AN: I know some of you aren't fond of character development heavy chapters, or chapters without a lot of Gamer hijinks, so fair warning up front.

"Before All Might-sensei gets here," Momo addressed the ladies of 1-A, whom she had gathered to her desk, "I want to make a request. Or maybe an offer..."

The other members of the Knights Of Meta did their best not to look too aware of what was coming. Ashido Mina looked curious, as did most of the subtly (and in a few instances, not so subtly) watching young men. Penryu Modura studied Yaoyorozu thoughtfully, as did Iida Tenya and Todoroki Shota.

Hagakure Toru's expression completely unreadable.

"Well," Momo forced her nerves done, "Since we have just recently learned that we have midterms in just over a week, I was wondering if you ladies would be interested in coming over to my home tonight for a sleepover study session?"

"A sleepover?" Tsu slipped into her thoughtful pose, but a hint of a sparkle in her eyes.

"Yes," Momo confirmed, "I thought I would invite everyone over to my home tomorrow. We have midterms in just over a week, I thought this would would both be a good chance for us to study, and also get to know each other better. Then we might be able to answer Izuku's question about Hagakure-chan."

"Since it will be on a Saturday, we only have a half-day of class and are free on Sunday," Ami noted. Like most Japanese middle and high schools, UA had morning classes on Saturday, outside of holidays and special circumstances. Like the Saturday when we had gone into my dungeon, when classes had been suspended because they were fixing the damage Mikoto had done to the urban area during the entrance exam. Bringing in the hardware had blocked the entrance, and it had been noisy. Not that we noticed in the dungeon.

"Sure, we could all tell her some secrets of our own, and see if they get out," Kyoka said with a lopsided grin. Only for Ami, Cassandra, and Mikoto to seem to consider it.

"I was joking," the purplette objected incredulously.

"It's still a good idea," Momo seemed to agree with the other three.

"We can each come up with a small, innocuous secret," Ami said softly, blushing slightly, "Something that won't be too bad if it is spread around, but we'd rather it didn't. We tell each other in advance, and then find a way to tell Hagakure-chan."

\Seven minutes of heaven,/ Cassandra suggested, \except instead of kissing, we talk and each person has to share one secret. A friendship game instead of the other.../

She shook her hands to indicate trailing off. And glanced at me. Probably because I was the only boy in the room. Unless, given what Tsu had told me yesterday...

Since my best friend implied there were other girls interested in me, while telling me I was interested in girls beyond her and Ami, I had been overly conscious. Every time they looked at me. Every time I looked at them. I couldn't help but wonder what those looks meant. Was there more of a reason, or was it just natural? I was thankful for Gamer's Mind, otherwise I would have been stammering and blushing half the time.

I knew I was overthinking it. Cassandra wasn't thinking of me like that. The only one who probably was, was Ochako. I had suspected her attraction to me in the SQL dungeon. And when she almost proposed... Even an anime character wasn't that dense. And I definitely felt she was cute. But was it more?

"Like you said, Momo, get to know each other," Ochako said a moment later, bringing my attention back to the discussion. The gravity controller was also red in the cheeks at the thought of sharing her secrets.

"And we'll also have mutually assured destruction," Mikoto added.

The others looked like they were considering the forming plan. But Tsu held up her hand.

"I like this idea," she said, "except I'm not available tomorrow. My dad is back in town, and he is going to take my mom on a date. So I have to watch my siblings. Unless..."

"I'm sorry, Tsu-chan," Mom told her regretfully, "But I am going out with Nemuri-san tomorrow."

"Midnight?"
"Midnight-sensei?"
"Huh?"

My friends look surprised. And Kyoka's eyes narrowed.

"She wanted to talk more about her costume design," Mom waved it off, "And also just to talk to another woman. She thinks most of the Heroines around her behave like little girls."

"Well, as long as they don't mind pizza," I said, knowing that wouldn't be an issue, "I would be happy to watch Samidare and Satsuki for the evening."

"Thanks, Izuku," Tsu told me happily. I knew she was looking forward to spending some normal, friends time.

'What if Hagakure-chan can't make it?' Cassandra asked, switching back to Guild chat.

"We can still have the sleep-over with everyone who can make it," Momo looked cutely determined at the declaration, "Because we will still need to study and I still want to get to know the others better, too."

"Yes, kero," Tsu nodded broadly.

"Even if it's just the seven of us," Kyoka smiled, "It will be good to have some time together not running dungeons or waiting to run them."

That got a round of nods, given we were doing dungeon runs after we finished talking.

"I'm sure some of the others will be able to make it," Momo stated.

"I'm in," Ashido Mina declared even before Momo finished saying 'sleepover'.

"Me too," the invisible girl called, raising her hand. The Guild members all offered their own respective forms of agreement, leaving only Modura.

"I'd like to," Mo-chan said carefully, "But I'll have to check with Father, first. She and I generally train Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. But she will probably not object if I'm studying. And Aunt Rin will take my side if it is with friends."

Most of the other girls brightened at the last word.

"Excellent," Momo bowed to them, "The plan is for everyone to arrive between five and six PM, with dinner being served at six fifteen. I have everyones' text and email, correct?"

The Heroines in training nodded.

"Then I will send you all my address, and let you know if there is any change of plans," Momo concluded, "Ami-chan, can a borrow you? It should only take a minute or two."

The bluette rose out of her chair.

"We'll be back before class starts," Momo reassured everyone, before leading Ami out of the room. The hydrokinetic had to walk briskly to keep up with the taller teen.

"Where are we going?" Ami asked.

"To 1-B," Momo said, "It is more polite to ask them in person. And if they know you will be there, they will be more likely to accept."

'Everyone.' The emphasis Momo had put on the word drifted across Ami's mind.

"Momo, you are not planning to invite every girl in the first year, are you?" she asked carefully.

"I was not," Momo didn't look back, so didn't see the look of relief on Ami's face, "The curriculums of the four courses are different, so it would be hard to study together. And things might be a little cramped if they all accepted."

'A little cramped?' Mizuno thought, remembering there were more than one hundred female students in UA's eleven first year classes.

'Even if we are in sleeping bags or traditional futons,' Mizuno thought to herself, 'to have space for that many guests...

"Do you think I should invite the other classes?" Momo half-asked, half-pondered.

"No, I don't think so," Ami said quickly, "If there are too many people, it will be harder to talk to Hagakure-chan."

"That's true," the taller girl agreed, a few steps before they reached 1-B.

Momo knocked on the door, before opening it. Because of her signalling, all of the students of the other class were looking at the door. Thankfully, Vlad King was not yet there.

"Well, well, well," Monoma Neito sneered, "if it isn't the great and powerful students of class 1-A. Why have you come to visit our lowly selves?"

"What do you mean?" Ami asked carefully.

"Well, you are the great heroes of the attack on the USJ," he waved his hand, "And are so far ahead of us that UA can just give you a day ugh..."

His rant was cut off when an oversized hand chopped his neck. He slumped forward onto his desk. The two ladies from 1-A were slightly shocked when no-one from their sister class said anything or even batted an eye.

"Sorry about him," the orange-haired aggressor, Kendo Itsuka said regretfully, "Ever since the Heroes vs Villains exercise, he's been obsessed with being rivals with your class. What can we do for you?"

"I was hoping to talk to the ladies of 1-B for a moment, Kendo-san," Momo answered.

"What about?" Tokage Setsuna walked over, "And why just the girls?"

"To be quick and frank," Momo said as the other Heroines-in-training closed ranks on her, "I am hosting an emergency study session and sleepover this evening, since we just learned that midterms are in a week. And I wanted to invite all of you ladies as well."

"Why?" Kodai Yui asked in her emotionless tone.

"Firstly, I thought we should get to know each other better," Momo answered, "Secondly, I thought it might help us study. More people to help each other out."

