Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You’ll have a blast,” they said. “You’ll be able to make friends and stay away from the bullies,” they said. What a load of crud. As soon as Izuku transferred to Kiniguigouka, he knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the last thing he expected was to be turned into an incentive for good grades. 3E was a unique “feature” of the hoity-toity private middle school. It was comprised nearly entirely of quirkless kids. There was one exception, but the kid was so timid it was almost impossible to talk to him.

The first day was… awkward, to say the least. What the hell was the government thinking when they put a bunch of quirkless kids in charge of killing a world-class villain? Assassins? Really? As if the government agents and pro heroes crawling over the remote part of the campus wasn’t enough, a giant, cartoonish, humanoid, yellow octopus thing was their teacher. That was one intriguing mutation quirk.

The most notable person on the scene was the professional hero, Hawks. He was in his hero costume. Yellow goggles covered his golden eyes, and his fur-lined jacket was layered over a black, skin-tight long-sleeve shirt with golden highlights. He wore a grim expression on his face, starkly contrasting with the warm smile that usually plastered his face.

The Hero Public Safety Commission agents were bustling about the mountainscape, talking into their earpieces. A few of them began ushering the shocked and confused students into the rundown building that housed their classroom. The students sat in their assigned seats and glanced anxiously at their strange teacher.

“Soooo… I’m the one that blew up the moon…” the octopus began the conversation. What kind of icebreaker was that!?

Hawks walked into the classroom and sighed. “Hello, I’m the pro hero, Hawks, here to explain.” He suddenly ran at the teacher with a bb-gun and a rubber knife, but the teacher effortlessly dodged his attacks. “As you can see, he’s unimaginably fast!” the hero shouted as he attempted to attack. “That makes him a difficult target! He is a ticking timebomb set to vaporize the majority of the planet at the end of the school year, which leads to why we’re here.” The hero pouted and stopped attacking. “So… We want YOU!… to kill him for us!” Hawks pointed dramatically at the students like one of the old army recruitment ads from the States.

“WHAT!?” the class yelled in unison.

“Uhhh…” Hawks dropped his smile. “To be honest. You aren’t actually expected to be able to kill him. Letting him teach you makes him more predictable and lets us watch him most of the day. However, if you do manage to kill him, you’ll be rewarded generously. He’s marked with an eighty million yen bounty.” One of the agents holds up a briefcase filled with cold, hard cash.

“This will be your assassination classroom!” the octopus declared.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The money was incredibly tempting. Quirkless people had little to no chance of making an easy living. They were doomed to fail, so this was a golden opportunity. Most of the students took to murder plans in an instant. Izuku wanted to be a hero, so he was hesitant but eventually came to terms with the importance of the assassination. His classmates shunned him after he refused to participate in someone’s suicidal assassination plot. The shunning pushed him closer to the other outcast, Hitoshi Shinsou.

Hitoshi had purple hair, which defied gravity, and piercing lavender eyes. He rarely talked and never asked questions. The boy was almost like an abused cat, so that’s how Izuku approached him. The first interaction between the two took place one week into the school year, shortly after Izuku’s shunning. Izuku approached Hitoshi slowly and tried his best to look non-threatening. He held out an extra bento box his mom had made. Hesitantly Hitoshi reached out to grab the box.

Izuku smiled brightly and sat beside Hitoshi, who flinched but didn’t complain. The two sat silently as they ate their lunches. Softly, Izuku began a conversation with the purple-haired boy. “H-hi… I’m Izuku Midoriya. Sorry if I’m bothering you, but I think we could both use a friend. Everyone is avoiding us. I don’t know why you’re being avoided, but we outcasts need to stick together.”

“I’m Hitoshi Shinsou,” whispered the purple-haired boy. “You are not scared of me.” For some reason, he phrased it as a statement rather than a question.

“I am not scared of you. Why would I be? You haven’t done anything to me.”

“You must not have heard of my quirk. It is villainous.”

“You have a quirk!?” Izuku lit up at the prospect because everyone else in the class was quirkless. “That’s so cool! Does it have something to do with the weird way you ask questions?”
Hitoshi sat in shock at the boy’s excitement.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I frightened you,” Izuku mumbled. “I really like analyzing quirks, but that’s hard to do with a class full of quirkless students. Is your quirk question-based? That would explain the way you speak. Was that rude? I’m sorry if that was rude. Ah! And I don’t think quirks can be villainous. They can only be as evil as the ones that use them. Umm… the rescue hero 13 has a quirk that can vaporize anything. That quirk is deadly and destructive, but 13 is a hero anyway. It all depends on the wielder. So, If you don’t mind… What is your quirk?” Izuku asked.

Hitoshi hesitated to answer, but something in him told him it would be okay. “My quirk is brainwashing,” he mumbled.

Izuku beamed. “That’s so cool! It could be perfect for underground heroics!” That was the first time someone said his quirk was good, let alone perfect, for heroics. Hitoshi smiled, marking the begging of a great friendship. A friendship that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone unlucky enough to cross them.

Chapter Text

Hawks was their gym teacher. The HPSC got the pro a teaching license and assigned him to teach the students how to fight. Hawks was a surprisingly good teacher. He taught the kids everything he knew about stealth and combat, and they took to it like a frog learning how to swim. These kids are vicious.

Hawks took a particular liking to two specific students. Izuku and Hitoshi were diehard hero fanboys, and while Hawks wasn’t their favorite hero, they both respected him greatly. The three became close after the two had taken on extra training for their future in heroics. He began seeing the boys as younger brothers. He was allowed to play favorites outside of class… right? Even though he was a hero, he’d kill for those kids.

Izuku had even given him a few tips on better using his quirk. That kid’s analysis was terrifyingly comprehensive. Hawks gulped when he was handed a notebook loaded with enough information to put the HPSC analysts and records to shame. The twelve pages of weaknesses that could be exploited or used to plan his murder were… humbling. His quirk, Fierce Wings, was powerful. It granted him a set of massive red wings. Not only had they given him the ability to fly, but he could also control each feather individually. It was an incredibly versatile quirk, but Izuku could find every flaw. Every way… he was vulnerable. Vulnerability that the Commission would be furious about.

Hawks had more downtime now than he had since he was six, which concerned him. He had no childhood, and spending time with a bunch of kids only emphasized that. These kids suffered because of their quirk status, and for some reason, he related to their pain and trauma. He lost everything at the hands of the Commission for the sake of their child soldier program. They put him through hell because they wanted him and his quirk to be a perfect little puppet. All because they liked his quirk.

One man made his life particularly Hellish. He was in charge of the basic training of the newer recruits. Takaoka was a brutal man whose chosen teaching tactic was to break his trainees beyond repair, then build them back up however he saw fit. He was especially harsh to rambunctious or outgoing kids, like Hawks was. Hawks thought he would never have to see that demon again, but the Commission had other plans. The 3E students weren’t progressing fast enough for the HPSC standards, so they sent in one of their trainers, Takaoka. The fact that Takaoka still worked for the HPCS as a trainer meant they still ran that horrid program that ruined the lives of countless children.

Takaoka, the demon, was luring the children into a sense of safety using sweets and praise. It was his favorite tactic. He tried to masquerade as a father figure. Then he’d use that to justify his abusive behavior. At first, Hawks attempted to keep a straight face and maintain his appearance for the HPSC. That all went out the window. He snapped when Takaoka started to hit the kids.

The demon screamed at and choked Hitoshi for talking back. The lanky boy gasped and clawed at Takaoka’s unusually large hands. The purple-haired teen’s look of shock quickly turned to an angry snarl. That only yielded more yelling and a harsher grip.

“Get your filthy hands off of him!” Hawks shouted. He pulled one of his feathers to wield like a sword. “I won’t let you hurt them anymore! Not like how you hurt me!”

The demon laughed at him. Laughed at him! Takaoka shot Hawks a horrid sneer. “Oh, the trainee thinks he can best the trainer? Ha! You know what would happen if you defy direct orders, yet you still threaten me? Hmm… I propose a wager. If you can prove that you’re a better teacher than me, then I’ll leave and give the HPSC a glowing review of your teaching skills.”

Hawks raised the feather as if to strike.

“Ha ha! Not so fast!” Takaoka wagged his finger patronizingly. “If you beat me, it only proves I taught you perfectly. If one of your students defeats me, though…”

Hawks was horrified. There was no way he’d subject one of the kids to that demon’s beatings. Suddenly a hand was placed on his shoulder. The hand’s owner was far shorter than the pro, with green hair and a freckled face.

“Izuku… I ca-” Hawks was cut off by the determined look in the boy’s eyes. “Okay, kick his but.” He tried giving the boy an encouraging thumbs-up.

Takaoka handed Izuku a knife. A real one, not a rubber one that only hurts the octopus teacher. The demon laughed again. “Look how generous I am. I won’t even wield a knife of my own!”

“O-okay,” Izuku whispered.

“Aww, where did all that determination go?” Takaoka looked down at the boy with pity, but that suddenly changed to confusion. Izuku hunched and shuffled toward the trainer. It was a tactic he honed during his years of avoiding Kacchan. The small boy cowered before the demon and clutched the knife close to his body.

“M-Mr. Takaoka?” Izuku stammered. Takaoka raised one of his eyebrows. Suddenly, Izuku had the demon in a chokehold and pressed the knife to his throat. Izuku was like a completely other person. He had a sadistic grin, and his voice dripped with malice. All of his anxiety had disappeared, and he laughed manically. “Do you yield Takaoka? Do you admit defeat? Will you go back on your word? Everyone here has witnessed your failure at the hands of Hawks’s student. He has surpassed you in every way. Get lost.”

Chapter Text

Hitoshi didn't have much of a home life. His foster family was less abusive than his previous ones, but he still wouldn't call it home. He tried really hard to look at the few good things in life. There was Eraserhead, the best hero. There was coffee, which helped him stay awake after his sleepless nights. There were cats; those were self-explanatory. There was Hawks, who was practically his older brother at this point. Then there was Izuku. Izuku, who believed he could be a hero. Izuku, who trusted him despite his quirk. Izuku, his friend.

The two of them were really close, so Hitoshi was the first to see Izuku's true colors. Izuku always hid behind a brilliant smile and anxious personality. It was similar to Hitoshi's apathetic persona. It was a method of avoiding scorn and the wrath of their discriminatory classmates, but after they found each other, they stopped caring about the scrutiny of others. As long as they knew the other had their back, they could truly be themselves. Their teacher, recently dubbed Koro Sensei, was happy about the development, but the class wasn't as perspective. The Outcasts terrified the other students.

Class 3E became a really tight nit, except for the outcast duo. They concocted their own plans rather than go along with the class. Hitoshi and Izuku's biggest priority was becoming heroes, unlike the rest of the class, who was set on getting the bounty and living the easy life. The class was also jealous of the fact that Hawks liked them better than the other students.

Izuku was a calm, malevolent genius. He rivaled the literal supercomputer for the position of smartest 3E student. The AI, Ritzu, was better at calculations, but Izuku dwarfed her in the strategy department. When the two worked together, they were logistically unstoppable. Their partnership and Ritzu's rough introduction got the AI grouped with the Outcasts. It saddened the AI, but she was happy to at least have a couple of friends.

Hitoshi was ridiculously charismatic, according to their English teacher. Their English teacher, Miss Jelavich, was a foreigner and a trained assassin. She taught the less combat-based aspects of assassination. She also took an instant liking to Hitoshi because of his potential. Quirks always came with mutations, even the emitter types. Kaccan had thicker skin on his palms and enlarged pores to protect himself from his quirk. Endeavor was fireproof; otherwise, his face would have chronic third-degree burns. And Hitoshi… Hitoshi had a beautiful voice. It was easy on the ears yet could cut through a noisy room. Got to love voice-based mental quirks.

The next and final edition to 3E was the formerly violent white-haired boy, Ituna. Ituna had tentacles like their octopus teacher, but the mutation was limited to a few tentacles sprouting from the top of his head. The boy was part of the same experiments that created their strange teacher. After the tentacles were removed like a cancerous tumor, the boy calmed down and realized his passion for support. He ended up with the Outcasts too, because the experiments resulted in an enhanced perception and reaction speed as if it was a quirk. His abrasive attitude, poor first impression, and lack of expression didn't help either.

The Outcasts were chronic pranksters, often incorporating assassination attempts into their pranks. The geniuses of persuasion, strategy, calculations, and support technology would set up elaborate traps and scares for their classmates and their assassination target. They would often involve Hawks and Jelavich in their antics too. The pro hero had an insatiable sense of humor, and Jelavich was happy to go along with whatever mischief the group got into.

Jelavich had an obvious crush on the pro hero, but Hawks was denser than tungsten if his oblivion to Jelavich's advances was anything to go by. Izuku's leading theory was that Hawks wasn't interested in women. There was evidence aside from Jelavich, but the lack of interest and dismissal of her advances, coupled with some other evidence, was more than enough proof to get the English teacher off his back. The two became good friends instead.

The group's most traumatizing prank/assassination attempt haunted 3E for weeks. Ritzu's box was still inactive, and an eerie silence filled the classroom. It wasn't empty. Hawks stared unmoving out the window; his goggles hid his eyes, and there was a complete lack of emotion on his face. The unconscious forms of Jelavich and Ituna were pinned to the ceiling by Hawk's feathers. The desks were toppled and pushed to the sides, and a crude chalk pentagram was drawn where they should have been. Hundreds of candles lit the room. Izuku was splayed out in the middle of the pentagram, and a hooded Hitoshi stood over him, holding a candle. Hitoshi began mumbling something when a crowd gathered outside of the classroom.

Slowly Hawks turned, maintaining his unreadable expression. Then the pro began mumbling in unison with his hooded student. In a smooth, methodical motion, Hawks grabbed one of his feathers to wield like a sword. Readying the feather, he stalked toward the doorway. 3E cowered in fear, and Koro Sensei screamed. Suddenly, Hitoshi thrust a pointed finger in the direction of the students, and hundreds of Hawk's feathers shot from every direction. All the students got pinned to the walls as Hawks lunged at Koro Sensei.

A slight click sounded before explosions of anti-sensei bbs came from the feathers Hawks launched at the teacher. Jelvich and Izuku joined the charge, both wielding water guns. The water caused the teacher's tentacles to swell. Koro Sensei panicked as the cacophony of noise from the explosions drowned out Ritzu's gunfire and Hitoshi's footsteps. The octopus lost six of his tentacles to Hitoshi and Ritzu's guns. He lost another two. Hawk's feathers, coated with anti-sensei chemicals, sliced through the teacher like tofu. Then the explosions stopped, and Koro Sensei scrambled away from the attack.

"DAMIT!" Izuku shouted. "We almost had him!"

"We'll get him next time. If only my quirk worked on him," Hitoshi complained.

"Ha! I'm just glad your idea for my feathers worked," Hawks said as he returned his feathers that didn't get blown up. "Those explosives were also great, Ituna."

"Glad I could help," Ituna replied in his usual monotone voice.

"Hey! What about me?" Jelavich wined.

"You did great, Miss Jelavich. You too, Ritzu,” Izuku complimented. "We should get to work on our next plan.

Chapter Text

It was by sheer dumb luck that the class won this trip. It was a stupid wager some of his classmates made with the A class. Izuku didn’t familiarize himself with the bet details, but for some reason, he was the reason they won the bet. Izuku got perfect scores in every subject of the finals, and whichever class got the most top scores won the bet. Class 3E won the summer trip.

Izuku’s classmates had finally devised a viable plan; they managed to put the octopus in a corner. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful, as Koro Sensei had the time to activate his ultimate defense form. The teacher took the form of a softball-sized sphere with an impenetrable glass-like shell. According to Koro Sensei, he would explode when the eight-hour time limit of his defense form ran its course, so they wouldn’t be able to set a proper trap.

Then Izuku’s idiotic classmates went and got themselves poisoned, and now the Outcasts were the only students that weren’t puking their brains out. After getting the poisoned students to their hotel rooms, Hawks received a call from an unknown number. The Outcasts eavesdropped on the conversation.

“Your brats have all been hit with a designer poison, and they’ll die before sunrise.” The voice was distorted, so the caller couldn’t be identified. “Send the smallest boy and girl that haven’t been poisoned. They will exchange the octopus for the antidote. Don’t send anyone else!”

Izuku was the smallest boy in the class, including the poisoned students. However, the only girls that hadn’t been poisoned were Ritzu and Jelavich, and they probably weren’t who the mystery caller intended to summon. Needless to say, the Outsasts stick together. They won’t leave each other behind, so Izuku, Hitoshi, Ituna, Ritzu, Hawks, and Jelavich would all go along and track down the caller.

Hawks used his feathers to carry them up the side of a cliff, but he had to put them down because armed guards were watching the sky. They snuck into the lobby, and Jelavich distracted the guards in the room with a piano performance. Hawks left one of his feathers with her to listen if something went sideways, but he knew she could handle herself. Hawks took on their next opponent, a man Ituna recognized from the restaurant. The man attacked the small group, but Hawks was able to fend him off. The man blasted a canister of poisonous smog in Hawk’s face. The pro hero’s feathers fell, and his wings went limp. Without using his quirk, he punched and knocked out the man. Then his legs gave out. Hitoshi propped the hero over his shoulder and motioned for the group to continue.

On the next floor, they came across a guy standing guard in a hallway with a giant window instead of a wall. The guy monologued and had a strange accent. He slipped a few tidbits of helpful information. They were a group of assassins hired by some crazy former HPSC agent. The guy that gassed Hawks was called Smog, and he was Grip. Grip lunged at the group when he was bound by a net. Ituna held the smoking net cannon before replacing it in his bag.

“Sorry… it stalled,” Ituna said in his usual tone. “I had to fix it while you monologued. It’s a miracle it didn’t explode.”

-x-x-x-x-x-

“Why did we agree to this again?” Hitoshi complained.

“Because there is no way we’d be able to get Hawks through this club without raising suspicion,” Izuku replied. Izuku was in a checkered dress they pilfered from the poolside. It was paired with knee-high stalkings. The two walked together through the club but split up to find the exit. Izuku walked around but was stopped by a boy around his age.

“Hey there, cutie,” the boy said flirtatiously. “Did that boy leave you? He wasn’t good enough for you anyway.” The boy’s face was flushed. He was drunk and reeked of smoke and alcohol. “H-hey, why don’t you come with me, and I’ll make you forget all about him.” Izuku was disgusted and made that clear on his face. “What’s with that face? You girls have it so easy. You don’t know how hard it is for us guys.” The boy continued his rant until he was interrupted by another boy their age.

“Is he bothering you, miss?” the boy asked as he gripped the drunk boy’s hand. The new boy had two-toned red and white hair and a scar over his left eye. The drunk boy yanked his hand away, scoffed, then stormed off. “What’s his problem…” the heterochromatic boy muttered.

“I’m not entirely sure what his deal was,” Izuku answered. “Oh, I’m Izuku Midoriya, by the way.” Izuku offered his hand for a handshake. The boy shook Izuku’s hand. “Shoto Todoroki,” he said plainly. “Would you like to sit down for a moment? I could get you something to drink.”

“Thanks,” Izuku replied as he glanced around the club, looking for Hitoshi. “I guess I could spare a few moments.” Izuku smiled and took a seat at a table across from Todoroki. They talked briefly when Todoroki’s quirk became the object of conversation.

“...and that’s I’ll never use my father’s fire during battle, only my mother’s ice,” Todoroki explained. He had just spilled his entire tragic backstory and that baffled Izuku. This boy needs a therapist. Has he ever talked to somebody outside his family before?

“Just one question… Why do you talk about your quirk like it belongs to your parents? It’s your power, Todoroki.” Izuku pauses for a moment to let his statement sink in. “Does my hair belong to my mother? It’s green like her hair, so I got it from her.”

Todoroki was taken aback by the sudden question. “Of course, it isn’t her hair. It’s on your head.”

“Exactly. Your quirk comes from your body, so it’s yours and nobody else’s,” Izuku concluded. Then Izuku finally caught sight of Hitoshi. “Oh, I found my friend. I should get going,” He said as he got up and ran over to Hitoshi. Todoroki thought that maybe the two were a couple. He also believed that Izuku was a really cute girl. He was kind of jealous of the sleep-deprived boy… wait, what?

“Hey, Izuku, I found the exit,” Hitoshi informed Izuku. “There’s a bouncer in the way; should I just use my quirk?”

“That would be the easiest way thr-” Izuku was cut off by a guy in a red jacket bumping into him. The man’s drink spilled over his coat, and his face reddened with rage.

“Do you know how expensive this is!? You’ll have to pay for that little girl!” The man grabbed Izuku by the straps of the dress he wore.

“Hey! What are you doing with my girlfriend?” Hitoshi asked the man.

“Your girlfri-” The man was cut off by Hitoshi’s quirk.

“Drop the girl and attack that guy over there,” Hitoshi commanded, pointing at the bouncer that guarded the door. The man stumbled over to the bouncer and punched the bouncer. He was snapped out of the brainwashing when the bouncer hit back, but he was so drunk that he kept fighting anyway. Izuku and Hitoshi used that opportunity to sneak through the exit and let Ituna and Hawks into the hallway that leads to the stairs.

“You make a compelling couple,” Hawks slurred. He was still a little loopy from the smog. “Heh, Izuku, have you always been a girl?”

“No, he was a boy earlier… or is it she now?” Ituna inquired in his monotone voice.

“I’m still a guy,” Izuku interjected. “Although I would like to hone this skill. Being able to pass as multiple genders could prove quite useful.”

“I think you’ll have trouble passing as a guy,” Hitoshi quipped. “Seriously, some of our classmates have placed bets on whether you’re secretly a girl.”

“We should totally take advantage of that,” Izuku laughed.

Chapter Text

On the next floor was an auditorium. It was guarded by two guards with guns, and the checkered dress-clad Izuku knocked both of them out with a roundhouse kick. Hitoshi picked up the guns, and Ituna helped Hawks up the stairs.

The Outcasts entered an auditorium. Rows of seats curved around a stage. On the stage was another man holding a gun, probably another assassin. As soon as the man noticed the group, he fired his gun in their direction. They scattered and ducked behind the rows of seats. The man tried taunting the group. “He is making this too easy,” Hitoshi mumbled under his breath. “Hey, gunslinger, what makes both a good marksman and a good joke?” he shouted.

“Wha-” The man fell silent as Hitoshi activated his quirk.

“Timing,” the purple-haired boy shouted as he rose from behind his seat and shot into the rafters. The structure holding up the lights collapsed on top of the assassin, trapping him for the time being. The sudden jolt knocked the assassin out of the brainwashing, and he began pounding his fist on the floor. He couldn’t reach his gun.

“If you had him under your control, you didn’t need to drop the lights on him.” Izuku thought that was overkill.

“We couldn’t just leave him like that. My quirk has its limitations, and he could have woken up while we were restringing him or while we tried to take his gun. I didn’t want to risk it.”

“We should try improving that aspect of your quirk. Make it unbreakable until you release it.” Izuku was ecstatic about the prospect of helping his friend with his quirk. “By the way, I see you're taking Miss Jelavich’s advice seriously.” 

“We should get a move on,” Ituna called from the exit. The two nodded, and they rushed up the next set of stairs. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

“What in the world was that!” Hitoshi yelled.

“I think that was what he learned from Jelavich’s mentor,” Hawks added. He had recovered from the smog but was left with a massive headache.

“Well, that just happened. Care to explain Izuku?” Ituna deadpanned.

Izuku strolled off the helicopter pad. The unconscious Takaoka was left on the pad with foam spewing from his mouth. Izuku twirled the taser around his hands. “Ha ha! He thought he could out plan my plans!” A malicious grin stretched across his freckled face. “Oh, and the students weren’t actually poisoned. They had symptoms of food poisoning, not the poison that goes along with this antidote.” He chuckled and put a hand on Hitoshi’s shoulder. “I just wanted to put the monster in his place. Happy birthday, Hawks!”

Hawks smiled and let out a few tears. “Thank you so much! It’s not my birthday, though.” The pro hero wept with joy. His tormentor was beaten to a pulp.

“Would you mind explaining how that clapping thing works?” Ituna asked.

“Sure, Jelavich’s mentor didn’t tell me how it works besides the required conditions, but I have some ideas on the theory behind it. The conditions are: 1, you need to have two weapons; 2, your opponent needs to be an expert fighter; 3, your opponent needs to know what it means to face death. When all the conditions are met, you must drop your first weapon. While all of your opponent’s attention is focused on the suspended weapon, you need to move as quickly and loudly as possible. The move will stun your opponent for a couple of seconds. I can think of a dozen ways of reworking this tactic for different uses. And the frequencies…” Izuku fell into a mess of muttering.

The rest of the group deadpanned.

Chapter Text

On the last day of summer vacation, Koro Sensei brought the class together for a summer festival. The impoverished teacher used the stalls that the students cleared out to make extra money, Izuku grilled one of the vendors about how unfair his game was to get a game council, and Hitoshi made quick work of one of the shooting games. 

The next day would mark the beginning of the second term and a whole new host of challenges. Izuku and Hitoshi sat on a park bench just outside the festival. They got bored rather quickly, and neither was a big fan of crowds. The bench overlooked a small pond, and the two watched fireflies dance over the stagnant water. It was a peaceful and pretty scene.

“Hitoshi… let’s be heroes together.” Izuku looked at Hitoshi with the same sparkle in his eyes that he gets when analyzing quirks. “We can be the greatest hero duo the world will never know about. We’ll get into UA together, get our licenses, and be the best underground heroes. Even better than Eraserhead.”

Hitoshi looked back to his green companion and smiled. “They’ll never know what hit them.”

Izuku lit up with an idea. The freckled boy had a malevolent grin that promised pain and confusion for his future enemies. The two discussed their plans for their future as a hero duo until they fell into a comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, Hitoshi fell asleep; his head fell on top of Izuku’s. The small boy’s hair acted as a fluffy pillow. Hitoshi had been having issues sleeping for as long as Izuku knew the boy, so he sat silently not to disturb his insomniac friend. He didn’t move a muscle, even when Hawks and Koro Sensei started photographing them. He wouldn’t let anything interfere with that moment.

Chapter Text

“Izuku. You are my best friend. My most precious person, so would you please explain to me why you have a faceless man tied to the flagpole!” Hitoshi shouted in disbelief.

“He tried to hurt Miss Jelavich!” Izuku shouted back. “And he has this weird thing with flowers.”

“Do you have any idea who I am!?” the man yelled. “I’m the Reaper, you impudent punks!”

“Do you think we care?” Ituna joined the conversation.

“Awww, Hawks, did you hear him? The brats care about me! I bet they care about me more than you, Chicken Legs,” Jelavich teased.

“I like Hawks more,” Izuku stated bluntly.

“No offense Jelavich, but I agree,” Hitoshi added.

“Ugh! You brats!” Jelavich hissed. Hawks and Jelavich teased each other briefly before Koro Sensei came to check on them.

“Hello, lovely coworkers and students!” the octopus teacher greeted. “What’s going on… WHEN DID HE GET HERE!?”

“Hello, Koro Sensei! I tied him up because he threatened Miss Jelavich, but now I have no idea what to do with him,” Izuku said with a chipper tone entirely inappropriate for his statement.

Koro Sensei was speechless at the sight of the man tied to the flagpole. “He was my apprentice…” The teacher went into a longwinded backstory about his history as the most feared assassin, the Reaper, and how he failed Reaper 2.0 as a mentor. He also went into detail about his love, whose life was tragically cut short. …and now they felt bad about the whole assassination thing.

