Izuku stared dumbly at Watashi and the man grinned back at him.

His jaw moved up and down but no words came out.

"You won't actually be an applicant of course, so even if you achieve the top score, you won't be given an offer." The CEO continued. "Nonetheless, I think it would be a good show what modern technology is capable of."

"But..." He shook his head. "But why would they let me take part? I don't have a quirk."

Watashi quirked an eyebrow. "Well I wouldn't worry about that. Something tells me there will be a very persuasive reason come tomorrow morning." He leaned forward an grinned. "So, what say you, Midoriya-san?"

"I... Alright, if they're willing, then so am I." Izuku nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that. We'll submit an application today. Your first assignment will be to make something that can stand up to whatever U.A. has to throw at you. There are some guidelines of course, but I'll send you the background information later." Tamabunta smiled. "But, that wasn't the only thing I called you into my office for." He turned his computer screen to Izuku so he could see the deluge of emails that occupied his inbox. "Your exhibition project generated quite a lot of interest in your drones. I think it will be a good opportunity for you to learn about the business side of things. Your second assignment will be to bring your drones to market, along with any software that they need to function. You'll continue to work at Site 17 for both tasks. Although I would recommend focusing on the latter first, since any funds generated by that may be used for the former project."

"I see. Who will I be working under?"

"Working under?" Watashi grinned. "No, I'm afraid you'll have to be the project leader yourself. The products will also be released under a subsidiary we plan on creating for you. Thus, I am promoting you to level three access with special ordinance permissions. Congratulations, Midoriya-san."

Izuku blinked. An offer to show off in the entrance exam to his previous dream school, the creation of his own company, and a promotion? All in one day? Was he dreaming?

The CEO snapped his fingers, bringing the boy's attention back to him. "Fortunately, you are neither delusional nor asleep. Your's is a talent that is perhaps generational, especially when considered with your exceptional work ethic. If all my employees were like you, things would be much easier for me." He cocked his head. "Besides, I know you must've received quite a few interview and perhaps even job offers from the demonstration alone, it wouldn't do for us not to remain competitive in terms of compensation." He leaned back into his chair. "That's the gist of it from me. Any questions?"

Izuku rested a hand over his mouth, eyebrows furrowing in thought.

"What will the subsidiary be named?"

"That's for you to decide. Do you have a name in mind?"

He said. "Would Echo Industries work? I don't want to attach my name to a public entity like that just yet."

"Certainly. We'll attain the necessary trademarks and permissions. You may be able to change the name at a later time if you'd like, though don't do it too late, otherwise you might rankle our marketing department."

He nodded. "That works for me."

"Good. What else?"

"What do you mean by 'special ordinance permissions?'" The term sounded like it had something to do with weaponry, but he wasn't certain.

There was a twinkle in the man's eyes as he replied. "As I'm sure you know, the practical portion of the U.A. entrance exam involves combat using robotic enemies. You'll need to arm yourself with something able to take them on. Which is why I'm granting you limited access to some of the older devices under the ownership of our defense industry subsidiaries. You now also have the authorization to conduct weapons tests, although you'll still need the approval of Director Yamamoto to actually do them."

It looked like his guess wasn't too far off. The thought of using actual law enforcement and military grade armament elicited an odd mix of excitement and nervousness in his gut.

"I see. Then, going back to bringing my drones to market, any tips on making sure they're successful?"

Watashi shook his head. "Nothing you aren't already doing. Yamamoto will be able to give you more information, as well as assign the appropriate staff to your team."

"Right." Izuku nodded. "Then those are probably all of my questions for now. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Just one. You have school tomorrow, right?" Midoriya nodded. Despite everything that had happened in the past few months, he still needed to graduate from Aldera, which meant going to classes like any other student. He had been able to negotiate some lenience in terms of attendance for certain subjects that he probably knew more about than any of the teachers in the school, but there were still others that he had to be present for. "I'm going to be assigning you an extra protection detail as escort for the next few days. I have a feeling you'll be quite popular soon, and I want to make sure that doesn't compromise your safety. They'll do their best to be discreet, but if anything happens-" The CEO shrugged. "-your well-being comes first."

Izuku nodded slowly. The man definitely knew something he didn't, but what could be so significant as to warrant all of this?

Watashi's voice stopped him from considering it any further. "It's getting late, and you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow. Go home and get some rest. We'll have the necessary information ready for you."

"Yes, sir." Izuku bowed and Tamabunta nodded.

The CEO watched as the boy left, feeling a slight twinge of guilt at what would befall him the next day, but brushed it aside.

Can't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs...

...

Izuku heard the sound of his bedroom door opening and felt a hand shaking him awake.

He looked up, bleary-eyed at his mother, but the last dregs of sleepiness quickly fell away as he noticed her expression.

Alarmed, worried, tense. Those were the things that jumped out at him.

He quickly sat up.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Izuku." Her voice had an almost unnoticeable tremble to it. "What's the meaning of this?" She held up the newspaper in her other hand.

Smack dab on the center of the front page was picture of his encounter with Stain. One where the villain had pinned down and was standing on Izuku. His face wasn't exactly exposed, but the crack in the helmet of his suit revealed his striking green hair and a single emerald eye. Anyone that was even remotely familiar with him would have no trouble recognizing who either feature belonged to.

Painted in bold, brash letters across the top of the page: QUIRKLESS BOY WONDER STOPS STAIN, SAVES HEROES.

He didn't bother reading the rest of the article.

He gulped. "I can explain."

Inko remained silent as Izuku brushed his teeth and got dressed. They sat down at the kitchen table and he closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts before speaking.

He began from the beginning, starting with Aya and the Yokai, what they had originally been made for, and how they had eventually evolved to serve his borderline vigilante activities. He explained the joy he felt at being able to help despite being quirkless and the frustration that wracked him when could only watch as crimes were committed; a frustration that pushed him into wanting to do more and be more. All of it culminating in that fateful night when he watched Stain nearly take the lives of two heroes, until he intervened.

