Undying

by Nartleb

Summary:

At four years old, Izuku Yagi is diagnosed as quirkless while his twin sister Izumi has powerful telekinesis. It is also when he's four years old that his parents start to forget about him.
But that won't stop him from achieving his dream of becoming a hero.
Nothing will.
Not being forgotten by his parents.
Not being beat by his sister and childhood friend near daily.
After all, All Might says that anyone can be a hero.
"It's nice to have a dream, but keep it realistic."
Abandoned once again, this time with his dream crushed, he takes his childhood friend's advice. 'Take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a quirk in your next life!'
The only problem? It doesn't work.
Now. How will the audience react?

Notes:

Transferring this over from Wattpad, Webnovel, and Scribblehub. So swing by those if you don't think I'm moving it over fast enough.
Also, the reaction portion of the fic has been abandoned as of ch 25 and doesn't impact the story anyways, so feel free to ignore it. Or don't. It's up to you. If anyone wants to do their own reactions, let me know beforehand please.
PS: The reaction characters were taken between the USJ and the Sports Festival, for those curious.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Show

It was a normal day for the residents of Japan. Until a bored being grew curious. And that’s how eleven particular individuals found themselves in a room resembling a movie theater.

The eleven people look around in confusion, before their eyes alight on each other. 

“Villain!” All Might shouts, looking at Tomura Shigaraki.

“Heroes!” He replies, hatred emitting from his gaze.

“Hand Bastard!” Shouts Bakugou, his hands held out in front of him.

Principal Nezu says nothing, only sipping his tea as he examines the situation he’s found himself in.

Detective Tsukauchi looks on with a tired gaze, mirrored by Aizawa, though both are ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Alternatively, the last five people are looking around in confusion. Uraraka, Todoroki, and Kirishima stand together, uncertain and wary at suddenly being transported.

Toga is looking around curiously, her head tilted. Though her eyes gleam with bloodlust.

Inko Midoriya, at odds with everyone, is looking around in a panic, the tense atmosphere doing nothing for her nerves.

Before anyone can make a move though, a voice speaks up.

“Ah, pardon me. Is everyone here? No? Hmm. Well, it is my first time doing something like this, so I suppose getting even half of the people I wanted is fine. It might be even more amusing. Quality over quantity and such.”

Everyone turns to the movie screen, where they see a tall man draped in what can only be described as galaxy robes looking at them. Bakugou, being the brash young man that he is, is the first to respond.

“The hell you talking about bathrobe!? You’re the one who brought us here!? You another shitty villain!? I’ll take you down along with the hand bastard!”

The stranger chuckles. “Ah yes, Bakugou Katsuki. It’s interesting seeing your famously aggressive personality in person. Though perhaps I should punish you…”

As he looks at him in amusement, Bakugou feels a chill crawl up his spine, disappearing the moment the stranger shakes their head. “No, I suppose that won’t be necessary. After all, I don’t want to diminish everyone’s experience today.”

“And what might you mean by that?” Asks Principal Nezu, calmly taking another sip of tea.

“I’m glad you asked, Principal Nezu.” He claps his hands and suddenly everyone is sitting, facing the screen. No matter how much they try, they can’t get out, much to the consternation of Tomura and Aizawa, who are stuck next to each other.

Meanwhile, Toga smiles brightly at Inko, who gives an uncertain and shaky smile back. The students are grouped together, as are the UA staff, with the detective at the front of everyone.

“Now, to assuage any worries, while you are here, time on your world will be frozen.” Several people release relieved breaths at his reassurance. “You also may be wondering where you are, why I’ve brought you here, and who I am.” He waits for everyone to murmur or otherwise confirm his words, ignoring Bakugou’s shouts of ‘DIE!’. It’s not nearly as intimidating without his quirk to back it up.

“Well, to sum it up.” He clears his throat. “I was bored, and decided to do something that I’ve noticed has been popular with some of the other deities.” He ignores their sudden silence with the sole exception of Tomura muttering about an end game boss.

“You see,” he raises a finger, “you are here to watch an alternate timeline.” At their confused muttering, he continues. “You see, there are innumerable variations of the same event. For example, Uraraka,” she jumps a little at being suddenly addressed, “in one timeline, if you used your quirk for one second longer than you have in yours for every activation, your quirk would be twice as powerful.”

Her eyes widen in disbelief while Aizawa shoots her a thoughtful look. Bakugou snorts while Tomura scratches his neck in irritation. Todoroki appraises her silently, while Kirishima pats her shoulder in encouragement.

“In another,” he continues, looking at Toga, “if your parents were more understanding, you would have had a fairly normal life.” She stiffens up, her eyes turning cold as everyone turns to look at her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m perfectly happy with how my life is going.” She smiles, showing off her sharp teeth and sending shivers down the students’ spines. Tomura looks at her curiously. This girl. Looks like she needs more points in the mind attribute. He smiles. That could be useful .

Inko raises a trembling hand, and the stranger nods for her to speak. “Um, I’m not really sure why I’m here. A-All Might said that the man over there,” she points at Tomura who bares his teeth at her, “is a villain. And those kids over there are from my son’s school. I’m not really sure about this girl’s situation, but this seems like hero business…?”

She trails off questioningly, and Tukauchi nods his head. “She’s right. Whatever you want us to see, I don’t think we need civilians getting involved. Though we do appreciate you bringing the leader of the League of Villains to us.” Tomura sneers at him, grasping the armrest then looking down in surprise that it’s still there.

The man chuckles. “Well, you know how I mentioned that you’ll be watching an alternate timeline?” They nod. “Well, the focus will be…” He waves his hand at the screen dramatically as a picture of a young green haired boy appears. “Izuku Midoriya!”

There are gasps from those on the hero's side of the law and Inko, while Tomura narrows his eyes in irritation, recognizing the brat from his failed attack on the USJ, though in the picture he looks much younger. Toga beams at the photo, thinking about how cute the kid is.

She’s always had a soft spot for kids, which is why she never tried to drink their blood or make them bleed. She’s got to wait until they grow up enough that she can have proper fun with them~.

“Wh-why is my son the focus?” Inko asks, looking at the photo of her little boy, overcome with nostalgia for the time before they found out he was quirkless. Though she supposed that he was just a late bloomer, given that he managed to get into UA with his strength quirk.

“Well you see, for your time period, barring outside interference from other deities, young Izuku is one of the most influential people.” All Might’s sharp inhale is lost among the sudden cacophony of noise.

“Bullshit!” Bakugou’s shout is the loudest, but the man simply ignores them all until they calm down.

“Despite what any of you would like to believe, that is the truth. No matter the path he chooses, he is a focal point for the future of Japan.”

“What do you mean ‘no matter his path’?” All Might questions with a hint of concern.

He looks at him with no emotion on his face. “Well, whether he chooses the path of a hero or a villain, he will be involved in Japan’s most important events.”

The room is engulfed in stunned silence, with those closest to Izuku being the most stunned. “No way dude,” Kirishima snorts, “Izuku would never be a villain. He’s way too nice!”

Uraraka rapidly nods her head. “Yeah! He’s the sweetest guy any of us have ever met!”

The teachers and principal of UA say nothing, but their eyes are filled with doubt at the man’s words. Tomura only looks on in curiosity, wondering what kind of villain the boy would be. 

The man shrugs. “Believe what you like, but he has two paths unless he dies early. A great hero, or a great villain.”

All Might looks at him defiantly. “Young Midoriya would never choose to be a villain.”

The man shrugs. “Well, I was planning to focus on a single timeline, but I suppose a few seconds of another one wouldn’t hurt.”

With that, he snaps his fingers and the screen behind him lights up.

𝌡𝌡𝌡

Izuku, wearing a bloodstained suit, approaches All Might, the symbol of peace. He’s holding up a building, trying to prevent its collapse. He can do nothing as the green haired boy thrusts a steel pole through his chest, blood gushing out like a fountain.

He collapses to his knees, the building quickly following suit. But there are no screams, for the people inside had long since evacuated.

The boy mocks the hero for failing to notice, for wasting the last moments of his life trying to save people who were already gone.

They speak, they’re words meant only for each other. Izuku’s face twists as he sneers at the hero, pulling out the pipe which is wrapped in shadow. With it, he cuts off his right arm, and the part of the building he was still supporting collapses on him.

He raises his weapon for one last strike, only to be hit by the flames of Endeavor, and retreats. Endeavour, Sir Nighteye, and Lemillion surround the fallen symbol, while in the background a dark portal opens up, taking the green haired villain away from the devastation.

𝌡𝌡𝌡

Everyone looks on in shock, their jaws hanging open. Even Tomura, who’s wanted All Might dead for as long as he can remember, can’t smile after witnessing the event.

“Wh-what happened?” All Might asks, his throat dry. Nobody can blame him, after all, he just saw one of the most kind-hearted people he’s ever known brutally murder him while surrounded by a burning and destroyed city.

The man shrugs while looking at the crying Inko in pity. “He went the path of a villain.”

The students are speechless, especially Bakugou, who’s known the greenete the longest. He can’t even fathom what could have made him turn out like that.

Tsukauchi raises a hand. “As far as I can tell, most of the people here have something to do with the boy in question. But I only met him once, so why am I and this girl here?”

“Well, she’s also a major player in his life, so I wanted to see her reaction as well. Though I suppose she hasn’t met him yet in your timeline…” He waves the issue off. “As for you, that’s mainly in case anyone has any questions regarding similarities between your universe and the one you’ll be watching. Keeping people honest, you know?” He chuckles.

“Now,” the man continues, “not every timeline is like the one I showed, many of them are actually quite nice. But I’m unsure of the one we’re going to watch. After all, I wouldn’t want to have any risk of a spoiler.”

“So,” he grins, “my name is Soahc, a deity of chaos. And it’s time for the show to begin.”

Chapter 2: Quirkless

My twin sister, Izumi, and I are watching one of our favorite videos online. It’s the video of the number one hero’s debut! The one where All Might saved a hundred people in ten minutes! It ends with his signature smile and catchphrase, and the two of us shout it out with him!

“I am here!”

The two of us beam at each other, and Izumi easily uses her quirk to levitate our All Might action figures to us. We raise them as far as we can, and shout our goals to the roof! “We will be the twin heroes of justice! Our power will make all the villains quake in fear!” We shout our names for all to hear!

“Midokineshsu!” (Green Telekinesis)

“Midomito!” (Green Might)

Our voices overlap as we voice our team name. ““Midoyume!”” (Green Dream)

We laugh together, talking about what my quirk might be. It’s got to be something impressive if it’s taking longer to manifest than Izumi’s! We’re twins after all!

As we’re laughing together, mom comes in, smiling at the two of us. She beams at the two of us as she claps to get our attention. “Ok you two, we need to go to the doctor to get your quirks appraised!”

“”Yeah!””

We leave the room in front of mom, unaware of the worry in her gaze as she looks at her son. Once we’re all in the car, I ask mom where dad is.

“Oh, he got caught up with work again, so he’ll be coming home late again.” She sighs. She knows how important her husband is, being the number one hero and all, but it would be nice to have him home more often.

After all, she’s the number twelve hero and she still has time for her family! But that’s the price they pay for a safer Japan. She understands, and she makes sure her children don’t hold it against him. It helps that when he’s home, he showers the three of them in as much love as he can.

The entire ride to the doctor, the car was filled with the two children geeking out over heroes and quirks. Whenever Inko Yagi hears her kids praising All Might, their father, as the best hero, she can’t help but feel a surge of pride in her chest. Even without knowing that their parents are both heroes, the two admire them! But she did wish that they talked about her Hero identity, Cufflink, more often…

She shakes her head free of those thoughts by the time they all arrive at the doctor. The person seeing them is a bald man with big green goggles with a yellow rim. But what hair he lacks on his head, he more than makes up for with his bushy mustache!

I watch him as he uses a small device and wraps it around my sister’s wrist. As he does, he explains. “This device will analyze a person’s quirk, telling us how strong it might be. Of course it is only a rough estimate, given that quirks can be trained the same as any kind of muscle.”

After he’s done with his explanation, the device beeps. Taking it off, he looks at the scream and exclaims in shock. “Unbelievable! Without training it, your quirk will be on the level of the top pros! Do you have any idea what your quirk will develop into?”

Suddenly shy, but proud at the praise, Izumi gives a confident nod. Raising hand, she uses her telekinesis to lift the device out of the doctor’s hand, surprising him. She brings it to herself as she beams at the man.

“Impressive for one at such a young age! You’ll go places girl!” He turns his attention to me, and I eagerly hold out my wrist for him. He chuckles at my enthusiasm before wrapping another device around my wrist.

After a few minutes of nothing happening, he frowns. Taking it off, he fiddles with it a bit before putting it back on. We wait, but still, nothing. My mother is looking worried now, but me and Izumi are just confused.

He takes it off of me again before looking at mom. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to do a few more tests.” She nods, hoping to find out what’s wrong with her child. She knew something was off when he didn’t show any signs of his quirk a month ago like his sister when they turned four.

The doctor took some blood, and I held back my tears at the pain. A hero is supposed to make sure other people don’t have to worry, not the other way around! Still though, I appreciate Izumi holding my hand while it’s getting done.

After taking my blood, the doctor has me do a few different movements, which I do with no problem. As we go through them all, he asks me about what I want to do. So I tell him about how awesome All Might is!

By the time he x-rays my foot, I finally get to his question. “So what I want to do is become a hero like All Might, someone who helps everyone!” My mom and sister smile at my words.

Looking up from the x-ray the doctor's words erase all the smiles in the room.

“Sorry kid. It’s not gonna happen.”

The only sound anyone can hear is the clatter my All Might action figure makes as it falls to the floor.

We all stare at the doctor in shock, the silence seeming to permeate our entire beings. It’s mom that manages to break free of it first. “Oh dear, so there is something wrong with him? Most of the other kids in his kindergarten class have already shown signs of their quirks. Including his sister.” She shoots a reassuring smile at Izumi, who looks mad at the doctor’s words.

But it quickly turns to shock, and then pity, as he speaks. “I’m afraid that your son is quirkless. You see…” He goes on to explain about how people have evolved, and that the bones in a person’s foot is a sure way to tell whether or not they have a quirk. But I stopped listening after his first sentence.

Instead, his words echo in my mind. Your son is quirkless. Son is quirkless. Quirkless. Quirkless. Quirkless. Quirkless…

I think about all the plans me and Izumi have made, all relying on us becoming heroes together. We even told Ka-chan that he could join us at our agency! That made him really happy, but then he got mad when we told him that Izumi and I would be a two person team, and that we would only team up with him when we want to hang out.

He didn’t talk to us for a whole week! It was only when he excitedly told us about his quirk starting to manifest that he started talking to us again. It was a good day, and Izumi and I were super excited for when we would develop our own quirks!

But I guess that’s never going to happen for me…

The drive home is in silence, one that goes unbroken all the way home. Once there, I go to my mom’s room and turn on the computer. I watch my favorite video, over and over and over. I watch as All Might flashes his reassuring smile. As he says his iconic words. Then I do it again. Over and over and over again.

I can tell that my mom is behind me, looking at me with worry in her eyes. Slowly, I turn to her, tears pooling in my eyes. “All Might is always smiling, no matter how bad things get.” I raise a trembling finger to show her, as if it would somehow erase the time I spent at the doctor’s.

“Do you think… that I can be a hero too?” My voice is weak, and my entire body is trembling.

She grabs onto me. She apologizes. She says that she wishes things could be different. She doesn’t answer, not directly. But I know. I know the meaning in her words.

You can’t become a hero.

`~`

“Aww, they’re so cute together!” Uraraka gushes.

“Totally!” Toga agrees.

“It kind of makes me wish I had another child…” Inko mutters, looking at alternate her’s kids.

The only ones with different thoughts are Tomura, who scowls at the hero worshiping brats, Aizawa who shrugs it off, and Nezu, who’s busy going through how having a twin sister would change young Izuku’s fate.

When they hear the blunt way the doctor bluntly tells the young boy that his dreams are unattainable, the crowd breaks out in outrage!

“That’s so unmanly!”

“Yeah! Even if he didn’t think he could do it, he didn’t have to be so mean about it!”

“I don’t like him, but I wonder if I can make him better if I let his blood gush out…?”

Inko slowly inches away from the muttering serial killer as she watches the same scene she experienced play out on the screen. The only difference is how happy the other her is about her daughter’s potential.

Nezu sips his tea while All Might winces at the familiar words. “That device would be quite useful. A shame we don’t have something similar in our timeline.”

Bakugou smirks at the screen, knowing that he had the right idea growing up. And he was right since Deku only got into UA thanks to finally developing his quirk!

“Hmm. He kind of looks like The Doctor…” Tomura mutters while scratching his neck.

When the screen shows Inko hugging her child, they all look at her. She lowers her head in shame, not meeting any of their gazes. 

Bakugou snorts. “It’s not like you can be a hero without a quirk. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But aren’t your parents supposed to encourage you, even just to show their support? It’s unmanly otherwise!”

“That’s news to me~.” They shoot Toga a glance, who’s just playing with her fingers.

Uraraka looks away. “W-well I’m sure his dad will do something!”

“... We haven’t seen Hiashi since he found out Izuku was quirkless.” Inko mutters, causing an awkward silence to fill the room.

Soahc chuckles. “Well, good thing it doesn’t seem like you married Hiashi in this timeline.”

Chapter 3: Daddy's Home

(3rd person POV)

After putting Izuku to bed, Inko starts making dinner for everyone. Izumi is in the living room, watching tv after her mother told her to let Izuku have some alone time. But the worry is clear on her face.

She heard the doctor, same as her mother, after all.

Quirkless .

She changes the channel, and a news reporter comes on. “Here at the scene, you can see the two villains defeated by All Might with a single punch! Regretfully we couldn’t get an interview, with All Might stating that he had some ‘personal business’ to take care of. If we learn more, our loyal viewers shall be the first to know.”

She changes the channel again, this time landing on a kids show. It’s bright, it’s colorful, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that you simply turn your mind off to watch. Which is what Izumi needs right now.

She watches the show, listening to the noises her mom makes in the kitchen. It’s only after ten minutes into the show that Izumi realizes what the show is about. The heroes band together after losing their powers to defeat the villain. Watching the villain fall due to ‘the power of friendship’, Izumi can’t stop the small hope that starts to burn in her heart.

Maybe Izuku can be a hero even without a quirk?

It’s something she doesn’t say out loud, from fear that even giving voice to the ember would blow it out. But it’s there. The hope that they’ll still be able to achieve their dreams. Together. Just like they always have.

Time passes like that, with Inko making dinner, her heart filled with sorrow, and Izumi watching tv, hope flickering in her small heart, threatened to be put out at the slightest breath. 

When Inko is laying her specialty meal of chicken katsu on the table, her husband, Toshinori Yagi finally returns.

He looks at his wife and daughter, immediately noticing the heavy atmosphere of the home. “What happened? Where’s Izuku?” He asks, trying not to think of the worst possibilities.

Seeing his obvious distress, and knowing what life as a hero is like, she quickly reassures him. “He’s ok, just sleeping.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Toshinori Yagi looks at his wife, the question clear on his face. With a sigh of resignation, she speaks. “We went to the doctor to get their quirks appraised… and Izuku doesn’t have one.”

She doesn’t beat around the bush, deciding to come out and say it as bluntly as possible. She doesn’t even notice that she’s crying until Toshinori is hugging her. Then she breaks down as the shock finally wears off. That her son, in a society that revolves around a person’s quirk, is lacking.

After letting her emotions out through her tears for ten minutes, she looks up at her husband, surprised and a little angry at his lack of a reaction to the news.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you care that our son isn’t normal!?” She yells the last part, and both her husband and daughter flinch. Toshinori from the reminder of his past. Izumi from hearing that her brother isn’t normal. She knew that of course, but knowing it and hearing your mother yell it are two different things.

The ember in her heart flickers and shrinks, somehow smaller than it was before. Had it been anyone else, the flame would never have come into being. But her desperation to hold onto her and her brother’s dreams managed to ignite the spark. Now she must desperately try to maintain it.

Toshinori shoots a glance at his daughter’s wide eyes before leaning into his wife and whispering in her ear. “I promise that I’ll explain later, but for now we need to act normal. I don’t want Izumi to worry.” She glares at him as he clears his throat and speaks in an overly cheerful voice.

“So! What about Izumi? Did you get her quirk appraised as well?” Glancing at her daughter, Inko’s eyes soften before a mischievous gleam appears.

“We sure did!” She yells with more authentic joy than Toshinori. “The doctor said that her telekinesis is powerful. He said that when she grows into it, she could even beat All Might !”

At her words, Toshinori misses the chair he was about to sit in, landing hard on his butt. Izumi chuckles at the sight while also beaming at her mother’s words.

I’ll be as strong as All Might? The All might!? That’s amazing! I’m going to be the new number one hero after I make my own debut! I’ll save two hundred- no. I’ll save a thousand people in ten minutes and blow All Might’s record right out of the water!

Unbeknownst to any of the three, their words this night would have consequences. Not any time soon, but far more dire than any of them could ever dream of.

But that will be then, and for now, the three take their seats at the table, Toshinori sitting gingerly to avoid putting too much pressure on his possibly bruised behind.

The three talk, telling each other about their days. Though it’s more like Inko and Toshinori talking since other than going to the doctor, Izumi only stayed home and hung out with Izuku. At that thought, she looks around the table noticing with shock that Izuku isn’t there! Then she remembers her mom’s earlier words and comes to the conclusion that she wanted to let him sleep.

She goes back to her meal with joy. After all, chicken katsu is her mom’s best dish! After dinner, she sees her mom looking at the extra plate of food in confusion, so she decides to help her!

She goes to the kitchen and opens the drawer she’s seen her pull the saran wrap from. Getting it, she gets back to the table just in time to see her mom pick up the plate. Turning around, Inko is surprised to see her daughter carrying the box.

Before she can scold her for grabbing things she isn’t supposed to, Izumi speaks.

“Here you go mom, so you can wrap up Izuku’s dinner for him! It was nice of you to let him sleep in.”

With a start, Inko realizes why there’s still a full plate. She forgot to wake up her son! Feeling guilty, she thanks Izumi and quickly wraps the meal, heading to bed where Toshinori explains to her about his quirk. As well as how he’ll reveal the truth to their children once they turn ten. Izumi goes to her own room, dreaming of being the hero she can be.

𝌡𝌡𝌡

(Izuku POV)

I wake up during the night with my stomach growling. Looking around, it’s dark, so I turn on a spare flashlight next to my bed and make my way to the kitchen. There, I see a plate of mom’s katsu chicken wrapped up for me.

I look around in confusion and ask if anyone is around before noticing the time on the clock. Ten o’clock, when everybody would usually be in bed, asleep.

And three hours past the time everyone would eat dinner together.

I can’t help but feel sad that I slept so long. After all, dinner is one of the few times that we’re all together. Either dad is busy with work, or mom is. But without fail, everyone would be at the dinner table around seven o’clock.

Except for today.

Given what we found out though, I guess I didn’t want to wake up. I do appreciate that mom left me a plate in case I woke up though.

I just wish that I would have woken up when they came to get me. It’s not like they forgot about me, right?

`~`

When All Might sees himself walk into their house, he can’t help but be confused. When he sees himself kissing Inko in greeting, his eyes bug out of his sockets! Nezu chokes on his tea, and Tsukauchi gives him a sidelong glance. Aizawa manages to keep a straight face, but he does twitch. Everyone else just tilts their head, wondering why the guy looks kind of familiar.

“Oh yeah,” Soahc says, “you guys don’t know. That’s what All Might looks like in this timeline.”

Everyone looks at him in shock before turning to All Might, who scratches his cheek sheepishly with a finger. The silence is broken by Todoroki of all people, who has yet to say anything, shouting.

“I knew Midoriya was All Might’s secret love child!” All Might and Inko look at the proud looking boy in shock before making eye-contact with each other. They both blush and look away.

Tomura grins. So All Might can look like that as well. I’ll have to tell Sensei about it. This is going to be a treasure trove of tips on taking down the final boss.

Everyone is shocked when Inko apparently forgets about her son, only being reminded when her daughter brings her the wrap for his food.

“I would never forget about my child!” She shouts in shock.

“Little Izumi is so sweet, making sure that Izuku will still get his dinner.” Uraraka gushes.

“Dad? Mom? Izumi?” Everyone quiets down again when they see little Izuku come out. He looks at the food on the table and gets a downcast expression. “I didn’t get to see dad today…”

All Might winces as nearly every person in the theater shoots a glare his way. He raises his hands placatingly. “N-now hold on. I would never neglect someone like that!”

Tomura snorts, muttering about how all heroes are the same.

Chapter 4: Feelings Change

(Izumi POV)

The next day, after a plain breakfast of rice and eggs, Mom drops me and Izuku off at our kindergarten class.

Izuku still isn’t over what the doctor told them yesterday, so he decides to draw by himself during their break. Bakugo gives him a curious look, but he ignores it So he comes to hang out with me..

“Hey, what’s up with Izuku? Did something happen at the doctor yesterday?” I wince at his question before sending Izuku a look. Seeing that he’s out of earshot, I respond.

“Yeah… Apparently, Izuku is quirkless.” He gasps, sending a wide-eyed look of surprise towards one of his best friends.

“But our plans… We were all going to be heroes together…”

Seeing his downcast expression, I get an apprehensive look. “What if… we still can?” My flame grows a bit brighter, though the size remains the same.

Katsuki gives me a shocked look. “Are you kidding!? He won’t be able to be a hero without a quirk!” It dims, shrinking a bit on itself. “Have you not seen some of the villains out there? Look at some of the fights heroes and villains have and tell me if a quirkless person would be able to survive one of them, much less win!”

I look down, my flame reduced to embers, but not yet put out. “He,” I gulp. “He could still be support. Or maybe work as our manager?” My voice is hesitant, as if afraid that Katsuki will be angry at me for voicing the remains of my hope.

He gets a thoughtful look on his face as he stares at Izuku. “Yeah… That could work.” His eyes gleam. “He can be like the computer guy in tv shows and movies! He’ll let us know when there’s an attack, and where we need to go. Good thinking Izumi!”

I smile at the praise, a warm feeling flowing through my chest.

We can still be together.

We can still start an agency together.

Even if Izuku isn’t a hero like us, we can still achieve our dreams together.

…

I can’t believe that I thought that before.

`~`

A few weeks after my brother was diagnosed as quirkless, I find him writing something down in a notebook as he watches a hero fight on tv. He seems really focused on it, I wonder what he’s writing about?

“Hey Izuku.” He jumps, pulled out of his thoughts, and I can’t help but giggle at his reaction. “What are you writing about?”

“O-oh, this?” He holds it up so I can see the title. ‘Hero Analysis For the Future’. I tilt my head in confusion, not sure what it’s supposed to be. He seems kind of hesitant to tell me too. “W-well, I thought that I should study how people’s quirks work. If I’m going to be a hero without a quirk, then I’ll need to know a lot about how they work.”

I blink at him, failing to process what he said. Be a hero? But he can’t, he’s quirkless. He’d die the first time he fought a villain!

I don’t say that out loud though, instead giving him a tense smile. “O-oh. Ok.” I go to my room, my mind in turmoil about what he said. What about our new plans? You’re going to support me and Bakugou when we become heroes. You can’t fight someone who can just open a hole in the ground underneath you.

Next time I see Katsuki, I’ll need to tell him about what Izuku said.

`~`

“What!? He still wants to be a hero!? Even without a quirk!?” The next time we can talk to each other is the next day at school, and Katsuki’s reaction is as loud as I thought it would be.

After he got his quirk, he’s been getting more excitable. He’s also been playing around with the sparks that come off his hand, much to the dismay of the teacher. He’s started two fires in class since he got it, but the principal just laughs it off, saying that someone with such an amazing quirk needs to practice.

It made the teacher exasperated, but she didn’t complain to him again. Instead, she got a fire extinguisher and left it next to her desk in case something catches on fire again.

And seeing how Katsuki’s hands are sparking so much from his anger, I guess that she’ll be needing it today.

“He can’t be a hero without a quirk! He’ll die!”

“I know, but what are we supposed to do? I thought that he gave up on being a hero since he hasn’t mentioned it since he was diagnosed!”

He gets a thoughtful look on his face as he looks at where Izuku is drawing. He’s been doing that a lot lately. After the other kids found out that he was quirkless, they started to ignore him.

Seeming to get an idea after seeing him, Katsuki looks back at me in excitement. “I know! We’ll ignore him until he gives up! Then he’ll see that he should be supporting us instead of doing something so dangerous.”

I don’t think that will work, and I tell him that. But by the time the break ends, he’s convinced me that it’s a good idea.

I just hope that I don’t regret going along with it.

`~`

I turn five today, so Mom and Dad are taking me to Universal Studios Japan! They both managed to get the day off, and I’ve never been to the USJ before! It’s really fun! We go on all kinds of rides, we see some shows, and we eat all kinds of yummy food! But there’s this nagging feeling eating into my stomach that I can’t seem to get rid of.

When we get home late at night, tired from the exciting day, I finally realize what that feeling was.

Izuku is curled up on the couch, tear tracks smeared across his sleeping face.

We left behind Izuku! My parents exchange horrified looks before rushing to the kitchen. I hear sighs of relief as they realize that Izuku managed to make himself some food while they were gone. They come back with guilty faces as they look at him.

They start whispering to each other as I stare at my brother, who’s hugging a watermarked notebook.

‘Hero Analysis For the Future #2’.

“I’ll take him next week. It can be like a father-son bonding thing…”

“Don’t forget…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll set a reminder the day before…”

Seeming to have finished their whispered conversation, Dad picks Izuku up and takes him to his room, not noticing the notebook that falls from his arms.

I pick it up and follow, putting it on his desk before leaving for bed with guilt gnawing my stomach.

`~`

Katsuki hit Izuku! The three of us and two of Katsuki’s friends were walking on a log bridge, marching to a tune he made up for our future agency, when he tripped and fell in the stream.

Of course, since it was Katsuki who fell in, none of us were worried. After all, he and I are going to be pros! A little thing like that isn’t going to hurt him! But Izuku didn’t seem to agree. I don’t even know why he still follows us around at this point. He knows that we aren’t going to talk to him.

He went down into the stream as we all watched, holding out his hand and asking if Katsuki was ok. I feel a twinge in my chest watching. He has the heart of a hero. But that’s not enough. He needs a quirk too. Or else he’ll just die

Katsuki ignores the hand, pushing himself up. He glares at Izuku, his hands balled into fists. Then he punches him in the face!

I look on in shock as he falls into the stream, holding his cheek where Katsuki hit him. The boy himself is looking down at Izuku in shock before he sneers. “I don’t need help from some quirkless Deku .”

And he climbs back up on the opposite side of the stream. I look down at Izuku, who’s started crying. He looks up at me, eyes begging for me to come down and comfort him, like I used to do when he got hurt. Before we were four.

But I clench my fists and firm my resolve. I turn away and follow Katsuki further into the forest. I need him to tell me why he hit my brother.

`~`

“It’s obvious by this point that ignoring him isn’t going to work. If we want him to give up on being a hero, we need to do more.”

I look at him in confusion. “What do you mean ‘more’?”

He takes a breath. “We need to bully him. Show him that he can’t stand up to people with quirks. Once he understands that a quirkless person can’t beat someone who has one, he’ll give up!”

I look at him uncertainly. “I don’t know… That seems like it’s going a bit too far.”

He looks me in the eyes. “You think I want to do this? It’s for his own good! As his sister, do you really want to see him get killed trying to fight someone like you, who has powerful telekinesis? Or someone like Death Arms, with super strength?”

I hesitate, my mind envisioning what he’s saying with great clarity. I see Izuku, running at a villain. I see the villain waves his hand and Izuku shooting up into the sky. I see him fall. I see him-

I shake my head to get rid of the sight. I look at Katsuki. “Ok. Let’s do it.”

The embers of hope in my heart have long gone out.

`~`

“Aw~. Kid Bakugou is so cute! I wonder what happened?”

He glares at Uraraka. “Screw you, Round Face!”

Kirishima chuckles. “Come on Baku-bro, don’t be like that. We were all kids once. And look at you now, all manly!”

He scowls at him, but simply throws himself into the back of his seat. The people around him chuckle, the only person who doesn’t is Tomura. He just looks at the screen, watching as the children make plans. Then before it cuts to the next scene, it goes gray, and bold words are plastered across it.

I can’t believe I thought our dreams could be achieved.

Everyone looks at it in shock, suddenly apprehensive.

Kirishima lets out an uneasy laugh. “Heh, ha. C-come on guys, this is Midoriya we’re talking about. I’m sure everything is going to work out.” Nobody responds, and Bakugou starts to get a bad feeling as he remembers what he started doing.

“Hah! Look at that, even now he works hard to be a hero!” All Might beams at the people around him as they watch Izuku start on his path.

“I wonder what he’s writing in there.” Mummers Nezu.

“Probably some stupid fanboy trash about heroes.” Tomura growls. He ignores the glares everyone else sends his way before turning back to the screen.

“Bakugou, are you an idiot?” The fact that it’s Todoroki who’s asking makes it all the more impactful.

“Shut the hell up, Icy-Hot.” Though he says that, his usual fire is missing, and he doesn’t meet anyone’s eyes. Inko is looking at him in shock.

“Bakugou, did you do this to my Izuku?”

He scowls down at the floor. “No.”

When everyone looks at Tsukauchi, he nods his head. “Truth.”

The tension leaves everyone and Kirishima claps a hand on Bakugou’s shoulder with a laugh. “I’m proud of you bro. You’re way manlier than that guy.” He jerks a thumb at the screen as a montage of Izuku following his sister and friend plays, all the while they pretend that he isn’t even there.

An uncomfortable look crosses his face, unnoticed by all except Tomura. He hums in thought and Tsukauchi looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Just keep watching. I have a feeling that kid is about to get put on a harder difficulty.”

He refuses to answer their questioning looks, so they sit back and watch.

They watch as Izumi has a fun day at the amusement park, smiling at her joy. They listen to Inko demanding that Soahc let her punch the other her in the face for forgetting her child, backed up by All Might wanting to do the same to himself.

All the while Tomura hums, waiting for what he knows is going to occur.

They gasp in shock as kid Bakugou punches kid Izuku and storms off. They shout at the two kids to think about what they’re doing as they agree to bully the boy. Tomura smirks as he looks to the, for once, silent explosion boy.

“So, Mr. Hero-to-be, is this more in line with what you did to your Midoriya?”

Everyone is silent as they look at him. Kirishima with worry, Inko in horror, Uraraka in anger, All Might in shock, Todoroki in judgment, Nezu in consideration, Aizawa with dawning understanding, and Toga in disgust.

His answer is quiet, barely heard by the people around him. But it’s enough for Tsukauchi.

“Truth.”

Chapter 5: Transfer Student. Friend?

(Izuku POV)

It’s been a few years since mom and dad have started ignoring me, and Izumi and Kachan have started bullying me. After the first time Kachan hit me, they started insulting me. Mocking me. Telling me that I don’t have what it takes to be a hero. Then they started to get physical.

At first they just pushed me around, tripped me, stuff like that. But then they asked if I still wanted to be a hero, and I said yes. Then they started hitting me.

They didn’t use their quirks, thankfully. Instead they just hit and kicked me, covering me in bruises. But they aren't dumb, they made sure that they only beat me where my clothes cover.

I’m sitting in class as usual, when the teacher says she has a special announcement. “Today we have a transfer student. Please make sure that you make her feel welcome.”

She gestures towards the door, and I guess the new kid was looking through the window because she opens it. She has a heterochromatic appearance, with the left side of her shoulder length hair being red and the right a pure white.

Her eyes are different colors too. Her right eye is brown, while the left one is a bright blue. It’s really eye-catching , especially given the horrible burn scar covering the upper portion of that side of her face.

She looks out at the class with a blank expression. It’s not until the teacher tells her to introduce herself that she does. “Shoko Todoroki. My quirk lets me use ice from my right side and fire from my left. I don’t use my fire for personal reasons. Don’t ask about them, or my scar.”

With that her introduction is done, and it’s clear that she doesn't want to say anything else. Clearing her throat awkwardly, the teacher directs them to the empty desk next to me. It wasn’t always empty, but Kachan and Izumi spread rumors that being quirkless can make people who have quirks get sick. After that they changed seats.

Todoroki sits next to me casually, not even looking in my direction. But it’s not that she’s trying to be mean, she’s not looking at the other students either. I can’t help but feel a flash of relief that she’s not being mean to me, only to become depressed since I know that she’ll act like everyone else once she knows that I’m quirkless.

The class goes on as normal, with everyone focusing on the teacher. At least, I look like I’m paying attention to her. Over the years of avoiding Kachan and my twin, one of the places I usually hide is the library. And since I’m already hiding there, I decide to read the books they have.

Not the fun, kid focused kind though. But the ones for learning. I’ve basically read each of the books they have in the library about math, science, history, etc. So I already know everything the teacher is teaching us, other than what her own experiences have taught her.

Instead of focusing on the lesson, I’m writing down an analysis of a hero fight I saw the other day. While I do so, I cover my mouth to help cover my muttering. If I do that, then the sound doesn’t leak out too much, so nobody realizes that I’m not listening to the teacher. But I forget that now I have someone sitting next to me.

When lunch rolls around I quickly pack up my stuff and rush to the cafeteria, unaware of the eyes watching me. Luckily Kachan and Izumi seem to be more interested in the new girl than me at the moment, so I manage to get my food and go behind the school without any hassle.

I sit down and eat, using the all mighty spork to shovel the rice and vegetables into my mouth quickly. Once I’m done, I take out a notebook different from my analysis journals. Instead, I use this notebook for my drawings. It’s one of the few things I can do that I find relaxing.

I start to sketch some of the clouds in the sky, not hearing the footsteps until they’re right next to me. “What are you doing out here?”

I yelp, dropping my notebook. I look at the person who asked me that question and see the new girl, Todoroki, standing there. “O-o-oh! Um, w-w-well I come out here to d-d-draw sometimes. It’s peaceful.”

“Hmm.” She hums in response before bending down. I look at her in confusion before I see her pick up my notebook. I blush since I haven’t shown them to anyone before. I know that I’ll just get mocked if I do.

But she doesn’t say anything. She just flips through the pages with the same blank look on her face she had in the classroom. When she finishes looking through them, she hands it back. “They’re good.” They’re just two simple words, but they mean so much to me. I even start to tear up!

Seeing me start to cry, her eyes widen and she takes a step back. She looks around as if looking for an adult, but we’re alone. So, awkwardly, she pats my head. “There, there? Um, I’m sorry? Please don’t cry.”

It’s awkward, and it’s clear that she’s never comforted someone before. But it’s more than I’ve gotten ever since I was told I was quirkless, and so my tears continue to flow.

We stay like that until the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Wiping away my tears, I smile at her, much to her obvious surprise. So bright, she thinks. “Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

With that I grab her hand and start walking to class. She follows along, confused at my reaction. Even though I know it won’t happen again, I’m glad that there was someone who was nice to me. Even for a little bit.

We enter the classroom, and unfortunately the teacher isn’t here. But Kachan and Izumi are, along with some of their other friends. Seeing that I’m with the new girl, they scowl.

“Hey, Todoroki, you shouldn’t hang around with him. That Deku is quirkless!” Izumi shouts to her, and I drop her hand immediately. I walk to my desk with slumped shoulders and my head hanging. Even if it was only for lunch, at least I had a friend.

I nearly stumble when I hear what she has to say. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being quirkless. I’ll hang out with whoever I like, and it’s definitely not people who ignored what I asked.”

They stare at her, mouths hanging as she walks to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Ignore them. Let’s sit down, the teacher will be here any moment.”

I take my seat, my expression frozen in shock. She’s… still going to be my friend? Even though I’m quirkless?

I manage to snap out of my shock by the time the teacher gets here, but as I look at Kachan and Izumi’s glares, a shiver goes down my spine. I know that my bullying is going to get a whole lot worse. But…

I look at Todoroki, who gives me a small smile in return. I blush and look away.

Maybe with a friend, it won’t be so bad.

`~`

“Before we continue, I’ve decided to bring in a special guest.” Everyone looks at Soahc in confusion. Before they can ask who it is, they snap their fingers.

To the surprise of those from UA, a pink alien-looking girl appears! Mina looks around in confusion, asking the usual questions: Where am I? Who are You? Why am I here?

After a quick explanation, barring why she was randomly summoned, she shrugs it off and sits between Uraraka and Toga. “Let's get this show on the road! I can’t wait to see who gets with who!” The heroes and students facepalm, Toga Chuckles, and Tomura sighs.

The screen continues to play, and as the crowd watches a montage of Bakugo and Izumi bullying Izuku, they glare at him.

“Bakugou, when we get back you’re going to be meeting with Hound Dog every week until you get a handle on your anger issues.”

He clicks his tongue and looks away, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “Fine.”

“Ooh, ooh! Maybe he’ll be nicer covered in blood? People are usually nicer to me when I make them bleed! Well, some get more mean, but making them bleed more fixes that problem!” Toga looks at him, her grin promising pain.

Despite her alarming words, almost nobody has the energy to comment on it. “I know I shouldn’t say this, but he does deserve to get hurt.” Everyone looks at the glaring Inko Midoriya in surprise.

“I never thought Midoriya’s mom would be so scary.” Kirishima shudders.

“Yeah…” Uraraka says quietly.

“How come this kid became a hero? His childhood is as bad as mine was!”

“Truth.” The detective’s shocked words cause the attention to shift to the man who attacked the USJ.

“Hmm. Perhaps the bullying wasn’t so bad without his sister to join in?” Nezu sips from his eternally full teacup as he theorizes.

But before the discussion can continue, Bakugou’s words cause them to focus on the screen. “Huh. We never got a transfer student.”

When they see the person who enters the classroom, they exclaim in shock! Though none are as shocked as the person who’s appeared. “I’m… a girl?” Shaking his head, he raises a hand to cover his scar. “Even as a girl, the old man has no mercy.” His words are unheard in the commotion the others are causing, though Mina is by far the loudest.

“Ship it! I totally ship it! I don’t know who I’m shipping her with yet, but I’m totally shipping it!”

Soahc’s snort of amusement quiets them down. “If a simple gender change is enough to throw all of you into a fit, you definitely won’t last the entire film.”

They quiet down and try to calm themselves at his words. Instead they watch as they see Midoriya eat, then draw. The angle shifts when Todoroki leafs through it, and they can’t help but admire the artwork.

“Aw, he’s so talented~!”

‘’I never knew Young Midoriya could draw so well. And he looks like he’s only eight years old!” All Might can’t help but think about how much he really knows about his successor, realizing that he doesn’t really have a grasp of his personal life.

“I knew, since I made his hero outfit when he got into UA. He’s actually the one who drew it.” They look at Inko in surprise. It seems like their Midoriya has a few tricks hidden away.

“I’m more curious as to what he’s written in his ‘Hero Analysis’ notebooks.” He doesn’t know why, but Nezu has a bad feeling about those.

His words go ignored as they watch the touching scene of female Todoroki standing up to Izumi and Bakugou for Midoriya, punctuated by Mina’s squeals of shipping them.

Their Todoroki blushes at all the praise they heap on him for his counterpart’s character, unaware of his true thoughts. Honestly, there are times I wish I was quirkless. It would be better than having my old man’s quirk at least.

Chapter 6: The Damage

(All Might POV)

I wake up in a hospital room coughing. I look around in a panic. How did I get here?More importantly, why am I here? I’m All Might! The Symbol of Peace doesn’t lose, he can’t lose!

I finally calm down enough that I can take notice of my side-kick, Sir Nighteye, also known as Mirai Sasaki. A good kid, and a powerful quirk. He can look into the future of someone he touches for… I think it was an hour? Useful in a fight, or when trying to find out a villain’s plan, though being limited to once a day does mean that he needs to be more careful than most heroes.

Seeing me try to sit up, he scrambles to his feet. “A-All Might! Stay down! You’re seriously injured!”

I blink at him blankly. “Injured? What are you talking about? As the Symbol of Peace I can’t be injured. That’s what reassures the population, as well as strikes fear into villains!”

He gets an uncomfortable look on his face, and I’m about to ask him what’s wrong when I start coughing again, covering my mouth with my hand. Damn. Did I get sick or something? I hope I didn’t collapse in front of the kids, I wouldn’t want them to worry.

Now that my coughing fit has passed, I can question my side-kick more thoroughly. But when I pull my hand away, I see it covered in a red liquid.

I stare at it for a moment, uncomprehending. It’s not until my teacher, Gran Torino, enters the room that I realize what it is. And I start shaking.

I’m injured. How!? It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s felt like!

“-inori. Toshinori!” I’m pulled from my thoughts by my teacher’s words. Seeing that he’s gotten my attention, he continues. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

My brows furrow, and I realize that I’m in neither my buff form nor my skinny form, but something in between. Another thing that hasn’t happened before. But that can wait, for now I need to work things out.

“Well, I was patrolling the city when I heard a scream. I approached and saved a young woman from a villain. After the police came I took my leave. I was on the edge of the city when I felt something hit me…”

I trail off as my memories start to piece themselves back together. My eyes widen in terror. “All For One! I was attacked by All For One!” One For All flares up, reacting to my emotions. I’m filled with the feeling of power, but there’s something else now as well.

I’m filled with intense pain and I cough up more blood. One For All starts to recede, and most of the pain goes with it. “What… happened…” I groan out.

Teacher sighs as the sound of rapid tapping comes from the hallway. “I’ll let Chiyo explain your injuries.”

The door slams open, and there stands Recovery Girl. I can’t help but let out a sigh of relief. No matter what type of injury a person has, she’s able to fix it. I’m sure I’ll be back up on my feet in no time.

I stare at her in open-mouthed horror. “C-can you say that again? I-I must have misheard you.”

She sighs. “Your stomach is basically destroyed, and you’ve lost half of your respiratory system. I’m sorry to say, but you can’t continue as All Might, Yagi.”

I’m shocked into silence, broken quickly by my teacher and side-kick speaking up.

“You don’t have to worry, Toshinori. You’ve done your duty as All Might. You managed to defeat All For One! You’ve made Nana proud, so you can retire!”

“Y-yes, All Might. You can focus on finding your successor. You’ve defeated the greatest threat to peace that the world has ever seen! So now you can focus on passing on your legacy. If you like, I could construct a list of potential applicants.” Mirai adjusts his glasses nervously.

“A splendid idea!” A high pitched voice comes from the door, drawing everyone’s attention. “Am I a rat? Am I a bear? Who knows!” The principal of UA highschool steps into the room, closing it behind him.

“UA has a plethora of students who you’ve inspired to become heroes. If you like you can come and observe them so you can make the best choice on who to pass your quirk onto.”

My head is reeling. All For One is… dead? I killed him? Yes… my memories of the fight are finally coming back to me. I crushed his head, but in his last moments he managed to use one of his stolen quirks to blast my side.

But giving up being a hero? Finding a successor?

…

“No.”

The sudden silence in the room is oppressive, but I continue on. “I won’t be retiring. The world still needs the Symbol of Peace.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Toshinori.” Teacher is the first to object, but I know the others won’t be far behind.

“Did you not listen to Chiyo when she told you your injuries? You’ll be lucky if you live another ten years living as a civilian, much less if you force yourself to continue heroing! Just retire now that Nana can rest in peace. It’s not too bad, except when people make personal requests.” He mutters that last part to himself.

I understand where he’s coming from, but I shake my head. “I won’t retire. The world needs the Symbol of Peace. At least until I can find my successor and pass on my power.”

“And how long will that take, All Might?” My side-kick asks.

My thoughts turn to my son, and the plan I’d originally made for him. But even with One For All, will he be able to stand strong against villains? It’s only a matter of time before another Symbol of Evil appears. If I give him my quirk when he turns ten like I’d originally planned, will he be able to become the next Symbol of Peace?

I was so sure of my idea when I first told Inko about it back when he and Izumi were four. But back then I thought that, as the ninth bearer, One For All would be strong enough to keep him safe from any kind of harm. But if even I obtained such a debilitating injury even after such a long career…

I shake my head free of my thoughts. I can think on it another time. For now, I turn my attention to Mirai. “It will take as long as it takes. But the world cannot go without a Symbol of Peace. So long as villains never rest, neither shall I!”

“That would sound more convincing if you didn’t throw up a waterfall of blood after you finished talking.” Nezu comments.

“All Might.” Mirai looks at me with eyes full of resolve. “You need to retire. Please. Work on finding a successor, someone who will become the next Symbol of Peace. But do it from the safety of retirement.”

My brows furrow . He’s never insisted on something so insistently before. No, he was much more insistent when he asked to become my side-kick. But nowadays he’s only this persistent when…

Suddenly, I know. “You used your quirk on me.”

He flinches, confirming my words. He looks hesitant, but after a sigh reveals what he saw. “Within the next seven years, you’ll be killed by a dangerous villain.”

“Oh?” I question. “Within seven years, huh? That’s quite a timeframe for someone who can see the future.”

He frowns. “Looking so far isn’t easy. And there’s something… wrong with what I’m seeing.”

“Oh?” Before I was just going to brush off his words. After all, I can’t stop being a hero just because of something that will happen in seven years. But this is the first time Mirai has ever sounded unsure of his quirk.

“Normally,” he slowly says, “my quirk shows me the future as a type of reel. I watch what happens around them in a 3rd person perspective, along with the choices they make. But this time…” He trails off with a concerned frown.

“This time, when I looked into the future, it shattered.”

Silence. Nobody understands what he means, but we know by his tone that it’s serious. “It shouldn’t be possible. Everything I’ve seen with my quirk is one hundred percent accurate. But in 5 years, everything becomes… jumbled. My foresight can’t determine what will happen, nor what leads to the choices that get made.”

He looks me in the eyes, and I shiver. They’re desperate. Panicked. “All I know, is that whatever is happening, it will end in your death.

`~`

Soahc claps, startling everyone as the screen goes black. “Ok everyone, sorry about this, but this scene contains far too much sensitive information for all of you to know about. At least to the point where your reactions will give away certain parts of the narrative, as well as giving each side too many advantages back in your world. So I think that I’ll just keep things quiet until the next scene.”

He listens as everyone boos him and demands he lets them see it. He taps his chin in thought before raising a finger. “Hmm. I suppose a few of you can watch it. But I’ll leave it up to the person this scene features to decide on who.” With that his finger falls, pointing to All Might.

“M-me?” He’s shocked that he’s being featured in what they’re seeing, but since he’s Young Midoriya’s father in this universe, he supposes that it makes sense.

“Indeed. It has to do with your… condition.” Soahc taps his side with a knowing look. All Might panics at the thought of having his weakness suddenly revealed, but he continues before he can say anything.

“Of course, it’s up to you who can stay. But since it also concerns Mr. Gamer, he’ll be allowed to stay and watch as well. Not like it’s nothing he doesn’t already know.”

All Might sighs while Tomura raises an eyebrow. This basically confirms that All For One is alive in our world. As such, I should allow those who know to watch.

“Very well then. Principal Nezu and Tsukauchi are who I’d like to watch it with me.”

“Ahem.”

“Ah, and Aizawa.” All Might had honestly forgotten the man was there. He doesn’t know about his quirk, but he does know about his injury.

Soahc nods, and all the students and Inko disappear despite their protests. “Very well then, let’s-”

“Wait!”

“Hmm?” At Soahc’s questioning look, All Might points at Toga.

“Should this young girl not be sent away as well?”

“Nope.” Soahc shrugs. “Like I said earlier, this scene could provide too much of an advantage to one side. But Toga doesn’t take sides. For her, it’s family or murder. Plus, the heroes here already outnumber the villains. Having a four to one advantage for this is simply too much! So Tomura gets the only other villain to watch it with him.”

At his words the two exchange glances, Toga with an excited squeal and Tomura with a tired sigh.

“Anyways, no more interruptions, let’s play!”

Nobody says anything as they watch All Might in the hospital, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Huh. Maybe Nighteye’s quirk is getting static from us watching this world?” Soahc mutters, low enough that nobody else can hear. It’s unlikely, but he doesn’t know what else it could be.

“That could prove… interesting.”

Chapter 7: The Notebook

(Todoroki POV)

Izuku’s bullying has gotten worse apparently, but whenever I’m around Izumi, Bakugou, and the other kids leave him alone. I think they’re probably scared of me getting my dad involved. But after all the hell he’s put me through, I know that he’d probably encourage them to do worse. Either to ‘toughen me up’ or because Izuku is ‘making me weak’. Either way, me and Izuku will be dealing with them ourselves.

But before we get to that point, we have to get through our last few weeks of elementary school. But since we’re both confident in passing our final exams, we’re just hanging out at the park. He’s also showing me something he hasn’t shown anyone else apparently.

“You promise you won’t make fun of me? Or laugh? Or stop being my friend?”

I sigh in exasperation. “I promise I’m not going to make fun of you, laugh, or stop being your friend.” He opens his mouth but I continue, knowing what he’s going to ask next.. “Nor am I going to tell anyone else what you’re going to show me.”

He lets out a breath. “Um, ok then. If you’re sure?” At my nod, he finally pulls from his backpack… a notebook.

Seeing it, I give him a dead-eyed stare. Which is different from my usual blank stare. It’s hard to tell the difference for people who don’t know me, but Izuku can.

“I’ve already seen your artwork. Why would you make such a big deal out of this?” My eyes widen fractionally and I take a small step back. “Don’t tell me you're drawing something lewd!?”

“Huh!?!?” His mouth hangs open in shocked silence. Which just confirms my theory!

“My mom warned me that all boys were interested in things like that, but she said that I wouldn’t have to worry about it until middle school at the earliest. But you have always been ahead of everyone else in academics. I guess it makes sense that you’re ahead of them here too.”

“Wait!” He shouts to stop my muttering. It’s an odd habit I picked up from him after spending so much time together. Though I can’t mutter nearly as fast as he can. Sometimes I wonder if he mutters enough to fill an entire book.

“It’s not my artwork!” He takes a deep breath. “It’s… one of my other notebooks. You know, the ones that make Izumi and Kachan get angrier whenever they see them?”

Todoroki scowls at the reminder. “Yeah. Though you won’t let me…” She trails off as she realizes what’s going on. “You’re going to show them to me?”

He nods, his nerves acting up. “Y-yes. I am. Um, you know that I like analyzing quirks and writing them down in these?”

How could I not? What with Izumi and Bakugou spreading around how creepy Izuku is for doing that. At my nod, he takes another breath. “Well, my notes may be a bit more… detailed than anyone knows.”

He holds it out to me after a moment’s hesitation, the title proclaiming it to be ‘Hero Analysis for the Future: #10’.

I open it up to a random page and see a detailed picture of a woman with bunny ears in a leotard. Seeing my judgemental stare, he flushes and tries to assure me that the person in the book is actually a popular up and coming hero.

I decide to hold off on punishing him until after I’ve read what he’s written. “Name: Mirko. Quirk: Rabbit. Enhanced physique, and animal traits. Prefers to use her legs when fighting. Speed, strength, stamina, and flexibility are far above most heroes. Likely to enter top ten quickly.” I look at him in surprise for a moment before I continue reading.

“Master of hand-to-hand… can hear smallest sound from great distances… possibly had fighting experience before becoming a hero…”

What follows are details upon details of how her quirk might be affecting her body below the surface, such as theories on how it enhances her. Not to mention where she might have gotten her fighting experience, theorizing that she might have gone around challenging anyone she met back in high school.

Then I get to a section that’s more… concerning. “Loud or high-pitched sounds might cause disorientation. Ear plugs a part of costume? Good instincts, but straightforward personality. Traps most likely weak point. Rabbit instincts? Possible repression of ‘prey’ mindset. Overwhelming foe might cause flight instincts to flare.”

I look at him, my best and only friend, in confusion. He waves his hands in front of him as he assures me that his notebook shouldn’t concern me. “I-I just really like analyzing heroes! Wh-when I do, I can’t help but think about who they are, and what kind of situations they might get into! ThenwhenyouthrowquirksintotheequationyouhavetowonderhowthingswouldchangesoIdoandthenbeforeIrealizeitIendupwithafewpagesofstuffabouttheheroandIknowitsweirdImsorryIunderstandifyoudontwanttobemyfriendanymoreIllgonowso- ow!”

He yelps in pain as I smack his head with the spine of his notebook. “You were panic muttering again.” He says sorry and I sigh, trying to parse what he said while he was muttering. “You don’t have to worry. I told you that I wouldn’t stop being your friend, and I meant it. I was just surprised about how detailed it was.”

“Re…really?” He asks, his voice hopeful.

I nod. “The notes are really good, not to mention the part where you made notes on how the hero could improve themself, even if it was only them adding more protections to their hero outfit.”

He beams at me. “Y-yeah! I’ve noticed that a lot of hero costumes are more centered around aesthetics than functionality, though I’m sure that they’re made out of really strong materials. Which does mean that villains they fight will underestimate them, thinking that they lack protection, unless it’s associated with their quirk. I’m sure that’s how a lot of villains have gotten captured! Striking the hero and thinking that they won only to find out that their costume protected them. I just love the surprise- ow!”

I smack him on the head again. “You were fanboy muttering again.” He repeats his apology and I sigh as I go back to the page about that rabbit hero. Unknown to me, my eyes glare at her picture as they look at her body before switching over to the information portion.

I only skimmed it at first since there’s so much written down, and it’s all crammed onto the page. Flipping it, I see that there’s two more pages written down! I shake my head in bemusement.

Izuku really is smart. No, he’s a genius. If even half of the theories he wrote about her are true, he could either skyrocket her hero career, or end it completely. Just then, my eyes alight on a certain part of the analysis and the air around us grows cold.

Izuku, feeling the change, looks around in confusion. “Huh? Did the temperature just drop? Oh, did you do that, Todoroki? If you were feeling warm, we could have moved to the shade. Though this also works to train your quirk control-”

“Izuku.” I say, my voice as cold as my ice. He looks at me questioningly while I point to the section of his notebook that caught my eye. “Why do you have such a big section dedicated to theorizing on whether or not she goes into heat like a normal rabbit?”

He says nothing, his mouth hanging open as he tries to think of how to explain.

His punishment for being a pervert is brutal.

`~`

“Hmm. Nothing really going on with this scene. Just Midoriya showering Todoroki with his passionate words.”

“”HEY!”” Soahc’s phrasing is not taken well by certain members of the audience. Most notably Uraraka in jealousy, and Todoroki in embarrassment. Mina, however…

“Don’t go sinking the ship! They’re adorable together! Set sail on the Todoriya express! Wait, his last name is Yagi here. Shoku? Izuko? Yagaroki? Todoragi?”

“SHUT THE HELL UP RACCOON EYES!” Bakugou, tired of their noise, decides to shout back.

“This is a rather troubling discovery.” Nezu mutters. “When we get back, remind me to talk to Midoriya about his notebooks. It would be quite dangerous for them to fall into the hands of any villains.” Detective Tsukauchi is in agreement. 

Aizawa nods, impressed by his student’s analytical abilities. He knew about his notebooks of course, but he never realized just how detailed they are. I wonder what he’s written about me? He is the only one who realized who I was during the test on the first day.

All Might is bursting with pride at his successor’s obvious genius. I should set up some exercises for him to do that will train his brain, as well as his muscles! Though maybe I should do that for myself as well…

Tomura is wondering if he should try to recruit the kid to the league. Even though he doesn’t like him, he can get over it if he gets someone so helpful on his side. Or he can just kidnap him. Either way works. He thinks as he looks at Mother Midoriya

The mother in question is gushing about how the two children on screen are so adorable together, along with Toga and Mina. She’s gotten used to the way the girl talks about blood, so now she just ignores it while they talk. After all, other than that, she seems like a nice girl.

Everyone chuckles when kid Todoroki gets mad at Midoriya for writing his theories about Mirko having a heat, while Nezu is mentally stunned.

How on earth has he figured that out? It’s a well-kept secret, not nearly as much as All Might’s, but still not easy to discover! If it was released to the public, trust in heroes would fall quite far, and her own reputation might not be recoverable.

I’m very happy that Midoriya decided to become a hero.

Chapter 8: Family

Mom, dad, and Izumi are planning to throw a big party for her twelfth birthday, but for me, Todoroki and I are going out for ice cream! I mean, I would prefer it if we could all celebrate together, but I would just bring the mood down. Though I’m sure Izumi and her friends would enjoy beating me up. But Todoroki says I shouldn’t think like that, which is why we’re enjoying ourselves outside the ice cream store.

I decided to get my favorite, cinnamon, while Todoroki gets a mix of strawberry and vanilla, causing me to giggle at how it matches her hair. We talk about random stuff; school, the people passing by, heroes, and quirks. Eventually, I pose the question I’ve been wondering about for a while now.

“Todoroki… why do you come to school hurt sometimes?” She freezes with a scoop of ice cream halfway to her lips. “I know it’s not often, and that you work to hide it, but we’ve known each other long enough that I can tell.”

I rub my stomach where Kachan hit me with an explosion last time Todoroki wasn’t around. “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. But I know what it’s like to be hurt by the people you care about, so you don’t have to be afraid of sharing.”

I smile at her. “Because I am here.”

She lowers her ice cream back to her cup and stares down into it. She’s silent, but I don’t interrupt. It’s her decision, and I’ll respect whatever she decides. That’s what friends do.

Minutes pass as her ice cream slowly melts. Given how rarely I can enjoy stuff like this, I make sure to eat mine before that happens. Just because I’m here for her doesn’t mean that my ice cream should be forced to suffer!

Eventually though, she speaks. “My father… is the number two hero, Endeavor.” I’m not surprised since I know Endeavor's name is Enji Todoroki. It’s on the hero website after all. But I still make sure to listen carefully to her.

“He’s obsessed with surpassing All Might and becoming the number one hero. At one point, he decided that there’s strength in numbers.” She looks at me. “Tell me, have you ever heard of quirk marriages?”

I think for a minute, trying to see if I know. Something nags at me, but it’s just out of reach. Shaking my head, she explains.

“A quirk marriage is when two people marry in the hopes that their child develops a more powerful quirk combination. That’s the kind of marriage my parents had, though my mom was forced into it by her family to build connections with my father.”

She sighs, stirring her ice cream as she continues. “I got my mother’s ice quirk, and my father’s fire quirk. Due to this, my father sees me as the perfect tool to use in order to take All Might’s place.”

She stops talking, and we sit in silence while she gathers her thoughts. “He… trains me. But it’s not training . He has me use my quirk until I’m falling over in exhaustion. I spend most of my time at home doing exercises to increase my potential regarding being a pro hero. And at the end of every day, he has me spar with him. But he doesn’t hold back. And he’s a pro hero!”

She spits out the last sentence, her voice no longer her usual monotone. Now it’s filled with venom as her words come out in a rush. “He’s a pro hero and I’m his nine year old daughter! Of course there’s no way that I can beat him! But he doesn’t understand that! After he beats me to the ground he just stands there and tells me that I need to do better! That my quirk is strong enough to let me beat him! But it’s not! And he refuses to see that!”

She takes deep breaths after her rant, finishing it off with some final whispered words I don’t think she meant for me to hear. “At this rate I’m going to end up like Touya.”

I let her cool down from finally letting her feelings out as I finish my ice cream. After I swallow the last bite and am sure that she’s calmed down, I speak.

“I read something online once.” She looks at me in confusion as I continue. “The opposite of love isn’t hatred, it’s apathy. I had to look that word up, but it means that the person doesn’t care about you. At all. That’s what it’s like with my parents. So I can’t really say I understand your problem. But it sounds to me like he cares too much about you.”

Her eyes sharpen into a glare, but I just look up at the sky as I try to say what I’m feeling. “It sounds like he cares, but he just doesn’t know how to show it. To him, being the strongest is most important, so he wants you to be the strongest. So that you can be the most important person.”

Her glare softens, just the smallest bit. “He knows that you’re strong, and he wants everyone to see it too. At least that’s what I think.” I shrug. “But I don’t know him like you do. I barely even know my own parents after all. But do you have anyone supporting you?”

Her glare still isn’t gone, but now her mind flashes to her older siblings, Natsuo and Fuyumi. She nods. “So it’s not all bad. You have people who are there for you, even if it seems like your dad isn’t.”

There’s quiet once again as she thinks on my words. Like I said, I can’t really understand her own situation, but it sounds like her relationship with her dad is similar to mine with Izumi and Kachan. But his goal is good, even if he needs to work on his methods. He wants to see his daughter rise to the top, and he believes she has what it takes to get there. But for Izumi and Kachan…

I shake my head. Their reason for attacking me is because I’m quirkless. That’s all, I think. But as long as I think of it as training for the future, I can push through whatever they throw at me! I’ve already gotten really good at treating injuries, so it’s working! I’m already learning skills that would help a pro hero!

But still, I don’t know what Todoroki’s training with her father is really like, so I can’t say either way. But it at least seems like he cares. At least he’s paying attention to her. When I came out to get myself breakfast this morning, mom walked right past me while carrying a tray of pancakes, eggs, and bacon to Izumi for a breakfast in bed. She didn’t even glance in my direction.

I’m pulled from my own thoughts by Todoroki restarting the conversation. “My mother gave me this scar.” She covers the scar around her left eye tenderly, lost in the memory. “She was in the kitchen, boiling water to make something. But she was also on the phone, and I heard her talking. I didn’t hear all of it, but I did hear her say that whenever she saw my left side all she could see was my father. She said she wanted to run away.”

She takes a shaky breath. “Then when I called out to her, she looked at me. The look in her eyes… It was like she was looking at a monster. She grabbed the kettle and threw it at me. It was so hot.” She hunches down into herself and I put a hand on her shoulder. To show that I’m here for her.

“Afterwards dad had her put in a mental hospital. He said that he couldn’t have her hurting his masterpiece .” She spits out the last word like it’s a curse, looking down at her left hand. “So I decided that I would become the number one hero. But I would do it without using my left side. Without using his quirk to do it. Mom’s ice is the only thing I need to be number one.”

“You’re kind of dumb, you know that Shoko?” She looks at me in shock, but I continue before she can speak. “It’s not your dad or mom’s quirks that you have. It’s yours. Your dad can only use fire, and I’m guessing your mom can only use ice. Neither of them can use both, which means your quirk belongs to you. Nobody else.”

She looks at me in surprise, but I don’t know why. It’s her body and her quirk. It would be pretty weird if she would somehow get somebody else’s quirk. Just imagining that is crazy! But if it was possible, I wonder what I would do to get one?

Mentally pushing the inane thought aside, I point my spoon at her mostly melted ice cream. “How about you use your power Todoroki to fix your ice cream?”

Looking down, she blinks at it before the air around her hand gets colder, refreezing the melted parts. Seeing that she’s distracted, I sneak my spoon in to snatch a scoop, laughing at her bemused expression and the slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

`~`

Seeing the scene start with young Todoroki and young Izuku, the audience can’t help but smile. Other than Tomura, who’s getting impatient for the brats to grow up so he can see if he’s changed in this universe.

“Hey guys,” Mina asks, “do you think we should have nicknames for the other us?”

Uraraka taps her chin. “I don’t think so? I mean, we know we’re talking about our counterparts, and there aren’t a lot of us here anyways.”

Toga bounces in her seat with her hand raised. “But like, what if someone there does something really stupid, like reeeaaallllly stupid like that spiky haired guy did and everyone wants to call them out on it? If we use our own names then it would feel like we’re insulting each other!”

“”HEY!”” The two spiky haired people shout in offense before the more chill one realizes that they aren’t talking about him and calms down.

“I don’t see the harm in it.” Todoroki shrugs, still kind of bemused at the fact that he’s a girl.

“Well, since you have a different name, being Midori’s future beau and all, we can just call yours Shoko.” Mina ignores Todoroki’s sudden coughing fit as she ponders on what they should call the other Midoriya, especially since he’s not Midoriya there.

All Might opens his mouth to suggest just calling him Yagi, but Tsukauchi slaps a hand over his mouth. Unlike the number one hero, he knows how to read a room, and he can tell that nobody has a good impression of his own counterpart.

People start calling out suggestions while they wait for the children on screen to do something other than small talk.

“Broccoli Head?”

“Green Bean?”

“Cinnamon Roll?”

“Midori-bro?”

“Bush Boy?”

“Deku.”

“Problem Child #2?”

“Bloody Green?”

“Future party member?”

Everyone turns to look at Tomura at his suggestion. “What?” He asks. Collectively deciding to make a note to address that later, they continue making suggestions until someone finally gets fed up.

“Let’s just stick with Midori since he isn’t here anyways. Plus it still fits his green hair.” Everyone nods in acceptance just as Midori asks Shoko a question.

“Todoroki, why do you come to school hurt sometimes?”

Now that they’re thinking about it, they realize that his words are true. In the montage of clips they were shown between what they call ‘episodes’ sometimes Shoko would have bandages on.

Listening to her talk about her father and his training, they turn to Todoroki, who nods. Tsukauchi coughs to get his attention. “Has what happened to Shoko happened to you? I need a verbal response.”

“Yes.”

Tsukauchi sighs. “Looks like we’re going to have to investigate Endeavor when we get back.”

“And schedule therapy for more than Midoriya.” Aizawa pipes up, drawing looks from Inko, Toga, and Tomura.

“Wait, what do you mean schedule therapy? Shouldn’t all of the kids be in therapy after getting attacked at school?”

“Eh, they won’t need it. I never got it and I’m fine!”

“I would hope that my attack at the USJ would at least warrant therapy given that I failed to kill All Might.”

“Wait, does our school even have a therapist?” Mina asks.

“I think we do, that guy who looks like a dog, right?” Kirishima responds.

“Oh, you mean Hound Dog! Yeah, I was wondering what he did at school since he doesn’t teach any of our classes.” Uraraka exclaims.

Sighing again, Tsukauchi turns to Nezu. “Have you neglected getting therapy for your students after a traumatic villain attack on your school?” He asks with a monotone voice.

“...Perhaps.” Getting a glare for his flippant answer, Nezu sighs before giving a proper one. “Yes, though once we get back I plan to. Though I’ll be prioritizing Todoroki and Midoriya.”

While the adults have been revealing the neglect on their part, Todoroki is considering Midori’s words. He cares… too much? And it’s my power…

Looking down at his own left hand, he clenches it, deep in thought.

Chapter 9: Someone Always Cares

(Teacher)

Another school year is coming to an end. Just one more day and I can go home to my manga. Which I will stare at with longing as I create lesson plans for the next year. Sigh. Sometimes I really envy those American teachers who get twice as long a break than we do from dealing with students. Especially the problematic ones.

Standing at the door to my classroom, I adjust my glasses with one last sigh before walking in. “Good morning class.”

“””Good morning Ms. Mino.”””

I smile at the usual greeting. I know that they don’t like it since it gives them the feeling of being in primary school again, but it makes me happy to be greeted every time I come in. Taking attendance, I frown when I see that Todoroki isn’t here. This isn’t something that happens often, but when it does she always comes back with bandages.

I’ve asked her about it, but she just tells me that it’s family business and that it doesn’t concern me. I went to the principal about it a few times, but he simply told me not to look into it since it concerns the family of the number two pro hero, Endeavor. Actually, he did more than that and told me that if I tried to look into it, I would be fired!

Sometimes I hate this school

Continuing to take roll, my eyes land on a lowered head of bushy green hair. Izuku Yagi, a friend of Todoroki. Actually, he might be her only friend. I never see her talk much to the other people in the class. Well, she doesn’t talk much at all, but that’s beside the point.

Anyways, he’s another kid I’ve been forbidden from helping. Or as the principal puts it: ‘launching an unlicensed investigation into the students’ personal lives’. Irritating swine. Literally, since he has a mutant quirk that makes him a pig. It’s not mild either, he’s fat, pink, and has a pig’s snout.

I’ve gotten sidetracked again. The kid is bullied. A lot. He’s even bullied by his sister! I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it. Siblings are supposed to stick together, even more than their parents! I might be a bit biased given my relationship with my own sister, but betraying that bond makes her worse than scum.

She and Bakugou, the most problematic student I have, are the kid’s main bullies. He’s always hurt, no matter what day it is, whether it’s bruises or burns. It also doesn’t help that he’s obviously malnourished. When compared to anyone else in the class, it’s clear to see that he’s not eating enough.

I know it’s not because his family lacks money, his sister’s condition is proof of that. Flawless skin, a full figure for her age, and smooth and vibrant hair. Looking at the two side-by-side, the difference is clear as day! It’s clear that he’s obviously being neglected by their parents, at the very least. But the principal’s damn threat is holding me back from calling the police.

I really hate this school.

But I need the money, and I’m sure the pink bastard would ruin my chances at applying anywhere else. So I just try my best to make my class a safe space for him. I ensure that there’s no bullying, and I don’t leave them alone for a moment. I also pay special attention to his sister due to her quirk, even if she does need to be able to see to use it.

I just hope the little I can do is enough for him to get through the day.

`~`

(Clerk)

All kinds of people come into the pharmacy for all kinds of things. At least, that’s what my boss says. I actually just started a couple of weeks ago. But when I see a kid with a bush for hair enter the store, I can’t help but feel concerned. Even if I haven’t been here long, it’s been long enough that I can tell that this is a pattern.

My first day was on a Monday, and when the kid came in covered in barely healed burns and covered in bruises I wanted to call the police! He looked like he’d been attacked! The only reason I didn’t is because he told me that the police are already aware of what happened. Normally I’d call bullshit, but the steady beating of his heart told me that he wasn’t lying.

Normally when a person lies, no matter how small, their heartbeat will increase in tempo. And thanks to my quirk, Heart Sound, I can hear it. Of course, that doesn’t mean I always know when people lie. Someone who doesn’t care about their lie, or an experienced liar, wouldn’t have their heart rate increase. But this kid is obviously suffering, so his worry about lying would make his heart rate skyrocket. And the various burn creams, painkillers, and bandages he bought told me that he definitely cares about his injuries.

So even though I was concerned, I let the kid convince me that he’s ok. If the police already know about it, then calling them wouldn’t do much good…

I told him that he could come to me if he was ever in trouble, and the smile he gave me made me wish that I’d been wearing sunglasses. Seriously, is the kid’s quirk Bright Smile or something!?

Anyways, by the end of the week I’d managed to convince myself that the kid was ok since he hadn’t shown up again. But Monday afternoon rolled around and I saw the kid again, in almost the exact same condition. The only difference is where some of his injuries are! Obviously I panicked, but he assured me that it’s nothing to worry about! How could someone not worry!?

But damn the kid is convincing. He bought the same things, in the same quantity, and left with a shy smile and a wave.

But it’s my third Monday working here, and the kid is back! I need to talk to him about it! “Hey kid, are you absolutely sure that the police know about what’s happening to you? This isn’t normal.”

He jumps a little when I talk to him, the same as every time he’s come in. “Y-yes, I’m sure th-they know. I-I actually went to an o-o-officer when they were still f-fresh once.”

Hearing this, I frown. “Then why the he-heck are you still coming in with injuries? Why haven’t they done anything about whatever’s happening?”

He shuffles in place and looks down, avoiding my eyes. “T-t-there are… circumstances.” Seeming to panic at having said that he looks back at me and rapidly waves his arms in front of himself. “B-but don’t worry! It’s n-nothing I can’t h-handle.”

Frown deepening, I come out from behind the counter and crouch down so that we’re at eye level. He looks away, not meeting my eyes. “Kid. Let’s make a deal. I’m only doing this since it seems like you always come in around the same time every week.” He briefly meets my eyes before looking away again, giving a brief nod.

“If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you’re going to be ok, then I’ll stop bringing this up.” I raise a finger. “ But , if you ever don’t show up within an hour of your usual time, I’m calling the police and telling them that something’s happened to you.” He looks like he’s about to protest, so I finish my offer. “Or you can tell me what’s going on and I’ll decide from there.”

He closes his mouth and looks down. We stay like that for a few minutes as I wait for his response. I’m not going to push him. I feel like if I do, he’ll bolt. If that happens, I’d be worried about where he’d get his medical supplies. We’re the only dedicated pharmacy in the area, and we have a lot of local stuff that’s way cheaper than those big name companies but works just as well.

His mind seems to catch on something and he takes a deep, shaky breath before meeting my eyes. “I’m going to be ok.” I hold the stare for half a minute, but he doesn’t look away. Nor does he blink. Sighing, I stand back up while shaking my head.

“Well kid, a deal’s a deal. Let’s get your usual packed up for you. In fact, I’ll put together a bag for you every week so you don’t have to scramble around for everything. Just come right up to the counter and I’ll have it ready for you, sound good?”

He nods happily, and I have to shield my eyes from how bright his smile is. If I’m going to be working here, I’m going to have to invest in some sunglasses. Blinking them clear, I see him gathering up his stuff. “By the way, what’s your name?” Hopefully I won’t ever have to tell it to the police.

He doesn’t look at me as he replies, focused on his shopping. “Izuku Yagi.”

I smile at him, though he doesn’t see it. “I’m Roddo Hiaato. Hope to see you for a long time.”

`~`

{Attention: This episode will be from the viewpoint of others, and some of their thoughts will appear in CC.}

Looking at the screen, a few people can’t help but tilt their heads in confusion before shrugging it off, thinking that it will be like when it focused on Izumi.

It starts off with a teacher standing in front of a classroom door, who sighs.

I really don’t want to deal with the problematic children today.

Immediately all the students’ turn to face Aizawa, who scowls back. “What?”

They exchange glances before looking back at the teacher on screen, who’s entered and started taking roll. Todoroki is the one who answers their teacher, having pulled out a notebook labeled ‘Theories’.

“Including your parents, aunts, uncles, etc, how many female relatives do you have?”

He gets a glare in reply, though it’s not nearly as intimidating as when he uses his quirk for it. He looks at the screen, ignoring the questions about his family tree.

Everyone says their praises for the teacher’s concern for Shoko and Midori, except for the villains that is. But they can at least appreciate the fact that there’s at least one adult who’s looking out for the boy. Growing up, neither of them had that. Well, Tomura didn’t until he met his Sensei.

“THE HELL SHE MEANS I’M THE MOST PROBLEMATIC!? THE TEACHERS FUCKING LOVED ME!” Bakugou gets quiet chuckles in response to his outrage. Nobody believes that for a second, not even Inko after seeing what he did. She’s definitely going to be speaking to Mitsuki when she gets back…

Bakugou gets a shiver down his spine, causing him to look around in confusion.

I just hope the little I can do for him is enough to get him through the day.

Nezu sips his tea. “Aizawa. All Might. Both of you please make notes to remind me to give Midoriya’s middle school all the publicity they could ever want.”

The two teachers shiver at his words, knowing that the school will suffer a fate worse than death.

The screen abruptly changes, causing another round of confusion.

“Was that it? Usually they go on for longer.”

“I don’t know. It does seem kind of abrupt.”

“It would totally be better if they told us the name of the episode. At least then we’d have a hint of what’s going to happen!”

Seeming to take the suggestion to heart, Soahc snaps his fingers and a title abruptly appears before vanishing as the next scene starts.

Someone Always Cares

“I will only do this very rarely, and for things I believe you would need help for understanding.”

Of course, the title doesn’t really help the people in the room who grew up ‘normal’. Only three people understand.

Nezu, who recalls an intern at the laboratory who started his love of tea. They would slip him ones that had a calming effect after every experiment, even before he started showing signs that he could think and speak.

Tomura, who’s mind immediately falls to his Sensei, the only one who’d held out his hand to help the boy. But it goes back further, a hazy image of a young girl appears before he feels a pain in his head and he flinches, losing the memory.

Toga thinks of her false friends and scowls. They never knew the real her, so they could never truly care about her. But the school nurse… Sometimes, when she had a hard time keeping on her mask, she would hide in the infirmary. The nurse never questioned her, never told her to leave. She would just remind her to close the curtains so she could have privacy. Without her, she would have lost control much, much sooner.

These three understand, and they pity the boy they’re watching.

Unaware of these three’s thoughts, everyone else gives awkward chuckles as clips of the clerk at the pharmacy freaking out seeing Midori plays. It’s all they can do given the state they see him in each time.

But seeing him make his promise with Midori, the students cheer while the teachers nod in satisfaction. Inko has tears in her eyes from relief, but they don’t fall due to Soahc using his power. He doesn’t want the theater to flood after all.

Chapter 10: It Begins

Summary:

The start of canon... and it's divergence.

Today has started off so well. I wake up before everyone else and manage to make myself some breakfast before leaving. No one to tell me to save breakfast for Izumi, or for her to hurt me with her quirk.

Since I can’t show up to school early though, I just wander around until I can go. While I’m doing that, I get to see a hero fight! Kamui Woods is fighting against a villain with some kind of enlarging quirk! I get called out for fanboying about him, but I don’t take it personally!

… Much. At the very least the guy looks like he doesn’t mean anything bad by it, and when Kamui Woods is about to use his special move, he seems just as excited as me. But just as he’s about to capture the villain, a loud but high pitched voice echoes down the street.

“CANYON CANNON!”

A giant woman in a white and purple outfit comes flying at the villain from the side and kicks him off the train tracks! But he doesn’t go flying off, instead he falls backwards, unconscious, breaking the wall in the process. I think it’s safe to say that everyone is shocked by the sudden development, Kamui Woods most of all given that his wood is still outstretched for his special move.

Afterwards, the newly introduced Mt. Lady shrinks down and I start taking notes on her. While I’m doing that, the guy who was standing next to me speaks up.

“What’s that fanboy, you taking notes over there? Wanna be a hero too, huh?” I tense, waiting for the usual torrent of ridicule. “That’s great! You can do it!”

My pencil freezes, and I look at him with eyes filled with shock. I see him smiling while giving me a thumbs up. I smile at him. “Yes! I’ll do my best!”

Oh, how I’ll regret those words by the end of the day.

School is normal. I walk in, get tripped, get hit, a few of them use their quirks to hurt me. I quiet the voices in my head telling me to hurt them back, and the ones telling me I deserve it for being quirkless. Though thankfully the two sides usually cancel each other out.

The usual stuff.

But when the homeroom teacher calls roll, I know that the day is going to be one of the worse normals. Shoko isn’t here today. Which means that nobody has to be careful with their bullying.

It starts off with the normal excitement everyone usually has when she’s absent, then Izumi is the one to start off the day. For her to use her quirk on something, she needs to be able to see it. But that’s only for the initial ‘grab’. Once her telekinesis has a hold on it, then it doesn’t matter if she can see it or not to move it. From what I can tell, it’s like the difference between writing and typing.

The former you focus on and gives you more options in how you write stuff down. Size, length, style, all of this is stuff you can easily change depending on how you move your hand. Easy. While typing is basic, and unless you go through a few hoops, it all comes out the same.

Or I guess you could say her moving it out of her sight removes her fine control of the object, if you wanted to simplify it. The difference between fingers and a closed fist, I guess.

Really though, all this is just me trying to distract myself from the fact that she’s using her quirk to repeatedly throw erasers at my ears. I can move my head a bit so they miss, but with how little attention she needs to pay to move things so small, I get hit so much that it eventually turns my ears red as a stinging sensation spreads through them.

By the time the class ends, the back of my ears are raw, and I can feel the air on a few small spots where the skin has broken. But now, while we wait for the next teacher to come in, it’s everyone else’s turn.

A kid with a quirk that lets him take out his eyeballs twists my arm. He likes to hurt me because he knows his quirk won’t help him to become a hero.

Next is a kid who can form spikes on his hands. He pushes my face into my desk so he has a clear shot at my back. He’s hurting me so he can practice his control over his quirk. Normally the spikes go out pretty far, so he has to consciously shorten them. His problem with that is they become dull if he does. So he uses me to test how to make short but sharp spikes. It doesn’t usually go well, but occasionally he’ll open up a previous wound and leave, thinking he’s gotten better.

A girl who can transform parts of her body into fire. She wants to test the change in temperatures.

A girl with wind control. She tries to deprive me of air.

A boy with monster-like, disjointed teeth. He gnaws on my arm, but this doesn’t hurt. I think he actually just does it because it relaxes him, and the others don’t look at him weirdly when he does it to me because I’m ‘Deku’ and it’s normal to use their quirks on me.

This is how the day goes, and my only reprieve is in Ms. Mino’s class. She doesn’t like bullying, and she’s always careful to watch for any that might happen. Kachan and a few of the other students learned that the hard way when she punished them for it. Of course, nothing ever stuck to Kachan and Izumi’s records. The school makes sure that nothing will ruin their chances of becoming heroes. I’m just thankful that Ms. Mino even applies her ‘no bullying’ policy to me.

But now it’s the end of the day, and soon I’ll be able to find a place to hide and let the voices distract me from my life. Sure, they’re usually saying mean things about me or others, but sometimes they talk to each other and it ends up pretty funny to listen to.

But that’s for later. Right now, the teacher is just watching as the class shows off their quirks after throwing the career aptitude tests into the air behind him. Kachan and Izumi are gloating about how they’ll be the first ones from the school to get into UA, and I know they can do it. Sure, they’re personalities are horrible, but they’re smart. And their quirks are powerful.

But while all this is going on, I’m just listening to the voices in my head going around and around again.

[Rip and tear, nobody will care~.]

{Just let them hurt you, it’s all training for when you become a hero.}

[Beat them into the ground, let the blood splatter around!]

{Violence is not the answer!}

[Violence is the question, and the answer is yes~.]

{Don’t go putting ideas in his head!}

[Fight me!]

{Shut up.}

[You shut up!]

I’m only pulled away from their argument when I hear the teacher say my name, a fake disinterested look on his face. “Oh yeah, Deku, don’t you want to go to UA too?”

Why? Why would you say that? Do you really take that much joy in my suffering?

I listen to the disparaging comments, nothing new, but then someone says that I can’t get into UA without a quirk, so I feel the need to correct them. I know they meant it more as an insult than a statement of their rules, but still.

“T-they actually got rid of that rule. I could be the f-first.” Suddenly my desk cracks in half when Kachan hits it with an explosive punch and I fall backwards. Before I can hit the ground though, something catches me and lifts me into the air, upside down. Looking in front of me, I see Kachan and Izumi standing there with irritated looks.

“You’re even worse than these damn wannabees you quirkless reject. You really think they’d let someone like you in when they could have us!?”

Izumi nods along with Kachan’s words as I feel her tightening her hold on me, squeezing until I feel like I’m about to burst. “Yeah, Deku , you’d die in the exam! Just accept the fact that you’ll never be a hero and give up. You can’t even fight back against us, can you? So what are you going to do for the exam? Or against a villain?”

Her sneer fills my vision before I’m abruptly dropped, my head making a dull *thud* as it hits the floor. But something like that hasn’t been enough to knock me out for a long time. Once everyone returns to their seats, I dust myself off and sit back down, looking at my now broken desk in pity.

Poor desk, it never did anything wrong.

[But it can do somethin right. Look at that leg, it’s practically fallen off! Just a quick little twist and you can put those ‘special theories’ to the test~.]

{The fact that you sat at it was enough for it to fall. Crushed due to you taking up attention from Kachan and Izumi that they could have devoted to training to become heroes.}

[That’s a stretch, even for you.]

The last bit of class goes by listening to the voices argue about my desk. Once the bell rings to dismiss the class, I send Shoko a text wishing her well and encouragement for pushing through her father’s training. Afterwards I pull out my notebook to write down some more about the fight I saw this morning, a lapse in judgment seeing as it’s suddenly pulled out of my hand by Izumi’s telekinesis.

`~`

The collective sound of hands hitting faces resounds throughout the theater as they see Mt. Lady damage the city for the sole purpose of stealing Kamui Wood’s capture.

“ Heroes .” Tomura’s derisive snort resounds in everybody’s ears. Nezu simply sighs, remembering the event in question and how certain news networks criticized the then new heroine for her actions.

“This ship is rejected!” Mina crosses her arms in front of her chest in a large ‘x’ while making a buzzing sound when she sees Midori and some random bald guy with three growths coming out of his head having a moment.

“”””OF COURSE IT IS!”””” The collective voices of all the girls (and Todoroki, who goes unnoticed) cause the rest of the audience to flinch at the sudden noise.

“I’ll do my best!”

The smiles they get hearing those words freeze as the screen goes gray and words appear.

Oh, how I’ll regret those words at the end of the day.

As the screen continues playing, everyone looks at Bakugou, who scowls back at them. “How the hell should I know what he means? I’m not the damn Deku encyclopedia!”

All Might though, starts to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Inko has tears in her eyes as she watches the abuse Midori goes through while at school, while all the kids are glaring at Bakugou, even Kirishima. Tomura grabs his armrest and clicks his tongue in irritation when his quirk still doesn’t activate. Nezu, Aizawa, and Tsukauchi further resolve to address the matter of Aldera Junior High as soon as they get back.

But when Midori’s teacher throws the career aptitude tests away while saying that everyone in his class wants to become heroes, Bakugou pales and breaks out into a cold sweat. He knows what’s going to happen.

This doesn’t go unnoticed by most of the adults. Their eyes narrow as they watch him out of the corner of their eyes.

The students want to object and criticize Bakugou for the other him’s cruel words towards Midori, but they’re held back by Tsukauchi holding his hand up for them to wait. After the newest round of abuse is over, he turns towards Bakugou.

“Minus Izumi Yagi being a part of it, did this happen while you were in Middle School?”

“Yes.” Bakugou looks away, actively avoiding looking in Inko’s direction.

“Do you know what’s going to happen next in regards to the other you?”

“...Yes.”

“Care to elaborate?”

He looks down, his eyes shadowed. His voice is quieter than anyone’s ever heard before. “Just watch.”

And so they do, feelings of trepidation in their hearts as Izumi and other Bakugou approach Midori.

“... At least we know why Deku is fine with walking around with broken bones all the time.” Uraraka’s words defuse a bit of the tension while making the connection click in their heads.

Chapter 11: Realization

Summary:

Izumi finally gives into her guilt. But is it too late?

(Izumi POV)

Looking at the title of the notebook I’ve taken out of my brother’s hand, I scowl. After not seeing them for a while, I at least thought that I’d gotten him to stop writing them. Turns out that he’s just gotten good at hiding them from me. Moving it in front of Katsuki, he gives a cruel smirk and uses an explosion on it, charring it.

That surprises me. Normally his explosion would have completely demolished a plain notebook, but I shrug it off with a light dismissal. He probably held back a bit. Oh well, it’s not like it matters much. Releasing it from my quirk, I watch as Katsuki grabs it and flings the burned notebook out the window. Much to my twin’s obvious horror.

It sends a pang of guilt through my heart, but we’ve been bullying him for so long now that it’s just a small addition to my long list of regrets. He can’t become a hero. Once he understands that, we’ll stop. That’s all it will take! JUST SAY THAT YOU WON’T TRY TO BECOME A HERO DAMN IT!

I take a calming breath, letting it out quietly. I missed a bit of the conversation, but knowing Bakugou, it was just him mocking him, and I watch impassively as he puts a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, smoke rising as he smiles at him. “Don’t even bother applying to UA. Or else.”

A thought seems to strike him and he smirks, sending me a look. One that I’ve long become accustomed to. He wants me to do something more than usual. Sometimes I go along with whatever idea he has, sometimes I don't. Despite what it seems like, I do try to make sure I don't hurt him too much. Nothing permanent, as far as I know.

It’s too bad that a middle schooler doesn’t have a good grasp of what can cause permanent damage.

“Hey, Izumi. Since the nerd’s notebook is so important to him, why don’t you send him out with it?”

I pause with a look of consideration. To Izuku, I’m sure that it looks fake, but I’m actually trying to figure out how badly it would hurt him. Coming to a decision, I grab him with my quirk, along with his bag, and float them out the window, above the fish pond behind the school. Even if I were to drop him from this height, he shouldn’t break anything as long as he lands in the water.

Releasing… most of my hold on my twin, I let him fall into the water, but cushion him a bit just to make sure nothing breaks. Hearing the splash, Katsuki and I go to the window and look down at him, Bakugou laughing as a fish flaps around on his head. I simply smile at the sight, my enjoyment greatly lessened by the fact that I’m the one who put him into that situation.

“You know Deku, if you want to be a hero that badly there’s a quick way to do it.” A pit settles into my stomach, some kind of sense that I’m not going to like what he says next. “Take a swan dive off the roof, and pray for a quirk in your next life!”

Izuku looks up at us with the most pained look I have ever seen on him before. Worse than after anytime we’ve hurt him. But neither of us are looking down at him now. Katsuki turned away right after he said it and walked away. After a shocked moment of looking at his back, I come to my senses and rush at him. I grab him by his shoulders and turn him around, slamming him into the closed door of the classroom.

At his irritated and confused look, my anger flares. “What the hell was that!? Telling him to kill himself? What if he actually does it!?”

He scoffs, slapping my hands away from him. “Relax, the nerd is too stubborn to jump. If it was that easy then he would have given up on being a hero a long time ago.”

He’s not wrong about him being stubborn. But still…

“You went too far. You need to apologize the next time you see him.”

He scowls at me. “Huh!? Why the hell should I do that!? It’s not like that Deku deserves better!”

Hearing his words, a shiver goes down my spine. “Katsuki… did you forget why we’re bullying him?”

He scowls, looking away. I wait for a moment, already knowing the truth. But I still want to hear him answer. “Course I do. If he becomes a hero, he’ll die. So we’re trying to show him that he can’t stand up to them.

But I know that’s a lie. Whatever Katsuki’s reasons, I know that he’s not bullying Izuku for the same reason as me anymore. He’s changed, and not for the better. But I guess the same can be said for me as well. And that’s what firms the resolve I’ve been building up for the past year.

“I’m done.” Katsuki looks back at me, the lack of understanding clear in his eyes. “I’m done bullying him. You’re the one who convinced me that this would keep him safe, but it hasn’t worked, and it’s ruined our relationship with him.”

The anger in my eyes causes Katsuki to flinch slightly, but it goes unnoticed by me as I vent my guilt. “We’ve spent the better part of ten years trying to hurt Izuku, whether emotionally or physically. Ten years where I haven’t been there for him, instead being the one who pushes him down. The one who hurts him when I should be the one protecting him.”

My fists clench. “All because you said that this would be the best way to keep him safe.” I cover my face with my hands and turn my face up to the ceiling. “Gods, I was so stupid.”

Katsuki looks like he wants to say something, but I don't want to listen. He doesn’t care about what the two of us have put Izuku through, the things I’ve done to ‘protect’ him. The very thought of it is laughable to me now. Hell, it’s been laughable ever since Izuku became friends with Shoko! She’s the one who’s been protecting him, the one who’s been by his side. I may be an idiot for going along with Katsuki’s idea when we were little, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not jealous of the connection she has with my brother. But I stuck with this idiotic plan because I thought that Bakugou and I were in it together.

But we weren’t. It turns out that he was only in it for himself.

I can feel myself crying as I make my way to the back of the school building, hoping that my twin is still there. Hoping that I can apologize. I know that things can never go back to how they were between us, not after everything I’ve done to him. But maybe, just maybe, I can show him that I’ll be better. That I’m willing to work hard to earn his forgiveness.

But by the time I get there, he’s already gone. Sighing, I leave, heading home. I don’t know where he might have gone, the only thing I can do is head home and hope that he’ll let me apologize.

Little did I know that this would be the last time I would ever see Izuku Yagi again..

`~ `

“Hold on, we’ve seen Bakubro’s explosions tear through cement walls, how is Midoribro’s notebook still intact?”

He scoffs. “Obviously I held back at the time. You don’t mess with his notebooks. Not Midoriya’s anyways. There’s only one time someone messed with them.” He shivers. “That was enough for everyone.”

There’s a moment of silence before someone asks the question on all of their minds. “What happened to them?” To everyone’s surprise, it’s Tomura who asks.

It doesn’t matter to Bakugou, though. “Last we heard he was in therapy. But by the time I got into UA, no one had heard from him since the incident.” He sighs.

“A few of his friends went to his house to check on him, but his house was empty. No one knows why, but the rumors definitely got that rule in place.”

The only sound in the theater as they watch Izumi drop Midori out their school’s window is silence. It’s not until he splashes down relatively safely that Nezu breaks it.

“It appears that we might need to outsource a therapist for Young Midoriya. I fear that Hound Dog won’t be up to the task.”

The only response is Bakugou gulping as he watches his counterpart’s expression. He hunches down in his seat as he prepares for his biggest regret to be revealed to everyone around him. To All Might. To Auntie Inko.

“You know Deku, if you want to be a hero that badly there’s a quick way to do it.”

Tension grips everyone, and Nezu tightens his own grip on his tea, prepared to do something he never has before.

“Take a swan dive off the roof, and pray for a quirk in your next life!”

Bakugou yells in pain and surprise and pain as a teacup bounces off his head and spills its hot contents all over him. Ignoring his screams of pain, Nezu addresses Aizawa.

“I believe that Young Midoriya is likely able to write his own book based on his mental issues. We’ll get the three best counselors just for him. As for you…”

His glare causes the horrible person mentioned to shiver. “We shall be going back over your permanent records, and should I find anything hidden by your past teachers. Know that we will be forced to consider more drastic punishments.”

He simply nods, the fight having gone out of him.

Mina’s hand shoots into the air. “I vote we put on-screen Bakugou’s name as Bakubitch!”

A chorus of ayes fill the air as he scowls halfheartedly at them.

“Gods, I was stupid.”

Hearing these words, the class erupts into cheers at Izumi deciding to change her ways.

Only to fall silent as dark letters dripping blood pop up.

Little did I know that this would be the last time I would ever see Izuku Yagi again.

Chapter 12: Broken Dream

Summary:

Don't tell a quirkless person to be realistic. You don't know what that means...

Flipping through my journal, I’m relieved to see that the damage isn’t too bad. “It’s a good thing I took that guy’s recommendation and bought their ‘special’ notebooks and ink.” Other than being a bit charred and some water spots on some pages, it’s pretty much fine! Hurray for reinforcement quirks!

Chuckling at the irony of the thought, I decide to make a detour from my usual route. After what Kachan said, I don’t really feel like dealing with the usual abuse on the way back to the house today. So no insults, thrown bottles, and possibly dislocated or cracked bones. They never outright break my bones for some reason, which is kind of weird. Maybe they justify it to themselves by saying it’s not as bad if I don’t have to be hospitalized?

Well, cracked bones are supposed to be a hospital-worthy injury, but the few times I went to get treated they threw me out when they found out I was quirkless. Though there were a few nice nurses that gave me painkillers that were getting close to the expiration date. Sure, I got sick sometimes when I used them after the expiration date, but they still really helped!

While lost in my thoughts, I pass by under a bridge, only to hear a loud clanging coming from behind me. Turning around, I see a large pile of sludge looming behind me. 

A villain.

“You’ll make a perfect skin suit for me to hide in, kid.” I just stare at them blankly for a moment as I process the situation. Then I do something that surprises both of us.

I laugh.

“He… ha… haha… HAHAHAHA!” It starts off weak, but before I realize it it explodes into full blown laughter. I can’t help it! It’s just… with the way my day’s been going, this has to be the absolute worst thing to top it off. A villain with a semi-liquid body attacking me! If it were literally anything else, I would at least have a chance to hold them off until a hero arrives. Shoko has helped me train for things like this!

But what am I supposed to do against liquid !? NOTHING! And I know that I’m not fast enough to run away. So all I can do in this situation is laugh, tears streaming from my eyes as the villain just stares at me in a stupor.

Seeming to get a hold of itself, it speaks. “I have no idea what your problem is, but- well, I guess it doesn’t matter. You’ll still end up being my disguise.” And with that, they lunge at me, enveloping me with their body. Thoughts run through my mind as they force their way into my mouth.

Huh. Their body is surprisingly warm. It does smell though, but that might be because they came out of the sewer.

{Look at you! Finally getting out of Kachan and Izumi’s lives, letting them focus entirely on becoming heroes!}

[Shut up! Don’t listen to this tool, fight back! Bite! Rip and tear! Eat them before they eat you! Er, go for the balls?]

[...]

[Ok, I actually have nothing. But you can at least put up some kind of a fight!]

{Just give in. No more pain. No more suffering. No more disappointing everyone .}

The mean voice’s words start sounding better and better as I struggle to breathe. To stop my body from being taken over. But I can’t do anything against them, their body just flows around my hands. As I start to lose consciousness, I think I hear something.

“ TEXAS SMASH! ”

I fall into the bliss of darkness as I feel a powerful force strike me, scattering the villain’s body in the process.

(All Might POV)

Looking down at the boy I just saved from the villain, I’m shocked to realize that it’s my son! I panic a bit as I check his pulse, only to breathe a sigh of relief as I find it. After chugging down the soda I’d bought at the store (no point in it going to waste!) I gather up the villain into it. While I do so, my eyes keep going back to my son.

His uniform is… disheveled, I suppose is the easiest way to put it. Though it might be better to say ‘ruined’. One of the shoulders is missing, the edges around where it was showing signs of having been burnt. There are signs that it’s been sewed back together in spots as well, though those are harder to see.

This all can’t have been from the villain. What happened to him?

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I can talk to him about whatever happened at home, but for now I need to get him awake so he can get there. My time limit is almost up, after all. Of course, since I know he’s a massive fan of mine I make sure to sign his notebook first. Though given its condition I think it might be time for a new one.

And so I start to quickly but lightly slap his cheek. It’s a much gentler way to wake him up than my teacher used when I fainted during training!

Eventually he wakes up and starts fanboying about me. Honestly, it’s a weird feeling. Especially due to how he’s never like this at home. Usually he’ll just stay in his room all day, or spend his time in the home gym. At least I think he does? At the very least, I never see him hanging around the living room.

But I can feel that my limit is fast approaching, so I hastily say goodbye and urge him to head home. It’s not until I’m already flying through the air that I realize that he’s hanging onto me! 

“HEY, KID! LET GO!” I panic as I start to try and pry him off of me, only for him to remind me that we’re flying through the air! That’s certainly embarrassing. Good thing he spoke up so quickly.

We land on a rooftop and I tell him to bang on the door to get someone to come let him in. But now I really have to go! I’m already struggling with holding my form! But his question stops me.

“Can someone who’s quirkless like me become a hero like you?”

I pause, hearing his words. For a moment I’m taken back in time, to where I asked my master the same thing. But before I can answer, I smoke explodes out of me. Shit. I lost focus and I’m going back to normal!

The smoke starts to clear, and I see Izuku looking at the ground, mumbling. Raising his voice, I can finally hear what he has to say. “Saving people with a fearless smile, I want to be a great hero. Like you!” He looks up, and I can see the shock and confusion clear on his face. “D-dad!?”

I sigh, scratching my cheek. “Um, yeah. Hey, son.” Looking away as I consider how to handle this, I don’t see the dark look that flashes across his face at the word ‘son’. By the time I look back though, there’s a light shining in his eyes.

“Y-y-you’re All Might!? My dad… is All Might! That’s so cool! Is this why you’re always out of the house? Why we’ve never been to your work? Why you always say that your quirk is a secret we’ll learn when we’re older?”

I hide a wince at his last question. I broke the promise I made with myself back when I first learned he was quirkless. But after my injury, I didn’t want to see the same thing happen to him. All For One is dead, but eventually someone just as strong will be born. And… I can’t see my children getting hurt the same way I did. I can’t do anything about Izumi, but I can do something for Izuku.

“That’s right. I couldn’t have any villains finding out about the three of you, so I hid the fact that I’m All Might from everyone. As far as the world is concerned, Toshinori Yagi and All Might are two different people.”

He nods, his smile bright enough to make my eyes squint. But wait, he still wants to be a hero? I feel something in my chest, telling me to say yes, he can do it. Which I know he can, if I give him One For All. I don’t know if it’s my sense of parent, or One For All pushing me to pass it on. But…

With eyes shining and fists clenched with hope, he asks again. “So, do you think that I can become a hero even though I’m quirkless?”

Looking at him, I can’t bring myself to deny him. I’m sure that I can get my teacher to teach him, and I can probably pull in a few favors as well. Just as I’m about to answer, I vomit out a waterfall of blood, much to his shock.

And just like that, I’m given a reality check. It doesn’t matter how strong someone is. All it will take is a single moment of weakness for them to lose their life.  

I sit down and look at the ground with a sigh. “Do you recall that time I got into a ‘car accident’ back when you were nine, and the doctors said I’d be coughing up blood for the rest of my life?”

Still looking down, I don’t see him shake his head, but I continue anyway. I pull my shirt up to reveal the extent of my injury. “Well, I was actually injured by a powerful villain. My stomach was destroyed, and my respiratory system was damaged beyond all repair.”

I look at him, the horror on his face just as I expected. “If an injury this bad can happen to me, the number one hero. The Symbol of Peace. What do you think would happen to you, someone who doesn’t even have a quirk?”

I feel a wrenching in my chest, causing me to cough up more blood. It’s not the same as usual, for some reason it seems… angry? But I push the thought to the side as I make sure my son understands.

“There are lots of ways to help people. You can become a doctor. Or even a police officer!” I rise and walk over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looks down, his eyes shadowed under his hair.

“It’s ok to have dreams, son. But… keep them realistic.”

As I walk to the door, the pain in my chest becomes worse, and I feel like I can almost hear angry voices yelling at me. I know I shouldn’t be killing his dream like this, but I don’t want to see him in the same condition I’m in.

As I open the door, I hesitate and look back at him. He hasn’t moved from his spot. Sighing, I call out to him. “Come on, we can talk more at home, if you want. Maybe swing by somewhere for some… a treat?” I wrack my brain for what kind of thing he’d like to make himself feel better, but for some reason I draw a blank. Odd.

His voice is small as he replies. “That’s ok… I’ll… catch up later.”

I hesitate one more time before releasing one last sigh and heading down. Patting my pocket, I confirm that the sludge villain is still there before starting my way to a police station. 

(Izuku POV)

I stare at the ground as tears fall from my eyes, staining the rooftop below me. His words echo in my head as the voices clash.

Be realistic.

[KILL HIM! WHO IS HE TO THINK HE CAN TALK TO YOU LIKE THAT!]

Be realistic.

{You heard him. Give up, you can’t become a hero.}

Be realistic.

[SCREW THAT! SHOW THEM! SHOW THEM THAT YOU’RE STRONGER THAN ALL OF THEM!]

Be realistic.

{And how will he do that? He can’t do anything against someone with a quirk. All Might himself said so.}

Be realistic.

[WEAPONS CAN MAKE ANYTHING EQUAL! WHAT’S SOMEONE LIKE MT LADY GOING TO DO IF YOU STAB HER IN THE FACE!? GET BIGGER AND CRUSH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE!? SHOW THEM HOW THEY’VE UNDERESTIMATED YOU!]

Be realistic.

{What can a quirkless person really do?}

Be reali-

My mind catches on that last thought, and I think back to all the results I’d found online about ‘quirkless in today’s society’. What can a quirkless do?

Be realistic.

According to reports, nothing. 

Be realistic.

There is no place for a quirkless in today’s society.

Be realistic.

“I think it’s time for me to be realistic.”

Taking off my backpack, I pull out a pen and my notebook. The one that All- that dad signed. Looking at it, I can’t help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle. So many people would kill to get this. But now? Now it doesn’t matter.

I turn to the next page and start to write. Not to my family, no. They won’t care. Mom won’t. Izumi might be happy about it. Dad… he might blame himself. But that’s not going to be my concern anymore.

No, the person who I’m writing for is the one who’s stood by me. The one who’s believed in me. The one that I’m going to make sad. She’ll cry, and I don’t like that. But it does spark a bit of joy that she cares so much.

I’ll just have to make sure she gets her birthday present early.

Finishing, I contemplate what I should do. I’ve been up here for a while and nobody has shown up, so I don’t really want to leave it up here. But if I hold onto it, it will probably get ruined. Looking at my backpack, I shrug. I can just put it in. Maybe put a note on the outside?

Flipping to the last pages, I tear them out. One I fold up and put it between the pages with All Might’s signature. The other I write down some instructions and put it in the pocket for water bottles. As I’m about to put my notebook inside, I catch sight of the cover.

…

I stare at it for a moment before angrily scribbling out the title. Under it, I write: ‘I’m sorry, Shoko.”

Taking a breath, I look over the side of the building. Taking a guess on the place that will be the least affected, but still easily found, I drop it. I watch it land, nodding in satisfaction as it goes where I want. Taking a deep breath, I take off my shoes and put them on the ledge. I put my hand on it to climb before stopping.

Chuckling, I let go and step back to the center of the rooftop. “What was it you said, Kachan? A swan dive, wasn’t it? Well I never did much swimming, but I’ll give it a shot.

Nobody is watching, but if they were, I’m sure they’d say that it’s pretty good for my first and last attempt.

Notes:

Reactions took up a full chapter, so it's the next one.

Chapter 13: Surprise

Summary:

The audience comes to know there is more to their viewing.

“Huh. So Deku gets attacked by the sludge villain instead of me?” Bakugou questions as various people freak out about his imminent suffocation.

All Might clears his throat. “Actually, Young Midoriya was attacked before you on that day.”

“””WHAT!?””” The sudden shouts mixed with on-screen All Might shouting his attack cause Aizawa to cover his ears.

“Be quiet. Or else I’ll wrap you in my scarf.”

This doesn’t deter anyone, but at the moment they’re more focused on the principal and detective admonishing All Might for his methods in waking up the victim of a villain attack.

“Um, is nobody going to comment on how Midori laughed when the villain showed up? I mean, there’s laughing in the face of danger but it’s still kind of concerning.”

“He doesn’t back down from anybody, no matter what! He’s so manly!”

“If things go the same as our time…” All Might sighs as he watches Midori cling onto his counterpart’s leg as they fly through the air. “I suspected as much. This is actually the reason as to why the villain got free and attacked Bakugou after I’d caught them. they fell out of my pocket during my initial panic.”

“Something that would not have been able to happen if you simply followed proper protocol in detainment of villains.” Nezu sips his tea while Tukauchi nods his head in agreement. He tries his best to soothe over the problems All Might causes when he doesn’t follow protocol, but it’s not easy.

Seeing All Might slouch at the admonishment, Uraraka decides to cheer him up. “At least in this world you didn’t drop the villain.” She points at his counterpart’s pocket, where everyone sees the bottle with the villain. Just before he becomes enveloped in smoke.

Seeing on-screen All Might deflate on a rooftop, Nezu and Tsukauchi sigh. “You really should be more aware of your time, All Might. That is, I’m assuming that this happened the same way in our time?” He nods.

“So, do you think that I can become a hero even though I’m quirkless?”

Hearing Midori ask the question again, this time visibly shining with joy, the students have expectant looks on their faces. After all, All Might’s entire motto is that anybody can become a hero. So obviously he’d say yes, right?

Tomura, watching his guilt-ridden expression, has a feeling that he’s going to enjoy their expressions in a few moments.

To Tomura’s surprise, he’s surprised too. The students’ expressions immediately turn from excitement to shock and horror when on-Screen All Might vomits up a waterfall of blood. It’s only thanks to Toga’s high pitched squeals of excitement that they aren’t shocked frozen. Which is further cemented when he pulls up his shirt, revealing his injury.

“This is a national level secret, children. So make sure you never speak of what you’re about to witness. Unless you want all traces of you to vanish~.” Nezu’s lighthearted tone doesn’t match the ominous words, the juxtaposition causing the students to shiver.

As they listen to him explain his injuries to Midori, a bad feeling starts to envelop them. Even Aizawa tightly grips the armrests to his seat.

“What do you think would happen to you, someone who doesn’t even have a quirk?”

The only sound heard in the theater is Tomura’s derisive snort, everyone except for those who know of All Might’s quirk too focused on the words being said. As for those who do know of it, they simply look at him with judgemental eyes, promising a reckoning.

“It’s ok to have dreams, son. But… keep them realistic.”

As he walks away from Midori, everyone’s attention turns to the All Might with them, the question obvious in their eyes. Sighing, he looks away as he confirms their suspicions. “I did indeed tell Young Midoriya that. Luckily for him, I realized that he had a quirk and helped him train it to become usable.”

Seeing their expressions morph into shock, he raises his hands in defense. “Look at what happened to all of you at the USJ. If Young Midoriya was there, quirkless, do you think he could have defended himself?”

While that silences the students, he forgot who’s there with them. “I don’t know, All Might . How about we go and ask all the people with mutation-based quirks -which my quirk doesn’t work on- I put in the hospital and ask them . After all, against people like that I’m basically fighting quirkless .”

Hearing the venom in their teacher’s voice, the students flinch. The only time they’ve heard him sound like that is when he was fighting against the villains at the USJ. When he was defending them.

Unable to say anything in response, All Might stays silent. As they wait for the screen to continue, Toga decides that it’s time for alternate All Might to get a nickname.

“Should we call the big guy here Hypo?”

The randomness of the nickname immediately lightens the mood, causing a chuckle to run throughout the theater. “Where did that come from?” Kirishima asks.

She taps her chin. “Well, it’s short for hypocrite. You know, since he decided to pick and choose where his motto applies.”

“Daaammmnnn!”

“Language!” Aizawa shouts at Uraraka, who hunches down in her seat as a blush crosses her face. Meanwhile, nobody other than All Might has any objection to the nickname, so his counterpart’s name is decided.

“Is the damn screen busted?” Bakugou questions, as it still shows Midori standing on the rooftop in the same position he was before.

Soahc shrugs. “No. But since the sludge villain didn’t attack you this time, there’s nothing to distract him from his thoughts.”

“Excuse me, but what do you mean by that?” Inko asks, her nerves already frayed from everything she’s found out about her son’s life. Instead of answering right away, they snap their fingers and thought bubbles appear around Midori.

“Midoriya, well, the one you’ve all taken to referring to as ‘Midori’ suffers from schizophrenia. For those that don’t know, that means he has voices in his head.”

“That go round and around and again~.” At everyone else’s glares, Mina hunches down. “Sheesh, sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit. It’s like a funeral in here.”

“Poor choice of words there.” Before anyone can ask Soahc what they mean, the screen begins playing again. This time, they can see Midori’s thoughts.

They’re all shocked at what the voices in his head are saying, no one more so than All Might who’s finally realizing how traumatizing his words could be to someone in a negative headspace. (Well, considering he’s the number one hero, to anyone really. But still. Progress.) But what concerns them is Midori’s thoughts. Or rather, one thought. While the voices argue, the only thing going through his head are two words.

Be realistic.

“I think it’s time for me to be realistic .”

A shiver goes down everyone’s spines at the utter defeat in his tone. Their concern rises as he takes out his charred notebook from his backpack. After seeing him write in it, their confusion rises instead as he tears out a page and writes something on it before putting it in the side pocket of his backpack.

When he scribbles out the notebook’s title and writes something else, even Bakugou starts feeling concerned. But everyone’s terror peaks when they see him throw his backpack over the side of the building and take his shoes off. There are tears in some of their eyes as they watch him begin to climb the ledge.

There’s a collective sigh of relief as he goes back to the center of the rooftop, only to still as he speaks.

“What was it you said, Kachan? A swan dive, wasn’t it? Well, I never did much swimming, but I’ll give it a shot.”

He runs forward and leaps, angling his body so that he’ll land head first. They wait for the screen to shift, and it does so, turning dark without them having to see him hit the ground. “I don’t know a lot about swimming either, but I’d give his form a seven. What about you, Crusty Lips?”

Scowling at the blonde next to him, he decides to play along. “I’ve played a few swimming games, so I’d say you’re on the mark. Silver medal, at least.”

Toga taps her chin. “Hmm… Maybe if they let us see him hit the ground, all covered in blood, I’d rate it higher. But they didn’t, so oh well~.”

Hearing their conversation, the students and heroes feel their anger rise, only for a susurration to run through the room at Bakugou’s words. “WHAT HAPPENED TO AUNTIE INKO!?

Looking at her seat, they see that she’s no longer there. Looking around the room, nobody sees her anywhere, but there is a new addition. On the wall, there’s a portrait of her, her eyes widened in horror.

Seeing everyone start to panic, Soahc claps his hands to get their attention. Once it’s silent, he explains. “As I told you before, time is frozen in your world while you’re here. Which is why you are all still awake despite however much time has passed. You will remain in the state you were in when you were brought here.”

He points at the portrait. “But the shock of seeing her son -even if she knows he’s not her son- commiting suicide caused her to faint. Her state of being changed, so she was ejected from the space. Any questions?”

Nezu raises his hand/paw. “Are there any side effects of this?”

Soahc nods. “There are, in fact. She’ll lose her memories of everything she’s seen here, but retain the emotions she felt. Think of it like when you have an odd feeling about something but don’t know where it’s coming from.”

Nezu nods before pointing at the portrait. “And that?”

He gets a shrug in reply. “I felt like keeping a record of those who’ve failed to hold out until the end. Anyways, would you all like to continue this world, or take a break for something more… lighthearted?”

Chapter 14: The Calm

Summary:

It takes time, for the truth to be known.

(Izumi POV)

At home, I knock on the door to Izuku’s room. “De-Izuku, are you there?” I wait for a moment, but get no reply. Not that I should expect one, even if he is in there.

I can’t help but sigh as I head over to my room. Inside, the walls are covered in All Might posters, as well as various weights that I use to train my quirk. Sitting on my bed, I decide to start out light, at one hundred and fifty pounds, then work my way up to the heavier ones.

While I do, I make sure to keep an ear out for the front door. Mom’s already home, so the only people that would be coming back would be Dad or Izuku. Unfortunately, that still leaves me with my thoughts.

What am I going to say to him? ‘Sorry for making your life hell for ten years and being a shitty sister, I hope we can get along now’? Yeah… no. Maybe? He’s never been one to hold a grudge, so maybe all it would take is an apology?

But that wouldn’t make up for all the abuse. Maybe I can convince Dad to pull some strings to get Izuku into UA? Despite how secretive he is about his job, I know that the people he talks about on the phone are people with influence. Hooray for the power of the internet. But no, that's just stupid since Izuku isn’t. Even if he can’t get into the heroics course, he’d easily be able to get into their general studies. Maybe even their support course, depending on the exam.

Is there… actually nothing I can do other than apologizing? The more I think about it, the more I realize that there’s really nothing I can do for Izuku that he can’t do for himself. And even then, why would he want me to do something for him when he could ask Todoroki to do it instead?

It’s pretty obvious that she likes him, after all. Well, obvious to everyone except him. And maybe her too. They’re both pretty socially dense. I wince at that last thought, the weight I’m lifting wobbling in the air. Refocusing on it, I see that I’ve already gotten to the five hundred weight, my usual one. Outlining different figures with it requires more focus, so instead of thinking more on my problem, I let my mind focus on my training.

I guess I can just ask him what he wants me to do to make it up to him later.

(Toshinori POV)

Closing the door to my home, I sigh, thinking back to what happened earlier on the rooftop. Maybe I should have phrased it differently. But I don’t want to see him ending up like me. Seeing Izumi rushing out of the hallway, I let out a sad smile. Neither of them.

Opening my arms to receive a tackle hug, I’m taken by surprise when she instead stops with a disappointed look on her face. “Oh, it’s just you.”

Hearing that, I cough up blood in surprise! Slumping my shoulders, I mutter. “Oh, yeah. It’s just me. Your dad. That you haven’t seen all day. Who wants to see me? Maybe Inko? She’ll probably be disappointed too.”

Izumi rolls her eyes at my act. “Come on Dad, you know that’s not what I meant.” She sighs. “I was just hoping that it was De- Izuku coming home.”

She says Izuku’s name with a determined expression, confusing me. Why does she look so determined? And what was she going to say before she changed it to his name? A nickname? Wait, does Izuku even have a nickname? But before I can continue that chain of thought, and why it’s bothering me for some reason, I realize something.

“Wait a minute. Izumi, why didn’t Izuku come home with you?” Don’t they always come back home together?

She blinks at me in surprise. “What are you talking about? We never come home together.” She looks away for a moment. “We… have different friends.”

I blink before sighing. “Oh, well… Izuku might be a while. Something… happened.”

Seeing the concern in her eyes, I rush to reassure her. “Don’t worry, it was nothing major! But we did end up having a talk, and he needs some time to himself.” I sigh again. “Maybe… don’t push him for the next day or two. He took it pretty hard.”

I can see her concern intensify, making me smile for how she cares for her brother. I pat her head as I pass. “Don’t worry, with a supportive sister like you I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

I don’t see her flinch at my words, having already walked past her to greet my loving wife.

(Katsuki POV)

I stare up at the ceiling with my arms behind my head, wondering about what Izumi was so mad about earlier. So what if I told Deku to jump off the roof. It’s not like he’ll actually do it. It’s not like nobody else hasn’t said it to him before.

 Things like that being told to him are just a drop in the bucket for what everyone does to him. I scoff at the idea of him actually doing it. Obviously nobody likes Deku, which means that everyone picks on him.

I scowl as a girl with a split hair color appears in my mind. She’s the only one who hangs out around that Deku. He’s also the only one who hangs out around her , but for a different reason. Unlike Deku, people have tried to be her friend. Given the fact that she has a powerful quirk, as well as being the daughter of the number two hero, obviously people would be climbing over themselves to get close to her.

Well, other than me and Izumi. We’re good enough to make it as heroes on our own. We don’t need to leech off of someone stronger than us like those extras. I smirk, holding a hand in front of me and letting off a small explosion. Not that there is someone stronger. Sure, Izumi and Icy-Hot have strong quirks, but mine is stronger. Especially since that icy bitch doesn’t use her fire.

As for Izumi… I frown before shrugging. She might be able to match my quirk’s versatility and power. But she’s too nice to bring out its full potential. But… I clench my fist. Even if she tries, she won’t surpass me. I’m the best, and everyone will know it.

Hearing the old hag screaming about dinner being ready, I get up and head down.

Especially that shitty Deku.

(Shoko POV)

I frown at my phone, ‘unread’ glowing on the screen. It’s odd. Usually Izuku would answer within a few minutes. If he’s busy, an hour at the most. But it’s already Saturday, and he hasn’t even read it yet.

I can’t help but worry about it, even as I wince while grabbing a drink from the cupboard, having stretched too far and agitated my bruise. Did Izumi and Bakugou break his phone?

If they did, I could probably convince my father to get him a new one. Ever since Izuku and I had that talk at the ice cream parlor, I’ve been learning to use my fire. It’s difficult, not physically but emotionally. However, I’ve definitely made good progress. Much to my father’s satisfaction.

Another thing that’s been making progress is my training with him. After I started using my fire side, he’s been going a bit easier on our spars. Not a lot, but enough for me to notice. It’s like he… cares about me. Not as his tool to surpass All Might, but as his daughter.

It’s a… weird feeling, but now I can see what Izuku meant back then about him caring.

“Shoko! Stop daydreaming. If you have time for that you have time to improve yourself!”

At least sometimes. As I drink from my can of Pepsi (look at my hair and tell me I wouldn’t like it), I can’t help but glance back at my phone. Something my father notices.

“Why do you keep looking at your phone? Are you waiting for a text from someone?” He pauses for a moment before continuing, a low growl in his voice. “Is it a boy? Are you dating someone?”

Imperceptibley, I blush. It’s actually pretty difficult for someone to notice, since I can use my quirk to regulate my body temperature. Even without fully summoning it.

Izuku helped me figure that out.

“It’s just a friend. The one I train with sometimes.” He gives me a suspicious look, but grudgingly nods.

“You always come back from those with a great deal of determination to train. And they are the one who managed to get you to begin using your flames, correct?” I nod and he continues. “I would still like to talk to them. Thanks to them, you are much closer to surpassing All Might!”

I roll my eyes. He’s still spouting that, but there’s something different about it now. Maybe it’s his tone. Or maybe there’s less… intensity? in it. Either way, my training isn’t as bad as before, and injuries that require me to stay home are now mostly by accident. I’m fairly certain.

As I throw away the can and head for the door, I hear my father speak up, clear hesitance in his voice. “Are you going to visit… her again?” I nod, not looking back. I open the door and wait a moment, wondering if he’ll say more.

But he doesn’t, instead I leave the house in silence, pondering if I should head to Izuku’s house to check on him. But he doesn’t want me to go to his house. He says I’d probably kill his family, and he doesn’t want me to go to jail.

It’s sweet, but paranoid. But I’ll put that on the backburner. I can always talk to him on Monday, after all. For now though, I have someone else to see.

Walking through the sterilized walls of the hospital, I can’t help but grow nervous. Sure, it’s not the first time, but that doesn’t change my feelings every time I come here. Standing in front of the door, I take a deep breath and open it.

Inside, I see a beautiful woman with long white hair and bags under her eyes from sleeplessness. But that doesn’t really matter to me. What matters…

“Hello, Mom.” Is that she’s my mother.

(3rd POV)

The weekend passes by without incident, everyone with their own thoughts. Todoroki is worried about the fact that Izuku hasn’t read her text. Izumi and Toshinori are realizing how normal it is that they don’t see Izuku around the house. Something Izumi feels guilty about, and Toshinori feels confused about.

In opposition to these three, Bakugou and Inko continue as usual, unaware of anything wrong. But that’s when Monday rolls around, and roll is called for the first class of the day. Shoko noticed of course, but she hoped that he would have come in at the last minute like he does sometimes. After all, despite all the abuse he’s suffered, he’s never been late for school. So when the teacher calls his name, everyone is surprised when he doesn’t burst into the room, out of breath from rushing in.

Instead, Shoko stands, her chair falling backward from the force. She marches to Izumi’s desk and glares down at her, ice frosting one side of her uniform while flames flicker in her hair. Izumi shivers, the coldness in Shoko’s eyes terrifying her. Her voice rings out through the silent classroom.

“Where. Is. Izuku.”

‘~’

“...”

No one says anything as they watch Izumi knocking on Midori’s door, for they already know she’s too late to make amends. But for one of them, that prompts a question.

“Pardon me, Mr. Soahc.” Nezu raises a paw. “But did you not say that Izuku is a focal point for change during our time period? If that is true, then would he not have survived in this universe?”

The students and teachers brighten up at this, their hope restored. Only to burn once again at the deity’s words. “The death of an individual can bring change just as much as life. Isn’t that what Tomura Shigaraki hopes to achieve by killing All Might?”

Everyone looks at the man in question, who looks startled at suddenly being the center of attention. But instead of him proclaiming some kind of goal that killing All Might will achieve, he simply shrugs.

“Why should I tell a bunch of heroes what I want to achieve.” He focuses on the screen, obviously ignoring them. Instead they turn back to the screen themselves, where they see Hypo talking to his daughter.

“Izuku might be a while. Something… happened.”

“Yeah, you crushed his dream and drove him to suicide you skeleton-looking motherfucker!”

“Ashido! Language!”

“He totally deserves it though! Not only does he neglect his son for ten years, but then he crushes his dreams the first time they have a real conversation! To quote Bakugou, ‘DIE!’” She throws a bag of popcorn at the screen, causing All Might to wince. Sure, he can agree that his on-screen counterpart is pretty bad, but that’s still technically him up there.

“Wait, where'd you get popcorn from?”Uraraka asks, prompting Mina to look at her.

“Oh, I said that this show could use some popcorn, then a bag of it just appeared. I also got a drink like that! Something called ‘apple blood’. It’s pretty good.”

Blinking in surprise, everyone else except Nezu asks for their favorite drink, and it appears! Though Toga’s blood gets substituted for apple blood, though in a different container than Mina’s. Glaring at it, she gives it a try and finds that it has the same texture of blood while being a bit sweeter, causing her to nod in satisfaction.

The clip moves to show Bakubitch, laying in bed while staring at his hands. It doesn’t focus on him for long, and he doesn’t do anything while it does. Instead, one of his thoughts simply shows on the screen.

“I’m the best, and everyone will know it. Especially that shitty Deku.”

“I don’t think dead people know anything.” Todoroki deadpans, though the others can’t tell if he’s being serious or not given his unchanging expression.

“OBVIOUSLY I KNOW THAT, ICY-HOT!”

“It’s a manly thought, mostly, but since he knows Todoroki, shouldn’t he be a little more humble?”

“HUH!? I WOULDN’T LOSE TO ICY-HOT!” Before he can continue screaming, Aizawa wraps him up with his scarf, still sitting down.

“Good. I wasn’t sure that would work. Anyways, you’re going on time out for a while.”

The screen changes to Shoko getting a drink, though her wince doesn’t go unnoticed. None of her thoughts play across the scene, though Todoroki does stiffen up when his father appears, shouting about how Shoko should be training, and will surely surpass All Might now that she’s using her fire.

But his eyes widen when he sees her blush when they talk about Midori. So… Shoko likes him. He thinks on that for a moment, continuing the thought to its… next step? I wonder if that means I could like Midoriya? Am I even interested in guys? I don’t think I’ve been interested in either gender before. Maybe I’ll look up signs when we get back.

Oblivious to Todoroki’s possible awakening, the others simply watch as Endeavor expresses his desire to meet Midori, causing a few tears to be shed. But his next words not only pull Todoroki from his thoughts, but confuse everyone else.

“Are you going to visit… her again?”

“Who’s he talking about? Do you know, Todoroki?”

He thinks on Uraraka’s question for a moment and quickly arrives at one person his father could mean, but he shakes his head, having a hard time believing it.

“Let's just watch. We’ll probably know soon anyways.”

So they do. They watch as Shoko leaves the house. They watch as she walks into a hospital. They watch as she opens the door. They watch, and they see…

“Hello, Mom.”

Her mother.

They look at Todoroki, and he nods. “My mother is in the same place as Shoko’s. But I’m not talking about it.”

Respecting his space, they just watch as a calendar appears on the screen, Monday being circled. Then it moves to the classroom, with one seat notably empty.

“Wait a minute,” Tsukauchi says. “Has no one realized that he’s been missing all weekend?”

His question is answered soon enough when Shoko marches over to Izumi.

“Where. Is. Izuku.”

Chapter 15: The Search

Summary:

The hunt for Izuku begins~.

(Detective Tsukauchi POV)

I rub the bridge of my nose, trying to get rid of the headache I’ve developed over the course of the day. First, I get a call from the chief of police telling me to look into a missing teen. Nothing new, except for the fact that he’s asking me specifically to look into it. Then he tells me that it’s the number two hero, Endeavor, asking for it. Though the way the chief said it, it was more like he demanded they put their best detective on the case.

To my surprise, it’s a boy whose name is Izuku Yagi. Yagi. The same surname as Toshinori Yagi. Publicly known as All Might. And also holding the title of ‘Symbol of Peace’. Now, Yagi isn’t exactly a common surname, but I feel safe in saying that they aren’t connected. Toshinori hasn’t even mentioned having a son, only a talented daughter named Izumi!

But an hour later I get a call from Toshinori telling me that his son has gone missing, prompting me to ask what I feel is a pertinent question. “First of all, why haven’t you ever mentioned that you have a son? And more importantly, how did Endeavor find out that your son was missing before you did?”

There’s silence over the phone for a few seconds, I assume because he’s shocked. But to my surprise, he actually has an answer! “I didn’t find out until Izumi came home from school and told me. I’m assuming that Endeavor’s daughter told him about Izuku missing as well, though I’m not sure why he would want to know where my son is.”

I sigh. “Well, regardless of the reasons, the chief has ordered me to make sure Endeavor is the first to hear about any leads on the case. Apparently he threatened to burn down the station if he didn’t.”

More silence. Odd. Shouldn’t he show more… I don’t know, outrage at how Endeavor wants to know where his son is before him?

Eventually I hear a sigh. “Ok… Just make sure you tell me as soon as possible as well, ok Naomasa?”

Now it’s my turn to be silent. There’s something… off about what I just heard. But I’m not going to address it right now. Instead, I’m going to get to work on finding the kid. Starting with finding out when he was last seen.

“You don’t know when he was last seen by any chance, do you?” I say it half jokingly. After all, if he already has an idea of where he might be, surely he’d already be there.

But I’m surprised again. “It was in Musutafu on Friday, on top of one of the office buildings. He grabbed hold of me just as I jumped after saving him from a villain, and we landed on one of the rooftops, though I’m not sure which. He… found out that I’m All Might, and we had a talk. He needed to get his thoughts in order, and I had to deliver the villain to the police.”

Wow. There’s… a lot to talk about in what he just said. “So… you’re telling me that your kids don’t know that you’re All Might, but your son found out right after being attacked by a villain. I’m assuming this is the first time he’s been attacked since you’ve never mentioned either of them being attacked before.”

I wait for a moment, and he doesn’t mention any other attacks, so I continue. “So, after a traumatizing experience requiring three days of mandatory, nationally sponsored therapy to ensure they can cope with the stress of suddenly being attacked, he found out the world shattering revelation that you, his father, is All Might.”

“And then you decided it was a good idea to leave him on a random rooftop after flying through the air- another first I’m assuming- which would be traumatizing if the person in question wasn’t prepared for it.”

