Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'Just play it cool, Takeshi. They just wanna ask you a couple'a questions. That's literally it.' The young man thought to himself as he rapidly tapped his feet while sitting in one of the lobbies of Chiyoda Police Headquarters 'Guess it was good that I called in sick that day, huh?'

His anxiety over his presiding situation was unreal and it was near impossible to stay calm. He knew the miserable excuse of a day-care for smug brats and assholes with delusions of grandeur "education centre" that he used to work at was an absolute cesspit that might as well have been held together by duct tape and used chewing gum. He knew that the place was bound to crumble a good bit, while also praying that he wasn't anywhere near the place when the foundation gave out. The image of the damn rusted column was burned into his memory, causing every single day he spent in their to be treated like his potential last. He'd always step lightly around the place subconsciously, feeling that if put too much pressure on one foot as he walked, it might cause some freaky chain reaction that could cause the deaths of hundreds. As much as he couldn't stand some of these brats, especially the little exploding fucker, he had no desire to see any of the bite it before their time.

Takeshi balled his right hand into a fist and pressed it against his forehead in frustration as he thought back to that shithead principal who was running the joint. Cheap fucker only gave him the bare minimum that he could spare in terms of a 'pay check.' He figured that the fat bastard would give him lesser if he could get away with, but didn't as to not draw any negative attention to what was going on at that dump if any law enforcement types came sniffing about. Probably wanted some form of plausible deniability if Takeshi ever decided to take him to court, not that he could even afford a decent lawyer anyways with the chump change he earned each month. There wasn't much of a court case to be found in his situation if you looked at it through that lens. Not to mention that he'd be out of a job if he did so.

Speaking of being out of a job, he couldn't help but rub his eyes in a dejected manner as the reality of his current predicament set in. He was, at the moment, unemployed.

Turning twenty six last month, having no college degree and spending most of your early adult years working minimum wage jobs wasn't exactly gonna set him up for a well paying career.

Besides, who the fuck would hire his ass? There was no way he was putting "spent five years as an underpaid and undervalued janitor at Aldera Junior High a cheap run-down belief bunker ran by self important borderline cultists who fucking brainwashed children" in the Experience section of his resume!

A frustrated grunt escaped his lips as he rubbed his hand down his face.

At most he had enough money stored away in his account to last another 2 months... maybe? His landlord seemed to change the rate at a drop of a hat. Bastard was probably gamblin' with it again and needed to extort some of the people who lived under his roof. It wasn't uncommon for everyone in his complex to pool any spare change and disposable income they had lying around to help one another. Only caveat was that there were no questions asked about where each person got their money. And if any cops or Pros came a knockin', you'd clam up. That was fine by Takeshi, he already knew how the game was played at this point. Cleaning up his fair share of 'ketchup stains' to get a bit more income sure as hell wasn't beneath him. His Quirk was practically a godsend when it came to that line of work. Probably why Okubo hired him in the first place anyway. For all the good it did him.

Takeshi couldn't help but crack a small smile remembering the day he saw the bastard's busted up face get stuffed into the back of a cop car. Man, he wished he could've filmed that in person! Good thing a lot of the other kids who had to put up with so much BS at that place filmed everything going on for his (and many other people's) viewing pleasure.

“Mr. Kiyomizu?”

The voice snapped him out of his spiralling thoughts like a slap to the back of the head.

A uniformed officer stood at the threshold of the lobby, clipboard in hand and a neutral expression on his face “They’re ready to speak with you now.”

Takeshi let out a sharp breath through his nose and stood up, brushing the front of his hoodie. His legs felt like wet noodles, but they moved when he told them to, and that was enough.

He followed the officer down a hall that smelled like bleach and recycled air. Cold fluorescent lights buzzed above with both of their footsteps echoing rather loudly. Maybe that school did a bigger number on him mentally than he thought.

Room 27C.

Inside, the air was cooler, and the tension was thicker. On one side of the plain metal table sat Detective Tsukauchi, all calm professionalism and sharp eyes that saw more than they let on. Next to him, perched with a notepad and a pretty unreadable grin, was some furry animal in a really well tailored suit. From what Takeshi gathered, this overgrown mouse (Bear? Rat? Dog?) was pretty much the unpredictable wild card in this whole operation. Or some special officer. Otherwise, he couldn't see any reason as to why he'd be here at all.

“Have a seat.” Tsukauchi said, gesturing politely.

Takeshi sat, doing his best to hide the tremor in his fingers as he clasped them together on the table.

“Relax.” Nezu said with a pleasant tilt of his head “We’re not here to grill you. We just want to talk. Despite any preconceived notions you may have had outside, you’re not in any trouble.”

“Yeah.” Takeshi muttered “Yet.”

Tsukauchi gave a faint chuckle “You already know why you're here I take it, so we'll just get down to business. Let’s start simple. When did you begin working at Aldera Junior High?”

“About... five years ago.” Takeshi replied, eyes downcast “Wasn’t exactly my dream gig. Just needed something that paid under the table.”

Truth.

“And your impressions of the school?” Nezu asked, tone deceptively casual.

Takeshi let out a hollow laugh “Garbage seeped in a stew of horse diarrhea. Rotting from the inside. Either that or a clown car crash that someone tried to staple together and call a ‘learning institution.’”

Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow “That bad, huh? I'm guessing you've seen much more than others would believe”

“You go no idea. That sort of comes with the job in general.” Takeshi muttered “I’ve cleaned up blood, broken lockers, smudged windows, scorch marks, and literal holes in the wall. Staff barely gave a damn. The kids with the strong Quirks ruled the place like a little kingdom. Not all of ’em were bad, but enough of ’em were, and nobody did jack about it.”

“Did anyone in particular stand out to you?” Tsukauchi asked “Students or faculty?”

“Sure. A bunch actually, if you wanna go by category. Faculty—Principal Okubo was a bloated tick in a blazer. That guy didn’t care unless it made the school look bad in any way. And that gym teacher—Mizuno or whatever—he was always tryin’ to 'out-alpha' the kids and rigged the games so the strong ones always dominated. Just fed into the chaos. And I don't think I gotta bring up the lady who was second in command, do I?”

Grimaces were the facial expression of choice as the three individuals flashed back to the Woman Who Must Not Be Named.

"I... would greatly appreciate if you didn't." Tsukauchi said as his face cringed in memory of that damn thumb drive that started it all, while his skin briefly took on a light green hue.

"S-sorry. Shoulda kept my mouth shut about her."

"No no, it's...it's fine." Tsukauchi said, clearly not fine about having to be reminded of looking through that damned piece of hardware "You can continue."

Takeshi nodded “There were a couple teachers who tried, I’ll give ’em that. But they were few and far between. Mr. Aida was one of the more decent ones but he looked like he aged ten years in one. Poor guy tried to hold it together, but even he stopped trying to rock the boat. The guy's probably gonna have a tough time finding a job after all of this goes on.”

“You needn't worry about that, Mr. Kiyomizu. I myself can handle things from that end. Now, what can you tell us about the students?” Nezu asked softly "Did any of them stand out to you in any prominent fashion?"

Takeshi frowned as started down at the table in thought while rubbing the back of his neck “Some decent ones. Quiet, kept their heads down. But the others? Man... they ran the place. But there was one that I couldn't stand the most; The Bakugo kid. Twerp was a walking fire hazard with a god complex. Whole school walked on eggshells around him—staff included. He'd always be stomping down the halls, hurling those damn explosions of his at anything or anyone that pissed him off at the time. Pretty much every single damn scorch mark I had to clean up was because of him. And no matter what shit he pulled, the teachers pretty much looked the other way. Pssh, can't believe those idiots thought they were gonna ride off his coattails. I doubt Blondie even remembered their names.”

Truth.

“Interesting.” Tsukauchi said, frowning a tad bit as he was scribbling down a few notes "Have you ever had any interactions with Bakugo while you were still employed at the school?"

Takeshi's eyes narrowed harshly at the memory that resurfaced "Yeah, only the one. And that was plenty enough for me to avoid the brat like the damn plague. Hell, it was something the rest of us janitors had to plan out. We all kept tabs on where his usual spots were so neither of us had to run afoul of him. Didn't make things any less tense though."

Takeshi let out a sigh.

"It was my third year working at the place. I'm trying to mop up the rest of the place when I see him standing over some nervous looking green haired kid with his palms smoking overhead and growling at him like some damn animal. Poor broccoli kid looked terrified as Blondie loomed over him."

Both the detective and the highly intelligent sapient animal perked up at the mention of the description.

"The blond brat had pretty much trashed the poor kid's locker. Thing was a smoking heap mounted on the wall. I wasn't exactly in a good mood that day considering that I had to work overtime without a single Yen of compensation," as usual "so I practically yelled at the little bastard for trashing school property." Takeshi recounted before looking away rather nervously "Not exactly my best move."

"How so?" Nezu's ears twitched in curiosity.

"The punk tried to take my head off."

Truth?!

Tsukauchi immediately looked up in surprise while Nezu's eyes stared in minute disbelief "He... tried to attack you?!"

"Yep. Said that some 'shitty clean-up bitch' had no right to get involved in his business. My response? Used my Quirk to give him a face full of extra soapy water (that stung like a bitch from what he was told by others) straight in his eyes, yelled at the kid he was picking on to book it, and we both hightailed it out of there before he got his vision back. I could hear him screeching and hollering for a good few minutes."

Truth.

Tsukauchi grimaced. That had been, what, the fiftieth time Katsuki Bakugo had been mentioned by someone in a less than flattering light? It seemed that the school's destruction had yielded much more positive results towards the case revolving around the innerworkings of it's warped 'hierarchy.' Tsukauchi figured that a good bit of students had sucked up the explosive youth simply so they wouldn't be made targets. Some of the testimonies he'd done on some of the students had indicated as much, alongside his Quirk of course.

"Are we to assume that you received punishment for your actions?" Nezu inquired as he sipped some tea.

"Trust me, I had the same thought along those lines. Me, the lowly janitor, just attacked Aldera's golden goose. I thought for sure I was gettin' fired that day. But I got lucky in a few ways: First, I was wearing a pretty big cap that covered most of my face, so the crazy brat didn't get a good look at me. Second, neither of the principals were around when this happened and went home early. And third, the whole incident took place on a Friday before a three day weekend after most of the other kids went home, so I figured the little bastard would (hopefully) forget about me. And judging by how I haven't gotten my face blown off, he did. Still hid away from him and I ain't afraid to admit it. He's freaking terrifying. It's a good thing he can't be bothered to remember names for shit too. Also helped that I told the other janitors what happened and we all steered clear of him."

Truth.

"Well, I don't exactly blame you for doing what you did at the moment in time. Faced with a situation like that and knowing what we know about the school, you made a good choice. But you mentioned a green haired boy, do you happen to know his name by any chance?"

Takeshi scrunched his brow "Yeah, his name was Midoriya. Kinda hard to forget a kid who was practically the punching bag or stress ball for the entire damned place. Always felt bad for him. Kid was a paranoid wreck. It seemed like no matter what he did, the entire school had it out for him in some way. I had been working at the place for little over three years when he and the bomber brat got enrolled. At first, I thought it was because he had a weak Quirk since others like him were easy pickings for the 'elite' kids. Either that, or it was because of all that mumbling he tended to do while walking down the halls. Or how skittish and shy he always seemed to be."

Takeshi's face turned downcast.

"It wasn't even a whole week later after they got into the school when I found out why. I overheard a conversation going on between Blondie and his partners in crime. The little firecracker kept ranting about someone named 'Deku' as he was stomping through the halls. I was thinking: 'Who the hell would give their kid a name that meant 'Useless Doll' or something? Then one of the punks asked him why he kept calling Midoriya that. I didn't get the whole story, but the stretchy fingered kid gave me enough to go on. He said that Midoriya and the human powder keg used to be friends with each other, until Midoriya got diagnosed as Quirkless. Then it all clicked."

Truth?!

Tsukauchi's eyes widened subtly, before he set down his notepad on the metal table and gently facepalmed.

"You okay, man?" Takeshi looked at the detective in concern.

"I'm... alright. It's just that all these questionings and reports I've been going through haven't done my sleep schedule any favours." The detective quietly spoke with a tone of exasperation. He seriously hoped he didn't get addicted to painkillers after this was all over. He already figured that bringing in the Bakugo family for their follow up questionings would generate a migraine like he had yet to experience if his guess as to how things would go down occurred on point. He didn't know how Gori put up with questioning him and some of the more... concerning kids who attended the 'school.'

"Our dear detective has just been overwhelmed by recent events that have been going on for the past week now." Nezu spoke on the man's behalf "If you don't mind me asking, have you interacted with young Mr. Midoriya prior to or after the incident?"

Takeshi looked to the side "A couple'a times. Whenever I was nearby after the kid had gotten hit by the little psycho's 'firework displays,' I'd help use my Quirk to clean up his uniform after he left the scene. I let him know that if he ever needed a place to hide out from the punk, my door was always open. Hell, he wasn't the first kid I let borrow the space for a while. There were others that had to put up with BS at the place too. Wasn't uncommon to have a few of them eat their lunch in the place while hiding out from the 'special' students."

Nezu practically beamed "You offered them a refugee when none could be found? How heroic of you!"

Takeshi looked a little stiff before his face turned resolute "No offense, but last time I checked you don't need to be a Hero to be a decent friggin' person. I guess I'm just not the type to always look the other way when I see shit like that going down. I ain't interested in making some kind of public stand about stuff like this, but I know how to be... covert when the situation calls for it."

"Quite." Nezu smiled "Seeing as it was you who compiled the evidence we needed to arrest the fiends who ran that decrepit building, I extend my congratulations for your selfless efforts!"

...

0_0

Takeshi's mind zoned out as the well dressed intellectual mammal rapidly shook his hand with a beaming smile.

"H-hold up! H-how would you know it was me who got all the evidence?!" Takeshi couldn't help but ask.

Nezu’s paw gently released Takeshi’s hand as he leaned back with a curious twinkle in his eye.

“Well, there were a number of clues.” He began “For starters, you practically admitted to being there during some rather telling incidents—ones that were very well-documented in the dossier provided anonymously. Your knowledge lines up too precisely to be coincidence. But more importantly, several of the students mentioned you in their statements—particularly the ones who frequently took shelter in your supply room.”

Takeshi’s mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out.

Tsukauchi folded his hands “When I questioned the other janitorial staff, not one of them had any clue that someone had been collecting logs, incident records, camera feed downloads, and even photocopies of grade tampering. They seemed genuinely surprised any of that even existed.”

Nezu nodded sagely “But you? You’ve mentioned not just knowledge of specific abuse, but clear emotional context. Concern for the students. Disdain for the staff. And let’s not forget your phrase earlier: ‘I just knew the place was gonna crumble.’ That wasn’t metaphorical, was it?”

Takeshi blinked.

Nezu smiled kindly “It was the rusted support column, wasn’t it? The one that structural engineer mentioned in his report. You saw it.”

“Y-yeah...” Takeshi muttered, rubbing his arm sheepishly “I saw it. Every time I walked by that damn thing, it made my skin crawl. I've told that bastard Okubo about it a couple times. He just waved me off, said it wasn’t my concern. I didn't bother pushing my luck and kept my mouth shut about it. I heard that the other guys doing clean up at the school were usually in charge of patching the thing up. But I figured if nobody was gonna do anything, then someone had to.”

Tsukauchi gave him a solemn nod “And because you did... you’ve probably saved hundreds of kids from going through more abuse and manipulations.”

Takeshi looked stunned. His fingers tightened slightly, his voice small “I... I just wanted to help. I mean, I was planning to go to the cops with what I found eventually. But I didn’t think anyone’d take me seriously. Hell, I thought the Musutafu police might be in on it. Or maybe even some of the Pros.”

Truth.

Tsukauchi’s brow furrowed “It’s...possible. The MLA has had their claws in multiple systems throughout the country. That includes law enforcement, and even smaller departments. You were right to be cautious.”

Takeshi gave a grim nod, exhaling slowly as he leaned back in the chair, all the tension from earlier slowly easing from his posture.

Nezu offered a warm smile once again “Regardless of how it all happened, you did the right thing. You acted when few others would have. We are grateful, Mr. Kiyomizu. Truly.”

Takeshi stared at both of them for a long moment, letting the weight of their words sink in. Then he gave a tired, but genuine chuckle.

“Well... guess all those damn late nights in the records room with that busted laptop weren’t a waste after all.”

Tsukauchi smiled faintly “No, they weren’t.”

Takeshi scratched the back of his head, his cheeks a little flushed “So, uh... what happens now?”

Nezu folded his paws on the table “Well, that depends. If you’re open to it...I may have a few opportunities lined up for someone with your keen eye for detail, initiative, and moral backbone.”

Takeshi blinked “Wait, are you offering me a job?”

Nezu’s grin widened “Let’s just say... a door may be opening. One much better than Aldera ever was. Pardon the intrusion, but I have taken a look into your financial and living situations and decided that such dedication to justice should not go unrewarded. I do have a lot of friends within the public sector who would be more than willing to consider employing you. As for you history at Aldera, you can consider that null and void if you fear it might negatively impact how they may perceive you.”

Takeshi stared. For the first time in a while, the weight of uncertainty didn’t feel quite so heavy on his shoulders.

“…Well, damn. Guess I better start cleaning up for a proper interview, huh?” Takeshi smirked.

Tsukauchi chuckled “You’ll fit right in.”

There was a heave of effort as Izuku dragged the gutted remains of a washing machine behind him. Both he and Hitoshi had been going together on a morning run for a while. It helped with their respective training (Izuku was so happy to hear that the other boy was starting to train seriously! And his trainer sounded really interesting. He randomly mentioned Mr. Dragon once while at the Metro Tower, and he swore he saw Batman almost choke on his coffee) but it also helped them clear their heads and distract them from the quickly approaching court date against Hitoshi's Quirk Counselor. Izuku's mom had been pretty busy finishing up that case and doing some last minute preparations, so it was nice for Izuku to have some other positive company. And after running by the trash-ridden shores of Takoba Beach one too many times, they had eventually agreed that cleaning it would be the best option. It'd help with their training (Yes, he had gotten Wildcat-Sensei's approval, he had learned quickly that hiding stuff from that man was a losing battle), yes, but it would also be a wonderful thing to do for the community. Not to mention that the beach was a decent halfway point between the boys' homes, so travel wasn't that much of an issue. And thus, their painful, back-breaking journey towards cleanliness began.

Despite his protests that it would be fine, Hitoshi had 'convinced' him that it'd be a good idea to use gloves and rope. 'You're not getting Tetanus' he said. It would have been fine! He'd have been careful. Sure, he didn't have his shots for it (He was apparently a 'medical liability'), and he'd probably be in serious trouble if he did contract it, but again, it would have been fine!

Still, his friend (That was still weird) was concerned for his safety (That was also still weird), so he complied, essentially hauling the machine like a wagon pulled by a horse. Hauling his load across the scorching sands in the hot air. It was only a week into May, yet it was already beginning to get hot outside. The clear sky allowing the sun to blare down on the boy's sweating back did him no favors either. He should have brought something cold with him this morning. Well, hopefully he won't make that mistake again. But if it was any comfort, it seemed that Hitoshi wasn't faring much better, his gravity-defying hair almost drooping from all the sweat weighing it down as he carried what was left of a microwave with a bunch of other junk stuffed inside. Izuku really should have thought of that, it was such a good idea...

The purple-haired boy gave a grunt as he finally made it over to their designated dumping spot and unceremoniously dropped the junk onto the sand below, giving a withering gaze to his friend "Remind me again how you talked me into this?"

As he made his way over, Izuku couldn't help but give a raised brow "D-didn't you talk me into this?" He asked in confusion.

"No, I'm pretty sure you-" Hitoshi suddenly stopped, narrowing his eyes in thought. After a second, he just shook his head with dismissal "Well, whoever talked who into it, it was definitely one of the most shortsighted ideas of all time."

"I guess..." The green-haired boy admitted as he finally released his grip on the rope, feeling his muscles untense in relief.

A relief that was short-lived as he finally looked at the decently-sized mound of trash they had accumulated, a thought coming to his mind. One that made him feel like a massive idiot.

"H-Hitoshi?"

"Hmm?"

"What are we going to do with all of this scrap?"

The other boy raised an eyebrow in confusion "I mean... I guess the best thing would be to bring them to a recycling plant or something."

"Okay, but... how?" Izuku asked weakly.

And Hitoshi too seemed to realise the problem, his eyes wide as dinner plates as he looked over their haul, and towards the rest of the trash strewn about the beach. Trash that was far larger and heavier than what they had been carrying. A fridge, a car engine... Oh, and also an entire car chassis was lying in the sand.

Needless, to say, the boy had echoed Izuku's thoughts almost perfectly.

"...Fuck."

Time seemed to freeze around the two boys as the the magnitude of their splendiferous fuck up began to sink deeper into their minds. There was no way that either of them would be able to haul all this random stuff to a nearby scrap yard. Both their parents had cars, but both of them doubted their caretakers would be willing to let them use them as transportation. What the hell were they gonna do here? Not like some random pick up truck was gonna spawn out of nowhere to answer their woes.

“WOW!”

As ashamed as he might have been to admit it, Izuku did in fact scream like a girl and leap to Hitoshi’s side, the boy himself almost leaping a few feet in the air as their eyes both locked on the stranger who almost materialized in front of their trash pile.

It was a girl around their age, with bright pink dreadlocks and a full steampunk getup; goggles, overalls, soot and oil stains, the works. Though her most prominent feature was her eyes, bright yellow pupils with black lines like crosshairs. And those crosshairs were locked onto their trash mound with sparkling glee, her mouth just as wide in a grin.

“Now this is a beauty!” She said as she darted around the assorted pile of literal garbage “And it’s all so intact too! Completely perfect scrap!”

“Mei!” A male voice yelled, as its owner approached. He was a middle-aged man with a similar appearance, only that his hair was in a shorter crew cut and he dressed semi normally, he could have been mistaken for an older, gender-swapped version of the girl. And he looked quite angry at said girl “What did I tell you about messing with other people’s stuff?” He gave a tired sigh as he turned to the two boys, now unglued from each other’s sides “I’m so sorry about my niece. The concept of human interaction and social cues eludes her.”

“Come on! You love me!” The girl, Mei most likely, teased from the side as she dug into the trash pile, pulling out a cracked blender with a proud smile “Oooohh, this is great!”

“MEI!” The man yelled again, a scowl on his face as he stomped over to his niece “You don’t touch other people’s stuff! How’d you like it if I just grabbed one of your prototypes like that?” Seeing the girl’s pout, he decided to switch tactics “If you don’t put it down and keep your hands to yourself, no workshop time for a whole week.”

“WHAT!?” She yelled, her full attention finally grabbed as she unceremoniously dropped the blender with a crunch, grabbing her uncle by the lapels- wait, he wasn’t wearing a jacket- the places where lapels would be, looking at him in genuine pleading “You wouldn’t!”

“I would.” The man answered coldly, jerking his head to the boys “Now apologize.”

Giving a huff, the girl released him and turned to the other two with a wide grin and a thumbs up, her whole attitude taking a full 180 “Sorry about touching your scrap! Heard this place was a goldmine, so I couldn’t resist!”

“Close enough...”

“Goldmine, huh?” Hitoshi muttered lazily (Or casually, Izuku was still learning how to tell the difference) “That’s certainly one way to put it.” With a shake of his head, he gave the girl a smile “Hitoshi Shinso, professional cat enthusiast.”

“I-Izuku Midoriya.” He just decided to go along with it “Professional Hero-nerd.”

“Great!” She replied with another grin “Your names are already forgotten!”

The group all sweat dropped. Well, she wasn’t lacking in enthusiasm at least.

"Mei..." Her uncle chimed in with a displeased tone. This must be a regular thing.

Hitoshi simply smirked tiredly at the girl’s antics “So, not to stereotype, but from the getup and your interest in our hard-earned garbage, I’m guessing you’re an engineer or something?”

If possible, Mei’s grin grew larger, thumping a fist to her chest “Yep! You’re looking at a future member of UA’s Support Course! And after that, the proud founder of Hatsume Industries!”

The purple-haired boy gave a low whistle “Wow, setting your standards high I see. Support Course, you said?” He turned to his friend, who indeed looked quite interested “Maybe you two can talk shop. Didn’t you say you were working on designing some gear for-”

“GEAR!?” Mei yelled as she practically leapt right into Izuku’s face, her eyes sparkling in utter elation, not seeming to notice the boy’s profound fear at being so uncomfortably close to a person of the opposite gender “What kind of gear are we talking? Armor? Weapons? Transport? Do you have any designs on you? Can I see them? Can I work on them? I wanna see what kind of babies we can make together!”

“W-w-w-w-WHAT!?” The green boy screamed, while Hitoshi looked torn between screaming alongside him, and laughing his ass off. It seemed like quite the dilemma for him.

“God damn it Mei...” The girl’s uncle muttered, before strutting up behind her and dragging his niece away by her collar “She means her inventions. She calls them her babies. For whatever reason...” He muttered the last part, but it was still clear enough to the kids what he said. The place they were in wasn’t exactly packed after all.

His niece, still firm in the man’s grip, simply shrugged in indifference “Hey, I pour my blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids into them! As far as I’m concerned, they’re my children!”

While her uncle still looked dead inside, Izuku slowly spoke up “I-I actually understa-and that a lot! When you p-put your heart and soul into something, it’s b-basically a part of you.” He admitted. He was really attached to all of his notes, losing any would feel like losing a part of himself honestly. He could easily remake them, but it wouldn’t feel the same “B-but what if a potential inv-investor overheard you and- uh... took offence?”

The effect was almost instantaneous. One second the pink-haired girl was grinning madly without shame, and the next her face fell into a more... contemplative look, her chin in her hand as she narrowed her eyes, the crosshairs growing and shrinking rhythmically. And finally, she nodded to herself “Alright, so restrain myself in front of big groups and especially important people. I’ll have to work on that, I guess...”

And once she said that, her uncle’s eyes widened like dinner plates, looking at Izuku like he had just managed to push Sisyphus’ boulder up the mountain, and it stayed there. It was like it was the first time he had ever seen his niece concede on her behaviours. Though, given the girl’s... eccentricities, he could probably guess that he wasn’t that far off.

But even then, it didn't take long for the girl to go back to her usual excitable self, looking dead at the boy with intrigue, even as she was held back by her uncle "So, what babies you got sketched out? Any prototypes?"

Izuku chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head, a habit he was wondering whether he might have to break. During his time with the League, he had done a lot of research into their Quirkless members, even moreso when he learned... well, the truth, he supposed. Batman was the obvious one he looked into a lot, but he also did tons of research into Mr. Terrific. The fact that the man was one of the very few American Heroes to have his identity public was interesting enough, but what had drawn the boy to research him so thoroughly, it was his tech. His T-Spheres were, to put it bluntly, absolute insanity. He might have gone a bit deeper into his research than he was likely allowed (He guessed a security password or two, it wasn't that impressive or anything, he couldn't hack to save his life) and he could only find partial blueprints of one of the Hero's earlier models, but even then he couldn't make any sense of it. Sure, he could tell what was probably a central processor and what was clearly a wire, maybe even a few components that were guarantees in any computer or mechanical device, but could he reliably tell you what exactly did what, or god forbid recreate one? Hell no!

But it did get him thinking; If he can't use a Quirk against villains, and if his body-type doesn't really lean towards physical strength in the bruiser sense (A large commonality among high-ranked Heroes in Japan, and yes, even beyond usually) then should he be relying on Support Gear? Obviously, he shouldn't be using it as a crutch, there were far too many situations he could think of where using one wouldn't be viable, or the different ways such gear could fail, or be used against him by someone with a technopathy Quirk. He was coming up with so many negatives against it that at some point, even his self-deprecating mind realised that he was just trying to find any excuse to hinder himself, to stay how his peers saw him, weak and meek, unable to properly fight back.

While he might have had a heart attack and/or panic attack when it was initially suggested, Canary's offer of putting her psychiatry license to use (Honestly, how she got the qualifications to be a psychiatrist, teacher, and who knows what else at her age was beyond him) was starting to seem like a... decent idea, even if the voices in his head constantly told him that those skills were better used on others, not to be wasted on people like him- BUT THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT.

After a while, he decided to talk about it with possibly the least qualified person in the League when it came to technology, and especially gear for Heroes: Wildcat-Sensei.

Surprisingly enough, when Izuku brought up the possibility of using gear in his career, the man simply gave an amused huff and said "At least someone here has a brain."

While the man himself preferred beating villains into submission with his own physical prowess, he understood the merits of utilizing tech to overcome any physical limitations (Of which Izuku had in spades) and found it profoundly hilarious of how many Heroes ignored it in favour of their flashy powers. He heard rumours that recently, the veteran would sometimes hijack the Watchtower common room's TV and watch various clips of Japan's Heroes 'getting dunked on' as they would put it.

Izuku... wasn't sure what to say to that. Good for him on having a hobby?

But after getting his sensei's (admittedly unneeded) approval, Izuku quickly got to work on designing any kind of Support Gear he could think of, which was admittedly a lot. There were obvious ones, like brass knuckles with little tasers in them (Wildcat-Sensei said that his body was more suited to elbow strikes or kicks, but it was nice to have options) or a gun, despite Japan's distaste for firearms outside of certain Heroes who used them (At least until someone... well, gave them a bad name, he supposed) but there were a few that he was actually quite proud of.

But for now, he decided to not go into an hour long rant, and just keep things simple "W-well it's nothing special." He assured "Just some basic gear: Grappling guns, smoke bombs, p-projectiles, simple things. I-I mean, I had an idea for a taser cane that the elderly could use to defend themselves-"

"Meaning they can make up for their physical deterioration!" Mei finished with glee etched in her features, eventually giving the boy a proud grin "You, Greenie, absolutely have to show me those specs! Oh! We can use the scrap here to make it too!"

"Mei..." Her uncle warned, until Hitoshi interrupted him.

"I mean, it's not like we were gonna use it for anything anyways. Actually, we were just panicking about how to dispose of it when your niece showed up, so..."

Seeing this prime opportunity, Mei gave the man her very best puppy-dog eyes, her hands clasped together "Pleeeeeaaaaase, Uncle Kouki? Pleeeaaaassee? I promise I'll keep the explosions to a minimum! I'll clean up after myself, and I'll keep it all out of your side of the shop."

"I'm sorry, explosions?" The purple boy asked in not mild concern, yet he went unheard. Even Izuku perked up at the idea of actually making his designs. Sure, he'd have to work around his schedule, but he knew he could make it work.

But Kouki simply gave a long-suffering sigh, finally letting off his death-grip on his niece's shirt, giving her a withering gaze "On one condition." He cut her off, holding up but a single finger "You clean up this beach too. If you're gonna use this stuff, you better put in the effort of getting it. And trust me, I will be checking in to make sure you're pulling your weight." He knew full well that his niece wouldn't dare slack on an opportunity like this, but it was the principal of the matter. Still, he turned to the boys with a slightly less dead stare "Here's what we can do: I run an auto-repair shop, and I recently got a large trailer for hauling more cumbersome vehicles to my place. I'll talk to the city about getting a small area of the beach zoned. If you can leave your hauls in there, and you help me load it, then I'll come by every Sunday to pick up what you've got and bring it back to the shop. Mei can help store it afterwards, so you don't have to worry about that."

"R-really!?" Izuku asked in utter shock. He could scarcely believe that an opportunity this good had just appeared out of the blue. He was half-tempted to think it was some sort of scam. But then again... these people seemed genuine enough.

Hitoshi simply shrugged "Well, it's better than dragging it to a recycling plant by hand."

"Oh please!" Mei dismissed "I have way better use for all this stuff than any recycling plant. After all; One rando's trash is another girl's treasure."

"That's not... never mind." The boy decided, giving a tired smirk "If you're going for U.A, then I don't suppose you have any gear based on Heroes? You ever hear of Eraserhead?"

Tsuyu Asui was never one to mince words. Not even a single time. She had a reputation of being blunt, brutally honest, and straight to the point. No matter the context of the situation, she'd always speak her mind, regardless of what others thought (most of them thought she was a little rude or insensitive but that's neither here nor there).

When she got up this morning, she expected to make breakfast for her siblings while her parents were out of town on work, making sure they were fed before strolling to school at a leisurely pace. After she arrived, she'd make her way to homeroom where school would start for the day.

And that did indeed happen.

Along with her and the rest of the students of Salty Banks Middle School bearing witness to seeing some of their teachers being escorted through the halls of their school in handcuffs like common criminals.

Homeroom had started simple enough. Roll call, the usual school announcements, stuff like that.

Until about a couple of minutes into a lecture, a group of police officers being led by a man with a gorilla Quirk burst into her classroom and made a beeline for her homeroom teacher, grappling him and slamming him into the chalkboard enough to cause the wall to shudder.

"I'd recommend making this easy on yourself and just cooperate." She heard the man said "We've already bagged a good chunk of your MLA cult buddies already from the other classes. You aren't gonna brainwash any more of these kids with your nonsense!"

"T-there must be a m-mist-AGH!" Mr. Hashikage tried to say as he was elbowed further into the chalkboard as the gorilla man tightened the cuffs harder on his wrists.

"You can tell it to the rest of my friends down at HQ. Right now, we've got a nice cosy armoured van outside waiting for you. Come on, I'll escort you!" The gruff officer said as he practically dragged her teacher the criminal outside of their classroom as she and the rest of her classmates could only gape in absolute disbelief.

She had heard of what happened to Aldera. Who hadn't at this point? It had been all over the news. How often does a school collapse in such a fashion as what was seen on television? It was fortunate that she managed to take her eyes off the television screen when she did or else she may have overcooked the dinner she was making her siblings the night that it was broadcasted. To find out what happened to all those people who attended the place? To hear about the cruelty that was enforced there by those horrible people? It put her in a pretty dour mood, but she didn't show it in front of her siblings.

But seeing that the very school that she attended was housing the same type of despicable people? Despicable people who would go on to teach children her age?

Tsuyu felt a hole begin to form in her stomach.

The other officers called for her and the rest of the class to gather their belongings and exit the classroom in an orderly fashion. The other students followed the orders and left the classroom single file. Tsuyu herself began to numbly trudge along with the others.

When she got out into the halls, it wasn't too surprising to see several other classes of students standing and sitting in groups surrounded by other officers.

"Gori! You nabbed the bastard?" She heard a voice call.

"Yeah, you and Kaniyashiki found the others?" The voice of the Gorilla man sounded out.

Tsuyu turned around to see another officer (or detective?) walk towards the man with a grin on his face.

"Already being done. She and the others boys are handling the others on the higher levels." The man jerked his thumb to the nearby staircase where Tsuyu and the other students could hear the sounds of struggling and protests coming from the upper floor.

"Good. The sooner we nab these creeps, the better. Whoever at Interpol is giving out info, that Quirk of theirs is on point." Officer Gori grumbled.

As Tsuyu looked on at the scene unfolding outside, she caught sight of Habuko standing across the hall looking on in shock alongside the rest of the other students.

Just a few weeks ago, Tsuyu had finally worked up the nerve to befriend the girl one day after walking home from school. They had both bonded over the coming weeks and both expressed the desire to become heroes once they graduated, regardless of the different schools that they had planned on attending in the near future.

The thought had barely finished passing through her mind when another officer shoved open the doors to the side entrance. Behind him, flanked by two more officers and half-dragged in thick restraints, was a woman that Tsuyu immediately recognized.

Her hair, once neatly tied into a tight bun, now hung in disarray. Her clothes were dishevelled, and her mouth was in overdrive.

“I DID THIS FOR THEM!” She shrieked, spittle flying from her lips as she bucked against her captors while they dragged her down the steps “They’re chained! Shackled by rules! Shackled by fear! By arbitrary laws meant to CONTROL rather than LIBERATE! I was shown the TRUTH! A TRUTH THAT OUR NATION'S LEADERS FAIL TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN FROM AN EARLY AGE!”

She locked eyes with the students as they stared in stunned silence, mouths agape at the scene that was unfolding before them “You little sheep! You’re being taught to obey, to fall in line! Don’t you see that?! Me and my comrades tried to free you! I WAS TRYING TO FREE YOU FROM THE DISGUSTING SHACKLES SO YOU COULD HAVE A BETTER CHANCE AT ATTAINING YOUR BIRTHRIGHTS!”

It was like watching someone unravel at the seams. One of the Social Studies teachers, Ms. Koga, Tsuyu’s mind provided distantly. She’d been filling in for their Ethics instructor for about a month. She’d seemed... stern, but calm. No one had suspected anything.

Just then, Tsuyu heard footsteps from behind her and looked on at her scaly faced friend who stood next to her, face in stupor (it was hard to tell for most people but Tsuyu eventually got the hang of it) as they both couldn't believe the ravings they were listening to.

“We saw her in class...” Habuko whispered, her slit eyes wide “I-I asked her a question about moral ambiguity in Quirk usage, and she just... gave me candy. Said it was for thinking ‘critically.’ I thought it was weird, but... not this weird.”

Before the woman could rant further, Officer Kaniyashiki stepped forward and delivered a swift, professional elbow to the side of her neck. The teacher rabid dogma spewing nutjob crumpled to the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut. Two officers caught her and began dragging her off without a word.

The stunned silence that followed was deafening.

Tsuyu felt her heartbeat quicken.

I sat ten feet from her... I asked her to explain the final assignment for the month. Her stomach churned. Was she already part of it then?

Her grip tightened around her schoolbag strap.

She didn't like this feeling—this gnawing sense that she'd been blind to something dangerous right in front of her. And if I missed it once... what else have I missed?

She turned her gaze toward the huddled group of students beside her.

Others looked numb, as if struggling to process what they’d just seen. Habuko was clenching her fists, her lips pressed into a line so tight they’d gone pale.

Tsuyu’s voice was quiet, but firm “She could've recruited us, kero. We could’ve been hurt. Who knows what they would've wanted us to do, kero?”

Habuko didn’t look at her, but nodded slowly.

“Not just that.” Some boy muttered behind them “We could’ve been changed. Brainwashed.”

"I knew the Aldera stuff was serious with all those sickos and crazies working there, but I didn't think they'd be here too!" One girl spoke frantically.

"Kinda makes you wonder how many there are at other places..." A boy with rather large glasses nervously said aloud.

That seemed to cause nearly all the students to stiffen like boards.

That was one one of the many thoughts that Tsuyu herself couldn’t shake.

These people hadn’t just been planning to harm them physically. They had been trying to twist their minds. To plant ideas. To chip away at the way they thought, until they saw nothing wrong in the chains they were being handed.

It was indoctrination, plain and simple.

'And I let my guard down. What if Satsuki and Samidare are being told the same things?'

Her fists clenched and trembled.

She might not have been able to sense evil the way some Pros could. But she could learn. She would learn. Next time, she wouldn't let them get that close. Next time, she'd have the strength to do something about it.

This wasn't just about villain attacks or saving people from burning buildings.

'It was about protecting their hearts too.'

And as far as Tsuyu had been concerned despite the growing discomfort within her, today gave her another reason to become a Hero.

"Just don't freak out too much, okay?" Hitoshi advised "He's super intense but a pretty cool guy once you get used to it."

"O-okay." Izuku simply said as the both of them walked down the street to the place where Hitoshi received his daily knocks, voluntarily at least "You said he's from America, right?"

"Yeah, he said he moved here a couple years ago. He usually teaches the local kids around the place who deal who have it rough like me. Either that or those who just want to improve physically."

"T-that's nice." Izuku trailed off as he looked downwards briefly "I-I didn't know you were e-even learning Martial Arts..."

Hitoshi huffed "Yeah, I didn't really consider getting into it myself. I actually stumbled upon the place a couple of days ago. Guess I just got curious and meandered about the city for a good bit, hoping to come across something new."

'And hoping nobody tried to jump my boney ass... again' He mentally muttered because he was not gonna worry Izuku about that. The guy was already a walking mass of anxiety.

After yesterday's meeting with the local sociopathic crackpot genius quirky future industrialist entrepreneur and her pretty cool uncle, they both had realized how out of their depth they were when it came to the task of moving tons and tons of trash as unorthodox training. Hitoshi then remembered overhearing a couple of other students at the dojo complaining about the grindy routine of the place. Some of them did do individual exercises on their own (that sort of thing comes with the territory of being a martial artist after all, plus Hitoshi had the feeling that Dragon-Sensei would be riding their asses if they didn't), but they wanted something a bit more different than what they were doing. So after mentioning that little tidbit of information during their first clean-up session, Izuku suggested that maybe they could ask some of the others at the dojo if they wouldn't mind helping out.

So, here they were less than a minute away from Dragon's Dojo, about to put an offer on the table for any takers who were interested. Hitoshi had a few good hunches on who'd be up to the task. Rahm had always been someone who didn't mind helping people out so he was a solid option, although Hitoshi was worried for his friend (Man that was weird to say. Were they even friends? He wasn't against it but he figured that Rahm considered Hitoshi one so... maybe they were?) considering he was legally blind. And a blind guy helping with clean-up in an area full of rusted metal and heavy objects stacked on top of each other that could topple over at any given moment didn't make him feel any better.