She glanced sideways at Ami, causing the girls from the other class to do the same. The bluette blushed from the attention, and realized why Momo had asked her to come with. Even though Izuku had the highest placement on the entrance exam, that was due to his amazing score on the practical. Ami had the highest score on the written exam, something the rest of her classmates knew as well.

"I'll let you know what we decide," Kendo-san said, spotting Vlad King in the corridor with All Might. Ami and Momo nodded, and began to walk quickly back to their own classroom.

"You know her number?" Ami asked.

"Kendo-san is their class representative. All of the reps and vice-reps exchanged contact information."

For a moment they walked in silence. Then Ami prompted, "When you said get to know them better... That was your main reason wasn't it. And you don't just mean as friends."

"What do you mean?" Momo looked at the slighter girl shrewdly.

"Patterns and portents," Ami said softly, wishing they had a private line in Guild Chat, "All Might said we need to keep Izuku's power secret, against both public backlash and exploitation. Also because the others like him would not react well. And I don't know if he told you this, but Izuku's manual has the vague and threatening statement that 'there could be unfortunate consequences if it becomes widely known'."

Ami deliberately avoided saying 'The Gamer'.

"But at the same time, he gets quests to tell others, and a Guild and Party system to let... no, to encourage him to share. Even if one hundred people knew, most people would not consider that 'widely known' compared to the population of Japan, the Tokyo metro area, or even Mustafa City. I think even if all the teachers and both Hero courses knew, Izuku might be okay. As long as nobody leaks it. Especially since his party was just expanded. And twelve people seems small for a guild, so it probably will get larger, too. When that happens, chances are he will approach the girls of 1-B, before he would the boys of our class."

"Probably," Momo inclined her head slightly, also whispered, "And should he ask us again, I want to be able to properly advise him."

Ami returned the nod.

"Also, Ami," Momo returned to a normal volume, "Can I ask for your assistance with something for the sleepover?"

"If you are going to do this," I said softly and with a touch of nervousness, "There is something I should let you know."

They all turned to look at me.

"I... I know what Hagakure-san looks like," I admitted. And ignored the yen bills that suddenly changed hands.

"How?" Mikoto demanded, annoyed that she lost money, "Does your scanning power come with character portraits?"

"No," I shook my head, "Not until I max out the skill."

"Are you serious?" she asked. Then looked at Mom and Tsu, "Is he serious?"

Mom just shrugged, while Tsu considered it.

"Then how do you know what she looks like?" Ami asked.

"My Clairvoyance skill," I said.

"You can see the future?" Ochako looked amazed.

"No..." I answered, surprised.

"That's a common misconception," Momo explained, "To the point where it is an accepted misusage."

"Precognition it the ability to see the future," Ami added, "Clairvoyance is the ability to see things that are happening now, without being physically present."

"Right," I nodded, "And even though my brain interprets it as vision, it is not the rods and cones in my eyes reacting to photons. So I can see Hagakure-san, even though she is invisible."

'Does that mean you've seen her naked?' Cassandra studied me intently.

"Wait, does that mean you can spy on us?" Kyoka interrupted with a sly grin, but also a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Theoretically," I told her, but I was hurt and I think it showed, "But I would never do that. I would never violate your trust or privacy."

Kyoka cringed, and nodded. I turned to Cassandra, and wilted slightly.

"And yes," I answered honestly, "The first time I used Clairvoyance, I didn't know it would let me see Hagakure-san, so I did see her for a second. Since then I have limited my use of Clairvoyance, and done my best not to look at her when I do. But with her Hero costume, and the tactical advantage of Clairvoyance, I did get a few side glances in the USJ attack."

"I'll have to get her hair sample sooner than later," Mom commented under her breath.

"Why tell us this?" Ami asked, leading Ochako and Mikoto to nod.

"Because I want to use my Telepathy to show you what she looks like," I explained, "I think it might help you understand her."

They all looked at me with surprise and confusion.

"Can I have permission to share my memory with all of you?"

The others seemed to consider it, but Tsu immediately said, "Of course, kero."

"You're not going to do anything funny in our heads, right?" Kyoka answered.

"Maybe he'll make you less sarcastic," Mikoto shot back. I thought that was a bit of the pot and kettle, and judging by everyone else's grins, they agreed.

Instead, I shook my head, "Actually I can't do that with my current level of telepathy. I can send pictures or words, or have a telepathic conversation. I can sense emotions with Empathy. But I can't read minds until I have the next talent, and need the one after that to try to make changes. Do you want to see the manual ent..."

"No thanks," the purplette's denial cut me off, "Let's just do it."

I closed my eyes. Brought forward the memory I wanted to share. Stretched out my psychic senses. Found their minds. Touched them gently. And sent out the image of Hagakure.

"This is from yesterday," Mikoto accused.
"Damn," Kyoka practically drooled. No, not practically it turned out. Mom handed her a napkin.

"I did say I was worried about her getting sunburned," I reminded the electrokinetic. The memory was of her floating in pool, in her swimsuit.

"She said she was ug... unattractive," Ochako was surprised.

"Technically, she described her appearance as a fusion of Yang Guifei and Francis Xavier," Ami remembered the invisible girl's exact words, "Which doesn't sound particularly flattering, but is somewhat nonsensical considering they were both born before photography and most portraits of them are in the styles of the times they lived, neither of which were particularly realistic."

'Presumably her Quirk kicked in about a decade ago,' Cassandra said sadly, 'Like most of ours. So she hasn't seen herself in all that time.'

"Right," I agreed, "That's why I wanted you to see her. Because I have this theory. I think she can control her Quirk. But she doesn't. That she was made fun of when she was younger, for her appearance. So she doesn't want to turn off her Quirk, even though she has grown into someone most people would consider attractive. She might not even be aware, she could have subconscious block. Or she could be deliberately not trying to turn off her invisibility."

"Unless she's lying," Mikoto said. We all looked at her.

"I wasn't thinking that she was trying to trick us," the brunette quickly explained, "But I was thinking maybe it's the opposite of what Izuku said. Maybe she has always been that gorgeous. And she got the wrong sort of attention because of it."

"She may be able to control her power," Momo commiserated, "But doesn't because of the attention it would bring her. This way she can be known on her own terms."

The others girls nodded, many wearing knowing, sad, or angry looks. I had a sudden desire to go beat up every other member of my gender.

"Mom, do you have a some time before the Asuis get here?" I asked after I finished lunch. Since Saturdays were a half-day, I ate the midday meal at home unless I was going out. Tsu was going to drop off her siblings at four thirty, so we had a few hours. But I wasn't sure if Mom had anything to do before she met with Midnight-sensei.

"Of course, Izuku," she caught my tone, and we went to the living.

"What is it?" she prompted.

"Well..." in spite of Gamer's Mind and my improved Determination and Charisma, I found myself nervous and tongue-tied.

"Mom... What do you think of polyamory?" I forced out.

"Polyamory?" she looked at me, her lips pursed thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you know, like dating or even marrying multiple people," I stammered to fill the silence, "But not cheating, doing it openly."

"And why would you bring that up?" Mom's eyes narrowed slightly. Her pupils hadn't changed yet, but they were flashing.

"Well, you know that I like Tsu, right?"

She nodded, a slight grin forming.

"The thing is... I'm starting to feel the same way about Ami. Well, starting is probably not right. Talking to her in the study group, even before the guild. And watching her plan in Lions and Gazelles... Yeah, my reasons for my feelings aren't quite the same, but the feelings are almost the same."

"And you want to date them both?" Mom asked carefully.

"No. Maybe? I don't know. With how tough UA is, I'm still not sure if I can date and give even one girlfriend the attention and time she deserves. Plus, most of my examples of love and romance are from pop-culture, so I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is right or realistic."