I wait for a moment to give him a moment to speak up, but he remains silent. “Did I sum it up pretty well?”

“...Yes. You did.” The shame in his voice is obvious, but I just can’t feel any sense of pity for the man.

“You are aware that, even if the person attacked wasn’t your son, you would still need to take them to the police station so they can get their testimony, right?”

“...Yes.”

I sigh. I admire the man, I really do. It’s not easy being a symbol for an entire nation. But sometimes, especially times like this, I can’t help but think that he’s an idiot. “Are you at least searching for him yourself? It’s not late, so you should have no problem covering a large area in your buff form.”

His voice gets a bit of confidence back in it. “I am. I’m searching from the skies, but I need to ration my time just in case he’s in trouble.”

I hold back the urge to run my palm down my face. Obviously the kid is in trouble. If he wasn’t he likely would have been home by now. Unless he ran away. But Toshinori is a good person, and I doubt that he would give his kids a reason to run away. But then again, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of his son…

Just to cover my bases: “Toshinori, before I go. Is there any chance that he could have… run away?”

“What!? Of course not! Why would he have run away? He…” He trails off, as if something came to mind. I wait with bated breath for him to continue. Any kind of hint would be helpful. Especially this late in starting the search.

“He… might have. But I do not believe that is the case. If it was, either me, my wife, or my daughter would have seen him come home to get his things.”

I sigh. “Still though, we can’t rule out the possibility. Which would make this all the more difficult. Finding someone who doesn’t want to be found is a whole other problem than finding a lost kid. I’ll call if we find any leads.”

“Thank you, Naomasa. I’LL GET BACK TO SEARCHING AS WELL! I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON! ”

I hang up, a pensive look on my face as I stare at my phone. Sighing, I dial the number the chief gave me. It barely gets to the first ring before it’s answered. “Hello, is this Endeavor? We haven’t found him yet, but we do have a location for where he was last seen.”

(Endeavor POV)

“Thank you for the information. Keep me informed.” I hang up with the detective assigned to the case and look at my daughter, who’s been hovering nearby ever since she arrived home. The question is clear in her eyes, but I shake my head.

“They haven’t found him. But they do know that he was in the office district of Musutafu.”

She simply looks at me for a moment before her eyes fill with determination and she heads to the door. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

I follow her with only a shake of my head, having already alerted the family’s driver to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. While we wait in the car, I can’t help but think on how things ended up like this.

Shoko had called me from school, the first time I’ve ever gotten a call from her since I bought her that phone. I immediately assumed that it was something serious, and I was right. Her voice was filled with desperation, the most expressive it’s ever been. The only time I’ve ever heard such emotion coming from her was after the… incident… with my wife that ended with her institutionalized.

It pulled at my heart, another thing that hasn’t happened in a long time, and I immediately began calling in favors to start a search. She came home immediately after the call. Apparently she confronted the boy’s sister and a bully about his whereabouts. It almost came to blows before their principal made an announcement saying the school day had been canceled.

And now, only an hour later, we’re heading to Musutafu to search for him ourselves. She showed me a picture she took of the two of them so that I could recognize the boy, and I couldn’t help but stare at it in surprise.

In it, Shoko was… smiling. It’s a small smile, but immensely noticeable due to how happy it is. It was an effort to look away from her and focus on the boy, but the sight made me wince.

His own smile was so bright that it felt like I got the sun’s glare in my eyes for a second. But pushing that aside, the boy is thin, around Shoko’s height, and has a head of dark green hair. There’s a set of four freckles under each of his eyes in the shape of a diamond His eyes are a bright green that contrasts with his darker hair.

As the car pulls to a stop, I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I’ll have time to ponder about my family later. For now, we search.

 

It’s hours later without any luck that we get a call. Immediately answering, I wait for news as Shoko hovers around my shoulder. “Hello, is this Endeavor?”

“Yes. You have news?” I get right to the point. The sooner we find him, the sooner the desperation in my daughter’s eyes goes away. It makes me… uneasy, seeing so much emotion in her eyes.

“Possibly. We just got a call from a famous local pharmacy. Apparently Izuku Yagi visits there every Monday at around the same time. Since he didn’t show up today, they were concerned and called in.”

“Give me the address.”

Twenty minutes later, we’re standing outside a traditional medicine shop. Entering, I see a twenty-something man behind the counter whose eyes widen at the sight of me. I know I can be intimidating, it’s on purpose so that I can strike fear into the hearts of villains. But it does make it difficult when trying to simply speak to people.

“We’re here because you called about Izuku Yagi missing his pick up? We’re currently investigating his disappearance, so any information you can offer would be helpful.

He hesitates for a moment before his eyes flicker over to my daughter. A look of recognition seems to cross his face, making me frown. As far as I know, Shoko has never been to this area before. So how would he recognize her?

That question is answered when he speaks. “You’re Izuku’s friend, Todoroki, right?” She blinks at him in surprise but nods all the same, causing him to let out an uneasy smile. “I thought so. Whenever I manage to get him to talk, half of the time it’s about you. The other half it’s about heroes and quirks.”

She chuckles at that, and I feel myself stiffen. So that’s what her laugh sounds like.

But I have no time to be overcome by the realization, as the clerk continues with a downcast expression. “You said he’s disappeared? I was hoping that it wasn’t anything serious…” He sighs. “But if it wasn’t he would have shown up for his pick up.”

“What exactly does he pick up from here? I find it difficult to believe that a child would need anything major from a store specializing in healing medicine.”

He chuckles darkly. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But no, every week he shows up and gets the same exact thing. Bandages, burn ointment, and antiseptic.” He shakes his head. “The amount he buys would last a normal person at least a month. I mean, most people don’t get all that injured going about their day, right? But he'll go through everything in a week, then show up in just as bad a condition as before.”

“Condition?” I can’t help but be surprised by this. But the one who answers isn’t the clerk, but Shoko.

“He gets bullied for being quirkless. The school also doesn’t punish students for using their quirks, so that adds another level of torment for him.” Her eyes are hard. “They don’t do anything when I’m there, but when I’m not it’s basically a free-for-all against him.”

The clerk winces while I stare at Shoko in surprise. A quirkless boy is who Shoko has been training with? The one who convinced her to stop holding back? That's…

I don’t know how to feel about that, but I push it aside for now. “Do you have any information on where he could be? As of now, all we know is that he was last seen in Musutafu.”

He hesitates for a moment before slowly pulling out a three pointed leaf. I don’t recognize the type, but anyone would be able to say what’s notable about it. The left point is glowing a dull red.

“My girlfriend’s quirk made this leaf. If she taps something, she can make a leaf that will tell you where it’s at. It won’t give you directions, not exactly. But it will tell you which way it is.” He rotates the leaf until the center point glows red while the left fades away.

“If the middle point is glowing, that means you just have to go straight to find the object. I had her make this one for the kid’s backpack after he almost missed his check-in time.” He looks down. “I… I know we aren’t supposed to use our quirks without a license, but I was just so worried about the kid.”

I place a hand on his shoulder, much to his and my daughter’s surprise. “Don’t worry about it. In this case, you’ve greatly helped us. Just remember not to do it again in the future. We won’t let it slide again.”

He nods, handing over the leaf. As we follow its directions, I’m acutely aware of Shoko’s gaze on me. I choose to ignore it until she’s ready to talk about it.

“That was… kind of you. I didn’t expect that from you.”

I feel a vein throb on my forehead. I speak to her through gritted teeth. “Finding your friend is more important than arresting a concerned citizen. Especially given that his actions are helping us find him.”

She nods. “I agree. But it’s just surprising when it comes from you.”

I don’t answer, and we continue following the leaf in silence. Eventually we enter a series of alleys, and after establishing a baseline, we head towards where the leaf is leading us. There we find a bright yellow backpack, now covered in dust.

“That’s his backpack.” Shoko says, more to herself than to me. She approaches it slowly before suddenly stopping.

Stepping up beside her, I see what has her so shocked. Not far away from the abandoned backpack is a large, red stain on the ground. The strong smell of iron leaves no doubt as to what it is.

Blood.

`~`

To Detective Tsukauchi’s surprise, he appears on the screen. “Huh. It’s focusing on me?” He thinks on it for a moment. “I guess that makes sense, since All Might would want me to help him find his kid.”

He sighs. “Too bad that version of me is going to have to deliver him bad news.” But to everyone’s surprise, a flashback plays of Endeavor, of all people, telling the chief of police to ensure that he’s the first notified of any progress on the case.

Todoroki frowns as his brows turn down in confusion. “Since when is my father someone who cares about other people?”

Unseen, Aizawa pulls out a notebook labeled: ‘Therapy priorities’. Inside is a list of his students with marks next to their names, denoting who he thinks should take priority on visiting Hound Dog. After jotting down a mark next to Todoroki’s name, he looks at the top where Midoriya’s name is circled and underlined multiple times. Putting it away, he resumes watching.

{Hypo bashing courtesy of on-screen Tsukauchi.}

“All in favor of the detective’s name being Preacher, say preach!” A chorus of ‘preach’ fills the air as All Might hunches down in his seat. Other than the parts pertaining to Midori being his son, everything played out the same, after all. He really should put more effort into the administrative side of hero work. But… it involves a lot of paperwork.

The scene shifts to show Endeavor on the phone, listening as he’s told that the office district of Musutafu is where Midori was last seen. He and Shoko swiftly leave their house and enter a car that had been waiting for them. While they wait, a flashback of how they got here plays.

“The fact that he’s searching for Midori so Shoko doesn’t worry is so manly!”

Todoroki rolls his eyes at Kirishima’s shout. “He probably just doesn’t want her to be distracted from his training.”

“Even if that’s true, he’s still helping her look for him! That counts for something!” He can’t argue with that, so he doesn’t. Instead remaining silent.

A speeded up montage of the two of them searching the city for any sign of the girl’s friend plays, all fruitless. It ends with Endeavor receiving a phone call, then cuts to them outside of the pharmacy Midori frequented.

“Ooh, the clerk is back! I wonder how he’ll react knowing that Midori’s missing? He has a lot of drugs… Maybe he’ll use ‘em on his bullies?”

“That would be illegal.”

Toga gives Aizawa a confused look. “So?”

He just sighs.

After talking with the clerk for a bit he gives the two of them a leaf, explaining that it’s the result of a quirk and will lead them to Midori’s backpack.

Nezu sips his tea. “It is quite refreshing seeing Endeavor being reasonable. In our world, he likely would have handcuffed the man to the counter and called the police.”

“Anyone else finding it adorable that Midori apparently talked a bunch about Shoko?” There are various head nods, and a pouty Uraraka glaring at Todoroki.

The screen fast forwards the two following the leaf, occasionally running into trouble when they can’t follow it without doing a sizable detour. In those cases, Endeavor, being the impatient man he is, simply holds onto Shoko and flies them over the obstruction.

“Flying is so manly!”

“I CAN FLY JUST AS WELL AS ENDEAVOR! DON’T THINK IT MAKES HIM SPECIAL!”

“Wait, you can? Then why didn’t you do it at the USJ?” Uraraka questions the angry pomeranian.

He scowls back at her. “I did! I just didn’t go high because there wasn’t a reason to! Didn’t you think it was odd how I managed to catch that smokey bastard without touching the ground!?”

She puts her hands together and tilts her head in apology. “Umm, I was too busy watching Deku. Sorry?”

“DAMN IT DEKU!”

“Quiet.”

The father and daughter walk down an alley and find an iconic yellow backpack lying abandoned on the ground. When they approach it, they see beyond. A large stain of dried blood covers the alley floor, the splatter reaching up to their height on the walls.

There’s silence in the theater. The one’s who’d held on to the faint hope that someone saved Midori before he hit the ground are thrown into a state of shock at seeing the truth laid bare before them. All except for Toga that is.

“OMG OMG OMG!!! LOOK AT ALL THAT BLOOD! IT’S SO PRETTY!”

Notes:

Reactions are delayed until ch 20, since someone pointed out that they were kind of like a recap.

Chapter 16: The Storm

Summary:

The calm is over, now the storm begins.

(Todoroki POV)

I stare at the blood covering the alleyway. Then I stare at Izuku’s backpack, lying not far from it.

Back to the blood.

Back to the backpack.

Dimly, I hear my father saying something. But it seems… so far away. I take one step. Then another. Before I realize it, I’m standing over the backpack. Reaching down, I pick it up by its top strap. I raise it to eye level and… just look at it as it slowly rotates in my grip. That’s when I see the paper folded into the side pocket.

My old man’s voice is getting louder, getting closer. But my attention is fully on the piece of paper I’m pulling out. I lower the backpack as I unfold it and start to read.

* To whoever finds this- because the only person who would care wouldn’t casually be wandering back alleys- please take this backpack to the Todoroki residence, and inform them that it’s for their youngest daughter, Shoko Todoroki. Inside is a notebook with a message for her. Then after you hand it off, run away as fast as you can. She’s… not good at processing her emotions and might lash out at you. Oh, but don’t tell her I wrote that! It might upset her a bit.*

I can feel my eyebrow twitch at his comment about my emotions, but… I can’t really say that he’s wrong. But at the moment I’m not feeling much of anything to process. Mainly, I’m just numb. I only realize that I froze when I feel my father’s hand on my shoulder.

“SHOKO! You haven’t been responding. I called the detective and informed him of what we found. He’s on his way with forensics.” He looks at the blood splattered alleyway. “There… isn’t likely to be good news when they get here. But there’s a chance given there’s not a body.”

I nod absentmindedly, carefully folding the paper back up before handing it to him to hold and he instinctively takes it. With my now free hand, I reach towards the zipper, only for him to grab my wrist. “You shouldn’t disturb the scene more than you already have. Everything here could be a lead to your friend’s location.”

I look at him blankly for a moment. Then I look at his hand holding my right wrist. A quick flex with my quirk has him pulling his hand away to avoid the bracelet of ice spikes now wrapped around it. Ignoring his protests, I unzip the backpack and pull out the notebook.

Dropping the backpack from my left hand, I bring it to my wrist to melt the bracelet as I stare at the cover. I recognize it. It’s one of Izuku’s Analysis books. But on this one… the title has been scribbled out. Instead, it reads ‘I’m sorry, Shoko’.

My father is saying something, but all I can hear from him is some kind of buzzing sound. I rub my ear to see if I can clear it up, but it doesn’t work. Giving up, I lightly trail my fingers down the cover, feeling a bump from something inside of it.

I let it fall open in my hands, right to a pair of pages holding a folded piece of paper… and All Might’s signature. I stare at it for a moment, my thoughts silent. I know that Izuku is a major All Might fan, but he never mentioned getting his autograph. Which means that he got it just before… whatever happened.

I flip to the next page, and my breathing hitches. It’s… a note. Addressed to me. I read it, and my previously dulled emotions start to flare up. Sadness… Horror… Rage.

I look up at my father, and he flinches back at the unfiltered maelstrom of emotions swirling in my eyes. “Father,” I say with a voice of barely restrained fury. “You want me to surpass All Might. Right?”

Taken aback by the sudden question, he simply nods his head. A smile crosses my face, a twisted thing that would cause a shiver to crawl down the spines of those who see it. “Then let's go to Izuku’s house. Just have the detective make sure the Yagis are there. Oh, and the Bakugous as well.”

(Aizawa POV)

Detective Naomasa sits in the living room with his friend Toshinori Yagi, along with his wife and daughter. On the couch sits the Bakugous, who are absorbing the information he’s given to both families.

Given the news he just delivered is about Endeavor finding their son’s backpack in a bloodied alley, the atmosphere is understandably tense. Especially since he asked to meet with both families at the Yagi residence. But I’m assuming what has him taking medicine to settle his stomach is the fact he asked for me to be present as well.

It’s no secret that neither Endeavor nor I enjoy each other’s presence. In fact, we loathe each other. Endeavor because he thinks of me as cowardly for focusing on stealth, and me because I think the number two hero is a glory-seeking idiot.

So the fact he specifically asked for me to be present at the meeting raises some major red flags. There are only two reasons I can think of for me to be here. Either he needs to use my contacts… or he thinks he’ll need my quirk.

But the sound of a knock at the front door signals that we’ll all find out soon enough. Inko Yagi rushes to answer it, and Toshinori sits back down and fidgets with his hands. But when she returns, it’s not just Endeavor with her. A girl with red and white hair split down the middle is with her as well. But before I can question why she’s there, she raises her arms and alarm bells ring in my head.

I immediately activate my quirk, but in the split-second between activating it and it affecting her, flames have already shot from her left hand towards Toshinori Yagi, and an icicle shoots from her right towards the Bakugou kid.

Though the kid is surprised, he manages to bring a hand up and lets out an explosion from his palm, destroying the icicle. As for Toshinori…

A rush of wind bursts through the room, throwing off the end of my scarf that I threw towards the girl. Looking towards the source, I see… All Might?

Where Toshinori was sitting, now stands All Might, his hands clapped together in front of him from dispersing the flames. Judging by the looks of shock on the faces of his daughter and the Bakugous, I can guess that this is news for them as well. A glance reveals Endeavor being in the same boat, but the girl isn’t?

Relaunching my scarf, I restrain her, with my quirk keeping her from trying to burn or freeze it to escape. “Explain. Now.” I look at Endeavor for answers, who manages to shake off his shock and in turn looks at the girl.

“Shoko, why did you attack them?” Simple and to the point. I can appreciate that.

“I wanted to check if Izuku was tricked.” She frowns at All Might, derision clear in her voice. “Looks like he wasn’t.”

In a puff of smoke, All Might turns back into Toshinori, a shocked, angry but hopeful expression on his face. “Izuku told you that I’m All Might? So he’s ok?”

Her expression twists, but before she can reply his daughter jumps up from where she was sitting next to him. “Wait! Izuku knew you were All Might!? Why didn’t you tell me!?”

He looks away and opens his mouth, only to be cut off by Shoko. “Izuku only found out not long before he took Bakugou’s advice.”

There’s silence as the adults are clearly confused. But the kids… the kids’ expressions say a lot. The Yagi girl looks at the Bakugou kid with horror, matching his own. But it’s brief. He immediately sneers at the girl and crosses his arms.

“The hell are you talking about, Todoroki? There’s no way Deku did that!” Though the confidence in his voice is undeniable, so is the fact that before he crossed his arms, his hands were shaking.

Deku? I think. Maybe it’s a nickname for the missing kid. Not a very nice one. Examining the kids as the Yagi daughter’s hands clench into fists and the apparent Todoroki daughter glares at the Bakugou kid, I start to build a picture of their relationships.

For the first time, the Bakugou parents speak. “Katsuki,” his father says calmly. Judging by his wife still staring at Toshinori, it seems like she’s still processing the fact that he’s All Might. “What advice did you give Izuku?”

He just clicks his tongue and looks away. It’s a good thing the Todoroki girl hasn’t realized that I deactivated my quirk, or else the fire in her glare might have actually burned the boy. After a minute of useless coaxing, the Yagi daughter speaks up, causing a silence to fall over the room.

“Take a swan dive off the roof. And pray for a quirk in your next life.” Every adult in the room looks at her in horror while the boy looks at her in betrayal and rage. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can his father stands and whirls on him with a strong backhand, causing a meaty thud to reverberate.

He falls to the ground, his shocked expression mirrored on nearly every face in the room. The sole exception is his mother. If this wasn’t such a serious situation, I would have wanted to make some popcorn for what’s about to go down. Suicide baiting is never ok. Given I’ve experienced it myself, I would know.

But he doesn’t continue, instead the man looks at his wife while his son is too stunned to get off of the floor. “We will be talking about how we raise our son from now on when we get home.” She nods, anger in her eyes. He turns around and bows at all of us. “I apologize for losing my temper. Please, let us continue.”

Tsukauchi nods, refraining from commenting on what just happened as he looks towards the Todoroki girl. “Please explain why you think this is a case of suicide.”

She shifts her glare from the boy to the detective but nods. She gestures to my scarf with her chin, and I carefully unwrap it, ready to erase her quirk the moment it seems like she’ll attack. Luckily she doesn’t, instead pulling out a notebook and putting it on the coffee table. I see the Yagi and Bakugou kids’ eyes flash with recognition, but the others stare at it blankly.

“After All Might’s signature,” she glares at him, “is his suicide note. How about you read it out loud? I need to get what he left for me.”

And without another word she goes towards the hallway. I raise a hand to stop her, but Tsukauchi shakes his head as he rises. “I’ll keep an eye on her. You read it, and I’ll be back in a moment after asking some questions.”

I nod and pick it up. The title has been scribbled out and replaced with an apology. Opening it, I flip through the pages as my eyes widen. It’s filled with notes on various heroes. Their quirks, their strengths, their weaknesses, their patrol areas. It’s all written down in this middle schooler’s notebook.

“This is dangerous.” I mutter.

“Indeed.” A small voice says as their head pops out of my scarf. At this point I think the surprises are getting to everyone, since the only ones to bat an eye at the scarred rat face that’s appeared are Toshinori and Mrs. Midoriya.

“P-principal Nezu!? What are you doing here!?”

Climbing out and revealing that he’s wearing a suit, his reply is logical. “This is a situation involving both the number one and two heroes, so of course I would desire to be on top of any developments. Not to mention that each child involved has applied to my school.”

The girl jolts as if electrocuted, and the boy finally shoots up from the floor. “”You’re the principal of UA!”

“Indeed.” He raises a paw. “Am I a rat? A bear? A dog? Who knows! Just know that I am the Principal of UA, Nezu!” He turns to me. “Now, Aizawa. Please skip ahead to the section of the book that will reveal what we all wish to know.”

Nodding, I stop getting distracted by the analysis and quickly speed through the pages. Finally coming to All Might’s signature I cringe at how ostentatious it is. One more page and I’m at the suicide note. Deciding to take the girl’s advice, I read it out loud for all to hear.

*Shoko. I’m sorry. I wish this never would have happened. But… it has. I know that you’ve helped me…trained me….supported me. But the words of my father, the number one hero, All Might, can’t be dismissed. Heh… it’s funny. But what he said to me today is actually the first time he’s acknowledged me in… I can’t even remember. And I find out that he’s the Symbol of Peace. It’s… just too bad what he answered me with.

If it had been anyone else, then maybe I would have chosen differently. But the Symbol of Peace knows what it takes to be a hero better than anyone! Which is why, when he told me that I don’t have what it takes… I believe it. There were only two things holding me up, two pillars that supported me. You… and my belief that I could become a hero. But with one of those pillars shattered… I’m sorry.

He told me to be realistic. And I’ve done the research before today. Realistically, a quirkless person won’t be able to find employment… anywhere. Every article I’ve read about the quirkless can be summed up into a single phrase.

They have no place in today’s society.

So. I’ve decided to listen to someone for once. I’ll be realistic, and take Kachan’s advice.

I’ll pray for a quirk in my next life.

Please Shoko… don’t blame yourself. You are the light that’s been guiding my way ever since we met. The only one who’s been there for me ever since I was diagnosed as quirkless. The fact that you decided to be friends with me… a quirkless Deku … thank you. But now it’s time for me to go. To be realistic.

Me being around- being your friend- will only hurt you. People will look down on you for our friendship. For letting a Deku into your life. You wouldn’t care. You’re too strong to let their small-mindedness affect you.

But I want you to reach your goal. To become a hero who truly stands for everyone. And… to help you, I need to be realistic.

I know you told me you didn’t need it… but I made a notebook for you. I was planning for it to be a surprise on your birthday, but… They’ll be under my mattress at my house. I’m sorry that you have to go there, but please don’t kill the Yagis. They might not be my family- even if we are connected by blood- but I don’t want you to hurt your future hero career.

Heh. Look at me. Even now, I’m still rambling. I’m sorry Shoko.

And… thank you, for being the frozen torch that brought a warm light into my life.

But now it’s time for you to be everyone else’s light. Achieve your goal.

For the both of us.*

There’s… a lot to digest from that. The fact that it’s supposedly the only time he’s talked to his father is concerning enough. But the fact that he felt like the Symbol of Peace destroyed one of his emotional supports is…

There’s silence except for the faint voices of Tsukauchi and Shoko Todoroki from the boy’s room. Eventually, Nezu breaks it. “Toshinori.” He stiffens up at his tone. “What exactly did you tell your son?”

We all listen, our bodies tense as we wait to hear the words he said that put the nail in his son’s coffin. Tears flow from the eyes of the Bakugou parents, as well as the Yagi daughter. Toshinori looks like he’s aged a decade. But his wife… she’s acting like she feels guilty, but there’s no sadness on her face. Just guilt.

Toshinori finally answers, his voice no louder than a whisper. “I told him that he can’t be a hero without a quirk. And that he should… be realistic.” Sobs echo out from his daughter while the Bakugou parents close their eyes as fresh tears flow.

Before I can point out how absolutely fucking dumb his words are, the temperature drops, heralding the return of Shoko Todoroki. Apparently getting the notebooks worsened her mood, or maybe it was Tsukauchi likely questioning her, but an icy mist flows from the right side of her body and envelops the room.

Clutching three notebooks tightly to her chest, she glares at the Yagi family. Her voice is practically cold enough to freeze the air even without her quirk. “Which one of you went into his room and moved his notebooks.”

It’s not a question. It’s a demand for answers.

Chapter 17: The Punishment

Summary:

Punishment is decided. Concessions are made.

(Shoko POV)

I glare at the room filled with the bastards, frozen fury in my eyes as an icy mist floats off of my right side.. Not only did they drive Izuku to suicide, force him to live like that , and also snoop in his room, but they had the nerve to act like everything is normal!?

When I first attacked Toshinori- All Might - I just needed to see it for myself to believe it. Now? Now I’m so tempted to turn the remaining Yagis into a pile of ash. The mother doesn’t even look sad! Just uncomfortable!

And the biggest bastard, Katsuki Bakugou, doesn’t even have that . He just looks angry at everything going on. I know I didn’t expect much when I attacked him earlier, but it really is disappointing that he reacted so fast.

It wouldn’t have killed him or anything, but an ice spike to the shoulder definitely would have made me feel better. At least until I entered Izuku’s room. An issue that’s currently being exacerbated by the Yagis not saying anything.

A small flame appears on my left shoulder, contrasting with my right as my emotions rise. “Well?” I ask.

They exchange glances before the bitch daughter speaks up. “None… I don’t think any of us have gone into his room.” She shakes her head. “I always thought of it as being his safe space.”

My quirk flares even more at her explanation. That is considered a safe space!? Before I can tear into her- whether physically or verbally, I can’t tell anymore- Toshinori speaks up. “What do you mean a safe space? I could understand for when Katsuki is over, but why would he need it when he’s not here? And I’m sure one of us has entered his room at some point. Right, Honey?”

It’s at this moment that I come to a realization. Izuku’s note only mentioned Bakugou specifically. But as for Izumi? He only wrote about his family as a whole, there was no mention of her bullying him along with the blonde. Actually, there was no mention of the bullying at all. And apparently it didn’t come up while I was getting the notebooks either.

I glare at her, waiting for her to answer her father’s question. Waiting for her to reveal the truth . She looks away from her father, meeting my eyes and flinching away, looking at the ground instead. She peaks at the room, waiting for her to answer. She opens her mouth, hesitates, closes it, and opens it again. She starts to speak, but the Detective’s return stops her.

I sneer at the look of relief clear on her face. But the shock that replaces it when the Detective speaks almost has me smiling.

“Toshinori,” he says in a cold tone. “If you can’t explain to me why your son’s room is like that, then I’ll have no choice but to bring you down to the station, consequences be damned.”

The abject shock that appears on the face of everyone actually does make me smile. Then I get an idea. “Detective, I doubt that he’ll be able to tell you anything. At least, if Izumi’s words are true and nobody here has ever been in his room. So why don’t you show them all?”

My glare encompasses all of them as I speak. “It will also tell me which one of them decided to snoop in his room.”

He hesitates for a moment, but nods his head at the suggestion. Waving his head, everyone, not only the Yagis, rise to see his room. It makes for a cramped walk in the hallway, but me and my father have room due to nobody wanting to accidentally brush against either of our quirks. But the reactions I see when they reach his room are… upsetting. Like none of the Yagis have been inside it before. Which leaves me with the question.

Who put the notebooks on his desk?

(Nezu POV)

I have to admit, this trip started out as an idle curiosity, but has rapidly turned into a rather serious issue.

Toshinori Yagi- known to the world as All Might- neglected his quirkless son while favoring the boy’s twin sister. And then he caused him to take his own life.

The blame does not rest solely on his shoulders of course. But a great deal of it does. Much of the rest of it rests on the shoulders of the boy, Katsuki Bakugou, who applied to my school. Honestly, getting the three children’s applications was a delight! Izumi Yagi had been All Might’s recommendation, and I had no doubt that she would have gotten in without any trouble.

As for Bakugou, his records speak for themselves. A powerful quirk. A top tier intelligence as shown by his high grades, matching point for point with Yagi and Todoroki. And according to his records, a determined child who pushes ahead through any adversity. An overall stellar student!

Evidently, that was a lie.

Most of it I can still believe, but any notes on his character are clearly suspect. Though few of the others have picked up on it, I feel as though Yagi falls under the same category. She was not mentioned in her brother’s letter, but then again, why would he?

It is clear to me that the letter was intended purely for Todoroki. So why would he even bother mentioning anyone else? Even the boy was barely mentioned, only a passing thought to explain why he jumped. But things are rarely ever the fault of a single person, and I’ve been watching her closely.

But that is something for me to deal with soon. For now, I must convince the Detective not to arrest the Symbol of Peace. The repercussions when the knowledge gets to those who know of his identity would cause chaos in the government. And while I normally wouldn’t object to teaching those filthy humans a lesson in humility, they are also known to react badly when negatively surprised. So I must ensure he is not imprisoned.

But seeing Izuku Yagi’s room, I make myself a promise that he will be punished. The entire Yagi family will.

The walls are covered in a thick layer of dust, with only the spots hanging with All Might poster having been cleared. As if that was the only thing they cared about being clean. But even those are faded, clearly having been hung long ago. Other than the old mattress sized for someone much smaller than a middle schooler, the only thing is a desk with splinters peeling off of it. Honestly, it feels like the room at an orphanage of a child averse to cleaning.

If it wasn’t for the waste basket filled with bloodied bandages.

I step inside as the others look on with horror. For those who haven’t experienced many hardships, I’m sure that the state of the room shakes their already disturbed mental states. I also find it upsetting, but my own experience has hardened myself against such things.

My nose twitches as I follow a scent. Right to the closet. “Detective,” I ask without turning away. “Did you by chance look inside here?”

Hearing him reply in the negative, I pull it open and see four contraptions made of what looks like wood and rope. I tilt my head, wondering as to what they could be before my eyes alight on the labels on the floor.

“Left leg. Right leg. Left arm. Right arm.” I read them out loud, and after taking a closer look realize what they are.

They are splints. Commonly used to secure a broken limb and prevent it from being jostled while moving. But these are more compact, easily hidden under clothes. Normally they’d be altered depending on where exactly the break is, but these also seem to be modular.

I sigh. It truly is a shame.

Especially since I was looking forward to meeting the boy myself.

His application to UA had caused a small uproar with some of the teachers. The fact that he was listed as being at the top of his school academically was nothing of note, we get many applicants like that. But his own had been accompanied by several notes that could be split into two categories.

He was a horrible student that was always picking fights with others, and likely cheated to obtain his scores. Though they were unable to determine how and as such unable to dock his grade.

The other, much lower quantity of notes warned that his school attempted to artificially lower his grade due to his status as a quirkless individual, and that we should test him ourselves to verify how intelligent he was. They also claimed that he would be able to get the top score for our written test, which I took as a challenge and as such made the test much harder.

A shame that I will no longer be able to test the one the change was intended for.

I turn to the group, who’s since started glaring at the Yagis with accusing glares. But it’s Todoroki’s confused expression that I choose to address. “Is there a problem, young Todoroki?”

She hesitantly nods. “Izuku said that his notebooks would be hidden under his bed. But when I came to get them, they were on his desk. And his other ones were missing.”

Alarm bells ring in my head. “Are you saying that he had more notebooks along the veins of the one his suicide note was written?”

She grimaces at my callous phrasing, but nods all the same. “That one is number thirteen. The three he’d written for me aren’t included in that.” She looks down at the ones she’s been clutching since she returned from this room with a small smile. “He even filled one with costumes and possible hero names for me.”

I nod absentmindedly while meeting Aizawa’s eyes. I see that he understands as well. “If the Yagis haven’t entered this room before, then it means someone else did . And they now have a great deal of information on many active heroes.”

The pros and detective tense up, understanding the seriousness of the situation. But this provides me with a perfect opportunity!

“Detective, please contact the station and attempt to get your best tracker here as soon as possible. We need to find this person before villains get their hands on the information. If they haven’t already.”

He hesitates, looking at Toshinori with a conflicted gaze. “Do not worry, I will ensure that they are punished.”

Taking my word, he nods to me before rushing out, already dialing a number on his phone. Meanwhile, I look to Endeavor and Aizawa. “Would it be too much to ask for both of you to begin a search of the area?” Aizawa shakes his head while Endeavor crosses his arms.

“I have a feeling that you plan for me to be involved with the punishment somehow, so I’ll be staying to find out what it is.”

“And though I didn’t know the boy, he helped my daughter, so I would like to know the end result for this fiasco as well.”

I nod, surprised at Endeavor. We all return to the living room where I lay out the punishments. “Now,” I say with a clap of my hands. “All Might, your family’s punishment is the revoking of Izumi’s recommendation, as well as having your and your wife’s pay severely docked and being donated to organizations that provide aid to the quirkless.”

He looks like he wants to object, but at the mention of quirkless aid he falls silent. I can see his daughter gritting her teeth, but oh well~. This is simply a part of her own punishment~! I turn to the Bakugous.

“As for you,” I say to the boy, seeing him gulp. “From now until the end of the school year, you and Izumi will be attending therapy to work out the various issues the two of you have. Of which I am certain there are quite a number of them. If your therapists do not report adequate results to me, neither of you will be allowed to enter UA. In fact, I will blacklist both of you from all hero schools.”

“THAT’S TOO FAR, NEZU!” All Might enters his buff form to object, but I simply wave him off.

“I assure you that is far from enough, All Might. They should be happy about not being arrested! In fact, the only reason they are not is because I am positive that you would attempt to pull strings to get them off with a clean record.”

He nods as he powers down, a determined look in his eyes. “And the only reason I’m allowing them to apply to UA with such light conditions is because I worry about them becoming villains otherwise. At least at UA I’ll be able to keep an eye on them.”

I tap my chin. “Which reminds me! I hadn’t finished listing your punishments! In addition to the therapy, both of you will be required to perform mandatory community service a minimum of twenty-five hours a week. Aren’t I generous, leaving you time to study, train, and go to school!”

I don’t wait for a reply, hopping up Aizawa’s body and nestling into his scarf. “That concludes the first phase of punishment. Should the two of you get into UA, you will learn of the second. Until then, we must locate Izuku Yagi’s remaining notebooks.”

Chapter 18: Dead, but Alive

Summary:

Izuku died. So why is he still alive?

I wake up with a gasp, shooting into a sitting position… and startling the girl who was leaning over me?

“Oh! I’m so sorry about that! Are you ok!?” I try to get up in order to help her up from where she fell, but a bout of dizziness causes me to miss my footing and I fall on top of her! I push myself up, groaning in pain- huh. Actually, there isn’t any pain. Weird.

But I still groan, it’s sort of like a conditioned reflex given how being put in a similar situation before would cause me to do the same. The only difference now is that I… don’t actually hurt.

Unfortunately, the time I spend thinking about this is time that I haven’t finished pushing myself up.

“So…” The girl under me starts, grabbing my attention. “Not that I don’t appreciate the energetic greeting, but could you let me up?”

Realizing that I’m laying on top of her with our faces only inches apart, I blush and scramble backwards, banging my back against…

I tilt my head backwards and see a bloody kitchen table? I blink. Then blink again. I look down at myself and finally realize how I’m dressed. Or rather, how I’m not .

“Where are my clothes!?!?” I quickly cover myself, steam coming off of my face from how heavy my blush is.

Standing up, the girl brushes off her school uniform and looks at me with a tilted head. “I threw them away. I’d already gotten all the blood out of them, and it’s not like you needed them anymore since you were dead.”

A lightbulb seems to go off in her head as I process her words, barely hearing the next. “Speaking of- WHAT THE HELL!? YOU’VE BEEN DEAD FOR, LIKE, THE LAST DAY!! HOW ARE YOU ALIVE RIGHT NOW!?!?!?”

That is enough to break me out of my wondering on why she would get the blood out of clothes then dispose of them.

“Dead? I was dead?” I blink, memories of my final moments coming back to me.

“That’s right,” I mutter. “I jumped off of the roof headfirst. So why am I alive right now?” But like the memories of before I died, I slowly start to remember what happened after I died.

`~`

I’m in a dark room, extending as far as the eye can see. How can I see far if it’s dark? Well, it’s just the kind of feeling it gives off. I can’t actually see that far. In fact, the area immediately around me isn’t dark at all. Instead, it’s illuminated by a single light.

An old style lantern sits on a desk woven from bamboo. And behind it sits a dark haired woman in a business suit. She looks up from whatever it is she was writing when I appeared and quirks an eyebrow.

“This is unexpected. How rare.” She gestures and a chair appears in front of her desk. “Please take a seat so we can identify your oddity and determine where you will be going.”

Hesitantly, I do as she asks, gingerly taking the seat as I try to think about how I got here. Where here even is. Or heck, even what day it is!

I don’t expect anything from that last one, but it’s still another thing to wonder about, so I might as well. Not much else to do when… you’re…

…

Oh.

“I died, didn’t I.”

The lady across from me nods her head in a single simple motion. “That is correct. But according to the paperwork, you aren’t.” She pulls open a drawer, prompting me to look down in front of me. But nope. It’s a simple desk, really just an arch of interconnected bamboo with a flat ‘top’.

Nowhere for there to be a drawer.

I dismiss the thought as she pulls a file from the impossible drawer and opens it, frowning as she does so. “Ah yes. Quirks .” Irritation is clear in her voice, and I can’t help but feel offended.

“You don’t like quirks?” I spent the majority of my life studying them! Theorizing on them! Heck, sometimes I even dreamed about them! Her disliking quirks is basically like her disliking my existence!

Disregard the irony of how important they are to me despite me not having one myself.

“Incorrect.” But contrary to my expectations, she shakes her head. “We don’t have a problem with quirks in general- they’re just a part of the mortal world. Like giraffes.” A shiver goes through her.

“Freakish abominations.” She mutters under her breath, but not quietly enough that I can’t hear.

Before I can ask about it though, she continues. “No, the problems only arise when a quirk interferes with processing souls for the afterlife.”

I perk up at that. “So the afterlife exists?” Yay! No more constant suffering! Oh wait, I killed myself. So I guess I’ll be going to eternal damnation instead. Sigh. Just my luck.

She wiggles her hand a bit. “Yes, but actually no. See, ‘afterlife’ is a broad term. So while it does technically fit, it also doesn’t.”

At my confused look she sighs before looking at an hourglass on the corner of her desk. The sand in it isn’t moving.

“I suppose we have time. So, essentially, after an intelligent being dies, we recycle the souls after removing their memories. However, this is not a short process. Especially if we want to avoid damaging a soul! See, as a soul lives; experiences new things, builds a personality, overall just exists- it becomes imprinted. To remove the imprint, we give them new things to experience in the ‘afterlife’.”

I can feel the quotes she puts on the word. Weird. “Since what happens in the afterlife is not ‘real’ the soul gets filtered as the old memories are replaced by the new, and eventually becomes ‘clean’.”

She looks at me, asking if I’m following so far. I nod and she rounds it off. “Now that it is a blank slate, so to speak, it can be reused. That is the process of rebirth.” She pauses as she seems to realize something.

“Ah, but that doesn’t really tell you what the ‘afterlife’ is like.” She shrugs. “Basically, depending on the type of person you were when you were alive, your stay can either be pleasant or terrible. Though it also depends on your handler.”

Sensing that she’s done, I finally ask my question. “So… since I killed myself, does that mean my stay is going to be terrible?” I was really hoping that I would finally get some peace…

But to my surprise, she snorts. “Of course not. A single moment does not make up your entire life. More to that, your stay is directly connected to your mental state.”

She points a long finger at me. “Essentially, your mental state and our mood will determine what your stay here is like. I will not give any more details though.”

“Oh…” I look down. “So my stay isn’t going to be pleasant? Because my mental state is… pretty bad.” My hands clench as I think back to everything I’ve gone through. How Izumi was doted on while everyone else turned a blind-eye to what she, Kachan, and the other kids were doing to me.

I shouldn’t have let them… I should have listened to the voice and fought back ! I sigh. But now it’s too late.

“It wouldn’t… if you were actually staying here.”

My head shoots up. “Huh?”

“Like I said, the only quirks I have a problem with are the ones that interfere in the soul.” She glares. “Like yours.”

Again. “Huh? But I don’t have a quirk?”

She shakes her head, and pulls out a bucket? She tosses it across the desk and it lands upright next to me. “Try to kick that. If you can, you will be staying dead. If not, you will be returning to life. Because you have a quirk that is pulling you back.” She shakes her head and shuffles her papers as she mutters to herself.

“Jumping off a twenty story building and thinking they do not have a quirk despite not staying dead…” While she mutters about how people are getting dumber with each generation, I stare at the bucket.

I jumped. More than that, I jumped headfirst. And from that height? There’s absolutely no way that I should be able to come back. My brains would be scattered all over the alley!

But what if she’s right? What if I have a quirk… and it’s keeping me alive? But no, she said that I am dead. But it’s bringing me back to life? Is that what my supposed quirk does? Bring me back to life after dying?

I choke back a chuckle at the thought. That would be ironic. A powerful quirk going undiscovered due to its stringent activation requirements.

But, I stand and take aim at the bucket. If I do have a quirk- I pull my leg back. Then I can be a hero! Izumi and Kachan will stop bullying me, and I won’t even have to fight them! I let loose, and watch as my foot goes through the bucket, my excitement reaching new heights. 

Inko and Toshinori will finally acknowledge me!

I freeze at the final thought, and the woman speaks. “See, not permanently dead. And it seems like you are being pulled back to your body, so this is goodbye. Try not to return until you get rid of your guilt and regrets. It is bitter”

And suddenly, the darkness vanishes, and I’m looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling.

`~`

I start giggling, something I haven’t done before, startling the girl before me. Somehow, that changes my giggles into full blown laughter. Before I realize it, I’m laying on the floor, holding my stomach from how hard I’m laughing!

The girl is standing by this point, and she’s pointing a knife at me, but that just keeps me laughing!

Eventually though, I manage to calm down. When I do, I look at the girl who doesn’t seem scared of the naked, hysterically laughing, formerly dead boy laying on the floor. Instead, she looks like she wants in on the joke.

But that will have to wait.

I stand up, still making sure to cover myself. Her knife doesn’t waver as it follows me, and I look at her curiously. We stand like that for a few moments before I clear my throat. “Um, sorry, but would you be able to find me some clothes? Being naked is kind of…”

While I trail off, she looks at me with suspicion clear in her eyes, but nods all the same. “Sure, but stay here, alright? If you try to run, I’ll stab you.”

I giggle again, causing her to raise an eyebrow. “I won’t, don’t worry.” I smile and watch with curiosity as she winces before retreating while rubbing at her eyes.

With her gone, I’m free to look around the kitchen- making sure I keep an eye on the door of course. The kitchen is pretty bare. Other than the blood-drenched table, the only thing in here is the refrigerator.

At the sight of it, my stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since… lunch, yesterday? The girl did say that I stayed dead for a whole day.

“Does it take a day for me to come back to life? Can it be trained so that I come back to life sooner? Or are there other factors at play? Maybe the severity of my injuries made it take longer to bring me back to life? So if I’m killed by a clean strike- maybe a broken neck or stabbed through the heart- would I come back to life quicker? What about-”

My theorizing comes to an abrupt halt as I pull open the fridge, and what I see inside. There’s no food. No drinks. Nothing that the typical person would consider should be put inside a refrigerator.

Instead, three large jars of blood stand proudly as the only things worthy of being cooled.

“Huh.” I close the fridge. I open the fridge. I close it again. Open again. I stare at them for a moment.

“Huh.”

I close the fridge and turn back towards the door as I hear the girl returning. “There’s nothing here, so I dug your clothes out of the trash Cinnamon Roll!” She stops at the doorway on seeing me standing at the fridge. Her eyes narrow.

“Did you look inside?” My clothes fall from her hands as she flicks her wrist and her blade appears.

I look on, disappointed about my clothes now being dropped on the dirty floor. Though she did say she dug them out of the trash…

I nod, pointing a thumb behind me. “Yep. I looked. Do you need blood for your quirk?” My eyes gleam and my hand twitches, looking for a pen to write down what she says on instinct.

She blinks at me in surprise. “Uh, yeah? I can drink blood to transform into people.” To demonstrate, her body becomes engulfed in some kind of mud-like substance, and when it clears, she looks like me! But wearing her school uniform.

I leap towards her, ignoring the knife now pressed against my throat. “That’s so cool! Is there a time limit? Does it matter how much blood you drink? Can you use their quirk? Oh! What about memories? Do you get flashes of memories when you transform to help you in acting like them?”

I don’t wait for her to answer, bombarding her with more and more questions about her quirk as her eyes start to glaze over. Then I realize my situation. 

“Ah! Clothes! I’m still naked!” I hurriedly pick my clothes up off of the ground before shooting the girl a look and deciding that with how unfocused she is, I’m good with simply turning around to get dressed. It’s not like she hasn’t seen me naked already.

I pause as I put on one pants’ leg. Wait, why was my naked body on a kitchen table? I turn my eyes to the bloodsoaked top, and see that some of the blood is leaking onto the floor from some holes inside of it.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I finish getting dressed. “Oh… you were draining my blood for your quirk!” I nod in satisfaction. “That makes sense. But you probably should have found someone better to look like. I’m kind of universally looked down on.”

I jump, the realization that I’ve been gone from home a full day finally sinking in.”Oh no! My family must be… worried…” I pause as I think about that statement for a moment. “They must be worried. Right? I’ve been gone a whole day, and even they must have noticed by now.”

My eyes gleam as I whirl on the girl, grabbing her hands in mine. “But I’m not going to have to worry about them ignoring me anymore! And when I get back, they’re going to be so happy! I finally have a quirk!” I start bouncing in place, the girl quickly following suit even if she doesn’t get it. But she’s sharing my happiness!

I stop as I look at her with shining eyes. “Would you like to come with me?”

“Buh?” A weird sound comes out of her mouth, setting me back to giggling.

“Do you want to come with me? I’m sure that once I tell them about my quirk, they’ll support me going to UA! They’ll actually pay attention to me! And All Might, who’s apparently my father, could probably convince the principal to get you in too! After all, your quirk is amazing!”

I stand there smiling at the girl as she blinks at the unexpected propositions. I can see the gears in her head turning before she takes them and smashes them with a mallet. She smiles back.

“Sure! Why not.”

I jump in place for another minute with her before excitedly pulling her with me to the door. “That’s great! Oh, and what’s your name? Sorry, I was too excited to ask earlier. Mine is Izuku Yagi.”

She smiles, fangs poking just past her upper lips. “Himiko Toga.”

Chapter 19: What's Broken, Can Still Be Shattered

Summary:

Izuku was broken. Now he's shattered

(Toga POV)

I was walking around the back alleys of some city in a foul mood after drinking the blood from some random lady. Normally I’d be feeling pretty good, given how much I enjoy blood. But that lady’s blood tasted nasty ! Like, I didn’t even know blood could taste bad!?

Sure, a person’s personality affects how their blood tastes, but it never tastes outright bad ! I’ve literally drunk the blood of rapists that have tasted better! The only conclusion I could come to was that her nasty blood was somehow related to her quirk.

But I wasn’t finding anybody around in the alleys, and was considering just transforming into the lady and drinking from someone on the main streets. But that plan went out the window when some guy practically fell into my lap.

Literally.

His body made some kind of ‘whomp’ sound when he hit, and I heard several cracking noises come from him. His head cracked open, and I think I could see his brain, but I was distracted by something far more important.

The blood.

Since he landed right in front of me, I was covered in it! That’s not even mentioning how much of it got splattered on the floor and the walls!

I looked down at it with wide eyes. I mean, it’s not everyday that someone nearly lands on you when they kill themselves. But a flick of my tongue to catch some of the blood dripping down my face pushed all other thoughts from my mind.

IT TASTED LIKE CINNAMON ROLLS!!!!

`~`

“And that’s why I took your body to the place I was staying. There’s no way I was going to let such delicious blood go to waste! Though I did leave everything that had already splattered… I didn’t want to get sick after all!”

As I finish my explanation as to why I took his body, the kid, Cinnamon Roll, taps his chin in thought. He’s preeeetty weird~. Especially given how he just shrugged off how I held a knife to his throat back at the empty house I’m staying at.

And he thinks my quirk is cool~. It’s the first time someone’s said something positive about my quirk. Though, the people who know about it make up an admittedly short list. Really, it’s only my parents and a few random gang leaders I’ve worked with before. 

But that doesn’t matter right now! Well, it’s the entire reason I’m going with Cinnamon Roll, so it kind of does but not really. Anyways, what’s important is that he invited me over to his house! My heart is beating super fast at the thought, but it’s no big deal! Even if I am skipping my way there! Izuku started doing it not long after I started, so he shouldn’t think it’s strange!

But I have to say, his thinking face while he’s skipping is totally cute~!

“Hey… Toga?”

I pout at him using my last name . I’ve drank his blood! He likes my quirk! He said I can drink his blood later! We’re already the bestest of best friends!

“Call me Himiko!” He blinks at the wide smile on my face, but shrugs off my interruption.

“Ok. Himiko, do you ever feel bad about the people you kill? Like, they’re just going about their lives, enjoying their day. And then you come in and… stab them to death.”

I frown at him. “Do you hate that I kill people for their blood?”

If he does… then was he lying about how he thinks my quirk is cool? Is he actually trying to get me arrested? If he is…

Luckily for him, that’s not the case. “No. I mean, I get that I should. But after dying myself, well. I just… I can’t seem to bring myself to care? I mean, if they were someone I care about, then I’d be mad? Or sad?”

He shakes his head, his curly green hair bouncing with the motion. “I don’t know. I’ve been feeling… off.” His skipping slows down, starting to walk instead, and I follow suit as he looks into my eyes.

“But no, Himiko. I don’t hate you for killing people. Your blood craving is a result of your quirk, so the government should have made blood accessible to you. Since they didn't, you need to get it yourself.”

“Hmm~.” That makes me happy! My new friend stays as my friend! Friends shouldn’t lie to each other after all~!”

He stops and I follow his gaze up to the building we’re standing in front of. It’s a two story building with a big front yard that I can see through the front gate. Though the high walls surrounding it means that anyone trying to get more than a peak would be called out for their creepy behavior.

He sighs as he opens the gate. Weird. I thought that he was super excited to show off his quirk to his family?

We walk through, but before we can reach the door it flies open and a tall woman with long green hair done up in a ponytail hurries out. Izuku immediately perks up, his shining smile making me thankful that it’s not directed at me.

“Hi Mom! I-”

“Sorry, I have an emergency at work and probably won’t be home until late. Just make something for yourself for dinner.” Without so much as a glance at the two people standing in front of her, she rushes past, heading to the detached garage.

Cinnamon Roll just stands there, frozen while the woman drives away. I move in front of him and wave my hand in front of his face but get no reaction. And his smile is weird too! It’s frozen, it looks like how it did when he smiled at the woman I’m guessing is his mom. But now it’s not bright.

Instead it seems dark. Twisted Staring at it while he’s frozen, I feel another feeling building up inside of me. I feel the urge to do something, and so I act upon it.

I lunge forward and dig my fangs into his neck, ignoring the small sound he makes in surprise. I’ve drunk blood from plenty of people before. Usually unwilling.

But the feeling behind my thirst… I’ve only felt this once before. When I first gave into my thirst and attacked that cute boy at school I felt something similar.

But that pain-filled, broken smile. One that hides something darker underneath.

I want to see what’s hiding below~.

`~`

(Izuku POV)

I’m in shock.

I’ve been gone an entire day.

I mean, I half expected something like this to happen. But to not even glance at me? Do they really just… not care? Do they even realize that I was gone? Do they even know I killed myself !? Do they even care!?

And that’s when it hits me. They don’t. None of them have ever cared about me. But no, that’s wrong. Izumi cared. She cared that I would be there for her and Kachan to take their frustrations out on. But Mom and Dad? No- Inko and Toshinori . They don’t. They never did. I feel something break at that realization.

I’m pulled from my thoughts when To-Himiko bites down on my neck, a small ‘eep’ coming from my throat. I raise my hands to pull her off of me, but hesitate. It doesn’t hurt, but the sensation of her sucking my blood is odd. Not bad, just odd.

Instead of pulling her off of me, I give into my instincts and simply wrap my arms around her. I can feel her tense at the action and internally sigh, deciding to pull them away and apologize. But she surprises me.

She moves her hands from my shoulders down to my arms. Then she moves them around me, and we’re hugging. Even with her loud gulping of my blood, it feels reassuring being held like this. Like I’m not alone in the world. Shoko was never one for physical connections, so this is the first time I’ve been hugged since… Izumi started bullying me.

I tighten the hug, Himiko choking a bit on the hot liquid filling her mouth.

If they really don’t care about me. Even after driving me to kill myself, then why should I care about them!? Why should I care about anyone who doesn’t care about me!? The only one who’s cared before Shoko, so why should I treat them better than they treat me!?

No… they don’t care about me. I don’t think they ever did. All of Toshinori’s excuses on the rooftop were just that. Excuses! He probably just didn’t want to have to go through the trouble of spending any time or money on me when he could be spending it on Izumi.

By the time Himiko pulls herself off of me, blood trailing from her lips, I’ve come to a decision. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have business here.

I smile at the girl with a blood quirk, ostracized by society for something she couldn’t control. Someone the world tried to push down, but pushed who back.

I want to be strong enough to do the same.

“Himiko,” I say, with a determined voice. “Would you let me come with you?”

She looks at me with a blank look. “Huh? Where’m I going?”

That causes me to chuckle. I start pulling her into the house as I explain. “You tell me! I just know that I don’t want to stay here. I can’t stay here.” I growl out.

She tilts her head in confusion before shrugging. “Sure! Why not? Just let me suck your blood every morning for breakfast! It’s been so long since I’ve tasted cinnamon rolls!”

I laugh as we make our way through the empty house, nobody else being home. It cements my thought that nobody has even realized that I’m missing. Not even Shoko.

I shake that thought away. Why would she know? She doesn’t live with me. Sure, I always respond to any texts she sends me, but maybe she thinks I lost it or something?

My phone was in my pocket when I jumped, and unlike me it didn’t come back from the dead.

I open the door to my room, noting the dust that’s always covering everything hasn’t been disturbed. The only things not covered in it are my bed, desk, and the All Might posters hanging on the walls.

Looking at them used to pull me out of my darkest thoughts. Whenever I or the voices started encouraging me to hurt myself, seeing that reassuring smile made me feel safe. But now all I feel is irritation.

Fake. If the number one hero is a fake, then how many of the others are the same?

I don’t hate heroes… not exactly. But I don’t want to be one anymore. I’m not sure what else I’ll do, but I do know that traveling with Himiko will help me figure it out. But I’m getting sidetracked again.

I make my way to my bed and lift up the mattress to reveal fifteen notebooks. And laid out next to them is the one thing I splurged on with the money I got from doing odd jobs. A jacket that’s a darker green than my hair, with bunny ears that would reach my shoulder when the hood is pulled up. When I saw it in a store I was passing by one day, it just felt right for me to own it.

So I saved.

And saved.

And saved.

Until eventually I had enough to buy it. Of course, I almost never wear it. I wouldn’t want Izumi or Kachan to destroy it. Or else I might have hurt them.

Now though? I’m not planning to stick around long enough for any of them to see me. I’m not going to be trying to get revenge on them either. At least not right now. Maybe I’ll torment them a bit later~.

I giggle at the thought. Just because I don’t hate them doesn’t mean that I’ve forgiven them. Well, most of them. Kachan is the one who told me to jump, and Izumi did look mad at him when he said it. So I hate him , but everyone else I just dislike.

Leaving the bed leaning against the wall for support, I dig under my bed for a moment before pulling out my old ‘yellow’ backpack. It’s basically patchworked with the remains of my old clothes in an attempt to keep it together, but eventually I decided that I needed a new one. But now it makes its glorious return as my getaway bag!

I quickly stuff my twelve hero analysis notebooks inside before staring at the three for Shoko. There’s no particular reason for it- maybe I just don’t want her being in the room longer than she needs to- but I move them to the desk, stacked in the center before tossing on my jacket and putting the bed back down.

I turn to Himiko as I heft the bag onto my back. “Sorry for dragging you here. I’m ready to head out when you are.”

She nods and we make our way back through the hall before she comes to an abrupt stop in the living room, her eyes locked on the kitchen. Seeing the mischievous look in her eyes, I roll my own.

“We aren’t going to wreck the place. I’d rather they not know I was here.” I shake my head. “Heck, I’m not sure even Inko knows we’re here right now even though she passed us!”

She shakes her head. “Nah. I was just thinking…” She turns to me with a smirk. “Living on the run is hunger work. And since we’re already here…”

She trails off leadingly and I can’t help but laugh. “Ha! You know what, you’re right! We might as well help ourselves. It can be their going away present for me!”

She giggles before doing something that catches me completely off guard.

She leans in and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

I’m frozen in shock and embarrassment while she rushes into the kitchen, opening every cupboard and drawer she can while looking for the food she wants.

She kissed me. My mind is stuck replaying the moment. She kissed me.

She.

Kissed.

Me.

“Come on! You don’t want to regret not grabbing what you want!” Himiko yells, kickstarting my mind once again.

“Regret…” I mutter, thinking back on what the lady I met when I died said. My eyes glow with a mad glint. “Yeah, I won’t regret anything anymore.”

Chapter 20: Reactions Return!

Summary:

Characters react, characters faint! Who will remain?

Endeavor repeatedly tries to get Shoko’s attention, only to fail, so focused is she on reading Izuku’s first note. After finally getting her attention, she simply hands him the note and opens the backpack. He tries to stop her, but the sudden projection of icicles from her wrist forces him to retreat.

“WHAT THE HELL ICY-HOT!? YOU CAN MAKE WEAPONS!?” Bakugou isn’t the only one surprised by the scene, as the other students start muttering to each other about why he’s never done it before. Only to be quickly shut down by the most surprised of them all.

“I can’t.” With two words, Todoroki manages to silence them all. He grabs his chin as he starts thinking. “Maybe Shoko’s quirk is different from mine? Or is it a matter of control? Preference? I tend to focus on more immediate elimination of a threat, so maybe I can do it?”

Listening in, Aizawa opens his little book to a new set of pages and titles it ‘ Possible Quirk Training? ’, marking down fine control for Todoroki.

Meanwhile Tomura starts wondering if he should kidnap the kid to have him make infinite weapons for the LOV. It would be an amazing glitch!

“Father, you want me to surpass All Might. Right?”

The heroes and students shiver at how cold Shoko’s voice is, and shivers go down their spines, and a thrill goes through Tomura’s at the promise of pain her voice promises.

Shoko ‘requests’ that they go to Izuku’s house, her voice clearly brooking no argument, while also asking for the Bakugous to be present.

“So…” Kirishima trails off. “Anyone else getting a bad feeling from the look in her eyes?”

Silence from the adults and rapid head nods from the students are the replies he gets, along with Toga cheering in anticipation for more blood.

The scene changes to show the Yagi family -minus Izuku- sitting in their living room with the Bakugou family. But they’re not alone. With them sit Eraserhead and Detective Tsukauchi.

Mina’s hand shoots up, a glint in her eye that’s quickly extinguished by Aizawa’s glare. “If it’s something ridiculous, extra training for everyone.”

They all gulp, looking at Mina with worry. She sweat drops, desperately trying to think of something other than ‘Hobo’ to call their teacher’s copy. Her eyes finally alight on the cup in his hand and she throws out the first thing that comes to mind.

“Captain Cappuccino?”

The sudden silence is only broken by the collective smacks as faces meet palms. We’re dead, they all think.

Aizawa doesn’t say anything. Just staring at the nervous pink-skinned girl for a couple of tense seconds. Eventually, he speaks. “Not bad. But make it shorter.”

She breathes a sigh of relief as she rests a hand on her chest. Now having the go ahead, she taps her chin in thought. “Coffee Bean? Dark Roast? Latte? Depresso Espresso?” Her suggestions proceed to become more whimsical as everyone listens, but by the time she starts naming the overly complicated drinks that tempt baristas to murder, he interrupts.

“Roast. Now stop.”

Nodding in acceptance, everyone refocuses on the screen, only to see Shoko attacking Hypo and Bakubitch with her fire and ice, respectively.

“””VENGEANCE!””” “BLOOD!”

The shouts of excitement at seeing the two of them get attacked on screen causes All Might to slump down and Bakugou to glare at them all.

Toshinori Yagi disappears in a puff of smoke and All Might takes his place, his hands clapped in front of him to dispel the fire. Meanwhile Bakugou destroys the icicle before it can hurt him, and Eraserhead wraps Shoko in his scarf while deactivating her quirk.

“”BOO!!!”” The collective sounds of disappointment ring out from the majority of the audience, the exceptions being the adults and Bakugou.

After explaining why she attacked, Izumi jumps to her feet and questions why Izuku knew her father’s secret but she didn’t. But her outburst is quickly forgotten when the truth of what Bakugou had told Izuku comes to light. It takes everyone by surprise when his father knocks him to the ground with a single swing of his fist.

There’s shocked silence for a few moments before Mina and Aizawa repeat their earlier interaction, prompting those shocked silent to restart.

“THAT COWARD DOESN’T HAVE THE BALLS TO HIT ME!!!”

“Child abuse isn’t manly!”

“But he definitely deserves it.” Uraraka counters.

“SHUT THE HELL UP ROUND CHEEKS!”

After revealing Izuku’s suicide note, Shoko leaves the room to get what he’d left for her, quickly followed by Detective Tsukauchi. After opening the notebook, surprises continue when a white rat pops out of Aizawa’s scarf. Principal Nezu has appeared!

“So he does that in both worlds.”

Soahc shrugs at Aizawa’s words. “It seems to be one of his favorite things to do in all three worlds.”

“Oh? Three?” Obviously there’s no way that the rat in question would let that little tidbit go.

He nods. “That’s correct. I oversee several worlds/timelines, but yours is sandwiched between the one we’re currently viewing and one other.” A shrug. “I flipped a coin to decide which one to show.”

Nezu files that tidbit away while everyone else just ignores it. It’s not like that knowledge would affect their lives anyway, right?

There’s silence in the Yagi home while Aizawa reads the letter. A silence that persists even after the letter is read. Nezu questions him about what he’d told his son, and various expressions cross everyone’s face. Aizawa looks like he wants to strangle him. The Bakugou parents look at him with shock. Izumi with horror. Bakugou with self-satisfaction.

But Inko… Something flashes across her face, gone too quickly for anyone to notice, quickly overcome with a slightly guilty expression.

“...”

A deafening silence echoes across the room once again, each person processing what they've just heard.

“... Midori hug squad when we get back?”

Sounds of agreement come from Uraraka, Toga, Kirishima, Todoroki, All Might, and… Aizawa. At the looks he gets, he glares back, preventing them from saying anything.

Tsukauchi and Shoko return to the room, both showing hostility towards the Yagi family. After some pointed words where Shoko comes to the realization that Izumi’s bullying hasn’t come to light but does not reveal it, they all make their way to Izuku’s room. There, it’s revealed to them just how far the neglect has gone.

“Even my room has more stuff than that!”

“Not to mention how bad all that dust is for his health.” Tsukauchi adds on to Uraraka’s comment.

“Reminds me of my training room.” Tomura muses, thinking back on all the times he’s decayed training equipment or random thugs while undergoing Sensei’s training sessions. Shivers go down the students’ spines as they recall seeing what his quirk had done to their teacher’s elbow.

After finding the modular splints, Shoko reveals that someone has been in Izuku’s room before them. As well as the notebooks not meant for her being missing. Understanding the danger, Nezu sends away the detective to begin an investigation, though he doesn’t hold out much hope. He attempts to send the two pros while he informs the Bakugous and Yagis of their punishments, but they refuse.

“Why do I have a feeling that you cause as much of a headache for Roast as much as you do for me?”

Nezu sips his tea with a smirk, not deigning to answer. Instead, Tsukauchi speaks up.

“You know,” he muses. “Your nickname around the precincts is ‘Rat Satan’.” His smirk widens as his counterpart’s name is decided.

Nezu declares that Katsuki and Izumi are to attend both therapy and community service until the end of the school year, and threatens to blacklist them from every hero school if they fail to make adequate progress. Meanwhile, the Yagi parents are getting a major pay cut.

“”Rat Satan is scary!””

A sadistic aura seems to exude from him now, taking satisfaction in his students’ fear.

The screen shifts, changing scenes to a nice if plain kitchen. Normally, the sight would be unremarkable. But one thing causes it to stand out. A seemingly dead body rests on the table, a girl with messy blonde buns leaning over him.

“Midori!” The hero side shouts, while Tomura looks on with interest. Toga is squealing about how she’s made an appearance, her initial disappointment that he’s not all bloody gone as soon as it appeared.

But everyone gets shocked when his body suddenly sits up with a sharp gasp, startling the on-screen Toga

With a gasp, Izuku sits up, the surprised girl falling on her behind. Feeling that it’s his fault, Izuku gets up to help her, but slips and falls on top of her. Though he avoided grabbing anywhere *cough* in particular , when he pushes himself up their faces are extremely close.

“Under consideration!”

“Rejected!”

“Approved!”

And thus, the three girls present state their stances on this potential new ship while staring at each other with different expressions, with the verdicts being as expected. But one little detail that everyones’ shock has caused them to overlook…

“Where are my clothes!?”

Snapping their heads back to the screen so fast it’s a wonder they didn’t get whiplash, they see a naked Midori covering his crotch. They click their tongues in disappointment, even while they shyly cover their eyes with blushes on their faces. Except for Toga, who’s unabashedly taking in his entire appearance, though the blush is still present.

“On-screen me, let’s call her Vampy, has already seen everything. So it’s perfectly acceptable for me to look too! No, it’s expected for me to look since I already have! Wait a minute… I don’t even have to justify myself!”

Mina and Uraraka’s blushes deepen as they listen to her ramble, before Mina gathers up her courage and uncovers her eyes. She side-eyes the males in the room, trying to see if they’re going to be judging her for looking.

Despite how she acts, she does care about what people think of her. It comes with all the insults she’s endured due to her appearance being altered by her quirk.

But they aren’t looking at her, instead they’re staring at the bare Midori even more than the girls! To say Mina is shocked would be an understatement! Maybe I should warn Midori about all these guys being interested in his body… Or it could be fun to try setting him up with one of them. Decisions, decisions~.

After being told he’d died a day ago, Izuku freezes, seemingly recalling what had happened to him. What he’d done. The girl creeps towards him cautiously, knife extended defensively. Then he starts laughing.

“Oh dear. That is not good.” Nezu advises.

“It reminds me of your laugh.” Aizawa agrees.

After getting his laughter under control, he ignores the fact that the girl is pointing her knife at him and asks for clothes. After a quick threat, she leaves to get him some clothes.

“”Boo!”” Mina and Toga object, though with Vampy gone Izuku has stopped covering himself. Mina nods in admiration, Toga drools, and steam starts coming off of Uraraka from how red she is. Bakugou, for once, is suspiciously silent.

Deciding to grab a bite to eat, he opens the refrigerator, only to stop when he sees that the only thing inside are large jars filled with blood. His blood.

“The fuck!? That’s creepy as hell!”

Toga sticks her tongue out at Bakugou. “Cooled blood lasts longer before going bad! Just like any other drink!”

Returning to see his position, the girl gets a dark look on her face. Only to be taken aback by how casual he is about the blood. After explaining how her quirk works and giving a demonstration, Izuku goes into analysis mode, only stopping when he realizes that he’s still naked and rushing to get dressed.

“Sigh. Maybe I should give Young Midoriya some advice on talking to girls.” All Might muses, only to be shot down by his long-time friend.

“Pretty sure the Symbol of Bachelorhood shouldn’t be giving romantic advice.”

“Burn!”

At Mina’s shout, Todoroki touches his scar. He knows how it feels to get burned…

An epiphany seems to strike Izuku, and he explains to the girl how his family must be worried, and how they’ll be so happy that he has a quirk now. All the while not seeming to realize how desperate and broken he sounds. But to the girl’s surprise, he invites her to his house, revealing his father’s secret at the same time. After introducing each other, they depart.

All Might sighs. “I’m so glad Young Midoriya is better at keeping secrets than Midori.”

Bakugou stiffens, recalling a certain confession the broccoli headed boy had made to him on their first day of combat training.

There’s no way, right? We would have seen some sign of it if it were true! But we haven’t, so it’s not! That shitty Deku was obviously lying to me!

A quick round of explaining how she found him and why she took his body helps to pass the time while walking to Izuku’s house. Which is followed by the first overt signs that all is not right in his mind. If his casual disregard for his murderous new friend wasn’t enough.

“Perhaps he got brain damage when he jumped? He most likely landed on his head, after all.”

Tsukauchi nods. “That’s a solid theory. I doubt that he’d just disregard the lives of others so casually otherwise. At least based on what I’ve seen of the version of him in our world and of his personality on screen.

While the adults are having a serious discussion, Mina is leaning over to whisper to her new friend who’s wondering if her blood is acidic.

“So, does blood really have different flavors for you depending on who it is?”

She nods. “Yep~! It generally fits their personality, I think. So it could change quite a bit depending on if a person has experienced certain emotions more frequently.”

Reaching Izuku’s house, the two of them are just in time to encounter his mother rushing out. Elated, he immediately tries to explain his quirk to her, only for her to casually dismiss him. Not unlike a piece of trash on the road.

“Inko murder squad?” Toga asks innocently. A few people’s hands twitch but Bakugou shouts before anyone can actually make a motion.

“DON’T COMPARE AUNTY TO THAT TRASH! SHE’S THE NICEST WOMAN YOU’LL EVER MEET!”

Taken aback by this uncharacteristic show of compassion, it’s enough to knock them out in shock!

“Kirishima, eliminated!”

…Or at least one of them.

“Dammit, Shitty Hair!”

After becoming frozen in shock, you can practically see Izuku’s mental state deteriorating. Stopping only when Toga bites his neck, prompting him to initiate a hug. One that’s eagerly reciprocated.

“Too close! Too close!” Uraraka frantically waves her hands in front of herself and closes her eyes, face still red, to try and deny what she’s seeing. But when she looks again the scene hasn’t changed.

After pulling himself together with Toga’s help, they enter his house and head to his room, where his living conditions are revealed. A stark contrast to the rest of the building. He gathers his notebooks, leaving the three he intends to gift to Shoko, as well as a dark green jacket with a rabbit-reminiscent hood. On their way out, Toga stops him so they can grab some food. He agrees, and she kisses him.

“Three! Two! One! Uraraka is down!”

“Not appropriate, Mina.”

“Aww~.” Shut down by her homeroom teacher, Mina can only pout. Now there’s only her and Toga left as the only girls in the theater. Sure, they’ve already exchanged numbers in the hope of contacting each other once all the nonsense is over with, but they were already outnumbered by the guys. Now it’s even worse!

Chapter 21: First Time

Summary:

Toga helps Izuku experience his first time~.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I can’t help but look at Himiko with some doubt in my eyes, to which she rolls her own.

“Obviously it’s a good idea. How else are we supposed to get money?”

“But… it will be my first time. I don’t think I’m ready!”

Huffing at my resistance, she grabs my hand and pulls me deeper into the alley. “You’ll do fine. Just make sure you stay relaxed and follow what your body wants to do. It will know how to react. Mine did the first time!”

I squirm as we round a corner and a person comes into view. The man is leaning with his shoulder against the wall while he scrolls through his phone. He doesn’t look bad , especially for being in some random alley. In fact, his clothes practically scream that he’s well off. Or at least that he’s doing well for himself.

Honestly the only thing detracting from his appearance is his quirk, which has replaced his mouth with what looks like a speaker. Normally I’d be jotting down notes and questions about his quirk: such as how he eats, if he still has a tongue, what exactly it might be, etc.

But right now I’m far too nervous thinking about what Himiko wants me to do. Luckily the man hasn’t seen us yet, so I can try to gather up my courage. It will be ok. Himiko said that she’s done stuff like this plenty of times! I mean, I don’t encourage it, but I’m not going to try and force her to change. That would defeat the whole point of me coming along with her. I’m the one who wants to change! To live my life with no regrets!

I mean… it’s not like I mind doing this. Which is weird because I feel like I should. I really do need to figure out everything that my quirk has done to me since I first activated it. In fact, I should do it now! Yeah, this can wait until ano-

I’m knocked out of my thoughts by Himiko bonking me on the head with the handle of one of her knives. I asked her once how many knives she carries with her, and boy was that a mistake.

She spent a good twenty minutes lecturing me about how I can’t go questioning girls about their secrets, then proceeded to pull a dozen knives from out of various spots inside her shirt. She said that was all she was willing to show me, but that she had another fifteen scattered around the rest of her body. She said that I’d have to find the rest myself, and that she’d give me a prize if I managed to discover where they were all hidden.

But given the lack of her needing to use knives since we left the Yagi house, I haven’t had much of a chance. The food, when paired with my blood, has ensured that we haven’t needed to go out just for our basic necessities. But that doesn’t mean that I’ve just been lazing about!

But judging by her pout, now isn’t the time to reminisce. Sighing, I look at the man again, noting that he’s started sending the two of us covert glances. I mean, not really covert, given that I noticed them, but he’s trying at least! Luckily I’m standing in front of Himiko so he doesn’t see that she’s holding a knife. That would probably send him running.

Seeing that I’m still trying to put things off, Himiko huffs at me. “If you aren’t going to do it then I am! Even if you are a good cook, a girl still wants to go out and have some fun!”

As she puts a hand on my arm to push me aside I sigh. Putting a hand on her chest to stop her, I nod. “It’s ok. I’ll do it. My nerves are just getting the better of me. But if I want to live freely, I need to make sure that nothing holds me back. Not even this.”

I take a deep breath, and confirm what I need to do as she gets a wide grin on her face. “So I just stab ‘em?”

“Yeah~!”

I nod. “Ok. I can do this. I. Can. Do this.” Accepting the knife from her, I slide it into my sleeve and tense my wrist so it doesn’t slide down. It’s not really tenable long-term, but it’s not supposed to be. There are straps you can wear to hold them where flexing your wrist will cause them to fall down, but Himiko doesn’t have any in my size. Though she did say that we’ll get me some after this to celebrate my first kill.

I walk towards the man with my head down and shoulders slumped, playing as the nervous kid worried about drawing attention to himself. It’s not like I don’t have a decade’s worth of experience with it.

I hear some shuffling ahead of me and assume the guy has stopped leaning on the wall, but looking up would betray my act. It would be a small thing that doesn’t fit with the rest, but it would be enough to give someone the feeling that there’s something off about me. So instead, hearing him move, I hunch down farther, trying to make myself as small as possible.

When he puts a hand on my shoulder I jump and look at him with panicked eyes. There’s a smirk in his eyes as he looks down at me. “What’s a kid like you doing in a place like this?” His voice is a bit odd, sounding kind of synthesized and the pitch rising and falling randomly.

I stammer out an automatic reply, playing up the ‘scared kid’ act while contemplating on where the best place to stab him would be. The throat will prevent him from screaming and calling for help, though his quirk might negate that depending on how it affected his vocal cords. Trying for entry through the ear would give him time to react, and there’s no guarantee that I’d get it through the hole and reach his brain on the first try.

Maybe I should stab him in the leg so he can’t run away? We are fairly deep into the back alleys. Even if he does scream, what are the chances that someone will be brave enough - or care enough - to investigate? And not many heroes are willing to do their work where the media doesn’t have a presence. Well, other than the good, underground heroes, like Eraserhead. Man, I hope that I can get his autograph one day! Wait, focus!

While I’ve been thinking, the man has continued talking and trailed his hand down from my shoulder to my left arm. Honestly, I’ve been acting on auto-pilot so I have no idea what he’s been saying. But it doesn’t really matter since I’m going to kill him.

Finalizing my thoughts, I immediately act. I relax my wrist, letting the blade drop and grabbing the handle. Or, well. I tried to grab the handle. Despite my time practicing with it, I still mess up the timing sometimes. I guess now is one of those times.

The clanging it makes as it falls to the ground is deafening in the sudden silence as we both stare at it. Neither of us react for a few moments, both frozen at the unexpected development. Him more than me, which is why I’m the first to act.

Crouching down, I scoop up the knife and clasp it between both hands. The man tenses and takes a step back in shock, but despite his feeble stumble, it doesn’t help him against my next move.

Still clasping the blade, I… bow. “I’m so sorry for this! These alleys are dangerous, so my friend insisted that I carry something to protect myself. But I don’t really have any experience with weapons, so I guess I didn’t secure it well enough. I’m so sorry! I hope I didn’t scare you.”

The man simply stares at me for a minute, probably trying to gauge the truthfulness of my words. But seeing my earnest expression, he relaxes and waves his hand though his eyes narrow. “No, it’s fine. And your friend is right, it is dangerous around here. Which begs the question; why are you wandering around here?”

I fidget nervously, not even needing to act. This is not going as well as I thought it would. But it’s also not going as bad as I expected, so I’ll count it as a win! “W-well, you see…” I mumble out a reply.

Frowning, he gestures for me to speak up. I repeat myself a bit louder, but still not loud enough for him to hear. Sighing, he lets his guard down and leans in. And I take the opportunity to strike.

I reverse the grip my hands have on the knife and quickly bring it up before he can pull away, driving it through his lower jaw. I can hear him take a deep breath through his nose and I scowl at having missed his throat.

Pushing me back and forcing the knife out, he stumbles back and I step forward, switching to holding the knife one-handed. I use my free hand to grab his shoulder as I thrust the knife into his chest. Instead of going in though, it just digs a shallow cut as it glances off of one of his rib bones.

“Why is this so hard!?” I shove him backwards and he falls on his butt, staring at me with panic as his mouth fills with blood and his shirt gets soaked. He tries to scramble backwards as he holds a hand to the cut but I climb on top of him, preventing him from getting away.

He tries to speak, but the only thing that comes out of his speaker is a spray of blood. Clenching the knife in both hands once again, I raise it above my head and bring it down on his chest with my body weight behind it.

Luckily he’s too panicked to try and hold me back since my body weight isn’t really all that much. But it is enough for it to finally dig deep into his chest. I pull it out and thrust down again.

And again. 

And again.

And again.

It’s not until I’m enveloped in a warm hug that I come out of my daze. Looking down, I see that the man’s chest is a bloodied mess. Blood is splattered all around him, and I become aware of just how much of it has gotten on me. It makes me glad that I left my jacket back at our hideout.

I stumble to my feet with Himiko’s help and take a few steps back, taking in the entire sight of what I’ve done. Blood drips from his speaker mouth, and his eyes are filled with the terror he felt at realizing that he was about to die.

While I’m looking down at him, I feel her lean her chin against my shoulder as she stands on her toes to whisper into my ear. “So, Cinnamon Roll. How does it feel to take someone’s life? To splatter their blood around them as they struggled against you. To know that, despite being younger, smaller, beat down your whole life: that in the end you proved your strength superior to them?”

She spins around so that she’s in front of me, her eyes gleaming at the sight of me covered in blood. Leaning up, she trails her tongue along my cheek to get a taste of the blood. “Hmm. Kind of sour, with a hint of bitterness.”

I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me. Looking away from my first kill, I stare into her eyes, and she giggles at what she sees in mine. My grin stretches across my face as I touch my forehead against hers.

“It feels amazing .”

Chapter 22: Hello Darkness My Old Friend

Summary:

Izuku bonds with the Receptionist.

I’m in a place of shadow. As far as the eye can see, there’s only an all-consuming darkness. It’s intimidating. Ominous. Familiar.

“Back again, are we?”

The only change is a single circle of light, in which I sit across from a professionally dressed woman at a bamboo desk. The source of light; a single lantern striving to combat the creeping black.

“Yep!”

“What was it this time?”

“I had Himiko Kali Ma my heart. We found a stash of pre-quirk era movies and kind of got excited to experiment with some of what we saw. Man, am I glad that I don’t feel pain anymore! Given how the guy I did that to reacted, I’m sure that it would have been painful!”

I’ve become pretty comfortable here, given all the experiments with my quirk that I’ve been conducting with Himiko. I’ve even managed to get close to the lady that’s always waiting for me! Well, sort of. At the very least she stopped looking annoyed after the fifteenth time I showed up. Still! Progress!

“I am quite aware. A few of my colleagues have informed me that some of their recent… charges, were ranting about a child in green having ended their lives. I do believe that one of them had an entire unexpected batch show up within a few minutes of each other?” She raises an eyebrow and I feel the urge to whistle innocently.

I mean, I am innocent! Totally! Doesn’t that one religion say that murder is wrong, but doesn’t clarify about killing in general? Then I’m totally innocent!

But since it’s clear that she wants to know more about what happened, I suppose I can explain. “Well, you see, some gang guy with a weak teleportation quirk decided to harass Himiko. Normally teleportation quirks are highly sought after, but this guy could only teleport clothing.”

I scowl at the memory. We were just walking down the street to get some celebratory ice cream after killing a guy who was mugging some woman (ignore the fact that Himiko drained her dry afterwards because her blood she tasted like ’chocolate syrup’) when this random punk grabbed her by the shoulder and leaned in close to her ear.

Normally she would have just stabbed the guy the moment he grabbed her, but she really wanted to pour that blood she’d gotten onto some pomegranate ice cream. How chocolate syrupy blood and pomegranate ice cream taste together, I have no intention of ever finding out. But anyways, instead of stabbing him, she just punched him in the stomach.

Oh boy, did he get mad about that. While clutching his stomach on the ground, he shouted something about how his gang would ‘show her her place’ and made a grabbing motion at her. Since we’d already moved out of his reach, neither of us thought anything of it. But in a world where the extraordinary has long become ordinary, we should have known better.

All of a sudden her shirt and skirt had disappeared from around her and ended up in the bastard’s hand. Now, obviously Himiko isn’t shy about being seen in her underwear. It’s kind of a given what with her quirk working better if she strips naked beforehand.

But I still have no idea how her quirk is able to copy clothes! Especially since we got blood from someone and followed him until he changed clothes, and when she transformed she was in the clothes from when she’d gotten the blood! It bothered me so much that I killed the guy! WHAT DOES IT MEAN!? 

*Cough* Sidetracked. Anyways, being seen in her underwear, while a bit embarrassing for her, isn’t overall too big of a deal. But the way he was leering at her and talking about how he and his friends would ‘have fun’ with her? Oooohhh! The only reason I didn’t gut him then and there is because my dear precious vampire held an arm out to stop me.

After letting the guy take a picture while covering herself, he ran off. Obviously we followed at a distance after I covered her with my jacket. It took a bit of time, but he eventually ended up at what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

I was shocked. Really.

…

It was whatever, honestly. But given how confident he was acting, couldn’t he at least have had the decency to be part of more than some small-time gang? Like, abandoned warehouses are the lowest of the low in terms of criminal organizations. Hell, they don’t even qualify as villains! In fact, given how dilapidated it was, I would say they even barely passed the bar to be qualified as a ‘gang’ and would better be classified as delinquents.

Off track again. Anyways, after confirming their location, Himiko sent me off to get something burny, and something explodey. A quick robbery of a gas station later (thank goodness that I stole a second jacket on the way. And always keep my mask stashed in my hood) and I’d returned with four gallons of gas and a box of matches.

“Ok, so you can pour one of those cans around the doors of the warehouse and light it so they don’t run away. Then go cause a distraction, and after I find my knives I’ll give you a signal. Then you can blow up the second one right in the middle of them! I’ll stab anyone that survives in a super mean way !”

I nodded along with her explanation. Obviously Himi wasn’t mad about what he’d done to her - well, not too much. Maybe forty percent? What really had her mad was that the guy stole all her knives!

To make a medium-ish length story short, most of the delinquents got blown up or burned to death, and the unlucky ones met an adorably angry vampire.

Oh yeah, and I died for the seventh time. It’s actually what started me on fully studying my quirk! But given how that was literally what sparked my seventh visit, I have to wonder why she’s bringing it up now of all times…

But I decide to just shrug the question off. It’s not like it’s important anyways. She probably only recently met up with the colleague in charge of that group, so she hadn’t heard of it before.

After telling her about the incident, she simply nods in understanding before raising an inquisitive eyebrow. “I see. It seems that you are living quite a bit differently than you were when you first appeared here.”

I nod happily. “Yep! It’s like you said: ‘Guilt and regret are bitter’.”

I get a sagely nod in reply. “Indeed. Though do try to avoid dying so much. It does have a tendency to disrupt the flow whenever someone who appears returns to the living realm. Though I must admit that it is refreshing to have a visitor who has the ability to retain their memories of this realm.”

I tilt my head, taken aback by this new information. “Do you mean that people who only half-die don’t remember coming here? If that’s the case, what makes me different?”

The deadpan look I get reminds me of Shoko. There’s absolutely no change in expression, but you can just tell that they think you’ve said something incredibly dumb.

“The fact that your quirk specifically has to do with dying and returning to life might have a hand in the situation.”

I gasp, holding my hands to my mouth in mock surprise. “You sassed me! That’s the first time you’ve done that! That means you’re starting to like me~!”

Her eyes narrow into a glare. “You are fortunate that the effort it would take to force your soul to remain here is not nearly worth it to do.”

That puts me in a serious mood. “You can force people to become fully dead if they’re half-dead?”

She nods. “To simplify it, that would be correct. Although it is more accurate to say that we do not release our claim on their soul. Usually this is only done with incredibly desirable or atrocious souls. I am aware of one of my colleagues who has a team constantly on guard in case of one specific soul’s arrival. He claims that it is incredibly slippery, and that he does not intend to allow it to escape.”

“Huh. Who’s that? Maybe if I see them I can send them down. Y’know, since you’ve been so patient with me.”

She taps a finger on her pursed lips while she thinks before eventually shaking her head. “That will not be necessary. Not only is the individual they desire incredibly powerful, far outside your capabilities to kill, but I also do not care for that colleague. They are unpleasant.”

I nod in understanding. “Yeah, I get it. They steal your lunch from the company refrigerator, right? Or did the two of you used to date?”

Ah~, another deadpan stare. There's something refreshing about getting those. Especially when paired with that certain look in their eyes~.

Just then I start to feel a faint pulling sensation, making me smile. After showing up here so often, I’ve started being able to feel when my soul is getting pulled back to my body. The lady tells me that’s not how it’s supposed to work, but oh well~.

“Guess I’ll be heading back soon. I’ll see you later! Ooh! Maybe I’ll get you to tell me your name next time!” I wave my hands excitedly as I get pulled out of this place.

As everything vanishes from sight, I think I hear her say something, but I’m not sure. And since I’m opening my eyes to the familiar sight of Himiko leaning over me while sipping on a blood shake, it’s too late to ask her.

Chapter 23: Experiments and a Minor Encounter

Summary:

The two experiment with Izuku's quirk, then run into a familiar face while going out.

Seeing Himiko above me I can’t help but chuckle, causing her to pout and stop sipping her treat. “What’s so funny?”

I shake my head and get up, her moving out of the way so there isn’t a repeat of our first meeting. Though she’s told me that she didn’t dislike it, so maybe she was hoping for a repeat? 

Tossing the thought out of mind, I answer her question. “I was just thinking about how nostalgic waking up like this is. Only this time we didn’t end up on the floor together.” I chuckle again and she smiles.

“Oh yeah. I was curious about how you hadn’t run out of blood for me to drain and so was going to try just drinking directly, but then you just suddenly shot up and headbutted me!” She puts a hand on her head and mock-pouts. “It really hurt, you know!”

I roll my eyes at that before moving onto more relevant topics. “So, how long was I out that time?”

Huffing at my dismissal, she puts down her shake and checks the time. “It looks like… about three hours.”

I nod. “Sounds about right. Regrowing a heart takes a bit of time.” Looking up, I tap my chin. “You know, instead of our plan to sell information on heroes, we could always sell my body parts instead.”

Over the course of the three months since we met and I ran away from home, we’ve experimented quite a bit with my quirk. The results have been pretty interesting too!

First off and most important: it is not a regeneration quirk. No matter how badly my body gets damaged, it will not heal. Cuts, bruises, amputation. My quirk does not heal any of them.

Not while I’m alive, at least.

When I’m dead, any damage my body has accumulated will heal. It doesn’t matter what it is. Missing limbs, organs, paper cuts, etc. While I’m dead, everything will heal to its previous state. The sole exception to this seems to be anything that’s beneficial to my body.

For example; when you tear a muscle and it heals back stronger. Instead of healing to its previous state, my body will instead accelerate the healing in those cases. Himiko and I have really abused that to enhance my body to a frankly ridiculous degree. I think that I’m strong enough to compete with some weak strengthening quirks now!

Of course, my quirk also has downsides.

First of all, the fact that I have to die to activate it is already a pretty big disadvantage that would put most people off of trying to utilize it. Of course I don’t have that problem, given how I first discovered it.

Which leads me to the second point: it seems that the first activation of my quirk had some… complications.

See, it heals my body to its previous state before I died. But it also uses my previous death as a sort of progress report on things that have changed. Like how I’ve gotten slightly taller. Since there’s a ‘progress report’ my quirk won’t try to revert my height. But since there hadn’t been any reports on the first activation, well. Complications.

As far as I can tell, the major part of that is my inability to feel pain. It’s not a direct benefit of my quirk, but more of an issue that healed wrongly in my brain. But since the first report healed it like that, it will keep healing like that.

In addition, other parts of my brain seem to be damaged as well. I hadn’t studied the brain before - and my interest hasn’t increased so won’t - so I’m not sure which parts are damaged. But my lack of empathy towards the people Himiko and I kill is partly due to that damage. But I’m self-aware enough to realize that the majority of it is showing everyone that I’m not some weak and worthless Deku.

Honestly, I’ve even been thinking of trying to take out some of the weaker and lower ranked heroes. Showing everyone that the person they berated and degraded for his dream being able to take out those he aspired to be like is just sooo appealing~!

But that’s for later consideration. In addition to the botched healing of my first activation, as well as how it works now, I’ve noticed that certain things won’t heal. The scars I got from my constant bullying.

This one actually took me a while to notice. I’d just assumed that they fell under the category of ‘no previous report’ of my first healing. But after I cut my finger during knife catching practice with Himiko I changed my mind.

That injury healed naturally, which is no surprise since I hadn’t died for like a week after getting it. But after I did die, I noticed that the scar didn’t heal along with my pre-death wounds. So I got curious and carved a shallow wound on my forearm spelling Himiko’s name.

Unfortunately I ended up having to do it twice since Himiko walked in on me the first time and got so happy that she drank me to death, healing the wound. But the second time I managed to avoid dying until it had started to scar over. And the next time I died, it remained as a full scar.

So it seems like my quirk won’t heal anything that either: has passed a certain period of time, or that I start considering ‘part of my body’. Obviously I haven’t tested it by cutting off any parts, so I’m not completely certain of it. But when I kept a wound fresh for the same amount of time it healed without any problem, so I’m leaning towards the latter for an answer.

Now, back to my initial question to Himiko…

“I think that this basically confirms that the more damage my body takes, the more time it takes for me to ‘wake up’. An hour or so for minimal damage like bleeding out or lack of oxygen, then three to four for serious damage like bludgeoning, dismemberment, or removal of important organs.”

“You know…” she leads off. “It’s kind of weird talking to someone else and feeling like I’m the sane one.”

I give her a deadpan look, ooh, I’m doing it now too! “Pretty sure you’re the one who got all excited about ‘Kali Ma’ due to all the blood involved.”

She snorts in opposition to that. “Please, you were waaayyy more excited than me! You did it to, like, five people before I did!”

“That’s because you wanted to do it to me first!”

She blushes and looks to the side while bringing her fists up to her chin. “Well, yeah. A girl’s first time is special, so obviously I’d want you to have mine.”

Izuku exe. has stopped functioning.

Seeing my state she sticks out her tongue and taps her head. “Whoopsie, teehee.”

`~`

By the time I manage to ‘reboot’ it’s almost time for dinner. Apparently there’s this bar the information broker Himiko’s been in contact with recommends, so that’s where we’re going to eat. Maybe I’ll even get to try some alcohol…

“No drinks! How are you going to be Cinnamon Roll if your blood tastes like alcohol!?”

I pout while we walk down the street, my hair covered by the hood of my jacket while I play with one of the ears. “There are cinnamon rolls made with alcohol, I’m sure. Somewhere.”

In response to my pout, she clicks her tongue and wags her finger at me. “Tsk, tsk. That’s some naive thinking, given that I haven’t had alcohol before! No drinks for me means no drinks for you!”

 I kick a can while grumbling to myself. “No drinking, no cursing… We’re villains, sort of. Why am I not allowed to do either of those…?”

A roll of the eyes is her only response since we both know what her answer will be. ‘Those things will ruin my flavor’. “Hmph.”

Another kick of the can sends it tapping against the shoe of some guy in a vest and wielding one of those trash sticks that stabs stuff. Judging by the way he whirls on me, I’m guessing that he’s taken offense at that little tap.

But seeing just who it is, that makes sense, and I almost freeze. But I don’t. Instead, I pull my hood down farther over my face and look down in order to hide it while they yell at me.

“WATCH IT YOU DAMN EXTRA! I ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS DEALING WITH THIS SHIT, I DON’T NEED YOU CAUSING MORE!” Kachan’s yell echoes down the street, drawing the attention of all the passersby, though the majority of them go back to what they were already doing. A few others heckle their friends, saying things like ‘he’s about to explode again’ or ‘Short-fuse go boom’.

Apparently Kachan has been doing this for a while, if their reactions are anything to go by. But it’s definitely a surprise to me! Doing community service doesn’t fit his character at all! Honestly, I half expected him to turn to being a vigilante now that his favorite punching bag is gone!

But that’s something I can think about later. For now, it’s clear that my leaving hasn’t improved his temper any. Luckily my many years of abuse have trained me how to deal with a rabid pomeranian.

I mumble some apologies, make myself look small, and grab Himiko’s wrist to drag the two of us out of there! Thankfully he doesn’t pursue, just cursing us out under his breath and angrily stabbing the can with his stick.

Once we’re far outside of view of him, I finally stop and let go of Himiko while catching my breath. I clench my chest just above my heart, trying to stop its rapid beating. Himiko is trying to talk with me, but I can’t hear her over the sound of my heartbeats ringing in my ears.

I had no idea seeing Kachan would affect me so much! After everything that’s happened, I thought that I was over it. Heh, I guess not. It just goes to show just how badly I’ve been affected by him.

But… I don’t think I’d respond to seeing Izumi the same way. Oh, I certainly wouldn't be happy to see her. But after seeing Kachan… of feeling like this… I can absolutely say for certain that Izumi has never evoked the same feelings inside me.

Before I can try and think about it more, I feel two pinpricks dig into my shoulder and a calming feeling flows through me, as if my panic is getting sucked away. Letting out a sigh of relief, I tap on Himiko’s back twice to signal that I’m good now. Of course, she continues to suck. But since we’re on our way to dinner, she does stop in a reasonable amount of time. This time.

The rest of the way to the bar, Himiko questions me. And I answer. I give her more details than I’d given previously when describing what I’d gone through before I met her, and her cutely angry face warms my heart. Thankfully I manage to talk her down from going back and stabbing him by the time we get to the bar and she’s once again excited to try the food! I hope they have chicken Katsudon~.

Chapter 24: Offer at the Bar

Summary:

Toga and Izuku go to a bar.

The bar is pretty nice, though there’s only two people inside it. The first is the bartender, who’s head and hands are made out of some kind of dark purple mist. Since he’s wearing a suit, I can’t tell if the mutation extends to the rest of his body. I wonder what his quirk does, exactly?

The other guy looks like he’s a few years older than Himiko and I. He has shaggy pale blue hair which honestly looks kind of fluffy. Which is a sharp contrast to his skin. He looks like he’s never heard of moisturizer!

Well, I can’t see his face since he’s focused on the game in his hands, but I can say that his hands definitely need moisturizer! Seriously, how can his hair look so soft while his hands look so dry?

But I guess it’s rude to judge the other customers, even if it’s also rude to play games by yourself when you go out to eat. Would that be rude? Since he’s by himself maybe it wouldn’t be…? I’ve only occasionally gone out with Shoko before so I’m not too sure.

Whatever.

The bartender looks at us with what I’m going to assume is interest? Or maybe surprise? I don’t know… his lack of a face makes it hard to tell.

“Welcome. May I inquire as to your purpose in coming here?” Well, at least he’s polite.

“It would be strange if you couldn’t, but as for the reason, we were told that this place has some good food so we decided to come for dinner.”

He blinks at me and stays silent for a moment. Wow, you really don’t realize how much attention you pay to someone’s face when you talk to them until you talk to someone who doesn’t have one. Eventually though, he speaks.

“If it’s not a bother, I’d appreciate it if you could tell me the name of the person who recommended this… establishment.”

I look at Himiko since she’s the one who knows the guy. She taps her chin as if to remember his name. “He’s an information broker. So I don’t think that he’d appreciate it if we went about telling people that he’s the one who gave us information. Ooh~, how about I give you a hint, and you try to figure it out!”

She nods her head with a satisfied look. “Yeah, that sounds fun. He’s always smoking a cigarette, but avoids putting it in the spot where he’s missing a tooth.”

The bartender is silent for a moment before the smoke making up his head slightly flares up before returning to normal. Was…was that a nod?

“Very well. Though I should warn you that I have no intention of selling minors alcohol of any kind, despite being villains.”

“How did you know we’re villains?” I can’t help but be surprised at how quickly he came to that conclusion. This guy must be some kind of pro information broker, or his quirk helps him analyze data!

He blinks at me. “...I was referring to ourselves.”

“O-oh. Right…” Himiko snickers at my blunder, so I turn my red face away and look at the floor, just letting her pull me right up to the bar and plop me in a seat. Hearing the bartender ask what we'd like to eat, I respond with Katsudon and whichever tea he recommends. I mean, he didn’t give us menus or anything, so I’m assuming that he’s just taking any requests we have.

Himiko says that she’ll have the same, but instead of getting a drink just asks for an empty cup. I sigh, knowing what’s going to be filling it up soon. Hopefully it isn’t too big…

While he’s busy making the food, I turn my attention to the guy on his game. He hasn’t looked up from it a single time, so it must be good! “Whatcha playing?”

He doesn’t even deign to respond, though I notice that his head shifts a bit, so I can assume that he’s at least looked at me. I’ll take that as a win!

“You’ve been focused on it since we came in, so it must be good. I mean, I’m not much of a gamer, though I have occasionally managed to scrounge up enough money to afford a day pass at a couple of arcades, so I’m not completely useless at them. Oh! Have you ever played…”

I start rambling about one of the most famous fighting games, oblivious to the fact that I’ve started rambling. Unfortunately, me being aware of my rambling does not affect whether or not the people around me find it annoying to listen to. By the time I realize it and apologize, his hands are twitching.

“Sorry about the rambling, I’ve been trying to break that habit.” I rub my head sheepishly. His twitching hands draw my attention, which leads to me noticing how he’s holding his game. “Why aren’t you holding it with all your fingers? Oh! Is it because of your quirk? Do you have to touch something with all of your fingers to activate it? That would make sense judging by how natural yet stiff they seem. Maybe try alternating which fingers you don’t touch something with? Ooh! Or maybe…”

And I’m delving into yet another rant. Thankfully he at least seems mildly interested in it. Though given how he still hasn’t put down the game, I have to question how much attention he’s really paying it. Still though, his hands aren’t twitching anymore so I consider that a good sign.

But there’s one thing that’s been bugging me ever since we got here. Something that’s been poking at my brain the moment Himiko and I walked through the door. It’s even enough to cut my current rant short. “Sorry, but this has been bothering me since we got here: why is the tv set to a blank channel?”

A shudder runs down my spine as the guy finally puts down his game and raises his head. Finally able to see his face, I see that it’s just as dry as the rest of his skin, and he has a small vertical scar crossing his lips. And his eyes are a bright red. Just like Kachan’s.

What makes them different from Kachan though, is that they aren’t filled with pride and arrogance. Instead, what I see is a deep-rooted pain and fear. They’re like my eyes. But the fear isn’t directed outwards. Instead, it’s focused on himself.

Of course, all of that is currently overshadowed by his clear irritation. “I like the tv being on this ‘channel’.” He starts scratching at his neck.

I frown at his sudden aggressiveness. “Sure, I guess. But wouldn’t it be better to have it on, y’know, an actual channel? Don’t bars usually have their TVs set to sports or something?”

He scowls as his fingers dig deeper into the skin of his neck. “You can’t believe everything you see on tv, kid.”

I huff at him, and out of the corner of my eye notice that Himiko has her phone out and pointed at the two of us. I dismiss it easily, given how I fully support her oddities. If she wants to record the two of us having a conversation, then that’s fine with me.

“Even if it’s not set to a sports channel, we could at least have it on something . This is just drab and boring. I mean, even if it’s just an aesthetic choice, you have to take into account your customer base. Here, if you let me have the remote I could-”

“You’re annoying.”

As I reach out for him to hand me the tv remote, he mutters and reaches out his own hand. But it bypasses my own, instead grabbing onto my face with all five fingers. Then it’s dark, and I’m back in the afterlife space with a woman who’s eyebrow is twitching across from me.

`~`

When I wake up, I’m still in the bar, laying on the floor. After standing up and looking around, I find Himiko digging into what looks like a fresh bowl of Katsudon, with another warm bowl in front of my seat. Sitting down and giving my thanks for the meal, I notice some extra eyes studying me.

Both the bartender and the crusty guy are both staring at me like I’ve just grown a new head. Which I guess isn’t really wrong. Depending on what the guy’s quirk is, of course. “Hey Himiko.”

She makes a noise of acknowledgement through her mouthful of food so I continue. “Did you get what happened on your phone?” She nods, not stopping her eating. Is the food really that good? She didn’t even draw- oh wait, she did. I notice that she has a cup of what’s probably my blood next to her food.

Shrugging off both Himiko’s addiction to my blood and the two guys’ staring, I dig into my food. And boy do I see why Himiko is eating so voraciously. It’s really good. It really makes up for the fact that the guy - who at this point I’m guessing is related to the owner - killed me. Especially since they listened to Himiko and waited to make it until I was close to coming back to life. All of those experiments are proving useful already!

I join Himiko in eating in silence, nobody saying anything, each for their own reasons. Himiko and I because the food is so good, and the bartender and crusty guy… they’re probably shocked at actually seeing me come back to life. Even if Himiko told them I would, it would still be a shock to see it happen.

After we finish eating - Himiko before me of course - the crusty guy finally speaks. “Hey, Kurogiri. We should take this kid to Sensei.”

The bartender - Kurogiri, apparently- hesitates for a moment before doing his odd maybe-nodding thing. “I agree. Though perhaps we should speak to the two of them before confirming any decisions?”

Though he scowls, the crusty guy nods at Kurogiri’s words before turning to me. “How would you like to meet Master, the one who saved me when the heroes abandoned me?”

I stare at him for a moment, his words resonating with me. The heroes abandoned me . I’m probably one of the best people in the world who understands that feeling. The two who ‘raised’ me. One of whom is the number one hero.

I want to live freely. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want connections. And someone like this, who knows what it’s like to be overlooked by the heroes… I feel like we’d get along great. And since Himiko didn’t attack them after Crusty killed me…

I nod. “I’d love to meet them.”

Chapter 25: Unforseen Events

Summary:

The final reaction chapter...

“Ok, is everyone settled?” Soahc asks after allowing everyone to move around before the next series of clips. Though he has to admit, the new seats everyone has taken are… interesting.

Toga and Mina have claimed the front seats closest to the screen, both excited to see what’s next for Midori. Aizawa and Tsukauchi are in the center, where they can listen in on everyone’s conversations, along with Todoroki who decided against changing seats. All Might and Bakugou are in the back, trying to avoid everyone else’s disappointed, or in some cases angry, gazes. And the final members of the audience, Tomura and Nezu, sit on the far left and right of the theater, respectively.

Seeing everybody is as comfortable as he doesn’t care they can be, he presses a big red button on a remote he pulls out of his sleeve, ignoring the questions as to where both it and his new outfit came from.

Izuku and Toga are in an alley, Izuku looking extremely nervous while Toga has a look of excitement on her face as she pulls him along. “But… it will be my first time. I don’t think I’m ready!”

The natural sounds of fidgeting and muttering die immediately at those words, and Mina spits out her drink in surprise. Toga starts laughing uncontrollably, which only intensifies when Vampy responds.

“Just make sure you stay relaxed and follow what your body wants to do. It will know how to react. Mine did the first time!”

She ignores the jaw-dropped stares she gets, just continuing to laugh. Though she does reach out to tap her palm against Mina’s when she tentatively extends it.

Aizawa just sighs, fully aware that he’s going to be getting a headache from what they’re about to see. Good thing Mineta isn’t here…

Rounding a corner, the two of them see a well-dressed man with a speaker for a mouth. After bonking him on the head with one of her knives, Toga gives Izuku a pep-talk?

“If Midori is Bi, I wonder if ours is too…?” Mina’s whispered musing can still be heard in the silence, and it sets everyone else to wondering. Wondering that’s abruptly cut short at Midori’s next words.

“So I just stab ‘em?

“Yeah~!”

There’s a creaking sound as everyone turns their heads towards Toga, who’s laughter returns with a vengeance after having finally died down.

“Hahahahaha! Y-You pervs totally thought it was something dirty, d-didn’t you! Hahahaha!”

They look away in embarrassment, unable to refuse her claim. Except for Mina, who nods emphatically. “But do you have experience in… that ?”

The question causes Toga’s laughter to fall silent as she blushes. “Oh look, stuff is happening.”

Smirking at her, Mina lets her avoid the subject. For now . She’ll absolutely be texting her about it when they get back.

After approaching the man, Izuku strikes. Or at least he tries.

Seeing Midori fumble the knife, the audience can’t help but facepalm, not yet coming to terms with what they’re about to witness.

“Figures,” Bakugou snorts. “Damn nerd can’t even kill someone right.” He promptly gets smacked on the head by All Might.

“If I do get him to join my party, maybe I should keep him as support…” Tomura mutters to himself at the sad display.

But he doesn’t let his initial failure stop him. Turning his mistake into an opportunity, he gets the man to let down his guard. Which is quickly followed by a quick but bloody struggle. But he doesn’t stop after the man is dead. Instead, he stabs him again. Over and over until Toga wraps him in her arms.

The silence returns, the sight of the nicest person any of them have ever met (except Toga) putting them into a daze. They understood what he was trying to accomplish. But they never actually thought that he would succeed !

“Maybe I won’t keep him as support.”

“So, Cinnamon Roll. How does it feel to take someone’s life?”

As Midori looks Vampy in the eyes, the heroes shudder at the gleam shining from his eyes. It’s one they’ve only seen on the most unstable of villains. Ones that are so far gone in their path of villainy that they no longer perceive the world the same way.

It’s unhinged.

Unnatural.

Psychotic.

It’s-

“SO CUTE!!!”

“It feels amazing.”

“...”

The heroes watching don’t know what to say as they watch the boy jump into villainy headfirst, with just as much enthusiasm as their own does with hero-ing.

The screen fades to black, the next scene preparing to appear. But only a single image of Izuku sitting across from a woman in a suit appears before the darkness surrounding them stretches. Their forms are quickly obscured, and the screen starts to glitch.

“Uh-oh.” Not letting his panic show, Soahc summons a keyboard that his hands fly across, faster than many speed quirks. The audience looks on in confusion, not understanding what happened.

Eventually, he lets out a sigh of relief and wipes his sleeve across his forehead. He looks back at them with a strained smile. “Sorry about that. Apparently Midori’s quirk works a bit differently than I thought in this world.”

At their inquisitive looks, he explains. “See, while I have jurisdiction over three worlds, that’s only for the living in those worlds. I have no power over the dead. That falls under someone else’s domain.”

They jolt. “Are you claiming that there is an afterlife?”

He waves his hand in a so-and-so gesture at Nezu’s question. “Sort of. It depends on who’s in charge. Maybe they decide your world gets an afterlife, maybe they decide you immediately get reincarnated. Or maybe they turn your souls into meals.” They shrug disinterestedly.

“It’s entirely up to them what to do with your souls after you die. So long as your world doesn’t get overrun with free-floating souls. Or as they’re commonly called; ghosts.” He glances back at the screen. “Though it seems like they don’t want us seeing what they do in this world.”

It takes a bit of time before the screen goes back to normal, but it passes quickly for them while discussing what the ‘afterlife’ in their world might be like.

Izuku wakes up to Himiko leaning over him while drinking a blood milkshake.

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Just make sure you get a second blender and label which you use for blood. Not everyone wants to have blood in their shakes.”

Aizawa starts getting a cold sweat while listening to the two girls in front of him. This friendship sounds like a bad idea.

After talking a bit about how his quirk works, along with a bit of flirting, Himiko suggests that they go out to eat at a bar recommended by the information broker she recently got in contact with.

Tomura’s eyes narrow at the word ‘bar’. He knows that his Master and Kurogiri had discussed letting people in and treating it like an actual bar, but he’d managed to convince them that they shouldn’t. (Read: threw a fit because he’s an introvert and didn’t want random people in his secret base.)

Seeing the route the two on screen take to their destination, he can’t help but get a bit worried. It looks like the other me failed to stop our base from getting swarmed by randoms…

By the time they encounter Bakubitch, he’s starting to internally panic. The heroes will definitely check the location when everyone gets back. But I don’t want to change bases, I like the bar!

After encountering Bakugou, who doesn’t see through Izuku’s flimsy disguise, the two hurry away. To calm down Izuku’s panic attack, Himiko starts to suck his blood, reassuring him that she’s there for him.

“You’re a good friend, Himiko.”

“EEHH!” Toga makes a buzzing sound while crossing her arms in an ‘X’. “Wrong! I’m the best friend !”

Mina laughs, and Aizawa opens his mouth to say something. But…

“ AAA AAA AAA AAA AAA …!!!”

Everyone suddenly hears screaming. It starts out faint, but steadily grows louder, confusing them. But none as much as Soahc, who knows only another administrator is supposed to be able to enter this space. And even then he’d be aware of someone approaching. But this screaming is completely unexpected. So much so that he doesn’t react in time to prevent disaster.

The screaming is suddenly right next to them, and they can hear that it’s not just one, but two. Both filled with incredible rage and a desire for death. And ‘death’ is what they get, though not from the one they want to die.

Two behemoths crash through the room from above, their flailing limbs striking many of those who were lucky enough to avoid being crushed. There’s no blood, for their real bodies are safely back on their world, but they vanish from sight all the same.

Then, just as quickly as they appeared, they’re gone, the floor having given way under their fighting. Leaving behind a trashed room, a baffled administrator, and two shell shocked girls. One of whom is having flashbacks back to a certain incident back in middle school.

Soahc works furiously to keep the rest of the room from collapsing. Not an easy feat considering all the damage. But he manages after condensing the room into a smaller and more reinforced form. Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, he turns his attention to his two remaining guests, who are both freaking out in their own ways.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? THAT WAS SOME KIND OF KAIJU FIGHT! WHY ARE THERE KAIJU FIGHTS WHEREVER WE ARE?! CAN WE TURN INTO KAIJU AND FIGHT!?” Toga’s freak out is as amusing as it is strange.

“Him…it was him again…why was he here…?” Mina’s freak out is quieter, more afraid, but perhaps more noteworthy. It seems that she recognized one of the giants.

“Both of you calm down, have some Apple Blood.” Bottles of the named drink appear in their hands, and Mina uncorks it immediately and downs half the bottle as she tries to calm herself. Toga quickly follows suit.

While they do that, Soahc goes through the logs he has access to in order to determine what happened, and why people are suddenly crashing through a space they shouldn’t be able to get to. Eventually, after the girls have drunk another two bottles of Apple Blood, he finds the answer. He can only shake his head in bemusement.

“I really should have paid more attention to that third world.” He mutters to himself, but is still heard by the only other two still around.

“Wh…what do you mean? Are you saying those two came from the third world you have?”

He looks at Mina with a complicated expression on his face before nodding. “Correct. Let’s just say that a quirk that should have been long gone activated, and your world will have company.”

It takes a few seconds before they realize what he means, but when they do their eyes widen. “You mean our Japan is getting actual Kaiju !?!?”

Soahc shakes his head at Toga. “They aren’t Kaiju, just two people with strong quirks. Though one of them was being enhanced when they passed through.” He shrugs. “And while I know that they will show up on your world, I can’t tell when it will happen. Might be the moment I send you two back, it might be in a thousand years.”

“Are you sending us back right now?” Mina asks, finally calm. They aren’t dead, just back in Japan.

Another shrug. “That will be up to the two of you. I’ll allow you to stay and watch if you want. Don’t worry, I’ve reinforced this space so we shouldn’t have to worry about another ‘incident’. Or I could send you both back right now, with your memories intact. Just know that whatever happens, it will happen to both of you .” He looks around sadly. “Too bad the others lost their memories of all this, but at least their subconscious’ will remember. I was looking forward to how things would change.”

After exchanging looks, Toga nods and Mina takes a deep breath. Getting their answer, Soahc smiles. “Well then, back to the show.”

Notes:

And here is where the reactions end. Originally I was going to tie them into something else, which is why I left Toga and Mina, but have since decided against it. So just think of the reactions so far as for fun. Because I did enjoy them at the time.
Like I mentioned way back when, if you want to do your own reaction fic for this story, just be sure to let me know so I can check it out myself!

Chapter 26: Meeting AFO

Summary:

Izuku and Himiko meet a famous figure...

Himiko and I walk through the purple portal Kurogiri opens for us along with Crusty McChappedLips. On the other side is someone famous worldwide. Someone everyone has heard of. Someone who either brightens or traumatizes your childhood. Indeed, it's the legendary-

“Mr. Potatohead! I had no idea that the toy was based on a real person! Ooh, ooh! Do you have the parts of your face laying around this lab somewhere? Is this like a scavenger hunt? Did you lose them because you took off both eyes and couldn’t see anymore? Hey, Himi. Let’s help him out and find his eyes for him. Maybe we can get an autograph after!”

Himiko facepalms while the others are frozen in shock at my barrage of words. But I guess that makes sense. Thinking about it I doubt Mr. Potatohead is his real name, it’s probably just his brand name. And judging how we got here by portal, he probably doesn’t get a lot of new visitors.

“Izu.” Himi says with a serious look on her face. When I tilt my head in confusion she sighs. “Remember earlier when I said that sometimes it feels like I’m the sane one in our relationship?”

I nod and she continues. “This is one of those moments.

I pause my excitement for a moment and replay what I said before my eyes widen in understanding. “I’m sorry about that, I guess I let my excitement get away from me.” I rub the back of my head sheepishly.

Thankfully my apology seems to get the other two back to normal since Potatohead turns to Crusty. “Tomura, why have you brought such a disrespectful child here?”

Rude! I’m not disrespectful, I’m excitable! There’s a difference! Sort of!

“His quirk brought him back to life. I figured that you would want it, Sensei.” His reply is straight to the point, rather bland I’d say. Potatohead’s reaction isn’t though.

He jerks straight up in his chair, which honestly looks super uncomfortable without any cushions on it. And he turns his eyeless and noseless head towards him. “What!? Are you certain that it is not simply a powerful regenerative quirk!?”

The now named Tomura nods his head as he rests four fingers on the side of his neck. “I’m sure. I completely disintegrated his head, but for some reason it didn’t travel to the rest of his body. After he died, his girlfriend-”

“Girlfriend!?” I can’t help my blush accompanied shout at his casual claim. I mean, sure I like her, but we aren’t officially dating I think! Well, I haven’t had a girlfriend before so I’m not entirely sure, but still. As my face starts to reach cooking temperature, I shyly look to the side only to see Himi giving me an odd look.

“Why are you acting surprised? We’ve been together ever since you let me drink your blood.”

“That long!?” This day is just full of surprises. First I see Kachan doing community service, then she brings me to a bar for dinner, I get my head destroyed - by disintegration he said? - meet Potatohead, and now I find out that Himi and I have been dating for months !? It’s hard to wrap my head around this, but as Himi hugs my arm, I decide that I can accept that I’m just kind of oblivious in social situations.

Seeing that I’m done with my outburst, Tomura continues as he scowls at me. “As I was saying, the girl told me that his head would grow back after about three hours. It took an extra couple hours, but she was right. He was completely dead, and he came back to life. Kurogiri even checked his pulse after I’d grabbed him. Watching him grow a new head was pretty creepy, definitely rated M.”

Seeing his gaze drop down to my neck as Potatohead turns to me with a smile through his oxygen mask, I try to follow his gaze. But since whatever he’s looking at is on my neck it doesn’t really work…

Seeing my predicament, Himi, my now girlfriend, takes a picture and shows it to me. Taking her phone from her hand, I look and see what’s drawn their attention. There’s a jagged scar running around my entire neck, like if someone wrapped something coarse around it and pulled .

I’m silent as I turn my head to look at it from different angles, my brow furrowed. This… is weird. I’ve never gotten a scar or anything like that from something that killed me before. Does this mean certain types of wounds can’t be healed? Or is it something to do with his quirk? On one hand I don’t really want to die anymore, on the other…

“I really want to study your quirk.” I look up from my thoughts only to have my vision filled with the palm of someone’s hand. “Huh?” I’m surprised, obviously. I really need to stop getting lost in my thoughts and mutterings, one of these days it’s going to get me in trouble.

But that day is not today since Himi slashes at the outstretched wrist, causing them to pull back. Even without eyes, you can tell he’s angry just by the pressure he’s giving off. Himi flinches, and her knees buckle, but I hold out a hand to steady her. Feeling my reassuring presence transmitted through my touch, her legs stop shaking and she looks up to meet his, er, glare?

Next to him, Tomura is holding out his hands in his own preparation to fight. But is that really necessary? I’m not even sure what the guy was trying to do given how much I was thinking at the time. “Can you explain what you were trying to do? I promise that I’m paying attention this time.”

Everyone can see that he’s impatient, but to my surprise he actually holds up his hand to stop Tomura from attacking. Grumbling, he listens, but given how quick he was to kill me when we first got to the bar that doesn’t really mean much. But my attention is completely focused on Potatohead, something that I’m only comfortable with due to the knowledge that Himi will have my back no matter what happens.

The growl is clear in his voice when the man speaks. “I have the ability to give and take quirks, as such I would like to take yours. Coming back from the dead is quite the feat. Something that I’d like to add to my own arsenal of quirks. Rest assured that I would allow you to have the quirk of your choice in exchange. You nodded, so I was under the impression that you’d agreed.”

“Ah.” I scratch my head sheepishly while Himi sighs beside me. “Sorry about that, I was thinking about Tomura’s-”

“It’s Shigaraki to you, loot bot.”

I continue as if I wasn’t interrupted. “-quirk since my healing left a scar. The only time that’s happened is when I intended for the wound to stay. See.” To demonstrate I pull up the sleeve from my jacket and reveal the scar carved from Himiko’s name. Seeing me showing it off, Himi swoons.

“So romantic~. Carving a girl's name into yourself is one of the best shows of affection.”

I raise an eyebrow without taking my eyes off of the two in front of me. “‘One of’? Then what would be the best?”

“Hmm.” She glances up while tapping her chin with her index finger. “Maybe spelling out my name with dead bodies? Ooh! Or blood! I think that I’d prefer blood, that way I can drink it later. But it would have to be somewhere that heroes wouldn’t be trying to get rid of it.”

I nod before noticing that Potatohead and Shigaraki are getting impatient. Focusing back on the matter at hand I clear my throat. “Sorry again. Anyways, even if you obtained my quirk, there’s no guarantee it would work for you. The people in charge of the afterlife are able to keep you there if they choose. I’m told that my soul just isn’t valuable enough to do so.”

Seeing that I’m talking about my quirk, the two of them calm down and Potatohead rests his head on his fist. “Hmm. Interesting. And what exactly would make someone’s soul valuable?”

I shrug. “Dunno. Probably like, age and achievement or something? They did say that extremely atrocious or desirable souls are the main ones they’ll stop from coming back. Apparently one of my ‘handlers’, as I call her, has a coworker who’s been waiting on a soul for two hundred years! They even have an entire team waiting to grab them when they eventually go down.”

There’s silence as they process the information, and looking at Potatohead, I realize something. The top half of his head isn’t how it’s supposed to look, it’s actually all scar tissue. I probably would have noticed earlier, but it’s pretty dark in here. And his oxygen mask covers basically the only part of his head that isn’t scarred, so I think I can be forgiven for not realizing sooner.

And with this realization comes another. “You won’t heal your scars if you take my quirk and come back to life. Any damage from before your first death remains, except for around the time you die. And keep in mind, you have to die for it to activate. It is not any type of regeneration quirk. You die, you come back.”

Suddenly, I realize what we’ve been talking about. “WAIT A MINUTE! YOU CAN TAKE AND GIVE QUIRKS!?”

While Potatohead seems lost in thought, Shigaraki frowns at me while Himi rolls her eyes. “Talk about bad lag.”

“Yeah Cinnamon Roll, that was a super late reaction. You feeling off from having your head turned to dust earlier?”

I wave off her concern as I pull out a fresh notebook and flick my wrist, suddenly holding a pen. “That doesn’t matter! A quirk like this overturns basically everything we know about quirks! I’m sure that this guy has taken at least one mutation type quirk before, but it doesn’t seem to have affected his own body. Which means that mutations might not actually be passive like everyone believes. They’re more like nobody knows how to turn them off!”

I quickly tap my chin with the point of my pen, ignoring the mark it left as I go back to writing at a mildly slower speed than my muttering. Those healed muscles are really coming in handy. “Or it could be that his quirk keeps them in a kind of storage, and they only become active when he wants them to. Still though, that would raise the question of whether or not he can give someone a mutation type quirk and change it from passive to active, thus turning it from a mutation to a transformation type. What about animal types like Mirko? Would he be able to turn her fully human if he were to take her quirk? Her quirk literally turns her into a rabbit, but the only things that could obviously change for her are the ears and tail. Her leg strength is part quirk and part training, so would that strength be gone? Or would it stay? There’s- Ow!”

Feeling something hit me in the head, I give out the obligatory sound of pain even if I’m not in any. I’m told it’s creepy if I just accept the hit and turn towards the person, who in this case is Himi with a palm-sized frying pan.

…

“Why do you have a frying pan?”

“For when you go mega muttering super quirk analysis mode. Just look at that guy, he’s basically passed out on his feet!” I turn my head to follow where the pan is pointing only to see Shigaraki with glazed over eyes and slightly swaying.

“Hehe. Whoops.” But to both of our surprise, chucking echoes throughout the room. The source? Potatohead.

“Hahaha. That’s quite the mind you have there, boy. You’ve only just learned of my quirk, yet have already figured out quite a bit about it. Tell me, can you do this for any quirk?”

Tilting my head, I pull out one of my older notebooks and toss it to him. “I really like quirks. At first I analyzed them because I thought it would help me to become a hero. But after All Might crushed that dream I decided that I could make some good money from selling the information.”

I sheepishly rub the back of my head. “Though I haven’t gotten around to it yet… Himi has been looking for a Broker we can work with that wouldn’t try to scr-” *Thunk* “-take advantage of the fact we’re so young. You really should go easier on how much you hit me, Himi.”

She seems to think about it for a moment. “No cursing.” Thunk* My vision is a bit blurry now, but whatever. She’s cute when she gets like this.

“Hmm. If that’s the case I have a proposition for you.” He smiles, but I have to object.

“Sorry, but you have to get Himi’s permission first. I’m open to the idea, but I care about her too much to just have a casual fling with someone we just met. Even if I was oblivious to the fact we were dating until a few minutes ago.”

“Aww, thanks Cinnamon Roll. I’m glad you care! We can talk about that stuff later though, it’s serious talk time.”

I nod. “Right. Sorry Potatohead.”

I see a vein pulse on his head, but he takes a deep breath to calm himself. “I would like for you to join Tomura’s organization, the League of Villains. You’d do as he says, as well as provide analysis for those he targets. In return, all of your needs will be attended to. Money, weapons, training, whatever you desire, you will be provided.”

“Hmm…” I look over at Himi to get her thoughts on the offer, but she just shrugs. Which is entirely unhelpful, but I get where she’s coming from. As long as we have each other and freedom it doesn’t really matter where we go. Plus, this seems interesting~.

So I turn to Potatohead and nod. “We’ll accept your offer, but what’s your name? I’m pretty sure you’re going to kill me after this talk for calling you Potatohead this whole conversation and don’t want it to happen every time.”

“You may call me… All For One.” He extends his hand, and I’m sitting back in the darkness across from the lady. Wow, that pulsing vein can rival All For Ones! Though this is the third time I’ve died today, so it’s understandable.

Chapter 27: AFO, No Swiping!

Summary:

AFO tries to take Izuku's resurrection.
It does not go as planned.

(AFO)

The duo now reside at the bar where Tomura insists his base be, and I think that the time is now right. Obviously I intend to take the boy’s quirk for myself. Even with it being unable to heal my old scars, coming back to life hours after having been thought killed is too valuable to leave in the hands of another.

Of course, this rests on the caveat that I can take his quirk. I cannot take or give quirks from the dead, the Nomu Doctor Garaki is working on are a small technical difference which allows the transfer. Even then it is not a sustainable process yet, it is likely that it will not be for a long while yet.

But as for the boy, he has died. There is no point debating that when I completely destroyed the top half of his body in order to fully test his quirk. It certainly had nothing with him calling me Potatohead. I am above such petty trivialities, after all. Nor was I offended at their flirting in my presence. I am the most powerful man alive, should I wish for a relationship I would have one.

But that is unimportant, what is is the fact that I am currently using a quirk to ensure that the boy and girl won’t wake up while I take his quirk. Given that his analytical skills would greatly benefit Tomura’s growth, I’ll likely grant him one of the regeneration quirks I possess. 

After ensuring that the boy won’t wake up when my quirk enters him, I stretch my hand through Kurogiri’s portal and grip his head.

And that’s where things go wrong.

I do manage to find his quirk successfully, which means that it hasn’t become cemented as a part of his soul. But when I grab a hold of it, instead of me pulling it out, it somehow pulls me in . In where? I am unsure, but that is the sensation I have.

An odd feeling envelops me, though it seems more focused around where my eyes used to be, and the world briefly turns blank, the various observation quirks I use having stopped functioning for a brief moment. One in which I now find myself in another location. I turn my head, seeing nothing but darkness outside of this small circle of light-

I pause as realization hits me harder than All Might did. Slowly, I raise my hand in front of my face. And I see it ! Somehow, my sight has been returned! And as I run my hands over my head, I find that they aren’t the only thing that’s been returned to me. My smooth silver hair is back as well! Not only that, but the scar tissue that covered the majority of my head is nowhere to be found!

I’m pulled from my astonishment by an unexpected voice across from me. “Well now, this is unexpected.”

I’m startled to find a woman suddenly sitting across from me, dressed in a professional business suit. Immediately I curb my expression, adjust my posture to project my superiority, and tilt my head just enough so that, while they are aware they have my attention, they are also intimidated by the fact that I am looking down upon them. Intimidation and manipulation is an artform, one that I’ve worked quite diligently to cultivate over my two centuries of life.

Contrary to my expectations, she does not react to my sudden change in pressure, seemingly unaffected. Deciding to test her more, I utilize a quirk I obtained that enhances negative emotions such as fear or hate.

Or at least, that is what I intend to do.

Confused, I look down at my chest as the quirk fails to activate. I try again, obtaining the same result. Perhaps the woman is preventing its activation, similar to Eraserhead’s quirk. But then who was the one to bring me to this place?

She coughs, drawing my attention back to her. “As I was saying, normally mortals are assigned their handlers at birth, and as such are incapable of falling under the jurisdiction of another. But it appears that the boy’s quirk has managed to supersede the proper channels.”

With the mention of a quirk, I realize what is happening, though I find it difficult to believe. “So then, this is the afterlife.”

But she does not confirm it, instead her response is the slightest of shrugs. “While not entirely accurate, I have no interest in explaining this process once again. More to the point this is quite the rare treat that has landed on my desk.”

She smiles, but it’s no ordinary smile. While I honed my villainous smile to induce an optimal sense of inferiority in those who are faced with it, hers is a disturbing thing that cuts her face in half. The top half of her head swings open and a long, scaly tongue shoots out, piercing my chest before I can react.

But there is no blood. I am uninjured. It zips back into her mouth as quickly as it exited and her head swings back to normal. Now frowning, she rubs her cheeks with her hands. “That is quite an unpleasant experience. I am very glad that I rarely am assigned those who require using it. Though it seems that it was ineffective this time. Another discrepancy the boy’s quirk has caused.”

It takes much more effort than it usually does to keep my emotions in check. I have no clue as to what just occurred, but I am fully aware that had it succeeded, it would not have ended well for me. But I shall not allow my panic to show.

“That was quite an unusual quirk. Given how I seem unable to use my own, I am quite curious about it.”

My observation is quickly rebutted, however. “That was no quirk. Simply a tool assigned to each of us handlers to deal with troublesome mortals who try to escape from what is in store for them. It is quite amusing. They do not realize that even those who we deem fit to punish have a better fate than the ones who touch the darkness.”

I cast a wary glance around us, put on guard at her words. But alas, there is nothing I am able to do about it now. Instead I clear my throat. “And I am unable to use any of my quirks because…?”

“The reason for that is two-fold.” She holds up a finger. “One: quirks that are not mutations are unable to be utilized here. Even if they seem to break the laws of physics, they are still things of the mortal realm. This is not the mortal realm.

A second finger joins the first. “Second: they are not your quirks. You are aware of how quirks reside in both the body and the soul.” It’s not a question, she seems aware of my own interest in the subject, which has led to my plan for Tomura Shigaraki should he fail to meet my expectations.

Still though, it is only polite to respond, so after I give a nod she continues. “Here, souls usually are unable to interact with any except their handler, and since quirks are connected to souls…”

“The quirks, as well as the connected soul, are with their respective handlers.“ I finish, a slight worry making its way into my voice. One that’s easily picked up on by the strange being in front of me.

“Do not worry, each of the quirks you’ve collected are tethered to your own soul. So the only ones you will lose upon returning will be those who’s connection has frayed. In other words, those you have not utilized for more than ten years.”

While frustrating to lose any of the quirks I’ve collected, it is much preferable to losing all of them. I am simply satisfied to lose only that which I have not needed since before my battle with All Might.

“Still though,” she continues. “I would recommend not trying to steal the boy’s quirk. It appears that any who touch it will be sent here, to me rather than their proper handlers.”

“I see. So I am incapable of taking the quirk for myself?”

“That is correct. Though even if you were able to take it, the boy returns here every time he dies. Eventually one of the higher ups would develop a way to counter its protection and force his stay. There is simply no benefit to doing so for a simple snack.”

“A snack?” I question, confused at the sudden turn of conversation.

Frowning, she taps an hourglass on the desk. “That is correct. You see, we handlers and our supervisors require sustenance just as you mortals do. But for us, that sustenance comes in the form of a mortal’s memories. Their personalities. Everything that made them, them during their lives. And once they have all been consumed, they are returned to the mortal realm to repeat the process.”

“Interesting. So there is no true afterlife, eternal bliss vs eternal damnation?” I cannot help but find that amusing. I suppose I will not be meeting all those I killed in hell like they claimed.

“As I said, I will not be explaining that. Though as it appears we are running out of time, I will leave you with a word of advice. Your soul will become fractured if you continue with your plan for Tenko Shimura, or Tomura Shigaraki as you named him. This means that your handler - who absolutely hates you, by the way - will be able to force you to suffer twice before your soul is returned to the mortal realm. And they in particular have a rather large mean streak.”

She looks up and I follow her gaze. Above us are what look like countless shooting stars, rapidly falling towards us. She speaks again, her words having gravitas as well as the familiar tone of a manipulator trying to get what they want.

“But given that you’ve somehow managed to encounter a different handler, despite that not supposed to be possible, there is an alternative.” She meets my eyes and I feel a chill run down my spine. “Give up on your dreams of immortality and world domination. Care for your charges. Treat them as your children rather than pawns. Do this, and when the time comes I will be able to claim your soul and make the process for consuming your life’s experiences… neutral.”

