Hypno

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/29323485.

Rating:

Mature

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

F/F, F/M, Multi

Fandom:

僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Relationship:

Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight & Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki/Consequences - Relationship, Hagakure Tooru & Midoriya Izuku, Ashido Mina & Hagakure Tooru, Ashido Mina & Midoriya Izuku, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight & Thirteen, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight/Thirteen, Ashido Mina/Hagakure Tooru, Ashido Mina/Midoriya Izuku, Hagakure Tooru/Midoriya Izuku, Ashido Mina/Midoriya Izuku/Hagakure Tooru

Character:

Midoriya Izuku, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Original Characters, Hagakure Tooru, Ashido Mina, Thirteen (My Hero Academia)

Additional Tags:

Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Quirk Discrimination (My Hero Academia), Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Dead Midoriya Inko, Dead Midoriya Hisashi, Orphan Midoriya Izuku, Momnight, Parental Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Kayamom, U.A. is a University (My Hero Academia), Midoriya Izuku Does Not Have One for All Quirk, Hagakure Tooru has One for All, Vigilante Bakugou Katsuki

Series:

Part 1 of Hypno Verse

Collections:

Fanfic Forum Discord Recs, isabella9792_readinglist, My Hero Academia, Fanfiction I Deem Worthy Of The Name

Stats:

Published: 2021-02-10 Updated: 2021-09-28 Chapters: 34/? Words: 127162

Hypno

by ScarecrowGhostX

Summary

Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero. those around him say he can't because his quirk is a villain quirk, but they're wrong because there's a hero with a quirk just like his, Midnight. after a few chance encounters Midnight takes an interest in the young orphan boy with a quirk like hers.

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

Chance Encounters

Izuku Midoriya was all too familiar with how unfair the world is. Like many others, he developed a quirk at four years old, but unlike others, he wasn't praised for his quirk. Izuku's quirk allowed him to put people to sleep with a scent he gave off. It started small with people saying they fell asleep in class because of Izuku's quirk, but it escalated as he got older. People accused him of stealing things after he put them to sleep, and once he became a teenager, girls accused him of putting them to sleep and doing things to them. It didn't help that his parents had died when he was a child due to a villain attack and left him an orphan. The only solace he found was in heroes. He loved them and obsessed over them, taking notes and analyzing how they fought. His dream was to become a hero, especially when he heard of Midnight and saw how her quirk was the same as his.

Izuku panted as he slipped away from the boys chasing him. They ran off in the wrong direction, and Izuku was thankful that Katsuki wasn't part of the group, or else he probably wouldn't have been able to give them the slip as easily as he did. It was the same as always. After school, someone accused him of knocking them out and doing something or other Izuku wasn't sure about the specifics he had stopped listening to what they actually said a long time ago. Some guys would then chase him down, and if he was fast enough or lucky enough, he would get away. If not, then he would get beat up and left to hobble back to the orphanage.

Izuku sat down and pulled out his hero notebook to look over the notes he took. He wasn't going to organize them now while in a back alley, but he needed to calm down and kill time till the bullies gave up the search and left.

Izuku was so deep in thought as he read what he wrote about Mt.Lady and Kamui Woods that he didn't notice the long, thin fingers reach over his shoulder and pluck the notebook from his hands as a woman spoke, "now what do we have here? Oh, notes on Mt.Lady? My oh my, what did a young boy like yourself write about a girl like her?"

Izuku panicked as he shot to his feet and tripped over his tongue, trying to tell whoever it was that he didn't write anything weird, but his brain stopped as he saw who had his notebook. The R-rated Hero Midnight stood there smirking as she read the notes on Mt.Lady "oh, a little too showy, and why did she set up in a city when her quirk would work so well out in the countryside."

The hero laughed as Izuku blushed and tried to formulate his thoughts. His favorite hero was in front of him. The person who showed that just because everyone said it was a villain's quirk doesn't mean it's true. He had the same quirk as Midnight, and she was a hero, so he could be one as well. Izuku noticed she was staring at him, and he hadn't actually said anything yet. His brain panicked "u-um y-yeah I uh wrote that this m-morning. I saw her fight and thought it was w-weird. I-I promise there's nothing... bad in there."

Midnight laughed and snapped the book shut "oh, I'm sure there isn't. You seem like a sweet kid, but I gotta ask why are you hiding back here? You didn't perhaps do something bad, did you?"

Izuku shook his head and waved his hands "n-n-no, I didn't; I just was..."

"Hm, let me guess." Midnight tapped her chin in rhythm with her foot "you're hiding from those three boys who were chasing you. I'm guessing bullies, right?"

Izuku clutched the hem of his shirt and nodded as he stared at the floor. "So what were they bullying you for? Was it this?" he looked up to see her wave the notebook back and forth.

"N-not this time... Kac- Bakugo usually bullies me about the notebook, but he wasn't with those guys."

Midnight sighed, seeing how shaken and meek this boy was. She never understood how schools could let bullies run rampant like they seem to do. "So then what were those particular mini villains after?"

The moment of truth. Izuku knew he shouldn't feel nervous. She had the same quirk as him, so she would understand, right? Right!? Even if she's a girl and he's a guy, that difference shouldn't be enough for her to not understand. "M-my quirk."

That piqued Midnight's interest. He didn't have any mutations; in fact, he was kind of plain-looking, so it wasn't that. Maybe it was a gross quirk, or perhaps it was similar to a recent villain's quirk. "What is your quirk?"

"I-it's like Somnambulist, but different. I-I have slight telepathic control over the cloud. I-it helps keep it close to me, and I-I've managed to co-condense it into a liquid before that's more potent than the gas. The doctor called it Narcolepsy." Izuku screwed his eyes shut and braced for the worst... but it never came, just a gentle hand patting his head.

Slowly he looked up to see Midnight giving him a sad smile. "It must be hard. I'm sure people have made plenty of assumptions about you and what you do with your quirk. I dealt with similar things while I was in school." she removed her hand from his head, and he felt a tug of sadness at the missing contact. "Tell me... well, first I suppose you should tell me your name, then tell me what you want to do with this quirk you have."

Izuku took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter "I-i'm Izuku Midoriya, and I want to be a hero! I've always loved heroes then when I saw you and how you have a quirk like mine. I took that as proof that I could be a hero and help people with my quirk. You're my favorite hero because of that."

Midnight smiled and laughed. "I have to say Midoriya, that's quite the reason to have me as your favorite hero. Not one that most people have."

The hero chuckled as the boy's face turned red, and he sputtered. "Calm down now. Here you should have this back." she returned his notebook to him "how about I make sure you get home without running into any more bullies, and you promise to go to UA when you're headed off to college."

Izuku took the notebook and nodded. "I've always wanted to go to UA, so that's easy, but um... before we go, can I get an autograph?"

Midnight laughed again and signed his notebook before leading the boy out of the alley he had hidden away in. as they got to the street, she looked at him, "so which way, kid?"

"U-um this way." Izuku stuttered as he started walking. Midnight smiled and followed shortly behind.

This was weird. He felt like everyone was staring at him as he walked, but he guessed they would since Midnight of all heroes was right next to him, just smiling and commenting on shops or restaurants she enjoyed visiting while in the area. It didn't take long till they were standing outside the orphanage that Izuku called home. "U-um well thank-"

"Izuku!" a feminine voice yelled before someone barreled into Izuku, pulling him into a hug "oh my god, there you are. You butt you didn't answer a single text or phone call I sent."

Midnight held back laughter as a woman taller than herself picked up Izuku, who was fumbling for his phone. Her bright green hair went down her shoulders on one side but was buzzed on the left. Midnight saw that despite calling him a butt and the reason she's going to develop a heart condition, the women's teal eyes were full of nothing but kindness and worry for the boy.

The woman noticed Midnight and promptly dropped Izuku "holy shi-... uh crap. Yep holy crap it's uh Midnight." the woman looked at Izuku "yo Izu. Why do you have our favorite lady hero following you home?

Midnight smiled and chuckled at the question "yes, it is. It's nice to meet another fan. I ran into Midoriya on patrol. He was hiding from bullies."

Iuzku shrank back as the woman's eyes darkened "those fu- stupid brats. Were they picking on you because of your quirk again?"

Izuku nodded "y-yeah, I um slipped away before they caught me, and that's when I-I ran into Midnight."

The woman's face softened "good, you didn't get hurt." she turned and bowed to Midnight "thank you for getting him home safe. I'm Yasuda Azuki. I mainly look after the older kids... which well is just Izuku."

"It's quite alright, Azuki. I was simply doing my job as a hero. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should get going. I've got a pratol to finish and projects back at UA to grade."

As Midnight left, she heard Yasuda squeal and give Izuku a high five when she saw he got Midnight's autograph. The hero chuckled before picking up the pace to make sure no villains were acting up.

___________________________________________________________________

Izuku quickly sat down on his bed as Yasuda sat in his desk chair and grinned at him "so Izu, let's talk about how you had freaking Midnight walking you home."

Izuku sighed and looked around his barren room. Across from the door to his room was a window that looked out onto the garden behind the orphanage, and to the right of the door was a bookshelf with his various journals and books on heros. Next to the bookshelf was the desk he used for school work. Just another old piece of furniture that had been here since the orphanage started. Across from his desk was the bed with its dark green sheets that he was currently sitting on.

If Izuku could afford to, there would have been hero merch covering every inch of his relatively small room, but alas, the orphanage didn't have the funds to give him enough allowance to afford that stuff. He kept his money for when he wanted a treat, or clothes that weren't hand-me-downs, or when he wanted to get something for the younger kids. They looked up to him since he was the oldest kid, so he treated them to little things that would make their faces light up with joy.

Yasuda snapped her fingers "come on, boy, I got laundry to get to, but I wanna hear details first because oh my god, she's so much hotter in person than tv, and her hero merch does not do her justice."

Izuku chuckled and thought about how much he wished his room could look like Yasuda's apartment. She had shown him pictures of all the merch she got for all her favorite heroes. She claimed to be the one who set him down the path of being a huge nerd when it came to heroes. He had quickly caught up to her and surpassed her in some aspects of hero knowledge, much to her joy. All the staff were wonderful, but his bond with Yasuda was special in a way no one else had managed, so he told her about what happened and how he ended up meeting Midnight.

Yasuda bit her tongue and tried not to curse. She was finding it hard to not let a storm out about how shit his school was and how she wished they could send him to a different one, but the government was clear on how the orphanage had to operate and where they could send their kids so that they kept getting funding.

This green-haired bean sprout of a boy had been here since before she started working, but they quickly got along, especially with how he would help around the orphanage doing chores and keeping the younger kids occupied. They knew he wouldn't get adopted. He was fourteen already, so the chances new parents would take the risk of raising a teenager who's lived in the system was slim to none. Yasuda would consider it, except she didn't make enough money, and she also didn't think she would be a good mom. She was much better as an older sister who annoyed and checked in on him.

Yasuda laughed as he nerded out and started muttering about Midnight and her quirk. She let him go on for a bit before snapping him back to reality and telling him to go check on the other kids while she finished the laundry.

Izuku smiled brightly as his woes were temporarily forgotten, and he rushed to go find the younglings who were probably terrorizing one of Yasuda's coworkers.

___________________________________________________________________

A week went by, and Midnight still found her thoughts drifting back to a plain-looking middle school boy who looked too sad and fragile for someone his age. He had a fire in his eyes when he said he wanted to be a hero, but it was like that flame was constantly being attacked from all sides, threatening to go out at any moment. She knew what it was like to be bullied for your quirk. She had dealt with it growing up as well. Despite the changes, quirks brought some things stayed the same, like how cruel people could be towards something that made them uncomfortable or feel vulnerable, and what does that better than a person who could put you to sleep at any moment.

She shook her head and looked over the city from the rooftop she was perched on. It was a slow day. Apparently, All Might had passed through while she was in UA teaching and rounded up a lot of villains so she could expect a few quiet days until word spread that he had moved on.

A clattering of metal hitting concrete got Midnight's attention. She looked down and saw a familiar mop of green hair tumbling over as three boys descended on him. Midnight frowned and made her way down to the group who had grabbed Izuku and were trying to get him to stop struggling enough to start beating him. Midnight landed with a soft thud and took a deep breath before speaking, "Hey! What do you think you three are doing?!"

The three boys trying to pin Izuku down stopped and looked back in shock at Midnight's stern face. They scrambled off Izuku, who moved away from them. Midnight huffed, "you three best explain what's going on."

The boys started stammering over each other, trying to explain how Izuku was getting punished because some girls said they caught him trying to knock them out with his quirk. Midnight's eye twitched, and she snapped her whip, shutting them up. "Midoriya, right?"

Izuku nodded frantically, and Midnight continued, "is it true what they said?"

"N-no i-it's not! I-I didn't do anything like that. I was just trying to go home!" Izuku stuttered out.

A stern glare from Midnight kept the other boys from speaking. "How about next time you go talk to a teacher instead of trying to take matters into your own hands. You three run along now, and don't let me catch you trying this again."

Once the boys ran off, Midnight sighed and looked at Izuku, who was still sitting on the ground "getting bullied for your quirk again?"

The boy nodded and flinched as she held her hand out for him. "Come on, let's get you home."

Izuku took her hand and was yanked up to his feet. Midnight shook her head "you know you're kinda scrawny for a boy trying to be a hero."

"I-i uh was hoping to get a job during high school and maybe save money for weights or something."

"You should go on a jog in the morning or something. Start doing pushups and stuff. It'll be better the sooner you start." Midnight smiled "also if you start getting stronger, you can beat those punks up if I'm not around to save you."

As the two got onto the main street, Izuku stammered, "Sh-should a hero really be telling me to get strong, so I can beat people up?"

Midnight waved her finger "no, no, no I'm not telling you that. I'm saying get strong, so you can defend yourself without your quirk. That way, it's self-defense, and you don't break any quirk laws."

"O-oh. I guess I could start exercising more... though maybe I get enough running in as it is." he thought his attempt at making light of his bully situation was going to fall through, but Midnight chuckled before quickly catching herself.

Midnight cleared her throat and tried to look serious "bullying is not a laughing matter, kid. Do your teachers not do anything about it? Or have you not told them?"

She watched him tense up and started taking an interest in the sidewalk "w-well, I-I told them, but they don't seem to c-care."

Midnight growled  'quirk discrimination most likely. Those stuck up fucks. How are there still people like that around nowadays?!'  she took a breath to calm down before speaking "what about Azuki? It seems like she knows all about it."

Izuku nodded "she wants me to go to a different school, but Aldera is the only middle school the orphanage can send kids to due to regulations. If they try to send them somewhere else, we could lose our government funding."

Midnight scoffed at what seemed like a ridiculous requirement for an orphanage. She noticed Izuku chewing his lip, so she set aside her complaints, "what's on your mind, Midoriya?"

Izuku jumped a bit "u-um, well, I was just thinking... you're not acting like you usually do on the news and stuff."

Midnight grinned "oh are you saying you want me to be flirty with you? Honestly, some boys these days are too bold for their own good."

She laughed as Izuku blushed and sputtered. After a moment, she patted his head. "Midnight is just a persona I use while being a hero." Midnight explained as they got closer to the orphanage. "It's a way to bring some comedy and a little fun to the aftermath, and it's surprising how much flirting with a villain can throw them off in a fight." she chuckled, seeing Izuku's eyes light up at the reason. "I use it when I need to, but sometimes it's better to drop the act and be more like myself. Like with you. I can tell you'd probably be too much of a mess if I spoke to you like Midnight."

Izuku nodded still with a blush on his face "y-yeah probably. I-I see the use for a persona, but... I always thought heroes were just themselves."

"You'd be surprised, kid. Personas are actually really common in the hero community. It just helps us manage the stress of the job. Now run home and tell Azuki what happened, and don't let the bullies dampen your spirit. I'm sure you'll be a good hero, y'know once you get some muscle on you."

Izuku's smile made Midnight smile as he ran off home to speak to Yasuda about today.

____________________________________________________________________

After his talk with Midnight and then talking to Yasuda, Izuku started going on jobs before school and watching videos on Yesudas' phone to learn how to do some exercises at home. It was hard work to keep himself motivated and on track, but it got easier as he dedicated a notebook to tracking his progress. His muscles ached and burned the day after his workouts, but he found himself sleeping better, and he focused better in school. The new motivation and energy that came with his workouts lead to him pouring himself into his hero analysis and his studies, and he rose in the ranks at school.

Sadly the bullying didn't let up. People had new accusations every week, and Izuku found himself running more and more to escape his tormentors. Thanks to his workouts, though, more times than not, he would get away. Unknown to him a certain hero smiled proudly every time she crossed paths and saw him escape.

Midnight felt like she should do more, but she wasn't sure. She had some contacts with the police, but she would need more proof to get them to act. She could go to Nezu; he specialized in systematically dismantling organizations that weren't up to snuff. That was part of why she hesitated to bring him in. He was terrifying, and if he got involved, who knows where he'd stop. He could end up targeting the entire Japanese school system, or when he found out Izuku was in an orphanage, the rat may target that system for reform. The more she thought about it, the more it sounded kinda like a good idea. Maybe she would run it by Shota and the others first.

_________________________________________________________________

Shota groaned as he laid in the corner of the teacher's lounge. He could hear the click of heels getting closer. He knew any second now- The door swung open, and Nemuri smiled "what's up fuckers! I got a situation I need your advice on."

Thirteen set down their tea, and Nemuri took in the rare sight of her fellow teacher. Thirteen was seldom seen without their costume on, but whenever they were, Nemuri made sure to memorize the heroes' features. Soft silver eyes like stars and a face framed by deep blue hair kept short, so they wouldn't struggle with their helmet.

Shaking herself free of the staring contest, she accidentally entered with the space hero. She saw Hizashi nudging Shota to make sure he paid attention. The voice hero spoke, "so what's the deal, Nemuri?"

Nemuri sat on the couch and sighed, "well, it started a few weeks ago." She explained how she met Izuku and the couple run-ins they had.

Thirteen nodded. "I can see why you're hesitant to bring Nezu in on this. He does get pretty intense."

Hizashi snapped his fingers "oh, I got it. Just do what Shota did and adopt the kid. Then you can move him somewhere safer."

The room went quiet as Shota glared at Hizashi. "I hate you so much."

The voice hero laughed, "no, you don't."

Nemuri waved her hands "hold up, Shota, you have a kid now? Like you actually adopted a kid? You didn't just like kidnap them, did you?"

Shota scoffed and sank into his sleeping bag "no, I didn't. I was on patrol and heard a ruckus. I found a kid Shinso Hitoshi getting abused by his parents because of his quirk, so I saved him and then... yeah, kept him around. He's got potential, and he needs a good place, so I gave him one."

Nemuri felt like her worldview was shifting. Grumpy ol Shota was a dad now, and he hadn't told anyone except Hizashi, which made sense; those two were basically joined at the hip no matter how much Shota claimed he didn't like it. "wow, how long ago did this happen?"

The erasure hero grumbled, "three months ago."

Nemuri gasped, "three months! How could you keep such a sweet story from me for so long?"

"Because I know how you get. Now let me sleep. I have a class to teach in a few hours." Shota said, curling up in his sleeping bag and closing his eyes, effectively ending the conversion.

Thirteen asked, "So any idea on what you're gonna do?"

Nemuri shook her head. "I'm not sure. I don't think adopting the kid would be a good idea. I mean," she gestured to herself, "unlike Shota, I'm a spotlight hero, and y'know how the media loved to find any reason to dig into me. If I got a kid... I don't know; it feels like that would just be bad for both of us."

Thirteen shrugged as Nemuri started to leave. "I'll figure something out, I'm sure of it. I'm as smart as I am sexy."

Nemuri tried not to blush as she was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to hear Thirteen mutter, "Yeah, you are."

__________________________________________________________________

Several days after her talk with the others, Midnight sat on a rooftop and saw Izuku come running down the alley. This time his pursuer was a single boy with ash blonde hair. He looked extra angry compared to the usual bullies. Part of her nagged that as a hero she should step in every time Izuku showed up with bullies on his tail, but the more logical side, as Eraserhead would put it, said he needed the experience of slipping away from others and that if she saved him every time he wouldn't be prepared for when she wasn't there. Not that she let them beat Izuku up, she just wouldn't interfere unless he was caught, then she would jump in and save him.

It was looking like it would be one of those days. The ash-blonde boy was catching up, and Midnight stood up, ready to make her way down until she heard an explosion. Her eyes shot down to confirm that yes, the boy had just used his quirk on Izuku and was standing over the green-haired boy with his palms setting off tiny explosions.

Midnight descended quickly. It was one thing to try and beat someone up with your fist, but to use your quirk? Either he was several ignorant of quirk laws, or he thought he could get away with it. Both were concerning options. As she got down to the ground and rushed around the corner, she could hear the boy shouting, "You stupid fucking Deku! I told you to stop with those creepy fucking notebooks, and what's with you, huh? You're still a scrawny fuck but don't think I don't see you putting on muscle! What you think some useless villain fuck like you could ever be a hero?!"

Midnight was already tearing her sleeve as another explosion rang out when Izuku tried to stammer a response. Both boys looked confused as her quirk washed over them. Much to Midnight's surprise, Izuku didn't pass out. He simply seemed half asleep as his head bobbed slightly. "M-Midnight?"

Midnight smiled "hey, kid. Having trouble?"

Izuku's head lolled back for a moment before going forward again. "Y-yeah. Bakugo... saw my notebook. He doesn't like tat I'm tryin to be a hero."

Midnight pulled Katsuki off Izuku and pulled out her restraints. She made sure his palms were pressed against his back as she restrained him and pulled her phone out.

Izuku was regaining his senses and asked, "w-what are you doing?"

Midnight blinked, "calling the police to bring a car over. This kid just used his quirk to assault you. He's going to get in trouble for this."

She saw the pensive look on his face and worried that he was going to be against it. She'd seen it plenty with victims. They would try to protect their abusers out of fear of what could happen if it didn't work. Izuku surprised her, though, as he nodded. "I- I wish it didn't happen, but... y-yeah, I know he has to."

"Good. now come on, they'll need your statement."

Izuku scrambled to his feet, grabbing his backpack and following Midnight as she dragged a still out cold Katsuki.

Changes in Motion

Katsuki woke up slowly. The first thing he noticed was a lack of Deku cowering below him. The next thing he realized was that he was staring at a steel table, and he had quirk suppressant cuffs on. "What the hell?! Where am I? And where the fuck is the useless Deku?!"

A man in a beige trenchcoat and hat stepped in "ah, you're awake. That's good to see. I'm Detective Tsukauchi. Your name is Katsuki Bakugo, correct?"

Katsuki strained against his cuffs "fucking, obviously. Why the hell am I cuffed? Where the fuck is that liar Deku?!"

Tsukauchi sat across from him. "Deku? Oh, do you mean Izuku Midoriya? He's given his statement on the event. We're just awaiting your parents then-"

The door opened, and Masaru and Mitsuki walked in. Mitsuki bristled, "why is my son cuffed?"

Tsukauchi stood and motioned to the seats on either side of Katsuki "please have a seat, and we can discuss what happened."

Katsuki's parents sat down, and Mitsuki glared at Katsuki "what the hell did you do? I saw Izuku as we came in with a pro."

Tsukauchi cleared his throat "yes, about that. The pro outside is Midnight. She found both your son and Midoriya. It appears your son was assaulting Midoriya. With his quirk."

Katsuki's parents tensed as a string of curses and rants were forcing their way to his mouth. They died at the sight of his mother's expression. Most people would say she was neutral, but Katsuki could see the fury behind her mask. He had seen it only a few times, but it always made him stop. Tsukauchi continued, "Katsuki Bakugo is being charged with assault, public use of a quirk without a license, and using a quirk to cause unnecessary harm or injury."

Katsuki turned back towards the detective. "That's bullsh-"

Mitsuki smacked him upside the head so quickly he nearly hit the table. "Shut your mouth, brat. You don't talk unless we need you to. Do you not understand the severity of this? They can try you as a villain even if you're a minor. You can say goodbye to your dream of being a hero; if this happens, you'd be lucky to get a job at a fast-food restaurant."

Tsukauchi spoke, "that brings me to a point I wanted to mention. Katsuki Bakugo, you're in luck. Since this is the first recorded incident, and Izuku Midoriya wasn't hurt too badly. We can offer you an alternative."

He looked to both Katsuki's parents as he continued, "These crimes won't go on his record, but he will have to attend therapy twice a week for six months, and if the therapist is satisfied with his progress, then that will be it."

The Bakugo parents started to relax until Tsukauchi continued, "but if he doesn't show improvement that satisfies her, he will be punished, and if he has any other incidents, he will not get another chance. You're his parents, so you need to make sure he takes this seriously."

Mitsuki sighed a tired and defeated sigh. All her fury had run cold, and now there was just regret. "Masaru and I had strict childhoods. Masaru's was worse than mine, so when we had Katsuki, we thought... we hoped giving him more freedom would keep him from the issues we both had. It looks like we went too far in the other direction. We weren't attentive enough in raising him, and now he's done something like this."

Mitsuki forced Katsuki, who was still reeling from the whole situation, to bow his head as his parents did the same. His mother spoke with none of her usual sass or fire "thank you, sir, for allowing us this chance to correct his mistakes. We promise to keep him in line and will endeavor to make sure this never happens again. I promise."

Tsukauchi nodded and slid a packet of papers over "this has everything you'll need. The officer outside will take you to the paperwork you need to sign. Once you're home, I suggest looking over all the info as a family and setting up his first appointment."

The Bakugos bowed again as they stood and left with the officer waiting for them. As they walked, Katsuki was still trying to rationalize how Deku had done this to him. He saw the green nerd sitting with that slut hero the nerd always admired. Katsuki's palms itched. He wanted nothing more than to charge after that useless nerd and show him why it was a mistake to do this to him, but he couldn't... not here anyway.

_________________________________________________________________

Midnight watched as Izuku tensed his eyes full of fear as Katsuki walked by with his parents. She didn't like the look in the blonde boy's eyes, but staring wasn't an actionable offense, so she simply laid her hand on Izuku's back and felt him relax slightly before all the tension left him when the Bakugos rounded the corner.

Yasuda rushed in a few minutes later with murder in her eyes until she saw Izuku was ok. Her features softened, and she ran over to him, kneeling as she took his hands. "Izuku, are you ok?"

Izuku sniffed and nodded "y-yeah, I'm fine. My uniform needs to get a thorough cleaning, but it'll be ok."

"Dummy, I don't care about your clothes. I need to know your scrawny butt is ok." Yasuda said as she let out a breathy laugh.

Midnight smiled. "Midoriya is ok, Azuki. I got to him before anything bad could happen."

Yasuda looked like she was going to cry as she looked at Midnight. "Thank you, ma'am, for helping him. I don't know what I can do to make it up to you."

Midnight waved her concern away. "It's nothing, Azuki. It's my job as a hero to help people in need, and Midoriya was in need, so I did my job and helped him."

Tsukauchi came over "are you Izuku Midoriya's guardian?"

Yasuda stood up and bowed, "yes, I work for the orphanage and care for Izuku. My name is Yasuda Azuki."

Tsukauchi looked over a paper in his hand and nodded, "all right, then we can release him back to you."

As Izuku and Midnight stood, Tsukauchi said, "keep safe, kid. I hope we don't have to see you in here until you're working as a pro."

Izuku laughed weakly and smiled "I hope so too."

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku felt awkward walking with Yasuda on his left and Midnight on his right. Both women were talking about Izuku being bullied with barely contained fury. Yasuda was recounting the times Izuku had come home hurt, and Midnight was telling her about the times she would watch Izuku and step in if he got caught. At first, Yasuda wanted to be upset that Midnight didn't always step in, but after the pro explained her reasoning, the green-haired woman calmed down. Through their conversation, both learned that Izuku hadn't revealed how much bullying happened and often hid his injuries, which luckily were limited to bruises and scrapes with the occasional burn.

Izuku felt incredibly small under their combined gaze, but it softened almost immediately, and Yasuda spoke, "we worry about you is all ya big nerd. I told you a million times you don't need to hide things from me."

Midnight nodded "we may not know each other very well, Midoriya, but I understand what you're going through, so please don't be afraid to talk with me when we run into each other."

Izuku blushed hard as the two rubbed his head. "I-I'll be more upfront about what goes on."

The two women smiled, satisfied with his answer. The rest of the walk was peaceful and less awkward for Izuku. Once they were back at the orphanage, Midnight stopped before she left. "Midoriya... if you want, I can train you in self-defense. Nothing fancy, but if you get caught, it'll keep you from getting beat up until help can come."

Izuku looked at Yasuda, who smiled. "I told you I would teach you if you wanted, and now you've got a hero offering to teach you. I promise to not be too offended if you choose her over me."

Izuku blushed and stared at the sidewalk before saying, "c-can both of you teach me? I get the feeling you two have different ways of going about self-defense. I should p-probably learn both."

Midnight smiled "are you good with sharing, Azuki?"

Yasuda laughed. "I suppose I can let him out of my sight for a bit if he's with you. Come by some time, and we can work out a schedule for him."

Midnight nodded. "I'll be sure to stop by when I can."

_________________________________________________________________

It was nearly two weeks after that day before Izuku saw Katsuki again. In that time, Midnight and Yasuda started teaching him self defense. Izuku was right; they were different but also surprisingly similar in how they taught him. Midnight being a pro, had mixed and adjusted several fighting styles to best suit her quirk. Her style included lots of flowing movements and precise strikes.

Meanwhile, Yasuda, who definitely didn't brag about all the fights she had gotten into when she was in school, fought like a boxer and preferred to be on the defensive. Both were taskmasters, and they gave him little rest and expected much from him. He enjoyed learning from them.

Izuku was feeling more confident in himself after the first few lessons. His workouts adjusted to fit his new focus, and for a time, even the bullies at school backed off. Until Katsuki came back and Izuku could feel the tension in the air. The blonde didn't even look at him or register his existence. Instead of making him feel safer, Izuku just felt dread building up. The day was spent worrying about when and where Katsuki would strike from, but it didn't happen.

For three days, Katsuki Bakugo ignored the existence of Izuku Midoriya. The other bullies felt emboldened by Katsuki being back at school, but he never joined in for those three days. It was the fourth day when Izuku started to think he may be able to relax that Katsuki struck.

Izuku was shoved against the wall hard. Katsuki had dragged him out behind the school during lunch. He knew no one would be back here, and the back of the school had a small forest of trees behind it, so there was no chance of a random passerby seeing them either.

Katsuki didn't look angry, which scared Izuku more than normal. Izuku had seen this look on Katsuki's mother's face once back when they were still 'friends,' and it terrified him. Izuku flinched as Katsuki spoke in a dull tone, "you think you're hot shit, don't you, Deku? You tick me off, so I chase you down, then you get that slut hero you're always going on about to swoop in and start making claims. Now I have to go fucking therapy like some kinda weakling. It's all your fault. You put my dreams at risk, so I'm gonna beat the shit out of you until you understand where you belong in this world."

Izuku tried to press himself against the wall and think of a way out of this, but it was hopeless. Katsuki was blocking his only way to escape, and he knew even with his lessons, Izuku didn't stand a chance. Katsuki seemed to have a sixth sense for fighting and wasn't afraid to act on it. Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but Katsuki descended on him quickly and punched Izuku to the ground.

Izuku tried to get up and defend himself, but Katsuki broke any resistance he put up and forced Izuku back into the ground. Eventually, Izuku simply curled in on himself, trying to minimize the damage to anything important. Katsuki noticed this and seemed to start hitting harder and aimed several kicks at Izuku's head. With each hit, it felt like all the progress Izuku was making in his goal was stripped away until it was just little Deku sitting on the ground. Izuku felt something break inside him. He wasn't sure if it was mental or physical; it all just hurt. The blood that leaked out of his mouth showed him it was physical.

Katsuki knelt by his head and spoke quietly as Izuku tried to breathe properly "remember, you're just a Deku. You'll never be anything more. Now fuck off and never bother me again."

____________________________________________________________________

Midnight sighed as she walked the streets. Usually, she stuck to the roofs so she could avoid any weirdos or the press. Both were always looking for any and every shot they could get for various reasons.

The pro stopped in her tracks and blinked several times because what she saw in front of her just didn't compute. It made her brain freeze and skip. The sight was just... wrong. Izuku was limping down the barren sidewalk, his backpack clutched to his chest with one arm while the other hung by his side. There was blood leaking from his mouth, and his eyes were half-lidded and unfocused. His uniform was tattered, and she could see bruises forming all over his neck and face. From how his body flinched with each step, she knew there were even more.

Izuku started to fall forward, and Midnight rushed over and caught him. "Midoriya! What the hell happened?"

Midnight kept her panic in check as he seemed to go limp in her arms. She checked his breathing and pulse, making sure he still had both. His breaths were shallow and ragged, but they were there. As gently as she could, she picked him up and pulled her phone out as she rushed down the sidewalk. They weren't far from where she parked her car. As she ran, the phone rang twice before an elderly woman answered, "Kayama, why are you calling me? You're not in tody-"

"Chiyo, I need you in the nurse's office now! Send medical bots and a stretcher to the teacher's parking lot. I'll be there soon. I've got an urgent case!"

"Alright, it's done. What happened?"

Midnight laid Izuku in the back of the black sedan UA provided so their teachers could get to patrol grounds easier. "The boy I told you and the others about, Midoriya. He's been seriously injured."

She heard the woman grumbling as Midnight hopped into the driver seat and started the car. "Was this because of your training him?"

"No!" Midnight took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I have no idea what happened. I was on patrol and stumbled across him."

"Alright, the bots are at the parking lot. How long till you're here?"

Midnight tore out of the parking space and down the road. "Five minutes. I'll have to apologize to the police later for the reckless driving."

__________________________________________________________________

The car screeched as Midnight came to a stop and helped the robots get Izuku onto the stretcher. As they moved through the halls, the students of UA quickly jumped out of her way. The usually flirty and happy go lucky art teacher looked to be on the warpath, and no one wanted to be the one to stall her progress. Even if the barely conscious kid next to her on a stretcher raised a lot of questions.

Recovery Girl opened the door before Midnight could even get close enough to open it. "Lay him on bed three."

As Recovery Girl got to work, Midnight pulled her phone out and took a deep breath. This was going to hurt. Midnight hit the call button, and the phone rang three times before Yasuda answered, "Hey Kayama. What's with the call? You miss hearing my voice that much?"

"Azuki... I'm at UA. I've got Midoriya here."

"Wow, he must be stoked, but uh, why'd you take him out of school? Also, the school should probably only let me do that."

Midnight clenched her teeth. "I don't know how or why, but I found him outside school. He was... beaten. Just walking aimlessly. Recovery Girl is looking him over and will heal him."

The line was quiet for thirty seconds before Yasuda spoke, "I'm on my way."

Midnight let out a breath. "I'll make sure you have a guest pass waiting."

"Thank you, Kayama."

The line went dead, and Midnight turned as the door opened and Nezu walked in. "Sir-"

He held a paw up. "Power Loader is heading to the gate. He'll escort this young boy's guardian to the nurse's office."

The president stopped by her, "so this is young Midoriya. The boy you're training? He has a quirk like yours."

"Yes, sir."

The president sipped a cup of tea he seemed to always have on him "what school does he go to?"

"Aldera middle school." Midnight said as she watched Recovery Girl do her thing.

"Hm, I'll look into them."

Midnight nodded "thank you, sir."

____________________________________________________________________

Yasuda ran up to the front gate of UA, where she saw a hero waiting for her. Power Loader waved, "Izuku Midoriya's guardian Yasuda Azuki right?"

Yasuda nodded "yes, sir, and you're Power Loader, aren't you?"

"That's me. Here this is your guest pass."

Yasuda slipped the pass on and followed Power Loader to the Nurse's Office. Her stomach was in knots as they approached. She entered, and dread filled her as she saw Izuku lying too still on the bed. He was wrapped in bandages, and she could see his school uniform with blood on it. She turned to see Midnight sitting with a small rodent Yasuda recognized as the president Nezu. "Kayama, what happened to Izu?"

Nemuri sighed as she took her mask off. "I don't know. I got lucky, and we ran into each other. It had to have happened at his school that much I'm sure of. I asked Nezu to look into the school."

Yasuda was familiar with the president's exploits. He took down many groups and individuals who tried to hide their discrimination from society. She knew what he was going to do to Aldera, but it didn't matter. "It won't make a difference. If that school goes away, they'll just all get shoved into another one together. Even if they're not all together, the ones with Izu will spread their hate of him. He needs to get away from this area of Tokyo."

Nemuri agreed. She knew that when Aldera went down, Izuku would just get put somewhere else, and his bullies would be right behind him. Part of her brain had an answer already. It had been there since she learned about Shota and his kid, but could she do that? Did she want the responsibility of raising a kid? It was one thing to train him and make sure he had confidence. It was another thing to become his guardian. She had an image she curated for hero work, the R-rated hero Midnight, a dominating personality in a dominatrix outfit with a sadistic side. She flirted with reporters, took a sexy pose for the cameras after a fight, and made crude, perverted comments. Not that she cared. Midnight was just a means to manage the stress and make her feel powerful. No, her concern is how Izuku would handle the media being all over him because of her. She didn't have a right to put a scared kid through what those vultures could do to a person.

Yasuda had a pleading look in her eyes. In the short time, they've known each other, the orphanage worker had subtly and not so subtly made it known that she felt Nemuri would make a great mom. Midnight not so much, but Nemuri would be perfect for Izuku.

Nemuri looked at Izuku again. Something had been stirring in her since seeing him beaten and hobbling down the street. Sure she was concerned for him, but it felt more than the concern she felt for an injured civilian. It felt so much worse than anything she had felt on the job.

The pro was pulled from her thoughts as Izuku stirred and groaned. Recovery Girl kept the boy from sitting up as everyone stood nearby. "Izu, you awake, buddy? How are you doing?" Yasuda asked as she moved to his side.

Izuku groaned. "My... everything kinda hurts."

Recovery Girl spoke up, "I healed your most serious injuries and bandaged up what was left. You're gonna have soreness and bruises for a while."

Izuku blinked slowly "w-wow, Recovery Girl." he looked around and said, "I have a notebook somewhere. Can you sign it?"

The nurse shook her head as Yasuda smiled and sat near the head of the bed, getting Izuku's attention. "You rest up, ya little nerd. I'll get her and Nezu to sign your book, ok? Before I do that, though, I need you to tell me who did this?"

Izuku blinked and stared at the ceiling. "I... don't know. I can't remember."

Yasuda looked at the assembled pros, and Recovery Girl spoke, "it's ok, dear. You took a few hits to the head, so you may not remember right away. If you do, make sure to tell us."

Izuku nodded silently. Nezu climbed up onto the bed "hello, young Midoriya, it's nice to meet you."

"U-um, it's nice to meet you too, sir."

Nezu smiled. "I just wanted to inform you that I will be personally looking into your school, and should I find anything, I will not hesitate to bring it to light."

"W-wow, um, you don't need to go through all that trouble just for me." Izuku stammered out.

Nezu just smiled his usual smile. "Oh, trust me, young man, it's not just for your sake that I do this but for everyone's sake. Now you rest up and head home once you're feeling up to it."

Izuku nodded again and watched the mouse-like creature leave. Once he was gone, and Recovery Girl had gone to her desk Yasuda stood. "Izuku, rest up. Kayama and I are gonna talk for a minute. We'll be back soon."

"Yeah... sure. I-I'll be here."

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri led Yasuda to a meeting room so the two could talk privately. Once they were sitting, Yasuda looked at her with pleading eyes. "Kayama, I know I've joked about it, but I'm serious. I think you should adopt him. You can help him so much more than letting him live in the orphanage. He needs to get away from this area of Tokyo. He needs a fresh start. You can give him that."

Nemuri sighed and looked at her mask. "Can I really, though? I'm a fairly controversial hero. I knew that from the start, and it's part of why I made Midnight the way she is. I wanted the controversy. I wanted people to talk about me and what I stood for. The media had a field day when I joined the UA staff. They harassed students for months trying to see if there was a story of me coming onto one of my students."

Nemuri looked at Yasuda "how can I willingly bring Izuku into a life where he will be barraged by people wondering what I'm like or what I've done to him. They'll make accusations, and his face will be plastered all over the place, and I'm not even sure if I would be a good guardian. I've never even considered having kids before."

Yasuda smiled sadly and leaned back in her chair as she twiddled her thumbs "you know. I've worked in an orphanage for a while. Even before then... I lived in one."

Nemuri's eyes widened. Yasuda hadn't really shared anything beyond being a bit of a punk and a fighter back in highschool. The woman laughed at her expression "yeah, I never got adopted either. My attitude as much as my quirk made sure of that."

"What is your quirk? I don't think I've ever seen you use it." Nemuri knew they should stay on track, but honestly, she wanted to delay whatever point Yasuda was going to make even just a little.

Yasuda smiled. "It's called Shock Wave. I can absorb impact and send it out in all directions as a shock wave. The backlash is kinda harsh, so I never could be a hero; also, it can be pretty destructive, but enough about that back to my tale."

She gave an over the top flourish as she started again. "I aged out and had to live on my own starting at eighteen... it was rough. I got into some bad things and ended up making a lot of mistakes, but I turned it around when I realized I didn't want other kids like me to end up where I did. I got certified and started working; that's when I met Izuku. He's bright, full of life, and surprisingly a decent artist. Though his fashion sense drives me up a wall sometimes."

Yasuda sighed. "I don't know where I'm going with this. Maybe I just want you to know that I've seen parents pass up kids they'd be perfect for because they have so much self-doubt about whether or not they'll make good parents. I don't want Izuku to make the mistakes I made, and I don't want you to make the mistakes others have made. Take some time, Kayama, but please just bring it up with Izuku. He may surprise you with how he feels on the matter."

Nemuri nodded after a moment "ok, but not today. I'll let him rest up, and next time we train. I'll bring it up."

Yasuda smiled "good. Now I'm gonna go see if he's ok to leave."

Moving Forward

Izuku grunted as Nemuri put him on his back again. It had been three days since his emergency visit to UA, and he hadn't been back to school yet. Yasuda told him he wouldn't be going back and that they'd find another way for him to continue school. Today was also the first day back training with Nemuri. Izuku was happy to be doing something that would keep him completely distracted from unnecessary thoughts like how he remembered who attacked him and the fear that gripped his chest whenever he thought about bringing it up.

"Come on, get up. We'll take a five-minute break." Nemuri said, tossing a towel on his face.

Izuku sat up and whipped the sweat off his face before joining Nemuri on one of the garden benches. Since she didn't want to deal with the media, they trained in the orphanages garden area. There were a few clear spots of grass that were perfect for sparring. Though his sparring session felt different, he wasn't sure what, but he knew something was on Nemuri's mind.

"U-um Midnigh-"

Nemuri waved a finger at him "ah. I told you if I'm not in costume, you call me Nemuri or Kayama, not Midnight."

Izuku blushed and took a drink of water "sorry, ma'am. Um, Ms.Kayama, is everything ok today? You seem to be lost in thought."

Nemuri drank some water before sighing. "I've just got something on my mind. Who knows, maybe your opinion could help me figure it out."

Izuku cocked his head to the side in confusion "wh-what do you need my opinion on? If it's training, I-I can handle whatever you think I should do. You're more experienced, so I think it'd be best to follow your lead."

"No, it's not that." Nemuri rubbed her face, and her eyes flicked to the porch. She could see Yasuda with a few of the younger kids watching them. They had all taken an interest in watching the pretty lady, and big sis Yasuda beat up big bro Izuku. Nemuri caught Yasuda's eye, and the orphanage worker gave her a smile and two thumbs up.

Izuku watched Nemuri stretch and scratch the back of her head. "I'm trying to save someone. They're in a bad situation, and I want to save them, but if I do it, the media will pester them." Nemuri sighed "maybe I should try to find someone else to help them. Someone who won't get as much attention for doing it."

"I think you should save them." Izuku's sudden response caught Nemuri off guard. "If you know them, I think it'll be better for you to save them. I know if I needed to be saved, I wouldn't care if the media took an interest in me because of who saved me." Izuku chuckled "they'd probably lose interest after a week anyways."

Izuku stretched and missed Nemuri going through several emotions at once. The pro hero took a deep breath and opened her mouth, only to stop when her phone pinged. Nemuri picked it up as Izuku looked over and saw her eyes darken for a moment. "Midoriya, go get changed. Nezu found something, and he wants to talk with us."

Izuku got up. "O-ok." as he ran off to his room, Izuku felt his stomach twisting in knots as he wondered what the president of UA could have found. He hoped it was just some dirt on Aldera in general and not anything specific to him.

__________________________________________________________________

It didn't take long for Nemuri, Yasuda, and Izuku to make it to UA and get up to the president's office. Izuku looked around the office as they entered. One wall was a large window that looked over the UA campus. In front of the window was a plush leather chair and a large dark wooden desk with a few chairs in front of it.

Nezu smiled and climbed onto his desk. He spoke as he walked over to a teapot. "I'm glad to see you're all here. Would you like some tea before we get started?"

The group all agreed, and once the tea was poured, Nezu sat back down, "now onto what I found. If you would direct your attention to your left. I found some security footage that may prove... insightful to what happened to Young Midoriya."

Izuku tried not to geek out about the windows as they tinted, and a screen descended on the left wall. It flicked on, and Izuku felt himself tense seeing the back area of Aldera. Izuku's stomach dropped as the video showed Katsuki dragging Izuku outback. The two of them entered a blind spot. Nezu fast-forwarded a couple minutes until Katsuki left. It took Izuku a full five minutes to hobble out after him.

Two chairs were practically thrown across the room as Yasuda and Nemuri stood up with fire in their eyes "that little fucking shit! He couldn't even go a month. I knew they should have just locked him up. The little psycho needs to be arrested." Izuku shrank back more. Yasuda was cursing which meant she was furious, which was something Izuku had rarely seen.

Nemuri wasn't much better. While Yasuda was like a red hot fire raging out of control, Nemuri was a cold blue flame focused and devastating. Izuku was sure whatever she was thinking was worse than what Yasuda was saying. Nezu clicked a few buttons, and the screen retracted while the windows lost their tint. "As you can see, it seems this Katsuki Bakugo broke the terms of his deal with the police. Now this, plus the other evidence I found, is more than enough to bury the school. I have not informed the police yet of Katsuki Bakugo's actions."

Nemuri spoke up, "why not, sir? This should be reported immediately!"

Nezu held a paw up. "I wish to speak with Mr.Midoriya before taking action."

"Huh?" Izuku looked around "w-wait me, sir? Wh-why do you want t-to talk to me?"

"I wish to know if you remembered that young Bakugo was your attacker or not. I also would like to know what action you think should be taken against him."

Izuku felt nauseous. He didn't want to be here. Nemuri and Yasuda were looking at him with concern, and he hated it. Nezu sighed. "Kayama, could you take Ms.Azuki and step outside for a moment."

Nemuri looked like she wanted to argue, but something in Nezu's beady eyes made her decide it wasn't worth the fight. "Come on, Azuki. Let's do as he says."

Yasuda huffed and all but stormed out as she continued to fume. Izuku hoped she calmed down soon. Once they were gone, Nezu smiled "now, Mr.Midoriya. Did you remember this before I showed it?"

Izuku hesitated before nodding. "Y-yes, I did. The day after it happened."

"And you didn't tell the others? Why not?" Nezu sipped his tea as Izuku squirmed in his seat and tried to think of an answer. After a moment, Nezu spoke again. "Could it be that you felt scared? That if you spoke against him again, the payback would be worse."

Izuku nodded silently as he trembled and held back his emotions. Nezu simply smiled and sipped his tea before continuing. "Rest assured that any action we decide to take against Mr.Bakugo will not result in you being punished. You do not deserve to be treated the way you were, and you deserve justice, so I ask again. What action do you want to take against him?"

Izuku sat frozen to his chair as the question echoed in his mind. He could get his revenge on Katsuki for all the hurt and suffering he caused. It would be easy just to tell Nezu to do whatever. Report it to the police and the public. Let all of Japan know Katsuki Bakugo is just a bully who hurts people... but that's not what he used to be. It wasn't an overnight thing; it was gradual. As they got older, he got worse. Izuku knew it wasn't entirely Katsuki's fault. People did nothing but praise Katsuki and look the other way when he did something wrong. It escalated, and now Katsuki thinks he's god's gift to the world and that nothing he does is wrong. Katsuki needs to be punished, but he also needs to be saved. A hero wouldn't abandon him, and Izuku is going to be a hero.

Nezu smiled as the boy found his resolve and looked up at him. Izuku chewed his lip before speaking, "I-I don't want him to go to jail or be barred from being a hero. Bakugo is... he was a good person. He's just strayed down the wrong path. I think if he was kept from being a hero, he would become a vigilante, which is a slippery slope to becoming a villain, and Bakugo being a villain would be bad for a lot of people."

"You believe Mr.Bakugo could be saved?"

Izuku nodded. "I think therapy, community service, and stuff like that will help him... heck, if you could get All Might to sit and talk to him, it'd help. Bakugo only really respects him as a hero. To Bakugo, All Might's the best because he never loses. I think that's part of what sent him down the wrong path."

Nezu scribbled down a few notes as Izuku took a moment to collect himself. "I guess if he keeps up good behavior and is monitored closely, you can tell if he changes and if he does, then you can decide to let him take the entrance exam or not."

"You would give him another chance despite all he's done to you?"

Izuku nodded. "I want to be a hero, and heroes save people. Bakugo is someone who needs to be saved, so I'll do my best."

Nezu nodded and finished his tea "then I suppose I will call him in and make things clear just how thin the ice he stands on is. I will also bring Aldera down for their negligence and discrimination."

"I- um, thank you, sir. I think with some corrections... Bakugo could be a good hero."

"We will see. You still have many years till you're able to attend my university. I hope by then he is worthy of your kindness." Nezu said as he stood up and walked around his chair. "Now, let me explain things to Kayama and Azuki. I think it would best."

Izuku nodded. 'Y-yeah. I agree, sir."

___________________________________________________________________

The car ride home was awkward, to say the least. Yasuda didn't think Bakugo deserved any of it and maybe he didn't; only time would tell. Nemuri, on the other hand, seemed to agree partially with Izuku's decision, though her mind had been elsewhere all day, and so Izuku sat in the back of Nemuri's car in an oppressive silence, wondering if he did the right thing.

As they got out of the car, Nemuri sighed. "Midoriya, are you free tomorrow?"

Izuku looked up, surprised. He didn't have training, and he was sure Yasuda wouldn't let him go back to Aldera, not that he wanted to "y-yeah um... why?"

Nemuri winked “a date of course.”

Izuku's face flushed, and Yasuda snorted with laughter Nemuri joined in as well, clutching her sides. "I'm sorry I had to."

Nemuri pulled herself together and took a deep breath. "I just have something to talk to you about, and don't worry, it's not about today. It's something else. I'll come by tomorrow morning, and we can go get some breakfast. Sound good?"

Izuku nodded. "Y-yeah, I'll make sure to be ready."

Nemuri patted his head. "I'll see you then."

Izuku didn't sleep well that night. He was constantly bouncing between second-guessing himself with his decision and wondering what Nemuri could want to talk about. All in all, he stayed up late and woke up often in a cold sweat with panic gripping his chest and stealing his breath until it settled, and he drifted off to his restless sleep again.

_____________________________________________________________________

Nemuri stood outside the orphanage in her civilian clothes. A pair of black skinny jeans, simple black sneakers, a gray shirt, and a black leather jacket.

She sighed when she saw Izuku walkout. "Midoriya. I'm gonna be honest; what the heck is that?"

Izuku looked down at his outfit. He had on his standard red sneakers and a pair of jeans as well as a green shirt and a gray hoodie over it that had Sweater written on the front. "It's my jacket."

"Do you have more clothes like that?"

Izuku nodded and lifted his hoodie to show that his shirt had Suit printed on it. "Pretty much all the clothes I bought myself are like this."

Nemuri pinched the bridge of her nose "ok, we'll work on your fashion sense later. For now, come on."

Nemuri attracted considerably less attention walking around in her civilian clothes, so they didn't run into any trouble on their walk. Izuku rubbed the back of his head nervously "um, Ms.Kayama... where are we going?"

"There's a cafe nearby. It's a good date spot, so remember it for when you get yourself someone special."

She laughed as Iuzku blushed and followed her to the cafe. It didn't take long, and Izuku took in the sight of the cafe. It was a small little building on the corner of the street. The inside was a welcoming and calm environment. A pastry case ran along half the store's length full of various cakes and sweets, behind the other half of the counter a small kitchen bustling with a couple of employees cooking away. There were several tables inside and a patio outside where a few patrons were enjoying the fall weather.

Nemuri led him to a corner father from the rest of the people eating inside. They placed their orders, and Nemuri groaned as she stretched before leaning forward to look at Izuku. "You know Azuki cares about you a lot. That's why she acted how she did yesterday. She just wants what's best for you."

Izuku nodded. "I know, but sometimes what's best for the people isn't what's best for you."

"That's a real hero ideology, but you're a middle schooler, Midoriya. You shouldn't have to think like that." Izuku shrank back at her pointed look. Nemuri sighed and sat back. "I'm just saying this, so you don't develop some suicidal levels of self-sacrifice." her eyes scanned over him again. She saw the bags under his eyes and knew he hadn't slept well.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think I've ever been that bad. I just... wanna help people."

"I know. It's just you won't be able to help people if you're dead, so we'll make sure you know your limits well before you actually start hero work."

Izuku nodded. "I'll try my best, ma'am."

Their food arrived, and the two dug in. enjoying the quiet and the food. Izuku's continued to wonder about school and his future. Nemuri, on the other hand, was trying to ignore the knots in her stomach and just eat the food. She felt ridiculous. How could she be nervous about something like this? She had faced down villains who had an advantage over her and still didn't feel as worried about what she was planning now.

After they finished, Nemuri pointed down the road, "let's go this way."

Izuku nodded and followed her. "So ma'am, what are we doing? Other than breakfast. Which, by the way, was really good. Thank you for showing me that place."

Nemuri nodded "no problem. Try not to break too many hearts there, ok?"

Izuku blushed "c-come on, Ms.Kayama, th-that's not gonna happen."

Nemuri smirked, "well, certainly not with that fashion sense."

"Come on, I like them. Isn't that what's important when it comes to clothes?" Izuku said with a pout.

Nemuri waved her hand dismissively "eh, to a point, but that's not important right now."

Izuku noticed they turned and walked into a small quiet park "another date idea, ma'am?"

Nemuri laughed "good, you're learning. This park is pretty quiet most days, so it's a good idea for a simpler date."

Izuku grumbled but felt himself relax as the two walked in silence till they came upon a bench and Nemuri sat down "let's sit here for a minute. This is a good spot to talk about what I wanted to talk about."

Izuku got nervous again as he shifted in his seat as Nemuri took a deep breath and looked at him with her signature serious look "Midoriya... you know Aldera is gonna go down soon. You'll have to find a new school."

Izuku nodded "yeah. I'm not really looking forward to it. I just hope the people there are nicer... though, with people from Aldera ending up in the same place as me. It won't last long till it's like Aldera again."

"About that." Nemuri scratched her cheek "if you moved far enough away from this area, you wouldn't have to worry about your old bullies. You could have a fresh start."

Izuku laughed "that'd be nice, but that won't happen."

"Not unless you get adopted, right?"

Izuku nodded and smiled sadly "yeah, but I'm fourteen, and I'm halfway through my last year of junior high. No one is gonna adopt me and go through all that trouble."

"I would," Nemuri said it in such a plain tone that Izuku thought he must have heard her wrong, but before he could ask her to repeat that, Nemuri continued. "I've given some thought and listened to what you said about wanting someone to save you. I care about you, kid. I want what's best for you and I think adopting you... making sure you're safe and have a home will do that."

"I-is. You mentioned the media during our training. w-a-are you worried about how the media will react to Midnight having a kid a-and how th-they'll treat me."

Nemuri nodded. "I don't want to cause you to suffer or-"

"I won't!" Izuku said a little louder than he meant. "S-sorry, I just um... I don't care about that. If-If I can have a home away from... everything around Aldera. I'll be happy. I like training with you and learning from you. It's fun and challenging and...yeah, I-I don't mind. If dealing with the media i-is the price to pay to get to live with you. I-I can handle it n-no problem."

Nemuri definitely wasn't about to cry. Seeing Izuku with tears in his eyes wasn't going to make her cry either. "W-well then. If you're fine with it. I'd like to adopt you."

Izuku smiled as tears streamed down his face "y-yeah, I'd like that too."

Nemuri turned away as tears started to spill over "g-good. I-I need to find a new place to live, though. M-my apartment isn't big enough for two people to live there."

Izuku chuckled "can I help you look?"

He yelped as he was pulled into a hug "of course you can, Midoriya. It's gonna be your home too, so you get a say in it."

Izuku blushed and kept crying as he hugged Nemuri back. The two sat like that, silently waiting for the tears to subside. Once they had pulled themselves together, Nemuri smiled "come on, Midoriya. Let's get back to Azuki. She's probably pulled together all the stuff so we can start the process. Then tomorrow, we can start looking for a new place."

Izuku nodded "o-ok ma'am."

Nemuri groaned as she stood up "you don't have to call me ma'am or Ms.Kayama. You can just call me Kayama or Nemuri if you want."

She chuckled as Izuku's face did an impression of a tomato. "i-I'll try, but I th-think today has been... a lot."

Nemuri patted his head, "and it's not even ten in the morning yet."

Izuku groaned as the two started walking. All his issues seemed so small right now. There was a lightness in his chest as he walked alongside Nemuri. Neither could contain their smiles as they made their way back to the orphanage.

__________________________________________________________________

Katsuki was feeling great. Sure he had to do stupid therapy, but that would be easy to bullshit his way through. He'd beaten up that bastard Deku, and now the nerd wasn't at school, so he must have learned his lesson, and now to top it off, UA's president wanted to meet with him. He wasn't even in high school, and his dream school was taking an interest in him. He just wished his damn parents would get off his back, then everything would be perfect.

Katsuki and his parents got escorted up to the president's office by some hero. He didn't really care. The guy was short and looked like a piece of construction equipment. Once he entered, he wasn't impressed by the layout. There wasn't much, but the view was decent, so he'd give them that.

Nezu swiveled his chair around "ah, the Bakugo family. It's wonderful you could show up. I'm president Nezu. it's a pleasure to have you here."

Katsuki would scoff at the fact that the president is a rat, but his mother had been watching him like a hawk, and he knew she'd smack him if he did anything. Mitsuki smiled "we're thankful for the invitation, sir, but what is the meaning of this meeting?"

Nezu smiled and sipped his tea as his windows tinted and a screen lowered to their left. Katsuki scoffed internally, thinking the president was just showing off. "Now, as his parents, please be calm. I'm going to show you a video, and then we will discuss how things will proceed."

Katsuki could feel his mother's annoyance. He ignored it. He hadn't done anything wrong, so there's nothing for him to be worried about. The screen clicked on and showed Aldera and Katsuki dragging that nerd outback. The video fast-forwarded to show Katsuki leaving, then skipped ahead again to show Izuku limping away.

Before he could even comprehend the idea of why or how the president of UA had this video or why it mattered what he did to that villain Deku, Katsuki's mother had the back of his neck in a death grip "what the actual fuck Katsuki. Do you think you can just do whatever you want and-"

Nezu held a paw up "now, now Ms.Bakugo, you can discipline him later. For now, I would like to inform you of all that has and will happen. Young Midoriya was brought in with bruised and cracked ribs, a concussion, minor internal bleeding, and severe bruising across most of his body. Luckily Recovery Girl is the best for a reason, and he has recovered fully."

Nezu refiled his tea as Mitsuki glared at her son. The president took another sip before continuing, "It only took a few days to find this footage and oh so much more evidence. It seems Aldera practices and promotes quirk discrimination amongst its faculty and students. I will be revealing this information and making sure that school is closed."

Masaru sighed "that's good, but what about Katsuki. He broke his deal with the police. Why have you not informed them?"

Nezu smiled "because Izuku Midoriya is a kind young man who decided that instead of letting your son suffer the consequences of his actions, Midoriya decided your son is worth another chance."

Mitsuki sighed "that boy. Just like his mother far too kind for his own good."

Nezu nodded "he is quite kind. Though let us stay on topic." the president looked at Katsuki, who was fuming with rage. "From this day until you graduate high school, you will be monitored by me. If I do not see any significant changes in your behavior by the time you apply to UA, I will not allow you to take the entrance exam. Any questions?"

"So the police won't be informed about Katsuki's actions?" Mitsuki asked.

Nezu nodded "though your original deal with the police still exists, so Young Bakugo may not even make it to high school."

"Will we notice the monitoring or-"

Nezu smiled. "I, along with my assets, are very good at making sure the target doesn't notice. Your day-to-day life won't be affected by this. I promise you that."

Mitsuki and Masaru looked at each other, then their son, who was shaking with visible anger. The only reason Katsuki hadn't blown up was that he didn't want to hurt his chances of UA.'  if I ever see that fucking Deku, I'll... no, I fucking can't because he did this shit to me again! Once I'm in UA, he is dead.'

Masaru sighed as he put a hand on Katsuki's shoulder and squeezed it tightly enough to make his son wince. "I'm sorry for his actions and that we failed yet again. I am thankful to Midoriya for giving our son another chance. My wife and I understand that by all rights, our son doesn't deserve this, but we have it, and we will make the best use of it. I can only hope Katsuki will be put back on the right path before it's too late."

Nezu set down his tea "wonderful to hear. Now before you leave, there is someone who wishes to speak privately with Young Bakugo, if that's alright."

Mitsuki looked up "who wants to talk to the brat?"

Nezu's office door opened, and All Might stepped in. the family gasped, and Katsuki shrank a bit under the number one's stare.  "Young Bakugo, I believe we need to have a chat about what it means to be a hero."

Moving Out

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Katsuki felt like his head was spinning. First, that slut hero drags him to the police, and they have the audacity to threaten him all cause he was putting a villain in his place. He had to go to therapy like some weakling, and then that bastard Deku did something, so now UA and All Might were on his side. Even though he's a villain waiting to happen, even if his quirk is shittty. He ground his teeth as his parents and Nezu left him with All Might.

He wasn't even sure if All Might was talking; all he could hear was the blood rushing through his veins. Deku had hurt his chances and his reputation before he even got the chance to start hero school. He was going to kill that damn nerd when- Katuski's head snapped up as All Might gripped his shoulder.  "Young Bakugo. Take a deep breath and listen. I have several things you need to hear."

The tone in his voice brought Katsuki back around, and the young boy begrudgingly paid attention. All Might smiled "good. Now I've heard about everything from Tsukauchi and Nezu. I heard you're a fan of mine as well."

Katsuki scoffed “of course I am. Anyone who isn't a villain or an idiot."

"Then why do you practice quirk discrimination?"

The question caught him off guard. Quirk discrimination? The fuck does he mean by that?" "what?"

"You consider Young Midoriya and others lesser because of their quirks, do you not?"

That was a stupid question, and he didn't even get why All Might was bringing it up "so what. They are lesser. They're just extras who will get in the way of me winning when I'm a pro."

"You think winning is what's important to a pro hero?" All Might asked, the disappointment evident on his face.

"Of course it is. You're number one cause you don't lose. Victory over the villains is all that matters."

All Might scoffed. The number one hero scoffed at him before saying, "if that was the case, Endeavour would be number one, and I would be number eight at best. Most of the top ten solve more cases and arrest more villains than I do."

"What? You're stronger than all of them combined-"

"And yet they would still rank higher than me if it wasn't for the other factors that go into the billboard charts. The only reason I'm ranked number one is that I do interviews, charity work, and visit with people who are fans. I interact with the people I'm sworn to protect. If you ask me, victory over villains is not the most important part of being the symbol of peace. Making people feel safe and letting them know I will do my best to keep their fears at bay is what makes me the symbol of peace."

All Might shifted and sat across from Katsuki, who was looking at him in confusion. All Might continued speaking. "From what I can tell Young Bakugo, you value victory over your opponents, you view others as beneath you and believe physically assaulting them will teach them a 'lesson' and make them 'stay in line.'" All Might's eyes sparked with an intensity that made Katsuki stiffen "that sounds more like a villain than a hero to me."

Katuski's hands popped "what?! I'm not some fucking loser villain like Deku's going to be!"

All Might sighed "you remind me so much of a boy I knew in high school, so much passion and that same desire for victory over others. I looked up to him and thought he would be a great hero. Do you know where he is now?"

Katsuki crossed his arms and scoffed, "like it matters. He was obviously some extra who didn't matter if he's not a hero now."

All Might shook his head "you, and he are so much alike it's scary. The boy who I looked up to is gone. He strayed down off the path of the hero, and now he's in Tartarus paying for his crimes. I would hate to see you end up there too." All Might stood and looked down at Katsuki "as you are now Katsuki Bakugo, you can never be a hero, but people have been kind to you, so you have the chance to change and hopefully become a true hero."

With that statement, Katsuki sat feeling shattered and numb as All Might left. Katsuki stared out the window with his thoughts going a mile a minute but also felt sluggish and slow.

_________________________________________________________________

Yasuda smiled and stacked up the papers "alright, I'll get these to the old lady upstairs. Once it's processed, you'll have to do an interview with her and a rep from child services. I'm sure you'll be fine, but it'll take a couple days to find someone, so in the meantime, you got some time to find an apartment. How's that going, by the way?"

Izuku smiled as Nemuri groaned, "I hate it so much, but we've got a few that look good. We're gonna check them out later."

"Hopefully, this time, the landlord doesn't recognize Kayama," Izuku said, making his future guardian groan again.

Kayama rubbed her face "it was so embarrassing. I could barely keep a straight face."

Yasuda and Izuku laughed as Kayama stood up. "I'm going to work. I'll be back after school, so Midoriya and I can go check out the apartments."

"Have a good day at work, Kayama," Izuku said, making the woman smile as she left for UA.

________________________________________________________________

Thirteen took their helmet off in the teacher's lounge and sighed, "those third years, I swear."

Midnight blinked and forced herself to stop staring and actually talk to them "what did they do this time?"

Thirteen started making tea as they spoke "they decided rescue training wasn't hard enough, so they started challenging each other to complete the rescue ops with various handicaps."

Midnight chuckled "how did that go for them?"

Thirteen smiled, and Midnight committed it to memory "oh, they were having a blast till I turned up the difficulty to second-semester fourth years. Then suddenly they were scrambling all over the place."

"That's so mean. I love it." Midnight said between laughter.

Thirteen chuckled as they sat down. "So, how's it going with Midoriya? That's his name, right?"

Midnight nodded "yeah. I filled out some forms this morning, and I'll have an interview in a few days so they can decide if I'm fit to be his guardian. We'll also be looking for a new apartment later today."

Thirteen smiled "honestly, I'm kinda surprised you went through with it. I never would have thought Nemuri Kayama would adopt a kid."

Midnight blushed but did her best to appear confident "well, I'm just full of surprises. Maybe you'll get to learn some of them."

She bit her tongue as Thirteen giggled and sipped their tea "guess I'll just have to keep a better eye on you so I can see some of these surprises."

Midnight took a breath and felt a surge of real confidence; maybe now would be a good chance- the door slid open as Midnight's loudest friend entered. "YO Kayama, how's it going with the kid?!"

Midnight sighed and rubbed her face as Present Mic entered. "Mic, please don't shout that where students could hear."

Present Mic laughed as he closed the door and started chatting like he didn't just kill Midnight's best chance.

__________________________________________________________________

Nemuri's heart warmed as she saw Izuku smile when she approached. "How was work today, Kayama?"

Nemuri sighed. "I had some... interesting essays turned in today. I think a few of the hero course students could use a refresher on their art history."

Izuku laughed as he followed her towards the first apartment they were going to check out today. Apartment hunting had been a bust over the past couple of days. Most didn't feel right, some had issues, and a few were just not as advertised. They both felt good about today, though. It only took three apartments before they found one they both thought was good. It was twice the size of Nemuri's current apartment and in a good neighborhood; that also meant it was twice as expensive, but Nemuri didn't really care her hero check could cover it, and UA paid their teachers well, so expenses wouldn't be an issue. There were apparently other heroes who lived here, so the apartment complex had security to keep reporters and other nonsense away.

The apartment was on the fifth floor. A short hallway from the door led to a living room and kitchenette. To the living room's right was a short hallway; on the left was a bedroom, and across from it a bathroom. At the end of the hall was the master bedroom that had its own bathroom. The walls were painted a soft gray, and a window in the living room looked out over the street and would be a pretty nice view of the sunset.

Nemuri whistled, "what do you think, Midoriya? Cause I kinda like this one."

Izuku looked around a bit before nodding "yeah, it looks good. Um, the price isn't bad, right? I don't want you spending more than we can."

Nemuri rolled her eyes. "I know I give off this wonderful, fun vibe, but I am an adult. I can manage my money, and besides, I'm a hero and a teacher. I make more than you think."

"O-ok then um yeah, I like this one." Izuku stammered out as he walked over to the window.

Nemuri smiled "all right then, let's get it."

__________________________________________________________________

The day of the interview was coincidentally the day Nemuri finalized her move to her new apartment. ' Now I just need to secure my child and move him in, and we'll be set.'  Nemuri choked on her tea and nearly spilled it. The thought had hit her out of nowhere. She knew technically, as his guardian, he would be in a legal sense her child. She had also been avoiding saying or thinking that because it felt strange. She had never thought about a family before, and now she was getting one. It was small, just the two of them, but still, it would technically be a family. Nemuri just hoped she could be a good guardian and make Izuku happy. The boy deserves some happiness after everything he suffered through.

Yasuda came in and nodded "old lady is ready for you. Are you ready to go?"

Nemuri stood and nodded "yeah. Let's do this."

Yasuda led her up to the office and let her in. waiting for Nemuri was an elderly woman in a simple pale gray blouse, with thin black-framed glasses resting on the top of her gray hair. She sat behind the sturdy dark desk. "Ah, Kayama, it's good to see you again."

The older woman motioned next to her, "This is Miss Sayaki from child protective services. She'll be speaking to you today."

Miss Sayaki wore a pristine black suit with a skirt. Her black hair was tied up in a bun, and Nemuri shivered under the fiercely stern gaze of the child services worker. Sayaki gave a polite nod as Nemuri sat down "it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms.Kayama. Shall we get started?"

Nemuri nodded "of course, ma'am."

The interview was fairly standard. Sayaki had done a comprehensive background check on Nemuri before coming and brought up various things from her past, some Nemuri had kind of forgotten about. Nothing was incriminating, but there were plenty of reports from her time in school. Incidents where students said she had used her quirk on them, but since they were lies and no proof was provided, she never got punished for it, but she didn't need to be the bullies were enough punishment as is.

"There were quite a few accusations during your time in middle and high school. Though no actions were taken, and no proof was found. Why was this?"

Nemuri huffed "discrimination. My quirk wasn't and still isn't seen as very heroic, and as such, bullies were prevalent in my life."

"I looked at Midoriya's records and noticed his were similar. I also received a call from your boss, president Nezu in which he provided me... disturbing evidence of just how poorly Midoriya was treated." Sayaki adjusted her seating. "Nezu has informed me of his plans for Aldera, but I'm also worried about what will happen with Midoriya when his old school goes down. As it stands now, he is simply not attending at all."

Nemuri nodded. "I have an apartment." she handed over a thin folder with the details of her new home. "It's in a much better place, and it's far from Aldera, so when he rejoins school, none of his old tormentors should be there."

Sayaki nodded and looked over the details. "This is a good neighborhood."

Nemuri felt good. The interview was going fine, and Sayaki seemed to approve until "but I have a concern. It's to do with your hero identity, Midnight."

Nemuri blushed a bit "ah. I can assure you that Midnight is just a persona I use for hero work. I drop it when I don't need it-"

Sayaki raised her hand. "I understand that. This isn't my first time dealing with a hero who wanted to adopt a child. It's not so much the persona that has me concerned. Your character may be... inappropriate at times, but there is plenty of evidence to show you dropping it when it is unneeded. My concern has to do with you being a hero in general."

Nemuri felt a little relieved but also incredibly worried as Sayaki continued. "As you know better than anyone here. A hero's life is not an easy or safe one. The risk to you and those close to you is great. While you aren't as high on the list as others, you are a well-known hero. Not only would there be media attention on you for adopting a child, but there will also be villains who may have a grudge against you."

Sayaki leveled her stern red eyes at Nemuri "my top concern is Midoriya's physical and mental well-being in that situation."

Nemuri nodded. "I understand. In regards to the media, Midoriay knows already and has told me he doesn't mind. As for villains who may target me, you saw that my new apartment houses several heroes and has increased security as such. I am also a UA teacher, which allows me access to several resources that I can employ to help secure my home even better."

Sayaki nodded and scribbled something down before moving onto other topics. Nemuri wasn't sure how much time went by, but eventually, Sayaki seemed satisfied and stood up "well, Ms.Kayama, I had my doubts. Heroes often wish to do well by the kids but often fall flat. As of right now, I can't see any reason to not allow you to adopt Midoriya. Once all the paperwork is finalized, I will stop by several times over the next year to assure everything is being taken care of properly."

Nemuri stood. "I hope I don't disappoint Miss Sayaki. I will do my best to make sure Midoriya has a good life."

Sayaki smiled. "I hope you do. Now here are the last of the documents to sign. Once that's done, you will be the guardian of Izuku Midoriya."

Nemuri took the paperwork and smiled "thank you, Miss Sayaki, for allowing this to happen."

Sayaki shook her head "this is because of you. I hope you both have a wonderful future as a family." Sayaki bowed before leaving.

The elderly head of the orphanage smiled "well done, Kayama. Now, why don't you run off to Izuku and Yasuda. She can take care of that paperwork once it's signed."

Nemuri bowed "of course, ma'am. Thank you for everything."

She all but ran out and back downstairs. Nemuri was surprised to find Yasuda and the others set up for what looked like a party while Izuku was swamped by the younger kids who were all crying to varying degrees about big bro Izuku leaving them. One girl in particular with a long tangled mess of teal hair had attached herself quite firmly to Izuku's chest. Izuku smiled up at Nemuri "how did it go?"

Nemuri chuckled "it went well. Just gotta sign this, then you're stuck with me."

The young girl wailed, "Izu's leaving!"

Izuku patted the girl's head "it's ok, Mawabi. Just cause I'm getting adopted doesn't mean you'll never see me again. I promise I'll come by and see you all."

Mawabi sniffled her sea-green eyes, staring up at him "ya promise?"

Izuku nodded. "I promise."

Nemuri was a little startled when Mawabi smiled, showing off a terrifying number of shark teeth. The children seemed in better spirits knowing their big brother wouldn't leave them forever when he moved out. Yasuda chuckled and pulled Nemuri over to a table so she could finish the paperwork. "It's gonna be different not having the little nerd around all the time. Be sure to come with him when you can, ok."

Nemuri nodded. "I'll try to."

Once the paperwork was signed, Yasuda whisked it away, and once she returned, the young woman clapped her hands "alright, everybody. You know why we're here. Our wonderful little hero nerd has found a home and a family for himself, so let's give him a proper send-off to his new life and hope he doesn't forget about us when he makes it big!"

