"Ooooohhh! I'm so proud of you! Hahaha!"

Yu's enthusiastic glomp nearly knocked him clear off his feet. Peter couldn't help but laugh and chuckle as he hugged her back.

The other 1-A students milled about, entering the mess hall and greeting their own parents, at least those who were present.

Yu's smile was infectious and Peter grinned back.

She pulled back, looking him over. "Hungry?"

She didn't wait for his answer, all but shoving him towards a buffet table where all the food was set and waiting for them to pick and choose.

That was fine, he actually was hungry.

After a handful of minutes Peter had gathered a pretty healthy serving of food on his plate... On the other hand...

"Yu... maybe that's enough?"

Yu turned her eye to him, face stuffed with half a doughnut and plate overflowing with food.

"Whtfmn?"

"It's all you can eat..."

The sound she made indicated that she only just remembered that fact.

Marching towards a table, Yu sat across from him as the both of them began to eat.

"This seat taken?"

He turned, finding none other than Momo, Kirishima and beside him, Jirou and the rocker girl's parents behind her.

"Not at all." He smiled before gesturing beside him.

The five of them sat, with Momo to his right and Jirou on her other side. Kirishima grabbed the seat to his left, while Jirou's parents sat beside Yu across from him. Yu smiled sheepishly as the two eyed the monstrous amount of food his guardian had served herself.

"Parker, my mom and dad. Dad, Mom, Parker's guardian. Let's eat." Jirou said curtly, snapping her chopsticks.

"Nice to meet you."

Jirou's mom smiled. "I saw you in the second exam, I was one of the civilians. You're really fast."

"Oh-uh, thanks."

Conversation flowed relatively easily from there. With an honest amount of discussion turning towards Yu and her experiences as a Pro from Jirou, Kirishima, and Momo. It was a little strange seeing his friends going a little ga-ga over Yu, but she seemed to be basking in the attention all the same.

"I still can't believe that I somehow passed…" Kirishima exclaimed as he dug into his meat and rice bowl. "I mean, when I came to after the tranquilizer wore off, I thought for sure I was gonna fail."

"I mean, what Aizawa said was true. When you contributed, you helped big time Kirishima."

"I know… I thought for sure my body was hardened all over." Kirishima lifted up his hand before it became jagged and hard. "I guess I had a weak spot. I was so focussed on my front and big muscles that I never even thought of guarding the back of my head. Pretty silly huh?"

Yeah. Yeah it really was 'silly' but as long as he learned Peter didn't see the need to rub it in.

"What about you guys?" Kirishima asked. "what weaknesses do you guys think you can fix?"

"I think our little Jirou's still angry." The aforementioned girl's father snarked.

Judging by how the girl was stabbing her filet like it had personally wronged her, and was likely imagining Aizawa's face atop the dinner plate, Peter couldn't help but agree with the man.

The doors to the cafeteria opened, bringing Peter's eyes over towards Class 1-B as Vlad King marched in.

"And we're done!"

"Oh hey" Ochako waved happily. "1-B, you guys had your tests today too?"

(X)

His mother was talking.

His mother was talking with Midoriya Inko.

His father was talking with Deku.

It wasn't something he ever thought he'd see again.

Frankly, it wasn't something he ever wanted to see again.

Katsuki was tense, lightning jumping between his ribs as he sat on the bench beside Deku.

1-B showing up with all their fucking extras and adding to the noise with their fucking chatter wasn't helping in the least.

He'd never told his parents for obvious reasons about everything that had gone down between him and Deku and right now that secret was a hair's-breadth away from being spilled all over this goddamn table.

All it would take was one fucking question, or one wrong word and that'd be it.

His mother always liked Deku, and always made a point to ask how he was doing every now and again, thinking they were still friends.

If she found out he'd never hear the end of it. His father's own disappointment... That would sting more than anything else.

So yes, Katsuki was tense. He was tense, angry and struggling to not snap at any and all parties involved to try and cut this unwanted reunion mercifully short.

His eyes darted to Deku, who smiled happily while talking to his father, then to Inko, more subdued, almost shy as she talked to his mom.

Then, her eyes trailed over to him.

There was a flash of something there, some emotion he didn't have time to read before she turned her eyes back to Mitsuki, forcing her focus to remain away from him.

She knew...

Katsuki's teeth ground together.

"You've been awfully quiet, son."

His old man's voice brought him back to the greater conversation and it took a genuine, conscious effort to not jump where he sat.

"Thinking about the test." He muttered, feeling his teeth grinding so hard that he could swear they were about to chip.

"You did fine, you sulky brat. Join the conversation." His mom demanded. "Oh- lemme get a picture of you and Izu-chan now that you've both passed your first semester at UA."