I chuckle as the lights above grow brighter. “Neutral? That is a rather interesting offer.”

She shrugs. “I will not make your stay unpleasant, but neither will I work to make it pleasant. I will allow you to roam free in the space where I send mortals assigned to me. You do not need to tell me your answer now, I will know based on how you live the remainder of your life.”

The light is nearly blinding now, though the darkness around us has failed to be pushed back. I glance up and see a multitude of people falling towards me, all with furious expressions on their faces. Ah, the quirks I’ve stolen, I idly remark.

Before they meet me and presumably send me back to the waking world, the woman says something that manages to break my composure.

“Oh, and do not inform the boy of this event, neither of what we’ve spoken of nor that you attempted to steal his quirk. Should you do so, you will suffer unimaginable horrors the likes of which even your assigned handler would cower from. Goodbye, Setto Shigaraki. I hope to see you again.”

The quirks slam into me and I am once again engulfed in nothingness. Once it clears I am back in my chair, my hand touching the boy’s head. It appears that no time has passed at all since I’ve been gone.

I withdraw my shaking hand, idly dismissing Kurogiri to rest as I do so. Once he is gone I bring it up to my breathing mask, gripping hard enough that I can feel the glass fracture. Though that is a negligent detail given I can quickly repair it with a quirk. No… there is something far more important.

Setto Shigaraki.

Somehow, that woman knew my name. I had long cast it aside when I decided to follow the path of a demon lord as inspired by the manga I read. But more than that, after I’d taken the mantle of my quirk, All For One, I’d forgotten it.

It has been one hundred and seventy years since I have heard that name, and the memory of that time flows through my mind.

I stand atop a skyscraper, facing Yoichi Shigaraki, my brother who is dressed in a torn patchwork outfit that is meant to symbolize hope, justice, and all that those with naive ideals extol.

He glares at me with such anger, but of course he does. For this is the last building standing in what was once the most populous city in Japan. Now it lies in ruins, the battles between both our forces having left a desolate hellscape behind.

It is something that neither of us wanted. I wished to rule the city, while Yoichi wished for it to be a place of peace where people could follow their dreams. Of course, he does not approve of my own dream, so it would never welcome me.

This is what he fails to understand; no matter what lengths he goes to, there will always be villains who seek to control or kill others. Under my rule, all would know who those people are and avoid them! Or perhaps I will establish a sort of coliseum, such as the ancient Romans did where one’s bloodthirst could be slackened.

But I’m pulled from my plans by my brother’s words. “Are you happy now, brother? Now that you’ve slaughtered a city, ARE YOU HAPPY!?”

I sigh, having long accepted our fate. Neither of us will stop the pursuit of our dreams, each that opposes the other on a fundamental level. One of us will have to die, and I have no intention of being the one to do it.

“This was never my intention, brother. Had your allies not ambushed my own forces this city would have lived on under my rule. You are just as responsible for this as I am.”

I see in his eyes that he does not believe me, but of course. While I admired the demon lords in stories growing up, he always admired the heroes who would bring them down. I suppose keeping him locked away to avoid getting killed in my inevitable conflict with the world only reinforced his view.

“But it matters not, for you will fall here, and I will be reclaiming the quirk I’d given you.” I raise a hand, the slightest pang going through my heart knowing that he will die here, that we will never reconcile. But it is quickly banished by his laughter. It is a laugh full of mockery, one that I never expected to hear from him.

“Did you know, brother? That I had a quirk?” Shock flows through me, but he continues without waiting for a response. “You have the ability to take quirks from others. I had the ability to give my own.”

“Had?” I question sharply.

He nods happily, a tension leaving his shoulders. “That’s right, had. I’ve passed it on now. Just as they will pass it on. And it will continue to be passed on until you are defeated.”

He turns away from me, stepping to the ledge in order to look out over the burning city with a sad expression before turning back with his arms spread. “There will always be a hero to defeat the demon lord, Setto. We both know this to be true. But now, I’m tired, so just promise me one thing.”

My throat tightens, and an unpleasant feeling grows in my stomach. “What, Yoichi?”

He smiles. “The world will always need heroes. Even if they don’t make an attempt on the final boss, the people need protection. So make sure they have them.”

And he lets himself fall backwards with a smug grin on his face.

I could have stopped him.

I could have used any number of quirks to fly down while he fell and stop him.

I could have saved him.

Instead, I decided to honor his last wish. A world of heroes, ruled by a demon lord. One among them will rise to fight while the others keep his kingdom safe.

He always did do all the side-quests in his games…

Chapter 28: A Villain Name

Summary:

Izuku needs a Villain name!

It’s been about a week since Himi and I have joined the League, and I’ve been stuck on a certain question she asked me. Even now, while I’m training with one of the people AFO hired to boost my combat capabilities.

I jump back, dodging the bumper that would have launched me into the wall. I know from experience that it would have at least cracked a rib. At least I still would have been able to fight, if they’d gone for my head it would have snapped my neck and killed me. I also know this from experience.

This trainer has a quirk that’s apparently often compared to pinball machines. They can transform their arms into something similar to the bumpers that the ball bounces off of. And just like those bumpers, they’ll launch back whatever they hit with a sizable force which is further enhanced by the size difference.

This trainer is supposedly training me to help deal with quirks that only affect a person’s body, which basically means that I have to hit them before they hit me. So dodging and quick attacks. And since they don’t have to hold back in fear of killing their student (well, permanently at least) I’m told that I’m progressing at an impressive rate.

Of course, that doesn’t help if I’m distracted, as shown by my now broken arm. Still though, I managed to twist it so they missed the elbow they were aiming at, so I can count that as a minor win. But instead of pressing the attack, they stop.

“Ok, what’s on your mind?” They question me. “It’s clear that something’s bothering you, and if it gets you killed here I won’t be able to enjoy my break in peace.”

I sigh. The guy training me really enjoys the fact that he’ll get long breaks every time he manages to kill me, but for some reason he won’t be satisfied unless he ‘earns’ them. I guess an outside distraction means he didn’t earn it.

“Well, now that my girlfriend-,” I blush at calling Himi my girlfriend, it just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside! Or it could be internal bleeding. Either works. “-and I have joined a villain organization, she decided that I should choose a villain name. I’ve been having a hard time deciding.”

They nod in understanding, which makes me relieved that I’m not overthinking it. “It’s good not to rush it. There’s a lot to be said for a name. For heroes, it’s supposed to give people hope. For villains, to inspire fear. Though if you go for something too ostentatious you’ll probably be turned into a joke by the internet. Especially if you don’t manage to live up to it.”

I nod, remembering one villain who called themselves ‘Ultimate Arsenal of Unlimited Weapons’. Admittedly their quirk was good: being able to conjure any kind of weapon into their hand with a gesture. The downside was that it was just the weapon, and they could only conjure one thing for each hand. And they couldn’t go farther than ten feet away from them or they disappeared.

So guns weren’t really useful, and any kind of bomb would have ended up hurting them as well. Really, they were a low-tier villain who relied on intimidation and bluffs to rob banks and scare away low-ranked heroes. When a hero with the guts to actually stand up to them confronted them, they got beat super easily. Apparently they hadn’t even been training to use the weapons that would have been useful in close-quarters!

Anyways, with the truth of their quirk revealed, the internet was quick to mock them. From editing videos to make fun of their quick loss to a rookie hero ,to memeing their quirk and name, nothing was forbidden. I won’t go into details, but let's just say that they couldn’t bear the shame of what people photoshopped them summoning and killed themselves in prison.

And that’s just one example of naming gone wrong. There are plenty of times villains have literally been laughed into submission by civilians after saying their name. Usually they’re practically begging the police to take them away in those cases.

I’m pulled away from the potential problems the wrong villain name could cause me when he continues talking. “Of course, you could always go simple. Like me; my quirk treats whatever I hit with it like a pinball, so that’s what I decided to call myself. Pinball.”

He chuckles. “Doesn’t hurt that it’s fun when heroes expect me to be the pinball only to find out that it’s them . Anyways, you could always base your name off your appearance if you have a certain look you always wear. Or even whatever fighting style you use. Maybe use ‘jump’ or ‘bounce’ in your name since you’re always jumping around.”

“Hmm… Jumping… or maybe hopping…” Something about that tickles my brain, but what is it? As I think about why it seems familiar, my eyes are drawn to my jacket hanging by the door. Specifically on the hood, where the ears trail down…

Suddenly, I nod, startling my instructor. Which makes me realize that I’ve been thinking for about twenty minutes. “I know what I want my villain name to be. I just hope Himi likes it.” I look at my instructor with determined eyes. I was told today’s training wouldn’t end until I manage to get one serious hit on him without dying, and now I’m more determined than ever to do so.

I ready my knife, taking a loose stance with my knees bent and ready to launch myself in any direction. If I’m choosing that as my villain name, then I should live up to it. “Let’s get this over with. I’ve got a villain name to announce.”

`~`

“I’ve decided that my villain name will be Midosagi.” Himi just looks at me, her eyes a bit unfocused and her nose twitching cutely. Now that I’ve got rabbits on the brain, I’m really tempted to pet it.

“Eep!” She lets out a cute noise and pulls her head back, squinting her eyes at me. “What was that for!?”

I giggle as I pull my finger back. “When you smell good blood, your nose twitches and wiggles. It’s adorable and I couldn’t resist.”

She huffs with crossed arms. “Maybe warn a girl next time! I thought you were going to pick my nose!”

I roll my eyes before returning to the start of the conversation. “I decided on my villain name. I want it to be Midosagi. The Green Rabbit.”

She tilts her head at my choice. “How come? I could see you choosing something like Midoriya because ‘green’ describes you pretty well, or Usagi because you’re like a rabbit, but combining the two?” She shakes her head. “That feels like you’re too on the nose. I feel like Chusagi would be much better!”

I roll my eyes before grinning. “You’re just saying that because it means Blood Rabbit. No…” I grin as my mind takes me back to my childhood, to thinking up hero names with Izumi. No matter what name either came up with for either ourselves, each other, or for our team, there would always be one thing that tied them together.

Midori means green, which is the color of both our hairs. Hers long and straight like our mother’s. Mine compact and curly, which I’m told resembles my grandfather’s, though he died long before I was born.

“Midori means green, but for Izumi and I it meant much more. It meant that we’d become heroes. That we’d have each other’s backs.” I feel an odd wetness trailing down my cheeks as I explain, my grin still present.

“Midori meant that no matter what happened, we’d always be tied together in both of us being ‘green’. So now…” My hands clench into fists as my grin turns into a snarl. “Now she’ll know that no matter what happens in the future, no matter what she manages to accomplish. She’ll know that she is connected to a villain. One that she helped to make.”

I feel Himi wrap her arms around me and I cry into her hair, sobs wracking through me. “I-I-I don’t know why I’m c-crying! I hate her! I hate my parents! I hate Kachan! I hate all of the people at my school who tortured me! I hate the neighbors who would throw bottles at me! So why…”

Feeling me start to shake, Himi bites into my neck to suck my blood. But it’s not enough to calm me down this time. I’m too confused, too angry . I don’t know what I’m feeling. My emotions are whirling inside me like a hurricane, battering my insides as they battle to make themselves known.

The question was a whisper, but now it’s ripped from my throat like a gong, filling the room and bursting into the hallway through the open door. “WHY DO I MISS HER!? IT’S STUPID! I MAKES NO SENSE! I HATE HER! BUT I MISS HER! WHY!? WHY, WHY WHY WHY!?!?!?!?”

With each word, my screams die down more and more until they’re back to a whisper. The last words before I’m engulfed in the darkness of blissful unconsciousness barely a breath in her ear. “Why do I still think of her as my sister?”

`~`

Two days after my… I wouldn’t say breakdown, but unloading of my emotions in a loud and dramatic fashion, I find Himi missing and training canceled for the day. It’s weird since I’ve had training every day since we’ve gotten here, so the sudden change is making me nervous.

More than that, Shigaraki invited me to play video games with him, but he hasn’t tried to kill me a single time! Not even when I blue-shelled him in Mario Kart! THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON TODAY AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT!!

Thankfully the weird day is almost over, but as I sit down at the bar to eat a bowl of Katsudon I can’t help but be disappointed that Himi hasn’t been around. I don’t think I’ve ever gone a full day without seeing her ever since we met. The fact that she hasn’t been around at all today is making me worried that she’s getting tired of me.

Who am I kidding, she probably is. I’m me, after all. The whole reason she originally stayed with me is because she likes how my blood tastes. Did she find someone else whose blood tastes like cinnamon rolls? Is she going to replace me!? Maybe she found someone who tastes better, or she’s just tired of cinnamon rolls! I know that people get tired of eating the same thing over and over again, so it’s not hard to believe that she’s not all that interested in cinnamon rolls anymore. Not to mention- *Thunk*

“Ow!” I turn around with a happy smile on my face which turns into a laugh at seeing a familiar frying pan in the hand of an overly muscled white-haired man. It looks like a toy in Himi’s hands already, but now it’s practically lost in her palms!

They roll their eyes before their skin starts to slough off, though the oversized clothing remains meaning that she probably took them off the guy for some reason. Not that I’m complaining, the loose clothes hanging off her petite frame is quite the sight. Not that I get to enjoy it much since I’m slapped in the face with a frame holding a piece of paper.

Having achieved her purpose, Himi runs off to her room to get changed into her usual clothes, throwing a casual “Happy Birthday!” over her shoulder as she does.

“Wait.” I blink. “Birthday?” Blink, blink.

Shigaraki puts a package in front of me, grumbling his own “Happy birthday, Glitch” before giving a quick explanation about how the League armored up my villain outfit so I’m less likely to die, as well as adding a couple things to help me be more rabbit-like. But I’m not really listening as I process what they both said. I blink a few times before realization hits.

I jumped in April.

Three months have passed.

My birthday is in July.

Today is July fifteenth.

My birthday is July fifteenth.

…

“I FORGOT MY BIRTHDAY AGAIN!!”

“Again?” Questions Kurogiri, causing me to sheepishly rub my head.

“Uh, yeah. See, the Yagi family never celebrated my birthday after I was diagnosed as quirkless. Which is dumb because they always made a big deal out of Izumi’s birthday, who is my twin. Meaning we have the same birthday. So eventually I ended up just forgetting about it. Though occasionally one of them would leave some cake in front of my bedroom door, so that was nice.”

I think he nods before pulling out a notepad and a pen with narrowed eyes. “Remind me, what is the location of your previous residence?”

Before I can tell him, we’re interrupted by Himi barreling back into the room and bouncing in front of me. “Did you look at it!? Did you see it!? Do you like it!? I made sure to plan out the whole thing so nobody would notice! I didn’t even kill the guy I disguised myself as and dumped a bunch of booze on him so he would just think he was drunk! So, do you like it!?”

Taken aback by how proud she seems to be, I take a proper look at what she gave me. It’s just a framed document. But seeing what’s on the document, I feel tears coming to my eyes.

It’s a name-change document. More than that, it says that the change would be applied to my birth certificate as well! No longer am I Izuku Yagi. Now I am-

“Izuku Midoriya Usagi.” I whisper, touched at the gesture. Not only do I no longer share a name with those people , but she even took into consideration my strange interest in maintaining a connection with my sister!

“Th-thank you, H-Himi. I love it.” I smile at her through my tears, more grateful than ever that she found me that day.

Chapter 29: Birthday Hunt

Summary:

Himiko goes on a birthday hunt with Midosagi!

It’s been a couple of months since Himi and I have joined up with the ‘League of Villains’. Really though, so far they don’t seem all that villainous. Other than manning the bar, Kurogiri mainly handles the transportation whenever someone goes out since Shiggy is paranoid about someone following us back. Doesn’t make much sense to me given how people randomly show up to eat and drink here like we did, but whatever.

It might be because he kills most of the people who show up for getting drunk and bothering him, or if they bother Kurogiri they’ll get portaled somewhere else. I’m not sure where they’re portaled, but they never come back so it’s safe to say it’s probably somewhere inhospitable. I wonder if he can portal someone into space if he has the coordinates? Really, the only person that I know for a fact comes back is that information broker that told Himi about this place, who’s name is apparently Giran.

Anyways, other than killing the people who annoy them above a certain level - which I can understand since I kill any of the older men who try to hit on Himi - they haven’t really done anything overtly villainous. No robbing banks, killing sprees, etc. Honestly, outside of training Shiggy really only plays games. And he totally cheats at Mario Kart!

The training I get here is nice though! Ever since I told everyone what I want my villain name to be, I started getting more specialized training. I spent sooo~ much time learning parkour and various leg techniques. Just last month, I managed to kick through an entire wall of cement! Yes, I shattered all the bones in my leg to do it, but I still did it!

I haven’t only been doing leg days though! I still did all the other training AFO had planned for me before that too! Which mainly consisted of hand-to-hand combat with various instructors as well as something that surprised me. He had people show me how to use a gun!

I don’t know why, but something about shooting a gun just feels right, like thousands of people are shouting out about how it doesn’t fit me. Imagining their screams of outrage just brings me so much joy~.

Of course, Himi has kept up her usual knife handling lessons. AFO tried to get someone to teach me instead of her, but when she complained they suggested proving how good they are.

They were not as good as they thought they were.

Anyways, Himi stayed on as my knife teacher, though her lessons mainly amount to her stabbing/trying to stab me and having me study her movements. There’s no denying her skill like that dead guy tried to do, but everything she knows comes to her like an instinct. To her, knives are a natural extension of her hands. It actually gave me an idea on what to do for her birthday present, and I’m really excited to give it to her today.

But back to ‘Sensei-Himi’. Since knives come to her so naturally, it’s hard for her to describe exactly how to do what she does with them. Which is why she’s so big on practical learning! Sure, I’m basically training with her in my underwear because Shiggy complained about how inconvenient it is to keep replacing the clothes she cuts up. And sometimes she gets overly excited by all the blood and drains me dry.

But now my knife skills are awesome !! I’m obviously nowhere close to Himi’s level, but I can hit the bullseye on the target every time!

Of course, then Himi will show off her own skills and make a detailed copy of my face from thrown knives… One day, I hope to reach that level for her.

However, that’s for the future. Right now, I have the box with her present in front of me at the bar while I wait for her to come down from bed. At his usual corner of the bar, Shiggy has his own present, as does Kurogiri. These two are really big on making sure that birthdays are celebrated. They even have a calendar where the only days are a person’s birthday! Though AFO insisted that he be excluded for some reason, and apparently he worked hard to convince Shiggy of it before it was accepted.

Himi comes skipping down the stairs with a smile on her face and wearing her usual school uniform. She won’t tell me what school it’s from, and even though I could find out if it ever became a problem, I’ll respect her privacy. Just like how she respects my privacy in regards to not prying into my middle school or family locations.

Seeing her stop and her face light up seeing the gifts we’ve prepared spreads a smile across my own. She’s going to be sooo surprised~.

“Happy birthday, Crazy.” Shiggy grumbles in his usual grumpy tone. She ignores his own nickname for her, instead just giggling as she gives her usual reply to it.

“Don’t y’know, Shiggy? We’re all crazy here!” She jumps at him and gives him a hug, letting go to avoid the hand that tries to grab her arm. WIth a spin she picks up his gift, which makes me a bit sad since she didn’t choose to open mine first. But I take solace in the fact that she’ll love mine!

Opening up Shiggy’s, she squeals in delight as she pulls out a long thin knife, the almost nonexistent edge more than made up for by the clearly deadly tip. It’s so sharp that you can see light coming off of its tip!

“It’s called a stiletto. Made especially for stabbing and reinforced with a quirk to make sure the tip can puncture through anything.”

“Anything?” She asks before stabbing it down into the bar, much to Kurogiri’s dismay.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that this is not easily repaired!”

“Sorry ‘Giri.” Himi absently apologizes as she inspects both the tip and the hole in the bar. It went in super easily, so she shouldn’t have any problem when it comes to people. Maybe it can even get through hardening quirks!

“Thanks’s Crusty, I love it!” He growls at the use of that nickname, but it’s not one of the worst we’ve given him so he just grumbles under his breath.

Next she opens Kurogiri's gift, and pulls out a pretty knife sharpener colored blood red. “I know how much you enjoy doing maintenance on your blades, so I avoided the electric sharpeners. This is one of the best available.”

After a few moments spent examining it she nods in satisfaction before giving him a smile. “You’re absolutely right! Those electric or automatic things just can’t get them right. My babies need a personal touch .”

Kurogiri nods, I think , as the corners of his eyes turn up. “It brings me joy to know that you are pleased.”

Another smile and she finally turns to me, making my heart beat a bit faster. Accepting the box, she opens it with a smile. One that remains even as she tilts her head in confusion. What she pulls out resembles a glove. Just, without the glove part.

Instead, it’s more of a frame of metal that goes over her hand. And where the fingers are, there are instead claws that extend a bit past her fingers into a deadly point with a slight gleam. There was no way I was going to let Shiggy be the only one who has their present be reinforced with a quirk!

Hesitantly, she puts it on. Despite the appearance, it’s actually pretty simple. Just slide your hand into the wrist part and follow where the fingers go. It fits her hand perfectly, and a quick flex of her fingers causes the claws to retract so she doesn’t have to worry about cutting herself on them when she isn’t using them.

Excited, I begin to explain. “Since you’re so natural at using knives, and your eyes are cat-like, I thought that you would enjoy having the equivalent of knives being strapped to your fingers. As you saw, just flex your hand to have the claws either retract or extend. It also has the same enhancement as the stiletto Shiggy gave you. The best part is that you can just pass it off as a hand brace when the claws aren’t out!”

She twists her hand, looking at it from all angles with a tilted head. She flexes her hand a few times and watches as the claws come out then go back in. After tapping her chin with one of the claws, showing how natural they feel to her, she nods.

“I like them. But they’re going to take some getting used to, especially with how I use my knives.” I nod enthusiastically. Obviously I knew that there was no way she would just abandon the rest of her knives, which is why I had it made so the claws can retract. They’re not a replacement, but a guarantee that even if she were to (somehow) throw all her knives she would still have a weapon.

And then a rare occurrence happens, AFO speaks from the tv. “Then I suppose it is a good thing that it’s time for Usagi to make his debut. Join him, and you may get to practice with your new weapons.”

Himi and I smile at each other, excited for this bit of news. Why, when we still kill on a semi-regular basis? Well, my debut will be killing my first hero.

`~`

My target is the pro hero Slugger. His quirk is some kind of homing effect on the things that he throws, making sure that they always hit his target. It’s similar to Snipe’s quirk, except he has to throw them, so guns don’t work for him. But his support item, which resembles a large green mechanical glove that stretches up his left arm, lets him throw things farther than he normally could.

He’s a pretty low-ranking hero, but he excels in minimizing damage to the area since he doesn’t miss and has a ton of restraining items designed to look like baseballs. Of course, as I look down on him from the rooftop as he walks through a nearly empty street with his only side-kick, I know that his capturing skills won’t mean anything when it comes to a surprise attack.

Exchanging a quick glance with Himi, we both nod. She uses her new claws to climb down silently, the claws sliding through the stone with barely a sound. That’s a really good reinforcement. Maybe I should get some of my weapons the same.

But that’s for later. While Himi climbs down to follow them from below, I continue to follow them from above. Once they’re finally alone on the street, it’s time to strike.

Living up to my name, I jump down from the rooftop on top of the hero. He cries out in shock, and then pain when his shoulders crack under my feet. Landing on people from a rooftop jump does not end well for them~. Luckily for him, the pain in his shoulders won’t last very long!

I bring my knife down, driving it through the back of his head in one smooth motion. As his body finishes collapsing under me, I roll off and spring to my feet, turning to Himi’s fun. And judging by the bloody smile on her face as she holds the side-kick’s heart in her hand, I know that she had a lot of fun. Even if it didn't last very long.

It’s a bit hard to tell under the blood on her face, but when she looks at me she blushes. “Ok, I like this a lot more than I thought I would. So much blood~...”

I chuckle as I pull up Slugger’s shirt, revealing his back and get to work on what I want to use as my calling card. Not every villain has one, for obvious reasons, but since I want to get my name out there, I do. “I knew you would like it. They just fit you perfectly.”

On his back I carve out a few words, ignoring the blood that splatters onto my mask and jacket. Himi reads it over my shoulder, her warm breath making my ear warm. “Mido~ Midor~III~! A hop away, Midosagi”

She giggles, wrapping her arms around me as I stand up after one last addition to it. But it’s a bit different from her usual hugs. She’s rubbing her hands along my chest, and now that I’m not distracted I can tell that her breathing is a bit labored. We took these two down quick, so she shouldn’t be tired. Did she jump around while following them? Laughing at how they didn’t notice her while she was doing that does sound like something she would enjoy.

But it’s not. Instead, steam erupts from my face as she whispers into my ear. “I think I want another present tonight. You~.”

That drives away the last coherent thought I have as she calls Kurogiri and drags me through the portal into her room. What thoughts were those?

The first was wondering if I was supposed to actually fight the hero to test the skills I’ve learned. The second was internal laughter at what my sister will think when she realizes that I’ve become a villain.

After all, it’s not like they think I’m dead.

Chapter 30: Regret and Rage

Summary:

Izumi does therapy and gives into her anger~.

(Izumi)

I stare up at the now familiar ceiling, thinking back on how I ended up here. The verbal abuse. The physical abuse. How me ignoring Izuku at home led to me not realizing that our parents were also ignoring him. All the regrets I have.

No… I started having regrets about what I was doing a long time ago. Before Bakugou suicide baited him. Before I would wrap his injuries and bring him home after finding him passed out somewhere, apologizing all the while even knowing it would happen again. Before middle school. Before he met Shoko. I’ve had regrets ever since I stopped acting like his sister.

I just buried them under the flimsy justification that it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as what would happen if he tried to become a hero. I always held the shovel that would have let me dig them up, to stop and act like the sister I should have been. But I let someone else hold onto it too.

Bakugou’s hands were on the shovel. He didn’t try to take my hands off of it, he didn’t even hold it tightly. But the fact that he was there, the fact that I would have to pull away from him to let myself realize just how badly I wanted to stop.

“I think… that I was scared.” I whisper.

“What scared you?” She asks gently.

I swallow. “That I’d lose the only friend I had. Even if I had stopped, I don’t think that Bakugou would have. He might have even started doing worse to him.” I let out a self deprecating snort at the thought. “Not that things didn’t end in the worst possible way.”

She holds out a tissue to me, and I use it to dry some of the tears that have leaked out. “And you didn’t think that your brother would have forgiven you.” It’s not a question, but I nod all the same.

“Things had gotten bad. Even though you helped me come clean with the detective about everything we did to him, I don’t think they really understand . Even my parents, when I told them about him covering up the scars we gave him, they just told me that it’s ok.”

I accept another tissue and hold both of them against my eyes as the tears won’t stop. “They acted like it wasn’t my fault. Like I wasn’t one of the biggest reasons he jumped. Like he wouldn’t have blamed me.”

“Would he?”

I choke out a laugh as the tissues are overwhelmed, a stream of tears now flowing steadily past them. “That’s the worst part. He wasn’t the type of person to hate others. No matter what we did to him, he’d never look angry. Just sad. Any time I saw him when he wasn’t with Shoko he was sad. I’m the reason he was always sad!”

My breathing starts to come in quick bursts, the now familiar signs of me starting to hyperventilate being curbed when my therapist places her hand on my own. A calm feeling flows up my arm and to my chest, slowly returning my breathing to normal.

I swallow back the bile that wanted to come out, something that the trash can next to me can attest is also something that’s become familiar. “Thank you.” I whisper.

“Of course, Izumi. I’m here so you can come to terms with everything and heal. It’s a bit hard to do that with the smell of vomit though, which is why I’m glad you agreed to allow my quirk to be used in our sessions.” I don’t look at her, still just staring at the ceiling, but I can hear the smile in her slightly joking tone.

Her quirk, Calming Touch, does exactly what it’s named for. When she touches someone, she can send them feelings of calmness. It’s not strong though, so if other feelings are strong enough it can be fought off. Hence the can.

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I recenter myself. “Ok. I can continue.” I swallow. “I don’t think he would have hated me. At least, not until that day . But he also never would have given up on his dream. I would know.” A small sardonic smile appears, one that disappears as I continue.

“But when things got to be too much for him? When the hero he admired the most told him his dream was unattainable? The brother I knew wasn’t capable of hating anybody. But the one who jumped? I think that he deserved to stop holding himself back, to let himself hate the people who put him there.”

I finally look away from the ceiling, meeting my therapist’s hazel eyes with my blue ones. “So yes, I think that he would have blamed me. He would have blamed all of us. And I’m glad he did. None of them are casting blame, even though we all deserve it. So the thought of him blaming us from wherever he ended up makes me happy. He doesn’t need to hold himself back anymore.”

She’s silent, casting a quick glance at the clock to gauge the time. She’s not wondering how much longer I’m here, or rather, she is, but not in the way most people would. She’s not thinking of when she can go home, but which of my issues she can address in the time we have left. She has a hero’s heart, always wanting to help. Just like Izuku …

She sighs, seeing that we’re just about out of time for the day. Still though, she’s kind enough to send me off with some last bit of advice as I stand. “You are trying to change for the better. You are making progress. I think that he’d be proud of how far you’ve come from who you were when you first walked in here.”

I smile sadly as I drop the tissues in the trash can. As I pull my jacket from the rack next to the door, I whisper, “Too bad he isn’t here to say that himself.”

I’m gone before she can respond, not that I want her too. I deserve to feel like this, I deserve to suffer just like he did. But I’m a coward, I think as I make my way to the place I’m doing my community service at.

If I wasn’t, then I’d be making sure I feel the same things he felt every day for years. Thoughts of how I should have been better, of how he deserved better than someone like me swirl in my head, and before I know it, I’m at Trash Beach. It’s the nickname everybody gave it since it basically became a landfill. But I’ve definitely made some progress.

I look on at the section of the beach I’ve managed to get clean with some pride, my mood lifting just a bit. I’m glad that Dad managed to get this place to count for my community service. Once it’s clean, it’s going to be beautiful.

Speaking of Dad, I can see him in his normal form over by the dock. I send him a wave which he returns. He sits on his chair as he watches me clean, shouting suggestions while he does.

Things have… changed, since that day. And it only got worse when I helped bring everything to light. The house is a lot quieter, and our meals that were once filled with lively conversation are now eaten in silence. Mom tries to get us talking while we eat, but it rarely lasts long. Honestly, while what happened clearly affected Dad and me, it feels like she hasn’t been affected at all.

I hate it.

Bakugou is another person who hasn’t changed, though his situation has, from the way his mom tells it when she comes over. Apparently Masaru isn’t letting either him or Auntie curse in the house anymore, though he hasn’t been able to do anything for either of their shouting. He set up a couple of swear jars for anytime either Bakugou or Auntie mess up, and he thinks that he’ll have enough to go on a personal vacation soon.

As for my own relationship with Bakugou… Well, there isn’t one. Not anymore. After I came clean about how bad things were, he got mad and shouted about how I was ‘selling him out’ and ‘looking down on him’. After that we haven’t really interacted anymore. And I think that’s for the best. I was lonely for a while, but have managed to make a couple of friends at my new school that have helped me to realize what a toxic person he is.

Speaking of, Aldera has been closed down, with Principal Nezu helping to get most of the students enrolled in other schools as quickly as possible. Well, for the ones that didn’t get arrested at least. When everybody was investigated, it was revealed that some of them had actually committed crimes beyond what they were doing at school to Izuku. So they got sent to youth detention centers.

Most of the teachers were arrested as well due to encouraging and sometimes participating in Izuku’s abuse, as well as allowing the students unrestricted use of their quirks. The few who were found to have done their best to oppose and change the school were found jobs elsewhere, to which they were incredibly grateful for.

Shoko vanished, and I haven’t heard anything regarding how she’s doing. It’s only expected though, it’s not like she would have any reason to reach out to us. She has every right to hate us, and it’s not like we were friends anyways. I only hope that she won’t do anything that she’ll regret. I know just how much it eats away at you.

The rest of the day passes like that, with me cleaning the beach both physically, and with my quirk. Dad told me that he got permission for me to use it so I wouldn’t get in trouble, which I appreciate. It turns out that cleaning this place is great training, and I’m confident that when the time comes I’ll be more than ready for the UA entrance exam. I just hope that Bakugou is making progress with his own therapy so that I can actually take it…

[You don’t deserve it. You aren’t a hero, and you shouldn’t pretend that you are.]

I know…

[Why are you even trying? You’ll just end up hurting someone the same way you hurt your brother.]

No… I won’t make the same mistake!

[Aww, someone’s in denial. Remember the nicknames you two had for each other?]

Stop it…

[Zuzu and Zizi! The future hero duo of Midoyume!]

Shut up…

[But that didn’t happen, now did it? The nicknames stopped after he was diagnosed as quirkless. The dream is dead. Hey! How about Yumekira for your new fake hero name! Dream Killer~, Dream Killer~.]

SHUT UP!

I crush a dilapidated washing machine into a crumpled ball, using the sound of screeching metal to try and drown out the voice.

[Because that’s what you are. Your entire family killed his dreams, so he decided that he might as well follow. It’s. All. Your. Fault.]

“I know…” I whisper.

I work the rest of the day in silence, finally getting my mood back to normal by the time the sun begins to set. I’ve long gone past the time required for my community service this week, but I need to do something to show that I can be helpful. Something to prove to myself that I can be a hero .

Normally dad would take the both of us home for dinner now, but he holds up a hand to stop me from heading to the car. Curious, I watch him take a deep breath. “You know that I’m really All Might, and you know about my injury, but you don’t know the whole truth. You don’t know about my quirk.”

I breathe in sharply, my eyes going wide. Even after he revealed himself as All Might, and a month later Mom told me the truth about her quirk and being Cufflink. But even then, Dad never talked about his quirk, always seeming sad whenever it was brought up.

“My quirk’s name is One For All, and it’s special among all other quirks.”

I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. No two quirks are exactly the same, so of course it’s special. All quirks are special! But when he continues, I feel as if someone poured a pool’s worth of cold water on me. I shiver, I freeze, my entire body stiffens in shock.

“My quirk can be passed down to someone else, outside of them simply being born with it. I can transfer my quirk to someone else.”

I say nothing, my mind racing. My thoughts jumbled into a ball with nothing making sense. Only for them all to crumple at his next words.

“I want you TO INHERIT MY QUIRK.” He says as he goes into his All Might form and plucks a hair from his head. “EAT THIS, AND THE POWER OF THE NUMBER ONE HERO WILL BE YOURS!”

I don’t reach out for it. I don’t move at all, my face shadowed as I stare at the ground. After five minutes, he clears his throat and prompts me with the hand still holding it, wanting me to take it.

Finally, I move. My hands clench into fists, I wrap them in my telekinetic power -a new trick I’ve managed to do to reinforce my body- and swing upwards. My fist buries itself in my father’s gut, going deeper than it should due to him missing some of his internal organs. But I’m too pissed to think about that.

As he drops to his knees, reverting to his normal form with an expulsion of blood, I growl at him, my eyes literally glowing with rage. “You’ve had a quirk that can be passed on this entire time ! And you didn’t think to give it to your quirkless son ! Or even mention that it’s a fucking option!”

He struggles to his feet, one arm across his stomach as he tries to stammer out a reply. I talk over the pathetic attempts at justifying himself. “DO YOU NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED IF WE HAD KNOWN!? HE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN BULLIED! I WOULDN’T HAVE BULLIED HIM! HE COULD HAVE BEEN A HERO! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU NOT TELL US THIS!?”

He swallows, clearing the blood dribbling down his chin with his sleeve. “I-I-I didn’t want him to end up like me. You’ve seen my injury! I didn’t want to have to see him suffer the same way!”

My mind latches onto the first thing he said, and a horrifying feeling washes through me. “Dad… you said that your power can be given away.” My words are a whisper as I take a step forward, and he takes a step back. “Was your quirk given to you by someone else?” Another step forward, another step back. “Were you quirkless ?”

A final step has him bumping into the stairs of the pier and falling backwards onto them, one hand held up as if to ward me off. “Y-y-yes, I was, but that’s not important now! I regret not giving him One For All before, but I’ve seen how hard you’re working to be someone he could have been proud of! That’s why I want you to have it now! To be the hero he would have wanted you to be!”

I stumble backwards, as if his words were a physical blow. Tears pour from my eyes as my breathing becomes erratic. I scramble through my jacket’s pockets, pulling two things that I always have on me now. The first is a bottle of my prescribed pills, of which I take one and swallow. The second is a paper bag that I hold to my mouth, watching as it rapidly inflates and deflates.

The pill, plus the bag helps me to calm down without too much time passing -only ten minutes?-, and I pocket them again as I look at my father, who’s standing in front of me with his hands raised as if unsure of what to do.

My glare has him flinching back, and I scowl as I turn around, deciding to walk home. Before I do though, I leave the most honest words I can say behind. “You could have helped him achieve his dream at any point in our lives. You chose not to. You were the same , and you decided that he wasn’t good enough because he didn’t have a quirk. I don’t know who it was that passed One For All down to you, but they made a mistake.”

Chapter 31: Disappointment

Summary:

Toshinori is pulled into the vestige realm.
Also, Inko's a bitch.

(All Might)

I sit on the couch at home and sigh as I look down at the table in front of me, my daughter’s words ringing through my head.

“They made a mistake .”

I sigh again, looking towards a shelf holding family pictures. Except that there are only a few that have Izuku in them after he turned four, and none from the past seven years, at least. “She’s right. Nana would be disappointed in me.”

I look back at the table, or rather, what’s resting on it. A bottle of whiskey and a miniature, miniature shot glass. Really, it’s more of a joke item than something meant to be used. Drinking any kind of alcohol in any content is… a bad idea is putting it lightly. A normal sized cup of the stuff would kill me.

But at this size? Well, it’s only a gamble on whether or not I end up feeling intense pain. Normally not something to risk just to have it coat my tongue. But sometimes, the risk is worth it.

Luckily for me, my wife has been doing night patrols the past few weeks, so she’s not here to get rid of the American favorite. I’ve had the bottle for years now. I’d originally gotten it back when my son was four to drink as a celebration for passing on One For All when he came of age. But…

With one last sigh, I fill the… even trying to refer to this thing as a cup is a joke. It doesn’t even fit enough to fill the cap of the bottle! Still though, it’s enough to get a taste of it. It’s the next best thing to actually drinking it. So after resealing the bottle and putting it back in its hiding spot, I down it.

I let the taste of it fill me, enjoying the long forgotten burn as it rolls across my tongue. One that’s gone all too soon as it’s absorbed due to how dry it is. Still though, it manages to ease the tension in my shoulders by just a hair. And since the taste itself will linger, I’ll be able to fall asleep feeling as if I’d actually drunk some! Maybe even have a dream about being able to actually do that.

`~`

I am not having a dream where I’m able to drink whiskey without dying. Instead, I stand in front of seven stone thrones on top of which sit seven people. Each of who has some kind of disappointed or angry expression on their faces. But what hurts the most is that I recognize one of them.

My teacher. My mentor. The person who believed in me to carry on her legacy.

Nana Shimura.

Her face is shadowed by her hair, but the abject disappointment and twist of her lips tells me all that I need to know. Whatever I’m doing here -wherever here is- it’s not good.

The first to speak is the person in the center, a skinny man with mop-like, scraggly white hair. “Toshinori Yagi. Also known as ‘All Might’. The ‘Symbol of Peace’. You had the chance to pass on One For All to a worthy successor. One who, like you, desperately wanted to help people with all their heart. Even if they had no quirk of their own.”

“But instead, you told them to give up. That they didn’t have enough power to accomplish their dream.” A man with a large scar across the center of his face scowls at me. Though I’m taken off guard by his resemblance to Young Bakugou, I try to defend myself, but it’s like I can’t open my mouth, can’t move.

A man who’s jacket covers the lower half of his face is the next to speak. “We can all see through your eyes, so we can see all that which you see. Even if you don’t realize you’re seeing it.”

I gulp, knowing what that means. They’ve seen how Izuku was treated his whole life, including the neglect.

“You acknowledged the growth your daughter has gone through, and attempted to name her your successor. Though her past actions are reprehensible, we were willing to accept it.” A man with pale blonde hair and two straight scars stretching down his face over one eye and past his lips speaks, and I’m happy that they approved of my choice, only to be engulfed in self-admonishment as he continues.

“But once again, due to your own actions, we’ve been denied one who deserves the power to induce change. Even if she would not have survived it, she could have done great things before she perished.”

My head shoots up at that, concern outweighing my other negative emotions. She wouldn’t have survived? What do you mean!? I try to say the words, but am unable to. Still, they seem to understand, and my master is the one to answer, her voice heavy with regret.

“Toshi- no. Yagi.” My heart breaks hearing her reject calling me my name as she always had. A sign that our deep bond that developed as more than teacher and student is gone. “There was a reason I chose you as my successor. More than your heart, it was a test.”

A test? What kind of test could inheriting One For All be?

“You see, Fourth,” she gestures to the man with two scars, “did not fall to All For One. He did not engage him in battle at all. Instead, he hid himself in the wilderness and relentlessly trained the quirk in the hopes that his own successor would have the power to defeat him. Training that resulted in his death.”

The bald man with a pair of goggles on his head speaks. “See, the quirk got too powerful. His body couldn’t contain all of it! So it kept struggling to keep it in check, but one day it couldn’t keep up. One For All killed him.”

“Which is where you came in, Yagi. After finding out what happened to Fourth, I investigated. It led me to an unexpected conclusion. Anyone with a quirk who inherits One For All will die an early death as their body tries to contain more than twice the power it was meant to handle.”

She raises her head, and I can finally see the anger in her eyes as tears roll down her cheeks. “I thought that you, a quirkless boy with a heart of gold would be able to not only survive, but surpass all of the previous users. I thought that you could bring an end to All For One. I was right, but also wrong.”

She takes a breath as the anger intensifies. “You’ve lived longer than any of us, and your power is more than what any of the previous users could summon as well. You critically wounded All For One to the extent that he hasn’t made any noticeable moves in years.”

My eyes widen. WOUNDED!? NO! I crushed his head! He should be dead!

Seeing my panic, the first speaks again. “One For All and All For One are connected. Should my brother have died, we would know. But our battle is not over.”

Nana, seemingly losing patience, jumps to her feet with a sharp movement. “And you decided to reject the perfect successor! He was quirkless, which means he wouldn’t have been killed by the quirk. He had a heart of gold, even after what he’d experienced! If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t be surprised if they turned to villainy! Hell, I might have supported that choice!”

She takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly, her next words barely above a whisper. “But he also had you. You who could have raised him so that he would have full knowledge of the quirk. So that he could improve himself for the longest time. Who could have been the best of us.”

“But instead,” Her tone goes cold, her words sharp barbs that dig into my skin. “Instead, you grew arrogant. You began to believe that you and the quirk were one and the same. You didn’t want to give it up, don’t deny it!” She shouts, apparently able to tell how I wanted to object.

Another breath. “It is your actions that drove your son to his decision, which has dissuaded your daughter from accepting this power.” She turns away, leaving the circle of light. Her words echo from the darkness as everything fades away, hammering into my mind as true sleep engulfs me. “You desired to hold this power for as long as possible. So keep it you will. Should you encounter someone new who we deem worthy of inheriting One For All, you will know. When that time comes, you will make the offer, no questions asked.”

“Your daughter spoke the truth. I did choose the wrong successor.”

`~`

(Inko)

I come home to a silent house, which is no surprise given how late it is. I’m sure that Izumi is tired from a long day of school followed by trying to clean Trash Beach. I can’t help but roll my eyes when I see Toshi asleep in our room.

I don’t know why he insisted on that for her community service, there’s no way that it will stay clean even if she manages to get it there. I’m sure I could have pulled some strings of my own to get her assigned to my agency for her ‘punishment’, but he insisted on that.

Maybe it has to do with his delusion about being able to pass his quirk onto others. While uncommon, it’s not really unheard of for a person’s quirk to affect their mental state. But thinking that he can just give it away ? That’s a new one.

I can’t help but scoff at the thought. Really, giving away a quirk? What nonsense.

Why, if the number one hero were able to give his quirk to another person, then he’d just be making himself quirkless! I hold back a derisive laugh at the thought.

The number one hero, All Might himself , becoming a quirkless!

The thought is so ridiculous that it’s funny. Quirkless aren’t worth our time. They’re less . I didn’t always think this, of course. But after finding out that my own son was one of them?

Well. With all the comments I heard from those who knew, is it any wonder that I tried to find comfort where I could? It was them who showed me the truth. Who showed me that the quirkless are relics with no place in modern society. It wasn’t my fault that he’d come from my body. Just bad luck!

I thought that, if he ended up running away, we could finally be happy! That’s why I decided to let everyone think that he’d actually committed suicide. He had a smile when I’d passed him by that day, so why should I care? He would be out of our lives, he’d be happy… wherever he’d end up. It was a win-win for everyone, which was already more than he deserved.

But instead, our home lost the feeling that it was a family. Neither my husband nor my daughter want to talk, though Toshi tells me that they do manage some conversation when coming back from Trash Beach.

But we’re not happy . And it’s all the fault of that quirkless brat. I should have listened to the others and just gave him to an orphanage or something.

But what’s done is done. All I can do is try to help the two of them. And if that means lying to my husband and searching for him on my own, fine. I’ll make him apologize to the two of them for faking his death, then make sure he experiences actual death.

It’s what the quirkless deserve, after all.

Chapter 32: Delusions and Mending

Summary:

Bakugou is delusional, the Todoroki family is healing, and Nezu makes a distressing realization.

(Bakugou)

I scowl as I throw another punch, the bag swinging on its chain. That shitty therapist I’m forced to go to kept blabbering on about how I’m too angry all the time and suggested going to the gym to try and ‘work out my aggression with a healthy outlet’.

As if I didn’t work out all the damn time. If I didn’t work on my muscles, especially the ones in my forearms, then I wouldn’t even be able to use my own damn quirk!

Does that dumbass not realize that explosions produce shockwaves!? Or that ‘resistance’ doesn’t mean ‘immunity’!? “It’s like he’s a goddamned IDIOT!” With a shout I slug the bag like I would someone’s stomach and it bends as it rises a bit. The chain causes a racket as the bag yanks it back down, making me scowl at the noise.

“That kid really has some strong arms. He’d make a great boxer!”

“Dude, don’t bring it up with him. Last time someone did that he nearly broke their arm!”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah! Don’t you know his nickname? It’s-”

I whirl around, barely holding back the urge to let out some explosions along with my irritation. “I CAN HEAR YOU DAMN EXTRAS WHISPERING BACK THERE!!”

Hearing my shout, the two idiots scramble away, running out the gym’s doors. I scowl, turning back to the bag in front of me with a huff of annoyance.

“Damn pansies can’t even stand up to a bit of yelling and they think that they can talk smack about me?” I start wailing on the bag, my hits coming hard and fast. “As if I’d settle for becoming a shitty boxer. I’m going to be the number one hero !”

My punches start hitting harder, matching the rage rising inside me as I vent about the shitty stuff that’s been happening.

“That shitty principal decides to make my life harder because that shitty Deku decided to give up on his shitty life! My shitty therapist tells me to do the same shit that I already do all the damn time as if it would make any kind of damned difference AND TO TOP IT OFF, THAT SHITTY IZUMI DECIDED ALL THIS SHIT WASN’T ENOUGH AND GOT OFF EASY BY PLAYING THE FUCKING VICTIM! MEANWHILE I’M TOLD THAT THE ONLY REASON I’M NOT BEING ARRESTED IS BECAUSE I HAVE ALL MIGHT HIMSELF BACKING ME!!! WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS EVEN GOING ON ANYMORE!!!!”

I give out a wordless scream as I put one hundred percent into my punch, the bag swinging with such force that it hits the ceiling. I take a step back, catching my breath as it falls, the chain supporting it somehow still not having snapped. But that just pisses me off more, like it’s mocking my punches. Saying that they’re too weak to break it.

Too weak to break that shitty nerd’s unattainable dream.

With a scowl, I turn around, snatching my towel and water bottle before leaving the empty building. Obviously I knew it was empty before I started shouting. Despite what those damn extras think, I’m not an idiot.

I know that I can’t go around talking about All Might like I personally know him. Not only would that invite questions, not even just including those crappy vultures who call themselves news teams, but also villains.

All Might’s personal life is on the level of a national secret, so any slip up and I can kiss my entire life goodbye. Maybe even literally. I know that my shitty parents won’t try to stick up for me. They’ve made that clear ever since Deku jumped.

The old hag has been bitching at me more and more, nitpicking everything I do. Even when I was leaving for the gym to work out at least a bit of my irritation, she wouldn't shut up about being back at some random ass time. Before, she’d just tell me to be back before dinner. Now? I’m lucky if I can go out for more than a couple hours without the two of them threatening to throw me on my ass.

Not that I even have anyone to hang out with anymore. With Aldera closed down, most of the extras who I let be my lackeys have gotten sent to other schools than me. Finger Freak even got arrested!

The few who ended up in the same school as me avoid me like the fucking plague, and the new bastards are too fucking stupid to see how far I’m going to go! There’s even some shitty extra with a bird head that says he plans to go to UA! And he’s always speaking in damn riddles and saying ‘revelry in the dark’ all the damn time!

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?!?!?!

The worst part is that I don’t even have someone to vent to! Normally Izumi would listen when I describe how irritating all these shitty extras are, but she FUCKING BETRAYED ME !!

She told the fucking cops that I nearly killed Deku on a regular basis, and that he had all kinds of scars from it! As if that were true! No matter how badly I beat that shitty nerd, he’d always show up the next day like nothing ever fucking happened!

Like he was saying I was too weak to stop him! He was looking down on me, and it pissed me the fuck off!

That bitch better watch her back in UA. Because she’s on my shit list.

`~`

(Shoko)

I sit at the dinner table, observing Fuyumi as she serves the meal with a happy smile on her face. Across from me, Natsuo looks at her with a fond expression. A far cry from the scowl he directs at our father sitting at the head of the table. Still though, he’ll stay for the whole meal and won’t pick any fights. He’s come a long way since father gathered us all together five months ago.

`~`

(5 months ago)

Father has gathered all of his children (who aren’t dead) for a family dinner. The first that I can remember. Fuyumi seems happy about it, though Natsuo looks like he’s on the verge of flipping the table.

As for me? I… don’t really care. Does it really matter if we eat together or separately? For me at least, it’s not like it will make me feel better or worse. Ever since… it … happened, I haven’t really felt much of anything. Like the world, previously made of color, has become monotone shades of gray.

Not literally of course, I’m not colorblind. Izuku always told me that I need to work on separating the metaphorical from the literal, so I’ve been working hard on it. My siblings have helped me a bit with this, but it’s difficult. Sometimes when I think someone is talking metaphorically, they’re talking literally, and vice versa.

Sometimes I wonder why I even try, but it’s something Izuku said to me, so I’ll keep going. Just like I’ll keep on my path to becoming a hero. To make sure I’m the light for those who need it. Someone who will bring them warmth in the cold, or cold in the heat.

I’m not sure that came out like I meant it…

Father enters the room, looking at us all imperiously even if he isn’t using his flaming facial hair. He sits at the head of the table with crossed arms, moving his gaze over the three of us. He clears his throat.

“I am aware that I have not been… the best father.” He ignores Natsuo’s snort, keeping a stoic expression as he continues. “While I know that I cannot simply apologize and expect forgiveness, I will still do so. I am sorry.” He bows his head, causing Natsuo to look at him with his jaw hanging open and Fuyumi holding a hand to her mouth in surprise. I simply raise an eyebrow.

“Recent events have caused me to realize how important family is. And how much my goal of surpassing All Might has blinded me. It is not worth tearing our family apart.”

“ WHAT !?” Natsuo shoots up from his sitting position, his hands clenched into fists. “You have the nerve to say that after everything that’s happened!? Everything you’ve done!?”

Father says nothing, keeping his head bowed as my brother shouts his grievances at him while Fuyumi has her hands raised to try and calm him down, to no effect.

“You sent Mom to a mental hospital! Touya is dead ! And you have the nerve to realize that your stupid rivalry wasn’t worth it now !? What about us!? How do you think it feels to hear that!?”

Father raises his head, seeing the tears flowing down Natsuo’s cheeks for the first time. But he makes no move to get up, no move to comfort him. I’m not sure he even knows how to comfort someone. What he does do, though, is speak.

“I’m sorry. I have no other words to express just how deeply I regret my actions. But I will be taking steps to at least try to help us become a family. The first of which is hiring a family therapist, as well as having your mother moved to a facility where they focus more on treatment for patients rather than simply caring for them.”

Natsuo is shocked into silence, which I fill with my own question. “Where would she be moved? Will I still be able to visit her?”

He nods. “You will. In fact, the person I’m hiring for us has already recommended that all of you visit her once she’s moved as the first step in trying to bring us together.”

I raise an eyebrow, taking note of what goes unsaid. “You won’t visit her?”

He looks away. “I… don’t believe that seeing me would help her. It might even make things worse.”

“But you want to. And I’m guessing that the therapist said you should too?”

Silence again, this time with my siblings staring at me with wide eyes. Eventually, father chuckles. “You’ve become quite observant, Shoko.”

I nod as I frown, my eyes looking down. “Izuku analyzed everything that he could, and had a tendency to mutter his thoughts out loud. I guess I picked up some of his skills.”

`~`

As we eat, I realize just how far our family has come. Father even worked up the courage to go and see Mom two months ago. Yes, he came back with a bandage wrapped around his shoulder because she panicked when he walked through the door and shot an icicle at him, but after that they did manage to talk through a closed door. With several people keeping watch to make sure there were no more incidents.

I’ve finally managed to make peace with what happened to Izuku, and the world has color to me again. I won’t ever drop my hate for the Yagis and Bakugou though, no matter how much the therapist says it isn’t healthy. It’s not the type of thing you can just forgive.

But for our family? There’s no fighting at the table, no snide remarks, and even Natsuo’s scowl has mostly faded away. There’s no laughter, and Fuyumi is the only one with a smile, but Father never smiles anyways, and I’m told that my facial muscles aren’t very responsive. Still though, the dinner is nice. We’re not there as a family yet, but we’re on our way.

`~`

(3rd, UA)

Nezu frowns as he stares at his computer. Obtaining police records while leaving no evidence is a simple matter for him. Not even worthy of being called a chore. But the police’s poor defense against the hacking of the so-called ‘rat-satan’ or ‘rat-god’, depending on if he’s decided you will be entertaining to him, is not why he’s frowning.

Instead, it’s the report on the death of the pro hero Slugger. It’s not his death itself that has the principal worried. As much as he wishes it were otherwise, these types of things do happen from time to time.

No, it’s how efficiently he was taken down. There was no signs of a struggle, from either him or his sidekick, despite how brutally the sidekick was killed. He doubts that it’s very pleasant to have one’s heart torn out of their chest. Which means that they were both taken down in a single blow, which means that two villains made plans to kill them in advance.

Additionally, there is what he presumes will be their signature. A childish break up of the word ‘midori’, meaning green, and doodle of a rabbit. Likely in reference to their name, Midosagi.

What’s most concerning to him is how there was no sign of them appearing beforehand. Usually villains like this would start off making their mark on civilians, then target a hero when they’ve built up their confidence and skills. For example, he is aware of how the formerly labeled ‘Stendhal’ worked as a type of mercenary for various organizations before donning the ‘Stain’ persona and targeting ‘the stains on hero society’.

But this ‘Midosagi’? There is no sign of them before they targeted Slugger. No oddly adept assassinations, no markers that one could take to represent either ‘midori’ or ‘usagi’. Nothing. It makes him worry that the person in possession of Izuku Yagi’s notebooks has finally decided to make their move.

Chapter 33: Debut Redo

Summary:

Midosagi's first debut didn't make the news, so it's time to try again!

Ok, to be fair, All For One never told me how I should make my debut. But yes, in hindsight it does make sense that he intended for me to make a spectacle of it to get my name out there. Not to mention putting the combat skills I’ve been learning to the test.

Neither of which had gotten done after my attack on Slugger. The news only reported that “A new villain murdered the pro hero Slugger and his sidekick.” No mention of my villain name at all !

And as for skills… well, at least I got to test my parkour and stealth skills in a real life environment! Stealing Shiggy’s hands and hiding them around the bar can only give me so much practice, after all. Even if the consequences of -in his words- failing a stealth check are more serious than out on the streets. Depending on who you ask. Probably.

Anyways, since my first debut was lacking any actual debut-ness, I’m back to try again a week later! My new target? The hero known as Red Gauntlet! His quirk lets him ‘connect’ with two objects of his choosing and control them with his mind. It’s honestly pretty impressive, and his skill with manipulating them shouldn’t be underestimated.

Of course, the weakness for it should be obvious. If someone manages to immobilize them, then he’s basically fighting quirkless. At least if my theory about how long it takes to make and break connections is right. But it should be since he never tries to connect with anything in the environment when he fights.

Still though, I don’t think he’ll be an easy opponent. Especially in an open space with a crowd watching. Acrobatics are much harder to perform in open spaces, but I can take comfort in the fact that all the signs littering his patrol route mean I’ll still be able to put my hops to good use.

As for how I’m going to start my challenge to him? I’m still thinking about that. “I don’t want it to be boring or generic. It’s got to stand out enough that I can trademark it as a ‘Midosagi special’. But if I try to make it too showy then it will just come off as ridiculous. I don’t really have a reason to attack random people when I’m specifically targeting the hero either.”

“Sure, I don’t really care if they get caught up in what happens, but attacking them just to declare my challenge to the hero feels kind of tasteless. I wish Himi was here, she’d have an idea of what I could do. But then again, she would probably just go up and stab him, which would mean that I wouldn’t get to test my skills again. Still though- whamlagnat!”

I’m pulled from my thoughts by a hand tapping my shoulder, causing me to jump in shock while making a weird noise. Now, normally this wouldn’t be particularly noteworthy. I do get lost in my mutterings way too often, according to the League. But in this situation, it’s pretty unexpected!

Not because I’m hunting a hero. Not because I think someone could have heard me, most people aren’t really able to understand my mutterings, I’m told. And certainly not because I’m dressed in my villain outfit.

No, it’s unexpected because I’ve been muttering on top of a lamppost, so there shouldn’t have been someone up here! As I fall from my position though, the person grabs a hold of me and nudges me back into position on top of it, saving me from needing to try and flip myself midair to try landing on my feet. Could I do it? Yes. But it still would have been embarrassing since I’m supposed to be testing my skills.

With my footing secure, I turn to the person who surprised then saved me. Though I’m not sure whether I want to thank them or stab them. Maybe both.

But those thoughts are thrown out of my mind and shock takes over when I see who’s behind me. Hovering in the air while flapping his crimson wings is one of the most dangerous heroes in Japan I could have possibly met.

The number three hero, Hawks.

Seriously!? I’m barely going after someone in the mid-hundreds rankings, and all of a sudden the number three hero shows up!? What the heck!? Does life just hate me or something? His patrol route isn’t even anywhere near here! Is he here for a special job or something!?

“-d. Kid!” I’m snapped from my thoughts of depressive disbelief at the sound of the hero’s voice. Looking back at him, I can see the concern subtly masking the caution on his face. Which makes sense. He found a teenager dressed in a suspicious outfit crouched on top of a street lamp while muttering to himself. It would honestly be weirder if he wasn’t on guard.

Tilting my head to show I’m listening, I wait for him to continue talking. He sighs before he does. “I asked what you were doing up here. It’s not exactly a good place to hang out.”

“Then why are you up here?” I ask, then my eyes alight on what he’s holding in his hand. “Wait, were you planning to perch on here for your lunch? And isn’t eating fried chicken kind of cannibalism? Though hawks do generally eat any animals that they can carry away, which includes smaller birds so I guess it makes sense. But you’re not actually a hawk despite your name, so is it more of an image thing? Or-”

I’m silenced by one of his sharp feathers poking at my throat, and his voice is cold as he warns me. “You didn’t really think I couldn’t see you reaching for that knife under your jacket now did you? You don’t get to be number three without at least that level of observational skills.”

I chuckle, heedless of the blood that trails down my throat at the action. “Nah, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy to get the drop on you. You were trained by the HPSC from childhood, after all.”

The feather digs just a bit deeper, causing the thin line of blood to get a bit thicker. “And how exactly would you know that?” Though cold, his tone wouldn't be out of place if he’d run into an unpleasant work acquaintance. Certainly not how you would think someone would sound holding the equivalent of a knife to your throat.

Then again, Himi holds a knife to my throat all the time. And she did a lot more than just that last week for her ‘second present’. Let’s just say that it’s a good thing I have complete regeneration for when she gets too excited. Though it wasn’t unpleasant in the least since I don’t feel pain. Still though, I ended up putting a couple of boundaries to make sure she doesn’t go overboard.

After all, I show up in the afterlife how I’m dressed when I die. So dying during or just after our time and appearing like that in front of the receptionist is…

Even if she did say she was used to it -which is concerning for a variety of reasons- I’d rather not make it a habit.

The point, I suppose, is that the pressure he’s continued to put on my throat with his feather while I contemplate all this, to the point where a steady trickle of blood is flowing now, doesn’t bother me whatsoever.

Anyways, since it’s obvious that he’s getting impatient for an answer, I flash him a grin. Before realizing that he can’t see it because of my mask. Sighing, I decide to just give a precise and simple explanation.

“Notebook number 12.” A quirked eyebrow is his response while I continue. “Which reminds me; is it true that you were originally part of a group, but the others died because they couldn’t handle the training?”

He’s shocked, and rightly so. In fact, he’s shocked enough that his focus on the feather wavers for a moment. A moment I’m not going to waste. “Of course not! They just didn’t become-”

I cut him off with a flick of my wrist to drop a knife into it, and in the same motion toss it underhand at his face. Though it misses, he still flinches back. It gives me a split-second to move where I don’t have to worry about an instant feather to the throat. So obviously I gently push off the post and hop backwards, giving him a small wave as I drop.

It’s not long to the ground, so I bend my knees to absorb the force and rebound it so that my jump backwards launches me out of the way of the feathers that impale the ground. Sort of like a trampoline. If a trampoline had a good chance of breaking your legs if you don’t know what you’re doing. So exactly like that, actually.

But dodging the initial volley doesn’t do me much good considering he has literally hundreds of feathers that he can control growing from his back. Which is attested to with another volley, though this time some are aimed parallel to the ground so that they won’t get embedded and become useless..

I’m stuck doing small, quick hops backwards to avoid them, since turning around and trying to run from them would take too much time. Still though, I have enough freedom to look around for anything that can help. But all I can see are the cheap plastic signs in front of the various buildings that would barely give me a second of time, which I would spend just trying to get back my balance from using it to block them.

Then I realize I’m being dumb and nearly slap myself, but after I duck to dodge some feathers Hawks sends at me from the side to do just that I think I’m good.

Instead, I keep hopping backwards, only this time I have a goal in mind. It doesn’t take long for me to reach one of the stores that are mainly brick with smaller windows. Judging by the hanging sign above the door, I think it’s some kind of cafe? Maybe I’ll check it out later after I get away from Hawks. I’m not nearly arrogant enough to think that I can beat him, so I just need a way to stall him long enough to run away and call Kurogiri. Although…

My hands brush along two pouches on opposite sides of my waist, only for me to dismiss the thought. Instead, I pause my hopping and crouch down, giving the feathers the seconds they need to catch up to me. “Hopefully my timing’s right.” I mutter before flipping backwards.

I plant my feet on the wall, legs bending as far as I can make them. Which is pretty far when pain isn’t a factor. I feel my muscles tensing, my skin stretching as I condense myself as much as possible to keep the momentum from my jump so that I don’t fall off the wall. And just as the feathers are about to reach me, I push off with all the force I can.

One of the feathers skim my flapping jacket as we go in opposite directions, tearing a hole in it before they bury themselves in the wall. I turn my jump into a roll as I hit the ground, bouncing back to my feet after I bleed off some momentum. I pop up with my arms outstretched in a ‘tada’ pose, waiting for the applause.

Instead, I get a swarm of feathers stabbing into my shoes to keep me pinned. Others strike me while twirling so that I don’t get stabbed, useful! I didn’t know he could do that , my flailing arms doing nothing to stop my fall. And once I do, more feathers pierce my jacket, pinning me to the floor. I try to move, pushing against the ground to try and dislodge them, but I get nowhere.

With a huff of frustration, I look up at the birdman looking down on me. Though from my position, it looks like he’s upside down, making me giggle and getting another raised eyebrow from him.

“Something funny?” He asks, his earlier cold tone nowhere to be found now.

I nod happily. “Yep! It looks like you’re hanging upside down in the sky from here.” I blink. “Wait, can you actually do that? Since you don’t actually need to flap your wings, it should be possible, right?”

He chuckles. “You’re a strange kid, you know that?”

I huff in annoyance. “Who are you calling kid? You’re barely six years older than me!”

Another chuckle before he gets a bit serious. “Putting your age aside, what was that you said about a notebook?”

I beam at him, which admittedly feels like it would come off awkward given our positions. “I’m always happy to talk about quirks!” I try to adjust to a more comfortable position, but give up after a couple moments of awkward squirming. “So, I have thir- well, fifteen now, I guess, notebooks all about heroes and their quirks! I do put down some personal details that I manage to dig up on them and how they might have influenced how they use their quirks though. I filled number twelve with the top ten at the time, though given how fast Mirko has been shooting up the rankings I think I should revise those heroes’ information soon.”

He pauses as if trying to recall something, and I tug once again at the feathers. But nope, they’re stuck in there pretty well. There is something I could do, but…

I don’t decide one way or the other whether I’ll do what I have in mind by the time he speaks again. “I’m pretty sure that Nezu mentioned for certain heroes to be on the lookout for notebooks with a dangerous amount of information.” He eyes me speculatively. “The one you’re talking about wouldn’t happen to have been written by Izuku Yagi, would it?”

I growl at hearing that name. It’s been half a year since I’ve heard it, and being called a Yagi causes anger and disgust to bubble up. Emotions that fill my words as I speak through gritted teeth. “Izuku Yagi is dead . If he really even existed in the first place.”

His eyes practically glow with interest at how vehemently I speak the words. “So sure of yourself aren’t you. Now, why exactly would that be?”

I chuckle darkly, enjoying how he ever so slightly tenses at it. “Why, because I’m the one who killed him. And three months ago, my girlfriend made it official. Now?” A smile stretches across my face. Not one of the ones that I’m told makes people wish for sunglasses, no. It’s one that nearly splits my face in half. One that Himi said sends an eclectic shock through her body when she sees it. One that doesn’t belong to anyone sane.

So it’s a good thing that crazy is fun.

“There’s only Midosagi.” And I pull the pin on the grenade in my left hand and roll it towards the hero.

His eyes widen, and the object is immediately covered in tightly packed feathers to try and contain the explosion. But that’s not enough for the hero, since anyone with a lick of knowledge about evolution knows that human bodies have improved to such a degree as to be considered superhuman when compared to pre-quirk era people. Even the quirkless have these improvements.

Which means that weapons needed to be improved just as much. Though not as noticeable with guns, grenades make it easy to see the difference when compared with old videos of their pre-quirk counterparts.

Though it isn’t that hard, Kachan needs to actually put in some effort to match their power.

Which is why in addition to wrapping it, he has a multitude of feathers carry it high into the sky where it won’t harm our audience. He’s so focused on it as it explodes that he’s barely paying attention to me. After all, I’m already incapacitated, and I’ve already used my trump card in the grenade.

Which is why he’s taken completely by surprise when the second one gently bumps against his foot.

But he’s not a pro for nothing. What feathers he has left pour off of him in a wave and shoot towards the civilians on the sidelines, snagging onto their clothing and flying them to safety as quickly as possible. The few that aren’t mostly have enough sense to run for cover to try and avoid dying.

All except for one dedicated idiot who just stares at us wide-eyed with his phone held up, apparently recording the whole fight. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be as dead as Hawks and me.

If it was a ‘real’ grenade, that is.

When it explodes, it’s not in a fiery explosion. Instead, it’s a sparkling one! Glitter flies through the air at speeds too fast to dodge, and the entire area becomes covered in the frustratingly stubborn decoration. I have no doubt that the storefronts closest to us will still be sparkling even a month from now. That’s not even mentioning the spot on the street where the explosion originates from.

But that’s for someone else to deal with! While everyone is disoriented, I slip out of my jacket and shirt, cut the laces on my shoes while holding back tears at my unavoidable betrayal and start running as fast as I can. “It’s going to take forever to get the glitter out of my hair,” I grumble to myself as I pull out my phone. “Seriously, couldn’t Hawks have just ignored the incredibly suspicious guy standing on a street light?”

“He could have just gone and cannibalized his cousins in peace, but noooo ! I bet the glitter got all over his chicken,” I chuckle. “Serves him right, making me leave behind my shoes, shirt, and jacket. Though it is odd how I could just pull out like that. Though I guess most people would be put off when the feathers cut into their arms while taking them out.”

I shrug the thought away as Kurogiri answers, a portal of darkness appearing not long after. I walk through, wondering if this could be considered a successful debut. Not many people can escape Hawks unless they have a fire quirk, so I guess I could call it a win? We’ll see.

`~`

Hawks stares at the abandoned clothing where the villain was just minutes ago. He coughs, a small cloud of glitter puffing into the air as he does. He just stands there for another moment, staring at the glitter contaminated blood stains around the pierced parts of the clothing where the villain was cut pulling his arms out.

He looks down to his side, where the bucket of fried chicken that was meant to be his lunch is still held in the crook of his arm. It sparkles just as much as he figures he does at the moment.

Popping off the lid, he’s pleasantly surprised to see that it’s been unaffected by the glitter bomb. As he pulls out a leg, he’s never been so happy that he had the bucket custom made for him out of incredibly lightweight and resilient metal.

Taking a bite, he can’t help but gloat. “Shows them what they know. ‘A waste of money’ my ass. ‘Who gets a bucket of chicken hermetically sealed?’ The guy who gets to enjoy his chicken instead of having it get covered in glitter like himself!”

He quickly polishes it off, sighing as he seals the lid back in place and tosses the bone in a nearby trash can. Despite his cavalier attitude, he knows how serious the situation is. He’s one of the few who knows the full situation regarding the notebooks Nezu told them to be on the lookout for.

Good news, he knows who has them!

Bad news, the situation regarding the suicide of Izuku Yagi might not be as simple as everyone believed.

Chapter 34: Realization

Summary:

Himiko disciplines her man.
Izuku mentions another woman.
They both stalk Shoko.

I’m in the bar, sitting on my knees on the bare floor in front of my girlfriend, who looks annoyed with me. To be fair, I did come back from my debut redo half naked and covered in glitter. Even after a full day of showering -not of daylight, but twenty-four hours, mind you!- I still have some of it in my hair. When I got out though Himi giggled at the sight and said now my hair sparkles as much as my happy smile, which immediately made an appearance to showcase the fact.

Of course, then came the story of how I ended up like that when the hero I was going after isn’t too highly ranked. Which is how I’ve found myself in my current position, just moments after finishing said tale.

“So you’re telling me,” Himi starts with her hands on her hips while Shiggy cackles in the background, “that you didn’t fight the five hundred and seventy something hero Red Gauntlet.”

“Four thirty-six, actu-”

*Thunk*

I hold my head with my hands and obediently make sounds of pain without rising from my knees. Ignoring my specification, she continues. “And instead, you decided to glitter bomb not only the number three hero, but also yourself.” She taps her foot on the ground with an irritated twist of her mouth. “Does that about sum it up?”

I tilt my head and put a finger on my chin in thought before eventually nodding. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Oh, and I’m pretty sure he was on a lunch break since he was carrying around a bucket of chicken.”

She pauses and gently taps her chin lightly with the pan. “Wouldn’t that be cannibalism?”

“That’s what I said!” I exclaim, both of us ignoring Shiggy’s comment on how drinking blood is cannibalism too.

She shakes her head. “So you somehow ended up fighting and escaping from Hawks… who was on a break?”

“Yep!” I nod happily, hoping that she’ll let me up soon. I’ve been sitting here for a while…

Finally though, she sighs. “Your luck really sucks, you know that?” I just look at her hopefully, which elicits another sigh. “Fine. I’ll let it go since meeting me probably used up most of your luck.”

I nod seriously. “That makes perfect sense. You are one of the only good things that I’ve had in my life.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Oh? What other ones are there?”

“Hmm.” I think for a few seconds. “Well, before we met I think the only good thing was having Shoko in my life.”

*Thunk*

This time the pan’s strike pushes my head down a bit. Glancing up, I see a strange light in Himi’s eyes. “Who’s Shoko? Didn’t you say I was your first girlfriend?”

“Yeah?” Where’d she get the idea that I dated Shoko…? “We were just friends. The only friends either of us had, actually. I was quirkless, she stood up for me. She didn’t like a- *Thunk* bootlickers.” I shrug. “Besides, even if I did like her like that, she was out of my league. Not to mention the daughter of Endeavor.”

Her eyes narrow and the pan bounces in her grip before she nods and points it accusingly at me. “Didn’t we work on your self-confidence issues? You got me, so no-one is out of your league! Not to mention we’re both literally in our own League too!”

“It’s my League.” Shiggy mutters, continuing to be ignored. Before he can start scratching Kurogiri slides him a drink, which he drains in a single gulp before turning back to his game.

“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t lie to me before.” She explains, causing me to gasp.

“Himiko!” I raise my voice, watching her wince before hunching down a bit and holding the pan sheepishly between her hands. “We agreed to always be honest with each other, and you think I would have hid something from you anyways!? I thought you had more trust in me than that!”

“I do!” She shouts before mumbling. “It’s just… you haven’t mentioned this girl before. So I thought that if she was really important to you, you would have mentioned her before.” She wiggles in place, her hands still fidgeting with the pan.

I blink at her. “I haven’t mentioned her before? Are you sure?” She nods rapidly, a guilty look in her eyes. My brows furrow as I try to think, and… I think she’s right. At least, I don’t remember talking about her after my jump.

My jump… “Oh, so that’s it.” I say as realization strikes. At her questioning glance, I explain. But first… “I’m sorry for yelling, Himi. I didn’t realize you didn’t know about her.” I sheepishly rub the back of my head. “I guess we both kind of overreacted, huh?”

She looks at me with big eyes. “So you’re not mad?”

I chuckle, holding out my arms to her. “No Himi, I’m not mad. Apology hug and suck?”

Immediately her mood flips, from contrite and concerned to happy and excited. She leaps into my arms, wrapping her own around me while her fangs dig into my neck. While we make up, my mind turns back to my realization.

I didn’t say goodbye to her…

At the time, I’d been planning for what I’d written in notebook thirteen to be the last thing I left behind in the world. Obviously, that’s not the case. Now, initially after waking up, I’d planned to tell her about finding out about my quirk (leaving out how I found out about it by tying to commit suicide), but in my shocked realization that the Yagis truly don’t care about me, it seems that I… forgot to talk to her.

Now, I know they know that I’m alive, Inko saw me after all. But that means that my last words to her were my suicide note. If anyone found it, that is. If it wasn’t, then there wouldn’t even have been that as a goodbye. Either way, not the best thing to leave her with.

I think at some point I realized that, and subconsciously avoided talking about her in an effort to avoid the guilt associated with it. But now that Himi has helped me face it…

I’m not sure, actually.

I’m not the same person she knew, far from it. I have a quirk. I’ve killed. Been killed. I have a girlfriend now. So much has changed, would she even want to continue being friends with me?

I don’t know, but can I leave things as they are?

The sensation of Himi’s fangs leaving my body puts my thoughts on hold, and she looks at me with her nose scrunched up a little. “Just do what you want.”

“Huh?” I have no idea what she’s talking about, and she sighs.

“I could literally taste your blood filling with worry and uncertainty. I don’t know what it was about, but I can say that you should do the same thing as since we met.” Her madness filled grin appears. “Whatever it is we want.”

I can’t help but grin back. “Yeah, you’re right. I haven’t let anything stop me from doing what I want so far, so why start now? Whatever happens, happens. But at least I’ll be able to say that I didn’t regret making the decision in the first place.”

I nod, my decision made. I grab her hand, turning to Kurogiri with a determined expression on my face. “Kurogiri, could you drop the two of us off a bit away from Endeavor’s house? I can give you the coordinates.”

He nods, and I tell him where it is, letting him decide just how far or close he portals us. As we walk through, I ask her about something she mentioned a while ago. “While we wait to find an opportunity to talk to her, why don’t you tell me about those thoughts you had on expanding our relationship.”

`~`

As the portal closes behind the two, Shigaraki can’t help but send a confused look at Kurogiri. “Doesn’t she regularly stop him from cursing like he wants?”

Kurogiri shrugs. “Perhaps it is a relationship only situation. Neither of us are in one, so I do not think we would be able to understand.”

Shigaraki just grunts, preparing his character for a boss battle.

`~`

While the two of us wait hidden on a rooftop a decent distance away from Shoko’s house, Himi explains what she’d been thinking. Apparently she’s ok with both of us having sex with other people so long as the other gets permission first. So unless the other person approves, then it’s not happening.

And, for some reason, she said both of us can only sleep with women, no guys. At my raised eyebrow she transformed into me and said the only man she needs is me, causing my face to burst into steam.

I’d say she’s the only girl I need, but she crossed her arms and made a buzzing sound, saying that I’m not allowed to pull an UNO reverse. According to her, since she brought it up first she makes the rules regarding it.

Like many things in my life, I just accepted it and moved on.

Anyways, we each are allowed to bring in one person to be a part of the committed relationship. Of course, previous approval is obvious. Along with meeting the person outside of the other’s supervision so they get a more accurate idea of who they actually are. Neither of us are even allowed to kill potential relationship people without giving an actual valid reason as to do so!

It goes without saying that whoever we go after would at least need to be ok with blood and murder, if not outright liking it.

There’s more things included in the discussion, but they’re minor enough that we both agree that we can talk about them when the time comes. Meanwhile, Shoko has finally made an appearance. Though with something I don’t expect.

She enters her family’s car while holding a bouquet of green hydrangea flowers. The surprise puts me off balance, and it’s only Himi tugging on my arm that gets me moving to follow the car.

Clearly, as villains, we couldn’t just walk up to her house and knock on the door. So we need to follow her and drop in front of her when she’s alone! Might she attack? Probably. But if it works, it works.

We follow the car with only a bit of a struggle, our training ensuring that we can match weak speed quirks. Though I personally think that Himi’s quirk improves her physique somehow along with her instincts.

Eventually the car stops, and my eyebrows furrow. The building is… familiar. Though it’s only after following Shoko to her destination that I realize why that is.

It’s the building All Might brought me after I’d grabbed onto him.

The building he’d crushed my dream on.

The building where I started truly living my life.

And in the alley Shoko walks into remains the large blood splatter denoting where I’d landed.

I’m silent as I watch her approach a spot where a few objects already lay. A picture. A bouquet of half-dead flowers. And a bright yellow backpack.

After placing the flowers, she claps her hands twice and bows her head. She remains like that for several minutes, only stopping when her phone hasn’t stopped going off the entire time. She answers it with an angry twist to her lips, but I’m too far away to hear anything, prompting me to edge closer in order to hear her speak.

I’m just in time for her final words to reach me. “-fine. I’ll be there.” She hangs up before looking down one last time. With a sigh, she picks up the old flowers and turns around.

The words she leaves behind, echoing in the alley echo through my ears as well. Utterly confused at how they could possibly be there.

I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you more often, Izuku. I hope, wherever you are now, you can finally smile about all the things that make you happy. I miss you.

When Himi shakes my shoulder, asking me what’s wrong, I can barely get my voice out, the bewildered words only just reaching her ears. “She thinks…I’m, dead?”

Chapter 35: Midosagi Connection

Summary:

The Rat knows much. But for how long?
Izumi has *Sparkle* ~TRAUMA~ *Sparkle*!

(Izumi)

I have no idea why I’m sitting in Nezu’s office at UA, nor why Todoroki and the pro hero Hawks are here. The only thing I can think of is it relating to Izuku, but that wouldn’t make any sense. Though I do vaguely recall Nezu wanting to find his notebooks, so maybe it has to do with that?

But that still wouldn’t explain why Hawks is here, unless he has a lead and wants to question us? But if that is the case… couldn’t he talk to us separately? If looks could kill, then there wouldn’t even be a body left for my family to bury.

A pang goes through my chest. Though it wouldn’t be the first time…

Thankfully though, Nezu finally speaks, breaking the tension that had encompassed the room since we got here. “Does the name Midosagi mean anything to either of you?”

I shake my head, though I’m briefly reminded of before I got my quirk, and Izuku and I would think up future hero names. No matter what they were we’d always have ‘green’ in the name, since it matched both of our hair colors. It would have been a sign that if you messed with one of us, you messed with both of us.

Of course, I threw that away when I decided to put Bakugou’s words ahead of Izuku’s wellbeing. But really, I only have myself to blame for everything that happened. I wasn’t forced. I wasn’t controlled.

I was just a coward who hid from the truth.

To my surprise, Todoroki nods to Nezu’s question. “Isn’t that the person who glitter-bombed Hawks a few days ago?”

I can see the pro grimace, and I’m reminded of seeing a clip of that on social media. It may have only happened a few days ago, but it’s quickly become one of the most popular GIFs. People have even photoshopped different things popping out of the grenade. Popcorn, blood, a variety of holiday decorations. I’m just glad I have filters active on my apps because I know people are photoshopping much more… adult things too. As shown to me by one of my friends who laughed at how much I blushed on seeing it.

“Yeah,” he says, “that’s what they introduced themselves as.” He gives the two of us a measured look. “But,” he continues. “He also knew who Izuku Yagi was.”

“...Ok?” Shoko’s voice is usually monotone, but somehow it’s gotten even more monotone.

Hawks raises an eyebrow. “You don’t think it’s odd that someone who attacked the number three hero knows about a kid who - no offense- was barely known?”

She shrugs while I explain. “Well, the only reason you’d have us both here is if it had something to do with Izuku’s notebooks-”

“Or if you approved my request to set her on fire.” Shoko interrupts, and my jaw drops open while I stare at her in shock. But apparently, she doesn’t think her words were important enough to even look at me!

Nezu sighs. “You will not be setting anyone on fire. At least not outside of designated combat exercises”

She huffs while I process the implications of that comment. Once I do, I have to ask. Even if my voice does come out a bit choked up. “You mean… you’ll let me apply?”

Nezu looks at me with a face that reveals nothing, while Todoroki frowns at me. “According to your therapist, you have made great strides in improving as a person, which has also been showcased by your dedication towards cleaning Dagobah Beach outside of your required time.”

“But…” I know I might be doing more than putting my foot in my mouth here -maybe a sledgehammer?-, but I need to make sure. “Wasn’t my own application contingent on Bakugou doing well too?”

At the reminder of the explosion boy Nezu sighs, and I note how the corner’s of Todorki’s lips quirk upwards, only to go back down as he explains. “While his improvement is minimal… there has been improvement, according to his own therapist. Though they also say that he has a god complex so intertwined with an inferiority complex that it can only be solved by associating with those whose quirks are just as powerful, if not more so, than his own. So, from a legal standpoint, I must uphold my end of the conditions and allow you both to apply. With the hope that he improves. Though part two of your punishments will still be implemented, and should there be any reports of any kind of bullying either one of you shall be expelled immediately.”

Now all three of us are frowning. Judging by how reluctant Nezu is… I can imagine that he doesn’t agree with the therapist’s assessment. But considering it’s their decision, there’s not much he can do about it.

Still though, at least I’ll be able to become a hero.

[Aww… Someone is lying to herself again~.]

I’m not!

[Obviously you are. You think you can become a hero!]

I can!

[Really? Then why don’t you go to the spot where he jumped? Do you really think that piddly little shrine you keep in your room is enough? Those only matter for the people who didn’t drive the person to kill themselves!

Shut up! You aren’t real! You aren’t real !

[Girl, I’m as real as you are. Though putting it like that, I guess it doesn’t really count for much, now does it?]

I’m not a fake!

[Sure, sure. Whatever you say… Yu~me~kir~a~.]

I take a deep breath, realizing that while I’ve been arguing with my own guilt the conversation has continued. Thankfully it just seems to be Todoroki trying to convince Nezu that neither Bakugou or I should be allowed to apply, which gets a chuckle of approval from my guilt.

But it seems that the odd person out has gotten tired of the tangent. “Look, we aren’t here to talk about the hatchlings’ applications to UA. We’re here to talk about how Midosagi said he and his girlfriend killed Izuku Yagi.”

“What?” Todoroki asks sharply, pinning the pro with her stare.

“What?” I ask, not understanding what that could possibly mean. After all, he left a suicide note!

[What?] Asks my guilt, though I’m not entirely sure if I should count that one. Their surprise is technically my surprise too.

Nezu’s nod confirms Hawks’ words. “The villain did in fact claim to be responsible for his death. Not in the way you do, Miss Yagi, but more… directly.”

“But what does that mean?” He can’t be saying what I think he’s saying… right?

He sighs, opening a file resting on his desk and sliding one of the papers between me and Todoroki, who’s expression could freeze a fire. We both look at it, and I can see that it’s a form to change someone’s name. Except it’s listed as a change post-mortem. For the dead.

And seeing who it’s for, I can feel tears pooling in my eyes. A few leaking out when I hear Todoroki’s satisfied voice. “Good. He’d be happy that he doesn’t have to share a name with them.”

And the worst part? I can’t say that she’s wrong. With how he lived… could any of us really say that he was a Yagi? Though making his name essentially mean ‘Izuku the Green Rabbit’ is kind of-

My mind grinds to a halt as the name of the villain comes back to me full force. Midosagi. Green Rabbit. But… that can’t be! He’s dead! His blood, and the suicide note… that’s not even considering how he basically worshipped heroes! It wouldn’t make any sense for him to attack one!

Apparently Todoroki reaches the same conclusion if the way she jerks is any indication. “It’s not him.” She states flatly.

“We did not say it was,” Nezu says mildly. “Though it does imply some sort of connection. The possibility exists that Midosagi sympathizes with Izuku Yagi and decided to honor his memory by taking down heroes without the use of their quirk. Though we cannot discount the possibility of them having a mental quirk either.”

He waves a paw before either of us could question him about how that would be honoring his memory. “But, once again, that is not why we are here. We simply wish to know if there was anyone other than Miss Todoroki here that he associated with frequently. It might give us a clue as to their identity.”

I continue to stare at the principal for a few more moments before letting out a breath and slouching back into my chair. “No. No I don’t think so.” I sigh.

A quick glance at Todoroki shaking her head confirms that she was his only friend. I frown.

Friend…

“Could it be someone who bullied him?”

[Like you~.]

Nezu shakes his head. “Unlikely. Each person from your school has been accounted for during Midosagi’s encounter with Hawks.”

I frown while Todoroki asks her own question. “What exactly did you mean when you said Midosagi killed Izuku?”

“That’s what they told me,” Hawks shrugs. “I asked him about the notebooks, and he said he killed the kid.”

“By saying he ‘killed’ Izuku Yagi, he could be referring to how, after his death, Izuku Yagi’s desire for vengeance has been reborn in him. There also exists the possibility that he faked the suicide in order to get away with murder, though it is highly unlikely.” Nezu explains.

“Anything else?” Todoroki frowns.

I think there’s a brief moment where he hesitates, but it could just be my imagination. It’s definitely strong enough for that, at least. “Nope,” Hawks denies.

Nezu claps his paws. “Well, should anyone with more than a passing relationship with the boy come to mind, please do make sure to inform me. It could help us to catch Midosagi.”

We both nod, getting up and leaving the office. Outside, I hesitate a moment before tentatively turning to her. “Todoroki-”

“No.” The coldness in her voice has me flinching back, the fire in her eyes contrasting it with how much they burn with hatred. “I don’t care what your therapist says. I don’t care what mine says. I don’t care what Nezu says. There is nothing you can do to get my forgiveness. There is nothing you can do to get me to even think of you as an acquaintance.”

She takes a deep, shaky breath before turning around to walk away. “If you want me to stop hating you, find a way to bring my friend back. He’d have a better chance of convincing me than whatever you could do.”

I walk home with my head down and tears falling, listening as my guilt mocks me. The entire time only two words fill my head. Though if it’s directed at Todoroki or Izuku, I’m not sure.

I’m sorry.

`~`

“Are you sure that was a good idea? Not telling them more?”

Nezu calmly sips his tea before answering. “Was there more to tell? It must have slipped my mind.”

Hawks sighs. “You know what I’m talking about. The way Midosagi was talking about those notebooks? The same way you talk about your world domination plans.”

That actually manages to get a chuckle out of the rat. “Was it? How curious..”

Another sigh. “Nezu,” Hawks says seriously. “We both know that Izuku Yagi and Midosagi are the same person.”

“Do we?” Nezu counters. “As far as I am aware, the blood samples obtained from Midosagi were too contaminated by the glitter in order to get any sort of match. More than that, it was confirmed that the large amount of blood at the site where Izuku Yagi’s backpack was found was in fact his own. Given the amount present, there is no possible way for a quirkless to survive without near instant, on-site medical attention.”

Another sip of his tea before he tilts his head to look at Hawks with one beady eye. “Of course, that is unless the HPSC is hiding certain information? But that certainly couldn’t be the case, right? After all, why would they care about a single quirkless boy? Even if he was All Might’s son. He has another child with a powerful quirk that they’d pay much more attention to.”

Hawks says nothing, which in itself says more than enough to Nezu. He’s been called many things over the course of his life. Though he personally prefers the two titles bestowed upon him by those of UA, and those of the Commission.

The rat god of UA: The principal and overseer of the school. The one who does all they can in order for the students to succeed in their future careers, hero or otherwise.

And for the Commission? They are the one who've earned Nezu’s hatred many times over for their deplorable acts, as well as their attempts at taking control of the school away from him. But the rat satan of UA is their own creation, and he’s long decided that he’ll never be controlled again.

Chapter 36: Cafe Consultations

Summary:

Izuku tries to drown his confusion in drinks.
Himiko meets some old 'friends'.

“How can she think I’m dead!?” I demand of Himi after slamming my cup back down on the table. “Inko literally spoke to me after I jumped! It wasn’t even the same day!” I take a swig of my beverage, scowling at it upon the realization that it’s empty.

Himi just rolls her eyes at my actions while waving to get the waitress’ attention and signaling for a refill, getting her own eye roll in return even as she goes to get it.

Meanwhile I continue grumbling to myself. “I mean, I’d expect this kind of thing from Toshinori , but Inko?” I shake my head. “What the heck!”

“Maybe she just forgot? She did seem pretty distracted back then.” Himi tries to defend her, though I know it’s not out of any kind of actual belief that she actually forgot, but more to play devil’s advocate to help me understand the situation.

I mean, half the reason I decided to call myself Mido sagi is so that they would know that they’re responsible for me being a villain. But if they all think that I’m dead, then how are they supposed to make that connection!? They’ll just think it’s a coincidence!

The waitress comes back and places my drink in front of me, which I take without a word and chug a mouthful. She eyes me for a moment before sighing. “I’ll have another on the way. You should slow down though, drinking so much root beer in so little time isn’t good for you.”

I wave off the waitress’ concerns. “Doesn’t matter. I’m irritated and confused, plus my girlfriend won’t let me drink at the bar. A quick stab later will have me feeling right as a blight anyways. Himi will like it too so that’s a win-win.”

Other than a raised eyebrow the waitress just shrugs off my words. After all, she doesn’t know my quirk, or what it takes to use it. For all she knows I could fix any stomach aches by poking myself with a pencil and I’m just using weird phrases to talk about it because I’m some kind of edge lord.

Sort of like that weird guy shouting about manliness a few booths over. Now, to be clear, I’m not calling him weird because he’s shouting about manliness in a cafe. It’s because the guys he’s sitting with are looking at him like he’s crazy while he does so, not that I’m one to talk.

But anyways, Himi huffs and pulls my root beer away while the waitress goes to another table, worsening my scowl. “Trying to get drunk on soda won’t help you figure anything out. Even if fake drunk Izu is pretty fun~.”

I snort, snatching my drink back. I look down into the frothy liquid as I think. “You’re right-”

“I usually am~,” she smirks back.

“-but it’s really surprising. I get that she’s the one who cared the least about my existence, but letting everyone else think that I’m dead? That’s some next level of uncaring sh- *thunk* junk.”

She nods in agreement, setting the mini frying pan on the table. “Yeah, that is messed up. Though,” she taps her chin and glances up, “maybe she did it on purpose?” She muses.

At my confused look, she explains. “Not letting anyone know you’re alive would take, like, a ton of effort! Talking about you in the past tense instead of present, resisting correcting people about the day you died, and lets not forget watching everyone around herself believe something that she knows is wrong.”

She shakes her head. “We both know how hard it is knowing everyone around us is wrong but fully believe that they’re right.”

I think on that for a moment before nodding my head. “You’re right. Again.” I sigh. “But why? What benefit does she get from letting everyone think that I’m dead?.” I snort. “It’s not like they would have tried looking for me.”

She shrugs. “Who knows? Sane people aren’t right in the head.”

I nod in agreement. “Yeah, sane people are weird.”

With our discussion about how Inko is more of a bitchy mother than a neglectful mother out of the way, we instead talk about how boring and nonsensical sane people are. But lingering in the back of my mind is what to do about Shoko.

I mean… I don’t have to do anything, but I feel guilty about just letting her think that I’m dead. Even if it is because of Inko’s petty bitchiness.

*Thunk*

I glare at Himi, who shrugs. “I felt like I should, so I did.”

“Sigh. Not even my thoughts are safe from the censoring frying pan.”

She giggles as the door opens and a group of girls in high school uniforms pass by the manly guy’s group leaving. “So, what were you thinking about that deserved a whack?”

“I was wondering if I should let Shoko know that I’m alive. I mean, she was the only person to care about me back then. Even if she ends up hating me for the fact that I’ve become a villain, she at least deserves to know.”

She tilts her head. “Do you want her to know you’re alive?” I hesitate, but slowly nod, the high schoolers’ chattering getting louder. She shrugs. “Then tell her. Or leave a letter. What’s the point of being able to do what we want if you chicken out?” She points at me accusingly with her straw, and I laugh, taking note of the girls filling the booth next to us.

Her eyes narrow. “Wait a minute, didn’t we already talk about this a few days ago? When you were already going to tell her that you’re a villain? Why are we doing it again?” She gasps dramatically. “Are we in a time-loop? A dream? Is someone using a quirk to root around in our memories but got them all jumbled up and this isn’t really happening?”

Seeing the overexaggerated panic, I can’t help the laughter that bursts out of me, quickly followed by her own. Laughter that’s abruptly cut short. Confused, I look at Himi, only to see her with wide eyes and slightly trembling.

Turning, I see that her eyes are locked on the group behind me. It’s a group of four, one with a minor mutation to go with their quirk that gives them some soft looking antenna things poking out of their bushy hair. Another with a full mutation that kind of resembles a llama? Maybe? But the other two don’t have any distinguishing characteristics, one having short brown hair and the other long black hair.

I turn back to Himi, taking her hand in mind and feeling her grip it as strong as she can. “Himi? What’s wrong.” She doesn’t answer, just trembles. My concern skyrockets. In the entirety of our time together I have never seen her scared. And this isn’t just her being scared, she’s terrified. But why? What is it about those girls that scare her? It’s only then that I start listening to their conversation.

Unfortunately it’s just inane drivel about social relationships. *Shiver* They really do make things way too complicated. Are you friends? No? Do you want to be friends? Again, no? Then ignore them. There’s no reason to try making them miserable just because they aren’t in your ‘clique’. But then their talks turn to the past, and that does get my attention, my hand tightening inside Himi’s.

“But last year was crazy, right?”

“What do you mean?” The brunette asks, though the way she shifts tells how she knows what the afro - maybe she’s sheep-like? - girl is talking about.

“Oh c’mon, you know!” The black haired girl accuses. “What happened with Toga, her going psycho and attacking Saito! I heard that his family moved to Hokkaido after he got out of the hospital.”

“Yeah,” the llama nods, “I overheard the teachers talking, and they said they didn’t want to risk him getting attacked again.”

They continue their conversation, talking about how with Himi’s ‘villainous quirk’ it was only a matter of time before she attacked someone. And how if she hadn’t hid what it was they never would have talked to her.

“She’s probably putting her skills to good use living on the streets,” the black haired girl snickers. “I bet blood isn’t the only thing she’s sucking now.”

It’s only when Himi taps my wrist that I realize how hard I’m holding her hand, prompting me to ease up. The more they talk, the angrier I get. And seeing her hair shadowing her eyes and the drops of water under her hanging head, I'm on the verge of losing it.

“Still though,” the llama interjects when they all stop laughing. “Don’t you guys think she’s pretty pitiful?” At the others’ confused looks, she explains. “I mean, you all know how some people don’t like me because of how my quirk makes me look. But at least it’s not a villainous one.”

She shakes her head. “Looking at someone like Toga, who never would have been able to make it as a normal person, I can’t help but be thankful about how much better off than her I am.”

Now it’s Himi gripping my hand too tightly, but since I don’t feel pain I let her. Instead, I draw a knife from out of my shoe and gently place it under her face before leaning forward.

“They don’t know you. They never knew you. Don’t let the words of those with no understanding of how the world really works bother you. The words of the blind don’t matter when it comes to seeing how wonderful you are. But more than that, don’t let either them, or your past, curb your decisions.”

She looks up, her golden slitted eyes peering at me through a veil of tears. I give her a gentle smile. “We were just talking about it, right? What’s the point of being able to do what you want if you just chicken out?”

“And if something is preventing you from doing what you want?” I gently raise the hand I’m holding, flipping it over so that her palm faces her and her fingers are extended. With practiced motions, I flex her hand, and the claws of the device pop out as my grin turns dark.

“Then all we have to do is get rid of it. After all, who are they to get in the way of our happiness?”

She stares for a moment before smiling at me. She gives me a quick peck on the lips before starting to giggle. Then it starts to get louder. And louder. Soon enough, she’s laughing. And before long, the rest of the cafe becomes silent as it turns into cackles, growing shriller and unhinged.

With a smile, I flip the hood of my jacket on top of my head, looking forward to what’s to come. Eventually, our waitress works up the nerve to return to our table. “E-excuse me, bu-but would you mind quieting down a bit? You’re d-disturbing the other customers.”

Abruptly, she stops, meeting the waitress’ eyes. She shivers, and Himi pats her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine now.” She stands up, her hand not leaving the waitress’ shoulder. Then she spins her around, cozying up against her so that they both face the girls from Himi’s past.

I stand up as well, turning around to fully pay attention to them for the first time. They’re looking at my girlfriend with shocked eyes and open mouths. “You see,” Himi explains, “I was just surprised to find some old friends . We have sooo~ much catching up to do~!”

The waitress swallows while the girls are frozen. She gently tries to move away, obviously terrified of the situation. I’m sure that this isn’t what she expected when she came into work today. “I-I-I see. I-i-i-in that case, could y-y-you let me go? I-I-I’ll be happy to bring you some drinks!” Her voice hitches, knowing that something bad is about to happen.

“Oh~, honey,” Himi purrs, nuzzling against the waitress as a blush builds despite her situation. Her voice a sultry whisper in her ear. “You already have~.”

And with that she drags her claws across the waitress’ throat, her blood shooting out in an arc to cover the group in front of us. She quickly lowers her mouth to the fatal wound, ignoring the screams and panicked customers rushing for the door. She drinks deeply, her face becoming flushed as she keeps one eye on the girls who have become petrified from shock, not seeming to know how to react to the sudden bloody spectacle that splatters over them.

At least until Himi pulls away from the waitress and gives her a peck, her own blood smearing against her lips. “Thanks for the caramel~.” And she releases her to limply fall to the floor.

As if that was the signal, the girls move to action, bursting from the booth and rushing for the door. Himi throws one knife, and I throw another. My knife ends up in the back of the head of the brunette, while Himi’s takes the sheep in the back of the throat As the door slams shut behind the other two, we share glances and walk forward, making sure they’re dead with barely a glance.

Outside, we see the two girls running in opposite directions. “I take Konima, you take Haisu. That’s the llama girl.” I nod, and the hunt begins~.

`~`

When the police arrive, they find the bodies of the four friends seated in one of the booths, each covered in their own blood and embedded with a knife. Or several in the case of two of the girls. The waitress’ body is leaning against the edge of a booth with a notepad and pencil taped to her hands. A sick rendition of what the location is meant to be like.

And on the table, drawn in blood is the image of a rabbit, along with a message. But signed with a different name.

Don’t they look so pretty now? Blood is love

                                                                        -Chusagi

Chapter 37: A Stain on the Name

Summary:

Izuku and Toga run into an alley and meet a celebrity!

It’s been another couple of months since I found out that everyone who I associated with, and my friend Shoko, thinks that I’m dead, and I finally decided that I do want Shoko to know I’m alive. But I also know that coming back from the dead is a special occasion. Well, metaphorically that is. Literally coming back from the dead tends to happen on a weekly to bi-weekly basis. So I can’t just pop up like I’d originally been planning.

Himi’s been helping me to think of something big, but there’s no hurry. It’s going to be a multi-step plan that will culminate in our reunion. And the first step… is learning how to sew. Though now that I think about it, having someone else sew what I plan to give her makes a lot more sense than me randomly picking up the skill. But oh well. I already started learning, so I might as well stick with it. Plus it will make it all the more special!

But for now it’s time for a fast food break! For Himi, I mean. For me it’s more of a murder break? I’ve been trying to get her to tone down on sucking my blood a bit ever since she mentioned that the taste was lingering even an hour after she’d last drunk it.

I’m not sure if she can get sick from drinking too much of a single person’s blood, but I’m not going to risk it. Shiggy isn’t going to offer up his own blood for her to drink either, and I’m not even sure if Kurogiri has blood for her to drink!

Anyways, that means that today we’re going hunting for some tasty tasty blood for Himi! Maybe we can even bring them back so she has another consistent source of blood! Sure, we’ll probably have to house-break them so that Shiggy doesn’t turn them to dust because they won't stop crying about us letting them go like the last time we tried, but you know what they say! If at first they resist, stab them until they don’t!

“So what flavor are you hoping to get this time?” I ask my girlfriend as we skip through the streets. It’s kind of weird how nobody is saying anything about my villain costume, but then again it does look like normal clothes, and the mask could be for any number of reasons they aren’t aware of.

Wait a minute… is it actually difficult to tell that I’m a villain unless I do something criminal or suspicious? It would make sense since you can’t arrest someone just because of what they’re wearing. There’s even someone wearing the same jacket as me on the other side of the street!

“Maybe someone sour?” Himi’s reply brings my attention back to the moment. “Hmm, or a coffee person would be nice to have? A morning pick-me-up after a night of you picking me up sounds like a good thing.” A pink girl leaning against a store’s wall spits out her own coffee after hearing that.

I blush at her teasing, Oblivious -or more likely just not caring- of what other people might overhear, she continues to muse.

“Right now I’m kind of in the mood for something sweet, but you already said that you aren’t giving it to me.” She glares with puffed out cheeks while a passing guy who overhears us gives me a smirk and a thumbs up.

I sigh before pulling her into a nearby alley, ignoring the whooping encouragement of the guys and blushing glares of the women. We traverse the maze that is the backstreets until the noise generated from the mass of people going about their day is nothing but a distant concern. Letting go of Himi’s hand I whirl around and cross my arms, raising an eyebrow.

To which she innocently tilts her head. “What’s up? I don’t think that someone with a good flavor is going to be hanging out around here.”

To anyone watching, I’m sure that they’d fully believe her words. At least until the mischievous smirk and blush crosses her face. “Or… are you in the mood for a taste of my flavor?”

Of course there’s only one way to respond to that sort of provocation.

My lips meet hers and her eyes widen before she kisses back with a passion, trying to drive my own assault back. And that’s where we stay, each of us trying to claim dominance over the other but unable to push back long enough for one of us to claim victory. I don’t know how long we stay like that, taking breaths in the brief moments one of us breaks contact when the other’s assault starts to overpower them.

We might have gone farther, unconcerned that somebody could stumble on us. We’re pretty far from the frequented areas after all. But then it actually happens, a guy who can’t be much older than the two of us stumbles around the corner.

Finally breaking contact, we both glare at the guy. He doesn’t even have the decency to look apologetic! Just a mixture of terror and hope! Neither of them even lasts that long though since apparently he was running from a person who just kicked him at us!

Don’t these people have any manners!? And from someone who’s supposed to be a hero too!

Not even being qualified to be in the top couple thousand, the pro hero Woozy seems to be surprised that there’s other people around, though less upset than we are. “Oh! Sorry for bothering the two of you.” He says, completely disregarding the fact that he’s the one who kicked the groaning guy to us.

“I was chasing this delinquent when he managed to distract me.” He gives the guy a look that resonates with me, and not in a good way. It’s only enhanced by his groaning protests.

“I… didn’t… do anything!” He gasps out, clenching his stomach while curled into a ball. In response the hero’s eyes flash a nauseous green color and his groaning intensifies.

“That’s enough out of you, trash. You’re lucky that I’m only letting you off with beating a sense of morality into you! The paperwork just isn’t worth the effort for someone like you.”

“Someone… like him?” I mutter, my voice low and filled with anger. Himi shoots me a look of curiosity as she sees me palm a knife from my sleeve.

The way this hero is talking.

The way he’s treating this guy.

The way he’s acting like he’s beneath him.

This isn’t how a hero treats villains and criminals, no… I know exactly what earns people this kind of treatment. Though is it really earned when it’s not their fault? No, Woozy isn’t acting like this guy committed a crime. He’s acting like-

“He’s quirkless,” he scoffs, fanning the familiar flames of injustice I’d always suppressed before I’d started living freely. “He’s obviously just hoping to throw himself on the mercy of such upstanding citizens such as yourselves to avoid paying for his crime.”

Woozy’s quirk, which lets him make one person he looks at nauseous for a few seconds, seems to wear off of the guy, since his shout echoes throughout the urban maze. “I DIDN’T STEAL ANY FUCKING PACK OF GUM YOU FUCKING PYSCHO! I HAD SOME IN MY POCKET!”

Another scoff announces what the hero thinks of his objection. “Why would those young men lie? Obviously someone like you would-”

A splash of blood cuts him off, but surprisingly it’s not from me, my knife still poised in my hand where it would have launched on a direct trajectory to his throat. And it’s not from Himi, whose mouth has dropped open to mirror the surprise of me and the quirkless guy.

No, the blood splatter is caused by someone who drops down from above, a sword angled down from Woozy’s collarbone and sheathing itself in his chest as he falls to the ground. It’s not an instant death, as showcased by the way the hero chokes and sputters on the blood rising from his throat. He reaches out, as if asking for help. So I decide that I’ll do so.

The assailant leaps off of his back as I throw my knife, helping his suffering to end by embedding into his head. Both fall to the floor with barely a sound, and the assailant flicks the blood free of his blade without taking his eyes off of us.

We stay like that for a few moments, neither of us making a move in the tense silence. A silence that’s broken by Himi’s squeals of excitement.

“OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH! IZU, DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS!?” Her shouting rings in my ears, and I just know that I’m going to have to die to avoid having them end up permanently damaged.

She continues without giving me a chance to answer, her squeals of excitement seeming to unsettle the man. “It’s Hero Killer Stain ! He always leaves heroes cut up all over the place! I’ve found some of the places he’s killed before the police have cleaned them up and-” She shudders with an intense blush, squirming happily. “The blood slashed around is beautiful .”

She seems to take a moment to think before nodding firmly and glomping onto me and nuzzling my face. “But yours was so much better . Oh~ just remembering~!”

Ok, I need to stop her before she gets too worked up. The hurt guy is inching away from us and the Hero Killer looks like he either wants to kill us, or kill himself for witnessing this. So I take out my own personal Himi tool on the same level of her frying pan!

I smoothly unwrap a piece of hard candy one-handed and press it between her lips. Tasting it, her face lights up and she quiets down to focus on drawing out the flavor by sucking on it. Breathing a sigh of relief, I turn back to the… villain? Vigilante? Stain… his name sounds vaguely familiar.

But anyways, “Cool kill. You have something to mark it as your own?”

He’s taken aback by the question, but you can only see it by looking at his eyes since the rest of his body is saying “try anything and die”. At first I think that he’s just going to leave without answering -which would be pretty rude- but evidently he has enough manners to respond.

“My work is my mark. Cleansing the fake heroes that infect the nation is all the message I have for people.”

I nod in appreciation. “That’s awesome. You even managed to say it with your scarf blowing in the wind, which just adds to how awesome it is.”

His face twists in a snarl, but before he can no doubt say something offensive I snap my fingers. “Oh yeah, that’s where I’ve heard of you before!” His guard goes up even more somehow, but he doesn’t have anything to worry about. “Shiggy said he wanted to know if you would join the League of Villains since you like killing heroes.”

He bares his teeth as he points his sword at me. “I don’t kill heroes , I kill fakes who corrupt the symbol with their foul beings.”

Glancing down at Woozy, I nod. “I can appreciate that. The offer still stands though. Would you be interested? He doesn’t like heroes either.”

There’s a brief moment where he looks like he’s going to vanish down the alley before he sheathes his sword. “I’m willing to meet in order to discover if our convictions can co-exist. Give me a time and place.”

I pull out my phone, sending our coordinates to Kurogiri. “Is now good? We can send you wherever you want afterwards?”

He stares for a moment as a misty portal opens up between us. He gives a curt nod before stepping inside, his stride full of confidence.

“Now,” I say, looking at the quirkless guy who’s pale face showcases perfectly just how out of his depth he is. I lean forward, something that’s been in the back of my mind for a long, long time finally having the opportunity to be tested.

“You’re quirkless, right?” He nods slowly, a brief flash of resigned acceptance flashing across his face that’s immediately replaced by shock.

“How would you feel if I told you that might not be the case?”

Chapter 38: Ideology Idiosyncrasies

Summary:

Ideals are shared.

After having Kurogiri send our new tes- *cough* friend someplace to wait for… experiencing a variety of activities, Himi and I sit in the bar and drink some drinks while getting comfortable to listen to Shiggy talk with Stain.

Or as we think it will end up, him failing to recruit a clearly skilled rogue to the party. Or maybe an assassin? I don’t know about his outright fighting skills, so it’s possible that he might also be a good warrior? Or maybe like one of those ‘skilled in many but master of none’ people Shiggy always complains about. Something about how they lack commitment.

Either way, I’m interested in hearing both of their ideals and seeing how it compares to the one I’ve developed over my months of being with Himi. Coincidentally, she shares the same ideal because she actually believes in it, rather than just because I do. It’s a nice couple ideal to follow.

Ooh, but it looks like the two of them are done with trying to intimidate each other with their stares!

“So, you’re Hero Killer Stain. I thought you’d be taller.” Shiggy starts us off with a sass attack! How will Stain respond!?

He snorts. “And for an organization presumptuous enough to call themselves ‘The League of Villains’, I expected their leader to be old enough to drink.” And he shoots back with a perfectly valid concern! Especially since All For One is the actual leader even if he is hands off. Sort of like how a parent is in charge of their child until they decide to abandon them.

Seemingly to counteract that point, Shiggy holds out a hand and Kurogiri slides a glass of alcohol into it. Keeping a pinky lifted, he takes a fancy drink while maintaining eye contact with the Hero Killer. After draining it he lets out a dramatic sound of satisfaction.

“We’re villains. We don’t care about things like that.”

“I do! I don’t want my cinnamon bun to taste like bourbon!” Shiggy does a great job of ignoring Himi thanks to his copious amount of experience doing it. Stain doesn’t, as shown by the flicker of movement from his eye as he undoubtedly makes a note of her seemingly inane comment.

But was it really? Himi is many things: cute, crazy, sadistic, bloody, seductive, a blood enthusiast, and my girlfriend, but she isn’t dumb. For all I know her making her opinion known at that moment could have been meant to establish that while Shiggy is the de-facto boss of the League, the members aren't being forced to serve him due to fear or awe of his strength. Which would mean that he has certain other qualities that convinced us that he should be the leader.

Or it might have just been her making sure her opinion is known. Either way, Stain scoffs and crosses his arms. I take note of the knives strapped to each arm, preparing to flip my own should things turn violent. “Tell me, what is your ideal? Why do you desire to go against those society has labeled as ‘heroes’?”

Shiggy tilts his head, and I’m on the literal edge of my seat as I lean forward to listen, my hands clenching the rim between my legs to ensure I don’t accidentally fall off. Despite being here for nearly ten months, I haven’t actually heard what his ideal is, why he wants to take down heroes. Specifically, All Might.

“Why…? Obviously because I don’t like them. Why wouldn’t you get rid of the things you hate?” The genuine bafflement in his voice is enough for me to slip, landing face first on the floor.

Seriously? That’s it!? I mean, I’m not complaining, but still. That’s kind of a deluded and childish reason. But thinking about it, that also fits Shigaraki. He absolutely hates needing to do things that he doesn’t like. Which, unfortunately, includes cleaning up the dust from when he decays something. I’ve been thinking of getting one of those robot vacuum cleaners to help with that, but realized that there’s a better way.

It’s been a while since I’ve talked with my cousin, and I’m sure that she can make one better than what we could buy. Might take some effort to get a secure connection set up so that the authorities won’t be able to track us if we ever give them a reason, but it shouldn’t be too hard.

But anyways, Stain doesn’t look like he’s a fan of Shiggy’s reasoning either. At least if the way he’s straddling him with a knife impaled in his shoulder is any indication. But then again…

I side-eye Himi, who makes eye contact before blushing and looking down while covering her cheeks with her sleeves. “Baka Izu, don’t ask for that when we have an audience.”

“I wasn’t asking!” I’m quick to shut that down. I have no interest in letting people outside our relationship see the expressions she makes during those situations!

Feeling the knife in my hand, I’m reminded of what I was supposed to be doing. Having an ‘oopsie’ moment, I’m relieved that Stain hasn’t made any moves to kill Shiggy. That would be awkward to explain to his Sensei. Thankfully it seems that he likes to monologue about his own ideal.

“You lack conviction, even in your own desire. Without conviction, you will achieve nothing! Which is how you ended up like this .”

“You’re being a little rough, don’t you think? Kurogiri, send him away.” Contrary to my expectations, Shiggy is pretty calm. I honestly thought that he would freak out the moment he got hurt. Then again, he has been trained by All For One, so it makes sense that he’d be more competent than he appears.

“Apologies, Tomura Shigaraki, but I cannot move. It must be the Hero Killer’s quirk.” I have to do a double take upon seeing that Kurogiri has blood staining the sleeve of his uniform. Were we really that distracted!?

“The world is overrun by fakes. Petty criminals like you who chase petty dreams.” Stain brings a second blade to bear, hovering over the hand Shiggy refers to as ‘father’. “They must all be purged.”

But before the blade can so much as scratch the hand, Shiggy grabs it, ignoring the way it slices into his hand before it starts to decay. “Watch it. If you touch this palm,” his red eyes flash, and Stain’s own widen. “I’ll kill you.”

“You sure talk a lot, Hero Killer. Conviction.” The scoff in his voice is obvious when he says that word. “I may not have something as loaded as that. But if I had to choose something though, it would be killing All Might.” With the knife decayed to the breaking point he clenches his hand into a fist and it crumbles to dust while Stain glares down at him.

“If society wants to worship trash like him I’ll destroy their beloved Symbol of Piece and then crush them while they’re in shock!”

Stain looks like he’s about to stab him again, but Shiggy sweeps out with a hand, prompting him to jump back to avoid being decayed. Shiggy rises and looks at the blood leaking from his shoulder and hand with annoyance. “How irritating. We don’t have a healer in our party, you know.”

“It seems our goals fundamentally oppose each other.” Stain says, though the smile on his face reveals that he’s not all that upset about that. “However, this wasn’t in vain. We both agree that we need to destroy the present.”

“Shut up, I’m done with you. Leave. Drop Dead. I don’t care.” The dismissive way he treats the Hero Killer does nothing to banish the light of excitement in the rouge’s eyes.

“I was testing your motives. People always show their true colors when on the verge of death.” He sheathes his knife. “There is a warped sprout of conviction within your eyes. How will it bloom in the end, I wonder?”

“You’re even crazier than Toga. Someone like you will be no good for the League of Villains.” He once again ignores Himi’s interjection of ‘you do care!’, clearly wanting to go back to his games.

Kurogiri, now able to move again, makes to open a portal only for a gesture from me to put it on hold. At the curious looks, I explain.

“We’ve heard of Shiggy’s ‘convictions’, but not yours, Stain. All you’ve said was that you hate fakes and those who lack convictions. So, what’s yours?”

He stares at me with narrowed eyes before grunting in acknowledgement. “I seek to kill the fake heroes so only true heroes like All Might remain. While those wi-”

I can’t help it. I do want to listen to the rest of his explanation, but really? He thinks All Might is a true hero? That statement is so ridiculous that I laugh. The hostile glare he shoots at me just makes me laugh harder!

After a whack from Himi’s frying pan though, I manage to shake off most of my amusement. I still let out the occasional chuckle though. “All Might is anything but a true hero.”

My claim garners the interest of everyone except Himi, who’s the only one I’ve mentioned to that All Might is… well, not my dad. Father or guardian would imply that they at least raised me, which isn’t accurate either. Sperm donor? I guess that works.

Anyways, the point is that she’s the only one who knows the full story. It’s not that I’ve explicitly hid it from the League, but I haven’t really had a reason to share it. I don’t think that Stain would join the League, or be a good fit like Shigaraki said, but maybe it will help everyone to understand my ideal.

“All Might had two children. One with a powerful quirk, and the other lacking a quirk at all.” I find it funny how Shiggy and Kurogiri’s eyes widen as I start my story. They know about that , how my family treated me, but I never mentioned that All Might was the neglectful father.

“The quirkless boy was neglected by All Might, who acted like he didn’t exist. The all too brief times where he remembered that he had a son just made the rest of his life all the more miserable-”

“You lie!” Stain snarls, his hand drawing a blade once again.

I smirk back at him. “I don’t but if you ever run across either All Might or a girl named Izumi Yagi, ask them what Izuku Yagi’s life was like. Only one of them could tell you, though whether or not she’d be honest about it is another question entirely.”

I shrug. “But either way, knowing about how hypocritical the “Symbol of Peace” is,” I can’t help but put air quotes around his title, which seems to anger the killer more if the bloodlust he’s giving off is any indication. It’s not as oppressive as All For One’s though, and if I didn’t buckle under his there’s no way I’ll buckle under Stain’s.

“I’ve come to a single truth about the world.” I show the room a face-splitting smile. “People will do what they want, regardless of how it will affect others.”

He takes an aggressive step forward. “A true hero-”

“Saves people, like they want.” I interrupt. “People who don’t commit crimes might not do so because they want to be good, or they want to not go to prison. People become heroes because they want money, fame, to help people, etc. Heck, they might want to become heroes just because it’s the ‘cool’ thing to do!”

I scoff dismissively. “But once you boil everything down to its base, past all the flowery words, the excuses, the justifications, the convictions , you get people acting based on their own selfish wants.”

I meet his rage filled eyes with my cold ones. “You want to kill fakes because you want heroes to embody the ideal, not the reality.” I take a sip of my drink. “If you can’t admit to that, then in the end, you’re just as fake as the ones you hunt.”

With a cry of rage he leaps at me, only to fly through a veil of misty darkness that appears in front of him. I chuckle while shooting Kurogiri a thumbs up.

“Thanks for the save, Mamagiri. Less blood dirtying up the bar to clean up later.”

Chapter 39: Testing Time

Summary:

Izuku and Himiko see if all quirkless people actually do have one.

I sit in a comfy chair, Himi hanging off of me as we stare at a monitor. It’s a live video of a nearly bare room holding only a futon and a stainless steel table. Oh yeah, and some random guy who’s supposedly quirkless.

I may have forgotten about him for a few days, but thankfully Kurogiri didn’t and has been making sure that he gets food and water. It would have been embarrassing if my test subject died before we even started testing anything. He even made sure to give him a tv! Of course now it’s removed so it doesn’t mess with the current batch of tests, but it’s a good thing that he wasn’t stuck in a room alone with his thoughts for several days without anything to distract him! I know exactly what that feels like!

But man, Kurogiri really does act like a mom. He cooks for all of us, he cleans up after all of us, he stops Shigaraki Tikiraki from decaying Himi when she hides his hands. And that’s not even counting how he wears an apron when he cooks!

That’s why he’s Mamagiri!

Anyways, back to the testing!

I hold down a button and the crinkle of speakers turning on resounds throughout the testing room, startling the guy and making him swallow his gum. It doesn’t need to do that of course, but I figured that it would give the place that sketchy ‘you’ve made a horrible decision’ vibe.

“So, you think you have a quirk!”

“Uh, no? You do?” The confused man responds.

“No,” I clarify, “that’s the name of the show.”

“I’m on a show!?” He shouts.

“Well, not right now . But if you do end up having a quirk we could make one! And you’ll be featured on the very first episode!”

He just deadpans in the direction of the speaker, causing the two of us to chuckle. “Anyways, these tests will consist of you doing and experiencing things you’ve never encountered before. This can include, but is not limited to: eating a person, singing in a variety of form-blegk- bit my tongue. Ahem, foreign dialects, contorting your body into a wide range of shapes, and dying.”

I really thought that leaving dying for last would get more of a reaction than he shows. But he just nods like that’s to be expected. It’s everything else that he looks weirded out by!

It just reaffirms what Himi and I know. Sane people make much less sense than crazy people. Which reminds me…

“We should probably get your name, huh? Or we can just call you One?” For whatever reason, the guy nods. So I just shrug it off as a sane person thing and we start the tests! By finding out what tests we should actually do!

After a quick questionnaire for the increasingly uncertain and confused ‘One’ we begin the first test! Whistling! Well, trying to whistle. Which doesn’t go very well considering that none of us know how to whistle. I ask Kurogiri and Shiggy but neither of them know how either. Which makes sense since Shiggy’s lips are as crusty as the rest of him and Kurogiri doesn’t have a mouth. Or a face.

So test one is a failure, but One himself isn’t yet! Worse comes to worse, I’ll ask All For One to give him a quirk as a consolation prize. Or kill him to see if he can come back to life like me. Either way works.

Anyways, the second test is a result of him not knowing how to swim, and thus never visiting the ocean! To put it in simple terms: we have Kurogiri open a portal from somewhere in the ocean to the ceiling of the room. He seems surprised that it works, One is surprised about the sudden waterfall that cracks the floor, and I’m surprised at how I forgot to account for how much pressure is being exerted on the water being transported. It’s a good thing the portal wasn’t directly above him or else we’d be out a subject!

Though we might be out of One anyways given how badly he’s failing this current test. He’s not interacting with the water in any other way than his panicked flailing. And it doesn’t look like he’s able to breathe it either. But he’s holding his breath so there’s no way to tell for sure…

Oh, there it is! Yep, he isn’t able to breathe in salt water! Kurogiri portals him out, and while he’s busy gasping for breath Kurogiri once again helps us out by sending the water someplace else. Where does he send it? No idea, but it’s gone so that’s all that matters.

After One recovers enough to beg for us to let them go home we continue on to test three! Electro- no, the salt water he inhaled might mess with the results. Though since we’re testing for a previously undiscovered quirk, it might not matter. Or it will completely matter. Quirks are weird like that.

After tossing a taser through yet another portal - I should really do something nice for Kurogiri after this - and watching him react like most people would to getting shocked while soaking wet and watching his gum fly out of his mouth, we move onto test, uh, four! Yep, I totally didn’t forget which one we’re on.

After that the tests continue with us occasionally taking breaks for One to rest. But nothing works! No matter what new things he experiences he doesn’t show signs of a quirk! We even feed him two of my severed arms that we keep frozen for emergencies! Both cooked and raw, both with and without him knowing! We need to threaten him a lot to knowingly eat human meat, but we do manage it!

By the end of the day he’s looking pretty ragged, which is perfectly understandable. As is the distant look in his eyes as he chews- wait a minute.

My eyes narrow as One gratefully accepts the break and pulls out another piece of gum. I press the button for the speaker, the staticy noise causing him to drop it in a small puddle of blood. Not his own of course, we kept the cutting testing and the bleeding testing light so that we wouldn’t accidentally kill him. And the blunt force testing kept all of his bleeding on the inside! That’s just some leftover from when we bled me to death and poured it all on top of him. 

Nothing happened and I made a joke about how it was because it’s not the blood of his enemies, but he sassed me and said that I am his enemy! Rude!

But back to what’s caught my attention. “Where did you get that gum? I don’t remember ever giving you any.”

He scowls directly at the camera, one of the tests having revealed where it is., as a shudder runs through him. Probably remembered eating parts of me. “I always have gum. It helps calm me down from when people attack me for being quirkless. And when PSYCHOPATHS KIDNAP AND TORTURE ME!”

Hmm… “Well I have some good news for you, the next test will be the last! And not because we’re going to kill you for the test!”

His expression screams how done he is with all of this, and it remains like that when he falls unconscious from the sleeping gas I flood the room with.

After ensuring that everything is in place, we replace him into a room where there’s only a single shining silver cover. And when he wakes up he’s given a very simple direction.

“Under that cover is a piece of gum. Your only job is to estimate how large it is, and what flavor. Though I can assure you that it is not grape! The flavor of… well I can’t say evil since, y’know, villains . Maybe the flavor of trash?”

Ignoring my tangent, One stares at the cover for a moment before sighing and looking down, letting out a groan when he sees his outfit. “Why am I dressed like some fancy old guy?”

He doesn’t even seem to have the energy to be mad, he’s just tired. “Because why not? I can assure you that it’s important to the test! You should be happy we didn’t shave your head and stick a mustache on you!

He sighs again before glaring at the cover and the gum underneath. It doesn’t take him long to give his answer, and when he pulls the cover up he sees that he was correct. Under the cover is cherry flavored gum in the shape of a human hand. About the size of my hand we fed him, actually.

He glares at the camera while a grin stretches across both my and Himi’s faces. “Congratulations, Mr. One. You… have a quirk!” I push the second button I have that I was doubting I would be able to push today and celebratory music plays throughout both our rooms.

His face doesn’t change from the deadpan glare he had before. “Really? You think me knowing that your sick and twisted mind would have one last torment for me means that I have a quirk?”

“No, One,” you can clearly hear the smugness in my voice. “You being able to make that gum appear is why I know you have a quirk. We made sure that there was absolutely no trace of any gum anywhere in that room, including in your outfit.”

I let him process that for a moment. Then he slowly brings his hand up to his face and stares at it. For a moment, nothing happens. But then, as if it was always there, a single piece of blue gum appears. His hand shakes as he carries it to his mouth, and once he makes the first chew, tears burst from his eyes.

He falls to his knees as his body shakes, and laughter bursts forth. He laughs as he cries. He cries as he laughs. But that’s ok. Because now, in today’s society-

He’s a person.

Back in the monitoring room I share a happy look with Himi. “Looks like you were right, Midosagi .”

“Seems so, Chusagi . But two people isn’t enough to prove my theory. Heck, it’s not even a pattern until there’s a third.”

She raises an eyebrow as a playful smirk stretches her lips. “Oh~? So you plan to do the same thing again? And again? And again?”

With each again, her lips come closer and closer to my own, until they meet. We share a passionate kiss, one filled with the thrill of celebration and progress.

It might just be one other person whose existence has proved the toe-joint test wrong, but it’s still another person that can serve as proof.

Proof that being quirkless… is one big lie.

Chapter 40: Murder for Christmas

Summary:

One returns!

I sip from my hot chocolate while staring with a raised eyebrow at One, who’s sitting across from me. “So... run by me again how you decided murdering someone makes for a good Christmas present?” I think on that for a second before clarifying. “I mean murdering the person. Murder itself is a pretty good present. In fact, I’m taking Himi out to the mall tomorrow for a twenty minute speed killing. Extra points for people who aren’t in the holiday spirit.”

After discovering One’s quirk, I really didn’t expect to see him again, but surprisingly he wanted to keep in touch. Even after he found out that we’re a group of villains. He’d text and call us often, usually just about how his day is going, or what new insults other students come up with for him.

Oh yeah! He’s apparently a second year in high school, so I was right about him not being much older than Himi and I. Anyways, he said that he showed off his quirk and the bullying did die down, but didn’t completely vanish. It went from “He’s less than human, why should it matter?” to “Such a freak, getting his quirk so late,” and “What a pathetic quirk”.

See, some people didn’t like the fact that a ‘quirkless’ somehow developed a quirk, seeing him as unnatural. But most of his teachers didn’t see it the same way and actually tried to stop the bullying when they’re around, which in itself made his life so much easier.

It was going well, according to him. All the way up until he found himself calling me in a panic, practically begging for us to portal him somewhere safe immediately. And me being me, obviously I asked for his coordinates and asked Kurogiri to get him. Which leaves us here, with him sitting across from me shaking like he was when we first met. His face is bruised, and blood flows from a long horizontal cut between his lip and his nose, which Himi is currently bandaging.

Kind of gives him a delinquent vibe.

He takes a deep, shaky breath, making Himi slap the back of his head for throwing off her wrapping rhythm. The action seems to calm him down in how normal it is. He swallows before beginning his explanation..

“W-well some relatives came over for the holidays; my uncle and his kids. Minamoto and Hikari. Th-th-they have good quirks. H-heroic quirks.”

He goes to shake his head, Himi’s scowl stopping him just in time as she finishes tying off the bandages. “N-n-none of them like the q-quirkless. Or villain quirks. They didn’t k-know about my quirk, my parents were going to surprise them!”

He lets out a choked laugh that’s halfway to a sob. “Th-they were surprised all right.” his face darkens. “They started bad-mouthing me at the first opportunity. Not where my parents could hear o-obviously, not dumb. Smart enough to get into decent hero schools.”

“But they wouldn’t listen!” One shouts, gesturing wildly. “I showed them my quirk, but they just sneered and said it was a cheap trick! Then my uncle stormed into the room and grabbed my wrist, he dragged me in front of my parents and threw me in front of them!”

He scowls, clenching his fists so hard that his nails dig into his palms. “He said that a quirkless can’t just suddenly develop a quirk. That I need to be faking it somehow. And you know what I saw when I looked at my parents?”

He glares at me, anger radiating from his eyes. “They fucking agreed with him! They didn’t think I actually had a quirk! Even when I showed them!” His hands clench at his hair, ripping at it while his eyes become bloodshot from reliving his words.

“They didn’t believe me. They never believed me. They acted like they were just humoring me. Like I was gods damned delusional ! So you know what I did?”

The sneer that crosses his face is clearly forced, the terror and anger fighting for dominance in his psyche. “I made sure they couldn’t dismiss me. That they’d have to admit that I have a quirk! I made gum appear. And you know what I found out?”

A broken chuckle scraps its way out of his throat. “As long as it’s close enough, I can make bubblegum appear anywhere around me. Anywhere .”

I nod. “So you made it appear in their hands or something? Or in the air?”

“Ha! No, that wouldn’t have worked, they would have just said it was another trick. I needed something they couldn’t deny. A-a-and I was so angry .”

He leans back in the booth staring up at the ceiling with suddenly tired eyes. “I was so fucking stupid. My life is over. I’m going to go to prison. Hell, I’ll probably get killed on the way to prison.”

“One,” I speak softly, trying not to startle him. “Where did you make the gum appear?”

He doesn’t answer for a few moments, but eventually he sighs, dropping his head onto the table with a dull thunk. “...ngs.”

I lean forward. “I couldn’t hear you.” His mumble is even less intelligible somehow. “One more time, and make it louder.”

“HIS LUNGS, OK!? I MADE THE FUCKING BUBBLEGUM APPEAR IN HIS LUNGS!” He shoots up and slams his palms into the table, his emotions apparently hitting a breaking point before draining out of him just as quickly. He falls back into his seat, his head falling into his hands.

“He fucking choked on it. There was screaming, everyone was panicking. Hikari used her quirk to make something out of light and threw it at me. It cut a gash in my face and I ran. I ran until I remembered you guys.”

He looks up at me with tears in his eyes, just a scared kid who’s accidentally plowed into the road of villainy headfirst. He swallows. “Y-y-you’ve gotta help me! Hide me, help me escape the country- Something! Please!”

I reach out and gently put a hand on his shoulder. His own flies to it, holding onto my arm like a lifeline as I meet his eyes. A lifeline that will help him, give him a way out of this situation. I open my mouth.

“How did it feel?” I ask.