"But it wasn't even my idea," I frowned, "I told Tsu, because I felt like a jerk for liking both of them. And because I thought it was fair to her, so she could find someone who isn't a terrible selfish creep..."

My mom gave me an exasperated look.

"Only Tsu already knew. And she didn't care. She said the people don't just fall in love once. And she would be fine... even happy... if I went out with both her and Ami at the same time. Tsu also reminded me about this polyamorous American Hero team. So I looked it up, and found that it's becoming more common and accepted in the world over the last few decades. In fact, Japan is one of the few countries that still outlaws polygamy."

Mom didn't say anything.

"So... um... what do you think?" I asked, "Am I a terrible person for even thinking about this? Are you disappointed in me?"

"Izuku, let me turn that around," Mom smiled gently, "Let's say... no, that wouldn't work, you'd just be thrilled. Let's say there were two office girls at that agency. And I liked them both and all three of us started dating. Would you be upset with me?"

"Of course not," I said quickly, "As long as they are good enough for you and make you happy."

Then I remembered something and thought, 'And they aren't my classmates.'

"And you never even thought that I might be using them or leading them on?" Mom pressed.

"No, you wouldn't do that," I insisted.

"And that is your answer," she said, "The world today is a lot stranger than books, movies, or even your Marvel comics would suggest. As long as everyone involved is fair, and upfront, and no-one is getting hurt, I don't think anyone else has the right to reject someone else's relationships. And I trust you, that I raised you to do the right thing, even if it isn't exactly normal. And you've proven my trust in you time and again since you got The Gamer. So if you want to be with both Tsu and Ami, and Ami agrees, then I say go for it. And if you aren't comfortable with that, then you need to figure out what you do want. I will support you either way."

I nodded with a happy grin. Then I remembered the other thing Tsu said. My head dropped, and I think I might have blushed a bit.

"Tsu also suggested that there were other girls I liked, I just didn't know it yet," I decided to go all in, "I'm not sure if she's right. But I think it is unlikely that she is wrong."

"Tsu can be very perceptive," Mom tried to stay serious, understanding that this was troubling me. But she was covering her mouth and looking out the window.

"You think she is right," I accused.

"Izuku," Mom chuckled, "I've only seen you interact with the ladies of the Knights. So I can't speak to your other classmates, fellow students, or even teachers. But, excluding myself and Toshinori for obvious reasons, there are only two of the Knights I would be abjectly shocked to find out you were romantically interested in. Or were interested in you. Izuku, you are also not-quite sixteen, and to some degree that goes with the territory. Part of growing up and part of having relationships, is figuring out how deep those feelings run. And if they will grow."

"Which two?" I asked trying to be subtle, "Kyoka and..."

"That's not my place to say."

I nodded, and headed into my rumor to get ready for Tsu's siblings.

'More than one, hmm?' Inko considered the possibility silently.

"Is this everyone?" Toru asked, looking around the room at the sixteen other girls.

"Yes," Itsuka confirmed, "Ibara can't come, because she has Mass tomorrow morning. She volunteered to be some part of the ceremony. So she couldn't just cancel and has to be there early. She said next time, if it's not such short notice."

"Which is all well and good," Setsuna changed the topic, "But can we get to the elephant in the room. Which is to say you could fit my parent's house in this room, and have space left over for an elephant or three. And this is just the entryway in this giant house."

"It's not that big," Momo blushed slightly.

"Still," Ochako's eyes were wide as saucers, "I didn't realize your family had such a big place."

"Are your parents here?" Ami added, "we should greet them."

"This isn't my family's home," Momo answered both of them, shrinking in on herself slightly, "I mean, I guess it is one of them, but my parents don't live here. It is just me and the staff. I started living here since it was closest to UA."

"One of them?" Kodai Yui said evenly, "I know the Yaoyorozu conglomerate is a worldwide corporation, one of the largest in Japan. But..."

"How many houses do you have?" Mina asked brightly, leaning up to Momo's face.

"Twelve," Momo stepped back, turning away.

"Twelve?!" most of the young ladies parroted.

"Most of them are for business," she justified, "It is easier to have a home on hand in locations where we have facilities or regular meetings."

"So this one the bigger ones?" Tsunotori suggested innocently.

"Well, no," Momo answered, "It's the seventh largest, after the main house and the quintuplets."

"Quintuplets?" Ami looked at her.

"Besides the main house," Momo continued, "And the smaller houses, the five houses we use the most frequently are all identical, so that we feel at home in any of them..."

"I think we are getting off track," Mikoto came to Momo's rescue.

"Yes," the tall girl brightened, "Since we are all, here we could move to the dining room, while the staff sets out the first round of pizzas."

"And how big is the dining room," Setsuna whispered to Komori Kinoko. The mushroom girl raised one shoulder to indicate she didn't know.

'Pizza?' Cassandra prompt silently with an aside glance at their hostess.

'I did get the idea from Izuku,' Momo admitted over Guild Chat.

She led the other young ladies down a short hallway, into an even larger room. The dining room had giant wooden table, the had been moved to the outer wall to serve as a buffet, and additional smaller, round tables with chairs set up in the empty space to allow eating and mingling. A thinly built man in his late forties or early fifties and wearing an impeccable butler's uniform and narrow glasses, was half-helping, half-directing two maids in setting out four half-meter diameter pizzas. When he noticed the students, he turned to address them.

"Good evening, young ladies," he bowed, "Thank you for attending Momo-dono's party. We are just setting out the first set of pizza pies now. If you have any dietary restrictions or simply requests for toppings, let one of us know, and we will have the kitchen prepare it for the next round."

"Thank you, Sebastian," Momo said fondly, inclining her head slightly to him.

"Wait," Toru demanded loudly, "You have an actual butler named Sebastian?"

Momo looked away, blushing slightly. And under his lenses, the butler's eyes glinted mischievously.

"Of course, I have a proper and legal Japanese name for when I am not working," Sebastian said, "However, when young Momo-dono first visited this residence, it was also her first time visiting one of the Yaoyorozu family's western style homes. When she was introduced to me, before I could give her my name, she called me Sebastian. I asked her why, and she told me that all proper butlers are named Sebastian. I asked her 'But what about the ones named Wadsworth?', and she told me that that name was for sneaky and evil butlers, and the Yaoyorozu family would never employ a butler like that. So since that time, and with the head of house's blessing, I am only called Sebastian while I am working."

His amusement and affection were palpable. And Momo was red in the face, refusing to face any of the other girls.

"How old was she, Sebastian-san?" Mikoto pressed.

"I was four," Momo answered quickly.

"Hey," Ochako insisted tentatively, "Let's not tease our friend too much."

"Thank you, Ochako."

"Or she might kick us out before we get to eat this divine smelling pizza."

"Traitor," Momo whispered loudly. But she was also smiling.

"So..."

The ladies were well into their second batch of pizzas, when Ami tried to get their attention. They all turned to look at her.

"Momo asked me to plan our study time this evening," the bluette explained, "I was going to ask what classes people wanted to go over. But I thought it might be better to go over all of the topics. Review what we have covered and what is likely to be on the tests. And see if anyone has any specific pain points or questions."

She paused to see if anyone had any objections or other suggestions.

"I wanted to spend one hour on each subject," Ami continued, "With a fifteen minute break in between to grab a snack and use the restroom. And I thought we could alternate between the science and social courses. So math first, then literature, then chemistry, then hero history, then English. That would be a total of six hours, so if we start at seven, we would finish at around one."

"Then, since no-one wants to go to bed early at a sleepover, we could do something fun," Momo picked up, "Party games or something like that."

"Seven Minute Friends," Ochako said, "It's like the other game, but we split into pairs and talk for seven minutes. Each pair has to tell each other where we grew up, what our dream is, and one secret about ourselves. Doesn't have to be anything major, just something most people don't know, to help you feel closer."