But then again, Rahm always seemed to be aware of his general surroundings, causing Hitoshi to wonder if it was a by-product of his Quirk's abilities.

Hopefully it would be okay. Hitoshi just needed to ask his dad if he could take a spare first aid kit from the clinic he worked at. He wasn't taking any chances. And he wouldn't be able to live down the fact that he let one of the only people who cared about him get hurt on his watch.

"S-sometimes I wished I started learning how to f-fight a lot earlier." Izuku said dejectedly "B-but I don't think anyone would've even b-bothered to teach me anything..."

"You're not alone in that." Hitoshi empathized "I thought along the same lines too. I figured since everyone around my neighbourhood saw me as the 'creepy villain kid,' there was no way that any gym would willingly let me in, let alone join. The place we're going to? WAY different. The guy running the place? Does not take shit in any form happening in his dojo. People who come to the place are only allowed to do one thing: Train. Nothing else. Heck, you're not even allowed to use your Quirk in the place unless it's used in combination with whatever you're being taught in there or in self defence. He couldn't give less of a fuck what Quirk you have. Even if you didn't have one."

"R-really?" Izuku's eyes widened. He didn't want to get his hopes up too high, what with the avalanche of let-downs and setbacks (not to mention beatings and insults) he's faced, but if Hitoshi was saying it with the emotion he was carrying in his voice? Well, maybe Izuku's second thoughts were beginning to fade.

"Really." Shinso said with purpose "The place is practically a safe zone for people who've been shat on for most of their lives. Maybe you could practice what that instructor of yours teaches you here. It'd help to get you some EXP at least, right?"

Izuku paused in realization. That would be a good idea. Even though he had yet to learn any real martial arts yet (he was still in the weight training phase of things), but at least maybe he'd get an idea on what he could potentially focus on? Yeah! That'd be good! He was still a twig (a slightly lean twig, mind you) but he could benefit from getting an expert opinion from someone else.

Hopefully Wildcat-Sensei wouldn't mind.

Hopefully.

...

...

Maybe he should send a message to him in case...

The two youths approached the entrance of the dojo and Izuku couldn't help but notice the brightly coloured decal of a Chinese Dragon that was surprisingly high quality for a dojo. Even moreso for the glass doors and the woodwork.

'Huh, most dojos go for a more traditional type of feel in Japan.' He pondered 'And I do see a bit of that. But the construction of the whole place seems a lot more modernized. Kinda similar to what you would see back in America. Not that I've actually been to an American dojo, but I've seen plenty of pictures online so it's not that much trouble to spot the differences. Although there's a hint of Chinese essence here as well. Maybe as a nod to feng shui? Also, a lot of materials seem to look normal upon first glance, but if you really scrutinize it, some of the stuff looks of higher quality. Possibly reinforced. That had to cost a good chunk of change to go through with! Then again, with Villain attacks being a common occurrence, it's pretty understandable th-'

"Dude, are you seriously analysing the architecture?" Hitoshi snickered "I thought you were a Hero Nerd. Didn't know you did architecture analysis as a minor."

"Dammit!" Izuku swore "Ugh, I really gotta work on the muttering!"

"Yeah, especially if you don't wanna give away your strategies to the villains." Hitoshi cracked up "Come on, already. Dragon-Sensei doesn't bite all that much, but he's pretty intense. Try to keep it focused alright?"

"R-right!" Izuku nodded.

The two boys walked in, door chime and all, and Izuku was greeted with a rather...simplistic design. There was a reception area there near the entrance, but that seemed to be about it as far as the main entrance went. No pictures, no trophies, no display of accolades or belts, nothing.

"Y-you know, I was kinda expecting more." Izuku awkwardly scratched his head "I'm gonna h-hazard a guess that your teacher is a minimalist?"

Hitoshi nodded "Yeah, that fits the bill. The guy's pretty no nonsense. Guess it reflects in the overall design of the place."

Walking past the modest desk, Hitoshi guided Izuku into the main training hall which was pretty packed all things considered.

Izuku could see rows and rows with student of all ages training with each other, with a senpai spectating each duo. In one other section, there were a group of students using various forms of weightlifting equipment. In another, some were practicing their strikes on reinforced training dummies.

As the two boys stepped further into the dojo, the energy shifted. The moment the glass doors shut behind them, the muffled chaos of the outside world was replaced by the rhythmic sounds of fists hitting pads, grunts of effort, the clacking of bo staffs, and firm instructions being barked across the room.

Izuku instinctively straightened his posture, sensing an unspoken discipline in the air. Even the younger kids training off to the side moved with precision.

“Whoa…” He murmured “They’re all… really focused.”

“Yeah.” Hitoshi replied, watching a middle-school-aged girl with brightly coloured gloves wearing a headband execute a flawless spinning kick against an older kouhai “You don’t screw around here. People come to work.”

Before Izuku could respond, the sound of a sharp whistle cut through the hall. Everyone in the room froze mid-action.

“Take five!” A deep, commanding voice rang out.

Hitoshi elbowed Izuku lightly “That’s him.”

From the far end of the dojo, a tall, broad-shouldered red-haired man approached. His build was powerful but not bulky, wrapped in a simple black tank top and loose martial arts pants. Izuku could feel... some sort of pressure from the figure, despite him being rather far away from the him and his friend. Squinting his eyes a bit, Izuku notice that parts of his chest were decorated with scars of various shapes and sizes. No doubt from all of the fights and tournaments he had taken part in years ago from what Hitoshi told him. He still had a hard time trying not to visible cringe to much at the memory of one of the videos Hitoshi showed him from that Maximum Tournament.

Izuku could feel the bile slowly begin to emerge from his stomach, but shoved it back down by sheer will. He was not interested in making a bad first impression here!

As all the other students and instructors grabbed bottles of water and chatted amicably with each other, the man of the dojo himself stood before the two, causing Izuku to feel the need to stand at attention like he was in the JSDF.

"Shinso." the man said gruffly with the edges of his mouth curling slightly upwards "Surprised to see you here on your day off. Especially with a friend. You bring him here to sign up?"

The boy in question smirked a bit before bowing in respect "Not exactly, Dragon-Sensei. Me and my guest here came to ask you about something. But first, Dragon-Sensei, meet Izuku Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya, meet my uber-serious yet badass teacher, Richard Dragon."

Izuku suffered from a bout of jitters but kept his nerves (relatively) in check "N-nice t-to meet you, D-Dragon-Sensei!" Izuku spoke as he immediately bowed as deep as he could.

Richard raised an eyebrow at the kid. Izuku was still in a bowing position as droplets of sweat slid down his face.

Richard gave the boy a once-over—his stance, his fidgeting fingers, the stammered greeting. Izuku was practically trembling with nervous energy, like a kettle seconds from boiling over.

“You can relax, kid.” Richard said evenly, arms folding across his chest “I’m not gonna chop your head off for saying hello.”

Izuku straightened quickly, eyes wide “S-sorry, sir! I-I just didn’t want to seem disrespectful or anything! I r-really respect martial artists and their teachings and—”

“Easy.” Richard’s lips twitched, almost forming a smile “You’re more jumpy than most new recruits. Lemme guess... picked on a lot?”

Izuku winced, the hit landing clean “Y-yeah... more than a lot, honestly.”

Richard grunted, not unkindly “It shows. But you showed up anyway, even with that kind of baggage. That counts for something.”

Hitoshi stepped in to bridge the awkward moment “Before you ask, he’s not here to join up. He’s already training with someone else.”

“Mm.” Dragon nodded, then turned his gaze back to Izuku “You okay with him speaking for you, kid?”

“I—yes! I mean, uh, no— I mean, he’s right, b-but I’m not opposed to learning a few things here too!” Izuku bowed again, hands stiff at his sides “Only if that’s alright with you! I wouldn’t want to impose on your dojo or disrespect your rules or—”

Richard held up a hand.

“You’re respectful. Nervous as all hell, but respectful. You want to practice here? Fine. You follow my rules, work hard, and leave your ego at the door. Sound fair?”

Izuku blinked, stunned “Y-yes! Yes, absolutely fair! I don't e-even have one as far as I know!” He was more than able to follow those rules!

“Good. That's all I ask. We’re not a revolving door for tourists or show boaters. But if you’re here to sweat, you’re welcome.”

Shinso smirked a bit, nudging Izuku with his elbow “Told you he wasn’t so bad.”

Dragon looked between the two of them, then arched a brow “Now. I'm guessing that you two have something to ask me about?”

“Uh, yeah.” Shinso said, getting serious again “You know how I told you a couple days ago that I've been training here to help me become a Hero right? Well, me and Izuku were thinking since the UA Entrance Exam is coming up, we wanted to do something to build up more practical endurance and muscle.”

Dragon raised an eyebrow “You want to fight more?”

“Not exactly,” Shinso replied “We found this beach in Musutafu. Total freaking dump. Trash everywhere. May as well be a mini scrapyard. Anyways, It’s gonna take months to clear, but it’d work us hard. Lifting, hauling, scrapping—it’s physical, and it helps the community too. We both figured that if we wanna be Heroes, we might as well find a compromise.”

“Training through clean-up, huh?” Dragon rubbed his chin "Old-school, but still more than effective. Also something a lot of folks don't even bother considering these days. You mind me askin' where all this came about?”

"W-well," Izuku spoke up "it was actually my idea. Or w-was it Hitoshi's? I t-tend to forget but y-you see, when I started to train, I would always pass by the place on my route. I started wondering what it used to look like before people decided to start d-dumping their garbage there. I kept thinking to myself: H-How many people used to bring their friends and f-family to enjoy the place? How many wonderful memories did people have while spending time there that they can't r-recreate anymore? Why has no one ever once thought to c-call the city or speak to an official to get all the junk removed? How come a H-Hero never bothered to help the community with something like this? T-the questions just kept piling up in my head little by little with each passing day. I-It wasn't until Hitoshi started joining me on my daily jogs that one of us, I honestly can't remember who, decided that we should start cleaning up the b-beach as a good deed of s-sorts."

Richard seemed to acknowledge Izuku's points.

“Sooooooo we were wondering,” Hitoshi continued “if we could ask a few of the other students to help out. Not a formal thing—volunteer only type deal. We’d schedule around dojo hours so that nobody misses too many sessions.”

Richard didn’t answer right away. He glanced around at the students still hydrating and stretching. Based on first glance, he had an idea on a couple of people who might be open to the idea.

“…Hmm.” Dragon’s eyes narrowed “You’re not asking them to do your work for you?”

“Nope,” Hitoshi said immediately “we’ll be doing most of it ourselves. We just figured… maybe they’d be into it. Some of them mentioned wanting something different. This could help all of us.”

Dragon studied both boys for a long moment.

“…Alright.” He said at last “You can ask. But if I catch anyone skipping training to haul garbage and call it good enough, they’ll answer to me.”

Both boys nodded fast.

“Thank you, Dragon-Sensei!” Izuku said, bowing again.

“Don’t thank me yet.” Dragon said “Batsu’s probably gonna say yes just for the workout. Hinata might get behind it if you pitch it right. Dan’s... Dan. Good luck with him.”

He clapped Shinso once on the shoulder “Get moving. You’ve got people to recruit.”

"Alright, alright." The insomniac rubbed his back as he spotted Hinata practicing the motions of that special 'Sunrise' move she'd been working on for a while now. Little too theatric for his taste, but it was in line with how energetic she could be because of her Quirk. Batsu was sparring with Dan (Read; setting him on fire with untold glee), causing the senpai (can't believe he has to actually call him that) to pull the classic 'Stop, Drop, and Roll' manoeuvre like was having a sugar rush induced seizure. From what Hitoshi had seen of the guy in the past week, he'd likely just walk this off in about a half hour. Guy was stubborn like that. And then there was Rahm. Hitoshi had to admit that he was concerned for his classmate. Sure, he knew the guy was more than capable of defending himself in a fight, but he was NOT interested in seeing him get jabbed by some rusty metal and end up getting some godawful infection.

Still, Hitoshi had to make the effort to at least extend an invitation. He didn't want to leave him out.

Hitoshi sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair 'Alright, let’s see how much charisma I can fake today.'

Izuku trailed close behind, trying to shrink into himself but failing miserably. His muttered thoughts were already in full swing.

“Okay, okay... casual approach, don’t freak out, smile—wait, no, not too much, that’s creepy—just… act normal, act normal—”

“Izuku,” Hitoshi cut in under his breath “you look like you're about to recite your own eulogy. Relax.”

“S-sorry! I-it’s just... I don't really ask strangers to help me with anything t-these days, especially not people who could probably snap me in half.”

“...Fair.” Hitoshi muttered “Still. You’ll be fine.”

They made their way toward Hinata, who had just finished that sunny spin kick thing she'd been working on, the final kick leaving a noticeable gust of wind. She grinned to herself as she caught her breath, clearly proud.

“Hey, Wakaba.” Hitoshi called, careful to stay out of her striking range.

Hinata perked up immediately “Oh! Shinso-kun!” She jogged over, hands on her hips “Didn’t think I’d see you here today! And you brought a friend too, huh? He looked a little green around the edges.”

“He’s new to all this,” Hitoshi admitted “Kinda like I was last month.”

“Well, everyone starts somewhere.” She said, flashing a thumbs-up “He’s lucky to have you looking out for him!”

The perky girl then gave the anxious freckled youth her full attention with a genuine smile, something that Izuku clearly had never expected a girl around his age to ever do. And wasn't that sad?

Her energy practically hit him like a solar flare “Hi there! What's your name?”

Izuku squeaked and immediately bowed so low his nose nearly hit the mat “I-Izuku Midoriya! It’s very nice to meet you! P-please forgive my abruptness and the way I—”

“Whoa, whoa!” Hinata laughed, holding her hands up “You’re okay! No need to go all formal on me!”

He looked up sheepishly, cheeks red “S-sorry. I just—really respect martial artists, and H-Hitoshi told me you were pretty cool, and—”

“Aww!” Hinata practically sparkled as she petted his hair “He’s freaking adorable!”

“I keep telling him not to make it weird, but here we are...” Hitoshi deadpanned as his friend's face turned bright red “Anyway, I was gonna ask if you wanted in on something.”

Hinata tilted her head, intrigued “Oh?”

He explained the Takoba Beach plan again, and Izuku managed to chime in “I-It’s mostly our training method, but it also helps the community! We thought it could b-build endurance and core strength, a-and maybe help others too...!”

Hinata’s grin widened “Hard work and Hero vibes? Heck yeah, I’m in! Besides, my parents are always on my case about doing some more constructive stuff other than learning how to cave people's faces in. And if you’re training for U.A, this sounds like awesome prep. I've been thinking about trying out for a Hero school myself! But I don't know which one yet though!”

Izuku lit up like a Christmas tree “R-really?! That’s—thank you so much!”

The girl smiled back so bright, Izuku could feel his particles beneath his skin illuminate. Wonder if she could use her Quirk to grow plants faster? It was a theory at least...

After giving her the details, the two boys left her to her practice and made their way to the resident Punk with a Heart of Gold and the dojo's (self proclaimed) master of the 'Saikyo-Ryu' fighting style. Izuku had to admit, the boy around his age with the spiky hair reminded him of Kacchan in a way. So much so, that he instinctively began to hunch up a bit.

Hitoshi, not yet noticing this, had to do his best to not go into another laughing fit. The very fact that he was able to hold in his giggles after hearing about it and seeing Dan's 'special moves' in action was a testament to his poker face.

"I'm telling you, there's no way any of your bullshit 100 Yen store moves could even hope to match mine! I've already beaten the truth into your thick skull fifty seven times!" The boy yelled at a older man with a... pink gi? Izuku certainly thought that was a bold choice.

Either that or this man had laundry troubles.

"Pssh, I only let you win forty of those!" The man argued "And I told you before that I had stomach cramps for the other fifteen! I'll admit that you got me in two of those at least..." The man seemed to begrudgingly acknowledge the younger student, which seemed to enrage him if his fists sparking were any indication to go by.

"OH, THAT IS TOTAL HORSESHIT AND YOU FUCKING KNOW IT!" The boy yelled "YOU JUST DON'T WANNA ADMIT THAT YOUR 'SAIKYO' MOVES LOOK COMPLETELY RETARDED! OR MAYBE YOU'RE JUST SCARED THAT I HANDED YOUR CANDY ASS ON A PLATTER MORE TIMES THAN YOU STRUCK OUT WITH A WOMAN?!"

"Really now?" The older man said with a rather cocky smirk "Perhaps I've been too lenient on you, Batsu-chan."

Suddenly, a teal aura began to emit from the man's entire body as his gi began to flutter as the winds swirled around him.

"PERHAPS IT'S TIME I ENLIGHTEN YOU ABOUT THE GLORY OF SAIKYO!!!" He declared.

Batsu didn't even look phased as his skin began to heat up to respond with his own orange flaming aura.

"IS THAT SO?! BRING IT, DUMBASS!" He shouted as he punched his fists together "I'LL MAKE YOU CHOKE ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN YOUR EGO: YOUR TEETH!"

"Whoa, hey!" Hitoshi quickly cut in, getting the attention of the two of them before they had another incident (He had only been here for a few weeks and already he had lost count of how many 'incidents' there had been). The tension between the two seemed to reduce to a simmer.

"What's the deal, insomniac? I was just about to flatten our esteemed senpai whose head needs some deflating!" Batsu growled slightly.

Before Dan could retort, Hitoshi spoke first "Before you two throw hands and trigger the sprinkler system again, I’ve got a proposition."

Batsu and Dan both paused, their auras fizzling slightly.

“A proposition?” Batsu asked with a raised eyebrow, cracking his knuckles like the interruption had saved Dan from spontaneous combustion.

Dan dramatically pointed to himself “If this is about starring in an instructional video, I do have a fan base—”

“No.” Hitoshi cut him off, already rubbing his temples “We’re organizing a training project. Beach clean-up at Takoba, actually. Physical work, tons of lifting, possible tetanus. You know, good old-fashioned endurance grind. Wax on, wax off-Mister Miyagi style. Figured you two might be interested.”

Izuku stepped forward a bit, sheepish but hopeful “W-we thought maybe it could be helpful for training... b-building stamina, discipline... and helping the environment too! I-it’s for the U.A. entrance exam prep, but anyone who wants to join is welcome!”

Dan gave an exaggerated gasp, clutching his chest “Helping others and showing off one’s true strength? This is exactly what the Saikyo spirit stands for! Tell me, emerald haired youth, what is your name?!”

Izuku was caught off guard by the sheer intensity coming off of the man. Meanwhile Batsu practically rolled his eyes at the cheesy display.

"U-uh, I-Izuku Midoriya?" he hesitatingly answered.

The man grinned "Well Young Midoriya, your challenge has been accepted! I, Dan Hibiki, will lend my aid to this righteous endeavour!" He said while flashing a toothy grin and a thumbs up.

Izuku felt like he was in complete uncanny valley at this point since entering the place. All he could do was to stand around gobsmacked at the answer.

"It seems our visitor has been so stunned by my gesture of goodwill that he can't even speak!" Dan declared "Don't worry kid, I got your back!"

"Nah," Batsu interrupted "he's probably still trying to process how fucking stupid you've been acting for the past few seconds. 'Sides, bet I’ll clear twice the trash you will.” He said with a grin already forming “Maybe then I’ll finally shut you up about that so-called ‘legendary strength’ of yours.”

“Oh ho ho! Are you challenging me to a garbage removal duel?!” Dan pointed a dramatically trembling finger “Because I accept! You’ll be weeping in defeat at my glorious refuse relocation technique!”

“You’re gonna be refuse by the time I’m done with you.” Batsu grit his teeth.

Izuku blinked “W-wait, is this… becoming a c-competition now?”

Hitoshi sighed “Everything with them becomes a competition. Honestly, this is probably the best outcome.”

Izuku gave a hesitant nod, then smiled faintly “W-well... if it gets the b-beach cleaned faster and helps us all train, then I guess I doesn't really matter...”

“Then it’s settled!” Dan shouted, already striking a heroic pose “Team Saikyo will triumph, and the sands shall shine in our honour!”

“Don’t pull a muscle posing, old man.” Batsu snorted, slinging a towel over his shoulder.

As the two immediately started debating what equipment they’d bring—Dan insisting on fashionable gloves, Batsu suggesting bare-handed lifting “to feel the grit of manual labour”—Hitoshi glanced over at Izuku.

“That went better than expected.” He muttered.

Izuku exhaled “I-I think I’m getting used to... how energetic they are.”

“You will.” Hitoshi said with a smirk “Or you’ll develop migraines. Either way, welcome to the crew. Sort of.”

Izuku smirked a bit as Hitoshi and him walked over to another person his friend had been meaning to ask. From what Hitoshi had said about him, he was legally blind. Yet, he was one of the best students at the entire dojo and had been training here since he was a child! Izuku couldn't help but be amazed by that! Despite his handicap, he found a way to become strong!

Unlike himself. Who didn't even bother.

Izuku did his best to not look too downcast as they approached a silver haired boy who appeared to be practicing katas of sorts.

The calm around Rahm was practically tangible. Izuku slowed, instinctively not wanting to disturb it.

Rahm’s voice came before they could greet him “Shinso-kun! I didn't expect to see you here today! And whose your guest?"

Hitoshi rolled his eyes in amusement. Because of course Rahm would notice them approach him from a ways away. Guess he was just cool and serene like that.

Hitoshi approached him, a hint of hesitation in his voice "Hey, Rahm." He began, rubbing the back of his neck "Me and my friend here are planning a clean-up at a beach. It's part of this training regimen that we cooked up in our heads. We were wondering if you'd like to help out. No pressure, though. If you'd rather not, that's totally fine."

Rahm paused, his blind eyes seemingly gazing into the distance, though his attention was fully on Hitoshi. A gentle smile formed on his lips "I appreciate the concern, Hitoshi." He replied, his voice calm and reassuring "But I wouldn't mind helping out. Besides, I overheard the spirited debate between Batsu and Dan-senpai earlier. It seems like an opportunity for all of us to train in a different way."

"Ah." Hitoshi mentally facepalmed "Should've taken that into account."

"No worries." Rahm smiled before (somehow) turning to Izuku "Who are you?"

"I-I'm Izuku Midoriya!" He said for practically the fourth time today. Man, you'd think he'd nail an introduction the fourth time around, but being in a place surrounded by eccentric martial artists was making it very difficult to keep his composure. More than usual, he might add.

"Pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san! Kouta Rahm, pleased to make your acquaintance!" The blind boy beamed, holding his hand out to Izuku. Ah, a more western greeting. Considering his Sensei came from the States, it made sense.

Izuku was caught off guard by how strong the other boy's grip truly was. He did his best not to wince, but he had a feeling that the boy caught on as he released his grip a mere moment after.

"Are you okay, Midoriya-san?" Rahm asked.

"I-I'm f-fine, Rahm-san!" Izuku stuttered out.

"Then why are you so scared?" Rahm questioned.

Izuku's pupils shrank to an almost comical size.

Hitoshi stiffened slightly, his gaze flicking from Rahm to Izuku. He hadn’t expected the question to be that direct, though with Rahm, he really should’ve known better. The guy had a way of peeling through people without ever raising his voice.

Izuku’s shoulders tensed, eyes darting like the day he'd been singled out by his 'teacher' for applying to U.A. He nervously gripped his hands, but before he could stammer out a response, Hitoshi stepped in once again.

“He’s had it rough.” Hitoshi said quietly, not unkindly “Let’s just say the system… hasn’t exactly been fair to him. Especially not when it comes to this whole Hero Society gig.”

Rahm tilted his head ever so slightly, his calm smile faltering just a fraction “I see…” He murmured.

“Well then, I’m glad you’re here and I am able to meet you, Midoriya-san.” Rahm said, his tone gentle “I can tell that within you there lies a struggle that many have either ignored or caused. But you don’t need to explain anything you’re not ready to. But I hope you’ll let yourself be part of something. Even small steps matter.”

Izuku blinked, stunned silent for a few seconds before nodding slowly “Uh...th-thank you? I—I’m still learning. A lot. But if this place and this clean-up can help me grow... I wanna give it everything I’ve got.”

Rahm gave a small nod, satisfied “Good. Because the past doesn’t define us. It prepares us.”

Then he added with the smallest smile “As one of my teachers once said: ‘Fall seven times, stand up eight.’ You’re still standing, right?”

Izuku’s lips parted in surprise. A beat passed—then a small, genuine smile tugged at his mouth “Yeah... I guess I am.”

Hitoshi exhaled through his nose with something like relief “Well, that was more sentimental than I expected.” He muttered.

Rahm only chuckled, folding his arms “Sincerity’s part of the curriculum. You’ll get used to it.”

Izuku looked between the two and gave a small laugh of his own, awkward but honest.

“So,” Rahm said “when do we start cleaning?”

It was a really nice day out, in everyone's opinion. It was a sunny warm Saturday, and not too bright that it was hard to see. The wind wasn't that bad either, so overall, it was a pretty good day to head to the beach.

And that is exactly what they did. Meeting at the nearest train station, the assembled group of teens (And their 'adult supervision' in the form of Dan-senpai) walked with purpose to the informal dump of Musutafu. Hinata winced at the sheer amount of garbage, Batsu, Dan, and Mei grinned like Christmas came early, and Rahm simply tapped his walking stick on the stone steps a few times, squinting in the general direction of the mounds of trash, before landing on the bed of sand and carefully leaving the stick to lean on the three foot stone wall separating the beach and city. Hitoshi and Izuku themselves didn't react too much, with the purple insomniac placing a borrowed first aid kit on top of the wall, giving a silent prayer that they wouldn't need it.

"Alright people, before we start, let's establish a few ground rules..." Hitoshi spoke up, gaining the attention of the whole group "One; Since this is a training experience, Quirks are restricted, just like back at the dojo. Each of us are here not to just clean the beach up, but to get stronger the old fashioned way: Hard Work. Unless someone's life is in danger or some rando decides to start some trouble for us, keep your Quirk usage to a minimum."

"Does this rule even apply to me?" Mei questioned "I don't really care about all that karate kung-fu stuff and my Quirk isn't even capable of enhancing my physicals! Plus," She pointed to Rahm "doesn't Silvermane over here have a Quirk that makes him blind?"

Hitoshi looked a little sheepish "Point made. Alright, let me rephrase: Everyone with a Quirk that makes you stronger and tougher, try not to use it."

Everyone laughed a little at that.

"Okay, second point of business; Keep your protective gear on as often as possible and mind your step. This place is practically a death-trap in more ways that you'd think. Rusty metal with jagged edges, heavy piles of crap that could topple over at any moment, broken glass in the sand, you name it." Everyone nodded.

"Third; don't try to overexert yourself. If you can't move a piece of scrap all on your own, either leave it for later or ask for help within reason. Regardless of any 'competitions.' Capiche?" Hitoshi said as he not so subtly stared at Dan and Batsu, who looked away from each other while crossing their arms.

"Fourth, if you find anything you think is valuable in any way and doesn't look too damaged, don't hesitate to hand it over to Lady High-Tinker over here, as she loves to use them for her... 'babies.' Yeah..." Hitoshi struggled to get those last few words out.

Everyone just stared on in confusion.

"Excuse me, Shinso-kun." Rahm spoke up "But did you say she needed machine parts for... infants? May we ask why?"

"Is she expecting?" Hinata blurted out, as she zoomed right up to Hatsume, poking her midsection "Are you using the scrap around here to build some kinda machine to make childbirth easier? You don't look like the type to go fooling around. But then again, looks can be deceiving..."

"HEY, WATCH THE MERCHANDISE!!!" Mei shrieked, swatting away the curious girl's finger "YOU'RE NOT GONNA SHAME ME FOR TRYING TO BRING MORE BABIES INTO THE WORLD!!!"

An awkward silence fell over the group.

"I... did not realize this was such a passionate subject for you, Hatsume-san." Rahm spoke.

"YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT IT IS, Monk Boy!" She shouted with passion.

"No, Rahm. That's just what Hatsume calls her inventions." Hitoshi exhaled with an aura of "It's too early for this shit..."

"M-maybe we should just get started." Izuku thankfully chimed in "Each of us could either tackle a different section of the b-beach either individually or i-in groups. As long as nobody over relies on their Q-Quirk and is careful, we s-should all be fine!"

Everyone seemed to be on board with that.

"Excluding our esteemed maverick inventor, who is more of a partner of mutual interest, everyone else is a volunteer like me and Izuku said earlier. You don't have to be here." Hitoshi stressed "We sure as hell can't force you to, considering that practically everyone here can kick our asses. I've only been with you guys for little over a week and Izuku only has about a month over me."

"You tryin' to get us to back out, Troll Hair?" Batsu narrowed his eyes.

"Nah, just making sure that none of you try to sue me or Izuku if you get hurt or tired of lugging other people's crap off this wonderful beach. Izuku's mom is a lawyer, and she did teach me a thing or two..." Hitoshi smirked.

Batsu returned the gesture in kind "Guess I can't argue with that logic. Helps to know the law and lay down the terms clear enough to keep the sticklers from hounding your ass. That way you can beat them at their own shitty game!" 

"See? Now you're getting it!" Hitoshi smiled (and wasn't that alien?).

"I don't think my Quirk will be that much of a problem. But it does have give me a small unfair advantage in a way." Hinata spoke up.

"How so?" Shinso asked.

"Well, from what the doctor told me, apparently my skin absorbs the radiation coming from the sun high in the sky. I can use it in a bunch of different ways! I can shoot out energy blasts, enhance my strength, make myself move faster, that kinda stuff!"

"Y-you mean like S-Superman?!" Izuku couldn't help but say out loud, causing him to cover his face up in embarrassment from that outburst as everyone turned their heads in his direction. At least in this case, there weren't any glares like the ones he'd get at Aldera for being put in the spotlight whenever the teachers felt like making an example out of him.

Hinata looked confused but recovered "I... guess? Not sure though. I don't really know anything much about him other than he's crazy strong and he's from another planet."

Hero Nerd Mode Activated.

Izuku, despite the red flush still creeping up his cheeks, couldn’t help the spark that lit up in his eyes. His hands started moving before his brain could even tell them to stop.

“Well, Superman’s powers are directly tied to solar radiation too! H-His cells act like miniature solar batteries, soaking up yellow sunlight and converting it into energy that gives him all his powers — super strength, flight, heat vision, invulnerability, even his speed! The more solar energy he absorbs, the stronger he gets! So your Quirk sounds kinda similar in how it works! Except…” He paused, trying to remember the rest “Except you don’t fly, right?”

Hinata blinked (as did everyone else), watching his rapid gestures like a tennis match, but didn’t look overwhelmed. Instead, she grinned.

“Well… not yet. I’ve jumped pretty high before, though! So maybe I can do it in the future!” She chimed with a laugh, puffing her chest out proudly.

"W-Well, stranger things have happened with how Quirks e-evolve over time!" Izuku allowed "So it could happen! A-Although, it might be a long time! Superman is a full grown adult and you're still young. His entire body is practically a solar reactor! Yours is more like a battery. B-But don't get discouraged! You just need to practice with your Q-Quirk more!"

Hinata just stared at the freckled boy, who was getting more and more nervous the longer she did.

'Great job, Izuku,' He spoke to himself (and hopefully he wasn't subconsciously muttering this time round) 'you just HAD to go on a tangent! Now she probably thinks your some creepy weir-'

"WOW!" Hinata exclaimed "That was super deep! You must have some kinda brainpower Quirk that makes you crazy smart!"

Izuku stiffened rather abruptly. He certainly wasn't expecting that to be said by someone his age group, much less the opposite sex. However, this didn't make him feel any better at all. He knew from Hitoshi that the people at the dojo were nothing like the ones that he had to deal with at Aldera or anywhere else in Musutafu for that matter. But he himself wasn't exactly interested in letting anyone else know about his... condition yet. Nobody here seemed to be 'the type,' but he wasn't one to take chances.

"N-not exactly, Wakaba-san." Midoriya told her.

"Okay, sudden in-depth analysis aside, is anyone else's Quirk gonna give them an edge inadvertently?" Hitoshi asked around.

"Nah, my Quirk's only really good for combat. That or helping my mom cook dinner." Batsu informed.

"I may be blind, but my Quirk does give me some aid as to how to manoeuvre around." Rahm said.

"THE MASTER OF THE SAIKYO ARTS NEEDS NO CRUTCH!" Dan's voice boomed "I SHALL OVERCOME WITH PURE WILL AND MIGHT ALONE!"

"Or fucking delusions of grandeur..." Batsu muttered.

"I don't normally use my Quirk for training anyway." Hinata chirped "Turns out that I was activating it subconsciously in the past, but Dragon Sensei kinda help iron that out of me a couple years ago. So, I'm all good!"

She then looked over the the nervous boy who had co-invited her friends to take part in this whole effort "By the way, Midoriya? You got me all curious. What exactly is your Quirk? It has to be something that gives you super smarts, right?"

Izuku's skin quickly shifted into a pale white colour. Oh God.

Well, it looks like Fate wasn't keen on him keeping the truth bottled up, now was it?

'Dammit Hinata!' Hitoshi quietly facepalmed.

"U-uh, t-that's kind of c-complicated to e-explain, W-Wakaba-san." Izuku managed to force out of his mouth.

Maybe he could make up a little white lie of sorts? Yeah! Just tell them he has some kind of analysis Quirk! He already subconsciously studies all things Hero and Quirk related. That would be a solid enough alibi!

But then again, did he really feel comfortable lying to people that he just met? He felt like he had made a decent first impression yesterday. Did he really want to risk squandering any goodwill here?

Rahm looked at the boy (Despite being blind. Seriously, what was his Quirk?!) with worry in his milky white eyes "How so, Midoriya-san? Is it a source of embarrassment or scorn? None of us will judge you. We have all faced our own fair share of belittlement." The boy assured in a sincere tone.

'Sure, that's what you say NOW...' Izuku said as he looked even more distressed 'Although scorn is definitely spot on.'

"Seriously?" Hinata asked earnestly "I mean, I guess people would think that kind of stuff is pretty nerdy, but it can't be that bad right?"

Izuku had visibly started to cringe as he cradled his head with his shaking hands. Why?! Why now of all times did she have to ask him that?! He knew how common a question like that was in today's society. But that didn't mean he had to enjoy it.

"Hey kid," Dan spoke up as he approached the quivering youth "you okay? Come on! It shouldn't be that big a deal, right?"

"Besides," He continued as he put his arm around the nervous young man "even if it is embarrassing, it's probably not as bad as Batsu's. I mean, his Quirk basically makes it easier for him to start fires! I remember this story his mom told us about when he was six, where he ended up torching his..."

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!!!" Batsu threatened as his Quirk lit up in fury, turning a good bit of the sand he was standing on into glass. Or maybe Izuku's eyes were playing tricks on him. After all, Batsu's fire would have to be really hot to have done that, and if that were the case then they all would have been singed in the best case scenario. The hysteria was probably getting to him. Either that or the burgeoning sunlight beaming down on them.

"What?" Dan taunted "Scared your senpai's gonna make a dent in your pride?"

"Psh, like hell!" Batsu retorted "It's just that I want us to get a jump start on us cleaning up this landfill! We're burning daylight enough as it is!"

"Batsu it's only, like, nine thirty in the morning!" Hinata pointed out "Besides, you and Dan-senpai don't need to get into it AGAIN! Especially this early! I was just curious about what Izuku's Quirk is. Honest enough question, right?"

It was an honest one. Honestly painful. Completely casual in a place like Japan.

And the exact opposite in America. Where almost everyone was just like him.

Quirkless.

He kept his lips pressed fiercely against each other. Should he just get it over with? Should he just rip the band aid off? Just get it out of the way? Besides, even if everyone here hated him for being Quirkless, he at least had one true friend amongst the group.

But, deep down, he felt that somewhere is his heart, his fears were unjustified.

Growing up in the Aldera district ever since primary school instilled in him a lot of caution and the ability of decipher whether or not someone was being authentic with him. God knows how many times people kept approaching him under the guise of offering friendships only to pull some mean prank on him. Or some girl "confessing" her feelings to him only to stomp his heart into the dirt, along with his face. Or frame him for something he didn't do by using him as a scapegoat. After all, who would vouch for the Quirkless nobody?

It was dealing with things like that that made America feel like such a stark contrast, aside from the elephant in the room. True, he had only been there twice (and both times had their fair share of 'intense' moments), but there was one constant in both of his visits.

Nobody there had seen him as lesser.

Or an eyesore.

Or a mistake.

Or a waste of human life.

He was just Izuku Midoriya. A regular kid. Nothing more, nothing less.

Something that he more than desperately wish would be the case back at his home country.

But nobody here made him nervous. Or anxious. At least, not in the way he was used to.

Maybe it was the energy that Hinata gave off? Could it be also be how much Mei seemed to gush at his blueprints even though he she made absolutely no attempt to ask him what his or Hitoshi's Quirks even were? Or how bombastic Batsu came off as? Or how haughty, yet confident Dan-senpai was? And the how... understanding Rahm seemed to be?

He didn't know what it was about everyone here, but for the first time in his life (in Japan at least), he could say what he was about to say (or attempt to).

Or he could just attempt to sway the conversation into another direction...

...

No. He felt that he had to get this off his chest. Otherwise it might pop up at an even worse moment than now. If no one here minus Hitoshi wanted to be... friends with him, then he could deal with that. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

"A-actually guys," Izuku managed to get out as he gently removed Dan's arm off of him "I-I-I have a c-confession of s-sorts to make..." 

Izuku's heart was beating so fast that his eardrums felt like an echo chamber as he began to feel more light headed. Having everyone's attention wasn't exactly helping, but it was better he say his piece now.

Izuku looked over to Hitoshi for a moment, with his friend staring at him with blatant worry. The Hero Nerd jerked his head over to Hinata for a brief moment, looking at the insomniac with a bashful look, causing his friend's eyes to widen for a moment.

Neither of the boys said a word to each other, because a conversation between two rejected youths had already passed.

After a few moments, Izuku spoke while tightly shutting his eyes. His mouth felt as dry as the Sahara desert while sweat was beginning to slide down his face.

"G-Guys, I-I'm... Q-Quirk-less."

He didn't need to look forward to know the looks of surprise (and possible disgust) that were born from those few words.

Well, it was nice to know these people while he got the chance. He couldn't imagine they'd look at him the same way anymore. He was already mentally preparing himself to listen to the sounds of heels rapidly turning away from him in disgust. The mutterings of "Quirkless Freak" entering his hearing range. How angry they'd be that they wasted a perfectly good morning helping a useless nobody like him.

He tried to shake those thoughts away, but when you spend over a decade being treated as lesser, well... old ingrained habits die hard.

He was already cringing when the thought of his predicament truly weighed down on him. He just said he was Quirkless, in front of several martial artists. Who had pretty strong Quirks from what he could tell. And had years of experience while he had only started training for about a month.

...Maybe Hitoshi could distract them? It was a fair shot, right?

Until he realized that it was possible that they already knew what Hitoshi's Quirk could do. Plus, the fact that Hitoshi had told him that he just started his training last week! P-Plus most of them could outrun the both of them anyway!

He was screwed. He was totally and completely scre-

"How much can you lift, Midoriya?" He heard Batsu ask.

...

...

...

Wait, what?

Izuku's eyes shot wide open in surprise. 

"W-w-what?" He asked nervously, arms shaking like they did on that playground he was at ten years ago.

Batsu just looked on with a casual expression "How much can you lift, man?"

Izuku still looked on with dilated pupils, like he had just been thrown into the Twilight Zone (He blames Gar for recommending him that whole mess) or something "U-uh...around 180? 195 i-if I really p-push it."

Batsu whistled "Damn, that ain't bad! Guess you're not as frail as ya look! Mad respect!"

If Izuku's mouth could hang any lower, he might be eligible to register it as a Quirk. Maybe "Gaping Maw" would be a good name.

"D-D-Didn't you guys j-just h-hear me?!" Izuku spat his words "I-I j-just said I w-was Quirkless!"

"Yeah, so?" Batsu raised an eyebrow, clearly challenging him "You can clearly function as a normal person. Doesn't make you any less of a man, now does it?"

"That certainly explains you anxiety, Midoriya-san" Rahm spoke up "I had my suspicions but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions."

"Whoa, you're super rare!" Hinata beamed, while zooming up close to him and pinching his cheeks like a grandma "You're kinda like a Shiny Pokémon!!!"

If Izuku wasn't having a mental crisis, he'd treasure this moment dearly.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I DIDN'T FORESEE THIS!" Dan shouted as he pointed dramatically "THE PERSISTENT STUTTER! THE UNRELENTING POLITENESS! THE UNENDING JITTERS! HOW COULD I BE SO FOOLISH!"

Dan then suddenly kneeled in front of Izuku and Hinata "PLEASE FORGIVE ME, YOUNG MIDORIYA! I DID NOT MEAN TO OFFEND SUCH A NOBLE SPIRIT!"

"EHHHHH?!" Izuku managed to get out as Hinata was still pinching his freckled cheeks.

"Okay, Hinata! That's enough!" Batsu shouted "Quit assaulting his cheekbones!"

"But they're so frickin' soft!" Hinata whined.