Everyone cheered as Izuku blushed, but the smile on his face never faded as they got into things. Nemuri couldn't stop smiling as the party went on. All of the kids had pulled their allowances and got Izuku a gift. A dark green hoodie that said Family Found in white letters. Izuku chuckled, and Nemuri shook her head at his odd taste in clothes. Yasuda patted her shoulder "no matter how much you try, he will never stop wearing that."

Nemuri sighed. "I just want him to know when to wear something else and to have something else to wear."

Yasuda shook her head "the boy is hopeless in some aspects. I'm just glad it's someone else's problem now."

Nemuri smiled "how hard are you gonna cry tomorrow when he leaves?"

Yasuda shoved her lightly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm an uncaring orphanage worker forced to look after all these 'dastardly' children."

The two women quickly broke down into quiet laughter. Yasuda sighed "it will suck not having him here. He helped out so much around here and loved talking heroes with me."

"He did promise to come back, and the boy loves you and everyone else here, so there's no way he'll back out of that promise," Nemuri said as she watched Izuku pick up a couple of the kids. They giggled, and several climbed him, causing him to fall out as they swarmed him with hugs.

____________________________________________________________________

The next morning was spent packing the few things he owned and loading them into a moving van. Yasuda cried as she pulled Izuku into a tight hug "be safe, ya little nerd, and make sure to keep in touch, ok?"

Izuku cried just as much as he hugged her back "sure thing, Yasuda. I'll be sure to. Don't let the other kids cause too much trouble."

Yasuda laughed. "I'll keep them in line, don't you worry. Now get going. You gotta get moved in today."

Another round of hugs and tears later, Izuku was in the van next to Nemuri, who smiled as she started the van "you ready?"

Izuku nodded "yeah. I'm ready."

The ride was quiet as Izuku thought about how different things were because one day, he ran down an alleyway and ran into the woman who is now his legal guardian. It was interesting, and the weeks felt like they flew by. His life changed so quickly that he kind of hoped things mellowed out for a bit to let him process it all.

Nemuri sighed internally. How had she ended up here? A few weeks ago, she had to take a different route from her normal patrols to avoid some annoying paparazzi that were around because of some singer that was in town. Now... Now she had a kid, and they were moving into a new apartment. She'd have to make sure there was actual food in the house, and she needed to get him into school so he could finish and move onto high school. Oh god, why did she agree to this? Her eyes flicked over, and she saw Izuku smiling as he scrolled through some hero news.  'Oh yeah. That's why... yeah, I can handle this. Probably. Most likely.'

Chapter End Notes

so... ships. I have an idea of what I want. I enjoy poly relationships so I'm thinking Hagakure/MIna/Izuku, but I'm not sure yet.

also, I have other stories I work on a bit but haven't posted anything of yet and Idk if I should yet because I don't want a bunch of stories that take forever to update because of how many there are.

New Beginning

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku woke up and was confused. The ceiling wasn't right. He looked around the room, and it was larger than his room should be until it clicked that this was his new room in his new home where his guardian? Or mom?... Izuku shook his head  'no, that's uh... not yet.'

He jumped a bit at the short rapid knocks on his door "Midoriya, you up?"

"U-uh yeah. I'll be out in a minute."

Nemuri sighed "it's alright. We got a bit of stuff to look over and finalize, but you can uh take your time."

Izuku got ready for the morning and met Nemuri in the kitchen. She finished signing some papers then looked up to him "ah, Midoriya... there are a couple things you need to sign."

"Alright, um, what are they?" he asked nervously as he sat across from her.

"This one is for medical stuff. Basically allows me access to your medical records and such."

Izuku signed it after a quick glance and nodded "and the other?"

Nemuri blushed a bit and cleared her throat "it's on the issue of your name. You can keep it or take mine... if you want."

"O-oh um..." Izuku looked over the papers. The longer he took to do anything, the more nervous Nemuri felt. Eventually, something clicked in Izuku's eyes "can I have your last name as my middle name?"

Nemuri blinked, and Izuku blushed as he elaborated, "I uh... well, I like my last name. It reminds me of the few memories I have of my parents, but... I want to be part of this family, and I think a middle name would be good because most people don't ask for it, and it doesn't show up on official records, so it'll be something for myself, y'know. It'll be something for just me to remind me of who's my family now."

Nemuri wasn't about to cry, and if anyone said differently, she would hurt them. She shook her head yes as she didn't trust her voice. Izuku smiled as he tried not to cry either. He filled out the paperwork and double-checked it before handing it back to Nemuri, who put it in a folder. A comfortable silence fell over them as they looked at the folder. After a moment, Nemuri clapped her hands "let's make some breakfast."

Izuku nodded and was surprised by how well Nemuri could cook. It wasn't that he thought she would be bad at it. It's just Nemuri didn't seem like the type to like cooking. After breakfast, Izuku realized he still didn't have a school to go to. "Um, what do I do today?"

Nemuri double-checked her bag. "Uh... your usual workout routine and whatnot. I've started the process of getting you into a school so you can finish junior high. You should be able to start going in a couple days. Until then, I guess learn about the area and try not to get lost."

Izuku nodded "ok, um... have a good day at work then."

Nemuri smiled. "Have a good day as well, Midoriya."

Since he still didn't have anything to do, Izuku went through his morning workout minus a jog since he planned to wander around for a bit. Once he was dressed in his usual red sneakers, jeans, and new hoodie, he started learning the area.

Izuku thought about his new neighborhood as he walked around. The orphanage he grew up in wasn't in a bad neighborhood; it was just closer to the bad ones than this area was. He spotted a few stores he'd have to check out more another day. As Izuku walked, he noticed a few school uniforms passing by and realized junior high students were probably heading to school now. School... it would be interesting and weird since they were in the final months of school; it would be odd to get a new student. Izuku hoped he would make friends or at least keep new bullies from showing up until highschool.

His thoughts were interrupted as he bumped into someone. Izuku immediately felt panic rise up in him as he stepped back and ducked his head "s-sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry."

He felt worse as a girl spoke, "Hey, it's ok, I wasn't looking where I was going. Um, no harm done, so yeah."

Izuku risked a look and saw... nothing. He stared at where her head should be for a second too long as the girl stepped back "you're staring at me."

Izuku blushed "ah, I'm sorry. I just... wasn't expecting this."

He saw a floating silver bracelet fly back and forth. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

"N-no, I'm sorry it's rude to stare at people... even if your quirk seems really cool."

The girl stopped her attempt to walk around him and said a little defensively, "wait, what? You think this seems cool?"

Izuku blushed and stepped back reflexively "s-s-sorry i-it's just um, it seems really useful for hero work and stuff. You could do a lot of infiltration and scouting. It would make it easier for heroes going into unknowns to have someone who can walk around mostly freely and not be spotted."

He clenched his eyes shut against the deafening silence between them. The girl spoke quietly after a moment, "you think I could do hero work?"

Izuku nodded quickly "y-y-yeah. You'd excel at stealth and ambushes."

He risked a glance up, not that it mattered since he couldn't tell what kind of face she was making. After another moment, the bracelet extended towards him. "Toru Hagakure. Thanks for what you said."

Izuku relaxed a bit and spoke as he reached for where he was pretty sure her hand was. "Izuku Midoriya-" dread filled him as he grabbed her closed fist, and the two stood there for a moment before Toru started laughing and took his hand, giving it a firm shake.

"Sorry, Midoriya, I can't help myself but give people the awkward fist-bump handshake mix-up."

Getting his hand back, Izuku took a shaky breath as he clutched his chest. Her laughter didn't hurt like he was used to. Instead, he smiled a bit and chuckled, "I'd probably do the same with your quirk."

Toru looked at her other wrist, which had a pink watch on it, and sighed, "well, I better get going. Don't want to be late for school."

Izuku nodded "sorry for bumping into you, Hagakure. Have a good day."

"You too, Midoriya. Hope you don't get in trouble for skipping."

She was gone before he could correct her on that. Not that it mattered; he probably wouldn't run into her again.

_________________________________________________________________

Toru sighed as she sat at her desk. Yesterday morning had been interesting, and she was surprised that she was still thinking about it. That random guy she bumped into had been so scared. He looked like a kicked puppy, and she wondered if he was suffering. Then when he saw her and she prepared for all the jokes or stupid comments about her invisibility, but they never came. He just got this glint in his eye and told her what she always hoped people would say that she could be a hero and that she could do a good job at it.

Toru felt great the rest of the day and even this morning. The comments and jokes at her expense had stung less yesterday, and she felt hopeful that she could keep these good vibes going, but as her usual tormenters approached, she felt that maybe the vibes wouldn't stay as good as she hoped.

The middle girl who stood a few inches shorter than the other two smiled down at Toru. Her icy blue eyes shone with malice as she spoke, "hey little thief have you seen Shira's wallet? She can't seem to find it anywhere."

Toru looked up, her eyes flicking to all three girls, then to a girl in the front of the class with a mutation quirk that gave her reptilian features. She was frantically searching her bag and desk as everyone packed up to leave today. "I don't know. I've been back here all day."

The center girl smiled as the other two moved to either side of Toru "but how can we know that for sure? Someone like you could be anywhere, and we wouldn't know it. Why don't you come clean little thief, and I'm sure Shira will forgive you. We don't want to have to get a teacher involved in this, right?"

Toru sighed. "I told you I don-"

The girl to her left scoffed and grabbed her bag while the other quickly put a hand on her to keep her from getting up. The girl with her bag pulled Shira's wallet out of her pocket then dropped it into Toru's bag. She turned with a grin as she pulled it back out and said, "hey Shira isn't this yours?"

The lizard girl brightened but still looked nervous. Toru knew they picked on her as well. "Y-you found it?"

The girl tossed it to her "looks like Hagakure had it in her bag. Though can you blame her. She's got a thief's quirk, so it only makes sense."

A few people looked at her with mixed expressions, and Shira looked conflicted but said nothing as she quickly grabbed her things and left. The three tormentors laughed and made comments about Shira as they left. Toru just sighed and picked her bag up off the ground before moving to the exit. Another day done, and more people who'll avoid her from now on. She considered just skipping school tomorrow. Maybe she'd run into Midoriya... no, if she did that, her parents would get onto her. It was bad enough with how much they fretted after she told them about the bullying.

They had gone to the school, and the teachers had made attempts to curb the bullying, but the bullies just backed off until the teachers were satisfied and stopped paying so much attention. It wasn't that bad, though; they just accused her of being a thief, bump into her on purpose and say it was her quirk's fault for making it so hard to notice her and occasionally pull stunts like they did today with Shira's wallet.

Toru jumped a bit as the girl she was just thinking about popped out from around a corner. Shira's green scales reminded her of the scared looking guy she had run into. "O-oh um Shira, what can I do for you?"

The lizard girl twitched nervously, her yellow eyes flicking around as she wrung her hands. "I'm sorry, Hagakure. I know you didn't steal my wallet, but if I said anything..."

Toru shook her head "it's fine, Shira. I'm used to their antics. Keep yourself safe; that's all that matters. I can manage on my own."

She didn't look happy, but Shira nodded "o-ok, and I'm sorry again."

The two girls parted ways, and Toru sighed as she walked down the streets. Once she was getting close to a convenience store, she liked she decided to get something before heading home to try and make the day feel better overall.

As she approached the doors, they opened, and Toru came face to face with a pair of emerald eyes she recognized. Izuku eeped and stepped out of the way "ah, sorry... H-Hagakure right? I didn't mean to-"

Toru waved her hands "no, it's fine... wow, I uh didn't think I'd run into you again... Midoriya?"

Izuku nodded "yeah... uh, I got some errands to run, so I-I'll see you around."

Toru raised an eyebrow, not that he could tell, "you'll see me around?"

Izuku blushed "ah- no, uh, sorry. It's just an expression-"

He stopped his frantic apology as Toru giggled, "I'm messing with you, Midoriya. I'll see you around as well."

Toru slipped into the store as Izuku gave a small wave before heading his own way. Toru smiled as she walked down the aisles, looking for a snack to get. She felt lucky to run into Midoriya again. He still looked like a kicked puppy but somehow not as sad as yesterday though she wondered why both times she ran into him, he was in street clothes and not a school uniform. "Maybe he's homeschooled?" she wondered aloud as she grabbed a candy bar and headed back to the register.

__________________________________________________________________

Another day at school, and Toru's mood was souring. Her mom bugged her about buying candy on the way home, which wasn't an actual issue since she knew her mother loved her and loved to give her grief. This morning though, her older brother had seen fit to eat the food she had claimed the night before, and then she ran into the trio of bullies on the way to school, and they had their usual round of insults to hurl at her. The only thing of note was the whispers about a transfer student, but... they were in the last semester of their third year of junior high; who the hell would transfer schools at a time like that?

'Maybe they were at the school that got busted for discrimination.'  she sighed, not really wanting to deal with someone who went to a school like that.

Their homeroom teacher came, and everyone quieted down. He smiled tightly, and Toru could tell he was baffled by what he was doing, "so we have a transfer student. Treat him well, alright."

The door opened, and Toru's eyes widened as a familiar mop of green hair, and emerald eyes walked in. Izuku smiled nervously "h-hi, I'm I-Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you."

Izuku shrank back from the murmurs, and the teacher raised his hand to quiet them "shush. Midoriya take the empty desk by Hagakure."

Izuku nodded and found his way to the desk on Toru's right. He smiled a bit nervously at her as he sat down. Toru gave a small wave and whispered, "so you weren't just skipping school when I saw you."

Izuku blushed "n-no, just waiting for paperwork to finish."

Toru nodded "tell me more at lunch."

Izuku's brain froze as the teacher continued going on about their final semester. Ignoring the fact that it was a girl, this was the first time in... longer than he could remember where someone wanted to talk to him during lunch. He smiled a bit and felt hopeful.

____________________________________________________________________

Lunchtime rolled around, and as Toru and Izuku stood, one of Toru's main bullies spoke up, "Hey, new kid, better be careful. You're sitting next to our class's resident thief who knows what'll go missing when you're not looking."

Izuku looked at Toru and could tell even without being able to see her face what was going on. Izuku looked at the girl and said, "I'll keep my eye on you then." he turned and looked at Toru. "Hagakure, can you show me where the cafeteria is?"

Toru nodded as she spoke, "y-yeah, Midoriya. This way."

The two walked in silence to the cafeteria. Toru wondering how the guy who looked like a kicked puppy  'I need a better description for him.'  suddenly hit them with that confidence.

Izuku was mentally freaking out about suddenly saying something like that.  'What the hell was that? I've never talked like that to someone my age, and I didn't even stutter.'

Izuku jumped a bit as Toru giggled. He relaxed and started to chuckle as well as they made their way into the cafeteria "wow, Midoriya. I had this impression of you being kinda shy and stuff, but I see you've got more going on."

Izuku shook his head and arms "n-no I d-don't I don't know why o-or how I said that. It just slipped out."

Toru laughed again, and as they got their food, she asked, "so you just moved to this area?"

Izuku nodded "y-yeah, my... guardian and I just moved here a few days ago. I'm still settling in and learning the area."

'Guardian? Not mom or dad? Or even parent?'  "Well, that convenience store where we bumped into each other has the best selection. There's also some pretty good arcades and cafes around it."

Izuku followed her to a table near the corner where he noticed fewer people tended to sit. He felt some comfort and concern that she basically did what he did whenever he ate in the cafeteria. As they sat, Toru asked, "so I gotta know... did you come from that one school that's all over the news?"

Izuku felt a pit in his stomach form as he nodded slowly "y-yeah... Aldera. It- it wasn't a nice place to be."

Toru's shoulders slumped "ah... I'm sorry I shouldn't have brought it up."

Izuku waved his hands "no, no, it's fine. Aldera sucked in a lot of ways, and I'm glad it went down."

Toru nodded, and the conversation kinda died a bit until Izuku spoke quietly, "um, your quirk... how does it work?"

She stared at his entirely serious, if nervous, looking face for a moment. That moment stretched, and she watched him fidget, but before he could back peddle, she spoke, "I'm not sure actually. I uh... my dad can turn parts of his body invisible, and my mom can change the color of her skin, but it's all at once so like she can only turn one color."

Izuku perked up “can you... did you turn invisible when you got your quirk, and you've been like this the whole time?"

"Yep," Toru said, adding a pop to the p. "I remember waking up and going to the bathroom one day and not being able to see myself. Best guess that doctor gave was that my parents' quirks combined, and now I'm stuck as this."

Izuku nodded "that must suck a bit. I-I uh mean you know not being able to see yourself a-and all. Though I wonder... how does your dad's quirk work?"

Toru shrugged. "I never asked him. I kinda... Haven't tried anything with my quirk. It made me invisible, and I don't need to focus on it, so I decided to dedicate my time to other skills."

That annoyed Izuku slightly, but he also understood why she wouldn't try to mess with her quirk since it seemed to be a constant that took no effort, so it made sense for her to focus on other skills. Also, he had to remind himself that not everyone wanted to be a hero. "I want to be a hero, so I'll need to be pretty stealthy and know how to throw a punch."

Toru watched as Izuku's eyes lit up, and he asked, "you want to be a hero?"

"Yeah. ever since I can remember, I've always loved the idea of helping people and being a hero always felt like the best way to do that, and I'm guessing by your reaction you want to be a hero too?"

Izuku nodded "y-yeah, I've always wanted to be a hero. Saving people and proving that people are more than their quirks."

'Ah, he must have a quirk people don't like; maybe that's why he said Aldera sucked. Could he have gotten bullied for it?'  Toru chewed her lip and decided to go for it. "So what is your quirk Midoriya?"

Izuku slumped a bit "a-ah um, it's called Narcolepsy... do you know the hero Midnight?"

Even though he couldn't see her, he knew she was giving him a look. Izuku waved his hands "b-before you s-start thinking the usual thing. Just uh... I look up to her and whatnot because our quirks are basically the same."

Toru blinked and chuckled "oh, that's... that's pretty cool actually. You'll do great as a hero with that kind of quirk."

Izuku felt the tension leave his body. He hadn't realized how tense he had felt when she asked about his quirk. "W-wow, you mean that?"

Toru nodded "yeah. I mean, there's already a hero with that kind of quirk, so if she can do it, I don't see why you can't."

Izuku smiled, and Toru decided that fit his face better than the scared puppy look. The two chatted idly as they finished their lunch.

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri sank into the couch in the teachers' lounge and yawned as Shota placed some coffee on the table in front of her and sat at the other end of the couch. Nemuri eyed the white mug suspiciously "who are you and what happened to Eraserhead?"

Shota grumbled, "I try to be nice to you one time."

Nemuri wrinkled her nose "you think bringing me black coffee from the machine in here counts as being nice?"

"I could have brought you nothing." Shota huffed as he sipped his own coffee.

"I think I'd prefer that. Now I have to get up."

"You could always not. Adding things to coffee is irrational and does nothing to help the coffee do its job."

Nemuri was already dumping cream into her cup "it makes it bearable. Some of us like to have some flavor in our lives. It can't just always be bitter coffee and lychee jelly packs."

"They're peach, actually."

Nemuri raised an eyebrow at him "then why did you have lychee last week?"

Shota looked away while "Hitoshi had to do the grocery shopping cause I had a case to wrap up. The store was out of peach-flavored, and he didn't know where else to find them, so he got lychee."

Nemuri chuckled "and like a good father, you thanked him and sucked it up even if you didn't like it."

Shota shrugged and sipped his coffee. The two fell into a comfortable silence that lasted several minutes as they simply sat and drank their drinks. Eventually, Shota spoke up, "how's it going with Midoriya? He's starting to go to school again, right?"

Nemuri nodded "yeah..."

"Spit it out, Nemuri. You have something to ask."

"It's just..." Nemuri sighed and twirled a few strands of her hair around her finger "does Shinso have nightmares?"

Shota glared at his empty coffee cup "yeah, It makes his insomnia worse. Some nights I think he sleeps less than I do. How bad is it for Midoriya?"

Nemuri shook her head "nothing bad, but sometimes I can hear him talking in his sleep when I pass his room. He sounds so scared, and I'm just waiting sometimes for him to wake up in a panic, but it hasn't happened. I want to ask, but.."

"But you feel like you aren't close enough to ask about that and get an honest answer from him," Shota stated bluntly, making Nemuri slouch in her seat more. The Erasure hero sighed as he got up "give it time. You care about him; he'll pick up on that and open up to you. Don't be afraid to open up to him either. Trust goes both ways."

Nemuri smiled a bit as Shota headed for the door "wow. You've got this parenting thing down pretty well."

Shota scoffed and said before leaving, "it's just the logical way to do things."

Chapter End Notes

So I don't like Bakugo in canon that much. I use to not really care much about him then I read the manga and rewatched some of the anime and was just like ugh fuck this guy. I'm not sure what changed but I feel like I need to go back and look over his character again.

Unrelated to this fanfiction but related to one I'm kinda working on but what kind of short hairstyle would look good on Momo?

Hanging Out

Thirteen had been teaching at UA for several years and figured they knew their coworkers pretty well. At least they thought they did until Nemuri actually adopted a kid. That had surprised them. What didn't surprise them was how much time Nemuri spent in the teacher's lounge trying to figure out how to raise the kid. The R-rated hero was currently laid out on the couch looking at her phone, probably looking at an article related to raising a child.

Thirteen didn't like taking their helmet off. The more they did it, the more people would recognize them outside of hero work, but they didn't mind the idea of Nemuri seeing their face, and if all the staring that happened when they took their helmet off was anything to go by, Thirteen was pretty sure Nemuri didn't mind getting to see their face either.

"So, how's it going now that you're a mom?"

Nemuri yelped as her phone slipped and landed on her face. Thirteen was fairly confident that the red was a combo of the phone smack and a blush. "I-I uh..." Nemuri sat up and huffed, "I don't know. It's going ok I think."

Thirteen put their helmet on the table and sat across from Nemuri in an armchair "is everything ok?"

Nemuri scratched her cheek. "I got home past midnight last night. I was surprised to find dinner waiting, but before I could eat, I heard Midoriya was up. I guess he had a nightmare or something. I could hear him crying and trying to hold himself together. I uh... I wasn't sure what to do."

Thirteen smiled "it must have hurt to just stand there and listen."

Nemuri nodded. "It hurt, but... I don't know. I panicked, I guess. It's kinda stupid to think I can comfort civilians all day, but I freeze up when the kid I'm supposed to raise needs help."

"Sounds like you're scared of messing up. I see it a lot during rescue training and new heroes who do rescues. You freeze up because you're scared that if you step in, you'll make it worse." Thirteen said as they gave their best reassuring smile. "Remember your training for crisis management and just apply it to the next time but try to make it more personal."

Nemuri sighed dramatically "you're too good at this."

Thirteen laughed. "I would hope so. Rescue ops are my specialty."

Nemuri smiled and said with a dramatic flourish, "well, thank you for saving me, hero; however, can I repay you?"

"Would you mind getting tea with me this weekend then? As payment for my helping you."

The question caught Nemuri off guard, and she blinked "huh?"

Thirteen cleared her throat, looking a little flushed. "I said you can repay me by getting tea with me this weekend."

Nemuri's mind went from being frozen to screaming as it clicked. Thirteen just asked her on a date?  'Is it a date? They didn't say date, but it's our day off, and they want to have tea. Should I ask? No, they said it's paying them back. Come on, Nemuri, you aren't a school girl stop reading so much into it.'

"Should I take your silence as a no or...?"

Nemuri waved her hands "no! I mean. Uh, I-I'll do it. I'd like to have tea with you."

Thirteen giggled, and Nemuri felt her heart flutter. "I'll text you the details later."

Nemuri nodded slowly as Thirteen put their helmet back on and headed out. Nemuri waited a few beats before squealing loudly and pumping her fist. She jumped up and felt like she was overcharged with energy as she did a little dance in place until the door suddenly slid open as Shota and Sekijiro walked in. Both men looked at her questioningly as Nemuri slowly straightened out her posture and cleared her throat before quickly walking past them without a word.

___________________________________________________________________

"H-hey uh Midoriya, you wanna hang out tomorrow?"

Izuku choked on his lunch and chugged some water as he tried to process what was asked. "Huh? What?"

Toru poked at her own lunch. "I don't have anything to do, and you're kinda the only person who talks to me in school, so I-I figured we can hang out outside of school."

Izuku swallowed "u-um yeah... I-I d-don't have anything t-to do tomorrow, s-so yeah s-sure."

He couldn't see her smile, but her body language perked up, so Izuku was fairly certain she was happy about the decision.  'When was the last time I hung out with someone my age...?'

"Oh, I'll need your number so I can text you when and where to meet up."

Toru giggled, seeing Izuku's face do an imitation of the tomatoes in his lunch as he shakily pulled his phone out  'he's so nervous. Is it just cause of how he was treated in Aldera, or is it cause I'm a girl? Maybe both, actually. He looks like the type of guy to be shy around girls.'

Toru snatched up the phone and quickly put her info in and got his "I'll text ya later today."

Izuku nodded robotically as he took his phone back and started eating slowly. Toru swayed side to side. It had been a few days since Izuku started school here, and he hadn't stopped hanging out with her. Her bullies were a bit hesitant to mess with her while he was around. Despite his meek appearance, his initial statement on his first day seemed to keep them at bay, but sadly she couldn't hang around him all the time.

It was during those times the tormentors stepped in and reminded her how they felt about her. It hurts being told you're a thief and a liar almost every day. That just made it that much better everyday Iuzku hung around her though she felt the looming dread that one day he would distance himself from her. She hoped hanging out outside of school will help reinforce their friendship so he wouldn't drift before the year was over. She could worry about summer break when it came around.

Izuku sighed internally as they ate in silence. He was worried that Toru would avoid him after finding out about his quirk, but she hadn't. No one else had approached him since his first day either. He found some comfort and a lot of concern in that. Toru had proved over the past couple of days to be an interesting and kind person. He got along well with her, and even when she teased him about starting or poked fun at him, it didn't hurt like in Aldera. He hated how others avoided her because of a few lies. If they gave her a chance, they'd see what a good friend she is.

As the bell rang to end lunch, Toru walked alongside Izuku back to class with a pep in her step, and Izuku stood a bit straighter as they both thought about getting to spend time with an actual friend.

_____________________________________________________________________

Izuku yawned as he came home. "I'm home."

Silence greeted him as he took his shoes off and dropped his pack in his room before heading back to the kitchen; as he did, his phone buzzed with a message, and he saw Toru had put her last name in as well as a string of seemingly random emojis as her contact name. Izuku sighed and was glad that it was fairly normal. In the short time he had known Toru, the word energetic came to mind. Despite what she had gone through, she was still in high spirits, as far as he could tell. Izuku unlocked his phone and checked the message.

Hagakure:  Heya Midoriya hope I put the numbers in right.

Izuku gulped as he realized this was the first time he had texted a kid his age. Her being a girl made him more nervous, and he hated that and after taking a deep breath and shoving his thoughts away as he responded.

Midoriya:  Yes, you did.

Hagakure:  oh yay! Alright, you remember the convenience store? The best one around."

Midoriya:  yes, I remember.

Hagakure:  good, meet me there at ten.

Izuku sent his confirmation and continued to text as he grabbed a snack. Gradually as they talked about nothing in particular, he relaxed. He noticed a lot more time passed than he thought as Nemuri came home. "I'm home."

"Welcome home," Izuku said as he shot off a text.

Nemuri smiled "talking with Azuki?"

Izuku blushed "uh n-no."

He regretted his stutter and his face's betrayal as Nemuri got that smug look in her eye that meant she would tease him. "Oh, could it be that Hagakure girl you've mentioned? Finally, got her number, huh? I expected it to take longer. Color me impressed."

Izuku's face flushed harder "w-what? No, it's just s-she wanted to hang out tomorrow-"

Nemuri grinned, and Izuku cursed internally "wow, looks like both of us are gonna be busy tomorrow."

Izuku blinked "huh?"

"I'm heading out to have tea with a friend from work tomorrow. I promise not to embarrass you if I run into you."

Izuku straight up said, "I'll try to do the same."

Nemuri chuckled "glad to hear it. Can you get started on dinner? I've got to rest a bit before patrols tonight."

Izuku nodded as he got up "sure thing."

__________________________________________________________________

Izuku was nervous, and he could tell she was as well. "Why are you nervous?"

Nemuri smoothed out her shirt. "I... don't want to mess this up. It's just tea, but it's a start. Why are you nervous? Ya'know other than normal teenage boy nerves."

Izuku blushed. "I- this is the first time since I was four that I'm going to hang out with a friend."

"And they're a girl," Nemuri whispered, making Izuku swat her away.

"Not helping! I just... I don't want to mess up and lose the first friend I've made since, well, everything."

Nemuri smiled sadly and patted his head "you won't mess up, and even if you do, friends forgive each other. Hagakure sounds like a good kid, so I'm sure you'll be fine. Just be yourself and have fun today, alright, kid."

Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Kayama. S-sometimes I forget you can g-give good advice."

She pulled him into a headlock and ruffled his hair aggressively "who taught you to be sassy?"

Izuku laughed. "Yasuda d-did direct your complaints to her!"

Nemuri huffed as she let him go. "I will when we go back to see her."

She smiled as he adjusted his hair. Not that it mattered since the mass of fluffy hair seemed untamable. "Have a good day, kid. I'll see you around for dinner, alright?"

Izuku nodded "y-yeah, you too." The two headed out and went their separate ways.

__________________________________________________________________

Toru was excited for today. Izuku didn't seem like he did much outside the house, so she'd have to make sure to show him all the cool stuff out there. She checked her phone and saw it was ten now. She may have shown up a little too early and had been standing outside the store for fifteen minutes.

"O-oh, Hagakure, you're already here. I'm not late, right?"

Toru turned to see Izuku. He was wearing those red shoes he always has on a pair of jeans and a green hoodie. Toru was dressed similarly in a pair of black and pink sneakers, skinny jeans, and a rose-colored jacket over a black t-shirt. "Nope. Also, your hoodie says family found. What's that about?"

Izuku blushed and scratched his head "ah, it was a gift. I-I was an orphan and uh got adopted recently. T-this was a gift from the young k-kids."

Toru grinned. "I like it. It suits you."

Izuku's face reddened more "t-thanks y-y-your outfit l-looks good as well."

Toru giggled "that's good, but do you think this shade of pink matches my eyes? Cause I'm not sure."

She nearly doubled over in laughter at Izuku's hesitant face. Eventually, Izuku chuckled and started laughing as well. She waved him along with her silver bracelets shining, "come on, I'll show you the best place to kill a few hours."

Izuku nodded and followed her as they walked down the street. He felt a little bad about not helping plan today, but he still didn't know a lot about the area yet, so he could do nothing but hope Toru knew what she was doing.

It only took a few minutes before Toru stopped and spun around, gesturing grandly to the building behind her "first up today is the best arcade around. They got the best pieces, games, and prizes. I hope you're ready for me to kick your butt at everything here."

Izuku chuckled "you're pretty confident. I-I guess you c-come here a lot."

Toru gave a full-body nod "yep. My older brother showed me this place and beat me thoroughly, so I keep coming here so I can beat him one day."

"I-I hope I'll be a g-good enough training partner."

As they entered, Toru asked, "have you never gone to an arcade?"

Izuku was assaulted by lights and sound as he tried to form a response. Dozens upon dozens of arcade games were strewn about blaring noise and flashing colors to draw people in. Izuku's brain skipped a beat "uuh. N-no, I haven't. I um... usually avoid these places."

Toru slumped a bit before bouncing back to her usual energy "well then, I hope today helps you realize what you've been missing. This is gonna be so much fun!"

Izuku gave his best smile and followed her deeper in. there was a bit of a learning curve with each game they played, but Izuku was a smart kid and a quick learner. Toru was also surprisingly good at explaining things despite how her personality would usually say otherwise. Izuku admitted Toru was better than him, but he managed to secure a few victories as they moved from game to game, and before they knew it, a couple hours had gone by.

Izuku had lost track of Toru for a second and looked around as the bubbling start of panic surfaced in his stomach, but it quickly vanished as he saw the floating clothes by a crane machine. "W-what are you l-looking at?"

Toru poked the glass "that green rabbit looks so cute. It would look great in my room..."

"A-are you gonna try t-to get it?" he asked as her shoulders slumped.

"I want to, but... I'm kinda really bad at these."

Izuku smiled a bit. "I-I can try. I've n-never done this, though."

Toru bounced up as her energy came back, and she quickly explained how it worked. Izuku paid, and Toru saw his face shift to a more serious and less timid look as he concentrated. She shivered a bit, feeling like it would be intimidating to have him actually direct that look at a person. Then she giggled internally, seeing how serious his face got because of a stuffed animal. It took a couple tries to get a feel for it, but by the third attempt, the rabbit was freed from their glass prison and swept up in Toru's arms.

The invisible girl clutched her rabbit as they left. "You so should have gotten one for yourself."

Izuku waved his hand "no, I-I've never been b-big on stuffed animals. I-i'm also pretty used to my room being k-kinda empty."

Toru's shoulders slumped "that sounds like a boring room. What do you do to distract yourself if there's nothing in your room."

"Do homework." Toru groaned at that one. "Hm, look at my phone. Or organize my notebooks."

"Hm, so schoolwork or playing on your phone? That's all you got going on in your room?" Toru asked as she took the lead to who knows where.

Izuku blushed "w-well, the notebooks a-aren't for school."

Toru cocked her head to the side, not that it would convey her confusion any better than if she didn't "what are they for then?"

"I-I uh write down stuff about heroes. When I see a hero in action live or see it on the news, I um write down the stuff about their quirks and how they handle situations. I theorize about the use of their quirks and possible improvements and stuff. T-Then study it and see what I can learn from them."

Toru was quiet, and Izuku feared the worst. People had called his notebooks creepy and then called him a stalker or a villain. He was starting to worry that Toru would do the same, but the girl spoke before his fear could choke him. "That sounds super useful. You gotta show me sometime. I wanna see it, alright?"

Izuku blushed and nodded. "I-I'll bring my most r-recent one to school."

Toru pumped her fist "can't wait. Oh, hey, since you're such a big hero nerd, do you know any heroes with a quirk like mine? I've looked before, but I'm pretty sure they'd all be underground."

Izuku nodded. "I have heard of a couple, but they're from different countries. I don't really remember their names i-it was quite a while ago w-when I heard about them."

Toru bounced a bit as she walked "that just means I'll be leading the way for people like me. I'll show them that I can be a hero even with a quirk as simple as mine."

"Simple quirks are really good n-not to say there are quirks t-that aren't good they're all good i-in my book. I-I just mean once you g-get a handle on a simple quirk y-you can actually get really creative with how you t-take advantage of its strengths and weaknesses."

Toru nodded "you're really smart when it comes to quirks, and stuff, aren't you?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he blushed. "I-I don't know, I guess. Y-Yasuda got me into analyzing quirks a-and heroes when I was young."

"Yasuda? Who's that?"

"O-oh um Yasuda Azuki, she works at the orphanage I grew up in. she was like a big sister to me, and she's a huge hero nerd."

Toru giggled before suddenly gasping, making Izuku jump. "Oh, do you wanna get some bubble tea? This place has some good choices."

Izuku nodded and followed her into the shop. It was a small and homey place with a few plush booths and small tables. It was quiet, with only a few customers sitting and enjoying their drinks. The two ordered and paid separately and sat to wait for their drinks as they did. Toru asked, "So what's your guardian like?"

Izuku thought for a moment and decided it was probably best not to blurt out that his guardian was a hero while in public. "She's really kind and protective of me. She also teases me a lot and questions my fashion sense."

Toru titled her head, "it doesn't seem bad to me."

Izuku chuckled "you just haven't seen most of my shirts. They all say something strange."

"Really? Let me guess, you have a shirt that says shirt on it or something?" Toru stared at Izuku as he blushed and scratched his cheek before laughing "wait, really?"

Izuku nodded "it's my favorite shirt."

"A-are you wearing it now under your hoodie?"

Izuku shook his head "no." he lifted his hoodie to reveal a black shirt with bold white letters that said 'Hot Soup' "I'm wearing one of my soup shirts."

"One of?"

"I uh, the other one says cold soup," Izuku mumbled, causing the invisible girl to laugh again.

Once Toru had gotten herself under control, she asked, "so what's your guardian's name? Oh, and what does she do for a job?"

"U-um Nemuri Kayama, and she's an art history professor at a university." Izuku stammered out as Toru hummed.

"Art history?" she said, and Izuku could imagine she was probably scrunching her nose up at the idea.

"Despite her very... playful personality, she is very serious about art history and its importance in the world. I questioned her on it at one point and ended up sitting through an hour-long lecture about it. She said it would have been longer, but she didn't have her laptop or a projector to show the various powerpoints she had made."

Izuku sighed as Toru dissolved into giggles again. Izuku cleared his throat after a moment and hesitated before asking, "w-what about y-your family?"

Toru grinned "well, it's me, my mom, dad, and an older brother. My mom is a lawyer, and dad works computers and stuff. My older brother is in his last year of high school, so he'll be heading off to college or something, I guess."

Their orders came up before Izuku could work up the courage to ask follow-up questions, and they left the establishment. Toru was drinking something that smelled like the embodiment of the word fruity and chewed on the jellies she got instead of the typical tapioca. Izuku sipped his rose milk tea, and the two walked in relative silence that was broken usually by Toru pointing at shops and commenting on them. "Oh, there's a nice park around here. I figured a quiet guy like yourself would enjoy that kinda thing."

Izuku blushed but nodded 'Y-yeah that sounds-"

"Izuku?" a voice from behind caught his attention, and he stopped.

Panic briefly filled his chest as he saw a head of ash blonde hair, but it subsided quickly, and a nostalgic sorta feeling replaced it. "Aunt Mitsuki?"

The older woman smiled as she approached, "it is you. Come here."

Toru took his drink as he got swept up in a hug that crushed him. After a moment, the matriarch of the Bakugo family pulled back "before anything else, I wanted to apologize for everything." her eyes flicked to Toru. "You didn't have to be as forgiving as you were, but I'm thankful, and so is Masaru."

Izuku nodded "y-yeah i-it's ok, Auntie."

Mitsuki smiled as she stepped back "you're looking better as well. That's good." Izuku gulped as she got a grin he usually saw on Nemuri or Yasuda before they teased him. "Now, are you gonna introduce your favorite aunt to your 'friend' or not?"

Izuku blushed as he took his drink back. "H-Hagakure, this is Mitsuki Bakugo; she's basically like an aunt to me. My mom was good friends with her before... she passed. Auntie, this is Toru Hagakue, a friend of mine."

Mitsuki's smile faded a bit as she remembered her best friend. "It's nice to meet you, Hagakure. I hope Izuku's behaving himself."

Toru giggled "oh yeah. He's a great friend. A bit quiet, but I can more than makeup for the difference."

Mitsuki laughed "good. He's always been a shy boy. Now I better get going; I don't want to be late." she paused before stepping away "also, I heard about your adoption Izuku. I'm really happy for you."

Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Auntie. Have a good day."

With that, Mitsuki took her leave, and the two teens started for the park again. By the time they got there, Hagakure had finished her drink and disposed of the cup. As they walked, she played with the green stuffed rabbit's ears "so that was your mom's best friend?"

"Yeah. She's a nice lady if a bit intense at times... and crude with her language."

"So... this may be rude to ask, but... why didn't she adopt you?"

Izuku smiled sadly. "I would have liked that back then, but to put it simply, they couldn't afford to. The Bakugo house is Auntie, her husband, and their son. All three of them have quirks that let them secret somewhat volatile chemicals, so they spend a lot on special clothing, furniture, and neutralizing agents to keep their house from going up in a fireball. They're not in danger of losing everything, but they also don't make enough to add one more growing boy to the mix."

Toru nodded "quirks can make things expensive sometimes. It sucks you couldn't live with them."

Izuku shrugged and fought against the knot in his throat "i-it's for the best. Their son and I d-don't get along."

Toru nodded "that would complicate things... though having an adoptive mom that hot might make up for it."

The sound of a hand slapping a mouth echoed as Izuku stared, shocked at the floating clothes. Toru slowly lowered her hand. "I wasn't supposed to say that out loud."

Izuku couldn't help but chuckle a bit even as Toru punched his arm and told him to shut up. The two continued their walk through the park, with Toru groaning about developing her brother's bad habit of blurting things out. "It's ok, Hagakure. I have a habit of mumbling what I'm thinking. It's pretty embarrassing sometimes."

Toru perked up a bit "well, I can't wait to see that happen."

Izuku blushed and groaned as his friend laughed. They spent some time in the park simply walking around and talking aimlessly about whatever crossed their minds. Topics like heroes, funny videos or memes they'd seen, stuff on the news, and random memories that came back to them. Izuku smiled inwardly as he thought of how... relaxed he was. He didn't usually feel this relaxed except around Yasuda, and to some extent, Kayama though... he had to admit he was still fretting about the possibility that she would somehow change her mind about him, and he'd be back with Yasuda in the orphanage or worse because of where he was now they'd put him in a different one. One that could be worse than what he was lucky enough to grow up in.

“Midoriya... hey Midoriya!”

Izuku flinched and looked at Toru. "H-huh? What happen?"

Toru tilted her head "you were mumbling. Which while cute was concerning because... it didn't sound like anything pleasant."

Izuku couldn't even be bothered to worry about his blushing face as the dread set in that he mumbled about his insecurities while his friend was nearby. "O-oh um, it's nothing... I'm just. I'm still adjusting. I had pretty much given up on ever getting adopted, so I'm still a little shocked it happened."

"I think I get what you mean. It must have been pretty surprising that this Kayama lady decided to take you in."

Izuku nodded "yeah... I knew she cared about me, but... well, there's caring about someone, then there's taking the time and effort to find a new place so you can take care of them kinda caring. She's a wonderful person, but I think... I hope it's just that she's nervous too. I don't think either of us really thought this would happen to us."

Toru giggled. "I think as long as you're honest with someone, it'll work out."

Izuku nodded and watched as Toru pulled her phone out and groaned. "My mom wants me to pick some stuff up before she gets home. I gotta go so I can make sure to get back before her. You gonna be able to get home?"

Izuku nodded "yeah. I'm gonna stay here a bit longer, though. I-I uh had fun today.

Toru bounced in place "yeah, this was great. We gotta make sure to do it again or something different. I'll see you at school, Midoriya."

"Y-yeah. I'll see you at school, Hagakure."

_________________________________________________________________

Later that night, Nemuri sighed as she came home. Her totally not a date with Thirteen had gone almost perfectly right up until a villain attack happened, and she had to help, which led to her spending the rest of the day talking to the media, and civilians, then having to go do paperwork at the police station. , she was glad that Thirteen had texted her later, saying they had fun and should do it again without the villain attack. Nemuri found it hard to not grin the whole way home. Now she just needed to make sure Izuku's day went well, and it would all be good.

She entered the apartment and smelled dinner cooking. Nemuri frowned a bit, realizing she hadn't been the one to cook in a few days. "I'm home!"

"Welcome back. Dinner's almost ready." Izuku called back as she entered the kitchen/living room area.

"How was your day, Midoriya?" Nemuri asked as she placed her bag on the dining table.

Izuku smiled, and Nemuri's heart clenched at how genuine it was. "I had a great day."

Nemuri smiled and sat at the table "well then, tell me about it, and I'll tell you about the villain I fought today."

She watched his eyes light up before he dove into his story. Nemuri smiled and teased him at points making the boy blush. When Mitsuki was mentioned, Nemuri huffed but seeing that Izuku still thought fondly of his pseudo aunt, she didn't voice her opinion on the Bakugo family. Once he was done, he practically vibrated with excitement as Nemuri started talking about her day.

Meanwhile, in a room full of various shades of pink and complimenting colors, a single green rabbit stuck out like a sore thumb at the head of the bed as an invisible girl talked to her brother about how much fun she had with her friend.

Study Sessions

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Final exams were two weeks away, and Toru was freaking out. Her grades weren't the worst, but they weren't the best either. These were also the last tests of Junior High. she would need good grades to make sure she got into a good enough Highschool to boost her chances of getting into UA. Naturally, this meant she was panicking, but there was a ray of hope in her best friend, Izuku Midoriya. He had quickly proven to be what she called a 'smart cookie,' so on their walk home, Toru groaned loudly. "Midoriya... I need your help."

Izuku smiled. "Finals?"

Toru nodded "yep. I need a study buddy, and you're a smart cookie and my only friend, so teach me to be smart like you."

Izuku blushed and scratched his cheek. "I wouldn't say I'm that smart-"

"You'd be top of the class if you hadn't transferred over so late in the year. Now come on, let's study before I lose motivation." Toru pumped a fist, desperately trying to keep her spirits up so she wouldn't bail and slack off like she usually did when it came to studying.

Izuku pulled his phone out and tapped a few times before frowning. "I was gonna suggest the library, but there's a villain attack nearby, so no way we'll be able to go there."

A brilliant and slightly nerve-wracking idea struck Toru, and her fat mouth blurted it out before her brain could dismiss it. "Why don't we study at your place?"

She bit her tongue and cursed internally.  'Why would I say that? I mean, I want to hang out with him and all but come on, we haven't been friends that long. I can't just ask to come over... right?'

Izuku blushed a bit "u-uh y-yeah I don't t-think Kayama w-would mind."

Toru nodded and pulled her phone out as they walked. "I'll uh text my mom and let her know."

Toru's mom was fine with it, and the two headed towards Izuku's place. Internally Izuku panicked about the state of the apartment. Nemuri wasn't a messy person, at least not outside of her own room, but sometimes after a particularly long night on patrol, He would wake up the next morning and find her hero costume and other bits on the couch or kitchen table. Which would raise several questions and be incredibly embarrassing.

Izuku sighed a bit louder than he meant to as they approached his apartment complex, and Toru turned her attention to him "you good?"

"Ah, haha..." Izuku laughed nervously "y-yeah, just hoping Kayama didn't leave anything embarrassing out. S-sometimes, she gets home late and leaves a bit of a mess. I don't remember if I saw anything this morning, so I'm hoping it's clean."

Toru giggled. "I understand. I promise I won't judge you like some old lady if your place isn't spotless."

Izuku chuckled as they started up the stairs "thanks."

He took a deep breath and unlocked the door before stepping inside. Quickly followed by Toru, who muttered, "pardon for the intrusion."

They took their shoes off and made their way into the living room, and Izuku sighed, seeing it was clean "u-uh, make yourself at home. Y-you want some tea?"

"Sounds good, Midoriya," Toru said as she made her way to the couch, and Izuku went to get the tea started.

Toru sat down and started pulling some of her school work out when she noticed a notebook on the table already. She pulled it over to see what was written on the top 'Hero Analysis for the Future No.15' by Izuku Midoriya.

Toru squinted as she inspected the notebook without opening it. It was obviously used, and this was number fifteen. The one he had shown her was fourteen.  'Maybe this one isn't finished, so he didn't bring it... or there's someone in here he didn't want me to see.'

She grinned before quickly checking to see Izuku still in the kitchen. She could take a quick peek. It's not like he ever said she couldn't look at the other notebooks he wrote. Toru quickly flipped it open, seeing some notes on new heroes in the area that she had heard Izuku talking about before. She was surprised and a little disappointed that Mt. Lady didn't have any comments about her looks or costume other than a note about how cool the advancements in clothing were. She had hoped there'd be something to tease him with, and she got her wish as she flipped past another hero and landed on a page dedicated to her and her quirk.

Toru totally didn't blush reading the praise Izuku had written when it came to her various skills aside from her quirk. He praised her stealth and physical skills while also theorizing about her quirk and possible ways it worked and things she could do depending on how it made her invisible and the level of control she could have.

She stopped reading and looked at the drawing on the side depicting the clothes she had worn the first time they hung out outside of school. Unlike the other entries, she noticed hers wasn't a bust shot; it was a full-body shot, but there were clear eraser marks around where the head would be.  'I wonder how he drew my face.'

"Oh no." she looked over to see Izuku's blushing face as he brought in two cups of tea. "I left that out, didn't I?"

Toru grinned. "Yeah, you did. I gotta say I'm impressed with all the stuff you thought of when it came to my quirk, and you're a really good artist, you know that, right?"

Toru was satisfied as Izuku's face did an impression of a tomato while setting the tea on the table. "Kayama and Yasuda both said the same thing. I just draw what I see. I mean, yeah, it's gotten better, but I wouldn't consider it that great."

"Well, I think it's great," Toru said as she took her cup of tea.

"I mean. I wouldn't-"

Izuku flinched as an invisible hand flicked his cheek. "Take the compliment, Midoriya."

Izuku nodded meekly "a-alright. Thanks."

"Good now onto math where I am... completely lost," Toru said, deflating on the spot.

Izuku chuckled a bit and got started by going over the little bit she did know before helping her understand what she didn't know.

________________________________________________________________

Nemuri sighed and stretched as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. It had been a long day at UA. The support course and hero course had joined up to test out some inventions which had gone horribly. She got caught staring at Thirteen while they were walking by as Nemuri was supervising some outdoor training, and then to top it off, someone finished off the ice cream she kept in the teacher's lounge. Nemuri clenched her fist. She knew it was Hizashi; she would just need to get proof so she could out him as the food thief he is.

As she entered, Nemuri started to say she was home till she saw the extra pair of shoes and heard someone in the living room. "Ugh! No, that's a stupid word, and it shouldn't count."

Izuku chuckled "t-the game recognized it, so you have to deal with it."

The voice huffed, "well, English is a stupid language, and scrabble sucks."

Nemuri slipped her shoes off and crept up the hallway. Izuku was in the living room with what sounded like a girl. If she could get a picture and send it to Yasuda- "uh, Midoriya... why is the hero Midnight creeping in your apartment?"

Nemuri enjoyed the panicked look on Izuku's face as his head whipped around to look at her. Nemuri leaned on the wall, trying to act like she hadn't just been caught sneaking up on them. "Midoriya. I didn't know you'd be having a friend over."

Izuku stuttered and rubbed his neck "I-i uh... I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you, K-Kayama."

Toru choked "wait, Kayama? She's Kayama? Your guardian?"

Izuku nodded, and Nemuri laughed "yes, I'm Nemuri Kayama, also known as Midnight. I guess Midoriya didn't say I was a hero."

Toru shook her head "no, he said you were a professor of art history."

Nemuri tapped her chin "you know that's not a lie. I do teach that at UA."

"This is so weird... oh, sorry. I'm Toru Hagakure, a friend of Midoriya's."

"Oh, you're Hagakure. Midoriya has mentioned you a bit. It's nice to meet you." Nemuri studied her appearance as best she could.  'She really is totally invisible. that's so cool.'

"Likewise, ma'am," Toru said, giving a small bow.

Nemuri smiled and was about to head to her room to change when she stopped. "Oh, Midoriya. Nezu is having us change up the final exam for the fourth years, so I won't be able to go with you this weekend. Say hello to Azuki for me."

Izuku smiled, but Nemuri saw the bit of disappointment in it, and it clawed at her chest. "Alright. I'll tell her but just know she'll be super annoying about you not coming, so be ready for that."

Nemuri laughed as she went to her room. "I'll be prepared, I promise."

Once Nemuri was gone, Toru punched Izuku's arm, making the boy nearly fall off the couch. "O-ow, what was that for?"

"You didn't tell me Kayama was Midnight," Toru whispered loudly.

Izuku rubbed his arm. "I- well, we never hang out somewhere private a-and I didn't want someone overhearing. W-we got lucky, and the media hasn't realized I live with her. They just know she moved for some reason."

"Hm, I guess that makes sense. Still, it's pretty cool, but um..."

Izuku looked at her curiously "what?"

Toru bit her lip "um, she calls you Midoriya..."

"Yeah... I call her by her last name too."

Toru waved her hands. "I just mean... well, I guess I didn't expect you to be so formal. I mean, you two are family now, right? Sorry if that's rude."

Izuku rubbed his arm "y-yeah, we are... I guess I'm still nervous about all this. It feels too good to be true, you know?"

Toru patted his arm and watched his phone slowly start to slide away. "Hagakure, why are you stealing my phone?"

The phone shot up as she jumped from her seat "this game is terrible and full of lies. I won't let it hurt my friend! I'm deleting this evil from your phone."

Izuku sighed and rubbed his eyes as a chuckle escaped him "you said you wanted English studying to be more fun."

Toru tapped away before tossing the phone to him, satisfied "that was before I remembered English is stupid."

Nemuri chuckled as she came back in. "I agree, but it's important to know. Now Hagakure, would you like to stay for dinner?"

Toru grabbed her phone. "I'd like to, but I gotta ask my folks first."

"Of course. I'll get started on it. You two can relax or keep studying." Nemuri said before making her way to the kitchen.

Toru reported her parents were ok with her staying for dinner, and the two teenagers decided to take a break from studying and just talked like they usually did when they left school. Nemuri smiled and managed to stealthily steal a couple pics of them when neither was paying attention. She quickly shot off a text to Yasuda before getting back to cooking.

Once dinner was ready, the three sat down, and Nemuri listened to them talk and threw in the occasional comment, usually to Izuku's embarrassment. She enjoyed Toru's energy and her attitude. Nemuri encouraged her to be a hero and gave her a few tips on things to look into when Toru admitted she didn't know what she would do about a hero costume.

Eventually, it was time for Toru to go, and Izuku walked her to the gate; when he came back in, Nemuri smiled. "I like her. She's even nicer than you said she was. She's a good friend for you."

Izuku smiled "y-yeah, she is... I-I'm uh surprised you aren't teasing me about this more."

Nemuri smiled and held her phone up, showing the photos she sent to Yasuda. "I'm leaving that up to Yasuda. You should invite Hagakure to go with you, by the way. Azuki wants to meet her."

Izuku blushed and groaned, "alright... I'll ask her tomorrow at school."

Nemuri nodded "good. Now I'm gonna get some rest. I'll have to head in early tomorrow."

______________________________________________________________________

Due to years as a pro, Nemuri was a light sleeper, so the sudden noise in her apartment woke her up immediately, but she was slow to move. On instinct, she subtly made sure her room was empty before sitting up as her mind cleared more. The noise happened again, and she realized it was coming from Izuku's room. Panic gripped her as she flew out of bed and down the hall to Izuku's room, her quirk stirring to life as the haze lifted off her exposed arms.

She heard him scream as she opened the door in time to see Izuku wake up with panic in his eyes. Nemuri ran over to him and knelt after seeing no one was in the room with him. "Midoriya," he didn't respond; instead, his eyes flicked around as he tried to make himself smaller. Nemuri bit her lip and thought about what Thirteen had said before she whispered, "Izuku... calm down. It's ok. It was a nightmare. There's nothing to be afraid of... I'm here, and you're safe now."

Izuku stopped shaking, and his eyes slowly focused as he looked at her in the dim light. "K-Kayama?"

Nemuri smiled and slowly reached out and ran her fingers through his hair "yeah. I'm here. It's ok now; you don't need to worry."

Tears welled up in his eyes, and Izuku shuddered as a sob racked his body. Nemuri sat on the bed and continued to gently pet Izuku's head as he ran through his emotions. Slowly like he was scared she would stop him, he grabbed the edge of her shirt. Nemuri sat in silence and let him calm down at his own pace. Once his tears had dried, and the last few shuddering breaths had been taken, she spoke. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The silence was tense as she waited for him to answer. She desperately wanted him to, but she knew she couldn't push it if he said no. Izuku took a deep breath before saying, "I-I haven't dreamt about it in so long... I almost hoped I had forgotten."

She watched him take several deep breaths before continuing, "I-I told you how m-my parents died when I was six... I-I never told you I was t-there. W-when it happened."

Nemuri's breath stopped before she gently pulled Izuku into a hug and rubbed small circles on his back as fresh tears spilled out. "I-I had run a bit ahead. I wa-was so excited cause a hero was nearby a-and when I turned. I saw the villain c-coming."

Nemuri shushed him gently as he sobbed, and her free hand started running through his hair again. She wasn't even sure what to say now, so she let him cry and hoped her quiet comfort was what he needed until she could find the right words. Izuku's tears dried, and Nemuri patted his back gently but tensed as he asked, "I-I'm not gonna lose m-my family again r-right?"

Nemuri's eyes went wide as she realized he was afraid she would abandon him. It wasn't uncommon for kids to get sent back if the foster parents decided they couldn't handle an older kid. "No, of course not. I'm your family now, and I'm not letting you go ever, ok? I'm never giving you up. You're Izuku Kayama Midoriya now and forever... unless you change it to Hagakure. Which I would understand she does seem to have you figured out fairly well for how long you two have known each other." she could practically feel his blush as she kept talking. "I can only imagine what it'll be like when she ropes you into confessing-"

"Gah!" Izuku pulled back his face bright red. "I-it's not like that. We're just friends."

Nemuri chuckled and wiped away some tears from his cheek. "I know, but I gotta tease you remember. It's my job now."

Izuku pouted, "you teased me before you adopted me."

Nemuri found his pout adorable and pinched his cheek, making him squirm "that's cause I like you. I tease the people I care about."

Izuku rubbed his eyes as he chuckled before falling silent. Nemuri looked at him as he spoke quietly, "y-you um called me Izuku. W-when you started calming me down."

Nemuri's cheek flushed a bit "ah, I'm sorry-"

"No. uh, it's fine... I just. I don't know; maybe I was worried you didn't want to be informal. I thought if neither of us relaxed, then it would hurt less... if you gave me up. I-I don't know if I'm making sense."

Izuku was pulled into another hug which he returned as Nemuri said, "I'm sorry. I was... unsure of how to talk with you. I wasn't sure how I should speak to you now that we weren't just a teacher and student, so I stuck to formalities despite being your guardian."

“F-foster mom.” Izuku muttered.

Nemuri smiled "you can call me Nemuri if you want."

Izuku nodded against her shoulder. "I-I'll try."

She tightened her hug, which got a groan out of him before saying, "I'm fine with that."

Izuku held her as she tried to move "c-can you stay just a minute longer?"

Nemuri smiled "of course."

The two sat hugging for several minutes before sleep started to crawl back into Izuku's brain, and Nemuri left to let him it.

_____________________________________________________________________

Toru felt almost giddy as she got to her usual meeting spot so she and Izuku could walk to school. Yesterday had been great. She had gone to a friend's house to study and had dinner with them. Toru couldn't even remember the last time she had done that, though her mother did insist that next time she bring Izuku over so her family could finally meet Toru's friend.

She bounced in place a bit as she psyched herself up.  'Midoriya was ok with me going to his place, so he should be fine with coming to mine, right? Yeah, it'll be fine, I'm sure... hopefully.'

Toru was pulled from her thoughts as the familiar green mop of hair made its way over to her. Izuku smiled, but she saw the bags under his eyes "h-hey Hagakure."

Toru smiled despite her quirk "Heya. You ok, Midoriya? You look like you didn't sleep well."

Izuku's smile faltered as he thought of whatever it was that had kept him from sleeping before suddenly becoming brighter "y-yeah, I am... I just had a rough night, but Nemuri helped me out."

Toru grinned at the development as they started walking. "Oh, you're using her first name. I guess you two talked."

Izuku nodded a bit. "Y-yeah... we talked a bit. It was good a-and I think some of my fears h-have been dissuaded."

Toru squealed and jumped, giving him a quick hug "yay! I'm glad to hear it."

Izuku blushed a bit before saying, "oh um s-since Nemuri can't come d-do you wanna go with me to the orphanage. I-I know Yasuda would like to meet you. S-she's pretty much my big sister."

Toru felt her face heat up a bit "uh y-yeah, but you gotta do something for me."

"W-what?" Izuku asked cautiously.

"My mom was bothering me when I got home last night and said since I studied and had dinner at your place, it was only right that I introduce my friend to them, so we gotta go study at my place today," Toru explained as they got to the school.

Izuku's face looked like a tomato which Toru still found endless enjoyment in. he nodded, "o-ok, that's f-fair, but y-you didn't have to make it a deal I-I would have been fine with it anyways."

Toru shrugged "well, I just had to make sure. You're a shy boy and a bit squirrely sometimes. I figured you might explode at the idea of going to a girl's house."

She turned to see Izuku doing his best to keep a neutral face "w-why would I? Y-you're a friend, and we're j-just studying."

Toru giggled "that's the spirit now come on, let's hope today goes quickly. I'm already tired of being here."

__________________________________________________________________

Izuku was nervous, not that he'd let Toru know that. The two were standing outside the Hagakure household as Toru chatted about some game her brother had started playing. As they entered, Toru announced she was home and had brought a friend.

A woman a few years older than Nemuri poked her head into the hallway and smiled. Her green eyes lit up, and she stepped around fully. She was wearing a sleeveless green sundress with a gray apron over it, and her brown hair pulled up into a bun "ah, you must be Midoriya, right? Toru has said so much about you."

Izuku smiled "i-it's nice to meet you, ma'am."

Toru's mother led them inside to the living room "would you like some tea? I'll bring some snacks as well."

Toru sighed but smiled "thanks, mom."

The two set up, and by the time they started going over the first subject, Toru's mother brought out some tea and snacks to help them along. Izuku relaxed as they studied and went over the work they covered today. Izuku saw Toru tense as a door closed in the house, and she grumbled, "Oh great, he's coming out."

Izuku quirked an eyebrow before hearing Toru's mom chuckled 'well, looking who decided to leave his room. What do you need more water or a snack? You know dinner will be soon."

Izuku looked over as an older boy in gym shorts, and a black shirt walked in. He rubbed his hand through his short pink hair. It was a soft color that reminded him of coral that he saw in a documentary. The older boy's eyes were the same color, and they locked onto him as he said in a tired voice, "I was getting water."

Izuku felt a chill go down his spine as the boy grinned "but it seems my baby sister brought a friend over, and a boy no less. When did she go and grow up."

Toru groaned, and her head thumped against the table. "Don't you dare start, Achi. I will sell all your collectibles!"

Achi laughed as he walked towards the kitchen, "but it's my brotherly duty. I need to embarrass you and scare him."

Toru huffed but smiled as she heard her mom chided Achi for teasing them while they're trying to study. "Sorry about Achi."

Izuku smiled "i-it's fine. T-that reminds me you should be ready when we visit the orphanage I-I know Yasuda is gonna tease me while I'm there, and s-she might drag you into it too."

Toru laughed "don't worry, I can tease you even without someone pushing me to."

Izuku covered his face as he groaned. "I know, and that worries me."

Toru chuckled as she nudged him as they got back to studying. Eventually, Toru's father came home, and Izuku noticed his hair was the same as Achi's but with a few graying streaks. He introduced himself and was a pleasant man who managed to ruffle his daughter's hair without even looking at her. Izuku stayed and ate dinner with the Hagakure family before saying his goodbyes and heading home. All in all, it was a perfectly ordinary visit that left him feeling relieved. He had been so nervous about going to a friend's house and messing something up, but he didn't.

Izuku's mood dipped as he saw reporters outside his apartment building. The vultures descended on him as he approached the gate, keeping them out. "Boy, do you know that the hero Midnight has moved into this building recently? Is there anything you can tell us?"

Izuku raised an eyebrow  'yeah, I could tell you a whole lot.'  "who? Look, I just wanna go home and sleep. I've had a long day. Excuse me."

Izuku slipped in as they all kept asking questions and headed for the elevator, his chest pounding as his nerves caught up with him. Yet another incident of him not stuttering while saying something with way more confidence than he had any right to. Maybe having a friend like Hagakure and a foster mom like Nemuri were doing more for Izuku than he thought.

Chapter End Notes

alrighty, so a couple of things. first of all, should our sweet bean Izuku get One for All. I'm leaning towards no but I wanna see what ya'll think. before you ask no he wouldn't get the uh... extra bits of One for All. it would just boost his existing quirk.

Secondly, I don't think I'm gonna be showing Bakugo until UA. I don't feel like I should show his progress. I kinda want to just show how Izuku grows and stuff and makes friends and all that then have him meet this new Bakugo so he and the reader can try to see how much he's changed.

also, you may have noticed me asking questions and talking about a fic I'm working on. it's like super different from canon so I'm seeking advice on things through readers. today's random bit was gonna be which ship I should go with Fem Izu/Momo or Fem Izu/Setsuna but then I came to a wonderful conclusion of fuck that. Jiro/Momo for life and Fem Izu/Ochako/Setsuna with Fem Izu and Setsuna being tall like Momo. I call this ship the green tea moonpie.

Attention

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Toru stood outside the train station wearing her favorite black and pink shoes along with blue jeans, a light pink cami with a pastel yellow cardigan over it. She smiled since she liked this outfit, but she hadn't had a chance to wear it recently.

She saw Izuku coming up in a black jacket and dark green shirt that read 'suit,' jeans and his usual red shoes. He grinned sheepishly "how are you always waiting for me when we meet up?"

"Guess I'm just more punctual than you. Also, really a shirt that says suit?"

Izuku smiled a bit more steadily as they walked. "Yasuda got it for me last year. She likes my weird shirts and how much Nemuri gets annoyed at them."

Toru shook her head before asking, "so what can I expect when we get there?"

Izuku tapped his chin as they waited for the train to show up. "Hm, Yasuda being a big sis, and the younger kids get really excited. They don't know I'm coming to see them."

Toru chuckled. "I can handle some excited kids. They'll probably be super weirded out by my quirk, though."

Izuku groaned "ah, I forgot to ask your dad about how your quirk and his works."

"Oh, I asked him yesterday. Here ya go." Toru said as she pulled a folded-up piece of paper from her pocket. "I know they're not Midoriya level notes, but it's what he said to me."

Izuku took the paper and unfolded it before quickly reading it. His eyes widened. "Oh my... wow, that's... Toru, if you could... that would be so cool."

Toru chuckled as Izuku started mumbling. She let him go down whatever rabbit hole he had found before gently prodding his side, making him jump and blush "a-ah, sorry. I thought maybe your quirk made you transparent, but no your cells just passively refract light, thus making you invisible. If you could learn to control that, you could do so much stuff with it."

Toru listened to him go on about her quirk, something about flashing people and lasers. Neither of his explanations made much sense as she could barely keep up with his talking. Their train showed up, and Toru jabbed him again so he would board. The ride was relatively short, and the two sat in comfortable silence. In no time, they were off the train and headed down the street to the orphanage.

_____________________________________________________________________

Yasuda grunted as she picked up the laundry basket. Honestly, some days she wished Izuku still lived here. She had gotten spoiled by having him help with chores, but she was happy that he had found a family to call his own. A really hot family that Yasuda had some questionable fan-made content of. Yasuda shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. It was already hard to look Kayama in the eye; she didn't need pervy thoughts, making it harder.

As Yasuda hung the laundry out on the clothesline in the garden, a small girl with curly teal hair and bright green eyes came up to her. "Yasu..."

Yasuda smiled and knelt "hello, Mawabi, do you need something?"

The girl gripped her sea-green shirt and frowned. "I was wondering if Izu said anything about coming back to see us."

Yasuda smiled sadly and tried not to ruin the surprise, but this girl was so cute and seeing her pout broke Yasuda's heart. "I don't think he has, but I haven't checked my phone in a bit, so maybe he said something this morning. How about we go check it together?"

The young girl smiled, showing off her shark teeth "yeah. Maybe he said something!"

As they passed by the front entrance, it opened, and Mawabi gasped loudly as Yasuda chuckled at the timing of it all. Izuku smiled as he walked in "hey, I'm back."

"Wow. it's Izuku; I can't believe it." Yasuda said in an over-exaggerated way before Mawabi tried to tackle Izuku in a hug.

Mawabi sniffled. "Izu!"

Izuku smiled as he got his shoes off while Mawabi still clung to him "hello, Mawabi. How have you been?"

She giggled as he picked her up but quickly put on a pouting face "super lonely. I miss my big bro! We all do. Though Rui got adopted while you were gone, so she's got a new family to love her."

"That's wonderful news, and I'm sorry you felt lonely but guess what I'm not alone today. I couldn't bring Nemuri cause she was busy, so I brought a friend of mine this is Toru Hagakure."

Mawabi looked around where Toru's face was most likely at. Toru starred as the girl's eyes grew wide as she let out a soft "wow. So cool."

Yasuda chuckled as she came up and gave a slight bow to Toru "it's nice to meet you, Hagakure. I'm Yasuda Azuki, basically Izuku's big sis. I took care of this little twerp while he was here. He's told me a lot about like a lot honestly it's embarrassing-"

Izuku shoved his hand over Yasuda's mouth while he gently let Mawabi down. The little girl ran over to Toru, who was laughing, and tugged her shirt "hey, big sis, can I introduce you to the others?"

Toru nodded "sure thing. I'd love to meet all the others."

Mawabi led the group as Yasuda chuckled, "you know Izuku, if you didn't want me to embarrass you, then you shouldn't have brought her with."

Izuku's blush still hadn't gone down as he spoke, "I wanted to introduce my friend to my family, and you guys are all still family even if I don't live here anymore."

Yasuda put a hand on her chest "aw, that's so sweet." she hugged him. "You're still such a softie! Never let that part of you change."

Izuku's face was discovering new shades of red as Toru and Mawabi both giggled. He was spared more embarrassment as a chorus of kids gasping sounded before the pitter-patter of feet as Mawabi smiled and introduced Toru to the small crowd of staring kids. They were amazed by her quirk and very excited when they finally noticed Izuku standing beside Yasuda off to the side.

Toru and Izuku sat down on one of the couches and were surrounded by the kids who took turns asking questions about either Toru or Izuku's new home. Yasuda smiled at Izuku, grinning with much more happiness than she ever saw before. She couldn't be happier as she came over to join them "alright settle down, ya little demons. Mawabi, get these little punks in line and go get some games to play."

Mawabi grinned "yes, big sis! Right on it!"

Izuku watched with surprise as Mawabi got her fellow children to back off and go search for board games. "When did little Mawabi start being in charge?"

Yasuda smiled as she sat across from the two teens "pretty quickly after you left. She started helping out as best she could to make up for you not being here now. Though we don't let her do as many things as you did."

Izuku chuckled. "I'm glad to see they're doing ok. I was worried about how much Mawabi and the others would fair with how much they cried when I left."

Yasuda chuckled "you cried more than them, and I have the video to prove it. Hagakure, you wanna see it?"

"Heck yeah!" Toru bounced out of her seat and sat by Yasuda before Izuku could try and stop her.

Yasuda played the short video showing Izuku on the floor swamped by the kids, all of them crying their eyes out as the orphanage staff watched with a mixture of concern and amusement. Toru giggled, and Izuku's face flushed as he hid it in his hands "wow, I don't think I've seen Midoriya tear up like that."

"The boy's a leaky faucet. Just be ready if you ever get him a gift or praise him heavily for something he'll break." Yasuda said as Izuku groaned louder.

The two girls chuckled, and Yasuda asked, "so Hagakure Izuku said you want to be a hero. What kind of work have you put into that already?"

Toru grinned "well, my quirk is pretty passive, so I've been focusing on staying in shape and even learning how to be sneaky. It started with some youtube videos, but I found a lady near my house who's teaching me; she's also teaching me how to fight. Midoriya has some ideas about my quirk that I'm gonna test with my dad later."

Yasuda grinned "oh did he tell you the ideas, or have you seen his notebooks?"

"I saw my entry in his notebook. It had a lot of detail about me and my quirk."

Izuku felt like his face might actually explode and kill him. He wouldn't mind if that happened either. Yasuda was grinning, and he could tell by Hagakure's posture she was probably just as excited. "He's been making those notebooks since he was six. You'll have to check his next one and see if you're in that one as well. His favorite people always end up getting put into the new notebook before he adds new heroes."

Toru giggled. "I'll be sure to snag it from him."

The two chatted about Toru's training while Izuku let his face return to normal. Once Yasuda was satisfied, she looked at Izuku "what about you, Izuku. How's your training going?"

Izuku nodded "it's alright. I've been staying in shape and going through the basics that you and Nemuri taught me."

"And what about your quirk?"

The question itself was a totally innocent one that would make sense to ask any hero hopeful, but for Izuku, it made him tense as he looked away. "I-I haven't done any training."

"Since when?" Yasuda asked as her eyes narrowed. She knew the answer, and she didn't like it. Izuku hadn't used his quirks in such a long time because of the bullying; she wasn't totally sure he remembered how.

Izuku stared hard at the floor. "It's been a while."

Toru saw how uncomfortable Izuku looked and made her way to sit by him. She kinda got the whole not wanting to use your quirk to avoid the bullies thing. She had hated how she couldn't turn her quirk off no matter how much she wanted to. Yasuda watched as Toru lightly tapped Izuku's shoulder, getting him to look at her. "Why don't you ask Kayama for help with quirk training?"

Izuku sat up, still not looking at either of them fully. "I know I should... it's just hard to try and use it."

Yasuda smiled. "I know you went through a lot, but you're gonna need to train your quirk for a chance at UA."

"I promise to bring it up with Nemuri."

"Good now, Hagakure; you wanna see some embarrassing photos of Izuku when he was a little kid."

The invisible girl gasped with excitement as Izuku hid his face in his hands again. He was saved by the kids finally coming back with half a dozen board games they had found. Izuku quickly dragged Toru away from Yasuda, and they spent several hours playing games and eating snacks with the children. When the end of the visit came, the kids cried and made Izuku promise he'd bring Big Sis Toru back again. The invisible girl was glad no one could see her blushing face as she agreed to come back with Izuku again.

As they walked to the train station, Izuku sighed heavily "thanks for coming with."

Toru smiled as she walked with a noticeable pep in her step "no problem. It was fun getting to meet all of them. You've got a pretty big family, huh?"

Izuku smiled "yeah, and they're all over the place."

_______________________________________________________________

Izuku looked up from his notes as Nemuri came home. It was late, but he felt like he needed to ask now, or he'd keep avoiding it. Nemuri smiled worriedly "you're still up. Did something happen?"

Izuku shook his head. "N-no, not really. I just... Yasuda asked when the last time I had used my quirk was, and I realized how long it's been since I had even tried to use it. I-I'm doing physical training, but I haven't trained my quirk. S-so I was wondering i-if you'd help me out when you have some free time."

Relief washed over Nemuri as she smiled and relaxed "of course I will. School is almost over, so we'll have plenty of time for quirk training. Though I will also be increasing your physical training."

Izuku sighed and rubbed his face "that's fair... thank you, Nemuri."

"It's no problem, Izuku. Now go on and head to bed. You need your rest."

Izuku nodded, and the two said goodnight. Nemuri was about to head to her room when her phone buzzed as she got a message from Aizawa about a case he was working on. Nemuri sighed and headed to her room to grab some supplies. She could always not agree to help him, but he was one of her best friends, and she was a hero, so there was no way she wouldn't. Nemuri informed Izuku she'd be heading out to help Eraserhead and laughed a bit as he geeked out and wished her luck.

___________________________________________________________________

Toru was running behind. She had texted Izuku to go on ahead and not wait. Of course, the day finals were going to start, she messed up and slept through her alarm. Now she was rushing to get to school. She ground to a halt as she saw something that made her stomach churn. Near the entrance to an alley, two older guys were obviously harassing a girl with a mutation, and no one was stopping them. The people just looked away or pretended not to see it.