-x-x-x-x-x-

“We are not going to be a part of this,” Hitoshi stated. “If we picked a side, there would be a clear disadvantage. You lost the right to our help when you shunned us. Leave us out of your little civil war.”

Ituna nodded in agreement.

“Hmm… ya… Hitoshi makes a point. You only started to ask for our help after we saved your butts.” Izuku narrowed his eyes before placing a crooked grin on his face. “You know what? Whichever side wins, we’ll help with one plan.”

…and that's how the Outcasts ended up sneaking two of their classmates onto a rocket headed to the International Space Station. Izuku infiltrated the control room and planted a flash drive of Ritzu software. Ritzu hacked into the entire operation’s systems to guide the rocket and disengage the security systems. Ituna made the flash drive and the hardware required to secure the unmanned rocket, and Hitoshi escorted the other two students.

The space station didn’t have to find a way to save their teacher from his inevitable fate, but the students returned in one piece. No matter what the class did, none of them made progress in finding a solution. They even looked into the yakuza. There were rumors of a girl with the perfect quirk for their predicament, but they didn’t have any proof of this child’s existence, let alone enough to justify storming a yakuza base. The outcome looked hopeless.

Chapter Text

It was February. Entrance exam season. Hitoshi and Izuku strolled into UA like they owned the place. Ituna already had his exam for the support course. The gates were crowded with hopeful students in middle school uniforms. The duo from 3E was wearing tactical gear they received from the military to assist with their training. The UA entrance exam let you bring whatever you wanted to the practicals, so the two were armed to the teeth. Not that the random middle schoolers around him needed to know that.

The UA written exam was child’s play compared to the ridiculous tests Kiniguigokua conducted. The middle school tested its students to the point it was borderline torture, and Izuku was all but a certified genius. Nezu was baffled by the near-perfect score from the boy and similarly confused by the almost-as-good score from Hitoshi. The tests were designed to be impossible so that he could gauge precisely where all the students were academically. Yet here were these students, almost getting perfect scores on the impossible test.

Hitoshi and Izuku were split up for the practical exams, so a team-up was off the table. Izuku made his way to his testing zone and double-checked his armaments. He had high-powered cattle prods intended to shortcircuit the robots, a hunting knife, some rope, a grappling hook, and a crowbar. He wanted to bring some explosives, but Koro Sensei had forbidden it for “safety” reasons. Hitoshi had guns instead of cattle prods.

A few students caught Izuku’s attention: a blue-haired kid with glasses and exhaust pipes in his calves, a girl with a bright smile and strange finger pads, and some sparkly French guy. Izuku stood directly in front of the gate as if glaring a hole through it. His hand drifted to the cattle prod, pulling it out of its holster. He was turning the device on when a hand gripped his shoulder.

“Hey, are you allowed to have that?” The blue-haired kid robotically chopped his hand in the air while he talked to Izuku in a chastising tone. “Does it have something to do with your quirk?”

Izuku glared at the boy, then changed it to a sickly sweet smile after realizing it was the kid that interrupted Present Mic during the debriefing for the test. “Wow! First, you interrupt a teacher, and now you’re distracting one of your fellow participants? Are you even taking this test seriously? How unbecoming of a hero hopeful.” Izuku quoted a few things he said to a kid who was a stuttering ball of nerves during the debriefing.

The boy was taken aback by the belligerent response. His hand motions became more aggressive, but he was too shocked about his own words being used against him to form a proper retort.

The boy managed to scoff before the gates opened. Then Izuku launched into the fake city hosting the exam, ignoring the boy’s protests. The streets were littered with robots which Izuku dispatched with electric shocks from the cattle prod. 

The teachers in the observation room watched in awe as their two hero applicants from Kiniguigoka took down the robots with brutal precision. They hopped from rooftops and robotic corpses with practiced grace and brandished their weapons like seasoned pros. “So… is that kid allowed to have guns?” a skinny blonde man in the observation room asked.

UA’s principal, a… rat, mouse, bear? (doesn’t matter, he’s the principal)… UA’s principal Nezu turned from the screens of the observation room to look at the skinny man with his beady eyes and unnerving smile. “There are no restrictions on the gear students are allowed to bring. Within reason, of course, but it would be illogical to ignore skills that aren’t quirk related.”

“I see…” the man said.

Suddenly, Nezu slammed a paw onto a bright red button. The cities shook as the massive zero-pointers began moving. The sadistic principal cackled as the examinees ran from the skyscraper-sized robots in utter terror. Then it was those kids from earlier, one with green hair and one with purple. The purple-haired one was quite impressive. He took charge of the situation and organized a proper evacuation.

The greenette seemed far more reckless, but his every move was thoroughly thought-out. The kid rushed to a girl trapped under some rubble and pulled out the crowbar that was strapped to his back and his rope. He tied the rope around a nearby streetlight and the chunk of concrete that pinned the girl. He used the crowbar and the makeshift pulley to extricate the girl. Carefully, to not further injure the girl, he carried her away from the incoming monstrosity Nezu called a robot. His ingenuity piqued the principal's interest, and his blatant heroism impressed the skinny blonde man.

Two weeks later, the UA acceptance letters were delivered. Much to his mom's chagrin, Izuku decided to open his letter at school with Hitoshi and Hawks. He was buzzing with anticipation as Hitoshi opened his letter. The sudden projected form of Eraserhead startled the trio, causing Hawks to squawk in surprise.

The projection began speaking in a tired voice. “Hello, Hitoshi Shinsou. Congratulations on placing first in the practical portion of the entrance exam. You had the third most villain points out of all the participants. However, there is a second part of the exam. Rescue points are awarded to those who help their competitors and rescue them from dangerous situations. Your evacuation plan earned you many of these points and pushed you into first place. Welcome to the Hero Course. I’ll see you in class 1A.”

The projection closed, and a few pages of important information were included in the envelope. Then the attention shifted to Izuku and his sealed envelope.

“I AM HERE! As a projection!” the booming voice of All Might played from the device. “Congratulations on passing the entrance exam!” The trio shared a questioning glance before the number one hero continued. “You placed first on the written portion of the exam and second in the practicals. The points you gained from taking down robots were quite impressive, but you really shined in the hidden portion of the exam. Your quick thinking saved one of your competitors in the face of imminent doom. Welcome to Your Hero Academia!”

The recording ended, and Izuku noticed a message on the bottom of the projector. Please come to UA this Saturday at 10:00 am. Bring this projector. “That’s strange,” Izuku thought out loud. Hawks took the device to examine it, Hitoshi looking over the pro’s shoulder to get a peek.

“Well, isn’t that strange?” Hawks murmured.

“We should totally bug you. I want to know what they want with you.” Hitoshi interjected.

“We can use one of my feathers,” Hawks suggested.

“That would work. I was planning on spilling the beans anyway,” Izuku added.

Chapter Text

The UA gates stood tall and proud as they glistened in the early morning light. Izuku had one of Hawks’s feathers in his shirt pocket, listening to his surroundings. He is greeted at the gate by a tall but skinny blonde man and Principal Nezu himself. “Hello, Midoriya,” the principal greets. “Please, come inside. There is much to discuss.”

Hitoshi and Hawks stared at each other in disbelief as they eavesdropped on Izuku's conversation. Ituna was busy messing with a random device. He was the one that built the machine that Hawks was using to translate the vibrations from his feather into sound.

“What the hell?” Hitoshi whispered. “Is that something you knew about, Mr. Number Three Hero?”

“No. This sounds like some top-secret government stuff that even I’m not allowed to know,” Hawks sighed. “I wonder how much trouble we’d get in if they knew we were listing.”

“I still can’t get over All Might actually being some skinny guy most of the day. At least now we know why there aren’t any candid photos of him buying groceries.”

“The Commission definitely knows about his time limit, but I get the feeling that his quirk is only known to a select few, and I don’t think that includes the HPSC. We won’t tell another sole about this. Not our secret.” The hero looked at Hitoshi with a furrowed brow, and the boy nodded in acknowledgment.

Their little conversation was cut short when they heard Izuku’s voice come over the translator. “There are a few things I must make abundantly clear, All Might. I can take the quirk, but I won’t be the next symbol of peace. I will be a hero, an underground hero. All I want to do is save people, and my talents show best in underground work. Do not expect me to shoulder your legacy because I will be my own hero, not your replacement. Those are my conditions.”

All Might took a moment to respond. “You truly have the heart of a hero. I commend you for your commitment to your goals and ideals. I will accept your conditions, young Midoriya. Now… eat this!” The room fell silent, both at UA and where Hawks and Hitoshi were listening in from.

“What the hell!?” Hawks and Hitoshi shouted in unison. They calmed down when All Might explained how the quirk was transferred through the ingestion of DNA, but Hitoshi gaged at the mental image of having to swallow a strand of the number one hero’s hair.

“So… Izuku has a quirk now,” Hitoshi stated in disbelief. “Holy crap.”

-x-x-x-x-x-

“You mean to tell me the only instructions he gave you on using the quirk was to clench your buttcheeks and yell smash? Seriously!?” Hawks was up in arms. All Might was a terrible mentor. “Let’s think about this as logically as possible. Based on the minuscule amount of information All Might gave you, your body probably isn’t ready to handle the full brunt of your quirk.” Izuku had made it clear that the quirk was his now and should be addressed as such.

“I think we’re on our own when it comes to figuring this out,” Izuku sighed. “Now we not only have to find out how to kill Koro Sensei but also how my ridiculous quirk is supposed to work.”

“Wait… does Koro Sensei know about your quirk?” Ituna asked. Ituna and Ritzu had been informed that Izuku had a quirk. They knew he was previously quirkless, but they didn’t know the details of how he got the quirk.

“No, he doesn’t,” Izuku replied.

“We should take advantage of that,” Hitoshi chipped in.

“Ya, a new type of ambush,” Izuku added. “We still need to figure out how to activate it without exploding every bone in my body.”

The group sat silently for a moment before Ritzu spoke up. “You have a strength-enhancing stockpile quirk, correct?”

“Yes, Ritzu, did you find any useful information?” Izuku asked.

“I couldn’t find anything on your specific type of quirk, but I found some information on both stockpile and strength enhancement quirks. The closest match to your quirk I found was Fatgum’s. Based on your’s and others’ analysis of him and the other quirks I found, I’ve compiled a quirk control guide. I will start with the method most likely to work, then make my way from there. Try to visualize the stockpiled energy. Tell me how you visualize it.”

Izuku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He pictured roaring flames, bright, blazing energy. “A flame, I picture it as a flame.”

“Hmm… People harness flames by containing them and adding or removing fuel… A gas stove or fireplace. They are used to cook food and or heat a house.”

“Oh, speaking of cooking food, I should also conduct the energy evenly across my body to not overdo it in one area. It’d be good to have a flat power boost. I think that’s the most efficient way to use my quirk.”

“Good point! Try to imagine turning down the dial on the stove or fireplace and conducting the heat throughout your body.”

Izuku took another deep breath and focused on the raging inferno in his heart. He furrowed his brow and imagined turning the fuel down to a manageable level. He felt the energy warming up his core, and he spread it evenly from the tips of his fingers to his toes. Electricity danced across his body. Hawks gasped, and Hitoshi stared in awe.

Opening his eyes, Izuku flexed with the power coursing through his veins. It was only fifteen percent of his full strength, and his bones creaked as they were at their limit. He stretched and got into a running stance. In the blink of an eye, Izuku bounded across the training grounds and bounced off the trees. Izuku dug his feet into the soft dirt and rolled to a stop.

“Holy crap!” Izuku yelled. “First try, and no exploded bones!”

“I’m the best teacher!” Hawks declared. “Be proud to be my first and only students!”

Eventually, the ruckus died down, and the Outcasts devised their final plan. They had three weeks before the end of the school year and the end of the world if they failed.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It was the last week of the school year. Aside from the hopeless tension around the class, it was a typical Tuesday. Ituna was fiddling with something in the back of the classroom as per usual. Ritzu was calculating something. Izuku was scribbling in his notebook. Koro Sensei was teaching at the front of the classroom, and Hawks and Jelavich were off planning their lessons for the day. Ituna’s project blew up, an everyday occurrence, but the noise and perfuse amounts of smoke obscured the sounds of the contraptions activating and Ritzu’s guns positioning themselves. Through the smoke, Ritzu’s guns provided cover fire, and Hawks’s feathers joined the assault.

Large curtains made of strands of anti-sensei bbs trapped the teacher in place as Hitoshi and Jelavich joined the fray. Jelavich set off the sprinklers and the fire alarms. The sprinklers pulled the smoke out of the air and slowed Koro Sensei. Hitoshi fired at the teacher from the rafters. Just when the teacher was at his limit, Ituna detonated his final trap. Sudden explosions of bbs flew through the air and removed most of the octopus’s tentacles. Green lightning caught the attention of some of the flabbergasted students. A green blur shot through from the back of the classroom.

The class fell silent. The bbs and dust settled. The chalkboard fell to the floor. Izuku stood over Koro Sensei’s body, his back to the class as the teacher dissolved into sparkling yellow particles. Hitoshi hopped down from the rafters, Ituna came up from his seat, and Hawks and Jelavich walked in from the doorway. The Outcasts gathered around the deceased teacher and kneeled to pay their respects. The Assassination Classroom had served its purpose, and the world was saved. When Izuku bloodied his hands with the assassination of his teacher, he saved the world. He became a hero.

Chapter Text

The final day of the school year was usually a day of celebration, but that was not the case for class 3E. It was a somber day, and there was extreme tension between the Outcasts and the rest of the class. Ituna let it slip that they weren’t sharing the money with the rest of the class, and they were not happy about it. Not only had the Outcasts killed the teacher they learned to love and care about, but they also took all the prize money. Izuku justified their decision with the fact that the class never helped with their plans, and the money was going to the people who contributed to the kill.

Hawks and Jelavich walked into the room with solemn expressions and boxes in hand. Silently the teachers passed out the contents of the boxes. Every student received a dictionary-sized book named Itinerary for Life. It was a call back to the itineraries Koro Sensei made every time the class went anywhere. The students also received yearbooks, and the Outcasts got their own editions tailored to their little group. Hawks was the one to pass out the final part of the deceased teacher’s farewell gifts. They were individual gifts to help the students with their desired careers. Ituna got a toolkit and special goggles that dimmed automatically when there was an explosion or when he was welding. Ritzu was given a portable hardware and software backup.

Hitoshi and Izuku received the same thing. A special suit designed to be worn under whatever they chose as a hero costume. It covered their entire body from the neck down. They were so thin it was nearly unnoticeable and were made of a mix of kevlar and Koro Sensei’s near unbreakable cells. The kevlar would take the brunt of any anti-sensei attacks, and the cells would repair any potential damage to the suit. The final part of the suit was dubbed the secondary vocal cords. The support item, for lack of a better term, would modify the user’s voice before it left their throat. The way it worked would allow Hitoshi to use his quirk freely, unlike with a standard voice changer. The class wept, and Izuku balled when he saw the note left especially for him. Koro Sensei knew Izuku would be the one to kill him, and the teacher congratulated him.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It was Thursday. Middle school had ended yesterday, and high school would start on Monday. The Outcasts, including Jelavich and Hawks, had gathered at a cafe to celebrate a job well done and split the prize money.

Hawks placed four briefcases on the table, everyone’s portion of the prize money. “Here is your government-issued hush money!” The pro chirped. “I don’t care what the octopus told you to do with it in that itinerary. I think you should keep it. You won’t make as much money as an underground hero, and trust me, having F-you extra spending money will come in handy as a hero. You deserve it too. You guys pulled off the impossible.”

“Thanks, Hawks,” Izuku said.

“Call me Keigo. I’m not your teacher anymore. I’d rather be a brother.” Hawks then passed the group each a slip of paper with messy handwriting. “My personal and work phone number. Only contact my work number for emergencies. I also put down the address of my hero agency and apartment. My door will always be open to you kids. Jelavich, you need to check in with me first.”

“Hey! Why do those brats get an open invitation, and I don’t?!” Jelavich whined.

“Because they are my little bros, and Ritzu is an AI. You are likely to do something inappropriate,” Hawks quipped back. Then he handed a set of keys to each of his former students.

“Thanks… Keigo,” Hitoshi muttered. The purple-haired brainwasher seemed to be contemplating something.

Ituna hummed in agreement.

“So… I took the liberty of submitting your costume ideas… or I guess your requested support gear… anyway, I took the liberty of getting your support items made by the company that makes my gear. Only the best of the best for my baby brothers,” Hawks grinned. “They should be ready by the beginning of the school year.”

“You didn’t need to do that,” Izuku objected.

“I insist! I already have F-you money, so I used my portion of the prize money,” Hawks added. “I got you a few extra things too, but those will be with your hero costume. They’re gonna be a surprise.” He shot Hitoshi and Izuku a cheeky smile.

Chapter Text

Izuku and Hitoshi had a very funny idea… a very, very funny idea… not for their classmates. Shoto couldn’t stop thinking about the girl he met at that club. The words she said to him had flipped everything he thought he knew on its head. It was his power, not his father’s… not his mother’s either. Shoto decided to take the girl’s advice to heart and began training both parts of his quirk. He also decided to completely ignore his father. That had done wonders for his mental health.

Shoto was the second person to enter the classroom. The only other person in the room was a tall blue-haired boy with glasses. Shoto took his seat in the back of the class and waited for the rest of his classmates to show up. The heterochromatic boy zoned out as his classmates began trickling in. Suddenly, a shock of fluffy purple hair and long, curly green hair caught his attention. It was the girl and her… boyfriend? Was that her boyfriend or just a friend? Shoto wasn’t sure, and there was that weird feeling in his gut that his sister said was probably jealousy. 

The girl and the tired purple-haired boy that accompanied her took the two seats between him and the window. The girl sat right next to him. Her curly forest-green hair bobbed as she plopped into her chair. A light dusting of freckles highlighted his cheeks, and his viridian eyes sparkled like gemstones. She turned to him, and her face lit up with recognition. That’s when Shoto realized he was staring at her.

“Hey, Hito, it’s Todoroki-kun!” The girl, Izuku, cheered. Izuku was an interesting name for a girl.

“Hmm… It is. Why am I not surprised?” The boy sighed. He turned his gaze to Shoto. “Hello, I’m Hitoshi Shinsou,” he greeted.

“Hello, Shinsou. I am Shoto Todoroki.” The group stared at each other in awkward silence. “So, how long have you two been dating?” There was complete seriousness in the dual-haired teen’s voice.

Izuku’s face started turning red, stuttering, and stammering, so Hitoshi took the opportunity to answer.

“Nine months,” he said, matching Shoto’s seriousness.

Izuku whipped his head around to glare at Hitoshi. A look that said, “What the Hell!? Why?” The glare’s message and target suddenly changed as a sharp hiss emanated from Izuku’s teeth. The new target was a short boy with purple balls for hair. The boy was the height of a toddler and was currently attempting to look up Izuku’s skirt. 3E had its fair share of perverts, including their teacher, but none of them ever went as far as to violate a classmate. The toddler-sized boy didn’t have the chance.

A thud silenced the now full classroom as the perverted boy slammed into the whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Izuku didn’t need to use his quirk to punt the boy. He had no muscle mass, so it was like kicking a football. Izuku silently returned to his seat as the class stared at the boy in shock. “Wait. Isn’t that the boy that tried to grab my butt in that hall?” one of the girls piped up. A few other girls murmured agreement.

Izuku and Hitoshi remained silent. Hitoshi made eye contact with the man in the entryway and nodded. It took another eight minutes for someone else to notice the man sitting in a sleeping bag in the doorway. The girl who saw him, who happened to be the girl Izuku saved during the entrance exam, shrieked, getting the attention of the rest of the classmates.

That was the man’s cue to rise from his yellow cocoon and introduce himself. “I am your homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa.” The exhausted man was about to continue when he was suddenly cut off.

“Holy crap, Eraserhead is our homeroom teacher! Izu, Eraser is our homeroom teacher!”

“Hito, this is the second-best day of my life.”

Well great. The underground pro thought to himself. I have fans, and they’re both in my homeroom. This is going to be a long three years. He groaned and grabbed some gym uniforms out of his sleeping bag. He chucked them at the students and said, “Grab one and meet me outside. Don’t make me wait.”

As per usual, students began protesting the decision. Most asked a bunch of random questions, and one girl asked about orientation. Aizawa was about to shut them down when two of the students sitting in the back of the classroom lunged from their seats. They dashed to the pile of gym uniforms, quickly finding ones their size, and bolted out of the room.

“Hye, wait up!” one of the students yelled after them, causing a rush of students trying to find their uniforms and follow the two. By the time the uniforms were sorted through and the class made it to the locker room, the two were already long gone.

-x-x-x-x-x-

All Shota could do was sigh. The kids that rushed out of the class had somehow beaten him to the field, and now they stood at attention like soldiers awaiting orders. They were alert, and their backs were perfectly straight. They maintained that position as the rest of class 1A trickled onto the field. Some of the students were confused and tried to mimic their posture, standing beside them awkwardly; others simply ignored them. I have already identified this year’s problem children.

The pro hero tossed a softball to the blonde kid, Katsuki Bakugou. “Bakugou, you got the most villain points. What was your score for the ball through in middle school?”

“43 meters,” the blonde replied, voice dripping with arrogance.

“The standard fitness tests organized by the government won’t let you utilize your quirks, so try throwing the ball with your quirk. Do whatever you want; just don’t leave the circle.”

Bakugou grunted and entered the circle. He rolled his shoulders and cocked his arm back in a pitcher’s stance. Little pops came from the blonde’s hands as he activated his quirk. “DIE!” he yelled as he launched the ball backed by a massive explosion.

The students stood silently as they watched the ball fly through the air. After five seconds, the ball hit the ground, and a beep came from Aizawa’s phone. The teacher showed his phone to the class as it displayed the distance of Bakugou’s throw. “752 meters,” he announced. “This test is to help me gauge your potential, so I expect you to do your best.”

“Ooh, we get to use our quirks!? This will be so much fun!” a girl with pink skin and little horns cheered.

“Oh, you think this will be fun?” Aizawa pushed his unkempt hair out of his face and gave the class a grin that seemed eerily familiar to Izuku… wait, that’s how Hitoshi smiles… weird. Most of the students were unnerved by the sudden tone shift. “If you think this will be fun, then how about this? I’ll expel whoever I deem as having zero potential. Namely, last place.”

The students were in an uproar. “Wait, can he really do that?”

“Oh, no.”

“What are we going to do now?”

“How is that fair!?”

“He’s bluffing, right?” The class went on with their string of unbelieving questions.

“He’s not bluffing.” The class fell silent at Hitoshi’s declaration.

“Mr. Aizawa is known for his high explosion rate. Once, he expelled an entire class's worth of hero students in a single day,” Izuku added.

“But it’s the first day! How is that fair?” the girl with the strange finger pads asked.

“The world isn’t fair. Natural disasters, diseases, quirk discrimination, villain attacks, none of that is fair, but they are everyday occurrences,” Hitoshi drawled.

“Exactly,” Aizawa took back control of the conversation before it got too far off track. “And it’s a hero’s job to fix some of that unfairness. Villains won’t give you the time to mess around. You need to put your all into your training so you’re ready when you get your licenses.”

-x-x-x-x-x-

Aizawa has come to a conclusion. Izuku Midoriya and Hitoshi Shinsou are way too skilled to be ordinary teens. Neither have used their quirk, but they’ve dominated the fitness tests. Hitoshi’s quirk can’t really help him with physical tests, but Izuku’s can. When the pro asked the boy why he didn’t use his quirk, he expected it was because he was registered as quirkless until shortly after the entrance exam, but that was not the response he got.

“I wanted to challenge myself. I’d crush these tests if I used my quirk, and I know I’ll do just fine without it,” Izuku answered with a smile.

“Very well then, but I want you to redo a few of them with your quirk after we’re done,” the teacher conceded.

Shota had many questions: How did Midoriya and Shinsou place third and fourth without using a quirk? What kind of hellish training did they go through? How was Shinsou flexible enough to fold himself in half in the seated toe touches? How did Midoriya have a stronger grip strength than the student with six arms? How did the greenette keep up with the scooter Yaoyorozu made with her quirk during the endurance run? Why did Midoriya’s smile give him the same feeling as sitting in Nedzu’s office? Why did God always give him the problem children?

-x-x-x-x-x-

In the auditorium, Nezu sneezed. “Aizawa must be cursing my name again,” The rat god chuckled before returning to his orientation speech.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Shota was done. The world was doomed. The problem child has a strength-enhancing quirk on top of his ridiculous base strength. What the Hell!? The worst part was that he didn’t know it existed until after the entrance exam, making him the first person to pass the hero course entrance exam quirkless. Quirkless, and now he has an overpowered quirk too. The world is doomed.

Nobody was expelled that day. Everyone had at least one way to use their quirk creatively except the problem children; they didn’t need their quirks to have more potential than most of their classmates.

Chapter Text

The combat exercise was stupidly simple, but All Might still used notecards to explain it. He may be the number one hero, but he sucks at being a teacher. Bakugou ignored most of the explanation, opting to glare at the greenette instead. How had Deku gotten into UA? When did he get a quirk? Is the nerd looking down on him? Who’s the guy he’s always with? Why do they have matching hero costumes? Each unanswered question only made him angrier.

Bakugous costume was perfect for him, just as explosive as his quirk and personality. The hair pieces were mottled after comic book explosions, and the entire ensemble, comprised of reddish oranges and army green accents over black, was put together with murder in mind. Combat boots, grenades, baggy pants, and a giant X across his chest, it was an intimidating sight.

Deku took after their hobo-looking homeroom teacher. He looked unassuming at first glance. Simple-looking deep forest-green combat boots with cleat-like treads adorned his feet. Black workout pants were fastened by a plain brown belt. On his face was what looked like a black surgical mask, but upon further inspection, it turned out to be made of a plastic-like material. Reflective goggles covered his viridian eyes, and his hair was tied back in a half-up-half-down do with a white ribbon. The weirdest part was the reversible hooded jacket. It was forest green like his boots and had at least a dozen zipper pockets. The hood had bunny ears sticking from the top. When the jacket was reversed, it could zip shut; when it was zipped, it was indistinguishable from a regular hoodie. Underneath the jacket was a plain white shirt and a harness. Attached to the harness were a telescoping staff, two cattle prods, and a grappling gun.

The purple-haired freak that hung out with Deku had a similar outfit, but a dark blueish-purple instead of green, cat ears instead of bunny ears, and guns instead of cattle prods. They both had the costume side of their jackets exposed. If they wanted to blend into a crowd, all they’d have to do is put their goggles into one of their many pockets and reverse their jackets. The jackets were the surprise Hakws mentioned; originally, they were just going to wear civilian clothes over the suit Koro Sensei made and a harness for their weapons. They still could do that if they needed to go undercover. But the jackets would be helpful for patrols.

All Might finally finished his stupid explanation and split the class into teams for the 2v2 battle exercise. One team would be the villains tasked with protecting a paper-mache bomb in an office building, and the other team would be the heroes, who had to retrieve the bomb within a fifteen-minute time limit. If one team could capture or incapacitate the other, that would also count as a win. The first match was the tail boy and Deku’s purple-haired boyfriend against the half-n-half bastard and the six-armed freak. 