“W-what?” His eyes widen and he tries to pull away, but my grip is firm. Even when he tries to push away from the table after letting go of me.

“How did it feel?” I ask again, my grip tightening. “How did it feel to kill? To show the people who looked down on you that you aren’t the weak, worthless quirkless they thought you to be? To see someone who saw themselves as so far above you, brought so low in so little time?”

He’s struggling now, his head shaking wildly. “N-n-n-no! I didn’t feel anything! I didn’t mean to!”

“You didn’t feel anything? Nothing at all?” My eyes peer into his own, pinning him into place. “You felt nothing at all about taking your uncle’s life? The man who treated you with such casual disregard that he thought nothing of throwing you to the ground in front of your parents? Then what about your parents? How did you feel when they said nothing? When they saw the abuse as something normal? The disgust in their eyes when they decided that you’re nothing more than a delusional quirkless relying and cheap tricks to fake a quirk? Was it the pity, the disgust? The patronizing smiles? Come on, One! TELL ME HOW IT FELT!”

I’m standing now, holding One up by his collar as I shout a demand for answers into his face. His eyes are wild, darting all over the place as he tries to look at anything except me. His hands are holding my wrists hard enough to bruise.

“I don’t know!” He shouts. “I DON’T KNOW HOW I FEEL! I DON’T KNOW HOW THEY FEEL! I DON’T WANT TO KNOW! I JUST WANT TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE!”

“I CAN’T HELP YOU UNLESS YOU’RE HONEST! TELL ME HOW IT FELT! HOW MUCH YOU ENJOYED SEEING HIM STRUGGLE! THE ANGER YOU FELT WATCHING EVERYONE TRY TO HELP HIM, IGNORING YOU WHO’D JUST BEEN ATTACKED! WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK OF YOU!? THEY CLEARLY DON’T!”

“I LIKED IT! OK!?” Finally, he looks at me, bloodshot eyes meeting sparkling ones. “I LIKE THAT I HAVE POWER! THAT I COULD MAKE THEM FEEL WHAT I’VE FELT MY ENTIRE LIFE! THAT I FUCKING MATTER! I LIKE IT! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR!?”

I smile, gently setting him on the floor only for him to fall to his knees with his face in his hands. Muffled sobs echo forth from him, filling the silent bar as our audience watches. Himi chews on some popcorn seasoned with dried blood, Shiggy is scowling at how loud we’re being, and Kurogiri is looking on with an impressed air around him.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” I say to One as I crouch in front of him. I put a hand on his head, petting him. “In fact, that’s what we all wanted to hear. It means we can help you.”

He looks up at me with a look of disbelief, snot and tears leaking from his face. There’s a tinge of hope in his eyes as he asks, “R…really? You can help me?”

I give him a smile, one that can brighten up the darkest room. “Of course I can. In fact, you won’t even need to leave the country!”

I lean forward, my smile becoming more mischievous as it leaves his line of sight, as I whisper directly into his ear. “Actually~, if you want, we can help you get more of that feeling.”

He tenses, his breath catching as I continue. “You can show more than just your family that you have worth. That you matter. That you won’t sit quietly as they use you as a tool to take out their frustrations on.”

“We can make you into someone of respect. Someone that nobody will be able to look down on. We can make sure that you get that sweet, sweet feeling so much, that everything before seems like a distant memory.”

I step back, doing a little spin before I extend my hand while giving a little half bow. “So, One,” My smile practically splits my face it’s so wide. “Would you like to join this little family we have? Where we accept one another for who we are? The family that we like to call the League of Villains?”

Chapter 41: Present From Beyond

Summary:

Himiko kills Izuku, and Shoko gets a present!

“So,” I ask, draped across the bar in front of Shiggy-Wiggy. “We have someone who can set up a completely secure connection yet?”

He scowls at me. “No. Sensei said he’ll have someone in a week or two so stop bothering me about it.” He turns away, turning the tv on and blasting the volume to drown out my usual follow up questions. So I throw a knife at it, giggling as he curses and sparks fly before something in the tv explodes.

Mamagiri sighs, opening two portals; one under it and one above it, immediately replacing it with an indistinguishable replacement. By this point so many have been destroyed that I’m curious where he’s getting them all from. I mean, there are only so many junky tvs to go around. Are they custom made or something?

“Please refrain from destroying the televisions, Midosagi. Or next time I shall be informing Himiko Toga of your late-night drinks.”

I gasp in outrage, putting a hand to my chest. “I don’t drink alcohol! How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I say again, how dare you!?”

“Apologies,” he sighs. “I shall inform her of your late-night ‘sips’.”

I nod happily. “Better. Wait, no it’s not!” I look at him with wide eyes. “How am I supposed to build up a tolerance to alcohol if you tell Himi that I’ve been sipping bourbon while she’s sleeping!”

Shiggy’s snickering and a sudden feeling of danger tells me that I just messed up. Stiffly, I slowly turn around and see my girlfriend flexing her claws with a closed-eye smile on her face. “Care to explain what I just heard, Izuku?”

I swallow at her not using a nickname, raising my hands in what I know is a futile defense. “Uh, it’s not what you think?” I try, and when she doesn’t immediately make a move I continue. “It’s just, one day you might want my taste to have a hint of some kind of alcohol. So I’m trying to build up a tolerance to it so I won’t pass out from only drinking a little before it can affect my taste.”

I give her puppy dog eyes as she tilts her head back in thought. “Hmm, ok,” she nods.

I blink. “Really? That’s all?”

Another nod. “Yep! Since you did it for me it’s fine.” I let out a sigh of relief only to stiffen as she continues. “But the guilt you’ve been feeling since you started doing that on Christmas has been affecting your blood, so we’re going to have to clean out the source.”

Her eyes open wide, a gleam I’ve long become familiar with shining brightly as she thrusts her hand forward. “Kali Ma!”

A few seconds later I’m in front of the receptionist, sheepishly scratching my cheek while she glares at me. “Yeah… she found out.”

She shakes her head, ruffling some papers. “I did tell you she would kill you.”

I chuckle before shaking my head. “Yeah… But what about you? That one guy still giving you trouble?”

She waves my redirection aside, like she usually does whenever our conversations turn towards her own life. Unlife? Half-life? However she exists. “There is nothing you are able to do about that, so there’s no need for you to be better informed about it. More importantly…”

She peers at me with a raised eyebrow. “Did you not have something important planned today?”

I blink for a few seconds, trying to remember what she’s talking about. Which is kind of a shock, her actually remembering dates given time is funky down here. When I do remember I smack my palm into my forehead. “I needed to drop off her present!”

I sigh, shrugging. “Well nothing I can do about it now. Her dad always takes her out for breakfast before having a party where he invites important people with kids. Presents aren’t opened until almost the evening so I can only hope that Himi drops it off for me.”

`~`

(Toga)

“Smoothy~, smoothie~! Heart-y smoothie~!” I hum while singing a happy song, watching the heart, pomegranate juice, and blood oranges mix together in a blender. I ignore Shigaraki-Chaparaki’s look of distaste, it’s better than his reactions when he first saw me doing this! He has girly screams!

Mamagiri’s look of disapproval is harder to ignore. But it’s not my fault Izu bleeds so much when I take out his heart! Blame humanity for evolving like that! I’d rather that the blood doesn’t get wasted on the floor too! So don’t hold out the mop like you expect me to clean it up!

“I will ensure that your smoothie is blended to your preferred texture.”

“...”

Knowing that he’ll get it just how I like it, I reluctantly accept the cleaning tools and get to work mopping up Izu’s blood, grumbling as I do. “Never see Shigaraki sweeping up his dust… The only girl here shouldn’t have to do the housework, that’s sexist… Wait a minute.”

I stop after picking up Izu’s body and laying it in one of the booths. He’s already stopped bleeding, thankfully, or else cleaning up would be a lot more effort. But that’s not what has me stopped. It’s a niggling thought that I’m forgetting something. Something important…

Good thing we have people for that! “Mamagiri!” I shout. “What am I forgetting?”

He sighs. “Do you have any clues as to what it is you have forgotten?”

“Hmm,” I tilt my head with a finger on my cheek. “Dunno, but I think it had to do with a girl.”

Shiggy snorts. “Usagi finally decide to pick up a chick who’s sane?”

Without looking I flick my arm and a knife embeds itself in the seat of his chair, just an inch higher and it would have been in his thigh. I roll my eyes as he curses at me

 Obviously I wouldn’t be mad about Izu finding another girl for us to have fun with, we’ve already said we were ok with that! Especially with all the blood I’ve drunk from him~. At this point I could probably just transform into him and not need to go back to normal ever!

I won’t though because Izu said that he likes me how I am. I don’t have to be someone else for him to accept me. I don’t need to wear a mask for him to like me. For him to love me, I just have to be myself.

Of course, he doesn’t complain when I transform in the bedroom. Double the Izus is double the fun for both of us~.

But Shiggy’s good for something other than playing his games! He reminded me of what I forgot!

“Birthday!” I shout, and the three of us turn to look at the birthday calendar. Unlike a normal calendar, there’s only six dates on it, and they’re all hand-drawn. Originally they were just the birthdays of the members of the League, but after Izu found out that his bitch of a mother hid the fact that he’s still alive he’s added another.

“IT’S TODAY!” I can’t believe I forgot! He even learned how to sew for her present! I’m not jealous since he gave me the same thing he’s giving her for Christmas, plus he took me out on a killing-date! So I think I’ve gotten the better presents between the two of us.

Still, I know how important this is for Izu, and I killed him before he could do it! “I’m a bad girlfriend…” I mutter, tracing circles in the remainder of Izu’s blood on the floor. “He had this big plan all thought out, but now it’s ruined…”

Kurogiri sighs, putting a hand on my shoulder and pulling me out of my sad thoughts. “Do not worry, Himiko Toga. Midosagi had already prepared everything, so long as you drop them off I do not think he will be angry.”

I sniff, looking up at him with unshed tears in the corners of my eyes. “Really? You think so?”

“I know so,” he reassures me. “I cannot imagine him ever being angry at you. The only time I believe he even came close was when you thought he was hiding something from you.”

I wince at the memory. I still think I was justified in being suspicious, but… I’m just glad it didn’t ruin our relationship. After finally having someone I can be myself around I don’t think I can ever go back. More than that, with Izu, I don’t have to be restrained . Even with the other members of the League I can’t act how I do when Izu and I are alone.

I don’t think any of them realize just how… broken, we are. It’s not just how we both suffered simply because of how we were born, it’s that we support each other. We’re like two broken knives, me missing the handle and him missing the blade. Without both, it’s not really a knife. They still have their uses, but they’re not a knife. It’s only when we’re together that we’re whole. In fact, we fit together even better than the original designs. Like the person who made the knife messed up when they put us together.

We were supposed to be the same knife, but they separated us. Making us something faulty, that others look down on. And when the part we were never meant to be with has had enough-

We became broken.

But now that we’re together it’s all ok! I hop up, smiling at Mamagiri and how he takes care of us. “Thanks Mamagiri! Let’s go!” I rush off to get the present and the letter, casting a single glance back at the smoky figure that takes care of us.

Maybe…one day…maybe we’ll let him see how broken we are.

We can all be broken together, instead of separately.

`~`

(Shoko)

I stand by the food, slowly sipping from my cup as well-dressed people mingle around me. It’s only here that I can avoid talking to the multitude of well-wishers and their children, who are practically pushed into talking with me by their parents. It’s clear to me that they’re as reluctant to talk to me as I am to talk to them, though I’d guess for different reasons.

I’m the daughter of Endeavor, one of the most intimidating heroes there are, as well as holding the number two spot for many years. They’re likely afraid of what he might do if they were to offend me. As for why I don’t want to talk to them?

This is my first birthday since what happened to Izuku.

Ever since I’d met him, he’d been there for me. It didn’t matter how bad his own day was going, he’d always be more than happy to listen to my own problems, giving out any advice he could with his smile that could rival the sun.

Before… before Endeavor changed, before we started becoming a family again. When I’d be forced to do these ‘birthday gallas’, he’d always have a plan to help me sneak out. A different plan than the one before just in case the previous had been discovered. But they never were.

Each year he’d come up with a different plan, when the previous ones worked perfectly. Each year I’d follow the new plan, no matter how convoluted or even nonsensical they became.

Because every year, after I told him how well his plan worked, he’d give me that smile. The one I never got to see except for that day. A smile that said he had no doubt it would. That showed, for one single day out of the rest of the miserable year, that he believed in himself just as much as I did.

It didn’t matter what we did after; sometimes we’d go to the park, others we’d get ice cream. What was important to me is that I got to spend my birthday with my best friend.

But now?

Now here I am, surrounded by people who don’t care. Who only see this as a convenient event where they can gather and make connections, for their children to make connections. And-

“You must be Shoko Todoroki, the birthday girl!” I’m pulled out of my thoughts by a boy my age, dressed just as well as the adults. If you disregard how his ears and nose resemble a bat’s, he’s kind of plain looking with brown eyes and black hair cut short.

“Allow me to introduce myself; I’m the son of-”

“I don’t care.” I cut him off, already having him pegged as the most unwelcome kind of person at these events. One of the main reasons I’ve always tried to sneak out as soon as possible before.

He laughs drily. “Of course you don’t. As the daughter of such a prestigious family I suppose my own wouldn’t garner much attention.” He smirks at me. “But… we have been rising steadily, absorbing our smaller competitors and increasing our profits. Pretty soon we might even rival the Endeavor agency!”

He laughs again, this time I pick up some mockery in it. Something most people don’t realize, just because I don’t understand emotions doesn’t mean I can’t pick up on it. Sometimes. But with this boy it isn’t hard. But as I’m reflecting on my emotional acumen, I realize that he’s been talking.

“-though obviously it would be in both of our family’s interests to keep good relations. Perhaps I could interest you in getting to know each other better over a nice dinner?”

I don’t let my lips move how they want, holding back the scowl. I absolutely hate it when parents try to push for their kids to start a relationship with me. But I hate it more when self-assured jerks like this one act like it’s only right that I should date them.

I open my mouth to tell him to leave me alone -in a polite way, given the company- but someone else beats me to it. A blonde girl with long flowing hair walks up and loops her arm around my own, looking at the boy with a happy smile. “Sorry, but Shoko and I already have plans. In fact, we need to talk about them now, so could you leave us alone?”

It’s more of a demand than a question, and the boy’s flabbergasted look tells me that he picked up on that as well. Then his face turns red and he storms off while muttering under his breath.

I turn to the girl, raising an eyebrow. She giggles, pulling her arm free. “You looked like you needed help.” She pauses and taps her chin. “Well, not really, but I needed to get you alone for a moment.”

I sigh, the brief moment of appreciation gone as quickly as it had appeared. My suitors are not limited to the males, and it appears that this girl decided that driving the boy away would help her case.

It won’t, but now I’m unable to dismiss her without coming off as ungrateful, so I need to let her stay.

But to my surprise she just hands me a wrapped present and a letter. “Open both of these when you’re alone and don’t have to go back to anyone. I don’t think you’d appreciate the questions.”

And with a wink and a smile that flashes a sharp canine, she’s gone as quick as she appeared. I look down at the present, squeezing lightly. I can tell that it’s not heavy, nor is it hard. There are only a few things that it could be, but none that I’d particularly like to have. Nor any that would require the secrecy the girl clearly wants it to have.

“Shoko! Come meet the Yaoyorozus, they have a daughter who plans to attend UA just like you!” I nod absently, tucking the mysterious items away for the moment. I can see what they are after the party.

`~`

My hands shake as I lower the letter, my head turning to the still wrapped present. Slowly, hesitantly, I reach out. I gently work at the tape, being careful not to rip anything.

As the present is slowly revealed I stare at it. Then my eyes refocus on the letter. I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it. But as I turn back to the dark green bunny that I can tell has been hand-sewn, I can’t help the seed of hope that takes root in my heart. Because there’s only one person who ever called me that. And they’ve only done it a few times, when we were alone.

We can meet again after you get into UA, Candy Cane Princess.

Chapter 42: Goodbye Aldera

Summary:

Izuku does Hidden Lotus on a homeless girl.

“Huh.” I blink blankly at the building in front of me, Himi at my side switching between looking at me then the building every few seconds. A bit behind me is One, who has a relieved expression on his face, probably happy that things aren’t going to go how he thought they would.

Sure, he accepted the invitation to join the League, but despite his first crime being murder, he’s not really set on the whole villain schtick. That’s fine though, he took the first step- now we just have to find what it takes for him to take the plunge.

Of course, that doesn’t really fix the problem in front of me. See, I had hoped that I would be burning down a building full of people. Instead?

Instead I’m staring at a gate that’s been chained shut, detritus littering the grounds beyond it with graffiti on the walls. And resting prime of place is a school building: specifically Aldera Junior High. With only a week from the entrance exams for highschool, I was going to hide gasoline cans all over the building, then create a flaming wall around the school grounds. Then when someone eventually managed to escape? Or maybe had more than a single brain cell work for once in their lives and called for help?

We’d be waiting, ready to cut the ever-so-thin string of hope they’d managed to pinch between their fingers and watch them fall into despair knowing that hope is a lie.

There is only the harsh reality of the living world.

And really, that’s something too many people take for granted! The fact that reality exists. Most of the time they live in their own little worlds where they’re convinced that nothing too bad will happen to them.

Sure, they know that bad things happen all the time. That at any moment they can lose their life in any number of ways. But knowing is not the same as understanding .

That’s not why I planned to burn down a school of nearly highschoolers though. I just hate basically everyone who I went to school with. Sure, there were a few people who weren’t horrible, and a couple of teachers who actually tried to stop the abuse. But I want to burn everything to the ground!

Eh. Whatever. It’s a moot point now since there’s nobody here !!!

And judging by the graffiti and broken windows, not to mention how filthy it is, I’d say that it’s been closed down for a long while.

“Haaa,” I sigh. “One, can you just take the containers inside? Concentrate some of them specifically in classroom two-ten,” I say. He nods, using his power to create a super long piece of gum that he wraps around the cans, then he makes another that he sticks to the first one and starts to drag them.

Obviously he needs to get through the locked gate though, and I’m curious how he’ll manage that. After staring at it for a few seconds he smiles, snaps his fingers, and gum in the shape of a key protrudes from the lock! With a quick turn he’s trudging his way towards his destination and I can’t help but muse on his quirk.

He can make gum, as has already been established. But, while seemingly limitless, there are, in fact, limits. For one, he has to actually think that what he’s summoning is gum, which means it needs to be edible, chewable, and must contain the ability to be blown into bubbles.

Furthermore, it’s not made out of nothing. It actually pulls in certain aspects of the air, or maybe oxygen, in order to manifest. So no summoning gum into a solid brick for whatever reason. It also limits whether or not he can summon gum inside a person. Basically if their mouth is closed enough, his quirk won’t have enough of whatever it is it needs inside the body for him to manifest the gum. So if his uncle hadn’t been shouting at him, he wouldn't have died!

On the plus side though, other than it needing to be classified as gum, he can customize it however he sees fit! Taste, texture, elasticity, chewability, stickiness, moistness, dryness. The limit for what kinds of gum he can summon are, in fact, nearly limitless!

Of course, that still doesn’t fix the issue of me not having jerks to burn ! “Seriously! What happened!?” I shout.

“You use ta go here?” The sudden voice causes me to whirl around, a knife flickering into hand. But nobody’s there. “Up here,” I hear it again, and I gasp, staring straight up at the clear blue sky above.

“God?” I gasp.

“Yes. I’m God.” The voice deadpans and I nod.

“Well you kind of suck, you know that? All the war, famine, and discrimination is a bit much. Don’t you think?”

“Yep! But that’s more of humanity’s problem. Don't blame the maker, blame the user. Y’know who said that?” The voice continues before I can answer. “A drug dealer who was gettin arrested.”

“Fair,” I concede. “So Himi, you got 'em yet?”

“Huh? Who’s-” The voice’s confused question is abruptly cut off, presumably by a knife, but hopefully not somewhere lethal. I still have questions!

“Yeppers~! And she’s cute too!”

I chuckle, finally looking over at the lightpost the voice had been coming from. There I see Himi precariously balanced behind a girl a couple years younger than us. Maybe going on to her second year? If she went to middle school that is.

But judging by how tattered, mismatched, and ragged her clothes are, and the fact that anyone who goes to school would be there given the time, it’s safe to assume that she doesn’t have an education. A formal one, I mean.

“So, little probably homeless girl, care to explain why Aldera’s abandoned?” She shifts uncomfortably, which is fair considering the knife at her throat. Or it could be because for two people to balance on a single lamppost, Himi has to put one of her legs between both of the girl’s. And to make it even more awkward the girl is shorter than her, so she’s practically sitting on Himi’s leg with her own on either side.

“School got closed down cuz of discrimination. Parrantly the principal of UA took offense to that an’ went on a war. Way I heard it, most of the teachers got arrested, sum of the students too.”

“Huh.” I blink at her as a bead of sweat rolls down her face. “How'd something like that happen? It’s not like the school was all that noteworthy.”

She swallows as Himi adjusts her footing, the knife nicking her throat and drawing a droplet of blood. “I-It was somethin ‘bout a death. Kid died, caused a commotion. Don’t know nuthin more than that!”

“Huh.” So… it had something to do with me? I guess that makes sense, what with All Might being my sperm donor. Not to mention that I applied to UA with Izumi and Kachan.

“Darn,” I mutter, kicking at the floor while hanging my head in dejection. “I was really looking forward to burning them alive.” I sigh before looking back up, signaling Himi that she can put the knife away. She does so as the girl lets outs a relieved sigh while holding a hand to her neck, smearing the bit of blood from the small cut.

“So kid, why ya’ homeless?” Himi asks in a cute voice without getting off the post.

She snorts, her earlier sass quickly reasserting itself now that she’s not being held at knifepoint. “Born quirkless,” she says with her chin raised in challenge. “Parents tossed me out on my ass not a week after we foun’ out.”

“Hmm,” I hum in thought, rubbing my chin. “You seem awfully calm for someone standing so far off the ground. Especially when you’re quirkless and don’t have any way to catch yourself.”

She scowls. “Just cuz I’m quirkless don’t mean I’m fragile! I ain’t never been hurt by a fall and that’s not changing today!”

“Reeeaaally… You spend a lot of time up high, pretending to be God?” I ask, curious, to which she shrugs.

“I like it. Relaxing, safe. Feels like I’m above all the problems I’m stuck with. Don’t have ta deal with coppers, thugs, other homeless, bullshit heroes. All’a them are just as much to screw me over as the other, just’n different ways. But when I’m up high?” She gets a distant look in her eyes as she stares ahead, not seeing the dilapidated building in front of her, but something else.

“Up high I leave my worries down below, and can pretend that they’re someone else’s worries. Just me and the wind rushing past.” She smiles. “No better feeling than that.”

I nod. “I can understand a bit of that. Though the wind rushing past is an interesting feeling to enjoy. Sounds almost like you enjoy… falling.”

She twitches, her years on the streets having taught her to hold information close to her chest, but evidently still thrown by Himi still being behind her. Not by much, but enough that Himi has no issue pushing her off the lamppost. And judging by the scream that sounds off from the direction of the school, apparently I’m not the only One watching. Heh.

But despite One’s belief that he just watched Himi push a girl to her death, my own belief proves correct. She twists in the air, almost cat-like to land with her feet firmly planted on the ground. Seeing the angry expression on her face as she storms up to me I smile. Quickly pulling out my phone I type out two coordinates for Kurogiri, hitting send just as the girl’s fist makes contact with my jaw.

It doesn’t hurt though, being this close the signs of malnutrition are clear to see. She’s too weak to put any real effort into the blow. Of course that’s not even counting how I’m incapable of feeling pain.

Either way she’s unable to resist as I wrap my arms around her, holding her tight against me. As she squirms in a futile attempt to get away I look at Himi, who has a smile, and One, who‘s returned and looks worried. “Light the fuse and take a video. I want to see how it burns when I come back.”

Just as I finish speaking one of Kurogiri’s portals opens up in front of me, establishing a connection with the location. Then a second opens, leading to the second pair of coordinates I sent him. The destination I’ll be taking little miss orphan to. Or rather, where Two will be going to.

I step forward, letting us drop through. Immediately the school building and the apartment blocks across from it are replaced by clear blue skies, the only clouds far in the distance. Then the rushing wind starts up as we fall through the sky, our clothes getting torn from the air pressure the longer we fall.

It doesn’t bother me though, and from her previous words I didn’t think that Two would care much either. Guess there’s a big difference between falling from something along the lines of two or three stories tall and falling from high up in the sky. But that's just semantics.

As we fall I consider the risk that I’m taking. Sure, if I’m right then we won’t have to do random tests on every quirkless person we find! I’m sure that One would have appreciated it if we did focused testing instead of throwing everything and the kitchen sink at him.

See, I think that for a ‘quirkless’ person, their personalities are shaped by their quirks. Or maybe it’s the other way around, personalities shaping quirks. It’s not like people understand everything about quirks anyways, so my guess is as good as any!

It takes a few minutes, but eventually we see a flash of light, one that steadily grows larger the closer we get. Though… I seem to have made a miscalculation. Instead of falling straight down, the wind’s direction has changed, which redirects our course. We’re heading straight to the blaze as it works to consume the school.

I can tell that I’m going to hit the floor first, and I feel a sharp stab of disappointment that I won’t be able to observe the effects in person. Oh well, Himi knows what to do.

And the next thing I know is that I’m in front of Receptionist, not even having felt the impact. I smile at her, crossing one leg above the other. “So… I think I’ve found a new recruit! One immune to fall damage!”

She just looks at me for a moment before sighing, leaning back in her chair as she steeples her fingers. “Go on, then,” she says with much put upon airs. “Tell me all about your new friend.”

Chapter 43: Cousin Calling

Summary:

Izumi has a video call with her cousin!

Notes:

Trigger warning for self harm if you aren't desensitized yet.

(Izumi)

“Several hours ago, a mysterious fire suddenly engulfed the previously shut down school known as Aldera Junior High. Not long after that, before the fire department or any heroes could even be mobilized, the area was rocked by a sudden earthquake. Thankfully damage was kept to a minimum and no one was hurt. Though the fact that it was, once again, centered upon the abandoned school -which collapsed- has concerned citizens asking if there might be more to the two events.”

“For those unaware, it was nearly ten months ago that the school came under investigation for promoting quirk discrimination, as well as actively encouraging the young minds housed within towards actions that would lead them down the path to villainy. The one who instigated this investigation was none other than the principal of the prestigious UA High, the number one hero school in the world! When asked for comments on this sudden development, Mr. Nezu refused, stating that it would be best to let the professionals handle the investigation.”

“But speculation has been running rampant. Was this a statement? Or perhaps villains had claimed the site as a hideout. Had this abandoned place of learning turned into the den of a mad scientist who perished after his experiment failed with explosive consequences? When we find out more, our viewers will be the first to know! This is Ryuko Majihame, ensuring you know what-”

I turn off the tv now that the interesting parts are over. This news station is pretty popular, and they usually cover weird events that heroes aren’t involved in. That might make them less popular than the hero-centric channels, but it definitely helps anyone who’s more concerned with staying safe than having heroes keep them safe.

I sigh, turning back to my computer. I’m not sad or anything about what happened to Aldera. Looking back at it with some perspective, it was a horrible place that encouraged a discriminatory mindset. The way Bakugou and my quirks were praised as being hero material while most of the others were disregarded as being ‘suitable’ for everyone else. That’s not even mentioning how nearly everyone bent over backwards for Shoko since her father is Endeavor.

Really, I’m glad it’s gone. Anytime I passed by it, it always felt like it was watching me. Reminding me of what I did. Who I was.

I’ve become a better person now. I know I have. But every time I caught a glimpse of that building, every time I thought of it, I heard the voice talking to me. Taunting me. It always asked if I had really improved. If I truly regretted what I did.

And it would. Not. Shut. UP .

I found a way to keep it quiet though. And as a plus, I found it relaxing as well. I didn’t think I would, and the first time I did it it was… well, not an accident since I did it on purpose. But I wasn’t…thinking…when it happened. I was just listening to a stream of judgment and vitriol fill my head, and then I…

I take a deep breath with my eyes closed, throwing the thought away. It doesn’t matter how I started, what matters is that it works .

I look around my room, taking in how, while I’ve changed, for the most part my room hasn’t. There’s still a bunch of weights lined up against one wall, though I have been trading the lighter ones in for heavier ones as I’ve trained my quirk up. I took down the All Might posters I used to have. I just can’t look at dad’s smile when he looks like that without thinking of what he could have done for Izuku.

Instead I’ve replaced them with mental health posters my therapist said would be good for me. I haven’t told her about the voice though. It just seems too… personal, to share. I know that she can’t help if I don’t tell her, but what I’ve been doing has been working to keep it quiet! And really, it’s just a manifestation of my own negativity, so once I start feeling positive it will go away!

I sigh again, reluctantly turning back to the computer. I know that I’m just trying to put it off, but I really don’t want her to ask about Izuku. We might not have visited all that often, but we did always make sure that we would stay in touch. Though I haven’t called since… that .

My hand starts to shake so I take a deep breath, hold it for five seconds, then let it out slowly. You are a better person. Guilt over your actions is proof that you aren’t the same as you were before. I repeat the process, the breaths and self encouragement, until my hand stops, causing me to let out a final relieved breath.

The voice didn’t even chime in to discourage me this time.

With a resigned swallow, I manipulate my computer mouse and type away at the keyboard until I get to the site I need to go. I send her a request, silently hoping that she won’t be at her computer to accept. Or that she left her phone somewhere and will miss it, letting me get away with an “Oh well, at least I tried.”

But I’m not that lucky as the video screen almost immediately changes from the black ‘inactive’ to a live stream of the person I called. She has blown out, long blonde hair, some of which drapes over her shoulders. It frames a face that I have no problem admitting is pretty since I’m confident in my own looks. A pair of red glasses help to highlight her deep blue eyes that light up in happiness upon seeing me, though she quickly pouts.

“Izumi, it’s been too long! You didn’t even call to wish me happy birthday!”

I chuckle, scratching my cheek. “Yeah, sorry about that, Melissa. Things have been kind of… hectic around here, for the past year.”

Her previous mock anger is quickly dispelled by her concern. “Really? A whole year of troubles? Is there anything me and my dad could do? Do you need us to fly over? We can be on the next flight out if you need!”

I smile warmly, reassuring my cousin that everything’s ok. “Don’t worry, it’s been over for a while. It’s just the after-effects have taken some time to settle down. But it means a lot that you’re so quick to offer. Really. I mean that.”

She doesn’t look convinced. “Well… if you say so. Just remember that you can rely on me. It’s a Shield’s duty to make sure you Yagis are protected from all the trouble you get yourselves involved in!”

I chuckle at the motto Melissa Shield, daughter of the famous David Shield, has adopted. “Hey now, it’s not our fault. It’s the curse of the Yagi bloodline!”

I never really understood how dad knew David Shield, All Might’s personal support specialist. After finding out about his identity though, it suddenly all made sense. Another example of what perspective can do.

She snorts. “Yeah, yeah. Blame it all on the curse. Beware of the curse!” She smiles. “But I’m really glad that Uncle Might finally told you about who he is. I never understood why he didn’t?” She half asks half says.

I shrug. “Being the Symbol of Peace paints a target on your back. He said he didn’t want to put us in the line of fire for villains looking to hurt him that way.”

“But the villains wouldn’t know about you, you would know about him,” she points out.

“Yeah, his logic didn’t make sense to me either,” I concede, getting a laugh from her.

“At least I don’t have to watch what I say anymore. It was really awkward when you and Izuku would start talking about All Might like he wasn’t your dad and he was right next to us.”

A pang shoots through my heart at the reminder. Like the safe space I had thought his room was, I would always make sure to leave him alone whenever we went to visit the Shields. They were the only trips that our parents remembered to take him on, and I wasn’t about to ruin them for him. Even when I was mired in the deepest parts of my idiocy, I could still see how much he needed those infrequent breaks from our home city.

The only times I ever saw him come close to the levels of happiness he had on those trips was when he was with Shoko. But they were always tinged with worry, and when me and Bakugou would show up it would turn into resignation as his eyes dimmed.

“So, has anything interesting happened? The Entrance exam for UA is right around the corner, right?” I’m pulled from my thoughts by Melissa’s question. There’s the… obvious. And what happened to Aldera back around noon today. But I can't tell her about anything relating to Izuku… Luckily there is one occurrence I can say that has no connection to him whatsoever. And it was really weird too.

“Yeah, it is. And, well, a few months back, a bit before Christmas, the pro hero Endeavor was patrolling along his usual route when an absolute flood of water poured down on him. It wasn’t raining or anything, it just came out of nowhere! Luckily he wasn’t in the middle of a fight or something, but it was super weird. Nothing else even happened, and it stopped as suddenly as it appeared.”

I shake my head. “There was no explanation from anyone, and they never found the person responsible, so it was eventually chalked up to a random quirk accident.” I chuckle. “The pictures that got taken are pretty funny though. Want one?” I offer, but to my surprise she frowns.

“I wonder how Todoroki felt about that…” She muses quietly to herself, but not quiet enough that her microphone can’t pick up on it. The wonders of more advanced technology . I snark in my head, though it’s vastly overpowered by the surprise of her knowing Endeavor’s daughter. Or maybe she knows one of her siblings?

“You know Todoroki? Shoko Todoroki?” I ask for confirmation, getting a nod in reply.

“Yeah! Izuku talked about her all the time whenever he called. Though he hasn’t called in just as long as you,” she pouts with puffed up cheeks. “Really, it feels like the two of you have forgotten about me!”

“Y-yeah. S-sorry about that.” I stammer out looking away guiltily. I didn’t have the nerve to tell her. I still don’t. That’s why I haven’t called her in so long. I only even managed to text her a week ago to arrange a time for the call and to ask if she knew about dad’s two forms.

She does, but it’s evident she hasn’t realized what they mean. To her, his quirk just transforms his body when he activates it. She doesn’t know about One For All, or about my dad’s injury limiting his hero time.

“Izumi.” The sudden seriousness in her voice causes me to jolt upright, all previous thoughts banished as I meet her piercing stare. “Did something happen with Izuku? You stuttered the moment I said his name.”

I look away, not wanting to lie while looking her in the eyes. “N-no? I’m stuttering because…because… I have a crush on Todoroki…?”

I don’t even have to look at her to know the deadpan expression on her face. But I refuse to look at her and eventually she sighs. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” She says, clearly dissatisfied. “But just remember, even though the two of you aren’t close, you’re still twins. That’s like a sibling bond jumped up to eleven. Even if the two of you are fighting right now, you still need to have each other’s backs.”

A lump forms in my throat. It’s getting harder to breathe, to move. The most I manage to do is a single jerky nod. It’s enough. She sighs. “I have to go, I need to get my school project done. Just keep in mind what I said?”

I don’t answer, my mind completely focused on the task I’ve set it on as the voice rings in my head like a church bell, saying it’s all my fault. After another sigh and wishing me luck with UA she turns off the call, and I don’t have to be careful anymore. I pull hard on my telekinesis as the object I was slowly floating towards me shoots forward.

I grab it with trembling fingers as I switch my quirk’s focus. Or rather what I’m going to focus it on. I scramble at the edge of my pants, frantically pulling them down as fast as I can as the voice gets louder. Once they’re past my thigh I bring my hand down, the object shaking as I press it against my skin.

I let out a slow, shaky breath, drawing the razor across my skin as I do. Once I run out of air in my lungs I stop the cut, a fresh bright line having been added to the myriad of faded and not-so-faded ones crossing down my leg.

“I’m sorry.” I whisper as the voice lowers its volume.

Another slice.

“I’m sorry.”

Quieter.

“I’m sorry.”

Slice.

Quieter.

“I’m sorry.”

Slice.

Quieter.

“I’m sorry.”

Slice.

Quiet.

“I’m sorry.”

Slice.

Quiet.

“I’m sorry.”

Slice.

Quiet.

“I’m-” I go to make another slice only to realize the voice is gone. It’s not accusing me. Not telling me what I already know. It’s quiet… Blessedly silent in my own head.

I look down at the additional cuts. Seven new ones. Though my leg is clean of blood, my telekinesis having done the job of pulling the blood free before it could flow too far as well as pinching the edges of the cuts closed to stop them from bleeding further.

I take a deep breath as I gingerly pull my pants back up, keeping the focus of my quirk on its task. By the time I get ready for bed the cuts will have healed over enough that they won’t bleed while I sleep. And if I have another nightmare and they open again?

Well , I think as I take the floating blood to the open window and send it out and down to water the tree in the backyard. It’s just some more quirk training for my fine control.

Chapter 44: Christmas Special

Summary:

Christmas special!

“No.”

“Oh, come on! Please? You’re basically the Santa of the League anyways!” I clasp my hands and close my eyes, tilting my head in that way Himi tells me ups my adorable factor by seven.

“It is undignified, juvenile, and beneath me.” All For One rejects me once again.

“It’ll make Tomura happy,” I say with sudden seriousness as I open my eyes, watching the minute movements of his scar tissue trying to make the motions that have since become impossible for him.

“Oh?” He asks, and with that I know that there’s at least a small chance of him going along with my request.

I nod. “Usually the most interactions the two of you have are talking over the tv, right?” Getting a nod back, I continue. “Well, isn’t that too impartial? You decided to retire and truly make him your replacement-”

No matter who you are, what your quirk is, or how old you are, there’s always a tell. Sometimes it’s a muscle twitch. Others a familiar or relaxing motion. Maybe an itch. It doesn’t matter. Even people who have trained themselves not to have a tell, simply develop more subtle ones.

AFO’s tell doesn’t even last for half a second at my words. It’s not obvious either. Practically nobody would even notice it.

It’s a good thing that I’m not a nobody anymore.

When I mention him making Tomura his replacement, for the briefest fraction of a second, he stills. Something about that comment resonated with him, and not in a good way. But… I’m fairly certain that he doesn’t mean Tomura any harm. Not because he’s his father figure, I’ve experienced enough of that to know how little protection familial bonds are.

It’s because the few times I’ve seen them together, they both relax. They’re happy to be in each other’s presence. It wasn’t like that the first time for AFO, but something changed for him. They care for each other. Even if it doesn’t get said.

But I suppose that isn’t any of my business. Whatever they have between them is for them alone.

“-but that doesn’t mean you need to stay out of his life!” I continue my previous assertion, tossing my musings to the back of my mind.

“I wish for Tomura to carve his own path through villainy, with the League of Villains supporting him. If I were to maintain a closer presence, he would consistently be attempting to make decisions that he believes would best please me. Not what he believes would further his own ambitions.”

I shrug, texting Kurogiri to pop a portal. “Maybe,” I say as the swirling darkness appears behind me. I turn around, throwing some last few words over my shoulders as I disappear into the void. “But I’m a prime example of what could happen if your parents aren’t involved in your life. Don’t make the same mistake with your son.”

`~`

“It’s PRESENT TIME!!!”

“PRESENTS!!!”

I chuckle at Himi matching my yell with one of her own, Shigaraki grumbling while seated at the bar with a Santa hat on his head. Since it’s Christmas, it was decided that today is going to be a pajama day! Apparently Shiggy just wears his normal clothes when he sleeps though, so he was sentenced to the hat! I threatened him with chinese finger traps if he tried to dust it, which is how it's still sitting primly on his pretty little head.

Even Kurogiri joined in on the festivities and is wearing a set of white silk pajamas with purple polka dots. He’s also holding a sleeping cap, but can he even wear it…?

Himi doesn’t really have pajamas, usually she sleeps naked. Then again that could also be my fault. Not much point in buying something to sleep in if both of us are too dirty to put them on…

Thankfully I stopped her from going down like that today. Instead she’s wearing a pair of pajamas styled after my Midosagi jacket. In onesie form! So adorable!

As for myself, I’m in baggy dark green pants with snowflakes and a red christmas sweater. I did invite One to join us for today, but he said that he just wants to ‘process’. Bah. He can be a scrooge if he wants, for now, PRESENTS!

“Let’s start off with Kurogiri’s!” I exclaim and immediately get grumblings from Shigaraki.

“But I’m the leader. I should get to open mine first…”

I huff at him and cross my arms. “We both know that the moment you get a new video game you’ll immediately start playing it.” He avoids meeting my eyes and I roll them. “Besides, with how much Mamagiri does for us they should clearly be first!”

He still grumbles under his breath but accepts my reasoning. I pile the three presents for Kurogiri in front of him, one from each of us! “I thank you for the privilege of unwrapping my presents first, as well as including me in the festivities.”

He reaches for the present on top and I see Shiggy perk up a bit as his muttered grumbling -I’m pretty sure that he was literally just saying ‘grumble’ and ‘mutter’ over and over- comes to a stop.

Must be his present. Good pick Mamagiri! He would have dusted something if his wasn’t first!

Gently disassembling the paper, a…air freshener?...is slowly unwrapped. “You’re always wearing suits,” Shiggy starts to explain. “And since suits need more care than regular clothes, I figured a steamer would make cleaning them a bit easier.”

“Thank you, Tomura Shigaraki.  It is a thoughtful gift.” The corners of his eyes turning upwards. Shiggy turns away, and I overhear him muttering something about ‘events like these not being so bad’.

My present is next, and what’s revealed is a traveling bartender kit! “I figured that since you like bartending so much, having a little piece of home when you travel would be nice.”

“I thank you, Midosagi. I do enjoy attending to the bar.” He tilts his mist at me and I smile back.

Finally it’s time for Himi’s gift for him, though she’s pouting for some reason? “Why didn’t anyone tell me we were keeping his presents on the bartender theme? Mine doesn’t fit that at all!”

That gets a round of chuckles out of the rest of us, and my curiosity grows. What could she have gotten him if it’s not bartender-like? It’s not like he does much else that I know of. After unwrapping her present he reveals…

A gun.

We all give Himi a Look. She gets an offended expression for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. “Hahaha! You should see your faces! Hehehe. No, here’s his real present.”  She tugs at the collar for her onesie and reaches inside, pulling out a sign with some rope.

“‘Be patient. Even toilets can only service one asshole at a time.’” Shiggy reads aloud, and I can’t help but facepalm at the joke.

Before I can smack Himi on the back of the head for it though a knock reverberates throughout the room. We all exchange looks of confusion before focusing on the door it came from. The door to the bar’s storage room.

“Um, ho ho ho.” A forced jolly laugh comes from behind it before it opens. And from behind it comes- “I have come to deliver presents to the powerful villains that make up the League of Villains.”

All For One. Dressed in a Santa costume with the hat pulled low to cover up his lack of eyes and carrying a large sack on his back.

“...Sensei?” Tomura blinks at him as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing.

“Indeed, Tomura. Now that you are coming into your own as a villain, have recruited allies to your organization, I believe we can have a more… lax relationship.”

There’s a bit of strain when he speaks, clearly he can’t stay for too long. But the expression on Tomura’s face? It’s like this is the first Christmas he’s ever had.

I slide up next to him and give him a one-armed side hug. “Merry Christmas, Tomura. I hope you enjoy the best gift of all. A family that cares.”

`~`

(Izumi)

Christmas Spirit is clearly shown in the house, practically every part of it being decked out in decorations, and a not insignificant amount of presents under the tree. Nothing was said, but we all came to an understanding that today, of all days, we would be a family.

We get excited over the presents we got for each other. We binge on fun Christmas movies. We meet up with Aunt Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru, who were sad because Bakugou ran off on his own saying that he’d be back for dinner.

I’m not upset that I’m not hanging out with him, but I am angry at him for not spending the day with his family, like Christmas is supposed to be about.

And at the end of the day, after saying goodbye to them and having a nice, big, Christmas dinner. I sit on my knees in my room in front of a small shrine. I light the incense and clap twice, praying that Izuku is happy. Apologizing again.

I go to bed, leaving a notebook in front of the shrine for him.

Chapter 45: I'm Off to UA!

Summary:

Izuku decides to take UA's Entrance Exam!

“You are attending the Entrance Exam for UA highschool?” Kurogiri’s bright yellow eyes vanish for a moment as he blinks. Probably from surprise. Or he might have just gotten some dust in them.

“Yep!” I nod with a happy smile on my face, knowing that my lack of elaboration will annoy him. With a sigh he continues the game.

“Why do you wish to attend the exam for a hero school? And will it lead to any problems for the League of Villains?”

I think about that for a moment. On one hand, a villain - though I’m not stupid, obviously I’m not going to wear my villain outfit! - boldly walking into a hero school is bad on so many levels. On the other…

“Nope! I’m going to have fun, not to hunt or cause the heroes problems.” I rethink that last part for a moment. “...I mean, there probably will be problems for them, but it’s not the express reason I’m going.”

He stares at me for a few seconds before sighing tiredly. That reminds me, does he get vacation time? He’s always either standing at the bar, cleaning up the base/bar, or running errands for whoever. But, theoretically, if he ever went on vacation and left the League for some length of time, what would happen?

`~`

Kurogiri looks at the crater that used to be the base. He asks a passing passerby before he can pass about what had passed.

“Well, blood flowed out of all the windows, so someone called the heroes. Then enough body parts to fill a morgue got thrown out of the windows, and, again, heroes were called. But when they all got here the entire building turned to dust. Then a giant bubble appeared so All Might punched it. It popped, and that’s how the crater happened.”

“And the people inside?” Kurogiri asks.

“No idea.”

`~`

Nah, it wouldn’t be as bad as all that. Probably.

A tap on my forehead pulls me out of my theorizing. In front of me is Kurogiri holding out a Mirko themed lunch box, so I slap a hand to my forehead. “Darn it! I keep forgetting to hunt down Mirko for some tests!” I move to the center of the floor and pry open a trapdoor, poking my head down to shout. “ONE! SCHEDULE A HUNT ON MIRKO FOR ME SOMETIME SOON!”

“I’m not your secretary! Or a nurse! Do it yourself and get someone else to take care of this girl! SOMEONE SANE!”

I chuckle as I pull out -a rarity, I know- and let the door fall shut. “Yeah… that’s not happening.” Who is it that One is taking care of? Well, that would be our newest recruit! Who just so happens to also be the reason why Himi isn’t around and why I’m bored!

I was right about Two being immune to fall damage -something that Shiggy happily tapped his feet to when I told him- but the problem is that she didn’t just fall. She fell into a school that was on fire ! Really, who would throw some random middle schooler-but-not-really into a blazing building? The people in this world have no shame! Or would that be honor? Morals?

Whatever you’d refer to it as, the end result is the same. Our newest recruit has been relegated to bed rest in the underground clinic we have. And also unconsciousness. When did we get a clinic? When I had Kurogiri portal a bunch of medical stuff inside the testing room where we’d originally stuck One! He was so happy to be the one to keep her company down there that he fainted from happiness!

Unfortunately Kurogiri refused to just portal enough medicine to last her full recovery into the room. Something about how what she needs would expire before she gets back to full health.

Pft, expiration dates are just recommendations! I took expired medicine all the time and only occasionally experienced minor hallucinations! Seeing a girl with a bow in her hair punching a book ghost in the face isn’t a problem. She even waved to me!

But since everyone else disagreed, Himi is impersonating a nurse at a hospital for a while to get the stuff Two needs. Bonus for her, she gets to raid their blood supply! Detriment to me, no snuggles until she gets back!

Anyways, “Thanks for the lunch, Mamagiri!” I accept the lunchbox from a Kurogiri with one hand on his hip who is looking at me with narrowed eyes. Since he seems annoyed with me for some reason I make sure to use his nickname and give him a peck on the cheek! Side of his mist. Eh, close enough. Hope it wasn’t actually his lips that I kissed. That would be awkward.

Rushing out the door I shout over my shoulder, “I’ll be back either tonight or tomorrow, a week at the latest!” I let the door slam behind me as I rush to catch the train. Sure, I could have asked Kurgiri to send me there, but then the carefully crafted identity I sent to the school for my application would be ruined!

The application listing my name as Biggius Dickus, and my quirk as infinite stamina!

`~`

Kurogiri watches the mad lad dash out the door, too shocked to move from where he is standing. His mind seems to have frozen, unable to process what just happened.

Slowly, his hand rises to touch the spot where the young villain had kissed him, like a child would their mother. He… had not realized that the boy truly saw him as such, rather than it just being a nickname.

An unfamiliar feeling begins to grow inside of him, a peculiarity given his inability to feel true emotions, all that he has felt before have simply been simulated in order to build a sense of camaraderie with his charge and those who join the League of Villains.

But now he is truly feeling something, and he does not know what to think about it. Should he report the development to All For One? Perhaps Doctor Garaki?

He believes that he should, to ensure that there is not something wrong with him. But… he does not…wish…to. Another peculiarity. But one he believes that he will indulge in.

And so he returns to his usual spot behind the bar, polishing an already clean glass as he waits for any potential customers, or for Tomura Shigaraki to have need of him. But the entire time he examines the new feeling inside of him, eventually realizing what it is.

Happiness.

`~`

I whistle seeing how big the school is. “Someone’s compensating for something. Probably Kachan,” I muse to myself as I make my way to the auditorium. For some reason I trip on nothing and start to fall, maybe another applicant is using their quirk to sabotage people to make themselves feel better about their chances?

I could do it now, but it wouldn’t have as big an impact…

Before I can hit the ground and decide whether or not to do what I came here to, I feel myself stop. More than that I can feel my sense of equilibrium taking a ride on a gyrosphere. A slow one though, so I’m in no danger of throwing up.

“Sorry that I used my quirk on you without asking,” a bubbly voice next to me says and I feel myself being put upright. I look to the side and see a girl with chubby cheeks and a perpetual blush framed by a bob of brown hair. She taps her fingers together and I feel my weight return to normal. “I figured that it’s bad luck to fall before the exam,” she says with a smile trying to hide her own nerves.

I nod. “Maybe. But hey, I’m here to have fun! Can’t let a little thing like bad luck get in my way, now can I?”

She looks surprised for a moment before smiling brightly and hopping a bit. Could this girl be one of my people? “You’re right! We should have confidence in ourselves and not let the exam stress us out!” She pumps her arm before charging towards the doors. “Let's goooo!!!”

I chuckle as I charge along with her. She seems bubbly and easygoing, but that bit where she just read too much into what I said reminds me of myself with quirks.

Maybe we can be friends!

`~`

The written part of the exam goes by in a flash and I meet back up with the girl from the gate as we make our way to the practical portion where we separate, and finally introduce ourselves as we part.

“I’m Ochako Uraraka, it was nice meeting you.”

I smile and wave before turning away. “Call me Biggius Dickus. It was nice meeting you too.”

Once I take my seat I can see that the girl is still standing by the door, her hand raised with a blank look in her eyes. It’s not until the next person walks in that she seems to restart, her face turning scarlet and her legs moving like tires to get her to her seat where she promptly slams her face onto the table.

Yeah. She’s a fun one.

It doesn’t take long for all the seats to be filled up, and I have to hold myself back from stabbing someone as the seat next to me is taken. Specifically the person who takes the seat.

Izumi. Fucking. Yagi.

I look at the ground between my legs. “Why, Receptionist? Why do you punish me so?”

“Don’t you mean Satan? And isn’t it usually God?” She asks me with a tired voice.

I shrug. “Usually, yeah. But I’ve been down there and the Receptionist handles everything.”

She chuckles drily. “Yeah, must get pretty busy down there… guess…out…” I don’t quite catch the last part she mutters as she lays her head in her arms, and I take the opportunity to take a closer look at her. This isn’t the same bully I remember. And why can I talk to her? I’m literally one rude comment away from stabbing her but I’m talking to her normally!? What the hell!?

Her hair is disheveled, and I can see a few spots where it’s clumped together. I don’t recognize her uniform, which makes sense since Aldera closed down. I can’t see her face with how she’s put her head down, but if her voice is anything to go by it’s probably in rough shape too.

What happened…? It couldn’t be about me, she was probably just sad that her training victim wasn’t around anymore. So what could it be…?

Before I can wonder about it further the proctor for the exam slides in on his knees with his head thrown back to face the ceiling. “HELLOOOOO UA CANDIDATES! LET ME HEAR SOME OF THAT EXCITEMENT !!”

“YYYEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!!” I roar so loud that I damage my vocal cords a bit, which will mess with how I sound. Just a bit of extra insurance in case Izumi starts paying attention. Which she probably will given the way she jumps and starts to glow as she floats a bit away from me. I see she’s picked up some new tricks.

The guy on my other side doesn’t have as convenient a way to get away from my exuberant shout and ends up just falling out of his chair as he tries scrambling away.

The proctor, who I’ve identified as the pro hero Present Mic, leaps to his feet and points at me with both hands. “HELL YEAH! THAT’S THE KIND OF EXCITEMENT I WANT TO SEE! HEROES GOTTA BE LOUD! GOTTA BE SEEN!”

Hearing his explanation the two take their seats once more, giving me wary looks as they do. “Now let’s talk about how this practical exam is going to go down. ARE YOU READY KIDS!?”

This time there are a few scattered cheers, though not nearly to the level of mine, -though one pink girl shouting about him being a captain comes close- which damages my vocal cords even further. It’s a good thing I don’t plan to live through the day.

He explains how we’ll be fighting robots worth different points, but gets interrupted. “Pardon me, but you stated that there are three robots while the print-outs handed out claim there are four. We are exemplary students, we expect the best from Japan’s most notable school. A mistake such as this is unacceptable!”

Mr. Impatient Silver Spoon then whirls around and points at me. I feel like I’ve gotten that more than usual today. Maybe it’s a new fad? Don’t pick up on those too much living in a villain lair and such.

“As for you, while we are all excited for the chance to apply, that is no excuse for such excessively loud responses! Think of the other applicants!” He chops his hand rapidly with the last admonishment and I pretend to think about it for a moment before standing up, my disguise shown off to all.

Which basically amounts to dying my hair blue and putting an orange streak in it. I also have a replica of my usual mask on since there are other people wearing masks as well.

“You know, I have a way for you to help me decide on the perfect volume. If you’re interested?” I raise an inquisitive eyebrow, getting a firm nod back.

“That would be satisfactory, but for now-,” he whirls back to face Present Mic. “Sir! The print-outs?”

“The fourth villain is worth zero points. You can fight it if you want, but there’s really no point given that, again, it is worth zero points.”

There’s a few mutterings about how the exam is just like a video game and for a brief moment I wonder if I should have brought Shiggy. But… I have my own stuff to do, and he’d probably just go on a killing spree for ‘bonus points’ or as a ‘secret level’.

“I’ll leave you with a tasty soundbite before you go. As Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, so too does a certain hero who absolutely hates the media’s attention.”

As we file out of the auditorium and to a line of buses waiting for us, I can’t help but wonder which hero he could have been talking about.

Chapter 46: Trauma Building Activity

Summary:

Izuku vs UA robots. Who will win?

(Observation Room)

Aizawa stares down at the paper in his hand with a twitching eyebrow. He looks up and stares at Nezu. He looks back down at the paper. Then back at Nezu. He sighs before deciding to bite the bullet and ask.

“Please tell me this is some kind of a joke. This kid is so obviously suspicious that it hurts.”

He gets a chuckle in reply. “Now, now, Aizawa. One should not discount a potential student simply because their parents granted them a unique name. Why, their quirk would be well suited to heroics as well!”

Aizawa just deadpans at him. “You do remember that you made the entire school watch everything made by Monty Python after Mic played a strip of The Holy Grail during lunch back when we were attending?”

Nezu sips his tea. “Why, yes. I do remember that quite well.”

There’s silence as Aizawa tries to glare a hole in the rat’s head. When that doesn’t work he sighs. “I don’t know what you’re planning by letting this kid take the exam. Just remember that we’re not only teachers, we’re also heroes.”

“Indeed,” Nezu smirks with amusement in his voice. “That is exactly what I am counting on.”

`~`

“Man that test was easy,” I slouch down in my seat on the bus, resting my feet on the one in front of me. It’s not like there’s someone there to complain anyways.

“Unless you’re a girl, put your feet down!”

I blink in surprise before getting up and peering over the seat. Apparently there is already someone sitting in front of me. A midget. A munchkin. A fruit. “A grape?” I question.

“I’m a person!” They screech at me, causing heads to turn towards us.

I roll my eyes. “No duh,” I scoff. “I was talking about your hair. But with how you just randomly insisted that you’re a person, now I’m wondering if you're just an illusion made by someone’s quirk.”

My eyes narrow in suspicion. “I mean, this is an exam for all of us going to high school . But you barely look like a primary schooler.”

“I’m real damnit!” The grape stands on his seat and turns to shout into my face with a vein popping on his forehead, spittle flying. With a grimace of disgust I wipe it off.

“Nasty. Guess that does prove you’re real though.” I act as if a thought suddenly strikes me. “Oh! To make up for it, how about we introduce ourselves! You can call me Biggius Dickus, and I don’t really want to become a hero. I’m just taking this test to have some fun and kill time.”

He smirks at me for some reason. “Hah! That’s so dumb! All of it! My name is way better, and so is my goal!” He takes a pose, hands on his hips and thrusting his chin out proudly. “I’m Minoru Mineta, and I’m going to be a hero who gets all the girls fawning over him! I’ll have my pick of the chicks!”

I nod understandingly, taking out my phone and making a note on my to-do-list. I doubt I’ll ever meet this kid again, so I probably won’t get a chance for it to become useful. But hey, Himi and I will still have fun doing it!

“Cool, cool. Too bad for you that my girlfriend is one hundred percent better than any girl that would ever be interested in you. Oh, and my name?” I give him a wink before dropping back into my seat and crossing my arms behind my head. “Let’s just say that names reflect the person.”

I ignore his attempts to try and insult me, mainly calling me a liar and saying that he’ll get way more (and better) girls than I have. Insulting me? I’m used to it, not a problem. Insulting Himi? What I marked down was more of a ‘if it pops up’ thing before, but now I’m absolutely going to do it. And take pictures.

Either way, if he doesn’t shut his mouth soon I’m going to punt his little purple butt straight out the window. Luckily (for him) the bus arrives at our destination quickly and everyone starts to depart. Except that the midget is still in his seat, leaning his head into the walkway and staring at the girls’ behinds.

So I decide to ignore him, it’s not like I’m a hero or something, and leave. It feels like my knee hits something though. Hard. But I don’t see anything so I keep walking. I also don’t hear the muffled thump of something small hitting the floor. I step off the bus with a nice stretch in the sun, some of the girls who got off before me shooting me grateful looks and smiles for some reason.

Who knows what that’s about.

I guess I can get a quickie in during the exam if any of them ask and Himi responds to the text I just sent her. It’ll tank their chances of passing if they can’t walk though. But it wouldn’t be my problem!

Anyways, it looks like that fun girl is here, oh, and having a mini panic attack! I’m good at those! Maybe I’m also good at getting people through them? That’s up for debate, but before I can make my way over to her in order to find the answer to that question I feel a hand clamp down on my shoulder. Turning, I see that same blue haired glasses guy from the auditorium. I smile at him as he frowns at me with a harsh glare in his eyes.

“That girl looks like she’s trying to focus on the exam. Are you planning to go over there and distract her, ruining her chances to pass!?”

The smile doesn’t leave my face. “Wanna help me find the perfect volume?” A look of confusion crosses his face. Seems like he forgot about what I said before. That’s ok, as long as he’s standing here he can still help.

I pull my leg back, then swing it forward with a decent amount of force. I’m not killing anyone during the exam, and that’s probably what would have happened if I kicked him as hard as I could. I think I feel something pop but it could just be my imagination. Doesn’t really matter though as he gives a high pitched scream and crumples to his knees, clutching his crotch.

I lean over to look down at him, still with a smile on my face. “So. That’s how loud I should be! But isn’t that even louder than I was though? Maybe we should retest it…”

But before I can act like I’m going to do it again, Present Mic’s loud voice echoes over us, along with the doors grinding open. “GO, GO, GO!! THERE ARE NO COUNTDOWNS IN REAL LIFE!”

There’s a moment of silence before there’s a mad dash through the doors. I give the downed guy a considering look before turning away and jogging through the doors and into a fake city. Well, fake in that nobody lives here. Other than the teens and robots rampaging around it looks just like a regular city.

As I look for some non-destroyed robots away from the entrance gate, Present Mic’s voice rings out again. “And this is just a reminder, not aimed at anyone in particular, just in general, but attacking the other participants is NOT ALLOWED!!! And will result in an automatic FAIL!”

“Wow, someone attacked one of the other applicants? Aren’t they all applying for the hero course? What kind of backwards thinking idiot- no, it was probably Kachan. Never mind.”

Chuckling at the thought of Kachan failing the test because of his short temper -even if I know he’s not stupid enough to ignore the clearly stated warning- I finally come across my first active robot. A two-pointer! Kind of looks like it was broadly modeled after a scorpion.

“But how does it attack?” I wonder out loud as it stomps towards me. “From what I saw of the wrecks I passed; the one-pointers have guns with rubber bullets and the three-pointers have weak missiles. But there’s nothing obvious on- whoa!” I jump back as the robot’s tail points at me and extends, piercing deeply into the ground where I was just standing. I stare at it with my mouth open as the tail retracts back to the bot, the protective plates once again becoming interlocked.

…The one pointers do shoot rubber bullets, right?

Either way, “You picked a fight with the wrong guy!” I shout as I charge forward, my knife sliding into my hand as I flick my wrist. Its tail extends again, though this time it’s aimed higher. Probably to account for the possibility of me jumping back to avoid it. Too bad the extra height means that I can just duck under it.

As it passes overhead I swing my knife in an arc, watching as it slides into the gap between the armor and cleanly cuts through the internal components. As half its tail falls to the ground behind me, I can’t help but wonder how shoddily these things are made if such a weak attack could completely sever it.

`~`

“Did he just cut through the tail?” Midnight looks around the room to make sure she’s not seeing things, but her colleagues’ nods assure her that her eyes are working.

“But… isn’t there an iron core for the tails?” Vlad King asks to clarify, since he isn’t too familiar with how the robots function.

“It’s more complicated than that,” Power Loader scoffs, only to reluctantly concede. “But the core is as strong as iron. So he shouldn’t have been able to just cut through it.”

“How interesting,” Nezu says while sipping his tea.

`~`

With its tail damaged the robot charges at me, trying to trample me. So I leap, grabbing onto its long neck and swinging myself on top of its head and bury my knife into the red orb that makes up its eye. There’s a moment where it freezes, then it falls to the floor in a cacophony of metal.

“That was easier than I thought it would be.” I shrug it off the same way I jump off of the robot. “Welp. Let’s go look for a good opportunity!”

`~`

After some time killing/destroying robots and seeing the interesting quirks of the applicants, I still haven’t found a good opportunity! Seriously, how am I supposed to make an impact but still get away if all the robots go down to a knife in the eye? I’ve gotten, like, twenty points, and I’m not even trying to find them!

I’m pulled out of my mental rant by the ground shaking and the sound of buildings toppling. I look over in that direction and see an absolutely massive robot. That must be the zero pointer! I’ve killed each of the other types already!

With everyone rushing to get away from it, it makes it a bit of a hassle to rush closer. But it gets people to start paying attention to me. That’s at least part of what I wanted to do getting done.

As I get closer my eyes fall on some fallen rubble. Or more accurately under it, on Uraraka, who seems to be trapped. Obviously I rush over, taking in her shocked face.

And then I lightly chop her head.

With the side of my hand I mean. Not the knife in my other one.

“Did you forget about your quirk? Just touch it!” I shout at her.

“I am!” She shouts back, pain in her voice, and proceeds to do just that and pushing the floating rubble away from her. Huh. Guess the rubble just barely fell on her as I was approaching.

But then she makes a choking noise and holds a hand to her mouth. I’m intimately familiar with the signs of holding yourself back from vomiting -though mine was usually pain induced- so I know that she’s right on the verge of spewing chunks. Consequences of overusing her quirk? Hmm. Judging by how her ankle is twisted around she won’t be walking anytime soon.

I look at her. I look at the zero pointer. I look back. I nod. “Hey, Uraraka.”

She must be able to hear the seriousness in my voice because she forces herself to swallow down the rising bile and look at me. “In case something happens, I have a message I want you to give to someone. If you see them at UA.”

“Wh-what are you talking a-about?” She stumbles a bit on her words, swallowing again as her lunch tries to take advantage and resurface. I ignore her question. I give her the message. I ignore her open mouthed stare and walk past her, towards the zero pointer. She calls out to me, the sound of retching quickly following, proving that it was a mistake on her part.

I look up at the zero pointer and smile. “Well then. This seems like it will be suitably dramatic and eye-catching.” I chuckle. “Let’s see how UA handles the backlash from the death of one of their applicants.”

I blink and tilt my head thoughtfully. “Huh. I guess they were right.” I charge forward with a wide smile splitting my face in half, blood dripping from the corners where the skin is being forced to stretch past its breaking point.

“I will die in the exam.”

`~`

I wake up in darkness, faint light poking through what looks like a large hole. I dust myself off, noting how all my clothes have been burned to ash. Guess that’s to be expected when you cause a giant robot to explode while being inside it.

Once I’m outside I see that I’m in a forest, the zero pointer’s head having been launched far away from the city from the force of explosions wracking its body. At least I think I’m far away from the city. If I wasn’t, I’m sure that some hero would have come to investigate the giant robot head. Or at least the cops.

I look around, nodding to myself.

“Yep. I have no idea which direction the city’s in.”

Chapter 47: Usagi Twins

Summary:

Izuku and Himiko get an official job!

“I told you it would be a week at the latest!” I shout as I burst into the bar, the door bouncing off the wall and slamming closed behind me.

“Indeed. Though it would be appreciated if you were to avoid damaging both the door and the wall. It does cost money to repair them.” Kurogiri’s version of welcome back is just what I need after spending four days in a forest! On the bright side, it turns out wolf is pretty tasty! It would probably taste even better cooked! And also not kill me! Though eating something that killed and ate parts of you did make it go down easier.

As a counterpoint to Kurogiri’s greeting, Shiggabigga falls out of his chair laughing when he catches sight of me. Which is fair, given what I scrounged together for an outfit.

“Seriously!?” He howls from the floor. “Out of everything, you chose to wear a sailor outfit !?”

I sniff with my nose in the air, giving a spin to flare the black skirt that barely reaches past my thighs. They’re connected to the black top half of the sailor uniform by two straps. “Please. You’re just jealous that I pull this off better than you ever could.”

He snorts as he gets up. “Yeah, no. The color’s good, but no.”

“What’s with all the- nope.” One walks down the stairs only to turn around once he sees me. “I am not dealing with whatever this is.”

“Hi One!” I shout before he can retreat. “Since you aren’t in the infirmary, does that mean Two is better?”

“No, she’s with the doctor. The literal doctor that takes care of the group! Why did you have me watching her if we have a doctor!?”

Well. It makes sense that All For One has his own doctor given how bad his injuries are. Of course he’d need someone to make sure everything is working properly, not to mention in case something new popped up. But this also means that he’s not hiding his existence from the new members of the League. Or he could just be hiding his identity, playing the role of the mysterious benefactor. Either way, I don’t want to lie to him.

I hate lies.

Tricks and pranks are fine of course, like what I pulled with UA. I never told anyone that my name is Biggius Dickus, just that they could call me that. As for the application itself? Well, that doesn’t count. You can’t lie to a piece of paper, and the people who read it and think that I wrote down my name fall into the category of ‘tricked or pranked’. Not lies.

Anyways. “That’s because it’s the benefactor’s personal doctor. I didn’t think that they would let us send a member of the group to them for healing.”

He sighs ignoring me as he finishes his journey up the stairs. Shigaraki chuckles as he goes back to his game. Mario Kart, judging by the music. “Oh yeah,” he idly says. “You need to gear up. You’re acting as a bodyguard for our Broker tonight while he has a meeting with some rich people.”

I tilt my head before shrugging and fishing for more details as I make my own way towards the stairs and up to my room. “That’s new. You never have any actual jobs for me. Usually it’s just asking/telling me to go out and kill some heroes.”

“Yeah, well Sensei said that if I’m going to be a proper party leader I need to start thinking like one. Which includes securing our own funds. Something about him planning to retire after All Might’s dead.”

“Makes sense.” I nod.

After changing and getting in a power nap I make my way back downstairs where Shigaraki scowls at me.”The hell have you been, it’s almost time for the two of you to go!”

“Then I’m right on time aren’t I.” I shoot back before realizing what he said. “Wait, two? Who else is coming?”

I feel arms wrap around my neck even as I ask the question, a shiver going down my spine as their low voice whispering into my ear answers the question.

“You didn’t think I’d let you get away from me so easily after vanishing for a whole week now did you? Mi~. Do~. Sa~. Gi~.”

“Himi!” I shout, trying to whirl around in her arms and give her a hug. But she keeps her grip tight so that she spins around with me, staying behind my back.

“Whee! Faster, faster!” Chuckling at her childish demands I keep my spin going, my feet putting all those lessons on proper footwork to good use as I rapidly pick up speed. Himi squeals in excitement as her body starts to float, my eyes catching brief glimpses of her legs trailing behind her.

“Hurry up. Keeping the Broker happy is how we get all our stuff.” Shiggy complains, but I know he’s just jealous that he’s too big to go on the Midosagi Whirl. But apparently Himiko thinks that his complaint has substance , ugh, and it’s time to stop.

“And… leap!” Suddenly she lets go, throwing my balance off and causing me to tumble to the floor in a heap. I wait a few moments for the dizziness to subside before looking at my girlfriend, who somehow managed to stick the landing after flying off of me. I’m just about to complain before I process what she’s wearing and my eyes widen.

Her skirt is a given, since she enjoys the freedom of movement that it gives her. But under that is a pair of dark gray tights and black knee pads. She has dark green combat boots with dark red toes. On her right hand are the set of silver claws I gave her for her birthday, and her left is covered by a black glove. She’s wearing a dark green shirt under a blood red jacket, though the way it’s unzipped gives me a nice view of the valley of her cleavage. And with her hood up the trailing bunny ears are clear to see.

It’s just like my costume, but with the colors reversed. And with her love of blood they fit her very well. She salutes me with a knife that appears in her left hand tapping her forehead.

“Introducing the new and improved, most adorable girlfriend ever, the Blood Rabbit Chusagi!” She looks at me with a wide grin as bounces over to me with her hands clenched excitedly in front of her. “So? What do you think? It took a while to get it all done how I wanted it, but when I came back you were gone!” She pouts with her cheeks puffed out. “Next time you go out to have fun like that you wait for me!”

“You were stuck at the hospital getting medicine for Two…” I mutter in a daze as I look at her.

She crosses her arms. “You still could have asked before you went. Instead the first I heard about it was you asking if you could ‘bowleg some girls and see if they can pass the exam’. You didn’t even respond when I told you to send me a video of them trying to pass like that!”

That’s enough to shake me out of my daze and I awkwardly scratch my cheek. “Uh, whoops?” I give a half-hearted chuckle. “The exam ended up starting not long after I asked that, so I didn’t get the chance to do it anyways. And then I was fighting robots and probably didn’t feel it ringing. And then I got blown up and my phone got destroyed.”

I shake my head as I plant my hands on her shoulders. “But that’s not important.” I look into her eyes with a serious expression. Sensing the mood she looks back at me with just as much seriousness. “Are you sure that you want your villain name to be Chusagi? You know that that means you’ll forever be known as the partner to Midosagi. Which means that we’ll always be together. Always. No matter what. Even if you were to separate from me one day. Chusagi and Midosagi will never be apart in the eyes of heroes, the news, or other villains. Do you really want to dedicate yourself so deeply to us like that?”

Yes… Even with all we’ve been through together. After the surprise of finding out that she’s thought of me as her boyfriend practically ever since we met. All the fun. All the murder. All the fun murders.

There’s always been that little sliver of doubt that one day, she’d leave me. That she’d get bored, or angry. That I wouldn’t be good enough for her. That I’m holding her back from reaching her full potential. That she’d become a villain powerful enough that she could walk the streets in broad daylight with her chin held high.

And would leave me behind in the shadows.

But naming herself Chusagi? While I’m Midosagi? That would mean that our villain names would be connected. Midosagi and Chusagi would become a villainous pairing, one talked about whenever the other is mentioned. Even now people in the streets talk about how I might have some connection to Mirko, the Rabbit Hero, just because I have a rabbit theme.

People do love to have their patterns.

She just looks at me with searching eyes. Evidently finding what she was looking for, her expression softens, and she leans forward to give me a kiss on the nose. “Of course I’m sure, you baka. Haven’t I told you before?” She wraps me in her arms, both of us ignoring the gagging noises Shigaraki makes. “We’ll always be there for each other. No matter what. Having our names connected like that just means that we’re that much closer.”

I’m touched by her choice. I really am. But I’ve heard those words before. That we’d be a team no matter what. That we’d always have each other’s backs.

I was betrayed once by the person I trusted most. I don’t think I could handle it if it happened again.

I don’t say that though. Any of it. Instead I pull back even as my head moves forward as I give her a long, gentle kiss. One filled with love. With trust. I forcibly smother the part of me that’s always been doubting, claiming that she’d leave once she loses interest.

Izumi scarred me in a different way than Kachan did. I hate her in a different way than Kachan. Even then my feelings towards her are more complicated than that, and I’m not even sure I want to try unraveling them.

But right here. Right now? I decide that I can move on. That I will give Himi the one thing that I haven’t given another person since Izumi. Not even Shoko.

My unequivocal trust.

I pull back and open my eyes, not even remembering when I closed them. I stare at her face with a loving expression as her own eyes slowly open, love practically overflowing from them and bleeding into the rest of her expression.

It’s only when we hear a loud cough that we’re pulled away from the world of each other’s eyes. We see a middle aged guy with silver hair and round glasses over pink eyes. He gives us a gap toothed smile with a cigarette between his teeth, a slight stubble trying to masquerade as a goatee.

“So, I was supposed to pick up Midosagi for some bodyguard work. Did I come at a bad time?”

I look back at Himi, our eyes meeting. We smile before turning back to the Broker.

“No. You actually came right on time. And you’re in luck! For today only, you’re getting a two for one special!”

I grab Himi’s arms and we spin around a few times, our toes not separating until I let go. When I do we jump apart before lunging towards each other, her just behind me brandishing her claws while I crouch with my knife drawn.

“Tonight, the Usagi Twins will be making sure you stay safe.”

Chapter 48: Bodyguarding

Summary:

The Usagi Twins guard Giran's body.

“Remember, you’re bodyguards. That means you’re meant to be seen, not heard.” The information broker known as Giran lectures Himi and I as the three of us drive to his meeting. “At least that’s how these usually go down. But the people I’m meeting are bringing their daughter to get her more involved with the family business. So, since the two of you’ll be about the same age, if they want you to talk, then talk.”

He gives us a measuring look before snorting. “But only if you think opening your mouths won’t endanger the deal!”

I exchange glances with Himi and see my own interest reflected in her eyes. “Any idea what the deal is about?” I stage whisper the question to her.

“No idea,” she stage whispers back with amusement glinting in her eyes. “Maybe it’s about buying weapons to overthrow the rich?”

I nod. “So that means we should talk about how bad rich people are and how we want them all dead, right?”

She nods and I nod back. At least until Giran shouts at us.

“Oi! I get it already, drop the sass!” We laugh at getting the man to shout like that, his eyebrow twitching in the car’s mirror. Though the smirk playing at his lips tells us that he’s not really mad. Guess he’s more fun than I thought he would be.

“To sum up the meeting and the deal into something you brats can understand; any and all major corporations need some connections to the underground. Even if it’s just to make sure they know what their competitors might do.”

He shrugs. “Course, once you’ve dipped your toes in the water it’s not that big a deal to take your first step. And the next. Before you know it, you’re waist deep in villainy.” He glances at us through his reflection. “We’re aiming to get them to take their first step while informing them of one of their competitors putting a bounty on their daughter.”

I nod understandingly. “So you’re hoping that their daughter getting threatened will encourage them to put a counter-hit on their competition, which would mean they’re more open to the idea of the other services you can give them. Not to mention providing us with blackmail material should they try to pull out or turn on us.”

Himi snorts. “Like you know anything about pulling out.”

“Like you ever complain.” I shoot back without looking at her.

I tap a fist onto my palm, directing my words back towards Giran who’s studiously trying to ignore us. Poor fool. He doesn’t know that doesn’t work yet. “Or are you planning to offer the services of Himi and I as bodyguards for her after staging a-”

My analysis of what benefits he can get from the meeting are interrupted by his cursing, and we swerve around someone falling out of the sky. I poke my head out the window to look behind us just in time to see Mirko driving her feet into the apparent villain’s face and cratering the road. I wave both hands excitedly while shouting at her.

“HIII, MIRKO! BIG FAN! I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO TAKING CARE OF YOU LATER!” I chuckle as I see her do a double take at my words, pulling myself back inside the car. “Yeah, that’s going to be fun. Wanna come with, Himi? I have some tests to run regarding her quirk.”

She taps her chin after pulling herself back in the car, having waved at the rabbit hero along with me. “Maaayyybeee… Next week? It could be interesting to do it the same day that UA starts.”

I nod. “Yep! Sounds like a plan! Probably for the best that we do it on opening day too. I know that Shiggy wanted to make his own plans for the start of the school year.”

I hear Giran sigh in the front seat. “Kid, I can’t tell if you’re a genius or crazy.”

I laugh, my words echoed by Himi.

“”Why can’t it be both?””

`~`

“Remember,” Giran says outside the room to the ‘I’m wealthy but want to feel lower class but not really’ hotel room. “No talking unless they talk to you first. If they choose to send their daughter out of the room, one of you go with her while the other stays with me. This includes if they have their own bodyguards. Priorities are protecting me, their daughter, then the parents. Understood?”

Himi and I give him a pair of crisp salutes to show our understanding. They aren’t the same salutes, but they’re at least crisp!

He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up. “This is starting to feel like a bad idea. But it’s too late to back out now.” He looks at us so I lower my mask and stick out my tongue at him. He requested us . Not our problem if he’s having regrets!

He sighs again before adjusting himself to project a laid-back air and putting a cocky smirk on his face. “Well then, let’s make some money.”

He pushes open the door and inside I can see a man and woman dressed in lavish outfits. The man is in a dark blue pinstriped suit and has slicked back black hair and one of those ‘polite’ mustaches. The ones that are trimmed into a thin line above their lips. The woman is wearing a dark red business top matched with a pencil skirt that comes to about mid-thigh. Her long black braided ponytail trailing down her back.

Good thing it isn’t over her shoulder!

And sitting between the two is a mini version of the mother, her own ponytail starting high as opposed to her mother’s trailing one. Her own sleeveless green dress having the upper portion a conservative ruffled trim. Though it fails to hide that the daughter has far surpassed the mother.

Oh, and there’s a brown bear with a scar across his muzzle and a rhino with a pink mohawk standing behind them with their arms crossed.

The man nods at Giran in greeting. “Hello, Giran. You said there’s something we should know about?”

He nods and opens his mouth to respond only for the rhino to cut him off. “Hold on now, I don’t like the look of these two.” Though he says that his eyes are focused on Himi, while the bear is looking at us warily.

“Feeling’s mutual.” Himi shoots back and his oversized nostrils flare.

“And yeh’ brought a weapon? Tsk, tsk. Gonna have-”

His barely, not even really, concealed agenda doesn’t have the chance to go farther as his partner slaps the back of his head. “Stop it. Crap like that is why you can never get any jobs!”

The rhino snorts. “As if. People don’t care what I do as long as I get results. Ain’t that right, Mr. Yaoyorozu?”

The seated man takes a deep breath in before letting it out slowly, clearly regretting his choice of bodyguard. His wife’s expression hasn’t changed but I imagine that she’s irritated as well. It’s the daughter’s expression that lets out the most information.

Abject disgust.

Interesting for a few reasons. It means that she hasn’t been around this particular person before, meaning that either the family uses different bodyguards for different situations -understandable, but I find it hard to imagine they’d trust such a crude one with their clandestine secret meetings- or they were hired for this specific meeting. Which would imply that they themselves don’t tend to have these sorts of meetings enough to warrant dedicated bodyguards.

The fact that she had such an instant and obvious reaction also tells me that she’s been pretty sheltered. There’s always at least one person who’ll comment on a girl’s body, doubly so with how big her chest is. She hasn’t learned to ignore them yet. Or at least not how to show her disgust/anger in a less overt way. 

So. This is more than just an introduction into the villainy side of business for her. It’s an introduction into how bad some people can be. If it’s intentional, then odds are good that this is also a test for Giran, and they were already aware that someone had targeted their family. If unintentional, then they’ll likely be unable to keep their cool at finding out that someone’s initial instinct was to target their sheltered daughter rather than the parents they’ve likely been dealing with.

“I do not believe we will be requiring your services any further, Mr. Damusai. You shall receive half the original pay as compensation, but I request that you leave now.”

Mr. Yaoyorozu doesn’t even look at the rhino, having full faith that his orders will be carried out. He doesn’t see the shock flash across the rhino’s face before rapidly being overwritten by anger. He doesn’t see him pull back his arm to punch or the bear’s wide eyes as he lunges to stop him.

What he, and his family, do see are the pair of knives flashing above his head to enter the rhino’s eyes. And everyone hears his screams as he stumbles back, hands hovering over the handles sticking out of his head. On one hand he wants to pull them out, having foreign objects where you used to have visual organs tends to be unpleasant , to say the least. On the other, pulling them out will likely cause even more pain, and possibly irreparable damage. If it’s not already. Quirks kind of mess with the whole ‘irreparable’ and ‘unhealable’ thing.

Given his clear decision paralysis, I decide to help him out!

*BANG*

By shooting him in the face!

He drops with a heavy thud, blood erupting out from his forehead. It’s interesting that the bullet didn’t go out the back, his quirk apparently giving him increased durability in addition to a probable strength enhancement. His quirk would have been more than adequate to get him into a hero school, so I wonder why he’s here? Horrible personality, maybe? Oh well. It doesn't matter anymore. He’s dead.

The Yaoyorozu family wasn’t idle in the short time the altercation took, unlike their second bodyguard who froze. Not that I can really tell all that much from the half-dome metal covering the three of them.

I scratch my head, looking at Giran for direction. He’s giving me the stink-eye so I turn to Himi instead! She’s pouting at me. Probably because I used a gun instead of a knife to kill the rhino. She doesn’t like guns because they lack ‘that personal connection’. Which I can agree with, but given how he didn’t go down to knives in each eye from the two of us I felt it was worth it for expediency.

Still. Given the lack of directions I step forward and knock lightly on the metal. “Hello? Yaoyorozus? Your bodyguard turned bounty hunter is dead! It’s ok to come out now!”

They don’t come out, but I do hear something inside bumping against the metal. I look around and meet everyone’s gazes, the bear rushing for the door when our eyes meet. None of us stop him and we’re left with the three of us and a family of turtles. Though only one of them is a teenager. And as far as I know, none of them are ninjas. Nor mutants.

Shrugging I start tapping on the metal again. “Come on out. Your other bodyguard decided that he wants to be an Olympic runner instead!”

I hear Giran groan, and a look back shows that he’s put his head in his hands.

Welp. At least it’s not my or Himi’s fault things turned out like this.

`~`

After probably thirty minutes of assurances that, ‘no, we weren’t trying to kill them. Yes, their bodyguard tried to attack them. No, Himi and I aren’t leaving,’ they finally come out of their shell. Though not the same as they were when they entered. Now they’re armed!

The father has a shortsword in his hand that he’s making sure to keep between us. The daughter has the sword’s thinner and slimmer cousin; the rapier. Also pointed at us. More specifically me. The mother is the outlier. She has a mace. With pointy spikes. At least she’s pointing it at Giran instead of me!

Himi is snacking on some chicken she went and got while Giran and I talked them out of the shell, stating that she didn’t kill anyone for once so she doesn’t have to clean up the mess. Which is fair. What isn’t is the frying pan she hit me with! I didn’t steal your kill, it was a joint kill!

Anyways, now that the drama is out of the way, Giran can finally tell them why they’re meeting!

“WHAT!? Someone put a price on Momo!?” The father is practically radiating anger, while the daughter is pale from fright. Or the fact that someone attacked her family and got killed right next to them. One of the two.

The mother is calm though, and it’s her voice that cuts to the heart of the matter. “Double it. Send it back.”

So, she’s the power in the family. Probably intentionally brought their daughter then so she can have a taste of the world. But does that mean the sub-par bodyguards were also some form of test? If so, then for Giran or her family?

Giran nods happily, his shoulders relaxing just a bit at how they don’t seem to hold a grudge against what happened. Not that they should. It’s not like we started it. But his shoulders tense again when their daughter speaks up, pointing an unsteady finger at the two of us.

“C-can I have one of t-t-them as a gu-guard?” Her voice is shaky, but firm. I raise an eyebrow even as her parents try to reassure her that they have plenty of competent guards. Though I have to wonder about that given how the two they hired for the meeting turned out.

She cuts them off with a firm wave of her hand. “No.” She takes a deep breath, steadying herself. “They clearly have experience. They ki- took care of the threat the moment it appeared. They aren’t even our bodyguards! I can be assured that they’ll protect not only me, but those around me.”

“You mean your friends?” I interject, only to see her shoulders slump and look away. Must not have any friends. “We might be able to do part time,” I shrug, not really caring. A look at Himi shows her having the same reaction. “But we’re too busy to fully attend whatever fancy posh school you’re going to-”

“I’ll be attending UA’s hero course next week,” she says with a voice full of confidence, as if it could change my mind. I wonder if this’ll get her to change hers…

“UA? You know someone died in the entrance exam, right?”

Her face pales again and so begins the family debate of whether or not she’ll attend a school with such poor safety regulations. That’s none of our business though, and since Giran already has what he wanted we take our leave.

“Wait!” The girl shouts to override her parents’ words of caution, causing us to stop. I look over my shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow, seeing her swallow down her hesitation and speaking in a determined voice. “Can I have a way to contact you? In case we wish to hire you part-time, at least?”

“Hmm…” I tap my mask in thought for a second before shrugging and turning away, sending a lazy wave back at her. “If you really want me, you can talk to Giran. Just ask for Midosagi of the Usagi Twins.”

We walk out the door as silence reigns behind us for a brief moment before a renewed round of yelling rings out. But that’s not something I need to deal with. At least for now.

I have plans to make regarding a certain rabbit and some interesting herbs I picked up in the forest~.

Chapter 49: A Rat's Machinations

Summary:

Nezu holds a meeting to discuss the Usagi Twins.

(Nezu)

“I understand your concern, and rest assured that the safety of UA’s students is our top priority!” Another twenty minutes of reassuring the concerned family on the other side of the phone call later, and collecting further information, and I hang up with a breath of relief.

“How… unexpected.” I take a sip of tea before sending an email to the teachers to assemble for a meeting. Given my tendency to mix serious meetings with joke meetings, it doesn’t take long for them to gather in the main conference room.

“I just had a rather interesting phone call with the Yaoyorozu family about school safety.” I start off the meeting casually, watching as some of the teachers lose the tension in their shoulders.

“Apparently they learned about the ‘death’ of an applicant during the entrance exam, though they could not name the individual.”

“Of course they did.” Aizawa says in his usual tired voice. “People with the connections to make it big in the corporate world? I’m not surprised. Just that it took them so long to learn.” He tips his head towards me. “I guess that gag order you put in place lasted longer than I thought it would.”

Indeed. A gag order lasts only as long as people decide it’s worth keeping. Even if I was not the one to decide that it should be implemented this time, I can agree it has value. Even beyond the copy of the email from the Commission I saved.

Though it wasn’t particularly difficult to put into effect, given that most who witnessed the boy charging the zero-pointer found it inconceivable that anyone would die during the event in question. It was as simple as brewing a decent cup of tea to reinforce that idea within them by simply stating that the individual would not be attending the hero course.

The only real issue was the girl who seemed to have some familiarity with him, though when pressed she admitted that they’d only met the same day. In that short time though, coupled with how he talked to her before the boy went after the robot, she fully embraced the idea that he would sacrifice himself for others.

Thankfully her family has financial troubles. Or rather, had financial troubles. A hefty sum, coupled with her already secured enrollment, managed to convince the daughter to not speak about anyone dying during the exam, though it was with great reluctance. Additionally, she would not budge on fulfilling his ‘last request’. Something I find admirable.

The content of the message itself is amusing, not to mention its intended recipient. It added another checkmark on a certain list I started last year. But that’s for another time. For now there is a certain concern regarding that very gag order.

“So you believe that the young Uraraka is the source of the leak that informed one of the Yaoyorozu’s informants of the event?” I raise an eyebrow as I fold my paws in front of me.

“Don’t answer Sho, it’s a trap!” Yamada stage whispers to his long-time friend even while the third member of the trio enthusiastically nods in agreement with the man.

To which Aizawa simply rolls his eyes. “I doubt it. The bribe they were given was fairly large. But that doesn’t mean rumors wouldn’t circulate. We all know how difficult it is to squash those. Especially when they have some truth to it.”

Kan, hero name Vlad King, interjects at this point, garnering an intense glare from the man. “You mean like how everyone knows you’re going out with that teacher from Ketsubutsu but you keep denying it? Really, you should just accept her proposals already!”

Before the meeting can devolve into yet another shouting match between the two hero course teachers, I tell them why the Yaoyorozus knowing about the event is unusual.

“They were informed of the death by Midosagi.”

Sudden silence reigns across the room. I give a mental nod of satisfaction. It’s always pleasant to see that the people I employ haven’t let themselves lose sight of proper behavior when the situation calls for it. Though Kayama occasionally worries me in that regard.

“You mean the villain, Midosagi?” Ishiyama, hero name Cementoss, asks.

“The same Midosagi who has killed thirty-seven heroes?” Oto Kuron, hero name Ectoplasm, questions.

“The Midosagi whose partner made their debut by murdering a group of highschool girls and posing their bodies at a cafe?” Inui, hero name Hound Dog, clarifies.

“Midosagi, who-” Tsuiseki, hero name Snipe, gets cut off by Aizawa's sigh of exasperation.

“We get it. Everyone’s surprised that the Yaoyorozus came into contact with a wanted villain. We don’t need the same question asked a dozen different ways. What we need,” he stares at Nezu with piercing eyes, “is the why, and the how.”

I nod. “There are indeed many whys, but only one how. Why did Midosagi meet them? Why did he not kill them? Why inform them? How did he know of the event in question?”

I pause letting them consider on their own the answers to those questions. It would not do for me to simply hand them all the answers right away. They would lose the edge that makes them such superb heroes.

Still, we all have things to do, so I do not force them to think for long. “Why they met is simple. They have a persistent contract with an information broker to be informed should anyone target their family. Midosagi-”

“Showed up to collect.” Kan nods with his eyes closed at his own theory, missing the smug looks directed at him by the others.

It seems that I will have to reinforce the reminder of not interrupting me. I wonder what it should be this time?

Seeing the man shiver for some strange reason, I continue. “Midosagi was working as that information broker’s bodyguard, along with his partner Chusagi.”

“Do we have profiles?” Kayama leans forward on her forearm. “Did they manage to get a look at either of their faces?”

It would be a great boon to have Midosagi’s public identity be known to increase the chance that he would be caught, at least to anyone else’s understanding.

“Regrettably Midosagi kept his mask on at all times, so there are no new leads on that front.” The trouble trio all perk up, hearing the slightest emphasis regarding ‘that’ front. Given how important tone and inflection are for both Midnight’s undercover work and Yamada’s radio show, it’s no surprise. And Aizawa prides himself on his perception abilities.

“As for Chusagi…” I tap one of the buttons blended into the wood of the table and folders appear in front of everyone. Opening them up reveals a picture of a young blonde girl tearing into a chicken leg with a bright smile.

“Chusagi, also known as Himiko Toga. From what is known she attacked one of her classmates during her final year of middle school and fled to the streets. She’s been on the run for several years.”

I tap the photo as the staff start to read through the information gathered on her. “The Yaoyorozus have someone on staff with a quirk to transmit the memory of another to paper, which is how we can be assured that the image is accurate. In the back, you will also find two different photos. Please take a look and tell me what you think.”

Some continue to read through the information, putting the ‘extra’ information for last. Though I am once again pleased to note how Aizawa pinpoints those as the most important aspect. After only a brief moment of looking them over, his eyes widen and he swears.

“Damn. We were played.” His words draw the attention of the others, who take a look at the photos themselves and either swear as well or continue to study them. I intervene before they can get to the overthinking stage of analysis.

“The applicant who supposedly died, was in fact Midosagi.”

Another round of swears from those who hadn’t realized it yet, with Inui putting forth the first of the expected guesses. “So he was trying to ruin UA’s reputation? By faking an applicant’s death?”

Kan snorts and crosses his arms. “Fat lot of good that did him. If we knew about this before we wouldn’t have even needed the gag order!”

I sigh, mirrored by Aizawa. I gesture for him to explain. “Vlad, you’re an idiot.” Not what I wanted, but it is a valid criticism.

Ignoring the man’s impotent sputtering, Aizawa continues to actually explain. “It doesn’t matter if he faked his death as an applicant, if this gets out I wouldn’t be surprised if the school were forced to shut down.”

Seeing that Kan still doesn’t understand, Aizawa rolls his eyes. “We had a moderate-profile villain within the boundaries of the school. Alone, isolated from any help he might have received.” As he talks, eyes around the table slowly widen as they make the connections.

“It would have been a prime time to capture him. But not only did we fail to do that, we didn’t even realize that he was here.” He shakes his head, holding up a hand to forestall Kan’s justifications. “Which means that we allowed a dangerous villain to surround themselves with a crowd of students, who he could have killed or taken hostage at any moment. Hell, he could have gone on a killing spree and slaughtered half of them before any of us even realized there was a problem.”

He pauses, letting the information get absorbed before shrugging. “At least, that’s how the media would put it.”

I allow them to discuss the matter, debating how they should handle the fallout should the media discover it. A discussion that Aizawa shies away from, given his avoidance of the media in all aspects of his life.

But it is a moot point. “Given how they have not come out with the news of infiltrating UA, either to brag or discredit us, discussing how to handle the news going public serves no purpose. Additionally I feel that you all are missing a simple yet key point from this.”

I lean forward, seeing a lack of understanding from each of them, including Aizawa. “The Yaoyorozu daughter asked Midosagi to be her bodyguard, including at school.” I hold up a paw to stem the outrage from the idea, giving them a small smile as I continue. “His response? ‘We’re too busy to attend whatever fancy posh school you’re going to’.”

I watch as Aizawa’s smile grows, followed by Kayama tapping a fist into her palm in understanding. “While much of the information put on his application form is likely to be false, his age was real. And if he slipped with letting his age be revealed, what else could he have let slip? I want each of you to study his form, as well as all the information we have on Midosagi as a villain. Perhaps something new will be revealed.”

Taking my words as the dismissal they are, the room is cleared. Each of them wearing a thoughtful expression.

All except for Aizawa.

He remains seated, staring at me. I meet his gaze, sipping from my tea. The silence stretches, long past the point of being awkward.

He’s the first to lose patience, as I knew he would. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“Oh? Why wouldn’t I inform my staff about something?”

“Spare me the patronizing, Nezu. We both know you always have another angle. You never do things simply, or by half measures.” He leans forward on his elbows, his quirk activating as he tries to get answers. “So tell me what’s so special about this kid that you’re so focused on him. It can’t just be because of his connection to Izuku Yagi.”

I don’t answer, finishing the last of my tea before folding my arms over my chest. I hum as I spin my chair around, staring out the window to the room. I consider if I should tell him, and if so, how much.

“What do you know of the quirkless, Shota?”

There’s silence, and I know that I’ve taken him off guard with the seeming non-sequitur. “Well… they’re quirkless,” he starts slowly. “They’re looked down on by a good portion of the population. Anyone I’ve spoken to who’s a part of the HPSC actively tries to avoid talking about them, unless they’re actively talking down about them…”

I can imagine his eyes narrowing at the back of my chair. “There’s more to it, isn’t there.”

Not a question, a statement. I chuckle. “Isn’t there always?” I spin around, placing my clasped paws on the table. “I will leave you with one thing to consider.”

He leans forward, ready to internalize what I’m about to tell him. It’s funny, given that I have no doubt that he will be unable to fit the piece into the puzzle.

After all, the piece I’m about to hand him does not belong to the one society has raised him to construct.

“It has always been about Izuku Yagi.” I turn around once again, enjoying the peaceful view of UA grounds. For however long they last.

“Or as he is now officially known, post-mortem, Izuku Midoriya Usagi.”

Chapter 50: When Rabbits Meet

Summary:

Mirko meets the Usagi Twins~.

Notes:

Er, maybe dubious consent? Not really, but also kind of? But mostly not? To the point of it being not?
You know what, y'all can decide for yourselves.

I laugh as I jump from streetlight to streetlight down the street, shouting over my shoulder while in the air, “I thought you were a rabbit, aren’t you supposed to be faster than the tortoise?”

“We’re both rabbits! Now stop running so I can kick your face in you little shit!” Mirko, the rabbit hero, shouts back with a vein pulsing on her forehead.

Why is she chasing me? Well, that’s because I walked up to her and threw a water balloon at her face! Then she asked me if I was ready to die for throwing said water balloon at her face, to which I replied, “You wish it was water.”

I’m sooo lucky that she needs to watch how much force she exerts so she doesn’t break stuff. If she didn’t I would have been caught within a few seconds!

Of course, if she knew that I’m Midosagi, then she could go all out in trying to catch me. But since I’m not wearing my apparently signature jacket right now, only my mask, I’m just a snot-nosed delinquent. Well, not snot-nosed, but that’s how the expression goes. Which is odd, but whatever.

Anyways, heroes have to pay for any damage they do to public property out of their own pocket if they use excessive force on a villain. If the HPSC determines that the damage is worth the villain, then they foot the bill. It’s to make sure that those with destructive quirks don’t cause a lot of collateral damage just chasing, say, a purse thief with an illumination quirk. Though the top ten heroes tend to just get a blanket check for anything they do since they’re so popular. Which Mirko is, being number ten in the rankings, so it’s strange that she’s not going all out.

Maybe that suspicious liquid is working? I hope so, the test won’t work very well if it doesn’t. Oh, and it would also make it difficult to get away. This woman is one of the most persistent -AKA stubborn- heroes I’ve ever heard of. Which is a good trait for hunting down villains. Except when they’re me! Thankfully we’re almost to the warehouse, and she’s only been chasing me for ten minutes so my stamina is still pretty high.

I jump off the latest streetlight and latch onto the edge of a rooftop, rolling on top before hopping to my feet and dashing for the other side. Unfortunately for me Mirko doesn’t need any help getting up, and a glance over my shoulder reveals a savage grin on her face as a loud clang echoes from the street. Did she just break the light!?

So much for no damages! I wonder if that turtle comment hit a nerve?

I jump off the edge of the building, aiming for the skylight that will drop me into the prepared warehouse. Not even seconds after I start to fall I feel a pressure on my back and my descent accelerates.

A lot.

Mirko rides me like a skateboard as we plummet through the window, my flailing hand only barely managing to hit the latch holding it open. It falls shut just as I hit the small hill of pillows specifically placed to cushion my fall, though the added weight of Mirko forces me all the way to the bottom layer, which I did not plan for. Still, pillows are pillows. A bit of internal injuries is a small price to pay for quirk study!

She grabs me by the back of my neck and drags me through the pillow hill, stray feathers from exploded pillows sticking to the two of us as we taste the sweet, sweet air of freedom. A bit more sweet than usual due to the thin haze of smoke filling the building from all the burning herbs, but that’s basically the same as creamer for coffee.

Not that I ever drink the stuff. The only time I tried a cup before, I ended up freaking Shiggy out with how my eyes were so wide open one of them popped out of the socket.

Whether or not that was an intentional action is irrelevant! No matter how much Mamagiri scolded me for it!

She adjusts her grip so she’s holding me by the throat instead of the nape, letting us face each other comfortably. It’s always a pleasure when they don’t start off with a suffocating throat grab, especially when I can banter with them!

“Alas, the story remains true!” I raise my arm to brush against my head dramatically, lamenting my fate. “So has it been foretold, the tortoise has surpassed the hare!”

She glares at me with a tight smile as that protruding vein pulses. “You know that game where you juggle a can with your feet? You can be the can.”

“What’s your record? Mines twenty- gack -seven.” She gives my throat a squeeze and I smirk at her, getting a snort in return as she lets go and I drop to the ground. I give her a curious look as she looks around and taps her foot, apparently bored of me?

“Whatever. So what’s the trap? The usual ambush? Drugs? Or is it something original this time?”

My mouth drops open and I put a hand to my chest in mock offense. “Le-gasp! How dare you! What makes you think I would stoop so low as to try and trap you?”

She gives me a patronizing stare with one eyebrow raised and crosses her arms, giving the pile of pillows a pointed look before changing it to the burning barrels clearly giving off smoke.

I whistle innocently as I put my hands behind my back and look at the ceiling, eliciting a snort of laughter from her. “Ha! Yeah, but really, who is it? The CRC? One of the underground rings? Small timers looking to make a name for themselves? Come on brat, I have people I could be fighting right now!”

I pout as I cross my arms and glare at her. “Don’t call me brat! I’m legal! And there’s no group who organized this, I did it on my own!” I scowl at her. “Though it doesn’t seem to be affecting you at all. Which either means the forest herbs are stupid, you’re a great actor, or my theory was wrong.”

“Theory?” Mirko asks, basically ignoring everything else I said. I sigh.

“I theorized that, since you have a rabbit mutation, you could go into heat like a regular rabbit when exposed to aphrodisiacs.” I gesture to the haze surrounding us and then her face before continuing. “But not only are the burning herbs not affecting you, the concentrated version I threw at you didn’t either!”

She stares at me for a few seconds before bursting into laughter and my pout intensifies. It goes on for a few minutes before she calms down, wiping a tear from her eye. “Oh, man, it’s been way too long since someone’s tried this.” I perk up at that. I’m not surprised that someone had the same idea before, but to actually try it? Well, I’ve never heard about it happening before, so did it get covered up?

She pets my head, smirking as I swat her hand away. “Little tidbit for you, brat. Female rabbits don’t go into heat, they’re basically always in heat. For me, that means aphrodisiacs don’t work. They artificially excite the target, and I’m always excited.”

I blink. Then blink again. I look down at her skin-tight leotard. Specifically how it doesn’t even touch her legs, starting to curve inwards at her hips to only just cover her crotch. As I look closer, I realize that the only reason it’s acceptable to wear in public is because of how thick the material is. If it was thinner…

Well. Let’s just say that Midnight wouldn’t be the only R18 heroine.

Sudden realization strikes me. “Wait, but then does that mean-”

“Yep!” She nods with a smug grin, patting my head again. Really, why is that such a popular thing to do? Himi and Mamagiri do it too! “I focus all that excitement on the excitement of battles instead of excitement for sex. Nice try though.”

She grabs my arm and starts to drag me towards the big doors leading outside. “You still tried to make moves against a hero though, so I’m gonna be putting you under arrest.”

“Oh, yeah. Totally get that. But could we take care of this first?” I point, and she looks in the same direction, blinking when her eyes rest on the problem. Sure, my mask is on. But I never did get around to turning it into a full-on gas mask. It always felt like there were other things to do, and eventually I just forgot about it. Plus I don’t really operate in areas where Midnight patrols, so it hasn’t been a problem. Until now that is

She whistles. “Damn. Guess you are grown up. At least in one place where it counts.” he shrugs, resuming her dragging. “But a little embarrassment will do you good, maybe get you off the wrong path.”

“I’d rather you be getting me off.” I retort, getting a bark of laughter from her as I continue. “It’s not like I’m selfish. And my girlfriend says I’m pretty good.”

“Oh? And what would she say about you trying to get with me?” She doesn’t look at me as she examines the door, failing to find handles to open it. Which makes sense since they’ve been welded shut. The only way out is by climbing through one of the windows or the skylight.

“Well, she’s been in here longer than either of us, so she probably wants to join.”

“Wait, what?” She turns to me, confusion in her eyes even as her ears twitch in response to something she hears. But it’s too late. Himi drops from the ceiling behind the hero, her arms wrapping around her neck as she leans in so her breathy whisper tickles the rabbit’s ears.

“Come on~. Don’t be mean~. I promise it’s a time you’ll never forget~.”

The rabbit hero lets go of me, grabbing the arm holding her as she turns and basically judo flips Himi onto the floor. She looks down at my groaning girlfriend with surprised eyes. “The hell did you manage to sneak up on me? I literally have super hearing, super smell, and super instincts!”

“A good time… for answers?” Himi gasps the offer as I help her to her feet, giving a nod of approval at the lingerie she put on for the occasion. The carrot motif seems a bit on the nose though.

Mirko’s eyes dart from me to Himi, then back to the door. Then to the herbs. Back to us, and she shakes her head. “Seriously, what the fuck is wrong if people nowadays? Back when I was your age, I was crashing underground fight rings! Sure, I had the occasional hook-up, but this?” She vaguely gestures at us and the smoke filled room. 

We shrug. “It’s not like we do this all the time, and we’re not going to force you or anything.”

“We just felt like it since the boss is making his own plans against UA.”

“What was that?” Her gaze sharpens as she looks at us.

“Oh, yeah. He has a very short attention span. It’s even odds on whether or not he gets sidetracked by a game or something, so we figured it-”

“Not that!” Mirko shouts at Himi as she gets into a defensive stance. “The part about UA! Don’t think you’ll be getting off without telling me anything.”

The two of us share amused looks and chuckle. “Well…” I trail off leadingly, letting Himi finish off my sentence.

“Everyone getting off is the only way we’ll tell you anything!” Himi twirls and wraps her arms around me from behind as she smirks

“So what’s it gonna be?” I raise a challenging eyebrow and lean against Himi, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Fun and information? Or a fight and no information?”

She scowls. “Bold of you to assume I can’t get information out of you if I kick both of you through the wall.”

“Bold of you to assume we haven’t experienced that before.” I shoot back. “For fun~ .”

We’re in a standoff, Himi and I letting our hands wander over each other in relaxed interest, and Mirko with narrow eyes and a tapping foot, clearly wondering if she should call our bluff. Or at least what she thinks is a bluff.

But there’s really only one answer, and it doesn’t seem that she’s immune to the other drugs mixed in with the aphrodisiacs. Nothing harmful or anything. Just a little something to make people more… peaceful. It’s probably thanks to that that she hasn’t just beat the two of us unconscious already and tried to drag us to the police station.

Eventually she groans, ruffling her hair in frustration and paces for a couple minutes before whirling around and pointing a finger at us. “You are really pissing me off.” She hops forward as she spins in a roundhouse, stopping her foot just centimeters away from my cheek and glaring at the grin she failed to wipe off my face. Scowling, she lowers her leg with a sigh.

“Fuck it.” She points at me and Himi. “Fuck you, fuck her. Fuck your creepy boss that’s probably getting off on watching this. And fuck-”

“Nah, he’s definitely too shy for stuff like this. Definitely more comfortable with the 2D waifus from his games.” Himi interrupts before leaning an arm under my own and hooking the rabbit hero around the waist. “As for the rest?” She pulls her towards us, the hero not resisting as we kiss her on both cheeks.

““That’s what we’re here for~.””

A short laugh later and she pulls my mask down and my head in, giving me a passionate kiss that leaves me blinking. Pulling back, she smirks as she reaches a hand around her back, unzipping her costume. “Just don’t go dying on me. I want that information. And not everyone can keep up with a rabbit.”

`~`

“Wow…you weren’t…kidding.” Himiko gasps in between breaths as she pokes at Izuku’s unmoving form with her foot.

“He…actually dead?” Mirko rasps curiously. She’s surprised that the two of them managed to keep up with her. Normally she’d be able to go through a good dozen people before even getting close to her current state. Just goes to show that quality is much, much better than quantity. Might also be related to the girl’s quirk that had her biting her whenever she switched out with the guy for a short break or transformed into him. Though the people she’s comparing them to aren’t exactly her top picks, usually she’d have to settle for people who wouldn’t try going to news stations to crow about how they’d had sex with her.

Not that it would have done anything, since quirks like hers are documented and acknowledged as having certain side-effects. They’d just get sued for slandering a hero. Not to mention becoming her personal enemy. And the few enemies she’s had, well.

She doesn’t have enemies anymore.

Himiko waves a tired hand from where she’s laying, letting it fall limply across her face. “He’ll be fine…in a few hours.” She scrambles around blindly with her free hand at her long discarded lingerie, finally finding her phone after a few minutes of looking.

“So… the information?” Mirko asks, propping herself up on her elbows to stare at the blonde.

She takes another minute to catch her breath as she shoots a text for a pickup. “League of Villains…is targeting UA…because All Might…is working there.”

Mirko raises an eyebrow. “He is? How do- wait!” She cries out as a murky portal swallows up Izuku, quickly expanding towards Himiko, who grins.

“Don’t have more info than that. Though you should be happy! You’re the first to have fun with both of the Usagi twins at the same time~.” She shoots the rabbit hero a wink as she’s swallowed by the portal, which swiftly closes above her.

Mirko lets herself fall back to the floor, her back making a meaty thunk as she stares up at the ceiling.

“Fuck.” She curses, thinking about how much of a shit-show this is going to turn into.

“...I wonder if they’d be down to do this again?”

Chapter 51: Message From Beyond

Summary:

Uraraka delivers a message.

(Izumi)

“Blegh.” I poke at one of the pink pieces of raw fish layered across tiny individual piles of rice and resting on my plate with a frown, wishing that they could have at least wrapped them in nori to make it a sushi roll. Why do I have something I dislike on my plate in the UA cafeteria? Because, for some reason, Principal Nezu decided that part two of my punishment would consist of not only spending an hour after school helping the teachers, but also having my lunches randomly switched out with stuff I dislike.

It’s weird, nonsensical, and not enough of a punishment. When I asked about it he told me that being denied Lunch Rush’s food is a far worse punishment than it seems. Then he started cackling and I got a bad feeling so I ran away.

I mean… I guess it’s a punishment? But this is only the first day, so I have no idea of how bad of a punishment it actually is. Guess I’ll learn tomorrow. Unless my lunch gets switched out again. But if it starts happening too often then I’d just bring my own lunch, which is probably why he said it would only happen occasionally…

“Yoink!” I hear someone yell across from me, and the piece of sushi I’d been poking at vanishes, speared by the fork of another. I follow it to its new destination, and see… nothing.

“Oh no! The ghost of UA has stolen my lunch! Whatever shall I do?” I yell dramatically as I fake swoon, getting a chuckle from the invisible girl and the pink girl next to her.

“We totally need to do a seance! It’s the only way we’ll be able to know what it wants and- hey!” Ashido shouts as Hagakure steals a piece of asparagus from her own plate.

“I think the ghost wants to eat its friends,” the rosy cheeked girl next to me says with a giggle, allowing Hagakure to reach over to her plate and watching as she hesitates. Her fork twitches above Uraraka’s plate as she tries to decide what to take before pulling back with a huff.

“Why don’t you have anything that can represent me!? I have marshmallows in my cocoa for you!” She takes a sip from said hot beverage -in spring- then tilts it forward to show us the partially melted fluffy treats.

“I mean…” She shrugs her shoulders noncommittaly in response. “I was in the mood for a beef rice bowl. Sorry!” She lightly claps her hands and tilts her head in apology.

Hagakure’s sleeves move and her shirt slides backward a bit, telling us that she’s probably leaning back with her hands around her head. “Woe is me, the ghost is unsatisfied! I can only be appeased through obtaining a juicy secret!”

Uraraka rolls her eyes at the look Ashido and (probably) Hagakure send her, even as a flash of sadness goes through her eyes.. “I told you, all he did was ask me to give a message to someone if they got into UA. That Bakugou kid!” She shakes her head. “I still don’t know how they knew that I’d pass the exam though.”

I take a bite of sushi, my lips turning downward as I swallow, at both the taste and the texture. Food is meant to be cooked, damnit! “Sounds to me like they could see your potential, while you were struggling with your own self confidence.”

[...]

I don’t know how my mental self-recriminations managed to do a judgemental silence, but I’m just going to ignore it. Like I’ve been doing since Aizawa-sensei first glared at me this morning.

Ashido nods, putting on the air of a knowledgeable sage as she strokes her chin. “Indeed, young one. To have the confidence to pass, one must first have confidence in themselves.”

Hagakure snorts. “Cool line. Did you steal it from the back of a cereal box?”

Ashido looks side-to-side as she replies. “Noooo…” After a moment of silence from Hagakure she relents. “It was a karate commercial.”

We laugh together for a few moments, Uraraka letting out a groan as she slumps in her seat. “I’m just glad Aizawa-sensei ‘saw our potential’ and didn’t expel anyone.”

“Totally!” Hagakure says excitedly. “I totally thought Bakugou was going to get the boot when he charged at Izumi for getting a higher score!”

“I mean, I can kind of understand getting frustrated after seeing that.” Ashido hedges as I send her an offended look, getting a snort in return. “Oh come on, flying was totally going over the top! You got over a thousand meters!”

I wave her off. “First of all, I didn’t even get the top score, Uraraka did. Second of all, you have no idea how close I was to losing concentration and falling out of the sky.” I shudder. “Note to self, don’t go higher than two stories.”

[But the pain~. The punishment ~. Who knows, if you fall from high enough I just might go away~.]

That has me hesitating for a moment, but I forcefully push aside the thought. Despite… everything, I don’t want to die. The pain I give myself helps me, reminds me, and works to help me understand just a little of what he went through. What I want, is to make amends, even though I know I’ll never be able to. I want to show him that I won’t be the person I was. I want to be someone he would be happy to see.

I want my brother…

I blink away the tears before they can form as Ashido rolls her eyes. “First of all, ain’t no one counting frickin infinity as a score. That was way too crazy! And kind of scary.”

“Huh!?” Uraraka blinks in confusion at Ashido. “I’m scary!?”

Ashido waves her hand. “You? No. The thought that you could literally throw any one of us into the sun if you get mad? Absolutely.”

She has a point. It didn’t even look like it took all that much effort from her to do it. I might be able to do something similar if I train enough, but it would be far, far from easy. Or anytime soon. Maybe if I hit ninety?

“Second of all,” Ashido continues as she points at me, “it doesn’t matter how hard it was for you, a thousand meters is a thousand meters!”

I answer her with another bite of my food, slowly finishing off my lunch as I try to ignore the taste by keeping my focus on the conversation. Though it’s drifted away from the tests Aizawa-sensei had us do this morning and to what we think of the others in our class.

“I’m telling you, Bakugou and Tokoyami know each other! They even have nicknames for each other!”

“Bakugou gives nicknames to everyone,” I wave my fork dismissively. “He doesn’t care enough about anyone else to learn their names.”

“Yeah, but I heard Tokoyami call him ‘Wrath’. And he hasn’t nicknamed anyone else.” Hagakure points out.

“U-um, I think Todoroki is kind of cool.” Uraraka says, probably trying to move the conversation away from Bakugou. Even if the message she’s supposed to give him is nice, odds are still pretty even with him losing his temper at her just for deigning to talk to him. And with how worried she looks when she shoots glances at him shouting on the other side of the cafeteria, it’s anything but nice.

Her comment gets a round of groans from the bubbly girls. “Boo! Temperature jokes need to be more thought out than that!”

“Yeah! There was literally no effort in calling her cool! You could have at least slipped in a ‘hot’ pun!”

I smile as the girls start thinking up different jokes they can make about Todoroki because of her quirk, my mind going back to how easily she managed to get the top spot during the tests. Especially the sprint and ball throw.

It took about two seconds where she made an ice-platform to stand on, then it just suddenly jumped forward and she was across the finish line. Poor Kirishima didn’t have a chance. I don’t know how she did it, but I do know she needs to use both sides of her quirk to do it since I saw a flash of flames under the platform before she launched. Same with the ball throw; a long tube of ice followed by a flash of fire.

I’m pulled out of the memory by the other girls gathering their trays and getting up. “I get it’s supposed to be a message to Bakugou, but can we at least listen in?” Ashido whines, and this time Uraraka seems to actually think about it before her eyes turn to me.

Curious.

\So you swing that way?/

Wait, what? I have no idea where those words came from, and it sounded distinctly different from the usual voice I hear in my head. Before I can put more thought to it though, Uraraka speaks.

“Um, well. I guess there’s not really a reason to stop you. Not like you wouldn’t try anyways.” Ashido nods with a big grin on her face, entirely unrepentant that Uraraka called her out. “Plus… I was kind of hoping Yagi could help me get away afterwards.”

“Huh? Get away?”

Uraraka nods seriously. “Yeah. Since he attacked you back during the test, he’s definitely going to attack me after I tell him what Biggius Dickus told me to tell him.”

 So I was right, it’s not a nice message. A shame it isn’t in a note, then she could just- wait. Their name is what ?

Ashido and Hagakure’s loud laughter assure me that, yes, I heard the name correctly. Uraraka frowns at them and crosses her arms, clearly upset at their response, but she doesn’t say anything. After they get their laughter under control Hagakure’s sleeve moves and Uraraka’s shoulder dips briefly.

“Good one, Urara.”

Mina nods. “Yeah, you were holding out on us with the Todoroki joke!”

She says nothing, just frowning at them as she keeps her arms crossed. When they just stare at her blankly she huffs and turns around, heading in the same direction Bakugou just left in. I follow since, well, she asked, and I don’t want to see my classmate murdered. Though her reaction is odd, even though it seems like that actually is the person’s name that she’s delivering the message for.

It looks like the two girls realize that they’ve made her genuinely upset since they don’t follow, despite their clear interest in the first interesting -non-class- thing to happen in the school year. Once we get to the doors leading out of the building she looks back and sighs with relief upon seeing me.

“Thank goodness. Ok, so my house is east, after I make myself weightless I just need you to use your own quirk to launch me in that direction. I can control my landing without too much trouble!” She clenches her hands in determination, though her face is looking a little queasy.

Yeah, flying is not an easy thing to get used to. Even when you’re doing it all by yourself. I can only imagine how rough it would be if you had to rely on someone else to get you safely back on the ground. With a slap of her cheeks and a small smile directed at me, she pushes open the doors and strides out, raising her hand and shouting as she sees Bakugou halfway to the gate with what he calls his ‘signature pro walk’. Really, it just looks like he’s pissed at something. Which, to be fair, he always is.

“Hey! Bakugou! I need to give you a message!” He turns around with a scowl, bag casually held over one shoulder while the other is thrust in his pocket.

“The fuck you want, extra? I have shit to do.” Surprisingly, he isn’t shouting. Though he hasn’t gotten the message yet so I think that’s about to change.

Uraraka doesn’t let the cursing dissuade her. “I was asked to give you a message from someone who knew you would get in.”

Bakugou smirks as he turns around and faces her, his posture reeking of arrogant pride. “Course I was going to pass. I’m going to surpass All Might and become the new number one hero!”

She doesn’t respond to his claim except to look distinctly more uneasy, and I carefully wrap her in my power, prepared to pull her away the moment Bakugou makes a move. She takes a deep breath as she touches her throat, her fingers briefly glowing pink as her quirk activates.

Her words come out in a rush, clearly wanting to be away as soon as possible. “Biggius Dickus said you need to get your ego under control because it’s making everything else smaller, and you didn’t have much to work with in the first place!”

It takes more than a few seconds for Bakugou to come out of the brief daze he’s been put in from the unexpected words, his smirk frozen on his face. Which is good because it takes me a second to come to terms with it as well. Luckily I’m quick enough, and the weightless girl goes flying out of UA grounds, followed by shouting and explosions from the angry teen trying to follow.

I stare at the spot they were for an unknown length of time, trying to put my previous image of the girl being nice and friendly into the frame of what I just saw and heard. It’s not until a hand touches my shoulder that I’m shaken back to reality. I turn and see that it’s Midnight who’s standing behind me with a frown on her face.

“I heard that you need to stay behind to help the teachers everyday, but not today since it’s the first day of school.” She waves her hands at me, trying to shoo me away. “Go on, get. Find a cute boy to hook up with or something. Just make sure you can still attend school tomorrow!”

I stare at her blankly for a moment before robotically making my way through the school gate, three simple words circling around in my head.

What the fuck?

Chapter 52: Let's Go to the USJ!

Summary:

Plans for the USJ are discussed~.

“So, let me get this straight,” I say to the excited Tomura who’s practically tap dancing, he’s so giddy. “You ran off to UA, without telling anyone, disintegrated the gate to let the paparazzi whores inside as a distraction, and then walked in to steal their school schedule?”

He pauses his happy dance for a moment and looks at Himi expectantly, but she just tilts her head at him. “Wait, whore isn’t a curse word?”

“No?” Himi says questioningly. “It’s just another word for prostitute, which is a job. Not a completely legal job, but still a job. Why would a job be a curse word?”

“But ‘bastard’ is the word for an illegitimate kid, but you still hit him when he tries to say it!”

She waves him off. “That’s different. Societal-”

“Can we go back to the part where Shiggity-biggity-boo randomly walked into UA and stole their stuff without getting caught?” I interject, a bit unsettled that I’m the one who has to bring us back to the core of the conversation. I’m supposed to be the one who derails things, not the other way around!

Tomura huffs, crossing his arms, but can’t stop the pleased smile from stretching his lips. “Yeah, it was basically a tutorial level, it was so easy. I didn’t even need Kurogiri to warp me out. I just left with the reporters when the police came.”

“...”

I’m starting to feel like heroes are a lot dumber than I grew up thinking. I mean, I know that they aren’t nearly as heroic as they pretend to be because of All Might, which I don’t really care about anymore since I kill them for fun/my technical job. But I figured that they would at least have decent security inside a hero school. The walls that Shiggy told us popped up don’t count since they’re meant to prevent people from getting inside instead of securing the inside.

I shrug, deciding not to question it. It worked out, he didn’t get caught. That’s what matters. Oh, and the information he got of course. But since he’s not holding anything, I can only assume that it was entirely digital -which I doubt since he’s not good with computer stuff unless it’s game related- or that he’s already passed it onto the people who should know. 

“So what did you get other than a schedule?” I ask as I lift myself onto a barstool.

“What do you mean?” He questions with a frown. “I told you, I got a schedule so we can organize a raid to kill All Might! Which reminds me, I should get some thugs to deal with the adds…”

I sigh, giving him a pitying look. “Shiggy. Did you only grab a school schedule?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s what I said. I didn’t run into any side quests. It did have a list of the people in the class attached though, so that’s worth some bonus points.” He looks at Himi with a confused look and she just shakes her head at him in disappointment. Or at least mock disappointment since I’m pretty sure she would have lost track of the ‘main quest’ and focused on the ‘side quests’.

“So… you have no information on the students’ quirks, or if any of them could be an actual problem? Nothing to help with whatever plan you have to make sure they don’t interfere in killing him?”

“What are you talking about? They’re just brats.” He scowls at me, clearly irritated that I’m not more impressed with what he accomplished.

The thing is though, he’s not the most…stealthy… person. Or much of a detail-oriented person. So it honestly couldn’t have been that hard to do what he did. He even said it was easy! Still, I suppose he deserves a head pat for managing to do it all on his own.

After pulling back my profusely bleeding wrist-stump that Himi latches her mouth around, I explain what should be exceedingly obvious. “So are we.” I gesture to myself and Himi, who’s grabbed her own stool so she’s not half crouched like some sort of beast as she slurps my blood. Some of it does drip down her chin since she can’t swallow fast enough, but thankfully for Mamagiri she has a bucket to catch it before it falls to the floor. “And you aren’t all that much older than us either!”

“...That’s different.” Shigaraki looks away and crosses his arms, knowing that I made a point but unwilling to admit it. I can admit that it’s a little different, since we’re both crazy. But it’s not different enough to invalidate the benefit of more information. I mean, quirk analysis is literally my specialty! It’s what I did for eleven years!

Rolling my eyes, I let it go. What’s done is done. No point letting what-could-have-beens sour our relationship. Dumb sentimentalities like that got beaten out of me a long time ago.

“So, when’s the attack? And is All For One going to be the one to face All Might? Because let's be honest, none of us are strong enough to one-shot him. Though I might come close if I maximize the shock value of me being alive and making it like an overly dramatic ‘I missed you’ moment. But the very thought of saying that to the man makes me sick to the point where I’d probably throw up halfway through. There’s also the possibility that they’ll think I’m just a villain with a transformation quirk who made themselves look like me while subconsciously dismissing the idea that I’m really me and attack immediately.

But that would require them to be thinking that the secret of All Might being Toshnori got out, which is unlikely since only us and Stain knows and Stain hasn’t spread it around because he doesn’t believe it. But then again All Might isn’t All Smart so he’d probably think the secret did get out. Or, like me, the thought might never enter his mind so he’d automatically assume that I’m me. We also can’t discount-”

My muttering is interrupted by a chunk of metal breaking my nose, Himi stowing away her pan while I feel it. Yep. I’m gonna need to die to get that fixed. But I already needed to do that for my hand so it’s not a big deal. The blood loss will probably kill me in a few minutes anyways so that’s covered already.

“Finally.” Shiggy mutters now that I’m quiet. “The attack is tomorrow, which is why we need to hurry with gathering mobs. Doesn’t matter if they can’t win against the brats as long as they can hold them off while we take care of All Might. Apparently him and two other teachers are going to be taking one of the hero classes to a place called the USJ-”

“UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN!?” I yell, jumping to my feet and getting angry grumbling from Himi for taking away her chew toy and blood dispenser. “We get to go to Universal Studios Japan!? This is so exciting! I’ve never been! When Toshinori was supposed to take me he ditched me at a restaurant we ate at before we even got halfway there!”

My eyes widen. “Ooh, ooh! I heard that they decided to add an All Might themed ride a couple years ago to compete with Hero World’s popularity. Can we end the day with blowing it up or finding something di-phallic shaped to shove in the mouth of anything that has his face?”

The two of them just stare at me in silence for a few seconds while my stump bleeds onto the floor. Eventually Himi reaches over and rubs my head and Shiggy speaks. “The fuck is with your backstory? Anytime we think we’ve heard everything, you pull something like this out of your ass.”

I shrug, idly wondering where Mamagiri is. He’d be absolutely pissed to see how much blood is leaking onto the floor. “That’s for me to know and therapists to be traumatized about.”

He rolls his eyes while Himi goes back to her… lunch? Early dinner? We kind of lost track of time dealing with that errand I put down back during UA’s Entrance Exam.

“Ignoring…” he gestures vaguely at me, his hand going up and down before seeming to give up. “It’s not Universal Studios Japan. But after we kill All Might we’re definitely going. It’s something called the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. As for the one who’ll actually be killing him?”

He smirks, and I can see the smug pride in his eyes as he gestures to the door behind the bar. “We have a hidden boss.” The door opens, and a large bird man walks out, followed by Kurogiri as Shigaraki continues to explain. “Nomu has been genetically engineered to be stronger than All Might in his prime. And since Sensei said he’s weakening, it shouldn’t have any trouble taking care of him.”

I patiently stare at him, waiting for him to continue. A few moments later Kurogiri speaks. “Ensure that your mess is cleaned up, Midosagi.”

I unabashedly throw Shiggy at the sacrificial altar. “He’s the one who decayed my hand, so it’s his mess. The dusted remains of it are even mixed in, so he’s the one who has to clean it up.”

As he sputters in indignation, I sigh. “Really? You’re seriously relying on this thing,” I flick a knife at Nomu, watching as it buries itself into its chest with no trouble and no reaction, “to kill All Might?”

He scowls at me. “It has Shock Absorption, High-Speed Regeneration, and, like I already said, is stronger than All Might in his prime! Of course it can kill him!”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, but you’re forgetting just how stupid he is. I can guarantee he’s going to pull some BS out of nowhere and get stronger. Something like: “I must simply become stronger than I was. Plus Ultra!” Then beat it into oblivion.”

“First of all, never do that with your face again,” Shiggy says with a shudder. Apparently he doesn’t appreciate all the years of practice I’ve put into my All Might impressions. “Secondly, hat sounds like a stupid glitch. There’s no way something like that hasn’t been patched out already.” He crosses his arms, causing me to scoff.

“No duh it’s stupid. But it’s not a glitch, it’s a function. See, if a person were to use all their strength, then there’d be a fairly good chance that they’d damage their body. So the brain helps the subconscious limit what the mind believes is available. And since people also consciously hold back, due to any number of reasons, the amount of strength exerted is again reduced. Following so far?”

Getting nods from the three LoV members while the Nomu doesn’t react, I continue. “Generally, humans really only use sixty percent of their strength, if they even bother to exert themselves as hard as they can. But the reality is that people don’t want to exert themselves that much, even heroes.”

I wave my hand dismissively. “Oh, sure. They can have any number of reasons, but the result is the same. Most people end up using somewhere around thirty percent of their strength, so it’s not impossible for All Might to pull some more strength out of those cowlicks of his. In strength, I’d say he definitely has a chance of beating your Nomu.”

I lean forward with my elbow on my knee, my hand hanging limp as my eyes gleam. “That’s why we have to target his mind. Not his body. Not to mention that it would be so~ much more satisfying~.”

At some point during my explanation Shigaraki started scratching his neck, so I already know that he’s not likely to go with my plan. But he’s not the one I need to convince.

A burst of static comes from the tv, a prelude to AFO’s voice. “Kurogiri, hand him the class roster.” He does so, and I take the moment to skim it as AFO continues. “I do enjoy the thought of All Might suffering. But this is Tomura’s plan. Then again, I am the one providing the Nomu. So should it fail, the responsibility would lay with me.”

“You’re never wrong, Sensei!” Shigaraki says with all the fervor of a mildly indoctrinated cultist. Much better than when he was acting like a fully indoctrinated cultist.

“Oh, but I am, Tomura. If I was never wrong, my body wouldn’t be in the condition that it is. Nor would I have grown to my level of power, for the mistakes I have made have led me to opportunities to gain strength. Which is why I am proposing a little contest.”

I can hear the amusement clearly in his voice, but my focus is entirely on two names on the roster slowly being crumpled as my hand clenches. “Fight Nomu. If you win, your plan shall be acted upon. Lose, and Tomura’s will be acted upon. Simple, yes. But seeing as you have based your own proposal on the possibility of Nomu being defeated by All Might, I see it as only fair.”

I look up from the paper, crumbling it into a ball as I pull my arm away from Himi, who at some point filled her bucket and wrapped my stump. Tossing it over my shoulder I draw another knife, taking a stance against the Nomu with my eyes filled with determination. “Perfectly fair, All For One. Just don’t get mad when I break Tomura’s birthday present.”

Tomura’s eye twitches and he growls out a single word as Kurogiri shouts out in distress of the mess. “Kill.”

It’s over in an instant, and I’m sitting across from Receptionist not entirely sure what happened. I guess I can only hope that my instincts knew what they were doing, because it moved too fast for me to think of anything.

I sigh, giving Receptionist an apologetic smile. “Sorry, but your co-workers might be getting a bit rushed tomorrow.”

Chapter 53: Crashing the USJ

Summary:

The League of Villains attack the USJ.

(3rd POV)

Shigaraki stares at the assembled low-level thugs in irritation as he scratches his neck. “I was hoping that there would be at least one mid-level mob mixed in with the rest of the adds.”

“Ah, don’t be like that,” the green-clad individual next to him says as they throw an arm over his shoulder. “It’s not like we thought we’d be getting anyone good anyways. Just think of this as them meeting your expectations!”

He scowls at the rabbit-themed villain, which only deepens when he hears the npcs muttering about how impressed they are that the ‘villain sensation’ Midosagi is participating in the attack on All Might, and how it makes them think they can actually pull it off. Making an idle swipe at him, Midosagi hops back with a laugh and a spin, throwing their arm around a hunched boy in tattered clothing and a mask that matches Midosagi’s. His black jacket’s large amount of holes reveals glimpses of the scars littering his body.

“What about you? What do you think our chances are for pulling this off successfully?”

The teen flinches, shying away at the contact but seemingly too scared to try and move away from them. “I-I-I think y-y-you’re underestimating heroes t-t-too much.”

Midosagi frowns behind his mask and smacks the back of their head. “Yeah, well you glorify them. Hopefully this will finally break that little irritant.” He chuckles. “Especially since we have… that .”

With a grand gesture towards the shadowed recess of the warehouse, a hulking muscled beast with the head of a bird emerges. The assembled thugs gawk at it, especially at the parts where the skin has torn from the strain of containing its immense physic, revealing the raw muscles underneath. Shigaraki smirks at getting such a reaction from them, smug in the knowledge that he’s the one leading this attack. Though his hand twitches knowing the… changes …he had to implement.

“This, is Nomu.” Shigaraki addresses the assembled. “They are the one who will be fighting All Might. The rest of you just need to take care of the students and the other two heroes who’ll be with him.”