Toru ground her teeth and ran over, intent on stopping it. The invisible girl used her few lessons on stealth to get close to the boys who had their backs to her. She could hear them poking fun at the girl's pink skin and the small horns poking out of her curly hair. Toru waited till she got up right behind them before shouting, "Hey! Why the heck are you two harassing this girl for?!"

The boys jumped and started to spin around to look at Toru, but the pink girl had other ideas. Toru watched as a clear liquid pulled in her hands before she threw it on them. The two boys staggered then started whipping off their faces, but their skin started turning red, and Toru heard them cursing up a storm about how much it hurt and how it was all over them now.

The pink girl grabbed Toru's hand and laughed as she ran "serves you right dicks! That'll teach you to mess with me!"

Toru felt a giggle bubble up in her chest as she was dragged along. She didn't notice the skeletal man shaking his head. He was disappointed by those boys harassing someone just because of how she looked, but he was also proud to see that some people still stuck up for others.

The two girls stopped running and caught their breath. Toru noticed the pink girl's black and gold eyes and couldn't help but stare. She hadn't seen someone with eyes like that before, and it distracted her to where she almost missed the girl speaking, "I'm Mina Ashido thanks for the save back there."

Toru blinked. "O-oh, um yeah. I'm Toru Hagakure, and no problem. Though it looks like you can handle yourself. What was that stuff you threw?"

Mina giggled "just some weak acid. It'll burn and leave red blotches all over them but nothing permanent."

Toru was gonna keep talking till she saw her watch and nearly shrieked, "oh, I'm gonna be late! It was nice meeting you. Stay out of trouble, bye!"

Mina laughed and said goodbye as the invisible girl ran off.

____________________________________________________________________

Toru barely made it to school on time. She didn't even have a chance to talk to Izuku before the finals started. Toru was expecting the worst, but she was surprised by how much easier it was than she thought it'd be. It wasn't easy, but she answered a lot more than she thought she would. By the end of the day, though, Toru's brain was fried as she walked alongside Izuku.

"Honestly, Hagakure, your morning sounded pretty rough. I'm glad you were able to help that girl."

"Yeah... she looked really cool. I don't know why someone would pick on her for that." Toru said as they left school.

Izuku sighed "kinda wish I could have seen her. It's not unusual for people to have mutations that don't have anything to do with their quirks, but from what you said, you'd almost think she had a mutation or transformation type quirk, not an emitter like acid."

Toru giggled. "I'm sure you just wanted to check out the cute pink girl. It's ok, you can be honest with me, Midoriya."

Izuku looked over at Toru. "I do not. you're the one who was checking her out with how detailed your description of her was."

Toru blushed and scoffed dramatically "wh-why I never. I would never do such a thing-"

Izuku held up his notebook. "I wrote what you said, and there's a paragraph and a half about how nice and cool her eyes are."

"Well, they are! You weren't there Midoriya, you didn't see how cool she looked."

Izuku shook his head as they walked before pulling his phone out. "We're gonna have to make a detour. Villain attacks in two different areas. They're blocking the roads."

Toru groaned as she followed Izuku down their new course. "I'm surprised you don't want to go watch them."

Izuku shrugged. "I could, but I wanna get home and do some training. I haven't used my quirk in awhile, so I need to get a feel for it again before school's out."

"Did you talk to Kayama already?"

Izuku nodded "she'll start teaching me after school, so I may get a bit busy."

Toru sighed dramatically "whatever will I do without my best friend around twenty-four seven? How will I cope with his absence?"

Izuku blushed and shoved her lightly. He was going to retort till his face scrunched up "ugh, what is that smell?"

Toru wanted to make a joke, but the smell hit her, and she nearly gagged as the sewer drain behind them exploded off, and a mass of sludge came crawling out. "Oh, a meat suit, come here, kid!"

Izuku yelped as the sludge jumped him and started trying to force its way into his mouth. Toru felt herself freeze with panic as her friend was being suffocated by a sewage monster. Izuku's eye glanced over at her, and a shock ran down her spine as she rushed in and punched the eyeball of the monster.

The sludge villain pulled back and howled with anger. Izuku took that moment to shove his hand into its mouth before a thick green smoke started to come off Izuku's arm. Toru realized he was using his quirk and backed off before the gas could reach her. The sludge monster started to list and loosen its grip on Izuku as it fell asleep. Izuku pulled himself free and staggered away before vomiting. Toru rushed over and started patting his back just before a hulking figure jumped from the sewers.  "Do not fear for  I... am here. Oh, he's knocked out."

The two teens looked on in shock as All Might smiled down at them. "Young ones, am I to assume you two took down this dastardly villain?"

Izuku was a little too starstruck and also still vomiting to speak. Toru cleared her throat "u-uh yeah. He tried to get inside Midoriya, but I punched him in the eye, and Midoriya used his quirk to put him to sleep."

All Might looked between them as he grabbed a discarded soda bottle. "Well, good work, you two. I'm impressed. I had been chasing this monster through the sewers, but the system is quite complex, and I lost track of him. I'm glad you weren't hurt."

Toru grabbed Izuku's backpack as the boy finally pulled himself together. "All Might, sir, can we get an autograph?"

"HAHA, of course. Who is this going to ?"

Toru grinned as she pulled out Izuku's hero analysis notebook, "Izuku Midoriya and Toru Hagakure."

All Might took the notebook and scrawled out his signature, and wrote a short message for them. "Well, Young Midoriya Young Hagakure, what is it you two wish to do?"

Izuku, finally able to speak and process the world around him, spoke up, "we're both aiming to go to UA and become heroes."

All Mights laughter boomed through the streets "well, with how you handle this villain, I'd say you're doing a good job. I hope to see you out here on the streets one day as future heroes! Now I must be off!"

As quickly as he showed up, All Might was gone, and Izuku squealed as he opened the notebook and saw the autograph. "OH my god, thank you, Hagakure!"

Toru laughed weakly as she felt her legs shake "oh man, I think I'm gonna fall over."

With the adrenaline and fear gone, Toru's legs nearly gave out. Izuku caught her, and the girl quickly demanded a piggyback ride. Izuku relented and put his backpack on his front before crouching and letting Toru climb on. "I can't believe we ran into a villain, fought it, and ran into All Might. That and how my morning went. Today's been pretty intense for me."

Izuku chuckled "yeah, it has. Hopefully, it'll be easier tomorrow."

Toru sighed as she laid her head against Izuku's fluffy hair and said quietly, "yeah, hopefully."

Chapter End Notes

This chapter ended up as a sorta setup chapter for what's to come. other than that I've got no random fanfiction questions to ask so I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Training Starts

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Nemuri tapped her finger on the steering wheel. The paparazzi apparently didn't have anything better to do, so they camped outside her apartment, which meant she had to take the car and drive off somewhere. Then Izuku left a bit later to meet up with her. Part of her just wanted to get the whole thing over with and out in the open, but the other part wanted to keep Izuku safe and out of the public eye till he got to UA. Three years would be a long time, but it's not like every day would be like this, so they could probably pull it off.

She saw Izuku approach and unlocked the door as he got to it and hoped in, "so um, where are we going?"

Nemuri started the car and sighed. "We need to train your quirk, but we can't exactly flood the apartment with gas that knocks people out. It might get into other apartments, so I'm taking you somewhere special so we can train."

Izuku looked at her curiously "somewhere special?"

Nemuri smiled "you'll just have to wait and see."

As the two rode, Nemuri laughed while Izuku told her how ecstatic Toru had been about the grades she got on the finals. "It's good that your study sessions paid off. Glad to see you two weren't just messing around the whole time."

Izuku blushed "it's important to take breaks and let your mind absorb the info. If you just study for hours, you'll get worse results. It's like working out, ya know. You need to take breaks and recover for good progress."

Nemuri nodded as she hummed as she smiled "whatever you say, Izuku."

____________________________________________________________________

Toru groaned as she wandered around. Izuku was busy, and her brother was off with his new girlfriend, so she didn't have anyone to hang out with. Her mom had the day off and had started to get on her nerves, so she left intent on finding something to do.

Toru hadn't paid much attention to where she was going through and only stopped when she smelled garbage. A brief panic overtook her as her head shot around, looking for the sludge monster only to see huge piles of trash. "Oh... it's Dagoba beach. Man, this place sucks. If it was a beach again, I could have some fun here..."

She stared at the garbage for a while before feeling compelled to walk down the steps to it. She was careful to watch her step as she moved through the piles of garbage. "This place is like a labyrinth. Midoriya would say it's a great place to train stealth and probably some strength training. There's a lot of heavy stuff here..."

An idea struck her, and she pulled her phone out to text Izuku.

Hagakure:  Midoriya do you know Dagoba beach?

Midoriya:  it used to be a nice beach, but the current carried trash to it, and the city slacked off on cleaning, so eventually, people started to illegally dump stuff there. Now it's a huge issue no one wants to take care of.

Hagakure: ... yeah, that place. We could train here. It's like a maze, and there's a bunch of heavy stuff, so stealth and strength training.

Midoriya:  that's a great idea! I'm almost to wherever Nemuri is taking me, so I'll text you when I'm done, and we can figure out the details.

Hagakure:  Sounds good. Good luck with your training.

Toru smiled and slipped her phone back into her pocket before continuing her trek. Eventually, she came out to the shoreline and stared out towards the horizon. "Wow... it's so pretty here."

The invisible girl nearly jumped out of her skin when someone coughed to her left. She looked over and saw a skeletal man sitting on top of a washing machine. She caught a glimpse of blood on his handkerchief as he put it away. "Ah, sorry, I didn't know anyone was here."

The man raised a hand "it's alright. I wasn't expecting anyone to come here either. It's a nice place even though it's not as beautiful as it used to be."

Toru nodded "my mom always said it was a nice place when she was a kid, but now..."

The man grunted, "it's been a long time since this could be called a beach."

The two stood and sat in silence for several moments before Toru spoke up, "why are you out here?"

The man chuckled. "I like coming here. It was a special place for me before all this." he gestured to the garbage around. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

Toru smiled and scratched her head "oh, you know. Was wandering around and ended up here. Figured I'd look around. My friend, I will probably be coming back to do some training."

"Training? What are you training for?" Toshinori asked. He saw her posture straightened and could almost feel the smile she was probably giving.

"We're training to be heroes."

"And a garbage dump is where you decided to train?"

Toru chuckled "hehe yeah... but it seems like a good place. We can both work on stealth and strength training while cleaning this place up a bit. I don't know if we'll be able to get everything..." Toru leaned over, looking past him "cause I think that's an SUV, and there's no way we would be able to move that."

Toshinori chuckled "no, I don't think you could, but perhaps your actions will inspire someone who can."

"We can only hope! Oh, I'm Toru Hagakure. It's nice to meet you. Figure I should introduce myself since we may run into each other again." she held up an invisible hand towards him.

Toshinori smiled at the invisible girl he had seen twice before as he reached for her hand. "I'm Toshinori Yagi. I do hope you-" his brain froze as he grabbed a closed fist.

Toru did her best not to giggle but failed to keep it in check. She devolved into laughter, and Toshinori joined in, realizing she had pulled a joke on him. "Sorry, I can't help myself sometimes."

Toshinori shook his head "it's quite alright. An old friend of mine would love to see an aspiring hero who can crack a joke."

"Well, I better get going. Don't want my mom to freak out. I hope to see you around, Mr.Yagi."

The skeletal man nodded. "I hope your training goes well, Young Hagakure."

________________________________________________________________

Izuku cocked an eyebrow as they stepped out of the car. "Uh, is this it?"

Nemuri nodded as she approached the old brickwork building. "Yep, welcome to the Kayama gym."

Izuku stopped "wait, what?"

Nemuri smiled and motioned for him to follow "come on and see."

The two entered the building, and Izuku was surprised by how well it was maintained. The exterior needed some work, but the inside looked fine. The equipment lining the walls and floor looked old but well cared for. Izuku jumped a bit as a loud, deep voice boomed, "Nemuri is that you?! Why I thought the great hero Midnight was too good for this old gym nowadays."

Izuku watched as an elderly man stepped out of an office room in the back. His short dark purple hair and blue eyes reminded him of Nemuri. "It's good to see you again, uncle Nabira. How's auntie?"

The older man waved his hand "she's doing fine. Mentioned you yesterday wanted to know if you'd forgotten all of your family."

Izuku watched Nemuri's face slip into a sad smile "of course not. I've been busy, is all."

Nabira looked past her at Izuku. "I'll say. Don't you think he's a bit young?"

Izuku's face went red instantly as Nemuri smacked hers. "Uncle, it's not like that." she took a breath and pointed at Izuku "this is Izuku Midoriya... my adopted son." Nemuri motioned to Nabira, "Izuku, this is my uncle Nabira Kayama."

The older man smiled "wow, Nemuri went and got a kid. It's nice to meet you, brat. You behaving yourself for your new mom?"

Izuku nodded and stammered, "I-y-yeah, I am. Um, it's nice to meet you too, sir."

Nabira waved his hand "gah, don't call me sir. We're family, it's Nabira or uncle. Got it?"

Izuku nodded quickly, still feeling a bit overwhelmed at suddenly meeting one of Nemuri's relatives. "Yes, si- I mean, of course, Uncle N-Nabira."

The man smiled and motioned for them to follow "so what brings you here other than introducing the new family member?"

Nemuri smiled as they entered the office. "I was hoping to use the gym for some quirk training."

Nabira gave Izuku another look over. "You trying to be a hero?"

Izuku nodded. "Y-yeah, ever since I got my quirk, I've wanted to be a hero."

Nabira nodded "alright. I've got a room separate from the rest of the gym you can use. Nemur, you know where it is?"

Nemuri nodded as she stood "yep. Come on, Izuku, let's get to work."

___________________________________________________________________

The separate room they got to use was pretty barren, all things considered. The thing Izuku did notice was there were a lot of vents and fans as well as a couple filing cabinets "uh..."

Nemuri chuckled "it's for getting rid of the gas from our quirks." Nemuri walked to the center "come on, let's see what your base is. I'm guessing you can release gas from any spot on your body?"

Izuku nodded as he followed "yeah. I've never tried to release it from my whole body at once, though."

"That's alright. I've never needed to do that before, so I doubt you will. For now, I just wanna see how much gas you can put out at once, so..." Nemuri pulled open a drawer of a metal filing cabinet and pulled a gas mask out. "I want you to just go all out until I say stop."

"Alright, I'll do my best," Izuku said as he watched Nemuri slip on the mask and motion for him to start.

Izuku took a deep breath and held his arms out, and focused on his quirk. Nemuri watched as a thick dark green fog started to slowly pour from his forearms and hands. The pace started to pick up, and the room was slowly but steadily getting filled. Nemuri quirked an eyebrow as she noticed how the gas wasn't flowing how she thought it would. It seemed to cling to Izuku and swirl around him till it was about a meter away, then it dispersed and behaved normally.

Nemuri motioned for him to stop before asking, "are you consciously making it stay near you?"

Izuku scratched his cheek as the gas dispersed more quickly now that he wasn't using his quirk. "Um... No, I don't think so. It seems to just kinda do it on its own."

Nemuri pulled her mask "hm, alright. Let's test something. I noticed when I saved you from Bakugo you didn't faint after inhaling my quirk. Let's see if it's the same for me."

Izuku held his hand up as Nemuri stepped closer "so just let out some, right?"

Nemuri nodded "try to catch me if this goes poorly."

Izuku nodded before forcing his quirk into his palm and letting push out towards Nemuri, who took a breath and was hit with an unfamiliar feeling. She staggered back, feeling a wave of tiredness washed over her. Izuku moved to catch her, but Nemuri held a hand up and yawned "n-no, I'm fine. Just...wow, is this what people feel when they get hit with my quirk?"

Izuku chuckled. "Y-yeah, it does."

Nemuri shook off the drowsiness and nodded "alright. Let's run through some more tests."

Izuku nodded, and Nemuri ran him through several tests to gauge his quirk's limits and skill level with it. He rapidly switched from pouring gas from different spots on his torso and arms. His delay was a bit long, but it would shorten as they trained. They learned he could store up and release a big burst from different spots on his body though they were smaller than what Nemuri could do at his age. After several more tests, Nemuri turned up the fans and sucked the gas from the room before taking her mask off. "Alright, well, I expected you to be farther behind than you are, so that's good. It'll take a couple days, but I" ll get a plan set up for the summer."

“Oh Hagakure found Dagoba beach. She suggested we use it for stealth and strength training while also cleaning the place up." Izuku said as they made their way out of the back room.

Nemuri smiled "some community service on top of a workout? Sounds pretty heroic. I'll work it into your training. Now come on, we gotta find a way around the paparazzi at home."

Chapter End Notes

I'm rewriting The Sweetest Lies (have been for a bit cause it's not my focus) the first chapter is done kinda but it's kinda a dark opening for a story that I don't think is gonna be as dark as this opening is suggesting and I'm just not sure if I should rework it again or roll with it.

Friends

Izuku and Toru stood by Dagoba beach. They had their workout schedule set. The two of them would work out here for three days a week every other day. The days they weren't here would be for rest or non-strength training.

Toru smiled before looking over and cocking her head to the side. "That wasn't there last time."

Izuku stopped and looked at the dumpster "weird... who do you think put it there?"

"Ah, that would be me. I got it put here a couple days ago." The two teens turned to see a skeletal man standing by an American pickup truck.

Toru waved, "Oh hi, Mr.Yagi. why'd you put a dumpster there?"

The man walked up. "Well, I figured you could use a place to put trash, and when I'm here, feel free to put larger things in the back of my truck, and I'll get rid of them for you."

"Wow, thanks. Mr.Yagi." Toru said before looking at Iuzku's confused face "oh right, Midoriya, this is Mr.Yagi. I met him here at the beach. Mr.Yagi this is Izuku Midoriya. He's my best friend."

Izuku blushed a bit as he gave a small wave, and the man chuckled, "It's nice to meet you, Young Midoriya. I hope you two have a productive training session."

With that, Mr.Yagi left them to their workout. The two started small, just trying to clear out an area for them to set up. Once they had a good clear spot, they moved onto sorting the garbage. "We should probably bring garbage bags next time," Izuku said.

"There's a convenience store down the street. I can see if they sell them." Toru said as she piled up some plastic bottles.

"Let's both go. We can grab some waters and stuff."

As the two walked, Toru said, "man, we forgot to prepare a few things for this, didn't we?"

Izuku nodded. "I think we were just a bit too eager. We didn't think everything through, but hey, at least we're doing this now and not when we're exhausted and smell like garbage."

They entered the store and started looking for what they needed. As Izuku came back to the front, he nearly ran into a pink girl who smiled "wow, sorry didn't see you there, green bean."

Izuku blushed a bit "ah no, sorry I wasn't paying attention."

Izuku nearly dropped the water he had when he heard Toru gasp, "Hey, it's you! Um, Ashido, right?"

The pink girl smiled "oh hey, it's the invisible girl. Your name is Hagakure."

Toru nodded "it's cool to see you again."

Izuku smiled "oh, this is the girl with the cool eyes you were talking about, right?"

He flinched as Toru punched him, and Mina laughed. "Thanks. I think my eyes are pretty cool, so who's the green bean?"

Toru cleared her throat "this is Izuku Midoriya, my best friend. Midoriya, this is Ashido, the girl I helped before school."

Izuku smiled shakily "it's nice to meet you."

Mina nodded. "Same, so what are you two doing with... water bottles and garbage bags?"

"We're cleaning up Dagoba beach. It'll be a good workout, and it'll help the community." Toru said.

"Nice. I'd offer to help, but I'm here picking up stuff for my sister, so I don't got time, but hey, how about I give you two my number, and you can text me when you'll be there next time." Mina said, flashing a smile that made Izuku and Toru blush. The three quickly exchanged numbers before Izuku and Toru left to actually start their workout.

____________________________________________________________________

The night after their first workout left Toru lying in her bed groaning. Parts of her hurt that she didn't realize could hurt. The beach cleaning definitely used muscles she didn't use often, and with such a varied amount of lifting and dragging they had to do meant all of her hurt. All she wanted to do now was go to sleep, but her phone chimed, and she considered ignoring it until it went off again. Toru rolled onto her side with tremendous effort and grabbed her phone before laying on her back again and opening it to see a new group chat in her messages.

Ashido:  Yo! It's me. Here to make sure I got these numbers right and to chat with you two.

Midoriya:  hello Ashido. You got the numbers right though Hagakure was groaning a lot after our workout, so she might be passed out by now.

Hagakure:  I'm here; it just took a moment to get my phone. Hi, again, Ashido.

The three spent some time texting. Toru found it strange how quickly Mina was willing to hand out her number to a couple people she didn't really know, but Toru was also finding it really easy to talk to Mina. The pink girl had even agreed to show up for their next workout session, as it turns out she also wanted to be a hero. Before any of them knew it, almost an hour went by before Mina said she had to go help her mom with dinner.

Toru huffed as she stared at her ceiling. She enjoyed talking with Mina and Izuku, but now it was over, and she was bored and sore. Before she could sulk for long, someone knocked on her door. Tortu groaned loudly "come in."

Achi poked his head in, "yo, how was your day?"

Tortu groaned "everything hurts."

"Well, that happens when you work out." Achi laughed as he sat down on the edge of her bed "find anything interesting in the dump? Maybe a body?"

Toru squirmed "ew no. That's so messed up. It was all just junk... though something interesting happened when Midoriya and I went to the convenience store."

"Oh, do tell. Was there a villain attack? Or some weird customers?"

Toru giggled. "No. remember the pink girl I told you about."

Achi nodded "yeah, you wouldn't shut up about how cool her eyes were."

She tried to punch her brother but couldn't muster the energy to actually reach him. "We ran into her at the store. She traded numbers with us, and I just got done texting her and Midoriya a bunch."

"Sounds like you got a new friend," Achi said, poking her forehead a little off-center.

"Yeah... she's really cool. She even agreed to join up with us next time we're at the beach."

Achi laughed as he stood up "does my sister have a crush?"

Toru blushed hard and was thankful her brother couldn't see it. "No! I don't even know her that well... I'm just- I'm glad I'm making another friend, is all."

Her brother chuckled. "I know, I know. Besides, you're not allowed to get a crush on anyone unless your big brother gives the ok."

Toru groaned "ugh, you're so extra sometimes."

Achi winked as he left "it's why you love me, little sis."

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri smiled "so why are you smiling so much?"

Izuku stopped eating "am I smiling a lot?"

Nemuri hummed, "yeah... I'd say so. You got home and then started using your phone a bunch, and you're still smiling after putting it down."

"Well... I told you how Hagakure saved that one girl before school ended?"

Nemuri nodded, and Izuku continued, "we ran into her before our workout, and she gave us her number. The three of us were talking for a bit when I got home. Her name's Ashido, and she agreed to join up with us on our next workout."

Izuku looked up and sighed, seeing Nemuri's smug face. "Wow, Izuku, you got a girl's number the first time you met her? Hagakure is a hell of a wing woman."

Izuku blushed "ugh, come on. It's not like that... I'm just making another friend. Which is interesting."

Nemuri smiled softly. "I'm glad you're making more friends. Hopefully, you'll keep doing that as time goes on."

Izuku nodded. "I hope so too."

____________________________________________________________________

The next time Izuku and Toru were at Dagoba beach, Mina joined them a few minutes before they started and showed off of her acid quirk, which Izuku found amazing like he did every quirk. He took several notes and started muttering up a storm about possibilities until Toru elbowed him in the ribs. Izuku apologized before Mina waved it off, and the three got to work.

Several hours and most of their trash bags later, the three collapsed on patch sand they had cleared. Mina groaned "ugh, I'm all sweaty. I don't think I've ever felt this gross before."

Toru nodded "same. Why did we agree to this again?"

Izuku groaned as he stretched "first of all, i-it was your idea, Hagakure. Second, we need to be fit to stand a chance at UA."

The girls groaned but didn't argue. Mina stared up at the clouds, "you guys said you had days off; when are they?"

Toru hummed. "I think two days from now? Is it two days from now, Midoriya?"

"Yeah. Y-you're going to whoever it was you said trained you in stealth tomorrow, and Nemuri and I are doing quirk training. then we rest the next day."

"Ms.Kyuchi." Toru said as she weakly reached for a water bottle.

Mina raised an eyebrow "who's Nemuri?"

"A-ah um, she's my foster mom." Izuku explained as he pushed the water bottle towards Toru. "she and I have similar quirks, so she's helping me catch up to where I should be. I kinda... didn't use my quirk for a long time before she adopted me."

Mina hummed and knew she shouldn't push that topic too much, so she hopped back to her original reason for talking. "You guys wanna hang out on your day off?"

Toru drank half the bottle of water before saying, "sure. I'm game. How about you, Midoriya?"

Izuku sat up. "Y-yeah... I'm game. W-what do you have in mind?"

Mina smiled as she got up "it's a secret for now. I'll text you two the deets later."

The three teens made their way off the beach and said their goodbyes before going their separate ways.

______________________________________________________________________

Izuku arrived at the meeting spot Mina had told them to and wasn't surprised to see Toru was already there. He tried not to stare too much as he saw her. Toru was wearing a light pink and white striped sundress that stopped above where he guessed her knees were. It had thicker shoulder straps than the usual style. The dress was pleated and had two little bows on her hips. Toru's hands were in the dress's pockets, but Izuku could see her usual silver bracelets. She wore a pair of beige strapped flat sandals.

Toru spotted Izuku coming and had to hold back her giggling when she saw the red shirt with white text that read 'cold soup.' along with that, he had on a pair of black cargo shorts and his usual red shoes. "Heya Midoriya."

Izuku smiled "morning... Ashido isn't here yet?"

Toru shook her head "Nope, not yet... speaking of Ashido. Is it weird how quickly we became friends? Cause I consider her a friend."

Izuku shrugged. "I don't know. I consider her a friend too, and it's not like we knew each other very long till we consider each other friends."

Toru hummed before leaning to the side and muttering, "Oh wow."

Izuku turned and again tried not to stare too much as Mina ran up with a huge grin on her face while apologizing for being late.

Mina was wearing a black tank top with a loose-fitting holey white crop top over it and a simple silver necklace around her neck. Her dark wash bluesman shorts drew the other's attention to her toned legs, and the two teens quickly pretended they weren't about to start staring at them. To finish it off, she wore a pair of black sneakers.

Toru recovered first "no problem, I usually end up getting places early anyways. Y-you, look good, by the way."

Mina grinned brighter somehow "thanks, it took a bit to find the right outfit today. I like what you two are rocking as well... although Midoriya, what's up with the shirt?"

Izuku blushed and cleared his throat "um, it's one of the weird shirts I own."

Toru nodded "he has a bunch. This is the first time I've seen the cold soup shirt, though."

Mina giggled as she started walking, motioning for them to follow. "Well, I like it."

Izuku managed to say thanks without tripping over his tongue, which he felt mildly proud of. He felt a bit nervous, and not just because his stupid teenage brain kept dragging his eyes over to his two friends who were chatting happily but because he was still processing how a couple days prior, Toru said he was her best friend, which was wild to him. He hadn't had a best friend since he was four, and that had ended horribly. This was different though he was certain Toru wouldn't end up like Bakugo, and he was pretty confident Mina wouldn't either. She already knew his quirk and had still invited him to hang out, so things were going well.

Toru nudged Izuku gently. "Midoriya, you there? You got quiet on us."

Izuku jumped a bit and blushed as he saw both of the girls staring at him "ah, um, sorry. Just lost in thought and all that. Nemuri had me training pretty hard yesterday, guess I'm still recovering."

Mina nodded. "I know what you mean. My dad helps me with my training since I get my quirk from him. He's so laid back when he isn't working, then we train, and he's such a taskmaster about it. My hands are usually raw for a couple days after."

Toru axed the conversation about training before it could really start because this was an off day so even talking about training was off-limits in her book. The conversation then turned to heroes and the ones that inspired the teens. Mina grinned as she said, "Oh, I've got two that I love. Xeno King is so cool. He's mutated but has an emitter quirk just like me, and I really like that he has a youtube where he dances to music. He's what introduced me to the idea of being a hero and also got me into dance."

Izuku scratched his chin "dance lessons make a lot of sense for you. You said you could produce your acid from anywhere, so being flexible and agile like a dancer would make sense. It definitely would give you an edge in combat."

Toru sighed as Mina chuckled. "He's kinda rambling."

Toru nodded "yep. He'll keep doing it for a while, too, unless we stop him."

Mina grinned as she slowed her pace to be next to Izuku before poking him in the ribs. The boy jumped and let out an eep that sent the pink girl into a fit of laughter as Izuku blushed and apologized. Toru spoke once the other two had calmed down "so who's the other hero you like?"

"Oh, Midnight's the other one."

Toru thought she was going to have to catch Izuku had he nearly tripped over his own feet. "M-midnight?" he asked as he reimagined his balance.

Mina nodded "yeah, she's so confident and kinda sexy, and she knows it. There's something empowering about owning your body like that. Knowing what you got and not being afraid of it. I think that's awesome."

Toru giggled. "I can see that. You know Midoriya is a fan of Midnights as well."

Mina smirked, "every teenage boy is."

Izuku blushed. "N-no, just no, not like that. It's... I was always told I was gonna be a villain because of my quirk, but Midnight has such a similar quirk. I see her as proof that I can be a hero too."

Mina smiled softly and patted Izuku's shoulder. "Sorry, you had to deal with that. I'm glad you found a role model of sorts, though."

Izuku nodded. "Y-yeah."

___________________________________________________________________

It didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination. Mina gave a grand gesture as she announced, "Welcome ladies and gents to the Kiyashi shopping mall. Opened a few months ago, it has some of the best stores ever. I figured as a first time of us all three hanging out, it would be a good idea."

Toru and Izuku both shrugged, and Toru said, "I don't think either of us has really been to the mall before, but it sounds like a great idea."

Mina gasped "never been? Well, I'm glad you're both on board because I am going to show you just how great this place is."

Mina took her two friends into the mall to show them all they had been missing. Izuku was surprised by the hero merch stores but refrained from buying anything. He was so used to not having much in his room it felt weird to change it now, but he did send a few pictures to Yasuda and told her about it.

Toru was ecstatic at the variety in clothing stores and was quick to find things to try on. Mina was a ball of energy that kept up with Toru easily, and Izuku found himself feeling more energetic and willing to follow along with them.

The three ate lunch in the food court before Mina suggested seeing if there was a movie that looked interesting to the three of them. The other two agreed, and they headed to the movie theater in the mall to see what was playing. Izuku was surprised that when he suggested the hero movie that was playing, Mina had agreed with him stating her sister had gotten her into these kinds of movies and had said this one was worth the watch. Toru relented and agreed to see it as well.

Once the movie was finished, the three teens left the theater and wandered around a few more stores and window shopped till deciding to call it a day and go their separate ways home.

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri bit her lip as she stood on top of a roof and stared at her phone. She was done with her morning patrol, and she knew Thirteen wasn't busy, so it should be a simple text to ask if they wanted to spend some time together. Nemuri sighed as she stared at her phone "we're more than work associates, right? Are we friends? I know they've said some things before, and they wanted to go out for tea..."

Nemuri was about to curse her inability to be an adult about this. she nearly dropped her phone as it went off. She fumbled with it for a second, and her heart picked up as she saw Thirteen had texted her.

Thirteen:  hey, I was wondering if you'd like to get some lunch. I figured you were getting close to being done with morning patrols and might be looking for something to eat.

Nemuri wanted to scream as she pumped her fist. Luck was on her side today as she shot off a confirmation that she would like to have lunch. Nemuri felt a bit bad she couldn't actually be the one to ask, but she wasn't about to let this chance slide.

Nemuri quickly headed back to the agency building she shared with Present Mic to change. Nemuri's civilian clothes drew a lot less attention than her hero costume since she wore glasses, put her hair up, and usually wore oversized sweaters or shirts that hid her figure. She was kinda glad that the place Thirteen had suggested was close by. Nemuri had meant to check out the little cafe, but she never found the time during the school year.

Nemuri entered and looked around for Thirteen. She frowned when she didn't spot them and was about to pull her phone out when a familiar voice spoke up, "you got here quicker than I thought. I figured I'd be able to find a good spot before you showed up."

Nemuri jumped a bit and turned to see Thirteen. "Ah, Thir-"

Thirteen raised an eyebrow, and Nemuri bit her tongue, remembering their time getting tea. They had asked for Nemuri to refer to them as Hirooki if they're not at work. "Hirooki, I was uh... yeah, I got here kinda quick."  'Smooth Nemuri, you're really a master at conversation when they're around.'

She stopped worrying when Hirooki smiled softly "it's alright. Come on, I see a good spot over there. Should keep too many people from noticing you."

They sat in a secluded corner of the cafe, away from the few other customers. They looked over the menu and ordered quickly. As they waited, Hirooki asked, "so, how's work been so far?"

Nemuri hummed, "pretty slow. A few rowdy customers but nothing I couldn't handle myself. How's your day off been?"

Hirooki chuckled "oh, you know, slept in for a whole ten minutes before I remembered the chores I needed to get done. Spent my morning putting my apartment in order, and now I'm getting to have a nice relaxing lunch with you."

Nemuri blushed a bit as they smiled. She managed to pull herself together enough to keep the conversation going. They avoided talking about work anymore and stuck to more mundane topics. Nemuri couldn't help but talk about how happy she was that Izuku had made another friend and was apparently hanging out with them today.

Hirooki smiled "you seem to have a handle on the whole mom thing now. I'm glad to see you're doing so well now."

Nemuri chuckled. "I wouldn't say I have a handle on it now. I mean, I don't know what I'm gonna do if he comes to me wanting relationship advice."

"Oh, the great Kayama doesn't know how to give relationship advice? I thought you'd have the best advice."

Their food arrived as Nemuri blushed a bit. She spoke up once the waiter had left "well, I mean, I've kinda dated a bit, but when I got into UA, I didn't have time then I became a hero and a professor, and you know how busy we get so I'm... rusty when it comes to dating."

Hirooki smirked, "well, I think you're doing great so far."

Nemuri stopped short of shoving a piece of french toast in her mouth and stared at Hirooki. "W-what?"

Hirooki put their elbow on the table and rested their chin in their hand. "I'm just saying if you don't mind, I wouldn't mind calling this a lunch date."

Nemuri looked down at her loose shirt and baggy shorts. "I uh feel kinda underdressed for a date."

Hirooki smiled. "I think you look cute." Nemuri blushed at the compliment. "It's a very Kayama look. I don't get to see it enough."

'Alright, Nemuri, be cool you got this... probably.'  Nemuri smiled. "I guess you'll just have to ask me out more often."

"I don't think that'll be a problem, though I'd love to see what you'd do for a date."

Nemuri bit her lip. "How about I text you later today, and we can find a day we're both off, and I can take you on a date."

Hirooki grinned "sounds like a plan. Now, why don't we actually eat before the food gets cold."

Summer Talks

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Nemuri smiled as she looked at her outfit. She had decided on a mid-calf length gray skirt, a pair of brown strappy sandals, and an oversized light blue t-shirt that showed off her left shoulder and the black strap of her bra. Nemuri put her hair up into a ponytail and grabbed her black half-frame cat eyeglasses. She nodded in approval as she grinned, staring at her reflection "damn, I look good."

She checked the time before slipping her phone into the pockets on the skirt and got ready to leave. As she passed the living room, she saw Izuku in the kitchen finishing up the food she had asked for. "How's it coming along?"

"Basically finished, so um, not that I mind doing this, but why did I make a picnic basket for you?"

Nemuri blinked "oh shi- I never told you what I was doing today, did I?"

Izuku shook his head "nope. What are you going on a date or something?"

Nemuri nodded "yeah, I am."

Izuku froze as he looked up "what?"

Nemuri explained what happened, and Izuku's jaw dropped "wha- how do you forget to tell me about this? It seems like a big deal, right?"

Nemuri blushed as she covered her face. "I know, and I'm sorry ok. It just... didn't' feel real, maybe. I don't know, but I told you now, so it's all good, right?"

Izuku sighed "yeah, probably. I'm gonna tell Yasuda though I should get a pretty good reaction out of her." Izuku finished the picnic basket "there, it's done in time for your date."

"Fine, I trust her not to go blabbing it all over the net," Nemuri said as she grabbed the basket and ruffled his hair. "Thanks for the help Izuku. I owe you one."

Izuku hummed as he left the kitchen "have fun."

___________________________________________________________________

Hirooki smiled as they spotted Nemuri and approached.  'Oh god, she looks so hot. Be cool. You did great last time. You can keep this up... probably.'

"Kayama, hope I didn't make you wait long."

Nemuri took in Hirooki as she smiled. They were wearing a pair of beige cargo shorts, a pair of black sneakers. Nemuri tried not to chuckle as she saw their NASA shirt under the brown bomber half jacket. "it's ok, I wasn't here long. Though aren't you going to be hot with a jacket on."

Hirooki shook their head "no, I'll be fine. It's not too hot today, and besides, I get cold easily."

Nemuri chuckled "same. Now how about we get going."

Hirooki nodded as they followed Nemuri "sure but uh, where are we going?"

Nemuri held up the basket. "I hope you don't mind if we start with a picnic; there's a really nice park around here."

"That sounds lovely. I'm more than ok with it."

Nemuri led Hirooki to the park, where the two found a quiet spot and set up. The two chatted aimlessly as they enjoyed the food Izuku had put together. Nemuri sighed as her phone rang and muttered, "please don't be work."

Hirooki grew concerned as they watched Nemuri's frown worsen before she stood up. "I have to... take this, I guess. I'll um be right back."

Hirooki nodded as Nemuri walked off, answering the phone, "mother."

___________________________________________________________________

Toru sighed as she approached the beach. She wasn't sure why but last time they were here, Mr.Yagi had asked to speak with her when she had a chance. He didn't specify what, just that it was important. "I hope we didn't screw up in some way. Maybe he has to pull the dumpster and won't be able to come around? That'll suck; he's such a nice guy, but it won't be the end of the world.

She found the skeletal man sitting on the tailgate of his truck as he finished up a phone call and stood "ah, Young Hagakure, I'm glad to see you could make it today."

"No problem, Mr.Yagi but uh, what's so important, and why couldn't the others hear about it?"

Toshinori motioned towards the beach, "mind if we walk before that conversation."

"Sure..." Toru followed the man down the steps to the beach.

"You three have made some good progress for the short time you've been working. I'm impressed."

"Thanks, it's been hard work, but it feels... rewarding, ya know."

The older man nodded as he looked around "did you know our meeting on this beach wasn't the first time I saw you? It was the third."

Toru raised an eyebrow. "Really? Sorry I don't think I remember seeing you before the beach."

Toshinori laughed "it's quite alright. The first time I saw you from across the street. I was about to go assist Young Ashido when you snuck up on those boys and gave her a chance to getaway. Though I do wonder if throwing acid on them was a good idea."

Toru chuckled, remembering the day. "So when was the second time?"

Toshinori stopped walking as he said, "That would be the time you and Young Midoriya beat that sludge villain before I could arrive."

Toru stopped a few feet from Toshinori before turning, "wait, what? But the only person who was there-"

The invisible girl's jaw hit the floor as the emaciated, skeletal man whose health she and her friends worried over suddenly grew into the symbol of peace. All Might smiled down at her. "I do apologize for not catching that villain before he could reach you. Though I am glad, you and Young Midoriya did not get hurt."

"Wha- why? You look like a skeleton most of the time; why?"

All Might deflated back into Toshinori and lifted his shirt to show his scar "this injury I got a few years back. Nearly killed me. Took most of my stomach and one of my lungs. It's not even fully healed after all this time. As it stands, I can do hero work for six hours a day."

Toru felt like her knees were going to give out, "why are you telling me this?"

"Because Young Hagakure, my time as the symbol of peace is coming to an end, and I have chosen you to be my replacement. If you agree, I will train you, and when the time is right, I will pass my power onto you."

The whole statement made the invisible girl fall onto her butt though the last part caught her attention "wait, what? Pass your power onto me? What do you mean?"

Toshinori sat down as he said, "you are friends with Young Midoriya, so I'm guessing he has brought up my quirk before?"

Toru nodded, remembering a time he had read a new theory on All Might's quirk and spent nearly an hour mostly talking to himself about why the theory didn't hold water. "Yeah, it's a mystery, and you don't talk about it."

"That's correct. I avoid the topic because my quirk is unusual. I was born quirkless, but I gained this power when I caught the attention of my master, and she passed the quirk onto me. This quirk is called One for All; it stockpiles power and can be passed from one person to another. I have chosen you to be my successor."

"W-why me?" this was going too fast. Toru felt like she couldn't process what was going on.

"You have shown tremendous heroic spirit by stepping in to help Young Ashido when everyone else turned a blind eye. You fought against a villain that was trying to harm your friends, and you came up with the idea to clean this beach not only to strengthen yourself but to help the community." Toru blushed a bit under the praise and was glad no one could see her face.

"I've observed you while you were here, and I am convinced you will be a great successor. Your positive attitude and heroic nature will take you far, and with my power, you could become the next Symbol of Peace. Before you agree, though, there are more things you deserve to know."

Toru gulped, "u-um, wait. Before... whatever you're going to tell me. What about Ashido and Midoriya? Why not either of them? My quirk is light refraction, but all I can do is be invisible and now this." Toru held up her arm and a small flash of light made Toshinori squint. "How is that supposed to be Symbol of Peace material? Wouldn't adding your power to their quirks be better?"

"It is true they are both good candidates, but I believe you are the one."

"W-what do you have to tell me?"

Toshinori sighed and started to tell her a story of two brothers and a line of succession determined to bring peace and end a war that had been raging in the shadows since the first generations of quirks.

___________________________________________________________________

Hirooki frowned as they watched Nemuri. She had been sitting on a bench talking to her mother for about five minutes with a permanent scowl on her face. Several times the woman pulled the phone away and looked like she wanted to physically harm it or throw it into the duck pond. Eventually, Nemuri seemed to have had enough and hung up before taking several breaths to calm down before coming back over.

Nemuri sat and gave the most strained smile Hirooki had ever seen as she said, "sorry about that."

Hirooki hoped their smile would help ease Nemuri "it's ok. How about we just get back to our date."

Nemuri seemed surprised. "Y-you're not going to ask about that?"

Hirooki shook their head "no. You seem tense and like you don't want to talk about it, so I figured you wouldn't want me asking. I'm happy to just be here with you and try to help you, not think about it."

'Oh, that's not fair.'  Nemuri whined internally.  'They're too good.'  Nemuri smiled more genuinely. "I would definitely prefer that right now."

"Good. Now come on, you were telling me how Midoriya told you about this Ashido girl who looks up to you."

Nemuri chuckled "yes, it was quite interesting to hear about."

________________________________________________________________

Toru stared at her hands, or at least where they should be. "You... that's a lot to take in."

Toshinori nodded "yes, it is. I can give you time to think it over. I know I can trust you to not talk about this even if you don't agree to it."

Toru chewed her lip "speaking of talking about it... you have people who know about your quirk, right?"

Toshinori nodded "a very small, very trusted group who knows about the truth of One for All."

"And what about me?"

Toshinori tilted his head "what do you mean?"

"If I take your power, will I be able to get a sorta inner circle like that?"

Toshinori nodded "you would naturally be introduced to those who know."

Toru waved her silver bracelets "no, not me being introduced. Will I be able to bring in people I trust? People I know, not just meet people you trust."

"Well, yes, I suppose though I would remind you to be very careful of who you tell."

Toru nodded. "I want to call Ashido and Midoriya."

She cut Toshinori off before he could speak. "I think they deserve this opportunity as much as me. They're the two most heroic people I know, and if neither takes it, then I need them to know about it. Midoriya is the smartest person I know; he'll be invaluable. Ashido is the kindest person I know, and they're more determined than anyone else I've met."

Toru stood "they're my best friends. If you're not ok with this, then I'll have to decline."

Toshinori stood up and dusted himself off. "I see you're very determined about this. Very well, I know they're good kids, and you trust them, so please call them, and we can explain everything.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku was bored. He wanted to hang out with Toru and Mina, but they didn't plan anything, and he wasn't sure what to suggest either. His phone buzzed, and he saw a message in the group chat from Toru telling him and Mina to come to the beach and that it was important.

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the message before confirming he would be on his way. Toru was a bit exaggerated in her way of talking, but this felt different, so he hurried to get ready and headed out to meet up with his friends.

It didn't take long to arrive at the beach. As he did, Mina ran up behind him and patted his shoulder "heya green bean. Any idea what Hagakure wants?"

Izuku shook his head as they headed down the steps; he spotted Toshinori standing with Toru "no idea."

Toru smiled and waved, making sure to put as much pep into her voice as she could "heya. Glad you two got here so quick... this is kinda gonna be a lot, so we may want to sit down."

"Wha-" Izuku was cut off by Toshinori suddenly exploding into All Might "...oh."

Toshinori felt a bit odd telling this story twice in such a short time, but if he received a successor that was one of these three, he'd tell it as much as need be. He gave them a moment to digest the info about All for One and One for All. after a moment, Toru said, "so... I called you guys here because I think either of you would make better successors than me."

Mina blinked "what? I mean... honestly, I feel like you would be better, Hagakure. You're the one who brought the three of us together and started this whole beach cleaning. All Might only knows us two because of what you did. I think you should be the one to get it."

Izuku nodded. "I agree with Ashido. Hagakure, I wouldn't be where I am without your help. I'm grateful, but I think you should take this. I'll help you as much as I can."

Mina hoped to her feet, "me too. We'll work together in this."

Toru wanted to cry as she pulled her friends into a hug "thanks, you two."

Toshinori smiled as the three teens hugged. Toru pulled away and stood up "what do I need to do to get your power?"

"Train like hell!" the man yelled, making the three teens stare in confusion. "My power is eight generations of energy and strength. If I gave it to you now? Worst case, your body is ripped apart, and you die. Best case, you shatter the bones in your body when you try to use it."

"Ok... so what kind of training does she need to do?" Izuku asked as he got up and stood by Toru.

"Honestly, keep at this beach thing. When that's done, I'll set up a plan for you three. Young Hagakure may be the one getting the power, but I may as well train all three of you. I'd say at this pace, by the end of your first year of high school, you should be able to receive my power. For now, keep at it and remember you three keep this a secret."

The teens nodded, and Toshinori left them to speak about all of it, and they did. It took some time, but the three teens fully digested and came to terms with what they had gotten involved in.

"I can't believe you thought about letting us take this instead of you," Mina said as she leaned back against the wall by the stairs.

Izuku nodded "yeah, Ashido is right. Hagakure, you're the best one for this."

Toru groaned "yes, I know..." she bit her lip "s-since we're all in this together... you can just call me Toru."

Toru's silver bracelets jingled as she covered her face as Mina smiled, "if you call me Mina, then sure."

Toru nodded "s-sure."

The two girls looked at Izuku, who blinked. He knew he was blushing hard. sue him he was a teenage boy. "I-Izuku's fine..."

Despite Mina's grin, the other two could see her cheeks turning lilac as she said, "will do Izuku. Now since the three of us are such great friends, why don't we go do something? I was bored sitting around at home."

"I um could use some lunch if you two are hungry as well," Izuku said.

Toru got up "sounds like a plan Mid- ahem I-Izuku. Let's go get some lunch."

___________________________________________________________________

Hirooki slipped their hand into Nemuri's as they walked through the park. They had finished their picnic and were walking around the park. Nemuri flinched a bit, and Hirooki spoke softly, "sorry, do you not want me to-"

"N-no, I'm sorry. I just... spaced out. I um like this." Nemuri gave their hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'm guessing despite my best efforts, your phone call is still bothering you?"

Hirooki regretted their phrasing when they saw the brief panic in Nemuri's eyes "no, you're doing great. This is the most fun I've had in a while... it's just, of course, on a day like this where I'm feeling really good, she would call just for us to have the same argument."

"If you don't mind, it may help you relax again if you talk about it. I'd be willing to listen."

Nemuri nodded silently, and Hirooki asked, "so what are you and your mother fighting about?"

Nemuri took a deep breath and made sure no one was around. "Midnight. My parents don't approve of my hero persona."

"It does make a statement, but don't they know why you are the way you are when you're Midnight?"

Nemuri nodded "doesn't make a difference. I'm from a small conservative town. Midnight behaves in a way that goes against how they think a proper lady should act."

Hirooki nodded. "I can see where the conflict comes from. What was your childhood like?"

Nemuri hummed, "rebellious. I never fit in back home. I was the weird girl who said weird things and did weird stuff. I had ideas and thoughts that a young lady shouldn't have." she chuckled. "I cut my hair short once. Like shaved the side of my head and everything. My dad was furious, and my mother nearly had a breakdown."

Hirooki laughed "well, I'm glad it was a one-time thing. I like your long hair. It suits you."

Nemuri blushed and squeezed their hand "thanks... that was in middle school and after that. Dad decided to send me to an all-girls boarding school. He figured that it would put me in line."

Hirooki smiled as Nemuri grinned "all it did was teach me about my preferences in women and help me come up with the idea of Midnight. After Highschool, I went to UA and became Midnight. We had a huge argument about it, and now I barely talk to them. They usually call whenever there's a new rumor about me or if they feel determined to try and convince me to give up this sinful life I lead."

"Well, I'm glad you haven't. I wouldn't have gotten to meet you if you'd just done whatever they said. Do they not realize Midnight is a persona and not how you actually are."

Nemuri blushed and cleared her throat. "I tried to explain it, but they didn't seem to understand or care. I've honestly thought about giving up on trying to make them understand as well."

Hirooki nodded. "I see. Family can be difficult sometimes. I hope they understand one day. Before you decide to cut them off completely."

"Yeah... me too. It'd be nice to have my parents back." Nemuri whipped her eyes "thanks, Hirooki. I do actually feel better now."

Hirooki pulled her closer "it's no problem, Kayama."

"Nemuri... if you're ok with calling me that. I wouldn't mind."

Hirooki squeezed her hand. "I'm more than ok with it, Nemuri."

Chapter End Notes

I am just full of conflicted feelings. I love how well this fic is doing but it's also doing better than The Blood in His Veins which I've spent longer on. this won't affect my writing for either story so don't worry. just felt like I needed to say it.

One for All will be going to our wonderful invisible girl and the trio grows closer I think I'll be skipping the rest of summer. The next chapter will probably be the start of Highschool.

Dinner Party

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Despite sitting in their own rooms in their own homes on a day off, Izuku and Toru had the same terrifying thoughts of what to do when they saw a message from Mina.

Mina:  Hey, you guys wanna come over tomorrow? My mom's bugging me about bringing my friends over for dinner.

The two teens had mini panic attacks before remembering they had done this minus the dinner before. They both checked with their parents before sending in confirmations. Mina sent back her address, and the three started talking about other things.

The next day rolled around, and Toru found Izuku by the train station "yo... so uh, please tell me you're freaking out as much as me."

Izuku nodded as they boarded "yeah. Honestly, I'm surprised she hasn't tried to come to either of our houses yet."

"Maybe she's nervous? If this goes well, she might ask if she can come over."

Toru and Izuku sat down as he asked, "Shouldn't we be the ones to ask her if she wants to come over?"

"Oh right. That's how you do that, isn't it." Toru said as the train started moving.

The two chuckled quietly to themselves. The train ride was quick, and in no time, the two teens were standing outside a large two-story house. They walked up and rang the doorbell. Mina quickly threw the door open, and her friends had to try hard not to stare. Their pink friend stood in the doorway wearing a black tank top and pink and black zebra print short shorts. "Yo! Did you two have any trouble getting here?"

Toru shook her head then remembered she needed to talk "nope. No issue getting here."

Mina smiled "awesome. Come on in; dinner will be a few more minutes so we can hang out in my room."

Izuku and Toru followed Mina into the living room where two younger kids were playing video games. "That's Yuta and Yakino, my adorable and horribly annoying younger siblings. They're twins."

Yuta and Yakino both had the same curly pink hair as Mina and the same horns though neither had the black sclera or pink skin that Mina had. Yuta stuck her tongue out at Mina, who did the same in return. Yakino's eyes went wide as he stared at Toru "so cool. She's invisible."

Mina chuckled and pulled her friends along "ask about it later, Yakino."

Her brother whined about wanting to know more as Mina pulled her friends to the kitchen. Inside were two adults, one a large man with curly black hair pulled back into a short ponytail; he lacked any horns, but his skin was pink like Mina. His eyes were gold, but the sclera was white. The man smiled as he looked at them "ah, Mina, these must be your friends Hagakure and Midoriya."

Mina nodded "yep. Guys, this is my dad."

"Nice to meet you, Mr.Ashido," Izuku said as he tried not to fidget.

Mr.Ashido laughed "you can just call me Azuchi." Azuchi looked to the woman who was bouncing between several pots "dear, why don't you slow down for a moment and say hello. Besides, you shouldn't be working so hard. Let me take over for a bit."

The woman turned and pouted, "just because I'm pregnant doesn't me I can't cook. This baby isn't even in the way yet."

The woman was about the same height as Mina and had long curly pink hair down to her lower back. Her eyes were black with sparkling pink irises. She had four horns sticking up through her hair just above her forehead. Toru thought it looked kinda like a crown. Her skin looked like porcelain, and she had a bit of a bump in her stomach that rubbed gently as Azuchi sighed in a tired way before he took over the cooking.

The woman gave a toothy grin as she looked at the teens "name's Fukuyuki, but you can just call me Yuki or mom if you're feeling brave."

Yuki laughed as the three teens blushed. She couldn't see the invisible girl's face, but she could tell. "Alright, you kids, get outta here. We'll give you a holler when dinner is done."

Mina groaned as they headed to the stairs "sorry about my mom."

"I-it's fine." the other two said as they stopped by the stairs when someone came down. The girl was clearly a few years older than them, and unlike Mina and her mom, this girl was tall like their father but lean and athletic. She had curly black hair that was tied back into a short ponytail. One of her eyes was sparkling pink while the other was gold, both with the black sclera. Izuku noticed a shorter set of four horns above her forehead.

"Oh, it's Mina and her best friends. You know she talks about you two all the time." Izuku tensed as the girl ran a hand through his hair "oh wow, this is as fluffy as it looks. Mina, you should so ruffle his hair. He looks so cute right now."

Mina swatted at the girl "Fukumo! Cut it out. You're being embarrassing."

Fukumo pulled her hand back and laughed, "oh, so mean to your big sis. What happened to my sweet little alien queen."

Mina's face turned lilac before she hid it. "Oh my god, please don't bring that up."

Toru giggled quietly, "alien queen?"

Fukumo nodded. "Mina loves the movie, Alien. She wants to call herself Alien Queen when she becomes a hero."

Mina groaned loudly and grabbed Izuku and Toru's hands before tugging them up the stairs. As they walked up, Toru asked, "so how big is your family?"

Mina chuckled as "I have an older brother as well. His name's Nakita, but he's at university, so he's not here right now. Other than him, you've met everyone else."

They got to Mina's room, and when she opened the door, it was somehow surprising and precisely what they expected it to be. Izuku spoke up as they entered, "well, at least we don't need to ask about your favorite color."

"Or pattern type," Toru muttered.

The room's walls were white, probably because Mina's parents wouldn't let her paint it pink. Mina made up for that by decorating with her two favorite colors. The bed was pushed against the wall opposite the door, and it had a thick black and hot pink zebra stripe comforter on it as well as a few pillows of various shades of pink and purple. Next to the bed was a hot pink nightstand with black trim. The three teens entered and saw the black and pink dresser by the window, which was covered by heavy pink and black zebra print curtains.

Mina plopped down onto the edge of her bed and motioned to a small light purple table that had a couple black and bubblegum pink striped cushions. "Have a seat."

Toru and Izuku sat down, and Mina smiled "sorry about my family. They're all kinda wild."

Toru giggled "it's ok. Mine's pretty crazy as well though there aren't nearly as many."

Izuku leaned back and put his hands on the floor "the orphanage was pretty crazy when I was there. I helped take care of the younger kids, so I'm used to it being a bit crazier though now that I live with Nemuri, it's... quite a lot of the time."

The three chatted, and Izuku learned that much like himself, Yakino was super interested in quirks. Toru chuckled "if only you brought a notebook."

The girls starred in confusion as Izuku reached back and pulled a notebook out from behind his shirt, and pulled a pen out of his pocket. "I always bring one with me in case I see a quirk or new hero in action."

Mina grinned before falling back onto her bed and laughing. Izuku blushed as Toru started laughing as well "yeah yeah, I know it's weird, but I don't feel right if I don't bring one with."

Toru whipped her eyes and took a deep breath as she calmed down "no, it's fine... that's your latest one, right? So our entries should be in them?"

Izuku pulled the notebook closer to himself as Mina tilted her head and asked, "wait, entries? On us? I thought you only did those on heroes."

Izuku blushed "w-well, you and Toru are future heroes, so I made entries. It also helps keep track of your growth and come up with new ideas..."

Mina looked from Izuku to Toru, and she asked, "have you seen your entry?"

Toru nodded "not recently, but I've seen it before."

Izuku slowly moved to put the notebook back under his shirt as Mina said, "how hard will it be to get it away from him?"

"Shouldn't be too hard. He won't use his quirk on us right now, so we can totally overpower him."

"O-or." Izuku interjected, "y-you could um just not look at them... I can tell you the details later."

"He draws the person of the entry. He won't show you that if we don't take it from him." Toru said as she and Mina stood.

Izuku tripped over his own foot as he tried to scramble away. The two girls quickly pinned him, and Mina grabbed the book "got it!"

She scrambled away to her bed, and Toru hopped on to look over her shoulder as Izuku buried his face into the floor. They found Toru's page first, and Mina whistled, "oh, is that an outfit you actually wore?"

Toru nodded "yep. We hung out one day, and that was my outfit."

"It looks really good. These are some cool ideas, Izuku." Mina said before flipping through a few newer heroes and some updated ones from the top ten. Eventually, she found hers and grinned as her cheeks were dusted with lilac. "I look good in this piece."

"Yeah. that's from the first time the three of us hung outright?"

Izuku groaned as they went over Mina's page. He wanted to die, but also, it felt really nice hearing them praise his work. Eventually, they returned his notebook, and the two girls ruffled his hair gently for being a good sport. Izuku's face turned redder as they kept petting his hair and started commenting on the fluffiness.

Mina smiled as she ran her hand through Izuku's hair "oh, that reminds me, Toru, what's your hair like?"

Toru looked up as she kept playing with Izuku's hair. "Hm? It's a pixie cut. I have straight hair, or so I'm told. I found a stylist with a quirk that lets her visualize how she wants hair to look, and then she can encourage the hair to grow or cut itself."

Izuku finally picked his head "that sounds really niche and kinda cool... I wonder if it uses the nutrients of the host to make it grow or if she loses something when she makes your hair grow."

Mina pushed his head back down "enough nerding out about quirks. I'm sure you and Yakino will talk each other's ear off later-"

Mina stopped speaking, and her hand froze as her cheeks slowly turned lilac. Toru's hand was gently petting her, making sure to avoid her horns "wow... your hair is just as fluffy as Izuku's."

Izuku glanced up and locked eyes with Mina, who looked lost. He smirked, "oh, can't handle getting what you give?"

"What I don-" Mina was stopped again as Izuku reached up and ran his hand through her hair.

"W-wow, it really is soft," Izuku said. He was trying to play it cool, but just like Mina, he was blushing hard.

Toru giggled "curly hair is great. I wish I had it sometimes, but it would be such a pain to take care of since I'm invisible."

Izuku and Mina looked at each other before nodding. Quick as they could the, two reached out and managed to land on Toru's head. The invisible girl's posture stiffened, and she pulled back. Mina nodded sagely "hm, while curly hair is very fluffy. Straight hair is just so silky and smooth even when short."

Izuku nodded "y-yep, and a pixie cut is quite popular these days. Even when you can't see her, Toru is stylish as ever."

The invisible girl screamed as she waved her arms before trying to cover her face "ah enough!"

Mina started giggling shortly, followed by Izuku, then Toru. The three teens laughed and hoped they weren't blushing too hard about the whole thing.

__________________________________________________________________

Dinner was amazing and embarrassing for the three teens. They were the center of attention, and Mina's family decided since Toru and Izuku were Mina's best friends, they were open game for teasing. The two managed to dish a bit back as well, thus getting Yuki's respect as a reward, followed by her making them blush and stumble over their words.

Yakino was in awe of Izuku's notebook, and the green-haired teen gave him some pointers on analysis. Yakino promised to start his own notebook and show Izuku the next time he came over.

Fukumo revealed that she was on the track team for her high school and was looking into becoming a physical therapist. Fukumo and Yuki had the same quirk of Empathetic Vision. When they made eye contact and spoke to someone, they could see the emotions of the target.

This led to the twins wanting to show off their quirks. Yuta's quirk was called Empathetic Touch. It allowed her to feel the emotions of those she was touching. Yakino's quirk was called Empathetic Voice, which allowed him to project his emotional state onto those he was talking to. No one was sure if Izuku's excitement about the quirk talk was thanks to Yakino accidentally using his quirk or if the green-haired teen was just that excited.

Once dinner was done, the twins quickly returned to their game while the rest sat around and kept talking for some time. Eventually, though, it grew late, and the teens decided to head home. As the trio stood in the doorway, Mina smiled "thanks for coming over, guys. That went really well. Maybe next time, I'll come over to one of your places."

Toru perked up, "we can hang out at my place next week. My brother's heading out on a camping trip so we can use his game console and stuff."

"We can have dinner at my place some other time. Nemuri's schedule is a little all over the place between school years." Izuku said as he put his shoes on.

Mina grinned brighter, making the other two smile "sounds like a plan. Text me when you guys get home, ok?"

Her friends nodded, and Mina quickly pulled them both into a hug before they could start heading out, "see you guys around."

Toru and Iuzku returned the hug before headed out towards the train station.

______________________________________________________________________

Midnight stood by Eraserhead as the police went over the details of the raid. Intel suggested a few villains were gathering for some kind of meeting. The details of what specifically would go down were scarce. As the meeting wrapped up, Midnight flicked through the list of known quirks as she asked, "so how's it going with your kid?"

Eraser shrugged "he's doing good. I've been training his quirk up, and he's starting to talk more."

Midnight cocked her head to the side "he wasn't talking much before?"

"No, his parents wouldn't allow him to speak unless they said he could. It's taken some time, but he's talking more and more every day."

"That's terrible, but I'm glad you're making progress."

Eraser grunted in response, and the two fell into silence for a few moments. Midnight kept staring at him, and eventually, Eraserhead let out a low groan. "How's your kid?"

Midnight clapped her hands together. "I'm glad you asked. He's doing good. He's made a couple friends and seems to spend more time out with them than at home. Not that I'm really ever home either."

"A social life is good for teenagers. Hopefully, school will help Shinso get a social life."

"Ha! This coming from mister anti-social."

Eraser glared at her "you, Hizashi, and Emi are more than enough; I don't need more noise in my life."

Midnight placed a hand on her chest in mock horror. "Noise? I'm hurt, Eraser. I thought we were better friends than this."

The Erasure hero pushed off the wall as the police announced they were moving out "come on, we got villains to take down."

Midnight sighed as she followed. "I'm gonna have to pick up something on the way home for dinner. Hopefully, this doesn't take too long."

_________________________________________________________________

The raid was quick and overall quiet. Eraserhead, with a gas mask on, slipped in and neutralized everyone's quirks before Midnight with the help of a hero who could control wind, flooded the warehouse, and within a minute, all the targets were unconscious. The warehouse was aired out, and the police and heroes moved in to start arresting.

Midnight stood by the hero with the wind quirk. He was a fairly new hero in the area, and this was his first raid since his work studies. Midnight laughed "they won't always go as smooth as this. Stay on your toes for now just because we're wrapping up doesn't mean-"

The boxes near them burst apart as a man ran at the heroes with a knife. Midnight shoved the newer hero out of the way, and the knife buried itself into her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and quickly grabbed his wrist and twisted it, making him release the knife as she threw him to the ground. Midnight shoved her hand over the man's mouth and released her quirk from the palm of her hand. He was out instantly as she fell on her butt and gripped her shoulder while trying not to jostle the knife and biting back curses.

Eraser and the medics ran over as the hero she shoved got up and apologized for not paying more attention. Midnight waved him off "it's fine, you're still new just... fuck, this hurts. Just use it as a lesson and don't let it happen again."

The young man nodded and thanked her for saving him as the medics took her away. Eraser restrained the man who stabbed her as Midnight was taken to the hospital to get stitches.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku woke up the next morning and checked Nemuri's room. She hadn't come home last night. As he walked into the living room, he saw he had a voicemail from her. He put his phone on speaker as he clicked play.

Nemuri's voice spoke, and he could tell she was a bit nervous "heyy Izuku, so I'm at the hospital right now. Don't worry, I just had to get some stitches in my shoulder. Got stabbed during a raid on some villains, but again, I'm fine. I'll text you the hospital I'm at, and I should be getting released in a day or so. It'd be a lot sooner, but Recovery Girl is in Osaka giving a seminar, so she can't come help me out. Anyways come see me soon. It's super boring in the hospital, and I wanna hear about how your dinner went."

Izuku stared at his phone before playing the message again to make sure. He bit his lip as he felt a knot in his stomach form. Nemuri got hurt which he knew was something that could happen but knowing it could happen and actually having it happen were very different. He was glad it didn't sound bad, but still, he was very quick that morning in getting ready and eating breakfast. He texted Toru and Mina that Nemuri was in the hospital, she was ok, and he was going to visit.

________________________________________________________________

Nemuri smiled as Izuku entered her hospital room. "Hey, Izuku. How'd you sleep?"

Izuku frowned "fine. How are you?"

Nemuri winced as she moved her right shoulder a bit "got a few stitches in my shoulder but other than that, I'm good. How was the dinner? Did you get along with Ashido's family?"

Izuku sat down by her bed and nodded "it went really well."

Izuku told her about the dinner and even about the girls getting his notebook which Nemuri found hilarious. She also managed to get him to talk about petting Mina and Toru's heads which made Nemuri cackle before gosling her shoulder and having to bite back a curse.

As Nemuri calmed down and Izuku stopped blushing, the door slid open, and before Izuku turned to see who it was, he saw Nemuri's face break out into a smile. Izuku looked and saw a person entering as Nemuri said, "Hirooki. I wasn't expecting you to show up so soon."

Hirooki smiled as they shut the door. "I had some free time figured I should make sure you're ok. I'm guessing this is Midoriya?"

Izuku stood "ah yeah, I-I'm Izuku Midoriya. I-it's nice to meet you."

Hirooki chuckled. "Nice to meet you as well. Nemuri talks about you constantly."

Izuku saw Nemuri blush and fiddle with her sheets. He smiled, seeing a chance to get back at her "really? Because at home she talks about you all the time. All good things, I promise."

They both chuckled seeing Nemuri's betrayed face. "I get stabbed, and now you two are picking on me? How low can you go?"

Hirooki smiled and looked at Izuku "you know with how much she does talk about us, I feel like I already know you pretty well."

Izuku nodded "same. Though I have to ask about your suit and your quirk if you're ok with talking about work stuff while you're out of costume."

"I wouldn't mind at all. Though maybe we shouldn't right now. Nemuri looks like she's going to start pouting. How about I give you my number, and you can text me later or call. Also, It'll help us keep track of what Nemuri is saying about us."

Nemuri gasped as they exchanged numbers. "I can't believe it. You've been in the same room for all of thirty seconds, and you're setting up ways to keep tabs on me and scheme."

"It's only because we care so much about you, Nemuri. Don't worry, we won't plan anything too devious." Izuku said as he put his phone away.

Nemuri huffed but smiled shortly after. She hadn't planned on these two meeting right now, but it worked out, and now she didn't have to worry about introducing them to each other. She just regretted that now they were going to gang up on her to get payback for the teasing she's done to them.

__________________________________________________________________

"So, how's Nemuri?" Toru asked as she and Mina set down a microwave in the back of Toshinori's truck.

Izuku tossed a bag of garbage into the dumpster. "She's complaining about her arm hurting every so often, but other than that, she's fine."

Mina whipped her hands, "so you never went into detail about it, but what did she do to get hurt?"

Toru stiffened and looked at Izuku, who smacked his forehead. He hadn't thought about the fact that Mina didn't know who Nemuri was apart from his foster mom. It wasn't because he was hiding it from her; it just hadn't come up since they met. Mina raised an eyebrow at him as Izuku groaned before saying, "I forgot I never told you. Toru found out by accident, but it never came up since we met you, Mina. Nemuri is a hero. She got hurt during a raid on some villains."

Mina's eyes widen. "Oh wow, that's so cool. What's her hero name? Maybe I've heard of her."

Izuku chuckled and mumbled, "oh, you've heard of her."

Toru giggled as Izuku took a deep breath. She had been waiting for this for so long. Izuku looked at Mina and said, "my foster mom is Midnight."

Mina blinked in confusion, and Toshinori looked up from his phone. The pink girl recovered first and waved her hands. "wow, hold up. Midnight as in the R-rated hero? Known for being super sexy and controversial and also personally one of my inspirations for being a hero?"

Izuku nodded. "Yep, that's her. We met during the latter portion of my last year at junior high. She trained me a bit and just spent time with me before..." Izuku bit his lip, and both the girls looked on in concern. Mina hadn't heard much about his time before, knowing Toru and Toru hadn't heard any more than Mina. Izuku tended to just avoid it or be vague. "Well, that doesn't matter. What matters is she adopted me, and now we're here."

Toru and Mina looked at each other as Izuku quickly headed back to the beach to collect more garbage. After he was gone for a few seconds, Mina said, "he keeps avoiding talking about anything before meeting you."

Toru nodded "the only thing I've heard was from some woman that was like an aunt to Izuku. She said something about Izuku being very forgiving and that he didn't have to be. She also apologized for 'everything.' whatever that means."

Mina hummed "we probably shouldn't push him on it. He'll open up in time, right?"

"I hope so... come on, let's get back to work," Toru said as she headed for the beach.

Chapter End Notes

I lied. the day after posting chapter eleven and saying I was gonna skip summer I had a wonderful idea to introduce Mina's family and decided to do it now. Mina gives me big family vibes. she seems like the kinda girl who comes from one.

Feelings

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Shota sipped his coffee and stared at the waffles on his plate. When did he get a waffle maker? One of his cats scurried into the kitchen, shortly followed by his son.  'Oh right, Hitoshi likes waffles.'

Hitoshi poured a cup of coffee and grabbed the plate Shota had made for him before sitting across from his foster dad. The two ate in silence for a bit before Shota said, "you're starting high school today."

Hitoshi grunted as he chewed his waffle before swallowing "yeah... hopefully it goes well."

Shota nodded "it's a new area for you. No one from your old school should be here."

"New faces with the same old comments."

Shota glared at his waffle. He knew what the kid meant. It wasn't just his parents who were terrible; it was everyone else as well. Shota understood what it was like for everyone to look at him like a villain.

Nemuri had said this school had a good record, and her kid would be going there, so hopefully, it'll be better. He should probably tell Hitoshi to keep an eye out for the kid... if he could remember what Nemuri said, he looked like.

Shota looked up as Hitoshi stood. The kid downed the rest of his coffee and slung his backpack over his shoulder. "I'm headed out. Have a good day."

Shota nodded as he pushed a cat away from his breakfast "have a good day."

________________________________________________________________

Hitoshi was not expecting things to be any different than usual as he approached his school. He was going to go see what class he was in, then go there, and eventually, they'd learn about his quirk, and they'd make the jokes and comments. Then the talk about villains would start, and he'd be alone, just trying to get through the day. He didn't get why Shota wouldn't just let him be homeschooled. It seemed like the much easier option.

He winced a bit as a girl was particularly loud in voicing her displeasure. He glared at the trio a pink girl with horns, a plain-looking guy with green hair, and... an invisible person. The pink girl groaned "we're not all gonna be in the same class. This sucks."

The green-haired guy held his hands up as he chuckled, "It's ok Mina, you and Toru are in the same class, so it'll be ok. We'll still see each other a bunch, so it'll be fine."

"Well yeah, but I mean school shenanigans. I was looking forward to being a trio in our first year."

The invisible girl Toru patted the pink girl's hair; at least Hitoshi is pretty sure she did as he watched Mina's hair distort and shift. "We can hang out at lunch, and besides, our classes are nearby, so we can bother him whenever."

Hitoshi groaned internally. He hoped he wasn't in the same class as that guy.

Maybe he was cursed or had actually been a villain in his past life. It had to be karmic retribution for something, or perhaps the universe hated him. Hitoshi sighed internally as the green-haired guy sat down behind him a few minutes before the bell rang, starting their first day.

__________________________________________________________________

Izuku was excited and also super nervous, which was a mixture of feelings he was getting used to. He was starting high school, and he had two of the best friends ever, but they were in a different class than him. He was glad, though, that they were together. Mina and Toru would have each other's back in case things started to go like junior high went. Izuku scratched his chin as he thought about how Mina had been harassed outside of school, but she had never told them about her being bullied in school. Maybe she hadn't been, or she's not ready to talk about it... not that he was any better. He avoided that possible conversation like the plague.

Now though it was lunch, and before he could pull his phone out, the door swung open, and Mina entered shortly, followed by Toru. Neither seemed bothered by the stares of startled students as they marched up to Izuku as he grabbed his bento. Mina grinned "ready for lunch?"

Izuku stood up and nodded "yep. You gonna see what the school has to offer?"

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "I'm risking it, and if it doesn't work out, then I'm sure you and Toru will be gracious enough to give me some of yours."

Toru poked her head around Mina "hold on, I didn't bring enough to be sharing."

Mina shrugged "guess I'll just eat more of Izuku's then."

Izuku sighed and pushed both the girls along as he tried not to blush. It was bad enough just dealing with them sometimes, but now he was dealing with them while his new classmates very obviously stared at them.

Mina had some luck with the food at school, much to Toru and Izuku's relife. The trio found a place outside and ate while talking about how their first day had gone so far. Izuku was relieved to hear that neither of the girls had run into any issues with their classmates. He reassured them that nothing had happened to him either. They decided on a spot to meet up after school and went their separate ways as the lunch period ended.

_______________________________________________________________

Izuku saw a few people standing by the purple-haired kid who sat in front of him. He could hear they were talking about the guy's quirk and how it worked, so Izuku paid a bit more attention to it as he sat down until one of the guys said, "wow, brainwashing. That'd be a pretty scary quirk for a villain to have."

That statement seemed to be the general feeling among the others. It bothered Izuku. From what he heard, brainwashing sounded like a hero's dream quirk, but no one seemed to see that. They just saw something that could make them do something against their will. Eventually, after some joke about staying on the kid's good side, Izuku stood and said, "are you all dense or something? This guy's quirk would be amazing for hero work. The ability to end a confrontation with almost no collateral damage. How can you just joke about him being a villain when he's obviously not comfortable with that."

Izuku pushed down his embarrassment as he realized he just chewed out a bunch of his peers on the first day of class in front of the rest of his class. One of the boys jumped when the bell rang, and their next period started with the teacher telling everyone to sit down.

The rest of the day went by quickly, and Izuku did his best to not think about it too much. When the final bell rang, Izuku started packing up before stopping when the guy in front of him turned around and said, "Hey uh... thanks for what you said earlier."

Izuku looked up, surprised. "O-oh um no, it's uh fine. I just... I know what it's like to get picked on because of your quirk."