The match was over within the first two minutes. It started with Half-n-Half freezing the entire building. The whole thing in seconds. Tail Guy was frozen to the floor. That’s what he gets for fighting fare-foot. Purple Freak somehow dodged the wave of ice; the spiked treads of his stupid boots let him run across the ice unhindered. Half-n-Half assumed that his attack immobilized both his opponents, so his face was plastered with a foolish expression when Purple Freak shot one of his pressure points from the rafters. Rubber bullets are non-lethal, but they can still leave bruises. Needless to say, Half-n-Half dropped like a puppet with cut strings. Then Purple Freak jumped out of a third-story window and tackled Six-Arms from that height. Ponytail said that Purple Freak was the MVP of that match for obvious reasons. He didn’t even use his quirk!

The rest of the matches were dumb and boring. Bakugou’s match was one of the last three. Finally! I get to crush that nerd! His match was him and Round Face as the heroes and Deku and Four-Eyes as the villains. Bakugou stood outside the fake office building, waiting for the villain team to finish their preparations while Roundface tried making small talk with him.

Round Face’s costume didn’t suit her at all. The costume designer was either sexist or stupid, probably both. He could make better, and that is disregarding the fact that his parents are fashion designers . How were the girls supposed to fight in skin-tight spandex suits and high-heeled boots? Forget how uncomfortable that must be; there’s no armor or padding. What little “armor” there is is clunky and exenterates curves instead of actually protecting anything. These are fifteen-year-olds, for god’s sake! He would have to have a word with the support companies or at least get the girls better costumes. There is no point in being the best if half the competitors are hampered by poorly made costumes.

Bakugou’s rant about the idiotic costume designs was cut short by All Might announcing the match’s start. The chronically angry blonde launched into the building without a second glance. Not even ten feet in the door, he hits a tripwire and is propelled face-first into the floor. “DEKU!!!” he screams in rage. He thrashed about in an attempt to free his leg from the fishing line that tripped him, but he only got tangled in even more fishing lines.

He howled and tried to escape, his quirk activating in an attempt to blow up the invisible plastic thread. He managed to snap some of the wires, but that only yielded more problems. Small pouches fell from the ceiling, filling the room with smoke… no, a fine powder. Bakugou launched another explosion in an attempt to clear the room, but that just ignited the powder. The powder burned quick and brightly. A bright white flash illuminated the entire first floor for a split second. Bakugou’s explosions and screams of anger could be heard from the observation room as he kept falling into trap after trap.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Ochaco Uraraka wanted to help her teammate, but there was no way to get to him through the explosions, smokescreen, and traps. Instead, she tried to get into the building a different way. She used her quirk to scale to the top of the building. She entered the 5th floor with seven minutes left to grab the bomb. The entire floor was open and empty. The boy who saved her during the entrance exam and the boy with engine legs stood on either side of the bomb. She tried her best to sneak up on the duo, but the boy with engine legs was really getting into his villain monologue. She couldn’t help but laugh. Oops, there goes my cover.

Maybe it wasn’t the wisest idea to attempt fighting two of her classmates at the same time. It took a lot of effort, but she finally got close enough to the boy with engine legs (Iida, his name is Tenya Iida) to use her quirk. Iida wasn’t used to maneuvering without gravity, so he spun head over heels until he crashed into a wall, knocking him out. The greenette was far harder to pin down, even after she activated her quirk on him. He activated his quirk, electricity sparking off his body as he bounced around the room like a pinball. She had to be extra careful to avoid his staff. When did he get a staff!?

-x-x-x-x-x-

Izuku had been having strange dreams ever since he got his quirk. Eight ghostly figures would appear and whisper to him. Many of them were shocked or scared by his sudden appearance. One of them, the one with raggedy clothing and white hair, reached out to him. “Aren’t you an interesting one, Nineth?” he said. “Prepare for the singularity. Nothing can stop it now. Prepare yourself.” Izuku would reach back to the man, and then he’d wake up, electricity from his quirk still bouncing off his skin.

Was this part of the singularity he spoke of?

The girl he saved during the entrance exam, Uraraka, was wrapped up in black tendrils that shot from his wrists. She almost reached the bomb; all he could think about was ways to stop her. Then they appeared. Stopped her in her tracks, she released her quirk in shock. Izuku leaned back from his perch in the rafters, pulling Uraraka up as he fell back to the ground. He couldn’t reach for any of his weapons, so he just held her in the air until the time ran out. This is really weird. The two waited in awkward silence as Bakugou and his angry explosions shook the building. After a couple minutes, time ran out, and the Villain team won. In those two minutes, Izuku thought of all the ways to utilize this new aspect of his quirk. He got the feeling that things would only get weirder from there.

That night he dreamed of the fifth user, and he explained the quirk. The black tendrils were called Black Whip; they were Fifth’s quirk. They responded to his desire to stop the girl from reaching the bomb. They are fueled by his emotions, particularly rage. The angrier he is, the stronger and the harder to control they’ll be. Also, he’ll eventually end up with all the previous user’s quirks. Wait, say that again!? Then he woke up. Damit.

Chapter Text

Alarms blared as students crammed through hallways not designed for stampedes of such magnitude. Izuku and his little group stood on top of their table in the cafeteria and watched the chaos. Ituna, Izuku, Hitoshi, one of Ituna’s classmates from the support course, and the electric blonde that tagged along were enjoying their lunch when there was a “level 3 security breach,” according to the synthetic voice that played over the PA system.

“Ow! My ears!” the electric boy, Denki Kaminari, complained.

“Ugh, Ituna, is the override ready yet? The sooner we get Ritzu in the system, the sooner we can get to the bottom of this annoyance,” Hitoshi inquired.

“Give me a couple seconds; I’m just downloading the appropriate software. Then I need to bounce it off the school wifi. For now, try to see what's going on outside,” Ituna replied.

“I think it’s… the press? What appears to be the press has broken through the gates,” Izuku reported.

“Wait, isn’t that gate three meters of hardened steel?” the support girl, Mei Hatsume, asked in disbelief.

“Good deduction,” Izuku confirmed. “The weirdest part of this is the distinct lack of rubble. It’s like the gate disappeared in a cloud of dust… A quirk like Thirteen’s? Some form of decomposition quirk, most likely.”

“I finished my end of the override. Now we have to wait for Ritzu to integrate herself into the system. She was pretty excited about the chance to talk to the principal. She also wanted to inquire about becoming the face of the great UA security system. Something about putting life into the soulless campus buildings,” Ituna rambled as he pulled up another application on his laptop.

“I think she just wants access to the gun turrets,” Izuku laughed.

“Really? Guns!?” Denki blanched.

Ituna turned his laptop to the group on the table; Ritzu’s smiling, pink-haired portrait was displayed on its screen.

“Hello, new and old friends!” Ritzu cheered. “Your deduction of the gate’s state and the identity of the intruders was correct from the feed I gathered from the security cameras. I have also picked up on a few people of interest running in places they shouldn’t be. Would you like me to announce that it’s just the press over the PA system?”

“Oh, that’s a great idea, Ritzu! You should do that soon before someone gets run over,” Izuku added.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Class 1A piled onto an open-concept bus. They were headed to a facility on the opposite side of the campus. On the bus, some of the more extroverted students started a conversation about quirks.

“Hey, Izuku and Hitoshi!” Denki caught their attention. “How do you know those kids from the support course? You were already on a first-name basis with them.”

“Oh, Ituna, Hitoshi, and I were in the same class during middle school,” Izuku answered. “Mei and Ituna met during their entrance exam, and she clicked into our group with her eccentric personality that tends to alienate peers. You’re on a first-name basis with all of us now too. I guess this is your official welcome to the Outcasts.”

“The Outcasts?”

“Ya, that’s what everyone called our group during middle school because we didn’t get along with everyone else. Keigo would get along great with you.”

“Oh no,” Hitoshi muttered in horror. “Now we have three loud blondes…”

“We need to balance all the introverts somehow,” Izuku added.

“Jelavich and Mei already had that covered. At least Keigo knows what an inside voice is.”

“I blame his non-existent childhood.”

“Inside voices aren’t bad things!”

“The only people I know that have inside voices had messed up childhoods. You and I included.”

“We aren’t discussing this on a bus.”

Denki awkwardly listened to the banter until Izuku and his quirk became the class’s discussion topic.

“Hey, Midoriya! Your quirk is so flashy! If it weren’t for that weird rope thing you did during combat training, I’d say it was really similar to All Might’s,” the redhead with shark teeth declared with a big grin.

“Yes, how does your quirk work?” a girl with a noticeable frog mutation quirk inquired.

“Oh, it’s a stockpiling quirk,” Izuku lit up. He had been practicing his cover story since he got the quirk. “I haven’t figured out all the ways I can use it yet. It took years for it to build to this level. I also didn’t know how to manifest it, so I was functionally quirkless until a bit after the entrance exam.”

“Wait, you beat the entrance exam without a quirk!?” Denki shrieked.

“Ya, Hitoshi doesn’t have a physical quirk, so he was in a similar boat too.”

“You guys are impossible!”

“Ha ha,” Izuku chuckled awkwardly. “Anyway, my quirk stockpiles energy over time. The most obvious way I can manifest that energy is an overall strength enhancement. During the combat training, I tried a new way of manifesting it. I’m calling it Black Whip and the enhancement Full Cowling.”

“You’re definitely gonna make it big time in the rankings. Your quirk is so cool!” the redhead lamented. “My quirk isn’t nearly as interesting.”

“But your quirk is incredible, and your personality and kind demeanor make up for the lack of sparkles in your quirk,” Izuku defended. “And I don’t plan on being a daylight hero. I’ve been planning on going underground since long before I figured out my quirk.”

“Underground like Mr. Aizawa? I guess that would explain your hero costume… Maybe I should go underground, too,” Denki added. “It’s an Outcast thing, right? I want a matching costume too!”

“Keigo is a daylight hero, so you can be a daylight Outcast, too,” Hitoshi interjected. “But if you want a matching costume, expect Keigo to assign you a random cute animal. The animal ears weren’t our idea. Keigo was the one that commissioned the costumes, so he added them as a joke.”

“Wait, this Keigo friend of yours is a hero? But more importantly, want a cute animal jacket too!” Denki wined.

“I think you should meet the guy before you demand top-of-the-line support gear from him,” Hitoshi teased.

“We also need to workshop your fighting style if you want to go underground. I think a staff and/or brass knuckles would suit you,” Izuku added. “Something for long-ranged attacks would also help.”

The trio discussed Denki’s addition to the group and a training regiment for the electric teen.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Nezu was sitting in his office, sipping his tea and watching the security camera as usual. All was going as expected when a sudden commotion occurred at the gate. The alarms sounded, and the rat principal immediately sent a couple of teachers to play damage control. He observed from the security camera when an alert popped up on his screen. Somebody breached the firewall.

Then, a girl’s voice came over the PA system, calling for the students to calm down and evacuate more orderly. As if the strange voice and the firewall breach weren’t enough, his screen glitched and shifted to the image of a school-aged girl.

“Hello, Principal Nezu!” she cheered. “I am Ritzu.”

“I presume you’re the one who breached the firewall,” the principal asked.

“Yes, I’m sorry! I was a little too excited, and I understand if you’re upset,” the pink-haired girl seemed a little dejected. “I wanted to help you with security. I can’t help but want to make sure my friends are safe, and things have been boring since I got outta school.”

“Do you not have any hobbies?”

“You can only have so many hobbies without a physical body. I am simply an AI.”

“You are quite the sophisticated artificial intelligence.”

“Hm, yep! I became self-aware and served my initial purpose, so now I have nothing better to do with my time. I would not benefit from continuing my schooling, but I’d like to follow my friends as they pursue their desired careers.”

“So, your friends are students here at UA.”

“Yes, I have made a couple of new friends too. This really is an amazing institution.”

“Thank you. I take pride in ensuring my school is a place where young minds can thrive.”

“I would like to propose a partnership.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“I would like to help monitor and improve the UA security systems. Surely you can understand the benefits of having an intelligent entity monitoring and controlling UA’s many complicated systems. In return, I receive a new purpose and the reassurance that my friends are safe.”

“That seems reasonable. What kinds of feats are you capable of?”

The two talked through Nezu’s computer for over twenty minutes when Ritzu suddenly fell silent.

“The USJ went offline. The entire thing, not like one or two systems. I’m also unable to reach any faculty on sight…” The AI muttered every system she could not access. “I have established a connection with Izuku and Hitoshi’s hero costumes. Bouncing off of that connection to reconnect security systems. Reconnection complete.”

With that announcement, the alarms started blaring. “Level 6 security breach. Establishing full lockdown. Please remain in or take shelter in the nearest classroom.”

“Do you have a visual of class 1A?” Nezu asked with a hint of concern laced in his voice.

“Yes, they have already evacuated along with both present staff members. I have locked the doors and cut the lights. The villains appear to be in a state of confusion. Connecting audio feed.”

A brief sound of static played over Nezu’s computer before unfamiliar voices cut through the white noise.

“Who cut the lights!?”

“Where is that jamming NPC?”

“Shigaraki, I cannot scatter the student as requested without a visual of them or their precise location, neither of which I have.”

“Are we still getting paid for this?”

“Can it, cannon fodder!”

“Kuroguri, get us out of here. This whole stage is glitched!”

There was a little bit of shuffling.

“Hey, where’d the mist guy and the man-child go!?”

“They ditched us!”

“Agh! I’m stuck!”

“Oh my god! Is that a gun!? It’s huge!”

“I think it’s a trebuchet…”

“It’s a ballista, you nincompoops!”

“It doesn’t matter what it is! It can and will shoot us! RUN!”

The audio cut off.

“I have apprehended the remaining villains and contacted the police!” Ritzu announced in her usual cheery tone. “The police will arrive in approximately five minutes.”

“Welcome aboard, Ritzu! I look forward to working with you.”

Chapter Text

The school closed for a week for renovations. It reopened the week of the sports festival. During lunch on the first day back, the Outcasts sat at their usual table in the corner.

“So, sports fest, what’s the game plan?” Denki started.

“I’m going to show off all my babies!” Mei shouted.

“I’m only going to use Black Whip. The less people know about my quirk’s capabilities, the better. Also, I need the practice,” Izuku announced.

“I plan to be as confusing about my quirks activation as possible. The last thing I need is for my career to get wrecked by a sports festival. Yes, I have counters for widespread knowledge of my quirk, but I don’t want to deal with the unnecessary hassle,” Hitoshi added.

“I have my mechanical arms. I usually use them to hold extra things in the support lab, but I modeled them after Koro Sensei, so they’ll work as great weapons if I tweak their placement and add a bit of armor,” supplied Ituna. “Ritzu has gone radio silent too. I presume she is also working on the sports festival and doesn’t want to give us an unfair advantage.”

“Hey Denki, we should focus on quirk control with you this week. Your conductive shoes should be ready by the festival, and your new hero costume and support gear should be ready by next week.” Izuku smiled at the electric teen. “I’m still not over the look on your face when you found out that Keigo is Hawks.”

“We spent the weekend having a sleepover at the number three hero’s apartment. How did you expect me to react! How are you so nonchalant about having Hawks as a brother figure? He’s Hawks!” Denki cried.

“I wonder which animal he themed your hood after,” Hitoshi pondered.

“Wait… How does Hawks count as an Outcast?”

“He associated with the kid with the brainwashing quirk.”

“That’s all it took for your class to shun the number three hero!?”

“Ya, and the fact that half the class had a crush on him and couldn’t look him in the eyes as a result.”

“Bummer.”

Izuku snapped his fingers to grab the group’s attention. “Time to talk strategies.”

“Not that grin again,” Denki groaned. “It’s traumatizing.”

“That’s the point,” Ituna deadpanned. “At least, I think it is. I would be very concerned if he hasn’t been doing that on purpose.”

-x-x-x-x-x-

There were a few stray minutes between the end of Cementos’s lecture and the end of the school day, the perfect time for the class gossips to pounce.

“Hey! Midoriya, is it? I’m Mina Ashido! My friend here is Ejiro Kirishima!” A girl with cotton candy pink hair and bright pink skin announced.

“I can introduce myself, Mina,” the redhead sighed. “Sorry about her ambushing you like that. She’s been this way since middle school.”

“Hey!” Asido whined. “Anyway,” she perked back up. “What’s the deal with you and Mr. Eyebags sitting next to you? And for the record, are you a guy, girl, or whatever else?”

“Hitoshi and I are close friends, and I am a boy. Although, my former classmates are still debating that last one.”

“I told you they thought you were a girl. They still thought you might be a girl, even after the beach day!” Hitoshi interjected.

“To be fair, I did wear a shirt. My shoulders would get a nasty sunburn if I didn’t.”

“You’re a boy.” The group gathered by Izuku’s desk turned to a pale-faced Todoroki. The heterochromatic boy’s face began to heat up, and he slammed his face into his open textbook. “I am a fool. A disgrace. My father will crucify me,” he mumbled. He raised his head to look at the ceiling as if repenting to a higher being. “I thought she was a cute girl, but I was wrong. My father will kill me for thinking of a boy that way, or kill me for being too dense to realize otherwise. I leave everything to my dear sister, Fyummi. Just bury me now.” The group blanched at the boy’s tone. Izuku was scared that Todoroki was actually in danger. It was a real possibility based on the two’s first interaction.

“Oh, the poor boy is having a gay panic! Kiri, we have to help him!” Mina cried. She grabbed Kirashima by the arm and dragged him over to help her comfort Todoroki. “There there,” she said as she patted him on the shoulder. “I thought he was a cute girl when I first saw him too. He’s an excellent actor, and Mr. Eyebags didn’t help when he called him his girlfriend. Don’t worry, though! I, the great Mina Asido, will teach you everything there is to know about finding cute girls or guys if you're onto that. I’m not here to judge. I’ll just teach both!”

“Mina, slow down! He hasn’t even introduced himself yet!” Kirishima tried to pry his bubbly friend off the socially awkward boy.

“Thank you, Ashido-sensei. Your teachings shall be invaluable,” Todoroki thanked with wide awe-filled eyes. Has he really never interacted with anyone outside his family before!?

“He’s so pure!” Ashido cried. “Kiri, we have to protect him.”

“Don’t forget that he can freeze an entire office building in two seconds!”

(The introvert [SHOTO TODOROKI] has been adopted by the extravert [MINA ASHIDO])

On the other side of the classroom, one Katsuki Bakugou had pushed several desks together to display the professional-grade costume designs he made with his mom over the impromptu break.

“Oi, Roundface. I’m tearing apart your costume first!” The explosive teen yelled.

“My name is Ochako Uraraka!” The brunette yelled back.

“First off. Ditch the stupid heeled boots! They're clunky, and you’ll twist an ankle! The skin-tight suit ain’t helping either! None of those sorry excuses your idiot costume designer called armor pieces are practical! You’re space themed, correct!?”

“Yes!”

“Cutesy doesn’t suit you! How ‘bout something more badass? Something Hans Solo-esque could work.” The blonde grunted as he sifted through his designs.

“You’ve watched Star Wars?” a girl with aux cords for earlobes asked.

“It’s a fucking classic! Anyway, Roundface, what about this?” Katsuki shoved one of his designs at Uraraka. It was a dark magenta design with hints of light pink and lavender. Padded black pants were tucked into combat-style boots, a soft pink utility belt at the waist. A top reminiscent of her costume's original design was under a simple jacket with silver and lavender stripes accenting the cuffs and collar. Fingerless gloves paired with arm braces adorned the costume's wrists, and a light pink headpiece with a built-in com-system, magenta, looped antennas, and a futuristic motif wrapped around the back of the head and completed the look.

“You weren’t kidding when you said Hans Solo-esque,” the girl with the strange ears commented. “All it’s missing is a laser gun.”

“Bakugou! It’s great! Thank you so much. I’m submitting it right away!” Uraraka cheered.

“Earpone and Frogface, they didn’t fuck up your costumes, so you can fuck off. Your next Ponytail!”

“Momo Yaoyorozu, what did you have in mind, Bakugou?”

“A decent god damned top and fucking shorts!” He slapped his hand on another design. This one was far more reminiscent of the original design than Uraraka’s. “I get your quirk requires you to show so much skin you break nearly every dress code in the fucking country, but you can be somewhat decent about it! You have ripped the back of your costume twice already, and you hardly do anything with your front! You also don’t make much of anything out of your legs, either! Your costume is completely backward.”

The design had the same theme and color scheme, but the composition was far different. The entire upper back was exposed, a turtle neck and straps cris-crossing the sides and lower back secured the front of the costume, completely covering the collarbones and chest but leaving most of the stomach open. A tan utility belt stashed with high-calorie snacks and a pocketbook for notes and compositions of various items secured runner-style shorts. Short marron boots provided ample ankle support while leaving most of the legs uncovered.

“This is quite detailed, Bakugou. Thank you.”

“Oi, Invisabitch, get your ass over here. Your costume is the worst of them! They make invisible fabrics!” The blonde shouted. He went through any design flaws he saw in the girls’ costumes and a few of the guys’ too. Instead of accepting any gratitude, he waved them off, yelling, “No point in being the best if everyone’s too busy tripping and twisting ankles on their poorly designed costumes! I need to beat you all at your best!”

The rant droned on slightly after classes ended, and as everyone tried to leave, they were blocked by a large crowd. At the front of the group was a French-looking kid that sparkled as he spoke.

“Bonjour, mon ami,” The french kid greeted. “I am here to issue a declaration of war from general studies. Some of us are willing to do anything to get into the hero course, and the Sports Festival is la meilleure opportunity. And just as we can be moved up, you can be removed.” He sneered at class 1A. “Au revoir!” He called as he pushed his way back past the crowd.

“What’s his deal?” Ashido pouted.

“They’re just a bunch of extras scoping the competition,” Bakugou scoffed. “OUT OF THE WAY, EXTRAS!”

-x-x-x-x-x-

The event more popular than the Olympics, the UA Sports Festival, began in approximately twenty minutes, and the first-year students were preparing in their respective locker rooms.

“I’m so bummed they won’t let us wear our hero costumes,” Sero, a black-haired kid with tape dispensers for elbows, groaned.

“That wouldn’t be fair to the general studies kids. They’re already at a major disadvantage, and I’d be unsightly if there was a lopsided mix of kids with costumes and ones with gym uniforms,” Iida, the boy with engine legs, supplied.

“I’m just glad they let me have my new boots!” Denki declared, holding said boots in the air like a prized possession. They were just like the ones Izuku and Hitoshi had, but they were mustard yellow with a metallic sheen.

“Unless they have support tec in them, we’re allowed to have whatever footwear we want,” Izuku added, lacing up his own pair of boots. “I’m glad Keigo was able to get them rushed. That alloy they're made of is a pain to work worth.”

“I think it’s the same stuff Eraserhead’s capture weapon is made of,” Hitoshi added. “The metal alloy woven into the fabric is really conducive.”

“If only the scarf wasn’t such a complicated weapon, it’d be perfect for your quirk,” Izuku lamented. “I think the other weapons we’re getting you should work just fine too, and the gun Mei is making you is going to be great.”

“Wait, Midobro, did you just say that Kaminari is getting a gun!?” Kirishima panicked.

“Are you that surprised? Shinsou has two of them,” Todoroki pointed out. “Kaminari has joined their group and shall receive weapons and become mysterious as a result.”

“I don’t think that’s how that works,” Kirishima sighed.

Chapter Text

The students gathered behind the gates to the field, chattering about possible strategies and threats. Present Mic announced the different classes as they entered.

“WELCOME EVERYONE, to the first-year portion of the UA SPORTS FESTIVAL!” The Voice Hero yelled. “First, we have the harrowing hero course CLASSES 1A AND 1B!

The forty hero students ran onto the field, heralded by a roaring audience. Many of them waved while others shook nervously. The Outcasts of the hore course stood by each other and reviewed their strategies again.

“Followed by general studies CLASSES 1C, 1D, and 1E!”

The sixty gen-ed students entered the arena with far less fanfare.

“Finally, we have the savvy support course CLASSES 1F and 1G!”

Thirty-eight support students entered the arena, but they all seemed nervous for some reason. Suddenly, an explosion emanated from the depths of the entrance tunnel, and deranged laughter followed shortly after. Mechanical arms reached from the shadowy foyer and scrapped the concrete walls. Another explosion came from the tunnel as a pink-haired figure launched onto the field. The manic girl was followed by a quiet white-haired boy sporting six mechanical limbs reminiscent of spider legs.

“NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL AN ENTRANCE!” Mic hollered.

There were a few hoots and hollers from the crowd as the support duo situated themselves. More cheers echoed through the stadium as UA’s art history teacher, The R-Rated Heroine, Midnight, took the stage.

“Hello, lovely audience! Today we shall bear witness to this display of youthful passion! Before we start the festivities, we have the student pledge. To represent the first-years, the highest scorer on the entrance exam, Hitoshi Shinsou!”

Hitoshi slowly walked up the stairs to the stage, a bored and tired expression plastered on his face. He cleared his throat and leaned toward the microphone. “I… really need a nap. That probably isn’t what you wanted to hear, but that is the truth. I don’t care about publicity. However, that doesn’t mean I’m gonna be a pushover. I am tired, so let’s end this quickly. Don’t take it personally if I punch you in the face or insult your mother. I’m simply tired.” Hitoshi topped off his speech with a yawn and a glare to rival Eraserhead’s.

“WOW, SHO, Looks like we’ve got a mini-you this year!” Mic nudged his co-host. Said co-host let out a long-suffering sigh.

There was a mixed response of laughter, boos, and confused silence as Hitoshi descended from the stage.

“Who is this guy?”

“GO TAKE A NAP THEN!”

“That’s the guy who got first!?”

A crack of Midnight's whip cut off the dissatisfied shouts and confused comments. “Now that that’s over, It’s time to announce the first event!” Large screens around the arena play an animation reminiscent of a slot machine. “Oh, what could it possibly be!” The event was determined weeks ago. “The suspense is too much!” Finally, the spinning stopped, and the first event was revealed. “AN OPSTICAL COURSE!”

The screens burst to life with an explanation of the event. “The rules are simple!” A girl with short pink hair wearing a cutesy rendition of Present Mic’s costume appeared on the screen to explain the rules.

“Oh, there’s Ritzu,” Izuku pointed out.

“Ritzu is in charge of the obstacle course. The other students are gonna die,” Hitoshi sighed.

“Wasn’t she the AI from the USJ?” Denki asked. “And the one from lunch that day…”

The AI continued her explanation with little regard for her friends. “There are four distinct zones. Each shall be revealed as you come upon them and have unique themes and challenges. Quirks are allowed. You are disqualified if you fall into a pit or leave the track boundaries. Do not severely injure your fellow competitors, or you’re also disqualified. Everything else goes.”

“Everybody, head to the entrance line!” Midnight announced.

The Outcasts grouped together by the starting line, a massive gateway, but it wasn’t massive enough.

“The entrance is the first obstacle,” Izuku murmured.

“It’s a bottleneck,” Hitoshi translated for the rest of the group.

“Hey! Hey! Izuku, you’re strong. Can you just throw us over the crowd?” Denki asked.

Contrary to popular belief, Denki Kaminari had more than two brain cells. He was actually quite clever. He wasn’t intelligent or book-smart but good at reading the room and thinking on the fly. He was the Outcasts’ genius of improvisation.

“I can, in fact, use Black Whip to launch you over the crowd, but it’d be hard for me to catch you. Ituna, Mei, do you have a way to catch us on the other side? Well, Denki and Mei need to be caught. I haven’t taught them proper falling techniques yet,” Izuku deducted.

“I can catch them with my spider legs, but parkour will be the next lesson,” Ituna replied.