"Movie!" Pony called out.

"That sounds fun," Kinoko told Ochako.

"Yeah, I wanna see what kind of TV this place has," Toru agreed with Pony.

"What if we do both?" Kyoka suggested, "Play three or four rounds of Ochako's game. Then watch a movie, and see who can stay awake until the end."

"I like that," Yanagi Reiko spoke for the first time all evening. Cassandra nodded.

"Yeah, me too," Mina agreed.

"Any objections?" Momo asked in the tone of a corporate executive.

"Okay, so that will be our plan," Momo said after waiting a moment, "So does anyone want to put in another order, or can I tell the kitchen to put out the pizza oven?"

Some of the ladies looked at the buffet. The second round of pies had been smaller, but there had been more of them to cater to their individual tastes. And there were still enough slices left to put together three or four whole pizzas.

"Ah, no," Setsuna said bluntly.

"Sorry about that," Nemuri said, but the apology was tempered by amusement. One of the waiters, an extra-large man with octopus arms, picked up the three very drunk and now very asleep men, and carried them outside.

"Don't worry about it," Inko giggled, "Even if it was a bit annoying, and was mostly directed at you, it felt good to be considered 'hot' again after all these years."

The heroine known as Midnight blinked owlishly at her new designer and new friend, "No need to be so humble. The ram guy was after you, and was the one who dragged his buddies over."

"I'm not being humble," Inko said a bit sadly. Her phone was already on the table from showing Nemuri the costume sketches. Inko flipped to a different folder. She picked a specific photo. And she handed her phone over.

"That is from about fourteen months ago, the day Izuku started his third year of middle school."

"Wait," Midnight protested, "Is Midoriya-kun standing on a box here? Because you are shorter than he is here. And I'm pretty sure he has gotten much bigger since this picture was taken. But when I saw you two leaving UA on Wednesday, you were definitely taller than he was."

Inko chuckled, thankful the other woman was focusing on her height difference rather than her weight difference. She explained her own theory about how not using her gravity Quirk and feeling guilty had somewhat literally crushed her.

"But when Izuku finally gained his power," Inko said, "I wanted to make it up to him. To not be a burden. So I started working out again, and actually trying to understand and strengthen my Quirk, rather than just using it. And, well, I'd say it has turned out okay."

"Definitely better than okay," Nemuri looked her companion up and down again. Appreciated how the little black dress hugged Inko's body.

"Please, don't tease an old lady," Inko demurred.

"You aren't that much older than me," Midnight said. "And I'm not even remotely teasing you."

"Ha... ha, ha, ha," Inko laughed openly. Nemuri raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry," she said, "It's just you reminded me of a boy in high school. He was so smooth, sauve, and self-confident. One of my friends dated him and he turned out to be a virgin who didn't know half of what he was talking about."

"Well, it's been a long time since anyone accused me of being a virgin," Midnight raised an eyebrow.

"And yet I notice you didn't deny it," Inko decided to give her some grief back.

"Hmm," the black-haired woman purred, "And would you like to be the one to change that?"

"Get another whiskey in me, and I just might," Inko gave her a lidded glance and downed the shot in front of her. Nemuri's eyes widened slightly. Then she signalled the bartender.

The studying had gone smoothly. As Ami had expected, there had been at least four of the girls who needed to catch up on each subject. She and Momo had led the classes, except for English, where Mo-chan, Pony, and Cassandra had taken over, all being native speakers.

Then the Knights enacted their plan. Momo escorted them to a hall of nine guest rooms. Sebastian appeared moments later, carrying a rattling box.

"There are two keys for each of the first eight rooms in here," he explained. He set the box on one of the tables along the outside wall.

"Since there are an odd number of us," their hostess continued, "I will join whoever is the first room for a group of three, if that is alright. Though in the second and third rounds, I will instead go the to the lowest numbered room with a pair I haven't talked to."

She received a round of verbal and nonverbal agreement. Momo picked up the box and walked over to the other girls. Ami was the first and she inclined her head slightly. She reached in, and drew out a key. It had a large, smooth metal keychain with the number three in kanji on one side and in the arabic numeral on the reverse.

What the others couldn't see, was that each keychain had eight hollows in it. For each chain, the voids were either empty or filled with water, with the number filled matching the room number.

That was how, four pulls later, Hagakure Toru drew the matching key to room three.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Shimooka Hikari asked Mikoto, after the slighter girl closed the door to room two.

"You mean aside from the Heroes and Villains training, and the entrance exam?" Mikoto countered.

Hikari took out her phone. She opened the gallery, and scrolled through the pictures. THen she showed one to Mikoto.

The electromancer knew it immediately. It was the class picture from her first year at Tokiwadai. She was in the front and dead center, because she was one of the shortest girls in her class. The only one shorter was the girl on her left. Her forehead was level with Mikoto's nose, and the other girl was even more slender. She had long, jet black hair, drawn into two braids which created a v-shaped part exposing her forehead. Her face was heavily obscured by the oversized and very thick glasses she wore. But she was also the only girl in the photo Mikoto didn't know.

"That was you?" she looked up at the tall and voluptuous photomancer incredulously. And a little jealously. Hikari nodded.

"I'm sorry, but..." Mikoto started to apologize, but Hikari raised hand.

"I was only there three months, and we weren't close," Hikari said kindly, "Besides, looking at this, I'm not surprised you didn't recognize me."

"Contacts?" Mikoto asked.

"No," Hikari laughed lightly, "The glasses were to help control my Quirk. I sometimes pulled in too much light without meaning to, and flash burned my retinas. The glasses prevented that. And once I learned to control my Quirk, I didn't need them anymore."

"You disappeared after summer vacation," Mikoto remembered, "There were a lot of rumors and speculation, but the teachers never told us anything. Some of the ladies even thought you might have died."

"That's not too far off," Hikari nodded sadly, "So I guess that is my secret. A few weeks after we went home for summer vacation, I went to spend the night at my best friend's house. Her parents were out, so we were going to catch up. Only when I got there, I found her, dead."

"Can I ask what happened?" Mikoto prompted gently, trying to control her own emotions.

"I don't know how she died. My parents wouldn't let me know, and I never really pressed. But who and why? That I know. Her dad was a small time Hero. And one of the gangs he was helping dismantle decided to get a little payback. To send a message."

"The joke was on them. After they killed his daughter, he hunted them down. He killed them all. He was acquitted, but lost his Hero license."

Hikari slumped into one of the bedroom's chairs.

"Me? I locked myself in my room and didn't come out for a month. And then I didn't leave the house for almost four months. I was afraid, but not for myself. I was in Tokiwadai, studying to be a Hero. And suddenly I was confronted with the possibility that Villains might decide to target my family in response. I wasn't sure what to do, but I couldn't put them at risk like that."

She took a breath, and continued mure evenly, "So my parents pulled me out of Tokiwadai. Enrolled me in a public school that made allowances for students who couldn't regularly attend classes. It was supposed to be for their Quirks, but they were flexible. My parents got me a tutor, and I did all my coursework, but I didn't actually go to school until after the New Year's break."

"But you are here, now, at UA. You must have gotten over it." Mikoto tried to both console and boost the other girl.

"I did," Hikari agreed, "Mostly. But that was thanks to counselor Miyuki, who helped me come to terms with my feelings. And also my sister, you kicked me in the proverbial butt and told me if I was going to give up on my dream, she would do it instead. So I spent the last year and a half training hard, studying hard. It didn't hurt that I hit my growth spurt, so it was a good chance to work on both my muscles and flexibility."

There was a pause as Hikari steadied herself and Mikoto digested it. Then, to help the other girl, the electrokinetic took over.

"I guess my secret is that I also almost didn't go to UA. But not because I didn't want to. My parents didn't want... No, I guess they don't want me to be a Hero. Have you heard that I turned down the Tokiwadai recommendation to UA?"