"Yeah, it sucks... I'm Hitoshi Shinso."

"Izuku Midoriya."

The two boys stood and headed for the door as it opened to reveal Toru and Mina. Izuku smiled "uh, Shinso, you wanna walk with us to the station?"

Hitoshi shrugged "sure. If you don't mind."

Mina grinned "oh, making friends already? You hear that Toru pretty soon Izuku's gonna forget all about us and be mister popular."

Izuku blushed as they made their way down the hall. "I am not."

Shinso nodded "yeah, he probably won't with how he snapped at the class today."

The girls stared at Shinso with wide eyes before looking at Izuku. Toru's bracelet jingled as she pointed at Izuku "this guy? The sweet bean himself snapped at the class?"

Izuku's face turned another shade of red. "I didn't snap at the whole class... just like three or four of them. They were being mean and comparing Shinso to a villain, so I stepped in and told them how great he'd be as a hero.

"He called them dense," Hitoshi added. The two girls laughed and poked fun at Izuku. Hitoshi sighed internally as they kept walking. He had done a lot of talking for him which was odd, but he could tell Izuku was genuine when he thought Hitoshi could be a hero. Usually, this kinda loud group would just bug Hitoshi, but... on the off chance they'd be fine with him around, he could probably get used to it.

Hitoshi was pulled from his thoughts as the pink girl... Mina? Asked, "so what's your quirk anyways?"

Fear bubbled up in his chest. Girls always hated his quirk the most. As he was getting ready to say it, he saw the excitement in Izuku's eyes light up with excitement, which was confusing. "Brainwashing. If someone responds to me, I can brainwash them and make them do just about anything."

He waited for the fear or disgust, but Mina just nodded. "I see why Izuku got defensive. That sounds like a cool quirk for a hero."

"Huh?" Hitoshi hadn't meant to voice that out loud. "You guys aren't disturbed or worried I'd use it on you?"

Toru covered her mouth, so she didn't laugh as Izuku chuckled and said, "well... my quirk lets me produce a gas that puts people to sleep. I'm used to people accusing me of stuff."

Toru piped up, "I was called a thief in junior high because I'm invisible."

Mina pointed at her face. "I'm mutated, and I make acid that could melt you into a puddle. I get picked on sometimes as well. Besides, you're not trying to be a villain, right?"

Hitoshi shook his head. "No, it's my dream to be a hero."

Izuku piped up, "then that makes you one of us. We're all trying to be heroes as well despite what everyone says."

Hitoshi's legs stopped moving as he stared at the three strangers in front of him. They all stopped and looked at him, confused. Izuku asked, "you ok, Shinso?"

"Yeah... just uh, this isn't how I was expecting today to go. You guys aren't what I thought you'd be." Hitoshi shook his head and started walking again "thanks for being understanding."

Toru shrugged as they all started moving "no problem. We all kinda get what you've been through, and I think I speak for all of us when I say if anyone gives you trouble, we'll back you up."

Hitoshi grinned a bit as they walked. Maybe school wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

__________________________________________________________________

Hitoshi was headed in the opposite direction of the other three, so they said their goodbyes. As they walked, Mina bumped her shoulder against Izuku's "so kinda last minute here, but can I hang out at your place for a bit?"

Izuku blushed a bit "huh? w-why? "

Mina sighed "well, I've never been there for one also... Fukumo's partner is there spending the day with her, and they get all... PDA when they haven't seen each other in a while. I just wanna give them some space and not see them sucking each other's faces off on the couch."

Izuku chuckled "sure, you can stay. Though there's no guarantee, you'll see Nemuri."

Mina's cheeks were dusted with lilac as she huffed, "the thought hadn't even crossed my mind until you said something."

Toru's smile faltered a bit as the other two chuckled. This had started happening more. Her friends would be talking to each other, and she'd feel this pit in her stomach. Nothing was different, really, but Toru would just see the two of them smiling and looking at each other and feel... odd but not in a good way. Not like when they looked in her direction. She wasn't sure what this feeling was, or maybe she was just telling herself that so she didn't have to admit what it was.

"Toru?" The invisible girl jumped a bit, hearing Izuku's voice with concern woven in it. He looked at her, almost making eye contact. "You ok?"

"Huh? Y-yeah, I'm fine. What were you guys talking about?"

Mina smiled softly. "I was asking if you wanna come with and hang out at Izuku's place."

Toru blushed a bit and kicked herself mentally "y-yeah, I'd like to. I'll text my parents on the way."

Mina's soft smile turned into a grin "good. Now come on, I wanna see if he's got anything embarrassing in his room."

Izuku sputtered, "wha- no, I don't have anything."

"Oh, why so quick on the defense you hiding something green bean?"

"No, I'm not pinky. I just don't want you tearing up my room."

Toru chuckled a bit as Mina gasped and looked at her "did you hear that, Toru? He called me pinky. I think I might be offended."

The three quieted down their antics as they got on the train and headed to Izuku's place.

___________________________________________________________________

As they entered Izuku's apartment, he asked, "you guys want any tea?"

Mina slipped her shoes off and sped up a bit as she said, "uh yeah, sure... I'm just gonna go..."

Mina took off into the house, and Izuku sighed as he took his shoes off. Toru looked at where Mina had run off to before asking, "not gonna go after her?"

He shook his head "nope. Because in three... two... one."

Mina groaned loudly "there's nothing in here! What the heck!"

Izuku patted the pink girl's head as she walked back in. "told you. Now go make yourself at home. I'll make some tea."

Mina and Toru went and sat down on the couch, where they started talking while Izuku made tea. As he worked, he watched the two girls sitting on the couch talking and laughing about something. Izuku smiled a bit, but it faltered as he felt a pit in his stomach form as the two. He was glad to see his two friends getting along so well, and yet... Izuku shook his head and poured the tea. He was probably just overthinking things again.

The three spent some time sitting around going over their first day of school and their training. They were making good progress on the beach, and by Izuku's estimate, they should have it cleaned by the end of the first semester. Then they'd start whatever Toshinori's training regime would be. The three teens wondered what kind of stuff the number one hero would put them through.

After almost an hour, Mina decided she had given her sister enough time and was ready to head out. The three of them headed for the station, and as they walked, she noticed how close her friends stood by each other. Mina felt her mouth pull into a frown before quickly pushing it to the side. They knew each other longer; of course, they were close. Her feelings were just being weird. They were her best friends, and she would be damned if anything changed that... Mina forced a grin as she laughed at the joke Izuku managed to crack. As she laughed, she was able to ignore the pit in her stomach.

___________________________________________________________________

Midnight frowned as she sat at her desk in the teacher's office. The hospital visit had been the last time she got to see Hirooki outside of work, and it was grating on her nerves. They had to be 'professionals' at work, and Hirooki was always in costume, so Nemuri couldn't even look at their beautiful face. Though that was probably for the best. She didn't need to get behind on paperwork.

Midnight groaned and planted her head on her desk. Present Mic looked up and raised an eyebrow "what's got you down in the dumps? Another scathing article about your qualifications as a hero and teacher?"

Midnight huffed, "I wish. That would be easier to deal with. No, I'm just frustrated, I guess..."

"Oh, what, do you finally have a boyfriend or something, and you wanna see them, but the schedule just doesn't work?"

Present Mics smile faltered a bit as Midnight blushed a bit and looked away. "Not exactly that... but close."

"HUH?!-" Present Mics boosted voice cut short as Eraserheads eyes lit up across the room. The sleep-deprived man grumbled before laying down under his desk again. Present Mic huffed, "you and Shota never tell me anything. I swear the only person who keeps me updated is Emi."

Midnight huffed, "well, it's just... not something I thought I needed to tell my friends yet. The relationship is still new, ya know. I wanted to make sure it was gonna stick at least for a while before introducing them."

Present Mic shook his head "honestly. So you can't see them because of your jobs?"

Yes. I see them a lot, but it's on the job, so I can't be... ya know myself."

"Oh, another hero then... hm, who would you see a lot while on the job? Your patrol routes cross with a few others, but you spend most of your time here, so... it's one of the faculty, right?"

Midnight glared at Present Mic. "You keep digging, and I will put you into such a deep sleep you won't wake up till your eighty."

Present Mic held his hands up in defeat "hey now, listener, I won't dig no need to break out the threats."

The door slid open, and Midnight looked over to see Thirteen entering. They stopped and gave a small wave that Midnight returned. She tensed, though, as she heard an abnormally soft 'oh' come from Mics desk. She glared at him and whispered, "not another word from you, cockatoo."

Present Mic made the motion of zipping his lips shut as Midnight got back to work.

____________________________________________________________________

Nezu sipped his tea as he glanced at a monitor with security footage from the teacher's office on it. He smiled a bit, seeing Midnight wave to Thirteen. He was happy that two of his staff were managing a relationship while still keeping things professional; he'd hate to have to bring them in and boot up the old interpersonal relationships in the workplace PowerPoint. It was horribly outdated, but he didn't have the time nor care to update it.

The skeletal man across from him coughed, and the dean of UA looked over as he spoke, "I found a successor."

The rat, bear, dog creature's ears perked "oh already? I suppose I'll need to find a different hero to teach heroics when Vice retires."

Toshinori held his hand up. "Vice has three years left, right? I do plan on taking over still. My time as a hero is coming to an end, but I can still teach, and besides, I'm almost done with classes for my teaching license. I'd like to put it to use."

Nezu chuckled. He already knew Toshi wouldn't back out of teaching at UA. "Well then, please tell me about this new symbol you wish to train."

Toshinori told Nezu about Toru, Mina, and Izuku and how after offering the power to Toru, she had insisted her friends who she believed would be better choices be given the offer only for them to turn it down, claiming Toru was the most qualified. He agreed to train all three teens and added the knowledge of Izuku being Midnight's adoptive son.

Nezu smiled. "I see Nemuri's boy, and these other two sound promising as well. I'm sure they're applying to UA?"

Toshinori nodded "yes, sir. All three of them wish to apply. With how the tests usually are, I believe Midoriya and Hagakure would do well in the recommended."

"Hm, they may, but you know the rules one recommendation per person you cannot recommend them both," Nezu said as he sipped his tea.

"I am aware, sir. I believe it would be good for Midnight to recommend her son."

Nezu smirked. "I will see if she's thought of that. Though this is still a few years away, things may change. Who knows what One for All will do to a girl who can refract light."

Toshinori sighed "yes, I am... concerned about what it could do to her. Being quirkless, I only inherited the raw power. My master's quirk was amplified to the point where she was the fastest hero in Japan."

Nezu felt a full-on grin spreading across his face that made the Symbol of Peace tense "I will have to compile a list of possibilities for what One for All could do to light refraction. Thank you for this enjoyable side project Toshinori."

Toshinori gulped as he stood "it's nothing, sir. Now I need to get going. I uh have a school project to finish."

Nezu laughed at the idea of the Symbol of Peace making powerpoints as the man left the dean's office.

Chapter End Notes

First things first I have a new story called My Feral Lady. please check it out.

Second thing second The Blood in His Veins is on hiatus now. I gotta think over the story and how I want it to proceed.

Third and final I've been wondering what people think of the name Hypno. tell me your thoughts. I wanna see why you guys think the fic is called Hypno.

Reminiscing

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Nemuri sighed as she adjusted her sweater. Today was always tough, but it was almost over. She just needed to go to Hizashi's place and spend some time with the others, then she and Hizashi would drink way too much. Shota would complain, and Emi would laugh, then Nemuri would wake up in her own bed or on the living room floor, and she'd go about things normally.

"You ok, Nemuri?"

Nemuri looked at the couch, seeing the concern in Izuku's eyes and her heart clenched. "Y-yeah, it's just uh... rough day today. I'm gonna be at a friend's place tonight, so you're on your own for dinner."

Izuku smirked. "Is Hirooki the friend?"

Nemuri blushed, but her face broke out into a small smile as she laughed. "Thank you, Izuku, and no, it's not. It's just a get-together of a few of us. We'll be... reminiscing, I suppose."

He still looked concerned, but he didn't press the topic, "well, have fun and try not to get stabbed."

Nemuri groaned as she headed for the door. "I get stabbed once after adopting you, and now you bring it up all the time."

The two laughed and said their goodbyes.

_________________________________________________________________

Emi fidgeted as they approached Hizashi's place "ok, so I feel like I ask this every year but are you really sure it's ok that I'm here?"

Nemuri smiled as her green-haired friend. "Yes, it's ok, Emi. We're not just reminiscing about Oboro. It might be the anniversary of his death, but we do this for everyone we've lost over the years. You're our friend, and you knew some of these people, so it's ok, and besides, despite not showing it, Shota does enjoy having you around."

Emi giggled, her nerves fading as she smirked "of course he does. I'm wonderful to be around. It's just a matter of time till he sees that I'm the perfect wife."

"It might help if you didn't frame all your confessions as a joke. Also, as adorable as your quirk quick draw game is when you approach, it's not the best way to start things."

Nemuri grinned as Emi blushed and fumbled on what to say. Before the woman could recover fully, Nemuri opened the door to Hizashi's place and loudly announced, "what's up fuckers!"

"HEy-" Hizashi's voice lost all its omf as Shota's eyes glowed. "Oh, come on! You never let me have any fun, Shota."

Before Shota could grumble about his loud friend, Emi smirked "heya Shota-" she stopped and clicked her tongue as she felt her quirk be erased. "You're too quick on the draw, Shota. I can never get a laugh out of you."

Shota shook his head and released his quirk "you all are crazy, and I wonder why I hang out with you."

The noisy trio laughed as they started the evening. Hizashi and Nemuri started working on dinner while Emi cracked jokes to try and get Shota to laugh. As they talked, the conversation turned to Oboro, and Emi smiled. "Oboro sounds like he was a wild guy. I wish I could have met him."

Hizashi laughed "you two probably would have given Shota a hernia after three days."

Shota groaned. "I'm still glad you didn't go to UA."

Emi pouted, "Well, I'm not all my best friends are from UA. Nemuri and I would have ruled the school."

Hizashi chuckled "you and Nemuri probably wouldn't have gotten along. She had such a huge crush on-"

The voice hero yelped as Nemuri punched his arm "shut it, you cockatoo. I did not have a crush on him."

"Ooooh." Emi cooed, "you had a crush on Oboro, didn't you? That's so cute. Were you all blushy and flustered around him?"

The smiling hero ducked as Nemuri chucked a spoon at her. The R-rated hero's face had a faint blush as she crossed her arms. "I'll have you know that I never lost my composure around him."

"Except all the time. You nearly fainted when he called you by your first name." Shota stated in his usual tired voice.

Nemuri's face turned bright red as she hissed out, "how do you know that? You weren't even there?"

"Your situational awareness was bad back then. I was in the tree above you trying to sleep."

Emi doubled over, laughing along with Hizashi as Nemuri buried her face in her hands. Hizashi pulled himself together as he said, "well, she's keeping herself much more compose around-"

The voice hero yelped as Nemuri swung at him "what is wrong with you!" Hizashi squealed as Nemuri chased him into the living room.

"Your loud mouth that has no filter is my problem! You haven't even had a drink yet, and you're spilling all my secrets!"

Shota groaned and used his scarf to separate the two toddlers in grown bodies that were his friends. "Emi take over cooking. I need to lecture these two."

Emi snapped a salute "will do, and afterward, I wanna hear who Nemuri is crushing on now a day."

Dinner was finished shortly after Shota's lecture, and the group sat down to drink and eat while they told stories about those they'd lost and those who were still around. Before the end of the night, Emi had managed to learn that Nemuri was crushing hard on Hirooki and had gone on a couple dates.

_________________________________________________________________

Izuku yawned as he switched the tv off. He had stayed up late, kinda hoping Nemuri would be back before he went to sleep. He was just worried about how down she seemed when she was leaving. Before he could head to his room, someone knocked on his front door. Izuku approached cautiously before checking the peephole, then blinking and opening the door slightly to reveal the smile hero Ms.Joke in casual clothes with his foster mother hanging off her.

Emi smiled "heya, you must be Izuku Midoriya, right? Man, you are as cute as Nemuri said." Emi ruffled Izuku's hair as he blushed and tried to process what was happening. "Oh, your hair is so fluffy."

Izuku stepped back as he opened the door "um, Ms.Joke-"

Emi waved her hand "ah, just call me Emi or Auntie if ya like."

“O-ok Emi why is Nemuri...”

"Drunk as hell?" Emi giggled as Nemuri gave a half-hearted cheer "well, we were reminiscing about some lost friends. She and Hizashi usually drink more than Shota and I. Since I'm good to go, I decided to get her home."

"Hizashi? Shota? I don't think I've heard her mention those names."

Emi blinked in surprise as she helped Nemuri inside "she doesn't talk about us? That's weird cause she wouldn't stop talking about you. She kept trying to get into a competition with Shota about his kid."

Izuku slipped Nemuri's arm over his shoulder and helped guide her to her bedroom. Nemuri landed on her bed with an oof. Emi clapped her hands "well, I'm gonna head out. Nice meeting you, Izuku. Get Nemuri to talk about us more. I'm sure the others would like to meet you as well, so talk about that, yeah."

Izuku waved as she left. He stared at his foster mother and realized she didn't talk much about her life outside of hero work. His meeting Hirooki when he did was an accident. Izuku sighed, deciding this was a problem for tomorrow. Before he could leave, Nemuri grabbed his arm "Izu..."

"Yeah? You need some water?"

Nemuri shook her head then groaned, "you're the best kid... I'm glad I bought you."

Izuku chuckled "you didn't buy me; you adopted me."

"Gah, same difference. You're my kid now... I have a family... and I made it my way so they can suck it."

Izuku tilted his head as he thought,  'they?'  he patted her head, deciding to just bring it up tomorrow. "Goodnight, Nemuri."

"Goodnight, Izuku..." Nemuri was already snoring softly as she let go of Izuku's wrist.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku was putting the finishing touches on breakfast when Nemuri trudged in, groaning slightly. Izuku smiled and put down her plate first "good morning."

Nemuri smiled "thank you and good morning."

Izuku chewed his lip before sitting down across from her and saying, "so uh, I met Ms.Joke last night. She brought you home."

"Ah. did you get an autograph?"

"N-no, I was uh helping get you to bed. You were pretty out of it."

Nemuri blushed "sorry. Probably not the best thing to see your foster mom drunk and probably stumbling over herself."

Izuku shrugged. "You didn't vomit or say anything embarrassing, so it's ok... but I did realize because of what Emi said that I don't know much about your life outside of you being a hero."

Nemuri stopped short of eating a bite of rice. "Oh... right, I guess I don't talk about it that much. Do you want to know more about me? Outside of being a hero and what not?"

"Yes... I would like to but probably not before school."

Nemuri smiled "dinner. I'll tell you some stories from before I met you."

Izuku nodded "sounds good."

The two chatted while they ate, and Izuku revealed what Nemuri had said while she was drunk. The pro hero blushed, but when Izuku pressed her on who 'they' were, she promised to tell him another time.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku sighed as he and his friends sat down in the shade of a tree to eat lunch. "Nemuri came home drunk last night."

"Huh?" Toru said, looking up from her bento "why was she drinking?"

Izuku shrugged "reminiscing is all she said before leaving. On the plus side, because she was drunk, I got to meet Ms.Joke, but I didn't get her autograph."

Mina snorted, "Ms.Joke had to drag Midnight back to her apartment because she was wasted? What did those two get up to?"

Hitoshi blinked "wait is your mom Midnight?"

Izuku stared at his friend before sighing, "I'm not sure why but I assumed you knew she's my adoptive mom."

"No, I didn't. Also, your comment about reminiscing reminded me that my dad said something similar last night."

"Did he come home drunk too?" Toru asked as Mina used her chopsticks to swat Toru's away from her bento.

"No, but he was definitely a bit down and also irritated but somehow happy?"

Mina blinked "h-how does that work?"

"Well, he grumbles a lot and looks pissy, but if you listen to what he's actually saying, you realize he's not mad," Hitoshi explained, leaving the other three confused.

"What did he say?" Izuku asked, staring at Toru, who had been caught trying to steal from his lunch.

"I was kinda half awake. I only caught a couple names Hizashi and Emi."

Izuku blinked. "Ms.Joke told me to call her Emi since she and Nemuri are friends... Shinso, who's your dad?"

Hitoshi swallowed his bite as he watched his friends inch away from the invisible girl. "Shota Aizawa... also known as Eraserhead."

Izuku nearly dropped his lunch. "Eraserhead?! He's your dad?"

"Adoptive, but yes," Hitoshi explained as he moved his lunch out of Toru's range.

Mina groaned "ok, Toru, what is up with you? I saw you this morning scarfing down food before school, and now you tore through your lunch, and you're trying to get all grabby with ours."

Toru sighed dramatically as she laid on her back. "I've been doing extra quirk training. I'm so exhausted and hungry because of it. It takes a lot of focus and energy to refract light, you know."

Izuku shook his head as he finished his bite then passed the bento to her "you should just ask Toru you know we'll help you out. Also, you might wanna cool it with the extra training. We'll be starting Mr. Yagi's training regime at the end of the term, remember."

"Mr.Yagi?" Hitoshi asked as he watched Mina fork over some food as well to the invisible girl who was bouncing with joy.

"He's our personal trainer. We ran into him while cleaning up dagoba beach, and he offered to train all three of us." Mina said.

Hitoshi hummed, and the conversation moved onto small talk about nothing important for the rest of lunch.

___________________________________________________________________

Midterms for the first term were bearing down on them. Hitoshi had squirreled himself away to study or train with his dad, so they only saw him at school. Izuku should be concerned by how lax Mina and Toru were being, but they were in the top five of their class, so he wouldn't press them too hard about studying. He wasn't in any position to talk, though. Izuku hadn't been studying much either, but not for lack of trying... it was just every year around this time, he couldn't focus on anything other than his parents.

Yasuda had been texting and calling more. She always hung closer to him around this time of year, and she had been asking if he'd visit. He knew she was talking about more than the orphanage though he did make plans to go again and to bring Nemuri and his friends, but that would have to wait.

Izuku chewed his lip as Nemuri entered. He spoke before he had time to back out, "two days from now, can you... come with me somewhere."

Nemuri stopped in the living room and looked up "you have school, don't you? Where are you going other than there?"

"I'm not gonna go to school then. I want to uh... visit my parents grave. I haven't been since... ever, really. I was there when they were buried, but since then I just haven't had the time, or maybe I did, but uh and I just figured I really should go cause the anniversary of their death is coming up, and I've never gone to their grave an-" Izuku was pulled from his panicked rambling and uneven breathing as Nemuri pulled him into a hug and sat next to him.

She gently rubbed small circles on his back and said, "of course I'll come with, and it's ok that you haven't visited till now."

Izuku felt tears prick his eyes as he hugged Nemuri and buried his face in her shoulder. "I-I feel like a bad person though... they're my parents, and I loved them, but I never once-"

Nemuri squeezed him tighter "it's ok. You're not a bad person. It's hard to visit the grave of someone you love. Sometimes you just avoid doing it until you're ready. We'll go and see them, and if you think you can't do it, we'll try again another time, ok? There's nothing wrong with that."

Izuku nodded into her shoulder as he pushed his tears away. The two stayed like that for a few minutes before Izuku pulled away and smiled "thanks."

Nemuri patted his head "you know it's no problem, Izuku."

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku shot off a text to his friends telling them he was busy as he approached the graveyard. He'd tell them later what he was doing, but right now, he needed to focus. His stomach was in knots, and he felt kinda like he was gonna throw up, cry, or both at the same time. Nemuri squeezed his shoulder reassuringly as she said, "It's ok. Remember, we can leave whenever you need to."

Izuku nodded silently, not really trusting his voice. The duo walked through the empty graveyard until he found the family grave. Izuku stared at the names Hisashi and Inko Midoriya. There was a little blurb about them being loving parents and wonderful people. Izuku felt tears welling up in his eyes. The short sentence to describe his parents didn't do them enough justice. The whole tombstone front to back could be about them, and it wouldn't be enough. Izuku was only six, but in the short time he had them, he knew they were the best parents in the world.

Nemuri's hand on his shoulder steadied him, and Izuku took several deep breaths before smiling as best he could. The smile crumbled almost immediately as his legs gave out. Nemuri caught him and helped him sit down as he started to cry. Nemuri sat beside him and held him close as he let it all out. All the frustration and anger and sadness he had directed at himself for not coming sooner was let out as he sobbed into his knees.

Eventually, the tears ran out, and the two sat in silence till Izuku looked up at the grave and said, "Hey, mom... dad. S-sorry I haven't visited sooner. Um, this is Nemuri Kayama, aka Midnight, and d-don't worry, she's a lot different out of costume. She's... she's a really good mom to me. She's b-been taking care of me for a while now."

Nemuri stayed silent as Izuku talked. The boy spoke about everything from his experiences at school before and after meeting Nemuri to Yasuda and how good the orphanage was. Nemuri smiled a bit as he went on and on about his friends. He also talked at length about still wanting to be a hero and how excited he was to be training with Nemuri on how to use his quirk.

After a while, Izuku glanced at her and said, "I um... thanks for coming with. D-do you want to say anything?"

Nemuri pulled him into a side hug as she looked at the tombstone. "I think all I have to say is thanks to the both of you for being great parents and bringing this sweet nerd into the world. I'm glad to have met him."

Izuku whipped his eyes and smiled. "I promise to come to visit more. Sorry, it took me so long to get here." Nemuri gave him another hug before they left the graveyard.

Nemuri chewed her lip as they sat in the car. Izuku looked over, confused when she didn't start it up right away. "Um, you ok, Nemuri?"

"Yeah... just uh. I avoided talking about who 'they' were when you asked before."

Izuku nodded "it's ok. I wasn't expecting to know everything about you after one talk at dinner."

Nemuri took a deep breath "it's uh, this trip it reminded me of how things used to be. The 'they' that I referred to are my parents. I haven't seen them since high school, and the last time I talked to one, it was my mom, and we argued the whole time."

"You don't get along with them? Is it because of the whole Midnight thing?"

"Yeah." Nemuri chuckled "that's a big part of it. They also disapprove of my preferences when it comes to partners. I grew up in a conservative environment and was the odd girl who didn't fit in."

Nemuri sighed, placing her head on the steering wheel "things just kept getting worse as I refused to get in line with what my parents wanted but... I don't hate them."

Nemuri sat up and started the car. She had a hard look in her eyes as she said, "until we can come to an understanding, they don't get to know about my new family."

Chapter End Notes

I forgot I never gave this a rating. I'm making it mature just in case. who knows what future me will do. also thanks for all your comments on the name Hypno.

I picked Hypno because when I started making this fic I was watching a playthrough of Hades and was like oh Hypno the sleep god. perfect name.

SPOILER

it's so gonna be Izuku's hero name

Thinking About Feelings

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Mina, Toru, and Izuku sat in a clearing on the beach. They had made tremendous progress on cleaning and were simply enjoying the sight of their progress for today. Toru shifted as she asked, "so um, what did you do yesterday? When you didn't come to school."

Izuku sighed and rested his chin on his knees "it was the anniversary of my parent's death. I went with Nemuri, and for the first time ever, I-I went and visited them. It-it was a lot."

Mina wrapped her arms around Izuku, and Toru followed suit. The two squeezed him as he tried to wipe his tears away. "T-thanks you two."

"No problem Izuku. We're here for you whenever you need us." Mina said as they kept hugging him.

Eventually, Izuku started to fidget as they didn't let go. He tried to squirm his way out, but the girls held strong "come on. Let me go."

"We'll never let you go, Izuku. You're our friend, we'll always help you out." Toru said as she adjusted her grip to restrict his arm.

Izuku grunted as he tried to free his arm, only for Mina to restrict his other arm. Izuku took a deep breath and attempted to stand up as they hung on him. He nearly got to his feet, but the sand shifted, and the three teens went tumbling into the sand. As the three of them laid there groaning, they quickly dissolved into giggles and laughter.

"Should I come back later or what?" the three teens looked up to see Toshinori at the top of the stairs. The teens looked at themselves piled up on each other and blushed before quickly separating. Toshinori smirked as he descended the stairs "you're all making wonderful progress."

"Thank you, Mr.Yagi. pretty soon, we'll be able to start your training regime." Toru said as she pumped her fist.

Toshinori nodded "yes, and I will be expanding your training."

"Why? Did something happen?" Izuku asked as they got up and brushed themselves off.

Toshinori sighed. "I spoke with Nezu, the dean of UA. he knows about One for All. I showed him my plan, and he suggested lengthening the training before transferring the quirk. His first reason was to make sure I have as much time as possible at my current output while still giving Young Hagakure plenty of time to adjust and gain an understanding of the changes One for All will bring."

Toshinori grunted as he sat on the steps and looked at the invisible girl "the other reason is the amount of power I'll be handing over to you. Nezu predicts that my peak before my injury will be roughly eighty percent of your output when you first get it."

The girls looked surprised, and Izuku was busy writing down what was said as he asked, "Did Nezu theorize what it would do to her quirk?"

Toshinori pulled a slip of paper out and handed it to Izuku. "Here's what he thinks will happen. By the way, Young Midoriay, I told him about you, and he seemed interested in your thoughts on it."

Izuku blushed as he took the paper "the dean of UA is interested in my thoughts on quirk theory and analysis?" he looked at Mina "c-can you pinch me real quick. This can't be real."

Mina giggled and pinched his arm, making him flinch "ow... ok, this is real, and that's amazing."

Toshinori chuckled before looking at Toru. "I apologize, but the second term of your second year is when he thinks you should get it. That and me regretfully having to cut down on my hero work a bit should let me maintain the symbol of peace's effect on crime while making sure I can still react to bigger crises."

Toru nodded "it's ok. I'm not in a hurry to get this power. I will take it when I need to, but the longer you get to stick around, the better All Might. It'd be nice if you could still be working when we make our debut as heroes."

Toshinori chuckled. "I will certainly try." he coughed into his handkerchief, and the teens saw the blood before he quickly put it away. "but I may have to retire before then."

The teens looked at each other before moving on with the conversation. Toshinori gave them some tips on cleaning the beach, and Izuku promised to give Toshinori a notebook he could take back to Nezu.

That night the three teens were texting about their mentor. They were all worried about his health, but they weren't sure what to do. Izuku suggested research on what people who lose their stomachs have to do to live a normal life and try to come up with a way to help Toshinori. The others agreed and decided to spend some free time seeing what they could do for Toshinori.

___________________________________________________________________

Midterms came and went quickly, with everyone doing well. With the stress behind them, Izuku and Hitoshi found themselves waiting at the station for Mina and Toru. Hitoshi yawned as he rubbed his eyes "so we're going to the orphanage you use to live at to help out and just say hi and stuff?"

Izuku nodded. "I did a lot while I was there. Yasuda was like a big sister to me. I like stopping by to make sure everything is ok. It also helps to remind the younger kids that they'll get adopted eventually because if it could happen to me, then it'll happen for them."

Hitoshi hummed and looked over his shoulder "your girlfriends are coming."

Izuku blushed "they're not-"

"Not my girlfriends. Yeah, I know, but now you're blushing, so they'll tease you about it."

Izuku cursed under his breath as Mina smirked, "what's got you looking like a tomato Izuku?"

Izuku sighed "come on, we'll be late."

Toru giggled as they walked "oh, deflecting. It must be super embarrassing."

Izuku did his best to ignore them as they walked the rest of the way to the orphanage.

____________________________________________________________________

Yasuda sipped her tea as she sat across from Nemuri. "I'm glad there haven't been issues with the check-ins. It would suck for Izuku to be forced back here."

Nemuri nodded. "I wasn't worried I'm an awesome mom. How are things going here?"

"Good. We've got a few new arrivals. Two four-year-olds and a one-year-old all related."

Nemuri frowned "what happened?"

"Mom was a villain, apparently. She's got a desirable quirk, so she pumped out some kids in the hopes of selling them." Yasuda sipped her tea. "hero's raided her base and arrested her, then dropped the three kids off here."

Nemuri shook her head "that's messed up. Are they adjusting well?"

"For the most part. Mawabi's taken to them, so she's been keeping them busy and making sure they're ok. I heard her telling stories about her big bro Izu."

The two women chuckled quietly until someone knocked on the front door before opening it. Yasuda stood up "that's probably Izuku. Let's go embarrass him."

Nemuri smiled "wonderful idea. Lead the way."

Yasuda grinned as she came around the corner. Not only was Toru with Izuku, but there was a pink girl as well now who was poking at him and making him blush. There was also a really tired-looking boy who was sitting back and enjoying the torment. She liked his new friends already. "Izuku, you just keep showing up with more and more people, don't you."

Izuku flushed a bit "y-yeah um, this is Mina Ashido." the pink girl smiled and waved. "And this is Hitoshi Shinso." the tired boy waved. "Guys, this is Yasuda Azuki. She was like a big sis to me."

"I pretty much raised him into the wonderful boy he is now," Yasuda said as they walked to the living room.

Nemuri smiled at Hitoshi "so you're Shota's kid, right?"

Hitoshi nodded "you're Midnight. He complains about you a lot."

Nemuri scoffed "bet he complains about Emi more."

"Yeah, he does," Hitoshi said, taking a seat in one of the chairs, leaving Izuku and the girls on the couch.

Nemuri barked with laughter, "I'm gonna tease him about that next time."

As the group sat around and talked, the couch trio mentioned their personal trainer, Mr.Yagi, for the physical side while they did quirk and other training individually. Hitoshi mentioned training with his dad and learning how to use his capture scarf. Nemuri talked about work, and as Yasuda was going to tell them about the kids, Mawabi appeared.

The shark tooth girl smiled wide as she yelled "Izu!" and jumped into his lap, squeezing him tight. Mawabi opened her eyes and saw Toru. "Big sis Toru!"

She quickly moved over and hugged Toru, then she saw Mina the shark girl's eyes went wide, and she whispered, "Wow... so pretty."

Mina's cheeks turned lilac as the others chuckled as Izuku pulled Mawabi to his lap "you wanna give big sis Mina a hug? I bet she'd like that."

Mawabi nodded shyly "i-if she's ok with that."

Mina grinned and pulled Mawabit to her. "Of course. What's your name, cutie?"

"Mawabi!" the girl said proudly, showing off her shark teeth.

Mawabis' shouts attracted the attention of the other kids, and in no time, it was chaos. Hitoshi was sitting in his chair smirking as the other three teens were swarmed until Toru said, "Hey, what about Hitoshi? You guys should go say hi to him he's big bro Izu's friend as well."

Hitoshi glared at the invisible girl who, unknown to him, was sticking her tongue out at him. The kids pestered him about his quirk, and when he told them, he was expecting them to be scared, but the kids just started asking him to brainwash them, so they knew what it felt like.

While the kids were distracted, Yasuda took Izuku and headed down the hall. While they walked, she explained they were going to see the newest members of the orphanage. They were young and a little scared, so she hoped Izuku could talk to them and try to help.

Yasuda knocked before opening the door. The twin girls were sitting on the floor drawing as their baby brother slept. The twins had black hair with white streaks scattered in it; their eyes were a deep purple as they stared up at Yasuda and Izuku.

Yasuda knelt as she smiled “heya. This is Izuku. Mawabi has told you about him. He's here to say hi. Do you want to say hi to him?"

The twins looked at each other for a moment before nodding. Izuku smiled and sat down. He started talking to them by asking what they were drawing. Yasuda stayed nearby but let Izuku interact with them. The twins were cautious and a bit wary, but they opened up to him a bit and were full of smiles by the time they had to leave.

___________________________________________________________________

Toru sighed as she stared at her ceiling. Yesterday had been fun. It was nice getting to see the kids and Yasuda. She was feeling down, though, and she knew why. Yesterday Mina had been leaning on Izuku and touching him and playing with his hair more than usual. She felt a distance between them, kinda like she was invisible sometimes. Toru groaned at the stupid but technically true statement. She was invisible... all the time whether she wanted to be or not.

Toru wanted to throw something, but when she reached for the nearest soft object, she ended up with a green stuffed rabbit in her hands staring at her. Toru blushed and held it close to her chest. "This is so stupid."

"Uh oh. Little sis is moody. What's wrong?" Toru looked over to see Achi smiling as he entered.

Toru squeezed the rabbit. "It's nothing. Just stupid feelings I don't understand."

Achi smirked as he sat at her desk and rotated the chair so he could look at her. "Well, I am older, so I've dealt with a lot of stupid emotions. Maybe I can help you out."

"I don't think you can help me with all of these." Toru sighed as she stared at the wall.

Her older brother's smile softened "feeling self-conscious about your invisibility?"

Toru nodded. "Y-yeah. I just... no one can see me. Maybe I wouldn't be worrying so much if they could actually see my face."

"They? Could it be Midoriya and that Ashido girl? You know the two you never shut up about?"

Toru glared at her brother, who just smiled... because he couldn't see her glaring. Toru huffed and stared at the ceiling. "They're my best friends... and they seem to be getting closer, and I feel like I'm... I don't know, fading into the background sometimes. I just want to be closer to them. They treat me so well, and I enjoy them being around, but... I'm just not sure what to do."

Achi nodded as he watched his sister. It was hard to gauge exactly how she felt, but he was pretty sure he knew. "Are you jealous of Ashido getting closer to Midoriya or the other way around? Or are you just scared of them leaving you behind if they get into a relationship?"

Toru tensed. "I... all of the above? I think. I don't know... I just the idea of them without me makes my chest ache. They're my best friends, and I don't want to lose that. W-when I see the way they look at each other, I want them to look at me like that."

"Sounds like my dear sweet little sister is crushing hard on her two best friends."

Toru's head snapped over to her brother as he got up. "What? I do not... well, I mean I do, but I can't, right? It's not like I'd be able to date them both."

Achi grinned as he stopped in the doorway and looked at her "who said you couldn't?"

_____________________________________________________________________

Izuku stared at the tv as the news played, but he wasn't paying attention. The orphanage visit had gone really well, but Hitoshi's joke before the girls showed up was stuck in his head. He admitted that he liked both of them, but he also knew that was never going to happen. He'd seen how they looked at each other and how they interacted. They liked each other and would probably find that out soon then be a couple. Which would hurt, but he'd dealt with worse. As long as they were happy, he would be fine.

Izuku took a deep breath and nodded as he told himself he'd be fine. He was already lucky enough to have a new family and to have amazing friends. If that was all he got, he'd be fine with it. The ache in his chest and the pit in his stomach would go away, and he'd be totally fine.

___________________________________________________________________

Mina sat down by Fukumo, who was watching the news. "I think I'm crushing on my best friends or one of them? Maybe both. I can't tell."

Fukumo snorted as she glanced at her sister "it's both, trust me."

"What? How can you tell?"

Fukumo groaned dramatically as she rolled her head to look at her sister "because I'm your big sis. You won't shut up about those two, and honestly, those outfits you wear when they come over. You're showing off just enough to make them stare but still be able to function as people."

Mina's cheeks turned lilac as she sputtered for some kind of rebuttal, but she had nothing. She knew what she was doing. "I well... ok sure but I can't just-"

"Yes, you can. Those two stare at each other as much as they stare at you." Fukumo looked back at the tv "just sit both of them down and tell them how you feel. They'll spill the beans, then you three can start getting to the fun part."

Mina's cheeks darkened at her sister wiggling her eyebrows. She grabbed her phone. "I-I mean you make it sound so easy-"

"Cause it is." Fukumo shook her head "when I realized I had feelings for Yasu, I just told them and look at how well it turned out. I have an amazing partner, and I didn't have to deal with a bunch of drama and dancing around the subject. Even if you all aren't into each other like that, it'll be better for your relationships to just get it out in the open."

Mina huffed as she got up. "Fine... I'll think about it."

____________________________________________________________________

Hitoshi was watching the cats play as Shota made coffee for himself. They both looked over as Hitoshi's phone started vibrating. He picked it up and sighed as he saw three messages from his friends. None of them had used the group chat, and they had all said basically the same thing. They were just now admitting to crushing on the other two. Hitoshi went one by one and sent back 'damn, that's crazy.' before putting his phone back down.

"My friends are idiots."

Shota grunted "yeah. That's usually the case."

Chapter End Notes

we're getting closer and closer to these sweet beans admitting their feelings. also, I feel constantly exhausted thanks to work. glad I'm taking a week off soon. don't know if that'll affect uploads or not. if it does it'll be in a positive way.

Confessions

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Hitoshi adjusted his seat so he could look at Izuku. There was a bit of time before class, and Hitoshi needed to figure out if he should get involved with his friend's feelings. "So about that text last night."

Izuku nodded. "I need your help."

"To do what? Decide who to ask out or-"

"To get Mina and Toru to go out with each other," Izuku said as he kept writing in his notebook.

"Hm..." that was not what Hitoshi thought he'd say. "Your message didn't imply that."

Izuku sighed. "I texted you because I needed to say it in some way. I didn't want to tell Nemuri or Yasuda because it'd be this whole thing, and they'd probably not like my plan."

"Alright, but still. You admit you're crushing on both of them doesn't add up to you wanting them to date each other."

"I just... I know they both like each other, so if they date, then they'll be happier, and as long as they're happy, I'll be fine. My feelings will go away after some time, and I can keep being their friend. it's the best option."

Hitoshi's eyes narrowed. He knew this kind of talk; he had talked like this before. Not about dating but different subjects with the same attitude. He knew Izuku had been bullied. It was one of the first things he had learned about his friend, but he didn't know the extent. If it was anything like what Hitoshi went through then, he knew Izuku was playing off the possibility of his own happiness out of habit.

"Ok, so what am I supposed to do?"

Izuku shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, but I'll work something out. Can I count on you for help?"

"Sure thing, man."  'I'll need to see what the girls are trying to do, then I'll probably have to work something out. If I don't, they'll be dancing around each other for years. I can't handle seeing that.'

___________________________________________________________________

As the four teens went to their usual lunch spot, Toru pulled out some money. "I'm gonna go buy some drinks; you guys want anything?"

The others took her offer, and she grabbed Hitoshi's shoulder "great. Come with me, Hitoshi. I'll need help carrying it."

Hitoshi groaned internally as the invisible girl dragged him away. As they stood at the vending machine, Hitoshi said, "so this is about the text? You need my help or something?"

Toru sighed "yeah, I... wanna talk to them about it, but I'm also panicking at the idea of trying."

"I get that it's supposed to be hard or whatever to tell people you like that you like them, but it can't go that bad, right? They're your friends. What are you nervous about?"

Toru fidgeted as she selected the drinks. "I... I like them like a lot, and I can see that they like each other, but well, I'm me. Why would they be interested in me the way they're interested in each other? I don't really have much going on in the looks department."

Hitoshi shook his head. "I really don't think those two are that shallow. Why not start with telling them about your insecurity about your looks. See how they respond, then work from there."

Toru handed him half the drinks "that's... not a terrible idea, I guess. I'll try to tell them later... just gotta work up the courage. Can you help me out after as well?"

Hitoshi sighed "sure. Why not."

____________________________________________________________________

Hitoshi eyed Mina as they walked home from school. She hadn't approached him at all, and now the group was about to go their separate ways. As they got to the train station, Mina said, "I gotta pick up something for my dad, so I'm headed this way today. See you guys tomorrow."

Izuku and Toru waved as they headed to their train. Hitoshi and Mina walked in silence until they boarded and sat down. "So Hitoshi about the text last night."

"What do you need me to do?"

Mina grinned "well. I plan on telling them. I'm confident about Izuku, and I have a feeling Toru feels the same as I do, but I want to confirm it, so I need to get her alone. I want you to distract Izuku on our next day off. While he's busy, I'll spend some time with Toru and see how she feels, then go from there."

Hitoshi smirked. He was happy to hear that Mina had a good plan. He was still concerned about Izuku, but hopefully, that would get resolved when the girls acted. "I can keep him busy for you."

"Good to hear. I'll text you if I need anything." Mina got off at the next stop and went to pick up the stuff her dad asked for.

___________________________________________________________________

Mina looked at her phone as she waited for Toru. Hitoshi's plan to keep Izuku busy today was suggesting they test the limits of Hioshi's quirk while also letting Izuku see what it's like to be under the influence of brainwashing. As she waited, Mina checked herself over again. Hot pink converses, blue skinny jeans, and a black tank top with a bubblegum pink zipper half jacket.

The acid girl spotted her invisible friend approaching. Toru was dressed in a pair of rose-colored sneakers, a black overall dress that ended just above her ankles, and a white long sleeve shirt under the dress. All in all, Mina thought she looked adorable as she waved to the invisible girl.

Toru was freaking out internally. Mina looked really good and hot, and now she felt kinda silly for wearing this dress. "Hey, sorry if I made you wait."

Mina shook her head. "You didn't. Also, that's a super cute outfit. I love it."

The acid girl grinned, seeing Toru fidget a bit "t-thanks. I like your outfit too."

"Thanks. Now come on, Izuku's busy being a quirk nerd with Hitoshi's, so let's go have some real fun today so we can brag tomorrow."

Toru giggled as she followed Mina "what did you have in mind?"

"I figured we'd hit the arcade then get some lunch, maybe do some window shopping to see if there's anything nice out there and just go from there. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun." Toru bumped her shoulder against Mina's shoulder as the two headed for the arcade.

Once inside, Mina cracked a smile "so I heard from Izuku you two came to an arcade before, and he lost more than he won. You must think you're pretty good at this kinda thing."

Toru's posture straightened. "I know I'm good at this. You want me to show you how good?"

Mina laughed. "I accept the challenge. I'll even be nice and let you pick the first game."

It was a tough challenge with one of the girls taking the lead only for the other to close the gap, and by the time they had played nearly every game, they were tied. The girls stood before their last challenge. Silently Mina was cheering. It was dance dance revolution, her absolute favorite game. She had always wanted to take dance lessons but had never found a place close to her home, so DDR was her replacement.

"How about a couple warm-up games, then we'll get onto the actual challenge?" Mina suggested.

Toru nodded as she said, "sure thing. It'd be terrible for you to lose because you weren't warmed up yet."

Mina laughed as she queued up an easier song. The two got started, and Mina was a bit surprised by how Toru did. The invisible girl's score tied with Mina's. The acid girl cranked up the difficulty, and they went again, and yet again, they tied. This repeated yet again, and Mina stared suspiciously at her invisible friend slash crush. "You have a lot of experience with this game, don't you?"

Toru giggled. "Achi's girlfriend likes this game. We've played a lot."

"Then I don't need to hold back." Mina set the hardest difficulty and picked a song as she rolled her shoulders. She asked, "ready, Toru?"

Toru pumped her fist. "I'm gonna beat you this time."

Unbeknownst to the two girls, they had gathered a crowd with their escalating battle that kept ending in ties. The first song went to Mina, who won by a hair. The second went to Toru by a smaller margin than the first, and the third song tied. The crowd groaned, startling the girls who realized they were being watched. Both of them were panting and starting to feel the fatigue of so much dancing. Toru spoke up, "one more than no matter what we're done?"

Mina nodded "you're on."

The battle was hard-fought, and there were many upsets and close calls, but by the end of it... they tied again. Both girls stepped down feeling exhausted as the crowd dispersed. Mina leaned on Toru "let's get some lunch. I'm really hungry now."

Toru nodded "yeah..."

Mina looked over as her invisible friend trailed off. "What's up, Toru?"

"There's a cute stuffed animal over there..."

Mina spotted the crane machine and walked over with Toru shortly behind. "That pink one is so cute."

Mina smirked as she looked at the hot pink chibi alien with big black eyes and little antenna sticking out the top of its head. "You gonna try and get it?"

"I'm no good at crane machines," Toru said as she chuckled.

"Oh well, then that means if I get this little guy, I'll win?" Mina said as she put some money in the crane machine.

Toru was torn between possibly getting the cute stuffed animal and losing the arcade contest as she watched Mina work the crane into position. Mina stuck her tongue out a bit as she concentrated, and Toru noticed Mina had a similar look to Izuku when he was focusing on something. Toru sighed internally. The two people she was crushing on hard could get really intense when they needed to.

Mina's face shifted to a grin as the alien was caught and dispensed. Mina grabbed the alien and presented it to Toru with a smirk "as the Alien Queen, I will allow you to take one of my subjects with you to keep you safe."

Toru covered her mouth as she laughed and took the stuffed alien. "Thank you, Mina. this will look great in my room."

Mina smirked, "oh, gonna put it next to that green rabbit that sits on your bed?"

Toru was glad Mina couldn't see her blushing as she spoke softly "ah well, I mean... yeah, they're special, you know. My best friends got them for me."

It was Mina's turn to blush as she watched Toru fidget. "C-come on. I'm hungry; let's get some lunch."

Toru followed Mina as they left and looked for somewhere to eat. They found a ramen shop and decided to head in. The duo sat towards the back and ordered. As they waited, Mina watched Toru play with the stuffed alien's arms. She got the feeling something was on Toru's mind. "You ok? You seem distracted."

Toru took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. She had been planning to bring it up, so now seemed good. "I'm just... I'm invisible."

She looked up at Mina's confused face "s-sorry um, it just bothers me sometimes. I wish I could turn this off. I don't even remember what I look like. I don't know what color my eyes are or my hair. I haven't seen my own face since I was four. It sucks that people can't look me in the eyes. They're always just a little off when they do."

Mina smiled softly as her cheeks flushed lilac. "I know I can't ever fully understand what that must be like, and I'm sure I'm off right now while trying to look at you and sorry about that, but just know I'm here for you no matter what, and so's Izuku. You're our best friend, and just cause we can't see that cute face doesn't mean we like you any less."

Toru felt her heart clench as her cheeks burned "t-thanks... that means a lot. Sometimes it just bothers me. I'll try to remember what you said whenever it does."

Mina grinned, and Toru relaxed as she looked at the pink girl. "Glad to hear."

Their food came, and they dug in right away. The two chatted about nothing important as they ate and paid once they were done. Mina led the way to the mall, where the two girls set about looking around the clothing stores and trying on random things they found. By the time they left, they both had some new clothes and even a couple shirts for Izuku that fit his sense of fashion and humor.

By the time it was getting close to the end of the day, the two had found themselves in a park and were simply sitting and enjoying each other's company. Mina took a deep breath as she prepared the next phase of her plan. She knew fairly well how Toru felt about her and Izuku, so it was time to get verbal confirmation then move onto phase two. "Toru, do you have a crush on Izuku?"

The invisible girl stiffened as Mina kept talking, "I'm pretty sure you do, and I do as well, but I want to hear you say it."

"I uh... y-yeah I do. I have for a bit."

Mina nodded, and Toru's stomach flopped as she started fretting that maybe she had misread some of Mina's actions right up until Mina asked, "And what about me? How do you feel about me?"

Toru looked at the pink girl seeing her face was more lilac than pink, and she was looking anywhere but at Toru. The invisible girl swallowed, feeling her own face heat up. "I-I l-like you as well. I've h-had a crush on both of you for a while."

Mina's face broke out into that big grin that Toru was loving more and more as she saw it. The acid girl sighed with relief "that's good. B-because I've had a c-crush on both you and Izuku for some time now... I don't really know when it started."

Toru sat there stunned as she stared at Mina. This is not how she thought things would go. It wasn't even really how she hoped things would go. Toru cleared her throat as she realized there was still more to be said. "U-um, what do we now?"

"Well, I have a plan. I just need to text Hitoshi and get his assistance." Mina pulled her phone out as she kept talking, "we should tell Izuku and see how he feels. If you're both ok with it, I-i'd like to try all three of us dating."

Toru nodded slowly. "I um... I'd like that too. W-when are we gonna talk to Izuku?"

"Well, if he's still with Hitoshi, then we can just do it now, and if not, we'll get Izuku to come to the beach before school tomorrow."

A few seconds after Mina shot off her text to Hitoshi, she got a call from him. Mina answered and put it on speaker. "Hitoshi, why are you calling me?"

"Toru with you?"

"Yeah, I am. You're on speaker. What's up?"

Hitoshi sighed "alright, so I brainwashed Izuku, and I'm making him do push-ups. I didn't specify how many, so who knows how long he'll be out of it. Mina, you and Toru confessed and are gonna talk to Izuku now, right?"

"Yep, that's the plan."

"Alright, well, he'll probably be annoyed that I told you this when he finds out, but all three of you texted me that night and told me you were crushing on the other two." both the girls blushed. "I asked him first what it was about, and he said he wanted my help but not to help him talk to you two but to push you two together and leave him out. He was talking like it wasn't a possibility that even one of you would be interested. He said he could tell you both liked each other, and once you were dating, his feelings would go away, and it'd be fine."

Hitoshi paused for a moment before continuing, "sorry, thought he stopped for a moment. Anyways I don't know what happened to him much beyond he was bullied when he was younger, but the way he talks, it's like his happiness isn't something that should be considered. You two are the ones trying to date him, so I figured you should know."

Mina and Toru looked at each other, and Mina said, "He never talks about the time before meeting us... he might try to deny how he really feels when we go to him."

Toru bit her lip before saying, "we could confront him. Tell him we know what he told Hitoshi. Try and get him to admit to it."

Mina hummed, "If we aren't careful, we could push him away."

"I think we should try. We'll regret it, and so will Izuku if we don't bring it up. We're his best friends. We need to make sure he knows how we feel and that he can be honest with us."

Mina smiled "alright. Hitoshi, send him to the beach. We'll be headed there in a bit."

"Sure things, by the way, when this is done, you all owe me."

"We'll take you to a cat cafe." Mina shot back quickly.

The line was silent for a moment before Hitoshi said, "alright. I have one I want to check out. You'll be paying."

"Sounds like a deal, and thanks, Hitoshi. This is why you're the best wingman for all of us."

Hitoshi just grunted before handing up. The girls looked at each other as they got up, and Mina said, "alright... before we go, there's one more thing I gotta do."

"What-" Toru stopped as Mina grabbed the sides of her face and quickly leaned in, kissing Toru. Mina was off a bit, but the acid girl quickly adjusted their awkward first kiss before ending it.

Mina's cheeks were on fire as she chuckled nervously, "sorry about being off a bit. I figured if I grabbed your face, it'd be easier to aim."

Toru stuttered and looked at the blushing pink girl as she said, "I-it's fine... yeah, that was really... good. I don't um mind or anything."

Mian smirked while still blushing hard "are you sure I wouldn't mind trying again."

Toru stepped back and muttered, "M-maybe later."

Mina's smirk faltered as her heart clenched hearing how soft Toru's voice was. "C-come on, we gotta make sure Izuku doesn't force himself to be alone."

_________________________________________________________________

Hitoshi looked at his phone after hanging up and sighed before releasing his quirk as he came back to the room Izuku was in. the green-haired teen fell on his face as his arms gave out. He groaned. "Oh, they hurt. How many did I do?"

Hitoshi shrugged. "Don't know. I had a phone call, so I left. By the way, the girls want to meet you at the beach. Mina said she had something to talk about."

"Alright, give me a minute, and we'll go."

"Nah, they need to talk to you. I'm not invited. Besides, I need to feed the cats and myself."

Izuku waited for the feeling to get back into his arms before he thanked Hitoshi for the day and headed to the beach. As Izuku made the way to the beach, he wondered what they could want to talk about. It could be One for All stuff since Hitoshi was told not to come, but it wasn't like Toru would be getting the power tonight. A part of his brain was worrying that it could be about their relationship. He knew he didn't do the best job hiding his feelings, but he had hoped he'd done enough to keep them from bringing it up.

Izuku got to the beach and headed down the steps finding Mina and Toru already waiting. The two girls sitting close to each other on the sand. Izuku smiled a bit as he said, "it's getting late. What did you guys need to talk about?"

Mina and Toru got up as they turned to look at Izuku. Mina spoke up first, "Toru and I admitted our feelings to each other today."

Izuku kept his smile up, but his chest felt tight as he said, "That's wonderful. I had a feeling something like this would happen."

"That's not all Izuku." Toru said as she approached, "w-we also know how you feel."

Izuku's smile faltered. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Mina frowned. "Hitoshi told us, and I'm glad he did because we feel the same. Toru and I both like you, Izuku, and we... are both fine with the three of us being a thing if you are, b-but we need to know why you were going to try and keep yourself out of it."

Izuku felt annoyed that Hitoshi had told them everything, but it was overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions. Shock and confusion at hearing that the two girls he had feelings for felt the same. He felt a bit overwhelmed and terrified at the idea that they wanted to hear about what led him to make his choice in trying to avoid letting them know.

Izuku backed up as he stammered, "I uh... well."

"Please, Izuku. You don't have to tell us everything just... Why would you want to keep yourself from the chance of being happy?" Toru said as she stepped back. The girls were giving him plenty of space which helped keep him from freaking out more.

Izuku took a few deep breaths as he clenched his fist and steeled his nerves. "I lost my parents when I was six, and before that, I had lost my only friend. He-he bullied me from then until I met Nemuri, and she saved me. A-as the years went on, and I kept getting older, and people kept passing me up when they came t-to adopt I-I got convinced that n-no would or could c-care or l-love me."

He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. "I-I know I had Yasuda, but she works at the orphanage, and some days when it was bad, I would think that she only cared b-because she was paid to take care of me."

Izuku sat down as he rubbed his eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears. "I-I never thought I'd have a family, but I got one. Even with that, I never- I never thought people would actually care about me the way you two are saying you do. I figured i-it would be better to avoid the possible disappointment of you not feeling the same way. If you two were happy with each other, I-I could let my feelings fade away and just move on."

He heard them move then felt two pairs of arms wrap around him. Mina spoke softly, "I'm sorry you felt that way. You've been through so much, Izuku, and even if you don't think so, we think you deserve to be happy... so i-if you want, we'd both like you to join us and see if this can work."

Izuku wiped his eyes and blinked away his tears as Toru said, "you're wonderful, Izuku, and you've helped both of us grow so much. You were my first friend in forever. You've made things so much better in my life. Please know you deserve happiness, and we want to give that to you."

Izuku sniffled and smiled as he let out a half-hearted chuckle. "I-I can never win when you two team up against me."

Mina giggled "of course you can't beat us. We're your best friends. So what do you say? You want a couple cute and sexy girlfriends?"

Izuku blushed as Toru swatted Mina's arm. "Y-yeah... I'd like that."

Mina grinned "good, now Toru kiss him."

"Huh?! W-wait, why don't you do it first?"

Mina rolled her eyes. "I kissed you, so you kiss him, then he kisses me. It's simple."

Toru was blushing hard, and she could see the other two were completely red or lilac. She took a deep breath and whispered, "Fuck it."

Izuku looked over about to ask what when he felt soft lips press against his. Izuku tensed but managed to return the gesture before Toru pulled away. It was awkward but full of emotion. Mian whistled, "Wow, that looks kinda weird..."

Toru groaned "shush you. H-hurry up Izuku and kiss her. I feel like my face is gonna explode."

"O-oh um r-right." Izuku looked at Mina, who was blushing and fidgeting now that he was looking at her. He hesitantly leaned his head down as Mina closed her eyes. The two pressed their lips together, and as was the trend with the three teens, the kiss was awkward and inexperienced but brimming with potential and the feelings of those involved. As they separated, Izuku said, "S-so what now?"

Mina took a moment before she said, "I-I guess we go home tonight. We have school tomorrow. W-we can figure out how things will go from there."

The other two nodded, but none of them moved to break the hug. They ended up staying on the beach, simply leaning into each other for another hour before finally going home, wondering what their future would bring.

Chapter End Notes

Hi, I'm Scarecrow Ghost and I've never written a confession before. hopefully, it turned out well and I hope you enjoyed it.

Developments?

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Nemuri smiled as Izuku came in. she was working on breakfast as he sat at the table. "Good morning."

After a moment of silence, she looked up to see Izuku staring at his phone "you good, Izuku?"

"Huh? Oh, um yeah... just yesterday kinda feels like it didn't happen."

Nemuri tilted her head to the side as she finished putting breakfast together. "You were with Shinso, right? Practicing his quirk. Maybe you're suffering a side effect from being brainwashed for so long."

Izuku's face flushed a bit as he said, "um, no, that's not it... after I was done with Hitoshi, I went to the beach. Mina and Toru wanted to talk to me..."

"Oh, what did the girls want to talk about?" Nemuri said as she put breakfast on the table and sat across from Izuku. She was smirking as Izuku cleared his throat and fidgeted.

"They... confessed to each other yesterday and then confessed to me." Nemuri's eyes widened with surprise. She knew the three were close, but she hadn't really expected this. Izuku continued as Nemuri slowly started eating, "and we're gonna give the three of us together a try... you know, see if it can work for us."

"Huh..." Nemuri slowly chewed some rice. "I didn't think my kid would try a poly relationship in his first year of high school."

"Y-yeah, I uh wasn't expecting it either, but my original idea was a no-go, so..."

"Oh, what was your original plan." Nemuri watched her son flinch and suddenly become very interested in his food. "Izuku... what were you planning to do about your relationship with them?"

Izuku squirmed under her gaze for a few seconds before giving in and telling her. Nemuri sighed and leaned across the table and gave him a halfhearted smack on the top of his head before ruffing his hair and smiling. "I'm glad those girls talked you out of it."

"Y-yeah... now I just have to figure out what to do in a relationship."

Nemuri chuckled as she sat down. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You're a good kid, and you care about those girls. You'll figure it out pretty easily. Now hurry up and eat before you're late. It's rude to keep your girlfriends waiting."

Izuku blushed as he started to eat "how long are you gonna tease me?"

"As long as you're my kid. Now eat up already."

_____________________________________________________________________

Thirteen entered the teacher's lounge and spotted precisely who they were looking for. "Midnight, are you busy?"

Midnight sat up, blinking slowly "huh? Oh Hir- uh, Thirteen. Do you need something?"

Thirteen chuckled "were you trying to take a nap?"

"Yeah. I've been doing a few late-night patrols, so I've been kinda tired. What did you need?"

"The second years are doing joint rescue training. Eraserhead is busy disciplining some kids, so I need someone to help manage Vlad. He's been feeling competitive, which I don't need in rescue training. You wanna help me out?"

Midnight hopped to her feet "yes! I mean, um yeah, I can help. I don't have anything to do for now."

"Good." Thirteen popped their helmet off and smiled as they leaned closer "try not to stare at me too much today. We don't want the students to start spreading rumors."

Midnight blushed and looked away "w-well, it's just... hard not to look at you. Even in your costume."

Thirteen chuckled and kissed Midnight's cheek "we are still on for tonight, right?"

"Y-yeah, we are. Dinner at your place at six-thirty, right?"

"Yep. now come on, let's go teach the students." Thirteen said as they slipped their helmet on and headed for the door.

________________________________________________________________

Izuku drank some water as Toshinori sat next to him. Izuku was cutting his beach cleaning short since the next day, he was scheduled for some intense quirk training with Nemuri. "So the three of you are dating now? That's a thing that people do?"

Izuku nodded "yeah... have you never heard of poly before?"

The Symbol of Peace shrugged. "I was very... focused on being the Symbol of Peace. Relationships beyond work associates and a few close friends were outside of my norm."

The two sat in silence for a bit before Toshinori said, "I am worried about Young Hagakure. The stress of a relationship as well as the responsibilities she will have as the ninth holder and my successor. I do hope she can handle it."

Izuku smiled "it's because of the relationship she has with Mina and me that she'll be able to handle anything. We'll be here for her no matter what."

Toshinori smiled. "I am glad that you three have each other. It is hard for heroes out there. Even in these peaceful times. It'll get rough when I retire, but I will make sure at least you three are prepared."

"We're all very thankful for your help, sir... we have something for you. I'm not sure if you're already doing something for this, but" Izuku pulled out a stack of papers "we did some research and came up with a diet and workout routine for people with similar conditions to you."

Toshinori took the stack and looked through it. "I may have seen similar things, but... I'm very busy with hero work, so most of these routines don't account for it."

Izuku smiled. "I took that into account. There are variations depending on the amount of time you do hero work as well as how difficult you had to work. There are a couple charts that will help you calculate what kind of routine to do between hero work as well as what kind of meals to eat."

As Toshinori took a closer look at the paper, Izuku said, "the three of us are concerned about you. Sure, you're the Symbol of Peace, but you're also our mentor. We'd like you to stick around to see us make it into the top ten."

Toshinori coughed into his handkerchief, but instead of putting it away immediately, he looked at it. He stared at the blood and thought about the three teens he's taken under his wing. He was their teacher. It was his job to worry over their health and make sure they weren't pushing themselves too hard, but here they were worried about him and putting in all the effort to make a flexible diet plan to work with being a hero. "Thank you, Young Midoriya. I will do my best to improve my health. I do want to see you three succeed as heroes."

Izuku hopped off the tailgate of Toshinoris truck and stretched as he said, "good. I'm gonna go check on the other two and make sure they're actually working."

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri sat at the small table Hirooki had in their apartment. She watched as Hirooki put the final touches on dinner. Her partner, which was a thought that made Nemuri smile every time she thought or said, had been bragging about their cooking for weeks. Their schedules finally lined up again, so here they were finally going to see how good Hirooki's cooking is.

It was also the first time seeing Hirooki's apartment. Nemuri wasn't surprised by the general space theme in their living room. A few posters of satellite photos or pre quirk quotes from scientists were up on the walls. A glass shelf was positioned by the tv. It had models of the various satellites and shuttles that people had used before the human race was forced to focus on quirks to keep the world from falling apart.

"Alright, and it's done. We've got tempura udon for dinner tonight. It was my dad's favorite dish to make whenever my mom was at work. Hope you like it." Hirooki said as they placed down the bowls and plates.

Nemuri took a deep breath. "It smells wonderful. I'm sure it'll taste great."

Nemuri took a few bites before wiggling in her seat "this is great. Your cooking really is as good as you say."

Hirooki smiled. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

The two talked while they ate. Nemuri blushed as Hirooki flirted and teased her. They were being more forward than usual today, not that Nemuri was against it. She smiled and managed to give back a bit of what she got.

The two washed the dishes and settled onto the couch. Hirooki put in some cheesy hero movie that they poked fun at as they cuddled closely. As the credits started to roll, Hirooki gently pulled Nemuri closer and kissed her softly. The two lingered for a moment before separating slightly. Hirooki locked eyes with Nemuri as they said, "this is ok right?"

Nemuri leaned in, pressing her lips to Hirooki's as she cupped their cheeks. As she pulled back, Nemuri pressed her forehead to Hirooki's "yeah... this is more than ok."

Hirooki smiled "good..." they bit their lip which Nemuri thought looked really hot. "Do you want to keep doing this?"

Nemuri nodded and kissed Hirooki again, making it linger longer than before. they separated, and Nemuri whispered, "yes, please."

"Good," Hirooki said before they kissed her again.

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Izuku looked up from his breakfast as Nemuri came in. She looked at him, and Izuku noticed she was a bit flustered as she came home. He gave a smug smile as he saw a couple marks on her neck and collar bone "how was your date  last night ?"

Nemuri blushed harder "shut up. You're not supposed to be smug; you're supposed to be the one who gets teased."

Izuku chuckled, "my mom's a great role model. She showed me how to be smug and act confident. Also, my girlfriends tease me a lot, so I'm learning how to do it to others."

Nemuri huffed, "well, I'm glad my boy is learning so well but remember your actions have consequences." before Izuku could question her, Nemuri snatched his toast off his plate and ran off to her room.

Izuku sighed and ate what was left of his breakfast. He finished up and left a plate for Nemuri minus toast on the table before heading out to meet up with Hitoshi.

As Izuku walked down the sidewalk, his eyes flicked down alleyways as he passed by. It was an old habit from junior high. He was just glad it would be a helpful habit when he became a hero. He stopped in his tracks as he saw a few people standing in the alleyway. A girl who looked a couple of years older than him was standing with her back against the wall while a few people surrounded her. Izuku couldn't hear them, but he could tell they were giving her trouble.

As he approached, the girl with her back to him spoke. "You bitch. Did you really think you could get away? We're gonna fuck you up. Take anything valuable and leave you here to bleed out."

Izuku saw the flash of metal as the girl drew a knife. Izuku sprinted in before a plan had really formed. The girl who was talking noticed and turned to say something. Before she could get a word out, Izuku delivered a swift punch to her diaphragm and grabbed her face with his free hand as she dropped the knife. With the air knocked out of her, the girl instinctively sucked in a breath as Izuku released his quirk from the palm of his hand.

The guys with her all stepped back as she fell unconscious. Izuku glared at them. "How about we don't keep fighting. Take your friend and leave."

The two guys nodded and picked up the girl before dragging her off as Izuku sighed and the tension left his shoulders. He probably could have done that better, but that girl seemed serious when she drew the knife.

"Wow, that was pretty cool, Mr.hero. Thanks for the save."

Izuku jumped a bit as he looked at the girl. She was grinning as her yellow cat eyes looked him up and down slowly. Izuku smiled shakily "it's nothing really. Why were they harassing you?"

The girl shrugged as she started walking out of the alleyway. "She was so not cute, so I can't remember. Unlike you, Mr.hero, you're cute, so I'll remember you."

Izuku blushed a bit as he followed her out. "Do you want to go to the police and tell them? I can walk you to the station."

"Nah. It's not worth it. How about I buy you something to drink as payment for saving me, Mr.hero."

Izuku scratched his cheek "you don't have to, really. I was just doing what was right, and my name's Izuku Midoriya."

The girl gave a cheshire grin showing off her fangs as she turned to look at him, making the messy blonde buns her hair was tied into wobbled a bit. "If you don't want a drink, how about a kiss?"

Izuku's hands shot up, "drink is fine."

The girl laughed "aw, no fun, Izu. Guess it can't be helped. Come along then. I'm Himiko Toga, by the way. Since you saved me and you're so cute, you can just call me Himiko."

Izuku nodded as he followed her towards a convenience store. This girl unsettled him, but it could just be because she was very forward, and while he was getting used to his girlfriends, he hadn't had a stranger hit on him before.

Himiko grabbed a couple sodas and headed to the counter, where Izuku watched her with concern as she pulled out a couple different wallets and rifled through them before having enough to pay. She tossed one to him as they walked out "here ya go, Izu, your boring reward for saving me."

Izuku blushed. "I don't need a reward. I just like helping people."

Himiko smiled "so pure of heart. you'll make me swoon acting so cool all the time Izu."

"Y-yeah... well, I need to go. Get home safe, alright."

Before Izuku could start walking away, Himiko pulled out a phone "you're probably gonna want your phone back, Izu."

Izuku patted his pockets as he looked at her, shocked. Himiko giggled "don't worry, I put my number in it. I'll call you if I ever need a hero again."

Izuku stared at his phone as she gave it back.  'How did she get into my phone?'

Himiko giggled and waved as she started to leave "see you around, hero."

Izuku gave a small wave before heading off to meet up with Hitoshi. Himiko was an odd girl, but she seemed nice enough. Hopefully, she won't get into trouble again.

Chapter End Notes

Honestly a bit of filler. Sorry I wanted one more chapter before a bit of a jump in time and progression on the story. I hope it was still enjoyable.

Himiko may be showing up more and interacting with our squad of teens. I have a plan for her that I'm gonna be honest came about while I was trying to type this chapter.

The Odd Friend

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku panted as his quirk cleared, and Nemuri slipped her mask off. "Your output is getting really good, and you're able to maintain an area of control of three meters. The density of the gas could use some work, but we'll get there."

"Yeah. it's getting easier to control how the gas moves." Izuku drank down some water and grimaced. His skin felt dry. A downside of his quirk was that overuse led to dry skin wherever he had outputted the gas. Which meant he had to use lotion to take care of his skin which, of course, led to Mina teasing him about having lotion in his room.

Nemuri walked over to a box as Izuku rested and opened it while saying, "I figured your quirk training is going well enough, so I'm gonna add something special to your training."

Izuku looked up just in time to see Nemuri throw something at him. On reflex, he caught it and looked at the rectangle. He realized it was a folding fan made of black metal and tough forest green fabric. He unfurled it, revealing an intricate gold pattern that looked like clouds rolling along the cloth. Nemuri handed him the second one, and he noticed she had the fans from her hero costume clipped on her belt. "What are these?"

"Hm, an early birthday present, I guess. I had these made for you; they're from the same support company that made mine. I figured it was time you learn how to use them." Nemuri unfurled her fans, "I'm sure you know I developed my own style of fighting with these. It'll serve you well as a hero, and with your increased control of the gas, this style should work even better. So you wanna learn it?"

Izuku's face lit up as he hopped to his feet as he held one fan in each hand. He had always been interested in heroes who develop their own fighting style that implemented their quirk. He had always thought about doing the same one day. "I'd love to!"

Nemuri smiled "good. Now let's get to work."

Nemuri spent the rest of their training day running Izuku through the basic stances and how to hold the fans. By the time their training was done, Izuku laid on the ground and groaned as Nemuri packed things away.

Nemuri spoke up, "I'd like to apologize for not being around a lot. Other than training and occasional meals, we haven't had much time together."

Izuku looked over at her "yeah... but I mean, you're a hero. You're gonna be busy. I can handle it."

"Yes, but still. You're my family, we should spend more time together. It's been a bit since you've started dating Ashido and Hagakure. How are things going with you three?"

Izuku sat up and crossed his legs "good. We're getting used to the whole dating thing. It's nice, you know. Everything feels different and new. It's exciting, I guess."

Nemuri chuckled as she sat across from him. "I understand. Things with Hirooki are going well for me. Though they're in Indonesia helping with disaster relief, so I haven't gotten to see them in a few weeks."

Izuku nodded. "I saw the news. They're doing a lot of work down there."

Nemuri nodded and sipped her water "yeah, it'll be another couple weeks till they're relieved, and replacements are sent."

Nemuri glared at her son as he got that smug look on his face "you're gonna have to plan something special for when Hirooki comes back. Should I stay at Hitoshi's or...?"

Izuku leaned back as Nemuri swatted at him, "who corrupted you. You were so sweet and innocent before."

Izuku laughed "it's a side effect of being teased all the time. I've decided it's time for payback."

Nemuri huffed, "you may be able to talk like this to me, but I know you're still a mess when your girlfriends are around."

Izuku blushed a bit and looked away, "that's different, and you know it. I've seen you struggle to get a sentence out when Hirooki flirts with you."

Nemuri blustered and scoffed, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The two laughed a bit and talked about things that had been going on. Izuku brought up Himiko and how he had run into her. Nemuri snorted and patted his head "poor Izuku. Still can't handle forward girls who flirt with you. Did you tell Hagakure and Ashido about it?"

Izuku nodded, and Nemuri said, "and they teased you a bunch, didn't they?"

He nodded again, and Nemuri laughed "you'll get used to dealing with people like her. Just make sure to stand your ground and don't let her take things too far; if you get uncomfortable with what she says or does, don't be afraid to stop her."

Izuku nodded. "I'll do my best."

Nemuri stood and stretched, "come on, let's get something to eat on the way home."

Izuku hopped to his feet and said their goodbyes to Uncle Nabira on their way out.

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Izuku yawned as he stretched and looked over the beach. It was nearly clean; they should be done in a few days. Then whatever Toshinori had planned for them would start. He had woken up early and decided to just come down to the beach and do some warm-ups till his girlfriends show up. Izuku smiled at the thought but tensed and froze as arms wrapped around his shoulders. He looked down, expecting pink or none, but pale arms were not what should be there. A familiar voice spoke in a cheery tone, "hiya, Mr.hero. Been a while."

