Chapter 172 - 8-10

Chapter 8: Ultimately Cool Jammies (Oh, wait, Villains. That's pretty scary. Uuh, that sucks?)

FLOOD ZONE

One moment, Yui was enveloped in a thick fog, and then next, she found herself falling through the sky towards the water.

(It will take about five seconds for Yui to land in the water. Five thousand milliseconds.

The average human has a reaction time of about three hundred milliseconds. She likes to consider herself a little faster, so we can bump that down to around two hundred. Add on about two thousand milliseconds of fumbling out of the portal, and an extra thousand of thinking the thought that it would be a good idea to brace for the splash, and she only had one thousand eight hundred seconds to get herself into an optimal position to land in the water.)

Needless to say, landing in the water hurts. It took a whole lot of willpower to not immediately panic and fill her lungs with fluids, but she managed.

She got a peek at the flood zone at the entrance, so it was easy enough to guess where she was. If she can swim up to the ship, she can-

"Sorry kid, it's nothing personal, but stay still!"

The shark like man was on her in an instant. She braced, readying to try and aim the best kick she can, but she feared the worst.

Not yet…

"KERO!"

Asui landed a kick to the man's head, knocking him to the side. A moment later, Yui felt the rather strange sensation of a tongue around her chest, before she soared upwards, finding herself being gently placed on the surface of the ship that was previously above them.

A moment later, as she was rather impolitely coughing her lungs out, Asui landed on the boat as well. "Are you alright, Kodai-san?"

Finally hacking the final bits of water out of her lungs, Yui managed a meek thumbs up. Asui sent a glare to the water, where Villains had begun to poke their heads out. "A Villain attack to kill All Might. Its idiotic, but if they are so confident…"

Yui looked to the centre plaza, forcing words to come out of her throat. The words came out raspy from underuse, but she didn't really have the time to care for now. "Underestimate us…few, flood, frog…"

Asui raised a finger to her chin, nodding. "Right. They saw a group of kids and didn't bother researching us. If they knew I was a frog, they would have dropped me in the fire zone."

Asui's thinking was interrupted by a crashing noise as a blast of water crashed into the ship, causing it to shake. A Villain with sharp teeth and a watery claw laughed. "Could you hurry up, brats? I need my paycheck so I can get out of here before the booze wears off and I think about this too hard!"

Asui scowled. "We need to get across the water, but they'll snipe us out of the air if I jump us across… do you have any ideas, Kodai?"

Yui looked to her pockets. She hadn't brought much, but she did have a single cube of concrete sitting in one of her pouches, prepared for emergencies like this one. She thought for a second, judging her ability. "Knock out… carry me?"

Asui nodded. "I'm strong enough to carry you the rest of the way to the exit, Kero."

She nodded and pulled out the small cube, looking inwards to find her quirk.

She remembered once, talking to Yu and Dad about their quirks. Dad always described Swell, a weaker version of her quirk, as similar to stretching. Yu always described Gigantification as breathing out, letting go of built-up pressure.

Size came to Yui from deep within. It came to her the same way one could feel their own beating heart, or their swelling lung. Size flowed through her bloodstream, from some unknowable origin of density, into her fingers.

She had spent many nights over the last year gaining an innate understanding of that transfer. How it came from within, pulling or pushing matter from somewhere within herself, a dense core she couldn't ever truly find.

One thing she learned was that the transfer was not immediate. It was malleable.

She began the transfer, forcing every ounce of her quirk into the small cube. Before it began to grow, however, she threw it as high into the air above the water as she could.

The deed was already done, however, and the cube swelled, spiralling into a colossus of mass and volume, before falling down, crashing into the artificial lake below them.

The last things Yui felt before the consequences of forcing the core of herself into something else knocked her out were the splash of seafoam, a grasp from Asui, and the feeling of her quirk returning to her like a gentle embrace.

~---U.S.J: CHAOS---~

RUINS ZONE

Kaibara screamed, slamming spinning hands into another creep, who was flung back with a yowl. "Phew. I think that should be the last of them!"

Tooru huffed, looking to the group of dazed and on occasion completely unconscious Villains. "These damn creeps thinking they could come and mess with us! Thanks for the save, Kaibara..."

Kaibara nodded as the excitement of battle left him, thinking. "I saw Shouji grab hold of Thirteen-sensei, but the rest of us were spread out. We should head back to the entrance."

Tooru flinched, looking at the Villains surrounding them. Sure, she had managed to get the jump on most of them and knock them out, but she could feel her bruised rib. "But there are more Villains are there!"

"The Villains are everywhere! If we want to get out of this without anyone dying, we need to fight!"

Tooru groaned. "Gah, it's our first week! I signed up for stuff like this to happen eventually, but not now-"

*SHLINK*

"Ow!"

Tooru's anger was interrupted by Kaibara quickly slashing his hand, landing a perfect drill chop to the neck of a chameleon man.

"Ah."

"We can't let our guard down. These creeps might be bad at fighting, but they still were confident to decide that they could invade a Hero school. At least a few have to be a little good. The rest of the mooks are probably gonna start getting up soon, too."

Tooru gulped. "Fine. Let's get out of here before even more guys show up, then! This is nerve-racking!"

Kaibara nodded, face set. "Hai. I hope the others are doing better than we are."

DOWNPOUR ZONE

"Get him!"

Togaru leapt back, slipping through into another alleyway. He had taken out a decent number of the bastards by now (Since he wasn't sure how long they had for backup, he couldn't do anything more than surface cuts and risk them bleeding out, but he couldturn his blades into what was functionally a mallet if he blunted them, which helped.), but it was starting to feel like a hydra. Whoever hired all these mooks must have been real damn charismatic to get so many of them.

Unfortunately, Togaru's lucky streak seemed to run out as he ran into another set of Villains. The other group caught up, and he found himself surrounded on both sides.

"I don't like the idea of killing someone of the same type as me, but considering you decided to become a Hero brat…" The leader glared daggers at him, his many eyed fly like face cutting an intimidating figure.

"Psh. As if I'm like you, asshole! 'Oh no, I got treated badly, time to go murder some kids'! Grow up, idiot!"

The Villains face turned beat red, and he snarled, charging towards him. Togaru braced. He wouldn't go down without a fight-

"WELDCRAFT, IMPROVISED SPECIAL MOVE- UUH, DIE I GUESS!"

The Villain was interrupted by a figure crashing into him from above, forcing the other Villains back.

"What the- AWASE?"

His classmate smirked at him, shoving the now unconscious Villain out of the way. "Hey, Kamakiri! Fancy seeing you here?"

Awase looked a little worse for wear. His outfit had been torn in various spots, and he sported a nasty cut on his arm that had been poorly and rapidly bandaged. His weapon of choice was perfectly functional, however. His fists were wrapped in a thick layer of welded water and rocks, making a pair of buoyant gauntlets.

"Huh. I didn't know you had it in you, glue stick!"

"Thanks, it's the anxiety!"

The Villains seemed to regain their composure, preparing to go at the pair again. Awase smirked, suppressing his nerves. "You have a plan to get out of here?"

"Fight our way out of the zone and get revenge on that mist asshole to make up for my screw up?"

The boy smirked. "Eh, we would have gotten thrown into a portal there or like thirty seconds later, I'm sure. Let's go!"

Togaru matched Awase's smirk with his own, preparing to fight once more.

CONFLAGRATION ZONE:

Taro was going to ask for a bonus, that was for sure.

All he was told is that he would be dropped somewhere, he would kill some brats, the main guy would apparently kill All Might, and they'd leave, and he'd get paid.

The brat apparently being a demon was not part of the deal.

"GAH!"

Another scream was let out from somewhere in the fire filled area. This kid was taking them out left and right! As far as he could tell, they were barely dishing out anything in return!

He braced, charging up the fire in his arms. His quirk had never been great, but it would be enough to roast some snot nosed kid. "Come out here, brat!"

"I can do that, sure. You'll regret it, though!"

The last thing he saw before he woke up in a police car was a spinning tail coming in from above.

Mashirao took a deep breath, attempting to maintain his composure. He was almost certain one of his arms was broken, but he had always been good at supressing pain. "That's twelve now. Reasonably there should only be a few more." He muttered, only to himself. He had done the mental math, and considering Shouji and Thirteen seemed to escape the mist, and he had been separated from the crowd…even if everyone else had been dropped into the various zones of the U.S.J, he was probably on his own.

He took a deep breath as he had the stomping footsteps of another Villain. He couldn't die just yet. He hadn't even gotten to start being a Hero yet.

He kept running, hoping with all he had that his classmates were faring better than he was.

LANDSLIDE ZONE:

Kyouka heaved, trying to regain her breath. She had been pumping noise out for a solid period now, and it was starting to wear her out.

To her left, Midoriya wasn't seemingly doing much better. He had thrown out enough weird and wonderful objects from his coat, but at his point he had to resort to going for solid kicks. Bless the poor boy's heart, he was ferocious, but he certainly wasn't a strongman, so it meant that the Villains eventually got back up.

Bringing herself back up, she looked to her classmate, who had continued winding through the various jagged areas of the landslide zone where the two had been dropped. "Are you sure you know a way out? We're going deeper into this place!"