"I know it was dumb of me, and I'm sorry for not telling you the truth earlier. I just couldn't stand by and do nothing when-"

She pulled him into a hug and he felt the wetness of her tears on his shoulder as it soaked through his shirt.

"I know. And I'm proud of you for saving them. But-" Her arms tightened around him. "Please don't do anything that reckless again."

He hugged her back. "I won't. I promise."

Inko sniffed, then pulled away. "Good. I think I'll need to speak with that detective from before about this, but let's get you ready for school in the meantime."

As she moved to prepare breakfast, questions sprang into Izuku's mind at the mention of Tsukauchi.

Was he responsible for this? No, he didn't seem like the kind of person that would do this, at least not without giving him plenty of advanced warning. Perhaps it had been done by someone higher up with no input from the detective himself.

Or maybe Watashi had set all of this in motion. The vague foreshadowing he had spouted yesterday certainly seemed to indicate that he knew something like this was going to happen at least. It looked like Izuku would need to speak with him to figure out what he knew.

He read the rest of the article on him and didn't find anything that could give him a hint as to who might've been responsible for breaking the story. All it said were the general details of the encounter, the aftermath, and some bits of information that they must've found out about him online. He was glad that he had been careful with his web presence, otherwise a crowd of journalists would probably be trying to break down his door by now.

Breakfast was over quickly and Inko sent him off with a quick exchange of 'love you'. Izuku only made it as far as the street in front of the apartment building before a familiar face stopped him.

"Oi, Deku." Katsuki Bakugo stalked over towards him. His eyes were narrowed, frame tense with fury, no doubt directed at Midoriya himself, as it often had been. "What the hell do you think you're do-"

"Sir, is there a problem here?"

Their eyes snapped to the source of the voice, one that Izuku was quite familiar with. Hisana stood at the door of the automatic car, flanked by two more enforcers that gazed impassively at the situation.

Bakugo sneered. "What's it to you? You Deku's babysitter or some shit?"

"Izuku Midoriya is an employee of Techno Union Incorporated, and as such, is under the protection of its internal security force. Any attempts to harass, assault, or otherwise harm him will be dealt with accordingly." Hisana replied.

This was an awkward situation. Izuku had stopped hanging around Katsuki years ago, and the two didn't really see each other outside or school or when the blond was struck with the urge to torment him. But even then, he had never approached Midoriya like this. If Izuku had to guess what was responsible for the sudden change, the most obvious answer that sprang to mind was the newspaper his mother had shown him. Normally, he would've called the enforcers off and taken the time to chat with him, but today would already be busy enough between going to class, speaking with Watashi, and working at the site.

Izuku gave an apologetic smile as he stepped into the car, and the enforcers joined him a moment later. "S-sorry, Katsuki."

He had stopped calling him 'Kacchan' a while ago.

...

School was...

Strange.

It was obvious his classmates, and even his teachers, had read the story about him in the newspaper.

Eyes that were normally focused elsewhere now darted to him every few seconds. Students that would have otherwise messed with him kept their distance. Teachers who had been terse with his questions before were now cautiously cordial.

Even Katsuki, who had arrived a bit later, refused to so much as look at him. Something that didn't go unnoticed by those around him and only increased the whispering that surrounded Izuku.

Morning classes came and went without much issue, even if everyone had seemed rather subdued during them, and he managed to make it to lunch before the first reporter reached him.

"Izuku Midoriya!?" asked the man holding a microphone. He was flanked by a cameraman, whose namesake device was pointed straight at him.

Uh oh.

"...yes?" He said, lowering the sandwich he had been about to bite into.

"Midoriya-kun, what do you have to say about how you stopped Stain!? Do you think its embarrassing that a quirkless student like yourself did what pro heroes couldn't!?" He shoved the microphone in Izuku's face.

That was a hell of a question to be faced with before he'd even eaten his second meal of the day. "Ummm..."

The sound of rapid footsteps signaled the arrival of a new challenger. "Izuku Midoriya, right?" Another reporter said. "Could you tell us how you-"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I have classes I need to get to. Maybe we can do this some other time?" Izuku didn't wait for an answer, grabbing his bag and making his way to the exit. He felt bad abandoning his food, but reasoned that it was for a greater cause. He was grateful for the fact that his fellow students were, apparently, content to simply watch the spectacle rather than interfere with him, which would have been their usual response.

A hand grabbed his shoulder as he was accosted by a third, different journalist, but he instantly shrugged it off and darted away. Fortunately for him, his pursuers were slow to follow and he had already disappeared into the halls by the time they caught up. He sat in an empty classroom, silently waiting for the commotion to pass by him before preparing to move out.

"Sir."

He jumped, then turned his head to the voice. Hisana stood outside the window to the room he was in. "Would you like us to escort you off the premises? We can excuse your absence to your teachers at a later time."

"Uh, yeah. That would be nice." Izuku nodded.

The enforcer nodded and opened the window for him, slinging his rifle over his shoulder as he helped the boy out. They quietly made their way around the school, carefully pausing and waiting whenever they saw a prowling journalist, before crossing the street into the shuttle that awaited them.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. He never thought he'd need to sneak out of his own junior high school.

"Are you alright, sir?" Hisana said.

He nodded. "Yeah, just a little surprised at how many reporters showed up. I didn't think I'd be that interesting. If I'd known what was going to happen, I might've just called in sick."

"As long as you're safe, sir."

"Right." Izuku paused. "How did you know where I was?"

"Your security badge, sir. In addition to ensuring the site system recognizes you as a permitted entity, it also has a secondary function that transmits your location to central command."

"Oh." Well that was handy. Although it did raise some concerns about privacy, he was grateful that it had come in useful during this fiasco.

"Where would you like to go, sir? You're not due at the site until later in the afternoon, but I believe Director Yamamoto would have no objections to you arriving earlier."