Hikari inclined her head.

"Well, I started thinking about doing it because it seemed cursed and I wanted to prove myself, ultimately what tipped me over the edge was my parents. They kept harping about how I could make more money and be safer using my Quirk in a civilian capacity. So I rejected the recommendation, but got the headmistress to arrange for me to take the regular exam without my parents knowing. And once I got it, I pointed out that UA was still the best high school in Japan, even if I don't become a Hero. And that since I got into the Hero course, I didn't need them to pay tuition, so they couldn't really stop me."

The taller girl offered a sympathetic look. Then a thoughtful one.

"I guess we don't need to talk about where we grew up after that," Hikari said, "And I'm not sure I get the 'our dreams' part. We are all in the Hero course at UA."

Mikoto shrugged, "It is probably just part of the normal game. But that said, I guess some of us might want to be rescue Heroes, some might want to be local Heroes, and others might want to climb the Hero rankings. Things like that."

"Well, I guess I want to climb the rankings," Hikari said, "I'm not sure I can make number one, but definitely top ten. That way I can inspire people, and also have the means to protect my family."

"Bah," Mikoto scoffed, "I'm going to be number one. By the end of the year, I'm going to take down Midoriya."

"Are you sure you want to pass him?" Hikari suggested with a grin, "Wouldn't it be better to coast in his slipstream until third year? He's not my type, but even I can recognize it would be a nice view back there..."

"Right, well," Toru said brightly, "I grew up all over Japan, and even in Korea and Australia. My dad is a fixer for the production division of Yaoyorozu Enterprises. So we moved to whatever site needed his help. As for my dream, I definitely want to be a Hero, of course. But I really want to be direct, Villain fighter type, even though my Quirk may be more useful for an investigator type. As for my secret... I don't know, can I have a moment to think about that?"

Ami blinked owlishly, stunned by the invisible girl's rapid fire answering of the first two questions. Then she sat down and nodded.

"I was born in the Azabu-Juban area of the Minato ward," she explained, "When I was eight, my parents divorced, and my mother and I moved into her parents' home in Mustafa. My father's mother also moved in there with us..."

"She did?" Toru interrupted in amazement.

"Yes," Ami smiled slightly, "She said 'if my idiot son can't handle having a wife and daughter who are smarter than him, he should have developed a time travel Quirk and went back to the Middle ages.' My grandfather died about a year later, and since then it has been the four of us."

"My dream... My dream was to be a doctor, like my mom. Until about nine months ago. I talked to Izuku for the first time, found out he was planning to come to UA. He said I had a great Quirk for a Hero. So I talked to my mom about it. She told me that she wished there were more Heroes, people who could stop people from getting hurt. That all she could do was try to patch up someone who was already hurt. So I decided to become a Hero, but still study some medicine. So I can try to keep people from being injured, or if they are, try to stabilize them until they can reach a doctor."

"That's really cool," Toru said, sounding a bit envious.

"As for my secret..." Ami blushed and screwed up her courage, "I... I'm in love with Izuku."

"Umm, Ami?"

Even though she could not see the other girl, Mizuno could feel the weight and force of her incredulously raised eyebrow.

"That's not really a secret," Toru said, "I'm pretty sure everyone in our class knows that. Except Izuku himself, somehow."

"That doesn't surprise me," Ami said, "Given his past, I think he has more than a bit of an inferiority complex. Some of the things he and Tsu have said seem to confirm it. He probably thinks he is misunderstanding my signals. That 'there is no way Ami could be interested in me' or something to that effect."

"I can see that."

"But my secret is more than that," Ami continued softly, looking down, "I've been interested in him since our first year of middle school. It started not even a month in, in the library. I was there most days, and that day he came in, too. I recognized him, but he didn't even notice me. Izuku was somewhat infamous at our school. A few minutes later another boy came in. One of the bullies, a heavy-set boy with wings... he disappeared in our second year... He was a bully and one of Bakugou-kun's cronies while he was at Aldera."

"Bakugou-kun?" Toru prompted. Ami gave the other girl a quick rundown of who Bakugou Katsuki was, and what she knew of his past with Izuku.

"When Izuku saw other boy having trouble finding the book he wanted, Izuku got it for him. And helped him study. The boy never thanked Izuku or apologized. He went right back to being a bully the next day. But whenever they were both in the library, Izuku helped him. The bully didn't even have to ask, and Izuku never brought it up or made an issue of it. He just wanted to help a classmate in trouble, no matter how bad of a person that classmate was."

Ami sighed happily.

"That was the start. But the final straw was after the first term's results were posted. Bakugou saw that I was number one, not him. And he exploded, somewhat literally. He demanded to know who I was. What kind of intelligence Quirk or other cheat I used. I didn't come forward, and none of my classmates gave me up, which only made him madder. Then Izuku stepped up. He defended me, saying that is wasn't my fault, and that Kacchan didn't have any reason to think I cheated. Izuku was third place, and the only reason Bakugou beat him was because of phys ed. So that only made it worse. But Izuku didn't back down, even when an explosion knocked him down. He didn't even know me, but he stood up for me. And that was it for me..."

"Of course, I haven't told him this. Or anyone else, really."

"wow," Toru whispered, "I'm not sure I have anything to compare to that."

"Can I ask you a question then?" Ami offered.

"Sure."

"Do you really not know what you look like?" the hydrokinetic queried, "You haven't tried like makeup or something?"

"I tried it," Toru admitted, "But a thin layer of makeup turns invisible, too. I can cake it on thick, but then it just looks like the bride of Frankenstein. So no, I haven't seen my own face in over eleven years. But I save a ton of money on lipstick."

"Then why did you say you look like Francis Xavier and Yang Guifei?"

"Well, a boy in preschool told me that," Toru remembered, "not long before my Quirk kicked in. Now I realize it is silly, what did he even know about those old guys? But it is the last point of reference I have, and it's good for a laugh."

Ami nodded, adopting a thoughtful look.

"So what else should be talk about?" Toru continued, "Music? Or maybe movies?"

"So how do we do this?" Itsuka asked, "I don't know how to sign."

Cassandra produced her pen and pad.

"Oh, right, should have figured that out," the orangette said in self deprecation, "Then why don't I go first?"

Cassandra inclined her head and waved a hand to indicate the other girl should start.

"I'm from Kyoto, born and raised," Itsuka said, "Despite my given name, my family runs a series of karate and kung fu dojos across Japan. We used to be in the US and Europe, too. But during the dark times, we closed all of our international branches and pulled back to Japan. And even had to close a few here. That's my dream, why I want to be a Hero. To show the world the power of Kendo Kashin Ryu, and help us spread out again."

"As for my secret..." Itsuka considered it for a moment, "I hope this qualifies, but ever since the Heroes versus Villains class, I've had a bit of a girl-crush on you and Midoriya-kun."

Cassandra frowned and stopped writing. She flipped to another page.

-I'm not sure what 'girl-crush' means,- Cassandra scribbled out quickly, -do you know how to say it English?-

"No," Itsuka blushed slightly, "But it is like a crush, except instead of romantic attraction or lust, it is just about thinking that person is cool and admirable. Being jealous and wanting to be like them."

-Like a 'man-crush',- Cassandra wrote the last part in English, -except between girls.-

"Right," Itsuka agreed, "Even though Izuku isn't a girl. And actually, since it my girl-crush is based on you two's fighting skills, man-crush might be more appropriate. But yeah. After watching the you take on both Tetsutetsu and Masahiro... You know, I've face Masahiro before. I took him out twice in last year's under 18 tournament. In both the restricted and unrestricted brackets. But I don't really feel the restricted bracket was fair, because they made him tie his tail to his back so he couldn't accidentally use it to steady himself. But having it like that may have restricted his movements too much. Are you ready?"

