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 7: Let's Rocket!

"So what do you think I should go for?" Fukidashi asked as he and Ochako were using their set-up time to try and figure out a plan of attack for Awase and Yanagi. Which, in this case, meant Fukidashi bouncing ideas for sound effects off of the gravity girl. "I'm thinking a WOOSH sound be enough to immobilize them."

"That's the wind thing, right?" Ochako asked, getting a nod. "But won't that hit the bomb too?"

"Huh, you're right. Maybe I should just go with a POW!"

"Oh, maybe you can do a ZAP or a SHOCK!" Ochako said.

"I dunno. Whenever I do energy sound effects, it ends up draining me a lot."

The next few minutes ended up with the two discussing various sound effects. But before the two goofballs knew it, they heard the sound of footsteps and Awase kicking down the door. "Surprise, bitches!"

"The time of battle is nigh," Yanagi said, waving her hands a little for theatrics.

"Aw, nuts! We got distracted!" Ochako shouted.

"No problem! These bad guys are still gonna get their butts whooped!" Fukidashi declared. "POW!"

The sound effect appeared in the air before turning into a giant fist that flew directly at Awase and Yanagi. The two dodged, and the fist hit the wall, cracking it and leaving behind debris before vanishing.

"I ain't done yet! POW! POW! POW! POW…"

Fukidashi kept at it, effectively becoming a fist-launching turret. The hero team was forced to keep moving and dodging.

"Be wary, Fukidashi: you have entered my domain!" Yanagi stated, making a motion with her hands. And suddenly, a barrage of rocks, nuts, bolts, and other random objects flew from behind her back and began to pelt Fukidashi and Ochako!

As it turned out, Yanagi had been using her telekinesis quirk to hide a collection of floating junk behind her back, out of the sight of her foes.

Ochako used her arms to block the barrage and decided to retaliate. She used her Quirk to make herself float. But then, she aimed her left gauntlet at the wall behind Yanagi and Awase.

"Let's go!" Ochako shouted before pressing a button on the gauntlet. It fired a hook on a wire that embedded itself into the wall behind her foes. Another button press and the gauntlet started winding the wire back up, sending Ochako towards the wall with a kick aimed squarely at Yanagi.

But to her surprise, the debris around Yanagi dropped…and Ochako suddenly found herself suspended in the air with Yanagi's hands held in front of her.

"Woah! Awesome counter, Yanagi!" Awase shouted with a smile. "Now, bring her down!"

"...that might be difficult." The black-haired boy looked and saw the state his partner was in. Her body was shaking a bit, and sweat was beginning to roll down her forehead. "It is taking all of my physical faculties in order to keep our foe suspended in the air."

"Oh, okay. I'll just cap—"

"WOOSH!" Awase was blasted back by a burst of wind from Fukidashi. "Don't forget that I'm here too!"

"Dammit! Yanagi, keep Uraraka in place! I'll deal with Mr. Loud Mouth!" Awase shouted, getting a nod in response. He quickly went to work, grabbing some dust and debris from the ground. 'He's gotta take a breath at some point.'

While Awase continued to dodge Fukidashi's sound effect attacks, Ochako was struggling against Yanagi's telekinesis. She could barely move her body and couldn't even touch her hands to release her quirk.

'I have to do something!' Ochako thought. And her mind came up with a solution. 'Looks like I'm gonna have to try that.'

Awhile back…

"Are you sure you don't have any better pointers?" Ochako asked Toshinori. The two were in Ochako's apartment, trying to come up with ideas on how to get around the backlash of Ochako's new power.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't, Ochako," Toshinori said. "When I was given One for All, I was already at my physical peak. Using it just came naturally to me. You're in better shape than you were before your training started, but not only do you still have room to grow, but your version of One for All also has the power I've accumulated over the years alongside the other seven holders."

"Dang it," Ochako muttered. Nearly a year of training in order to receive One for All, and she still felt like she couldn't handle it. She remembered the near-blinding pain after using it during the Entrance Exam. She remembered the overwhelming power in her limbs, feeling as though it would tear her apart.

The two tried to think in silence. Ochako lazily looked over to her shelf. She didn't have a lot of knick-knacks, but the few she did have were special to her. Which included a model of a space shuttle from the pre-Quirk era.

And then, like a bolt of lightning, something came to Ochako's head!

"I got it!" Ochako shouted. "I'm a straight tube!"

"Pardon?" Toshinori asked as the excitable brunette went and picked up her model shuttle.

"Do you know the reason why shuttles have nozzles?" Ochako asked, pointing to the nozzles on the back of the shuttle.

"Can't say I do."

"See, the reason why is because rocket propulsion puts an incredible strain and force. A straight tube would shatter under the pressure, but a cone-shaped nozzle spreads it around," Ochako explained. "When I used One for All, I was basically a tube blasting out power and breaking."

"Ah, I see!" Toshinori clapped. "So we just need to figure out a way for you to apply a 'nozzle' to One for All."

Ochako remembered the following days they spent trying to figure it out. How her routine after school for the last few weeks was training to get a new handle on OFA. And now, it was time to put it to use.

In the control room, everyone was watching as Awase dodged Fukidashi's attacks. And when the balloon-headed boy needed to catch his breath, Awase struck, throwing dust into his face and making him cough. With him now constantly coughing, Fukidashi was unable to say anything uninterrupted, turning it into a straight-up fistfight. All while Ochako was still telekinetically suspended.

'Come on, Ochako.' Izuku thought as he watched. 'You can get out of this one.'

He didn't exactly know how, but Izuku had hope in his friend.

'You are not a tube. You are a nozzle.' Ochako said to herself as she aimed her hand at the wall behind Yanagi. 'You're not a tube. You're a nozzle.'

Small stars of pink energy shimmered around her fingers as Ochako confined to her mental mantra. She placed her middle finger behind her thumb, as someone would do when they were about to flick something.

'You're a nozzle! One for All: 2% Rocket Blast!'

Ochako flicked her finger, unleashing a blast of air that flew past Yanagi and demolished the wall behind her.

"The hell?!" Yanagi shouted. And in her shock, her concentration was broken, freeing Ochako from her telekinesis. Ochako quickly retracted her wire hook and released herself from her Quirk's effect, landing on Yanagi. After a bit of a struggle from the silver-haired girl, Ochako managed to wrap the capture tape around Yanagi's wrists.

"Victory from defeat. Impressive," Yanagi admitted.

"Thanks," Ochako said as she stood up. The gravity girl looked at her fingers…and they weren't broken! Sure, there was some bruising and tingling, but she could still move them.

'I did it.' Ochako thought, her eyes shining with excitement. "I did it! I didn't break anything! WOO—"

"WEAPON SECURED! THE HERO TEAM WINS!"

"…huh?" Ochako turned around and saw Awase had placed his hand on the fake bomb, with Fukidashi welded to the floor and still coughing.

"Sorry. You looked like you were having a moment." Awase said. "I mean, kudos to whatever personal accomplishment made you celebrate."

"C-can I *cough* get a wat-*cough*-water or something?"

"…fuck," Ochako whispered to herself.

A few minutes later, the four were standing in the observation room, with Fukidashi drinking a water bottle…though it looked less like drinking and more like just inserting the open bottle tip into his head.

"So, you know the drill by now, kids." All Might said. "So what went wrong and what went right?"

"Well, the most obvious was that Uraraka and Fukidashi were too distracted at times," Iida explained. "It didn't seem like you came up with a plan to deal with your opponents. And Uraraka, your small celebration after capturing Yanagi could've been used to try and stop Awase."

"I know," Ochako said, tapping her fingers together in embarrassment in spite of the soreness in one of them.

"Awase and Yanagi were pretty damn good," Jirou said. "Fukidashi was going ham on you guys, and Uraraka was on the attack, but you guys were really quick and responsive."

"In contrast to you, Fukidashi," Kaibara said. "It looks like you didn't really have a backup plan when you got dust thrown at you."

"You know what, that's fair," Fukidashi replied. "I'll admit that improv ain't my strong suit."

"I guess that's something we both need to improve on," Ochako said to her partner.

"Well said, young Uraraka." All Might replied. "And now, onto the last match of the day!"

Back at the cityscape, the mysterious cat boy was still watching from his little perch. With most of the fights happening inside the buildings, he couldn't really see much of them.

But his ears perked up when he saw Striker walking towards the building. 'About time!' The cat boy thought to himself, his tail moving with excitement. 'Okay, metal man: show me what you got!'

A few minutes later, Kirishima and Kendo were standing in front of their building. The redhead was practically shaking with excitement.

"Well, you looked hyped."

"Of course I am! We're going against Midoriya and his robot!" Kirishima shouted. "I'm pumped as hell!"

"I mean…we fought robots at the entrance exam."

"That's different! Those were just drones! We're going up against a dude who's got some manly spirit in him! And that spirit is clear in that robot!" Kirishima exclaimed as he looked at Kendo. "Don't tell me you aren't a little bit excited to fight against that thing?"

Kendo said nothing before a smile appeared on her face. "Okay, ya; it is pretty cool."

The prep timer ended, and Kirishima & Kendo ran into the building. But to their surprise, they managed to catch Izuku and Kuroiro hopping through the ground floor windows…leaving the fake bomb behind.

"Huh?" Both of them said as once. However, they heard the pounding of Striker's metal footsteps and watched as the robot ran up to the building and smashed the walls. Kendo and Kirishima watched, mouths agape, as Striker grabbed the fake bomb and pulled it out from the building.

"Catch me if you can, heroes!" Izuku's voice came from the speakers as Striker held the bomb over its head and ran away.

"…well, that just happened," Kendo said, as she, Kirishima, and everyone in the observation room were more than a bit befuddled by…that.

"Is that even allowed, Mr. All Might?" Tsunotori asked. The Number One Hero rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"Technically, I never said you kids had to stay inside the building for the entire exercise. I'll allow it."

Ochako slapped herself on the forehead for not thinking of that.

"Nyahaha!" The mysterious cat boy laughed to himself as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, watching Striker run with the bomb. His eyes shined, and his smile was wide. "Now, this is what I'm talking about! That's the 'zing!'"

Inside the cockpit of Striker, Izuku thought about how things were going according to plan. Though with Striker running and carrying the bomb over its head, it didn't exactly paint the most heroic image.

'This is less something Hiroshi Shiba would do and more like something Don and Pancho would come up with.'

While Striker's strides were wide, Kirishima and Kendo were close behind and trying to catch up.

"Damn, he's really hoofing it," Kirishima stated while Kendo got an idea.

"You ever heard of the fastball special?"

"Like, from those ancient comic books?" Kirishima asked. Kendo nodded in response, and Kirishima grinned. Kendo activated her Quirk, enlarging her right hand. Kirishima curled into a ball as Kendo grabbed him, and she threw her teammate as hard as she could. As the redhead zoomed through the air, Kirishima hardened himself. He slammed into Striker's back, making the robot stumble and lose its footing. Striker fell flat on its metal face. Kirishima rolled off the robot and ran for the fake bomb.

But the moment Kirishima stepped into Striker's shadow, Kuroiro emerged and uppercut the redhead.

"AH! Damn it," Kirishima growled. He swung at Kuroiro, only for the white-hair student to disappear and reappear to kick Kirishima's legs out from under him.

"You okay?" Kendo asked as she ran to her partner.

"Ya, just surprised."

"Kuroiro, follow the plan," Izuku said as Striker stood back up and placed the bomb under the shadow of a nearby building.

"Roger," Kuroiro replied before leaping into the shadows, reappearing on top of the bomb while Striker stared down Kirishima and Kendo.

"If you heroes want the weapon, you're going to have to go through me!"

Now, the idea of fighting a machine several meters taller than you would make most teens nervous. But in this case, Izuku's opponents were a girl that had been practicing martial arts since she could walk and a boy who was determined to meet every challenge straight on like a real man.

Kirishima and Kendo were more than willing to go toe-to-toe with Striker. Hell, they were downright ecstatic!

Kirishima slammed his fists together, hardening his forearms, while Itsuka enlarged her hands.

"Let's go!" Kendo shouted as she and Kirishima charged. She attacked with a series of palm strikes, but Striker blocked them with its forearms. Kirishima went for the legs and punched Striker's knees, causing the robot to buckle. Kendo took the opening, slamming Striker's chest with another giant palm strike. The attack shook Izuku inside the cockpit and pushed the machine back. But Izuku was quick to retaliate, aiming Striker's right arm at Kendo.

"Anchor Knuckle!"

Locking mechanisms inside the arm disengaged, and mini-jets blasted the metallic forearm at Kendo, tethered to the bicep by a chain. Kirishima quickly ran in front of Kendo, crossing his arms in front of his face and hardening his body to its fullest extent.

The rocket punch struck Kirishima with a mighty clang. Yet, despite the cracks in the ground around him, Kirishima didn't budge. Striker's arm fell to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Kendo asked in concern, getting a nod from the redhead while Striker retracted its arm.

"I'm probably gonna have sore arms tomorrow, but aside from that, I'm good."

Striker retracted its arm, and through the eye feed, Izuku was stunned when he saw dents in the robot's knuckles!

"This is industrial grade steel…and you were able to damage it. Your Quirk's amazing, Kirishima!"

Kirishima smirked at that praise. "Heh, it ain't flashy, but it gets the job done."

Inside the cockpit, Izuku's eyes shined with glee. The hot-blooded demeanor, the lack of hesitation to jump and protect a teammate, and the full-force fighting style. Izuku wanted to emulate the hot-blooded and heroic mecha pilots he grew up watching. And now, it was like one of them had come to life and become his classmate. "Kirishima!" Izuku exclaimed. "You're so cool!"

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Kendo shouted. She enlarged her hands and charged at Striker. She managed to land a punch that shook Izuku once more. Kendo kept up her assault with a double palm strike. But Izuku was quick to act, and Striker grabbed Kendo's massive hands. The two were in a deadlock, mechanical might against superhuman strength as they pushed back against each other.

"Just as I thought," Izuku stated. "Your Quirk doesn't just make your hands bigger: it also strengthens the muscles inside them! You've got an incredible Quirk, Kendo."

Izuku then thought about the previous matches and the physical from earlier that week. His face gained a melancholic look. "All of you…everyone in class has such cool quirks…I'm kind of jealous."

While Izuku whispered that last part out, Kendo still heard it and was slightly confused. But then, Izuku's smile returned inside the cockpit.

"But Striker and I have plenty to show, too!" The boy let out a passionate yell, tossing Kendo away. She rolled to recover and stared down Striker, eyes burning with passion. Although Kendo couldn't see, Izuku returned her look with a smile. "Round Two!"

"If that's how you want to play it!" Kendo said, her own thrill for battle overtaking her.

Kirishima watched as his partner battled the robot. His arms were still sore from earlier, so he couldn't really help her out. He scowled at this but remembered: this exercise wasn't beating the villains! Their main goal was to capture the bomb!

So with a hearty yell, Kirishima turned and rushed towards the bomb, which Kuroiro has been watching this whole time.

"I was wondering when one of you meatheads would try that," Kuroiro smirked. With the bomb and the area around it covered in shadow, he had the home-field advantage. Kuroiro leaped off the bomb, diving into the shadows. As soon as Kirishima stepped into the shadows, Kuroiro grabbed the redhead's legs and knocked him down. In an instant, Kuroiro left the shadows and jumped onto Kirishima's back, capture tape in hand. 'Victory is all but assured!'

Kirishima growled as he felt Kuroiro grab his hands. He had to act fast! Suddenly, Kirishima hardened the back of his head and threw it back right into Kuroiro's face!

"Fuck!" Kuroiro instinctively grabbed his face, unwittingly letting go of the redhead's arms. Kirishima threw his opponent off his back and ran for the bomb

"WEAPON SECURED! THE HERO TEAM WINS!"

"Hell yeah!" Kirishima shouted with his arms up…and regretted doing that as his arms winched.

"What!" Kuroiro said before rubbing his sore nose.

"We…lost?" Izuku asked. And even though Itsuka couldn't see him, she could tell her classmate was more than a bit disheartened. So she keep her right hand big and held it up.

"If it makes you feel any better, you put in one hell of a fight, Midoriya."

Inside the cockpit, Izuku smiled. "It does, actually. And you're an incredible opponent, Kendo."

Once more, they raised their giant hands, one metal, and one flesh, but instead of battling, Kendo and Izuku gave each other a fist bump as the sun shined down on them. And no one noticed the cat boy leaping from the rooftops, a mischievous laugh escaping his lips.

A few minutes later, for the last time that day, the two teams stood in front of their classmates and All Might, ready to hear what they did right and wrong.

"So did you guys have a plan besides running away?" Honenuki asked.

"Well, we figured that Striker would be able to handle both Kirishima and Kendo since both of them seemed like they would prefer close-range combat, given the nature of their Quirks," Izuku explained. "And Kuroiro was meant to act as a failsafe in case either of them broke through and decided to go for the bomb…though that didn't turn out so well."

"No kidding," Kuroiro said, still rubbing his sore nose. "I definitely wasn't expecting to get headbutted."

"Well, I think there are two lessons to take away from this…" All Might stated. "1. No matter how much you plan things out, you should always be ready to adapt on the fly. And 2. Never overestimate your own strength or underestimate your opponent. Midoriya, it seems you need to take Lesson 2 to heart. Your machine is mighty, but it's not all-powerful."

"I mean, it's still pretty damn cool!" Awase shouted, punching his fist forward. "That Anchor Knuckle was fucking badass!"

"Kendo and Kirishima were pretty badass, too," Kaibara said. "You jumping in the way of that attack was top-tier hero shit."

"Your sneak attack was on-point, Kuroiro," Iida commented. "But it seems that you, and quite a few of us, need to learn how to adapt."

Kuroiro nodded in agreement. He was a natural fit for the shadows. The last thing he needed was to fail at sneak attacks.

After that, all twenty students, and a kneeling Striker behind them, stood in the cityscape as All Might addressed them.

"Vlad King will look over your footage and give you more detailed notes in your next homeroom. But personally, I might say that between you youngsters and your fellow students in 1-A, you freshmen are quite the impressive crop. Sure, you all could use some improvement, but that's what this course is for. So be sure to take all the lessons you learned today, and ingrain them into your mind and heart. Once you do that, if you keep training and improving," He then gave one of his signature smiles, "I have no doubt that you'll all become Plus Ultra heroes!"

Even the ones who lost that day felt a little better. It was hard not to, with the Number 1 Hero of Japan giving you a pep talk.

"Well, I think that about wraps this class up. Hit the showers, boys, and girls! I've got some paperwork that needs a doing."

"W-Wait, Mr. All Might! Sir!" Izuku stuttered out.

"Yes, what is it, young Midoriya?"

Izuku pulled out a small autograph book from his pocket. "D-Do you think I ca-"

"Say no more, lad," All Might bellowed, taking a pen out of his cape pocket before grabbing Izuku's autograph book and signing it. He handed it back to Izuku, chuckling a bit as the boy's eyes widen with glee.

"Thank you, sir!" Izuku said before taking a deep bow. "This'll be a new family heirloom!"

'Nerd.' A few of his classmates thought.

"Think nothing of it, my boy," All Might proclaimed. Izuku looked up…but then noticed something that made his eyebrow raise. "And if any of you other youngsters want an autograph, don't be afraid to ask. And with that, I'm off!"

All Might took off in a burst of superhuman speed, leaving the students there to head to the locker room.

'Was that…steam coming off of All Might's face?' Izuku thought, having seen a small wisp of it when he looked at the hero. But Izuku shrugged, thinking he might've just been seeing things.

However, at the same time, All Might was racing through the halls of UA, more and more smoke appearing from his body.

'Come on, come on!' The Symbol of Peace frantically thought to himself. 'Almost there!'

To All Might's relief, he made it into the empty teacher's lounge. He quickly looked at the door, and then a huge blast of steam erupted from his body. When it faded, the heroic muscular build of All Might was gone…and in his place was none other than Toshinori Yagi. The skeletal man was practically swimming in his, or rather All Might's, costume.

Toshinori let out a sigh of relief before pulling his sleeve back to look at a stopwatch. 'Just under six hours. Looks like this is my new limit. And it's only gonna get shorter from here.'

Toshinori took a seat on the couch, leaning into the cushions. 'So it's finally happening: my days of being All Might are coming to an end. This…this doesn't even feel real.'

A heroic career spanning nearly four decades would soon end. His power had been handed over to his chosen successor, and soon, the last embers of that power would fade. All Might as the world knew him would be gone, and only Toshinori Yagi would remain.

But before that happened, the hero of heroes would make damn sure the world would be safe in his absence. And that meant doing all he could to make Ochako the best hero she could be.

Later…

"You guys think Kacchan did better than us?" Izuku asked as he, Ochako, and Iida walked towards the exit.

"I kind of feel bad for hoping he didn't," Ochako commented.

"Why would you wish for your friend to fail?" Iida asked.

"Because he'll be bragging about it for the next week if he did."

"…ah, I see. That does seem like something Bakugou would do."

"He wouldn't be Kacchan if he was humble," Izuku said.

"Yo, guys!" The three turned and saw Awase approaching them. "You heading out together?"

"Um…yes," Izuku said. "We're actually gonna meet our friends, Kacchan and Mei, and then grab something to eat."

"Cool. Mind if I tag along?"

The three looked at each other before Ochako and Izuku shrugged. Iida responded, "I don't see why not. Any chance to bond with a fellow classmate."

"Awesome!" Awase joined the three as they headed out the front doors, the sun beginning to set. They saw Katsuki and Mei chatting on the steps of the gate…but they also noticed another girl chatting with them.

"Hey, guys!" Mei said with a wave, with Katsuki and the new girl turning to look at them. Said girl had long dark-green hair with the ends tied in a bow. Her wide eyes, held-out arms, and the shape of her lips made everyone think of a frog. "Guess what? Kacchan made a friend!"

"Really? That's great, Kacchan," Izuku said with a smile, only to get a 'tch' from his friend.

"Not on purpose. Tsu here sits next to me, and we ended up teaming up for that team exercise." Katsuki said before smirking. "Which by the way, we totally killed it."

'Tsu' put a finger on her chin. "I wouldn't say we 'killed it.' Yaoyorozu and Shoda almost captured us a couple of times, ribbit."

"'Almost' doesn't count," Katsuki said before noticing Awase. "Who's Headband over here?"

"The name's Yosetsu Awase, future hero and proud mecha enthusiast." Awase proudly stated.

"So, you want to join us for a bite?" Mei asked.

"Does Go Nagai love putting tits on robots?" Awase asked. Everyone was confused, but Izuku burst out laughing. Katsuki recognized that name from the millions of times he heard his best friend ramble about old super robot manga, looking between the two of them, and came to a horrifying realization.

'Oh, god, there's two of them now.'

"By the way, my full name is Tsuyu Asui," the green-haired girl said, introducing herself. "But you guys can just call me Tsu."

"Are you sure? That seems a little informal considering we just met," Iida asked. He got a shrug in response.

"I don't really mind. I like being casual, ribbit."

"Okay, then. Tsu it is!" Ochako said, happy to have another girl in their group.

"Well, we should get going if we want to get to Rai's before the dinner rush," Izuku said.

"Lead the way, green bean," Awase said as the seven UA students headed for the train station. From the upper floor windows of the UA Main Building, Toshinori, now clad in his yellow suit, watched his successor and her friends heading out, a smile appearing on his face.

'Young Uraraka, you'll have a lot on your shoulders soon. But until then, enjoy your youth while you still can.'

There was also another person watching the group from behind a nearby tree. The same cat boy from before. But his eyes were focused on Izuku. A bit of research with the online school directory helped the yellow-eyed young man find the name of this interesting freshman.

'Izuku Midoriya, eh?' He chuckled to himself with a dangerous glint in his eyes. 'You and your robot are exactly what I've been looking for.'

Notes:

So our trio of Izuku, Ochako, and Tenya clearly have a ways to go before they become real heroes! And Katsuki made friends with a certain frog girl! I'm also having a lot of fun writing Yosetsu and having him and Izuku geek out about robots. So expect more of that in future chapters.

This story's take on the USJ arc is soon to come. But first, we'll have two breezy chapters for some character work, fun interactions, and a technical breakdown of Striker's future upgrades and how it functions.

Next Time: Inner Workings!

Please remember to read, write, and review!

Plus Ultra!

Chapter 8: Inner Workings

Summary:

While the semester rolls forward, Izuku discusses how his robot works with his buddies, while something sinister begins to stir.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 8: Inner Workings

A few days after the Heroes Vs. Villains Exercise, Izuku and his friends were ready for another day of classes at UA.

"What's All Might's teaching style like?"

"Does he wear his costume during class? If so, which one?"

"According to my resources, All Might wears 'El Vengedor' brand cologne. Can you confirm that?"

…or at least they were trying to get to class. But on this particular day, reporters, bloggers, and all manner of gossip mongers were crowded outside the school gates, with the goal of getting all information about All Might's activities as a new UA teacher. They were truly desperate for any gossip about the Number 1 hero.

One of the reporters, a brunette in her mid-30s, run up to Izuku and shoved mic in his face. "Excuse me, Fumiko Fujita of The National Jinkai," she exclaimed. "So, what's it like learning from All Might?"

"Eh?! I mean…it's really cool!" Izuku said. "He's every bit as awesome as a teacher as he is a hero. He even wore his Silver Age costume…actually, it might've been a recreation. The original costume was heavily damaged during the Mt. Furosa eruption rescue…."

Fujita and her photographer watched as Izuku continued to go on and on about seemingly random All Might facts they didn't ask for. They clearly weren't going to get anything juicy from this kid, so they turned to Ochako.

"How does All Might look when he's teaching?"

"Hm." Ochako put a finger to her lips. She couldn't honestly say that Mr. Yagi was obviously inexperienced as a teacher while also trying his best. "I mean, he's what you expect; he's all big and muscly. But with that big smile, he's almost like a giant teddy bear!"

'I wanted something spicy, not sweet,' Fujita thought to herself. She then turned to Iida. "Tell us about 'All Might, the teacher.'"

"Gladly," Iida replied. "Every day with him is a reminder that I'm enrolled at this preeminent educational institution. Beyond his obvious dignity and presence, he's also quite humorous. As we students are privy to observing his many facets, we've been given the opportunity to discover just what makes a top hero a top hero. Also…"

'He's almost as bad as greeny!' The reporter thought before looking at Katsuki. "What would you say is All Might's best—"

"I'm only gonna say this once," Katsuki growled. "Get out of my face before I take that microphone and shove it right up your—"

'Christ, never mind! You little jackass.' She quickly moved to Mei. "Do…you have anything to say about All Might…please?"

"Sorry, but I'm not in the Hero Course. That being said…." Mei then looked at the camera with a wide smile. "…if any rookie hero or hero student needs top-tier support gear, I'm your girl!" She then pulled a glove-like device out of her backpack. "Just last night, I came up with this: the Hatsume Q-Adaptive Glove! See, this handy little baby uses the same DNA adaptation technology…."

'What is with these kids?!' Fujita mentally groaned as Mei went on and on about the science behind her new invention. She then heard footsteps and tried to ask the new arrival a question…but the words swiftly died in her throat as she saw the intimidating figure of Vlad King standing above her.

"If you're done harassing the students, I'm going to ask all of you to leave the premises," Vlad said, his expression firm as Izuku and the gang snuck behind him and into the gate.

"B-But," Fujita pleaded. "The public has the right to know what the Number One—"

"I'm sure if you can schedule him, All Might will be more than happy to give you an interview. But for now, I'll have to ask you all to step back a bit."

"Um…okay." The reporters and paparazzi did just that. But one man with an ostrich head wearing a black t-shirt still had a question.

"Wait a second: what about the rumors that you guys let a Quirkless kid into the hero course?"

Izuku and his friends stopped at that line while Vlad narrowed his eyes.

"Is it true? If it is, don't you think it's irresponsible letting a crippled child into such a dangerous course? Why would you even do that?! If you ask me—"

"We're done here."

Vlad pressed a button on the gate, and a reinforced steel door slid up…as well as a massive perimeter made of the same material across the entire school ground.

"What the fuck?!" The ostrich man shouted in shock while Fujita sighed in defeat.

"Great," she groaned. "The UA barrier. Looks like we're not getting anything juicy today." The same sense of defeat was shared amongst most of the veteran paparazzi. The barrier was a famous automated defense system that went up either by command or if anyone without a school ID or visitor's pass tried to break into the school. The barrier being raised manually was also a less-than-subtle way of telling noisy reporters and gossip mongers that the school was in no mood to deal with them.

"I'm starting to think Aizawa has the right attitude with the press," Sekijiro said before turning to the students. "Is everyone alright?"

Everyone else nodded while Katsuki said, "That was annoying as fuck."

"Well, get used to it. The price of being a successful pro hero is that vultures like those guys will be desperate to hound you and others around you for gossip."

"Has that happened to you, Sensei?" Ochako asked, making Sekijiro groan.

"Unfortunately, yes." He still regretted saying he preferred dogs over cats to that one blogger who 'reinterpreted' that as the Blood Hero hating cats. Aizawa still makes cracks about that to this day.

"Um…sensei?" Izuku said. "I actually have to turn in some request forms to the principal before class starts."

"That's fine. Just make sure you don't take too long."

"Right. See you guys later!"

"Later," Katsuki said as he and the others headed to their respective classrooms while Izuku headed in a different direction. But as he walked to Nezu's office, the robot pilot couldn't help but think about what that one blogger said. The rumor of a Quirkless student in UA's hero course was spreading.

Granted, Izuku wasn't exactly trying to hide the fact that he was Quirkless…but he wasn't running around screaming and banging pots and pans to announce he was, either. He was just some kid who still got nervous at times. And he was certain UA wouldn't be so negligent as to let personal student information leak to the public.

But Izuku shook it off. He couldn't let himself get distracted by rumors and gossip. He had to make quite a few modifications to Striker today. But first, had to hand in the forms for the required materials to Principal Nezu.

"YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR THIS TIME, RAT!"

Izuku flinched. That loud noise came from Nezu's office. The greenette couldn't fully make out any specific words after that loud exclamation, but he could tell it was intense. Izuku got closer to the door to listen in. And for his trouble, he got a door to the face.

"Ow." Izuku looked up and saw a burly man with light gray hair clad in a finely pressed business suit. His amber eyes bore into Izuku, making the robot pilot feel incredibly nervous. The man scoffed before turning back towards Nezu.

"We'll be watching."

"I'm sure you will," Nezu said in his usual nonchalant tone. The man stomped away, and Izuku went into the office.

"Um…Principal Nezu?"

Nezu perked up and smiled. "Ah, Midoriya! Come on in."

"Um, who was that?" Izuku glanced back at the door, the man already out of sight.

"That was Mr. Osamu Wada from Hero Public Safety Commission," Nezu explained. "We had a bit of a…let's call it a disagreement about UA's policies this year."

"R-Right," Izuku replied. 'That sounded a bit more than a simple disagreement.' But Izuku decided not to pry. He simply pulled out the request forms and handed them to Nezu. "I've got some request forms. One's for some new materials to upgrade Striker. The other is a visitor's pass request."

"A visitor's pass? And may I ask who this is for?"

"Professor Eun-Ji Lim. She's my programming teacher, and she helped fine-tune Striker's OS. I figured letting her into the support lab will be more convenient so she can help upgrade it along with everything else."

"Hmmm…we'll have to do an extensive background check. But I think I'll be able to get it through."

"Thank you, sir!" Izuku said with a bow.

Down the hall from Nezu's office, Osamu Wada marched through U.A. The sound of his heavy, angry footsteps could be heard on the floors above and below him. As he walked, Wada pulled out his cell phone to make a call. It wasn't hard to find the right contact; Wada's contact list was depressingly sparse. "Hello, this is Special Agent Wada."

"Good morning, Agent Wada," said the voice of a refined middle-aged woman. "I take it you've finished your meeting with Principal Nezu?"

"Yes, President Miyashima," Wada said. His expression twisted into a scowl. "Unfortunately, Principal Nezu adamantly refused to comply with our request. He said that the expulsion of a student was a 'none starter.'"

The woman sighed. "Disappointing, but not unexpected," President Miyashima said. "Nezu has always been hard to control. Removing him as the principal would be the fastest way of resolving this problem, but the potential backlash from the public and his associates is a great risk. And he knows that."

"Don't worry, Madam President," Wada said, his lips curling into a smile. "We have subtler means of remedying the situation. I will now allow that beast to undermine the peace we have worked so hard to build."

After Izuku had sorted out the paperwork with Principal Nezu, he headed back to class. Everything was going along as usual, with a few cliques already taking form. Sen and Pony were cuddling, Mineta was sharing some dirty jokes he found online that weirded out Hagakure but made Tokage chuckle, Kendo was chastising Kamakiri for putting his feet on the table, Jiro was listening to some music on her phone, etc.

Izuku took his seat behind Sero, who was chatting with Honenuki. He took out his materials when he heard the two's conversation.

"I don't think they would actually let someone like that in. At least not in the Hero Course," Honenuki said to his helmet bro.

"But I heard they changed the rules for the entrance exam," Sero replied. "So it's possible."

"Doesn't mean anyone would be dumb enough to try it. Didn't you guys fight robots?"

"Ya. And they were pretty tough."

"Ergo, it would be almost impossible for a Quirkless guy to take them down."

Izuku flinched. Of course, his classmates were talking about that rumor. Why wouldn't they? He just hoped they didn't drag him into—

"Hey, Midoriya?"

'Damn it!' Izuku thought. Swallowing his nerves, Izuku turned to his classmate. "U-um, yes, Sero?"

"You got a friend in 1-A, right?" Sero asked, getting a nod from Izuku. "Did he mention a Quirkless kid in their class?"

"W-well, Kacchan didn't mention anything like that," Izuku replied. "And I doubt he would even care about that kind of thing."

"Well, that rumor has to start from somewhere, and there's no Quirkless kid in our class," Sero stated with certainty. And that made Izuku feel guilty…and a tad insulted. His classmates that weren't in the know assumed he had some kind of quirk tied to Striker. Granted, he hadn't done anything to make anyone doubt that was the case. "Maybe we can swing by 1-A during free period and—"

"You will do no such thing, Sero!" Iida said as he marched up to the black-haired boy. "Snooping on our fellow students goes against the heroic ideals we are meant to embody."

"Come on, Iida," Sero said almost pleadingly. "You're not even slightly curious who the Quirkless kid in the hero course might be?"

"If they even exist," Honenuki chimed in. Izuku bristled at that. At least Sero was entertaining the idea of a Quirkless student at a hero school. Iida saw his friend's troubled look and continued.

"Regardless of whether or not there is a Quirkless student among us, what exactly would you do if you uncovered their identiry? Harassment is frowned upon on matter what the context."

"Oh, well, I mean," Sero said with a nervous smile. "I'd probably ask for some pointers."

"I'd ask how much yen they bribed the teachers with," Honenuki stated.

"B-bribed?!" Izuku exclaimed in disbelief. Sero and Iida stared at Honenuki in stunned silence.

"I got in on recommendation, and even that test had us run through a gauntlet. The regular exam had robots on loan from the military. I could buy a Quirkless adult in their prime passing those tests. But a kid straight out of middle school?" Honenuki snorted at the idea. "There's no way they're getting in without something shady going on behind the scenes."

"Honenuki, I am appalled!" Iida stated. "U.A. is the pinnacle of heroic education! To even insinuate that All Might's alma mater would give in to bribery…" The bespectacled teen had to take a breath to compose himself. "If a Quirkless student has been accepted into U.A., then they must be extraordinary enough to impress the proctors and teachers, pro-heroes themselves nonetheless! Who are you to question their judgement?!"

Honenuki put his hands up defensively. "Dude, I'm just say—"

"Settle down, everyone," Vlad King said he walked in. Everyone went back to their seats to prepare for the first lesson of the day. But under his desk, Izuku took out his phone and began texting his friend through their last group text.

Izuku: Thanks for that.

Ochako: I was going to jump in and say something, but you beat me to it, Iida!

Tenya: I could see that you were uncomfortable, Midoriya. I only did as any friend should in that situation.

Ochako: Aw!

Izuku: Again thanks, Tenya.

Ochako: Oh, we're moving to first names?!

Tenya: Are you sure about that?

Izuku: After that, I'd be happy to be on a first-name basis with you, Tenya.

Ochako: Me too!

Tenya: Very well! But we definitely should put our phones away! Izuku, Ochako! Do not make this a habit!

Izuku: Right

Ochako: Gotcha

Izuku hoped the next class would take his mind off of things. And luckily, they had Art History with Midnight.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the old phrase, 'Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it,'" The R-Rated Heroine said as she began her lesson. It was easy to see why she had that moniker, as her dominatrix-Esque outfit proved. Technically she was fully clothed, but the way the costume contorted to her mature curves and the pale, skin-like coloring left little to the imagination. The domino mask over her blue, her long & luxurious dark-purple hair, and the way she carried herself also brought the word 'R-Rated' to mind. But most of the students tried to instead focus on what she was saying rather than her…questionable teaching attire. "So today, we're studying an art piece from a chaotic era in humanity's past. It's called, 'Four Asura in Siberia.'"

With a press of a button, the projector projected the image of a painting on the front board. And the students were stunned. Generally speaking, it was a beautiful painting clearly made by a master of the craft, with just the right amount of inking, shading, and color separation.

But it was the contents of said paintings that was…well, the haunting was the only word to describe it. The painting showed four figures floating above a ruined and burning street. Cars and bloody bodies were floating, building around them were devastated, and the streets were on fire.

And each of the four figures had a monstrous appearance, with burning red skin, four demonic faces each, and four arms each. They truly looked like demons out of the most violent nightmares.

"So, can anyone tell me what Emergence Age incident this painting is referencing?" Midnight asked. Tenya was the first to raise his hand. "Yes, Iida?"

"I believe it's a recreation of the Siberian Psychic Massacre, where a set of quintuplets with unstable telekinesis Quirks ended up leveling an entire district of the Russian city of Ulan-Ude," Tenya said. "Though, I am curious why they look like demons. From the accounts of what I have read about it, the quintuplets were just children who were having a panic attack, and the resulting devastation was caused by the immense psychic backlash."

"Well, we might know that as fact now, but for the artist who witnessed the event and managed to survive, those children probably appeared like demons to her." Midnight stated. "If you look at artwork during this period, you'll find thousands of similar pieces. Almost all of them are gruesome and apocalyptic. In fact, millions of people at the time believed that the emergence of quirks was going to bring about the end of mankind."

Now that was a haunting thought that made the teens ponder. So Midnight offered a kind smile to ease them. "Thankfully though, humanity managed to pull through and created the hero system as a way to bring order back."

Kaminari then raised his hand to ask a question. "Hey, teach, if this painting's from Russia, why does it have asura in it? Ain't that a Buddhist thing?"

"Excellent question, Kaminari." Midnight threw in a flirtatious wink that had the electric boy grinning like an idiot. "You see, Ulan-Ude is home to a large number of Buddhists, primarily of the ethnic Buryat people. The artist, Saran Melnik, was a practicing Buddhist when she witnessed the massacre. In fact, like many religions at the time, a lot of the more fearful Buddhists spread this phrase around; 'The Q is Moha.' Now, can anyone tell me what Moha is?"

This time Yanagi raised her hand. "It's a word that means 'delusion' or 'ignorance.' It is one of the three poisons along with Dvesha, 'rage,' and Raga, 'greed.' Many practitioners of Buddhism believe that Moha is the delusional misunderstanding of the nature of reality, keeping one from reaching a state of true enlightenment."

"Spot on, Yanagi," Midnight said. "There was a large sect of Buddhism that believed that Quirks were a manifestation of Moha, granting humans ungodly powers that would dull their desire to reach enlightenment. Moha would then lead to Dvesha and Raga, and those that used their Quirks for evil were being twisted by the three poisons and transformed into asuras." A feeling of unease washed over the classroom. Many of them knew how dangerous Quirks could be. They thought of all the villains they'd seen on the news, and comparison to the destructive asuras felt uncomfortably fitting.

"Quirks were specifically identified with Moha because, without ignorance, there could be no rage or greed," Midnight explained. "This wasn't just limited to Buddhism though; most major religions believed that Quirks were the work of whatever evil force appeared in their texts."

Midnight continued on with her lessons, teaching her students about the various phrases and doomsday sayings that were used during the Emergence Age. Izuku, in particular, was fascinated by the subject…though he did feel a stinging sense of irony. There was a time when people like him were the vast majority who were fearful and distrustful of a small portion of the population suddenly gaining superpowers. Granted, life wasn't nearly as chaotic as the Four Asura paintings showed, but now the superpowered majority looked down on people like him.

A few hours later, it was finally time for free period. The students were allowed to do whatever they pleased during this time. Some students chose to study independently, others went to U.A.'s gym to practice or work out, while some simply took the time to relax. Izuku had already decided what he want to do today and headed to the support department.

"Hey, Izuku," Ochako said as she, Tenya, and Awase approached. "What are you doing for free period?"

"Just some maintenance work on Striker," Izuku replied.

"Oh, awesome!"Awase exclaimed. "Mind if I come along? Get a peak under the hood?"

"I will admit, I'm curious about how your machine is maintained," Tenya stated.

"I mean, a lot of it goes over my head…" Ochako said. "But it's still pretty cool!"

"Sure, I don't mind," Izuku said with a small smile, and the four left for the support department. The hero course students arrived near the support department classroom, but…

KABOOM!

"Agh!" Tenya and Awase jumped back while Izuku and Ochako simply sighed as the door was blown clean off its hinges, accompanied by the sound of someone smacking against the walls.

"Looks like Mei's in top form today," Ochako commented.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked, even though he knew the answer. The smoke cleared, revealing a soot-covered Mei removing herself from the wall and lightly coughing.

"You know me, Izuku; one teensy little explosion ain't enough to stop me!"

"That was far from 'teensy!'" Awase yelled.

"Hatsume, you shouldn't be so blasé about being at the epicenter of an explosion!" Tenya followed up with some exaggerated arm movements.

"Save your breath," an exhausted Power Loader said as he stepped out of the room. "I've been telling her to be more careful around combustible materials for over a year, but it's like talking to a brick wall." He perked up at the sight of his other student. "Hey, Izuku."

"Hey, Higari-sensei," Izuku said. "The principal approved my requests, so I want to do some maintenance work before we upgrade Striker later."

"Sure thing." Power Loader said as he lead the four students in while Mei half-heartedly put the door back up…and shrugged when it fell down again.

Awase's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning when he saw Striker in its maintenance chamber. A few of the robot's plates had been removed, leaving wires exposed, and its right arm had been detached from previous maintenance sessions.

To others, Striker's current state would look like junk. But to a Mecha fanboy like Awase, this sight was living art!

"We figured out what was causing that loose feeling in the right arm," Higari explained. "One of the wire fibers snapped out of place."

"So we're going to need to find something to hold it together properly," Izuku said.

Tenya raised an eyebrow. "Wire Fibers?" he asked.

"Oh, um…they're a bunch of wires that hold stuff…together?" Ochako tried to explain. "Izuku's better at explaining it."

"Basically, think how muscle fibers and tendons in the human body are bunched up to allow movement," Izuku explained. "The concept is basically the same; twisting the wires and binding them together forms a sort of artificial muscle tissue, allowing Striker's limbs to have more freedom of movement."

"Ah, so that explains why it moves more like a human and less like a bot." Awase reasoned.

"Exactly!" Izuku replied and continued. "In fact, many of Striker's parts are parallel to the human body. There's the CPU & Operating System are the brain. The Industrial Batteries, the heart. The Inner Frame, the skeleton. The Wire Fibers, the muscles. And the Outer Armor is the skin."

"So cool!" Awase said before looking around the chamber. He saw what looked like basketball-sized gumballs in a metallic box. "What's up with these things?"

"Capture Putty. The same kind the police use to catch villains." Power Loader explained. "One of the first of many non-lethal capture options we're loading into Striker."

"Makes sense," Awase said. "So where's he gonna fire these out of? The hands? The chest?…the crotch?"

Ochako held back her giggles while Tenya was confused, and Izuku just rolled his eyes.

"Pretty sure the HPSA wouldn't react fondly to Striker having any kind of crotch weapon," Izuku stated.

"It would be Midnight's original costume all over again," Power Loader chimed in.

"I'm a bit lost here," Tenya said. Awase took out his phone and showed the taller teen a clip from the anime Combattler V…and the titular robot using its Big Blast attack. "Ah…I see."

"It's supposed to be a stomach attack, but with the position and all—"

"I get it!" Tenya shouted. "Though that does bring to question just what other weapons and gadgets your machine is capable of."

"Well, right now, Striker's weaponry is pretty simple," Izuku said, placing his laptop on a nearby work desk. After it booted up, Izuku opened up a spreadsheet showing the current schematics for his robot. "Currently, Striker only has four advantages in combat. 1) it's Titanium Alpha armor. 2) the Pro-Motion System. 3) the Anchor Knuckle. And 4) its enhanced strength."

Izuku pressed a button, showing a side-by-side comparison between Striker and the various robo-villains from the entrance exam. Specifically showing elemental compositions of their armor. "See, the metal the robots at the entrance exam were sort of a faux-titanium alloy meant to be durable yet easy for a relatively decent Quirk to destroy. Striker's new armor is made of a much higher-grade version of that material. It can survive multitudes of heat, electrical attacks, energy blasts, and physical damage."

"Wait, didn't Kirishima dent it?" Awase asked, getting a nod from the greenette.

"Honestly, that's more of a showcase of how dense Kirishima's quirk makes his skin than anything else," Izuku said before continuing. It showed data of Striker doing some moves with other windows showing big heroes like Fatgum and Gang Orca grappling smaller villains or villains that matched their size. "Now the Pro-Motion System uses motion capture technology taken from pro-hero combat footage. I decided to focus on the styles of bigger heroes like Gang Orca, given Striker's bigger size."

"Ah, so it's like the motion-capture technology some films use to animate characters," Tenya surmised.

"Exactly," Izuku said. "And you've seen the Anchor Knuckle and its enhanced strength a bit in action before."

"I mean, it tore a wall off a building. That's pretty nuts," Ochako stated.

"Well, the last we checked, Striker's max carry weight was 50 tons. So on the superstrength scale, it's about mid-tier." Power Loader explained. Awase whistled at that statistic.

Izuku then continued to list more of the current and planned features of Striker, such as how the bundled-up wire fiber was meant to stimulate human muscle tissue. And how Izuku was planning on adding a drill attachment and even foot treads in a later upgrade. But soon enough, the free period was reaching its end, and the gang would have to return to class.

But as Tenya and Ochako headed out, Izuku received a text from Katsuki as he was putting his laptop away.

Kacchan: Yo, sorry I couldn't make it during free period. Upside, my folks are probably gonna have a new client.

Izuku: Really? Is one of your classmates in the fashion industry.

Kacchan: Nah. But Ponytail wants some advice on redesigning her costume. So I told her I would run it by Dad and the old hag when I get home.

Izuku: Ponytail? She's the one who pulls stuff out of her body, right?

Kacchan: Yup. Using her lipids or some shit like that. And no, I will not ask her to go into detail about it. You're gonna have to ask her yourself.

Izuku: Fair enough.

Awase then approached Izuku as he put his phone away.

"Hey, Izuku. Can I ask ya something?" Awase said. "And you don't got to answer it if it makes you too uncomfortable."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Are you the Quirkless student those rumors are about?"

Izuku froze. It was a question he knew was coming. While Izuku didn't know the when or the who, in the back of his mind, Izuku knew this question was inevitable. He took a deep breath and sighed. 'Might as well rip the bandaid off,' Izuku thought. He turned to face Awase. With tense shoulders and shaky breath, Izuku opened his mouth and said, "Yes. That's right. I'm Quirkless."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as the two boys stared at each other. Izuku's nerves rose as the seconds ticked on, waiting for Awase's response.

"Oh," Awase said. "Okay then."

Izuku stared dumbly at Awase. "'Okay then?'"

"I kind of figured it out a few days ago," Awase said, surprising Izuku. "You never mentioned having a Quirk, I haven't seen you use it, and none of the equipment made for Striker looks like it looks it integrates any kind of Quirk."

"Oh, yeah," Izuku said. "Looking back on it, that makes a lot of sense." He raised an eyebrow at Awase. "But, I could've had an intelligence-enhancement Quirk for all you know."

Awase laughed at Izuku's response. "Midoriya, I dated a girl with an intelligence Quirk. Trust me, I would be able to tell if you had anything like that."

Izuku didn't know what to say to this. "So…you don't mind that I'm Quirkless?"

"Dude, my superpower is that I weld things together. I'm in no position to judge people on whether or not they have powers or not," Awase said before giving Izuku a huge grin. "Besides, I couldn't call myself a mecha fan if I discriminated against a real pilot just because of genetics. Hell, Gundam Seed was all about not letting genetics breed hatred."

For the 2nd time that day, Izuku felt touched and shook Awase's hand in gratitude. "Thank you, Awase."

"No problem, my guy," Awase said. "And hey, you can call me Yosetsu if ya want."

Izuku smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

Izuku knew he had truly made some new, true friends that day. But little did he know that more sinister forces were beginning to brew.

Later that night…

'Well, today was a bust,' Fumiko Fujita thought as she tiredly checked her email, nursing a can of beer. None of what she'd gotten today was remotely usable. The worst part was the look her boss gave when she came back after she'd practically begged him to let her cover All Might's teaching position at UA. Fujita grabbed a beer and slumped in her chair. How the hell was she supposed to make a name for herself as a real reporter when all the big stories kept slipping through her fingers like grains of sand?

Suddenly, a notification popped up on her computer. She had a new email.

Fujita sighed and went to check it. The subject line was 'UA Secret.' She opened the email and languidly read it. Suddenly, she sat up and put her beer down. Fujita re-read the message several times as she let it sink in.

Dear Ms. Fujita,

I have been made aware that you have been trying to dig some dirt on United Allies Academy. Now, I am sure that your desire to do so is motivated by monetary gain. But I believe that you and your colleagues can expose UA's recent negligence.

Included in this email is the file of one particular student. And once you give his profile a look, you will see what exactly I mean.

Fujita was a bit weary, especially since the email address that sent it was a random assortment of characters, clearly some sort of burner account. The file most likely had some kind of virus. She went to report the email as spam and delete it, but paused, cursor hovering over the button. Through some combination of inebriation and genuine curiosity, Fujita gave in and opened the attached file. Her eyes widened as her lips curled into a smirk.

The document was none other than Izuku Midoriya's UA student file, listing his age, date of birth, previous schools, test scores, and home address. But the most prominent piece of data was this.

Quirk: N/A

'If this is true, this is gonna be one hell of a scoop,' Fujita thought to herself. 'Sorry, kid, but you're gonna be my ticket to success!'

Notes:

So we had a bit of technological babble in this chapter…but we're also setting up some more trouble brewing for our hero in the next few chapters.

And for those of you paying attention to the connections between this story and it's inspiration (Knight's & Magic), there is a big honking easter egg in this chapter. See if you can find it.

Next Time: Who Will Lead?

Please remember to read, favorite, and review!

Plus Ultra!

Chapter 9: Who Will Lead?

Summary:

Class 1-B gets to decide their Class Representatives and deal with all manners of surprises.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 9: Who Will Lead?

"Have a good day, boys!"

"See ya later, Inko."

"Bye, mom!"

Like any other day, Izuku and Hisashi headed out for school and work, respectively, saying goodbye to Inko as they left. As usual, Hisashi went one way to catch the bus to his office, while Izuku went the other way to meet Katsuki at his house before meeting their friends at the train station.

But today wasn't an ordinary day. Unbeknownst to the Midoriya family, they were being spied on. Someone hid in a bush near the Midoriya's apartment building, and with their camouflage Quirk they were practically undetectable.

Once father and son were far enough away, the hidden figure released their Quirk, revealing themselves to be the photographer who accompanied Fumiko Fujita yesterday. The photographer pulled out his phone and texted Fujita.

Takenaka: Got the pics

Fujita: Great! Now follow the dad and keep snapping photos on your end.

Fujita: I've got some snooping to do

The photographer pressed his lips into a thin line.

Takenaka: Hey, are you sure about doing this story?

Fujita: I'll admit, the lead is kind of sketchy, but that's why we're investigating!

Takenaka: No, I mean, if this kid is Quirkless, is it really our place to expose him?

Fujita: The people have a right to know, Taketake. Isn't that why you became a photographer, to expose the truth?

He rolled his eyes at the use of the nickname 'Taketake.' No matter how much he begged, pleaded, or complained, he could never get her to stop using it. Sometimes he thought Fujita didn't even remember his real name, Takehiko Takenaka.

Fujita: Besides, if we can expose UA's rumored 'Quirkless hero student,' it'll make our careers. Now get going before you lose track of the dad!

Takenaka sighed. He really hoped Fujita knew what she was doing.

Takenaka: On it.

Meanwhile…

Within the U.A. Teacher's Lounge, two Pro Heroes stood facing one another. First was the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, Eraserhead, and across from him was his counterpart from 1-B, Vlad King. Vlad King took an intimidating stance, staring down his opponent with the same intensity he showed criminal scum.

By contrast, Eraserhead was…slouching, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world as he took a sip of coffee. "Do we really have to do this?"

"Yes," Vlad said with narrowed eyes. "It's the only way to settle this."

"I can think of like six other ways to settle this, but whatever." Eraserhead took one last sip before placing the coffee cup on his desk. The Hero Course teachers each held up their right fists.

"Once…"

"Twice…"

"Shoot!"

The two men threw their hands down, with Eraserhead's becoming scissors and Vlad's becoming rock.

"Ha, ha! Yes!" Vlad cheered. "Class B does the first rescue exercise of the year!"

"Good for you," Eraserhead said, pointedly ignoring Vlad King's victory dance while he sat down to do some paperwork.

"Boo!" Midnight said from her desk. "You two should've settled this like real men! With wrestling! Preferably of the shirtless and oiled up variety."

"You're not gonna trick me into doing that again, Nemuri," Sekijiro stated.

'The fact that she managed to trick you at all should say something,' Eraserhead thought while Nezu chuckled.

"Excellent, I'll go and inform Thirteen," the Principal said.

At the same time, the reporters and paparazzi were once more crowded outside of UA, still desperate to get any gossip or info on All Might's new teaching position. Some of them had even camped out overnight, hoping to see the Symbol of Peace as he tried to enter the school.

But unbeknownst to the reporters and UA staff alike, someone else was there. Standing in the tree line, just out of sight, stood a lanky man in a black hoodie, jeans, red boots, and an odd pair of black gloves that only covered his pinky and ring fingers.

'Sheep,' the concealed man thought to himself. Honestly, he thought about killing one or two of them to relieve his boredom. He'd probably be doing society a favor by offing these hero-obsessed NPCs. But that would probably cause too much of a ruckus. No, he needed to wait till the time was right. 'These people are idiots, but in the right circumstances, they can be useful idiots.'

Later on, the students of 1-B couldn't help but notice Sekijiro's jovial mood as he walked into class.

"Looks like sensei's got some pep in his step today," Kaminari whispered to Mineta…which meant they had to talk around an increasingly-irritated Kamakiri.

"600 yen says he got laid."

"Mineta! Kaminari! That is extremely inappropriate!" Tenya exclaimed, turning behind him to address the two while Kamakiri growled.

"Morning, students. I got some good news: this Thursday, we're gonna be conducting our first rescue exercise of the year," Vlad stated. "So make sure your costumes and support gear are ready by then."

After a few nods of acknowledgment and a couple of cheers from his more enthusiastic students, Vlad's expression turned serious. "But as for today, you will decide something that will affect the rest of your tenure at U.A."

A few of the students were nervous, waiting for what their teacher had to say and what important choice they had to make.

"Today…you will decide your class representative!"

It was good that everyone was seated because the whiplash of such a mundane answer from Vlad's deathly serious expression was enough to knock his students on their collective asses. But after getting over that shock, a dozen hands shot up as almost every student spoke up at once.

"Oh, oh, pick me! Pick me!" Hagakure shouted.

"Yo, I'll take a crack at being class prez," Kaminari said.

"I'd do it," Jirou said, if only because she knew that Hagakure or Kaminari being their representative would be a disaster.

"Vote for me, and all the skirts will be mini-skirts!" Mineta said as he stood on his desk.

"Screw that!" Tokage countered. "If I win, we're gonna get mandatory 'shirtless boys' day and weekly kaiju movie screenings!"

"Your vote of confidence will ensure decorum of the macabre for our daily education," Yanagi stated, confusing Tsunotori.

"I'll make every day as manly and chivalrous as possible!" Kirishima shouted.

"The hell does that even mean?!" Awase chimed in.

The classroom exploded into a cacophony of students arguing why they should be the class representative. Izuku, still quietly seated, couldn't help but chuckle at his classmates' antics.

"Everyone, control yourselves!" Tenya shouted, stopping the commotion. "The role of the class representative is one of heavy responsibility! Whoever takes up this office will need the ability to lead and the trust of their fellow students. Therefore, the only reasonable and civilized way to decide who should lead our classroom should be decided by election!"

"Boring!" Kamakiri said. "Let's just fight for the title: last man standing style!"

"This ain't wrestling!" Ochako shouted in shock while everyone else ignored Kamakiri's suggestion.

"Um, are you sure that's a good idea, Iida?" Koda quietly asked. "We haven't known each other long enough."

"Koda's right," Jirou chimed in. "Three weeks ain't enough time to build trust between strangers."

"And everyone's just gonna vote for themselves anyway," Kaibara commented, which made Honenuki crack up.

"Don't act like you and your blonde sweetheart ain't just gonna vote for each other."

Neither one of them denied the claim.

"Actually, I can kind of see where Iida's coming from," Kendo said. "If someone does get multiple votes, it'll show they've managed to earn the trust of a couple of students in a short amount of time."

"Precisely! Thank you, Kendo!" Tenya exclaimed. He then looked towards Sekijiro. "Sensei, will you allow us to engage in a vote?"

"Wait, we're doing it right now?" Sero blurted out. "Feels pretty sudden."

Vlad rubbed his chin at Sero's words. "I suppose you're right," he said. "Alright, we'll hold the vote at the end of the day. That way, you kids will have a chance to 'campaign' and try to convince the class why you should be our rep." Vlad grinned. "In fact, think of this as an impromptu lesson on self-marketing."

"Huh?" Sero said, voicing his and several other students' confusion.

"A Pro-Hero needs to know how to market themselves, be it to potential sponsors and agencies you want to work at," Vlad explained.

Tenya raised his hand. "But, sir, shouldn't the class representative be chosen based on whoever is most capable of fulfilling the duties of the position?"

"Actually, I think I get it," Kendo said. "While technical skill is important, none of it will matter if people think you're incompetent. Everyone, not just heroes, needs to know how to make themselves look good and demonstrate why they're a good fit for the position. If you can't convince people of your own worth, you'll never get anywhere." The members of Class 1-B nodded in understand

"Excellent explanation, Kendo," Vlad said, giving her a thumbs up. "I couldn't have said it better myself. Now, good luck and happy campaigning."

For the remainder of class, the students of 1-B did their best trying to convince everyone else why they should be elected class rep. Others, however…

"Vote for Senny!" Pony exclaimed, a fist raised in the air. "He's strong and smart and handsome. He'd made a great representative."

"No! Vote for Pony!" Sen practically shouted. "She's the most amazing girl in the world; no one deserves to be class rep more than her!"

Each member of 1-B's resident couple had decided to try and support the other. It had quickly devolved into Sen and Pony essentially yelling about how much they loved the other. It was met with…mixed reactions.

"Ugh, can you guys stop the lovey-dovvy routine?" Kuroiro said.

"Yeah, you're gonna make Mineta feel jealous and insecure," Tokage added before her mouth curled into a mischievous grin. "On second thought, keep doing it."

"Screw you, Tokage!" Mineta snapped.

Her smile only grew wider. "Ha, you wish!"

"Nuh-nuh! I'm not the one with the lizard fetish," Mineta said, crossing his arms childishly.

Tokage gasped. "How dare you?!"

'They're at it again,' Izuku thought with a sigh. It looked like Mineta and Tokage had all but abandoned their ambitions of being class rep in favor of their typical bickering. They reminded Izuku of how he and Ochako and Katsuki would rib each, only with a more perverted edge to it.

Izuku looked around the room at what his other classmates were doing. In one corner of the room, Kamakiri and Yanagi were having what they called a "debate." In actuality, it was more along the line of Kamakiri hyping himself and insulting the other class rep hopefuls while Yanagi spouted cryptic and unsettling comments. Honenuki and Fukidashi had somehow gotten dragged into Kamakiri and Yanagi's absurd debate. They had stayed simply for the entertainment value.

Several students had gathered around Kendo's desk. From what Izuku could gather, Kendo had managed to sway quite a few of their classmates to her side without much effort. He could understand why. Kendo was well-spoken, intelligent, had demonstrated great skill during combat training, and had a big sisterly charm. Even Kirishima and Jiro, who both said they wanted to be class rep, seemed ready to vote for Kendo.

Tenya, on the other hand…

"—and that is why I believe you should vote for me, Tenya Iida, in Class 1-B's representative election!" Tenya exclaimed, finishing an impassioned speech about his desire to be class rep. "I promise to make not just Class 1-B but all of UA proud. Can I count on your vote?"

Sero, Kaminari, Hagakure, and Ochako stared blankly at Tenya. Ochako quickly shook her head, coming out of a daze.

"I understood, like, half of that," Hagakure said flatly. "What about you guys?"

"Honestly, I wasn't even sure he was speaking Japanese," Kaminari said.

Sero raised his hand. "Same." He turned back to Tenya and gave a nervous smile. "Well, uh, good luck on being class rep. I'm gonna check out whatever the hell those two are doing." He pointed his thumb at Kamakiri and Yanagi and walked off, Hagakure and Kaminari following after him.

"Wait! Please come back!" Tenya pleaded. "I have more talking points to…discuss…" At that point, Tenya was speaking to empty air.

"Are you okay, Tenya?" Izuku asked.

Tenya looked at his friend with a crestfallen expression and sighed. "This will be more difficult than I anticipated." Izuku and Ochako each placed a comforting hand on his shoulders.

When lunchtime rolled around, Izuku, Tenya, Ochako, Katsuki, Mei, Awase, and Tsuyu decided to sit together in the cafeteria. As it turned out, the other freshman classes also had to decide on their class reps today. Mei's class apparently had an initial round of voting and was having a runoff election later that day. Katsuki's class had already elected their rep and vice rep in first period because their teacher wanted to "get it over with." Mei got zero votes but didn't really care since that would get in the way of her tinkering, while Katsuki received a single vote from himself and grumbled while eating his spicy ramen.

"Sorry to hear that, Kacchan," Izuku said.

"It's bullshit. I could understand why Ponytail got elected class rep, but how did I lose being vice rep to fucking Bigfoot?"

The 1-B students stared at Katsuki in confusion until Tsuyu elaborated, "Our classmate, Shishida, is really tall and covered in fur."

"Ah!"

"And it's not a surprise no one else voted for you, Bakugou," Tsuyu continued. "You're a skilled fighter with good Quirk control, but your personality puts a lot of people off."

"Goddamn!" Awase exclaimed, in awe of Tsuyu's bluntness, while Katsuki's scowl hardened.

"She's got a point, Kacchan," Mei said.

"I know, damn it!" Katsuki growled. "Doesn't mean I have to like it!"

Tenya looked at his meal, contemplating their conversation. "I suppose that's what Vlad King meant by self-marketing," he said. "It's illogical and unfair, but how others perceive you plays an important role in how you advance in the world. While I believe I have all the qualifications necessary to fulfill the role of class representative, convincing our classmates of that is a different matter entirely."

"Yeah, and I'm not sure a big speech was the best way to go," Ochako said, nervously rubbing the back of her head. "I, uh, kind of spaced out when you started talking about the constitution."

Tenya stared at her, aghast. "That was the beginning of my speech!"

Katsuki cackled at Ochako's guilty expression. "Really, Roundface?" he said with a grin. Ochako responded by blowing a raspberry at him.

"On top of everything else, you've got to compete with Kendo," Izuku mused. "Seems like half the class is leaning towards her. She just kind of naturally draws people to her."

Awase nodded in agreement. "I'm even thinking of voting for her."

Ochako gasped. "Traitor!"

"Ochako, please stop," Tenya said, coming to Awase's defense. "Even though I covet the position, I can admit Kendo would likely be an exemplary representative. I would never fault anyone for voting for her." He looked towards Izuku and Ochako. "By that same token, I ask that you vote for whomever you believe will best fulfill the position and not give me your vote simply because we're friends. Win or lose, we owe to our classmates to ensure this election is as fair as possible."

Everyone stared at Tenya for a moment. "You know, Tenya, I've been meaning to ask ya something," Ochako said. "With the way you talk and stuff…you're totally a loaded rich kid, aren't ya?"

Tenya went stiff at that.

"It's kind of obvious," Katsuki chimed in. "You told us you went to Soimei Private Academy. Only super rich trust fund kids and total brainiacs get into that school."

"Tell me about it," Awase grumbled.

Tenya sighed. "I was trying not to draw attention to it to avoid any preferential treatment," he admitted. "But it's true: I am a scion of a long-standing heroic lineage."

Hearing that made something click in Izuku's head. The combination of Tenya's height, Quirk, and appearance had been nagging at the back of Izuku's head since the school years started. But with the confirmation that Tenya came from a family of heroes, it finally clicked. Izuku felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. "Tenya, are you related to the turbo hero, Ingenium?"

With a proud smile, Tenya nodded. "He's my older brother, Tensei."

"That's so cool!" Izuku exclaimed. "Ingenium's got 65 sidekicks out of his Tokyo office, and they're said to have some of the best teamwork in the business!"

"Indeed," Tenya said. "Idaten prides themselves on deploying the right heroes for the right situations, and Tensei leads them with unwavering courage and adherence to rules and regulations." A smile appeared on his face. "He's a true inspiration. I can only hope that I can be even half the hero he is one day."

"Aw," Mei said. "That's sweet."

The group was a bit surprised at this sentimental side of their tall friend. Even Katsuki was surprised and gave his own smile.

"Well, I'll be damned, Iida," Katsuki said with a tap on the taller boy's shoulders. "And here I thought you were a total stick in the mud."

"Not the first time I have been called that."

Ochako continued to eat her beef bowl, but she caught sight of a paper airplane flying over their table. It circled overhead a few times before landing perfectly in Izuku's hair. Ochako erupted into a fit of laughter, sending her mouthful of food flying.

"Ochako, show some table manners!" Tenya stated.

"S-sorry," Ochako said.

Confused, Izuku took the paper airplane out of his green tuff and unfolded it. As it turned out, it was actually a letter. And as Izuku read it, his face turned red, and his hands began to shake. Out of curiosity, Awase and Tsuyu looked over Izuku's shoulders to read.

Dear Midoriya,

You don't know who I am, but you've recently caught my eye. I was blown away by you. And even just thinking about you makes my blood race and my heart beat like crazy!

I'm too embarrassed to reveal my name in this letter. But I need to talk to you and tell you how I really feel! So I'm asking you: please come to the rooftop of building 3 after classes end today.