"Hmmm." Izuku considered it for a moment. "Would it be possible for me to speak with Tamabunta-san right now? I have a few things I want to ask him."

"I'm afraid not, sir. Tamabunta-san is occupied at the moment and will not be available until further notice."

Looks like he'd have to wait to get his answers. "Then I might as well get a head start on my work. You can drop me off at the site."

"Yes, sir."

...

Yamamoto greeted him at the site entrance, welcoming him with a small wave as the door slid open to allow him in.

"Hello, Midoriya-san." She smiled at him. "Congratulations on your offer, as well as your promotion."

"Thank you, Yamamoto-san, I couldn't have done it without you." He bowed.

"I appreciate the kind words. I'm sure we'll be working together more closely from now on."

They continued their conversation as they made their way to Izuku's lab.

"I assume Tamabunta-san has already told you of your current assignments?"

"Yes." He tried to hide a grimace. "But I'm not-"

"-sure where to start?" Hikari finished for him. "Don't worry, that's what we're here for."

The door to his laboratory hissed open and he was met with the sight of three people who had clearly been awaiting his arrival.

She waved at them and they waved back. Yamamoto turned back to Izuku and gestured towards them. "Meet the team that you'll be managing to accomplish your projects."

On that cue, one of them, a bespectacled girl with her black hair in a ponytail, spoke up. "Hi! I'm Kaguya Hatsushima, mechatronics engineer. Nice to meet you, Midoriya-san!" She bowed, a little too enthusiastically it seemed, as her glasses nearly slipped off her nose.

A smooth, low voice chimed in next. "Well met, Midoriya-san. My name is Seishirou Kobayashi." A red-haired man gracefully nodded. "I'm a computer scientist specializing in Applied AI."

"Shinobu Nishimura." The next one waved at him. "Defense systems and weapons ballistics." A sharp grin framed by an equally sharp jawline. His head was crowned with short brown hair under which rested mirthful green eyes.

Izuku bowed. "Izuku Midoriya. Um..." He couldn't recall if he'd been given a title. "Student. I'll be in your care."

Yamamoto smiled. "Well, now that introductions are done, let me brief you all on what your duties will be." She led them over to the testing range, where his exoskeleton still sat and where his new Yokai were now stored. "Izuku here will be taking part in U.A.'s entrance exam, including the practical portion. He'll need something that can hold up to what they're going to throw at him, and I've brought the three of you here to help him do that. In addition, he'll need to bring his drones to market within the next few months. These tasks will be of secondary priority for the three of you, so don't expect to spend all your time in this lab. Additional background information will be available at your terminals if needed. Any questions?"

Heads shook and she nodded.

"Good. Then I'll leave you to hammer out the details on your own. You know how to reach me if needed. Good luck." With that, the director left, leaving the four of them on their own.

There was a moment of silence as Izuku looked uncertainly at the three of them, and they stared back.

This was absurd. He hadn't even been here for a year and they were expecting him to lead a team of people that were his seniors?

But he had to try. He trusted that he wouldn't have been given the responsibility if they didn't think he was ready for it.

Still, he was unsure how to begin. He wanted to explain his ideas, but didn't want to run the risk of rambling, which would probably make a poor first impression on his colleagues if he hadn't done that already. Then again, if they had already read the newspaper, perhaps such a thing was already beyond his control and-

"So, Midoriya-san, where would you like to begin?" Seishirou said, nodding towards the table. The interruption forced him to shelve that line of thought until later. He could worry about it at another time.

"Well..." Izuku cast his mind back to Watashi's words just a day earlier. "I think we should start with the Yokai. If that works out, we can use the profits from that to supplement the budget we have for the..." He never did give a name to his exoskeleton, did he? No, but it did look somewhat like a scrapwork knight made of metal, so perhaps... "Metal Knight." It was perhaps one of the most uncreative names he had ever thought of, but it would work as a decent placeholder for the time being.

"That's a good idea." Shinobu nodded and gave a mock frown. "Although it does disappoint me that we won't be getting to the exciting stuff just yet."

Izuku winced. "O-oh, sorry about that. We can start the designs for it now though, so we'll be ready to experiment with it later."

"Relax, Midoriya-san." He smiled at the boy. "I'm just joking. Don't feel the need to defer to us just because we're older. If Yamamoto-san has faith in you, then so do I."

Kaguya chimed in. "Exactly! We're here to help."

"Right." Izuku breathed. "Then let's first take a look at the Yokai, which is what I call my drones." The wall-embedded display lit up with a schematic of the latest version of his Yokai, the one used for his exhibition project had been dubbed the Hyakume, or 'one hundred eyes.' "This is the most recent model I've created. It incorporates a miniaturized holographic projector along with plasma arc speakers in a mobile chassis. The current problems are with its battery, which only lasts a few minutes at maximum usage, as well as the AI software needed to operate it. I don't think the Hyakume will find much use outside of specific niches, but I do have an idea for another drone." Thinking back to the reporters that had nearly swarmed him back at school, and the first kinds of drones he had ever built, he continued. "It would essentially function as a videographer, equipped with a camera and microphone. Of course, given the nature of the position, I'd need to change the rotors so that they operate a bit more quietly, and make sure the power supply is up to par, but it should have more mass-market appeal since it could cater to both amateurs and professionals in a wide range of professions. Depending on how popular it becomes, more specialized models could be designed to better serve specific functions." Izuku paused, realizing he had been talking for quite a bit. "So, what do you think?"

"I like it." Kaguya said, hand stroking her chin. "Let me guess, would you call this model the Hitotsume?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so." Clearly, he needed to work on his naming abilities.

She smiled. "Works for me. I can help you draw up the blueprints after this."

"Right, thank you." He turned to Seishirou, who had been silent thus far. "Kobayashi-san, could you assist me with rewriting and simplifying the software for the drones? I controlled the Hyakume using an AI assistant called Aya, but I think she might be overkill for the Hitotsume."