"Tough shit! We came here to clear this junk pile! Pinch his cheeks on your own time!" Batsu barked.

"Aww..." The bubbly girl whined as she relented and gave Izuku some space.

"As for you, Baka-senpai! What the hell's up with the honorifics?!" The former delinquent asked.

Dan side-eyed him a bit "Well, if you must know, I am paying my respects to the type of individual that my father often spoke in high regard, Batsu-chan!"

He then shot up to his feet and gestured towards Izuku like he was some sort sort of royal figure "IT IS CLEAR THAT YOUNG IZUKU- Can I call you Izuku?" He suddenly turned to the boy.

Being up on the spot, Izuku felt he might as well go along with this... beyond odd yet tragically refreshing development "T-that's fine, D-Dan-san."

"Noted!" Dan gave his trademark thumbs up before his face had taken an a rare expression of seriousness "ANYWAY! I HADN'T BOTHERED ON TELLING THE REST OF YOU THIS UNTIL ALL OF YOU WERE OLDER BUT IT SEEEMS FATE HAS DEEMED ANOTHER CONFESSION TO BE MADE!"

He dramatically turned his back to the rest of the youths "Many years ago my father, Go Hibiki, was one of the greatest martial artists to ever grace the world. He could shatter bones with but the simplest jabs, endure blows that would've taken the lives of lesser men, and kick up gale forces of wind with but the lightest of kicks. But he wasn't always that way. In fact, as much as this pains me to say, he was a vagrant. An undesirable. A nobody."

The once energetic moods of everyone else had become rather subdued 'Was this the same Dan who was always trying to pump up his ego in a blatant attempt to seem cool?'

"One night, he had run afoul of a group of thugs who saw fit to use him as nothing more than a punching bag to satisfy their boredom." Izuku saw Dan's fist clench harshly in sheer rage "He quite possibly would've met his end far sooner, HAD A RIGHTEOUS SPIRIT NOT INTERVENED ON HIS BEHALF TO SAVE HIM FROM A CRUEL FATE! The three bastards were approached by an elderly looking man. By my father's description he look as if he was a spirit not long for this world, resisting Death's cold grasp with each passing second. Before my father could blink, the men laid on the ground, limbs snapped and blood splattered all across the floor."

All the others balked at the confession. Batsu especially.

"He brought my father to his dojo where he would introduce him to the world of combat. He didn't bother teaching my father anything too intricate, but instead he planted the seeds and gave my father the tools to become a warrior in his own right. Turns out my father was quite the natural! Don't mean to brag too much, but I definitely have his talent in my genes!" Dan smirked as he flexed his arms "Anyways, he instructed my father to seek out a great warrior in Japan once he believed himself strong enough. But..."

Dan's face seemed to go back into a frown as he looked off to the side. Rahm looked on at his senpai with concern "Dan-senpai, is this something too personal?"

Dan stared off into the distance of the sea with an unfamiliar seriousness "Sort of, Rahm. It's... a bit complicated. Maybe I'll tell you all about it when you get older." Dan seemed to switch back to his usual bravado within a few moments "Now, where was I...?"

"You were gonna get to the climax?" Batsu deadpanned "Or do you planning on dragging this out while we all get sunburn?"

"Yeah, come on! Enough of the cliché martial arts plot!" Mei shouted "Get on with it!"

"Patience, my wayward youths!" Dan tried to placate "But I see where your frustration is coming from, so I'll cut to the chase. The reason why the man who helped trained my father deserves such reverence is because he, like Young Izuku here, IS QUIRKLESS!"

Izuku stumbled a little bit as soon as those words reached his ear canals "W-w-what?!"

"Wait, for realsies?!" Hinata exclaimed "Damn, two for two in the 'crazy reveals' category today!"

"You speak truth, Hinata!" Dan resonated her surprise in kind "My father had nothing but respect for the man! He pulled him out of the pit that he suffered in and chiselled him into the nigh unstoppable warrior he was! Back when I was your ages, there wasn't a day that went by where my father would not thank him for the knowledge and skill he passed on to him! For without them, he would've led a life of emptiness, fading into the unforgiving realms of obscurity!"

"Well, shit." Batsu said as he blinked "Gonna take a guess that the guy was like one of those mystical badass grandmaster dudes from those old kung-fu movies from the Pre-Quirk era?"

"HAH! NOT EVEN CLOSE! HE SURPASSED ALL OF THEM LONG BEFORE THEIR NAMES WERE EVEN IMMORATALIZED!" Dan shouted with joy "I was blessed to see the man only a handful of times when I was a kid but his age showed that he had lived for over a century!!!"

"You sure you're not exaggerating a bit much, Senpai?" Hitoshi said.

"Well for your information, my dear kouhai, he happens to a hail from my native homeland of China! And I think we all know that it happens to rival Japan in having some of the oldest living people in the entire world!" The pink gi wearing blowhard said matter-of-factly.

Izuku had wished to point out that Japan actually had the largest amount of living elderly folk in the world compared to other countries while any data on China wasn't guaranteed to be entirely correct given their secretive nature, but he figured that it now wasn't entirely the best time.

"Which brings me to my previous point!" Dan says before pointing at Izuku "You, young Izuku, are one of the last of an ancient group of people who have long since passed! My father told me that if I were to ever meet someone who does not possess a Quirk like me, I would treat them with the utmost respect! For they have suffered in silence for far longer than most know in this country! Your presence here is proof of your character alone! Tell me, how much of this is truth?!"

Izuku jilted at the sudden attention again before looking downcast "M-more than y-you know, Hibiki-senpai. B-but I just don't understand..."

"Understand what?" Batsu cut in "That none of us are shitting on you for not having a Quirk? Dude, our fucking sensei is Quirkless and regularly kicks the shit out of us and any other dumbfuck who walks into the dojo looking to start beef with us. If you're worried about the rest of us treating you like a chew toy, quit it. No one at our dojo is like that, and if they were, most of our seniors would've tossed out the idiot who tried to instigate crap with you. Besides, if anything, I think being Quirkless actually puts you in a better spot than us really."

Izuku.exe was starting to have some software issues again. D-Dragon Sensei w-was Quirkless?!

Batsu caught on to the green haired kid who he and his buddies had just me yesterday and had to smirk a bit "I'm guessing nobody ever bothered to tell you this, but a lot of people who come into our dojo who didn't start learning martial arts when they were kids suffer from a little something Dragon-Sensei calls 'QTV,' or Quirked Tunnel Vision. Every time a rookie joins up with us and starts their first sparring sessions, it's practically a given that when they get pressured or put into a corner, they'll start spamming their Quirk out of sheer panic. Even if it doesn't work or could actually make things worse. It usually takes them weeks to get out of the habit... at least for the ones who choose to hang around."

"It's rather distressing that most people don't seem to even consider trying to learn how to defend themselves outside of their Quirks." Rahm pointed out "That was one of the reasons I took up martial arts in the first place. While Japan has many active Heroes, they aren't stationed around every single corner in every single city. Nor will they all have the same level of effectiveness. Sometimes one must take the sanctity of their own life in their own hands. Yet so many seem to just sit around and risk death hoping that a Hero shows up..."

'Oh if only you knew the truth, Rahm-san...' Izuku anxiously thought.

"Do you need to sit down on the sand bed for a bit, Midoriya-san?" Rahm turned his head to the walking ball of nerves "You seem to be exhibiting some stress."

"I-I'm fine!" Izuku sputtered "H-Honest! I-I think the heat is just getting to me is all!"

Well, that, and how he was being treated with human decency by multiple people his age group (not counting the Titans).

"You know, Greenie? You're kind of like an empty workbench. Or an unfinished project!" Mei, who had walked back and forth from the group dragging piles of scrap in a bag behind her, finally chimed in.

Everyone just silently turned to the inventor, looks of utter confusion on their features.

"I... What?" Hitoshi muttered in disbelief. He knew that, in her own way, Mei was trying to be supportive, but her analogy just... didn't make any sense?

Luckily though, the girl herself just grinned wildly as she waved them off, proceeding to explain her meaning "An empty workbench! It's practically a blank slate, you can do pretty much anything with it, and you aren't restricted!" Hitoshi wanted to point out that her uncle (Who honestly seemed like a really nice guy from the limited interactions they had) would absolutely restrict what she makes considering her, shall we say, 'above and beyond' ideas. But he knew that wasn't the point "If someone has a fire Quirk, that pretty much pigeonholes them into using gear that revolves around that, and not to mention they usually have a big weakness to water and cold temps!"

"Can confirm, it isn't fun." Batsu reluctantly admitted, rubbing his head with a somewhat sour look.

"And strength Quirks are always kinda finicky, because if they have gear it needs to be strong enough to not break under the user's strength." Her grin became a bit more predatory, if only for a moment "Not a challenge for the great Mei Hatsume! But still, it needs to be considered." She shrugged "But with every Quirk, Heroes are always using gear focused directly on their own Quirk. I mean, it is their greatest tool usually, so it makes sense, but honestly, it's like they lack creativity!" Ah, they could feel both the frustration and the passion radiating off the pink-haired youth. But her points did have merit "Just think of all the babies they could use! If they didn't limit themselves by their Quirks, so many of my babies could-"

"Mei." Hitoshi interrupted firmly "Your point?"

Mei blinked, as if she only just remembered where she was. Still, her mood quickly flipped back to excitement like a metronome, her grin back in place as she laughed "Right! So, like I was saying, Heroes lack so much creativity because they focus so much on their Quirks. But you, Greenie!" Izuku had to try and supress a flinch as the inventor dramatically pointed at him (Was that just going to be a theme today? Or is it only the ones with pink that were affected?), but she didn't register it "You have to be creative to keep up! And not only that, but you already are creative! I mean, those baby designs you had are proof enough!" She... complimented? That was odd.

But still, Izuku failed to hide his blush, earning another coo from Hinata. He knew what Mei was referring to. During their last clean-up session, Izuku had, as promised, brought over his notebook made specifically for support gear designs and concepts. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that he had also made a few rough sketches and notes on the gear he and the others had used in the Flash Museum, as well as some exhibits he had viewed prior. Of course, Mei was utterly flabbergasted that some random criminal in America had a gun that could casually achieve Absolute Zero. And that wasn't even getting into her reaction to Mirror Master's weapon. Needless to say, the girl became very invested in the West. She was already a massive admirer of Holt Industries and S.T.A.R. Labs, but Izuku's notes essentially amplified that tenfold.

He had to talk her down from creating her own Mirror Gun, at least until she had proper materials (He already felt so sorry for Power Loader). After a lot, and he means a lot of haggling, he managed to convince her to start small.

So she decided she wanted to make a Cosmic Treadmill.

...

What? He said small, and it was... relatively.

Still, the idea was sound, and Izuku may or may not have asked Vic a few minor questions about the device. He was... oddly happy that Izuku was being roped into building one with the girl.

Oh, yeah, did he mention that she had him helping her make it?

It's only been, like, a week since they met! How the hell did all this happen so quickly?

But still, Mei was super knowledgeable about tech and tinkering, which combined with Izuku's sponge brain that practically absorbed skills by osmosis, meant that he was getting somewhat decent at it. He worried that he might not be able to learn enough to be helpful to the girl, or even to enact his Plan B for UA, but after he and Hitoshi went through all the pamphlets and websites tied to the school, they learned that students not in Support could still request time in the Support Labs to work on their own projects, provided they were left with Power Loader or another member of staff, and that said time didn't affect their grades too much. It was a reasonable concession, and the more Izuku thought about it, pieces of Plan B might end up being really useful if he could implement them in Plan A. He might have to read over the rules for the Sports Festival again...

Oblivious to Izuku's mental rabbit hole, Mei continued unimpeded, snapping the boy from his thoughts "And because of that, you can basically be a Swiss army knife! You don't have any obvious weaknesses, so your gear doesn't have to cover any up. You don't have a Quirk, so your gear doesn't have to be able to work with or around it. You basically have a whole board of options to consider, while others are pretty much forced into picking only a few!" And once again, the Hatsume Grin™ returned, just as bloodthirsty as before "Plus, not having any clear advantages means I get to try out so many ideas with you! And I love a challenge like that!"

Despite it sounding like he was nothing more than an experiment or test dummy, Izuku couldn't help but tear up a little, trying his hardest to not have a Midoriya Weep™ as he smiled at her "Mei... Thank you..."

The girl waved him off dismissively (And not in the way he was used to, which was honestly amazing) "Eh, think nothing of it, Greenie. You're getting me beautiful scrap as well as awesome designs! Least I can do is state the obvious!"

Batsu nodded aggressively "Hell yeah man! I mean, we get to help the community and get stronger? I say it's a perfect opportunity! And it's because of you and Shinso that we're even here!"

Hinata gave a hum of approval "Exactly! You don't have a Quirk, but you're still willing to go through all this training just to help people? That takes a Hero's heart." She smiled brightly, maybe putting a little bit of her Quirk in "I think that's really admirable."

"I ALREADY STATED MY REASONS FOR ADMIRING YOU, YOUNG IZUKU, BUT I WILL SAY AGAIN THAT HAVING SUCH KINDNESS IN YOUR HEART DESPITE FACING SUCH DARNKESS TAKES AN INDOMINABLE WILL! ONE THAT I ASPIRE TO ALWAYS HAVE!" Dan boomed with a grin and his signature thumbs-up. Honestly? The man reminded the teen a little of All Might, due to the sheer positivity and passion that he radiated. It was... really nice.

Please don't let the tears fall, he can't embarrass himself now, not after all of-

"Midoriya-san." Rahm smiled, looking to him (Seriously, he was ready to break and just ask him what his Quirk was. It had to help with his navigation. After all, Izuku had never seen him with a walking stick before he arrived here today. And even then, he had quickly discarded it.) with a smile "I believe that the others have all said what needs to be said, but I hope you know that, despite your fears, we all believe you are worth being with us." He chuckled, shaking his head "As if that makes sense, but I hope you get what I mean."

Too late. Izuku immediately burst into a torrent of tears, practically spraying them onto the sand below and kicking up a dust cloud as the sand around him was washed away. The others all managed to cover their eyes in time, but were still covered in grit.

Slowly, Rahm turned to Hitoshi, gesturing to the boy, who had managed to control his outburst to a... well, it wasn't really a normal level, but it wasn't hitting anyone anymore, and neither was the sand, so it was manageable "Shinso-san, are you sure Midoriya-san doesn't have some sort of hidden Tear Quirk?"

The insomniac simply shrugged, trying to get bits of sand out of his hair and face "Eh, his mom is the same, so it might be an inherited trait?"

"Still, imagine if he could weaponize it!" Hinata beamed, completely unbothered.

Batsu simply grumbled. Happy that the teen was happy, but annoyed that he now had sand everywhere.

Mei simply grinned as she kneeled down, finding more bits of metal, now uncovered thanks to Izuku's 'efforts' "Wow! This stuff was hidden beneath our feet all this time? Thanks Greenie!"

After about another minute, Izuku finally closed the valve to his personal waterworks facility that he called his eyelids "T-Thanks, y-you guys..."

"Don't mention it, man!" Batsu assured him with a wide grin "Looks like you just needed some people to actually give a damn about you is all."

Izuku nodded happily, and after a few moments of silence his insomniac friend decided to try and get things back on track.

"By the way," Hitoshi suddenly said, snapping his fingers as he patted the first aid kit left on the stone wall, turning to the assembled group "no idea how this slipped my mind, but you all have your shots, right? I'd rather not be responsible for you guys getting tetanus."

"Yep!" Hinata replied with a bright smile (Though she had enough restraint for her to not channel her Quirk too much considering how warm it was outside), with Mei yelling in tandem and with the exact same grin.

"OF COURSE!" Dan shouted.

"Got mine last week. My mom wouldn't stop hounding me about it. Guess it was good timing." Batsu replied.

"Absolutely." Rahm stated.

Unfortunately, Izuku had to deviate from everyone's words of affirmation, rubbing his neck as he tried to keep eye contact with his friend and ignore the others as he grabbed the straps of his backpack nervously "I... Uh, I don't."

Hitoshi then turned to his friend, seemingly trying to decide whether to be shocked or just look on in exhaustion (Seriously, did he need help with his sleep schedule? Izuku doesn't think he's ever seen the boy look well-rested once, despite his apparent efforts), simply sighed "Alright then, better get one as quick as you can. I'll let it slide this once since we're all already here, but I swear to whoever's listening that if you don't get a shot soon I'm barring you from going near any of this shit." It was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Probably not. He took in a deep breath as he rubbed his temples "Well, when was the last time you did get one?"

But, to Hitoshi's horror, Izuku actually appeared to be thinking hard about his answer, like he genuinely couldn't remember, tapping his chin as he thought, eyebrows scrunched up. The others all seemed to be looking on in concern, except Mei, who didn't seem to notice, just looking impatient that they weren't starting yet.

Eventually, Izuku did seem to find his answer, giving a sheepish grin that Hitoshi had since learned meant some bullshit treatment was going to be revealed to him "I... think it was when I was around four? It was definitely before my diagnosis."

At this, everyone looked at the green-haired youth in some level of surprise and concern. Some of them might hate the doctor, but they knew that getting a shot for stuff like this was very important, especially at Izuku's age.

Batsu, ever the one to take charge, decided to speak up "Dude, seriously? That fucking long?"

The awkward laugh Izuku gave was enough to tell them that, yes, it really had been that long.

But unlike the others, Hitoshi realised something else, and he was starting to notice a trend this year of hoping he was wrong about something "Izuku... have you actually gotten any shots since you were diagnosed as Quirkless?" Again, he hoped he was wrong, but considering his track record this year...

Uneasily, Izuku shook his head.

"Why." It was more of a statement than a question, but the message got across.

The boy simply chuckled, shrugging like it was obvious "I'm a medical liability, so they didn't want to waste resources on me."

In an instant, the whole beach seemingly went silent, it was as if even the wind and ambient sounds of the city had stopped. Maybe it was a by-product of one of their Quirks, but that didn't matter right now. Every single one of them looked to Izuku in horror. Even Mei had snapped out of her hyper fixation to look at the boy in shock.

Shockingly enough, even Dan looked phased by that, speaking up in a serious tone that none of them had ever heard from him, one that just sounded wrong to hear from their thick-headed, yet overly jovial and supportive senpai "That is so messed up. Young Izuku, how haven't you gotten sick from cleaning this place before?"

"I-I was careful!" Both Hitoshi and, yes, even Mei knew that was a lie, if the looks were any indication. It was more likely luck than anything. The boy had to send up a silent prayer of thanks to whoever helped his friend not get infected with some serious disease that he would have no problem with if people fucking cared. 

"You're shittin' me, right?!" Batsu spoke in absolute disgust at the fuckers who thought this was okay "Liability my ass! What's next? They gonna tell you that you're 'not economically viable' if you try to ask for a loan?! Or that it wasn't covered in your medical insurance?!"

"W-well-"

"Bullshit!" The punk yelled out, unintentionally letting out a few sparks from his hands and teeth as he seethed. But then, he saw Izuku flinch back, his posture hunched and tense, as if he were ready to bolt at a moment's notice. His eyes were wide and hyper focused.

Focused on, Batsu only now noticed, his still sparking hands.

Immediately, the boy put out his hands, making sure to keep his Quirk and temper in check "Uh- S-sorry about that, Midoriya." He apologised uneasily, rubbing his head with a somewhat shameful smile "I just really hate it when assholes get away with shit like that. It makes my blood boil, y'know!?" He said that last part with a passionate glare at nothing in particular, shaking his fist. Hinata and the others all nodded in silent agreement.

"Exactly!" Hinata exclaimed "Doctors are supposed to help people, they don't get to choose who's 'worth' helping or not, they help everyone!"

Izuku chuckled a little, perhaps embarrassingly amused that so many people were speaking up in his defence over something he perceived as trivial, and rubbed his right shoulder.

They all went silent.

"R-really, it's not that big of a-"

"My dad works in a clinic. I'll get him to talk to your mom, and get you caught up on your shots." Hitoshi cut in, and though he didn't use his Quirk, Izuku felt compelled to listen to his order (Because it kind of was one), silently nodding like a scolded child. Whether he liked it or not, Hitoshi was getting him help.

Then again, considering the career he was going for, he begrudgingly admitted to himself that this was kind of essential. So he sucked it up.

Soon, Dan-senpai clapped the boy on the back with a wide grin "Young Izuku, it is admirable that you are willing to risk getting an infection to help the community! Come, together we shall clean up this entire beach and show our superiority over my Kouhai!" And with that, he grabbed the greenette by the arm and dragged him away towards the mounds of trash.

"Wha-Hey! Wait for me!" Mei yelled out in indignation, sprinting off at full speed, rope in hand, leaving the others alone.

It was quite for a moment, no one dared say a word.

"I want names." Unsurprisingly, Batsu spoke up first, levelling a furious glare at Hitoshi (Though not exactly directed at him) as he kept his hands stuffed into his pockets, trying to use all of his willpower to not literally explode in rage. He knew that they all had seen the marks on Izuku's upper arm, how many of them there were, a whole constellation of starburst scars. The punk especially wanted to know just how his new friend (Because fuck you if you thought he didn't immediately consider that pure-ass guy a friend by now) got them.

After all, Batsu had a fire Quirk, he knew burn scars when he saw them.

Hitoshi huffed with a scowl, glancing off towards the ocean, where the pink duo were currently egging Izuku on, trying to get him to haul an entire refrigerator with a rope tied to the appliance and himself... oh, and did he mention that the two were sitting on it too?

"You know that transfer student I was complaining about recently?" He asked rhetorically "The asshole with the explosion Quirk?"

"You are speaking of Katsuki Bakugo, correct?" Rahm asked, a little uneasy, which was still far more uneasy than any of them had seen the boy "His Quirk lets him create explosions from his hands, if memory serves. I wasn't entirely sure, but given your mentioning of him and your reactions when Midoriya-san exposed his arm, would I be right in assuming...?"

"Yeah." Batsu gritted out, pulling his hands out of his pockets and folding his arms, squeezing them hard.

"I see..." Rahm nodded with a frown.

"That's just... that's just so messed up!" Hinata said with a scowl "The guy's so nice! How could anyone do that to him?"

"People don't always need a reason." Hitoshi interjected, giving a withered sigh "They can just make one up if they want to." He turned to his friends "Look, I get you're all pissed, but just... don't bring it up with Izuku? I can tell he's pretty cagey about it, and I don't wanna dig up any bad memories for him."

Batsu and Hinata were clearly frustrated by this, but eventually, they nodded in acceptance.

"Fine." Batsu said "But if this Bakugo guy ends up giving him or you and Rahm shit, all bets are off."

Hitoshi nodded. Not like he could stop them.

Hinata let out a huff, but smiled anyway "Well, like Batsu was complaining, we're burning daylight! Let's get started!"

And slowly, Batsu gained back his excited grin "Right!" He yelled before the pair ran off with renewed vigour.

Hitoshi couldn't help but smile a little at their enthusiasm, but it slowly faded as he turned around, seeing Rahm approach him with a thoughtful expression.

"Does he know?"

Hitoshi didn't ask for clarification, he knew what the other boy meant.

"Nope."

"He should."

Hitoshi sighed. He couldn't think of a real argument, but still "He has enough on his plate. Besides, Bakugo hates the guy, fucking tried to attack me when I barely mentioned his name once. If Izuku knew that I was dealing with him, he'd want to get involved, and I am not about to let him get near his possible abuser again."

"Even still, he deserves to know." Rahm countered firmly "I think that the knowledge of where exactly Bakugo is would help comfort him somewhat, knowing that he has a definite location and that he isn't some bogeyman hiding around any corner. And besides, you and I both know that Nabu doesn't put up with his behaviour at all, so it might bring some comfort knowing that he's being watched by people who won't look the other way."

Hitoshi crossed his arms, looking out towards the sea, just barely visible behind the mounds upon mounds of discarded waste. He flexed his arms a little bit as he sighed.

And then, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and Rahm spoke to him "Just think about it, okay? Tell him when you're ready." And with that, the hand left, and Hitoshi heard the sounds of footsteps displacing the sand.

"You're not saying you will if I don't?" He asked, only semi-jokingly.

The footsteps stopped "If he asks about Bakugo, then I will." The boy admitted "But I won't simply dump it on him. It wouldn't be fair. Besides, he's your friend, Shinso-kun, it'd be a lot better for Midoriya-san if he heard it from you." And thus Rahm left.

Hitoshi took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the sea, along with whatever else was left lying here.

When he let his breath out, he couldn't help but chuckle "He's your friend now too, idiot."

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!" Batsu screamed out as he threw his arms up in the air, sweat pouring down his brow.

"A-are you okay, Ichimonji-san?" Izuku tentatively asked, wiping his own as he inched away from the screaming teen.

Hinata simply grinned, wrapping a damp arm around the boy with a laugh "It's fine! Batsu's just so passionate that he likes to let out a victory scream every now and again. You should try it sometime!"

"I-I..." Izuku stuttered, his nerves flaring. Whether it was the close proximity to a girl his age, or just another person in general, no one could be sure. Still, he gave a shaky smile, even as his clothes began to stick even more "I-I will?"

Hinata simply laughed, slapping him on the back "That's the spirit!" She flipped around "Hey, you guys done too?"

"For now, yeah!" Hitoshi called as he walked out from behind a decisively smaller mound of trash, pulling off a pair of thick gloves with a heave of effort "Gotta say, this went by really fast." He said, tossing the gloves to the far wall as he stretched, looking out to the now dipping horizon "Time really flies when you're dead focused on stuff, huh?"

"S-something like that." Izuku agreed, looking around. The beach was still filthy, but it was no longer obscene. So... progress?

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!" Dan screamed as he landed on the sand bed with a loud THUMP, making a small cloud of sand and giving the green-haired boy a heart attack from his sudden appearance, but the man simply got up and gave a wide grin and a thumbs-up "AHA! THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST PRODUCTIVE TRAINING SESSION I'VE HAD SO FAR! STRENGTHENING ONE'S BODY WHILST HELPING OTHERS IS A STROKE OF GENUIS, YOUNG KOUHAI! I COULD HAVE THOUGHT OF SUCH AN AMAZING IDEA MYSELF, BUT YOU BOTH TOOK THE INNITIATIVE TO ASK FOR OTHERS' ASSISTANCE WHEN YOU KNEW THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT THEM AND THE GENERAL POPULACE! WELL DONE!"

"Uh... Thanks, Dan-senpai..." Hitoshi murmured with an odd look, shaking his head "Anyways, Mei and Rahm are already back at the parking lot, so we should head back before she turns the poor guy into a cyborg ninja or something."

"Cyborg ninja?" Izuku asked with a snort as he began following after his friend.

The boy simply shrugged with a smirk "Played some video games when I was younger. Happens more than you think."

Batsu simply laughed as he caught up with them, still drenched in sweat "Rahm's already a badass, adding in cybernetics would make him a force of nature!"

"Oh! Do you think he'd have shuriken launchers?" Hinata questioned, leaning in "Maybe even a laser sword! Just think of all the possibilities!"

"The possibilities for what, Hinata-san?" The boy in question asked, turning to face them.

At least that one made sense, most of the assembled group weren't known for being quiet.

The girl opened her mouth to answer, only to be elbowed in the side by Hitoshi, who gave a very scared look as he shook his head, nodding towards Mei, who was chuckling ominously at the pickup truck full of scrap before her, wringing her hands with a hungry look. Her uncle, who sat in the driving seat, gave the other teens and their supervising adult (Read; Middle-aged Hypeman) a withering look.

Hinata wisely decided to keep quiet.

Both to change the subject, and because he wanted to do something nice after dragging everyone out here, Izuku decided to speak up "Um, e-everyone?" Ah, there was that familiar dread returning when all eyes turned to him. He wondered where it had been. Still, he pushed it aside for the moment, smiling sheepishly as he leaned down and picked up his bag "I-I know today was really tiring, and that you probably had better things to do today..." Of course, Hitoshi scoffed, but the others all also rolled their eyes good naturedly (And wasn't that strange?) "B-but I thought I'd at least give you some tokens of m-my appreciation! I-if you don't mind of course!" He quickly added. After all, he didn't want to make them feel that they had to take his gifts if they didn't want to.

Hinata beamed "Aw, Midoriya! You didn't have to! We're here because we wanna be!"

Batsu simply scoffed with a grin "Sure, but I won't say no to free stuff!" He added, receiving an elbow for his efforts, which he simply laughed off. Still, his friend didn't deny it.

Despite himself, Izuku chuckled "I mean, it's nothing much, just some merchandise I got from overseas..."

"Overseas?" Hitoshi asked, hopping onto the stone wall, water bottle in hand "Jeez, that must have cost a pretty penny."

"Aha... N-not really?" He admitted "I-I mean, my dad works in the states, so- uh-"

"So he sent it over to you?" Hinata finished, smiling widely "Aww, that's so thoughtful!"

Izuku very intently didn't confirm or deny her statement, simply chuckling as he opened up his bag.

"So which Hero is it?" The girl asked, practically bouncing in place "Is it Wonder Woman? Supergirl? Oh! Maybe Star and Stripe?"

"You mean Stars and Stripes?" Batsu corrected with a cheeky grin.

Hinata swung back around to scoff at the boy "No, Batsu. Her Hero name is Star and Stripe singular."

The punk simply raised an eyebrow "Seriously?" He looked to the others, who all nodded in agreement. Batsu simply stuck his tongue out "Eh, Stars and Stripes just sounds... better."

"Hey, no arguments there." Hitoshi agreed, looking back to Hinata "Surprised you seemed interested in a Justice League member. I mean, no hate personally, they seem pretty decent, but most people don't like them."

The girl simply shrugged "Hey, a badass warrior woman who can kick absolute ass in an outfit like that? Can't help but respect her."

There were various sounds of agreement from all present, Batsu even giving an "Amen."

"W-well I don't have any Wonder Woman merch..." Izuku admitted as he began pulling small plastic bags out "But I can see if I can get any for you?"

"Nah, it's fine Midoriya!" She denied, waving a hand at him with a smile "But seriously, you don't have to give us anything!"

"Maybe not..." Izuku agreed as he handed the girl one of the bags, giving his best smile "But I want to."

Immediately, the girl's smile brightened tenfold "Well when you put it like that, how can I refuse?" And with that, she tore into the bag, pulling out a small keychain with the logo of "The Flash?"

Izuku nodded "Y-yeah! I know he might not be the most popular here, but he- I-I mean, he seems really cool, and his home city really seems to like him!" He probably shouldn't bring up the museum, that's just invite a whole host of questions he wasn't ready to answer "S-sorry, but everything I have is Flash-themed..."

Rahm simply walked over with a smile "Not a problem at all Midoriya-san. Dragon-sensei has actually mentioned the Flash to me once or twice, and he had nothing but good things to say about him. Well, I suppose good is an overstatement."

Batsu barked out a laugh "Yeah, I swear that getting a proper compliment outta that guy is like pulling teeth. Still, I'm game to get some foreign Hero merch!"

"Hey, aren't that guy's villains the ones with the physics-breaking babies?" Mei interjected as she practically teleported right into Izuku's personal space.

The boy couldn't help but flinch back "U-um, y-yes, Hatsume-san! That's right!"

"Ah, so they're the ones to blame for Mei deciding to make a portal to another dimension." Kouki Hatsume muttered as he approached, a fond yet still long-suffering look in his eye "At least I know who I can direct my vitriol towards."

"Ha!" Mei belted out "Come on, uncle Kouki! Just think of the possibilities!"

"Another dimension?" Batsu asked in confusion, though the rapid-shaking head of Izuku told him that it was best not to inquire further.

"A-actually, Hatsume-san?" Izuku spoke up, causing both pink-haired people to turn to him, to which he sweat-dropped "A-ah, right. W-well-" He then reached into his back and pulled out a pair of plastic bags, handing them out "I-I just wanted to say thanks for helping us out, w-with the disposal, I mean!"

Kouki chuckled bashfully, but took the offered bags "Hey, no need to thank me kid, just doing my civic duty." He leaned to the side, resting his elbow on his niece's head "And it helps keep this one out of trouble mostly, so it's a win-win."

"Please! I don't cause trouble!" Mei dismissed, shoving the man off of her "I create the solutions!"

"Along with a laundry-list worth of repairs."

"Pssh! Progress requires sacrifice!"

"Uh-huh." The man intoned, rolling his eyes, before looking to the gathered group "Hey, look, I'm gonna go grab a water before I head off. Mei, don't do anything stupid... again."

"That was one time!" The inventor complained as the man trotted off "Honestly, you set a water cooler on fire once, and-"

"Wait what?" Hitoshi interrupted with an owlish stare "You-wha-but- How...?" He sputtered out, utterly flabbergasted.

The teen girl simply waved him off "It's a gift! One that SOME PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO APPRECIATE!" She yelled out the last part, making sure her uncle could hear her, the man, being as mature as he was, choosing to flip her off in response.

Dan simply laughed whole-heartedly "Oh, I'd pay to see that!"

"Huh." Rahm intoned "Actually, Hatsume-san, I hope I'm not being too insensitive, but may I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Mei questioned, turning around to face the blind boy "Sure, Silvermane, shoot. Ain't nothing that'll rattle me!"

The boy nodded "You seem to be living with you uncle, correct?" Mei nodded with a grin "If you don't mine my asking, where are your parents?"

"Rahm!" Everyone, even Izuku and Dan, shouted out, Batsu continuing for them "You don't just ask someone that! It's super insensitive!"

"Yeah man!" Hinata agreed "Even I have more tact than that!"

"I apologise. I was simply curious." Rahm amended, bowing to Mei "I'm sorry if I offended."

But the girl simply waved him off with her usual smirk "Eh, it's whatever, don't really mind at all. My folks have been long dead anyways."

Silence reigned.

Despite her lacking in social awareness, even Mei was able to pick out that the awkward silence was... well, awkward "What? Did I say something?"

"Ah- N-no, Hatsume-san!" Izuku assured her, waving his hands frantically "I-it's just that- w-w-we weren't expecting you to say something like that so casually."

"Oh!" The girl realised, raising a fist and hitting it down on her palm "Right! That makes sense." She shrugged "Eh, it was a while ago, I'm not that sad about it to be honest."

"Do you mind if we ask how it happened?" Hitoshi tentatively prodded, allowing Izuku to hop up to sit next to him.

"Sure!" Mei readily agreed, leaning on the side of her uncle's truck "It was a car crash. I was around two or something, and Uncle Kouki was watching me while my folks were out shopping for furniture. Guy ran a red light and t-boned them."

They all winced.

"Mei, you sure you're alright talking about this?" Hinata checked.

The other girl simply looked to her in confusion "Yeah? Why wouldn't I be? It was a long time ago, I barely even remember them." She shrugged "They lived their lives, and now I have to live mine. No point crying over it, really."

"That's... certainly one way to look at it." Batsu muttered.

The inventor shrugged again "Hey, we all gotta die someday, best we try to enjoy the time we got. My folks did their thing, I invent." She turned back to Izuku "So, Greenie, any more wonders in your bag of tricks?"

Izuku flinched, only just remembering the original topic of discussion. While he was hesitant to drop this, considering his friend's (Or partner of mutual interest?) complete dismissal of such a generally hurtful topic, he... kinda felt that it wouldn't really do well to press it. As far as he could tell, Mei genuinely didn't seem to mind, so as much as Izuku hated it, it really wasn't his place to say. People coped in different ways after all. He gave a hesitant smile as he reached down for his bag "R-right! Umm... I-I guess you can have this one, Hitoshi?" He offered, holding out some sort of large cylinder wrapped in paper. When Hitoshi took it with a small smile, he noted that it was really sturdy.

Unwrapping it, he found that it was a Flash-themed thermos.

"A thermos?" He asked in confusion, turning it over in his hand. It looked pretty well made honestly, and the design didn't look taped on like most cheap Hero merch, so it probably wouldn't come off after a few washes in the dishwasher thankfully.

The green boy nodded "Y-yeah! I know you have issues with staying awake- A-and even if I can't help you with sleeping, I thought m-maybe I could give you something to keep your coffee in? S-since I know you like it and all..."

"Thanks, Izuku." He replied, and he meant it whole-heartedly "My old one was pretty banged up, so this is pretty much the perfect time for me to get a replacement."

Izuku chuckled a bit, and Hinata cooed "Aww, that's so cute! Friendship blossoming!"

"I'm still building that blackmail folder, Wakaba." Hitoshi snapped out, giving a glare with little heat at the literal sunshine girl "But it's not empty."

She simply scoffed, waving a hand dismissively "Please, you've got nothing on me!"

"Last Thursday."

Hinata shook her head "Not ringing a bell."

Hitoshi merely smirked evilly "Dragon-sensei told you to head out back for a breather, and you decided to practice some Kata."

The girl immediately paled, looking to the boy with wide eyes as he simply leaned back on the wall.

"Oh yeah, I'll go there."

Hinata coughed into her fist "W-well, anyways Midoriya-kun, what else you got?"

Batsu narrowed his eyes at his friend, looking to Hitoshi, who simply smirked. Batsu smirked back.

Izuku chuckled as he handed out the last three gifts; A pair of fingerless leather gloves for Dan, a sweatband for Batsu, and... a pen set for Rahm.

...

...Yeah, that was a really bad bout of process of elimination. Batsu immediately swapped the gift with his own, hopefully before the other boy somehow noticed. And if Rahm did notice, he didn't say anything.

Mei would have opened hers, but her uncle had them, and was clearly taking his sweet time getting that water (And they all knew it was clearly on purpose, if his smug grin was to go by.)

Hitoshi looked to his new thermos, then to his friend with an odd look "You not get anything for yourself?"

Izuku immediately started chuckling, rubbing his head "Ah, n-no, I did, it's just at home." He was utterly shocked that the Flash Museum let him keep those Captain Cold Goggles. I mean, they were genuine villain equipment! Why would they let some random teen keep a pair? No matter how much Ms. Chambers told him they were just glorified sunglasses, and that they literally had boxes full of them, he could scarcely believe it.

...Maybe he'd wear them once or twice if it was especially bright out? At least after he worked up the courage to take them out of his bedside drawer.

And once his mom had calmed down after the Flash Museum Incident...

He was so lucky she hadn't grounded him and taken him out of that training program. Say what you want about the Flash, but he has a way with words, and is an expert at calming hysterical mothers. Izuku felt that he had lots more to learn than how to punch out villains. Though that was certainly very useful!

"Alright then." Hitoshi agreed, stretching out his arms with a yawn "Welp, guess we better get going. Fucking school... whoever invented it, I hope they're burning in Hell."

"Urgh, same!" Batsu agreed, slouching over "Sure, I got a few friends, but is it really worth it to spend hours sitting on my ass learning stupid shit we'll never use?"

Izuku chuckled despite himself "I-I know how you feel, Ichimonji-san, school can be... a-an experience."

The punk huffed "I'll say... And hey, you can call me Batsu. You're an alright guy in my book."

"Oh, yeah!" Hinata agreed readily "I never said it, but you can just call me Hinata too! That goes for you too Shinso-kun!"

The boy smiled tiredly, nodding to the two other teens "Gotcha, you can both call me Hitoshi too."

"A-and you can call me Izuku- I-if you want, at least!"

Dan pumped his fist with an energetic grin "AND OF COURSE YOU CAN ALL CALL ME DAN AS WELL!"

Mei didn't seem to pay attention though, simply looking the man up and down in intrigue "Wow, you seriously generate a lot of energy, Pinky. Wonder if there's a way to harness that..."

"P-PINKY!?" He stuttered, faltering just a little bit as the others all chuckled.

"I don't want to speak on Mei's behalf, but from what I know she genuinely doesn't care about formalities or whatever. So... it's probably fine to call her by her first name."

"Yepyep!" Said girl agreed absently as she tried to study Dan, who got his groove back and began his whole spiel of talking himself up.

Rahm simply nodded along with a small smile "I personally prefer to call people by their proper titles, but if you all wish to call me Kouta, I have no problem with it."

Hitoshi though shrugged "Eh, maybe, but it just... feels weird, having called you Rahm for so long. Not to mention you wouldn't be doing the same... I don't know." He dismissed "Guess we'll have to see then."

The other boy nodded "I suppose so." He looked around, tapping his walking stick "Well, I suppose we should be going now."

Batsu sighed, rubbing his head "Yeah, I guess... I had a lot of fun today, though! Definitely coming back!"

"Oh absolutely!" Dan agreed with a smirk "And you will see me utterly trounce your pathetic cleaning-"

"Dude, it's so late in the evening..." Hitoshi groaned out, hopping off the wall and sticking his hands in his pockets "How about you save that energy for the dojo? Some of us wanna try to sleep."

"AHAHAHA!" Their senpai laughed out, waving the boy off "Very well Young Shinso! I understand some people require their beauty sleep! But my point still stands! I suppose I will only have to prove it to you in the morning!"

Hitoshi rolled his eyes "Sure thing, senpai, sure thing..."

Despite his usual anxiety, Izuku couldn't help but laugh a little bit. Was this... what it was like to have real friends, friends his own age? Peers who didn't scorn him? It was... nice.

It felt far better than Aldera ever did.

"...Wait, what?" Hinata suddenly asked. Looking up, Izuku saw every one of them looking at him in some form of shock, and maybe even a little horror.