He couldn't help it; his head snapped towards his mother as Deku chuckled with barely concealed nervousness. "Hell no!"

The denial was too vehement, too aggressive. He saw his father's naked surprise and Ms. Midoriya's features tighten. Deku's shoulders slumped, as if expecting it.

But his mom didn't see.

"You're such a baby." She scoffed. "The hell's wrong with a picture!?"

"Don't wanna take one!" He shouted back, deflecting. But his dad's shrewd eye was on him now, flitting between him, Deku and then, turning towards Inko.

Shit.

His father blinked slowly, and Katsuki could see the gears turning in his head.

He remembered just where he got the bulk of his so-called genius from.

Shit!

Masaru adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and turned his eyes towards Katsuki himself, who struggled not to stiffen under his old man's calculating gaze.

After a long, interminable moment, his father smiled genially. "It's alright dear, we can get a picture some other time, besides, we are starting to run a little late. Inko-san has a much longer commute than we do."

"Oh damn, you're right. Inko-chan, you want us to drive you? Hate to have you head back home on the freakin' trains."

"I wouldn't want to be a bother, Mitsuki-san."

"Ahh, it's fine honey. It's been too damn long anyway." His mom waved off Inko's concerns, gathering her bag as she stood up with Inko and Masaru following her example.

Deku stood, Katsuki didn't. The green-haired hero-in-training offered both their mothers their hugs and respective kisses goodbye and gave Masaru a hug of his own, waving them off as they left. His mother ruffled Katsuki's hair, heading off. Masaru placed his hand on the shoulder with a quiet squeeze that carried enough meaning for Katsuki to pick up on it.

Inko couldn't bring herself to look at him. His father noticed, he must've. She was right in front of him.

His mother however was already too far off to catch it.

Then, all three of them were gone.

Leaving just him and Deku.

"You didn't tell your mom and dad about us." Deju said after a moment.

"You told yours." He snarled.

Deku turned, blinking. "No I didn't."

Katsuki looked at him, a face of genuine confusion.

Then he remembered that this 'quirkless' fuck was a damn good liar.

"Fuckin' bullshit, two-faced bastard." He snarled, standing up and walking away, hands in his pockets, leaving Deku alone.

(X)

"Hey Pete."

His attention was caught, turning to look over his shoulder.

Pony smiled down at him, her smile gentle, but tinged with just a bit of nervousness.

"Room for one more?"

Peter felt a lump of emotion well up in his throat.

Truth be told, he'd missed Pony.

He'd missed her a hell of a lot.

He smiled and anyone who said he was trying to not get weepy was a lying liar who lies. "Absolutely."

"Oh, hello Tsunotori-san." Momo nodded beside him as Kirishima tried to say hello through a mouthful of food.

"Hey-"

"Oh Tsunotori!" Yu waved, swallowing down her latest pastry, one hand in front of her mouth. "How're you?"

"Hello Ms. Takeyama!" Pony smiled, sitting beside Peter after setting her full plate on the table. "It's nice to see you again!"

"So why are you guys here so late, Tsunotori? Didn't your exams run at the same time ours did?" Kirishima asked.

"Vlad-sensei apparently took a page from Mr. Aizawa's book and gave us lots of scenarios. The last exam ran real late."

"Oh?" Peter asked. "What was the scenario?" He paused, then thought. "Actually, what were all of your scenarios?" He clarified. "We had Hostages, a Villain Trap and a Disaster."

"So that was all the rumbling we heard." Pony mused to herself. "We had a Bomb Retrieval or Disarming, Infiltration of a Villain Lair, and a Crime Scene Investigation."

"Aren't crime scenes usually reserved for police?" Jirou's mom asked.

Then, as one, all eyes turned to Yu who once more had her face full of food.

The Gigantification Heroine blinked at the collective table.

She swallowed and Peter wasn't sure she'd fully finished chewing that mouthful.

"Ahh... well... usually, but some Hero quirks are more suited to certain crime scenes, or certain quirks. Like, ahh Kamui Woods, given his knowledge of wood, I remember he was called one time to consult on a case where there was a wooden murder weapon. He was able to tell the wood's age, make, composition and even how many times the guy got hit." She seemed rather proud of her teammate.

"Seriously?" Peter asked.

Yu nodded. "Yup!"

"Huh."

Pony nodded. "Yeah, the crime scene was a little boring. Kaibara, Awase, Juzo, Kamakiri, Tsubasa and Reiko were on that test. I was on bomb retrieval."

"How'd ya do?" Peter asked.

"Oh I couldn't disarm the bombs at all." She laughed. "So I just used my horns to fly them into the sky. Then we set them off there."

Peter blinked. "Wait... what if they'd had toxins or radiatio-"

She punched him in the shoulder, rather hard.

