Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mitsuki rolls her neck, looking around the fancy restaurant from the entrance. She practically feels underdressed, even though she and Masaru were in some of their best clothes.

She could see some people she faintly recognized from tv, magazine covers, and those people who had that background recognizability that meant they did something on camera. The people she didn’t recognize were board-room types, or others who moved things around in the background. Of course, that didn’t mean they had any less power than their dining mates. They were all having lunch, enough ambient noise from conversations that everyone had the veneer of privacy. And yet Inko was the one who’d invited them here, when she’d have taken one look at the menu prices in this place and fainted a year ago…

But a lot changes in a year, apparently. So much that Mitsuki isn’t sure she’d recognize herself, if she’d had the chance. A year of slowly escalating villain attacks, a League of Villains forming after long enough. Her son, the boy she raised, was such a menace that her closest friend felt she couldn’t tell her…

Mitsuki turns when the front door of the restaurant opens, Inko striding in. She looked freshly put together, as if she’d only been pulled out of the box that morning. Even when she’d gone to school events when it was them and the boys, she didn’t try as hard to look so professional. As if the layer of frump wasn’t a mask, ready to be tossed aside at the first opportunity.

And it’s a small wave of silence that makes Mitsuki realize that people notice Inko’s arrival. And unlike when she was just Izuku’s parent, or ‘some lawyer at that one firm’, people were looking as she smiled at Mitsuki. “Mitsuki, Masaru, it’s been too long. Please, how have you been doing?”

Mitsuki quickly puts on a smile, things becoming a bit easier as Inko puts up a pleasant facade. “Good, actually. Masaru’s getting offers to work at big name restaurants, and it’s not just because our brat placed in the Sports Festival. It’s a hassle, trying to help keep a schedule for him. And I hear Nedzu’s been working you to the bone?”

A waiter begins walking them over to a table, Inko waiting until they’re seated and opening a menu before continuing the conversation. “Oh, I have it a bit rougher than the other Consultants for the other Courses. All Might and Gran Torino are organizing continued Hero work around exercises for the Older Classes, and there are four different Support Heroes who consult for different sections of their Course. And Nedzu, who plucks some talent from Support and Business to man some of his side projects. I’m having a look over the rest, basically proof reading his web of schemes…”

“I didn’t know he was part spider, too.” Masaru murmurs that little comment, Mitsuki trying not to snort while Inko chuckles at that. He stays hidden in the menu, or was maybe engrossed in wonderfully unique options.

“Yuuei is practically a multinational corporation, at this point. Nedzu has more than one Support Lab he allows graduated Support Students to join to work for until bigger shops invite them, and fresh Business Course Students try to sell successful inventions and raise those Support Students up. Successful sales go to other Hero schools, even going to neighboring country’s schools in China and South Korea.”

Mitsuki nods, hardly able to imagine the span of something so complicated sounding. Some of Masaru’s cooking methods and favorite dishes were complicated enough that she just smiled and ate, accepting she’d never understand it. Inko was not only sitting at the table while Nedzu cooked, she was doing everything but flipping the meat in the skillet to brown. “That… Yeesh, I need a drink just thinking about this.”

“Oh, agreed.” Inko speaks with a bit of a laugh, but an obvious air of exhaustion as well. The waiter comes over, seemingly waiting for something to that effect to be said as his summons.

Masaru helps them pick a wine that compliments their choice of dishes, the waiter quickly leaving while only collecting the other two’s menus. He still looks over his menu for a moment, before setting it down to talk with Inko. “I heard you were putting together something big, against Endeavor. You were the one who’s been authoring these reports, coming out about him?”

Mitsuki can practically see the comically large sweat drops dot Inko’s head, as she reaches up to scratch at her chin. “Well, I did a minor one. But other Statistics Majors smelled a pattern to chart, and began collecting records and putting together complimentary reports. I just wanted something like this to be talked about; I hate to admit it, but things have gotten carried away from where I started this little pet project.”

Mitsuki shakes her head, her eyes flickering down to the hand. And she can’t help but tilt her head, Inko’s ring finger conspicuously empty. Before she can comment on that, Masaru continues. “Just like Izuku, whenever a new Hero breaks onto the scene. He just had to fill a notebook page on them, like a Compulsion.”

Inko nods, but Mitsuki can see an eyebrow twitch. Inko takes a moment, clearly noting a thought before changing gears. “Yes, well that’s actually doing him quite a few favors. Nedzu actually had him do some Analysis work as an elective of sorts, for his Hero Course Classmates and the Third Years. I’m told they’re the sort of thing he could sell, as a very nice side business.”

Mitsuki has known Inko for long enough, to spot the woman’s tells. She has some uncomfortable business she needs to talk about, but wants to exhaust everything else first before she gets to it. So the blonde smiles, leaning in. “With how that Quirk of his wrecks his body, he needs something to do while recovering. Good thing he’s at Yuuei, or Recovery Girl’s bill would be through the roof.”

“Yes, Shuzenji has been such a reassuring presence during his training. But it’s actually the rest of the class’s efforts helping him, gaining all this basic Quirk Control advice, that’s really helped him tap into all of that.” Inko lets out a visible sigh of relief, Masaru nodding as the waiter returns with the appetizer and bottle of wine.

“Inko, could I ask you a favor?” Mitsuki leans in as Masaru opens the bottle, Inko looking at her with a bit of a raised eyebrow. “The brat tells me that he’s doing well in his classes, that everything’s going great. And… Well, We both know I have reason to disbelieve that, now. So how is he really doing?”

Mitsuki knows they can’t talk about why she can’t trust what Bakugo says to her, trying to give it distance. Because she’s tried apologizing, but every word feels hollow. ‘Inko, I’m sorry my son physically tormented your son, and made his life a living hell. Lunch Date next Sunday?’

Inko grins faintly, picking up her wineglass after Masaru fills it. “He’s doing well in the courses, I can say. He’s ranked third in Academics behind Iida and Yaoyorozu, and rated Second in Physical Hero Training behind only Todoroki. Socially… He’s prickly, but that’s how he always was. He’s actually made some very good friends, Iida and Todoroki included.”

Mitsuki tries not to let her eyes flicker to Masaru, picking up her own glass as Inko takes a dainty sip. “Iida… Oh, Ingenium’s younger brother, yeah? And Endeavor’s Youngest… All three of them, in the same friend group? Eraserhead is going to be grayer than Gran Torino before Christmas, if he makes it that long.”

Inko suppresses a snort of laughter, Mitsuki instantly knowing they’ve been picturing the same thing. “Katsuki is actually a very nice young man, when he’s not getting in his own way. There’s another student in the class, Sato. He was in the Totem Stacking side event of the Sports Festival, who did that condor totem almost single-handedly? Both of them are helping with the kitchen duties for the kids, and actually making sure they eat something other than ramen.”

“Damn straight…” Masaru looks away when Mitsuki looks at him, that murmur from him speaking volumes. “He said he and that Gravity girl are also getting along? After their match, even?”

“Yes, Uraraka is practically the glue that holds those three boys together. It makes sense; a girl who can control gravity has three of the strongest boys in the class orbiting her.” Mitsuki can imagine it, even seeing a secret reason for matching her up against Katsuki in the tournament round. The girl who uses soft power to control people, and her boy who was disturbingly like Endeavor with his style of Hero.

“Cheers to that.” Mitsuki raises her glass to Inko, the two of them clinking glasses before taking a healthy sip. “Speaking of wrapping a boy around your fingers…”

“What you and Masaru do together is your business…” Masaru almost chokes on his drink, Mitsuki almost shocked Inko would be so out of pocket.

“Please. I didn’t want to say anything, but I see you aren’t wearing your ring. And the magazines are spinning rumors that a certain Number One Hero’s Secretary took a romantic flower garden walk with you…”

Mitsuki can see a flash of hurt behind Inko’s quick smile, getting her second hint that something was wrong. “Oh, please. We’re just colleagues… Maybe he’s expressed interest, but neither of us are quite ready for a committed relationship. All Might runs poor Yagi ragged every day, and Hisashi…”

Normally, Mitsuki would wait for a third sign before saying anything. But Inko seems to signal to her, so she bites the lure she was casting. “Let me guess, he’s had meetings whenever you try to call, and he gets back to you when his schedule’s free?”

“Actually… I haven’t heard from him in quite a while.” Inko lowers her voice, saying it like a shameful confession. “And with… Well, with Izuku getting into the Sports Festival, I thought he might try to reach out. Maybe he lost his phone, so some time was expected. But… I don't want to be alarmist, but Nedzu is having everyone be a little paranoid with all this League business.”

Mitsuki shudders, bringing her glass over for a refill as Masaru begins pouring himself one. “Oh, I can’t go a day without some terrifying new headline. Kids going missing, Stain copycats popping up here and there, the Creature Rejection Clan doing something disgusting. Everyone’s still confident the Heroes will stop villains and the League… But after that big attack in Hosu, there’s that tension, you know?”

“After seeing some of Nedzu’s projections, believe me I know. That’s half the reason for Nedzu throwing open one of his warchests. All those Support Companies, where students can patent and improve on designs? He’s sending out goodies to all the other hero schools, and recommending hires like Gran Torino to them too. The next couple of years of Hero Student are going to make All Might look like Death Arms… I say it with love, Masaru!”

Masaru rears his head at that comment, narrowing his eyes at Inko at that slight against his personal favorite hero. Mitsuki rolls her eyes, swirling her glass. “Good. It’s felt like the Heroes have been leaning too much on All Might showing up, if they can’t get the job done. I’m not saying we need a new All Might after forty years, but having two or three half All Mights wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

Inko represses a fit of laughter, setting her glass down as their food comes over. “If other Hero Schools are doing half as well as Yuuei, then we’ll be doing better by this time next year.”

-

Nedzu steeps another pot of tea, looking away from the complicated chart of all the information he’s tracking just for Class 1-A. He was the ‘owner’ of seven in-house Support Companies, three Advertisers, and two Shipping Arms of Hero and General-Ed students responsible for making sure the Support Items made it to their destinations. And he had investments in several others, routinely getting updates or sending in notes about previous updates… How was the newest Hero Class so high maintenance, that all of that was his escape?

He had eighty Hero Students in the higher years, out on nearly sixty work studies throughout the year. Nedzu didn’t know which universal force to thank that several were doubling or tripling up at agencies, if only to save some space on the other charts he keeps. And he’d hardly had half the scope of problems with the Third Years in their entire careers, with only one minor incident during their First Year Winter Finals to even compare directly.

Only the maintenance of the school was a singularly larger task, with just the Cafeteria and the U.S.J. being an endeavor most other Hero schools would boggle to see the annual upkeep of. That first one was mostly Lunch Rush’s salary, but the man knew to charge for desperately needed skills. Feeding three hundred and sixty students at least two meals a day, plus offering the nearly seventy staff members three meals per day if they needed it, at least six days a week wouldn’t have been cheap or easy even if Nedzu pinched pennies.

Frankly, Nedzu is desperately hoping that ‘Jin Bubaigawara’ would be willing to accept a very luxurious position Nedzu’s already begun faking history for. Having at least one more Nedzu just to chat with, let alone coordinate with, would be such a weight off his shoulders… It would also reduce the time table if he ever really pursued world destruction from thirty days to eleven, but then there wouldn’t be nearly as many brain-teasers to fill the time.

Like determining the identity of the good Bubaigawara. It had taken him nearly two months, and multiple hours studying footage of the destroyed Doubles from his Quirk, before he’d been able to find anything. And the notes were clearly out of date; The Quirk registry hadn’t been updated in almost a decade, and the man could clearly make more than just two duplicates. Hana Shigaraki had been spotted in four places across the world simultaneously, and Nedzu was impressed she’d restrained herself from wearing a carmine trench-coat and matching fedora.

Though, the Doubles seemed to be unable to take more than basic strain. The NoMu doubles in Hosu had all barely taken a strike to be destroyed, creating the new problem of copious amounts of mud in a leaning tower. Of course, the League attacked one of the most illustrious gatherings in Japanese Hero History, to eulogize Endeavor’s mud-stained career… Nedzu pauses, wondering if the ‘mud-slinging’ was intentional commentary or not.

That thought waved away, Nedzu could see the major benefits of that Quirk in other ways. Oh sure, two or three Izuku’s might not be able to use One for All without immediately exploding, or even use Heal effectively. But the boy’s non-combat skills copied onto just a second Midoriya? Oh, how terrifying to imagine, if a Nedzu and Izuku pairing were left with nothing but time to scheme together. It might only take a week to bring the world into his paws…

But those plans were somewhat ruined, following the League’s Actions. Multiplying the Mayhems, who appeared to have at least noteworthy proficiency in Hacking, into a unit of dangerously coordinated Hacktivists was already dangerous. Why, a Nemuri or four would be able to pacify the entire Sports Festival Stadium in a matter of minutes. And Ectoplasm… Nedzu shudders to think, wondering how many Clones a Double of Ectoplasm could manufacture. And since it was at least Quadruples, maybe Sextuples if some evidence was to be believed… Regardless, his schemes would now have to account for much more variance, until Bubaigawara and his Quirk could be brought into the fold.

The man seemed to have no practical experience in teaching, but Nedzu had already fabricated a janitorial job that he hadn’t thought he needed. But Shuichi Iguchi was proving more than useful, and Bubaigawara would serve equally well. He’d similarly need to be working closely under a Hero, if not be leashed to Aizawa as a precaution.

Even if some of the Hero teachers couldn’t reasonably be copied, duplicates of the other staff would be so useful… and copies of certain students… Like Yaoyorozu… Oh, now that was an academic question. Would a double of Yaoyorozu be able to mass produce items until starvation? Was there some sort of block her Quirk put up, or was it just studious dedication? And would those items disappear if their creator disappeared, carrying the temporary nature of their manufacturer with them?