She was forced to send out another blast as Villain as the one with the spear that kept getting back up damnit leapt forward again, shouting. Midoriya flinched, but he continued running. "Nedzu-sensei taught me the ins and outs of this place. It should be… here!"

Turning around a rock, Kyouka found… nothing. Midoriya smiled, pulling out one of his few remaining objects in the form of a small key. He slipped it into what appeared to be a random crack. A moment later, the rock shook, before sliding to the left, revealing a small hatch.

"The underhalls of the U.S.J were constructed long before the actual building… before quirks were a thing, even, back when the grounds were used by some old university. Nedzu retrofitted them for navigation of the various zones, but to prevent students from using them to skip lessons, he kept them hidden! Come on, before the Villains catch up!"

Kyouka didn't need to be told twice, quickly running over and sliding the hatch open, Midoriya following behind, but not before quickly sliding the key into another slot, causing the rock to close behind him.

Kyouka laughed, briefly out of danger. "At this rate, you'll have something for every problem, Midoriya. You've got a sword or something?"

Midoriya smiled, chuckling nervously. "My stuff box is prepared for anything, Jirou-san. The sword is in the second box that isn't finished yet! Come on, I know the way to a control room from here. We just have to hope someone managed to break the signal blocker!"

Kyouka tried to not to dwell on that statement, following after Midoriya in the dull grey halls, above which her classmates were fighting for their lives. She only wished they could call for help fast enough.

ENTRANCE

Mezou rubbed his eyes as the mist dissipated. Looking around, he saw that his classmates had all been grabbed. He had managed to grab Thirteen-Sensei and keep them where they were, but the others…

"It appears that two people remain. Unfortunate… I had intended to distribute you all within the U.S.J grounds…"

Thirteen and Mezou stood up, looking to the mist Villain. Mezou quietly extruded an arm to near Thirteen's head, whispering. "I will do my best to stall for time, Thirteen-sensei. Please prepare to defend should he choose to go on the offence. He may try to turn your quirk against you, so be prepared."

Thirteen-sensei did nothing, but remained quiet, indicating her confirmation.

Mezou stepped forward, taking a deep breath from his normal mouth, before growing a new one in order to talk to the Villain in front of him. "You seem awfully composed to be a Villain. On top of that, you possess a very powerful ability. Why are you using it this way, sir?"

The mist Villain seemed to flinch, yellow slits sharpening. "It is my duty to serve Shigaraki Tomura."

"The man child down there? Surely that is below your pay grade."

"I cannot do anything else. This does not concern you."

Mezou contemplated the words the Villain was speaking. He didn't have a choice in the matter? Was he being blackmailed, brainwashed?

"If you are being blackmailed, we can help you if you surrender. The police can always lower your sentence or even find you innocent."

The figure was silent for a moment. "I know nothing but serving Master Tomura. It is my duty. But that is once again not your concern!"

Suddenly, the Villain let out a massive burst of mist, attempting to teleport Mezou again. Thirteen jumped forward. "Not so fast!"

Thirteen activated their quirk, rapidly absorbing the mist, revealing a figure from within. So, the Villain did have a corporeal body.

"You are truly an excellent Hero, Thirteen. However, you lack the skills necessary to defeat me!"

A misty portal began to form behind Thirteen. Before it could reverse the space Hero's quirk and harm them, Mezou braced. "Now!"

Thirteen quickly shut off their quirk, and Mezou dashed forward, getting a hold of the Villain's body by grasping onto their neck brace. "If you have a corporeal body, you can be harmed! I am sorry to do this, whoever you are, but I cannot allow you to harm others!"

Mezou threw the Villain, causing them to crash into the door with a loud thud, seemingly winded.

With the mist Villain temporarily dealt with, Mezou and Thirteen turned to the plaza, where the fight between Aizawa-sensei and the hordes seemed to be raging on. Thirteen winced under their helmet. "I hate to send students into battle, but the status of your classmates is unknown. Come on!"

Mezou took a deep breath, bracing, before preparing to charge into the fray once more.

MOUNTAIN ZONE

*THUNK* *THUNK* *THUNK*

Hitoshi ducked as another series of stones was flung over his head, landing solid hits on the heads of three Villains who had attempted to sneak behind him. He stood back up with a spin, landing solid hits on the Villains with his batons, knocking them out of the fight.

A fair distance away, Yanagi glared at the Villains, face contorted in fury he hadn't seen from the girl yet. "Fools who have violated our sanctuary, begone!"

Hitoshi smiled at the girl, unsure how much of her fury was genuine in comparison to an act. "Keep it up, Yanagi! We've almost got the rest!"

There was no response from his classmate, but two more Villains were pelted with projectiles, so he figured she got the message. He took a deep breath, continuing to fight against his enemies with brute force. He was biding his time for the perfect moment to use his quirk. His opponents may have been foolish, but they probably wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.

As he charged forward towards the final able Villain, knocking him out with a solid, albeit dishonourable, hit to the nuts, he heard a scream.

"Yanagi!"

His classmate had been grabbed by a hulking Villain who had appeared from who knows where. "Move a muscle and I blow this little missy's brain up, alright?!"

Hitoshi stilled, raising his hands in surrender. "Ok, ok. You win."

The skull headed man smiled, sparks coming out of his hands. "Heh. Now, I'm gonna take this girl and get out of here. This was supposed to be a simple signal jamming job…"

Hitoshi's eyes widened. This was his chance. He stabilized his face, putting on as confident of a look as he could. "So that's your job? Pathetic."

The man's eyes widened. "Hey, don't disrespect the guy with the hostage…"

A moment later, the man snapped still. Yanagi took a deep breath, slipping out without breaking Hitoshi's control. "Excellent work, Shinsou-san. My apologies for getting caught."

Hitoshi smiled at his classmate. "I think you underestimate how helpful you just were. Stop any effects of your quirk."

A few sparks came out of the Villain's hands, and Hitoshi grinned. "Alright. Now we just have to pray someone gets out a signal. We'll need to stay here. I have to keep this guy under my control so he doesn't restart the jamming, even unconsciously, since we have no clue how his quirk works."

Yanagi nodded. "Very well. I shall guard you with my life."

"Please without the last part, thanks."

U.A

Nedzu took another sip of his tea, calmly composing another email to the commission to clear up the umpteenth legal trouble of the week. An alumnus had requested assistance in a legal battle over a supposed murder charge, and asked Nedzu to perhaps recommend a lawyer. Thankfully, the principal had solved the case quickly enough that it wasn't even necessary to find a lawyer, so there was no need to go to court. Nonetheless, it meant paperwork, which despite his high specs, was never something he loved.

He was grateful Midoriya-kun would grow up to be someone who did. Perhaps Midoriya Izuku plan Seventy-Three (Get himself a principal successor should Shouta-kun say no) would be an option, but he was keeping that in the back.

He supposed it was a good break from dealing with All Might. The poor man was trying his best, but overusing his Hero time to solve problems other Heroes could solve wasn't the right choice now that he was teaching. Having not passed on his quirk yet, he was still in the safe zone, but it was getting precarious. Nedzu and Midoriya were slowly filtering down the list, but options that were good were slim. Perhaps he could pick Mirio, but Nedzu couldn't deny he was never fond of Sir Nighteye, and he was worried what the relationship between the man and his student had become. 

Thankfully, the Number One Hero was on his way to his class now.

And then, of course, there was the case of the news catastrophe yesterday.

He had properly noted every media outlet that had attempted to break in, of course. He would have dealt with each of them personally, but there were only so many hours in the day, and he had to sleep at least a few hours each day, annoyingly.

He deployed his lovely third year management classes on them. It would be an important lesson for both sides.

The part he was worried about was how the media had bypassed their barrier. Bond cessation quirks that worked by temporally developing objects into a state of nothingness didn't show up in any relevant search. Decay was a concept that existed in a few quirks across the globe, mostly in central Europe in which the genome developed more often, similarly to the common nature of fire quirks in Japan, but no one in the country at present had the exact criteria to cause the specific kind of damage dealt to the gate, meaning their quirk was undocumented. There was the one member of the Shie Hassaikai who had a similar skillset, but they had reportedly never left their home. Which left the Villain as an unknown. Something that Nedzu loathed.

His ruminating was interrupted by a loud beep he barely recognised.

He moved over to a scarcely used area of his office, pulling open one of the drawers to reveal an old laptop that hadn't received a signal since… when the U.S.J had been built, before the managers of the area made use of the newer system.

The message was simple.

VILLAIN ATTACK AT U.S.J. REQUESTING IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE.

Nedzu's fur bristled. A Villain attack…within his walls?

He quickly went through the list of various emotions he was viable to feel. Apathy, excitement, cheer, envy…

Oh. Anger. That's what it was.

He quickly extracted his phone from his pocket. Sliding over to his custom-made app.

He calmly pressed the button that had previously been unused.

Across the school and the surrounding area, many Heroes received notifications.

U.A had sent an alarm for an invasion.

PLAZA

*SCRAAAAPPPPEEEE*

Izuku winced at the noise made by the noise made by the vent cover. He hoped and prayed that they wouldn't be noticed, and slowly climbed out of the ladder, gesturing for Jirou to follow.