The man nodded. "Of course."

He bowed his head in gratitude then turned to Shinobu, who raised his eyebrows as Izuku's eyes fell on him. "Nishimura-san, I plan on targeting the law enforcement market with these drones as well, so they'll likely need to be able to take some hits from small-arms fire and quirks. Could you help me with the design to make sure it's able to do that?"

He nodded. "You got it. I imagine it'll need to undergo live tests as well, so I can help you out there too."

"Thank you." Izuku bowed. "Then before we get started, does anyone have any questions?"

Three shaking heads were his answer.

"Great. Then let's get started."

...

"I think we should replace the plasma arc speakers with transparent ionic conduction ones. While they are heavier, we should have more capacity available since the projector unit is no longer needed." Kaguya pulled up a schematic of the speakers she spoke of and the graphic was accompanied by information detailing its specifications. "The configuration is also more durable at the expense of audio quality, but the difference should be negligible."

Izuku nodded. "Sounds good. So how does that affect our batteries?"

"A fair improvement, since their purpose has shifted from performance to playback."

"Good." Battery life was always a concern when it came to larger electronics. There had been great strides made in the field since electric vehicles had exploded in popularity long ago, and the energy density of modern batteries were now quickly catching up to that of gasoline. It wasn't quite there yet, which was something Izuku hoped to correct, but it would be more than enough for the Hitotsume. "I think we're nearing the end of the hardware potion of things depending on the results of Nishimura-san's latest tests."

A new voice sounded out. "Looking for me?"

"Speak of the devil." Kaguya smiled. "Hello, Nishimura."

"Hatsushima." He nodded. "Midoriya-san. I've got the latest results ready." He set down the box he was carrying and tapped the tablet in his left hand. "Well, the drone did better than last time." The box unfolded itself, revealing the scarred and pitted chassis of a Yokai. "It managed to hold together pretty well through the full CBRN tests, as well as the kinetic stress I put it through. Function suffered a bit though - the audio and video feed started fuzzing out a bit later. Probably due to the radiation. Other than that, it stayed online and kept chugging, even after being decontaminated."

Izuku frowned. "Does that mean we should harden it against EMPs? Seems a little extreme..."

Kaguya shook her head. "I don't think we need to, at least for the general model. Maybe if it ends up being used in more extreme situations, I could see it being more valuable, but it'd probably be excessive for most people."

"Yeah, I'd agree there." Shinobu nodded. "Can't imagine most people would be operating in an appreciably radioactive environment for hardening to be a useful feature. If they are, then I'm sure they know how to deal with it. If not-" He shrugged. "-then they've got bigger things to worry about than their camera drone bugging out."

Izuku saved the design on his terminal, just in case. "Right, so it looks like this phase of the hardware design is done. Now we need to have the software updated and integrated, and then we can move on to the weapons tests, right?"

Nishumura grinned. "Yep. That's where the fun begins. I look forward to seeing how these things'll perform once you and Seishirou have had a chance to whip up something that can take good control of it."

"I understand. I'll check in with Kobayashi-san, but I hope to have it ready within the next few weeks. Until then, that's all I have for the both of you."

"Gotcha, we'll be in our labs if you need us." Shinobu waved goodbye and Kaguya did likewise as both departed.

Izuku logged the data that Nishimura had brought him before locking down his terminal and making his way to Seishirou's lab.

Racks of servers and terminals lined the walls, briefly interspersed with platforms that held a number of eclectic contraptions. Robotic limbs, go boards, handheld consoles, and more could be found integrated with the ecosystem that the man had set up. Seishirou himself was sat at a terminal, examining something on screen when he heard Izuku's entrance.

"Midoriya-san." He nodded. "I've been working with a copy of your source code for Aya. I must say, it's quite good. Especially given the limited resources you had to work with. The architecture is well-designed and only a few bugs have gotten by you. The interface is a little rudimentary but that's what our UI/UX labs are for. Aside from that however, I've been pruning some of the extraneous modules that won't be necessary for the Hitotsume, and adding others that I think will be able to make better use of the hardware. For example." He gestured for Izuku to pull up a chair so he could share the view. "This addition allows the AI to reroute functions through secondary and tertiary wiring paths if the primary ones become compromised. While this results in degradation of performance, it nonetheless allows the unit to continue operating after suffering significant damage."

"Interesting." Izuku eyes scanned over the neat lines of code. Kobayashi had even included comments to explain what each part did, likely for any future programmers that might end up needing to make modifications to the software. "So the AI will be able to physically control the internals of the Yokai?"

Seishirou nodded. "Yes, to some degree, and only within the limits set out by us. Even as rudimentary as this AI will be, it's still shackled in accordance with national and international regulation, along with our own company policy. It won't be able to do anything as wild as deliberately malfunctioning its own battery for example. I've also limited its ability to learn on its own, though even with that restriction, given the most conservative estimate our analytics department provided, the sheer number of units expected to be sold and operated on a regular basis will necessitate that the AI be served through the cloud." The man paused, then looked at Izuku. "May I ask you something?" The boy nodded and he continued. "How did you manage to make Aya work anyways? Artificial intelligence is rather resource intensive in terms of successful production and deployment. I can't imagine you had access to the energy, data, and components required to create what you did in a domestic setting."

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. He was secretly happy that his ingenuity was being recognized, though it did feel a little embarrassing to explain it since it felt like he was bragging. "You're right in that I didn't have much to work with. I had to scavenge a lot of parts and bargain for others. A lot of my electricity for Aya actually came from me sapping the public power grid. And the data wasn't too bad, I could find a lot of it online and in servers that weren't properly disposed of. It was just the labeling and sorting that took up most of my time. What helped was developing a series of adversarial neural networks that worked to train each other on what little data I had, so that cut down the time needed for every trial and error iteration. After that, it was just dealing with weird errors and adjusting each agent as needed until one of them became stable enough to become, well, Aya."