Nedzu shakes his head, waving away even more hypotheticals before he can be swarmed by them. Goodness, the tea’s already started steaming as he lets his mind wander. He carefully pours himself the next fresh cup, letting it cool as he moves back to that thought of recruiting the League of Villains.

Could someone like the male Shigaraki be saved? Nedzu had yet to see evidence, but that’s what Hound Dog and Recovery Girl would determine, as the health professionals. Nedzu would be more in line with the Commission’s idea of punishment, but could probably be convinced to seek lighter punishments if his story proved compelling enough.

Magne and Compress had complicated rap sheets, but Magne was already being stacked with all the charges from that CRC base. So the records couldn’t be completely believed, and only a personal interview could be trusted. Nedzu was well aware of the struggles of people who dared away from the heteronormative hegemony, especially someone who found their gender presentation a hurdle. Thirteen shared some sympathies for the villainess, but Magne would have to be subdued all the same until a conversation could be had.

And Compress himself… Nedzu could see some uses for him, if he was willing to keep his Black Hat firmly on his head. Besides which, he and Snipe… Nemuri was more of the type to surmise about their relationship, but all of the staff knew something worth gossiping about happened. Something Shouta and Hizashi seemed to know a bit deeper, after a drunken incident that had somehow.

This ‘Bansa’ seemed like a sympathetic woman, from the little Nedzu dug into her. A high society woman, unexpectedly exposed to the tribulations of street level life on a very bad day. Her husband getting caught with his hand in the Trigger Trade, her reputation ruined without a moment to save it. Her attempt to get some financial control was overturned by an unknowing Endeavor, giving that final push to just accept the title of Villain already painted in Scarlet letters across her back.

And Touya Todoroki… Oh, the novels Nedzu could fill with that. A young man, supposedly uninterested in being molded into the toy soldier Enji Todoroki would use to satisfy his nearly thirty year chase after All Might’s shadow. And considering he was only in his mid forties, Nedzu truly hates to imagine what arrangements the Todoroki and Himura families reached for the union between Enji and Rei. But that toy soldier refused to march to the beat, even once Enji had other siblings to menace who didn’t have nearly the level of power Touya did.

Because seeing the evidence of Dabi's crime sprees every so often, Enji had forced the boy into learning basic skills, which over a decade out on the streets honed into their own deadly arsenal. Deadly for their wielder too, if reports were to be believed. Nedzu shakes his head, wondering how agonizing it must be to have a Fire Quirk trapped in an Ice Quirk user’s body.

How strange it must be, to finally be working under his Father again.

Enji would never have imagined himself the villain in his darkest nightmares, but All for One was seemingly where Nightmares go to Breach Reality. Nedzu pulls up the chart as he sips his tea, shaking his head in consternation at the trail of bodies and blood supposedly linked to him.

One for All had a way of making its way from Hero to Hero, quickly making them the talk of their age. All for One seemed to have a similar pattern, taking new bodies when it suited him or his machinations. What he wanted in the large scope, Nedzu still had yet to find; besides some nebulous ‘World Domination’, there didn’t seem to be a larger plan. But with their theory that he’d set himself on taking Endeavor as his next meat puppet, Nedzu knew it was only a matter of time before the whole world would find out.

And Izuku Midoriya was probably going to be the lynchpin in stopping that. As much as Nedzu didn’t want to, desperate to spare this poor Quirkless fifteen year old any more agony, he couldn’t find a suitable path. All for One purposefully obscured his history, so Nedzu only had speculation on some forty Quirks he might have. And no one could singularly withstand that, let alone anything but an army of the Top Heroes of Japan.

And Toshinori Yagi was quickly losing the flickering flame of his torch. While Izuku continued to grow his light, Toshinori was only just now stabilizing from a devastating nosedive. But that plane would crash, leaving lots of hopes up to a Boy who already held himself to an impossible standard.

And Class 1-A had already been crossed by that villain’s shadow too many times. Shouto Todoroki and his family tragedy being pulled nearly to the center of the storm, Iida Tenya and Momo Yaoyorozu having family members attacked by the Hero Killer Stain. Denki Kaminari, and his possibly unwitting alliance with Mayhem and Dabi, having taken him from this very school in the guise of caretakers, after the U.S.J. incident. Ojiro Mashirao, Katsuki Bakugou, and Hitoshi Aizawa all, and the social pressures inching them towards different shades of villainy.

And Nedzu wasn’t going to allow them to be needlessly harmed, so long as his chimeric heart beat in his chest. There would be pains, of course. But Nedzu wasn’t laboring under the delusion his metaphorical plane would have a smooth landing. But there were chances to pull out of this nosedive, chances that required several long term plans to not be interrupted. And when they inevitably were, Nedzu had options to brunt their failures as well.

But like many beloved games, he could construct fanciful strategies all he wanted. Until he matched up with someone of equal talent, he couldn’t be sure what the actual result would be, nor whom fortune favored until the metaphorical dice started to roll. And the first several rolls hadn’t been favorable, or even kind.

But when luck and skill failed, there was one last resort… So Nedzu was going to start cheating, and stack the deck in favor of the students. Of the staff, and all the families who’d tied their fate to this school. Of all the Pro Heroes and Support Staff in Japan, anxiously looking for someone to straighten the plane and begin soaring again. Of himself, if there was time… And if there wasn’t, then someone needed to be ready to make that sacrifice.

-

Shouta pulls his baseball cap low, keeping his eyes up as he searches everywhere that can watch the alley he was told to slip into. Normally, that would be an even bigger red flag than the vermillion flood that the past four months had been. But when two sweeps while he pretends to drink a coffee and look at his dead phone reveal nothing, he takes his chance and crosses the street.

Shouta slips down the quiet Shizuoka alleyway, looking like a basic break between a few shops. But Shouta can see a portion that oddly broke some graffiti on it, making a very obvious narrow passage once he presses in on it. He does another check behind him, before pushing the brick wall in and walking into a narrow hallway.

He walks into the unused storage room of some hipster clothing store, a bit surprised by the company already here. He sees Ms. Joke and Mr. Brave, both similarly dressed down and incognito. Emi’s growing her hair out a bit, her green hoodie down to show her green hair tied up in a high ponytail. Whereas Yuuki’s was in the usual high spikes, though he’s starting to let some grow across his chin.

Shouta stops when he sees the other two, quickly trading information while they have the time. Partially because of an aggravation he’d been expecting, and a surprise he wasn’t sure was entirely good. “Nighteye, Edgeshot. A surprise to see the two of you here, in person.”

Kamihari’s eyes flicker to him as he speaks, Shouta unsure if he was startled by his approach or not. Sasaki reaches up to adjust his glasses, Shouta briefly sees the man’s eyes without the faint purple gleam of Foresight active, and is quick to avoid them in case he hasn’t used it yet today. “Shouta, good. This concerns you the most, though the rest of the Underground needs to be updated.”

Shouta takes a breath, reaching up and pulling his hood off. He pulls his hair out of his collar, leaning against a wall and letting his eyes rest while he has the chance. “I also have an update. I’ve acquired a second stalker in two weeks, and I’m only eighty percent sure it isn’t either Mayhem or the League of Villains.”

Emi gives an awkward chuckle, slowly realizing Shouta’s entirely serious. “Yeah, right… Wait, really? How can you tell?”

Shouta reaches into his pocket, pulling out his bottle of eyedrops. He takes a second to look at the four, appraising mostly grim acceptance before he applies the drops. “Picking up missing patrol hours, as the Commission decreed. Noticed the first one started following me about after that Italian fortuneteller's disappearance, but I figured that was just people like Kizuki Chitose, from some rag. The second stalker… I’m half convinced it’s two, trading who’s doing it night by night.”

“How soon after Maestra? Two days, or three?” Shouta takes a moment as the drops profuse his eyes, then looks at Mirai as the man seems to be trying to confirm something. He adjusts in his white suit jacket, him and Kamihari both wearing their typical identifiable Hero outfits.

He stares at his former ally, wanting to figure out his angle before giving up anything. Considering the last time he’d been able to act on half information, he’d had to go and reveal everything to his students… Well, part of everything. “Wednesday night, if I’m correct. Part of your update?”

“I think so… I have reason to believe that you and Miko, of the Hero Commission, might be targets of someone in the Quirk Reactivity Business.” Mirai pulls out a set of thumb drives, holding them out for everyone to take.

Shouta takes a moment, internalizing that information for a long second. So the woman who was standing in Endeavor’s shadow, trying to minimize the damage of his fall before he’d been kidnapped in Hosu, was feeling eyes on her as well. More of the Commission being paranoid of Nedzu? Or was Mirai going out on a limb again?

“Um… Kinda needed to talk about that, too.” The four men in the room look to Emi, who produces her own data to pass around. “Over around Ketsubutsu, there’ve been a couple of incidents with Anti-Quirk bullets. I managed to grab one guy’s gun before he fired it, and it got analyzed before the chemicals broke down. So we now know that; their anti-Quirk bullets have a short shelf life, so they get them and use them quickly. And they wear off within an hour, though it’s been getting a little longer each time one of them gets used.”

“I got a look at the deeper report, since I’m the Commission and Police Chief’s Liaison.” Kamihari offers that information freely, not seeming to have brought scans of his information with him. “If I were to suppose on Nighteye’s theory, then the Yakuza are using samples of Anti-Quirk Quirks as the agent in these bullets. And whatever supply they have, it’s either drying up or insufficient.”

Yuuki looks over at Shouta, then over at the two older Pros. “Hang on, then why did we ask Aizawa to come all the way out here? If he’s being stalked, then he might have gotten grabbed, or something…”

“A risk I’m constantly taking, Brave.” Yuuki looks over at him, Shouta taking the offered data before sliding it and the bottle of eyedrops into a pocket. “Not any different than when I was out on my Work Study, with Nemuri and…”

Shouta’s voice gets caught in his throat, and he curses his new found glut of emotions. He was supposed to be better than this, not getting tripped up over every little thing. But this year… He wasn’t going to curse finding Hitoshi, but that was the moment everything started changing in him.

“You’ve heard the theory, about Oboro?” Shouta looks up, Kamihari seeing the surprise without Shouta seeing his reaction. The ninja stares at him for a long moment, then looks down. “Well… The Commission isn’t sure of the connection, and is trying to do what research they can on it. But… There’s a theory…”

“Don’t… Don’t say it’s Kurogiri…” Kamihari goes silent, Shouta looking at the ground as he feels that old knife twist in his back. “I hadn’t… But I’d started thinking about it, back when I first saw the Portals when the Press broke into Yuuei. Shigaraki and Mayhem used the press as cover, and I saw the purple mist of a portal in the alley they’d moved to as we cleared the scene. And… I didn’t want to think it was the same Quirk.”

Emi walks over, rubbing shoulders with him while looking around. “So, the Yakuza and the League are going after our friend here. They’ve gone and declared war on the Underground directly, with this. So what the fuck are we doing, standing around here for?”

“Making sure all of us are properly informed, Fukukado.” Shouta looks up at Mirai, who composes himself as he looks around. “The League has succeeded by playing Three Card Monte, and convincing us of the lie that the Queen is ever on the table. The Yakuza might be making a real move against Aizawa, or they may simply be diverting attention from the League as they prepare for whatever Summer Schemes they have. We can’t afford to spread ourselves thinner, when even our best hasn’t proven enough to deal with them.”

Shouta nods, rolling his neck and offering a feral grin to the group. “I’m not the easiest target for them to try and hunt, unless you’ve forgotten. I got trashed by that NoMu, but they were on All Might’s level. That besides, my track record with villains and criminals speaks for itself.”

The others nod, seeming to want to set that awkward conversation aside. Yuuki looks over at Mirai, crossing his arms. “Nothing to report, up in Northern Japan. Nothing the Spotlight isn’t taking care of… Well, maybe a bit. The CRC is stirring up trouble, probably from the League taking out their base.”

Shouta raises an eyebrow, wondering if anyone else was buying that story. Oh, the League would probably kill the CRC to get the practice under their belts. And with what they supposedly knew about Mayhem’s motives, it even fit for her and the villainess Magne to do so in a violent manner.

But the plants, and the lack of disintegrated bodies reported… Shouta knew there was something else going on there, he just wasn’t sure which direction. Was it some NoMu the League was testing, a new member debuting besides Magne, or a Trigger accident by the CRC themselves?

“Yeah, I’ve seen a couple of those. A bunch of CRC members tried to go after the Tokyo Humarise priests, who apparently went and got their hands on Anti-Quirk bullets of their own before the attack. The CRC ambushers had to be scrapped off the pavement, after those guys were done with them.” Emi reports that with a hint of glee, not trying very hard to scrape a grin off her face.

“They committed felony assault and battery, Fukukado. Their lack of Quirks does not change the near lethal means they used, and should in fact highlight their abilities further.” Shouta is surprised by the heat in Emi’s expression, Mirai’s speech stumbling to a halt under her gaze.

Emi crosses her arms, looking at the rest of the room. “I’ve got a dozen Mutant Quirked Hero Students who would have to put up with the CRC’s shit, who feel a little bit safer walking home at night. I’m not going to feel bad for the Government Recognized Hate Group getting their shit rocked, regardless of the people rocking their shit. Humarise is… Kooky, on a good day. But they can have this win, for all I care.”

Shouta sees Mirai turn to him, either for support or to confirm its lack. And… With one of his students seeming to be passively spreading that church’s kinder messages, and the pain he was now aware the CRC inflicted on his students, he wasn’t against them breaking a few arms in self defense. Especially because of the technique of the bodyguard involved; they had almost the same style as him, and had stopped short of long term damage well before Heroes arrived on the scene.

Given they’d also rocked a pair of minor Heroes who mistook them as the aggressors, Shouta was at least slightly less enthused than Emi. “They stopped just short of the point where it’s a problem, since they didn’t go for lethal maneuvers if the reports are true. That’s a concern for the future, not a current problem.”