Izuku found himself in a set of trees close to the plaza. A scant distance away, he spotted Aizawa-Sensei, still clashing with Villains, alongside Shouji and Thirteen, who were helping where they could, although that mostly involved keeping their distance. Shouji certainly cut an imposing figure with somewhere between eight and twelve limbs, especially since he was definitely holding his own.

Jirou murmured. "Man, I hate to say it, but Aizawa is cool as hell…"

Izuku nodded, almost enraptured, but doing his best to keep an eye on his surroundings. Aizawa-Sensei was clearly Eraserhead, a mass of red glares and twirling cloth. Izuku shook his head, stress repelling his rampant nerves. "Neither of us are heavy hitters, and you'll collapse the moment the adrenaline coursing through you runs out. Come on…"

Before they could sneak out, however, the pale man, who had elsewise remained an observer, dashed towards Aizawa, face rabid. Aizawa attempted to leap back, but he was forced to blink. The man charged forward, placing his hand on Aizawa's elbow. A moment later, he screamed out in pain as his elbow seemed to rot away, revealing flesh underneath. He landed a solid kick to the man, forcing him back, but he only laughed.

"I figured out your tell, Eraserhead! You have to blink every few seconds!"

Aizawa growled at the maniacal man. He continued to fight, continuing to take out Villains despite being down a limb.

The man growled. "Man, you really can still fight, huh? Well, Eraserhead, there's something important for you to know…"

Aizawa-sensei got a solid hit in at the last Villain anywhere near him, the remaining ones having stuck to the edge of the plaza, mostly being peppered at by Shouji and Thirteen, who also looked to the Villain.

"I'm not the final boss."

The man laughed manically, before pointing to their teacher. "Noumu."

*BOOM*

The large hulking figure, Noumu, apparently, leaped forward and grabbed hold of their teacher's arms with a sickening snap.

Izuku gagged violently, with Jirou doing the same. "Sensei…"

Izuku shook his head. "There is nothing we can do, Thirteen and Shouji… come on, before that hand guy decides to go for us!"

Izuku watched as Jirou did her best to suppress her fear, sneaking off towards the entrance alongside him.

Not far away, the misty Villain appeared next to the pale man, who was glaring at Eraserhead in the arms of Noumu. "Shigaraki Tomura. My apologies for the delay, but signal has returned to this area. It is likely that the Heroes' backup is on the way."

The pale man, Shigaraki, growled. "And you didn't even manage to deal with Thirteen and the monster teen. If you weren't our warp gate, Kurogiri, I'd dust you here and now."

Shigaraki began to rapidly scratch his neck, mumbling. "Oh man, it's really game over now… Sensei's gonna be so disappointed in me…well, if it's game over, we might as well go for a high score before then… and crush the number one Hero's pride by killing some brats!"

Izuku snapped back, seeing the pale Villain rapidly charging towards them with a manic face.

Shigaraki reached out with five fingers, towards his face, stunned in fear, and-

Shigaraki grasped his hands around the head of the 'brat', but… no decay ever came.

The Villain's face gains a confused look for a singular moment before he turns to face Shouta, glaring. "Oh, you really are cool, Eraserhead! Saving those brats even when you should be convulsing in pain! I ought to…"

Shouta grunted, feeling blood in his mouth. Fortunately, Midoriya seemed to regain his composure first, pushing the Villain back and grabbing his classmate. "THIRTEEN!"

Thirteen seemed to understand his intentions, unleashing their quirk on Noumu. While the bulky man (Was it a man? It certainly didn't act like one) was strong and heavy, Thirteen's quirk had pulled in more with less difficulty.

For a moment, Thirteen's force caused its grip to loosen, and Shouji swooped in, gently containing Shouta in a multitude of limbs, keeping him facing Shigaraki.

Shouta was grateful for it, as a moment later, Jirou seemed to regain her composure and released a blast of sound, forcing Shigaraki back further, while Midoriya dragged her out of the way, both clearly on their last legs.

Shouta finally allowed himself a moment to breathe, closing his eyes for a second.

Meanwhile, Shigaraki screamed. "How!? You brats were supposed to be easy pickings! You must have cheated!"

The group coalesced at the stairs, looking to Shigaraki, who had gotten up now, and was throwing the equivalent of a temper tantrum. Shouta's felt his consciousness slipping.

Shigaraki glared at the group. "It's still not over, you brats! Noumu…"

*SLAM*

Behind them, the door slammed open. Shouta couldn't turn his head to look, but judging by the excited gasps from his companions, he had a feeling he knew who had arrived.

"VILLAINS WHO DARE ATTACK THE YOUNG WITHIN U.A… I AM HERE TO STOP YOU!"

Shouta smiled, vision fading quickly.

"Took you long enough…Number One."

Chapter 9: Wrath of the symbol, plans for the future

Izuku never took his eyes off of the Villain in front of him, but internally, he was simultaneously jumping for joy and panicking.

All Might was here! That was great! He would save them!

All Might was here. Supposedly the Villains had a way of killing All Might, and the man was probably low on time if he ended up here so late...

Please, not so soon...

The few remaining upright Villains all seemed terrified. Shigaraki, meanwhile, gained a rather maniacal look on his face. "All Might! We've gotten a continue!"

*BOOM*

In a burst of sound and movement, the number one Hero quickly made short work of many of the few remaining Villains roaming around the field. "I ran into some trouble earlier, which made me late. As I was making my way here, however…I got a rather concerning message from the principal. To think that a Villain had attacked my class…to think of the fear that they spread…it SICKENS ME!"

All Might glared at the Villains in front of him, his standard bright smile missing. "Why are you here, Villains?"

Shigaraki laughed; red eyes almost glowing from behind the large hand covering his face. "Oh, it's simple, All Might. To kill YOU! NOUMU!"

The bulky man let out an inhuman screech, leaping forward towards All Might with an unnatural burst of movement and a winding punch.

The Hero blocked the leap, parrying the punch with one of his own. His opponent, however, seemed to barely flinch.

"How'd you like that, All Might?! Noumu's shock absorption makes him unbeatable!"

All Might smirked, not showing any pain from the impact. "Thanks for showing your hand, then! If I can't beat it with punches, I'll simply have overwhelm him!"

All Might grabbed a hold of the Villain in front of him and pulled up, preparing for a slam move. Izuku's eyes widened, realising that the Villain's had played him. "All Might, wait!"

Before All Might could stop, however, he was successfully caught in a portal, halfway through the ground, Noumu grabbing onto his weak point, unaware of the effectiveness of the move.

Kurogiri's yellow eyes thinned in a motion similar to a frown. "The feeling of gore within myself is an unpleasant one… but if it means completing the goal of Shigaraki Tomura… I will do it…"

As the portal slowly began to close. Izuku looked to the people around him, desperately looking for a way to save the Hero. Shouji and Thirteen were busy guarding the unconscious and bloody Aizawa-Sensei, and Jirou was rapidly beginning to fall unconscious herself, be it thanks to shock or exhaustion. Out of answers, Izuku braced to sprint. Rather him than All Might-

"NOT SO FAST!"

~---U.S.J: FINALE---~

It was not a clean jump from either of them. Togaru's skin was beginning to itch like crazy, Razor Sharp kicking up a fuss, and Kaibara's torque was beginning to slow. Nonetheless, it got the three necessary people onto the field, so it was better than nothing.

Togaru took a small breath as he jumped across the field, getting closer to the objective. "I'll regret this later, but-"

He brought forward as much of his remaining Keratin as he could pull from his bloodstream, bringing out a blade in his palm that was as sharp as he had yet been able to make-

"GUILLOTINE!"

And cut cleanly through the arm of the weird bulky guy.

Crashing into the floor after a brief continued flight, he groaned, before looking up.

Kaibara, Awase on his back, crashed into Kurogiri, knocking him down. Awase quickly grabbed a hold of the man's neck brace, binding it to the floor below him. "Ha! How's that for a weak quirk, Dad!"

"Your dad's great, dingus!"

"It sounded cool and that's what mattered! Quick, before Hand Guy gets to us!"

The duo of Kaibara and Awase quickly scrambled away from the now convulsing figure of Kurogiri and bewildered one of Shigaraki.

Hagakure, who had remained hidden, dashed forward, grabbing Togaru by the shoulders on the way. "Sheesh, for such a big guy, you're light as a feather!"

"I'll take that as a compliment!"

Heaving, Togaru looked to the crowd they joined, noticing that Midoriya was alright, if not battle worn. "Hey, Greenie…good to see you made it out…"

Midoriya seemed to be near tears, but he was seemingly doing his best to maintain his composure. "H-hey, Kamakiri. That was a good move!"

"Thanks…I learnt it from your notes!"

The group turned to face All Might and the Villains, safe, for now.

Taking advantage of the chaos the trio's arrival had caused, All Might made his way out of the unfortunate grip of Noumu, leaping back. "Thanks for the backup, Children! Now, stay back!"

Before All Might could go on the offensive, however, Noumu stood up. Togaru got a good look at the stump where his arm was supposed to be. It was a clean cut at least, and the big guy didn't seemed to be in much pain-

Togaru's guilt was interrupted by a series of tendons and skin bursting from out of the cut, slowly forming another arm. Moments later, Noumu stood, looking no worse for wear, bar some scarring by the cut area.