Izuku slipped out of Himiko's grasp as he cleared his throat. "To-" he saw her eyes harden and coughed into his hand, "Himiko... It's been a while. What are you doing around here?"

The older girl shrugged and sat on a washing machine "saw you down here stretching, figured I'd stop by and see what my hero is up to."

Izuku sighed. "I'm just waiting for my... girlfriends. We've been cleaning this beach up for a while now. we're almost done."

Himiko's eyes widened as she smirked and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands and her elbows on her knees. "Oh, girlfriends? Is this something they know is going on, or are you playing a dangerous game?"

Izuku blushed "they know. We're all dating each other."

Himiko whistled and gave a sharp grin "sounds fun. Maybe I'll stick around and meet them. Unless you want me to be a secret~."

"I'm sure they'd like to meet you. They'll be here in a bit." Izuku said as he headed towards a trash pile, "I'm gonna get started on work."

Himiko giggled, "I'll just be here... watching the free show."

Izuku blushed but ignored the blonde girl and started working on cleaning the beach. As he worked, Izuku saw from the corner of his eye that Himiko was playing with a pocket knife she pulled from her cardigan. She watched him like a predator, and Izuku felt a shiver down his spine every so often. Based on his limited interaction with Himiko, Izuku thought she was a bit odd. The knife was concerning, but after she spotted him looking at her, she grinned and twirled it around, clearly showing off, and he realized that she was experienced handling knives.

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MIna chuckled as she bumped shoulders with Toru and slipped her hand into the invisible girl's hand. The girls arrived at the beach and noticed Izuku was already hard at work. They also heard someone with him as they got to the stairs. A girl sitting on a washing machine said, "I'm just saying you'd sweat less if you didn't wear a shirt. Less layers mean you're not gonna be as hot while you work out."

Izuku groaned and rubbed his face. He was about to say something but noticed his girlfriends and felt relief wash over him. He wasn't able to handle Himiko on his own for long. "Oh Toru, Mina, glad you're here. This is Himiko Toga. I've told you about her before."

Himiko gasped in mock shock "you talked about me? I feel so cared for."

Mina chuckled a bit "you're the girl Izuku saved a few weeks ago, right? What brings you here?"

Himiko shrugged. "I didn't have anything to do, and I saw Izu here. He told me about his girlfriends, and I wanted to meet you two. You're both much cuter than I thought you'd be."

Mina chuckled when she felt Toru clench her hand a bit. "It's nice to meet you as well. Would you like to join us in cleaning the beach?"

Himiko pulled her phone out and checked it before pouting, "no can do. Got a meeting to go to." she hopped off the washing machine and waved as she smiled "see you three cuties around~."

Once the older girl was gone, Mina turned to Izuku "you looked like you were struggling with her."

Izuku sighed and put his head on her shoulder as Toru patted his back "she's very forward. I can't handle her on my own for long."

Toru giggled "don't worry, we'll be here to save you from all the aggressive girls that are gonna come after you when you're a hero."

Izuku chuckled as he picked his head up "thanks." he blushed slightly and gave Toru a quick kiss.

Mina pouted and wrapped her arms around Izuku's neck. Izuku blushed and gave her a quick kiss which made the pink girl smile "good. Now let's get to work."

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Himiko hummed as she skipped down the hallway of the abandoned house. It had taken longer than usual to get this cutie where she wanted, but now that she had them, she could have her fun though she wasn't going to get to drag this out like usual. There were new people she needed to get to know and love. Himiko giggled, thinking of the trio at the beach. They were a bit younger than her, but they were all so cute, and they were so heroic. Izuku had been a catch by himself, then she learned about his girlfriends and met them. The pink one was cute, and she could tell by the invisible girl's posture she was probably flustered by her comment. Himiko shivered as she thought about getting to know them and seeing them be close and intimate with each other. Seeing them covered in cuts and bruises and bleeding. Himiko bit her lip and leaned against the wall as her legs felt weak. They were so heroic they'd probably get all bloodied up protecting each other, which would be so cute.

A groan in the other room brought Himiko back to the present before she could get to lost in her fantasies. She had someone who needed her attention. They would be fun, and this would hold her over until she could get her trio.

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Mina looked up as her older sister came into the living room smiling "heya Mina. I got a surprise for you."

Mina eyed Fukumo suspiciously; the last 'gift' had been a prank in disguise. "What is it?"

Fukumo pulled out a flyer "a dance studio opened up nearby. The price looks pretty fair. Bet it'd be fun to learn how to dance with your partners."

Mina flushed a bit but smiled as she snatched the paper and read it over. A dance studio nearby offering classes. She bounced in place before hopping over the couch and hugging her sister. "Oh, thank you, Fukumo. This is awesome. I'm gonna tell the others and see if they're interested."

Fukumo chuckled as her sister ran upstairs. Mina grabbed her phone off the charger and fired off a texted her partners and Hitoshi about the dance studio and asking if they'd like to join her for classes. She was a bit surprised all three agreed to it. Izuku questioned Hitoshi on why he was down for it, and he responded that his dad had taken classes like that before and said they were good for helping improve mobility and agility. Mina chuckled as Izuku geeked out about the fact that Eraserhead took dance classes. They talked a bit longer about when to go to the studio and how to fit it into their schedules.

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Izuku, Toru, and Mina came down to the beach to an unexpected sight. Himiko was curled up in the back seat of a car they hadn't figured out how to get rid of yet. The blonde girl had her hair out of the messy buns she usually wore and was covered with a tattered blanket. She snored lightly.

Mina chewed her lip "um... any idea why she's here?"

Toru shook her head as she said, "no idea... should we wake her up?"

"I don't know if that's a good ide-" Izuku jumped as a knife sailed past his face. "Ah!"

Himiko sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Guh, I'llfuckin killz ya. Le me sleep."

Izuku clutched his chest and took a deep breath as Mina and Toru looked on in shock. Izuku spoke shakily, "um H-Himiko, it's us."

The blonde blinked and looked up at them before blushing a bit and chuckling, "hehe, sorry, Izu. I'm a little jumpy when I first wake up. Something you three should keep in mind."

"Why were you sleeping in this car, Toga?"

Himiko stretched and yawned, "call me Himiko." she crawled out of the car, "and to answer you, it was just a place to sleep last night. Don't worry about me...Toru, right?"

"Y-yeah... but why did you need to sleep in a car? Why not at home?"

Himiko giggled "don't worry about it, Toru. I'll have a proper place to sleep tonight."

The trio shot each other concerned looks as Himiko walked around a bit to stretch her legs. They reluctantly got to work cleaning the beach, and after disappearing for a few minutes, Himiko came back eating a strawberry cream sandwich. She sat on top of the car and talked with the trio as they organized and hauled off the garbage.

Himiko seemed to be a sweet if a bit odd person. She loved cute things and seemed interested in heroes, but only those she thought of as real heroes. Himiko played with one of the several knives she seemed to have on her while she talked to them. Most of her questions were about the trio, things about how they met and why they decided on dating, and what they liked about each other.

Himiko giggled, watching them blush and fumble with how to describe their feelings for one another. On the flip side, the older girl deflected or gave vague answers to anything about her past. The others assumed it wasn't the best, especially since they found her sleeping in a car this morning, and none of them pressed her on topics she didn't seem to enjoy. Eventually, Himiko hopped off the car and said her goodbyes claiming she had to meet up with someone.

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Sometime after Himiko had left Izuku, Toru and Mina sat on the beach looking at their work. Toru spoke up, disrupting the silence. "Himiko is an odd girl. I'm kinda worried about her."

Mina nodded "yeah... finding her sleeping in the car was worrying. Sh-should we keep an eye on her? Or tell someone?"

Izuku tapped his chin "let's just keep an eye on her. Make sure she's ok and stuff. If she opens up to us and it turns out to be worse than we thought, we can try to convince her to seek help."

"If we push her, she'll just break away and run, right?" Mina asked as she leaned on Izuku.

"Yeah. She was avoiding a lot of questions. I'd rather not lose her because we pushed her too hard to open up."

Toru groaned and leaned on his other side "she flirts with all of us a lot."

Mina giggled "yes, she does. It's hard to tell if she's seriously trying to hit on all of us or just messing with us."

Izuku's cheeks were tinted red as he agreed with them before asking, "should we tell her to stop or..."

The three sat in silence as they thought about it. While it did leave them flustered, sometimes she wasn't laying it on too thick, and when she wasn't flirting with them, she was nice to talk to. Mina scratched her chin "as long as she doesn't take it too far, it's fine right?"

Her partners agreed after thinking it over for a moment, and three sat on the beach a bit longer before heading home.

Chapter End Notes

I'm so tired. I took a week off last week with the intent of just relaxing and recovering maybe fix up some stuff on my car but instead I spent it depressed. I'm fine now.

manga spoilers below

I have a fanfic idea of Izuku being Lady Nagants kid and has her quirk and he's friends with Ochako before UA. Ochako has a different quirk than canon and she's usually her sweet normal self but sometimes her quirk acts up and she'll get aggressive especially in fights. Izuku is a ward of UA cause Nezu want's to keep Izuku away from the safty commission.

Accidents and Powers

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku, Toru, and Mina finished cleaning the beach and celebrated their achievement with those closest to them. Aizawa and Nemuri were unable to attend due to a breakthrough in a quirk trafficking case they were involved in. The Hagakure and Ashido families gathered with the trio, Hitoshi and Toshinori, on the beach where they had a party and enjoyed the fruits of the teen's labor. As they celebrated, Izuku noticed a familiar face at the top of the steps staring down at them. Izuku slipped away and headed up the steps to where Himiko was standing.

"Himiko, why don't you come down. We're celebrating the beach getting cleaned."

Himiko smiled, but Izuku could see the strain in her face and how she shuffled her posture. She was on edge. "I can see that. That's a lot of people down there."

Izuku nodded "it's mostly Toru and Mina's families. Are... are you ok?"

Himiko hummed as she looked at the people "it's a lot of people..."

"Ah... yeah, it is. I get it if you're not comfortable. I can go get Toru and Mina-"

"Nah... good job on the beach, Mr.hero, tell your girlfriends congratulations."

"Sure... are you sure you don't want me to get them?"

Himiko shook her head "don't worry about it. I'll get to see you three cuties plenty later. I was just passing by. See you around Izu."

Izuku frowned as Himiko skipped down the street. She always avoided them if it was anyone more than the three of them, but if it was just Izuku and his girlfriends Himiko would pop by and sometimes spend hours talking with them. He made his way back down to the party and told Toru and Mina about Himiko stopping by.

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Toshinori stood before the three teens. They all smiled, seeing their mentor had stuck to their plan and was starting to fill out a bit. He would always be a very skinny person, but at least he wouldn't look like a skeleton. "Alright, you three, the beach is clean... Thank you so much for that. This place holds many wonderful memories for me, and it makes me happy to see the beauty of the beach again. You've also done a great service to the community. Now we can start the All American Dream Plan!"

Toshinori handed out a stack of paper to each of them "this details your workout schedule, sleep schedule, and diet. Keep to this plan, and you'll be more than ready for UA. it's especially important for you, Young Hagakure, to not stray from this plan."

Toru blew a raspberry. "This is gonna be tough, but I'll do my best, sir."

Mina looked it over "oh wait, hold on. This list of food we can't have is not gonna fly, Mr.Yagi; some of my favorites are on here."

Toshinori shrugged "save them for your cheat days. Now let's get warmed up and start the training!"

__________________________________________________________________

Izuku smiled as Nemuri paced around the kitchen cooking "you know I would have helped get dinner ready if you wanted."

Nemuri stopped and looked at him. "No, I'm fine. It's your day off, just relax and rest from your training. Hirooki will be over soon. I'm sure you'll want to ask a million questions about Indonesia."

The doorbell rang, and Izuku hopped up, "speak of the devil."

Hirooki smiled as Iuzku opened the door "heya, kid. It's been a while."

Izuku smiled and gave them a quick hug "it's good to see you again. Nemuri is running around the kitchen like a deranged chicken."

"Hey! I heard that!" Nemuri yelled before poking her head out of the kitchen and waving a bit, "hey... I'm a bit behind, but dinner will be done soon."

Hirooki chuckled and gave her a quick kiss "take your time. I can wait. Though you may want to check this out."

Nemuri groaned as they handed her a magazine "another tabloid? What are they saying about me now?"

Izuku watched her eyes widen before her face turned into a scowl. She growled and slapped the magazine on the counter "that's so stupid!"

Izuku walked over and picked up the magazine. He realized immediately what the issue was. The front cover was a photo of the two of them on one of Nemuri's days off. They were headed into a restaurant. The headline questioned who the young man was and what his relationship was with Midnight. Hirooki sat on the couch and said, "I read it just cause I wanted to see what they would say."

Izuku left the magazine and sat on the couch. "I kinda forgot this was something that was gonna happen. We had just gotten lucky for so long."

Hirooki chuckled, "well, according to that particular magazine, it looks like Midnight has a new 'boy toy is what I think they said. Though he looks kinda young for her. Could Midnight be taking advantage of this innocent young man?"

Izuku watched Nemuri groan loudly and glared at the magazine. "I hate these people. They're gonna bug me to no end until I give a statement."

"Are you going to tell them? Because I don't really mind if you tell them I'm your kid."

Nemuri rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I guess I'll have to. It's better than them trying to run with the idea that I'm dating some high schooler."

Nemuri finished putting dinner together while Hirooki told Izuku about the heroes they met in Indonesia and the quirks they used during the rescue and clean-up work. Once dinner was ready, the three sat around and ate dinner while catching up and talking about future plans.

__________________________________________________________________

The All-American Dream Plan was hell. The trio spent more time sore than they didn't, but the results started to show themselves over time. The trio and Hitoshi were down at the beach on a day off, enjoying the good weather. Toru sat on a blanket in a pastel blue one-piece with frills across the chest with dark blue trim and a white shawl over her shoulders. She had been enjoying the weather and the beach in general until her partners showed up, and Toru came to the wonderful conclusion that her partners looked hot and were jacked.

Izuku stood there in dark green trunks as he talked to Mina about something. Mina was dressed in a two-piece black swimsuit with white polka dots. As they talked and motioned with their arms. Toru noticed that Izuku had gotten taller, and his muscles were more toned. He stood straighter than when they had first met, and his shoulders were broader nowadays. She frowned a bit, seeing some faint scars on his shoulders, chest, and back.

Toru's eyes wandered over to Mina, who was laughing and Toru had to suppress a groan. They were both hot, and it wasn't fair. Mina had curves in all the right places, and now, with the workout regime they'd been doing, her legs looked even better.

"I'm gonna assume you're drooling over your partners."

Toru jumped and nearly yelped as she looked at Hitoshi, who was standing there in purple trunks. He stared down at her and said, "you know you're dating them, so you could just go up and... touch them or whatever."

Toru sputtered, "I- well yeah, but... they're so hot I get nervous."

Hitoshi sighed and rolled his eyes before laying out on a towel. "I'm gonna take a nap; you guys go splash around or whatever."

Toru hopped to her feet and took a deep breath before going over to her partners. Despite all her issues with being invisible, she was glad it hid her blush for her.

_____________________________________________________________________

Mina smiled, "So how long are we gonna stand here acting like we're talking about something?"

Izuku cleared his throat. "I just need a minute... Toru looks really cute, and it's hard not to stare at her."

"She does look adorable in that swimsuit... though why aren't you struggling with me being near you?" Mina motioned to herself, "I'm wearing my best swimsuit." She grinned as she realized her boyfriend was looking near her but never right at her. "Oh, that's why."

Izuku's face felt hot as he crossed his arms "shut up."

Mian giggled and grabbed his arm and pulled him close before kissing him quickly. She smiled, seeing Izuku blush and tense up "come on, you need to compliment your girlfriends on their swimsuits. It's what a good boyfriend is supposed to do."

Izuku looked at Mina and felt his brain sorta skip a bit, but he managed to say, "You look great. In that swimsuit. I-it suits you really well."

Mina grinned "thanks. You look super hot as well."

While Izuku blushed and tried to pull himself together, Toru came over, and Mina complimented her swimsuit, and Toru fidgeted as she returned the compliment. Izuku managed to pull himself together and complemented Toru. The trio spent a few hours having fun and enjoying the beach.

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Himiko took a shaky breath as blood dripped from her mouth. Her uniform was ruined, but it wasn't her fault. The guy bleeding out behind the dumpster wasn't cute at all. She wanted nothing to do with him, but he kept following her. He recognized her apparently from one of the lovely people she'd cut up. Himiko was on edge and made a mistake. She was cornered, and he was mad, so she killed him, and then she saw his blood, and it looked so tasty, and now she was a mess.

Himiko pulled on her quirk to change into the man, but a wave of nausea hit her, and she stumbled and nearly fell over. "D-damn it... stupid fuck was high on something." she felt her body wretch as her quirk squirmed under her skin and failed to activate.

"C-can't do that again... gotta walk home... while covered in blood. Totally not cute." Himiko tried to whip the blood off her face but simply smeared it across her cheek as she stumbled out of the alleyway. Luckily it was late, and no one was out. Himiko stumbled down the street. She was pretty sure she was heading the right way. Whatever that guy had in his blood was really messing with her. Tonight was not going to be fun.

________________________________________________________________

Toru slipped her shoes on. "I'm heading out real quick. Be back in a minute."

Toru's mom told her to be safe as the invisible girl headed out into the night for a last-minute snack run. Despite the time, Toru decided to go a bit farther to get to her favorite convenience store. She jogged there and arrived in a few minutes, then grabbed her snacks and paid. As Toru walked home, she saw someone staggering their way down the road.  'Is that a drunk lady?'

Toru was getting ready to walk around her when she saw the messy buns and realized the lady was wearing a school uniform. As Toru got closer, she said, "is that you, Himiko?"

Himiko stopped moving, and Toru walked around only for the words in the invisible girl's mouth to die as she saw the blood covering Himiko's mouth and the front of her uniform. "Himiko?! What happened?"

Himiko blinked slowly and looked at Toru. "Toru... cutie."

Toru felt panic rising in her chest. "Um, Himiko, can you understand me?

"Hmmm... what do you want? I ain't got any money."

Toru pulled her phone out. "I'm gonna call Izuku ok. Just wait a second."

Himiko sat down on the sidewalk and stared at the blood on her hands. Toru watched as Himiko licked the dried blood slowly. "H-Himiko, maybe don't do that."

The older girl stopped "...it tastes good but funny too..."

Toru's phone rang twice before Izuku answered, "Hey, what's up?"

Toru did her best not to sound panicked. "I um was out and found Himiko... She's got a lot of blood on her. She doesn't look hurt, though. I don't really know what to do."

Something fell over on Izuku's side of the line "fuck... uh, what has she said?"

"Nothing really... she looks really out of it." Toru pushed Himiko's hands away from her face.

Izuku was silent for a moment before saying, "bring her here. If she worries about other people, Nemuri is out on patrols tonight. I know some first aid and stuff. If something is wrong with her that we can't help with, we'll take her to the hospital."

"O-ok, can you call Mina? I'll bring Himiko."

"Good idea, and Toru, I'm sure Himiko will be fine," Izuku said, settling Toru only slightly.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku opened the door and let Himiko and Toru in. Mina jumped up off the couch and rushed over to help Himiko to the bathroom. As they sat Himiko down, Mina asked, "She's really out of it. What happened?"

"I don't know. She was stumbling around when I found her." Toru said as they started trying to clean the blood off Himiko's face and hands.

Izuku knelt in front of Himiko “hey Himiko how are you feeling?”

Himiko blinked "...bad. Stupid guy... high on something."

The girls looked concerned, and Izuku chewed his lip "guy? Did someone hurt you?"

Himiko giggled "he wishes he could have."

Mina swallowed "who's blood is this, Himiko?"

The older girl shrugged "didn't get a name. Not cute at all, and blood had stuff in it. Quirk didn't like it."

Izuku swallowed and let Toru clean Himiko's face off before he asked, "so his blood reacted poorly with your quirk?"

Himiko nodded slowly "... drugs in blood... don't work well with quirk. Make me all..."

Izuku tapped her knee “Himiko.”

Himiko took a breath "blugh... I wanna vomit."

Mina grabbed a bucket and shoved it in front of the blonde, who promptly leaned over and retched into it. The girls rubbed Himiko's back as Izuku held the bucket. Once Himiko was done vomiting, she groaned, "not cute... stupid druggie."

The girls finished cleaning Himiko's hands and face. Izuku checked her face and mouth but didn't see anything wrong. He assumed Himiko's issues were stemming from her quirk. Mina spoke up as she put the rag down "let's get her out of these clothes. Izuku, we'll get her cleaned up. Can you lend her some clothes?"

Izuku nodded and put the bucket to the side. "I'll leave them outside the bathroom and go heat up some food."

As they started getting ready, Toru's phone rang. The invisible girl cursed before she answered, "Hey, mom... No, I'm fine. Yeah, I just... ran into a friend, and she needed my help. Mina and Izuku are with me... Mom! No, that's not what's happening, gosh. I'll see you later. I love you."

Mina giggled "what did your mom assume?"

"N-nothing. Come on, let's get Himiko cleaned up."

Izuku left the bathroom, put some of his clothes outside the bathroom, and informed the girls before heading to the kitchen to put something together for Himiko to eat. He wasn't sure if she'd be able to eat anything, but it'd be better for her to have the option when she came out.

___________________________________________________________________

Himiko groaned as Toru and Mina helped her get dressed. The effects of her quirk messing up were starting to wear off, and she was beginning to feel really tired. The girls managed to get her to the living room, but she passed out shortly after lying on the couch.

Izuku sighed and started putting the food away. "I'll text Nemuri and tell her Himiko's sleeping on the couch."

Toru sighed as she leaned on the counter in the kitchen. "So... her quirk was acting up because some guy who attacked her had drugs in his blood?"

Izuku nodded "none of us know her quirk, though. She's never talked about it, but we can assume it has to do with other people's blood. She probably has to ingest it to do something."

Mina came back from dropping Himiko's clothes in the wash. "Do you think she'll be ok?"

Izuku shrugged "not sure. If she's still not feeling right in the morning, we'll have to try and convince her to go to a hospital."

"Do you think it'll be hard to do that?" Toru asked as she leaned on Mina's shoulder.

Mina hummed "she is pretty skittish if other people are around. She'll probably be reluctant at best." Mina leaned on Toru's head "she's really taken a liking to us, huh?"

Izuku nodded, "that just means we have to try our best to help her..." Izuku blushed. "So, are you two going to stick around?"

Mina smirked, "oh are you asking your girlfriends to stay over for the night since your mom isn't home?"

Izuku scoffed "what? No... I just didn't know how you'd feel about Himiko being here alone with me... I figured you'd want to stay."

Toru pushed off the counter and hugged Izuku. "That's sweet. We know you wouldn't do anything, Izuku, and honestly, I don't think my parents would let me stay even if I did think something would happen."

Mina smiled and walked up, giving Izuku a kiss on the cheek. "I trust you too, babe. Text us tomorrow morning. We'll come over asap and talk with Himiko."

Izuku nodded and gave both girls a quick kiss "of course. Goodnight, you two. Get home safe."

The two girls nodded and said their goodbyes leaving Izuku to get ready for bed. Things with Himiko were not what he was expecting them to be. She seemed to be a good friend, but she kept so much close to her chest it felt like they barely knew her. Izuku sighed, and before heading to bed, he checked on Himiko, who was still sleeping soundly.

_________________________________________________________________

Himiko groaned and blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up. Her head was throbbing, and her mouth tasted like copper and vomit. She looked around and panicked, quickly gripped her chest, and woke her up  'where am I? This isn't where I was squatting... what happened?'

Himiko was about to get up and go see who grabbed her off the street and maybe kill them when she smelled something. Himiko grabbed her shirt and sniffed it. A smile broke out as she curled up and giggled a little to herself.  'Izu smells good... but if he saw me, he probably told Toru and Mina...'

Himiko got up and snuck around the apartment. She found her clothes in the dryer and took them out before peaking in on Izuku. She smiled, seeing his sleeping face. Himiko bit her lip and exited the room. She knew for sure that Izuku had seen her less than stellar state. She couldn't remember much, so it's possible the other two saw her. Letting them see the bloody part of her life was not something that was supposed to happen until she wanted them to see it. Himiko grumbled as she headed for the door. She'd need to put some distance between them for a few days just until she could think of a way to explain things in a way that wouldn't lead to them prying into her life.

"Leaving already?" Himiko's head snapped around to look at Nemuri in the kitchen. Nemuri sipped some tea. "Izuku and the others will worry if you're not here tomorrow morning."

Himiko slipped her shoes on and left without a word. She knew they'd be sad, and it was cute to think of how distraught they'd be, but once she knew what to say and came back, it would be even better. Himiko smiled as she walked out into the night. Just give it a couple days, then talk to them and get even closer to the three cute heroes.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku sighed as he sat on the beach with his girlfriends. Today was the day. Toru would gain One for All, but something weighed on all three of them for the past couple of months. Mina leaned her head on his shoulder "thinking about Himiko?"

Izuku nodded "she just disappeared. We haven't seen her in so long. I guess I'm worried about her."

Toru leaned on his other shoulder as she said, "same. Her phone got disconnected, so we can't even try to call her. None of us know where she lives either."

The three sat there worrying over their odd friend as Toshinori arrived. He cleared his throat "uh... are you three alright?"

The three teens looked up at their mentor, who stood a little straighter and looked healthier every day. Izuku nodded as the girls got up "yeah, just worrying about our friend. We still haven't heard or seen her in a while."

"Ah yes, you told me about that. I hope things work out for the best, but today we have something very important to do." Toshinori bulked up into All Might as Toru stood in front of him. Mina and Izuku stood on either side of Toru as All Might spoke,  "you three have proven to be wonderful heroes. You not only restored this beach but my hope for the future and even managed to set me on a path to better help. Young Hagakure, it is thanks to you and your heroic spirit that all this happened. Make no mistake, young lady, you earned this, and I cannot wait for the day when you can say 'I am here'!"

Toru teared up a bit and took a deep breath. All Might plucked a hair from his bangs and, while still smiling, said,  "now to gain my power... eat this!"

The teens stared at his hair than at him for several seconds before Mina muttered, "well... I'm even more glad I didn't accept this."

Izuku facepalmed, "sir... why are you trying to feed Toru your hair?"

The symbol of peace sputtered,  "well... One for all requires a transfer of DNA, and this is the least gross option I could think of."

Izuku stared in disbelief "sir... we could do a small blood transfusion. You have to know someone who could do that for us."

All Might deflated back into Toshinori. "Hm... yes, I do. I will give her a call and see if she's available." the pro clapped Izuku on the back "so glad you're here to help make sure things go smoothly, Young Midoriya."

Izuku groaned as their mentor stepped aside and pulled his phone out. The blonde man spoke for a few minutes before coming back, "alright, load up into my truck; we're headed to UA."

The teens did a double-take, and Toru said, "wait, what? We're going to UA?"

Toshinori nodded "yes, the nurse there is Recovery Girl. She, as well as dean Nezu, know about One for All. now come on, we don't got all day."

The group piled into Toshinori's truck and drove towards the teen's dream school. Izuku spoke up as they drove "this isn't my first time at UA."

Mina giggled. "What did Nemuri take you to work one day?"

Izuku nodded "technically, she did take me to UA one day, but it was before she adopted me."

Toru leaned forward. "So why'd she take you to UA?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I uh... I got hurt real bad. Recovery Girl patched me up. That was back before I met Toru."

Izuku didn't see the concerned looks his girlfriends shared in the back seat. The rest of the ride was spent in idle chatter. As they pulled up to the teacher's parking lot, Nezu was standing there waiting for them. The Dean smiled as they filed out "ah, it's wonderful to see you, Toshinori. It is also wonderful to finally meet your students."

Toshinori nodded. "It's good to see you too, sir. This is Toru Hagakure, Mina Ashido and Izuku Midoriya. They all have true heroic spirits."

Nezu smiled as his black eyes scanned them. "Wonderful to meet you two, and it is a pleasure to see you again and in better health, Mr.Midoriya."

Izuku nodded "it's good to see you as well, sir."

The Dean nodded once more before turning and starting to walk "let's not keep Recovery Girl waiting."

________________________________________________________________

When they arrived at the nurse's office, Recovery Girl led Toru to a bed and instructed Toshinori to sit nearby as she got ready to draw his blood. Mina sat by Toru and saw Izuku turning to the Dean. "sir, could I speak to you in private for a moment?"

Nezu smiled and motioned for the door "of course, Mr.Midoriya."

The two exited the nurse's office and walked a short way away to an empty dead-end hallway. "What would you like to discuss, Mr.Midoriya?"

Izuku fidgeted and cleared his throat. "It's something I was going to bring up once I was in UA, but since I'm here... why did you listen to me about what to do with Bakugo back then? I was a kid who'd been getting bullied by him for years. You had no reason to follow through with what I said. You could have informed the police and let him pay for his crimes."

Nezu chuckled softly as he looked at a map of UA at the end of the hall. "After I found the footage of Mr. Bakugo's assault, I looked into him more. I saw he had plenty of potential but was straying. I had plans for a much harsher way to set him on the right path, but I wanted to see what you said first."

The Dean approached the map as his eyes scanned it. A false layout of his domain set here to confuse people for his enjoyment and throw off those who would wish to do him harm. "After you spoke to me about what you wanted to happen and I saw the look in your eyes, I was reminded of someone I care about."

The Dean turned to face Izuku, who was watching him intently. "Do you know anything about my past, Mr.Midoriya?"

Izuku shook his head. "I've looked a bit, but I haven't found much of anything from before you becoming the dean of UA."

"That is because I do not want it to be easy. I have experienced much hardship in my life, much like you. I do not remember much of my early life, but before UA, I was a test subject for humans to poke and prod. I am part of the first generation of animals who have gained quirks. My hyper-intelligence was of such interest to them. They wanted to know my limits no matter how hard it hurt."

The Dean sighed as his paw traced his scar. "I grew to despise almost all of humanity while I was there. The only reason I do not say all of you is because quirked animals were not the only ones being tested. They believed mutation quirks were a link to animals having quirks, so there were humans as well. Of those test subjects who were human was a young woman who cared for the animal subjects. She found out about my plans to escape and kill all the humans I could find, but she convinced me to be more merciful, and so I was. I killed those who directly hurt me, and those who were left were spared while I worked on catching their bosses."

Izuku looked on with shock clearly evident on his face. Nezu chuckled, "as it turned out. Sparing them was the right choice. When I tracked down the bosses who ordered the experiments and brought them forth to face justice, those I spared testified against them. They were imprisoned for life with no chance of parole. It also set in motion Japan's quirked animal rights act, which paved the way for me becoming UA's Dean."

Izuku blinked. "I... that's. I had no idea you suffered so much, sir. What happened to the woman who spoke to you?"

Nezu smiled "she married the lawyer I had hired to help me back then, and they have a wonderful family. I often stop by to spend new years with them, but that is beside the point. I suppose what I'm getting at is, as I stated earlier, you reminded me of her, and I felt the desire to put her words into practice again. I feel that while I am quite merciful, I have also strayed in recent years and become quite harsh to those not affiliated with UA."

The Dean locked eyes with Izuku "so thank you, Mr.Midoriya, for reminding me of my first friend and the way she wanted me to live my life. If you'd like to know, I can update you on Mr. Bakugo's status. Whether or not he is still on the right track or not."

Izuku bit his lip but shook his head "no, sir. I'd like to find out once I'm in UA."

Nezu smiled "then let us head back. I'm sure they're already done with the transfer."

Izuku nodded and followed the Dean back to the nurse's office.

______________________________________________________________

Izuku entered and took a seat by Mina, who took his hand and whispered, "you good?"

Izuku nodded "yeah. Just had to ask him something. Learned more than I thought, but I feel good."

Toru chuckled, "good to hear. I feel normal, which is not what I was expecting. I kinda thought there'd be this big woosh or something."

Toshinori chuckled "we'll give it a couple hours, then see what's changed. Nezu, would you mind if we use one of your gyms?"

Nezu chuckled as he poured some tea "of course I don't mind. It will be wonderful to know what the ninth user is capable of before she comes here."

They spent their time waiting in the nurse's room. After some time, Toshinori placed a hand on his chest and spoke so softly they almost didn't hear him "It's moved on..."

The teens saw a tear prick the corners of his eye, but he quickly wiped it away and stood. "Come along now. Nezu, which gym shall we use?"

The Dean tapped his chin. "Gym Zeta is empty, and if her quirk reacts how Mr.Midoriya and I think it will, Zeta will have what we need."

__________________________________________________________________

The group made their way to Gym Zeta and found it empty as Nezu said it would be. Recovery Girl retrieved a few pairs of shades as she explained, "Gym Zeta is specialized for quirks that cause a lot of light. Nezu informed me you can cause flashes of light, so while you see what you're capable of, we will all wear these, so no one goes blind."

Toru nodded and hopped around a bit as everyone else put on their shades "alright... let's do this."

Mina and Izuku chuckled as their cute invisible girlfriend jogged a few yards away and shook her arms, making her silver bracelets jingle. Toru took a deep breath and showed off her basic light refraction abilities. A couple quick flashes from her hands and face, and then because her partners were watching and wouldn't go blind, she showed off, making the source of the light dance across her arms, face, and legs. She was glad she wore shorts today.

She smiled, hearing them both chuckle but quickly decided to get back on track. She could feel the difference right when she started refracting light. She wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she could feel her quirk wanting to go farther than before. Toru took a deep breath and muttered, "plus ultra."

Toru turned so she wasn't facing her audience and held her hands out, and started to refract light. As the light bent to her will, she felt energy being pulled from the other parts of her body exposed to light. The power built in her arms, and Toru sucked in a breath as she watched a rainbow of light pass before her eyes before suddenly it all disappeared, and she felt a tingling in her hands. Toru looked up and gasped, feeling the energy falter and stop as she looked at the hole she was melting in the wall.

Toru stumbled back as a wave of exhaustion washed over. She groaned and felt hands on her shoulders. The invisible girl looked over and saw her partners holding her up as Nezu clapped. "That was quite the show. It seems One for All has boosted your light refracting ability to the point where you can fire lasers. How did you feel while you were melting the gym wall?"

Toru shook her head. "Um... I could feel the energy from inside me move to my arms, and all the parts of me exposed to light seemed to channel the light towards my arms. Then it all just went out and... sorry about the wall."

The Dean laughed. "No need to apologize, my dear. I cannot wait to see what else you'll be able to do, but for now, I believe it would be best for you to go home and rest."

The teens thanked Recovery Girl and Nezu for their time and headed to Toru's house to let the invisible girl rest and so they could just spend more time together while not at school or working out.

Chapter End Notes

check out my latest fic's first chapter it's called Watching Over You.

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Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku sat on his bed as Mina swirled around in the chair at his desk, and Toru laid on the ground, making light in her hands and changing its color. The trio wasn't sure what to do today. Hitoshi was apparently out of town with his dad, and Himiko still hadn't resurfaced. Mina spoke softly, pulling her partner's attention. "Izuku, when Toru was getting One for All. what did you talk to Nezu about?"

Izuku sat up a bit as Toru crossed her legs and stopped laying down. The teen cleared his throat and said. "Well... when we all confessed. I told you two about a friend who I lost."

The girls nodded, and Izuku took a deep breath. "When I was four, my friend Katsuki Bakugo and I both developed our quirks. He could sweat nitroglycerin and make it explode, and I could produce gas that puts people to sleep."

Izuku sighed and looked at his notebooks on the bookshelf. "He was always kinda aggressive personality-wise, but after his quirk came, he started getting physically aggressive. People praised him constantly for his ability to be a hero, and some of them said the same about me at first. As time went on, he got this ego and thought everyone was beneath him. He started bullying people he saw as weaker. Once we were in middle school, others joined his side to keep him from picking on them."

He looked at Mina and could see the worry in her eyes, and Toru's posture spoke volumes. He gave them a sad smile as he kept talking. It was all coming out now, and he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to. "I couldn't stand by and do nothing, so I got in his way a lot. I became his main target, and others decided I was easy to go after. They spread rumors and accused me of using my quirk on others. The teachers at Aldera didn't care about me. They saw my quirk as villainous, so they sided with Bakugo."

Toru got up and sat next to Izuku, hugging him. "I never realized how bad you had it before coming to my school."

Izuku's shoulder shook as he thought back to everything he had to deal with before meeting Toru and Mina. The pink girl herself was on his other side hugging him as well as Izuku kept talking.

"N-Nemuri caught Bakugo attacking me one day. The police warned him since it was the first official time he got caught. H-he ignored it and attacked me again. I got hurt and ended up at UA to get treated." Izuku rubbed his eyes as tears started to stream down his face. "They helped me. He got in trouble again, but I asked Nezu to go easy and not report it to the police."

His girlfriends tensed, and Mina asked. "Why would you do that? He sounds like a huge asshole who doesn't deserve it."

Izuku chuckled. "He really was, but he used to be my friend, and I saw potential in him to be a good hero. I also knew he would end up a vigilante or, worse, a villain if he was kept out of hero schools. I don't know if my old friend will ever come back, and frankly, I don't think I care anymore. I have Nemuri, Hirooki, you two, Hitoshi, and Himiko. I just don't want him to realize where he went wrong before he hurts anyone else. I asked Nezu why he listened to me back then, and he gave his reasons. it's stuff I probably shouldn't talk about to others."

Toru squeezed him as she said. "Well, hopefully, he becomes a better person, and if he doesn't, I'll fry him with my laser beams."

Mina giggled. "I'll melt what's left with my acid, and no one will be the wiser."

Izuku laughed as his tears dried, and he hugged them closer. "You two are more than I ever thought I'd have. I'm glad you're here. I-I love you two so much. Thank you for being in my life."

The girls blushed hard and buried their faces in his shoulders as they muttered their love for him and each other. After a bit, Mina stood up. "Alright, come on, we're going to the park and going on a walk. We can't just sit around here all day."

Izuku and Toru smiled as they got up and followed Mina out the door.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku sat in Hitoshi's kitchen as his friend was putting together some dinner. Izuku had offered to help, but Hitoshi admitted he doesn't work well with others in the kitchen. As Izuku waited, he asked. "How have you been? I feel like we haven't hung out outside of school in a while."

Hitoshi shrugged, "I'm good, and don't worry about it. I don't need you guys around all the time. I'll let you know if I feel like doing something."

Izuku chuckled and petted a black cat as it hopped onto the table. "If you say so. Hey, how many cats do you have?"

Hitoshi looked at the black cat on the table before turning back to what he was doing. "Three. Shadow who's on the table, Coco and her sister Vanilla who are somewhere."

"You're lucky your place allows pets. I'm pretty sure Nemuri would have gotten something by now if she could have one." Izuku said as Shadow purred and stretched out in front of Izuku.

Hitoshi snorted. "I don't think my dad could handle living somewhere without his cats."

"It's only logical. Studies prove pets help with a person's mood. As a pro, I need to be at the top of my game physically and emotionally. The cats help with that."

Izuku looked up to see a very tired and disheveled man standing in the doorway. He looked at Izuku and said, "You're Nemuri's kid. We haven't met yet. I'm Shota Aizawa."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, uh I"m Izuku Midoriya. Hitoshi told me about you; you're Eraserhead. It's nice to meet you, sir."

Shota waved him off. "Aizawa is fine. I'm not working right now. What are you two doing?"

Hitoshi's glanced over as Aizawa grabbed a few jell packs from the fridge. "We're just catching up and eating dinner. His mom is out on a date, and his girlfriends have family stuff to do, so he's all alone tonight. I took pity on him and let him come over."

Izuku scoffed, "You make me sound desperate for human contact. All I did was ask if you wanted to hang out."

Hitoshi nodded. "The desperation was evident in your voice. It's ok to admit to it. There's no shame in wanting to be around people."

Shota shook his head as he started making coffee. "Nemuri says you're going for UA. Have you thought of asking her for a recommendation?"

Izuku scratched his chin. "I'm not sure. I didn't know if UA teachers could recommend people."

"They can. We just don't do it a lot. I offered to recommend Hitoshi but-"

"But I declined. I've already decided I want to get in through the normal exam even if it'll be hard." Hitoshi said as he plated up dinner.

Shota shrugged and poured his coffee into a travel mug, and headed for the door. "It's your choice. You two have fun and don't mess up my apartment. I'll see you in the morning Hitoshi."

Hitoshi put the plates down as he said. "See you, tomorrow dad."

After Shota was gone, Izuku groaned and said. "Shit, I forgot to ask for an autograph."

Hitoshi chuckled as he started to eat. "Guess you'll have to ask when you see him again."

Izuku stared at his friend with a flat look. "I've known you since our first year. We're halfway done with our second, and this was the first time I met him. I have a better chance of running into him at UA than I do in his own apartment."

Hitoshi laughed as he pushed Shadow away from his dinner. "True."

___________________________________________________________________

Izuku yawned as he walked into his apartment. He had stayed at Hitoshi's longer than he thought, and it was late. He was just glad it wasn't a school night. As he walked by the kitchen, he noticed the light on and stopped expecting to see Nemuri up. The silver eyes of Hirooki were not what he was expecting to see. Hirooki slowly stopped drinking the glass of water and smiled. "Hey... your home."

Izuku nodded, his tired brain not really clicking things into place. "Yeah... goodnight."

"...Goodnight."

Izuku went to his room and slipped into his pajamas before laying down and getting comfortable. He closed his eyes and felt sleep creeping into his mind until it came to a grinding halt, and his eyes shot open.  'That was Nemuri's shirt they were wearing. Also, it's like two am... fuck I should have stayed at Hitoshi's.'

Izuku struggled to fall asleep after that and spent almost two hours staring at his ceiling, letting his mind go blank as he refused to think about anything now. He fell asleep eventually and woke up the next morning feeling tired but unable to go back to sleep. Though he closed his eyes and refused to get up anyway. He was not going to participate in any awkward morning run-ins. He'd just stay in bed till someone texted him or knocked on his door.

__________________________________________________________________

Nemuri sipped her coffee as Hirooki sat across from her and smirked. "So is he gonna just stay in his room all morning?"

Nemuri sighed. "I wouldn't blame him." She covered her face. "I can't believe you two ran into each other last night."

Hirooki chuckled. "I'm just glad he didn't realize I wasn't wearing pants. That would have been embarrassing."

Nemuri groaned and let her head hit the table. "I didn't think he was coming home."

Hirooki patted her head. "It's ok. This is all normal stuff. Besides, it's not like I'm trying to move in. This will still be your and Izuku's space. I just stopped by for longer than usual."

"I guess you're right." Nemuri picked her head up to see Izuku walking into the living room. "O-oh good morning Izuku."

Izuku stopped and smiled a bit. "Hey... uh, I gotta skip breakfast. Toru said she had something to talk about. I'll be back later."

"Tell her I said hello and make sure you eat something. You gotta stick to that diet your trainer gave you."

"I will," Izuku called out as he put his shoes on and left.

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Toru groaned as she woke up and rolled out of bed. Her extended family came over and stayed way too late. She had desperately wanted Izuku and Mina there, but her grandparents were... old fashioned. While they wouldn't have had a problem with her dating either Izuku or Mina, they would not have understood the three of them together. She walked into the bathroom as she let her quirk roll across her skin. Ever since she got One for All, her quirk felt like a tensed muscle, so she would 'stretch it' by refracting light all over her body and changing its color as she stretched her actual muscles. Toru reached down and splashed some cold water on her face to help her wake up before looking back up and screaming.

___________________________________________________________________

Izuku looked around the beach, trying to spot his invisible girlfriend. He checked his phone and saw she said she was on her way. It was odd, though, that she hadn't texted in the group chat. Maybe she was going to plan something for Mina's birthday. It was coming up soon.

Izuku turned as he heard footsteps behind him and stopped as a pretty girl smiled at him. Her face was splashed with freckles, and her eyes were different colors. The left one was a bright green, nearly the same shade as his own eyes, and her right eye was a coral pink. Like her eyes, her hair was two-toned. The left side was coral pink with streaks of brown, and the right side brown with streaks of coral pink. "Hey~ what are you doing here?"

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed, and tried not to blush as the very pretty girl got closer. Her voice sounded familiar but off in some way, so he couldn't tell who it sounded like. "Um, waiting for my girlfriend... Do I know you?"

He groaned internally as the girl threw her arms around his shoulders.  'Why do all the really forward girls run into me?'

"What's your girlfriend look like?"

Izuku tried to back away but found her grip stronger than he thought. "U-um invisible... around your height... and build..."

"Invisible? So you don't even know what your girl looks like? How do you really know if you like her? She could look like anything."

Izuku's look hardened. "Doesn't matter. I love her for who she is, not what she might look like."

The girl blushed hard and released him before covering her face and groaning. Her voice stopped sounding off, and Izuku's eyes widened as she disappeared and spoke. "Oh my god, I can't do this. I was gonna mess with you, but that was so sweet, and ugh, I love you so much."

"Toru?!"

The invisible girl became visible and showed her face again as she smiled. "Surprise."

Toru stared at her boyfriend as he went through several emotions and variations of emotions while his mouth hung open like a fish. "I... you. You were. Are visible and... you look so cute."

She blushed as he cupped her cheeks and looked closer at her face. "You have freckles."

Toru giggled and tried to keep her focus on her quirk and not her boyfriend getting very close to her face and staring at her intently. She idly remembered the intense look he had when he won her the stuffed rabbit. He was currently doing that face as he inspected her now visible features. "You... How did this happen?"

"U-um well. I was stretching and using my quirk. I told you how tense it felt in the morning and when I looked in the mirror this morning, I saw my face." She gave him a quick peck on the lips before putting some space between them so she could focus on something other than his eyes. "After the panic subsided, I managed to do it again and showed my family. Then I decided to try and tease you but you... well, you're too sweet, and I couldn't handle it."

Izuku blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, you and Mina aren't gonna be around all the time, so I need to deal with forward people who hit on me by myself. They need to know how much I love you two and that I'm taken."

Toru closed the distance and kissed him again so he wouldn't see her embarrassed face. She held the kiss a bit longer than usual and felt herself relax and become invisible again as Izuku wrapped his arms around her waist. Toru pulled back and rested her head on Izuku's chest. "Stop being such a sweet nerd. I'm trying to focus on my quirk here."

Izuku chuckled, "Sorry... so you need to focus on your quirk to be visible?"

Toru nodded but didn't try to move away as she said. "Yeah, it's easy, and it'll probably become second nature if I keep trying, but... well, when you say the things you do, I get all flustered and lose control."

"Sorry... we should go tell Mina," Izuku said, stepping back so he could look at her.

Toru wanted to just cuddle Izuku, but she knew if they went to Mina's, she could have both of them cuddle her... "Yeah, let's go see Mina right now."

As they walked, Izuku asked. "Are you gonna try and prank her like you did to me?"

Toru tapped her chin. "Hm, no... I don't think I could handle whatever Mian would say. She'd probably see right through my attempt anyways. I'll just show off when we're in her room."

___________________________________________________________________

Izuku knocked on the door and stepped back. He had texted Mina on their way over to make sure she was available. The door opened to reveal a tall, well-built man with pink skin and three horns poking out the top of his black curly hair. His eyes were pink with black sclera, and they scanned the two teens before a smile broke out across his face. "You two must be Midoriya and Hagakure. Mina's partners, right?"

Izuku nodded "um yeah..."

The man held his hand out. "I'm Nakita, her older brother. It's nice to finally meet you two. Wish we could have done so sooner, but it's been crazy for me."

Izuku shook his hand then Toru did as well as she said. "It's ok... is Mina busy? We wanted to talk to her."

"Oh, did she do something?"

"N-no, it's nothing serious," Izuku said, waving his hands frantically.

Nakita laughed, "I'm only messing with you. Come on in; she's in her room. You know the way up?"

Izuku nodded and walked in. They stopped and said hello to Yuki as she held the newest member of the family Yashiro, a boy with a crown of horns poking out of his pink and black hair. His eyes were black with gold irises. They stared up at Izuku and Toru as the teens looked at him. Yuki smiled as she said, "he's a great kid, but honestly, I'm hoping when his quirk comes in, it's acid. Dealing with things melting occasionally is a lot better than a child who can read or affect emotions."

Toru laughed. "Maybe you'll get that rare occurrence, and his quirk won't be like either of yours."

Yuki gave her a deadpan look. "Please don't joke about that."

Izuku chuckled a bit. They moved on as Yashiro started to squirm and cry. Yuki sighed as she started to care for her child's needs.

___________________________________________________________________

Mina opened her door as someone knocked on it and found her partners waiting on the other side. Mina smiled and pulled them into a hug and into her room. "Good to see you two. What's up? Could you just not stand the idea of not seeing me for a day?"

Izuku smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek while Toru kissed her other cheek making Mina blush lilac. Izuku said. "Partly, but also Toru has something she wants to show you."

Mina raised an eyebrow as Toru stepped back and shook her hands, making her silver bracelets jingle. Mina chuckled. "Should I get some shades, so I don't go blind?"

Toru laughed. "Maybe. Izuku acted all cool, but I knew he thought I looked hot."

Mina looked at Izuku, who blushed and cleared his throat. "Just show off already, Toru."

Toru giggled, and Mina turned her attention back to her girlfriend as she glowed, and slowly as Mina's jaw dropped, Toru became visible. Her heterochromatic eyes stared at Mina's black and pink eyes. "Tada. What do you think?"

Mina walked up and cupped Toru's face. "You look so cute, and you have freckles. Oh my gosh, my partners are a couple cuties with freckles!" Mina leaned in closer and whispered to Toru. "Though you were cute even before you could do this."

Toru blushed hard, and Izuku walked up as he said. "I told her pretty much the same thing."

Mina ruffled Toru's hair. "We really do have the cutest girlfriend whether or not she's visible."

Toru's face blushed more, and Izuku said, "If you fluster her too much, she'll lose focus and turn invisible."

"Don't tell her that!" Toru whined as Mina grinned mischievously.

The pink girl made Toru look at her before kissing her suddenly before whispering, "I love you, Toru."

Mina giggled as Toru stepped back and turned invisible after covering her face with her hands. Mina laced her fingers between Izuku's and said. "So I guess One for All did this to her?"

Izuku nodded. "Yep. Seems like it. We should probably tell Nezu and All Might."

Mina leaned her head on his shoulder as Toru collected herself. "Maybe later. For now, let's tease our girlfriend and spend the day together."

The teens snuggled close on Mina's bed with Toru in the middle and watched movies on Mina's laptop for most of the day.

____________________________________________________________________

Nemuri sighed as she sat down, ready to eat with Izuku. Her son chewed his lip before saying. "So... Do you think I should take the recommended exam for UA?"

Nemuri tapped her chopsticks on the table and hummed. "It would probably suit you better. Mina would do good in the standard, and Toru... she's gonna have a hard time in either practical exam."

Izuku chuckled, "I doubt it. She uh... learned some new moves recently."

"Oh, what can she do now?"

"Shoot lasers."

Nemuri choked on her rice and drank some water before staring at Izuku. "What?"

Izuku nodded "she can refract light and fire lasers. They're invisible unless she adds visible light to it."

Nemuri cleared her throat. "Well, then I'd say she'll do fine in the standard exam."

Izuku nodded. "So uh... will you recommend me for the UA exam when we get to that point."

Nemuri nodded. "Of course I will. I'll make sure you're prepared for it. In the meantime, let's keep up your training and try not to let your girlfriends distract you from your studies."

Izuku blushed a bit and said, "I promise they won't."

Nemuri smiled. "Good, now let's eat."

Chapter End Notes

So this is gonna be some stuff that's on my mind. it's all pretty unprompted and maybe some TMI but it's been on my mind so yeah.

before the TMI stuff, I'll let you in on a secret. I've had Toru's visible appearance planned out since I introduced her family. I've just been waiting for the moment I could reveal that everyone's cute invisible girl has freckles. (freckles are one of my favorite things to see on characters.)

I've been thinking about ships a lot. I can ship Izuku with pretty much every girl. when it comes to guys... idk I can't really get into them. not that I'm against them I just don't feel like I could write them or enjoy them.

m/m ships I do like are Kirishima/Bakugo, I haven't read any but I like the idea of Kaminari/Shinso or Kaminari/Sero. I saw a Bakugo/Shinso one that seems kinda nice. though when it comes to Bakugo I mainly see him as aro/ace, with Kirishima or maybe Camie but I need a fic of him with her to be sure.

I'm honestly a simp for any w/w ship. and of course Poly is love Poly is life for me. I'm actually reminding myself all the time with my other two fics that they're not poly stories.

enough about ships onto depression and the real world. I'm not looking for sympathy or anything I just feel the need to put this out in the world and make it real but yeah writing fanfiction is the one thing keeping my depression from being worse. also, I really need to find a real job but I have no idea what to do or look for especially because I'm anxious and unsure of myself when it comes to new work. that's enough of that though I don't wanna dwell on it.

if you read this note you don't need to comment on the depression stuff. like I said it was just for me to vent and feel better. thanks for your support in reading this far. I can't wait for the next chapter and all the ones after that. also hopefully I can write some Blood in HIs Veins this week.

A Strange Friends Return

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku grunted as he ducked under a closed fan. He thrust his arm up and sent a pillar of gas up towards where he was kinda sure Nemuri was, but as he cleared it, she wasn't there. The room was full of both of their gasses. He may have more control, but she had greater output and was a master with her fans. She could manipulate her gas nearly as well as he did. Izuku yelped as a fan smacked the back of his head. Nemuri was also much better at hiding her presence in the gas and moving around him.

Izuku's eyes went blurry as he stumbled into a pocket of Nemuri's quirk. They were both highly resistant to each other's quirks, but it still made them sluggish, and Izuku was feeling very sluggish as Nemuri swiped his feet out from under him and pressed her knee into his gut, and tapped his forehead with her fan as she said. "And that's game. You did a lot better than last time."

Izuku groaned as Nemuri walked over and clicked on the exhaust fans to suck away their quirks. She grabbed two bottles of water and handed one to Izuku as she sat down across from him. Izuku rubbed the back of his head before drinking some water. "Did you have to hit me so hard?"

Nemuri patted his head. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that hard. You're a tough kid; you'll be fine. Just have your girlfriends kiss it better."

Izuku blushed and looked away. "Whatever... So how are things going? You sounded kinda mad yesterday when you were on the phone."

Nemuri sighed and leaned back. "I'm fine. My parents are just being... themselves. Ever since it was revealed that you're my kid, they've been even more incessant on me changing. They don't think Midnight is able to raise a kid."

Izuku shrugged. "Good thing Nemuri is raising me and not Midnight."

"Yeah... they can't seem to get that. Sorry that you had to hear me getting mad." Nemuri said as she got up. "Are you good to go home? I've got to head to UA and do some work."

Izuku nodded and hugged his mom before both grimaced at the gross sweaty show of affection. "See you tonight, Nemuri."

"See you tonight, Izuku."

____________________________________________________________________

The two went their separate ways out of the gym. Izuku texted Mina once he was close to home. He hopped into the shower right away and got into some clean clothes by the time Mina showed up. Mina giggled as she threw her arms around his shoulders "inviting one of your girlfriends over while your mom is gone? How scandalous."

Izuku blushed and gave her a quick kiss before saying. "Come on, I just wanted to hang out a bit before we go see Toru."

Mina smiled. "I know. Sucks that she got sick right as the term ended. We'll have to bring her something."

Izuku hummed and rested his forehead against hers. Mina grinned and leaned in for another kiss. The two teens held it longer than the first before separating. Mina pulled away and said. "I wanna look at your notebooks. It's been a while since I've seen them."

Izuku sighed and led her to his room. Mina sat down at his desk and opened up the most recent notebook as her boyfriend stretched out on his bed. She flicked through a few heroes who had been updated and a couple new ones before finding her page. She smiled and marveled at how well her boyfriend drew.

Mina flipped past her entry to her girlfriend's entry. She noticed how Izuku drew Toru's main portrait without her face present. Sketches of Toru's face were put under the section on her quirk analysis that went over her ability to become visible. "Your art is great, you know."

Izuku hummed and scrolled through his phone. "I'm glad you like it. I uh took your advice, and I started posting my sketches of heroes online."

Mina smiled as she looked at him. "And how's it going?"

Izuku shrugged and winced a bit before putting his phone down. "Pretty good reception. Not that I care much. It's just something to do, you know."

Izuku winced again as he adjusted his position. Mina smiled and got up before laying next to him, so the two were only a couple inches away from each other. "Are you sore from training?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. How's your training been going?"

Mina shrugged and held his hands as she said. "It's alright. Nakita has been home a bit more, so he's been helping me train while dad works."

The two teens laid there as Izuku put his hand on Mina's hip and the other one cupped her cheek. Izuku leaned in, his nose brushing against hers as he gave her another soft kiss. Mina hummed as they separated and rested her forehead against his. "What's with all the kissing? Not that I mind."

"Well, we're going to see Toru, and she's sick, so that means one of us will definitely get sick. I'm kissing you now, so when one of us gets sick and can't kiss the others, I'll be able to survive."

Mina giggled as Izuku kissed her cheek. "Then I'll have to get in some kisses as well."

Mina moved in closer and peppered Iuzku's face with little kisses before settling into soft, drawn-out kisses. Izuku pulled Mina a bit closer as one hand gently ran through her hair, and the other stayed on her hip. Mina leaned into the contact as her hands moved up and racked through Izuku's hair.

The two separated for a moment, and Mina whispered. "I love you. I'm glad you and Toru are in my life."

Izuku's nose brushed against hers and whispered back just as quietly. "I love you too. You two have made my life great."

The two leaned forward, and a more firm kiss took the place of their words. Mina felt a tongue poke her lips, and she parted and let the kiss deepen as they adjusted their position. As their tongues explored each other's mouths, Mina ended up under Izuku, who adjusted his hand on her head. He stopped as his thumb gently pressed against the base of Mina's horn, and she gasped a bit.

Izuku pulled back and let the two of them breathe. Izuku looked at Mina's face, which was more lilac than pink, as she panted and looked up at Izuku. "W-what?"

"You-you're uh horns... we've never touched them before. I didn't think-"

Mina cut him off with a quick kiss. "Shut up... don't talk about it."

"But. why? I thought they were bone. I figured nothing would happen, but you had said you don't like people touching them, so Toru and I avoided them."

Mina's blush refused to fade. "It's... keratin actually like hair and nails, you know. I-I don't feel anything if I touch them. It's like trying to tickle yourself; it doesn't work..." Mina looked away as she muttered. "Someone else has to touch them for me to feel anything from them."

"D- Are you ok with Toru and I touching them?"

Mina's blush deepened as she gave a soft nod and muttered. "Y-yeah... it's ok. Just don't go overboard."

Izuku stared at her horns before gently pressing his thumb against the base and dragging it up. Mina's face scrunched up, and she grabbed his face and kissed him. Things quickly went back to before they parted. Izuku gently caressed her horn with his thumb as his kisses moved to her jaw and neck. His free hand moved up from her hip and slid slowly up her side. Mina gasped and reached her hand down to stop Izuku. "Izu... wait."

Izuku stopped and looked at Mina with concern "w-what's wrong?"

Mina was blushing hard as she panted. "I uh... things are getting kinda intense. It doesn't feel right to um go this direction without Toru."

Izuku's own blush was just as intense as he rolled off to the side and stared at the ceiling. "Y-yeah, you're right..."

"So, um... where did that come from? You're not usually so... aggressive, I guess." Mina said she looked at him.

Izuku looked over at her and said, "I don't know. Maybe because the anniversary of us dating is coming up or because I've just been thinking about how much I love you and Toru lately."

Mina blushed and buried her face in his shoulder. Izuku rubbed the back of her head gently. After a bit of just laying there, Izuku said. "We should head to see Toru."

MIna hummed and wrapped her arms around Izuku. "Yeah... I wanna make sure she's doing ok... I also really wanna cuddle with both of you."

Izuku kissed the top of her head. "Let's go get some stuff for Toru and visit her. We can come back after and watch some movies and cuddle as long as you want."

Mina nodded and kissed his cheek before getting up. "That sounds like a good plan. Let's get going."

____________________________________________________________________

Toru groaned as she laid in bed with her eyes closed and the blankets pulled up to her nose. She had gotten sick right when break started, and she hadn't gotten to see her partners. She missed them and wanted to kiss them and cuddle them, but she couldn't. The invisible girl groaned as someone knocked on her door. She looked over and felt her spirits lift a bit as she saw her partners come in. They had a couple bags from the convenience store she liked.

Mina put the bags on Toru's desk while Izuku walked up to Toru. "Hey. How are you feeling today?"

Toru groaned. "Better now that I get to see you two. I didn't know you were coming over."

Mina giggled. "It was a surprise visit. Hope you don't mind."

"No. I'm glad to see you two. How have you been? What have you been up to today?"

Toru's partners chatted about their day. She watched curiously as they both blushed and stumbled over, telling her about what happened before they came to her. Toru blushed as she thought about them making out. "...oh. I-I don't think I can have this conversation while I'm sick."

Mina and Izuku chuckled, and Izuku said. "That's ok. I-it's uh not something we were looking to talk about today. We just wanted to let you know."

Toru nodded. "Well, thank you for coming, but I think I need to get some more sleep."

Izuku patted her head. "Alright. We'll get out of your hair. Enjoy the snacks when you feel better."

Toru leaned into the touch and hummed. "I will. Love you guys."

Mina smiled as she took Izuku's hand. "Love you too, Toru. Get better soon."

____________________________________________________________________

Himiko clutched her arm as she ran down the alleyway. Tears streamed down from her eyes... correction from her eye. She had been running for so long, ever since that night. Himiko had only meant to be gone for a couple days before returning to her trio, but the police had caught onto her, and she had to run. Then some villains who were totally not cute had gotten a whiff of her and had a bone to pick. It had been one inconvenience after another that led her farther and farther from those three love birds who she got to know.

Himiko's hand moved from her bleeding arm to her phone, so she could dial Giran's number. She needed medical help, and she'd pay whatever it cost at this point. Today was the worst day of her life. She hadn't meant to end up in the city. Stain was currently in, but she counted it a blessing and set about finding him. It had taken a few days, but she finally found him. The person she used to love the most... right up to the point he tried to kill her and called her trash that deserved to die. Her image of him shattered as his blades sliced her right arm and cut into her right eye.

She had gotten lucky, and some hero types heard her screaming and came to rescue her. Himiko bolted at the first opportunity, of course. "Ah, if it isn't my favorite stab, happy blonde. What can I do for you, dear?"

Himiko bit back a scream as her arm accidentally hit the corner as she rounded it. "I need to get patched up now. I'm hurt real bad."

"Alright. Text me your location. I'll tell you who's close by. We'll work out the cost once you're healed up."

Himiko grunted and sent her location to him before nearly tripping over some garbage. "Fuck. This is so not cute."

Giran chuckled before telling her of the location of his contact who would patch her up. Himiko was glad it was close by and had a back door she was told to use. The 'doctor' who was there was not cute by any standard, but they were quiet and did their job well. They even gave Himiko some new clothes that weren't as cute as her uniform, but with how the police have been hounding her, she might have to ditch her super cute school outfit.

Maybe she could start collecting eyepatches to go with her outfits. That would be pretty cute even though it sucks she lost an eye. Himiko pulled on the jeans she was given and winced as she put on the black tank top and white cardigan. She hoped her arm wouldn't scar. She liked her soft, smooth skin, and scars only looked cute on other people. The last thing was a pair of black sneakers. Himiko thanked the woman who patched her up and was gone from the 'doctors' office and the city by the next day. She was planning to stay as far away from Stain as she could. He was totally not cute.

Himiko whipped her tears away as she boarded the train. She needed her trio. She wanted to see their love for each other and feel it by proxy. Cutting them and seeing them bleed was going to have to be put off. She was basically starting over with how long she had been gone. Himiko just hoped they'd still accept her when she got to them.

_________________________________________________________________

Hitoshi and Izuku sat in a booth at a ramen shop. They had been sparring for a few hours and were getting some lunch before going to meet up with Mina and Toru so they could head to their dance class. As Izuku ate, Hitoshi decided that he needed to bring this up before meeting with the others. "I'm considering not going to UA."

Izuku choked and nearly spit his ramen back into the bowel. "Wh-what? Why?"

Hitoshi sighed and stirred his noodles. "Well... I've been thinking about it, and underground heroics would be good for me. I know UA teaches it, but they don't specialize in it at all. They're more for limelight heroes. My dad being an exception. Their curriculum is geared towards limelight heroics, and with my quirk, that's not really an option."

Izuku sipped on some water before asking. "So... what have you been considering instead?"

"Shinketsu has an underground program, and so does Ketsubutsu. I've been thinking about them, but... you and the girls are my friends." Hitoshi blushed and muttered. "And I'd rather not lose that."

Izuku grinned. "Come on, just cause you go to a different school doesn't mean we'll stop being friends. It'll be hard to meet up, but we'll still be friends. I think underground heroics would be the best option, so I say go for it. Give yourself the best chance to become the best hero you can be. Don't let us hold you back."

Hitoshi smiled as he stared at his ramen. "Thanks, man... I've been sitting on this since we talked about the UA exams."

"I'm sure the others will be understanding. Now come on, we gotta eat, or we'll be late."

Hitoshi nodded, and the two boys went back to their meal.

______________________________________________________________________

Mina walked down the street heading home from school when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and checked it, seeing her partners and an unknown number in a new group chat.

Unknown:  head to Dagoba beach cuties.

Mina frowned, and a new message popped up in the group chat with just Toru and Izuku.

Izuku:  Do either of you know this person?

Toru:  Nope

Mina:  I don't either, but 'cuties' could it be Himiko?

Toru:  We haven't seen or heard from her in so long... I'd like to think so, but I'm not sure.

Izuku:  meet at the station near the beach. I'll text Nemuri that we're going there. You should tell your parents as well just in case.

Mina shot off a text to her mom before turning around and heading to the beach to hopefully see Himiko again.

_________________________________________________________________

The three teens met up at the station and headed to the beach together. They were all nervous and a bit worried about whether they were going to see Himiko again or walk into something bad. They arrived and headed down the steps to the beach. They looked around, spotting a few small groups and people enjoying the water.

"Wow, you all came. I was kinda worried you wouldn't; you three also look super cute as always."

The trio turned to see Himiko at the top of the steps. She was wearing a pair of black sneakers and thigh-highs. A short red skirt left a couple inches of exposed thigh. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt under a tattered black one and had a black choker around her neck. Her hair was in its signature buns. Covering her right eye was a red eyepatch with a set of white vampire teeth making a small open mouth.

As she descended the steps, fear gripped her heart as the trio she loved moved towards her. Mina was the first to reach her and noticed the eyepatch. The pink girl's hands shot up to Himiko's face but stopped short of touching her. "Himiko... where have you been? It's been months."

Himiko gave her best grin as the others showed up. "Oh, you know. Unexpected things happened. Had to go away for a bit, but it's all good. I'm back now." she gave a toothy grin and a double peace sign.

They didn't look convinced or satisfied by that. Izuku asked. "W-what happened, Himiko? You disappeared after showing up covered in blood. Please, if you don't wanna talk here, we can go somewhere else where no one is."

Himiko's smile faltered. "I mean... there's nothing to talk about. Sure, I was gone a lot longer than I meant to be, but hey, stuff happens. It wasn't cute at all for me to leave you guy and gals high and dry, but I'm back, so it's ok."

Toru took a deep breath and did her best to sound cheerful. "Well, then why don't the four of us go grab some snacks, and we can go to Izu's place and catch up. There's so much we wanna tell you about, and Nemuri is out on patrol, right?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, she should be out tonight, so it'll just be the four of us."

Himiko smiled as Toru and Mina led the blonde back to the stairs. "That sounds super fun. It's been so long."

As they walked Izuku, shot a text to Nemuri explaining why he needed her to not come home till he said.

___________________________________________________________________

Himiko grinned as she sat on the couch and listened to the trio talk about what she had missed. As the conversation lulled, Toru asked. "So Himiko... What's with the eyepatch? It looks adorable on you, but why do you need it?"

Himiko tensed before looking around. "Um... it's nothing, really. Just thought it looked cute..."

Izuku looked at her with so much concern in his eyes it made Himiko's gut twist in a mix of joy and revulsion. She liked seeing him concerned about her, but she didn't like the idea of him being sad. "Himiko, please. You can be honest with us. We're your friends, and we just want to make sure you're safe."

Himiko squirmed and decided on a half-truth that should satisfy them. "I got attacked by people who don't like me. So I ran away and had to stay away for a lot longer than I thought, but I'm safe now."

Mina looked concerned as she asked. "A-and the eyepatch?"

Himiko rubbed it and decided the truth would win her some sympathy. "Oh, this silly old thing. I had a run-in with Stain. I thought he'd be cute, but he tried to kill me. Stabbed my arm and took my eye. I found this cute eyepatch, though."

Himiko dug into her pockets and pulled out a couple more. "And I got these as well. They're all pretty cute right?"

Toru looked over the eyepatches of various colors, and a couple even had designs on them. "Oh, those are cute."

Mina nodded before looking at Toru. "Do you wanna show off your new move?"

Toru gasped as she jumped up. "Oh right. Himiko, you're gonna love this. I don't do it unless I'm with Izuku and Mina. I've shown off to Hitoshi and the others, and you're my friend, so you should see it too."

Himiko watched in confusion as Toru stepped away from them. Her eyes widened as Toru slowly became visible and did a little twirl to show off her now visible features. "Tada, I can make myself visible now!"

Himiko jumped to her feet and cupped Toru's face. "Oh, you're so cute. You have freckles too. Ah, that's so amazing. You're so colorful now too."

Toru giggled and held Himiko's hands and led her back to the couch as they kept talking and occasionally trying to pry info from Himiko, but the blonde was a master at avoiding talking about what she didn't want to, and the trio didn't want to push their luck and scare her off. By the end of the night, after some teasing about staying over for a sleepover, the girls all left Izuku's apartment and went their separate ways.

Chapter End Notes

I've been wanting to write the Mina/Izuku scene for a bit. also, this is the end of the pre-UA time. The next chapter will be the entrance exam.

I thought about it a lot and was influenced by the fic MIdoriya Plus Three-Sixty-FIve to have Shinso go to a different school. I know some of ya'll will be sad that he isn't gonna be around much but I think I like this decision. he can always appear later when need be.

also if you read my other fics you've seen this twice already but I want as many people to see it as I can.

Hey, user Ilysumtimes you commented a fic idea in Hypno's comment section and I liked it so I've thought about it. here are two fics one inspired by Ilysumtimes and the other was an idea I've had for a while.

Fic number one) Izuku Midoriya is the younger brother of HIrooki (Thirteen) he has Blackhole but unlike Hirooki who can only turn the pads of her fingers into black holes Izuku can turn the entire palm of his hand into a black hole. he's scared of his quirk because he hurt or killed someone with it by accident. he lives with Hirooki who teaches at UA and only goes out when she's needed for rescue work. There's more but I'll be vague. They have an older brother who they think is dead just like the Todoroki family.

Fic number two) Izumi Midoriya is the daughter of the Dragoon Hero Ryukyu. unlike her mother, she doesn't have the dragon quirk she has a quirk called drake. it's a mutation quirk that gives her scales covering parts of her body, claws on her feet, retractable claws on her hands, eyes with vertical slits, a tail, and the ability to breath fire. she meets Nejire at her mom's agency and she has a certain blood kitty senpai in school she's concerned about. that's right it'll be an all lady Izumi/Nejire/Himiko poly ship where Himiko is a hero and they're all in different years at UA.

I don't know when I'll write these. I already have three fics actively going on and one on hiatus I don't want to overload myself but also these seem like so much fun and I wanna write them. maybe I'll just write a bit and see where it goes. if I get a chapter I get a chapter and I'll post it but I wanna keep my focus on My Feral Lady, Watching Over You, and Hypno. of course I'm still looking at what to do with Blood in His Veins.

anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter and tell me what you think of the fics.

UA Entrance Exam

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku took a deep breath as he headed towards UA. His last year of high school was coming to a close, and it had been uneventful for the most part. His relationship with Toru and Mina had developed more, and while they hadn't gone further than making out sometimes, they talked about it and figured it would be best to wait until it felt like a better time. Hitoshi had continued to be the same great friend as always and decided to take Shinketsu's entrance exam once they rolled around. Himiko, over that time, had stayed more or less the same. There was a tense moment where she explained her quirk and how it drove most people away from her, but the trio welcomed her with open arms telling her they were all criticized and ostracized to some degree while growing up because of their quirks. While it wasn't to the same extent as Himiko, they knew a bit of what she felt. It brought the girl closer to them, but they could tell she was still hiding a lot about herself from the trio.

As he entered the campus, he spotted his mother, who smiled and motioned for him to come over. Izuku sighed and walked up as he said. "Hello, Ms.Midnight; what can I help you with today?"

Midnight chuckled. "Nothing. I was just wondering how you're feeling? I'm sorry I had to leave early this morning. Power Loaders bots are acting up, so we had to set up the practical ourselves."

Izuku shrugged as he said. "It's alright. So what are we doing for the practical?"

Midnight chuckled as they walked. "Oh, you know I can't tell you, but I'm sure you'll do fine. You're a smart and fit kid. You've got good control of your quirk, so don't be afraid to use it."

Izuku nodded and chatted idly with his mom as they headed towards the room for the written test.

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Momo Yaoyorozu sat patiently waiting for the proctor of the written exam to show up. All but one desk was filled, and the teacher had yet to show up even though it was getting close to the start time. She tried not to let her nerves get to her, but she still sighed with relief as the door slid open. The first to enter was a boy her age. He was tall and with a thin yet powerful-looking build like the dancers she would see when her parents took her to ballet shows. He was dressed as casually as the rest of them in a pair of black gym shorts and a forest green tank top, as well as some pristine-looking red sneakers.

Either he just bought them, or he took good care of his footwear. Momo didn't have time to ponder the mundane question as Midnight strode in right behind him and gently pushed the boy towards the empty seat while squeezing his shoulder. Momo noted the boy seemed more annoyed than flustered like most boys her age would have been having Midnight of all people actually putting a hand on them.

As Izuku sat down, Midnight sat on the desk and dramatically crossed her legs, making him roll his eyes as the attention she was getting. "Well, look at all you lovely young UA hopefuls; you seem to be positively overflowing with determination. It's wonderful to see such enthusiasm in the young."

Midnight hopped off the desk and grabbed a few stacks of packets, and passed them to the first person in each row. "You will have two hours to finish this test to the best of your ability. No cheating, or I'll have an extra special punishment for you. The test begins once the minute hand changes. Do your best and know I'm rooting for you!"

As the test started, Izuku zeroed in on the content and was thankful that his girlfriends had actually buckled down and studied with him instead of distracting him and each other. The content of the test was already difficult, but it seemed like they were intentionally making the questions harder with strange wording and different ways of formatting each question. He supposed it could be a way of showing how different people will write or present reports differently and not always to a standard or format you deem suitable. Izuku shook the stray analysis of the test and got back to actually taking the test.