"Don't you rain on my parade! I passed." She protested primly.

He smiled "Well I'm glad." The girl then grinned a bit.

"How about you, what was the most exciting part of your exams?"

"Our ass of a teacher cheated." Jirou uttered darkly.

"Tore down a building." Momo added.

"I ended up between a rat and a sniper rifle." Peter stated.

"Got shot!" Kirishima raised his hand. "In the head."

"Wait… what?" Pony blinked and cocked her head in surprise.

"Yeah, well, more like the back of the head," Kirishima explained, awkwardly. "But it still counts."

"I thought your quirk was like Tetsutetsu, where you're hard all over." Peter mused.

"He got shot by Snipe during the villain infiltration exam. None of his bullets had any effect." Pony shrugged.

Kirishima suddenly let out a roar, one that might have been rage or might have been excitement; Peter couldn't tell.

"Graaah! Damn, he got ahead of me!" Fire burned in his eyes. "I have to get stronger for sure! I'm gonna get crazy diamond-hard just you wait!"

"I'd work on that phrasing if I was you, kid," mused Yu with a smirk.

"Indeed," Karen stage-whispered into Peter's ear, he choked on a laugh mid-gulp. Momo and Pony giggled as Jirou rolled her eyes.

"Huh?" Kirishima blinked in surprise. "What are we talking about?"

Pony decided to change the subject before things got even more awkward.

"So, how did you do it Yaoyorozu?" she asked, sitting down next to her. "You took down a whole building! And Peter, what was that with a rat and the sniper rifle?"

Peter and Momo glanced at one-another.

"You wanna go first?" he asked.

"I'm fine if you go."

"Heads or tails then!" declared Kirishima, stepped in with a 500 Yen coin in his hand. "Heads is Yaomomo, tails is Ace!" With all eyes on him, he tossed the coin into the air.

(X)

The coin came down before Shigaraki Tomura grabbed it and began to spin it on the counter in a fit of boredom.

It was another night on the bourbon for Tomura. The bar hideout had nice low lying jazz in the background for the ambiance, but it did little to calm him down.

His fingers rapped against the counter as Kurogiri stood passively across the bar. "Where is he?" He rasped.

"He should be along any minute now, Tomura. Remember what the Master said." The black mist man answered as he cleaned out a glass and handed it to the teal-haired youth. He took it and poured himself another glass.

"Yeah yeah, be calm and don't try to kill them if they piss me off, blah blah blah." Tomura mouthed, rolling his eyes, and silence reigned again as Tomura took a sip.

Ever since Stain got put away it'd been nothing but stressful as he thought about in his head of what he could have done differently. Was it him? Did he do something wrong when he talked to the Hero Killer?

No. It was all Stain. He was too blinded by his own foolish one man crusade. Plus he seemed to be infatuated with All Might too! How was that going to help him when he got around to making that muscular roid machine a pile of ash?

After he finished with his own targets that is. Tomura's red eye angled towards the wall where he had countless darts impaled on various printed out article pages. All with their faces. The ones who shamed him. Embarrassed him.

If that Noumu had been killed by All Might? Fine, he could have lived with that. World's greatest hero and all that. He would just have to plan differently on killing him than using a straight counter.

But by brats?

And losing Father in the process?

Tomura growled as he downed his shot of bourbon, his free hand scratching his neck. Deeply. "Where the fuck is he..." he uttered lowly. The coin came down heads, and he picked it up and twirled it again, watching it spin like a top.

Kurogiri's misty head turned towards the clock. "He should come around any min-" he was cut off as they heard the sound of knocking. The two residents within the bar turned towards the door.

Kurogiri got up and walked over, the teal-haired youth's hands flexing as he turned in his chair.

The mist man opened the slot on the door at head level.

"Password." Kurogiri growled.

"Ogre." The voice replied beyond the slot. The coin came down tails.

Kurogiri opened the door, and in came the Underworld Broker, cigarette between his lips and a sleazy grin on his features. His beady eyes shone behind his circular spectacles as he sauntered on in. He looked back and gestured with his hand.

"So, you're Shigaraki Tomura in the flesh?" He asked, hands in his pockets. "You can call me Giran, by the way."

"I am. What of it?" Tomura said with narrowed eyes as he reached for his hand mask and placed it on his face. It wasn't like his Father's hand. It didn't have that stern hard grip.

This was the hand that was on the back of his head mostly. For whatever reason, it would feel... soft. Caring.

It almost felt nauseating at times how different it felt.