Itsuka noticed Cassandra stopped writing. The black-haired girl nodded.

The first page explained that Cassandra lived with her father, that her mother was alive but not in the picture or interested. That the two of them had not had a permanent home, but had traveled the world for his job. The closest thing she had to a home was Gotham City, New Jersey. They had gone there multiple times, and one time had stayed almost a year.

"That sounds hard," Itsuka told her. Cassandra shrugged and offered a wry smile.

The second page addressed how she wanted to be a Hero, to make her father proud and do what he couldn't do. Then at the bottom it asked her a question.

-I have two secrets. One is more serious, and maybe even dangerous. But there are other people here who know it. The second one is more personal, and even a bit silly. But I haven't told anyone yet. Which one do you want?-

When Itsuka finished reading, and looked up at Cassandra, the other girl was holding up two, folded slips of paper.

"I'll..." Itsuka looked uncertain, "What would you suggest?"

Cassandra frowned. Then she shook her head. Itsuka considered it again. It was an offer of trust, and a question of what kind of friend she wanted to be.

"Give me the dangerous one," Itsuka decided. Cassandra smiled, and handed her one page. She shoved the other into her pants' pocket.

-My father is David Cain, the Vigilante and Assassin known as Orphan. And the dream of his I want to fulfill, is to make a genuine difference in the world. He can get revenge for those who are hurt. But he can't bring about real change. Make a world where he isn't needed.-

"That's... wow."

Cassandra nodded and shrugged again. Her expression seemed to say 'what can you do?'.

"Well, if you've been all over the world," Itsuka changed the subject, "What masters have you studied with?"

I looked at my phone. At the text from my mom, saying that she was staying over at Midnight-sensei's place, because she was more than a little tipsy, and she didn't want Samidare and Satsuki to see her like that.

Which made sense. And she had used her phone because she didn't want sensei or the Asuis to get suspicious.

Despite everything being perfectly logical, now that the kids were asleep I couldn't help but think... ponder... wonder how Mom came to that decision. Or was I just overthinking again?

After keys were draw for the second round, Momo followed Ami and Modura into the first room. Penryu immediately dropped into the swivelling chair, and spun to face the other two girls.

"Alright," Mo-chan begin, "I'm pretty sure I know what is going on here. So I'd like to cut to the chase and make things easier for all of us."

"What do you mean?" Momo responded uncertainly.

"This party," Mo-chan said, "Studying and making friends. It's not a lie, but it is also a cover. You two, and probably the other four as well, are interviewing for Izuku's... I was going to say gang, but since we are all Heroes in training, that doesn't really fit. Team? Group? Squad?"

"Guild?" Ami offered. Both other girls looked at her, Mo-chan calculating, and Momo surprised.

"I'm not saying there is such a group," Ami added quickly, "Or at least not in the way you are likely thinking. But if there were, I think guild would be the best word for it, considering Izuku's general interests."

"Fine," Mo-chan just grinned, "Well whatever it is, I want in. So rather than waste time on you two telling me stuff, I'm going to give you my story, including some parts I'd rather not tell anyone... Though I guess I'll also be holding a few bits back. And Cassandra is next door, so she should be close enough to read me and tell you if I'm lying. If you three decide what I tell you means I'm trustworthy, you can take it to Izuku. Unless you have the authority to offer invites."

"May I ask what makes you so sure something like you suggest is happening?" Momo prompted.

"Besides everyone who gets close to Izuku suddenly getting a quick and substantial boost in power? Something the whole class is talking about, and you two were, too. Until you got on the inside last week. Beyond that there is just how quickly everyone becomes friends with him. Not that there aren't people like that, Izuku just doesn't seem the type. And then there's the fact that he knows thing he shouldn't. Like how safe everyone was during the USJ attack, or even just becoming proficient in sign language in a matter of days. And that last bit seems to apply to you guys as well. Something is going on with and around him, and it seems like it is something he doesn't want getting out."

"Then my second question is why not go to Izuku directly?" Momo added.

Mo-chan shrugged, "I was planning to, maybe once I found out a bit more. But before I could, this chance dropped into my lap.

"Look," she continued, a bit more hesitantly, "I don't think you are doing anything wrong or illegal. But I don't want to end up an angry outsider like my namesake."

"Your namesake?" Ami parroted.

"I guess that's a good place to start," Mo-chan said, "The reason I insist on being called Mo-chan is that I didn't like the Nihonized version of my name. And I'm not that fond of the original slash real name anymore, either..."

Mo-chan steeled herself and then said, "The name my mother gave me is Mordred."

"As in Mordred Pendragon," Ami prompted, "The son of King Arthur and infamous Knight of Betrayal?"

"That's the one," Mo-chan agreed sharply. She watched as Ami fell deep into thought. The blonde wondered if the genius bluette was putting together pieces of her puzzled past Mo-chan had not wanted her to.

"The way you say, 'the name your mother gave you'," Momo thankfully diverted the topic, "Does that mean your father wasn't involved?"

"You two are aware that my father is a woman, right?"

They nodded.

"The reason I call her Father is partly because she is a tomboy who calls herself a swordsman, not a swordswoman. But more it is because she is not the one who gave birth to me..."

Momo and Ami waited while Mordred collected her thoughts.

"Growing up in England, Father loved swords. She learned every style of swordplay she could. But she also loved Japan. So she was able to arrange a position as an exchange student in Fuyuki ward. She spent just over a year here, and loved it. But in England there was girl who was obsessed with Father. As in to a psychotic degree. And that girl possesses a Quirk she ca... that lets her extract sperm and eggs from people with just a casual touch. She can then combined them into a viable embryo, and implant that embryo into a woman, with pregnancy being 99% guaranteed regardless of when in her cycle the target is. And when I say combine, I don't just mean one sperm and one egg. She can combined two to five of them, in any combination, so long as there are at least two donors. Two eggs from a lesbian couple, three sperm from guys with powerful Quirks, two sperm and three eggs from a couple that wants a baby that looks more like the woman... Any combination."

"But the two plus donors part is important here. She wanted a surrogate for Father, but she couldn't just steal two of Father's eggs and make a baby. But she could combine four of Father's eggs with one of her own, to make a near clone."

"I am genetically 87 and change percent a match for Father. Only about 13 percent of my DNA came from my mother."

'And there's some potential overlap there,' Mo-chan thought but didn't say.

They looked at her in mild horror. Then Momo realized.

"I'm sorry," Momo said, "This is not for you, but for your mother's actions."

"Oh, I get it," Mo-chan said sadly, "Father feels the same way. She came back from a perfect year in Japan, a sixteen year old girl, only to find she had been violated by someone she trusted and now had a three-month old daughter. Despite the anger and disgust and hatred she feels for Mother, Father never directed any of it at me. She has always shown me love and kindness, and understands I am not to blame for what Mother did. And despite that I... No, that's a bit later."

"After that, Father couldn't bring herself to stay in England. She also saw how Mother's attitude towards me slipped, now that she didn't need a replacement for Father. So Father started to make plans. She saved up her money. Made certain unsavory contacts with special skills. It took her three years, but once she was ready she took me and we fled to Japan. We had new identities waiting for us."

"While Father lived in Japan, she had two special people. The boy she fell in love with, and the girl who was her best friend and love rival. When we arrived in Japan, she went to see them, only to learn that they were now lovers and living together. Father tried to leave, but when they heard what had happened and why she returned to Japan, they insisted we live with them. Aunt Rin was also the one who rekindled Father's relationship with Dad, eventually arranging for all three of them to be together."

"All three of them," Ami mused, "as in..."

"Yes," Mo-chan answered, even though it was not a question, or directed at her, "Father, Dad, and Aunt Rin all loved each other. And even now that Dad is gone, Father and Aunt Rin are still together."