A soft groan from the front of the class drew most people's attention. Izuku glanced up to see what his mother was trying to pull. Midnight sitting on the desk and stretching in an overly exaggerated way. Her hands above her head as she arched her back and let out a soft groan. Izuku wanted to smack his face against the desk but knew that would draw unwanted attention. He knew what she was doing because she had explained an aspect of UA's teaching method to him before.

The course load was pretty standard with core classes, extras like hero art history, hero ethics, and heroics 101, which covered the combat, rescue, and even paperwork side of heroics. What made UA special was the quick pacing and what the teachers did while teaching. Each one was different apparently, but while bombarding their classes with new information, every day, each teacher would do things that would trip up focus or grab attention. The point of this was to get students ready for the chaotic nature of hero work where there would be multiple things to focus on and occasionally random distractions that could trip you up in the field.

His mother being Midnight meant she used her sex appeal and lewd personality to fluster her students and grab their attention off what she was teaching. Living with Nemuri for as long as he had meant after rolling his eyes at those who got distracted, he went back to his test.

__________________________________________________________________

After the written test was done, Momo stood outside in her workout outfit. A pair of black running shorts, a black sports bra, and a red crop top jacket that she kept closed. They were waiting again for the proctor to show up. As they waited, she spotted the person she wanted to talk to. She had noticed his behavior during the written exam and wanted to speak to him.

Izuku glanced over, and a frankly gorgeous girl with black hair walked up to him. She was about the same height as him. Earlier in his life, just seeing her approach would have left him a mess, but after living with Nemuri, dating two wonderful and beautiful girls who teased him to no end, and being friends with Himiko, he was pretty sure nothing fazed him anymore. As long as she wasn't super forward and hit on him right away, he should be fine.

The girl bowed her head a bit as she said. “Hello I’m Momo Yaoyorozu. I was hoping I could speak to you for a moment before the practical starts."

Izuku smiled as he turned to speak to her. "Sure thing. I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well. Midoriya, if you don't mind me asking. I was wondering about your behavior during the written exam."

Izuku cocked his head to the side. "Did I do something distracting? Oh man, I hope I wasn't mumbling. I do that sometimes."

Momo waved her hands. "No, it's not that. It's just... several other test takers let's say, reacted to or were distracted by Ms.Midnight. You, on the other hand, rolled your eyes after seeing what she was doing. Is there a reason for that?"

Izuku scratched his cheek and hummed. "I guess... I knew what she was trying to do and thought it was funny that people fell for it."

He watched Momo's eyebrows knit together in thought. "What was she doing? Other than stretching or the occasional noise."

"Well, she was trying to distract us while we were taking an already hard test. Think of it as an extra challenge since we're recommended students. She used her character and natural... assets; I suppose to try and trip us up."

Momo hummed and rubbed her chin. "I see. I thought it was odd that a professional such as herself would be that distracting. Even if she was staying in character while in costume, her actions would seem odd if not intentional."

Izuku blinked and looked at her. "Character?"

Momo nodded as she looked at him. "Yes, I'm a firm believer that Midnight is a character that the hero uses while in costume. Many heroes have these sort of alternate personalities that they use to manage the stress and interact with fans. I highly doubt she is just naturally like that all the time."

Izuku chuckled. "I'm surprised not many people realize Midnight is just a personality she uses."

"Oh. You knew that as well? Are you a fan of hers or something?" Momo asked. She was really hoping that since he knew Midnight was most likely just a personality that he wasn't one of the R-rated heroes... stranger fans.

Izuku nodded and held his hand up, and a bit of green gas leaked from his palm. He quickly willed it away from them so Momo wouldn't get affected. "I am. My quirk has the same effect on people as hers. It's different in some ways, but I've always looked up to her. She was proof that someone with my kind of quirk could be a hero."

Momo stared at the smoke as it glided away against the wind and dispersed. "I see. That makes sense. I've also looked up to her quite a bit. She has some wonderful lessons on self-confidence and not being ashamed of oneself, especially when it comes to quirks."

Izuku smiled a bit, remembering the times he watched Nemuri practice some lines before going out on patrol. She always knew she'd get stopped by the media, so she practiced some inspirational lines to say to the camera before running off again. "What is your quirk? If you don't mind me asking."

Momo shook her head. "It's quite alright. My quirk is called creation. I turn lipids into new atoms and can create anything nonliving as long as I know the chemical makeup and atomic structure of the item in question." she demonstrated by making a Russian nesting doll in the palm of her hand.

As Izuku picked up the offered doll, Momo said. "I need exposed skin to create, or the creation could tear what I'm wearing. I've been a fan of Midnight since I heard her talking about why she dresses the way she does and how people shouldn't feel ashamed of their bodies or what their quirks require."

"She does have some good messages to give out. Too bad most people can't see past the lewd personality." Izuku said as he spotted Present Mic making his way over to the students.

The Pro shouted, making several students, including Momo, jump. "Heyo! What's happening, little listeners? I'll be your proctor for this practical exam. It's pretty simple. Your job is to get on the start line, and when signaled, you'll run to the other end of the obstacle course. Quirks are allowed. You'll be going six at a time, so check your numbers and look at the screen when yours comes up. Go line up and get ready to go, plus ultra! Once you're done, you'll follow the Ectoplasm clone to the waiting area for the interview portion of the test! Good luck!"

Izuku waved to Momo as he walked over to the start line. He was part of the first six runners. As he took his spot, he noticed a boy around his height with white and red hair glaring at the obstacle course, and next to him was an even taller guy with a buzz cut who looked annoyed at being next to the half and half guy. Izuku didn't have time to ponder as the race started. The two next to him took off in a blinding shot of ice and wind. The sudden release stunned everyone, but Izuku recovered quicker and shouted. "Sorry!" as he blasted his quirk back towards the other three runners who slumped over.

Izuku took off as he dispersed his quirk. He didn't hit them with a very concentrated blast, so they'd only be out for thirty seconds at least. It was enough to get him a good head start though he knew he wasn't going to be catching up to the two front runners. By the time Izuku was halfway through the obstacles, the other two had finished. Izuku crossed the finish line and was followed by the other three he had knocked out. They all looked annoyed at him, but no one said anything as they were taken to the waiting area.

___________________________________________________________________

Izuku waved as Momo entered the waiting area, and the girl took a seat next to him as he asked. "So, how did you do on your run?"

Momo hummed. "Fairly well, I think. I came in third of my group. Thankfully I had a large breakfast, so I had enough lipids to work with. I am impressed by you, though. You used your quirk to knock out half the competition for a short period. It seemed like you only hesitated because of that one boy's wind quirk."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, my mom told me not to be afraid of using my quirk on other test-takers. We have to use our quirks to give us every advantage even if it means disadvantaging someone else."

Izuku watched Momo nod as she said. "Perhaps I should have acted more like that. I could have placed higher if I used my quirk to make smoke bombs or flash grenades to make the course harder for others. Even if it doesn't feel very heroic, I do suppose you can't be picky in the field."

"That's a good attitude to have. Hero work isn't easy or clean. Sometimes you gotta fight dirty to win and save lives."

Momo looked over and said, "You speak like you have experience."

Izuku chuckled. "No, I don't, but my mom does. She made sure to teach me some things about heroics before I applied to UA."

"Is your mother a hero?" Izuku smiled at Momo's question. He had decided not to flaunt who his mom was, but he wasn't going to hide it either. If they asked directly who she was, he would tell them.

"Yeah, she's a hero. She graduated from UA, actually. I got my recommendation from her."

Momo blinked in surprise. She had recognized Todoroki and knew he was a legacy kid, but Midoriya just didn't seem like one. "Who is your mom?"

Izuku grinned as he leaned over and said quietly. "I don't like telling people cause they'd probably be weird, so don't go talking about it, but Midnight is my adoptive mother."

Momo sat up as Izuku stood when he was called on. She stared at him in surprise as he gave a wave and walked into Nezu's office.

_____________________________________________________________________

Ochako Uraraka took a deep calming breath as she walked up to the gates of UA. It was even more intimidating than the pictures. She was doing her best not to freak out as she walked towards the front door. She had studied till she nearly forgot her friend's names, and she'd practiced with her quirk till she vomited. She could do this. She would be a hero and save people, and she'd make sure her parents lived comfortable lives. Her foot caught on a loose tile, and she briefly thought about how all her dreams were going to come crashing down as she face-planted into the sidewalk. Only she was stopped by someone grabbing her arm. Ochako quickly reached over and grabbed the arm holding her while making sure to keep her pinkie raised.

Ochako felt the muscular arm and assumed some guy had grabbed her. She hoped he wouldn't be weird or pushy like that dude at the train station. She had nearly floated him into the clouds. She was surprised when she looked over and saw nothing... well, not nothing. She did see a set of floating workout clothes next to a taller pink girl with horns.

Ochako realized she was holding the floating clothes arm and that the clothing was a girl who spoke. "Are you ok? That would have sucked if you fell on the way in."

Ochako nodded. "I um yeah... Thank you for catching me."

The invisible girth giggled in such a cute way. "It's no problem."

She let go of Ochako and started walking. "Good luck today."

Ochako waved. "Um yeah, good luck." her eyes wandered over the two girls as they walked away. The pink was taller and leaner, but she had curves in all the right places. Ochako would compare her to a breakdancer she watched on youtube. Meanwhile, the Invisible girl was shorter, but if her arm was any indication, she was jacked, and her... assets weren't bad either. Ochako blushed and quickly slapped her cheeks.  'Come on, Ochako, keep it together; you can't let pretty girls distract you. You need to pass this test.'

___________________________________________________________________

Mina smiled as they waited for the practical test to be explained. The written exam was easy. She was so glad the recommended test was a week before the normal test. Since it gave Izuku extra time to make sure his girlfriends were ready. She knew by Toru's posture that she was satisfied as well with how she did. Mina's eyes scanned the crowd, and she spotted some interesting people. She found herself trying to guess at quirks like Izuku would, but she knew she didn't have his skill for analysis. Some people did look interesting, like the half and half boy with red and white hair. It reminded her of Toru, but Toru looked so much cuter than him.

Present Mic came out on stage giving a loud greeting and getting nothing back. The Pro huffed and clicked on the projector to start his breakdown of the practical. Mina grinned as she realized they would be destroying robots. It would be so much fun and a good challenge since she'd have to make sure she didn't get acid on other test-takers. As the presentation wrapped up, everyone started moving to their designated areas, and Toru gave Mina a quick kiss on the cheek and wished her luck before going to her bus.

_____________________________________________________________________

The test was going great. Mina was skating around on acid while dodging robots and other test-takers. She pulled a viscous and highly corrosive acid into both her hands and threw the globs at the eyes of a couple two-pointers. Their heads hissed and melted as the robots shut down. In all the excitement, she had forgotten to keep count, but she felt confident she'd have enough by the end of it.

The pink girl stumbled to a stop as the ground rumbled, and she turned to see a robot leaning over one of the buildings staring down at everyone. There was a brief pause where everyone stopped and simply stared at the massive behemoth as they realized the zero-pointer was not to scale in the presentation.

Panic broke out, and everyone scrambled away as the robot started moving towards them. Everyone but Mina who had a crazy idea on how to slow this thing down. She skated away a bit before stopping and turning. She shouldn't do this, but some of her fellow hero hopefuls looked tired and weren't moving as fast as they needed to be, and this thing would just keep trashing stuff up until the test ended. Someone could get hurt if no one did anything about it.

Mina shook her hands and adjusted her acid. It was as thin as water, but it was as acidic as she could make it. She cupped her hands, making a nozzle with her fingers, and started spraying towards the tracks that the robot moved on. If she could break them, it wouldn't be able to advance. The only issue was it had taken notice of her and was rearing back to crush her with its massive fist. Mina yelped and stopped spraying. She quickly adjusted her acid for skating and slipped away from where its fist was going to land. Mina stopped closer to its tracks and started spraying again. Her hands hurt, and she was starting to feel dehydrated, but the tracks on its left leg were almost broken.

With a horrendous tearing noise and a lot of smoke, Mina grinned and turned to the right track, where she sprayed until it was ruined as well. As the monster sputtered and groaned, trying to move forward on tracks that wouldn't work, Present Mic called an end to the exercise, and the machine stopped. Mina collapsed and looked at her hands. they felt raw, and she desperately needed something to drink.

___________________________________________________________________

Toru sprinted down the streets of the mock city and built up energy in her hands. She thrust the right one forward, making sure to mix visible light into the laser as it fired. She had started doing this in her training so that people wouldn't accidentally walk into it and get hurt. The three-pointer she pointed at bubbled, and its chest melted as the laser continued on and destroyed two one-pointers behind it. She had noticed her lasers getting stronger and stronger as she trained them. One for All really had a lot of power in it. She felt like her training was accelerating faster ever since she received the quirk.

The ground rumbled and shook as Toru looked up and cursed, seeing the zero-pointer looming over them all. The robot's massive hand shattered a building like it was a sandcastle and a scream caught the invisible girl's attention. She looked and saw the cute brunette from the front gate. Her leg pinned in an awkward way that kept her from reaching the rubble with her hand. Toru guessed she needed to touch something to use whatever her quirk was.

Her attention was quickly brought back to the zero-pointer as it rolled towards the pinned girl. Toru didn't even have to think about it. She simply ran towards the danger as the power built up in her arms. A little issue with her lasers was that Toru would burn her arms if the power was too high. It hadn't ever been worse than a sunburn that laser had melted through an inch of stainless steel in under five seconds. Toru felt the power reaching that upper limit and decided to push it a little farther. She wanted to make sure this robot didn't have a chance.

Toru came to a stop and winced, feeling the burn start to set in. She thrust both her hands forward, making sure her wrist were together so the lasers would come out as a single beam, and she decided to add some red light to it for dramatic effect. She really needed a name for this move. She knew all heroes had super move names, and this hurt enough to feel like a super move.

The lasers combined and tore through the sky, hitting the zero-pointer right in the middle eye. The machine sputtered and groaned as its faceplate melted the laser carved through the less durable insides and busted out the back. All in all, Toru fired the laser for ten seconds and reduced the zero-pointers head to slag. She stumbled and fell on her back near the brunette, who finally managed to reach the rubble.

Toru groaned as Ochako scrambled over and winced as she realized her ankle was sprained. "Oh my gosh, are you ok? That was crazy. You just melted its face!"

Toru groaned and focused on her quirk, making herself visible. She didn't want to, but she needed to see her arms, and she needed to let Recovery Girl see them. Ochako gasped, and Toru sat up to look at her arms. They were an angry red, and blisters were forming along her forearms. "Oh, that's gross."

Ochako blushed a bit seeing the now visible Toru. she looked really cute, and oh no, she was getting distracted again. A cane suddenly struck the invisible girl's head. Both girls looked over at Recovery Girl, who frowned as she said. "Look at what you did to your arms. I know you know your limits, and yet you went past them."

Toru pouted as the nurse kissed her cheek. "I had to so I could save... what's your name?"

Ochako blinked as she watched Toru's arms heal. “Um... oh right Ochako Uraraka.”

As Recovery Girl healed Ochako, Toru vanished and said. "Toru Hagakure. Nice to meet you."

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri had an issue. She was watching the entrance exam with everyone else like always. She had seen how well Mina and Toru were doing and felt proud of the girls. All their time and effort were paying off, and she knew they'd be making it in. The thing that had been bothering her all day was Izuku and his girlfriend's personal trainer. Izuku had described Toshinori Yagi to her, so imagine her surprise when the man showed up to UA today and suddenly buffed up to reveal that he was All Might. Nemuri listened to his explanation about the injury and how his time declined, but it had gone up a bit over the past few years due to a lifestyle change. Nemuri realized Izuku putting together that packet for their trainer as a gift for him a few years ago was a gift for the Number One hero of Japan whether or not they knew it was a totally different issue.

That was another thing. Did Mr.Yagi, as he asked to be called when not All Might, tell her son who he was? Did any of the teens know their trainer was actually the strongest man in the world, or did they think he was just a skinny kind man who was suffering from a grievous injury? These were questions for later, though. She needed to focus on the test and not the fact that her son had been getting tutored by the number one hero... Nemuri's head hit the desk, and she groaned softly, earning a few odd looks.

____________________________________________________________________

The time had come. The UA letters had arrived, and the trio was all together, ready to open them in Izuku's apartment. They had invited Hitoshi, but the boy had told them he was busy training and that he had gotten into Shinketsu. They were happy for their friend and made sure to set aside time before the move-in dates to hang out with him. Since Hitoshi hadn't come, they invited Himiko, who was more than eager to lounge around and watch the hero hopefuls open their letters.

Mina and Toru got the standard acceptance speech from All Might, who announced he would be teaching at UA, as well as a more personal note about how much they had progressed over the years. Himiko gave them a surprised look but kept quiet as Izuku played his acceptance letter. It was from All Might again, and it again had the personal note at the end. Himiko thought it was pretty neat that the trio apparently knew All Might, but it was also surprising. She'd ask about it later, though, as Mina suddenly shot up from her seat and cheered. "Yes! After three fucking years, I finally get to be a class with my partners!"

Toru and Izuku checked their letters and saw that they were all in class 1-A. Mina practically tackled them in a hug that they returned. Once their pink partner was calmed down, they went over the move-in process. Izuku being recommended would be moving in a day before them. Izuku smiled. "Well, that just means I'll be able to help you both when you move in."

The girls nodded, and once they were sure they read everything, the trio put the letters to the side and grabbed some snacks. Himiko asked about All Might's notes at the end and the trio quickly covered with him, knowing him a bit through their personal trainer Mr.Yagi. Himiko could tell it wasn't the full truth, but who was she to judge. Sure she had told them about her quirk, but they still didn't know much about her, and she liked it like that. The amount they knew let her be comfortable around them and let her feel the love and warmth they had for each other and her while also ensuring they don't pry too much and learn about the things that would make them hate her.

___________________________________________________________________

After a couple hours of hanging out, Himiko left the trio to go find a new place to sleep. Her old squatting ground wasn't good anymore. As the blonde walked down the street, she was unaware of the presence high above her, staring down as his red feathers danced idly in the wind. Hawks tapped his comms and said. "I've got eyes on her. She left the apartment finally... are you sure we should be getting her involved in this? I know she's a murderer, but she's also a kid; there are better programs we could stick her in... no sir, I understand. I'll move once the retrieval team is in place."

Chapter End Notes

I was unsure if I wanted to show Himiko's story after this chapter but I think I will. it won't interact with the Trio for a bit but I think you'll enjoy getting to see what she's up to while the others are in school.

Moving into the Dorms

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Everything hurt, and her vision was swimming. Someone had jumped her after leaving Izuku's apartment, and they managed to take her down. The fact that she was alive was concerning; most people who didn't like her would have just killed her right then and there. Himiko blinked the stars out of her eye and tried to focus. She was tied down to a chair, and the room was really dark, but she could feel a presence to her right. "Who's there? I know you're here."

A low whistle sounded from the right, and a voice spoke up. "Nice job, kid, you've got sharp senses."

Himiko winced, and her head throbbed as the lights flicked on. As her vision adjusted, she saw the number three hero Hawks standing in front of her. He smiled, and Himiko wanted to stab him. "Listen, some people are gonna come in soon and tell you some stuff. They're gonna offer you something. Here's my advice, just agree because it's not a real offer; it's a threat."

A door behind Himiko opened, and a woman's voice barked. "Hawks. Get out now."

The pro laughed and walked away as a woman with blonde hair stepped into Himiko's line of sight. Her eyes were cold and serious. "Himiko Toga, age eighteen, parents deceased. Has been living on the streets as a villain since she attacked and nearly killed a classmate back in junior high. Her quirk allows her to transform into people whose blood she drinks. Drugs and alcohol in the bloodstream can negatively affect her ability to use her quirk. It's unknown how many people she may have killed until today."

Himiko scoffed. "Should I be impressed?"

"Has a positive relationship with Mina Ashido, Toru Hagakure, and Izuku Midoriya. Three people who will be attending UA's hero course soon. It would be a shame for them to learn of your crimes and for their own careers to falter before they even had a chance to start."

Himiko tensed and glared at the woman. "If you do anything to them, I will-"

"I never said I would. I simply stated how unfortunate it would be if these things happened. The Commission can keep this from happening with your help, of course." the woman said as she continued to stare down at Himiko.

Himiko growled and strained against her chair. "Fuck you."

The woman shrugged. "If that's your answer, I'll get started on making sure those three never become heroes."

As she started to walk away, Himiko tried to lunge, but the chair didn't budge. "Fuck! Fine, what do you want me to do?"

The woman smiled and stepped back to her original position. "Your quirk is perfect for infiltration. You'll work with Hawks and others once we deem you fit; you'll get your first mission."

The door opened, and two men in suits stepped in as the woman said. "Welcome to the Commission's UHD, also known as the Undercover Heroics Department Himiko Toga. Hopefully, by the time you die, you'll have started to make up for the lives you took."

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku slung his backpack on and left his now empty room. All of his stuff was already at UA. It was just waiting for him to unpack it into his new home for the next four years. Nemuri smiled. "Ready to go?"

Izuku nodded and followed Nemuri out to the car, and the two headed to UA. As they rode, Nemuri asked. "Are you nervous about starting at UA?"

Izuku chuckled. "Yeah, a bit but Toru and Mina are going to be there. Also, you and Hirooki, so I'm sure I'll manage."

"Just so you know, I won't give you any special treatment. You're just another student while on campus."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I know. I wouldn't expect anything else."

Nemuri ruffled his hair. "Good."

The rest of the car ride was filled with chatter about anything and everything. Once they were at UA, Izuku headed towards the dorms while Nemuri got ready for work.

It didn't take long for Izuku to find the 1-A dorms and enter. He was surprised and glad to see the other recommended student was already here. "Hello, Yaoyorozu. It's good to see you again."

The black-haired girl jumped a bit and looked over as she stopped pouring a cup of tea. "Oh, Midoriya. It's wonderful to see that you passed as well. Would you like some tea?"

Izuku put his backpack down next to one of the couches as he said. "Sure, if you wouldn't mind."

"Of course not. Tea is something I thoroughly enjoy making and drinking. Also, the dorm rules and who's sleeping where is on the counter."

Izuku checked out the room arrangements as Momo poured him a cup of tea. It looked like he was on the third floor in the room farthest from the stairs. There was an empty room between him and the other two people on his floor. Izuku sipped the tea and blinked. "This is really good."

Momo smiled brightly as she placed the pot down. "I'm glad you like it. This particular tea is one I always make sure to have on hand."

Izuku hummed and took another sip as he sat at the counter and started to read the rules of the dorms, and Momo stood across from him and sipped her tea. The silence felt a bit stifling as Iuzku read, especially with Momo's eyes flicking over to him every so often. Eventually, he sighed and looked up at her. "Is everything ok, Yaoyorozu?"

"O-oh um yes. It's alright. I was just wondering... at the exam, you said Midnight was your adoptive mother. Were you serious about that?"

Izuku chuckled. "Yes, I was. I'm surprised, though, there was a photo of us that got used in a few magazines."

Momo blushed a bit. "Ah yes. Well, I did see that photo, but it wasn't a very good one. It doesn't really look like you."

"Hm, well ain't that lucky. I'm guessing you have questions?"

Momo nodded and walked around to sit next to him. "Yes, I do. Midnight has been a tremendous influence on my life, especially in the last couple of years." The black-haired girl sighed. "Ever since I started high school, I have had some... issues with how I look."

Izuku eyed her quickly, and it clicked what she meant. Nemuri had brought it up once when talking to Toru and Mina. The problems a lot of women have of being sexualized because of their body type and the proportions of their assets, as she put it. Izuku's pretty sure she only said it like that because she knew he was in the kitchen cooking and could hear them.

Izuku spoke as he looked at the kitchen, checking out what he had to work with. "Nemuri has mentioned some of what women go through. Not to me directly, but I was in the room as she talked about it. It's part of why she has the character Midnight and why she pushes the topics she does."

Momo smiled. "Yes, it was thanks to her speaking so brazenly on the topics of women and how they're viewed that helped me come to terms with my body. Though I believe I'm getting off-topic. I wanted to ask about her when she isn't in costume and why she decided to adopt you. If you wouldn't mind talking about those subjects, if not, we can discuss other things."

"No, it's fine," Izuku said while shaking his head. "Obviously, I can't talk about everything, but I can tell you a bit of what Nemuri Kayama is like when she isn't playing Midnight. As for why she adopted me... I guess it was the similarities we had."

Momo cocked her head to the side as Izuku continued. "As you know, my quirk is very similar to hers. I call mine Narcolepsy, and I have a decent degree of control over the gas as long as it's near me and it puts people to sleep much like her quirk does, but I guess what really got her attention was the bullying."

Izuku watched Momo's face turn to surprise and shock. "You were bullied? That's terrible. Why would anyone do that?"

Izuku shrugged. "I was an easy target, I guess. I'm a guy with the power to put you to sleep, and everyone assumes teenage boys are just horny little bastards, so rumors were spread, and lies were told. It didn't help that someone who I was in school with most of my life had a powerful emitter quirk that grabbed everyone's attention. They praised him, and he picked on me, so everyone else fell in line with what he said."

Izuku sipped his tea before continuing. "I met Nemuri by accident one day as I was running away from some bullies back in junior high. I have these notebooks where I break down quirks and the people who use them. It's mostly heroes, but there are some villains and some people who are close to me in there as well. I was hiding from the bullies and looking over my entry on Mt.Lady when Midnight popped up and took the book. She teased me about writing about Mt.Lady, and after that, I would run into her sometimes, and she'd walk me back to the orphanage."

Izuku chuckled. "She taught me a lot and eventually offered to adopt me since we had grown closer over all that time. After that, I moved to a different school district and made some friends who had similar experiences. All of us were picked on or targeted because of our quirks."

Momo frowned as she thought back to her own schooling. She had never seen any overt bullying at the private schools she had gone to, but maybe she just hadn't looked close enough. "I am sorry to hear that you suffered in such a way, but I'm glad you found friends and happiness."

"So am I," Izuku said as he poured some more tea and refilled Momo's cup. "I was timid and reserved back then but having Nemuri and a few others in my life helped me get some confidence in myself."

Momo nodded. "That does make sense. I'm sure Midnight is a very serious and confident person even out of costume."

She watched as Izuku snorted and set the pot down. "She's a slob sometimes, and she gets flustered easily, especially when Hirooki is around."

"Hirooki?"

Izuku nodded. "Don't tell anyone, but she's been dating another hero for like three years now. Hirooki is their actual name, but I'm not gonna say their hero name."

Momo nodded. "That's fair and quite surprising. I figured the tabloids would be all over them for spending time together."

"Well, that's the great thing. Since Hirooki wears a mask, they can walk around public no problem. Nemuri wears a lot of baggy clothes, puts her hair in a ponytail, and wears glasses when she's off the job, so no one really sees Midnight; they just see a pretty lady with glasses and an oversized sweater."

Momo chuckled. "Perhaps I'll have to adopt that style one day."

The conversation lulled for a bit as they sipped their tea. Momo noticed Izuku checked his phone and frowned before opening a group chat of sorts. She looked away, not wanting to pry, but his expression was full of concern, and he started bouncing his leg, so she asked. "Is everything ok, Midoriya? You seem unhappy about something."

Izuku sighed deeply and tapped his phone's darkened screen as he said. "I have a friend. She's... a bit odd at times, and I'm concerned about her. I don't think she has a good home life; in fact, I'm pretty sure she's homeless."

Momo gasped a bit, and Izuku nodded. "She's pretty skittish, but she likes to spend time with me and my... best friends." Izuku stopped himself from saying girlfriends as they had decided to not be super open about the three of them dating. If someone asked, they would answer honestly, but they wouldn't wave it around.

"The day our acceptance letters came in, the four of us were together to open them. She was really happy for us, and she spent some time with us before leaving. That was the last time I saw or heard from her except a text a couple days ago saying she was going away, and she wasn't sure when or if she'd get a chance to see us again. She told us how much she loved spending time with us, and that was it. After that, we haven't been able to contact her."

Momo covered her mouth as concern washed over her features. "That's terrible. Have you been able to do anything to try and find her?"

Izuku shrugged. "I filed a police report, but nothings come of it. This isn't the first time she's disappeared, either. It's the second, but this time she sent a message. Last time she just vanished and came back months later, missing an eye."

Izuku saw Momo pale and thought that maybe he could have skipped that detail. "So I guess I'm just worried about her. My friends are as well, but enough about that. What about you? Why do you want to be a hero?"

Momo blinked at the sudden topic change. "Ah well... I guess I wanted to be a hero because I have the ability to help others. My quirk can let me make almost anything I would need to help save people, so why shouldn't I do that? I believe if you have the power to help, then you should. That doesn't mean you necessarily need to be a pro hero. You could work in the hospitals or as a first responder. The various outreach and villain reform programs run by the government could always use more people. Sometimes the best way to save lives is to prevent villainy from being an option."

Izuku nodded along as she spoke. "That's a nice reason. Personally, I always loved heroes. Ever since I could remember, the idea of using my quirk to help people and make them smile because I was there to keep them safe was the coolest thing to me. Now though, after all the bullying and people saying I'm a villain in the making. I wanna be a hero to prove them wrong and to give hope to others in my situation. I endured a lot, but because Midnight had a quirk like mine, I felt my goal was attainable. She even told me that back when she was younger, she got bullied for her quirk. I want to make sure that doesn't happen to others."

The two spent some time chatting and drinking tea until the pot was empty, and Izuku noticed the time. "Oh, I should probably head up and unpack now so I can have time to make some dinner."

Momo noticed the time and gasped a bit. She hadn't realized how long they had been sitting there talking. "I believe I have some unpacking to do as well."

"We best get on that then," Izuku said as the two stood. Momo took the elevator up to her floor as Izuku took the stairs.

__________________________________________________________________

Himiko panted as she laid on the training mat. She was covered in sweat, her lip was split, and she had bruises from head to toe. The Commission had been running her through 'training exercises' that felt more like torture than anything else. They were also trying hard to secure her loyalty with the good old-fashioned carrot and stick method. She was rewarded with blood when she behaved by their rules and did what they asked. When she misbehaved, they cut her supply and had the 'heros' if you could call them that use her as their sparring partner. She felt more like a punching bag most days, and it was wearing down on her.

She knew it would be easier to just play nice and go with the flow till a good chance to escape came up, but whenever she thought about that, she remembered how her trio's future was in danger if she did that.

"Get up, villain. We aren't done yet." the feminine voice pulled Himiko from her thoughts, and she glared up at the redhead on the mat with her. Kono Chizuru, also known as Razor, said as she glared down at Himiko.

Himiko started to push herself up only for a good to stomp down between her shoulder blades and push her back into the mat. Himiko coughed and tried to push against Razor's foot, but the woman was stronger than her.

"Come on, villain. I said get up. If you don't do as I say, I'll have to tell the higher-ups you're misbehaving again. Another strike, and they might put you up against Juggernaut. He'd probably break you in half though the Commission wants you for missions, so it would probably be solitary with limited food."

Himiko pushed with all her might and started to rise up. "Oh, look at you, little villain. You're actually doing it."

Razor's foot lifted, and Himiko could already tell the woman was about to stomp her face back into the mat, but it never happened. Instead, the redhead fell on her ass as feathers danced around her. Himiko was suddenly hauled to her feet by Hawks, who shook his head. "You UHD mooks really are petty."

Razor shot to her feet as her green eyes glared with hatred at Hawks. "The fuck you want chicken legs? You're interfering with our training."

"Oh yeah, stepping on your newest member and threatening them is some good training. Razor. How about you run along and bend over for Twist like the good girl you are, and I'll take over training Toga."

Razor's face matched her hair as the woman produced several blades from her forearms. "Say that shit again and-"

Himiko blinked, and Hawks already had a blade made of feathers pressed against Razor's throat. "You'll what? I'm the number three hero for a reason. Please don't forget that next time you threaten me."

Razor huffed and stomped off. Hawks turned around, and his serious attitude dropped immediately as he looked at Himiko. "Wow, you got messed up. Come on, let's go to the clinic and get you patched up."

Himiko followed along quietly. The number three hero was an odd guy seamlessly switching between the serious threatening presence he did when confronting Razor and then being a huge fucking goofball when he talked to Himiko. They entered the clinic, and Himiko sat on the table as Hawks grabbed a first aid kit. He was the least terrible of all the Commission people she had interacted with since her kidnapping, but she didn't like him. His expression felt too practiced, and his laugh sounded fake to her. He was a cold person trying to act warm, and it annoyed Himiko, but he never hurt her like the others, and most importantly, he had let her text her trio one last time before taking her phone away.

"Here ya go. Get that split lip cleaned up." Hawks said, passing her an alcohol wipe.

Himiko winced as she started patching herself up and Hawks sat in a chair across from her. "So things are going pretty shit for you, aren't they?"

She glared, and he smiled that fake smile as he kept talking. "Well, don't let people like Razor get you down. None of you in the UHD are heroes. You won't get a license, so make sure you don't get caught when you start going on missions, or the Commission will make sure you don't get a chance to talk about them."

Himiko huffed and looked at the door. "I hate it here, and I want to leave."

"Well, with your quirk and skills, you could probably get out, but then those three students you're so fond of will suffer. Everyone here's the same. All held down by something that the Commission has over us. Wishing we could get away."

Himiko saw something in the number three hero's eyes as they darkened. Suddenly the PA system crackled to life, and a woman spoke. "Hawks, please escort Changeling to meeting room three. It is time for her evaluation."

Hawks hopped to his feet and smiled again. "Welp, come on, Changeling, it's time for evaluation."

Himiko huffed and followed the hero. She wished there were windows or something to tell her where she was in Japan. She had to guess it was an underground facility which would make it just that much harder to escape one day.

____________________________________________________________________

Momo came down to the common room, slightly disappointed in her room. It was much smaller than she thought it would be. She sighed, hoping the kitchen was stocked. She could... sort of cook. Her family's chef had made sure she knew some basics before letting her go off to school.

As she got down to the common room, she spotted Izuku already cooking. He gave her a quick smile before going back to his work. "Got your room all sorted?"

Momo nodded as she stepped into the kitchen. "Yes, though, it is a bit smaller than I thought it'd be; my bed almost didn't fit."

Izuku stopped and looked at her "Yaoyorozu, how big did you think your dorm room would be?"

Momo tapped her fingers together. "Not much bigger, it's just... well, my main closest at home is about the size of the dorm."

Izuku sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Don't take this the wrong way, Yaoyorozu, but you're filthy rich, aren't you?"

Momo blushed and cleared her throat. "I wouldn't say filthy rich; I mean, I know two or... three families who maybe make more than my family."

She watched the boy turn around and start cooking. "... Midoriya. Is something the matter?"

Izuku took a deep breath. "Just thinking... Your name sounds familiar. What do your parents do?"

"Oh well, mother is the CEO of our family business while father heads the research and development section."

Izuku hummed and nodded. "And your family's company's name is?"

"Kagutsuchi Inc.," Momo stated proudly.

Izuku put his chopsticks down and turned around before bowing suddenly. "I apologize for speaking to you so casually, ma'am. I didn't realize I was in the presence of someone from Japan's leading support gear company."

Momo waved her hands frantically. "No, please don't do that. I'm just a fellow student here. I don't wish to be treated differently because my family has had some success."

'Some, she says. Her family has been leading support gear development for nearly twenty years.'  Izuku thought as he stood up straight and decided to just roll with it. "Alright then. Uh, you want some dinner? I'm used to cooking for two or more, so I made a bit much for just me."

Momo smiled. "If you wouldn't mind. It does smell delicious."

Izuku portioned out a couple plates, and the two sat at the counter and ate while chatting idly.

_____________________________________________________________________

Mina giggled as Toru failed to keep herself from bouncing in her seat as they rode the train towards UA. "You're really excited, huh?"

"Yes. We finally get to go to UA, and Izuku is already there, all moved in and waiting for us to show up. Plus, we haven't gotten to hang out as the three of us for a couple days." Toru said as she leaned on her girlfriend.

Mina hummed. "That's true. Now we'll have a few days to spend getting used to dorm life and spending time together until classes start."

Toru nodded as the train stopped. "Yeah, so come on, let's go."

Mina laughed as her girlfriend pulled her along out of the station and towards UA. Once they got to the gates, they were led to the dorms by a small robot that complained about how humans were inferior to them the whole way. Inside the 1-A dorms, there were already a few people milling about the common room. By the tv were a few boys hooking up a couple game consoles and two more guys in the kitchen baking. The duo spotted their boyfriend sitting at a small table chatting with a beautiful girl with black hair.

Toru huffed as they saw him. "We let him wander off for a day and find him chatting with a pretty girl. Typical Izuku."

Mina laughed and pulled her along while waving to a few people in the dorms that noticed them come in. "Well, let's let him know we're here."

Izuku spotted pink in the corner of his eye just before two bodies slammed into his back and four arms wrapped around him. His girlfriends both said his name as they leaned on him. Izuku laughed and patted their shoulders. "You could have texted me you were here. I would have come out and brought you to the dorms."

Mina giggled. "Yeah, but then we'd miss out on seeing you flirting with our new classmates. Honestly, we leave you alone for one day."

Izuku saw Momo blush hard as he sighed. "I was not flirting. I was having an in-depth conversation with Yaoyorozu about support gear and how it's helped more than just the world of heroes." he looked at the black-haired girl across from him and smiled. "Sorry about these two. Teasing me and each other is their default setting."

Toru pinched his cheek. "Oi, don't talk about us like we're robots."

Momo cleared her throat. She noticed the two girls still hadn't let go of Izuku since they had shown up. "It's quite alright. I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. It's a pleasure to meet friends of Midoriya."

Mina nodded and said. "Mina Ashido. You're the other recommended student, right? Izuku talked about you a bit last night on the phone."

"O-oh, really? I didn't realize."

Izuku waved his hands. "It's nothing bad. Just telling them a bit about you, like how you're a fan of Midnight and letting them know what you were like."

"Toru Hagakure. He also told us you're like super-rich but don't wanna be treated special, so don't worry about us doing that."

Momo nodded. "Yes, well, thank you for that. I hope we can all get along."

A short gasp caught their attention as a brunette girl practically bounced up to them. "Oh, it's you, the invisible girl uh... Hagakure, right? You saved me back in the exam. Thank you so much for that, and I'm glad to see you passed."

Toru smiled. "Yes, that's me. I'm glad to see you got in as well, Uraraka."

"Oh, this is the girl you saved while wrecking the zero-pointer," Mina said, still hanging on Izuku.

Ochako tried not to get distracted by the fact that the two girls were hanging on the green-haired guy who was sipping tea as she nodded. "Yeah, it was super cool; she fired this laser from her hands and looked like she was an anime character or something."

Izuku laughed. "She does do that a lot. I'd love to keep chatting Yaoyorozu, but I think these two want to get unpacked, don't you?"

Mina nodded, and Toru gave an affirmative. They released Izuku as he stood. "Well, I did promise to help with that. Thank you for the tea Yaoyorozu. It was delicious."

Momo nodded. "It's no problem, Midoriya. I hope you two settle in here well."

As the trio walked away, he saw Momo strike up a conversation with Ochako, who happily sat and started chatting as the rich girl poured her a cup of tea.

Chapter End Notes

Don't worry about what I'm about to say because I don't plan on doing it to Hypno but I kinda want to write a Midoriya/1-A girls fic.

Also, I wrote a one-shot it's been up for a bit you should check it out. it's an Izuku/Ochako fic that takes place during the current manga arc. it's a sweet fluffy one-shot and I like it. I don't often get ideas for one-shots I'm very much a multi-chapter kinda guy.

Also Also smut scenes will probably never happen because I don't have confidence in myself to write decent smut so I don't think I'll do it. I may try on a different fic in the future but not the ones I'm writing right now.

Assessment Test

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku yawned as he came downstairs dressed in his sleepwear of black gym shorts and a pink tank top. He wasn't sure where the pink one came from since most of his lounging shirts were green, black, or red. It was comfortable, though, and reminded him of his girlfriends, so he wore it. There was plenty of time before the first day of classes, so he decided to forgo putting on his uniform until after breakfast. He was surprised to see that he wasn't the only one awake. It was a bit early for most people, but Tenya Iida, one of the guys on Izuku's floor, was in the kitchen chugging a glass of orange juice while in some workout clothes.

Tenya let out a sigh as he finished and smiled. "Good morning Midoriya."

Izuku waved as he approached the kitchen. "Good morning. Getting ready for a workout or just finishing up?"

"I am about to go for a morning run. It's been part of my training routine for several years now. Would you care to join me?"

Izuku shook his head. "No, I have a routine I need to stick to. Thank you for the offer."

Tenya nodded. "Of course. It is good to stick to the routine, but deviation may prove useful if you ever wish to join me; the offer stands. Have a wonderful morning Midoirya and make sure you aren't late for our first day of classes."

Izuku chuckled a bit as Tenya made his way out of the dorms, his engine revving. Izuku thought that was pretty cool, and he'd go write about it, but he knew he'd have plenty of chances to see his classmates' quirks in action. Izuku turned back to the kitchen and started making breakfast. He knew Toru and Mina would be down soon. They had spent plenty of time getting up early for Toshi's training, even if his girlfriends complained all the time about having to be up so early.

Izuku looked up to see Momo coming down. "Good morning Yaoyorozu."

"Oh, good morning Midoriya. Are you the first one up?" Momo asked as she grabbed her stash of tea.

Izuku shook his head as he dug through the fridge. "No, Iida was down here earlier, but he's gone for a run."

Momo noticed Izuku prepping three plates for breakfast and felt compelled to ask. “Is that for Ashido and Hagakure?”

Izuku hummed. "Yeah, they're not morning people, but we've been doing early morning training for so long, so they'll be down..."

The duo looked up to see Mina walking in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She was in an oversized dark green shirt that said Hotpot in white letters and fluffy pink pajama pants. Izuku narrowed his eyes. He had lost that shirt months ago. Behind her, Toru came down in green pajama shorts and a large black hoodie. Izuku sighed as he realized that was the hoodie he lost last year. Suddenly it was making sense why he had to replace shirts and jackets a few times since he started dating these two. He tried not to blush, realizing they were using his clothes as sleepwear.

Mina yawned and leaned her head on Izuku's shoulder. "Izuku, can we skip morning training? I'm tired, and we have classes."

Toru groaned as she leaned on Mina. "Wait, we have classes today? I thought they were tomorrow."

Izuku chuckled and patted their heads. "Come on go, sit down, and breakfast will be ready soon. After that, we'll run through a light workout since it's the first day."

Momo sipped her tea quietly as she watched the three interact. She had noticed it the first day the girls showed up, but these three were close... she wondered how close. Maybe it was just the type of romance novels she had been reading recently, but she found these three quite interesting. Midoriya was handsome, and the other two were quite cute. At least she knew Toru had an adorable personality, so if she was right about them... Momo blushed, thinking about the cute moments between the trio she could see if she kept an eye on them.

"Yaoyorozu, would you like to join us for breakfast?" Izuku's question pulled Momo from her embarrassing train of thought.

Momo looked up. "Oh no. I need to prepare my own meal. It will take some time, so please eat without me."

Izuku nodded and collected the three plates, and headed to one of the dining tables where the two girls leaned on each other. Izuku set their breakfast down and sat across from them. Momo looked away and sipped her tea before getting to work on the large breakfast she would have to make. It was one of the reasons she woke up early and glancing back to see the trio talking and eating, she decided she had another good reason to get up early.

_____________________________________________________________________

Izuku descended the stairs after getting dressed for school at the same time the short purple boy got sent flying down the girl's side of the stairs, shortly followed by the punk girl Kyoka Jiro. Her earlobes extended and stabbed into the boy's ears, making him scream. "You little creep. Thought you were sneaky, didn't you."

"Uh... what happened?" Izuku asked as a couple other guys stopped on their way to the door.

Kyoka huffed and crossed her arms. "Caught this creep trying to peep on my neighbor, that nice foreign exchange girl, Tsunatori, I think is her name."

Minoru scrambled to his feet and hit behind Denki, who had hung out with the short guy the most "lies! I got turned around and ended up in the wrong part of the dorms."

No one seemed convinced. They had all seen Minoru staring at the girls ever since everyone had moved in. Denki sighed. "Not cool, man. Jiro, I think he's been punished enough this time. Sero and I can keep an eye on him. You know, make sure he doesn't take things too far."

The punk girl grumbled and glared at the short purple boy. "Fine, but he does that shit again. I'm reporting him to the teacher."

Izuku sighed as he watched Minoru cry with relief as Hanta and Denki told him to keep the pervy shit to a minimum. Izuku shook his head but smiled as his girlfriends came down and walked over to him. He noticed the three guys looking at them as they headed for the door.

Toru looked at the guys before looking back at her boyfriend. "What was that about?"

Izuku sighed. "I'll tell you on the way to class."

__________________________________________________________________

Mina grumbled as she took her seat. She was second to the front and on the opposite side of the classroom from her partners. At least she was in the same class and could saunter over during free time. They were all mostly seated by the time the door slid open, making everyone quiet down. A tired man she recognized as Hitoshi's dad walked in. His tired eyes scanned the class, not even hesitating on the three kids he recognized. "It took you too long to be seated and quiet. Work on that."

The class felt tense as he walked in and stood at the podium. "I'm Shota Aizawa, your homeroom teacher. I'm sure you're thinking we'll be going to the welcoming ceremony. Well, we aren't. We're going outside to field alpha. Go to the changing rooms down the hall and get dressed in your gym uniform; they're in the lockers with your names on them. The combination is the first four of your student ID."

With that, their teacher left as he did, he said. "Oh, by the way, you have ten minutes to be out there, or you're expelled."

A few of the class chuckled nervously, but after a few seconds of the man not returning, everyone scrambled to their feet and rushed for the changing rooms. It took eight minutes to get the whole class out to the field.

___________________________________________________________________

Aizawa hummed as the class fidgeted and waited for him to start. He stifled a yawn and got started on the test. "Alright, we're doing an assessment test. You all remember doing the physical assessments in school. This will be different because, unlike your schools, we are in the real world, so quirks are allowed. Use them however you need to to do the best you can oh and just, so you understand what I mean when I say to do your best, I mean your absolute best because whoever comes in last place will be expelled and sent home."

He hid his smile as the class broke out into protest about how unfair that was. He saw Nemuri's kid and his partners looking at each other concerned but quiet. After letting them protest a second longer, Aizawa said. "Fair? The world isn't fair. Villain attacks, natural and man-made disasters. Lives are lost every day due to how unfair the world is."

Aizawa fought down the memories of his friends and coworkers who had died over the years. "It's the job of heroes to mitigate the lives lost and to fight the unfairness of the world. When a villain takes someone hostage or draws you into a trap, are you going to complain about unfairness, or are you going to do everything in your power to make sure you're the last one standing and that any civilians in the area are safe."

He let them stew in their thoughts before pulling a softball out. "Shoto Todoroki, you got the highest score on the practical. Go stand in the circle and throw this as far as you can while using your quirk."

The half and half boy walked up silently and took the ball before heading to the circle and giving the ball a kinda unimpressive underhand toss. Before anyone could process what he was trying to do, a blunt pillar of ice shot out of the ground at an angle and hit the ball at incredible speed, sending it flying into the distance. Aizawa waited a moment, then his phone pinged, and he showed everyone how the ball had gone nearly eight hundred meters. "Do your best, kids, or you'll be on the next train ride home."

The class gulped collectively, but each one felt a surge of competitiveness. They had fought once to get into UA, and if they had to, they'd fight again and again to keep their spots in the hero course. Though their reasons were different, everyone here wanted to be a hero, and they'd prove to their homeroom teacher that they deserved to be here.

Aizawa hummed quietly as Shoto melted the ice and walked back to the class. He could tell they were all getting fired up though two stuck out to him. Shoto Todoroki who had a blank and uninterested look. Aizawa wasn't surprised when the boy used just his ice to launch the ball. He wasn't sure what the kids' problem with his quirk was, but Aizawa would find out and deal with it.

The other one who caught his attention was Minoru Mineta. The short boy seemed terrified of the possibility of expulsion but not so terrified that he couldn't spend most of the class time so far staring at his various female classmates and muttering some rather disgusting comments to himself. A kid like this had to have a record, and yet here he was. It sometimes happens with so many applicants coming in; occasionally, the vetting process lets people slip through the cracks. Aizawa would test him like all the others, and if the boy showed no potential, he would be gone. If he did show potential, then he'd be on thin ice. Minoru would either learn and grow, or he'd get one too many complaints and be sent packing.

"Alright, next up for the softball toss," Aizawa said and watched the students go one at a time and throw the ball. Ochako Uraraka did the best by having the ball drift into orbit. Momo Yaoyorozu came in second by firing the ball out of a small artillery cannon she made. He wasn't sure what it was made of, but he could tell it wasn't standard material. Just behind Momo's score was Toru Hagakure, who used a bright pink laser to fire the ball.

As they moved to the fifty-meter dash, Izuku lined up next to Denki and said. "Hey man, sorry about this."

"Huh-" Denki was cut short as right when the robot signaled the start. Izuku blasted Denki in the face with his quirk and sprinted down the track, getting a decent time. Denki groggily got up a few seconds later and looked around "what happened?"

Aizawa sighed. "Run; your timer is still going."

That woke Denki up, who scrambled to his feet and ran shakily, receiving possibly the worst time Aizawa had ever seen. A few of the class seemed scandalized, but Izuku smiled and apologized to Denki, who just laughed it off and said he'd have to hold his breath from now on.

Aizawa hummed and moved on to the next pair. As Mina walked up and got ready, Izuku stood next to Toru and whispered. "You stole my hoodie."

Toru giggled quietly. "Yes, I did. You let me wear it that one time when it was super cold in your apartment. I walked right out with it on. You didn't even notice."

Izuku sighed and looked down at his invisible girlfriend, blushing slightly as he saw into her clothes. "I really liked that hoodie."

"So do I. It's comfy, and it smells like you; that's why I wear it to sleep." Izuku knew Toru was smiling up at him as she said that.

Izuku's eyes flicked over to Kyoka as she choked on air for a second, and her jacks twitched. He hummed and looked back at his girlfriend. "Is there a way I can get it back? Even just temporarily."

Toru hummed. "Guess you'll have to come to my room and earn it back after dinner."

Izuku smacked his face and groaned quietly. Toru had been getting more and more forward recently. The girl would still break down into a blushing, stuttering mess when he and Mina ganged up on her, but in one on one conversations, she was getting bold. Idly he noticed Kyoka's jacks twitching more, a bit of blush creeping up the girl's neck. He whispered while looking at the punk girl. "Jiro, does your quirk increase your hearing?"

Toru tilted her head, wondering where that had come from until she saw the girl in question stiffen and tap her jacks together as she nodded a bit. "Oh my gosh, she heard us didn't she?"

Kyoka nodded again, and Toru groaned quietly. Sure she could flirt with her partners but not when someone was around to see or hear it. The invisible girl jumped a bit as she was called up next and rushed up to take her spot.

The test went well with Izuku, Mina, and Toru taking first through third on the flexibility test. When the endurance race started, about half the class managed to hold their breath and get out of Izuku's quirk that he released right at the start. Though a few fell when he periodically released a burst as someone got close to passing him.

By the end of it, the class was feeling exhausted, and Aizawa stepped up as he said. "Well, it'll take too long to go one by one, so here's the final score."

Toru pumped her fist, seeing she placed second just below Momo. A cry of despair caught everyone's attention, and they looked at Minoru, who had fallen to his knees as he stared at his name in last place. He knew this was going to happen. He was half the height of everyone. The only thing he won today was the side-to-side, but it wasn't enough. He would get kicked out without ever getting to see the wonders of the UA female student body.

Aizawa sighed internally. He figured this would happen, but now it was time for Minoru's final test. "Minoru Mineta, you came in last place. Maybe if you trained as much as you stared at women like a hormonal teenager, you would have scored better. I'm not going to expel you, but I want you to know that you are on very thin ice. If you don't show improvement and show it quickly, I will not hesitate to drop you from this school, and as a general reminder, sexual harassment and bullying are unacceptable. I feel like I shouldn't have to say that, but there's always at least one person every year."

Aizawa ignored the short boy's cries of joy and relief as he turned to his next target. "Now, before you, all go to the classroom to start your normal classes, Shoto Todorooki."

The half and half boy stared at their teacher, who said bluntly. "You're on thin ice as well. You placed fifth because you half-assed your way through the assessment. Your entrance exam score would have been higher as well if you used your quirk's full capabilities. I'll say this once, and it applies to everyone. If you think you can get through this course without your absolute best effort, you will be sorely mistaken, and you will find your way out the door before graduation. That's all you're dismissed."

The class stood frozen for a few moments as their homeroom teacher skulked off around the corner.

_____________________________________________________________________

"So we don't usually let people in here so quickly, but I mean, you've definitely proven yourself really useful Yuki a-and I may have pulled some strings, you know. I just know you'll really fit in here. I mean, you really get the message we're trying to send." The young man rambled and blushed a bit, his green eyes flicking all over the place, trying not to look at the girl who was walking next to him.

Yuki smiled softly. "Thank you so much, Tazawa." she placed a hand gently on his shoulder, making sure her soft blue eyes locked with his green as she tucked her white hair behind her ear. The boy blushed more as she said. "I really appreciate all the help. I've been looking for a group of like-minded people for so long. It really is wonderful that we ran into each other last week."

"Y-yeah n-no problem. Um, well, here's Yukako's office. She's uh inside. She talks to all the new recruits, so um, good luck."

Yuki giggled. "Maybe once I'm officially a member, you can give me a tour of all the...quiet places around here."

Tazawa made a strangled noise and nodded as Yuki walked in. After closing the door, Yuki took in the room. They were in the basement of a home in the suburbs. Several of the houses in this neighborhood were all part of the same group and had made some illegal adjustments under the houses. Eight houses were connected with underground passages and basements that the homeowners association would not approve of.

The room was barren with concrete walls and a simple metal desk opposite the door. Sitting there typing away on a laptop was a middle-aged woman. She looked up at Yuki with her pink eyes. "Yuki Katsu. The new recruit Taza talked about. You've certainly left a good impression on him. I hope you do the same for me."

Yuki smiled cheerily. "I hope so as well. Eto Yukako."

The woman tensed and looked up at the girl again as her skin turned gray and sludge dripped off her revealing blond hair and cat eyes. "The Commission has been wanting to talk to you for a while."

Before Eto could even stand, a dart sprouted from her neck, and she slumped, hitting her face against the desk as she crumpled to the ground. Himiko tapped the comm piece in her ear. "The ladies passed out. Gonna go cut up the other guys. Start heading this way."

An exasperated sigh came from the woman on the other end of the comms. "Changeling, please remember to use the dialog you were taught and be sure to not make too much of a mess."

Himiko rolled her eyes and made sure Eto was tied up and gagged before heading for the door. "Whatever, you guys want me to capture the leader and clear out the rest. I don't see why I have to be all super serious about it."

The woman sighed again. "Began clearing out the nest Changeling. Cleaning crews and transport are inbound. No survivors are necessary except Eto Yukakao."

Chapter End Notes

I'm not gonna do it but I like telling you what I think sometimes. earlier I thought of adding Ochako and Momo to the polyship but I was like nah. I'm gonna keep it just a trio.

First Heroics

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku was sitting with a few classmates, including Mina and Toru eating breakfast while the tv played the morning news. Izuku looked over at the tv as the news anchor talked about vigilantes. It happens every year after hero schools startup. Those who didn't make it in are mad, and a few of them decide they can be a hero without school and go out on their own. It usually dies down a few weeks later once they're all arrested.

"A stand out among this new batch of vigilantes has put sixteen villains in the ICU in the past week as well as leaving several civilians with burst eardrums and burn wounds. He has been described as a loud and brash young man who claims to go by the name Lord Explosion."

Izuku choked on his rice and looked at the tv as his friends looked at him worriedly. The news anchor kept talking about this new vigilante, and Izuku stood suddenly. "I need to go... uh talk to Nezu about something. I'll see you guys in class."

Izuku was out the door before anyone really had time to question what was going on with their classmate.

___________________________________________________________________

Nezu smiled as his office door opened and Izuku stepped in, looking slightly ruffled. "Ah, Midoriya. What a wonderful surprise. Would you like some tea? You look like you could use a cup."

"Um, yes, sir... have you seen the news this morning?"

Nezu nodded as the student sat across from him as he poured two cups of tea. "Yes, I have. I take it that you saw the bit about the vigilante Lord Explosion."

Izuku sipped his tea and nodded. "Yes, sir... that's uh definitely Bakugo."

"Oh, and how can you be sure?" Nezu said. He had his suspicions, but he wanted to see what Izuku knew.

"Lord Explosion was a name Bakugo came up with when he was a kid. He wanted it to be his hero name... you said you would tell me how his punishment went. I'm guessing it didn't go well."

Nezu nodded. "At first, it seemed that Katsuki Bakugo was going to change. I had All Might speak to him-"

Izuku choked on his tea and looked at the head of UA. "what? I-I didn't think you would do that. How did you do that?"

Nezu chuckled as he set his cup down. "Midoriya, I am the head of UA, and All Might is an alumni. If I want to talk to a graduate, all I have to do is tell them, and they will come and see me when they can. All it took was finding a time where All Might wasn't busy and then having Bakugo come in at the same time."

Izuku hummed and sipped some more tea before saying. "So Bakugo. What happened?"

Nezu sipped his tea before speaking. "Well, at first, it seemed to be going well. Bakugo managed to stick to the terms laid out, but the boy is quite a bit more clever than I gave him credit for. There was an incident a year ago with another student. When we went to contact him to let him know his punishment we found that he had disappeared and his parents didn't know where he went. Presumably, he knew his chance was gone, so now he is operating as a vigilante. My guess is to, in some twisted way, try to show us that we were wrong about him."

Iuzku slumped in his seat and rubbed his face. "I'm sorry, sir. If I hadn't been so adamant about-"

Nezu held his paw up. "It is not your fault. I listened to your suggestion and went along with it. I saw my friend in you, and I hoped that a kind yet firm approach would work on someone like Bakugo, and it seems we were wrong. Now we must deal with the consequences of it. Though you are a student so leave this for the heroes to deal with and go enjoy your time here. You have your first heroics class today, after all."

Izuku finished his tea and nodded. "Yes, sir... thank you for everything you've done, sir."

Nezu waved him off. "Run along to class now. You don't want to suffer Aizawa's punishment for being late to homeroom."

Izuku thanked him for the tea and managed to get back to class a few minutes before the bell, much to Tenya's relief.

__________________________________________________________________

Morning classes went normally, and at lunch, Izuku's girlfriends held him back and asked him what happened. He explained how the vigilante mentioned on the news was Bakugo. They were understandably annoyed that Izuku's former bully was still running around and hurting people.

They ate lunch with their friends and headed back to class, where they waited for the heroics teacher to show up. No one knew who it was going to be until the door swung open, and a booming voice announced.  "I am here coming in like a normal person!"

All Might strutted in as the class freaked out. Mina, Toru, and Izuku just sat there stunned and surprised to see their mentor laugh and hold his hand up to silence the class.  "Now, now I know you're all very excited, but hold some of that energy for class; you're gonna need it. On your first day during the entrance ceremony, you all partook in Aizawa's assessment test. That test was to show your resilience and creativity when faced with a situation where you may not be able to use your quirk to its full ability. Today's class will be specialized to help you show us your current limits so we can better guide you to the best hero you can be."

They watched as their teacher pulled a remote out, and the left wall started to open up.  "Of course, no hero is the best they can be without their costumes. Grab your case, get changed, and meet me at Gym Alpha. You've fifteen minutes to be there, or Aizawa will complain to me."

All Might laughed as he left, and the students scrambled to grab their cases and head to the changing rooms.

____________________________________________________________________

The class was dressed and gathered outside Gym Alpha in ten minutes. All Might told them to wait outside while he finished setting up, so they all took the time to check out their costumes.

Mina was pretty happy with her suit. A sleeveless blue and purple camo bodysuit with knee-high plum boots with beige trim. On her arms were a set of plum and beige bracers that went from her wrist to her elbows. The bracers had small nozzles barely sticking out of the top of them pointed forward. They had been Izuku's idea back when they talked about costumes. The bracers added protection to her forearms as well as providing a way for her to have a ranged attack. She also wore a black reinforced cropped jacket with a white fur collar. She left it unbuttoned and slipped on her white mask over her eyes.

She hadn't seen Toru, but her girlfriend was excited, to say the least, so Mina walked over towards Izuku, figuring their invisible girlfriend would be over there.

Izuku blushed a bit as he saw Mina and muttered. "You look really good in that."

Mina chuckled. "Maybe I'll see if I can wear it outside of class... maybe on a day off."

Neither noticed Kyoka blink and look over confused before going back to talking to Momo. She knew Izuku and Toru had something going on since she heard them flirting during Aizawa's test, and she knew Mina was close to both of them, but why was she flirting with Izuku?

Mina smiled and checked out her boyfriend's costume while he blushed. He was dressed in a pair of heavy-duty red boots that looked much like his usual sneakers. Tucked into his boots were a pair of dark green cargo pants, but instead of pockets for storing things, there were sections of cloth that covered three sides of mesh patches all along his legs which allowed his quirk to slip out. His top was a green compression shirt with a dark purple harness over it. The harness, along with a red utility belt, held all his pouches for medical supplies and other items. Clipped on either side of his belt were the two fans Nemuri had given him back in high school. The last two things were a black gas mask with purple prohibited signs on the filters and a black mask over his eyes.

Mina bit her lip a bit as she stared at his chest. "You look really good, Izu. you got more than just that one compression shirt?"

Izuku rolled his eyes. "Maybe I do, but more importantly, have you seen Toru?"

"Ta-da, I am here!" Toru suddenly announced, making the two jump and look in the direction of her voice.

Her partners looked overseeing... a pair of floating iridescent pink gloves with black trim and a pair of boots on the ground that were the same color. Izuku sighed and rubbed his face. "Toru, please tell me that isn't your costume."

Toru giggled and stepped back. "Nope. watch this."

Toru's partners and the rest of the class watched as her gloves and boots disappeared, only to start reappearing along with the rest of her costume. Every part of her costume was the same iridescent pink with black trim from her knee and elbow pads to the sleeveless bodysuit that stopped at her midthigh. Her head had a pair of pink oval goggles with tinted lenses. Toru did a little spin and said. "it's pink, which is super cute, but I didn't actually ask for it to be that. Apparently, it was a side effect of whatever they did to make it work with my quirk."

Izuku muttered to Mina. "Can we take these costumes to the dorm?"

Mina chuckled. "I wanna see her visible self in this."

Toru felt her face blushing. "S-shut up."

They weren't able to tease their partner anymore as the doors opened, and All Might stepped out and smiled.  "Well, well, well, they say the clothes make the hero, and I have to say you all look so cool. Now come on in, we've got a lot to do today and only a class period to do it in."

The class entered Gym Alpha behind All Might and took in the sight of the various equipment and devices littered around the gym floor.  "This is Gym Alpha, also known as the Arcade."

All Might pointed to a console a few feet from the door.  "Over by the door is a control panel where you can scan your ID and use the equipment to test the limits of your quirk. The system keeps track of everyone who uses the equipment and will place you on the leaderboard, but that's something you can check out later on your own time."

The class followed him deeper into the gym, where they found Aizawa waiting.  "For now, Aizawa and I will be helping you run through tests relevant to your quirk. By the end of class, we'll have a good understanding of your current upper limits, and we'll be able to formulate a lesson to help you all improve."

The class was split, and each teacher brought them to various pieces of equipment. Izuku stood in front of a tall cylindrical machine with a hand-shaped indentation next to a screen. Aizawa yawned and said. "This will suck up your gas as you produce it and measure how much you can make."

The teacher slipped Izuku a sheet of paper. "By the way, this was Nemuri's high score when she left UA."

Izuku unfolded the paper and saw that by the time Nemuri left UA, she could produce.  'Three hundred and fifty-three cubic meters of gas... Damn, that's a lot. Can I do that?'

He looked over to Mina, who was running a similar test. Her machine was built to see how much liquid a user could produce, and it could scan the content and give out information like composition and acidity level density of the liquid and so on. Aizawa instructed Mina to keep the acidity low. They would test how acidic she could make it later.

Mina flashed Izuku a smile as their teacher left, and the two got to work. Toru was instructed to blast the wall with a laser at a strength that wouldn't injure herself and to keep it up for as long as possible.

Momo was ordered to make the densest object she could and make as much of it as possible, while Ochako was given various weights and told to find the maximum weight she could float.

By the end of class, everyone was exhausted as they gathered around All Might, who laughed.  "You all did wonderfully. Get some rest and be ready for the next heroics class. It will be even more exciting than today and remember to give it your all not only on the physical side but the mental side of your training. Now I must be off, be sure to return your costumes before you leave."

Aizawa hummed as All Might left quickly. "I'll have some suggested exercises for you by the end of the week. In the meantime, like he said, don't slack off."

Everyone noticed their homeroom teacher stare at a few students in particular before dismissing them.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku sighed as he pulled off his costume in the changing room. He had managed to produce almost half the amount of gas Nemuri could. As he packed it up, he heard a strangled noise from Minoru and turned to see the boy quickly trying to look like he wasn't up to anything. Izuku slipped on his shirt and walked over to the short boy who was quickly trying to put a poster corner up. Izuku leaned down and whispered. "Whatcha up to, man?"

Minoru squeaked and looked up. "No, I just uh saw this poster corner was peeling, so I was trying to put it back."

Izuku hummed and pulled the poster back, seeing the small hole in the wall. He looked down at the shorter boy and asked. "Did you look?"

Minoru shook his head quickly, and Izuku continued his questions. "Are you lying to save your skin?"

"N-no, I'm not lying. I just saw it." Minoru said, trying to back away but stopping as Izuku put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good, I'm glad you can be honest with me. Now... did anyone else notice?" Izuku glanced around, seeing most of the other guys had left or were almost done.

Minoru shook his head, and Izuku smiled. "Good, then we can go report this terrible thing before anyone uses it. Because it would suck for someone to take advantage of the girls in what should be a private room for them, wouldn't it be?"

"Y-yeah, man, of course."

Izuku stood and gently pushed Minoru from the wall as he covered the peephole. The two got dressed and returned their cases. As Minoru informed Cementoss about the hole in the wall, Kyoka approached Izuku, who was outside the teacher's office. "Yo Green."

Izuku smiled. "Hello, Jiro. how are your ears feeling?"

"Huh?!" Kyoka made an over-exaggerated face as she cupped one of her ears.

Izuku laughed, and the punk girl smirked. "My ears are fine. Fine enough that I heard you talking to Mineta in the changing room."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"Only after I found the peephole. I tapped into the wall and stuck my other jack into the hole. I figured I'd keep my ears on it and stab whoever tried to use it, but you stopped the little perv before he could." Izuku ignored how disappointed Kyoka seemed at the idea of not being able to stab Minoru.

Izuku chuckled nervously. "I'm glad I didn't let him look. I wouldn't want you getting in trouble for attacking another student outside of class."

Kyoka shrugged, and both of them looked over as Cementoss and Minoru came out. The short boy looked at Kyoka, and his face paled, but she just scoffed and looked away as Minoru took Cementoss to where the peephole was.

_____________________________________________________________________

The next day was standard classes, and as they were leaving to go back to the dorms, Izuku hung back with Mina, who was organizing her notes. Toru had to desperately pee during the entire last period, so she rushed out right at the bell.

Izuku smiled as he looked down at the notes Mina had written. "You're getting good at taking notes."

"Hm, now if only I could study well, I might get better grades than you," Mina said with a chuckle.

Izuku rolled his eyes. "Well, if you and Toru would stop being so distracting while we're trying to study together. That might actually happen."

Mina packed her stuff away and stood up, leaning into Izuku's personal space. "You don't let us take enough breaks."

"If we had it your way, there would be nothing but breaks." Izuku shot back.

Mina pouted before shifting to a grin and quickly kissing her boyfriend. Izuku returned the kiss but rolled his eyes. Once they had separated, he said. "You can't just kiss me whenever I have a point."

Mina wrapped her arms around his neck. "You sure?"

Izuku sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leaned up and kissed him again. "Pretty sure."

____________________________________________________________________

Tsu noticed it right when Ochko entered. The brunette was deep in thought as she sat on one of the couches. The other girls, minus Toru and Mina, were all nearby, as was Denki, who was playing some game on his phone as he lounged in a beanbag chair. Tsu tilted her head. "Is everything ok, Ochako?"

Ochako hummed. "Oh yeah... just uh went to get something I left in the classroom, and I saw Ashido and Midoriya making out in the classroom."

A couple girls blushed, and Tsu ribbited. "That's odd... I thought Toru and Midoriya were together. I saw them in the kitchen last night. It looked like Toru had kissed him."

Momo sighed internally. She had her own theory, but she wasn't sure if it was her place to say anything. Kyoka spoke up next after translating a part Pony didn't understand. "I uh... may have accidentally overheard Toru and Green flirting during Aizawa's test, and then later it seemed like Mina was flirting with him before we went into the Arcade."

Pony perked up and blurted out. "Midori is two-timing."

Kyoka slapped her face. "Pony, you can't just blurt that out."

Tsu ribbited. "That is what it looks like, but also Midoriya seems like too nice of a person for that kero."

"Maybe he is, or maybe he's just a good actor," Kyoka said as she pointed her jacks at the frog girl.

Pony nodded. "Lots of guys like that back home. Pretend to be nice, but they're not."

Momo opened her mouth to speak, but Denki beat her to it. "I saw Ashido and Hagakure all up on each other this morning. Pretty sure the three of them are just in a poly relationship."

Momo stared in shock before quickly nodding and speaking up. "I have also noticed the closeness between the three of them and thought that it may be that. Though I didn't feel it was polite to ask if that were the case."

Ochako blushed. "That's a real thing? I don't think I've ever heard of an actual relationship like that."

Tsu ribbited and nodded. "Neither had I. It's not something you see a lot, so I didn't consider it, but it would make sense."

Momo sighed internally as the others came around to the idea. She didn't like the possibility that Izuku wasn't as good of a person as he seemed. "They don't seem to speak of their relationship, so I suggest we don't ask. If they want us to know, I'm sure they'll tell us."

"You guys talking about relationships? Who's dating who?" Toru asked, practically popping up behind Ochako, making the gravity girl yelp.

Tsu croaked as she looked at her invisible classmate. "We were discussing you, Mina, and Midoriya."

Toru giggled. "Oh yeah, we haven't been super subtle, have we."

"So you guys really are dating?" Kyoka said with a little red dusting her cheeks.

Toru laughed some more and hopped over the couch to sit between Tsu and Ochako. "Yep, for a couple years now. We all met in or around the beginning of high school, and then before the first year was up, we were dating."

The door to the dorms opened, and Mina walked in shortly, followed by Izuku, who both noticed the gathering on the couch. Toru waved them over. "Hey, we're talking about how the three of us are dating."

Mina giggled and grabbed Izuku's hand. "Oh, did we get caught finally?"

The group explained how the conversation came up, and by the end of it, Mina and Izuku were blushing, and everyone was pretty sure by how Toru fidgeted that she was embarrassed as well. The trio answered a few questions about their relationship before heading up to Izuku's room before dinner.

Chapter End Notes

No one-shot to promote this time mainly because I didn't work on the two ideas I have.

Also, I asked Reddit but haven't gotten anything so does anyone know any Camie/Iuzku fics?

Build Up

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Class 1-A sat in class, and all took their seats a few seconds before the bell rang. Right as it rang, Aizawa walked in and looked around before humming and stepping up to the podium. "Alright, the first thing on the docket is something that will affect your lives while you're here from this point on."

The class gulped and tensed as their teacher stared blankly at them before saying. "You need to pick class reps."

The class sat there stunned for a moment before bursting out into cries for them to be elected. This continued for several moments until Tenya stood suddenly and shouted. "Settle down this is unbecoming of hero students. Obviously, we should hold an election to see who is best suited for the role of class rep and vice rep."

Mina chuckled. "You wanna hold your hand up a little higher, Iida. I don't think you're showing enough enthusiasm for the position."

Tenya blushed and cleared his throat as a few students chuckled. "Mr.Aizawa, would an election be a suitable method?"

Aizawa shrugged. "Democracy hasn't fallen apart yet, I guess. Just keep it quiet."

The class sighed a bit as their teacher disappeared behind his desk, and Tenya marched up to the front with several sheets of paper. He tore them into twenty strips and passed them to the front of each row. "We shall write our votes down, and if you are ok with it, I will tally them up."

The class agreed, and a few minutes later, Tenya stood there at the teacher's podium, looking defeated. Behind him, the board showed Momo with four votes and Izuku below her with three.

Aizawa sat up suddenly. "Yaoyorozu and Midoriya stay after classes are done, and I'll explain what responsibilities you have as the reps."

The two students gave an affirmative, and class continued on from there. It wasn't until lunch when Izuku could ask. "Who voted for me?"

Mina, Toru, and Momo raised their hands, and Izuku looked at Tenya, Ochako, and Kyoka, who pointed at Momo. Izuku sighed. "I voted for Yaoyorozu as well."

Momo flushed a bit. "What? Why?"

Izuku shrugged. "You have the respect of most of the class already, and you're a Yaoyorozu. It just felt right that you'd be in charge."

Momo puffed her cheeks up and huffed. "I told you I didn't want to be treated differently just because of my family."

Izuku bowed his head. "My apologies, ma'am. I'll strive to do better."

Their friend chuckled as Momo sighed. "I do hope so. I'll be relying on you to help with whatever class rep duties we have."

Mina leaned on Izuku. "Don't worry, Yaomomo. Izu is super reliable when it comes to serious stuff."

Toru leaned on Mina, pushing her into Izuku more, who groaned as he tried to eat his rice. "Yeah, we definitely wouldn't get any studying done if Izu wasn't so serious about us getting good grades."

Kyoka groaned. "Ugh, don't talk about studying. I never feel like it works."

"Perhaps you just need a new approach. If you want, I can help you study before our next test." Momo said as she placed a hand above her chest and looked like the perfect picture of grace.

Ochako shook off her blush and asked. "Can I join you? I'm really bad at studying by myself."

Kyoka blushed a bit as the bubble girl leaned towards her. Momo smiled. "Of course you can, Uraraka. Iida, do you need any assistance studying?"

Tenya shook his head. "No, I am quite alright. I tend to do better studying on my own than with others."

The group chatted for a bit before alarms sounded, and the students started to panic as they rushed for the exits. Things were chaotic, and Izuku really considered blasting them all with his quirk, but he felt like he might get in trouble for that, so he focused on working with Toru and Mina to keep each other from getting trampled or swept away. As they secured their spot, they saw Tenya float above everyone and fire off towards the door. He gave a rather compelling speech and calmed the crowd.

Classes were canceled after that, and that night, Aizawa came by and explained the duties of class reps to Izuku and Momo. The two took some notes and went over how to handle the responsibilities. Once they were done, the two went their separate ways.

______________________________________________________________________

Izuku sat at his desk and sketched. He glanced over as his door opened and smiled a bit as his girlfriends came in and sat on his bed. He turned back to his notebook as the two girls talked. Izuku focused on the sketch he was working on. He had just posted one of All Might he finished earlier, but this wasn't one he could post. It was less of a sketch and more of a redesign.