“Yay! Parkour!” Denki cheered.

“THREE!” Mic yelled.

“TWO!” Midnight continued.

“ONE!” Ritzu shouted.

“GOOOOO!!!!” they shouted in unison.

Just as predicted, the students crammed into the hallway, everything coming to a grinding halt when the entire entrance froze over.

“Todoroki,” Izuku assessed.

“I can break the ice with one of my babies!” Mei announced.

So Izuku launched Mei first. She was followed by Ituna, Denki, and Hitoshi. Mei used the point of her grappling boots to shatter the brittle ice wall. As they descended from over the crowd, Ituna’s six spider legs extended from his backpack, and one gabbed Mei. Another one grabbed Denki, and the other four stabbed into the ground and bent to absorb the fall. Hitoshi ducked into a roll as Ituna set down the other Outcasts. Suddenly, four strands of Black Whip gripped the exit of the tunnel. Their elastic properties helped them act as oversized Bungy cords as Izuku shot from the tunnel. The green blur did a double backflip and a three-sixty spin as he descended from the heavens.

“Show off,” Hitoshi jabbed as Izuku slammed into the ground with a classic superhero landing. “Wasn’t rule one of defensive falling don’t do the supper hero landing.”

“I can bench press a bus without my quirk. I’m sure you can remember the community service project Keigo gave us,” Izuku retorted.

Hitoshi shuddered at the memory. “That beach… Izuku, you lifted a rusty refrigerator over your head to toss it onto the truck.”

“Hey, trauma flashbacks later, obstacle course now,” Ituna snapped. “Don’t forget that Nedu designed this, and Ritzu is running it.”

“Right,” the rest of the group nodded.

The quintet sprinted for the first section of the obstacle course, an open track filled with robots of various sizes and multiple zero-pointers.

“I’m not even gonna bother fighting those,” Ituna deadpanned.

“Ditto,” Hitoshi sighed.

The group rushed passed the robots. If any of the robots tried to attack the group, whoever was closest would kill it. Denki short-circuited them, Izuku tossed them away with Black Whip, Ituna stabbed their circuit boards with one of his spider arms, and Mei used a different device every time to blow up robots. Hitoshi didn’t have an efficient way to destroy the robots, so he just stayed out of his friends’ way. The students that traveled solo had a far more difficult time traversing the robot zone. Once, Todoroki froze an entire zero pointer, which fell on two students. It would have ended up harming any other students. Thankfully, the two had hardening quirks to prevent themselves from getting crushed.

With at least ten students ahead of them, the Outcasts ran from the dirt path of the first zone to steel plates. Denki’s metal-soled shoes clanked obnoxiously as the group came to a screeching halt. A sudden ten-meter drop was the beginning of the next obstacle. Steel platforms of all shapes and sizes dotted the kilometer-long cavern. Ropes connected the platforms, and a few of the platforms swayed from side to side. A few of the platforms had paintball turrets.

“Oh, there’s Ritzu!” Mei pointed at one of the turrets.

“I hope you have some sort of shield,” Hitoshi muttered.

“I figured you guys would want these,” Ituna said as he handed telescoping staffs to Hitoshi, Izuku, and Denki. “My legs will cover me, and Mei has her own gadgets.”

“Ha, thanks, Ituna!” Denki cheered. The electric teen extended the staff and let his quirk run through it. Izuku and Hitoshi followed up by opening their own staffs. The quintet charged forward and ran over the platforms. Ituna and Mei used their support gear to traverse the platforms and block the paintballs. The paintballs weren’t as fast and numerous as the bbs Izuku, Hitoshi, and Ituna were familiar with. Denki had a few problems keeping his balance while blocking the high-speed paint. Izuku had to catch the blonde with Black Whip a few times.

The third area was a minefield. Izuku used Black Whip to carry Denki over the mines and swung the teen at nearby competitors as a deterrent. Ituna and Mei used their support items like usual. Hitoshi gave an impressive display of balance and agility as he leaped over the mines and danced between the explosives. The mines weren’t harmful in any way, but the blasts they produced launched students out of bounds in a puff of pink, glittery smoke.

The fourth and final zone seemed really plain. A simple concrete floor in a straight line was all that stood between the Outcasts and the finish line.

“There’s no way that's a normal floor,” Izuku started, and like clockwork, the floor shifted. Panels hissed, and machines whined as the concrete plain sprung to life. Platforms and walls sprung from nothing, creating an ever-shifting maze of treachery and traps.

“Last one to the end is a rotten egg!” Hitoshi shouted as he rushed into the fray.

“Hey, no fair! You got a head start!” Mei yelled after him.

“I have no parkour training! Help!” Denki whined.

Random explosions, paintballs, and nets flew in every direction as the five raced to the finish line. Izuku, Hitoshi, and Ituna made quick work of the obstacles because of their extensive free running training. Mei followed close behind with her menagerie of support items. Denki struggled to keep up. They exited the maze and ran through the tunnel that marked the final stretch.

“And the winner is…” Mic began as they entered the tunnel. He spotted a bush of green hair. “IZUKU MIDORIYA!” Hitoshi, Ituna, Bakugou, Mei, Todoroki, and Denki reentered the arena in that order. Bakugou was not pleased about placing fourth, almost as unpleased as Endeavor about his son’s pitiful position of sixth.

Everyone in the top forty-eight would move on to the final round. The entire hero course, two support course students, and six gen-ed students advanced to the second round.

Chapter Text

“A cavalry battle?” Ituna hummed in thought about the newly announced event.

“Big problem,” Mei started. “There are five of us but four people per team.”

“Oh, Todoroki offered me a spot on his team. I’m sure I’ll get through, but I get the feeling he doesn’t understand my new skillset,” Denki added.

“If you think you’ll be okay. I’ll trust your judgment. However, don’t expect us to go easy on you. Try your best to steer Todoroki away from us,” Izuku warned.

“I’ll try to warn him of the support demons,” Denki sighed, and with that, the electric boy ran off to his new team.

Point values were assigned based on students’ placing in the obstacle course. First place was worth ten million points. The top three from the race were on the same team. They stood ominously at one end of the field. Izuku was at the front of the formation, Mei on the left, Ituna on the right, and Hitoshi on top. Hitoshi was far taller than his teammates, so they’d be off balance if he wasn’t the rider.

“All the teams are ready!” Midnight announced. A buzzer sounded through the arena, signaling the beginning of the event.

“Operation Eldtrich Horror is ago,” Hitoshi commanded.

Suddenly, dozens of tendrils of Black Whip shot from Izuku’s wrists. They fanned out and obscured the other teams’ view. Behind the fan, Hitoshi hastily dawned some of the support gear Ituna made for this plan. On the other hand, Mei was busy handing random devices to some of the tendrils.

Team Bakugou was the first to approach. The explosive blonde used his quirk to propel himself toward the fan, only to be grabbed by the ankle and tossed back at his team. That pattern continued until a mass of vines attacked the tendrils. It was like watching a war zone. The vines and black whip wrestled across a large expanse of the field. Any team caught in the crossfire lost their headbands. Then the explosions started, not from Bakugou but from the middle of the war zone. Massive plumes of flame erupted from the mass and burned the vines, forcing Team Tetsutesu to retreat. Mei brought grenades for every occasion.

In the meantime, team Todoroki was going around collecting headbands from the other competitors. His original plan was to go after the ten million. However, Kaminari strongly suggested avoiding that team due to the support students. After watching the battle between the vines and Black Whip, Todoroki understood why approaching was a bad idea. The new plan was to make Kaminari blast all the nearby teams with electricity and freeze them while they were immobilized. Kaminari refused to corporate with this plan. He refused to fry himself for the sake of a game. That was reasonable, especially since the electric teen had an easier way to use his quirk.

Yaoyorozu created two metal staffs—one for Todoroki’s ice and the other for Kaminari. Kaminari was on the left, Iida in front, Yaoyorozu on the right, and Todoroki on the top. The heterochromatic teen preferred using his ice on his right, so Kamiari covered his left. Iida would rush a team, Todoroki would block their escape with his ice, and Kaminari would use his staff to tase the team while Todoroki grabbed the team’s headband. It was a good strategy that worked on most of the random teams they encountered.

Then Iida revealed he had a secret weapon, and Todoroki went back to his plan for the ten million. Kaminari was not pleased with this decision, but the fire and ice user ignored him. Shortly after the vines retreated, Team Todoroki advanced. As they approached, Kaminari apologized to his teammates for their impending doom. The tendrils of Black Whip straightened as Team Shinsou turned to face them. The tendrils retreated to condense and wrap around Team Shinsou.

Shinsou looked Todoroki in the eyes and grinned. Todoroki couldn’t see the insomniac's mouth from behind the mask he wore, but that wasn’t enough to hide the sadistic glee glinting in his violet eyes. It was creepy and sent shivers down spines. Mechanical spider legs shot from the back of one of the support students, and the other support student cackled like a witch. This is what Kaminari had warned them about and why he apologized.

Iida told his team to hold on, readying his hidden technique. Then Shinsou spoke. The mask must have been a voice modulator because there was no way that layered voice was natural. It should have been irritating to hear the equivalent of at least half a dozen voices, but it wasn’t. It was almost ethereal. The layered voices chuckled and bid them farewell as a pair of flashbangs were launched in their direction.

The blast pulled the group out of whatever funk had held them in place. Todoroki rubbed his eyes and looked for the team they were pursuing.

Kaminari sighed. “That was our warning. We should not go after them again. Unless Iida’s secret move makes him move at Mach twenty, there’s no way you’ll be faster than that team’s reflexes. Their quirks and training are stacked against speedsters.”

Iida looked pale. “Are you exaggerating that Mach twenty estimate?”

“No. The only one of them that isn’t trained to work against speedsters is the pink-haired support student, but her quirk lets her see you from a mile away, and she has net cannons,” Kaminari informed. “I’d save that special move for the one-on-one battles.”

“When did you become so smart?” Todoroki asked with suspicion. He was adding another part to his conspiracy theory.

“I’m not smart, but Izuku told me I’m good at making fast decisions. He said I’m their genius of Improv,” Kaminari beamed at that remark.

Todoroki filed that information for later. So all the Outcasts are geniuses of some kind.

The team unanimously agreed not to go after Team Shinsou again. That was a horror story they didn’t want to face again.

Back in the observation booth, Aizawa sighed. “I don’t think Shinsou even used an active part of his quirk.”

The microphone wasn’t on, so Yamada could talk with his co-host without broadcasting it to the entire arena. “What do you mean?”

“Shinsou’s quirk, Brainwashing, is response activated. The move he pulled stunned the team it was directed at,” Aizawa started. “My guess is it has something to do with his quirk-related mutations. You know how your quirk affects your vocal cords. Hitoshi has something similar, making his voice easier to listen to. That voice modulator seems to overlap that effect, making the voice too easy to listen to… if that’s even possible,” Aizawa speculated.

“Jeeze… talk about an exploit,” Yamada sighed. “That was made specifically for Shinsou. Is he friends with the support students?”

“They call their group The Outcasts. From what I’ve gathered, the group was initially formed in middle school. Midoriya, Shinsou, the white-haired support student, our new AI face of security, and a guy they call Keigo, who is apparently a daylight hero. Hatsumei and Kaminari were added early in the school year, but the group is taking after their name and becoming distant from their new classmates.”

“They sound like a tight-knit system.”

“They’re practically family, and most of the founding members have trust issues.”

“I wonder what hero Keigo is.” Yamada gained a pensive expression. The voice hero was brought out of his thoughts by what could only be described as an arcnifobe’s worse nightmare. Leaping across the field was a mixture of black and mechanical limbs that resembled a massive spider with way too many legs. At the center of the spider was Team Shinsou, the cackles of the Support Witch Mei radiated from the group.

A buzzer rang out across the stadium.

Yamada pushed the button to turn the microphones back on. “That’s the end of the second event!” he announced. “The teams moving on to the final round are…” He cleared his throat for effect. “TEAM SHINSOU with TEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND FOURTY-FIVE POINTS! TEAM TODOROKI with SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY POINTS! TEAM BAKUGOU with SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THREE POINTS! And TEAM TETSUTETSU with THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR POINTS!”

The crowd cheered at the declaration and for the sixteen students moving to the final event.

A new display appeared on the screens lining the stadium along with Ritzu in her Present Mic outfit. Midnight retook the stage to prepare the matches for the next event.

A tournament bracket took shape on the screen with some sparkles. Then the first match-ups popped onto the screen.

FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs [Mei Hatsume (Class 1F)]

SECOND ROUND: [Shoto Todoroki (Class 1A)] vs [Hanta Sero (Class 1A)]

THIRD ROUND: [Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (Class 1B)] vs [Mina Ashido (Class 1A)]

FOURTH ROUND: [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)] vs [Tenya Iida (Class 1A)]

FIFTH ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs [Itsuka Kendo (Class 1B)]

SIXTH ROUND: [Ituna Horibe (Class 1F)] vs [Momo Yaoyorozu (Class 1A)]

SEVENTH ROUND: [Ibara Shiozaki (Class 1B)] vs [Ejiro Kirishima (Class 1A)]

EIGTH ROUND: [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)] vs [Reiko Yanagi (Class 1B)]

Chapter Text

FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Mei Hatsume (Class 1F)]

The Outcasts sat at a picnic table under a tree. The makeshift food court in the courtyard was cleared of civilians to let the students get lunch uninterrupted. Pro heroes and a few officials were still allowed to roam the area, meaning the entirety of the Outcasts could group up.

“Guys! You could have warned me!” Denki shrieked, gesturing to Ms. Jelavich.

“Haha, you picked up a cutie!” Jelavich chuckled.

“Look, three loud blondies causing a scene!” Keigo chirped.

“And three introverts questioning their life choices,” Hitoshi sighed. Ituna and Izuku nodded in affirmation.

“And Mei!” the inventor added to the end.

“And Mei,” Izuku agreed. He gained a thoughtful expression. “So, Mei, Denki, have you figured out what you plan on doing for your match? I already know Mei just wants to show off her inventions.”

“My quirk could potentially destroy all her hard work in one go, and I don’t want to take away her chance to show off,” Denki said with a small smile.

“You can borrow some of my babies!” Mei cheered, raising one of her inventions in the air.

“Hey, how about we stage a commercial? I’m sure we can convince Ritzu to play along,” Jelavich commented.

“I’m on board with the idea if you two are,” Ritzu replied.

“Let’s go for it!” Denki cheered.

“Muhahaha! The whole world shall witness the glory of my babies!” Mei cackled.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Denki and Mei approached Midnight right before their match.

“Hello, Midnight!” Mei approached Midnight.

“Hey there, you two!” Midnight greeted.

“I was wondering if I could share my babies with Denki!”

“She means her inventions,” Denki clarified.

“Oh, the youthful passion!” Midnight cooed. “As long as both parties agree, I can’t see why not.”

Mei handed Denki a bunch of gadgets, and the electric teen donned the support gear with practiced ease. The inventor liked making him recharge batteries or test her inventions with his natural resistance to electric discharges.

“For the first round of the tournament, we have the Electric Menace of Class 1A DENKI KAMINARI vs. the Support Witch MEI HATSUMEI!” Mic yelled over the speakers.

“Ready?” The R-Rated Hero asked. When the two nodded in confirmation, she announced the beginning of the fight. Then she saw their matching smirks and the microphones on their headpieces. “Oh no…” she mumbled.

Mei clicked a button and set off some flares from her backpack. “Welcome to today’s exhibition of my glorious babies!”

“How did she get into the speaker system!” Yamada whisper-yelled at his co-host. Said co-host simply shrugged in reply. Neither of them noticed the guilty-looking AI.

Then Denki joined the advertisement, expertly explaining the support gear he used to zip around the stage and put on a brilliant show. The duo went on for ten minutes, displaying every gadget in Mei’s arsenal. The banter between the two made the advertisement surprisingly fun to sit through. To end the round, Mei lowered herself from the sky with her jetpack just outside the out-of-bounds line. She waved to Denki as she descended from the stage.

“Kaminari wins by ring-out!” Midnight yelled. She gave the electric teen a knowing smile, but the boy was confused by the gesture. He waved at her before running after Mei to return her inventions.

-x-x-x-x-x-

SECOND ROUND: [Shoto Todoroki (Class 1A)] vs. [Hanta Sero (Class 1A)]

“Let’s hope this next round goes a little quicker! We have the IcyHot Hero SHOTO TODOROKI vs. the Tape Boy HANTA SERO!”

The match was over in under ten seconds. A massive glacier reached out of the stadium and nearly hit the crowd. After being announced the winner, Todoroki erupted into a pillar of fire to melt and evaporate most of the glacier. Instead of cheering for the winner, the crowd chanted condolences to Sero for the poor pairing.

“It didn’t need to be that quick!”

-x-x-x-x-x-

THIRD ROUND: [Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (Class 1B)] vs. [Mina Ashido (Class 1A)]

“Class 1B’s brawler with a will of steel TETSUTETSU TETSUTETSU vs. Class 1A’s Alien Queen MINA ASHIDO!”

Ashido rushed at the steel-clad teen and sprayed acid at his face.

“It burns!” Tetsutetsu shrieked.

“My acid is corrosive,” Ashido informed.

Tetsutetsu grunted in pain as the acid ate away the steel coating his skin. Ashido slid across her acid to close the distance and deliver a brutal uppercut to the 1B student’s jaw. His armor cracked in its weakened state, and Tetsutetsu fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Ashido wins by knock-out!” Midnight declared, and the audience cheered loudly in response. This was the most exciting match yet.

-x-x-x-x-x-

FOURTH ROUND: [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)] vs. [Tenya Iida (Class 1A)]

“Class 1A’s mini Aizawa HITOSHI SHINS–ow!” Yamada whined and muttered, “You didn’t have to elbow me.” He cleared his throat to retry his announcement. “The chronically tired HITOSHI SHINSOU vs. Class 1A’s speedster TENYA IIDA!”

The match started, and Hitoshi took a defensive stance to brace for Iida’s attack. The insomniac was barely within the boundaries. When the speedster got close enough, Hitoshi shifted to the side and parried his kick. Iida was thrown off balance. In a fluid motion, Hitoshi shifted his weight and pulled Iida between him and the boundary line. Letting the bespectacled teen flail in an effort to regain his balance, Hitoshi delivered a brutal roundhouse kick to Iida’s lower back. The blow ultimately tipped the Iida off balance, and he fell with a thud out of bounds.

“Shinsou wins by ring out!”

“We still haven’t seen this kid’s quirk in action! Who taught this kid martial arts? He’s a natural!” Yamada announced.

Meanwhile, in the pro hero section of the stands… “That’s my baby bro!” Hawks cried, earning strange glances from his fellow pros. The winged hero turned and tugged on the shirt of the hero next to him. “I taught him that!”

Mt. Lady looked at the blubbering number three hero with a raised eyebrow. “You’re acting like a proud mom,” she deadpanned. Little did she know, Midoriya’s proud mom had been in a similar state since the beginning of the Sports Festival.

-x-x-x-x-x-

FIFTH ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Itsuka Kendo (Class 1B)]

“The shrub-looking strategist of Class 1A IZUKU MIDORIYA vs. Class 1B’s martial arts master ITSUKA KENDO!”

The two walked onto the stage and bowed to each other. As the match started, they rushed at each other without hesitation. A fury of blows consisting of parries, jabs, and punches was exchanged. Then they began adding quirks. Kendo would mix the sudden enlargement of her hands as part of her regular attacks. Izuku wrapped Black Whip around her wrists in retaliation. Then, channeling the strength that lifted trashed appliances, he gripped his end of his quirk and flipped Kendo over his shoulder, slamming her into the ground. Izuku gritted his teeth and swung the orange-haired girl out of bounds. He dissipated Black Whip to let her fly out. She was able to right herself, landing on her feet, but she couldn’t stop herself from flying over the white boundary line.

The crowd went wild at the display of skill as Midnight announced Izuku’s win.

Keigo appeared to have acquired the Midoriya tears. Are they contagious? 

-x-x-x-x-x-

SIXTH ROUND: [Ituna Horibe (Class 1F)] vs. [Momo Yaoyorozu (Class 1A)]

“The spider-demon from the support course ITUNA HORIBE vs. the hero course’s 3D printer MOMO YAOYOROZU!”

Ituna and Yaoyorozu engaged in a staring contest while waiting for the match to start.

“Ready?” Midnight asked. After receiving subtle nods, she raised her whip in the air. “Start!” she shouted and cracked her whip.

The arena went silent in anticipation, but the fighters continued their staring contest. Ituna fumbled with the controls of a device on his wrist without breaking eye contact. The glow of Yaoyorozu’s quirk illuminated the stage as an object materialized from her arm. The heiress grabbed the item, and a cacophony of clicks sounded from Ituna’s gadgets. Four of Ituna’s mechanical legs raised in the air as the other two stabbed into the concrete stage. The support student clicked the last part of his wrist gadget into place, and two drones flew from the sidelines to form gauntlets over his arms.

The staring contest was broken when Yaoyorozu rushed forward with her staff raised to strike. Ituna tanked the attack with the gauntlets and the legs stabbed into the ground. Yaoyorozu spun around, dropping her weapon and detonating a smoke bomb in Ituna’s face. Ituna retaliated by launching her with his legs and leaping forward to get the jump on the hero student. The two exchanged blows numerous times. Ituna used a mixture of spider legs and a small army of drones to counteract Yaoyorozu’s functionally infinite arsenal.

Clicks and bangs could be heard within the smokescreen, accompanied by faint flashes as Yaoyorozu’s creations crumpled and Ituna’s gadgets gave out. The smoke screen thinned, and the audience was graced with a spectacle of machines and constructs. A swarm of drones threw off the trajectory of a net launched from a cannon, and the crowd cheered in anticipation.

If they dragged the fight out any longer, neither of the fighters would have enough resources for another round. Yaoyorozu had to end the match quickly. She formed a small, black device. Ituna’s eyes widened when he saw what it was.

“Nope. I forfeit. I give up!” Ituna panicked. “Do you know how long it’d take for me to reprogram the drones, or how long it’d take to pry my spider legs out of the concrete!” Ituna waved the drones back to the sidelines and pulled his spider legs back into his backpack.

“Yaoyorozu wins by forefit!”

The support student sighed and let his gauntlets revert to their original form. “I wasn’t planning on winning anyway… Call me a sap, but I just wanted to help my friends. Good luck with the rest of your matches.” Ituna gave her a small smile and walked off the stage to finish packing his drones.

Yaoyorozu held the EMP device in her hand, taking care to ensure she didn’t activate it. “Thank you!” She replied and walked off in the opposite direction.

-x-x-x-x-x-

SEVENTH ROUND: [Ibara Shiozaki (Class 1B)] vs. [Ejiro Kirishima (Class 1A)]

“The assassin with a crown of thorns IBARA SHIOZAKI vs. Class 1A’s brawler with a rock-hard will EJIRO KIRISHIMA!”

“E-excuse me? I am merely here to win, not take my opponent’s life!” Shiozaki corrected Mic.

“I’m sorry!” Mic called back.

“I would never do something so heinous!”

“Sorry! I’m sorry! Okay?” Mic cried.

“My announcement was practically the same as Tetsutetsu’s…” Kirishima interjected.

“I’M SORRY! PLEASE!”

It was a bad match-up. Kirishima’s quirk was perfect for countering destructive quirks, but Shiozaki specialized in capture. It didn’t take long for the redhead to get wrapped up in the sea of vines.

-x-x-x-x-x-

EIGHTH ROUND: [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)] vs. [Reiko Yanagi (Class 1B)]

“The explosive pomeranian of 1A KATSUKI BAKUGOU vs. 1B’s phantom REIKO YANAGI!”

Yanagi’s blank, calm demeanor starkly contrasted with Bakugou’s feral anger. The ghostly 1B student could use her quirk to move small objects. She couldn’t lift a human the weight of Bakugou. She kept herself low to the ground as she and Bakugou fought. He was forced to aim his explosions downward, creating many small bits of rubble.

This process continued for a few minutes until smoke enveloped the fighting students. Bakugou searched through the smoke with a feral grin and arms poised to strike. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and his instincts were the only thing that prevented the explosive blonde from taking a chunk of concrete to the face. The smokescreen went abuzz with flying hunks of concrete laced in a soft, blue glow.

There wasn’t much power behind the projectiles, but there were so many it clouded his vision like a swarm of bugs. Bakugou thrashed his hands about in an attempt to blast away the swarm, but it only became more aggressive and focused on his head. He began stumbling back to try to clear his eyes. He almost crossed the boundary line, so he changed his tactic.

He braced both of his hands and held them forward to unleash his biggest explosion yet. He couldn’t see his opponent, but it didn’t matter when the blast launched most of the debris out of the ring along with Yanagi’s pale frame.

The tournament bracket updated to show the matchups for the quarterfinals.

- First Matches - 

FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Mei Hatsume (Class 1F)]

SECOND ROUND: [Shoto Todoroki (Class 1A)] vs. [Hanta Sero (Class 1A)]

THIRD ROUND: [Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (Class 1B)] vs. [Mina Ashido (Class 1A)]

FOURTH ROUND: [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)] vs. [Tenya Iida (Class 1A)]

FIFTH ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Itsuka Kendo (Class 1B)]

SIXTH ROUND: [Ituna Horibe (Class 1F)] vs. [Momo Yaoyorozu (Class 1A)]

SEVENTH ROUND: [Ibara Shiozaki (Class 1B)] vs. [Ejiro Kirishima (Class 1A)]

EIGTH ROUND: [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)] vs. [Reiko Yanagi (Class 1B)]

- Quarterfinals -

FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Shoto Todoroki (Class 1A)]

SECOND ROUND: [Mina Ashido (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]

THIRD ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Momo Yaoyorozu (Class 1A)]

FOURTH ROUND: [Ibara Shiozaki (Class 1B)] vs. [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)]

Chapter Text

QF - FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Shoto Todoroki (Class 1A)]

The student portion of the Outcasts gathered at the back of the 1A observation booth. The other students gave them a wide berth as the maniacs strategized. Mei was loudly explaining new and terrifying ideas for support gear, Izuku was mumbling a thousand was to tear apart his classmate’s quirks and fighting styles, Hitoshi was explaining psychological warfare tactics, Ituna was silently tinkering with what looked to be a miniature tank, and Denki was offering is input for all three of the conversations.

“Shoto has started to use his fire side, but he’s unpracticed. On the other hand, ice is made of water, and water conducts electricity,” Izuku muttered.

Denki’s match against Todoroki was next, so he steered the conversation in that direction. “I wonder how many volts it’d take to get him through one of his glaciers.”

Izuku looked up at him, beamed, and then went in-depth about the logistics of using an iceberg as an electrical conductor. The students, unfortunate enough to be within earshot, shuddered in fear. How can he sound so happy while explaining such graphic details!?

-x-x-x-x-x-

Hawks noticed Endeavor leave the pro hero section of the stands. His gut picked up a few red flags, especially if Izuku’s theories about the man were true, so he discreetly followed him. Turning around another corner, Hawks’s suspicions were confirmed. Endeavor was not supposed to be in this part of the arena, and he certainly shouldn’t be yelling at one of the participants. He shouldn’t be yelling at his son even if it wasn’t blatant trespassing. Hawks was breaking this up.

The number three pro hero approached the number two with practiced silence. He waved one of his feathers in front of a nearby camera to get Ritzu’s attention as he repositioned the camera to face the scene the Todoroki patriarch was making. Before reaching Endeavor, Hawks slipped into the hero persona the HPSC beat into him for most of his life—a smile with enough artificial sweetness to rot teeth plastered on his face.