Izuku's eyes widened. "I though their quirk was Shock Absorption! Wait, no..."

Shigaraki laughed manically, as he was seemingly wont to do at this point. "Did you think Shock Absorption was Noumu's only quirk? Nope! This masterpiece was bioengineered to create the perfect counter to All Might! Super Regeneration, Shock Absorption, Agility Boost, Bulk…It's perfect!"

Both Izuku and All Might's eyes widened at that statement, but neither could respond to the statement before the figure burst forward again, wailing at All Might with a series of punches.

All Might seemed to flinch as a punch clipped his stomach, but…

Instead of shouting out in pain…

Smiling bright, the Hero laughed, parrying each blow with a punch of his own. "Very well. This is truly a threat devised to defeat me at my best? Well then, it's simple. I'll simply have to do even more!"

Shigaraki laughed, barely flinching as he was flung back by the launch. "Are you stupid, Hero? I just told you, Noumu is unbeatable!"

All Might suddenly grabbed the (The possibility that there were more of the things, now no longer a person, was perhaps more terrifying than the thing itself) Noumu by the hands, and spun, throwing the creature, before jumping after it as it crashed into a batch of trees. Blasts of wind were sent out by the action, forcing Shigaraki and Kurogiri, now unbound from the floor, back. "I cannot reach him!"

All Might continued wailing on the Noumu, face set. "There's a distinction to be made here, you know? This thing's main quirk is Shock Absorption, which means it isn't nullification! So all I have to do is keep going until it can't take any more!"

All Might followed up the statement with a series of wild punches and slaps. "I may be past my prime, but don't think you could waltz into here and take me out!"

Togaru winced as The Noumu began to slide back from the many punches the Hero was throwing at him. He turned to Midoriya, who had a bewildered look on his face. "Such power… to think-"

Suddenly, the Noumu was thrown towards the centre of the plaza in a loud crash. All Might smirked, landing next to it. "This school I teach at now has a saying I'm quite fond of! They politely borrowed it from a pre-quirk nation, but I'm sure you can trace it back to the beginning of time. It means to go Beyond…"

All Might launched a dozen rapid punches, faster than Togaru could comprehend them, before pulling back.

"PLUS, ULTRA!"

*BOOM*

The loud crashing noise seemed to cover the entirety of the U.S.J, and the Villain was shot up into the air, bursting through the roof of the building.

Togaru was awed by the power of the number one Hero. He took a deep breath, realising that perhaps now they were finally safe once again.

All Might stood, slouched over, breathing heavily. Togaru could tell that despite putting up bravado, the Noumu had pushed the Hero close to his limit.

"Do you feel it, children? The feeling of relief, of the knowledge that you are safe? That is the power of a Hero. Hold onto it, and perhaps one day you may provide it to others."

In that moment, he was filled with something akin to understanding. Of why so Heroes stuck with the job, even through pain.

All Might turned to the Villains, breath heavy. "I suggest you surrender now, Villains. Perhaps the court will lower your sentences."

Shigaraki's eyes were still wide, shocked at the defeat of his weapon. "All Might was supposed to be weaker! Sensei said so! He CHEATED!"

The man quickly dashed towards All Might, who seemed to be on his last legs, unmoving. Togaru winced, hoping that All Might would move-

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Shigaraki was launched back as multiple bullets collided with his shoulders and knees, disabling him.

Togaru turned to the entrance. There stood a large group of pro Heroes, Snipe and Nedzu leading the charge. "Sorry for our tardiness, students! I brought as many Heroes as I could muster!"

The Heroes shot forward, disabling the few remaining Villains with haste.

Kurogiri seemed to understand that they had lost, and reached to Shigaraki, grabbing him for an evacuation.

Shouji raced forward as the mist seemed to dissipate, covered in wounds but still standing tall. "Kurogiri-san, wait! If you are like that Noumu creature, we can help you! Let us save you!"

The mist seemed to hesitate for a moment, slowing, but it still dissipated. Shouji looked to the floor, face neutral, covered by his mask.

Togaru looked to the dozens of Villains, all being arrested one by one.

They had won, but it certainly didn't feel like a victory.

Waking up from anaesthesia is hard to describe. In some ways, it's instant. You are suddenly brought into consciousness, memories of the before flooding in. In other ways, it's a slow cascade, mind comparable to slurry as it processes chemicals it's not supposed to.

Mashirao woke up over twenty minutes, thoughts repeating in his head of bashing Villains left and right, until eventually, a Hero arrived. After that, he was rushed into an ambulance, but then…

Eventually, he returned to something vaguely akin to consciousness. He sat up, slowly observing where he was. He guessed he was in a hospital, dull white walls and thick cots making that clear, but past that-

"Mashirao! Your awake!"

Turning to the cot on his left, he saw a floating medical gown, indicating the presence of Tooru.

"Tooru. What happened while I was unconscious?"

Tooru winced lightly. "The Heroes managed to bust most of the Villains, but the mist guy and weird hand guy that was probably the leader managed to escape…"

"And everyone else?"

"Kodai, me, Kamakiri, Jirou and Yanagi are in for quirk exhaustion. Boss, you, Hagakure, Shouji and Awase are in for general injuries. Tsu and Kaibara are fine, but we're all being kept in the hospital in case the effects of going through that portal had any consequences."

Mashirao looked to the other side of the room he was in, spying Shinsou. The boy looked alright, but he sported a nasty bruise on his head. Shinsou nonetheless smiled at him, although he looked dead tired. "You were the only one on your own, Tailman. That's worth a whole lot."

Mashirao chuckled quietly. "I wish it was, but it doesn't make me feel much better." He looked to his arm, which was firmly secured in a sling. Recovery Girl would likely make the healing process easier, but it still certainly wasn't pleasant. "I suppose this was going to happen eventually…"

Shinsou shrugged. "Still sucks. Now then, thankfully, none of us are tied down. Boss came to say hi while you were still out. Says the police are going to interview us and then we get to go home. I intend to sleep for a week if I can get away with it."

Tooru chuckled lightly. "I don't blame you. Do you think we'll still need to finish the English homework for Monday?"

Mashirao snorted as the darker tension seemed to break a little. "I hope not."

"This is interview number one of incident U.A One-Four-Alpha, codename 'Unforeseen Simulation Joint Invasion'. My name is detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, and I'll be recording this as the incident's primary investigator. Subject is student number One of U.A high school class 1-T. Please state your name."

The boy scratched his neck, rubbing against bandages strewn across various parts of his body. "Hi, I'm Awase Yousetsu. I'd make a joke but I'm not sure now is the time…"

Naomasa nodded. "Due to the recent nature of this event and our limited time, I'll stick to asking relevant questions. What can you tell us about the presumed leader of the group, currently believed to be named Shigaraki Tomura?"

Awase looked to him, face set. "Well, I can at least say he's probably not the boss."

"Why do you say that?"

 He flexed his hands, muscles sore from both injuries and excessive use of his quirk. "Well, apart from the fact that the guy was unstable as all hell, he referred to some kind of Sensei a few times. It'd explain the weird science far project of guy with multiple quirks. Do you think I'm gonna be told how that was done?"

Naomasa shook his head with a sigh, knowing he'd have to cut this part out. The can of worms that All For One was possibly still alive was something he didn't want to consider yet. "I'm afraid not, Awase-kun."

The boy smiled nervously. "I suppose I probably shouldn't be complaining about that. What else do you need?"

"You were noted to have quite a few interactions with the Villain Kurogiri. What could you tell us about him?"

Naomasa looked to the large boy in front of him. Wearing a rather large medical gown, he sported a large bandage across his chest. The wound wasn't life threatening, but it would leave a rather nasty scar. The remainder of his injuries were delegated to the boys many arms, but due to his quirk, they would disappear as his arms regenerated. The boy's scarred face was clear of his standard mask, but it was likely to return when the meeting ended.

"I believe that Kurogiri should be noted as either a hostage, a victim of brainwashing, or as something similar."

Naomasa's eyes widened at that. "Why do you say so, Shouji-kun?"

Shouji closed his eyes for a moment, formulating his words. "As Thirteen will corroborate, I attempted to stall for time upon my initial encounter with him. When I asked him why he, one with a quirk such as his own, served a Villain, he simply quoted both that he 'could do nothing else' as well as 'knowing nothing else'. Personally, after seeing the Noumu creature, I can be fairly confident in that theory."

Naomasa scratched his chin. If this was truly All For One, the man had plenty of brainwashing quirks… but it meant they couldn't take Shigaraki Tomura out of the running for a similar treatment. The age of quirks that affected the mind made proving guilt a constant mission, but…

"Thank you, Shouji-kun. We'll keep your statements in mind."

Naomasa watched the boy in front of him. He was likely bone tired, but from the speed at which he was transcribing notes, you could barely tell the boy was affected at all.

Finally finishing up his notes, the boy looked to the other occupants of the room.

Toshinori sat in his own cot, face set. The incident would set his time back a little, but he would live with a little time off.

Nedzu had placed himself near the end of the Hero's bed. The mammalian Hero had seen better days, fur messy and flustered, but as usual, he would bounce back.

The last occupant, Chiyo, quietly went over the notes on the injures of U.A's students. No long-term damage was dealt, but there would be plenty of literal and figurative scars.