"Well, I responded to your boss' correspondence. As requested, I brought with me two of my most efficient people." Giran smirked as he stepped aside, and two people entered the bar. One was a taller and glaring man with jet black hair, emerald eyes, and looked like a well-done patchwork corpse with black slacks, a white shirt and a black jacket. The other looked to be a schoolgirl with platinum blond hair done in two buns, and she had a wild look in her yellow cat-like eyes.

"These two?" Tomura asked, skeptical. "They don't look like much." When Master told him that he was going to bring potential party members to him, he figured he was going to get some nasty looking killers with frightening quirks. Not some random teen and a guy who looked like he belonged in a morgue.

"Funny, I agree." Patchwork snarked as he had his hands in his pockets.

"I don't think I like you too, Frankenstein." Tomura growled back, his blood red eyes boring into those cold emerald orbs.

"Now now, we've just met. No need to get testy. Why don't you two introduce yourselves?" Giran said, arms waving in placation. The girl seemed to be wound like a spring in excitement as she perked up.

"Hiya!" The girl chirped as she posed with her hands up to her face, eyes wide. "My name is Toga Himiko! I heard you were responsible for attacking UA and then causing that massacre in Hosu! Tell me, did someone you really really like happen to be there?"

"What? No." Tomura replied, thinking aloud.

"Because I really like to get to know people! Maybe I can get to know you too!" She said, head tilting as that cheshire grin widened on her visage. And Tomura could see it. The fangs in her teeth. Part of her quirk? "Can I get to know you? Maybe we can be besties!"

This girl looked too fucking clingy. He turned towards Giran. "What's her story? What makes her so special to you?" The Broker smirked as he leaned against the wall.

"Would you believe me if I told you that she had a body count in the double digits?"

"So do I." Tomura rolled his eyes. "What does that-"

"And I'm four away from one hundred besties!" Toga stated.

...

Okay. High count. Wait, besties?

"So you kill your besties?" Tomura inclined.

"Oh yeah! I just wanna be with people who I like! And then, I wanna be the people who I like!" Toga elaborated. She then let out a sigh, "The feeling of being one with them... taking in their essence..." she licked her lips, her canines on display. "So yummy…"

"I don't get you. And you." Tomura pointed his glass as he used his free hand to pour himself another shot of bourbon, aiming it directly at the black haired man. "I don't like you."

"What? Can't take a little verbal tete-a-tete?" Patchwork snarled.

"Dabi, relax here." Giran said, turning towards the duo as Toga seemed to have stepped back, frown present on her face.

"Dabi? Fuck kind of name is that? Alias? Least your girlfriend here has the decency to give me her name." Cremation? Had to be referring to his quirk. How else did that explain the burns? Wait, if his quirk caused those burns...

"Not for you to know handjob." Dabi scoffed as Tomura got up from his chair, growling. "Man, I was expecting something average with someone being in charge of the Hosu Massacre, but now that I see it?" He had a slight smirk on his visage. "What a disappointment."

"You're mocking me." Tomura hissed, venom on his lips.

"Shigaraki Tomura, calm yourself." Kurogiri spoke up, trying to keep the peace. "Now isn't the time. For all you know, they could be testing you."

"Nah, save your breath mist boy." Dabi shrugged. "Sorry Giran, but I ain't going to work for a guy like him. No way he can get me what I want." The broker seemed to sigh as he took a long drag of his cigarette.

"Oh really? Then what do you want, since your little jailbait tagalong seems to be all over the fucking place with her motivation." Tomura declared. Toga stayed silent, but her hands were in her yellow jacket's sleeves.

"I'm of age, asshole." Toga replied, her good nature gone as her slitted eyes narrowed.

"Me? Heh, that's above your pay grade." Dabi flowered. "I don't kill at random or on a whim." His eyes seemed to look past the teal-haired young man as he let out a laugh. "So cliche, throwing darts at faces. And those kids too?"

Tomura got up out of his chair, a growl present in his throat.

"Tomura..." Kurogiri exclaimed worriedly. "Please calm yourself!"

"You really are pathetic, losing out to weak-ass freshman students who haven't even fought seriously in their lives." Dabi grinned, leering at Tomura as if he was looking down at him. "And you didn't kill those randos at Hosu, you just sicc'ed your attack dogs on them while you watched from afar and claimed credit. What? Couldn't kill some weak people and heroes yourself? Nah. Media's for you all wrong."

Fuck it.

"You're not the leader of the League of Villains." Dabi taunted. "You're just a tool."

Both of them. Dying now.

Tomura lunged. Hands outstretched as he got to them, only for multiple dark portals to appear.

His hands were aimed behind him. He heard the thunk of a knife to the ground, as he could see the two before him with their arms outstretched in attack mode.

"Not cool." Tomura's red eyes flared holes into his companion. "Kurogiri..."