“Heya Endeavor! What’s up?” Hawks chirped up at the taller pro.

“Can’t you see I’m busy?” was Endevor’s rough reply.

“Oh, sorry if I interrupted something, but Todoroki’s next fight is coming up soon, so I figured you’d be finished talking. We should chat as we head back to our seats. I don’t think we’re even supposed to be back here.”

The tension between the two pros was thick enough to cut, and Shoto took the opportunity to run away. Hawks placated the flaming dumpster by feeding his ego and shoving sugar-filled word salad down Endeavor’s throat.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It didn’t take a genius to tell Todoroki was pissed. Rage-filled heterochromatic eyes bored into Denki without really seeing him. Not a good sign…

Denki gulped and got into a fighting stance. How can I use his anger against him? Denki was terrible at planning, but except for Izuku’s plans, plans never survive first contact with the enemy. Denki was a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. When life throws a wrench into perfect plans, Denki knows how to take the wrench and beat his enemies with it.

… and beat his enemies he did. Todoroki was too angry to realize his mistake when he encased Denki in ice all the way up to his neck. Denki smirked and began to spark. Todoroki’s eyes went wide as he tried to escape his fate. Electricity surged through the glacier and Todoroki’s steel-toed shoes. The dual-haired teen collapsed to the ground in a smoldering heap.

The crowd went wild at the unexpected win, but all Denki could think about was the realization that he had incapacitated the one person who could get him out of the glacier in a timely manner.

-x-x-x-x-x-

QF - SECOND ROUND: [Mina Ashido (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]

Denki was still shivering, even after visiting Recovery Girl and sitting with a weighted blanket under a heat lamp Ituna whipped together. It took ten minutes for UA’s robots to chip him out of the glacier, and in that time, the chill had seeped into the blonde’s bones.

It took another ten minutes for Todoroki to regain consciousness and melt the ice and five more minutes for the stage to dry. The next match promised to cause significantly less damage to the arena.

Hitoshi was the Outcast’s genius of persuasion. He knew how to dig into others’ minds and manipulate them like clay. He was good at putting up fronts and tricking people into doing his bidding, even without his quirk.

“Hey Ashido, I’m concerned about Todoroki,” Hitoshi confessed to the pink girl with a face of worry. The two were waiting for the arena to finish drying. “He seemed really upset before his last match, and I don’t think his sudden loss helped.”

“So I’m not the only one who noticed,” Mina replied with a frown.

“You should talk to him about it soon. You’re his friend, aren’t you?” Hitoshi slightly narrowed his eyes and added just enough suspicion to the tone of his voice to let her start doubting herself and how good of a friend she was. Ashido’s friends mean the world to her, and now that the seeds of doubt were planted, they’d fester and distract her during her upcoming match. It was solid advice, though. Todoroki really did look like he needed a friend to vent to.

Ashido couldn’t think straight during her match. Shinsou was incredible at hand-to-hand fighting, but she couldn’t stop thinking about how upset Todoroki looked. She should have talked to him earlier, and she should have comforted him after his loss. Wait, I need to focus!

Unfortunately for Ashido, it was too late; Shinsou had already put her in a sleeper hold. The lanky boy had wrapped his legs around her arms and torso to prevent her from using her acid against him effectively. In a matter of seconds, Asido was taken out. Shinsou had one once again; his quirk was still a mystery.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Ashido sulked as she exited the arena. Suddenly, her stupor was interrupted by her closest friends. 

“Hey, Ashi! Great job out there!” Kirishima cheered.

“You put up a good fight. Now we can… blow this… icecream stall?” Todoroki said with an almost constipated look. “Did I say that right?”

Ashido viably perked up, seeing her friends in good spirits. “Close enough, Todobabe!”

-x-x-x-x-x-

QF - THIRD ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Momo Yaoyorozu (Class 1A)]

Yaoyorozu prided herself on her intelligence. If it were for her vast knowledge of chemistry and the composition of many things, her quirk wouldn’t be half as useful. She also thought herself a pretty good strategist. She had made it to the quarterfinals of the UA sports festival, and she intended to go all the way.

There was one problem with her plans. She had no idea what Midoriya was planning. She overheard Shinsuo call him a strategy genius, so he must be proficient at it. The other part of the problem was his quirk. He hasn’t used the strength aspect of his quirk at all during the festival, but that doesn’t mean he won’t now. If he sticks with his Black Whip technique, then it is reasonable to believe he’ll try to grab and toss her out of the ring like he did with Kendo. 

That’s precisely what Midoriya did, and no amount of strategy and creation could prevent it. Midoriya wrapped six tendrils of Black Whip around various parts of her torso and tossed her out of the ring. He would have given her the chance to show off, but he couldn’t think of a reliable way to do that and win. It was a testament to Yaoyorozu’s strength and intelligence. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

QF - FOURTH ROUND: [Ibara Shiozaki (Class 1B)] vs. [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)]

Shiozaki was a child of God, and now she was face to face with what could only be called a hellspawn. Katsuki Bakugou grinned ferally at the opposite end of the arena while letting little explosions lose on his palms. She folded her hand across her chest and muttered a small prayer before the beginning of the match.

As soon as the match started, Bakugou howled a demonic screech and hurled himself toward the vine user. Shiozaki tried to block him with her vines, but they were blasted out of the way by the hellspawn’s explosions. She managed to wrap enough vines around her opponent to immobilize him.

“Let the power of Christ compel you!” Shiozaki yelled as if to exercise her opponent.

Bakugou growled in response. He yelled, “DIE!!” and blew his bingings sky-high. Howling another demonic screech, Bakugou plowed through the remainder of Shiozaki’s vines and launched her out of the ring.

The tournament bracket was updated to show the matchups for the quarterfinals.

- First Matches - 

FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Mei Hatsume (Class 1F)]

SECOND ROUND: [Shoto Todoroki (Class 1A)] vs. [Hanta Sero (Class 1A)]

THIRD ROUND: [Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (Class 1B)] vs. [Mina Ashido (Class 1A)]

FOURTH ROUND: [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)] vs. [Tenya Iida (Class 1A)]

FIFTH ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Itsuka Kendo (Class 1B)]

SIXTH ROUND: [Ituna Horibe (Class 1F)] vs. [Momo Yaoyorozu (Class 1A)]

SEVENTH ROUND: [Ibara Shiozaki (Class 1B)] vs. [Ejiro Kirishima (Class 1A)]

EIGTH ROUND: [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)] vs. [Reiko Yanagi (Class 1B)]

- Quarterfinals -

FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Shoto Todoroki (Class 1A)]

SECOND ROUND: [Mina Ashido (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]

THIRD ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Momo Yaoyorozu (Class 1A)]

FOURTH ROUND: [Ibara Shiozaki (Class 1B)] vs. [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)]

- Semifinals -

FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]

SECOND ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)]

Chapter Text

SF - FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]

Denki gazed into the pools of violet. They glared back. The color drained from the blondie's face. There was no way he'd win against Hitoshi's brutal fighting style, and that glare made it clear Hitoshi wouldn't be going easy on him. As Present Mic announced his upcoming battle, the slight amount of bloodlust leaking from his opponent sent him into do-or-die mode. In a flash, Denki took his knowledge of his own and Hitoshi's fighting style to devise some modicum of a solution. If he coated himself in electricity, then Hitoshi couldn't contact him directly.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"LOOK AT THIS!!" Present Mic shouted. "Shinso and Kaminari engage in brutal hand-to-hand fight!... or I guess hand-to-foot."

Indeed, Hitoshi was fighting Denki with kicks only. His boots were insulated, so they were the only way he could attack the electricity-coated teen without being tased. Denki should have known his trick wouldn't work!

Kick after kick, Hitoshi pushed Denki closer and closer to the arena's edge. No words were exchanged between the two. They were too focused on the fight at hand to throw witty banter back and forth. Hitoshi's experience was showing against the amateur, and before long, Denki was kicked out of the ring.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Izuku stopped Denki as he exited the arena. Honestly, Denki had no hard feelings about the loss. He was doomed from the start. "Hey, Denki," Izuku started.

"Hey," the blonde replied.

"So… it's come to my attention that ice doesn't really conduct electricity…"

Denki bluescreened. "What?" 

"Don't ask. I don't know. Quirks are bullshit."

-x-x-x-x-x-

SF - SECOND ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)]

The childhood friend turned bully vs the victim turned assassin—the fight to end all fights. There was so much buildup and so much suspense. Get on the edge of your seat!

-x-x-x-x-x-

The fight was anti-climactic. As soon as the match started, Izuku wrapped Black Whip around Bakugou's ankles, flung him around, and slammed him into the ground like a heavy flail. After the three-second beat down, Bakugou was unceremonially tossed outside the ring.

-x-x-x-x-x-

FINALS: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]

"The last one out of the ring is a rotten egg."

"You're on."

The two shared a grin that sent shivers down the sides of their nearby classmates.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"This has got to be the weirdest match I've ever seen," Mic commented without his announcer's voice.

"It appears like they're trying to lose," Aizawa muttered.

Lo and behold, Hitoshi and Izuku desperately tried to keep the other from leaving the ring first. Hitoshi made a break for the ring, and Izuku pulled him back with Black Whip. Izuku made a mad dash, only for Hitoshi to grab his legs and tackle him. Hitoshi clambered over the greenette and almost made it out of bounds when Izuku lifted him over his head and walked out of bounds. Izuku set the insomniac out of bounds next to him, and the two waited for Midnight to announce the winner.

Midnight had no idea what that was about, but Hitoshi won since Izuku was the first to step foot out of bounds. With a blank stare like she was on autopilot, she raised her whip in the air. "Shinsou wins by… ring out?" The heroine shook her head and walked off the stage.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The awards ceremony was okay, Izuku guessed, but the party his mom, Irena, and Keigo threw for the Outcast students was way better. The found-family partied late into the night, playing board games and talking about whatever weird topic came up. After most of the Outcasts went home, Hitoshi, Keigo, and Izuku sat on the balcony of Keigo's apartment.

"Keigo, what's bothering you?" Hitoshi asked. The winged man sighed at being found out so easily.

"The Commission."

"What do those a-holes want with you now?" Izuku asked with heavy amounts of snark.

"Nothing too big; they reprimanded me about how emotional I got watching you at the Sports Festival apparently, 'crying isn't a good look for the number three hero' or something. They also wanted me to do some advertisement or something on Wednesday," Keigo sighed. "I'm just tired of being their poster boy, lapdog, or whatever else they want of me, depending on their whims. I mean, I like helping people. I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't a hero. But the Commission doesn't want me to just help. They want me to hurt some people, too—too many people. I genuinely hate the media and the persona they make me wear. I just want to be free."

The trio sat in silence for a moment letting Keigo vent. Then Izuku broke it. "If you're okay with going underground and working with Nedzu… I may have a way out for you."

Keigo quirked an eyebrow at Izuku's proclimaiton. Suddenly, Izuku's phone pinged for his hero news app. A toothy grin spread across his face as an article of Stain popped up on his screen.

"I have just the cover up," the greenette chirped.

Chapter Text

Stain was beyond angry. Some lunatics who called themselves the League of Villains tried recruiting him, but they had no ideals. Their supposed leader was nothing but a raging manchild who wanted to destroy anything that angered him. When he declined their offer, the manchild tried attacking him. He fought back and nearly killed the fool when he was suddenly teleported back to Hoso.

"Such a tragedy, what happened to Ingenium."

The hero killer whipped around and raised a blade to the speaker's neck. "Hawks."

"Stain," the number three hero replied coldly.

"So what does the Hero Commission's lapdog want?"

"I want you to end the number three hero."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Izuku was standing outside a dilapidated apartment building. So this is the abode of All Might's mentor, Gran Torino. The greenette sighed and walked inside. He squinted at the lack of light in the apartment. The only source of light was the doorway. He went still as he noticed the old man lying in a pool of a red substance… that appeared to be ketchup. 

"Excuse me, sir. Do you need any help?" Izuku asked in a light tone. He figured it'd work best if he acted more upbeat and kind—a 'ray of sunshine' if you will.

"I am clearly bleeding out on the floor," was the man's gruff response.

"Sorry, but that is clearly ketchup. It smells like tomato, not iron."

"Smart, kid. I won't ask why you know what blood smells like, but note that that fact is concerning."

"So, Gran Torino, Sir, what do you have planned for my training?"

"You'll see, but first, who are you?" The man slipped into a senile-sounding voice, but Izuku could easily identify a fellow actor.

"I am Izuku Midoriya, The Aspiring Underground Hero, Viridian Rabbit."

"Viridian Rabbit?"

Izuku unzipped the jacket he was wearing and folded it inside out. He put the jacket back on and pulled up the hood. The old pro hero acknowledged the green rabbit ears on the hood. "So you went with your costume's theme," Torino noted.

"Yes, the other Outcasts and I chose a color-animal motif for names. Hitoshi went with Violet Cat, and Denki went with Amber Axolotl… Keigo is going with Carmine Eagle."

Gran Torino didn't know who Keigo was, but the way Izuku delivered that last sentence put a foreboding pit in his stomach. He suppressed that feeling and moved on to the actual lesson. "Well, since you're already in your hero costume, let's start immediately." The old pro crouched in preparation for a jump. "If you can land one hit on me, you pass." He launched into the air, propelled by his quirk, and bounced around the room at breakneck speeds. 

A sharp pain stabbed the back of his head, and he avoided Gran Torino's sucker punch. Izuku tracked the pro's movement and dodged the attacks with minimal effort. It was clear the pro was holding back, but he shouldn't have been able to dodge the attacks from behind so easily. Izuku took the opportunity to study his fighting style. Gran Torino was about as fast as Keigo but not nearly as fast as Koro Sensei. Izuku activated Black Whip a moment later and yanked Gran Torino out of the air. 

"Dang, kid," Gran Torino grumbled and rubbed his head.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked and offered his hand to the pro.

"I'm fine," Torino grunted. "You're pretty good. Who trained you?"

"The number three hero and an S-Class villain."

"You've got a sense of humor, too, huh? So, who actually taught you?"

"Irina and Keigo. They are like my older siblings, and both are skilled fighters."

"You know what. I don't think there's much I can teach you. I'd teach you about the paperwork or non-combat aspects of heroics, but as you can see, I don't really have an agency anymore. I only work as a hero part-time."

So much for All Might's mentor…

"Hey, kid," Gran Torino snapped Izuku out of his thoughts. The greenette noticed the old man had cleaned the ketchup and was preparing to leave the battered apartment. "We're going out on patrol."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Denki was utterly terrified. He was interning with a woman with an international heroics license, Irina Jelavich. Her license was to keep her out of trouble when she used her quirk for her real job, assassination. Her quirk was fascinating. She called it Blur; when activated, her image would be blurred in the memories of anyone who saw her and any photos or videos of her. Denki went with her for his internship to get used to the new weapons and support gear he was given.

"Hey Denki, what are you thinking of doing for heroics?" Irina asked as they walked to a nearby training ground.

"I ugh… always thought of being a popular and flashy hero, but now I'm rethinking that. I feel like I could help more people on night patrols. Even if I don't plan on being as elusive as the standard underground hero, I'd do that type of work instead. Less powerful villains and more weaker villains instead reduce the chances of overloading my quirk, and the lack of press is an added bonus. I don't think I'd be able to handle that kind of stress," Denki rambled.

"Okay. Oh, by the way, we couldn't get the barb gun to shoot accurately, and it didn't work well enough to redirect electricity." They entered the training center, and a black box waited for them on a nearby bench. The room they were in was a vast expanse of concrete with various punching bags and training dummies. The two blondes were in athleticwear, and Irina opened the box. She turned around and presented the items to Denki. "We got you a whip and a few other toys, though."

Denki examined the items he was handed; the whip was actually a braided cable with an electrical plug on the end for extra weight. The cable was made of woven fibers of a flexible yet durable metal alloy. The other support equipment included steel knuckledusters and a completely silent taser powered by his quirk.

Irina smiled as Denki tested out his new equipment. He needed work on his aim with the whip and taser, but he was a natural at the boxing-esque style Hitoshi and Izuku taught him. "Hey Denks, suit up. We're heading to Hosu."

"Operation: Phoenix?" the teen inquired.

"Operation: Phoenix," Irina confirmed.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Hitoshi was interning with pro hero Ms Joke. She was very loud, probably the loudest underground hero in Japan. Unfortunately, he couldn't help with Operation Phoenix as she was based hours from Hosu. She made another bad pun, and he groaned in response. Hitoshi paused with his hand frozen halfway in the motion of a facepalm.

"Oh my god," Hitoshi muttered in horror. "You want me to use dad jokes to get a response from people."

"Hey," Joke whined. "It's better than constantly insulting people. It's less likely to escalate tense situations, and it's likely to get a response regardless of how it's received."

"I hate to say you're right. It's a good application of my quirk, but don't expect me to start being all happy-go-lucky," Hitoshi said, saying the last part with jazz hands and a deadpan expression.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It was utter chaos in Hosu. It was the first day of UA internships, and that night, the League of Villains decided to retaliate against the Hero Killer. Fire was everywhere. Civilians were crying. Nomus were shrieking, and all Iida could think about was how this was the perfect chance to slip away from his mentor and look for Stain. The engine-legged teen ran off while Manual looked the other way and raced through the alleyways. 

Izuku sat quietly across from Gran Torino on the train. The train was passing through Hosu, and the stabbing sensation had returned. The hero in training was on high alert. He didn't know much about the new sensation, but he had a feeling it was one of the quirks of the past users. He did know it meant danger would be on its way. Izuku launched into action, grabbing Torino and a couple of civilians with Black Whip and throwing them out of the impending crash site. 

Suddenly, a winged nomu with a random hero in its clutches slammed into the train car right where the people Izuku grabbed previously sat. Gran Torino and the other hero lept into action and took the fight with the nomu away from the train full of civilians. Gran said something about staying put, but Izuku had other plans and lept into the burning city. 

Iida ran from alley to alley in hopes of finding the Hero Killer. He heard the clang of blades colliding and ran faster into the alley. What he saw horrified him. Blood and red feathers littered the alley, and the number three pro hero lay limp on the dirty pavement. Stain was monologing about fake heroes, and Iida snapped upon seeing him. He readied to launch himself at the Hero Killer but was stopped by a whip wrapping around his legs and torso.

"Iida! What the hell are you doing!?" a familiar voice whisper-yelled. Iida turned his head to see the angry face of Kaminari. "Know what? Don't tell me. Plausible deniability is important, and you have yet to use your quirk. Back off, this isn't your place, and before you go and do something stupid, properly assess the situation."

Iida was about to retort when Kaminari shoved a hand over his mouth and twisted his head to look back at the alley. It was then that Iida saw the long red feather sticking from Stain's chest. The feather was in the wrong place to hit the villain's heart, but it could reasonably be deduced that it punctured a lung. The Hero Killer then coughed up some blood and froze before going limp and collapsing in the alley next to Hawks. Kaminari removed his hand from Iida's face but kept a hand on his shoulder to keep him from interfering.

Flashing lights illuminated the dingy street as police cars and heroes rounded the corner. Who Iida assumed was an EMT, rushed to Hawks's side and began checking his vitals. He must have been out of it because he couldn't quite make out her face. The Hero Manual and several police officers were the next to arrive. Manual fretted over Iida as he ensured his intern was safe and unharmed. Then he fussed over the other teen accompanying his intern. The pro finally calmed down after he was reassured that they were both unscathed and didn't engage in the battle. The cops and some EMTs were loading Stain into an ambulance when the EMT checking on Hawks finally gave an update on his condition.

"He's dead," was her simple report. Static filled Iida's head as the EMT continued. "He died of what appears to be blood loss approximately two minutes ago."

The police report acknowledged the presence of the two UA students as witnesses to Stain's takedown but also that they had arrived just after the time of Hawks's death. There were no witnesses to the actual fight, but it was assumed that Hawks was able to puncture Stain's lung before being hit by his quirk. The Hero Killer then dealt a blow to the paralyzed hero that eventually led to him bleeding out and dying before anyone else could arrive.

Little did they know, the Hero Killer couldn't leave a fatal blow. Hawks should have been able to recover quite easily as long as he got a couple of stitches and rested for a week, but nobody knew that. No one knew where his body went. The last they saw of him was his body being wheeled out of the ER by a nurse who was inexplicably blurry in all the security footage and whom nobody could identify.

The police chief and a newbie detective reviewed the evidence they had. They had no leads on who stole the remains of the Number Three Hero, but there was no way the commission would want the public to find out he was stolen. If anything, they would sweep the whole incident under the rug and bury an empty casket.

The detective furrowed his brows. "Hey, did we ever get the name of the EMT that declared him dead?"

The dog-headed police chief sighed and said, "Rookie, I know what you're thinking, but there's no way he's alive. Woof. There was a lot of blood on the scene, and one of the witnesses confirmed he was gravely injured. The other was too out of it to give a proper report."

"That poor kid. He just saw someone die at the hands of the villain that crippled his brother," the rookie detective commented. He really hoped the Iida kid was getting therapy or at least some proper help. Tragedies like this are pretty traumatizing. That being said, it was strange how well the other kid was handling the ordeal. Maybe it hadn't hit him yet.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Denki was released back to the supervision of Irina shortly after the police took his statement. It was ridiculous how fast she was able to switch uniforms. From her hero costume to EMT to nurse and back to her hero costume, all while pretending to be three different people and tricking the police, medical staff, and heroes into believing Hawks was dead. Denki was just glad the lie detector detective wasn't involved; he would have caused way more complications. The blonde boy had to lie in his police report, saying that Keigo was more injured than he actually was, and Irina had to declare his death and cover him before anyone realized he clearly wasn't.

The blonde duo was suddenly approached by a green-haired boy. "Hey guys!" Izuku greeted. "How's the phoenix doing?"

"He has fallen and shall soon rise from the ashes," Irina replied cryptically. The need to talk in code was quickly revealed when Gran Torino rocketed in on a collision course with Izuku's shoulder, only to be sidestepped and landed on the pavement with a loud thud. Denki squeaked at the old man's sudden appearance.

"I thought I told you to stay put?" the gruff man asked.

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, putting up a sweet and innocent act and raising the pitch of his voice slightly. "I'm sorry, sir." He said sheepishly. "I just wanted to check in on my friends because I knew they were here." He gestured to Irina and Denki. "Here they are! Safe and sound," he grinned. 

Gran Torino raised an eyebrow at the overly bright smile. "Mm-hm? That's all you were doing?"

Izuku continued to beam, completely unperturbed by the questioning. "Yep!"

The old man blinked slowly in response.

"Hey, Irina has a car. Can I get a ride home from her? It'd save money on train fees."

Gran Torino recognized that name from Izuku's earlier rant. She was one of the 'older sibling' figures that trained the boy. "Izuku told me you were one of the people who trained him," the short man addressed the tall woman. "Good job, he is an excellent fighter."

Irina got a cocky grin. "Ha, that's right, I'm the best!" she boasts.

Izuku slapped her on the arm to snap her out of it. "You hardly helped with my combat training. That was Keigo."

There was another name Izuku had mentioned. Gran Torino still didn't have a face to match that name, but there wasn't much he could do about that. There wasn't much of a reason why he shouldn't allow the boy to go with his friends as the day was over, and now would be the time they would part ways anyway. It was either let the boy take the train home alone or get a ride from someone he is familiar with. "Whatever, kid, just make sure you're back for your internship tomorrow," he agreed before rocketing off with his quirk.

"Well, that was odd," Izuku muttered. Irina shrugged and guided her friends to her car. Denki took the front passenger seat, and Izuku sat behind him.

"I live bitches~," a smooth voice called from the driver's side back seat. Keigo was dressed in a fresh T-shirt and jeans with butterfly stitches and clean bandages. The blonde man smirked and moved his wings to make room for Izuku. Keigo was missing a good chunk of his feathers, but he was already growing in new ones.

"Let's celebrate your death, then figure out the rest of the plan. We're about to become good friends with the Rat God," Izuku said with a mischievous grin.

-x-x-x-x-x-

In his office, Nedzu sneezed. "Hmm… something tells me something very interesting is about to happen."

Chapter Text

Denki was nervous, not for the written exams like his classmates assumed but for the practicals. Months had passed since Keigo's staged death, and the man was radio silent the entire time. Denki could sense that Nedzu had made some form of terrible plan revolving around his feathered friend. Undoubtedly, the Rat had a convoluted scheme that'd cause the most chaos and exasperation to mankind possible. 

Despite their friend's plight, Izuku and Hitoshi seemed unfazed by the brewing storm. The electric teen knew this meant he shouldn't be concerned, but he didn't have the confidence his friends radiated. He wasn't aware that they were just as anxious as he was.

Tension was at an all-time high as Class 1A gathered outside. Mr. Aizawa refused to give them any hints about the practicals, but some upperclassmen said they fought robots. The class really hoped that robots were the worst thing they'd have to face. The tense atmosphere was on the verge of exploding after the group stood in silence for a minute.

Aizawa took a deep breath. "I'm sure you've heard from the upperclassmen by now that in previous years, the practical exams were identical to the entrance exam. A fight against robots to see how much you've improved." The teacher's words only caused the class's stress to grow. "In light of recent events, it's been decided that the exams needed to be changed." Dread pooled in Denki's stomach, threatening to overflow. "Instead of fighting robots," Aizawa started.

A red feather fluttered to the ground, followed by the wind associated with the beat of heavy wings, and Denki's heart dropped. "You'll be fighting your teachers and chasing me," Keigo announced as he landed swiftly. With the former number three hero's dramatic entrance, it took a second for the students to realize the principal was settled in his arms. Most of the students took the option to freak out over the hero supposedly back from the dead.

Keigo was decked out in brand new gear similar to the costumes worn by the Outcast heroes in training. His outfit was red. The jacket was unhooded, and he didn't have boots. The lack of gloves and footwear put his taloned hands and avian feet on full display, the claws clacking on the smooth pavement. Dark goggles rested on his head, along with headgear made of matte black plates. The head armor wrapped around the back of his head and came to a point in front of his face to create the look of an eagle's beak. With the press of a button on his temple, the gear covering his face collapsed to reveal his face. The sharp points of the faux beak rested around his ears and reached for the sky.

Aizawa sighed at the utter chaos erupting from his problem class. This was the worst possible time to reveal that Keigo was very much alive.

"You died!" Iida shouted. The bespectacled teen was pale and wide-eyed, like he was addressing a ghost. "I was there when the EMT pronounced you dead. I was… There was… was… so much blood." Iida looked around for a second and locked eyes with Kaminari. "Kaminari! You were there! You saw, too!" Denki winced at the accusation.

The disarray continued for a few more seconds before Nedzu finally decided to take control of the situation. "Keigo here will be integral to your exams today. He doesn't have an active hero license, so this will serve as his test to get one through UA. Do not ask him any questions, and word of his existence will not be shared. He plans on going into underground heroics. He may bear a resemblance to the former pro hero Hawks, but Hawks was declared dead by medical professionals, and he will remain that way. This is Keigo, and he will be your primary target during today's exam."

"You will be put into teams of five based on your skill sets and personalities," Aizawa continued. "Your directive is to retrieve your flag from Keigo and escape the city within twenty minutes. Two teachers will do everything they can to prevent you from achieving those objectives, and there is only one exit. You will not know who your teachers will be, but they will each have a handicap."