Mirai takes the concession, straightening out his suit jacket. “Finally, some caution from you. I was afraid All Might’s cavalier attitude was beginning to rub off on you.”

“You’d be the expert on what All Might rubs off on… I’m sorry.” Mirai instantly levels a glare at Emi, who barely manages to finish the thought before she begins giggling to herself…

And for once, Shouta feels himself pulled in by her Quirk. It comes out less ‘laughing at a friend’s joke’, and more ‘the last thing you hear walking down a dark alley at night’. He feels his eyes tearing up, Yuuki shifting a step back as he leans forward, clutching his stomach as he laughs. “Oh… Fuck. I think I needed that…”

“Who are you, and what have you done with our Eraserhead?” Shouta reaches up to wipe away the few tears that escape his eyes, Emi nudging him with her elbow.

He raises back up, flipping his hair back as he looks at the other teacher. “Please, most of your jokes are still terrible. I just really needed… Well, about three bottles of scotch, to start the night with. A laugh or two will have to do, until Summer Break.”

“Might not be much of a break, to the Summer.” Shouta sighs, Mirai turning as Edgeshot breaks the news. “Knowing the Underground might start kicking things up besides, the Commission is talking about more targeted searches for the League. And… Well, any of them become substantially less dangerous without their Quirk.”

Shouta nods, nodding at the Number 4 Hero. “You tell me when, and I’m in. The sooner that’s done with, the sooner I can try to actually get some meaningful rest. Any other information to spread around?”

The others start shaking their heads, Edgeshot holding up a hand. “Actually, I need to have a private conversation with you, Eraser. It’s… Sensitive, to your position in Yuuei.”

Shouta raises an eyebrow, then looks at the others. Mr Brave and Ms Joke both start inching towards the entry hallway, Mirai taking a moment to pull out a notepad and compose notes. He tilts his head, the clothing shop having a back-back room that was the forgotten manager’s office. Kamihari nods, so Shouta leads the way over.

-

Shinya watches Aizawa walk into the abandoned office, looking over his shoulder. He was mostly certain no one from the Commission was watching at this moment, but he couldn’t be sure. There were at least three people who could observe locations from a distance, but this room shouldn’t meet any conditions for them… and Kamihari needed to pass a message along.

Several messages, but while he trusted Aizawa individually, he didn’t trust Nedzu. Aizawa was a skilled younger Hero, someone Shinya remembered watching grow as the teacher’s senior of two years in Yuuei. And as people who’d immediately gotten into Underground work, intentionally avoiding press until it wasn’t possible, they had been aware of each other without making personal connections. That Edgeshot was elevated to the now Number Three Hero in the country was unfortunate, for his abilities to coordinate with members of the Underground.

But that disadvantage balanced out with others, including access to information some would kill for. “The Commission is preparing for different levels of crackdowns, to smoke the League of Villains out. I’m not disposable enough to be used in that regard, but I’m aware plans are forming. You might want to let the Yuuei staff know they may be drafted for… less savory displays, to restore faith in the Commission’s reach.”

Aizawa growls low in his threat, both of them able to imagine what ends the Commission might go to. Even forgiving the presence of the power-loving hands like the Hero Public Safety Commission President Sayaka Kinoshita on the wheel, the Commission had several tools at their disposal to try and regain control. “Last I heard, they were loosening the reins for low level criminals.”

“They’re not so much releasing little fish, as putting them on hooks.” Aizawa takes a second, then nods as Shinya explains. “If they are truly reformed, then the Legal System isn’t wasting resources rehabilitating ordinary citizens. If they return to criminality, then space has been opened up for their connections to be thrown behind bars with the bait. Either way, the Commission has good publicity to spin, should their other plans fail.”

Aizawa sits on the dusty table the manager’s office has instead of a desk, massaging his temple as he considers the other methods the Commission might use. He must have some rumors, some of which Shinya could verify if the man knew how to ask subtly enough. “What other plans do you know about?”

Shinya holds up his hands, counting down several. “Actually going after Mayhem’s long list of targets who’ve gone unpunished for generally disgusting behavior, specifically the rich ones. Apparently, there’s talk of using Civil Asset Forfeiture to take what can be taken from them, whether the perverts and bastards get lawyers or not. Plus a few more Mayhem hasn’t gone after, and seeing if there was any reason for that yet.”

“Broken clocks, and all that; They’re only right for a very short period of time.” Aizawa rolls his eyes, Shinya agreeing with that sentiment. CAF-Laws had been generally rolled back as Heroics had grown in popularity, but not fully repealed. Conveniently, all of them had pauses put on them that could be removed ‘when the situation demands it’.

“General crackdowns on medical research, to see if anything can be linked to the NoMu experiments.” Shinya takes a breath, taking a moment to check his surroundings again before saying the next bit. “After the discovery of a lab of unfinished NoMu…”

Aizawa instantly locks on to that statement, Shinya scanning for a moment before noting its genuine nature. He crosses his arms over his chest, his left hand moving to cover his scarred right elbow. “They found a NoMu lab? How was no one hurt after something like that?”

“The NoMu were somewhere in the middle of the process, and weren’t able to complete. A random electricity grid failure, if you can believe it, might have saved thousands of lives by disrupting this lab’s process. A few notes were recovered, but most Heroes aren’t exactly studying advanced medicine and bio-mechanical horrors in school. Even the best ‘experts’ we can throw together can only begin to understand the processes, telling us what labs or research facilities might have more specialized information.”

Aizawa nods, and Shinya can see him considering details that only Yuuei had. He begins twisting those pieces around, considering questions before looking up in his eyes. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Several reasons. You were hurt by one of these NoMu, so I thought their elimination would bring you some comfort.” Shinya resolutely ignores the existence of ‘Subject Nine’, the human looking NoMu that somehow had a Quirk that let him steal other people’s Quirks. Including one from his sidekick, which made his legitimate concerns about the thing seem personally motivated.

They usually were, but that’s a separate point against that thing not only not being stuck in Tartarus, but being used as a secret Commission asset. Especially bringing in other murderous villains, and being used to assassinate potentially threatening collections of known villain groups, like the CRC.

“No, why are you telling me this?” Shinya jerks back to the present moment, Aizawa studying him. “Not the rest of them, unless you told them before I got here. Either there’s more to say that they shouldn’t hear… Or you specifically want to see my reaction to it, and you’re planning around a bad answer.”

Shinya sighs, Aizawa instantly becomes tense when Shinya shifts how he’s standing. “I don’t want to fight you, Shouta. But everyone’s planning betrayals and backstabs, or just some personal social movements, after seeing how much damage the League can do. I trust you enough to have a solid head on your shoulders, and be able to take the room’s temperature accurately.”

Aizawa flickers his eyes to the door, Shinya taking a step away from it. It was an empty gesture considering how Foldabody worked, because Shinya could kill the other Hero easily. He plays it out in his head, Aizawa probably doing similar math.

Aizawa Erases Foldabody, and rushes the door. Shinya moves to stop him, and stalls him long enough to force the man to blink. Aizawa was a hint better at physical combat, but not good enough to escape him before needing to blink. Then a hand becomes thread, quickly piercing the man through any number of organs or muscles to render him stunned, unconscious, or dead.

The fact that neither of them act is a good sign, one Aizawa moves to capitalize on. “It sounds like you’re one of those people sharpening a knife. Forgive me if I don’t pull my hoodie up, and let you pick the best spot.”

“I’m not asking you to, hopefully. I just want to ask you a reasonable question; can Nedzu be trusted to think of the rest of us as something more than Pawns?” Aizawa stops, and Shinya doesn’t like how it takes several seconds for an answer to form.

Nedzu was many things, Ruthless being disturbingly high on the list. He always twisted the risk away from his current and former students, but seemed more than fine playing games with the rest of the world. Spinning gold from the exchanges across the world, damn the cost to other countries. The rat-bear-mouse had basically limitless funding, spending it to enshroud himself in enigma from even his closest allies.

“He… He’s actually consulted with me, recently.” Shinya isn’t quite expecting that answer, then amends that thought as Aizawa looks him in the eyes. “A man with the world’s most unpredictable Quirk shows up, and Nedzu isn’t going to have me on standby in case he makes a public showing? Besides which, I would have stepped in anyway, out of spite if not protectiveness of my students; that NoMu played me like a fiddle, and half my usefulness disappears if villains think I’m easy prey.”

Shinya nods, almost willing to cut off the conversation here. That told him what he needed to know, or so he thought. Nedzu was pulling strings on people pulling more strings, trying to mastermind a solution to the direct problem in front of him. If he could solve the Hero Commission and Police growing weary of him as well, all the better.

“But if I’ve gone soft, Nedzu has gone liquid since the start of this year.” Shinya raises an eyebrow, and Aizawa huffs a tired laugh at that. “He’s still building deadly defense protocols, and traumatizing students both knowingly and unknowingly. Bakugou and Midoriya… I barely believe half the things he’s done to them, and it’s only the Spring Finals.”

“So you think he’s gotten more… ‘humane’?” Shinya can’t help the play of words, a faint laugh escaping the mask covering his face.

“Maybe. He’s actually asking me, before he does stuff like stake my husband out to be attacked by the League… the Radioshow.” Shinya almost forgot that, three weeks of secretive missions and side projects having chased that from his mind.

What a world, where the League hijacking an interview between a Pro Hero and the HPSC President fades so quickly from people’s minds. “I’d say July can’t be here soon enough, but I have a feeling I’ll regret saying that come August.”

Shouta nods, rolling his neck. “All I can say is that Nedzu seems to be taking a kinder approach this year, like I suddenly am. If that’s a mask he’s putting on, I can’t see the seams around his face.”

Shinya nods, a metaphorical finger lifting from the trigger. He still had a list of sins of the people in power, with old schemes of Nedzu, Police Chief Tsuragamae, and Sayaka Kinoshita noted and ready to expose them. All of them clung to power in their different ways, but held their fire on each other until the threat of All for One can be taken care of.

After that… Shinya is quickly considering what would happen after that, coming to several conclusions in quick order. Hawks is the Number One Hero, it’s just a question of when All Might’s Quirk Burns-Out. Whoever the Commission picked to replace Kinoshita would have to become an expert at The Game, and quickly, because they’d go from a spectator to Hard-Mode in an instant.

Shinya could see Tsuragamae lining up a successor, trying to clean what mistakes he could as his haunting choices drew closer. But while the man had turned his guns to point at Nedzu and Kinoshita over to the Hero, he was still acting as if he was playing The Game. Maybe he was, maybe he was keeping the two from noticing Shinya held his cards now.

The only one who couldn’t be said to have an easy replacement was Nedzu. Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely not a good thing when all those plans spin out of rhythm and collapse without his paws resetting them. And maybe there were some good intentions, hiding under actions that no one could fathom until much after the fact.

But Shinya knew this holding pattern couldn’t stay the same forever. What came next might be worse, but he became a Hero out of some sense of optimism. That bright outlook has faded to a single ember on the wind, after dealing with all the worst of humanity he’s dealt with since he became a Hero.

But that ember was still burning; There had to be something better ahead. And he was the one with the choice to throw the switch, and the responsibility to see it done. “Thank you, for your honesty. Keep your head up, and maybe we’ll be able to go out for drinks soon enough.”

Aizawa nods, and Shinya makes his way out into the backroom of the clothing shop. Mirai had left by now, but Shinya assumed he’d stayed and listened in to at least some part of it. Unfortunate, but fine enough.

Chapter Text

Mashirao takes a deep breath, adjusting his bag on his back. He looks at the principal’s door, wondering which of the several things Nedzu might be summoning him for. His tail curls up around his waist as he leans against the opposite wall, waiting for whatever meeting the rat-bear-mouse was having.

Several minutes drag on, Mashirao missing part of Homeroom for this appointment. Considering they were taking their Exams next week, he appreciated that even less than usual. With how brutal the Midterms had been a month ago (Don’t ask him to solve that math problem, cause he’d do worse than he’d done on the Math Test itself), he wanted as much time to study and review as he could get…

The door slides open, a third year Hero Student he half recognizes walking out. The red-haired girl gives him a mock salute, setting off at a jog to get to whatever the Third Years were doing on a Saturday. Mashirao takes a breath, looking into Nedzu’s office as the door stands open.

“Ojiro, wonderful! Please, come on in.” Nedzu was behind his desk, waving the blond in. He edges in the room, taking a few notes as he moves to the seats in front of the desk. Several folders, sorted by some color system that was beyond him, were sitting over a book in a language Mashirao couldn’t read. The rest of the office had more folders, like Nedzu’s shift to paper records could not be contained to the three tall filing cabinets now along the back wall behind him.

Mashirao slides his bag onto the ground next to his seat, Nedzu watching him expectantly. “So… You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, and offer you congratulations. You upheld our agreement, even as the others in your class began to speculate and panic about the physical Exams. And so, a promise I will deliver on; you all will be taking your Physical Exams next Saturday, staggered thirty minutes between the start of them.”

Mashirao blinks, relaxing slightly when he realizes what this is about. A random visit to his dorm room by the principal, just under a month ago. He’d thought it was just going to be about… Well, the complications of leaving the Dorms, to spend time with his Uncle for his birthday. But instead, it became an assignment of sorts, and it looked like he passed. “I might have asked Izuku about how to see how all the teachers handle combat, for preparation. But that was after Tsu told us how she heard about the Teacher versus Students Exam…”

“It was Asui who learned this?” Mashirao freezes, resisting the urge to bring a hand to his mouth. But Nedzu gives a little tittering laugh, pulling several large bills from his wallet. “Looks like Ryou is winning that bet, then… But good on you, pursuing that information while you had the advantage. Tell me, which teacher do you think you’d match best against?”