Naomasa broke the room's silence, pulling a packet from his coat. "We've gotten the blood samples back. The blood of the Noumu mostly matches one figure, but within the genome lay the information for multiple quirk factors. Until we get a brain scan, we can't be sure, but…"

Toshinori clenched his fists. "All For One may still live."

Midoriya nodded, quickly turning through his notes. Naomasa didn't know how to feel about such a young boy taking part in the All For One case, but he was here, so he would help. "Do the results match those of other people who have received multiple quirks from All For One?"

Naomasa shook his head. "Yes and No. Of the multiple quirk factors, we managed to read within the sample, some matched those of other multi quirk users, appearing to be fused together in a larger string of data. But other quirk factors manifested alongside them, isolated from the rest."

Midoriya flipped his notebook to another page. "That means that someone has likely devised a method of providing quirks to someone without the use of All For One's quirk, and likely used it to finish his work."

Chiyo grabbed a hold of the file. "Such a process has been considered impossible for decades now, but it's always been an idea within the minds of radicals. If such a process where to exist, though, it would still likely rely on the use of a quirk like All For One to extract the core information of a quirk factor. Which brings us back to the original problem…"

Toshinori nodded. "Whether or not this is the work of All For One, someone with a similar quirk, or someone carrying on his legacy through science… we can't determine it."

Nedzu hopped off of the bed, pacing. "So, we cannot be certain of the identity of our enemy. It means we must prepare for any possibility. Having the power of your quirk made today's battle easier, Yagi, but… you have held its power for forty years. If you were to pass it on-"

"You may just kill whoever holds it."

All eyes went to Midoriya, who's filter seemed to have disappeared alongside his nerves. Flipping through pages of what looked like gibberish, he arrived on the page that likely represented his research into One For All. "I've been considering how One For All works since you told me about it, All Might, Nedzu-sensei. But isn't it really two quirks?"

Toshinori nodded. "One For All was formed by the combination of the original holders quirk and a quirk that stockpiled power."

"So that makes One for All a genetic error. Perhaps the original holder's quirk transferred knowledge, or skills, or even quirks like All For One, but instead… It was bastardised. Turned into a battery to store energy far beyond what one person could hold. Research has been done for decades as to where most kinetic quirks draw their energy, what it is, how it could be harnessed, but the point is that the transfer from that source has grown larger and larger for years now. If we try and transfer it again…"

Toshinori's eyes widened. "It could kill whoever received it outright…"

Midoriya turned to a page that showed some of the few available pictures of the previous users. "All the previous holders aged at a rate far faster than they should have. Yagi-san, you were quirkless before you received One For All, right?" Toshinori nodded, face looking guilty, but Midoriya simply continued. "One For All has moulded itself to fit you, to the point at which it's likely how your body was able to stabilize at all after your fight with All For One. If you transfer it, you'll likely survive, but whoever receives it will have to hold onto a massive well of energy, even larger than it is for you, while also having their own quirk."

The room was silent as Midoriya finished his speech. A moment later, awareness seemed to return to the boy, and he blushed beet red. Ah- Sorry! I-I didn't mean to interrupt-"

Nedzu laughed as he patted Midoriya on the knee. "Nonsense, Midoriya-kun! You brought a unique perspective that none of us had considered. You'll make a fine analyst one day. But still…"

Toshinori clenched his fist. "That means One For All should end with me, lest it bring about someone's unfortunate end."

Midoriya nodded. "Then you'll need to prepare to fight All For One again. Tsukauchi-san, how difficult would it be to assemble a task force to prepare for war against an SS-Class Villain?"

Naomasa considered for a moment. "It will be difficult to keep it under wraps, but Madam President does owe me a favour."

Toshinori's eyes widened. "Naomasa, no! this is my fight! I-"

Nedzu shook his head. "Unfortunately, Yagi, it isn't anymore. You are old now, no matter how you try and deny it. If All For One is truly our enemy, he is gathering forces. It is only right for us to do the same."

Toshinori winced, but he didn't complain. "I suppose you are right, Nedzu-Sensei. I will have to contact Sir as well…"

All eyes once again turned to the elephant in the room. Chiyo coughed. "I suppose having a child in an investigation like this is difficult."

Midoriya's eyes widened, before he sheepishly scratched his neck. "O-oh… I forgot about that part."

Nedzu chuckled. "Sorry, Midoriya. All we can ask of you is to prepare for the future, should this conflict last longer than we wish, and to look after your group. I have a feeling that, unfortunately, your class's role in this conflict is not yet over."

The young boy, much too early to be in a conflict but nonetheless present, nodded sternly, packing up his bags. "Right. Thank you, Sensei!"

"To you as well for your help, Midoriya-kun! I look forward to continuing our lessons again."

Midoriya smiled, closing the door behind him, heading in the direction of the ward his class had been placed in.

Once the boy had left, Nedzu smiled. "Right, then. Who's ready to prepare for war?"

Tomura sat up quickly, looking around the room he was in. His arms and legs pulsed in pain, but they were lacking the bandages he expected. What had-

"Hello, Tomura. It is good to see you are awake."

Tomura looked over to the middle of the room, where he spotted Sensei, sitting in his medical chair, like always. He seemed to be in a cot that had been placed in front of the chair in place of his standard desk, however.

He shot to attention, looking to his Sensei. "Sensei! The Heroes, they…"

"The Heroes defeated you completely, Tomura."

Tomura scratched his neck. "Sensei…"

His teacher placed a calm hand on his shoulder. "It is alright, my student. If anything, it is my fault for not preparing you adequately. The Heroes are certainly strong. But… there is always another chance for you, Tomura."

Tomura nodded, looking to his sensei. "Those students and Heroes… they were too good. It was almost like they cheated…"

Sensei nodded, scarred face showing little emotion bar a faint smile. "Of course. They have assembled elites. It appears that we will have to do the same."

"What do you mean, Sensei?"

"A strategy of hordes is a valid one, sure, but clearly it failed. Instead, we will prepare, bringing together a much smaller, far more skilled team to do the job of one hundred, if you will."

He nodded, understanding his teacher. "Right, sensei! Bring together a party to slay the dragon… it's perfect!"

His teacher simply smiled at him. "I'm sure you will make it so, Tomura. I am proud of you. Now, how about you get some rest?"

Tomura suddenly felt tired once again. He blinked slowly, looking over to his teacher, sitting next to him, smiling gently, and fell back asleep.

He did not see the gentle pulsing of his teacher's hands, indicating the use of a quirk, nor did he notice the angered scowl on the man's face.

Class 1-T sat in a circle within their classroom, all talking quietly, the middle row of desks pushed to the side in order to allow them to convene.

"How are your injuries, Glue stick?"

Awase grinned, flexing his bandaged arms. "I'm as cool as a cucumber! It'll take a little more than some cuts to take me out."

As Kamakiri laughed, rubbing his own still sore skin, Izuku smiled. They had all suffered, but the weekend had done well to release stress.

(They had all avoided talking over group chats, instead each resting on their own. Izuku personally had spent most of the time watching old movies with his mother, equally consoling himself and her.)

Hagakure gave her chest a gentle rub. "Mom and Dad considered pulling me out of U.A after the scare…"

Asui nodded in agreement. "It was a close thing, but… it would feel like surrendering to the Villains, no?"

Most of the class nodded at that. Yanagi clenched her fists. "It is a challenge we must overcome. To show the world that we won't back down."

"And you'll have an opportunity to do so pretty soon. The battles aren't yet over for you."

The class quickly turned to the door, seeing their teacher. Not even Jirou, too distracted to pay attention to her surroundings, had heard him enter.

Izuku's eyes widened at the sight of his teacher. "Sensei, you're back so soon? But your injuries!"

Aizawa-sensei had seen better days. One of his two arms was in a cast, and the other was nonetheless wrapped in bandages, his head receiving similar treatment, his eyes and mouth poking through.

Instead of standing at the podium, Aizawa waltzed into the room, sitting down and joining the circle of students. "My injuries will heal. It's not like all of you are in much better health."

The class looked to their teacher who didn't resemble the tense man they had seen at only a week ago.

The man, crouched over, looked to each of them within the small makeshift circle. "Each of you has gone through hardship beyond compare, and I'm sorry it had to happen to you all so soon."

Shinsou, sitting next to Aizawa within the circle, smiled gently. "It wasn't your fault, teach. Besides, you kicked ass there yourself."

Aizawa smiled subtly, mostly hidden by bandages. "Thanks. Now, normally I'd order you to fix your desks, but… you can have the next two periods off. I've cleared it with Yamada and Ectoplasm. We'll chat, you can play games, whatever. Just take a breather."

The class cheered at that. Despite the weekend off, Izuku could tell many were nervous about the idea of getting back to class so quickly.

"But first, there's an event coming up quite soon… the U.A sports festival." Aizawa looked to his class as they took the fact in.

Jirou was the first to speak up. "Right after a Villain attack, Sensei?"

Aizawa nodded. "I agree with you, honestly, but Nedzu says it's to show the world the U.A can hold up even under crisis. It's also important for your careers, as it allows Heroes to notice you, and you only get three shots at it. There's changes planned to ensure your anonymity as Twilight students, of course, but that preparation is still underway. For one, participation is optional this time. Anyone planning on not participating?"