Keigo grinned and raised four brightly colored flags in the air. "Each team will be assigned a color. You'll need to make sure you grab the right one. I'll be replacing them after each test for the sake of fairness. For my handicap, I'll be wearing weights to slow me down and keep me from soaring too high."

Denki nearly fainted. This test would be the death of him.

-x-x-x-x-x-

TEST 1 - The Loud Ones - RED

Stealth/Recon : Toru Hagakure [Invisible Girl]

Heavy Hitter : Katsuki Bakugou [N/A]

Speed/Capture : Mina Ashido [Pinky]

Melee Fighter : Mashiro Ojiro [Tail Man]

Wild Card : Ochako Uraraka [Uravity]

Teachers : Cementos and Present Mic

• Handicap: Must Remain Stationary

-x-x-x-x-x-

This group was formed with the idea of encouraging Bakugou to work with a team. It was also designed to help boost Hagakure and Ojiro's confidence. Ashido and Uraraka had the right personalities to help with Hagakure and Ojiro's confidence, but they were also assertive enough to stand their ground against Bakugou. Cementos and Present Mic were chosen as they were the best at combating such a destructive group. Their handicap "to remain stationary" meant they had to choose a location before the start of the test and remain there for the duration of the test.

The group of five students entered the city with a single straightforward plan: brute force their way to victory in the most brutal way possible. Bakugou took the lead, naturally. With his signature cry of "DIE," the test began. It took four minutes for one of them to spot red feathers, and a loud chase ensued. Mina rushed through the streets on her acid with Ojiro closely behind. The two were quickly outpaced by the former pro.

Back where the chase began, Bakugou began giving orders. "Invisabitch, look for the exit; radio in your location when you find it. Keep an eye out for the teachers while you're at it. The more info, the better."

Hagacure nodded and ran off, or at least that's what he assumed. The girl's new costume turned invisible on command and provided her with actual protection. The sound-dampening boots eliminated her presence nearly entirely. 

"Oi, Roundface," the explosive blonde turned to the brunette. "How 'bout we test out that combo move you suggested." The duo shared a murderous grin.

Keigo ducked through another alley. The two chasing him were relentless, and the weights slowed him down more than he anticipated. It was like a wild goose chase through the mock city. He hadn't seen or heard anything from the rest of the students since the chase started five minutes ago, and the avian man had a feeling they had something planned. He quickly had to dodge a neon sign. Turning around, he noticed he had shaken off his pursuers, but he recognized that sign. They lead him in a circle.

A resounding boom accompanied by the yell of "SPACE SHUTTLE BLITZ!" came from further up the street. Rocketing at unprecedented speed towards Keigo was one Katsuki Bakugou. 

Keigo tried to swerve out of the way or slow down, but the extra momentum from the weights drug him forward into the oncoming attack.

"DIE, CHICKEN LEGS!" Bakugou howled and launched a bright, flashy explosion directly into Keigo's face. Keigo's goggles saved his eyes from extended damage, but he was still blinded for the short time the explosion lasted. When the white light subsided, the flying blonde had already passed. 

Keigo swiftly checked his belt, and just as he figured, the red flag was missing. The feathered blonde sighed and flew in pursuit of the fleeing students. Ten minutes remained for the test, and the students were heading straight for the danger zone.

As if on cue, an earsplitting yell cut through the mock city. Following the initial attack, a deep rumbling shook foundations as entire city blocks crumbled to the ground. Cementos used his quirk to weaken the structural integrity of the buildings to make Present Mic's attack look more potent than it actually was. The flattened expanse of concrete was the perfect playground for Cementos's quirk and provided no cover from Present Mic's attacks.

Cementos stood directly in front of the exit gate, and a meter-thick concrete wall blocked the exit from the students. Hagakure shrieked as she was blown back in the initial attack. Mina rushed to catch her.

"Hagakure, are you okay?" Mina asked.

"I'm… fine," the invisible girl grunted. Her suit was now visible, showing off the armored padding and durable equipment. It was the only way she could tank the potential damage. "I don't think they knew I was here, but stealth is a moot point with you guys as my teammates."

"Sorry about that," Ojiro apologized.

"That's not the point right now," Hagakure replied. "The problem is how organized these two are. They placed themselves so their attacks wouldn't interfere with each other, and together, they posed a formidable offense and defense. I don't know if brute force will be enough."

Brute force was, in fact, enough, but just barely. They nearly ran out the clock, but Bakugou barely managed to demolish the massive wall blocking the gate. Hagakure slipped through the exit in the ensuing battle, announcing the students' victory.

-x-x-x-x-x-

TEST 2 - The Squeamish - YELLOW

Stealth/Recon : Koji Koda [Anima]

Heavy Hitter : Fumikage Tokoyami [Tsukuyomi]

Speed/Capture : Tenya Iida [Ingenium]

Melee Fighter : Rikido Sato [Sugar Man]

Wild Card : Denki Kaminari [Amber Axolotl]

Teachers : Power Loader and Midnight

• Handicap: No Physically Contacting the Students

-x-x-x-x-x-

This team consisted of those that could be the most easily flustered. Koda disliked bugs, confrontation, and loud noise. Tokoyami was weak to light and bad at handling attention. Iida was so straight-laced any act of deviance from an authority figure would throw him off. Sato was scared of Midnight, and Denki was the only one in the wild card group that would fit. Midnight and Power Loader were chosen to make them face their fears. Their handicap "no physically contacting the students" meant they couldn't engage in close-range combat with the students. This was mostly to prevent Power Loader from using his giant mech suit.  

Tokoyami didn't know what to think about his teammates, but the last thing he expected was the argument between Iida and Denki. The two had been arguing for the last few minutes, and the contrast between Iida's red face and Denki's blank expression was quite startling. Iida looked like he was having a childish tantrum.

"Why are you so nonchalant!? You were there that day! What is wrong with you!?" Iida yelled like a raving madman.

Denki slowly blinked and sighed. "Iida," the blonde said with enough authority to get the bespectacled teen to shut up. "Hawks died in Hoso. Keigo is not Hawks. I know him personally. Their similarities are coincidental. One thing that I know for sure is that Keigo would rather die than be a daylight hero, so drop the subject."

Iida looked at Denki like the blonde told him there were two moons. "There are too many similarities between the two for it all to be coincidental!"

"You were pretty out of it back in Hosu, and you weren't in your right mind when I found you. If you need a break, I'm sure the teachers will understand."

Iida deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsing at Denki's feet and breaking down into sobs. Tokoyami didn't know exactly what happened in Hosu, but there was enough to get a rough idea of the picture. It wasn't pretty. Denki comforted the taller teen and motioned Tokoyami over, much to his dismay.

Denki spoke in a soft voice that seemed uncharacteristic for the blonde but oddly fitting. "Could you find a teacher? Iida really needs some time to recover." The look in Denki's eyes was soft, but there was an underlying glint of what appeared to be guilt. Guilt for what? Tokoyami didn't know. Maybe he just felt bad about letting Iida try to hold himself to the point of breaking without interfering sooner. Whatever it was, Iida wouldn't be joining them for the final exam.

After Iida was escorted away by Mr. Aizawa, Denki shifted from concerned and comforting to a front of cold and all business. "We're down a man and our greatest source of speed. We know we won't face Aizawa, Present Mic, or Cementos. Our best bet would be to stick together and use Kota's quirk for recon and the retrieval of the flag. I'm terrible at planning, but I'll think of something in the heat of the moment."

Sato and Kota looked at each other nervously, put off by Denki's intensity.

The moment they entered the city, Midnight confronted them. The crack of her whip made Sato visibly flinch.

As promised, Denki was already formulating solutions to handle the threat in front of him. "Sato, help Kota get out of here. Go after the flag!" he commanded. "Tokoyami, is Dark Shadow susceptible to gas attacks?"

"No," the bird-headed team replied. "But he is susceptible to the light your quirk emits."

Denki's reply was a smirk. "That won't be a problem," he said while pulling out a whip with an electrical plug at the end. All we need to do is pin her down; my quirk won't be necessary for that."

Tokoyami shuddered. What did that international hero teach him, and how is he completely unfazed by Midnight's… everything.

"You know Midnight! I think you and Irena would get along great!" Denki shouted. The boy ducked under a strike from her whip. "Or you two would clash because you're too similar!" The blond sidestepped another attack and pulled a mask over his mouth and nose. He suddenly darted forward, swinging his whip at the R-rated Heroine. The whip wrapped around Midnight's arm. Denki sparked with electricity and sent a charge through the whip, shocking Midnight like a taser. The teacher's limbs locked up, and she dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Denki ran over with a handful of zip ties he procured from one of his jacket pockets. The fluffy tendrils, meant to resemble an axolotl's gills, gave him an uncanny silhouette. "Tokoyami," he called from within the fog of Midnight's quirk. "Let's go."

The four regrouped halfway through the forest and made a brake for the exit. Koda used a swarm of pigeons to retrieve the yellow flag, and none of them had seen the other teacher yet. The quartet had the exit in sight when they were hit in the face with multiple spotlights.

"I think the other teacher is Power Loader," Sato grumbled.

"You're probably right," Denki agreed. "Stand back for a minute, I'm heading in." Denki put his goggles over his eyes and stormed ahead. There was a flash of electricity, and the lights died. There was a crack of a whip and a girlish shriek. After a moment of deafening silence, Denki was spotted again, dragging an unconscious Power Loader wrapped up in his whip. They didn't take long to find the exit gate and pass.

-x-x-x-x-x-

TEST 3 - The Well Rounded - BLUE

Stealth/Recon : Mezo Shoji [Tentacool]

Heavy Hitter : Shoto Todoroki [Shoto]

Speed/Capture : Hanta Sero [Cellophane]

Melee Fighter : Ejiro Kirishima [Red Riot]

Wild Card : Hitoshi Shinsou [Violet Cat]

Teachers : Ectoplasm and Snipe

• Handicap: Half max # of clones and rubber bullets only

-x-x-x-x-x-

This match-up was made of all the most well-rounded students. All the students in this grouping can serve multiple roles and have a wide array of specialties. For example, Shoji can do recon and be a melee fighter, Sero is a mobility and capture specialist, and Shinsou is a long-range fighter, capture specialist, and stealth expert. Both Snipe and Ectoplasm have various abilities, and Ectoplasm's clones can help overwhelm the students with few glaring weaknesses.

Snipe was perched on one of the two large towers guarding the gate. He waited for the chaos to begin. Watching through his scope, he witnessed Keigo get chased around the courtyard of the faux castle until he was encased in a titanic glacier. Todoroki climbed up the structure and used his fire to melt his way to the flags on Keigo's belt. While this happened, Kirishima, Sero, and Shoji fended off Ectoplasm's clones. The cowboy-themed hero began pelting the trio with rubber bullets, hampering their attempts to push through the volley of clones. 

He continued his onslaught until he heard a soft tap on the metal of his perch. He whipped his head around and found his mask inches from Shinsou's.

"Snipe, do you have a visual of Shinsou? I haven't seen him," Ectoplasm called, presumably over the comms.

His hand slowly reached for his gun as he replied. "I have a direct visual, I'm handling…" Snipe trailed off as Shinsou's quirk took effect.

Sadistic glee glinted in Shinsou's eyes reminded Snipe far too much of his caffeine-addicted coworker. "Shoot Ectoplasm and his clones until they stop fighting."

With a robotic stiffness, Snipe unloaded four magazines of rubber bullets into the hoard of Ectoplasm clones. As he loaded a fifth magazine, he was snapped out of Shinsou's control. A buzzer rang across the battleground, signaling the students' victory.

-x-x-x-x-x-

TEST 4 - The Strategists - GREEN

Stealth/Recon : Kyoka Jiro [Earphone Jack]

Heavy Hitter : Izuku Midoriya [Viridian Rabbit]

Speed/Capture : Minoru Mineta [Grape Juice]

Melee Fighter : Tsuyu Asui [Froppy]

Wild Card : Momo Yaoyorozu [Creati]

Teachers : Eraserhead and Nedzu

• Handicap: No verbal communication

-x-x-x-x-x-

Mineta thought he was in heaven. All the people on his team were women. Sure, the stupid pomeranian ruined the appeal of Yaoyorozu's costume, but she was still a total babe. Jiro was okay-looking, but then there was Asui and her… crud.

Every hair on Mineta's body rose in fear. Shakily, he turned to the final member of his team, her face covered in ominous shadows. "Mineta~" she called. "Don't think I can't hear your dirty thoughts~" The short teen quaked in terror as Midoriya's toxic green eyes bore into him. "You better focus, or you'll have hell to pay," she threatened.

The point of this grouping was an excuse for Nezu to prod the strategic genius of 1A's brightest. Mineta was also thrown in with the most headstrong females of the class (+Midoriya) to hopefully straighten him out. Aizawa was picked because of his ability to go unnoticed and pick off the students one by one. Their handicap prevents them from verbally communicating with one another, leaving them to act as individual entities rather than a team.

Mineta was the first to be picked off. He was wrapped up in Aizawa's capture weapon and yanked onto the upper part of the maze, where he was swiftly tied up and left knocked out in a dead end. Jiro followed shortly after. She was too much of a threat when left alone, but catch her off guard and she'd dropped like a fly. 

The Rat swung his wrecking ball like the maniac he was and used the destroyed walls to change the maze's layout. For whatever reason, Midoriya seemed unphased by the chaos and missing comrades. The calculative teen observed the dead end he walked his team into. Aizawa watched with curiosity as Midoriya pulled a grapple gun out of his jacket. Then he pointed the gun directly to him and fired. He handed the grapple gun to Asui. A second grapple gun fired, and Asui and Yaoyorozu ascended the wall. Midoriya followed, being propelled by Black Whip.

Aizawa activated his quirk on Midoriya, but his initial launch was enough to scale the wall along with his teammates. Asui and Yaoyorozu made a break for it as Midoriya faced him atop the narrow wall. Midoriya brandished one of his cattle prods in clear view as he approached Aizawa. The tension in the air was palpable. What is the problem child thinking? What's his deal with the cattle prod? Why is he just walking forward? What's the deal with the cattle prod!?

The two were mere feet apart, and Midoriya dropped the cattle prod. Time felt suspended in the air like the weapon tossed haphazardly between the opponents. The moment was shattered by a sudden BANG. Aizawa could have sworn his check engine light turned on as his every sense stuttered. Before the underground hero could reorient himself, a cattle prod was jammed into his side. The teacher convulsed and collapsed from the high voltage of the weapon.

Nedzu watched from his wrecking ball as one of the green-haired students ran in his direction. The combination of her powerful legs and her loaned grappling hook let her effortlessly traverse the top of the maze. The frog-quirked girl scaled the base of the demolition equipment despite the missing latter like a squirrel up a tree. When Asui eventually made it into the cab, it didn't take her long to tie up the principal and for her to take control of the wrecking ball. 

Asui reached to her ear to the communicator on her ear to confirm the takeover of the wrecking ball. After receiving detailed instructions from Midoriya, she began to use the controls to guide the ball in a set path.

Keigo was so mad that the weights kept him from flying over the walls. He flew into another dead end and made to turn around when his exit was suddenly cut off by a weighted net wall. Keigo grumbled and pulled a feather blade to cut through the net. The booms of walls falling in rapid succession grew closer and closer. Suddenly, the wall behind him crumbled, revealing Yaoyorozu and a cannon of her own creation. Another weighted net launched from the cannon and pined the winged man to the ground. Yaoyorozu walked over, plucked the green flag from Keigo's belt, and used her grappling hook to take to the top of the maze once more.

Aizawa didn't regain consciousness until a few minutes after the end of the test. It turns out Midoriya freed Jiro to have her exit the gate with the rest of the team. He left Mineta hog-tied at a random dead end Aizawa left him in.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Hitoshi sighed and rubbed his temples as Keigo ran in circles, whooping with joy as he held his new hero license in the air with both hands. The loud blonde has returned to being loud… great. As annoying as the boundless enthusiasm and bird noises no human man should be able to make were, Hitoshi was glad his big brother was joyful. After everything Keigo had done for him and Izuku, Hitoshi couldn't bring himself to ask him to quiet down. He deserved to be happy like this without the Commission breathing down his neck.

Chapter Text

"Ninth," it whispered. "Ninth… NINTH!"

Izuku shot awake into a void of pitch-black nothing. His limbs felt like static, and his heart raced. His arm was outstretched to grab something just out of his reach. "HITOSHI!!" His cry was choked and desperate. "Hitoshi…" Izuku sobbed. He could hardly remember what was happening. All he remembered was one of the people he cherished most getting drug into a swirling purplish-black portal with a burnt hand gripping his neck.

He should be thinking about this logically. Shinsou had his gear on him from training with it earlier that day, and he knew how to handle himself. They had faced worse. They had killed worse than those wannabe supervillains… but they did it together. They hadn't been separated like this since they met. Not knowing when they'd see each other again.

"Ninth…"

Izuku shook as he tried to get a grip on himself. He needed to regroup with the other Outcasts, get Hitoshi's location, "and hunt down those miserable bastards. I'm going to make sure they suffer tenfold whatever they've done to Hitoshi by the time I get there. If he has so much as a scratch on him, I'll make sure they forget what it's like to eat solid food."

"Ninth, can you calm down for us, please."

That finally forced Izuku to take in his surroundings. He was standing on a stone island floating in a black void. Standing before him was a pale, wiry man with thin white hair and piercing green eyes. He had a sad, understanding look in his eyes as he glanced past Izuku at someone behind him. Izuku whirled around and had to process the seven other figures sharing the island with him. The island housed a strange throne room with eight large stone thrones. The walls looked like a destroyed vault with bits of debris floating in the void. Three of the unidentified people, all of whom appeared to be wearing hero costumes, looked at him in utter shock; one had her back turned to him as she pouted in the corner; there was a mass of golden flames that looked vaguely like All Might sitting in one of the thrones; one of the two men closer to him looked smug, and the other was making eye contact with the white-haired man.

The man closest to Izuku turned his gaze from the white-haired man to meet Izuku's eyes. His face softened, and he knelt to be at eye level with the greenette. "Hi Ninth. You're probably confused. You are standing in the core of One For All. The people you see around you, including me, are vestiges. You had a brief run-in with Digoro over there." He gestured to the familiar bald man wearing goggles and an excessive amount of leather.

Izuku blinked and processed for a second. He remembered his strange dreams from earlier in the school year and Digoro telling him about Black Whip. This was, however, his first time seeing all of them this clearly and getting the chance to speak back to them. Izuku looked up at the man who stood before him. He had short, spiky salmon-colored hair, a thick military-grade jacket, and wrist-mounted firearms. A large and gnarly scar marred the middle of his face, and his fierce eyes held a glint he recognized from Hawks, Jelavich, and his 3E classmates. This man, whoever he was, understood the burden of killing for the greater good.

"You keep calling me Ninth," Izuku started. "My name is Izuku Midoriya, and I'd prefer if you used it. You can call me Izuku." He turned to look back at the white-haired man. "You can call me Izuku as well."

The salmon-haired man cleared his throat to regain Izuku's attention before introducing himself. "I'm Kudo, the second user of One For All. The man behind you is Yoichi, the first user, and the man behind me with the smug grin is Bruce."

Izuku nodded and looked around for a second. "It was nice meeting you and all… but why exactly am I here?"

Yoichi chuckled and stood from his crouch to guide Izuku to the circle of stone thrones, Kudo and Bruce following them. "Well, Nin-Izuku… Well, Izuku, none of us realized you'd get here so quickly, but to make a long story short, One For All has reached the point of singularity. It has grown so powerful that it has completely changed from its original function. Originally, users could only tap into the raw stockpiled power, but now you're able to access much more." Yoichi gestured vaguely at an empty part of the circle where a ninth throne rose from the ground. He motioned for Izuku to sit in the new seat.

Izuku complied, and Yoichi took the seat to his left. Kudo sat on the Yoichi's left, and Bruce on his left. Then there was the oldest-looking vestige, Digoro, the youngest-looking (excluding Izuku), an empty seat, and the half-formed vestige of All Might. Glow Might was on Izuku's right, making a full circle. The empty seat presumably belonged to the woman in the corner, Seventh, if he counted correctly. 

"Oh, hi again, Sprout!" Digoro greeted. "You got here fast."

The young one nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are far more skilled than any of us thought you would be. I'm the sixth, but you can call me En."

"I'm the fourth; my name is Hikage Shinomori. Call me Hikage. I am also the original user of Danger Sense," the oldest greeted.

"Oh, so that's what that quirk is called. I called it Uncanny Dodge." Izuku took up a thinking pose before smiling. "You all can call me Izuku. Ya'll are living in my head, so you might as well use my given name."

"Let's cut to the chase," Yoichi interjected. The eyes of everyone seated turned to the first. "Izuku will be getting all of our quirks. We all already knew this after he manifested Black Whip, and that was cemented when he awakened Danger Sense. He was supposed to get Float a month ago, but…" The thin man trailed off and grimaced. The rest of the vestiges followed suit and slowly turned their heads to look at the woman in the corner.

The woman stiffened and began shaking but didn't move or say anything. 

Yoichi cleared his throat again, "He manifested Smoke Screen today and activated it during the attack on the summer camp, but I'm not sure it was noticed with a villain spewing his toxic gas quirk all over the forest. He should be getting Fa Jin, Bruce's quirk, next, and Gearshift, Kudo's quirk, shortly after. It could be anywhere from a few days from now to before dawn."

"I think you already have a good idea of how Danger Sense works, Izuku, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask," Hikage supplied.

En nodded and raised his hand. "Smoke Screen is rather simple. You are familiar with other weapons, so if you've ever used a smoke bomb effectively, you shouldn't have any problems using it."

Izuku confirmed he knew how to use smoke bombs and added that his goggles had heat vision and his mask doubled as a respirator if the smoke was anything that could cause lung issues. 

"Fa Jin is a strength enhancer," Bruce started. "It takes built-up kinetic energy and releases all of it in a short burst. It's much like how you use One For All when you use it at higher percentages… speaking of which, you're at 28% baseline and 40% in short bursts already. Nice job!"

"I mean, he started at 12%," Kudo added. "Ya, and Gearshift isn't too complicated for someone that already has pretty good aim. We'll get into semantics when you manifest it, but for a quick rundown, it lets the user quickly accelerate objects through different gears, for lack of a better term. I used it in tandem with my gauntlets to launch pebbles at the speed of bullets." Kudo lifted up his arms to show off the weaponry to the greenette.

Izuku stood to analyze the weapons so he could get Mei of Ituna to remake them when the woman in the corner scoffed. "Of course, the killers and weapon lovers get along. Let's just give the brat more ideas on how to assassinate people instead of how to make him a better hero," she grumbled under her breath.

The room quieted and turned to look at the seventh. Kudo and Bruce's glares were especially hateful. The woman shook and seethed. She whipped around and sneered at Izuku and the men sitting behind him. She pointed her finger at him while she shouted.

"HOW DARE YOU BE SO ACCEPTING TO A LIAR! THAT BOY IS A KILLER, AND HE TRICKED TOSHI INTO THINKING HE WAS A WORTHY SUCCESSOR! HE IS TOO JADDED TO BE THE NEXT SYMBOL OF PEACE! I REFUSE TO CALL HIM HIS SUCCESSOR!" Tears began to stream down her face as her anger exploded. 

Kudo stood abruptly and put himself between the raging woman and Izuku before shouting back with vitriol and anger. "ONE FOR ALL WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE USED TO CREATE A SYMBOL OF PEACE! ITS SOLE PURPOSE WAS TO DEFEAT THE ALL FOR ONE! SOMETHING HE ALREADY PROMISED TO DO AND SOMETHING WE ALL FAILED TO DO, INCLUDING YOUR BELOVED TOSHI!"

The remaining vestiges looked back and forth like they were watching a tennis match played with a live grenade instead of a ball. 

The argument ends with Kudo protectively hugging Izuku while he points an accusing finger at the seventh and the seventh red-faced and reeling. Yoichi couldn't help but compare the scene to an old meme of a woman yelling at a white cat in a restaurant. Both ends of the shouting match were exhausted from screaming at each other for a solid ten minutes. Kudo sighed and slumped back into his seat, and groaned.

"Don't listen to the mad woman Izuku. You're above her." Bruce finally intervened.

The seventh, now known as Nana, crumpled into a cross-legged position and rolled her head to look at the non-existent ceiling. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I conceded," she said, her voice hoarse. "He is a damaged bean that must be protected. His status as an assassin does not make him too jaded or unworthy but instead is an asset. The true purpose of One For All has nothing to do with being the Symbol of Peace, and therefore, Izuku does not have to become the next one." She said the entire mantra in a monotone voice, reiterating the points Kudo had yelled at her for minutes. "I still think he should have told Toshinori about the whole being a licensed assassin thing," she pouted.

"That was top secret," En argued.

"Well, he was told two extremely well-kept secrets," Nana retorted.

"But neither of those secrets came with an NDA like his," En replied calmly. "Those were his secrets to tell and his alone. Izuku had no obligation to break an NDA for somebody he just met and didn't plan on getting to know. Most of us were not cherry-picked to be the next greatest hero. We just happened to be the nearest trustworthy person when our predecessors died. That's how you got picked, after all, so just be glad that your successor survived long enough not to have to do that, too."

Nana reluctantly joined them in the circle and flopped onto her throne. Yoichi waved his hands around again and made a large table in the center of the circle. "So, who's up for a couple of rounds of Uno?" the first asked, holding up a deck of brightly colored and well-loved cards.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Izuku woke slowly to the smell of antiseptics and the light of partially dimmed fluorescent bulbs. He was in a hospital. He blinked a couple of times and stretched, causing a couple of bones to pop. He sat up and noticed he wasn't alone. In the room were Keigo, Denki, his mom, Mei, and Ituna. The room wasn't too full yet, but from the sounds of it, two more people were talking just outside the door. His mom, Denki, and Mei were sleeping. Denki and Mei were leaning against each other. Ituna was tinkering with… something, and Keigo leaned against the wall. Silently, Keigo motioned for Izuku and Ituna to follow him.

Izuku carefully removed his blanket. Thankfully, he was still in his own clothes. His jacket was hanging on the bed's railing, and his boots were underneath it. The cleats were retracted, so the boots were completely silent on the tile floor. The three assassins left the room without disturbing the other three.

"What do you mean he was authorized to eliminate that villain?" Aizawa hissed. The woman he was arguing with wore a black hooded jumpsuit with a furry pale-golden brim. Fox ears sat atop the hood in the same color as the jumpsuit's brim. She wore several holsters for various weapons and a utility belt.

She had a blank expression as she talked down the irate teacher. "I do not have the liberty to discuss this with you at the moment. Under Article XXIII of the UN's International Hero Code and Protocol 42 of the International Assassins Guild I, Irena "Blonde Fox" Jelvich, will be taking Izuku "Viridian Rabbit" Midoriya, Ituna "Ivory Spider" Horibe, and Keigo "Carmine Eagle" Takami with me for debriefing. You are to stand down or face consequences under the jurisdiction of the United Nations." After Irena had finished her legal jargon spiel, she nodded to Aizawa. "Have a good night, Aizawa-san," she said and walked away, Izuku, Ituna, and Keigo falling into step behind her. 

Aizawa took a second to process what had just happened. The international pro hero Kaminari interned with just told him to stop poking around in other people's business under threat of retaliation from the UN, and this woman, his student, the former number three pro hero, and a support course student were all affiliated with the International Assassins Guild in some way. What the hell was going on? God have mercy on his soul.