...Oh.

"D-did I say that out loud?" He asked, if only to delay the inevitable explanation. He knew full well he couldn't wiggle out of this one. Chances were they heard him loud and clear. Damn muttering habit!

"Yeah..." Hitoshi said, not facing the other teen as he pinched the bridge of his nose "Yeah, you did." Honestly, why is he even surprised at this point? Izuku's whole life, from the glimpses he's seen, was just one fuckup of society and human morality after another. How he hadn't gone villain by this point could only be seen as divine intervention. Either that or dumb luck.

But it did explain a hell of a lot of his behaviour, as well as Bakugo's...

What the fuck even are their lives?

"O-oh..."

"Dude, you went to fucking Aldera?" Batsu asked in shock, staring wide-eyed at the teen, as were all the others.

Mei looked down thoughtfully, tapping her fingers on her crossed arms "Aldera... Huh, why does that ring a bell?"

"It's the school that collapsed not too long ago." Rahm explained, not taking his eyes off of Izuku "Midoriya-san, I hope you won't mind my saying, but from the things I've heard of that place, I'm frankly amazed you were able to survive it." And that was the keyword; Survive. That's what Izuku's time in that place was all about, wasn't it? It wasn't about learning, or making friends, or even goofing off as he waited for the bell to ring. It was all about surviving in Aldera: making sure he wasn't the largest punching bag, even when he had the largest target on his back. It was about avoiding the worst of the beatings and the jeers, even when he knew he was only prolonging the inevitable. It was about trying to appease others, even when that only made them even more antagonistic towards him.

Yeah, he survived.

But can the same be said about anyone else?

Regardless, Izuku didn't voice any of these thoughts, the others were all clearly too strung up and worried for him to even consider doing so, it'd just make them even more worried, and they all had enough on their plates "Y-yeah, I've been enrolled in the district since Elementary School." Oh, that just made them look even more worried "B-but it wasn't that bad! I-I mean, most kids just tended to ignore me, so-"

"Isolation is still abuse, Izuku." Hinata observed, nibbling nervously on her thumbnail, looking to the side. But then she raised her brow in confusion "Uh... Senpai, you alright?"

Following her gaze, the group all saw Dan-senpai, his arms crossed, his head bowed, and even the bit of his hair that stuck out seemed to droop, while his skin had a faint green hue "Uh, yeah, I'm fine..." He replied, his voice more distracted and, dare they say worried, than they had ever heard it. He looked to Izuku with a thoughtful, yet hesitant look "Young Izuku, I hope I'm wrong about this, but... Well, I heard about what that school's Vice Principal did to students, and with you being at the bottom of the social ladder..." As he trailed off, everyone else started to turn green at his implications.

Immediately, Izuku began frantically waving his arms, even as his stomach churned in disgust and his own face took a similar colour to his hair "N-no! Never!" He quickly assured them, letting them breathe a collective sigh of relief "H-honestly, I've barely even spoken to her!" He chuckled uneasily. He pointedly didn't mention that the last time he had spoken with the VP, she had looked him over, before sneering, stating that he was "Too unclean." He wasn't sure he liked the implications, but... well, it was certainly better than the alternative.

Batsu slouched over with a huff "Small mercies, I guess..." He muttered "Still, you went to that shithole? Must have been hell."

"Ah, it..." He wanted to say "It wasn't that bad," but Izuku knew full well that was a complete and utter lie. So, he settled for "It was an experience..."

Hinata blew out a breath "I'll say. Were you there when it collapsed?"

"N-no, I wasn't." He admitted, rubbing his head "My mom actually p-pulled me out a few weeks before it happened. I'm doing online courses at the moment..."

"Lucky..." Batsu murmured, standing back up and stretching his back with an audible crack "My mom would kill me if I even suggested online school."

"I think I might kill you if we don't move on." Hitoshi cut in, still not turned to face them "Today has been a compilation of people having shit and tragic backstories, and every one of them being told with a smile. I think we've had enough angst for one day. Let's just... head home. We can talk about it at length some other time, when we've had enough time to process everything."

The assembled group all looked to each other. Sure, it was likely Hitoshi trying to avoid any more horrific and frankly awkward conversations, but he did have a point.

"Yeah." Hinata was the one to agree "Yeah, processing this stuff sounds like a good idea..." She muttered, Batsu giving a mumble of agreement.

Hitoshi huffed, his posture untensing just a little "Cool. I'll see you guys tomorrow then." And with that, he gave a wave and strut off towards the train station.

After a moment of silence, Batsu groaned, rubbing his head "Yeah, I better get going too... Have curfew and all." He turned to the green-haired youth "But Izuku, man, if you ever need to talk about that stuff-"

"I-I will-"

"I'm serious." The punk insisted, locking Izuku with an intense look "That kind of stuff is like a weight on your body, and keeping it down deep is like letting it crush you. Even if it's not me, we're all willing to talk about it if you want." They all nodded, even Mei.

"R-right. Thank you.." Izuku muttered, looking down with a blush. But then, he realised something, looking off to the nearly invisible silhouette on the concrete horizon "A-actually, I... I don't want to air anything out, but I don't think I'm the only one who's keeping this kind of stuff to himself. C-can I ask you all something?" And so, he informed the group of teens (And Dan) of a certain event coming up soon. Real soon.

Eijiro absentmindedly ate his lunch while the rest of his buddies chatted around him. Everyone and everything else in the cafeteria may as well have been a atmospheric buzz going on in the back of his head.

Everyone else was speaking with their friends, talking about what hero would beat the other in a fight or what costume was the coolest. Or even just regular stuff like homework assignments and what group projects were due.

All the smiles and laughs going around him didn't make a dent in the the dour mood he'd been in for a while now.

All he could think about was how freaking unmanly he had been acting.

He poked at his food with a sluggish motion, steam wafting up into his face but doing nothing to thaw the chill sitting in his chest.

Lately, all he could think about were the times he stood by and did nothing while watching kids get shoved around in the halls, bullied because their Quirks weren’t strong or cool or flashy enough. He hated how he’d just... looked away. Like a coward.

Just a few weeks ago, one of his own classmates getting picked on by a bunch of jerks. He felt he had to something for once!

And what was the result of his intervention? Getting a rock to the face and getting dunked on for how 'lame' and 'simple' his Quirk was while the douches took the poor guy away to hassle him some more.

But he guessed he was just too damn stubborn to quit, because regardless of what his buddies said, considering he still went after them.

Only to see the whole situation get resolved in seconds by a girl who was loved by practically the entire school.

Eijiro's eyes drifted over the various rows of tables to the familiar sight of a pink skinned horned classmate who chattering wildly amongst her friends.

It was hard for him to look at her for any longer than he had to. He didn't even have much of an appetite as he set his utensils down.

She made the difficult things in life look so freaking easy, while carrying a smile that was infectious to all of those around her.

Under the table, Eijiro's fists clenched.

Why couldn't he do the same? Was he that inconsequential? Should he had even bothered stepping in to defend that classmate when she could've easily handled the whole thing?

For all his talk of 'manliness', how much did he ever strive to live up to that term? He's had plenty of chances to do so, only to find himself giving into cowardice and hesitation almost every time.

But one particular chance may as well equalled over a thousand...

'Where are the Hero Offices... of Springer?"

His clenched fists began to trembled under the lunch table as the voice of that guy returned from past memory.

It was like his mind was a film reel and the events were being played back to him for his "viewing pleasure."

The crowd gathering and panicking...

The two girls trembling in fear with tears pouring out of their eyes...

No Heroes in sight to help...

And the silent horror well written on the faces of the two schoolmates of his who were too petrified to answer.

'So you won't tell me...'

The memory of how easily the giant began to crush the building above their heads while their lives hung in the cruel balance of the world only elevated his heartbeat.

' Why won't you tell me...?'

The audible cracks of the building beginning to falter under the giant's might took shape in his mind in the form of taunts. No one around them seemed willing to put a stop to the travesty that was unfolding before them. No Hero was in the immediate area to put a stop to all of this. No one was willing to put their foot forward and face front against the seismic horror that terrorized the innocent.

...

Except maybe him.

'Why is it always times like these where there isn't a Hero on patrol?!' The past thought reverberated through his conscious mind.

The stiffness in his legs took form once again amidst the ambience of the lunchroom.

'Somebody!'

His body started to shake slightly.

'No, not somebody!'

His head began to throb.

'YOU! YOU DO IT!'

Eijiro's body jerked suddenly. As if he was being called out by himself and himself alone.

'GO! JUMP IN!'

Why? Why wouldn't his legs move, damn it?! This was his chance!

'He's not particularly tough.' He heard a familiar jeering voice 'His Quirk just makes his skin an teensy bit harder...'

'JUMP IN!' His thoughts yelled at him again.

His breathing became stilted.

'Don't even bother, Ei.' He heard one of his friends say.

But he should have! What kind of person trying to be a hero just stands by when suffering is taking place in front of them?!

"For normies like us, being a hero's not even in the picture..."

But he didn't want to just "be normal"!

'As long as you have a manly spirit, then Quirks don't even matter!' The mocking memory of his 'chivalry' rang clear.

Yeah, sure. You really put your money where your mouth was that day, huh? Some Hero you w-

"Oi Eijiro!" He heard a voice call out to him.

The insecure lad snapped out of his spiralling thoughts and looked up at his friends, who were gazing at him.

"Sheesh, I've been trying to get your attention for over a minute. You were looking like you were shell-shocked. Everything good?"

Eijiro still blinked for a bit before coming to his sense with a slightly awkward grin "Uh y-yeah, j-just thinking about stuff is all! Nothing crazy!"

"You sure?" another of his buddies chimed in "You looked like you were having a panic attack."

Eijiro cringed a bit.

'Come on, think of something to tell them!' He racked his brain for some kind of response other than "I'm mad insecure about how lame I am."

"Well, I guess I'm just freaking about all of those... raids the cops have been doing." Eijiro scratched his head "Especially at that Aldera place. I mean, you heard about the things those teachers did? Even that VP?! SUPER UNMANLY (or maybe unladylike?) DOESN'T EVEN DESCRIBE THE WHOLE THING! And the whole place fell apart on that very same day! Imagine if that happened when they were all still in class!"

The grimaces and creeped out looks on the faces of his buddies told him enough.

"Geez man, did you have to remind me of that?" Bro 1 winced at the reminder of what that bitch did to some of the kids who went to school there "Hope her ass is rotting in lowest level of Tartarus..."

"Same here, man." Bro 2 said while trying to keep his lunch down "At least our teachers here just hand out failing grades and detentions. Seriously, was the principal bribed into converting that place into a fucking case study on juvenile behaviour? Because no one should be that fucked up to operate a place for that long to the point where it fucking crumbles to the ground as soon as it gets grazed by a spring breeze. Seriously hoping we don't have those MLA weirdos lurking about here. Seriously, who the hell are they anyway?"

"Beats me. Mr. Kazura never brought them up at all during 3rd period. Plus, I usually zone out during History class. Speaking of those MLA guys, I saw on the news that there were a bunch of them at a primary school even." Bro 1 explained.

"Dude! Are you serious?!" Eijiro's face portrayed disbelief as he tried to understand what he had just been told. Surely not! Surely they weren't going that far!

"I shit you not, Ei. They were targeting kiddies for their little Kool Aid party. I mean, what the fuck? Thank God the cops and All Might busted them. With what we heard about the VP lady, I don't even wanna know what the fuck they were planning to do with them..."

"ANYWAY!" Bro 2 cut in, green hue seen clear as day on his face "Hey Ei, did you see footage of the place crumbling down on Birdie? There are TONS of videos from some of the kids who went there. Check it out!" Bro 2 pulled out his phone and after a few taps, pulled up some of the vids.

Eijiro leaned over the table to get a closer look at the video and the title:

ALDERA MIDDLE SCHOOL: HELL ON EARTH CRUMBLES TO THE GROUND! GOOD F***ING RIDDANCE!

The video was a two minute long closer look at the school collapsing in real time. Tons of rubble cracking, windows shattering, crumbling foundations, and dust plumes flying in huge bursts in all directions. But that didn't seem to do a damn thing as cheers of joy seemed to match the destructive mayhem that was unfolding before their eyes.

Holy shit, the cheers and laughs spoke volumes for how bad that place had to have been for some of them.

Bro 2 scrolled down and showed the over 100,000 comments that were absolutely lambasting the former 'education centre.'

One comment showed a .gif of a couple of well dressed African dudes dancing with a casket with the name of the school on it that had over 50K likes and counting.

And another had one showing a guy smiling and flashing the peace sign while kneeling next to a grave with the school's name on it as well that had about 35K likes.

Eijiro took hold of Bro 2's phone and scrolled passed practically hundreds of videos and photos under the search entry "Aldera destruction."

Photos of that crappy principal getting his head slammed into the pavement when the cops busted into the place.

Photos of one of the teachers (who had a bit of a doughy gut) getting tied up with his own arms while looking like he like he just shat himself and wasn't wearing any underwear.

And then there were the unflattering pictures of the VP being dragged by one of her legs down the halls by some officers, kicking and screaming like a 6 year old getting dragged to a dentist's appointment in nothing but a half open blouse and bright pink panties ('Was that a stain on them?' Eijiro thought in disgust before another puke inducing one popped into his head. 'Oh God, was she? During school hours?!'), using one of her heels as a makeshift weapon.

If that wasn't bad enough, a number of other photos and videos popped up in Bro 2's recommended feed. Some of them showed photos and videos of just how dingy and trashy the school looked on the inside. Others showed a bunch of kids getting picked on or straight up attacked in the hallways. Or getting their heads dunked into toilets. Or getting tossed into dumpsters. Or getting their homework destroyed. Along with getting wedgies. And possible broken bones.

And the teachers just freaking standing around or walking by like there wasn't a single thing was out of order.

"Unmanly" didn't even begin to describe all of this nearly well enough.

Eijiro couldn't help but picture himself in some of these shots. A guy like him? With a Quirk as boring and bland as his? In a school ran by people obsessed with flashy Quirks who were trying to get the approval of a bunch of psychos? He closed his eyes and shivered unconsciously.

When he opened them, he found his thumb placed on one particular video. Said thumb seemed to move on it's own and tapped it.

The title of the video post told him all he needed to know about the subject matter.

PRED VP GETS HER SHIT WRECKED! SLUDGE VILLAIN KID GETS BITCHSMACKED AND VERBALLY THRASHED!

Eijiro and Bro 1 both cringed at seeing the students wail on the sick lady like she was a human pinata, but Eijiro himself couldn't really feel bad for the lady after what she did to all those kids. Too bad she didn't have a Quirk like his. Especially after one girl walked up and gave the woman her own personal beatdown.

The video went on and Eijiro could see a large crowd of students and officers surrounding said girl who was talking to some blonde dude who she was grilling HARD. Apparently the blonde dude (who was looking pretty ticked off by the way) had threatened her in class one time which was unmanly as hell. Then she slapped the guy so hard, his neck legit snapped back nearly a full 180. Jeez.

It looked like she was gonna walk away...until she saw two other people who looked like his parents and went into a screaming frenzy.

The audio was LOUD, even with the volume on Bro 2's phone only being at half volume.

He didn't know what was more nuts, the audio or the words being said "HEROES DON'T TELL PEOPLE THEY'RE USELESS!" The audio of the girl's enraged voice blared through the phone's speakers, drawing a few heads their way "THEY DON'T TELL THEM THEY'RE PATHETIC! AND LET'S BE HONEST, THE ONLY WAY U.A WOULD TAKE YOUR ARROGANT ASS IN IS IF THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE AT RISK OF BECOMING JUST ANOTHER CRAZY VILLAIN ON THE STREETS!"

Eijiro had to pause a bit. U.A? This guy was trying to get into U.A? After saying stuff like that?! Seriously?!

"Is she for real?" Bro 1 said a raised eyebrow "That dude is aiming for a place like U.A? After saying the stuff she called out? Plus didn't he, like, trash an entire block and set it on fire while getting into it with that Sludge Villain and had to get bailed out by All Might and those Justice guys?"

"Yeah, but he was being held hostage and about to get suffocated. What else was he supposed to do, dude?" Bro 2 chimed in. 

"Fair enough, but still. Would U.A even want this guy? I mean, you saw how pissed off he was when he got called out like that. He can't even stay calm when someone's spittin' facts at him." Bro 1 elaborated.

"Well, he has a strong Quirk. That girl implied as much since she mentioned he could throw explosions from his hands." Bro 2 pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's batshit insane. I mean, look right here. Ei, can you pause quick?" Bro 1 asked.

Eijiro snapped out of his thoughts "Huh? O-oh, yeah, s-sure!" He tapped.

His thumb tapped the middle of the video screen.

"Then can you fast forward a few seconds ahead?" Bro 1 advised.

Eijiro did just that as he slid his thumb across the video line, narrowing his eyes at the timestamps.

"...aaannnnndddd right there! Stop!" Bro 1 said "Now play it."

Eijiro tapped his thumb on the timestamp in which the video showed the angry blonde with his hands trembling, looking extremely pissed off as the girl walked away from him and his parents.

"Take a closer look at his face, Ei. I bet that if there weren't any witnesses or cops, he would've lost his shit and blown her face clean off. Would've probably walked away afterwards without a care in the world either." Bro 1 spoke.

Eijiro squinted his eyes a bit and saw the blonde's expression. The face was pretty still, but those crazed piercing red eyes of his told him a different story. Eijiro Kirishima wasn't one many would call 'detail-oriented', but there was just something about the look in this dude's eyes that left him kinda freaked out. What was with this guy? He knew plenty of kids from here and other schools who acted like they were all that because of how strong their Quirks were, but this guy was just something else.

Eijiro simply nodded as he handed Bro 2's phone back to him.

"I'm telling you guys, that guy gives me bad vibes. If he wants to go play Hero, let him. But I hope to God that neither of us run into that psycho." Bro 1 said as he munched on his Tonkatsu.

"You're telling me. Dude's a major weirdo too. I mean, have you seen the other vids about him?" Bro 2 asked.

Eijiro looked confused "Other vids?"

"Yeah, there's a bunch that have popped up on Herotube. The blond guy has been doing a bunch of crazy shit for a while now." Bro 2 said "Gimme a sec and I'll show you."

After a few taps in the search bar, Bro 2 pulled up one vid for Eijiro to take a look at...and subsequently drop his jaw upon first sight.

It was the same blond guy from the earlier video, but this time he was practically streaking around in his underwear. He was covered in some kind of food sauce while being chase by a pack of dogs if you could believe it. And that wasn't even the crazy part! Apparently, he went as far as to videotape himself sneaking into an animal shelter before covering himself in what was probably BBQ sauce and proceeding to use his Quirk to blow open their cages and run on out of there. 

With the dogs right on his tail. 

Laughing and smiling like a mental patient.

In broad daylight.

With hundreds of people watching in full view. Heroes, civilians, and even three Villains in baffled surprise. 

With around half of them filming the event with their phones.

"What the fuck...?" was all Bro 1 could say.

"I know, crazy right?" Bro 2 snickered "And that's not even the funniest one! I swear, there's one where he was doing some Kabuki-type shit at some restau-"

BAM!

Bro 2's words were cut short as the cafeteria doors were slammed wide open all of a sudden. 

"NAB HIM QUICK!" a voice shouted that was followed by a trail of heavy footsteps.

Eijiro, his bros, and pretty much everyone else in the cafeteria whipped their heads directly towards the sound of the commotion.

It was that the boy saw none other than his aforementioned history teacher Mr. Kazura, frantically looking around the lunchroom. 

The commotion that followed sent a jolt down everyone’s spine as a swarm of police officers in dark colored tactical gear flooded into the cafeteria, circling around the man.

Eijiro blinked. His tray clattered as he stood.

“What the—?” one of his bros whispered.

Leading the pack was some inspector guy wearing a hat and trenchcoat, his expression grim and commanding “KAZURA! THINK ABOUT IT WHAT YOU'RE DOING! IF YOU DO SOMETHING STUPID NOW, YOUR CASE WON'T STAND A CHANCE IN FRONT OF ANY JURY!”

Today had already been pretty tough on his from the mental front, but what was going on in front of him had shook him out of his funk.

Mr. Kazura, his 3rd period history teacher, always dull-eyed and half-interested in everything going on in the class, stood frozen at the head of the room. But he wasn’t wearing his usual blazer. His sleeves were rolled up. His eyes... wide and too alert. His body seemed to buzz with a low, almost mechanical hum.

Now, Eijiro, like admittedly many others at Mustafu Private Middle School, didn't really know what kind of Quirk their quite frankly boring as sin teacher had. Some assumed it had something to do with memory or reading speed. But neither assumption was anywhere close to being correct.

For a split second, Eijiro and some of the other kids thought the man was surrendering as he slowly rose his hands above his head.

But with a sudden SHRREEEEE! a jet-like noise ripped through the air as two twin jet black hover-thrusters burst out from Kazura’s back, venting searing blue light and smoke.

Apparently their teach had a jetpack Quirk of sorts. Who freaking knew?

“TIME TO DITCH THIS GLORIFIED DAYCARE!” Kazura snarled, launching into the air like a missile "BUT MAYBE I SHOULD DO SOME PRACTICE ROUNDS!"

The cafeteria erupted into screams as the sheer air pressure from his jets sent almost everything flying.

Students panicked. Chairs flipped. Tables crashed. Food trays went flying.

"DUCK YOU LITTLE BRATS! UNLESS YOU WANNA GET SINGED!!!" he shouted with remorseless glee.

Most of the other kids began to hide underneath the lunchroom tables as cover.

Eijiro himself instinctively ducked, only for the traitorous teacher to whip past him mid-flight, the heat of his thrusters burning the air.

"Ei! What the hell are you doing?! Take cover! Let the cops handle this!" Bro 1 called out to him from under the table.

"Come on, dude! Don't be a sitting duck!" Bro 2 added.

But Eijiro couldn't move. His legs were still stuck in place. He couldn't take his eyes off the sight of his manic looking teacher, nor hear the sounds of the other cops calling out to him.

All he could remember while gritting his teeth and balling his fists was all the times the man jerk and a number of other teachers gave him grief, especially about his Quirk.

Mentioning how 'plain' and 'dull' it was in most heroic situations. How it wouldn't be enough to garner any 'respectable attention.' And that he'd be better off working some blue collar job rather than go to some high ranking school if his grades were anything to go by. 

He wasn't the first teacher to say something along those lines, but it didn't soften the blows to his self esteem neither. Guess his Quirk only applied to his outsides.

And now? Here was this same guy, flying around like some maniac, terrorizing his schoolmates while cackling like some freaking goblin.

And nobody seemed to be able to do anything about it. 

It wasn't like the cops could use their guns here. There were too many kids like him who could get caught in the crossfire! Even he wasn't dumb enough to ignore that!

His fists were still trembling. His heart was racing. His mind was slightly spiralling like some deer in the headlights.

Dammit, where was a hero when ya needed one?! Why now of all times?!

'JUMP IN!' The echo of months past rang once again in his mentalscape. But instead of it sounding like a taunt...

...it sounded like a call to arms.

🎵 Music: Jet Set Run 🎵

Somehow, the trembling in his body began to ease up, being replace with a youthful vigor.

...

Last time he checked, he had two perfectly working arms.

Maybe it's time he started using them more...

The bastard up ahead seemed to just be enjoying taunting the cops about the not being able to jack here as he flew around like mad.

He didn't even seem to be paying much attention to where he was going as he flew in low again.

And that was his mistake.

He flew too low. Too close. Too slow.

And without thinking, without even a plan, Eijiro lunged.

“RAAHH!”

His hands snapped forward, grabbing Kazura around the waist. The force yanked Eijiro off the ground as the villain rocketed through the air.

“AHH! GET OFF ME, YOU STUPID BRAT!” Kazura howled, trying to shake him free. They both smashed into a table, sending it splintering apart as the students underneath it began scrambling towards the exit.

But Eijiro held on. Practically digging his fingers into the man's flesh as they both went back upwards.

His teeth grit as they both swerved through the air like they were undergoing turbulence. His arms locked on like chain links. He clung on, despite the insanity he was taking part in, and pulled back his arm.

KRACK!

Eijiro’s drove his hardened fist as deep as he could into Kazura’s ribs, the blow thudding like a hammer hitting sheet metal.

"AGGGHHH!!" Kazura snarled in pain as he flew even more erratically "YOU LITTLE-!!!"

The hover-thrusters on the bastard's back had buckled. Sparks flared.

Kazura resort to elbowing Eijiro as hard as he could in his forehead, trying to get the little bastard off him.

But Eijiro didn't budge. He simply gritted his teeth, hardened his face, and HEADBUTTED THE MAN MLA PSYCHO STRAIGHT STRAIGHT IN THE NOSE!

The impact caused many of the witnesses to cringe but still gawk at the sight that laid before them.

"DAMMIT!!!" Kazura shrieked, blood drizzling from his nose as resorted to barrelling straight towards a wall and slamming Eijiro against it in another attempt shake the good for nothing twerp off of him.

Kazuru practically scraped the boy against the wall underneath the windows until he stopped about halfway when the stubborn turd squeezed his ribs once more with his hardened fingers. The older man could feel the blood begin to seep out of the points of contact like giant pincers from a crab. 

He then resorted to using fierce corkscrews to shake Eijiro off. But the fucking brat still clung on!

“LET! GO!” Karuzu shouted.

“NO!” Eijiro barked back, throwing another haymaker at the man's ribs.

"LET GO!!!" the man shrieked more erratically.

"NOT HAPPENING!" the boy shouted back in defiance despite the odds, this time slugging the man in the face.

The two of them began rocketing through the upper areas of the cafeteria. It was like watching an aerial rodeo down in Texas. Karuzu was the wild raging bull that rocked back and forth, to and fro, high off an rage fueled adrenaline rush. Eijiro on the other had was the gritty rider, holding on for dear life with a dogged refusal to release his grip.

"HAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Eijiro roared as fiercely clamped his hardened thighs onto the older man's legs before unleashing a savage barrage of manic blows, targeting wherever he could land his rocky fists on the man's body in an effort to stop this madness.

ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!!!

Karuzu was pretty much forced to turtle up, guarding his face from the boy's hits. He couldn't even manage to see where he was going as he nearly collided headfirst into the group but managed to swerve up with only two seconds to spare.

'What the fuck is up with this crazy kid?! His records said all he had was just some simple Hardening Quirk! He shouldn't be giving me this much trouble!" the madman thought has he had to parry another one of his blows in the air.

Karuzu didn't know what was fucking worst: the brat's fists sinking into his bare flesh or the pressure coming down on his legs from the brat's iron grip!

The other students poked their heads out from under the tables, eyes still glued onto the battle going above their heads. The fact that one of the school's history teachers was a extremist was one thing, but the fact that one of the most underwhelming kids in the entire school was taking him on was another.

And nobody wasn't too proud to cheer him on. Or record the event with their phones. Especially his bros.

"GO EI!!" Bro 1 shouted.

"BASH HIS FUCKING HEAD IN!" Bro 2 roared.

A wave of synonymous sentiment reverberated across the cafeteria.

"YOU GOT THIS DUDE!" One second year guy cheered.

"GROUND HIS ASS!" One fiery first year girl shouted.

"GO FOR THE BODY! THE BODY, MAN!" An athletic second year loudly advised.

"RIP HIS JETPACK OFF AND DRIVE HIS HEAD INTO THE GLASS WINDOWS!!!" A bloodthirsty 3rd year girl shrieked "THAT PRETENTIOUS BASTARD ALWAYS SHITS ON MY TEST ANSWERS!!!"

"THIS IS TOTALLY KARMA FOR HIM FLUNKING ME ON THAT ESSAY I WROTE! I DEFINITELY CITED MY SOURCES CORRECTLY IN THE PROPER FORMAT! HE WAS JUST BEING FINICKY!" Another smaller third year student called out.

"SERIOUSLY DUDE?! YOU'RE STILL ON THAT?!" A taller boy, presumably the shorter kid's friend, spoke with disbelief and exasperation.

"HELL YEAH, I AM! I SPENT TWO SLEEPLESS NIGHTS WORKING ON IT! I'D JUMP UP THERE AND HELP IF I COULD!" The pint sized classmate jump up onto one of the tables, steaming mad and making boxing gestures.

The cheers that continued on like a growing wildfire only fuelled Eijiro's resolve he fought like a wild beast, grabbing Kazura by the collar and steering him into a nearby column face first with a meaty THUD!

The painful sounding impact elicited a cacophony of cheers from the spectating kids.

"Sir, what do we do here?" One police officer asked "We can't let this keep going on! That kid could get seriously hurt!"

"I think we're already well past that." The officer on the man's left deadpanned.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!" He shouted in response "Detective, what do we do?"

Tsukauchi rubbed his brow "Well, there's no way any of us can take a shot without potentially hitting that young man. Plus, both of them are flying all over the place so there'd be no good way to get a bead on Karuzu's pack."

"Doesn't this kid have a hardening Quirk? I mean, we all saw him toughen up his skin. He could probably shrug it off!" another officer suggested.

"It's possible," Tsukauchi admitted "but he's likely been using his Quirk for far longer than he's used to. What's the off-chance it wears off the moment one of us pops off a shot?"

The other officers looked at each other warily. Considering what happened a few months ago with another kid turned vigilante, none of them wanted to be the one who shot a minor in the line of duty.

"Then what do we do here?! Stand around like lemmings?!" One officer was on the verge of going a bit frantic.

Tsukauchi looked over the Sansa "Call him. Tell him to be on standby and that we've got a student engaging one of our targets."

Sansa nodded and got to safety near the cafeteria entrance and turned on his radio.

Karuzu was getting pissed as he slammed the boy against another wall, only to get uppercut in the jaw. Between this little shit wailing on him and the cheers of the ungrateful vermin beneath them both, it was about time he stopped playing around.

He had been practicing this for a good long while. Of course he hadn't field tested it, but hey... desperate times.

"I THINK I'VE HUMORED YOU AND THESE LITTLE DIAPER BLASTERS FOR LONG ENOUGH! I HOPE YOUR FIREPROOF, YOU IRRITATING LITTLE FUCKER! EXHAUST CANON!!!" Kazura shouted maniacally (despite his nearly broken jaw) while the stupid brat held onto his pack.

The jets began to build up pressure in the engines, right before unleashing a near continuous topaz coloured burst of energy that hit the poor boy point blank.

Cops and students alike could only gasp in horror as they seemed to have front row seats to watching a boy get roasted alive.

"You might as well save yourself the effort and let go already!" Kazura shouted as he continued the blazing assault "You wouldn't be getting flambéed if you just kept your head down like all the other brats! But no! You just had to try and save the day with that generic ass Quirk of yours! Fucking give up already! You're no Hero! Why the hell are you pretending to be?!"

Nearly all of Eijiro's vision was engulfed by the blazing yellow colours battering against his upper torso and the sound of the roaring engines flooded his eardrums. He could feel his uniform shirt being reduced to ashes. He grit his teeth as the exhaust mercilessly compounded on his body. He held on for as long as he could, but even then he could feel his fingers hardened fingers slipping. He had already shut his eyelids as tight as humanly possible to avoid them getting burned right out of his skull.

He couldn't keep this up forever! His felt that he was already well past his hardening limits. He had trained his ass off but at this point but none of the stuff he did even remotely prepared him to take a face full of flaming exhaust!

He could feel his mind start to blank out a bit, soon to be covered in the blanket of unconsciousness. He gripped onto the bastard's back for like a bulldog on steroids for so long, but now? Any confidence (Read: blatant short-sighted impulsiveness with a dash of heart) was starting to burn out of his system.

His world blurred into a fiery haze. The roar of the jets battered his ears. The stink of burnt cloth and scorched skin flooded his nose. His fingers slipped—bit by bit—betraying him.

'Can't... Can't hold...'

But through the pain, through the smoke, he managed to turn his head to the right and something broke through.

He squinted his eyes and managed to see a flash of pink.

He tilted his head lower so he could see the ground below and he spotted a pair of wide, horrified raccoon-like eyes. Said eyes had tears beginning to leak out while the individual in question was gawking at the scene before her overhead.

Ashido.

Standing frozen near the far wall, helpless, watching him.

Almost the exact same way he saw her before—on that day—when he'd failed to move and she was forced to make a gamble that could've ended her life because of his fear. That same day he failed to take action like so many times before. When he'd looked away.

...

No.

...

No.

A spark burst deep inside Eijiro’s chest. A crack of raw willpower, hotter than the flames trying to burn him away. Something that he didn't even knew he really had came forth.

"NOT THIS TIME!!!"

He let out a primal roar that ripped from his throat like a grenade blast on a warfield.

With a savage growl, Eijiro wrenched himself upright, twisting against the searing jets—and drove his hardened fists into the jetpack again.

And again.

And again!

CRACK!

CRACK!!

CRAAACK!!!

Kazura shrieked as sparks exploded off his back, his damaged jet thrusters glitching wildly.

“STOP IT!" The MLA nutjob shouted in panic "GET OFF ME, YOU CRAZY LITTLE BASTARD! BEFORE YO—!!!”

Eijiro pulled back one final time, teeth bared, blood pounding in his ears...

...and unleashed a brutal overhand smash straight into the weakened engine.

K-THRAAAAMMM!!!

The right engine of the jetpack detonated in a burst of smoke and metallic screeching, launching both the boy and the man in opposite directions .

"MOVE! MOVE NOW! WE GOTTA CATCH HIM!" Tsukauchi ordered as the cops scrambled towards the scene.

Eijiro’s grip finally gave out as his battered body flung back through the air...and was fortunately caught by a pair of cops who had rushed to intercept him.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Kazura, now a spiralling bruised wreck, flailed wildly across the cafeteria like a busted firework, ricocheting off walls, tables, and chairs in a slapstick symphony of chaos.

THWAM!!!

The villain finally crashed face-first into a support beam and crumpled to the ground in a tangled heap of groaning failure.

...

The cafeteria stared. Silent. Stunned.

Silence and complete stupor were the monarchs of the scene as everyone was still trying to computer what in the (literal) flying fuck just happened.

Before anyone could even process what had just happened—

BOOM!!

The wall erupted inward with the force of a cannon blast, sending chunks of concrete and clouds of dust showering the cafeteria.

Every student ducked instinctively.

And standing amidst the rubble, sunlight gleaming off his frame like something out of a comic book-

"I AM HERE!" The voice of none other than All Might thundered, sweeping across the room like a shockwave of hope.

"A-A-ALL MIGHT?!"

"HOLY SHIT, IT'S HIM!!!"

"HE CAME HERE?!"

"I GOTTA TAKE A PHOTO!!!"

"HA! KARAZU, YOU ARE SO FUCKING SCREWED NOW!!!"

The remaining students let out cheers and gasps as the Symbol of Peace came into the wrecked lunchroom like beacon of pure altruism.

Kazura, dazed and half-conscious on the ground, lifted his head weakly—just in time to see the towering symbol of peace striding toward him like an unstoppable juggernaut.

“No... no no no—” The MLA agent whimpered hysterically as he struggled to remain conscious.

But it was already too late.

With a single swift movement, All Might zipped over after ID'ing the culprit and reached down, grabbed the scuffed-up villain by the collar, and hoisted him effortlessly into the air like he weighed nothing.

"Your villainy ends here," All Might declared, his smile sharp and bright even through the dust-choked air, conveying a slight sense of anger beneath his grinning veneer "you will poison no more minds with your hateful and demented rhetoric!"

Some of the cops, finally snapping out of their shock, rushed in and slapped heavy-duty Quirk suppression cuffs on Kazura’s wrists as the Symbol of Peace held him in place. The man sagged in defeat, completely limp in All Might’s grasp.

"You should be on our side." The man bemoaned rather pathetically "We're only trying to teach these brats to embrace their gifts, not conceal them."

All Might's grin was still present but his eyes seemed to glow a eerie cobalt blue, staring him down like he had uttered blasphemy in the midst of a congregation.

"Embrace their gifts, you say?" All Might repeated "What you and your group are advertising is complete anarchy, the destruction of society as we know it, and the toxic philosophy of 'Might Makes Right!' How could you justify teaching children such putrid things?!" 

This seemed to provoke the MLA goon a good bit as his pathetic exterior quickly shifted into unforeseen anger "Oh fuck off! JUST FUCK OFF, OKAY?!"

Students and officers alike had to balk at the man's sudden ferocity.

"That's rich coming from the guy who can punch mountains out of existence! You think what you're doing is gonna stop us?!" Karuzu barked "We've been doing this for far longer than you or the other "Heroes" even know about! You wanna give me some generic speech about "Justice"? You wanna act all high and Allmighty?! Save it! Sounds like all those other cheesy over-the-top ads and commercials you've done in the past! Meta Abilities were not meant to be chained down by flimsy and archaic laws that can be changed and altered at the drop of a hat when it suits the government! They are meant to be celebrated! Praised! WORSHIPED! Why should we hold back who were are?! After all, violence and strength are the only things in this world that people understand and comprehend universally! And these stupid brats that I had to 'teach' are no different! What makes all those fanciful "SMASH" moves you do so different?" Karuzu barked back with surprising fury.

All Might didn't look phased in the slightest "Those Smashes are meant to decisively end the suffering caused by Villains who seek to do harm against those who cannot defend themselves! Those Smashes are meant to announce to everyone within earshot that whatever Villain I face WILL go down! Just because I am stronger than most does not give me the right to act with impunity! To act like I'm above everyone and everything. There are laws for a reason! They may not be flawless, but their better than having no form of legislation at all! If I were to use my strength for my own gain, it could lead to more suffering than this world could possibly tolerate! Which is the exact type of mentality you and your group are trying to promote! Factor in what I've already said and increase that by thousands of individuals in the MLA and the potential for chaos and injustice spreads like a hungry insatiable inferno! There is a fine line between freedom and chaos! I have bore witness to it myself more than anyone will ever know!"

Toshi had to do his best to shift away the memories of that bastard from years past.

Karuzu himself didn't look all impressed either by the mountain of a man's spiel "Pfft, yeah right. Chaos is just a small price for the eventual liberation of the common person from the chains and labels this world throws on them against their wills! Sometimes even at birth! Chaos has been one of the eternal cornerstones in human history! Chaos eventually births progress! Without it, we'd be stuck in a mind numbing cycle! Like we are now!!! Why should we be held back by laws that prevent us from using our abilities, huh? Why is it that people like you are highly regarded and always being funneled or pushed into heroism despite your abilities granting you the potential to take your place as the potential leader of this country! What gives you the right to decided who is a villain and who isn't?! Don't you see?! You're allowing yourself to be put on a leash, All Might! You're practically a glorified attack dog that the government sends in to deal with 'criminals' and 'undesirables' like me! For trying to spread the truth!"

"The Truth?" All Might repeated incredulously "The truth, villain, is often subjective. What stands as truth for you would mean something different for many others. You believe that what you and the MLA pedal is gospel to be taken with the utmost seriousness. To be believed with the utmost sincerity. I have not desire to rule, I choose to protect because I have no desire to see others suffer any more than they already have. Why bring chaos to an already chaotic world when I can spread joy and peace? Something this world grows to lack with each passing year. To more rational minds, the 'ideals' the MLA promote are nothing but the results of inane ramblings of one man from history's past who led your cause like a warbound rabble and inspired others to ruthlessly kill and murder hundreds to thousands of innocents, Quirked and Quirkless, who were simply trying to live their lives as peacefully as possible back all those decades ago!"

The rest of the students (who had already came out of their hiding spots) couldn't help but be flummoxed by the idea of their "teacher" getting into a ethical debate with All freaking Might himself. It was something that had to been seen to be believed. But that wasn't gonna stop them from rallying to their favorite hero's side. Or recording it even.

"Cowards!" Karuzu barked as struggled against the muscular hero's iron grip "Fucking cowards! They had a duty to fight against the tyranny that Lord Destro, his family, and others before us had experienced firsthand! They were graciously given gifts beyond anyone else's understanding at the time! They could've fought back! Instead, they chose to flee away from their responsibilities! Kowtowed to the weight of oppression!"

Tsukauchi had to narrow his eyes at the man from a distance. 'This guy's gonna be fun to interrogate later...'

"Decades ago, death squads were sent against people like us just for existing! Just for being who we were! We didn't choose to be born with Meta Abilities, did we?!" Karuzu seemed to be enveloped in a passionate frenzy "It just happened! And almost everyone in Japan has forgotten this! Why did we have to hide in our homes and small corners just because we were different than the common man all those years ago?! Especially when our abilities made us superior! For over a century since the Dawn of Quirks, those Quirkless rats began hunting us like animals! Butchering us like cattle! And threw us into cages, while tossing away the keys! Not only that, our own government is doing the same damn thing behind closed doors! It's time we paid back the favor!"

"There is nothing 'superior' about needlessly flexing your power and imposing your will on others! AND TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT! Some of your reasons are understandable in a sense, but your methods certainly aren't! What you are doing to impressionable young minds is indoctrination! No if's, and's, or buts about it! There is more to life than just Quirks! There is more to people than just the powers bestowed upon them! You and the MLA don't see people as people, do you villain?! You're just reducing them to tools to be ranked on effectiveness if my research proves right! And one other thing, the Quirkless are not as pitiful and weak as you and your ilk may think! And as long as I still stand, me and the rest of the Heroes of this nation WILL bring you down! THE YOUTH OF JAPAN WILL BE SAVED!" All Might bellowed.