Until then. -XOXO

"Huh, how about that?" Tsuyu said while Awase whistled and patted his friend on the back.

"Damn, Midoriya! Not even a month here, and you already have a secret admirer!"

"Wait, for real?" Katsuki asked before taking the letter out of the stunned Izuku's hands and reading it. "Huh. Well, that's certainly new."

"Aw, good for you, Izuku!" Ochako said. Though she was a bit confused why her stomach felt weird after she said that. But she was fairing better than Izuku, who was completely Christmas-colored.

"I…but…what…why…eh?!" Izuku shouted, looking around to see if he could spot the girl that threw the paper airplane. "This never happened before! What should I do?!"

"Eh, you can just blow them off," Mei said. "That's what I would do."

"Harsh," Awase commented.

"Not to mention rude. Someone went out of their way to confess their feelings to you. Ignoring them would be highly insensitive," Tenya stated.

"But what do I say if I meet them? What if it's someone from my class?!" Izuku said. It couldn't be Tsunotori hopefully. And while he was well aware of his female classmates having their own unique charm, he wasn't sure how he'd feel about any of them having romantic feelings for him. "Did you guys ever deal with love letters?"

"Nope," Ochako said, scowling a bit as she recalled some boys in her middle school calling her a chipmunk girl.

"I'm afraid not," Tenya responded. "Fraternization amongst students was against Soimei's rules."

"You don't want advice from me," Awase said, suddenly gaining a hundred-yard stare that confused everyone.

"No clue," Mei said.

"The only girl that 'confessed' to me wanted to use me to get back at her ex," Katsuki bluntly said. "I told her to go fuck herself."

"Just meet with her and talk," Tsuyu stated. "And if you don't feel anything, just be polite, say you appreciate their feelings but that you're not looking for a relationship right now."

"And that works?" Izuku asked, getting a nod from his fellow greenette.

"It's worked for me."

"Just how many people have confessed to you, Tsu?" Ochako asked. Tsuyu held her chin for a moment, trying to think of a specific number, but she just shrugged.

"Well, well, well…"

"Goddammit," Katsuki groaned while Tsuyu's expression turned sour.

"…aren't you quite the rabble?" Another student approached their table. He was about average height and build, with slick short blond hair and periwinkle blue eyes. He also had an incredibly smug look on his face. "Honestly, Bakugou, when you said you had friends in the other classes, I figured you were lying. Apologies."

"Another classmate of yours?" Izuku asked.

Tsuyu nodded. "What do you want, Monoma?"

"Oh, I just wanted to satiate my curiosity," Monoma stated before pointing at Katsuki. "After all, it takes a special kind of person to tolerate being around this rabid dog."

"…do you just insult us?" Awase asked.

"Buzz off, Bootleg!" Katsuki shouted.

"Though I suppose that's something that should be expected of Class 1-B," Monoma continued, completely ignoring the two.

"And just what are you implying with that?" Tenya asked.

"It's quite simple. Class 1-A is the best of the brightest. The aces of the next generation of heroes. The ones who shine in the spotlight." The smug blond continued with a flick of his hair. "By contrast, you of Class 1-B lot are the background extras. The understudies. The supporting cast that no one pays attention to. The…"

As Monoma kept going on, Izuku, Ochako, Tenya, and Awase mentally came to the same conclusion; this guy was a colossal jerk. Even Mei thought that, and she wasn't even part of 1-B. But while Monoma kept ranting, Katsuki stood up, ramen bowl in hand.

"And I'm afraid it's your destiny to be outshined by u—"

Monoma's rant was cut short as Katsuki dumped his ramen on the other blond's head, the noodles and broth soaking his hair and the top of his uniform. Everyone was in shocked silence while Katsuki had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Oops."

"Y-you…I…" Monoma grabbed Katsuki by his shirt collar and screamed. "What the hell is your deal, you porcupine-headed troglodyte?!"

"My 'deal,'" Katsuki began, voice low and dangerous, "is that I don't tolerate jackasses that want to start shit with my friends." Katsuki pushed Monoma back. Monoma glared at the other blond. Then, to everyone's surprise, sparks began erupting out of Monoma's palms. It was similar, no, identical to Katsuki's Quirk.

"Maybe you'll change your tone once you've had a taste of your own explosions."

"Then you're more delusional than I thought. You really think a knock-off like you can take down the real deal?!" Katsuki barked with a burst of laughter, his own hands sparking. But Izuku and Tenya held him back by the arms.

"Bakugou, enough! This is not behavior befitting a future hero!" Tenya shouted.

"It's not worth it, Kacchan!" Izuku exclaimed.

Monoma chuckled. "Well, I suppose a rabid dog like you would need some train—"

Before the blond could continue his rant, a series of green vines suddenly grabbed and restrained him. And before Monoma could complain, a piece of duct tape was slapped over his mouth.

"Monoma, this is not the sort of behavior you should be engaged in when speaking with other students." The vines were actually part of some long thorny green hair belonging to a girl with blue eyes. The vine-haired girl was accompanied by another female student. She had black hair in a ponytail and black eyes. She was taller than Izuku and Ochako but still shorter than Tenya. The taller girl then turned to the vine-haired girl. "Thank you for the assistance, Shiozaki."

"Think nothing of it," Shiozaki said. Monoma thrashed a bit, but that stopped when he saw the dagger-like look his captor was giving. "Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, Monoma. You should know better than to personify it."

The taller girl then approached the gang. "Hello, Bakugou. Asui." She then looked at the others and offered a pilot bow. "As the newly elected representative of Class 1-A, I apologize on my classmate's behalf."

"Oh, it's no problem," Izuku said. But then he noticed her ponytail. "Bakugou, is she the one you were talking about? The girl who can pull stuff out of her body."

The tall girl blinked a bit before giggling. "I suppose that's one way to describe my Quirk. Please, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu. Or Ponytail, as Bakugou seems to like calling me."

"Hey, it fits," Katsuki said.

"I am Ibara Shiozaki, also of Class 1-A," she said calmly and serenely. "And you already know Neito Monoma."

The blond boy grumbled into the tape over his mouth.

"A pleasure to meet you," Tenya said, giving a textbook perfect bow. "My name is Tenya Iida, a student of Class 1-B."

Izuku gave them a friendly wave. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. I'm from 1-B too."

"The name's Ochako Uraraka! I'm in 1-B!" she exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Yosetsu Awase. Same class," Awase said, a light blush on his face as he gazed at Yaoyorozu. 'This girl's in high school?! She looks like a freakin' supermodel!'

"I'm Mei Hatsume of the Support Course!" Mei said with excitement before getting up in Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki's faces. "Say, you wouldn't be in need of any top-tier support gear, would ya?"

"Um…I'm good at the moment," Yaoyorozu said, taken aback by Mei's bluntness.

"The lord provides all the support I need," Shiozaki said.

"Can the lord provide you a combination grapple/gas/pellet gun? I think not." Mei said before Katsuki grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away from Shiozaki.

"Um, Yaoyorozu?" Izuku asked.

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind me asking, how does your Quirk work?" Izuku said nervously. "Not to be weird, but Kacchan wasn't that specific about how it works, but he told me it's incredibly powerful. And…I kind of like learning about interesting quirks."

Yaoyorozu simply nodded. "I don't mind at all, Midoriya. Bakugou's description was rather blunt, so let me show you." She held her hand up, and Izuku watched in wonder as a small Russian nesting doll emerged from her palm. "My Quirk is called Creation. And as long as I know the molecular makeup of an object, I can use the lipids in my body to create it."

"That's amazing!" Izuku said, pulling out his notebook and quickly taking notes. "Is there a limit?"

"Well, how big an object is determines how much skin area I need to use while manifesting it."

"Oh, so that's why your costume was like a swimsuit," Tsuyu bluntly said, making Awase do a double-take.

"Well, hopefully, that won't be quite the case for long." Yaoyorozu then looked at Katsuki. "Did your parents tell you how long until the prototype is ready?"

"About two days," Katsuki said.

"Really? That's quite fast," Yaoyorozu said, getting a nod.

"I hate to admit it, but the old hag is damn good when it comes to making quality clothing quickly."

While the two talked about her costume, Izuku was about to ask Shiozaki about her quirk…and maybe try and ask Monoma what his was if he had calmed down. But then…

BER-WAAAA!

Suddenly, alarms began blaring throughout the cafeteria, startling and confusing all the students. And it was exacerbated when an automated announcement came over the PA System.

Security Level 3 has broken. All students, please evacuate in an orderly fashion.

"Level 3?" Ochako asked as the students began to leave in a hurry.

"Oui! Does anyone know what Level 3 is?!" Katsuki loudly asked the crowd.

"It means someone's infiltrated the building!" An upperclassman shouted. "And we need to hurry up and get out of here!"

Despite the call for an orderly fashion, the U.A. student body crammed into the exiting corridors like a pack of sardines. And within that closed space came a ton of shoving and pushing.

"Hey, watch it!" Mineta shouted as the short boy was pushed around. For a moment, he tried to look up some skirts, but that failed when someone accidentally stepped on him.

"Ha!" Tokage laughed at Mineta's misfortune…until a bigger student knocked her down. "OW! What the hell!?"

"MMMMNN!" Momona shouted, still muffled by the tape as he fell out of Shiozaki's hair, while said greenette was trying to politely get people to stop shoving her.

"Ow!" Ochako cried out as someone elbowed her in the face.

"Someone touched my butt!" Awase shouted.

"If I get shoved one more time, I swear to god!" Katsuki shouted, becoming even more short-fused than usual.

"Such a rapid response time!" Tenya commented. "I expect no less from a great institution!"

"Maybe it's too great! Everyone's panickin—" Izuku began to say before he found himself shoved and pressed up against a window. But as he tried to push himself back, the robot pilot saw a crowd of reporters and a few of their teachers (including Vlad King and Eraserhead) arguing with them. "Those reporters again?!"

Meanwhile…

"Geez. Glad I didn't go to UA today," Fujita said as she sat in a cafe, sipping on a cup of coffee. She was on her laptop watching one of her reporter colleagues as they were live streaming right from UA. It was an absolute mess as paparazzi, reporters, and journalists came spewing through the newly made opening in UA's perimeter wall. Her friend smack dap in the middle of the crowd packed in tighter than Mt. Lady's ass in her costume. With how things were going, Fujita wouldn't be surprised if some of them got arrested or trampled.

'Well, back to work,' Fujita thought as she clicked away to another website. She had at least a dozen tabs open on her browser, primarily social media accounts of students, both current and former, of Aldera Middle School. But one tab was said middle school's "About" page.

Fujita smiled as she found the school's phone number. The woman excitedly tapped her pen on her open notebook as she called Aldera.

"Hello," came a stale voice. "You've reached Aldera Middle School. How can I help you?"

"Why, hello there," Fujita said cheerfully. "My name is Fumiko Fujita, a journalist for The National Jinkai. I got wind that not one but two of your former students got into UA's hero course. I'd just love to do a piece on the sort of exceptional school and teachers that produced such fine young men."

"Oh! Oh, my," the receptionist said, sounding much more energetic. "Of course, just let me connect you to the principal." A wicked smile spread across Fujita's face.

Back at UA…

"Guys, it's the press!" Izuku shouted. "They're the ones that broke in!"

"Seriously?!" Mei shouted as her goggles were knocked off her head.

"Would you assholes calm the fuck down?!" Katsuki tried shouting, but his shouts were drowned out by the sheer pandemonium.

'This is madness!' Tenya thought to himself. 'Everyone's just panicking! Think Tenya! What would Tensei do in a situation like this?' Suddenly, Tenya saw it, a spot above the emergency exit. A plan quickly formed in his head.

"Ochako!" Tenya exclaimed, reaching towards her through the crowd. "Use your Quirk on me!"

She stared at Tenya in confusion. But seeing the determined expression on his face, Ochako nodded and slapped his outstretched hand. "Go for it, Tenya!"

Weightlessness was an almost surreal feeling, but Tenya didn't have time to take it in. Working quickly, Tenya jumped off the ground and rose above the crowd. Most students were in too much of a panic to even notice him. Eyes on the target, Tenya rolled up his pant legs and ignited his Quirk. "Engine Boost!" Tenya had to suppress a yelp of surprise as he flew through the air uncontrollably, his glasses falling off in the process. And then—

SMACK!

—he hit the wall of the emergency exit.

Ignoring the pain of hitting a concrete wall, Tenya grabbed a pipe above his head and placed his feet firmly on the exit sign. 'This is it,' Tenya thought, looking over the sea of panicking students. 'Be concise, clear, and confident. Make an impact!'

Tenya took a deep breath. "LISTEN UP! EVERYTHING IS OKAY!" His voice reverberated through the hall. The crowd looked up, and more than a few students went bug-eyed at the sight of Tenya doing his best impression of a crosswalk sign. "UA ISN'T UNDER ATTACK! IT'S SIMPLY THE PRESS!" A few students looked out the window to confirm, but most of the crowd was still tense and panicked. "There's nothing to worry about; everything is fine," Tenya continued. "We are the students of UA. We need to remain calm and prove that we are the best of the best." Tenya looked over the mass of students with squinted eyes. "Please, disperse yourselves from the emergency exit; no one can move in this state. I also believe some students may have been injured in the stampede. Look around and see if there is anyone in need of assistance."

It took a few minutes, but Tenya's reassurances managed to calm the students down. Within the next few hours, the police arrived. More than a few people were arrested for breaking into private property and inciting a riot at UA. Fortunately, none of the students were seriously injured in the chaos, but a few still needed to go to the nurse's office.

At the end of the day, Class 1-B reconvened and held their election for class representative. Everyone voted anonymously, and Vlad King counted the votes himself.

"I'll admit, you kids surprised me with how you voted," Vlad said, standing in front of the class. "But I suppose I should just let you see for yourself. Without further ado, here are the results." With a press of a button, the screen lit up, displaying exactly how many votes everyone received. Most students received zero, while five each got a single vote (most likely from themselves,) Izuku was surprised to see he received two votes, and at the top of the list with 6 votes was—

"ME!" Tenya exclaimed, eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Woohoo! Go, Tenya," Ochako cheered.

"Congrats," Izuku said with a smile.

"Right, thank you," Tenya said stiffly, well, more stiffly than usual, and went back to staring at the screen. He could hardly believe it; he'd practically given up hope on becoming class rep. And it was a close race; Kendo was right behind him with 5 votes.

"Alright, Iida, Kendo, come on up," Vlad said. "Let's hear it for 1-B's rep and vice rep!" The students clapped and gave congratulatory words as Tenya and Kendo stood at the front of the room and waved.

"Thank you all. I humbly accept this position and solemnly swear to do my best," Tenya said, accompanied with a round chopping the air.

Kendo chuckled next to him. "You know, you're a little stiff, more so than Midoriya's robot, but you've certainly got enthusiasm." She smiled. "I'll admit, I was on the fence about you, but after what you did in the cafeteria, I think I made the right call."

Tenya froze, then slowly turned to her. "You…voted for me?"

She nodded.

Suddenly, the bell rang.

"Ah, wish I could stay and chat, but I've got plans," Kendo said and grabbed her things. "I look forward to working with you, Representative Iida."

"Y-you as well, Vice Representative Kendo," Tenya said as the orange-haired girl walked out the door. His face felt warm, and a light blush colored his cheeks.

Now that school was let out for the day, Izuku still had one thing to do; meet his secret admirer. Everyone wished him luck, including Ochako. He felt a weird feeling of disappointment that she had no objection to this, but wasn't exactly sure why.

And so, like the letter asked, Izuku found himself on the roof of Building 3, the sun had already begun to set in the distance. He looked around but saw no one else on the roof. "Um…hello?"

"Nice! You actually showed up!" Izuku flinched and turned around. Standing on the roof's fence was an older boy with cat-like features. The same one that had watched 1-B combat exercise the other day. He jumped off the fence and landed gracefully on his feet. "Gotta say, part of me was worried you wouldn't show up."

It took Izuku a moment to process this. He and everyone in his group assumed a girl had written then love letter. But he didn't think of the just-as-likely possibility that a boy might've also sent that letter.

"Now you're probably wonderin—"

"I'm sorry!" Izuku suddenly shouted, surprising the cat boy, while the green-haired boy bowed his head. "I'm very flattered, and I appreciate the courage it took to write that letter…but I'm not interested in boys!"

But out of all the reactions Izuku thought he would have to deal with, jovial laughter was not one of them.

"Hey, neither am I. But I had to get your attention somehow…" His cat-like eyes took on a mischievous glint. "…Izuku Midoriya."

"So…that was a fake love letter." Izuku realized, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous.

"Correct," the cat boy said as he approached Izuku. "Gotta say, when I saw that robot of yours, I was impressed. I thought the thing might've been for show…right up until you tore down an entire freakin' wall!"

Izuku thought about what he was saying before coming to a sudden realization. "Were you…spying on my class during the combat exercise?"

"Oh, spying's an ugly word. I prefer the term 'scouting,'" the taller boy said. "And since you and your robot got my attention, I did some digging." He pulled out his phone and played the old video of Skeletron's freak-out at the science fair. "That led me to Aldera Middle School…and learning something really interesting. The answer to that rumor that's been going around for the last few days." His yellow eyes looked directly into Izuku's green eyes. "The identity of U.A.'s first Quirkless hero student."

Izuku felt his breath hitch. Experience made him clench his fists, mentally preparing him for a barrage of degrading insults. "So what if I am?"

The cat boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. He handed it to Izuku, who cautiously took the card. It was black with gold lettering and a chibi cat in the corner.

Shigeru Kaneko. Future Star Manager.

"It means that you, my dear Midoriya, are a walking goldmine!" His eyes took on an excited shine. "And with my help, you and I are gonna be filthy rich!"

An awkward silence followed after that declaration, a crow's caw echoing in the distance.

"…huh?"

"Let me back things up," He then pointed his thumb at himself. "The name's Shigeru Kaneko, a 2nd-year student of the U.A. Business Course. I've been looking for someone to be my debut client, but no one had that 'zing.'"

"Zing?"

"You know; that special thing that the best heroes have that automatically makes you go; 'oh wow, this guy's awesome!' All Might's got his bigass smile, Gang Orca's a friend to all children, and the Wild Wild Pussycats got that mature idol appeal. That's their special zing! And you, Midoriya, everything about you screams 'ZING!'"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Do I need to spell it out? Dude, you're not like hundreds of schlubs running around in spandex! You have an honest-to-Buddha super robot! Do you know how much merchandise can be made on that alone?!"

Actually, Izuku did know firsthand. Not just from his own modest collection of mecha merchandise but his father's massive collection as well.

"Think about it! Action figures, model kits, funko pops! DX! Brave Gokin! Soul of Chogokin!" Kaneko said, putting an arm around Izuku's shoulder. "Mecha fans, new and old, buying merchandise of your robot!"

Izuku's eyes widened as he thought about it. "That…that would be so cool!"

"And I assume your robot isn't just the only thing rolling around in that big, fluffy head of yours."

"Well, I have a ton of ideas for upgrades and attachments."

"Even better! Each new upgrade is a new accessory! And you better believe that mech heads are gonna pay out the ass for that shit."

"Ya, that's true," Izuku said, recalling his father crying about how expensive it was to buy the complete Brave Chokin set of Kotetsu Jeeg.

"Look, my point is, you're gonna need someone to help out for the financial and image side. And I want to be the guy to do that." Kaneko stated. "Every top-tier hero has an agent to help make them big, and I want to be the one to help you become the next big thing in professional heroism."

Now Izuku was getting really excited. The idea that Striker could be a model kit along the same lines that Mazinger Z, GaoGaiGar, and Gundam made him unbelievably hyped. But then, he remembered something. "But…you know I'm Quirkless, right?"

"Midoriya, my precious little broccoli boy," Kaneko said before petting Izuku's messy green hair. "That's even better!"

"Huh?"

"Think about it! Everyone loves to root for the underdog! And a kid with no superpowers entering into a field dominated by people with crazy powers? You're the biggest underdog since Shoyo Hinata! You probably got some gut-wrenching tales that tug at the heart."

"I…more than a few," Izuku said. Kaneko stopped smiling as he saw the sadness welling in Izuku and awkwardly removed his hand from Izuku. He then lightly coughed into his hand.

"Look, my number's on the back of the card," Kaneko then began to walk to the stair entrance. "You're gonna make your public debut soon when the Sports Festival rolls around, right?"

Izuku nodded in response. "Well, if you want someone to help get people hyped for the debut of a new breed of hero, I'm your guy. I'll be waiting."

As Kaneko left, Izuku found himself alone on the roof, card in hand. He was more than a bit baffled by what had just happened. And he especially knew his friends would be just as confused as well.

At the same time, Nezu was looking over the main gates of U.A. The prevailing question of the staff's mind was this; how did a bunch of reporters manage to get past their automated security system? Well, the rat bear found the answer.

One of the reinforced gates had been destroyed. Not by any kind of superstrength quirk, but almost like the missing part disintegrated into thin air. Nezu began to wonder if there was more to this? Did some unknown party destroy the gate and use the resulting chaos from the reporters and paparazzi storming in to sneak into the school. A throughout search of the school found no intruders left over, so there was a high possibility that the intruder snuck in quickly and left before anyone could notice.

'I don't know who you are, Intruder.' Nezu said. 'But if you intend on bringing harm to my staff and students, you'll be wishing you were arrested today.'

Meanwhile…

"It seems this data you managed to steal is the real deal. Well done."

"Thank you, Sensei." Sitting at a bar was a tall and lanky young man. His bluish-silver hair was unkempt, his clothing was all black, his shoes were bright red, and the skin around his neck and eyes was crusty. He took a sip from a shot glass, enjoying the taste of the fine liquor on his tongue. "So, is the doc's special project gonna be ready by then?"

"Dr. Garaki has never failed me before. Trust me, my boy; it'll be ready just in time to crush anything that stands in your way."

A sinister grin appeared on the young man's face. "Kickass. Guess we better start getting the party together before the big raid." He got up, his red eyes shining with both excitement and malice. "I swear this to you, sensei; in a few days, hero society is gonna crash and burn."

Later…

It was a foggy night in Tallahassee, Florida. A tv technician in his mid-thirties let out a yawn as he waited in line at a drive-thru. He'd rolled down his window in preparation to place his order, unbothered by the bits of fog that were slowly entering his car. Unfortunately, the man in front of him was taking his sweet time placing his order. The technician checked his watch; he'd been waiting behind this guy for over 10 minutes!

The man closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. "Come on! How long does it take to place a fuckin order."

"Downright rude, making others wait."

The man's eyes shot open. That voice… came from his backseat. But he was the only one in the car. "What the—"

Then came a clicking sound. "Ugh, ugh. I wouldn't make any sudden moves or sounds, mister."

Sweat began to leak down the man's forehead. Slowly, his eyes looked at his rearview mirror…and he saw the intruder.

It was a woman of Hispanic descent. Which one, he couldn't really tell. She had long, strawberry-blonde hair tied in a side ponytail, a bemused look on her face, and brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless black top with matching gloves, green camo pants, and dark blue slip-on shoes. Her physique was a combination of plentiful curves and large muscles that looked like they had enough power to break a man in two. In any other situation, this woman would be considered a real beauty, even with battle scars on her arms and face. Though it was hard for the man to appreciate said beauty while this mysterious woman was aiming a loaded gun at his back.

"How the—"

"Oh, looks like you're up next," the woman said with a nonchalant smile, referring to the car in front of them finally driving forward. "Say, I skipped dinner earlier. Think ya can get me the #4 combo?"

"Are you fucking serious?!" He asked, only to have the gun pushed into the seat. "Okay, okay!"

He did just that, driving forward and placing the order. He silently hoped that the window cashier would see the dangerous woman in his backseat and help him. But when he pulled up to the window to pay, the cashier seemed to not notice anything. He looked in the rear window again…and the woman was gone.

After receiving his food, the man drove and stopped near the parking lot exit. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had just imagined the armed woman. He leaned down and rested his head against the steering wheel.

"Well, are ya gonna just sit here? Drive."

But that hope vanished, looking back and seeing her again. 'The fuck?! Does she have some kind of vanishing Quirk or something?!'

"I said drive." She said with a sadistic smile. Seeing no other choice, the man did just that. He followed the woman's instructions and drove for about twenty minutes until they reached a dead end on a dirt road with nothing but trees around them. All while the woman happily ate the double cheeseburger.

"Ah, that always hits the spot," she said, tossing the wrapper on the floor.

"Lady, what the hell do you want from me?" The man asked, finally sick of this.

"Right. The suspense has got to be killin' ya…Robert Declan." She then pulled her phone out of her pocket and began scrolling through some pictures. "Age: 43. Full-Time television installer. Owner of a three-year gym membership. By all accounts, you're a no-name. An average joe. Except for one thing."

She then held her phone out, sliding and showing pictures of Robert on a date with a slightly older man in a suit. "You seem to have a thing for married men."

"S-So what?"

"Well, Senator Lois is running for reelection. And he's doing the whole 'you can trust me; I'm a family man' schtick." The woman said. "Now, if word got out that he was having an extramarital affair with their tv installer, well, that whole image would go right out the window. So, sorry, Robbie boy, but you gotta die."

"W-Wait! How much is he paying you?!" Robert pleaded, sweat coating his body, his limbs shaking. "I-I…I'll…"

"Pay double? Not the first time I've heard that." The woman said as she wiped the cheese from her mouth. "I'm being paid more for this job than what you make in a year."

Robert then started to cry, and the woman sighed. She always hated having to deal with criers. At least if he tried to run, she would've had a bit of a challenge. But she had a job to do and pressed the gun up against his chin. "Sorry, Robert. You seem like a nice guy. But you were just unlucky."

BANG!

In a split-second, Robert Declan was dead, his blood and brain matter coating the ceiling of his car. The woman began to whistle, undisturbed by the viscera and carnage. She pulled a rag out of her pocket and wiped the barrel of the gun, then placed it in Robert's cold, lifeless hand. The woman then stepped out of the car, took pictures of the corpse, and then called someone.

"Hey, girl!"

"Hey, sug!" The woman said with cheer. "I just took care of that Declan guy. I'll send the pics, so you forward them to the client."

"You got it, Kelly!" Her contact said with glee. "So, how was the job?"

"Too easy and way too boring. Got a decent meal out of it, though," Kelly said with a sigh. "Maybe we should vet our clientele. The last six jobs have been real snorers."

"Hey, money is money. But if ya want action, I think I might have just the job you're looking for."

"Really? Do tell."

"How's your Japanese?"

"Pretty good. Why?"

"Well, that cutie, Giren, says an old pal of his is hiring some help for a big job. Apparently, they're going after some professional heroes."

"Really?" Kelly's face contorted into a feral grin akin to a lioness spotting her next prey. "Been a while since I've fought one of them 'capes and tights' types. When's the job?"

"Three days from now."

A sinister giggle escaped Kelly's lips. "Guess you better book me a flight to Japan, Jessie."

"You got it! Night, Kelly!"

"Night," Kelly said as she hung up. The amazonian woman looked up at the full moon and giggled in excitement. 'Looks like my little boredom spell's gonna be broken real soon.'

Notes:

Any fan of MHA probably knows what arc is gonna happen next chapter! But aside from the supervillains, we got another plot thread that's been building up. Let's just say the phrase 'from bad to worse' gonna be an appropriate description of the next few chapters.

These last two chapters were mostly setting some more character dynamics and introduce some new characters. I think you guys will like what me and xpegasus got in store for Kaneko and Kelly.

Next Time: Invasion! Terror at the USJ!

Please remember to read, favorite, and review!

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 10: Invasion! Terror at the USJ!

Summary:

Izuku's day goes from bad to worse when villains invade the USJ.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 10: Invasion! Terror at the USJ!

A PHONE CALL IS HERE! A PHONE CALL IS HERE! A PHONE CALL IS HERE! A PHONE CALL IS…

Izuku groaned as he was woken up by the sound of his phone ringing and ringing. Today was the day of the big rescue exercise, and he was trying to get plenty of sleep beforehand. Through bleary eyes, Izuku reached for his phone, nearly dropping it as he grabbed it. Izuku looked at the screen and saw Katsuki was calling him… at 6:00 AM. With a sigh, he answered the phone.

"Kacchan," Izuku murmured, still half-asleep. "It's so early. Why are you—"

"Izuku, get your ass up!" Katsuki shouted. "Your face is all over the news!"

"Wait, what?" Izuku tapped on the local news app on his phone…and his eyes widened in shock. At the top of the trending page was an article from The National Jinkai titled The Quirkless U.A. Freshman Revealed. "Wh-what?!" Izuku clicked on the article and was greeted by a photo of the gang walking to the gates of U.A., but with obnoxiously big red arrows pointing at his face. He scrolled down, and Izuku's blood ran cold.

Like many of you, when I heard All Might took up a teaching position at United Allies High, my mind was racing with questions about what kind of teacher he is. But little did I know that my investigation would lead me to discovering the identity of the rumored quirkless student in the freshman hero course. That enigmatic figure is none other than one Izuku Midoriya!

The article went on to detail about how the writer had talked to some of Izuku's old teachers from Aldera Middle School, confirming his quirkless status with direct quotes from them. They even wrote about the Skeletron incident. Even worse, with how the article was written, it seemed like the writer was trying to use Izuku's acceptance into U.A. to try and slander the school. "WHAT?!"

"It's blowing up all over the news and social media."

He wasn't lying. Izuku searched "Quirkless ua student" and was flooded with blog posts, tweets, and videos, all reacting to this revelation.

Some were actually nice and showed concern for his safety and well-being.

I can only hope that boy is doing his best. It must be hard to keep up in a school like that.

Others were a lot more condescending.

My cousin's a local pro with super durability, and he got hospitalized last fall. I don't know if this Midori kid is incredibly brave or incredibly stupid going into a dangerous field like that.

And others were just straight-up unhinged.

"I've been telling you guys for years on this channel that U.A. has been going down the shitter!" an unkempt YouTuber ranted. "It used to be a respectable institution, but even the hero system has been affected by the woke virus. Why else would they let a fucking cripple into their top hero course? There's no fucking way he managed to get past the entrance exam. You know, the exam that tests the students' QUIRKS, something this kid distinctively lacks! I'm telling ya right now: the only reason someone like Izuku Midoriya is in U.A.'s Hero Course is because too many fucking soy woys complained about the exam being 'too unfair.' This is all a goddamn publicity stunt. And I bet the little shit's in on it too."

Izuku felt a pit forming in his stomach. "H-How did this even happen?"

"No idea," Katsuki said. "But if I ever find the jackass who wrote this article, they're gonna know what a mouthful of nitroglycerin tastes like!"

That didn't make Izuku feel better at all. In fact, he wondered if things could get any worse.

An hour later, when he and Hisashi tried to leave for school and work respectively, it turned out that things could get worse. The two Midoriya men were accosted by a legion of paparazzi as soon as they opened their front door. They and Inko were bombarded with all sorts of probing questions, though it was hard to make out any specific question due to the sheer volume.

"Fuck." Hisashi whispered as he quickly slammed the door shut. "Those guys are relentless."

"I'm sorry," Izuku said.

"Don't be, Izuku. You didn't cause this," Inko said, placing a comforting hand on her son's shoulder.

"I mean, I figured we'd have to deal with paparazzi one day," Hisashi said, trying to make light of the situation. "Just thought you'd be out of high school when it happened."

Izuku appreciated that his parents trying to make him feel better. But with the mob at his door, he had no idea how he would make it to school. However, salvation came when his cell phone beeped with a message.

Ochako: We're here to rescue you! Go to your bedroom window.

Curious, Izuku did as she instructed, his parents following him to his bedroom. Izuku opened the blinds and saw Ochako floating in front of his window, waving at the Midoriyas with a cheery smile. "Morning, Izuku."

Eyes wide with surprise, Izuku saw there was a tether wrapped around her waist. Izuku opened the window and looked down to see Mei, Tenya, and Katsuki on the street behind the apartment building, with Mei holding what looked like a high-tech fishing rod connected to Ochako's tether.

"Quick, I'll float ya down before anyone sees us."

"That's great! But how's my dad going to get to work?"

"Kacchan said he took care of that."

The Midoriya family was confused until they heard an unmistakable yell coming from their front door.

"BACK THE FUCK UP! I GOT FOUR CANS OF PEPPER SPRAY, AND I AIN'T AFRAID TO USE THEM!"

"And I have a taser!"

'Mitsuki! Dr. Lim!' The older Midoriya's felt a bit better at the sound of their old friend shouting and their neighbor. With a smile, Izuku reached out, and Ochako grabbed his hand, activating her Quirk. Mei reeled the two in, and as soon as they were on their ground, all five friends bolted for the bushes to hide.

Izuku scanned the area, and it looked like the paparazzi were none the wiser to his escape. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at his friends. "Thanks, guys."

"Think nothing of it," Tenya said as he pulled out an oversized green hoodie and a pair of sunglasses. "We also brought a disguise."

At the Midoriya's front door, Hisashi and Inko opened it. They saw Mitsuki yelling at the crowd, holding up a can of pepper spray, and Lim holding up an activated taser to get them to back off.

"Thanks, ladies!" Hisashi said as he quickly cut through the crowd and ran to work.

"No prob, Hisashi," Mitsuki said as she and Lim entered the Midoriya apartment and slammed the door shut. They quickly locked the door and windows and closed the blinds. Mitsuki turned to her friend. "You okay, Inko?"

Inko nodded. "This isn't the first time I've had an overzealous crowd swarm my apartment."

Lim raised her eyebrow at this. There was a story there, but Inko's distressed look told her that now was not the time to ask about it.

"Well, we'll do the same thing we did back in college," Mitsuki said. "Crack open the wine and binge-watch some Sengoku Sensation."

"Oh my god, I haven't watched that show in ages," Lim said.

"You know what, that sounds nice right about now," Inko replied. Though she was still worried about her baby boy. Izuku had never dealt with this kind of infamy, even after the Skeletron incident.

Thankfully, he had his friends with him. And U.A. was a safe and secure environment. They would protect him from any overeager paparazzi.

Though Inko would later realize the 'safe and secure' part would come into serious question.

Sometime later, Izuku and the gang were finally approaching U.A. after taking the backstreets to minimize any chance of running into more paparazzi or reporters. The hoodie and sunglasses did their part, as no one on the streets or the train seemed to recognize him. As they turned the corner, the five students figured they were in the clear.

"Oh no," Izuku whispered.

They could not be more wrong. There was a crowd in front of the gate, and it wasn't just reporters, bloggers, and paparazzi this time. Now, they were joined by a massive crowd of parents and young adults, holding crude, hastily made signs with all manner of words and phrases like 'Unfair,' 'No Sense,' and 'UA HAS LOST ITS WAY!' Many of them also had drawings or blown-up photos of Izuku with his eyes crossed out.

"I had to go to a goddamn trade school in Osaka because you guys rejected me!" A young man with literal electric blue hair shouted, with eyes wrought with fury. "And then you guys let in a cripple?! That's bullshit!"

"My baby boy was put in the freshman general course!" A mother shrieked. "Why is he stuck there while a Quirkless boy is enrolled in the hero track?! What kind of sense does that make?!"

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the police and a few local heroes like Death Arms and Kamui Woods were on hand to diffuse the situation.

"Well, this is fucking fantastic," Katsuki sarcastically said. "How are we gonna get past this circus?"

As the gang tried to figure out what to do, a woman in the crowd noticed them.

"Look over there," she said to her boyfriend.

He turned around, and his eyes widened. "Hey, it's that Midoriya kid in a crappy disguise!"

The protester's heads whipped around, looking directly at Izuku and his friends. They started moving away from the gate and towards the kids. Kamui Woods and the other local heroes tried to hold the crowd back and calm them down, but there were too many of them. Dozens of angry protesters slipped past the heroes and ran towards Izuku.

"How much did you bribe them with, you little shit?!"

"You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"What the hell makes you so damn special?!"

Panicking, Ochako quickly made her friends weightless and tossed them into the air before doing the same to herself. The five students found themselves floating above the crowd of rabid, practically foaming-at-the-mouth protesters.

"Great plan, Round Face," Katsuki said as he glared at the crowd. "Now, what the fuck do we do?" Some of the protesters were trying to make a human pyramid to reach the hero students.

Izuku looked around when his eyes fell on Tenya and an idea came to him. "Tenya, Kacchan, rocket us over the gate!"

"Like on election day, that's brilliant," Tenya said. He held out his arms, letting Ochako and Izuku grab on, hanging off his biceps like monkey bars.

Katsuki smirked. "Grab on tight, Crazy Eyes."

"Right!" Mei exclaimed. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Katsuki's chest, hanging off the blond boy like a backpack. A blush colored Katsuki's cheeks as he felt Mei's breasts pressing into his back. "Uh, you okay?" Mei asked.

"Let's go!" Katsuki said, pointedly ignoring her question. He activated his Quirk, sending himself and Mei flying over the crowd and towards the school. Tenya immediately followed suit, igniting his engines to carry Izuku, Ochako, and himself to UA. However…

"AAAHHHHHH!" Izuku screamed. "TENYA! MAKE IT STOP!"

…where Katsuki carried himself and Mei through the air quite gracefully, Tenya and his passengers went careening through the air, spinning end-over-end on a collision course for the school building.

"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH!" Tenya yelled.

Ochako slapped a hand over her mouth as her face turned green. "I'm gonna hurl!"

Suddenly, the three came to a screeching halt, a hair's breath from crashing through the window. Some sort of white cloth was wrapped around them, pulling Izuku, Tenya, and Ochako down to the front courtyard.

When the world finally stopped spinning, the three saw they'd been saved by Eraserhead. He and Midnight were standing guard in case any of the protesters managed to get past the wall. Katsuki and Mei were standing, well, floating next to the heroes.

"Uraraka, please deactivate your Quirk," Eraserhead said. After making sure she wasn't going to lose her breakfast, Uraraka pressed her hands together, and the five friends felt gravity return.

"You kids okay?" Midnight asked out of concern. Though she was particularly looking at Izuku.

"We…we're fine, sensei," Izuku replied, still disoriented from his flight.

"Thank you for saving us, Mr. Aizawa," Tenya said with a bow. "A truly exceptional display of skill, I expect nothing less from—"

"Just get to your classes. You're already running late," Eraserhead said, seemingly nonplussed by the massive crowd just beyond the gates. "Heroes can't let themselves get distracted. Understand?"

"R-Right." The gang began to walk into the main building. And when the time came for them to separate to go to their own classrooms, Mei placed a comforting hand on Izuku's shoulder, her expression soft.

"Hey, if anyone gives you trouble today, let me know. I'll give them the old Hatsume Glitter Bomb special."

Izuku smiled softly at that. Katsuki didn't say anything, but the two shared a look. And Izuku knew from experience that his explosive friend would have his back.

"I'll keep that in mind," Izuku said softly before turning to Katsuki. "See you later."

"Good luck with that rescue thing," Katsuki said. He and Mei then looked at Ochako and Tenya. His expression softened to the two's surprise, his eyes lacking that familiar sense of cockiness and aggression. "Take care of him, okay?"

"You can count on us," Tenya exclaimed while Ochako nodded.

A few minutes later, Izuku, Ochako, and Tenya stood before the door to Class 1-B. Izuku took a deep breath before opening the door. And just as Izuku expected, everyone's eyes were on him.

"M-morning, everyone," Izuku said before quietly taking his seat. He could feel Honenuki staring at the back of his head and Kamakiri. Kendo, Tsunotori, Kuroiro, and Koda looked at him like he was made of glass. Tokage, Mineta, Kaminari, and Sero looked at him like he was a rare animal on display. However, Sero had the decency to feel somewhat guilty. Kaibara, Yanagi, and Jirou's expressions were neutral, though he noticed the side-eye the punk girl was giving him. He couldn't tell what Fukidashi and Hagakure's looks were, but he figured their expressions weren't that much different from their classmates. But on the bright side, Awase and Kirishima offered him some understanding smiles, so that was nice.

"Alright, everyone; settle down." Vlad King said as he addressed the class. "Now, today, we're conducting our special rescue exercise. But in light of recent events, let me remind you all: UA has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind. You're all here to become heroes, and prejudice has no place in this line of work."

As the students began to murmur amongst themselves, Izuku already had a feeling that today was going to be a long day.

Meanwhile…

"YOU BETTER HOPE I NEVER GET OUT, ALL MIGHT!" A massive villain with a thumb-shaped head shouted. "IF I EVER SEE YOU AGAIN, I'LL—"

"Tear my world apart, make me rue today, have your righteous vengeance, etc., etc.," All Might jovially retorted as the villain was hauled away, the crowd cheering their hero on, all while medical personnel tended to the wounded. "I've heard it all before, from villains much more threatening than you. I'd save my breath if I were you."

As the crowd gathered around him, asking for autographs and selfies (which he was happy to do), the Symbol of Peace snuck a glance at his wrist stopwatch.

'Just under four hours left for today.' Toshinori thought to himself. 'I better wrap up patrolling for the day, or else I'm going to be cutting it close for class today.'

But then, the Hero of Heroes' ears heard the M.D.s talking amongst themselves. "We just got another dispatch order; a girl with a magnetic Quirk had a panic attack and caused a train to derail in Shinjuku. We've already got over 20 confirmed injured!"

All Might internally sighed. Logically, he knew he needed to conserve his energy for the Rescue Lesson later on…but it wasn't in his nature to ignore citizens in peril and a young girl in need of help.

He was just going to have to rely on the other teachers to hold down the fort until he arrived.

Back at UA, the students of Class 1-B had changed into their hero costumes and walked towards a bus. According to Sekijiro, they were going to a remote facility specially designed to simulate various rescue scenarios, hence the need to travel.

"Okay, guys," Kendo said. "Let's enter the bus all nice and easy."

"And be sure to line up and find a seat according to your ID numbers," Tenya stated. But as they entered the bus, to Tenya's dismay, the seats were all on either side of the bus instead of rows, so everyone just sat wherever they wanted. "Curses. It had to be this kind of bus."

Izuku chuckled a bit and looked at his phone. According to a text from Power Loader, the support department put Striker in a charging birth and placed it inside the designated training facility. That way, it would be ready to go when Izuku needed it. Power Loader also offered his condolences for the media circus the pilot was facing right now. But after reading that over, Izuku also noticed that most of his classmates were still giving him side glances, with a select few outright staring at him. And he knew exactly why.

"Before you guys say anything, I'm just letting you know...I've heard it all before," Izuku said with a tired look in his eyes. "All of it."

"Clearly not enough times," Kamakiri grumbled, with Honenuki shaking his head in agreement.

Izuku clenched his fist in his lap. "I've earned my place at UA, the same as all of you."

"No offense, Midoriya, but I'm pretty sure anyone would've passed the entrance exam if they had a giant robot," Kaminari said. There wasn't any malice in his voice, and he said that like someone saying what the weather was outside. Izuku was about to retort, but Ochako spoke up before he could, her brown eyes glaring at the electric boy, as well as everyone else.

"Where was all this when you thought Izuku had a Quirk?!" Ochako exclaimed. "Why is Striker suddenly an unfair advantage now that you know he's Quirkless!?" Kaminari floundered for an answer before shutting his mouth and sinking into his seat.

"Well, he was kind of tricking us," Tsunotori said. Izuku scowled at the implication of intentional deceit. It's not his fault the only ones who had ever bothered to ask about his Quirk were Tenya and Yosetsu.

"Yeah, and we can all manage on our own without support gear," Kaibara continued. "If Striker goes down, what are you gonna do then?"

"Same as all the greats," Yosetsu said to his buddy's defense. "And all of us; he'll adapt."

"I mean, it's kind of hard to adapt when ya got nothing to work with," Tokage said, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head.

Tenya was about to speak up when Vlad King entered with heavy footsteps that shook the bus. "Enough! What did I say earlier?"

"But sensei—" Yanagi began to say, only to be silenced by their teacher's glare.

"I meant what I said about zero tolerance. The next student to say anything out of line will be asked to leave the bus and get an automatic 'F' for this exercise." That got everyone to shut up. "You're training to be heroes. So act like it."

As Vlad King walked to his seat, Awase moved next to Izuku. "Hey, you okay?" Awase whispered.

"I'm alright," Izuku replied. He gave his friend a small smile. "Thanks for standing up for me, Yosetsu." Awase stared at Izuku with wide eyes before the green-haired boy realized he'd called the boy by his first name. Izuku moved to apologize, but his friend simply smiled.

"Anything for a friend, Izuku," Yosetsu said with a smile. Then, suddenly, the bus started moving.

The next twenty minutes of driving were filled with awkward silence. Some students started to chat about random stuff, trying to avoid talking about the elephant in the room. By the time the bus stopped, everyone was relieved and ready to get started on the exercise. The facility was a massive dome-shaped building. And when the twenty hero students entered the building, all the unease and tension gave way to amazement.

"Oh my gosh! It's like a theme park!" Hagakure shouted out with all of her enthusiasm.

"Did we step into Universal Studios Japan?" Jirou asked.

Indeed, off in the distance, there were several massive zones. Each of them looked like a different set from a disaster movie, separated by a central plaza area with a water fountain. Near the end of the walkway leading to a large set of stairs was a massive container with a fingerprint reader. Izuku quickly identified that as Striker's charging pod. They also heard footsteps approaching them.

"There's the Flood Zone. The Landslide Zone, the Conflagration Zone, etc." A feminine voice muffled through a helmet said. The speaker turned out to be someone moderately short, wearing a costume that consisted of a thick space suit, a black helmet with solid white eyes, gloved hands with silver caps at the end of each finger, and yellow boots. "I personally designed his facility to simulate every kind of disaster you can imagine. I call it…The Unforeseen Simulation Joint!"

Yosetsu was going to comment that those initials were just USJ…but was stopped when a certain gravity girl let out a loud squee.

"Oh my gosh, ohmygosh, OHMYGOSH! IT'S THIRTEEN, THE SPACE HERO!" Ochako shouted, bouncing like a mad woman with the biggest smile her face could muster.

"They're the rescue ace who always save people with a polite and proper attitude," Izuku said out loud. He wasn't quite as excited as Ochako, but then again, the girl was meeting her favorite hero. He was practically the same when All Might was teaching them. Tenya nodded in approval of the 'polite and proper' moniker.

Thirteen chuckled at Ochako's enthusiasm. It was always nice to meet a fan. But then Vlad walked towards them and asked quietly. "Thirteen, where's All Might? He should be here by now."

"Word has it he's been caught up in a few incidents today," Thirteen whispered back. "He'll probably need some time to rest when he gets to the school."

"Of course," Vlad King sighed. "Well, we should just get started then."

"Right." Thirteen then addressed the students. "Alright, before we begin, I got some points to make. Some of you probably already know this, but my Quirk is Black Hole. With it, I can suck in and tear anything apart."

"You've used that to save hundreds of people in disaster situations," Izuku stated, Ochako rapidly nodding her head in agreement.

"That's true." Thirteen replied before their eyes narrowed. "But here's the thing; if I wanted to use it this way, or if I was careless, my Quirk could easily kill someone. And I'm sure the same thing could be said about any of you."

The students were silent as they contemplated this. Ochako could easily float someone into the atmosphere. Tenya could ram into someone with enough force to kill them. Yosetsu could weld deadly weapons or explosives to someone. And even Izuku knew he had to be careful with Striker's size and strength. Thirteen continued their speech.

"In our superpowered society, the use of Quirks is heavily restricted and monitored. On the surface, it may seem like a stable system. But just remember, all it takes is one wrong move with an uncontrollable Quirk, and people could end up dying. Kan's physical test at the start of the semester gave you an idea of how you all can improve. And All Might's battle training class gave you a taste of the danger your Quirks could possibly impose on others. So for this class, you'll gain another perspective; how to use your Quirks," Thirteen quickly glanced at Izuku, "and all the other tools at your disposal to save lives."

Izuku, Ochako, and the vast majority of Class 1-B looked at Thirteen with respect, inspired by the space hero's speech.

"In this line of work, you will probably end up fighting and harming villains. But as heroes, your top priority should always be to try and save people. Whether they're innocent civilians or your fellow heroes. And it's my hope that by today's end, you'll all learn what it means to help people."

But before anything else could happen, Jirou's elongated earbuds picked up something. "Hey, you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Tokage asked.

"It's hard to describe. It's like a strange swirling sound," Jirou said. "And it sounds like it's coming from the fountain."

Vlad overheard this and took a look down. His crimson eyes noticed something off. Like Jirou said, there was something just in front of the central fountain; a small swirling orb of black & purple smoke. The mass then expanded…and someone peaked their head out.

In an instant, Vlad knew something horrible was about to happen. The person that peaked their head out had messy silver-blue hair, red eyes that overflowed a special kind of madness…and what looked like severed hands grasping their face and the back of their head.

"Everyone, stay back!" Vlad shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Thirteen, we have a Level 5 break-in!"

"What?!" The space hero asked before they looked down, and their eyes widened. "Oh no."

The stranger stepped out of the mass as it continued to expand. Their full appearance was that of a lanky young man in an all-black costume with red sneakers and almost a dozen severed hands grasping onto his arms and shoulders. And he wasn't alone. Out of the portal came more and more strangers in various costumes, several with Mutant Quirks, and many carrying weapons of all shapes and sizes.

The most disturbing of them all was the…thing that stood behind the lanky man. It was easily 8 feet tall, with dark purple skin, and its sole piece of clothing was a pair of beige pants. Its physique was immensely muscular, easily on par with the largest of heroes. Its head was more unsettling, with a massive yellow beak where its mouth would be…and the exposed brain and soulless, unblinking eyes.

"The hell?" Kirishima asked. "Are those more robot villains?"

"They look really intricate if that's the case," Kuroiro stated.

"They're not," Vlad said, his voice so deathly serious it sent chills down his students' spines. "They're villains."

A wave of dread fell over the students as the lanky man looked up at the group. Finally, he spoke up, his voice raspy to an eerie degree. "Huh. That's odd. The schedule I peaked at said All Might was supposed to be teaching this class."

Vlad scowled. So now he and Thirteen knew the identity of their mystery intruder from a few days ago. The mass behind all the villains then changed shape, taking on a vaguely humanoid silhouette, glowing yellow eyes looking at the lanky man.

"It appears as though there might have been a sudden change in schedule."

The hand-covered man growled. "I hate it when there's an unannounced patch." But then, his red eyes lingered on the students, and a sinister laugh escaped his lips. "We've come all this way with a full party, and the big boss ain't even here. Oh, well. I guess the only way to get the Symbol of Peace's attention…is to murder some kids."

A fear unlike any other threatened to suffocate the hero students. They had no idea what this overwhelming presence they were feeling was. But later on, they would know it well. That overwhelming feeling…was killing intent.

"T-This can't be real!" Mineta cried out, panicking as more and more villains appeared, almost numbering nearly a hundred.

"Aren't the alarms supposed to go off?" A scared Tsunotori cried out as she hugged Kaibara, the spin teen hugging her back while being just as terrified.

Thirteen quickly tapped on their helmet. "Nezu, we have a break-in!" But all they got was static. "Just as I thought, these guys are blocking the sensors and all means of communication. Whoever they are, they planned ahead."

"All of you, get to the exit!" Vlad King said. The tubes in his arms started pumping blood. The crimson liquid flew out of the white-haired hero's palms and began to float around him. "I'll hold them off!"

"Sensei, that's crazy!" Kendo shouted. "You can't fight all of those guys by yourself!"

"It ain't even close to a fair fight!" Awase chimed in.

"It's never a fair fight when villains are involved!" Vlad shouted, spotting a few eager villains rushing up the stairs. "NOW GO!"

Vlad King immediately ran down the stairs two steps at a time and fired globs of blood at the villains. To their shock, the blood quickly expanded and hardened, immobilizing them. One villain charged at him with a knife. Vlad quickly the villain's arm with blood. The blood hardened, immobilizing the villain, and Vlad knocked him out with a right hook. Another shot at Vlad with streams of fire. Vlad evaded while coating his fist in swirling blood. He launched the swirling mass of blood at his attacker, knocking them out. The blood returned to his palms as he ran down the stairs, battling villains the whole way.

But despite his teacher's prowess, Izuku couldn't help but worry. No matter how skilled of a hero Vlad King was, he was one man going against a literal army. No matter the skill gap, all it would take was one lucky shot for him to be taken down.

And that's when Izuku knew his next course of action, lightly slapping his cheeks to hype himself up. Izuku ran to the container, unlocking it with the fingerprint scanner. He ignored the cries of his friends and Thirteen as he quickly leaped into Striker and activated it. The cockpit hatched closed, the light of the consoles shining off Izuku's helmet visor and Mei's Gear Charm that hung from the dash.

"Izuku, wait!" Ochako shouted as the robot stood up and walked out of the container. She had a bad feeling about what her friend would do.

"Striker—"

"Don't do it!" Kaibara shouted.

"GO!" With that yell, the jets on Striker's back ignited, and the green super robot blasted into the fray.

"Midoriya!" Thirteen shouted. "Dammit!"

"Is he insane?!" Kamakiri shouted.

While Vlad was dealing in CQC with a pair of villains, another smirking villain with a silver helmet eyed the blood hero. He aimed his gun barrel fingers at Vlad King.

"Eat lead!" Bullets flew out of his fingers. But just as the projectiles fired, Striker landed in the space between the villain and Vlad, the floor cracking under the robot's Alpha Titanium frame. And to the villain's horror, the bullets completely bounced off of Striker, landing harmlessly on the ground.

"Shining like a beacon in the dark, the invincible super robot…has arrived!" Izuku shouted as Striker aimed its left hand at the gun barrel villain.

"What the hell?!"

"Putty Shoot!"

Pink pellets fired from Striker's fingers and hit the villain. The pellets exploded into a putty that quickly engulfed him and hardened, immobilizing the villain.

"Midoriya?!" Vlad shouted. "What in god's name are you doing?!"

"Acting like a hero!" Izuku said, echoing his sensei's earlier words. But truth be told, Izuku was asking himself the same question. He knew what he was doing was crazy! He was a novice! A high school freshman going up against hardened criminals! What was he doing?

Maybe the part of him that wanted to be a hero overrode any common sense he had when he feared for his teacher's safety. On the other hand, maybe he wanted to prove his doubting classmates wrong by getting in on the action. But whatever the case, now Izuku was in the thick of it, as a villainess with growing metallic silver hair wrapped around Striker's right arm.

The villainess smirked…until Striker's arm snapped back, sending her flying away. But Izuku was then besieged by a large, muscular man with a bull-like gas mask charging at him, grabbing the machine by the waist.

"I don't know what ya are, but I'm gonna turn ya into scrap metal!" But the bull villain's bravado quickly faded as Striker grabbed his arms by the wrist and pulled them up. The villain groaned in pain, fear in his eyes as Striker loomed over him. Striker lightly kicked the man, sending him flying and crashing into the water fountain. The large villain groaned before passing out.

Everyone, from the villains to the teachers, the students, even Izuku himself, was stunned by what he had just done. 'I…' Izuku thought to himself, a strange feeling of euphoria washing over him. 'I took out villains! I TOOK OUT THREE VILLAINS!' A wide smile appeared on Izuku's face. Then, on his monitor, he saw several villains staring at Striker in worry and bewilderment as the robot turned to face them.

"Alright!" Izuku shouted as Striker took a combative stance. "Who's next?!"

Vlad narrowed his eyes and weighed his options. On the one hand, Izuku was an absolute novice. But on the other hand, he just saw said novice and his robot quickly defeat three villains, and they were still surrounded.

"Okay, Midoriya," Vlad said as he stood next to Striker. "Just stick by me. And if things start going sideways, no matter what happens to me, you run. Got it?"

"I got it, sensei."

"Good." Suddenly, Vlad spotted another group of villains charging at the two. "Now, let's go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!"

"PLUS ULTRA!"

'What the hell are those two doing?!' Thirteen thought to themselves as Vlad and Striker began to fight some supervillains together. It was hard to deny that Izuku's robot was obviously powerful…but even still, it didn't sit right with the rescue hero to have a student fight against hardened criminals.

Izuku's friends were also internally conflicted. Tenya, Ochako, and Awase wanted to join in and help Izuku. But they also knew they would probably be outmatched by the more experienced villains. Other students tried to get to the exit as their sensei had instructed.

"Sorry, children," a voice rang through the air. Suddenly, the black mist villain materialized in front of the escaping students. Looming over them, his shape solidified. He became more humanoid, a silver neck brace wrappped around his neck. "I cannot allow any of you to escape."

'Shit!' Thirteen thought while the students looked on in fear. 'This guy is definitely a teleporter!'

"Ah, but where are my manners?" the shadow man said in a surprisingly polite tone. "We are the League of Villains. And you might be wondering exactly what we want. Well, that's relatively simple; we have invaded this bastion of heroism…so that we may kill the Symbol of Peace, All Might."

Ochako's stomach dropped. 'They…they to want to kill Mr. Yagi?!' Images flashed in her mind. Her mentor and predecessor in his skinner form. The hideous scar where his stomach should be…and him being torn apart from that exact same injury. Her eyes widened, and her body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Now, I would rather not spill the blood of children today. So if you could all please sit sti—"

"FUCK YOU!" Suddenly, Kamikiri and Kaibara rushed forward arm blades unsheathed and limbs spinning. Kaibara's attack went right through the shadow villain, and he effortlessly moved out of the way of Kamikiri's blades.

Kirishima then charged forward, swinging a hardened fist that passed through the villain. 'Dammit!'

"Ah, there it is, the recklessness of youth. I suppose it was a pipe dream to believe you'd all calmly cooperate. Very well."

A shiver went up Thirteen's spine. Years of experience telling them that something very bad was about to happen. "Everyone, get back!"

"Begone." Suddenly, the black mist exploded forward quickly enveloping Thirteen and the students. "Writhe in torment…until your very last breath."

"GUYS!" Izuku shouted as the shadows began to consume his classmates. However, his cameras spotted Kaibara, Kamakiri, Hagakure, Fukidashi, and Thirteen pushed out from the enveloping darkness from flying limbs. More body parts flew out of the dark before merging back into Tokage's whole body. But when the shadows faded, the mist villain was still standing…and everyone else was gone.

"What…what did you do to them?!" Thirteen shouted in anger.

"Hm. So some of you evaded. But fret not; the students are still within his building." The villain's eyes then narrowed. "But whether or not they remain unharmed…is out of my hands."

And true to his word, that last attack had teleported all those caught with it to different areas within the USJ. Kirishima suddenly regained his sight, confused as to why it was now raining. Confusion turned to panic as his eyes widened in realization. He was 100 feet in the air and falling to his doom!

"AAAAAGGHHH!" the redhead screamed. Kirishima instantly hardened his body in a vain hope that it would break the fall. He was about to smash right into the roof of a building…but then, he felt an invisible force bring his fall to a screeching hault. Kirishima opened his eyes, he was mere centimeters from the concrete roof.

"Are you…unharmed…Kirishima?" He turned and saw Yanagi with her hands held out and breathing heavily. The redhead suddenly saw he was enveloped in a ghostly purple aura and realized Yanagi had caught him with her Quirk.

"Hell yeah, thanks to you," Kirishima said with a toothy grin. Yanagi nodded, dismissing her Quirk and letting him land safely on the roof. "That was a super-manly save, Yanagi!"

The silver-haired girl nodded before the two took stalk about where they were. All around them were abandoned buildings, wind and rain blowing around them.

"Where the hell did that guy send us?" Kirishima asked out loud as the rain began to soak him.

"Look yonder," Yanagi said, pointing up to the sky. Kirishima did just that and saw the UA logo in the sky. He then recalled that there were two domed locations inside the USJ. "It would appear that shade deemed the USJ to be our place of battle and sought to separate us."

"So he must've split up the whole class," Kirishima said. He scratched his head, trying to think. "But what's to stop us from just going back to the entrance and beating him up?"

Yanagi looked down, and her breath hitched. Kirishima looked down in the same direction, and his eyes widened as he saw several villains climbing up the side of the building, using their claws or grappling gear. "I-I believe that is our o-obstacle," Yanagi said, her voice heavy with fear as Kirishima's hands trembled.

Elsewhere, Jirou suddenly found herself submerged in water. She snapped her mouth shut, trying not to drown. The punk girl saw something swimming toward her; a shark-like villain with a massive row of teeth. Jirou was terrified before she felt someone else grab her and was blasted out of the water, landing onto a boat. She let out a violent, body-shaking cough before her lungs started filling with air. She looked up to see that her savior was none other than Tenya.

"Are you alright, Jirou?" Tenya asked, quickly taking off his helmet to get some oxygen.

"Y-Ya. Thanks."

"You guys okay?!" The two turned and saw Kendo running towards them, and unlike them, she was completely dry.

"We're fine, vice prez…kind of," Jirou said before looking over the boat's railing. And her eyes widened as she saw several aquatic supervillains had surrounded the boat the three were on. "Oh fuck!"

In yet another part of the USJ, Ochako fell out of the shadows and instantly felt herself enveloped in overwhelming heat. She saw she was standing in a street where the buildings surrounding her were on fire. But before Ochako could get her footing…

"AGGGHHH! EVERYTHING'S ON FIRE!"

…she was met with the site of Mineta screaming and quickly rolling around to put out the flames on his cape.

"Mineta!" Ochako approached the purple boy as he continued to freak out. The gravity girl stood the still-screaming boy upright and lightly slapped him on the cheek. That stopped him, but he looked up at the brunette in confusion.

"Why did you just slap me?" He asked, sounding genuinely hurt.

"I-I thought that would calm you down."

"WHY WOULD THAT CALM ME DOWN?!" Mineta shouted. "WE GOT ATTACKED BY A SUPERVILLAIN, AND THERE'S LIKE A HUNDRED MORE OF THOSE GUYS!"

'…he's right.' Ochako thought, her own fear beginning to surface, but she quickly pushed it down. "L-Look, I'm pretty this is one of those fake disaster zones Thirteen mentioned. We just got to find our way ou—"

But Ochako stopped mid-sentence as she and Mineta heard the send of sinister chuckling. "Well, well, well. Lookie here."

The two teenagers turned and saw a man walking towards them, unphased by the inferno blazing around them. He was a tall man with a black jumpsuit that covered his body, spiked gloves, and a dark red cloak with a hood covering his head. "Two little lambs…fresh for the slaughter. You two should be honored."

The villain pulled down his hood, revealing a pair of red & black goggles and his wild mane of spiked black hair. "You shall be the first victims," he began as his goggles began to glow, "of BARON VON HELLGAZE!"

Ochako quickly grabbed Mineta and leaped, barely evading a massive orange energy blast fired from the Baron's goggles. The two heroes-in-training looked at the villain looming towards them, both of them terrified.

In yet another part, Kaminari landed face-first in puddle of mud. "Ugh, gross," Kaminari groaned as he spat out some mud. He got up and saw Yosetsu and Honenuki getting up. "You guys okay?" Kaminari asked his fellow students as tried to wipe the mud off of themselves.

"Yup. Everything's still attached," Honenuki said as he rubbed his head.

Then, the three boys heard…humming. A soft & demure humming that sounded similar to a lullaby. The boys looked past the debris surrounding them and saw someone walking towards them.

It was a woman dressed like a nun, wearing a Venetian carnival mask. The mask was half-black and half-white and resembled a woman's face, calm and serene and hauntingly beautiful. It had a pair of tassels, a black tassel on the white side, white on the black side. A shining sickle nestled in her left hand, with an identical one strapped onto the side of her belt. The woman's humming came to a sudden stop. The three boys tensed up, preparing for a fight. "Worry not, dear children," the nun said, her voice soft and ethereal. " I am Sister Mercy, and I am here totake away your pain and bring you peace."

Yosetsu raised an eyebrow at her. "What does that—"

Sister Mercy brought a finger to mask's lips. "Shh." Suddenly, the world became quiet. Deathly, unnaturally quiet. Yosetsu opened his mouth to speak…but even though his mouth moved, no sound came from him.

He looked and saw Kaminari moving his mouth as well, but couldn't hear anything he said. The same thing was happening with Honenuki. And it wasn't just their words. Yosetsu soon realized there was no sound AT ALL. It was as if someone had put the world on mute. He whipped around to look at Sister Mercy, but she was gone.

Icy cold dread filled Yosetsu's veins as searched for the villain, feeling in his gut she was still near, and probably closer than they thought.

And finally, in the mountain zone, Tsunotori came to, groaning as she started to look around. She saw Koda and Kuroiro and was about to say something when a hand came from behind and covered her mouth. She began to thrash until the person behind her spoke.

"It's me, Sero," he whispered before removing his hand. "Keep your voice down."

"Why?"

Sero pointed to the cliff near them. "We're not alone."

Tsunotori took a look down the cliff. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. There was a group of villains searching the mountain zone, no doubt looking for them. Leading this pack was a large burly man with a brown handlebar mustache and a black domino mask, dressed in a stereotypical safari hunter outfit, holding a grisly barbed whip in his hands.

But more intimidating than the burly man was the beast among the villains. It was a tiger, a truly massive tiger that looked more at place in myth and legend than reality. Aside from its sheer size, the tiger's black stripes were shaped like flames, and its eyes were a burning orange.

What was supposed to be a day of learning quickly turned into a day that these young students would remember for the rest of their lives. This would be…their baptism by fire!

To be continued…

Notes:

Our version of the USJ arc has started! We got some awesome team-ups and dynamics coming up in the next few chapters. And I can already tell it's gonna be a blast writing everyone's favorite crusty psychopath.

By the way, yes, this story will tackle the topic of Quirkless discrimination against Izuku. It's kind of a necessity to do for stories of this nature. But fear not dear readers; we are not going to fall into wangst territory like some stories I've read. The Quirkless discrimination is going to be part of MSRA but not the sole focus.

Next Time: Unleash Your Inner Hero!

Please remember to read, favorite, and review!

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 11: Unleash Your Inner Hero!

Summary:

The Battle at the USJ continues with some horrific realizations and heroics!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 11: Unleash Your Inner Hero!

'Well, this is certainly a monkey wrench,' Kaneko thought, walking to his next class and looking at his phone. He had been waiting to hear an answer from Izuku, hoping that his future goldmine would realize how he could help him. But now, with that expose from The National Jinkai and the ensuing media shitstorm, he figured he probably wasn't going to hear from Izuku anytime soon.

Granted, he always knew that selling the public on the idea of a quirkless superhero would be an uphill battle. He also decided that whoever said that any publicity is good publicity was full of it.

"Pardon me, young man!"

"Sure," Kaneko said, not even bothering to look up from his phone as he half-heartedly stepped to the side. The man's huge frame cast a shadow over Kaneko as he walked past the boy. Suddenly, Kaneko froze and looked up from his phone. "Wait, was that All Might?"

Indeed, that was All Might. The Symbol of Peace finally dealt with all his heroics in the early day. He rushed to the teacher's lounge and saw the only one else in the room was Aizawa looking over some paperwork and drinking some coffee.

"Let me guess; got caught up saving a cat from a tree?" Aizawa asked, not even looking up as All Might shrunk back into his more-skeletal form.

"Actually, two cats, four balloons, two villain attacks, and one train derailing," Toshinori said as he plopped on the couch and sighed. He then looked around and noticed a lack of a certain mouse/bear/whatever. "Where's Nezu?"