Mashirao takes a second, running through the list in his head. Because he’d had weeks to come up with strategies… Which wasn't his strong suit. He could admit that, and that he was primarily good in combat. “Well, you and All Might are automatic losses. Aizawa is a fair fight, which is why I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t match him up against me. Present Mic and Cementos would be hard to get close to, but I have a chance if I close the distance. Not sure about Power Loader, but I’m pretty sure I could match with Ectoplasm, and Midnight if I don’t spend too long in her Quirk’s fog. Snipe probably hurts like hell, but I could probably hold my own against Vlad King if I had a partner…”

“Oh, your Class won’t be matching against Vlad.” Mashirao stops, his thoughts jumbled up by the interruption. “With All Might is participating this year, our usual plans had to be adjusted. We usually have Thirteen substitute for the Homeroom Teachers, but we do need to allow for some flexibility in the schedules. And what a coincidence, considering They will be one of the teachers you’ll be matching with!”

Mashirao blinks, loose plans falling apart like popsicle stick houses as he remembers the teacher from the U.S.J. “Thirteen? Doesn’t she have Black Holes for fingers?”

“They have the ability to generate spontaneous Gravitational Singularities, yes. But worry not, Thirteen is well trained to not grossly endanger the students They have this exercise with. Besides which, Power Loader will be there as well, to both supervise and add to the Test.”

Mashirao takes a moment, nodding as he considers that. The teacher he knew the least about to prepare for, and one he hadn’t prepared anything for at all. So much for that advantage, then. He was going to need a week to prepare anything, especially against them.

“You’ll be challenging the two of them in the U.S.J., along with Iida, Uraraka, and Aoyama. You’ll be taxied to the farthest edge of the Mountain Zone, and you’ll have to make your way out of the U.S.J. through the main front doors. You’ll have an hour to get through the doors, facing whatever traps the teachers set for you… Although, Thirteen will not be triggering any of the U.S.J.’s active challenges during your Exam.” Nedzu looks down at a paper, reading off the conditions for Mashirao.

He then passes the paper across the desk, Mashirao reading over it and nodding. He can feel some hope forming in his chest, actually able to picture passing the test with the listed conditions. “Okay… I think we can work with this.”

Nedzu nods, turning and typing on a wireless keyboard to manipulate his computer. “Excellent! Now, I was hoping you might have time to discuss another matter… One concerning the incident in April.”

Mashirao feels his stomach sink, the breakfast Rikidou had made for the dorm turning to lead. “April… What did you want to talk about?”

Nedzu gives him a moment, and Mashirao isn’t sure whether that was better or worse than quickly moving through this. “Well, let’s make sure we understand each other. The week preceding the Sports Festival, Eraserhead and a number of other Underground Heroes were looking into a lead concerning the League of Villains. This lead was a broker, who had much business tied into illegal matches between people with Mutant Quirks… Including Yourself.”

Mashirao wasn’t expecting the first part, wondering just how much Nedzu might know about what Mashirao had done. A few package deliveries, including one to a sketchy bar in Kamino once, but nothing really bad. “I… I didn’t talk much to the guy who ran it. He scouted me last year, when I was showing some basic moves in my uncle’s dojo.”

“Yes, last year. Meaning the incident in April was not the first incident of this kind, where you participated in unsanctioned matches with others with Mutant Quirks.” Mashirao nods, Nedzu lifting a file up. It looked pretty thin, but that didn't mean it wasn't enough to end his hopes of a Hero career. “Never mind the rocky grounds of Illegal Quirk usage in the case of Mutation Quirks: There are grounds for several charges of assault, conspiracy to commit, and financial fraud. According to this report Nighteye decided to send to me, that was at least the seventeenth match of that nature you participated in.”

“It… It was the twenty-sixth.” Nedzu raised an eyebrow, Mashirao taking a deep breath as his tail tightened around his stomach. There wasn’t any point in lying, given the sheer difference between his ability to hide things and Nedzu's ability to look for it. Might as well get this weight off his chest, here in private. “It… It wasn’t supposed to be that often. But… My Uncle tried so hard to take care of me. But there were times… There were some weeks when the Dojo couldn’t open, or just didn't have any students. If I didn’t join a fight or two, then He would have lost the place last Fall. He and my… My parents built that place…”

Mashirao’s voice gets weaker and weaker through the explanation, trying to ignore the sucking feeling in his chest. Nedzu just lets him go on, Mashirao noticing him reaching for something else under the table…

Nedzu holds out a small box of tissues, setting them on the desk within the student’s reach before retaking his seat. “Your family history was discussed, when I talked with your uncle about your weekend visit to him. And if I had the power to waive all of this away, I would almost do it without a thought. But with additional information presented to me, I need you to understand the edge you’re teetering on. Should anything else like this happen while you’re my student, then actual punishments will be in order.”

Mashirao blinks, unable to stop a tear from escaping his eye in the process. “I… What?”

“This is your first offense while you were my student, so I have some control over this situation while you are in my school. People like Sir Nighteye will judge you, but you have yet to have crossed a line most Underground Heroes are given the discretion to cross on a long term mission. Should anything else of this nature happen while you are enrolled in this school, or after you graduate, then I will have some responsibility in seeing some corrective measures are put into place.” Nedzu pauses, a faint glint in his eyes as he stares at Mashirao.

The student eagerly nods, resisting the urge to prostrate himself in front of the principal. “I… Thank You! Thank You so much, Sir!”

Nedzu nudges the box of tissues closer, seeming to implore the student to take one. “Oh, don’t thank me yet. I have one condition for you, if you would be so kind.”

Mashirao nods, expecting something to pay for everything. He takes a single tissue out, wiping his face and recomposing himself in front of the principal.

“This man, who scouted you. Otuka Kagero, I believe his name is. I’ll need to take that phone number, the one he called you from earlier this month.” Mashirao freezes over entirely, staring at the principal as he announces that in a chipper tone.

Mashirao stands, barely keeping his tail from agitatedly swinging behind him by crushing his stomach tightly. “I… I swear, I haven’t told him anything! I wouldn’t do that, to my classmates! Or you, or Aizawa, or…”

Nedzu nods, waving his paw. “Rest assured, the contents of that call are not my concern. If I were to subject you to monitored communications, I would have the decency to inform you of that. No, I just want to know how he’s contacted you, in our attempts to trace the League. You recall your conversation with Kaminari, wherein he revealed some parts of his history?”

Mashirao takes a moment, his heart beating like a hummingbird as he tries to figure what conversation he could be referring to… Then understands, more confusion driving his thoughts away from rationality. “Denki? He… Oh, when he fried himself a few weeks ago? He said… Wait, so you’d just do this to find the League of Villains?”

Nedzu nods, and Mashirao quickly pulls out his phone. He holds it out, Nedzu taking it and looking over it. “I would like to connect it to my computer, and do a quick backup into my system. Anything unrelated to this matter will be quickly discarded, I assure you…”

“Please, take it.” Mashirao sees Nedzu stumble in confusion, a quiet voice under the ringing in his ears marveling at that. “The League… I’m only good at fighting people, not all this planning and scheming, like you or Izuku and Momo. If I can help you at all, try to end this early, please. I can tell you everywhere a match was, and days he came by the Dojo so you can get him on nearby cameras. Whatever I can do to help.”

Nedzu blinks, Mashirao surprised he was seemingly able to out-think Nedzu twice in the span of a minute. “Well, then… If you’d be willing to assist me for another few minutes, we won’t have to deprive you of your phone. And perhaps you could answer some ancillary questions? I’d rather keep any potential for surprises for the remainder of the year small, and light-hearted.”

-

“So, do you have any other plans for the Break?” Tenya blinks, taking a moment to consider the question.

He and Ochako were just paying for their lunch, Ochako proudly walking away with a moderately full tray from the line. Tenya sees a sort of fire in her eyes, unable to stop a familiar warmth from spreading in his chest. “I am… I’m keeping my options open. Busy schedules besides, I might be spending a bit more time at the dorms, but in a less strict manner than when classes are in session.”

Ochako grins at him, the two of them walking to the table they’d coordinated in class. “That sounds great. After the whole I-Island stuff, I’m not sure what I’m going to do, either. My parents were floating a couple of weekend plans, since the Yuuei Dorm Project’s going to stretch on a little longer.”

“Really? I thought I heard older classes saying they’d be done mid-July.” Ochako blinks, the two of them evidently having heard different things. Not surprising; besides being Hero Students, Tenya tended to attend meetings or gatherings of Business Course Students. A few Third Year Hero Students, looking to see if the Idaten Agency was recovering after his brother’s incident, trying to curry favor with a generally respected Hero Agency.

Meanwhile, Ochako spent some portion of her time with the Support Students, her Quirk being an invaluable aid for some concerningly colossal constructions. “Huh… Maybe some of the dorms need Specialized Accommodations, and they’re keeping their calendar open for that?”

Tenya takes a moment to consider, tilting his head as the quiet corner table already has its two other occupants. Yuga looks up at Tenya, winking as the two boys sit in opposite corners of the table. Ochako takes the other interior seat, her and Yuga taking quick looks around as a couple of people walk by with trays.

Mashirao waits until the two nod to him, Tenya taking a moment to consume a small part of his lunch before the boy pulls out a tightly folded up paper. “So, good news. I know what our Final’s going to be.”

Tenya turns, Yuga leaning in with his hands framing his face. “My, isn’t that a surprise… How did you come across this information?”

“It… It’s a long story, which we can talk about at the dorms. Not… anyways…” Tenya catches Yuga’s eyes sliding to meet his, the two of them noticing Mashirao’s tone carrying a healthy helping of guilt as he tries to brush past the subject.

“So, the four of us… the U.S.J., which is kind of nice. We’ve done a couple of exercises there now, so we know the area… Thirteen and Power Loader?” Ochako reads out the paper to all of them, her extended pinky fingers curling in as she reads the last bit in surprise.

She quickly loosens her grip, the paper hanging in the air for a moment. Yuga and Tenya both reach forward for it, Tenya quickly relenting as the Frenchman pulls it in to review it as well. Ochako looks at the table for a long moment, seeming to consider something as Yuga reads it over. “We’ll start in the Mountain Zone, and make our way to the Main Entrance to escape the exam. Failure to complete it in an hour… Oh Good, Thirteen is restricted in what actions they can use in the exam. At least we can avoid the Conflagration Zone, this time.”

Tenya blinks, his remembrance of the U.S.J. being very different from the rest of the class. He’d barely made it out the doors, barely thirty seconds down the road when the teachers had come rushing in. The others stuck in the Entrance Zone stalled the Portal Villain, rescuing Thirteen when their suit had been compromised by the Portal Villain warping Thirteen’s attack back on them. “Me and Ochako mainly did rescue exercises in the Collapsed and Conflagration Zones, in our return trips through the facility. Which means we have experience navigating a path running counter clockwise to the entrance, possibly saving us valuable time. That’s not accounting for the Central Plaza which is fairly open in and of itself…”

“Which creates a bit of a problem, I believe.” Yuga spins it out faster than Tenya, Mashirao and Ochako looking as Yuga dramatically swipes his overly long bangs from his face. “Either we risk the open areas, where Thirteen’s Quirk will quickly drag us in and subdue us, or we brave the disjoint and chaotic areas that Power Loader can make more unstable. Besides which, they do serve each other in their Combat Styles, being Rescue Heroes that Subdue at complimentary Ranges.”

Tenya can almost see a display behind Yuga, little versions of them playing out several failing scenarios. Not good, but not entirely the worst. Ochako reaches into her pocket, pulling out her semi new smartphone to begin pulling something up. “Our classmates may have an advantage in knowing their teachers better, but I doubt they’ll be blessed with nearly as familiar terrain. And… We might be able to ask Aizawa if the U.S.J. is being used tomorrow, and we could do some basic laps from our starting point to the exit.”

“Four minutes, fifteen seconds from the Conflagration Zone Entrance to the base of the Stairs in the Plaza.” Mashiro says it with frightening accuracy, quickly blinking and shaking his head.

Yuga takes a moment, Tenya seeing him count off on his fingers the path the two of them had taken during the Incident. They’d been partially rescued by Izuku, Hitoshi, and Toru, and Tenya couldn’t begin to fathom what they’d gone through in their challenges. “Yes, but Ochako doesn’t necessarily specialize in speed. I mean no disrespect, but high-heels create a bit of a complication for celerity. And I’d begun dropping the larger pieces of my original costume as we ran through our Zone, whereas I’d assume I’d keep most of the parts for this exercise. So… Six minutes?”

“Then up the stairs, and out, ignoring the teachers for a moment… I believe fifteen minutes is a safe estimate, Yes?” Tenya watches the other two nodding, Ochako taking a moment before she sets her smart phone down.

She takes a moment, then nods as a video loads. “Maybe… Sorry, I was checking with some of the students I know in the Support Course. We did some safety drills for the Support and Business Courses, but we haven’t really gotten to see how Power Loader really works as a hero. But one of them submitted improvements to his gear… I think it was mostly an April Fools thing, but they were very thorough with their research.”

Ochako slides the phone where the three boys can see it, Yuga quickly takes the chance to eat as Mashirao and Tenya watch. The man was combating a wildfire in a plain-like space, creating large shifts in the ground that broke the fire up for his allies to more effectively combat. He also used his tools to toss handfuls of dirt over more concentrated flames, a pair of semi-familiar Water Heroes spraying in the area to create a bed of mud to further limit the flame’s spread.

“Oh, isn’t that the couple who share their Hero name? What was it… Water Hose, right?” Mashirao looks up, Ochako giving a sort of wistful smile as she nods.

“Yeah, they were a really great team. They’re related to Mandalay, from the Wild Wild Pussycats. So the six of them would all go on missions together… at least, they did.” Ochako turns the phone around, minimizing out of the video.

Yuga watches her for a moment, the two boys who’d watched the video finishing the thought. Tenya remembered his older brother attending the service, having had some close friendship with Ragdoll from a case a few months after Tensei debuted. And… Well, Tenya remembers the reason why Water Hose wasn’t around.