“And why should we be left out of the fun!” One of the thugs shouts, those surrounding him pulling away and leaving a large Minotaur-like man in his own space. Shigaraki raises an eyebrow, though the hand on his face mostly hides the fact, and scoffs.

“Do you really think that a low-level npc like you is strong enough to fight the boss of the game?”

The man growls, a puff of air coming out of his oversized nostrils. “If you really have someone who can beat him, then there’s no way I’m sitting out of that fight!”

A glory-seeker. Midosagi muses. Shigaraki comes to the same conclusion, his raspy chuckle muffled through his hand mask. “Tell you what, if you’re able to take one attack head-on, you can act like a mid-boss and join Nomu. If not…” He leaves the consequences unsaid, letting their minds conjure their own punishments.

The minotaur gives a cocky smirk. “Fine by me.” He sets himself, crossing his arms across his chest while he waits for him to make a move. Shrugging, Shigaraki stretches his hand out, a dark misty portal opening in front of it. An identical portal opens in front of the minotaur, and Shigaraki’s curved fingers exit, lying gently against the man’s neck.

He laughs, feeling how weak his grip is. “That’s it? I’m starting to d-agk.” His arrogant words are interrupted as soon as Shigaraki’s thumb lands on the other side of his adams apple. He tries to look down, but the sudden burst of overwhelming pain freezes him in place. Without even being able to scream, the assembled villains watch in horror as his skin starts to crack and flake off, vanishing into the air as Shigarki’s quirk spreads.

It takes his head first, slow enough that the pain in his eyes screams at them, but fast enough that there’s no blood -or perhaps that too is disintegrated- dripping from the expanding emptiness where there used to be a mouth. Then a nose. Then his eyes. Before they know it, his entire head becomes nothing but dust. And then it starts expanding downwards, much quicker. As if it knows that there’s no one left to experience the pain it wishes to inflict.

And not even a minute later, the minotaur man is gone, even the dust he was reduced to gone without a trace. There’s silence in the warehouse, interrupted only by a few of the thugs throwing up from the sight, including the boy next to Midosagi. Scowling, he pushes him away.

“Seriously? You should be used to this by now. Man up!”

He doesn’t answer, just continuing to empty the contents of his stomach while Midosagi and Shigaraki stare. After a few seconds with his expression not expanding beyond the hand, Shigaraki turns away and addresses the thugs. “So. Anyone else think they have what it takes to face-off against the boss?”

Rapidly shaking heads are his reply, and he snaps his fingers, someone who could be in high school stepping out from behind him. “One. Make sure you follow your script. It’s different from the others, so don’t mess it up.

He bows, making a sweeping gesture with his top hat and cane. “Of course, Shigaraki. I don’t plan to disappoint.”

Shigaraki grunts. “See that you don’t.”

Kurogiri warps into place between the small group of elites and the assorted thugs, opening a large portal and gesturing towards it. “The time has come. Enter, and let your names go down in history as those who helped to bring down the Symbol of Peace.”

A few hesitate, but they are soon swept up in the crowd of more willing villains as they pass through the portal, dragging those who are having second thoughts with them. The Nomu walks behind them, an extra deterrent in case any decide to take their chances and run.

Once they’re all through, Shigaraki turns towards Midosagi and the boy. “You better be right about this plan of yours. It’s fucking creepy to see.”

Midosagi chuckles, grabbing the boy by the arm and dragging him along as they make their own way towards the portal. “Ah, don’t worry Shiggy. Even if Toshinori doesn’t care, his image is at least going to take some damage.”

He grins, an insane glint shining from his eyes. “It just means that we’ll be chipping away his foundation instead of directly knocking him from his pedestal.” He shoves the boy through, watching him stumble before taking his own step. “And the HPSC can simply put anyone else on that pedestal if they need to. But remove the pedestal?”

“And they won’t have anywhere to put the replacement.”

`~`

(Izumi)

“Cool! You guys even have fake villains!”

My shoulders relax at Kirishima’s words. Of course they’re fake. How could real villains get past UA’s security? Though I have to say, they really played it up with those flickering lights.

The small sense of relief I have is quickly shattered by Aizawa-sensei’s words. “Get back. Those are real villains!”

We watch as the villains fill the square, easily dozens of them starting to spread out. Eventually a large bird-like villain appears, wearing only a pair of pants and with some kind of rod sticking out of its head. It looks like that’s all that there is, which is more than intimidating enough! But then another person stumbles out of the portal, much smaller than the others.

My eyes latch onto them, unable to look away. I don’t know why, but I’m engulfed by the overwhelming sensation that I know them. A feeling that repeats when someone wearing a green jacket with rabbit ears trailing from the hood steps out behind them. Before I can try to identify why, I’m distracted by an excited shout nearby, which draws my attention away.

“I knew this would happen within a week!” The guest hero accompanying us for the rescue training, Mirko, sends Aizawa-sensei a smug grin before swinging her left arm into the crook of the elbow of her right and flipping him off. “Suck it Eraser!”

He sighs, pulling his goggles down to hide his eyes. “This isn’t the time for that. Just focus on protecting the students.” His scarf comes loose as he bends his legs, only to stop and stare as Mirko shoots past him in a massive leap that will land her in the center of the crowd where she’ll be surrounded. I’m sure that it’s not just me that’s shocked by the action, and Aizawa-sensei’s groan of annoyance as she shouts back reinforces that notion.

“Fighting is my specialty. I stick with my thing and you stick with yours!” She lands, and without even resetting her stance she launches forward with a spin, barreling into a dozen villains that are blown away.

It looks like the villains at the back are talking about something, those two familiar ones having been joined by a man covered in hands and a misty bartender type. Judging by the wild arm-flailing, the hand villain is angry about something.

“Come on. She can handle them while we get you all to safety.” Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen drive us back to the doors, but I trail at the back, unable to get those two out of my mind. It’s a distraction that stops me from getting trapped like the others.

A large pink thing engulfs the frontmost students, their shouts of surprise quickly swallowed by the mass. Before any of us can try and free them it gets launched upwards, and is revealed to be a giant bubble. Inside I see Sato and Koda on their knees, banging their hands against their prison.

“My, my. How insulting that you would think we would leave the only exit unattended. That would be positively rude, don’t you think?” The figure in front of looks utterly ridiculous, and that’s saying something given some of the hero costumes in our class.

It looks like a white onesie littered with large pink dots, matched with a top hat with the same color scheme. His shoes at least are brown and only have pink highlights. His face is covered by an upper mask that’s solid pink, and he’s wearing an obviously fake handlebar mustache. He plants the cane he’s carrying in front of him, hands overlapping the golden topper. “I am One. And I will not be allowing the many of you to escape. Especially as it appears that All Might is absent.”

He meets the glare of Aizawa-sensei, who has his quirk activated but hasn’t made a move otherwise. “Now, why would that be, I wonder?” He swings his staff upwards to tap his chin with the bottom. “Perhaps…”

He smirks, swinging his cane between Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen. “He has not had enough time to appear?”

My eyes widen. Does he know about Dad’s time limit!? We may not be on the best terms -though it’s better than before-, but the fact that villains know about his limit is all kinds of bad.

Our teacher doesn’t answer, instead asking who they are. “Who are you?And why are you looking for All Might? Usually villains like you want the opposite.”

They chuckle. “Well, let’s just-”

He doesn’t complete his sentence as Aizawa-sensei charges forward with his scarf leading the way while his hair floats behind him. But the villain doesn’t panic, calmly raising their staff and pressing a button. From the bottom of the staff extends a bubble, and now that I’m paying attention it looks like bubblegum!

It grows to the size of a bowling ball before they release the button, shooting it forward and forcing our teacher to roll under it to avoid being hit. A good choice considering it continues on until it hits one of the columns supporting the USJ sign at the top of the stairs, causing it to crumble around that spot and bring the rest of the structure down.

“Kurogiri, now!” They shout, and the mist person that was back at the square appears above us, his mist extending downwards and engulfing us. His ominous words are the last thing I hear before I’m suddenly somewhere else.

“We all have our roles, but the act cannot begin until everyone takes their places.”

Chapter 54: Places, Everyone!

Summary:

Heroes and students are separated. What will become of them?

(Aizawa)

There’s a sensation of falling, and then I’m in the center of the USJ surrounded by what villains are still standing after Mirko’s rampage. Luckily they seem just as surprised by my sudden appearance as I am. Unlike me, they seem to lack any actual combat experience. Exhibited by how I’m the first one to recover and launch myself at them, keeping my quirk going to make sure there aren’t any surprises.

But the only surprise is how easy they are to take down. Not that I mind, but if they’re all on this level, then my students won’t be in too much danger as long as they don’t panic. If they run into anyone as competent as the one guarding the exit though…

I twist my upper body to dodge a clumsy knife swing, bringing my arm up to disarm them, grab it, and drive it back into their shoulder. At least, that’s what should have happened. Instead-

They trip.

It’s so unexpected that I can’t help but blink down at the curled form holding their hands against their nose. Unfortunately, due to that, I can’t see their face, and their black jacket is loose enough that I can’t tell much about their body. Still, regardless of what’s going on, I can’t let such an opportunity pass by.

But before I can kick them in the head to knock them out, I have to duck under a flying knife. I follow the direction it came from and my eyes sharpen. “Midosagi.”

They wave at me, amusement dancing in their eyes. “Hell-o, Eraserhead! Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn’t really let you take them out that easily. They need to show that they’re worth the effort!” He shakes his head in mock sadness. “Though I have to say, he’s not making a very good showing. We might have to apply him in… other ways .”

A sense of danger flares against my instincts, so I roll to my right, looking over and seeing the person who’d previously been on the floor with their knife buried in the ground where I was standing. They stand, taking a firm stance as they face me and my eyes narrow. Was it an act to let my guard down?

“Oh, so close!” Midosagi snaps his fingers and the person flinches. “You got this! Show everyone that the League of Villains made the right choice to take you in, little rabbit!”

Seeming to take reassurance in their encouragement, they shift their hold on the knife before they charge at me. This time I use my scarf to wrap their arm, twisting it to bring them to the ground. I go to one knee as I bring down my elbow, intent on taking them out of the fight. But they surprise me once again.

They twist their body, a deep crack coming from their arm as they snap it in order to twist themselves around me, their movements speaking of deep-rooted experience. With them at my back, they bring their knife to my throat and I freeze as my mind tries to figure out how deep a cut they would make if I were to escape their hold. Because I can escape it. The only question is whether or not they’d cut deep enough to damage my vocal cords or sever an artery. But my plans come to a screeching halt as they whisper softly into my ear.

“They came to kill All Might. That bird guy, Nomu, is a corpse they stuffed multiple quirks into to get the job done. My hand is going to twitch, and when it does you need to throw me at Midosagi. The rod in Nomu’s head is the weakness. Take it out, and it’ll die again.”

His voice is filled with pain, his broken arm clearly not as easily brushed off as he made it seem. But the message is clear, even if the reason isn’t. Before I can question him, Midosagi’s voice calls out to him. “Come on little rabbit, you know better than to hesitate. Finish him!”

True to his words, as soon as Midosagi speaks his arm twitches and the knife is out of position just enough for me to act without fear of injury. I sweep under his arm, wrapping my scarf around him and doing as he asked, flicking him in Midosagi's direction. They let out a yelp of alarm before he impacts, and they both go down in a heap.

If what he said is true, then I have to act fast. I charge towards the man covered in hands and the bird monster, Nomu, the kid called it. The thugs they came with are all on the ground, Mirko’s in a worse state than the one’s I took care of. That observation leads me to question what happened to the rabbit hero, and I can only conclude that she got teleported just like everyone else.

The question is; where did they all go?

`~`

(Mirko)

“What the fuck is this?”

I scowl at the person sitting across from me, a long and lit candle sitting on the center of the table between us. They shrug as they open a menu. “It’s Quirk-la-Mel, the most prestigious restaurant in Japan.”

“But WHY!?!?”

I have absolutely no idea how I ended up here. One minute I’m blowing through villains, enjoying my own personal all-you-can-fight buffet, and the next I’m standing in a restaurant next to this kid. She read a note that was on the table then told me to sit down and order something.

WHICH DOESN’T EXPLAIN ANYTHING!

She shrugs. “My friend said he didn’t want me to have to deal with ‘two-bit thugs’, so he arranged for me to have a nice meal instead. I don’t know how you ended up here though.”

Groaning, I reach over and snatch up the note, ignoring the frosty glare Endeavor’s daughter sends me. Reading it, I can feel my eye twitch.

Hello, Candy Cane Princess. Sorry, but it’s still too soon for us to meet again. I have managed to get some connections though, and I heard that the League of Villains would attack UA. So I pulled some strings to have their portal user send you somewhere you always said you wanted to try! Now, I know that you would have been fine, but you shouldn’t have to waste your time on dealing with two-bit thugs. Plus, I do worry. So instead, sit back and enjoy a candle-lit meal!

A Bush

PS: Don’t worry about the price, the people I work with will cover everything.

PPS: Don’t listen to what anyone at the USJ says, I’m 100% ok.

I scowl even as my eyes narrow, though I can’t help but chuckle at the signature. “The hell kind of name is A. Bush?”

She snatches the note back with a frown before returning to the menu. “His hair is essentially a bush. I saw him sitting in front of a bush once, and since he had his head down it looked like he didn’t have one. I panicked, and when he raised his head I nearly passed out from shock. So he started joking about how his real family were probably plants.”

I snort, sniffing cautiously at the water on the table and taking a sip when I don’t smell anything odd. “Funny. Though I’d like to know how they’re connected to the villains who attacked.”

She shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to them since their death.”

I do a spit-take, the water putting out the candle and splashing on the girl’s face. She grimaces and wipes herself off with a napkin while I gape at her. “Are you delusional or something?”

Clearly there’s something wrong with her. If they died, they can’t have set this up. So is she crazy or is it something else…?

“I’m not,” she says after her face is clean. “He left a suicide note, and there was a lot of blood in the area, but his body was never found. And he’s the only one who’s ever called me Candy Cane Princess. So his death was a fake.”

I blink at her blankly for a moment before a thought strikes me. “Did he fake his death to become a villain?”

“Doubtful. He’s too nice for that. Even if he did become a villain, he’d still find a way to help people. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d tried warning someone of the attack before it happened, but wasn’t believed.”

My mind flashes back to my encounter with that weird brat, and how his girlfriend told me of the attack. Could it be…? The entire reason I was at the USJ is because I’d told Nezu about what the girl had said, and that it would be the first trip the hero class would go on. If All Might had been there like he was supposed to, I have no doubt that we would have already mopped the floor with those villains.

Instead, I’m sitting across from one of the students in an incredibly nice restaurant. I shrug, filing away the information to tell Nezu later and just enjoy the experience. Especially if someone else is footing the bill. I burn a lot of energy, so my food costs tend to be my largest expense. But if it’s a villain gang footing the bill… I can let loose and eat my fill! And it’s not like I’d be able to get back in time to help anyways. Plus I can question this girl more about her friend. Let’s see what she says to this.

As the waiter approaches, I ask the question. “And if they actually did join the villains? Maybe they’re at the school, attacking your classmates now? What would you do?”

She looks at me with a tilt of her head, and I don’t know what it is, but something in her eyes unnerves me. “Like I said, I doubt he would do that. But, in the unlikely chance he did, why would it be a problem? No matter what happens, we’re going to be together. And isn’t that the only thing that’s important?”

`~`

(Bakugou)

I scowl as I beat down some damn villain with my gauntlets, rain cascading down around me. The fucking mist bastard sent me to the goddamned storm zone. And the rain is fucking freezing! I can’t produce any sweat when it's so damned cold!

Shitty Bird and Rock Face got sent here too, but they’re too weak to keep up with me -even with my disadvantage- so I ditched them. Rock Face can’t even do jack shit since there aren’t any animals around! Meanwhile, even when I can’t use my quirk, I’m still the best.

Then couldn’t Deku become a hero?

Fuck you!

I mentally flip off the thought as I charge another villain, smirking as they flinch and take a step back.

Being a hero means always winning, and making the villains too scared to put a toe out of line. This is a good first step, but I’m gonna need a bigger audience so everyone knows that I’m the one sitting at the top, and not to fuck with me. Which means…

After slamming the last villain’s head into the ground, cracking the concrete, I look in the direction where I know the leaders of this crappy group are. A savage grin stretches across my face as I flex my hands, getting ready for what I’m going to do to them.

“They’re going to learn just how far above them I really am.”

`~`

(Izumi)

“Oh shit, oh shit! I thought I was going to die!” I take deep breaths as I slowly lower myself onto the wall surrounding the ruin zone. I don’t know why, but I’m the only one who was teleported to the roof of the building -on the inside !- and I’m not too proud to admit that I panicked. Anyone who can say they’re calm suddenly being up so high with no warning is lying!

Thankfully I could use my quirk to let myself drift down. Stopping myself from falling as fast as I’m supposed to is much easier than trying to lift myself. It takes much less focus. But even still, I nearly lost concentration a few times and suddenly dropped several feet at a time. If my self-loathing had chosen to speak up, I might not have made it to safety.

It’s just further proof to myself that I’m not actually suicidal.

As I look towards the fountain in the center of the USJ though, I know I don’t have time to rest. Aizawa-sensei is fighting the big bird monster, Mirko nowhere in sight. Swallowing to settle my nerves, I take a wobbly step forward and let myself drop, carefully slowing myself to make the distance manageable. Once I’m on the ground, I sneak forward until I have a clear line of sight.

I wait for the moment to make my move. Dad showed me that someone strong enough can break through my telekinesis and barely notice it, and that bird definitely looks strong enough. So I only have one shot to help before they’re ready for me. Not to mention that the hand villain hasn’t even made a move yet, content to watch the fight play out.

But before I can even help, something hits my back and I’m pushed out of the brush I’m hiding in. I turn it into a roll, turning to look at who got behind me. It’s the villain in green, putting his foot back down after booting me from my hiding place. Now that I’m closer to them, the sense of familiarity is even stronger.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here! Izumi Yagi, daughter of Toshinori Yagi. Also known as the Symbol of Peace, All Might.”

My eyes widen at the familiar voice’s words and they chuckle. “Ah~, why so surprised? Don’t you know-” They reach up and drop their hood, revealing a messy head of green hair, mirrored by my own before it cascades down my back. I feel the blood drain from my face, and my body freezes.

No. No, it’s not him. He’s dead. He can’t be here. He can’t be attacking us. He can’t be a villain! Slowly, as if savoring the terror on my face, they reach up and lower their mask. The mess inside my mind freezes as Izuku’s freckled face smiles at me, his eyes sparkling with glee.

“There are no secrets from family, sister.”

Chapter 55: Sibling Reunion

Summary:

Izumi and Izuku see each other again~.

“Aww, what’s wrong Izumi? Didn’t expect to see me again?” The person wearing my brother’s face chuckles, smiling that same smile he always had. But, it’s wrong. Everything about them is wrong.

“I can’t say I blame you. After all, what was it you and Bakugou told me?” He taps his chin with a knife as they think, and my eyes widen before hardening. Their eyes light up and they spin the knife between their fingers. “Oh, that’s right!”

They snarl at me as the knife points in my direction, and as they continue to talk I feel my rage grow. “The two of you told me to ‘take a swan dive off the roof and hope for a quirk in my next life’. Funny how things turned out, isn’t it?”

I slowly climb to my feet, my hair hanging in front of my face, as they laugh. The same laugh I remember from when we were little. When things were good between us. But it’s not his! He’s never laughed like that! Never mocked someone like that! And whoever this is, they fucked up the one thing he’s basically incapable of stopping.

“Who the fuck are you, and why the hell are you wearing my brother’s face?”

“Huh?” They blink at me before pouting. “Ah, come on Izumi. Do you really not recognize me? Did you really hate me so much that you completely erased my face from your memo- gahk”

I cut them off with a clenched hand, my quirk grabbing their throat as I stare at them between the gaps in my hair with fury blazing in my eyes. “I already know you aren’t Izuku. He’s never called Bakugou by anything other than Kachan. I won’t repeat myself again. So you better answer me this time. Who. The. Fuck. Are. YOU! ?”

They try to say something, and seeing Izuku’s face twisted in pain, pain that I’m causing, once again, breaks me from my rage and I let go of my hold. They rub their throat as they gasp for breath, all while glaring at me, and click their tongue. “Tsk. I see that you’re the same old bully as always. Resorting to violence at the slightest ‘provocation’. Just because you are incapable of change doesn’t mean I am!”

I flinch at his accusation but steel my nerves. It’s not him. He’s not the real Izuku.

…But he might know what happened to his body.

“I’m not playing whatever sick game it is you have going on here. And you still haven’t told me why you look like Izuku!”

They scowl. “I already told you that I am Izuku Yagi. How else would I know what you and Bakugou said to me after you threw me out the window!”

“If you were really him, you’d know that it was Bakugou who told him that! I cut things off with him right after! He went too far!” I shoot back, venting the words that I’ve always wanted to say. Even if this is a fake.

“I never wanted to hurt him! It’s why I always made sure to slip medicine into his backpack! Why I bound his injuries when he was too weak to do it himself! On our birthdays, I always put a slice of cake outside his door alongside a present! I didn’t want to hurt him! I just didn’t want him to lose his life trying to fight a villain!”

I’m crying now, tears flowing in a stream down my cheeks. “I’ve been living with the guilt of what I did to him every day since he died! The regret is suffocating! There’s not a moment that passes that I don’t want to strangle the absolute dumbass I was when I decided to follow Bakugou’s lead back when we were kids! I should have fucking stopped him ! Not helped him !”

A take a step forward, and they take a step back. “I don’t want forgiveness! I don’t deserve it! I want things to have been different! I want to have chosen to support him instead of tearing him down! I want him to be alive! I want him to be happy! I want him back!”

I fall to my knees as I sob into my hands. “Izuku… I’m so sorry… I should have- should have been there for you. I should have…have…”

“You should have been a sister.” His cold voice washes over me and I look up. He’s standing above me. Glaring down at me. The knife is raised. I can’t see anything else. Nothing else matters. “You should have been a sister. But you can’t change the past. Only accept it when the consequences of your actions come back to you.” He hesitates for a moment before slightly shaking his head. “Goodbye, Izumi.”

The knife falls as if in slow motion. I can stop it. It would be so easy. Just a quick flash of my quirk and he wouldn’t even be able to move. I already know that I’m not suicidal. If I was, I would have let myself drop. But this? It’s not suicide. It’s my brother punishing me for what I did to him.

This is what I needed.

I hear Aizawa-sensei shouting, but it’s a distant thing. Unimportant. I close my eyes as a sense of relief fills me. I feel lighter. Like the guilt is gone now. And the voice? It’s quiet now.

And I’ll never have to hear it again.

But the release I’m expecting doesn’t come. Instead, an odd buzzing makes its way to my ear just before I hear a heavy thud. My eyes shoot open, taking in the scene before me.

The person who looks like my brother is on the ground, shaking. Their knife lies next to them, discarded. And standing above them is a person wearing a tattered black jacket, their hood pulled down. I stare at them blankly as they remove their mask with the hand not holding a taser. I look back down at the convulsing fake. I look back up. I blink. They chuckle and scratch their cheek with one finger.

“Heh. Um, yeah. A lot of stuff has happened. But I’ll explain later. For now, it looks like Eraserhead needs help,” Izuku says as he turns to the fight between Aizawa-sensei and the bird. Mechanically, I follow his gaze and see the bird holding my teacher against the ground, one arm clenched in its fist.

Izuku starts moving immediately, not waiting a moment for me as he rushes to help. “Come on Izumi! If you really want to be a hero, you need to help those in need!” I see him with a determined look on his face, one that I’ve never seen on anyone else. Something that no one else would be able to copy. His look of wanting to help, even if he knows he won’t be able to change anything. The look of somebody who embodies everything the word ‘hero’ stands for.

He’s my brother. And he’s alive.

And he’s rushing against something that just took out a pro hero!

I scramble to my feet in desperation as I launch myself after him, surprised at how far ahead he already is. He’s gotten faster. But that just means he’s going to be in danger sooner. I can’t lose him! Not again! Not when I just found him!

But I can’t stop him. Not this time.

I finally have a chance.

I can be his sister. I can support him.

And that’s what I do. As he gets close to the bird, I focus my quirk on its joints to restrict its movement, watching as it tilts its head at the green energy that's appeared across its body. It’s enough of a distraction for him to get close, enough to stop it from hurting him. He reaches out a hand towards its head. I feel my hold starting to crack. I watch as his fingers close around a metal rod sticking out of its exposed brain. He pulls.

The rod comes out with a sickening squelch, the beast letting out a mournful howl that echoes across the building, causing all of us in the plaza to cover our ears, before it collapses backwards and falls silent.

I stare in shock, unable to believe that he managed to take out such a monster on his own. With only his first move. I was wrong. I was horribly wrong. He can be a hero. He can be the best hero! He will be a hero!

“Cheater! Stupid NPC glitch! You’re a part of our party! Where do you get off helping the other side in our raid!?” The hand villain throws a fit, gesturing wildly in his rage.

But Izuku ignores them, crouching down to check on my teacher. I approach while keeping one eye on the few villains getting back to their feet. Once I’m standing by my brother’s side, I raise my hand and clench my hand into a fist, mimicking a small explosion with my quirk. I make it clear to them that if they bother him, they’ll have to deal with me.

His silence seems to upset the villain, who starts ranting at him while the mist villain from earlier appears next to him. But I’m distracted from the two by loud noises coming from outside the plaza. A quick glance shows me that Bakugou is charging towards us from the storm zone, his face twisted in rage, making me scoff. He’s late. All that’s left are the injured and the leaders. But my eyes widen as I see him not going for the two villains still standing, but for-

“Izuku!”I shout, pulling him towards me, avoiding the explosion Bakugou tries to hit him with. I put him behind me, ignoring the way he twitches as I glare at Bakugou “What the fuck do you think you’re doing!?”

He growls as he scowls at me, miniature explosions popping in his hands.. “I’m fucking up the villains! The hell do you think you’re doing protecting one!?”

My hands twitch, holding back the urge to throw him far, far away. I know that he’d be able to get back all too soon. “Did you go blind!? Can’t you see its Izuku!? In what world is he a villain!?”

“The one where he showed up with a group of fucking villains! That quirkless Deku is dead! Whoever that is, it’s not Deku!”

I clench my fist, ignoring my own doubt. If he’s been alive all this time, why didn’t he tell anyone? Or at least Shoko? “He is! And he isn’t with the villains! He just saved Aizawa! Why would he do that if he’s on their side!”

He glances next to him at our teacher, who’s struggling to his feet. He gives Izuku a wary look, but not an aggressive one. “There’s more going on than any of us realize. But we can deal with figuring out the truth,” he turns to the two villains who haven’t moved, “after we deal with them.”

Bakugou has a dissatisfied look on his face but begrudgingly turns to the actual threats. I breathe a sigh of relief, glancing back at Izuku, who’s blinking in confusion. I give him a shaky smile. “We’ll figure things out. I… It’s good to see you again.”

“Um, yeah.” He takes a stance, raising a blade between him and the villains. “Seems like a lot has happened.”

While we’ve been talking the hand villain has been scratching at his neck. “We took you in. We gave you training. We made you strong . And you take the first opportunity you can to betray us?” They growl. “It’s a good thing I listened when Midosagi said not to trust you. Kurogiri. Nomu. Kill him.”

I’m confused for a moment, wondering who Nomu and Kurogiri are. But the mist villain makes a motion and I suddenly feel a burst of air. I turn, and what I see will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Chapter 56: Break

Summary:

RIP Izumi's mental state. It wasn't that good in the first place, but still.

Notes:

Disassociation and denial warning? I dunno, I'm desensitized. If anyone ever thinks a chapter should have a warning let me know.

Izuku coughs, and I watch as blood bursts from his lips. But that’s not where my eyes are focused. Nor is it the confused expression on his face. Instead, it’s the bird villain. More specifically, the part of the bird villain Izuku is looking at. Their hand.

Which is stuck through Izuku’s chest.

I’m not sure what happens but when I blink I’m somehow next to him, the bird somewhere else. I’m supporting him with one arm so he’s not lying flat on the ground, my other hand hovering over the wound as I use my quirk to stop…anything, from falling out of him. His insides are supposed to be inside, not outside.

I can hear people. But I also can’t. They’re just… there. It’s distracting. I feel something… twitch. At least that’s what it feels like. And now it’s quiet. They aren’t gone. And they’re probably still making noise. But they aren’t a part of what’s happening anymore.

It’s just me. And Izuku.

He coughs again, this time covering his mouth. That’s just like him. Worrying about other people before himself.

He reaches up, his fingers brushing against my cheek. Huh. I didn’t realize they were wet. That’s weird. I wonder where the water came from. He lets his hand drop as he looks at me. He smiles.

“I’m sorry, Izumi. I failed.”

I shake my head. “No. You didn’t, Izuku. You did good. You saved Aizawa-sensei. Did you know he’s the pro hero Eraserhead?” I chuckle, but it’s distant, like it’s coming from someone else. “You saved someone. You saved a pro hero. You know what that means?” I smile at him. “It means that you’re a hero too! You did it!”

He looks at me with wide eyes. “I -*cough*- I’m a hero? Really?”

I nod. “That’s right Izuku. You proved us all wrong. You’re a hero.”

He coughs again, his breath coming in ragged. I can feel some kind of pressure, like something is hitting my mind. But that’s not important. Izuku proved it. He proved that someone quirkless can be a hero! That means he can be happy!

He smiles at me. “Liar.” I freeze, unable to move. “You and Kachan always said I would die to the first villain I’d fight. You were right.” Tears fall from the corner of his right eye, the other one losing its shine.

I shake my head. “No. I was wrong Izuku. You’re a hero! You saved Eraserhead. The Eraserhead! And Recovery Girl works at UA too! She’ll fix you up like new! I bet you’ll even be a part of 1-A! You’ll be getting taught by Eraserhead himself, doesn’t that sound nice? I’ll introduce you to everyone! There are some people with really interesting quirks that you’d love to analyze! It’ll be great.”

I think I’ve started rambling, but that’s ok. Rambling is ok! Izuku does it all the time, and I’ll never tell him to stop again. He can ramble as much as he wants about anything, it doesn’t even have to be about quirks!

But he doesn’t look happy. He’s still crying. “I’m sorry Izumi. I can’t be a hero. You were right. Quirkless…can’t…be heroes” He gasps out and clutches my arm with a fresh round of strength and I feel my heart soar. He’s going to be ok!

“Don’t *gasp* trust *wheeze* In-ko…”

He stops talking. But that’s fine. He needs to save his energy. He’ll be ok. We just need to wait for Recovery Girl. She managed to fix up Dad, so she can fix up Izuku too! The only difference between their injuries is that Dad’s was around the stomach, and Izuku's was in the chest. He’ll be fine. We’ll all be heroes together.

The girls will absolutely love him. He’s always had that kind of nerdy charm that girls find attractive. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up having half the girls fall for him by the time summer break rolls around. Of course he’d be absolutely oblivious to it. I don’t think he ever noticed that Todoroki has a crush on him either. So it would be pretty fun to watch as they all try to flirt with him only for him to take it as them just being friendly.

Oh, oh! And he’d definitely be able to improve everyone’s quirks! Kaminari wouldn’t short out like he did during the battle exercise. Uraraka wouldn’t vomit from quirk exhaustion. He’d teach Yaoyorozu how to use her quirk more effectively. He might even be able to help Hagakure become visible!

He’s just that smart. And one day… one day he’d forgive me. He’d look me in the eye and say that, while he doesn’t forgive my actions, he can forgive me. We’d hug. And then we’d live the rest of our lives as pro heroes with our own agency! We’d bring a new era of peace to Japan, one where anyone could be a hero. Quirk or no quirk. All we have to do is-

Suddenly the pressure on my mind intensifies and I wince as the barrier surrounding us shatters, a dozen different noises clamoring for attention all at once. Dad showed up at some point, and he’s fighting the bird villain. The hand villain is cackling while a misty portal hovers next to him. The mist villain themselves are standing a bit behind him. I don’t see that bubble villain with the weird outfit, or the fake Izuku.

Oh, Eraserhead is next to me. I should introduce him to Izuku. He always said that he’s one of his favorite heroes. But he’s tired right now, so maybe it should wait until later? Yeah, sound is being weird anyways. Even though everything was loud a second ago, now it’s just a low buzzing. Eraserhead’s mouth is moving but no words are coming out. It’s enough to make me laugh. But if I do laugh, it might wake up Izuku. He deserves his rest. He worked really hard, he deserves-

My thoughts get cut off and I feel a stinging pain on my cheek. I’m also looking away from Eraserhead. Slowly, I bring a hand up to feel it as I turn back to Eraserhead. Huh, I wonder dazedly. He slapped me.

His words aren’t silent anymore, though the buzzing is still there when he puts his good hand on my shoulders and stares into my eyes. “He’s gone. But we need to get you to safety while All Might deals with the Nomu.”

I stare at him, oddly focused on a spot just under his eye that’s leaking blood. Maybe he’ll get a cool scar out of it? At the very least it seems more noteworthy than the blood that isn’t moving on his head. His words finally register though, and I shake my head. “No. No, I can’t leave Izuku. He’s sleeping. If I move, I might wake him up.”

His eyes are sad, I wonder why? I blink in surprise when he pulls me in for a hug, his arm wrapped around me. Huh. His shirt is getting wet. Something is dripping from my face and onto his chest, but what could it be? “He’s dead, kid. I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry…

Suddenly I’m hit full force by the reality of what’s happening. What happened . I jerk back, out of Eraserhead’s arms and look down at Izuku. His eyes are empty, staring up at me without the spark of life in them. There are bloodstains all over his face, though some parts are dripping more than others from where his tears fell.

I look further down. There’s a gaping hole in the middle of his chest from where…from where…

My head snaps around so fast I think I feel something give. But who cares about that! In my sight is the bird villain. The one Eraserhead called ‘Nomu’. The one who’s fighting my Dad on even footing.

The one who killed Izuku.

There’s a break.

I scream.

`~`

(Aizawa)

I feel for the kid, I know how hard it is to lose someone you care about without being able to do anything to stop it. And despite her past, she did care for her brother. If only…

But there’s no ‘if only’, is there? Even if we had known that the kid had been kidnapped by this League of Villains, there’s nothing we could have done to save him. Hell, we hadn’t even heard rumors of the group before the attack! I guess that’s what all of Nezu’s cryptic remarks about Midosagi and the kid meant …

I just hold her for a minute, ignoring the shockwaves from All Might’s fight with that creature. I know it’s strong, but stronger than All Might in his prime? If it was, then there’s no way I’d have gotten off with such light injuries. Sure, there might be some permanent damage to my right eye if the blurriness is anything to go by, but other than the break in my arm my bones are still mostly intact. And I know that I wouldn’t have gotten off so easily if All Might had done the same back in his prime.

But apparently it’s still strong enough to match him as he is, which is more than I can handle. The most I can do at the moment is try and get his kid somewhere safe so she can grieve in peace.

But I’m surprised when she pulls away, her head snapping as she looks in the direction of the fight. I almost say something, but my words get stuck in my throat at the look in her eyes. They’re enraged. Hurt. Animalistic. Primal.

Murderous.

She holds out her bloodstained hands in the direction of the fight and screams . It’s a wordless scream, one filled with all the pain and anger she’s currently feeling from having her brother die in her arms. And from that scream, comes power .

Her quirk erupts from her arms, far thicker and more solid than I’ve ever seen before. They morph into extensions of her arms, to the size where they can easily fit All Might in the palms of her hands.

Or the Nomu.

They shoot forward, still connected to her so that it looks like she’s stretching her arms instead of launching them. They move faster than I can see, getting to the fight in an instant. They wrap around the Nomu, clutching it between both hands like a caught bird. Which it is, really.

All Might pauses to stare at it for a moment in surprise, something I’m doing too, before turning around and looking at us. His eyes naturally fall to Izumi and he starts to smile before seeing her face wreathed in an expression demanding vengeance. And then his eyes fall to the only place they could really go after seeing his daughter.

They fall to the body of his neglected son.

His eyes widen, mouth dropping open, and I wonder for the briefest moment what he’s thinking, but a disturbing crunching noise distracts me. I almost wish it hadn’t.

The hands have turned into a solid sphere surrounding the Nomu, and no matter how hard it pounds its fists against it, it can’t break free. But that’s not the disturbing part. The disturbing part is how the sphere is shrinking, forcing the Nomu into a smaller and smaller space.

And it’s not stopping.

It’s not a slow process, barely lasting a handful of seconds. But it’s enough for the monster to scream. A scream that’s drowned out by Izumi’s own as she clenches her hands, blood leaking from her nose and eyes. The sphere compresses until it’s the size of a marble.

With the Nomu still inside.

After a second of floating in the air it drops to the floor with a little ding, belying the visceral horror contained within. Izumi sways for a moment, her scream dying out as her pain is expended. She sways uncertainly for a moment as her arms drop. Her face goes slack and she topples over in a faint, unconscious before her head even hits the ground next to her brother’s. Looking at just their faces, side-by-side, it’s hard to tell which of the two is the one actually dead.

“What. The. Fuck.”

I’m not sure who the words come out of, maybe they even come from me. But it doesn’t really matter because I’m absolutely certain that both heroes and villains are of the same mind as they tremble at the show of overwhelming power. The hand villain, Shigaraki, if I recall correctly, turns and bolts through the portal, shouting over his shoulder as he does. “Don’t forget to grab the psycho!”

The mist man nods, though his own eyes are still wide as he points his hand in my direction. My own widen as I whirl back to face Izumi, and underneath her a portal starts to expand.

I quickly grab her, leaping away and trying to get back to the entrance in the hopes that out of sight out of mind will apply to the villains. And it seems to work since they don’t open another portal to try and snatch her. Instead, when I look back, I see the mist villain vanishing through one of his own portals, leaving just me, All Might, and the unconscious-

My mind stutters as I look back to where I was, and my heart drops at a familiar feeling. A familiar sight. One that drove me to push everyone away when it happened, Mic barely being able to pull me out of my self-destructive depression with the help of Nemuri and Fukukado.

The body of Izumi’s brother is gone.

Notes:

Yes, she now has Alien Force Gwen powers.

Chapter 57: USJ (Izuku POV) 1/2

Summary:

Izuku and the LoV go to the USJ!

I sigh, making a declaration to myself that none of my future plans will put me in a position where I can’t act as I want. At least I don’t have to put too much effort into making myself throw up when Shiggy dusts the overconfident opportunist. The thought that I’m implying All Might is competent is enough to make bile rise at the right time to make the thugs think I’m not used to death.

Which is such a ridiculous thought that Himi -disguised as me in my villain outfit- has to push me to stop my laughter from coming out. Well, the push itself doesn’t, but I slip in the vomit and crash to the floor.

I frown as I glare at her, and I just know by the look in her eyes that she’s sticking her tongue out at me. I’ll get you back for this! I mentally yell, while simultaneously taking a large amount of amusement from how obviously unsettled Shigaraki is about the situation. It’s a very good thing that he has one of his dismembered hands covering his face, or else everyone would see how his mouth is hanging open.

He shakes it off soon enough though, and he makes sure One remembers that it’s his job to guard the entrance to the USJ. It would be disastrous if all of the heroes who work at UA managed to interfere. We don’t have enough ‘players’ for that, as Shiggy would say.

Especially with what I did to the Nomu.

But really, why the heck is the brain exposed if it’s a literal insta-kill !? Sure, there’s something to be said for hiding in plain sight -if it’s so obviously unguarded then it can’t possibly be a weak point- but come on! That only works if it doesn’t get hit! As it is we needed the Doctor to bring it back to life, but it’s not the exact same anymore. Not only is it weaker than it was before, but it also can’t move on its own. All For One has to use a quirk to essentially pilot it remotely. It should still be able to match All Might, but it definitely won’t be able to beat him.

Which is why we’ll be relying on my plan for this, as per our little wager. We aren’t going to be trying to kill him here, though we won’t say no if the opportunity presents itself. Instead, we’re going to be targeting his weak point. One that I knew about even when I ‘glorified them’, as Himi said. He’s physically strong while in his muscle form, sure. But there’s two things that transfer across his shifts.

His mind, and his spirit.

I’m hoping that seeing his “dead son” having become a villain will hurt, though I doubt it. He didn’t care when I was alive to him, so why would he care now that I’m dead to him? But on the off chance that it ends up being a ‘I’ll stop you to pay for my mistakes’ thing, or a ‘I will save you from the path you tread’ thing, we have a back up. A reveal that the first plan was a trick, and they’d kidnapped his son to try and turn him to villainy, only for his heroic spirit to thwart their every attempt!

Only for him to then die in front of him, after saying how happy he is to see his father again.

All Might can push past the mistakes he’s made -or push them aside, as he’d done to me- but can he take the mental load of failing to save the person who needs him most, of them dying right in front of him?

All For One says that he doesn’t think it will have as much impact as I think since All Might ran away when he killed his mentor, and suggests that things like what I’m planning are 'all about the timing’. Though the way he spoke about it was odd, calling All Might successor instead of student. When I asked about the strange phrasing, he looked like he was going to tell me something, but ultimately just said the way he talks comes with old age.

I’m shaken from my thoughts by Himi grabbing my arm, both of us chuckling as she drags me to Kurogiri’s mist at Shigaraki’s complaint at our roles. “Aww, don’t worry Shiggy~. Even if Toshinori doesn’t care, his image is at least going to take some damage.”

I nod my head in satisfaction at her dedication to maintaining her act, even when we’re seemingly alone. It probably helps that I’ve given her a bunch of stuff to say for certain situations.

As I’m engulfed in the darkness of the warp quirk, I can’t help but wonder just how much Toshinori will react as opposed to All Might. Or maybe his will is weak enough that the surprise will cause him to revert to his skinny form! But even if he doesn’t care at all and follows Inko’s example, it doesn’t matter.

I can always target Izumi instead.

`~`

“Where the hell is All Might?”

I frown behind my mask as I look up at the crowd of students standing behind three heroes. But one of them has been replaced, All Might nowhere to be seen. But the person standing in for him is much more problematic for us.

“And why is your booty call here!?”

“She’s not a booty call,” I whisper back, thankful that the thugs are loud enough to cover our whispered conversation. “The three of us just had a fun time together that one time.”

“She did leave us a message that she’s down for more though,” Himi interjects, and I blink at her in surprise. She scratches her cheek awkwardly. “Uh, did I forget to mention that? I swung by the warehouse to grab the pillows, and she left a note saying that, along with her phone number.”

“...Huh.” I was not expecting that. I wonder if she’ll still feel the same way after today? Or if the HPSC will try to encourage or cajole her to take advantage of our tenuous connection to try taking us down?

“Putting that aside, it is weird that she’s here and All Might isn’t. Did someone warn them?”

“Um…” I stare at Himi with a raised eyebrow, silent as I watch her squirm. “Well… I might have told her that we’d be attacking UA at some point.” She rapidly waves her hands in front of us in defense. “But I didn’t tell her when! And it was before Shiggy broke in! So it’s not my fault!”

We keep staring at her for another moment before I slowly shake my head, Shigaraki speaking in my stead. “You didn’t think they’d find it suspicious that they get a warning of an attack, followed by a break-in? Even if I used the press as a diversion, Nezu is called Rat Satan for a reason!”

Oh dear, he’s scratching his neck again. And since we’re out in public and he’s trying to be intimidating Mamagiri can’t stop him and give him his medicinal ointment. Which means that he’ll just get more agitated about how agitated his skin is. A self perpetuating cycle that really doesn’t matter right now because wow Mirko is strong! She’s basically slaughtering all of our cannon fodder!

Which doesn’t help Shigaraki’s mood if how deep his nails are digging is any indication. “Kurogiri,” he growls, “portals. Now .”

With only the bobbing of his mist as acknowledgement he starts to portal away, Himi’s surprising words trailing after him. “Send her with Shoko!”

I raise an eyebrow as I give her an inquisitive look, getting a look of wide-eyed innocence in return. “What? I think they’ll get along. They have a lot in common!”

I roll my eyes, settling myself back for the show as Eraserhead is dropped in the crowd of confused villains to replace Mirko. As I watch, I can’t help but compare what I’m seeing with the notes I wrote down from what little video I was able to find of him fighting. Underground heroes tend to be the type who avoid the spotlight, but he’s taken it to the extreme and actively gets rid of anything that manages to get out. But there’s always something.

It’s a shame there’s only so much gratuitous violence and incompetent fighting I can watch before I feel the need to get involved. “So, plan B is a bust. Can we switch to plan FU?”

Not waiting for them to confirm, I draw my knife and charge at Eraserhead just as he knocks out the last of the thugs. I raise my knife to stab him, see him raise his hands to counter-

And I trip.

I feel the cartilage in my nose break as I land flat on my face, and I curl up and hold it since that’s what normal people would do. But what did I trip on?

I use the opportunity Himi provides by attacking Eraserhead to take a peek down, only to see my shoelaces tied together. Himi! You are so getting put in the stockade tonight! I can’t believe that she sabotaged my shoes while we were waiting! I mean, if I thought I could get away with it I would have pranked her too, but still!

Luckily it fits with my ‘reluctant assistant’ trick, and I take the perfect opportunity to ham it up by trying to sneak attack him while Himi’s speaking. But a hero like him doesn’t last as long as he does by being oblivious to his surroundings. He dodges, rolling to the side while Himi shouts encouragement at me. I charge again, but he manages to wrap my arm in his scarf and force me to the ground.

I break that arm in an effort to take him by surprise, and it works! I manage to get behind him, putting my knife against his throat. But as easy as it would be to slit his throat right now, it would mean throwing away any semblance of me being forced to be here. Which I’ll need for when Kurogiri warps Izumi here. So instead, I give him a hint.

“They came to kill All Might. That bird guy, Nomu, is a corpse they stuffed multiple quirks into to get the job done. My hand is going to twitch, and when it does you need to throw me at Midosagi. The rod in Nomu’s head is the weakness. Take it out, and it’ll die again.”

Of course, while all of that is true, the rod protruding from Nomu’s brain is only technically a weakness. I did shove it there to cover up the hole from my knife. And a tracker will let All For One know to make it stop moving if the rod is removed. At least until Shiggy sends him a counter-signal. So it is a weak point in that targeting it will cause Nomu to stop until then, at least.

So when Himi calls out to me, I twitch my hand so he’s free to move, an opportunity that he seizes with skill. Before I’m entirely sure what happens, I’m lying on top of Himi, our faces only inches apart.

I smirk, knowing that she’s doing the same under her own mask. Our words overlap, intermingling despite being the same. ““Is that a knife, or are you just happy to see me?””

I really, really love this girl.

Notes:

Yes, Izuku and Himiko have a stockade. And a sex dungeon.
*Snaps fingers* I knew I was forgetting something! I'll post those later this week.

Chapter 58: USJ (Izuku POV) 2/2

Summary:

The USJ ends.

I roll my eyes and grunt as Himi boots me away, loudly belittling me for the lack of damage I did to Eraserhead. Sheesh. She’s really playing into this. Was she hoping for more blood? I can understand if she’s disappointed about that. The only blood we’ve seen so far are from where bones are poking out of some of the villains Mirko took out. The whole ‘excessive force’ thing kind of goes out the window in this type of situation… Especially since that law is mainly for property damage instead of villain damage. Still, at least they’ll get proper medical attention when they’re arrested!

Which is good, since we weren’t planning to bring any of them back with us. Plus, I’m pretty sure the doctor is busy preparing for Two to wake up soon. It’ll be nice to have another member on the team!

Anyways, moving around with a broken arm is annoying, so I’ll just lay here and watch Eraserhead fight the Nomu. Not much else to do until Kurogiri gets back. Though portaling everyone shouldn’t take that long unless he’s waiting for a cinematic moment to do it. I did give One a bunch of guidelines to go with his role -even if he absolutely hates the costume I made him put on, heh- so it would make sense.

It’s actually pretty relaxing watching and listening to the fight. Eraserhead is managing to keep ahead of the Nomu’s attacks, always managing to dodge just enough that its fists don’t even brush his skin. Seeing how much weaker it is just reinforces my belief that we won’t be coming out of this with a martial victory. But I’m here for a mental victory! Speaking of…

I twist my head to the side and smirk as I see Himi kicking Izumi out of some bushes she was hiding in. I start crawling towards them, careful to stay out of sight as they begin talking, Himi pacing around her with a mocking stride so that Izumi is facing my direction. Close enough that I can see her face fall into horror as Himi speaks and reveals my face that she’s wearing..

“There are no secrets from family, sister.”

I smirk, glorying in inflicting her with the same emotion she and Kachan had forced upon me for so long. But it drops as quickly as it appears, because just as quickly Himi flubs her lines! I’ve literally never called Kachan anything other than Kachan! And she just goes and says Bakugou !? Not even Katsuki!? At least then there’d be a chance it could be brushed off!

But nope, as I predicted Izumi catches on immediately and calls her out. Though I’m taken aback by just how angry she seems to be that Himi looks like me. It’s weird. She tries to salvage the ruse, but doesn’t get very far before green energy appears at her neck, choking her words off. I frown, starting to go faster but still staying hidden. Nobody chokes Himi unless we’re doing roleplay or she asks for it!

Still, seeing how quick she is to attack even a person identical to me with no hesitation reaffirms my belief that she doesn’t miss me. Probably just scared that me being back means that there’s a chance her horrible deeds will get revealed. Because I’m positive that Toshinori has done everything he can to keep that information from coming to light. Pizza knows that every news station in Japan would be spamming the story for weeks about the Symbol of Peace and his family being quirkists.

I see Himi twitch when Izumi points out where she went wrong with her acting, and I can’t help but groan thinking of how much she’s going to be studying everything about me later in order to make sure it never happens again. And not in a fun way. More of an obsessive stalker way.

We could still have fun with the stalker way, at least.

But when I’m right behind Himi, I freeze. I listen to Izumi’s rant. The emotions that fill the words spilling from her lips as she shouts her mistakes, her actions. Her regrets. And I feel…

Rage.

I watch as she collapses in a heap, a high pitched keening of fake and worthless apologies filling the air in our small corner of the battlefield. Himi raises her knife. “You should have been a sister. But you can’t change the past. Only accept it when the consequences of your actions come back to you. Goodbye, Izumi.” There’s a brief moment of hesitation where Himi sends a glance down at me, and I hold up four fingers.

The second long interaction goes unnoticed by Izumi, who’s closed her eyes as the knife falls to take her life. I stand, ignoring the shouting of Eraserhead as he takes his eyes off the Nomu, a costly mistake as I hear a loud thump that causes reverberations to go through the ground. I draw the fake taser gun from my belt and shoot it at Himi, wondering for a moment as she drops to the ground shaking if I accidentally grabbed the real one by mistake. But she’ll be fine even if I did. We’ve done taser tag when we were bored before so I know that she won’t be down for long.

Izumi opens her eyes and sees me standing where Himi just was, and I can’t do anything but chuckle at how utterly absurd it is that I decided against letting Himi splatter her blood across the ground. I might have done it, if she had kept her mouth shut. But with everything she said? That she’s somehow convinced herself that she was better than she was?

She deserves to suffer.

I scratch at a cheek after removing my mask, trying to cover up how much I want to murder her by acting shy. “Heh. Um, yeah. A lot of stuff has happened. But I’ll explain later. For now, it looks like Eraserhead needs help.”

I turn away before she can say anything, and I don’t look back as I charge towards the Nomu. If I do, I might just kill her now. Still, I can’t help but toss some mocking words over my shoulder at her. They urge her to follow me, which is good. The closer she is, the more dramatic it will be. And with how she’s deluded herself into thinking she cares…

Oh, this will be fun ~.

When I’m nearly to the Nomu I see Izumi’s quirk manifest around its joints, restricting its movement. I can admit that it’s an impressive new trick, practically as effective as a full-body bind but utilizing far less energy. Actually it might be more effective since it can’t put out as much force around them as it’s arms or legs.

Thanks to that it’s not hard at all to pull out the metal in its brain. All For One decides to put on a bit of a show by having it howl for a few seconds before it stiffens and slowly falls backwards. An imitation of many movies where the villain has a ‘defeat me’ switch or button or whatever. Kind of like Power Rangers used to be, before the entire line got canceled for how it essentially showed quirkless people being able to take on quirked individuals with the help of support items.

Someone didn’t like that, and poof! A centuries old storyverse, gone.

While I crouch to check on Eraserhead -noting that the side of his face that was slammed into the ground is bleeding a lot but he’s otherwise fine (by my definition)- Shigaraki rants, leaning heavily into his gamer speak for his insults. I’m pretty sure that he’s actually mad and not just acting, since seeing the creation meant to take down All Might defeated twice has to be rough. Not to mention the fact it was a birthday present from All For One…

I wish I could say I’m surprised when Kachan tries to kill me the moment he sees me, but that would be a lie. It is a bit surprising that Izumi pulls me out of the way, but then again she’s deluded herself into thinking she cares about me. Hopefully it will make the punishment sO MuCH SweEteR !

She turns to me, letting her lips twitch into a fragile, wobbly smile. “We’ll figure things out. I… It’s good to see you again.”

She doesn’t care. She doesn’t care! SHE DOESN’T CARE! ShE DOesN’T CaRe!!

I don’t let my thoughts show, just saying… something. I’m not sure what it is, but it doesn’t matter. My head is hurting, something that I haven’t felt since I jumped. I haven’t felt any pain since I jumped, but somehow Izumi has still found a way to hurt me!

It hurts so much that I barely notice that the Nomu has torn a hole in my chest because I’ve fallen. And Izumi’s holding me. I take in what’s going on around us with blurry eyes, seeing that she’s encased us in a solid dome of her energy, completely shut off from the outside. Normally I’d be all about analyzing it, since it’s not how her quirk should work. Solid constructs aren’t a part of telekinesis. Her quirk is basically a manipulation type of power, not a creation type.

But the pain… At least I’ll be dying soon. That should fix whatever is wrong with me. While I wait I let myself ramble, trying to keep my attention enough that I don’t accidentally reveal anything but otherwise letting my mouth have free reign. Except for my last words. Those I force out with meaning.

“Don’t *gasp* trust *wheeze* In-ko…”

I let darkness claim me, Receptionist peering at me over her glasses. She doesn’t speak for a moment, just studying me. When she does speak, she says something completely unexpected.

“Why are you crying?”

I wipe at my eyes, surprised at feeling them wet, giving her a dry and strained chuckle. “I… I don’t know. It’s… I don’t know.”

Her raised eyebrow shows she doesn’t understand, but that’s ok.

Neither do I.

Chapter 59: Aftermath (Heroes)

Summary:

The heroes deal with the aftermath of the USJ.

“While physical injuries to the students were mostly limited, we cannot dismiss the fact that villains managed to infiltrate UA grounds.” Nezu starts the meeting with what is arguably the most prominent point. Though All Might is quick to object to his dismissal of the damage of the attack, given the state his daughter was left in.

“How can you be so casual about this!? Look at what they did to Izumi!”

Recovery Girl sighs. “Yagi, she’s unconscious. Other than that, my examination confirmed that she’s only suffering from quirk exhaustion, admittedly to a greater degree than normal, but quirk exhaustion nonetheless. At least physically. Given Aizawa’s account of the situation, I’d definitely recommend she meet with Hound Dog.”

All Might growls at the reminder, buffing up momentarily as he slams his fist through the table. “HOW DARE THEY TRY AND USE MY SON’S IMAGE TO HURT HER. I’LL MAKE SURE THEY ROT IN TARTARUS!”

Nezu and Aizawa share glances, still unsure if their previous decision to not inform All Might of the possibility of him being his biological son is the right one.

But without his body, and the blood on site being too contaminated by Izumi’s own DNA to be accurate, there’s no certain way to test if they were. So it would be best simply let the man believe they were a fake. If the consequence of believing wholeheartedly that the League of Villains utilized Izuku’s likeness is him dedicating his time to hunting them down, then that’s all for the better.

Aizawa, of course, initially objected, but eventually conceded to the principal’s reasoning. That’s not to say he’s happy about it though, considering the boy had likely saved his life. He would have liked to honor him properly, but he supposes he’ll just have to help him rest in peace by taking down the League of Villains. Especially since they lack a body to bury.

“While the enthusiasm is appreciated, I would appreciate it if you refrained from destroying school property.” Nezu’s cold look causes All Might to deflate, crossing his arms with a huff of frustration as he falls back in his seat.

“Now then, I believe the most salient questions to address is how they managed to infiltrate school grounds, as well as how they knew to attack the USJ specifically.”

“Well the first one is obvious,” Kayama says as she leans back in her seat. “There’s really not much we can do to stop a warp quirk. Especially since we don’t know anything about how it works. At most, Power Loader can set up sensors to detect if they come back, right?” She looks at the man in question to confirm, getting a nod in answer.

“The only way to block a quirk like they used would be to know how it works, and develop countermeasures specifically for that quirk. Though it should be simple enough to rig something up to detect sudden changes in mass that I can put around campus. But a student’s quirk that changes their size would prove problematic… Maybe key them into the system? Or something that…” He devolves into silence as he tries to mentally tackle the problem, and everyone familiar with the man knows that they’ll have a solution by the end of the day.

Of course, that doesn’t really change the core problem regarding the warp user. And there’s still the issue of how they knew about the exercise.

“It’s clear that they used the break in from the media to obtain the information. Whether by design, or by opportunity.” Aizawa explains, resting his broken arm on the table. “I’m leaning more towards it being part of their plan, given that someone warned Mirko that the League of Villains would be attacking us.”

Nezu nods. “Indeed. But why would they have warned us? And, out of everyone, why would they send Mirko and young Todoroki to…” he glances down at the paper to check, once again, “...a fancy dinner.” He shakes his head. “Given that Midosagi was present at the attack but Chusagi wasn’t, it is possible that she is not in agreement with the League’s goals.”

“What exactly are their goals, though?” Yamada questions, crossing his hands behind his head. “I know Shota said they wanted to kill All Might, but is that really it? If it was, why couldn’t they have just attacked him while he was on patrol, or staged an ambush at Might Tower? No offense!”

He quickly realizes how his words might sound to the number one hero and hastily apologizes, which gets waved aside while everyone ignores Midnight’s claim of “It’s love~!”

“It’s quite alright,” he sighs. “Honestly, I would have preferred that as well. At least then Izumi and the other students would have been left out of it.”

Aizawa clears his throat. “Actually… they might have been after your daughter, specifically.”

All Might’s head shoots up to stare at him with wide eyes, and the others are the same. Nezu is the only one not surprised since he’d already gotten a short report on the key events of the incident. Aizawa sighs before Nezu takes up the explanation, causing their attention to shift to him.

“According to Aizawa, when the villain who covered themselves in severed hands -Shigaraki, correct?- left, he reportedly told the warp villain -I believe he was called Kurogiri- ‘ Don’t forget to grab the psycho’, moments before a portal opened up beneath young Izumi. He pulled her away, and the villains seemed to decide against pursuing. Possibly because they worried he’d use his quirk to prevent them from fleeing.”

“Hey, why didn’t you do that? You might not have stopped all of them, but keeping that Kurogiri guy trapped probably would have been a problem for them.” Yamada points out, but Aizawa shakes his head.

“It wouldn’t have mattered. My eyes were too dry from over-using my quirk on all the other villains to keep it active for long. Plus everything was blurry due to the injuries the Nomu gave me, otherwise there would have been a chance.” He grimaces. “As much as they overestimated how strong it was, it was more than enough to cause permanent damage. I’m going to have trouble keeping my quirk going as long as I have before.”

His friends put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, getting a grumble in reply. But they’ve both known him long enough to understand that he’s grateful. He just doesn’t show it. Because all three know it’s not really his injury that they’re comforting him about. It’s the people he might not save because of the injury. And the knowledge that, had it not happened, he might have deprived the League of one of their most potent resources.

“But why would they have gone after the youngin?” Snipe asks the question on all their minds. “Do they know she’s All Might’s kid?”

That they didn’t think about. But as they wonder, it makes sense. But then again, it doesn’t. If they know Izumi is All Might’s daughter, then they could have planned her kidnapping for any number of reasons. Blackmail, ransom, threats, etc. But if they’re aware, why wouldn’t they have gone after her in a less secure setting?

After she’d left school grounds, while she’s out with her friends, or even while sitting in the classroom. It’s not like they would have been able to stop her from being warped somewhere else before their attack! But instead, they launched a full-scale attack on an off-site facility during a school event. They might have wanted to simply achieve both their goals at the same time, but they can all agree that they would have had a higher chance of success if they’d been done separately.

And that’s even ignoring the most important part of that assumption.

If they’d been aware she’s All Might’s daughter, they would have been aware of his civilian form. In which case why not target him at home? Or while he’s out and about but not doing hero work?

Nezu shakes his head. “No, the theory that they are aware of her identity does not fit the circumstances. But then, why target her? There is likely more to the situation than we are aware of. But it will do us no good to try and guess at their intentions. Instead, we must create safeguards to prevent them from succeeding.”

“Why do I feel like you’re about to suggest something that will give me a headache?” Aizawa asks rhetorically. Whenever the principal does anything, it’s a near certainty that someone will be getting a headache. Aizawa has just gotten adept at figuring out when it’s him.

Nezu claps his paws. “Since Power Loader will be implementing a system to detect Kurogiri’s quirk, UA grounds will be most suited to provide protection to its students! Far more than even the number one hero’s home, unless he wishes to advertise that he lives there.”

“Uh, but they attacked the school? Not while the students were out, but while they were here . That doesn’t really scream ‘safety’, ya hear?”

Nezu waves off Yamada’s objection. “That was before we implemented protections for the students! Now we can ensure that, should they attempt the same, we will be prepared. It will take time to obtain the services of an individual who can lock the school grounds from warp access, after all.”

“...”

There’s silence as everyone stares at the aptly named Rat Satan. Power Loader’s judgmental stare is the first to give rise to voice. “...So you’re telling me that you know someone who can stop him from just showing up? Why wouldn’t you lead with that?”

The principal just chuckles. “Now, now, how would any of you grow if I simply presented a solution on a silver platter? Speaking of, I will require both you and Cementos to begin construction of dorms for both students, and any staff that may wish to live on campus. We do not know how the League of Villains will react to their attack’s failure, after all.”

`~`

(Izumi’s Dream)

I’m at home, playing heroes with Izuku. We both cheer as we take down the pretend villain, some pillows stacked on top of each other with a pot for a head. I turn to my twin with a happy smile on my face, only to freeze.

We aren’t at home anymore. We’re somewhere dark. And he’s older. I’m older. But he’s no longer smiling, he’s crying. “Why, Izumi? Why didn’t you help me?”

I stumble backwards, raising my hands to object. But the words don’t come out, because I can see them. My hands are covered in blood. Izuku’s blood.

I stare at them in horror before he grabs my shoulders so tightly they should hurt. But there’s no pain, instead he winces, but he doesn’t let go. Bloody tears force their way past his eyes. “Why? All I wanted was to be a hero! I didn’t have to be the best, or even well known! All I wanted was to help people! Why was that wrong!?”

I shake my head, trying to tell him that it wasn’t wrong, that he can be a hero. But again, the words refuse to leave my throat. I’m crying now, my hands clawing at my own throat in an effort to free the words I want to say, that I need to say. But with each movement, Izuku winces, blood flowing from his skin. It takes me too long to realize what’s happening, and by then it’s too late.

My hands are covered in his blood as he falls to the floor, his accusing gaze focused on me as the light fades from his eyes. “Why? This wouldn’t have happened if you had cared. If anyone had cared. Why did you hurt me? Why did Mom hurt me?” He coughs out blood, falling still as flames erupt around us, his words seeming to echo in the darkness.

“Like mother, like daughter…”

I drop to my knees, my silent cries shaking my frame as I try to bring him back. But there’s nothing I can do, not with his blood on my hands.

When I wake up in a hospital room, my screams are finally heard.

Notes:

Izumi gets more trauma~! I'm a be honest, I kind of feel like I should traumatize other people at this point. Well, others will get trauma revealed, so I guess that counts.

Chapter 60: USJ Aftermath (villains)

Summary:

Villains deal with the aftermath of the USJ!

I cackle as I toss back a root beer, slamming the tankard back onto the bar’s countertop. “Did you see the look on her face? It was chicken hilarious!”

Down the bar Tomura and One toss down their own drinks, Tomura still dressed like he was for the attack with severed hands hanging off of him. One changed out of the gag costume I got him, though I smirk at seeing how he kept the fake mustache. Maybe I should give him the real costume I thought of? He did do well for his part, and he even stuck a couple of students to the USJ’s ceiling with his gum!

A good debut for him, though I’m not sure if he ever actually introduced himself.

Kurogiri gives the impression of a raised eyebrow. “Did you just say ‘chicken hilarious’?”

I shrug, motioning to Himi who’s glaring into her cup of juice with a frown on her face. “Well, sometimes the urge to curse is overpowering, but I’m not allowed to. So I need to make up alternative curse words since I still get the pan for curse-adjacents.”

“Hmm.” He hums noncommittal before bringing out more snacks for our celebratory dinner. Sure, All Might didn’t show up like he was supposed to -until after I died, apparently. Typical.- and the Nomu ended up being unrecoverable, but at least I got to traumatize Izumi!

I really didn’t think that it would work so well, but since she’s deluded herself into thinking she cared, I bet my trick was super effective!

I push down the little voice in my head whispering that it might have been real. Thanks to Bakugou and the Yagis, I have plenty of experience doing that. And even if, in the infinitesimally small chance that it’s actually true, why should it matter? I literally killed myself because of them! What right do they have to act sorry and think they deserve forgiveness! And don’t even get me started on all those fake ‘I cared’ lies she told!

I was constantly missing my first aid supplies, I had to start hiding them so I would have enough between pharmacy visits! I never got a single present from anyone except Shoko after I turned four! Cake? Hah! I had to buy it by the slice after saving up for the month leading up to my birthday and eat it at the park by myself!

Yes, sometimes my injuries were wrapped when I was sure I passed out before I could bind them. But what’s more likely; the person who gave them to me helped with them, or my body had done it so much that I could even do it passed out !?

I scoff into my root beer, my good cheer dampened from the memories.

Oh, there was the occasional attempt where someone tried to act like family, like when Toshinori was going to take me to the amusement park USJ. But we never got there. Instead he abandoned me after we stopped to eat. Sure, I know now that it’s because All Might had to fight a villain that popped up nearby, but he could have come back!

Instead I had to rely on the grace of strangers who didn’t know that I had an extra toe-joint. Some off-duty rescue heroes stopped by for a quick bite to eat, thankfully, and took me back to the house. Of course, Toshinori never brought up trying to go again, and I didn’t think I would be as lucky if I were to be abandoned a second time, so I didn’t mention it.

Makes me wonder how they’re doing. They’re some of the only heroes I won’t help kill. Not only do I respect them, but I also like them. Which is such a rare combination, but at least I know I won’t have to hunt Stain down for going after them. He doesn’t target Underground or Rescue heroes.

“Hey… Izu.” I’m pulled from the memories by Himi’s soft voice, and I look over to her. She has a strange look in her eyes. One that I haven’t seen in the entire time I’ve known her. Not even when she walked in on my first resurrection.

Uncertainty.

“Are you sure that your sister was lying about all that stuff?”

“...” I slowly lower my cup, keeping eye contact with her. I only speak after it makes a small click upon making contact with the table. “What?”

She takes a breath as she closes her eyes. When she opens them, they’re more determined, but still uncertain. “I think that there might have been more going on than you think. I know liars. I know masks. When she was yelling at me, she wasn’t either.”

I feel my eye twitch and my hand tightens around the cup. “Himiko. You know I trust you. Most people would say to an unhealthy, suicidal degree.” I cock my head to the side. “You know exactly how little that matters to me. But this?”

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I straighten my head. “This is something that’s personal . You did not live my life. You were not a part of it back then. You have no idea how many times I came close to hurting myself. To seeing whether or not all the rumors of a person bleeding themselves instead of others doing it for them actually helps. The only thing that stopped me?”

I scoff, forcing myself to take a drink. I’m aware that Tomura, Kurogiri, and One are watching, but it doesn’t matter. Heck, hopefully hearing me saying this to Himiko will make sure they don’t question me themselves. There’s a reason I’ve never told them everything that I went through, why it always comes out in bits and pieces.

“It was All Might’s message. The belief that no matter what happened, there was a chance I could become a hero. If I tried and failed, then it would have simply been because I was too weak. If I tried it and they refused to accept me, then I would know that I do have what it takes, but society wouldn’t let me. Either way, I would have had faith that things could improve .”

There’s a crack and my hand gets wet, but I ignore it, grinding my teeth as old feelings bubble up from the abyss I forced them into. I was done with them! I didn’t want to remember that I even felt them! And now Himiko is saying that I didn’t know what was going on !?

“The moment All Might destroyed my dream, I realized something. Do you know what that was?” I don’t wait for her answer, already knowing that she doesn’t. “I realized…that it didn’t matter.”

She blinks in confusion and I let a twisted smile grow on my face. “None of my pain mattered. All the suffering, all the abuse. Every. Single. Fucking.” I grab hold of the pan she instinctively tries to hit me with, both of us knowing that this time is an exception for our usual rule. “Thing. I went through everything they put me through for nothing. I wouldn’t have the chance to try. To prove that I matter. Because being a hero? That would have been the only way to show people. The only profession that gets enough attention that people would have to acknowledge that I exist as more than an outlet for a quirked person’s frustration.”

I suddenly break out into giggling, hunching over the table as I bring both hands to cover my mouth, ignoring the blood pooling in my palm and how my face is getting cut. Once I get it under control I turn them over, letting the glass shards and blood land on the bar. My eyes are wide as I stare at Himiko with a wide, blood-soaked smile.

“When I came back to life, I thought that I would finally, finally , matter. But you saw what happened. It was the same. They didn’t even give me a chance to tell them . And that’s when a new realization set in.” I spread my arms out to my sides, looking up at the ceiling as if showing off a major reveal. “Quirks don’t matter. People don’t matter. Beliefs don’t matter. The only thing that matters, are actions.”

I snap my head back so that I’m looking at her, seeing that her mouth is hanging open. “You took my corpse home with you to drain my blood. You cared about me even before I came back to life. It’s your actions that made me fall in love with you. And everyday your actions cause me to fall even more deeply in love. Over, and over, and over.”

I reach out, grabbing her shoulders, unseeing of her wince. “The only thing that matters to society are actions, so I will make sure my actions can’t be ignored . No one will be able to say otherwise. They will see that I matter. That you matter. We’ll teach them that not only do our actions matter, but so do we.”

My face abruptly turns into a frown as I whirl around, taking a step away from her while looking at the ground. “But now, you’re saying that Izumi’s actions don’t matter. That because she deluded herself, what I went through isn’t accurate !?”

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Do you remember our promise?” I say suddenly. “The one I told you needs to be kept?”

I wait for an answer, eventually getting a quiet yes from her. I look at her over my shoulder, ignoring the way the room seems to still. “ Have you kept it ?” Another quiet yes answers in the positive. “Well, there’s a reason I never let anyone see my back. Maybe keep that in mind, next time you want to think they weren’t as bad as I remember?”

I sigh deeply, heading for the door. “I think… that I need some time by myself. I’ll be back later.” I don’t let any of them speak, to try and stop me. I walk out of the bar with heavy steps.

It’s not her fault. I trusted Izumi too, once. Even after the bullying.

Never again.

`~`

The rest of the League stares after him, even All For One from through the tv, though he’s kept quiet after getting the overview of what occurred. Each of them has their own thoughts on what Izuku had said, but they all share a single feeling.

Worry.

“We really need a healer in our party.” Shigaraki’s mutter seems to echo in the silence, prompting the others to speak as well.

“I get that none of us are really, y’know, normal , but maybe we should kidnap a therapist or something? And his face…” One trails off, incredibly unsettled. Not at Izuku’s speech, but rather…

“I do not believe he was aware of it.” Kurogiri states in a calm tone, though the undulations of his misty body convey just how worried he is about what he saw.

“I do not believe that what we saw is possible without the aid of a quirk.” All For One muses, his own concern tempered by two centuries of experience. “That or modifications done by the Doctor.”

Himiko is silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the door. Kurogiri reaches out with a cloth to clean the cuts the glass in Izuku’s hands caused, but just before he touches her she stands, startling the others. When she speaks, her voice is determined. “There’s more going on. I know there is. I don’t think any of them know the full story.”

She makes her own way to the door, her form becoming engulfed by the sludge produced by her quirk until she’s taken the form of a random teenager. “But I’m going to find out everything .”

Notes:

Oh snap! Izuku and Himiko got into a fight!

Chapter 61: Picking Stuff Up From the Side of the Road

Summary:

Izuku does some thinking then grabs something that catches his eye on the way back to the LoV.

I kick a can on the side of the road with my hands shoved deep into the pockets of my jacket, the hood pulled low to hide my face. The few people who manage to catch a glimpse of it are quick to rush past me, all too happy to let me be someone else’s problem. Sure, I could die to heal the cuts on my face and hand, but I want to be alone . And despite how stand-offish Receptionist likes to act, she does prefer to hold a conversation while I’m there.

I kick the can again, watching as it bounces off a sign advertising a sale on lotion. Maybe I’ll rob the store. The League doesn’t really do robberies, so it would be something different at least. I think Shiggy is running out of skin cream too… I stop in front of the window, staring into the store of beauty products, watching the people inside try the free samples. It’s been a couple days since the attack, a couple days since I walked out of the bar, and the response has been…. lackluster, to say the least.

Yes, there was outrage, but it didn’t last long. Measurable damage was essentially nil, due to Eraserhead choosing not to announce his injuries like Daylight heroes would. And since all the thugs were captured, UA has portrayed it as them defeating a group of low-level criminals who used a rare quirk to infiltrate the school. 

And really, they aren’t exactly wrong in that assessment. All For One is the one with the massive organization, connections, and money. But despite helping Shigaraki establish the League of Villains, he’s made it clear that it’s Shigaraki’s , not his. So the League is technically a low-level group. If All Might had been there, and gotten injured, then we’d probably be promoted to mid-level at the least, or maybe even high-level!

I shake my head free from my musings, realizing that I’ve been staring into the store long enough for people to become unsettled. I move on before anyone can try to ask me to leave, deciding that I’m not really in the mood for random crimes just for the sake of crimes. Instead I continue doing what I’ve been doing. Walking around to clear my head.

`~`

I sigh, having given the slip to yet another hero summoned by ‘a concerned passerby’. “Maybe I’ll just kill the next one who shows up?” It’s going on day three of trying to clear my head, and I’ve been studiously ignoring the questions blowing up my phone of where I am, what I’m doing, and when I’m coming back. I’m not ready, so I won’t come back.

Thankfully Himiko knows me and has left things with a simple ‘Be careful, I’ll be waiting’. She knows me, she understands me. I need time, and that’s what she’s giving me. Oh, but she did let me know that we’ve finally gotten a secure computer so I can safely call my cousin. It’s been a long time since I’ve talked with Melissa, I wonder how she’s doing?

And what her quirk could be.

I know she won’t join the League since, unlike Toshinori, Uncle David actually cares about her. I was really grateful whenever he tried to talk to the Yagi adults about how they paid more attention to Izumi on the trips to see him. It didn’t do much good, but I still appreciated that he cared enough to try.

“Maybe I should just head back,” I mutter to myself. “It’s not like I’m making any progress working through my feelings on my own anyways.” The issue isn’t that Himiko got taken in by Izumi’s act. Well, not really. It’s more…

I heave another sigh as I scratch furiously at my head. I don’t know why I’m so upset. Is it really just because some old feelings got drudged up? But that doesn’t sound right… Or maybe it’s too right?

Some of my memories are painful, more than the others. When Toshinori ditched me is one, the first time one of my analysis books got completely destroyed by those two is another. I quickly got used to that though and made sure that they were replaced with ones that could stand up to the abuse, but the first time still sticks out to me. But… those aren’t the worst.

Certain memories… I don’t actually remember.

There are memories that abruptly cut off and then restart. I’d suspect those were the results of a quirk, if I wasn’t fully aware of what they actually are. The human mind is a resilient thing, but when pushed past its limits it does what it can to ensure both it and the body can function. If that includes suppressing memories, then that’s what it will do.

Heck, if Himiko wasn’t with me back then, the same thing might have happened when Inko dismissed me! But then again, everything has its limit, and there’s an even chance that the same event would have sent me on the path of villainy anyways.

I think the reason her words upset me so much has to do with one of those suppressed memories. I equally suspect that one of them is the reason I can’t bring myself to outright hate Izumi. Her actions? I absolutely hate them! She deserves to suffer for what she did to me! But hating her ?

I… just can’t.

It doesn’t mean that I’m feeling any guilt about the USJ though! Like I told Himiko, people care more about actions than the individual, so my actions towards her are perfectly in line with her actions towards me! So no, I don’t feel guilty about them.

But…

“I know liars. I know masks. When she was yelling at me, she wasn’t either.”

She’s absolutely right. She knows when someone isn’t being their true self around her. I didn’t ask since we respect each other too much to try and force our pasts out. But she did offer up that ‘like-knows-like’ before, which, when I consider her quirk’s requirement and that she’s insane, is more than enough to give me a decent picture.

So… what if one of my suppressed memories means that I don’t have the full picture? Or what if all of them are keeping me in the dark? I just can’t say for sure, and that’s what has me angry.

It’s not like I can just choose to remember them! They were suppressed for a reason !

I turn into a random alley as I try to work this new angle to the problem, silently hoping that someone will attack me so I can push it out of my mind. I don’t remember everything. So I might not have the whole picture. But that doesn’t mean what I do remember should be trivialized.

But does that mean there’s a reason? Something that justifies how they abused me? I frown and shake my head, immediately murdering the thought with all due prejudice. No, I have no problem hating any of the others. All Might crushed the pillar that I was clinging to. Inko had to have intentionally neglected me given she let everyone think that I was dead. Bakugou is… himself. Honestly he’s just a terrible person all around, his abuse wasn’t even relegated to only me. There’s at least three people who transferred schools to get away from him. Being a horrible person is just who he is, so him being himself is enough for me to legitimize my hate for him.

So what is it ? It can’t just be that I don’t fully believe in what I’m doing, right? Or is it that I’m just not certain about Izumi’s character? That part of me wants to believe that she’s not as bad as the others?

“Fuck, I’m not getting punished just because-”

I absentmindedly stick a knife in the throat of the guy who was trying to grab something lying on the ground, letting it drop to the ground as he does the same, falling to his knees with wide eyes while ineffectually grabbing at his throat in an effort to stem the flow of blood. While he’s failing in his attempts to not die, I pick up what he was aiming for and tuck it under my arm, walking away with a slight bounce in my step.

Sure, my trip away from the League didn’t really help me come to terms about anything, but at least now I have something to show for it. I’ll just tie up my feelings and shove them in a box before throwing them back into the abyss. My knots are really good too since Himi went through that bondage phase a couple months ago!

`~`

I walk through the doorway of the bar after giving it a strong kick, sending whoever it is that was trying to leave slamming to the floor inside. I make sure to wipe my feet off on the new indoor doormat since they’re covered in filth before taking a seat at the bar and putting my prize on the counter next to me. I give a little wave to Shigaraki who’s staring at me before giving Kurogiri my order.

“I’ll have a bottle of Coke, please. Hey, do you guys know where Himi is?”

Kurogiri alternates his stare between me and my prize for a few seconds before sighing and pulling out his phone. After sending off a text he puts my drink in front of me and a juice box next to me. “She shall arrive shortly. Would you like to explain now, or when she gets here?”

“Hmm.” I hum before shrugging. “Might as well wait. Better to explain once and get everything out of the way.”

It doesn’t take long for Himi to burst into the bar, giving the doormat a firm kick before using it as a springboard to launch herself at me. “Izu! You’re back!”

I smile as we wrap our arms around each other, and I just bask in the warm feeling that fills me. It’s only with great reluctance that I let her pull back as she examines my prize before turning back to me with a raised eyebrow. “Sooo… You were busy?”

I laugh, picking them up to show off. “Yep! I mean, when I saw them I couldn’t not grab them. Unicorns are rare, and they’re just horses with a single horn.”

I carefully put the little girl with long silver hair on one shoulder, being careful of the dirty shift she’s wearing. Bandages are wrapped around her arms and poking out of the poor excuse for clothing, and on one side of her forehead protrudes a short horn. “And since there’s no mythologies about a person with a single horn, then they must be even rarer! Unless she’s half oni, but that would still make her at least as rare since there’s only one confirmed unicorn out in Iceland.”

“...Did you seriously kidnap some brat on a whim?” Shigaraki asks in a deadpan tone, and I mock gasp.

“How dare you! It’s only kidnapping if they live in a positive environment! Or at least a neutral one. If they were in a negative environment then it’s a rescue!”

“Was it a negative environment?” Kurogiri questions.

I look up at the girl as she looks down at me, her confused crimson orbs so different from the ones I grew up with, filled with pain and fear instead of hatred and rage. But there's a familiar gleam buried within, one I became oh so familiar with growing up and seeing it in the mirror everyday.

Hope.

 “Honey, did the people you were with hurt you? It’s ok to tell us, I promise that we won’t hurt you at all. And we’ll make sure they never get the chance to hurt you again either.”

She must see something in my eyes, because after another moment of staring she breaks down, sobs wracking her small frame as she buries her face into my hair. I feel a small vibration that I’m pretty sure is Himi patting her on the back.

“There, there, kid. Welcome to our weird and justifiably unhinged family. I have a feeling you’re going to fit right in.”

She gives the girl a wide, gentle smile, mildly at odds with her prominent fangs. “Welcome, to the League of Villains.”

Chapter 62: Cousin Calling (But sus!)

Summary:

Izuku calls his cousin!

“Now remember Himi, we are not letting Melissa know that we’re villains.” I repeat myself for the fourth time, just to make sure she understands how important this is. Unlike the Yagis, I actually still consider her family!

Himi rolls her eyes, crossing her arms with a huff. “I know already! I got it the first time! Just make sure you introduce me as your girlfriend properly!”

I put a hand to my chest in mock offense. “Of course! What, do you think that I’d introduce you as an insane girl who took my unresponsive form home with her to drain of fluids!?”

“You absolutely would!”

I chuckle in agreement as I turn to the computer. “Yeah, I totally would.” The best part is that it would be technically correct too, the best kind of correct!

I throw a quick glance at the room through the camera, making sure that my cousin won’t see anything that might encourage her to cut me out of her life. The blade wall, since we have more sharp objects than just knives, is the same wall the computer is against so that’s ok. The bed is clean and made, no signs of last night’s activities anywhere on it. I can only imagine what she’d think if she saw the state it was in.

Who knew that finger painting would cause such a big mess and stain the sheets so badly?

Speaking of Eri, the girl-acorn I rescued a few days ago, she should be taking a nap. Or Shiggy is teaching her the joys of video games again, though I did tell him to keep horror games away from her for now. We don’t want her unknown quirk activating from a jump scare or something.

I take a deep breath, working up my courage to press the call button. Funny. Killing people is much less nerve-wracking than calling the cousin you haven’t contacted in more than a year.

Seeing me hesitate, Himi groans and leans over me, pressing the button herself. “You’ve been chickening out of this for three days! Suck it up!”

I huff, leaning my head back and eyeing her. “Pretty sure that sucking is your job.”

“Only out of the bedroom,” she snarks back with a smirk. “Inside it’s both our jobs.”

I smirk back. “How about-”

“Izuku, what the hell!?”

I startle, jerking forward while Himi laughs behind me. On the screen is my cousin, Melissa Shield, with the parts of her face not covered by her hands a bright red from embarrassment. Doesn’t stop her from peeking through her fingers though.

I clear my throat, hyper-aware of the fact that she’s not the only one blushing. Though now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure the last time I blushed was back on Himi’s birthday when she said she wanted me as a present. Or was it the first time she turned into me while saying I’m the only man either of us need in our love-life?

Either way, actually being embarrassed is a rare thing for me. So, obviously, Himi does anything she can think of to try and get me to blush. Which apparently now includes talking about our sex life in front of my cousin.

“Um, hi Melissa!” I give a little wave while trying to banish my blush, hoping that she’ll let me change the subject. “It’s, well, been a long time? How are you? Blow anything up?”

She doesn’t respond for a moment, taking a few deep breaths and letting herself calm down. Once her face is a normal color, she thankfully takes my olive branch and lets the previous topic fade away.

“Things have been good! And yes, I have. You know that good inventors blow up something at least once a week.”

I chuckle, Himi folding her arms on top of my head and resting her own on them as she studies Melissa’s appearance. “Yeah, yeah. ‘It jump starts the creative process’. I’m pretty sure you just love the fact that it exacerbates your dad.”

A mischievous grin plays across her lips, one that she tries to hide by reaching up and adjusting her glasses. “I certainly have no clue where you would get that idea. Why would I want to irritate my dad?”

I roll my eyes, tapping my chin as I decide to treat it as an actual question for Himi’s benefit. I wonder if Melissa hasn’t asked about her because she’s still embarrassed? “If I had to pick a reason, it would probably be that quirk enhancing device you designed, then he claimed credit for.”

She scowls for a brief moment before schooling her expression into one of disinterest and shrugs. “Like he said, it’s a revolutionary device that could change the world. If people figured out that someone who wasn’t even an adult at the time designed it, then they would have come after me. No matter that I live on I-Island, jealous scientists would have helped them.”

I close my eyes as I nod understandingly. “Yes, yes. You’ve said that all before.” My eyes open and I level my stare at her. “You’ve also said how much you hate it when people try to pass off the work of someone else as their own. We both know that you don’t like it, and I thought we established that you don’t have to lie to me. “

She maintains eye contact for a moment before sighing and looking down. “You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s just that it's been so long, and I wasn’t sure if you were the same. Or if you expected me to be the same.”

I chuckle darkly, choking it off quickly when she looks up and furrows her brows. “Trust me, whether or not you change doesn’t matter to me. So long as you’re happy, then I’m happy.” I smile brightly. “So no more lying, got it?”

She chuckles. “No more lying.” Her smile turns cat-like, and I have to briefly remind myself that Himi is with me and hasn’t ever gotten any of Melissa’s blood. “In that case, care to introduce me to your girlfriend?”

I smirk back at her, her attempt at making me flustered failing horribly as I gesture at the little vampire using my shoulder as a headrest. “Gladly. May I introduce to you Himiko Toga, my girlfriend of almost a year. The person I’m eternally grateful to wake up next to everyday.”

“Oh hush, you.” Himi lightly taps my head and I see her blush on the camera despite her looking away. “ I’m the one who’s glad to wake up next to you .” She looks back, making eye contact with Melissa as her voice and smile turn playful, matching the look Melissa has. “Of course, that’s not to say I’m not grateful when you keep me awake, either~.”

Aaaand we’re back to blushing. At least this time it’s all three of us! I clear my throat, deciding that the best way to get rid of the sudden awkwardness would be to bring up the status of the quirkless. Two’s a coincidence but three’s a pattern, and all that. And Melissa will make four! But before I can, I see Melissa’s eyes widen.

“DO THE TWO OF YOU HAVE A KID!?”

““HUH!?””

We both whirl around in confusion, only to see Eri staring back with a scared expression, clutching the gamepad between her hands hard enough to turn them white. We’ve made a little progress with her knowing she’s safe here, but she has the same self-deprecating personality that I used to have before I met Himi, so she often thinks she’s a bother.

But the two of us make sure she knows she’s not by wrapping our arms around her from both sides, whispering reassurances in her ears that we’re not mad that she showed up during the call, and that we’re always happy to help her with anything or see whatever she wants to show us. It takes a few minutes, but she eventually manages to calm down enough that we can ask her what she wanted.

Not needed , but wanted . The difference is slight, but the distinction is important for her to know that she can come to us whenever she wants, not just when she feels like she has no other choice. It certainly helps that it’s true. I’ll never treat this traumatized little girl the way the Yagis treated me, and if I ever did I’d put my trust in the League to find a way to permanently murder me with all due prejudice. And then some.

“I… I wanted to show you a cute thing…” Eri says quietly, trailing off in a clear show of insecurity.

“We’d love to see it!” I say with a voice full of excitement, accompanied by Himi’s rapid nodding. “We both love cute things, just look at Himi and yourself if you don’t believe me!”

Her lips twitch for a moment in an almost-smile before she shows us what she was playing. On the screen is Kirby, and for a moment the image is superimposed with the girl from the UA Entrance Exam, forcing me to hold back a snort of laughter. There’s absolutely no way I’ll make our little girl-acorn feel bad like that!

“They’re totally cute!” Himi says enthusiastically. “They’re one of my favorite characters in that game!”

This time I can’t hold back a snort, but I make sure Eri knows who it’s directed at. “Yeah, but only because you both love sucking.”

She snorts back, leaning in to give me a peck on the cheek. “Too late, the time for those jokes have passed, go back three spaces and return to your cousin.”

I blink, having forgotten what we were doing for the moment. Looking back I’m relieved to see that Melissa is still on the call. She’s leaning her cheek on her hand and has a dopey smile on her face as she watches us. Seeing me looking back, she coughs, clearing her throat before she speaks.

“Well, I’m happy that you’re happy. It looks like you’re going to be good parents.” She blinks as she looks up. “Speaking of, do you know why Izumi was acting weird when she called me before?”

I tense slightly, working to hide it as I pat Eri on the head and send her and Himi off to play together. I close the door behind them as they talk about their favorite colors of Kirby, returning to my spot in front of the computer as I try to put on a nonchalant air. “Can’t say that I do. When exactly did she call you though?”

She frowns. “It was a bit before UA’s Entrance Exam. Shouldn’t you know that? Even if the two of you are fighting, you do live together.”

I clear my throat, preparing my series of half-truths and redirections. “Actually, I moved out around the same time I met Himi. So I wouldn’t know. I did… talk …with her recently, but it didn’t come up.”

She blinks at me in surprise that’s echoed in her voice. “You moved out? How!? Why!? And wait, how are you paying for a place to live? And with a girlfriend and a kid? Do you need help?”

I chuckle, the offer for help reminding me of all those trips to I-Island where she asked me if I needed help with organizing my quirk analysis. I didn’t show them to people other than her and Shoko though, and she got used to the way they kind of blurred together in places, so I didn’t really need any of the gadgets she offered to make.

“Yes, I moved out. And it was actually pretty easy, Himi and I both work for some eccentric rich old guy and help out his son with some of his projects. They want to change society, and we support him in that. The pay is good, and they provide a living space, as well as covering all the bills. We aren’t the only ones either, he basically has a nanny who's been with him for years.”

I smile fondly. “They may not be the most… stable of people, with the exception of the nanny, but it’s fun. I don’t regret meeting them for a moment.”

I shake my head free of nostalgic memories of all the non-murderous/violent stuff we’ve done. Like that time when we tried to vacuum up Kurogiri’s mist to see what’s underneath only for him to drop us in a dump. Or that time Himi and I numbed Shiggy’s hands and made him think they vanished while he was sleeping. There’s also the time where they stitched together some of my discarded body parts to make a puppet of me that we had a little play with.

I was actually a little worried about that one. If my quirk were to somehow activate after the parts were put together…

But thankfully they didn’t, and I blended them into slush before selling the resulting…drink? Smoothie?...on a website for those with cannibalistic quirks.

“As for the why…” I trail off, this actually being a perfect opportunity to bring up quirkless quirks. “There’s actually something I found out,” I say with full seriousness as I meet her eyes. Sensing the shift in mood, she straightens up, her own eyes gaining a focus they lacked before.

I lean forward, interlacing my fingers. “I found out that having an extra toe joint does not mean someone is quirkless.”

She’s silent for a moment, her eyes wide. There’s a few reactions I was expecting to see when I brought this up. Shock. Disbelief. Hope.

But what I didn’t expect, is fear.

She frantically looks around before leaning forward, her hands presumably flying across her keyboard. “How did- No, you’ve always been smart. Especially when it comes to quirks. But then- No, too dangerous. Then that means-”

She falls silent as she focuses on whatever she’s doing, and it takes a few minutes for her to be done. The whole time I’m just staring at her with my mouth hanging open. Eventually, she leans back, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Thank Science that you have a secure computer. It would have been bad, otherwise.” She blinks. “Wait, why do you have a computer that can’t be traced and firewalls that could rival some of the less dangerous I-Island servers?”

“Uuuhhh…” Eloquent, I know.

She waves her hand. “Not important, you’re right.” She takes a steadying breath, casting one last furtive glance around her. “It’s too dangerous to talk about this online or over the phone, even if the devices are secure. I’ll send you some tickets for the I-Island Expo at the start of summer so you and the others can come up.”

She shakes her head. “In the meantime, whatever you do- DO NOT TELL ANYONE ! Even if you completely trust them.” She rubs at the spot between her eyebrows, suddenly seeming much more tense. “I-” She swallows. “I’ll explain when you get here. Just-just trust me until then, ok?”

And with that she ends the call, leaving me staring at the screen with confusion-filled eyes, no idea what just happened. Really, I only know two things.

Melissa already knew the truth about the quirkless.

And there’s even more to it than I thought.

Notes:

Le gasp! A possible future plot development!? Since when do I think ahead!?

Chapter 63: Comfort

Summary:

Mina helps Izumi with ✨Trauma✨ and a panic attack!

Notes:

Trigger warning for self harm. And a panic attack.

(Mina)

I shove my way through the crowd of students, scowling at the ones who insist on standing in my way. Which makes absolutely no sense since Bakugou is the one who pissed them off! Why are you bothering me, go bother him! He’s still yelling, but that’s unrelated to the other courses checking out our class. Honestly it would be pretty funny to see him explode some of the ‘extras’, as he called him. But I have something way more important to do!

As I head down the hall to my target, I can’t help but think about how she’d been acting all day. It was strange. Usually Izumi would be all over everyone, desperately trying to be helpful and make sure they’re all ok after the USJ. Even if the worst damage any of us got was Kaminari short-circuiting from his own quirk. Again.

But she came in with massive eye bags even worse than our teacher’s. And she was extremely out of it, she barely even reacted when the Sports Festival was announced! Heck, even Toru was more excited than her, and she was just depressed that nobody would pay attention to her because she’s invisible!

Even with all that though, I could wave it off as her having an off day. I know just how bad those can be. Not that I’ll ever tell anyone~. No, the real thing that made me concerned is how she reacted when that jerk with purple hair said that all of us are too arrogant to be heroes, and that people will die if we let surviving a villain attack go to our heads.

I’m gonna be honest, in that moment, I wondered if he had brain damage. Like, why would not dying make us arrogant? Seriously, what the fuck!? Aizawa-sensei even said that the people we fought only counted as villains because they used their quirks! They barely even qualified as hired muscle with how weak they were! (His words, not mine.)

But Izumi seemed to hunch in on herself when he said that, lowering her head so that her eyes were hidden. She seemed so small in that moment, and I could just tell that she needed help. Of course before I could go to her Bakugou shouted about how they have the right to be arrogant, especially with how two of the villains didn’t survive the attack.

Which is especially stupid! We all know that All Might killed some kind of monster the villains brought in an effort to end the Symbol of Peace, and they killed one of their own people. But we had nothing to do with either of those situations! Why’s he acting like All Might showed up specifically to help us? Well, he did, but Bakugou was making it seem like he only came because it was our class!

Anyways, after Bakugou said that, Izumi punched him in the face and stormed off! So now I’m trying to follow her and ask what’s wrong. She might not tell me, but even the fact I showed up will help her feel better. It certainly did for me.

I just wish I wasn’t tracking her by the trail of small wet spots on the ground. Not only is it super hard, but I know what those are.

She’s crying.

It takes so long that I don’t even realize that I nearly pass my destination, the only thing stopping me from moving on the faint sounds coming from it. I look around and see it’s a restroom in one of the rarely used hallways. Probably because it leads to a dead end with a picture of our principal in an old military outfit.

When I come into the restroom I’m not surprised to hear Izumi sobbing, half-incoherent apologies addressed to somebody who’s not here. But I pale when I hear something else. A familiar sound, one I wish I hadn’t heard so, so often myself. I rush to the closed stall she’s hiding in, pushing on it by instinct even though I know that it will be locked. But to my surprise it opens easily. She’s not used to doing this in public, is my only thought before she enters my vision.

She’s staring at me in surprise with tear stains trailing down her face, her mouth hanging open, frozen, with a small knife made out of some sort of green energy clutched in one hand. And dripping from that knife, is blood. Izumi’s blood. I look at her with sad eyes as I stand there, not moving. If I move, I’ll startle her, make her panic. I need to let her react first.

It’s so weird, being on the other end.

*Drip. Drip. * It takes a while, both of us just staring at each other in silence except for the blood slowly dripping from the tip of the blade onto the floor. Meanwhile I take in her appearance, making sure my eyes don’t flicker. It would set her off.

She’s cutting her thigh, her skirt pulled down to her knees while she sits on the toilet. Both of them are a mess of scars, old cuts clearly overlapped by the newer ones, and her right leg is sporting the cuts I interrupted her making. But they’re surprisingly clean, not covered in blood like they should be. Instead, the blood hangs in the air, free floating due to her quirk. The green energy coming off of it is easy enough to see, a clear signal that she’s the one holding it, and I can’t help but be disturbingly impressed.

Using her quirk to hurt herself, and using her quirk to keep things from getting messy. Smart.

I panicked after my first time, and back then I’d been thankful that my parents were meeting up with friends they hadn’t seen in a long time. I had to scramble for a towel to clean up, then bandages to wrap the cuts, and then another towel to clean up from when I went to grab the other two things. Then I had to put everything through the quick wash and dry cycle with a lot of bleach all the while praying that my parents didn’t come home.

Thankfully -or not, depending on your view- they didn’t. It was months before I was caught, and even then the only reason is because of bad -or good- luck. A girl from another school had dragged her boyfriend under the bleachers to make out at a baseball game, and that’s all it took.

To be fair, I think anyone would scream when they see a girl with blood dripping down her head when they were hoping to get lucky. After that though, obviously my parents found out… everything, really. They found out that I was hurting myself, they found out about the bullying, they found out about the discrimination.

The school got sued, I got transferred and put in therapy, and my parents put a ban on all sharp objects in our house. It was really funny whenever we had steak for dinner, only for them to remember they’d gotten rid of all the knives.

It took time, but I got better.

I’m pulled from my memories when Izumi finally moves. She lets go of the knife and it disappears, causing her to wince when the rest of the blood splashes to the floor. The blood she’s holding with her quirk shoots down the gap between her legs and into the toilet, hiding exactly how much she bled. But I could tell by the size of it that it was a lot.

She gulps as she struggles to pull her skirt up, becoming increasingly more panicked when it doesn’t immediately cooperate. Her eyes dart from side-to-side, trying to look anywhere but at me, and it hurts how much I know what she’s going through.

“Uh, um. Hi, Mina. How, uh, how unexpected, to meet you here.” Her words are awkward, and I move slowly so as not to startle her. Her hands put more effort into their work, and there’s a tearing sound as the skirt rips, having been caught between the toilet and the seat.

She looks like she’s about to start crying again. But now I’m close enough. Slowly, carefully, I reach out, drawing her head to my chest as I hum reassuringly. “It’s ok… It’s ok…”

The tears come again as she sobs into my chest, hands clutching at the hem of my blazer. I use my foot to gently close the stall door, wishing that I could lock it without pulling away. 

I whisper to her as she cries, reassuring her that I’m here for her. That it’s ok. But when I say it’s not her fault, she pulls away like I slapped her, clutching at her head.

“It is my fault! I drove him away! I put him where they could get him! It’s my fault he was there! It’s my fault! My fault-My fault-My fault-” A crooked and jagged form of the energy knife appears in her hand again, and before I can stop her it plunges down into her left leg, causing an injury far different from the others.

“My fault, my fault, my fault,” Izumi mutters over and over as she twists the knife, jerking it side to side and widening the wound. I grab her wrist to stop her, feeling sick when I look at the mess she’s made of her leg. Even if she could have hid her cuts before, that’s going to need to be looked at. It's like she carved out the flesh, leaving only a gaping hole where it used to be, bone barely visible through all the blood that flows down her leg.

I hold her wrist as I pull her head back to my chest, not letting her continue. “It’s ok. It’s ok.” That’s all I can say. If I tell her that she’s wrong, that it’s not her fault, I think she might switch targets from her to me. She’d regret it afterwards, but it would make her self-harm all the more brutal in the future, when no one could stop her.

Eventually her blame stops, instead she starts rambling to me about why it’s her fault, clearly desperate for me to understand and let her suffer . The sick feeling in my chest gets stronger the more she talks, and for a brief moment I think about my old bullies. They were the same.

But that’s just it; they were the same. Izumi is different now. She hasn’t bullied anyone since coming to UA, and she’s clearly had some of those scars for months. She was the same, but not anymore. She’s a better person than she was.

But that’s not what she needs to hear right now. Telling her that would just make it worse. So I say something different instead. “Hurting yourself isn’t going to make it right.” I whisper softly.

“Then what is !?” Her question is filled with desperation. For forgiveness. For punishment.

“You can’t change the past, only the future.” Slowly, I move my hand to her head, gently running my fingers through her long locks. “I’m not going to lie, what you did was horrible, and if I knew you back then I probably would have hated you.” She opens her mouth but I talk over her, not wanting to hear whatever self-deprecation she has ready to spew. “But I didn’t know you back then, I only know you now. And the you I know now, isn’t a bully.”

“If you want to make up for what you did, then make sure it never happens again. Make sure you protect people like the one you hurt. It won’t make the pain go away, but at least you can know that you’re making a difference. That you are different. Hurting yourself just means that there’s more suffering, not less.”

She sniffles, but stays silent. We stay like that for a few moments, and I’m growing increasingly concerned with the amount of blood covering everything. Even with the knife blocking some of it. But then it suddenly vanishes. I’m taken by surprise and immediately move my hand from her wrist to cover the wound, working to stem the flow of blood. Her hand falls limply to her side while her body slumps limply against me.

It’s only then that I realize that Izumi’s fallen unconscious, probably a combination from the blood loss and mental exhaustion of being found and explaining why. Quickly, I use my free hand to dial a number our entire class was made to put in our phones, grateful for Aizawa-sensei’s insistence on calling them if we need them.

Boy, do I need them.

When the dial tone ends I hear a growling voice on the other end, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief. “Hound Dog here, who am I talking with?”

“It’s Mina Ashido, no time to explain. I need you and Recovery Girl to come to the girl’s restroom by Nezu’s military painting. Bring bandages.” I hang up, hoping that doing so will make them come faster. If I stayed on, he would have wasted time trying to question me, instead of just doing what I asked.

As I look down at Izumi I make a promise to myself, and to her. “I’ll be here for you. No matter what.”

Chapter 64: Skyfall

Summary:

A homeless person wakes up!

“I’m gonna shove this knife up yer ass!” I whoop as I arch my back, the knife wielded by a little homeless girl going into the now vacated space.

“Missed me, missed me, now ya gotta kiss me!” I laugh, twirling around and putting a table between us

“My foot will kiss yer ass!” She snarls while trying to lunge across the table. I snicker at seeing the utter failure it results in due to her being too short, with her arms barely reaching halfway across.

“You’ll have to catch me first~.”

The chase continues, with Two rushing around tables and chairs in an effort to catch me while I foil every attempt she makes. All to the enjoyment of our audience, who are sharing a large bucket of popcorn while they watch.

“Think we should stop them soon?” Himi asks, glancing at Shigaraki and Kurogiri.

“Why should we? It’s fun to watch.” Shigaraki punctuates his statement by shoving another handful of popcorn in his mouth while Kurogiri lets out a sigh at seeing the crumbs fall to the floor.

“Unlike Tomura Shigaraki, they are not currently making a mess. Nor has anything been damaged.”

“Oi-”

The argument between nanny and ward goes ignored by the others, Himi looking at One with a raised eyebrow. He shrugs. “I mean, the only reason I didn’t attack him myself is because he helped me realize I have a quirk. Not to mention that the two of you scare me.”

Himi nods and crosses her arms. “As we should,” she says sagely.

Ignoring her antics, One resumes watching and I give him a little wave as I do a frontflip over Two, which he also ignores. “But then again… I didn't come away with any permanent injuries.”

I nod along with his words while Two seems to grow angrier. Guess she’s listening to them as well. And he’s not wrong. Despite all the tests we did to One, we made sure that nothing left a permanent mark. Two… wasn’t that lucky.

Burn scars crawl their way across her shoulders and down her arms, stopping just past her elbows. There’s a full wraparound on her collarbone but doesn’t extend up her neck. Luckily for her, her legs escaped unscathed. But that’s only for the surface injuries. Part of why I’m letting her attack me like this is actually so I have a better idea of how her new scars affect her muscles, movements, etc.

I matrix duck under a wild swing and can’t help but frown. Her arms’ mobility is down, I think. And she has trouble fully extending her arms. She flinches every time she swings, -does a good job hiding it though- but not when she stabs. The scarring restricts her joints. Sure, I can probably just ask the Doctor to tell me everything, but where’s the fun in that? Not to mention…

I shake my head, deciding to put an end to this. On her next stab I let her knife enter my palm, grabbing hold of the handle while she’s still too surprised to react. And to force her to let go of the knife, I have a variety of options. I could twist and pull, step forward and intimidate, just raise my arm since I’m tall enough that she wouldn’t be able to reach, etc.

But I decide to go with the tried and true method husbands and pimps have relied upon for time immemorial. The simple backhand.

I raise said hand, bringing it down at Two’s face-

And get a frying pan to the back of the head.

“Bad Izu! No taking out your frustrations on the loli! You already put her in a coma!”

I groan, rubbing the back of my head while Two dashes away from me, putting two tables between us in a reversal of our positions. “Fine, fine. It would have been funny though!”

“No it wouldn’t.” Himi shoots me down.

“A little funny.” Shiggy acknowledges, raising his hands in surrender when Himi points another frying pan at him threateningly. “Never mind.”

I sigh, sitting down next to Himi and pulling her into my lap. “You’re right, you're right. Sorry. I guess I’m just upset about Melissa.”

Himi nods her head. “And that’s perfectly fine. Just don’t be going overboard with the group. Instead just ask and we’ll go out murdering some people we don’t care about!”

I chuckle, tilting my head up to give her a peck on the lips. “We really should. I know how disappointed you were about how little blood got spilled at the USJ, and we haven’t really gone on any dates to rectify that, have we?”

She shakes her head, her eyes flashing with some emotion I don’t identify before it’s gone just as fast as it appeared. “Yeah, things have been pretty busy. Oh, speaking of, Mirko messaged us for a booty call for the end of the week. Think you’re up for it?”

I laugh, loud and boisterous. “Hahaha! Wow, you really like her, huh? Didn’t she call like, twice, last week?”

She shrugs. “Yeah, but I was busy and you were off brooding. Our trip to USJ is the day before so we shouldn’t have any problems meeting her, right?”

I nod. “Yeah, sure. Let her know-”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH YOU PSYCHOS!?” I’m cut off by Two’s outraged shout as she points at me. “This prick threw me inta a burnin’ building!” She points at the rest of the League. “Then you pricks sit around eating popcorn while I try an’ stab him!” Back to me. “And then you don’t even react to the fuckin knife goin into yer hand ! WHAT THE HELL!?”

“Ah.” I scratch my cheek awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess you aren’t used to our antics yet.”

“THE HELL DO YOU MEAN ‘YET’!?”

“But don’t worry!” I wave her question aside since it’s unimportant, ignoring the drops of blood that go flying. “Not only will we help you to train and discover every facet of your quirk, but we also won’t judge you for however you want to use it!”

I sweep my arm in a gesture encompassing everyone. “For we are the League of Villains, hardened criminals who-”

“Papa! Mama!” Eri bounces down the stairs excitedly, waving her gamepad in the air. “I beat them, I beat them!”

Himi swings off of me, elbowing me in the face as she does so she can get to Eri first. “Who’d you beat, who’d you beat!?” She’s practically bouncing as much as Eri is.

I rub my cheek as I stand behind Himi while Eri turns the screen to show us. “I beat the champion! I’m the Pokemon master!” Her smile is small, but from her it’s equivalent to stretching across her face.

“Eeeeh!” Himi lets out a squeal as she pulls the girl into a hug, squishing their faces together. “That’s so awesome! Congratulations, Snowdrop!”

I nod emphatically. “Yeah Unicorn, that’s super impressive. Especially for how little you’ve actually played it!” I blink as I realize something, narrowing my eyes on her. “Wait a minute, have you been staying up past your bedtime to play Pokemon?”

“Sleep is for the weak, there is only the grind.” Eri rattles off as if by memory, and I shift my focus to Tomura, glaring at him. He waves his hands frantically in defense.

“Don’t blame me, I only say that when it’s late and the group I’m with wants to get off!”

“And on your streams.” Kurogiri adds with a hint of reproach in his voice.

Shiggy gives him a betrayed look before paling when he hears me crack my knuckles. “So~. You’re teaching my daughter bad habits. More than that, you’re affecting her development. Don’t you know that kids are supposed to sleep for at least nine hours a night, or else they won’t get taller?”

I smile with my eyes closed and head tilted to the side. “Are you saying you want my daughter to always be the size of a child?”

Before he can reply and seal his fate, Shigaraki is saved by an unexpected shout. “You assholes poking fun at my height!? I grew up dumpster diving fer food! It ain’t my fault I’m short!”

I look at Two, confusion in my eyes. “Wait, are you saying you’re not twelve years old?”

“I’M SIXTEEN!”

I click my tongue in irritation. “Tsk. Why is everyone I know older than me? I literally had to stab a guy and pick someone younger than me off…the…street…”

I trail off, slowly turning to look at Eri with an apprehensive gaze. “Eri… how old are you?”

I’ve just been assuming she’s around five or six this entire time, but if I’m wrong…

“I’m six, Papa!”

I let out an internal sigh of relief. Good, I haven’t been treating a forty year old woman like my child. That would have been embarrassing.

“Anyways, I feel like we got sidetracked-”

“And who’s fault is that!?”

“-so let’s just get to the crux of the matter.”

I look at Two, and this time I’m serious. Seeing the change in my demeanor, she swallows. I speak slowly, enunciating each word to give them the full impact.

“You, have a quirk. It is a powerful quirk, even based on the findings of the single test I was able to conduct.” I hold up a hand to stop her objections when she opens her mouth. “I don’t care that you were diagnosed as quirkless when you were four. So was I, and so was One. But we both have quirks, and it’s easy to prove them. Not only do we have quirks, but they are both powerful , just like yours.”

I make my way through the tables, steadily approaching her as I start to gesture, passion filling my words. “We have been lied to ! Our quirks were actively hidden from us ! Everyone wanted us to think that we were less than them, but the truth is that we are the same!” I shake my head, short and sharp. “No. Society lifts up those with powerful quirks, with useful quirks. We are not the same. We are not less . By their own standards, we are better !”

I place my hand on my chest, bowing as I formally introduce myself. “I am Izuku Midoriya Usagi. The villain known as Midosagi. My quirk is called Undying, and it brings me back to life every time I die.”

I gesture to the side, ignoring the way her mouth hangs open in shock at hearing how my quirk works. One steps forward, mimicking my bow. “I am One. I threw away my old name when I became a villain, when my family denied the evidence I gave them about how I have a quirk. My quirk is called Gum, and it allows me to create gum with whatever properties I wish, so long as it remains edible.”

I step forward, putting my hand on her shoulder. “You are Two, the second person I’ve found that has a quirk despite being named quirkless. When I dragged you through one of Kurogiri’s portals, we fell from the sky. I died on impact with the ground, but you came out unscathed from the fall. Instead, your impact caused an earthquake that leveled a burning building. Your quirk doesn’t have a name yet, but I would suggest Kinetic Transference, for accuracy, or Shockwave, if you want to be intimidating. Dispersion could also work, and would be misleading for the people who learn its name.”

I give her a warm smile as I meet her eyes. “The League of Villains can help you train your quirk, learn its limits. We can make sure that no one ever looks down on you for being ‘quirkless’ again. And if you have something you want to do, that you need to do?” I shrug. “We will help you achieve your goals. Whatever they might be.”

She’s silent for a moment, lowering her head so that her dark red hair covers her eyes. “...You dropped me inter a burning building.”

“And I’m sorry for that. The wind blew us off course from where I thought we’d land. If you’d like to take out your anger on me, I won’t object. You have every right to be angry, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

“...I have scars. They itch. They hurt .”

I nod. “I have scars too. Mental, and physical. I’m not the only one. I truly am sorry for causing them, but I cannot change the past. Only the future.”

Silence reigns for several minutes, but nobody moves. Not even Shigaraki, who’s been staring at us with a gleam in his eyes this whole time. Eventually, she speaks.

“My name ain’t Two.”

I try not to let the disappointment show on my face, already coming up with ideas on where we can send her without it becoming a problem for us. Even if she doesn’t want to join, I don’t want to kill her. But her next words bring them to a halt, and instead a wide grin stretches across my face.

She meets my eyes with her own blazing with determination.

“You can call me… Skyfall.”

Chapter 65: Omakes Before the Festival

Summary:

Exactly what the titles says.

Mirko stands at attention in front of the head of the HPSC and her council, looking straight ahead with a professional air around her. One that’s completely at odds with her thoughts.

Shitty old hag. Why can’t you and the geezers just let me do my job!?

The Rabbit hero had been required to reschedule all of her plans for the day in order to attend the chairwoman’s summons, which means she hasn’t gotten to work through any of the excitement that has built up. It’s even worse since the meeting is at noon, which is long past when she’d originally planned to get it taken care of! I better run into someone who can give me a good fight! I had to cancel my meeting with the Twins this morning too!

Yes, Mirko is aware the two are villains. But they also gave her the warning about the attack on the USJ. Which means it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they would be willing to give her even more information, or perhaps even betray the League of Villains. Even if they aren’t, having a reliable source of information in the underworld is a useful tool for any successful hero. Daylight or Underground.

Of course… that’s not quite why she wanted a meeting.

I was really looking forward to another threesome!

…

After leaving the hero standing for a suitable amount of time to feed her ego, the chairwoman speaks. “We are given to understand that you have a connection to this… League of Villains, that attacked UA.”

Mirko shrugs, not deigning to answer the unspoken question. The chairwoman’s eyebrow twitches before she continues. “When did you encounter them, and why were they not arrested then?”

Now that she's been directly asked, she needs to answer. So with a lazy drawl, she gives a brief overview of how she met the Usagi twins. “Some brat threw a water balloon at my face, so I chased them down. When I caught them their friend showed up and told me that ‘The League of Villains is targeting UA’, since All Might works there now. They vanished through a warp quirk before I could question them further.”

…Very brief.

The chairwoman’s stern expression doesn’t change. “Why not arrest them and question them at the police station? That would have prevented their escape.”

Mirko deadpans at the woman. “The hell was I supposed to know they were villains? We both know it’s not exactly uncommon for someone to throw something at a hero in that city.”

The chairwoman maintains a glare before letting out a huff of dissatisfaction. “Very well. Thankfully, this does open up certain… possibilities.”

“Oh?” One of Mirko’s ears twitches at the chairwoman’s tone, curious where this is going. Seeing that she finally has her attention the chairwoman lets out an internal sigh. She hates working with the more willful heroes.

“It seems to me that you have a -if not positive- at least neutral relationship with the League of Villains. Would that be accurate?”

Mirko thinks back on the single interaction she had with them before the USJ, and the wide, wide variety of things they did. She holds back a smirk as she replies smugly, “You could say that.”

The chairwoman nods in satisfaction, a small smile appearing on her face. “That puts you in a position where you can get in their good graces. Where you can earn their trust. Where you can… infiltrate their organization.”

Mirko blinks, her mouth opening and closing a few times at the unexpected claim. Or rather, at what her orders clearly are. Eventually though, she speaks three simple words. A question, really.

“Are you stupid?”

`~`

I scream as the scalpel slides under my fingernail, becoming a lever they use to peel it off, the connecting skin snapping as the nail slowly, oh so slowly, rises. It feels like it takes forever, an eternity before it snaps off, the scalpel digging deeper into my flesh all the while. It retracts, the person holding it-

“Blegh!”

-throwing up in the trashcan next to us.

“Fuck this! It’s fuckin disgusting!”

“Oh come on Skyfall, you’ve barely started! You can’t call a few scratches and a single fingernail revenge torture.”

“Those ain’t scratches you fucking psycho!”

I roll my eyes, taking another sip of my orange juice, eliciting an even louder yell from the newest member of the League of Villains. “And who the fuck drinks fuckin juice while they’re being tortured!?”

I shrug, making a popping sound as I take my mouth off the straw. “I mean, I at least screamed for you, so that’s something. Probably.”

“It’s not!”

Welp. It seems that this was a bad idea. Or at least not a good one. I mentally cross out ‘Let Skyfall do whatever she wants’ off my to-do list as she storms out of the room.

Apparently she doesn’t have a mindset for torture, even if she wants to hurt the other person. For anyone curious, this was supposed to be where Skyfall gets her revenge on me for the burn scars she has. But… other than stabbing me a few times, she really couldn’t do any actual torture. Still, it’s good to know that, while she has no trouble killing someone, she won’t take satisfaction from causing other people pain.

Well, fake pain in my case, but potato tomato sharknado.

But as I look around the room, I realize just how insidious her revenge really is!

See, the stab wounds are deep, and scattered across my body. Which means there’s a lot of blood. Blood which has leaked onto the floor.

And Mamagiri told us that he wants the room clean after we’re done. Which Skyfall would have taken care of since we were originally going to torture me to death. But now…

“Clever girl.” I mutter as I grab my clothes off the rack they’re hanging from and use them to wrap my wounds as best I can.

I’ll get in even more trouble if I leave blood trails all over the base looking for cleaning supplies.

`~`

“You seem… dissatisfied, Tomura.”

“Hmm? I guess.”

All For One frowns at his protege. Usually he is one to air his grievances without hesitation, often referring to the problem in question as a glitch or bug, in accordance with his interest in video games. But now, when directly questioned he avoids clarifying? Quite odd.

He maintains his attention on the boy expectantly, and eventually he groans, pausing his game as he turns to give his sensei his full attention. He huffs out a breath, his hand twitching towards his neck before clenching his fingers and crossing his arms. “It’s just… The League is mine .”

If All For One had eyebrows, he would be raising one. “Yes? That is correct.”

Seeing that he doesn’t understand, Tomura lets out another huff before clarifying. “I’m the leader of the League, but Midosagi acts like he’s in charge. It pisses me off.”

“Oh?” All For One is surprised by the claim, for this is the first he’d heard of it. But perhaps Tomura is simply blowing things out of proportion, as he tends to do? He folds his arms across his chest before beginning his questions. “Has he attempted to subvert your control?”

“No.” Tomura growls out the answer.

Hmm. Perhaps this, then? “He has implied you are not fit to lead, or expressed a desire to lead in your place?”

Tomura’s growled reply is deeper this time, his arms tightening. “No…”

Quite the predicament… All For One muses, tilting his head upwards as he wonders how, exactly, the conundrum of a boy, acts as the leader. He motions for Tomura to speak, and he does, reluctantly. He gestures uncertainly while attempting to vocalize his emotions.

“He… It’s… I’m the leader. Me. That means I’m the one who makes the decisions. I decide what we do, when we do it, and how we do it.” All For One nods, each of the points being accurate. At least now that he no longer wishes to transfer his mind to Tomura’s body. A consequence of his-

Ah.

All For One suddenly understands, but lets Tomura continue speaking, hoping that he will realize it on his own. “I’m the leader, so I decide who gets to join. But he just picked up another random for the party and didn’t even ask me!”

“You were aware that the girl joining was the plan, though, correct? If you had reservations, why did you not speak them while she was being treated?”

“I don’t mind her joining,” Tomura waves the contradiction off easily. “It’s just…” He falls silent, unsure of how to say it. Seeing his difficulty, All For One does it for him.

“You feel that he is doing more for the League of Villains than you.”

“Yes!” Tomura shouts, throwing his hands up in the air out of frustration. “He recruited two people, and we got stuck with what he wanted to do at the USJ because he killed the Nomu! Meanwhile, what have I done!? I broke into the school so we knew where to attack, but that’s it!”

“Hmm.” So, it is simply that he does not see his own potential. A fault I caused, unfortunately. “You have done far more than you believe.”

“What, then?” He snaps, and All For One is unsure of how to feel with the more…casual…way he speaks to him. No reverence, no awe. More like an acquaintance.

Or a son.

He ignores the intrusive thought brought upon by Midosagi’s insistence, simply listing out Tomura’s own accomplishments. “As you said, you obtained the information that allowed the attack to occur. While the Nomu failed in combat against the boy, that only means that it would have failed against All Might as well. It is no loss, and certainly not a failure of yours.”

The two hundred year old man lets his mind drift back to that day, to what feels like long ago but was only a year. “You say Izuku recruited two people to the League, but you did so as well. You recruited Izuku and Himiko Toga, so their accomplishments are yours.”

Tomura waves the claim away. “They literally walked into the bar on their own. I had nothing to do with that.”

“Incorrect. You showed that your instincts were accurate in identifying opportunities you could take advantage of to grow your power. Many others would have simply dismissed the two of them as mad and washed their hands of the headaches the duo would cause them.”

“They are a pain in the ass.” Tomura nods in agreement.

“They may have brought Stain to our hideout, but it was only because you informed them that you wished to recruit him. It was not them who spoke to him, offering benefits for cooperation.”

“That failed though. Bastard stabbed me.”

“But you did not falter. Even wounded, you remained calm and collected, and you put him on the back foot. You did not earn his loyalty, but you earned his respect. Not an easy thing, from what is said.”

All For One pauses, letting him digest the information before moving on to the most salient point, one he has completely overlooked. “But what you have failed to realize, is that you have obtained Izuku’s loyalty.”

He does not understand, not truly. But that is why All For One is here, to guide him. “The Usagi are mad, there is no doubt about that.” He nods in understanding. “But they are loyal above all to each other, closely followed by those they consider family. In this case, that means you.”

He opens his mouth to object, but All For One pushes past it. “You have interacted with them on a daily basis, and you have all seen each other at your best, and worst. Had they not considered you family, had they not been loyal to you, I have no doubt that they would have already abandoned the League in order to pursue the life of freedom they both desire.”

He pauses. “But they have not. Instead, they have chosen to tie themselves to you, to the League of Villains. You have earned their loyalty , something that even I likely would have had difficulties with. And that , Tomura, is where your influence grows from.”

His brows furrow, and I sigh. “You do not understand, and that is acceptable. You will understand one day. Just know that while fear is a useful tool, it is loyalty that will carry you to heights far past what you ever imagined.”

`~`

“I can’t believe she hasn’t even called!” Inko Yagi complains to her acquaintance at a little cafe. “She got moved into the dorms a week and a half ago, and she hasn’t called a single time! What kind of daughter leaves her mother to worry like this?”

Her acquaintance nods understandingly, taking a sip from her strawberry lemonade. “Completely ridiculous.”

“I know!” Inko throws her head back as she tosses her more alcoholic beverage down in a single gulp, signaling for another from a grumpy waiter. “Honestly, it’s all because of that quirkless. It would have been better if they were never born.”

Her drinking partner makes some vague noises while taking another sip.

Inko throws her arm around the other woman, not noticing the way her nose crinkles. “You get it! Honestly, I have no idea why it’s such a big deal that some villain who looks like that trash died. They were a villain!”

Another vague noise before they finally speak. “Yeah… If they had a good quirk they could have been a hero. Good quirks are what really matters, don’t you agree?”

Inko beams at her, plopping back into her seat as the waiter brings her drink, snatching it out of his hand with barely a glance. “You do get it!” She looks around, not so subtly eyeing the waiter before he leaves, then leans in close. The other woman tries not to flinch at the foul stench of alcohol coating her breath. “Hey… I have some friends who I think you’d get along with. Want to meet them?”

The other woman smiles, at odds with the abject disgust filling her eyes as she looks at the green-haired woman. “I think that I basically have to. I’m very interested in learning more about you. And these friends of yours.”

Chapter 66: A Speech

Summary:

AFO drops an unaddressed bomb while the LoV watches the opening ceremony for the Sports Festival.

The League are all sitting in the bar, settled in to watch UA’s Sports Festival. Why are we watching the Sports Festival? Because why not! Not only will we get information on all of the hero students’ quirks, but we also might catch sight of someone who could be open to joining us and becoming a villain. Unlikely, yes, but if we do manage to recruit a UA student, it would go a long way towards helping Shigaraki bring down hero society.

It’s hard to understate how useful a spy inside of UA would be. A shame All For One labeled the person he initially had his eye on as ‘incompetently flashy’. Whatever that means.

Of course, that’s the official reason. Really though, most channels are airing the event, so there’s not really anything else interesting on. Plus… I might, maybe, possibly, more than likely want to see how Shoko is doing?

I’ve checked up on her occasionally, sure. But I haven’t actually… seen her since that day I followed her. I was glad to find out that Endeavor’s home has gotten less medical supplies delivered to it than in the past though. Which means that she isn’t getting trained to the point that it can be considered abuse anymore! Good for her!

I’ll still have to see if she wants my murder plans for Endeavor though. If he’s become a better father to her, she may not hate him anymore. That’s the main reason I haven't gone after him yet. Or at least convinced Shiggy that we should target him. Plus he’s the number two hero, so it wouldn’t be easy. We already learned that the top ten heroes can’t be tracked down reliably outside of their typical patrol routes, and that goes double for someone who often gets called in to assist the weaker heroes whenever they can’t handle a villain. And on their patrol routes they’re too on guard to be taken down by a surprise attack.

“Who ya think will win?” Skyfall throws out into the room.

“How would we know?” One asks with a raised eyebrow.

Skyfall looks at him like he’s an idiot -not unreasonable given his response. “Because the lot of you attacked the school? Fought the students?”

One lazily twirls his fake mustache. “Ah, yes. That we did.”

“You aren’t coming off gentlemanly,” Himi notes. “More condescending. Drop the smug, increase the accent.”

“I see, I see.” One nods, twirling the other side of his fake mustache. “Perhaps this is more acceptable?”

“Better,” I say, “but I’d like to point out that you, specifically, cannot see the words you speak. Annoying Seester over in America can though. Her Closed Caption quirk is kind of strange, but useful.”

“Isn’t that just describing how she is?” Shigaraki questions with a curious look.

“Sounds mean.” Eri pouts.

I shrug. “Yes, but she has a close relationship with her younger brother so she took it as her hero name since he always calls her that.” I pause, trying to recall what I know of her brother. “I think his hero name is Laboratory, and his quirk has something to do with compressing objects into marbles and releasing them. He hasn’t actually given any official information about his quirk though, so I’m not entirely sure. Especially since he mainly uses the support gear he’s made in his hero work.”

“Hmm.” He hums but doesn’t let his thoughts show on his face.

“I would advise you not to go causing trouble in the wider world.” All For One’s voice comes out of the second, older tv we have. We’re waiting for the Sports Festival to start on the bigger one I bought. “Or at the very least, you should avoid China.”

Shiggy glares at his father/sensei’s tv. “But what if I can find good recruits there?”

Let it be said that Shiggy has shown absolutely no interest, let alone intention, of leaving Japan for any reason. I’m pretty sure he’s just annoyed at All For One directly telling him what to do for once. At least his fanaticism is gone!

“Because they have people there who are without quirks, but can manipulate the elements.” All For One states calmly, me and the other diagnosed quirkless sitting up and paying more attention now. “They are known as benders, with a modifier for the element they can manipulate. For example, the most dangerous bender, an earth bender, actually has two hero names, depending on whether or not you’ve faced her.”

The seriousness in his voice has all of us tense. Even I am, since I’m not too familiar with heroes outside of Japan. I only knew of the brother and sister pair because I craved a relationship like that with my own sister for so long. That said, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one taken aback by one of the hero names he says.

“On the official hero records, her hero name is Melon Lord, while those who have faced her in combat refer to her as the Blind Bandit. In her long career of being a hero, she has never once lost a fight.”

Skyfall rolls her eyes. “Must not have been that long if she ain’t lost a fight.”

“She is over one hundred years old, and is still an active hero.”

“...”

It’s safe to say that our brains shut down. And I’m pretty sure Shiggy will need a reboot after we hear what he says next. “In fact, I challenged her thirty years ago and was defeated.”

“...”

“It appears the Festival is starting.” Kurogiri’s words are enough to shake us from our shock, though I make a mental note to interrogate All For One for more information about these ‘benders’. Are they like me, One, and Skyfall? Or are they something else…?

But that’s for later, right now my attention is pulled to the screen when I hear who’s doing the student pledge for the first years. I scowl watching Izumi climb the three steps onto the stage, taking her place in front of the microphone. She takes a deep breath, a look of determination on her face. She opens her mouth, and my mind grinds to a halt.

“Anyone can be a hero. To you, it may seem easy for someone in the hero course like me to say that. You may think that I’m in the hero course because I have a strong quirk. But that’s not true. I’m in the hero course because I want- no, I need to be a hero. I will become a hero.”

“It’s not the quirk that makes it possible for someone to become a hero. It’s their heart. So long as you have the heart of a hero, the determination to become one, then it doesn’t matter what anyone else says. It doesn’t matter how many people tell you to give up, that you can’t become a hero because you’re weak. Because your quirk isn’t suited to it.”

She looks up, staring directly down the lens of one of the cameras, her entire face filling the screen. There are tears in her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a good quirk, a so-called villains quirk, a weak quirk, or even no quirk at all. You can be a hero. So to everyone gathered here today, I say show the world your determination! Show the world that you too, can become the heroes you know you can be! Go beyond-”

““PLUS ULTRA!!!””

“...”

Silence.

I’m aware that the others are looking at me. I am. But it’s a distant awareness. I know that Himiko is taking Eri out of the room. But I don’t react to it. I can hear people talking to me. But all I hear is static. No, that’s not right. I don’t hear static. Instead I hear-

“Just accept the fact that you’ll never be a hero and give up.”

“Worthless Deku! You’ll never be a hero!”

Laughter.

I hear her words. I hear Kachan’s words. Their mocking laughter.

“You have the knife? Good, let’s make sure everyone knows this trash is quirkless. He’ll have a harder time hiding it after we’re through with him.”

I feel the knife. The fear. The desperation.

Fire. Burning. It won’t open. Why won’t it open?

I feel trapped.

Crashing. Pain. It hurts.

It hurts.

“No.”

My voice is a whisper. I stand, my seat tipping backwards from how abrupt my action is. I grab it before it can fall, dragging it with me as I step forward.

“No.”

I stand in front of the tv, watching as the crowd cheers for Izumi’s speech.

“You don’t get to say that…”

“What a speech from one of our top students! She’s an inspiration to every aspiring hero!”

“You don’t get to sAY THAT!!!”

I scream as the chair smashes into the tv. I stare at it with bloodshot eyes as I swing it again, broken plastic flying past me.

“YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT! YOU DON’T GET TO BE A GOOD SISTER! YOU DON’T GET TO PRETEND LIKE YOU BELIEVE THAT!”

Each sentence is punctuated by another swing. Another crash as the chair destroys the tv. Each swing is filled with my anger. My rage at her words. At the blatant hypocrisy she displays on live television.

“WHERE WAS THAT WHEN I WANTED TO BE A HERO!? WHERE WERE YOU!? TEN YEARS! YOU HAD TEN YEARS ! HOW DARE YOU! YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT!”

Before I know it the chair is splinters in my hands, my breathing coming out in ragged gasps. I stare at the destroyed device, gritting my teeth.

“You don’t get to say that anyone can be a hero, when you said I couldn’t.” Do I say those words? Maybe. I don’t know. But I do know this.

She will suffer .

I turn around, ignoring the way the others face me, ready for a fight in case I lash out. But they aren’t the ones I’m going to hurt, oh no~. It’s looking to me like Izumi wasn’t happy with how our last family reunion turned out. So I think it’s time for another.

“Midosagi.”

I look up. Tomura is standing in front of me, his arms crossed and a glare in his eyes. I breathe out slowly, unclenching my hands, feeling the blood dripping down my palms.

“What.”

It’s not a question. It’s a demand to know why he’s standing in my way.

We keep eye-contact, neither of us looking away. One and Kurogiri look between us uneasily, while Skyfall has taken cover behind the bar, her eyes peeking out to see what happens.

Suddenly, he lets loose a malicious grin. “Make sure everyone knows just how badly the heroes fucked up.”

I stare for a moment, uncomprehending. And then I smile too, returning his manic grin with a savage one.

“Always, party leader.”

Himiko comes out of the door leading to the bedrooms, my costume in hand. “Here you go sweety. Just… keep Eri and me in mind, ok?”