"Shigaraki please. If you wish for your desires to be made real-"

"Sorry, we're done here." Dabi growled as he pulled back. He pocketed his hands and turned around. "I'll be in the car" he uttered to Giran who nodded.

Toga pulled her arm out of her sleeve, revealing a knife in her hand. "You're not cool at all." She declared. "I don't wanna be your bestie."

"That goes double for me, brat." Tomura hissed as the girl returned a glare with equal venom. Then she huffed and turned, walking out and following the black-haired man. And then there were three.

"I'm still going to want my commissioner's fee for pulling them from their jobs." Giran uttered.

"You'll be paid for it on the morrow." Kurogiri replied. Tomura exhaled, hard.

He was back to square one. Tomura's eyes trailed to the TV by the wall, noticing it was on but in dark mode.

He felt a pit in his stomach as he looked at the filled shot glass he had poured but didn't drink.

"So, should I stay or should I go?" Giran asked. "And don't bother trying to make amends towards them. I can tell they wouldn't work well with you." The grey-haired man grumbled as he took a drag and puffed out some smoke. "I never force my people to work with others they don't mesh with."

"I think that will be all for tonight." Kurogiri bowed lightly. "I apologize for the-"

"Hang on."

The two adults paused as Tomura turned, the coin beside him spinning again. "You mentioned that you don't force people who won't mesh with others." He pocketed his hand, pushing his shot glass aside. "I remember you mentioning you had brought only your 'best' here, right?"

"I did..." Giran crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "What about it?"

"You have and know other people outside of those two chucklefucks right?" Tomura pointed at him.

"I do." Giran nodded. "But, I feel it would be best if you tell me what you want achieved. Then I can find others with... matching descriptions."

Tomura turned towards Kurogiri. "And we couldn't have done that in the first place?" He growled.

"You said you wanted their best villain candidates." Kurogiri replied. "Nothing else."

Tomura sighed, scratching his neck hard. "Oh for fucking..." he waved his hand, sighing. "You wanna know what I want, Giran?" He said as he addressed his guest. "Tell this to guys you know." The Broker had his attention fixed on the aspiring villain as Tomura's cracked grin expanded beyond his mask.

"I want several people dead. Their families too... in fact, there's an entire group I want dead. And then, once I'm able to kill those fuckers..." He said as he reached across the counter and grabbed a dart, doing a no-look throw at the wall where the other darts were.

And above the main punctured faces of Midoriya, Parker, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu, was a newspaper front page of All Might, the dart striking him in the left side.

"I'm gunning for All Might..."

There was silence in the bar as Giran took another breath, burning out his fag as he took the butt, blew out some smoke, and placed the nicotine wrap in a clean and pristine ash tray. The coin stopped, coming up heads.

"So... killing a group of people and the Symbol of Peace. Tall order." Tomura was about to growl in frustration before he saw Giran smirk. "But... I know some people who can get on board with that."

Tomura felt joy in his chest as he smirked. "Really now? When I can meet them?"

"Let me call them in, although... I'll need another commissioner's fee." The Broker oiled as he turned to Kurogiri.

"It can be arranged."

"Whelp." Giran shrugged as he turned around. "I'll keep in touch. At most, we will get a meeting set up in... three weeks. Earliest will be two."

"Why two weeks?" Tomura asked as Giran looked back with a smirk.

"Because you'll be getting right nasty killers, one of them being on death row who I am arranging for his breakout." The man replied. "Have a good night." And he closed the door, the lock clicking as Tomura turned and faced a silent Kurogiri.

"Well done Tomura." Said Master from his monitor, and Tomura saw the smile on his visage now. "You turned this meeting from a negative to a positive experience."

Tomura felt pride as he removed his mask, and his hand went to the shot glass. "I only thought about what you would do, Teacher." He raises his glass to the monitor and took a drink. He used his other hand to spin the coin once more.

(X)

Dabi sat in the back, head resting against the window as Toga took shotgun. Giran drove them across the highway and through late night traffic. Or lack thereof.

"Well that was a waste of time." He uttered out loud.

"Maybe for you, but, I was able to get myself another commission out of him. So tonight wasn't a total loss my friend." Giran smirked as he drove along.

"Figures you would find a way to get some yen out of him. Or whoever is in charge of that puppet." Dabi replied dryly.

"I wanted to cut him." Toga whispered, her finger tracing the edge of her knife.

'You want to cut everybody.' Dabi rolled his eyes as he thought to himself. "So, what now? I need work Giran. Rent money doesn't grow on trees."

"Don't worry." Giran looked back and smirked. "I got some contact for you. They'll be ready to meet in some time. Big job. One that can set you and Toga-chan here for life."

"Hmm." Dabi closed his eyes. Better to not focus on the bright lights of Tokyo. He needed to get some shuteye.