"Impressive." Seishirou had a small smile on his face, which was notable given how stoic the man normally was. "Very impressive. I can see why you are where you are now, and I'm glad you're with us. You actually remind of myself in many ways, though I'm afraid I'm not quite as multi-faceted in terms of my talents."

"Oh?" Izuku was intrigued but didn't want to push someone he had only met relatively recently. Fortunately, he continued.

"I was one of the lead engineers that designed Hachiman. I'm sure you've met him?" Seishirou's brown eyes strayed over to a security camera in the corner of the room.

"Of course."

"I was hired because I ended up successfully hacking into Techno Union's systems despite giving notice twenty four hours in advance. While I had technically broken some laws, because I had no intention of harm nor had I actually done any, they chose to sweep the incident under the rug out of a 'respect for my talent', or so they say. I, personally, think it's because it would've been embarrassing for them to admit that someone managed to breach their security. The tabloids would've had a field day with that one." He chuckled. "That ended up being a fairly persuasive reason for them to adopt my idea, which was an artificially intelligent security system that could respond to cyberattacks much more effectively than any person could. Said system is what you know as Hachiman, though I'm sure you've noticed, he handles some aspects of physical security as well."

"Interesting." Izuku was slightly relieved at the revelation that he wasn't the only one that had ventured into morally grey territory in the span of his self-education. Although maybe that was a bad thing. "So, do you still work on him?"

Seishirou shrugged. "Sometimes. Updates are infrequent nowadays since we're approaching the limit of what we can practically do with the amount of available space and hardware. But if you'd ever like to take a shot at it, just let me know. I'd be more than happy to put in a recommendation for you, and I'm sure the current team would love to have you."

"Thank you, Kobayashi-san. It would be an honor."

He smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. But first, we need to get your projects done. Having you here to help walk me through the code will make things progress much faster than if I were to do it alone." The terminal next to his came alight. "Let's get started shall we?"

...

They watched as the drone ducked, dodged, and dashed through the various hazards that were thrown at it.

The feed remained steady even as the Hitotsume twirled in the air thanks to the gyro-stabilized frame that the camera was embedded into. The audio sample being played in the testing chamber could be heard clearly despite the discordant cacophony that accompanied it as the software automatically scrubbed away the interfering noise.

A bang sounded out as a bullet sped towards the drone and it twisted in mid-air, taking the hit on its landing gear and protecting its more vital components from harm. As impressive as its capabilities were, there were some threats it could not avoid. When the AI assessed that, it would do its best to move the chassis in such a way that the damage was rendered unto a less critical piece of hardware.

Despite that however, it was clear the Hitotsume was reaching the limits of its durability as the battery, which had taken a beating regardless of the countermeasures in place, began to fail, and Shinobu quickly directed it to the decontamination room, where it would be cleaned of the chemical and radiological hazards that it had been exposed to.

Izuku turned to Kaguya. "So how do the numbers look?"

"Good." She scrolled through the tablet she held. "All were well within acceptable parameters."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Then I suppose it's ready to be moved into production?"

"Seems like it. I've already put in an order with our suppliers. Assembly will take place off-site, so there's not much left for us to do once we have approval from the director."

"I'll also have my team finalize the software and have it ready to deploy well before the launch date, whenever that may be." said Seishirou.

Izuku nodded. "Thank you. I guess I'll need to let Yamamoto-san know we're done for the time being. Would you like to come with me?"

"No, I think you ought to have the honor yourself. In addition, I have other assignments I've been putting off in favor of this one, so there's still work waiting for me back at my lab." The red haired man shook his head.

"Same here. I think one of the other project leads is about to come after my head at this rate. I'll definitely be back to help with your Metal Knight though." Shinobu grinned.

Kaguya chuckled. "You can count me in on that as well."

"I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to working with all of you again soon." Izuku bowed.

"Likewise." Seishirou bowed his head in return and the two others did the same.

The boy was left alone in the testing range as they left and he gathered the data onto a tablet before making his way to Yamamoto's office.

He stood in front of the door and waited for it to slide open, which it did a moment later.

"Hello Midoriya-san." She smiled at him. "What brings you here today?"

"The team and I have finalized the design for the Hitotsume and Hyakume." He placed the tablet on her desk and the information contained therein was automatically accessed and transferred to her terminal. "I think we're ready to shift our focus to the next project."

"That's good to hear. I'll have my team review it, but if you've gotten the approval of Hatsushima, Kobayashi, and Nishimura, I don't expect to find any notable problems." She tapped something on her desk. "Tamabunta-san has also called you into his office, so you can present him with the good news, as well as any questions you might have. I suspect he also has something for you as well, so it would be best not to keep him waiting."

Izuku nodded. Finally, he'd be able to get some answers. The man had been all but unreachable these past several weeks. "I understand. Thank you. I'll head over there now."

"Of course. Stay safe, Midoriya-san."

He half-ran, half-walked to the facility exit, caught between the desire to look normal and the desire to get to Watashi's office as fast as possible. Evidently, Hisana had already been notified of his intended destination, and the moment Izuku entered the car, it sped off and made its way through the heart of Tokyo. It was getting late into the evening, but they managed to avoid the rush hour traffic that had begun just minutes after Izuku entered the tower the comprised Techno Union's central office.

Watashi had clearly been ready for him as the doors to his office were already open.

"Hello, Midoriya-san." Golden eyes gleamed as the man greeted him.

"Hello, Tamabunta-san." Izuku sat down and locked eyes with the CEO.

"Yamamoto has already told me about your successful completion of the Yokai project. Congratulations on that." He nodded. "But I imagine that's not why you're here right now, hm? Well to save you some time: yes, I knew that the story was going to break before it did."