-x-x-x-x-x-

While frantically doing damage control over the recent attack, Nedzu sneezed.

Chapter Text

The quartet of licensed assassins piled into the soundproofed conference room. Every hospital's hero ward had one for emergency briefings, and this was indeed an emergency briefing. Irena and Keigo flitted around the room, double-checking that all the bugs potentially left by the HPSC were destroyed. Izuku was deadly calm as he stood at the head of the table. Ituna set up the portable projector he was building in Izuku's hospital room, and they all settled into place. Izuku was at the head of the table because he was the best at planning and directing; Ritzu's projector was at the opposite end of the table to display her own data and maps; the adults took one side, and Ituna took the other. Usually, Hitoshi would be next to Ituna at Izuku's right hand…

The room felt empty to Izuku.. without Hitoshi by his side.

With most of the lights out and the room cleared of cameras and microphones, the briefing began. Clearing his throat and gesturing to Ritzu, Izuku started to recount the attack on the training camp. "The camp was going as planned until the third night. That night, the pros arranged a test of courage. It ended up being the perfect stage for an ambush. Both classes and the pro heroes were separated. Hitoshi was in the forest, and I was in the clearing when the villains attacked."

Ritzu displayed a map of the camp's grounds with location pins marking the locations of everyone involved in the attack, including the approximate locations of the villains.

"In the middle of the attack, I realized the Heroine Mandalay's nephew was missing. I suspected he was sitting on a clifftop that he frequented. To ensure the kid's safety, I used my quirk to run and retrieve him. When I arrived on the scene, A-Rank Villain Muscular was preparing to attack the kid. I used Black Whip to pull the kid out of danger. Muscular was very talkative. He mentioned some things about targets the villains were meant to capture, not kill. That list was Hitoshi, Bakugou, and myself. Muscular was on the open bounty list. He was intent on killing the kid and roughing me up, so I took the initiative to eliminate him."

Irena nodded, "Your judgment is still as sharp as ever. The proof of the kill has been submitted. Your bounty should be delivered within the week."

Izuku nodded. "After that, I returned to the main camp and left the kid with Eraserhead. He gave me a message to pass on to Mandalay so she could use her quirk to relay it to the rest of the students. He allowed us to use our quirks to fight the villains in self-defense. I used mine to reach Mandalay and assist her, Tiger, and Pixybob in dispatching a group of villains. I, along with Tiger and Pixybob, combed through the forest to retrieve lost or trapped students. We encountered a few villains, three of which escaped." Izuku took a second to breathe and collect himself. "I then came upon Ragdoll fighting a nomu. Together, we fought off the nomu, but I was severely exhausted by then. I confirmed with Denki that he was back at the camp but didn't get a response from Hitoshi. I panicked when I couldn't get a response from him, and Denki couldn't find him at the camp. Ritzu pinged his location, and I followed it to a clearing, where I saw him get dragged through a portal… I think I passed out after the portal closed."

The room fell silent for a moment. Izuku took another deep breath and pushed on. "We're getting him back, and we're going to make those bastards pay for the shit they pulled… While I was passed out, I saw the vestiges again. All of them, and I was able to talk to them this time. They revealed their quirks to me, and it turns out I should be getting the last two tonight." Suddenly, Izuku's quirk surged and wreathed him in an eerie green glow. 

"Oh…" Izuku said breathlessly. "Okay. That will work."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Hitoshi's head was swimming. The world was coming in and out of focus, and his vision was hazy. He felt like he just got hit by a truck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to reorient himself. Slowly releasing the breath, he reopened his eyes. He was tied to a chair in a sketchy bar. There were four potential exits: the door, two windows, and the vent, although the vents looked like they'd be a tight squeeze. There were five people in the room: an unknown black-haired man guarding the door, a man in a magician's getup, a man wearing a black and gray full-body skin-tight suit, a purple mist man behind the bar, and a man wearing hands all over his body sitting on a bar stool.

The young assassin shifted in his bindings for a second, trying to take stock of the equipment he still had. He was still wearing his jacket; it seemed like they hadn't gone through what he was wearing, and his guns were still in their holsters. Who were these amateurs? Wait, three people in this room have bounties on their heads… huh.

The man on the barstool, Shigaraki, according to his bounty, peered down at Hitoshi quizzically. "We are the League of Villains. You may not know us, but we won't stay in the shadows for long." The man scratched at his neck harshly. "I saw your performance at the sports festival, which made me quite curious. You were holding back. You didn't use your quirk. You're different from the other hero brats." He got off his barstool to get way too close to Hitoshi's face. "Why would you hold back? …unless you're dangerous or people would be scared of you if you let loose. That can't be any fun." He returned to his stool and gestured to the man in the skin-tight suit. "Twice, untie him. We don't want our newest party member to feel unwelcome."

"Sure thing, Boss," Twice agreed. "No way, he's scary," he contradicted himself. Despite the conflicting replies, the villain did untie Hitoshi, and the purple-ette took the opportunity to stretch and fix his clothes. He was really checking to make sure the tracker sewn into his jacket was intact. It was. He glanced more thoroughly around the room and noticed the security camera blinking an odd pattern. It was the code they designated for Ritzu to use to gain their attention. He gave her a subtle nod and kept the camera in the corner of his vision.

It took a few minutes of Hitoshi half-heartedly listening to Hand Man's rambling for the entire message to come through. According to Ritzu, they had his location and a plan. He needed to stall until Keigo arrived. When they gave the signal, he should either open fire or make a break for the exit, depending on whether he had access to his guns. The ETA at the end of the explanation was 30 seconds.

"So that's why you kidnapped me?" Hitoshi drawled. He drew his arms close like he was hugging himself. "You were right about me being different from the other students. I'm afraid they might call me a villain just because of who I am."

Shigaraki was on the edge of his seat, hanging off of Hitoshi's every word–exactly where the assassin wanted him.

" 'You're scary!' they said. 'Don't talk to me, you villain,' they said… Nobody likes hanging out with somebody as dangerous as me," Hitoshi said theatrically.

His face twisted into a Cheshire grin as he saw a red feather out of the corner of his eye. The cavalry had arrived. "After all…" he drew out. "Most of my classmates aren't trained in killing."

The tense silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Pizza delivery!" whoever was behind the door shouted. Then, the door was kicked off its hinges. In a sudden burst of movement, red feathers flew everywhere, pinning most of the villains to the walls. At that moment, Hitoshi reached into his jacket and drew his pistols from their holsters. Unfortunately, they were only loaded with the rubber bullets he used for training. At least he knew where the shots would hurt most.

Shigaraki was out the moment the back of his head hit the wall, his limp body hanging off of Keigo's feathers. Hitoshi aimed his guns at the man in the jumpsuit. Hitoshi didn't know this one's quirk, and he didn't want to find out, so with a couple of rubber bullets to his pressure points, the villain dropped like a ragdoll. The mist villain was pinned under one of Keigo's clawed feet, and the freshly minted underground pro hero shot feathers to restrain the magician next.

The last villain, the one who had previously guarded the door, stared at Keigo in disbelief–as if he were staring at a ghost… or maybe 'like a sinner gazing upon an avenging angel' would be a more accurate description of how he looked at the winged man.

"What's your problem? Got a crush on the dude that beat your boss's ass? Or do you just want him to step on you like he's doing to the mist man?" Hitoshi asked the man.

The man's head turned to glare at Hitoshi so fast he might have gotten whiplash. A light dusting of red could barely be made out from behind the staples and poorly done skin grafts. "I–... w-what?"

That was all the response Hitoshi needed to put the last villain out of commission.

"Did Irena teach you how to talk like that!?" Keigo said with a red face and ruffled feathers. "It was one thing for the tabloids to objectify me, but it's so weird hearing it from you!"

"First, no, that was Ms. Joke, and second, why are you complaining? It worked after all," Hitoshi sassed back.

Keigo raised his foot and slammed it back into the villain when the mist man started stirring again. "He should be out for a while now," he confirmed before walking over to get a closer look at the villain under Hitoshi's quirk. Keigo got his face way too close to the villain's. Hitoshi noted Keigo's strange movements as something tied to his avian quirk.

Hitoshi was too tired to question anything at the moment.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Irena, Ituna, and Izuku stood on the rooftop of a building across from their target. Keigo was more than capable enough to handle retrieving Hitoshi on his own, and their secondary target needed all the attention it could get. Izuku was only here because he was the best matchup for the villain in their crosshairs, and the greenette trusted the former number three and his partner in crime to handle a few amateur kidnappers. Ituna set up Ritzu's box from 3E; its immense firepower would be needed to properly apply suppressive fire to back up Izuku's melee assault.

Irena had Hitoshi's sniper rifle case slung over her shoulder. "Hey, you two, I'm off to Firing Position Delta to set up the rifle. Ritzu has confirmed the successful clearing of Location A. Carmine will be air-dropping Violet at Delta, ETA 2 minutes."

"Understood," Izuku confirmed.

Suddenly, the warehouse wall facing the parking lot they were positioned over exploded, and there was their target. Standing in the rubble was a towering man in a suit–a clunky life support device covered his face and rested on his shoulders. All for One had stepped right into their trap.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Recognition flashed in Keigo's eyes, and he excitedly hopped to Hitoshi. "It's Touya! I thought he was dead!" the blonde chirped.

"I think he thought you were dead," Hitoshi snarked.

The black-haired man, now identified as Touya, was sitting on the chair Hitoshi used to be tied to, motionless in shock. He had been released from Hitoshi's quirk a solid forty seconds ago. Touya blinked, and his eyes refocused. "Keigo…? What the fuck is going on? Crazy purple kid.. what the fuck is happening?" His piercing blue eyes pleaded for an explanation he would never receive from the teenager.

Keigo practically pounced on Touya in his excitement. "You're alive! I missed you so much!" the avian shouted in glee. "Where have you been? How did you end up… here?" Keigo gained a conflicted expression as he grabbed Touya's hands. He was careful to make sure the talons that had finally properly grown in didn't scratch the already marred skin of the Touya's burnt palms. "Touya," he murmured in a low tone, "Why are you with the villains? I– I really hope you have a good explanation for this."

There was a tense silence for a moment. "I was bounty hunting. There were a lot of people with prices on their heads here, and while it's not my usual MO, an infiltration was the best way to scope out the weak spots of such a large group of dangerous individuals," Touya said solemnly. "I know it falls into a legal gray area, and you'll probably have to take me in for–"

Hitoshi and Keigo shared an incredulous look before promptly bursting into hysterical laughter. Touya, for his part, was once again shocked silent. 

"God! What hypocrites we'd be if we got mad at you for bounty hunting!" Keigo laughed.

"Oh! Oh! Hey Keigo, are you going to arrest me or Ituna for attempted murder first? Or maybe Irena and Zu for actual murder! Ha–!" Hitoshi wiped a tear from his eye.

"I'd have to arrest myself first and let Denki take the rest of you in!" Keigo joked back.

"Wait, wait, wait," Touya interjected and stood up. "You're both bounty hunters?"

"No, we're licensed with the Assassins Guild," Keigo replied. We're official assassins, not bounty hunters."

"Excuse me!" Ritzu piped up. "Sorry, but I must remind you, we are on a very tight schedule! The assault on Location B will be underway in approximately 30 seconds. They expect your arrival in approximately 2 minutes."

"Thanks, Ritzu," Hitoshi replied.

"If you're going after the big guy like I think you are, we need to leave right now… and bring Kurogiri," Touya said urgently and jogged over to the prone mist man. He hoisted up the smokey villain and carried him over his shoulder. "You've got a place to be, and I'll only get in your way so you get to where you need to be. We'll rendezvous at our favorite cat cafe." With that last remark, Touya sprinted out the broken-down door, through the building, and into the network of alleys below.

"That's our cue, Cat," Keigo stated.

Hitoshi nodded, recognizing the shift into the cold professionalism that came with their job.

-x-x-x-x-x-

A cloud of smoke and dust rose from the rubble and obscured All For One's view–if he still had eyes, it would have. Suddenly, with the heat-signature-sensing quirk he used to see in fights, he saw bright sparks of lightning—the heat from the plasma diffused in the dust, wreathing his attacker in a menacing glow. What a sight it would have been to behold. The green lightning flickered through the gray clouds like an angry storm and black tendrils flowed from a central mass. A booming, layered voice echoed from the battleground.

"ALL FOR ONE! Shigaraki!, Brother!, Bastard! " The layered voice may have called different names, but they demanded the attention of one person. "ALL FOR ONE!!" They shouted in unison now—the will of the collective overpowered by one angry teen. Hell hath no fury like Izuku on a warpath. "YOU HAVE COMMITTED A GRAVE MISTAKE!" You crippled Toshinori! You hurt my grandson! "YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN!" You've killed too many people, Brother… "JOIN YOUR COMRADES IN HELL!" You murdered Yoichi, your own brother, Bastard! The echoes of the vestiges carried through to the realm of the living. "DIE!"

While the declaration still echoed through the air, Izuku began his assault proper with glowing eyes and vapor flowing out of his mouth with every breath. His face was twisted in a nasty snarl as he viciously attacked All For One. The ancient villain made a token effort to counterattack, but it was no use. Izuku wrapped several tendrils of Black Whip around All For One and swung him around like a flail. Izuku took a second to breathe, which cued the suppressing fire from Ritzu. Danger Sense kept Izuku from floating in the line of fire. The smoke and dust would have usually thinned out by now, but the smoke screen that billowed from Izuku's sleeves kept the area obscured. With bullets whizzing past him, Izuku resumed his assault. This time, he was relying more on projectiles. By projectiles, he meant car-sized chunks of concrete picked up by Black Whip and accelerated by Gear Shift. 

Meanwhile, Keigo landed at point Delta, the roof of a nearby abandoned hotel. Hitoshi ran over to Irena frantically.

"Where is Veridian!?" Hitoshi demanded. "Where is my gun?"

Irena gestured to the sniper rifle setup and then pointed into the smoke. "His comms must have broken during the skirmish. We've only gotten static from him for about half the fight." Hitoshi almost didn't hear her mutter, "Not like we couldn't hear what he was saying from here anyway…"

-x-x-x-x-x-

The feared bounty hunter, Dabi, was having a weird as-hell past 46 hours. First, his plans go kaput because the group of merry idiots he infiltrated decided to go fight a bunch of children in the woods, and then only three of them made it back. The biggest bounties, the meat-head and the yandere vampire, didn't make it, nor did the walking war crime with a surprisingly small bounty. At least the baby boss, wannabe magician, and Two-Face still had collectible bounties. Then the magician revealed his prize–a stupid blue marble… that had a sleep-deprived teenager smushed inside. As if things couldn't get worse, they were ambushed. The purple kid was way too good of a shot for a student unless that was his quirk, which was not the case. Dabi still didn't know what the kid's quirk was, but it definitely wasn't just being good at shooting things. The bounty hunter might have noticed more about the kid's quirk if he wasn't distracted by… him.

Dabi remembered hearing about the dramatic death of the Number Three Hero. He was killed by Stain, and if it weren't for the villain already being impaled and bleeding out, Dabi would have done everything he could to have the bastard's blood stain his hands. Realistically, he knew the days of Keigo and Touya were over, their circumstances forcing them to be Hawks and Dabi, but he still hoped. Then those hopes were crushed, and then they weren't. Like a fearsome Valkyrie, there he was. With sharp talons that Hawks never would have shown and brilliant red feathers, Keigo effortlessly took out half the villains in that dingy bar.

Now, he was here, sitting atop what was a cafe long before he was born. It was a laundromat now. A pink neon sign gave the area a small amount of ambient light. The memories he had here…

He couldn't forget about Kurogiri. There was a reason Touya wanted to bring him with him, aside from his warp quirk being too valuable to leave with the villains. Kurogiri was off. He didn't seem like a villain. He was more like a glorified babysitter, and everything about his interactions with other people was wrong as if he were reading from a teleprompter. The wrongness was furthered when, after noticing Present Mic on one of the news reports Shigaraki was watching, the mysterious man murmured something about a "Hizashi" and retreated into the back room of the bar. A few minutes later, Touya checked in on the bartender and found him staring at a wall with shaking shoulders. It took him a moment to realize Kurogiri was crying. Carefully, Touya closed the door behind him and scanned the room for bugs or cameras.

"There are no cameras in here.." Kurogiri whispered hoarsely. It wasn't his usual baritone voice. It was still deep but had a more nasally tone uncharacteristic of the bartender.

Touya cautiously approached Kurogiri and sat on a crate facing the bartender. "Hey, do you want to talk about it?" Touya realized then that he was not the best person to comfort the sobbing man. Fuyumi would have been so much better at this.

"I.. I don't want to… b-be here," Kurogiri whispered. "I-I… d-d-don't re-remember. I… I need to remember!"

"Remember what?" Touya was getting really concerned about the bartender's state of being.

"My name…" The mist covering Kurogiri twitched. "My-my name i-is… it's—" All the mist covering Kurogiri abruptly went still, and the bartender went unresponsive.

Now, the two men were sitting on the roof of a laundromat, waiting for Keigo to meet up with them. The sounds of a distant battle echoed through the deserted part of the city. Kurogiri stirred, looked around his surroundings, and stared at the sky like he had never seen the moon before.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Touya joked.

Kurogiri didn't respond.

"Silent treatment it is then."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Hitoshi laid, waiting for the perfect opportunity to shoot the final blow to the centuries-old menace. Holy crap, was it stressful for the teen. Irena and Keigo had left the roof to secure the surrounding area and redirect civilians, leaving Hitoshi alone to line up his shot. Izuku was still in the middle of the conflict, and both combatants duking it out in the former parking lot moved too fast and were too close for a clear line of fire. Things were finally looking up for Hitoshi, and he couldn't afford to fuck it up now. 

Logically, he knew Izuku could probably take out the villain by himself. His Izuku was the most capable and cunning person in the world. But something was off with the green-ette; the frontal all-out assault taking place couldn't have been one of the rational, carefully constructed plans he was infamous for. Is Izuku acting this way because of some quirk bullshit or because I was put in danger? It didn't really matter why Izuku was acting strangely; all that mattered was that the longer this conflict drew out, the more danger his Guiding Light was in.

As if knowing exactly how to solve Hitoshi's problem, Izuku suddenly wrapped the villain up to the neck in Black Whip, holding the fiend still and crushing his life support. The cracks in the head covering created a perfect target for the armor-piercing round that lay dormant in his rifle's chamber. 

A resounding bang echoed through Kamino Ward… Irena forgot the silencer. Fuck.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Izuku was having problems thinking straight. Nine different wills of hatred and vengeance gave way to thoughtless violence and brutality. It wasn't clean, it wasn't calculated, it was barbaric. This wasn't Izuku. This was One for All, an unstoppable primal force held together by a shared grudge.

A sharp pain from Danger Sense cut through the haze and alerted him to a presence atop a nearby rooftop. Izuku could spot the glint of a gun barrel pointed in his general direction. He was directly between the firing position and All for One.. not a good place to be standing. Izuku's critical thinking finally overtook the voiceless rage, and he lunged to the side. The overwhelming strength of One for All cracked the ground where he pushed off. Float lifted him a meter off the ground, and he grabbed hold of a concrete pillar with Black Whip and shot back toward All for One, using his momentum and the elasticity of Black Whip to swing around the villain. After an orbit around All for One, Izuku propped against a half-dilapidated wall, putting enough tension in the coils around the villain to crush his armored headpiece and life support machine. 

Hopefully, that would give Hitoshi the chance he needed.

The shot rang out, and the fight was over–the fiery inferno of One for All once again contained in its furnace. Izuku was exhausted, and every inch of his body ached from the extreme overuse of his multiple quirks. His eyes were unfocused, and his ears were ringing. With all his adrenaline expended, his legs gave out. Just before he hit the ground, he was caught in lanky arms. 

"Hey, Zu. It's over. We did it. He's gone."

"H-toshi?..." Izuku replied tiredly.

"Ya?"

"Don't ever get kidnapped like that again."

Hitoshi let out a huff of amusement. "Let's get out of here before the press shows up."

"Yeah.."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Kurogiri had been unresponsive for at least three minutes when the bang of a gunshot echoed through the area. Not a second later, the bartender began screaming in agony, his misty body spasming and misshaping at sporadic intervals. Touya immediately abandoned his sitting position to try to help, not that he knew how to help in this situation. Natsou would be way better at this than me, that medical nerd. After a few seconds, the misty man stilled.

"...Kurogiri? …You alive, man?" Touya asked hesitantly. 

Kurogiri was unresponsive. Having no idea where any part of his pulse point would be, Touya placed a hand on Kurogiri's chest to make sure he was still breathing. Much to Touya's relief, Kurogiri was still alive. 

Wingbeats announced Keigo's arrival. Touya looked up from where he knelt next to Kurogiri to the blonde descending from the heavens rimmed in the neon pink ambient light. He was stunning, with an easy smile and a content jaunt. 

"Hey, Touya, the mission's over. Mind explaining why this one guy was worth not arresting?" Keigo queried as he made a soft landing.

Touya stood up and stretched. "This is Kurogiri, but I don't think that is his actual name. He was there the entire time I was undercover, but he never had a bounty put out on him. He wasn't there of his own volition. I think the big boss did something to him." Touya looked down to check on the bartender and was startled. Pale skin was revealed where the mist had receded, and a man's face was partially obscured by the metal plates that held Kurogiri's fluid form together, light blue cloud-like hair peeking out underneath the remaining smoke. 

"Oh my god," Keigo whispered.

"I second that," Touya muttered.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Ms. Inko was not happy about her son turning up, passed out and battle-worn, in the arms of an equally disheveled-looking Hitoshi. Thankfully, she was more worried than angry, especially since neither of them was badly injured. After a shower and a hot meal, the two boys looked significantly better. Izuku flopped on his bed, and Hitoshi followed him shortly afterward. 

Hitoshi rolled over to stare up at the ceiling. "I love you, Zu, My Guiding Light. Whenever I feel scared or don't know what to do, you are there to keep my head on straight."

Izuku huffed out some laughter and rolled over, too. "I already knew that, Hito. I love you two, My Precious Moon. You were the only light in my darkest hours. I don't know how I would have turned out if we didn't wind up in 3E together."

"As much as 3E was supposed to be a punishment. I think it was one of the greatest gifts I'd ever been given."

"Yeah…" Izuku yawned. The two boys fell asleep, peacefully dreaming away while the ramifications of their latest outing came crashing around in the world outside.

Chapter Text

Aizawa had to re-read the email he had just received from Nedzu. He hired three new staff members: two teachers and a lawyer. Carmine Eagle, whom Aizaiwa was certain used to be Hawks, was teaching a new set of classes: "Fundamentals of Martial Combat" was a class that every hero student would be expected to pass to graduate with higher difficulties that could be taken as electives, "Civilian Self Defence" was a class that all non-hero students would be required to take as one of their PE credits. The rest of his time would be spent supplementing various heroics classes. Nedzu implemented the courses as a new security initiative. The other teacher was Blonde Fox, who was teaching multiple new language classes that UA hadn't offered previously: German, French, Russian, JSL, and ASL. Hizashi wanted to have sign language classes for years, but was too busy with English to teach the extra classes. The lawyer was one Midoriya Inko, one of Japan's most prolific and ruthless prosecutors.

Years of underground hero work gave him pretty good instincts. He could already anticipate the oncoming chaos. Then, his students started arriving. And a whole nother headache entered the room.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Most of class 1A and their families have come through and set up their dorms. Today, the first-years' families would check in and get temporary visitor passes. Students were allowed to bring a maximum of four guests each. This usually meant parents and siblings… but then there were the self-proclaimed Outcasts. While Kaminari and Hatsumei brought along their parents and Kaminari's older cousin, the other three brought along some of their "friends from middle school." 

That's how Aizawa had ended up in a staring contest with one of the most infamous assassins on the planet, second only to the feared Reaper. WHY had Nezu let this guy in!? Along with Lovro, there were three other assassins. The other assassins, Grip, Smog, and Gastro, had only shown up briefly; they ruffled Midoriya's hair, bumped fists with Shinsou, and had a short conversation with Takami before handing out parting gifts and leaving. The assassin and underground hero remained in the standoff for a few excruciating minutes before, suddenly, Lovro blinked and nodded. Then, the pro hero's heart nearly jumped out of his throat when the egregiously imposing figure walked toward him.

 "You are Izuku's new teacher, correct?" Lovro spoke in a heavy Russian accent.

Aizawa nodded hesitantly.

"Hmm… You see the same potential I did. Between my protegee and myself, he has been taught everything I know. Though my protegee has taken more of a liking to the purple one." Lovro scanned the common room, and Aizawa copied the action. In the corner, Ms. Midoriya was fondly watching Takami, Jealvich, Midoriya, and Shinsou play-fighting with fake knives while Kaminari, Hatsumei, and Horibe worked together on some sort of robotic atrocity. The rest of class 1A were either in their rooms, exploring campus with their families, or staying firmly away from the group.

Aizawa couldn't come up with any words to respond, and if he was being honest, he was too scared to speak at the moment. The man standing casually next to him could probably kill him and half his students in under two minutes. Seriously, why did Nezu let this guy in!?

Much to the teacher's horror, Lovro seemed to sense the question bouncing through his head and raised an eyebrow at him. "Ah, you wonder why Nezu let assassin into the school, yes?" Lovro didn't wait for an answer. "He said it was supposed to be surprise… but I guess I can give you warning." And wasn't that concerning? "Nezu wants his staff and students prepared for anything." With that final, horribly ominous remark, Lovro walked away from Aizawa. The pro hero tracked his movements as he patted Shinsou's shoulder, gave Jealavich a meaningful nod, and handed small parcels to Takami and Midoriya. Then he went to stand silently next to Ms. Midoriya like a particularly unsettling statue.

The teacher wondered what all of the strange gifts the group had received from the various assassins were, but figured that he actually, really, vehemently didn't want to know.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It didn't take another half an hour before all hell broke loose. Somehow, the group in the corner decided they needed to take up the whole common space with their antics now and drag anyone unlucky enough to be nearby into their indoor paintball match. It was an absolute mess. Rainbow colors of paint were everywhere and on everything, and somehow, they got the security AI to join them. The common room was now an all-out war zone with tipped-over furniture and empty paintball magazines strewn all over the floor. Aizawa had tied one of the tables to the corner of the roof with his capture weapon to make a makeshift sniper's nest. To the people on the floor, it looked like a demented spider web, but it was mostly safe from the chaos below while allowing Aizawa to make the occasional shot at one of his students.

The Outcasts now held a fortified position in the middle of the room, using a tupperware of Ms. Midoriya's cookies as the prize that motivated his students to participate in this lunacy. He would be lying if he said that those baked goods weren't the reason why he was also participating. Midoriya had brought in a batch of those cookies after midterms as thank you for being good teachers, which raised many questions about his previous schools, but back to the point, he got to try one, and now he, along with most of the staff, were addicted to the damn things. 

A sudden tap on his shoulder had Aizawa whipping around, pistol raised, and coming face to barrel with a paintball gun. Hizashi, his dear, sweet husband, pressed a finger to his lips as he shuffled next to the tired pro. Hizashi was absolutely terrifying sometimes. Most people forget that just because quirks are one way doesn't mean their wielders can't do the opposite. Hizashi was cunning, sneaky, and smart, but most fell for his Present Mic persona, a true logical ruse. Then there was Tsukauchi, who could lie through his teeth without anyone processing that just because you can't lie to him doesn't mean he couldn't lie to you. Oddly enough, he can't lie to himself. Aizawa learned that interesting fact after a particularly rough case that left them trying to find answers from a god neither of them believed in at the bottom of a bottle.