Karuzu was startled a bit, but his face morphed into one of simmering anger "Tch! Figured my words would fall on deaf ears around you. This place was a lost cause anyway. You and that hardheaded brat deserve each other. He wouldn't shut up about 'manliness' all the damn time. Ugh, Just drop me and drag me to Tartarus already. I'm just another random Villain to you and the rest of these kids anyway."

All Might stared at the man for a good while, almost as if he was studying him.

Eventually, the Number 1 Hero of Japan obliged and released the perpetrator. Two officers promptly began to escort him outside where a police van was waiting.

Right before they left the area, Karuzu hollered out one final line of dialogue "Just so you know, you smiling fool: you're not the Symbol of Peace! You're the Symbol of fucking Complacency! The Symbol of Stagnation! You'll doom us all the day you aren't around to save these peons! And when that happens, you'll see just how weak and unprepared your fellow "heroes" are!"

All Might could only stare at the man being taken away as the children booed the older man being escorted away. His eyes caught sight of Tsukauchi who had given him a subdued sympathetic look.

Toshi gave a slight nod at his friend before giving attention to the children.

"Sorry you all had to witness that. Is everyone alright?" All Might inquired.

Sounds and words of agreement were heard all around the area.

All Might silently let out a breath of relief. Children shouldn't have to experience things like this first hand but the world was rarely kind like that, now was it?

"All Might!" the voice of an officer called out to him.

The Symbol of Peace appeared as a blur as he stood in front of the officers who were holding a young man in their arms.

"Is he alright?"

"I'm no doctor All Might, but judging from what I'm looking at, he'll make it through." the officer holding the near unconscious boy's upper torso upright said as much.

"We've already radio'd the paramedics a few seconds after we caught him, they should be on their way any moment now." the other officer spoke.

"Thank goodness." All Might breathed. Despite the big smile and even bigger muscles, his mind was full of concern. Judging by the initial look of the boy's physical condition, there were a number of bruises on his knuckles, hands, face, and back. Not only that, there were signs of first and second degree burns all across his chest area. But miraculously, there were no broken bones. Toshi wondered if this was all a passive side effect of his Quirk. Judging by the number of visible injuries that he spotted on Karuzu's body after their little debate, the boy's Quirk most likely increased his durability.

All Might kneeled down to get a better look at the lad. He looked like he was drifting in and out of it. The boy’s chest rose and fell shallowly, his brows twitching like he was caught between dreams and pain.

Softly, almost whispering, All Might spoke "You did well, young man. Very well."

Eijiro's eyes fluttered weakly open at the sound, recognizing it near instantly. His vision was blurry, but even through the haze, he could make out the towering figure kneeling beside him.

“A-All Might...?” he rasped, voice barely above a breath.

All Might offered a gentle smile, one free from grandeur — just soft, human.

“You showed true courage today," All Might said warmly "but please, for next time...if you ever find yourself in such danger again, I want you to find safety first. Understand?"

Eijiro blinked slowly, struggling to focus. His lips moved, dry and cracked, before he managed to rasp out:

“But... last time I ran away... someone almost died. Someone I could've helped.” the boy said forlornly.

The weight of those words hit like a hammer. All Might’s smile faltered for just a second, sympathy clouding his bright blue eyes.

He rested a reassuring hand carefully against the boy's shoulder — mindful not to press too hard against the burns.

"You carry a heavy burden for someone so young," All Might said quietly "But you must know this for the future — being a hero isn't about saving everyone alone. Believe me, I make it look easy."

'Maybe a bit too easy' the hero thought.

Before Eijiro could respond, a shout pierced the air.

"EI!!!"

Two of his friends sprinted across the ruined cafeteria, skidding to a stop next to the stretcher.

“Dude, you ok?! You’re INSANE!” Bro 1 blurted, half-laughing, half-sobbing.

"Yeah! But like, in a good way!" Bro 2 added, kneeling down "You seriously went all 'Shonen Protagonist' on that psycho teacher, man!"

Eijiro gave a weak chuckle, wincing as he did "Well, someone had to do something. Guess my b-body moved on it's own..."

All Might couldn't help but unleash a hearty laugh after hearing that, starling more than a few people by the suddenness of it.

"HAHAHAHA!" the Hero chuckled "THAT'S THE SPIRIT! I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE HEARD SOME PROS TELL SAY NEARLY THE EXACT SAME THING AT YOUR AGE!"

Just then, flashing lights appeared through the shattered wall. Everyone turned to see an ambulance right outside, with two paramedics arriving with a gurney in tow.

The officers stepped back respectfully as All Might rose to his feet. Carefully, so carefully, the Symbol of Peace slid his arms under the battered boy.

It was like lifting a feather compared to the weights he normally carried, but Toshi handled the boy as if he were glass.

Gently, he placed Eijiro onto the waiting stretcher.

“Take good care of him, that boy is a Hero in the making. I'm sure of it.” All Might said firmly to the medics.

As the paramedics nodded and wheeled him away, Eijiro could hear his friends running alongside him — their voices fading — and one last glance upwards showed not only a blurry image of a certain pink skinned girl, but also showed All Might’s silhouette against the broken sunlight.

Smiling.

Proud.

The Musutafu Courthouse was abuzz that morning. There was the usual hustle and bustle of a place of law, yes, but also the anticipation of the trial that was about to take place.

It wasn’t entirely uncommon in the legal world for Quirk Counsellors to be sued, at least that was what Inko Midoriya said, but it was still rare enough to be a bit of a big deal. Normally these things would be settled outside of court, with the suing party usually being the ones to relent in the face of the potential legal fees should things go to court and the other party attempt to drag things out far enough. Being government workers, most counselors could easily pay out should they wish to win a case by attrition.

But they hadn’t met Inko Midoriya yet.

The woman had a stubborn streak the length of the cosmos and then some, especially when the situation involved children. And to those that opposed her in such cases? Well, not even God could help them.

But even with this fact, Hitoshi Shinso’s nerves were shot waiting, sat with his parents and the woman by his side as they sat next to the large doors, the doors that would make or break this case. Make or break his future even.

Maybe he was being dramatic, but he felt justified in this instance.

The bench creaked with every movement, had it been here for a while? Had it been in need of repairs, but nobody paid it any mind? Would it break under his twiggy and lanky body’s weight? Would it be a stretch to say he was distracting himself?

Hitoshi shook his head with a deep sigh. He couldn’t do this, not today of all days, like Mrs. Midoriya said, this case could help inspire people like him. He needed to focus, he needed to be present. He couldn’t be letting his mind wander just because he didn’t want to think about what was probably gonna happen beyond those doors. He just had to breathe and relax.

A water bottle had entered Hitoshi’s vision. Looking up from the arm that held it, he saw Izuku, offering with it an understanding smile. How this guy could be so nice to other’s while being treated like such horrible shit was beyond him.

Then again, looking towards the boy’s mother, a saddened yet determined expression etched into her features, he could see where he might have gotten it from.

“Thanks.” He said as he took the offered drink, uncapping it quickly and making sure to take slow sips. He didn’t want to choke today- Heh, in more ways than one.

“Anxiety, am I right?” Izuku said quietly, getting a nod in response. Yeah, all those spirals were pretty horrible, but once it was all over, maybe it could all be put to bed.

“Something like that.” Hitoshi replied when he had finally regained some air, closing the drink and leaving it to his side “How you doing?” Might as well make some conversation to pass the time.

“In general, or...?”

“Both.”

His friend (Yep, still weird) just chuckled as he sat on the bench across the narrow hallway, looking at his own water with a thoughtful face “I-I don’t know, honestly. Things in general are going... way better than I e-ever dreamed. I’m actually training to become a H-hero of all things, I have... friends. But...”

“Doesn’t feel real.” Hitoshi finished. Yeah, he felt the same honestly. Like it could all just end one day, with something as cliche as waking up in his bed, finding out that none of it was ever real. But still... “At least we have it now, best enjoy it while we can. What was that phrase? Make every second count?”

The other boy simply smiled, only to be interrupted by the middle-aged woman sitting next to Hitoshi “And live every day like it’s your last.” Saya added sagely, looking to her son with a kind smile “But hey, no need to be such downers. We got the Guardian Yokai of the Court on our side!”

“I thought it was the Shīsā of the Courtroom.” Shingo replied idly, looking over the offered papers intently.

The woman in question, however, blushed heavily, trying her best to maintain the illusion of professionalism “Please, that name isn’t anywhere near accurate.”

“Lies.” The other four said. Inko Midoriya had a reputation, and she sure as hell earned it. Izuku was honestly more worried for the other guy (Not really, but it’s the thought that counts).

“So, anything left before this all starts?” Hitoshi asked Izuku, wanting to at least offer the boy’s mother some brevity for the moment.

Surprisingly for the boy in question, Izuku seemed to smirk, jerking his head to the side. Deciding to humour him, Hitoshi slowly rotated his neck to his right, only to see-

“Yo! Hitoshi!” Hinata-fucking-Wakaba greeted as she and the main group from the Dojo approached, all dressed in professional attire that honestly looked out of place compared to their usual Gi and general workout clothes.

Heck, even Dan-senpai (Yep, still weird as hell) was strutting up to them with a wide grin on his face, wearing a bright pink suit that made Hitoshi genuinely begin to wonder if he had that bad of a dress sense, or was just fucking with them.

But most surprisingly of all was that Dragon-Sensei had shown up too, his usual scowl on his face as he walked up to Hitoshi’s parents. Once again, it was weird seeing him wear actual clothes. The suit he wore seemed pretty basic, just a dress shirt, slacks, fancy enough shoes and a suit jacket. Still, it hid most of his scars well enough, so he managed to look presentable (Wait, was that rude? Eh, probably best he doesn’t mention it anyways) as he discussed things with the other adults in hushed whispers.

Deciding to let them handle whatever it was they were talking about, Hitoshi decided to divert his attention to his... friends “What are you guys doing here?”

Hinata simply blew a raspberry in his face, spittle and all. Classy “Come on! You’re our friend, whether you admit it or not! Mei was busy, so she couldn't make it, but she did wish you good luck! But come on, you really think the rest of us wouldn’t be here for you when you’re about to face the asshole who helped make your life so horrible?”

“Fuck yeah!” Batsu agreed with a scowl, punching his palm “We’re not gonna let you face this shit alone! That’s not what real friends do!”

“Batsu...” A feminine voice warned in a sweet tone that set the boy in question on edge. Turning around with an audible gulp, Batsu was faced with a slightly taller woman of middle-age, her dark brown hair in a neat bun as she wore a cactus green suit. Despite the miniscule difference in height, she practically loomed over Batsu as she gave him a sickly-sweet smile, making the boy begin to sweat a little “I understand that you’re upset on behalf of your friend, but could you please try to not use such foul language?”

The fiery teen seemed to have his headstrong nature extinguished for the moment as he nodded minutely “Y-yeah. Sorry mom...”

The woman nodded in apparent acceptance, before turning to Hitoshi, her smile shifting to be far more genuine and comforting. How the hell could she, Mrs. Midoriya, and his mom all go from terrifying to kind and loving in the blink of an eye? It must be a mom thing “You must be Shinso-san. My Batsu has spoken very highly of you.” She bowed in greeting “My name is Shizuku Ichimonji. I hope you’ll continue to take care of my son.”

Hitoshi nodded, standing up and bowing back (His parents didn’t raise him to be impolite after all, that was all him) “Hitoshi Shinso. Batsu-san is a good friend, I hope I can live up to whatever he’s said about me.”

Ms. Ichimonji chuckled, waving him off “Oh, don’t worry about that dear. Batsu may not seem like it-”

“Mom...” The boy near-whimpered, hoping that she wouldn’t embarrass him too much.

“-but he has an eye for people, you know? If he says you have a good heart, then I wouldn’t doubt him for a second.” She looked to the other adults, smiling as she caught Dragon-Sensei's eye “Ah, Drakunovski-san! Wonderful to see you again.” She greeted, bowing to the man.

The hardened fighter bowed back in greeting “And you as well, Ichimonji-san.” He replied, looking behind her for a moment “I don’t suppose Imawano is coming? It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.” With that tiny little grin, Hitoshi felt there might be a story there.

The woman simply chuckled “Oh no, Raizo is far too busy today. All those investigations into the country’s schools haven’t left much time for him. He’d rather his institution be as clean as it can, rather than having the police dig up something that he didn’t find himself.”

“Eh, that’s fair.” Dragon-Sensei agreed with a shrug “If I found out something was going on in my dojo, and I didn’t know about it? I’d be pretty pissed too. Hope it’s going well for him at least.”

Batsu let out a frustrated groan, injecting himself in the adults’ discussion “I don’t even know why the hel- heck you invited him, mom. The guy’s an a-” Seeing the look his mother gave him, Batsu quickly reconsidered his words “A worse taskmaster than Dragon-Sensei!”

Izuku and Hitoshi noted the brief look the two adults gave, with Ms. Ichimonji giving a minute shake of her head, before they turned back, Dragon-Sensei giving a predatory grin to his student “Glad to know I need to step up my game, especially if you think I’m easy compared to him.”

The effect was immediate, with Batsu jerking back with his teeth clenched, eyes wide “I-I didn’t mean it like that!”

As that whole ‘discussion’ went on, Hitoshi turned to his green-haired companion “You planned this, didn’t you?”

Izuku simply chuckled nervously (A given at this point) as he rubbed his head “My mom said that having p-people that support you can help a lot in court. You know, emotionally.” He hunched over a little “P-please don’t be mad...”

The other teen shrugged “Nah, it’s fine. Just didn’t want to burden them with this is all.”

Izuku slowly stood to his full height, looking at the gathered people. Batsu pestering his mother while simultaneously pleading with his sensei for leniency. Hinata and Dan hyping each other up with words of encouragement (Barely keeping it below a shout) as their grins widened. Rahm standing off to the side, his blank gaze staring deep into the souls of the two youths (At this point, Izuku really had to cave and just ask him what his Quirk was) with a small smile. The boys’ parents seeming to come to a final agreement, their faces carved with determination.

“Yeah... I get that.”

Katsuki angrily chewed on his spicy chicken as he sat alone at a table in the lunchroom, while all the other shitbrained extras sat at the other ones running their fucking mouths about whatever random crap was on their minds.

Twelve detentions.

Twelve. Fucking. Detentions.

What. The. Fuck.

The teachers at this place actually had the goddamn nerve to throw his ass in an empty classroom to sit around for one shitty hour, to 'think about the consequences of what he's done" while those math class extras only got a slap on the wrist! He couldn't do any shitty homework, he couldn't study (not that even really fucking needed to, none of the damn coursework even really came that close to challenging him anyway), and he couldn't answer the damn phone calls the hag kept leaving him when she kept wondering why he kept coming home late!

Complete and utter bullshit.

So what if he trashed a few desks within the first week? Can't the fucks who run this place use some money from their goddamn budget to replace them? This place isn't nearly as shitty as Aldera and the principal here is a total hardass by comparison to the greedy fat fuck who ran his old stomping grounds, so they could easily do it right?! Why the hell should that be his problem?! As far as Katsuki was concerned, they should stop cheaping out and just shell out the cash already!

And that one bitch who was gossiping about him in the halls should've kept her fucking mouth shut if she didn't want to get her face nuked! She's damn lucky that she had good reflexes! Yet the teachers gave her ass a pass for shittalking him while his ass got chewed out like fucking bubblegum and assigned two more detentions.

And this was just the latest in a week full of bullshit.

Day Fucking One (before that shiny bitch dragged his ass to the office): He’d slammed open a door too hard after some meathead 'accidentally' shoulder-checked him as they were walking into class, triggering his Quirk. The hinges cracked and the glass pane near the side of the door shattered. Automatic detention after school. Even though the fucker who instigated it got off scot-free. Katsuki didn't care about his fake ass apology, that retard was on his shit list.

Day Fucking Two: He called out some shitty first year for bumping into him in the halls while he was at his locker and not apologizing fast enough. The teacher made him write a fucking apology letter. A letter. Like he was some kind of goddamn delinquent caught stealing food from a convenience store. He didn't even do anything that bad! All he did was wring the little fucker's neck and and scare him straight a bit. All those extras in the halls were overreacting!

Day Fucking Three: He blew up that annoying ass classroom clock back in his home ecomomics class—by accident, obviously. Damn thing ticked too loud and was giving him a goddamn migraine. Aldera would've laughed it off. Called it a “Quirk outburst” and told the rest of the class to “give him space.” And the extras over there had enought common sense to obey. But Nabu? He got hauled out and written up for “reckless endangerment.” The hag nearly blew a fuse (more than she usually did) when she saw the price tag. It wasn't even that fucking bad! He only damanged four of the shitty ovens and only caused a little fire. None of the other extras got hurt anyway! Still not a fun car ride home though.

Day Motherfucking Four: Some tiny pink-haired shit asked him—"politely", even—if he could lower his voice during a heated “discussion” about hero rankings that was going on around him. The pint sized turd even had the nerve to say that All Might was "a tad overrated truthfully" while siding with the other rando Katsuki was deciding to "educate". Tch, that gnome sized fucker should've minded his own business! Otherwise, Katsuki may have followed through with punting his midget ass through the damn window. But apparently that was a dumb move as the chubby bitch of a Social Studies teacher shoulder checked him in the goddamn neck, and forced him to stand in middle of class like he was in fucking Time Out! And made him stay after school to clean up the damn classroom.

That led to the first suspension threat. The counselor practically dragged his ass into some mandatory “adjustment meeting,” where she tried to talk about “emotional self-regulation” after that fourth incident.

He nearly laughed in the bitch's face. Seriously? Suspension?! That shit nearly had Katsuki in stitches. Suspend him?! HIM?! Bitch was clearly tripping on some acid she probably had stashed somewhere in her desk.

At least that what he thought, up until she brought up that this was a oh so fucking perfect opportunity to inform him that he was forced to attend some shitty ass "therapy" lessons.

He nearly blew a damn fuse on the spot.

Mandatory.

Therapy.

Sessions.

Once a week. Every week. With some smiling, too-patient-for-her-own-good lady with a clipboard and those wide “I’m-here-to-help-you-but-also-lowkey-judging-your-sorry-ass-internally” eyes. Said lady talked to him like he was some kind of fucking case study. Like he was one good rage fit away from being slapped in a padded room and given crayons for utensils.

And of course, she had the nerve—no, the gall—to say he was “lucky.”

“Nobody here really even knows you’re from Aldera, or at the very least, aren't saying it out loud.” She’d said sweetly, like that was supposed to be comforting “Considering the school’s reputation after… well, everything, that’s a miracle. You should be thankful for that, Bakugo-kun. But instead, you seem to be taking all of this for granted.”

He wasn’t.

He didn’t give two shits what people thought of Aldera. It was the people there who were the problem. The dumbass teachers, the brown-nosing extras, the nosy brats—and Deku. Always fucking Deku.

But no matter how many times he told the counselor to shove her “coping mechanisms” where the sun don’t shine deep within her rectal cavity, she kept giving him that same “I’ve-seen-worse” look. Like she knew more than she was letting on.

“Adjustment takes time.” She kept saying “Especially for someone with your background.”

Tch.

He didn’t need adjustment. He needed everyone to SHUT THE FUCK UP and let him do his thing! What the hell was so hard to understand about that?!

"Katsuki, I understand that you have a lot of potential to be a great hero and your Quirk is very powerful, but that doesn't exactly give you the right to treat others as lesser." the bitch sounded out "A Hero needs to win the hearts of the people. All you've been doing here is scaring and antagonizing everyone. Don't you see that?"

Oh, he fucking saw it alright. He saw a bunch of pussies that were either too afraid of him or didn't seem to fucking comprehend how little they mattered in the grand scheme of things. 

And it was really starting to grind his fucking gears.

Almost every single shitty day in this place, he'd have to deal with receiving some form of horseshit from everyone around him. For no discernible goddamn reason!

All Katuski was doing was laying down the goddamn law. And that law was a simple fact: He was the best! No goddamn question about it!

He was already outdoing these shitheads in homework and quiz scores! The damn teachers were willing to admit that much. But when it came to everything else, no fucking dice!

As for his Quirk? Did he even need to explain himself? Most of the extras during P.E class already pissed themselves anyway when he shattered the softball throw record that some other loser made. That alone should've sent a message.

But he saw the way they all looked at him. How some would shrink back and quickly sidestep him. And the ballsier ones decided to sneer or glare at him. Or whatever expressions their narrow minded asses could even create. 

He heard their snarky and snide little insults.

He heard their laughs and goddamn snickers.

He saw how they all seemed to avoid him like he was fucking diseased. Who the hell did these dickheads think he was?! Deku?! There was no goddamn way he was gonna end up being the shitty counterpart of that Quirkless loser here!

Katuski had no intention of being made the resident bitch boy. Not without a goddamn fight! But this place? Both the extras and the teachers here? They weren’t afraid to bite back. Even the damn hardass principal had a spine—and someone, Katsuki was starting to suspect, was watching him from behind the scenes. Those damn blackouts seemed to have gone down a bit, but they still happened!

And he still couldn't fucking figure out who was doing it!!!

You'd think this shit would finally fucking stop once he came to this place, but fuck no! He was still waking up in random ass places and even weirder positions. Most of which he sure as hell didn't bare any fucking revisits! He already was in deep shit with a bunch of the shitty local joints around his where he lived and got banned from a few! Not like he was interested in buying a dog anyway!

And to make shit worse for his already miserably pissed off self, extras all over the place were recording him doing fucking God knows what when he was completely out of it! He wasn't blind to all pictures and videos that had hundreds of thousands of views of him doing the most assinine and obtuse shit he'd ever seen. He couldn't just find the fuckers who were filming him and blow their faces off either! 

He'd never admit this shit to anybody, not even on his deathbed, but he couldn't help but be freaked out at the possibility of fucking U.A seeing all that shit about him. How in the fuck would he explain that shit to them when he arrived there?

He sharply exhaled as he started angrily muching on his kimchi.

Maybe he could talk to that that Inspector Gadget fucker. Guessing by how high rank the bastard was, he probably had some sort of forensics-based Quirk or something. Maybe he could ask the fucker if he could give him a once over. He and his parents were supposed to go back there later anyway. He was the one who was Eagle Eye-ing Katsuki since the day Aldera almost fell down around all of their ears. Katsuki still couldn't believe how fucking stupid that damn principal was letting the place fall apart like that. Pudgy fuck couldn't bother to shell out a couple thousand yen to spruce the place up a little bit? Or fill in that damn pothole? The same one that almost sent Katsuki to the hospital? Fuck him. He served his purpose anyway. Let him and the other rimjobbers rot in their cells. Considering how shitty they were, they were probably giving their fair share of salad tosses anyway. 

Shitty memories aside, he wouldn't put it past the cops and his folks to pull this intervention crap. Probably saw his ass as a ticking time bomb if the talks he had with that ape fucker were anyting to go by. Like he was stupid enough to go around blasting fuckers in public. He could keep his shit in check! Besides, most of the cops would probably be licking his boots in the future anyway after all the times he'd be bailing them out when some shitty low tier villain pops up and starting wreaking havoc. 

They'd see. They'd all fucking see!

Nobody here was gonna fucking deny him! All these peons around here pussyfooting around him were gonna realize sooner or later what happens when they-

'Alright, I think I've heard enough.' Boston said. 'Ego Brusing Time is NOW.'

To anyone near him (which admittedly were few and far between), it had looked like Katuski Bakugo had suddenly nodded off and faceplaneted into the rice on his lunchtray. To the more "supernaturally perceptive", they would see a the spirit of a mischeivious stuntman about to make a pretty sizable dent in a brat's rather disturbing worldview.

Some nearby diners of Nabu Middle School's cafeteria were then greeted by the sight of the local douche handing out the biggest shit eating grin they may have ever seen while standing atop the empty table he was eating at, surveying the entire area before his eyes settled on his quarry.

Merely a coulple feet away sat a rather beautiful young girl who was in the middle of applying some make up from some handheld mirror like she was some high profile actress.

Perfect.

Even better was that Boston recognized a few of the kids she was sitting next to. Should set up a delectable chain reaction if he played his cards right. Plus, they already hated the kid anyway.

He already knew the brat he was assigned to "punish" had one hell of a throwing arm, Quirk included. He figured he had a good amount of exeperince with how to use the built in firecrackers that this kid had pre-installed so to speak.

Not bothering to waste any more time, he scooped up a generous handful of spicy curry and lobbed it at the poor diva in his sights.

'HEADS UP, PRINCESS!!!' he thought right before he slung the explosion propelled meal.

Poor thing managed to look up right in time for her face to get assualted by a multitude of spices. Judging by the scream that came from her vocal chords, she didn't seem to enjoy Boston's sense of humor very much. Oh well, good thing he was already dead.

"SABE!" He heard the other girl from the kid's class shout.

"IT'S IN MY EYES!!!" The girl in questioned shrieked as her makeup began to get runny "WHERE DID THAT EVEN COME FROM?!"

"HEY, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" the beefed up kid with the eyepatch shot up and shouted in his direction.

"Yene! Help her up!" another kid spoke up. The one from Bakugo's math class who was acting like he was some kinda soldier "I should have a bottle of water you can use to rinse the spices out!"

"Don't hold you breath, soldier boy!" 'Bakugo' shouted "That was just the warning shot!"

Boston used the kid's Quirk to propel himself towards a nearby table, not even bothering to be graceful as he snagged a couple trays with food on them right before rocketing up closer to the ceiling and lauching volleys of ignited food towards the table. Students looked on in fear as the blond bomber commenced his attack. 

"TYPHO! WE NEED SOME COVER!" he heard the kid shouted.

"ON IT, KAEL!" the mini giant shouted "EVERYBODY OFF YOUR SEATS!" The kid yelled as his buddies did as he said. He then quickly grabbed the entire friggin lunch table he and his buddies were sitting on and was using it like a giant shield. Most of Boston's shots made impact and left a few smoking holes as proof of his handiwork.

"Gyavin! Once Yene's done, help her and Rabe get Sabe out of here!” Kael barked "Ric! Grab whatever's lying around and lay down cover fire!"

“I’m on it!/Roger!” both boys sounded out. Gyavin remained on standby to help the stunned diva to cover.

“Yene, keep her eyes open! Rinse, not rub!” Kael instructed as his right forearm began to glow.

Yene took the water bottle, barking commands like a field medic to her panicked friend “Don’t blink too fast! I swear to God if your lashes fall off...”

"Guess I shouldn't single these kids out. Plenty'a fresh targets around! Most of the others around this joint are already starting the hate the little bomberbrat. Why not give 'em another reason?" Boston pondered.

Students began panicking as they were now under fire as the (fairly new) resident head case of Nabu proceeded to divebomb their lunch tables, sending a number of kids flying from the recoil of the boom booms. Some made a beeline for the exits while others resorted to ducking under the tables and praying that they'd be able to withstand the combustions.

They didn't.

The local deliquent began lobbing any piece of foodstuff he could get his hands on and starting landing shots on everyone in sight. Students nearby had their uniforms peppered with white hot milk stains and burning hot strands of noodles. Some had their noses assulted by the pungent smell of soy sauce emenating off of their some of their meals that had be "confiscated" and "redistributed" to other more "deserving" members. One such example was that gnome sized kid the little prick had nearly blown the head off of a few days ago. While Boston didn't like picking on the little guy, he hoped that it was galvanize some of the others to take a stand.

The blond brat thought the others here were peons, huh? That he was the top dog no matter where he went, right? 

Well, as the saying goes: Quantity has a Quality of It's Own.

And Boston figured that a particular group of youngsters might be able to establish that very factoid today.

The brat's powers maybe be strong, but he wasn't as invincble or untouchable as he thought he was (or deluded himself into thinking he should be). All the trashy adults that filled his head with all that bullshit were gonna get a personal visit from him sooner or later. But they were probably having it rough enough as is in jail, so there was that.

He just hoped that he didn't hurt anybody too mu-ACK!

"Bakugo" yelped as the right side of his face was met with a rice ball slung at him with surprisng force.

"And there's more where that came from, asshole!" a voice shouted as Boston turned to face kid with rather short hair and a bit of a wiry frame. 

"Keep the pressure on, Ric!" General Adolescent called out as he hopped behind the makeshift cover his bigger buddy was making. What he was doing Boston wasn't sure, but he didn't have anymore time to ponder on that before getting hit with a volley of various lunch items that the kid was grabbing and slinging at him like there was no fucking tomorrow! 

Even though he was out of practice from his glory days under the big top, he still could dodge like the best of them! Certainly helped that his host was athletic. 

Everyone who was still in the cafeteria saw "Bakugo" peform of series of rather impressive flips and cartwheels. He managed to dodge a good bit of the pop-flys the other kid was handing out like Halloween candy, but the kid may as well have been a Japanese Babe Ruth as he seemed to start throwing curveballs at him now. And Boston wasn't exaggerating, the globs and clumps of food the kid was tossing seemed to start arcing in a bunch of different directions. Boston had to use the kid's Quirk to avoid a good few of them as he propelled himself in all sorts of directions. 

"That the best you can fucking do?!" Not-Bakugou taunted "My old hag of a mother throws harder than that!"

Not even a three seconds after the words had left his mouth, he barely had time to curse before a triangle-shaped onigiri smacked him square in the jaw. The sticky rice clung to his face like vengeance incarnate.

Ric stood his ground across the chaos-stricken cafeteria, breathing hard, fingers twitching “Direct hit!"

From behind Kael’s makeshift shield, the self-appointed tactician barked out orders “Ric, push him! Hard and fast!”

“WITH PLEASURE!”

Ric ducked under a flying tray, grabbed a still-steaming okonomiyaki pancake, and hurled it like a discus. The saucy mess splattered across “Bakugo’s” chest, sizzling on contact from the boy’s own explosive body heat, causing him to lose some altitude. 

"Bakugo" skidded back, blinking through fried cabbage and katsuobushi flakes now waving in the heat off his Quirk. Boston snarled “What the hell is this, an Iron Chef gauntlet?!”

“You started this shit, didn't you?!” Ric snapped, snatching a tray of still-warm gyoza and lobbing them like grenades “You treat us like nobodies, assault Sabe, and then have the balls to start complaining when things don't go in your favor?! Well, here’s your damn lesson in humility!”

"Hah! Yeah fucking right! You shitty Quirk is better off being used at birthday parties entertaining other snot nosed brats! You got a stash of makeup somewhere in your locker?" the psycho overheard mocked as he flew overheard. Boston hoped his impression was spot on enough. 

"OH YEAH?! KEEP THINKING THAT! BECAUSE I CAN DO A HELLUVA LOT MORE THAN JUGGLE, BAKA-GO!" Ric unleashed a fiery retort "IN FACT, I'VE BEEN PRACTICING WITH MY QUIRK FOR A LONG TIME AND I GOT MORE TRICKS THAN YOU'RE EGO CAN EVEN COMPREHEND!" 

"So you are a part-time clown for tykes on the weekends!" The bastard above cackled "Fucking figures! All you're doing is tossing crap at me and taking cheap ass potshots! You probably audition in front of a bunch of retarded fourth graders who were busy sniffing glue and munching on crayons all day in class! Their widdle faces probably light up seeing you all dolled up in whatever cheap ass circus outfit you rented out that week! If you thought what I did was bad, maybe I when I'm through with you I should give her a real makeover!"

"GET FUCKED, DEFCON 4!" Ric shouted in defiance "YOU THINK ME AND MY BUDS ARE JUST GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH ALL OF THIS?! OR ANYONE ELSE HERE?! WELL APPARENTLY YOU'RE STILL ACTING LIKE YOUR KING OF THE WHOLE DAMN PLACE! I'M GUESSING THAT WHATEVER SCHOOL YOU CRAWLED OUT OF DEHTHRONED YOU SORRY ASS! SO YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD STRUT OVER TO OUR NECK OF THE WOODS AND REIGN SUPREME, HUH?! WELL GUESS WHAT, EXPLOSION BOY! THE KIDS AT THIS SCHOOL HAD TO DEAL WITH ONE WHOLE WEEK OF YOUR BULLSHIT, AND THAT ALONE IN PLENTY!"

"COME ON, PEOPLE!" Soldier Boy started calling out "ARE WE JUST GONNA LET HIM TERRORIZE US?! WE OUTNUMBER HIM! LET'S SHOW HIM WHAT HAPPENS WHEN US "EXTRAS" GIVE HIM WHAT FOR!"

Slowly, some of the students began emerging from their hiding places, looks of fury and anxious courage aimed towards the living time bomb who they had the misfortune of attending the same school with. Soon, they all observed their surroundings and joined Ric in hurling cafeteria casualties: rice bowls, sushi rolls, miso soup cartons, hamburgers—everything became ammunition. If he wasn't on the job, the deceased acrobat would shed a tear of pride at the unity displayed between the tykes.

Boston could hardly keep a smile off Bakugo's face as he began his aerial death defying dance, once more trying to avoid the edible debris. Of course, he did 'accidentally' get hit with some of the stuff aimed at him. He had to do his job after all.

'Looks like my tactics are working nicely. Now I gotta seal the deal. Question is what can-wait, hold the phone...' Boston thought as he caught sight of a moving table edging ever so closely to the door 'That'll do nicely.'

Boston, thoroughly disoriented and reeking like a midnight street vendor’s dumpster, finally spotted the retreating group of kids hiding who had ditched their makeshift cover and were now making a break for it . His eyes narrowed.

“Oh no you don’t, you shitty cowards!” he hollered with gravitas. God, how the hell does this kid screech so damn much without getting a sore throat?

BOOM!

"Bakugo" blasted himself near the entrance to the cafeteria, aiming a vicious explosion in the direction of his escaping quarry. The other guy seemed keen to grab the girls 

And said explosion seemed like it was gonna hit dead on.

If not for a glowing circular teal colored shield of some kind intercepting his shot moments before impact.

CLANG—KRASH!

The explosion was deflected with a bright burst of light and smoke, ricocheting into a column and leaving a blackened scorch mark "Bakugo" just barely managed to react in time to the teal shield nicking him in the temple before it bounced off (and somehow defied conventional laws of physics) various surfaces before being snagged in mid air by it's sender. Boston's hold on his "assignment" was starting to slip a good bit, forcing him to grab on to a nearby column overhead.

"You know, my dad told me about scum like you." the boy said with grit and seriousness resonating in his words "How you and every likeminded punk think your flashy Quirks make you some sort of elite breed of being. He had to deal with a lot of self important bastards who thought they could defy orders or pull rank on him just because they won the genetic lottery. And here I see you high above my head, barely hanging on. I guess nobody's ever set you straight, have they? Or had the guts to at least. My father always tells me this same thing every time he gets time off: "A Quirk is a tool in your arsenal, not an excuse to put yourself on a podium. Just because someone has a better one doesn't make them better than you. What might is both how well they can use their Quirk and what they use it for." I use mine to help keep people safe. So far all I've seen you do with yours is threaten and terrorize everybody within a 10 foot radius. And yet just because a few teachers from whereever the hell you came from told you about how "special" you are doesn't get you any brownie points with us! Certainly not after today! Ric, you wanna play frisbee?"

Ric went wide-eyed for a few seconds before his face cracked a smirk at his friend who was at the opposite end of the cafeteria "Well, I'm a bit rusty Kael. But I could go for a game."

"Alright! Everybody duck for cover! Ric, CATCH!" Kael shouted as he hurled his shield like he was a linebacker making a game winning pass. 

Ric caught the glowing teal disc with a confident grin. The shield's energy pulsed in his hand, resonating with his Quirk. He took a moment to feel its weight and balance, then looked across the cafeteria at Kael, who nodded in silent agreement.

"Time to show this damn blowhard what teamwork looks like," Ric muttered.

He hurled the shield back to Kael with a powerful spin. Kael caught it effortlessly, the forcefield shimmering as it moved. They began a coordinated assault, flinging the shield back and forth with increasing speed and precision. Each throw was calculated, ricocheting off walls, ceilings, and tables, creating an unpredictable pattern that kept "Bakugo" on the defensive.

'JESUS H!' Boston thought. 'These two been practicin'?!

To the rest of the students who had long since stopped helping and hid under the remaining tables, they couldn't help but feel like they were trapped inside a actual pinball machine! 

'I don't see Gyavin, Typho, and the girls. Guess they must've already gotten clear.' Kael thought. 'Now, it's time to end this! Hopefully the teachers are on their way!'

As soon as Kael intercepted Ric's next pass, he held the shield and gave Ric a series of hand signals. Ric looked a bit apprehensive, but understanding what had to be done, he nodded. 

Ric then threw Kael's shield... at a rather slow speed. 

Boston couldn't help but pause a bit while in midair. Call it years of doing this line of work, but something told him that there was more to this.

He extended his right hand, fingers splayed, and focused his Quirk. The shield, now mid-flight, halted abruptly, suspended in the air. With a flick of his fingers, Ric directed it to loop around and strike "Bakugo" from the side. The possessed student barely managed to evade, the shield grazing his shoulder.

"What's the matter? Can't keep up?" Ric audibly teased.

"Bakugo" growled, divebombing low enough to launch a barrage of explosions towards Ric. But Kael was ready as he sprinted in front of his friend, projecting a forcefield that absorbed the blasts, protecting his friend as the bomber was forced to retreat upwards. Unfortunately, it caused Ric to lose his concentration and Kael's shield clattered on the ground a few feet away.

Seizing the opportunity, Ric made a mad dash and managed to nab it while "Bakugo" was skyward. 

"You're done, you exploding psycho!" Ric declared as he flung the glowing teal discus toward “Bakugo” with precision.

"And there's my curtain call!" Boston quipped, quickly exiting out of Bakugo's body "Have fun, kid!"

The OG bomberman shook his head rapidly, looking around in random directions.

"RICOCHET BLITZ!!!" The blond heard someone cry out.

"WHERE THE FU-AGH?!" He shouted as Kael's shield jerked mid-air once, reversed, and rocketed back toward him from behind.

CLANG!

"SHI-!"

The strike nailed him in the back, knocking him off-course mid-flight.

"GODDAM-!"

BAM!

Another hit, this time to the ribs. Ric’s hands twitched again and again, guiding the discus like a hell-bent hornet. The teal shield spun with absurd velocity, a blur carving through the air as it looped and dove in erratic, precision-guided angles.

Whip-left—slam to the leg.

Loop-right—bash to the temple.

Spiral up—plunge down to the spine.

Bakugo twisted and swerved, explosions firing off as he tried his damndest to ascertain his situation, but the shield kept changing direction—Ric’s control too tight, too fluid. He didn’t let up for a second.

The cafeteria had gone dead quiet save for the thrumming hum of the shield whizzing and smashing and the explosive retorts of failed dodges.

Kael, still shielding the others near the cafeteria’s edge, growled under his breath, knuckles white “That bastard hurt Sabe. Threw food at innocent people. Calls us all extras like were nothing…”

He watched the fight unfold as the possessed Bakugo scrambled to stay in the air.

“…Now he’s getting what he deserves.”

Bakugo tried to raise a hand for an explosive blast—too slow.

Ric’s voice cut through the air like a gunshot on a vacant battlefield:

“Final Strike!”

The discus shot straight up like it had been launched from a cannon. Then—silence. For a half-second, it hovered high above the scene like a predator eyeing its prey.

Then it dropped.

Ric's fingers clenched—and the shield exploded downward like a meteor, smashing directly into Bakugo with a deafening clang and a pulse of teal energy.

The air warped from the impact.

Bakugo was sent flying downwards, spiraling like a defective firework out of control before crashing straight through the nearest table, snapping it into splinters as chairs went flying and lunch trays scattered like shrapnel.

The remaining students, frozen for the entire assault, scrambled back as the dust cleared.

Bakugo had hit the floor hard, groaning, eyes wide in dazed confusion. His vision was a near blur but he was able to only see silhouettes. His head was ringing like a damn church bell, his body ached all over, and he felt like he was gonna puke out his lunch. 

Katsuki's vision managed to clear up enough to get a better look at his surroudings. In front of him stood a pretty big group of pissed off extras surrounding him, holding pieces of food at him like he was standing in front of a goddamn firing squad. The entire cafeteria itself look like All Might had thrown a Texas Smash indoors (a fucking nerfed one but a Texas Smash nonetheless). 

"What the fuck..?" was all he could mutter while clutching his ribs before the cafeteria doors burst wide open. Out came a group of extras flanking around some rando teacher he couldn't be fucking bothered to remember (or care about) the name . However, some bitch with shitty makeup started shrieking at the top of her lungs while fucking pointing in his direction.

"THERE HE IS! THERE'S THE DELINQUENT THAT ATTACKED ME, MS. SOLA! HE STARTED ALL OF THIS!!!!" she hollered.

"HAH?!" Bakugo exclaimed in absolute confusion "THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"Don't play dumb, Sparky Sparky Boom Boom!" Gyavin yelled "You chucked your meal at straight at Sabe while she was doing her makeup. The spice from your food went straight into her eyes! You're lucky we were able to rinse it out. Then you prancing around everyone's tables, snatching their food and chucking it at them!"