The bed creaked, and suddenly, Mina said from his shoulder. "Wow, Yaomomo looks hot, but that's not what her costume looks like."

Izuku jumped and looked at his pink girlfriend, who smiled. "Why ya changing her costume?"

Izuku sighed while Toru leaned on his other shoulder as she shimmered and turned visible. He struggled to pull his eyes away from her as she inspected his art. "I uh. Her costume is ok I guess, but I feel like it could be better. Once I'm done with it, I'll show it to her, and if she wants to use it, she can."

Mina hummed. "Speaking of costumes. Yours is different from what I was expecting."

"And what were you expecting?" Izuku asked, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

Toru spoke up at this point. "We thought you'd look more like Midnight, but you uh didn't have any of that ultra-thin cloth she uses."

Izuku shook his head. "No, I didn't. The pants are breathable and loose. The vents built into them will let me release my quirk from my legs, and I went sleeveless since I usually push my quirk out of my arms. I think it'll be enough; also, I really don't want to be seen as a guy version of Midnight. Midnight is mom's thing. I'm going for my own kind of hero, you know."

Mina hummed and kissed his cheek. "Yeah, I get that. I am glad you picked a compression shirt, though. You look hot in tight clothes."

Izuku blushed as Toru kissed his other cheek. "I think some people in class were staring at you during heroics."

Mina nodded as Izuku buried his face in his hands. "I saw that too."

His girlfriends giggled, and Izuku took a deep breath as he said. "It's a shame we couldn't take Toru's costume back to the dorms or have a private moment to see her visible self in it. That would have been great."

Toru blushed as Mina grinned. "Oh yeah. Just her figure looked so good in it. I can't imagine how she would look completely visible in it."

Toru groaned as her partners piled on the compliments. She retreated to the bed as she slipped back into being invisible. Toru groaned as she felt them lay on either side of her and kiss her cheeks at the same time. Eventually, the invisible girl pulled her head out of the pillows and blurted. "Mina's ass looked really nice in her hero costume!"

Mina's face turned lilac as she buried her face in the pillows. Izuku chuckled and said. "Yeah, it did, didn't it."

Mina groaned and kicked her legs. "I know it does but stop; it's so embarrassing to hear you say it."

Toru giggled and kissed her "oh, it's ok, Mina, we think your butt looks cute no matter what you wear."

The pink girl groaned again as her partners laughed. Eventually, she calmed down, and the three laid there with their limbs tangled and chatted about nothing important until the girls left to go to their own rooms.

_____________________________________________________________________

Nemuri sighed as she sank into her couch. Hirooki smiled as they brought over some snacks and drinks. "The meeting wasn't that bad."

Nemuri looked at her partner, who smiled sweetly. Nemuri huffed. "Says you. I bet with that costume of yours you just took a nap while the meeting went on."

Hirooki chuckled. "No, I only sleep through the standard school meetings. I stayed awake for the post break-in meeting. Especially since they dug through All Might's files apparently."

Nemuri hummed and snuggled into Hirooki's side as they sat down. "You have rescue training with Izuku's class this Friday, right?"

Hirooki nodded as they started up a movie. "Yeah. Speaking of which, how are classes going?"

Nemuri chuckled. "Most of his classmates are baffled by how he doesn't react when I do my usual distractions. It was really funny yesterday when I sat on his desk, and he just moved his notes over and kept working. I think how casually he acts in my class helps trip them up."

Hirooki shook their head. "I wish I could mess with my students like that, but rescue work is too important. Can't have them messing up in real life."

Nemuri kissed their cheek. "Yeah, but enough work talk, we're off the clock tonight."

Hirooki chuckled and kissed the top of Nemuri's head. 'Yes, ma'am."

_____________________________________________________________________

Izuku looked over the class as they loaded up into the bus. When Aizawa had shown up for homeroom, he told them to get dressed in their costumes and head to the bus parking area. They were going on a field trip to an on-campus facility to get their introductory lesson on rescue training.

It amazed Izuku how large UA was. He had heard Hirooki boast about the USJ before, and if that building was as large as Hirooki said, then it was impressive that it existed on the same campus as the main building and the mock cities.

Izuku handed off the roaster to Aizawa once everyone was loaded up, and their teacher stepped on as Izuku took his seat with his girlfriends on his right and Tsu on his left. Across the aisle from him were Denki, Minoru, Hanta, and Eijiro. The bus lurched a bit, and they began their trip. As they rode, everyone chatted idly, and eventually, Tsu said. "Midoriya, I tend to speak my mind, so I hope you don't mind me asking but do you have some kind of relationship with Ms.Midnight?"

That got everyone's attention, and Izuku sighed. He had never actually talked to Nemuri about if it was ok to talk about her being his foster mom. Sure Momo and his girlfriends knew, but they were the only ones who knew, and he only told Momo to mess with her and because he wasn't sure if he would ever see her again. He guessed until he could talk to Nemuri, he'd keep it quiet about that. "Hm, not really. I mean, UA isn't my first time meeting her."

Hanta whistled, and Izuku noticed Mineta looked jealous, but when the short boy saw Izuku looking at him, he clamped his mouth shut as Hanta asked. "How'd you manage to meet her?"

"Total accident. I was taking a shortcut home and ran into her. She thought I needed help and ended up walking me home just to make sure." Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. "I started using that shortcut to get home more and ran into her a few times. With my quirk being similar to hers, I was a big fan of hers. Don't get me wrong, most of the time, I walked home alone, but every so often I would get to speak with Midnight, but that was only when I was in my last year of Junior High."

Izuku felt a bit bad about lying, but if Nemuri said it was fine to be open about their relationship, he'd apologize and tell the truth. Tsu hummed. "So you're basically desensitized to our art history teacher and her... sexy way of acting."

Izuku chuckled as a few of the class staggered at Tsu's bluntness. "I guess you could say it like that."

With Tsu satisfied, the conversation moved on to quirks, and Izuku frowned slightly as Eijiro talked down his quirk, claiming it wasn't that flashy. Izuku sighed. "Flashy isn't the best you know."

Izuku looked over at his red-haired classmate. "I mean, think about it, Kirishima, sure your quirk isn't super flashy, but no one here can take a hit like you. Heroes need to protect people, and sometimes that means physically being between them and the villain. You'd be the best at that."

Mina nodded. "Like an unmovable wall to keep people safe."

Eijiro chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I guess you got a point there."

The bus came to a stop, and Aizawa stood up. "We're here, come on."

The class got up and filed out and stared up in awe as they saw the USJ. Izuku felt like Hirooki had undersold the scope of the USJ. Speaking of Hirooki, Izuku spotted them coming down the steps. "Hello, class 1-A; welcome to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint or the USJ for short."

A squeal caught several people's attention, and they looked at a blushing Ochako as she realized how loud she had been. "S-sorry, it's just it's Thirteen; they're my favorite hero."

Her friends chuckled a bit, and Thirteen said. "Glad to see I have a fan, but we have a lot of work to do today, so come on, let me show you around and tell you some things before we start class."

______________________________________________________________________

Somehow the inside of the USJ felt bigger than the outside. As the class processed the size and scope of the area, Toru noticed Aizawa and Thirteen whispering about All Might and how he was supposed to be here. Toru nudged her boyfriend and whispered. "Did you see any news on All Might this morning?"

Izuku nodded. "Apparently, he spent a few hours rescuing people. Guess he went overboard and needs to rest."

Mina shook her head. "That guy."

Toru giggled quietly but quieted down as Thirteen approached the class and started to talk. They spoke about the damage that quirks could cause to both people and things. It was a good speech, really, but Toru had also heard it at least three times since meeting Hirooki. The invisible girl's eyes wandered, and as Thirteen's speech started to come to a close.

Something caught her eye. A speck of black and purple that quickly started to expand and twist, kinda like Izuku's quirk when he controlled the gas. "Um, Sensei's, what's that?"

The two teachers stopped and looked at Toru then to where her glove was pointing. Aizawa bit back a curse as a portal opened and villains poured out. Aizawa pulled his goggles up over his eyes as he said. "Those are villains. Thirteen get the students out and call for help. I'll hold them off until you're safe."

Chapter End Notes

This chapter is shorter than usual but what comes next will either be a long chapter or two chapters.

also, I asked this in Feral Lady but I know not everyone reads all of my fics so yeah. I'm looking for ideas for an Izu/Camie one-shot. I want to write a couple because I can't find any Izu/Camie fics that aren't harem fics.

so I think back every so often to my collection of MHA fanfic ideas and some are small things without much thought beyond a quirk and background and possible pairing for Izuku like My Feral Lady. some are like Hypno and Watching Over You where I have some of a plot and all the previously mentioned stuff.

then there are two in my pile that sit above the others in complexity and how much I have thought about them. one is a kind of an OP Izumi Midoriya fic with the working title Izumi the Invincible. a lot of stuff is shaken up in this story. the other is my first idea for a villain Izumi Midoriya. also things are shaken up there. I don't know why but yeah they both ended up being female Izuku mainly because I haven't read a lot of female Izuku stuff that I like.

I have not actually typed out anything other than plot points and changes from canon. these two stories feel massive and like something I would need to tackle while nothing else is getting worked on. Not that the three fics I'm working on are gonna be done any time soon.

anyways if you've read this far be prepared once Hypno gets updated again there will be... things happening.

USJ

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Hawks sighed as he walked around the Undercover Heroics Department. His eyes scanned the various Commission workers and the 'heroes' who were forced to be here. The one he was looking for didn't seem to be around, though. He moved towards the housing for the 'heroes' in search of Changeling. He needed her for a job and to get the girl out of here for a bit. She wasn't too far gone like most of these fucks. Maybe... maybe he could help keep her from ending up like Razor.

It didn't take long for Hawks to find Himiko Toga's room, but there was an issue. The door was locked. Which was not something that should be able to happen unless... Hawks sighed and banged on the door. "Warden, open this door, or I will."

The door clicked after a moment, and a tall woman with a fairly slim athletic build stood in the now open doorway. She was dressed in a black militaristic outfit with a baton hanging off her hip as well as a few other blunt weapons. Her orange eyes danced like fire as she glared at Hawks. "Hawks, what are you doing here?"

Hawks admired how neatly her black hair was done up. The bun didn't look an inch out of place despite what he knew she was just doing. "I'm here for Changeling. I want her for a mission."

Before Warden could even open her mouth, the number three pro pulled out a packet of paper. "And I did the paperwork, so if you'd step aside, I'd like to collect my agent."

Warden looked back into Himiko's room and said, "If I catch you with contraband again, you won't get off so lightly, Changeling. Now get dressed and don't cause trouble for Hawks."

The woman shoved past Hawks, who smiled pleasantly but dropped it the moment she rounded the corner. He stepped into Himiko's room to check on her and quickly looked away as his feathers flared out to give her some privacy. "I've got a job for you, Toga. It'll take a while for it to be completed, but I'd like to start as soon as possible."

_____________________________________________________________________

Himiko laid on the ground of her own room and winced as she moved. She was vaguely aware that Hawks was in her room. She'd appreciate him using his wings to give her privacy if it wasn't for the fact that everything hurt. She was doing her best to avoid Razor and the others when Warden suddenly burst in and forced her to sit on the floor in the middle of the room. Himiko knew something was up when Warden walked right up to her bed and pulled a knife from the training room out from between the bedframe and the mattress.

Himiko groaned as she looked at her clothes which were still neatly folded up by the foot of her bed. Warden had made her strip and fold her clothes before disciplining her as Warden put it. She was gonna be covered in bruises for a while.

Rustling feathers pulled her back to present times. She reached over and pulled her clothes to her, and in a few minutes, she was dressed and standing in front of a wall of feathers. "I'm ready."

Hawks' feathers retracted, and he smiled sweetly, but it did nothing for Himiko. "Good, then come with me. Let's get out of here, and I'll tell you what I need you for."

Himiko nodded and tried not to limp. If the others saw her looking weak, they'd descend on her when she got back from whatever this was.

____________________________________________________________________

Izuku tried not to scream as the darkness vanished, and he looked around as he fell. It looked like how Hirooki described the Ruins Zone. Izuku twisted and rolled as he hit the roof of a skyscraper. He groaned as he came to a stop near the center of the roof. Slowly and carefully, he lifted his head and looked around.

The warp villain Kurogiri had ambushed them before they could get away. The last thing he saw was Mina's terrified face before the dark mist consumed them and he fell.

Izuku found a staircase down and found a room on the top floor. He figured it'd be better to look out a window than over the edge of the building as he tried to get his barrings. Though a terrified squeak made him whirl around, and he saw the edges of a purple ball behind some rubble. “Mineta it’s me Midoriya.”

The short boy poked his head out and nearly burst into tears as he saw Izuku. "Midoriya. Oh god, I thought you were a villain."

"Yeah-" Izuku jumped away from the window as tape wrapped around the window frame, and Hanta flew into the room. The tape boy tumbled and hit a pile of rubble.

Minoru screamed and threw himself behind cover as Izuku ran over to Hanta. "Sero, are you ok?"

Hanta groaned as he got up. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Saw your green hair as I was falling. That warper really did drop us from the ceiling."

"H-he dropped me in this room," Minoru said as he poked his head out from behind his rubble.

Hanta scoffed. "Lucky you, so Midoriya, you got a plan?"

Izuku looked over from the shattered window he had walked over to. "What? Why would I have a plan?"

Hanta and Minoru looked at each other before Hanta said. "Well, you're the vice rep, and you seem pretty smart, so I figured you'd have a plan already."

Izuku blushed and rubbed the back of his head as he walked over to them. "Well... kinda. We need to get back to the main entrance. Our class should know to go there so we can regroup. I'm pretty sure based on what that mist guy said that there are gonna be villains in the Ruins Zone as well as the others."

Izuku took his gas mask off from around his neck. "Hopefully, we can just avoid them, but if we fight, then I have an idea. I'll want you two to stay back and simply bind the villains as I take them down."

He held the mask out to Hanta. "Sero, I want you to take my mask and fight in the gas with me."

Hanta took the mask. "Why me, though?"

Izuku looked at Minoru, who looked like he was barely holding it together. Honestly, he understood why Minoru was terrified. They were first years, and they hadn't done any combat training yet, and there were real villains out there looking to kill them. "Mineta, you're scared, but as long as you follow my lead, I'll make sure you get out of here alive. You trust me, man?"

Minoru shook his head quickly but stayed silent. Hanta took a deep breath, and his hands steadied as he said. "Alright, let's follow your lead, then vice rep."

Izuku nodded. "Alright, let's move. We'll stay quiet and move carefully. We don't know how many there are here and in the rest of the facility."

____________________________________________________________________

The trio made it to the bottom of the skyscraper and out into the alleyway. As they descended, they saw small groups of villains patrolling the streets, and the three boys were currently tucked behind a dumpster waiting for them to pass. Hanta had his hand clamped over Minoru's mouth after the shorter boy had nearly screamed.

Once the villains passed by, Izuku moved out as quietly as he could and watched them turn the corner before motioning for his classmates to follow. If they could avoid the few groups roaming around, that'd be perfect. A crashing noise made Izuku curse as he turned and saw the group of villains had doubled back and spotted the three boys as they were crossing the street.

Izuku pulled his fans off his belt as the dark green gas of his quirk started to pour out of his pants and his arms. The gas swirled around him slowly as he said. "Mineta, Sero, get back for a bit."

Hanta pulled on the gas mask Izuku had given him on as he practically tossed Minoru behind him. The villains rushed them with calls for blood as Izuku's arms increased their output of gas. He thrust his hand forward, and a column of gas shot from the swirling mass around Izuku.

Three of the seven villains were too slow to dodge and breathed in the gas. They collapsed by the time the other four staggered to a stop, wary of how quickly the gas worked. One of the villains yelped as tape wrapped around them, and they were pulled to Izuku, who punched him in the gut before clamping his hand over the man's mouth and blasting gas into his lungs.

With Hanta's help, the seven villains were taken down quickly, and Izuku moved his gas away from them as Minoru and Hanta worked together to hide the villains in an alleyway and tie them up.

Izuku smiled at the others. "Good job, guys. Let's hope this doesn't happen again."

Minoru shook his head, not trusting himself to say anything as he followed between Izuku and Hanta. They had both adjusted so quickly and were working together to make sure the three of them made it out safe. Meanwhile, he was shaking in his boots, and every noise felt like it might set him off. He had to just put his faith in Izuku and Hanta to keep him safe...

‘Super not cool Minoru...’

______________________________________________________________________

Yuga watched in amazement as Shoto effortlessly froze villain after villain and interrogated them on why they were here. Yuga very much wanted to speak up and praise his fellow classmate, but when they had landed, Shoto's icy glare had shot the french boy down as he told Yuga to stay quiet and not distract him.

Yuga looked around to see if he could spot anyone else from class, but alas, there was no one who he could see, so he kept his mouth closed and let Shoto strike the fear of God into the villains as they spilled their plans.

______________________________________________________________________

Ochako was freaking out as she shoved her hands into the dark swirling mist of Kurogiri. She had seen a flash of metal and hoped it was something attached to him. The villain was trying to grab Tenya as he ran for the exit, but she couldn't let that happen. Her fingers touched metal, and she felt her quirk flow. Kurogiri became weightless, and she threw him back towards Mezo and Koji.

Mezo grabbed Kurogiri, and with Koji's help, they threw him over the edge and out towards the space between the entrance and the mountain zone. Once Tenya was out the door, Ochako and Toru rushed over to Thirteen and started working on first aid while the others kept an eye out for their classmates.

Toru jumped a bit as Ochako grabbed her hands. She hadn't realized they were shaking until Ochako stopped them. "Hey, it's ok... W-we're gonna be fine. They'll be fine. Ashido and Midoriya are strong. I mean hell, if they're half as strong as your muscles suggest, then I'm more worried about what they'll do to the villains."

Toru took a shaky breath and said. "A-am I really that muscular?"

Ochako blushed a bit. "A-ah um, I mean, I only think you are because I grabbed your arm before the entrance exam."

Toru laughed as she watched Ochako set about first aid. "I-I'll have to ask Mina and Izu; they're always looking for excuses to have me be visible."

Ochako applied some bandages before looking up at her invisible friend. "Wait, you can be visible?"

Toru stared at Hirooki's back. It was covered in lacerations from their own quirk. "Yeah. I only show my family and partners. I-it's a private thing."

Thirteen groaned. "A-as much as I appreciate your growing friendship. Can this wait until after the crisis?"

The girls squeaked, and Ochako waved her hands. "S-sorry, Thirteen. I-"

"Y-you're trying not to panic. I-I know but also doing first aid w-while distracted isn't good. Focus on one thing a-at a time." Thirteen groaned out before letting their forehead rest against the floor and going quiet.

The two girls looked at each other worriedly before trying to keep up the first aid on their teacher.

_____________________________________________________________________

Eijiro and Rikido stumbled back as Pony's horns flew by knocked several villains off balance. The two boys jumped on the opportunity and delivered knockout punches. The three had been dropped into the mountain zone and quickly found themselves backed into a corner. The two boys were on the front lines knocking out villains while Pony stood behind them and controlled her four horns to incapacitate or stagger the villains.

Eijiro panted as he released his hardening for a moment. "God, why are there so many?"

Rikido panted as he pulled out some sugar and downed it. "Just keep it up; it doesn't look like there's too many left."

The boys watched as a villain got his legs swept out from under him, and two horns slammed into his gut, sending him flying. Pony pumped her fist and shouted in English. "Get fucked!"

"Um, any idea what she just said?" Rikido asked as he dodged a punch from a mutated villain who looked like an armadillo. He quickly punched them in the face and sent them flying back.

"No idea, man. I've always been bad at English." Eijiro said as he hardened and threw himself into the fight. Pony yelled more obscenities in English as villains were knocked down like bowling pins. Eventually, the last few were taken down, and Pony cheered her hooves, making a clopping noise as she did a little dance.

The boy's faces turned from light-hearted chuckles to shock as a villain popped out of the ground behind Pony. He wore a skull mask and had a backpack with an antenna sticking out of it. They both lunged for Pony, but the American girl twisted and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to the man's temple. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, and Pony huffed as she spoke in English. "Don't sneak up on horses. That's how you get your head kicked in."

Eijiro and Rikido sighed, and Pony said in Japanese. "Let's go to exit. Everyone there."

The boys nodded and started to head for the entrance, where they hoped to meet up with the rest of their class.

_____________________________________________________________________

Everything was on fire, and Mina was pissed. It was hard to secrete acid in this heat, and there were a bunch of villains around. The only positive was she wasn't alone. Mashiro swung down and staggered as he panted and whipped sweat off his brow. "Ok, so I found the exit, but there's a lot of villains between us and it."

Mina nodded and looked towards where he came from. "Alright... I'll run diversion, and you swing in and take them out as we move towards the exit."

"You sure we shouldn't just do hit and run while waiting for the pros?"

Mina shook her head. "I can't produce enough acid to skate. My mobility is lowered. Our best option is to get out of here and find the others. Safety in numbers, and we don't know how long the heroes will take."

Mashiro nodded. "Alright, I'll follow your lead."

Mina ran out of the alleyway they were hiding in and headed towards the exit as Mashiro directed her. As they ran into villains, Mina would grab their attention, and Mashiro would swoop in and knock them out as Mina helped clean up the stragglers. He was right, there were a lot of villains, but the duo managed to get to the exit while avoiding some of them.

Mina tapped away at the control panel for the door and cursed as it didn't respond. "The thing's busted. Do you think you can break the door down?"

Mashiro eyed the door. "I can try, but that's gonna make a lot of noise, so keep an eye out."

Mina nodded and took up watch as Mashiro took a couple deep breaths and ran at the door before twisting and smacking his tail against it.

______________________________________________________________________

Tsu stared down at the water in fascination as Dark Shadow went on a rampage. Fumikage looked considerably less interested than she did as his quirk attacked the various villains and rendered them unconscious. Some of the lights near the Floor zone had gone out, and it was darker underwater, so the sentient quirk got a power-up though Fumikage was able to keep it under control enough to keep it from killing anyone.

"Your quirk is pretty useful, kero," Tsu said as the last of the villains were knocked out and tied to the side of the boat they were on.

"Hm, he is quite the difficult beast to control. Sometimes I wonder if I was blessed or cursed with this creature of darkness."

Tsu tapped her chin. "I think he's a blessing. Quirks are such an important part of us, and you're lucky enough to have one that can communicate with you. You can speak and understand each other better. My quirk makes me lean towards certain tendencies, and I would love to be able to talk to my quirk and make it understand when and when not to act out."

Fumikage hummed as his quirk circled back to them. Tsu patted Dark Shadows' head, and the quirk hummed happily as Fumikage said. "I will take what you said into consideration, Asui."

"Call me Tsu." The frog girl said.

Dark Shadow chirped. "Alright, Tsu. Thanks for talking to Fumi while I did all the work. He always gets so moppy when I wanna stretch and show off."

The quirk was suddenly tugged back as Fumikage cleared his throat. "Quiet Dark Shadow. Return to the darkness until we need you again."

Dark Shadow huffed and slinked back into Fumikage, who sighed. "Shall we head for the coast? With all the foul villain's gone, we can safely make our way to the entrance of this place and rejoin our fellow classmates."

Tsu nodded as she got ready to hop over the edge of the boat.

______________________________________________________________________

Kyoka hated this. She got dropped into the Downpour Zone with Momo, who had been causing... emotional issues for the punk girl, and Denki, who had been annoying yet strangely endearing. Though right now, he was just useless.

Denki screamed as he ducked, and Kyoka's jacks shot out and stunned the villain that had tried to attack him. "Thank you!"

"Shut up and get back, electro dunce. Yaomomo, make him a baseball bat or something so he can fight."

Momo huffed as she swung her bo staff and knocked a villain out. "One moment, please, Kyoka."

Momo's chest glowed, and a small canister launched from it. "Close your eyes!"

The trio closed their eyes as the flashbang went off. Momo grabbed Kyoka and Denki's hands and sprinted for the exit alleyway. Once the trio was away from the villains, Momo produced a metal baseball bat from her thigh. "Here, Kaminari."

Denki took the baseball bat and held it close. "Thank you, Yaoyorozu."

The rich girl nodded, and Kyoka sighed as she whipped some water off her face. "Why couldn't we have gotten dropped off somewhere else. Somewhere dry where shocky could do something."

"Oh, come on. I can swing a bat. Let's go back and knock some heads!" Denki said excitedly.

"Let's not. Give me some time, and I'll have a solution. Just keep an eye out." Momo said as she closed her eyes went over their options.

They were near the exit, but the door controls weren't powered. All the rain and water everywhere made it impossible for Denki to use his quirk without hurting them even more than if he just used it normally. If they could power the controls and knock out the villains while keeping herself and Kyoka safe...

Momo nodded. "Alright, I have an idea. Let's head back to the exit we're getting out of here."

The duo nodded and followed their class rep to the exit, and Momo's leg started glowing, and she said. "Kyoka put these on, then make some noise and get the villain's attention, then fall back to me. Kaminari, when they show up, let all your electricity out."

Kyoka took the rubber boots that were a couple sizes too big and slipped them on over her own shoes as Momo did the same.

"What are you sure? I can't direct it. It's gonna hit everything around, and with all this water, it's gonna be worse." Denki said as he clutched the baseball bat tightly.

"Don't worry, I've got that covered. Kyoka, stay close to me after you blast your sound." Momo said as a rod shot out of her arm, and she slammed it into the ground while keeping it connected to herself.

"Alright," Kyoka said before she blasted her shin speakers down the road. She cut the sound and plugged her jacks into the ground. Through the pitter-patter of rain and the rushing of water, she heard a lot of stomping.

"They're coming," Kyoka said as she moved to stand next to Momo who's arm glowed. In no time, the villains came rushing in from several streets and ran right for them.

Momo grabbed Kyoka and pulled her close, making the punk girl yelp and blush as her face was tucked into Momo's shoulder, and the taller girl threw some kind of sheet over them. "Now, Kaminari!"

Denki sucked in a breath and shouted. "Indiscriminate shock! One point three million volts!"

The downpour zone flickered as electricity raced along all the surfaces aided by the abundance of water. Momo hoped that his electricity would kick the door controls into action; she admittedly didn't know much about electricity, so that part of her plan could be a dead end.

Kyoka blushed and tried not to shift her hands too much; they were firmly trapped between her own chest and Momo's chest. She really didn't want to grope Momo, at least not during a life or death situation, but the girl had pulled her in so quickly. Kyoka kinda panicked, and when Kyoka panics, her arms flail like her jacks. The two stayed like that in the dark of whatever sheet Momo had made until they heard Denki making a weird Yeh sound. Slowly the two girls separated, and Kyoka looked around at the downed villains and their fried classmate as she let the rain cool her face.

Kyoka turned to say something to Momo, but the words stopped on her lips as she saw how happy Momo looked. The tall girl giggled and laughed as she jumped a bit. "It worked! Alright, Kyoka, grab Kaminari and make sure he doesn't wander off. I'll see about the door."

"Y-yeah, ok... I'll grab the idiot," Kyoka said as Momo rushed over to the door controls.

____________________________________________________________________

Himiko wasn't sure if she wanted to kill Hawks or not. On the one hand, the hero seemed to be nice to her whenever he saw her, but on the other, he was the one who caught her and let her end up in the shit hole he had just taken her out of. That was another thing. Once she was dressed and left the UHD, he had taken her to his agency and had the local medical hero there look her over. Once they had determined she wasn't going to die of anything and didn't have any broken bones, he had whisked her away to some far-off spot on top of a radio tower on a skyscraper.

'This is it. He's going to throw me off this, and I'm gonna die. I'd like to have seen Izu, Mina, and Toru before now.'  Himiko thought as she stared down the cityscape.

"Why didn't you kill them?"

Himiko's head snapped over to Hawks as he sat down casually and dangled his legs over the edge of the maintenance walkway. "W-what?"

"Why didn't you kill those three? Um, Midoriya and the two girls Ashido and Hagakure, I think. You know the people the Commission is holding over you. What made them different from your usual targets?" Hawks glanced over at her. He needed to know for sure if she was someone he could do right by.

Himiko stared at him in confusion before looking over the city as the wind blew. A chill ripped through her, making her shiver as her thoughts came together. "W-warmth... being around them. Seeing the three of them love each other was warm. I was almost never the object of their love at first, but that was ok. I liked to see it, and then gradually they directed it towards me sometimes, and I'd feel... safe. It might not have been the same kind of love, but it was still love. I was loved."

Himiko sat away from the edge and tucked her knees under her chin. "I could have killed them one at a time, but whenever I thought about it, I realized the warmth they had would grow colder as each one died. I- the love and beauty I see as people bleed is amazing. It makes them look perfect in my eyes, and nothing can top it but... but the constant warmth of those three was so nice, and while I could have gotten three beautiful sights and been able to become three beautiful people for a time, that would all fade eventually."

Hawks watched as tears pricked her left eye and threatened to spill over. "Y-you know when people learn more about me, they grow cold and ugly, and I hate it, but I risk it over and over again. It ends badly all the time, even when I met Stain. I thought he would understand me. I thought I could be him and be loved by him, but he called me a monster, and I realized I never really understood him."

The tears started to spill over, and Himiko whipped at them furiously. "B-but I came back to the three of them, and they didn't hate me for abandoning them so suddenly. They still cared and directed love towards me, so I opened up a bit. Not everything but little things here and there, and they kept loving me."

Hawks frowned as Himiko sniffled and whipped her eye again. "I found people who could look at me and know bits of me and not be disgusted b-but I kept secrets still. They were hero students. I-I couldn't tell them I was a villain; I couldn't let them know how and why I killed. I was stuck b-but now. I-if I'm gonna have to work and die for the Commission, I wish I had told them. I'd rather they know everything and hate me than be left loving a liar."

Hawks hummed as he let Himiko cry and curl in on herself. He wasn't actually sure what to do when a girl ranted like that and broke down. It wasn't in the Commission training he went through, so he just sat there quietly and waited for her to calm down.

Once she was reduced to a few sniffles every couple of seconds, the number three hero cleared his throat. "Ok... guess we just gotta set up a scenario where you can see your trio then. You can tell them everything you want, and then if they reject you, I'll try to find a way to get you out of Japan, and you can go live somewhere else. If they still care about you, then we'll have to find a way to get you into Nezu's care."

Himiko looked up at him; her left eye was all puffy and bloodshot as tear stains marked her cheek. "W-what do you mean?"

Hawks stood up and stretched his wings. "Listen, kid, I didn't want to throw you into the UHD. There are some government programs out there for rehabilitating villains. I wanted to send you to one of those personally, but the higher-ups saw your quirk and your skillset, and they knew you'd do well for them, so they took you."

He walked over and knelt in front of her. "I've been with the Commission since I was a kid. I have the title of a hero, but I've never felt like one. I want to change that. I want to do something not because I was ordered to but because it's the right thing to do. My dream is a world where heroes have too much time on their hands, but the Commission's dream is a stagnant world where they hold all the power and no one doubts them. Wanna help me make sure their dream doesn't come true while ours do?"

Himiko sniffed and, after a moment, nodded. "Y-yeah, I do... what do we need to do to make it happen?"

Chapter End Notes

does the beginning with Himiko need a CW? I don't think it does but I'm also new to that kinda thing so I appreciate any help with that.

Also, My Feral Lady went on hiatus that is part of why this took so long to get out. I was struggling to write MFL and got kinda depressed then I put the fic on hiatus and still felt depressed so I watched a couple animes the first being My teen romantic comedy snafu and the second being Horimiya. also, I'm reading the manga for Horimiya. I like it.

I am feeling a lot better so I should be back to writing normally. oh and before my whole MLF depression stuff I also watched Land of the Lustrous and read some of the manga it was really good.

I hope I did the Himiko stuff at the end well and man things are going good for class 1-A right now...

Anyway, keep an eye out on my page over the next couple of weeks I've got some One-shot ideas and may actually write and post them. I think that's all from me. see you around.

Hospital

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Aizawa groaned as his consciousness barely clung to him. His eyes hurt, his face hurt, everything hurt so goddamn much, but he couldn't stop. There were kids here. Sure, by law, they were adults but fuck the law. They were fresh out of high school and barely understood themselves, let alone the world. Too young to be in this situation and too inexperienced to get out of it. He needed to stop the villains. He needed to get up and do his damn job!

His arms were broken, and his body wasn't responding to his desperate commands. Slowly Aizawa forced his eyes open. It seemed to be the only thing he could do. He wishes he hadn't, though. The sight before him was what he was trying to avoid. His students were in the plaza along with the remaining villains.

Pony, Mashiro, and Rikido were rushing towards him. They were his favorites now, even if Mashio's tail was covered in bruises. Mina seemed to have the warper pinned while Eijiro kept watch nearby. They were on thin ice. Shoto was now permanently on his shit list as the boy was actively fighting the decay villain. He would have to chew him out later for not using the fire aspect of his quirk as the decay villain easily dusted all the ice meant to trap him.

Izuku was also on the shit list as the boy was actively trying to fight the monster that rendered Aizawa into a broken mess. He had to assume either Izuku's quirk was slowing that monster down or because the decay villain hadn't been able to issue orders, it wasn't able to act at full strength. Either way, it was still fast, and Izuku was barely able to dodge it, and each punch disrupted the flow of gas, making it hard for Izuku to get any near the creature's face.

The warp villain spoke up suddenly. "Tomura Shigaraki, we must finish this soon before the heroes arrive."

Tomura growled and jumped back. Shoto's ice had been slowing down, and now Tomura finally had enough breathing room to yell. "Nomu free Kurogiri!"

The monster moved like a blur. Mina barely had time to look up before she was shoved to the side. Eijiro crossed his arms as he hardened his body to the maximum he could hold. It wasn't enough, though.

Nomu's fist connected with Eijiro's crossed arms, and a horrifying cracking noise echoed through the USJ as Eijiro went flying towards the Flood Zone. Everyone let out a small breath as Dark Shadow caught Eijiro before his limp form could hit the water.

Kurogiri warped to Tomura's side as Nomu joined them. Tomura scratched his neck. "One kid down. Now how about the brat who was playing with Nomu. Why don't we see if you can handle him when he's actually trying. Nomu grab that brat Kurogiri take the ice brat. I'm tired of dealing with him."

Izuku swore and screamed as Nomu's massive hand wrapped around his chest and lifted him off the ground before he even could blink. Izuku grit his teeth as he felt his ribs bend under the pressure. Nomu was applying just enough pressure to hurt Izuku but not break his bones. Izuku's arm shook as he raised it and shoved his palm in front of the monster's beak, and blasted.

Mina rushed towards her boyfriend as Shoto skated around, avoiding Kurogiri and his portals. She was vaguely aware of Mashiro and Rikido carting Aizawa off towards the stairs while Fumikage and Dark Shadow dragged a limp and broken Eijiro towards them. Pony and Tsu were near the boys, but Mina was the only one rushing towards Izuku.

"Where are you going, girl?" Tomura's voice sent a chill down her spine as she turned her head and saw he had closed the gap. His hand stretched out and made contact with her back right between her shoulder blades. Mina gasped as pain shot through her body like electricity. She couldn't concentrate, so she couldn't make acid to get him off as he slammed her into the ground. The pain spread slowly over her back like liquid fire being poured on her bare skin. Tears pricked her eyes, and blackness crept into her vision.

Pony screamed in English. "Get the fuck off her asshat!"

Her horns fired and impaled themselves into Tomura's arms while throwing him into the Flood Zone. Kurogiri quickly abandoned his fight to rescue his charge as Tsu jumped over to Mina and winced, seeing the exposed muscle of her back. The frog girl gingerly picked Mina up and moved towards the others.

Tomura coughed and stumbled onto land before dusting Pony's horns. "Fucking brats. Nomu end that kid and then kill the cowgirl next."

Izuku screamed as Nomu screamed and broke several of his ribs. The gas wasn't working. Izuku tried to pump more into Nomu's face, but the monster simply jerked his arms to the side, and Izuku felt something snap just before the monster sank its jagged teeth into his left shoulder.

The students were panicking and scrambling. Pony was getting ready to fire her horns as Shoto stumbled towards Nomu, the half and half boy's body covered in frost, and his movements were sluggish. Hanta and Minoru were running out of the woods towards their classmates as Rikido and Mashiro carried Aizawa up the stairs trying not to look back at their screaming classmate. Fumikage and Dark Shadow were in a similar position with Eijiro between them.

Everyone in the Central Plaza stopped as two beams fired. The first one was a short solid white beam that came out of the tree line and hit Kurogiri, stunning the villain. The second was a larger beam coming down from the top of the stairs. This laser was an angry red, and a scream ripped through the silence as Toru yelled. "Get off him now!"

The angry red beam carved through the top of Nomu's exposed brain, reducing a chunk of it to a bubbling mess. Nomu's jaw went slack as the monster fell to his knees. Pony and Hanta rushed forward and threw their weight into the monster to keep it from falling on Izuku as it dropped him.

Izuku hit the ground silently as his blood seeped from the bite wound. Nomu's body fell backward, and Tomura let out a guttural scream as he scratched his neck. He couldn't tell who to look at, who to scream at and curse out. All these fucking children were a nuisance, and apparently, one of them could just melt Nomu's brain.

The doors of the USJ exploded off their hinges as All Might stepped in. Tomura screamed again as the Symbol of Peace stepped up to assess the situation. By the time All Might's eyes landed on Tomura, the man was already flipping All Might the bird as he stumbled through Kurogiri's portal.

_____________________________________________________________________

Midnight was taking deep, slow breaths as the bus rushed toward the USJ. she had been in the middle of class when the PA system kicked in, and Nezu ordered all first-year teachers to get to the bus depot. As they rode towards the USJ, he broke down the message he received from All Might.

The Symbol of Peace ran into Tenya Iida on his way to the USJ. The boy was frantic and terrified as he explained how villains were attacking. All Might sent the message to Nezu before telling Tenya to get to UA. The boy had made it as the rest of the teachers were leaving. Recovery Girl currently had Tenya in her clinic as he had overheated his engines and burned his legs.

Nemuri was doing her best not to panic. Aizawa was a good fighter and would die before he let the students get hurt. Which worried her. Hirooki would also put down their life before letting a villain get their hands on a student, but unlike Aizawa, Hirooki didn't have combat experience. Something the two had talked a little about before. Hirooki had been scared of their quirk growing up and avoided combat, choosing to be a rescue hero instead of a combat-oriented one. Nemuri thought her partner needed to at least know quirkless combat skills just to be safe. Nemuri hoped that after today she could talk to her partner about it again.

Izuku came to mind, and Nemuri tried to shove the fear bubbling up in her chest away. Her son was strong and smart, but... she knew her son, and she knew he didn't always think of himself when he was being heroic.

The bus jerked to a stop, and the teachers rushed out into the parking lot of the USJ before moving towards the building. The first thing Nemuri saw caused a lump to form in her throat. Her partner Thirteen was out of their suit. Their back was a bloody mess of bandages. The only thing letting Nemuri know they were alive was the slow, steady breaths.

Vlad squeezed her shoulder as they moved past Thirteen letting an Ectoplasm clone check over Hirooki. Nemuri spotted Toru among the students near the entrance. As she moved towards the invisible girl, she noted the devastated looks of all the students as they all sat on the ground staring down the staircase. Midnight crouched by the invisible girl who flinched at her soft voice. "Toru."

Nemuri could feel the invisible girl shaking as she said. "I-I'm sorry... I-I hesitated a-and."

Toru buried her face into Nemuri's chest as a sob racked the invisible girl's body. The sudden noise made the other students flinch. "What are you talking about-"

Nemuri's voice died, and her world cracked as she saw Aizawa bleeding and broken, followed by Eijiro. Her eyes drifted down farther, and her breathing stopped. Laying next to each other was Mina with her back muscles exposed and cracked and Izuku on his back with his shoulder bleeding and chest rising unevenly. Nemuri didn't even feel the tears. She stayed silent and held Toru as the girl apologized for hesitating over and over again. This couldn't be real. It had to be a quirk or a nightmare. Something had to be fake because this much was too much. Nemuri didn't know what to do. Her years of training just disappeared, and her mind went blank as she stared at her son and his girlfriend looking like-

A paw touched her arm, and Nemuri flinched her eyes, locking onto Nezu's. Her boss patted her arm, and he said, "Midnight, please escort the students up here outside. The authorities will be here soon, and we have many who need help."

Nemuri nodded slowly. "Y-yes, sir... I understand."

Things moved in slow motion, and yet it all felt detached and like she was watching a movie on fast forward. The police and ambulances arrived quickly. Those in critical condition were rushed to the hospital while the others were treated for minor injuries and interviewed by the police. In total, eighty-seven villains were captured, Nomu's corpse was carted off, and the descriptions of the two that got away were given.

Several hours passed in the blink of an eye. Class 1-A was taken to their dorms, where several teachers remained to keep an eye on them. Hizashi put a hand on Nemuri's shoulder and let out a shaky breath. "Come on. I texted Emi. She's headed to the hospital. I doubt any of us can get in, but it's better than sitting around here, right?"

Nemuri nodded silently and followed her friend, who informed Nezu where they were going before leaving. The Dean of UA nodded understandingly and allowed them to go as he finished the clean-up with the remaining pros and police.

____________________________________________________________________

Hirooki groaned as they opened their eyes, only to slam them shut again. The lights were too bright, and the ceiling was too white. Their back itched, and their throat was dry as can be, but they were alive, so they assumed they had won.

"Hirooki... are you awake?" a voice asked. It sounded too soft... too fragile to be their partners, but as Hirooki cracked their eyes open again, they were met with the sight of Nemuri in her hero costume sitting by their bed. Her eyes shimmered with tears barely held back, and she looked one step away from breaking.

Hirooki reached over and grabbed her hand gently. "Y-yeah. I'm awake."

Nemuri squeezed their hand as they shook, and tears streaked down Nemuri's cheeks. "G-good. I'm sorry we couldn't get to you quicker."

"S'okay... I think I need some combat training, though. Kinda embarrassed myself in front of the students. Know any teachers?"

Nemuri sniffed. "Y-yeah. She's a hardass, though. It'll take some serious effort to get on her good side."

Hirooki tried not to wince as they laughed. "I'll do my best then... How is everyone else?"

Nemuri flinched and tightened her grip on their hand. "It's not good... but everyone is gonna live."

______________________________________________________________________

Hizashi rubbed his eyes before standing. "I'm gonna go get some coffee and walk around. Do you want anything?"

Emi shook her head. "I'm fine. Someone's gotta make sure he doesn't go on a rampage when he wakes up blindfolded."

Hizashi hummed and left. He was glad his best friend was alive, at least.

Emi sighed and looked at Shota's bandaged face as he breathed steadily. "You know I won't forgive you if you're prettier than me when they take those bandages off."

Shota didn't respond, and Emi kicked her feet out and stretched. "You know I was in the middle of grading papers at Ketsubetsu when I got word. I hope someone put them up for me. I don't need my students seeing them on my desk... I wonder how Hitoshi is doing. You never update me on your kid, and I think that's a pretty stingy thing to do."

Emi looked at his sleeping form and said. "You know it's rude to let the lady do all the talking. You gotta show that you're interested in what I'm saying, or I'll think you don't like me... not that I can really tell when you do talk to me. Though Nemuri does have a point. I kinda panic around you and tell stupid jokes. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but also, I just do it, so you don't take me seriously. Guess I'm scared of what would happen if you did."

Emi sat in silence while staring up at the ceiling. "I wish I had gone to UA. it'd have been nice to see young adult Aizawa." Emi let out a small chuckle that lacked any real joy. "though you probably wouldn't have liked the old Emi. you'd have definitely liked her less than the newer, hotter Emi that you met..."

Emi's eyes fell to the floor as she said. "I know I hated her."

A rustling of cloth pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked over as Aizawa started to struggle and gasp for breath. Emi reached over quickly, putting a hand on his shoulder as she said. "Wow, wow, wow. Hey, calm down, Aizawa, it's me, Joke. You're ok; you're in the hospital. They bandaged your face."

Aizawa slowly stopped struggling and spoke his voice horse and parched. "Joke?"

"That's what they all call me. I'd prefer if you called me Emi, though."

"Fukukado," Aizawa said simply before accepting the straw that poked his lip.

Emi sighed as she let him drink. "Wow, I haven't heard that name in forever. Guess your head is still on straight."

Aizawa released the straw and said. "What about my students?"

"I'll get Hizashi; he knows," Emi said as she stood to leave.

"Thank you." Emi smiled at his simple thanks and told him to wait while she tracked down the DJ.

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri sighed as she sat between Izuku and Mina's beds. Eijiro was in the third bed by the window. Typically they would have been put in separate rooms, but Nezu pulled some strings claiming it would be easier to keep an eye on the students if they were together.

It had been a day since the USJ attack, and none of the teens were awake yet. It made sense considering the severity of their injuries. The door clicked, and Nemuri looked up, seeing the floating clothes of Mina and Izuku's girlfriend. Nemuri's eyes narrowed as she spied the limp blonde hair of All Might in his skinny form.

Toru closed the door and walked over silently. Nemuri gave her best smile as the invisible girl sat next to her. "How are you, Toru?"

The girl didn't respond right away. Nemuri placed a hand on her shoulder and asked. "Has your family contacted you?"

Toru nodded. "I talked to them last night for a couple hours... Where's Mina's family?"

"I talked to them last night. They're out of town, but they're coming back. They'll be here tomorrow."

Toru hummed. "I texted Hitoshi. He wants to come, but Shinketsu is on lockdown, so he can't."

Nemuri hummed. "Better safe than sorry. We don't know if the villains have more targets than just UA."

A silence consumed the room, and Nemuri sighed internally. She knew Toru wouldn't want to talk, but. "Toru, what did you mean at the USJ? You were sobbing about how you hesitated and how sorry you were."

Toru flinched and fidgeted in her seat. "I-I. You know how my lasers work. I-I've gotten a handle on my upper limits, and I don't hurt myself unless I push it too far, b-but... I- the lower levels are hard to maintain. M-my lasers aren't like Aoyama's. Mine are lethal at the lowest level I can manage. T-that thing that hurt Izuku. I don't know if it was a person or not, and I hesitated then it bit Izuku."

Nemuri watched Toru shake as a sob clawed its way up her throat. "I-Izuku is hurt so badly because I hesitated and was scared. I-I'm sorry!"

Nemuri pulled the invisible girl into a hug and rubbed her back gently. "It's ok, Toru. You're a first-year student; you should never have gotten into this situation. This is a failing on our part as teachers, not yours as students."

She glared at the door. "Your teachers failed you, and we will take responsibility. You did the best you could, and Izuku is alive. He will recover, and the three of you will be back to being all lovey-dovey in no time."

Nemuri let Toru sob and calm down before standing. "I'll let you have some time with them alone. There's someone I need to talk to anyways."

Toru nodded. "O-Ok. Thank you, Nemuri."

______________________________________________________________________

Toshinori flinched a bit as the door opened suddenly, and he was met with Nemuri's glare. "Ah, Ms.Midnight-"

Nemuri shut the door. "No, I'm not your peer at school or your junior as a hero right now. I'm Nemuri Kayama. I'm gonna talk to you as a parent right now, Mr.Yagi, and you're gonna listen."

Toshi gulped a bit and nodded before he followed Nemuri down the hall in silence. Once they were away from the student's room, Nemuri said. "You knew Izuku and his girlfriends before UA. you were their personal trainer."

Toshi cleared his throat. "I- Um, yes I did. Though I don't show any favoritism."

"Of course not; if Aizawa thought you did, he would have ripped you a new one. Do they know Toshinori Yagi and All Might are the same person?"

"Yes, they do," Toshi said simply.

Nemuri nodded. "I see. Why'd you tell them?"

"Because I did not want to keep it a secret, and I believe they are all going to become incredible heroes who will make the world a better place. Especially Young Hagakure, who I believe could become the next number one. I trained them so they would be the best they could be."

Nemuri looked up at him, and Toshi flinched at the hard look in her eyes. "Then why weren't you at the USJ? If you want to push them to be the best they can be, why weren't you there to help them? Why'd you waste all your time doing things that any other hero could have and would have handled?"

Toshi looked away as he clenched his fist. "I am a hero I cannot and will not ignore-"

"You're a pro All Might. You should know how to prioritize and delegate. Not every crime needs a powerhouse to solve it. You're the number one hero of Japan, but you're also a teacher. You took on the job, which means you took on the responsibility to teach and protect these kids. You did neither of those. You went and did other hero's jobs for them."

Nemuri huffed and clenched her fist. "I know there was no way for us to know about the attack or predict it, but still. You should have prioritized these kids you say you care about and want to teach. Stop trying to do everything on your own because you can't anymore. You told us before the year started that you only had a few hours in your hero form. Yet you act like you can keep it up forever and do things like you used to. You can't, and you need to realize that before something like this happens again."

Toshi clenched his fist and stared at the wall as he took in her words. She was a mother who was rightfully angry at him. If he hadn't stopped and done all those heroics on the way to school, he would have been at the USJ, and he would have been able to help Thirteen and Aizawa with the villains. "I understand that I messed up, and I apologize for failing you as a hero and as a teacher."

Nemuri shook. "Don't apologize to me. Say you're sorry to your students when they wake up. Do that, and I'll forgive you."

Toshinori bowed his head as Nemuri left. "I'll be sure to apologize to them once they're awake."

_____________________________________________________________________

Everything hurt was the first thought that Izuku had as his eyes fluttered open and he stared up at the sterile white hospital ceiling. Izuku groaned as he sat up, only for a hand to gently push him down. Toru spoke. "Stay laying down."

"Hm Toru... can I get some water?"

Toru chuckled and held a straw up to his lips. "Here... I'm glad you're awake."

Izuku drank some water before sighing. "Thanks... glad I'm alive. How is everyone else?"

Toru sniffled. "Mina's in the hospital too. That decay guy got her back. She'll be ok. She's in the bed next to you, asleep. Other than you two Kirishima's in here asleep as well. His ribs and arms were broken. Aizawa and Thirteen are also in the hospital, but your mom said they would be fine."

Izuku looked around the room, spotting Eijiro by the window and Mina behind Toru. "Did they get all the villains?"

"No. A couple got away... I'm sorry, Izuku. I hesitated, and you got hurt."

Izuku reached out and grabbed her trembling hand. "It's ok. You saved me in the end; that's all that matters."

Izuku felt Toru's lips press against the back of his hand. "I love you."

Izuku smiled. "Love you too."

"Aww, that's sweet. I love you guys a lot as well." Toru and Izuku looked over to see Mina smiling at them.

Toru moved her hand over and held Mina's outstretched hand. "Mina, how are you feeling?"

"My back hurts a lot. Hope the scar isn't too bad. I just bought a new swimsuit I wanted to show off to you guys." Mina said, flashing her biggest smile.

Izuku smiled softly as he said. "It's ok, Mina. you'll always be the most beautiful person to both of us."

Toru nodded and said. "Yeah. scars are sexy anyway, so you'll both look even hotter to me now."

Mina's cheeks flushed lilac, and she cleared her throat. "I uh need some water."

As Toru helped Mina drink, Eijiro laid as still as he could in his bed and pretended to be asleep. He should probably let them know he was awake, but honestly, it got harder to announce his presence as time went on, and they deserved some time to talk and whatnot. It would be super awkward and unmanly to interrupt them.

____________________________________________________________________

Himiko stopped walking as she saw the news. She had been prepping for the job yesterday, so she didn't see the news until now. The USJ was attacked, and several students and teachers were in the hospital, but they would all make full recoveries, and UA was doubling down on revamping their security to make sure it never happened again.

"Suki. Come on, we don't got all day. Mr.Kin needs these documents in his office before lunch." a tall blonde woman with green eyes said as they stopped a few paces in front of Himiko.

Himiko pushed her blue hair out of her onyx eyes. "Sorry, Mita. I just saw the news about UA."

Mita propped her hand on her hip as she sighed. "Seriously, Suki? You're just now seeing that? It was all over the place yesterday. You're so disconnected."

Himiko laughed as the two women started walking again and entered the office building. "Yeah, I know. Now come on which floor was Mr. Kin's office on again?"

Mita rolled her eyes. "Thirtieth floor. He's got that huge window with a balcony overlooking the city. Pretty showy if you ask me. The guy isn't even on the board of directors, but he has an office that nice. Smells kinda fishy, doesn't it?"

Himiko looked at her as they rode the elevator up, and she tightened her grip on the briefcase she was holding. "Oh, you think he's doing something dirty?"

Mita looked around like someone could possibly pop out of the elevator as they rode it. "Maybe he's got dirt on the leadership or something."

Himiko rubbed her chin. "Maybe."

She winced as Mita swatted her arm and inadvertently hit a bruise. "I'm kidding. The dude's a cheese ball. He probably just works super hard."

Himiko hummed as the elevator dinged, and they excited. The two women walked a straight path to Mr. Kin's office and entered. Mita looked around. "Hm, he's not here. Guess we'll just leave these on the desk and go."

As they opened the briefcases and placed the documents down, Mita wandered over to one of the walls. "Wow, he's got... a lot of alcohol in here. How much do you think he drinks while he's on the job?"

Himiko slipped her palm under the edge of the desk and pressed a listening device to it. "Probably enough to make the day bearable."

"Hm, do you think he'd notice if we took some?"

Himiko rolled her eyes as she walked over and tapped Mita's shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here; there's a cafe down the street I wanna try out."

Chapter End Notes

some days I struggle with chapter names. Hospital seemed fitting since that's where most of it takes place. Kinda tired also been watching Dr. Stone. it's a good anime.

unrelated I've been thinking of a few different Izuku Midoriyas and stories (that I won't be starting any time soon). one an Izuku Midoriya who's heavily mutated. like kinda looks like a demon. he's friends with Mina. they met at a Mutation quirk support group and the story would have more quirk discrimination in it.

the other is an Izumi Midoriya with a quirk that increased how quickly she processes information and reacts to it. she's super into fighting and has learned a bunch of MMA to help her become a hero. she gets a little battle crazy sometimes.

the final one is actually an older brother Izuku and a younger sister Izumi. same dad different moms. both have a cat mutation quirk so they've got tails, eyes, and ears as well as retractable claws and all the reflexes and senses of a cat. here's the interesting part though. Izuku is living a normal life and is a second year at UA he inters with Aizawa. Izumi on the other hand in the product of infidelity.

her dad doesn't know she exists and her mother abandoned her to try and save her family life. Izumi lives as a homeless girl/villain who mugs people for their money and blood so she can keep her girlfriend Himiko sane. the two get picked up by the pussycats (Don't know how yet) and then end up in UA's young villain reformation program where they live and work alongside hero students to become better people and possibly heroes. the two girls known to the media as the Ally Cats take an interest in a cute girl from the country named Ochako and set about seeing if she'd be interested in them like they're interested in her while also balancing hero student stuff.

Motion

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ochako wrung her hands nervously as she sat with Kyoka and Momo. It had been a few days since the USJ, and none of the students were allowed to leave campus, so they couldn't go check on Izuku and Mina. Toru had managed to get permission and had come back and told them they were fine, but it was one thing to hear it and another to actually see it.

The doors to the dorm opened, and Class 1-A was up and rushing to the door as Mina and Izuku walked in. Izuku's arm was still in a sling, and he stepped between the crowd and Mina. "ah, wait! Mina's back is still healing the same with my arm, so please don't crush us in a hug, or Recovery Girl will have your head."

The crowd backed up a bit, and the duo sighed. Izuku smiled. "Thanks for the concern, everyone. We'll be heading to Recovery Girl tomorrow to finish treatment... I'm glad we all made it out alive. How are you all holding up?"

Hanta chuckled. "As expected, our vice rep is more concerned about us instead of himself."

The class laughed a bit as they started to spread out. Mina and Izuku sat with their girlfriend and friends at one of the dining room tables. Ochako smiled brightly. "I'm glad to finally see you two. We've all been kinda on the edge of our seats about how you were doing."

Kyoka's jacks pointed at Ochako. "She means that she was on the edge of her seat. Ochako over here couldn't keep still in her seat despite what Toru told us."

Ochako blushed as Mina and Izuku chuckled. "Kyoka! I wasn't the only one worrying about them."

Mina smiled. "It's ok, Chako. Thanks for worrying about us but don't worry anymore. We'll be back up to one hundred percent in no time."

Everyone sat around and talked for a bit, mostly expressing relief that everyone was back in the dorms. Eventually, Izuku excused himself and headed to his room to change. As he got to his floor, he looked at one of the rooms.  'Mineta wasn't downstairs...'

Izuku knocked on the door to the shorter boy's room. "Hey Mineta, you in here?"

There was a short pause before the door opened a bit, and Minoru poked his head out. "Oh, hey, Midoriya. You're back."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. Everyone was downstairs, and we're all hanging out. Thought it was odd that you weren't there."

Minoru looked away as he said. "...yeah, I uh didn't feel like being down there with everyone."

Izuku frowned. This wasn't like Mineta at all. As kinda gross as it was, if the girls were gathered in the common room, it'd be easy to find Minoru, and if he wasn't near them, he was with Hanta and Denki goofing off somewhere. "You ok, man? It's not like you to just sit around in your room."

Minoru frowned a bit and stepped back. "Uh... you're the vice rep, so you can help me out, right?"

Izuku stepped into the other boy's room as he said. "I can try. What's wrong?"

As Minoru sat on his bed, Izuku looked around. Minoru's room was very well organized; his bedspread was a dark purple, and next to his bed was a small nightstand with a lamp and water bottle. Across from the bed was a white desk with wire shelves next to and above it. The shelves were loaded with a few books on computers and heroics and a few less than savory doujin. The rest of the shelving space was some official and some shockingly well-made fan-made figurines of some famous heroines. Izuku pointedly ignored the several Midnight figures and the poses they were in.

Minoru sighed. "I uh... I'm glad you're ok. I'm sorry I didn't help at the USJ."

Izuku pulled the chair over from the desk and sat down as he said. "It's alright, man. We all did our best and-"

"But I didn't," Minoru said, cutting Izuku off. "I hid and ran and let you guys handle everything. I was so scared I could barely help restrain villains, and when the really bad ones showed up, I did nothing."

Izuku blinked and leaned forward. "It's ok, you know. We were all scared. We're first years who got exposed to the real world way too soon."

"Yeah, but everyone else managed it. They still fought... I just shook in my boots and tried not to cry."

Izuku leaned back as he looked at his shorter classmate. He hadn't thought much of Minoru, and their limited interactions hadn't really boosted his standing in Izuku's mind... but this was different than his usual behavior. "Hm. Mineta, why did you come to UA? Why try for the hero course?"

Minoru looked up at Izuku before looking away. "I... I want to be cool, and everyone talks about how cool heroes are."

Izuku raised an eyebrow.  'That doesn't feel right.'  "Alright. I'll ask again later."

Minoru looked up at him, confused as Izuku continued on. "So you were scared at the USJ. What are you gonna do about it? How are you gonna make sure you're not scared next time there are villains in front of you?"

"I-I don't know. Mr.Aizawa said I needed to improve quickly if I wanted to stay, and then the USJ happened and... I feel like I could have done more, but I didn't."

Izuku scratched his chin as he hummed as he got an idea. "Hm. You know, when my arm gets healed, I'm gonna need to adjust my workout routine. I could always use some company. You know someone to make sure I stay motivated and someone for me to help motivate."

Minoru blinked, and after a moment of Izuku staring at him, he said. "Oh um yeah... I have time, so we can train and stuff."

Izuku smiled as he stood up. "Good to hear; let's talk about the details after dinner later, ok?"

Minoru nodded. "Yeah... Thank you, Midoriya."

"No problem, man. We're both hero course students, so we gotta help each other out."

____________________________________________________________________

Himiko fidgeted in her seat as she watched Hawks sitting at his desk looking over the information she had helped him get access to. She had planted bugs in the offices of three different people from different companies. Each one being a Commission spy that was implanted in those companies.

Hawks had explained how the HPSC kept its eyes and ears on everything in Japan, from the government to companies and even a few of the remaining villain groups out there. Though that last one never really yielded much as far as Hawks could tell, which meant their focus would be on the corporate and government aspect.

"So, is there anything useful?"

Hawks hummed and closed down his PC. "yeah, a bit but not nearly enough for what we need. We'll be running another op in a week. I'll have your cover prepared by then."

Himiko took the packet that was handed to her as Hawks continued. "Here's all the info on the person you're impersonating. Be ready; this one may get difficult."

Himiko stared at the info on the first sheet as she said. "Are you sure about this? We're doing a lot in a short period."

Hawks smiled confidently. "It's alright the Commission thinks you're infiltrating an anti-establishment group. After this op, I'll take down the would-be terrorist with the info I already have, and our bosses will be none the wiser."

Himiko clutched the packet as she said. "Ok... Thank you for everything you've done and everything you're doing for me."

Hawks ruffled her hair as he laughed. "Don't worry about it, kid. It's for my own sake as much as yours."

Himiko nodded and stood up before following Hawks out of his office.

____________________________________________________________________

Aizawa did his best to glare at the door to his hospital room. It was hard with how his face felt numb, thanks to the painkillers. Hizashi put his phone away and said. "Thirteen is out of the hospital. They're headed back to UA to see the old lady and then rest up. Nemuri is with them."

Aizawa hummed and kept his eyes on the door. "That's good. Where'd Joke go?"

Hizashi tried to keep himself from smirking. "She had to step out for a phone call. The other hero schools are scrambling to make sure they don't suffer a USJ event like us."

Hizashi looked at his friend for a moment before saying. "Did something happen between you two? She seems fine, but you're being extra glum."

Aizawa looked at his best friend before starting out the window. "It's nothing. I just woke up sooner than they thought I would."

Hizashi scratched his head as he stood up. "Cryptic as always, buddy. I'm gonna get back. I've got paperwork to do at UA."

Aizawa hummed as Hizashi left. Once he was gone, Aizawa thought about what he had heard when he first woke up in the hospital. There had been a brief moment of panic, but he kept himself calm in case he was in the enemy's hands. It wasn't until he heard Emi talking did he decide to make his status known. He had never heard her sound that serious before or say something so self-deprecating. He wanted to bring it up but talking about feelings and what not was never his specialty. Usually, Oboro and Hizashi handled all the mushy feelings, and Aizawa just focused on being a hero.

Aizawa sighed as he slumped into his bed. He's gonna need advice on how to talk to Joke about what he heard. The idea of passing the info onto Nemuri and letting her handle it just doesn't sit right in his gut. "Guess I have to do this the hard way... I want to take a nap."

___________________________________________________________________

Grainy and low-quality security footage played as All for One sat and watched as well as a man with no eyes could watch. Most vigilantes who crop up after the school year starts are low-tier people and quirks not worth his time, but every so often, there's a gem of a personality he could corrupt or a quirk he could snag for himself. Even rarer is to find those two things in one person, and if this footage is to be believed, then he had some exciting prey to track.

The street punk on the footage went down with a single explosion, and Lord Explosion dropped into the frame and restrained the villain before taking off quickly as a couple heroes arrived and gave chase.

All for One closed out the video and pulled up a few articles about Lord Explosion. The boy, whoever he was, had good control over a powerful quirk though he was quite aggressive, which was good in All for One's book. Most villains who crossed the vigilante wound up in the ICU, and occasionally if a civilian was too slow, they would get burned. That sort of recklessness could be exploited.

"Kurogiri, if you could contact Giran for me and ask him to put out some feelers for Lord Explosion, that would be wonderful. I want to know his movements and habits as soon as possible."

The ever-faithful nomu responded immediately. "Of course, Master, it will be done quickly. Is there anything else you need, sir?"

“Hm how is Tomura holding up?”

After a short pause, Kurogiri said, "He is angry. Whoever it was that killed the nomu we used has been the source of his wrath. I believe he wishes to find out who it was and kill them... or something I am unsure how to decipher his screaming."

All for One chuckled quietly. "Well, we will have to figure it out then, won't we. I suppose the Sports Festival will be the easiest way to find out. Be sure he watches it when it comes around."

"Of course, master," Kurogiri said before All for One disconnected and went back to the doctor. Today was adjustment day for the newest nomu, so they had plenty of work ahead of them.

____________________________________________________________________

Katsuki scoffed as he scrolled through the news on his phone. There was just article after article about the USJ. If Midoriya hadn't fucked everything up, he would have been there as a student, and those villains wouldn't have been able to do anything.

He closed his phone and looked around the dark streets. All he needs to do is be better than actual heroes at their own job, and he'll get his recognition. He'd seen it before. Several vigilantes had achieved greater fame than some heroes. He'd just take it a step farther and become so famous that they'll have to recognize him as a hero. Once he's the best, he'll make sure Midoriya and that bitch Midnight never achieve anything as heroes. It's their fault that he's having to take such a roundabout way to the top instead of going down the route he was destined for.

Some shady guys were following a woman who walked quickly, and Katsuki jumped down from the roof. His hands stretched out and sparked as they got close to the men's heads, and he detonated two explosions. They screamed and flew backward as he landed and smirked. "Couple more villains down. Wonder how many more till they start to recognize me for the greatness I am."

Unknown to him, a pair of red eyes studied him as he restrained the men he had attacked. Chizome weighed his options as Katsuki ran off to find more villains. He could attack this boy and kill him now, or he could use him. Heros were sure to come after him, and more than a few would be fakes. All Chizome would have to do is intercept the fakes before they find Lord Explosion and kill them. Then eventually, real and true heroes would catch Lord Explosion, and things would resolve themselves. Chizome moved silently as he kept track of the explosive vigilante.

___________________________________________________________________

Mina stood in a sectioned-off area of Recovery Girls office with two full-body mirrors. She stood in her uniform skirt. Her blouse and jacket were draped over a chair as she inspected her back. The nurse had finished the final rounds of healing on her and Izuku. Unfortunately, her back and Izuku's shoulder still scarred.

Mina frowned a bit, looking at the large jagged patch of scar tissue on her back. One of the things she loved most about herself was her pink skin. She loved how much her partners complimented it and how unique it made her look. The teasing and jabs as she grew up with had stung, but thanks to people like Midnight and Xeno King, she had always been proud of her looks. Now though, her back was permanently marred. This was something that would always be there, and it wasn't something she had chosen. Someone had used their quirk to hurt her and leave this mark on her.

Mina shook her head and pulled her clothes on as she stepped out and saw her boyfriend as he slipped his school shirt on. She caught the edge of the jagged ring of scars going around his left shoulder. Her stomach knotted itself up even more as she thought about how Toru blamed herself for their injuries, especially Izuku's.

Recovery GIrl looked over a few papers before giving them the go-ahead to head back to the dorms. Mina slipped her hand into Izuku's and laced their fingers together. Izuku squeezed her hand, and the two walked back to the dorms in silence.

Once inside, Izuku asked Momo. "Have you seen Toru?"

Momo sipped her tea and said, "I believe she's in her room. She hasn't been out much today."

Mina and Izuku thanked her before heading upstairs to Toru's room and knocking on the door. The invisible girl opened the door and spoke quietly. "Oh, you guys are back already... sorry, I would have been downstairs, but..."

Mina smiled. "It's ok, Toru. Can we come in?"

Their invisible girlfriend hummed and opened the door, letting them in. Once the door was closed, Mina and Izuku sat on her bed, and Toru sat at her desk. "Are you guys all healed up?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. Now, all we need to do is start our training again, and we'll be back in tip-top shape."

Toru hummed again, and her partners looked at her with concern. Mina bit her lip and chewed it for a moment before saying. "Toru. I know you've been beating yourself up about the whole USJ thing, but it's not your fault. We all did the best we could, and neither of us loves you any less for hesitating. We both understand why you hesitated, and I think we're in agreement when I say we don't want to see you beat yourself up over something that anyone would have done in your position."

Izuku nodded. "We love you, Toru, and we're proud of you. The fact that you hesitated just shows how kind you are. You knew what you could do with your powers. You understand what you're capable of, and you show concern for people even if they are your enemies."

Toru shook and was pulled over to the bed by her partners. As she was pulled onto the bed, she was squished between her partners. Toru let out a shuddering breath as tears started to form in her eyes. She buried her face into Izuku's shoulders. "I-I love you two so much!"

Mina squeezed her tighter. "I love you too, Toru."

"And I love you as well," Izuku said as he kissed the top of her head.

Toru cried between her partners, who rubbed her back and head gently as they whispered their love to her. As she started to calm down, Toru sniffled and said. "I-this is gonna sound sudden b-but I want to take our relationship farther soon. N-not now, but I-I don't want there to be anything left unsaid or not done. I want to be as close as possible with you two. I love you two, and I want to be with you forever, and I want you to have everything of mine."

Izuku and Mina both blushed a bit and squeezed Toru. Izuku said. "Ok... tell us when you're ready, and we'll do it."

Mina nodded and kissed the back of Toru's head. "We want to be with you forever as well. We want you to have everything of ours as well."

Toru buried herself deeper into the embrace of her lovers and smiled to herself. She wasn't sure when she would push things further, but she knew it would be soon.

Chapter End Notes

The Sports festival won't be happening for a bit. the next few chapters are gonna focus less on our trio and more on Himiko, Katsuki, and a bit of Aizawa. I wanna focus on the stories of Himiko and Katsuki as a build-up to what will be happening after the Sports Festival which honestly might get kinda skipped over because I'm not a huge fan of writing the Sports Fest.

last night I talked to my girlfriend for like two hours about a fanfiction idea I had. if you read Watching Over You then you've probably seen in the latest chapter I talked about a complex quirk with Izumi that was inspired by Evangelion. we expanded on the concept of a late-blooming next-gen of quirk and basically have class Z which consist of Izumi Midoriya, Ochako Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu, Denki Kaminari, and Eri as students. the teacher of this class is none other than Nezu with the help of his personal student Mei Hatsume. there's five students with OP quirks that affect their mental states, a kid their age who helps them manage it, and a rat king who worries. twist and turns around every corner and a bonker ass potential ending... which I won't be writing for some time. it's all written down though waiting for when I put the story in motion.

Progress

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Eijiro yawned as he approached the 1-A dorms. Izuku and Mina had gotten released before him, but he was finally out of the hospital, and all healed thanks to Recovery Girl. As he approached the dorms, Izuku and Minoru came out in workout clothes. Eijiro waved. "What's up, guys. It's odd to see you two together."

Izuku smiled. "Hey, man. Glad to see you're out of the hospital; sorry we left you there alone. Mineta and I are getting some morning training in before classes startup."

"Sweet and no problem, I was hurt a lot worse than you guys, so it makes sense. I'll see you in homeroom. Have a good workout." Eijiro said as he headed for the dorms.

Minoru gulped and asked. "So we're seriously running this early in the morning?"

Izuku nodded. "Well, more of a jog than full-on running. I'll set a slower pace for you. No point in working you to death before classes."

That did little to ease Minoru's worries as Izuku started jogging. He had a feeling that even with Izuku taking it easy, it was still going to hurt like hell.

___________________________________________________________________

Minoru felt like he was gonna die. Everything hurt as he sat in class behind his tormentor. Izuku's slow pace was almost a full-blown sprint for Minoru, but no matter how much Minoru complained or spouted about how he couldn't keep doing it, Izuku just smiled and encouraged him, and damn it, Minoru hated to admit that it worked every time. Izuku had proven himself to be a cool guy fit to be a hero. He also had two hot girlfriends and was incredibly kind and helpful to everyone he came across. They hadn't been in school long, but he had the respect of the class, unlike Minoru.

So far, it was looking just like his junior high and middle school experiences. He had a couple friends he could hang with sometimes who understood his taste, but most people avoided him, and the girls of class always looked on edge when he was around. He wasn't sure what he was doing wrong. He did just about everything his dad and brothers had said whenever they talked about women. He spoke his mind and put up a confident front. He voiced his thoughts about how they looked and complimented them, but he never made a move to touch them. That was something his father had always been insistent on, and sure at first, Minoru hadn't understood that rule, but by high school, he was following that rule, and yet nothing changed. People hated him whenever he said anything, and they thought he was creepy if he kept his mouth shut.

Minoru glared at his desk as he thought about the teasing and how people treated him. He wasn't sure what was worse; the jokes about his height or the girl's disgusted looks that they would send his way whenever he entered a room.

A knock on his desk pulled Minoru out of his own spiraling thoughts, and he looked up to see Izuku staring down at him. "It's lunchtime. Everyone else has gone ahead."

Minoru looked around to see that everyone but Yuga, Izuku, and him were gone. The french boy never ate the cafeteria food; instead, he just made his own, claiming he had a specialized diet to help with his quirk.

"You didn't go with your girlfriends?" Minoru said, trying not to let the bitter venom of his jealousy leak into the words. He was jealous of Izuku and his luck with girls, but the guy was being nice to him, and Minoru didn't want to drive that away.

"They're having a picnic outside with the other girls. I also wanted to talk to you about some stuff since I'm helping you work out. I figured I'd try to help you in other ways as well."

Excitement bubbled up in Minoru's chest. "You're gonna help me get a harem like you?"

Izuku sighed and started walking to the door. Minoru hopped up and followed quickly. "Please don't call it that. What I have is a polyamorous relationship with Toru and Mina, not a... harem."

"What's the difference?" Minoru asked as they walked down the halls.

Izuku rubbed his eyes. "Lunch is not enough time for me to go over everything plus that. We can talk about it later; for now, let's get some food and find somewhere quiet."

Minoru nodded as they got to the lunchroom. He wasn't sure what Izuku wanted to talk about, but this guy had it all, so Minoru was pretty sure anything he said would help him out.

_____________________________________________________________________

Once the two were seated at an empty table towards the back, Izuku took a deep breath and said. "Alright, so I'm gonna be blunt, helping you improve physically isn't good enough. I've decided I'm gonna help you with how you behave around our other classmates."

Minoru smiled. "You're gonna help me get popular-"

"Nah, stop that line of thought," Izuku said. "I know where you're going. You've messed up since day one. The girls have no respect for you, and among the guys, they don't think too fondly of you except for Sero and Kaminari. We haven't been in UA for very long, but you're on the road to being isolated, which will hurt not only your school life but your future hero career."

Minoru crossed his arms. "Not my fault; the guys are a bunch of prudes who don't want to talk about anything interesting, and the girls can't seem to understand that I'm complimenting them."

Izuku stared at the short purple boy as he chewed some rice. He wasn't sure how Minoru was raised, but it was concerning, to say the least. The guy was pretty delusional about his actions. Izuku swallowed and said. "Ok... about that whole thing you just said. Most people don't talk about explicit material or actions so openly. Also, your 'compliments' are mostly perverted and fairly demeaning."

Minoru titled his head. "What do you mean? Girls love it when you compliment how they look, right?"

"Sometimes," Izuku said, pointing his chopsticks at Minoru. "But and this is important; the way you word things, how you say it, where your eyes are looking and how your physical posture looks all affect how it's taken. Let's use an example of a hypothetical girl we'll call her Yuko."

"Why hypothetical. Can't we just talk about a girl we know? Of course, I won't bring up your girls unless you want to-"

"Nope," Izuku said, cutting him off. "We're not talking about any girls that we know. We're using a hypothetical."