Izuku frowned. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I needed your reaction to be genuine. The entire affair was already borderline unbelievable, and if you gave even the slightest hint that you were prepared for the eyes that would fall on you, that would have engendered a dangerous amount of suspicion, baseless or not." He leaned forward. "Wild speculation can be a very volatile thing, and I had to minimize the risk that you would suffer negative consequences for it. I did my best to delay it as long as I could, but the media is something that I can't control. And the tabloids are especially chaotic. I don't know how they got access to the footage, or the police report, but they did, and this is the result. Despite that however, I think I managed to steer things in a rather favorable direction."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you kept up with the news?" Izuku shook his head. All of his time and attention had been dedicated to making sure his Yokai were ready to launch as soon as possible. "I see. Then allow me to bring you up to speed." Watashi tapped something on his desk and the wall behind him suddenly changed into a digital display. A stream of news stories filled the screen.

COULD TECHNOLOGY PRODUCE THE FIRST QUIRKLESS HERO?

IZUKU MIDORIYA: WORLD'S FIRST QUIRKLESS HERO?

TECH WHIZ KID SAVES PRO HEROES?

And on and on the headlines went. Clearly, the hype around him hadn't died down much despite a great deal of time passing. Other than a comment by the police stating that he wouldn't be charged with vigilantism due to the extremity of the circumstances, they had remained silent.

"You've got the entire nation in an uproar. Most people call you a hero, but detractors exist as well. It's also sparked another debate on quirks and technology. I've heard that groups are arguing that technology needs to be more closely regulated given how they're able to emulate certain quirks, while others claim the exact opposite and say since this kind of technology isn't as closely controlled, quirks shouldn't be either. Aside from that however, you still remember my offer of taking part in U.A.'s entrance exam yes?" Izuku nodded. "Good. Because they've agreed to the proposal."

Izuku blinked. "They have?"

Watashi chuckled. "You shouldn't be too surprised. They've always been at the bleeding edge of heroics. I'm sure you remember the backlash they faced when supporting more risque heroes like Midnight?" The boy nodded. Kayama's quirk necessitated minimal clothing in order for her to operate effectively, and that hadn't meshed well with the country's conservative culture. U.A. had argued on Midnight's behalf when the government had passed the act limiting how exposed a hero could be, and managed to gain concessions for people with quirks like hers, even if the act itself was never repealed. "They're focused on advancing the field of heroics, perhaps more so than any other institution. There's a reason they've remained the top school for that after all. But returning to the offer." The display changed and a bulleted list was shown. "In addition to the normal rules of the exam, you'll also need to adhere to these supplementary guidelines. The two that I expect will be the most relevant are that you are not allowed to deploy any autonomous agents that can fight for you, such as sentry bots, nor are you allowed to use weaponry that risks causing excessive collateral damage, like thermobarics. I'll send the rest of them for your perusal at a later time, but I thought it would be a good idea to let you know about those two in particular."

"I see." Izuku's mind was already whirling with ideas. Information about the practical portion of the entrance exam was scarce, but he knew he'd be going up against robotic enemies. Could he specialize his weapons so that they were particularly effective against electronics? Or maybe something more broadly applicable to show that machinery could be adaptable. Although if that were the case, then he'd need to have a more diverse arsenal at the ready. Maybe he could find something useful through those ordinance permissions that Watashi had given him and-

The snapping of fingers brought his attention back to the man in front of him, who sported an amused smile.

"I'm glad you're already considering the challenges, but I'm not done yet."

Izuku muttered an apology. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm glad you're so eager. But do note that even if you get the top score during the exam, and I hope you do, you will not be given an offer of admission. This is meant to be a demonstration, an exhibition, of how far we have progressed since the last time something like this was attempted. Your primary purpose will not only be to show off what you can do, but also to convince the world that the line between quirks and technology is growing thinner and thinner every day. I expect that you'll represent us well." Watashi leveled a serious gaze and Izuku managed to hold it with only a hint of nervousness.

"Yes, sir. I won't disappoint."

"Good. I'll let you know once we've decided on a launch date for your Yokai. Market analysis suggests it'll do quite well, so you can keep your attention focused on your Metal Knight for the time being."

"I understand."

"That's all I have for you now. Any other questions?"

"No, sir."

"Then you're free to leave. I look forward to what you'll come up with, Midoriya-san."

...

Izuku stood in his laboratory, trying to keep his hands from fidgeting, as Kaguya examined the internals of his makeshift exoskeleton.

He didn't think someone else examining his work could be so nerve-wracking. He had been less nervous during the placement exams he'd taken.

He tried to keep his thoughts from wandering down paths that would only worry him further by reciting the periodic table by column. Fortunately, he only got to nitrogen before Hatsushima spoke up.

"Impressive!" She beamed at him and he just barely kept himself from sagging in relief. "The materials are subpar, which is to be expected, but the design is excellent. In fact, that's probably the sole reason the entire thing worked as well as it did in the first place." She wiped her hands off on a towel. "I can already think of some improvements, especially with the materials that we have access to." She put away the tools she had been using in her dissection of the suit. "We can start drawing up schematics for the-"

"Helloooo!" They turned their heads to the sudden intrusion. Nishimura grinned at them as he walked in. "Thought you could start without me?"

Izuku chuckled. "Of course not, Shinobu." They had gotten comfortable enough to begin using their given names, though it was still slightly strange to hear it from someone other than his mother on a regular basis.

"Good. I've never designed something like this before, but I'll be damned if I miss out on it!"

Kaguya rolled her eyes. "Please, Nobushi." Her nickname for him, one that was the result of wordplay with his actual name. Apparently it meant 'Outside Warrior' which had piqued Izuku's curiosity as to how he'd gotten it. "You've designed enough armored vehicles to last several lifetimes, though I suppose that's the reason we're glad to have you here."

"Damn straight."

"Then let's get started shall we?" They exited the workshop and moved to the laboratory, where one of the walls lit up into a screen showing the in-house design software that they'd be using to plan out the latest Metal Knight.