Two hands were put up at that announcement. Izuku had his own up, of course, and he wasn't surprised to see Shinsou's up as well.

The purple haired boy scratched his neck. "I'm going full Underground. Best to keep documentation on my quirk a secret, you know?"

Izuku smiled nodding. "Nedzu-sensei has me working on a project during the festival. If that's still happening, that plan is still on!"

Aizawa smiled again, nodding. "A good call on both of your parts. Then you'll be helping everyone else train. You have a lot to show the world now."

Everyone in the class nodded, each determined in their own way. Ojiro, who had been silent for most of the morning, nodded, his one arm now sporting a series of crackling scars as a result of Recovery girl's treatments. "The rest of U.A hasn't gone through an attack like we have. This'll be our chance to show them that we're ready to take on the world… and that they aren't. So how about we win this thing?"

"Hell yeah!" "1-T Represent!" "Nice speech, Mashirao!" "It'll be tough, but we can do it."

Aizawa smiled. "Good. Keeping up your motivation is always important. I'll be running each of you through the ringer during the next two weeks. But for now…"

The class looked to their teacher, who scratched his neck with his good hand awkwardly. (Shouta was clearly new to the whole 'down to earth teaching style' thing, but he was trying his best to connect with a bunch of traumatised children, sue him.) "Surely at least one of you has a cute cat, right?"

Shinsou raised a fist, tears welling in his closed eyes. "I have been waiting for this moment my entire life…"

The class laughed at the brainwasher's expense, and soon, conversation devolved into meaningless, childish, and perfectly pleasant chatter.

The time to prepare would come later, sure, but for now, they would be able to spend time as teenagers with the spirit of determination in their hearts.

Chapter 10: Names, Goals, Enemies, and the Kitchen Sink

WEDNESDAY: (Nine days to the sports festival)

Earlier in the week, during lunch, Midoriya and Kodai had (in sign on one side, but everyone in the class was learning bits and pieces) rambled on about quantum computing for most of the meal. In perfect honesty, Sen understood none of it, but he found that the dual state stuff worked great for metaphors.

Aizawa-Sensei was a quantum particle. Or something. Sue him, it was Yousetsu's job to be the creative one.

On one hand, Aizawa-sensei had warmed up to them quite a bit over the last three days. After the impromptu bonding session when they got back to school, their teacher had clearly been doing his best to ensure his students were doing alright emotionally. Hagakure had wrestled the man onto a group chat, and he had so far used it exclusively to live the cat owning dream vicariously by extracting cat pictures from his students (The poor man's schedule was so unstable that owning one for himself was unviable. A grand tragedy), but he nonetheless had begun to feel like a reassuring presence. (He had even asked Sen about his photography, the once. Most adults just tended to scoff and move on when he bought the topic up!)

At the same time, though…

"Owwww…"

Aizawa-sensei looked down at Sen, who was currently face down on the mat, muscles burning. "Up you get, Kaibara. Your form is doing better, but you still leave your legs open when you go on the defensive. Spread your attention to your whole body. Next!"

Sen winced as he stood up. When Aizawa-sensei had told them all he'd be running them ragged before the sports festival, he hadn't been kidding.

As Kodai swapped places with him on the sparring mat, Sen took the moment to look around the room.

Each member of his class was exercising in some way or another. Midoriya led his crew in a rather intense series of exercises, even including a begrudging Shinsou, who was clearly out of breath. Ojiro, Kamakiri and Hagakure, meanwhile, were taking it in stride, all motivated to secure good placements in the upcoming festival.

Sen couldn't deny that the feeling was rather infectious. Gyrate was always looked down upon, but he had made it into U.A and kicked a bunch of Villain ass, so he felt a little more confident than before that he could maybe show his stuff.

He looked to his own friends, who were sparring. Yousetsu's injuries had mostly healed by now, and the event had lit a hell of a spark in him. Asui too, although her fires had always burnt subtly. He raised a hand to his chin, thinking. Who could he train with?

"Uhm, sorry to interrupt…"

Sen turned to face the new arrival, spotting Yanagi, standing ramrod straight as usual. After the entrance exam, they had exchanged pleasantries, and she was able to include herself in group conversations well enough, but she never really tried to talk to anyone individually, bar Shinsou and Kodai.

"Hey, Yanagi. What do you need from me?"

The girl nodded blankly. "I was wondering if you wanted to perhaps try to combine forces like we did during the entrance exam again?"

Sen's eyes flashed in recognition. Their series of stairs had been monumental in securing his win. It would be excellent to have team up moves for the festival, but…

Looking closely at Yanagi, he spotted the girl's nervous face. He nodded, smiling. "It's always good to have more teamwork, but what brought this on?"

Yanagi flicked her fingers nervously. "My quirk has a problem, sometimes. When I get overly scared, or angry, or any other kind of overreaction…I lose my sense of self, a bit. It's part of why the doctors called it Poltergeist."

Sen frowned lightly, remembering Shinsou's recap of his experiences at the U.S.J. Yanagi had apparently gone on quite the rampage, only really returning to awareness when she was grabbed by a Villain. "So, you want to get more control?" Yanagi nodded, clenching her fists.

"Correct. I believe that if I gain further control of my quirk, it will become more difficult for it to seize control over me."

Sen smiled, spinning his hands into a strong clap. "Alright. No time like the present, then!"

Yanagi seemed to agree, but instead of moving over to find a place to begin, Yanagi simply grabbed a hold of Sen with her quirk.

Feeling himself levitate into the air, Sen gulped.

"That's not what I meant!"

~---SPORTS FESTIVAL: NAMES AND IDEAS---~

THURSDAY: (Eight days to the sports festival)

The class was nervous. Aizawa-sensei had told them during homeroom that a special activity would be happening during their Heroics period, and this time not even Izuku knew what it would be. When he had prompted Nedzu during their lesson the day before, the Hero had simply chuckled, saying that "this one has to happen naturally."

Eventually, Aizawa-sensei walked in, standing by the podium. The class quickly went silent, and Aizawa-sensei looked to them with a neutral face.

"Today is an important day for you all. Even with your current life paths, the choice you will be making now is all but fundamental to your futures as Heroes."

Many students looked nervous as Aizawa-Sensei gained a small smile, before, as usual, flicking a small card out of his pocket.

"You will be picking Hero names."

Instantly, the class erupted in simultaneous dread and excitement. Hero names were fundamental to your identity as a Hero, but if you made the wrong choice…

Aizawa-sensei raised a hand, silencing the murmuring. "Of course, you can always change your name later, but it's often not a good choice. Your actions under whatever name you pick may just stick to you."

Shouji raised a hand. "Sensei, are Hero names not typically chosen after the sports festival?"

Their teacher simply nodded. "Correct. However, U.A is putting great effort into protecting the identities of students, so code names were the best option to prevent people from simply looking up your identities. That means you'll need to be careful about your naming choice, since they'll be used on the broadcast. So, pick carefully, or-"

"You'll be in a whoooole lot of trouble, Ya Dig?!"

Aizawa-sensei sighed as the door slid open to reveal Present Mic in his (almost) full Hero regalia, although he was lacking his signature hair styling, considering it was so early in the morning.

"It's Yamada-sensei!" "Hi, Present Mic-sensei!" "Oh god, kill me now."

That last one came from Aizawa-sensei as Present Mic laughed. "Shouta here can't judge names for wack, and Midnight is busy with her class, so it's my job to make sure none of you name yourselves something silly!"

Aizawa-sensei sent a light glare to his friend. "I would recommend not trusting his judgement. Who do you think came up with Eraserhead?"

As the class laughed quietly at their glaring teacher, Izuku quickly began thinking. A Hero name… he had thought of many before, sure… but even the ones that didn't rip on the name All Might didn't fit in his new role.

As excitement began to rise in the class, Present Mic flashed a smile, before pulling a box of whiteboards out from under the podium. "Write your names on these! Feel free to talk to your buddies about this, alright? Their ideas might be better than yours!"

Aizawa-sensei sighed once again. "If only I didn't ask you."

Awase confidently made his way up to the podium, face smug.

He proudly turned his board around, showing it to the class. "Bow to my greatness, for I shall be The Constructing Hero: Welder! Pretty sweet, huh?"

Instead of the impressed reaction he expected however, Hizashi simply shook his head. "Now, Awase, I'm sure you tried, but… that name kind of sucks. Try to avoid just plain nouns or jobs, alright?"

Awase instantly deflated, pouting as he left the pillar. "Aw, man."

(Thankfully, no one noticed Sen quickly rubbing off 'Spiral' from his own board.)

After that, a few names were passed with a smile. Tsu's Rainy Day Hero: Froppy and Shouji's Armament Hero: Tentacole both passed Hizashi's tests, Ojiro's Martial Arts Hero: Tailman was applauded for it's down-to-earthiness, which was what Ojiro was aiming for, while Kodai's Size Hero: Rule synergised well with her serious appearance.

Jirou's rethought name came with cheers as well.

"Originally, I was going to tie it to my Hero name, you know? Call back to my roots. But then I realised that it meant someone could find the name of me and my mom pretty easily, so I had to make a new one." She flipped her board, smiling nervously. "The Soundwave Hero: Beat Up. Pretty cool, right?"