"Not to mention, you freaking ATTACKED the rest of us and I had to play shieldbearer, psycho!" Typho yelled "You're damn lucky I wasn't there to help out! Otherwise the docs would have to extract my boot from your a-"

"TYPHO! Language!" Ms. Sola chided. 

Typho flinched before reorienting himself "S-sorry, Ms. Sola..."

The aforementioned teacher then turned to the "survivors" of Bakugo's rampage with a stern experssion "Before I pass any judgement, would anyone care to give me an eyewitness account on what exactly Bakugo did?" 

There was a moment of tense silence, as if the air itself held its breath. Then, Ric stepped forward, face taut with restrained anger, one sleeve still stained with sauce from the earlier barrage.

“Yeah, I’ve got one,” He said firmly, eyes locked on Bakugo, who was still groaning and barely sitting upright among the shattered remains of the table “He started throwing food at everyone like he was re-enacting a battlefield. Set the whole damn cafeteria off like it was a war zone. And I’m not talking flicks or spills—I mean Quirk-enhanced explosives in close quarters!”

Katsuki grit his teeth, still wincing as he dragged himself up slightly “Y-YOU'RE FULL OF SH—!”

“Don’t.” Kael warned, voice cool but dangerously low as he stepped up beside Ric “We all saw what you did. Don’t make it worse for yourself.”

Ms. Sola’s gaze flicked to Kael “Continue.”

Kael stood straight, voice steady “He assaulted Sabe with a direct throw—flaming spicy curry. She couldn’t even see afterward. Then he blasted himself through the air like he was trying to level the place, stole other people’s food mid-flight, and kept using his Quirk on everyone who got in his way. If me and Ric didn’t step in to intercept him, he could’ve seriously hurt more students.”

“More like hospitalized.” Muttered Gyavin as he stepped into the circle, helping a still-wobbly Sabe stay upright “I don’t even think it was a fight to him. It felt like we were just...targets. Background noise.”

Rabe crossed her arms from the back, her voice biting “And if he actually thinks we’re all just ‘extras,’ then maybe he should get used to the idea of not being the main character in this story.”

A highly visible tickmark appeared on the delinquent's forehead while a few students murmured agreement and were given a chance to speak their piece. 

After a few minutes, Ms. Sola took a breath with her eyes hardening “Alright, I think I've heard all I need to hear.”

She turned to Bakugo, her tone no longer neutral but edged with ice “Katsuki Bakugo. While I don't exactly know what school you attended prior to being transferred here (she had a strong hunch but didn't voice it) or what blatant preferential treatment they gave you, but understand this—Nabu does not run on fear. We do not tolerate Quirk misuse, endangerment, cruelty, or intimidation. Despite the trouble you have caused, you will be escorted to the nurse, seeing as you are injured. After that, you’re spending the rest of the day in Vice Principal's office. Tomorrow, you will report to me for your disciplinary hearing along with either both or one of your parents.”

If one observed him close enough, one could see Bakugo's skin turn a tad white.

"B-BUT I DIDN'-!" 

Ms. Sola’s eyes flared like molten metal “Say one more word. I dare you, boy.”

By sheer force of will, Bakugo managed to clamp down on his legendary temper and stayed quiet. He glared viciously at the two shitty extras who were standing at attention and shit. He had to tightly ball his hands into fist lest he end up slamming one of his explosions in their faces.

And right now? HE REALLY. FUCKING. WANTED TO.

Internally, he was stunned. Less by the bullshit punishment, more by the fact that everyone here… sided against him. No stammering teachers. No look-the-other-way policies. No “he’s special” defense. 

Meanwhile, Boston hovered overhead, trying hard not to to admire his handiwork all too much.

"Maybe I went a little too far with this one, but this is the for the best in the long run. You're not getting any more free passes, kid. Only cold, collective accountability. Something you seemed to be allergic to." his voice went unheard.

"Now, if you're done growling to yourself, follow me." Ms. Sola instructed without missing a beat. 

The blond bomber silently followed behind while the others kids watched silently.

Unseen by most, Bakugo had a clear look of murder in his eyes. 

Those shitty extras were gonna pay for whatever they did to him. Sooner or later, one of them would fuck up and he'd get his chance. And no dumbass teachers were gonna stop him. 

Meanwhile, Sabe herself glared at the back of the head of the boy who dared to harm her. She remembered the rapscallion from the day she and her friends had the misfortune of being introduced to him. How uncouth and violent he was. She would see to it that he got his past dues. She would certainly be letting her mother and father know about what had transpired today. Then she would deal with the brute in her own special way. 

She also was scant to forget how he nearly assualted others like Shinso for something he had said that the rest of them couldn't hear. While she knew of the drowsy looking boy's reputation, she herself didn't believe he deserved to be attacked so savagely. Plus, she had yet to see Shinso act at all like what others told her and until then, she'd reserve judgement yet practice caution. She would have to ask Rahm about the boy seeing as he was a very good judge of character. So much so that she wondered if it was a natural thing or something related to his Quirk. 

Speaking of Rahm, she hadn't seen either him nor Shinso in Ms. Naberrie's class at all today. Rahm mentioned to she and her friends that he had a special occasion to attend. She wondered what it was about. 

Hitoshi took in deep breaths, sitting at the bench with Mrs. Midoriya. His parents were sitting in the viewing gallery directly behind them, but they couldn’t feel further away. The boy looked around the courtroom, taking in the faces of the people watching from the gallery. He had to wonder how many of them really believed he was in the right, how many would care if he won this case. It couldn’t be many. After all, he was the ‘villain kid,’ why the hell would they care about him? Exactly. We just had to rely on himself and Mrs. Midoriya for this.

His eyes passed over his friends, all bunched together a fair distance away. The moment they saw him looking they all flashed wide grins and thumbs-up. Hitoshi wished he had their confidence. Especially when he finally dared to look at their opposition.

At the other bench sat their opposition, a pair of men. One was a painfully plain-looking man in a blue suit and red tie, his hair unkempt and down to his neck, his only other discerning feature being his somewhat trimmed goatee and shaded half-rimmed glasses, which added with his dopey smile gave him an overall bumbling hipster look. This was Hitoshi’s old Quirk Counsellor; Masayoshi Adachi. His lawyer was a shorter and skinny man wearing square glasses so thick that you couldn’t even see his eyes behind them, wearing a sickly green suit and red tie, his hair in an absolutely hideous protruding pompadour. Indeed, sitting next to the counsellor with the smuggest grin the boy had ever seen was the (in)famous lawyer Takefumi Auchi, the self-proclaimed “Rookie Killer.” Hitoshi really hoped that the guy didn’t live up to the hype. If he was as good as Mrs. Midoriya, then he was really starting to feel worried.

But after closing his eyes, the boy tried to think of everyone he had at his back. Everyone who had come here to support him. They believed that he could get through this, didn’t he owe it to them to at least try? Yeah... yeah, he could do this.

...

Huh, guess having a proper support system really does help.

“Remember,” Mrs. Midoriya whispered to Hitoshi as a door on the far side of the room opened “he’ll try to overwhelm you, just try to stay calm and don’t let him get a big reaction.”

“Easier said than done.” Hitoshi muttered back as the Judge, an old bald man with a really long beard, entered the court, everyone standing up.

“I know. Just try your best. That’s all I can ask of you.”

“Please be seated.” The Judge said, sitting in his bench, adjusting his gown as he read over a document “Court is now in session for case 1-DLM-287, in Shinso Hitoshi v Adachi Masayoshi.” Raising his gaze to the two sides, he waved his hand “Would both sides please state your names for the record?”

“Midoriya Inko, on behalf of the Plaintiff.” Mrs. Midoriya stood up and replied in her no-nonsense tone, as Hitoshi took note of the stenographer typing away. Must be an interesting job, having to watch all these cases go by.

The other lawyer stood up as well, adjusting his hair with a smug grin “Auchi Takefumi, on behalf of the Defence.”

“Thank you.” The Judge acknowledged as both sides sat back down “Now then, are there any matters of which we need to attend before we begin?” Silence “Very well. Plaintiff, your opening statement, if you will.”

"Yes Judge." Mrs. Midoriya said as she stood up, bowing to the judge before walking to the centre of the room, facing the audience they had gathered.

Inko didn't look away from all the piercing gazes in the room. She didn't let her face soften when she saw her baby boy smiling at her, surrounded by friends for the first time in... well, ever, she didn't give Hitoshi a comforting smile no matter how much her instincts screamed at her to.

She stood there, stone-faced, the image of professionalism, as she made her statement.

After all, this was her domain, she'd be damned if she let some pretentious upstart fluster her, make a fool of her.

“Today, I will be representing Shinso Hitoshi, in the hopes of undoing some of the hurt done unto him by his Quirk Counsellor. Today, I will do my best to prove to you that Adachi Masayoshi not only knowingly broke Quirk Laws, but maliciously abused his position to cause my client lasting emotional and mental harm. And most importantly, I am here to remind you all of just what a simple label can do to a young person.” Inko gave a half bow. Not overly friendly, but still kind enough “Thank you.” And with that, she returned to her seat.

“Short and simple.” The Judge commented with a nod “Quite well done, Midoriya-san. Auchi-san, your opening statement.”

“Of course, Judge.” The other lawyer said kindly, bowing as he stood up (Too heavy-handed, Inko’s mind supplied) and walked to the centre, his smirk glued in place, as if he dismissed this whole ordeal as open-and-shut, tapping his pompadour with a chuckle “Ladies and gentlemen of the court, I assure you that my client is not nearly as foul as Midoriya-san would have you believe. Adachi Masayoshi is nothing but a humble Quirk Counsellor, one who wants to help as many people as possible. Today, I will help show you that Shinso Hitoshi is merely a petulant child, biting the hand that once reached out to him all those years ago. I aim to prove that this case is nothing more than a child and his family looking to make a quick buck-”

“Objection, Judge.” Inko interrupted, raising her hand with a scowl “I would prefer that the Defence not badger my client in their opening statement.”

But the Judge shook his head, hitting his gavel on the table “Overruled, the Defence is merely stating their aims in this case. Though I will concede, Auchi-san, that you are being quite aggressive with your wordplay. I would ask that you tone it down a little. The Plaintiff is still a minor, lest we forget.”

Auchi simply bowed to the Judge, smiling kindly “Of course, Judge. My apologies.” And with that, he turned back to the rest of the court, though Inko didn’t miss the slight furrowing of his brow as his gaze met hers “Indeed, the Plaintiff is a minor, but that does not mean that what will be discussed today is not of the upmost seriousness. My client is being targeted simply for trying to help a troubled youth, and I hope to make sure that his integrity is not called into question any more than necessary.” And with that, he gave a quick bow, barely respectful “Thank you.”

‘Troubled?’ Inko thought to herself ‘Of course that’s where he’s going to take this.’ Her eyes hardened, as did her resolve, as the Judge began the proceedings ‘Well, let’s show him just what happens when you hurt a mama bear’s cubs.’

“Midoriya-san, your opening argument please?”

“Of course.” Inko replied, standing up “The main crux of this case is really quite simple: My client’s Quirk was given a name that not only has a foul connotation, but is also illegal.”

“I don’t wish to interrupt, Midoriya-san.” The Judge carefully interjected, brows raised in shock “But you say that a simple Quirk name is illegal?”

Inko nodded “I do.” She affirmed, picking up the relevant document and handing it to the Bailiff, who sent it off to the Judge. She knew this man, and though he could be easily swayed in cases, he was a man who ultimately believed in doing the right thing. Hopefully he would continue to do so today “If you will please read the section highlighted for you, you will see that in Article Five, Paragraph Two of the Quirk Classification and Social Integration Act, it clearly states, and I quote; ‘Any and all Quirk Name Registrations submitted by a licensed Quirk Counsellor must have the individual’s Quirk Name be neutral, descriptive of its function, and unbiased. Failure to do so will result in fines upwards of-’”

“OBJECTION!” Auchi screamed at the top of his lungs, making Inko’s ears ring at how high-pitched it was, and she saw Hitoshi in the corner of her eye cover his ears with a wince. The members of the court not so subtly glared at the lawyer in question, who didn’t seem to register the looks he was given as he tossed his hair “Apologies Judge, but how is this relevant? The Plaintiff’s Quirk name indeed follows all of these criteria. Their claim, therefore, is void.”

“Objection overruled.” The Judge denied, sticking a finger in his ear as he winced “And Auchi-san, please try to keep your volume at an acceptable level. We are in a court of law, not an opera.”

The lawyer flung himself back, as if struck “Hrngh! B-b-but Judge-”

“That is enough, Auchi-san.” The Judge said, shutting him down “I find your objection to be insufficient at best. In case you have forgotten, the Plaintiff’s Quirk has been classified as ‘Brainwashing.’ I, for one, do not believe this name to be neutral or unbiased. So please, sit back down, let the Plaintiff finish, and prepare a very good counterargument.”

Auchi looked down, seeming to only just notice that he had shot to his feet. Giving the Judge an awkward chuckle, he slowly snaked back into his seat.

Inko tried to not roll her eyes. How unprofessional... Still, she continued “Indeed, Judge, my client’s Quirk has been dubbed ‘Brainwashing.’ If I may make a request, would you please tell me what emotions and thoughts the following Quirk names instil in you?”

His eyes widening, the Judge nodded “Oh! Of course, Midoriya-san. Please, continue.”

The woman let herself give a small smile as she grabbed the list she needed from her bag “Thank you, Judge. Now then...” She cleared her throat “Attract Small Objects.”

The old man nodded with a thoughtful expression “Hmm... Well, it is quite plain, but very descriptive. Am I right to assume it does exactly what it says?” Seeing Inko’s nod, he continued “I can’t say the name itself invokes much in me.”

“Thank you, Judge.” Inko replied, continuing to read “Fiber Master.”

She knew the Judge was a bit of a Hero nerd (She had to repress a giggle of the time she had brought Izuku to her office, and the two had ended up meeting. She had to remain professional after all) so she wasn’t surprised to see his eyes light up “W-well, I would say that name makes me think of grace, elegance, and of course mastery. It invokes... Hope.”

Well, she could understand that.

“Hellflame.”

“Respect.” The man replied without hesitation, seeing where this was going “The name, while it could be seen as a negative one, makes me think of power, of a raging inferno. And the use of the word hell makes me think of both demons, and sinners receiving punishment. It does bring some fear, but I personally believe it to be more so out of respect than anything.”

With a nod, Inko read the final name on her list “Brainwashing.”

As she expected, the Judge flinched a little, though not too much, as if he had been expecting this. He gave an awkward cough “Well...”

“Please, Judge, speak honestly.” Inko requested. After all, she couldn’t afford to sugarcoat this, not if she wanted to win.

Wincing a bit, the Judge gave a sigh “I would say... it makes me think of a villain.” He painfully admitted “The term brainwashing implies control by force, likely by a shadowy puppet master. It reminds me somewhat of the villain Dictator, much as I loath to admit it...”

Inko nodded in understanding “Thank you, Judge.” She narrowed her eyes, her face as if carved from stone “Indeed, the name ‘Brainwashing’ is in clear violation of this law. In this, I believe the Defence has little room for argument. That is all for now. Thank you.” And with a bow, she returned to her seat, seeing Hitoshi giving her a somewhat hesitant smile, which she wanted so much to return, but settled for a nod.

The Judge nodded in agreement “I see... Thank you, Midoriya-san. That was very insightful. Indeed, I believe that it is inarguable that the defendant broke this law, knowingly or otherwise. I have half a mind to end this case in favour of the Plaintiff, but I have a duty to hear both sides before coming to a decision. Auchi-san, your counterargument, if you please.”

“Of course, Judge.” The man replied with his trademark grin (Was he seriously not taking this case seriously at all? Or was he just that confident?) as he stood up, pulling out a paper that he handed to the Bailiff “Indeed, it seems to be indisputable that the Quirk Classification and Social Integration Act has been violated. But I believe otherwise!”

After that declaration, there was a quiet murmur throughout the courtroom. Obviously, nobody was sure just how this man could believe such a claim. Even Hitoshi exchanged a few confused looks with his parents.

Inko didn’t react however, she knew this tactic, after all. And she would shut it down the second she got her chance.

“That is quite the claim, Auchi-san!” The Judge said in surprise, eyes wide for a moment before he reigned it in, returning to his more serious demeanour “I hope you are able to back it up.”

“Why, of course Judge!” Auchi assured with a dismissive wave “It’s really quite simple. And it all comes down to one question: What exactly makes a Quirk name ‘biased’ in this context?”

Oh, so he was really going down this road?

“Yes, the name ‘Brainwashing’ may be seen as somewhat negative, but in reality, it’s simply a descriptor! Young Shinso brainwashes people with his Quirk, that is irrefutable-”

“Objection.” Inko stood up “My client does not brainwash people, as you say. Your wording implies that he does so on a regular basis. Judge, I would appreciate that the Defence does not make jabs at my client’s character.”

“Objection sustained.” The Judge readily agreed with a nod “Auchi-san, once again I ask that you word yourself more carefully.”

Once more, Auchi flinched back as if struck “Gah!” (The man had a reputation for being excessively dramatic, and Inko was starting to see why) and nodded with a profusely sweating head “O-of course, Judge, my apologies! What I mean is that the name of young Shinso’s Quirk simply explains what it does. I will admit, another name could work just as well, but they wouldn’t be much better. Mind Control is one that comes to mind. Or puppeteer. I do say though, it would be very difficult to find a name that describes just what his Quirk does that isn’t ‘biased’ as the Plaintiff claims.”

The Judge nodded along “I agree with you on that point. I cannot think of many names that would be both descriptive and respectful.” Auchi smirked a little, Inko saw, as the Judge seemed to agree with him. That quickly faded when the man shook his head “But I am not a professional, so I cannot rightly weigh in on such a topic.”

The lawyer cleared his throat “Y-yes, indeed Judge, it would be somewhat unwise to make such suggestions without proper credentials.” He adjusted his tie “But my point still stands! Adachi-san was simply put in an impossible situation.” His smirk grew a little “At least, if the Plaintiff’s claims held any weight.”

“Meaning?”

“Once more, I ask you: What exactly makes ‘Brainwashing’ a biased name? Let us use an example the Plaintiff gave; Hellflame, the Quirk of Number-Two Hero Endeavor. You yourself, Judge, have said that the name brings thoughts of demons and the fiery pit. Would this name not be a violation of the law?”

Inko wanted to object, but she couldn’t exactly see anything to object against. Not yet at least. Indeed, Endeavor’s Quirk had an edgy name, but he would have gotten his Quirk name registered before the act had even been passed. But regardless, her voicing of such wouldn’t hold much water.

“I-I suppose so... but-”

“And yet it has not been called into question before today?” Auchi continued, cutting over the Judge (That was a big no-no in Inko’s opinion) as he flipped his hair “Judge, tell me, if both Endeavor and young Shinso have Quirk names that are in violation of the act, then why has this never come to our attention? Better yet, if Shinso-san's Quirk name was a violation of the act, then why was it allowed to be put through? Wouldn’t someone have stopped it if the name was truly ‘biased’ as the Plaintiff claims?”

The Judge blinked, chancing a few glances at Inko “W-well, yes, I suppose so...” He cleared his throat “Plaintiff, if you would please weigh in on this?”

“Of course.” Inko replied, standing up “I believe the simple answer is that this all comes down to human error. Plenty of things slip through the cracks. Packages get lost in the mail, people forget their passwords, and registrations get overlooked, signed without a second glance. I believe that this case will indeed show that something so simple slipping past us can have terrible consequences.”

“A bold claim, Missy.” Auchi replied with a snort and a toss of his hair (And oh, how Inko wanted to punch him for that. She could only hope that Izuku didn’t actually do it, if the look he was giving the man was any indication) “But can you back it up?”

Inko, deciding that she could afford to be a little mean, decided to give her opponent a sharp grin, one that promised blood, and spoke out in far more confidence than she ever thought she had “I believe I can. Once you have finished your statement, I would request to bring up my first witness.”

It seemed to have the intended effect, as Auchi sat back down with an audible gulp, and shakily replied to her “I-I was finished...”

Inko nodded ‘kindly’ to him and looked to the Judge with a kind (For real this time) smile “Judge, I would like to call the Defendant, Adachi Masayoshi, to the stand.”

The Judge blinked in surprise, as did the Defendant and his lawyer. Clearly, they had all expected her to call up her client first. But no, Inko had to save that trump card for later.

Still, the Judge nodded, banging his gavel “Very well then. Defendant, please take the stand.”

Adachi simply put on a dopey smile as he stood up, adjusting his somewhat crumpled suit as he went around the table, nodding to the Judge as he walked, before immediately jogging back to the table to grab his glasses, which he had apparently forgot. He merely gave a chuckle as he proceeded towards the witness stand, only to stumble and trip as he approached, barely catching himself on the stand before he fell on his face.

“Sorry about that!” He apologised with a chuckle, rubbing his head as he took his seat “I’m usually a lot better than that! Guess I’m just nervous.”

Undeterred by the bumbling actions of the man, the Bailiff approached, a book in his hands “Would you prefer to swear on the Bible, or some other scripture?”

Adachi simply waved him off with a nervous chuckle “Oh, no thank you! I’m not particularly religious.”

The Bailiff simply nodded, placing the book under his arm “Please raise your right hand.” As Adachi did so, he continued “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

“I do.”

As the man nodded in acceptance, the Judge spoke up “Defendant, please state your name and occupation for the record.”

“Oh! O-of course!” The counsellor cleared his throat with a meek smile, rubbing his head “My name is Adachi Masayoshi, I’m a Quirk Counsellor.”

The Judge nodded “Thank you. Midoriya-san, you may begin.”

“Thank you, Judge.” Inko replied, standing up as she pulled a stack of papers from her bag, walking around her table to better face the man. She looked him up and down. He seemed like a bumbling idiot, pretty harmless.

But she knew better.

She had her witnesses, she had her evidence, and she had known people like Adachi before in her life. Acting like a wounded animal before striking like a viper. It was just a question of how much pressure she had to put on for him to crack and show himself. Still though, she had to start slowly “Adachi-san, you were the Quirk Counsellor of one Shinso Hitoshi, correct?”

The man nodded bashfully “Well, yes, I was. Though I will admit, I probably wasn’t the best for him. I still had a lot to learn back then, I only had a fresh degree and a few patients to my name after all.”

The woman nodded noncommittally “I see. And that would have been... around nine years ago, give or take?”

“Yes, it was.”

“And how long had you been a counsellor before then?”

“OBJECTION!!!” Auchi screeched, shooting to his feet as everyone in the room winced again. Inko saw a few people with animal mutations in the court, and she could only hope that they didn’t inherit any advanced hearing “J-Judge, I hardly see how this is relevant-”

“Overruled.” The Judge interrupted, now thoroughly irritated “This is standard questioning, something you should be well aware of, Auchi-san. And one last time, I ask that you quiet down. My ears can only take so much of your incessant screeching.”

For the third time in a row, Auchi flinched back and gasped as if he were struck “W-well I- Erm- Y-yes... A-apologies, Judge. It will not happen again.” He mumbled weakly, sitting back in his chair like a small little thing. Inko tried not to roll her eyes.

Adachi-san simply chuckled bashfully, as if it was all some funny occurrence “To answer your question, I had my job for only about five years before that. So, it’s about fourteen years of experience, going on fifteen soon.”

“Fifteen?” The Judge asked with wide eyes “I must say Adachi-san, you look quite young!”

“Ahaha!” Adachi laughed, rubbing his neck with a small blush “You’re too kind, Judge. I’m afraid, though, that it’s not the work of any skincare routine, it’s simply my Quirk: Peak Health. It keeps my body healthy and in its best natural condition that it can have without any bodybuilding, so I’m afraid I can’t naturally have the build of All Might.” The crowd had to chuckle a little at that “But a side effect is that when my body reached its prime, around my twenties or so, it slowed my aging down by a lot.”

“I see...” The Judge nodded along, giving a somewhat wistful sigh “I wish I had that Quirk, to be frank. Ah, to be young again...”

“P-please, Judge, you’re making me blush here!” Adachi rebuked bashfully “And to be honest, you look quite well for your age, if I say so myself!” He chuckled, before turning to Inko with an apologetic smile “Sorry about that. You were saying?”

“Thank you.” Inko replied, trying her best to give a reserved smile, to appear kind and approachable “You have been a Quirk Counsellor for almost fifteen years. And in that time, you have had quite a few patients before Hitoshi, correct?”

“Yes, I have.” Adachi agreed, counting off his fingers “I’ll admit I haven’t had that many before him, I was still the newbie after all, but I think it was... around five?”

“I see.” Inko acknowledged, as if she hadn’t done her research beforehand “And you would say that you have learned from those patients, that their cases have given you proper experience with working with children’s Quirks?”

“OBJE-” Seeing the scorching glares he was receiving, Auchi cut himself off, clearing his throat before speaking out in a far meeker voice “Ob-objection... I believe that the Plaintiff is asking leading questions to my client.”

The Judge reluctantly nodded “I have to agree. Midoriya-san, please do not attempt to lead the witness.”

Inko nodded with an apologetic smile “Of course, Judge. My apologies.” She already had what she needed, after all. She had planted the thought in everyone’s heads. She turned back to Adachi with her usual neutral face “Adachi-san, I will assume that the answer to my earlier question is ‘yes.’ Now, with all of that in mind, why would you give a five-year-old's Quirk a name like ‘Brainwashing?’” She levelled the man with the most unimpressed glare she could muster “Surely you can’t expect me to believe you were unaware of the kinds of connotations such a name could bring.”

Adachi flinched back, a small droplet of sweat on his brow “W-well I-”

“Let me tell you what I think, Adachi-san.” Inko interjected, walking a few steps away from him as she read off a paper “I think that you saw a young boy, with a Quirk that could be used for wrongful gains, and you took it upon yourself to make sure people knew ‘just what kind of person’ he was going to be.” The words felt like poison on Inko’s lips, and she felt her heart waver at the flinch Hitoshi gave, but she kept going “You knew that the law required that Quirk Names be unbiased, how could you not? And yet you gave my client’s Quirk a name that would only bring him scorn from anyone who heard it.” She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the man “Now, do you have anything to say in your defence? Because I for one can’t think of anything.”

Adachi gulped, starting to sweat properly as he looked to Auchi, who gave him a helpless shrug “W-well- Look, I’ll admit that the thought crossed my mind-” At his lawyer’s facepalm, he clearly wasn’t supposed to say that “But I would never have acted on it! He was a kid for Christ’s sake! Why would I have done that to a kid!?”

“Every villain was a kid once.” Inko rebuked, levelling a glare “But once again, why did you do it, if it wasn’t out of malice?”

“It was a dumb mistake!” Adachi insisted “I was inexperienced-”

“You had five years of experience.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t fuck up!” The man got to his feet “Look, I feel terrible for what happened to Shinso, I really do, it was probably one of the worst mistakes of my career, but you can’t just claim that I did it because I didn’t like his fucking Quirk! I work with kids with all kinds of Quirks, why would he get that kind of treatment, and not the others!?”

And at that, Inko gave a grin. Adachi and Auchi both flinched, and they knew they had fallen into her trap “I am so glad you asked that, Adachi-san. Judge, Auchi-san, I believe you both have copies of the statements that I gave to you? Specifically, statements of Adachi-san's previous patients?” The man gulped, knowing what was coming.

“I do.” The Judge nodded, holding up the paper in question.

“Um... Y-yes.” Auchi said reluctantly.

"Wonderful." Inko said with a sharp smile, pulling out one of her papers and scanning it "Adachi-san, to make things clear, I will be reading the statements given to myself and the relevant authorities by your previous patients. Let us start with your most recent patient before my client; one Akechi Goro." Adachi's eye twitched, and his fingers curled. Oh, he remembered this one, it seemed "Akechi-san's Quirk allows him to channel his anger into summoning a protective entity for a short time, which he has dubbed 'Loki.' Adachi-san, I believe you remember the name you gave this Quirk?"

Adachi shuffled in his seat, schooling his expression into a more thoughtful one, tapping his chin "I can't say I do... I-it was a while ago after all."

Inko didn't bother mentioning that his last meeting with the boy was around five years ago, the man was clearly stalling "Well, allow me to remind you, Adachi-san. Akechi-san's Quirk was registered with the name 'Inner Demon.'" She looked back to the counsellor with an unimpressed expression "I find it hard to believe that this was also a mistake."

"W-well..." Adachi sputtered, tugging at his collar as he finally noticed the looks the people in the gallery were giving him; Ranging from unimpressed to disgusted to horrified "I-I mean, I just thought it sounded really cool is all! Y-y'know, a young boy able to tame a demon! I thought that h-he'd get a lot of admiration from other kids. After all, they like cool-sounding names, right?"

"That's not how he saw it." Inko rebuked, tapping the back of her hand to the paper "When asked about you personally, Akechi-san stated, and I quote: 'Adachi is either an idiot undeserving of his position, or a malicious and spiteful man also undeserving of his position.' That doesn't sound like the words of a boy who appreciates your attempts to make him seem 'cool' to his peers." There was some more stuff said, but it was mainly a rant about Adachi that mostly consisted of insulting his intelligence and integrity. It wasn't exactly relevant at the moment, and likely wouldn't be at all. Inko put the paper back and grabbed another one "But your statement does bring me to the next patient; a boy named Kakyoin Noriaki."

"O-Objection!" Auchi called out, his voice finally in a more restrained shout "Judge! I-I hardly see how these statements are relevant! All the Plaintiff seems to be doing is attacking my client's character!"

"Hrm..." The Judge intoned "Midoriya-san? Your reasoning?"

"Of course." Inko nodded firmly "I have already proven that the Defendant has broken the law, but in my opening statement, you may remember that I accused him of deliberately doing so, which would constitute an abuse of power at the least." She waved the paper faintly "These statements from Adachi-san's previous patients are to highlight his work ethic when dealing with the children under his care, his attitude, and most importantly, it establishes a pattern of behaviour. The Defence may claim that I am using these statements to defame their client, but I am merely using them to make clear just how he treats his patients."

The Judge nodded "I see... Very well then, objection denied."

"G-GRAH!" Auchi grunted out as he flinched back, while Inko and the Judge ignored him.

Turing back to the Defendant, Inko read off her paper "Kakyoin-san has reported feelings of dissatisfaction with your practice, Adachi-san, particularly with your handling of his Quirk, which you named 'Emerald Binds.' Since his Quirk supposedly manifested, he would report sighting a strange entity that nobody else could perceive, not too dissimilar to Akechi-san's Quirk. The main difference, however, is that you apparently did not try to help him summon this entity. Now, for that I do not blame you, it is only very recently that he discovered such a thing was possible, but Kakyoin-san stated that you told him, and I quote: 'My hallucination is actually a person's soul I'm keeping trapped with my Quirk, that I'm a cage for someone who can't move on.'" Despite herself, Inko narrowed her eyes at the man with a bit of venom leaking through "Surely even you would understand how such a suggestion would affect a young boy's mental state."

"W-well-"

"If you truly didn't," The woman continued, unimpeded "then I believe you should re-evaluate your choices in your career. You were able to convince a young and impressionable mind that he was holding another sentient being hostage, despite the fact that sentient Quirks, while uncommon, are nowhere near unheard of. Kakyoin-san himself has admitted to becoming rather withdrawn from his peers, and even his own family since your subsequent sessions with him, stating his fears that they would scorn him for his Quirk, or that they wouldn't be able to empathise with him. Adachi-san, do you have anything you can say?"

The man gritted his teeth, trying his best to keep on his calm and dopey façade "...No, I'm afraid I don't."

"I see." Inko acknowledged, grabbing the next statement "Of course, I am not trying to imply you treat all of your patients like this. After all, they are just children, with so much potential. This statement is a more positive review from your patient: Sakamoto Ryuji." Adachi's eyes widened, and his posture untensed a little, clearly having at least a decent impression of the boy "Sakamoto's Quirk: Motion Generator, allows him to generate electrical energy inside his body through movement and storing kinetic energy, which he can use to either release a small electric shock similar to a taser, or to stimulate his muscles, allowing for greater strength and speed. Adachi-san, I assume you have a good rapport with Sakamoto-san?"

Adachi smiled with a more genuine-looking smile (But still as fake as plastic cheese) as he nodded "Yeah, Sakamoto was a great kid! Wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind, but still really nice and respectful to those he liked. He was a joy to work with."

"Good to hear." Inko nodded "Though the boy himself, while perfectly happy with your counselling, has admitted to feeling something was a bit... well, off about you." Slowly, Adachi's smile fell, and Inko continued "He said that: 'He was a nice enough guy, sure, but he was pretty 'effing weird when it came to my Quirk- Talking about how much of an amazing Hero I'd be, even when I told him a bunch of times I wanted to do track. The guy honestly seemed like he was ignoring it on purpose.'" Inko looked back up to Adachi, noting his somewhat soured mood "He also stated having some 'gut feelings' that you weren't as nice as you appeared to be, but he has admitted to never personally seeing anything to confirm as such."

"So you admit that it is irrelevant to your point!" Auchi cut in, grin as smug as ever as he tossed his hair "You admit that these statements only help prove that my client is a respectable man helping the youth with their Quirk troubles!"

"I didn't say that." Inko calmly rebuked "In fact, they help prove that your client's behaviour changes depending on his patient and, given what we know, likely their Quirk. Sakamoto's statement quite clearly shows that your client was attempting to push him into a certain career despite his own wishes."

"Oh please!" Auchi dismissed with a wave of his hand. He was stubborn and weaselly, she'd give him that "What kid doesn't want to be a Hero? He was only encouraging the boy's potential, like any good adult! You're just grasping at straws here! Nothing you've shown even eludes that-"

"Enough!" The Judge yelled out, banging his gavel forcefully as he glared at Auchi "Auchi-san, I have been very patient when it comes to your antics, but I am quickly running out of patience. First, you screech and yell out your objections like some common cockatiel while gasping and gagging like you're on stage, and then you interrupt your fellow lawyer in the middle of their questioning only to diminish the evidence they've presented whilst insulting them! I am quickly losing my ability to tolerate this any longer, and the only reason I do not throw you out right now is so that we can save Young Shinso the anxiety and uncertainty of dragging this case out any longer than it needs to." Inko spared her young client a glance, seeing him wince a little at the Judge's observation. The man might appear scatter-brained sometimes, but when it came to cases like this he didn't mess around "Here is what you will do, Auchi-san: You will sit down, you will politely, calmly, and in an even tone raise any objections you have, you will not speak otherwise unless you are permitted to, and you will give both Midoriya-san, Shinso-san, and the entire court the respect they deserve. This is a court of law, not a theatre, and we will not tolerate any more of your 'performances' today." He narrowed his eyes "Am I clear?"

Auchi audibly gulped, wiping the pouring sweat from his brow "C-crystal, Judge." He squeaked out as he sat down.

There was a tense silence for a few moments, before the Judge finally nodded "Very well. Midoriya-san, please continue."

Inko gave a nod "Of course." And she pulled out the fourth statement "Satonaka Chie. Quirk: Spirit. It allows her to use her confidence and passion to enhance her physical abilities." She peered over to paper to the witness in front of her "Adachi-san, I trust you remember her?"

Adachi's posture was hunched, his shoulders tense, as if he were preparing himself for some inevitable 'other shoe' to drop. Like something really bad was coming. Well, it was, but not right this second, Inko would let him wait for that to be brought up "I... believe so. She was my first patient?" He tacked on, somewhat hopefully.

"Second." Inko corrected with a little smirk. She wouldn't let him pretend to forget about that "In her statement, Satonaka-san admitted that while you were indeed very helpful and kind, she didn't entirely trust you. In her words: 'Even as a little kid I could always get a good read on people. Adachi practically screamed two-faced. He was nice enough, but he always seemed like he was hiding something, like he was just acting. I don't really trust him.'" Peering over her paper, Inko raised a brow at Adachi, who’s posture was hunched, his teeth clenched “Anything to say to that, Adachi-san?”

The man’s hands clenched, but his head stayed lowered, forcing himself to not glare at Inko “...No.”

“Very well.” The woman accepted, pulling out the final statement, taking a deep breath as she looked at the paper. As much as she didn’t want to bring this up, she had to, for not just Hitoshi’s sake, but that other boy’s as well “Then finally, we get to your first ever patient.”

Adachi’s eyes snapped to Inko’s, looking right at her as he tensed, starting to sweat just a bit “Please...” He whispered, pleading with her. As if asking nicely enough would cause her to reconsider, as if it would save him.

...

Heh.

He should have thought about that before he ruined that boy’s life.

“I trust you remember him, Adachi-san.” She continued, louder this time, more firm as her posture straightened, almost making her look taller and more imposing than she really was “He was such a bright boy, after all. And what happened to him was such a terrible tragedy.”

“Don’t say it...”

“How could you ever forget Aragaki Shinjiro?” Inko looked back to him, seeing him almost slump over in defeat. She wouldn’t let him go just yet. She had to make sure everyone knew just what kind of ‘medicine’ this man was prescribing his patients “Aragaki-san’s Quirk, Vanitas, allows him to take his pent-up emotions and release them as a large blast of concussive force. When asked about you, Aragaki-san said that you were quite helpful, if not clearly inexperienced. He even said that he had a somewhat positive opinion of you when he was under your care.” Auchi, still sitting at his desk, smirked, feeling that he could use this to help his client save face. After all, this boy said that his client was a good man, so he could use that and twist the other statements the right way to win this case.

But not if Inko Midoriya had anything to say about it.

“Indeed, he thought highly of you in his youth. But, that was before a certain incident.”

At this, Adachi practically jolted, looking to Inko with wide eyes as sweat poured down his face.

“Y-you can’t-”

“Five years ago,” She continued, speaking over the man as he realised that there was no way out of this “Aragaki-san suffered a terrible Quirk Accident, which, sadly, caused the death of a woman.” At this, Inko took a moment to take a breath, centring herself. She tried not to look at the public gallery, at her son. The information surrounding Aragaki’s incident was very hard to find, it was practically scrubbed from any place Inko could think to look. And that’s when Izuku decided to lend a hand. If there was one thing her son could do, it was dig for obscure information, especially stuff that involved Quirks.

Inko felt horrible that she had to rely on her own child to find information for her case. She was the lawyer, she was his mother, he shouldn’t have that responsibility to find evidence for a serious court case.

But no, Inko couldn’t allow herself to wallow in her usual self-pity again, not now, not when Hitoshi and his parents were relying on her.

So she let out her breath and looked to Adachi, who was now fidgeting in his seat, looking around, possibly for a way out of this situation. She wouldn’t give him the luxury “After the incident, Aragaki was quite withdrawn, actively supressing his Quirk in fear of losing control again. And that’s when you got back in contact with him.”

Adachi gulped, slowly shaking his head.

Inko simply turned away from him, looking towards the Judge as she handed her paper to the Bailiff “Judge, if you turn to page three of the document given to you, you will find a toxicology report conducted on Aragaki-san last week, which has been obtained and verified by the local police department and the hospital the boy is currently residing in, and has been handed over to myself with his express consent.”

The Judge’s eyes widened “The boy is in the hospital?” As Inko nodded, he began reading over the document quickly, his eyes narrowing with every line “What... what is this?”

“O-objection!” Auchi yelled out, shooting to his feet, tugging at his collar nervously “J-Judge! This is hardly relevant to the case at hand! We are talking about my client and Young Shinso! N-not this other boy! Surely-”

“Enough.” The Judge said in a frigid tone, his eyes a pair of coals as he slowly placed the document on his desk, looking to Inko as he steepled his fingers “Midoriya-san, I ask again; Just what is this?”

Inko tried to resist the urge to adjust her hair or avert her eyes at the sheer ferocity in the usually kind Judge’s eyes, but she managed to hold out, simply nodding back firmly “As the document clearly states, several foreign substances were found within Aragaki-san's bloodstream-”

“So he’s a junkie!” Auchi dismissed quickly “He’s already a villain and a murderer, so is it so hard to believe-”

“SILENCE!” The Judge boomed, slamming down his gavel “Auchi-san, one more word out of line and I will have you thrown out of my courtroom! AM I UNDERSTOOD!?”

Auchi gulped, immediately flopping back into his seat, attempting to make himself as small as possible “Y-yes sir...”

“Good.” The Judge grunted out “And let this be the last time I have to say it.” And with that, he turned back to Inko “Continue.”

The woman nodded “After some more tests, along with an MRI scan, the doctors believe that the substances found correlate with known and unknown chemicals most commonly found in Quirk Suppressant Drugs.” Now that got a reaction from the courtroom. QSDs weren’t very common, and they were heavily regulated, so the fact that some random teenage boy got his hands on some? Needless to say, it took a minute for the Judge to regain order with all of the uproar and hushed whispering. But Inko simply continued “With the addition of more uncommon substances, it is believed that the specific drug found in Aragaki-san's system may be an experimental one.”

“O-Objection!” Auchi managed to squeak out “How is this relevant?”