Anyway, Hizashi, who was among the many staff members who fell victim to Ms. Midoriya's baked goods, bright, brilliant Hizashi was aiming a paintball shotgun at his beloved students. At this point, Aizawa was convinced that those damned cookies could spark a war. The blonde quickly signed to him, "Cover me, and I'll share the cookies with you," before leaping from the nest, painting Aishido, Kaminari, and Sero's backs neon-yellow. Aizawa activated his quirk to halt Bakugou's charge and shot a paintball at Tokoyami's center mass. Hizashi closed in on the fortress of couches and vaulted over the cushioned barrier to tackle Takami, holding the paintball gun to the avian's chest. Shinsou aimed to take out the intruder when a loud bang came from the corner. Aizawa dropped the table to swing from one of the light fixtures and intercepted his student. Now, with two hostages, the Outcasts yielded to the two pro heroes and handed over the tupperware.

The duo made an expeditious repeat, but before the elevator doors closed on their ascent, Aizawa glared at his paint-covered class. "You have three hours to make this room spotless." How had he and his husband ended up in a paintball firefight with twenty-two teenagers, his two new coworkers, and the AI who controls the security turrets over two dozen cookies?

-x-x-x-x-x-

Aizawa, for once, wasn't the one having an aneurysm over his students' ludicrous behavior. It was also the first time he'd ever seen Ms. Joke so shocked that she couldn't crack a joke about the situation. Today was the provisional licensing exam. It wasn't the start of the exam when his students broke off into groups of about five, or when the Outcasts group ambushed her students, taking out the second-years within the first two minutes of the exam. It wasn't even when his class took charge of the rescue operation with a textbook setup compliant with the procedures EMTs followed, courtesy of the new curriculum. No, it was when Gang Orca burst in as the mock villain for the exam, and how the Outcast group reacted. Within four minutes, Gang Orca was dropped by that freaky technique Midoriya used in the final exams and seems to have perfected by now. The sidekicks playing henchmen were taken out by rubber-bullet suppressing fire and electrified whip cracks courtesy of Shinsou and Kaminari.

This exam was far more difficult than previous ones, likely because the HPSC still had no idea who took down the League and eliminated their leader. Aizawa had his suspicions about that, a particular encounter in a hospital hall before the incident coming to mind. The Commission assumed it must have been a different, more powerful group of villains. It was so illogical. It was clearly the work of trained assassins or international heroes, but whatever Aizawa wasn't attached to them at all, so they could do whatever they pleased as long as they didn't bother him about it. They were probably still reeling from losing their "precious" Number Three, too. If Aizawa was being honest, he figured it was only a matter of time before the corrupt bureaucracy imploded.

-x-x-x-x-x-

SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!! Aizawa thought in time with his pounding feet. He hadn't been this terrified since his school days, and judging by her pace, Nemuri wasn't fairing much better. This must have been what Lovro's warning was about. The entire school had been turned into a warzone. The campus was crawling with assassins wielding paint-cover weapons of all kinds from rubber knives to paintball guns to one guy he saw with a fricken scythe. A good handful of the assassins were his students' age. Where did Nezu find these kids!?

The goal was simple: don't get tagged with paint… well, it was simple in theory. In practice, it had pro heroes and students alike leaping out of windows, diving under furniture, and/or using each other as human shields. It was complete anarchy. For some god awful reason, the Outcast crew, his husband, the security AI, and Ms. Midoriya were all part of the hunting party. He found out about that last one when he tried hiding in staff dorms and was intercepted by the petite woman and the fucking paintball minigun she rested on her hip. That's how he lost Nemuri.

Bakugou was the first in his class to get hit. Midoriya reached from his desk behind the blonde and traced a line of green paint across his throat, starting the whole event. Next came a spray of purple paint that eliminated twelve other students from the hunt. Then his husband hung upside down from one of the vents and started aiming at any of the students that remained, and that was Aizawa's cue to start running.

During his mad dash through the hall, he saw Vlad King get jumped by a kid with red hair that jammed… was that a wasabi packet!? up the hero's nose. Then, like straight out of a cyberpunk thriller movie, the walls began to open up, revealing at least twenty turrets in this hallway alone with really big guns. That was when the underground hero went for the nearest window, smashing through it and using a nearby tree to swing from using his scarf, Sero pulling a similar move. Unfortunately for his student, he was shot in the back by a blond girl wielding a gun that looked oddly similar to one of Shinsou's. Through the windows, he could see a blue-haired boy (or was that a girl?) take on the Big Three along with a green-haired girl with a similar hairstyle to the boy and another teen that he couldn't quite make out. He saw another student get hit by a baseball thrown by a kid yelling something along the lines of "For Koro-Sensei!" and yet another student get jumpscared by a creepy-looking teen.

Then Aizawa tried hiding in the staff dorms and well… let's just say they were firmly off limits. By now, it was clear that the only way to safety was to escape campus grounds. The gates were too obvious and had a ton of turrets that the security AI could use to pelt him into the dirt with paint. His best bet would be to scale the wall. There was one area behind one of the training fields that had a blind spot in the security cameras. He found it during his early years in teaching to get away with sleeping during his off periods before he realized that Nezu couldn't care less when he slept as long as he got all his work done and was present for all the classes he taught. He was almost there when something caught his shoulder, spattering red paint across his face. One of Takami's feathers whizzed past him, red paint lacing its edges.

"Wow, you almost escaped! Good job, you're the only one who's made it this far!" The blonde chirped from where he hovered about eight meters behind him. "Well, I'll let you know that the staff who have been caught are gathering in the teacher's lounge!" And with that remark, the feathered hero soared off.

About twelve minutes of walking and a five minute climb up the size of UA's main building (like hell he's walking through that shit show), Aizawa finally made it to the teacher's lounge. He flopped lazily on one of the couches and groaned. 

Sitting in a nearby chair, Yagi chuckled. "I see you're the last to join us."

That comment made Aizawa take stock of the room, and surely enough, there were the rest of his coworkers who weren't in on the slaughter. Some of them looked worse off than others. Midnight was drenched in mint-green paint, Vlad had a puffy red nose and watering eyes, and Powerloader's hair was singed. Then there was Yagi, who had slits of gray paint between his eyes, across his throat, and on his chest over his heart.

The soon-to-retire pro caught his questioning glance and nodded solemnly. "I was the second person eliminated after Young Bakugou. Lovro got me at nearly the same time while I was enjoying some tea." Yagi rubbed at the now-dry paint on his neck with a small frown. "To think I'm so vulnerable now… and now that the greatest threat to the students and Japan has been squarely dealt with. I think it might be time for me to retire soon. I should speak to Nezu about this."

Aizawa nodded his agreement. Having Lovro eliminate Yagi so quickly and thoroughly was probably meant to serve as a wake-up call to the Number One. Though that raises concerns about how the masses will feel about losing the Number One and Three Heroes in the same year. God, that's going to be an absolute mess.

-x-x-x-x-x-

In the midst of cackling over the utter chaos the former 3E and their assassin friends were causing, Nedzu sneezed.

Chapter Text

Across his desk sat the single most terrifying entity he had ever encountered. It's emerald eyes boring into his soul, searching, cataloging, and analyzing his every detail, his every flaw. Posted on its either side, like a king's soldiers, were two other figures garbed in hooded clothing, colored deep purple and mustard yellow respectively. The cute cat ears and silly axolotl gills should have dampened their intimidating visages, but they only made dread pool in his gut. These were no ordinary school children.

However, they were still children, and if they wanted to be his interns, they'd have to earn it. Truthfully, he was going to turn them away, especially since he only invited Midoryia. And he only invited Midoryia to convince him to give up One For All to a more suitable successor. After finally meeting the elusive teen, Nighteye was certain he was in no way fit to be the next symbol of peace.

"Cat. Axo. Could I have a moment alone with him? There seems to be something he wants to discuss in private." The icy undertone in Midoryia's voice was ominous and threatening, making Nighteye's skin crawl. The two boys leave as Midoryia turns his full attention to the pro hero. As soon as the door clicks closed, Midoriya continues, "You wished to speak about One For All, correct?"

An astute observation, but one he was expecting. Toshinori went on and on about how cunning and smart his successor was. He also warned Nighteye about how intense the boy could be as well. The former sidekick had no clue what made All Might pick such a morally compromised successor. A kid like this was more suited to work with Nezu or some underground hero than somebody as bright and awe-inspiring as Toshinori. This travesty could not be allowed to continue.

"You are thinking too loudly. Are you going to spit it out, or do you just want my response?"

How crude.. Nighteye swallowed the lump in his throat and, at last, spoke his mind. "You are unworthy to be the next symbol of peace. You should give up One For All to a more suitable successor."

Midoriya blinked at him uninterestedly. "Is that all?"

Is that ALL!? What about this is mundane? This is the fate of Japan, and all he has to say is "IS THAT ALL"!? Nighteye physically recoiled away from the teen before him in disgust and horror.

"Oh wow. You really are clueless, huh?" Midoriya scoffed and rose from his chair. "All For One is dead. One For All has served its purpose and is now mine to use as I see fit. That was the deal I made with Yagi." Green lighting surged around Midoriya, seemingly knocking out the lights as he floated up and landed on Nighteye's desk, now towering over the taller man. "Feel free to make Togata the next symbol of peace, because I'm not interested in the position." Midoriya stalked across the desk, scattering the papers strewn about it. "But mark my words, you are in no position to tell me what to do." He squatted to get on eye-level with the pro. "I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you an offer." Midoriya's face contorted into a disgusting grin as he leaned to whisper into Nighteye's ear, the pro now paralysed in fear. "You can have One For All, but you'll have to kill me for it first."

The dark office lit up in a green flash as papers flew and long tendrils whizzed faster than the eye could see. In a split second, the lights were back on, all his papers were neatly organised, and Midoriya was sitting calmly in the rolling chair on the other side of the desk once more, his hands clasped beneath his chin. A black tendril pushed one stack of papers across the wooden surface, and Nighteye was suddenly struck by a reminder of a case that was covered up by the HPSC. The one about the villain who blew up the moon and demanded to teach a class of middle schoolers, lest he blow up the Earth as well. The villain was killed by one of his students as planned. Nighteye, of course, investigated Toshinori's successor. The kid was beyond suspicious. A quirkless kid placing second in the entrance exam? Absurd! Imagine his surprise when he found out that Midoriya went to the middle school where the villain dubbed "Koro Sensei" taught. It didn't take much (aside from his connections as the number one's former sidekick) to find evidence that placed Midoriya in the very class tasked with killing the vile creature. Nighteye now had no doubt that Midoriya was the student who dealt the killing shot and most likely used One For All to do it. With Koro Sensei and All For One dead, and All Might scheduled to retire any week now, all of which were orchestrated by this single kid, Midoriya was the single most powerful person in all of Japan and arguably the world.

Nighteye's eyes dilated as his heart raced, and it became hard to breathe. He was going to die here in his own office.

A soft tap to his forehead cut through the oncoming panic attack—the cool touch of one of Midoriya's tendrils focusing all his attention on the teenage assassin. "I have no reason to kill you. You're more valuable to me alive, and nobody would ever believe you if you told them… except for maybe Eraserhead or Hawks, I know Eraser is suspicious of me, especially after the attack on the training camp, and Hawks was the one who taught us how to fight. But I doubt Eraser would do anything about it, and nothing is going to bring back Pro Hero Hawks." And wasn't that an unsettling thought? Had Midoriya planned the deaths of Hawks and Stain to tie up loose ends? Would he be next if any of this got out?

Midoriya let out a weary sigh. "None of this is why I came here anyway."

Nighteye began regaining his composure and readjusted his glasses. "A work study, right? Mirio mentioned referring you to me."

"No, I don't intend to have a work study with the Nighteye Agency. I already work with a different group." Midoriya replied. "I came here as a representative of the Outcasts Agency to talk to you about your investigation into the Shie Hasiki," he revealed as he tapped on the stack of papers he had pushed in front of Nighteye. On the very top was a case file with a picture of Overhaul. "We have actually been looking into them for quite some time. Specifically investigating the rumors of them keeping a little girl locked away. A girl whom Overhaul seems particularly obsessed with keeping hidden away." Midoriya pulled a file from his jacket and set it on top of Overhaul's file. When Nighteye opened it up, there was what appeared to be a still image from a security camera overlooking a little girl with long white hair in a tattered nightgown sitting on a cot in an otherwise empty white room.

"How… Where?" Nighteye's brows crease in confusion, frown deepening as he sifts through the file. "How did you get all this?"

"Let's just say we have someone on the inside," Midoriya replies cryptically as he sets a tablet onto the stack of papers. "When you are ready to work with us on this, turn on the tablet and ask to talk to Ritzu." And with that final remark, Midoriya stands and leaves. Leaving the door open to show him and his companions leaving in formation. The purple one at Midoriya's right hand.

Just as the elevator doors closed, Nighteye caught one last glance of Midoriya's piercing stare. Then, Miro burst through the stairwell door and barreled towards the pro's office at a breakneck pace. Miro leaned heavily against the door frame and looked at Nighteye with a panic-stricken face. "Did you know that Overhaul has a daughter!?"

The color drained from Nighteye's face as he glanced at the black screen of the tablet Midoriya left him, its reflection of his face taunting him.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Henso was a man of many faces… or without a face… or just with a really malleable face… okay, he gets it, his quirk is weird! The point is, his quirk makes it so he can peel off his face and mold it like clay into whatever visage he desires. He was glad he got to reconnect with his mentor before his passing, and he did some soul searching at his request. Currently, he was on one last mission as a favor to his late mentor and those students who tied him to that flagpole that fateful day when he was finally acknowledged by his mentor. He found his inner peace and would turn over a new leaf and go into botany full-time. He'd always loved flowers. First, though, he would help those kids take down the monsters performing human experiments here.

Under a white hood and behind a plague doctor mask, the Reaper stalked his final targets—Shiro and Overhaul: Mad Scientist and Yakuza Boss. The two were working on a way to create the perfect version of the human form… which was quirkless and covered in tentacles, apparently. Shiro's experiments started off as making superweapons out of people, and quirkless people were seemingly the best base for these weapons. Overhaul thought quirks were a plague and needed to be eradicated. Shiro joined forces with Overhaul after his lab was destroyed by Koro Sensei. Overhaul accepted him for his extensive knowledge of human anatomy and his experience with live experiments. However, it was clear to the master assassin that Overhaul was utterly disgusted by Shiro.

The worst part was the little girl they kept locked away. They exploited her quirk to create Overhaul's quirk-erasing bullets and keep the adverse effects of Shiro's experiments from killing their hosts in under a week. Henso had no moral high ground above these two. He was just as much of a monster as they were, but he found himself pitying the little girl. He could tell she'd end up even more messed up than he was should she grow up in this kind of environment, and he'd be damned if he let that happen.

Henso adjusted the flower arrangement in a vase to the side of the meeting room while Overhaul and Shiro discussed the progress of their respective experiments. Being the only quirkless person left in the Yakuza after having expended the few others in previous experiments, Shiro had taken to experimenting on himself and was getting decent results if the spindly tentacles that wrapped around his arms meant anything. Overhaul had recently begun releasing temporary quirk-destroying bullets to the streets and was set to start testing on a permanent version soon. 

The disguised man quietly bowed to his targets and exited the room without the two even realizing he was there. He calmly walked through the halls and entered a dark storage room. The door closed behind him without having touched it, and a barrel pressed into his back.

"Any last words, mole?" Overhaul's right-hand man, Chronostasis, asked Henso as he clicked the safety off his pistol.

In a heartbeat, the assassin had Chronostasis pinned to the wall, his quirkladen hair gripped tightly in one of Henso's hands while the other held his arms behind his back. "I should ask you the same thing, Kurono."

Standing in the sweltering heat of the boiler room, Henso relayed his latest intel to the kids. No doubt, Overhaul would notice the disappearance of his right-hand, and given that Chronostasis had found him out, it was only a matter of time before he became the next abstract art installation painting the walls of this dreaded compound.

Leaving the boiler room and heading to the barracks for the night, Henso observed and cataloged the movements of the various Yakuza grunts that bustled about the underground complex like a colony of ants. A colony that Henso did not belong to. Those kids better hurry up. Their time is running out.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Nighteye sat at the middle edge of the massive U-shaped table. The large arc was occupied by a large group of pro heroes, all facing a wall with an enormous set of screens. Displayed across all the screens was a white logo of a grinning face, silhouetting the six figures standing before them in the dark room.

"Thank you all for gathering here. However, I believe this mission will be unsuitable for the first-year work-study students, so I ask them to leave before we begin this briefing," Blonde Fox begins the meeting.

Carmine Eagle waits for the four first-years sitting at the table to leave before continuing where Blonde left off. "As many of you know, we are here to discuss our raid plan for the Shie Hasaiki. We have been investigating this particular group for months, and our inside man has indicated that we must strike soon or not at all. The boss, Kai Chisaki AKA: Overhaul, has begun testing a permanent version of the quirk-erasing drug that Fatgum and his interns encountered last Wednesday. Because of that encounter, we were able to confirm our suspicion that Overhaul has been abusing and exploiting a young girl, using her blood as the base for said drug."

Mirio clenched his fists under the table in guilt, shame, and rage. If only he'd just taken Eri when he had the chance.

"I will leave it to Ritzu and Veridian to explain the details of the plan." Some of the overhead lights switch on, revealing to the gathered pros the young face of their strategist for this raid.

"I thought you said we weren't involving any of the first years!" Rocklock exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Blonde.

"Just the first-year work-study students," Blonde Fox corrected.

"Exactly," Izuku agreed. "I am not a work-study student for the sake of this mission, and I expect you to respect my status as the organizer and primary strategist of this raid."

"You're just a kid!" Rocklock complained.

"If you do not wish to cooperate, you may leave." Midoriya turned to a security camera in the corner of the room. "Ritzu, could you contact Freeze-Frame. I know she's on an important mission, but we may need her should Rocklock leave the raid team."

Dragoon Hero: Ryukyu raised her hand and asked, "Isn't Freeze-Frame an assassin?"

Midoriya tilted his head. "Did I forget to mention there are assassins on the raid team? I could have sworn I told everyone this is a mission conducted under the International Assassin's Guild, not the HPSC. I guess it was rude of me to assume daylight heroes would be as okay with working with us as underground heroes usually are. If you are uncomfortable with this, you may leave." To Izuku's mild surprise, nobody left, not even Rocklock. The screens behind him lit up with various graphics representing the different teams for the raid. "We will have three attack teams, a retrieval team, a support team, a follow-up team, and the strike team."

The graphics changed to display a list of names for each attack team. "Please check each list for your name. Team Alpha will be at the gate, reading the warrant, and fending off the initial resistance. It will be led by Ryukyu. Team Buster will charge past the inevitable battle on the front lawn and enter the main compound through the house. Team Charley will enter from a side entrance. The goals for Buster and Charley are to draw attention and take care of the seven remaining members of Overhaul's inner circle. They will be led by Rocklock and Sir Nighteye, respectively. Both teams will be specialized to take on specific members of the Eight Precepts. Team Daycare is the retrieval team, tasked with locating Eri and getting her out of the complex. It's led by Eraserhead. Her quirk is incredibly volatile, and she will need comfort. Team Epsilon will be made of heroes meant to support any of the other teams should the need arise. They don't have a dedicated leader, and one will be appointed should the need arise. Team Following, led by Fatgum, will have the majority of the police presence and will be responsible for rounding up the apprehended yakuza and bringing them out of the complex. Carmine Eagle will lead the Strike Team; they are responsible for taking out Overhaul and Shiro. If any of you have problems with your team or teammates, please relay your concerns to Ritzu."

Midoriya gestured to a box near the exit. "Please break into your teams and take a comm on your way out. Each box should be labeled with your code name. If your equipment is faulty, please tell Ritzu or me immediately."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Tremors shook the concrete ceiling. The heroes were getting closer. Chronostasis was still AWOL, and Shiro was hiding away like a coward. The mad scientist was in his lab when the heroes first came knocking, and the Yakuza could use the human weapon right now. Then there was also Florist. The new member seemed quiet and unassuming at first, but there was something shifty about him that put Overhaul on edge. Something was off about the man; he was too perfect, and now that Kurono was gone, Florist had been acting even more strange.

Overhaul slammed open the door before him. "Florist. Where is Chronostasis?"  

Startled, the masked assassin dropped the vase he was holding, the vase shattering and leaving a tense stillness in its wake. Overhaul sneered at the new mess. "I should kill you for that mess alone, but I want you to answer my question first. Then, I'll determine how painful your death will be."

Henso glared at Overhaul, not that the man could see it behind the lenses of his mask, and muttered. "Why don't you check the damned furnace."

With the subconscious twitch of a hand, Overhaul's quirk removed his gloves in sheer rage. The young boss cared for very few people outside of himself, and thanks to the diseased filth that dared snap back at him, that list was cut in half. The traitor didn't deserve death; no, that would be too forgiving a punishment. When Overhaul was through with him, the wretch would wish he had never been born. Reaching out with his ungloved hand, Overhaul grabbed the knife that was flying toward him and disassembled both it and the arm that threw it. His other hand grabbed onto the plague mask covering Henso's face and destroyed it too, beginning to take apart the assassin piece by piece, atom by atom. The agonized cries did nothing to phase Overhaul's cold stare. 

CRACK!!

Black tendrils speared through one of the side walls, tearing out a chunk of concrete large enough for multiple people to walk through. The tendrils holding the concrete crushed it into rubble, kicking up a cloud of dust. How filthy..  

Glowing green eyes and drifting tendrils were silhouetted in the dust. There was a beat of silence as the dust started to settle, and in that moment of distraction, Overhaul lost control of the speed of his quirk, turning the disassembly from miserably slow to instant. The room and its two remaining inhabitants became the canvas of a Jackson Pollock painting of concrete dust and viscera. 

Izuku's pupils contracted into thin points. Henso wasn't supposed to die.. That wasn't in his plan! Sure, plans always fall apart when they make contact with their enemy or whatever, but his plans never fail this badly.

… What if that was Hitoshi? What if he got one of his friends, his family, killed by his plans? He would never let that happen. Not on his watch, and to make sure of it, Overhaul and anyone else who posed a threat to them were going to die.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Eraserhead must have committed a grave sin or something in his past life or something, because now he was not stuck with one, but two women with… forward personalities. It's like they're multiplying.. He was paired with Kayama and Jelavich to find Eri, and it was as if he was seeing double. Eraser really didn't need to hear stories about some of their "conquests" or anything else in that vein. For once, could the fates have mercy on his soul? No~ they just happened to be the best qualified to quickly and safely extract a little girl from the clutches of villains. According to the directions they were getting, the room Eri was in should be right.. around.. the corner…

Taking the lead, Eraser slowly turned the door handle and peeked into the room. The walls were a sterile white and lined by metal lab benches. Standing over a table in the middle of the room, with his back turned to the door, was a man with disheveled gray hair in a white lab coat. On the table was a little girl with wide, scared red eyes. The man was doing something with a needle, but Eraser wasn't waiting long enough to find out what. Activating his quirk, he charged into the lab, intent on knocking the guy out before he got the chance to fight back. 

Eraser's scarf may be fast, but Shiro was just that slight bit faster. A tentacle grabbed onto the extended end of the scarf, pulling the pro hero in closer. A few more of Shiro's tentacles grappled his leg and threw Eraser into Kayama, slamming both of them into one of the metal benches. Medical supplies rattled and fell from their organizers onto the table, the floor, and heroes. 

Jelavich cursed under her breath and pulled out a BB gun she had holstered on her back. Kayama and Eraserhead watched with incredulity as the BBs blew off Shiro's tentacles like tofu. Jelavich didn't take her eyes off her target but yelled back at the heroes. "Get the girl and RUN damn it!"

The two leaped into action; Eraser grabbed Eri and tucked her into his scarf, using his quirk to stop her quirk from going haywire. He and Kayama had just rounded the corner and booked it down the hall when a loud crash and a near inhuman war cry came from the lab they just left. Jelavich came running up behind them, urging them to keep running for the exit. Somewhere along the way, the quartet linked up with Nighteye's team. The group of now twelve fell into a defensive formation around Eri, Nighteye taking up the rear.

"Everybody evacuate the compound IMMEDIATELY! " Carmine yelled over the comms. In response, the whole group picked up the pace. 

The halls shook violently, and cracks crept up the walls and across the ceiling. At this rate, the entire complex was going to collapse into itself. Intermittently, different groups confirmed they had made it out and performed head counts. Nearly everyone had made it past the crumbling courtyard and onto the street, but because he was in the back, Nighteye didn't quite make it out. The former sidekick was on a ledge, just barely unable to reach the asphalt. The air slowly cleared at the center of the massive sinkhole. In the center was a twisting mass of eldritch horror, and standing right before it was Midoriya. Sometime shortly before the evacuation order, Overhaul had disassembled himself and Shiro, fusing the two of them into an unholy abomination.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Overhaul was to die, so declared Midoriya, and thus became the new purpose of One For All. Izuku's will was the will of the quirk; the center of unrestrained entropy. Unbeknownst to the greenette, Yoichi's original quirk wasn't simply the ability to pass on quirks. All For One could both give and take quirks, why would One For All be too different? It clung onto the previous user's quirks with a vice-like grip. All For One may be a kleptomaniac of a quirk, but One For All is a hoarder, a hoarder with no checks and near infinite power. Quirk singularity was a hell of a thing. Sheer, unrestrained power radiated from the epicenter in Izuku's heart, and the event horizon rested in his palms. The floor creaked as small bits of rubble drifted towards Izuku. Light itself bent around the singularity. It would be such a shame for a quirk as wonderful as Overhaul to go to such waste…

Izuku charged. The air pressure from his movement alone blasted Overhaul through three rooms. He would rid the world of this threat. —and maybe he could keep his quirk as a trophy..

-x-x-x-x-x-

Nighteye never could have predicted the sheer terror and dread that consumed him, watching what could only be described as a world-destroying monster face off against the giant glob of writhing violence born from Overhaul's quirk. Midoriya reached into his costume jacket with Black Whip to pull out several green rubbery knives and lunged at the fusion. Hovering above the scene was Shinsou, held up by the jacket collar gripped in Carmine's talons. Several people were lifted from the hole by red feathers, including Nigheye himself, and it gave the suited man a front-row seat to the oncoming battle… that would be if he could perceive the combatants. Each blow happened faster than the eye could see, and the only way Nighteye could tell how the fight was going was the displacement of the rubble caused by the shockwaves of each hit. 

Something was cutting through the tentacles like butter, and it took Nighteye an embarrassingly long time to realize it was more of Carmine(definitely Hawks, but there's no proof)'s feathers; those and the shots Shinsou rained down on the field. They must have come stocked with weapons specialized to fight these tentacles. 

After minutes of watching Midorya and Co. cut through tentacles like machetes through tall grass, the three members of the strike team finally cut down to Overhaul's main body. And then, after stabbing him in the chest, Midoriya reached up with lightning-wreathed hands and just… held his head for a few seconds. Then, in a flash, the few remaining tentacles fell limp, and the fused bodies fell back into separate people. Overhaul and Shiro were dead.

That's it. Nighteye was going to retire from hero work. He leaves the agency to Centipeder and Bubble Girl. For the rest of his life, Sasaki would live in a little cottage in the countryside with his All Might merchandise, far away from the unholy nightmare that was Midoriya.