"Oh! What can we do until then?" Toga asked giddily and excitedly, her bad mood vanishing in an instant. "I wanna make new friends."

"I got some local jobs you two can take on to get some cash. May not be much, but it'll get you by." Giran mused. "Like there's this one tech magnate who hangs out in Akiba who treats his compensated dates a bit too rough. The Madam in charge wants this abusive regular gone. Toga, you can be friends with him. Might be a bit old though."

"Great! I can't wait to listen to his stories! And then I can drink him uuuup~"

"Course you would, you vampire." Dabi uttered before he opened an eye. "Giran. Any luck on that job?"

"Yeah, that one right? With the hospital? Just gotta clear things first." Giran replies. "For now, I think I remember someone wanting to get insurance money from an 'accident' at his house. One of the causes? Arson by an individual" Giran looked into the mirror and raised his eyebrows up and down. "What do ya say?"

"Whatever." Dabi held back a yawn and let his nap commence.

(X)

It was late when his door opened. His room was dark, partially because he wanted it that way, partly because he'd been hoping to delay this conversation.

No such luck, his old man knew he wouldn't be asleep yet.

"Hey son."

"Hey."

His old man stepped into the room, the light of the hall pooling into the room, silhouetting him as he stepped inside and took a seat at the foot of the bed.

"Think we need to talk." He said.

"What about?" Katsuki tried.

"I think you know what about." His dad wasn't letting him escape so easily.

Katsuki's jaw worked. "Where's mom?"

"In the shower. You know how long she takes."

Translation: we're not going anywhere for awhile.

He stayed quiet.

His dad took a breath. "What was that today, Katsuki?"

"Just didn't want to take a picture." He muttered, trying not to squirm where he lay.

"It wasn't the picture. It wasn't until that moment that I noticed... But you... neither of you said a word to each other. Not after the exam, not when we were together. He avoided you, and you were certainly avoiding him, and Inko."

Katsuki's fingers tightened, fisting the hair at the nape of his neck. "The hell does it matter?"

"He's your friend, son."

"No he's fucking not!" He barked, rounding on him. His father didn't react or even flinch.

Masaru took a breath, shoulders rising and falling slowly. "For how long?"

How long had it been? Since they were eight? Nine? Or was it when he discovered Deku was quirkless? Or 'supposed' to be quirkless.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "A while."

"Why? And why not tell us?"

"Cause it didn't fuckin' matter. And because he's a goddamn liar who thinks he can look down on me."

"Seems to matter." His old man took off his glasses, calmly wiping the spectacles on his shirt. "And that doesn't sound like the Izuku that I know, son. He looked up to you. I'd say he still does."

"Bullshit." Now Katsuki sat up, staring at his father who looked back through the gloom of the dark room. "Fuckin' always actin' like he's better than me, like I need his help for anything. Lyin' about havin' a quirk, laughing at me while he hid it for all these years despite crying wolf about being quirkless, all so he could show me up when he got to UA! Deku's not what you fuckin' think! He ain't some saint!"

His old man looked at him, eyes trailing for a moment, taking in what he said and measuring it. Before he'd even said a single word, Katsuki felt foolish as his father took the information, dissected it, measured it, and found it wanting.

"You think he looks down on you because he wants to help you? Help isn't pity, Katsuki. And it's not looking down on you. Not in the slightest."

The blond shifted where he sat, unable to meet his old man's calm gaze.

His old man just didn't get it. He just...

He just fucking didn't.

Masaru seemed to understand that his words hadn't had the desired effect.

"Does your mother look down on me when she stood up for me during that traffic incident a few years ago? Do I look down on her when I fix her car? Or handle the finances of the house?"

"That's not what I'm talking about!" He was twisting things! It wasn't the same!

"Hmm. Hero work then... well... if I were under attack by a villain... would you look down on me son, if you had to rescue me?"

Whatever retort Katsuki had died on his tongue.

Even the thought of some other extra looking down on either of his parents made his blood boil.

His old man...

All Might was his idol. But now…

But his old man had always been his hero.

Even his mom in some way. Annoying hag she could be at times.

Masaru looked at him, with that same calm quiet patience he always had.

"I clearly don't know everything that's happened, son. But it feels like you've jumped to some conclusions here and there. I always thought Izuku was one of the better friends you had. It'd be sad if that were no longer the case. Truly."

"You don't know him..." Katsuki growled, and even to his ears it sounded keening, clutching at the last thing he had. "He's a liar."

"Are you sure?" His father asked. "Truly sure?"

"Y-" His father's eyes stopped him. They always did when he had that look. A simple call that ordered something simple.

"Don't lie."

It was the one thing his father demanded above everything else.