But before anyone else could question it, Inko turned to look at her opponent, and took quite some satisfaction from seeing him flinch back at her shark-like grin “Oh, I was just getting to that. Judge, if you would go back a page and read Aragaki-san's statement in regard to the drugs?”

With a nod, the Judge picked back up the papers, flipped to the right page, and began reading. Almost immediately, he looked like he was about to shoot up in his seat, his eyes darting towards Adachi, who looked like he was looking for the opportunity to bolt from the courtroom, but with a security guard at the door would make that near impossible for him, so he was stuck, a cornered animal.

“Adachi-san.” The Judge spoke coldly, making the man gulp and fidget with his lapels “Would you care to explain why Aragaki-san has explicitly implicated you in personally supplying him with these drugs?” A round of gasps filled the court at that revelation, and Hitoshi could only look at his former counsellor in shock. What the fuck...?

“W-well-”

“And Auchi-san.” The man cut the other off, turning to the drenched lawyer “You didn’t think it was relevant to report your client’s criminal activities to the police? I know for a fact you were handed the exact same documents as I.”

“W-well Judge...” He stuttered, adjusting his tie nervously “T-the interviewee has admitted to murder with use of his Quirk! Why should we trust the word of a villain with no evidence to back it up?”

“Manslaughter, technically.” The Judge corrected with a huff “And most likely unintentional. But while I do unfortunately see merit in your point, it is quickly annulled by the presence of the officer that conducted the interview.” He held up the paper “Auchi-san, can you please look to the top of the page and tell me who the interviewing officer is?”

Auchi gulped, frantically pulling out the paper from his own previously untouched stack (The court could hear Adachi himself muttering things like “Why the fuck did I hire him?” and “Idiot didn’t think to tell me about those statements?” ), his nerves only growing as he went to the relevant page and read the name “I-It was conducted by one Tsukauchi N-Naomasa, Judge.”

“Indeed.” The Judge confirmed “Now, to the right of the man’s name is his Quirk. And what is that Quirk?”

“...It’s... T-truth Detection...” The man almost whispered.

“Indeed it is.” The Judge confirmed once more “Which begs the question; Just why wouldn’t you think to report this to the authorities when you knew that the statement was most likely factual?”

“W-well...” The man stammered, trying to think of some way out of this. But he couldn’t seem to come up with anything, only hunching over silently.

“I see...” The Judge huffed, turning to the witness “Adachi-san, I believe that after this, you will need to answer some questions for the police.”

“I-I understand...” Adachi murmured, finally cowed, realising it really was over.

“See that you do.” The Judge affirmed, turning back to Inko “Midoriya-san, this might not be relevant to the case at hand, but is Aragaki-san well?”

The woman merely tilted her head forwards, expression as professional as ever “Unfortunately, Judge, I am not allowed to divulge much information at this present moment. But I can say that Aragaki-san is alive and coherent enough to have given that statement.” She really didn’t want to think too hard about it, but honestly, whatever that ‘counsellor’ gave Aragaki, it was slowly killing him. Hell, even in the hands of medical professionals, it was likely still killing him. Just thinking about how nonchalant and almost accepting the boy was of his likely fate was just horrible and made Inko want to cry. She just hoped he would be able to pull through, and that one day he would be able to forgive himself.

And as for the interview, she had to honestly thank Mitsuki for that one. Not long after Aldera collapsed, Inko managed to get back in touch with her friend, who was just... she wasn’t in the best place after all of that, especially with what that one girl apparently revealed about the woman’s son. It took a long while for her to calm the other woman down, but eventually she did, and they got to talking. Many things were discussed that night, but the important one for the moment was Mitsuki’s mention of Detective Tsukauchi. Inko knew that if she were to interview Aragaki, she would need Tsukauchi’s Quirk to make sure nobody could dismiss the statement as the untrustworthy words of a junkie villain. Luckily for her, the detective was able to spare just enough time for her to help conduct the interview.

He... also asked that she talk to Izuku about coming in to answer questions about his time at Aldera. Inko didn’t want to make her baby relive those horrid days, but it would be necessary to help him heal, to help him move on. Besides, she needed to know just how badly she messed up as a mother...

...She’ll have to talk to Izuku later, maybe tomorrow, after the stress over the case has passed, and so that she doesn’t hamper the happiness at his friend’s vindication.

“I see.” The Judge accepted with a nod, and perhaps a breath of relief “Thank goodness for that, at least. Regardless of his actions, no man deserves such a fate.” He murmured, before sitting back up straight and looking to Inko “Midoriya-san, might I ask why specifically you brought this to the court’s attention?”

“Of course.” Inko nodded “There are a few reasons I brought this to light; Firstly, it establishes that Adachi-san's attitude was not a sudden shift or a gradual thing, as the Defence may claim, but rather that he has always been willing to sink to such lows, and he merely hid it behind a veneer of kindness and buffoonery. The second reason is a simple question: If Adachi-san was willing to do all of this to his first ever patient, a boy who he quite frankly should have had no quarrel with, then is it really such a stretch to say that he would willingly sabotage the future of a boy with an ‘undesirable’ Quirk?” She stayed silent for a few moments, allowing that thought to sit in everyone’s heads, to make them really consider it. Sure, she already had her case in the bag earlier, Adachi had already been proven to have broken the law and caused emotional and mental harm to her client, but she wanted to bury him, to make absolutely sure that there wouldn’t be any way for him to get out of this and return to his practice, that he wouldn’t be able to ruin any more lives. She had to make certain. And with this statement in particular? She was sure she had done it “I don’t have anything else to add, Judge.” The woman finally spoke up, bowing to the elderly man “I now conclude my questioning. Thank you.” And with that, she strutted back to her desk, and sat down, adjusting her remaining papers, and looked ahead.

The courtroom was silent for a moment, nary a whisper could be heard. They were all just shocked about what had been revealed. Even Adachi had given up on trying to sob and gain sympathy, simply resting his face in his hands as he waited for the inevitable.

But finally, the Judge spoke up “W-well then, thank you for your time, Midoriya-san.” He said somewhat nervously, turning to the other lawyer “Auchi-san, would you like to cross-examine your client?”

Slowly and shakily, Auchi got to his feet, his posture defeated, his glasses fogged, and even his pompadour seemed to droop. He cleared his throat and spoke out in a defeated tone “N-no, Judge. I... I’ve got nothing.” And with that, he sat back down.

“I see.” The Judge nodded, not bothering to hide his contempt as he glared at Adachi, still slumped in the witness stand “Adachi-san, please return to your seat, this court has no more questions for you at present. Though, as I stated, the police may once this is all over.”

Adachi simply nodded, his teeth gritted, his fists balled, and stomped back to his seat, not looking at his lawyer as he stared ahead, glaring at nothing in particular.

Inko repressed a smirk, but a small nudge in her side got her attention. Looking to the source, she saw Hitoshi leaning forwards, giving her a grateful smile, his eyes a little misty as his smile turned to a smirk “Hey, guess all that preparation wasn’t really needed.”

His friend’s mother let out an amused huff “It never hurts to be prepared, does it? You shouldn’t underestimate people. That way, you’re either ready for what they throw at you, pleasantly surprised.”

“True enough.”

The Judge banged his gavel, his face back to its usual stone-like professionalism “Well then, quite honestly it seems we have more than enough reason to end this case right here and now.” They all pointedly ignored the small whimper Auchi gave “However, if it is not too much trouble, I would like to ask Young Shinso himself to take the stand and give his account of his dealings with Adachi-san.”

There was a low murmur throughout the court, but this time the Judge was willing to let it slide. Hitoshi cast a questioning, and somewhat uneasy look at Inko, who simply nodded to him “It’s your choice.” She said quietly.

But the Judge seemed to hear her, nodding in agreement “Indeed. If you do not wish to relive those events, I and the rest of the court will not begrudge you for it. I merely want to help cover all of our bases.”

Hitoshi himself took a moment to consider this, leaning back in his seat, folding his arms together and tapping his fingers. On the one hand, he really didn’t want to go up there, have everyone stare at him like a frog on a dissection board, and spill out some of the worst days of his life.

But on the other hand...

Maybe this would finally let him move on from all of this.

And maybe other kids like him needed this. Sure, with how things are going, Adachi would be demonised, but what would that do for the kids like him, the ones with Villainous Quirks? Adachi’s sins would overshadow the main point of this: Just what his actions had done to a kid, how it caused him to be treated, and how said treatment might not be right.

Maybe it was stupid to think that a simple testimony would actually do anything, but... honestly, with how much his friends seemed to believe in him, even if he thought they were all idiots, just this once, Hitoshi felt that he could be stupidly hopeful.

And so, without a word, the boy nodded, stood up from his seat, and approached the witness stand. The Bailiff offered him the Bible, but he shook his head.

“Do you swear to tell the whole truth?”

“I do.”

“Very well.” The Judge accepted “Witness, please state your name and occupation for the record.”

Hitoshi nodded, adjusting the lapels of the suit his dad stuffed him into “Shinso Hitoshi, I’m unemployed, but I am a third-year student at Nabu Middle School.” Did the beach stuff count as being ‘employed?’ Probably not, it was volunteer work, not an actual job.

The Judge nodded “Thank you. Midoriya-san, would you please begin your questioning?” 

“Of course, Judge.” Mrs. Midoriya replied as she stood up and walked in front of him “Hitoshi- May I call you Hitoshi?”

Ah, the boy recognised this tactic from his ‘research’ prior (And by that he means he binged some HeroTube videos, especially Court Cams. They were surprisingly interesting to watch). Calling the witness (Or Defendant in most cases) helped humanise them to the court, make them seem more approachable. He could see why she was tackling this angle.

“Sure.” The Troll Doll Boy replied with a nod, noticeably shifting in his seat.

“Thank you.” Mrs. Midoriya replied with a warm smile, a far cry from the stoic and almost cold demeanour she had previous, likely both to help him feel at ease, but maybe also to help the gathered crowd feel like if she could be nice to him, maybe they should too. Maybe he was looking too far into this, but hey, when stressed, Hitoshi tends to overanalyse. Heh. Maybe Izuku could help him hone that skill. But back to the present, Mrs. Midoriya began her questioning “Could you please tell us about your time as Adachi-san's patient. As much as you are comfortable sharing, at least.”

Taking a moment to compose himself, Hitoshi nodded, resisting the urge to slump in his seat “Uh, yeah, sure. So... I think it’s probably best if I start with the first time my Quirk activated.” It was probably the worst day Hitoshi could ever think of, and he despised remembering it, but... he had to do this, to get it off his chest “Right, so I had just turned five at the time, and my class was learning about mathematics, and at some point one of my classmates mentioned their older sibling complaining about fractions. The lesson quickly turned into a conversation about those, and how hard math would become, and I asked the teacher a question about it. I don’t really remember what it was, honestly, but after she answered it... she froze.” Despite his best efforts, Hitoshi shivered, consciously holding his arms in place so he didn’t wrap them around himself. He had to keep his composure “Now, I always had trouble sleeping, so I’d sometimes overhear my dad talking to my mom about stuff that happened at work. And seeing my teacher in that frozen state, her eyes just blankly staring off into space, I-I don’t know, I thought she was having a stroke or something! Obviously, we were all really worried about her, we tried to get her attention, we called out to her, some kids left to find another teacher, and at some point I just... I begged her to say something. And after that? She did say something.” He let out a breath he forgot he was holding “Literally, she just said the word ‘something’ and kept staring off at nothing. Soon after, one of the kids ended up slapping her on the leg, and that snapped her out of it.” Slowly, the boy began to slouch, to hunch his posture, and his eyes stared down at his open palms, resting on his knees “The second she was back and aware of the world, her eyes snapped to me, like she knew what I had done before I did, and...” He shivered “I mean, fuck, I don’t think any kid would be ready for the pure fear that was in her eyes...”

Mrs. Midoriya, in the corner of his vision, regarded the boy with a worried frown “If you don’t feel comfortable continuing-”

“No.” Hitoshi immediately interrupted, shaking his head and blinking his eyes rapidly “No, I... I’m good, I just... I just need a second, I think.”

“Of course.” The Judge said to him, understanding in his eyes “Take your time.”

The boy silently nodded, taking a few breaths, rubbing his hands together to rid himself of an impossible chill, and eventually he managed to sit back up, and cleared his throat “Anyways, my parents were called, and we left early to get my Quirk registered. That’s when I met Adachi.” He blew out a breath “He was nice enough at first, at least until my parents described what my new Quirk seemed to do. After that? It was like a switch flipped, and suddenly the goofy, chummy guy was replaced by this observant, uncaring guy, who could only look at me like I was some pest he had to deal with, like I wasn’t worth his time or something.” Leaning back, Hitoshi closed his eyes, thinking on what had happened that day “After he got the necessary information, and I was ‘allowed’ to demonstrate my Quirk once or twice, he said to me: ‘Well kid, seems like you got a bad luck of the draw. You got a villainous brainwashing Quirk right there. Sorry.’” As the crowd let out a low, almost disgusted rumble, Hitoshi could only scoff “I mean honestly, he said it like it was something as boring and predictable as yesterday’s weather. That’s not something you tell to a kid, let alone one that’s just awakened to a new and scary power he doesn’t understand yet.”

“I see.” Mrs. Midoriya acknowledged, sadness and understanding in her eyes as she softly pressed on “Can you remember how that felt?”

Hitoshi let out a huff “It was horrible. I was a little kid, and suddenly I get told that my Quirk, something I had been so excited to get, was something that would only belong to a villain? That crushed me. And the almost dismissive way he said it made things even worse.” He could still remember how he cried himself to sleep that night, lying in his parents’ arms, worrying that, somehow, he was forcing them to still care about him “The next few days weren’t much better. I was pretty emotionally drained, so I didn’t even think twice when he said he’d be calling my Quirk ‘Brainwashing,’ even when my parents kicked up a stink about it. I was in a few sessions to figure out how it worked, but there were some security guards there too, which... honestly unnerved me. It was like they weren’t there in case something went wrong, but in case I did something wrong. And going back to school? Hah! That somehow made things worse! First thing that happens when I walk in? All the kids scream and run off like I’m about to kill them. For the rest of the day, they drift as far from me as they can, avoiding me like the plague. I managed to corner one of my ‘friends’ and asked him what was going on, why everyone seemed so scared of me. And you wanna know what he said?”

Mrs. Midoriya’s face almost fell, though she seemed to just barely keep herself together “Please, tell us.”

Hitoshi nodded “He said: ‘You’re a villain now, and villains are bad.’” He let out a short bark of laughter, even as his eyes began to water “Hell of a day, right? First time someone called me a villain to my face, and from there it only happened more and more. I’d hear kids asking each other about what evil things I must have done over the weekend, they’d just barely work up the courage to tell me I wasn’t allowed to play tag with them. Hell, a few times I even caught teachers sneaking glances at me, looking almost disgusted and angry, and I’d overhear them sometimes call me ‘The Brainwashing Kid’ like I didn’t have a name. It just...” The boy chuckled, even as, despite his very best efforts, tears slowly trickled down his cheeks “It sucked. The people I liked, the people I trusted, all of a sudden, they were afraid of me, they thought I’d only hurt them if they got too close. New classmates would let me know that they’d call Heroes on me if I tried anything, some weirdos would talk about how ‘amazing’ it would be if they had my Quirk, and all the things they’d do with it, as I got older girls would always keep me in their sights, staying as groups whenever I was in the room, just in case I tried something. I mean honestly, I can’t even think of a real way to describe it other than ‘horrible.’” He let out a huff “But hey, that’s just how it is, right? I’m the ‘Villain Kid,’ they gotta be careful, right? Better keep an eye on me so that, when I finally snap and go do God knows what, they can pat themselves on the back and say that they knew I was always a villain, they knew all along. It was so obvious. ”

The room was silent, nary a whisper. Many looked to the boy in pity, or perhaps genuine sadness and heartbreak, while a few shifted uncomfortably, perhaps realising that the notions about him they might have had could not exactly be right. Adachi simply kept his slumped posture, head in his hands, like he couldn’t be bothered to tune in to Hitoshi spilling his heart out, whilst Auchi just coughed into his hand, sweating up a storm as he tugged at his collar.

After about have a minute, in which Hitoshi managed to somewhat compose himself, the Judge spoke up softly “Thank you for telling us this, Young Shinso. That was very brave.” And for once? Hitoshi believed it “Auchi-san, would you like to cross-examine the Plaintiff?”

Auchi simply shook his head, defeated “No... I’ve honestly got nothing.”

“Very well.” The Judge accepted, nodding to Hitoshi “Young Shinso, you may return to your seat.” The teen tried not to look too happy to do so, but once he sat back down, it seemed the elderly Judge was ready to finally hand down his verdict and end this “Young man, what happened to you is a frankly horrifying failing on the part of us adults, people who were supposed to help you, to teach you and guide you into becoming a fine young man who we’d be proud to call neighbour. The people who scorned you, especially your teachers, rather than dismiss you and cite fear and contempt, if their ‘observations’ really held any ground, should have helped guide you, to steer you towards a better path, rather than simply dismiss you as a lost cause, as an inevitability.” He looked out towards the courtroom at large, to some of the cameras and phones that were strewn about, and he spoke out firmly with a voice that held authority like no other “I hope that today, we as a people will be able to realise just what our casual dismissal and oversights can cause. I hope that Quirk Counsellors out there will be far more mindful of the position they hold, and I hope that, at least in some small part, others in similar situations will be bolstered, and given the courage to finally speak up, to make things right.” He nodded resolutely “And so, I hereby rule this case in favour of the Plaintiff, for the full amount plus legal fees.” As the crowd gave a standing ovation, and Hitoshi’s friends let out the loudest of cheers, and the boy himself, in the arms of his parents, let out tears of relief, the Judge continued “Bailiff, please escort Adachi-san to our temporary holding cell and contact the police.” Hitoshi couldn’t find it in himself to look as Adachi was dragged off in cuffs, not out of fear of unease, but out of a complete lack of care. He was finally free of him.

The very second he stepped out of the courtroom, Hitoshi was almost asphyxiated in a massive group hug, courtesy of his ‘friends’ (Read; Attempted murderers), all of whom shouted out various cheers and words of praise.

“I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, KOUHAI!” Dan-Senpai boomed out, ruffling the boy’s (clearly well-groomed, mind you) gravity-defying hair “THAT TOOK SERIOUS GUTS! TRULY, YOU EXEMPLIFY WHAT THE SAIKYO ARTS STAND FOR!”

“You were so brave!” Hinata shouted, her tears almost on par with Izuku’s, the boy himself barely able to form coherent words, but the message was clear enough.

“Very well done.” Rahm, who wasn’t exactly glomping him, but was squeezed inside the pile, praised, a proud and almost knowing smile on his face.

“FUCK YEAH!” Batsu screamed out, and despite a disapproving look from his mother, it seemed that she was willing to let it slide this time.

“I-I...” Hitoshi tried to stutter out, only for his tears to make their triumphant return. He could only smile gratefully “Thanks, guys...”

After a minute of more oxygen deprivation, he was finally released, though Batsu and Hinata kept arms around his shoulders. The girl herself gave a bright grin “So, you won! How does it feel?”

The boy could only huff out a laugh at her enthusiasm “Honestly? It... You know that whole ‘it feels like a weight’s been lifted’ thing? I usually dismissed that as bullshit, but honestly, I can’t describe it any other way.”

“That’s great, man.” Batsu said, giving him a quick squeeze “And hey, if you’ve got any other weights, we’re more than happy to carry them with you.”

Despite his usual aloof and bored demeanour, Hitoshi could only smile thankfully “Thanks guys...”

Finally, it seemed Izuku had managed to compose himself enough to finally form a sentence, though there was still some saltwater dripping down “S-so, you’re gonna schedule a change in your Quirk’s name soon, right? Any ideas?”

Hitoshi could only let out his usual smirk, closing his eyes as he stuffed his hands in his pockets “Hmm...” He intoned, finally cracking an eye open to stare at his green fellow, his smirk widening to cocky proportions “Nah, I don’t think I will.”

The others (sans Rahm and the adults) and flinched back in shock, letting out a combined “WHAT!?”

Batsu managed to recover, holding his hands out in some vague motion “But Hitoshi, man, you said yourself that name only made things hell for you! You really still want it around?”

“Yeah, man.” Hinata agreed “Thought you’d be happy to finally be rid of it.”

Izuku and Dan didn’t really say anything, but they clearly agreed. Izuku could very well live with never hearing the name ‘Deku’ again, whilst Dan was just confused on why his Kouhai seemed so against finally shedding his past.

“No, I think I get it.” Rahm spoke up, eyes closed as a knowing smile graced his lips “Shinso-kun, you want to redefine it, don’t you?”

Hitoshi chuckled. Leave it to Rahm to figure him out “Pretty much. I’ve always been known as the ‘Brainwashing Kid,’ and that isn’t gonna change any time soon, even if I change my Quirk’s name. I’m gonna keep it, both as a reminder of where I came from, and what I’ll never let myself become.” He smirked sharply “I’ll make sure that the only people that will fear me are the real villains.”

Surprisingly, the ensuing sniffles did not come from Izuku, or even Inko, who still looked on at her baby’s friends, teary-eyed, but instead they came from Dan, who had a fist raised, as tears and snot flowed down his face “T-that’s so admirable, Young Hitoshi! Truly, you understand the core values of the Saikyo Arts!” Batsu really wanted to punt him for making it about his bullshit ‘fighting style,’ but just this once, he was willing to let it go. Just this once...

As the others all chuckled at their Senpai’s antics, Hinata clapped her hands together “Alright then! I dunno about you boys, but I’m starving! Hitoshi, you’re the man of the hour, what food calls to you most?”

“Hmm...” The boy hummed, appearing to think very hard about this important decision, before he shrugged with a smirk “I’m thinking ramen. Know any good places?”

“Oh, there’s a lovely place just around the corner!” Mrs. Midoriya interjected, pulling open her purse “I recommend their Tsukemen, it’s to die for! Here, have this.” And with that, she pushed a plastic card into her son’s hands “Get whatever you kids want!”

“W-what!?” Her progeny exclaimed “Mom, I-I can’t, this is your-”

“Oh, it’s fine!” The woman dismissed with a wave of her hand “Considering Adachi is paying my fees, it’s technically on him. ” Oh yes, Hitoshi did like the sound of that.

So, before the boy too kind for his own good could protest further, he slapped a hand over his mouth, grinning at the woman who just made his day- no, his life “Will do! Thanks a bunch Mrs. Midoriya!” And with that, he and the others dragged Izuku off as quick as they could.

Hitoshi could only smile, letting out one of the first real laughs he had in years. Finally, he felt free.

As the kids rounded the corner, the adults all smiled.

“You must be proud.” Batsu’s mother said, looking towards the Shinsos.

“Eh, something like that-”

“MIDORIYA!” Shingo was cut off by an unfortunately familiar screech, all of the parents (And Dragon) turning to see a heaving and clearly indignant Auchi standing about five feet away, glaring daggers at the woman as he forcefully pointed a finger in her direction “DON’T THINK THIS CHANGES ANYTHING! NEXT TIME, I’LL DEFEAT YOU IN THAT COURTROOM, AND RECLAIM MY TITLE AS THE ROOKIE KILLER!”

Dragon simply rolled his eyes with a scoff at the display, muttering lowly “Rookie Killer? Or does he mean Rookie Victim?” The Shinsos and Shizuku tried to hide their chuckles, while Inko just stared blankly.

“Are you done?” She asked flatly.

“H-Huh!?” Auchi stuttered, clearly not expecting her to be so dismissive.

Inko scoffed- scoffed! “Honestly, Auchi-san, you utterly disrespect the court, you scream and shout like some petulant child, you barely even try to defend your own client, you don’t even have the courtesy to tell him about the evidence I hand over to you, and you think you can intimidate me with some half-baked threat of ‘defeating’ me?” This time, she glared at the man “We’re lawyers, we don’t ‘defeat’ each other, we make our cases in hopes of helping our clients, in hopes of finding the truth. How you got your badge is beyond me...”

Auchi sputtered, readjusting his pompadour as he glared back despite the slowly forming crowd around them “N-now listen here missy! If you think I’m letting some pretentious upstart-”

“And that’s another thing!” The woman cut in, taking a step forward “I let your ‘missy’ comment slide inside the courtroom, but honestly, do you show anyone respect, Auchi? You barely respect the Judge, you only pretend to when he calls you out on your behaviour, acting like a scolded child. And yet you still have the nerve to call me pretentious. Auchi, the only pretentious one here... IS YOU!!! ” She yelled out, giving a point of her own, and suddenly a powerful gust of wind picked up, almost blasting Auchi off his feet with the force of it. He barely managed to stay upright, but unfortunately, not all of him managed to survive...

When the wind petered out, Auchi slowly looked back up over his arm, fixing his askew glasses, when suddenly... he noticed that his head felt... lighter. Patting his crown, he was shocked to feel only his scalp, with a few tufts of short hair. Looking around... he saw a mound of black hair follicles practically fused to the wall behind him.

“MY HAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRR!!!”

Immediately, Inko leapt back, giving an audible gulp. She... might have accidentally put her Quirk into that... Oh shit...

Auchi started weeping openly and loudly, his face ugly as he sobbed for the loss of his precious do. But quickly, he shuffled on his knees towards the nearest court officer, who was just looking at the black mark on the wall in wonder “ARREST HER! EXCECUTE HER! HAVE HER HANGED FOR ALL OF JAPAN TO SEE! LET HER SUFFER FOR HER CRIMES!”

The officer looked to Auchi, looked to Inko, and looked to the hair, and the woman felt her heart drop into her stomach. Why did she do that? Oh shit, she just ruined not only her life, but possibly Izuku’s...

But to everyone’s surprise, the guard looked back to Auchi, and smirked “What crimes?”

Everyone stared at the man in shock. What was he...?

“W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?” Auchi screamed “SHE ASSAULTED ME WITH HER QUIRK! THE WOMAN’S A VILLAIN!”

The officer’s smirked widened “Did she? I didn’t see that, was starting to doze off, to be honest. Standing around here all day gets tiring.”

Auchi simply sobbed louder “B-But you can’t let her get away with this! What about the cameras!?” He yelled out, pointing to one that was facing the door they had all come out of prior.

The officer simply shrugged “Oh, that one? It’s broken.” With a subtle nod to his fellow officer, his coworker chucked a metal lunchbox he had been holding right at the camera, immediately shattering it.

Auchi quickly latched onto one of the onlookers of the whole spectacle, wrapping his arms around their legs “P-please! You had to have seen it!” But they only averted their eyes, whistling innocently. Auchi went to another spectator, and another, but all of them merely pretended to not have seen anything. They were turned around, they had dust in their eyes, they were yawning.

Auchi simply wailed louder in his grief.

Inko hunched a little, until a firm hand laid on her shoulder. When she turned, she saw Dragon looking around uneasily “Let’s get out of here before someone with more sense shows up. You guys feeling Sushi?”

“Yep.” Saya immediately agreed.

“Absolutely.” Shingo confirmed with a quick nod.

“Let’s get going.” Shizuku suggested, already turned to ‘stealthily’ walk away.

As they led Inko away, the woman herself could only let out a meek mutter of “We are never telling our kids about this.” Her fellow parents all agreed, while Dragon simply let out a hum of acknowledgement.

This was certainly one hell of a day.

Leonard Snart glared outside the window of the current hideout he and his compatriots were currently holed up in near the edge of Keystone City.

It should've been a textbook smash n' grab. Plain and simple. Act as decoys and distractions so in case Central City's local charity worker showed up, he'd be preoccupied with them and take heat off McCulloch. Grab the macguffin that they were after, bail before the Scarlet Speedster ever even caught wind of what was going on, and hand off their prize to their buyer. Simple, right?

But of course, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. And Leonard was, yet again, reminded of that cold unforgiving reality once more.

It's bad enough they had to deal with the Geezer Flash and the usual Flash they've gotten accustomed to, they ended up getting their rears handed to them by a bunch of fucking civvies.

Civvies.

He could already hear his old man verbally shitting on him from beyond the grave. At least the bruises he got weren't from him this time.

They still completed their objective, but had nearly gotten beaten by the last type of people that they had expected to go against them.

The Flash he could handle getting beaten by. They were foes after all. The same sort of thing could be said about Garrick.

But him losing a shootout to kids? Boomer and Mic getting their asses handed by that news chick on TV? Trickster getting WWE'd by Garrick's wife? That sure as hell wasn't on his agenda. Or any of their agendas for that matter.

And he'd bet his Cold Gun that it wasn't Boomer's choice to get flung up into the rafters by that reporter lady with one of Mark's (Rest in Peace) old batons.

Snart turned away from the window, jaw clenched tight. The sound of Heat Wave’s boots scraping against the tile only made it worse.

“Damn civvies…” Mick muttered, shirtless and seething. Off in the corner, he was sulking while wearing a dingy trench coat barely hung on his shoulders, and his scorched thermal vest sat in shreds in the corner.

“I liked that suit.” He grumbled "Any of you know how fucking expensive it is to find quality materials that are fire-retardant?!"

“Well, now it looks like something outta a Ren Faire dumpster.” McCulloch grunted from the couch, rubbing his bruised jaw “Next time, maybe check your surroundings before you end up getting tazed by the local newswoman?"

“Shut it, Mirrorball. At least I hit someone.” he growled.

"Who in the hell did ya hit?!" McCulloch said in slight disbelief "Ya got tagged by the old man before your little magic tricks could even land! He feckin' decked ya in the jaw God knows how many times!"

"“Keep talking, and you’ll find a mirror shoved somewhere modern medical science can’t save.” Mick barked "Sides, your ass got manhandled by the fucking tour guide lady! If you ask me, that's worse!"

“Enough.” Snart's voice cut through the squabbling like ice before McCulloch could respond “Save it for the next job. We’re not doing post-mortems right now.”

Livewire, arms crossed and still sparking with residual static as she hovered above the others, sneered “Tell that to your "fanboy" informant. You know, the one who guaranteed we’d be facing the regular Flash and not his World War Two veteran grandpa! What the hell kind of intel was that, huh?! You know how long it takes to regrow split ends from an EMP surge?!”

Trickster snorted from across the room, twiddling with a yo-yo that glowed faintly red “You're just mad that it was one of my custom yo-yos that took you out. Knew I was doing something right when I had the strings made out of tungsten!"

Livewire zeroed in on the gimmicky goof with electricity dancing along her fingertips as she floated overhead.

"Try putting tungsten in a body cast, clown."

“Yeesh.” Trickster muttered, pulling his yo-yo back with a sharp snap “Tough crowd.”

Snart didn't react. His gaze stayed cold, distant.

"Well, the whole thing was a shambles. But let's look at the bright side, at least none of us are in the slammer back at Iron Heights. And Ms. Willis isn't stuck in some rubber or insulated cage somewhere in Stryker's." Digger said as he nursed his bruised nose.

His comrades in arms, sans good ol' James, all practically glared at him with all their facial expressions screaming 'Not in the mood!'. 

Snart himself didn't overtly react. His gaze stayed cold, distant.

“Those civvies that came after us, they were organized.” He muttered “More organized than any of us expected.”

Heat Wave scoffed, lobbing a half-melted thermal glove at the wall “Organized my ass. One of them was an old broad, another was just a lucky pretty face, and two of them were friggin' kids! I could give the tour lady a pass since she works at the place and probably knew how our gear worked, but as for the rest, hell no! Where are you even going with this, Snart?”

Snart stepped away from the window and walked closer to the center of the room "Where I'm going with this is that for a group of randos, they seemed to be pretty damn coordinated. I remember that reporter lady from the last time we trashed the place, and Mick already brought up how the tour lady would have a pretty solid idea on how our stuff operates, but she doesn't scream 'leader' to me. Nor does she scream 'tactician' in any sense of the word."

"Then tell us, o' noble leader, how they were able to take out practically all of us, hmm?" Boomerang asked.

"The green haired kid was in charge. Had to be him." Snart said with conviction in his voice.

The others just stared at their de facto leader like he grew a second head or said a dirty word.

"Seriously, Snart?" Mick said incredulously "You saying we got outplayed by a kid less than half our ages? The same kid who was going gaga over everything he saw on the tour?"

"You and the rest of us were there, Mick." Snart continued on without missing a beat "You remember how he stood in front of us when we were posing as statues? How when everyone else was going to get some food, he hung back and stared at us longer. Like he knew something was up."

Heat Wave looked to the side for a brief moment. Snart had an idea why, but he ignored that for now and carried on.

"Then when he and the rest of his motley crew were taking us on. He singled me out. Not Mick. Or James. Or the new guy currently sleeping in the corner. Or even Boomer. Me." Snart emphasized "Kid was clearly scared shitless, what with his stuttering and nerves that I spotted right off the bat. But he still chose to go against me."

"Maybe the tyke thought he could draw more focus on himself so that you'd ignore everything else going on? He was probably acting as some kinda distraction." Boomer suggested.

"Possible." Snart allowed "Also, the kid was able to keep up with me in the middle of a firefight. Had some pretty damn good reflexes at that age. At first glance, the kid looked kinda twiggy. But the way he moved around? And how he looked me dead in the eyes despite the both of us wearing goggles? That kid's been in some serious trouble before."

"Huh, and here I thought it was because your aim was gettin' all rusty." Digger joked as he pulled out his signature weapons "This is why I stick with these beauties."

Snart simply rolled his eyes "You know the rules, Digger. Same with all of you: We don't hurt women or kids. I was trying to aim for the brat's legs to disable him. There's no way in hell I was gonna hit him with a full powered blast. Aside from McCulloch getting our loot, the kid showed me that two Cold Gun blasts combined make a 'Cold Bomb', so there's that..."

"Yeah, and an ice beam and a flamethrower burst create a hot shower." Mick joked. 

"You're right, Mick. I also learned that a certain someone should've gone out of their way to insulate their suit so they wouldn't get fried." Snart smirked "Just a suggestion for the future."

"Screw you." Mick grumbled.

“Yeah, but you gotta admit,” Trickster piped up “that Water Gun move those kids used was pretty effective!”

“Effective doesn’t mean intentional,” Livewire snapped, arms still crossed and hovering with a static hiss “Besides, that old lady freaking dropkicked your ass into a column with your own toys! But back to the point, are we seriously wasting breath over some teenage tourist with the guts to square up with us?”

“He wasn’t just gutsy.” Snart said, tone sharpening “He was calculating. Precise. Knew what made our gear tick, and he used that knowledge like a weapon. He was calling out orders to the others and instructing them on how to take us down. That squirt had plans. I was out for a good bit after he and the other blond kid tagged me, but guessing by the bruises the rest of you have, I'd say that he had a hand in taking the rest of you down like bowling pins.”

The rest of the others looked pretty damned miffed. Getting beaten by superheroes wasn't anything new to them. But some rando superfan kid and a bunch of normies? Wasn't exactly a comforting thought.

"Look, all of you can get salty about getting owned by a couple of casuals all you want. What matters is that we got what we needed. All that's left is to establish a meeting time with our eccentric buyer, hand his special little trinket, and possibly kick his fucking teeth in for giving us the wrong info about the place. Not necessarily in that order, but it's preferred." Cold added quickly.

"Can I get first dibs?" Mick asked.

"Maybe." Snart offered "After I freeze his balls off."

"Fair enough." Mick responded.

"Get in line, matchstick. I still got a few of me custom beauties that would like to say hi." Boomer growled.

"Speaking of those," Snart turned around to the direction of the Austrailian "you wanna tell me what the hell was going on in your head when you threw those Razor Boomerangs at the reporter lady?" He said in a frosty tone.

Digger paused "W-well, it was a... 'heat of the moment' sort of thing. Didn't meant to do any serious harm though! Scout's honour!"

Snart looked at the man for a few moments "Just make sure you remember the rules of this group of ours. Because if she didn't make it, you'd be on your way to Central City Hospital with stubs for arms. Don't let it happen again."

Digger nervously swallowed and nodded.

"Remberance of the rules aside," McCulloch cut in "I keep thinking about what that kid said while he and the others were celebratin' prematurely."

"About what?" Cold raised an eyebrow.

"Well, aside from nurisn' me ribs, I overheard him going on about Japan. Apparently, the little brocoli-haired lad was visitin' from overseas. Anyways, he was talkin' about how stuff like the things that happened a few days ago weren't exactly common from across the Pond. That they weren't as hectic and unpredicatable like over here."

Some of the other Rogues (Livewire included) looked at each other. Seriously?

“Yeah, come to think of it,” Cold muttered “while I was on the ground almost out of it, I heard him saying stuff like villain fights over there were way more ‘contained,’ that destruction was frowned on, real PR-centric. Sounded like a damn press release. I don't know how the fuck you can mitigate collateral damage in a hero fight. They're practically a given. Then again, the Japanese are pretty damn work focused so maybe they don't like their Capes leaving messes behind.”

"Pfft. Tell that to the boy scout back in my neck of the woods." Livewire irritably reminisced "For all the preaching his extra-terrestrial ass does, he's a crap housekeeper. Honestly wonder how much Luthor had to pay to fix less than half the shit he broke in his fights..."

"At least we don't gotta deal with that insurance stuff over in Central." Trickster spoke up, sitting upside down in his chair while fiddling around with a rubber chicken "Flash usually helps clean stuff up before he ducks out."

"Well, at least he has some common decency." Livewire allowed "Superpest comparisons aside, Reflection Boy was talking about the Land of the Rising Sun? From what you're talking about, you make is sound like shit going on over there is all regulated."

Mirror Master nodded "It may as well be, lass. I've actually been going over how they handle things over there. Did you all know the Titans went over there once? Apparently they got tangled up in some conspiracy involving a crooked police boss and some magic ink monster. But I know that's not what you all care much about. So I may as well show ya a brief example that happened around a month ago."

McCulloch pull out one of his smaller mirror devices and tapped on it like it was a smartphone. After a few seconds, a holographic display popped up and enveloped the room. Pretty similar to what one would see from a projector in their Science class.

The video showed some footage of some giant man rampaging through a city during rush hour, standing on top of some train tracks on top of a bridge. Civvies swarmed all around, taking pictures and some were even chatting with each other. That was a pretty noticeable sign of how different things were over there. Most of the time in their experience, whenever there was a supervillian attack, people in America would do the smart thing and running for their lives. But in Japan? Everybody seemed to be treating the rampage like it was some kinda fucking pay-per-view event! Now that was pretty uncommon in the States.

"Are they seriously just gonna stand around and take snapshots?" Boomer raised an eyebrow "Ya think the lot of the would turn tail and back away. Don't seem like a rational thing to do."

"Eh, give 'em a break Boomer." Trickster chimed in while trying to unscrew the cap of his meds "The big guy ain't even that close to most of them to be that big of a problem. Plus giant monsters are a dime a dozen in Japan anyway!"

Everyone side eyed the comic relief (yet oh so unassumingly deadly) member of their group.

"Hmm, point acknowledged!" was all Boomer said.

The video footage carried on and the group of crooks saw several of the local Capes showed up to deal with the situation. There was one dressed up like a firefighter who using his powers to maintain a perimeter that would keep the civilians out of harm's way. Another Hero was a guy who straight up looked like a human gorilla who managed to catch a falling portal catenary before someone got hurt The third hero seemed to be some guy with a hover pack of some kind taking potshots made out of condensed air at the behemoth. As for the last guy, based on first appearance, he seemed to be made completely out of wood.

"Psh, seriously?" Heat Wave couldn't help but add his two cents "Out of all the guys they got over there and they send Mr. Bonsai Tree to try and help save the day? Against a guy that size?"

"Well Mick, David did beat Goliath back in ancient times, so it's not completely out of the cards for him to pull a win." Trickster said, still fiddling around with the top of the pill bottle.

Again, surprised silence for Trickster's sudden aptitude.

"Huh, two for two James!" Boomer cracked up.

The group saw that "Woody" seemed to struggling for a good bit. He was practically dodging for dear life as the giant man was on the verge of crushing him if he made one wrong move. Tree Man then tries to grab onto the giant's arm, only to get sent flying away like a nuisance.

"See? This is what I'm talking about! Tree Guy's better off staying out of the whole thing! He ain't gonna do much except annoy the giant bastard." Mick said pretty dismissively.

Cold then finally spoke up "If he was smart, he should've snuck up behind the big lug and blinded him. Or maybe used those branches of his to target his ear canals. I don't know what the hell was going on in his head when he started "announcing himself" to the guy he was fighting."

"Maybe he wants to make a good impression." Livewire smirked while looking at the wooden yutz managing to regain his balance before he went blasting off again "Yours Truly ain't exactly shy about having her name plastered on every billboard and jumbotron!"

"Not all of us can surf the web, Sparky." Cold retorted, not even bothering to take his eyes off the projection "Nor have any cravings for the limelight. I'm all business."

Livewire childishly stuck her tongue out but Snart paid her no mind, eyes laser focused on the video. By the looks of things, Branch Boy was gonna end things. His wooden tendrils began to extend at a rapid rate. 

Heat Wave raised an eyebrow at the display "Huh, maybe this guy can actually pull this of-"

"CANYON CANNON!" the audio seemed to spike sharply.

Everyone was startled to see a giant woman wearing a white and purple spandex costume, who appeared to slightly larger than her target, pop out of fucking nowhere and launch a flying kick at the baddie, sending the giant crook spiraling towards the ground. The giant was pretty much down for the count.