Receiving thumbs up from Shinsou, Hagakure, and Hizashi himself, she walked off the stage with a smile.

Following her, Hagakure walked onto the stage. Instead of leading with a speech, she immediately flipped her board, revealing her name. "I'm The Hidden Hero: Invisible Lady!"

Hizashi smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "That's a very strong name, Hagakure! Could I ask why you picked it?"

Hagakure (presumably) grinned, punching her fists together. "I was gonna go with 'Invisible Girl' instead, but then I thought 'Huh,wouldn't that make Villains think I'm not scary?' And if the Villains aren't afraid of me, then clearly I'm not selling my image properly!"

Hizashi looked closely at Hagakure. Despite being invisible, her physical prowess was clear. Hizashi could think of a few Heroes who would be interested in fuelling the girl's rising determination. Heck, if the girl didn't get any internship requests after the fest, he would have to hunt them down himself. "Good name. You pass, Invisible Lady!"

"I'm The Welding Hero: Constructi-Man!"

"You just swapped the prefix and the name then added man, you hack!"

"Hey, don't diss my creativity!"

Hizashi sighed, but the name wasn't actually that bad. "You pass, Awase."

Awase grinned sharply at his victory. "Ha! Take that!"

Kaibara sighed, stepping up himself. "It won't be hard to top Yousetsu, but here we are. I'm The Torque Hero: Centrifugal. Pretty good, neh?"

Hizashi smiled. "Good job with the spinning theming! You pass!"

Kaibara and Awase continued to bicker lightly as the latter stepped off the podium, but they quieted down as Yanagi walked to the stage next. Hizashi looked to the girl with a kind face as she gently flipped her board "I was told first draft for a Hero name was too creepy… but I don't want not to be scary."

The few remaining members of the class quickly turned to face their classmate, who was smiling lightly.

"My quirk makes me perfect for the role of a force of vengeance against the cruel. I wish to be a Hero who people would look to save them, and for those who they were being saved from to look at me with dread. Thus, I shall be The Shrouded Hero: Phantomime." Yanagi bowed deeply, smiling. "I hope my name is satisfactory."

Of the dozens of Villains Hizashi had seen being arrested at the U.S.J, many of those pulled out of the mountain zone had a series of bruises and welts across their faces. A few of the up-close fighters also appeared to have muscle damage similar to what occurs when one's limbs were physically stretched.

Hizashi simply smiled, knowing the name worked perfectly for the girl. "An excellent choice, Yanagi."

Shinsou simply walked forward. Flipping a blank board forward. "Whoever picks a name that isn't terrible first gets it. Go."

Instantly, the class erupted in uproar.

"PURPLE, UUH, GUY! PURPLE GUY!"

"That was copyrighted like a century ago! Clearly his name is Brainiac!"

"Uuuh… Hypnotiser?"

Eventually, the crowd quieted down, one by one.

A few moments later, the class was completely silent. As the students that had remained quiet did their best to stifle their laughter, Shinsou simply looked on, vaguely smug.

Shinsou smiled, releasing the effects of his quirk and looking to his teacher. "That's the kind of Hero I want to be. I'm an asshole, and my whole motivation to be a Hero is mostly born from spite, but I can still catch people by surprise."

Shinsou quickly scribbled his actual Hero name onto the board. "I'll be The Mystery Hero: Slackjaw. I'll leave people bewildered in my wake."

Hizashi smiled. The boy was truly on track to be a second Eraserhead. "Good work, Shinsou. Hey, Shouta, have you considered messaging Joke?"

Shouta sighed from within his sleeping bag, propped up against the corner of the room. "Yeah. I told her about him once. She hasn't shut up about wanting him since."

Shinsou looked to his teachers, confused. "Uhm… should I be afraid?"

Shouta smiled stiffly. "Absolutely."

The clock for the end of the period was finally beginning to near it's end as Present Mic called the second to last student to the stand. Kamakiri walked up, face set, and took a deep breath.

Izuku had known his friend (and wasn't that weird to say) for long enough to tell that he was nervous, but he wasn't worried about him.

Kamakiri smiled, flipping over his board. "I'm happy to admit that Razor Sharp is a tool for combat. I'm quite literally made of knives, and I'd be lying if I said I don't enjoy using them. Combat is in my blood, but… I can use that force to help people. I'll be a Hero the creeps can be proud of, and save as many people as I can, even if not directly. I'll The Sharpest Hero: Jack Mantis!"

Izuku smiled as his friend got a seemingly positive response from his classmates. Present Mic smiled at him as well. "Good job showing your bravado, Kamakiri! A perfect blend of intimidation, intrigue, and subtlety!"

As Kamakiri walked off the stand, smiling, all eyes suddenly turned to Izuku.

Ah. Right. He had to present his name too.

Kamakiri flashed a toothy grin at him. "You'll be fine, Greenie. Whatever name you picked will be perfect!"

Izuku took another breath. Kamakiri was right.

He nervously walked up to the podium, holding his board close to his chest.

Present Mic smiled subtly at him. "All right, Midoriya, end us off with a bang!"

Izuku smiled nervously as he flipped his board. "W-When I was younger, I wanted to be a Hero like All Might. Someone that could save people with a smile. As someone without a quirk, I got berated for the idea, constantly reminded of my inadequacy, or mocked for my very existence. Somewhere along the line, my father vanished to some overseas job. Teachers marked me down whenever they could. And the students… weren't kind."

He saw the concerned looks from both his teachers and classmates, but he carried on anyways. "Eventually, however, I learnt of another possibility thanks to meeting a Hero. A different path, one that was perfect for me. My dream changed that day, although I'm still striving for the same goal. If I can't be the Hero everyone sees, I can make sure those Heroes succeed. I'm The Hero's Hero: Guidance."

The class remained mostly silent, processing his words. He blushed, nervous. Had he said something wrong?

Awase spoke up first. "When we get our licences, does that make us the Hero's Hero's Heroes?"

Instantly, tension left a large portion of the class as they sighed. "Damnit, Awase!"

Present Mic simply smiled at him. "It's a great name, Midoriya. Uhm, is there anything we need to talk about?"

Izuku shook his head. "Thanks, sensei, but I'm fine! The school I went to doesn't exist anymore, anyhow! You can thank Nedzu-sensei for that!"

(Shouta knew that it was not in fact dealt with in its entirety, but his opinions on Bakugou and Midoriya's opinions on Bakugou were very different things. Besides, there was a school sanctioned brawl coming up, so…)

As Izuku returned to his desk, Aizawa-sensei took the stage again. "All of your names are good. Present Mic, your dismissed."

"Aw man, Shouta, getting rid of me so soon? I thought we were best bros!"

"Your next period is in five minutes, idiot." Despite his harsh tone, Aizawa-sensei at least seemed... unbothered? Cheerful? Something close.

"Ah, right!" With that, Present Mic quickly sprinted out of the room. Aizawa-Sensei sighed but looked back to the class.

"With that, the first challenge of the festival has been dealt with."

"You mean yesterday's training wasn't supposed to be a challenge?"

Aizawa-sensei smiled at his now anxious class. "Tomorrow, we'll be training again. I hope you enjoyed your rest day."

The class once again paled as their teacher snorted quietly. Izuku sat, smiling subtly. "Oh, Sensei! I'm not here for tomorrow's period! I have a lesson with Nedzu to prepare for my project!"

Instantly, any favour he had garnered with the class seemed to evaporate as they looked to him with (mostly overdramatic) scorn. A moment later, the bell blared.

With practiced ease, Izuku was out of his chair with his bag on his back in under a second. "Oh, would you look at that, the day's over. S-see you guys tomorrow!"

As Izuku was, for the first time in a while, the first one out for the class, he only heard snippets of the jealous shouts of his classmates.

(It cost him being heckled by the classmates that shared his train ride home, but was it worth it to skip an entire Aizawa-sensei hell training session? Absolutely.)

FRIDAY: (Seven days to the sports festival)

"And thus, in 2XXX, the death and later revival of pro Hero Windblade contributed to the development of the Necropsy laws, which are still in practice today regarding the execution of post-mortem opponents-"

Aizawa-sensei's droning speech was interrupted by the blaring bell of the period ending. He quietly slipped his reference book closed, looking to the class. "I suppose we're out of time. I'll see you all at practical Heroics."

Yousetsu stretched, grateful for the end of the period. "Finally! I'm so hungry!"

Sen shot a light glare at him as he stood up from his own chair. "That's because you overslept, idiot."

Yousetsu pulled his best mock look of shock. "You snitch!"

Aizawa-sensei finished packing up his own supplies, but before he could slide open the door-

"Sensei, hold on a moment!"

Aizawa took a step away from the door, looking to Jirou, who was listening intensely to… something. Soundproofing had been adding to the walls in order to let her focus in lessons, but she could still hear through it if she focused.

"There's a bunch of people gathering around the entrance."

For once, the lack of windows in their dinky class was beneficial. Yousetsu scoffed. "What do they want from us? To bask in our greatness or something?"

Shinsou sighed, hoisting his own bag. "I mean, yeah, probably. The secret class with the mystery students, came out of a Villain attack, et cetera. Probably want to scout out the enemy before the sports festival."