'Lie to anyone else. But you don't lie to me and I'll always believe you.'

Could he say it for sure? Could he say he was sure?

No.

But he could prove it.

There was a wave of heat, and his mother stepped out to the hallway in her nightgown, towel scrubbing at her hair. "Shower's free bo-Oh. Am I interrupting?"

His dad smiled. "Nothing at all darling. Just some guy-talk."

His mom rolled her eyes. "Right well, hot water's free when you boys are ready, I'mma get something to drink. Have fun boys."

"Sure thing hun."

His father placed his hand on Katsuki's ankle, patting him twice before standing up and walking out the door.

"Goodnight son. Sleep well."

"Yeah... g'night dad."

(X)

Ochako made certain to wake up extra early that morning.

She was a morning person by default honestly, but right now, she was a woman on a mission.

The test had given her an idea. And if she did say so herself a really really good idea.

And for this idea she needed a support item.

She was a morning person herself as she already noted, but she knew many others weren't and she was willing to take advantage of that.

She was willing to hedge her bets that the ball of sheer insanity that was Hatsume Mei was not a morning person. The Support girl looked, felt and sounded like she was on a constant caffeine high. So she probably needed like four cups or something to get started when she woke up.

The alternative was that she was just naturally like that.

Which was kinda a scary thought...

So coffee. She had to have coffee.

So if Ochako showed up this early at UA's Support Department then she was probably still on her first cup, maybe not manic insane quite yet. Just enough to get a word in edgewise without getting a rocket strapped to her boots... again.

The Gravity Heroine took a deep breath, standing directly in front of the Support workshop doors.

"Okay." She breathed, raising up one hand to knock lightly on the surface.

Her fingers rapped on the iron door with a hollow thunk once, twice-

The door snapped open, and Hatsume was there, right in her face, their noses brushing against each other while her target-like eyes focused on Ochako.

"HIYA!"

"Ahh- h-hey Hatsume." She laughed, backing off.

'Please don't strap something to me.'

Hatsume grabbed her by the arms and Ochako wondered what insanity she was about to be subjected to. However, showing off an absurd degree of upper body strength that she frankly shouldn't have, Mei lifted her up and dragged her into the workshop. She closed the door with her foot and turned away to go back to... sorting boxes?

"What's up?" The insane tinker asked, overlooking some gizmo or other on her workbench.

"Ahh, well... I was hoping to get a support item-"

Mei was suddenly there again, poking her in the nose.

"Well of course silly, that's what everyone comes here for. What's the idea? Give me details!"

Why did that sound like someone asking for information about someone else's sex life?

Ochako shook her head. 'No, focus, don't get sidetracked. She'll keep you here if she can!'

"Well, the idea is simple." She looked around "Last exam I threw Sero a boulder-"

"Who?"

"Ahh... tape arms?"

"Oh right." Hatsume laughed.

"Yeah. Ahh, I combo-ed with him, he grabbed the boulder and threw it with his tape but Sero won't always be there, so I'm thinking I could use some kind of whip or grappling hook you know?"

"You make something weightless and you swing it around to throw!" Hatsume smiled. "I got just the design, I'll-" Then she froze and for the first time in Ochako's memory the girl looked slightly pained. "-have to... make it later?" She held her arm, the look on her face looking as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Those words sounded so completely foreign on the pinkette's tongue. The sight made Ochako blink in stupefied surprise. "Wait what?"

It looked like the answer was causing her physical pain. "I can't right now. But I can do it when I get back!"

Ochako blinked. "Get back? Oh!" She realized. "Wait, are you going somewhere? Somewhere fun?"

Hatsume's smile returned to its typical megawatt brightness.

"Am I ever! I'm going to I-Island with Parker!"

I-Island? The tech expo? And with Peter no less!

"That's great Hatsume!" She meant it too, she couldn't think of a better place for the tinkering girl to go. "You'll get to show off all your gadgets!"

Hatsume squealed in pure happiness at the words, lunging forward and all but glomping Ochako who couldn't help but hug her back as she jumped up and down in excitement, nevermind the oil and grease stains that were probably splotching her uniform.

"This is gonna be so great!"

Ochako laughed, happy for the slightly manic Support girl.

(X)

"Suitcase ready?"

"Check"

"Toothbrush and deodorant?"

"Yup"

"Spare suit and webshooters-"

"Not that I'll need em, but I got 'em."

"Fake ID for drinking and/or other nefarious purposes away from responsible guardian?"

"Absolutely."

Yu smirked. "Aha! So you admit to your act of villainy!"

Peter chuckled.

"You gonna go pick up your friend?"

"We're meeting at the train. Let me call her now, make sure she didn't forget."

Yu nodded, turning to head out to the kitchen.