Yuga and Mashirao would know especially well, considering the Villain responsible for their death had menaced them in Hosu. When Endeavor’s Sunset Gala had been attacked by the League of Villains, which included a disturbing number of NoMus, Muscular, and Stain in addition to the League themselves. He knew Mashirao had barely dodged a rampaging Muscular before he’d been subdued by the Blazing Sword Hero, Altmile… At least, that’s what the reports said.

Considering the information Tenya was now privy to, the Hero Commission couldn’t be trusted to tell an unvarnished truth. The official story was that no NoMu had been recovered during Hosu, and both Muscular and Stain had been captured and sent to Tartarus. And at least one of those accounts had been proven a lie, with Stain having been walking mostly free as a Commission asset at a closed door gathering.

“So… Anyone have any more ideas about the exam?” Mashirao looks around, slowly picking up his utensils for his meal.

“Maybe… A bunch of 1-H are hanging around today to finish their models for finals, so I might be able to get some tips easier today than usual.” Tenya turns to Ochako, the girl clearly solidifying an idea in her mind.

He nods to her, a faint smile forming without him having to try. “I’m sure you can, Ochako. Should we accompany you, or would you find the task easier without us there to hinder you?”

She takes a moment to answer, then shakes her head. “I think I can do this on my own, this time. If you guys can come up with a couple basic plans while I’m doing that, or just prepare for the written. I’ll let you know if I find anything!”

Tenya nods, turning to his lunch. Obviously, there were disadvantages to this Exam they’d have to work through. But Class A has done more with less preparation then they were getting, so they were going in with an edge they would rarely get to utilize.

-

The Construction Lab of the First Year Support classes wasn’t a quiet place, unless you were strange enough to frequent it in the early morning hours. But in Finals Week, with semester deadlines looming, was a time of constant motion. Even the students with healthy time-management skills were insistently hammering their last few projects, mostly unshaped bits and bobs slowly morphing into their final forms.

No station was as packed as Hatsume’s, though. She had no less than five assignments finished on her desk, with the third part of her five segment Final assembled. And if anyone were to check, they might notice the bag of supplies to work through the weekend; some cup noodles and tea, and the eventually needed change of clothes, taking up as little space as possible as she commands every inch of workspace she could get.

Hatsume shifts the blueprints for her current design to the top, pulling her goggles off her eyes as she considers the fresh welding job. The shell was almost good, the interior power storage cell slots all sitting nice and protected. If she could have gotten Awase to help with the job, she’d get more points for the Cosmetic portion. But she could tolerate losing a few points off there, so long as her Design and Construction went off even half as well as she thought it would.

Now, she just needed a half ruined golf cart to start retrofitting, and she’d be set for her Pre-Final Submission. Or one of the still okay ones, if she could weedle on Snipe for them. Or maybe Power Loader could be convinced, if she mentioned it, then started working on some of her more dangerous babies. The Support Course Teacher always tried to convince her to do less dangerous projects, so she’d started intentionally playing with what he thought she wanted to do. That way, they both win.

So she looks at her finished Babies, debating which of her unfinished ideas could be her timed entry. Because all of them had taken two full periods of lab time to assemble, which was only barely in the time limit. If she could find something smaller, like her Hydraulic Bracer Backpack, then she might be able to build and test it within the six hour time frame of the Practical.

Because while she was able to work on the kinetic redistribution system, that wasn’t something she could really shrink down to fit a single person in six hours. Now, making a flying Bumper Car of Doom for her Semester Entry…

“Uraraka!” Hatsume looks up, seeing the Hero student edging her way into the lab. Several people in between motions are already waving at her, others stopping when they hear the name called out.

The girl quickly looks around, smiling and waving at everyone. Hatsume offers her a salute, looking down to look at the Converter that would feed the Kinetic Absorbers into the Charger. Besides actually getting them to sit safely in whatever automobile body she could get her hands on, then give it enough of a shell to survive a hit…

“Hatsume, can we borrow you for a second?” The pink haired girl looks up, quickly flicking the welder’s power switch before walking over.

Sokutei is sharing a station with Zaphira, the girl occasionally looking at his sketchbook while she works on… A bean-bag shotgun? Hatsume knew a bit about guns from Snipe, but her Dad wasn’t a fan of the bigger models. And Ochako is looking at Sokutei, showing him something on…

Oh, she finally traded up her phone. Good for her. “Did you need a baby for your Exam, Ochako-chan? Cause give me a couple hours with your Quirk, and I can have your entire costume decked out in my newest creations.”

Ochako starts to say something, stopping as an automatic refusal is tempered on her tongue. “That… We can talk about that later. Instead, I needed your help with something else…”

Ochako doesn’t look over at the teacher, who was watching from his desk as he surveyed the lab in general. But his image on her phone told a story, one which made Hatsume grin. “Oh… You need the Analysis videos, from the Third Year’s files?”

Ochako nods, turning her phone down and sliding it away. “Being able to copy down a couple of them would be nice, but I only need a few on… Two teachers, specifically. And if I can do something for you, let me know…”

Hatsume tilts her head, a little disappointed. “I mean, your Quirk would be really helpful. But I don’t need it as much, and I’m the one who the older students lend the files to directly…”

“If you need, I can do a trade lay-up for you.” Hatsume looks at Sokutei, who sets his sketchbook down to display a page on Present Mic. He pulls out a pocket notebook, quickly flipping through pages.

“Your ledger?” Zaphira taps her shoulder with a semi-soft plastic rifle butt, looking at the notes the Design Student flips through pages.

“Yeah… Oh! Tainetsu, you need some help from Ochako for your Semester Project, yeah?” Hatsume turns, seeing the two heavy-set boys in the class trade nods.

The one with cherry red skin is currently buffing the blue glass shells for Aoyama’s light-focusing armor, the shoulder pauldrons being refitted to also release blasts of energy. If the occasional sparks bouncing off him onto his station affected him in his white undershirt, he didn’t show an ounce of care that the shirt was burning through in places. He sets down the cloth buffing gun, quickly picking up a notebook that he flashes over.

“I could also use some help, if we’re offering!” One of the other Design girls calls out from the other side of the lab, waving a long strand of blond prehensile hair holding a pencil.

Sokutei turns, nodding to her. He turns to his book, quickly comparing two pages before looking up. “So, Sutetchā and Tainetsu both need Uraraka to help them. They both have favors they owe me, and I owe you for talking up my Quick-Change Fabric to the Third Years. Uraraka helps them, they’ll get with me to figure that part out, while I help you and you help Uraraka to complete the chain.”

Hatsume nods, looking at the Hero Class Girl with a grin. “Sure. I’ll text the older students, you go ahead and help them. If the driver certification goes the right kind of bad, I might owe you another favor later if you can help me pump out a baby tonight!”

Ochako takes that in stride, quickly nodding and quickly walking over to Sutetcha. Hatsume walks back over to her desk, quickly pulling her phone out to ask for the password for the files.

They were constantly resetting the password to access the Analysis Files, in a step beyond acceptable paranoia. So she has to ask for new access for it, changing the tab to pull up her notes for bettering Ochako’s gear.

Hatsume had a couple of prototypes, including a modification to the Hero’s shoes. She seemed to want heels, but modified Turbine Boots would be amazing if she really wanted to go for aerial moves. Ochako would just need to keep her balance and orientation, or learn how to go without orientation…

“What are those weights?” Hatsume turns, seeing Ochako looking at the High Density Weights Tainetsu’s neighbor was working on incorporating into a training costume for Sato, Shouji, and Kirishima. She’s handed one to examine, the thing calibrated to a setting both of them struggle to… lift…

Hatsume looks at the weights, then down at her designs. She quickly pulls up her notes on Ochako’s Quirk, a long series of pages on how her Quirk affected the Gravity of Objects. How the objects had their mass altered, but could still cause an impact when sent shooting at a target… And the weights were a good way to change Ochako’s mass, and put some real strength behind an attack of hers even with her gravity canceled…

But would she cancel their weight, when she changed hers? Or did she need to hit them individually? And what about when the weight’s weight was adjusted after her Quirk was activated? Would her Quirk naturally compensate? Would…

Hatsume begins visibly vibrating, several of the students in the desks around her suddenly finding something interesting on the ground behind their desks. She ignores that, half a dozen different ideas just for Ochako desperate for paper to be scratched out on. Luckily, Hatsume had a scratch notebook full of her ideas, even if she needed to take several minutes explaining the scratches to anyone who saw them.

She fills up the pages, almost missing the answer text with the analysis folders new password. She takes a minute to scratch out half her ideas, then picks her phone back up to sort through the files for good clips of Powerloader’s fighting style.

She starts downloading them, then turns to look at Ochako again. The girl was letting Tainetsu get readings of the weights with no gravity, readings Hatsume would beg for later. The Hero student looks over at her, then checks that Powerloader is looking elsewhere.

She holds up both her hands, fingers spread out. Then she turns one hand, holding up three fingers… Hatsume nods, quickly pulling up Thirteen’s file to get some of their analysis notes on. Of course, the Hero didn’t like to fight, their big puffy costume made that a very hard thing to do.

Hard, not impossible.

Hatsume could relate, looking down at the parts for her most ambitious baby yet. She sets her phone down as the downloads cue, rubbing her hands together as she begins writing down the rest of her ideas for Ochako’s costume upgrades…

Her phone rings as she’s nearly done with the first generation ideas, already having ideas of how to pair all these pieces together. She looks down… And she can’t help but let out a cackle, picking up and answering the Third Year Support student she’d ask to keep an eye out for a chassis she could get her hands on.

-

Higari takes a steadying breath, watching Hatsume sprint up to his desk. Best case scenario, one of the Third Years finished their submissions early, and was offering to help her with one of her projects. Worst case scenario… No, that might also be the worst case scenario.

“Maijima-sensei, can I please go down to the driving test range? Please?” Higari takes a moment, pulling out his phone. He swipes his uncovered thumb across the screen, accessing Nedzu’s security system to make sure nothing really bad happened over there.

He sighs when he sees the golf cart they were using for students to get learners permits to drive was still in one piece, the hood open and smoke pouring out. The new janitor, a lizard Quirked young man with shock pink hair tied back, was waving an arm through the cloud while trying to get a look at the internals.

Higari looks up at Hatsume, then looks over at the pieces of her modification she clearly wanted to do to it. “I’ll call down to the range, and tell them to shift the cart to the side as safely as they can. I’ll check it later tonight, and get it moved into a lab for you to safely modify tomorrow.”

Hatsume, who was vibrating so fast it almost looked like there were two of her, slowed to a stop. She sighs, slightly defeated as one of their oldest sticking points rears its head. “Okay… If you want to make sure it’s safe, I guess. So long as I can have enough time with it to modify it for my Semester Project, it’ll be fine.”

Higari blinks, hopping up behind the desk to look at the parts Hatsume was putting together. It takes him a solid few seconds, looking at the pieces she made and twisting them around a golf cart in his head until they make sense. “You’re… Oh, a Kinetic-Redistribution upgrade? I know you’ve been working on getting that to work for Iida’s armor, but you couldn’t get it to scale down to a be on a single person. You’re attaching it to a vehicle, instead?”

Hatsume grins, her fists pumping as she finally gets to explain one of her ideas. “Yeap, I’m making a real life Bumper-Car! Plus, it doesn’t need as much fuel if I can calibrate the Adapter to properly feed into a Battery, then replace the Engine. I’m eighty percent there, and that last bit can’t be finished until I know what I’m looking at.”

Higari takes a moment to consider that project, and how dangerous it could be to let her finish it. Not just because of the project itself, but whatever other ideas she was holding onto that she’d start when this project was done. Now, a bumper car that got more powerful the more it ran into things… That might be okay enough to let her finish, and he could think of at least a few uses for it.

Uses that include ramming into a Nomu, or pinballing through a crowd of them. Higari imagines it for a long moment, considering how much damage someone like Nemuri could do to an army of them. Safely ram her way into the center, and immobilize an entire crowd of those inhuman science experiments. Or Hizashi, safe enough as he unleashes a full volume scream with nothing but a few seat-belt shaped bruises after the fact.

“If the cart is safe to work on, and I get to see your basic designs now, I’ll set everything up for tomorrow.” Hatsume sighs, walking over to grab her phone. A minute later, her school email sent him a copy of the schematic to review…

And he’s not sure whether to be thankful that Hatsume doesn’t have any more interest in conventional weaponry than the basic Support Course Student, or terrified that everything she’s designed has a lot more potential outside of lethality. A gun had one use, maybe a handful more if someone like Snipe got fancy with the right sort of trick shot. Hatsume’s modifications to her jetpack and hover-boots could be weapons if used intentionally wrong, and incredible tools with a myriad of uses besides.

He surveys the room, counting off the gear everyone was making. Most of it was tailored to two students in the Hero Course, maybe a handful of Pro Heroes with a generic enough powerset. Tainetsu’s Electric Quirk gear had enough mechanical applications besides, and he had a solid portfolio to be set if even one Aoyama Hero family member caught wind of the modifications he was making to their standard equipment.

And the Design Students Sutetchā and Sokutei had good eyes for detailed and memorable outfit modifications, Sokutei even getting tapped for one of the Big Three’s Costume Remakes since the older students were helping the Teachers with their Costumes for their Semester Exam.

But then, there were students like Zaphira. Some Support Course students specialized in weapons, which was just a hazard to be expected. Sometimes it was just a field they specialized in, other times they were taking a dangerous Quirk and watering it down as best they could. If Bakugo was in the Support Course, Higari could only hope he never made it up to Megatons of Damage.

Zaphira was modifying weapons up and down the scale of lethality, fortunately down more often than not. Honestly, there might be uses for that if the League of Villains started doing anything on a bigger scale. Nedzu got all the credit for dreaming up apocalypses, but Higari could see the temperature of the table. He watched volatile inventors tread moral lines all the time, dancing on the fine line between Victor Frankenstein and the Rani; Unaware of the Dangerous Ground they were treading, or uncaring of the fact.