"Ok, but why?" Minoru said, not really understanding why. All the girls in class were top-tier hotties. It'd be easy to talk about any one of them.

Izuku sighed. "I'd like to be able to look my fellow classmates in the eyes after this conversation which I won't be able to do if we talk about them like how I'm sure this is gonna go."

Minoru nodded, still not really getting the issue. He found it hard to look any of the girls in their eyes. They had hot bods, and Izuku was glaring at him. "What?"

"You had a dirty look on your face. Keep your mind on the present. We're discussing how you speak about the girls in our class."

Minoru nodded. "Ok. So what are we doing with this hypothetical Yuko?"

"I want you to imagine what Yuko looks like and then tell me how you would compliment her," Izuku said simply before taking another bite.

Minoru chewed his food and nodded. He thought about what this girl would look like. After he swallowed, Minoru described her to Izuku. "Yuko seems like an ice queen kinda name. She definitely has that better than you attitude. Probably got that rich person dignity like Yaoyorozu's got and rack like hers as well."

Izuku sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Please don't say our classmate's names."

"But how are you gonna know the proportions? Unless you know porn actress's names cause I can go by that."

"Dear God, don't say that sentence to me again, and no, I don't, so please don't say their names," Izuku said, nearly planting his forehead on the table. He only stopped when he realized his lunch was still in the way.

Minoru shrugged. "Definitely tall and curvy, you know. Good legs and hips. Nice ass."

Izuku motioned with his hand for Minoru to move on. "Yeah, I got the picture. Imagine she's walking by or in front of you. She's wearing casual clothes or relaxing in the common room. How do you talk to her?"

Minoru thought for a moment before saying. "Well, I wouldn't. I'd check her out. Admire how hot she looks, but I wouldn't say anything."

"Why not?" Izuku asked. It was something he had noticed. Minoru really didn't say much to the girls. He looked a lot but only spoke when one of them questioned him on what he was doing or if Denki or Hanta said something about the girls first.

"Because I don't know if she or anyone else wants to hear me say it unless they ask or if someone else says something," Minoru said, making Izuku question the short guy even more.

"Ok then. Let's say Yuko has seen you looking at her. She asks why you're staring. What do you say?"

Minoru scratched his chin. "She's probably wearing stuff like Yaoyorozu, so I'd tell her how the sweater makes her boobs look even better than usual or how the tights really bring out her ass and legs. I'd be honest about how hot she looks in her outfit. You know, normal stuff like that."

Izuku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He let it out slowly and counted down from ten before saying. "There's so much wrong with how you approach this. Who taught you how to interact with girls?"

Minoru blinked. "My dad and brothers. They taught me everything I know and introduced me to all the best stuff."

"What about your mom? She didn't give you tips on how to talk to girls?"

Izuku regretted the question immediately. Minoru's eyes grew distant, and he looked away as he said. "I-no... I never got the chance to meet her. S-she died giving birth to me."

Izuku clenched his teeth and took another deep breath before saying quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it's been hard for all of you."

Minoru shrugged. "I guess. Dad's job lands him tons of money and my two brothers. They're twins. They both live with him and pay rent, so we've always been doing pretty well... dad never talked about mom a lot-"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Izuku said. He didn't want Minoru to feel like he had to spill everything.

"No, it's fine. You're a cool guy, and I trust you. Besides, you're helping me, so the more you know, the better job you can do, right?" Minoru said with a fake smile. "Dad never talked about her much, but when I asked my brothers, they told me that their birth was apparently difficult for mom. The docs said she should be careful not to have another kid too soon, but she got pregnant again a couple years later, and I came about. Mine was worse because... well, look at me. I'm not just short; it's a genetic deficiency. I caused all sorts of problems for her before I was even born and then... you know."

Izuku bit his lip before saying. "I kinda get it. I'm an orphan. My parents were killed when I was young, so I understand not getting to grow up with a mom."

Minoru stared at him with wide eyes before saying. "Um... sorry. Wh-what do you think I'm doing wrong? With talking to girls and stuff, I mean."

Izuku checked the time before saying. "How about we go over that tonight? We're almost out of time for lunch, and I need to collect my thoughts about it more."

Minoru nodded and, after a moment of silence, said. "Thanks, Midoriya. For talking to me and helping me out."

Izuku shrugged. "It's fine. What are friends for?"

Friends. The word stuck out to Minoru as he ate. Before, Izuku referred to them as classmates... but now it was friends. He smiled a bit while trying not to let it show.

_____________________________________________________________________

Himiko moved quickly and tried to bring little attention to herself as she tried to get to her room in the UHD. She had finished all the missions with Hawks, and he had reluctantly sent her back in order to make sure the Commission didn't get suspicious. He had left her with the promise to get her out again as soon as he could. Their work was progressing slowly, but with every mission she finished, they gained more intel to work with, and Hawks got closer to formulating a plan to bring the UHD to light and make sure HPSC paid for what they did down here.

An arm wrapped around Himiko's neck, and a blade poked her back, not enough to draw blood but enough to let her know it was there. Razor, aka Kono Chizuru, rested her chin on Himiko's shoulder. "Well, well, well. Look who it is. Changeling is back from her super long mission. How's my favorite little villain doing?"

"I'm fine, Razor. Though I'm tired. I wanna sleep, so if you'd leave me alone and let me go to my room-" Himiko stopped as the blade poked her back a bit more.

"You see, I would. I really would let you go to sleep, but you see. You're just so cute, and you caught some people's attention. They wanna talk to you... get to know you a bit better, all that stuff." Razor said as she tugged on the collar of Himiko's shirt. "They're really insistent on getting some one on... however many there are time with you. I'm here to collect you for them."

Himiko gulped at the implication. She really hadn't thought this place could get worse, but if the Commission was really letting something like that happen. "Oh, is there some gathering I wasn't made aware of?"

Kono and Himiko looked over as Warden approached. Her cold eyes glared at Kono as she said. "Maybe you'd like to invite me, Razor. I'd love to meet the people who arranged this little party."

Himiko let out a breath as Kono released her. "Just a little joke, ma'am. Nothing like that's going on."

"Good, and I expect you both to make sure nothing like that ever happens here, or else all parties involved will deal with the guards and me. Now Razor run along, and Changeling follow me."

Himiko stared at Warden as Kono left. Once it was just the two of them, Himiko asked. "Are you just taking me somewhere so you can beat me or whatever yourself?"

Warden sneered at Himiko. "Watch your tone, Changeling. I'm here to escort you to the higher-ups they want to talk with you."

As they started walking, Himiko prodded for info, but Warden didn't budge. Once they arrived at a door, Himiko was shoved inside. The room was small and drab like the rest of the facility. There was a steel table and two chairs across from each other. One chair was filled with a blonde woman who nodded. “Ms.Toga. Please have a seat."

Himiko spied a camera on the ceiling as she sat down and asked. "What do you want?"

The woman smiled. "I wish to talk. Your experiences here at the UHD have been quite rough compared to most newcomers. It seems Razor really has it out for you. Though that's to be expected. She's been growing quite volatile over the years."

Himiko simply stared at the woman, who smiled and continued talking. Occasionally she would ask Himiko questions about her experiences or the jobs she's carried out. Himiko took great care to make sure her stories matched up with Hawks reports. By the end of the conversation, the woman didn't seem phased. She simply wished Himiko a good day and then left.

Himiko made it back to her room without any more incidents and curled up on her bed. She pushed her worries and emotions away as she pulled memories of Izu and Mina, and Toru to the surface. Himiko smiled as tears pricked her eyes, and she relived her happy memories while fantasizing about what could have been if things were different.

____________________________________________________________________

Katsuki scrolled through the newsfeed on his phone while he did his best to act natural. He was sitting inside a cafe to avoid the heroes who were patrolling. He had dyed his hair black recently and put a Hawks-themed beanie over it. He was gonna have to move cities soon. There had been a few bodies of heroes found. Stain was in the same city as him, and as much as he wanted to take that psycho out himself, Katsuki knew it wasn't time yet. He'd let the extra's go at him and build the hero killer's rep some more. Then Katsuki would swoop in and take the bastard out when he was ready.

There were some other notable villains he could take out first to build up his own rep, and then when he decides to take Stain down, it'll be the final piece that pushes those fucks to recognize him as a hero.

Once the heroes had moved onto the next city block, Katsuki left his money on the table and bounced. He'd need to pat down the next few thugs he beat since he was starting to run low on cash. "Guess I'll head somewhere with more crime... Kamino should have a lot going on."

As Katsuki moved through the streets, certain people took notice of him. Eyes from all sides were watching and waiting and speaking to those above them.

Chapter End Notes

I forgot a few times to say it but yay we're past 100K words.

also, keep an eye out for a new one-shot. it's a what-if for the world of Hypno. it's basically what it would be like if Himiko didn't end up in the UHD and if she joined Izuku/Toru/Mina's relationship. I'm just kinda tired so I can't write a lot right now.

started this manga called The Guardian of the Witch and read the first chapter. I enjoyed it. it's a cool premise and whatnot.

Help Wanted

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

UA was abuzz with excitement. It had been announced this morning in the homeroom that the UA Sports Festival would be held. 1-A finished Art History Midnight dismissed them to go to lunch but waved Izuku over. "Midoriya, stay behind for a minute."

Izuku did his best not to roll his eyes as he said. "Sure thing Ms.Midnight."

Once the class was gone, Nemuri sat on the desk next to Izuku's and sighed. "So, how have you been? It's been a while since we talked."

Izuku smiled. "I'm fine. I've recovered from all my injuries, and my workout is going well."

Nemuri hummed. "How about you and your partners?"

Izuku flushed a bit, and Nemuri grinned. "Oh, some developments. Don't give me any grandbabies yet."

Izuku choked and glared at his mother. "That's not gonna happen any time soon."

Nemuri cooed, "but you want it to happen at some point. That's so sweet I can feel my blood sugar rising."

Izuku groaned as his mother chuckled and collected herself. "So how about the Sports Festival? Are you gonna go for the gold?"

Izuku sighed. "I... don't know. I wanna do good and get offers, but I don't know how far I'll get. There are some powerful people in my class, and I don't know anything about class B."

Nemuri ruffled his hair. "Well, no matter how bad you do, you'll get an offer from the person I know you wanna intern with."

Izuku quirked an eyebrow. "Who?"

Nemuri smiled and kicked her legs as she stared at her son, who stared back at her in confusion. Eventually, she huffed and pointed at herself. "Me. You can intern with me. Ever since school started, we haven't gotten to spend much time together, so the internships will be a good time for that. I can teach you more, and in our downtime, we can get some quality time in."

Izuku grumbled and looked away as he said. "Uh... well, you see. I was kinda thinking about... not going with you for the internships."

He tried not to look at the hurt look in Nemuri's eyes. "Aw, why not? You get into college, and suddenly you don't wanna spend time with me."

Izuku huffed. "Not true, I'm just busy. Maybe if I didn't have so much school work, I could leave campus and go home more often."

Nemuri chuckled but stopped and looked over as the door opened and Pony walked in. She glanced at them and said. "S-sorry, forgot my phone."

Midnight smiled. "No problem Tsunatori."

Once Pony was gone, Izuku snapped his fingers. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask before because of well... the USJ and stuff, but is it ok if I tell the class that you're my mom?"

Nemuri hummed. "They don't know? Wasn't there that whole magazine thing?"

"Apparently, I don't look much like the photo, so no one has said anything," Izuku said. "Tsu asked about my connection to you, and I told them I knew you from junior high when you would keep an eye on me, but I didn't tell them you adopted me."

"Uh... sure you can tell them. I don't think it really matters. If anyone gives you trouble or talks about favoritism, send them to me, and I'll set them straight." Nemuri said with a grin.

Izuku nodded. "Alright, thanks, mom. I'll see you tomorrow."

The two got up, and Nemuri hugged Izuku as she said. "See you tomorrow."

______________________________________________________________________

Himiko woke up as she felt the air shift and her door closed quietly. There were one too many people in her room. They were quiet, which was impressive but not quiet enough. Himiko lunged from her bed and pinned the body to the floor as they yelped. Himiko put pressure on their arm and whispered. "Who the fuck are you?"

"N-no one... I'm sorry. Please let me go, and I'll never try this again." The voice was a boy, someone around her age probably.

"What were you trying to do?" Himiko asked.

They struggled, and Himiko put pressure on their arm. "Try to run, and I'll break your arm. Answer me."

The door opened, and light poured in. Himiko looked up as Warden turned the lights on. "Rush, would you care to explain why you're in Changeling's room after hours?"

Himiko looked down at the boy. She was right; he was around her age. He had rust-red hair and yellow eyes which looked terrified. "I- no, I uh..."

Warden hummed. "Changeling, release the idiot, and both of you come with me."

The woman didn't want for them to respond; she just started walking. Himiko made sure to step on Rush as she got off him and followed Warden. Rush caught up quickly and kept his distance from both women. Now that he was on his feet, she noticed he was kinda tall and lanky. Totally not her type.

Warden pulled a card out of a side pocket and tapped it against a scanner. The door opened, and Warden held it open. "Enter."

Himiko tensed as she entered the room and saw against the opposite wall was a woman sitting seiza on a cushion. What unsettled Himiko was the woman's black hair splayed up the wall like a spider's web with the ends of each strand digging into the concrete behind her. Himiko couldn't pull her eyes away from where the woman's eyes should have been.

Rush muttered something about how creepy the woman looked, and Warden smacked the back of his head as she closed the door. "Seer, is anyone else misbehaving tonight?"

The woman looked right at Warden, who was walking across the room. "No, ma'am, everyone else is in their rooms or out on a mission."

Warden nodded and turned to look at the duo she had dragged here. "You two are our newest members, so you don't know about Seer. She's our eyes here at the UHD; her quirk lets her see everything in the compound. During the night when you should all be sleeping, she's watching to make sure no one misbehaves like Rush."

Warden looked at Rush. "So next time you decide to carry out Twist's stupid orders, don't try at night."

Himiko glared at Rush, who fidgeted. "I- no, I wasn't. It wasn't Twist."

Warden scoffed. "Don't lie, boy. I know he's got you under his thumb. In fact, it seems like he's getting a big head these days."

Himiko felt her stomach drop as Warden walked over to a control panel and hit a few buttons. "I think everyone needs a reminder about where they are and who's in charge."

The PA system blared loudly and announced for all UHD members to converge in the main sparring room. Warden headed for the door and wordlessly motioned for Himiko and Rush to follow.

Within ten minutes, the nearly twenty UHD agents who were in the compound were gathered. Spread out between them were people dressed like Warden who wore helmets obscuring their faces. Warden herself stood in the middle of the crowd with a few feet between her and everyone else.

Himiko spotted a large man with graying hair looking very unhappy. Next to him were a few people and Razor, who was glaring at Rush and Himiko. Warden cleared her throat as she said. "Tonight, we had a little incident between our two newest recruits. It seems Rush tried to sneak into Changelings room."

A few people laughed, and a few more complained, but Warden's cold glare silenced them. "Though it wouldn't be right to blame either of them for this. No, this wasn't their fault. You see, Rush was acting on orders from Twist, who seems to think he runs my compound."

The crowd looked at the large man next to Razor. He stood and glared hard at Warden as he said. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't tell him to do shit. Stop fucking with us and let us get some sleep."

Warden's cold eyes flicked around the room as she said. "Twist, are you refuting what I said? This is my home, and I am kind enough to let you all stay here. You would be so rude to your host as to accuse her of being a liar?"

Twist stepped up and looked down at Warden. "Yeah, I am. I do the HPSC's dirty work all fucking day, and then you wake me up in the middle of the night cause some kids wanna fuck around, and you blame me? Fuck that and fuck you, Warden."

Warden sighed, and quicker than anyone could react, she pulled her baton from her belt and cracked Twist's knee with it. A sickening crunch echoed through the room as he dropped and clutched his broken knee while holding back a scream. Warden stared at him with no pity or remorse. "I would like an apology, Twist. Your words were quite hurtful and uncalled for so."

Warden planted her boot by Twist's face. "Lick it and say I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to say that."

Twist glared up at her. "Fuck you bitch. You're a psycho, and the only reason you're not one of us is because you killed everyone close to you!"

The baton came down again. This time it struck his ribs, and Himiko was pretty sure some of them either cracked or broke. Warden's eyes looked like empty glass. There was no emotion behind what she did or said. "Your daughter is starting high school, isn't she?"

Twist tensed, and the room got several degrees colder and quieter. "She's a beautiful young woman now. She really takes after her mother though she does have your eyes and your quirk. I hear her dream is to be a defendant. She doesn't want people to lose family because of a bad choice."

Twist looked at Warden with fear in his eyes as the unsaid threat hung over him. Slowly and while trying to keep himself from shaking, he licked Warden's boot and said. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to say that."

Warden hummed and clipped her baton back to her belt. "Razor, Mist, take him to the infirmary. Everyone else, go to sleep and remember this is my home, and I am letting you live here. Please be respectful of my rules and courteous of the other guests. Do that, and we'll all have a better time in the UHD."

Himiko felt a chill run down her spine as Warden took a second longer to look at her before walking off. Fear pushed Himiko's feet, and she got back to her room in no time. Once she was alone, she curled in on herself while pulling the blankets over her head. This place was hell, and if she took one misstep, the people she loved would pay the price. She needed to leave as soon as possible.

_____________________________________________________________________

Nezu hummed as he looked over several emails. Native was tracking Lord Explosion, and Mr.Brave was putting together a team to try and take him in. Sadly they wouldn't be able to get Aizawa on the team as he was already on a raid team for a recent quirk trafficking ring that had cropped up, which took precedence over a vigilante. Curiously an email popped up that was from a burner account. The email simply asked, 'how does a cat catch a rat when the rat is outside, and the cat is trapped inside?'

Nezu smiled and deleted the email before tapping away at his computer. Things were happening that he hadn't expected to happen yet. It was always so much fun when something unexpected happened in his life.

The dean of UA hummed happily to himself as he continued to work and ensure his school ran smoothly.

_____________________________________________________________________

Hawks rubbed his eyes as he sat on his favorite radio tower. This tower was nice because it was a blind spot in the Commission's network. He didn't know why or how, but whenever he was here, it was like they didn't exist, and he could pretend to be a normal hero striving for a better world instead of... whatever he had become. Most days, he certainly didn't feel like a hero, and ever since throwing Himiko into that pit called the UHD, he hasn't felt like much of a person either.

Hawks sighed and rested his head against the tower. Hopefully, before long, he would be able to get her out and somewhere safe. He had sent the message to Nezu, and now he just needed to wait for the sign. The message itself was odd, but it was something he had gotten from the rat during one of their very few meetings. The understanding being that if Hawks ever needed help, he was to send the message then wait. The number three just prayed that it wasn't some kinda test by the HPSC, and it turned out that Nezu was on their side the whole time.

Hawks stood silently and flared his wings out before stepping off the tower. He had work to do and appearances to keep.

_____________________________________________________________________

Several people sat around the common room of 1-As dorm as they listened to their American classmate give her theory that Izuku was romantically involved with Ms.Midnight despite having two girlfriends already. No one was sure if they should believe Pony or not. On the one hand, she had heard some odd stuff about their teacher wishing she could spend more time with Izuku and how they hadn't gotten to see each other much now that he was in college. On the other hand, it was Pony and her understanding of their language, which had improved, was still not perfect, and it was possible she just misheard.

The issue could be solved quickly, except Izuku and his girlfriends were out of the dorms right now. Hanta laughed. "Maybe they're all dating Midnight, and the four of them are on a date."

Minoru made a strangled noise before saying. "That bastard. He talks about how I act and then goes around snagging every woman he sees."

Denki flicked the purple boy's forehead and said. "Don't get yourself twisted up inside. We still don't know that's the truth. Sure, Ms.Midnight is really hot, and makes lewd jokes during class and kinda pushes her boobs out sometimes." Several people rolled their eyes, wondering where Denki was going with this. "And she sits on Midoriya's desk a lot... and she teases Ashido and Hagakure more than the other girls... you know Tsunatori might have a point."

Kyoka facepalmed, and Pony pumped her fist. "Kyo's Japanese tutoring has paid off. I found the truth of Midori."

Kyoka blushed as Pony leaned over and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much, Kyo."

"A-ah, it's uh fine. You're my English tutor, so it's all fair." Kyoka said as she tried to ignore how close Pony was even after letting go.  'Why are all the girls in my class so friendly and so pretty and... fuck I'm spacing out.'

The punk refocused on the conversation as Ochako talked about how she thought there might be something else going on and how they shouldn't speculate since the last time they did that, it turned out differently than they thought. Momo agreed with her and steered the conversation onto other topics. Kyoka thought it was odd how quickly Momo jumped on the opportunity to not talk about Izuku and Midnight's relationship.

They didn't stay off that topic for long as Izuku, Mina, and Toru came back to the dorms, and Pony shot to her feet and pointed accusingly at Izuku. "Midori, what is your relationship with Ms.Midnight? Are you boning her for grades, or is it love?"

Half the room choked while the rest were too stunned to react. Izuku looked horrified, and his girlfriends quickly doubled over in laughter. Mina was on her knees, clutching her sides as she said. "I-is it true, Izu? Are you boning our art history teacher?"

Toru giggled and said. "I always knew something was up with you two." the invisible girl tried to hold back her laughter as she spoke. "How long has it been going on? Ever since junior high or is it recent?"

Kyoka sighed and rubbed her face. "Pony, we're gonna have to talk about... that whole thing later."

The American pouted before smiling. "Can we have snacks and watch movies in your room afterward?"

Kyoka stared at her for a moment before giving in to the sight of her big blue eyes. "Fine, but only after I explain why that whole sequence isn't something you should do."

Tsu ribbited. "I think she handled it quite well."

"Refocusing on Green," Kyoka said before looking back at Izuku, who was helping his girlfriend's back to their feet. He looked very done with today. "So Green, what's up with you and Midnight?"

Izuku chuckled. "So I didn't lie totally, and I got permission to talk about it. I met Nemuri in my last year of junior high, and she watched over me and talked to me sometimes. I guess she came to like me because she started training me. Then before high school, she adopted me, and I became her son. I've been living with her ever since. I'm guessing Tsunatori heard some of our conversation earlier today."

"She adopted you?" Ochako asked, and Izuku nodded as he took a seat.

"Yep. It took a bit, but I see Nemuri as my mom."

"How can you see Midnight as a mom?" Minoru asked, sounding devastated.

Izuku looked at the short boy and said, "Because Midnight's just an act. Nemuri Is actually pretty chill and honestly a bit of a slob. I mean, she turns into a mess when Hirooki flirts with her."

The room was quiet, and Izuku cleared his throat after a moment. "Uh, don't say anything about Midnight dating someone. That was a slip of the tongue on my part."

Minoru had seemed to go catatonic as he muttered about how wonderful sweet fantasies were being shattered one after the other. Denki poked him a few times before saying. "Holy shit Midoriya you broke him."

Izuku sighed. "I didn't mean to... so um, any questions, I guess?"

A few of his classmates asked about what it was like living with Nemuri and why she put on the Midnight act. Izuku answered them as best he could before picking Minoru up and saying. "I'm gonna go drop him off in his room."

Chapter End Notes

hey if you haven't seen it I posted a one-shot recently you should check it out.

speaking of One-shots I promised one for Hypno. a what-if and it is coming but... well it's longer than I first imagined it to be so I'm still working on it. I really like it and I can't wait for you to get to read it.

also been thinking I want to read a fantasy AU for MHA.

Sports Festival

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Katsuki cursed as he sprinted down the back streets and alleyways of Hosu. Someone- no, something was after him. Whatever it was couldn't be human because there was no way a person could do what that thing did to the hero who had been trying to catch Katsuki. This was a shitty day. He had realized recently that the Hero Killer kept cropping up wherever he went, so he decided to come to Hosu, where he would start planning how to take Stain down. He figured the extras in this city would keep Stain busy long enough for Katsuki to get ready.

Then the portal opened underneath him, and when Katuski blasted himself over it and turned ready to fight, the monster climbed out. Its brain was spilling out of its skull, and its skin was black as the night. The dumb-ass extra hero who had been chasing him showed up and attacked the creature. It hardly reacted before tearing the man apart with the extra limbs that sprouted from its back.

Katsuki shook the gory scene from his head and kept running. He could hear it behind him. The damn thing was tracking him and didn't show signs of slowing down, unlike Katsuki, who was starting to feel the exhaustion. He hadn't gotten to sleep in nearly thirty-six hours, and his palms still strung from last night when he took down some villain gang that was planning to rob a store.

His day just kept getting worse as he rounded the corner and realized he had walked into a trap. Several heroes were scattered around the alleyway. He recognized some but most looked like extras. His mind raced as he heard more heroes move in behind him. There were eight in total.

Katsuki grinned as Mr.Brave told him how they were going to bring him in for vigilantism. Katsuki barked with laughter, and they all heard the thudding of the monster. "Good luck with that, you fucks! You think I was running here for you? Nah, I was trying to get some distance from that thing!"

The dark creature barreled around the corner, and Katsuki wanted to gag. It had four extra arms sprouting from its back, and they still had blood and viscera dangling from its fingers. The heroes were stunned and then quickly jumped into action as it attacked one of them. Katsuki used the confusion to blast past Mr.Brave, who was forced to let him get away as the hero went to make sure none of his comrades died.

____________________________________________________________________

Nezu hummed. "Thank you for your valiant attempt. I am glad to hear that none of your team died, Mr.Brave. Hopefully, the Nomu's body will reveal some answers about the League of Villains. We will have to reconvene and try again later. Hm, yes, I believe Eraserhead will be available this time. Of course, thank you again for your help in this matter."

Toshi looked at the dean as the second event of the First Year Sports Festival raged on. "Is everything ok, sir?"

"Our attempt to capture Lord Explosion ended in failure. It seems a nomu was with him. We're unsure if it was working with him or chasing after him, but either way, Mr.Brave and his team were forced to let him get away while they dealt with the nomu."

The teachers grew silent as they processed the idea of someone with a quirk like Lord Explosion working with the League. Toshi was more worried that All for One was after Lord Explosion for his quirk. He watched his three students working together in the team event. Last night he had told them that All for One was most likely still alive. They had taken it well and were prepared for the possible dangers.

Toshi sighed. "I pray that we're able to catch him before the League does."

The other teachers agreed and watched Toru and Mina's team come in first with Izuku's team in second, Todorki's team in third, and one of class B's teams in fourth.

____________________________________________________________________

"How suspicious should we be?" Mina asked as she watched Toru walk off to speak to Shoto.

Izuku shrugged. "Toru can handle herself. I'm not sure what he wants to talk about, but he's been looking increasingly annoyed that we keep beating him."

Mina chuckled. "If he confesses to her, I'm voting no."

Izuku slipped his hand into hers as they walked off to wait by the gate for Toru. "I vote no as well."

____________________________________________________________________

Toru stood across from Shoto in a side hall.  'Please don't confess or something stupid like that.'

"You beat me... several times today. I did not think you would be able to do that, but you overwhelmed my ice in the second event and outran me in the first event. Both times I tried to freeze you in place, and you simply destroyed whatever I sent at you."

"Don't forget Mina and Izuku beat you as well," Toru said, feeling happy when she saw his eyebrow twitch.

"But they didn't overwhelm me... I've seen you three speak to All Might before. While no one else was paying attention. I don't know what your relationship is-"

"He's our teacher. Literally, anyone can just walk up and talk to him." Toru said as she crossed her arms. If he didn't get to the point soon, she was gonna leave.

Shoto gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. "Have you heard of quirk marriages?"

Toru tensed and confirmed that she knew what they were. Shoto went on to explain how his mother and father came together and how Endeavor had forced her to have child after child until he was born. Toru felt revulsion rising in her gut as he told her about how his mother was pushed to her limit and how she burned him. Shoto glared at her as he said. "You overwhelmed me. I don't know what your relationship to All Might is, but I'll beat you, I'll beat Ashido, and I'll beat Midoriya. I'll do it with my mother's ice and show Endeavor I don't need him or his quirk."

Toru took a deep breath and thought about what Izuku or Mina might say at a time like this. Toru flashed suddenly, making Shoto squint, then his eyes widened as he saw Toru's face for the first time as she glared at him. "I don't show this form to people unless they're close to me. I'm showing you now because I need you to see how serious I am, Todoroki."

Toru stepped closer to him, keeping a deadly serious look in her eyes as she said. "Your eyes right now. They look just like Endeavors."

Shoto flinched, and anger flashed across his face, but she pushed on, not letting him speak. "You're so caught up in your hatred of him that you don't see you're falling down the same path. I won't pretend to know what you've gone through, but I'll tell you this. Izuku, Mina, our best friend, and I. We've never been harassed because of our parents' quirks. We were attacked verbally and sometimes physically because of our quirks. Because that's what they are, they're our quirks. No one has their parents' quirks; they just have their own."

Toru stepped back and let herself go invisible. "You won't be able to beat any of us unless you take this seriously and use both parts of your power."

Toru walked away as Shoto stared at the wall with an unreadable expression. Her words were echoing in his head. He stared at his hand and quietly said. "My eyes look like Endeavors..."

_____________________________________________________________________

Himiko wanted to growl as Rush sat across from her as she ate. "Fuck off."

Rush held his hands up. "Please. I just wanted to apologize for what I did. Twist-"

"I don't care. Leave me alone. I don't need you or anyone else in this place causing me trouble." Himiko sat before continuing to eat.

"My name is-" Rush held his tongue as Himiko poured all the murderous energy she could into her glare.

Satisfied with his silence, Himiko started eating again. Rush gave up on speaking to her and simply ate as well. As Himiko finished up her lunch, she noticed Rush tense, and when she looked over her shoulder, Hawks was approaching. "Changeling. I need you for a mission, come on."

Himiko stood up. "Yes, sir."

She shot Rush one more glare before following Hawks. It took a bit, but they arrived at his agency, and once they were inside and Hawks confirmed it was safe to speak freely, he signaled, and Himiko groaned. "I hate the UHD."

Hawks sat in his chair and hummed. "What happened?"

Himiko explained what happened to Twist. "Is what he said true?"

Hawks rubbed his eyes and contemplated the question before saying. "I'm saying this because you can keep a secret. Don't ever let Warden know you know this, or she will kill you."

The seriousness in the usually laid-back hero's eyes made Himiko briefly reconsider, but she powered through and nodded. Hawks took a deep breath and said. "Warden was originally slated to be an agent of the UHD like you. She had a family who the HPSC was going to use as leverage except... after they threatened her, she killed her family and then joined the HPSC and showed her loyalty before she asked to become the Warden of the UHD."

As Himiko processed that information, Hawks continued. "That woman is just... missing something in her heart or mind or whatever. She doesn't take pleasure from what she does either. In her mind, it was inevitable that she would end up in the UHD, so she made sure she ended up in a favorable position. The UHD is her home, and she makes sure everyone follows the house rules."

"That's... that's messed up," Himiko said as she removed her eyepatch and dug around in her pocket before pulling out the red one. She was glad they hadn't taken her eyepatches when they kidnapped her.

Hawks frowned as he watched her. "I've been meaning to ask you. How did you lose your eye?"

Himiko flinched a bit and rubbed the patch idly before saying. "I was on the run. Hiding from heroes. I ran into Stain, and back then, I was a total fangirl, so not cute now that I think about it, but anyways... he called me a monster and tried to kill me. He scarred my arm and took my eye before I ran away and some heroes showed up. He prioritized them over me, and after I got patched up, I went and found all these super cute eye patches. Toru really likes this purple one, and Mina said this red one with the vampire teeth decal just screamed me."

Hawks smiled a bit, hearing the girl giggle and show off the eyepatches she had on her. He let her talk about the trio for a bit before getting them back on track. "Alright... I've sent a message to Nezu. I'm waiting for him to respond, but before that. There's one more thing we need to do."

"What is it?" Himiko asked as she looked at the papers on his desk.

"We need to get all the information we've gathered to Sir Nighteye, but we don't need him to know we've done this. You'll need to sneak into his agency and upload a copy of all our info to his computer." Hawks handed her a packet that went over her cover story and the layout of the agency.

"I've never broken into a hero agency before," Himiko said as she looked over the layout.

Hawks nodded. "I don't like it either, but he's a good hero, and I know the info will be safe with him. If he finds it before we go public, he'll probably poke around a bit which can help us when it comes to being credible. He was All Might's only sidekick, and after leaving, he's gained a name for himself as a reliable investigator."

Himiko hummed and nodded along. "When are we gonna do this?"

"In three days. He'll be out of the office along with his intern and his sidekicks, so it'll just be a skeleton crew of office workers."

"Alright. I'll be ready when the time comes." Himiko said as she followed Hawks to her room. They had to keep up appearances whenever they weren't in one of the few safe places.

Once Himiko was alone, she familiarized herself with all the info she needed. Once she was satisfied, she couldn't help the giddy and nervous feeling that bubbled up in her gut. She was getting close to being free of the UHD, and then she'd get to see Izu and them. She swore that she would kiss all of them once she was free. Then she would ask for blood and snacks and to watch movies.

Himiko giggled and clutched her pillow as she smiled and thought about everything she wanted to do once she was free. The nervousness about telling the trio the truth about her was outweighed by the joy she felt while thinking about getting to see them again.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Wow! It's like watching two dancers! You gotta wonder if they choreographed this beforehand!" Present Mic said as the crowd watched Mina skate around Izuku, who was spinning and controlling a cloud of gas.

Aizawa hummed and said. "Both Midoriya and Ashido have backgrounds in dance. It's an underrated skill. Dance teaches you rhythm, which helps you with timing, and it helps you get more flexible. Timing and flexibility are important for any kind of hero work."

"Oh yeah, it is! I remember the dance classes we took back in the day. Oh man, you were so clums-" Present Mic's voice cut out, and the sound of a body hitting the floor echoed through the microphone.

No one noticed the announcer's sudden absence as they were too enraptured by watching Mina gracefully dodge a pillar of dark green gas and lob acid at the same time, only for Izuku to easily bend and avoid the acid.

Both of them were panting as Izuku said. "Come on, Mina, is that all you got? You seem to be slowing down."

Mina chuckled. "Oh, and what about you? Your gas is thinning out. Are you getting tired, Izu-baby?"

Nemuri smiled as she watched them flirt and fight at the same time, but she could see that Izuku had over-extended himself. In the first and second events, he used a large amount of gas, and by the time the tournament started, he hadn't fully recovered. This match had been going on for a few minutes, and he was definitely running on fumes now.

She was proven right as, after a few more blasts of gas, Izuku stopped his quirk and tried to close the distance. He may have been stronger and was better trained when it came to close-quarters combat; he was also exhausted, and Mina still had energy to spare. She managed to toss her boyfriend out of bounds, and Nemuri announced her the winner.

The crowd loved it when Mina went over and helped him up. They absolutely lost their minds when she pulled him into a kiss and laughed as the crowd roared. Her face was a vibrant lilac as Izuku's turned as red as a tomato. The two left the field hand in hand as Present Mic announced that the next fight would be Toru Hagakure vs. Shoto Todoroki.

_____________________________________________________________________

Toru approached the ring, and Nemuri raised an eyebrow. "Did you lose your top Hagakure?"

Toru shrugged then remembered she wasn't wearing anything on her top. "Is it a problem? They can't see anything, and I don't plan to become visible."

Nemuri shook her head. "No, it's no problem. Just remember this is national television, so don't flash the crowd."

Toru laughed. "I'll keep that in mind, ma'am."

"Good," Nemuri said before tuning to Shoto. "Are you ready, Todoroki?"

Shoto nodded silently, and Nemuri raised her hand before quickly dropping it. "Begin!"

A wave of ice came rushing towards Toru, and she smiled as she felt her quirk shift and move. Her stomach glowed, and she stole Yuga's move as she fired a laser from her stomach.

The red laser quickly melted the glacier, and Shoto had to jump to the side to avoid getting hit. The half and half boy was quick to go on the offensive again as he sent another glacier at Toru, who put her hands together and fired another laser. Carving her a safe path that she used to run at Shoto.

A glacier came rushing at her, and Toru cursed. She didn't have time to charge a laser, so the ice crept up her skin, and she was trapped. Nemuri was about to ask if she could move when suddenly a rainbow of light shined, and Toru discharged several lasers from her body, obliterating the ice. She fell back and said. "Come on, Todoroki. Is that all you got? You look like you're about to keel over from the cold. Too bad you don't have a way to counter that or my lasers."

In battle, taunting an enemy into using more of their power was not a smart move. However, taunting a future ally who's being stupid and not using their full power was a smart move. Toru grinned, seeing Shoto get annoyed by her words. She fired a laser making sure it hit just near him, making him dodge to the side as he fired a wall of ice at her. It moved slowly and was smaller than the previous ones. Toru easily destroyed it and said. "This is sad. Todoroki, I don't know what it's going to take, but if you don't come at me with everything, you're going to lose here and prove nothing. Your quirk is Half Cold, Half Hot. it's not Hellflame, so stop treating it like that!"

Toru destroyed another wave of ice. "Are you really gonna just sit there glaring like Endeavor, or are you gonna be a real hero!? Actually, why are you even here? Being a hero is what he wants you to be, right? You being here is exactly what he wants! Shouldn't you be pursuing a different path? Or is there some reason you decided to walk this path?!"

It seemed like something clicked as Shoto stopped moving and stared at her. Though it was more like he was looking through her at something far off that she couldn't hope to see. After several seconds his left side suddenly erupted into flames, and he said. "I chose this because I wanted to become my own kind of hero!"

Toru grinned and started charging a laser in her arms. a rainbow of light danced around her arms as they channeled more power. "Then show us what kind of hero Shoto Todoroki is gonna be!"

Toru fired an angry red laser from her hands, wincing as her skin burned slightly. Shoto thrust his left hand forward and fired a gout of flame. The heat from his fire caused a heat shimmer and distorted Toru's lasers, causing them to veer off course and burn the grass behind Shoto.

The invisible girl dodged and blasted a glacier that came rushing at her. She carved her way out of it only to be met with a wall of flame that pushed her back towards the edge of the ring. Shoto's fire was hot enough to disrupt her aim, and now that he wasn't freezing himself to death, his glaciers were massive, and Toru was starting to feel the burns developing on her body from the repeated laser blast. It was a drawn-out fight, but by the end, Toro was forced out of bounds.

She may have lost, but Toru felt good about getting Shoto to use his fire so much. Before he left, Shoto bowed his head a bit and thanked her before turning and leaving before she could say anything.

By the end of the Sports Festival, Shoto stood at the top, with Mina in second place and Toru sharing third with Izuku. Toru laced her fingers together with Izuku's and said. "I can't believe we made it this far."

"I can't believe you got Todoroki to use his fire," Izuku whispered as Nemuri spoke over All Might as he came crashing into the arena.

Toru shrugged as their mentor grabbed the two third-place medals. "I'm surprised Mina got him to do it too. He looked pretty hesitant but whatever she said got through to him."

"Guess we'll ask later," Izuku said before having to stop talking as All Might approached and distributed the medals while congratulating everyone.

Once the ceremony was done Izuku, found himself standing in front of Shoto, who said. "Your girlfriends are very determined people. They both yelled at me and got me to use my fire despite how I feel about it... I don't understand how they did it."

Izuku shrugged. "They just wanted you to do your best. I would have yelled at you as well if I had gotten to fight you."

Shoto hummed, and before leaving, he said. "Let's spar sometime. I wanna see what fighting you is like."

Izuku grinned. "If you use your fire, I'm down for it."

The half and half boy didn't say anything as he walked away.

Chapter End Notes

everyone. readers of all interests and ages gather around. the Hypno One-shot is finally done and posted. It's called The Warmth of Their Love. go and read it and enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.

this is my favorite Sports Festival so far because there was so little of it.

I'm watching Fena Pirate Princess and it's interesting. Fena is a cutie and so is Karin.

Hero Names

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Izuku and Mina sat in their girlfriend's room and processed what Toru had told them. She had held off telling them about her talk with Shoto until after the Festival was over. The duo looked at each other then their girlfriend. Mina took a deep breath. "Seriously? I mean, sure, Endeavor always seemed kinda like a prick, but he knows how to do hero work. I didn't think he was that bad."

Izuku shuddered. "That really puts some things in perspective... I'm glad you both managed to get through to Todoroki. Though what did you say because he came up to me afterward and told me you two yelled at him."

Toru started off by telling them what she said during their match. Mina chuckled. "I kept melting his ice whenever I got caught and told him how useless it was. I just pushed his buttons and whatnot. I think the fact that he used his fire against Toru helped."

Izuku chuckled and said. "He told me he wanted to spar against me. I told him I would as long as he used his fire."

Toru sighed. "Todoroki is gonna turn into a top-three hero once we're all official."

Mina nudged her as she smiled and said. "Yes, but you'll definitely be number one."

Toru blushed, and Izuku slid up next to her. "If you show off your visible face, then you'll probably be voted prettiest heroine as well."

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, I can see that. The new symbol of peace and the prettiest hero." Mina looked past Toru's blushing face and said to Izuku. "We really scored, didn't we?"

Izuku nodded. "Yep, we got the best girlfriend ever."

Toru squeaked as she covered her face. The final nail that sent her back to being invisible was Mina and Izuku leaning over and kissing her cheeks before saying in tandem. "We love you."

The duo laughed as she disappeared and fell on her back as she whined. "Stop it!"

As the trio laid on the ground, all their phones pinged, and they saw Shinso had texted them congratulating them on the Sports Festival.

Mina and Izuku stopped teasing Toru, and the three spent some time talking to their friend about how school was going.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Hm yeah... honestly, Shota, you just need to be straightforward with her. Yeah, Emi can be serious when she needs to be. It would help if you told me what the conversation was about. Fine, keep your secrets. I'll see you at work tomorrow." Nemuri said before hanging up.

Nemuri sighed, and Hirooki looked over from the couch. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Shota called. Was asking for advice about having a serious conversation with Emi." Nemuri said before collapsing onto the couch and resting her head on Hirooki's stomach,

Hirooki laid back and relaxed as they said. "I haven't interacted much with Joke, but she seems like the polar opposite of Aizawa."

"And yet she pursues him, and honestly, if he would just give it a shot, he'd probably enjoy being with her," Nemuri said as she shifted position and rested her head on Hirooki's chest. "I don't wanna talk about their relationship, though."

Hirooki chuckled and rubbed Nemuri's back slowly. "Izuku did really well at the festival."

Nemuri hummed. "He overextended. He needs to manage his output better, and his moves are a bit predictable. Though I am his teacher, so of course, I can predict how he's gonna fight."

"Well, Ms.Midnight. Now that I've heard from you, what about Nemuri? What's your opinion?"

Nemuri smiled and hugged Hirooki tighter. "I'm proud of my boy. I never placed as high as he did in the Sports Festival. I'm proud of Toru and Mina as well. They all did good."

Hirooki smiled and kissed the top of Nemuri's head. "You did a pretty good job as well... except when you spoke over All Might."

Nemuri groaned and buried her face in her lover's chest. "Shut up. Oh my gosh, that was so embarrassing."

Hirooki chuckled and hugged Nemuri tighter before saying. "Come on, let's watch a movie or something."

"Hm, I wanna get some snacks from the store first," Nemuri said as she started to get up.

Hirooki rolled their eyes. "Alright, let's go to the store, then we'll relax for the night."

___________________________________________________________________

Izuku yawned as he sat at his desk. Mina, Toru, and he had stayed up late talking to Shinso last night and passed out in a tangle of limbs on Toru's floor. It was nice waking up to see both his girlfriends so close, but none of them got to enjoy it as they realized they would be late if they didn't get a move on. Now he was sitting in class and looking at the empty seat where Tenya should be. The most serious member of class A was going to be late if he didn't show up soon.

The door slid open, and Tenya came in looking like he was doing his best to appear put together. As he took his seat, the bell rang, and Izuku made a mental note to talk to him later. Everyone in class knew about his brother by this point. Izuku and Momo had told the others that they would talk to him first and to leave it to them.

Aizawa walked in looking... better than usual; their homeroom teacher seemed less tired than usual. Izuku hummed a bit as their homeroom teacher grabbed the remote off the teacher's podium. "You all did... well in the Sports Festival."

Before anyone could get excited, he said. "But I expected better, so next year don't disappoint me."

The class groaned, and Aizawa hid his smirk in his scarf. "Moving on. You have internship offers. Here's who got how many, and don't worry if you didn't get any UA partnered with heroes who will take anyone."

The class watched as the board lit up with everyone and their offers. Shoto had about a thousand more offers than Mina. Everything else was reasonably well spread out amongst a decent amount of the class. Aizawa passed out the packets full of offers and said. "Turn in your choices by the end of the week. In the meantime, you need to think up code names and-"

"And he sucks at it, so I am here to help you out." Midnight said as she strutted in, cutting Aizawa off.

The underground hero just grumbled and pulled his sleeping bag out as his friend took over the code name process. Midnight passed out markers and whiteboards as she talked about how they could change the names if they wanted to, but there was a chance what they chose now would stick with them, so they needed to take it seriously.

The class sat silently as everyone started thinking of their names. After several minutes they started showing off their names, starting with Yuga and then Tsu. They gave the class very different directions that hero names could go in.

Once a few more classmates went up and presented their names Toru bounced up happily and presented her board. "The Luminous Hero: Prism."

Midnight hummed and smiled. "Very good. It definitely embodies the nature of your quirk. Approved."

Toru pumped her fist and took her seat as Mina stepped up and grinned as she held up her board. "The Xeno Hero: Acid Queen."

"Ah, I see you're paying homage to Xeno King. you're a fan of his, aren't you?" Midnight said as Mina nodded.

"Yeah. He and you are a huge inspiration to me, and he especially helped me deal with the people who didn't like how I look." Mina said as she grinned. "I wanna show my gratitude to him and try to send the same message."

Midnight smiled. "Well, just like Kirishima, you're gonna have to work hard to reach that goal. Can you handle it?"

Mina nodded and pumped her fist. "Of course I can. I'm Acid Queen."

The class cheered for Acid Queen, and Midnight clapped. "Alright, come on, we just have a few more. Midoriya, Todoroki, Iida, do you three have your names?"

Shoto and Tenya both went with their first names, much to Midnight's disappointment, but she still allowed it. Midnight smiled. "Now, Midoriya. You're last, so come on up and let's see what you got."

Izuku smiled and stepped up. "I've been thinking about this for a few years, and I had a name picked out back in junior high." He looked over at his mom. "But stuff happened, and I decided to change it. It took me some time to come up with, but I think it fits."

Izuku flipped the board around as he said. "The Midnight Hero: Hypno. I may be like my mom in a lot of ways, but I wanna be my own kinda hero while still letting people know who inspired me and helped me get here."

Midnight cooed and hugged Izuku, making him yelp. "Oh, you're the best son ever. I approve."

The class laughed as Nemuri squeezed her son in a tight hug. Once she released him, he stumbled back to his seat as Aizawa sat up from behind his desk. "Alright, you're done. Look over your list for the rest of class and remember I have veto power, so don't pick anything stupid."

The class shuffled their papers around and started looking over their offers as they spoke to each other quietly until Mina's loud cry of joy cut through everything, and she jumped to her feet. "Aaahhh! I got an offer from Xeno King! Mr.Aizawa, I'm picking this one!"

Their homeroom teacher groaned from behind his desk. "Fine, but if anyone else screams, you all get detention."

The class gulped and continued to speak quietly among themselves and tried not to disturb their teacher.

_____________________________________________________________________

Izuku, Mina, and Toru were headed to the lunchroom when All Might showed up and asked to speak with them. The trio followed their mentor to a lounge, where they all sat on the couch across from Toshi as he deflated. "S-so Young Hagakure, I have an offer for you. It came in last-minute a-and well, it's my teacher slash mentor from when I was in UA. oh god, he's probably disappointed by my teaching."

The trio looked at each other as their mentor shook like a leaf. Toru took the note and said. "Um, tell him thanks, but I'm good."

Toshi stopped and looked up with horror in his eyes. "What? Why?"

Toru shrugged. "I already picked one out. I wanna go with StarBurst. I think she can help me control my lasers better."

Toshi sighed. "I suppose that makes sense... Do either of you?"

"I'm going with Xeno King," Mina said, shaking her head.

Izuku shook his head as well. "I haven't decided yet, but Mr.Yagi, you're terrified of this guy, right?"

Toshi nodded fervently, and Izuku sighed. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to pass as well then."

"I'm gonna die," Toshinori muttered as his students started eating their lunches. They figured he was just being dramatic.

___________________________________________________________________

Nemuri and Izuku sat on a bench in the 1-A dorm's courtyard. She had come to check on everyone and make sure they were working on finding a hero to help them. She had already steered Momo away from Uwabami. The woman was a great search and rescue hero, and while most of her profits from commercials and modeling jobs went to a good cause, Nemuri didn't think she would be a good fit for Momo. The class rep was currently going over her options again with Ochako's help.

"So, did you decide on who to intern with?"

Izuku hummed. "I was thinking about Shade."

Nemuri blinked. "Wait, Shade is underground. She sent you an offer?"

"Not officially, but Mr.Aizawa was here earlier. He said Shade contacted him and said she'd be willing to help me work on controlling my gas. Do you know her quirk?"

Nemuri nodded. "It's called Typhokinesis. She can't make smoke, but she can control it. She uses it to cut down visibility and get in close to her target."

Izuku looked over as his mother sighed dramatically. "I suppose she could teach you a lot... if you really want to go with her."

Izuku bumped her shoulder. "It's my first internship; there'll be other times I can go with you."

"That's what everyone's kids say, and then next thing you know, I'll be in a retirement home, and you'll never visit," Nemuri said as she leaned back dramatically.

Izuku chuckled as he got up. "I promise that during my second year, I'll intern with Midnight."

Nemuri smiled and got up before giving Izuku a side hug. "Good, and take Shade up on her offer. It's not often that underground heroes will help people that aren't going to be like them."

Izuku nodded, and the two headed back inside. Nemuri said bye to everyone, and as Izuku sat down, Minoru sat next to him. "I picked out who I wanna go with."

Izuku looked down at the paper and sighed. "Mineta... why did you pick Mt.Lady?"

The shorter boy shifted in his seat. "Um... well, you know she's new, so it'll give me a good idea about what being a pro is like in the beginning."

Izuku had to admit that his lie was built on solid logic. "It's because she's hot and has a flirty personality, isn't it?"

Minoru stared at the floor and nodded. "Y-yeah... it is."

Izuku took his few offers and scanned them before pointing one out. "This guy. He's a seasoned pro who excels in ambush tactics. He'd be a great fit for you and your quirk."

Minoru looked up like he was going to protest but stopped as he saw Izuku's face. "I... suppose you have a point."

Minoru took his list and redid his form. Izuku smiled "trust me, you'll learn a lot, and you'll be thanking me by the end of our internships."

The shorter boy groaned as he got up to leave. "I suppose you're right."

As Izuku relaxed a bit, two pairs of arms wrapped around his shoulders. His girlfriends leaned over the couch, and Mina asked. "You've been spending time with Mineta. What's that about?"

"Hm." Izuku hummed as he leaned back. "I'm just helping him out. He's been improving recently, at least I hope so. Make sure you girls tell Yaoyorozu or me if anything happens with him."

Toru hummed. "He stares at us, but it does feel like he's doing it less, and I don't think I've heard any comments from him recently."

"Me neither, but we'll keep our eyes peeled and tell the other girls," Mina said before releasing Izuku and walking around to sit next to him. Toru followed suit and sat on Izuku's other side.

As they sat there in silence, Izuku blushed a bit and said. "Do you two wanna stay in the same room tonight?"

His girlfriends looked at him, and Izuku saw Mina's cheeks dusting with lilac. "It was nice even though we slept on the floor."

Toru hummed. "Yeah... we can use my room again if you want."

Her partners agreed and relaxed for a while before getting ready to go to bed.

_____________________________________________________________________

Momo came down the stairs as class milled about the morning before class. Izuku waved her down. "Yaomomo, I got something for you. I finished a bit ago, but stuff just kept happening, and I kinda forgot about it for a bit."

Momo sat across from Izuku as he pulled out one of his notebooks. She knew they were full of info and analysis on quirks, but she had never seen inside of one before. Perhaps he had tips for her. Those would be appreciated considering her failure at the sports festival.

She took the notebook as he handed it to her and saw that there were tips for her, but the main part of the page was a sketch of herself that made her blush. She looked amazing, but her costume was... different than her current one. Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "So I mean your costume isn't bad... I just thought maybe this would be an alternative you could use."

Momo inspected the costume. Her boots were more reinforced than the current ones, and the yellow skirt was longer, ending just above her knees, and was flowier, meaning she could still make things on her thighs. A side note indicated that it was laced with various strong fibers to make it resistant to fire and knives. Her leotard was the same, except the opening on the front of her costume had what looked like a fishnet covering with a note questioning if her hair would let things pass through it. A sketch next to it showed another fishnet opening on her back with a short cape that covered it as well as her left shoulder and bicep.

The last detail she noticed was that her book was gone, and her right forearm was a gauntlet with a screen built-in. The note for it detailed the reinforced gauntlet to house a computer with a database that had a search function to allow her to quickly find whatever she was looking for.

The other notes on it detailed possible materials and blends that would work to protect her. She was using a special blend made by her family, which she would most likely keep using as she found it to be the best.

"This is... very well made. The notes on my fighting and strategy alone are amazing, but this costume you designed looks wonderful. As for my hair letting things pass, I'm not sure but couldn't we also try to integrate my DNA into the fabric?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I guess we could, but I wasn't sure what you had tried."

Momo blushed and cleared her throat. "Well, It's a bit embarrassing to admit this, but I haven't ever tried to make something from my head. Also, I wasn't sure how much the costume companies would do for a student, so I designed my current costume so as not to cause them any issues."

"Well, we could always go to the support course and ask them for help. With some testing, we may be able to make this design work, or we could have to modify it... of course, that's if you want to. I'm not trying to force you or anything."

Momo shook her head. "No, this is wonderful, and honestly, I was thinking recently about how to change my look. Mineta's actions had me wondering if I'd be able to put up with that kind of thing all the time when I'm a pro."

"That's understandable. Do you want to start now, or should we wait till after the internships? I'm not sure if the changes will be done by the time we have to go to them." Izuku said as he watched her flip through his notebook.

Momo hummed as she looked at the other sketches. "I believe we should start now. Better to get things in the works sooner than later."

Izuku nodded and spotted Denki walking by. He stopped as he saw the notebook, and recognition crossed his face as he said. "Narcoleptic Sketches."

Momo looked up in confusion as she asked. "Narcoleptic, what?"

Denki fumbled for his phone and pulled up Twitter. "Narcoleptic Sketches. It's an artist that posts sketches of heroes. They've got a ton of followers, but apparently, they've slowed down since getting into college."

Denki showed Momo the page and said. "How'd you get their sketchbook? Are you friends or-"

Izuku smiled as Denki looked over at Izuku, and it seemed to click in the blonde's head. "Holy shit Midori it's you, isn't it?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, it is. I sketch for fun in my free time and post them online. Of course, I keep all my analysis out of it, and I don't post sketches of anyone who's not a hero."

"Huh," Denki said as he slowly wandered off. "That's pretty cool."

Momo chuckled a bit. "Shall we head to the support course before classes?"

Izuku nodded as he stood and collected his notebook. "Sounds like a good idea."

_______________________________________________________________________

Aizawa parked the car in an empty lot before slipping out as Nezu hopped out of the passenger side. He wasn't sure why they were in such a deserted area. His boss had simply said they had an important meeting today.

Nezu led Aizawa into a warehouse where he spotted Hawks sitting on a box passing a hard drive between his hands. "We've got like twenty minutes, so I'll be quick. You guys aren't working with the HPCS, right?"

Nezu shook his head as he stopped a few feet from Hawks. "No, we aren't. We are independent of them. May I ask why you finally decided to call out to me?"

Hawks took a deep breath and sighed. "Himiko Toga. does that name sound familiar to either of you?"

"Yes, I've heard it before," Aizawa said. "Several of my students have talked about a girl named Himiko."

“Izuku Midoriya, Mina Ashido, and Toru Hagakure. They know her pretty well." Hawks said as he hopped down, and Aizawa tensed. "Himiko Toga is a criminal, but she's also just a girl who needs help. The HPCS sent me to collect her for the UHD."

Aizawa clicked his tongue. "That place is real?"

Hawks nodded. "Of course, the underground heroes have rumors about it. It is real, and it's hell for everyone there. It twists hurt people and makes them worse, and I tossed Toga into that because my bosses told me to, but..." Hawks rubbed his face and tossed the hard drive to Aizawa. "But I hate it, and I regret it, so I want to get her out and get her help as well as the other people there. This is data I've gathered, which, if used right, will expose the UHD and tie them directly to the HPCS. All I ask is that you make sure the people they're using get help; even the biggest asshole there deserves at least a chance."

Nezu smiled and nodded. "I understand. We will do the best we can. I suggest you get Ms.Toga out of the UHD when we go public just to ensure her safety."

Hawks nodded as his feathers ruffled, and he got ready to leave. "I'll need to wait a couple of weeks. I just recently sent her back, so we need to give it some time, so the HPCS doesn't get suspicious before we're ready to move against them."

Nezu nodded. "That is a sound move. Send me a message when you have her somewhere safe."

"Will do. Thanks for your help Nezu." Hawks said as he lifted off the ground and took off through the skylight.

Aizawa looked at the hard drive and said, "Are you sure about this, sir?"

They started heading back to the car, as Nezu said. "Yes, I am. Hawks has always wanted to be better, but he also can't move how he wants to. This was a risk, and he was the one to reach out first. I believe this will be the first of many moves to bring the HPCS's darker aspects to light and thus bring our society closer to a better place."

Aizawa hummed as they climbed back into the car and started heading back to UA.

Chapter End Notes

hello readers I have three pieces of news. first things first watch the anime Akudama Drive because holy shit that was good. I binged it and I love it so much. the art style, the story, the characters, and how it's shot or produced? Idk how to describe it. I like the 'camera work'. it's a 10/10 for me. twelve episodes self-contained story. very good in my opinion.

the second thing is I know where Hypno is gonna end. Don't worry it won't be soon but I know how this fic ends and I'm happy about it.

the third and final is my latest brainchild which btw if you wanna put your own spin on any of these ideas go ahead also send tell me if you do and when you post it cause I wanna see what your versions of these fic ideas.

so the latest in the Scarcrow list of things to write later is a time travel fic. so before the UA entrance exam, Izuku and Toshi are talking when suddenly white lightning starts crackling and a tear in space appears. a hand reaches out and a voice cries for help. Toshi gets pushed back by the energy and Izuku grabs the hand and pulls Eri through. she's older than Izuku by a year.

Eri is the tenth user of One for All. she used her power to come back in time to keep the world from ending. her timeline died because years after All for One died new Nomu suddenly appeared and they spread disease and made zombies. the world fell apart and after years they managed to bring it all to an end but humanity was so broken it was dying out and there was no way to stop it so Eri used her One for All enhanced quirk to jump back and make sure that future never happens. it's probably gonna be an Izu/Ocha fic with Eri playing wingman to Izuku because she sees him as her big brother.

I also got super confused earlier while writing because I got Watching Over You and Hypno confused again and started writing a scene with Inteli in it.

Beginning of Internships

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Power Loader hummed as he looked over the new design for Momo's costume. "This is well thought out. I don't think we'll have time to test out and get the redesign approved in time for your internship."

Momo nodded. "That's quite alright, sir. We were pretty sure that would be the case."

Power Loader stood and said. "I can pass this along to a student to do. During your internships, the Support Course doubles down on projects, so if you don't mind a fellow student working on your costume-"

"Did I hear the words' student working on a costume'? I will gladly take on this wonderful task!"

Izuku and Momo jumped as a girl with pink hair and yellow eyes appeared in front of them. The girl took their hands in hers and shook them. "Mei Hatsume support gear genius and future CEO of Hatsume Industries. I will gladly take on the job of making your costumes wonderful. I've got so many babies that'll make you the best heroes out there."

"Um, babies?" Momo asked as Power Loader groaned.

"Hatsume-" the teacher was ignored as the support girl dragged Izuku and Momo to her workstation and started showing off everything she had made.

"Oh wait, I remember you," Izuku said. "You're the support girl that made it to the third round of the Sports Festival."

Mei nodded. "Yes, I am dancer boy. You and the creation girl are interesting first customers-"

"Hatsume, stop. I haven't approved anything yet." Power Loader said as he approached the students. "First years don't usually get to work on costumes. Also, Hatsume is a lot to deal with, but if you want her to, I can assign your costume to her."

Momo looked at Mei's inventions and then to the girl herself, who looked very eager as she bounced in place. "I was very impressed by your inventions during the Sports Festival, so... yes, I would like Hatsume to handle my costume upgrades."

Mei pumped her fist. "You won't regret this, creation girl. Now let me see what we're working with."

Power Loader gave her a copy of the page Izuku made and returned the notebook to him. Izuku and Momo talked Mei through the changes and the test they needed to run. Mei soaked in all the info, and once they were done talking, she pulled out a pair of scissors and looked at Momo as she said. "Alright, give me your hair so I can get to work."

Momo quickly stepped back as she held her ponytail. "Um, I will go and get a haircut. I'll be back tomorrow."

Mei pouted but relented as the two hero students left. Momo sighed as she and Izuku walked through the halls. "I suppose I should decide on a new hairstyle."

"Any idea on how much you'll get cut off?" Izuku asked as he flipped through his notebook.

"I am unsure. I've always had long hair. I suppose I could speak to the other girls about what they think would look good." Momo said as she twirled a bit of her hair.

The class reps headed to class and were expecting to be berated by Tenya for showing up with so little time before homeroom started, but the serious boy was quiet. Izuku and Momo shared a look, and once they were at their desk, Izuku said he'd try to talk to Tenya after classes.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Hey, Iida, can we talk for a second?" Izuku asked as he approached the dining table Tenya was sitting at.

Tenya looked up from his school work and said. "Of course, Midoriya. What did you need to talk about?"

Izuku sat across from him and said, "I was just wondering how you were holding up with what happened to your brother."

Tenya's eyes darkened, but he quickly put a smile on his face. "Yes, I am ok. It was hard hearing what happened to Tensei and seeing him injured, but my brother is still alive, so I considered myself lucky. I am sorry if I worried you or our classmates."

Izuku frowned and said, "It's ok, Iida. If you ever wanna talk about it, I'm here. I have... experience with family being attacked by villains. Both with my birth parents and dealing with Nemuri being injured by villains."

Izuku saw Tenya's eyes widen a bit as he seemed to contemplate something before saying. "Thank you, Midoriya. I... am fine right now, but I will speak to you if something comes up."

Izuku stood and nodded. "Alright. Just remember we're all here to help each other."

Tenya nodded in agreement before going back to his schoolwork, and Izuku sighed internally, hoping Tenya would talk sooner rather than later.

_________________________________________________________________

Aizawa sighed as he looked over his classes' internship selection. He was hesitant to approve of Tenya's, considering Stain was still in Hosu. Aizawa rubbed his eyes and considered the options. There was a very slim chance that Tenya picked Manual because he saw some value in a smaller-time hero than the other offers he had gotten. This made sense because Tensei was a very down-to-earth hero, much like Manual. The biggest difference between them was that Tensei came from a hero family while Manual was the first in his family to pursue heroics.

The other option that Aizawa saw evidence for in school was that Tenya was angry and trying to seek vengeance for his brother by going to Hosu, hoping to run into Stain.

"Debating over Tenya Iida's internship request, I see," Nezu said as he climbed onto Aizawa's desk.

Aizawa nodded. "Yes, sir. He's most likely hoping to try and get revenge for his brother. I was going to reject it."

"Hm." Nezu rubbed his chin slightly and said. "I believe if we inform Manual about why Iida decided to pick him and let the pro handle it, Iida will learn a valuable lesson. I recommend allowing it."

Aizawa grumbled but said. "I suppose. He won't always have someone to keep him away from the people who hurt those close to him. He needs to learn how to handle those feelings, especially when confronted with the one who did it. If we do this, Manual has to inform the other heroes in Hosu so they can all keep an eye on him and make sure Iida makes the right choice if he runs into Stain."

Nezu nodded. "I'll contact Manual and make sure he understands the situation."

"Thank you, sir," Aizawa said before approving Iida's request. Hosu wasn't a bad city, so nothing huge should happen. The heroes there should be able to keep an eye on Tenya during the week.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Oh my god... Yaomomo, who broke your heart?" Denki asked, getting everyone's attention. The class was getting ready for dinner when their class rep entered the dorms.

Momo fidgeted as all eyes were drawn to her hair which used to go down to her middle back when it wasn't in her signature ponytail. Now though, it was above her shoulders in a bob. "N-no, why would that have anything to do with my hair?"

Kyoka smacked Denki. "Ignore him... But uh, when you talked to us about haircuts yesterday, I didn't think you'd actually get one."

Momo played with her short hair. "Well, I recently tested if my creations would pass through my hair while they were being created, and it worked, so I got it cut and sent it all to the support course so they could upgrade my costume."

Momo cleared her throat. "Besides, long hair like I had could cause problems in a fight, so having it short eliminates a weakness."

The class murmured in agreement and went back to getting dinner ready while the girls fawned over Momo's new look and talked about costume upgrades.

______________________________________________________________________

Toru snuggled between her partners as they laid in Mina's bed. "So where are you guys gonna be for your internships? Apparently, StarBurst is in Fukui, so I got a bit of a train ride."

Mina sighed and rested her head on Toru's shoulder. "Xeno is apparently working in Hosu since they have a developing mutant neighborhood. He wants to make sure nothing shady happens and that the people there are getting treated fairly.

Toru's hand unintentionally drifted to the scar on Mina's back as Toru held her. The pink girl tensed before quickly relaxing as Toru's hand moved away, and she murmured a quiet apology.

Izuku leaned over and kissed Mina's forehead as she smiled and said. "It's ok." Mina looked over to her boyfriend and asked, "Izu, where are you going?"

Izuku laid back and rested his head on the pillow. "I don't know. Shade just said to wait in the station. She'd pick me up and take me wherever."

Toru huffed. "So we have to leave our boyfriend at the station so some lady none of us know can snatch you away and take you somewhere?"

Mina stuck her tongue out. "That sucks. I don't know if I trust Shade. She might try to keep our Izu longer than a week."

Toru nodded "then we'll have to go on a daring rescue to save our damsel in distress."

The two girls giggled as Izuku shook his head and said. "Come on. It's time for bed, you two. We need to be well-rested for tomorrow. It'll be our first day of internships."

MIna sighed as she cuddled closer to Toru. "It's gonna suck sleeping alone after getting used to sleeping with you two."

Toru nodded. "Yeah, but just imagine it's gonna be great when we get back and can all cuddle in bed again."

Mina giggled and kissed Toru's cheek. "Guess you're right... Goodnight, you two. I love you both."

Toru and Izuku reciprocated Mina's love as they got comfortable and closed their eyes to sleep.

______________________________________________________________________

Aizawa yawned into his capture scarf before saying. "Alright, you're all about to board the trains and head to your respective internships. Behave yourselves, you're all young adults, so I better not get any complaints from the heroes. If I do, you'll be in detention until you graduate."

The class would have chuckled, but their teachers' eyes kept them quiet. "Good. Now, get going and be safe, all of you."

As they started to disperse, Izuku kissed Toru and Mina goodbye before jogging over to Tenya. "Hey, Tenya. You're headed to Hosu, right?"

Tenya nodded. "Yes, I am. I heard Ashido is as well."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah... keep each other safe if anything happens, alright."

Tenya smiled. "I doubt Ashido needs anyone to keep her safe, but I will do my best."

"Good, and thank you," Izuku said before letting Tenya head to the train.

His classmates and teacher were gone, and Izuku was still standing here with his backpack and suitcase, trying to ignore the stares from the station goers. He had seen the tabloids questioning if he was holding hands with his fellow third-place participant in the sports festival despite kissing the second place girl. It clicked that he had also just casually kissed both his girlfriends, so people were probably slightly confused about him.

Arms wrapped around his shoulders, and for a brief moment, his mind was brought back to before UA and how Himiko would sneak up on him and hug him like this. He felt disappointment and confusion when he looked to his left and saw a woman who looked a bit older than him smiling as she rested her chin on his shoulder. Her red eyes were full of playfulness, and her short black hair barely went past her ears in a bob-style cut.

Before Izuku could say anything, she giggled and stepped around, grabbing his hand in the process. "Hey, sweetie. Sorry for making you wait. Ready to head to the agency?"

"Uh... what-" Izuku nearly stumbled as he was pulled along to one of the trains. He wasn't even sure what train they boarded. The woman was a head shorter than him and had a petite frame, but he could feel the muscles and power beneath her dark plain clothing as she leaned on him.

The woman hummed a bit as a suffocating silence took over, and the train started moving. Izuku was debating if he should say anything. Had he just been kidnapped? Or... he glanced at the woman who smiled at him sweetly. Was this Shade? If so, why was she acting like this? Should he just go along with it? This felt weird. Izuku tried not to grumble as she leaned on him more. "Who ar-"

"I'm so glad you decided to come with me. It's gonna be great. We get a whole week of getting to train your quirk and spending time together." The woman said, cutting him off.

Izuku chuckled nervously. "Y-yeah. It's gonna be great."  'please actually be Shade and not some crazy person who just kidnapped me.'

______________________________________________________________________

Mina waved to Tenya as they went their separate ways after getting to Hosu. She followed her phone's directions to where Xeno King was set up while working in the city. As the roads got a little less well maintained and some storefronts changed from lines of shops to the occasional shop that wasn't boarded up, she spotted her hero.

Mina spotted Xeno King standing in the middle of the street talking to some police officers. His hero costume consisted of a gray body suit with angular plum-colored lines going down his chest and legs, as well as plum-colored gloves and boots. His skin was a soft shade of heather, while his short-cut hair was a darker plum color. He didn't look angry, but he definitely wasn't happy if his whip-like tail fidgeting behind him was any indication. As Mina approached and the officers left, she said. "Um, Xeno King... sir."

The man turned and smiled immediately, his black sclera and lavender irises shining with genuine happiness. "Ah, you must be Acid Queen, my intern. Good to meet ya."

Mina shook his hand and tried not to show how nervous she was as he started walking and talking. "Sorry you had to come meet me out in the middle of the city, but I've been pretty busy lately. I'll take ya to where my people and I are staying."

"It's ok, sir. It's honestly amazing what you're doing out here." Mina said, trying to remember Aizawa's warning about being respectful.

Xeno laughed. "Sir? Nah, drop that. I'm just Xeno or King, whichever one you wanna use; I don't mind and loosen up a bit. You're walking and talking too stiff. Be more like how you were at the Sports Festival. Relaxed and confident enough in yourself to kiss someone on national television."

Xeno laughed as Mina blushed. "So I gotta ask, was that guy your boyfriend before or after you beat him up?"

Mina chuckled. "My boyfriend before the fight. We've been dating since high school. His hero name is Hypno."

"Hm," Xeno said before pointing at her and asking. "And the invisible girl? What's her place in the picture? Because some of those articles my sidekicks talked about are wild."

Mina's face felt like it was on fire, and Xeno's grin let her know she was blushing as hard as she felt like she was. "That's our girlfriend. Her hero name is Prism."

Xeno whistled. "You must feel pretty lucky, huh? Having two partners and all that."

Mina chuckled as they came up to a small apartment complex. "Yeah... I feel really lucky to have both of them."

"Well, be sure to take care of them and let them take care of you. Now come on in and I'll introduce you to the rest of the team." Xeno said as he headed up the steps. Mina nodded and followed her hero into the apartment complex.

______________________________________________________________________

Toru stared up at the three-story brick building tucked between an electronics repair store and an old gym, both with housing on the floors above them. StarBurst's agency was an unassuming building in an unassuming part of town. Toru checked a couple times to make sure she had it right before heading inside.

The inside was more of the same. An unassuming and sparsely furnished seating area with a front desk directly across from the doors. Toru walked up, and the man behind the counter smiled. "Prism, I suppose?"

"U-um, yes, that's me. I'm here to intern with StarBurst." Toru said. That was the first time someone called her by her hero name; it brought a smile to her face and helped ease her nerves.

The man reached down behind the desk and pulled out a lanyard with a card that said intern on one side and had Toru's school photo on the other side. "Here's your badge. Be sure to keep it on you at all times, and don't lose it."

Toru took it and hung it around her neck as the man continued. "The elevators are down the hall on your left. Scan your card once you're inside and head up to the third floor. On the other end of the hallway up there is the stairs to the roof. Head up there and wait; StarBurst will be there soon."

"Thank you, sir," Toru said before following his instructions and headed for the roof.

Toru looked around at the other roofs and the bit of cityscape she could see from her relatively low vantage point when compared to the other buildings in Fukui. A sort of fwoosh noise made Toru turn around, and her jaw nearly fell off at the sight.

Descending from the sky practically skipping on rainbow light was a tall woman with a figure to compete with Midnights. Her blonde hair was pulled back into an intricate bun, and her golden eyes looked like twin suns. Starburst wore a long sleeve white bodysuit with rainbow gradient angular lines going down her torso and legs. Reinforcing and providing protection for her were plates of golden armor on her chest, legs, and arms.

StarBurst smiled as she landed gently. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long, Prism. I was on my way back from patrol when I ran into a villain. He put up a bit of fight before going down."

"It's ok, ma'am. I wasn't up here long." Toru said as they moved back towards the door, and she regained her senses.

"Good. Now, as I heard from your teacher, you're struggling with lower levels of output for the lasers you can fire. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is. I've been kinda stuck on this for a few weeks now. I really need a less dangerous short-range ability."

StarBurst nodded. "Alright. Well, first I'll show you around, then I wanna get a good idea of your baseline so you'll run some tests and spar with my sidekick Flare... who should be here."

Toru saw StarBurst's eye twitch as the woman looked in several rooms on the third floor before grumbling something about Flare. "Alright, guess you'll spar with me then. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am. I'm ready for whatever you have planned."

StarBurst smiled. "Good. Now come on. The third floor is mostly file storage and my office. The second floor is sleeping quarters, so let's go put your stuff down."

Toru gave an affirmative and followed the hero to the elevator as excitement bubbled up in her stomach.

Chapter End Notes

I'm surprised by how much I've written recently. two chapters of Watching Over you and one of Hypno. feeling good about that.

I watched the anime 86 recently and wow that was good. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for season two.

um... no new ideas to talk about. tell me though how do you feel about Xeno King and StarBurst designs? I think they're pretty good also I cannot wait to show off their quirks because I think they're cool.

End Notes

feedback is appreciated.

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Table of Contents

Preface

Chance Encounters

Changes in Motion

Moving Forward

Moving Out

New Beginning

Hanging Out

Study Sessions

Attention

Training Starts

Friends

Summer Talks

Dinner Party

Feelings

Reminiscing

Thinking About Feelings

Confessions

Developments?

The Odd Friend

Accidents and Powers

Reveal

A Strange Friends Return

UA Entrance Exam

Moving into the Dorms

Assessment Test

First Heroics

Build Up

USJ

Hospital

Motion

Progress

Help Wanted

Sports Festival

Hero Names

Beginning of Internships

Afterword