"THE FUCK?!" Mick shouted.

"DAMN, GIRL'S GOT MOVES!" Livewire whistled.

"CRIKEY!" Boomer exclaimed.

"Huh. Apparently they got giant ladies over in Japan too. Wonder if she's related to Giganta..." Trickster absentmindedly said as he downed his pills and guzzled his water.

"My sentiments exactly." Evan spoke up from his silence "The lass gave me a bit of a jumpscare meself. Although, I doubt she's got any ancestry with the lady in question."

"Surprised that she doesn't." Heat Wave said with a smirk forming on his face "She's certainly got a fine set of 'assets' on her..."

Not even two seconds after those words exited the pyromaniac's mouth, he found his posterior getting zapped with a small (but still very painful) discharge of static electricity from a very displeased Livewire.

"AGH! HEY, WHAT THE FUCK?!" Mick shouted as he literally hopped out of his seat to massage his poor bottom.

"Say another word and we'll find out how many amps you can tolerate." She threatened, causing the man in question to flinch back a good bit.

"Comments aside," Cold spoke up "it wouldn't make any sense anyway. Their skin tones and physiologies are complete different. Plus, if the rumours about her and Grodd are true..."

"Rumors?" Mick piped up.

"Seriously, mate?" Boomer raised an eyebrow "You were literally a part of the whole bloody Legion! You out of all of us should at least know a good bit about what we're talkin' about..."

Heat Wave still looked confused "Someone wanna spell it out for me then?"

Boomer sighed and walked closer to his partner in crime, leaning closer to him and whispering something in his ear. As soon as the words registered in the flame obssessed arsonist, his face turned to one of shock and revulsion.

"Oh God! What the fuck?!" he exclaimed "Please don't tell me they... you know...?"

Boomer's face cringed but eased up afterwards "I'd doubt it. She's got more of a thing for the Flash anyway."

That only seemed to make Mick slightly more nauseous.

"Speaking of which, Mick, whatever happened to the simian anyways?" Cold asked.

Heat Wave managed to snap out of the horrid mental images springing forth out of his subconscious to answer "Last I heard, Luthor trapped him and dumped his hairy ass out of the air lock of the ol' Legion HQ we were on when he started his coup. Just glad I chose the right side. All that monkey brainpower of his probably went POP along with everything else. His frozen grey matter particles or whatever are probably out there somewhere..."

"Oi!" The group turned to see a rather annoyed Scotsman "You lot wanna learn a thing or two or not?!" Mirror Master said a bit impatiently.

"Alright, we hear you McCulloch." Cold spoke on behalf of everyone "Continue."

"Right then." the Scotsman complied.

The video showed the heroine leaning over the villain and looking down at the crowd (and especially the photographers) with a sultry smile.

"The name's Mt. Lady!" she said with a smirk in full view of everyone "Nice to make your ass-quaintance~"

What followed was a legion of photographers snapping shots like mad while echoing "Money Shot!" like some bizarre mantra or war chant.

Livewire raised an eyebrow at that "Is this bitch serious?! She don't even got any shame!"

"Ass-quaintance?" Boomer echoed in confusion.

"Considering she's wearing a suit that skintight, it's safe to assume that she probably sold away any dignity she may have had in exchange for some dough." Trickster said absentmindedly.

"Sides, your one to talk with that damn leotard your strut around in with the low cut V-neck..." Heat Wave mumbled.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Livewire head snapped in the direction of Mick.

"Nothing!" He quickly said.

"Better be..." Livewire responded.

The footage then cut to the giant villain, now shrunken down, being restrained by the police as the heroine smiled and waved like she was in some damn parade.

"Did... did they just put a muzzle on that guy?" Trickster gaped.

The other villains in the room took a second look and were surprised.

"Huh, well that's... excessive for a bloke." Boomer commented, slight disbelief in his voice.

"Maybe they don't want him biting anybody." Heat Wave offered "He was roaring and shouting all over the place before getting the shit kicked outta him."

"Still, kinda over the top." Trickster couldn't help but be concerned.

As the banter was going on, Snart zeroed in on the woman's face. Despite all the smiles and waves, he felt their was an edge of anxiety to her that most wouldn't even consider. He swore that for a brief few seconds, the woman's smile froze and seemed to emit an aura of...desperation? There was some backstory behind all of that, he was sure.

"So, are we gonna ignore that this lady just stole the thunder of all the other Heroes who jumped in to help?" Trickster brought up.

"Seems that way, don't it?" Mirror Master smiled a toothy grin "That there's a pretty common trend that I've come across a good bit in me research of the place. A lot of the fights over in Japan involving their Capes are like that. First glance? Most of them seem to only give a shite about who can take down the Crook of the Day the fastest and the flashiest. Think of it as a "To the Victor go the Spoils" type o' deal."

The rest of the Rogues and Livewire shared looks at one another. That didn't exactly vibe well.

"You telling us that these Capes are treating the thing like a contest of some kind?" Cold asked for clarification.

"Aye." McCulloch responded "It's even more serious than any of ya would think. Turns out that they've got some kinda ranking system going on."

“Like… baseball cards?” Trickster asked, blinking in confusion.

“Nah, mate. Like a bloody corporate ladder.” Mirror Master explained, tapping the side of his head “Sponsorships, endorsement deals, even damn popularity polls. It's not just about stopping villains, it’s about branding.”

“Are you kidding me?” Livewire scoffed, arms crossed “What kind of backwards ass Saturday morning cartoon shit is that? ‘Oh hey, you saved a school bus full of orphans? Here’s a shampoo deal!’”

“Sounds like they’re treating hero work like a mix between pro wrestling and reality TV.” Cold muttered, rubbing his chin “Flash might actually hate it there.”

Heat Wave grunted “Heh. I’d pay good money to see him trying to dodge autograph hounds instead of us for once.”

Trickster tilted his head “Wait… would that means this Mt. Lady chick didn’t really show up late for the fight? Did... did she time it on purpose? Just so she could land the finishing blow for the media pop?”

“Bingo.” McCulloch nodded “From what I’ve dug up, a few of their Capes have entire PR teams. Practically every fight’s a show, and nearly every save is a chance for a photo op. Hell, wouldn’t be surprised if some of ‘em let crimes happen just so they can swoop in and look good.”

A heavy yet agitated silence fell over the room for a moment.

“Sounds like a damn farce.” Cold finally said, his voice colder than usual “We may be crooks, but at least we don’t pretend we’re saints while cashing in on human misery.”

“Speak for yourself.” Livewire quipped “If I could shock bank accounts instead of people, I’d be retired by now.”

“Still...” Cold narrowed his eyes at the video footage of Mt. Lady smiling for the cameras “...there’s something off about her. That smile doesn’t reach her eyes.”

"Think she's hiding something?" Heat Wave asked.

"I know she's hiding something." Their leader responded "And in a place like that where image is everything, she's gotta have some baggage."

"And she may very well have some. But before I further with that, you mentioned that the Flash would find a place like this rather distasteful, correct?"

"Cut to the chase, McCulloch." Cold said rather impatiently.

"Well, funny you should say that..." Mirror Master smirked as he tapped some inputs into his small mirror device.

"Would ya believe me if I told ya that he and another one of his Justice Friends was there on the exact same day this happened?" Mirror Master stated.

"I... wouldn't exactly rule it out." Cold said "Any reason why?"

"Well, you remember hearing rumours about a series of arms shipment deals that was going down in Central a few months back?" McCulloch asked.

Cold's eyes widened a small bit in understanding "They ended up in Japan? Who the hell's the buyer? I thought the Japs hated guns."

"Oh, they still do. Heck, I think their distaste for firearms has increased even more nowadays, what with the army of Capes they've got mucking about." He mentioned.

"Army?" Trickster said.

"Yes, you heard me right James. A bloody army of them." Mirror Master stressed "You lot think the Justice League is bad? They only have around thirty or so members. Japan? Has thousands of 'em!"

Everyone froze the second those words left Evan's mouth. A startled stillness hung over them all.

"You're...you're pulling our plonkers, right?" Boomer said tonelessly. If he had a cigarette in his mouth, it sure as hell would've ended up on the floor "There's no bloody way-"

"I'm not." Mirror Master urged, the joyful tone in his voice replaced with sternness "The whole bloody country is full of 'em. There's practically a small battalion of 'em in every major city in Japan."

"No fucking way." Heat Wave said with disbelief "How the hell can there be so damn many?!"

"If ya think that's bad, then I doubt the whole lot of ya could handle the reason behind why that truly is..." Mirror Master said.

"And that is?" Cold raised an eyebrow (despite still being a little shellshocked about the information that was divulged earlier, but he sure as hell wasn't gonna show any discomfort).

"Not to undermine your authority, fearless leader, but I think it'd be best to talk about that bombshell a bit later. As an exchange of sorts, I think the next video I'm about to show all of you will more than make up for it. Sound fair?" Mirror Master smirked.

Snart himself stayed silent for a good bit before deciding to not press the issue further "Fine. But we're going over it later."

"Fine by me, boss. Now then, there's something I think you all need to observe." the Scotsman urged.

The projection changed once again, but the scene painted a much more intense picture for those watching.

The footage played, albeit it was much shakier than the perevious video. It was pretty apparent that it was filmed on some civilian’s phone. The camera panned erratically, catching only snippets of smoke, screaming bystanders, and one grotesque sight at the center of it all.

A pulsing, bubbling mass of greenish-brown sludge was smack dab in the middle of a shopping district of sorts that was set ablaze, its dripping tendrils wrapped tightly around a struggling teenager. Sparks seemed to explode from the boy’s palms as he thrashed about, but he was clearly panicking as his muffled screams (and possible curses) barely audible under the creature’s roar.

Sirens wailed from multiple directions. Smoke drifted of into the air and seemed to envelop the epicenter of the conflict. Civilians stood behind barricades seemingly made out of water with their phones in hand, shouting out names of the heroes dealing with the situation—some cheering, some shouting with voices plagued with worry. Others just watched in horror and pure anxiety.

“What the hell is that thing?” Boomer muttered, squinting at the screen to better discern the creature.

“Looks like Clayface’s radioactive cousin after getting trapped in a septic tank.” Heat Wave offered.

The camera suddenly snapped left, catching a group of heroes standing nearby, watching the rather unsettling scene unfold. Among them was the same burly man with bulging arms they saw in the previous video, gesturing animatedly while shouting over the din.

The situation clearly wasn't getting any better and to make matter worse, it looked like none of the heroes were willing to hop in and actually do something. They practically assumed the role of spectators, getting front row seats to watching a teenager about to get suffocated to death!

“What are they doing?” Livewire asked, voice rising with outrage “Why the hell aren’t they jumping in?!” She didn't exactly have a soft spot for kids, but for fuck's sake, she didn't wanna see one die like in a situation like this!

“They’re arguing,” Mirror Master said grimly “That one there, the big guy—he’s saying the giant snot blob has the hostage too tightly bound. They might hurt the kid if they act. They're practically resortin' to crowd control.”

“That ain't an excuse to let that monster freaking suffocate the poor kid on camera!” Trickster snapped "What the hell's the matter with these guys?! They're heroes for crying out loud! Be heroic!"

"I guess I might as well turn up the audio a good bit so you can hear the dialogue." Mirror Master said as he slid his finger up to increase the sound.

"HE'S TOO SLIPPERY TO GET A HOLD OF! BUT HIS HOSTAGE WITH THE EXPLOSIVE QUIRK IS RESISTING!" the rather grainy audio of the brawny hero shouting to his comrades said. 

"Quirk?" Boomer asked.

"That's what they call superpowers over there in Japan. From a certain point of view, the classification fits. Certainly easier and quicker to say than 'Metahuman Abilities' like the suits over here say..." Evan informed as the video continued.

The footage cut to Kamui Woods as he grabbed two young boys from the enveloping flames "Explosive fires are my weakness! Someone else has to take this one!" the rookie hero shouted

"Okay, I can buy Wood Man not being able to do shit here, but what about the others?!" Heat Wave looked on in bafflement, and a little disappointment "Damn, I kinda wish I was there. Ugh, the one time a fucking blaze that big happens and I can't take any freaking selfies!"

"You can burn an empty building down when the heat's off us. We just launched an attack on the Flash Museum. Central and Keystone are probably stiff trying to sniff out our blood in the water. And that's excluding both Flashes. Do I also gotta remind you that you're down a costume?" Cold explained.

Mick huffed.

"I've got my hands full!" One Hero with a firefighter theme going on said, spraying water wherever he could "Where are the firefighters?!"

"Hopefully still untangling their hoses..." The pyromaniac mumbled.

The video footage from the smartphone recording then looked upwards and saw Mount Lady running towards the scene, only to stop to a halt as she gazed downwards at the roads beneath her feet.

"A single lane street?!" She exclaimed as she tried to push her foot closer closer to no avail as it took up most of the road "I can't get there!"

"Okay, you gotta be fucking joking at this point!" Boomer said in increased agitation "You telling me that she can't just shrink down, get closer, and then grab the living goo blob?! 'Sides, it's not like this sort of thing would've ever stopped Giganta when she was rampaging!"

"Unbelievable." Trickster spoke aloud "She gets stopped by freaking road architecture?! Heh, it'd be kinda funny if a kid wasn't dying at the moment!"

That wasn't the case for the other criminals as growing outrage began to take hold. None of them were pure souls. They were very much self aware of the fact. But the idea of the Heroes of Japan being this incompetent during a hostage situation like this? It boggled their minds!

"NO GOOD! THERE'S NO ONE HERE WHO CAN STOP HIM!" Death Arms yelled.

"THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN 'THERE'S NO ONE THAT CAN STOP HIM?!' YOUR ASS IS THERE, ISN'T IT?! PUT THOSE MUSCLES OF YOURS TO USE! CAN'T YOU JUST THROW SHIT AT HIM?" Livewire shouted in anger "IS THIS GUY AN IDIOT?!"

"That wouldn't do any good." Cold spoke "He might seriously hurt the kid if he tried that."

"Maybe he could find a fire hydrant somewhere and use it to douse the fires and let them all get closer?" Boomer suggested.

"Decent idea. But between the blaze going on and the living mass of slime, they'd have to split their focus. That could cause them to waste all the water they need and cripple their options. Plus I don't think this dumbass has enough brainpower to even consider the idea if he's just standing around like that." Cold semi-sneered his last few words out.

"JUST GOTTA WAIT FOR SOMEONE WITH THE RIGHT QUIRK TO SHOW UP!!!" The meatheaded Hero called out.

...

...

'Is this guy for real?!' Everyone having a hive mind moment said internally.

"And if they don't?!" Trickster shouted "What are you gonna tell his parents at the upcoming funeral? Sorry Mr. and Mrs. So and So, we were unable to save your kid because none of us had the right powers to get the job done and lack critical or tactical thinking skills to improvise. Thanks for understanding! On behalf of all Heroes of our nation, we mourn your loss. Yeah, that's gonna go down real well! Heck, I'd bet one of my lucky rubber chickens that all of us could do a better job! And we're on the opposite side of the law for cryin' out loud!"

"How come Giant Girl doesn't try to smother the flames?" Heat Wave asked "Couldn't she just blow them out? Or fan her hands in their general direction? She's big enough to generate enough air to do that, right?"

"Not viable." Cold said with pure logic "I doubt she's even got the lung capacity to make a dent in those fires. Plus, even if she could, there's a risk of her spreading them even further."

"Damn. This whole thing's a bloomin' shitshow!" Boomer said in exasperation until his eyes caught onto someone "And look at that bloke in the baseball outfit! He and the construction jackass aren't even doing anything!"

"Not to mention the crowd is just standing around and treating the thing like it's some amazing spectacle if the smiles and cheers are anything to go by." Cold fully sneered "What the fuck is wrong with these people?"

The entire group practically devolved into groans of frustration. Yes, they were villains. Yes, they were criminals. Yes, the broke the law several times and committed a slew of crimes. But even they had their limits. Minus Livewire to some extent considering she could be pretty maniacal and unhinged. But hey, guess seeing such rampant stupidity can bring even the most twisted of minds to draw upon some dormant form of empathy.

The whole situation seemed to carry on for the next few minutes with the heroes resorting to just standing around, hoping someone would come to the rescue and succeed where they failed. But the longer they waited, the less likely that seemed to be the case.

"This is fucking madness." Boomer watched on, anger growing with each passing minute "Is this lot just gonna stand around and twiddle their thumbs while that exploding tyke is fighting for his bloomin' life?!"

"Aye, they are." Mirror Master finally spoke up "And trust me, I can understand each of your frustrations. But don't worry, the cavalry's coming."

Livewire and Heatwave raised their eyebrows, wondering who the hell would show up at a time like this.

And not too long they go their answer in the form of a familiar green humanoid appearing right from the crowd and making a beeline for the musclebound idiot who thought he could do nothing more than stand around and watch a kid get killed.

"Wait, the Martian guy showed up?!" Heat Wave exclaimed "What was he doing in Japan?!"

"'Member that arms shipment I brought up earlier? He was probably tracking it too. Probably on a mission for the other goody two shoes on that space tower of theirs..." Mirror Master informed.

"But all of that was going down in Central City. Why the hell would he be getting involved with it?" Boomer asked.

"Oh, that's because his partner is someone we've all had plenty of run-ins before in the past..." McCulloch informed.

The meathead didn't exactly look happy to see the Manhunter show up. He looked even more miffed when a certain someone showed up in a familiar red blur.

"FLASH?!" All of them, sans Cold and Mirror Master, shouted.

“Yup.” McCulloch confirmed, his tone flat but not without a trace of smugness “Now just wait for the cherry on top...”

The video showed the scarlet blur skidding to a halt in front of Death Arms and Martian Manhunter, who almost immediately stepped forward and looked like he was about to start arguing with their nemesis about parking spots.

“No.” Boomer said slowly “No bloomin' way. He’s not actually gonna start arguing with Flash!”

“Un-freakin’-believable,” Heat Wave muttered “You’ve got the literal fastest man alive standing right there and Meat-For-Brains decides now is the time to do something?”

"Trust me, lads. That's not gonna be the case here." McCulloch intoned.

Pretty soon, the villains noticed that the Heroes stopped running their jaws. The Rogues (plus one Metropolis native) watched the screen in taut silence as the tension seemed to pause a bit.

“…Why are they all just staring at each other like that?” Boomer asked, brow furrowed “Nobody’s talking.”

“They are.” Heat Wave muttered, leaning forward “They just ain’t usin’ their mouths.”

“Come again?” Trickster blinked.

“The Martian.” Heat Wave grunted “Some folks in the Legion used to talk about him. Said he’s psychic. Does the whole mind-voice thing when shit gets dicey.”

Livewire raised a brow, eyes narrowing at the screen “So they’re having a telepathic team meeting while the kid’s still getting slowly asphyxiated? That’s efficient.”

Boomer scoffed “I was in a team once. Apart from this one in the very least. We just yelled over explosions like normal people.”

“Would explain why you nearly blew us all up once. Then again, didn't the woman who 'led' your team put a bomb in your head if you ever went AWOL?” Cold noted, not looking away from the screen.

Boomer twitched "T-that's neither here nor there!"

On the feed, Flash suddenly grinned, nodded—though his eyes were all focus—and zipped into motion, dragging the meathead with the construction theme in his wake.

“There we go.” said Cold “Finally.”

“Wait, are they—” Boomer started, but then Slugger’s glowing baseball smashed the sludge villain in the face.

Then chaos. Coordinated chaos.

Death Arms and Flash were pulling the kid free like a well-oiled machine. The baseball guy kept launching pop flies like he was in the damn World Series. Wood Man and Ginormica darted in the background, already clearing wreckage with fire extinguishers.

“They planned this.” Mirror Master observed flatly.

“They planned all of this without even speaking.” Livewire said, somewhere between horrified and impressed.

Heat Wave gave a low whistle “Gotta admit, that’s… pretty smart.”

“Why can’t we ever do that?” Boomer muttered.

“We did, once.” Trickster offered helpfully “Remember the warehouse job in Keystone?”

“You set yourself on fire during the ‘quiet’ approach!” Boomer shouted.

Trickster blinked “…Yeah, but it distracted the guards, didn’t it? Plus, I learned that my Smokescreen Briefcase still needed more testing and Mick got a kick out of it. So it was a win-win!”

Death Arms and Flash managed to pull the kid out in time, though Flash himself didn't look too happy with him. Cold himself noticed the cocky smirk on the brat's face, causing him to narrow his eyes. Turns out it was a bad time to for the trio to let their guard down as the (literal) slimy bastard manged to smack away both of the heroes and grab hold of the brat once more.

"Aw, come on Flash!" Heat Wave shouted "I'd expect one of these idiots to screw it up, but not you!"

"You'd think the Fastest Bloke Alive would've seen that coming, but I guess not." Boomer remarked "He can outrun us but can't see a bloody tentacle coming from a mile away?"

"Eh. Happens to the best of us." Trickster pointed out.

Things seemed to get even more dire when Flash tried to save the kid, but ended up getting knocked into a building by the sludge pile. The Martian seemed to be panicking while standing near the fires, looking scared to death of them. It was a bit of a hard watch as they saw the blond boy about to be dragged back into the disgusting mass of puke green puss when another individual came around.

With a very familiar green mop of hair.

"Holy shit, it's that kid from the museum!" Trickster pointed out.

Everyone's eyes cracked open in shock while unconsciously leaning in closer to the projection as a familiar figure sprinted into the frame: wild green hair bouncing with every step, wearing a Japanese school uniform, arms swaying frantically while his face pretty much had panic written all over it.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS HE THINKING?!” Heat Wave exclaimed, wide-eyed "WHY IS HE EVEN GETTING INTO THIS MESS?!"

"IS THIS KID NUTS!?" Livewire shouted.

"Well, the tyke was ballsy enough to get into a shootout with our leader so this all check out!" Boomer said in humour, trying to mask his own surprise.

Cold himself was rarely caught off guard by a lot of things. Having a speedster for an archenemy often made one wary and properly paranoid of what could occur in the future. But seeing a kid, the same kid who held his own against someone of his calibre, run headfirst into a disaster zone like this? With nothing but pure nerve and possible hysteria?

This kid clearly had no sense of self-preservation, that much was definitely apparent.

"Well, glad to see I'm not alone in the overall response of our little sortie." Mirror Master remarked "As ye can see, the lad who went up against us clearly has balls of steel."

"More like no common sense." Cold remarked, looking flabbergasted at how things had changed.

Greenie then went on to toss his some of the stuff from his backpack straight at the eyeballs of the slimeball, stunning him long enough for him to loosen his hold on the blond brat. Greenie then frantically tried to rip off the sludge to free him.

"Okay, scratch that, he's got some common sense." Cold reiterated.

As the little nervous wreck was trying to help the trapped kid, the (practically useless) meathead seemed to be yelling at him.

"This fucker just keep hitting new lows, doesn't he?" Boomer spoke "Yeah, the kid's in a dangerous situation, but he's doing a helluva lot more than you, Gorilla Arms! Maybe you should go help him! Just a thought!"

"Got some damn nerve if he's trying to pull rank now." Livewire sneered "His stupid ass stood around getting all panicky. As crazy as this kid is, he's actually managing to do something!"

"That's probably not how this idiot sees it " Cold commented "As much of a pussy as he's been acting, he's got a point here. The kid shouldn't have ran out there. He's got guts, but also might be have a death wish he's been meaning to cash in."

"Trust me," Mirror Master chimes in "shit's about to get even crazier."

"How?!" Trickster shouted "Pretty sure were past the danger threshold and moving into Condition Red or something!"

Just then, an audible groan was heard from somewhere within the general area. The group turned quick and saw that Weather Wizard, who was still recovering from the beatdown he took a few days ago, finally got up off his ass and stumbled towards them.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty finally decided to join us!" Mick turned around to greet the rookie "The painkillers help any?"

"Eat shit, pyro." Weather Wizard mumbled as he struggled to walk on his own two feet before he looked up towards the projection "The hell's going on? Why is there a living pile of sewage causing mayhem?"

"You might wanna cop a squat and enjoy the show, lad." Mirror Master advised "Because in yer condition, you might tumble over again by what happens next."

It was then that they were on the cusp of being treated to a spectacle that they certainly didn't expect when a incredibly muscular smiling blond man emerged from the crowd and launching forward.

"Who the fu-" Heat Wave was about to say before the volume of the recording increased right before the newcomer's actions spoke louder.

"DETROIT SMASH!!!"

The explosion of wind and pressure from strongman's blow rolled across the scene like a freight train made of thunder. The sky literally split open—clouds torn apart like tissue, debris scattered like confetti, and the living mass of puss was atomized into muddy vapor. The force of the punch was so immense that it not only obliterated the blob but also altered the weather, clearing the skies and creating a sudden gust of wind that swept through the area.

For a brief second, not one of the civilians on the screen moved. Then, slowly, the camera panned up to the hero's glowing figure, his smile radiant as the sun shined brightly in the sky once more.

What followed was a symphony of cheers and shouts of joy as the civvies chanted the hero's name with a ridiculous amount of fervour.

As for the villains, none of them said a damn word for a nearly a minute. What the hell could anyone say to that?!

Apparently Weather Wizard could.

"Wh-What the actual hell?! Did he just... change the weather with a punch? That's not how meteorology works!" The man shouted in growing dread.

"Well, it seems like physics just took a nice little backseat." Mirror Master smiled.

"McCulloch," Cold asked with a rare tone of hesitance "who the hell is that guy?"

"That my dear brothers (and sister) in crime, is All Might. He's Japan's Number-One Hero and the so called 'Symbol of Peace.' He's pretty much Superman of the East. Aside from beating the shite out of ne'er do wells, he's most famously known for defying the laws of physics with his fists while simultaneously smiling and flipping them off."

"I think I need a drink." Trickster muttered as he felt a headache coming on.

"Ditto." Livewire spoke up, still gaping at the screen "And I can't even get wasted anymore..."

"Seriously, though. That punch created a localized high-pressure system, dissipated clouds, and altered wind patterns! How in the living hell does someone do that?! It's like he has a direct line to the weather gods or something." Weather Wizard struggled to stay standing while looking at the scene.

"You might wanna cop a squat lad." Mirror Master said as he ended the projection, allowing the group to sit in silence at the insanity and incompetence that they saw "You don't wanna get any more hurt than you already are tripping over yourself."

"How the hell were you able to get all that footage? Audio and all? How come some parts we could hear and other parts we couldn't?" Boomer couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, that wasn't too hard. There was plenty of footage to take from. Just had to download it all via some software I found and cherry pick what needed to be shown." The illusionist answered.

"Well, it got the message across well enough. But you still gotta wonder how these idiots fucked up a rescue op that bad." Heat Wave commented "I mean, you tryin' to tell us that these dumbasses can't even pull their heads out of their asses to get shit done right?"

"Well you see Mick me boy, Japan is a lot more different than what most people expect it to be like. But if I were to go over it all, we'd be here all night. Let's just say that the Japanese seem to value quantity over quality. Which leads me to my next point."

He then turned to Snart with a smirk "I've got a bit of a proposition for you, fearless leader..."

Recently, something caught the attention of the core members of the Justice League. It was a trial centred around Midoriya's friend Hitoshi Shinso. Thankfully, the boy wasn't on trial for any criminal activity but instead he was suing his Quirk Counsellor. And when they found out why Shinso and his family were suing? 

They were, needless to say, very pissed off. 

The blatant dismissal of the Counselor (If he could even be called that) and his lawyer were something to behold. The man tried to play the part of the fool, while his ‘lawyer’ tried to make a show of the proceedings. They tried to wriggle their way out of the jaws of Inko Midoriya, but the woman had a stubborn streak on par with her son. 

When it got to Shinso himself letting slip just how he was treated due to his power, the more sensible members deigned to keep a close eye on Shayera and Diana, just in case. Even Clark got a few tense looks. 

But, in a rare moment of human competence and decency, literally everyone else in the courtroom saw how utterly evil that was, and the Judge quickly declared the case in favour of Shinso. But the best part? This set a precedent. Now, there were reports of people suing their own Quirk Counsellors for almost the exact same reasons, and even similar, but entirely unrelated ones! 

One case involved a young man with a Quirk that could allow him to shapeshift into a person's worst fears if he so desired while taking on the physical abilities whatever or whoever that person was afraid of. Another was a guy whose entire body was essentially a living hive fully of insects that he could control on command. There was a man whose entire head would burst into flames, leaving a blazing skull in its midst (it certainly didn't help that he was a fan of leather jackets). There was a girl whose Quirk made her what was essentially a walking nuclear reactor. Another girl who could morph her body into snake parts. There was a man who could turn his skin and muscles invisible, but not his bones. A teenage boy whose skin and muscle was replaced with a strange Bio-Parrafin, causing him to essentially be a skeleton, organs, and eyeballs inside of a translucent glob of pink jelly. There was even a girl who could drain the energy and life force of whoever she touched, only she couldn't turn it off. That case in particular tugged on quite a few heart strings, especially since it was cleverly named 'Life-Drain.' Still, it was apparently better than the counsellor's original suggestion of 'Death Touch,' if only marginally. 

They were just happy that people were finally getting justice after all this time. With whatever hardships they had to endure, simply because their power had a certain name, because they had undesirable effects or appearances that they couldn’t control, they needed this win. And hopefully, it would have a ripple effect, causing other changes for the better. 

But now, the founding members were in their private meeting room, getting ready to discuss something that, while not as recent, was no more troubling. 

"I don't think I need to explain why we're having this meeting." Superman began, speaking in a somewhat cold voice that really didn't belong to the Man of Steel they all knew. He sat in his chair with his fingers interlocked as he leaned on the table, and there was this sort of heavy atmosphere from the clear anger in the Kryptonian that left them all somewhat on edge. Though they all understood why, each and every one of them felt that same rage, they were just better at containing it. 

They had just recently gone over the files that Midoriya had given Shayera, only for Flash to burst in and tell them that the boy's school had been obliterated. Now, apparently Batman had sent Huntress and Question (Yes, there were groans at the mention of those two) to investigate, and that apparently Deadman had come by to throw in his two cents (Okay, Clark might have let out a little shiver at the mention of the ghost. He wasn't exactly happy with the whole 'possessing his body' thing. He didn't hold it against Boston, but... Y'know) only to reveal something far darker than anyone had expected. 

The Meta Liberation Army. None of them really knew anything about them, they were before their time, but Flash had asked Jay about it, and apparently Wildcat had told Midoriya his experiences with the group back in his day. From what they knew, if this group was still around, then Japan might be in trouble. 

Now, the main idea of the MLA was fine. From a surface-level glance, they just wanted Metahumans to be treated as equals to everyone else during a time when they were being hunted like animals and put down as such. That was perfectly fine, in fact they all agreed with the notion, especially since apparently, Quirk-users weren't even allowed to use their coveted powers to save their own lives, lest they be arrested like common criminals. That one was really confusing. And worrying, to be honest. 

But back to the MLA, the core members of the League agreed with the initial ideals they proclaimed. The problem was when they began going too far. When they started killing. 

Yes, very few core members were adamantly against killing (Despite what people seemed to think, Superman didn't have a 'no kill rule.' He simply chose not to kill, but he wouldn't put it off the table if it was absolutely necessary) but even then, the number of innocents that the MLA would slaughter simply for not standing up for their cause was hard to stomach. Yes, turning away from injustice is itself injustice, but the MLA took it too far. 

And now they had infiltrated schools across the country. Or at least their more extreme beliefs did. So far Aldera seemed to be more of a group of rabid MLA fans that wanted to be noticed, but the fact that such a large operation went unnoticed for so long was worrying, especially if the real MLA had a hand in it. 

"This is all seriously messed up." Flash said in disbelief. He was honestly horrified by all the things Aldera had done, but he was even more horrified by the fact that, according to Cyborg, when he and the other Titans asked Midoriya about it, the boy tried to justify it "How long has this been goin' on? How deep does it go?" 

"That's the real question, isn't it?" Wonder Woman agreed "This kind of rhetoric has to be planted in the minds of people over quite a long time for it to properly stick. You said that they were investigating other schools in the district?" 

Batman nodded "The Aldera investigations concluded not too long ago, and the results are... distasteful." Wow, if this had Batman of all people pausing in hesitation, then it really must be bad. 

"So, what did they find?" Shayera, ever the headstrong one, asked. 

"It seems the entire district has been feeding out our ideology for well over a decade, maybe even longer, if what I'm seeing here is right." Tomoyasu Chikazoku, AKA Skeptic, explained as he typed away at his laptop. 

The inner circle of the Meta Liberation Army had finally convened to discuss what had been happening across their nation these past few weeks. And to say that they were confused would be an understatement. 

"Just how did they do all of this without us noticing?" Chitose Kizuki, AKA Curious, wondered aloud "We have info sources everywhere, and something like this would be pretty noticeable. From the data gathered, they weren't exactly subtle." 

"They were small." Skeptic dismissed "We were focused on the big fishes, not the leeches hanging off them." 

Curious gave a sigh in acceptance "Fair point. Big breaking news is great and all, but even the smallest scandal can be a problem. Especially since this puts us under the spotlight." 

"And what about that man the teacher's notebook mentioned?" Koku Hanabata, AKA Trumpet, interjected "Giran, I think his name was? I've looked into him, and the guy's good at what he does, so why would he entertain such stupid methods of indoctrination?" 

"I've done my research on this Giran, real name Kagero Okuta." Batman explained "He's an infamous info broker in the criminal underworld, known even in other countries. He's good, too good to associate with Aldera."

"Maybe he found their ideologies to be appealing." Wonder Woman suggested "Many would lower themselves if it meant rising higher, especially if it's with likeminded individuals."

It was a sound point, and many found themselves contemplating it themselves, but Batman shook his head "No, Giran isn't the kind of man to care for the MLA's ideology. He's a man who's only interested in one thing: Profit. He'll give any information and do almost anything if it means he gets paid, and his services aren't cheap."

"Which once again poses the question..." J'onn continued, somehow already knowing where this train of thought was heading "Why would he bother with Aldera in the first place?"

"Maybe he had a personal vendetta." Curious wondered, a smirk slowly growing on her blue face as the others all rolled their eyes. They knew where this was going "Initially presenting as an ally, a saviour even, only to tear down the very people that scorned him in the past!" And of course, sparkles entered her eyes "Just imagine the story! Oh, if only I could interview him, just what kind of life has that man lived!?"

"Actually," A strong and commanding voice cut in, immediately silencing all others present. A tall man in a pinstripe suit with receding ginger hair and a long nose stood at the head of the table, facing outwards towards the large glass window, a champagne glass in his hand "you are not entirely wrong, Curious." Rikiya Yotsubashi, AKA the leader of the MLA Re-Destro, said as he took a small sip "Giran was indeed setting Aldera up for fail. But it was not for the reasons you believe."

"There appears to be a power vacuum in Japan’s criminal underworld, and many are trying to become its newest ruler." J’onn explained “It’s likely that someone with enough resources hired Giran’s services, with the intention for him to play along with Aldera, only to cause their downfall.”

“But why would someone do that?” Clark pressed “What would the end goal be?” 

“Our cause is, unfortunately, not the most powerful power out in Japan’s underworld as of this moment, though we are established enough to be seen as a threat. It’s likely our ‘competitors’ saw us and decided that we had to be dealt with before we became a problem.” 

"So... what?" Trumpet slowly asked "Are you saying that someone might have hired Giran to prop up Aldera to get to us? But that doesn't make sense." 

"True, it does not." Re-Destro agreed, setting down his glass with a serious frown "However, what if we were not their only targets?" 

"Those children." Curious finally realised, jolting up "With how dissatisfied with the status quo they'd become after their time in Aldera, they'd most likely become either our soldiers, or independent villains. And if they become villains..." 

Their grand commander nodded "Then to whoever becomes the next ruler of Japan’s criminal world, those children soon become their pawns." 

"So... what? Some upstart decided to make a crime factory just so they'd maybe get some people to use as toys?" Flash asked. 

Batman, ever the one to not dismiss an idea, spoke up "It's not entirely stupid. If they become tools, all the better, but if they don't and become a problem, then they can ‘go missing’ and be done with it. After all, Aldera wasn't an impressive district even before everything came to light, so it's likely that anyone from there that went missing wouldn't be noticed or even missed." 

"And if they join the MLA, then they could always come back for them." Wonder Woman finished, her face depicting horror "Great Hera..." 

“We should keep in mind that this is all conjecture.” Superman reminded “We don’t have any real evidence of this. Giran could simply have had a personal stake in Aldera’s downfall. Or, yes, maybe an individual or group paid him to prop them up. But as for it being some shadowy criminal kingpin? We just don’t have enough evidence to really consider that theory. For all we know, it could be the HPSC. After all, more villains means more Heroes for them to control.” 

“Unlikely.” Batman interjected “Aldera’s situation absolutely benefits the HPSC, and many of their practices do seem engineered to sow discontent and breed villains, but this method seems far too bold and risky for them.” 

“As loathe as I am to admit it, the Hero Commission are careful in their acts, and don’t take any unnecessary risks if they can’t afford it.” Re-Destro gritted out, a few tiny liver spots appearing on his forehead “They use legal means to oppress the people, they use legislation to enslave the masses, and use policy to anger the select few that dare to think, and happily declare them villains to be used in the grand spectacle that is Heroism.” 

“Not a bad strategy.” Curious admitted bitterly “But you’re right that Giran’s involvement doesn’t fit their M.O. They wouldn’t risk associating with him just so they could brainwash a whole school district. After all, they already have a hold on the entire country, why would a single district matter?” 

“Indeed.” Re-Destro agreed, turning to the large window in the conference room “The oppressors have become content, lazy, they wouldn’t risk changing their strategy when what they’ve done so far has already worked so well, so it is unlikely they are involved, at least directly. There are few in the villain world that would have the resources to hire Giran for such a job, and even fewer that would have the motive to do so.” 

“Quite a problem.” Trumpet admitted, before giving a sly smirk “But we’ll pull through this little bump in our reputation, right Grand Commander?” 

Re-Destro simply chuckled, turning to face his compatriots, and giving their signature salute (In other countries, it was the sign for ‘Loser,’ but here in Japan? They would make their enemies fear it) “For the liberation of Meta-Abilities.” 

The others all returned the gesture, speaking out in reverent unison “For the liberation of Meta-Abilities.” 

“So, for right now, we have an unknown individual who’s willing to throw this MLA group under the bus to further their own goals.” Shayera summarised “That doesn’t exactly narrow it down.” 

“True, but it’s better than nothing.” Diana said, looking over the table “But until we have new information, I believe it to be best we move on. Something said during Shinso’s lawsuit trial has me uneasy.” 

“You mean the ‘Quirk Suppressant Drugs.’” Batman caught on “The fact that the concept didn’t seem that surprising to the crowd means that it’s a relatively known compound. If that’s the case, then we’ll need to look more into it. If it ever got out that such a thing existed, plenty of our enemies would be gunning for them. Imagine if someone got their hands on that drug and managed to use it to depower Flash in the middle of a rescue mission.” 

“The results would be catastrophic if that drug ever made its way out of Japan.” J’onn agreed “Especially if it was the same formula that Aragaki boy was taking.” 

“Some people are just sick...” Flash muttered. Honestly, who would do that to a kid? Sure, what he did was horrible, but guilt-tripping him into taking a drug that, from what they knew, was killing him? That’s just twenty steps too far “But yeah, we should probably keep an eye on it.” 

“Agreed.” Diana nodded “And I think all that’s left to discuss is the Rogues’ lack of appearance?” 

The Scarlet Speedster let out a huff of annoyance “Yeah, when Snart and the others wanna lay low, they’re pretty much impossible to find. I’ll find them eventually, but still, it’s annoying.” 

“And they teamed up with Livewire.” The Man of Steel reminded them “She doesn’t usually play nice with others, so whatever they were stealing must have been of some interest to her.” 

“Or it was the dough.” Flash suggested “Snart mentioned a buyer during all that chaos, so I’m guessing that said buyer wanted her skills as well as the Rogues’.” 

“Most likely.” Shayera nodded “By the way, didn’t you say Weather Wizard was there?” 

The man winced “Yeah, I think that was the original guy’s brother or something. Not the guy me and Supes ran into, but another brother. He... seems to hold a grudge, from the few times I’ve run into him.” 

“That bad?” Shayera raised an eyebrow.

“Eh, not really, just kinda awkward is all, I can handle it.” Flash waved her off.

“See that you do.” The Dark Knight said firmly, standing up from his seat “If that’s all, I need to get going.” 

Wally simply smirked at the Caped Crusader smugly “Oh, why’s that? Got a hot date?” 

“No, I don’t.” Batman denied, lowering his head to somehow enhance his scowl (Guy had scowling down to an artform) “I need to get ready for a conference. Recently some of Wayne Enterprises’ employees in Japan have raised concerns over the company’s discrimination policies, and whether or not they include Quirk Discrimination.” Seeing the wide eyes the other members gave; Batman couldn’t help but smirk a little “It’s time Bruce Wayne made a public statement about that.” And with that bombshell, he turned around and walked out of the room, leaving a stunned silence behind.