If Higari was going to try and destroy the world, smashing things up wasn’t the best way to do it on its own. Crushing people’s hopes in the hero system would maybe do it, and going right for the head by taking out Endeavor would catalyze the whole thing nicely. But if Higari was going to do it, he’d get people to start rebelling against the system. Enough people were close enough to the line, even if they wouldn’t move closer without the crowd crush carrying them along.

Some would be selfish, wanting their slice of the end of the world. Others would be defensive, wanting to protect their families as they saw the world fall around them. Even if they had to steal from others plates, so long as their parents and partners and children were fed at the end of the day.

Some would just give up, not willing to stop the collapse as they watched the world crumble. Whether gleefully watching the world burn, or just succumbing to entropy…

Higari blinks, shaking his head. He looks around at the Support Students, all grinning as they invent and iterate. He waves those darker thoughts away, or at least into the back of his head. He can give advice and guidance as the students bring him their inventions, and try to help foster their better selves as they pursue their shades of excellence.

And if he happens to earmark a few designs for use against the League members they know about, then it was just him being overly prepared. Hopefully, it was a list he’d never get any use out of.

Chapter Text

”Okay, and… There we go. Flood Zone’s routine maintenance, caught up with for once.” Anan scoots back along the edge of the center fountain, bringing a cloth to wipe across their brow.

The computer they had opened up on the same fountain’s edge ran through its checklist, and finally chimed completely clean. Anan reaches for a tall thermos of lemonade, looking up at the Sunday Morning sun shining through the glass roof of the USJ.

Now, as long as the computer ran without issue another few times, Anan could safely say the entire U.S.J. has been recalibrated after Nedzu’s requests. It had a dozen new features they could use for testing and training exercises, and another dozen that were probably too much even for the Third Years.

Maybe Nedzu planned to have some Pro Heroes in? Anan could see that, having groups cycling through the USJ for extreme training courses. There wasn’t any way to reasonably copy the sheer craziness of a NoMu, except maybe fighting All Might. And considering the limited time he had from a serious injury, Anan was fairly certain no one would sign off on that. So training in the rescue and response time category was the best substitute they could get.

Anan sees the computer flash up another window, one of the security bots locking onto the group of training students. They switch the windows around, one of the flying drones following the four students Anan would be testing running a lap through the USJ. They’d cleared it with Aizawa, who’d cleared it with Anan, and they’d come with their backpacks and gym uniforms.

Iida could easily complete the course in five minutes flat, maybe sooner if Uraraka cut his gravity and he could just blast off for the door. Of course, that would only get him a pass, but Anan doesn’t know if Nedzu shared that with this group. Everyone could just go every ‘man’ for themselves, the fastest student passing by sacrificing their three teammates.

They look at the two blonds of the group, Aoyama hauling a bag that seems stuffed from the back of the group. A good facsimile of his armor, and he seemed to be doing better than the start of the year. Just because he’d grown up in a family full of Heroes didn’t mean he would be a natural athlete, and he seemed to not particularly excel in either the academic or physical classes.

Anan doesn’t like measuring the students like that, since Aoyama did obviously deserve a spot at the school. He’d gotten better than average on the entrance exam, and clearly had the rigor to put in extra hours of training like this. But They had to look critically at all of this, since that was what a teacher had to do.

Of course, Aoyama’s lacks didn’t hurt the group the most. Ojiro… Well, Anan couldn’t see much of the Mutant student’s potential. Nedzu saw something worth testing, to give them the week’s notice. But Ojiro didn’t have as versatile a Quirk, and his martial arts training wasn't going to be of much use against a bulldozer or black hole.

Then Ochako… Anan can’t help but grin, remembering the girl eagerly asking about some of Their jobs in the past. They were used to the other teachers getting those sorts of questions, and just quietly working in the background. But knowing at least one person was interested in Their career, in the same way other students would ask questions of Nemuri or Hizashi… It was nice, for a change.

And her Quirk… Anan knew there was a document being drafted by the Support Course, studying her Quirk’s strange boundaries. Anan had half thought something was weird since the Sports Festival, but hadn’t had much to go off of since. Seeing the footage of Ochako’s Comet Storm, and all the stones seeming to point at Bakugou and orient themselves to fly straight at him… Anan had a personal interest in asking to match with the student, with someone else who could manipulate Gravity with their Quirk.

It wasn’t the rarest thing, with maybe one in every thousand Quirks able to move things against gravity’s pull. But actually bending it, manipulating it on a scale like Ochako could… Anan could think of about fifty people in world history like that, several of whom were long dead. Anan and Higari matching up against Ochako might pull some interesting results from her, getting to stress her Quirk with the singularities They could make.

Frankly, there weren’t a lot of easy ways to balance out the classes in a four on two matchup. Two on One had worked for years, and now Nedzu was dialing it up for this class of First Years specifically. Anan knew why, but that wasn’t any fairer. They’d already matched up against the League of Villains, and however many NoMu had been thrown around in Hosu through a Copy Quirk and Teleport Quirk.

Anan watches them reach the bottom of the Mountain Zone, Iida checking a watch. The four of them form a circle, pointing one way and another as they debate which path to take. Which was basically choosing to be devoured by Scylla or Charybdis, no path allowing them out without losing something.

Of course, whichever teacher they decided to confront, the other could move back to the entrance to cover it. That’d probably be Their job, since Power Loader was the person the students were most likely to try and confront first.

The computer chimes, Anan looking over as a video call pops up. They tilt their head, clicking on the link that quickly opens up to a connection to Nedzu. “Hey, Boss Mouse. Just got the tuning finished in the Flood Zone, and I’ll do my double blinds with Higari when he’s done making sure Hatsume doesn’t destroy something important.”

“Excellent! I also saw that the Fortress Auxiliary Terminal and Manual Assault Nullifier system was properly debugged, and partially integrated with the systems of the USJ. Any issues you or Higari have noticed that you haven’t gotten back to me, yet?”

Anan takes a second, tilting their head with a nervous grin. They reach up, scratching covered fingers through the blue hair that was starting to get too long for them. “Well, I think the FATMAN system should be ready if we need it, yes. If you ever want to use the USJ to launch the school’s robots at a problem, we’d be able to while also preventing Mayhem from hacking it from either side. How effective they’ll be is up to Higari, and whatever Mecha Anime plans the Third Year Support Students have.”

“And the First Year students, supposedly. Those siblings with the Drone Army have practically been absorbed into the effort wholly, with their impressive knowledge of aerodynamics and regulation.” Anan nods, looking at the footage of the students coming towards the plaza.

The two of them had a minute, Anan leaning in and lowering their voice. “I have to say, I don’t feel comfortable helping with the system if all Higari does is add additional weapon systems to it. I was thinking we could upgrade the security and rescue protocols, in case the League decides to drop a portal full of NoMu in the middle of the campus…”

“Of course I want those upgrades, when you and the other staff have the time to assist in such designs. Frankly, I’ve already been impressed with the thorough programming details you’ve already supplied them with.” Nedzu pauses, Anan feeling a bit of comforting warmth at the principal’s genuine compliment. “That’s why I’m more eager to improve their offensive capabilities; If the League ever fires off that particular nuclear option, I want to be ready to respond in kind. Hence, the FATMAN’s current bend.”

Anan nods, quickly manipulating the screen to see the progress updates on the updating. “Well, it should be ready for a demo later this week, while the students are busy taking exams.”

“It might need to wait, until Higari’s blood pressure goes down from corralling his classes. Perhaps concurrent with the I-Island Expo?” Anan takes a moment, thinking about their calendar for that week.

They pull out their phone, scrolling through a meager list of appointments and conferences. “I think… I should have most of next week to run those tests, too. I might need next Wednesday, for a clinic follow up.”

“Of course, Anan. You have more than enough sick days, and I shouldn’t monopolize your time.” Nedzu turns, clearly getting an update from another teacher. “Oh, and that’s Class 2-C’s homeroom teacher. If there are any complications, don’t hesitate to send me an update.”

Anan nods, the call ending. They take a second, their ears faintly picking up the sound of Iida’s engines boosting him along.

The four students sprint into the Center Plaza, all of them checking their time as they clear the change in bricks that mark the area’s differences. Aoyama nearly falls backwards from his bag, Ojiro and Iida both hopping a few steps as their adrenaline hums through them.

Anan grins at them, the boys all taking a moment to adjust to seeing their face. Like they couldn’t decide if this was Thirteen spying on the students they’d be testing, or just how Anan likes to spend a Sunday morning.

But Ochako… Oh, the girl’s face lights up. Like when the other students saw All Might for their first lesson with him, seeing the Number One Hero for the first time in person.

Ochako looks at the boys, who each wave her on with a grin. She quickly jogged over, positively beaming at the teacher. “Thirteen… Um, I know you’re more comfortable in your helmet, and all. But… Could I get a picture with you?”

Anan watches the girl pull out a smartphone, grinning and adjusting on the fountain’s edge. “For my favorite fan, sure. But if I beat you in your Finals, you’re not going to do any mean edits to my photo, will you?”

Ochako moves over, taking a few seconds to actually flip around to the selfie mode. “Ah, you don’t need to worry about that. I actually have one of your exclusive posters on my wall in the dorms, so one little match won’t sour my feelings. As long as you’re okay with losing to me, too!”

Anan can’t help the grin that spreads across their face at that, holding up two fingers over Ochako’s head as she gets the right angle. Just as she moves her thumb to the button, Anan focuses on the faintest bit of force concentrating in their hand. Not actually pulling on her hair, but more like it was being held on end with static electricity.

Ochako’s hair spikes up for the photo, Anan laughing as the girl lets out a confused noise. Anan drops her Quirk, the water in the fountain audibly sloshing as the gravity in the space is altered. “Hey… Wait, you can do more than Black Holes?”

Anan picks up the computer, turning as the fountain’s water waves over and splashes over where it had been a moment ago. “Yeah, everyone thinks it’s just Black Holes. And that’s a really useful Quirk to have, when you need to clear out a mudslide or get rid of some really dangerous stuff. But that’s just one of my Super Moves… Don’t tell anyone, though!”

Ochako nods, both of them raising their fingers in a ‘shush’ while she leans to check where the boys are. “That’s so cool. That… Wait, you could be a really great fighter! Like, you could throw off someone’s entire balance, or make a punch really impactful.”

Anan nods, a faint queasy feeling in their stomach. “I mean, yeah. I did all of that Combat Training when I was in Hero School, and I was good enough. But… Well, doing that can get really messy. Pull too much, and people’s bones and muscles can start to get permanently damaged. And I just really don’t like punching people, you know?”

Ochako takes a second, some of the shine in her eyes fading as she nods. “I… I understand. I… Honestly, I didn’t really start thinking about how my Quirk could be used in a fight, till I started studying for Yuuei last year. I just wanted to get a license to use my Quirk commercially, so I could help my parents with their construction business.”

Anan tilts their head, leaning in. “Really? We really do match, huh? If I can be honest with you, I transferred into the Hero Course from the Business Course after my First Year’s Sports Festival. If anything, I just wanted a quiet life in some warehouse job, until a bunch of Hero Course teachers took the time to talk me up on Rescue Work.”

Ochako raises her eyebrows, looking entirely enraptured. She looks ready to continue the talks, only for Ojiro to cut them off. “Ochako, we’re going to head back up to the Mountain Zone.”

Ochako looks at them, Anan nodding and tilting Their head. “Go on, concoct a scheme for the Exam. Do us Rescue Heroes proud, eh?”

Ochako nods, her smile bright as a sun lamp as she runs over to follow the class. Anan looks down at the computer, running status checks on Nedzu’s defence programs.

And even if Anan could obliterate every NoMu that dared cross Their path, They might not get there in time. So the choice was clear, even if the hope was it never got used.

Better to be healthy with a first aid kit, than injured without one.

-

Ochako types on her phone, more than a little frustrated when she can’t pull anything up. “Come on… I know I’ve seen Their Sports Festival before…”

“Something wrong, Ochako?” She turns, seeing Yuga move to look at her screen.

“Yeah. I was talking with Thirteen, and They were saying something about their Sports Festival. You know that website Izuku showed us, with all the Sports Festival Broadcasts?” Yuga nods, the memory playing out for all of them.

Izuku wasn’t just smart, although he was definitely in the running for Smartest in 1-A. He had so many Hero websites he’d recorded and had access to, which he’d periodically shared as the year had gone on. No one paid attention to every one of them, but a few stuck to one or two of them when they found information they wanted.

But he’d gone and found Sports Festival Footage of all their teachers that might be in the Exams, only missing Power Loader since the Support teacher didn’t really make it to the tournament rounds. Everyone had those videos bookmarked, and were doing different analyses as they searched for anything to use.

But Thirteen both hadn’t been expected, and hadn’t been seen in any of the footage… Well, they hadn’t known they were looking at Thirteen. But Ochako knew Their face, and knew she’d seen something about a General Ed kid with a Gravity Quirk in at least one tournament.

Yuga takes one look at her phone, then points up in the corner. “You’ve got your data turned off. Swipe down up here…”

Yuga guides her through the process, letting her lack of understanding about her new phone slide off his back. She sees a few bars light up, and the pages start loading. “Wow… Um, thanks.”

Yuga nods, his hand coming up to frame his face. He had sweat beading at his hairline, and his little trick of making small sparkles at his hands causes them to refract out like a disco ball. “Of course, mon cher. And did you get anything else, while you were talking to Thirteen?”

Ochako frowns, tilting the phone into her chest. “I mean, that wasn’t why I was doing it. I wasn’t just scouting for information for the test…”

“I would never accuse you of that, Ochako. You’re a modern woman; your every action has five reasons behind them, only three of which even you are aware of.” Yuga waves his hands, smoothly passing over Ochako’s offence like he was icing a cake. And Ochako helped him with Rikidou’s cake last week, so she knew just how smooth he could be when he set his mind to it.