Izuku began. "So the first thing I think we ought to overhaul is the frame itself. We should be able to reduce the bulkiness of it, while preserving strength and durability, by replacing the current material with a coltan-titanium alloy. The second is that the battery should be changed to one that uses a gold-cobalt oxide lattice for greater energy density. Lastly, the number of motors and servos that currently comprise the drive system can be reduced in favor of electromechanical couplings complemented by unified hydraulics installed in load-bearing areas." He pointed to the legs, lower back, and shoulders. "This should provide enough contingent locomotive force if the need for it arises, without limiting overall mobility in favor of raw strength."

"That's a good idea." Shinobu nodded. "It'll also provide enough support for the armor plating and mounted weapons platforms, though we'll need to remember to leave enough room for other features as well, like communication suites and fire suppression systems."

Kaguya said. "We'll also need a way to protect the wiring and fluid tubes as well. I think suspending them in a non-Newtonian fluid surrounded by a carbon fiber mesh should work."

"I agree. But we'll need to be careful to keep it contained. Having that slip into any of the suit's moving parts would be a nightmare." Izuku shivered. "It looks like we've got a rough idea of how the internals look. What about the externals?"

Shinobu grinned. "Well, let's start with the armor shall we? I propose that it be comprised of rolled titanium plates, coated in tungsten carbide, sandwiching layers of free-floating, insulating gel. This way, it'll be able to efficiently disperse the energy from any impacts that the suit receives while not overwhelming the drive system with too much weight. The configuration should also be sloped and rounded to minimize any possible weak spots, though we'll have to be careful to make sure that an attack doesn't deflect into an area where we don't want it to go."

"Sounds good to me." Kaguya nodded. "I'd normally suggestive electrically charged armor as well, but I think that would drain your battery too fast. What about the weapons systems?"

Izuku bit his lip as he thought it over. "Well, it wouldn't be very difficult to destroy the robots with something like a kinetic energy piercers, but I want to be able to show that we're capable of nonlethal, but nonetheless effective, methods of subjugation. I'm thinking that the primary armament, at least for this model, would be gas-fired rounds containing a metal net embedded with shock probes, anchored by magnetized steels balls that would attach to each other upon capture. As for secondary armaments, I also want to show we're able to deliver targeted force. Perhaps a swarm of micro-missiles armed with thermite warheads? Although I'd need to figure out a reliable delivery method. And lastly..." He hesitated, though there was a dreamy look in his eyes that had Kaguya and Shinobu very curious as to what his next words would be. "A show of power. Something that inspires shock and awe. Not sure what that would be though. Most explosives are banned under the guidelines that were given to me."

"It looks like you planned this out well in advance." Hatsushima smiled. "I think we should hammer out the final details and get building. Something tells me we're going to run into more trouble than we expect to."

Nishimura nodded. "Yeah, that's usually been the case with things like these. I think there are records of some previous attempts to do something similar, so I'll take a look at those as well and see if a quick history lesson'll teach us anything useful."

Izuku said. "Right, then let's get to work."

...

"How does it feel?"

Izuku turned, very carefully, since he was currently in the prototype exoskeleton that they had whipped up. It was nothing but the bare essentials, comprised of little more than the metal frame, the components needed to move, and the control system that translated the motion of his limbs to those of the suit.

"Good, I think. A little sluggish, and I keep forgetting how big I am, but otherwise no problems."

Shinobu nodded and typed something into the tablet he held. "Can you run?"

"I can try." The boy took a step forward, then another one, and then broke into a sprint. He was surprisingly agile but the noise his feet made when it met the hard metal of the testing chamber was horrifically loud even though it looked like he could run without issue.

Izuku grimaced and shook his head, trying to clear his ears of the ringing that the cacophony had inundated them with. He turned to Shinobu to see him holding both his hands over his ears, tablet hanging from a loop around his neck. When he realized the boy had stopped running, he made several notes.

"Feet need cushioning to reduce noise pollution." He opened his mouth to run the next test, but decided against it. "He can probably jump, not easily, but he probably could if he really wanted to."

"Did you say something, Shinobu?"

"Nothing!"

They both heard the door open. "Having fun?" Kaguya quirked an eyebrow.

"At times." Nishimura replied. "What's up?"

"We're ready to install the secondary systems, as well as mount the armor plating. It should only take a day or so before it's ready for testing again."

"Oh, that's good to know." Izuku carefully made his way over to a station where an assortment of robotic arms quickly disassembled the armor from his body. To maximize the effectiveness of the new suit's overall functions, the ability to easily enter and exit from the frame was removed, which in turn, necessitated the use of a dedicated arming platform to handle the donning and shedding of the exoskeleton.

The process took less than a minute in its current state, though it would likely take much longer once the entire Metal Knight was complete.

"Sounds like you'll be able to handle the upgrades then, Kaguya." She nodded and Shinobu turned to Izuku. "Want to go test your weapons in the meantime?"

"Sure. It'd be good to have them ready once the suit is good to go again." He smiled at the bespectacled girl. "I look forward to seeing it again."

They said their goodbyes and Hatsushima used the automatic carriers she had brought with her to ferry the suit components back to her lab, leaving the two of them alone in the testing chamber. The door opened a moment later to reveal Hisana at the head of a line of the same carriers that Kaguya had used, with the difference being that they carried in the weapons that the two would be experimenting with.

"Sir." The enforcer saluted, and Midoriya nodded back. The guard carefully laid out the equipment he had brought with him, along with the corresponding ammunition that they fired.

"Right." Shinobu picked up a rifle somewhat similar to the one Hisana had slung over his shoulder, though the barrel was clearly suited to a larger calibre. He opened up a box as target dummies were automatically set up down range. "This here is the net launcher you suggested. I looked back into the archives and found an old line of failed weapons called Gyrojets. Rather than firing inert bullets, they instead shot small rockets, which had the advantage of producing very little recoil, eliminating the need for a heavy barrel or hardy chamber to resist the combustion gases. However, they didn't work too well since they needed time to accelerate, weren't very accurate, and had an unacceptable failure rate. Thankfully, we've managed to solve most of those issues, and this is the result." Loading a round into the chamber, he took aim, then fired.