My expression softens just a bit at the concern in her eyes, and I accept my costume from her while giving her a deep kiss. It’s not a quick one, not a long one. It’s the perfect one to show her how much I love her. It’s a promise that no matter what, we will be together.

Always.

I pull back with love in my eyes. “Always.”

She wraps her arms around me, giving me a fleeting hug before skipping backwards with her hands behind her back. “Then go ahead. Remind your sister of what she’s done. That her actions have consequences.”

I grin, and I’m fully aware of the madness dancing in my eyes. I don’t care though. I know I’m crazy. Himiko knows I’m crazy. The League knows I’m crazy.

But they accept me anyways. Like a family should .

I turn away, off to teach someone who doesn’t know how family acts exactly why they shouldn’t lie. I leave a single word behind in the bar as I walk out the door. A promise.

“Always.”

Notes:

Yes, I referenced Scoob and Shag. That webtoon is AWESOME!

Chapter 67: I'm Baaack~

Summary:

Izuku is making moves~.

It really shouldn’t be as easy as it is to get into the Sports Festival, especially with how many heroes they have acting as security. Doubly especially so considering I’m wearing my villain costume. Sure, I’ve messed with it so it doesn’t immediately scream ‘villain’, but still. I guess a teenager with a broken arm doesn’t rate very high on the list as far as threats go.

They should really rectify that.

I shove Mt. Lady’s unconscious body into a supply closet underneath the stadium, grumbling under my breath. “Seriously, why is she so heavy? Does her quirk make her naturally dense to compensate for her growth? Is all that mass actually compressed when she’s normal sized?”

Things to think about later. Actually, now that I think of it, I haven’t really been analyzing quirk all that often lately. Between working with One, taking care of Eri, and most recently helping Skyfall, I haven’t really had time to go out with Himi and hunt anyone. Not to mention that my previous analyses are already as good as they can get without me actually going out and physically studying their quirks.

I glance up at the cheers of the crowd after closing the door. By the time Mt. Lady brought me down here to get checked out by Recovery Girl, the second event -a cavalry battle- had been underway. It sounds like it just finished.

The last event is always a tournament, and knowing Izumi she’ll get pretty far…

A grin splits my face as several ideas sprout. 

“Oh, this will be fun~.”

`~`

“Come on, there’s no reason to be nervous. Sure, Bakugou looked like he wanted to murder me, but there’s no way he’ll do it live on national television!” Uraraka pauses, thinking about it for a moment. “Right?”

“Oh, he definitely would.” She jumps whirling around at the unexpected sound of someone’s voice.

Who’s there!? The hero-in-training is currently in the preparation room, giving in to its proper function and trying to prepare herself for her match against the most unhinged person in her class. Sure, she has a plan, but that doesn’t mean she’s not still panicking!

But when she sees the person casually leaning against the door frame, she gasps in shock. “You!”

The person she knows as Biggius Dickus, the person she met at the Entrance Exam, the person she believed to have died at the Entrance Exam, gives her a bright smile, his tone joking. “Heya, Uraraka. Since you’re stressing out about your match, I figured that I’d drop by from beyond the grave and give you a bit of advice.”

She stares at him with her mouth hanging open, trying to form her questions. “You- How- I- WHAT!?”

He chuckles, fiddling with the zipper on his jacket. “Yeah, makes sense that you’d be shocked. But just to be clear-”

He steps forward, looking directly into her eyes, his expression suddenly sad. “I did die that day, Uraraka.”

Her mouth closes, her eyes suddenly teary. “I…I did what you asked me. I gave Bakugou your message.”

He gives her a small smile. “Thank you for that. And I’m sorry that it made you a target for him. But that’s why I’m here. You helped me, so now I’ll help you.”

A choked laugh bursts out of her and she wipes at her eyes with the heel of her palms. “H-how? Are you going to possess him and make him walk out of the ring?”

The boy in front of her laughs, loud and bright. “No, no. You wouldn’t be able to show off your skills if something like that happened. Though it would be funny to see his tantrum afterwards. No, I simply have a plan and some advice. You can follow it or not, it’s up to you. But the advice I have will be useful either way.”

He holds out a hand, a shadow seeming to fall across his face. “So, tell me. In exchange for a plan, would you take this poor sinner’s hand?”

`~`

“Are both contestants ready?” Midnight asks, her flogger held out in front of her.

Bakugou stares at Uraraka with a malicious grin, his hands held out to his sides letting off a series of pops and sparks in a show of intimidation. “Give it up bitch, and I won’t have to wreck your face.”

He’s been wanting an opportunity to hurt the chubby-faced girl ever since their first day, when she insulted him. Not that she actually did, but he blames her since she’s the one who said the words to him. Safe to say that Bakugou adheres to the uruk saying; ‘always kill the messenger’.

Midnight frowns at him but remains silent, turning and pointing her flogger at Uraraka and offering her the chance to speak. She stares at her classmate with determination in her eyes, her hands clenched at her sides. She holds her head tall as she speaks, her words echoing throughout the stadium.

“The past doesn’t stay dead, Bakugou. Are you prepared to face yours, when it comes back to haunt you?”

He scowls at her to hide his confusion. The hell is this bitch going on about?

“Well then!” Midnight raises her flogger. “With those unexpectedly ominous words, let the match: Begin!”

Bakugou immediately launches himself forward on a set of explosions, aiming to beat the girl down as brutally and quickly as possible. He sneers when he sees her running backwards to the edge of the arena. He was looking forward to hurting her, but it looks like it will be an instant ring out. Still, he can at least make sure to hit her with a strong explosion.

But it might be better to just beat her down, without using his quirk. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, there’s going to be some serious competition during the tournament. Todoroki, for one. Izumi for another. Todoroki’s ice is a good counter to his quirk, the cold preventing him from sweating. And with Izumi’s quirk evolution-

His planning is brought to an abrupt end after he swings at the brunette in front of him, an explosion primed and ready to release directly in her face. But instead of the expected scream and the sight of her flying out of bounds, he’s suddenly staring at the sky with his back hurting. He’s in a bit of a daze as he tries to make sense of what just happened, but again, his thoughts are ground to a halt, this time by Midnight’s announcement.

“And the winner by ring-out is: Ochako Uraraka!”

He shoots up to a sitting position, twisting around to stare in unbelieving shock at the hero acting as judge for the tournament. She gives him a warning look, but he’s still in too much shock to really make a scene like he usually would. What the fuck just happened?

Uraraka looks down at him, an equally shocked look on her face. But she manages to get herself together faster than he can, and she explains to him how he lost so fast. But her words, said conversationally, unheard by anyone else, force him to freeze.

“You should really fix your habit of always starting a fight with a big right hook. A villain might take advantage of that, Kachan .”

She walks away, leaving Bakugou staring after her with his mouth hanging open, her earlier words echoing in his head.

`~`

I chuckle at the sight on the monitor, seeing the panic that manages to break through Kachan’s wrath and color his expression before Midnight prompts him to leave. “One down, two to go. But where and when, will the reveal take place? Private or public, kindness and wrath. Lay it all out, or save a surprise, for another time? Decisions, decisions, must be made. How much anger, shall I sate? A grand reveal, must be timed, just right…”

I trail off, watching as the next fighters enter the stage. Waiting for my turn, to enter the play.

“...Since when am I a poet? That definitely had a rhythm, and a beat. A tone to know, the plans I make. Maybe I’ll write something for Himi, at a later date.”

`~`

Shoko stares at her hand as she uses her ice to make a sword. It’s sharp, but brittle. It isn’t a weapon made to last, just to distract. She can make sturdy weapons by changing the property of the ice she makes, but that takes more time to do. And using your quirk to give yourself an advantage before the match is against the rules anyways, so even this she’ll need to use her fire side to melt before the match.

Not that she’ll need any advantage, against her final opponent. She expected that she would be facing either Bakugou or Izumi in the finals, but she didn’t expect Bakugou to get taken out within moments of his first fight. She frowns as she recalls it. It had happened so fast, so suddenly. It was clearly a plan, but not one her classmate would have made.

Uraraka, contrary to what people would think based on her quirk and bubbly personality, is the type of girl to tackle things head on. So her baiting Bakugou like she did is completely out of character. But the plan itself is familiar, eerily so. Almost like-

A knocking on the door jerks her out of her thoughts, and she stares at it in surprise. No one should be here.

She gets up, her sword held parallel to her leg just in case she needs it. She doesn’t think she will, but it pays to be cautious.

But after she opens the door, it slips from her fingers, the handle breaking after it makes an arc and hits the ground. She doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter. What matters is the person on the other side of the door.

She slowly raises shaky hands in front of her, wanting to grab them and never let go. But she hesitates, as if they’ll disappear the moment she touches them. The decision is taken out of her hands as the person pulls her into a hug, letting out their own shaky breath.

“Shoko. It’s good to finally see you again. I’m really sorry to be abrupt, but I need a favor.”

She wraps her arms around Izuku, taking a deep breath, his scent filling her nose. She knew he was alive, but she didn’t think she’d see him again. Hear his voice. Feel his touch. It’s been over a year, and he’d only ever communicated through letters, and even then less than a handful of times! She’s missed him so, so much…

But now he’s in her arms, and there’s only one answer she can give him. “Of course, Izuku. Anything.”

`~`

“THE FINAL MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT! ON THIS SIDE OF THE ARENA: IT’S THE FORCE FOR A GREENER WORLD, IZUMI YAGI!”

Izumi walks onto stage, waving to the crowd with a smile plastered onto her face to hide her nervousness. This won’t be an easy fight, after all. She knows how strong Todoroki is, and more importantly she’s had a year to put the analysis her brother did on her quirk into practice, deepening her understanding and capabilities of her quirk.

She’s not sure she can win, but she’s going to give it her best shot. And that’s all I can do, she thinks to herself as she looks up at the stands, her eyes falling on Mina. The energetic pink girl gives her double thumbs up, cheering on her friend the loudest of the entire class. They share a bond now, after Mina found her in the bathroom.

She’s thankful for her. To have someone who not only understands, but knows the truth. If it wasn’t for her, then she probably wouldn’t have been able to stand up on stage today and give her speech. But she’s glad she did. With any luck, it goes at least a little towards helping her brother rest in peace.

“IN THE OTHER CORNER: IT’S THE TEMPERATURE QUEEN, SHOKO TODOROKI!”

Footsteps echo out of the tunnel on the opposite side of the arena, building up the crowd’s excitement as they take their time. Izumi frowns, wondering at the oddity. After all, Todoroki has never been one for showmanship.

Then someone exits the tunnel, and her heart stills, her breath freezing in her throat. She starts shaking as she watches them step onto the arena, unhearing of the confused murmuring of the crowd, the questions Midnight directs at them, Present Mic’s confusion that echoes from the speakers.

She only has eyes for the person a few feet in front of her, a mocking grin on their face.

“Heya, Izumi.” Izuku says before stretching his arms out to his sides in the gesture of a grand reveal. “I’m baaack~.”

Chapter 68: Setting the Scene

Summary:

Izuku takes the stage, all eyes are upon him!

(Mina)

“Holy shit.” I stare down at the arena with my mouth hanging open while my classmates talk around me. Because unlike them, I actually recognize the person standing down there with Izumi. She showed me pictures of him while telling me what he was like. Even though they almost never had any positive interactions, she always kept an eye on him.

She described him as a shy guy who’d talk for hours about quirks if you gave him the opportunity, and would barely even pause for breath. I made an effort to not point out that he was probably shy due to years of bullying though, since I’ve been trying to help her get better .

But as I watch her brother, hear him speak to her, my stomach drops. That smile, the way he mocks her, the quickly reigned in flashes of intense rage and hatred. I’m not a psychiatrist, but something tells me that she’s going to backslide on all the progress we’ve made these last couple of weeks.

And then something crashes down into the arena between the two of them.

`~`

(Uraraka)

I stare at the arena with my mouth hanging open, utterly confused. I mean, who wouldn’t be in this situation!?

First the ghost of the guy who sacrificed himself to save me during the Entrance Exam shows up to help me beat Bakugou - and it somehow worked! Sure, I got taken out by Tokoyami right afterwards, but still.

Now, that same ghost boy is standing in front of Izumi Yagi, who’s been depressed ever since the USJ. Mina pulled her out of it, thankfully, but everyone is still concerned about her. Which is a good thing, since apparently Biggius Dickus lied and is her brother !?

Ok, to be fair, I always thought the name was weird, but I saw him die ! No way I was going to disrespect his memory like that! But everyone else can see him, so did he even really die? How much of the very limited information about him is actually a lie?

But wait…

Maybe he has a ghost quirk, and that’s why he didn’t die!

But all the thoughts running through my head get thrown clear out by my already high confusion peaking at his next words. How could they not?

“-you and our dear old ‘ dad ’ caused me to turn into Midosagi ?”

`~`

“Hey, Izumi.” I say with a grin, my arms stretched out as if to give the biggest hug in the world to my dear sister. “I’m baaack~. Did you miss me?”

She doesn’t reply, just stares at me with wide eyes. She’s trembling. I adopt a confused look, crossing one arm across my chest while grabbing my chin with my other hand. “What? You aren’t happy to see me? I wonder why?” I hum to myself as I look up, watching Midnight out of the corner of my eye.

She’s talking into an earpiece, her expression going grave as she listens to whoever is on the other end. She’s already torn her costume to ensure better dispersion of her quirk, but she hasn’t started using it yet. Probably because they have no idea what I’m actually doing here or how I’ll react.

Honestly, I’m not sure either. All I know is that Izumi doesn’t get to say ‘you don’t need a quirk to be a hero’.

Things could have turned out so much differently if she actually believed that, back when we were growing up. But instead I got derision. Pain. Scars. And now…

“Oh! I know!” I tap a fist into my palm before I pull my goggles from my pocket, snapping them on before lifting my mask from around my neck. “Could it be,” I reach for my hood, pulling out the ears from where I pulled them in before flipping it on. “That you and our dear old ‘ dad ’ caused me to turn into Midosagi ?”

`~`

(Nezu)

I bark out orders through comms to all the heroes at the Festival, splitting them between evacuating civilians and searching for any other villains that might have infiltrated the event. Updates are coming in just as fast, including a startling discovery.

“Mt. Lady has been found! Unconscious, but no other signs of injuries. I’ll bring her to Recovery Girl just in case.”

“Understood, Kamui Woods. Everyone else is accounted for, but keep your eyes peeled. There’s always the possibility that Midosagi is merely a distraction. Speaking of, someone make sure to keep All Might away from the arena. Midnight is prepared to intervene should things turn violent, but this is a delicate situation.”

Midosagi and the League of Villains had Izuku Usagi in their custody for roughly a year, if estimates are accurate. There’s no telling what kind of information they obtained from him. And goodness knows that All Might is anything but delicate.

There’s also the possibility…

I dismiss the thought, for now. Whether it is revealed to be accurate or not, we shall discover soon. For no matter how this commotion ends, one thing is for certain.

Midosagi will not be getting away.

`~`

(Shoko)

I thumb the button on the device that Izuku gave me while staring at the television with a focused look. No, this isn’t how I expected the Sports Festival to end, but that’s not important.

Izuku’s back.

A shiver goes through me at the thought, my eyes not moving from his figure as he mocks his sister. Another thing I didn’t expect.

He’s changed.

When he was here, with me, those short few minutes, he was like he was back in middle school on those days where I’d freeze his bullies to a wall and we’d go hang out. They were kind eyes.

But now, standing in front of Izumi, they’re different. They tremble with emotion as he pulls goggles out of his pocket, and he covers them before I can see more. But I saw enough.

Having trouble displaying emotion does not mean the same as not understanding emotions. Though I do have trouble with that sometimes too. But there’s an exception to that. I know Izuku, and I know his emotions even better than my own.

He may not be showing it, but he’s in pain.

`~`

(Inko)

I stare at the wall of televisions displayed in the store window, rage burning in my heart. It’s tuned to the Sports Festival, and I was hoping to catch sight of my perfect daughter winning it. But now…

“You let your guard down!” The no-name villain I was in the middle of apprehending yells out as he jumps at me, twin hammers made out of some sort of energy raised so high that he’s bent over backwards. He tries to swing down, but I control a pair of shock cuffs to latch onto his ankles, slowing his forward momentum and angling his upper body forward. He slams into the ground face-first with a sharp crack, his hammers disappearing. He groans in pain, so he’s not dead.

At least, not yet.

I’m being forced to patrol some of the less…savory… parts of the city while keeping an eye out for the League of Villains, so thankfully there’s no one around. Sure, there are still cameras. But they won’t be a problem, even if by some miracle they do still work.

They have more than enough resources to make a simple recording disappear.

He screams as I turn the cuffs on to their maximum voltage, electricity causing his body to convulse. His pitch rises when I send another set to his wrists, before devolving into choked sounds as I send one of my specialty restraints around his throat. I tighten in slowly, not even glancing at his reflection in the window anymore.

All of my attention is on the worthless, quirkless trash on the screen taking away Izumi’s big moment with his pathetic act. As if he’d ever be strong enough to fight a hero! Midosagi is an actual villain, not a quirkless waste of space!

The villain stops screaming, so I use the cuffs to drag his body into a random alley. I scowl as I start making my way back to my agency, frustrated that the events at UA will be over before I can get there. It’s ridiculous! The USJ, his faked suicide, and even back then…

“ Why won’t you just stay dead !?”

`~`

(Mirko)

“So,” I say into the phone conversationally. “It looks like the whole ‘use the Usagi Twins to infiltrate the League of Villains’ plan is going out the window.”

I’m in the stands overlooking UA’s Sports Festival, which has basically just gone to shit. I mean, a villain just crashed the Finals for the tournament. And who he is just makes it all the more complicated.

I mean, his villain ranking has basically been shooting up nonstop ever since he fought with Hawks. And his connection with the League of Villains, who attacked the school once already?

Gotta admire the balls on him. Which I already have.

“He’s cuter than I thought he would be.” More androgynous than I thought he would look too, though the unhinged air about him fits well.

“ What ?”

Crap, I said that out loud.

“Not important. Anyways, what do you want me to do?”

“ ...Let it play out for now. Don’t interfere. Depending on how this goes, you can still make use of them. ”

Cunt.

I hang up, neither confirming nor denying that I heard the old bat. Seriously. It’s like she has no idea what a hero’s job actually is. But he hasn’t made a move against anyone yet, not even the girl he’s ranting against. So until he does, I’ll play nice with the bitch and observe.

But after All Might crashes to the floor in front of him, Midosagi’s words echo through the speakers and my jaw drops.

“ So ~ glad you could make it to our family reunion, father.”

Holy shit.

“I fucked All Might’s kid.”

`~`

I smile at Izumi, even if she can’t see it through my mask. My voice is light, whimsical, when I speak. “Aww, what’s wrong? Still nothing to say?” I pout at her and cross my arms across my chest. “And after I worked sooo hard to set this up too.”

She stares at me with wide eyes before stuttering out a reply. “Y-y-you died.” She lifts a foot then puts it back down without moving. I’m not sure what she wanted to do, move backwards or forwards, but she clearly hasn’t processed what’s going on yet.

Good.

I chuckle and plant my fists on my hips before bending sideways at the waist, looking like a curved upside down ‘L’. “Yeah… Never said I didn’t! Thing is though, it didn’t really stick . But that’s not important.”

I bounce back to a regular standing position before taking an aggressive step towards her, taking satisfaction in how she takes one back. My anger is palpable. “Where do you get off saying anyone can be a hero? You spent ten years beating into me that I couldn’t !”

All the times I said I would become a hero. All the times I was laughed at. All the times I’d get beaten. All the times I was told I could never be a hero.

My back. The fire.

Nearly all of those memories flash through my mind, some blurry, but clearer than they were before. But I forcibly push them down, a nearly forgotten sensation of pain flashing through my mind.

“You got up on that stage today, and you lied . Just like you lied to me when we were younger.” My voice is cold, no longer the lighthearted and familiar tone I was using before. “You said we would be heroes together, no matter what. Well guess what? You worked hard to make that a lie, and I accepted it as my new truth.”

I take a mocking bow, gesturing to her before straightening up and gesturing to me. “ You are a hero. I am a villain. And it’s all ~. Thanks. To. You~!”

I flick my hand, drawing a knife from my sleeve. But before I can throw it, something crashes down onto the stage, throwing a cloud of dust into the air. I scowl before tilting my head as a crooked grin crosses my face.

“Well then. So ~ glad you could make it to our family reunion, father. ” I spit out the word, grimacing as it passes my lips.

All Might stands in front of me as the dust clears, his smile forced -more of a grimace- his own rage radiating off of him.

“VILLAIN. YOU WON’T GET AWAY AGAIN.”

I have a small smile on my face, hidden under my mask as I let another knife drop into my empty hand. “Oh, don’t worry father . I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Chapter 69: Time for the Reveal~!

Summary:

Izuku vs All Might, and a video plays~.

“YOU ARE NOT MY SON.” All Might clenches his fist as he bends his legs. “BUT AFTER I TAKE YOU DOWN, YOU WILL TELL ME WHAT YOU DID WITH HIS BODY. HE DESERVES A PROPER BURIAL.”

I can’t help but snort at his words as I set myself, raising my knives in front of me. “Nice to know that some things never change. You still have your head so far up your butt that you can’t see anything but your own beliefs.” I grin. “I’m going to enjoy removing both of them.”

Behind him, Izumi raises her hand, her eyes darting between the two of us even as she falls to her knees, her breathing heavy. “W-wai-”

Her words are meaningless. While Midnight’s quirk starts to flow from her, All Might launches himself at me, his fist coming down towards my head before I can react. It’s a good thing I have good instincts.

I jump forward and swing a knife into his upper arm, barely getting enough of a hold to bring myself up as his fist buries itself into the arena floor. I give a little wave while standing on his arm, taking immense satisfaction in his stunned expression. “You’re getting slow, old man. Your injury giving you issues? Spreading, maybe? Must be getting frustrated, huh?”

I lash out with my foot, planting it firmly on his face but only getting a grimace as a reward before he reaches over with his free hand to grab me. Scowling, I backflip off of his arm, giving my knife a firm tug to get it free.

Skin lacks any reinforcement, but excessive muscle mass makes inflicting anything more than a superficial injury much more difficult. If my knives weren’t quirk reinforced it’s unlikely that I would have done anything but cut the skin. Conducting second test…

I roll under a wide swing, coming up on his injured side. “Now!” I watch as his eyes widen, as the realization that I’m with the League of Villains -and thus, know his weakness- enter his mind. He twists his body, trying to bring his arms in to cover his injury. But he’s too slow. He clenches his teeth and-

I put a gun to his head and pull the trigger.

BANG!

…

I duck under a jab as I scowl, unable to properly glare at Izumi without taking my eyes off my opponent. I can only direct my annoyance at her mentally while keeping her in the corner of my eye. She has one hand outstretched, the green glow of her quirk fading from her using it to jerk the gun away. Luckily I managed to hold on to it, but the bullet ended up going into the sky instead of into his head. How am I supposed to properly find out if he’s bulletproof without shooting him myself!

Izumi’s other hand is pressed to her chest, and she’s taking slow, deep breaths as she looks at us, and even though her emotions are clearly a wreck, there’s determination in her eyes even as she sways unsteadily. Not very smart to take deep breaths while Midnight is putting out with her quirk, and the hyperventilation didn’t help either.

Of course she’d get in the way.

I go into a roll as All Might brings his hands in from both sides to grab my arms, going between his legs and coming up behind him. And more importantly, out of Izumi’s sight. I raise my gun for a second try and start to pull the trigger.

Bang!

All of a sudden a different gun goes off, and mine drops from my hand as a hole gets blown in it, blood splattering onto All Might’s back.

“Flooded Dam,” I curse to myself as I sidestep with All Might’s turns to stay behind him. “I thought that Snipe was patrolling the town!” It certainly hasn’t been long enough for him to get back to the stadium yet!

A second shot rings out, this time chipping off part of the arena floor next to my foot. And thanks to the damage done I can follow the angle to its source…

I blink and miss a step from surprise when I see that it is not Snipe who shot me, but instead a raven-haired girl sporting a spiky ponytail and a determined expression. I can’t help but laugh even as All Might manages to land a swing, my flight away from him signaled by the sound of my arm breaking much worse than the clean one I did to myself to get into the Festival, as well as a couple of ribs. I cough up blood that stains my teeth as I smile at Yaoyorozu.

“Glad you took my advice, Little Rich!”

She doesn’t reply, keeping the gun trained on me while the students around her stare at her with their mouth hanging open in shock. And a few in suspicion. The exceptions are a pink girl who’s staring at Izumi worriedly, Uraraka who looks completely confused -understandable- and Kachan, who’s pale and angry.

I land on the edge of the arena, rolling to a stop before I go over the edge. I test my weight on my broken arm but immediately come to the conclusion that it can’t support me. I push myself up to my knees using my uninjured arm. My mask is cracked now, letting wisps of Midnight’s quirk through. A quick glance confirms that Izumi has already succumbed to it, laying on her front, passed out.

Eight- no, five minutes before I pass out. Even though her quirk is more effective against males than females, Izumi took it all to the face while what seeps through my mask can barely constitute as leftovers.

I smirk at All Might, even though it’s hidden behind my mask. “Well, this is a change of pace. Upgrading your ‘Worst Father of the Year’ award? Gotta say, moving up from neglect to abuse isn’t really original. How about you try switching things around? Izumi’s defenseless and right over there, so how about-”

A fist to the face forces me to be silent and breaks my mask, my goggles, and probably my jaw but definitely my nose as I fall back to the ground. Maybe a minute before her gas knocks me out.

“SILENCE, VILLAIN.” All Might’s voice booms across the stadium, halting the audience’s evacuation. Much to the other heroes’ dismay. “YOU HAVE LOST. AND ALL YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED HERE TODAY IS PROVING THAT UA, AS ALWAYS, STANDS STRONG AGAINST VILLAINS! THAT GOOD WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH OVER EVIL! THAT THERE IS NOTHING-”

“I planted bombs in the tunnels under the stadium seating, and if you don’t shut up I will have them detonated.” Jaw isn’t broken then, though the grinding sensation when I speak certainly points to something being wrong.

“-YOU CAN- WHAT?”

I laugh at the utter bafflement on his face, choking a bit on some blood. “You didn’t really think I came here today to kill you, did you?” My laughter intensifies as his expression changes. “You did! Wow, you’re even dumber than I thought you were. No, All Might.”

I bare my teeth at him in a bloody grin as my vision darkens, and the virus’ timer finally hits zero. The display screen changes from showing Izumi and Shoko’s images for what the match was supposed to be, to a video of me.

“You’re not important to Shigaraki’s goal, Toshinori Yagi. Not really. It’s your reputation that needs to be broken for hero society to fall. My payback is just the icing…on…the…cake…” My voice trails off as darkness claims me, but I don’t wake up across from Receptionist’s annoyed face.

Instead, the next time I open my eyes I’m surrounded by the glares of glitterfied UA heroes, and am strapped to a hospital bed.

“Oh sweet niblets.”

`~`

The video plays as Midosagi falls unconscious and the audience stares at it with apprehension, ignoring the heroes who are trying to usher them out and to safety. But with the villain defeated, what danger is there? That is the mentality propagated through the population, cultivated through countless years.

As for the bombs, the microphone Midosagi was using to project his voice over the speakers was located within his mask. So with it destroyed, his warning went unheard.

Unaware of the potential threat to their lives, the audience watches as the video starts with bated breath, wondering what the person claiming relation to All Might has to say.

Meanwhile, Principal Nezu is rushing through the secret tunnels in the stadium, trying to make it to one of his emergency offices before the video plays. Because he knows the kinds of things that Midosagi can release to the public. Depending on what he reveals, society may fall.

But he doesn’t make it in time.

“Hello, hello! Is this thing on?” A Midosagi wrapped in a cloth waves at the camera, or rather, the person behind the camera. “Good, thanks again for helping me with this.”

There’s no response from the person, though the sound of a door closing echoes from the screen. He nods before looking directly into the camera. “You may be wondering who that was, but guess what? You don’t~ get to know~ow.” He mocks them in a sing-song tone before his eyes suddenly go serious above his mask.

“If you’re watching this, then I probably got overwhelmed with emotion and did something stupid. Which also means that I’m dead.”

A wave of shock runs through the crowd and they turn their attention to the beaten and bloody body of the boy down in the arena. Feeling the sudden rise in tension, All Might crouches down and makes a show of putting two fingers on Midosagi’s neck. He stands up.

“HE’S ALIVE!”

His words cause the audience to be relieved, and the medical bots arrive to take him to the infirmary. Though a couple of heroes stealthily withdraw to head there themselves, cautious of the boy waking up. Mostly.

“I figured that even if I’m dead, the truth should be known.” Midosagi takes a shaky breath as he lets the cloth fall back behind him, revealing that he’s shirtless. But that’s not what has the audience gasping, a few of them retching.

No, that dubious ‘honor’ belongs to the myriad of scars that cover him. From his hands to his shoulders, from his waist to his chest, they would be hard-pressed to find a single decently-sized piece of unmarked skin.

He raises one hand and completely removes his mask, including the neck wrap, which he places to the side. Another susurration goes through the crowd at what they see. There’s a jagged scar that encircles his entire neck, as if… they don’t even know how someone could have gotten a scar like that and survived.

“My name, is Izuku Midoriya Usagi. Though most of you would know me by my villain name, Midosagi. But that was not always my name. The name I was given at birth…”

He takes a deep breath before leaning back, cushioned by the cloth barely tied around his neck to make a cape. “My birth name, was Izuku Yagi. Son of Toshinori Yagi and Inko Yagi. Brother of Izumi Yagi.” Looks are directed at the unconscious girl as she’s carried from the stadium as well, her face pale and sweaty in unconsciousness.

“Congratulations!” Midosagi claps, a wide smile on his face. “Now you know who I am!” His smile drops. “What you don’t know is that I’m not the only one who’d be better known from my ‘professional’ name. You see, Toshinori Yagi is…”

He pauses for dramatic effect before bringing his hands up in front of his face and making celebratory noises. “Do-do-do-dooo!” He throws his hands out to the side. “A hero! And I bet none of you would ever guess what his hero name is! Could you? Go ahead, guess! I’ll wait.”

He crosses one leg above the other and holds it with his hands, indeed giving the audience time to guess about his father’s identity. But they don’t have to, all of their eyes going to All Might who’s staring at the screen with slowly dawning realization and disbelief written on his face.

Midosagi claps. “All done! Now, if any of you guessed ‘All Might’ congratulations! You are corr~rrect !” He makes another celebratory noise before leaning forward. “If you want to know what he looks like when he’s not buff, check out the roster sheet for the people who work at Might Tower! It’s public information, so just go ahead and search up ‘Toshinori Yagi. Now, all of you get a prize! For guessing correctly, I’m going to tell you a story. You wanna know how I got these scars?”

He gives his widest smile yet, the corners of his lips bleeding from how wide he stretches it. He points to a hand-shaped scar on his upper left arm. “You see, someone , not naming any names since it will be like a game of hide and seek for you all to figure out. Anyways, someone decided that they didn’t like the fact that I was standing a few centimeters away from the wall while they walked through the school’s hallways. Something about how I shouldn’t try to avoid them.”

He shrugs. “Let’s ignore the fact that the day before they specifically told me to stay away from them.” He waves it aside. “Not important. Anyways. He said that I needed a reminder about why I shouldn’t ‘look down on him’.” He snorts. “Talk about insecure, am I right?”

He pauses a moment before giving another shrug and pointing to his left wrist, where the skin looks… warped , for lack of a better word. “Got this one when a different someone decided they didn’t like how I draw. So they twisted my hand. ‘Not as bad as the other one’ you may think, but here’s the kicker.”

He leans forward and puts a hand to the side of his mouth as if sharing a secret. “They used their quirk and kept the skin twisted for hours .” He waves the scar closer to the camera as he makes his voice more nasally. “Gross, right? But wait, there’s more!”

He points to a different scar and tells its story. Then he does it again. And again. And again. Each scar seemingly has an inane or otherwise petty reason as to why they were inflicted upon him, and the crowd is starting to get angry. Yes, he is now a villain. But from the way he’s talking these were all inflicted upon him before he started on that path! Hell, with how young he looks they don’t think he was even in high school when he got them!

Finally, he points to the scar encircling his neck, and the audience tenses for what they believe will be the most horrifying story.

“This one I actually got… let’s say by accident.” He chuckles before tapping his head with a fist and sticking his tongue out while looking away from the camera. “Tee-hee.”

And just like that the video gets screamed at by the inevitably betrayed audience. He laughs as he rocks backwards. “Sorry, sorry. But you know…”

He trails off leadingly. “It does lead you to wonder where All Might was during all of this, doesn’t it?”

A murmur runs through the audience as they realize that, if he’s telling the truth, then as his father All Might should have known about the abuse. Hell, the torture .

“Well, if you want to know…” He pauses for a good five minutes, all the sympathy he built up with the crowd beginning to give way to irritation. Human empathy at its finest.

He throws his hands out. “Then you’ll just have to wait for part two of my podcast: ‘The Truth Revealed’!” He laughs while a few scattered boos ring out from the crowd, quickly silenced by the glares of those who understand the seriousness of what’s been revealed.

“But I’ll give you a little teaser.” He says as he gets up and walks to the camera, crouching down so his face fills the screen, eyes blazing with anger.

“All Might didn’t care enough to notice.”

The video cuts off, darkness filling the screen. The crowd looks down at the arena to see the number one hero's reaction, but he’s already gone.

Chapter 70: Waking Up

Summary:

Izuku wakes up in UA custody.

“Oh sweet niblets.” I complain the moment I open my eyes and see that I’m surrounded by sparkling UA staff. AKA, half a dozen accomplished pro heroes who all rank in the top hundred for Japan’s hero rankings. Not including Eraserhead, being an Underground hero and all.

Sure, that’s not something I’d typically be overly concerned about, but given the fact that I’m strapped down to a hospital bed and still moderately injured…

Yeah. This is not a good situation to be in right now.

Standing on the foot of my bed, Nezu, the principal of UA, cheerily waves at me. “Hello there-”

“-General Kenobi,” I interrupt, completing the meme. “There you go, the ritual is complete. Can I go home now?”

Present Mic snorts, being hit by immediate regret when some of the glitter still stuck to his face goes up his nose. Ignoring his hacking as he tries to get it out, Nezu chuckles.

“Haha. Of course not.” He stops laughing, peering at me with his beady little eyes. “Now, Midosagi -or do you perhaps prefer Midoriya? Or Usagi?”

I try to shrug, stuck in place as I am. “Since you still have your hero license, Midosagi.” I send a quick glance around the room to confirm that the room lacks the irritating presence of a certain oaf before nodding my head. “Glad to see that your intelligence hasn’t been overstated. And that you aren’t easily intimidated.”

“Of course not.” Nezu says, immediately understanding what I mean. “A delicate situation requires a touch of grace, and he’s already caused enough of an issue as it is.”

“Mhm.” I hum in agreement. “On that we agree. Though the other two aren’t any better. But let's not pretend that we’re here to talk about how much my blood relatives suck. What do you want, rat?”

Eraserhead huffs, scowling when it comes out as glitter. “Watch it, brat. We have you on video confessing to the murder of dozens of heroes.”

I mock gasp. “Who, me? Couldn’t be.”

“Then who?” Midnight asks, a hint of amusement in her voice as she side-eyes her co-workers. Probably since she’s not covered in glitter.

“All For One, obviously,” I say, enjoying the way the room stills. “Oh, did you all think he was dead? Or do you not know who that is?”

“You’re lying.” Nezu says with a flat voice.

I let a grin stretch across my face. “No p e.” I pop the ‘p’, letting it hang in the air for a moment before continuing. “But I guess I can’t really blame you, for not knowing. After all, it’s not like quirks are so strange and varied that someone being able to survive without a head is normally possible. You totally don’t have a student in one of the hero courses who doesn’t have a head, but instead a speech bubble. Or another who can casually remove their head whenever they like. Someone surviving when half their head gets destroyed is absolutely impossible. Nay, it’s inconceivable !”

I give him the best droll look I can from my position. “In a world of quirks, you never assume someone is dead unless you have a body. And even then you double check it’s not a fake.”

There’s a tense silence as the teachers glance between us. Nezu knows I’m telling the truth. I know I’m telling the truth. The dog knows I’m telling the truth. He just doesn’t want to admit it. Because despite having a reputation as one of the smartest beings in the world, All For One’s reputation is larger. Even with how few know of him, his reputation extends an intimidating shadow.

All For One. The Quirk Merchant. King of the Underworld. Sensei. He has had many names over the course of his long life. His reach extends to the far corners of Japan, perhaps even extending beyond its shores. A nightmare that keeps those in the know up at night, fearing for their quirks.

I wonder how they would feel knowing that he’s planning to retire and live in Fiji?

Nezu abruptly hops off my bed and walks towards the door. “We have much to discuss, Midosagi. But for now, rest. You need to recover, and Recovery Girl’s healing can only do so much for an exhausted body.”

The rest of the heroes file out after him, none of them taking their eyes off me as they walk out the door. Midnight is the last, and her quirk fills the room before she closes the door behind her.

I sigh as I feel myself slip back towards unconsciousness. “Man, Himi is going to be so mad at me for getting caught.” But even still, a small smile pulls at my lips as my eyes fall shut.

But at least this will be interesting.

`~`

(Before Izuku woke up)

Heroes comb through the tunnels under the stadium, searching for any signs of the bombs Midosagi claimed to have placed. They’ve been searching for a good thirty minutes, but so far nothing. They checked all the support columns, load-bearing walls, anywhere they could have been placed to cause any significant amount of damage. But they’re all clear.

Eraserhead sighs in annoyance as he rubs the corners of his eyes, on his way to check the preparation rooms. Sure, they’re separated from the crowd so that the participants won’t get distracted while they get ready, but it’s worth a shot.

That is, if he was telling the truth and actually planted bombs. He grumbles inside his head. But he knows what the threat poses, even with the stadium long since evacuated. They didn’t have enough time to get a proper headcount given everything that was going on, but at the very least most of the people have left.

It’s impossible to get a completely accurate count given how people could have been out grabbing food, gone to the bathrooms, etc while the evacuation was taking place, but they did their best. Still, he can’t help but worry about the students who weren’t at their seats when everything went down. Especially-

Eraserhead comes to a halt as he rounds a corner, the sound of a voice reaching his ears. His eyes narrow as he walks more cautiously, his ears straining as he tries to identify it. If he recognizes it, then odds are good it's lost students, or a hero who’s widened their search area. If not, it’s an accomplice to Midosagi.

But what he doesn’t expect is to recognize it and feel dread rise up inside him. Because-

“-I’m safe, don’t worry. Stay calm.”

-it’s Midosagi’s voice.

He slowly raises his hand to his earpiece, putting him in contact with everyone. He keeps his voice to a whisper as he follows the voice down the hall. “Midosagi has escaped. I repeat, Midosagi has escaped. I’m hearing his voice come from one of the preparation rooms. Moving to engage.”

“Shota, wait-”

But he doesn’t listen to Recovery Girl’s words, because he hears something that causes the blood to rush from his face and prompts him to rush to the door.

“Izuku…”

He hears his student’s voice.

The door slams open, his hair and scarf floating around him as he prepares to take down the villain as quickly as possible. But he doesn’t see a villain. The only person he sees in the room is Todoroki, looking at him in surprise. In her hand is an old tape recorder.

And then there’s a boom, and all he sees are sparkles.

In different parts of the tunnels, heroes open doors to preparation rooms only to be blasted with glitter, much like the Underground hero.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, cursing and reports are made, causing Recovery Girl to sigh. If any of them had listened to her, they would have known that Midosagi is still unconscious and strapped into the bed in the infirmary. Next to her, Midnight laughs her ass off at being one of the very few who won’t be cleaning glitter out of her ears for the next month.

Midosagi never said what kind of bombs he planted.

`~`

I wake up and after taking a moment to take in the sameness of my surroundings from the last time I woke up, am surprised to see that I’m substantially less bound than before. Instead of straps holding me down against the bed, I’m simply handcuffed to the rails. Though my left arm is almost completely covered in a cast, only my hand is free for whatever reason.

I’m also alone this time, so I have no one to antagonize. I’m sure someone is watching me through the camera in the corner though, so I flip them off with my right hand, instinctively flinching when I do. But no frying pan comes flying at me in punishment, no scolding for trying to find loopholes in the ‘no cursing rule’. Just silence.

I sigh, letting myself flop back onto the bed. It’s cold.

I stay like that, refusing to move. Hours pass with no one entering the room. And I’m content with that. I spend the whole time thinking about all the fun times Himi and I have had together. Not in a ‘we’ll never see each other again’ way, but with a casual fondness. Even if they send me to Tarturus, I know that she and the LoV will get me out as soon as they’re able. And I’d do the same for her. Neither of us would ever settle for anything less.

But for now, me and whoever is on the other side of the camera will play the waiting game. A game I grew up playing. All the time . It took ten years before I stopped waiting for something that would never happen, so they have absolutely no chance of winning.

I admittedly zone out at some point, so I’m not really sure how long it takes for someone to show up. At least sixteen hours, judging by the sensation my stomach is causing. Hunger pains. Which don’t really affect me other than as a warning and distraction, since I don’t feel actual pain.

Through the door walks Eraserhead, Underground pro, in his usual outfit that doubles as both casual and hero clothes. Practical, so he’ll always be ready should he need to fight. I approve. My villain outfit is the same way. Though the way his hair still sparkles kind of ruins the intimidation factor.

In his hands is a table, and behind him walks Midnight, who’s carrying a chess board. He puts the table directly next to my bed while shooting me a warning glare, prompting me to snap at him playfully, my teeth clicking together. His glare intensifies as he steps back, letting Midnight lay the chessboard on top almost reverently. Or she’s terrified of scratching any part of it.

After carefully lining up the detailed marble pieces, she steps back towards the bed next to mine and takes a seat. Now that it’s set up, Present Mic enters the room, kicking the door closed behind him since his hands are full with the chair he’s carrying. He puts it on the opposite side of the chess board and retreats back to the door, leaning his back against it instead of leaving.

Finally, Nezu pops out of Eraserhead’s scarf, hopping down into his seat. He delicately raises the white knight on his left side, placing it in the same column as his bishop. He looks at me, challenge reflecting in his beady little eyes.

“Your move, Midosagi.”

Chapter 71: An Offer

Summary:

Nezu makes an offer over a game of chess.

Notes:

QASC stands for Quirked Animal Safety Committee, and is a reference to 'Birds of a Feather Flock Together'. Highly recommend you check it out for an amazing quirkless femIzuku fic.

We play in silence, only speaking when one of us gets the other’s king in check. Or in Nezu’s case check and checkmate. I’ve lost three games before he finally deigns to make conversation.

“So, Midosagi, how have you enjoyed your life of villainy so far?”

An interesting question. Not the why, how, or any other form of figuring out my start as a villain, but a seemingly idle question. One that will give him some measure of my mental state. Just because I know that isn’t a reason to lie though.

“I’ve enjoyed it.” I answer honestly as I maneuver my queen into a half-hidden trap that will sacrifice her in exchange for his knight. “I can act as I please, and villains don’t really care about quirks. Just results.”

“Hmm.” Nezu hums as we exchange our pieces as I expected. I doubt this round will last more than another few moves but oh well. “Yes, I’ve noticed such a trend myself. It is quite surprising, how those on the wrong end of society are oftentimes more accepting than those on the right.”

“Seems kind of backwards, doesn’t it?” I muse aloud as I move my king.

“Indeed.” Nezu agrees as he moves his queen. “Checkmate.”

We reset the board, our audience of three staring silently. Which reminds me.

“So why are those two here?” I ask, pointing at Eraserhead and Present Mic with my chin. “Midnight I can understand since her quirk can knock me out before I get fully free of my restraints. Are they here just in case you underestimated me?”

Nezu chuckles, starting off the game once again. “No, no. Eraserhead is something of a confidant, and they are something of a trio, given they went to UA together. So I decided that if Midnight and Eraserhead were here, I might as well complete the set.” He shrugs. “And they all know how to keep secrets, when it is required.”

“Oh?” I ask, my interest piqued. My voice takes on a sing-song tone. “Secrets secrets, they’re no fun~. Unless they’re shared with everyone~!”

Nobody laughs, causing me to frown. As retribution I take Nezu’s final knight with my rook, causing him to blink for a moment before his eyes narrow. Tricks and traps, Nezu. Tricks and traps~.

“So, you do not mind your secrets being shared?”

I have to laugh at that, the heroes oh-so subtly tensing. “Hahaha. How cute, you think you know what my secrets are. I don’t even know what they are, so I highly doubt that you do.”

Brain damage for the win!

…

Brain damage for the win?

“If that’s the case, then I suppose you would be just as interested in what I have to say as the others!” Nezu looks positively thrilled at the prospect, and my eyes narrow in suspicion.

He can’t actually know something, can he? I doubt that the Yagis would come clean with everything , especially Inko. I only ever had the one hospital visit after being diagnosed quirkless, and the anger on her face over the fact that she needed to take me…

Well. Lets just say if that didn’t get out already, then they have ways of keeping their secrets. Like the fact that All Might is Toshinori Yagi, though I guess that one has been thrown into the spotlight~.

Hearing no objection, Nezu continues. “Well, in that case,” he leans forward, his expression suddenly serious. “You are not as powerless as you would have us believe.”

I blink, tilting my head with furrowed eyebrows. “...Yeah? I mean, I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve killed people stronger than me, so that’s not really a secret…”

Nezu examines me for a moment before he retakes his seat, getting confused looks from the heroes that surround us. “So you truly are unaware? Interesting, I had thought you would have discovered the truth, given what I’ve seen of your unaltered essays.”

“I knew they were messing with my grades!” I shout raising a fist to the sky and internally chuckling at the brief burst of gas that comes from Midnight’s skin. “Beans for lunch?” I ask her while waving my hand in front of my nose.

She flushes, glaring at me as she opens her mouth. But she’s cut off by a motion from Eraserhead. They exchange glares for a moment before she huffs, crossing her arms as she leans back and fixes her glare on me.

“You won’t get a rise out of my staff so easily.” Nezu chides, to which I silently point a finger at Present Mic, whose face is red as he clutches his hands to his mouth to keep from laughing. “His sense of humor resembles a child, that is hardly an accomplishment.”

Present Mic acts mock offended -silently- but I stop paying attention to him, moving us back to the main topic as I move my king once again. “So, what’s this supposed secret about me that you thought I would know?”

“Nothing in particular, simply the fact that the quirkless are not quite quirkless.”

There are gasps from around the room, the trio of heroes evidently not being aware of that fact. Meanwhile my eyes sharpen and I peer at Nezu, eyes searching his face and body language for any hints about whether he actually knows that or is simply taking a shot in the dark as to how exactly a ‘quirkless’ person managed to take down a number of pros and escape from one of the top ten.

But his rat biology prevents me from finding any of the usual tells, his beady black eyes fixed on my face. And I realize that he’s been watching me as well, and unlike me, he’s gotten the information that he wanted. I click my tongue as I move the pawn guarding my king leaving his rook free to checkmate. “Well played, rat.”

He tilts his head and chuckles in acknowledgement as moves his rook. “I do try. Checkmate.”

I frown as we reset the board. “So I was right about every quirkless having a quirk, which means that the HPSC has done their best to hide that fact.”

His eyes flash at the tidbit I just gave him, but it would have only been a matter of time before news got out about the League recruiting more members. It’s unimportant, for now. Especially with them not knowing how many new people we’re recruiting.

“I’m not particularly surprised that you know, given your enmity regarding them. I’m sure you’ve hacked their systems and grabbed all you could. Probably around the same time you destroyed the QASC, right?”

He immediately loses his look of enjoyment, becoming as still as a rat in a trap. His voice comes out flat. “You know.”

Now it’s my turn to chuckle. “Indeed I do.” I take his queen, the first time I’ve done so in any of our games so far. “You don’t work so closely with All For One without learning more about those who could pose a threat to him.”

He doesn’t move, just stares at me while I smile back, waiting for him to make his move. Eventually, he does, avenging his queen with a pawn, taking my bishop. “I suppose I should feel proud that he considers me a threat.”

“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” I snark back as I set up my rook to get behind some pawns and work its way down the board. “Evidently you don’t get to two hundred years old without being a paranoid son of a gunn.”

I ignore the inquisitive looks I get at my word choice, focusing on the game. Nezu wins, of course. As one of the smartest beings on the planet, he won’t lose so easily. He needs to be eased into it~.

The next game is the final game for now, and we both know it. Which means that it’s time for us to get to the main reason he’s come here. “I would like for you to go through UA’s rehabilitation program.”

A pawn slips from my finger, clattering to the board as I stare at him with my mouth hanging open. “Wut?”

He looks amused and pleased at my utter lack of comprehension, though looking at the expressions the others have, I can understand why. They look ridiculous, and Present Mic even slipped off the wall!

What I want to ask is: “ Are you insane? Why would I ever do that!?” But my curiosity seems to outweigh my incredulity. “Since when does UA have a rehabilitation program?”

“Since I decided you would be joining UA!” Nezu claps his hands together joyfully, and Eraserhead gives him a deadpan look while getting sympathetic ones from his friends.

“Bold of you to assume I’d participate.”

“Bold of you to assume you have a choice.” Nezu rebuts my rebuttal. I click my tongue in annoyance.

“I could always choose prison. Or join and use it as an opportunity to go on a murderous rampage.” Has he really thought this through? From what I can tell it’s basically a whim that he’s decided to follow. But if that’s the case, then I’m actually more interested in seeing where it goes. Entertainment, fun, and freedom are basically three cornerstones of my life, with the last being Himiko.

“You could.” Nezu acknowledges with a nod before fixing me with a look as if he knows what I’m thinking. “But where would be the fun in that?”

Ah, and there are the magic words. Because despite what might otherwise be said, it does seem fun. Who knows, it might be a more traditional school experience than I’ve ever had! I’ve already got some friends in Uraraka and Shoko at UA, so I wouldn’t be alone. Might have to work a bit on Uraraka if she’s put off by how I acted on the stage, but I’m sure I could figure something out. And Shoko was actually disturbingly ok with me randomly showing up to torment Izumi and All Might.

Still…

“I can’t just randomly join, what would the LoV think? And that’s not even considering the fact that I have people waiting for me.”

“Anyone else think it’s kind of cute that they call themselves ‘Love’?” Midnight asks in the background, and consequently gets ignored.

“We could make a statement.” Nezu replies. “We would have to make one anyways, and I’m sure you’d have no objection to seeing the looks on the interviewers’ faces while they try to paint you as a villain while being of All Might’s blood. You’ve already managed to garner the public’s sympathy with your video.”

I laugh at that, the image of them going ‘you’re a villain!’ and me going ‘All Might’s my sperm donor!’ and then them trying to figure out how they can ruin my image without contradicting All Might’s is pretty funny. I choose not to mention my video, since I have no idea how it was actually received. He could be lying for all I know.

“Not enough, they’d probably think I’m being forced into it. Hmm.” I hum in thought as I try to tap my chin, only to remember that my other hand is still handcuffed. I jingle it to draw their attention. “Mind getting this off? It would show truuust~.”

“You haven’t agreed to anything yet. We would be stupid to let you go without a second thought.” Eraserhead grumbles, but his glare is actually focused on Nezu, who plays innocent. Not that he could ever pull it off, I’ve seen the pictures of what was left of the director of the QASC.

I tilt my head. “Speaking of agreements, what would I need to agree to for this to work?”

“We’ll need to draw up a list, but the basics will be no crimes, no harming or killing anyone-” I blow a raspberry at him for being boring and predictable, which he ignores, “-followed by not trying to escape, or give information to the League of Villains.”

“Amendment,” I say, raising a finger. “I cannot try to contact the LoV members, but if I just so happen to run into them, then we’re free to talk without your hero students -or any chaperones you saddle me with- trying to interfere or arrest them.”

“Quite a tall order, given that they are all wanted villains.”

I shake my head in mock sadness. “That’s rather prejudiced of you, Nezu. Sky hasn’t actually committed any crimes before, or since, or joining. Of course, the amendment would constitute the entire LoV, and not just her.”

“And why should it be allowed in the first place?” Nezu presses, oddly persistent on this point. Almost like he expects us to engineer a coincidental meeting.

I shrug, giving him a lopsided smile. “Because it would be fun?”

He chuckles at me throwing his own words back at him before abruptly stopping. “No.”

I give an over exaggerated groan of frustration. “Fiiiinnneee. The members of the LoV about my age will join the ‘rehabilitation program’ if they get caught by any UA staff or student. Is that a deal?”

The heroes raise eyebrows, clearly wondering just how many young villains we have. The answer would surprise them! “And how likely, exactly, do you think it is that they’d be caught by a member of UA?” Nezu asks curiously.

I shrug. “I give it a week before Himi breaks in, or Shiggy throws Sky at the school for annoying him. So you’re bound to get at least one! Or I’ll be out in a week.” I pause, realizing I forgot something. “Also, if the LoV 'captures’ me while I participate, I’m free of my obligations towards the program.”

“Hold on there, Little Listener-”

“That does sound entertaining.” Nezu muses, rubbing at his chin with a paw while I take my next move. He nods, extending a paw. “This will be quite the interesting game.”

I smile predatorily, taking his paw and shaking it. “It will indeed, N32U. Checkmate.”

Chapter 72: Making a Call

Summary:

Izuku calls the LoV to explain the game.

“Thanks for letting me use your personal phone, Nezu.”

He smiles at me, both of us ignoring the scratches he clawed in my face after I called him by the ‘forbidden name’. Present Mic and Midnight got permission to leave after he got pulled off of me, so it’s only him, me, and Aizawa in the room. It was decided that we wouldn’t call Recovery Girl to deal with my new injuries until after the call. It’s not like they hurt anyways. “Of course. Anyone else’s phone wouldn’t be secure enough, the HPSC would be able to listen in and track where both signals are coming from. We can’t have that!”

I chuckle, eyeing him with a knowing look. “And of course the fact that it will record the entire conversation is just a happy coincidence for you.”

His smile doesn’t even twitch. “Indeed it is.”

I finally hear a click, Shigaraki’s suspicious and annoyed voice echoing forth from the other side. “The hell is this? How’d you get this number?”

I take a deep breath, knowing that my next words can change everything about how this conversation will go. But I’ve had time to prepare, I know exactly what I’m going to say.

“Hello, I’ve called to talk to you about your extended warranty. Is your bioengineered super weapon properly insured? If not, press one!”

I can feel Nezu giving me a judgmental look, and Eraserhead is doing the same. Pretty sure Shigaraki is staring at the phone on his end too, but his expression is probably more confused than annoyed. Or a mix of both.

After a moment of silence, he finally responds. “...Da fuck kind of drugs are you on?”

I snort. “ Rude ! Addicts wish they could get as crazy as I am with mere drugs! And more to the point; I thought you would have been worried since I haven’t come back yet! Did you even notice?” I put the back of my hand on my forehead and swoon dramatically. “Woe is me, my boss is evil and exploits his employees, he cares not if they get injured or sick. The only thing he fears is them joining a union.”

“Relatable.” Eraserhead adds quietly, more to himself than actually wanting it to be heard. I mentally file the information away while he immediately gets a look of regret on his face.

“Wait a minute, Midosagi!?” The surprise is clear in his voice and I smile.

“Ding ding ding! Correct! For guessing correctly, you get a prize! Would you-”

“Fuck that!” Shiggy interrupts my announcement, and now he sounds angry . Weird. I wonder why? “Get your ass back here right the fuck now ! Eri is the only thing stopping your girlfriend from going on a rampage, and she’s in the middle of getting ready to sleep for the night!”

I wince. “Oooh, yeah. Berserker Himi is scary. Could be worse though, at least she doesn’t have a regeneration quirk!”

“Don’t give Sensei any ideas! He’d probably do it! The hell are you anyways?”

I perk up at that. “Oh yeah! I’m still at UA, I’m participating in their rehabilitation program as a guinea pig.”

“...Da fuck kind of drugs are you on?”

I roll my eyes. “Already used that line, and the answer is none.” I pause though, wondering if that’s true. I glance at Nezu. “You guys didn’t have me on any drugs while I was knocked out, did you?”

I get a head shake in denial, so I turn my attention back to the phone. “Yeah, no drugs. They offered to turn it into a game, and I thought it would be fun!”

“...You do realize that Toga is going to kill the both of us if she can’t see you, right?”

I shrug disinterestedly. “I mean… that sounds kind of like a you problem. Plus she can always sneak in.” I send a condescending smirk towards Eraserhead while he grinds his teeth. “It’s not like the heroes will be able to stop her~.”

“Wait, are the heroes listening in on this call?”

“Ye p .” I say, popping the p before explaining more. “My half, at least. I’m using Nezu’s personal phone so you don’t have to worry about getting tracked.”

“Dumbass!” He shouts, causing me to pull the phone away from my ear. “Do you really think the rat won’t be able to pull some bullshit cheat out of his ass to find us through his phone!?”

“Aw~, you’re learning!” I coo at him in a sickeningly sweet voice before getting serious. “You should have more faith in me, I have it covered.”

He grumbles quietly to himself before sighing. “Fine. Fine! Whatever. You said it’s a game, so what are the rules?”

I smile as I explain the rules: how I’ll essentially be a student and can’t initiate contact with the LoV, that I’m not allowed to escape but can be ‘kidnapped’, and how if basically any of them get caught they’ll join me.

He takes a bit of time to process the explanation, but he does eventually reply. “It does sound like it will be interesting.” I can hear the reluctance in his voice. “But that doesn’t fix the problem of your psycho girl- Ah!”

I blink at the unexpected sound of pain followed by sudden silence, giving the phone a confused look before putting it back to my ear. “Shiggy? You good? A portal to an alternate timeline where I’m an insane immortal didn’t open up, did it?”

“Isn’t that this one?” A female voice asks coldly, a hint of a threat in her voice. I swallow nervously.

“A-ah. Himi! It’s good to hear your voice again! Are you doing ok?”

Nezu tilts his head at my sudden change in tone, evidently he hasn’t been in a relationship before. Eraserhead, though, gives an unsettling grin that stretches across his face. Apparently he is seeing someone. Interesting~ .

“Just fine!” She says in a chipper voice that sends shivers down my spine. Hehe, I’m in danger. “Had a nice day, watched you show up at the Sports Festival and make a fool of All Might until he hit you, your video played. You know, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Her voice suddenly changes, a kind of manic energy somehow being communicated across the phone. “Then you didn’t show back up, and I waited the entire~ day ~, thinking that you just got held up. But now I hear that not only did you get caught, but you’re making an active decision to stay caught. Now, how do you think that makes me feel?”

“Himi, I-”

“Nope!” She cuts off my explanation, leaving no room for arguments. “And did you even think about how this would make Eri feel? She was really looking forward to her next lesson!”

“Hey now, don’t pin the lesson on me! I still say she’s too small for that!”

She snorts over the phone and I roll my eyes at Eraserhead. ‘Partners’ I mouth silently. He doesn’t show any signs of agreement, but I know he gets it. I’ll just ignore that ominous shiver traveling down my spine signifying that Himi somehow knows what’s going through my head.

“I disagree! The earlier she starts, the better she’ll be growing up!”

“She’s too little! She doesn’t have the necessary reach!”

“She just needs to get closer then!”

“It’s better to teach her how to shoot a gun before training her with knives!” I keep talking, ignoring her usual objections to guns. “Yes, they’re impersonal, but they’re a better safeguard until she can increase her skill level!”

She huffs, and I can just imagine the way she pouts as she crosses her arms. “Fine, but you’re the one telling her that the lesson is getting put on hold!”

My voice conveys my smirk. “Sorry~, but I can’t. One of the rules of the game is that I can’t initiate contact with the LoV. You can come visit though! As long as you don’t get caught! Bring Eri with you!”

“Oh no you don’t!” She shouts. “What rules, and what game!? Don’t just leave without properly explaining anything!”

I chuckle. “Just ask Shiggy, I already explained everything to him.” I blink as I’m hit by a sudden realization. “Actually, what happened to Shiggy? We were talking on the phone before you somehow got a hold of it…”

“Oh, that? Don’t worry,” she says in a way that makes me immediately worry, “he’s not dead. I just kind of maybe stabbed him a little bit! Mamagiri took him someplace, so he’s probably getting medical attention.”

“Makes sense.” I nod in agreement. “Where’d you stab him?”

“In my defense, I was stressed.” Her immediate defense has me split between being amused and getting even more worried. “Let’s just say he’ll be having trouble sitting for a while…”

I pause, slapping my forehead before slowly dragging my hand down my face. “Himi,” I say tiredly, “please tell me you didn’t shove a knife up Shigaraki’s butt.” I ignore the strange looks the heroes give me. Given that I’m going to be cutting loose while I’m here, they’re going to experience a ton of weird stuff. They’ll get used to it soon enough. Or go crazy. Either works.

“I didn’t!” She yells, offended. “That’s disgusting! My knives don’t deserve to be treated like that! All I did was stab his left cheek!”

“Fair. Anyways, I think it’s about time to go, see you when I see you? Oh! And can I have a cursing allowance? Or at least an exception for certain people”

She huffs. “Fine. Yes, towards those two, and five curses a week. But no sleeping with anyone at the school! That includes the students and the teachers!”

I pout. “Fine~. But then you fall under the same restriction!”

“Fine by me~.” I can hear the smirk in her voice. “You’re the only student I know~.”

“I take it back, I take it back!”

I hear a click and stare at the now silent phone. I switch looks between Nezu and Eraserhead. “I took it back, so it counts, right?”

Nezu shrugs while Eraserhead grins unsettlingly again. I sigh. “Whatever. Guess we’ll see what happens.” Without further ado, I bring the phone back up to my face and-

* Crunch *

-start chewing it.

I make heavy eye contact with Nezu as I eat his phone, grinding the sensitive electronics between my teeth. He just stares at me uncomprehendingly. Apparently even the smartest experiment in the world needs time to process something as ridiculous as me suddenly eating his phone.

It’s only when I swallow the first bite that he seems to snap out of it. “...I suppose that I should have seen this coming. Or at least some sort of attempt at destroying your tracks. Though I do believe this is the first time that someone has chosen to eat an inedible object in an effort to prevent me from obtaining information.”

I shrug, wincing as I swallow the rest down, the uncomfortable sensation of electronics scraping their way down my throat anything but pleasant even with the absence of pain. “Yeah, you’re going to start seeing a lot of weird, unusual, or otherwise mind-boggling situations now that I’m here.”

He gives me a grin, not nearly as wide as Eraserhead’s but somehow even more unsettling. “I’m sure that it will be entertaining. I look forward to seeing what you do within the hero course.”

I pause, blinking at him as Eraserhead groans. “Hero course? Not Gen Ed?”

“Not at all!” His grin is seeming a lot more predatory than it was a few seconds ago. “It would be such a shame for someone with combat skills like yours to be barred from using them. Not to mention that my students would benefit greatly from prolonged exercises against a villain of such renown.”

My eyes narrow at him. “Which class am I going to be put in?”

His grin doesn’t falter. “1-A, of course!”

The same class as Izumi and Kachan…

“Is it too late to choose prison?”

“Yes.”

“Fluff.”

Chapter 73: Introductions

Summary:

Izuku is introduced to 1-A and hero names are chosen!

“I have an announcement. But let it be said that I think this is a terrible idea that can only end in disaster.” Eraserhead, formally introduced as Aizawa outside ‘official’ settings, sounds absolutely done with the day despite it only having just started.

A fair assessment. I think to myself before letting out a huff of effort and rolling forward. The vent grate clatters to the floor, falling still once I land on it in a crouch. I straighten my legs, throwing my arms up above me in a cheering pose. “It’s a’me! An impulsive murderer with over fifty confirmed hero kills!”

I lean forward and put a finger to my lips and my other hand on my waist, shooting the class of stunned hero students a wink. I stage whisper, “They don’t know about all the civilians!”

“Civilians?” Aizawa questions sharply and I whirl around, clasping my hands behind my back.

“Well, duh!” I scoff. “You don’t go from no kills to hero kills right away. You gotta work your way up to it!” He glares at me, his eyes glowing red with his hair and scarf floating around him. I smirk back. “Ooorrr~...” I trail off leadingly. “I could just be teasing you! Who could say? Certainly not you!”

He maintains the glare for a moment longer, and I can see him absolutely itching to wrap me up in his capture scarf. The only thing stopping him? The fact that we all have to keep to the terms of our agreement~. I haven’t actually done anything so he can’t start anything!

It’s going to be fun poking at that line to figure out just how far it stretches~.

He lets out an irritated sigh before turning to his students. “Unfortunately, the principal wants to use Midosagi as a test case for a villain rehabilitation program. So he’s been stuck with this class.”

“Um, why though!?” A voice echoes from an empty spot in space above a floating uniform. Passive invisibility? Or is it active? It will be interesting to study!

“Probably because the heroics class will give me an outlet for my aggressive tendencies, reducing the chance of an incident outside of a controlled environment. Not to mention that there’s the possibility for rescue training to embed a desire to save people rather than kill them within me. Plus, during combat exercises you’ll all get to experience what it’s like to go against an actually successful villain. Not like the F-rank thugs from the Unforeseen Simulation Joint.”

I shrug. “And of course there’s the fact that, unlike any of the other courses, you all have true combat experience and supposedly will be able to stop me if I decide to ignore the deal and attack.” I grin at them and close my eyes, clapping my hands with a tilt of my head. “So, any more questions? I promise I’ll be honest!”

There’s silence at my sudden word vomit, and I hold back a frown. Right… most of them aren’t used to me explaining things fully like the LoV is. After a moment a blonde with a black lightning bolt in his hair speaks. “Like, can you help me study?”

I blink at him, the other students turning to give him disbelieving glares and surprised stares. He holds up his hands while he defends himself. “What!? You all just heard that! He seems smart!”

I snort out a laugh, pointing at him. “Pft. You, you I like.” I give him a thumbs up. “Sure thing! Just let me know when!”

“LIKE HELL DEKU IS SMART ENOUGH TO TUTOR ANYONE! THE SHITTY EXCUSE FOR A VILLAIN GOT HIS ASS CAUGHT! THE ONLY REASON HE’S EVEN HERE IS FUCKING PITY!”

“Whoa Bakubro, calm down!” A red head with spiky hair and shark teeth says, shock in his eyes. Along with the rest of the class. A physical reinforcement quirk from what I recall. Rock-based. “I get that having a villain in class isn’t really manly, but trying to convince him to not be one is super manly!”

“ No chance of that happening!” I say with a bright smile directed at him. “But I do intend to honor my part of the deal with being here, so look forward to becoming heroes who are less likely to die in an alley like the ones I usually hunt!”

The sudden dead silence is broken by Aizawa’s sigh. “While I do agree with the sentiment, take a seat so class can start.”

I stick my tongue out at him before jumping up and grabbing the vent. I swing myself out of the way of his capture scarf as I climb up, swinging my upper half upside down to see him about to jump in after me. We stare at each other for a moment, his eyes showing confusion and mine amusement.

“Well? Get on with the class! I’m in my seat~”

He glares at me with an unamused expression before pointing at the empty desk directly in front of his desk and in front of all the others, putting the entire class at my back. “That’s your seat. Get down.”

I pout at him, swaying as I cross my arms. “Don’t wanna!”

His eyebrow twitches. “Get. Down.”

I sigh, letting myself drop straight down and catching myself in a handstand. “Fiiine. But if I get bored I’m taking a nap!”

“Don’t care,” he grunts, staring at the class as I take my actual seat. “That took longer than it was supposed to so I’ll just get to the point.” He pulls out a device and presses a button on it, causing a chart to appear on the board. “These are offers from pros for the hero internships that start next week.” He looks at Shoko and a spot in the classroom that I’ve resolved to completely ignore. Who is it? Don’t know, don't care.

“If the final match hadn’t been interrupted, the two of you would likely have obtained more offers.” Even if he says that they still have the highest numbers, followed by Yaoyorozu in third. Probably because she shot me on live national television. Speaking of; I wonder if she’s going to get in trouble for that? Or does she have a gun license?

I mentally block out the first person’s reply and listen to Shoko’s. “It’s fine. I would have gotten most of them because of my father anyways.”

He just grunts in reply, moving on. “Those who didn’t get any offers will have a list of UA approved heroes you can intern for, so don’t be discouraged.” There’s a palpable sense of relief from those in question, as well as wariness? Weird.

“Since you’ll be representing UA on these internships you’ll need hero names. I’m told I’m terrible at them, so-”

“I’ll be making sure you don’t regret them!” The door slides open and the hero Midnight walks in, swaying her hips while looking at me appraisingly. I return the look, nodding in appreciation while Aizawa gets in a sleeping bag and goes to sleep.

…Why’s he a teacher?

“What you choose now can very well become your codename for life, so if you aren’t careful you could end up with something utterly indecent~.”

“Says the literal R18 hero,” I snark, which gets ignored.

Markers and whiteboards get passed out to everyone, even me for some reason. At my raised eyebrow, she explains. “You’ll be shadowing a few of the staff on patrols, and there are actually a few heroes who expressed interest in attempting to mentor you. For some reason…” She mutters that last part under her breath, but not so quiet I can’t hear.

Curious, but I simply shrug, tapping my chin with the uncapped marker. I can’t really use my villain name for my temporary position as a hero, so what should it be…?

The first to go up is the guy with the stomach laser who needs support equipment to use his quirk. Weird since a person’s body naturally adapts to their quirk as they grow up. “I Cannot Stop Twinkling~!”

Bruh. No. I know sometimes pros have ridiculous names, but there’s still a limit! “Change it to ‘Can’t Stop Twinkling’ so it’s less of a mouthful.”

“…”

I never thought I would feel bad for the future of heroics.

The second to go up is a pink girl with racoon-like eyes. Literally pink, skin and hair, with small yellow horns coming out of her forehead. “Alien Queen!” Oh, I see what she’s going for with that. It’s actually pretty good.

“That horrible monster with the acidic blood!? I don’t think so!”

I can’t help but snort in disbelief at the immediate rejection. “That’s awfully close-minded of you, Midnight.”

“Huh?” She blinks at me in confusion, the student proposing the name following suit. “How so? A name like that won’t reassure civilians and is more likely to make them scared!”

I click my tongue, shaking my head in disappointment. “You’re aware of the discrimination against those who’s quirks cause physical mutations?” She nods, not losing her confused expression. “Well, by taking the name Alien Queen, she’s blatantly showing that her skin isn’t some sort of gimmick, like Native’s indigenous american based costume.”

I shrug. “While it would result in her being a bit less popular with those bigoted enough to judge on such things, it would also inspire those with similar mutations, possibly preventing them from believing they have to resort to a life of crime in order to make something of themselves in a society that pushes them down.”

I nod in acknowledgement that she did make a valid point in her brief justification. “And yes, while it’s not exactly a name to inspire hope in civilians, it would work to inspire fear in villains, which would perhaps work even better to increase her capture rate. So long as her reputation is high enough, she could simply show up and have the villain in question surrender. Similar to Endeavor’s reputation for killing his opponents, even though the majority of them actually live. Admittedly though, she’d have to adopt a certain persona for it to be truly effective.”

There’s silence for a few moments as the hero and student look at me, and I can feel the gazes of the rest of the class staring into my back too, causing me to roll my eyes. “Helpful analysis is part of my deal with Nezu. So expect sudden expositions like that semi-frequently.”

“Uh, thanks?” The girl says, looking at Midnight uncertainly. The pro grabs her chin, a thoughtful look on her face before she nods.

“It’s acceptable, but try and think of something else in case you change your mind by the end of the week. Once the internships start you’ll be stuck with your choice until you can go through the effort of changing it. And trust me, it is not easy.”

The girl nods, looking a bit dazed while she heads to her seat. What follows is a series of more reasonable names which gets interrupted by Kachan’s actual villainous names, unlike the pink girl’s. When they get rejected one after the other the board explodes in his hands, his glare saying that he somehow blames me for the fact. I roll my eyes, flipping him off as a little thrill goes through me at the act.

Oh, I’m definitely going to have fun with being able to curse at them~.

Apparently the guy with engines on his legs just chooses his own name, Tenya Iida. Part of the Ingenium legacy of heroes. He’s glaring at me the whole time he’s up there for some reason though. I don’t remember targeting Ingenium or anyone from his agency, so I wonder why? Maybe it’s just because I’m a villain? But it looked like it was personal…

I decide to go next, having decided to keep it simple and easy to remember. “Ijiwamidosagi: The Spiteful Green Bunny.” Midnight doesn’t know how to react to that, but it gets ok’d so I call it a win.

After sitting back down I perk right up seeing Shoko go up. She looks right at me, her eyes sparkling. “The Temperature Queen: Frozen Torch.”

My mind stutters, going back to my suicide note, then back to the notebooks I made for her. She took half of her name from both sources, and it means the world to me. I have to hold back tears as I give her a small smile, and she blushes as she goes back to her seat. We both ignore the way Midnight coos over the name.

There’s one last person to choose their name, and so I reluctantly acknowledge their existence. Izumi takes a deep breath, carefully avoiding looking at me as she puts her whiteboard down. “Midokugyo. Penance of the Green.”

Chapter 74: Lunch

Summary:

Izuku has a 'normal' school lunch! A miracle!

Half of the class immediately books it out of the room when lunch rolls around, while the other half crowd me. Izumi is in the first half, and Kachan in the later, making me sigh and roll my eyes at what I know is about to happen.

“YOU WORTHLESS-”

So to speed things up I lean forward and grab his tie, yanking it back and down to slam his head into the desk. There’s a crunch and a thud before he slumps to the floor, silent and unconscious before a wave of ice encases him. The assembled students switch their shocked gazes from me to Shoko, their mouths hanging open. I chuckle, stretching as I stand up. I feel a flash of amusement as they flinch, taking a step back with flashes of fear in their expressions. I turn to Shoko as we nonchalantly head towards the door, the rabid pomeranian’s antics nothing new.

“So, I’m guessing that this is the quietest he’s been since you started UA?”

She shrugs, a small smile pulling at her lips. “You’d be surprised, actually. He’s on a short leash after the principal investigated Aldera, so he hasn't been shouting as much. His personality is still terrible though.”

“Huh.” I blink in surprise for a moment before frowning. “So if the rat knows about all the laws he’s broken, why are he and Izumi still in UA instead of a prison?” I’m aware that some of the hero students are following us, but unless they decide to stop creeping in the background they aren’t really important enough to pay attention to.

Shoko sighs, annoyance flickering across her face. “According to the principal, if he’d tried arresting them then your father-”

“Toshinori Yagi is not my father, nor is Inko my mother,” I tell her softly but firmly. She nods, easily accepting the new information.

“If Nezu tried arresting either one of them, then All Might would have used his influence to clear their records. He was also worried about them turning into villains if they were to blatantly be turned away from becoming heroes. So he decided to put them in therapy and do community service, and if they did terribly he’d be allowed to prosecute.” The corners of her lips turn downwards. “Unfortunately, they met the bar he set.”

I hum in thought, putting my hands behind my head as we walk into the cafeteria. “Sounds unfair, but with Yagi holding the title of ‘Symbol of Peace’, I suppose he was fairly limited in what he could do. Would also explain that time I saw Kachan picking up trash.” I snort. “Clearly though, he has blind spots if he thought Izumi would turn villain.”

Shoko tilts her head as she grabs a tray and moves down a counter extending from the wall, glass containers showing off a variety of food further down. I mimic her actions, grabbing my own tray and sliding down the line as she talks. “You don’t think she’d turn to villainy? How come?”

I open my mouth to point out that it’s obvious, but the words freeze in my throat. Why… do I think that? From a purely objective point of view, her actions are more along the lines of villainy than heroism, so it would make sense for her to become a villain if she couldn’t join a hero school. Heck, I have no problem believing that Kachan would become a villain, but Izumi? I just can’t imagine it.

“Cold soba.” Shoko tells the cook behind the counter, Lunch Rush. He nods before grabbing a bowl and handing it over.

“Chicken Katsudon,” I say absentmindedly, still following Shoko’s lead in obtaining a cafeteria lunch for the first time. I’m still trying to work through my feelings as I follow her to an empty table.

I’m perfectly fine with acknowledging Izumi as evil, but not as a villain? What the heck!? Her actions were cruel. I hate her. I want her to suffer. But do I want her to die? … I have no idea? I groan as I let my head fall to the table. For some reason, it seems like my emotions towards Izumi still haven’t fricken settled!

“Things would be so much easier if I could just kill her without feeling regret,” I sigh to myself. But to my surprise someone responds.

“Shit went from zero to a hundred real quick!” I blink, looking up and seeing a guy with electric blonde hair with a black lightning bolt streaking across the side. “I mean, seriously? That’s the first thing you say after we sit down!?”

I blink again as I take in the people who’ve decided to sit with Shoko and I. There’s the blonde, of course, and a guy with a bird head, and a girl with purple hair and jacks coming out her ears. The first two made it into the finals of the Sports Festival, so I’m pretty sure I know their names… Kamino and Takoyaki? Feels close enough. No idea about the girl’s name though, since she didn’t get a spotlight introduction for making it to the finals.

“He gets lost in thought a lot.” Shoko says as way of explanation for my outburst.

The jack girl with a punk vibe raises an eyebrow. “You know him that well? He only got brought to the class today.”

Kamino nods, pointing at her with an air of challenge. “Yeah! And what’s up with your face? You never show emotions!”

I tilt my head curiously, looking at him in confusion. “What are you talking about? Shoko wears her emotions on her sleeve. She’s very expressive.”

“We went to the same middle school together before he disappeared. Of course I know him well.”

“A mysterious past shrouded by a fog of despair.” Takoyaki says in a deep voice.

I think about that for a moment before nodding understandingly. “Yeah, that sounds about right. I didn’t really make it a point to announce that death is simply an inconvenience for me, and the reason I left was because I fell into despair…” I give the bird boy a thumbs up. “You’re pretty observant!”

“Revelry in the Dark,” he says with his head dipped while the other two stare at him in confusion. Suddenly, I hear a cackling that seemingly comes from nowhere. Without any warning, a dark bird thing erupts from Takoyaki’s chest.

“This guy totally gets you, Fumi! You should show him your collection!”

Takoyaki looks down even further while I stare at the bird thing in surprise, my eyes gleaming. “Fascinating,” I mutter, reaching out to touch it before pulling my hand back. “It wasn’t really clear on the video, but are you perhaps a sentient quirk?”

They turn away from their apparently embarrassed host and hold out a clawed hand to me. “Got it in one! I’m Dark Shadow, and just so we’re clear from the get-go, I’m a girl.”

I shake their hand -claw?- even while I frown. “Dark Shadow? Sorry if this comes across as rude, but isn’t that a little on the nose? And kind of a little racist?”

“Oh damn!” Kamino shouts, throwing his hands in the air. Meanwhile Takoyaki jerks in surprise and Dark Shadow tilts her head at me.

“Well, how else would you describe me but as a ‘dark shadow’?” They shrug. “That’s what I’ve been called ever since I manifested when Tokoyami turned four.”

I snort, holding up a finger before pausing. “Tokoyami? Not Takoyaki?”

My honest question gets a snort from the punk girl, stifled laughter from Kamino, and a small ‘heh’ from Shoko. The now properly named bird boy looks a bit offended at me thinking he was named after food while Dark Shadow cackles again. They turn to their host. “I like this one!”

Tokoyami lets out a huff. “I suppose proper introductions are needed after all. I am Fumikage Tokoyami.”

I point at the blonde. “And he’s Kamino, from Kamino?” More laughter tells me that I might be wrong…

“Denki Kaminari! I’m sure my electric personality won’t let you forget it!” He shoots me sparking finger guns, a confident smirk on his face. I snort, mentally filing it away. Close enough that people won’t think much of it. I wonder if anyone will realize that I basically told them where to find one of the LoV’s locations~?

“Kyoka Jiro,” the punk girl says quickly. “I don’t really want to know what you thought my name was.”

I shrug. “I wasn’t planning to guess since they didn’t really name many people outside of the tournament. I’ve just been mentally referring to you as ‘the punk girl’ since you give off a kind of ‘no-nonsense don’t mess with me’ vibe.”

She blinks for a moment before looking away, twirling one of her earphone jacks while a blush dusts her cheeks. She coughs, the other jack raising itself to point at me. “Well, yeah. Don’t fuck with me, or else I’ll stab you.”

I laugh. “I know that feeling. Anyways,” I clap my hands and look back at Dark Shadow, ignoring the frosty glare that Shoko directs at Jiro. None of my business, nope. Nothing to do with me whatsoever. “Are you really okay with your name just being a description? That would be like me being named ‘Green Hair’ or ‘Freckles’ just because I have them.”

“I’d only lived through four cycles when I named them!”

I tsk at Tokoyami’s objection, wagging my finger at him. “That’s no excuse! Dark Shadow is basically your daughter, and you decided that you’d never ask her opinion?”

“They’re my quirk! Not my daughter!” The boy looks absolutely scandalized at what I’m saying while Kaminari and Jiro are laughing. Shoko, of course, seems to understand what I mean.

“But Dark Shadow is sentient. So that would mean that they are, in fact, their own person. Which would mean that you are her father since she came from your body. But since you didn’t have a partner when you made her, it would also mean that you are her mother.” Shoko nods while the other four stare at her with wide eyes. She points at Tokoyami. “Therefore, from a purely biological standpoint, you are both male and female.”

There’s a moment of silence before Tokoyami buries his head in the table, a massive groan leaving his beak. “This is a banquet of madness, and I am unsure if I should remain to partake.”

I shrug, taking a sip of whatever drink it is I grabbed. “I mean, you did choose to sit down with a known villain, so…”

“No offense,” Jiro says in a doubtful tone. “But you aren’t really acting like a villain.”

“Y’know, other than knocking out Bakugou.” Kaminari points out, getting a shrug from the girl.

“Eh, I’m fine with that. With how loud he always is I was kind of hoping someone would shut him up sooner.” She uses her jacks to point to her ears. “Sensitive hearing.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Really? Shoko said that he’s been a lot quieter since our time in middle school. And from what I can tell,” I make a show of looking around the cafeteria and confirming what I thought, “UA doesn’t condone quirk use on campus, so you shouldn’t have to deal with him letting off explosions every few minutes either.”

Kaminari and Jiro stare at me with mouths agape. “You mean he was worse !?” Kaminari shouts, drawing attention to our table. I shoot the onlookers a cheery grin, waving a knife at them. They quickly look away and I snort, making it disappear back into my sleeve. Oops, the table is staring at me again.

“They let you have a knife?” Kaminari asks with a bit of worry in his voice. Much more appropriate than their blase` attitudes so far.

“No p e~.” I say, popping the ‘p’ while smirking at them. “But a little thing like me not supposed to be having it isn’t going to stop me~.”

That gets a few tense chuckles from them and next to me Shoko rolls her eyes. “I don’t understand why him having a knife is what has you all unsettled. His sharp mind is much more dangerous than any blade.”

Chapter 75: Heroics

Summary:

Izuku's first heroics class!

“What’s this I hear about you waving a knife around during lunch?” Aizawa demands before I can even return to class, having wrapped me up in his scarf and dragged me into this empty classroom. On a desk next to him is my recently confiscated knife.

“You know, if the world worked on hentai logic this would be going very differently.” I say conversationally. He doesn’t respond, just continues to glare at me, causing me to sigh with a roll of my eyes. “Well if you must know: some students were being nosy, so I subtly encouraged them to mind their own business.” I cock my head as I look at him. “Speaking of, are you a close minded person who doesn’t treat Dark Shadow as a person?”

My seeming non sequitur seems to surprise him enough that he responds to that before continuing his interrogation. “Dark Shadow is a quirk .” He shakes his head. “Don’t try to change the subject. Where’d you get the knife?”

“Hmm.” I hum as I bounce my head side-to-side before stating with a completely straight face, “I pulled it out of my ass.” A small thrill goes through me at the curse, even though it feels weird to say. Himi’s pretty much trained cursing out of me, but now that I have an allowance I may as well use it!

He scowls, tightening his scarf as his hair starts floating and his eyes turn red. He really likes to use his quirk for intimidation purposes, doesn’t he? “I’m in no mood for games. We confiscated all the knives you had on you when we brought you in, and I know you couldn’t have gotten it at lunch. So where’d you get it?”

I smirk, making heavy eye contact. “I literally pulled it out of my ass. UA didn’t do a cavity search~!” I mock in a lilting tone.

He doesn’t blink as he maintains his glare. “Take this seriously.” I say nothing, only continuing to smirk at the hero as realization slowly dawns on his face. “You aren’t joking?” I slowly start laughing as his face twists into disgust. “That’s disgusting.”

“Effective though!” I continue laughing as Aizawa unravels his scarf, returning it back to around his neck. He goes to grab the knife before thinking better of it and just picking up the entire desk instead.

“Go to class. You have Heroics up next.”

He walks towards the door, not even hesitating to leave me alone as I shout after him in an amused tone, “Are you sure you don’t want to check for more!? Who knows what I have up there!”

“I’ll let Recovery Girl know to expect you after school,” he throws over his shoulder before picking up his pace.

I snort as I walk down the hall at a more leisurely speed. Sure, I don’t have anything else hiding in my butt, but there’s no way he would know that. For all he knows I could have a grenade up there and am planning to pull the pin when I get back to the classroom! I can’t help butt tsk at how lax he is regarding his students’ safety just because he doesn’t want to do a cavity search. Butt I guess that is something more typically handled by police than heroes.

Heh.

I walk into the classroom with a smile on my face, ignoring the way Kachan immediately jumps to his feet only to be restrained by… Kirishima? Or am I thinking of the city? Eh, I’ll find out if I’m wrong later. But regardless of his name, I admire how easy it is for him to calm such a dangerous wild animal.

I kick my feet up and lean my chair back while waiting for the next class to start. Now that I think of it, I wonder who the teacher is? I extend my leg a bit farther so I can look at the person behind me without turning around. It’s a girl with long dark green hair and a neutral expression. “So, who’s the Heroics teacher?”

She blinks at me before answering, both of us ignoring the way Iida complains and chops his hands next to her. I wonder if more than his legs have artificial parts? “All Might is the one who teaches that class, kero.” She puts her finger on her cheek and tilts her head at me while I freeze. “Shouldn’t you know that since you guys attacked the USJ because he would be there? Well, he was supposed to, kero.”

I let my chair fall back to the floor as I swing around to look at her properly. “Say sike right now.”

She blinks, poking her tongue out the side of her mouth as she tilts her head to the other side. “Sike, kero?”

I groan, eyeing the windows. “If I defenestrated myself, do you think it would get me out of the lesson? Or would I get in more trouble for stabbing the prick?”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure murder is almost always worse.” Little Miss Alien Queen sitting to the girl’s left says tentatively. “What’s ‘defenestrate’ mean anyways?”

“It means thrown out a window.” I explain, letting out a huff as I slap my knees and get to my feet. “For example; I am about to defenestrate myself so I don’t have to deal with Ass Might.”

Luckily -or not depending on the students’ viewpoint- the door opens before I do more than take position to get a running start and in walks Cementoss, the hero who may in fact be cement that gained a quirk. “Greetings, students. Today I will- what are you doing?”

I alternate between looking at him and the window for a moment before asking a question of my own, still fully prepared to dive head-first through the glass if I don’t like it. “Is All Might teaching Heroics today?”

He doesn’t lose his look of confusion, but a bit of understanding leaks into his expression. What exists of it, anyways. “Given the…circumstances… All Might will not be teaching the heroics class this week.” He continues explaining over the various noises of annoyance and disbelief. “Discussions will be held during internships to decide how the class will proceed, so do not be concerned: All Might is not quitting his job teaching here at UA.”

I click my tongue in disappointment but smile when I hear Shoko speak up. “Not to mention that he’s busy dealing with the backlash of Izuku’s announcement that they’re related, as well as his public identity being revealed. The fact that he hid that his quirk is a transformation type has the public split on-”

“That’s enough, Miss Todoroki!” Cementoss almost yells to cover up the rest of her words, clearly trying to avoid the topic. “Regardless of what All Might is dealing with at the moment, what should concern all of you is your training! Go ahead and get changed into your hero outfits and head to ground Beta. There, I’ll explain what we’re doing for the lesson.”

The class allows themselves to be distracted as they all get up to head to the locker rooms. Clearly they don’t want to think about what it means for the Symbol of Peace to be revealed to be a human just like them. They’d prefer that he remains some unstoppable force of nature, a bulwark that can protect them from all the truly difficult hardships.

A naive mindset, in which they acknowledge that some villains will always be beyond their abilities while subconsciously deluding themselves into thinking that All Might will deal with the biggest threats so they won’t have to throw their lives away. They know that’s not how it works, but they can do nothing but hope it will.

But that’s decidedly a them problem. Not only am I a villain, but I also bounce back from dying. So even if I run into the problem of being unable to win, I don’t really have anything to worry about. Plus running away is always an option.

I follow the others to the boys locker room, giving Shoko a small wave before walking through the door and missing her considering look. Inside all the others are getting into their hero costumes, but given I don’t have one I guess I’ll just wear my uniform. If they wanted me to wear something else they should have said something.

While I’m waiting for them so I can follow where we need to go, someone notices my predicament and decides that it’s an invitation for them to help. “Hey villain bro! You can’t go out there in your uniform, it’ll get destroyed!” The red-haired boy who seems to think pants are a costume pulls out a gym uniform and hands it to me, at the same time using his other hand to stop Kachan from exploding me, a piece of white tape covering his mouth stopping the stream of obscenities he no doubt is trying to scream.

I take it with a raised eyebrow. “Thanks.” These people are really weird. Why are they acting so casual with someone who attacked their class? Sure, most of them didn’t actually see me at the USJ, and we weren’t really trying to kill them either, but still. Maybe me acting casual makes it difficult for them to associate me as a person with me as a killer? Normal people do tend to have frankly ridiculous expectations of villains, so maybe it’s society’s fault they’re like this?

Either way, Kirishima gives me a sharp grin and flexes his free arm. “No problem man! Just let me know if anyone bothers you!”

He practically drags Kachan out of the locker room with him, and I can’t help my eyes from following him. They narrow. There’s something off about him…

I dismiss it for the moment. There’s nothing to do about whatever it is until I actually figure out what it is. He’s friendly at the moment, so I suppose it doesn’t really matter until it becomes a problem.

I wait for the others to finish changing, leaving the room one by one. Kaminari is the last one out and he stops at the door, fiddling with his fingers as he looks uncertainly at me. “Uh, you don’t have to wait to change, you know. We, um, saw the video at the Sports Festival. So we’ve all seen your… scars. We won’t stare, promise!”

He suddenly waves his hands in front of himself while shaking his head. “Not that they’re a reason to stare, obviously! It’s just, well, if you want to wait you can, but we don’t want you to feel like you have to! Right?”

I blink at him in surprise for a moment before chuckling. It’s not a happy chuckle, despite how much I appreciate him trying to make me feel better. It’s too sad for that.

“Oh, Kaminari.” I look at him pityingly, because it truly is pitiful just how little these hero aspirants understand of the world. “What I showed was only what I was comfortable showing. They’re just the tip of the iceberg.”

I reach out and put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I do appreciate what you’re trying to do here, but trust me,” I lean forward as I look into his eyes, “I will never do something because of other people’s opinions about me. I won’t lie to myself, which means I won’t lie to others about myself. Me waiting to change is because of the more personal scars.”

I let him go and step back, giving him a wide smile. “So again, thank you for the concern, but I’m good.” I shoo him out. “Go on, I’ll catch up in a minute.”

Notes:

Kaminari is a gem.
*Bonus*
Shoko: *Stares at hole in the wall wondering if she can see Izuku shirtless.*
Yaoyorozu: *Sees hole and patches it up.*
Shoko: This girl has started a blood feud between our families.

Chapter 76: Hostage Situation

Summary:

The exercise begins! Izuku and Momo talk kinks!

“Today, we will be simulating a hostage situation.” Cementoss explains once we’re all assembled. “Regardless of who you all choose to intern with next week, the reality remains that you cannot predict what kind of situations you will encounter.”

He raises one of his thick rectangular fingers. “Though you must keep in mind that you do not have hero licenses, nor do you have provisional licenses. As such you cannot engage in hero work without the express permission of the hero you are interning with . If they become indisposed or otherwise incapacitated another hero may grant permission, but you do need permission.”

There’s a wave of muttering from the hero students, mainly along the line of how they know the laws, but there’s a few grumbling to each other about how they’re essentially heroes while working alongside pros so it should be fine. It’s stupid enough that I find myself rolling my eyes.

Yes, the hero system and the laws around quirks have problems, but they realize that they’re still high schoolers, right? Do they really think they would be able to handle stumbling upon Stain right after he kills a supposed fake? Best case scenario, he lets them off with a warning/threat to not fall into the trap of fake heroism. Worst case, two dead heroes at a minimum plus the intern.

Again, not my problem, but they should at least understand the fact that there’s a reason heroes have mandated therapy. Maybe we should have shifted some of the focus from the USJ attack to traumatizing the idiots…

“Sir! Would a combat exercise not be more beneficial?” Iida half asks half shouts with his arm trembling above his head, so hard that he’s raising it. Why even bother raising your hand if you’re just going to talk immediately anyways…?

Cementoss sighs. “Even though I said that you need permission from your mentor to engage in hero work, I am more than familiar with how… enthusiastic … hero students can be once they’re out in the field. Rescue work can more easily be excused than engaging in combat. Not to mention that you all have much more combat experience than first years typically have…”

I ignore the uncomfortable look he sends towards me, which is swiftly emulated by the students. Well, theirs are a little more hostile and accusatory, but the basic stuff is the same. I just raise my hand and wait to be called on before I ask my question. Like a civilized person. “Who's the hostage?” I ask, followed by a raised eyebrow when he jumps a bit at the question. He clears his throat, looking away from me.

“Ah, well. Given the situation, there will be two hostages that need to be rescued, one of which will be randomly chosen from among you, as well as three villains the heroes will need to evade.”

He looks back at the students, almost glaring. “Remember, this is meant to be rescue training, so combat should be avoided if at all possible.”

“You’re avoiding the question, so I’m guessing I’m going to be stuck playing damsel in distress the entire time?”

“...Yes.”

I nod at the admission and turn to Shoko to make a joke about me needing a dress, before coming to a stop. I blink as I fully acknowledge her hero costume for the first time. It’s a beautiful dark blue dress that trails down to her knees with flame designs rising from the hem. In similar fashion, the sleeves cut off at her elbows, white ruffles transitioning to flames aiding the invocation of a burning glacier.

A dark green belt wraps around her stomach, keeping the front of the opened dress closed. Underneath is a white leotard to keep her decent, and black leggings that cling to her legs. A tiara rests gently on her ponytailed head, solid black except for the green gem resting in the center.

Her entire hero costume gives those who see her the feeling of being in the presence of a graceful princess, one who was frozen, but is being warmed by the flames of hope.

Until I look at her feet, which sport heavy dark blue combat boots with flames sandwiching the laces. I can’t help but snort at the sudden whiplash when compared to the rest of her costume, even though I’m fully aware that one of the notebooks I left for her explains in exacting detail how proper protective footwear is incredibly important when traveling through any sort of disaster area.

Seeing me staring, she smiles, and it’s a very nice smile. She sways her hips to make the dress swish around her. “How does it look? I merged a few of the costume designs you drew in your notebook.”

I cough and look away. “Yeah, you look good.”

“...Thanks.”

There’s a moment of silence between us before sudden shouting right in front of me causes me to jump backwards. “Squeeeee!! You two are adorable! Did you date back in- AH! Where’d you get that from!?”

I glance down and to my surprise see a knife in my hand. I stare at it for a moment before looking up and look at where I think the invisible girl’s head is. “I’m honestly not sure. I don’t remember grabbing any knives, but maybe I saw one and grabbed it on instinct?” I scratch my head with the tip, genuinely wondering where I could have gotten it from. The only thing I can think of is that I managed to reclaim the one Aizawa confiscated, but he would have noticed, and I definitely would have made sure to remember if only to rub it in his face later.

I shrug, dropping it back into my sleeve with a casual roll of my wrist. “Eh, whatever.” I look at Cementoss, who’s mimicking Aizawa’s ‘I’m done with this’ look. “So, we starting the exercise yet?”

`~`

The three villains for the first round are the pink girl named Mina Ashido, the purple thing I met at the Entrance Exam dubbed Minoru Mineta, and the frog girl who sits behind me, Tsuyu Asui. My partner in distress is the quick to violence heiress, Momo Yaoyorozu.

Given that it’s meant to be a simulation of a hostage situation, none of us are allowed to know who the heroes are, or how many will be participating in the round. Makes sense since the hostage takers would have no idea of knowing who would be showing up. Yaoyorozu and I are just sitting at a table while we wait for the ‘villains’ to discuss things.

I look over and can’t help but raise an eyebrow at her… ‘costume’. “You know, there are easier ways to indulge in your fetish than becoming a hero.”

Her head jerks back and she gives me an offended look while bringing her hand to her chest. “I beg your pardon!?”

I shrug. “Begging and exhibitionism? Are you really that repressed as a coddled rich girl?”

Her cheeks light up in a blush as she glares at me. “I assure you that I am interested in neither… activity . I simply require exposed skin to utilize my quirk.”

I give her the most unimpressed look I can, which is pretty unimpressed. “You’re using a large belt for pants. Do you even have underwear on?”

She makes a kind of high pitched whine as her entire face turns into a tomato and clenches her fists in front of her. “I am wearing bloomers, thank you very much!”

I roll my eyes, raising my hand in a calming gesture. “Look, all I’m saying is that you can get your skin exposure without looking like a stripper. It’s as bad as Midnight’s debut costume!”

She gasps before gritting her teeth, her eyes getting a bit bloodshot from the force she’s glaring at me with. “You take that back!”

I wave my hand and snort at how defensive she is. “Do you really not see it? Do you even know what her costume was like back then?”

She pauses for a moment as she thinks before looking away. “No…”

I bark out a laugh. “There you go! Look it up after the exercise and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I can even help you come up with something better. For example, go digital instead of having to lug around a giant book hanging off your butt.”

She groans. “Is it so hard to believe that I simply prefer for it to be physical? I put a lot of work into compiling this information.”

I nod in acknowledgement. “That’s fair, but what do you mean by compiling the information?”

She seems a bit surprised that I’m not judging her preferences, but why would I? That’s basically the same as kink shaming, and I am in no position to judge someone else’s kinks. “Ah, well, I need to know the molecular make-up of whatever I create, so rather than requiring me to memorize everything, I compiled those that I feel would be most commonly used in hero work in my book.”

I hum before snapping my fingers. “That’s why everything you made for your family back when we first met were all melee weapons! More simple than a gun, not to mention quicker given you’d have to make the weapon, bullets, and gunpowder. Makes the fact that you actually managed to make a functional one at the Sports Festival even more impressive.”

“Ah. Well, thank you.” Her blush is decidedly more tame this time, only lightly dusting her cheeks. “Your advice was rather helpful, as well as the examples you provided us with.”

I tilt my head to the side as I wonder what she’s talking about, before realizing that she thinks I have a long-term relationship with Giran. Himi and I only did two more bodyguarding gigs before he said that it wasn’t working out. Apparently everyone was threatened by two people no older than high school students and reacted aggressively. Then they suddenly contracted a deadly disease with a ninety-nine percent fatality rate, commonly referred to as being killed.

Giran did actually put Himi and I in contact with her though, and even if we can’t call her a friend , we were at least acquaintances. At least until the USJ when she cut off all contact. Which wasn’t unreasonable considering we did attack her class.

Before we can talk more, the ‘villains’ finish their discussion, with the purple thing looking decidedly unhappy. Ashido is the one to explain, holding her palms together in front of her as she gives me an apologetic smile, though I do see more than a hint of annoyance behind it. “So, sorry about this, but we’re planning to split the two of you up to make it harder for the heroes to find. And, well… Bunny, you’re going to be guarded by Mineta.”

I look at the thing that’s blatantly staring at Yaoyorozu’s chest with a bit of drool leaking out of the corner of its mouth. She’s covering herself with her arms and looks distinctly more interested in my help redesigning her costume.

I wave her apology off as I get up. “Don’t worry about it, it’s perfectly reasonable.” I grab the thing and forcibly drag it from the room despite its protests and struggles. “Let’s go have some fun~.”

Notes:

I don't care what excuses anyone gives, Momo's costume is NOT suitable for hero work.

Chapter 77: The Exercise Begins!

Summary:

Tsu is willing to end a pervert, and Izumi suffers! Again!

(3rd)

The three girls watch as the real life villain drags their screaming classmate into the hallway. They aren’t sure where exactly he’s taking the pervert, but they’re all relieved that they won’t have him leering at them during the exercise. But…

“Are we sure it is wise to leave the two of them alone?” Yaoyorozu asks into the air, not sure herself if she’s genuinely asking for their opinions or is simply questioning herself.

“I mean…” Mina shrugs. “The teachers seem to think that he won’t kill any of us, so it’s probably fine?”

“Kero. I thought we sent them together because we were hoping he would?” The other two turn to stare at their frog-quirked friend. She shrugs dismissively. “I know I’m not the only one who’s thought of where his body could be hidden. I just figured we decided that this was a good opportunity where we wouldn’t be blamed, kero.”

There’s silence for another few moments before Mina’s eyes narrow and she points at her. “...You’re joking.” She peers closer at her, her mouth twitching as she thinks. “You’re joking. I think?”

Tsu just stares back with a blank expression. “The world may never know.”

Before Mina can crack a joke at the incredibly old reference, an unholy screech echoes through the building, causing a shiver to crawl down their spines. Before they can do much more than jump in surprise, it abruptly cuts off.

They exchange uncertain glances, none of them sure of how to react. Yaoyorozu feels that they should investigate, if only because they’re all aspiring heroes.

Mina also wants to investigate, but is worried of what they would find, and whether or not it’s a trap.

Meanwhile Tsu…

She claps her hands twice and bows her head. “Rest in a place with no women for you to harass, Mineta.”

Getting judgemental glares from her classmates she lets out a sigh. “If Usagi had actually done something to Mineta, Cementoss-sensei would have warned us over our comms. Since he hasn’t, he’s probably fine.”

Mina raises an eyebrow. “Probably?”

Tsu shrugs. “Physically, at least. Mentally, I hope Usagi manages to traumatize the pervert out of him.”

`~`

(Izuku)

I can’t help but shake my head as I use the unconscious grape’s hands to pull his quirk from his head. “Really, what kind of hero student tries to make a deal with a villain to perv on his female classmates?”

Sure, knocking him out was probably a bit much, but people like this ruin what it means to be a villain! Why the heck are our morales better than an aspiring hero’s!?” 

Anyways, with him knocked out I had a couple of routes to go down for the exercise: Play an off-duty hero who managed to escape, a psychopathic villain who decided to use the chaos to have some fun, or make the ‘villain’ an idiot who knocked himself out after setting some traps.

Given that the grape is clearly an idiot already, the last option made the most sense. But since he’s knocked out, I have to set the traps myself. Add on a high-pitched screech like a dinosaur, and if the hero students have any actual heroic instincts they should be having a bit of a panic about what it could mean. Which translates into them rushing a bit to save the hostages.

But since they do need to be careful to avoid the villains, then they can’t just run in blindly in the hopes of stumbling onto us. So I have a good few minutes at the minimum to get things set up.

I pause after booby trapping the door, which thankfully opens inwards. “Unless Kachan is one of the heroes.”

`~`

(Izumi)

I sigh as I watch Bakugou storm into the building with a snarl on his lips and explosions popping in his palms. I figured that something like this would happen the moment the exercise started, so I give Kirishima -Red Riot- an apologetic look. He laughs, shooting me a thumbs up as he chases after his friend.

Well, he considers Bakugou a friend, at least. No idea why, but that’s his business.

[Not like you’re any better. Mina’s a good person, unlike you. Are you really going to drag her down to your level?]

I studiously ignore the voice as I gesture for Hagakure -Invisible Girl- to take point. We don’t know where either the hostages or the villains are, so we need to be careful. We’re silent as we creep through the building, Hagakure poking her head around each corner before giving me a signal that we’re clear.

But we’ve barely made any progress before a loud screech makes us jump. It only lasts a few seconds before abruptly cutting off, but that’s more than enough. Enough for me to know.

My heart beats faster, hammering against my chest as it rapidly picks up the pace. My breathing becomes short and raspy, my eyes dart around as I try to find him. Because I know that scream, I’ve heard it too often, far too often, to mistake it for anyone else. I try to swallow and wet my suddenly dry throat, but it’s like there’s a lump blocking it, stopping me from getting any air.

And all the while, the voice speaks.

[You self-centered BITCH! You knew what would happen the moment Bakugou ran off! You knew what he would do the moment he found him! And did you go and try to stop him!? NO! YOU FUCKING COWARD!]

No… y-y-you’re w-wrong…

[YOU’RE scared! Scared of izuku! SCARED OF SEEING HOW MUCH HE HATES YOU!]

N-n-n-no…

[OF COURSE HE HATES YOU! YOU DESERVE IT!]

I know…

[You said that you would change things if you ever had the chance!? You fucking lied ! LETTING BAKUGOU GO AFTER HIM IS JUST AS BAD AS IF YOU WENT AFTER HIM YOURSELF!]

I-I-I sent Ki-kirishima to-

[Oh, real fucking nice! You think any friend of Bakugou is actually going to care what he does to Izuku!?]

H-he’s a good person! He won’t-

[And what about you?] The voice’s words are suddenly cold, vastly different from the previous fiery rage. They send a shiver down my spine. [You were Bakugou’s friend, weren’t you? More than that, you were Izuku’s sister , but did that get you to stop Bakugou? No. You helped him. What makes you think Kirishima will be any different?]

I…

[Hell, it will be even worse now! Because of you, Izuku turned into a villain. Into a killer . You broke him, dragged him through the mud, and threw him off a cliff. You are the reason that he’s suffered his whole life. The reason he joined the League of Villains. The reason for-]

Suddenly I feel pain in my cheek, and I’m staring to the side. I blink, slowly turning my head to face forward. But I see nothing there. Feel nothing. Even though I can see white gloves on each of my shoulders from the corners of my eyes, it’s like there’s nothing there. It’s almost like I’m floating.

And then one of them floats into the air and slaps me, sending a stinging pain into my other cheek. And then I can hear. I didn’t even realize I couldn’t. “Izumi, focus on my voice. Can you hear me? It doesn’t matter how, but you need to signal that you can. Izumi, focus on my voice. Can you hear me? It doesn’t matter how, but you need to signal that you can. Izumi…”

I can hear the calm voice repeating its words a few more times, but it takes me a bit to really understand them. It’s only when a glove raises to slap me again that I manage to dip my head a bit in an incredibly shallow nod. I hear a breath going out before the voice speaks again. It’s not… the other voice, even though it’s one I know. It’s calmer, nicer. Pleasant to listen to.

“Izumi, I need you to tell me five things you can see.”

I nod absently as my eyes dart around the hallway. I try to swallow again, but it doesn’t work. “I-I-I see the wall? The… the floor. Gloves. T-two of them. Two boots. A-a-and the ceiling.”

“Good, that’s good. Now, four things you can touch.”

My fingers brush against the floor. “T-the floor, it’s carpeted. My hero costume. The wall behind me. And…” I blink, as the gloves suddenly have pressure from where they press down on my shoulders. “Y-your hands. They’re kind of pushing down?”

The- Her voice lets out a short chuckle but doesn’t move her hands. “That’s right. You’re doing good, Izumi. Now, three things you can hear?”

I swallow, and this time it actually feels like it works. “Your voice. My voice. The… the blood rushing in my ears.”

“That’s… good.” Her, Hagakure’s , voice is still calm, but it has a bit of a strained quality now. “Two things you can smell?”

I take a deep breath, trying to pick up a scent I know. “I smell your shampoo, I think. Lilac scented? And…” My nose wrinkles a bit. “Do I smell vomit?”

Hagakure clears her throat “Yeah, not the most pleasant smell, but it is there, so you're still doing well. Now, I just need you to tell me something that you can taste.”

I smack my lips before they twist unpleasantly and I gag. “Ugh, that’s nasty.” I blink as I connect the thoughts. “Wait, did I throw up?”

Hagakure lets out a breath as she helps me to my feet. “Yes, you did. Now let's get out of here so we can talk without the smell hanging in the air.”

I let her pull me along while I shake my head to clear the last of the haze that’s clouding my thoughts. Finally, I can focus, and I see Hagakure pull me into a room that looks like some kind of lounge. She gently but firmly pushes me onto the couch and takes a seat next to me before pulling me into a side hug.

“Do you want me to ask Cementoss to pull you out of the exercise? I’m sure that Hound Dog would be -well, not happy , given that emergency meetings with therapists are never a good thing, but more than willing to see you.”

I think for a moment before slowly shaking my head, then again but more firmly. “Thank you, but no. I’m good now!” I do an arm pump to show her that I am good, but even if I can’t see her look of doubt I can certainly feel it.

“Izumi, I know a panic attack when I see one. Don’t try to bullshit me by trying to brush it off.”

I swallow, lowering my arm before looking away. “I’m not ok , ok, but it can wait to be dealt with until after class?”

I can feel her eyes staring at me, but I refuse to squirm. After a few moments she eventually sighs. “Alright. But after our part in the exercise is done I am bringing you to Hound Dog’s office! Got it?”

I can’t help but chuckle at the threat in her voice. It’s cute. I nod and smile at her. “Got it.” A thought strikes me. “How long has it been, anyways?”

Toru is silent for a second before her glove goes up and scratches somewhere on her head. “Er, that’s actually a good question. I don’t have a watch or anything, so…”

Suddenly we hear the sound of static come from our comms before it clears up. “The exercise is now over, the villains have successfully used the hostages to escape, and also defeated half of the heroes sent on the rescue mission.”

I look at Hagakure, and am pretty sure she looks back. Evidently, it’s been long enough for us to lose.

Chapter 78: Fuck You, Bakugou.

(3rd Bakugou)

The spiky blonde haired hero student rushes through the hallways of the fake hotel the exercise is taking place in, a snarl on his face as he blows open every door he passes. He barely pauses after each explosion to listen for a scream of fear or pain before moving on, ignoring his annoying red haired classmate’s calls for him to slow down and be careful. They just make him even more angry at the one Bakugou has nicknamed ‘Shitty Hair’.

Fucking bastard keeps getting in the way of me killing that worthless piece of shit Deku! Dumbass heroes think the shitstain has what it takes to be a villain, so it won’t even matter that I don’t have my license yet! In his mind, if he kills ‘Midosagi’ -at least according to ‘official’ channels- then he should be given his license right the fuck away! In his mind it’s an easy way to catapult the start of his rise to being the number one hero.

Not to mention that it would just add to the badassery of his origin story. 

“After graduating from Aldera Middle School, Bakugou Katsuki’s rise to the top of the hero charts began at UA high school! After facing numerous tribulations, he confronted a supposed villain who had infiltrated the school. After defeating them, it was realized that the boy could never have managed to achieve the feats he’d been accused of, due to his quirkless nature. For helping society, and the heroes themselves, come to this realization he was immediately granted his hero license. He only accomplished even more impressive feats from there!”

He can hear it now, everyone singing his praises for revealing how utterly beneath him that quirkless loser is. All he has to do is FIND THE DAMN NERD WHEREVER HIS FUCKING HIDING PLACE IS!

But then he hears the bastard scream, and he lets loose a savage grin. “Fucking found you, Deku.” He uses explosions from his palms to speed himself up, excited to put the farce of him somehow being a villain to an end.

“YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD DEKU! YOU HEAR ME!?”

Finally, he reaches a cracked open door, and behind it he can hear a sound he’s more than familiar with.

“K-k-kachan, p-p-p-please! D-d-don-don’t hurt m-me-me!”

The arrogant nerd’s annoying fucking mumbling. Does it matter to the hero aspirant that he’s begging for mercy before he’s even entered the room? Not at all. Does it matter that the point of the exercise is to ‘save the hostage’? Not at all.

All that matters in Bakugou’s mind, is putting Deku in his place.

He uses an explosion to blow the door open without a second thought, following behind it immediately and locking sights on the quivering green haired boy to the detriment of his awareness regarding his surroundings. He sees nothing else in the room. Not his unconscious classmate tossed in the corner. Not the balls scattered around the room, including the ones keeping his future victim trapped against the wall.

And not the door that swings into his face with even more force than he used to open it.

`~`

(Izuku)

I throw my head back and cackle when Kachan crumples to the floor, almost instantly knocked unconscious after getting slammed in the face by the door and cracking his head against the frame. It only gets louder when the door has enough force to make a second round and hits his foot with less force, but still enough that he’ll feel it when he wakes up. Especially since it hit his toes!

“Heroing one-o-one dumbass! Don’t walk into an obvious trap!”

I let my cackling die down into regular laughter, and then into chuckles as I look around the room with a smile on my face. It was definitely not easy to set up so quickly with the grape being unconscious, but I have to say, the immediate payoff was certainly worth it!

The grape’s quirk is scattered all around the room, making sure that anything movable is stuck in place and ensuring that anyone trying to enter the room needs to essentially hopscotch to get to me, the ‘hostage’. Then they’ll have to figure out a way to get me unstuck from the wall since the balls are stuck to my skin. Of course, if they don’t care about injuring me, then just letting me lose some skin is an option.

I’ll make sure to scream bloody murder the whole time if they go that route though. Punishment for not thinking of just breaking the wall around the balls instead!

And so I wait for another of the hero team to investigate the sudden silence and stumble on the scene. I mean, they’d have to be a pretty bad hero student to not even bother checking on their teammate. Then again, it is Kachan, so I can understand not wanting to get anywhere close to him.

I let my mind go blank while staring up at the ceiling, mentally checking out until someone gets here. Nothing else to do until then. Although I might be able to kick my shoe off and kick it at the unconscious pomeranian. But then he might wake up, and I enjoy the silence…

Before I can come to a decision on whether or not I should do it, I hear someone shout from outside the room. “Bakubro! Are you ok!?”

Welp, time to get into character.

“H-hello? Is someone there? Please b-be careful. The villain set a trap!”

There’s silence for a moment before the door gets slowly pushed open. The boy who shares his name with a city pokes his head in and looks around, his eyes widening at seeing all the balls scattered around the room. “What the heck?”

I hold back an eye roll as I stretch my neck and kick my legs, managing to draw the hero’s attention. “B-be careful coming in, the villain booby trapped the door. Your partner rushed in before I could warn them and got knocked unconscious.”

The shirtless boy visibly swallows before he crouches and drags Kachan out of the room. I can hear him moving him outside the room, but can’t see what he’s doing to him. Waking him up or making him comfortable? Nobody will be happy if he wakes the loudmouth up, so hopefully he’s just setting him against a wall or something.

It only takes a few more moments before he comes back, carefully stepping over the half-circle of balls surrounding the door just far enough away that it won’t hit any of them when it opens. He looks behind the door and sees the entire thing covered in purple balls, along with the wall behind it. The door stop that would typically prevent the door from going that far has been removed, and since the balls bounce off of each other, if you aren’t careful opening the door it would bounce back even harder and hit you.

As demonstrated by a certain kamikaze mutt.

“Damn, that’s actually pretty smart!”

I shrug. “I guess, but the villain was clumsy and tripped onto his balls. He bounced around for a bit before finally hitting his head and knocking himself out. It doesn’t matter how smart the trap is if the one who set it falls in too.” I give him a shaky smile. “I-I’m just glad that someone is here to rescue me! I have no idea what the villains would have done if you didn’t show up!”

“Uh, yeah!” He seems unsure of what to say for a moment before giving me a sharp-toothed smile and slamming his fist into his hand. “Yeah, I’m here to save you! Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here no problem!”

He takes a confident step forward-

And slips, his foot sliding forward as he lets out a loud cry of surprise.

I deadpan as his other leg buckles and he goes down on one knee, one leg almost fully extended and stuck to one of the balls scattered on the floor. We just stare at each other in an awkward silence for a moment.

“…”

“...What did you even slip on?” I certainly didn’t have enough time to make sure someone would fall onto the balls. As far as I know, the rest of the floor should be perfectly fine!

“Uh… I think the rug?” He looks sheepish as he awkwardly gets to his foot, hopping forward so he can start trying to get his stuck foot free.

“...At least you didn’t do the splits?”

He barks out a laugh as he uses his hands to tug on his leg, not making any progress in removing the ball. Not that it would end well if he did get himself free like that. Hasn’t he ever seen, like, any cartoon or anime where a character’s gotten one leg stuck? Even if he does manage to get free, he’d either get stuck on a ball behind him, or fall backwards and get completely stuck with no hope of getting out without outside assistance.

At least that would be the case if a short frog girl hadn’t just jumped on his back. “Timber.” She says in a monotone voice while Kirishima lets out a yelp as he pitches forward. He windmills his arms in an effort to keep his balance, but my fellow green hair uses him as a springboard to do a back flip up onto the ceiling where she manages to stick both the landing and herself.

Kirishima, meanwhile, face plants with his body stretched across a number of balls, rendering him well and truly stuck. He lets out a groan of disappointment. “Ugh, sneak attacks aren’t manly at all.”

“I’m a girl, so I’m fine with that.” She says before looking over at me. She tilts her head with her tongue sticking out. “How’d all this happen?”

I shrug, bending at the waist to flip myself backwards and kick my feet through the wall next to both my hands. I give a strong heave, tearing free the plaster my hands and the balls are stuck to. “Kachan was an idiot -like usual- and Kirishima tripped. Then you got an eight out of ten for gymnastics when you finished him off.”

Her head tilts the other way. “Only an eight, kero? Why not a ten?”

“The back flip was pulled off nicely, but any decent hero can do a flip. Now, if you had done a twist or a twirl, that would have been a solid ten.” I nod. “That takes practice and shows dedication.”

“Understandable.” She nods before pointing at the rancid grape in the corner. “And while that’s good to know, kero, I was talking about how you got stuck and why Mineta’s unconscious.”

“Oh, that?” I wave my mildly more dangerous hand dismissively. “He was disrespecting women-kind, so I punted him into a wall. But since I didn’t want to ruin the exercise I used his body to trap the room so the hero team wouldn’t be able to just walk out with me.”

“Thank you for the consideration, kero.” She puts a finger on her chin as she looks at me. “You know, you’re oddly considerate for a villain.”

I snort, crossing my arms. “Villainy is a business with a healthy dash of ‘personal’ and trauma. I consider my time here outside of business hours since I’m not allowed to kill anyone.”

She just hums noncommittally before looking down at Kirishima, and I follow suit. “That’s… manly?” He says with a bit of doubt and a constipated thinking face, and I snort before looking back at her.

“So, is the round over or what?”

She doesn’t say anything, her head tilting in the way they do when they’re listening to something. Why wasn’t I given an ear piece or something?

Less than a minute later she focuses back on me. “Cementoss-sensei says to gather back outside the building for an after action report. My team won.”

I pump my fist and give a little hop. “Whoo! Go team villains!”

“You’re a hostage, kero.” She deadpans at me. I laugh while dancing around the balls on the floor.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I can’t support villainy even as a ‘civilian’. Just look at Gentle Criminal, he has a pretty dedicated fan base even though his tech people are in a constant fight with the HPSC’s over keeping his videos up.”

She just shrugs in reply before crawling across the ceiling to make her own exit. On the floor, Kirishima blinks. “Uh, how am I going to get out of this?”

I shrug and use him as a board, walking across his back to reach the door. “How am I supposed to know? The grape is in your class, so you should know best how to get out of it.”

Notes:

Kirishima did end up getting free, but the balls are still stuck to him until the stickiness wears off.

Also, yes, we hate Bakugou.

Chapter 79: Round 2

Summary:

Izuku messes with people in the second round!

After getting Kirishima free and the rest of the hero team to the nurse’s office for some reason, Cementoss has the class do an analysis of the exercise. With the now named Tsu being declared the MVP by popular vote the class quickly moves on to the next one.

They’re more… traditional, in their act as villains. The tape guy named Sero ties up me and Kaminari but the team elects to keep us in the same room, unlike the first group. Jiro plugs her jacks into the floor, presumably to monitor hero movements and get early warning if they start getting close. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow leave the room, saying how they’ll ensure ‘the feast of darkness obtains its guests’.

Gotta say, those two are fun people to be around.

Still, since they’re taking this more seriously than the last group, I have to treat it the same as well. Which means no conversation and more cowering in the corner. Jiro gives me a look of confused concern but Sero just dismisses me. I give her a quick thumbs up before getting back into my act.

Kaminari stares at me blankly for a moment before seeming to light up in realization. Which causes him to get into the act of a hostage himself.

“You won’t get away with this, villains!” His sudden shout causes our ‘captors’ to jump in surprise “The heroes will totally save us and, uh, kick all of your butts!”

The two give him unamused looks. “Really, Jamming Whey? That’s the best smack talk you have?”

He gets an offended look at Jiro’s criticism. “Hey! I’m not talking smack, just stating facts! But y’all will be getting smacked when the heroes show up!”

Sero gives him a pained look. “Dude. That pun was painful.”

The blonde boy pauses and thinks for a moment before letting out a chuckle. “Heh, you’ll be getting smacked.” He looks at Sero with a gleam in his eyes. “It’s not a pun unless you meant it to be! Which means you only have yourself to blame for what I said being pun ful!”

The tape dispenser boy lets out a groan before crossing his arms and glaring at me. “I don’t know how, but somehow you’re responsible for this.”

Welp. Looks like serious time is over and done with.

I stick my tongue out at the grumpy fake villain. “Not my fault if you think his puns are noteworthy enough to stick to you. Probably should make sure you don’t leave yourself hanging in the wind if you don’t want that to happen.”

There’s a choked laugh from Jiro who covers her mouth while her face flushes. Kaminari has no such compunctions over laughing though, and he makes sure to show that by laughing in an overly exaggerated fashion. Sero’s face turns red and he glares at me even harder before pointing a shaking finger at me.

“Be quiet, villain. You’re lucky that you’re here instead of in prison, even if none of us know what the teachers are thinking by letting you come to UA.”

I shrug dismissively. “I mean, I asked if I could go to prison instead, but they said no so…” I tilt my head at him. “That kind of sounds like a you problem. So try and keep it to yourself as well as you keep your weed.”

He flinches, unnoticed by the other two who are busy snickering at the rebuttals I’m throwing at him. I notice though, and doesn’t that just put a smile on my face. “Now, I never touched that stuff myself. My body is a temple, and I have no intention of desecrating it.”

I pause, thinking about that for a moment. “Well,” I shake my head. “No, that’s right. I don’t desecrate my own body. Drugs and other addictive substances are a no go for me.”

I give him a thumbs up. “But you do you! Who cares if you’re cultivating a crippling weakness that villains are not only likely to discover rather easily, but also setting a bad example for any children or civilians that look up to you in the future? Not me, that’s for sure!”

He looks at me like someone threw a bottle of lemon juice at his face while Kaminari looks at me with a surprised pikachu face. Well, not really pikachu, but since he has an electric quirk that’s how I’m going to describe it. “Wait, does he actually do weed?”

I roll my eyes. “You don’t ‘do’ weed, you smoke it! And while it’s faint, the smell does have a nasty tendency to stick around. Especially if you still have it on you.” I hesitate to say what I want to say next before just dismissing the words. Telling them about some of the bar’s patrons will be much too big of a hint towards the LoV’s location. Being too obvious about it will just make my own little game far too boring~.

It’s only my first day at UA, after all. There’s plenty of time to poke at them unless I get rescued. In which case I’ll be able to laugh at the school about how terrible their security improvements are. But that’s for later. For now…

I make sure to pitch my voice as high and annoying as I can make it. “Like, FYI BTW, if you want to actually hide it, don’t be like, a total dummy and put it in your hero costume? It’s so totes obvious where you stash it.” I make a half-grabbing motion at the whistle-like protrusions on his shoulders to show that I do in fact know and am not just messing with him. Well, about knowing where his weed is. I am totally messing with him to amuse myself in general.

“Putting aside Sero apparently doing drugs,” Jiro ignores my correction about how while technically a drug, weed is generally considered a separate category, as well as Sero’s frankly pathetic defense about how I’m lying because I’m a villain. Instead she points at me with a jack she pulls from the floor. “How the hell did you get out of the tape?”

The other two seem to realize for the first time that the tape that previously bound me is currently laying in a pile on the floor. In response, I shrug. “I mean, yeah, it’s tape. But despite Mr Stationary not liking me, he doesn’t seem to want to actively hurt me like the kamikaze mutt. Peeling it off only took a bunch of hair off my arms, not skin. Not like that would have bothered me even if it happened though.”

Kaminari cringes at what I say about the tape taking off skin before giving his own wrappings a disturbed look. Then he seems to remember that his arms are covered by his costume and breathes a sigh of relief before seeming to remember something. “Dude, what the heck! How would you be fine with that!?”

I shrug again. “Pain is an illusion crafted by the mind and fabricated onto our brains in an effort to guide the body into the path of least resistance in an effort to ensure the survival of the human race. Although with the emergence of quirks, new pathways have been being steadily developed in order to accommodate the drastic changes in humanity’s physiology. This has led to some unique cases where quirks forcefully remove the sensation of pain, which could be interpreted as genetics giving up on that person having anything worthwhile to pass on to future generations. I am unaffected by this illusion, not because genetics has decided I no longer have anything to contribute, but because the vessel the signals are meant to originate from has become damaged to the point where they are unable to make contact.”

I pause to take a breath and look at the electric boy, only to see that his eyes have glazed over. A quick check on the other two shows that Jiro is cross eyed and Sero seems a bit dazed. Neither are on Kaminari’s level, but apparently they weren’t prepared for my answer.

Which means that they don’t manage to react in time when Dark Shadow crashes through the wall and into the villain team. She’s quickly followed by a brilliantly bright laser that causes her to screech and shrink. After it fades away she growls and makes to lunge back out, but aborts the movement when the hero team walks in. Along with Tokoyami, who’s wrapped in capture tape.

“Desist, Dark Shadow. The darkness has been repelled, and must attempt to engulf the world another day.”

“Technically that happens every night.” I point out, causing the tailed boy to blink and the armored boy’s head to tilt to the side. Which is about the time it takes for the villain team to finally shake off themselves out of their funk and attack. It probably would have taken longer, but it’s hard for people to be shocked into inaction when they’re already in shock.

Jiro’s jacks shoot to the speakers on her legs and she sets herself to aim them at the armored boy. Sero takes the opportunity to shoot his tape at the tailed boy, who ducks under it and kicks off the rubble he’s standing on to launch himself forward. Tokoyami stays where he is since he’s out of the exercise.

The ‘knight in shining armor’ puts his hands behind his head as he turns to Jiro, but before they can do whatever they were planning to do they’re hit bit a wave of sound that causes them to fall to their knees, the only reason they don’t fall fully being the hand on the floor holding them there. But given the fact that vibrations and metal armor don’t really mix well, he won’t last much longer.

And true to my prediction, it only takes a couple seconds for him to start tipping over to the side. But before he’s completely out of the fight, he manages to fire off a laser from his stomach. Jiro lets out a curse and jumps to the side before rushing at him, and it burns a hole in the wall behind her.

While those two fight, tail guy and Sero are in a dance where the tape boy desperately tries to get any of his sticky strings attached to his opponent. But the hero hopeful clearly has the skills his karate gi would lead you to believe he has, weaving between each shot without too much difficulty. I wouldn’t quite say it’s with ease and grace, but it’s definitely not something that’s much of a challenge for him. Which of course causes Sero to panic.

His eyes dart around wildly, looking for some kind of escape from what he seems to realize will be his loss. They pass over his partner busy wrapping the other hero in capture tape, over Kaminari who’s brows are furrowed in thought, and finally land on me, lighting up as he comes up with an idea. One that I just know is not going to end well for him.

He moves one of his elbows away from the tailed boy, letting him get much closer much more quickly, and points it at me instead. The tape wraps around me like one of those old snap wristband things and he heaves with effort as he throws me at his opponent, who’s eyes widen in shock and his body freezes for a moment in indecision.

Of course, I’m not silent during all of this. “I believe I can fly~!” I sing while flying at him head first. “I believe I can- ghk!” The tailed boy grabs me before lowering me to the ground. He’s not gentle, but he is in a combat situation so it’s understandable. Too bad for him that moment of vulnerability lets Sero completely wrap him up in tape.

Everyone seems to pause for a moment before letting out relieved breaths, so I assume this round of the exercise is over. After unwrapping the knight from her capture tape Jiro walks over to me and uses her jacks to cut me free. “You good, Green?”

I nod. “Yep. Not supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but being sent flying is nothing new to me. I’ve gone a few times with Skyfall and kind of like the feeling of the wind rushing past me.

“Uh, ok.” She probably hasn’t heard about Mary Poppins, but then again she did go into hiding forty years ago after she had another movie made about her, along with Nanny McPhee.

If there’s anyone the world should be terrified by, it’s those two instead of All For One.

Kaminari suddenly shouts, causing us all to jump. Especially Sero who’s just finished untying the blonde. “Hold the fuck up!” He points at me with wide eyes. “Did you say you have brain damage!?”

I tilt my head and give him a smirk. “Clever boy.”

Chapter 80: Relationships

Summary:

Shoko showcases her preferences.
Mina shares some information.
Eri becomes an owl.

The third round has Shoko and Uraraka as the villains, with my fellow hostage being a large rocky-looking fellow who seems to be hyperventilating. Uraraka is desperately trying to help him calm down, but anytime she seems to make progress he glances over to me and it gets sent right back to where it was before. I glance over at Shoko, who hasn’t taken her eyes off of me since she walked into the room.

“Should we-”

I don’t even have time to finish the question before Shoko answers. “Head out to a separate room on our own? Absolutely.” Without another word or any warning she grabs hold of my arm and starts pulling me towards the door. I’m surprised enough that all I manage to do is look back over my shoulder and see Uraraka giving me a befuddled look. She opens her mouth to say something, but by then I’m through the door and Shoko slams it behind us.

Then she uses her ice to freeze it shut.

I give her a deadpan look, getting a small shrug in reply, accompanied by the small smile on her face that she’s had since she saw me. “This will help keep the heroes out of the room. And if I freeze over the entire hallway before we leave they won’t be able to tell they’re in that specific room.”

I hum in acknowledgement but don’t drop my suspicion that logic is not why she did it. Not that she seems to care, since she continues to drag me towards the stairs where she does indeed stop to send a wave of ice down the hallway, freezing everything. She gives a satisfied nod before prompting me to start climbing the stairs. I do so easily, curious about what her overall plan is for the exercise.

We go up, and up, and up, eventually reaching the roof. She freezes the door shut behind us. “None of our classmates have quirks that would encourage them to climb instead of going through the building. Except Shoji, but he has some reticence about using his quirk to its full capabilities and tries his best to fit in with everyone else.”

I frown. “That sounds like an unhealthy mindset. Discrimination based?”

She nods. “Most likely. He absolutely refuses to remove his mask around anyone, even during lunch. He’ll normally grab his food and leave somewhere he can eat alone.”

I hum in thought while frowning. “Doesn’t UA have a therapist? Nezu kept arguing for me to visit whoever it is everyday while we hashed out the details for my stay here. Got him down to a session a month on the grounds that anymore and I’d jump off the roof of the building.”

Another nod, in which she ignores my comment about jumping off the roof. “That would be Hound Dog. Most of the class doesn’t really go to him though, except for Izumi. Most of them weren’t really all that affected by the League of Villain’s attack on the USJ.”

“Makes sense,” this time it’s my turn to nod. “The main targets for that were the Yagis, but All Might didn’t show up until the main act was over so we had to improvise.”

“Interesting,” she says as she puts her hands on my shoulders and guides me down to the floor alongside her. She sits me on her lap facing away from her and starts playing with my hair with a content expression. “It definitely had an effect on Izumi. But enough about her and everyone else. Tell me about what you’ve been up to.”

I chuckle, leaning into her touch. It’s nice, gentle. Just like when she did the same thing back in middle school. “Well, where should I start?”

She lets out a low hum as she combs my curls. “How about you tell me a bit about your villain friends? I’m curious.”

I smile. “Sure, but you have to tell me about your friends too.”

She nods. “I don’t have many, pretty much just Yaoyorozu. Though I guess her friends are kind of like friend extensions?”

“That’s fine. Tell me about them?”

She flicks my ear. “You first, mister rabbit.”