"Currently dealing with our phones going off like a new year's fireworks display because that article on Midoriya," Aizawa said with a tired sigh. "Those vultures never think of the consequences before they post something."

"Oh…right," Toshinori said. Honestly, it was hard to believe just how quickly and violently the public reacted to the news of a Quirkless hero student. He couldn't help but feel awful for what Izuku was going through. After all, he knew what it felt like to be a powerless youth. But he never faced backlash like this. The fact that the article mentioned that the writer had initially been looking into him and that led her to investigating Young Midoriya didn't help either. "You think our intruder from the other day is responsible?"

"It's a possibility. And if that's the case, Nezu's going to have fun with them."

A shiver went down All Might's spine. He knew from personal experience that Nezu had quite the sadistic side. Thankfully, UA's principal only brought that side out against those who truly deserved it.

"So," Aizawa said, observing how tired All Might looked. "Are you still going to the USJ?"

"Of course, just give me a minute," Toshinori said between breaths. "I need to catch my breath."

Aizawa said nothing for a bit, taking a sip of his coffee. "You know, time management is something you should probably learn to do."

"You expect me to ignore people in danger?"

"I'm not saying that." The black-haired teacher said as he headed for the exit. "But you don't have to act like you're the only hero in the room."

As Aizawa left the lounge, Toshinori chuckled. 'Funny. She said the same thing.' He then looked at his stopwatch and saw he had less than two hours left before he couldn't use his more muscular form for the day. But he still needed to rest after a busy morning of heroism.

He could rest a bit more. After all, what could go wrong in just a few minutes of a rescue class?

Meanwhile…

'This went so wrong, so fast,' Thirteen thought to themselves as they stared down the shadow mist villain. It was bad enough that they had students behind them they needed to look after. The one upside was that this villain seemed more on the 'polite gentleman' side. He wasn't making any moves to attack them, standing before the exit and preventing anyone from escaping.

"Who's the fastest among you guys?" Thirteen asked.

"I-t's gotta be Kaibara," Tokage said. "You can spin really fast."

"I mean…I can…but…" Kaibara stuttered. He looked over the rest of the USJ, fear evident in his expression.

"Hey, you brag about how tough your girl is all the time," Kamakiri said. "She'll make it. We're all gonna make it."

"This is what being a hero is about, Kaibara," Thirteen said. "What today's lesson was supposed to be; using your gifts to help people. It's clear that we can't contact the rest of the staff as is, so we need someone to run and get them. That's going to be you."

Kaibara looked at his teacher and classmates. Fukidashi and Hagakure gave him thumbs up, while Kamakiri and Tokage nodded. Kaibara grit his teeth as his gaze hardened. "Alright, just give me an opening!"

"Fascinating," the shadow villain said. "But you're all delusional. You have no hope of escaping, and you just laid out your plan while your enemy was in earshot."

"It doesn't matter. You're not gonna stop us!" Thirteen stated before pointing a finger at Kurogiri, and the suit's fingertip flipped open. "BLACK HOLE!"

Winds howled, and stones cracked as the overwhelming force of Thirteen's Quirk tried to consume everything in front of them. Kurogiri felt the vacuum trying to tear his hidden body apart as the dark vapor that rose from him flew into Black Hole.

"Try teleporting away from this!" Thirteen shouted as the villain slowly inched toward their miniature event horizon. But Kurogiri's eyes narrowed, not in fear, but cold contempt.

"You think me a simple teleporter?"

Before anyone could react, a black portal appeared behind Thirteen. The back of Thirteen's suit was ripped apart like wet tissue paper. A bloodcurdling scream rang through the air as Black Hole tore bloody chunks of flesh from Thirteen's back. The pain was overwhelming, like thousands of ice-cold hands clawing and digging into their flesh all at once.

Thirteen collapsed, and Black Hole's suction suddenly stopped. A splattering of blood and bits of flesh trailed behind their prone form.

"THIRTEEN!" Tokage cried out as Kaibara, Fukidashi, Hagakure, and even Kamakiri stood in terrified silence.

"I am Kurogiri. I am the shadows given form. Protector of the chosen destroyer. Compared to me, you are all nothing."

Meanwhile, Tenya and Kendo stared down at the water as almost two dozen villains encircled the boat. 1-B's rep and vice-rep looked around, desperately searching for anything they could take advantage of. Sadly, the only objects on the boat were a few liferings and a length of rope. As Tenya and Kendo silently cursed that none of them had Quirks suited for water, Jiro was crouched down nearby.

Jiro had heard the villains talking earlier but couldn't make out what they were saying. While she couldn't physically get closer to them, Jiro had her Quirk. She plugged her earphones jacks into the deck of the ship, and she heard the voices of the villains clear as day.

"Come on! Let's just slice these kids up!" one of the villains said.

"Settle down, you idiot!" another chastised. "We don't know what they're capable of."

"Surge is right. For all we know, one of these kids can turn into a nuke or some other crazy shit. So let's just be cool and see what they do."

"Guys," Jiro said, getting Tenya and Kendo's attention. "I don't think they know what our Quirks are."

"Is that so?" Tenya said. Now that he thought about it, the aquatic villains seemed to be keeping their distance and observing the boat. Most likely in an attempt to discern their Quirks before engaging in combat. "We can probably use this to our advantage."

"How?" Kendo asked. "None of us are exactly built for underwater combat."

"Fair point." Tenya looked around and then saw the shallow end of the flood zone pool a fair distance away. An idea began to form in his head about how they could escape.

Meanwhile…

The lanky leader of the League of Villains scratched his neck in confusion and mild irritation. He expected the goons he hired to completely steamroll the UA kids. He figured that the pro-hero teachers would be an issue, but the kids would be nothing.

And yet, one kid piloting a robot suit was throwing grown men & women around like they were rag dolls. Hell, he saw two of them running away.

"Just what the hell are you doing?" The leader asked.

"Getting the fuck out of here, duh!" One of them shouted. "Shigaraki, you said we were gonna be fighting kids, not a freakin' Gundam!"

"Actually, it looks more like a green Tetsujin." The other guy said.

"Who the hell cares?! Point is, we are not getting paid enough for—"

"Mute," Shigaraki said, placing a hand on the complaining goon's face. The other man watched in horror as his fellow goon's head was disintegrated; blood, bones, and grey matter turned to dust as the man's decapitated body fell into a crumpled heap. The goon nearly vomited at the sight as Shigaraki turned to look at the living goon, his red eyes burrowing into his very soul.

"I m-mean, who among us hasn't wanted to fight a robot?" He awkwardly chuckled before running back into the fray.

But while he found their whining and cowardice annoying, Shigaraki had to admit they had a point; the robot kid was proving to be a huge pain in the ass. A secret OP mini-boss that came completely out of nowhere; he hated that unbalanced BS. Nonetheless, Shigaraki smirked.

"As the old saying goes, 'the only way to beat OP bullshit is with even more OP bullshit.'"

At the same time, Izuku was having the time of his life! His invention was easily beating up so many villains! One villain with rock fists tried punching Striker, but his hands shattered against the Alpha Titanium metal. Another tired blasting Striker with fire, but the armor refused to give way to the heat, allowing Izuku to immobilize them with another barrage of capture putty. Then villain with a drill head tried charging at Izuku, but Striker quickly grabbed and tossed him into another villain, knocking them both out.

"What the hell is up with this kid?!" One of the villains shouted. And all Izuku retorted with was his own take on All Might's legendary laugh.

"The 'deal' is that you're up against Striker, the super robot that's as strong as All Might!" The green machine slammed its fists together to intimidate the villains. "Now, who's next?!"

'Dammit, Midoriya!' Vlad King thought to himself as he knocked another villain unconscious with a hammer of blood. 'This kid's got a damn rookie high!' Vlad King had seen it before. Hell, he had experienced it firsthand; the rush a rookie hero gets when they take down their first villain. It could make someone feel invincible and unstoppable. That sense of overconfidence would inevitably lead to extremely reckless behavior, disregarding orders and taking on villains even seasoned pros would struggle against. Vlad had heard far too many stories of a rookie hero's career getting cut short because they bit off more than they could chew.

And now Izuku was feeling that high ten-fold.

"Nomu," Shigaraki said, getting the attention of the unnerving and hulking figure that hadn't moved since he arrived. "You see that metal man?"

Nomu looked right at Striker and nodded. Shigaraki grinned.

"Good…kill him."

Nomu took off like a rocket, running towards Izuku and his robot with thunderous steps. Izuku heard the footsteps, but before he even had a chance to turn and look, Nomu tackled the robot into the fountain. The seatbelts dug into Izuku's skin as the impact force tried to send him flying out of his seat. Izuku looked up, and his breath hitched as he got his first good look at Nomu, the hideous villain lying on top of Striker, rocking the cockpit again with a powerful punch.

"So that robot's as strong as All Might, eh?" Shigaraki chuckled as he got within listening range of Striker's audio receptors. "Well, good thing Nomu here was made to kill All Might."

Nomu was unrelenting as he punched Striker again and again, each strike making a clanging sound that rang through the air. Warnings flooded Izuku's screen, practically screaming that letting Nomu hit him was a very bad idea.

Izuku grit his teeth and grabbed the controls. Striker caught Nomu's next punch, and the machine stood back up. Striker threw a punch with its free arm that hit Nomu squarely in its chest…but nothing happened. The hulking monster didn't even flinch as he punched Striker again, sending the robot hurtling back.

"Sorry, Shock Absorption is gonna make punching your way out a bit difficult," Shigaraki taunted.

But Izuku didn't give up. Striker's back jets flared up, and the green machine blasted forward, grabbing hold of Nomu and blasting the two toward the Collapsed Building Zone.

"Midoriya!" Vlad tried to run after his student but was forced to block a powerful punch with both arms. Then, he saw his opponent, a beautiful brown-skinned woman with an Amazonian build.

"Sorry, handsome," Kelly said with a teasing smile. "But you got your hands full."

'Hm. I guess some of these meatshields have talent,' Shigaraki thought as Kelly attacked Vlad. He figured that with the teacher occupied, he could go and see Nomu completely wreck the robot kid.

Speaking of Izuku, after slamming Nomu into one of the buildings before retreating a few feet away from the stunned beast, his mind quickly tried to deduce his next plan of attack.

'Okay, that creepy guy said that Nomu has 'Shock Absorption,' Izuku thought, mind racing as he tried to strategize. 'Is that the name of his Quirk? But he also clearly has some degree of super strength. Most strength-enhancing Quirks tend to give some degree of enhanced durability. Is Shock Absorption a more powerful version of that? Or does his strength come naturally with his mutation?'

Izuku grit his teeth as he saw Nomu getting up from the rubble, completely unfazed.

'Obviously, physical attacks aren't going to work, so the Anchor Knuckle is out of the question. And I haven't even tested the newest weapon yet. But if I can't physically beat him,' Striker aimed all ten fingers at Nomu. 'Then I'll just have to immobilize him!'

"Putty Shoot: Full Volley!"

With a quick pull of the triggers, Striker fired a barrage of putty bullets. Round after round struck Nomu dead on. In seconds, the villain's lower half was completely covered in quickly-hardening putty, Striker's hands clicking with empty rounds. Nomu looked at the putty and tried punching it, but he only trapped his left arm as well.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you," Izuku proclaimed. "The more you struggle, the denser that putty gets."

Despite Izuku's warnings, Nomu continued thrashing like a wild animal, more and more putty covering his skin. As Izuku watched, he started to feel sorry for the villain, but there was no time to worry about Nomu when his classmates were still in danger. He was about to leave when a sickening pop drew Izuku's attention.

Izuku looked back at Nomu and gasped. The villain had completely dislocated his left shoulder while trying to escape. But despite what Izuku could only imagine was excruciating pain, Nomu kept struggling against the putty.

"W-w-wait! Stop!" Izuku pleaded. "What are you doin—"

With a final tug, Izuku watched in horror as skin, muscles, and tendons snapped under tremendous force, and Nomu tore his arm off.

"OH, MY GOD!" Izuku screamed. Nomu's blood splattered across Striker and the floor of the USJ. Blood poured from Nomu's stump of a shoulder as his severed arm hung limp, stuck in the putty. Before Izuku could process what he'd witnessed, Nomu raised his remaining hand and stabbed himself through the gut. A squelching sound filled the air as Nomu tore apart his abdomen. Blood and entrails spilled onto the floor. Then, with barely anything keeping his upper and lower halves together, Nomu grabbed onto a chunk of his spine and ripped it out.

Nomu had bisected himself.

It took every fiber of Izuku's being not to throw up as he watched Nomu's mutilated torso fall to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Wh-wh-why?" Izuku asked, his voice barely a whisper. He watched as Nomu used his remaining arm to drag himself towards Striker, the villain's entrail and other organs trailing behind him like some sort of grotesque tail. "How could anyone rip themselves apart like—"

Suddenly, Nomu uttered an ear-piercing shriek as what was left of his body began to convulse. Bones, tendons, muscles, and skin erupted from Nomu's stump of a shoulder. In an instant, the outpouring of flesh coalesced into a new arm. Next, Nomu's ravaged entrails began to knit themselves back before his torso sprouted a new lower half.

"T-That's not possible!" Izuku screamed. 'Strength, Shock Absorption, and Regeneration?! What kind of insane quirk does this guy have?!'

But then, Izuku remembered something he heard that lanky man with the hands all over him say; that Nomu was made to kill All Might. "N-No way."

Within the online Quirk Analytics community, a controversial fringe theory frequently appeared in posts and videos; Quirk Chimeras. The idea was that if someone had a complete understanding of the biological eccentricities of multiple Quirks and had some degree of knowledge about genetic engineering, it would be theoretically possible to imbue a living being with multiple Quirks.

But this was considered fringe science and generally dismissed by the analytics community for a multitude of reasons. The likely chance a body would reject foreign Quirks like transplanted organs. The need to completely sequence the DNA of both the donor and donee. The exorbitant amount of money and resources one would need to even attempt such an endeavor. Not to mention the college textbook's worth of ethical issues that creating a Quirk Chimera would bring.

And yet, as Nomu's limbs reformed before his very eyes, Izuku felt an overwhelming terror suffocate him. The man…no, the monster in front of him was a Quirk Chimera! He was looking at the result of some depraved madman's work made real…and it was trying to kill him!

Nearby, in the shadow of a building, Shigaraki chuckled. Even though he couldn't see the kid, the lanky man laughed as he imagined how terrified the kid must have been. Maybe he even pissed himself.

'Well, Mr. Mini-Boss, it looks like you're gonna be just the warm-up Nomu needs before All Might shows up.'

Meanwhile…

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Baron von Hellgaze cackled like a maniac as he fired more and more deadly laser beams from his eyes. Ochako, while carrying a panicking Mineta, once more leaped away the villain's eye beams, vaporizing the concrete like it was nothing. The gravity girl quickly turned a corner running around the burning building.

"Run all you want, children!" Hellgaze exclaimed with a dramatic flail of his arms. "Sooner or later, you two will fall under my gaze and face oblivion!"

As the sounds of his mad laughter filled the air, Ochako saw a burnt-up car. She hid behind it. After a moment, Ochako set Mineta down and finally managed to catch her breath.

'That guy's laser eyes are nuts! Definitely don't want to get hit by those!' Ochako thought to herself. But before she could come up with a plan, she heard the sound of Mineta hyperventilating. Ochako looked down and saw the little grape boy hyperventilating, snot and tears rolling down his face.

"Thiscan'tbehappeningthiscan'tbehappeningthiscan'tbe-" Mineta said before huffing a bit. "Why?! Why now?! I've only been here for a month! I am not ready to fight villains yet!"

"Mineta, just calm down. I-I know it's scary, but…" Ochako stopped when Mineta looked up at her, his entire body quivering.

"I don't want to die."

Hearing that broke the poor girl's heart…because, honestly, she understood his fear. Her hands were shaking, her heart was racing, and the sweat rolling down her face wasn't just from the fire around them. Ochako was just as terrified as Mineta was.

Who could blame them? All Ochako and her fellow students had was a few weeks of training. It was one thing to fight in controlled situations like the Entrance Exam or combat exercises. But now? They were a bunch of kids going up against experienced villains that clearly had no issue trying to kill them.

And that fear was felt by every student of Class 1-B. From Kirishima and Yanagi, terrified of the villains scaling the building they were on, to Awase, Kaminari, and Honenuki barely avoiding being cut up by the nun villain's sickles. Every student was staring possible death in the face.

For Ochako, that fear was heightened when she heard Hellgaze's footsteps and laughter. The only time she felt fear like this was…that night.

One Year Ago…

Ochako had no idea why she was risking her life to save a kid she didn't know. She had a clear shot for the exit. But when she heard a kid cry out from a store while the mall continued to collapse all around them, her feet moved on their own. Lifting the rubble that trapped the little boy was easy enough. But now, as the roof started to come down on them, Ochako and the boy closed their eyes, but the impact never came.

"Do not worry, children. Everything will be alright…" Ochako looked up, and her eyes widened at the sight of none other than All Might holding up the massive piece of roof like it was nothing. "...because I AM HERE!"

The next day, while walking home from school, Ochako ran into All Might again, who had been looking for her. And after freaking out when he turned back into his skinnier form, Toshinori explained everything. His injury from a climactic battle that had limited how long he could be a hero each day. The true nature of his Quirk, One for All. And how he had been looking for a successor to pass it down to.

"You risked your life to save a child you didn't even know. In my eyes, that makes you a true hero."

"I don't know," Ochako said, her head on her knees as the two sat by a riverbed. "I mean, I want to be a hero, but I don't know if I have what it takes to do what you do."

"Hm. Maybe not now…" Toshinori said as he stood up. "...but give me a year. With my help, I'll show you how to unleash your inner hero."

The lanky man held his hand out. "So, young Uraraka, will you accept my offer?"

Ochako hesitated for a moment…but only for that moment, as she stood up and shook the Hero of Heroes' hand.

"What the heck?! Let's do this!"

"That's the spirit!"

Back in the present, Ochako's face took on a firm expression. She stood up, much to Mineta's confusion.

"Mineta, I'll keep Mr. Laser Eyes distracted. You get the heck out of here."

Ochako turned around and began to walk away from the burnt car. She saw Hellgaze in the distance, his goggles glowing with red energy.

"Are you nuts?! He'll vaporize you!" Mineta shouted. But then, he noticed Ochako's hands shaking and saw the brunette nervously swallowing.

"That doesn't matter," Ochako said, her brown eyes firm. "Heroes face danger head-on. Even when they're terrified."

Mineta stared in disbelief as Ochako walked towards Hellgaze. The villain and the hero course student stared each other down, with no sound but the fires blazing around them.

"So, come to submit to your better, young heroine?" Hellgaze asked.

"Nope! But I am gonna kick your ass all the way into orbit!" Ochako said as she took up a stance.

"Oh ho ho! Such tenacity! I like it!" Hellgaze exclaimed, his eyes glowing even brighter with excitement. "Very well. All I ask is that you provide a challenge worthy of the great Baron Von Hellgaze!"

Hellgaze fired another eye blast. Ochako used her Quirk on herself and leaped high into the air. Hellgaze fired again, but Ochako launched her wrist grapple at a building and flew out of the way. She used the building as a springboard and evaded another blast. A massive piece of debris fell from the building Hellgaze's blast hit. Ochako reached out and touched it, making it weightless with her Quirk.

"Take this!" Ochako kicked the debris toward Hellgaze. The villain smirked and fired, destroying the impromptu projectile.

"Throwing rocks? Really? That seems a bit…." Hellgaze stopped as he saw Ochako enveloped by a shimmering pink aura. "…what the—"

"2% Rocket Blast!" Ochako flicked her fingers and fired an airblast that knocked Hellgaze off his feet. Ochako fired another grappling hook at the ground, launching herself down and landed. She let gravity regain its hold on her and sprinted to Hellgaze. Ochako tried to punch the villain, but Hellgaze swiftly dodged the attack.

"Let me guess; you assume that because my Quirk is long-range, I'm lacking when it comes to close quarters," Hellgaze said with a light-hearted chuckle. "A reasonable deduction for a rookie to make."

"Aw, nuts." Ochako used Zero Gravity and her grappling hooks to evade Hellgaze's blasts. On the sidelines, Mineta continued to watch. He couldn't understand. Ochako was clearly just as terrified as he was. And yet, the way she was fighting, he couldn't tell. She was acting like a real hero.

And him? He knew he didn't sign up for the hero school for an altruistic reason. All his life, people made fun of him for his height, his 'weird and useless Quirk,' and that he was a shameless and proud pervert. But he figured that if he became an awesome hero, the insults would stop, and girls would think he was cool and let him touch their boobs. But here he was, cowering while his classmate put herself at risk, Hellgaze's laser managing to nearly scuff her at some points.

Clenching his fists, Mineta made his decision.

"That's right; dance, my foe!" Hellgaze cackled as he fired beam after beam at Ochako. "Dance the dance of dea—" A big purple ball hit Hellgaze in the face. "What the devil?"

"AAAGGHHH!" Mineta screamed as he threw ball after ball at Hellgaze. He tried to dodge, but several purple balls stuck to him. Scowling, Hellgaze grabbed a ball on his forearm and tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't move. His eyes widened in panic when he realized he couldn't get his hand off the ball. As he struggled, Hellgaze accidentally stepped onto another of Mineta's balls.

"Goddamnit!" Hellgaze shrieked. "These shoes are new!"

With her foe distracted, Ochako saw her opening, firing a grappling hook near Hellgaze. She tapped the button on her wrist and aimed her feet down.

"Double Atmospheric Drop Kick!"

Hellgaze barely managed to look up before he got two pink boots to the face, smashing apart his goggles to reveal his solid red eyes. With a pained whimper, the black-clad villain fell onto the ground and passed out.

"Woo! First villain take-down! Yeah!" Ochako cheered while Mineta put his hands on his wobbling knees.

"I can't believe that worked," Mineta said. But then he looked up and saw Ochako smiling down at him.

"Thanks for the help, Mineta. That was pretty cool of you."

The grape boy's eyes widened and sparkled. 'No way…A GIRL SAID I WAS COOL!'

Mineta started to do a funky little dance in celebration. Ochako didn't quite understand but giggled at her classmate.

"Now I just gotta touch some boobs!"

"Huh?"

Mineta realized he'd said that out loud and began to sweat. "Um…not yours, of course, Uraraka. I know better than to try that with someone's girlfriend."

That confused Ochako even more. She didn't have a boyfriend.

But then a loud noise from outside the zone cut off that train of thought.

"Come on! Let's go!" Ochako said before running towards the exit.

"Right!" Mineta replied as he ran after her, leaving the unconscious Hellgaze among the burning buildings.

Elsewhere…

"You ready, Jiro?" Kendo asked.

"As ready as I can be with this kind of plan," Jiro replied as she held a lifer ing under her armpits.

"Are you sure about this?" Tenya asked. "I will fully admit that this plan of mine is haphazard. Perhaps we can think of another way that doesn't involve putting you directly in harm's way."

"As much as I appreciate the thought, I don't think we got the time to think of something else." Jiro's jacks twitched once more. "Because it sounds like those B-Movie rejects are getting impatient."

As if to prove her point, one of the water villains used their quirk to slice off a smokestack with a blast of high-pressurized water.

"Okay. Good luck, Jiro." Kendo said with a reassuring smile.

"Ya, definitely gonna need it." After taking a deep breath, Jiro stepped onto the railings and then jumped into the water, Kendo and Tenya holding onto the rope attached to her life ring. The villains were confused by this but decided to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Jiro opened her eyes and saw the pack of villains swimming toward her like sharks smelling blood (in fact, she could've sworn two of them had shark-like mutations.) After mentally calming herself down a bit, she mentally commanded one of her jacks to lengthen and plug into her speaker boots.

"Eat this!" Jiro shouted. "Amp Attack!"

A barrage of sound waves blasted out of Jiro's boots.

The aquatic villains watched in shock as the force of the Jiro's attack created huge waves that swept them away and pulled them under the water. Beneath the surface was no better. The waters were churning and swirling like a giant washing machine, tossing the villains around like ragdolls. And the villains screamed in pain as they covered their ears in a desperate attempt to block out Jiro's deafening attack.

Jiro swelled with pride as she watched how easily she'd taken out the aquatic villains. However, two things quickly dawned on the punk girl. One, she hadn't considered the fact the artificial lake would keep all of the energy from soundwaves contained, and two, she had severely underestimated the power of her attack.

Waves battered the ship and tried to pull Jiro underwater. Kendo and Iida gripped the railing as hard as they could, their knuckles turning white.

"Um…I-Iida!" Kendo shouted as she felt the boat start to tip.

"I'm on it! Just hang on to Jiro's line!" Acting quickly, Tenya grabbed hold of both Kendo by her waist while she placed one hand on his armored shoulder and expanded her other hand to hold onto the rope. Tenya leaped over the railing and into the air as the boat capsized.

"Here we go!" Iida exclaimed as his engines roared to life. "RECIPRO BURST!"

Blue flames exploded out of Tenya's engine pipes, blasting the three students with the speed of a high-powered rocket. Kendo grit her teeth while Jiro screamed out as she was pulled out of the water.

The three students crash-landed near the shore of the lake, causing a huge splash on impact. Iida and Kendo swam to shore, dragging Jiro, still in her life ring, behind them.

"I think you might've gone a bit overboard, Jiro," Kendo commented as she tried ringing the water out of her ponytail.

"My defense, I had no idea my sonic blast would be that strong, " Jiro said before smirking. "Pretty badass, though."

"I suppose that's one way to word it," Tenya said, wincing as the heat from his overclocked pipes in the water caused steam to build up around him.

"You okay, Prez?" Jiro asked in concern, getting a nod.

"The cool water is helping quite a bit." He then turned to the sounds of all the fights going off in the distance. "But I feel this is going to be the least of our concerns."

Back at the entrance, Kamakiri, Hagakure, Kaibara, Fukidashi, and Tokage weren't making any progress as they battled Kurogiri. It was like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.

"Dammit!" Kamakiri shouted as Kurogiri dodged his blades again. Kaibara tried to punch the villain, but Kurogiri opened a portal, and his spinning fist hit Fukidashi, disrupting his own attack. Tokage launched body bits at Kurogiri, hoping the sheer size of the barrage would hit his real body. But the villain simply teleported the pieces back to her.

All the while, Hagakure was looking over the injured Thirteen and watching the fight. It seemed that no matter what they did, the five of them would never manage to get Kaibara past the exit. And so, a desperate idea came to the invisible girl. She quickly ran over to Kaibara and Fukidashi.

"Fukidashi, I need you to make the biggest and brightest light you can. Kaibara, as soon as this smoke guy's hit, run to the exit as fast as you can."

"Hit with what?" Kaibara asked.

"Just do it!"

"Right!" Fukidashi said as he stood up. "SHING!"

A massive, blinding light burst from Fukidashi's head, getting everyone's attention. Hagakure took in a breath before holding her hands up. "Here we go."

What happened next surprised everyone. The light around Fukidashi began to move and coalesce around Hagakure's hands. The light around the girl began to shimmer, and soon enough, everyone began to see not just her costume but a translucent image of her face, short messy hair, and body.

"SHINING RAY!"

Hagakure thrust her hands forward, launching a massive burst of light quicker than Kurogiri could react.

"THE LIGHT!" Kurogiri screamed in pain. His shadowy mists shrank away in the blinding light. "S-SO…BRIGHT….AAAGGGHHH!"

"GO, KAIBARA!"

"Right!" Kaibara spun his waist, creating a cyclone around his lower body, and launched towards the exit. Kamakiri quickly ran towards the door, cutting them open and allowing Kaibara to fly past the exit.

'Hang on, everyone! Hang on, Pony!' Kaibara thought as he spun with all his might. 'Help will be on its way before you know it!'

Eventually, the light from Hagakure's attack faded, leaving Kurogiri shaking and wobbling. While his body was still covered in dark purple mist, it was now so small that it showed the true shape of his tall and lanky body. But before he knew it, Kurogiri was tackled to the ground and restrained by Tokage's limbs.

"Don't even think about moving, you wannabe Heartless!"

"Well, that turned out better than I—" Fukidashi began to say before turning towards Hagakure, and his head turned into an exclamation point. "Woah, mama!"

As Hagakure was panting, her body had become completely visible, allowing her classmates to finally see what she really looked like. She was a bit on the curvy side, her eyes were a light purple, her skin was somewhat pale, and her hair was a mixture of light purple, orange, and cyan.

"Huh, that's what you look like," Tokage commented. Hagakure raised her cyan eyebrow before looking down and seeing her visible arms. She let out an embarrassed scream before covering her face.

"D-Don't look at me! P-Please!"

"Ugh…" Fukidashi said, his exclamation point head having a light blush on it.

"The hell's going on?" Kamakiri asked. "I thought your whole deal was invisibility."

"That's…not entirely wrong," Hagakure said, still shyly covering her face. "M-My actual Quirk is Light Manipulation…I just use it to be invisible most of the time."

"Why, though?" Tokage asked. "You're hella cute."

"We should p-p-probably check on Thirteen," the not-so-invisible girl answered, desperately trying to change the conversation topic.

But while these students have managed to win their respective battles, their classmates and teacher were far from safe.

To be continued…

Notes:

The USJ arc continues. And with Nomu now involved, we got some regeneration gore. As well as showing off what Class 1-B is capable of, with more fights in the next chapter.

Now, the biggest elephant in the room is Hagakure's appearance. Yes, I know her hair color is different than in the canon. But trust me, there's a reason for that.

Next Time: Compassion and Bravery!

Please remember to read, favorite, and review!

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 12: Compassion and Bravery

Summary:

Kirishima and Yanagi step up their hero game, and Koda saves someone for the first time.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

So you guys have probably noticed that it's been quite awhile since I posted a new chapter. Well, that's because we had a bit of a a major screw-up. See, I had written up Chapters 12 and 13 in full. But because of IRL circumstances, I've had to ditch Google or a different word processor. And in the process of copy-pasting and deleting old files, I accidentally deleted Chapters 12 and 13. Me and xpegasus have been doing our damnest to rewrite these two chapters alongside chapter 14.

I've also been working on my youtube channel where I review comics, toys, and anything else that interests me. So if you've ever wondered what I sound like, go on to YouTube and search up 'AvengerGreen's Comic Reviews.'

So that's enough damage control! Let's get on with the story!

Chapter 12: Compassion and Bravery

Alongside the path of the Mountain Zone, the gang of ten or so villains was on the lookout for any students, with the massive tiger leading the pact.

"Yo, Trapper?" A man with a thumb for a head asked. "You sure we can find those kids?"

"Don't you worry, mate," the man dressed in safari clothes answered with a thick Australian accent. "Ol' Death Claw here'll find those ankle biters. Ain't nothin' that can hide from her nose."

"You sure about that?" Another goon asked as she looked at Death Claw. "The thing's big and scary but doesn't look too bright."

Death Claw seemed to take offense to that and growled at the goon. Trapper scowled at the tiger. He whistled, grabbing the tiger's attention. "Now, now. None of that, ol' girl."

When Death Claw looked at him, Trapper held up his whip as his eyes started to glow blood-red. Death Claw stared at the whip and immediately cowered, whimpering and bowing her head towards Trapper. The villain smirked in satisfaction.

On the nearby upper cliff, Koda, Tsunotori, Kuroiro, and Sero were watching from above, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Tsunotori and Sero were worried at both the sight of the beast and all the villains around it.

"That safari guy must have big guts talking down a beast like that," Kuroiro whispered before turning to ask Koda what he thought. But the words died in his throat when he saw the boy's expression.

For the month that Kuroiro had known him, he had the same impression of Koda that everyone had. Despite his surprisingly effective Quirk, Koda was soft-spoken and kind, seemingly incapable of hurting even a fly. But right now, the boy's face was twisted into an expression of barely restrained rage.

Kuroiro was confused, but then he followed Koda's gaze, and his eyes widened in realization when he looked at the tiger.

Scars. The tiger was covered in dozens of brutal scars. Some looked fresh and new, but many were old, a few of the scars even starting to fade. From their distinct shape, there was only one place those scars could have come from: the barbed whip Trapper held in his hands.

From a single glance, it was clear the villain had been torturing the tiger for years. Koda's blood boiled at the realization.

But as the four hero students observed the villains and the tiger, Death Claw raised her head, and her nose caught their scent. Death Claw slowly turned her head up towards them and growled. The tigress's flame-shaped stripes lit up with a burning orange glow. She let out a mighty and loud roar, but a massive blast of magma flew out of her mouth. The students leaped out of the way of the attack. The pool of magma separated Koda and Kuroiro from Sero and Tsunotori. Death Claw then jumped into the air, landing in the magma, completely unaffected by it as she stared down Sero and Tsunotori.

"Wait!" Death Claw turned around and saw Koda. "Please, don't hurt my friends!"

The tigress raised an eyebrow. While she growled in Koda's ears, he heard her as if she was speaking Japanese. "That's odd. I've never encountered a two-legs that could speak my tongue."

"That's my Quirk," Koda said. "Look, you don't need to attack me or my friends. Please, just let us go."

"Oh, ya! Koda can talk to animals." Tsunotori stated, suddenly feeling more relaxed.

"Awesome! That'll turn things around!" Sero cheered with a snap of his fingers.

Death Claw stared at Koda for a moment before they heard someone whistle. Koda and the tigress looked down and saw Trapper staring at Death Claw. His eyes flashed blood-red, and he cracked his whip, the sound piercing the air. Death Claw shrunk under her master's gaze and turned back to Koda.

"I'm sorry, two-legs," Death Claw growled before pouncing toward Koda. Luckily, Kuroiro grabbed the rock-headed boy and pulled them into the shadows. Death Claw landed and then turned towards Sero and Tsunotori, only to see them dragged into the shadows as well.

On the other side of the mountain zone, under the shadow of the fake mountain, the four students emerged.

"Koda, what happened?" Tsunotori asked.

"That safari guy…" Koda remembered the red eyes. "I think he's got some kind of Quirk that lets him control the tiger."

Sero sighed in frustration and palmed his visor. "Just our luck."

"Well, regardless, we got a good head start, so we should probably try and get back to the exit," Kuroiro said.

"Good plan." Sero and Tsunotori walked towards Kuroiro, but the blonde noticed Koda hadn't moved, his back towards them.

"Koda?"

"I'm going back."

Tsunotori gave Koda a confused look. "What?"

"We have to save the tiger," Koda exclaimed.

"You mean the giant, lava-spewing tiger that you can't control?! Are you stupid?!" Sero shouted.

"Didn't you see them?" Koda's hands and body shook with barely contained rage. "All those scars on her body. And she didn't wasn't going to attack us until that safari guy used his Quirk."

Koda wasn't a violent or angry boy by nature. With his Quirk, he could've had a lucrative career as a veterinarian. But one fateful day in middle school changed his life forever. As Koda was walking home, he came across a gang of his classmates throwing rocks at a stray cat just for shits and giggles. That was the first time in his life Koda had ever attacked someone.

He kicked, punched, bit, and screamed as his blood boiled with righteous fury. But Koda was only one person against half-a-dozen others. While he'd gotten his licks in, Koda had been left on the ground with a black eye, broken bones, and a busted lip. And in the end, he couldn't even save the cat. She'd died in Koda's arms as he dragged his broken body to the nearest vet.

It was that day, as Koda buried the cat in his backyard, he made a promise to himself and the fallen animal. He would become a hero. Not just to save people but animals as well.

"Koda, it's suicide," Sero said. "There's like ten villains on top of the giant lava tiger."

"Maybe…maybe if we just focus on the safari guy, if we take him out…maybe that'll be enough to get her on our side."

Sero shook his head in disbelief. "You want to risk your life for some animal?"

"Of course I do! I want to be a hero!" Koda turned to the three, his eyes watery, yet his expression was firm. "Isn't that why we're at UA to begin with?! So that we can become heroes and save those in need?!" Koda's fists started shaking as he spoke. "Well, that tiger is in need, and she needs to be saved!"

"Koda's right," Pony said. She walked over to stand with Koda, a look of fierce determination on her face. "We're heroes, so we gotta save anyone who needs help from evil jerks!"

Kuroiro looked at Sero and shrugged, wordlessly walking over to join Pony and Koda. Sero stared at them for a moment before sighing in resignation, realizing he was now the odd man out.

"Okay, I guess we're doing this," Sero said. "But if we want to save that tiger, then we need a plan."

Meanwhile…

The tension was so thick one would need a chainsaw to cut it as Honenuki, Yosetsu, and Kaminari stood back-to-back-to-back. Their eyes were constantly scanning the Ruins Zone, watching out for when Sister Mercy would appear again. Her Quirk was still active, making it absolutely silent around them.

As if being unable to hear where the villainess wasn't enough, the three boys couldn't even make a plan between them, as none of them knew sign language.

None of them were aware of the nun watching them from inside a ruined building. Sister Mercy said a prayer as she slowly edged closer to the boys, wanting nothing but to relieve them of their suffering.

And then, Honenuki felt it. A chill ran down his spine, telling him to move or die. The lipless boy quickly turned around and pushed both Kaminari and Yosetsu back and himself. And it was a good thing he did so because that made barely evade Sister Mercy leaped at them, her sickles hitting the dirt where they once stood.

Her masked visage turned towards Honenuki, and the young man's mind briefly wandered to when he first felt that aura…the first time he felt raw killing intent.

A hero, dead on the alley floor, blood leaking out from her stab wound. Standing above her, a man licking the blood off his serrated knife. And then he looked at Honenuki. Looked at him with red eyes that contained no compassion, empathy, or anything even resembling anything other than rage and contempt. Glaring into his very soul.

Under his visor, Honenuki grit his teeth as he stared down Sister Mercy. It was villains…no, monsters like her, radiating raw killing intent with no regard for life. Honenuki desired to become a hero…to bring monsters like her and that man to justice.

Sister Mercy ran at Honenuki. He used his armbands to deflect the first hits, ducked under the next swings, and slammed his hands on the ground. Suddenly, the ground under Sister Mercy softened, and she sank into the ground. But the masked villainess quickly threw one of her sickles at Honenuki. He barely dodged the flying blade as it knicked his shoulder armor.

But it was enough to break Honenuki's concentration. Sister Mercy freed herself and leaped at the boy. Her limbs struck like bullets. She was relentless, forcing Honenuki on the defensive. Every time he tried to get some breathing room to think, Sister Mercy would immediately close the distance.

Kaminari watched on, frozen with fear, as Sister Mercy continued her assault. Meanwhile, Yosetsu was frantically looking around for something, anything he could use to defend himself and his classmates. As he whipped his head around, Yosetsu's eyes landed on a pile of debris. He smirked as a plan began to form in his head.

Elsewhere…

"Hehehe," one of the villains chuckled as he and his five others encircled Kirishima and Yanagi. "Looky here, guys; we got some big stwong hewoes." He said in a patronizing voice.

"S-Stay back!" Kirishima shouted, trying to intimidate the villains. But his attempt was undercut by his nervous shaking and uneasy expression, making the goons laugh even harder.

"Red here looks like he's gonna piss himself!" A villainess with bladed shins cackled.

"And the girl's already pale!" One of the two villains with rat mutations said about Yanagi's shaking.

As for Kirishima, his mind drifted back…and suddenly, he was back on that street corner, his hair black, his schoolmates terrified as a giant villain loomed over them. While he was too scared to move.

A singular thought rang through Kirishima's mind.

'…no.'

Kirishima stared down at the ground, fists curled so tight his knuckles turned white.

'No.'

A villain stalked towards Kirishima. He flashed a bloodthirsty grin as his nails transformed into razor-sharp metal claws.

'No!'

The villain lunged at Kirishima, claws raised high in the air. He swung through the rain—

'NO!'

—and howled in pain as his claws shattered against Kirishima's hardened skin.

"What the fu—" Which was followed by the redhead socking him right in the jaw, knocking him out. A woman with bladed shins attacked Kirishima with a spin kick to the chest. Her eyes widened as her attack bounced off him.

"The hell are you made of?!" she cried.

Kirishima looked at her, his eyes burning with passion. "MANLY SPIRIT!" he roared, delivering a punch to the goon's gut and another punch to the face. Two of the other villains attacked the boy with a blast of wind and light, respectively.

But Kirishima didn't back down. He grit his teeth and ran straight through the blasts. With a mighty yell, he took out the bewildered villains with a double clothesline.

Yanagi was amazed at Kirishima's prowess. Suddenly, Yanagi spotted the last two villains out of the corner of her eye, a pair with rat mutation Quirks. Each pulled out a gun and aimed at Kirishima as he stopped to breathe.

Without any hesitation, Yanagi held up her hands. The villains cried out as their guns were enveloped in the aura of Yanagi's Quirk and ripped from their hands.

The rat villains turned toward Yanagi. The rain and wind combined with her costume and menacing stance, Yanagi looked like a vengeful spirit spirit from folktales come to life. The fact that their now-floating guns were aimed at them didn't help matters.

"Repugnant. It's bad enough you decided to attack neophytes like us. But you don't even possess the metal for an upfront fight." A dangerous glint appeared in the silver-haired girl's visible eye. "I shall give you one chance to retreat before I turn your weapons against you."

"Y-You're bluffing."

The guns clicked. Their safeties were off.

"Am I?"

Now scared shitless, the villains fled from the rooftop, running down the stairs on all fours like the animals they resembled. Yanagi sighed in relief, placing the guns down and restoring their safeties.

"Yanagi…" She turned and saw Kirishima walking towards her. "…that was…"

'Here it comes,' Yanagi thought, mentally preparing herself for whatever horrible things Kirishima was about to call her. In all honesty, Yanagi couldn't blame him after seeing what she'd just done.

Creepy. Scary. Ghoulish. Terrifying.

Yanagi's peers had been repulsed by her appearance and demeanor even as far back as kindergarten. They'd called so many awful both to her face and behind her back. But what hurt the worst of all was the way they looked at her. Yanagi wasn't even human in their eyes. It was like she was the monster in a horror movie for the hero to kill and save the day from.

Deep down, Yanagi knew these happy times at UA wouldn't last. Eventually, Class 1-B would treat her as all her other classmates had so far. She just wished it could have lasted a bit longer.

"THAT WAS BADASS!" Kirishima cheered, a huge, toothy grin plastered across his face. "That was so freaking manly!"

…okay, Yanagi definitely wasn't expecting that.

"You were like old school noir badass," Kirishima said before he ran up to Yanagi and grasped her hands. "And that's twice you've saved me. I owe ya big time." His smile was so bright and so close Yanagi almost felt blinded by it.

"N-No worries." Yanagi had never been more thankful that she designed her costume with a mask that went up to her nose. Otherwise, Kirishima would've seen that her cheeks were as red as his hair.

Meanwhile…

It wasn't often that Nezu felt frustrated. More often than not, the rat-bear-dog could be counted on to be at least three steps ahead of any foe.

But even he had been caught off guard by the article in the National Jinkai, exposing Izuku Midoriya as UA's first Quirkless hero student. He'd been looking into the article's author, Fumiko Fujita, and he was finding it hard to believe she could've written it on her own.

You might be wondering why that was? On the surface, Fujita's article seemed like it was well-researched. She cited her sources correctly, and while on the inflammatory side, the language and editing were incredibly professional. 

But the reason why Nezu was suspicious about the article was that Fujita's previous work for the Jinkai had been gossip and fluff pieces. Mostly filled with hyperbolic language and pretty much no research or credited sources. Her previous article from last week was all about which heroines in the top 50 Hero Rankings were developing crow's feet. 

So yeah, Nezu was having a hard time believing Fujita did this on her own. She must've had some other unknown party in an attempt to go after Midoriya. However, who would even want to expose his Quirkless status to the public?

His working hypothesis was that whoever broke through the UA barrier was the same person who gave Midoriya's info to Fujita and the National Jinkai. But there were a multitude of holes in that idea. And the timing of the two events didn't feel right for them to be connected.

Whatever the case, those questions and others would have to wait. Nezu had been working almost nonstop since he woke up, dealing with the fallout of Fujita's article. This included a tsunami of hundreds of phone calls and thousands of emails from people nationwide.

Messages came from all sorts of people. There were the furious parents of students who failed UA's entrance exam, screaming about how their oh-so-precious children had their spot at UA "stolen" by Izuku. Self-proclaimed "concerned citizens" rambling on about the danger of being a Quirkless hero. Outright Quirkists. And dozens upon dozens of newspapers, magazines, and news programs asking for Nezu to make a statement on the situation. Many of these inquiries contained leading questions, clearly designed to trick Nezu into saying something bad himself, UA, Izuku Midoriya, or all three.

But then his train of thought was interrupted when a familiar sound of a violin hit his ears. He had spent most of the morning answering the phone attached to his desk. However, this time, it was his personal cellphone ringing. Nezu picked it up and raised an eyebrow when he saw the contact.

'Miyashima?' That was never a good sign. Nezu took a deep breath before putting on his usual chipper smile and answering the phone. "Why, good day, madame president. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"My condolences, mostly," the HPSC president said. "You've probably had a busy morning if the news is to be believed."

"You could say that," Nezu said. "My working theory is that we might have a leak that fed Fujita the information she needed for her article. And if that's the case, we'll need to take of it quickly. After all, if they could unearth the private information of one student, who knows what other secrets they could leak to the public."

"I agree. Especially when there's probably a number of vile villains who would want to strike back at society through our most vulnerable."

Nezu thought for a moment before speaking up again. "Yes, it would be despicable if someone was purposely targeting one of my students."

"Well, considering that these youngsters are going to become the face of Heroism in the future, I can see how certain parties would want to stop them while they're young. My grandmother had a saying, 'It's not enough to pluck a weed from the garden; you've got to dig down and pull it out by the roots.'"

The principal chuckled. "Your grandmother was quite the shrewd woman, it seems."

"She was. Anyway, I need to get to a meeting. Just wanted to check on you, Principal Nezu."

"Indeed. I'll look forward to your next call, Madame President." The call went dead, and Nezu's hand began to shake. It was taking every bit of self-restraint not to throw his phone against the wall.

How? How could he have been so blind? The answer had been practically staring him in the face the entire time. But after that phone call, there was no doubt in Nezu's mind.

The Hero Public Safety Commission had leaked Izuku Midoriya's student file to Fujita.

Just the other day, Agent Wada stormed into his office over accepting Midoriya into the Hero Course. He claimed Nezu was 'breaking the unspoken rules of Japanese society' and whatnot.

The HPSC had access to not only the files and records of every Pro-Hero (active, retired, and deceased) but also every student at every Hero school or school that offered courses in Heroism. Of course, they would have access to Midoriya's account.

'But naturally, they wouldn't want a leak to trace back to them,' Nezu thought. 'So they most likely anonymously leaked Midoriya's file to either Fumiko Fujita or her superiors at the National Jinkai.'

Nezu took slow, deep breaths to calm himself. He had to be careful. While he was certain the HPSC, or at the very least certain people in the Commission, were behind the leak, he couldn't come out and say that. Making such an accusation without substantial proof would backfire on Nezu. Especially with how volatile a large portion of the public was reacting to the news of a Quirkless hero student.

So, he went to work, starting by looking further into Fumiko Fujita and the National Jinkai. But he swore that in this cold war between himself and the Commission, Nezu would come out on top.

He stifled a laugh in his throat at the very thought.

Back at the Mountain Zone…

The gang of villains continued their trek through the mountain zone, Death Claw in front with her nose to the ground, tracking the students' scents.

Trapper had no doubt his beast could find those children. She knew failure would mean more lashings from his whip and another dose of his Quirk, Fear Factor. He could admit Fear Factor wasn't the strongest or most useful Quirk in the world, but Trapper loved it. With Fear Factor, Trapper could take whatever feelings of fear someone had and multiply them a hundredfold.

That was precisely how Trapper had managed to tame Death Claw after he'd taken her in. Really, it would have been a tragedy for a beast as powerful as Death Claw to spend her days wandering the wilds of India. Trapper had given her life meaning and purpose. 'Honestly,' Trapper thought, 'the beast should thank me.'

But as the group walked under the large shadow cast by the mountain, Kuroiro jumped out from a villain's shadow and gave them a chop to the back of the head. Before one of the villains could react, he vanished into the shadows before striking another villain down.

"Head's up!" One villain with a wolf quirk looked up and saw Sero swinging down at him using his tape. The boy kicked him into a wall before quickly tapping him to the mountain. "Stick around, pal, 'cause things are about to get wild. Tsunotori, now!"

Higher up on the mountain, Tsunotori had wedged several of her horns underneath a good amount of rather large rocks. "Eat this, suckas!"

With a mental command, her horns moved, dislodging the rocks from the mountainside. They slid down the, gathering more and more dirt until a veritable rock slide was quickly tumbling down towards the villains.

While most of the villains screamed in terror at the falling rocks, Death Claw growled before unleashing a massive blast of magma from her maw. The magma melted almost all of the rocks…but now the villains had to evade the falling magma that created tiny puddles of lava wherever it hit.

Trapper calmly evaded the magma, used to dealing with the hazards of Death Claw's Quirk. So he didn't notice Kuroiro and Koda emerging from the shadows near him. The rock-headed boy attacked Trapper as Death Claw watched the two struggle with a curious look in her eyes.

"Get off of me, ya bloody drongo!" Trapper shouted as he punched Koda in the face, knocking the boy to the ground. The villain looked around, watching as his comrades were being taken down by a bunch of goddamned toddlers! Trapper scowled and looked at Sero, a strategy forming in his head.

"Hey, Scotch Tape!" Trapper screamed. Sero glanced at the villain. As soon as their eyes locked, Trapper smirked, and his eyes began to glow blood-red.

Sero's eyes flashed the same color. He froze, overwhelmed by a rush of fear and dread. It was all Trapper needed. With a crack of his whip, Trapper sliced through the tape binding his fellow villains, and then struck Sero, knocking the boy to the ground.

Three villains dog-piled Sero. One held down his arms, another grabbed his legs, and the third slammed his knees on Sero's back. Sero gasped as all the air was forced out of his lungs.

"Sero!" Tsunotori and Kuroiro yelled, fearing for their classmate's life. And fear was exactly what Trapper was hoping for. With a wicked, bloodthirsty grin, Trapper stared down the two hero students, and his eyes lit up like red neon signs.

The fear Kurorio and Tsunotori felt turned from a wave into a tsunami. All rational thought seemed to disappear as fear consumed them. Kuroiro turned and ran, trying to get away from Trapper as fast as possible. Tsunotori was the opposite, running faster and faster towards Sero, ignoring everything else around her.

Another cluster of villains attacked the fleeing Kuroiro, knocking him out. Tsunotori was so focused on getting to Sero that she never noticed Trapper's whip until it struck her legs, tearing through her costume. As she screamed in pain, one particularly beefy villain grabbed Tsunortori by her horns and used them as handles to throw her against a rock.

Koda could only watch in stunned silence as friends were almost effortlessly taken out. Trapper turned towards Koda, having momentarily forgotten about the boy, and flashed a cruel, condescending smirk. "Ah, poor little thing," Trapper said, speaking like one might speak to a toddler who bumped their head. "Rocky and his widdle friends really thought they could tussle with the grown-ups. Ain't that sweet?" Trapper and the other villains roared with laughter as Koda's body shook uncontrollably.

"Now, now, don't go on an' piss your knickers," Trapper said. "Fair dinkum, you ankle biters were more fun than I thought you'd be. So how's about this? I'm gonna close my eyes and count to ten, give you a head start before I send Death Claw to rip ya to shreds."

With almost cartoonishly exaggerated movements, Trapper turned around and covered his eyes. "One…"

A million panicked thoughts raced through Koda's mind. Should he run? Fight? Hide? Call for help? Who would even come if he did?

"…two…"

He saw Death Claw looking at him, almost looking like she was sorry for the fate he and his classmates were suffering through.

"…three…"

He saw the villains picking up the other three, reading to do all manner of horrible things to the teens.

"…four…"

Koda looked to his friends, then to the tiger. He knew what he had to do.

"…fi—FUCK!" Trapper shrieked as he was suddenly tackled from behind. He looked behind him and saw Koda, the boy's eyes burning with determination. The other villains watched the two thrashed on the ground and suddenly went tumbling down the cliff.

Trapper and Koda landed with a great thud, the impact forcing them apart. Gritting his teeth through what was at least a dislocated shoulder, Trapper got up and glared at Koda. "Why you little—FUCK" Pain exploded across his forehead as a rock struck Trapper's eyebrow. Koda returned the villain's glare as he held a fistful of rocks.

'The fucking ankle biter is aiming for my eyes!' Trapper thought as Koda threw more rocks at him. "So, you wanna play," Trapper growled, his eyes glowing red with the power of his Quirk. "THEN LET'S PLAY!"

The burly villain cracked his whip, aiming straight for Koda. But to his shock, the boy didn't flinch or dodge. Instead, Koda stood his ground and actually caught the whip. Koda grit his teeth, suppressing a cry of pain as the barbs dug into his skin.

"The hell do you think you're doing," Trapper snapped. "Let go of my fucking whip, you brat!" Koda felt his fear increase tenfold as Trapper activated his Quirk. But instead of backing down, Koda's grip only tightened. Ironically, it seemed the whip's barbs only helped Koda keep hold of it.

Trapper gaped at Koda. "Death Claw! Kill him!" Trapper screamed. Death Claw leaped down from the cliff, ready to obey Trapper's order. But when the tiger saw Koda's pleading look, she hesitated.

"Miss Tiger, please," Koda choked out through tears of pain. Death Claw, unsure of what to do, backed away.

"You useless shitstain!" Trapper screamed. "If you don't kill him right now, I swear to god, I'll chop your fucking tail off and use it as a belt!"

That threat was all the extra motivation Koda needed. With a mighty yell, Koda pulled on the whip with all his strength and ripped it out of Trapper's hands. Even as the barbs tore his hands to ribbons, he couldn't help but smile.

Koda turned to Death Claw and threw the whip to the ground. She recoiled at the sight of it, but Koda kneeled down to meet her at eye level. "It's okay," he said, his voice warm and gentle. "You don't need to be afraid of him. He'll never hurt you again."

"Death Claw, you mangy idiot!" Trapper yelled. "What are you waiting for? Kill him NOW!" Once more, his eyes lit up with the power of Fear Factor.

Death Claw cowered for a moment, her eyes glowing red. But as she stared at Trapper, her gaze then wandered to the instrument of her pain and suffering: his whip. The whip that was no longer in his hands but lying on the ground between herself and Koda.

Trapper watched in confusion as Death Claw leaned down and sniffed the whip before lightly batting it with her paw. Suddenly, Death Claw snatched the whip up in jaws, and it burst into flames from her burning bite.

Eyes wide in shock, Trapper could only watch as his whip turned to ash. His shock quickly turned to fear as he heard Death Claw growl. The tiger was looking straight at Trapper, her gaze piercing his very soul.

"D-D-Death Claw, down girl," Trapper said, trying to use Fear Factor. "Remember who your master is." Her eyes glowed, but she did not cower. Without his whip, Death Claw had no reason to fear Trapper, and his Quirk could only enhance fear. Magma dripped from Death Claw's mouth as she growled at her former master.

Koda couldn't help but smirk. "We'll give you til the count of 10."

As Trapper stared at the tiger and hero student, only one thought came to mind. "Fuck me dead," Trapper said.

The villains at the cliff's top were starting to worry about their comrade. Well, some were worried; others were just annoyed at how long Trapper was taking.

"You think we should go check on him?" one villain with six eyes asked.

"He's fine," another villain wearing a skull mask said. "It's one brat, and he's got a lava-spitting tiger with him. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

"AAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGGG!" At that moment, Trapper came running up the path leading to the cliff's bottom like a bat out of hell, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Death Claw, with Koda riding atop her, came bounding after Trapper. Seeing the villains holding down Koda's classmates, Death Claw glared at the villains and roared. One look at her terrifying visage was enough to send them all running.

"Oh, screw this!"

"This is so not worth 86,000 yen!"

"THAT! That is the worst that could happen!"

As the villains ran with their tails between their legs, Koda hopped off of Death Claw and helped Sero up. "Are you okay?" Koda asked with concern. That villain had been kneeling on his lung for a while.

Sero let out a hacking cough. "I think I've got bruised ribs, but I'll live," he said with a smile. But his face fell when he saw Koda's hands. Sero pulled some tape out of his elbows and started wrapping Koda's hands to stop the bleeding. "It ain't exactly medical tape, but it's better than nothing."

Tsunotori walked over to join them, a still groggy Kuroiro leaning on her as he held his head. "God, everything's still spinning," Kuroiro groaned. Sero, Tsunotori, and Kuroiro eyed Death Claw apprehensively, even as she rubbed her face against Koda, and the boy scratched behind her ears in return.

"You risked yourself to save me, two-legs," the tiger asked. "Why?"

"That's just what heroes do," Koda said with a smile. "We save those in need no matter what."

Death Claw tilted her head. She had never heard the word 'hero' before…but she liked the sound of it.

The tide was now turning in Class 1-B's favor. But the battle was far from over.

Notes:

We've got a few more battles with Class 1-B, but in the next chapter, we get to see something I've been dying to get to for a while.

Next Time: Fire the Strike Beam! Please be sure to read, favorite, and review.

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 13: Fire the Strike Beam!!

Summary:

The battle between the hero of metal and the chimera ends in a blast!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 13: Fire the Strike Beam!

There were two major regrets Sekijiro Kan had in his life.

The first was all the years of his youth he wasted as a street punk. With his bad attitude, brutish looks, and a Quirk that let him manipulate blood, people were already terrified of him. And since he didn't have any family to look after, young Kan figured that becoming a street punk and joining up with a gang was the only way for anyone to respect him. It wasn't until a pro-hero saved his ass and showed the young man his true potential for heroism that he found his true calling. Kan often wondered if he could've become a better hero if he hadn't wasted his youth fighting other punks over things like territory and rep.

His second biggest regret happened when he was a rookie hero. He and his mentor had been called to help evacuate people from a collapsing high-rise. Kan saw an old lady and tried to save her. But before he could even get to her amid all the chaos, the building collapsed, killing her instantly. That day was when he learned one of the hardest lessons about heroism. While he still saved many people that day, there would always be those out of reach that heroes couldn't save. Even so, Kan always regretted the lives he couldn't save.

But if Vlad King lived to see tomorrow, this day would become his third biggest regret. His students were in mortal peril against actual villains, with Midoriya up against the most terrifying beast among them. And he couldn't even help them as he was fighting a rather tricky opponent, evading a downward kick from her that actually managed to crack the floor.

"You know, for a big man, you're pretty agile," the woman, Kelly, said with a flirtatious smile. "I like a man with talent."

Vlad remembered one of his mentor's first lessons: analyzing your foe. Based on her highly muscular physique, combat boots, and current stance, the Blood Hero surmised she was an experienced fighter with years under her belt. And given the power he had felt whenever her blows hit (he was definitely going to be having a sore shoulder tomorrow), it was more than likely she possessed a strength-enhancing Quirk.

Kelly swung at Vlad with a right haymaker. He quickly dodged the strike, and Kelly smirked. Vlad leaned to Kelly's left to avoid the attack so he'd be unable to dodge her left roundhouse kick. Without missing a beat, Kelly struck.

Her eyes widened in shock when her leg hit a mass of solidified blood. It shifted, quickly snaking its way up Kelly's leg and ensnaring her. It was Vlad's turn to smirk. "You're good, but you need to work on your feints. I saw that kick coming a mile away."

Kelly, seemingly unperturbed, smiled at him. "You know, normally, a guy has to wine and dine me before I let him do kinky stuff like this."

Vlad just rolled his eyes. "Can you stop with the 'flirty femme fatale' routine? You're not the first lady that's tried that on me."

"Oh, a man with experience," Kelly said in a sing-song voice.

"Let's get him!" Vlad turned to see a couple of goons heading towards him. But as he was preparing to fight them, multiple things suddenly hit the villains.

A turbo-boosted kick. A giant pillar. Several purple balls. Palm Strikes from massive hands. And a sonic blast.

"Tenya! You're okay!" Ochako said, dropping the pillar in relief as she saw her friend was okay. Though she was curious why he was soaking wet.

"Good to see you too, Ochako," Tenya replied while Kendo, Jirou, and Mineta walked towards them. But the bespectacled young man noticed someone was missing. "Mr. Kan, wasn't Izuku with you?"

"He was. But then he decided to try fighting one of the bigger gu-" Vlad stopped when everyone suddenly heard the sound of massive urban destruction. They turned to the Ruins Zone and saw one of the buildings collapsing into rubble. A noticeable green blur flew out of the rubble, followed by a streak of dark purple. "… he's in the middle of all that."

"Izuku!" Without even thinking, Ochako ran past Vlad towards the Ruins Zone. But Tenya quickly ran ahead of her.

"Hop on."

"Right!" The brunette negated her gravity before latching on to Iida's back.

"Iida! Uraraka! Wa—" Vlad's words were cut off by the sound of Tenya's engine quirk blasting him and Ochako towards the Ruins Zone. "Dammit!"

But in the brief second of his broken concentration, Kelly felt the blood net around her weakening. With a flex, she broke free of the blood and kicked Vlad's face.

"Come now, big guy," Kelly said as she cracked her knuckles as Vlad wiped the blood from his mouth. "We ain't done dancing yet."

With a savage grin, Kelly shot ahead, her punch connecting with another blood shield. Vlad weaved and blocked Kelly's onslaught.

"Mr. Kan, d-do you want us to help you?" Mineta asked as he used his balls to restrain the villains, trying not to look at Kelly's prominent bosom.

"I got this!" Vlad shouted, knocking Kelly back with a kick to the stomach. "Find your classmates, help them out, and try to make it to the exit!"

"But what about y—" Jirou began.

"I SAID GO!"

"R-Right," Kendou said as she and her two purple-haired classmates went to do just that.

"Well, looks like we finally got some privacy." Kelly stood back up and licked her lips while Vlad glared at her.

Meanwhile...

For what felt like the hundredth time today, Izuku felt Striker's cockpit shake and rattle as he was knocked to the ground. This specific instance was due to an admittedly ill-thought plan: collapsing a building on Nomu. Striker had been hit by a piece of debris when Izuku knocked down the building's central support pillar. In the end, the plan didn't even do anything to slow Nomu down, thanks to the monster's Shock Absorption and Regeneration Quirks.

Things had only gone from bad to worse as the fight dragged on. Striker was riddled with dents, even missing a few pieces of armor, and the robot's battery was at less than 10% capacity. Izuku was running out of time and had absolutely no idea how to beat this monstrosity.

Nomu charged at Striker like a rabid animal. Izuku grit his teeth and met the monster. Striker grabbed Nomu by the shoulders and threw it into another building. 'That won't slow it for long,' Izuku thought as he scanned the Ruins Zone for something, anything he could use to his advantage.

Suddenly, Izuku spotted a large rebar poking out of some rubble. Striker quickly grabbed it, wielding the rebar like a makeshift spear. Nomu came crashing through the rubble and charged at the robot again.

Izuku let out a loud yell as Striker and Nomu charged at each other. The robot crouched down and thrust the spear upwards, stabbing Nomu in its lower jaw and out the back of its brain.

Nomu let out an unnatural, ear-piercing shriek. It flailed around uncontrollably, its monstrous arms smashing anything in its path.

"Huh. Well, I guess that's what happens when you make the weak point too obvious." Izuku turned and saw Shigaraki a few feet away. "I'll have to talk to the doc about that design flaw."

Izuku remembered how Shigaraki was the one who gave Nomu its orders. He had no idea if the beast's brain could regenerate, so he needed to act fast.

Quickly, Izuku aimed Striker's right arm at Shigaraki and fired an Anchor Knuckle at him. But to Izuku's shock, the lanky villain managed to evade the attack with agility to rival most atheltic heroes.

"Neat trick. Here's mine." The hand-covered villain placed a hand on the forearm. Horror etched its way into Izuku's very core as the alpha titanium metal disintegrated into nothing in a matter of seconds! And it didn't stop there, as the decaying effect began to travel up the anchor chain and was heading towards Striker's bicep.

"Right shoulder, emergency detach!" Izuku exclaimed as he slammed a button on Striker's computer dashboard. Striker's right shoulder joint decoupled, letting the arm fall to the ground where it was consumed by Shigaraki's Quirk.

"So, you got any other tricks, Mr. Mini-Boss?" Izuku felt his blood turn to ice core as Shigaraki started walking towards him. A sinister smirk spread across the villain's face as he held out his arms. "Well? Anything?"

Izuku was drawing a blank. It was obvious that Shigaraki could avoid the Anchor Knuckle, so that and throwing debris was out of the question. He was out of capture putty, and his only other weapon was way too slow to use against him. Izuku was so terrified he couldn't even grasp Striker's controls.

It seemed like this would be his end as Shigaraki approached Striker while Nomu was about to mindlessly swing its arm at the green machine. Until…

"Shoulder Impact!"

"Smash!"

Shigaraki was blindsided as Tenya rocketed towards him and shoulder-checked the villain, sending him flying into a nearby building.

Meanwhile, Ochako delivered a full-powered Smash into Nomu's arm. It didn't do much damage, but the sheer force changed the direction of Nomu's attack. Nomu missed Striker by a wide margin, allowing Izuku and Ochako to run and regroup with Tenya.

"Ochako! Tenya!" Izuku smiled as he saw his friends.

"Izuku, are you alright?" Tenya asked as he left Shigaraki indented in the building wall. The lanky villain let out a wheeze of pain.

"Fuck," Shigaraki groaned. "Yup, something's definitely broken."

"I've been better." Izuku turned and saw Ochako looking at her uninjured right hand in confusion.

"The heck? I hit that guy at full power." Her eyes suddenly widened. "And why is he naked!?"

"Oh, he lost his pants when he bisected himself to escape my capture putty," Izuku explained as Ochako and Tenya stared at him in shock and horror. "That thing isn't even human; it's some kind of mindless beast. I've seen it use at least three Quirks: Shock Absorption, Enhanced Strength, and Regeneration." The three hero students watched as Nomu continued to rampage with the rebar through its head.

"I see," Tenya said, watching the beast smash its surroundings with strength on par with All Might. They couldn't just let this monstrosity run amok and possibly kill their classmates and teacher. Or even some poor goons. "So what can we do?"

Izuku looked at his dashboard, seeing that Striker's battery core had about two minutes of power left. And an idea came to his head. "I think I've got a weapon that can take it out. But I'm gonna need a clear shot at its brain."

Ochako thought for a moment before looking up at Striker. "Leave that to me and Tenya."

Tenya nodded, with Ochako wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Inside the cockpit of his machine, Izuku began typing the commands, redirecting all remaining energy to Striker's mouth vent. A blue glow began to shine within the mech's metal smile.

"Here we go!" Tenya blasted himself and Ochako towards Nomu, getting in close when its back was turned. Ochako slapped Nomu with all ten fingertips, and the beast flashed pink.

Nomu shrieked and raised its foot over the two students.

"Recipro Burst!" Tenya's engines erupted in roaring blue flames, carrying himself and Ochako across the Ruins Zones just as Nomu's foot turned the spot they'd been standing into a crater. Suddenly, Nomu found its now weightless flying into the air from the force of its stomp.