"But back to me, and my embarrassing secret. The thing is, I didn't know any of this back then. I was just a three year old girl, who had been ripped away from most of her family and taken to the other side of the world. They tell me I was vocally advanced for a toddler, but that was in English. Now I had to learn Japanese. I raged against Father, and demanded to go home. And when she wouldn't take me back, I resented her. Acted out. Treated her terribly. And Father let me. She let herself be the villain, refused to bad mouth Mother."

"Then how do you..."

"Dad and Aunt Rin," she said, "I grew to love them, even as I lashed out at Father. But when I started middle school, Aunt Rin had finally reached the point where Father and Dad couldn't placate her. She grabbed Dad and me, took us aside. Told Dad if he didn't tell me, she would. And Dad knew Aunt Rin would be much less... let's say 'gentle' about it. In the end it was both of them who explained it to me. But not just the story they had heard from Father. Aunt Rin had done some research of her own, to try to protect us. She knew there was a chance my mother would come looking for us, and she wanted to be able to fight back. Legally."

"Afterwards, I felt terrible. I had been a total bitch to Father, and for the most part she let me. Even though she had done so much to protect me. I apologized, and we have been putting our relationship back together. It hasn't been easy. Even now that I rationally know the truth, I had years of convincing myself that Father was wrong and horrible. I've had to unlearn a lot of bad behavior. But I think we are to a pretty good place. It became easier... or I should say I tried a lot harder, after Dad died."

"You've mentioned that twice now," Ami sat down next to Mo-chan, and took her hand, "Would you be willing to tell us how he died?"

"It's not a big secret," Mo-chan said weakly, "Dad was a semi-pro Hero, the Sword Hero EMIYA. He worked as a blacksmith for money, not that we needed it. And though he was a Hero, he was just as likely to work with Vigilantes as other Heroes. The only reason he had his license was to protect us. He didn't really care about the law and rules. He just wanted to help people. He died in the Great Fuyuki Fire three years ago. He used his swords to hold up a building long enough to let everyone escape. But he ran out of power and got trapped. By time the other Heroes were able to reach him, he was gone."

She wiped at the corner of her eye. Then she gave Ami and Momo a grin. But it was not as steady of a grin as she intended.

"So there you go," Mo-chan concluded, "Some of the major highlights of my checkered past. Enough to make me a laughing stock, or even worse, if you revealed them."

Momo moved to her other side, though there was no seat over there. And then on cue, both girls hugged her.

"Okay, that's enough," Mo-chan said roughly and shook them off a few seconds later.

Nemuri Kayama was stuck between sleep and awake, when a shifting against the brought her back to full alertness. Inko had moved, snuggling in closer. Nemuri took a moment to admire the other woman's trim build, and wondered just what kind of workout could have changed her this much in fourteen months. But the shorter woman wore a pensive expression, and Midnight wanted to address that.

"Was it that bad?" Midnight asked, slightly worried. Inko blinked, and then blushed slightly.

"Oh, no... It was actually incredible. You were incredible," the designer answered. Then she affected a slight smirk and added, "But I haven't had sex for nine years and you are only my fourth lover, so I might not be the best judge of this sort of thing."

"I don't know, you weren't so bad yourself," the heroine teased back. Then she sobered, and continued, "In that case, why do you look so down?"

"Actually," Inko said shyly, "I was worried you might think badly of me. I'm not the sort of woman to go all the way on the first date."

"I thought this was a meeting, not a date," the black-haired woman reminded her.

"You know what I mean," Inko pouted slightly.

"And I would think with my reputation, you wouldn't worry about that," Midnight, the R-18 Heroine raised an eyebrow at her partner, "Or are you thinking worse of me for doing the same?"

"No," Inko said thoughtfully, "No, of course I don't."

"Then why should I think worse of you?"

"I'm a recently divorced mother, and you are a liberated single woman?" Inko countered.

"Sounds to me like you liberated yourself. And I'm only single because I've driven away anyone who meets my high standards. Even if that doesn't match up with what the tabloids say."

"Oh, I don't believe that rubbish," Inko reassured her, "But what does this mean for us?"

"What do you want it to mean?" Nemuri countered.

"I don't know," Inko looked up at her, "I'm not the type to be 'friends with benefits'. That is definitely not what I want. I don't know if I am looking for a relationship yet, or you want one either, for that matter. And I certainly don't want to rush into something after one slightly tipsy if thorough enjoyable night."

"Well, maybe we can just be regular friends for now," Midnight suggested, "And talk about going on a real date? One without the booze goggles."

"I guess that doesn't sound too bad," Inko smiled openly. And then she slid her hand down Nemuri's spine and added, "starting in the morning."

"Movie time, movie time," Setsuna, Pony, Mina, and Toru all chanted as Momo led them to the other side of the mansion.

"I hope you won't be too disappointed," their host told them, "There aren't any TVs in the building. The computer monitors in my room are the closest thing. But we do have this..."

She trailed off, and hid her mouth, so they wouldn't see her smile. She stopped at a room with a very large door, and pushed it open.

Inside was a series of very specifically arranged and very plush chairs, forty of them. They were all facing the back wall, where the other girls could sort of make out what looked like a wall of glass. Setsuna's jaw dropped open, and she turned to Momo.

"Is that an ARC-170?" she demanded incredulously.

"It is."

"A model T-65B or T-70?"

"Actually, it's a T-85," Momo told her, and the other girl groaned in almost sexual pleasure.

"And how big?"

"15 by 24 meters."

"What's all that mean?" Reiko asked her classmate.

"The Round Table Industries ARC-170 is the best type of true 3D projection. You see the laser arrays above, below, and on either side? The lasers will cause the crystal to fluoresce, creating the picture. And the T-85 has the new, thinnest and clearest version of the layered kyber matrix, for the clearest and sharpest picture. It's every movie lover's dream, and there's only like five T-85s in all of Japan and only a dozen T-70s. Or six T-85s, I guess."

"Then what are we going to watch?" Kyoko asked after Setsuna finished fangirling.

"We have a variety of ARC-170 discs," Momo walked over and touched the wall, which slid open to reveal a shelf full of movie boxes, "Or if you are fine with standard 2D movies, we can stream almost anything."

All of the ladies began to call out their choices, except Ami, Yui, and of course Momo herself. The two girls form 1-A catalogued the requests, both for a vote, and to get another point of insight into everyone's personality. If only a minor one. And Kodai was just contemplating which one she wanted.

I arrived at the teachers' office, Gamer's Mind helping me calm my nerves. We had just finished our second day of midterms, and tomorrow was the start of the sports festival. We hadn't had much time to go into Dungeons, the teachers had spent the last week doubling down on our normal classes and Hero training both, to get us ready for this week. So after school the Knights had mostly studied more and rested.

I wasn't sure why Advisory-sensei had wanted to talk to me. I thought I had done well on my Hero History exam. But maybe I had mixed up the multiple choice section and answered the questions out of order. All I could think of was that I must have failed and wasn't going to be allowed to participate in the festival as a result.

Advisory-sensei greeted me, and led me to the chair by her desk. She was wearing her normal button down shirt and pants, along with the large, purple tinted visor that was the source of her name. Her Quirk was All Vision, and if that was an exaggeration, it wasn't by much. Her visor was to limit what she saw at any given time. Otherwise it would overload her brain and give her a terrible headache. Sometimes the press mistakenly referred to her as a man, given her build and choice of dress, and because she kept her blonde hair in a short and simple style. She didn't seem to care much, and just laughed it off. Now she wore a rather tense expression.

All Might had wheeled his chair over next to her, but he was much more relaxed. Almost amused/

"Thank you for coming, Midoriya-kun," she said when I sat down.

"You are welcome, sensei," I told her, "May I ask what this is about?"

"I wanted to go over your test," she responded, "Specifically, the final question."