I chuckle, deciding to start off simply. “Well, despite how Shigaraki acted at the USJ, he’s actually pretty well put together, if impulsive. He’s also a huge game geek and…”

`~`

The hero class of 1-A stares in silence at the monitor showing a scene on the rooftop, the sound not working for some reason. They’ve all forgotten about the three on the hero team who have been trying to smash through all the ice blocking their way while they try to find the hostages.

“...Are they seriously cuddling?” Sero asks with a voice full of disbelief.

“They totally are! And they were sharing a moment before the exercise even started!” Toru squeals while her gloves wave around in the air excitedly. “They’re totally crushing on each other! How long do you think it’ll take for them to confess?”

She turns to her friend and asks the question, only to see her with a thoughtful look on her face instead of the mischievous/excited look she usually has when seeing two people being cute with each other. “Huh? Mina? What’s wrong?”

“Wha?” The pink girl jumps a bit when she feels her invisible friend’s hand on her shoulder. She looks around before realizing that everyone else is still staring at the monitor with a variety of looks on their faces. “Oh, um. It’s nothing.”

Toru gives her her best deadpan stare (not that anyone can see it). “Girl, if it was anyone in our class having a moment like that you’d be snapping pictures, trying to hold back squeals, and probably need to be restrained so you don’t rush them while yelling about how much you ship them.”

“Oh, come on! I’m not that bad!” Mina says indignantly.

Toru just lets out a sigh, and Mina can feel the amount of pity in her look. “Yes. Yes you are.”

The alien girl pouts with her arms crossed for a moment before she sighs. “Fine, I am. It’s just…” She gets a complicated look on her face. “I want to know about him and Izumi.”

Toru blinks, having not expected such a reply. “Huh? Are you talking about how they’re supposedly siblings?”

Mina lets out a heavy sigh, her arms dropping to hang limply in front of her. “Yeah, it's… I need to know. Izumi has told me a lot from her point of view, but I need to hear his side of the story.”

The invisible girl hums. “Well, why don’t you just ask him? He’s barely acted like a villain since he showed up, so he’ll probably answer?”

Mina groans. “It’s not that easy. I can’t just go; ‘Heya! Can you tell me about how Izumi abused you? Because I think she’s changed and you should give her a shot at making amends!’ There’s no way.”

There’s a moment of silence between the two, one that stretches into awkwardness. Mina looks up and sees the set of gloves being unnaturally still. When the invisible girl does speak, it's in a hushed whisper and Mina feels herself pale and a chill goes down her spine. “You mean… Izumi is one of the people who gave him those scars?”

Mina flinches and casts a furtive look around the two of them before letting out a breath of relief at seeing how nobody is paying attention to the two’s whispered conversation. She fumbles at the air a bit before she manages to catch Toru’s head and bring it close, desperate to make sure nobody overhears. “Yes, some of them. But you can’t tell anyone !” She continues over Toru’s sputters of indignation.

“Look, I don’t think it’s as simple as either of them seems to believe it is. I mean, come on! Does Izumi seem like the type to treat someone like that?”

Toru’s silent for a moment while she thinks about everything she’s seen from Izumi. Reluctantly, she nods. “Ok, I see your point. But the evidence is on his fucking skin ! How is the situation being complicated an excuse!?”

Mina lets out a heavy breath. “It’s not. And she knows that . Which is why she’s doing everything to stay out of his way. Why do you think neither has even acknowledged the other’s existence!? She hates herself for what she did!”

Another moment of silence before Toru replies, slowly, as if testing the words. “That… it would explain what happened while we were in the building.”

Mina looks at her sharply. “What? What happened?” She doesn’t recall anything happening, but then her mind latches onto the most likely possibility, a feeling of dread filling her stomach. “Are you talking about when the scream happened? I asked the others and they said it was Midoriya, but the cameras on you and her cut out for some reason.”

“The cameras cut out?” Toru asks before shaking her head. “No, that makes sense.” She lets out a slow breath of air. “Ok, so when that scream happened… she had a panic attack.”

“WHAT!?” Mina shouts unintentionally, drawing attention from a few of their classmates and a jump from Jiro, who’s jacks flail at the air for a moment before calming down. After giving them reassurance that everything is fine and claiming that they’re just making shipping plans, the class resolutely ignores them. Which honestly hurts Mina’s feelings a bit at how easily the two of them are brushed off.

(She has to mentally remind herself that she wanted them to ignore them, and that they aren’t doing it because of how she looks.) After a few seconds of mental reassurance she turns back to Toru and continues their whispering session. “She had a panic attack!? Is she ok?”

She gives the concerned alien a thumbs up. “Yeah, I went through the five senses exercise with her and made sure to take her to Hound Dog’s office as soon as possible.”

Mina lets out a sigh of relief, pressing a hand to her rapidly beating heart. “That’s good to hear.” Then she blinks. “Wait, you know the five senses exercise?”

“Mina,” the invisible girl says with a flat voice. “I’m invisible. All the time . You don’t think I’d have issues? I constantly need to reassure my younger siblings that I’m alive and not actually a ghost haunting my own family. Not to mention that time all the kids at my middle school decided to pretend I didn’t exist…”

Her voice is strained at the end when it trails off and Mina instinctively pulls her friend in for a hug. They stay like that for a moment before she gives a dry chuckle. “Well. Looks like the three of us have enough members for a trauma club.”

Toru snorts, pushing the girl away. “Dork.”

They fall into a more comfortable silence this time, turning their attention to the monitor and watching as the villain and hero student laugh together, seeming like nothing more than two friends catching up after being apart for a long time.

“...I’ll help you.” Mina sideyes the spot Toru’s standing. “I don’t believe that Izumi’s innocent. But if just hearing that scream sent her into a panic attack…”

She trails off before sighing. “I want the full picture before making my final decision.”

Mina smiles, bringing her friend in for a one-armed hug. “Thank you.”

Unbeknownst to either, their conversation was not as private as they thought. One of their classmates heard everything, and plans to launch their own investigation. Despite the green haired boy having been in their class for less than a day, he’s been rather easy to get along with. And given that every one of them has seen his scars…

They want the truth.

`~`

“My Izu senses are tingling,” Himiko says while staring at the wall of the bar. It just so happens that if one were to go in a direct line from where she’s looking, they’d reach UA high school.

Eri looks up from the chunk of wood she’s whittling away at under Himiko’s supervision. “Mama? Is Papa in trouble?”

Himiko hums while petting her daughter’s hair, who closes her eyes and leans into the touch. “Maybe~. I know he’ll keep his promise not to sleep with anyone, but… She is there…”

Eri blinks. “Who?”

Himiko looks down at her daughter, a small smile playing at her lips. “Who who?”

Eri blinks again and furrows her brows before tilting her head to the side. “Who who who?”

Himiko lets out an over-exaggerated gasp before scooping the horned girl into her arms and spinning her around above her head. “My little unicorn has been turned into an owl! Who has done this vile act of villainy!?” She pointedly ignores Skyfall pointing out that they’re all technically villains so she’s calling herself vile.

Eri lets out a shriek of surprise at suddenly being airborne only to let out a laugh moments later. “It was Papa! Papa turned me into an owl!”

Himiko lets out a giggle before she brings her down and rubs her cheek against Eri’s hair. “Well then, we’ll just have to have Papa turn you back into a unicorn then, won’t we?”

Eri’s eyes shine as she looks up at her mother. “Does that mean we’re going to see Papa!?”

Himiko smiles and boops her nose. “That’s right. It’s been a few days since we’ve seen Papa, so I think we’ll have to go visit him tomorrow.~”

Chapter 81: End of the First Day

Summary:

Izuku does the teacher's job and asks an old lady for something she has no interest in.

“Almost all of you have failed horribly,” Cementoss says with a disappointed look on what counts for his face.

The third round of the exercise ended with the heroes failing to save the hostages, due to them being unable to find the right room and break through all the ice. What followed that round were the hostage takers and hostages (minus me) becoming the rescuers, and how did they do?

They forgot the entire point of the exercise.

See, the heroes were supposed to save the hostages without fighting the villains . Y’know, since that would mean they’re engaging in vigilantism and breaking the law. But apparently , the previous batch of arrogant and overall idiotic students set the bar for how the class would go.

There were only five people who actually tried to avoid fighting -with varying degrees of success. Ashido, Hagakure, Jiro, Tsuyu, and Uraraka. To be fair to Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu; they did try to sneak. But Dark Shadow decided that they wanted to fight and ignored Tokoyami’s pleas to stop, and Yaoyorozu became collateral to Kaminari letting his quirk go full blast when he got surprised.

He should really get an MRI of his brain done. Him shocking his brain enough to go into his ‘whey’ mode, as Jiro calls it, can’t be good for him. Actually, why hasn’t it already been addressed? Aren’t all of the teachers here supposed to be pro heroes!? How has an incredibly clear and alarming issue like this not been addressed!?

Nothing to do for it until after school, where I’ll be dragging him to the nurse’s office and demanding an actual full body medical examination. Recovery Girl wants to do the same to me anyways so it shouldn’t matter if I bring an extra person along. Partners in medical experimentation! But for now, I’ll just listen to Cementoss chew out the students for being blithering idiots who should  be made into sandwiches by an angry British man. 

“You were supposed to rescue the hostages . Not take down the villains.”

Iida’s hand shoots into the air as he interrupts the teacher. “But sir! Taking down the villains results in the hostages being rescued. Therefore, should that not be counted as successfully completing the exercise?”

“You’d still be arrested on vigilante charges though.” I point out simply, snorting at the aggressively affronted look the glasses-wearing boy sends me. “What? You think being correct excuses you from the law?”

“Well, if we were to actually be sent into a situation where we’d need to rescue people, it’s more than likely that the hero we’re interning under would have given us permission to use our quirks. Especially so considering that we wouldn’t be experienced enough to secure the building, villains, or hostages on our own.”

I nod in agreement at Shoko’s analysis and pat her head as a reward. She smiles and leans into the touch while I continue pointing out how the other students are idiots.

“That is a fair assessment, but that’s for an actual, real life situation. For this scenario it’s assumed that your mentor is away or otherwise incapacitated. For example; there’s a mass villain attack that they’re dealing with and they charge you with helping civilians get away from the danger zone. You come across villains who are taking advantage of the chaos to abduct some influential people to ransom off after everything dies down. As heroes, you should save them. But without permission to fight the villains, you’d have to grab the hostages and run.”

I look at Cementoss and see him with his arms crossed. “Anything else to add or did I cover it all?”

“Oh? Now I get to talk?” The block of cement asks in a surly tone.

…

Is this guy seriously pouting because I explained things?

“Not if you don’t want to!” I say in a cheery voice. I ignore his shout while I turn to the students and raise a finger. “The last point that you have to consider is that the villains can always kill or cripple the hostages to buy time for them to get away. Would you be willing to let someone die just so you can deal with the villain? Something to think about.”

With the exercise probably done and the after-exercise reports done, I decide to take my leave. But it feels like I’d be leaving behind a tense atmosphere if I just up and walked back to the locker room. Which means…

“Hup!” I backflip/cartwheel away while the students stare in confusion and the teacher clearly thinking that he doesn’t get paid enough for this.

`~`

I climb into the vent outside the boy’s locker room after I change back into the school uniform, waiting for the perfect opportunity to catch my prey. I watch as students pass by below, the senpais of the first years clearly excited for the school day to be over. The first years themselves enter and exit the locker rooms, some loitering around while talking to each other before leaving somewhere else. Most likely the dorms.

But eventually, my target exits the locker room, his eyes lighting up upon seeing Jiro leaning against the wall. He waves excitedly as he approaches her. “Hey, Jiro! What are you doing still hanging around?” He shoots her finger guns. “Did your jacks point you towards my electric personality?”

She snorts dismissively. “Already told you Sparky, not interested. I’m just curious about where this is going.”

Kaminari gets a confused look on his face, his brows furrowing while his head tilts. “Where what’s going?”

I take that as my cue and drop down from the vent, shouting a wordless battlecry with my arms and legs bent in the… jumping spider jump pose? The ‘I’ve got you now!’ pose? I’m not actually sure. It’s the one where you bend your arms and legs into ninety degree angles and cover as much area as possible when you jump down at someone.

Not that my pose particularly matters since the moment I latch myself around the blonde we start falling to the ground and he lets out a yelp of shock at the same time it materializes around him.

“Ababababababa-” I lose control of my motor functions and my mouth goes off on its own doing the electrified person sound. Meanwhile, I can hear Jiro laughing her butt off at the two of us.

It’s actually an interesting situation. The pain of being electrocuted doesn’t affect me, but the electricity itself does. Which makes sense given that the brain uses electrical signals to communicate with the body. It also makes me wonder if, with enough practice, he could control someone with his electricity. Send the right signals and he can control anything they do!

Oh, looks like he’s overloaded! I pick myself up and pull the dopey-faced boy with me, two thumbs up twitching in front of him. Seeing his state, I shrug. “Well, Recovery Girl was probably going to need him to be in this state at some point anyways. Now is good enough.”

Before I can start dragging Kaminari to her office I’m stopped by an earphone jack shooting in front of me. “Hold on there, Green. I’m gonna need you to explain what you’re doing.”

I turn to the violet haired girl and raise an eyebrow at the cautious look in her eyes. “Aww, what’s wrong, Jiro? Don’t you trust me?”

“You’re a villain,” she deadpans.

“Whey~.” Kaminari says as if in agreement. Or it could be disagreement given how friendly he’s been.

I stick my tongue out at her. “I’m not hearing a no-o~.”

She lets out a huff. “Just answer the question.”

“Didn’t ask one,” I point out teasingly before shrugging. “But didn’t you hear me mention Recovery Girl? Pretty sure that makes it clear that we’re going to the infirmary.”

She raises an eyebrow dubiously, finally lowering her jacks. “Why?”

I stare at her for a moment. I stare at Kaminari, who lets loose another “Whey~”. I look back at her. I just kind of gesture at the boy vaguely like it should be obvious. Which it should.

“He fries his brain when he overuses his quirk. Do you not think that’s concerning? What if it gives him brain damage? Well, more brain damage.”

She blinks blankly at me for a moment before frowning thoughtfully. “If it could really hurt him like that then wouldn’t his parents have looked into it?”

“Whey~.” I’m gonna assume that’s him saying that they either haven’t, or only put in a minimum of effort. Like visiting a quirk analyst and seeing what they say. Which apparently wouldn’t have been much since he’s still like this.

I roll my eyes and start walking, gesturing for her to follow. “You would think so, but people tend to be… lazy with quirks. Not in training them, but in how they can be used. Unfortunately, this also applies to their negative aspects and how they can be mitigated.”

She hums with a thoughtful look on her face. “That… actually makes a lot of sense.”

I scoff as we turn a corner, the infirmary in sight now. “Well, duh. I mean, just look at you!”

She raises an eyebrow and raises her jacks to point at me. “Careful there, Green. That sounded dangerously close to an insult.”

I wave off the threat easily. Himi is scarier on a good day. Mostly when I tell her that she’s drunk enough of my blood and disagrees, but still. “I’m just talking about how easy it would be for you to get some sound dampeners that don’t interfere with your normal hearing range. Just something that would block or soften sounds that reach a certain threshold. It’s not like that hasn’t been done before.”

I keep walking, and it’s only when I reach the infirmary door that I look back and see that Jiro’s standing way back where we were with her mouth hanging open. I tilt my head and call out to her curiously. “Something wrong, Violet?”

“Whey~!”

The sudden nickname seems to knock her out of whatever thoughts had her frozen like that, since she shakes her head and speed walks towards the two of us. She grabs my arm and peers into my eyes, which I look back into curiously. “Are you serious?”

I blink and tilt my head again. “You mean about the sound dampening stuff? Yeah. I mean…” I shrug. “It’s not like enhanced hearing is anything new , you know? Obviously someone is going to look into support gear to help deal with that?”

She frowns at me for a moment before letting her head drop back to stare at the ceiling and letting out a groan. “Fuuuck. That would have been so helpful growing up.”

I shake my head and push open the door. I step inside as I wag a finger at her. “See what I mean? Quirk obsession blocks basic stuff like that from entering people’s minds. Which is why we’re getting Kaminari checked out.”

“What exactly do you need me to check?” I turn to look at Recovery Girl and give a small wave.

“Hey there, violent old lady.” I ignore the smack she gives to my leg, which only proves my point. I jerk my thumb over at Kaminari. “We want you to see if Kaminari overusing his quirk damages his brain.”

She looks at the blonde’s condition and nods her head easily. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone has crippled themselves with their quirk. Anything else?”

I nod. “Yep! Aizawa wants you to put your hand up my butt.”

Chapter 82: Dorms

Summary:

Izuku goes to the dorms and experiences FREEDOM!
Shinso lacks the coffee to deal with Izuku.

“I can’t believe you told her that!” Kaminari shouts with a shocked laugh as we walk to the dorm building for class 1-A together. Jiro isn’t with us, courtesy of noping the heck out of the infirmary after I told Recovery Girl what Aizawa wanted her to do to me.

She didn’t believe me, of course, and said that she’d be more than happy to do an x-ray instead. Which didn’t work out very well since I injected lead into my bones after the last time I died. Do I care about the incredible likelihood that I have lead poisoning because of this? Not at all! From what I remember, it mainly causes a bunch of debilitating pain in different parts of the body. Since I don’t feel pain, I’m basically immune! It’s not like it affects memory or anything important!

Anyway, since the x-ray didn’t work, she asked me why exactly Aizawa wanted a cavity search (the more boring way to say it). I mentioned that I hid a knife up there before I showed up at the Sports Festival, she didn’t believe me, and, well…

The end result is that I did not have a little old lady putting her hand inside my butt. Which is a shame for UA since I did in fact put more than a single knife up there! Which is probably where I got the one I was waving around before the exercise, now that I think of it. But I still don’t remember actually grabbing it.

Whatever. I told Recovery Girl what Aizawa wanted, she refused. It’s not my problem anymore. Well, technically it is? Sort of? The part where I have a knife isn’t my problem, at least. That’s a problem for the faculty and students.

I shake the thoughts from my head. The point is; since I didn’t get any dubious form of sexual gratification (not that I’m actually attracted to Recovery Girl, I have my limits), I ended up just lazing around while waiting for Kaminari to wake up. Why did I wait for him to wake up?

Because I don’t know where the dorms are.

I spent all my time between the Sports Festival and now stuck in the prison/isolated infirmary located within the bowels of UA, so I actually don’t know my way around the school yet. Sure, I knew where the infirmary was well enough to get there from the locker room, but that’s only because I got lost and ended up there three times while looking for the classroom!

“Guide me well, Kaminachiko!”

“Where did that come from!?”

I chuckle at his reaction, putting my hands behind my head while we walk. “So what’re the dorms like? Chaotic? Boring? Did someone put a satanic ritual circle in the basement?”

Kaminari rolls his eyes at my ignoring of his exclamation but answers all the same. “It’s pretty cool. Koda has a pet bunny that he’ll let us pet as long as he’s around to supervise, and Sato is always baking stuff!”

“Hmm.” I start rubbing my chin. “Roasted rabbit sandwich?”

“Dude, no! That’s fucked up on so many levels!”

“Only if you feed it to the owner!” I counter with a raised finger. Seeing the horrified look still not leaving his face, I roll my eyes and gesture down at myself. “Besides, villain. Y’know, doing cruel and unusual things just because I want to? Depending on how dramatic the nearby heroes are, I would be ‘the very incarnation of evil’?”

He just rolls his eyes and waves me off. “Dude, there’s a big difference between villain and… what you said. “

I huff at him and cross my arms before looking away. “...It’s not like I was actually going to cook and eat his pet.” I think about it for a moment. “Unless I end up hating them. Or I’m hungry. Or there’s a bet. A dare? Mmm, maybe for a dare, depending on if I’m on a streak or not.”

I look back at the blonde boy and see him deadpanning at me. “The sad part is that I can’t tell if you’re joking or serious.”

I chuckle before sticking my tongue out at him. “The world may never know… But the world sucks so I don’t really care.”

He stares at me for a moment as we come to a stop in front of a large brown building before throwing his hands up and walking to the doors. “You know what, I think that’s enough of that for me today.”

I snort and follow him, barking out a laugh when he shoves the doors wide open and shouts while striding inside. “Careful, everyone! Crazy coming in hot!”

“I appreciate the compliment, but you aren’t my type~.”

“You couldn’t handle me.” He rebuts without turning back, continuing his journey to the stairs located in the back of the… lobby?

The first floor of the dorm building is essentially a really large studio apartment: Living room directly to the left of the entrance, followed by the dining area sandwiched between it and the kitchen. There aren’t many students around at the moment, just the girls from what I can tell.

Let's see… Mina Ashido, Tsuyu Asui, Ochako Uraraka, Kyoka Jiro, Momo Yaoyorozu, Toru Hagakure, and… her . Other than Dark Shadow, who is stuck with Tokoyami, and Shoko that accounts for all of them. Probably having a girls night, or whatever it is a group of girls do together without any boys around.

… I just realized that the closest I’ve ever had to a ‘guys night’ with the LoV is pulling an all-nighter to game with Shiggy.

Anyways, since I am decidedly male, I ignore them and walk towards the stairs to hunt for my room. Since I’ve been told nothing about its location, that means I’ll be knocking on each and every door and antagonizing the occupants! I wonder if I can get Kachan expelled for attacking me? I mean, he’s been trying all day and nobody has said anything, so probably not.

Just as I put a foot on the first step though, I’m suddenly rammed by a dark shape crowing to the world. “FREEDOM! CAW CAW BITCHES!”

“AMERICA!” I shout while flying back. Then I’m back outside on the path leading into the dorms, staring up at the sky. “Welp. I guess I’ll die then.”

“Mood.”

I glance over and see a tired looking boy with violet mad scientist hair staring at me with tired confusion. “Why’d you get launched out of the building?”

I shrug, not bothering to get up. “For FREEDOM.”

He just stares at me silently for a moment. His eyes close in a slow, desynchronized blink as he contemplates my not at all confusing answer. I mean, what would be confusing about FREEDOM?

He opens his mouth to say something, but gets interrupted when a dark streak shoots out of the still open dorm doors and hovers over me. “Oh crap! Sorry ‘bout that, ‘sagi. I was too excited and didn’t realize there was anybody on the stairs!”

I wave a hand to dismiss Dark Shadow’s concerns. “It’s fine, I’m not hurt or anything. Also; obligatory ‘kinky’ comment.” I blink as my words cause a thought to pop into my head, and it’s out of my mouth before I can even bother to try and think it through. Along with several others.

“Do you have reproductive organs? Can you separate from Tokoyami for any length of time? If you don’t have reproductive organs, would you gain them in the theoretical separation? Would you grow legs too or float or fly like a bird? Do you want reproductive organs? You seem to be able to alter your shape to some extent, so could you add them or take them away as you want? If you eat something, does your body need to convert it to waste? Or does every part of whatever you eat get turned into nutrients and transferred to Tokoyami? Does his body take the nutrients your body would need to grow more powerful? Is your bird form because of the mutation that turned his head into that of a bird? Or is his bird head the result of you taking a bird form? What about-”

“CAW BITCH!” My mutter storm is abruptly cut off due to Dark Shadow’s sudden screech, and she prevents any possibility of me resuming said mutter storm by wrapping herself around my entire body and dragging me back inside the building, the doors closing behind us with an ominous thud.

`~`

“...What. The. Hell.” Hitoshi Shinso stands outside the dorm building that holds the hero students for 1-A when he says these words. This building isn’t his destination though, he’d just been passing by on his way to his own dorm after leaving one of UA’s gyms. Eraserhead - the Eraserhead!- is having him build up his muscles before he starts personally training him.

And then some guy with green hair came flying out of the building, the bird quirk he saw in the final rounds followed him, the guy started talking -sheesh, probably way more than a mile a minute- then the bird gave an unholy screech and dragged him back into the building.

So he repeats: What. The. Hell.

“Should… I tell someone?” He stares at the closed doors for a moment, contemplating whether or not this is something that needs to be reported. He stays like that for a few minutes, and when he doesn’t hear any screams of pain, terror, etc, he shrugs and continues on his way to his own dorm.

“I'm too tired for this shit. I need more coffee.”

Nearby, unbeknownst to the gen ed student, a girl with long dual colored hair watches through a pair of binoculars while holding a stereotypical listening device, a heavy set of headphones covering her ears to transmit his words. When he starts walking, she quickly hooks the microphone portion to her belt and lowers the headphones.

“I knew it,” Shoko Todoroki says as she pulls out a notebook that was tucked into her waistband. Unlike her long-time friend, she lacks the ability to seemingly pull them from thin air and make them vanish. But that doesn’t bother her, she’s sure their children will be able to do the same thing as their father.

She forcefully shakes her head to dispel those thoughts. “Bad Shoko. Investigation now, motherhood planning later.” She flips through the notebook until she gets to a page with a poor rendition of Shinso, the two pages after it filled with the evidence she’s found.

“Tired, like Aizawa-sensei. Coffee addiction, like Aizawa-sensei. They spend time together after school.” She nods her head, happy with what she’s observed today. She looks at her dorm building, hesitating for a moment before sighing heavily and moving to continue following the indigo haired boy. “Izuku gives his all to analyzing quirks. How can I be his future wife if I don’t give it my all to ensuring everyone knows that Hitoshi Shinso is Aizawa-sensei’s secret love child?”

Chapter 83: Girl Talk

Summary:

Dark Shadow demands snuggles.
The girls address the villain in the room.

Well. This is inconvenient. Sure, it’s not the first time I’ve been blind and tied, but it is the first time when I’ve only known the girl a day. And usually Himi is on standby with all the other stuff for us all to have a fun night. Still, I was hoping to at least see where I’d be sleeping before getting into any more shenanigans.

Yet here I am, trapped within the boundless darkness of a female form, unable to pull myself free. Buried to the greatest degree I’ve ever- nope, there was that one time Himi and I got curious about why people were interested in that thing called ‘vore’. It worked well to test both of our quirks, but neither of us could really see the appeal of it when applied to sexual interest.

Anyways, to list off my current situation: Dark Shadow is wrapped tightly around me, I can’t see, I can’t move, and it doesn’t seem like she’s going to let me go any time soon. My usual go-to options for being restrained?

Firstly, I could suffocate and die: Not feasible since the human body naturally attempts to breathe after losing consciousness. If Dark Shadow’s body prevented or stifled the flow of air, then there would at least be a chance. But interestingly enough there’s no disruption of any sort. It does mean I can’t traumatize her and whoever’s around though.

Secondly, I could snap my neck and die: Also not feasible, since I physically can’t move any part of my body. Which really sucks since I worked hard on learning how to snap my neck with no help. Like, people wouldn’t believe how hard it is to twist and jerk your head hard enough in just the right way that you die instead of just becoming paralyzed! Especially with no hands!

My final option would be… to take a nap! Dark Shadow’s body is actually really comfortable. Not as comfortable as I would be snuggling with Himi, but more comfortable than an empty bed. And since I’m not sure how long she’s going to keep me like this…

Nap time!

It would be rude to sleep with a girl and not say anything though. Thankfully I can move my mouth! “You’re very snuggly, so I’m gonna take a nap.”

And now, I sleeps!

`~`

The girls of 1-A are used to their class’ antics at this point, considering that they’ve all lived in the same dorm system for two weeks. So seeing someone get sent flying out the front doors isn’t enough to get them to react beyond some mild concern. By the time they get up to go check on them, Dark Shadow is shooting back inside the building coiled around something and joins their group.

“Hey girls!” She chirps at them. “Fumi said that he’s going to try and let me act on my own more, so I can finally join girl talk with you all!” Her clenched claws are shaking next to her beak in excitement at the prospect, and the girls can understand that. It’s always nice to get together to talk and unwind. Well, the ones that aren’t distracted by the size of whatever she’s holding. The ones who are, stare at the coiled part of the girl curiously.

“Uh, not that we’re not excited, but what you got there?”

The quirk girl stares at Mina for a moment before abruptly going to the kitchen. The rest of them share confused glances at the unexpected action, as well as the rummaging sounds that come from it. Just as suddenly as she left though, she returns, holding a drink in her hand. She looks at Mina expectantly. “Ok, go again. I’m ready this time!”

“Uh…” The pink girl stares at the dark girl blankly, causing the shadow to pout at her. Before she can say anything about it though, Tsu decided to accede to her request.

“What do you have there, kero?”

Dark Shadow glances down to the drink in her hand before glancing back up to the frog girl. “A smoothie.”

Silence reigns in the group as they collectively deadpan at her. She stares back, unphased by their judgment at the centuries old meme that has somehow managed to persist into the modern era. She takes a sip of the smoothie in question, the slurping of the straw seeming unnaturally loud in the quiet. Then Izumi blinks and points at it.

“Wait, isn’t that Baugou’s smoothie?”

* Slurp * “Yep.”

“...You know he’s going to kill you for stealing his drink, right?”

* Slurp * “Nah, I’ve got a plan.”

“...I am curious as to how you intend to avoid his wrath. Would you care to share?” Momo asks with a raised eyebrow.

* Slurp * “Well, if he bothers to ask, I’ll just say that ‘sagi took it. He already hates him and keeps trying to attack him anyways, so it’s not like anything would change.” * Slurp * “And we all saw how he laughed when Bakugou knocked himself out, so I’m pretty sure he would have done something like that anyways.”

Toru raises her hand, which everyone can only tell by the fact her sleeve is now pointing upwards. “Isn’t blaming the villain for something he didn’t do going to make him mad though? And I can’t be the only one who thinks that would be a bad idea!”

* Slurp * Dark Shadow shrugs. “Probably. But that’s why I’m going to ask him after he wakes up.”

“Wakes up? Did you knock him out!?” Uraraka questions the bird in shock.

* Slurp * “Nope! He fell asleep.”

“...”

“He said that I’m snuggly so he was gonna take a nap.” She looks down bashfully at this, and her audience are sure that if it was possible, she’d be blushing.

“...”

Collectively, the girls choose to pointedly ignore that and return to their seats. Though they don’t return to their previous topic, the sheer absurdity of listening to Dark Shadow having made them completely forget what they’d been talking about. But she’s also brought up a new topic to replace it…

“You all know I say what’s on my mind, kero. So what do you think of Midosagi? Because I think he’s interesting.”

They exchange glances at Tsu’s question, and the responses are… uncertain.

“He seems like the kind of guy I’d love to party with, but he’s a villain.” Mina says with her face screwed up in a complicated frown.

“He’s a man who has many secrets hidden within his inner darkness, ones that I shall unearth!” Dark Shadow claims excitedly with a wave of her pilfered beverage before taking another drink and letting out a satisfied exhale. “Also, his hair is basically a nest, and I’ve laid claim to it.”

`~`

“Hey, Kurogiri?”

The misty man doesn’t pause his cleaning of a tall glass cup as he replies. “Yes, Toga?”

“Can you open a portal to UA? I suddenly feel the need to stab a bitch.”

“Apologies, but they’ve obtained defenses that prevent me from opening any warp gates onto the premises.”

The stab-happy girl looks at where Skyfall is playing video games with Tomura, causing the girl to shudder apprehensively. She looks around for the source, letting out an “Eep!” of surprise and rolling under the booth’s table, which also causes both her and Tomura’s characters to die. He lets out an angry groan and turns to scowl at Toga, but upon seeing her face he resolutely turns back to his game.

“Nope. Fuck that shit.”

Seemingly to not even see the leader of the LoV, she continues to stare at Skyfall with wide, empty eyes. “Could you drop Sky from orbit to flatten a bitch?”

“Apologies, but Midosagi is there at the moment, and I doubt he would appreciate such an abrupt end to his fun.”

“Hmm…” She hums noncommittally, causing the bartender to sigh.

“You will be visiting him tomorrow, will you not? You would be unable to do this if the school was no longer left standing.”

She stays silent for a few minutes before finally letting out a frustrated sigh and flopping defeatedly over the bar. “Fiiiine.”

`~`

Dark Shadow feels a shiver go through her body, and an appreciation for life suddenly fills her. She has no idea why, but it feels like she came very close to death just then. Unaware of the quirk girl’s confusion, Toru gives her opinion.

“He’s way too considerate for a villain! I want to know more about him!” Unbeknownst to most of the group, the invisible girl is staring directly at Izumi when she says this. Kyoka’s stare isn’t nearly as hidden. Or benign.

“Yeah, why don’t you share what he was like, Yagi?” Izumi winces at the use of her last name. After the USJ, the girls had all decided that they were on a first name basis, given they’d all survived a ‘life and death situation’ together. The fact that the punk rock girl isn’t using hers now is…

“I mean, you are his sister. Which means that you should know him best. So how about you tell us?” It’s clear to the other girls that Kyoka isn’t happy with the resident telekinetic, but they have no idea why. With the exceptions of Toru and Mina, who share winces as they realize she’d overheard them talking during the exercise.

Izumi herself says nothing, simply lowering her head and looking down. Kyoka maintains her accusatory stare while the others get uncomfortable looks on their faces. Though Dark Shadow just finishes off her drink as she watches the drama unfold, unaware that this isn’t typically what ‘girl talk’ entails.

With the silence stretching far past uncomfortable, Ochako decides to act like the hero she wants to be and rescue the situation! “He’s super weird!” She all but shouts, startling those around her as she throws her hands in the air.

“I mean, he saved me during the Entrance Exam, and he gave me some good advice to use against Bakugou so that I could make it to the second round of the tournament, so I thought that he was a good guy. But he’s admitted to killing people! Why would he help me, an aspiring hero, but then start a fight at the Sports Festival!?”

She lets herself flop backwards across the chair’s backrest, letting out a heavy groan. “I just have no idea what to think about him.” She looks at the other girls without moving her head. “Did you know I thought he had a ghost quirk? But if he’s a part of the League of Villains, it kind of makes sense how he was able to get away after he destroyed the zero pointer.”

“Hold the fuck up,” Mina blinks at the mochi loving girl for a moment. “You’re saying that guy destroyed a zero pointer!? HOW!?”

“Went inside and blew it up,” she replies easily. “Told me his name was Biggius Dickus.”

There are snorts of surprised laughter at the sudden reveal of his fake name, quickly stifled. Even Izumi has to hold back a laugh, given she heard about ‘Biggius Dickus’ back on the first day along with Mina and Toru. Now that they all know that the person in question did not in fact die, it’s ok to laugh at the name. Even if Izumi doesn’t know how to act with him.

But with Ochako’s opinion known, the girls turn to stare at the last person to share. Momo taps her cheek with a finger as she thinks about what to say. Because unlike most of them, she had met the boy previously, in less than… ideal circumstances. Eventually though, she does settle on what to say.

“We essentially became text friends back before I started attending UA, along with his partner. Of course, after the USJ I cut off contact, given he’d attacked us.” She blinks as she realizes something and rapidly shakes her hands in front of herself. “I swear I didn’t give him any information about our class though! I wasn’t even aware of what we were doing that day! Please believe me when I say I had no knowledge of what was going to happen!”

The girls work to calm the heiress, reassuring her that they don’t think she was responsible. Kyoka is her biggest supporter, given she was transported to the same area as her and saw how hard she fought. Breathing a sigh of relief, she continues.

“Anyways, he helped me learn how to construct guns and bullets using my quirk, as well as provided advice on kidnapping. Which was rather useful on several different occasions.”

““““WHAT!?””””

The rich girl simply tilts her head at everyone else’s exclamations. “What?”

Notes:

To be clear, Momo means what to do if she gets kidnapped.

Chapter 84: Internship Offers

Summary:

Heroes want Midosagi to intern with them.
Nezu finds the chaos amusing.
Mirko and Torino are little shits.
YEET.

“This is rather unexpected,” Principal Nezu says before taking a sip of tea, peering at his guests over the rim. He places the cup down without a sound before folding his paws on top of his desk. “Typically, it is UA that informs the hero if the student they offered an internship to accepts. So having all of you suddenly showing up yourselves is an unusual occurrence.”

Endeavor, the number two hero, huffs disdainfully. “Having a villain attending a hero school is also ‘an unusual occurrence’. It should not come as a surprise that we would wish to see the situation for ourselves.”

Mirko, the current number nine, snorts at the way he phrases it. “Hah! Let’s just call it like it is,” she leans forward with her elbows on her knees and her hands hanging limp between them. “Since Midosagi is enrolled in the hero course, he can get internship offers. I want him, and since these guys are here I’d bet they do too.” She jerks her head towards the other three visitors sitting across from Nezu.

Gran Torino, the retired mentor of All Might, lets out a loud laugh at the rabbit hero’s blunt assessment. “Of course I am! Bastard that he is, Yagi never told me he had a son! Talked about his daughter for hours, but young Izuku? Not a peep! Obviously I want to get to know him!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Sir Nighteye, All Might’s former sidekick says as he adjusts his glasses. “As you said, Toshinori never mentioned anything about a son, but spoke at length about his daughter. As such, we should treat his claims of being related to the Symbol of Peace with scrutiny.”

Nezu shakes his head while holding back a sigh at the man’s denial. “I can assure you, Sir Nighteye. The boy is All Might’s son. All records, as well as All Might’s own admission, leave no doubt of that.”

Nighteye scoffs, leaning back as he crosses his arms. “And yet no blood test has been conducted.” He raises an eyebrow at the principal. “That seems more than a little suspicious, I hope you understand.”

Endeavor grunts. “I agree on that point, but my daughter attended school with both the boy and his sister. I was there when All Might was confronted about what happened to him when the boy was presumed dead, and he clearly stated that he is his son.”

Gran Torino whacks Nighteye’s leg with his cane, earning a hiss of pain from the man. “Stop being daft you brat. Yagi is an idiot who feels that being the Symbol of Peace is the most important thing in the world. Do you think a man like that would let people find out that he has a quirkless son?”

Nighteye’s lips press together into a thin line, not a sound escaping him. He knows that the news would shake society’s faith in their pillar. The prejudice against quirkless people is so deep rooted and widespread enough that it’s possible that All Might would even lose his spot as the number one hero! It would embolden villains across the country, leading to an unprecedented rise in criminal activity.

If it’s true that Midosagi is both quirkless and his son, then it would have needed to remain a secret for All Might to remain the Symbol of Peace.

That doesn’t mean he has to believe it though. Especially regarding all the terrible things Midosagi claimed had happened to him while All Might looked the other way.

“Dude has his head so far up All Might’s ass that he can’t see anything else,” Mirko waves Gran Torino’s pointed question aside with a casual insult. “But we got side-tracked by the side- kick .” She looks back at Nezu while leaning back in her chair. “What do I have to do to get them as an intern?”

“Hey now, I was here first!” Gran Torino glares at the female hero. “Respect your elders and let me get to know my godson!”

“Given my daughter already has experience in dealing with the boy, it would make much more sense for the two of them to intern with me,” Endeavor counteracts with a reasonable statement.

“But I can see into the boy’s future to ensure he does not cause any trouble during the week,” Nighteye pitches in with his just as reasonable justification.

“The HPSC said I get dibs,”  Mirko smirks, getting glares from the men. “What? Got a problem with that? I’ll kick all your asses!”

They seem to forget that Nezu is there, after that. Each of the ‘pro’ heroes argue as to why they’re best suited to take Midosagi in as an intern for the week, as well as why the others are less suited to the task. The moment that Nighteye dismisses Mirko as ‘a brainless barbarian’ is the moment it devolves from an argument, into the four of them trading insults.

“Bitch, please. Like you have any right to call other people ‘brainless’. You take months to get the smallest bit of proof that someone’s a villain!”

“My agency primarily targets organizations , while you simply hop around your patrol route looking for somebody to kick.”

“Ha! You’re just jealous that I’m young enough that I can patrol! Where’s your cane, old man?”

Gran Torino takes offense to that insult, even though it’s aimed at Nighteye. “Disrespectful brat! I may be old, but I can still give the three of you young'uns the beating your mothers never did!”

Endeavor has to hold himself back from asking if things like that are more commonplace than his family’s therapist made them out to be. He does not believe it would go over well with the assembled crowd. So, instead, he simply scowls at the three with an imperious expression.

One that attracts the ire of the less flammable hot head.

“You think you can sit there and things will work out for you? Like hell you’re getting the brat! You can’t even get a better rank!”

Endeavor feels a vein pop out on his forehead at the rabbit hero pointing out the one thing that will frustrate him no matter what.

“Please,” he sneers, “you would not be nearly so high in rank if it were not for the filthy degenerates who worship the female form!”

Mirko gives the man a lopsided smirk. “Oh, so you’re gay? That explains why you’re always staring at All Might whenever the two of you are in the same place.”

The sudden attack on the number two hero’s sexuality is enough to get the sidekick and retired pro to stop their own bickering and gape at the number nine. And then Gran Torino bursts into loud guffaws of laughter. Even Sir Nighteye isn’t immune to the smooth turnaround, snickering at the man.

Endeavor, meanwhile, maintains an undecipherable stare at the smirking Mirko. It takes a bit of time for the laughing heroes to calm down, but when they do they notice that the temperature seems to be rising. They look at the flame hero and see the lines crossing his costumed chest steadily growing brighter. Mirko doesn’t falter though, continuing to meet the man’s gaze without flinching even as sweat clearly drips from her face.

And of course Nezu, who has been watching the chaos with clear enjoyment, is pleased with the excellent timing his new visitor has to prevent another destructive fight from breaking out at one of his meetings and destroying the room. He clicks the button on his desk and the door swings open before the person can knock.

To the surprise of those gathered -but none so more than Endeavor- Shoko Todoroki walks in.

…Dragging a fully encased in ice Katsuki Bakugou, a snarl of rage frozen on his face and a manic glint in his eyes. To the heroes, it looks like he was frozen mid-attack.

“Ah, Miss Todoroki! Would you care to explain what you are doing here with your frozen unpleasant classmate?”

The girl nods without changing expression. “He tried to attack Izuku again, so I decided that it would be easier if he was kept in ice all day instead of trying to stop the constant attempts throughout the day.”

The principal nods understandingly while Endeavor suddenly looks very, very tired. “I see, I see! And what did Aizawa have to say about your actions?”

“He said that heroes do the right thing, not the easy thing,” Shoko says immediately. “But in this case the easy thing was the right thing so I don’t think that applies.” She looks at the frozen student, and seeing the ice beginning to crack again, places her hand on it to apply a fresh layer to prevent his escape. “Though I do find it inconvenient that he’s physically strong enough to break out of my ice even without his explosions. It’s rather perplexing.”  It would be easier if she could make it thicker, but then he might get permanent damage. Not that she cares, but dealing with the backlash would be inconvenient.

Nezu looks at Endeavor, who sighs in acceptance, before turning to his other guests. “If the three of you wouldn’t mind stepping out for a bit, we could continue this discussion at a later time.”

Mirko shrugs, Nighteye scowls, and Gran Torino lets out a huff of air. But the three do get to their feet and exit, leaving Endeavor and the Nezu behind to try and explain to Shoko that -while understandable- she cannot freeze her classmates outside of combat exercises.

Nighteye doesn’t even glance at the other two before he’s striding through the halls towards the exit. They can practically hear his mental shout of ‘I’ll be back!’ They exchange glances, and both gain mischievous smirks on their faces.

“You know… the rat never said we had to leave.”

Gran Torino nods in agreement. “You’re right there, young’un. If we left, how would we know when he’s ready to talk to us again!”

Mirko looks up at the ceiling and taps her chin. “There aren’t any seats out here for us to wait in, so we should probably go look for a place to wait.”

Gran Torino smirks. “I used to be a teacher here, so I should be able to take us to the teacher’s lounge. Of course, it’s been so long that I might just get us lost and wind up at the hero course’s classroom instead.”

“Oh no. That is definitely not what we want to happen,” Mirko says in a monotone.

They stare at each other for a few moments before clasping hands and showing off wide smiles. With a pep in their steps, the two start their journey through the halls of UA to the ‘teacher’s lounge’.

“It appears we are lost,” Mirko deadpans in a loud and stilted monotone while outside the large door leading into one of the first year’s heroics classrooms.

“It does seem like that is the truth,” Gran Torino deadpans back with an equally stilted monotone. “But we can surely ask those inside this completely random room where we can find our destination.”

“You are a wise old man. The people through this door can surely help us.”

Despite being behind the older hero, Mirko is the one to open the door. She is not the one to react first after hearing a shout from inside the room.

“YEET THE GLOWING CHILD!”

Gran Torino jumps into the air just in time to catch a small girl wearing a red dress over a white, long sleeved button up. And like the voice said, the child is indeed glowing from the horn on the right side of her forehead, just in front of her long silver hair.

But before he can question what’s going on, he too becomes engulfed in light.

Notes:

Le gasp! A cliffhanger!

Chapter 85: A Visitor

Summary:

1-A gets a visitor!

“DE-”

Kachan tries to attack me the moment he walks in the door, which I suppose I should have expected given we hadn’t seen each other after he knocked himself out during the exercise. Honestly, I didn’t see anyone after falling asleep inside Dark Shadow’s… arms? Coil? Body? That one has slightly sexual connotations attached to it, but it’s also the closest descriptor that fits.

Anyways, I fell asleep while buried in the depths of darkness, and woke up inside the classroom. What happened between now and then? No idea. There seems to be some conflict within the female dynamic of students, though. At least if the tense atmosphere and occasional narrowed eyes are anything to go by. Tokoyami is also putting out maximum awkward energy, probably due to the fact that his daughter impulsively slept with a villain.

Let’s put myself in his shoes… Oh, wow. I didn’t even get to see who it was before they were an unrecognizable pile of viscera. Eri shall remain pure forever!

Good thing he’s more embarrassed than angry! But wouldn’t it be considered a case of bad parenting for him not to get upset? Or is it a case of him being pro-equality, and he’s proud of Dark Shadow like he would be proud of his son in the same situation?

Hmm… Oh wait, I was paying attention to something.

Aizawa sighs. “Todoroki, why?”

The fire and frost user tilts her head at the absurd question. “Keeping him frozen all day will be easier than constantly trying to stop him from attacking Izuku.”

“Heroes do things the right way, not the easy way.”

Her head tilts the other way. “Isn’t the right way and the easy way the same here, though?”

“...Go to the principal's office. Take Bakugou with you.”

She blinks at him before letting out a long suffering sigh. “Ok.” She puts her hands on the ice, but frowns when she sees the cracks in it. She refreezes it before turning to look at me. I shoot her a smile and a thumbs up, causing her to blush and smile. “Worth it.”

After she leaves with the world’s angriest ice sculpture, Aizawa starts the class. “Don’t forget that I need your decisions on who you plan to intern with by the end of the day tomorrow. You have self study right now, so make use of this time to come to a decision. I’m going to take a nap.”

I stare as he pulls out a sleeping bag and does indeed go to sleep. I continue to stare for another minute before turning back to stare at the students to see how they react. I thought that yesterday was an exception, but they’re acting like this is completely normal…

I tap Lady Kermit’s desk to get her attention, then point to the caterpillar man snoozing away. “This happen a lot around here?”

Her shoulders move slightly up and down in a small shrug accompanied by her head dipping slightly in the smallest nod. “You get used to it.”

I frown. “How is he a teacher?” Getting another shrug, I sigh before perking up. “Oh well. Who are you planning to intern with?”

She stares at me unblinkingly, so I accept her challenge and refuse to blink first. I’m not sure how long we stay like that, but at some point we gathered an audience.

“You got this, Tsu!”

“Don’t back down! Male supremacy!”

“Dude.”

“That came out wrong…”

“Staring contests are manly!”

No one can tell who will win, who will walk away from this legendary battle of optical combat alive. But is it victory that both sides wish to achieve? Or simply the thrill of the fight? The world may never know, but one thing is for certain: this contest of wills shall go down in history as-”

“SNEAK ATTACK!”

I react on instinct to the sudden shout. I shoot to my feet so fast that my chair goes flying, my arms shooting out above me to intercept the small form falling from the vent and wielding a knife. I catch them around the waist, but that still leaves their arms free to bring the knife down in a stab towards my eyes. Instead of allowing the attack to go through, I twist my arms until they’re upside down. Then I let go with one hand and move it so I can keep spinning them, completing a full three hundred and sixty degree spin.

And I keep going.

Before they know it, my assailant is spinning like a helicopter blade, an analogy I build into by carefully raising them above my head while they spin. “Feel the power of the Usagi Whirl!”

My unrelenting assault forces my tiny assassin to squeal and beg for mercy! “Papa! Too fast! I’m…gonna…hurl!”

“Hurl, child! Hurl! Become my weapon of mass destruction! Muahahahaha-ow!”

I cry out in fake-pain when I feel someone chop the back of my head. “Bad rabbit. Put her down.”

I pout at the frog even while I slow my arms. “Fiiine.” The smoll attempted-killer is brought to a gentle stop in my arms before I carefully lower them to touch down on the ground where they stumble side-to-side unsteadily. “Hello, Little Unicorn. May I ask why you attempted to murderize my eyeballs unprovoked?”

The students stare at the silver haired child with their mouths hanging open while she shakes her head to try and clear her dizziness. After steadying herself, she looks up at me and plants her fists on her hips, one of them still holding a large knife. “It was provoked! You turned me into an owl!”

I nod while ignoring the peanut gallery’s confusion. “Makes sense. So you were trying to cleanse the curse by destroying the source?” Her brows furrow as she tries to parse through unfamiliar words, so I simplify it. “If you kill me, you turn back into a unicorn?”

She brightens up and nods her head happily while pointing her knife at the ceiling. “That’s right! Warrior Princess Owl shall return to being Warrior Princess Unicorn once you are dead!”

I let an arrogant smirk cross my face before launching into an evil laugh followed by a villain monologue with my arms held out to the side, fingers curled. “Muahahahaha! Foolish Warrior Princess! You can only return to your Unicorn-ness by defeating the source of your curse! And it is not I who you must face!”

Her eyes widen and she points the knife at me with burning fury. “Who must I kill!?”

“The source of your curse is… your vegetables! The only way to turn back into a unicorn is to consume all that is placed upon your plate!”

The knife falls from suddenly numb fingers as she stares at me in horror. “No… no! You’re lying!”

I hold the back of my hand to my mouth while giving a noblewoman’s laugh. “Hohohoho! I do not lie, Warrior Princess. Consuming your vegetables shall not only lead you to freedom, but also an increase in your power!”

Her head tilts to the side. “Huh?”

I crouch down and put my hands on my knees. “Eating your vegetables will make you grow up big and strong.”

Her head tilts to the other side. “But isn’t that what weapons are for??”

I raise a finger as I explain. “Yes, but eating your vegetables will make it so you can stab people harder and faster, which will make it easier to kill them.”

She gets a thoughtful look on her face. “So if I eat my vegetables, I’ll be able to kill you one day?”

I chuckle and reach out to ruffle her hair behind her horn. “That’s right! But don’t forget; you’ll also have to keep up with your training. It’s a process where you aren’t allowed to skip any steps!”

She nods and clenches her fists in front of herself while her eyes shine with determination. “I understand. I’ll grow up big and strong so that I can defeat you one day!”

I laugh. “Good, good! As a reward, I shall use my unfathomable power to return you to your natural state!” I reach out with the hand not patting her head and… boop the snoot! “You are now a unicorn once more!”

She beams at me before hopping in place from joy. “Yay! I’m a unicorn again!”

I chuckle at her exuberance, getting lost in the moment. But then I’m reminded that we aren’t alone.

“Those steeped in the deepest darkness have the potential to blaze as the brightest light.”

“Translation: That was kawaii as fuck yo.”

I look over and see both Tokoyami and Dark Shadow looking at us with relaxed expressions and smiles on their faces. As are a few of the others, though a number of them have complicated or disturbed looks on their faces.

“I guess it was cute, you know, if you’re into that sort of stuff.” Jiro says nonchalantly with her head turned away and twirling one of her jacks, but I can see her shooting glances at us from the corner of her eye.

“Are we going to talk about the fact that a little girl dropped down from the ceiling and tried to stab the villain?” Sato asks with his hand raised. Kaminari shrugs.

“I mean, she didn’t actually stab him, and they know each other, so it’s probably fine?”

“But then that leads to the question of how she managed to get here,” Yaoyorozu points out with furrowed brows and a contemplative frown.

“Who cares, she’s adorable!” Ashido shouts with gleaming eyes, followed by Hagakure’s excited movements.

“Yeah, yeah! Adorableness gets her a free pass to whatever she wants!”

Iida adjusts his glasses with a frown before raising his foot to take a step forward, reaching a hand towards her. “Regardless of this child’s situation, the fact of the matter is that she should not be in such close proximity to a villain.”

I glare at the idiot with enough hostility that he freezes, even before I flick my hand and point my knife at him. “I am more than happy to stab a bitch if you- ow!”

I blink the instinctive tears out of my eyes and look down at the girl in front of me. Or more accurately, the smoll frying pan in her smoll hands. She points it at me threateningly while those closest to her take a cautious step back. “No cursing! Mama says it’s a core-up-ting in-flew-ents.”

I chuckle and pick her up, planting her on my hip so that I can use one hand to straighten my broken nose. “Normally, yes, but Himi gave me a cursing allowance! I’m allowed to curse up to five times a week!”

Her eyes narrow at me suspiciously, and I’m surprised to see what looks like a spark come off of her horn. “What number was that?”

I look away and whistle innocently. A glance back at her shows that it’s not working so I sigh in resignation. “I’m pretty sure it’s number four, but I kind of lost count?”

She crosses her arms and pouts at me. “No more cursing this week! Mama’s rules!”

I pout at her, and then the glasses wearing idiot decides to make a grab for her. The engines on his legs flare and he shoots forward with his arm outstretched to take her from me almost faster than I can react, stupid speed quirks. I do manage to twist so that he’ll miss, but he’s still going to end up crashing into us because he somehow thinks that ‘speed’ and ‘classroom’ go together. Thankfully, before that can happen Dark Shadow is in front of him with her arms extended.

“Back the caw off!” Iida crashes into the sentient quirk, who wraps her arms around him even as she’s forced back, nearly crashing into us. She doesn’t, but it’s a close call. She lets out a sigh of relief and looks over her shoulder at us. “You two good?”

I smile at her and open my mouth to answer, but before I can Eri screams and her horn starts to glow. My eyes widen in shock, because this is the first time I’ve seen her quirk activate in the entire time she’s been with the LoV. And the only thing I’ve managed to get her to say about it is that ‘It made daddy disappear.’ She refused to talk the rest of the day after telling me that.

So, with the knowledge that her quirk is dangerous and has managed to traumatize her, I do the only sensible thing I can think of.

“YEET THE GLOWING CHILD!” I shout as I twist and throw her towards the door, which is clear of any potential victims. But as if the universe itself has conspired to tell me and Eri to suffer, at the same moment, it opens.

Eri most likely lands on whoever it is that was coming in, and I have to cover my eyes from a sudden flare of light, accompanied by the voice of someone who should have been supervising my daughter’s first school visit.

“You problem children couldn’t go a single period without causing trouble?” Asks the clearly incompetent teacher, his eyes glowing and hair floating as he stares at the light, causing it to die down almost immediately.

And what’s revealed is…

Notes:

You don't take chances with unknown quirks. Izuku knows this and is also messed up in the head. Hence: Yeeted child

Chapter 86: Eri's Quirk

Summary:

The aftermath off Eri's Quirk activating.

I blink at the unexpected sight that’s revealed once the blinding light vanishes. I look at Eri. I look at the man holding Eri.

That seems fine; I threw her at him and he caught her. That’s perfectly natural. And you know what else is natural? The man holding my daughter. Au naturel, that is.

…

“PERVERT!” I shout as I kick myself toward the creepy naked man holding Eri in his arms. Wait, he has a cape. Why’s he only wearing a cape!? Who does he think he is, Midnight!?

With a knife in hand I roll forward to dodge under Eraserhead’s capture weapon, coming up in a lunge with my knife aimed at the one spot every naked man should fear. While I’ve been launching myself at the man in a completely reasonable bout of justified protective rage, something long and pink is being launched at my daughter. Not that I’m overly concerned about that occurrence, mysterious classroom tentacles definitely have better morals than people.

During all of this, the naked man is simply standing there like he has nothing to fear. He’s even cocky enough to pretend that he’s super confused and has no idea what’s going on! But I know that behind that absolutely baffled expression on his black butterfly mask are eyes full of arrogant self assuredness!

Oh, and Mirko is standing behind him too?

Several things happen in quick succession.

I give Mirko a small wave while the tentacle wraps around Eri, the man’s eyes seem to widen as he finally understands what’s going on and his feet start lifting off the ground with absolutely no build up. Eri gets yanked out of the pervert’s arms, Mirko blinks, and the man launches into the air, causing me to miss. Unfortunately, as has been established, Mirko is in fact standing behind him.

The man flips himself in midair so that he’s facing my back, his cape flaring behind him and causing my female classmates to scream at the sight they’re forced to see, a rare occurrence of a full moon in broad daylight. I blink due to an unexpected gust of air that blows into my eyes, which means I can’t see anything else. And that means that we finally get to the end result. I feel the familiar sensation of my knife sliding into flesh and open my eyes.

Directly in front of my face is a familiar sight. Smooth and muscular legs, shaded like a tantalizing morsel of chocolate with a soft and juicy surprise when you get to the center. Which, of course, is covered by the curve of an equally familiar pure white leotard. I swallow when I see my knife buried to the hilt in one of those firm muscular thighs and slowly look up. I take my time, appreciating the way the leotard clings to her muscles and chest, before finally meeting Mirko’s calm red eyes. Too calm.

I swallow nervously. “Himi’s gonna kill me if this scars.”

Mirko smiles at me reassuringly. “Absolutely. She really likes my thighs.”

“Maybe to an unhealthy degree?”

“She did have me choke her out that one time.”

Now, obviously we aren’t talking about our past experiences in normal tones where everyone can hear. We aren’t dumb, clearly our voices are lowered! Of course, that’s not counting those with enhanced hearing, but it would be the word of a top hero vs a hero student . There would be no question of who’d be believed if they both made claims on what’s being said. Especially when what’s being said is that said top ten hero has had multiple sexual interactions with a known villain. So neither of us are worried about the few people who might be hearing us.

Then again, I probably have something more important to worry about, don’t I? Apart from Himi and I’s sex friend suddenly showing up for a booty call, which is odd since we’re normally the ones who go to her. What with the whole ‘can’t invite the hero to the semi-secret villain base’.

Anyways, back to what I was doing. Niceties exchanged with the sex friend, I leave the knife in while I turn my attention back towards the flasher walking around a high school and the mysterious tentacle that took my daughter away from said flasher. I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see the pervert wrapped tightly in Eraserhead’s scarf - finally , the man does something useful!- and Eri sitting on Tsu’s desk with tears streaming down her face while the frog comforts her. She seems to have things well in hand for now, so I take the opportunity to ask Eraserhead an incredibly important question.

“So, can I castrate him?”

“No.”

I frown at the hobo hero who doesn’t look away from the so far silent pervert. At least he’s technically clothed now. “A naked man is walking around UA unmolested. Given this fact, I don’t think I’m being unreasonable here.”

Said naked man opens his mouth to defend his kink, which, fair, I don’t have any ground to stand on regarding kinks, but still. Eri was in his arms while he was naked. Castration is the least he can allow done to him as an apology. Unfortunately (depending on whose side you’re on) Mirko speaks up behind me, unaffected by the knife in her thigh.

“He was clothed five minutes ago. And shorter. And older. And uglier.”

“OI!” Said supposedly old young-looking man cries out in objection. “I’ll have you know that even at sixty-five I still got moves!” He looks down at himself and frowns bemusedly. “Well, I was sixty-five. Now I feel and look thirty years younger!”

I frown at the nudist as my mind fires away at the situation, my body moving to be by Eri’s side while it works. I gently pet her head and make reassuring noises while my eyes scan the man, Eraser, Mirko, and the scattered pieces of what was most likely his clothing before Eri’s quirk affected him. Though there’s one thing that keeps repeating in my head as I analyze. Younger… Younger… Younger… Couple that with her having ‘made daddy disappear’...

I nod. “Got it. Makes sense. Quirks are bu- nonsense.” I cut off the curse and switch it to something Himi and Eri approved.

Aizawa briefly directs his glowing-eyed glare at me before refocusing on the captured man who’s glaring at me also. “Well Problem Child, explain.”

I look out in the distance with a far-away look in my eyes. “No, no I don’t think I will.”

I chuckle at the way the man twitches. “Relax, it’s fine. Eri is a good girl and was just startled.” I get down to her level and give her a soft smile. “Isn’t that right, Little Unicorn?”

She looks at me through red eyes filled with tears, and it breaks my heart to see the worry and fear on her face. She hasn’t looked at me like that since the first couple days after I found her. “Y-you a-aren’t m-m-m-mad?”

I shake my head gently. “Of course not, Unicorn. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, or your quirk.”

She sniffles. “Promise?”

I hold out a pinky and adopt a serious expression. “I’ll do you one better, I’ll pinky promise!”

That gets a small giggle from her before she sticks out her own pinky. “Pinky promise!”

I hook my finger around hers and give it a little pump. “The pact is made, an oath ordained. Pinkies pained, should the promise be made in vain!” She giggles again and I crack a smile at her before straightening up and planting my hands on my hips. “Now, I think that’s enough excitement for one day. How about you tell Himi to take you out for ice cream?”

She pouts at me. “You won’t take me?”

I shake my head sadly. “Sorry, Unicron. I can’t. Stuck at UA for a while.” I look over the scattered students who are doing their best to look away from the front of the room where I’m having a tender moment with my daughter. Oh, and the streaker. Probably more him than us, actually. “Now, can I trust any of you to take her to the front gate so she can head home?”

The few people comfortable look at me with incredulous expressions before Aizawa speaks up, his quirk deactivated due to the pervert having given him no problems. “She’s going to remain at UA where we can figure out her situation. We aren’t sending her to a group of villains!”

At his exclamation Tsu raises her hand. He glares but allows her to talk. “I could take her to Principal Nezu. Then I could tell him that something happened so he can get things sorted out, kero.”

The man eyes her for a moment before nodding his head. “Good initiative, Asui. Get it done.”

The older girl nods before lifting the younger girl up and planting her on her hip in a practiced motion, standing up straight for the first time I’ve seen her. Eri pouts at me but allows herself to be carried from the room. I shake my head fondly before looking back at the teacher and the streaker.

“So… are we just going to wait for someone to bring him clothes? Or do you enjoy the scent of a naked man on your scarf? You do bury your face in it a lot…”

Aizawa scowls at me, but does answer by letting go of his scarf with one hand and digging around in his sleeping bag before pulling out a pair of black sweatpants.

“...Do you often find yourself in need of extra pants while you’re at a highschool? That would actually explain some things…”

His scowl deepens and he drags the man out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him. I exchange a look with the so far silent Mirko, who’s been leaning against the blackboard with a smug expression on her face. Seemingly forgotten by the hobo hero.

In fact, she’s looking a little too smug…

“What’s got you in such a good mood? Don’t tell me that you’re actually into getting stabbed?” If she is, then that’s good news for Himi. And for me since she won’t get mad about me stabbing her thigh!

She smirks at me. “Oh, just thinking about how I can totally use all this to get the rat to let you intern with me.”

I nod. “Makes sense.”

Unfortunately, the rest of the class seems to disagree. At least if the sudden shouts and general racket they’re making is any indication.

Chapter 87: Imposter!

Summary:

There's an imposter among the class... Can they discover who it is?

Wow these people are loud. Why’s it such a big deal to them that Mirko wants me to intern with her? Midnight mentioned that there were heroes interested in me (non-sexually) yesterday, so it shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Or maybe they’re surprised because it’s Mirko? I would be the first intern she’s chosen to take, so I guess it’s not completely unreasonable for them to be shocked.

I clap my hands to try and get their attention and quiet them down, but it’s lost in the wake of their shouting. This class is really unfriendly to people with sensitive hearing. Speaking of…

Mirko accomplishes what I failed to do, courtesy of doing a quick roundhouse and putting her foot through the blackboard. The sudden onset of wall assault is enough to stun everyone into silence and I give Mirko a thumbs up. Too bad she’s too busy scowling at the class to notice it.

“You brats are supposed to be aspiring heroes . Act like it! Don’t just lose your shit the moment you’re confused about something! If you’ve got a question, take turns and ask!” The rabbit hero glares at the students while she pulls her foot out of the wall and shakes off the plaster. Hesitantly, hands start going up and Mirko points to one at random. The grape stands up.

“Will you step on me?”

Mirko’s face twists into an expression of disgust. “Hell no! Nasty ass creep, I have to deal with enough villains who are like that!” She looks at me. “Can you do something about that?”

I hum thoughtfully as I tap my chin. “I can definitely get him to stop acting like a pervert, though I’m not sure if it would get him to drink his ‘Respect Women’ juice,” I shrug. “But once I pull that card out it can’t go back in, so I’m going to give him the rest of the week then see how he is when he comes back from whatever poor hero gets stuck with him during internships.”

My declaration gets a worried look from the grape in question, a scowl from Mirko, and grumbles from the rest of the girls. I wonder how they’d feel if they actually knew what it is I did that can get him to stop?

Mirko points at the Iida, who chops the air with his hand immediately after standing. “Why would you wish to tarnish your good name by associating yourself with a villain? Do you have no pride in your status as a hero!?”

Mirko stares at the legacy child with an expressionless face for a full minute before she speaks. “Does it hurt?”

Iida is taken aback, blinking in confusion at the sudden question while I smirk at knowing what’s coming next. “Excuse me?”

Mirko’s expression doesn’t change while she explains. “The stick up your ass. I mean, I’d assume that it’s far enough in there that it would be pretty painful, but maybe you’re just used to it?”

“““Oh DAMN!””” Three shouts break the sudden silence caused by Mirko’s completely justified concern for a student’s safety. I mean, that stick has to have been up there since yesterday, at least. It can’t be healthy to have a stick up your ass twenty-four seven. Maybe that’s why he’s always so robotic?

Ignoring the boy’s angry sputtering, accusations, and whatever the heck else he’s saying, Mirko turns to the class. “Listen up, brats! Flexibility is an important part of being a hero! If you can’t adapt to a situation, best you can hope for is to screw up whatever it is you were trying to do. Worst case? You die.”

She turns her focus to Iida, who's fallen silent. “At this moment, Izuku Usagi is not classified as a villain, but as a hero student at UA. As such, he is afforded the same rights and opportunities as the rest of the student body. This includes taking part in an internship. Yes, there will be differences because his history as a villain needs to be accounted for, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is in the hero class of UA. If you can’t think outside the box, then you shouldn’t be trying to keep it safe in the first place.”

Silence pervades within the room, everyone becoming contemplative on the experienced pro’s words of wisdom. I have no doubt in my mind that once they fully understand what she said that they’ll become leagues more competent. So what is there for me to do in this situation?

I'm gonna mess with ‘em.

“I think you’re putting a bit too much stock in these guys,” I say. “Big thoughts like that are meant for people with a more… developed skill set.”

A number of glares are directed towards me, though I’m surprised to see that Izumi, of all people, is actually nodding along. Fuck you. “Bro, that’s not a manly thing to say!” Kirishima frowns at me with his arms crossed. I just raise an eyebrow at Mr Rocks.

“I’m not insulting your abilities, it’s just a fact that none of you have enough experience or are trained enough to fully understand what Mirko means.”

“Watch it Green,” Jiro frowns at me while jabbing one of her jacks in my direction. “We did have to deal with the thugs you and the League brought to attack us at the USJ, so I’d say we’re definitely more experienced than most people our age.”

I nod in agreement. “Exactly. More experienced than people your age . But you’re all first years, which means that doesn’t account for much. I mean, how many of you have realized that one of you got replaced?”

To my surprise, Kaminari raises his hand. He looks at the rest of the class who are staring back with clear doubts. “What?”

“You seriously expect us to believe that Jamming-Whey noticed something before everyone else?” Jiro voices the opinion of the class and I can’t help but frown.

“You do realize that the mere fact he managed to get into UA means that he isn’t dumb, right? The curriculum for even the gen ed students is much more advanced than other schools, and then the hero course’s workload is even more advanced than that. So nobody in this class is dumb. What’s with the hate?”

The violete flushes at being called out, tapping her jacks together as she answers. “Um, ok. So I get that, but you’ve seen how he gets when he overuses his quirk!”

“And?” I don’t lose my frown, crossing my arms as I stare her down. Yes, she seems cool and all, but I don’t like bullies and it’s seeming like she bullies the blonde.

She squirms at becoming the class’ focus of attention, planting her face in her hands before letting out a groan. Her jacks stop tapping and point to me instead. “Look, can we get back to the part where he said someone got replaced and Ja- Kaminari said it’s true?”

I side eye Mirko, who just seems to be enjoying the show, while the students turn back to look at me. I let out a sigh before shrugging. “Kaminari, I’ll leave it up to you. We dropping it or confronting her about it?”

The boy looks a bit confused at the loop being completed by going back to him like it was at the beginning, but he answers all the same. “Uh, I mean… That’s the kind of thing to talk about in private? So our replaced classmate is probably better to talk about? Or, well, not better , but we should switch back to that?”

I shrug in the face of the slightly fumbled refocus. “If you say so.” I clap my hands, startling them with the unexpected noise. “Now then, who here can identify who got replaced, and when? Kaminari is excluded since he seems to have already figured it out.”

The students get into groups to discuss among themselves, completely disregarding the possibility that one of them might be the replacement and sabotaging the others’ chances of figuring out who it is. Not that it should be hard, given how obvious it was that something was different about them. Even I could see it and I’d only known them a day! Of course, that also might just be because I know Himi so well.

She’s so cute when she gives people hints~.

Eventually the four groups seem to come to a consensus, and their representatives stand up to face me. Before they can give me their guesses though, the door opens and Tsu walks in with her eyes sweeping over everyone, lingering on Mirko and myself for a moment. She opens her mouth to presumably ask a question but I hold up a finger to my lips and shush her. “Shhh! Everyone is going to guess who got replaced in class today! I want to see how many of them got it correct.”

Her mouth closes and her eyes dart back to the standing students. She hesitates a moment before seeming to accept it, her eyes conveying her own sense of curiosity tinged with something more as she stands next to me. It’s obvious that the others are curious about the interaction, but the false student takes precedence in their minds. Yaoyorozu clears her throat, stepping up to the plate first.

“I believe that it is Mr. Aizawa who is the fake. Though he’d begun using his quirk on the…” she blushes. “On the man who entered, he was still able to use his quirk. As such, it reasons that he did not actually use his quirk, only simulated the signs that it was being used.”

I nod along with her explanation. “That is very well reasoned, and if someone hadn’t brought up the teacher being a fake I would have been very disappointed. But…” I cross my arms in front of myself and make a buzzing sound. “You are WRONG!”

She looks taken aback and opens her mouth to argue but I shake my head. “Nope! You got your chance, and you missed it! Next contestant!” I point at Aoyama. “Go!”

The possibly false Frenchman poses, sparkles shining around him. “Tis’ obvious, monsieur~. The false star within the sky is clearly Monsieur Tokoyami! During the flash of light, Dark Shadow vanished and has not been seen since~.” Said quirk girl pops out of the bird boy’s chest, glares at the boy whose sparkles vanish, and flips him off before going back inside.

I wonder what it's like inside of Tokoyami? She’s clearly not just sleeping in there, if she can hear what’s going on and react. Does she share Tokoyami’s senses, like she’s watching a show from a first person perspective? Does she have some sort of living space?

“Two down two to go!” I point at Uraraka. “Mochi, I choose you!”

“If you’re offering!” She smiles at me and I nod, easily accepting the fact that I’ll be getting her mochi at lunch. “I choose Shoko! Normally she’s much more calm and collected. At the very least she would have waited until Bakugou actually made a move before freezing him, but all he got to do was shout!”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “And what about her quirk? How would a fake manage to utilize it?”

She doesn’t back down, meeting my eyes with confidence. “Shoko’s quirk is half hot-half cold, but all we saw her use was ice. Not to mention that you never said the fake person couldn’t use the real person’s quirk!”

I snap my fingers and point at her. “ That’s the kind of out of the box thinking that makes a skilled and competent hero! You’re wrong, but that was excellent reasoning and identifying of potential unsaid information!”

She pouts at being wrong but seems pleased at the praise. It’s adorable. She’s like a pet! “And the final contestant says…?”

Iida scowls at me, chopping his hand at me angrily. “I believe that this is an elaborate trick to waste our time on a pointless thought exercise, and you simply wish to distract us so that you can conduct some dastardly plot!”

I sigh, rolling my eyes at the boy while not even dignifying that with an answer. “Kaminari, if you would?”

He seems surprised at the fact no one else has gotten it right, and he rubs the back of his head while looking uncertain of himself. “Well, I mean…” He raises his hand and hesitantly points at someone. “I’m pretty sure that it was her?”

The class looks at the girl he’s pointing at, then at him. There’s a collective shaking of heads that causes me to sigh and gently pat Tsu’s head. “Don’t worry, it’s not that they aren’t your friends, Himi’s just great at mimicking people. And your classmates are mostly idiots.”

The frog girl doesn’t respond other than with a sad croak, which is understandable. I mean, only one of her supposed friends managed to realize that she’d been replaced all morning.

Notes:

Be honest, did you guess right?

Chapter 88: Petty Vengeance

Summary:

Tsu demands vengeance!

“Do you think I should forgive them, kero?” Tsu -the real one this time- asks at lunch. Unlike yesterday she’s sitting with me and Shoko, and the rest of the class are keeping their distance. Not surprising since she’s been giving them all the cold shoulder since she showed up to class and revealed that Himi replaced her without any of them noticing. Shoko somehow managed to miss the entire thing and just looked confused when she eventually returned to class with Aizawa-sans Kachan.

Though before they returned, Mirko extracted a promise from me to try and intern with her first next week then headed off to Recovery Girl’s office to get her leg healed up. At that point I felt like it was time to address the elephant in the room before my watcher returned.

“If any of you breathe a word about what Eri’s quirk did to the pervert I will skin you alive, dump you in a pit of salt, and light it on fire. I can keep you alive like that for a full week . I’ve done it before” To myself, yes, but it shouldn’t be too hard to apply it to them.

They made objecting noises but I ignored them in favor of continuing my promise. “Then, for the boys, I will castrate you, cook all three pieces along with your skin, then feed you all of it .” I turned to the girls while all the guys paled and started shivering, clapping my hands at the same time.

“Now, since I am a villain with standards , and I consistently drink my ‘respect women juice’, I will not have the lot of you drugged and forced into prostitution. Instead, I will turn you into blood eagles. You might think that’s better than what I’d do to the boys, but I can keep you alive like that for seventeen hours. Alive and conscious. So look it up later and decide if you want your last day of life to be composed solely of mind shattering suffering.”

When two of the three missing members of the class returned, they saw everyone pale and shivering. Though Aizawa gave me a suspicious glare, he could do nothing without proof or at least a complaint. Getting none, he’d simply moved on to class. Like the terrible teacher he is.

Which is why Tsu and Shoko are the only ones not avoiding me. Shoko because she’s absolutely clueless about everything that happened, and Tsu because she didn’t meet Eri or see her quirk in action. Not to mention her anger. It’s died down a bit after I explained just how good Himi is at impersonating people (without mentioning her quirk, obviously), but is still simmering below the surface. Which is probably what prompted her question.

I shrug. “I mean, it’s up to you. She’s pretty, skilled, and dangerous, so a grudge wouldn’t be very smart. Then again, neither are our classmates. I personally wouldn’t mind, but I’ve been with Himi for a year, so I’m pretty biased.” I shiver when Shoko’s right hand chills her bowl of cold soba, a few small icicles sprouting from the table aimed at my beef bowl. Weird, she usually has much better control when using her quirk for menial tasks.

Tsu’s eyes bounce between us for a moment but doesn’t voice her thoughts. Instead she hums in consideration. “She was pretty gentle when she kidnapped me, kero… And when she let me go… She even suggested getting petty vengeance for them not realizing, kero…”

I chuckle. “Heh, sounds like her.” I wave a piece of meat on top of a pinch of rice between my chopsticks. “But yeah, petty vengeance. Go for it.”

The rest of the lunch period goes by in silence; Tsu obviously trying to think of what she can do to make 1-A do to make it up to her, and Shoko staring at me with an unreadable expression.

`~`

At the end of the day, Tsu stands in front of the class. “If you all let me kick you once, I’ll forgive you, kero.”

The class reacts to the frog girl’s statement with surprise before a majority start glaring at me, so I return it with a sneer. “What? You mad, bruhs? Fight me!”

Before things can escalate into an all out brawl, Izumi steps in. “Calm down, everyone.” She looks at Tsu, though I notice her eyes dart over briefly to me. “Were you the one who decided on how you’d forgive us, or did someone suggest it to you?”

“I was recommended petty vengeance, kero. I just think that kicking you all will make me feel better.”

She nods and turns to the class with a raised eyebrow. Hearing that I did not tell their classmate to hurt them for forgiveness, they calm down and huddle around to discuss it. All except for Izumi, who stands in front of Tsu calmly. “I want to make things right. Go ahead.”

Tsu stares into her eyes for a moment before nodding. She pulls her leg back, and I watch with a gleeful smile as she brings it forward. The only thing that dampens my imminent enjoyment about Izumi being two seconds away from being in pain is the determined expression on her face as she looks straight at me for the first time.

Go to hell.

Tsu’s foot makes contact…

…and taps gently against Izumi’s leg.

I scowl as the frog girl puts her hands on Izumi’s shoulders, looking into her wide eyes. “Thank you for understanding my decision and going along with it, kero.” Asui pulls the slightly taller girl into a hug that she hesitantly returns.

I, meanwhile, turn around and march to the door while ignoring the others who are getting up to let the apparently soft-hearted girl kick them, only to come to a stop when I hear a shout of pain. Turning around I see Kirishima hopping on one foot while holding his knee with both hands.

“Whhhyyyy!?”

Tsu tilts her head and stares at him with her tongue poking out, resting a finger on her cheek as she answers. “What do you mean, kero? I told you I was going to kick you.”

I snort, now understanding her reasoning. I wish she didn’t use Izumi to lower everyone else’s guard, but I can appreciate the thought put into the trick.

The rest of the now much warier class take their turns, and I decide to lean back against the wall and watch. Some get a small kick, like Tokoyami, while others get a hard kick. Yaoyorozu gets something special in the form of Tsu jumping and doing a spin kick to her side. I’m not sure if the loud thump I hear is her ribs bruising or the pillows that fall out of her legs. I click my tongue disappointedly at her for trying to get out of her punishment, and to her credit she does look sheepish. And pained. She should probably swing by Recovery Girl’s office.

Contrary to everyone else, Kaminari gets a kiss on the cheek! She gives him a small smile after the act. “Thank you for noticing, kero.” It turns out that overusing his quirk isn’t the only way for the blonde to short circuit, and he has to be led away with his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

As if determined to have equality across the range of experiences her classmates get from her, Tsu punts Mineta from the front of the classroom to the back. Then she repeats it when he bounces back. I’m pretty sure she’s going for a third but Sero decides to allow the grape mercy and pulls him from the air using his tape. I’ll just ignore the nearly silent tongue click the frog girl makes. Her expression hasn’t changed at all except for the smile she gave Kaminari, and I think she’s using the opportunity to establish her dominance over the other students.

None of the others are notable, but by the end the only ones who aren’t holding their knees (or side in Yaoyorozu’s case) are Izumi and Kaminari. Well, Mineta too but I’m pretty sure he got knocked out.

“Feel better?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. She tilts her head as she thinks for a moment before giving me a firm nod.

“I think I do, kero. Violence is cathartic.”

I point at her with both of my index fingers. “See! You get it!” I open my mouth to expound upon the glory of violence, but stop and tilt my head as I hear a sound. I turn to the door and tap my chin with a finger as I try to listen closer.

“....wouldn’t work….say….clearly…1-B…”

…I’m pretty sure someone is standing outside the classroom door preparing a speech. Am I going to let them have the time to prepare and enjoy the show? Of course not! I’m gonna crash it!

I turn to Tsu to find out just how strong her legs are.

`~`

Neito Monoma heard an interesting bit of news in the lunchroom today. Apparently the villain who made a show of the Sports Festival and claimed to be the son of All Might is now attending classes at the school! Not only that, but he’s in the hero course!

While he can understand the desire to see if he can be rehabilitated and the reason for it to be attempted at UA, given every teacher is a licensed pro hero in the top hundred (not counting the Underground home room teacher for his rival class), he can’t help but feel concerned. Which is why he’s come to 1-A to investigate the boy! Now, obviously he isn’t alone. He has no idea what the villain’s mental state is, so he has Tetsutetsu with him as well as having copied his quirk. He’s also copied Setsuna and Kamikiri’s quirk. If he activates those two in tandem, then the villain wouldn’t stand a chance!

Of course such a combination is far too dangerous to typically be used against others, especially against his fellow first years! Even the ones from class A. Which is why he’ll only use it if the villain attacks and manages to break through the copied Steel quirk.

Finally deciding on his opening speech declaring how 1-B will not be overshadowed by the hero class that seems to have all the unusual occurrences, he reaches out to open the door. This action gets stalled when a green haired boy comes flying through it with arms outstretched in a classic lupine dive. But what makes a shiver run through Monoma’s spine and causes him to instinctively use Tetsutetsu’s quirk is the kissy face the boy is making.

“Give daddy some sugah!”

He barely manages to drop under him, which lets him fly behind him and through a conveniently opened window. The steel coated blonde looks up at his sharp-toothed classmate with wide, confused eyes, getting an equally befuddled expression in return. After getting helped to his feet, the girl with the frog quirk exits and looks around the hall before her eyes come to rest on the open window.

“Whoops, kero.”

Just a second later, Aizawa returns with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. He looks at his student. He looks at Vlad’s students. He looks at the open window. He turns on his heel to head back to the teacher’s lounge. “Nope.”

The three students are left in silence that’s eventually broken by Tsu’s voice. “I can understand why Usagi wonders how he’s a teacher, kero.”

Chapter 89: What to Do?

Summary:

The HPSC discuss Midosagi and the villain himself gets his study session interrupted.

(Meeting)

“I’m telling you, trying to falsify test results is a terrible idea!”

“What if they come back positive!? Think of the backlash!”

“We’re already dealing with backlash! Making sure we’re honest here will make sure the public regains the trust they’ve lost in us and the hero system!”

“All they have are the ravings of a madman! A positive DNA match would just cement the thought that heroes can’t be trusted in their minds!”

“That’s the kind of thinking that put us in this situation in the first place!”

“Oh please! If you’re referring to the quirkless-”

“Enough.”

The firm female voice is not raised. It is not nearly as loud as some of the people in the room shouting their arguments with red faces, as if that would make them seem more convincing. No, the voice of the president of the HPSC is spoken with the same calm cadence that she always speaks with. Even so, it manages to cut through the repetitive and circular ‘discussion. Really, for all the shouting, all the meetings they’ve held, all the long hours spent throwing out ideas, everything really boils down to one simple question.

Would attempting to disprove Midosagi’s claim about being the son of All Might result in stability for Japan, or anarchy?

At the moment, there are doubts. People aren’t sure what to think. Even with the video where he pointed out his scars, the public’s previously unflappable faith in All Might prevents them from believing that the man they’ve looked up to for decades… is just as human as they are.

But the longer his claim goes unanswered, unchallenged , the more the country doubts. They start to wonder if the Symbol of Peace is really who he says he is. They wonder; if even All Might can be a bad parent, a bad person , how many of the other heroes are no better? How many of them are worse ?

How many of the heroes society venerates, are actually no better than villains?

The HPSC knows that Midosagi’s claim needs to be addressed, but they can’t decide on how . Yes, falsifying a test to ‘prove’ the lie is certainly an option, but if it were to ever get out the blowback from the attempt would cripple faith in the hero system and the government. Especially if Midosagi proves it to be true afterwards.

Simply doing the test themselves and then deciding what to reveal to the public is another option, but the problem is that they would need to get Midosagi to conduct it. Or at least obtain an uncorrupted sample of his DNA. But over the course of his villainous career he’s proven surprisingly adept at ensuring no one can get a hold of it. The glitter bomb used against Hawks is simply one tool in his arsenal that he’s used to contaminate what they could retrieve.

Even if they did somehow manage to capture him to run the test though, they wouldn’t be able to keep it from the public for long. Not with how high profile he is at the moment. Especially while he’s under the watchful eye of Nezu in UA.

Not even All Might knows what to do about the situation. When they asked the man about whether or not Midosagi is his son, and what he thinks should be done, he was uncertain about both. He admits to there being a possibility of Midosagi being his son -though his face looked pained when he said it- but that all previous evidence points to his son being dead. The fact that a body was never found muddles the waters though.

The number one hero is as unsettled by the whole thing as everyone else is, throwing himself into hero work and dodging the press to the best of his ability. Which is surprisingly good. Especially when considering that knowledge of his ‘second form’ has begun to spread thanks to some especially bloodthirsty journalists.

Regardless of anything else though, the fact of the matter is that no matter what they decide to do, Japan will feel its effects. They can only hope to minimize the damage.

The president sighs. “How long do we have before people start making noticeable waves?” She holds up a hand to stop the immediate reply from one of the men promoting faking a negative. “Not the uncertainty that’s plaguing the public right now. How long before someone acts on it?”

There’s a frown from the man as he sits down, a man on the opposite side standing instead and clearing his throat. “Our analysts are giving us a month before the first protest. That doesn’t account for an unstable or overly disgruntled individual making things even more of a mess. Nor how certain villainous elements are taking advantage of the current atmosphere to commit more crimes”

The president hums in thought. “So… we have at least until after UA’s internship week?”

There are a few confused glances while others perk up. “That’s correct, but why that time frame, exactly?” One of the confused people voices the question.

“Because Mirko has managed to secure Midosagi as an intern for the first two days. If we’re going to be getting a sample of his blood to test, it’s going to be then.”

There’s silence at her proclamation for a few minutes, each of her council thinking over the fact that a villain will be apprenticing under one of the top ten heroes. It’s a laughably ironic thing to be thankful for.

“And… what if she fails? Or it tests as positive?”

The president sighs. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But… we might just have to face the music and do a public, publicized test.”

She holds up a hand to quiet the sudden outraged shouting. “I don’t like it any more than all of you. But regardless of the result, we’re going to have people on both sides of the argument crying out that anything else is a ploy we’re trying to pull. Unless we make it public and ensure there’s no doubt about the results, someone is going to be causing problems. Hell, even if we do everything we can, there’s still going to be problems. That’s just how people are.”

“Then… why even bother with trying to find out the truth beforehand?”

The entire room looks at the speaker like he’s an idiot, causing him to hunch low in his seat. After a few moments of judgemental staring, the president explains slowly, as if to a child.

“Knowing the truth in advance will allow us to prepare statements and anticipate the public’s reaction.”

Leaning against the wall in a shadowed corner of the room, the number three hero, Hawks, watches everything with a thoughtful look on his face. He recalls his own encounter with Midosagi, when the boy made his debut as a villain. No matter how much the Commission prepares he doubts that anyone will be able to anticipate what Midosagi will do. But Hawks is sure of one thing.

Midosagi knows how to adapt, and that’s one of his most dangerous qualities.

`~`

I sneeze and rub at my mouth with the back of my hand. “I guess someone is talking about me.” I tap my chin and look up. “But is it a woman praising my amazing skills in bed or a man cursing me for spending a night with his wife?”

“Where the hell did that come from?”

I shrug my shoulders at the baffled look Neito Monoma gives me. “It wouldn’t be the first time and it wouldn’t be the last. Though they might be mistaking me for Himiko again.” I wave it off. “But that’s a problem for future me, probably. Where were we?”

The blonde continues to stare at me for a moment before sighing. “We were talking about the hero students underutilizing their quirks.”

I snap my fingers. “Oh yeah!” I shake my head sadly. “It’s such a shame that Yaoyorozu is so set on being a hero. She could be such an amazing villain! Send her to an all you can eat buffet and boom! Instant armory!”

“You are aware that I’m sitting right next to you, correct?”

I give the ponytailed rich girl a nod. “Yep! So?”

She sighs. “Once again, I am not joining the League of Villains.”

I pout at her and open my mouth, only to close it as she answers before I can even say anything. “Nor will I be making you anything that doesn’t currently exist.”

“But you can make lightsabers!”

“No,” she refuses firmly once again.

I give Monoma a pleading look only for him to raise his hands up in a ‘don’t look at me’ gesture. “I am fully aware of my limits, and her quirk falls rather far outside of them.”

My pout deepens, but I can understand what he means. He already does a ton of quirk research so that he can fully utilize any quirks he copies, he doesn’t have the time to learn the molecular composition of things on the off chance he’ll have access to Yaoyorozu’s quirk. Well, if he implements the change to his hero costume that I suggested then that might change. But it would still mean he’d have to devote too much time to it. Much better to deepen his understanding of other quirks.

I have to say though, it’s so much fun doing quirk analysis with people who can understand it! Sure, I have to make sure not to get stuck in one of my mutter storms since they can’t follow along with how fast I end up talking, but just having the chance to analyze and theorize about quirks with other people is such a rarity!

Well, I’ve had a few discussions with All For One, but he doesn’t really know all the capabilities of the quirks he possesses due to having so many. Ironic considering he has a longevity quirk and can devote more time to studying them. But he’s more of a collector than a scientist or analyst. So long as he can use any interesting quirks he finds himself he’s happy.

Sure, I’m helping my future enemies become stronger, but what does that matter in the face of quirk study! Nothing can ruin this-

“Usagi… can I talk to you? Alone?”

Spoke too soon, because Izumi is standing in front of me now, staring at the ground and shuffling her feet.

Chapter 90: One For All

Summary:

Secrets revealed~. Questions posed~.

I lean against the wall and cross my arms over my chest as I glare at my sister, a frown on my face. To her credit, she looks about as happy as I am about whatever she has to talk about, staring at the floor and shuffling her feet while her fingers play nervously with each other. She shoots small, furtive glances up at me only to just as quickly look back down. This continues on for several minutes, during which I shoot a glare at our eavesdroppers. 

Ashido flinches, as do Yaoyorozu and Kaminari. The three retreat, presumably out of hearing range but I can’t be certain of that. Izumi shoots another glance at me before looking back down again , and I catch sight of a pink hand shooting back around the corner of the hallway and grabbing something solid in the air before it vanishes back out of sight. Hagakure must have been there, then.

Finally, Izumi takes a deep breath and looks up at me, throat bobbing as she swallows nervously. “H-H-how have you been?”

Small talk…  She’s trying to build up to whatever she actually wants to talk to me about. I suppose I can play her little game for a bit. I reply in a carefully blank tone, keeping a tight rein on my emotions. For now. “Better. It turns out that having a home filled with love and support does wonders for someone's well-being.”

She flinches hard at that, looking down while her hand twitches towards her skirt before she takes a deep breath and clenches it into a fist. “I’m sorry…” Her voice is no more than a whisper but I’m close enough that I can still hear it.

I don’t even bother to respond, the apology meaningless without any true honesty backing it up. Even then, what would I do with it? A genuine apology won’t erase the years of abuse. It won’t fix my (admittedly) abysmal mental state. It won’t give me back all the time that we were supposed to spend as a family. Nor will it erase the suffocating fear and worry that were my constant companions growing up.

It won’t erase the scars.

After a few minutes of silence she seems to realize that I won’t be responding. She swallows as she tries to look directly at me again, but her eyes are darting all over the place. “So, uh, you’re… happy? With the League of Villains?”

… Is she seriously going to keep trying to maintain her pathetic attempts at small talk? Of trying to ‘catch up’ with what’s been going on in my life?

Honestly, I thought she would have tried to figure out what went down at the USJ by now. What with the whole dying in front of her after my doppelganger known as Himi guilt tripped her. Did she just write it off as a trick? As neither of them being me?

Whatever. It’s not like it really matters anyways. As long as she’s suffering I’m not really going to complain. And if the way she’s acting is any indication, she’s definitely suffering. So I decide to answer with complete, one hundred percent honesty.

“I am more happy with the LoV than I have ever been in my entire life. I have real friends who care about me. A family who doesn’t neglect or belittle me whenever we’re in the same vicinity. A loving girlfriend that I know will always be there for me, just like I will for her. A place where quirks aren’t what decide a person’s-”

“Hold the fuck up.” She holds her hand up and cuts me off, for the first time not looking nervous or unsure of herself. Instead she looks like she has absolutely no idea what’s going on. “Repeat what you just said.”

“Huh?” Her surprise is enough for me to be surprised, wondering which part of what I said caught her attention. “You mean the LoV not caring about quirks?”

“Before that.”

“The League of Villains calling ourselves LoV?”

“After.”

“How we’re basically a family?”

That point makes her wince but she pushes past it. “No!”

Not that either? What could she- Wait… “You mean me having a girlfriend?” I ask flatly.

She stares at me for a moment with wide eyes. “YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!?!?!?!?!?”

…

This bitch…

“Why is that the most surprising thing about what I just said!?” I throw my hands up in disbelief while I glare at her. I mean, seriously? That’s what she seems to have a problem with!?

Seeming to realize how she sounds she rapidly waves her hands in front of herself. “No, no! Not like that ! It’s just that you’ve always been denser than a brick! I always thought it would take years for you to ever realize that a girl has feelings for you!”

“I would say that’s incredibly rude, but she did have to tell me that we’ve been dating for me to realize that…” I trail off with a pout, huffing out an irritated breath.

“Sounds right,” Izumi nods to herself before she gets wide-eyed again, her nervous swallow making its return. “Todoroki can never learn of this…”

I tilt my head as I raise an eyebrow, looking at her quizzically. “Why not?”

`~`

Midnight turns around to question the student sitting in detention with her after a lengthy lecture on why freezing a classmate in a block of ice before they start trouble is a big no-no without permission, only to freeze herself when an overwhelming wave of murderous intent washes over her. She instinctively lets off with her quirk as she turns to face the threat, only to take a step back when she sees Todoroki with empty eyes and a small smile on her lips.

“I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel like there’s a threat I need to eliminate.”

Like you’re one to talk!

Luckily for Midnight, her gas does its job and knocks out the half-hot half-cold girl before anything dangerous can happen. The R18 hero wipes the beads of sweat off her forehead with her arm before pausing and replaying the last few seconds over in her mind. Her brows furrow.

“Did I just see a pair of shrine maidens behind her?”

`~`

“It’s just better for everyone that way.”

I hum skeptically, but it’s not like I really feel the need to go around announcing to the whole school that I have a girlfriend. Well, not unless Mineta is still a creepy little grapist after the internships. In that case it will tie in nicely with what I plan to do~.

It’s then that I realize that, in my offense that she didn’t think I could get a girlfriend, Izumi and I have been interacting differently. Not with the strained air we were before, but like… Siblings .

I don’t know how to feel about that.

“Why did you want to talk to me, Yagi?” I force my voice back into the same cold detachment that it had when she first brought me out here. I pointedly don’t react in any way when she pulls back, seeming to have realized the same thing I did. She takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes, taking several deep, slow breaths before they open again. They’re filled with resolve as she meets my own.

“I need to tell you… about Dad’s quirk.”

I raise an eyebrow. Well. That’s certainly interesting. “What about it?” He’s never once announced what his quirk is. It’s even more of a secret than his injury and skeleton form. Well, his injury at least. His skeleton form is common knowledge at this point. Even on the HPSC hero and quirk registries, they only record his quirk as being confidential.

Though I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise that he told Izumi. The favored child. I wonder if he told Inko as well?

“It’s called One For All, and he wasn’t born with it.” I stiffen at that, my mind stuttering only to grind to a complete halt when she continues. “It was given to him.”

“...What?” My voice is blank. She swallows.

“He was born quirkless… and he has a quirk that he can choose to pass on to someone. Anyone. Regardless of who it is.”

“…Why are you telling me this?” I need time to process this. And sure, maybe she has more world-shattering things to tell me, but it’s better to get them all out of the way right now instead of later. This way I can process everything at once instead of acting on whatever emotion overpowers me at this hypothetical future point.

“He offered it to me.”

Because of course he would. Why give the quirkless son what he needs to be accepted in the world when you can give it to the normal child. And with that name… All For One has some explaining to do…

“So you have two quirks now.” Funny. I thought she had convinced herself that she feels guilty about what she did. I should have known better. Gloating about-

“No, I refused it.” Again, my thoughts grind to a halt. I can do nothing but stare at her. She… didn’t take it? Why?

“Why?” The question slips past my lips, barely even more than a whisper. I just… I don’t know how to react to this.

She looks back at the ground, her nerves failing her. She hides her face behind her hair as she explains.

“It made me sick… That power, he should have given it to you. He should have told us, all of us. So, so much could have changed if we had just known…”

Tears begin to dot the ground between her feet. “I let Bakugou convince me that you needed a quirk. I looked at Mom and Dad’s actions and thought that they were just doing the same… I… I…”

Her shoulders shake as she starts to sob. “I didn’t deserve power when all I did was hurt you with it… I didn’t deserve to take what should have been yours… I didn’t deserve…” She trails off, not finishing the sentence out loud. Her hands bunch up her skirt as she tries to force out more, but it seems her body doesn’t want to listen to her. I know how that feels.

I wish I knew how to feel right now.

I stare at her for a few more minutes as she falls to her knees as her sobs overtake her, not moving a muscle even when her arms come up to wrap around herself. It’s only when the bell rings announcing the end of lunch that I move from my position against the wall. I step past her, forcefully shoving my hands in my pockets. I stop a few feet away and take a deep breath as I look up at the ceiling. Letting it out slowly, I speak, not turning back.

“Tell me, Izumi. When did you first think that I was still alive?”

Her sobs continue for a moment before she manages to choke them off. “At… at the USJ. When you…” She doesn’t finish the sentence, but we both know what she’s referring to.

I hum consideringly. “That’s rather curious.” I resume walking, heading towards the sounds of other students on their way to class.

“Because, you see… Inko has known since the day I left.”

I turn the corner without waiting for a response, letting a new problem occupy all the space in my mind. I can think about… whatever that was… later. For now…

If Toshinori was born officially quirkless and the strength quirk was given to him… Then what kind of power does he actually have?

Notes:

Did I remember to put the Christmas special on this site? Because I don't think I did... It would have been around the time One joined the LoV.

Chapter 91: Trust and Deceit

Summary:

Izumi recalls key moments in her life, as well as a suppressed memory.
What does it mean~?

(Izumi)

I stare after Izuku with wide eyes, unable to muster enough nerve to chase after him and ask for answers. Not that I have any right to do that in the first place. But… Mom knew? She’s known all this time that Izuku has been alive?

I swallow with a suddenly too dry throat, closing my eyes as I take deep, slow breaths in an effort to stop the hallway from spinning. I let them out just as slowly, then repeat. After a few minutes of doing this in silence I open my eyes and try to… to think about this.

I won’t make the same mistake as when I pushed Izuku away.

Yes, I want to believe him. Yes, I want to think that he wouldn’t lie about something like this. But despite what I wish otherwise, he is a villain. He could be trying to drive a wedge between Mom and I. Except… he doesn’t have to. What would he even get out of it? We already don’t talk all that much, so there’s really not anything he could accomplish by trying to worsen our relationships.

But… if he is telling the truth…

`~`

“Mom! Where’s Izuku?” I ask my mom while she’s making dinner. I’m so excited to tell him about the idea Katsuki and I came up with so that we can all still be heroes together! Even if other people won’t call him a hero, I know that he will be!

When I ask my question though, Mom’s face twitches. Not into a smile though, and it’s kind of like she’s trying to hide whatever her expression is. It’s kind of… I don’t think I like it. But then she gives me a smile and I tell myself that I was just imagining things. 

“He’s out with your father at the moment. You seem excited though, so why don’t you share whatever it with me instead!”

I pout at her and cross my arms at her. “No! I need to tell Izuku how Katsuki and him and me can all be heroes together!”

Mom’s mouth turns down into a frown, but it's a bit different from a frown. She’s scowling? Why? “Well sweety, dinner is almost ready and then you’ll have to go to bed. Toshi and Izuku won’t be back until after you’re asleep, so how about you tell me what you were thinking and I’ll let him know when he gets here?”

I look up while I think. Because I do like going to bed at the same time every night… But I also want to be the one who tells him about our idea… But this is Mom…

I nod and give Mom a happy smile. “Ok! So, we decided that…”

`~`

Remembering it now, was she actually listening to me back then? After that night I never tried to bring it up to him, so did she ever actually tell him? And then he told me about those notebooks, which I told Bakugou about…

I frown as my brows furrow, another memory of my mother rising to the forefront of my mind.

`~`

I fidget with the edge of the gold-colored sundress Mom is having me try on at the clothing store. She was very particular about it being gold instead of just yellow. I look up and see her coming back with even more clothes for me to try on and hold back a wince.

I don’t like this. I don’t like how she’s so excited to get me new things to wear when she forgot to bring Izuku with us for our birthday. We left so early that day that I slept the whole drive there. Then Dad wandered off so it ended up being just Mom and I at the amusement park the whole day. I don’t know why I didn’t notice that Izuku wasn’t with us, maybe I was just too excited about meeting All Might and having him shake my hand? Maybe until we got home, I just thought that he chose to spend our birthday with Dad because Katsuki and I had been ignoring him.

I don’t think it really matters what the reason is that he wasn’t there with us that day. What matters is that he wasn’t. Just like he isn’t with us now even though I’m pretty sure he would like new clothes too. Why isn’t he here? Dad is busy with work today, so who’s with Izuku?

“Izumi! You’ll look adorable in this skirt!” Mom holds up a skirt the same shade of green as my hair, and I like it. I really do. But the smile I give her must not let her know that because she frowns and drops it into the pile before coming into the changing room with me, pulling the curtain closed to give us privacy. “Izumi, what’s wrong? Do you not like any of the clothes? Do you want to go do something else?”

“Um…” I look at the ground, watching as my bare feet shuffle in place. “It’s not that. It’s just…” I trail off, not sure how to say it. Well, I do know. But something about Mom whenever I bring up Izuku makes me hesitate to do so.

Before long Mom wraps me in her arms, hugging me tightly against her. I let the side of my head lay against her chest, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. “Izumi. No matter what’s wrong, you know you can always talk to me about it, alright?” Her voice is sweet, kind, and I let myself melt into the hug, wrapping my own arms around her.

“Yeah… I do. Thanks Mom.” I feel her nod before asking me again what the problem is. This time, I answer. “Well… Why isn’t Izuku here?” I can feel her body tense and her heartbeat changes a bit but I continue on. After all, I can talk to her about anything.

She doesn’t reply for a bit, and I start to wonder if she’s not going to tell me. Is it a secret? Eventually she does speak, though, but with a question. “Why do you think your brother isn’t here?”

I frown at the question she answers me with. Is it my fault? I wonder. And with that single thought, I know why he isn’t here with us. And it is my fault. Mine and Katsuki’s. “Is it because I’ve been ignoring him?”

I’ve been feeling bad about it ever since I started doing it, never seeing Izuku with anyone else. He’s always alone whenever we’re at school, writing in his quirk analysis notebook or drawing something in his sketchpad. I want to talk like we used to, but Katsuki is always reminding me about the plan and how it will never work if we can’t keep it up.

Sometimes I wonder if I like being Katsuki’s friend like when we were a trio instead of a duo. Izuku would always joke about us being a lettuce sandwich with Katsuki being a piece of chicken in the middle. His reaction to that was always funny. But without Izuku it doesn’t work.

Mom hums without answering my question, responding with her own question instead. Again. “ Why have you been ignoring him?”

I don’t like that she won’t answer me, but she’s my mom so I answer her anyways. After telling her about Katsuki’s plan and how I think it's stupid now she just hums again before pulling away. She gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t feel like a nice smile. “It’s important to keep your promises, Izumi.”

I shiver and look down before glancing up again. “B-but what about-”

Her hands tighten on my shoulders and I wince. Her smile looks… mean now. “Keep. Your. Promises,” she states in a clipped tone. I don’t like it. I’ve never heard Mom talk like this. It’s scary. So to get her back to normal as soon as possible I nod rapidly, my head bouncing up and down. She smiles at that, letting go of my shoulders before grabbing the skirt she was showing me earlier “That’s a good girl, Izumi. You’re going to grow up to be an amazing hero.”

I don’t like listening to her heartbeat after that.

`~`

I tried talking to her about what was going on a few more times after that, while growing up. But she always just gave me a tense smile and told me to keep my promise .

“Why?” I whisper to myself as I draw my knees up against my chest, surprised to find that I’m sitting on the floor with my back against the wall. “Why would she tell me that? Siblings… Twins are supposed to support each other.” The hypocritical words burn as they leave my throat, or maybe that’s just the bile that covers the floor next to me?

“I shouldn’t have done it. It was a bad thing to do. Then we started hurting him… Why? When… When did I stop trying to tell her and Dad about it? When-”

I draw in a sharp breath as another memory forces itself to the front of my mind. A memory of a present. A treatment?

`~`

“The doctor said that listening to something will help you sleep,” Mom says as she puts a pair of All Might themed headphones over my head, leaving one side off so that we can still talk. She’s careful to make sure they don’t get caught on the bandages, or are too tight. Once she’s sure they won’t fall off, she gives me a worried look. “Do you need anything else?”

I wave my left hand in the negative, my dominant right stuck in a cast. I can’t shake my head either since it hurts to do so. Apparently Dad knows someone who knows Recovery Girl though, so I won’t have to  stay in the hospital for more than a few days! The doctors told me that I’d still have some burn scars though. Thankfully they at least won’t be visible while I’m just living my life. As long as I don’t wear anything that shows off my back then nobody will even know they’re there!

Mom sighs, shaking her head in a way that makes me feel sheepish. “Honestly Izumi, what were you even doing in a place like that?”

I frown. “I honestly don’t know,” I answer. “Apparently the beam that fell on my head knocked the memory right out of me. Must have been jealous!”

She swats at my hand reproachfully, causing me to giggle. I might never remember what happened, but as Mom puts on the other side of the headphone and turns it on, All Might’s motivating words of me being a future pro drifting through my ears, I have to wonder-

I barely notice All Might’s voice changing a bit as I drift off to sleep, painkillers making me brush off how it sounds like the Symbol of Peace is saying something else.

If I never remember, does the reason really matter?

`~`

“The headphones,” I whisper breathlessly, feeling like I’m swaying slightly. Like I’m on a boat?”

I hear someone hum, the sound reverberating through me somehow. “What about the headphones, Izumi?” A familiar voice asks, but I’m too focused on what I can remember.

Because the headphones are where I stopped trying to bring things up with my parents. When I stopped fighting Bakugou as much when I thought he was going too far in our ‘goal’. Those damned headphones that I smashed against a wall after I woke up from a nightmare after Izuku disappeared. At the time I brushed what I heard off as my guilty mind poking at me again, but using All Might’s voice this time. But…

“ The quirkless are relics of a bygone era with no place in modern society. Heroes? Ha! Without quirks, they aren’t even fit to live! The quirkless- ”

That’s all I heard before I smashed it. I mentioned it to mom afterwards, but she just brushed it off and said, “You don’t need that anymore.” I was confused at the time because guilt was eating away at me. I was… doing that .

But… what if it was something more? What Mom…

I shake my head, my mind focusing on why she gave me those headphones in the first place. “The… the… what was it? Why was I there?”

“Where, Izumi? Where were you?” That familiar voice talks again, and I like it. It’s relaxing. So I answer absently while I try to think.

“The hospital. I was there. She gave them to me there. But why was I there? ” If I can remember, maybe I can know. Why? Why did Mom give me headphones that said that about the quirkless when Izuku is quirkless?

I clench my eyes and use my hands to cover my ears, feeling a pang of regret as I block out the nice voice. I need to remember. I need to remember. “I need to remember…”

And… flashes come to me.

Fire. Screaming.

-

I push open a flaming door, thankful that the numerous holes mean I don’t have to worry about the flames within rushing out at me. I hold my jacket over my mouth with my other hand as the stinging smoke forces tears from my eyes. It would be better to keep them narrowed to hopefully prevent damage. But instead they’re wide open while I scramble through every room, searching.

-

I use my quirk to force my arm still, whimpering at the pain and how it bends the wrong way. But I push past it as I struggle to my feet.

-

I scream his name as the roof caves in.

“IZUKU!”

I barely even feel it when a needle breaks my skin, moments before darkness claims me and I remember nothing more.

Notes:

Yes, Inko is a bitch. This has been established.

I was right! Went back and put the Christmas special in at ch 44. Nothing read-necessary, but it's a fun little chapter.

Chapter 92: Powerloader Fucks Up

Summary:

Izuku is dragged to the Support Department.
This can only end badly.
PS: Jiro is gay and Kaminari is asexual. They also know when to run away.

“Whhhhyyyyy?????” I whine from my place between Jiro and Kaminari where I’m being dragged. Limply, of course. No point in making this easy on the two traitors!

“Because you need a costume,” Jiro points out reasonably.

“And we don’t want to deal with Aizawa-sensei making a big deal about how you can’t use your villain costume because it's a villain costume,” Kaminari points out just as reasonably.

“But I don’t wannaaaaa!” I whine in a high-pitched voice, determined to make this as difficult for the two as possible. Even if me needing a hero costume is understandable, it doesn’t mean I have to like it! I’m perfectly happy using my villain costume for hero work as well! Just think about how confused people will be! Although it’s possible that it would mess with my reputation as Midosagi, I guess. So that’s one point towards letting myself be dragged to the support studio. Even if I can’t use my villain outfit, I can always do hero work naked! Midnight almost does the same thing, and she did try to do that when she was in UA!

But is it really that easy for UA to make a hero student’s costume? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for me to swing by and get measured and tell them what kind of costume I’d like closer to the start of the week? It’s already Thursday, so will they really have enough time to get it put together before Internships start on Sunday? Or is Nezu hoping to kill me off next week because he doesn’t want to deal with me anymore?

Nah, my first session with Hound Dog is tomorrow, so I doubt that Nezu is already tired of the quality entertainment I provide for him. So it's either that UA’s support department actually can work that fast, or not much effort is put into the costumes for the first year hero students.

Not that either option really matters for me. Y’know, because I can un-die myself. Not that anyone at UA is aware of that.

Might as well make conversation while they drag me to my doom!

“So did the two of you talk about how Jiro is always ragging on Kaminari?”

My sudden question causes the girl to stumble a step and her face to go red, though Kaminari manages to adjust without too much trouble and prevent himself from stumbling as well. And being the chill sort of guy he is, he just readjusts his grip and answers the question.

“Yeah, we talked about it. I don’t really mind as long as she stops calling me dumb all the time and stops implying that I can’t control my quirk.”

I nod. “Understandable. But why’d she start doing it in the first place? Because you were hitting on her all the time and she’s a tsundere?”

The two of us ignore Jiro’s red-faced sputtering, perfectly content to bypass her embarrassment for the sake of continuing our conversation. “Well, yes but actually no,” the blonde shrugs. “Mainly it was that she’s gay and didn’t know that I’m asexual, so she thought I was only interested in her sexually instead of romantically.”

Another nod. “Makes sense. Communication is important in all relationships, even the ones where you aren’t dating each other.” I look over at the violette, who’s studiously ignoring us after managing to get her face back to its normal shade. “So, any girls catch your eye? 1-A? 1-B? Whichever of the support classrooms it is we’re going to now?”

She flushes once again, letting go of my arm and letting that side of me drop. Which ends up with Kaminari letting out a yelp of surprise and dropping the side of me that he’s supporting and causing me to drop to the floor, my head making a dull thump sound when it hits the ground. “Ow,” I deadpan. “I have fallen and cannot get up. Go on without me, but erect a statue in the name of my heroic sacrifice.”

“No,” Jiro says flatly before digging inside her pockets for a moment before pulling out a pair of earplugs. At my raised eyebrow she explains while putting them in. “The support course is… loud.” She grimaces. “The crazy girl especially. She’s like a nicer, more excitable version of Bakugou.”

“Lovely,” I respond dryly before putting my palms flat on the ground above my head and pushing myself into position to crab walk backwards the rest of the way to our destination. “So I’m guessing she isn’t the one you’re interested in. So, 1-A? I haven’t really met anyone other than Monoma from 1-B so I can’t make a guess there, but I think you’d make a cute couple with Yaoyorozu or Tsu. Neither of them are particularly loud, so there wouldn’t be any concern for your hearing either.”

My blatant shipping gets a cute blush to rise to her cheeks, but before she can respond the door we were just about to walk past gets blown out of its frame and slams into the wall on the other side of the hallway. The sound of a man shouting and a girl cackling comes from within while I use only my legs to pull myself back into a standing position, then walk over to examine the door.

Contrary to what one might think, the door is not actually leaning against the wall. Instead it’s crumpled in the center around what looks like a cannonball made out of some kind of silvery metal. Weirdly shaped, too. Now that I’m taking a closer look, it actually seems more along the lines of a bullet than a cannonball…

“NO GUNS!”

The sudden confirmation of what I suspected pulls me out of my thoughts, and I turn around and purposefully stride into the room with a smile on my face. Meanwhile, the two hero students exchange glances before doing a one-eighty and walking back the way we came. “Not our business, not our problem,” Kaminari shouts before I step into the room. No idea what he’s talking about, but I think I’ll allow him to apply what he said to whatever it is.

“But think of all the ways they can be used by heroes!” A girl shouts, though I can’t really see her due to the cloud of black smoke filling the air. I wonder if that’s a regular occurrence or something that only happens rarely? But as Melissa likes to say, ‘Good inventors blow up something at least once a week!’

“Guns don’t make civilians feel safe!” The male voice shouts back, and I start walking in that direction. “We aren’t in America!”

“Snipe uses guns! And who cares about feelings !? Feelings are stupid!”

“Snipe only uses guns because of his quirk! You don’t see any other heroes using guns! Heroes use their quirks to make people feel safe, not weapons!”

“But quirks are so inefficient!” I take offense to that. It’s not the quirk’s fault that the person using it is an idiot who can’t bother experimenting with what it can do. “My babies can make it so that when a quirk fails, heroes won’t just stand around sucking on their thumbs!” I’m pretty sure that babies suck on their thumbs too, but maybe she’s talking about mechanical robot babies? Or infant AI?

“ NO GUNS !” The words come out just a bit more shrill just as I exit the smoke. I blink my eyes clear enough to see the hero Power Loader waving his finger at a shorter person, probably the girl, angrily. “IF I FIND OUT YOU MADE ANY KIND OF FIREARM AFTER TODAY, YOU’RE EXPELLED!” The man turns around and storms away, not even seeming to notice me as he grumbles under his breath about mad geniuses.

After I can finally see everything, I focus on the source of the man’s ire and see a first-year girl with pink dreadlocks standing there with her gloved fists clenched and teeth bared in a snarl at her teacher’s back. A pair of steampunk-like goggles rest on her forehead, presumably put there after the explosion given that the area around her eyes is clear of soot. Her eyes themselves are a dark yellow with a black crosshair pattern around the pupils, which are narrowed at the Support Hero’s back.

I can’t resist the smile that pulls at my lips, because oh do I know what it's like for someone to reject a person’s passion. To threaten their dream. To tell them to give up, that it’s useless. And I know how inventors get when someone tells them that something can’t be done. Especially when they’re excited to try it. That’s how Melissa got her quirk enhancing device made. The other scientists told her that there was no way she could make something that could boost any quirk without being made specifically for it, and she obviously took that personally.

But this girl? Well. Let’s see just what she can do~.

After putting a sympathetic look on my face I walk up and put my hand on her shoulder, pulling her out of probably murderous thoughts, which I do feel bad about, but I want to get to know a bit about her. “Sucks to be him, what was that about?”

She huffs as she looks at me, her eyes…dilating?…a bit as she peers at me for a moment before deciding to answer. “I made a gun baby that shoots different kinds of bullets. PowerLoader ,” she practically spits the man’s name out and I feel my smile make its return, “got mad because guns are ‘dangerous’.” Her air quotes perfectly illustrate what she thinks of that line of thinking. “There’s someone in the hero course who literally has blades coming out of his body, how is a gun more dangerous than that!?” She throws her hands up in frustration before abruptly turning and walking towards what I would presume to be her table, given the gun resting on it.

Well, ‘gun’, given that it looks more like one of those bulky confetti cannon guns, with a large barrel and small handle. Though as I watch she pops the front off and lets it drop, revealing that it’s built similar to a revolver, but instead of traditional bullets there’s instead fist-sized balls within, about twenty of them, though there’s a clear spot where one is missing.

What I find interesting is that the ‘bullet’ embedded in the door is much larger than the ‘bullets’ in the gun. “What kind of bullets have you made?” I ask curiously. She looks surprised at the question, like she’s never had anyone ask about her inventions before, but she quickly grows excited and starts rambling about how the gun works and what the different colored bullets do.

According to her: the silver ones grow after leaving the chamber, the purple ones are essentially Midnight’s quirk compressed and contained for a ranged sleeping gas, the brown ones expand into a net, and the red ones cause an eruption of flames.

Quite frankly, it’s amazing. To get such a variety of uses out of a single weapon is something any villain would love to get their hands on. Yes, they’d require a constant supply of bullets - something that knives will never need, as Himi always says - but these are only the start of what this girl can do. If she can figure out something similar that will work for knives, I can see her being Himi’s third favorite person! After Eri and me, of course.

I shoot out my hand, interrupting her gushing over what other kinds of bullets she can make. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced, what’s your name?”

She blinks at me blankly for a moment before looking down at my hand, then shrugs as she shakes it. “Mei Hatsume, future CEO of Hatsume industries, patent pending.”

I chuckle at the confidence in her voice. It’s the kind of confidence that tells me that there’s absolutely no doubt in her mind that she’ll get there one day, regardless of what anyone else has to say. But, well, there’s nothing wrong with Hatsume Industries being a bit more… morally grey , then she first intended, is there?

“Izuku Usagi, also known as Midosagi of the League of Villains.” I give her a wide smile. “How would you like to make a deal?”

Chapter 93: Therapy?

Summary:

Izuku goes to therapy! He thinks?

I stare at the door in front of me, trepidation filling my stomach. Or maybe that’s the grenade Hatsume threw together for me yesterday. The fact that it only took her five minutes to build something that she could confidently say would collapse a room should probably be a bit concerning for the heroes. Then again, they clearly see her as a problem child who doesn’t have enough restraint for her ideas, and are trying to stifle her potential.

Poor, poor heroes. They have no idea just how brilliant that girl is. She’s wasted here at UA. I truly hope that she accepts my offer, when the time comes. The LoV would be so much better for her to spread her wings and soar to greatness. Or, rather, they would allow her explosions to reach a force she never imagined before. Where now she can destroy a room, staying at UA would lead her to being able to destroy a building by the time she graduates.

If she joins the LoV, she could destroy a city before the year is out.

But that’s a consideration for later, if she wishes to accept. For now I need to prepare myself to deal with this latest challenge. Something that I considered, every once and a while, but always discarded as not worth the time investment.

Therapy.

I can honestly say that I have no idea how this is going to go, which is a rarity. Normally I’d have at least some sort of view as to how whatever I do will end, even if I end up being wrong. But here? Nothing. It’s… unsettling. Is this how other people feel whenever I start a mutter spree? Well, other than Melissa and Himi. Melissa because she’ll go on her own spree whenever talking about one of her inventions, and Himi because she thinks it's cute.

After what feels like an eternity of standing there but is most likely no more than a few minutes, I sigh. “Best to just get this over with,” I mutter to myself and raise my hand to knock on the door. Just because I’m a villain doesn’t mean I have to be rude. But just before my hand can make contact with the wood it swings open, and the person on the other side walks right into my fist.

“Ow!” They say and take a step back while bringing their hand up to rub at their nose, though probably more from surprise than actual pain. I wasn’t going to put much force into my knock, after all. I really hope that this encounter isn’t an omen for how my therapy session will go, because the person I just accidentally hit in the face is Izumi.

I stand there and stare at her for a moment, studying her. After the reveal of One For All, we haven’t talked again, which I’m more than happy with being the case. Other than speculating about what Toshinori’s actual quirk is, I’ve done my best to put the whole interaction out of my mind. I still don’t know what my feelings about it are, and at this point I think I need to talk to Himi to work through them. But maybe my session with Hound Dog will be productive, somehow? Maybe?

It seems like Izumi can’t say the same for being outwardly affected by our talk, though. Huge bags under her eyes, messy hair, and medical patches covering her cheeks that stretch all the way to her jawline. Speaking plainly; she looks like shit. Not that I care, obviously. As shown by how I simply step aside after she pulls her hand away from her nose and opens her eyes, making eye-contact with me. We stand there in a tense silence before she dips her head towards me and takes her leave, neither of us speaking a word.

I stare after her retreating back until she turns the corner before shaking my head and stepping through the cleared doorway into Hound Dog’s office. It’s not particularly large or small, just an average size. Neither is it cluttered with ‘therapy stuff’. Apart from the desk holding a computer and some personal items, the only furniture are a couch and chair sitting across from each other in the middle of the room, and a few bean bag chairs scattered around. There are also a bunch of plushies scattered around the room for some reason.

Hound Dog himself is sitting in the chair, staring at me with a raised eyebrow. “Mister Usagi,” he says in a neutral tone that causes my hand to twitch towards the knife strapped to my thigh. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Your appointment isn’t for another forty-five minutes.”

I shrug, trying my best to seem casual. Ugh, why is this so stressful!? We haven’t even started yet! “I dislike the possibility of being late.” I shoot a quick glance over my shoulder. “Didn’t expect to run into another… patient?”

The dog-person hums. In acknowledgment? Doubt? Curiosity? He hums and that’s all I can say about it. “Well, since you’re already here, would you like to take a seat?” So he says, but he doesn’t gesture to either the couch across from him or one of the beanbags. Is this a test? Something that will tell him about my personality? Why did I never do any research into how therapists operate!?

But I can’t just stand here, I do have an agreement with Nezu, after all. So I snatch a surprisingly soft cat plushie off of the couch and carry it with me to a dark green bean bag in front of his desk. I let myself drop into it, sinking in comfortably before I look back at him. He’s just staring, menacingly!

Or not. He can easily intimidate someone if he wants though, given his size and appearance. And he does use it to great effect whenever he’s out doing hero work. “He could probably give Ashido a few tips if she’s determined to keep Alien Queen as her hero name. Though I never bothered to learn if she actually does want to be an intimidation-type hero, so if she’s plans to go more in line with a cutesy or casual ‘Alien Queen’ then her best bet would be getting tutelage under someone like Selkie. Though obviously she’d be able to get a more positive reaction than him, given that she’s female and doesn’t have a naturally intimidating appearance. But if she decides to be a Twilight or Underground hero, then she’d be perfect for jump scares! Which would really tie in well with her allusion to the movie series. Furthermore-”

I’m pulled from my thoughts by the hero/therapist clearing his throat, and my teeth clack together at the realization that I started muttering at some point. I hold back a grimace as I wait for him to say something, and after staring at me for a few moments, he does.

“Are there any topics you’d like to avoid?”

I blink in surprise, taken aback by the question. “Things I’d like to avoid?”

Hound Dog dips his head in a slow nod. “Yes, I find that it is easier for people to talk about things if they know that I will make an effort to avoid sensitive topics.”

Huh. That’s… interesting. I thought therapists are supposed to get you to talk about things that you don’t want to talk about. Isn’t that kind of the point? You won’t get better if you don’t talk about what’s bothering you? Or maybe it’s a stage thing? Talk about the thing that bothers you the least and then build up to what bothers you the most?

I really want to research the kinds of methods therapists use during their sessions, but I know myself enough to realize that if I do I’ll just do my best to give him the ‘correct’ answers instead of the true ones. Not that the ‘correct’ answers wouldn't be true, but some things are more true than others.

I shrug, squeezing the cat plushie in my lap. “The Yagis, I guess. Middle school.”

Hound Dog nods easily. “That’s perfectly fine. If things get too uncomfortable for you while we’re talking, just say so and we can move on to a different topic.”

I nod hesitantly, eyeing him warily. So far, this has not been going as I expected. A quick surreptitious glance at the clock tells me that I’ve only been here for a few minutes. And since I showed up so early, I technically have more than two hours before the scheduled end of the session.

This is going to be a long two hours.

But then he asks the first question, and all my worries are pushed to the back of my mind.

“So, I heard that you like quirk analysis?”

I perk up at the mention of one of my favorite topics.

`~`

“...which means that with enough practice, Mandalay can probably share memories, or even her sight with other people! And let's not forget that Pixie Bob is literally a one-woman army! No, a one-woman special forces! If she carries even just a bucket of dirt around a city with her, she can easily be the most effective Underground hero! Really, the only reason that the Wild Wild Pussycats as a whole aren’t ranked in the top ten is because they’re so focused on rescue work as opposed to apprehension!”

I finally take a breath, finishing my explanation on why the Pussycats are some of the best heroes in Japan and some of the only ones I like and respect. Not to mention how effective their quirks could be if they thought about them differently! I blame the quirk counselors they had as children. Not that I know who those were, but I can still blame them.

Hound Dogs shakes his head in bemusement, which I can understand. The LoV still can’t keep up with my mutter sprees, and even though I try to slow them down to the best of my abilities, sometimes I just have to go full speed ahead! “Well, that was certainly informative.”

Yep, I lost him somewhere along the way. Oh well, I had fun at least.

Then I blink at that thought. I had fun? At my mandatory therapy? Is that supposed to happen? A quick glance at the clock has me jerking in surprise, jostling off of the bean bag in surprise when I see the time.

“We’ve been here three hours!?”

Hound Dog blinks and looks at the clock as well. “So we have,” he says with his own sense of bemusement. He shakes his head to clear whatever thoughts are filling it before he looks at me. “Well, luckily for me I don’t have any appointments after you. We can end the day’s session here if you’d like, or I have another hour to spare before I need to get started on some paperwork that needs to get done?”

The question is clear in his tone, and for a moment I think about it. It has been nice to let loose and get some old fashioned quirk analysis. Sure, bouncing things around with Yaoyorozu and Monoma is fun, but it’s just not the same when I have to slow things down so others can understand me. In fact, I don’t think I’ve been this relaxed since I took Nezu’s deal.

But no, I think that’s enough for the day, and I tell the man as much. He just nods understandingly and tells me that his office is always open if I ever want to talk. And as I head to the dorms, I can’t help but think that I’ll be taking him up on that offer sometime. Much to my surprise.

Chapter 94: Mirko!

Summary:

Izuku's internship with Mirko!

Notes:

Finally have all the chapters transferred to this sight! Updates will now be weekly alongside Dragon's Pride. Starting today, I mean, so expect the next chapter in a couple hours.

“So, this is your place?” I ask from where I’m sitting on the granite countertop, leaning on the leg I’ve pulled up while the other idly sways.

“Yep. Now get your ass off the counter, I eat there!” I chuckle and do as Mirko asks, bouncing in place after I get both feet on the ground.

Like we agreed last week, I’ll be interning with her for the first two days of the internships. Then on the third day I’ll switch to Endeavor, two days after that I go with someone called Gran Torino, then I’ll spend the rest of the time with Sir Nighteye. I am definitely not looking forward to that particular team up. Still, Mirko and Endeavor will be fun! Especially since Shoko is interning with her dad! I wonder if she wants me to help her arrange an ‘accident’ for him while on patrol? They seem to have a better relationship now, so I better check with her before I do anything.

“So,” I ask, “what’s the plan for today? Patrol? Paperwork? Blow it off for some fun? I call Himi for some real fun?”

Mirko rolls her eyes and smirks at me. “As fun as that would be, unfortunately it’s paperwork today.”

I sigh and bring the back of my hand to my forehead. “Woe is me, that my old foe makes its return. I had thought them slain, given I never had to deal with them in the first place.”

Mirko raises an eyebrow. “If you never dealt with them in the first place, how could they be an ‘old foe’?”

I shrug. “I’ve got people to figure that out for me.”

`~`

In the LoV’s base, One sneezes, earning himself a scowl from Skyfall. “Nasty, cover yer mouth!”

One apologizes while rubbing a finger under his nose. “Sorry. But I’m pretty sure that Midosagi is planning to make me do something ridiculous again.”

Skyfall rolls her eyes before turning back to her workbook. “Whatever.” A few minutes later, frustrated with how her lowercase ‘g’ looks too much like an ‘8’, she turns back to the senior villain. “I’ve been wonderin, why choose One as yer villin name?”

One gives her an unimpressed look. “We both know that accent is fake. Why do you insist on sticking with it?”

Skyfall shrugs. “I like it.” She smiles. “Plus, I’m hopin it’ll annoy Midosagi.”

One thinks about it for a moment before nodding. “Fair.” Then he sighs. “Essentially, I couldn’t think of anything, and Midosagi and Toga were already calling me One, so…”

“...So you were too lazy to come up with something yourself?”

“...I suppose.”

Skyfall just stares at him for a moment before sighing and going back to her writing practice. Toga says that writing and reading are part of the same coin, and both will help her with thinking things through. Especially if she ever decides to write a journal (she refuses to call it a diary, she’s not nearly girly enough for something like that). Plus, if it helps her avoid becoming like One…

Her enthusiasm for her lessons has never been so high.

`~`

“Anyways,” I clap my hands and spin on my heel so I’m facing the table where two stacks of papers rest, “what kind of paperwork are we doing?”

Mirko lets out a loud groan while dropping into her seat. “Damage and injury claims.”

I raise an eyebrow at that before shrugging it off and plopping into the seat on the other side of the table. I mean, sure, injury claims from the people the rabbit hero apprehends are reasonable given how much she loves to fight, but damage claims? Other than putting holes in things when her attacks miss there shouldn’t be many of those.

`~`

“How would you feel about turning villain?” I ask the rabbit heroine from where I’m slumped over on the floor.

“Tempting,” Mirko responds blankly, her ears twitching as she writes down yet another rejection for the ‘injury’ claim.

Seeing her on patrol and getting slapped by your girlfriend for staring is not Mirko’s fault. No, it does not entitle you to monetary recompense. No, it does not entitle you the right to ‘cop a feel’ either. Even if your girlfriend broke up with you for being a lecherous scumbag.

A lot of those ‘damage’ reports aren't’ much better! Oh, her metal shoe scuffed the wall of your building when she jumped off of it to dropkick a villain? Suck it up! A villain threw her through your store’s window? Not her fault, file it with your insurance company!

“We don’t have to do any paperwork,” I point out in the face of her rejection, which actually causes her to stop writing for a moment and actually consider it. Which I sort of expected but also not really. I don’t really have a problem if she does decide to switch sides, and it would be funny if it were to end up being because of how much she hates paperwork, but Himi might complain about corrupting our rabbit.

So, in order to stop our booty call from losing her license to beat people into the ground, I interrupt her thoughts. How do I accomplish this? By jumping up and flicking a knife at her tit! Fortunately it works, even though it looks like she mostly grabbed it out of the air on instinct more than anything. The action doesn’t even get more than a raised eyebrow out of her!

“I’m bored, let's go on patrol!” Seriously, paperwork sucks !!

“Can’t,” she grunts, “the condition to forgo your chaperone from UA was that you spend the whole first day inside, to show that you have the patience and ability to restrain yourself. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be showing that you’re actually ‘determined to change’.”

I give her a deadpan look. “But I’m not determined to change.”

She shrugs. “Not my problem, that’s the justification that the higher ups decided to use to agree with your request.”

I hum and nod along with her explanation, though that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Stated as such through the groan I let out while doing some stretches. “ Fine . In that case, wanna spar?”

She stops writing again, giving me a considering look while her ear twitches thoughtfully. “Of course I do… But I need to get these forms filled out by the end of the day,” she sighs, looking at the stack of paper that’s shrunk to half its size. Though mine is in the same boat, and we’ve been at this for hours !

I let out a louder groan and drape myself dramatically over my chair. “But most of these are from stupid people complaining about stupid things because they’re stupid enough to think that the HPSC stupid enough to give them money for stupid reasons.”

“Yep,” she agrees easily, putting another paper on the ‘finished’ pile.

We stay like that for a while, me being dramatic and Mirko filling out paperwork. Not sure how long, honestly -I’m pretty sure I dozed off at some point- but long enough that Mirko finally gets exasperated enough to talk to me again.

“Look, the sooner you help with this shit the sooner we can do something actually fun. So get off your ass and do your half!”

I pretend to think about it for a moment before letting myself fall forward over the back of the chair and onto the seat. Face first. Not getting any kind of reaction from the hero I reluctantly turn myself right-side up and snatch a paper off the pile with a grumble. “I should have just stabbed Izumi at the Sports Festival and called it a day. But nooo , I had to go all ‘dramatic villain origin story’ about it. Haven’t even gotten laid in the past week because Himi said I’m not allowed to do it with the students or teachers…”

I continue to grumble under my breath while filling out rejection after rejection, and I know that Mirko can hear me because of the way her ears and lips are twitching, but she doesn’t say anything. At least until I address her directly. “So, what shady stuff is the HPSC trying to get you to do with me?”