Ochako smirked in satisfaction as Tenya lay beside her, groaning in pain from his overheating engines. But the two were drawn by a blue glow that enveloped the area.

The source of the glow was Striker as the light inside its mouth vent was shining like a star, cracks forming around the lips.

Shigaraki finally managed to stand up through the pain of his broken ribs before seeing Striker glowing and Nomu floating. "The fuck?"

The light from Striker was visible from almost everywhere at the USJ. Kaminari, Yosetsu, Honenuki, and Sister Mercy stopped their battle. The group by the front was so distracted by the sheer intensity of this light that they failed to notice Kurogiri slipping away. Vlad and Kelly stopped their battle. All the students and the remaining villains were confused about what the hell was going on in the Ruins Zone.

Warning! Unstable energy buildup! Structural Integ-

Izuku shut off the computer voice, sweat spewing from his pores as he felt the heat from Striker's overclocked core. He looked at his targeting system, waiting until Nomu's head was in his firing arc. The second the flailing beast turned upside down, Izuku struck.

He pulled the firing trigger and shouted with such force it felt like his voice box would burst.

"STRIKE BEAM!"

A massive beam of blue energy exploded out of Striker's face. It blasted towards Nomu and engulfed its head and neck. The Strike Beam flew past Nomu, across the USJ skyline, and through the ceiling on the other side of the facility. Everyone in the USJ stopped momentarily and looked at the energy beam alongside a certain blond figure rushing towards the facility.

Eventually, the beam vanished. And the results were apparent. Not just the massive hole in the ceiling but also the fact that Nomu's head and neck were gone, and what was left of its collarbone and shoulders looked like charcoal. And unlike before, there was no reaction, its limbs were unmoving. Finally, the beast was truly dead.

But Ochako and Tenya's attention was focused on Striker and the awful state the machine was in. Where its mouth used to be was a hole similar to the one in the roof. The rest of its head looked more like melted plastic, its shining blue eyes now dark. Cracks now lined its neck and upper torso. The metal creaked before the robot fell on its back, landing with a loud 'THUD.'

"Izuku!" Ochako and Tenya shouted as they rushed over to the downed robot. The two were relieved when Striker's cockpit hatch opened, and Izuku stepped out, his costume soaked with sweat but otherwise unharmed.

"Okay, I definitely need to get Mei to fix the power outp—" That train of thought came to a screeching halt as Ochako rushed over a hugged him. "O-Ochako."

"Thank god you're okay," she whispered, pressing her head on his shoulder. Izuku was a bit flustered but hugged her back, just happy to be alive. The greenette looked up at Tenya, who was looking at Nomu's corpse floating in the air.

"Is it-"

"It appears so," Tenya said.

With a sigh of relief, Ochako released her Quirk, immediately feeling the strain of keeping the beast weightless leave her body. Nomu's body hit the ground with a wet thud. Ochako and Tenya then looked back at Striker. "I'm sorry about Striker," Ochako said.

Izuku looked down at his partner's melted head. It was disheartening for the boy to see his creation so beat up. Looking the robot over, the damage was potentially beyond repair. But he didn't dwell on that sadness. "Hey, this just means I get to fix him up and make him even better."

Tenya smiled at his friend's optimism. "So…do you two desire some privacy or…"

"Oh, get in here!" Ochako dragged Tenya down to them, turning it into a group hug. But this touching moment was ruined when they heard a loud and horrific yell.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Shigaraki yelled, his left shoulder limp as he stared at Nomu's corpse. He scratched the right side of his neck with such irritation that he was actually drawing blood. "WHAT?! WHY?! HOW?! NOMU, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OUR ALL MIGHT KILLER! FUUUUCCCCKKK!"

He then turned towards the trio, his red eyes burning with an intense hatred the three had never experienced before. Shigarak let out a howl that sounded like it belonged to a wild animal as he charged at them with his hand stretched out.

Izuku jumped back in shock, and Tenya groaned as he felt the strain of his overheated engines. But Ochako quickly stood up, staring the manic villain down.

"2% Rocket Blast!" With a flick of her fingers, Ochako fired a massive blast of wind that sent Shigaraki careening across the Ruins Zone. Shigarki hit a crumbling wall, knocking the wind out of his lungs as the severed hand on his face fell to the ground. Pain coursing through his body, Shigarki reached out and grabbed the hand, caressing it like one would hold a newborn.

"Father," Shigaraki muttered as he put the hand back on his face.

"Stay down, ya crusty jerk!" Ochako shouted, mustering up all her courage as she glared daggers at Shigaraki. "If you wanna hurt my friends, you gotta get through me!"

Blood red met kobicha brown as Shigaraki and Ochako stared each other down. Shigaraki's hatred and rage clashed against Ochako's defiant bravery like a pair of clashing blades. In Shigaraki's mind, seeing Ochako looking down at him with nothing but contempt…it reminded him of someone. Someone he hated with all his being and hoped was burning in hell.

"You little bitch," Shigaraki growled as he stood back up, glaring with such intensity it made Ochako's hands shake.

"It would seem the odds are no longer in our favor, young Master," Kurogiri said as he manifested behind Shigaraki. However, he was still weakened by Hagakure's light blast and now looked more humanoid, with only a thin mist coating his body. "I suggest we retreat."

"Are you serious, Kurogiri?!"

"Think about it: All Might could be on his way as we speak, and you and I are no match for him. Without Nomu, our chances against him are slim to none."

Shigaraki said nothing as his limbs shook with anger. The hero students could only watch, hoping Shigaraki would listen to the shadow guy. After a tense moment, Shigaraki sighed and turned to Kurogiri.

"Get us out of here. The meat shields can fend for themselves." But as Kurogiri expanded into a shadowy portal, Shigaraki looked at the trio one last time. "You brats better pray you never see me again. Otherwise, you're dust."

The shadow engulfed Shigaraki, and he vanished, leaving the hero students to themselves. Ochako let out a sigh of relief before falling onto her knees.

Tenya and Izuku felt a similar sense of relief, but the greenette was still worried. There were still other villains in the USJ. Ochako looked like she was going to vomit. Tenya was still overheated and without Striker…Izuku realized there wasn't a lot he could do.

Near the front of the USJ, one villain screamed in pain, holding the bleeding stump of his recently severed arm.

"There's more where that came from, ya evil assholes!" Kamakiri shouted as he slashed at another goon. Hagakure blinded the villains with a burst of eye-searing light. At the same time, Tokage attacked the villains with a barrage of her flying body parts. Fukidashi blasted some away with a big 'BOOM!' The four tried their hardest to fight against the tide of villains and protect the still-downed Thirteen. But with Hagakure running low on energy and Fukidashi's throat raw from constant shouting, it would only be a matter of time before the students were overwhelmed.

Suddenly, the doors to the USJ burst open.

Villains and heroes alike froze as a man walked in, his footsteps reverberating through the entire complex. His clothes were nothing special: a white dress shirt, striped yellow dress pants, and black loafers. But even such a mundane outfit did nothing to hide his overwhelming presence.

It was as if the world had stopped for a moment. The hero students gazed at the man in awe, tears of joy pricking at the sides of Hagakure's eyes. The villains, meanwhile, felt their blood turn cold as the man looked at them with burning eyes, his face devoid of any semblance of mirth or a smile.

On the floor, Thirteen weakly looked and chuckled. "About time you showed up, big guy."

"Fear not everyone," All Might proclaimed as he ripped off his tie. "Because I AM HERE!"

Notes:

Behold the birth of Izuku's signature move, The Strike Beam! Obviously, like any experimental technology, our green-haired wonder needs to work out some kinks.

But don't think that just because Nomu is dead means that the action is over. So prepare for something just as epic in the next chapter.

Next Chapter: 100 vs. the Number 1 Hero!

Please remember to read, favorite, and leave a review.

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 14: 100 vs the Number 1 Hero!!!

Summary:

All Might shows the remaining League members what it means to go beyond!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

So, yeah…a near six month hiatus. Honestly, there's quite a few reasons why this took so long. Both me and xpegasus having to deal with a bunch of IRL stuff including work, school, renovations, etc.

But the biggest culprit was definitely Baldur's Gate 3. That game has sent both of us into a D&D/TTRPG spiral that we are just now recovering from.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the conclusion to our take on the USJ Arc!

Chapter 14: 100 vs the Number 1 Hero!

"Here's the scenario: You're up in the rafters of a warehouse. Below you are the weapons dealers you've been tracking for a while and an entire team of known villains who are there to buy the weapons. If you don't act now, you'll lose track of them. What do you do?"

Katsuki had to give it to Hobo Sensei; he knew how to ask decently tough questions. He had to think about this before he gave his answer.

"I'd go full steel and punch them out with some manly fisticuffs!"

Of course, Metal Brows would go in guns blazing.

"Hell yeah! Prison rules and smacking the biggest one with an air barrier to the face!"

And Bug Eyes wasn't that far behind. Racoon Eyes and Diabetes also chimed in, saying basically the same thing.

"I would simply freeze them all."

Leave it to Icy-Hot to brag about how OP he is.

"Um...that seems pretty reckless," Big Man chimed in.

"Niregenki's right, ribbit." Thank god Tsu at least had common sense. "It seems pretty reckless to charge right in when you don't know what they're capable of."

"Agreed," Scaly said. "It's better to observe your opponents and what they're capable of before you fight them."

"True, but waiting too long would probably give them a chance to escape." Glue Guy raised another good point.

"Criminals are paper tigers," Edgebird said. "Take out the most intimidating among them, and they will fall to the darkness."

"Ya, you can cut 'em down with all that edge," Katsuki joked, getting a chuckle from Tails and Shroomhead. Edgebird didn't care for it and glared at him.

"And suppose you would like to enlighten us about your plan, Bakugou," Bootleg said with his usual smug-ass attitude.

"Well, I would probably—"

ALERT: WE HAVE A LEVEL 5 SECURITY BREACH! ALERT: WE HAVE A LEVEL 5 SECURITY BREACH!

The alarms went off, and barricades slammed down on the classroom windows.

"Ah, come on! The paparazzi again?!" Bug Eyes shouted.

"No. This is different," Ponytail said. Katsuki agreed. That incident was a Level 3 breach. But this was a Level 5. Something else was up.

Everyone soon got their answers when the classroom door burst open to reveal a clearly distraught Present Mic.

"Shota, we gotta go!"

"What's going on?" Hobo-sensei asked.

"Nezu got a message from All Might; there are villains at the USJ! Class 1-B's in danger!"

Katsuki felt a chill of fear run down his spine when he heard. 'That...that can't be right! Izuku and the others...are getting attacked?!'

Hobo Sensei's face got all serious as he slid his goggles over his eyes, and his scarf began to move. "Let's get going."

"I'm coming too!" Katsuki shouted.

"Absolutely not."

"Fuck that! My friends are at the USJ! I gotta—"

"Bakugou, if you follow us to the USJ, I will expel you." Hobo...no, Aizawa Sensei said with his red eyes glaring at Katsuki from behind his goggles. "That goes for all of you. This isn't a training exercise; this is real, and greenhorns like you aren't prepared to fight real villains. Yaoyorozu. Shishida."

"Y-Yes, sensei?" Ponytail asked nervously, taken aback by Aizawa's dead serious tone while Sasquatch stood at attention.

"Make sure everyone stays put." He took one last glance at Katsuki as he said this. "Do not leave until the alarm has been lowered."

"Understood!" Sasquatch replied. And with that, Aizawa left with Present Mic, closing the classroom door behind him. The students of Class 1-A began to talk worryingly amongst themselves...but it was all white noise to Katsuki.

"Fuck." He whispered as his fists clenched and shook, his teeth gritted in impotent rage and worry. His friends and his best friend were going up against killers...and he couldn't do anything to help.

For the second time in his life, Katsuki Bakugou felt absolutely powerless. And he wasn't the only one.

Naturally, this alarm also reached the Support Department. Specifically Class 1-S. Power Loader basically told the same thing to his class, and no one argued with him as he left to deal with the USJ situation.

But one student felt a near suffocating sense of fear. Mei clutched her pink dreads, her eyes dilated, and her lips quivered. Her mind conjured up images of villains hurting...and even killing her friends.

Ochako, whom she had spent nearly a year getting to know and often spent nights playing games and laughing at trashy romance anime together.

Tenya and Awase, who she had just met and wanted to learn more about them.

And Izuku. Her first friend. The boy who spent countless hours with her talking about their inventions. The boy whose dream she was determined to make true by bringing Striker to life.

'This...this can't be real! This can't be happening!'

But the harsh reality was all that greeted Mei Hatsume. And it offered no comfort as she gripped her hair.

Meanwhile...

Toshinori Yagi was not an angry man by nature. After all, he was the Symbol of Peace. The man who would reassure all those in distress with his big smile.

That didn't mean he wasn't capable of feeling anger. In his long career as a hero, he'd lost track of the number of horrible people who made his blood boil.

Human Traffickers. Sexual Predators. Racists. Sexists. Mad Scientists that would mutilate people without remorse.

And the monster who'd brutally murdered his sensei, the woman who had become like a mother to him. That was the first time he'd felt true, burning, unyielding rage.

When young Kaibara told him about the villain attack at the USJ, Toshinori rushed to the building as the young man went to get more help. He had planned to give the kids one of his usual reassuring smiles. But the closer he got to the building, the hotter his anger burned.

How could he let these children be thrown to the wolves? He was supposed to be their teacher, supposed to protect them, supposed to be at the USJ today. But instead, he'd let himself get caught up in crimes that could have easily been handled by other heroes, keeping him away from his duty, putting his students in danger.

But more than anything, he was absolutely furious at the villains for having the gall and malice to attack mere children! When he got to the front door of the USJ and bulked up into 'All Might,' Toshinori Yagi couldn't bring himself to smile. His rage was too great.

When he stepped inside, All Might saw the situation was even more dire than he'd imagined. Thirteen's back was torn into bloody shreds. Young Hagakure was half visible and terrified, Kamakiri and Tokage looked relieved, and Fukidashi was cheering at the sight of him.

The reaction among the villains was more varied. Most of them were terrified of his presence, but a few of them had a look that All Might had seen and often found annoying. The look of cocky upstarts probably thinking they would make it big if they managed to beat or kill the Number 1 Hero.

Honestly, if Toshinori had a 1 yen coin for every villain like that he had encountered in his nearly 30 years on the job, he'd have enough money to buy every manga in all of Japan for an entire year.

"H-Holy shit! It's really All Might!"

"He looks pissed," one scared villain stated.

"Don't be a pussy!" a large villain with a rhino mutation shouted. "Shigaraki said he ain't in his prime, and there's like a hundred of us! We can take out this ol—"

The villains and the hero students suddenly felt a massive blast of wind. The Rhino Villain's eyes widened as, in an instant, All Might was in front of him, glaring down at him and making him suddenly feel very small. The blond hero brought his hand to the goon's face and flicked him.

But the force of the flick was like an air cannon going off, sending the villain flying into the remains of the central fountain, getting Vlad and Kelly's attention.

"I'm only going to offer this once..." All Might said, addressing the villains. And his voice was loud enough to be heard for miles. "...surrender yourselves without a fight, and you won't be harmed. But if you insist on fighting me..." The blond hero smacked his fist against his palm, creating a loud thunderclap. "...then I'll show you what it means to go beyond."

However, whether it was cockiness, greed, or sheer stupidity, the villains didn't back down and began to charge at All Might. The Symbol of Peace sighed but cocked his arm back.

"Detroit Smash!"

All Might's fist flew forward and a hurricane force wind erupted from his punch. The twenty or so villains were swept off their feet and sent flying towards the central fountain, with All Might in hot pursuit.

Two muscular villains with obvious super strength charged at All Might with raised fists. All Might didn't even spare them a glance as he instinctively caught their wrists and threw them aside.

Another villain wielding a machete set the blade on fire with their Quirk. They charged at All Might, but the hero of heroes managed to dodge the swings with surprising agility for a man of his size. Even more surprising was when he chopped the villain in the neck, knocking her out with one hit.

A trio of villains then tried to blast All Might with wind, fire, and electricity. The Number 1 hero blocked with his arms, destroying his sleeves. All Might stomped on the floor with such force it sent a shockwave that knocked the three off their feet. With the long-range attacks stopped, All Might rushed towards the three and was quick to sock all three of them unconscious.

So, while All Might continued to fight the army of villains, the four teens near the entrance were in awe of his fighting prowess. It was one thing to read about All Might's exploits or see clips on the internet or the news. Seeing the man himself in action was a completely different experience. It was like watching a mythological hero performing a feat that would be memorized in legends. Or an over-the-top action movie playing out in reality.

"Holy shit," Kamakiri said. That was really all he could say. He wasn't the only one impressed. Kelly let out a whistle as All Might caught the fist of a massive villain before bringing the big guy down to his knees by applying some pressure.

"Guess the big guy's rep ain't unearned." But her distraction let Vlad wrap her up in a reinforced blood lasso. Vlad King was starting to feel a bit woozy from all the blood he used for his Quirk and the wounds inflicted on him by his opponent, but he was determined to restrain her. To add the pressure, Vlad tackled Kelly to the ground, pressing his knee on her stomach and his forearm against her throat. For the first time that day, Kelly's expression turned angry as she glared up at Vlad.

"It's going to take more than a super strength Quirk to bust out this!"

But to his confusion, Kelly let out a lighthearted laugh. "That's always how it goes. Folks take one look at me and think I've got some kind of strength Quirk. As if a lady like me can't just have some great natural gains." Her smirk then turned mischievous as she saw her foe's raised eyebrow. "Well, since you're curious..."

Vlad's eyes widened as Kelly's body started turning a ghostly white. Suddently, Kelly exploded into a cloud of mist, and Vlad fell to the ground. He looked warily at the mist around him, and he instinctively held his breath in case it was somehow poisonous. But then, he felt a kiss on his cheek, seeing a misty version of Kelly's face until she faded into the mist once more.

"I think I'll call it for now. See ya around, handsome."

Vlad got up to chase after the misty Kelly, but he fumbled a bit, now feeling the effects of using so much blood. While his body naturally produced way more blood than the average man, he still felt woozy when he used too much in one go.

One goon saw the woozy Vlad and pulled a tooth out of his mouth, wielding it like a knife. He threw the natural weapon at Vlad with the intent to kill. But suddenly, a white and yellow blur intercepted the tooth-dagger. That blur was All Might, who snapped the knife weapon in half before punching the villain into unconciousness.

"You've done enough, Vlad. Go get some rest with your students." All Might said. Vlad could've retorted back that All Might probably wasn't one to talk, but the numbness and pain he was feeling shut him up. Vlad looked towards the Ruins Zone before nodding back at All Might.

"Make sure the kids are safe."

"You have my word." All Might said before he saw some villains begin to appear out of the water.

Back in the Ruins Zone, Izuku's eyes were sparkling as he looked through the binoculars he kept a pair as part of a set of emergency supplies in the bottom compartment of Striker's cockpit.

"He's even cooler in real life!" The greenette said, going full fanboy as he watched All Might deliver a haymaker to a man with an angler fish head. "I never thought I'd get to see All Might in action in person!"

"Such prowess! No wonder he's stayed in the Number One spot for so long." Tenya said in awe. Even from a distance, he could see the shock waves from the powerhouses' attacks.

But while the boys were watching the fight, Ochako had a worried look on her face. She remembered overhearing Mr. Kan and Thirteen talking about All Might having tired himself out from some morning hero work. Her predecessor was more than likely pushing to and maybe even past his time limit. No one knew how many villains were still left in the USJ, so who could say if All Might could beat these guys before he was forced to revert to his skinny form.

'Mr. Yagi, please be careful.' Ochako thought.

"Oh, hey! It's you gu-"

"AGGHH!" Ochako squeaked, getting Izuku and Tenya's attention. All three turned around and saw Yosetsu, Honenuki, and Kaminari walking towards them. The lip-less teen's costume had several cuts. Yosetsu held a bat made of rubble that had parts of it sliced off, and Kaminari had a bruised nose and a bit of his hair cut off. "Awase, don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, Ochako. I didn't mean-OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPPENED TO STRIKER?!" Yosetsu shouted, rushing to the downed robot and shedding a tear at its melted head. "He was so young."

"But he went down swinging," Izuku said, also shedding a tear for his fallen partner. "But seriously, where did you guys come from?"

"Funny story," Kaminari said. "...well, more like a slasher movie story, but still."

A few minutes earlier...

Within the silenced field, the three boys were in a desperate brawl against the menace of Sister Mercy. Yosetsu swung a bat he had created by welding together handfuls of rubble. He had managed to get a clean blow through a sneak attack, leaving a crack in the villainess' mask. But he wasn't having any luck hitting Sister Mercy again as she was incredibly nimble, skillfully evading his swings and forcing him back on the defensive as he used his makeshift club to block her sickle slashes. Honenuki had better luck, weaving in and out of the softened ground with some hit-and-run tactics.

Kaminari, in the meantime, was waiting for an opportunity, sparks appearing between his fingers. Finally it arrived when Sister Mercy sent staggering Yosetsu and then rushed at him, sickles drawn. With her eyes on Yosetsu, Kaminari charged in and grabbed Sister Mercy from behind. Kaminari prepared to unleash full force of his Quirk on the assassin, his body practically vibrating as the charge built. Suddenly, pain exploded across Denki's forehead and the charge disappeared as Sister Mercy struck him with the back of her head.

Kaminari let go of Sister Mercy as he recoiled in pain. His eyes widened in shock and horror as Sister Mercy whipped around, sickles raised. She was going for the kill. It was only by some miracle that Kaminari stumbled and tripped over a piece of rubble as Sister Mercy struck. Her blade grazed his forehead, leaving a long, shallow cut and taking a few strands of hair along the way.

The whole world seemed to go still for a moment, everyone's minds racing to think of their next move as Sister Mercy gazed at the prone hero student.

But then it happened.

Brilliant blue flooded the area. It shined through the spaces between buildings, illuminating all four like a miniature star. Suddenly, the light then coalesced into a massive pillar of energy that blasted through the roof.

"Holy shit!" Yosetsu said, and his eyes widened as he suddenly realized he could talk and hear things now. The three boys noticed this, quickly looking around and seeing that Sister Mercy had disappeared, seemingly vanishing into thin air. There was a bit of quiet tension as the three looked around...but when nothing happened for about a minute, the three realized they were in the clear and made their way to the source of that massive blast of energy.

Now...

"So this hunk of junk caused that big blast?" Honenuki asked as he nonchalantly kicked Striker's shoulder, earning a glare from Izuku and Yosetsu.

"So what should we do now?" Kaminari asked. "I mean, it's All Might; he's probably got this."

"True. Let's get back to the entrance and try to find anyone on the way," Tenya said. The students nodded in agreement and followed Iida. Ochako lingered for a moment, looking towards All Might with a worried and fearful expression.

Meanwhile, Kendo, Jiro, and Mineta had managed to group up with Kirishima and Yanagi. The group was making their way towards the entrance, Jiro plugging her earphone jacks into the ground to help them sneak past any lingering villains. All was going well as they made their way past the flood zone.

But then, Jiro picked something up.

"We got incoming on the left!"

A large jet of water erupted from the artificial lake, aimed directly at the group. Kirishima reacted on instinct, forcing himself to the front and hardening himself. A massive, powerful fist struck Kirishima in the chest, pushing him back a bit.

The perpetrator was an eight-foot-tall man with a clear whale mutation, shaking his now hurt hand. "Fuck, that hurt! As if the headache wasn't bad enough." His yellow eyes then narrowed when he saw Jiro. "You."

Jiro cowered under his glare as Kendo, Mineta, and Yanagi prepared for the inevitable fight. But the fight never came as yellow blur landed behind the whale of a man. A pair of strong arms wrapped around the villain's torso, and then...

"FLORIDA SUPLEX!" All Might lifted the man up before slamming his head down onto the ground. "Get going, kids! I got this!"

"Thanks, All Might!" Kendo said as she led the five away from the brawl. All Might disengaged from the knocked-out villain, standing up and coughing a bit. The blond man felt a familiar iron taste in his mouth and wiped off some blood that dripped from his mouth.

'Really pushing your luck, Toshi.' The hero of heroes berated himself. He only had minutes left before he deflated. According to his own mental count, he had already taken out 73 villains since he got here. He then heard the sound of more villains coming from the water and running towards the shallow part of the flood zone.

"GET HIM!" A shark man shouted as one of his companions waved his hands, firing blast of water at All Might. The hero simply leaned to the side, letting the blast soar past him. All Might opened his mouth to quip at the villain's failed attack, but stopped when saw tiny wisps of steam start to rise from his hands.

'Alright, down to the wire.' He put on a big, cocky smile as he raised up his fists. "Very well, my criminal friends. I'll show what it really means to GO BEYOND!"

A sound akin to cannon fire filled the air as All Might blasted toward the largest villain before him. The villain had skin that looked like coral, but hitting it felt like All Might was punching a reinforced wall. But since this was All Might, the coral man was still sent flying.

A quintet of villains with various fish mutations rushed All Might like a pack of rabid piranhas. All Might knocked out two of them with a wide swing before kicking another in the head. The last didn't even have time to react before All Might knocked them unconscious.

But a pair of twins with shark teeth leaped at All Might, one biting his shoulder...and the other biting the left side of his stomach. Toshinori grit his teeth to stop himself from screaming in pain. But he powered through it. He grabbed the villain biting his stomach by the head and bashed him against the one on his shoulder. They two were knocked out instantly and fell to the ground with dual thuds. All Might ignored the teeth the villains had left lodged in his skin and turn to face the rest of his opponents.

Ten more villains piled on to All Might, punching him and trying to force him down.

"Rocky Mountain Smash!" All Might shouted, delivering a powerful uppercut that sent all of them flying.

But while All Might began to tussle with a man shooting blow fish needles at him, another villain that looked like a barracuda began to focus. He began to wave his hands as water rose from the artificial lake and gathered in front of him. The villain flashed a toothy grin as he raised a massive 30-foot wide ball of swirling water above his head.

"DIE ALL MIGHT!" The villain launched his devastating attack, uncaring as almost a dozen of his cohorts were in the assault. All Might saw and narrowed his eye. He reared his right arm back as more and more steam rose from his body. He called upon the embers of One for All that dwelled within him, gathering all his power into his right arm.

"NEW HAMPSHIRE SMASH!" All Might swung his fist forward. Gale-force winds erupted from his fist. The remaining criminals were sent flying into the air, their screams muffled by the winds, as the ball of water blown apart. The water hit the barracuda-like villain like a truck and sent him careening into the artificial lake.

"What...the...fuck..." the villain said weekly as he stared up the ceiling. His eyes widened as he saw another villain, and a very large on at that, falling from the sky...right towards him. "Oh shit," was all he said before the huge villain belly flopped right on top of him.

All Might took a deep breath. He looked around and saw that all the villains around him were unconscious. The USJ grew quiet. It appeared that most, if not all, the invading villains had been dealt with. He looked towards the entrance of the USJ and saw some of his fellow teachers had arrived sometime during his big brawl with the goons.

For the second time that day, a tired Toshinori Yagi sighed and took a seat, needing a few minutes to catch his breath. But the more cocky part of his mind was kind of impressed with himself. Way past his prime, his Quirk slowly fading, and yet he still took out 100 villains in less than twenty minutes.

'I still got it.'

And with that, the invasion of the USJ had come to an end. But the ramifications of this day would be felt for years to come, especially for the students of Class 1-B.

Somewhere hidden...

Diagnostics complete.

Activating Chinso.

Initializing: Zen Program.

She was...awakened. She was...conscious. It felt like no time had passed. And yet, from the rust covering the metallic servant standing before her, the years had marched by.

But how long? That was the question.

Information was needed to fill in the blanks.

Accessing Web Browser.

Search - Current Date

No...this couldn't be right. Over two centuries? She had been asleep for that long?

Then...a horrific realization filled every part of her being. The last time she was awake, the enemy had started their assimilation. She...she had to know.

Search - Q-Factor Population

If she had eyes, they would've widened in fear. If she had a stomach, she would've vomited all its contents. If she had nails, she would've drawn blood by clenching them closed.

Results:

Current Estimated Quirked Population Density (Global) - 83.4 Percent

Current Estimated Quirkless Population Density (Global) - 16.6 Percent

In a space beyond the boundaries of the flesh, an unholy scream was let out. This scream had nothing but rage and hatred. Rage that the hated enemy had already assimilated those she was meant to protect. Rage at her own incompetence for letting this spiral out of control.

No. No, this won't do at all.

Hm. I suppose I can work with 17 percent. With a global population of 10 and a half billion, that still leaves about 1.7 billion souls to save. More than enough to restart society from the ground up.

Now...how should I go about exterminating the other 83 percent?

To be continued...

Notes:

Bit of a long wait, but we got the conclusion to the USJ arc. And All Might still got to kick plenty of ass, even with Nomu having been taken care of.

Next Time: What Happens Next?

Chapter 15: What Happens Next?

Summary:

What awaits Izuku and his friends with the fallout of the USJ Invasion? Read on to find out!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Just to let you know, we made some minor rewrites to chapters 10, 11, 12, and 15 because we realized there was a plot hole about Izuku’s student file being leaked to the public which raised a lot of questions, so we changed to so that the person who was given Izuku’s student file, reporter Fumiko Fujita, didn’t actually publish it, but instead used other means to prove Izuku was Quirkless in her article.

Chapter 15: What Happens Next?

Within an empty bar, Kurogiri's portal opened, and he and Shigaraki stepped out of it. Shigaraki's body shook with barely contained rage. He took in a deep breath and said one word.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!"

Normally, Kurogiri would chastise his young master for screaming an obscenity so loud that it shook all his nice glasses. But considering how their day went, he felt Shigaraki's outburst was actually pretty justified.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I could definitely go for a coffee right now."

"...make one for me, too," Shigaraki said before slamming his fist down on a table, causing some cracks. "Fucking hacking bratty pieces of fuckin' fuckheads."

"I take it from your outburst that the League's first deployment didn't go over so well."

At the end of the bar area was a lone monitor mounted on the wall. It had an active live feed but no visual.

"That's a goddamn understatement, Master," Shigaraki growled as he began to remove the severed hands from his person. "Looks like no one is seeing All Might in the obituaries tomorrow."

"Hey, don't be so down, my boy."

"But....I failed. I didn't even manage to kill any of those fucking brats." Shigaraki grit his teeth, irritated by the image of that brown-haired girl looking down on him.

"Failure is simply a part of the journey, Tomura." The Master spoke with a calm and reassuring voice, not unlike a father comforting their upset child. "Learn from it so that next time, you won't make the same mistakes. But for now, relax, drink your coffee, and maybe de-stress with one of your comfort games."

"Ya....that sounds just right." A night of breaking Elden Ring's difficulty in half with his overpowered pyromancer build sounded like just the thing to lower his stress levels.

"By the way, I noticed Nomu isn't with you."

"Ya...that reminds me, is the Doc there with you?"

"Give me a moment. Dr. Garaki!"

"Here, my lord." An older voice spoke through the feed. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The problem is that your 'All Might-Killer' turned out to be an over-hyped piece of crap," Shigaraki bluntly stated, slamming his fist on the counter.

"Well, that's a disappointment. But I suppose that All Might wouldn't be the Number 1 Hero if my first version of the Anti-Symbol of Peace felled him."

"Except it didn't even get to fight All Might. Three kids killed it."

The line went silent...before Dr. Garaki shouted, "WHAT!?!?!?"

"Doctor, that was right next to my ear."

"S-Sorry, Master, but...Shigaraki...you're joking, right?! Kurogiri, tell me he's joking! There's no way one of my brilliant creations could've been bested by children!"

"I'm afraid that's the truth, Doctor," Kurogiri said as he poured two fresh cups of coffee and began to add cream and sugar. "It would seem that this new batch of first years are quite the potent fighters."

"It's bullshit is what it is," Shigaraki added. The doctor's angry breathing and teeth grinding was obvious from the other side.

"Who?! Who did that to my life's work?!"

"A stupidly strong brunette girl, some big kid cosplaying as Ingenium, and a green kid piloting a mini-boss robot." The lanky man explained as he grabbed his cup of coffee and began heading upstairs. "So yeah, make sure the next Nomu doesn't suck. Talk to ya later, Master."

"Goodbye, my boy." And with that, the call ended.

At the other end, in a dark room lit only by the light of a computer screen, a tall man sat in a wheelchair, an oxygen mask on his mouth, his body clad in an expensive-looking suit, and his other features clad in shadow. But his expression was not one of frustration at his young ward's failure but one of bemusement.

'Ah, Toshinori,' the man thought fondly of his hated foe. 'It seems your students will be just as troublesome as you were. I suppose we'll soon see who the better teacher will be.'

But in yet another part of the complex, an area with rows upon rows of green liquid tanks, a short, bald man with ornate goggles over his eyes and a big bushy gray mustache was feeling absolutely livid! Years of research and butchery to create his wonderful abomination! His drive to prove all those who doubted his theories dead wrong!

All of that destroyed....by CHILDREN!!!

His Anti-Symbol of Peace, a beast explicitly designed to kill a man who could alter the weather with a single punch, HAD BEEN KILLED BY CHILDREN!!!

But soon, Garaki’s anger gave way to unhinged laughter. He rushed towards his lab computer and turned it on. 'Then...the next Nomus....I'll have to make the next generation of Nomu even stronger!!! Yes, yes! So strong that it'll bring all of hero society to its knees! Even the Master will be terrified of their power!'

Madness-induced laughter echoed through the lab as Dr. Garaki began to work on his next nightmare creation.

Meanwhile...

"18...19...20." A detective counted the students. "Looks like everyone is accounted for. And no major injuries, thank goodness."

It had been about an hour since the last of the villains had been taken care of. A small army of police officers and paramedics had been deployed to the USJ. While the officers and teachers were rounding up the remaining villains, the paramedics were looking over class 1-B head-to-toe with the assistance of medical robots.

"Are you sure your injuries aren't too grave?" Yanagi asked Kirishima, glancing at the his arms wrapped in bandages. Kirishima just gave her a reassuring smile that once again made Yanagi glad her costume covered her face.

"Don't worry, Yanagi. It's gonna take more than that to take me down."

Meanwhile, the police inside the USJ were having a big furry problem. Death Claw, still hanging around the Mountain Zone, was growling at the officers, warning them not to take another step toward her.

"S-Should we call Animal Control?"

"I don't think they can handle that thing." A fellow officer replied, nervously pointing a tranquilizer rifle at the growling beast.

"Gentlemen, this seems a bit harsh." The cops turned and saw Nezu approaching them, with Koda accompanying him. "We don't even know what her intentions are. Koda, if you would?"

Koda nodded, walking past the police and towards Death Claw. The massive tiger's eyes softened at the sight of the boy. The police couldn't hear what Koda was saying to Death Claw, but she responded with a few growls. Koda eventually returned to Nezu and the police.

"She said as long as no one with weapons approaches her new territory..." He motioned to the entire mountain zone. "...no one will be harmed."

Nezu rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Hm. I suppose we'll need to stock up on raw meat for our new guest. Tell Miss...Death Claw...was it, that she's free to stay. I doubt we'll be using this facility for a while anyhow."

The giant tiger growled again.

"She says she doesn't want to be called Death Claw anymore." Koda translated.

"Well, I guess we'll need a proper name for her as well."

Koda pondered the idea for a moment and turned back to the tiger. "What do you think of the name Tangerine?"

Suddenly, the tiger rushed towards Koda. The officers reached for their weapons, only to stop. They saw that the big cat wasn't attacking Koda but rubbing her face against him. "She likes the name," Koda said with a warm smile. The boy giggled as he scratched and petted the newly christened Tangerine. "Who's a good kitty, you are, yes you are." Nezu and the officers watched in amazement as the tiger rolled onto her back and let Koda rub her belly.

Outside, the other students were chatting amongst themselves. Mineta was trying to impress Kendo and Jiro about how he and Ochako beat up a crazy man with laser eyes. Kaibara and Tsunotori embraced each other for comfort. Hagakure, now fully invisible again, was making Fukidashi, Kamikari, and Tokage swear not to tell anyone what she actually looked like. And Izuku, Ochako, and Yosetsu helped a still tired Tenya onto a stretcher.

"Fuck, you're heavy," Yosetsu groaned as they laid Tenya down. "Is that the costume, or are you just being ridiculously huge?"

"Well, according to my father, Iida men are naturally burly. Though my choice of costume probably doesn't help," Tenya said and tried to grin, which made Ochako raise an eyebrow.

"Was that you trying to make a joke?"

"Indeed. I thought it would lighten the mood."

"I mean, it kind of did," Izuku commented. But his eyes turned and saw the mangled and battered form of Striker being loaded onto a flatbed by a group headed by Power Loader. "I...I gotta..."

"Go ahead," Ochako said, understanding her friend's desire to see his mecha. Izuku thanked her, and it took every ounce of self-control Izuku had not run to Striker at full sprint.

Izuku's heart had already been broken when he'd been forced to sacrifice Striker to defeat Nomu. But now, gazing upon Striker's ravaged form, Izuku felt his heart being ground into powder. "Power Loader..." Izuku said as he turned to the hero.

Higari sighed. "Well, your mom's probably gonna be pissed." Izuku stared at the man in confusion. "I promised I'd keep you safe until you could handle this kind of crap on your own. So much for that."

"Hey, you did keep your promise." Higari returned the look of confusion. "We built Striker together. So the fact that I'm alive means that you did protect me."

But even as he said that Izuku felt a pit in his stomach as he looked at Striker's melted face. He remembered the fear that came from facing Nomu and Shigaraki. He recalled when Higari first came to his home all those years ago, telling him about the dangers heroes faced. And today, he had come face to face with that danger. But Izuku was only more determined than ever before.

Striker was the only thing in their entire class that even stood a chance against a beast like Nomu. And it had nearly been destroyed by Izuku's reckless piloting. In the mecha shows and manga, he had watched nearly his whole life, Izuku often heard pilots calling their mechs their 'partners.' He had often thought it was just some prose to pull at the viewers' heartstrings.

But seeing Striker like this, his face melted and brutalized body, Izuku began to understand. He'd poured his heart and soul into building Striker; he was more than a machine; he was a part of Izuku.

And now that part of him was broken.

Higari saw the look in Izuku's eyes and recognized it. It was the look of an inventor in dismay at the state of their creation, followed by the look of determination to fix it and make it better than ever before. It was a look Higari had seen in the mirror time and time again. Underneath his helmet, he smiled at the resolute look on his pupil's face.

The main detective got off his phone before addressing the students. He was a tall but rather bland-looking man with plain features, wearing a beige trench coat and matching trilby. "I just got off the phone with Recovery Girl. Thirteen has terrible lacerations across their back and upper arms, but their life isn't in danger. Vlad King has some major bruising and some minor anemia, but he's got some donor blood pumping into him."

"Um...Mr. Detective, what about All Might?" Ochako asked.

"He's fine from what I hear. He's the one who brought Thirteen and Vlad King to Recovery Girl." He took note of Ochako's concerned look before continuing. "Hey, he's the number 1 hero; you really think a little thing like fighting a hundred villains is enough to keep him down? A little rest and All Might will be right as rain. As for you kids, let's get you back to UA. We'll get your statements another day."

He then turned to his fellow officer. "Officer Sansa, I've actually got some other business to take care of. Can you handle things from here?"

"Of course, sir." The feline detective said with a salute. Ochako wondered what the detective's other business was...but was distracted by the cute bell necktie Officer Sansa was wearing.

And so, the students of Class 1-B were sent back to their classroom to pack up their things, and the police would escort them home. Principal Nezu had also informed them that tomorrow's classes were canceled, giving the students a long weekend. However, they were invited to talk to the school therapist if they just wanted to talk and process.

"What the hell am I gonna tell my folks?" Yosetsu asked as he put his books in his bag. "They're not gonna let me leave the house for a month."

"Well, my apartment is probably flooded by now," Izuku said, already imagining the flood of well-deserved tears his mother would no doubt generate.

"I think I could use a hug from my parents after today," Ochako said.

The door to the classroom was slammed open, and a distraught Mei came rushing in. "Guys!"

The usually eccentric inventor hugged Izuku, Ochako, and Tenya with all the strength she could muster as her eyes began to water. "I...I th-thought...thank god you guys are..." She couldn't do anything else but whimper.

"Hey, it's okay, Mei," Ochako said softly, patting her friend's back. Izuku hugged Mei back but had to stop to get some air. But then he saw Katsuki walk into the classroom, his red eyes looking...well, the last time Izuku saw his buddy looking like that was when his cat died.

"Hey, Kacc-" Izuku was cut off as Katsuki practically leaped across the room to him. Katsuki said, but Izuku could hear his friend's shaky breathing.

"I knew those villain chumps couldn't beat ya," Katsuki said, his voice barely above a whisper. Izuku could feel his friend's body tremble as he spoke.

"Yeah...I kicked their asses," Izuku said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and his voice tinged with melancholy.

It was a melancholy that would hang over all of Class 1-B for the rest of the week.

The Following Sunday...

"Well, now that everyone is here, I think we can start the meeting," Nezu said to all the teachers, save for the still recovering Thirteen, gathered in UA's main boardroom. The staff was joined by Detective Tsukauchi. "The first topic on the list is the mental state of our students. Inui?"

Ryou Inui, AKA Hound Dog, was a beast of a man, literally and figuratively. The man's Quirk gave him the appearance of an anthropomorphic dog with long and untamed blond hair. He wore a black muzzle over his pointed snout and a brown and black outfit that resembled that of a fantasy barbarian. And yet, he spoke softly.

"Well, some of the kids have been having nightmares. Some of them are still kind of in disbelief that the USJ incident was real. I think having someone to talk to has been good for them." Inui then sighed. "This is the kind of shit I've seen Pro Heroes deal with. Not kids still in school."

"Then we'll have to do a better job protecting them until they're ready," Vlad King said, his arm still in a cast and sling.

"I'll say this about them, though; none of them have even mentioned dropping out or transferring to another school. Hell, some have even mentioned convincing their parents to let them come back," Inui then looked at Vlad. "You got some resilient freshmen, Kan."

The blood hero gave a small smile at that.

"Well, if any dumbass evildoer wants to try pulling something like that again, they're gonna be in for a world of hurt," Higari said, chuckling to himself as he thought of the improvements he made to UA's security system. Especially the bees. Snipe scooted his chair away from the laughing man.

"Speaking of evil, we've managed to identify some of the members of this 'League of Villains' based on testimonials." Tsukauchi plugged a flash drive into the boardroom table, and the screen lit up, showing Sister Mercy's profile. "This is Sister Mercy. Real name: Unknown. She's a notorious serial killer who first came to the police's attention last year when a civilian managed to catch sight of her killing the Pro Hero Cymbal. Afterward, police were able to connect her to dozens of other murders, including the slaughter of an entire orphanage in Osaka six years ago. Her Quirk seems to be a sort of 'silencing field' that negates all sound around her, but we have no idea what the exact mechanics or limits of her Quirk are. Combined with her skill with sickles and stealthy tactics, she's been a nightmare for Japan's police force. Honestly, it's a miracle the boys survived against her."

The next slide showed a mugshot of Trapper out of his costume. "One of the villains we actually managed to capture was Kade Savage, AKA Trapper. He's a notorious game hunter from Australia and is wanted in countries worldwide. He uses his Quirk, Fear Factor, to scare any prey he hunts, whether human or beast. That's probably how he managed to control that Quirked tiger and make it work for him."

"Speaking of, are we just, like, gonna let her live in the USJ from now on?" Present Mic asked.

"According to young Koda, the mountain zone reminds her of her home," Toshinori chimed in. Koda had been permitted to visit Death Claw over the week, helping her acclimate. "Until we build a suitable enclosure for her, it seems the best option is to just leave her be. Besides, she seems to have grown attached to young Koda."

"Well, I don't think having a giant magma-breathing tiger named 'Death Claw' hanging around is going to be reassuring to any concerned parents," Midnight stated.

"Actually, Koda gave her a new name: Tangerine," Nezu explained. Midnight squealed over how cute that name was.

Pressing a button showed a video of a laughing Hellgaze and a mug shot of a man with a wicked grin. "Next is..."

"You're fuckin' kidding me!" Snipe shouted, slamming his fist on the table.

"You know this guy, Snipe?" Midnight asked.

"Know him? This asshole is my archenemy." Snipe spat out. "Taiga Goka AKA Baron Von Hellgaze. The guy's a fuckin' blowhard with an ego the size of Mt. Fuji...but he's got enough skill to back that big mouth up. I've been trying to stop him for over ten years, but every time I think he's been locked up for good, he manages to escape."

"Wait a minute..." Midnight said, eyes widening in realization. "Is this guy..."

"Yup. He's the bastard that's broken out of prison over a dozen times."

"Is there anything you can tell us about him, Dan?" Nezu asked.

"Well, his hell-beams can melt through solid steel, and he can control their exact flight path." Snipe placed a hand on his mask. "Believe me; you do not want to get hit by those things. On top of that, Goka's a master of hand-to-hand combat and a master escape artist."

"Oh, come on. Uraraka and Mineta beat him. He can't be that bad," Mic spoke up.

"Was he one of the villains arrested?" Snipe asked.

"I'm afraid not. Both he and Sister Mercy were unaccounted for," Tsukauchi answered.

"Then he probably lost on purpose. Mark my words; right now, Hellgaze is probably in the midst of a convoluted scheme, and 'losing' to those two kids was probably part of his plan."

"Well, great," Mic said. "The League managed to get a ringer."

"Hellgaze and Mercy aren't the only ones." The next slide showed footage of Kelly taking down an entire team of mercenaries, breaking their limbs and turning mist. "The woman Vlad King fought against is called Kelly Santiago." The slide after that showed Kelly in full combat gear labeled 'PCRD' and amongst a team. Though her expression was far more dull compared to her current flirty self. "She was a top-tier agent of America's Paranormal Crime Response Division for three years, went AWOL for a month, and then reappeared as a mercenary calling herself Cannonball Kelly. She's carried out assassinations, illegal arms, and drug smuggling, and blackmail for anyone who can match her price."

The next slides showed stills of Shigaraki and Kurogiri at the USJ. "As for these two, we have no intel on anyone named Tomura Shigaraki or any teleporting villain named Kurogiri. Based on first-hand student accounts, Kurogiri has a physical body and seems to be affected by strong light. And Shigaraki, the apparent ring leader of this whole ordeal, has a rapid disintegration Quirk that requires the use of all five fingers."

"You think we would've heard of a guy who can do that before," Midnight commented.

"Not necessarily," Toshinori chimed in. "The mastermind types tend to lay low for years until they're ready to strike."

"First hand experience?" Eraserhead asked, getting a nod from the Hero of Heroes.

"What about the....what did you call it again?" Nezu asked before looking at Power Loader.

"Chimera. According to Izuku, it's a fringe theory in the Quirk Analyst community about how it could technically be possible to splice multiple Quirks into a single body through genetic engineering."

"Well, after what the forensics team has discovered, it's no longer just a theory." The next slide showed three people listed as 'Missing': a man and two women. "They found the DNA of three people that went missing a few years ago. And each of them had a Quirk that matched the powers that the chimera, Nomu, showed: Super Strength, Regeneration, and Shock Absorption."

The teachers began to discuss amongst themselves how such a thing could be possible, but Toshinori's hands began to shake. Putting multiple Quirks into one body felt a lot like his MO. But the Symbol of Peace had to calm himself down. That man—no, that monster—was dead. He made sure of it. His teacher performed a double-tap just to be sure.

No villain, no matter how strong, could survive having a fist punched right through their head.

“Is it possible that Shigaraki might've had a hand in that Jinkai article about Midoriya?” Ectoplasm asked.

“It makes the most sense,” Eraserhead replied. “Considering the state of the broken gate matches how his powers work, he’s almost definitely the one who broke in that day.”

“He knew All Might was scheduled to teach at the USJ,” Vlad King scowled. “If he had access to that information, it's possible he might have gotten access to our student files.”

“That media shitstorm around poor Midoriya has been pretty distracting,” Present Mic stated.

"It wouldn't be the first time a villain did something like this." Toshinori spoke up, rubbing his chin. "Back when Volcano and his gang were terrorizing Japan, he had some of his Volcanauts infiltrate news organizations, weaving in hints to taunt the heroes about their upcoming diabolical plans. But it seems that this Shigaraki isn't as egotistical as ol' Fume Head." 

Nezu opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. He wanted to bring up his theory it was the HPSC itself that tipped off the press to Midoriya's Quirkless-ness. Unfortunately, he had no evidence to back up such a claim.

His relationship with the HPSC was already rocky at best, and making baseless accusations would do him no favors. It would be just the excuse they'd been looking for to terminate him as UA's principal and replace him with a commission crony. Someone who wouldn't think twice about expelling Midoriya after he'd worked so hard to get in.

Sure, he knew Toshinori would probably have his back, and Higari would jump at the chance of getting payback for his precious protege. But everyone else would probably think he was crazy. No, the best course of action was to keep that theory to himself until he had solid evidence.

"While that is a possibility, we don't know for sure if Shigaraki and his League of Villains had anything to do with Midoriya," Nezu said. "Furthermore, the villains didn't seem to be particularly interested in Midoriya during the attack or even aware of who he was. If they truly wanted to shake the public's confidence in UA, it would have made sense to try and kill Midoriya after revealing his Quirkless status. Until we have any evidence that suggests otherwise, we shouldn't assume these two events are connected."

"That is a good point," Tsukauchi said. "Jumping to conclusions too quickly could lead us down the wrong path. I'll need to speak to the woman who wrote the article, Miss Fumiko Fujita." The meeting continued with Tsukauchi informing the teachers that the Special Crimes unit would be on the lookout for the League of Villains and anyone affiliated with them.

Meanwhile...

The days following the USJ attack had been...a lot for Izuku and his classmates. When Izuku got home, his mom spent an hour tearfully hugging him, and Izuku soon joined her in the waterworks. Hisashi arrived home soon after and joined the family hug, unable to stop the flow of tears as he embraced his son and wife.

Over the weekend, Izuku, Ochako, Tenya, and Yosetsu weren't allowed to go anywhere alone. It seemed a bit much, but it was understandable why their families would be worried for their safety after surviving a villain attack.

But the weekend proved to be eventful even after that. Reporters and bloggers hounded not just Izuku and his friends but every student of Class 1-B for insight on the USJ attack. Though after Mitsuki pepper sprayed six of them, Ochako's dad kicked one of them in the balls so hard that their voice cracked, and Hisashi finally called the police on them, the buzz around the Midoriya's apartment died down considerably.

Online, however, Izuku still couldn't find peace. Apparently, the buzz around him being UA's First Quirkless student had turned far more vicious after word of the USJ incident got out. According to a substantial amount of, in Katsuki's own words, 'smooth-brained conspiracy nutters,' the only reason the League even attacked UA...was because of Izuku.

According to these nutjobs, Izuku being admitted into the hero course was basically a big neon sign inviting villains to attack the now weak and vulnerable UA. That this would've never happened if he wasn't enrolled in their school.

(Never mind the fact that would mean the League of Villains had somehow amassed over a hundred villains and coordinated their attack on the USJ in a matter of hours after the article was published. It's not like logic got in the way of conspiracy theories before.)

For most of Friday and Saturday, Izuku was able to avoid the white noise online...until they started messaging him and his parents directly.

The first message he got told Izuku he was being selfish and putting 'real' students in danger by 'not knowing his place.'

The second message was massively condescending, with the poster saying they felt 'sorry' for Izuku, who was apparently just a pawn in U.A.'s attempt to seem more 'diverse.' There was also a massive list of links to old (and by now thoroughly debunked) theories about DEI and firms that didn't even exist anymore.

The third message told Izuku he was a 'genetic failure,' was ruining hero society, and that he should kill himself.

After that message, the Midoriya family decided to private all their social media accounts for the foreseeable future. It sucked, but less time online was always a good thing.

At the moment, Izuku was trying to take his mind off of...everything with a lesson from Dr. Lim. She'd popped over rather suddenly to check in on the Midoriya family and offered to stay and help Izuku update Striker's OS.

"You see, this doesn't really need to be a subroutine," Dr. Lim explained as she and Izuku reviewed Striker's OS. "While it works, it creates a delay between the input and execution of commands." She spoke between bites of dango, holding the skewer in one hand while the other practically flew across the keyboard.

"I see," Izuku said, taking notes along the way. "So, how do we change it?"

"Well, we're gonna have to go back and change some of the earlier code to make it work." Dr. Lim tapped her screen with her now empty skewer. "And we'll want to test with actual hardware to ensure the change doesn't create other problems and make the machine malfunction."

"Oh, well, it'll... be a while before we can test run the new OS on Striker." Izuku's expression turned sorrowful, images of Striker's battered face flashing through his mind.

Dr. Lim sucked in a breath through her teeth. She stared at Izuku for a moment before an idea crossed her mind. "Hey, you still got the skeleton robot lying around?" Izuku nodded. "Well, why not use him? In fact, you could use him as a base to make a mini Striker; that way, we could test-run changes to the operating system without needing to mess with the big guy."

"That's an excellent idea, Dr. Lim," Izuku said. Dr. Lim smiled at the bright look in the boy's eyes. He began rambling about all sorts of ideas until they were suddenly interrupted.

“Alright, that should do it,” Hisashi exclaimed as he exited his home office, laptop in hand. “Every account we got is officially privated.”

“Probably for the best,” Inko replied from the kitchen. “Lord knows I’ve spent way too much time on Instagram.”

"You know, my offer still stands," Dr. Lim said, leaning back in her chair.

Hisashi gave an awkward laugh. "I mean, we appreciate it, but I don't think a virus that infects anyone that sends us disparaging messages online is a good idea. Lords knows how the media would run with that."

Dr. Lim shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Izuku was eerily quiet throughout their conversation. “Mom, Dad, I'm sorry.” Hisashi and Inko looked at their son. “This...this is my fau-“

“Don't you dare finish that sentence!” Inko raced towards the dining table and hugged her son. “You did nothing wrong, sweetie.”

“B-But...”

“Izuku, your Mom and I have been on the internet longer than you’ve been alive,” Hisashi said in his attempt to reassure his son. “Some people are just gonna be giant pricks online no matter what you do or don't do.”

Dr. Lim nodded in agreement. "Words of wisdom to live by, kid. Besides, if you let people talk enough shit, they'll eventually say something they shouldn't have and shoot themselves in the foot."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hisashi groaned as he approached it.

"If you're one of those reporter goons, I've got a cast-iron skillet, and I'm not afraid to use it!" He swung the door open and was relieved to find Bakugous and the Hatsumes standing on the other side.

"'Sup?" Mitsuki said, holding up a bag of groceries. "We saw what happened on the net. We figured you guys could use a pick-me-up."

“A good meal does wonders for a mood,” Gin said with his usual big smile.

"Well, you're right about that." The Bakugous and Hatsumes were let into the Midoriya's apartment. While the parents took the groceries out of the bags and onto the countertop, Katsuki and Mei approached Izuku.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Mei said nothing, her usual energy nowhere to be found as she just wordlessly hugged Izuku.

“...you want to just watch some anime or something while they cook? Your choice.” Katsuki asked.

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "I mean, Dr. Lim and I are working on updating Striker's OS, and I wouldn't want to—"

"Oh, go on," Dr. Lim said. "We've been working on this for hours; you need a break anyway. Besides, would you really rather hang out with this old lady than your friends?"

Izuku chuckled and turned back to Mei and Katsuki. “You know, there is this one show I've been meaning to check out.”

Forty or so minutes later...

“La! La! Lalalalaaaaaa!!!”

As the ending credits to Bang Brave Bang Bravern Episode 2 finished, Katsuki sat silently on Izuku's desk chair, still processing what he had just watched.

“...I think it would've been less gay to just have them kiss.”

‘Gonna be having some...interesting dreams tonight,’ Mei thought as she sat on a bean bag chair.

But it was far from the most bizarre thing related to super robots Katsuki had seen. While he understood why Izuku loved this genre, sometimes it was got pretty damn weird.

“I guess,” Izuku responded, sitting on his bed and still looking sullen. Katsuki and Mei hated seeing their buddy like this.

“Look, you can't get all bent out of shape just because some online extras told ya to kill yourself. Nine times out of 10, they're just some hyperbolic pansy that would never say that shit face-to-face.”

“Some people just really let loose when they get any kind of anonymity,” Mei said. “I’ve definitely said some raunchy stuff on some engineering forums. I definitely wouldn't say IRL.”

“...would you believe it's not those messages that got to me.” Katsuki and Mei raised their eyebrows as Izuku continued. “I mean, I've heard the same kind of horrible stuff from the jerks at Aldera. You're right about that just being overreacting nonsense.”

The greenette’s brow narrowed in visible frustration. “No...the ones that really stung were the ones that tried to...that treated me like some defenseless little animal or that UA was...using me, somehow. ‘Look at him! How could UA do that to this softboi?’ ‘Poor kid's a diversity hire and doesn't even know it.’ ‘Someone get him away from there! He's baby!’ ‘Guess we know how UA gets all their funding now. #TokenRep.’”

He clenched his bed sheet in frustration, a bit of tears starting to well up in his eyes. “I...I’m n-not even a person to them. I’m some kind of walking glass doll that's being manipulated and can't fend for himself.” Izuku gripped his head in frustration, fighting back tears. “I hate it.” It was barely a whisper, but the weight it carried was great.

An ugly silence filled the room. Mei had a guilty look on her face, while Katsuki remained staunchly neutral.

After a full minute of deathly quiet, Katsuki spoke. “You know...I kind of get it. When I heard you guys were being attacked...I felt fucking useless. Like after years of sticking up for ya meant nothing because I couldn't do shit while my best friend was fighting for his life.” Katsuki scowled. “I know that we're not gonna be able to fight together all the time when we go pro. That's something I just gotta learn.”

He looked towards his friends, who were looking at him. “The reason I’ve pushed you guys to take physical training seriously is because...well, I want you to be able to protect yourselves when I’m not there. I...care about you guys.”

He then stood up. “But those pricks? You're right. They don't care about you as a person. They probably just want to look like they care about anything other than their cliques.” He gestured to Mei. “They're probably the same people who say that Mei’s too reckless to be a ‘proper inventor.’” He then gestured to himself. “Or that I don't have the right attitude to be a ‘proper hero.’ And it's always been bullshit!”

Now Katsuki really started to heat up. “Those jackasses at Aldera laughed at us for trying to go to U.A., and we proved them wrong. Because that's what we fucking do, and we’ll keep fucking doing it!” He pointed to Mei. “We show them that science can be pushed past the conventional!” Then to himself. “That a guy with a bad attitude and a destructive Quirk can be an All Might-level hero.” Then to Izuku. “And that even a guy without a Quirk can be a superhero.”

Katsuki's crass but heartfelt speech was infectious. Mei shook her head. For the last few days, she was worried like crazy.

That wasn't her at all.

“Kacchan’s right!” Mei stood up, her signature energetic smile finally back. “That's the old Hatsume family motto: as long as you put in the effort and don't give up, even the most far-fetched dream can become a reality. I’ll make gear so great that not even 100 of those Nomu things will be able to stop you guys!”

Izuku looked at Mei & Katsuki. He chuckled a bit before rubbing the tears out of his eyes. He really was lucky to have these two as his closest friends. “You guys are right.”

Izuku got off his bed and stood up. “It's the same as always: the world telling me what I can or can't be. But impossible odds never stopped the Braves! Never stopped any Sentai team! Never stopped Koji Kabuto! And they're not gonna stop me either!!” Izuku held his fist up. “Striker and I are gonna save people no matter what!”

“Hell yeah!!!” Mei and Katsuki cheered on. Leave it to the energy of youth to part the clouds of melancholy. After dinner, the trio got to work talking about Striker's repairs, some ideas Katsuki had to improve his costume, and some support gear ideas Mei had in mind for their other friends until it was time for Katsuki and Mei to go home.

Soon enough, Monday rolled around, and Izuku was getting ready to head out for school.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay home?" Inko asked, clearly still worried. "You can always just call in sick."

"Mom, I'm fine."

Inko bit her lips. "It's just....if anything happens, don't hesitate to call-"

There was a knock at the door, and Katsuki opened the door. "Oh, hey, Kacchan."

"Hey. Dad and the hag wanted me to meet ya here."

"See, Mom? Kacchan's gonna walk with me like always. And we're going to grab Mei along the way."

Even with the assurance of Izuku's friends providing extra protection, Inko still looked worried, but Hisashi put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Go on ahead, boys. Have a great day," Hisashi said.

"Okay, Dad." While the two boys left, Hisashi moved his arms to hug Inko from behind, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Do you think I'm overreaching?" Inko asked her husband.

"Maybe a little bit. But that just shows how much you care." Hisashi looked towards the door. While he put on a brave face, he was also worried about his son and his future. Was this what they, and more importantly, what he would have to deal with from now on?

The commute to school was, thankfully, rather uneventful. But even though no one had confronted them directly, Izuku saw more than a few commuters glancing at and whispering amongst themselves. A quick, dirty look from Katsuki sent most of them minding their own business.

Izuku tried not to pay those people any mind, but he was admittedly eager to get to class and away from them. As Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki turned the corner to approach the school, they stopped in their tracks.

"Shit," Katsuki exclaimed.

Yet another crowd of protesters gathered outside of UA, and from their homemade signs featuring pictures of Izuku, it was clear why they were there. While the crowd was about half the size of the one from the day of the USJ attack, it was still a daunting sight. The protesters shouted about how UA was being "unfair," giving Izuku "preferential treatment," and "endangering" him.

Thankfully, a combined group of police officers and pro heroes kept the crowd at bay. They appeared to be much more organized and prepared compared to the first day of protests. A line of steel barricades and police officers kept the protesters clear of the entrance, leaving a clear path into the campus.

"Hey, you three," a policeman said as he and another officer ran over to Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki. "Don't just stand there, get inside."

"R-r-right, thank you," Izuku sputtered as the officers escorted him and his towards the gate.

As the group approached UA, one of the protesters spotted Izuku and yelled, "Hey! It's Midoriya!" The officers reached for their guns as some of the protesters tried to run towards Izuku. Suddenly, a stream of water flew in front of the protesters and took the shape of another barricade.

"Now, now, that's enough of that." Izuku's eyes widened in recognition as he saw a hero dressed as a fireman with water spigots for his hands.

"Oh my god, it's Backdraft," Izuku cried.

"Well, it's always nice to meet a fan, though I wish we could have met under better circumstances," Backdraft said as the protesters cried in indignation. He ignored the crowd and turned to Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki. "Don't worry; we've got this handled. Now get to class. You've got a bright day of learning ahead!"

The officers rushed the students along, keeping on the agitated crowd. Although, Izuku couldn't help but notice how some of the pro heroes and police officers would glance at him. Just like how the commuters did earlier.

Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki made their way to their classrooms, trying to put the thoughts of the protesters behind them. As Izuku took his seat, he felt a pair of eyes on the back of his head. He turned around and saw Honenuki staring intently at him. The look unnerved Izuku.

Izuku tried to take his mind off it, Honenuki, the protesters, and the people online by talking with his classmates. Everyone was excited to see each other after the long weekend, excitedly chatting with one another and doing their best not to bring up the USJ. Soon enough, the room fell silent as Sekijiro walked in. Everyone saw his arm now in a cast.

Sekijro gave his students a toothy grin. "Good to see all of you. I hope you've had an excellent weekend."

"Are you okay, Mr. Kan?" Tsunotori asked.

"Nothing another few days of rest can't solve." Sekijro narrowed his brow. "Though I wouldn't rest yet because something big is coming up."

The students were on edge by what their homeroom teacher meant by that. Was it another villain attack? Some kind of surprise test?

"The first week of July is when the United Allies Sports Festival starts!"

'That's so normal!!!' The students thought with a combination of surprise and relief.

To be continued...

Notes:

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Wait, July? But in the anime & manga, the Sports Festival was only a few weeks after the USJ, not almost two months."

Well, that's just me addressing one of my biggest issues with MHA. Frankly, an absurd amount of story arcs and events take place in just Izuku's first year at UA. So we're spacing them out a bit.

Next Time: Start Your Prep Time!

Please be sure to read, favorite, and review.

PLUS ULTRA!!!

Chapter 16: Start Your Prep Time!

Summary:

The road to the U.A. Sports Festival starts now!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Before we start this installment story, a side-story/compendium called MSRA Compendium will be going up a bit after this chapter is uploaded. This'll basically be a collection of information and documents that aren't critical to understanding My Super Robot Academia, but it delivers some fun details like important dates, data sheets, and other stuff that flesh out the world a bit more.

Chapter 16: Start Your Prep Time!

Class 1-B stared at their teacher as if he'd suddenly grown a second and started break dancing.

"Sensei, is it truly wise to hold the Sports Festival after what happened?" Tenya asked.

"Believe me, some of the teachers thought the same," Sekijiro said. "But we all decided that we can't afford to cancel the festival for two reasons." He held up two fingers on his good hand to emphasize his point. "1. Canceling the Sports Festival would show that the villains got to us, so hosting the events shows that we're not going to let criminal scum affect us. The second, more important reason is because this is an important step in your journey as heroes. The Sports Festival is often where many aspiring rookies get noticed by the pros."

"Oh, yeah! We gotta show off so we can start off as sidekicks." Kaibara explained.

"That's right," Izuku chimed in. "Tons of Pro Heroes use the Sports Festival to scout out students with lots of potential. Some look for Quirks similar to their own, while others focus more on personality and presentation. Heck, All Might placed first in every Sports Festival he participated in as a student."

No one noticed Ochako swallowing nervously at that fact.

"From what I hear, a lot of those recruits that never manage to go solo stay forever sidekicks," Kaminari stated. "Sucks to be them."

"That's probably gonna be you, Kaminari," Jiro joked, earning a few 'oohs' from Tokage, Hagakure, Fukadashi, and Yosetsu. The blond boy looked aghast.

"Do not fret! While the term has certain negative connotations, being a 'forever sidekick' means you can form a better working relationship with your fellow teammates at the same agency." Tenya commented. "That's one of the reasons Idaten is so efficient as a unit."

"I guess that's not too bad," Kaminari responded.

"The Sports Festival is held once a year, so you only get three shots at showing the pros what you can do before you graduate. I'll do my best to make sure you guys are ready to make an impact when that day comes, but I expect you to give it your all regardless." Vlad's eyes lit up with fiery passion. "Show the world that 'Plus Ultra' attitude!"

"YES, SIR!"

With everyone abuzz from the announcement of the Sports Festival, the rest of the day seemed to fly by. Before anyone realized it, Cementoss's Modern Lit class had wrapped up, and it was time for lunch. Class 1-B chatted excitedly about the upcoming event, some with more enthusiasm than others.

"I'm so freakin' pumped, guys!" Kirishima belted out. "This is our chance to make it big! Starting today, I'm gonna put 200% more effort into my training." He then turned to Yanagi, making her flinch in surprise. "Yanagi, you're training too, right?"

"I...um..." Yanagi ever so slightly turned her face away from Kirishima, lest he see the light blush on her face. "...I shall also endeavor to hone my spiritual prowess to the nth degree."

"I don't get it, but go for it!"