Ochako shakes her head, the phone starting to quietly play the intro to the Sports Festival broadcast. She checks it, seeing the most recent Third Year’s Footage was playing.

Tenya and Mashirao both turn, the four of them pausing at the base of the Mountain Zone. All of them recognize the tune, Tenya nodding and looking around. “You have something to show us? While you pull that up, we should discuss the best path out of the Mountain Zone. There were a number of exits to the two Zones adjacent, but only one to the Plaza Center.”

“There was also a path leading to that ridge, right up there.” Yuga points a finger, Ochako briefly looking up to see a ridge with a nice patch of sunlight shining on it. “If Ochako is able to suspend our weight, Tenya might be able to propel the four of us straight towards the Entrance…”

“We’ve checked, and Ochako’s current limits don’t include all of us, with our sets of armor. She’d be able to hold it a minute, and Thirteen interfering with the process would cost us greatly.” Ochako finds the right footage, and all of Tenya’s points are correct. She knew her upper limit of weight from all the helping the Support Course, and a few months of Strength Training weren’t groundbreaking. They’d helped, but she wasn’t going to be able to reach the necessary point in a week.

“Under everyday circumstances, I’d agree. But we’re mainly combatting our partner’s nausea, yes? We know we’re doing the test Saturday morning, and Ochako can plan so her stomach is prepared. With some accuracy, once we know the order of the tests. It’s what I do every Tuesday, before Foundation of Heroics.”

Yuga sweeps lengthy bangs from his face, Ochako actually nodding as Tenya turns to her. “That’s not a bad idea, but there is something else. If you guys… I can hold my Quirk better if I’m just standing, not using it on myself.”

Mashirao raises an eyebrow, looking to the other boys in the class. “Hang on… You’re not suggesting we sacrifice you for the three of us to pass, are you? What… What if we need you to shut off your Quirk?”

“The comms.” Tenya nods, Ochako taking a breath. “Momo’s helped the Sound Specialists in the Support Course add them into our basic equipment, and we’ll probably set the frequencies the night before. It’s possible, but not preferable.”

“I’m not saying I want that to be the plan! I just… It’s worth pointing out.” Ochako quickly mutes her phone, having finally scrolled down to the year she’d bookmarked for review.

“It’s also completely senseless. I’m the best choice to be left behind, if we’re speaking of sacrifice.” All of them look at Yuga, who studies his nails with a grim frown. “If we’re looking at this sensically, Ochako needs to use her Quirk, and Tenya is the Engine powering your momentum. Mashirao joining you doesn’t add any problems, and gives you some physical presence if Power Loader manages to catch up. But let’s leave that as our last resort, for now.”

Ochako looks at the French student, who has a minute tremble to his hands. She shakes her head, waving off all the bad thoughts they were pulling in. “Here’s Thirteen’s First Year Tournament.”

The three boys crowd in, Ochako manipulating the phone so they could see. Mashirao reaches out to take it, beckoning her to stand between him and Tenya. She maneuvers in, since she was short enough that it wouldn’t block them from view.

The footage wasn’t as good as their year had, just a few cameras around the ring that had good zooming. Apparently run by the Business Course, the student’s had a little blurb read out by one of the Third Year Hero Teachers giving a quick summary of their Quirk over an animated still of them.

Ochako reached forward, skipping through the footage until they reached the important match. Thirteen was matched up against a student with a Beastal Transformation Quirk, reminiscent of one of the boys in Class 1-B. They’re nervously shifting around, looking up at the crowd watching while fiddling with the ripped up hem of their gym shirt.

“Why is Their shirt damaged like that?” Mashirao asks while the video buffers, all of them taking a moment to analyze Thirteen’s total lack of defensive stance.

“The second round that year was a capture the flag variant, and there was a girl using paperclips with a Metal-Controlling Quirk. Thirteen matches up with her in Round Two, and it’s a pretty mean looking grudge match.” Ochako taps the screen, seeing the bars flicker before the video starts playing at a lower quality.

It’s still plenty easy to see the Beast Quirk student transform into something bovine, quickly going down on all fours to charge Thirteen. They look to both sides, struggling to pick before the Hero Course student is too close for Them to dodge to the side…

Thirteen instead runs at him, throwing Their arms down as they meet the student…

The four all let out noises as the Bull Student contorts to the ground, like he’d been hit with an invisible hammer. The video buffers as Thirteen’s arms thud into the ground, the cement base actually cracking from whatever forces They were controlling. The exact frozen frame is a close up on the two student’s faces, both of them extremely shocked Thirteen was able to hit the Hero Student that hard.

Ochako had seen the footage before, but she was still surprised by it. She’d been thinking about how she could do a move like that, not really coming up with anything she could do on her own. She could help someone else do it, like when she and Katsuki had helped the Support Class with a turbine that got jump started by a hammer blow. A super heavy hammer she’d made weightless, only to return all its weight on impact… Honestly, she’d had that idea from watching this video.

“So, it’s not just Black Holes. It’s also Super Punches… Ochako, is it too late to ask for a few lessons from Them?” Ochako tilts her head, Mashirao’s glib words making her consider a few options. Because knowing Thirteen could do this changed their plans, even if the Hero didn’t like using it.

“Not in a week, no. But I’m definitely getting lessons from Them as soon as we’re back from Summer Vacation.” The three nod, Ochako taking a moment. “Until then, we still need to decide which of them is easier to fight. Powerloader might be our best shot, if Thirteen is actually able to fight.”

“We’ll study those videos from Hatsume when we get back to the dorms, after a few laps. Let’s do a lap through the Landslide and Collapsed Zone, then another few between both to get an average.” Tenya lays the marching orders, Mashirao passing her phone back as the four begin taking the path back up the mountain.

Ochako reaches out, tapping Yuga’s bag to negate the weight he’d packed into it. He looks over, and she shrugs with a grin. “Save you a bit of strength, on the walk back.”

Yuga nods, mouthing ‘thank you’ as the four of them retrace their path to the top. Ochako begins scanning the Mountain Zone, seeing several side paths and plateaus that could end up areas where Powerloader might ambush them from. He wouldn’t just be limited to the Landslide or the Collapsed Zones, just because those Zones were the easiest to trap them in.

There were so many options to prepare for, too much for one person to process. So Ochako begins typing them out into a notepad, making sure she could keep all of them so the four of them could come up with a good enough plan.

-

Yuga lounges on one of the Dorm couches, an ice pack on his forehead. He’s also loosely fanning himself, a magazine helping as he tries to recover from all the exertion of the day.

“How could you not tell us you knew which teachers you’d be going up against? That is primo knowledge!” Yuga looks over, seeing Denki and Hanta both looking at Ochako with betrayed expressions.

“Because we didn’t ask, until now! That’s what the answer always is!” Mina grouses from the kitchen, a popsicle from the freezer still pointed at Ochako a little menacingly.

Ochako shrugs, Tenya politely moving around Mina with a quiet request to fetch Ochako her sweet of choice. “This was Mashirao’s deal, and we kind of got distracted planning for our test. I almost think it’s a punishment from Nedzu, making us worry about our Exam all week.”

Mina opens her mouth, then nods a little gloomily. “Yeah, he’s definitely sadistic enough to pull something like that. But I guess it makes it easier to guess what our tests will be like. How much easier, who can say…”

“About three quarters, if my math is right.” Everyone looks at Hanta, who looks around a little offended. Yuga’s offended in his honor, considering none of them are particularly foolish in this class. “I might not be Izuku smart, but I am more than competent at math. Sure, it’s combinatorics, but there’s guides for that.”

Denki tilts his head, Tenya quickly offering the explanation. “The math of how many ways different things can be combined. A basic question on it would be, ‘I have four thousand yen in my wallet, How many different combinations of bills could I have to make up that amount?’ Things like that.”

Denki takes a second, then nods. “Okay… Oh, got it! So you plug in how many different ways they could combine us, then however many combinations of the teachers testing us, then plug those together into a calculator.”

Hanta nods, Yuga walking over as the boy types into his calculator. “Okay… So we calculate the different student combinations by… okay, so plug in to find all the unique combinations…”

“Why… Right, we can’t have a team of all the same single person. Got it.” Denki quickly cuts himself off, Hanta tapping a finger to his nose.

He turns his phone on its side, pulling out a scratch piece of paper to write down a number. “Right… So the four person combinations of the twenty of us is a little under five thousand, but sixteen of us only have some eighteen hundred…”

“No way…” Mina starts counting off in her head, Yuga almost worried for her as she starts dragging her fingers up and down her arm.

“What’s worse, we then do the teacher’s difference. They go from a simple forty-five combinations, to twenty-eight… assuming this combinatorics calculator is correct.”

“No, that’s right.” Everyone looks up at Denki, who brings a hand to his chest as if offended. “Okay, now I get how hurtful that is.”

Mina stops her counting, rapidly blinking as if her brain was being scrambled. “How can you possibly know that, just off the cuff?”

“Most recently, Izuku and Katsuki’s card game Mashirao got a deck for as his birthday present. There’s a format with a bunch of Hero Combinations, and the new sets coming out in a month. It has eight new Heroes that can all team up in the deck, and the combination there is just adding one through seven, since eight is them paired with themselves.”

Yuga nods, Tenya verifying the math. “That’s correct, for this smaller sample size… Maybe I should talk with Yaoyorozu, to adjust our study halls…”

Hanta shudders, setting his phone down. “Okay, so… four from twenty, measured by two from ten… I don’t know the name for that sort of number, but it’s four followed by a hundred and nine numbers, according to this.”

Everyone leans over to see the phone, everyone needing a second to process that number. Even by his standards, Yuga has a hard time even picturing anything remotely comparable.

“The number the rest of us care about is 5 followed by sixty-nine numbers…”

“Nice…” Hanta rolls his eyes, Denki referencing something that completely breezes past Yuga.

“But that includes combos like Me, Kouji, Toru and Asui versus All Might and Nedzu. They’re not all equally likely, is what I’m saying.”

Yuga nods, slowly sliding into the chair beside Denki. The other blond takes a long moment to think about the math, writing something on the table. He then jumps when he notices Yuga’s presence, and a chuckle can’t help but escape the Frenchman. “Regardless, we weren’t intentionally keeping you all in the dark. We merely… Pursued our own self interest. And there was no appreciable harm to the collective, so I think it’s forgivable.”

Hanta nods, rolling his neck as everyone tilts the phone for them to compare two formulas plugged in. “Anyways, we have a lot less raw odds to consider. Plus, we at least know the remaining teachers well enough to at least guess if we have a chance against them. Power Loader and Thirteen… I mean, you guys have the best chance against both of them. A secret weapon, really.”

Yuga nods, Ochako’s face heating up as Mina and Denki both turn on her. “I mean, it’s not really a secret. I said Thirteen was my favorite Hero in the USJ, and I’ve been helping the Support Course since the Sports Festival.”

“Yeah… Oh, I get it.” Mina takes a second, looking at something Yuga couldn’t see. “They’re testing all of our skills, not just our academics and Quirks. Ochako knows a lot about the two teachers, but she’s kind of passive when we’re all planning or plotting things out.”

Yuga blinks, slowly running through the many activities they’d done. From Foundation of Heroics classes, in groups or as a class, to additional activities throughout the semester.

Ochako takes a moment, actually turning the statement over as Mina nods sagely. “No… Wait, hang on. I was tied for most points in the Hero Course Free Day, and I was leading us around to all of the challenges.”

Mina takes a second to finish off her popsicle, seeming to think of how to keep her point. “Yeah, you followed the plan Izuku and Momo made. All of us move in groups through the challenges, helping each other when we overlapped before moving on. And I remember you taking a big time penalty to help six of us through the Night Vision Maze, when Eijiro is the one who suggested it…”

“Hey, something going on down here?” Yuga turns, seeing the red haired boy walking in with Momo. Everyone was in casual clothing, Eijiro in a loose t-shirt that he typically wore when he was going to the gym facilities the school allowed them to use.

“We’re just discussing the Practical Exam, with which a number of us have an advantage.” Yuga produces the paper Mashirao had received, the two new students walking over to take it. “And apparently, there’s some aspect of psychological warfare to the teams.”

Momo quickly reads over the paper, passing it to Eijiro as she connects threads. “I suppose… Ah, I see. You, Ochako, and Tenya have dynamics amongst each other, leaving Mashirao out of the loop. Ochako’s got a passive personality that requires time to participate in planning, and neither teacher is particularly vulnerable to Tenya’s combat style. In fact, they both pose physical threats to the both of you, since either can take advantage of limited mobility.”

Yuga blinks, considering the web of connections Momo was drawing. He lowers the ice pack to the table, tapping his fingers on it as he considers. “Astute observations. I wonder if Nedzu plans to proctor your test himself, for a battle of wits.”

“Oh, that would make things so much easier…” Momo and Yuga both turn to Mina, who takes a second to visibly regret speaking out loud. “Right… Hey, do any of you guys want a popsicle? Rikidou made sure to stuff the freezer, when he took the weekend trip to spend time with his parents.”

Mina quickly turns, not waiting for an answer. Everyone clocks the quick dodge, shaking heads as Hanta turns to Momo. “You said your mom was calling you? Anything happen?”

“Oh, nothing important for the school. Just that she’ll be busy until after the I-Island Expo, with international partners.” Yuga raises an eyebrow, leaning in as everyone else starts turning away.

Eijiro nods, the three of them on a slightly different wavelength than the rest of the class… Well, not everyone. Shouto and Tenya shared Yuga’s claim to being from Hero Families, even though most of Yuga’s active relatives called several Western European Countries their home. Hanta shared Momo’s claim to being from a family with successful companies to their name, Momo’s family concentrated into a largely successful one while Hanta’s had about a dozen belonging to different wings of his family.