She chokes on nothing at the sudden question, coughing violently with a hand in front of her mouth while I watch with no small amount of amusement. I really wasn’t trying to do anything, but I can’t say I don’t appreciate the result.

“I- Er- Nothing! I don’t do shady shit!” Wow. She is really bad at lying. Wonder what it is that they asked her to do?

“I’d usually agree that you don’t do anything shady, if only because you’re the very definition of the opposite of subtlety. But… that?” I kind of wave vaguely at her to indicate her abysmal attempt at lying. “That was very clearly an attempt by an unsubtle person to be subtle.”

She grimaces, unable to really deny it. Though I’m kind of interested in how she would deny it, if she tried. It would probably be funny. After a few moments though she sighs. “Fine, yes. They want me to do shady shit. Fucking stupid shady shit too!”

I nod along understandingly. “Yeah, dealing with people who refuse to understand your capabilities is really annoying.” For some reason, it feels like someone is glaring at me, but I’m sure that’s just my imagination. Mirko and I are the only ones here after all!

She slumps in her chair dejectedly. “You have no idea.”

I kick back and balance on the back legs of the chair while looking at her appraisingly. “So, I’m guessing it has something to do with me?” Her ear slightly twitches, though she doesn’t otherwise react. I’m… not sure if that was an acknowledgement or a natural movement. Either way, I’ll assume I’m right. “I’m guessing murder attempt? No? Poison, medically induced coma style? Maybe lead me into a trap so you can honestly say that you aren’t the one who killed me? Ooh, maybe they want you to-”

“They want a DNA test!” Mirko shouts before I can even get to the even wilder theories about her acting as a spy. I mean, that’s completely ridiculous. Just look at her! Only an idiot would think that someone who loves violence would make a good spy for the LoV regardless of occupation!

“Well, that’s random.” Why a DNA test? Do they not believe that I’m Yagi’s son?

“They want to find out if you’re actually related to All Might before they decide what they want to do about your announcement.”

…Well. Shouldn’t there be hospital records for this? Or they could, like, just ask? What made them think that asking Mirko to try and get something to use as a DNA sample would be a good idea? No, how do they think she could have pulled something like that off without me knowing? It’s not like she uses blades to fight, so an accident in training wouldn’t have worked…

I shrug. “I don’t mind.” I let a smirk play over my lips. “In fact, we can have fun with you getting them their DNA sample.”

`~`

At the end of the first day of Midosagi’s hero internships, Mirko stands in front of her contact at the HPSC with slightly wobbly legs, holding out a transparent container, the contents of which are obscured by her hand. “Here’s the DNA.”

The man blinks at her, surprised at how quickly she got what they needed. He reaches out and takes hold of the container just under the lid while giving her a curious look. “Ah, thank you. How did…” Before he can even ask how she got it so quick she turns on her heel and speed walks out of the room. He thinks that odd but doesn’t question it. At least until he holds the container up to get a look at what they’ll be testing.

“IS THIS FUCKING SPERM!?

Chapter 95: Endeavor

Summary:

Izuku starts his internship with Endeavor! Surely nothing can go wrong!

“Hi, Shoko!” I wave excitedly at my dual-haired friend, who returns it with a more demure one, but the joy lighting up her eyes and the slight upturn of her lips tells me that she’s just as excited for this internship as I am. And I am excited, I didn't really do much with Mirko on the second day except have sex. Well, there was one patrol, but that was mainly us hopping across rooftops for a couple hours. No one caused any trouble so I didn’t get to stab anyone. ‘Non-lethally’, I am required to add. Stupid Nezu and his stupid no murder rule…

“Ijiwamidosagi,” Endeavor nods coolly at me, his expression carefully neutral. Hard to say if he’s actually happy or annoyed that I’m interning with him. Which is particularly odd considering he requested me. But maybe he just did it because Shoko and I are friends. Hard to say, really.

“Endeavor,” I nod back with just as much gravitas. Then I tilt my head while staring at his flaming facial hair. “I’ve always wondered, how long can you hold the flames on your face before they start becoming uncomfortable? Because you’re fire resistant , not fire- proof . But you’re also known to go a full day out in public with it constantly active, which means either the flames are weak or you take consistent breaks to ensure you have a minimal chance of overheating should you need to fight.”

The man stares down at me, making me consciously aware that I am in fact on the shorter side. Stupid Inko and her stupid height. Why couldn’t I have gotten Toshinori’s tall genes? After several moments of silence, he speaks. “I can see why my daughter holds your intelligence in such high regards. I suppose this explains why Nezu was so insistent on having you stay at UA.”

I shrug disinterestedly as I turn away from him, walking over to Shoko’s side and throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Well, we all make mistakes. For example; we’re in Hosu because you’re hoping to hunt down the Hero Killer: Stain. Right?”

He startles a bit, his composure much harder to break than his usual temperament would have people believe. Or maybe it's a result of the therapy sessions Shoko mentioned that he’s been going to? Either way, it’s not much of a reaction to my words, but it’s enough for me to know that I’m on the mark. Seeming to realize that, he glowers at me.

“How do you know that?” He demands, as if I would ever fear any threat he could make towards me. He should know that I have a very not secret weapon, given that she’s currently leaning against me. Which is a bit odd, I’ll admit. Is she cold or something? That shouldn’t be possible because of how her quirk auto regulates herself as long as she doesn’t overuse one side and neglects the other. Which I’m pretty sure we talked about not doing back in middle school...?

Whatever.

To answer Endeavor’s question; I smirk at him. “Oh, the LoV has been monitoring his movements ever since we agreed that we don’t like each other. He always maims two heroes in a city before killing a third and moving on. Ingenium was number two in Hosu, which means that he’s going to be looking for a ‘fake’ to kill before he moves on.” I pause to think about that for a moment. “Well, that was his MO before the Sports Festival. He basically idolized All Might, so I’m not sure about whether or not that’s changed after my big reveal. Then again, he didn’t believe me when I first told him, so who’s to say he believes it now?”

Again, Shoko’s father stares at me silently. Really, it’s kind of getting ridiculous. At this rate he’ll develop a reputation for brooding, or maybe the media will spin it as him becoming more introspective as he continues on his journey to becoming officially old. While I wait for the (almost) old man to gather his thoughts and say whatever it is he wants to say, I turn to Shoko.

“So, how’s your internship been so far? Didn’t really get to do anything with Mirko except some parkour, stamina, and flexibility practice.” I grimace, staring off into the distance with a haunted look in my eyes. “Oh, and paperwork. So. Much. Paperwork.”

She hums in thought before answering. “We’ve mainly been patrolling in Hosu. Not specifically looking for Stain, though we have been making excursions into some of the alleyways we pass by. I froze a purse snatcher’s feet to the ground and he broke his nose when he fell.”

I have to laugh at that, patting her on the head when I do. “Ha! Sounds like you’ve had a more exciting start to the week than I have.” She leans into my touch like she always does. She’s really touch-starved for positive attention so I always make sure to give her lots! I do have to pull away eventually though, much to her annoyance if the whine she gives me is any indication. Aaaand Endeavor is glaring at me now. Did he decide to be annoyed at the fact that me and the LoV didn’t kill Stain when we met? Makes sense; it would mean that the heroes he’s killed afterwards wouldn’t have been killed. Well, not by him at least.

The pro clears his throat to get my attention, and once it's clear he’s got it he starts speaking. “Seeing as you have some familiarity with the villain, what information can you provide on him?”

I hum while tapping my chin. This is actually an interesting situation for me. On one hand, helping the heroes capture Stain will be a significant accomplishment for them. It would reaffirm the public’s faith in heroes as well as give credence to the fact that villains can, in fact, be rehabilitated into upstanding citizens, thus granting the HPSC more support and shoring up the cracks my reveal caused in their power base.

On the other hand, I really fucking hate Stain for being a self-righteous delusional bastard.

“Don’t know what his quirk is actually called, but if he gets your blood on his tongue he can paralyze you. I’m not sure what kind of time limit it has, nor if it scales depending on how much blood he gets from his target. It might also scale depending on blood type, but, again, I don’t have enough information to say for certain. He’s quick on his feet and exceptionally skilled with blades which, interestingly enough, isn’t part of his quirk but just a result of his training. Which honestly makes it pretty impressive despite the fact that I personally don't like him due to how he idolizes a false symbol and our clashing ideologies. Obviously he prefers ambush tactics as opposed to a straight fight though, due to his obsession with his so-called ‘mission’ in culling fake heroes - can’t keep doing what he does if he gets crippled and all that. I’d assume his blades are reinforced - oh! - and while he has blades hidden all over his body in varying sizes and shapes his main weapon is a katana which is just so extra but really fits his aesthetic. His tongue is super long as well, probably to-”

My analysis is interrupted when Shoko puts her right hand over my mouth -which is absolutely freezing since it’s her ice side. When I turn my head to raise an eyebrow at her she nods her head towards her father. “I apologize for interrupting, but you lost him.”

I look at Endeavor and do indeed see a familiar glazed look in his eyes. I guess I started mumbling again? Whoops. I glance back at Shoko. “You understood me though, right?” She listened closely enough that she could understand my mumbles before I turned to villainy, but has she managed to retain the skill despite not needing it for a year?

Thankfully she nods. “I’ll break it down for him while we’re on patrol.” She holds out her hand and focuses on it for a moment, using her quirk to make an ice funnel that bulges out to either side a bit. She slightly raises an eyebrow. “Water?”

It’s so nice that she remembers the little things like this. Even if I can’t feel pain from the slight cramp in my tongue or jaw anymore, I’m sure that it would have messed with my ability to talk for a while. Having some nice cool water will soothe them though.

At my nod she conjures a few decently sized ice cubes, big enough that they won’t slide down the tube but small enough that she can fit a number of them inside. Using her left hand she puts out a low heat that will melt the ice but not cause the resulting water to heat up. It takes a lot more of a delicate touch than most people would expect and really shows how dedicated she is to training her quirk.

I have no idea how the idiots (and company) of 1-A can possibly think she never shows her emotions, they’re so obvious! Really, I can’t complain about how accommodating she is all the time. But there is one thing in this specific instance that’s, well, not bad exactly, just a bit inconvenient.

“Will you make me a cup?” I ask my friend who’s raised the funnel so that the bottom part comes to a stop almost out of reach of my mouth. To actually get the water from it to my mouth I’d either have to crouch a bit and keep my mouth wide open so the stream pours in, or tilt my head fairly far back and wrap my lips around the tip. It’s kind of embarrassing, though not enough to get me to blush. More of a vague sense of ‘oh, people are definitely going to be watching me do this and thinking dirty things’.

She shakes her head slowly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “No, no I don’t think I will.”

I huff at her continuously odd sense of humor before shrugging and going with option two, latching my lips around the tip just in time for the water to start getting past its frozen counterpart. It kind of makes me feel like a hamster as I sort of suckle on it.

After drinking my fill she flares her flames to completely melt the funnel, letting the resulting water drop to the ground. A glance around does show a few people staring, and a few others who seem to be pointedly not staring. I send a wave to Sky, who keeps blinking at me for some reason, before raising an eyebrow at Endeavor. The man’s face is redder than usual, his flames competing with his skin while he glares furiously at me. It’s a good thing that he doesn’t have a passive aspect to his quirk that lets him shoot flames from his eyes because at this moment I have no doubt that if he could, he would!

He doesn’t say anything about what made him angry though, instead grumbling about how we need to get going and shoving himself between us. I can agree with Shoko’s look of annoyance, but it’s not a big deal.

I just hope that today won’t be boring.

Notes:

Yes, Izuku is an oblivious cinnamon roll. Yes, Himiko finds said obliviousness adorable.

Chapter 96: Hosu

Summary:

The LoV attack Hosu, and Skyfall is scared of Himiko.
It's understandable, but still.

The door to the LoV’s bar slams open as Skyfall rushes in, out of breath. She leans over with her hands on her knees, gasping for air. Of all the days for Kurogiri to decide to take a personal day…

Her entrance does not go unnoticed, though she’d rather it wasn’t this person noticing her. A tall man in an overcoat and a low-pulled fedora towers over her, the only signs of life on his completely black face the whites of his teeth as he gives her a wide smile. “Hello, dear~. This is not the-”

Not interested in hearing whatever the clearly sleazy man has to say, Skyfall does a backflip, shooting her foot up into his stomach before catching herself on her hands. From most people, the recipient might stumble back from that sort of impact, maybe groan and clutch their stomach in pain. But from Skyfall? The man is launched upwards into the ceiling, his head going through the wood with a loud crack. He hangs there, swaying limply, while Skyfall gets herself right-side up and goes looking for the other members of the LoV.

“Seriously, how’d the prick even get in here,” she mutters to herself as she climbs the stairs. “Bar’s supposed ta be closed, fricken lazy ass security system. Shitty fuckin squatter.”

Failing to find either One or Shigaraki outside of their rooms - which she has been strictly forbidden from entering - she sighs and reluctantly goes to Toga’s room. Well, hers and Midosagi’s, but since he’s off playing student at UA it's just hers for now. Eri has her own room instead of theirs despite really wanting to sleep in her ‘parent’s’ arms since she’s scared of her quirk activating in her sleep and apparently rewinding them out of existence!

How the hell did Midosagi figure out her quirk after only seeing it once and then also slip them a note explaining everything while in front of a whole class of hero students!? Not to mention that he somehow had enough time to make another note that he used to threaten that he’d torture them to death if they informed All For One without him here to do ‘damage control’! She doesn’t even know who that is, or why he would need to do damage control! It’s times like that she understands why One is so scared of him.

Though when she knocks and pushes open the door to Toga’s room, she reaffirms her belief in the blonde being much, much scarier.

Said scary blonde is sitting on her bed happily humming to herself while doing… something, to the chest of a red version of Midosagi’s jacket. Which isn’t in itself really something to be scared of. No, what makes the scene scary is when she reaches over to the tied up woman with a rabbit mutation, takes her heavily bleeding arm, and uses it to dye a patch of green red ! Is she seriously dying one of Midosagi’s rabbit jackets red with the blood of a literal rabbit woman!?

She has to hold herself back from being sick at the sight of so much blood. “What the fuck!?”

Apparently having said those words out loud, Toga looks up, and Skyfall has to suppress a shudder that crawls up her spine. Her instincts honed from her time living on the streets screaming at her to run the fuck away from the manic gleam in the girl’s eyes. Before she can listen to them in a futile effort to get away from the maniac (she’s tried, it doesn’t work, just makes her more excited) she blinks and the gleam vanishes. She tilts her head at her fellow LoV member.

“Oh, Sky? Why’re you here? I thought you were going to meet up with one of your old bum buddies in Hosu?” It would take either a colossal amount of patience (Kurogiri), a distinct lack of fucks to give (Shigaraki), or immense density (Midosagi) to miss the clear innuendo she uses to describe one of the people Skyfall used to associate with. But she has something way more important to deal with than trying to use her quirk to kick her through a wall! (Not to mention that, from what she heard, her associate got arrested by a hero after using his quirk to try and rob a convenience store.)

“Midosagi is in Hosu!”

Toga falls unnaturally still at her words, her eyes narrowing into slits as she focuses on the smaller girl. She doesn’t move for a moment, content with pinning Skyfall in place with her intense focus alone. When she does speak, her voice is disturbingly even, unsettling to hear when it comes from someone who’s usually bursting with excitement in every action, every word.

“Are you sure? Remember, if we mess this up then there are good odds on him being restricted from leaving UA. Even more than he already is.”

Skyfall knows; the meeting they had made it clear that they couldn’t just drop her from orbit on the school then grab Midosagi’s remains and call it a day. Even if she doesn’t understand why they can’t ‘break the game’ as Shigaraki put it, she can appreciate the fact that grabbing him from out of the hero’s noses will screw with their image worse than if they just killed everyone in their way. Not that she personally wants to kill people, blood makes her uncomfortable.

But, well, as long as she doesn’t literally get her hands dirty, she’s fine with it? Not opposed, at least. Society never gave a fuck about her, why should she give a fuck about it?

In answer to Toga’s question though… “I’m sure, fucker even waved at me.” Seriously, does he not know what Toga gets like when he’s gone for more than a day!? Exhibit A: The rabbit girl bleeding to death on their bed! Aren’t they in a relationship with Mirko? She would think that they would leave rabbit quirked people alone out of, like, some kind of solidarity or something!?

After another moment of staring, said psycho starts giggling. And giggling. And giggling. She’s literally rolling on the blood-soaked bed giggling. If she was full on laughing, at least it would sound evil or some shit. But giggling? She sounds just like the go-lucky schoolgirl she likes to dress as. It’s fucking creepy.

Eventually though she does get control of herself, abruptly sitting up and turning to the tied up woman, whose eyes are unfocused. Probably on the verge of passing out from blood loss. “Thanks for all the help, Lin-chan! I finished just in time!” Tears dot her eyes as she holds the ( still bloody, urgh ) hands of the woman up to her chest. “I’ll never forget you!” And then she lunges forward and buries her teeth in the woman’s neck, blood flooding out to soak her face and shirt.

“...What the fuck !?” Skyfall says for the second time, her stomach finally unable to take what’s happening in the room, she turns around and stumbles out, forcibly swallowing to keep her lunch down. As much as she liked that sandwich, she does not want to taste it a second time!

It takes a few minutes, but she manages to fight back her nausea by the time Toga leaves the room. Well, Toga with the appearance of ‘Lin-chan’ wearing the blood-dyed rabbit jacket. Because why the fuck not.

Toga excitedly hops down the hall towards Shigaraki’s ‘I don’t care if we’re getting raided by heroes, don’t bother me’ room, while Skyfall reluctantly follows, wondering if she made a mistake telling the LoV about Midosagi’s location.

Oh well, what’s the worst that can happen?

`~`

I let out a long, low whistle at the sight of Endeavor’s flames driving back a flying nomu with what looks like a gas mask grafted onto its face while Shoko uses her right side to create an arch of ice that protects a group of civilians from the debris blown out of the top corner of a building. “That’s impressive, I thought that it would be another few months until any more of those would be combat ready. Guess the doc went plus ultra on production!”

Endeavor turns his scowl aimed at the retreating nomu towards me instead, accompanied by a threatening step that causes Shoko’s eyes to narrow, which the man fails to notice through his anger. “Did you know of this?” He gestures to the destruction that’s been dealt to the city around us in the few short minutes since the flying nomu showed up. Not that I think that’s the only one, considering that it was flying and there’s plenty of destruction on the ground. So at least one more.

The hero takes another step towards me, and I see Shoko’s hand lifting slightly, a frosty air wafting off of it, but nothing else. “Tell me what you know of this attack!”

I shrug off the man’s shout easily. “Nothing. Haven’t been in contact with the LoV since I got tossed into UA.” I tap my chin while looking at the winged nomu crash into a distant building, though I have no idea if that was intentional or not. Given a severe lack of heroes around it, I would say it was but I couldn’t say what it was thinking. If nomu are said to think at all. “As far as I’m aware, there weren’t any plans to launch any indiscriminate attacks, or an attack on Hosu specifically. So either this is them attempting to rescue me, or…” I pause dramatically before leveling a slightly mocking look at Japan’s eternal number two. “They’re here for Stain.”

He looks taken aback by that, blinking in shock before his brows furrow and his scowl returns. “So the Hero Killer is a part of the League of Villains…” No idea how he came to that conclusion, but I have no reason to correct him. Might be better for people to assume that instead of the reality of most of us not liking him. Himiko is an exception, but mainly because she thinks it would be cute to have his bloodied head mounted on our bedroom wall. Which I’m not really opposed to , but it might give Eri nightmares so I need to veto it. Maybe in the sex dungeon? I’ll think about it.

After shaking himself back into the present, Endeavor glares at me, an appraising gleam in his eyes. “Can you lead us to the Hero Killer?”

I snort and latch my hands behind my head while crossing my ankles. “Now, why would I go and do a thing like that?” I drawl lazily, completely ignoring the question of whether or not I actually can. Technically I don’t have to help any of the heroes, even if I am interning with them. Though, beating Stain to a pulp/killing him would be a nice stress reliever, maybe even more than helping Mirko collect ‘samples’. Plural because a lot of them ended up in places that they couldn’t be gotten out of easily, or without ‘contamination’.

Endeavor opens his mouth, probably to threaten/demand I tell him what I know, but before he can the hero Manual runs up to us with panic clear on his face. “Endeavor! These monsters are healing any injuries that are dealt to them! We need your firepower to put them down!” The fire hero hesitates a moment, a moment during which the water hero shakes his head and mutters to himself, likely not aware that he’s not quiet. “Of all the times for Iida to run off…”

I can’t help but snort, which draws their attention. “Well, duh. The best time to be a murderous vigilante is in the middle of chaos like this.” At Manual’s dumbfounded look I obviously have no choice but to roll my eyes. “He’s the brother of Ingenium, he could have gotten an internship with much more impressive heroes than you; mild offense intended. The only reason he would have to choose you is because you’re based in Hosu, which is where Stain currently is.”

While his expression shifts from offended (good) and horrified realization, Endeavor growls before whirling on Shoko, causing me to tense and glare. “Frozen Torch! You are hereby given permission to utilize your quirk as you see fit to defend whoever you find in danger. Whoever you find,” he barks out, really enunciating ‘whoever’. “Now go!” He points off into the distance, I’m not sure what he’s intending with- “Find your classmate and stop him from getting himself killed!”

She hesitates a moment and glances at me, but given I’m too shocked by the… absolute idiocy her father’s just displayed, she doesn’t get a reaction. Which she seems to take as permission to leave, given she runs off into an alley, the hem of her dress swishing dramatically. I stare after her for a moment before glaring at the number two and drawing my teeth back in a snarl, intense enough that he takes a step back, without breaking eye contact, but still. He just stares back with a sort of smug expectancy.

“You absolute fucking bastard ,” I ground out through gritted teeth fully understanding what he’s expecting to happen. And it pisses me off that I have to give him what he wants since I have no intention of letting Shoko get herself killed. I have no doubt that she can at least hold Stain off, maybe even beat him. But that’s a tentative maybe, and if she doesn’t…

I turn on my heel and chase after her, silently cursing myself for freezing at the man’s damnable disregard for her safety.

Hopefully she doesn’t manage to find Stain before I catch up. Or even at all, that would be best.

`~`

Himiko Toga crouches on the edge of the rooftop, looking down at her lover chasing after another woman through the fire-lit alleyways. She doesn’t move for a moment, then nods to herself and gets up to follow them. “I figured as much.” She giggles as she hops onto the next rooftop.

“He’s always so dense in these situations~.”

Chapter 97: Stain

Summary:

Frozen Torch and Ijiwamidosagi vs Stain

Unfortunately, Shoko does in fact manage to find Stain before I catch up to her. Stupid alleys having so many branching pathways. I intentionally ignore the fact that Himi and I have played many, many enjoyable games of ‘what kind of jerk can we hunt’ wandering down alleys very similar to these. But that’s not the point right now!

I look down on the scene from the edge of the rooftop I’m crouched on: Stain aiming his sword at my friend, who’s standing in front of the downed form of a mini-Ingenium sans-helmet, revealing the face of said hero’s younger brother. Oh, and Native is leaning against the wall with blood staining his side, but I don’t care about him at all. A sentiment that seems to be shared by the heroes and villain below.

“Tell me, girl,” Stain says with narrowed eyes, “why do you protect these fakes? Should they survive this day, they will simply go on to further sully what the term ‘hero’ means. The world will be better off with them gone.”

Shoko, face impassive, answers his question as bluntly as I expect her to. “Because a hero protects people. The fact that I don’t like Iida doesn’t change that.”

Everyone ignores the glasses wearing idiot yelling about how Shoko has no right to be here and that Stain is ‘his’. Which, yeah… not really helping his case. Sure, vengeance isn’t really a bad thing to want, but rushing into a situation with almost no training, no support, and with absolutely no regard for his own safety? If it was up to me, I would have let Stain finish him off. But that’s why Shoko is the hero and I’m the villain~.

Though the smug smirk that slowly grows on Stain’s face is annoying me for some reason, the gleam in his eyes while staring at Shoko makes his face seem even more punchable than it already was. So, when he opens his mouth and looks to the sky - probably to monologue about her being a ‘true hero’ or whatever his deal is - he’s quickly met with a metal-shod boot planted where his nose would be.

I click my tongue in annoyance while using his face as a springboard to flip in front of Native. “Stupid noseless prick. I wanted to break something.” Then again, I probably shouldn’t use ‘noseless’ as an insult given the fact that All For One also just so happens to be noseless. Then again then again, after calling him ‘the inspiration for Mr Potatohead’ I don’t think I can really stoop any lower for insults without coming off as crass or insulting the function of his genitals. I could insult his sexual preferences, but I personally feel that sort of thing is in poor taste. Love is love and nobody has the right to tell you otherwise. If they do, feel free to stab them!

What was I doing? Oh yeah, ignoring Stain’s ranting about how he won’t fall for my lies about All Might and that I won’t get away with ‘endorsing the fakes’. Bruh, take a chill pill. Get a life. All that stuff. Oh wait, I should probably say some of this out loud, huh? “Sorry, what was that?” I make a show of leaning forward and cupping my ear in his direction, a mocking smile on my face. “I couldn’t hear you clearly with your lips planted so firmly against All Might’s ass.”

I get an amused snort from Shoko and an enraged yell from Stain, quickly followed by a lunge with his sword that I’m quick to sidestep.

…Which causes the sword to embed itself into the fallen Native’s head. Whoops? Sorry not sorry, sucks to be you. “Oh no,” I deadpan while hopping backwards to avoid Stain’s backswing, blood and brain matter splattering across the green jumpsuit they stuck me with as a hero outfit. It’s pretty ugly, but if they’d at least put a hood with rabbit ears on it I could make do. But noooo, that’s too much like my villain outfit! Jerks.

“A hero has died, killed by a prolific hero killer. I am so disheartened by this development. Really. Look at my face.” I duck under a thrown knife before transitioning into a side-roll to avoid a spiked boot to the completely unimpressed face, which I point to after popping back up. “This is my sad face. Look at what you’ve done.”

He brings his sword down on me from an overhead strike, so I flick my wrist to get my knife in my hand and bring it up to deflect the serrated blade, but it’s unnecessary because Shoko throws an ice wall between us, forcing Stain to jump back to avoid being engulfed. He glares at the hero applicant and points his sword at her, snarling. “Why are you protecting him !? He’s a villain! As well as allowing the one you wished to protect to die! If you are a true hero, then you should be attempting to arrest him!”

Shoko gives the man a casual shrug. “I told you, a hero protects. But heroes are only human, and you can’t save everyone.” She gestures down to Iida… who she’s frozen to the floor with a strip of ice covering his mouth? Boy , he looks angry! “If I’d gone to try and protect Native, you would have had the chance to kill Iida, and there’s no guarantee that I would have been able to get to him in time anyways, leaving the possibility that both of them might have died. I made a choice to prioritize the life of the person I could save, just as I would in any other situation.”

Stain shakes in rage at her declaration, his sword rattling in his hand. “You…” He lunges forward, cutting through the initial wave of ice she sends at him in an effort to freeze him in place, barely even slowing. “YOU ARE NO HERO!” He doesn’t dodge the flames she sends at him, allowing himself to burn in an effort to get to her, shocking Shoko long enough that he manages to get close enough to slice at her. Thankfully she manages to lean out of the way, a shallow cut opening on her cheek as he rushes past.

The man whirls on his heel to face her once again while he brings his sword to his face, quirk elongated tongue slithering from his mouth towards the blade. From the one meeting the LoV had with him, I know that he has a type of paralysis quirk. And now my previous suspicion is confirmed about it being blood activated. That only leaves one thing to do.

My thrown knife separates an inch of his tongue before he can lick Shoko’s blood from the blade, causing him to scream while it zips back into his mouth. He glares at me while blood flows from his lips, an injury like that will need serious medical attention, though it won’t be fatal if he doesn’t get it due to the amount of tongue he actually has. Still, it's a distraction that will inhibit him until we manage to take him down. Stubborn bastard.

Said stubborn bastard spits out the blood pooling in his mouth before dodging another shot of flames from Shoko’s hand, though she does manage to get rid of her blood on his blade, making him scowl. His eyes dart between the two of us; me with my knives and Shoko with her quirk. It should be clear to him that he’s outmatched, he’s not stupid, after all, apart from being a zealot religiously devoted to All Might. But he won’t be able to leave either. Yes, Shoko’s wound is small, barely enough to really call it a wound, but I still find it aggravating that he dared to harm my first real friend. So I’ll be hounding him the entire night simply for that, if nothing else.

Seeming to come to that realization, he snarls and stabs his sword into the ground, his hands grabbing knives and whipping them through the air at us. Sadly for him, knives are a specialty of mine and I simply parry them from the air and let them clatter to the floor while slowly walking towards him. Meanwhile Shoko makes a shield of ice on her arm that she uses to block them, though a few do end up stuck inside it.

Regrettably, Shoko is , in fact, a hero, which means that when Stain aims a knife at Iida - who hasn’t been able to break free of Shoko’s ice still freezing him to the floor despite Stain’s paralysis wearing off on him - she drops to a knee to cover him with her shield, leaving her upper half unprotected. The hero killer takes the opportunity to switch his target from me to her and picking up the pace, more knives flying at her at even faster speeds.

It only takes a moment for me to readjust, but by the time I do he’s already launched half a dozen knives at her and Iida. The unexpectedness of the action manages to also take her off guard, though it takes longer for her to adjust due to less familiarity in real life combat situations. Meaning when she expands her shield horizontally to fully cover Iida, she’s left with a pair of knives burying themselves in her shoulders. But she doesn’t react to the pain other than gritting her teeth and bringing her shield up into a full wall of ice to catch the follow up knives.

“Full dome!” I shout at her, hoping that she’ll listen, while glaring at Stain. I lazily lift my knife to point at him, the grip held loosely, almost arrogantly, in my hand. I say my next words plainly, like they are nothing more than a simple fact. Because, really, what else can they be? He hurt my friend. “I am going to kill you tonight.”

The man sneers as he pulls his sword from the alley floor and flicks it free of the gravel sticking to it before spitting more blood to the side. “Bold words for someone lacking conviction.”

I sneer back. “You don’t have conviction , you have faith. Faith in heroes. Faith in what they can be. Me?” I draw a second knife, crouching into position with them held out in front of me with a reverse grip. “I suppose that if I lowered myself to your level, my conviction would be that I will live for myself and those I care about. Something that you’ve never had, nor will ever know.”

He stares at me for a moment, silent except for the blood continuing to pour from his open mouth. Then it grows into a wide, bloody grin, red-stained teeth glistening in the flames from the burning city. “So, you do have convictions.”

I snort, my legs tensing. “You talk too much.”

Stain has the nerve to laugh . And then he darts forward, sword aiming to take my head from my shoulders. I duck down under it, feeling it catch some of my hair as I push forward and slash at his side, which he dodges just as easily as I did. Then things move too fast for conscious thought to be a real consideration.

Blades flash around us, blood staining both of our clothing from close calls without either of us landing a decisive blow. Sparks fly as blades clash, blood drops flying through the air, sweat from drenching our clothes. Dodging, slicing, deflecting. We both act on instinct alone in an effort to put an end to the other. But I have an advantage. Despite how little I think of the heroes or the situation I’m in with currently being a student of UA, it does come with the advantage that I know I’ll be getting medical attention after this. Stain doesn’t have that privilege.

Gradually, I start to overcome him, intentionally taking injuries that I could have avoided to deliver worse ones to him. He’s being forced back, his steps heavy, becoming unsteady from blood loss. It’s compounded by the distraction of needing to empty his mouth of the blood constantly filling it, which is also preventing him from simply disengaging to use his quirk on me. Not that I would allow him the opportunity anyways. He isn’t going to get away.

And then, he stumbles, unaware that we’d gotten so close to where he killed Native. His sword wavers and I take the opportunity presented, lunging forward with my knife aimed at his face. He manages to lean his head away enough to keep me from burying my knife in his brain, though at the cost of his left eye. He screams as he twists, his sword arcing down at me at an awkward angle but powered by his will to live. It buries itself into my shoulder, cutting deep into my collarbone, maybe severing it entirely.

I drop my knife and grab the blade, keeping it there while bringing my other hand up -noting with surprise that I somehow lost the knife it wielded- before punching him in the stomach. He leans forward, blood pouring out of him in a mockery of All Might’s condition, which strikes me as a delicious bit of irony.

We stand there, both panting from the exertion of our fierce battle. We reach for one of the knives on his belt at the same time, whoever gets there first is the one who kills the other, but before we can, we’re both engulfed in ice from the neck down. Out of the corner of my eye I see Shoko with an expression on her face equal parts worried and exasperated.

“ Men .”

…I suppose I can agree with that sentiment.

Chapter 98: Execution

Summary:

Stain is defeated, but he is not the only player in Hosu...

“Jingle bells, All Might smells, Iida is an idiot~!” I sing while dragging an ice sled loaded with two passengers.

“Mgrhm!” Said idiot tries to object to my completely accurate claim despite the incredibly clear evidence supporting it as fact. Exhibit A: Running off to hunt a serial killer who’d proven more than a match for people much, much stronger and better trained than him. Exhibit B: Ignoring the injured hero in front of him while shouting at said serial killer about how he’s a terrible person and that he should feel guilty for crippling Ingenium. Nothing about all the other heroes Stain had killed or maimed, just a rant about how Ingenium was a true hero who had his career cut short.

I know all this both due to his ranting while I watched from the rooftop, and because Iida started ranting at me about how Stain was his to defeat, that only by his own hands could his family honor be restored during the few short minutes we tried to leave him ungagged. Sounded an awful lot like one of those old period dramas, honestly. It was really hard to take him seriously like that.

Anyways, that’s why he’s currently tied/frozen in ice restraints alongside the man he tried to kill, which obviously does nothing for his temper. I do find it funny how he can’t seem to decide whether he’d rather spend time glaring at me or kicking his fellow unconscious passenger though, so bonus points to Shoko for the idea. But since we don’t have any prizes to award for those points, I give her head pats instead. She seems happy with them, so I’ll count it as a success.

I have to admit, we probably make for quite an… interesting sight. A UA hero in training walking alongside a villain/rehabilitation applicant (lol), with said villain holding onto a rope tied to an ice sled carrying another hero in training restrained by more ice alongside the Hero Killer tied up in regular rope. Why is Iida restrained with ice and Stain with rope? Because, as loath as I am to say it, I trust the established killer to be smarter than the glasses wearing idiot. Plus I’m pretty sure we got all his knives. Which of course means that he definitely has one or two more that we couldn't find hidden somewhere on him. So says the rules of Himi!

Back to the point, I think that it’s fairly understandable that the reaction of the heroes we stumble upon after exiting the alley is one of shock. I mean… a couple of teenagers took down the Hero Killer, one of whom’s injuries look minimal. Sure, I have blood staining my outfit and it’s covered in cuts, but most of my injuries are pretty minor despite looking serious. You know, except for the one that nearly killed me, but Shoko covered that one with ice (along with the ones in her shoulders) so I wouldn’t bleed out, which was sweet. Not necessary since I would have just come back to life later, but sweet nonetheless. Plus it means I can keep that secret for a bit longer!

“Is that… the Hero Killer?”

I snap my fingers and point at the crowd of awed heroes. “That’s correct, random citizen! For stating the obvious, you get diddly squat! Redeemable only at participating vendors!” I pause a moment before remembering that heroes -in general- are idiots. “Just to be clear, I’m mocking you. There is in fact no store that I’m aware of which takes diddly squat as a currency. Well, unless you’re stealing from them. So, y’know.”

I ignore their glares with great skill and practice, choosing instead to shoot a well deserved scowl at the fiery form of the bastard that incited his daughter to hunt down a serial killer parting the crowd with his mere presence. And his flames. Mostly his flames.

Endeavor comes to a stop in front of us, his gaze scanning over my various injuries and resting for a moment longer on the serious one before he switches to Shoko. Seeing the two patches of ice and the shallow cut on her cheek, he at least has the good grace to grimace. He doesn’t say anything about them though, instead electing to give her a nod of respect. “You have done well to capture Hero Killer Stain. His mad slaughter has ended, thanks to you.”

The crowd of heroes start murmuring to each other at this significant event. Never before has Endeavor publicly endorsed the skills of another hero, not even All Might. In the case of the Symbol of Lies, he admits to his superior strength, but never says anything other than that on the subject. Yes, Shoko is his daughter, but she’s also still only a first year at UA, meaning that she’s had minimal official training. It’s an event that causes the heroes and news crew both to fall still in shock.

Which is why none of them are able to react when someone with a very familiar figure wearing a red version of my rabbit hoodie jumps down from a rooftop, stomps on Endeavor’s face reminiscent of what I did to Stain, flips next to me, picks me up in a bridal carry, and books it into the crowd. Even I’m stunned by the rapid series of events! But once I shake off my shock, I can’t help but cackle.

“Hello again, my little vampire~.” Himi doesn’t respond, too focused on weaving through the crowd without losing her hold on me, but I do feel her hold tighten around me and hug me closer to her, causing me to smile warmly at her. “If I knew you were watching I would have put on a better show. Maybe I can show my appreciation for my bloody rescuer once we’re back at home~?”

“Bad Izuku, you’re going to be sent to horny jail!” Her eyes shine with amusement in the brief moment she meets my eyes before looking up and holding a hand above her. I hear a high pitched screech and catch sight of the flying nomu from earlier swooping down on us, letting Himi grab onto its leg before rapidly beating its wings to rise into the air.

Narrowly dodging the streak of ice that would have frozen her feet to the ground.

I look down, hugged close to Himi and supported with the one arm around my chest alongside my own arms hugging her tight. Both to prevent me from falling, and also because it's been far too long since I’ve held her. We didn’t get to spend nearly enough time together the one time she snuck into UA last week, and certainly couldn’t be as close as we are now.

On the ground, Shoko is glaring up at us, her right foot coated in a light layer of frost from her previous attack. I give her a small wave, feeling sorry about not properly being able to say a goodbye but reassure myself with the fact that I can always call her later since I got her new phone number. Unfortunately, it seems someone else has other ideas. Well, Shoko doesn’t like this idea either, given how she creates an ice pillar that she expands to rapidly climb to our level, but the other person manages to get to us first. Somehow .

One of the knives we couldn’t find on Stain stabs into my hip, with said villain still attached to the other end. The weight of a second person proves too much for Himi to handle one armed, most likely two armed as well. She yells as the nomu continues to fly away, taking her to safety away from the heroes while Stain and I plummet to the ground together. Unlike the Hero Killer, who slams into the ground with a loud thud, Shoko leaps from her ice pillar to catch me in yet another bridal carry.

Should I be concerned that this is the second time that’s happened in as many minutes? Because it kind of feels like that’s something I should be concerned about.

She shoots off flames from her left foot powerful enough to nudge us a bit to the side, but that’s all. Thankfully that’s all she needed. Her right foot makes contact with a lamp post and she lets loose a wave of ice that fully encases the light, as well as creates a steep ramp that we slide down to safety. Relatively, given that we do crash into a couple of the police who happened to be here to take statements and formally arrest Stain. Still, she saved us from going splat.

I swoon dramatically with the back of my hand on my head, using the dramatics to hide the fact that I’m looking sadly at Himi’s retreating figure. So close… “My hero~!” She blushes from where she’s splayed out on the ground looking up at me. The ice that was covering my wound broke in the tumble, but it’s cold enough that the blood isn’t flowing much, so I’ll get to the hospital in time before I bleed out. Well, I would if I didn’t have a giant gash in my side from where the knife was dragged out in the fall. That is definitely something to be concerned about.

“How is he standing!?”

“Because I have the power of anime on my side!” I shout at the rude person who decided to question my capabilities, only to realize that all eyes are actually on a different figure.

Stain stands firm despite having enough accumulated injuries that any normal person would have long passed out. Hell, most abnormal people should have passed out at this point! Yet here he stands, red mask falling from his eyes as his bloodlust flares. It’s strong, stronger than the time I felt it back in the bar our first meeting. Strong enough that they’re all frozen.

“I… have conviction!” The man takes a heavy step forward, his footing sure despite the way his upper body sways and the blood pouring in a river from his mouth. “Something you fakes lack !” Another step.

“I will make things right! Dye myself in blood! In order to take back what it means to be a hero!” Every sentence is punctuated by another step, another flinch stolen from the gathered crowd. Even Shoko, still on the ground, seems enraptured by the sheer surety of the man. Even with the madness shining brightly in his eyes. “So come! Try to get me, you fakes! For I’ll only let a true hero kill me! Yes, All Might! He alone is worthy!” 

I take a final step of my own, now standing beside him, my journey unopposed and unnoticed by all with Stain holding their attention. I raise my hand-

“I thought I told you-”

-and I pull the trigger on the gun I stole from the officer I crashed into.

“-that you talk too much.”

The only sound in the aftermath of the gunshot is the Hero Killer’s body falling to the ground, a bullet in his head.

Chapter 99: Politics

Summary:

The aftermath of Hosu.

“You killed him.”

I look at the hero wannabe lying in the hospital bed next to me like he’s an idiot, which he is. “Yeah? Pretty sure that was obvious given the bullet going in his head and coming out the other side, along with a decent amount of his brain, blood, and the skull fragments.” Not that it’s impossible for someone to survive that, given how utterly ridiculous some quirks can be - like mine - but without some kind of miracle healing quirk, Stain is most assuredly ‘dead’.

“Hmm,” I muse aloud. “Stain said that he’d only allow a true hero to kill him, and since I’m the one who did the deed, do you think that makes me a true hero in his eyes?”

On Iida’s other side Shoko gives me a firm nod. “Of course you are. I was already aware of that, of course, but it’s nice to see that others are coming to the same realization.”

Iida gives her a look that screams a question of her sanity, which I won’t vocally admit is valid - what with me being a casual killer and all - but all the same don’t appreciate it being directed at my friend. A shame I can’t do anything about it strapped to the bed as I am. Which is another thing that’s valid. I did injure a ton of heroes/police after I fired the gun, after all. Who knew that executing a serial killer on live national television would get so many people’s underwear all twisted up?

And yes, I apparently did kill the man on live national television! That news crew that was on sight was apparently one of the very few ones that were still capable of recording everything in Hosu! So basically everyone was tuned into their station to keep on top of the events that were going on, and they were broadcasting Stain’s speech before I shot it short! Someone in the LoV better have recorded that, I wanna see how badass I looked!

Anyways, back to the point: since all my knives were confiscated and I can’t move more beyond a few wiggles and moving my head, I can’t really punish the glasses wearing failed murderer for giving Shoko a look that should by all rights be consistently directed at me instead. Well, I can do this .

Iida makes noises of disgust while wiping at his face, and I have never been more thankful for my dedication towards learning how to annoy people while I have no arms. It’s a very useful skill that everyone should learn! Especially if they spend any amount of time around Shigaraki!

“Did you just spit on me!?”

“Duh,” I say with a look that should make it clear that I’m questioning his intelligence. Speaking of his questionable intelligence… “Why do you sound so shocked that I killed him? It’s not like you weren’t planning to do the same thing.”

The hero aspirant grimaces. “I… can admit that I did not go looking for him with good intentions-”

“I know a number of people who would argue that murder is a good intention. At least when it’s directed at other people.” He opens his mouth to (probably) lecture me about how villains aren’t role models, but closes it without saying anything. Visibly swallowing back the retort, he continues as if he hadn’t heard me.

“I was overwhelmed by my anger at what Stain had done to my brother, at how he crippled the person I look up to the most.” His hands crumple the blanket across his legs in his fists, one bandaged where Stain had pierced through it, and he stares down at them. “I… wasn’t thinking, beyond that I had a duty to put a stop to the monster. No matter the cost, I was convinced that Stain needed to be stopped. Permanently, if necessary.”

I can’t help but snort. “Yeah,” I drawl, “because a high schooler in their first couple of months at a hero school totally has the power and skills necessary to take down a person that had proven more dangerous than a number of actual pro heroes.” I pause then amend my statement. “Well, just because they hold the title doesn’t mean that they’re any good at their job…”

The teen currently lacking glasses to hide his eyes behind glares at me with gritted teeth, and there’s a not insignificant amount of anger in them. Amusingly enough, only most of it is directed at me. There’s a good amount directed at himself. “I’m aware that there’s nothing I could have done,” he admits in a hissed breath. “But I came to that realization far too late, and because of it…”

He sighs. “My foolish desire for revenge ensured that whatever chance Native had to live, it was squandered. He’s dead because I didn’t think for a single moment about trying to get him away from the murderer.” He starts to shake. “As wrong as Stain was about his targets being false heroes, he was right about one thing.” His voice comes out as a croak, the admittance paining him.

“I do not have what it takes to become a hero.”

The door of the hospital room opens. “You’re right, Tenya, you don’t.” A man in a wheelchair rolls himself in, an expression of profound disappointment on a face that resembles the blue haired failure in the bed next to mine. He’s quickly followed by a man with what’s clearly a beagle dog mutation quirk and the esteemed principal of UA himself: Nezu!

Iida gasps. “B-brother! I-”

Said brother raises a hand and brings the younger’s words to a halt. “You and I have a lot to talk about, Tenya, but not here, not now.” He wheels himself to the side and gives the dog man a nod, which he returns. Stepping forward, he clears his throat before he speaks.

“This is a… delicate situation, ruff.” Ruff? Oh! A quirk tick, never mind. “The three of you searched out and engaged the Hero Killer despite having not received permission-”

“Shoko and I actually did have permission,” I correct the man. Which he should know? Did he not read Endeavor’s ( bastard ) report before coming here? “He also gave Shoko permission to utilize her quirk during the situation.

The man gets a consternated look on his face before looking at Nezu, who returns to him a smile showing off a lot of sharp teeth. “According to Endeavor’s report of the Hosu incident, these two did receive permission for their actions. At least in regards to the events that occurred before Midosagi’s near kidnapping.” Oh, and isn’t that something that ruffles the rodent’s fur! The fact that the LoV very nearly managed to get me out of his grasp and he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it! The best part? It’s only been three days since I left the grounds of UA!

There were no announcements, no publicity stunts, no possibility that the LoV could have known I would be at Hosu with Endeavor at any point before I’d gotten there . Which means that this attack - if it wasn’t intended to deal with Stain? The LoV nearly managed to win our game against him at the first opportunity . If they’d actually managed to get a plan to rescue me?

I think it's safe to say that this has been a rather decent blow to the rat’s pride.

It’s a shame that it also means he’ll be more on guard from this point forward to prevent our game from ending too soon.

The dog’s eyes flicker over to Iida, and I’m filled with the overwhelming certainty that there’s more to him not reading Endeavor’s report than I first thought. “I see, ruff. Be that as it may, from what Manual has reported, you, Mister Iida, were explicitly told to help evacuate civilians. Instead of doing this incredibly important task, ruff, and possibly saving dozens of lives, you instead went off in search for Hero Killer Stain. Is that a correct summarization of events, ruff?”

The boy looks down in shame and gives a shallow nod of his head. The dog man continues with a heavy voice. “What you did is vigilantism, and it is heavily punished by the law.” The boy looks up, staring at what I can only imagine is the local police chief due to a lack of introductions. “Due in part to your age, you will not be placed under arrest, ruff, but…”

Nezu picks up where the dog trails off, his words said with the utmost solemnity. “Tenya Iida; it is with sincere regret that I must inform you that you are expelled from UA high school.”

Of everything that Ingenium’s planned successor might have expected, it clearly wasn’t this. “Bu- wha- you- But I must maintain Ingenium’s legacy!”

Nezu remains silent and slowly shakes his head in disappointment, leaving the former Ingenium himself to speak, his eyes dark. “Tenya, you made an active effort to search out and kill a man in cold blood. This isn’t something that can be overlooked. Even if Nezu wasn’t expelling you, mom and dad would have pulled you out the moment they could.”

The younger Iida looks absolutely heartbroken by the revelation, which is pretty funny. I mean, he just admitted that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a hero, and now he’s upset that he’s losing the chance to be one? Well, one from UA, at least. I didn’t notice them say anything about him being blacklisted from any other hero schools, nor about him being from becoming a hero at all. Not that I expect him to be enrolled in a hero course wherever he transfers anyway, he needs to lay low for at least his remaining time at high school. No, he can still become a hero, but it definitely won’t be for a few years, at the minimum. Still, I have to laugh at how dejected he is!

My amusement at his situation, evidently, is enough for him to finally put his brain to use, and he points an accusatory finger at me. “Midosagi is the one who actually murdered Stain! Why must I suffer such a punishment in his stead!?”

I snort through my laughter. “Isn’t it obvious?” I ask rhetorically. “It’s because I put an end to a threat to both the heroes and the public, one which had proven itself to be so great that, even surrounded by heroes and half dead, could have escaped and continued its mission of blood and death if they had chosen not to try and kill me due to their personal vendetta. I did what no other could do and put an end to the Hero Killer Stain, despite my origins as a villain!” I tilt my head up proudly, well, my chin, given the whole ‘strapped to the bed’ thing, before twisting my head to sneer at Nezu. “Or at least, that’s the story that’s going to be fed to the public, isn’t it?”

The rat doesn’t even have the good grace to deny my claim, simply taking a calm sip from a tea cup I’m fairly certain he didn’t have when he walked in. I snort again. “In other words, oh failed killer, the reason you are receiving punishment and I am not can be summed up in a single word.” I make sure to put as much derision as possible into the absolutely nasty word that can send shivers down the spines of any respectable - and many on the other side of the spectrum - citizen.

“ Politics .”

Chapter 100: Waves

Summary:

Killing a man on live television tends to cause a bit of a wave...

I cross my arms and grumble quietly to myself. It’s not like there’s much else to do locked in my room as I am. Seriously! Sure I killed a man, and I liked it, but that doesn’t mean that Nezu is allowed to just cut my internships short and put me on house arrest! It’s degrading! Especially since Mirko came over for the express purpose of laughing at me! That’s literally all she came to UA for! See if I do that thing with your ear next time! Hmph!

Still, I suppose it could be worse. Apparently me and Stain have cults now? At the very least, people have been dressing up as the two of us and going around spouting about our ‘ideals’. Which honestly makes no sense given all I said in public was that he talks too much? And executed him ?? How the hell have people come to the conclusion that I was upset about him not doing enough to clean Japan of fake heroes!?!?

And people say I’m crazy. Not that I disagree, but y’know. At least I didn’t decide that killing someone means that you share their beliefs.

I sigh as I flop back onto my bed and stare up at the same ceiling I’ve been staring at for two days. What makes the situation even worse is that if I kill myself, Nezu and the staff will find out I can come back to life, and I want to hold onto that trick for a bit longer. Mei knows, obviously, since I had to cut myself open to give her the gun I’d used to replace my spleen for an emergency. Not that she seemed to care about me bleeding out in front of her: after I came back from visiting Receptionist she was hard at work studying the disassembled pieces in front of her and muttering fast enough to rival myself. I’m pretty sure she hadn’t moved since I died, and it would have taken hours for me to regenerate enough to come back to life…

Inventors are scary.

I knew that already, of course, because of Melissa, but it’s been so long since I’ve been present for one of her ‘inventing sprees’ that I suppose my memory toned down the intensity of it.

Still, that death meant the lead that was in my bones oozed out of me, which means that I am no longer suffering from lead poisoning! It also dealt with the memory problems I was having, and I finally remembered where I got the second knife! You would think the bloody bandage I had wrapped around my arm would have tipped me off, but oh well!

Thankfully I remembered to restuff myself with everything that fell out after I healed. Wouldn’t want my emergency grenade to be stuck outside my body where it could get lost!

“Maybe I should blow up the building,” I muse to myself in an effort to think of something to do. Unfortunately I’m sure that Nezu has cameras in here and he’d probably stop me. Then again, he might not because he wants to see if I can actually do it. But then that would be entertainment for him, and since I’m mad at the rat I don’t want him to be entertained…

“Decisions, decisions…”

`~`

Shigaraki can’t help but grimace at the noise as he takes a seat at the bar, shooting a glance at where Toga is alternatively ranting about ‘the frigid bitch’ who wouldn’t let her take back her man, then spouting nonsense about how clearly said frigid bitch’s love burns for him with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns, and that’s the bare minimum her man deserves from anyone wanting to be in a relationship with him. Kurogiri clearly shouldn’t have let her drink so much, especially when Giran is bringing him a recruit!

A look at Kurogiri gets the message across and the misty bartender warps the drunk blonde to her room, causing the leader of the League of Villains to let out a sigh of relief. “Just like we practiced,” he tells the man who’s been by his side since he was a child, not bothering to look at him. He knows they’ll pull it off smoothly. All that’s left is to wait….

Thankfully it doesn’t take long, it’s only twenty minutes before the front door opens and the broker swaggers in with his smug smirk and a cigarette pinched between his teeth. He opens his arms wide at the sight of his client waiting for him, despite the clear irritation in his posture. “There’s the man I wanted to see! You’re famous!”

Shigaraki snorts at the newspaper the man tosses in front of him, a picture of Midosagi holding a gun to Stain’s head the moment before he ended the bastard taking up most of the page, leaving only the headline to share the space: Fake Heroes: What are they?

He dusts the paper with a disdainful flick of his hand. “Don’t go spouting crap like that, Giran. You know why ‘sagi killed the prick just as well as I do.” Like he told the self-righteous serial killer all those months ago: Why shouldn’t they destroy the things they hate? He’s glad that Midosagi showed the world that he agrees with him.

Giran’s smirk doesn’t drop. “Ah, but no one else does, now do they? Everyone is assuming that you guys took him out because he wasn’t doing enough to get rid of fake heroes.” He chuckles. “Did you know that there was a riot inside Ingenium’s hospital, right outside his room? Apparently the people want to know what ‘heinous acts’ he’s had covered up that labeled him as a fake hero.” His smirk grows wider. “Business is booming for all the heroes’ dirty little secrets! Hell, the police were called to All Might’s house because someone found a group of three hanging dead from the tree in his backyard!”

Shigaraki just gives him an unamused look. “You need to check your sources if you believe something like that .”

Giran just shrugs and Shigaraki stares at him for a moment longer before dismissing the rumor and getting back to the more important business. “So, where’s this recruit you were supposed to bring me? They better be worth the wait.”

“Of course they are,” the man breathes a cloud of smoke from between his teeth before shooting a text to his guests on his phone. “I also picked up a fanboy since I know you have a soft spot for those~.”

The younger man glares at the older and holds up a hand threateningly. Luckily for Giran, his recruits choose that moment to walk in, and Shigaraki’s mind stutters. He doesn’t even notice the glass of gin Kurogiri slides towards him that tips over the edge of the bar and splatters across his pants. Decidedly not like they practiced.

The woman looks around his age, with messy, wild black hair trailing down past her neck with random longer strands swept around her. Burn scars stretch from her fingertips to her shoulders, from her lower lip to the cleavage exposed from her ragged midnight blue shirt. A sleeveless pitch black trench coat the same shade as her hair is thrown on as the only acknowledgement towards the fact that it’s the middle of the night, and therefore cold, if you don’t count the tear covered black jeans tucked into her calf-height combat boots.

At this moment, all of Shigaraki’s plans to come off as a confidently competent leader are thrown from his mind and replaced with a single phrase.

“Fuck, you’re hot.”

The woman snorts, flicking her wrist and causing blue flames to burn in the palm of her hand. “No shit, Sherlock.” Her voice is snarky, but amusement dances in her pale blue eyes.

“Call me Dabi.”

`~`

The president of the HPSC is not having a good day. Well, it would be more accurate to say that - apart from the first two days - she’s not having a good week .

“So, explain to me, again, how the public came to the decision that Midosagi and Hero Killer Stain were allies.” Her dry voice cuts through the arguing ‘debates’ of her gathered ‘advisors’ to get to the point she still has trouble understanding. If the public were putting one or the other on a pedestal, she could understand. She wouldn’t like it, but she would understand. But putting the killer and - in an incredibly loose use of the word - victim on the same pedestal? That’s idiocy several degrees removed from what she’s used to dealing with.

One of said idiots she’s unfortunately ended up hiring speaks up. “Clearly the League of Villains were upset over the fact that Stain wouldn’t kill all of his victims, which is why they decided to get rid of him!” What the president finds sad is how proud the man looks at his claim, like there’s no doubt in his mind that his theory is correct.

She’ll make sure to fire the imbecile by the end of the day.

One of her smarter advisors snorts derisively. “Please, clearly the League of Villains were at odds with Stain. Did you not pay attention to his rant? The man idolized All Might! It’s clear to everyone that’s why Midosagi killed him.” He leans forward and sneers at the other man. “ Obviously Stain had a close relationship with All Might, so Midosagi killed him to hurt All Might by proxy!”

Smarter does not mean smart , regrettably…

She makes another mental note to fire the second man as well before addressing one of the sensible people in the room. “Explain.”

The woman nods, and the president is immediately hit by a major wave of regret as she goes into a thirty minute lecture about how Midosagi was an object of obsession for Stain, due to being All Might’s son. According to her, the man kidnapped the child so he would have a symbol of the Symbol of Peace to hold him strong to his convictions, but Midosagi hated the man. After eventually escaping his imprisonment, he swore revenge on the Hero Killer… and finally achieved it on the night of the Hosu disaster.

It’s said that the president’s composure never cracks, no matter what adversity she faces. She proves this to be nothing more than a rumor when she lets her head fall to the table and a groan of frustration slips past her lips. “Please tell me that all of you were affected by a quirk before the meeting, or that you are attempting to lessen the seriousness of the situation by trying to be amusing.”

Hawks snorts beside her. “Actually,” he says, amused, “they startled an intern and caused their quirk to go off. Apparently it’s called Nonsense, and prompts nonsensical thought processes in those affected.”

The president turns her head on the table and glares at the number three hero for not informing her of that sooner. She sighs as she sits back up in her chair and looks disappointedly at the people gathered in front of her, who have gone back to arguing. She doesn’t have time to wait for the quirk’s effects to dissipate with how urgent the situation is, so she’ll have to come to a decision herself.

Alone, Stain’s speech about fake heroes could be mostly swept under the rug, except for the malcontents of the country, but paired with what Midosagi revealed about being raised under All Might’s care?

She breathes out heavily through her nose, her eyes taking on a steely look before she looks at Hawks. “Get people to start setting things up for a public blood test. We need something other than Stain’s ideology circulating through the media. The truth about Midosagi and All Might’s relationship is the only card we have to play.”

Notes:

Yes, I gender bent Dabi. It was a spur of the moment thing done exactly for the 'oh no, you're hot', 'Duh' thing. Plus, I figured I already bent Todoroki, so might as well.

Chapter 101: DNA Test

Summary:

A public DNA test establishes once and for all All Might's relationship with Midosagi.

I use both hands to give enthusiastic waves to the assembled crowd as I walk onto the temporarily constructed stage and am surprised to actually get a few scattered cheers. Wow, has All Might’s reputation really tanked this much since I came out at the Sport’s Festival?

Internships have technically ended, but since it’s Saturday UA had apparently decided to allow the students to stay with their families until school starts again on Monday. Meaning that there’s no issue with the HPSC holding the public blood test right outside of the hero school’s gates! All the teachers are in attendance, of course, as is the HPSC president and her pet Hawks, along with the crowd.

All Might’s presence is a given of course - in his skinny form, not much use in trying to hold up appearances after it became common knowledge - though he looks delightfully terrible ! Huge bags under his eyes, his cheeks more sunken than when he left me on a roof, and his clothes hanging off of his stick-like frame so much that his shirt is almost slipping off one of his shoulders.

I’ve never been happier seeing someone in such a horrible state.

I am surprised to see Inko and Izumi standing beside him, though. The former glaring at me with murder in her eyes and the later shuffling uncertainly and leaning away from her mother. Aww~, trouble among the Yagis. What a wonderful sight~.

To make sure there’s no mistake about how happy I am to see that my efforts haven’t been for naught, I give the matriarch a bright smile. Then I have to hold back a chuckle at the audible grinding of her teeth and the twitch of her hand, the incredibly faint glow in her eyes briefly signaling the activation of her quirk before almost immediately fading away. This woman was really about to attack me in front of a crowd of witnesses. Hell, an entire nation of witnesses given how many news crews have their cameras focused on us!

She must be more upset at losing social status than I thought~.

Too bad that the HPSC president steps forward with three doctors and a single scientist before I can properly taunt them. “Hello everyone,” she starts with a completely unoriginal greeting. “After several weeks of deliberation, we have come to the decision that the rumors about Japan’s Symbol of Peace need to be put to rest.” She ignores both heckling and questions from the assembled audience with great poise and rationality, continuing on as if none had spoken in the first place.

“To ensure that there are no accusations of foul play, we’ve requested the presence of a doctor each from Europe, Japan, and Russia. Additionally, we’ve obtained permission to utilize the invention of one of I-Island’s top scientists to conduct the test, leaving no room for sabotage from anyone who might want to alter the results to reflect an outcome favorable to them.” At this she glares at both me, and Inko. Yes, I’m a villain so the glare is deserved, but did Inko seriously try something before anyone even showed up for this? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. She did let everyone think I was dead back then.

`~`

All For One hums happily to himself as Doctor Ujiko removes the respirator covering his mouth, pointedly ignoring the man’s grumbling. Yes, he is aware that removing his breathing support even for such a short time as this is ill-advised, but he must celebrate! Why, the sight of his nemesis in such a pathetic state alone would be worth opening the fifty year old whiskey he’d stored away! For the public obtaining confirmation that their symbol is no better than a deadbeat dad, at best?

Well, his one hundred and fifty year old whiskey will remain sealed for its intended purpose of One For All returning to him, but the one hundred year old whiskey is perfect for the occasion! And he can’t very well drink it with his mouth covered, now can he?

He glories in the first sip, letting the richness of the aged drink linger on his tongue before swallowing, ear canals focused on the scientist’s explanation of his machine. Not that it is complicated, simply being a more capable blood testing machine. Not only will it be able to confirm that those who insert their hands within the machine are related - regardless of supposed relationship - but it will also be able to accurately state how they are related. Which means that if one of the parents is a twin of the same gender, there will be no misunderstandings regarding which of the two is truly the ‘uncle’!

The two-hundred year old man does recall this being an issue back during the dawn of quirks, where for some unfathomable reason one twin would be born with a quirk but the other wouldn’t, then one of their children would be born the opposite of their parent’s status, causing accusations of infidelity to skyrocket. If he recalls correctly, he’d orchestrated such a situation for the fourth user of his brother’s quirk. The man disappeared after that, and the next he knew of the quirk it was being wielded by a large bald man who was an extremely vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community.

All For One actually fully supported the community himself, and as such simply kept an eye on the man without antagonizing him. At least until the hero nearly got himself killed without having chosen a successor that he could identify, after which he resumed his previous policy of throwing problem after problem accompanied by taunts at the hero, ensuring the entire time that there would be no doubt that it was in fact All For One who was responsible.

The supervillain shakes his head free of the memories, settling back into the luxuriously comfortable armchair he’s chosen to watch the show from and taking another sip of his whiskey and letting out a satisfied sigh.

Really, the only thing that could make what he’s about to witness any better would be being able to view the event with his own eyes rather than a quirk.

`~`

I smirk at the man I would happily murder as I stick my hand in the machine and it prickles as it's scanned. Toshinori just looks resigned as he resolutely inserts his own hand, working very hard to avoid looking at me. Sixty seconds later the doctors are examining the initial results and nodding to each other. Then the machine does whatever process it does and sixty seconds later once more they’re consulting on the second batch of results, taken only to make sure that they’re consistent. Evidently they are since they step forward and the European clears her throat while Toshinori and I pull our hands out of the machine.

“We’ve examined the results, and we can confirm that everything seems to be correct.” She pauses and the crowd immediately starts screaming at her to reveal them, looking absolutely deranged. She’s clearly unsettled by the fervor that they’re showing for the truth, which only highlights her lack of connection to Japan and raises how honest she’ll be, in my own estimation. After pushing away whatever nasty feeling she has about the near religious worship of All Might, she opens her mouth and gives them the answer they’ve been waiting for.

“The results are conclusive: All Might… is not Midosagi’s father!”

`~`

One hundred year old whiskey flies across the room, All For One’s splendid spit-take somehow causing a rainbow to form in the liquid. Most likely the result of a quirk he’d stolen and forgotten about at some point. “WHAT!?”

`~`

My mouth drops open in shock and I stare at the female doctor - who evidently is not as honest as I was expecting - in disbelief. “Bullshit.” My head tilts and I reach out to catch the frying pan that bounces off my head with the ease of practice. “I was there, I know who I’m related to.”

The two foreign doctors look at me with disinterest - the local one is sneering at me - before the Russian man speaks. “Ze resulz say ozerwise. You have no blood relazion zo zis man,” he points to Toshinori, who has an expression of abject relief and vindication on his face before he shifts to glaring at me with even more murder in his eyes than Inko earlier. Speaking of her, she doesn’t look relieved, just vindicated. Izumi though…

Well, she’s looking at me like I betrayed her, but the expression is clearly mixed with confusion. My mind whirls rapidly as I try to figure out why the foreign doctors would lie about this. I ignore whatever speech the president is giving to the crowd, probably something along the lines of not believing what a villain says just because they seem sympathetic or whatever, blah blah blah.

It just doesn’t make sense for the foreigners to lie, and with how important this is, there’s no way the HPSC would have risked it being found out that they bribed them. Not that I wouldn’t have expected some kind of attempt at subverting the results. Like how that bitch Inko-

… Bitch Inko.

“I would like another test!” I step forward and shout, ignoring Hawks gathering his feathers into a sword and holding it against my throat as I stare into the president’s eyes. She quirks an eyebrow at me before moving her shoulders into a slight shrug.

“I have no objection to that, though I fail to see the point. The results will be the same.” The scientist is confidently nodding his head next to her. I let a smile spread across my face.

“Good, though I think the results will be different,” I say as I turn towards the green haired girl on the stage. “Because I want to do my test with Izumi instead of Toshinori.”

My declaration silences the crowd, and I see confusion flood the expressions of all the Yagis, - though Hawks looks more wary than anything else - none of them understanding my intentions. Except maybe Inko, seeing as she scoffs and crosses her arms. “Please, why should we cater to the delusions of a villain? We’ve already gotten what we came for, there’s no more reason to waste our time here. Some of us have jobs to do.”

I smirk and see her confidence falter for a moment. “Oh? Is someone scared of me doing the test with their daughter? What’s the harm in spending another five minutes doing something that you think is worthless? If anything, wouldn’t it just further showcase that I’m nothing more than ‘a delusional villain’?”

I see her expression twisting for a moment, but it’s really not her that I need to agree. No, that honor belongs to- “I’ll do it.” The assembled turn to look at Izumi but she ignores them, firmly moving to the machine and shoving her hand in one of the two holes before meeting my eyes with a confidence that’s been completely absent since I’ve been at UA. “I need to know for sure.”

Well, looks like someone has come to a similar conclusion. I don’t bother responding, stepping forward and sticking my hand in the other hole. When the results spit out a minute later, the Russian doctor takes them before either of the other two have the chance, peering down at them and nodding his head before passing them off. The European and Japanese have vastly different reactions, the woman merely raising an eyebrow and the man physically blanching… before glaring at Inko. The woman shifts uneasily and Yagi’s brows furrow in confusion, looking between everyone in an attempt to understand. Something that he has no hope of accomplishing, judging by the sheer bafflement his face is filled with when the Russian man speaks.

“Midosagi and Izumi Yagi… ARE ZWIN SIBLINGS!” The crowd has a moment of confusion at his continued difficulties with the letter ‘t’ in Japanese, but when the realization hits…

It hits hard .

`~`

All For One frowns as he takes another sip of his whiskey, thinking through the implications of this announcement. Before he gets far, though, Doctor Ujiko speaks. “Sir, do you really not remember?”

“Hmm?” The lord of the Underworld makes a questioning sound, only giving the man part of his attention. Because All Might not being the boy’s father means that he’s not the girl’s father either. Which means-

“As I feared, your injury did have complications,” Doctor Ujiko sighs, getting All For One’s attention. 

“My injury?” He questions, his frown deepening. He’d thought that all the complications of having All Might smash his skull had been taken care of. What could the doctor have missed that he’s only realizing now?

The Doctor grimaces. “Well, I say complications, but it might simply be that you don’t remember. You were quite drunk at the time.”

“Stop playing games and come out with it,” All For One growls, and takes a sip of his whiskey to calm himself.

Only to do a repeat of his earlier spit take at the Doctor’s answer. “All Might isn’t the twins’ birth father. You are.”

Notes:

All For One: *Drunk* I'm gunna fuck his girlfriend.
Ujiko: Go home, you're drunk.
All For One: I'm still gunna do it.

Chapter 102: End of Internships

Summary:

Internships come to an end, and the students return to UA.

I’m sitting in the classroom bright and early, my face sporting the presence of a smile that hasn’t faded at all ever since the events of the DNA test. Not only did I find out that Toshinori isn’t my biological father, but I also horribly embarrassed both of the Yagi adults! They don’t even have the excuse that they were tricked since both Izumi and I were tested and came out as (unfortunately) being confirmed to be Inko’s children.

Which means that not only is Inko a two-timing whore, but that Toshinori Yagi, All Might, the Symbol of Peace … got cucked! And it was announced on national television ! I hadn’t thought that the situation could get any better, but apparently they were only dating at the time, and it was Inko’s announcement that she was pregnant that prompted them to get married in the first place!

Judging by how much the two were yelling at each other on that stage, I think it’s a safe bet that they’ll be divorced before too long. Maybe if they had one child who cared about them there would be a chance to mend the relationship, but Izumi’s reaction to the announcements doesn’t inspire much confidence on that front. She was shocked when she found out that she wasn’t related to All Might, obviously, but when it was announced that she is related to Inko? I searched up one of the recordings posted online, zoomed in on her face, and saved the abject disappointment and despair present there as the screensaver for my phone!

So, overall - even with my internships being cut short - I have had a very good, very productive week~! I wonder how all the other members of the class have been doing? At the very least, I’m hopeful that the alternate internship I proposed to Yaoyorozu worked out better than it would have if she’d gone through with her initial choice of Uwabami.

They don’t call him the Bullshit Hero: Pack Rat for nothing!

The door opens and, speak of the devil, Yaoyorozu is the first to walk through! Seeing me, her first reaction is both baffling and completely understandable.

She manifests a gun in her hand, takes aim, and shoots a paintball right at my throat! I dutifully make the expected noises of pain while gagging, holding my throat and falling sideways off my chair while trying to catch my breath. Meanwhile, the heiress nods in satisfaction before making… some kind of liquid in the palm of her hand and… did she just melt her paintball gun?

I shoot to my feet and try to question her about how the hell she did that, but am stymied by a violent coughing fit since I still can’t get enough air into my stupid lungs! Curse you human biology, why must you require an adequate amount of air before I can interrogate my vic- *cough* friends!? Thankfully she’s nice enough to talk to me before I regain the ability to talk.

“I would like to thank you for your input on who would provide me the best benefit to learn under, however I would also like to curse your name and bloodline for suggesting I intern under,” the raven-haired girl is wracked by a full body shudder, “ that man .” She shakes her head to clear whatever memories were prompted at the reference to Pack Rat. “Suffice to say that I hope to never see a hero such as that ever again.” Without another word she goes to her seat and sits down, putting a glowing finger in her mouth and… judging by the way her throat is moving she’s making something to drink?

Huh. That’s an interesting concept. Depending on who you ask it would probably be considered an idiotic use of her quirk, or a brilliant one. Sure, her body is using resources that are literally regained in the same moment, essentially doing nothing, but she’s still getting the taste of whatever it is she’s drinking, and most likely any superfluous effects like she’d get from drinking something like coffee or tea from another source.

Suffice to say that the moment I gain enough air to speak I immediately devolve into a muttering rant about the possibilities. I’m only broken from theorizing about the possibilities by someone throwing an arm around my shoulder, accompanied by a tingle of electricity. I don’t even have to turn my head to know that it’s Kaminari.

“Usagi! Thanks for writing that letter for me, I had no idea that Static Shock was in Japan!” I can’t help but chuckle, reassuring the joyful blonde that it was no issue. It’s not exactly unknown for foreign heroes to show up in person to watch UA’s Sports Festival, but it is that they can take the students as interns the same as any ‘local’ hero. Of course, the caveat is that they aren’t allowed to make offers , so the student would have to not only have an interest in interning with them, know that they can intern with them, but also ask themselves if they can intern with the hero, which they would need to get a meeting with them to accomplish!

The HPSC probably made it so difficult to do so in an effort to make sure their future heroes don’t get tempted to work for another country based on what the foreign heroes might tell the students.

“Dude, did you know that the hero system in Japan is kind of, like, really fucked up?”

…Which is a valid concern considering that other countries treat their heroes as more of a peace keeping force than as celebrities. Even countries that maintain a ranking system, like in America, hold heroes to a higher accountability than Japan. Sure, there are people like Captain Celebrity, but even with him being a terrible womanizer he does his job effectively! Basically the ranking system there is more about effectiveness than popularity.

“So,” I say, redirecting his attention to the reason I suggested the American hero in the first place, “could he help you with your problem?”

He beams at me with a volt-filled smile, literally, electricity sparking across his teeth. “Yep! Helped fix the electromagnetic field around my head right up! Still have to be careful about going over the amount of watts I let loose, but now I won’t knock myself out of commission by accident!”

“That’s great!” I beam back at him, then take a look around the room and realize that most of the rest of the class has shown up, gathered in their closer friend groups and chatting about what they did while working under their chosen heroes. Apparently Jiro played scout for a building full of hostages, and Uraraka is giving off an impressively intimidating aura (for someone so non threatening) that she acquired from Gunhead’s agency.

…Did Tsu just tell Ashido and Hagakure that she got tongue slammed into the ground by a drug-smuggling octopus? Pretty sure that’s not the type of thing you go around advertising, but I’m not gonna kink shame. Plus I like how blunt she is about everything.

The only ones missing from the class are Iida (for obvious reasons), Kachan, and the grape. To the great despair of everyone assembled though, the blonde who is much less pleasant to be around than the one who’s dragged Jiro over to talk with us enters only moments later. His eyes immediately zero in on me, but to the gratitude of most of the room, his red-haired handler forces him into his own friend group, talking his ear off. I silently pray to Cthulhu for the poor pink girl’s well-being, since it’s obvious to everyone (except apparently the afore-mentioned redhead) that she has absolutely no interest in being in the explosive boy’s company. Why the rocky boy does is a mystery to all, though with how he talks about his quirk I have my suspicions…

Aizawa, the teacher with incredibly questionable teaching credentials, comes into the room with a furious scowl on his face and dragging the resident grapist behind him, completely wrapped in the man’s scarf. A quick flick and the midget is thrown spinning into his seat. He sits up and opens his mouth to presumably object to his treatment, but is silenced by the hero activating his quirk and glaring at him with glowing red eyes. “Stay silent, stay still. If I get a single outburst from you, you’re expelled.”

You know, that threat would probably be more effective if he wasn’t threatening to expel basically the entire class every other class. Which makes me wonder how often he’s made the threat in the past considering that I’ve only had him a week , but the other students all seemed used to it.

He shifts his glare to the rest of us, pausing a moment after realizing that everyone got into their seats the moment the door opened and he doesn’t actually have a reason to complain about us. But what kind of hero would give up just because of that? “There were a number of idiotic decisions made by the students in this class, but I’ll stick with informing you about the worst one. Tenya Iida has been expelled for abandoning the hero he was interning with during a crisis and attempting vigilantism against the Hero Killer: Stain.”

There are shocked gasps, a number of the students turn to stare at me, and a small few voices have the bravery to rise up to object to the punishment. Of course, the most common emotion put on display is confusion, since it was Shoko and I who are known to have brought Stain to the police before I executed him. Letting an exhausted sigh spill from his lips.

“There are a number of reasons for this decision, but the most direct one to explain is ‘politics’.” Like a shroud, silence covers the room. Not sure why they’re surprised though, because, you know, it’s politics . “Iida did not only go after Stain despite being explicitly told by the hero he was interning under to help evacuate civilians, but he also did not go to try and arrest him.” He levels a glare at the students. “He planned to kill the Hero Killer.”

A stillness, that’s the only way to describe what the room is like as the class absorbs this new information. Though the confusion remains considering that, while Iida attempted to kill a man, I actually did , yet am still here. But that ties back into politics , so they really shouldn’t be surprised. But before the first voice can rise up to question him further, the door opens yet again.

There’s no other way to describe how the blue-haired girl enters the classroom than to say she bounces . In a number of ways. “Hi, hi,” she waves happily at us, completely ignoring Aizawa’s glare. “I heard that the first year couple who stopped the hero killer are in this class! And one of them’s a villain too!” Her eyes zero in on me, and with a gleam in her eyes she bounces over to me, her hands clenched into fists held close to her chest in excitement as she rapid-fires questions at me.

“Hi! You’re Midosagi, right? Why’re you a villain? How do you feel knowing All Might isn’t your dad? How did you pull off killing Stain in such an action movie-like way? Why use a gun? Have you realized that Todoroki likes you yet? Why doesn’t your hero costume have rabbit ears? Your hair is fluffy, can I pet it? You’re cute, wanna-”

“Eeep!” Her questions are brought to a very sudden stop as a result of being encased in ice up to her neck. Following the trail across the floor, it’s clear that there’s only one culprit that can be responsible for the freezing, who looks completely unrepentant. Shoko just glares at the spiral haired girl.

Aizawa sighs, but before he can berate the dual-quirked girl, the one in a third year’s uniform lets out an exaggerated sigh before declaring in monotone, “Oh no, I’ve been caught. Whatever shall I do?” She tilts her head to the side as her head starts to melt. “Well, I guess since there is a deal going on between UA and the League of Villains, it means that I need to join Izu in class!”

It’s less than a minute later that Himi’s grinning face replaces the unfamiliar girl’s, beaming happily at me. “Surprise!”

I can’t help but chuckle at her antics, while also being very happy. Sure, I’d rather she not be stuck in UA with me, but on the other hand, I’m very glad that she’ll be stuck in UA with me! But there is one problem…

“What about Eri?”

Before she can answer a head sporting blue, large spiraled hair pokes through the still open doorway, followed by a head sporting silver, long spiraled hair poking in lower than the first. “Huh? They found out the trick so fast!”

I raise an eyebrow at Himi, who looks completely unapologetic.

Well, this is certainly going to be interesting.

Notes:

Himiko was going through Izuku withdrawal, and the brief contact she had with him only worsened the symptoms over the weekend. So she decide to say screw it and join him!

Chapter 103: They Should Not Have Met

Summary:

Izuku has met Nejire.
Woe unto UA for the barrage of information that shall pass between them.

“According to your birth certificate, Ms Toga, you are in fact eligible for the deal that Usagi negotiated,” Nezu says, closing the file laying on his desk. Himi rolls her eyes and scoffs in reply.

“Well duh . Did you really think I would have bothered showing up if I couldn’t be with Izu?” She nuzzles deeper into my neck and wiggles happily, which prompts a reaction given she didn’t even give the second chair in the room a glance before plopping herself down in my lap.

Nezu ignores the blatant disrespect my girlfriend is showing him (though it’s even odds on whether it’s intentional on her end or not) to turn towards the fourth occupant of the room currently residing in what was meant to be Himi’s chair. “As for you, Ms Hado: would you care to explain the series of events that led to you allowing a member of the League of Villains to impersonate you and infiltrate UA?”

“Huh?” The cyan spiral haired girl makes a noise of confusion before looking at Nezu and pointing at Himi. “She’s a member of the League of Villains? But aren’t they those guys who want to kill All Might for whatever reason? And, you know, villains? This girl just asked me if she could borrow my blood so she could pull a prank and visit her boyfriend.”

“And I thank you once more for your donation towards seeing my Izu again~!” Himi gives the upper year UA student a one handed salute before going back to nibbling on my collarbone, not breaking the skin since we have an audience. Well, more so because Nezu is here. Since Hado apparently gave Himi blood just because she asked, she’d be happy to let the girl watch or join if she wants.

Her giving my little vampire blood also means that she isn’t a quirkist jerk who thinks blood quirks are ‘villainous’ or whatever nonsense the media is peddling at the moment. Really, with how often they lie to people you’d think they were performers more than anything. Anyways, since Hado is clearly a good person, maybe I’ll help her with her quirk if she wants. At the very least I’ll tell the LoV that she’s on our no-kill list. Not that we won’t if the situation calls for it, but we’ll at least put in some effort to try not to.

“We made available the files we have on the currently identified members of the League of Villains available to students with their provisional hero licenses. This includes both descriptions and what photos we have. Did you neglect to look the documents over?” The rat’s voice is as even as it’s been since we entered his office, but it’s clear that there’s some sort of warning or threat hanging over the girl’s head if she doesn’t answer correctly. Luckily for her, nearly three years of being under the principal’s observations has trained her well.

“Of course I did!” Is the positive reply. “There’s this green haired cutie,” she reaches over and pinches the cheek that Himi isn’t currently pushing her own against, “the purple mist guy, the guy with lighter hair than me who looks like he definitely needs a better skin care routine-”

“We’ve tried, and it has gotten better, but stress makes it dry out faster. Pretty sure it’s a side effect of his quirk.”

She perks up at that. “Ooh! Really? What other kinds of effects does it have? The file says it's a dangerous five point contact quirk that decays anything he touches, but nothing about what sort of effects it has on him . Does better skin make it stronger? Does worse skin make it stronger? What about his feet? Could he use his feet to use his quirk instead of his hands if he trains it enough since technically they would also be applicable to the five point contact activation requirements for his quirk? Is he immune to his own quirk? I have a friend who can shoot stars from her hands, and even though they hurt other people they don’t hurt her. Is it like that? Or does he have to always be careful to never touch himself? Oh! How hard is it for him to touch himself? Can he touch himself? I guess he wouldn’t have to use all five fingers to get a grip on himself, but Mirio says-”

“I believe that’s enough questions, Ms Hado.” Nezu interrupts, looking faintly exasperated. Hado puffs out her cheeks and pouts at him, crossing her arms under her sizable chest to highlight just how annoyed she is. I can’t help but laugh before pointing at her.

“You, you I like.” I smirk at her. “Though you’ll have to work harder than that if you want me to blurt out sensitive information on members of the LoV.” I tilt my nose up into the air and puff out my chest, ignoring the way Himi runs her hand down it and sending a shiver up my spine. “I’ll have you know that my mutter sprees are legendary, so your own rapid fire questions are easily understandable to me!”

She shifted her pout to me after I started speaking, evidently disappointed that I figured out what she was trying to do so quickly, but lets out a dramatic gasp at the mention of my mutter sprees. “They are? And wait, could you understand all of my questions? Mirio and Tamaki always pull me back and ask me to slow down so people can answer first, but they’re just so slow !

I let out a loud groan. “Ugh, tell me about it! It’s like; there are so many things to learn about, but everyone acts like they don’t care! It’s especially irritating when it's questions about their own quirk ! It’s basic stuff that you should be able to rattle off from the top of your head! Why do you have to think about whether you create the water you shoot or draw it from the environment!? That’s an incredibly important distinction! Are you going to train your quirk by chugging water, or by trying to use your quirk in a dry area where there’s a lack of moisture in the air?”

Hado beams at me. “I know, right!? And are you sure that your quirk works how you think it does? What if the quirk counselor you went to as a kid misunderstood it? I had to get my quirk identified three times because of that! When it first appeared, my quirk counselor told me that the reason I’m so peppy all the time is because my quirk drew its power from my ‘positive emotions’.” She scoffs, though I am obviously obligated to ask.

“What does your quirk do? Because there are a few quirks I’ve heard of that have different power levels depending on the mood of the individual. I think the one I’m most familiar with is a quirk that grows in power the more stressed the person is, and he can use it on someone to make them more confident at the cost of whatever emotion they usually feel the most. So an incredibly nice or empathetic person would be confident and ruthless , as just one example.”

“Ooh, that’s so cool!” She taps her chin with a finger and tilts her head to the side. “I wonder if that would be good with therapy work? Because if you’re in therapy, the emotion you feel the most would probably be something negative, which means it would be taken away to feed their confidence. It could be the sort of kick they need to get into a more positive mindset.”

“Or they could become addicted to the artificially created feeling,” I counter, “which would lead to them becoming even more despondent than they otherwise would have been if they hadn’t been introduced to the quirk in the first place.”

Hado nods. “That’s true. If it was applied in therapy, they would have to carefully weigh the pros and cons of using it on their current patient. Not to mention the fact that patients talk; rumors could spread about why some people are having the quirk used on them and others aren’t, which would induce a sense of paranoia and make whatever condition they’re in worse before they even meet the therapist!”

I nod rapidly, smiling at her. “Exactly! That’s why getting a quirk use license for any kind of medical license is so stringent! They have to make sure that every angle about the consequences of it being used have been examined, walk through the pros versus the cons, and then they have to delve into the ethical aspects!”

“ So true!” Hado exclaims. “Oh, that reminds me! Have you heard about-”

“Ahem.” Her words are brought to a stop by the loud sound of someone clearing their throat. Or rather, some thing . Nezu looks at us with an appraising look, and I blink before glancing down at Himi, whose face shows fond exasperation.

“Whoops,” I chuckle awkwardly. “I got lost in a quirk discussion again, didn’t I?”

“Yep,” Himi drawls, popping the ‘p’ before leaning up to give me a quick peck on the lips. “But I forgive you because it’s adorable~.”

I smile at her, enjoying the moment. Too bad a lonely little rat who’ll never have a love life of his own is a petty bastard and decides to ruin it. “We do have more things to discuss before the end of the school day, so if we could get back on track…”

I let out a long-suffering groan before finally deigning to grant the principal the attention he so desperately needs to validate his own existence. “Fiiiineeee. Himi will be in my class, of course, and I’ll need a bigger room along with a bigger bed so we can sleep comfortably.”

Nezu doesn’t even blink. “Students are not permitted to share dorm rooms, and they are housed in different sections of the building.”

I shrug and wave the unimportant detail to the side. “So? It’s not like we’ll be sleeping apart from each other anyways. We could go through the whole song and dance of us sneaking into each other’s rooms and pranking the other students on the way, but I have a feeling Aizawa would throw another fit before the week is up. Not that seeing his incompetence as a teacher isn’t funny , but it needs to be stretched out over a period of time.”

Nezu just hums before moving on to another point of ‘contention’, by which of course I mean it's not contentious at all and he’s just putting up a front because it’s expected of him. Or maybe he actually does want to watch Himi and I mess with everyone in our efforts to spend time together. It could really go either way when talking about rat satan. “Why should I place Ms Toga in 1-A? It already has one villain in the rehabilitation program.”

“Well, we’re already missing a classmate, courtesy of the attempted murderer whose family lacked the political clout to keep him enrolled and sweep it under the rug. The students are also used to me, unlike the majority of 1-B, and as such are more prepared for Himi’s addition. There’s also the fact that - again - we would just sneak into each other's classes regardless of what you decide. So, really, the question is whether or not you want to save yourself the headache of dealing with the teachers complaining about us to you.”

I give the rat a smile. “So, principal, what’s it going to be?”

Notes:

Nejire and Izuku would absolutely spend a full day asking questions, debating, and overall just sharing information and then be surprised when they realize that the sun has set.

Chapter 104: Introducing Himiko

Summary:

Himiko is introduced to the class~!

“I’m so glad that I get to go to school with you, Izu~!” Himi exclaims from her seat on my lap while excitedly kicking her legs in the air, her arms wrapped around my neck. “And the way you basically told Nezu that we’d be together whether he liked it or not was so hot ~,” she purrs as she nuzzles her face into my neck.

I can’t help but chuckle before kissing the top of her head. “Himi, we both know the rat was always going to put us in the same class, he just likes his little games too much to come outright and say it.” A smirk pulls the corners of my lips up. “Though, it’s probably a good thing none of the staff was there to witness it. They would have been in shock at how casually the three of us ignored their boss!”

Himi rolls her eyes before giving me a pointed look. “And how many of them have seen you go off on a quirk tangent?”

“…Point taken.” I’m pretty sure that I’ve actually only gone on a quirk tangent around Midnight and Present Mic. I just can’t help but feel like they can do so much more with their quirks than they do! Like Midnight: why can’t she get support equipment to condense her gas so she can send a more powerful sleeping gas at her opponents? Not only would they get knocked out quicker, but it would also reduce the risk of bystanders getting caught!

Don’t even get me started on Present Mic’s quirk! He’s always using it to attack, defend, or communicate! Does he even consider the fact that being able to freely manipulate the sound waves he produces could let him copy what people with other voice quirks do? No! Still, he’s not the worst when it comes to quirk creativity. I really can’t believe how much of a fan of Eraserhead I was when I was a kid, he’s such a jerk. And the support he has for his quirk is so basic ! All anyone has to do is through dirt in his eyes to stop it! Get rid of those stupid holes on the goggles!

“Are you excited to meet everyone?” I ask Himi, pushing my mental complaints about the so-called teacher out of my mind. “There are a few people I think you’ll get along super well with! I’m pretty sure, er…” I blink for a moment, blanking on that one girl’s name. I know the hero name she chose since I convinced Midnight to let her use it, but- “Ashido! That’s her name,” I snap my fingers. “I’m pretty sure you and Ashido will get along well. Well, except for the fact that she’s friends with Izumi.”

Himi shrugs before saying in a sing-song voice, “Nobody’s perfect~, you live and you learn it~.”

I raise an eyebrow at what are definitely song lyrics I haven’t heard before, but shrug it off a moment later. It’s been a few weeks, we’ve both had to find other things to do with our time. Himi listened to random songs. I started sneaking into people’s rooms to steal their underwear and frame other students as perverts. Nobody we cared about got hurt, so it’s not really something that needs to be brought up. Though I’ll probably have to stop now that Eri is on campus, given how I don’t want any risk of her getting corrupted. Which is partially why she’s up in our new dorm rooms instead of staying down here to meet the class! Well, that and the fact she’s shy. When she visited last time doesn’t count according to her since she didn’t expect to ever have to talk to any of them ever again, so she’s counting the next time she meets them as the first time.

Anyway, speaking of perverts, Himi being here will make the grape’s ‘correction’ all the better since she was there too~.

“There’s also Jiro and Kaminari who kind of feed off of each other’s personalities. Jiro also seems to be friends with Yaoyorozu too, so she’ll be able to play mediator if anything pops up.” I frown and rest my chin on top of Himi’s head when I feel her lose her patience and sink her fangs into my neck to drink my blood. Really, I’m surprised she managed to hold out so long. “Though I’m convinced that there’s something off about her quirk, I have no idea what it is , but I know there’s something !”

Himi makes a noise of acknowledgement without withdrawing her fangs. I’m about to remind her not to overdo it until it's time for bed, but at that moment the sound of raised voices reaches my ears and I perk up. “Oooh, they’re here! You ready, Himi?”

It takes another moment before she responds, but she does withdraw her fangs and lets out a sigh of disappointment. “Fiiine.” She leans in close as I hear the dorm’s door rattle in its frame and confused questions about it being locked. “But don’t think you’ll be getting away tonight~. You’re going to have to fill yourself back up at least twice by the time the sun rises~.”

I barely manage to fight off the blush by the time someone unlocks the door and pushes it open. Then the students fall silent, and I know that they’ve seen me. I spin the chair I’m sitting in around and give the group an arrogant smirk. In my lap Himi sits crosswise, her legs thrown across the armrest while leaning back, supporting her upper half only with the arms around my neck, and my arm around her waist. “I’ve been waiting for you… heroes .”

It’s the perfect picture of a villainous mastermind greeting his enemies after they’ve finally managed to track him down to his hidden lair, except that villain presses a button and reveals that they knew that the heroes knew and set up a trap for them. Too bad Mei was busy, I was really hoping that I would have a button to push right now.

The heroes (in training) themselves just stare at me in surprise for a moment, silent. Even Kachan doesn’t seem to know how to react, his face ranging from confused anger to annoyed anger. It’s not very surprising when the silence is broken by the one who’s closest to me, her voice cold enough that there’s a visible frosty mist emanating from her. “Hello, Izuku.” The others rapidly get out of her way as she walks towards us, her head lowered so her hair covers her face. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced, who is this?”

I ignore Izumi’s whispered ‘oh shit’ to grin at my first real friend. “Oh, this is Himiko Toga,” I bounce Himi a little with the arm around her waist and briefly wonder why I just heard a growl, “she’s from the LoV and is joining 1-A from today onward!”

I don’t hear whatever it is that Shoko says next, her words buried under the outraged shouts of the rest of the students. And that’s just the initial reaction, it doesn’t even take a minute for them to start shouting at each other . Some about having to deal with a second villain in their class, others at the first group for being close minded. In fact, they seem so mad about the fact Himi will be joining us that they don’t seem to notice that Shoko freezes all their feet to the floor, or that Himi jumps from my lap and drags Shoko out to another room.

“A- hem ,” I clear my throat loudly, trying to get their attention. When that doesn’t work I contemplate digging the grenade out of where it replaced my kidney and holding it up as a threat, but luckily Yaoyorozu makes a megaphone that she holds the trigger on, the screeching sound forcing the others to shout in pain and hold their hands over their ears. I give the heiress a smile and a nod before turning to the others.

“Thank you kindly, m’lady.” I clap my hands. “Now, the decision has already been made, none of your opinions on whether or not she joins our class matter. But just keep in mind,” the grin abruptly falls from my face as I give them all a murderous glare. “Hurt her, and the threat I made to you all last week about Eri’s quirk will be carried out.” I let another grin stretch my lips, one that’s very, very ominous, I know, I’ve practiced it to make sure. “Oh, and Eri will be staying at the dorm with the two of us as well. If you hurt her , the threat I made will look pleasant compared to what I do to you. Is that understood?”

There’s silence from them, so I narrow my eyes, enunciating each clipped word. “Is. That. Understood .” The rapid head nods are good enough for me… for now. I clap my hands and let my threatening aura dissipate. “Good! Now-”

My words are interrupted by two Shokos coming back from the room Himi and her disappeared into, causing me to raise an eyebrow and look between the two. The one on the left is the first to answer. “We want to see if you can tell who the real one is.”

The one on the right continues. “But instead of saying who the fake is, you have to kiss them.”

“On the lips,” the left one finishes.

My second eyebrow raises to join the second one in its surprise as I look between the two of them. “And… you both decided you were ok with that?” Himi and I have played this game a few times before when we take a third partner to bed, though it’s pretty easy since I’m so familiar with my girlfriend. Really, it’s more to build up the excitement of our third partner than anything else. Though I am surprised that it didn’t even take five minutes for her to convince Shoko to participate. Then again, it’s not like we’re actually taking Shoko to bed, so I guess it’s all in good fun. Though I really didn’t think Himi could convince her to do something like this after a five minute conversation.

Still, they both nod, so it’s fine, I suppose. I shrug, not hesitating to step forward and wrap an arm around the Shoko on the right, bringing her close and grabbing her chin to lower her head while raising my own to reach her lips. I close the distance and lock our lips together, feeling a rush of amusement as her eyes widen visibly enough that the others (shocked silent at how little I hesitate, presumably) can probably see it as well. I make sure to put all the practice I have into the kiss, though since we’re in public with an audience I also make sure not to overdo it like I would if Himi and I were about to have a threesome. Plus I don’t want to embarrass her and ruin our friendship.

I have to say though, the blush that takes over her cheeks is rather adorable. Not that she’s never not adorable, but the blush really does ramp it up to the next level. Regrettably, this isn’t a pre-sex game, so I pull away without building it up, turning to Himi-Shoko and smirking, which falters a bit as she smirks back. I look between her and Shoko for a moment before nodding that I did kiss the right one and pointing at her.

“Nice try, but you aren’t going to make me think I lost the game!”

She snorts and shakes her head. “Not why I’m smirking, Izu~.”

I let my eyes narrow in suspicion, looking back at Shoko whose left cheek has burst into flame and the right grown a coating of ice. Even with the accidental quirk activation, though, the deep red of her blush is still visible. Seeing me look, it somehow manages to deepen even further as her quirk flares again, ice and flames now enveloping her hair. “You’re a good kisser.”

I blink in realization, but before I can respond and offer her lessons she turns and runs up the stairs to the girl’s rooms. Tilting my head, I turn to Himi-Shoko to ask about that before the grape decides to make a comment. One that is inexcusable .

“I know what I’m dreaming about tonight.”

My lips pull back in a snarl as I round on the midget, and everyone takes a step away, clearing the space around for the quickly paling boy. I’ve put this off for too long, it ends now .

Notes:

Himiko: I can get Izuku to date you.
Shoko: ...You son of a bitch, I'm in.
Himiko: Daughter, but yes.

Chapter 105: Grandpa

Summary:

Izuku traumatizes Mineta.

I clap my hands and give a bright smile to the assembled girls of 1-A (minus Shoko), even Izumi. Regardless of our relationship (or lack of) she has just as much of a right to see the grapist’s punishment as any of the others. Speaking of said grape, he is currently struggling to get out of the ropes tying him to the chair bolted to the floor, preventing him from trying to flee.

I have to admit though, when I asked if anyone knew a place we could deal with the pervert without being disturbed, I wasn’t expecting the suggestion to be the dorm’s basement. Nor was I expecting said basement to look like the lair of a cultist, complete with a pentagram carved into the floor and filled with a red liquid. Yes, Tokoyami assured us that it’s not real blood, but it did nothing to quell the questions about why he decided to cultify the basement in the first place. Or why no one else knew that the dorms had a basement.

He didn’t answer any of those questions though, simply stating that the darkness must be appeased before going to his room. Dark Shadow wasn’t any help either, just telling us that everyone has their own hobbies. Which, fair, but still. I personally think that having a hidden cult lair is a bit more than a hobby, especially considering that it’s a hero student who set it up!

Anyways, “The time has come to punish Minoru Mineta for his crimes against the female gender! Is there any who would stand in defense of this grape?” To absolutely nobody’s surprise, none of the girls are willing to stand by his side, which the grape is not happy about if his renewed struggling is anything to say. Thankfully he himself can’t say anything thanks to the gag Yaoyorozu made after I knocked him out earlier.

I nod understandingly at the lack of response before turning to the tied up hero student. “Understandable. Minoru Mineta; you stand accused of failing to drink your Respect Women Juice for fifteen long years, and as such, have acted in such a way that can label you only as a depraved and deplorable pervert even the degenerates of the internet refuse to associate with! You are such an enemy to woman-kind that not even 2D waifus are willing to tolerate your company, always driving themselves to the route that would result in their own deaths in order to escape your clutches as soon as possible!”

My words hit the midget like physical blows, his body flinching with each accurate and perfectly reasonable claim, and that’s not the end of it. In fact, it goes on long enough that Himi gets bored and latches herself onto my back like a koala, sinking her fangs into my collar and chewing on the bone while I talk. The other girls give her looks, but she ignores them with the same grace and dignity as I do.

By the time I finish going through the list of how Mineta gives men a bad name and all the reasons he’ll never get a romantic partner of any gender, I finally remove his gag, eliciting boos from all the girls around us. But I ignore that for the moment, giving him one last chance to admit to his mistakes and grant him the opportunity to make amends before I move past the point of no return. “Have you anything to say in the face of these accusations?”

Even under the brutal devastation of the truth of his utterly abysmal treatment of the female gender, he still musters up the nerve to glare at me. “Screw you! You don’t know what it’s like to be so unpopular with girls! You literally have a hottie hanging off of you right-!”

I backhand the disrespectful little grape, shutting his mouth. There’s a bit of shuffling from the girls, and Izumi opens her mouth as if to say something but closes it again without uttering a word. Which, I suppose they didn’t expect me to get physical with him? Fair, because they’re hero students, but also stupid, because I’m a villain. Only paying enough attention to make note of those reactions, I focus my glare down at the child with a sneer pulling my lips back from my teeth.”Respect your elders, boy .”

He raises his head and glares back at me, spitting a bit of blood from his split lip at my feet. Even with that defiance, though, I can see the lack of understanding in his eyes. “What the hell are you talking about? We’re the same age!”

I raise an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “Then why does your mother call me Daddy?”

…

Pin drop silence throughout the room, the previous side conversations and shuffling abruptly falling still as everyone stares at me. Well, except for Himi, she’s still happily gnawing on my collarbone and drinking the blood that spills from the wound.

It takes several minutes of Mineta soundlessly working his jaw up and down before he finally manages to voice anything, but even then, he only manages a single word. “…What?”

I sniff disdainfully. “I said that Jujun calls me Daddy, which makes me your grandpa, and therefore your elder! So show me some respect!”

He doesn’t seem to hear my words past the first sentence, his eyes widening as he stares at me in shock. “How- how do you know my mom’s name!?”

I roll my eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. Before I can explain it to him in small words so that he can understand, Himi lets my neck go with a loud slurp, making satisfied noises as a shiver runs through her body. “So good~. I’ve missed your flavor~.” She turns her head to look at the grape, her entire body still wrapped around me. “We fucked your mom, deal with it.”

He just blinks dumbly at her for a moment, still unable to comprehend the words being said to him. “...What?”

I look around at the girls while pointing at him. “Is it just him? Because I think we made this pretty clear.” Evidently not since they’re staring at me with wide eyes too. Well, except for Tsu. Her expression is still blank.

“I thought it was succinct and to the point,” the frog girl says, causing me to nod.

“You’re lying.” I look back at the midget and see him glaring at me once more, his voice filled with certainty. “There’s no way you actually slept with my mom! She’s happily married to my dad!”

“Counterpoint,” I say, raising a finger, “she’s your mother, and you certainly didn’t get your perverted nature from Daiso.”

This time I can see fear flicker in his eyes at the name drop. “That’s my father’s name…”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, we’ve established that Himi and I double teamed your mom in your parents bed.”

“She’s very flexible,” Himi announces, and I nod in agreement.

“She really is. I still think that she could only do that one trick because she has some internal quirk mutations.”

Himi opens her mouth to respond but is interrupted by Mineta shouting at us with a desperate look on his face. “YOU’RE LYING!”

I let a smirk grow on my lips as I hold my hand over my shoulder, letting Himi put Mineta’s phone in my palm. I go through his contact list quickly and tap on his mother’s name before putting it on speaker so the whole room can hear. It doesn’t take long before an answering click echoes through the room, immediately followed by a woman’s voice. “Minoru? Is everything ok? You don’t usually call until the weekend. Did you forget something at home?”

“Hello, my little Jun’pu~.”

There’s a scream of surprise and the sound of something hitting the ground on the other end of the phone before she starts speaking again, her voice noticeably higher and more flustered. “U-u-usagi!? Is that you!?”

I click my tongue and slowly shake my head even though she can’t see me. “Tsk tsk, Jun’pu. Is that any way to talk to me? Does someone need a… spanking ~?”

“Eep! S-sorry Daddy! …But I have been a bad girl lately~.” I meet the eyes of the grape, who looks like his world is collapsing around him, and smirk.

“Oh, I have no doubt about that. Though I have to wonder how bad you’ve been. Maybe I should ask for some help in disciplining you?”

“Oh, I’d love to put our toy back in her place~,” Himi purrs, leaning her head over my shoulder to make sure Mineta’s mother can hear her and earning another ‘eep’ from the woman.

“Mi-mi-mistress! You’re there too!” The fact that she’s excited can clearly be understood through her voice alone, coming out breathy and eager. “I-I-I,” the line goes silent, briefly, presumably so she can swallow and get her stuttering under control. “I think that… that I do need to be… learn my lesson ~.”

The two of us chuckle, and I at least have to hold it back from turning into a full cackle at how pale and horrified Mineta looks at hearing Himi and I casually flirt with his mom, as well as proving that our earlier words to be true. “Oh, I have no doubt that you are an eager student, Jun’pu. But not a very good one, considering that I have no doubt that we’ll need several vigorous sessions for you to get the lesson deep inside you~.”

There’s silence for several moments, and when she finally speaks again she sounds a bit breathless. “When can I expect you to come over?”

“Oh, Jun’pu, you really do need some discipline,” I say with mock sadness in my voice. “You know better than to ask us to visit you. But how about this: if you go without underwear for a month while only wearing short skirts, as well as take naked photos at five national monuments, then we’ll think about giving you a visit. Understood?”

“Oh, yes! Yes!” I chuckle again at the enthusiastic reply, mercifully ending the call so she can continue her fun without subjecting her son to hearing it. For now. If this lesson doesn’t take for him , then I might have to take it further. Speaking of…

I crouch down to meet his eyes, the humiliation of having his mother outed as the cheating sex friend (at best) of two villains his own age having done quite a bit of damage to his mental state. Which isn’t helped by the fact that it was also revealed in front of all his female classmates, who he’s perved out on himself. To know that his mother did the same to the two of us…

Well, family is supposed to be important to Japanese culture. “So, grape, how does it feel knowing that, while you thought of every woman you’ve interacted with as an object meant for your own sexual gratification, your mother actually is in fact my object of sexual gratification?”

“Mine too~!” Himi adds with a face splitting grin.

I gently slap the boy’s cheek a few times before standing and turning around. “Well then. Think about how this makes you feel, and whether or not you want it to go public. Because something tells me that Jun’pu wouldn’t complain if the home videos we made with her were to end up online. Which they will, if you don’t clean up your attitude towards women.”

Notes:

Yep. Mineta annoyed Izuku so much at the Entrance Exam that he decided to fuck his mother. Himi thought it sounded funny so she tagged along.

Chapter 106: Interrogation

Summary:

1A wants the answers to the questions they've been distracted from asking!

After a passionately enthusiastic night of Himi and I demonstrating just how much we missed each other we head downstairs to grab breakfast… only to be ambushed! Tape binds our arms to our sides before we’re dragged towards and tied down to a set of chairs and quickly surrounded by all the other members of 1-A sans Kachan and Mineta. Well, Shoko is at the counter eating a bowl of cereal, but she’s still present! And Izumi is tied up next to us, so it’s probably not a villain thing, but then what’s the deal?

Ashido stands in front of the three of us with her arms crossed under her chest, smirking. “There’s no escape this time, we’ll have our answers!”

I stare at her for a moment, taking the time to think before I respond. “Very well, it was Tsu who smacked your butt in the halls the day before internships!”

She opens and closes her mouth silently before turning to the frog girl, who shrugs. “I know what I like.” She turns to look at me with slightly narrowed eyes. “You’ve betrayed me, Usagi. I thought you said you could keep a secret?”

I shrug myself, the other students looking between the three of us like a complicated tennis match. So I decide to add more players. “I can!” I object. “I mean, I haven’t told anyone about Aoyama pleasuring himself to his own reflection in abandoned classrooms, or Kirishima’s masochism kink, or Yaoyorozu-”

I’m gagged before I can reveal the rich girl’s dirty secret by said rich girl slapping duct tape over my mouth, her red faced glare promising that nobody would find my body if I reveal what I stumbled upon. Not that that would be a problem , since after I come back I could just leave wherever she dumped it, but it would be inconvenient. Not to mention it would cut into the time I could be spending with Himi, so I guess I’ll let things lie. Instead I’ll take the vast quantity of amusement I feel seeing the looks the class sends towards the two people I outed. And it is funny since I thought that it was obvious the fake redhead is a masochist. I mean, he likes to spend his time with Kachan !

As for Aoyama… I’m not one to judge since Himi likes to transform into me during sex. Not all the time, but often enough that I don’t think it’s weird to be attracted to yourself. At least when it’s someone else who has the exact same appearance as you. Then again, that might just be because I know it’s Himi wearing my body. The line gets kind of blurry when it’s literally yourself and your own single body instead of someone else with their own version of your body. Anyways, I was not expecting to stumble upon the sparkly boy while looking for a place to put a glitter bomb. It wasn’t traumatizing or anything, but, yeah.

I got everyone’s attention off of Tsu, though, so I’m going to call this a win!

After properly shuffling away from the two they finally seem to remember that they have Izumi and I tied up together. Himi got bored of waiting and freed herself to grab some breakfast and is currently sitting with Shoko, leaning in close and whispering to her with a sly smile and making the two-toned girl blush. I… should probably be concerned about that, but as long as they’re both having fun it’s fine.

“We want details!” Hagakure yells, presumably waving her arm in the air based on the way her shirt is moving. I snap my fingers and would point at her, but again, tied up.

“I’ll send you the video after I get untied! Feel free to play it for the grape whenever you think he deserves to suffer.”

“That’s not- actually, yeah, I like the sound of that.” I can’t help but snort in amusement at how quickly she changes her mind on the subject. Of course, I have no doubt that she’s going to watch it herself to satisfy her… curiosity , but it will definitely work to keep the grape on a leash if the previous evening’s lesson didn’t sink in. Honestly I might just harass him with the video anyways. He does not get to talk about Himi like he did. He’s lucky I didn’t light him on fire like that one gang with the guy who stole her clothes.

Jiro huffs. “To get us back on track,” she turns to me and Izumi. “Did you two know you weren’t All Might’s kids!?”

We both shake our heads, Izumi slowly and me enthusiastically. “Nope!” I chirp. “But I’m not complaining! Though it does mean that I now have two deadbeat male parental figures instead of one, so ‘y'know.” I shrug. “Blame Inko?”

“You definitely should,” Himi pipes up from where she’s eating her waffle, a small bandage wrapped around Shoko’s wrist as she stares curiously at Himi’s food. “She’s part of a quirk extremist cult.”

A few students seem to not hear her, too focused on Izumi and me, but some turn to give her looks that clearly say they don’t believe her and think she's messing with them, but others actually believe her. Which I’m not completely sure is the right thing to do, but I’ll ask her for more details later in private. “Which one?” Tsu croaks with her head tilted. Izumi also seems oddly interested…

“Meta Liberation, the crazy one, not the political movement one that Destro tried to lead before being declared a terrorist.”

Tsu hums while Izumi’s eyes blow wide open, and she clearly falls deep into thought. No idea what that’s about, but it’s none of my business and not enough to garner my interest. “At least it’s not the Creature Rejection Clan,” Tsu muses aloud, earning herself winces and nods from the fellow mutants in the room.

“Or the Inhuman Supremacy Party,” Hagakure throws out with the air of someone grimacing. I really need to sit down and help her with her quirk one of these days , I think to myself. Because if her quirk were a full mutation that makes her invisible it would have appeared gradually, but I overheard *cough* eavesdropped *cough* that she just woke up invisible one day, which makes me think it’s actually an emitter quirk that nobody ever bothered to identify.

I nod along with her, as do Yaoyorozu, Shoji, and Jiro. The rest just look confused, which means that they’ve all had the good fortune to not come in contact with the band of crazy people saying that the less human you look, the better you are than everyone else. They’re basically the exact polar opposites of the Creature Rejection Clan, which claims that the more human you look the better you are than everyone else. The LoV has run across a few operations under both organizations, and we were quick to slaughter them all. There’s us crazy, and then there’s that crazy, and, quite frankly, we don’t have the patience to tolerate them.

“So, was there more y’all wanted to know or can we eat now?” Himi is back at the stove making more waffles, teaching Shoko how to make them as she goes. They smell just as good as always and I really want some right now.

“Yeah!” Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like they’re done with me yet. “Who is- where’d she go?” Kaminari’s head whirls around after seeing the chair he was pointing at is empty, and most of the others start freaking out too. Which is extremely amusing to witness considering that Himi was just talking to them. It’s not something that gets brought up very often, but her predatory lifestyle has made her exceptional at erasing her presence, even to the point where people don’t notice her when she’s in the same room as them! Like right now.

The exceptions of course are those with sensory quirks, and Yaoyorozu since she has previous experience with Himi and I messing with her. Speaking of, my little vampire giggles before ducking below the counter just in time to avoid the students catching sight of her again.

I tilt my head and look at 1-A curiously. “Who are you talking about?”

“The girl!” Ur…Uraraka? Yeah, Uraraka says. I probably should have a better grasp of her name since I did manipulate her… twice, but she hasn’t really interacted with me much while I’ve been here, and it slipped my mind after spending the night with Himi. So, whoops. “The blonde one who snuck into my room and bit me!”

On one hand, when?? On the other hand, understandable. She kind of feels like she would be mochi flavored.

I tilt my head to the other side and raise an eyebrow at her. “Should I know who you’re talking about?”

“The girl who was in your lap when we came back from class yesterday!” Kaminari yells, eyes wide.

I let my other eyebrow join the first in its raised position. “I had a girl in my lap yesterday?”

“Bro! Not manly!” The masochistic redhead yells. “You were petting her head like a cat!”

“…That was a cat,” I say with a straight face, because Himi is absolutely a cat. Nothing better than making her purr~.

Tokoyami tilts his head up as he looks at me. “Your obfuscation of the truth without uttering a single deceit is masterful, rabbit.”

Dark Shadow pops herself out for a moment and opens her beak before closing it and looking back at her brother/father. “…That was actually perfectly understandable.” She withdraws back into the bird boy, who blinks at where she was before shrugging the abrupt action off.

“You can’t trick me!” Ashido declares with narrowed eyes. “I know there was a blonde cutie in your lap yesterday! You even introduced her before you kissed Shoko!”

I smirk at her while Shoko blushes in the kitchen. “Oh yeah? Then what’s her name~?”

She falters for a moment before her face screws up in determination. “It was… Himmm… Himi To…ga? Himi Toga?”

I snap my fingers, pulling my arms free of the tape. “Almost exactly right! Her name is Himi ko . Himi is a nickname I call her.” I tilt my head and watch them curiously. “Why’d all of you forget her name?”

They shuffle silently for a minute before Ojiro explains. “Well, right after you introduced her you threatened us, then kissed literally the least socially active person in class, and then dragged Mineta and the girls away to ‘break the grape’.”

Sero nods, even though he keeps the glare he always has when he looks at me. “Yeah, it was a lot of information to process in so little time.”

“Do less drugs, it will help your brain,” I advise before proceeding to ignore his denials about his obvious drug consumption. Maybe I should just sneak into his room and tape it to his door so he stops bothering, it’s not like I particularly care. Really, the only reason I even bring it up is because it’s amusing to watch his terrible attempts at lying.

At the moment though, I have more important things to do. Such as devouring the plate of waffles my girlfriend puts on the counter! Which reminds me, we’ll have to bring a plate up for Eri as well. I invited her down with us, but she was worried about how many of the class would be present so we said she could eat in the room. And she was right to be worried since they were waiting in ambush! Our little unicorn has good instincts! She’ll be a great villain when she grows up!

Izumi, meanwhile, wiggles in the chair she’s still tied to. “Uh, can someone let me go?”

Chapter 107: New Heroics Teacher

Summary:

1-A has a new heroics teacher!
Because All Might ran away like a little bitch!

“Is anyone else wondering how many more villains we’re going to get in our class?” Hagakure questions. “Because it’s been less than a month and we already got a second one!”

I yawn and lean back in my chair, basking in the simple fact that I can do so without a hypocritically constipated half-robot yelling at me. Sitting on the desk behind me, Himi leans forward to play with my hair, and I let my eyes close in bliss at the familiar sensation. I don’t bother opening them to answer the invisible girl. “Well, Shigi is twenty, so he’s not eligible for the game. Kurogiri is older than him - though nobody knows his actual age, not even him - so he’s out too. Which only leaves One and Skyfall, who are both around our age.”

I hum in thought, frowning when Himi suddenly pulls her hands away before relaxing again when she brings them back. “I figure that Shigi will get annoyed by something or other in the next month or two and chuck Sky at something. I give it until summer break before she gets stuck in something and gets dragged here.”

“…Your boss just… throws you guys?” I shrug at Kaminari’s confusion.

“Only me and Sky, and neither of us really have a problem with it, usually. Though Sky does get annoyed when she doesn’t get any warning.”

“…Oooo-kay then…”

There’s several moments of silence following my explanation, but I don’t pay it any mind, more than content to just enjoy my hair being played with. Except that I’m pretty sure that it’s not Himi playing with it anymore? She always drags her fingernails across my scalp when she gives my hair a small yank, but the hands currently buried in the mess atop my head are gentle, not really doing anything other than combing through my locks. Not that I dislike it, it’s just different. Different, but still nice.

“This is so weird ,” I hear Ashido whisper before the sound of a camera goes off, and the hands abruptly stop their movement. “Crap!”

I open my eyes and am greeted to the sight of Shoko staring at the pink skinned girl with slightly narrowed eyes, causing her to shuffle nervously. Shoko slowly pulls one of her hands from my hair, the tension building due to how slowly she does it, and points at her, causing her to swallow. “Send that to me.”

Ashido blinks, glancing down at her phone before looking back at my friend. “Uh, sure?” Shoko nods in satisfaction before looking down, her eyes meeting mine. I hum as we stare at each other.

“Heya, Shoko. Having fun?”

She hums herself before she starts playing with my hair again. “Yes. Very much, actually.”

“That’s good.” I glance to the side where Himi is looking on, a smug grin pulling her lips back from her teeth. No idea what she’s grinning about, but it’s probably not something that I should be concerned about.

“So, what did I miss yesterday?”

“We have a new heroics teacher,” Shoko reveals casually, causing me to blink and sit up to get a better look at her. I ignore the cute pout she directs at me.

“We do? So I’m not going to be forced to suffer the man’s presence anymore?”

Jiro snorts. “You say that like you’ve even been in the same room as him since you got here.”

“He was in the same building as me,” I declare, “that’s much too close for comfort.” She just shrugs in response.

“Um…” Izumi, of all people, is the one to pick up the explanation, looking at me uncertainly, a complex myriad of emotions swirling in her eyes. “After… everything that was revealed on Saturday, he announced that he needed to ‘figure things out’ and would be withdrawing from his teaching position.”

I hum thoughtfully, chewing on whether or not I want to acknowledge her. On one hand, it’s Izumi. On the other hand, she did give me some incredibly valuable information in regards to One For All, and she has been making an effort to not be a bitch to anyone based on what I’ve managed to see… The fact that she very obviously doesn’t like Inko is a big point in her favor…

Himi drapes herself across my shoulders, nipping at my neck and licking the blood that wells from the small bit of torn skin before whispering into my ear. “You can always torture her later. Being polite won’t hurt anything now, and it might make it hurt even more when the time comes~.”

I nod at my girlfriend’s words, feeling something loosening in my chest. Which is strange, and I forcefully push what it might mean into the dark closet in my mind where I shove all the trauma. It’s kind of overstuffed, but whatever. I’ll deal with it when stuff starts falling out and I can’t ignore it anymore.

“So who did they replace him with?” I ask my sister, holding back the urge to scowl as I look at her. She’s clearly surprised that I’ve bothered replying, but answers eagerly all the same.

“Oh! Well, apparently we both have a godfather that Da- Toshinori never introduced us to?” I pointedly ignore the word she cut herself off from saying. Nope, not acknowledging its existence. “He was a retired pro hero, but, um, he-” She cuts off whatever she was about to say and frowns. “Well, I interned with him, so I met him, but we both… encountered him before? He… Well. How to say it…?”

While she’s busy hemming and hawing over how to tell me who the new heroics teacher is, - making me wonder if I should have just asked someone I actually like , like Kaminari or Jiro - the door to the classroom opens, and in walks someone that I’ve only seen once before. I jerk to my feet, a few strands of hair coming loose when they catch on Shoko’s fingernails, and jab a finger in the tall caped man’s direction.

“The flasher has returned!” I shout, causing the majority of the female students to shout in turn and clamp their hands over their eyes in an instinctual response. It’s a good thing that Eri isn't in the classroom again, this isn’t the kind of thing she should be subjected to a first time, let alone a second! Thankfully Nezu made the intelligent decision to requisition Shoko’s sister Fuyumi to teach her. Actually, he decided to extend the offer to her entire class as part of a process to expand UA into all levels of education. It just so happens that Fuyumi’s class will be the ‘trial run’ to make sure it works.

Anyways; “Away with ye, public shower of genitals!” I intone formally, knife extended to point at him in lieu of my finger. “Or face the wrath of Midosagi!”

The man snorts and waves his hand. “Calm down brat, I’m going to keep my clothes on.”

“Lies!” I declare, stepping toward him with a fancy flourish of my blade. Off to the side, Himi has successfully managed to badger Yaoyorozu into making her popcorn, which the two are sharing as they watch. “Thou are of the most debased of flashers, the accidental sort! It matters not of your intentions, you shall flash regardless!”

He throws his head back and cackles . “Ahahahaha! You’re a fun kid, I’ll give you that. Shame I couldn’t get you for an internship,” he shrugs, “but that’s how it goes sometimes.” He abruptly goes serious, the levity leaving his expression. “Calm down and put the knife away before I make you, brat.”

I don’t lower the knife, maintaining my stance as I maintain eye contact with him. Izumi is uneasily looking between us before she clears her throat. “Usagi, he’s actually our new heroics teacher, and our godfather. Gran Torino.”

I hum, my eyes narrowing as I take in the new information. And doesn’t that just stir up old memories. “Gran Torino,” I say slowly. “An exceptional pro hero who debuted several decades ago. Quirk: Air Jets. It allows him to shoot jets of air from his feet that he used for both movement and close-ranged combat techniques. Worked alongside the hero known as Maverick-” he visibly startles when I mention the dead woman’s name, causing me to tilt my head curiously at him and file away the information. “-and worked as the heroics teacher at UA for two years after her death. At the time it was theorized that he was taking the time to grieve, though after All Might’s meteoric rise in Japan’s hero rankings, others became convinced that he saw Yagi's potential and wished to nurture it in place of his fallen mentor. After he graduated, Gran Torino retired from his position at UA and resumed regular hero work until he unofficially retired fifteen years ago.”

I stare at the wide-eyed man for a moment of silence before sighing and letting my knife vanish back inside my sleeve. I let myself drop back into my seat where Himi climbs into my lap and gives me a peck on the lips, which I return before turning back to raise an eyebrow at the man. “I suppose that you can’t be a worse teacher than Eraserhead, so feel free to take your shot.”

The man who apparently is my godfather just stares at me for several minutes before finally shaking his head and approaching the podium at the front. “Damn, I can see why you’re such a capable villain. If you’ve got that kind of information on an old man like me , I can only imagine what you have on the heroes who are actually active today.”

I shrug as I feel Himi dig her fangs into my neck. “I blame the HPSC’s need to portray heroes as celebrities. Everyone knows that celebrities don’t have privacy, so it’s really easy to get information on them. Especially with how hungry the media always is for a story.”

Gran Torino nods sagely. “You’re right about that,” he agrees before smiling widely at the class. “Which is why today’s lesson is going to be about how to handle the media's attention, both good and bad! You brats are definitely going to need that training sooner than the older kids.”

“Because we got attacked?” Sero asks a glare in my direction. He really needs to change up his drugs, because what he has clearly isn’t working to relax him.

“That’s right,” Gran Torino acknowledges easily. “But it’s also because the Big Buffoon was your teacher before he ran off with his tail between his legs.” I perk up at his disparagement of the number one hero even as others criticize the teacher’s criticisms, which he waves off. “The man didn’t know what was going on in his own house, then instead of properly dealing with it when he did finally figure it out, he chose to run away. Then he did it again with all of you! I knew the man before he became a Symbol, something that too many of you seem to forget he is .”

The hero glares at the students, quieting them. “All Might may be the Symbol of Peace, but first and foremost, he is a mere mortal.”

I feel a grin stretching across my face. I think I’m going to like this flasher.

Chapter 108: Cookies

Summary:

Izuku makes cookies.
Kaminari regrets everything.

Notes:

Hey all! Just a quick heads up that the UA arc is FINALLY going to come to an end in like 6-ish chapters before we swing by I-Island and the Summer Camp.
I'll admit that I dragged this on for way too long, but I'm just about done touching on everything that I actually wanted to do with Izuku being at UA, so look forward to that.

I hum happily to myself as I bend down to open the oven and nod after giving one of the red-tinged chocolate chip cookies and one of the normal looking cookies each a quick poke to make sure their texture is good. A minute later the oven is off and the cookies are set aside to cool. I let out a content sigh, taking off my ‘Drain the chef’ apron and hiding it on top of the cupboards. Don’t want to give Kachan the opportunity to blow it up. A fact that irritates me to no end given he destroys the possessions of the other hero students too when he’s mad at them, and still nothing has been done about him! Eraserhead really doesn’t care what goes on in the dorms as long as nobody brings the problems up with him, and I have to wonder yet again how he’s a teacher. Also, why ? He mostly sleeps through every class anyways!

I shake my head, heading up to the dorm rooms I share with Himi and Eri, though she obviously has her own bedroom so that she doesn’t see anything she shouldn’t. Blood, killing, etc? Perfectly fine. Anything in the category of sex? Absolutely not! She’s far too young, and will continue being too young for the next two decades! Maybe even longer!

I ignore the blonde taped to the wall and screaming into the tape covering his mouth with casual experience, just taking satisfaction in the fact that the traps I laid for the prick are continuing to prevent him from harassing my family. Then again, Himi has asked me if she could stab him a few times… I asked if she was interested in drinking his blood and recording him doing embarrassing stuff, but she said that she has standards on what she puts in her body. Which is honestly the biggest insult she can give to a person considering that she’s literally drunk blood that tastes like dirt before.

Ignoring him though, I walk into our dorm and smile at the sight that greets me. Himi has managed to get Eri awake enough that she could get her bathed and dressed, though she’s clearly falling asleep where she is, eyes closed and head nodding. Which isn’t unreasonable, considering how comfortable Himi makes people whenever she does their hair. It looks like Eri will be going to Fuyumi’s class with braids today!

“Hey girls,” I say to announce my presence, “breakfast cookies are ready~!” My words have the immediate effect of waking Eri up fully, and she tries to jump to her feet and rush downstairs only for Himi’s arm to wrap around her waist and hold her still in her lap.

“Nope~!” My girlfriend chirps, tapping Eri’s nose with her free hand before going back to braiding her hair. “You need to wait until we’re done here for cookies! And you still have to eat actual breakfast food too!”

Eri pouts for a moment before perking up. “Apples?” She asks without turning her head. Himi hums for a moment, an exaggerated thinking look on her face.

“I guess that you can have apples for breakfast…” She trails off thoughtfully. “But! Only in exchange for hugs!” She pulls her hands away and nods, satisfied with her work.

“Deal!” Eri shouts before spinning on Himi’s lap and giving her a tight hug. Before Himi can wrap her own arms around the girl and trap her for a group hug of indeterminate length, she’s out of her lap and leaping at me with her arms outstretched. Now, I could turn this into a game where she has to chase me down to give me a hug and earn her breakfast of cookies and apples, but I’m honestly just too happy that both of them are here with me. Still, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to let my little unicorn out of my hug that easily!

She squeals and wiggles in objection as I keep my arms around her and walk towards Himi, who is making grabby motions with her hands and a glint in her eye. “Nooo! The cookies and apples!”

I chuckle as I arrive at my girlfriend, and she works with me to engulf our daughter in a hug sandwich, muffling her protests. “There will still be cookies when we get down there, don’t worry,” I lean down to whisper conspiratorially in her ear, “And even if all the ones on the counter are eaten, I made sure to hide a few just to make sure that you’ll get some.”

She beams up at me the best she can, squished as she is between us; four arms and Himi’s chest in the way. “Thank you, Papa!”

I chuckle before Himi and I finally let the little snowball go, starting our journey to the kitchen. “Of course, Eri. Now let's eat!”

Of course, when we do get to the kitchen (all of us casually ignoring the still hanging blonde) we’re greeted by an…unexpected?…sight. Yaoyorozu is happily munching on the red-tinged cookies, alongside Jiro, Ashido, and Kaminari. Contrary to the other three whose faces show clear uncertainty in how they taste, the heiress herself clearly loves them, if the enthusiasm she shows in grabbing another is anything to go by.

Which has me blinking. I exchange a surprised glance with Himi before a pout overtakes her face and she darts forward, snatching up most of the remaining red cookies. Yaoyorozu looks like she’s going to object, but I speak up before she can. “So, Yaoyorozu, enjoying those cookies? I made them myself.”

She looks at me, back to the cookies that Himi is currently stuffing in her mouth, then back to me, and her eyes light up. Meanwhile, Eri has sidled past all of us to grab a normal cookie off of a plate and is happily munching on it while Ashido coos at her. “Good morning, Usagi, and yes, they are rather tasty. Surprisingly so, actually. May you be so kind as to share the recipe with me?”

I hum, nodding thoughtfully. “Right, right…” I tilt my head side-to-side, considering what to do about this before shrugging. “Quick question, could you make a staff for me? Just the one you’d usually make for yourself whenever you need one is fine.”

She’s taken aback by my sudden request, blinking confusedly, but does so all the same before staring at the weapon with furrowed brows. “That… did not take as much of my reserves as it usually does,” the ponytailed girl says slowly, making me nod.

“Right…” I clap my hands, drawing both her and the audience’s attention. “So! Good news, bad news, and neutral news. Which would you like first?”

“Um,” She hesitates, her gaze shifting to the cookies Himi has almost finished off, peering at the last two on the plate intensely. “I suppose… the bad news?”

There’s really no other way to say this, so I’m just going to be blunt. “You’ve been incredibly inefficient with your quirk.” I say straight away. “Which means that either the quirk counselor you went to when you were little was an idiot, or your parents purposefully lied to you about what powers it.”

The confusion in her eyes immediately shifts into a glare of anger and indignation. “My parents would not lie to me about my quirk.” Her cold voice is that of someone having to stop themselves from attacking another person, though she visibly relaxes when I nod along with her.

“Oh, I agree. They didn’t seem to be the types to care all that much about what a person’s quirk is so long as they could do whatever job needed to be done. But I also doubt that whatever quirk counselor they took you to as a child would have been an idiot considering how rich your family is. So it’s more likely that your quirk counselor let their own prejudices influence their assessment of your quirk and they made an active effort to hide certain details of it.”

The girl frowns, but before she can get too deep into thought on what her quirk counselor was like I continue. “The good news is that I know what your quirk actually powers itself off of!”

She doesn’t lose her frown, but she does raise an eyebrow. “So, you say that, not only have I been operating my quirk using a sub-par fuel source, but you also know what it is I actually use?” She shakes her head. “You’ll have to forgive me if I have my doubts about such a claim.”

I nod and wave a hand dismissively. “Oh, absolutely. This is completely ridiculous. But, well…” I raise a hand and point at the cookie Himi is reluctantly holding out towards the heiress, who snatches it and takes a bite almost before she even realizes she’s done so. “The fact that you’re so eager to eat the cookies I made specifically for Himi is kind of a big clue as to what your quirk actually wants to use for its fuel source.”

She blinks at me, her eyes darting between me, the half-devoured cookie in her hand, and Himi before coming to rest on me once again. “Usagi…” She says slowly, dread seeping into her voice. “What did you put in the cookies?”

Kaminari just looks confused - maybe with a little concern mixed in, but he probably figures that whatever I put in the cookies can’t be too bad since I was planning to give them to Himi - but Jiro is starting to get distinctly green , which makes me tut and wag a disapproving finger at the girl. “Don’t you know that it’s rude to eavesdrop, Jiro?” She just deadpans at me and flicks her jacks, causing me to nod. “Understandable.”

I turn back to Yaoyorozu and press the palms of my hands together. “I’m just going to come out and say the neutral news: I put my blood in those cookies, and since you could use your quirk more efficiently after eating them, Creation most likely only pulls its energy from your fat reserves because you haven’t ever really given it what it wants in order to work.” I shake my head, a bit bemused, honestly.

“If I’m correct - and I’m fairly certain that I am - then your quirk has basically been operating as if it were being starved of nutrients, which would also explain how you manage to get away with eating so little compared to other people who actively utilize their body’s resources to create things, such as when Shoji chooses to grow extra limbs.”

She stares at me, silent, her mouth hanging open at the possible revelation. “I… have a blood quirk?” She asks, dazed. I shrug.

“I mean, it kind of makes sense when you think about it. You use resources from your body to create permanent structures, and blood is very much a hodgepodge of different molecular materials.”

Before she can react anymore, two very different, very distinct things occur. One: Himi leaps at the raven-haired heiress and wraps her arms around her while squealing about them being ‘blood buddies’, startling Ashido who was so busy with Eri's cuteness that she completely zoned out of the conversation. Two: Kaminari runs over to the trash can and throws up, most likely from the realization that the cookies he ate contained human blood. Jiro is honestly handling it surprisingly well, what with managing not to throw up despite turning an interesting shade of green. Impressive.

Notes:

Yes, I turned Momo's quirk into one that's supposed to have her drinking blood. She doesn't eat nearly enough for her quirk to actually only work from her fat reserves.