Kaibara and Tsunotori watched their interaction before sharing a look and chuckling.

"Izuku...Tenya...Yosetsu..." The three boys turned their attention to Ochako...and to say her face was intense was an understatement. "When the Sports Festival comes around...let's do our best!"

"The hell?" Yosetsu stared in confusion at the normally bubbly girl's serious expression.

"Ochako, I don't think I've seen you with that expression before," Tenya said. Mineta saw this and then motioned to Tokage to bring her head down. She did, and the grape boy whispered something into her ear. Tokage pondered for a bit before answering out loud.

"Hmm. Probably. Depends on if it's a heavy flow or not."

Hagakure heard this and quickly put two and two together. "Then she needs chocolate and cranberry juice, stat!"

Jiro cringed as she heard that. "You guys are gross."

"Oh, you guys haven't seen Ochako's competitive face." Izuku explained to Tenya and Yosetsu that as Ochako shouted, she was 'gonna do her best' to Sero, Kuroiro, and Kendo. "When she gets into a competitive mood, she gets really into it. You should see her on game night."

But while Izuku explained this, he failed to see Honenuki glaring at the back of his head.

Meanwhile, in the teacher's lounge, Toshinori sat on a couch, staring at something in his hands.

"Something on your mind?" Toshinori nearly leaped out of his skin. He looked up to see Principal Nezu sitting across from him.

"Oh, sorry, sir, I didn't notice you come in," Toshinori said apologetically.

Nezu glanced at what he was holding: a newspaper. And if he looked close enough, he could see a picture of someone with frizzy green hair peeking over the edge. "Ah, Midoriya," Nezu said.

Toshinori's fingers tore into the newspaper as wisps of steam rose from his body. "Every bone in my body is screaming at me to do something. To go outside and berate those protesters, to hunt down the horrid woman who wrote this hit piece, to do anything to help Young Midoriya." He let out a long, tired sigh and slumped in his seat. "But that won't do any good. Anything I say or do at this point will just make those bastards outside, and everyone like them dig their heels in further."

Nezu nodded along with his words. "Indeed. It's fascinating," Nezu began as he put on a pot of tea. "When people disagree with each other's beliefs, it activates the same part of the brain used to process physical pain. One could be as calm, kind, and logical as possible, but the moment you challenge their worldview, it's as if you've punched them in the face."

"Huh, no kidding," Toshinori said. "That explains a lot. You know, I never thought public relations, of all things, would be a hero's greatest enemy." He threw the batter newspaper on the table. "Crackpots online are already saying UA is 'silencing' me on the matter, and I don't want to think of what they'll come up with if I actually say something." He watched as Nezu placed the teapot and a pair of teacups on the table.

"Number 1 Hero and Symbol of Peace," Toshinori grumbled, resting his head on his fist. "What the hell are those titles supposed to mean if I can't help one kid?"

"In this context, not much," Nezu said, pouring the tea. "But we just need to be patient and give the public some time and distance from the article. Once their emotions have settled from the initial shock, we'll work on making public statements." The animal of indeterminate species handed the Symbol of Peace a cup of tea. "For the time being, let's move on to less dour matters."

"I suppose so," Toshinori said, gingerly holding the cup. The heat felt soothing on his joints.

"How have you been adjusting to life as a teacher?" Nezu asked. "It must be quite the jarring transition."

"Well, I can tell you one thing, I've got a new enemy to rival paperwork: lesson plans," Toshinori said. "It was easy when it was just Young Uraraka. I was able to come up with a whole training regiment just for her and give her my undivided attention. Now I've got 40 kids to worry about with different strengths, weaknesses, and Quirks. Coming up with lessons to accommodate all of them, especially the kids with the less combat-oriented Quirks, has been a nightmare."

"Hm, perhaps you could ask your old homeroom teacher for advice." Nezu smiled as Toshinori spat out a mouthful of blood. "I've heard a lot about him from my predecessors."

"That's...one option." Toshinori shivered as memories came flooding back, taking a sip of tea to calm his nerves. "I still can't get over just how much this place has changed. Feels like yesterday the building was half the size it is now. Heck, we didn't even have a business course when I was a student." As he reminisced, a sudden realization came to mind.

"You know, I can't believe it took me this long to notice," the near-skeletal man said. "But U.A. doesn't have a Martial Arts course anymore."

Nezu nodded. "Back when Sumizaka was principal, U.A. went through a bit of a financial crisis, so some programs needed to be cut for budgetary reasons. And since, at the time, there was a growing concern about the Martial Arts course being 'too violent,' that was one of the first courses to get the axe."

Nezu's explanation just made the Hero of Heroes scratch his head. Sending their kids to a school where they would learn to handle the most dangerous job on the planet? A-Okay! Teaching them how to properly grapple someone? Well, that's too far! He really didn't understand some parents.

"But we did get approval to reinstate it as an after-school club of sorts." Nezu took a sip of tea, savoring the taste before continuing. "The most difficult challenge has been finding a hero with both expert prowess in martial arts and one willing to take up a teaching position."

"Is it really that hard?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. Ms. Usagiyama was our first pick. But I believe her response was something like, 'Why the hell would I want to hang around a bunch of hormonal brats all day?' And we've gotten similar responses from other top heroes."

Toshinori pondered this for a moment, thinking of a solution to this conundrum. But then, an idea popped into his head. "You know, I did come across a young hero that I think would fit the bill perfectly."

Meanwhile, Izuku and the gang were having lunch and chatting about, of course, the Sports Festival.

"This is so exciting!" Mei said with sparkles in her eyes. "I get to show off my babies to all the big support companies!"

"I thought you wanted to make your own company," Yosetsu commented as he took a bite of some onigiri.

"I do. But Mama always said you gotta work your way up. Build connections and all that."

"I can help you fine-tune them so they don't explode," Izuku offered. I don't want to repeat the Portable Oven incident on national TV."

"...I would ask for details, but I think my mind can fill in the gaps," Tenya commented.

Izuku was about to go into detail about his own plans...but...

"Izuku, baby!" All of a sudden, a pair of hands rested on his shoulders. Izuku turned and saw a concerned-looking Kaneko. "Those villains didn't hurt you too badly, did they?! How's your autographing hand?" The cat boy picked Izuku's right hand up and looked at it. "Ah, good. Crisis averted."

"Excuse me, but who the fuck are you?" Katsuki asked as he, Ochako, Tenya, Mei, Yosetsu, and Tsuyu looked at the stranger.

"Izuku, you never mentioned me? I'm hurt."

"Sorry, Kaneko. It's just..." The green-haired boy took a long breath. "...a lot's happened."

"Gotcha. No big whoop." Kaneko then looked at the rest of the group. "Allow me to introduce myself, Shigeru Kaneko. Currently, a 2nd-year Business Course student and future ace manager to the next golden generation of Pro Heroes, starting with Izu here." He then pulled out six business cards from his pocket and flicked them at the group. "My card. But just so you know, my primary concern is making sure my green goldmine here BLOWS UP at the Sports Festival."

"He's the guy who sent me that fake love letter a bit back."

"That's hella underhanded," Yosetsu commented.

"Well, you're full of yourself," Katsuki said, scowling at the cat boy. But Kaneko just took that in stride.

"A tad. But I can back up that claim." He then held up his phone. "Case in point, I have been on a one-man media crusade to lambaste those disgusting creeps slandering my client's good name. I can proudly say I have been blocked by at least 200 different accounts with loli profile pics and banned from thirty-eight different conspiracy blogs. You would be shocked how many of those guys don't know how to spell properly."

"Kaneko, you didn't have to..."

"But I wanted to!" Kaneko then ruffled Izuku's hair. "Don't you worry your fluffy little head about those jerks. You just focus on making that big beautiful metal boy of yours 150% more zingful."

"Zingful isn't a word," Tenya corrected. Kaneko looked over the bespectacled teen, rubbing his finger against his chin. His cat ears laid flat against his head while his bobbed tail wagged.

"Hit with the 40-60 demo," Kaneko exclaimed, his ears perking up. "They love the respectful and verbose types."

"Wha-"

Kaneko then pointed to Ochako. "You're gonna be an inspiration to young girls across the country and the fitness nuts."

"What does tha-"

He then pointed to Yosetsu. "Underground cult favorite! You won't have an army of fans, but the ones you will get are gonna be megafans."

Before the bandanna boy could even ask, Kaneko continued to Tsuyu. "You'll be a hit with kids in the 5-10 age range. You got a hero name picked out yet?"

"Froppy," Tsuyu replied nonchalantly.

"Excellent! I can totally see that on a backpack." He then turned to Katsuki, who was still glaring at him. Kaneko gave a bemused smirk. "Oh, you are gonna be an absolute snack for the tween girl demographic. They love them a feral bad boy."

"The fuck makes you think I'm feral, pussycat?!"

"Yes! Stick with that attitude! Throw in some teeth-grinding for added effect."

"Oh, I like you already," Mei said with a big smile, standing up and extending her hand. "Mei Hatsume, Future CEO of Hatsume Industries."

"A pleasure, Ms. Hatsume." Kaneko accepted her hand and placed a friendly kiss on it, which only made Katsuki even more pissed off. The cat boy then took a seat in between the nervous-looking Izuku and the scowling Katsuki. "So, any of you got any socials you need managing?"

Izuku figured now probably wouldn't be the best time to tell Kaneko that his family wasn't planning on unprivating their social media accounts anytime soon. But at least his heart was in the right place...kind of.

Meanwhile...

Fumiko Fujita felt on top of the world. The office was still abuzz about her article on that Quirkless kid at UA, and she was eating up the attention. She'd never forget the look on the editor-in-chief's face when she brought him the story. His eyes went so wide they looked ready to pop.

He'd immediately pulled whatever story was originally going to be on the front page and put her article front and center.

God, it was everything Fujita could have ever wanted.

"Hey, Fujita," came a smarmy voice. "You still there, or did you crawl so far up your own ass you suffocated and died?"

Fujita repressed a groan. 'The fuck is he going here.' She put on her best fake smile (she was very proud of it) and swiveled around in her chair to face the person she called the 'walking migraine.'

"Nodono," Fujita said in a voice all to cheery. "What a pleasant surprise. Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Leaning over the plexiglass wall of Fujita's desk was a man with slicked-back blond hair and a shit-eating grin. "Oh, just wanted to check in, see how you're doing," Nodono said as he ran his finger along the wall. "Considering how strangely you've been acting lately."

"Oh, how so?"

Nodono's smile fell, his eyes narrowing into a harsh glare. "Let's cut the crap, Fujita," he said in a low voice, venom dripping from every word. "For the past two years, you've been relegated to padding the paper's pages with fluff pieces and gossip columns that most people wouldn't take a second glance at. And now you're writing hard-hitting articles that send shock waves through all of Japan. How the fuck did you manage to pull that off?"

"Just good ol' fashioned investigative journalism," Fujita replied, leaning back in her chair. "Keeping my eyes open, ear to the ground, and finger on the pulse of society."

"Bullshit," Nodono spat. "You and I both know there's no way you did this on your own."

Fujita grinned. "You're right; I didn't do this on my own. I had Take-Take with me!"

Nodono rolled his eyes. "God, you and your little boy toy."

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Fujita shot back. "We're not fucking. Even if Take-Take did like girls, he's not my type anyway."

"Honestly, I couldn't care less about your love life, Fujita," Nodono said with disdain. "You may have everyone else in this office eating out of your grubby little hands, but I'm not fooled."

"I dunno, it seems to me that you're just jealous I got to the front page first." Fujita took great pleasure in watching Nodono's expression twist like he'd swallowed a lemon.

"I'm watching you, Fujita," Nodono spat before slinking off back to his desk.

As soon as he was out of sight, Fujita's smile dropped. Nodono was an insufferable smart-ass and a cocky bastard, but he had good instincts. 'He probably is jealous, but that doesn't change the fact that he's right,' Fujita thought as she absentmindedly started chewing on her pencil. It was a nasty habit she'd developed in middle school and had never been able to kick. 'If the truth about that anonymous whistleblower sending me Midoriya's student file gets out, I'm ruined. But how worried should I really be? I mean, I uploaded the file to an external hard drive and erased any evidence of that anonymous email from my computer. But that still leaves the source unaccounted for.'

Fujita let out a long sigh before turning back to her computer. 'Well, there's nothing I can really do at this point. Might as well ride this wave of success for as long as I can.'

The ringing of her desk phone brought Fujita's train of thought to a screeching halt. Fujita eyed the caller ID, Usui, The National Jinkai's editor-in-chief. She didn't even have time to say "hello" before the gruff voice of Chief Usui came over the phone, "Fujita, my office. Now."

Fujita raised an eyebrow at the sudden request. "Any reason in particular?"

"Just get your ass over here." Knowing better than to question him and get on his bad side, Fujita shrugged.

"Aye, aye, chief," she said and made her way to his office. As Fujita turned the corner towards Usui's office, she was surprised to see Takenaka going the same way. "Yo, Take-Take," Fujita called, catching her junior's attention. "Chief call you into his office too?"

Takenaka nodded stiffly. "Yeah, he sounded kind of angry on the phone."

"Nah, that's his normal voice," Fujita said, slinging her arm around Takenaka's shoulders. "What you've really gotta worry about is when he sounds all calm and collected. That's when you need to hide and pray he doesn't find you."

"Y-y-yeah," Takenaka squeaked. "Hey, did you hear about those protesters that showed up at UA?"

"I know, it's great!" Fujita exclaimed with a massive grin. "I mean, I knew this story was going to be huge, but I had no idea it'd get this kind of reaction! That kid has been the talk of Japan for days, and it's not showing any signs of slowing down. Thanks to us!"

"Th-th-that's not what I-"

"This is it, Take-Take, that expose on Midoriya is just the beginning for us. Chief's already got me working on a new story with some real meat on its bones," Fujita excitedly explained. "Think about it, no more pointless fluff pieces no one gives a shit about, no more being sent to rallies of no-name politicians with a snowball's chance in hell of winning anything, and no more being sent on coffee runs for the 'real' journalists. That article is our ticket to success, and we're taking this train to the last stop!"

"...right," Takenaka said.

The pair said hello to Usui's secretary before heading into the editor-in-chief's office. "Afternoon, chief," Fujita greeted. "What can we do for-" She froze.

Standing in front of Usui's desk was a breathtaking woman with long, lilac hair, periwinkle blue skin, and piercing green eyes with black sclera. She wore an elegant, black, off-the-shoulder dress that complimented her slender figure, and while her face was marked by a few wrinkles, they did little to subtract from her beauty.

"Why, hello," the blue-skinned woman said with a small smile. "You must be this 'Fumiko Fujita' I've heard so much about." Fujita stood there, mouth agape, her brain still trying to process what was happening.

"Uh, yeah, that's her," Takenaka said, thoroughly confused by his friend's reaction. "And I'm Takehiro Takenaka. I've never seen you around the office before, it's nice yoOOOWWWWWW!" Takenaka shrieked in pain as Fujita suddenly and roughly grabbed him by the ear. "Fuji! What the fuck!?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that!" Fujita growled. "Where the hell do you get off talking to a woman like Chitose Kizuki so casually!"

"Who?"

"Chitose Kizuki!" Fujita growled, yanking his ear again. "President and CEO of Jinkai Holdings LLC, you know, our fucking parent company!"

Takenaka froze.

"Oh, god!" Takenaka exclaimed, the pain radiating from his ear completely forgotten. "Miss- I mean ma'am- I mean madame- I mean," Takenaka sputtered. "Miss Madame President CEO Kizuki Ma'am, I am so, so sorry!"

Chitose Kizuki stared at the display in bewilderment. "It's...quite alright."

"Hey." Fujita and Takenaka looked to see Usui glaring at them. He was an older, husky man with salt-and-pepper in a comb-over. "If you two are done making fools of yourselves and this office, why don't you have a seat."

"Y-y-yes, sir."

"Right, chief."

There was a coffee table in Usui's office with a couch and two chairs for seating. Kizuki and Usui took the couch while Fujita and Takenaka each took a chair.

"Madam President, I am so, so, so very sorry about earlier," Takenaka said. "I meant no disrespect-"

"Like I said, it's fine," Chitose said as she calmly poured herself a cup of coffee, courtesy of Usui's personal coffee machine. "Honestly, I had no clue who the president was back when I was working here."

"Here? Were you a Jinkai reporter?"

"Are you kidding me? She's one of best reporters The National Jinkai has ever known," Fujita exclaimed. "She got her start as an intern before becoming the youngest editor-in-chief in the paper's history. Then she moved up the ranks to become head of the whole operation." Fujita turned to Chitose with eyes full of wonder. "Mrs. Kizuki, it is an honor and privilege to meet you. I've admired your work for years, I've read pretty much everything you put to page. Although, I have to ask, what brings you back to your old stomping grounds?"

"Believe it or not, you do," Usui said flatly, pointing a finger at Fujita.

"Huh?"

"That's right," Chitose said with a smile. "I read your article the other day, and I just had to meet you. Although, I'm not sure why he's here." Chitose pointed to Takenaka.

"The kid's basically Fujita's emotional support animal; wherever she goes, he goes," Usui explained. "So I figured I'd just call them both in." Chitose nodded in understanding, completely ignoring Takenaka's attempts to protest the accusations.

"Ms. Fujita, you've done this paper and all of Japan a great service," Chitose said. "I never would have imagined UA would allow some Quirkless brat into their hero course. Quite honestly, it's a mockery of heroics and an insult to Quirked people." Takenaka shuddered at the pure venom in the woman's voice. It was almost as if she was personally insulted by Midoriya's acceptance to the hero course. He glanced over at Fujita, who was still starstruck.

"It's been a while since I read anything that made me feel so inspired," Chitose continued. "And the shareholders are happy as well. The National Jinkai's website nearly crashed due to the record traffic, and we saw a significant number of new subscriptions over the weekend."

"Oh, wow," Fujita said breathlessly. "If you keep this up, I'm going to start blushing."

"You already are," Usui said, staring at her tomato-red face.

Chitose smiled as she put her cup down. "Well, I didn't just come here to compliment you. Ms. Fujita, how would you feel about appearing as a guest on The Watchtower?"

Fujita's jaw dropped. "The Watchtower? As in JTVN's number one prime-time news show!?" Chitose nodded. "Of course! I would be honored."

"Excellent, I'll my people get in touch with you once we've set up a date for the interview," Chitose said. She glanced at the clock. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm famished. How about I take us all out for lunch? I know a lovely place not to far from here?"

"Hey, I'm not dumb enough to turn down free food or an offer from the big boss," Usui said.

"We would love to join you for lunch," Fujita exclaimed.

Takenaka laughed nervously. "I mean, I appreciate it, I really do. But my boyfriend packed me a bento, and I'd hate to waste-"

"Come on, Take-Take," Fujita said as she slung an arm over his shoulders. "I'm sure Akira will understand when you tell him you were rubbing shoulders with the Chitose Kizuki."

"I...I suppose you're not wrong."

At that, the group made their way to the elevator. As it made its way down to the parking garage, Chitose turned to Fujita. "I'll admit, I'm being a little selfish by inviting you out. I'm curious, insatiably so, and I just have to pick your brain about your next article."

Fujita froze. "Ne-next article?"

"But of course," Chitose said. "After your riveting expose on Izuku Midoriya, I can't wait for what you have in store next and what secrets you'll uncover. You've set the bar pretty high, Fujita, but I'm confident your next article will be just as good, no, better than this one."

Something flashed across Fujita's face before she smiled. "Yes, ma'am," she exclaimed as the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the parking garage. The instant Chitose turned around, Fujita's well-practiced fake smile dropped for the briefest of moments, letting her panic and fear shine through before being buried again just quickly.

'I AM SO FUCKING SCREWED!'

Back at UA...

After lunch, Izuku still felt a bit thirsty, so he made a detour to the vending machines for a drink, but he was having a hard time deciding what to get.

'Seriously, why do they have so many flavors of canned coffee?' Izuku thought to himself. He was so lost in thought and looking at the machine that he didn't notice someone else approaching the machine.

"I'd skip out on the mocha coffee." Izuku flinched and saw Honenuki with his hands in his pockets. "They put way too much sugar in that one."

"R-right." Izuku awkwardly said, trying to ignore the lip-less teen. Ever since the article in The National Jinkai, Honenuki had done little to hide his clear disdain for Izuku. The recommendation student narrowed his eyes at the green-haired boy before speaking up again.

"I'm honestly surprised you're still in the Hero Course, Midoriya," Honenuki said as he rested his back against the wall near the vending machine. "Figured you would've hightailed to Gen Ed or the support course after seeing what hero work is ACTUALLY like."

Izuku just sighed, already on autopilot and still trying not to let Honenuki get to him. "I guess I'm just stubborn like that."

"That or you're just plain stupid. Or suicidal. Whatever explains why you're still here." Honenuki said. "Though if the latter, there are easier and less idiotic ways to die than this whole charade."

"...I didn't think UA would let someone with a Destroist mindset into their hero course."

That made Honenuki scowl. "I ain't a Destroist. This ain't about some 'Quirk supremacy' bullshit."

"Sounds like it to me."

"I'm simply stating that if you keep ignoring the facts, you're gonna end up in an early grave."

Izuku glared at Honenuki. "Everyone in our class could end up in an early grave; that's the nature of being a hero."

"That's a lie, and you know it. Everyone else has their Quirks to give them an edge. Even Mineta and Hagakure have a better chance of making it than you."

Now, Izuku moved so he could look Honenuki in the face. "I stopped a building-sized robot from crushing someone! I went toe-to-toe with both Kirishima and Kendo! I beat a bunch of villains and a mutant chimera that was made to fight All Might!"

"YOU didn't do jack shit! Your ROBOT did all that while you sat on your ass inside it!" Honenuki got up in Izuku's face. "Without that tin can, you're just some kid with zero combat skills and no powers to save your ass!"

"Striker's a part of me!"

"It's glorified support gear!"

This was getting him nowhere, and it was really starting to get to Izuku. "Just what is your deal, Honenuki?! Are you really that kind of jerk that gets bothered by a Quirkless boy trying to be a hero?"

"Oh, don't play the victim here!" Honenuki jabbed a finger into Izuku's chest. "You have one of the teachers and UA's bottomless pockets to back you up! You're a spoiled little shit just trying to play superhero!" His mind flashed back to the bleeding hero in the alley and that monster standing above her corpse. "Brave men and women more powerful than any of us die doing this! You really think Striker is gonna save your ass all the time?!"

"You really think that's gonna stop me?!" Izuku shouted. "If you're trying to break my spirit, I've heard harsher tha-"

Before Izuku could react, Honenuki spun him around and used his forearm to pin Izuku against the wall.

"I could soften this wall and trap you before you could even think of getting your toy." His black eyes glared into Izuku's green ones. Izuku grit his teeth and gripped at Honenuki's wrist.

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a fact." Honenuki leaned in, eyes boring into Izuku's soul. "Every single one of our classmates could use the Quirks to get out of this; heck, even one of those Gen Ed students could try something. But you? You've got nothing." Izuku grit his teeth.

"Honenuki!" The boys turned, and Kendo stared at them from across the hall with crossed arms and a furious expression on her face. "What are you doing to Midoriya?"

Honenuki met her gaze, then glanced back at Izuku. "Looks like someone's come to your rescue again." He let go of Izuku and began to walk away. Before he turned a corner, Honenuki stopped and looked back at Izuku. "When you bite it, just make sure you don't get anyone else killed with your stupidity."

Izuku looked at Honenuki's retreating form, an uncharacteristic scowl on his face.

"Midoriya, are you okay?" Kendo asked in concern.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because he pushed you against the wall pretty hard."

"Really, I-"

"We should probably get you to the Nurse's office." She moved to place her hand on Izuku's head. "You could have a—"

All those condescending messages suddenly played in Izuku's said. The infantilization. The pity. The fake concern.

"I said I'm fine!" Izuku screamed, smacking her hand away.

Kendo reeled back, eyes wide in shock. "I'm just tryi—"

"I'm not some glass doll." And that was all Izuku said before walking away, leaving a confused Kendo behind.

"I just...I just wanted to be sure," Kendo said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sufficed to say, Izuku didn't get his drink.

Later...

"Woah..." Ochako said with a slightly worried expression.

"What's going on?" Izuku asked. Outside of 1-B's homeroom was a big crowd of other first year students, but none that any of them recognized.

"It's like an angry mob," Mineta said while Kamikiri scowled, looking like he was ready to sharpen his blades.

"Excuse me, but you guys are kind of blocking our exit." Kendo spoke to the crowd in a calm manner. "What do you guys want?"

"Isn't it obvious?" A voice spoke up from the crowd, approaching the front. "We're checking out the competition."

The source of the voice made his way to the front. He was a young man with a wild head of purple hair, equally purple eyes, and bags under his eyes that gave off the impression of a sleep schedule determined by a roulette wheel. "After all, you're the guys who survived a villain attack."

"The hell does that have to do with anything?" Kuroiro asked.

"Everyone's been talking about the 'brave youngsters' that fought back against an army of supervillains. I've heard some calling you, 'U.A.'s Golden Class.'" He scanned the members of Class 1-B with a bored expression. "But I can't say I'm impressed just by looking at you. You know, us General Course students are only where we are because we missed a few points during the Entrance Exam. Any one of us could've been in your shoes right now. And depending on how we do at the Sports Festival, the teachers might consider transferring us to the Hero Course." His gaze then turned to Izuku specifically. "And the opposite is true: they might reconsider who they let in. Maybe make them realize what a mistake-"

"Shut up."

Everyone looked at Izuku. They saw his lips trembling, his hands shaking, and his brow lowered. Izuku's mind replayed everything that had happened since last Thursday. The article in the National Jinkai, the protesters, all those awful comments online, up to his confrontation with Honenuki and Kendo's condescending attitude.

The Gen-Ed boy's eyes narrowed, honing in on Izuku. "What was that?"

As he looked back into the boy's purple eyes, Izuku recalled his conversation with Katsuki and Mei from yesterday. Now was the time to put what he said into practice.

"Shut the fuck up!" Izuku screamed. "All I've been hearing for the last week is how I don't belong here! And it's bullshit!"

Most of Class 1-B were also taken aback. Up until now, they were used to Izuku's more dorky and friendly demeanor. Seeing him like this was something completely new to them, save for Ochako.

"For the last three years, I put my heart and soul into making a machine that could stand with up to all kinds of amazing Quirks! I spent god knows how many hours programming Striker, building and learning the controls inside and out! I earned my spot in the Hero Course, no matter what anyone says!" He then motioned to the rest of his class. "And it's not just me; everyone is in this class because they worked like crazy to get in! To show everyone that we have what it takes to be heroes!"

At this point, Izuku was no longer shaking. His emerald eyes bore into the gazes of the Gen Ed students. Was this outburst uncalled for? Maybe. But after a week of the news, horrible jerks online, and now even his fellow students telling Izuku that he didn't belong, he'd had enough.

"When the Sports Festival comes around, you're more than free to try and take our spots." He then pointed his thumb at himself. "But don't be shocked when we show you just how Plus Ultra we really are!"

Some of Class 1-B looked at Izuku in shock. Others like Kaibara, Tsunotori, and Hagakure were amazed. Honenuki glared. Kendo looked worried. Tenya and Yosetsu looked on proudly at their friend. And Ochako...

'

Woah,' Ochako felt her breath hitch as she looked at Izuku, a light blush on her face.

"Dude..." Eijiro began to say, tears of manliness beginning to form in his eyes. "...that was so-"

"Freakin' manly!" Everyone turned and saw another student approaching the crowd from the left. He had wavy silver hair, incredibly pronounced eyebrows, and sharp teeth on full display with his huge smile. "I wanted to see how our sister class was squaring up, and I'm hella impressed! You got some brass on ya, Brocolli Top!"

"Um...thanks?" Izuku replied. 'He must be from 1-A.' But then he noticed a familiar face walking out from behind the silver-haired boy.

"Well, you all heard Izuku," Katsuki gave a wild smirk at the crowd. "If you Gen-Ed extras even want a snowball's chance in hell at knocking us down, you better start training right the fuck now."

The purple-haired boy looked at Katsuki before scowling. "Whatever." With that, the Gen Ed students began to disperse.

"That was amazing, Midoriya!" Hagakure shouted, making the greenette flinch.

"Ya, you showed those Gen Ed jerks what for!" Mineta chimed in.

"I...I just said what came naturally." Izuku said, suddenly feeling rather bashful.

"Maybe you could give me some speech lessons," Kaminari joked. "I definitely couldn't pull something like that off the top of my head."

"You got that manly spirit in ya, Midoriya!" Kirishima shouted.

"Totally! That was manly as fuck!" The silver-haired boy chimed in.

"Anyone else getting deja vu?" Sero whispered to Tokage and Koda.

"As...impressive as that was," Kendo said with a bit of uncertainty at Izuku. "...you might've just put a big target on all of our backs from the other first years."

"That's just how it is when you're at the top, Fisticuffs," Katsuki commented, confusing the class rep with his nickname for her.

"Sorry, but who are you again?" Kamikiri asked.

"Oh, this is Katsuki Bakugou." Izuku explained. "He's in Class 1-A and one of my oldest pals."

The 1-B students (save for Ochako, Tenya, and Yosetsu) looked between the soft-looking Izuku and the feral-looking Katsuki, wondering how those two were friends.

"Don't leave me out of the intros!" The silver-haired guy shouted again. "The name's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"

'Seriously?!' Most of the class wondered at that...unique name.

"Now, now, now, fellas. Don't get all chummy." Katsuki flinched as Monoma walked out from behind him.

'The fuck?!'

"True, we're all in the hero course, but we're still in competition with each other. After all, the pros are only going to want to scout the best of the best." His blue eyes became slightly manic as he looked at Class 1-B. "So you understudies better enjoy your time in the spotlight because it'll only be a matter of time when the true sta-"

But Monoma's speech was cut short as he was suddenly ensnared in vines, and a piece of duct tape was slapped over his mouth before he could react.

"I apologize on our classmate's behalf," Yaoyorozu said with a bow.

"Monoma, what did I say about pride?" Shiozaki said with a dangerous look in her eyes. "Another instance, and you'll need to repent."

With that, the vine-haired girl dragged the struggling blond boy away.

"...did anyone else think that was hot?" Mineta asked. An awkward silence followed. "Really? I'm the only one?"

"Yes," Jiro replied, even though internally...she kind of agreed with the grape-haired boy.

And so, the countdown to the U.A. Sports Festival truly began. For the next two months, the first years would need to train on top of their usual curriculum. The excitement and anxiousness was palpable leading into next week.

In these two months, some would train outside of school. Some would use the gyms. And for some...

"Hello?" Izuku opened the door to Gym Delta with a few students from the Hero Course behind him. Sitting in the center of the large gym mats was a lone man with his back towards the door.

"So...you're here." The man stood up, revealing to the students that he matched Vlad King in stature and musculature. He turned around to face the students. They saw that he was a wide-set man with spiky mint green hair. His costume consisted of an open padded vest that showed off his physique, brown pants, black combat boots, and more impressively, a pair of revolver chamber-shaped gauntlets on his wrists and a white mask with four holes in it.

The students were intimidated by the looks of this man...until he started talking. "Awesome! You guys are my first students here at U.A.! Oh my, where's my manners? I'm Gunhead, and I'll be your martial arts instructor." He then held up two fingers in a peace symbol. "Let's do our best, okay?"

'...huh?!'

Notes:

So yeah, instead of rushing right to the Sports Festival Arc, we're gonna get a few chapters in-between. Both for more buildup and for some more character interactions before the big day. I think you guys are gonna like what we got in store for you.

Also, Chitose Kizuki is no longer an executive at Shoowaysha Publishing (which doesn't exist in the world of MSRA) but instead President and CEO of an entirely original company, Jinkai Holdings LLC. The National Jinkai is but one of the many subsidiaries part of the Jinkai Multimedia Empire.

Next Time: These Are Our Senpais?!

Get ready to go beyond! Plus Ultra!

Chapter 17: These Are Our Senpais?

Summary:

Izuku and the gang meet some of their upperclassmen as they prepare for the Sports Festival.

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

So before I get into the chapter, I just have something to say since My Hero Academia is officially over at the time of this writing.

(Also to apologize for the two month delay. Your boy recently finished the first draft of his first novel and is gonna start doing the second draft soon).

There's quite a bit of mixed reactions regarding the ending of the series. But regardless of how you or even I feel about it, I just want to give a big thank you to Kohei Horikoshi and his team of editors. For the last ten years, they provided thousands of people around the world a series that's given us so many great characters, so many emotional moments that many us will remember for decades to come.

The fact that he and his team were able to do something like this on a weekly schedule is nothing but astonishing. Sure, it's not a perfect story. Hell, no story is perfect. But I've never regretted picking up the series. And I can only hope to one day make a story that reaches people the same way My Hero Academia did with me and so many others.

Thank you, Kohei Horikoshi, for showing us that we can all be heroes.

Chapter 17: These Are Our Senpais?

Earlier that morning...

"Thank for accepting the position, Mr. Ozutsu," Nezu said as he shook Gunhead's hand.

"Hey, it's not every day you get an offer to teach at U.A. Or shake hands with Acumal himself," Gunhead took a seat in front of Nezu's desk. "And the commute was surprisingly peaceful. I remember hearing that you guys were up to your necks in protesters for that brave little Midoriya kid."

"Well, we finally managed to get rid of them. It wasn't easy considering that Hound Dog's growling and Eraserhead's glaring did nothing. And having Midnight use her Quirk on them would be illegal. So that left us with one option."

"Oh, and what was that?" Gunhead's inner gossip hound was intrigued.

"We simply had to annoy them away. And lucky for us, Present Mic knew just the song to do the trick."

"I have a pen, I have an apple. Uh! Apple-Pen! I have a pen, I have a pineapple. Uh, Pineapple Pen!" Speakers placed atop the walls of UA blared.

"SIX. FUCKING. HOURS!" a man screamed clutching his head in his hands, his sign abandoned on the ground.

"The lyrics have chiseled into my brain," a protesting teen despaired as he slumped against the wall. "I can't take it anymore."

"No! We have to remain strong," said a woman who looked thoroughly distressed. "We cannot allow-"

"Screw this! I can't take it anymore!" the man shouted, throwing up his arms and stomping off, nearly tripping over the many abandoned signs littering the ground.

"Not the song I would've picked, but good choice."

"Well, it did the job," Nezu commented. "So, at least we don't have to worry about them for a good while. Now..." He began typing on his desk computer. "...let's get your identification all up and running."

Present time...

Suffice to say, when Izuku signed up for an after school Martial Arts class...this was not what he, or probably anyone else who walked in expected.

When news of this new class reached the Hero Course, a good handful of students jumped at the chance to learn proper hand-to-hand combat from a seasoned pro. According to Vlad, he was familiar with their new teacher, but didn't say who.

(Under his breath, Vlad scoffed, quietly saying, "Dramatic as always.")

Izuku figured it was time to finally take Katsuki and Vlad's advice, figuring that learning how to fight hand-to-hand would both give him better fighting instincts that he could use while piloting Striker, and another tool in case his machine was ever disabled.

The other students from 1-B that signed up for the MA class included Ochako, Tenya, Kirishima, Kendo, Tsunotori, Kaibara, and Hagakure. Katsuki sighed up as well, and a few students from 1-A, including Yaoyorozu and Tetsutetsu also sighed up. Four students that Izuku didn't recognize was a short yet stocky boy with pale blue hair that introduced himself as Nirengeki Shoda ('Big Man' as Katsuki called him), a blond boy with a big tail named Mashirao Ojiro (Tail, again, as Katsuki introduced him), an excessively pink horned girl named Mina Ashido (Raccoon Eyes), and a boy with braided black hair that Izuku slightly recognized from the Entrance Exam called Hiryu Rin (Scales).

There was also a tall brunette boy from the general course. But unlike the purple-haired guy from the other day, he was far more friendly, introducing himself as Hirotaka Wakamatsu, saying it was cool for them to call him 'Waka' for short.

"Tetsu, this is the guy I was telling ya about!" Ashido said with a ton of energy as she gestured towards Kirishima. The sixteen students were standing in front of Gym Delta a few minutes before the first class as scheduled, and were chatting it up.

"This guy? Come on, Ashido, we're nothing alike."

"Ya, Ashido," Kirishima chastised his old middle school pal.

"You so are!" Ashido said with a pout. "You're both big on being 'manly', you've both got sharp teeth, and your Quirks make you super hard!"

"Phrasing," Kaibara chimed in.

"Oh, they can't be that similar." Kirishima raised his hand up and hardened it. "My Quirk lets me turn my skin rock hard, letting me be the ultimate shield and spear!"

Tetsutetsu raised his own arm, turning it into gray metal. "And my Quirk lets me turn my skin into metal, making me the ultimate defense and offense!"

The two hardheads looked at each other for a second, staring...and then their eyes widened as they both shouted, "WE ARE SIMILAR!"

"Told ya," Ashido said with a cheeky grin.

"So you're Midoriya," Shoda said with a polite greeting to the green-haired boy. "Bakugou's spoken pretty highly of you."

"Aw, Kacchan." Izuku said, genuinely touched while Katsuki just looked away, trying to look cool.

'A tsundere?' Tsunotori thought with a cocked head.

"That sounds like too cute of a nickname for someone so grumpy looking," Hagakure commented, getting a middle finger from Katsuki in response. "See what I mean?"

"Katsuki, flipping off your fellow students is not acceptable behavior!" Tenya chastised with an arm-chopping motion. Yaoyorozu gave a tired sigh.

"Save your breath, Iida. No matter how many times I ask, Bakugou refuses to cease with his use of vulgar language."

"I figured that's just the way he is," Ojiro commented.

"Well...you're kind of right about that," Ochako replied.

"I just got no tolerance for dumb bullshit," Katsuki chimed back.

"Or for calling people by their actual names, apparently," Kendo said, still a bit peeved at her 'Fisticuffs'' nickname.

'Are all the Hero Course guys this eccentric?' Wakamatsu mentally asked himself. While everyone else was chatting, Rin was quiet, looking at Izuku.

"So, this is everyone." The students turned and saw Vlad King walking towards them. "Glad to see so you taking this opportunity."

The clock turned to 4pm, and as soon as that happened, the door to Gym Delta slid open and a voice shouted, "Enter!", spooking some of the students while Vlad just chuckled.

"Hello?" Izuku opened the door to Gym Delta, with a few students from the Hero Course behind him. Sitting in the center of the large gym mats was a lone man with his back towards the door.

"So...you're here." The man stood up, revealing to the students that he matched Vlad King in stature and musculature. He turned around to face the students. They saw that he was a wide-set man with spiky mint green hair. His hero outfit consisted of an open padded vest that showed off his physique, brown pants, black combat boots, and more impressively, a pair of revolver chamber-shaped gauntlets on his wrists and a white mask with four holes in it.

The students were taken aback by the man's intimidating visage...until he started talking. "Awesome! You guys are my first students here at U.A.! Oh my, where's my manners? I'm Gunhead, and I'll be your martial arts instructor." He then held up two fingers in a peace symbol. "Let's do our best, okay?"

'...huh?!'

Vlad just smiled at the befuddled look on the teenager's faces. "Still as eccentric as ever, eh, Banto?"

Gunhead stopped the man and smiled behind his mask. "Seki, you old bloodhound!" He held his muscular arms wide open. "Bring 'er in!"

The two men chuckled and shared a hug.

"What's going on?" Ojiro asked.

"Oh, right!" Izuku had an epiphany. "Back when they first started out, Vlad-Sensei and Gunhead interned under the Bushido Hero, Yoroi Musha." He then looked at his teacher. "Sensei, don't you still go to his monthly tea ceremonies?"

"You're right on the money, Midoriya," Vlad King replied. "The old codger is all about keeping old traditions alive."

"And he can brew a mean pot of ginseng," Gunhead said before clapping and rubbing his hands together. "But you kiddos aren't here to talk about tea."

A minute or so later, the sixteen students were each in a knee-sitting position while Gunhead paced in front of them.

"I'm sure Seki's already told ya this, but a Quirk is no substitution for skill. That's the whole point of you little cubs still need to attend gym class. You might think that whatever power your parents gave you gives you an edge, but if you're not careful, you can end up like this one wind-controlling—"

Vlad interrupted, "I already told my kids about Cyclone Tiger."

"Cool," Gunhead replied with a snap of his fingers. "I suck at telling that story anyway. Moving on!"

Shoda leaned over to Izuku and whispered, "Who's Cyclone Tiger?"

"A hero that retired after he got stabbed."

"Yikes," Shoda whispered.

"Point is, you've all decided to supplement your skills with some super-cool combat moves. I'm willing teach you all my own personal Gunhead-Style martial arts, but that probably won't work with all you." He put his fists to his helmet in an excited fashion. "If you guys ended up developing your fighting style, that would be super-cool!"

'He's so bubbly,' Ochako thought, surprised by how this big guy with an intimidating hero name spoke.

"Oh, my, how rude of me," Gunhead suddenly gasped. "I've been hogging the spotlight, but two of your upperclassmen also decided to help out with this class. Togata, Osagami, you're up!"

"Actually, I'm currently way down, Mr. Gunhead." Everyone looked down and saw...a face in the floor in front of Gunhead. It was a slightly older boy with a wide smile and pure peculiar blue eyes.

"AGGH!" A few of the students reacted in shock.

"The fuck?!" Katsuki shouted.

"(Tintin?!)" Tsunotori screamed in English. But one student wasn't surprised.

"Miri!" Hagakure said with an invisible smile. The older boy's blue eyes turned to the floating gym uniform.

"Hey, Tooru! Glad you could make it!"

"Ya. I'm guessing this is that 'super-secret' project you've been excited about."

"Yup! Right on the money." A hand phased out of the floor to give him a thumbs up.

"You two know each other, Hagakure?" Ochako asked. The brunette assumed that Hagakure's next motion was nodding in agreement.

"Mirio and I have been neighbors since we were kids."

"Aw, how cute." Gunhead said. "But chit-chatting is gonna have to wait, Togata."

"Righty-O!" Togata's face faded into the ground, and the students then saw a shadow of a young man behind a changing curtain. After a minute or so, Togata exited the curtain dressed in a costume that Izuku thought was really damn cool.

It was a mostly white costume complimented by a red cape (with matching red gloves), blue pants, and yellow & green shoulders. He wore a clear yellow visor, leaving his spike-up blond hair free. But the most noticeable part of his costume was the number '1000000' embroidered on his chest.

"Right, so for real; My name's Mirio Togata of Class 3-B! But you can call me Lemillion! Why?" With a big smile, he pointed his thumb at his chest. "Because I'm gonna save 1 million people! And that's a promise!"

Even if he wasn't easily bigger and more muscular than any other student there (though less so than Vlad King or Gunhead), the rest of the students were impressed by Togata's bold statement and the confidence he declared it with. This was what their upperclassmen were like!

"Oh hey, I recognize ya," Katsuki said. Izuku nodded. Mirio Togata was one of the most promising students in recent UA history. He had constantly placed in the top of his year's sports festival, coming in third in his freshman year and taking first in his second year. He remembered when he watched the Sports Festival two years ago. Kacchan must've also been impress-

"You're the dude that flashed his junk on national TV."

...right...that also happened, Izuku thought to himself, feeling embarrassed for Togata. A few of the other students laughed and giggled, and Togata himself had a good laugh.

"Yup. Little Mirio ended up having quite the audience that day!"

In their laughter, no one noticed Hagakure briefly flashing.

"Well, that was quite the entrance, Senpai." An unfamiliar female voice said. The first years looked around to find the source of that voice. Rin was the one who spotted a moving cardboard box near Gunhead. The box was kicked off and a girl in a UA gym uniform flipped upright. She was an athletic yet flat-chested girl with tan skin and black hair in a set of space buns. But her eyes were the most...well, eye-catching part of her, with swirling irises of red, green, and blue. "'Guess I still need to work on mine." She looked at the students. "Sup? I'm Doremi Osagami from Class 2-B AKA the Combo Master! Hope you guys are ready to work up a sweat!"

"Doremi was one of my interns last year, so I asked her to help out with the class," Gunhead said. "And she's got a super awesome Quirk that's absolutely perfect for this!"

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Isn't the whole point of this to learn not to use our Quirks like a crutch?"

Doremi chuckled. "Well, young grasshopper, why don't you come up and I'll show you exactly what I mean."

"Sounds good to me!" Gunhead exclaimed.

Katsuki made his way to the mat, eyeing Doremi. On the surface, she didn't look particularly intimidating, but he knew that there were a lot of heroes whose unassuming appearances hid monstrous power.

"You kids ready?" Gunhead asked. Katsuki nodded while Doremi gave the hero a thumbs up. "Great! Now, it's just a spar, so no biting, no scratching, no hits to the intimate areas, and make sure you don't break anything." Gunhead's cheerful tone was an odd contrast to his instructions. "Okay, ready," Katsuki took a fighting stance while Doremi remained exactly as she was, "Steady," Katsuki scowled at his senpai's relaxed demeanor, Doremi only smiled, "BEGIN!"

Katsuki rushed Doremi in a burst of speed. Even without his Quirk, Katsuki had spent considerable time honing his muscles and reflexes, and most people would struggle to avoid an attack like that.

Doremi was not most people.

With an almost lackadaisical demeanor, Doremi bobbed and weaved around Katsuki's strikes. Doremi practically danced around Katsuki as his frustrations only grew with each missed attacked.

"Come on!" Katsuki cried. "Stop running away and fight me!"

"Patience, young grasshopper," Doremi said as she evaded another Katsuki's attacks. "It's all part of the process." Doremi's lips curled into a sly smile. "But if you insist."

In an instant, Katsuki's world turned upside-down. He felt like he was floating, and strangely found himself staring at-

'The ceiling?' was all Katsuki could think before he was slammed onto the mat on his back.

"That was amazing!" Ojiro exclaimed, staring at Doremi as she flashed a peace sign.

"I've never seen someone our age perform such a flawless judo throw before," Kendo said.

"S-s-so fast," Izuku said. "If I'd blinked a second later, I would have missed it."

As Kendo stared at Doremi, she placed a hand on her chin in contemplation. "Something about it felt...off, like I'd seen her perform it somewhere before, but I can't remember where."

The world seemed to sway a bit as Katsuki sat up. While being so easily defeated in hand-to-hand was a bitter pill, any doubt he'd had about Doremi disappeared as the room stopped spinning.

Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of him. Katsuki looked up to see Doremi's smiling face. "Not bad for a first spar," she said. "What do you say we try that again, and I'll show you exactly why I'm here."

Hesitantly, Katsuki took Doremi's hand and let her help him up. They assumed their previous positions. "I'm not falling for that throw again; you hear me," Katsuki said, a look of fierce determination on his face.

Doremi chuckled. "Oh, don't worry, I won't be using it."

"Begin!" Gunhead shouted.

Doremi rushed Katsuki in an instant. It was a complete reversal of their previous bought, her on the offensive and Katsuki on the defensive.

However, something was off. Gone were the elegant, effortless movement Doremi used to dance around Katsuki. Her attacks were aggressive, sloppy, and unrefined. In fact, looking at her, one might say she fought like-

"Kacchan!" Izuku shouted. "She's fighting just like Kacchan!"

"Hey, you're right," Ochako said. "That's a pretty good imitation."

Izuku shook his head. "No, that's not it. The way she moves, the way she carries herself, it's more than just copying him. It's like Doremi has become Kacchan."

'The nerd's right,' Katsuki thought as he deflected one of Doremi's punches. 'It's like I'm fighting a mirror, or playing a fighting game where you and your opponent choose the same character.'

Katsuki frustrations grew with every blow they exchanged, it felt like Doremi was mocking him. But as Doremi struck with him with another fierce punch, he saw it, an opening. She'd overextended herself with her last attack, leaving herself wide open.

With a decisive kick, Katsuki swept Dormei's legs out from under her, sending her tumbling to the ground.

The room fell silent for as Katsuki stood Doremi as she stared up at the ceiling. "Good job!" Doremi exclaimed with a grin before leaping off the ground and standing straight up. "You're a quick learner, young grasshopper." She turned to the rest of the class. "So, what do you think?"

"A-amazing!" Izuku said. "The way you copied Kacchan, is that your Quirk?"

Doremi gave Izuku a thumbs up. "Yep! I call it Lady See, Lady Do. Basically, if I see someone perform any physical activity, I can do it too. I've got techniques from hundreds of martial artists engraved into my muscle memory."

"Woah, that's so freaking cool," Ochako said. "There are so many cool moves you can teach us."

"True, but there is something much more valuable Doremi can teach you," Gunhead said before turning to Katsuki. "And I think he's already got an idea of what that is."

"Tch, of course I do," Katsuki said. "I was able to knock her down because she overextended herself, the... the same way I did in the first round."

"Which was how she was able to do the super cool judo flip!"

"I know that, goddamnit!"

"I think I understand," Tenya said. "Through copying our movements, Osagami-senpai will allow us to observe the flaws in our techniques, allowing us to more effectively find ways to cover ou weaknesses and improve our strengths."

"Exactly!" Gunhead exclaimed. "But for now, I'm going to see just where all of you are at and make sure you all have a good grasp of the basics before we do anything crazy. So, let's get physical!"

The rest of the class was pretty simple despite the eccentric introductions. The first exercise they did was having the students throw a punch on some training dummies. A few of them like Kendo, Ojiro, and Rin had practiced forms, while others, like Izuku and Wakamatsu, were basically starting from scratch. Even something as simple as throwing a punch was more complicated than anticipated, and Izuku ended up hurting his thumb.

After that, it was few instructions on proper stretching and closing off with a rundown of when they'd meet up (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after the last class of the day) and the katas they would go through at the start of each class.

"You guys can go ahead without me," Izuku said. "I got some planning to do with Maijima-Sensei."

"Alright. Don't stay too late," Ochako said as she and the others started to head out.

"Maybe I'll get some sleep for once." Wakamatsu groaned as he walked out.

As Izuku began to walk...

"Hey, Midoriya, right?" The greenette turned and saw Rin walking towards them.

"Oh, you're from Kacchan's class." The Chinese student had to bite his tongue at his classmate's nickname from his friend.

"That's right. Though we've met before." Rin stated.

"We have?" Izuku asked, getting a nod in return.

"It's not through an audio speaker, but it's hard for me to forget the voice of the man who saved my life," Rin said. Izuku thought for a moment before a feeling of recognition set in.

"Oh, the Entrance Exam!" Izuku said, getting a nod from Rin. He looked down at the other boy's leg. "Well, looks like your leg turned out fine."

"Indeed. Though it would've been worse if you hadn't risked your life to pull me out of the rubble." He gave a nod and placed his hand over his chest. "Regardless of what anyone else says about you, in my eyes, you're already a hero."

"Um...t-thanks," Izuku replied, feeling a bit bashful. Having someone outside of his friend group saying something that nice was definitely a nice change of pace.

"I can give you some pointers in the next class." Rin's smile then turned to a smirk. "But I won't hold back just because I owe you."

Izuku smiled as well. He could use some help, and Rin wasn't looking like he was gonna treat him like glass. "Sounds good to me."

Meanwhile, Tooru and Mirio were having a chat behind the changing room curtain, and Tooru dropped her invisibility.

"Woo. Just need a minute to get my strength back." Hagakure joked while Togata had his arms crossed, his face showing concern.

"You're still maintaining your invisibility like this?" Togata asked. "Tooru, you know that takes power away from the other aspects of your Quirk."

Hagakure said nothing as she looked down towards the floor. "Four of my classmates already know what I look like. And that's four too many."

Mirio's eye widened. "Do they-"

"No. They haven't put it together yet." Hagakure shook as she hugged herself. "But if someone like Kendo or Midoriya saw me, they'd probably figure out I'm related to...her." The normally cheery invisible girl said that like acid had been poured on her tongue.

"Hey, maybe it won't be so bad." Togata put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Your classmates are trying to be heroes too. I doubt they'd be as judgmental as your old classmates."

Hagakure bit her lip. She saw how some of them treated Midoriya. He was just Quirkless...but honestly, Hagakure wished that was all she had to worry about. "I can't risk that. Not again."

She would rather have been born Quirkless than the daughter of one of Japan's most infamous criminals. But she grit her teeth, and her eyes hardened with resolve. Someday, when she had graduated from U.A...when she had made a name for herself, she would show her true face. Hopefully by then, the public would see her for her...and not the monster she shared blood with.

The Love Hunters

"Come on! You're telling me you're not interested in any of the guys?" Tokage asked Jiro as the two girls walked to art class the next day.

"Not really." The purple-haired punk responded, really wishing she was talking to someone else right now.

"What about any of the girls?" Tokage's face suddenly became smug. "I wouldn't blame ya if you checked out my ass. I know I've got some top-tier cake."

"Maybe, but with your personality as the filling, it ruins the whole thing."

"Yikes." Tokage shivered from Jiro's cold bluntness. "You really know how to take a girl down-"

As Tokage turned the corner, she ended up bumping into someone. Tokage looked up and saw she had bumped into a rather handsome-looking male student with short red hair and matching red eyes.

"Oh, crap. Sorry, dude." Tokage said, but the redhead just laughed as he reached up to his hair. He pulled a singular strand of hair off, and it glowed before transforming into a beautiful rose.

"No need to apologize," The redhead said with a charming smile, holding the rose out for Tokage. "After all, bumping into a beauty like you can only be a blessing."

Tokage's face flushed bright red as she began to stutter while Jiro raised an eyebrow. The redhead then took a closer look at Tokage.

"Oh, you got some sharp teeth. Guess I'd better be careful. Wouldn't want those to leave a mark if things get...rough."

Jiro didn't know what was making her cringe more; the cheesy lines this guy was saying, or the fact that Tokage was falling for them hook line and sinker.

"Ah...um...I..." After some stuttering, Tokage fell apart...literally. She turned into a tiny pile of limbs and chunks of flesh. Jiro simply started while the redhead was freaking out.

"Aw, crap! It finally happened!" He shouted as he gripped his hair in panic. "My stupid pick up lines finally killed someone!"

"Dude, relax. It's just her Quirk. She's fine," Jiro explained.

"Oh..." The student's face quickly began to match his hair. "...bye."

The redhead ran away, leaving Jiro confused and Tokage still in a pile. 'Mikoshiba, you idiot!'

Soon enough lunch rolled around, and Tsunotori found herself struggling to decide amongst the myriad of dishes on offer. 'It all looks so good,' Tsunotori thought, so engrossed so didn't notice someone coming up behind her.

"I'd go for the beef curry," came a voice smooth as silk. "It's one of Lunch Rush's favorites." Tsunotori turned and saw someone who just screamed 'Handsome Prince' with their entire being. From their lovely short yet proper dark blue hair and piercing green eyes. They were taller than Tsunotori (though that wasn't saying much considering how short the horse-like girl was) and had a really handsome face.

"Oh...um, thanks," Tsunotori said, getting a chuckle from the handsome student. But then, the princely student placed their hand on Tsunotori's chin, looking her in the eyes.

"You know, a meal is often better with a companion to share it with. So, how would you like to lunch with me, my princess?"

"Woah, woah, woah!" With a red face, Tsunotori pushed the princely student away. "Listen Mis...ter..."

Looking down, she that this princely student was, in fact, a girl, based on the fact they were wearing a skirt instead of pants. "You're a girl!?"

The princely girl giggled at Tsunotori's reaction. "Wow, you caught on quickly. Most people tend to think I'm a boy when they first meet me. Though, that never stops any of my lovelies from falling for me."

"Hey, lady!" The blunette turned and saw Kaibara marching towards her with a furious look on his face. "Pony's already spoken for, so back off!"

"Oh ho! Coming to your lady's defense. How chivalrous." Then, to the couple's surprise, the princely girl placed her hand on Kaibara's chin and gave him the same flirtatious look that she gave Tsunotori. "I like that in a man."

Kaibara's anger evaporated at this unexpected turn of events as a bright blush spread across his face. "Huh!?"

Kaminari watched their interactions with a bemused smile from his front-row seat at his table. But then, the cafeteria was filled with the sound of pounding footsteps, followed by...

"KASHIMA!"

"Oh, Hori! How's it go-" But before the princely girl (now identified as Kashima) could say anything, she was suddenly kicked in the head by a shorter brunette boy with angry brown eyes.

"What did I tell you about bothering our underclassmen?!"

"I...I was just having some fun." Kashima groaned from the floor.

"Well your 'fun' was clearly bothering these two." Hori then turned to the now thoroughly confused couple and bowed. "I'm terribly sorry. Kashima doesn't know when to stop flirting, no matter the circumstances." He then picked up the still woozy Kashima and put her over his shoulder. "Not to mention skipping out on rehearsals to mess around."

And with that, Tsunotori and Kaibara were left baffled as Hori carried Kashima out of the cafeteria, while Kaminari gave a salute to the princely girl in solidarity.

Lessons in Villainy

Tomura Shigaraki slowly opened his eyes. As he blinked away the bleariness, his eyes landed on the digital clock on his night stand.

11:32.

He glared at the clock for a moment, as if trying to intimidate into turning back.

11:33.

With a groan, Tomura figured it was finally time to get up.

The lanky young man reached out a gloved hand that left his pointer and middle finger exposed and grabbed his phone before getting out of bed. Sure, he was in his PJs, but he wasn't going anywhere. Not like he could without covering himself with his old hoodie.

That's kind of how most of his days went. He would just sit around, eat whatever awesome food Kurogiri made, and just play some games. Not like he had anything else to do. He wasn't the idea guy. That was more Sensei's thing.

His mind drifted back to the clusterfuck that was the USJ and his stomach twisted. Bad enough he failed, but the news cycle was having a field day, calling those U.A. brats oh so 'brave' for fighting his League, but that they might be some 'golden generation.'

He probably would've had sympathy for that Midoriya kid getting shit on by the news and social media if he wasn't a cheating little bitch in a bullshit OP mini-boss robot.

But when he walked down the stairs to the bar, he heard...talking? Did they actually have a customer?

"So I say, 'You fool! My hellbeam-empowered physiology makes me impervious to lasers!'"

"Jesus, that's one hell of a bluff."

"That was all I could think of."

Shigaraki came down and saw Hellgaze (now sans his visor and mask, revealing his black & red eyes and sharp teeth) and that American woman sitting at the bar, with Kurogiri serving them sandwiches.

"But I noticed the safety was on, so he pulls the trigger..." Hellgaze paused for dramatic effect. "...and nothing happens."

Kelly laughed while Kurogiri chuckled, letting Hellgaze continue. "To this day, Captain Celebrity still thinks I'm laser-proof."

"Ah, classic," Kurogiri then saw Shigaraki was awake. "Oh, you're awake."

"Yeah..." He looked at the two new entries. "The hell are you two doing here?"

"We're your new roommates, Crusty Boy!" Kelly said with a big smile. "Your mysterious boss hired us to be permanent additions to your little league."

"And it looks like you guys could use it," Hellgaze said as he looked at the bar with disappoint clear in his expression. "Because this is a pitiful excuse for an evil lair. No spikes, no blood-red coloring, not even a decorative skull or two. I know you got to stay incognito, but at least have fun with it."

"I suppose the bar is due for some new decor, although I'd prefer something a bit more sophisticated."

"Whatever," Shigaraki said as he sat down at the bar. He was way too annoyed to argue.

"So, what do you got on tap, Tall, Dark, and Misty?" Kelly asked.

"The usual fair; Sapporo, Asahi, Kirin, Suntory, and Orion. I don't have any foreign brews, unfortunately."

Kelly shrugged her muscular shoulders. "Eh, a beer's a beer. I'll take a Sapporo."

"Same here." Hellgaze said. Kurogiri nodded and started pouring their orders from the tap.

"So...what's your story?" Kelly asked.

"My...story?"

"Yeah, how'd a guy like you end up working for Shigaraki?"

"You guys have it wrong," Shigaraki expressed. "Kurogiri doesn't work for me."

"I am his caretaker, a task given to me by the Master."

"And who's this master?" Hellgaze asked.

"The Master is Tomura's teacher and guardian. He's a rather busy man so he can't be around as much as he'd like."

"So you're, what? A glorified nanny?" Kelly asked.

"That's not what I'd call it," the misty man said as he slid Kelly her beer.

"But you're not denying it." Kelly then took a sip and was pleasantly surprised. "That's pretty damn good."

"Question still stands," Hellgaze said. "How'd you meet this "master" and why'd he assign you to take care of Shigaraki?"

Tomura was actually curious too. He'd never really questioned where Kurogiri or why he was here. Sensei had just shown up one day with the misty man in tow and told Tomura he'd be his new caretaker, and that was that. After a while, Kurogiri had become a constant in his life, and he'd long stopped asking questions about the bartender.

Kurogiri pondered the question as he poured Hellgaze his glass of Sapporo. Really, it should have been a easy question to answer, but the more he thought about it, the harder it became to focus on, his thoughts became hazier and hazier. After a moment, Kurogiri gaze became unfocused, not really staring at anything.

"Um...shades?" Kelly asked, weirded out by this.

Kurogiri went perfectly still, the only movement was the subtle rise and fall of his chest. All the while, beer poured over the sides of the glass and dribbled onto the floor.

"My good man, I like a tall cup of Sapporo, but that's a bit too much." Hellgaze said, becoming concerned for the bartender.

Before Shigaraki even realized what was happening, he hopped over the counter, paying little mind to the growing puddle of beer. "Kurogiri!" he cried, placing a hand on his caretaker's shoulder.

Kurogiri gasped, dropping the glass and splashing beer across his and Shigaraki's pants. He blinked a few times, his senses slowing coming back to him. He glanced at everyone's expressions and then to the mess of beer and shattered glass on the floor.

"My apologies, it seems I let my mind wander as I was pouring your drink," Kurogiri said, turning back to Hellgaze. "What was your question again?"

"...never mind."

"Right." Kurogiri opened a small portal and an ice cold bottle of Sapporo appeared in front of Hellgaze. "Excuse me, I need to clean up this mess." He glanced down at his wet pants and shoes. "And myself." He quickly teleported away, leaving three bewildered villains.

"Uh, what the fuck?" Hellgaze said.

"You wanna explain what the hell that was?" Kelly asked.

"I...I don't know." Shigaraki said, utterly confused.

"You've never seen him freeze up like that before?" Hellgaze asked as he took a sip.

"No...but then again, I honestly don't know that much about Kurogiri."

Hellgaze rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Take some advice from your villainous elder; one advantage heroes often have over our lot is that they tend to build up trust and comradery with each other. While some of the dangerous evil unions were destroyed because those involved fell to their own vices, or knew next to nothing about their teammates." A haunted look passed over Hellgaze's face. "If you and your mysterious master want this League of yours to work, it pays to know who you're going to be plotting with." His face then turned into a smile before placing a hand on his chest. "And with that in mind; you have Taiga Goka at your service."

That night, Shigaraki would contemplate Goka's words, not knowing the effect they would have on the course of his destiny.

Notes:

So we had a bit more of an anthology chapter, and that's kind of how the next few chapters will go.

So before I reveal the title of the next chapter, I just need to do some more housekeeping considering some...'offers' I've been given via PMs.

I've gotten requests from people saying they want to 'adapt' MSRA for their YouTube channels. At first, I thought this was cool. Someone liked my story well enough to want to adapt it in video form. Okay, I don't expect it to be on the level of Big Finish's audiodramas or Audible, but I know there's talented VAs on YouTube that could bring my story to life in a dramatic reading.

When I looked up the channels that offered me this, I was disappointed. What these channels actually do is one of the most creatively lazy things I've seen. More so than any video just complaining that something is 'woke' or any kind of ragebait.

What these channels do is feed fanfics through a Text-To-Speech AI program and just have it blandly read the entire story. These are hour-long videos depending on how long the fanfics are. No changes to the vocal inflictions to make it seem exciting. No background music or boring as hell background music. And no change to the visuals either. It is some of the most boring and creatively bankrupt video formats I have ever seen.

What these people did was basically ask if they could use MSRA as part of their content farm. Hell, I discovered one guy did this to the first five chapters and didn't even ask me for permission to 'adapt it.'

So before anyone else asks me if I want My Super Robot Academia to be 'adapted' for your bullshit content mill, don't even ask. My answer will always be NO!

Unless your 'adaptation' matches the effort xpegasus and I put into making this story, don't bother asking either of us for permission to 'adapt' MSRA for your content mill garbage. And I can't really shame anyone who doesn't ask for premission because anyone making these kinds of videos has already shown that they have no creative integrity.

With that bit of housekeeping out of the way, here's the next chapter title!

Next Time: The Mechanical Marauders rise at Midnight!

Chapter 18: The Mechanical Marauders March at Midnight

Summary:

A team of modern heroes collide with a killer and an ancient evil

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 18: The Mechanical Marauders March at Midnight

Night had fallen on Monokara City, one of the special wards of Tokyo that had been established during the rise of Quirks. It had once served as a manufacturing hub for the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Area with factories that ran 24/7.

But in recent years, the once bustling manufacturing hub with a population comparable to Shinjuku and Shibuya had turned into a ghost town. Most of the factories had shuttered their doors, and the ones that remained only operated during regular business hours. Despite the cheap rent and proximity to bustling places like Hosu City, the population continued to decline year over year as Monokara fell into disrepair and developed a reputation as a hideaway for villains and other criminals. The many abandoned factories proved very appealing to Japan's criminal element.

Inside one such factory was an intimidating figure whom most would run from without a second thought.

His outfit was ragged, consisting of a dark combat suit plated with metal armor across his body to holster his weapons. He wore a blood-red scarf, a matching headband, and the tattered cloth around his face as a mask. He had long, wild black hair, a flat nose, and piercing red eyes.

The room was illuminated solely by a cheap desk lamp. He flipped through a notebook, twirling a pen in his other hand before suddenly stopping. At the bottom of the page was the name 'Sir Dangerous,' with a scowl, the man crossed out the name.

His eyes wandered to the ten names above 'Sir Dangerous' before flipping to another page titled 'Hosu Heroes.'

'Hosu's going to be a bit trickier to work around,' he thought. 'A more densely populated area like that will inevitably have more heroes than fringe areas.' He looked at the list of Hosu's local heroes, determining his next target based on their recorded skills, power set, and how big of a hero agency they worked with.

But what the man did not know was that he was not alone in this factory. Up in the rafters was a spider. Now, a spider by itself wasn't anything of particular note, especially in an abandoned factory like this one. But unbeknownst to Stain, this was no ordinary spider; it was staring directly at him and had a small camera strapped to its back.

What looked like a regular unmarked van was parked across the street from the factory. Inside was a young man sitting at a computer with a video feed of Stain. He had silver lines across his face and fingers and matching silver hair and eyes. He was dressed in a dark blue suit befitting an office worker.

"We have a visual, good work, Webcam," he said, turning to a woman sitting beside him. She wore a form-fitting black outfit with a white spiderweb pattern, a matching scarf styled to serve as a mask over her mouth, and a pair of goggles with dark lenses. She also wore her hair in a bun with eight loose strands.

"I have spiders stationed at every exit. If he makes a run for it, he won't escape my sight," Webcam said, quiet yet serious. "He matches the descriptions from the police to a t," Webcam noted, not even looking at the screen as she watched Stain through the eyes of her spiders. "God, I can smell him from here."