The walls were thin enough that she could hear Peter's voice as she pulled free some of last night's takeout. He could eat this on the way.

"Hey Hatsume, you read- Huh? What do you mean you're on the plane? Boarding isn't for another two hours!"

Yu blinked.

"I don't even think our plane has landed yet! No. No. Don't make one of your babies scan it. They'll think it's a bomb or something... and they wouldn't be entirely wrong. I'm on my way."

Yu shook her head, busying herself with stuffing the Lo Mein into a plastic box within a bag and fishing out a drink from the refrigerator

Putting it all together, she stepped out of the kitchen as Peter walked out of his room, duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

He smiled, she smiled back.

Grabbing her house keys she jerked her head to the door. "Come on kiddo. I'll walk ya to the train station."

Peter looked confused. "I thought you wanted to be all lazy today."

"Ehh-" She shrugged. "I guess you're more important than a few lazy hours."

The smile he gave her almost made her emotional.

Again, she jerked her head to the door. "Come on, you. Let's not have you miss your flight, or your friend's gonna go without ya."

Peter snorted. "Honestly she might just fly the whole damn plane herself."

"She might make it there." Yu hedged as they started walking out the door.

"Oh, she'll definitely make it there." Peter nodded. "Only question is if I-Island would survive the landing."

(X)

"Why thank you miss you're too kind!" All Might exclaimed with joy as he was handed a ribbon from the Prime Minister. Before him, swathes of people cheered and waved. Beside him his fellow peers in the Japanese Hero Community clapped their hands in acknowledgement. Even Endeavor was smiling. Strange but not unwelcome.

"All Miiiiight!" Yelled some ladies in the front row while waving their flags.

"You did it, All Might." The mountain of a man turned, seeing a familiar sight smile upon him. Sasaki Mirai was standing there as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You brought peace for our time."

"Nighteye..." All Might smiled as he turned, seeing backstage in the wings of the theater the thumbs-up by his old friend. David Shield, his daughter Melissa at his side still hugging his leg.

He turned and faced the stage, grinning. He did it Nana... he-

Was being lightly shaken by his shoulder.

"All Might? You asleep?" Nighteye's voice became much higher in pitch.

And Toshinori awoke, no longer in his heroic frame but his normal skeletal self. He opened his eyes, yawning as he rubbed them.

"Something the matter, Young Midoriya?" He asked groggily. He must have drifted off after they took off from Narita. He turned, seeing Izuku dressed in his normal school clothes minus his jacket as the green-haired boy looked ecstatic before he gazed out the window.

"Look! We can see it! Right there!" Izuku declared with glee as Toshinori looked over his shoulder. And there it was.

A massive circular floating island, with walls that were three hundred meters tall. Fifteen miles in circumference, it was where the greatest scientists the world had to offer called home. At the very center, Toshinori could see the very top of I-Tower, the five hundred meter tall headquarters of the Shield Foundation.

"The greatest scientific hub in the entire world... home to over ten thousand scientists, able to travel to any place in the world... I-Island!"

Safe and away from the League of Villains. This was the best place to get some proper training and Midoriya to become acquainted with top connections. Most of all, his former sidekick and dear friend David Shield.

What could possibly go wrong?

(X)

Big credit to LD here. My laptop of 10 years was on its deathbed and he wrote up a good 80% of the chapter or so. Thanks a ton buddy.

And so our impromptu quasi hiatus begins. I have to work on my one piece idea to see how it gains traction, and IKN has his own projects to tend to for now. When we will be back? Maybe October or so. As a team.

Although once I get my new laptop I'll be in top writing shape I feel. I will do my best to write the next arc on my own, slowly, as IKN focuses on his own endeavors. LD has his own projects too, but he will be around to help I imagine.

And I have to watch and rewatch Two Heroes and make some important notes on I Island and other factors. Hopefully I'll be able to have IKN and LD in a joint discord call and we can watch it possibly on watchtogether. If I'm that tech savvy on how to share a screen so they can see. We will have to see. Or we watch the movie on our own time.

I'll be sure to link both my One Piece story, and IKN's story idea here when I gets published. And I will be still be talking about any news related to MHA and the MCU. But the latter is at an utter stall thanks to Covid...

And more importantly, I owe my good friend Juubi-K many segments on ONE and FOF. And, if he wishes to return to it, the Negima/Sekirei Cross we worked on together ages ago. Even if my knowledge on them is rusty at best.

Any who, Little Voracious did a thing. A youtube trailer of the next arc! You can find it in the Spacebattles thread in the Threadmarks.

And I'll see you guys in the next one. Leave your thougjts And comments on how you imagine I Island will go down. I'm intrigued to know!

We will be back and when we do. We will go beyond! PLUS ULTRAAAAA!