As all eyes looked to their tired classmate, he shrugged. "What? Like I said, I'm an asshole. I had like, a twelve-step plan to get in through the fest. This was… step seven?"

Shouji walked up to the wall, manifesting an ear to it. "Without training, someone without an offensive quirk would have next to no chance of getting through the standard exam. Hmm… Shinsou would be correct. I don't recognise most of the voices, but there are a few students from 1-A and 1-B."

Yousetsu sighed. "Well then, what do we do about it? Do we bash straight through?"

"I think we can take advantage of it!"

Everyone turned to Midoriya, who had, of course, pulled a notebook out of the ether, this one simply called "Sports Festival Strategy."

Hagakure and Shinsou both took the opportunity to peek at Midoriya's notes. Shinsou raised an eyebrow. "What the heck is a Nuclear Option in this context?"

Midoriya raised a hand, walking towards the podium. As had become a habit for the boy, he spaced out as he explained his idea, all the typical Midoriya nervousness leaking away. "Using my and Nedzu-sensei's connections to the Management course to make every other competitor look terrible. Not important right now. We have one major advantage in the upcoming festival. As you said, Shinsou, 1-T has a very particular reputation."

Shinsou nodded. "No one knows who the hell we are."

Midoriya nodded, crouching next to the podium. "Exactly. If the class is a mystery, no one will know to mess with you all or not, giving us ample opportunity to surprise them."

He unhinged a panel in the podium, revealing a button. Aizawa simply sighed. "I knew I should have looked there harder."

Midoriya smiled nervously, pressing the button. Instantly, a ceiling tile slid open, and a rope fell down. "Well then, who wants to dodge the crowds?"

Yousetsu took a moment to finish gawking, closing his jaw. "Midoriya…I don't know if I can call you scary or cool."

Midoriya blushed, nervousness returning. "T-thanks, Awase!"

One by one, each member of the class made their way into ceiling. It was a bit of a tight fit for Shouji and Kamakiri, but they made it. Midoriya looked to their sensei, who had sat himself back down, marking papers. "Sensei, will you be coming up with us?"

Aizawa-sensei shook his head. "It's my job to scare the life out of some brats. I'm out of practice. Just don't be late for whoever has you after lunch."

Yousetsu chuckled as Midoriya closed the tile behind them. "I almost feel sorry for those kids. Almost."

Everyone else chuckled before looking to Midoriya, who pulled out his phone. Sure, the room they had found themselves in was cramped, but there were also motion lights. Because of course there were. "Now… who wants to go contribute to our image?"

A moment later, everyone's phones ringed. Yousetsu flicked his own (Definitely not cracked from being used as a projectile once, what are you talking about) out, looking to what Midoriya had sent.

He found a map of U.A's various hidden hallways, roof accesses, and various notated spots that people used often.

He, and many other members of the class, smiled sharply. "You've got it, Midoriya!"

Eijirou stood nervously as some of his classmates stood around the door, doing his best to try to convince them to back off. "Come on, guys! Isn't this a bit much? The students from 1-T I've met are super nice!"

Most of his classmates seemed to practically ignore him, continuing to crowd. Mineta simply shrugged. "If they are so mighty as to handle some Villains, they can handle this, right?"

Eijirou did his best not to react, as usual, but internally he was seething. Did they not think about how terrible that must have been?

"Hey, that's-"

Eijirou's attempt at getting his classmates to back down was interrupted by the classroom's door finally sliding open. Immediately, most members of the crowd turned to face whoever opened it-

Only to find the rather dissatisfied face of Aizawa-sensei.

(The man only taught Eijirou Hero Ethics and Law, but he certainly had a reputation. The name brought fear to the slackers and cowards alike.)

He had a rather blank face, but Eijirou could tell he was angry.

"Kirishima. Kendou. Wakiyaku. Shiozaki. Omoshiroi. To the side. In future, try to be more assertive, but I can applaud your attempts at peace-making."

Eijirou quickly listened as the rest of the crowd fell to silence. A gen ed student with a peculiar face went to the side, and one of his classmates stood next to him, scratching their neck. He didn't recognise the two students from 1-B, but they both looked nervous.

Wakiyaku stood next to him, their face (quite literally. The magic of their mirroring quirk) matching his own, scratching their neck. "I think I know what's about to happen…"

Aizawa turned away from their group. "As for the rest of you… would any of you mind explaining why you came here to bother my students, who, might I add, aren't even here?"

No one was brave enough to answer. The tired teacher simply snorted. "That was about what I expected. Now then… you. Tetsutetsu. Tell me why you're here."

The grey-haired boy sputtered, taking a step back. "Uhm…to see the 1-T students?"

(Wait a second, how had the 1-T students even left? It wasn't like there was another exit-)

The man's face darkened. "Right. Somehow, I feel like 'see' and 'heckle' are different words here, and you're using the wrong one." Aizawa gestured to his arm, still covered in bandages. "Would any of you enjoy seeing someone's arm broken? To almost die? To be told that they should 'not get a big head' for surviving a traumatic incident?"

The crowd went mostly silent. A majority of the crowd at least had the dignity to look like they felt at least a little bad, while a few kids from Gen-ed seemed to only scoff.

(Eijirou was immensely grateful that Bakugou seemed to want nothing to do with 1-T. The boy was already a pain to deal with normally, even if he was slowly warming up to them. Whatever Bakugou had against the group wasn't his business though, and it made this whole incident less unpleasant.)

Aizawa-sensei simply turned around. "Dealing with all of you would be a pain. I'm going to close this door, and if you're not gone by time I open it again in a minute, or if I ever see you causing problems for anyone, let alone my students, you'll learn that your positions in this place of learning are not as secure as you wished they were."

With that, the man simply closed the door, and the students scattered.

Kendou sighed, shaking her head once the crowd had cleared. "What a pain… sorry about that."

 Both Eijirou and Wakiyaku smiled sharply, making for what in retrospect was probably a rather off-putting image. "It's no worries! Trying to mellow out students is a nightmare."

The gen ed student nodded. "Right. We should get going too-"

*SCRAPE*

His ramblings were interrupted as Everyone looked up to see a close by roof tile slide open.

"Kero… there we go…"

A moment later, a student came falling out of the roof, landing on the floor with a quiet thud. They patted off their pants before looking to the group with a faint smile. "Good morning, Kero. Thank you for trying to help, although it wasn't needed. See you at the sports festival."

With that, the figure walked away, perfectly calm, as if they hadn't just jumped out a ceiling tile that was closing behind them.

Wakiyaku's eyes bulged. "Those 1-T students really are something…"

Eijirou simply nodded, not entirely sure how to respond.

(Out of view, Tsu snickered quietly. If confusing the school was a method of upping their effectiveness, she certainly wasn't complaining!)

MONDAY: (five days to the sports festival)

Hitoshi had thought often about his will and testament. Partly as a joke, sure, but there was also that little bit of him that was passively aware that even as a Hero student, he could be dead unexpectedly pretty much whenever, especially after having experienced the fright of a Villain attack.

(He had even written the thing out once. It wasn't legally binding, it left pretty much everything he owned to his cat, and it was written on a piece of scrap exam pad, but it was therapeutic, so who cares.)

Now, though, as he walked into the office of the principal, he wished he had been more thorough about it.

Logistically, he knew that he was in the least danger one could possibly be in. Nedzu was notoriously protective of his students. Nonetheless, the Principal had an awfully predatorial aura to him when he walked in.

"Ah, Shinsou-kun! Come in, take a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"I'm about fifty percent sure saying no would put me on the fast track to an early death somehow."

Anxiety, of course, made him lose his filter. Darn it.

Instead of an upset look, however, Nedzu simply chuckled. "Oh, that's a two! I never thought someone would say that one again."

"You keep track-wait, Two?"

Nedzu chittered lightly. "Of course! It's a fun little game. Oh, and to answer your curiosity, the other one to say that same thing was your homeroom teacher, the first time we met!"

Dang, he really wasn't beating the allegations Hagakure and Awase were throwing at him, huh? "How much for that to never be leaked ever?"

Nedzu grinned. "Well, this project theoretically puts me in your debt, so we can add that secret to what I shall owe you!"

At that, Hitoshi raised an eyebrow. "So, this is about what I'm doing at the sports festival?"

Nedzu nodded, extracting a small file from a drawer of his desk (pretty much the only feature in the office. Perhaps Hitoshi hadn't earned the right to the proper office yet?)

"Correct. There is an interesting situation that I will require your help in."

Hitoshi grabbed the file, giving it a quick look over.

It contained simple credentials for someone who he didn't recognise. Name, quirk, place of work. Evidence of blackmail – wait a second.

Huh. That was…

"Interesting, no?"

Nedzu flicked open another file. And then another. Two more after that.

Soon, the desk was covered in cases, names, and identities.

"I've been gathering these over the last few months. The crimes are, of course, fairly obvious, but not exactly easy to leak without them snipping the branch to save the tree, if you will. Of course, with most of them making their way to the sports festival…"

Hitoshi's eyes widened. This would be a hell of a project, but…

Nedzu's eyes seemed to glow as he grinned. "Now then. How would you like to help me arrest some people, Hitoshi-kun?"