Izuku heard an airy snap, not unlike those from an airsoft gun, and glimpsed a dark blur surrounded by the burn of four boosters in the air before it detonated into a net several meters from the target. It entangled itself around the dummy, knocking it over and Izuku saw a brief crackle of electricity that made him wince.

The wall beside them lit up into a screen that displayed various data points that the dummy had collected. Impact speed, acceleration, amps delivered, and more.

Shinobu glanced at it before sighing. "Well, it works alright, but the accuracy is the main issue, especially when moving. Spin stabilization doesn't work since the initial velocity isn't high enough for it to kick in. I tried to replicate the spin by giving it a number of aligned microjets on the sides, but they don't fire perfectly, so it's not the best solution. Despite that however, it should be alright for use against those robots you'll be fighting. They'll likely be big enough for pinpoint accuracy to not matter that much."

Izuku nodded, taking down notes on the tablet Hisana had handed to him. "I see. I'll give it some thought. Thank you. And what about the second weapon?"

The dummy was cleared away by the experimentation system installed in the range and several more were set up as Nishimura hauled out an odd-looking device. Its appearance was almost akin to that of a Claymore mine from the pre-quirk era, but rather than a shaped explosive charge, a number of interlinked tubes were held up on the four prongs instead. "Guided micro-missiles right? It was kinda fun working on this one. It made quite a lot of pretty lights." The man chuckled. "Let me show you what it can do."

An interface opened up one top of the device and he entered something into the built in pad. The tubes opened up and they stepped back as a transparent barrier closed in from the walls to shield them from harm should anything go wrong. A moment later and several dark slivers whistled out on cones of burning gas, darting straight into the hearts of their targets. The areas they had struck lit up a moment later, emitting a sparking white glow that left dark spots on Izuku's vision when he looked away a moment later. When he looked back, the lights had extinguished themselves, but had burned a hole straight through the dummies before they did so.

He glanced at Shinobu to see the man frowning. "They're work pretty well, but again, accuracy is an issue. I installed rudimentary targeting and guidance systems into each missile, as well as the launch unit, but it looks like that still wasn't enough to make them distinguish between certain types of targets." He pointed to two of the dummies that had been hit. "See those?" Izuku nodded. "They weren't supposed to be targeted. The other eight had increased electrical activity and had been doused with exhaust fumes to replicate the kinds of emissions that U.A.'s robots would have. The fact that all of them were hit is a problem. You wouldn't exactly want to target your fellow applicants with the things eh?" The boy blinked and vigorously shook his head. "Then we'll have to figure out a more accurate system. I don't want to see you disqualified over something like this."

"I appreciate that." Izuku said. "I'll see if Seishirou has anything that could help. Autonomous agents are banned but I think intelligent munitions are still allowed, so that could be our solution."

Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "That's true, but they're quite expensive. Can your budget handle it?"

"Ah, well." The boy fidgeted, realizing he had forgotten to check. "That's a good point. Perhaps I'll have to speak with the director about that."

"Yeah, you probably should. Best to do it now so that you know where you stand. I have something special in mind for your third weapon, but I don't know if we'll be able to afford it. Still, wouldn't want to get an unpleasant surprise later down the line eh?"

He nodded. "I'll go see her now then."

"Sounds good. I'll stay here and run a few more tests in the mean time. Holler if ya need me though."

Izuku left the man to his devices as he made his way to Yamamoto's office. It was path he had taken many times before, and traversing it was becoming easier and easier.

The director looked up as he entered her office, setting down the documents she had been reading to fully focus her attention on the boy.

"Hello, Yamamoto-san. I realize I should have asked this earlier, but how's my requisition budget looking for the next few months?"

She said. "Hello, Midoriya-san. Let me check." She glanced at her computer and her eyebrows rose. "It looks like you're already nearing your limit already with your current expenditures."

That wasn't good. "Then would it be possible to apply for an increase?"

"I don't think that will be necessary." At his confused look, she chuckled. "Have you taken a look at the funds available to your subsidiary? Your Yokai have performed very well these past few weeks. I believe your company's share of the profits will be more than enough to absorb any costs you incur in the development of your Metal Knight."

Oh yeah, he had a company. And the launch of his drones had happened weeks ago? He vaguely recalled receiving an email about it, but he hadn't bothered to check it out since he had been wrapped up in revising his exoskeleton. In fact, such was his dedication that he had been making use of the on-site lodgings to stay at the facility rather than returning home during some weekends. It was little wonder that he would eventually miss something important.

She tapped something on her desk and the screen she had been looking at turned to him.

His eyes widened as they swept over the ten digits of worth of Yen that were displayed in the account shown.

That was...

A lot of money.

Indeed, it was more than he had ever seen in his life, outside of some financial reports he had glimpsed on news channels.

"So." Yamamoto smiled at him. "Enough?"

He nodded, slowly, head still trying to process the sudden boon that had appeared before him.

"Most of your assets will be kept within your subsidiary's accounts to avoid unnecessary expenses, though you'll be able to spend the money freely. However, I trust you plan on using your earnings responsibly?" She arched an eyebrow.

"O-of course!"

"Good. Then I look forward to seeing what you'll be able to accomplish, Midoriya-san."

They said their goodbyes and he left in a daze, his mind swimming with the new world of possibilities that had just opened up to him.

A/N: If Izuku is able to forget the fact he also has legs for like, a bajillion chapters, I don't think it's too much a stretch to say he'd forget about other important things as well.

And finally, the entrance exam is next! I've been dying to write the damn thing since I started this story. Hopefully, it'll come out as good as it sounds in my head.

Also, if you're curious about any of the changes to the story details or about how the exchange from the last author's note was resolved, look in the reviews.