"Okay," I nodded, happy to discuss it.

"Do you remember what the question is?"

"I do," I said.

"Then I would like to ask you," her lips tightened, "Is there a reason you didn't include their addresses?"

My eyes widened in worry. And I noticed the other teachers present were all watching us.

"I didn't think of that," I admitted, "Would city and state have been enough? I only know two of their full home addresses off the top of my head."

"You memorized two of the home addresses of the RI7," she pressed, sounding doubtful.

"Yes," I said, "I mean everyone knows the address of Wayne Manor."

I glanced around the room for confirmation. Most of the teachers didn't react, but Mic-sensei gave me a sage look, and nodded his agreement.

As soon as the boy looked away, Present Mic's eyes widened incredulously and he vigorously shook his head 'no'.

"And the address of the Kent farm is 38418 Shuster Road, Smallville, Kansas, USA, 67..."

Advisory-sensei held up her hand and I stopped.

"Was that wrong?" I asked after a moment of tense silence.

"Midoriya-kun," she sounded exasperated, "The final question was 'Who were the Rhode Island 7?'. I am going to read you one of your classmate's answers. 'The Rhode Island 7 were the first professional superheroes, licensed and accredited by the US government. They were Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Manhunter, Superman, and Wonder Woman.' This answer was worth nine of the ten points. One point each for naming the members of RI7, and one point for their basic, historic significance. The two points were for additional information, the year they were founded, or disbanded. A sentence on why they disbanded. Listing their Quirks. In this case the ninth point was for writing their names in Romanji instead of Katakana and listing them in proper, English alphabetic order."

"Which the RI7 always insisted on to avoid any top billing conflicts," I added. Her eyes narrowed behind the visor.

"You filled in the entire answer section as well as the back of the test sheet, and in writing so small I almost needed to use my Quirk on it. You wrote a full paragraph about why the US government decided to sanction Heroes, the tests they gave them, and even the eighth person they asked to join..."

"Arthur Curry, Hero name Aquaman," I mumbled, "He rejected their offer due to a difference of opinion about US Naval vessels and their pollution of the oceans."

"Then a paragraph briefly detailing their more famous cases. Then a third, full paragraph about RI7's involvement in the Korean Reunification Conflict and their stopovers in Japan on their way to and from Korea."

She glanced down at the paper.

"Then two long and slightly graphic paragraphs about the 7's fight with Davis Bloom..."

"A.k.a. Doomsday," I added. She glared at me and All Might shook his head, and I decided to clam up.

"... including how the three fallen members died, and why the four survivors decided to split up the team. Then you wrote a short paragraph on each individual member, giving their Hero name, civilian name, the name of their Quirk, what it did, and even some very insightful thoughts on their Quirks' weaknesses and ways they could have used them better. You also gave a bit of their background before they were recruited, and what the survivors did after the RI7 disbanded."

I nodded, not sure of her point.

"Midoriya-kun, I assign second years to write an essay on an important figure or group in Hero history. They have a week to research and write it. If you had turned this in, in a reasonable font size, and properly sited, I would give you a B+..."

I started fidgeting again.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I ran out of room," I explained.

"Pfweet!"

I glanced around at the sharp whistle, almost like an old fashioned teapot. None of the other teachers were watching anymore.

Once it was safe, Hizashi resumed virtually pounding his desk, stopping just short to avoid making noise. His head threw back in silent guffaws and tears were rolling down his cheeks.

The other Heroes present were also laughing as silently as they could, though not as hard as Hizashi.

"How do you know all of this?" Advisory asked me, her anger fading so quickly that she seemed off balance.

"Most of it from 'Speed Force'. You know, the autobiography of Berri Allen? The Flash? The rest from videos and some independent research. After All Might, the RI7 are my favorite Heroes. Kent-san even answered one of the letters I sent to his fan club, that's how I know his address."

Advisory's eyes widened and she read over the first part of my answer again.

"Wait, are you saying you have a copy of the unredacted first printing of 'Speed Force'?" she asked quickly, "Before the US government forced Miss Allen to rewrite parts of it, and tried to buy all the available copies?"

"Yes," I told her, "My mother found it at a second hand store, and got it for me for my 10th birthday. I guess the shop owner didn't know what he had."

Presumably it was the same shop Mom got the Kung Fu manual from, the one she refused to take me to. And wasn't the one Ami had just introduced me to.

"Could I... borrow it?" sensei asked, her voice wavering slightly.

"You'll promise to give it back, right?"

I didn't want to distrust my teacher. But there was still a fifty thousand dollar bounty on copies of the first printing. And while I didn't intend to ever sell it, I also had it nearly memorized, and might have turned it in if Mom was ever desperate for money.

Of course now that The Gamer gave me both money to spare and a chance to be a Hero, I was hoping I would be able to get the seemingly unaging Miss Allen to sign the book someday.

"Of course," she quickly assured me.

"Then I'll bring it with me tomorrow, and bring it to you before the sports festival starts, okay?"

"That sounds perfect," she said in an almost dreamy tone. Then she shook her head like she was clearing her thoughts, "Well, that will be all, Midoriya-kun. Thank you for your time. I look forward to your speech tomorrow."

"Speech?"

"Hiya, sensei," Harley sang out at the staticy TV. She was the only one in the bar now, so she saw no need for fake decorum.

"Hello, Harley," the deep voice emerged, nonplussed, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I just wanted to check if you, or the doc, or anyone else has found the girl yet," Harley answered.

"We have not."

"Shucks," Harley pouted.

"May I ask why this one young woman is so important?" sensei prompted.

"Well, when I first came to Japan, she was one the government pointed out to me," Harley remembered, "Some whose social standing was ruined, seemingly by her Quirk. Except instead of becoming a Villain, she just became one of Japan's infamous shut-ins. Hiki-something. She was the perfect counterpoint for my research. Except she disappeared right after I got here."

"But then when I met you, and you opened my eyes, I realized her Quirk would just be awesome for the League. If we helped her, saved her, got revenge for her, surely she would love us. And if she didn't you could just take her Quirk and give it to me. And I could make Puddin' unstoppable."

"Hmm, that makes sense," sensei agreed, "I will put the word out to be more thorough in our attempts to find this person."

The TV shut down on its own. And Harley began spinning around her bar stool rapidly.

"Just you wait, Minami Aiba," she told the empty room, "You are going to Love the League. Or else."

Status Changes for Midoriya Izuku:
Max Energy: 1425 → 1426

Attributes:
(W)it: 55 → 56
(I)ntuition: 57 → 58

Skills:
Japanese Language (W/C) LB: 23 → 25
English Language (W/C) LB: 18 → 21
Scientific Method (W/I): 13 → 15
Oral Hygiene (C): 22 → 23
Mathematics, Basic (W): 21 → 23
Chemistry, Basic (I): 12 → 14
Telekinesis (I/D): 39 → 40
Ki Detection (D/I): 30 → 31
Ki Reinforcement (D): 40 → 42
First Aid (W/A): 8 → 8
Mathematics, Advanced (W): 6 → 7
Japanese History (W): 5 → 8
Telekinetic Aura (I) LB: 36 → 38
Meditation (W/I): 12 → 14
ASL (W/A) LB: 10 → 11
JSL (W/A) LB: 15 → 16
Physics, Basic (W): 6 → 7
High Speed Vision (W/Q) 7 → 8
Heroics General Knowledge (I/W): 61 (untracked) → 62

AN: Okay, now that we are up to the Sports Fest, I'm going back to High School Library to finish the Volume 10 arc. Hopefully it won't take too long, but with the way things have been dragging me down...

Also, Inko is only 36 in this story. MHA hasn't gone into her story yet (ever?), but for this story, her getting pregnant with Izuku while in college and not finishing as a result helps form her character better. That's why Midnight says Inko isn't that much older.