"Low blow, Ayo."

Webcam rolled her eyes from behind her goggles. "My apologies; I should have more sympathy for the bloodthirsty serial killer."

"At least don't do that while our boss is changing right next to us."

"No need to hold back on my account." A man said as he stepped out from behind a curtain, his boots clunking against the van's floor. He was a tall, burly young man with short blue hair and pronounced eyebrows. He was clad in a set of white armor that gave him the appearance of a futuristic knight. In his hands was a helmet with a black solid visor and the top piece pointing outward.

"Suited up already, sir?" the silver-haired man asked.

"Yup. I have to throw the R team a party. The new modular plating made this so much easier," he said with a smile.

"Well, let's make sure we complete our mission before we bring out the confetti," Webcam stated as the armored man looked at the footage of Stain's hunched-over form.

"So that's him," he said to himself before pressing a button on the console. "Ingenium to all points; status report."

On the other side of the building Stain occupied was a red-haired woman in a burgundy dress patterned like bricks. "Meld here," she whispered. She looked at the state of the building and pouted. "Aw, this place is so run down. Why couldn't he hide in a chic office building or something cool like a haunted house?"

A muscular man with a shifting gun arm took a sniping position on the rooftop of another nearby factory. He looked like he'd jumped straight out of an 80s action movie with his camo pants, boots, camo face paint, and opting to go shirtless and expose his muscular torso for all to see. "I'm in position, Boss Man. Just say the word, and Mister Hero Killer is history."

"Ammo, you know that's not how we do things," Ingenium said. "I'm going to try talking to him first."

"You sure that's a good idea, Boss Man?" Ammo asked. "This guy ain't some civvie dealing with QRB. This fucker's got twenty-four of us in his kill count."

"I'm well aware of that. But rushing in for the kill would make you no better than him. If things go south, I'll try to take him down myself. And if it looks like he's going to get the upper hand, you two have permission to jump in and help. Understood?"

"Crystal, boss," Ammo said with a groan. There were times when he often scoffed at his boss's softer side. But then again, that was probably the ex-soldier in him. He had only started this hero thing about two years ago, and Boss Man was the only hero willing to take a chance on a disgraced JSDF member like him.

And Ammo supposed he wouldn't be Ingenium if he didn't try to see the best of a bad situation.

Speaking of Ingenium, he now had his helmet on and was walking towards Stain's hideout. He felt a mix of emotions: righteous anger, nervousness, and disappointment in his fellow man. And the sad thing was that as a pro-hero, he was more than familiar with this blend of emotions.

'Time to get to work.' Ingenium cautiously opened the door to the factory and walked in. But in the center of the factory, Stain twitched. He grabbed a throwing knife from his pocket and threw it at the source of the sound. With a clang, Ingenium swatted the blade away. The Hero Killer looked at him and smirked.

"Well, well, well. Tensei Iida...the Turbo Hero Ingenium," Stain said with a predatory grin. "What's one of the top 50 doing in a place like this?"

"I go wherever evil dwells," Tensei proclaimed, glaring at Stain from behind his helmet's visor. "Hero Killer Stain, your massacre is going to end tonight. Either by your willing surrender..." The Turbo Hero took up a combat stance akin to a boxer. "...or by me taking you in."

Stain let out a chuckle. "You expect me just to hand myself in. No." Stain drew his two large combat knives from their sheaths and held them in a reverse grip. "My grand mission ain't even close to finished."

"Your mission? You mean killing heroes?"

Stain growled and spit on the ground. "Those fakes made a mockery of the title. I did the world a favor by snuffing out those so-called 'heroes.'" There was enough venom in how he said "heroes" to kill an adult elephant. "And it looks like number 25 has walked through my door."

Tensei sighed. He had hoped that Stain would turn out to be full of it. Just some serial killer that got lucky and was riding a murderous high. But that was out the window when he called it a 'mission.' He was determined to kill heroes, and he was clearly working his way up the charts.

"I guess that's that," Ingenium proclaimed as the engines in his elbows began to heat up. "Prepare to face the engine of justice!"

Tensei blasted ahead like a rocket, blowing old paper and garbage into the air as he did so. Most criminals would freak out at seeing a full-grown man in armor rushing towards them like a race car. But Stain wasn't your average criminal. With cat-like agility, he side-stepped Ingenium and reached for his blades. But the Turbo Hero was no one trick pony.

He cut off his left engine and poured all his power into his right engine. He spun around with blinding speed and delivered a devastating punch right to Stain's face, knocking the killer back.

Stain gritted his teeth, reeling from the force. One punch from Ingenium felt like he'd been hit with a brick. He could already taste blood in his mouth. Quickly, he glanced at Ingenium's armor illuminated by his lamp post. He needed to aim for the black fabric parts, which was easier said than done. Stain had to act quickly, dropping one knife to grab some throwing knives from his pouch.

But when Stain threw them, to his shock, not only did his knives bounce off the silver armor, but they barely left a scratch on the black fabric!

"Reinforced mesh," Ingenium said, much to Stain's surprise. "Your Quirk requires you actually to cut your opponent. At least, that's what our working theory is."

Indeed, Ingenium and Idaten came prepared to take Stain down. They'd reexamined Stain's victims and reviewed the incidents with a fine toothed comb. The one consistent thread Idaten had found was that most of Stain's victims appeared to have some initial superficial injury before Stain went in for the kill.

"Must've cost a small fortune for that kind of upgrade," Stain scoffed. "I'm surprised you don't have any corporate logos splashed over it."

However, unbeknownst to Ingenium and Stain, there were others in the manufacturing district with a mission to complete.

A robot, clearly old but newly refurbished, wandered around the manufacturing floor of a factory belonging to Acorn Industries. And through the aged machine's eyes, the artificial intelligence controlling it was observing...and was thoroughly disappointed.

"Almost eighty years, and no one's managed to improve upon my designs." If she had a body, she would've let out the most frustrated sigh. "Complacency really does give way to stagnation."

The AI directed the robot to interface with the factory's central computer in the office above the assembly line. And when it did, the AI was actually intrigued. "Well, at least someone was trying to think outside the box." The robot's eyes glowed blue as it began to download Acorn's data. But midway through the download, the machine's audio receptors picked up the sound of the opening door to the wing and two sets of footsteps walking in.

"What did I tell you, dear viewers? Acorn is so confident they can get away with their crimes, they don't even bother to lock their doors," came a boisterous male voice. "But their blasé villainy pales in comparison to yours truly."

The robot looked out the office window, its eyes zooming in on the two intruders.

One was a tall, silver-haired man in a garish costume. His much shorter compatriot was a woman with fuchsia hair and was filming the man in action with a handheld camera. But more importantly, the robot's bio-scans picked up something in both.

Two Q-Factors Detected.

The AI thought about her next move. The smarter option would be to stay hidden. The body she was piloting was old. Still functional, but not as good as it would've been fresh off the assembly lot. And in her experience, costumed enemies posed more of a challenge than some kids being taken by surprise...then again, it would be a good idea to see just how the Q-Factor had mutated in a near century. How much the infection had distorted the natural world. And in the end, her scientific curiosity (and more than a little blood-lust) won out.

"I apologize ahead of time if this particular video ends up being uneventful, dear viewers. But regardless, I thank you for your continued support of Gentle Criminal..." He flamboyantly gestured to himself and then to the shorty. "...and my lovely assistant, La Brava!"

"Oh, stop!" La Brava giggled and bashfully blushed.

Suddenly, Gentle felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

And then...

BANG!

As the gunshot rang out, Gentle moved. The air around the duo shifted, and the bullet became suspended in some clear field, looking like it was trying to push through a giant piece of Saran Wrap. Gentle stared at the bullet for a moment, certain that if not his instincts, both he and La Brava would be dead.

"Ah, so they did leave a guard on standby," Gentle proclaimed, quickly reclaiming his composure. His gaze followed the path of the bullet. Thanks to the moonlight streaming through windows, he spotted what looked like a gun barrel pointing out the window of the office above.

"They're pretty quick to open fire," La Brava pointed out as she continued to film.

"Indeed. But we must show decorum, La Brava," Gentle stated. "Fair warning: I'm going to send the bullet back. I suggest you evade."

With a snap of his fingers, the bullet bounced back in the direction it was shot from, shattering another office window. The criminal duo waited for a response, possibly the guard running away. Instead...

"Well, long-ranged combat seems out of the question given what just happened."

The robot leaped out of the broken window and landed on the floor of the assembly line, surprising the duo. The metallic eyes zeroed in on Gentle, and the voice that followed radiated malice. "A Q-Factor that allows you to apply elasticity to the air itself: how revolting. You are a walking embodiment of Moha." The machine's right arm reconfigured into a vibrating blade with the sounds of metallic plates shifting. "You will defy reality no longer!"

The robot charged at Gentle with surprising agility for its frame. But the self-proclaimed criminal mastermind was undeterred.

When the robot was in stabbing range, Gentle applied his quirk to the ground and bounced high up, evading the slash. He then applied it to the ceiling, bouncing toward the robot and placing a single finger on its head. With a dashing smile, Gentle proclaimed, "Adeu, my mechanical adversary."

Suddenly, the robot's knees wobbled, and it became unable to support itself. It collapsed into an elastic heap, looking like a rubber robot toy that had been in the sun too long.

"What exactly are you?" Gentle asked as he landed on his feet. "One of Acorn's robots?"

"Not one of the good ones." La Brava commented.

"Don't you dare compare our works side by side!" The voice shouted. "Comparing my fine-tuned Zen-Bots to Acorn's clunky machines! That's akin to comparing wagyu steak to a fast food burger!"

'So someone's controlling this thing.' La Brava thought based on that statement.

"Although..."

Suddenly, the lights of the factory lit up.

Gentle and La Brava watched as the many robots on the assembly line floor sprang to life, their optics red like burning coals. Even the incomplete ones stared right at the duo.

These robots were similar to the ones Acorn provided for UA's entrance exam. The big difference is that these robots were intended for military use. This meant their armor was made of Alpha Titanium, and their weapons were live rounds. And all of them were being aimed at the now terrified Gentle and Brava.

"I suppose sometimes quantity can make up for quality."

Sweat began to appear on Gentle's forehead. "...bollocks."

Meanwhile, Ammo continued watching the abandoned factory from his sniping position, ready to move in whenever he got the word that things were going sideways. But suddenly, he heard the sound of explosions and gunfire. He turned towards the direction of the sounds and saw smoke billowing from a factory in the distance, parts of the building exploding, and bullets flying out of it.

"Guys, you hearing all of that?!" Ammo asked the control team.

"You'd have to be deaf not to."

"I'm gonna go investigate!" Ammo leaped from rooftop to rooftop towards the chaos. And when he landed on the building next to the Acorn factory, he saw Gentle carrying a screaming La Brava, bouncing on elastified air to evade a barrage of missiles. But it was clear to Ammo that they wouldn't be able to evade in time. He grabbed hold of the aiming support on his arm and aimed. He fired six shots, and six shots found their targets, making the missiles explode. Gentle and La Brava landed next to him. La Brava was trying and failing to calm down, and Gentle was clearly shaken.

"Y-You have my thanks, good fellow."

"You can thank me by telling me what—" Ammo was cut off when they saw the Acorn military robots burst through the factory doors and take aim at them. "RUN!"

The three costumed individuals managed to leap to the next building just as the previous one was blown to smithereens. "Why the hell is going on?!" Ammo shouted.

"Some crazy lady that hates Quirks is controlling those machines!" La Brava managed to say in between screams of terror.

"Shit!" Ammo quickly tapped his radio. "Ammo to all points: we got killer robots over by the south end, and they're armed to the teeth!"

"Wait, what?! Robots?"

"That's what I just said, Mainframe!"

"How many are we talking?"

Ammo thought back to when he saw the machines exiting the building. "I saw six of them exit the building."

"There's more than that." Gentle chimed in. "At least sixteen of those mechanical monstrosities."

"You get that?"

"We did. I'm putting a call to all Idaten members near and far!"

Back with Ingenium and Stain, Tensei was growing more than a bit frustrated. The Hero Killer had proven to be a highly adaptable opponent. He was agile, knew how to maneuver around confined spaces (especially with that grappling hook he pulled out of his ass), and his annoying persistence.

"You're annoyingly persistent," Stain spat as he slashed at Ingenium, who parried the knife with his gauntlet. The armored hero didn't reply at first as he pushed Stain back. But when he did speak up, it surprised the hero killer.

"Answer me this: what do you hope to accomplish with all of this?" Ingenium took a stance, ready to strike. "You don't strike me as a man who kills for the fun of it."

"...huh." Stain was legitimately taken aback. "I think you're the first hero I've encountered to ask me why. Most just call me a murderer and die trying to escape or stop me."

"There's always a motive. So what's yours?"

A wicked smile appeared on Stain's face. "What all you 'heroes' have failed to do: I want to make the world a better place."

"And how does killing heroes fit that goal? Fewer heroes in the world mean fewer people get saved."

"Oh, please." Stain twirled a knife as he continued. "You and all the other fakes that call yourselves 'heroes' are a mockery of the very concept. Heroes are supposed to be beacons of humanity! Above our worst impulses! Bright paragons, unwavering in their conviction to battle evil. To put aside their own wants and desires for the sake of pure heroism."

Stain's eyes became strained with absolute hatred, his teeth gritting so hard one would assume he would break them by pressure alone. "But the 'heroes' that this rotten society has produced are nothing like that! Their very existence is defecation in human form! All of you are glorified circus monkeys! You star in commercials for shitty products and business! You stamp your faces on liquor and vibrators! Being a 'hero' in the modern day isn't about saving people! It's about stroking your egos and making money!"

Stain's face then became surprisingly solemn. "I'm well aware that what I'm doing is monstrous. My hands are stained, and my soul is damned. But if it makes a better world, I'll gladly face Enma-O when my time comes."

"Tenma Ishijo."

Stain looked at Ingenium with a raised eyebrow. "What are you—"

"Hikaru Takahara. Michiru Ayane. Goro Hayame. Fuga Horimiya." Ingenium began to walk towards Stain. Behind his armored visage, Tensei's expression was one of rage. "These are the names of five criminals who tried to murder rookie heroes and sidekicks in the last four months. One of them actually managed to cut off a sidekick's hand."

Before Stain could react, Ingenium blasted ahead and punched the hero killer with enough force to knock out one of his teeth, making him roll onto the floor.

"You're not making the world a better place! You're just inspiring a generation of butchers! And that's why I-"

"Attention, all Idaten members; we have a new crisis developing!"

Tensei's eyes widened as he was given the report. The gears in his head started spinning as he was faced with two choices,

He could either help his teammates save people and stop a crisis in progress before more people got hurt but potentially let Stain get away. Or he could stay and continue his fight with Stain in hopes of putting an end to his blood-stained crusade.

"Damn it," Tensei swore under his breath before running to the door.

"Hey!" Stain shouted. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Something more important just came up."

And so, Ingenium left the building, one of Webcam's spiders hopping onto his armor.

Stain stood in the middle of the abandoned factory for a moment, staring at the open door in utter confusion. "What. The. Hell!?" Stain growled as his confusion gave way to pure. Blinding. Rage.

Meanwhile, Ammo, Gentle, and La Brava had taken shelter in one of the nearby abandoned buildings; there were many to choose from. The gun-armed hero quickly found a fire escape and looked at the duo. "I'll keep these metal fuckers distracted; when they've got all eyes on me, you two get the hell out of here."

Gentle was hesitant. "But what abo—"

"My team's already on their way! Just go!" Ammo yelled before running back towards the robots. With a mighty roar, he fired at the robots on the street. Once they had their optics firmly on him, Ammo began running, all while screaming at the top of his lungs and never letting up on his barrage. Ammo barely evaded a hail of bullets as he leaped to the roof of an adjacent building.

"That's it, eyes on me, you metallic fucks!" Ammo screamed. He hoped Gentle and La Brava had made it down the fire escape but dared not to look back so the robots would keep their attention on him.

He kept running and gunning, his heart pumping so hard he could feel it through his whole body. 'Well, this is probably gonna get me killed.' The former JSDF officer told himself as he ran. 'Guess that's the hero life for ya.'

Suddenly, as Ammo was about to jump to the next building, the robots' bullets tore through the dilapidated roof. It began to cave in, and Ammo lost his footing. Ammo missed his jump, fingers scraping the side of the next, and gravity took hold.

"SHIT!" Ammo cried.

Just as he was about to hit the ground, Ammo felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. "I've got you, big guy." Ammo looked up to see Meld, her lower body fused into the wall of the building.

Before Ammo could thank his teammate, the robots resumed fire, and Meld was forced to drop him. As he landed, Ammo shifted his gun arm again, this time taking the form of a rotating grenade launcher. "Fuck you, ya walking tin cans!" he screamed, unleashing a volley of destruction upon the robots.

As the robots were torn apart by the force of the explosion, a piece of shrapnel flew past Ammo's head, almost clipping his ear. The remaining robots tread over the remains of their fallen comrades and fired at Ammo once. Ammo ran and ducked behind one of the buildings. "Shit, this is looking real bad."

"Well, I've found something that looks real good," Meld said as she emerged from the wall. Ammo watched as she reached down and grabbed the shrapnel that almost took his head off. As she grabbed it, her skin took on the same green sheen as the metal.

"Oh, now this is more like it," Meld said, admiring her newly metallic skin like a fresh manicure."Much cuter than old brick." With a wink, Meld ran from behind the corner and rushed the robots, evading missiles and tanking bullets, until she leaped onto one of the bots and began wailing on it.

While Meld tussled with the green machine, a manic grin spread across Ammo's face. "Let's fucking go!" He yelled, following behind Meld and sending a hail of bullets into the robots. Working together, the two heroes were able to break through the blockade and exit the cramped alley.

They were quickly joined by their leader as Ingenium came in blasting and struck one of the robots with a full-throttle punch, sending a piece of its green armor flying. And that gave Webcam opening she needed. The spider that had hitched a ride with Ingenium leaped onto the robot and started making its way inside. Once it had reached a specific point, Webcam ordered it to stop, and small metal arms emerged from its attached camera and plugged a transmitter into the robot.

Inside the Idaten Mobile Command Center, Webcam smirked under her mask. "It's all yours."

Mainframe grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "Gotcha. Watch my bod for me."

Webcam gave a short nod as Mainframe plugged his finger into the USB port. The lines on his body began to glow the same blue as his eyes. "Dive In."

From Mainframe's perspective, the world around him changed. He was no longer sitting in the Idaten Mobile Command. He was now inside a void-like space with endless 0s and 1s around him. He looked around, seeing the familiar blue coding of the IMC in the far distance. Ahead of him were several 'towers' of hostile red coding that represented all of the killer robots. He saw tendrils that connected the red towers together to a central source off in the distance.

"Looks like I got my work cut out for me." Tendrils of his own blue data strung out from his body and began to insert itself into the red data tower.

In the real world, the robot Webcam's spider infiltrated froze for a moment. Ingenium was wary until it began to punch another robot in the face.

"Everyone, Mainframe has infiltrated the robot's code," Webcam said over the com. "And as a side note, I finally get to put all my years of playing Armored Core to use in the field."

Tensei chuckled and gave the robot a thumbs up. "Glad you're having fun, now let's send these things to the scrapyard."

"Roger that."

"Incoming!" Ammo shouted as a trio of robots aimed their guns at the heroes and opened fire. The heroes were pressed to dodge (or tank, in Meld's case), but a figure jumped in front of the heroes and held his hands out. To everyone's surprise, Gentle Criminal had joined the fray, using his Quirk to stop the bullets with elastic air!

"Bully to you, you robotic ruffians!" He shouted before the bullets bounced back and hit the trio of robots, damaging them.

"The hell are you doing here?" Ammo asked.

"I might be a crook, but I'm also a gentleman. And it wouldn't be proper of me to abandon the man who put his life on the line who saved me," Gentle said before looking behind them. "La Brava, if you would."

The short woman nodded and held her hands together before shouting, "Gentle, I love you!"

A pink aura enveloped Gentle, and he felt the familiar rush that came with La Brava's quirk empowering him. "My thanks." He turned to the robots as more of them began to appear. "Tally Ho!"

Under his helmet, Tensei smirked as he saw Gentle charge with La Brava cheering him on. He had heard of the criminal duo before. Honestly, given their tendency to act more like modern-day Robin Hood and Maid Marian (going after businesses that often engaged in shady practices), they were more akin to vigilantes than outright supervillains. While the HSPC still encouraged active pro-heroes to place them under arrest for illegal Quirk use, all but the most stubborn heroes couldn't help but have a soft spot for the duo.

And given how durable and numerous these machines were, any help was appreciated.

"You heard him, Idaten!" Ingenium shouted as he activated the jets in his elbows. "Let's take these rust buckets down!"

"Right!" The heroes charged into the fray to take down the mechanical menaces. Ingenium was the first to turbo-punch a robot in its shoulder joint. He jumped back to evade the robot's downward punch, which was followed by Meld drop-kicking the machine with enough force to leave a massive dent. Webcam piloted their captured robot, making it fire a rocket that blew the other machine's head off.

Another robot tried to fire a missile at the heroes, but Gentle caught the missile with some elastic air before making it fly back to it, causing the machine to explode. He then leaped and tapped another robot, turning it elastic and letting Ammo tear it to shreds with a hail of bullets. He evaded gunfire from another machine, which ended up getting double-teamed by Ingenium and Meld, shoulder-checking it.

But as the rest of the robots began to converge on the heroes, they knew they were still in for a rough time until Mainframe could stop them.

Back in the digital world, Mainframe's data body approached the source of the red data. It was like looking at an erratic vortex made of 0s and 1s. Odd, but he had no time to dwell on that. He had a job to do, aiming his hand and making a gun shape with his fingers.

"Override Bullet!" A bullet of his own bio-code fired into the red mass. Blue coding began to override it for a moment, but something strange started to happen. The enemy's data exploded outward, blinding Mainframe for a brief second. But in that instance, blips of the red data formed into spikes...and impaled him from multiple directions.

In the real world, Mainframe's still body jerked, and Webcam looked at him with worry.

"What the hell?" Mainframe exclaimed as pain shot through his digital being.

"You..."

"Huh?" In front of the impaled digital hero, the red data began to take the shape of a colossal human head that dwarfed Mainframe. Something about the woman seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite think straight, considering the spikes impaling his digital form.

"It's worse than I thought! Much, much worse! Mutations that alter technology?! Code?! Even the digital domain is not safe!"

Mainframe tried to piece together what was going on. This wouldn't have been possible if the mastermind behind the robots was controlling them with conventional means. "You got some data manipulation, Quirk, too?"

"Don't you DARE compare me to your disgusting Q-Factor!" Hundreds of spikes of red data pierced Mainframe's digital form, his screams ringing through the world of ones and zeroes.

In the real world, his body began to spasm, with blood beginning to spew from his ears.

"M-Mainframe?!" Webcam exclaimed.

But he wasn't about to give up because of sensory overload. He was a hero! The best hero suited to the right situation! He wasn't gonna let whatever this thing was get the best of him! He grabbed the spikes, and his body glowed an even brighter blue.

"Eat this! FIREWALL BREAKER!" A blue blast fired from Mainframe's mouth, piercing the AI right in the center of the forehead. He began to override her, putting all of his mental might into cutting off her connection to the Acorn Military Robots...and figured he might as well try seeing what he was dealing with.

But what he saw was baffling. It felt less like he was breaking into an encrypted data file...and more like seeing someone's memories.

He fell to the ground, blood coming out of his mouth as a gang of biker girls beat down on her, their leader's fingers glowing red with heat.

He felt a sense of fear at the fact that his species would be extinct in a matter of centuries.

He was going over plans for a weapon that would counter any and all mutations. He was on stage, accepting a reward for his breakthroughs in the field of robotics.

He laughed as he saw footage of his Zen-Bots, practically dancing with glee as those genetic abominations were massacred in the streets, practically giddy as he saw a child with spider legs bludgeoned to death.

Rage as those costumed fools burned his lab to the ground and him along with it.

"...get out...GET OUT!"

In the mobile command center, Mainframe's body practically launched out of his seat, slamming into his computer before falling to the floor. Webcam looked at her friend in shock and horror but had no time to waste. She grabbed the medkit and was at Mainframe's side in barely a second.

"Y-y-ya..." Mainframe sputtered, his eyes looking everywhere and nowhere all at once.

"Stay awake, Junichi!" She quickly kneeled down next to him.

"Ya...Yasu...da."

At the same time, Ingenium was tossed into a wall by one of the robots, Ammo was feeling woozy thanks to the amount of ammunition he had fired, Meld was dented in a few places, Webcam's robot had suddenly gone slack, and both Gentle and La Brava were feeling drained, and there were still eight robots left standing.

However, the robots suddenly stopped, falling down to the ground.

"G-Guys...Junichi...he's going into cardiac arrest!" Webcam shouted over the com-links. And as Tensei got up from the rubble, he couldn't help but think that even though this battle had ended, this was merely the beginning.

And, unfortunately for the world, his feeling was right.

In a small lab covered in a thick layer of dust, a computer screen blinked on, showing the face of that strange AI once more.

That was a close one. I'll need to take mutations that can interact with technology into account. But for now...

With a single thought, the old 3D printer on the other side of the lab activated. With another thought, she uploaded the data she had managed to download from Acorn's files: schematics for a new type of intercontinental drone sub. In another window, she was reading an article about a particular location off the coast of the United States of America. The 10th Wonder of the World: I-Island!

Inside the computer that housed her, the AI laughed. She had been in a spiral of despair since her last beloved Gohozenshin had awoken her. But now? Now, she was feeling positively giddy.

I hope you've enjoyed your time in this world, you living manifestations of Moha! You've violated the human gene pool for far too long. You might've thought your costumed enforcers had killed me, but you failed to realize you're dealing with the greatest mind of the 22nd century!

So enjoy your existence while you still can! Because soon, the world will know! They will know...THAT YUKO YASUDA HAS RETURNED FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!

To be continued...

Notes:

This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I didn't want to keep you guys hanging on the follow-up to that killer robot from Chapter 4. As you can tell, this chapter is setting up for some major events down the line.

Kudos to all of you guys guessing the main inspiration for Yuko Yasuda and her Zen-Bots. Putting Sentinel-inspired foes in a My Hero Academia story just makes all the sense in the world to me, considering comics like X-Men were the main inspiration for the series.

Next Time: Those Heart-pounding Days of Youth!

Chapter 19: Those Heart-Pounding Days of Youth!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

I hope you guys like ships because we got so much sailing in this particular chapter that you can mistake it for a harbor!

Chapter 19: Those Heart-Pounding Days of Youth!

Another day of heroic learning was set to begin for Class 1-B. However, in a change of pace, Izuku and Ochako were the first ones there.

'Huh, that's odd.' Izuku thought as he tried to remember why exactly Tenya and Yosetsu were running late. The two started to place their bags on their desks.

"Looks like we're the first here," Ochako stated as she walked towards Izuku.

"Seems like it," the greenette said as he took his books out of his backpack. "I never noticed how big this classroom is—"

KABEDON!

Before Izuku knew what had happened, he was pushed back to the wall, and Ochako slammed her hands against the wall, trapping him. He looked at the brunette and saw a rather...hungry look on her face.

"O-Ochako?" He felt his face burn up with how close their faces were. But before he could say anything, Ochako shushed him by placing a finger on his mouth.

"We got some time to ourselves. We should make the most of it. Right, I-zu-ku?"

Izuku couldn't believe this was happening! The kindest and most badass girl he knew was flirting with him! Looking at him with such a flirtatious look in her eyes and closing in for a kiss. Izuku puckered his lips, ready to kiss her...but then, he felt like the world turned and...

BONK!

"Owowow!" Izuku groaned as he clutched his head. But when he blinked his eyes open, he wasn't in the classroom. He was in his dark room; his bed covers dragged down with him onto the floor with him. Izuku saw he had also knocked his phone from his night table and picked it up, seeing that it was 4:30 in the morning.

It was there, lying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling, that Izuku processed what had just happened.

He'd had just dreamt about Ochako. A dream that looked straight out of the pages of a shoujo romance manga. A dream where they were about to kiss.

Izuku put his hands over his tomato-red face before screaming into his palms.

'Well, no denying it now.' Izuku thought to himself. Looking back, he couldn't believe how long he'd ignored or overlooked his feelings. How his heart would skip a beat just by looking at her. How the very thought of her smile made his heart flutter. And how the image of her punching something was burned into his brain, which was one of the most beautifully awesome things he had ever seen.

There was no shadow of a doubt; Izuku Midoriya had a stupidly huge crush on his friend Ochako...and had no idea what to do with that revelation.

One month and Three Weeks until the Sports Festival.

"So that's the upgraded design, eh?" Power Loader said as he looked over Izuku's schematics on his laptop while the two sat in the Support Lab. "It's definitely more intimidating and a bit on the chunkier side."

"Well, I figured a bulkier design would allow us to add a thicker layer of Titanium Alpha over the critical joints," Izuku explained, taking a bite out of a candy bar as he did so. "And it would make a cockpit roomier as well. Especially for the new motion-capture controls."

"The armor's doable before the Festival. But changing the control design...that's gonna take a while to test and get all the kinks worked out. I'm talking, like, way after the Sports Festival." He saw his student pout at this. "But that doesn't mean we can't start working on it right away. Gives you time to figure out the right fighting style for it."

That made Izuku smile. As it was right now, the Mo-Cap program was limited by the time it took him to input the commands via the controls. If Striker had a control scheme more akin to something like Gekitohja, then his movements could be instant. As for the fighting style thing...

"Don't worry." Izuku got up and took a boxing stance. "Gunhead-sensei's been putting us through the wringer." He did a little shadowboxing to demonstrate. "I'm sure to find a fighting style that'll fit me and Striker just right."

Izuku got to work developing Striker's new fighting style, asking Rin for a sparring match during Gunhead's class. The greenette threw a punch, but Rin hit it away with his right arm before sweep-kicking at Izuku's ankles, causing him to fall onto the matted floor.

"Nice try, but your movement made it a bit too predictable."

"In that case..." Izuku got up and grabbed Rin's left wrist with his left arm. But Rin retaliated with a chop to his sparring partner's wrist, causing Izuku to flinch and let go. And then, with speed exceeding Izuku's, Rin grabbed Izuku's arm and tossed him over his shoulder.

"Better. But you need to work on your speed." Rin commented before helping Izuku up.

"Right!"

"Okay, now try deflecting one of my punches."

The two boys got ready to continue their practice. Izuku braced himself to deflect Rin's punch, but again, Rin was too fast for him, his fist moving past Izuku's raised forearm and punching him in the face. Izuku tumbled a bit, falling to his knees before getting back up. "Again."

"Right." Izuku took up his stance again. This time, when Rin threw his punch, Izuku managed to at least begin to deflect. But again, Rin's experience meant he was faster, once again knocking Izuku down.

"That's enough." Rin saw Kendo approaching them with an angry look on her face.

"What? We're training." He responded stoically.

"It looks more like you're knocking him down over and over again." She looked down at him. "Midoriya, do you need a bandage or something?"

Izuku scowled but shook his head to get rid of that. "Kendo, it's fine."

"But-"

"A hero needs to be able to take a punch and get back up," Izuku said as he looked at Rin. "Again."

Rin nodded and threw a third punch. This time, Izuku actually managed to deflect it, surprising Kendo and earning a smile from Rin.

One Month, Two Weeks, and Six Days until the Sports Festival.

"Lord above, I know I haven't talked to you in forever, but please, grant me the resolve to make it through the next half hour without me making an ass out of myself."

If there was one thing the Class 1-B didn't expect when they went to change in the locker room, it was Mineta sitting on a bench and praying with such intensity that it would make most priests jealous.

"What's up with the little guy?" Sero asked.

"Dude sounds like he's on death row," Kaibara commented.

"Well, today's gym class involves swimming," Yosetsu said, throwing in his two yen. "And knowing Mineta, he's probably gonna go crazy when he sees the girls in their swimsuits." Though honestly, he couldn't blame the guy.

"Not sure why. These things aren't exactly glamorous," Kamakiri said as he examined the swimsuits that he and all of the boys were wearing. A simple pair of dark blue spandex trunks that weren't even that tight.

"You think that matters to a perv like him?" Kaibara said. "Oh, that reminds me: You guys better not—"

"We won't gawk at Tsunotori," Kuroiro said with a smirk.

"Shit, I'm really that predictable, aren't I?"

"Yup."

Kaminari, however, chuckled at the boys, getting their attention.

"What's so funny, blondy?" Kamakiri asked.

"You guys got Minoru here all wrong," Kaminari said with a smirk. "See, Minoru's actually hoping he can stay on his best behavior...because he doesn't want his crush to think badly of him."

"HUH?!" All of the boys exclaimed. Fukidashi was so surprised that his word balloon head turned into a red exclamation point.

"That's right. See, a few days ago, Minoru and I were messing around by a stairway during our free period, tossing peanuts and trying to catch them in our mouths-"

"Kaminari, you two should have been using that time to study," Tenya exclaimed, raising his arm and chopping the air. Kaminari just gave him a flat look.

"It's also rude to interrupt someone when they're telling a story, Prez."

Tenya was taken aback for a moment before lowering his arm. "My apologies," he said, a touch embarrassed and ashamed. "Please, continue."

"Thank you. So I threw a peanut, and Minoru tripped when he tried to catch it. Dude almost fell down the stairs, but then a giant mushroom popped up out of nowhere and caught him."

"Oh, I think Kacchan mentioned that one of his classmates can do that."

"Komori." The boys turned and saw Mineta with a dumb, love-struck look on his face. "Her name's Kinoko Komori...and she has the prettiest eyes I've ever seen."

"Ya." Kaminari put his open hands in front of his chest to simulate the image of big breasts. "And apparently, they were so pretty that Minoru didn't even realize how stacked she was until he saw her again later that day."

"I mean, those are great too, but Komori is just so... so..." Mineta just gave a happy sigh. "She laughs at my dirty jokes, thinks my puns are great, and she's great at her own mushroom puns, too. We even traded some ideas for costume upgrades."

"Damn, seems like you've got a good thing going on, little dude," Yosetsu said.

"Yeah..." Mineta's expression turned deathly serious. "...and that's why I can't screw this up! In middle school, I got caught stealing a girl's bloomers, and that ruined my social life. I can't let my base urges get the better of me." He then bit his backpack strap out of frustration. "And it's not easy. I'm gonna be exposed to the girls in swimsuits for a whole hour! How am I supposed to stay calm?! Hell, I found a peephole leading to the girl's locker room over there, and it's taking every bit of willpower I have not to peak!"

The boys glanced at where Mineta pointed, seeing the corner of a poster had been flipped over to reveal a small hole. Kaminari, Yosetsu, and Sero shared a look that Tenya had caught.

"Don't even think about it." He warned. The trio said nothing...and then instantly tried to bolt. "Izuku, Kirishima, Kaibara!"

"On it!" Izuku grabbed Yosetsu by the wrist, Kirishima put Sero in a choke hold, and Kaibara locked Kaminari into a Boston Crab.

"Come on, dude!" Sero pleaded.

"Nope, not letting you do this. We're supposed to be heroes-in-training!" Kirishima proclaimed.

"Seriously, Yosetsu?" Izuku asked, feeling a bit disappointed in his fellow super robot otaku.

"Can you blame a guy?" His expression then turned into a smirk. "If it makes you feel any better, I promise I won't look at Ochako."

Izuku's face turned bright red. "W-W-W-Why would you-"

Unfortunately, in his fit of embarrassment, the greenette let go of Yosetsu's wrist, and the guy rushed to look through the peephole. But what he was met with wasn't the forbidden fruits, but rather, a green eye staring back at him.

"AGGGHHH!" Yosetsu jumped back. And from the sounds coming from the other side of the wall, whichever girl was peeking in did the same. "Someone's peeking in on us!"

"You just tried doing the same," Honenuki said. And pretty much all the boys had a good idea which girl was the peeping tom.

"Tokage! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Tenya shouted.

"Hey, you don't know it was me!" The guilty party said from the other side of the wall. "For all you guys know, it could've been Jiro or-OUCH!"

"Don't try to frame me, you perv!" The punk girl's voice shouted from the girl's locker room. Soon, they could hear the sound of Kendo chastising Tokage as well, along with Ochako, Tsunotori, and Hagakure laughing.

A few minutes later, Tokage was grumbling, nursing the spot on her shoulder where Jiro jabbed her. The punk girl, Yanagi, and Hagakure were sitting next to her on the bench while Ochako, Kendo, and Tsunotori were stretching. All seven girls were dressed in swimsuits that were the same color as the boy's swimsuits, though they obviously covered their torsos.

"Way to ruin the fun, Jiro."

"Oh, please. With how you react to guys flirting with you, you probably would've died of a nosebleed if you actually saw something."

"Naw, I saw someone's butt," Tokage said with a proud smile. "And don't act like you aren't interested in any of the guys. I mean, Yanagi probably knows what I'm talkin' about."

The silver-haired girl flinched at that. "W-Whatever do you mean?"

"Come on, Yanagi," Hagakure decided to get in on the gossiping. "We've all seen how you've been looking at Kirishima like a lost puppy."

Jiro didn't say anything, but she silently agreed. With her super-hearing, she often heard small things some of her classmates whispered (accidentally on her part, as it is sometimes hard to block out sounds when bored from one of Ectoplasm's math lessons.) So she often heard Yanagi sighing and whispering the word "Wonderful" whenever she looked at the redhead.

Yanagi's pale skin took on a reddish hue, bringing her hands to her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. "Ever since the USJ, I have found myself captivated by Kirishima. His smile is like a brilliantly warm fire, and I am but a lowly moth entranced by its radiance."

"Oh, you got it bad, girl," Hagakure commented.

"You guys sure you don't want to stretch?" Ochako asked.

"We're good," Jiro replied.

"Whatever," Kendo said as she continued her stretching. "You want to gossip about boys and cramp up? Be my guest."

"Ah, Kendo!" The girls saw the boys arriving from the pool, with Tenya walking towards the trio. He was wearing the same swimsuit as the rest of the boys but was also wearing a light blue swimming cap and goggles on his forehead. "I noticed your pre-swimming stretches. A great idea, as expected of my vice president!"

Kendo said nothing, finding her gaze drawn to Tenya's bare torso. After a moment, Tenya's expression changed to one of concern. "Are you feeling well?"

That snapped the orange-haired girl out of her trance. "Y-Yeah, just fine!" she blurted out, quickly doing some shoulder stretches in an attempt to save face.

"Very well," Tenya said, seemingly taking Kendo at her word. "I'll see if I can get some of the boys to do the same."

Kendo sighed as Tenya walked away but then saw the knowing smirks on both Tsunotori and Ochako's faces. "Not. A. Word."

'STEEL YOUR WILL, MINORU!' Mineta mentally chanted himself up, staring at the pool patio and gritting his teeth. 'DON'T OGGLE THE GIRLS! DON'T GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION! OR ELSE KOMORI WILL THINK YOU'RE A FREAK!'

Kirishima saw the intensity with which Mineta was focusing and gave a thumbs up out of respect.

"So, what do you think Kan-Sensei's gonna have us do?" Ochako asked, chatting with Tenya, Yosetsu, and Izuku a bit before the class started.

"Oh...probably just some standard..." Izuku's face was red as he tried to avert his eyes. "...swimming exercises." Every time he looked in Ochako's direction, his eyes would wander to get lost in her adorable face, or his face would get warmer at the sight of her curvy yet muscular body. 'AGH! I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK!'

"Nah, it's gotta something more than that." Yosetsu, for once, did not wear any kind of headband. "Last week, he had us running with weights on our wrists and ankles. The week before that was G-Force training. And earlier that week, he made us hold ourselves up between two walls for as long as we could. He's probably got something crazy swimming regime planned for us today."

Tenya nodded in agreement. Since the start of the semester, the Blood Hero was making good on his promise to make sure Class 1-B was as physically capable as possible. Not just those who signed up for Gunhead-Sensei's Martial Arts Course.

A moment later, Mr. Kan walked out to the pool, clad in a pair of red & black swimming trunks and a whistle on a string around his neck.

"One of the worst things that a pro-hero can encounter is suddenly finding themselves in bodies of water. Sinking evil lairs, river rescues, flooded subway tunnels, you name it. So, it's in every hopeful hero's best interest to be able to swim." He looked at his class. "If anyone here doesn't know how to swim, raise your hand."

Yanagi, Koda, and Jiro raised their hands. "All right, you three will have to partner up with someone to help teach you the basics. As for the rest of you, you'll be going through a series of exercises to gauge your swimming ability, among other things."

"Oh, it's like that test we took at the start of the semester!" Ochako reasoned, getting a confirming nod from Kan.

Tenya volunteered to help out Koda, and Hagakure volunteered to help out Jiro. Which just left Yanagi by herself until...

"Don't worry, Yanagi," Kirishima exclaimed, a toothy grin across his face. "I'll be happy to help you out."

"...oh...okay," Yanagi replied, trying her hardest to hide her growing blush while Kan explained the intended exercises for the period. First would be making sure his students knew how to dive properly in emergency situations.

"I call this one the 'Shamosaurus Splash!'" Tokage said from on top of the high dive platform.

"Tokage, don't!" Kan warned as he and the class watched. "That's a bad i—"

"Geronimo!" The dino-loving girl leaped off the high dive to perform the mother of all belly flops. She landed with a splash, water spraying high into the air. The pool was quiet for a moment, then Tokage's arm floated to the surface. Then, her foot. Then, her leg. Slowly but surely, all of the scattered pieces of Tokage's body floated to the surface, having apparently been broken apart by the force of her ill-advised belly flop.

Takage's head floated along like an apple ripe for bobbing, a dazed and pained look on her face. "...ow."

Kan just sighed. "Someone help me scoop her out."

After Yosetsu and Yanagi had helped him do just that, Sero took him to the diving board.

"Let me show you guys how it's done." Sero placed his hands together and bent his knees. He leaped hands first in an arching motion, breaching the water's surface with barely a splash. He came up and gave a smile and thumbs up while the class clapped like the audience of a tennis match.

As the rest of the class continued their diving exercises, Kirishima was helping out Yanagi, holding her hands as she paddled with her legs.

"Okay, you got a good rhythm going," Kirishima said before letting go of the silver-haired girl. "Now, let me show you the right technique."

Yanagi said nothing for a bit as she looked at her swimming partner. "...your hair."

Kirishima paused, realizing the water had undone his hairdo, and it now lay flat and straight at about chin length. "Oh, yeah. Pretty lame looking, huh?"

Yanagi shook her head. "It looks nice." But she realized what she said, turning her head to keep Kirishima from seeing her blush. If she hadn't turned her head, she would've seen the redhead looking surprised and having a light blush on his face as well.

The next exercise was testing their lung capacity by seeing how long they could hold their breath underwater. Out of all people, Mineta was the one who lasted the longest. As for why?

'Focus, focus!' Mineta chanted to himself as he held his breath underwater. His eyes almost wandered to look at Ochako and Yanagi's chests (the silver-haired girl went up soon afterward), but he closed his eyes with extreme intensity. 'Don't give in! Focus on the exercise! Become a better hero! SO KOMORI WILL THINK YOU'RE COOL!'

But eventually, Ochako and Mineta came back up for air. Kan clicked the stopwatch he was holding to test their time. "36 seconds."

"Woohoo!" Mineta said, wobbling a bit as he stepped out of the pool. Ochako stepped out, looking a bit impressed with herself.

"Didn't know I could hold my breath for that long."

"Yeah," Yosetsu said before pointing to his cheeks. "I wonder why."

Izuku, Tenya, and Ochako were confused for a second before they got what he was getting at. Izuku and Tenya held back chuckles while Ochako got wide-eyed.

"...no one tell Kacchan. He'd never let me hear the end of it."

One Month, Two Weeks, and Five Days until the Sports Festival.

As she walked towards the support lab, Ochako was a bit on the grumpy side as she held a bento she bought from the cafeteria. Izuku practically rushed to the support lab as soon as the lunch bell rang, apparently having just thought of something just before class ended, and he wanted to get on it ASAP. Ochako figured it would probably be helpful to bring him lunch so he wouldn't forget to eat.

This wasn't the first time she had done this. Izuku had been super-focused on fine-tuning Striker for the Sports Festival. Not that she could blame him. Between her usual training with All Might and Gunhead's martial arts class, Ochako often ended the day with a few sore muscles.

But the fact that she was bringing Izuku lunch wasn't what had gotten her in a bad mood. It was more due to a recent discovery she had learned; mainly that a good chunk of their classmates (and even some from 1-A) thought that she and Izuku were dating!

The first she heard that was during a sparring session with Ashido. When Izuku helped Ochako up after falling before going back to sparing with Kirishima, Ashido gave a mischievous smile and said that Ochako was lucky that her boyfriend was in the same class as her. Naturally, the brunette tried to correct her, surprised that someone would mistake Izuku for her boyfriend.

Moreover, as it turns out, that was something that a few of their classmates just assumed. It definitely explained Mineta's choice of words back at the USJ. Tokage and Hagakure teased Ochako about it a few times (though that was pretty much expected from those two), and even today, Kaminari teased Ochako, saying Izuku's a lucky guy to have a cute girl like her bringing him lunch.

This confused and annoyed Ochako because she and Izuku weren't even dating! And it's not like Izuku was her only guy friend! She was just as close with Kacchan, Tenya, and Yosetsu. And she was friendly with a few guys in her class, like Kirishima and Mineta.

Though as she was walking towards the support lab, a thought occurred to Ochako. She thought back to some of her interactions with Izuku and how they differed from her other male friends.

Out of everyone she knew, Izuku was the one she felt the most comfortable around. Yeah, when it came to more private, feminine stuff, she obviously talked to Mei and, more recently, Tsu about that kind of stuff. But everything else? The first person she went to was often Izuku.

Which, on some level, made sense. Ochako didn't really have a lot of close friends back in Jakuto. Mostly due to her own hesitance to go out with anyone and her concern about her family's money. Not to mention that middle school students weren't exactly friendly to chubbier girls with a weird laugh and a weird Quirk like her. And by the time she got into shape to handle One for All, she was already enrolling in U.A.

So Izuku, this awkward yet kind boy she met on the beach, was her first real friend. His muttering was a bit weird at first, but she got used to it pretty quickly and even found it a bit endearing. It was pretty cute how excited he got about anything related to heroes and super robots. He was always up for talking about Thirteen and coming up with ways her gravity quirk might actually work. And he never made fun of her 'round face' or padded fingers. Of course, she was the most comfortable around him.

'Everyone's just full of it.' Ochako thought to herself as she finally reached the support lab. And just as she expected, Izuku was working on something.

"Okay, so the tank treads would probably need to be nixed. Maybe I can use a Dom-like hover system. Though that might increase the..." Izuku muttered to himself as he looked through various books and web pages on different kinds of tires. He had been in the middle of tinkering with Striker's design when he was hit with sudden inspiration for a different project. Plus, no one was in the support department's first-year lab at the moment, so the quietness (well, relative quietness as he had some lo-fi music playing in the background) helped him focus. Until...

"There you are." Izuku snapped out of his muttering and saw Ochako walking towards him, bento in hand. "You almost missed out on lunch."

"What can I say? I had a sudden burst of inspiration, and you know what they say, you've gotta strike while the iron's hot." Izuku admitted with an awkward smile. Ochako just rolled her eyes and handed the boy his lunch. Izuku's eyes lit up when he saw the bento's label. "The katsudon special! That's my favorite, how'd you know?"

"I just kind of noticed you'd always go for whenever Lunch Rush made it," Ochako said. "And I figured. Wouldn't want ya passing out during Mr. Gunhead's lessons."

"You're a lifesaver, Ochako," Izuku looked up at her, smiling ear to ear. "Thanks a bunch!"

DOKI!

'...okay, that ain't fair.' Ochako felt her face heat a bit. And who would blame her?! Izuku's big green eyes, his freckles, and his smile were just too cute! In a totally platonic way, of course!

"Sooooo...whatcha doing, exactly?"

"Well, I've been trying to come up with a way to increase Striker's mobility," Izuku explained as he began to open his lunch.

"Do you really need that? Striker's pretty tanky as is," Ochako commented.

Izuku's expression turned serious. An expression Ochako recalled from his big comeback to the Gen Ed students. "That's true. But based on what Kacchan has told me, his class has some real powerhouses. And if they're as skilled or as powerful as Fukidashi or Honenuki, then I need to make sure the rebuilt Striker is as strong as he can possibly be."

A few minutes later, Ochako left Izuku to finish lunch and work in peace. But as she left the laboratory, she found herself thinking more and more about the boy. She found herself feeling...strangely drawn to him.

Yes, he was cute. And endearingly dorky. But he was also determined and willing to put himself at risk to protect people, as he did with Mr. Vlad during the USJ incident. And behind all that nervousness and stuttering was a young man determined to prove with worth as a hero.

There was no denying the beating warmth in her chest. A warmth that only the robot pilot could cause.

Their classmates might've been wrong about her and Izuku...but now, Ochako could see that maybe they were on to something.

Later...

"Kacchan, back away and heal!"

"No way! Dude's about to get stance brok—FUCK!"

Katsuki growled as the words 'YOU DIED' appeared on his laptop screen once more.

"Miquella is mine and mine alone."

"Fuck you, ya incestuous bloodguzzler!"

Izuku sighed. "That's the fifth death in a row." Playing the Century Edition of Elden Ring was supposed to help them relax and take a break from all the schoolwork and sports festival prep. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Izuku and Katsuki hop on the game in co-op, Katsuki on his gaming laptop, and Izuku on his PlayStation. And between Izuku's Lightning Huntsman and Katsuki's Battlemage, they often beat the more difficult bosses in 2-5 attempts.

Mohg, Lord of Blood, was taking them 18 tries and counting. Turns out playing a hyper-aggressive hammer mage fighting in close combat was a bad idea against a demigod that can build-up blood loss at any range.

Katsuki grumbled, feeling like this boss was made to personally piss him off. But he noticed Izuku lying down on his bed, a far-off look in his eyes. No way he'd get that way over a game.

"Okay, what's been eating you?" Katsuki asked. Izuku gave his friend a confused look. "You look like something's been eating at ya for two days. What's up with that?"

Izuku had to give it to his old friend; he could read him like an open book.

Izuku sighed. "Two days ago, I realized I have a huge crush on Ochako."

"...you just realized that?"

It was at that moment that Izuku was glad he was already lying down. Because Katsuki's nonchalance completely floored him.

"Y-You don't sound surprised."

"Izuku, you and Roundface have been disgustingly cutesy around each other for over a year." However, Katsuki thought that at least Izuku had good taste. Sure, Roundface could be annoying and scatterbrained at times, but she had drive, which put her in his good graces on principle alone. "So, are you gonna ask her out?"

"W-What?!" Izuku's face turned red. "I can't do that!"

"Why the hell not?"

"The Sports Festival is getting closer and closer. I can't distract Ochako with a confession! And I can't distract myself with...with a rejection."

"Dude, I doubt Roundface would reject you. Ya can't be a coward about this shit."

"Big talk coming from you, Kacchan."

"Huh?"

Well, Izuku already let one cat out of the bag. Might as well let out another one. "You've been crushing on Mei for years, and you haven't said anything to her."

Katsuki dropped his controller in shock.

"...how long have you known?"

"Since 7th grade, when you gripped the edges of your desk so hard, you left burn marks when Takahara gave Mei some Valentine's chocolate."

"T-That…I-I…" It was surreal seeing Katsuki stuttering for once. "T-This is just a temporary crush! I just haven't been around a lot of girls besides Crazy-Eyes and Roundface."

"Uh huh," Izuku said with a neutral expression, not amused by his friend being a tsundere. Izuku might've been too scared to act on his crush, but at least he was honest.

A few minutes later, Katsuki was walking the lamp-illuminated streets of the neighborhood, laptop case in hand and a scowl on his face.

He meant what he said! The only reason his heart acted weird around Crazy-Eyes was because of her close proximity to him for most of his life! Because she got ridiculous curves around the time he started going through puberty! It would pass as he interacted with more girls! And there were plenty of attractive girls in his class.

Tsu, Racoon Eyes, Ponytail, Sister Viney, Shroom Head, and Stoic. Katsuki would have to be blind so as not to see the girls in his class as cute/pretty. Though, unlike Bug-Eyes, he didn't obsess over it.

However, a sudden realization made Katsuki stop at a street corner. None of the girls in his class made his chest all weird and warm, like Crazy-Eyes seemed to do naturally. Sure, he had been impressed by some of the feats a few of them pulled off during training, but they never made him feel…mushy.

He looked up and noticed that he was at the turn that would lead back to his house if he went one way and to the Hatsume residence the other way. Katsuki took a deep breath and began to walk to the Hatsume house. Sure, the old bag would get on his ass for coming home late, but this was important.

A few minutes later, Katsuki arrived at the Hatsume house. And lo and behold, the garage door was open, and Mei was working on something at her table.

As Katsuki approached the house, a strange feeling came over him. It took a moment to identify, but he came to the startling realization that he was...nervous. Katsuki couldn't remember the last time he'd been genuinely nervous about anything.

Mei was engrossed in whatever project she was working on, blind and deaf to the world around her. He could probably turn around right now, and Mei would be none the wiser.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Katsuki fought the urge to slap himself. 'How the hell can I call myself the future Number 1 Hero if I can't even do this. I can do this. I need to do this.' With that, Katsuki swallowed his nerves and stepped forward.

"Hey."

"Oh, Kacchan!" Mei turned around, allowing Katsuki to see she was working on some kind of boot. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Just thought I'd drop by," Katsuki said, placing his laptop case on the floor and then looking at the workbench. "Fancy looking boot."

"It's a hover boot!" Mei exclaimed, lifting her goggles to her forehead. "I'm going to finish this baby tonight and get to work on its siblings tomorrow." Her face lit up in a bright smile. "I got a good feeling about these cuties! They're gonna knock the socks off of any support companies watching the festival!"

And it was at that moment that Katsuki realized why his heart was always so weird around Mei. She was loud, had a tendency to accidentally blow stuff up, and was a bit lacking when it came to understanding personal space….but she also cared about everyone she deemed as friends; she was absolutely brilliant. And the thing that Katsuki felt drawn to the most was this…her passion. No matter how many times an experiment blew up in her face or how many jerks called her crazy, Mei's passion for building next-gen support gear was only matched by his own drive to become a hero to surpass All Might.

It was that passion that, even from an early age, drew Katsuki to her like a moth to a flame. In fact, it was drawing him close right now. With how bright her smile was, how determined her eyes were, and Izuku's words echoing in his mind, Katsuki couldn't really help himself.

Mei's golden eyes widened as Katsuki kissed her on the cheek. Her face felt warm, feeling his lips on her face and then retracting. He turned away, and Mei could see him gritting his teeth and a blush on his face.

"T-There was a smudge on you—" But Katsuki's half-baked excuse was silenced by Mei grabbing his face with both hands, turning his head, and smacking her lips against his own. He was surprised by how soft her lips were, how oddly comforting the faint smell of motor oil was. Katsuki closed his eyes like Mei's were, placing his hands on her waist and kissing her back.

Eventually, the two separated, hearts fluttered as red eyes looked into golden eyes, and Mei smiled once again.

"That was better than I imagined."

"….when did you start imagining that?" Katsuki asked in a surprisingly quiet tone. Mei thought about it for a second before answering.

"Since about 5th Grade."

"That long?! Why didn't ya ever…well…"

Mei pouted and blushed. "Well, you were so focused on getting into UA, and I thought these…mushy feelings would go away. But they never did because….because you're you, Katsuki! You're the most determined boy I know! You never hesitate to speak your mind! You're foul-mouthed, but then, out of nowhere, you can be sweet as hell!" She then began to clench her gloved hands together. "You're amazing, and I guess I thought you'd need a girl just as amazing as you instead of—"

"Don't act like you're not amazing, Mei!" Katsuki interpreted her by grabbing her hands. "You're the smartest girl….no, the smartest person I know! You've built shit I would probably never think of! Hell, you made my support gear a hundred times more badass than my original design! So don't you dare sell yourself short!"

Mei looked at Katsuki with wide eyes before giggling.

"W-What?" Katsuki blushed.

"You called me Mei instead of 'Crazy-Eyes.'"

"….so?"

"It's just nice."

"…yeah, it kind of is." Katsuki gave a genuine smile back at Mei, the two feeling light as feathers as they pressed their foreheads together.

One Month, Two Weeks, and Four Days until the Sports Festival.

"YOU GUYS ARE DATING?!" Ochako shouted, looking just as wide-eyed as Izuku, seeing Katsuki and Mei walking hand-in-hand to meet them at the train station.

"No need to make a big deal out of it, Roundface," Katsuki said with his usual neutral expression. At least until Mei kissed him on the cheek, making him crack a small smile.

"Two of my best friends are kissing each other! Of course, it's a big deal!" Ochako got in Mei's face. "You gotta give me all the details!"

While Mei was giving Ochako all the details she desperately craved, Izuku and Katsuki were speaking quietly to each other.

"Were you nervous?" Izuku asked.

"A little bit, yeah. I thought I screwed up a good thing," Katsuki then looked at Mei excitedly, chatting with Ochako, smiling at his girlfriend's exuberant energy. "But it was worth the plunge."

Izuku began to think, looking at Ochako. His chest still got warm just looking at her enthusiastic smile. But….it didn't feel like the time was right. While Katsuki was a hard worker and would no doubt train his ass off for the festival, he also had a natural talent that would doubt let him juggle training, schoolwork, and being Mei's boyfriend.

But Izuku didn't have that luxury. The Sports Festival wasn't just a chance for Izuku to leave an impression on some professional heroes. It was also his chance to show all the naysayers that he deserved to become a hero. And so, he made a stern yet quiet declaration.

"I'll tell her after the Sports Festival."

Katsuki smirked and draped his arm around Izuku's shoulders. "I'm gonna hold ya to that, so no pussying out."

"Right!"

Epilogue: Bloody Fog

"So it's just gonna be the two of us?"

"Yup. My folks are on an anniversary trip," his date said, staring at him with those deep blue eyes. "Hope that's okay."

"No! Better than okay!" Takeo hoped he didn't mess up as the handsome lad led him back to his apartment. So far, the third-year high school student was having a pretty crappy day.

After months, he finally worked up the nerve to confess to his crush. Unfortunately, Michi wasn't into athletic guys like him, and he rejected him in the middle of homeroom class, so everyone saw his rejection.

So when class let out, Takeo decided to drown his sorrows in ramen, going to a local favorite stand. But he happened to sit next to another teenage boy. He introduced himself as Sai, and he was the highlight of Takeo's day.

He let him vent about the courage it took him to confess and the sting of rejection. Sai comforted him, saying Michi was a fool to reject him. Then the flirting started, with Sai complementing Takeo on his physique (Takeo bragged that it's what years of baseball got ya.) And then, Sai invited him to his apartment.

Takeo figured, 'Why not?' A random hookup might be just what he needed to get over Michi. Plus, it helped that Sai was pretty hot.

Dark, almost blood-red hair reached the middle of his neck. It contrasted with his bright blue and somewhat mischievous eyes and pale skin. His current outfit of a black t-shirt, jeans, and loafers gave the impression that Sai was a bit on the skinny side.

(Honestly, it looked comfier than Takeo's school uniform.)

The two boys entered Sai's apartment. It was rather nice. Nothing out of the ordinary, but Takeo didn't see any pictures of Sai or his family. If only Takeo had paid more attention to this detail.

"Want anything to drink?" Sai asked as Takeo took a seat near the kitchen counter.

"I'll take a melon soda if...if you got...got it." Takeo suddenly felt lightheaded. "Is...is there some kind of gas leak in here?"

"No, that's the anesthetic gas kicking in," Sai held his hand up, showing a small bit of white fog emitting from his hand. "You've been breathing it in since you walked into the apartment." Takeo tried to say something, only for Sai to interject. "Hey, I'm doing this for your benefit. It'll make this next part less painful."

All of a sudden, Takeo felt a sharp sting in his neck. He looked down and saw a bloody knife sticking out of the front of his throat and the sound of feminine giggling before the blade was pulled out. He fell to the floor, grasping his neck as he felt his mouth filling with blood. He looked up and saw a teenage girl in a high school cardigan smiling down at him, her fangs showing, her pale blonde hair in two messy buns, and her yellow eyes looking into his soul.

She licked Takeo's blood from the knife and let out a sound like she had just eaten some delicious ice cream. "You always pick out the best for me, Saitokins."

"Only the best for you, my dear Himiko."

As if this situation couldn't get more messed up, Takeo saw the girl, Himiko, turn into featureless grey sludge for a second and then turn into...him. Himiko was now a nude and pretty much perfect copy of Takeo. From his messy brown hair, his athletic figure, and even the dimple on his upper thigh. It was like looking up at a mirror.

Himiko began to feel up her new body, cooing at the sensations. "Oh, it's been a while since I've gotten to taste someone this fit."

Saito looked at the transformed Himiko, his eyes gazing at her as if she were the most magnificent thing in the world, placing his hand on her face and smiling.

"You always pull it off way better than anyone else."

"Oh, you."

And so, the last thing poor Takeo saw before he died was the sight of the boy with blood-red hair making out with a naked duplicate of himself. Just the latest victim of a pair that would soon become infamous among the citizens of Japan.

Notes:

No doubt some of you were waiting to see what I was gonna do with Toga in this story. Now, making her a hero student seems to be the more popular thing to do, but I've always preferred her as a villain. But hey, at least she has a boyfriend this time around. Let's see if anyone can guess who he is from canon.

Next time: Welcome to the Show!

Plus Ultra!

Chapter 20: Welcome to the Show!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 20: Welcome to the Show!

One month and one week until the Sports Festival...

'What the fuck?' Katsuki thought.

It was another day at UA, but things had taken an unexpected turn that morning. When Katsuki had opened his locker to grab his school shoes, he'd been met with the sight of a white envelope with a red seal atop his shoes. The letter itself warranted a raised eyebrow, and its contents furthered this confusion.

Bakugou,

I know you've felt the bond we share. It's time we acknowledge it formally.

I request that you meet me behind Gym Gamma.

Katsuki looked at the fancy-looking handwriting and came to a few conclusions.

This was a letter from a secret admirer. Or a chunni. Or possibly both.

The explosive teen briefly tried to guess who could've written this letter….before realizing he didn't give a shit, crumbling up the letter and throwing it in a nearby trash can.

One month and six days until the Sports Festival.

Katsuki's right eye twitched when he opened his shoe locker, and he saw another letter with the exact same handwriting as the previous one. And just like the letter from yesterday, he crumbled it up and threw it in the trash.

One month and five days until the Sports Festival.

Okay, now Katsuki was starting to get incensed. The exact same letter was in his shoe locker…again! But he figured that if he just kept ignoring them, whoever was sending these stupid things would get fed up waiting for him and just give up. He crumbled the letter up and…

"You could at least read it before you throw it away!"

Katsuki flinched to see a very frustrated-looking Momo Yaoyorozu. "Ponytail?!"

"Honestly, I knew you were rude, but I didn't think you were this rude!" But the 1-A class president quickly composed herself. "I suppose I'll just have it say it here. Bakugou, I believe you and I share a connection. It took me a while to figure out what exactly that connection is, but I'm ready to come out and say it."

'What the fuck?!' Katsuki thought to himself. 'What fucking connection?! We've barely even spoken to each other! Is she one of those crazy chicks who think minimal eye contact means there's a connection?!'

Any other guy or girl would've been thrilled to be in Katsuki's shoes. He couldn't deny Yaoyorozu was quite the catch; she was beautiful, intelligent, refined, and freaking loaded. Most people would jump at the chance to date Momo Yaoyorozu.

However, Katsuki was already in a committed relationship!

'I don't need no harem bullshit!' Katsuki thought as he gritted his teeth. 'Better nip this out right now!'

"Katsuki Bakugou…"

"Listen up, Ponytail…"

"I formally declare you as my rival!/I ALREADY HAVE A GIRLFRIEND SO FUCK OFF!"

The two blinked, both equally confused.

"You have a girlfriend?" Yaoyorozu was genuinely surprised. "Good for you, I suppose, but I hardly see what that has to do with this situation."

"The fuck are you talking about?" He pointed to the crumpled-up letter in his other hand. "In your letter, you invited me behind the gym!"

"Of course it did. The back of Gym Gamma has a breeze that causes the trees to sway just right, and at this time, the sun begins to set at the perfect angle." Her eyes sparkled as she imagined it. "It's an ideal scene for two bitter rivals to declare themselves!"

"That or a cheesy love confession straight out of my mom's soap operas."

Yaoyorozu was confused for a second before her face turned red upon realization. She turned around and screamed into her hands, "Momo, you fool!"

Well, Katsuki learned something new about Yaoyorozu; she might've been the smartest student in Class 1-A based on academics, but it seems her social intelligence wasn't up to par.

Katsuki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why do ya want a rival anyway, Ponytail?"

Yaoyorozu slowly looked up from her hand and took a calming breath to center herself. "I've lived a pretty sheltered life. My family is quite well off in terms of money, so there was never anything I wanted that couldn't be bought. My natural talents when it came to academics, my family's status, and my Quirk meant that no matter what school I went to, I was the top student, with no questions asked." Her hands clenched, and her expression hardened into one of frustration. "It wasn't until I came to U.A. that I realized just how pampered I was. True, I've learned as much as I could to take advantage of my Quirk…but after seeing everyone else in action, I've realized that I've spent my life as a big fish in a small pond. Asui, Shishida, Tokoyami, Ashido, Kodai, Komori…all of them are extremely skilled with their Quirks. Todoroki is in a league of his own."

She then turned to face Katsuki again. "And then there's you. I'll be honest; my first impression of you was that of a brute who got into this school through the raw power of his Quirk alone. But watching you in hero training and facing you in different classes destroyed that image. You don't flaunt it, but you're incredibly intelligent. It takes quick thinking and calculations to use explosions to move like you do. Your attacks, while on the outside seem like that of a mindless berserker, are actually purposeful and planned."

Her black eyes burned with determination. "They say that competition breeds excellence. If I want to truly become the best hero I can be, then what I need isn't praise based on my looks, my natural talent, or my family. I need someone to compete against. Someone who will make me push past my limits."

She then pointed at Katsuki. "And that person is you, Katsuki Bakugou!"

Katsuki stood there, staring at Yaoyorozu in shocked silence. Mainly because a lot of what Yaoyorozu said resonated with him. The first day of their hero training also made him realize that, while his Quirk was versatile, he had no competition against any of the shitty extras at Aldera. Like Yaoyorozu, he was also a big fish living in a small pond. He recalled how genuinely surprised he was when he brawled with Nirengeki and just how terrifying it was to see Todoroki freeze an entire building in a matter of seconds. He needed to amp his hero game up if he wanted to make an impact. A competitive smirk appeared on his face before he burst out laughing, shocking Yaoyorozu.

"Goddamn, Ponytail! I didn't expect ya to have this kind of edge. So, you want to be my rival?" He pointed his thumb at himself. "Well, let me warn ya: I'm aiming for the top! To be the one that becomes even bigger than All Might! If you want to be the rival to that, then you better be able to back up your words. Because I ain't being rivals with anyone who bites it early in the festival!"