And all of them had connections with the Kirishimas, who made up several vestigial parts of the Hero Commission. So his interest would usually, in more normal times, be met with a hint of suspicion. “I thought she’d be busy in July, after those South American elections were over.”

“That’s the normal season, yes. But with the League of Villains still active, everyone’s shifting to secret private meetings, rather than the usually more public ones they do.” Mina walks out of the kitchen, Eijiro turning and grabbing the offered sweets.

He waits till Momo’s finished to offer hers, Yuga taking the remainder with a quick expression of gratitude to Mina. “Uncle Loui is saying much the same, even in smaller countries. The League not only still being around for months, but having several successful operations, is causing quite the disquiet. Everyone expected them to be handled by May, and then Hosu shattered that notion. Japan’s status as the Hero Capital has been greatly impinged, with other countries apparently picking up their Police and Hero training programs and ramping them up.”

He unwraps his confection, the table going quiet for a moment when they overhear that open information. Of course, Yuga only knew a handful of countries where it was the case directly. His cousins in Hero Schools or as Young Heroes in France, Italy, and Spain were all talking about new training regimes, twice as grueling as anything they’d had to do before.

And his Uncle, being the Head of Otheon’s Police Force, could be trusted to relay that information. Assuming everyone else was telling the truth, even though Yuga’s parents weren’t in a position to directly obtain useful information in their own right.

Tenya seems to want to say something, but the words get caught in his throat. Yuga raises an eyebrow, that tinge of social pressure enough to coax the words out of his mouth. “The Heroes should have this under control, without us needing to worry. The Commission has been focusing on the project, so we should be able to put this all behind us come Fall.”

Yuga nods, looking up at the hidden camera in the corner of the room. He wasn’t always sure Nedzu or one of the teachers was watching, but he felt that that reassurance was equally for their benefit. Tenya was trying to keep his fellow students calm, and tell the teachers they had their trust.

And of course they did; Of all the times something could have happened to them, the teachers had been there to protect them. Yuga wasn’t sure where his faith was going at the moment, with so much uncertainty going around.

He wasn’t even sure he wanted to be a Hero; it was the best thing for his family’s benefit, so he’d studied for the Yuuei Exam. But now that he was here, in the Hero Course, he’d be a fool to give up that sort of position. Not just because of the social benefits to him and his family, but because of all the danger building because of the League of Villains.

Sure, he was technically a target of theirs by being in Class 1-A. But they’ve shown a willingness to endanger the public with their attacks anyways, and here he was being protected by Nedzu and the Yuuei teachers as a student. And he was getting better at defending himself, both martially and with his Quirk.

And… Well, he thoroughly appreciated the company of his classmates. He didn’t show it often, but their company was a delightful way to break up the hours in the day. Perhaps he wasn't anyone’s closest friend and confidant, but he could live with being a small part of a greater whole.

That’s what Yuga had done all his life, as an Aoyama. At least with Class 1-A, he chose what was expected of him. And the disappointment wasn’t as pointed, when he failed.

-

It’s scenes like this, of a teenage girl excitedly revving up a saw over a destroyed golf cart, that makes Iguchi really regret missing out on those last few high school classes. He’d been halfway through considering an internship with a local mechanic for his third year work study, only for circumstances to entirely spin out of his control…

The lizard-Quirked man shakes his head, pulling down a pair of goggles as the pink haired girl excitedly makes her cuts and modifications. He quickly steps forward, grabbing part of the cart’s body that would tip over onto her as she pretty much dismantles it.

He was aware of this Hatsume girl by reputation, but hadn’t seen her work before. He’d cleaned up enough soot and ash to know her general vibe, and he’d been expecting more of that when he’d been asked by Power Loader to mind her while the Teacher helps the Third Year Support Course Teachers set up for their Finals. The fact that she was just cutting up pieces and generally stacking them up was a bit of a surprise, and he was waiting to see something actually explosive pop up…

Hatsume stops as something loudly chimes under the saw, which she flips the switch for. She looks up to notice him, nodding before shifting to let the saw slow down while pulling out her phone. “Perfect. I need you to go bring my friend in, while I finish laying everything out. I need his sticky hands, so this baby can gestate for a few days!”

Iguchi takes several seconds to process the sheer audacity of that statement, slowly letting the bent and dinged up frame lower to the ground in front of the pink haired girl. He turns, and walks with some speed across the separated Support Lab to the main door.

He swipes his Staff I.D. across the scanner by the door, the thing sliding open to reveal one of the Hero Course First Years. He had spiky black hair, a blue and white plaid headband matching the jacket and t-shirt under it.

The kid gives him a look, then snaps his fingers with a grin. “Hey, you’re that guy teaching us how to drive, right? Kaibara mentioned you stole one of his nicknames… Spinner-Sensei?”

Iguchi blinks, almost laughing at the absurd luck that he’d gotten the same nickname in two different places. Frankly, hairpin turns in a cart makes for a much cooler Spinner than a spin kick to the side of a guy’s head. “Yeah, plus whatever else they need someone durable to handle. Hatsume wants your help putting something together?”

The kid nods, the two of them walking inside. He spreads his hands out, wiggling his fingers. “My Quirk lets me Weld stuff together, almost perfectly. The bond can break down after a few days, but the Support Kids are working on compounds to improve the connection.”

Iguchi nods, turning to see Hatsume carefully dragging over a wagon of mechanical parts. She begins moving her hand like a cameraman framing a shot, seeming to move all the pieces into the perfect place in her mind before touching them. “Oh, you’re the kid who can do that? You’re doing a lot of favors for the Support Course, I hear.”

Iguchi knows he heard the kids name, but he can’t place it immediately. The boy rubs a hand on the back of his neck, a faint grin spreading across his face. “I mean, yeah. I had a couple of gearhead friends in Middle School who always asked me to help them, even though we kinda shouldn’t have. But it gave me a lot of practice with my Quirk, so it’s long lasting for all the jobs these guys need it for.”

Iguchi nods, tapping a finger over his lips when the kid starts. The boy nods, the two of them agreeing he hadn’t heard anything. And really, what could the kid have done with a little Quirk like that? Maybe a few pranks, but it wasn’t something permanent.. “Actually, that’s pretty interesting. Your Quirk lasts for days… Can you just undo it, un-Weld things?”

He nods, pulling out two little deformed pieces of metal. “It’s harder, if I stick something inorganic to something organic. We did a Capture the Flag game a couple weeks ago, and the Flag was kind of stuck to my hand for a minute. But otherwise, I can pop things apart in a few seconds if I need to…”

“Well, I need those digits at maximum stickiness, Awase!” The two guys jump, Hatsume suddenly right next to the two of them. “I need to stress test this thing, and we usually don’t do that to your work until after we add to it. But I need to see if I got the prototype right, then we can work on making it permanent.”

Awase nods, Iguchi watching him survey the bits with a curious eye. “Okay… Usually, you let me mess around with whatever you have me help with. But I can’t drive… And I don’t know if I want to drive this, if it isn’t finished yet.”

Hatsume lets out a long exasperated sound, shaking her head. “Come on, give me some credit! If I wasn’t willing to put myself in the epicenter of an explosion, I wouldn’t risk one of the Support Course’s favorite Hero Students to a little organ juicing…”

Iguchi holds up a hand, the two kids stopping as he imposes himself. “Excuse me, what was that about liquifying organs?”

Hatsume turns, waving her hand. “I was kidding! If the calibrations are wrong, it’ll be a little vibration as the Capacitor and Converter don’t properly sync up. Your legs will go a little numb, and you might go a bit hard of hearing for a few minutes… an hour, tops!”

She walks over to the wagon of parts, moving to pick up pieces over to the cart. Iguchi looks at Awase, who stares wide eyed for a few seconds. Iguchi almost respects the kid’s survival instincts, right up until he jogs over to help Hatsume with a heavy looking piece to slide under the cart.

Iguchi shakes his head, and walks over. The two kids are struggling with finding an angle to slide the thing under the cart, apparently thinking the large battery pack looking thing that they can barely hold together will be easier for Hatsume to lift while Awase slides up under the cart, and Welds into place with his Quirk.

Iguchi turns, seeing a couple of tie down straps from a big pile of tools and pieces one of the older years brought in. He takes a few seconds while they lug the piece over, running over some of the random tools and parts he’d seen in his walk about while Hatsume had done her initial examination of her prize. “Both of you, set that thing down. If you’re going to do this, I’m going to make sure you do it right.”

Hatsume sighs, setting down the battery pack. Awase partially collapses on the other side, his arms trembling while Hatsume’s just has a faint sheen of sweat from all her other work.

She crosses her arms, and Iguchi can hear the sass she’s trying not to spitefully throw at him. He got the feeling she just liked working on stuff, and probably hated all the extra social bits that happened around her in the school. Big mood, honestly. “Okay, then. How do you want us to do this?”

Iguchi hooks a thumb over, Hatsume’s eyes flickering over and seeming to dilate to focus on the straps. “There’s a couple jacks over there too, last time I checked. We jack the cart’s body up, so you have room to check before he Quirks those pieces together. You and I use those moving straps for leverage and grip, sliding the thing under there. We trade ends, then pull it up into place for Awase to Quirk his magic.”

Hatsume takes a second, her head tilting to the side as she imagines it. She tilts her head back, pointing between parts as she twists the problem around. “Okay… Let’s do the Body Stabilizers first, give the bars of the cart enough strength for us to hook the ratchets into something sturdy. If nothing else, we can just strip them if the initial test doesn’t work.”

Iguchi nods, turning around to help grab the necessary tools. “Good. When I test drive this thing, I’d like the odds of it exploding or liquifying my organs to be lowered…”

Hatsume rushes up behind him, her boots easy to pick out now that he was paying attention to her movements. “Hey, hang on a second! It’s my baby we’re talking about here! If it’s not behaving, I’m going to be the one who sets it right!”

Iguchi continues walking, taking the straps from where they were rolled up on a countertop to inspect them. “And you’ll still be checking it, after I make sure it doesn’t just explode when you turn it on. Your teacher wants me to keep stuff from exploding, so this is the next best thing.”

Hatsume makes a noise in her throat as Iguchi sets one set of straps down, taking the next two and their ratchets when they’re of acceptable quality. “Fine, but just this time. Most of my babies aren’t going to accidentally explode like this one might.”

Iguchi hands the straps over, going to a cabinet under the counter. He pulls out two car jacks, a pump bar close enough to grab between his pinky and ring finger as he hefts the other two up. “Oh, I know… Most of them explode intentionally.”

“They don’t… I mean, I test them to make sure they’re durable, so it’s not them exploding!” Awase watches them, walking over as Iguchi places the jack in the right place.

Hatsume picks up some bars laid down in the wagon, the girl instructing the boy on how to Weld them into place. Iguchi walks around to the other side, spinning the jack handle in his hand. “Nothing needs to be that durable. What, are you trying to make a suit of armor that can survive a nuke?”

Hatsume takes a second to answer, sending Awase to get the next pieces before talking across the cart. “Did the teachers show you the USJ footage, after they hired you? How that NoMu could just… obliterate a wall from Cementoss, and still keep up with All Might?”

Iguchi blinks, vaguely remembering news footage and a couple of people talking about the footage leaking online. “I didn’t see it, no… Hang on. That guy with the bird beak and exposed brain matched with All Might?”

Hatsume nods, hefting a heavy bar up with ease that Awase had to drag over by one end. “Yeap. And there are over a hundred Hero Students who are probably going to be fighting one of those, if the League of Villains goes after All Might again. And the rest of us here, since I know at least a dozen of the Support Course Third Years are designing gear for themselves. No shame to anyone who won’t, but there’s a good number of us who are already planning where to be, when it happens.”

Iguchi takes a moment, imagining what he’d seen of the League of Villains. And then he mentally wanders the halls of Yuuei, having seen most of the students halfway as he’d run paper memos or paperwork between classes. Plus all the teachers, especially the older ones who weren’t Licensed Heroes.

He knew Nedzu had a bunch of robots to defend the school, which was already impressive. Now Iguchi was imagining Snipe leading a battalion of Support and Gen-Ed Students, raining ordinance from the third floor with Cementoss reshaping the shell of the building into defensive battlements.

Iguchi had an entire Siege playing out in his head, quickly refocusing as Hatsume slid across a stripped out seat to start on this side of the cart. “Yeah, I explode a lot of stuff. But with those explosions, I test what kinds of fabric make the best school uniforms for the students who don’t have cool Hero Costumes. The Second Years and up have a super cool stitching machine, but even the 3-D Printing Queen Yao-Momo can’t make up for super rare materials needed for a job of that size.”

Iguchi nods, walking over to help move the surprisingly heavy metal bars for Awase to Weld into place with a few taps of his hand. He then drags his finger over the seam, taking a jagged and rough job and seeming to soften it and better complete it on a slower scale. “Sounds like you’re planning to be the General, in this Army.”

“Nah, that’s Kenkyū. I’m just making sure if things are that bad, my babies are here to pick up the slack.” Hatsume looks over the Welding job, nodding before walking over to unroll the straps.

“Then it’s more important for me to test this, rather than you.” Hatsume turns, Iguchi offering her a grin. “Well, sounds like you’ve got a lot of work in front of you. And Recovery Girl doesn’t like her patients working themselves to death in her clinic, so that’s just time wasted, right?”

Hatsume takes a second, then lets out a small giggle before throwing the wound-up end of the strap to him. “Okay, then. But I still get to do the first test drive, once it’s safe. This Baby is worth a fifth of my grade, and there’s a lot of work to do before this Saturday.”

Iguchi nods, the two of them ready to lift this heavy as hell piece that’s going under the cart for whatever reason. And maybe he should pay a bit more attention to the Support Course, in the next couple of weeks. He might just end up with the mechanics Work Study he’d been planning on years ago.