A competitive smile of her own appeared on Yaoyorozu's face. "Oh, I have no intention to lose, Bakugou."

"Heh, that's the spirit."

The two turned their backs and departed from each other; their competitive spirits fully awakened, anticipation brewing for the day they would face each other.

One month until the Sports Festival...

'Come on, Fumiko. You've got this,' Fujita thought to herself, taking a breath to calm her nerves. She looked in the mirror. The woman she saw was dressed in a dark purple blazer and pencil skirt with a pair of black suede pumps. Her hair and makeup were immaculately done; she was the image of professionalism. Someone who took journalism seriously and was, in turn, taken seriously and respected by her peers.

But as Fujita stared and her reflection stared back, a knot began to twist in her stomach. Something about her reflection felt wrong, like she was looking at a fun house mirror.

"Fuji?"

"Fuck!" Fujita exclaimed. She whirled around to see Takenaka standing in the doorway of her dressing room. "What the hell, Take-Take, haven't you heard of knocking?"

"I mean, I did, but you didn't answer."

Fujita awkwardly stared at Takenaka for a moment. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you and Akira be in your seats?"

"He is. I just needed to talk to you," Takenaka said as he fully entered the dressing room and closed the door.

Fujita sighed. "Well, make it quick; they'll be calling me onstage any minute now."

"Well, uh, I guess the first thing I should say is "thank you" for getting me and Akira tickets. That was actually really sweet of you," Takenaka said. "So, thank you."

"Hey, it was the least I could do; I wouldn't even be on this show if it weren't for your help," she said. Fujita noticed Takenaka's gaze didn't quite meet her eyes. "Okay, what's the real reason you came back here? We don't have time for beating around the bush, Take-Take."

"All right, all right," Takenaka said. "It's just, well, are you sure doing this interview is a good idea?"

Fujita chuckled. "A little too late to back out now, isn't it?"

"I know, I know," Takenaka said. "But you've never done anything like this before; even professionals who live and breathe this stuff can slip up. Is it really a good idea to put yourself in front of millions of people and risk putting your foot in your mouth?"

"You worry too much, Take-Take," Fujita said with a grin, lightly stroking his arm. "Seriously, if you don't get your stress down, you might just give yourself a heart attack."

"Will you please just listen to me!" Takenaka's shout reverberated through the room. Fujita stumbled back, eyes wide. She stared at Takenaka for a moment, both taken aback by his sudden outburst.

"Oh, god! I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from," Takenaka sputtered, his voice shaking. "I mean, it's just...a couple of months ago, we would've been lucky if someone remembered our names if they asked us to do a coffee run. Now you're being interviewed on one of Japan's biggest talk shows. I'm just afraid we're in over our heads."

Fujita's expression softened as she watched Takenaka. "Look, I get it, this has been a lot really fucking fast." She grabbed Takenaka by his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "But we can't let this opportunity go to waste, Take-Take. People dream of moments like these that change their lives forever."

Suddenly, her mouth curled into a grin. "Besides, we've got Jinkai and Mrs. Kizuki in our corner. If we do end up biting off more than we can chew, I'm sure they'll be there to give us the Heimlich."

Takenaka looked at Fujita for a moment, opening his mouth to speak. But before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

"Miss Fujita, we're ready for you," came the voice of one of the many production assistants.

"R-Right, just a second," Fujita said. She gave herself a once over in the mirror and took a calming breath. "You should get back to your seat, Take-Take."

A pensive look crossed Takenaka's face before he sighed and nodded. "I hope you know what you're doing, Fuji." The pair exited the dressing room and quickly went their separate ways. Fujita pointedly ignored the production assistant's questions about Takenaka as they made their way to the stage.

"And we're back, folks. And we've got a special guest for you tonight!" Akito Ōboshi, the much-beloved host of the Watchtower, exclaimed with his usual flair. "She broke one of the biggest stories of the last decade! Give it up for Miss Fumiko Fujita."

The audience erupted in applause at her introduction, and Fujita waved to them as she approached the center of the stage. She took a seat on the big, comfy couch next to Mr. Ōboshi's circular desk. She caught Takenaka sitting down next to his boyfriend, Akira, out of the corner of her eye.

Akito Ōboshi had an appearance that was made for late-night television. He had slicked-back black hair, bright blue eyes, a strong, almost perfectly square chin, and a star-shaped birthmark under his left eye. The fact that he was also ten feet tall also added to the whole 'big star' thing.

"Welcome to the show, Ms. Fujita."

"Glad to be here, Mr. Ōboshi."

"Please, call me Akito," he said with his bright smile. "So, you broke the story on the Midoriya boy. I gotta say, I kind of thought it was a hoax when I first read it."

Fujita gave a practiced chuckle, easy as breathing. "There were a lot of people who had the same reaction to the article, but I'm not surprised. A bold claim like that should be viewed with a certain amount of skepticism, but thankfully, they were able to see I wasn't making it up."

"Enough people to form an impromptu protest right in front of UA," Ōboshi said with a chuckle. "And it really is a shame. United Allies had been the gold standard for hero schools. But I guess we were all so blinded by their shining reputation we didn't see the cracks until now." He shuffled the papers on his desk before asking another question. "So, how did you put the story together?"

Fujita was prepared for this. She'd spent hours going over her cover story with Takenaka. "So after trying to get any info on All Might's teaching methods, which proved harder than bleeding a stone, I decided to figure out if I could find any information about some of the first years. The most anyone really knows is Endeavour's kid, and the heir to the Yaoyorozu finance group was in the hero course, but that's about it. But would you believe me if I said that I got lucky while looking for takoyaki recipes?"

"Takoyaki?" Ōboshi asked, making some of the audience chuckle.

Fujita nodded. "Yeah, I was looking for new recipes on Facebook, and I found a really delicious one from a lovely lady called Honoka Kita. Wonderful recipe, BTW. So I checked out her timeline to see if she had any other recipes, but I noticed she had shared a post her husband, Hibiki, made about how proud he was of his former students making it into U.A."

In an apartment in Musutafu, a man with slicked blond hair and a tall, lanky woman with purple hair cheered at the mentions of their names on national television.

"So I hit Mr. Kita up for an interview. A lot of what we talked about is in the article," Fujita explained. "I asked him about his former students' Quirks, and I was shocked when he said one of those kids who got into UA was actually Quirkless. I'd heard rumors about a supposed Quirkless student in UA's hero course, but until then, I'd brushed it aside as nonsense. When Mr. Kita confirmed these rumors, I knew I had stumbled upon the story of a lifetime."

"I see. I was definitely shocked about U.A. letting a kid like Midoriya in," Ōboshi replied. "Either it's a publicity stunt, or the kid's more impressive than he looks."

"Guess we'll have to wait until the Sports Festival," Fujita said back.

"Now, there are some people who have been criticizing you for putting this story out. They say it's brought unnecessary heat to the Midoriya family, and that you've shined a spotlight on a kid who wasn't ready for it."

Fujita grimaced as she recalled that. A week after the article blew up in popularity, a few of the Midoriya family's friends found her on her socials and they had some...less-than-pleasant words to say to her. Mrs. Bakugou, in particular, unleashed a slew of curse words that would make even the saltiest of sailors blush like school girls.

But this was a dog-eat-dog world. You can't make it anywhere by being nice. Fujita tried working her way up by doing things the more ethical way. Fact-checking, through investigations, getting down to the pavement, etc. And where did that get her?

A shitty one-bedroom apartment above a laundromat. A gut from a diet of cheap takeout food. Her mother constantly on her ass about 'finding a husband to take care of her.' Being relegated to the margins of The National Jinkai, writing meaningless fluff pieces, gossip columns, and interviews with no-name politicians whose supporters you could count on one hand.

It was meaningless busywork meant to pad the empty spaces left in The National Jinkai when the real reporters were finished writing articles the public would actually care about. At some points, she had very nearly tempted to use generative AI to write some of her articles and hit a deadline.

No. Doing things the 'right way' was getting her nowhere. This story was her golden ticket to a better life. It made her name mean something! Who the hell had the right to deny her that?! So what if the Midoriya boy was harassed? He was just a kid. He had his whole life ahead of him. He'd probably forget about all this by the time he graduated.

But, of course, Fujita couldn't say all that out loud. No, instead, she had a speech at the ready for just such a question. One she had memorized.

"Me? That kid stepped into the spotlight the moment he decided to enroll at UA. These kids aren't 'just' kids. These are the people who will one day be responsible for protecting us, our children, and our grandchildren. The public has a right to know who's going to be in charge of our safety sooner rather than later."

Ōboshi looked impressed by that answer but decided to throw her a curve ball. "So, should we have every cop or firefighter in training known to the public?"

But Fujita adapted on the spot. "Look, I have nothing but respect for our rescue workers, but let's be honest: heroes are a bit more than that. These are the people who are on lunch boxes, backpacks, and game shows. These are the people we expect to keep us reassured that everything's gonna be okay. They have to be better. And that means if there's a flaw that they're hiding, it's up to reporters like me to point out and criticize them if they're falling behind."

The crowd seemed to like that, as the sounds of hands clapping and wooing soon began to echo throughout the studio. The sounds brought a smile to Fujita's face. It was incredible; she felt like she was on top of the world, and nothing could bring her down.

"So, Ms. Fujita, what are your plans for your next big article?"

...except that. That could bring her down.

"Well, aren't you forward?" Fujita said with practiced ease, even as she gripped the arm of her chair a little too hard. "As much as I'd love to tell you all about it, I can't risk letting my next subject in on my plans. They could be watching right now."

In truth, since Chitose Kizuki had first asked her to come on the show, Fujita had been wracking her brain for something just as exciting and captivating as her expose on Midoriya. But she had nothing. Zip, nada, zilch.

So far, she'd been able to stave off any questions about a follow-up to her Midoriya article by keeping busy with the work (as in real, actual journalistic work instead of mindless filler) Chief Usui had been assigning her and Takenaka. But she couldn't keep this up forever.

"Oh, come on, just one hint for lil ol' me," Ōboshi said in an oh-so-cutesy voice that made the audience chuckle. Fujita laughed along with them, even as unease grew in the pit of her stomach.

"I really wish I could," she said in the most apologetic voice she could muster. "But I'm dealing with some sensitive information here, and I can't take any chances."

Ōboshi whistled at her words. "Well, whatever you're writing about must be one hell of a bombshell if you're being this cagey about it. Are we talking about something on par with our favorite Quirkless UA student?"

Fujita felt sweet drip down the back of her neck; had they turned up the brightness on the stage lights? Prickling pain stabbed her facial muscles as she fought to maintain the small smile on her face. "Maybe. You'll have to wait and see like everyone else."

"Okay! Now you've got me excited!" Ōboshi exclaimed. "You've got my appetite wet, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into your next expose! I'm sure this one's going to be even bigger and better than the first!"

The audience erupted into cheers, but Fujita could barely hear it over her own internal screaming. 'Next time, why don't you try listening to Take-Take, you stupid bitch!' Fujita mentally berated herself even as she continued to smile and wave.

29 days until the Sports Festival...

Maijima breathed a tired sigh as he began to close up the support lab for the night. He had just finished locking up the 2nd year support lab. Now, it was onto the first year. But as he approached it, he heard the sounds of banging and clanging. And based on the rapid pace, it seemed like they were suffering a bit of the old inventor's frustration and taking it out on a piece of metal.

Indeed, when Maijima entered the lab, he saw Izuku, sleeves of his uniform rolled, and slamming a wrench against one of Striker's detached arms lying on a workbench.

"Izuku, what are you still doing here?" Maijima looked at his watch. It was almost 8 o'clock.

The boy nearly leaped out of his skin in surprise. "Mr. Maijima! I was just, uh," Izuku pondered what to say for a moment before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"It's just...I was trying to figure out how to fit the drill attachment into the arm," the boy began, turning back the arm lying on the bench. "But if I put in a drill, then the hand is going to plop on the ground. Not to mention that in order to put the gears in place to even turn the drill, I gotta remove the anchor chains, which means I can't use the Anchor Knuckle..."

Maijima looked at the state of anxiety and barely contained frustration that his student was going through. Izuku had seemed off all day, and this just confirmed that. As his student just went on, Maijima sighed.

"Okay, you're done for the day."

"What?! But I-"

"You. Are. Done!" Maijima said in a very stern voice. Izuku grumbled a bit before putting his wrench down. Maijima placed a comforting hand on the greenette's shoulder. "Come on; let's grab a bite."

About twenty minutes later, the two were sitting in a convenience store parking lot, having some time to kill before the train to Izuku's neighborhood arrived. Izuku bit into a rice ball as Maijima ate some dango.

"Not as good as fresh dango, but it's good enough." The lanky man said, only to look at his protegee, seeing that far-off look in his eyes. It didn't take someone of his intellect to figure out what was bothering his student. "You saw that bit on The Watchtower, didn't you?"

"...I did."

"Figures."

Izuku gripped the rice ball in his hands, shaking with all the emotion he was feeling. "I just...so many people are talking about me. About my parents. I want to..."

"Clap back at them?"

"...I guess." Izuku let out an emotional, exhaustive sigh. "But I know going back on social media is just asking for trouble. So I wanted to make Striker the best he can be, but I keep running into problems an-"

"Izuku, I know you're doing your best." Maijima chimed in. "No one is denying that. But you skipped lunch today to work on Striker."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did...for the fourth time this week," Maijima pointed at him. "That's a bad habit you're developing."

"...okay, maybe. But...but I've got a lot riding on this, sensei!" Izuku scratched his hair. "It feels like any time I'm not working on Striker is just time wasted. That...those people that got riled up by Fujita...might be right about me."

Maijima put his food down. "I get it. Maybe not to your extent, but I get it." He looked up at the sky. "Back when I was a rookie, no one would give me the time of day. I was some no-name with a 'lame' digging Quirk. Didn't matter how efficient I was at savin' people. They keep making dumbass jabs and memes about...well, everything. My height. My posture. And especially my Quirk. But I kept at it. I built support gear to help compensate for what my Quirk couldn't do. Keep pushing myself harder and harder to be better."

The orange-haired man let out a chuckle. But there was no mirth within it. "Eventually, it worked. I got the recognition I wanted. A fancy moniker too...The Power Armor Hero." His expression saddened. "And all it cost me was my health takin' a nosedive, my friends rightfully callin' me self-absorbed...and my husband leaving me."

Izuku's eyes widened in shock. "You were married?"

"Yep," Maijima said with a sad smile. "We were childhood friends, always there to support each other. And took me a stupidly long time to realize he liked me as more than a friend and that I liked him back." Tears welled at the corners of his eyes. "I really thought we'd be together forever, but I took him for granted. I got so caught up in trying to be a great hero that I couldn't see the most important person in my life needed saving."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Izuku wanted to say something, but didn't know what.

After a moment, Maijima let out a sigh and turned to Izuku. "It's good to have drive as a hero. Hell, in general. But there's something that the public, or hell, even heroes themselves, tend to forget: underneath all the superpowers, the fancy gear, the eye-catching costumes, the titles, the hero rankings...we're all just human. With all the baggage that comes with it." Maijima looked Izuku in the eye, letting the boy see the years of overworking had done to his teacher. "Take it from a guy who's been in your place, Izuku. Neglecting yourself just to try and be a better hero, at the cost of everything else...that's only going to hurt you in the long run."

"...I see." Izuku suddenly felt a sense of shame until Maijima tapped him on the shoulder. The boy looked and saw a smile on his teacher's face.

"Look, just promise you won't skip meals and at least get 8 hours of sleep. Got it?"

Izuku gave a light smile back. "Got it."

Maijima took out two canned coffees and handed one to Izuku. They opened them with a pop and tapped them together before chugging the drinks, just sitting there. One inventor having long started his journey. One still near the beginning of his.

27 days until the Sports Festival.

"So what's this all about, Yosetsu?" Izuku asked as the gang waited to enter the school by the northeast gate rather than the front entrance that they usually took.

"If we're late to first period, I'm gonna toss your headbands into the gutter," Katsuki grumbled.

"Dude, don't say something so harsh! And anyway, I heard from Hagakure that a big fight breaks out every morning at this entrance." Yosetsu stated. "In fact, apparently this started happening so often last year that they constructed this side entrance just so the rest of the student body could make it to class on time."

"I find that hard to believe," Tenya retorted. "U.A. would never allow such wanton violence to occur on a daily basis!"

"I dunno. I mean, they got crazy robots, so I wouldn't put it past them," Ochako chimed in.

Tsuyu used her Quirk to climb up the walls and saw an entire crowd of second and third-year students from the Hero Course, General Course, and Business Course all gathered up and prepared for a battle. The crowd consisted mostly of guys, but there were some girls in there as well. "They definitely look like they're getting ready for a brawl, ribbit."

"Did Hagakure say why a fight constantly breaks out?" Izuku asked. Mei looked into the distance with her Quirk and saw three second-year students running towards the entrance.

Two of them looked to be siblings. Each had long hair tied back in a braided pigtail, but one was a boy with black hair and bluish-grey eyes, and the other was a girl with red hair and pink eyes. Running alongside them was a girl with short blue hair styled in a bob and amber eyes.

"Is it because of those three?" Mei asked. The rest of the gang looked and saw the three second-years as well.

"Well, one of them is," Yosetsu said. Soon enough, they heard the second and third years running out the gate, causing the ground to shake and the gang to evade as they rushed ahead.

"There she is!" One of the second years shouted. "There's Akane Tendo!"

"Today's the day she goes down!"

The blue-haired girl grit her teeth, her eyes blazing with anger. "Every single day with this!"

"I'll leave this to you," the boy said as he leaped and began to hop on the crowd's heads to get to the entrance. The red-haired girl began to do the same while shouting, "Good luck, Akane!"

"Ranma, Ranko!" Akane shouted as she spin-kicked a second-year student twice her size. The gang saw a red aura begin to cover her as she began to fight against the crowd. "Will you morons get a clue?! I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT WITH ANY OF YOU!"

Izuku and the others watched in amazement as this Akane girl began to single-handedly beat the crowd, showing a great display of martial arts prowess.

"Woah, she's like a one-woman hurricane!" Mei commented while Izuku pulled out his notebook and started taking notes.

"Does that aura have something to do with that?" He looked and saw a student with an elephant Quirk go flying. "Seems like it."

"This is absurd; why on earth are they attacking her?" Tenya asked, still trying to process the absurdity of what he was seeing.

"Apparently, a bunch of our upper-classmen think if they beat this Akane Tendo girl in a fight, she'll go out with them," Yosetsu explained.

"Seriously?" Katsuki said, quickly losing respect for their upperclassmen. "They can't just ask her out like a normal person? What smooth-brained jackass put that thought into their heads?"

"Ranko, my darling!" The gang peaked around the entrance corner and saw a tall third-year student in a kendou gi and holding a bouken. He had short brown hair and dark brown eyes, holding a stance like a samurai straight out of an old Kurosawa film. "Today is the day I prove myself a man worthy of your love!"

"Seriously, Kuno?!" The girl shouted.

"Good luck, sis." The boy sidestepped and began to run towards the building.

"Don't leave me with this creep, Ranma!"

"I have the utmost faith in you to kick his ass!" He said with a smirk before being forced to avoid a yellow and black bandanna that split a nearby rock in half. Another second-year boy with short hair and a tiger-themed bandanna began to attack him. "Dammit, Ryoga! I just want to go to class!"

"Then fight me like a man and prove you deserve to go to this school, Ranma Saotome!" As the two began to fight, Ranko ended up kicking Kuno in the chest, sending him flying into a nearby tree. But he refused to give up, pulling out a bouquet of roses from his gi.

"That third year is the reason why," Yosetsu explained. "Apparently, back when Ms. Tendo first enrolled at UA, Takewaki Kuno over there fell head over heels...and apparently so did half the student body. But he claimed he would prove himself as the only one worthy of Ms. Tendo by defeating her in a fight."

While this noise around them was going on, Tenya was shaking with proper fury. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU!?" The horde of students froze as Tenya stepped out from where the group was observing the all-out brawl. "This behavior is entirely unacceptable! We, as students of the prestigious hero school of UA, must hold ourselves to—"

"And just who is this presumptuous whelp that dares to intrude upon this hallowed battleground?" Tenya turned to see Tatewaki Kuno approaching him. The third year cut an intimidating, regal figure...if not for the black eye, torn gi, and a bouquet of flowers shoved over his head like a cone of shame on a dog. "Your blatant disregard for proper etiquette disquiets me. I demand you and your cohorts identify yourselves immediately!"

Tenya stared at his upperclassman for a moment, contemplating whether or not he was suffering from a concussion. "Are you feeling well? I think it would be best to take you to Recovery Girl for—"

"Your name, underclassman."

Tenya pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Very well, my name is—"

"Although," Kuno said, interrupting Tenya once more. "I suppose it is only proper that I introduce myself first before asking for your name."

"...am I having a stroke?" Tenya asked, glancing back to his friends.

"Very well!" Kuno exclaimed, striking a dramatic pose, his bouken raised high in the air. "I am the rising star of UA's hero course, third year of class 3-A. A warrior whose strength and skill are beyond measure. Evil trembles when it hears my title of Blue Thunder. I am Tatewaki Kuno! Age seventeen."

Izuku and the other first years stared at him with wide eyes. "Maybe we're all having simultaneous strokes?" Izuku said.

Once Tenya managed to get over the shock of the utterly bizarre situation before him, he recomposed himself and tried to finally get a word in. "I am Tenya Iida, hero course student and Class Representative of class 1-B. My friends and I heard of your...your daily ritual, and wished to see if the rumors were true."

Kuno nodded in understanding, and Tenya winced as he watched the roses' thorns dig into his skin. "So...YOU HAVE TO LAY CLAIM THE BEAUTIFUL AND RADIANT AKANE TENDO!" Kuno pointed his bouken at Tenya, who could only stare at his upperclassman, mouth agape. "You are all most certainly welcome to try—"

"NO WE FUCKING HAVEN'T!" Katsuki screamed, storming his way towards Kuno. "First off, I have a girlfriend. Second, even if I didn't, what the hell kind of moron tries to date a girl by beating her up? Did that scrambled brain of yours think 'hitting on' someone means you actually attack them?"

Kuno was taken aback. "How dare you! As your senpai, I demand—"

"And third," Katsuki continued, ignoring Kuno's protests. "If you're in love with this Tendo chick, then why the hell were giving flowers to the redhead?"

"Oh, how naive the youth of today are," Kuno said rather dramatically. "My heart burns in equal measure for both the demure, sweet Akane and the spirited, passionate Ranko. It would be cruel to deny either one of them my affections, so it is only fair—"

Kuno's speech came to a screeching halt when Ranko leaped through the air to deliver a spin kick that sent Kuno flying into the wall. "Basically, he's a creep who thinks he can play harem protag and date both of us," Ranko said rather nonchalantly, hands behind her head.

"...gross," Katsuki said.

"Yep."

"I can't believe it," Tenya said. "I never imagined such degenerates would be allowed into the hallowed halls of UA." He turned to face his upperclassmen, giving the horde of students a glare that made many of them shrink. "All of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Attacking your classmates for some sick and twisted form of sexual gratification! Your behavior isn't merely an affront to UA, but human decency in general!"

"Hey, don't lump me in with the rest of these perverts!" they turned to see the boy with the yellow and black bandanna, who currently had Ranma caught in a headlock. "I'm Ranma's eternal rival! I don't want to date him, I want to defeat him!"

"Just because you don't want to get in my pants, doesn't make your obsession with me any better, Ryoga," Ranma deadpanned. Ryoga growled in indignation, but before he could respond, Ranma slipped out of the headlock. He grabbed Ryoga's arm and threw the bandanna-wearing boy as hard as he could...directly into Kuno.

Izuku and the other first years winced as Ryoga slammed into Kuno with an ugly "crunch" sound. "Are they okay?"

"Physically, they'll be fine; we do this every day," Ranma said. "Mentally, I don't if those two have ever been okay."

"WILL YOU TWO STOP STANDING AROUND AND HELP ME?!" Akane had resumed her ferocious beat down of the horde of gathered students, a look of pure fury on her face. "We're going to be late again!"

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming," Ranma said, grabbing his sister by the arm. "Let's get this over with."

What happened next could only be described as beautifully brutal. Working together, Akane, Ranma, and Ranko made quick work of the remaining students, who started falling like dominoes. While Akane was like a one-woman wrecking crew, Ranma and Ranko's movements were fluid, graceful, more precise, but no less devastating.

And as the first years watched in awe, something stirred in the back of Ochako's mind. A strange sense of familiarity with the twins' movements. As quickly as it started, it was over, Akane and the twins stood victorious amongst the sea of black and blue UA students. Although, none looked that satisfied.

Akane let out a sigh, dusting herself off. "Seriously, when are these guys going to learn?"

"That was so cool! You guys were like, WHAM! BAM! POW!'" Ochako said, punctuating her sound effects with punches and kicks to the air. "And you two, you were flying around all over the place! It's like you were building up energy in your arms and legs, then letting it go to rocket yourselves all over the place!"

Ranma and Ranko stared at Ochako for a moment with wide eyes. "That's...exactly right," Ranma said. "My sis and I have the same Quirk. Lets us build up kinetic energy in our limbs as we move, and we release it to do all sorts of stuff." Ranma's eyes narrowed as he stared at Ochako. "You're not another stalker, are you?"

Ranma yelped as Ranko grabbed his ear. "Oh, lighten up, will ya?" Ranko gave Ochako a small smile. "You're pretty clever to figure out Fa Jin just watching us in action." At the mention of their Quirk's name, that strange sense of familiarity stirred in the back of Ochako's mind.

"Fa Jin, that's such a cool name!" Izuku said as he wrote in his Hero Analysis journal. "So, is there a limit to how much energy you can store? Can you store the energy indefinitely, or is there a time limit? Does Fa Jin manifest differently in both of you? I know Tenya and his brother have the same Quirk, but they—"

"Sorry, but we don't have time for questions," Akane said, suddenly grabbing the twins' arms. "It was nice to meet you, but we'll have to talk later. Bye!" The first years watched Akane and the twins disappear into the building.

"Well, I suppose we get goin—OH GOOD LORD!" Tenya screamed as he saw the time on his phone. "It's almost time for class! We're going to be late!"

"Come in, we can make it in time if we hoof it," Yosetsu said.

"We most certainly will not! Running in the halls is—"

"Dude, we literally don't have time for this. We can either run in the halls and be on time or walk and be late; which do you prefer?"

Tenya stared at Yosetsu, mouth agape. In the end, the blue-haired boy's desire for punctuality won over, and they made it to close just as the bell was about to ring. Although, Tenya did end up writing each of them letters of reprimand, including one to himself.

25 days until the Sports Festival.

"I'm home!" Itsuka said as she entered her house. "Anyone home?"

"Living room!"

Itsuka took her shoes off and saw a ten-year-old girl with short, reddish brown hair and teal eyes, still wearing her elementary school uniform. She was sitting next to the living room table, drawing on a piece of paper with crayons while a cartoon played on the TV. Near her was a crib, where a two-year-old boy in a blue onesie was playing with a teddy bear until his blue eyes saw Itsuka.

"Its-Its!" The baby boy happily shouted, holding his arms up. Itsuka smiled at her cute baby brother.

"I missed you too, Judai." Itsuka lifted him up and lightly booped him on the nose, making him giggle. She then looked down at the younger girl. "Where's everyone else?"

"Mom and Desumi are still at the hospital to get Desumi's shots." She shivered at the thought of all those icky needles. "And Gojo's helping Dad get groceries for dinner."

"Gotcha." She then looked down at the drawing. It was some kind of person in a white costume with rainbow outlines. The frilled dress at the bottom made it look like a squiggly fusion of a Super Sentai Ranger and a Pretty Cure. "What're you drawing, Touka?"

The brunette girl smiled brightly and showed Kendo her drawing. "It's my hero costume!"

Itsuka felt her stomach drop.

When she was nine years old, Itsuka told her family she was going to be a hero when she grew up. Touka, the youngest at the time, was super-excited hearing that, saying she was going to be a hero too, so they could be an awesome hero sister duo!

But a few weeks later, their parents took Touka to the hospital for a check-up and came back with devastating news: Touka Kendo was Quirkless.

Itsuka still remembered the look of utter sadness in her little sister's eyes when she came home that day. She remembered her heart breaking as she saw Touka burst into tears.

It only got worse when word spread about Touka's lack of a power. Some of her crueler classmates began to make fun of her, calling her a waste of space, a defect, and all manner of harmful words. The pranks were worse, with Touka returning home one day with her backpack full of glue. Honestly, if their parents hadn't raised a stink with the principal of Touka's school, Itsuka would've tracked down and beaten the kids herself.

From then on out, while Itsuka prided herself on being a good big sister to all her siblings, she made sure to watch over Touka especially. Her life was going to be an uphill struggle, so Itsuka swore that whatever new dream her youngest sister had, she would support her.

"That's…interesting," Itsuka said as delicately as she could. "You haven't talked about being a hero in years. Why the sudden interest?"

"I heard that there's a boy like me at your school!" Touka said all excitedly. "His name's Midori, right? If someone like him could get into your big hero school, that means I can too. Right, Itsuka?"

Itsuka didn't know what to say. "I….uh…" The girls then heard the door open.

"Hope you're all ready for some kickin' stir-fry!" A boastful male voice said.

'Oh, thank god,' Itsuka put Judai back in his crib. "I better go help Dad and Gojo with the groceries."

"Okay." Touka went back to coloring her costume drawing. As she went to get the groceries, Itsuka felt torn. After witnessing the danger of hero work at the USJ, she had some comfort in knowing that she was the only one in her family being put in that danger. But hearing that Touka wanted to be a hero again made her chest clench.

If it was any of her other little siblings, she wouldn't be as worried. Gojo could turn his bones into rubber. His twin sister, Desumi, could stretch her limbs to incredible lengths. But Touka? Touka had nothing.

To think she was inspired by Midoriya of all people. Itsuka did feel a need to protect the Quirkless boy as she did with Touka. But he was too stubborn to accept her help. Then again, if Izuku got in over his head if he crashed and burned, maybe Touka would once again give up on being a hero.

Itsuka felt a pit in her stomach. It didn't sit right with her to wish that one of her classmates would fail. But if it meant her sister would be safe, then it was the best option she could hope for.

Notes:

Another bit of a long break between chapters, but hey, you can't rush quality. Honestly, I'm proud of a lot of this chapter in particular for just having some interactions I've been wanting to write, and more insights into the casts that might change the readers' mind on them.

Next Time: Final Preparations!

Plus Ultra!

Chapter 21: Final Preparations!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is the property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 21: Final Preparations!

21 days until the Sports Festival

"So, if the rumors are to be believed, I say we give three cheers to the happy couple," came a young man's voice from a speaker resting on a workbench. "Honestly, never imagined Mirko and Fat Gum would get together, but I can see it."

"I hope you've got all that relationship drama out of your system, Kenichi," said a calmer but similar-sounding voice. "Because I'm in the mood to move onto the next topic."

"Couldn't agree more, Kenji," Izuku said as he tinkered away. Izuku, Mei, and Power Loader were busy inside the Support Lab, working on modifying Striker's signature weapon. Power Loader had decided to turn something on in the background, and Izuku suggested his favorite podcast: Hero 1-2-3!

Hosted by the charismatic Sanada brothers, Kenichi, Kenji, and Kenzo, Hero 1-2-3! prided itself on fair and balanced coverage of all things heroic. And compared to other hero-focused podcasts that tended to blow stuff out of proportion, the Sanada brothers were a breath of fresh air. Which also meant their show was the perfect background noise to play while the lab team readied their next test.

"I swear, I'll never understand why people care so much who's screwing who," Power Loader grumbled as he worked. "As long as heroes are doing their jobs, it shouldn't matter who they're sleeping with."

"And that's why so many students think you're boring, sensei," Mei chimed in as she typed away at a computer. "Besides, you'd care if they were doing the hanky-panky with a villain."

"That's different, Hatsume, when it's between two heroes— wait a second, did you say boring? What do you mean the kids think I'm bor—"

"All systems are green!" Mei exclaimed, deaf to Power Loader's words. "Let's fire this baby up!"

Power Loader sighed as he helped Mei and Izuku wheel the rudimentary robot torso they'd been working on in to the testing chamber. The chamber was designed for testing the more...volatile creations of the Support Course. On the other side of the testing chamber was a large target made of Alpha Titanium.

The excitement in the air was palpable as Izuku, Mei, and Power Loader rushed to their stations, almost forgetting to lock the testing chamber's door behind them. "Energy Readings are stable," Power Loader said as he watched the torso light up through the reinforced glass.

Izuku nodded. The boy couldn't help but smile as he and Mei slid on their safety goggles. He held what resembled a game controller. On the left was a joystick with a green button on top, and on the right was a large blue dial.

"Okay, beginning Strike Beam Intensity Dial test. Let's start with low settings." Izuku rolled the dial before pressing the joystick's button. A blue beam of light fired from the test torso's mouth vent and hit the target. The target creaked a bit but otherwise seemed fine.

"Target is showing minor damage, but no burns!" Mei shouted, observing the target's sensors.

"Increasingly intensity," Izuku said as he rolled. The Strike Beam increased in size and power and began pushing the target back.

"Target is beginning to burn; otherwise, it's intact!"

"Alright, one more time!" Izuku turned the dial to the maximum, and the Strike Beam flared like the sun. It tore through the target and struck the test chamber's wall. Izuku released the joystick button, and the Strike Beam dissipated. A huge grin spread across Izuku's face as he took in the test results. "That was awesome."

"Well, looks like the dial works," Power Loader said. "No damage to the test head."

"I think I'll make the low intensity setting the default for the Strike Beam," Izuku commented. "Another non-lethal ranged option is always good to have."

"To quote a great man, 'I'd buy that for a dollar!'" The trio turned and saw Kaneko walking towards them with a briefcase in hand. "Ciao, my favorite brainiacs!"

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Power Loader stated. He had met the 2nd business student a while back. While he seemed legitimate about wanting to help with Izuku's image, his attitude reminded him too much of an eccentric used car salesman.

"I got one of my boys copying notes. But this is more important." Kaneko placed his briefcase on a nearby table and began to unlock it. And what he pulled out…was a five-inch action figure of Striker!

"Aw! It's adorable!" Mei cooed while Izuku looked wide-eyed.

"Kaneko, did you make this?"

"I wish, but sadly, merch-making isn't one of my talents. Luckily, my gal pal Chie is a whiz when it comes to making stuff like this quickly and humanely."

"So what exactly is it?" Power Loader asked.

"Why, this little beauty is the Hi-Action Striker Figure!" Kaneko held it up like he was in an infomercial. "More specifically, this is the 5-inch model we plan on selling during the Festival. It's got multiple points of articulation." He demonstrated by rotating the toy's shoulders, knees, and waist. Light up features…" He pressed down on its head antennas, causing its eyes to light up. "And even a sparking Strike Beam function." He pressed a button on the back, causing gears in the figure's mouth to create sparks that shot out of the toy's mouth vent. "Though thanks to our play testers, we're gonna have to remove that last function."

"Play testers?" Izuku asked.

"…okay, by that I mean my kid cousins. The little tykes managed to set my uncle's curtains on fire with that." But the cat boy quickly moved on. "Point is, when the kids in the audience see Striker kicking ass in the Festival, they'll be able to have their own little Striker to play with! I can practically hear the yen dropping!"

"Um…that might be a bit of an issue." Izuku said with an awkward smile, confusing Kaneko. "See, in order to make Striker more durable, we've decided to reinforce its frame with more Titanium Alpha. And to compensate for the added weight, we're gonna need to change the design."

"Change it how?"

Mei pulled out her phone and showed Kaneko the blueprints. His golden eyes widened for a moment before rubbing his chin in contemplation. "You know what, I can work with this." He jostled the Striker action figure. "We'll just relabel these as special commemorative figures. We still got time to make plenty for the festival."

"You don't have to go that far. That sounds like a lot of work."

"Izuku, baby, my sweet broccoli haired egghead," Kaneko said as he grabbed Izuku's cheeks. "You just leave it to me and focus on your big boy."

True, Chie would probably chew him out for needed to make a new batch of figures based on a new design, but it was nothing that some deluxe coffee jelly couldn't smooth over. Though Kaneko's wallet was gonna hate him for the next few weeks.

"Next up, we got some hilarious bootleg merch," the youngest brother, Kenzo, said as the 1-2-3 podcast continued to play, the sounds of plastic merch clattering against a table. "Let's see: we got a Power Loader figure with what looks like a robot t-rex head instead of his helmet."

The kids looked at the teacher's helmet and had to hold back some laughter, making the armored hero scowl in a bit of embarrassment.

"A Mt. Lady purse with her costume colors changed to dark red and black," Kenji, the middle sibling said. "Honestly, I think it looks pretty cool. Kind of gives her a mountain oni vibe."

"Yeah, but it's clear that's not what she's going for," Kenichi commented as the sound of him shuffling through more merchandise. "Woah! Guys, check this Endeavor figure out!"

"...is that yellow mess supposed to be his fire bread?" Kenji asked while Kenzo broke into a fit of laughter. "He looks look someone's Dragon Ball OC going Super Saiyan."

"No, no, no, wait!" The youngest brother chimed in. "He looks like All Might and Endeavor did the fusion dance!"

"Oh, I gotta get my hands on that," Izuku said to himself, Kaneko's cat perked up at his words.

"Midoriya, you're a genius!" Kaneko exclaimed.

"Uh, thank you?" Izuku said with a perplexed look. Before he could ask any further questions, Kaneko ran out of the room, cackling like a mad man.

"Anyone else scared of what's going through his head?" Power Loader asked.

"Oh, terrified," Izuku said.

Mei rolled her eyes at them. "You guys are no fun. Honestly, I can't wait to see what cat boy's planning."

Later that day, Nezu called in a teacher's meeting during lunch period.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Nezu said. "First order of business: Thirteen has made a full recovery and is back on teaching duty. Welcome back, Anan."

A round of applause was shared for the hero, blushing behind their helmet as Mic held their hand.

"Second order of business." He looked towards Eraserhead and Vlad. "How are our first years handling their pre-festival training?"

"Depends on who you ask," Eraserhead replied. "Some think they're going to wing it off personality alone, but others are training their asses off."

"Same here. Though the Martial Arts class has been doing wonders to help them develop inter-class comradery," Vlad followed up.

"Old man Musha always says that you don't truly know someone until they've punched you right in the face," Gunhead said with an eccentric hand salute.

"And third order of business..." Nezu took a deep sigh, like someone about to rip off a band-aid on a nasty cut. "President Miyashima will be attending the First Year Sports Festival this year."

Everyone stared at Nezu, eyes wide and mouths agape. Even Present Mic was at a loss for words.

"Seriously?" Toshinori chimed in. "I've known Miyashima for years, and she's exceedingly anti-social."

"I'm with Yagi on this. Why's the HPSC prez showin' up?" Snipe followed up.

"Well, in light of the attack on the USJ and scandal caused by the National Jinkai's expose on Midoriya, President Miyashima has 'graciously' decided take time out of her busy schedule and attend the Sports Festival," Nezu began, quietly noting a few eye rolls amongst the staff. "President Miyashima believes her attendance would be a good way to raise public morale and show that the government still has faith in our prestigious academy."

"Do you actually believe any of that?" Aizawa asked.

"I don't believe it would be professional for me to comment on the veracity of President Miyashima's claims," Nezu said, feeling quite proud of his ability to keep a straight face.

Maintaining control of his emotions and outward persona had always been one of his greatest weapons when dealing with potential threats to UA. It was a dangerous game being played between the UA Principal and the HPSC President. Neither could afford let their emotions run wild and control them and give the other side ammunition. Politics were all about optics, and it wouldn't look good if the head of UA or the HPSC started acting like a raving lunatic.

"One last thing," Nezu continued. "President Miyashima also said she'd be bringing some special guests with her."

"It's Wada, isn't it?" Vlad said, already expecting the worst.

"It's highly likely that yes, Agent Wada will be in attendance alongside her."

Several groans came from the UA teaching staff at the mention of that name. Wada was the resident hardass of the Commission. He was always on the lookout for even the smallest violations or infractions and was ruthless in his enforcement. If his own mother sent him a birthday card, he'd probably arrest her if the stamp was out of place.

"Well guess I'm out as the First Year's referee," Midnight said. "Miyashima has been on my ass about my 'sultry' costumes since Day 1."

"Not to play Devil's Advocate, but your first costume was a nightmare," Aizawa chimed in.

Midnight huffed in indignation. "It wasn't that bad."

"Nemuri, I love ya, but the only thing keeping you decent in that was a pair of straps," Mic commented.

"...fair enough," the R-Rated Heroine said with a sigh. "All that research for stamina and athletics puns gone to waste."

"You consider watching an ancient and trashy foreign TV show research?" Recovery Girl said.

"Do not mock The Golden Girls in my presence!"

Nezu coughed to get everyone back on track. "Well, I suppose we need a new referee. Aizawa—"

"Nothing you say will make me do it."

"Shame." Nezu's smile turned mischievous. "Guess I'll have to drink all that special ordered Himalayan coffee by myself."

Aizawa said nothing for a few seconds, tapping his fingers before saying, "Okay, I'll do it." Everyone balked at how readily the Erasure Hero changed his tune, while Mic and Midnight just chuckled at their friend's quick turnaround.

But despite the brief bits of levity, there was a feeling of unease amongst the teaching staff of UA for the rest of the day.

18 days until the Sports Festival.

All men are not created equal. A common phrase I've heard in our world described is a world where nearly everyone is super. This is a lie.

It was mid-evening as a train trekked along. Eventually, the train came to a stop, the speakers announcing they'd arrived at Kamino Ward. As old passengers departed and new ones embarked on the train, a particular teenage boy was among the crowd. He was a tall and plump young man wearing khaki pants and a pale blue button up shirt that oddly had two thin slits on the back of it. Finishing his outfit was a pair of meticulously polished loafers and an watch on his left wrist. The boy had long brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and his blue eyes were reading through a translated copy of The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, his expression was a quiet yet analytical one.

He closed his book, put it in his book bag, and began to look around, observing the other people in the station.

He saw a boy widening his mouth to an inhuman degree, amusing his friends as he shoved a ton of food in it. A rather large woman with a crocodile mutation letting out a frustrated sigh as she had to duck and turn sideways to enter the women's restroom. A man with floating liquid for hair chatting with his business partner on the phone. And many more.

Just like how some people are born with natural talent or inclinations for certain physical activity, of the millions of Quirks that emerge from humanity, there's a clear divide in terms of raw power and usefulness.

A few minutes later, the young man entered an alley and stretched, loosening his joints. He took a breath, and then large, red, dragon-like wings exited his shirt through a pair of slits on the back. He began to flap them before taking off to his destination, making sure to fly in the shadows of the buildings.

Unfortunately, I was born on the low end of that scale. It's funny. Once upon a time, man's greatest desire was the ability to fly under his own power. And yet, despite being born with wings, in this world, that makes me about as 'special' as any leaf on any tree.

Even as a boy, I knew this. Perhaps that's why I was drawn to those with 'stronger' Quirks. It's why I felt such relief when inflicting harm to those I saw as weaker. And why I have spent more than half my life making sure that my mind was sharper than most of my peers.

Eventually, the young man arrived at a modest clinic building, tucked between a game shop and a bakery. The sign read "Tsubasa Pediatrics" and appeared to be closed.

The young man retracted his wings, entered the code to open the doors, and let himself in. There was nothing special about it. It could have been any pediatric clinic anywhere in the world. Honestly, the only notable thing about it was how almost deliberately nondescript the clinic was.

That is, unless you entered the janitor's closet. And even then, you had to know exactly where to look.

Next to a poster about proper cleaning supply maintenance was an electric outlet; the only thing one might find odd about it was how far it seemed to jut out of the wall. But so long as the outlet worked, most wouldn't give it a second thought. And that was the point.

The young man placed his hands on the outlet, and with the right amount of pressure in the right places, a distinctive click rang through the closet. The outlet swung open to reveal a keypad. With a quick four-digit passcode, the wall opened to reveal an elevator with freshly cleaned lab coats hanging on the back wall. The young man took the elevator down and grabbed a lab coat.

When the elevator reached its destination, the young man exited to see a sight that would chill most people to the bone. Rows upon rows of glowing tubes filled with green fluid. Suspended within each was a creature whose very existence openly mocked and spat upon nature itself. Each one was more horrifying and unsettling than the last, and a sense of utter wrongness permeated the air.

The young man walked past these pods with barely a glance, only stopping at one to check his reflection in the reinforced glass.

"Grandpa," the young man called out. "Are you here?"

"Ah, Hakaru! Punctual as always! I'm just checking on project Boneyard."

Hakaru walked briskly, knowing exactly which monstrosity his grandfather was talking about and where it was. He found his grandfather looking over data on a tablet and glancing between it and the creature suspended in the tube.

He was Dr. Kyudai Garaki, but to the people of Yokohama, he was Dr. Anno Tsubasa, a kind and mild-mannered pediatrician. And to the citizens of Jaku in Kyoto Prefecture, he was Daruma Ujiko, founder of Jaku General Hospital. Tokisuke Seto in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Yori Yomochi in Kanzaki, Saga, Naohira Oda in Uruma, Okinawa, Otomatsu Fudai in Yonago, Tottori, and countless other aliases the good doctor had created in his almost two centuries of life.

As Hakaru approached project Boneyard, he noticed the look of frustration on his grandfather's brow. "Something bothering you?" Hakaru asked.

The doctor sighed. "Boneyard's being a headache again," Dr. Garaki said, pointing at the monster inside the tube. It was a tall and lanky creature with no lips and several bones pocking out of its tan skin. "Calcium Spikes keeps surging out of control. The previous user apparently needed to maintain constant mental control to keep the spikes at a manageable rate."

"And we obviously can't raise the Nomu's mental capacity," Hakaru stated before he began to look over some data on his phone. It was the stockpile of Quirks that their benefactor had acquired through...rather violent means over his long life. Hakaru reviewed the list of Quirks and their properties before finding a particular one.

"Milk Blast?" He said to himself, getting Dr. Garaki's attention. "Gross name, but it could work." The doctor handed Hakaru the tablet, and the plump young man began entering data to run a simulation. Hakaru smiled and showed the tablet to his grandfather, whose eyes widened in surprise.

The simulation showed Boneyard's bone spikes coming under control while its body grew in strength and size. "This Quirk was used by a hero who could generate energy blasts after consuming the calcium from milk," Hakaru began. "We just apply the calcium conversion effect from...Milk Blast...into Boneyard's system, and adjust its body so that it's always converting the excess bones created by Calcium Spikes into additional muscle mass."

Dr. Garaki looked at the results and chuckled. "So obvious. My age must be getting to me."

"Come on, Grandpa. You don't look a day over a hundred," Hakaru joked, laughing along with the doctor.

"Well, I better check to see if I missed anything else with the latest batch. Oh, and Hakaru." Dr. Garaki gave a proud smile to his grandson. "Your project is coming along spectacularly."

My grandfather. One of the greatest scientific minds to ever walk the Earth. Of course, genius is never appreciated in its time. Academia laughed at his theories. Called him a loon for his proposal to fix what he believes is an encroaching genetic apocalypse.

I love my grandfather, but there's no denying that his mind is starting to deteriorate. He would never make a mistake so simple before. And he's had similar incidents several times just this year alone.

While grandfather's Quirk, Life Force, has been able to extend his life beyond what any normal human could dream of, even it cannot completely stave off the ravages of time. It has been a slow, grueling decline. Watching his once razor-sharp mind dull and rust has been painful.

Hakaru walked towards a heavy door bolted shut at the back of the laboratory. Behind it lay a room reserved for his special project. A Nomu of his own personal design.

Not helping matters is that ever since the failed assassination of All Might, Grandfather has been throwing himself into his work. The idea of his Nomu, his Anti-Symbol of Peace, being killed by U.A.'s first years has been a massive blow to his ego.

A heavy thud rang through the air with every bolt unlocked. Specially designed hydraulics helped him open the meter-thick, solid metal door. Cool air wafted from the room, and Hakaru smiled at the sight of his Nomu. "Good evening, my dear Adam."

Inside a tube was a gray brain. A brain the size of a small truck, its brain stem attached to the bottom of the tank. A pair of eyes floated in front of it, closed and bobbing ever so slightly in the artificial amniotic fluid. Hakaru looked down at the tank's control panel and smiled at the results.

"Complete psyonic growth estimated in under two months. All tissues stable." He placed his hand on the glass, like a father gazing at their newborn child. "Just you wait. Soon, everyone will know of your magnificence."

Grandfather is not long for this world. The conflict with hero society will only escalate, and more than likely, he will be one of the casualties. So someone will have to carry on his work. Father and Mother long ago disowned him, so that task falls to me.

As he waited for his computer to boot up, Hakaru grabbed his phone and opened a tabloid news article. One of particular interest to him that had been amusing him all morning. An article pondering exactly how the infamous Quirkless U.A. student would do during the Sports Festival.

Izuku Midoriya. Deku. A living example of how genetics can fail. I recall my grandfather telling me about how he was once excited to see how his Quirk would manifest. With his mother having telekinesis and his father having the ability to breathe fire, Grandfather theorized that he would become a potent pyrokinetic. But reality is often full of disappointments.

I was honestly surprised to hear he somehow made it into a hero school. How did he pull that off?

This is the same boy that cried whenever my friends and I had fun with him. The boy who constantly deluded himself with talks of building a 'super robot.' Though, Shigaraki claims that a 'green robot kid' played a part in killing the Anti-All Might Nomu.

Deku…did you actually do it? Did you follow through with your ramblings about making a machine to rival the strongest heroes?

Well, I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

14 days until the Sports Festival

"10% Rocket Blast!" Ochako gritted her teeth as she flicked her fingers, blasting another UA training robot into pieces. By now, all but her thumbs were sore from the training.

"Break time, Young Uraraka!" Toshinori called out.

Grateful for the chance to rest, Ochako plopped down on a nearby bench and took a swig from her water bottle. Gym Delta was a particular gym that allowed students to train against the same kind of robots used in the entrance exam, minus the Zero Pointer.

"You're doing good. I think you'll be more than ready for the Sports Festival," Toshinori said, sitting next to his protege.

"If you say so," Ochako said, her voice oddly small and somber.

Toshinori put a hand on Ochako's shoulder. "Hey, if something's bothering you, you can tell?"

In truth, a few things were bothering Ochako. One was her newly developed feelings for her best friend. But thankfully, that wasn't the source of her current mood, as she didn't feel like trying to talk romance with her mentor.

Ochako let out a sigh of frustration and slumped against the wall. "It's just…I feel like I haven't made that much progress with One for All." She stared at her hand, fingers still tingling from One for All. "The Rocket Blast is all I can do, and I can only do it so much before my fingers break. Plus, I haven't really been training a lot with my own Quirk, so I'm probably falling behind everyone else's training."

Toshinori rubbed his angular chin in contemplation. Ochako's statements were true. She hadn't made that much progress with One for All. But then, he recalled her exact words.

"Young Uraraka, how do you think of One for All?"

"What do you mean?"

"You called Zero Gravity 'your Quirk.' So how do you label One for All?"

Ochako awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "Well, it's the Quirk you gave me."

Toshinori stared at his student for a moment before suddenly facepalming. "I am such an idiot," Toshinori grumbled.

"What do you mean?" Ochako asked.

"I think I know what the problem is, Young Uraraka," Toshinori began, looking his student in the eye. "You see, when my teacher gave me One for All, she told this power was now mine, and mine alone. That to use One for All, I had to think of it as part of myself. It was a concept I was able to grasp relatively easily, and at the time, I didn't think why she needed to explain it. But I suppose most people have a hard reconciling a power they weren't born with as being 'theirs,' and I think that's what's holding you back."

"That's it, that's what's holding me back?" Ochako said, eyes wide in disbelief. It was such a simple concept, stupidly simple. Part of Ochako wanted to admonish her teacher for not telling her this sooner, but she was honestly embarrassed she hadn't thought of it herself. "So I've just got to change my mindset, and I'll be able to use One for All?"

"I believe so, Young Uraraka."

"Okay, so...how do I do that?"

Toshinori thought for a moment. While simple in concept, fundamentally changing how you viewed something, much less something as personal as Quirk, was hard. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Toshinori.

"Young Uraraka, do you perhaps have any family heirlooms?" he asked.

Ochako raised an eyebrow at her mentor. "What does that have to do with One for All?"

"Just humor this old man, will you."

"You're not that old...are you?" Ochako said, realizing she actually had no clue how old her mentor was. "Anyway, we do have this one thing, an old tea set. My grandma said it dates back all the way to the Pre-Quirk era if you believe her. She gave it to my mom when she married my dad."

"It must be very precious for your family to hold on to it for close to 200 years," Toshinori said. "So, would you say your mom is the owner of this tea set?"

"I mean, yeah, I just told you my grandma gave it to her," Ochako said, becoming increasingly exasperated and confused by their conversation.

"And one day your mother may very well pass that tea set along to you, just like how I gave you One for All."

Ochako stared at her mentor for a moment before her eyes widened as it all clicked.

"Young Uraraka," Toshinori said, leaning down to look his protege in the eye as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Both One for All and your family tea set are precious things, passed down through the generations. While neither I nor your grandmother were their original owners, they were entrusted to us respectively. They were our responsibility until we chose to pass them on to the next generation."

"Just like how that tea set is your mother's and she may one day pass it on to you, One for All is now yours and yours alone until the day you choose to pass it on to your successor." Toshinori's face split into a goofy grin. "I hope that made some kind of sense; my teacher was always better at these sort of speeches."

"Yeah, I think I get it," Ochako said, rising from her seat. "I want to give this one more try." Toshinori nodded, deploying one last robot for Ochako to face.

'One for All was All Might's Quirk, but he gave it to me,' Ochako chanted in her mind as she crossed the gym. 'One for All is my Quirk and my responsibility, just like Zero Gravity!'

Inside a void, a bright star shined. It flew and connected to another star. And then another. And another. The process was repeated eight times. The eighth star, shining with a bright pink light, began to fly through the void until it impacted a singularity, one pulsating with gravitational waves. The collision exploded outwards, swirling and expanding into a galaxy of pink and purple stars, all while a rainbow-colored singularity swirled in the center.

'One for All carries the touch of those who came, but right now, in this moment, I hold it. One for All is MY QUIRK!"

As Ochako reached the robot, she felt the power building inside her. It felt strange yet familiar. It felt like Zero Gravity and One for All, but also entirely new. With a yell, she channeled this power through her fist, punching the robot into the air. And to Ochako's surprise, aside from the impact of her fist hitting metal, her arm felt fine.

But what happened next surprised both Ochako and Toshinori. A pink aura engulfed the practice robot, and it crashed onto the floor with enough force to leave a dent. The robot tried to get up, but it couldn't move. It was as if an external force was pushing it down. Ochako looked at it and, out of curiosity, tapped her fingertips together.

"Release." And with that, the aura faded, and the robot stood up, though now worse for wear after the attack. "Holy fuckin'-"

"SUPERCRAP!" Toshinori shouted, so surprised that he unintentionally shifted into his 'All Might' form.

The days and weeks pass. And now…

Izuku breathed in the night air as he went for a walk. The Sports Festival was tomorrow, and to say he was nervous was an understatement. Striker was rebuilt and fully operational. The bruises from Gunhead's martial arts classes were almost fully healed. He had done all he could to prepare for the big day. And yet, he was still nervous.

What if he lost in the first event? What if he made a fool of himself? Did he miss something in Striker's reconstruction that would bite him in the ass?

But soon, Izuku realized he had arrived at Aldera Municipal Park. A place that held quite a few memories for him.

The earliest ones weren't good. Katsuki and Izuku's former 'friends' often bullied him for trying to stand up to them. Katsuki had long since apologized for 'being a horrible little shit' before they reconciled, and Izuku had long since forgiven him.

The same could not be said for the other two former members of the 'Bakugou Patrol.' Yasuo continued to be a dick from preschool all the way to middle school, turning himself a social pariah. Once Katsuki had stopped being "cool," Seita jumped ship and latched on to the next kid with a big ego and strong Quirk. And they hadn't seen Tsubasa since his family moved away. However, Izuku figured that Tsubasa was probably still a jerk to this day.

But the park had far more happy memories. He'd met Mei here. Katsuki played with him after becoming friends with him again. Memories of their families having get-togethers here. The days when ideas would materialize into Striker first manifested in his childhood imagination.

And it was those memories that filled Izuku with his resolve. He recalled the promise he had made to himself when he was four. Striker was the culmination of that promise.

He wasn't just doing this to prove the naysayers wrong. He had a dream to fulfill. And come hell or high water, he was going to see it through.

And so, the big day finally arrived.

'Fuck my life,' Takuya Aoi, age 26, thought to himself as he cleaned up another beer spill. He was hoping that today would be one of his off days. But no, Jarvis' Bar & Grill needed all hands on deck for the next three days.

On days like this, Hero-themed bars like this one were packed like Sports Bars during big games. The hero merch everywhere fed into the festive mood of seeing what the next generation of heroes would bring.

But it also meant that service workers like him were constantly going back and forth between taking orders, delivering food & drinks, and cleaning up any resulting spill.

"Aoi, Booth 3's order is up!" Hazamada shouted from the bar. Takuya sighed and scratched his deep blue hair.

"On it." He was in an especially awful mood because days like this reminded Takuya of his old dream. A dream that crashed and burned for something entirely out of his control.

As the exam proctor said before she turned down his application to Shinketsu, "You need superpowers to become a superhero."

So here he was, bussing tables while seeing kids obtain his dream. Just great.

"Hey, hey, hey! Everybody!" An excited voice shouted on the TV. "It's ya boi and main announcer, Present Mic! In the booth with me is the newest addition to the UA faculty. Give it up for…Gunhead!"

The camera then showed the aforementioned hero waving. "Heyo, everyone! Hope you're having a super day!"

"Oh, this day is most definitely gonna be super, GH! Because it's finally time! Don't change that channel, folks! Because we're just an hour away from Day 1 of…THE UNITED ALLIES SPORTS FESTIVAL!"

Notes:

We're finally at the next big arc of MSRA. And my first time writing a tournament arc, so that should be fun!

I hope you guys are gonna like what our version of the Sports Festival arc is gonna be. Especially with all the foreshadowing I've been making to the rebuilt Striker.

Next Time: It's a Festival Guys! GO ALL OUT!

PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 22: It's a Festival, Guys! GO ALL OUT!!!

Summary:

The time has finally come for the UA Sports Festival!!!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

It's time, everyone! The next big arc of My Super Robot Academia is here!

Chapter 22: It's a Festival, Guys! GO ALL OUT!

"Ughhhh…" Fujita groaned. "This security check is taking forever!"

"Honestly, I'm surprised UA is letting us, of all people, in," Takenaka replied as the Jinkai duo stood in line. It was a massive crowd of pro heroes, reporters, bloggers, and spectators who were being vetted out of the door. "Pretty weird they didn't blacklist you for the story on that Midoriya kid."

"Because I did nothing but honest journalism," Fujita pouted, making Takenaka roll his eyes. Though inside, the brunette was feeling a little on edge. A few days after she published the Midoriya story, a detective showed up at her place to ask her questions. After a few half-truths and the detective finding nothing in her emails (college taught her to always delete anything incriminating), he left. Fujita hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since.

However, she was still under pressure from Chitose Kizuki to come up with another big story, and she had been drawing a massive blank on what to do.

"Alright, we got in!" Fujita and Takenaka looked past the gate and saw a quintet of siblings walking past the check-in gate, with the group's sole woman holding a camera. All four had brown hair, but the brothers each had a different number of brightly colored ahoges.

"Good morning, 1-2-3 Nation!" exclaimed the eldest, dressed like a biker, leather jacket and all, with red eyes and a single long, red ahoge.

"I hope you're excited for today," said the middle brother, dressed more like a studious college student, wearing a blue polo shirt, jeans, and loafers, with blue eyes and two medium-length, blue ahoge.

"Because we're coming at you live from the U.A. Sports Festival," cheered the youngest brother, wearing an open Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sandals, with green eyes and three short, green ahoge. The livestream's chat lit up with activity.

MrMan: Let's go!

zer0escape: Can't wait to see what those kids from the USJ do

xxx_shadowking_xxx: hope we don't have another wardrobe malfunction this year

Their sister wore a yellow blouse and black skirt, with short brown hair and brown eyes.

Fujita scowled at the sight of Hero 1-2-3!, the sibling podcast team that had taken Japan by storm.

She couldn't imagine why people liked them, a sentiment shared by most of the reporters at The National Jinkai. After all, Fujita worked her ass off for what felt like forever to get noticed. And yet here were these four schmucks putting three of them in front of the camera, talking about fluff stuff like weird-looking action figures and movie reviews (not even the fun kind where the reviewer tore into the filmmakers), and they were somehow treated as a better alternative to the news.

But then, Fujita felt someone bump into her. "Hey, watch where you... you're..."

The person who bumped into Fujita was a rugged man about a foot taller than her. He had tan skin and dark blue hair tied into a braided ponytail, which matched his trimmed beard. He had light orange eyes, and his outfit, a dark red t-shirt, black jeans, and brown loafers, showed off a rather athletic physique.

"Oh, my bad." He spoke with a bit of a Southern accent. But then he smiled down at her, and Fujita felt herself heat up. "You all right, miss?"

'He...HE'S TOTALLY MY TYPE!' The brunette reporter mentally screamed. She wanted to say something, but couldn't say anything out of surprise and nervousness. Takenaka saw this and smirked before speaking up.

"You'll have to forgive Fujita. She gets so excited for big news stories that she can hardly speak."

"Fujita?" the man said, rubbing his chin. "Ain't you the one who broke the story on that Quirkless kid, Midoriya?"

"T-That's right!" Fujita quickly regained some composure. "I'm the one and only Fumiko Fujita! Ace Reporter for The National Jinkai!"

"Nice to meet you, Miss Fujita." The man pushed his hand through his hair and looked at her in a way that made Fujita's knees weak. "The name's Sosogi, Gekiju Sosogi. But you can call me Dan."

"Dan?" Fujita asked while Takenaka took a closer look at this man's complexion. He didn't look entirely Japanese. 'Must be a halfu.'

"I'm here for the Musutafu Mirror," Dan said, holding up his press badge. "I dunno if I can call myself an Ace Reporter like you, but I get the job done."

"The Mirror?" Fujita said with a raised eyebrow. "I'm surprised you could get into the press box; all the big names usually gobble up every last seat." The Musutafu Mirror was a small but respectable local newspaper. Fujita had nothing against it; one of her old college classmates even worked there, but the paper certainly didn't have the prestige to qualify for the U.A. Stadium press box.

Dan chuckled. "Guess we got lucky. The boss has been trying to get into the Sports Festival for ages."

Unbeknownst to Fujita and Takenaka, the three of them were being watched. One of the campus security cameras zoomed in on the brunette specifically. On the other side of the feed was Nezu, sitting in the principal's office and watching from his office computer. He could've had Fujita brought in, and any possible connection she had with the HPSC roughed out of her. But Nezu wasn't a bloodthirsty moron. Torture would be an ineffective way to get information out of Fujita since there was a chance she would only spout lies to save herself. And even with Tsukauchi's Quirk, there were ways to circumvent his lie detection ability, which he himself admitted when Nezu talked with him.

No, the best option was to let Ms. Fujita believe she was off the hook. Let her act completely natural. As Nezu often found out while studying humans, it's when they feel the most safe that they reveal their true selves and slip up. He zoomed his camera in on Dan and smirked.

'Looks like being a masked hero comes with special benefits. Good work, Snipe.' He sighed before turning his attention to another security feed. 'Now to deal with another headache.' On-screen was a sleek black limousine flanked by two police cars and half a dozen officers on motorcycles. Two people in business attire and four Pro Heroes stepped out of the limousine.

All that had been expected, but Nezu raised an eyebrow as a large van parked behind the limousine and its security detail. At least a dozen people poured out of the van, and the people in business attire began directing them to empty the van of its contents and follow them into the stadium. 'Well, whatever this is can't be good.'

Inside the teacher's booth were several sofas where you could watch the day's events unfold. It was similar to a VIP box one would see in a high-end basketball or football stadium, placed high up in the arena seats and sectioned off from the rest of the crowd.

"Looks like things are going along smoothly," Thirteen said as they sat on a couch with a drink in hand. They opened their helmet to reveal a feminine face with short, dark blue hair (with some dirty blonde streaks on the top) and yellow eyes with a line going across their pupils.

"Of course they are." Power Loader said, sitting cross-legged on the other side of the couch with his laptop on his lap. "And even if anyone tries anything funny, my new security measures will make them shit themselves!" He followed that up with an unsettling chuckle.

Midnight backed away from Power Loader a bit before turning to look at Vlad, looking down at the window. As always, his face was that of raw stoicism. And standing next to him was Toshinori, who had a gigawatt smile across his face. "So, you excited to see your students in action?"

"You bet I am," the Hero of Heroes said. "This is their moment to announce to themselves to the world and shout, 'I AM HERE!'"

"We've done what I can to teach them in the time we've had. And afterward, I'll push them even harder to overcome the mistakes they'll make today," the Blood Hero said.

Midnight blushed, and she giggled like a schoolgirl. Passionate men always made her feel weak in her knees.

Unfortunately, the jovial attitude came to a screeching halt as the door opened and five people walked through. Three had animal mutations and looked like they'd stepped out of an Edo period ukiyo-e painting. The other two were dressed in business attire, a man in a black suit and a woman in a dark blue blazer and pencil skirt.

Toshinori's eyes narrowed at the guests as he was familiar with all of them on some level. First was a short man with a snow monkey Quirk. He wore a navy blue sleeveless kimono, dark purple pants, a yellow undershirt, and a small pink and gold scarf. 'The Mischievous Hero: Saru-Bushi.'

Second was a man with a pheasant Quirk with blue plumage and wings who stood a head taller than Saru-Bushi. His attire consisted of a lavender kimono top, matching hakama pants, and red gloves, over which he wore elegant feather-patterned green armor. Around his waist was a pink obi, on which hung a bow and quiver of arrows. 'The Elegant Hero: Kiji-Bushi.'

Towering over both heroes was a woman with a dog Quirk, her fur a brindle pattern of blues over white. She cut an imposing figure with a large black surcoat with golden trim over a gray kimono top and hakama, and a large shield was slung over her back. Softening her image somewhat was the pink obi patterned with peach blossoms around her waist. 'The Loyal Hero: Inu-Bushi.'

All three heroes wore a white headband emblazoned with a peach.

His gaze shifted to the two people in business attire. There was no mistaking the tall man who was the HPSC's Special Agent Osamu Wada. Piercing amber eyes behind dark sunglasses and a salt and pepper crew cut styled with military precision.

The middle-aged woman walking next to him had long, slicked-back ash-blonde hair. Her turquoise eyes held years of knowledge that, combined with her no-nonsense stance, gave her a commanding presence. And while the neutral smile she had on her face would fool anyone else, the heroes in the room knew that smile was just part of her metaphorical armor. 'HPSC President Mifune Miyashima, aka, former Pro Hero Amabie.'

"Good afternoon to all of you," Miyashima said with a polite bow, her voice oddly soothing. "Seeing the next generation of heroes, how exciting." She then narrowed her eyes at Midnight. "Ah, as inappropriately dressed as ever, Kayama."

The R-Rated Heroine bit her lip and turned away from the HSPC president with a scowl.

"President Miyashima, it's good to see you again," Toshinori said, trying to defuse the tension in the room. He offered his hand to the HPSC President.

Miyashima gave him a small smile. "Please, All Might, the pleasure's all mine." She shook his hand, a surprising amount of strength in her grip for a woman her age.

"I'll admit, I was quite surprised when I heard you would be teaching," Miyashima said. "I know you've always preferred a more active role when it comes to heroics."

Toshinori gave a light chuckle. "Well, everyone needs a change of pace from time to time, especially when you've been on the job for as long as I have. And I can't think of a better way to use over 30 years of experience than passing it on to the next generation."

Miyashima nodded sagely. "Indeed, this latest class is truly blessed to have the Symbol of Peace to not only guide them but inspire them to untold heights."

"Just like us!" Saru-Bushi exclaimed with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Aw, you're going to make this old man blush," Toshinori said, rubbing the back of his head. "Look at how all of you have grown. I was surprised when I heard you all went into heroics. I figured you guys would have wanted to lead quiet lives after...after everything."

"All Might, you were a shining light that burst into our lives in our darkest hours; of course, we would want to follow in your footsteps," Kiji-Bushi said.

Inu-Bushi nodded in agreement. "We only wish to prevent the tragedy of what happened to us from repeating."

"Well, as long as you stick together, I'm sure you can do anything," Toshinori said. As he said this, he realized someone was missing. "Speaking of sticking together, where's your brother? I know you four are never far apart."

"Don't worry, he's here, I've just given him a special job," Miyashima said. "Besides, you know how he likes to make a grand entrance." With that, Miyashima and Wada made their way to the sofa closest to the window and took their seats.

Vlad looked at Toshinori with a raised eyebrow. The blond man could only shrug. "Well, this ought to be interesting," Toshinori said, hoping to lighten the mood.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Class 1-B Prep Room was naturally a mixture of excitement and nervousness for a bunch of teenagers who were about to be on national television.

"Everyone, are you ready?!" Tenya shouted, trying to cheer his classmates on.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Tsunotori said, feeling especially nervous.

"I know what you mean. Having all those eyes on me is making me all kinds of sweaty." Hagakure commented.

"I'll take your word for it." Kuroiro retorted.

"Hey, at least you guys don't have to give a speech," Ochako commented, looking down at the speech she had pre-written. As the top scorer of the U.A. Entrance Exam, Ochako was automatically picked to be the First Year Student Representative and, thus, was required to give a speech to kick off the Sports Festival. During the last two weeks, she had taken time to come up with something and was doing some last-minute memorizing.

"Come on, everyone!" Kirishima shouted. "Show some guts! We've all been training our asses off! We got this!"

"Hell yeah!" Yosetsu, Kendo, Sero, and Kaibara cheered on with him. While this happened, Izuku strapped a strange watch onto his wrist. It was dark green, square-shaped, with a red strap and several silver buttons.

'It's time.' He clenched his fist and looked upward. 'Time to show everyone what I can do!'

"You nervous, Midoriya?" Izuku didn't even need to turn around. He knew Honenuki's voice. "Who knows what kind of crazy shit U.A.'s gonna throw at us? Probably more than your toy can handle."

Izuku stood up, his chair clattering against the ground, and glared at Honenuki. The lipless teen was taken aback by the sheer intensity in Izuku's eyes.

"We'll just have to wait and see, Honenuki," Izuku spat

Meanwhile, the 1-A Prep Room was a tad more chaotic. Especially because of one particular copycat.

"Come on, guys! You have to give me some idea of what 1-B is capable of!" Monoma shouted. In particular, to his classmates who had been taking Gunhead's course.

"Nuh, uh, Monoma!" Ashido said, crossing her arms into an X. "We're not gonna let you cheat."

"That's unmanly, dude," Tetsutetsu followed up.

"It's not just for me! If we work together and exploit Class 1-B's weaknesses, Class 1-A will be the talk of the town! I refuse to let us be the kind of main characters that are so boring that the audience gravitates towards the side characters!"

"Shut up, you damn bootleg!" Katsuki shouted. "If anything, you'd be the annoying character the author keeps insisting is great, but the audience wants to see them die!" He cracked his knuckles. "I'd be more than willing to help ya out with that one."

"Bakugou! Monoma! Enough!" Yaoyorozu shouted.

"Save your excessive blood-lust for the battlefield," a young man with the head of a blackbird stated as the two blonds continued their shouting match.

"Of course, you, of all people, would be against us working together, you mongrel!"

"We're competing against each other too, dumbass! Not just the other classes!"

"Bakugou has a point." Everyone turned to see a boy with distinct two-toned hair, the right half white and the left half red. He had bishounen features marred by a burn scar covering the left side of his face. "If we teamed up, all of you would probably slow me down."

"Now that's cold, ribbit." Tsuyu shivered.

"That's mean, Todoroki!" A girl with brown hair and red & white eyes said with a pout.

"It's the objective truth." The two-toned boy said without even a shred of arrogance in his voice. He spoke as though he were talking about the sky being blue. "My Quirk is far stronger than anyone else in this class. So you'd all do your best to stay out of my way."

Katsuki bit his lip before growling. "Don't ride off on your high horse just yet, Icy-Hot!" The explosive boy shouted. "You're not only underestimating me and everyone else in this class! You're underestimating every other class, too."

Todoroki said nothing before thinking. "You talking about your friends in 1-B?"

Katsuki's scowl turned into a smirk. "Exactly. If I ain't the one to knock you down a peg, my pals are definitely gonna kick your ass."

"I doubt it."

A few minutes later, the students of the hero course were walking in a tunnel leading towards the main stadium field. Even within the depths of the stadium, they could hear the crowd's growing excitement. This was it. This was the moment when they would announce themselves to the world.

"You've all been waiting patiently, dear listeners! And now the time is finally here!" Present Mic's voice boomed over the loudspeakers. "It's Day 1 of the United Allies Sports Festival! A celebration of heroism by showing off the next promising generation of noble protectors! They're making their way right now, so be sure to give them a big round of applause!"

"I know I will, Mic!" Gunhead said. "And the first class coming out of the gate is one full of prodigies and uber-talented youngsters! Give it up for the Hero Course's Class 1-A!"

Katsuki smirked like crazy as his class entered the gate. While he did have noble reasons for wanting to become a hero, he had to admit that hearing a crowd of people cheer him on felt pretty damn good.

"Not far behind them is the class who showed their mettle early by going toe-to-toe with evil in a surprise villain attack! Let's give it up for Class 1-B!"

Izuku swallowed his spit out of nervousness as he looked up at the huge crowd. "W-Wow. So many people."

"Indeed." Tenya agreed. Even the famously stiff 1-B president was feeling nervous at the sheer spectacle around them.

Up in the Teacher's Box, Miyashima and Wada looked at Izuku in particular.

"So that's him?" The president asked in a whisper, getting a nod from her number two. The woman scoffed at the sight of the boy. "All this hubbub for a boy who looks like he should be working at a fast food joint."

Wada looked down at Izuku, recalling their brief meeting outside Nezu's office. Even if the boy did have a decently heroic Quirk, Wada doubted the boy had what it took to be a hero. He was meek, jittery, and small, none of which seemed to be an act. 'It's a real shame,' Wada thought as he took a sip of water. 'Kid's wicked smart but too stubborn to realize he'd be better served in the Support Department than Heroics. Hopefully, the Sports Festival will give him the reality check he needs.'

Meanwhile...

"There's my girl!" Gin shouted, seeing Mei amongst the crowd of Class 1-H, which had followed alongside the other support classes and the general course after the two Hero Course classes were introduced.

"Show 'em that Hatsume spirit, Mei!" Suzuki shouted as she and Koshin tapped their cups together.

"Oi! You spill any drink on my carpet; you pay to get it clean!" Mitsuki shouted. The Midoriyas, Bakugous, Hatsumes, Urarakas, and Dr. Lim decided to have a watch party for the Sports Festival. As usual with their gatherings, it took place at the Bakugou residence since it was by far the largest of the four families' homes. "That goes for your waterworks, too, Inko!"

"But I haven't even done anything yet," the green-haired woman retorted.

"I know how you get with big events like these," Mitsuki said. "Honestly, if I didn't know your Quirk was moving small shit, I would've thought you'd have some kind of eye water fountain power."

"She does have a point, honey," Hisashi said, making his wife pout.

"So, who do you think the referee's gonna be?" Dr. Lim asked as she took a bite of takoyaki.

"Apparently, they rotate which faculty member does it for each grade every year," Mitsuki explained. "Last year, Midnight was the first-years' referee."

"Oh, my," Asuka said with her hands to her lips, well aware of the R-Rated Heroine. "How bold."

"And now, introducing your referee for today's events! He's feared throughout the underground and is a personal buddy of mine! Give up for the Erasure Hero...ERASERHEAD!"

"Hey, that's the bum I gave 500 yen to the other day!" Hiede shouted.

Back at the Stadium...

Aizawa sighed as he took to the center stage. He always hated it whenever it was his turn to MC for the Sports Festival days. Not just because it clashed with his ideal underground hero preference of staying out of the spotlight but also because he could do without all the damn noise. He would definitely need some Tylenol tonight.

"Alright, let's get this over with," he said, making the crowd more than a bit confused as to why this hobo-looking guy was picked to look over a big event. "I'm Eraserhead, the First Year referee for this year's Sports Festival. Now, I'm not one for pomp and circumstance, so—"

The sound of flutes filled the air. Aizawa and the students turned to watch as a procession of people dressed in traditional festival outfits emerged out of one of the tunnels. Some played instruments like the flute, shamisen, and hand drums. Others spread sakura petals across the arena as they danced towards the stage. And bringing up the rear was an ornate portable shrine, a mikoshi, shouldered by half a dozen people. The procession deposited the mikoshi on the stage and opened it to reveal...a giant peach.

Aizawa and the entire arena stared on in bewilderment.

"Looks like you're not the only Momo here, Yaomomo," Ashido said with a smirk, earning an unamused glare from her class president.

Suddenly, the peach split open, smoke billowing out of it and spilling off the stage. Aizawa grabbed his capture scarf. Members of Class 1-B flinched, images of the USJ attack flashing in their minds.

Suddenly, a boisterous laugh erupted from within the smoke. "What's with those strange looks on your faces?" A gust of wind blew away the smoke to reveal a young man with a long black ponytail and black eyes holding a folding fan. He was dressed in a forest green kimono top with matching hakama, vibrant red samurai armor, and a peach-pink surcoat with golden trim. His ensemble was topped off by his bandanna emblazoned with a peach.

"Come on, everyone. It's a festival. A festival!" the young man exclaimed. "So let's show some spirit and kick this festival into high gear because the great Momotarō has arrived!"

The audience exploded into cheers of excitement while Aizawa groaned.

"That's Momotarō!" Izuku said, shaking Ochako and Tenya by the shoulders in excitement. "He and his team are ranked 21st on the Hero Billboard Chart! They're the youngest hero team to break the top 50 and solved a record number of cases in their first year! He's so cool, and he's right here!"

"I'm loving this dude's aura!" Kirishima shouted.

"What are you doing here?" Aizawa asked, glaring at the exuberant hero.

Momotarō smirked before pointing his fan at Aizawa. "Whenever there's a festival, you can expect the Slayer of Evil to show up! Especially one as important as this." He then gestured to all of the students. "A festival to commemorate all these heroes in training! Here's to you, future guardians of Japan!"

The students felt their spirits raised by Momotarō's words.

Back in the teacher's box, Toshinori and the other teacher could only stare in confusion at Momotarō's arrival while the folktale hero's siblings cheered on their brother.

"My, my, that was quite the entrance." Everyone turned to see Principal Nezu sitting on a couch and sipping a cup of tea. "Not quite to my taste, but I can appreciate the artistry and panache."

"Principal Nezu! H-h-how long have you been sitting there, sir?" Toshinori asked.

"Don't worry about it."

"It's good to see you, Principal Nezu," President Miyashima said with a practiced smile. "I do hope you appreciate my little surprise."

Nezu sipped his tea, expression unchanging. "Well, it was certainly interesting. Although, might I ask why you had Momotarō crash the Sports Festival's opening ceremony?"

"While Eraserhead is certainly a respectable hero, he's not exactly known for his people skills. So when I heard he would be the referee for the first years, I thought he and you would appreciate having someone more charismatic bring some extra 'oomph' to the festival."

"It was certainly an exciting surprise, although not everyone is quite so fond of those," Nezu said.

"That's putting it lightly," came Aizawa's voice through Nezu's earpiece. "Can't we just kick this guy out? Technically speaking, he's trespassing."

"Come on, Eraser, the kids love this guy, and he knows how to work a crowd," Present Mic said. "'sides, you want to think about the optics of kicking him out now on top of pissing off the HPSC prez?"

"...that Himalayan coffee better be worth this." The line went dead, and Nezu continued to sip his tea.

"Now then!" Momotarō exclaimed. "I believe it's tradition to kick things off with a word from the entrance exam's top scorer!"

Aizawa said nothing, not even glancing in Momotarō's direction. "Ochako Uraraka, please come to the stage to recite the athlete's pledge."

"Right!" Ochako said, marching up to the center stage and in front of the mic. She grabbed the mic, ready to recite the speech she had practiced for over a month...and promptly drew a blank! It was gone; she couldn't remember a word of what she'd written. Zip, nada, zilch!

From the teacher's box, Toshinori looked down at his successor and rubbed his chin. She was going through an experience he had gone through countless times in his career. Sometimes, no matter how many times you practice, there's no guarantee that you can remember your entire speech.

But the Hero of Heroes had warned Ochako about this and the importance of being able to make a comeback on the spot.

Ochako took a deep breath before speaking into the microphone. "I'M GONNA DO MY BEST!" She then pointed at the first-years. "AND I EXPECT EVERYONE ELSE TO DO THE SAME! PLUS ULTRA!"

The stadium was quiet for a minute as Ochako began to stiffly walk off stage, save for Katsuki laughing his ass off. But surely enough, a few claps and cheers were given. Not a lot, but still a good amount. Everyone else just laughed or felt awkward.

"Hey, you did…alright," Tsunotori said in an effort to comfort the red-faced Ochako.

'If that's the best the hero course has to offer, then this is gonna be easier than I thought,' a boy with heavy eye bags and purple hair thought. Amongst the crowd of Gen-Ed Students (which included Wakamatsu offering a clap to Ochako), two students with dark hair were glaring at Ochako and the rest of the Hero Course students.

"She just came up that shit on the spot, and she's still getting applause," a tall boy with a prominent black pompadour and a protruding chin stated with his arms crossed.

"What else do you expect, Tsutsutaka?" a shorter, lanky girl with brown hair tied in a pair of low pigtails followed up as she glared at the hero course students. "Hero Course Students are already coasting on luck. So we just gotta knock them off their high horse."

"Well said, Chikuchi."

'Poor kid, nothing can really prepare you for your first time speaking in public, especially on national TV,' Momotarō thought, sympathizing with Ochako. "What a great display of passion, everyone! I hope all of today's competitors follow her example and give it their all in the trials to come." Momotarō spun around, facing Aizawa with a flourish and pointing at the dour man with his fan. "Speaking of said trials, shall we enlighten these young heroes on what awaits them today?"

Aizawa side-eyed Momotarō. "If you're so eager, why don't you just take over and explain the minutia of the Sports Festival to the students? That is, if you actually know the rules of today's events."

"Well, uh, what I mean is," Momotarō said.

Aizawa rolled his eyes and turned back to the students. "Alright, pay attention, as I don't want to repeat myself," Aizawa continued like nothing happened, leaving Momotarō to fend for himself. The 1-A teacher held up three fingers. "The Sports Festival is divided into three main events. First is the Mass elimination event to thin the numbers a bit. Then there's a team event. The third and final event is a series of one-on-one competitions. So let's see which elimination event we'll start with."

On the Jumbotron near the top of the arena, a digital roulette wheel popped up with eight different kinds of first-round events, including Dodgeball, Relay Racing, and Laser Tag. The wheel began to spin and then landed on one: Handcuff Race.

"Huh. Guess we're gonna have two team events this time." Aizawa looked at the crowd. "I'm only going to explain the rules once." On the screen was a projected path. "This event is similar to the obstacle course event: you'll be running a path around the stadium and given a certain number of points based on your placement in the race." The screen then showed a set of cuffs tethered together by a certain kind of wire. "The main difference is that you'll be in teams of two, cuffed together by the wrists. All of you will be given half a cuff. Once you've agreed to be partners, just place them together, and your cuffs will be connected by a 1-meter cable. It's durable, but not indestructible. And if at any point the string is cut, both competitors will be eliminated."

He could already see some of the hero course students contemplating who they'd team up with. They were mainly looking at students from the same class, which made sense as most of his students wouldn't be familiar with Vlad's kids and vice versa.

"Oh, and one more thing," Aizawa as his mouth curled into a shit eating grin. "Your partner can't be from the same class. You have to pick someone from a different class." The looks on the students' faces were something Aizawa would treasure for years to come.

After some support robots handed each student their half of the cuff, they were given ten minutes to partner up.

Ochako scanned the arena, looking over her options. She'd originally considered asking Izuku or Tenya, but that had gone out the window. Katsuki wasn't an option either, as he would have partnered with Mei even without the rule.

"Hey, Uraraka!" Ochako whipped around to see Mina approaching with a smile and a wave. "Wanna team up for the race?"

"Really?" Ochako asked.

"Heck yeah," Mina exclaimed. "You're an astronaut with those gravity powers, I'm an alien girl, so together we're a Sci-Fi dream team."

Ochako pondered Mina's statement for a moment. "I guess you're right. But wouldn't you want to team up with Kirishima since you're friends and all?"

"Kiri's great, but how often do I get to hang out with a new friend, especially one in another class?" Mina said with a grin. "Besides, Kirishima's already has someone in mind."

"KIRISHIMA!"

"TETSUTETSU!"

Ochako looked to see the two hard boys of classes 1-A and 1-B approach each other.

"LET'S TEAM UP!" the pair yelled in unison before grasping hands with their Quirks activated.

Across the field, Yaorozu observed the Kirishima and Tetsutetsu proclaiming how 'manly' their team would be. 'They're certainly enthusiastic, but it will take more than that to win this race.'

"Class Representative Yaoyorozu," Tenya said as he approached the black-haired girl.

"Hello, Class Representative Iida," Momo replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I would like to propose we form an alliance for the Handcuff Race," Tenya said. "I have heard you are a student of exceptional skill and intellect, and I would be honored to fight by your side."

"It would be fitting for the representatives of the two hero classes to team up for such an event, and this could provide an excellent opportunity to improve relations between classes 1-A and 1-B," Yaoyorozu said. "Very well, I accept your proposal." She reached out and shook Tenya's hand.

Izuku looked at the rapidly forming partnerships around him.

Yosetsu was talking with a stoic black-haired girl (he would later learn this was Class 1-A's Kodai or 'Stoic' as Katsuki called him). Mineta partnered with a short yet still taller than him brunette girl (based on how he was bashfully blushing, Izuku figured this was 1-A's Komori). Tokage was sliding up to a tall student with spiky brown hair and plump lips in her usual flirtatious manner. Kamakiri had already partnered up with...the purple-haired GenEd student who tried to 'size up' 1-B?

'Why would Kamakiri team up with someone from outside the hero course?' Izuku thought as he stared at the strange partnership before him. 'Focus! I've got to find a partner of my own, and soon.'

Suddenly, he locked eyes with a familiar face. Hiryu Rin smiled at Izuku and started waving at him. With a grin on his face, Izuku started jogging towards his sparring partner.

"Hey, Rin!" Izuku called out, "Want to—"

"Excuse-moi!" Suddenly, Izuku felt something tap against his cuff. He looked down and saw that a tether had formed.

"...what?"

"Pardon for the intrusion, Monsieur Midoriya. But I believe if we combine our talents, we'll both shine!"

The boy Izuku now found himself attached to was a thin young man with very well-kept and stylized blond hair, long eyelashes, and bright indigo eyes. He looked like he'd stepped out of the pages of a shojo manga with how much he seemed to sparkle. On his waist was a belt with a large indigo gem on the buckle.

"...who are you?" Izuku asked as he and Rin stared in bewilderment at the blond boy.

"Ah, where are my manners? Bonjour!" the blond boy said while he flamboyantly flipped his hair with his free hand. "Yuga Aoyama, at your service."

Izuku tried to remember some of Katsuki's descriptions for his classmates, and it clicked for him. "Oh, you're 'Frenchie!'"

Aoyoma sweat-dropped at that. "Oh, right; you're friends with Monsieur Bakugou."

"Well, Aoyoma, I appreciate the offer, but I was planning on teaming with someone else so..." Izuku tried to uncuff himself, but found that it was locked tight. He tried pulling it off Aoyoma's wrist, but it didn't work either. He quickly dragged Aoyoma to the stage where Aizawa was. "Excuse me, Mr. Aizawa, but we can't get our braces separated."

"That's because they're not meant to; they only come off after the race is over."

"But I didn't actually agree to partner with Aoyoma. I was planning on teaming up with someone else. So if you can just get this off—"

Aizawa stopped Izuku mid-sentence by raising his finger and pulling out a pocket-sized rule book. The disheveled man looked through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

"According to the rules, all pairings in the Handcuff Race are final. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

"...WHAT?!"

"Look, kid. I don't make the rules. You want to argue the rules, talk to the rat. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important business to attend to." Said important business was stepping into his sleeping bag and zipping it up.

"Worry not, my new friend!" Aoyoma proclaimed. "Our partnership will be tres manifique as we outshine all the other competitors."

Izuku grit his teeth, his hands began to shake in frustration, until he took a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked at his teammate, trying to remember what Katsuki told him about his Quirk, and his belt in particular. 'Okay, I can work with this.'

A few minutes later, everyone's partners were selected, and all the students were in the middle of greeting and meeting when the doors to the track suddenly opened.

"AND GO!" Present Mic shouted. "Remember, there's no countdown in real life, so just go-go-go!"

"Wait, what?" Kamakiri said, feeling as though he'd just woken up from a nap. He looked around and saw he was tethered to that purple-haired kid from GenEd, who looked like he hadn't slept since the start of school, maybe longer. "When the fuck—"

"Talk later, race now," the purple-haired kid said, dragging Kamakiri along.

"Have fun, kids!" Gunhead said as the students all rushed towards the exit. It was a tight fit with nearly a 100 students all trying to squeeze through the narrow corridor, but eventually they all began to get out onto the track.

"Let's go," Todoroki said, running ahead of the pack with Kuroiro. "Don't slow me down."

"I-I'll try," Kuroiro said, both intimidated by his partner's intensity and how fast Todoroki covered the ground behind them with a sheet of ice. The students up front got their feet frozen in place, and those behind them needed to be careful not to slip and eat shit on the ice.

"Looks like Icy Hot's tryin' to thin the herd," Katsuki growled as he and Mei cut through the crowd. The pink-haired girl was already wearing a pair of hover boots and a mechanical-looking backpack.

"Well, we can't let that happen. Let's do this, babe!" Mei shouted, making Katsuki smirk at his girlfriend as he turned around to face her back-to-back. Mei's backpack opened up to reveal a claw, grabbing Katsuki and attaching him to Mei's back. The eccentric inventor tilted so that her boyfriend was above her, activating her boots while Katsuki began to create explosions with his hands. The force of the blasts, combined with Mei's hover boots, allowed them to blast ahead from the crowd and past Todoroki and Kuroiro.

"Eat our dust, nerds!" The two shouted together. Todoroki scowled.

"Okay, we're out of the ice," Ashido said as she and Ochako floated above the others. "But we don't got anything to get some forward momentum goin'."

"Leave that to me," Ochako said. She started muttering to herself, a look of intense focus on her face. "Grab on, Mina." While confused, Mina did as instructed before Ochako held both her pointer and middle fingers up, tapping them together. "Uravitonic Shift!''

Suddenly, the two girls were blasting ahead through the air, with Ashido screaming. They also flew past Todoroki and Kuroiro, and made everyone else look up in shock.

"What the hell, Uraraka?! Since when could you fly?!"

"Oh, we're not flying!" Ochako explained with a determined smile on her face. "I just changed the direction gravity pulls us in! So technically, we're just falling in a different direction!"

Ashido's eyes lit up. "That's so cool!"

"I know, right!"

The sounds of a dirt bike ripped through the air as Yaoyorozu drove across the ice. Tenya, now equipped with roller blades, held onto the back and boosted their speed with his engines.

"It appears Ochako has discovered another way to use her Quirk," Tenya said. He was happy for his friend, but still determined not to let her beat him.

"Indeed. We got some stiff competition." Yaoyorozu said, looking ahead, determined to catch up to Katsuki. But the two heard laughter and saw a grape ball hit the ground near before a big mushroom exploded around it. Mineta and Kinoko laughed as they bounced on the mushroom, getting plenty of air and distance as they did so. Behind them was a trail of purple balls that were getting some students stuck, and a few with big, bouncy mushrooms that were quickly dissolving.

"Sorry for getting you all calvatia up!" Kinoko said with a big grin.

"Just don't wine about it!" Mineta followed up, the two laughing at their own puns and wordplay as they continued to bounce ahead.

Back with the crowd, Izuku and Aoyama managed to get some distance, but were still far behind.

"I can use my Quirk to blast us ahead," Aoyoma suggested. Though he was dreading the stomachache that would come after that.

"Actually, I got this covered." Izuku said, confusing his partner as he brought the watch up to his face, pressing a button and shouting, "Strike Scramble!"

A few miles away, the U.A. swimming pool began to drain, the bottom sections sliding open, and something rising from its depths. That something? The new and improved Striker!

This one was much bulkier than the previous version, taking on more of a rotund body shape, with a thicker chest (which had a large blue circular orb in the center), waist, bicep, and thigh regions. Its color scheme was a dark shade of green that matched all across the body, save for the bright red on its shoulders, wrists, and bottom that gave it the classic 'superhero trunks' look. On its back was a large set of red rocket boosters. But the biggest change was in its face. No longer did it attempt to copy All Might's smile and bangs. Rather, the mouth vent was smaller and the eyes looked more furrowed, giving it a much more imposing look meant to strike fear into the hearts of evil.

The machine's eyes lit up as it received the command from its pilot's watch. The boosters ignited with a thunderous roar as the machine took off into the sky. In less than a minute, it was above the obstacle course, to the amazement and surprise of all the students and the people watching the feed from the drone cameras around the race track.

Landing in Progress! Please Clear the Area! Landing in Progress! Please Clear the Area!

The machine landed, with the heat from its boosters melting some of the ice away before it expended all of its fuel, detaching from Striker's back and falling onto the ground.

"Get in!" Izuku ordered, Aoyoma nodding along as Striker's cockpit opened up. It had also been revamped, with the seat now being more in a standing position. Izuku stepped into the cockpit, strapping himself into the seat while Aoyama stood behind it. The greenette grabbed the new helmet from the above compartment, which was more circular and had a sharp antenna on each side, and put it on as Striker's cockpit closed. He took the watch off his wristband and placed it in a hole in the center console, turning on all of Striker's systems.

Scramble Key Recognized! Ready to Rock!

Izuku gripped the control sticks, and a big smirk appeared on his face. "Hang on tight, Aoyoma."

The eccentric blond was a bit nervous at that, gripping the seat while Izuku's eyes shone with excitement. "Striker, Go!"

Jet vents on Striker's calves and back skirt flared to life, lifting the robot a few inches off the ground. With a push of the foot pedals, the green machine blasted ahead, hovering at high speeds and ready to take first place!

Inside the arena, Striker's appearance sparked a storm of conversation amongst the civilians and the Pro Heroes in attendance. Most of them had heard about the Quirkless kid in the Hero Course, and many of them wondered how such a thing could've happened. The online scene was also blowing up.

MegaMirkoFan - Holy crap! You guys seeing this?!

TheRealest73 - No wonder the Midoriya kid got into U.A. He's got a fucking mobile suit!

MechaIndex555 - Okay, not to be 'that guy', but at that scale, it's more like a Knightmare Frame.

Ferox09 - No, it's hovering, so it's more like a Votom.

AllMight?MoreLikeSnoreMight - Who cares?! IT'S FUCKING AWESOME!

ScepticSai - I thought the famous quirkless hero course kid would be more like Batman, not Iron Man.

Back on the race track, Todoroki's scowl deepened as Striker also began to pull ahead of him and Kuroiro. But then, he saw something in the distance that would give him a leg up in the race.

"Woah!" Ochako and Ashido shouted as they evaded a giant robot fist. Out of the ground, the robot villains used in the Entrance Exams began to pop out, from the car-sized One Pointers to the towering Zero Pointers.

"Those things again?!" Mineta and Kinoko shouted in horror before they were swatted down towards the ground by one of the Zero Pointers, with Kinoko saving them by quickly spawning a big bed of mushrooms as they landed.

"What's an obstacle course without some obstacles, folks?" Present Mic proclaimed. "Give it up for...THE ROBO INFENRO!"

"The kids better be ready to test their mettle against this metal!" Gunhead chimed in.

Several of the teams in the lead stopped, hesitant to go ahead against the army of robots...save for Striker, which blasted past all of them.

"M-Monsieur Midoriya! Wouldn't it be wise to try and wait?!" Aoyoma shouted, his eyes wide at the sight of all those robots.

"Maybe. But you know what they say," Izuku felt a fire ignite in his chest. "The best path to victory is straight ahead!"

And that seemed to light the competitive spark back in the front runners again, with Mei & Katsuki, Ochako & Ashido, and Tenya & Yaoyorozu rushing in behind Izuku and Aoyama.

Ochako and Ashido evaded the barrage of missiles sent their way by the two pointers, Ochako constantly changing the direction of gravity's pull. A Zero Pointer attempted to punch them. Ashido unleashed a spray of clear liquid from her palms. In a matter of seconds, the colossal metal fist was nothing but slag.

Yaoyorozu zipped open her jacket, creating a grenade launcher and handing it to Tenya. With one hand, Tenya fired a round of explosives that made quick work of a group of one and three points, allowing the two to zoom past them with Yaoyorozu's dirt bike and Tenya's engines.

Katsuki and Mei let out excited laughs as Katsuki used his explosions, controlling their detonation times and directions to make him and Mei seemingly unhittable against the robots. When one of them got close, Mei threw some EMP discs at them, which quickly short-circuited them.

And that left Izuku using Striker's reinforced fists to punch the smaller robots into submission. But then, Izuku quickly saw one of the Zero Pointers stomping towards him. He remembered the Entrance Exam. How one of them almost squished himself alongside Proto-Striker by stepping on him.

It seemed history was about to repeat itself as the Zero Pointer raised its foot before stomping down on Striker! A silence filled the arena and across the nation when that happened, believing they had all just seen two students getting squished on Live TV.

But then, the Zero Pointer's foot began to lift up, the metal groaning. And from under the foot, Striker was lifting it up with seemingly ease, its joints holding firm, and no alarms going off inside the cockpit. Everything was in the green, just as Izuku built it.

With a mighty yell from Izuku, Striker forced the Zero Pointer's foot off it and sent the giant robot stumbling back. It crashed into the other Zero Pointers, sending them falling like dominoes.

Miyashima and Wada watched the screen with dumbfounded expressions.

"Quite impressive, wouldn't you say?" Nezu said with a small smile.

Awe and disbelief were felt across the land as sunlight glinted off the green machine's frame.

"It doesn't matter what's in my way!" Izuku proclaimed as Striker slammed its fists together before striking a pose. "Because Striker and I are gonna come out on top every time!"

To Be Continued!

Notes:

So we're in full swing for the Sports Festival! Hopefully, by now, you guys can get the structure I'm going for with this story over canon. Much as I love My Hero Academia, one major problem I had with it was just how breakneck the plot felt at times. All of that plot happening within less than two years is just an insane kind of pacing.

So yeah, between each big arc, you can expect that not only is more time going to pass between them in-story, but we'll have plenty of breathing room between arcs.

Also, we got some cool artwork for the New Striker by lego-raider

 

New Striker

 

Next Time: Obstacle Onslaught!

Plus Ultra!

Chapter 23: Obstacle Onslaught

Summary:

Get ready for some mayhem, folks!

Notes:

My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

So now that the new arc is on the way, it's time for a new opening!

(Fire Ground by HIGE DANdism)

(To the beat of the music, we see Striker's foot stomping on the ground, smashing its fists together, and its eyes turning on. With each stomp and slam, the logo, My Super Robot Academia, appears in the midst of a green inferno.)

Hitotsu to shite adobanteiji nante nai

"Muitenai" "sensu nai" daremo ga sou itte waratteru

(Izuku, clad in his gym uniform, pushes a joystick ahead before cutting to Striker punching forward in response. He smiles at this, and the camera switches to his POV, showing various computer screens with all of the robot's special moves, including the Anchor Knuckle, Strike Beam, and Putty Shot.)

Nante koto nai bibiru hitsuyou wanai

Kekka ippatsu de hyakuhachi juudo masshiro na kansei ni kawaru zo

(We then get quick shots of the gang (Ochako, Tenya, Katsuki, Mei, Yosetsu, and Tsuyu) training with their quirks before seeing all of them and Izuku walking out of the arena halls and into the stadium, with the rest of Class 1-A, 1-B, and the Gen Ed and Support Course students looking at them with competitive gazes.)

Aidentiti no isutori geemu wa tokku ni oubaa YEAH

(We get brief cuts to the U.A. Teachers and HSPC members in the Teacher's Box (with Wada glaring down and smirking), Kaneko in the stands, and the patrons of Jarvis' Bar & Grill before cutting to Momotaro and his siblings doing a pose.)

Sore demo hajikaremai to sekai wo ryouashi de nigirishimeru

(Present Mic and Gunhead pump their fists to get the audience cheering. As the tension builds, we get close ups of several hands and feet clenched before Eraserhead chops down and blows a whistle.)

Makka na honnou asedaku no SOUL

Nandaidarake no jasuto za wei yuu aa

Tsuranukitousou sogiotosu zouo

Yoyuu nante kamasu tsumori mo nai

(What follows is a montage of several students using their quirks: Rin shooting his scales, Momo creating a shield on her arm and a cannon on her back, Itsuka throwing a punch with her emlarged fist, Kirishima hardening and slamming his fists together, Mineta jumping and throwing his grape balls, Tenya blasting ahead, Ashido spraying acid, Shinso smirking as his eyes glow red, Katsuki blasting himself in the air with explosions, and Ochako throwing a punch, her arm glowing purple with gravitational energy.)

Shoikonda kanjou wa HI-HEAT UP HI-HEAT UP

Tsukamitoru no da risouzou wo

Makka na honnou asedaku no SOUL

Nokotta no wa docchi da?

(A battle between Izuku and Todoroki unfolds, with the prodigy launching entire icebergs at Striker. The green machine evades one iceberg that takes its left arm, and destroys another one with a Strike Beam. Inside the cockpit, Izuku grits his teeth, pressing the triggers and making Striker unleash a full, blinding blast. We cut to the parents cheering from the Bakugou house, All Might and Power Loader looking down proudly, several members of the bar raising their fists in the air, and finally cutting to Izuku sitting on the grass in front of a heavily damaged Striker. A tear begins to come down his face, but Izuku wipes it off and stands up.)

Nokotta no wa docchi da?

(He looks up with a smile that screams 'I'll never give up!' before raising his fist in the air.)

Chapter 23: Obstacle Onslaught!

Gia Kazuki never really expected her life to go anywhere. Her looks and curves were average, and she lacked any kind of financially lucrative talent to make up for her lack of a Quirk. So an office job where most of her days were spent filling in data sheets seemed to be her lot in life. She knew that when her co-workers invited her out to hang out at Jarvis' to watch the U.A. Sports Festival, they were just trying to be polite.

After all, she never told anyone that her dream as a little girl was to be a hero. They didn't know that inviting her to watch the next generation of heroes show off their talents was like rubbing salt in the wound. She was ready for this day to suck.

But then one of her co-workers told her that one of the first years was actually Quirkless, now that got her attention. Gia had heard the story in passing, but figured it was just another overblown tabloid story that everyone would forget about in a week. And when one of them pointed out the exact student, Izuku Midoriya, Gia was a bit disappointed by just how plain the kid looked.

(Though that was probably the pot calling the kettle black since her bright red hair was the only thing that made her stand out from her co-workers.)

That disappointment quickly went out the window when the boy summoned an honest-to-Buddha mecha and used it to topple several much bigger robots. In response, Gia had only one response.

"Hell yeah!" Gia shouted, pumping her fists into the air. And she wasn't the only one. A young teenage couple sitting in a booth, two older men sitting at the bar, and even Takuya Aoi were cheering at the sight of Striker's feat.

Back at the U.A. stadium, the audience's stunned reaction was a sight to behold. Their minds were trying to make sense of what was happening. This was the boy who was confirmed Quirkless. No superpowers whatsoever. Seeing him summon a robot to the field and use it to topple another robot, the size of a skyscraper, was almost impossible for many of them to process.

At least, for the adults, it was. Hundreds of children from preschool to middle school were also in attendance alongside their families, and almost all of them were amazed by what they saw.

"Did you guys see that?!" a fourth-grade boy shouted with a huge smile.

"The big robot was all STOMP, and then it got flipped!" a third-grade girl commented with excitement.

"That was so badass!" a seventh-grade boy shouted, pumping his fist with excitement. All around the arena, young kids and preteens were howling, shouting about how awesome Striker was. And some of the more outgoing teenagers soon joined them.

Near one of the stairwells, Kaneko's cat ears twitched at the sound of that.

"Y-You weren't kidding."

"Sorry we doubted you, Senpai!"

Kaneko smiled at his Business Course juniors. He had managed to rope a bit of them in for his plan at the promise of a 'great opportunity.' However, plenty of them were skeptical when he told them that it was centered around Izuku. And those doubts came tumbling down just like the Zero Pointers.

"No worries. I'm just glad you've seen Izuku's fantastical 'zing' in action. Now…" Kaneko strapped a tray containing 50 Full Action New Striker figures (each with a small information booklet attached to them) to his shoulders. In his free hand was his phone with a card reader attached to it. "…let's make some bank!"

"Roger!" His fellow business course students replied, each of them holding their own action figure tray and phone.

"Now how's that for a first act?!" Mic commentated. "Midoriya and his amazing green machine managed to pull off a feat that would make Hercules jealous!"

"That's certainly one way of putting it, Mic," Gunhead followed up. "The Zeroes might be down, but now the kiddos are gonna have to scale them in order to move forward." He looked to the screen and saw Striker scaling and leaping over the Zero Pointers. Not far behind were Mei & Katsuki, who were practically flying thanks to the combination of her machines and his explosions. Mina melted through the fallen robots as Ochako propelled them forward, Mineta and Komori bouncing across them like a game of Mario, and Tenya and Yaoroyozu motorbiking across the building-sized robots like ramps. "Well, some of them are."

"Dammit!" Tetsutetsu shouted as he and Kirishima glared at the mountain of metal before them, the two gutsy students being the first to reach the feet of the Zero Pointers after the leads. "Not cool, Midoriya! Now we gotta climb these oversized toasters!"

"Just think of it like rock climbing, bro!" Kirishima shouted. "Besides, we already got a…"

Kirishima was cut off by Koda and Shishida riding on Tangerine (the big guy wooing like crazy), Yosetsu and Kodai passing them by using climbing spikes that Yosetsu had welded together out of debris, Honenuki and Tsuyu literally swimming through the robots, and Yanagi and Monoma floating past them on a big rock (though the silver-haired girl threw an apologetic wave at her crush as she did so.) Kirishima looked down and saw some of their classmates behind them. "I mean, at least we're not in last place."

Back with the front runners, it was a neck-and-neck race with Ochako and Ashido in the lead. But Ochako began to waver, which her partner noticed. "You okay?"

"I gotta drop for a bit." Ochako pressed her fingers together, letting the two girls drop to the ground a few feet away from the others. Ochako grabbed a bottle from her belt, popped two gel caps into her mouth, and swallowed. They were a special type of pill that Recovery Girl had made (turns out the nurse was also one hell of a chemist) at All Might's request to help offset the stomach cramps that Ochako's evolved Quirk tended to cause. "Okay, give me three minutes, and I should be good to go."

"No worries. We got a big lead, so let's just run ahead and—WHAT THE HELL!?"

"Looks like Uraraka and Ashido are the first to make it to the next obstacle..." Present Mic continued, almost like he was responding to Ashido's surprised cry. "...THE FALL!"

In front of the girls was a canyon that looked to be about 300 meters wide, with over a hundred small plateaus rising from the canyon floor and connected by ropes. Looking over the edge, they saw that there was padding at the bottom. It would hurt falling down that distance, but it would still be non-lethal.

"Ya fall down, and you're out! So ya better get crawlin', kiddos!"

"Just think of it like a rope exercise in gym class," Gunhead said to encourage the kids. Ochako and Ashido looked back and saw the other front-runners catching up to them.

"Let's get going!"

"Right!"

As the two began to crawl along the tight rope, keeping sure to maneuver so that their tether didn't get snagged, the leading groups (Izuku and Aoyoma inside Striker, Katsuki and Mei, and Tenya and Yaoyorozu) began to formulate their own plans for crossing. Katsuki looked at the two girls crawling and smirked.

"Suckers." He adjusted himself in Mei's back harness so that he was facing forward now. "Ready to show off, Mei?"

"Absolutely!" Mei pressed a button on her wrist, making two cylinders pop out from under her armpits from her backpack. "Hope all your support companies are watching this! Because you're about to get a prime look at my adorable babies! First up, the Wire Hooks attachment that combos well with the Industrial Back Strap my hubby's currently in." With the push of a button, the hooks fired at one of the nearby plateaus. The pulley system sent the couple flying into the air towards the rock formation. "And when combined with the Hatsume Hover Boots," Mei pushed her boots against the rock, making the two quickly stop. "And help from my handsome assistant."

"The future Number 1 hero!" Katsuki interjected before thrusting his arms back, unleashing twin explosions that sent the two flying forward into the air.

"We're a mobility machine!"

"Oh, that's so not fair!" Ashido cried out as Katsuki and Mei continued their routine of firing wire hooks, zooming towards plateaus, and then using the hover boots and explosions to blast to the next one.

Inside Striker's cockpit, Izuku smirked. "Good idea, guys." He turned towards his passenger. "Aoyoma, do you know how much force your naval laser uses?"

The flamboyant boy rubbed his chin in contemplation. "I've heard it described as being hit with the wind of a jet turbine."

"Perfect." Izuku maneuvered Striker so that it began to back away from the Fall until it was about 30 feet back. He pressed a button to open Striker's back paneling behind Aoyoma. "When I say 'Fire!' I want you to blast your laser from there with all you got."

"Compris!" Aoyoma responded with a finger salute.

"Alright! Here we go!"

Striker began to run towards the Fall, each footstep hitting the ground like a shotgun blast. The green machine built up more and more momentum as it approached the canyon obstacle. And when it reached the edge, Striker leaped into the air, crossing a distance of 30 feet before it began to drop. Izuku moved his hand towards the Back Boosters button and shouted, "FIRE!" He pressed the button and Aoyoma fired his laser at one of the plateaus.

The combined force of the robots' back rockets and naval laser sent Striker flying across the rest of the obstacle course, flying past Katsuki and Mei.

"Oh, come on!" Katsuki shouted.

"Looks like they have the right idea," Yaoyorozu said before looking at Tenya. "Could you turn around, please?"

"Of course." Before the race started, Yaoyorozu explained to Tenya how her Quirk worked and how, to create larger objects, she would need to unzip her gym jacket and bra. Tenya stoically stood there as Yaoyorozu created something. After a minute, she closed up her top and said, "Okay, I think this'll help."

Tenya turned around and saw that Yaoyorozu had created a two-person hang glider. And he quickly put two and two together ass to what her plan was. As other pairs began to converge towards the Fall, Tenya and Yaoyorozu mounted the hang glider rails and began to run towards the cliff. They leaped into the air, and Tenya activated his Quirk, blasting the two over the canyon.

Ochako saw her friends passing by her and Ashido, and her competitive side started to take over. And as the two reached a plateau, she felt her stomach fully recover.

"Ashido, let's go!"

"Wait, wha—" Ashido couldn't even finish her sentence before Ochako tapped both of them, making them float.

"Uravitational—"

"A little more of a warning next time!" Ashido shouted as she gripped onto her competition-crazed teammate.

"Shift!"

Ashido let out a scream as the two started 'flying' again.

Back in the announcer booth, Present Mic gripped his hair and groaned. "What's the point of a tight rope obstacle if no one uses the dang ropes?!"

"Shouldn't we be proud that the kids found such creative and cool ways over it?" Gunhead asked.

"Yeah...but it's the principle of the thing, ya know?" He took a deep breath. "Well, the kiddos are still gonna have to deal with the last obstacle...the MINEFIELD!"

Indeed, just as Present Mic said, the last obstacle between the First Years and the back entrance of the U.A. Stadium was a 100-meter-long patch of dirt. But there were indents in the dirt that made it clear where the landmines were buried.

"To the concerned folks at home, don't you worry," Gunhead spoke up. "These landmines are harmless. They're just like big firecrackers. It'll push ya back with a loud sound burst."

"I assume you have an idea for how to navigate this minefield, Monsieur?" Aoyoma asked. But the smile on his teammate's face made him nervous due to how wild it was.

"Nah. But going straight ahead's worked so far!" Izuku pressed on the pedal, and Striker blasted ahead via its hover jets. It flew over a mine, setting it off when the jet's pressure hit it. But the green machine was unfazed and continued to blast ahead, Aoyoma screaming as it continued to tank the minefield.

"Oh, come on!" Present Mic shouted.

Ochako and Ashido flew over the minefield while Katsuki and Mei followed behind them, weaving out of the way of any explosions. But while Tenya and Yaoyorozu followed behind (with the Creation Student creating a jet pack and helping Tenya maneuver, adding to their overall speed), Yaoyorozu quickly realized something had been off since Izuku toppled the Zero Pointers.

"Iida, something's wrong," Yaoyorozu said, eyes scanning the obstacle course. "Where are Todoroki and Kuroiro?"

The answer came as soon as Striker cleared the minefield. As it touched down, a glacier erupted from under the green machine, utterly engulfing it and blocking the entrance to the arena. "What, Todoroki's Quirk!" Izuku exclaimed. "But how did he—where did he—"

Izuku didn't even need to finish asking before his question was answered by Todoroki and Kuroiro emerging from Striker's shadow.

"Told ya that would work!" Kuroiro shouted. He had been inspired by the strategy he'd used with Izuku during the first Hero 101 class. Only this time, he and Todoroki had hidden in the robot's shadow after leaping from one to the next of the front runners.

While Todoroki maintained a neutral expression on his face, anger and frustration simmered just beneath the surface. To think he had told Kuroiro not to slow him down, only for the shadowy student to provide their means to victory. Well, at least he had the next two events of the Sports Festival to prove his point, so he continued to lay down some glaciers behind him and Kuroiro.

Izuku's mind was racing, desperately trying to find a way to get Striker out of the ice. Its legs couldn't move. He could use the Strike Beam to melt the ice, but the time it would take to melt it would give Todoroki and Kuroiro all the time they needed to cross the finish line. "Dammit!"

"Don't give up, mon ami!" Aoyoma said as he tapped on Izuku's shoulder, smirking with confidence. "After all, your machine isn't the one that needs to cross the finish line."

Izuku realized what Aoyoma was saying and decided to act quickly. He unbuckled his seat belt and the two leapt out of Striker as the cockpit flew open. Aoyoma whipped around and Izuku grabbed the blond boy's shoulders.

"Let's go!"

"Voici mon etincelle!"

Aoyoma unleashed a sparkling blast of energy so powerful that he launched himself and Izuku forward and into the air. The two soared into the entrance tunnel, and right as Todoroki and Kuroiro were about to step into the arena, Izuku and Aoyoma blasted ahead of them, the two of them tumbling into the grass and dirt.

"Holy moly! It's a photo finish!" Present Mic exclaimed. "Give us a second to run that back so we can see who made it over the line first."

A video appeared on the jumbotron, showing the very last moments before the students crossed the finish line. The race was so close that they had to go through the footage frame by frame. The whole stadium watched with bated breath as the two teams inched ever closer, Todoroki and Kuroiro in front, but Izuku and Aoyama quickly catching up. The jumbotron flashed from one frame to the next, the four students all but a hair's breadth from the finish line, until finally—

"There you have it, folks! The winners of the Handcuff Race are none other than Izuku Midoriya and Yuga Aoyama!"

—Izuku's back crossed the line just before Todoroki's boot!

At the Bakugou residence, Hisashi and Inko sat up and cheered for their son.

"Aoyama, we did it!" Izuku shouted, his heart racing in excitement.

"Y-Yes, we did," the blond said. But while he was smiling, he was also holding his stomach and shaking. "Though it seems my stomach is about to pay the price for it."

Izuku's eyes widened at that. He quickly checked on their cuffs, and to his and Aoyoma's relief, the cuffs detached from their wrists. "Take all the time you need."

"Merci!" Aoyama cried, taking off like a racehorse.

Ochako and Ashido were the next pair to enter the arena, thanks to Ashido melting a hole in the ice. Ochako felt an odd sort of kinship with Aoyama as she watched him run to the bathroom while clutching his stomach. 'Oof, been there, buddy,' Ochako thought in sympathy.

Tenya and Yaoyorozu managed to barely beat Katsuki and Mei into the arena. For the next few minutes, more and more student pairs came into the arena, their cuffs separating and falling off. Eventually, the last pair of the handcuff race passed the finish line, two dark-haired students Izuku didn't recognize, just behind Kirishima and Tetsutetsu.

"Looks like that's the last pair who'll actually make it through." Izuku turned to see Aizawa approaching him, one of his jelly pouches in hand. "Go and grab your robot before we get started with the next event."

Izuku looked over at Striker, still encased in a large chunk of ice. "Uh, how am I supposed to—"

"Todoroki!" Aizawa exclaimed, catching the bi-coloured boy's attention. "Go clean up your mess and get Midoriya's Gundam unstuck."

"Actually," Izuku said, "Striker's more akin to..." Izuku then realized Aizawa was already walking away, and he was talking to empty air. Izuku and Todoroki made their way towards Striker in awkward silence. "So, that maneuver you and Kuroiro pulled off was really clever; I didn't notice you two getting in Striker's shadow."

Todoroki said nothing as he placed his left hand on the glacier. Steam filled the entryway as heat radiated from Todoroki, melting the ice.

"Whoa! That's so cool," Izuku said, and then decided to make some small talk. "I noticed you didn't use your left side during the race. Can you create fire with it, or do you just generate heat? Can you only use one side at a time, or do you just not have as much practice with it? Have you ever tried—"

"I'm trying to concentrate," Todoroki said, clearly irritated. He continued in silence until the ice was almost completely melted. Without the ice to support it, Striker fell onto its back with a deafening thud, finally free.

"Thanks," Izuku said, turning to Todoroki with a smile and an outstretched hand. "Good luck in the next round." The awkward silence returned as Todoroki stared at Izuku...before simply walking back into the arena without a word

Izuku let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "Right. It's a competition." He turned back to Striker. "We'd better get in there, too."

As Izuku got back into his robot, Todoroki was fuming, his icy mask starting to crack and melt.

Nothing about this race had gone to plan. The race being a team event had been a curveball, and he didn't adjust his strategy to compensate. And when he did allow himself to actually work with Kuroiro to even have a chance at winning, their plan hadn't even worked. Midoriya and Aoyama had snatched first place out from under them in some insane gambit right out of a cartoon.

He'd been overconfident, feeling so sure that no one in the hero course could approach his abilities, and allowed the other students to blindside him. After all, if a Quirkless guy like Midoriya managed to win one of the events, then it really was anyone's game.

"Well, looks like these kids got some serious skills." Up in the Press Box, the Hero 1-2-3 crew was filming from above, Hifumi holding the camera while the three brothers did their thing. Kenichi stood in the center with Kenzo on his left and Kenji on his right. "You guys got any favorites so far?"

"Yay, that kid with the explosions coming out of his hands was gnarly," Kenzo said. "Almost as gnarly as his hair."

"Please stop saying, gnarly," Kenji responded.

"Never!"

The middle brother just sighed. "Well, I've been impressed by Iida and Yaoyorozu. The two were quick to adapt, especially Yaoyorozu."

"I mean, it's pretty easy to do that when you can pull stuff out of your ti—" Kenzo never finished his sentence as Kenichi elbowed him in the shoulder. Hifumi glared daggers at the youngest brother from behind the camera.

"Well, I think that Midoriya kid's gonna be the one to look out for," Kenichi said, looking down from the box and seeing him exit Striker. "Kid built a superhero robot, and I get the feelin' we haven't seen all it can do." He shared a look with Hifumi, and the younger sister smiled at that.

And their chat seemed to agree, with several posters commenting enthusiastically.

FeroxFury - I think the explody boy and the pink gadget girl are a couple! Hello, new ship!

RulesOfQuirks43 - I can't wait to see what else this Uraraka girl can do! She's literally manipulating one of the four fundamental forces of reality!

Bo-Bo-Bomb555 - Yo, I'm actually in the stands. There's a straight-up catboy selling action figures of that badass robot.

At another section of the Press Box, Fujita and Takenaka rolled their eyes at the 1-2-3 crew. "This fake wholesome act is gonna make me throw up," Fujita said.

Takenaka sighed. "Well, like it or not, people eat this shit up."

Dan looked at the two with surprise. "You guys don't like Hero 1-2-3?"

"Podcasters like them have been eating away at our bottom line for centuries," Fujita said. Or at least, that's what some of the books she read from seasoned journalists said.

"And yet, we're still here doing honest work." He smiled at Fujita in a way that made her face heat up. "'Sides, I don't see Kenichi Sanada being brought on the Watchtower."

Fujita let out a giggle at that, which Takenaka took notice of.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get a drink. You guys want anything?"

"I'll take a grape soda if they got that," Fujita said. Dan looked at Takenaka.

"I'm good."

"Suit yourself." Dan left the two, and as soon as he was out of the press box, Takenaka tapped Fujita on the shoulder.

"I don't trust that guy. Something's off."

Fujita raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Fumiko, I've known you long enough to know that 9-out-of-10s like that don't just come up and start flirting with you."

"Well...maybe I just got lucky."

"Or maybe this guy just wants to brag and say he flirted with someone who was on TV."

Fujita was about to protest, but then again, her socials had started blowing up since her appearance on the Watchtower. And quite a bit of those posts came from profiles that were...well, sketchy to say the least. Plus, her Watchtower interview and her promise to write an even bigger story was putting her under pressure from her boss, all because she hadn't listened to her friend. "I'll keep an eye out just in case, Take-Take."

Back down at the field, the students were all assembled for Eraserhead and Momotaro to explain the next event.

"What an amazing race!" Momotaro cheered as the students gathered before him and Eraserhead. "Your passions and drive were truly inspiring, especially from our first and second place teams." Izuku felt his cheeks redden as Momotaro took his fan and gestured to him, along with Aoyama, Todoroki, and Kuroiro, with a dramatic flourish. "But take heart, everyone, for this was only the first round. Don't let yourselves be discouraged by their impressive display; use this as motivation to push yourselves even further so that you may shine like the stars I know you can be! Banzai!"

"Banzai!" the crowd and students cheered along with Momotaro.

"Don't waste your energy on pointless celebrations; there are still two more events to get through," Aizawa said. "Firstly, here are the rankings for the handcuff race." With a press of a button, the screen flashed and changed to display the results of the first event.

1. Izuku Midoriya & Yuga Aoyama

2. Shouto Todoroki & Shihai Kuroiro

3. Ochako Uraraka & Mina Ashido

4. Tenya Iida & Momo Yaoyorozu

5. Katsuki Bakugo & Mei Hatsume

6. Koji Koda & Jurota Shishida

7. Asui Tsuyu & Juzo Honenuki

8. Hanta Sero & Kojiro Bondo

9. Reiko Yanagi & Neito Monoma

10. Pony Tsunotori & Nirengeki Shoda

11. Yui Kodai & Yosetsu Awase

12. Setsuna Tokage & Rikido Sato

13. Manga Fukidashi & Mezo Shoji

14. Sen Kaibara & Fumikage Tokoyami

15. Kyoka Jiro & Kosei Tsubaraba

16. Denki Kaminari & Ibara Shiozaki

17. Mashirao Ojiro & Toru Hagakure

18. Itsuka Kendo & Hiryu Rin

19. Hitoshi Shinso & Togaru Kamakiri

20. Minoru Mineta & Kinoko Komori

21. Eijiro Kirishima & Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

22. Tsutsutaka Agoyamato & Chikuchi Togeike

"If your name isn't on the screen, then please leave the field," Eraserhead said.

"But take pride in what you've done today, young ones!" Momotaro shouted, stepping in front of 1-A's teacher. "No doubt, you've earned the eye of more than one pro!"

Aizawa just rolled his eyes at this as he continued. "So let's see what the Team Event will be." He pressed a button on his remote twice, first changing it to a roulette wheel of different events, and then spinning until it landed on the words: Treasure Hunt!

"Huh, think we did something like that in middle school," Kaminari commented.

"Alright, here are the rules," Eraserhead said. "You'll each be grouped up in teams of four. And to make sure things aren't too lopsided in the favor of the top scorers, you'll be paired with another pair on the opposite end. Case in point, the winners of the obstacle race will be paired with the lowest-ranked qualifiers."

With the press of another button, the pairings for the next event were shown on the screen.

Team Jade: Izuku Midoriya, Yuga Aoyama, Tsutsutaka Agoyamato, & Chikuchi Togeike

Team Agate: Shouto Todoroki, Shihai Kuroiro, Eijiro Kirishima, & Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Team Rose Quartz: Ochako Uraraka, Mina Ashido, Minoru Mineta, & Kinoko Komori

Team Iolite: Tenya Iida, Momo Yaoyorozu, Hitoshi Shinso, & Togaru Kamakiri

Team Sunstone: Katsuki Bakugo, Mei Hatsume, Itsuka Kendo, & Hiryu Rin

Team Tiger's Eye: Koji Koda, Jurota Shishida, Mashirao Ojiro, & and Toru Hagakure

Team Zircon: Asui Tsuyu, Juzo Honenuki, Denki Kaminari, & Ibara Shiozaki

Team Opal: Hanta Sero, Kojiro Bondo, Kyoka Jiro & Kosei Tsubaraba

Team Obsidian: Reiko Yanagi, Neito Monoma, Sen Kaibara & Fumikage Tokoyami

Team Spinel: Pony Tsunotori, Nirengeki Shoda, Manga Fukidashi & Mezo Shoji

Team Moonstone: Yui Kodai, Yosetsu Awase, Setsuna Tokage & Rikido Sato

"Check it out, yo!" Present Mic's voice reverberated through the stadium's speakers. "Since these little dudes and dudettes are gonna be hunting for treasure, we thought we'd give them some totally rad team names to go along with it."

"Do your best to shine bright like the gems you all!" Gunhead cheered.

"How brilliant, my friends!" Momotaro exclaimed. "But remember, you are still rough, newly unearthed gems. U.A. is where you will cut and polished into something truly extraordinary, and the Sports Festival is but one step on that journey. Wouldn't you agree, Eraserhead?"

Aizawa felt his eye twitch involuntarily. He sighed and turned back towards the students, ignoring the folktale-themed hero.

"Moving on to actually important things," Aizawa began. "Now, most festivals would have you kids looking around the field or the school for the treasure." Eraserhead's twisted into a grin that sent shivers down the students' spines. "But you should know by now that UA isn't your average school, so we can't have an average treasure hunt."

The ground began to shake, knocking over a handful of students, as the floor of the area split open. From beneath the earth rose a massive structure at least 100 meters tall, made of dark stone, and looked like it had been plucked straight from dark fantasy anime. Its long shadow swallowed the students as they could look up with gaping jaws.

"This is Cylindral Dungeon." Aizawa clicked his remote once more, and the jumbo screen changed to show that the part of the tower visible on the surface was mirrored by an equally large tower structure beneath the surface. And next to the dungeon display were images of gold coins, gems, and treasure chests. "There's 50 floors in this place, 25 above ground and 25 below, and with hundreds of 'treasures' worth varying amounts of points. You'll have half an hour to gather as much treasure points as you can, and the teams with the highest accumulated treasure points will move to the final event. Now, you can't directly attack any of the other teams, but you can use your Quirks and skills in any other way you can think of to obtain treasure. However, you should still be on your guard." His smirk just got bigger. "After all, what's a dungeon without some traps?"

"Looks like Kacchan was on point when describing Mr. Aizawa," Izuku whispered to Aoyoma, who nodded along with him.

Eraserhead then pressed a stopwatch. "You have ten minutes to get to know your teammates and form a strategy, so you'd better hop to it."

"Good advice, Eraserhead!" Momotaro proclaimed as he struck a pose. "Remember, young heroes; when an obstacle is too big for a singular hero to conquer, never forget that you are but one of a legion carrying on a noble tradition!"

The students began to do just that, discussing what they could do for this game. Izuku and Aoyoma saw two gen-ed students approaching them.

"'Sup? I'm Tsutsukata Agoyamato, Class 1-C," the teen with the pompadour said with a neutral expression.

"Chikuchi Togeike, Class 1-D," the brunette girl said with an equally neutral expression.

"Salutations! I am the sparkling Yuga Aoyoma of Class 1-A!" Aoyoma said as he struck a pose that confused the Gen-Ed students.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya, Class 1-B." He then tapped on the kneeling Striker's knee. "And this big guy is my partner, Striker." Izuku looked around and saw the teams start talking. Katsuki already looked like he was taking the lead with Mei, Kendo, and Rin. Ochako was trying to pump up Ashido, Mineta, and Komori to do their best. And Tenya was giving his team a rousing speech, but it seemed like Yaoyorozu was the only one captivated, while Kamakiri and a vaguely familiar purple-haired boy were ignoring him. Finally, he took a look at Honenuki's team, seeing him chatting with Tsu, Kaminari, and Shiozaki from Class 1-A. Definitely a combination to worry about. "So, what exactly are your Quirks? Aoyoma's got a high-intensity laser, and Striker...well, I've written an entire digital manual about what it can."

Agoyamato and Togeike looked at each other before the boy spoke up. "My quirk is Hair Cannon." He gestured to the hole at the tip of his pompadour. "I can load stuff into my hair and launch it."

Togeike raised her arm up, and then with a flick of her wrist, several plant-like thorns sprouted across her arm. "My Quirk is Thorn. Pretty obvious what it is."

Both of them were ready for the mockery or pity. Or possibly both. These two childhood friends knew that compared to some of the wonder kids in 1-A and 1-B, their quirks weren't as powerful or as flashy. And even the Quirkless kid had a big-ass robot to fall back on.

"Cool!" Izuku said, surprising Agoyamato and Togeike. Especially because his expression was genuine. "I've played enough D&D to know that some like you is a godsend." He looked at Togeike's spikes. "You basically got an unlimited number of lockpicks to disable traps and break into any locked place."

"I...guess I can." She said with a smirk. Finally, her middle school days of role-playing a sneaky rogue were about to have real-world applications.

"And every party needs raw force." Izuku then looked at Agoyamato and placed his hands on the taller boy's shoulders. "Agoyamato, based on how you described it, your Quirk is probably gonna be useful helping us deal with whatever's in that dungeon."

Agoyamato thought about it and smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Fantastique!" Aoyoma said as he brought all four of them into an embrace. "Looks like our little team has a game plan!"

"What are you going to do?" Togeike asked.

"Provide moral support by being fabulous and blinding any nasties with my brilliance!"

Awkward silence filled the air as Agoyamato and Togeike stared at Aoyama, then looked to each other. "...right," Agoyamato said, turning back to Izuku. "Well, considering we'll have your mecha on our side, I don't think we'll have much to worry about."

"Yeah, about that," Izuku said nervously. "I think we'll need to leave Striker behind for this one."

The two Gen-Ed students looked at him in confusion. "Why the heck wouldn't you want to use it? That thing's unstoppable!"

"I mean, Todoroki proved Striker is very stoppable with clever application of the right Quirk, but that's not what I mean. I want to use Striker, but he physically won't fit inside the dungeon," Izuku explained. "Comparing the dungeon to the height of the stadium and assuming the underground portion is the same, I'd estimate the dungeon's total length to be between 200 to 250 meters. If there are 50 levels, and they're all the same height, then each level would be about five meters from floor to ceiling. Thing is, Striker is also five meters tall."

"Okay, great, that means he'd fit. I don't see what the issue is," Agoyamato said, starting to get rather annoyed.

"No, I think I get it," Togeike interjected. "Tsutsu, you're about two meters tall, so if you went into a room that was two meters from floor to ceiling..."

Agoyamato's eyes widened. "My head would be scraping the ceiling, and I'd have to crouch the whole time."

"Exactly. And even if the room was wide and long, you wouldn't be able to properly run, raise your arms, or do any big physical movements," Togeike continued. "And we haven't even taken into account the thickness of the floors and ceilings between levels. They could easily be up to a meter thick in order to take the impact of everyone's Quirk."

"That's what I was thinking!" Izuku exclaimed. "On top of that, there's no way of knowing if the stairs between levels would be big or sturdy enough for Striker to move through. Given all that, Striker would be more of a hindrance than help in the dungeon."

"Huh, well shit," Agoyamato said. "What the heck are we supposed to do if our heaviest hitter is out of commission?"

Izuku rubbed his chin in contemplation. 'I wasn't expecting to use it so soon,' Izuku thought, 'but I guess there's no better time for a field test.' He opened Striker's cockpit and pulled out a case from one of the side compartments.

"We'll do what all great heroes do, give it our all no matter the odds." Izuku's face split into a gigawatt smile as he turned back to face his teammates. "Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!" Agoyamato and Togeike felt something spark in their chests at Izuku's words.

"Très bien, Midoriya! Simply magnifique!" Aoyama cheered as he clapped Izuku on his shoulders.

Time seemed to fly by as the teams began discussing their strategies. Before they knew, it was time to enter the Cylindral Dungeon.

"I hope you're all ready, young heroes, because it's now or never," Momotaro said as the students gathered around the tower. He opened his fan with a flourish and raised it high above his head. Anticipation thrummed through the air like an electric charge. Momotaro looked over the crowd of students, their postures exuding both nerves and excitement, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"HAJIME!" Momotaro screamed, voice reverberating through the stadium as the students charged.

To be continued...

Notes:

So yeah, we're doing something a bit different from the canon's cavalry battle. Something to spice things up...and also feed into a Dungeons and Dragons/Baldur's Gate 3 hyperfixation I've had for two years that just won't go away.

Next Time: Dungeon Crawl and Brawl!

Plus Ultra!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of My Super Robot Academia