Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Days for Inko Midoriya tend to be similar, with very little thrill: wake up, make breakfast, eat breakfast, wave goodbye to her son and tell him she loves him a million times, do any chores needed around the house, watch TV, or scroll through social media—you know, the regular things. Sometimes, she would get calls, though they were always from the same circle of people. Today, however, was quite different: she received a call from a school.

As a worried mother, she immediately assumed something had happened to Izuku. However, they assured her this was not UA High. No matter how much she panicked about her son, the person on the line began to speak of a foreign exchange student who mentioned her name as someone they could maybe stay with. This didn’t remind her of anyone until they mentioned the girl’s name, causing her to excitedly accept the role as the child’s guardian during her stay here.

“Good news, kid. They said they’ll take care of you while you’re here, and thanks for not fighting me too much on this,” Aikuro said. He had put Ryuko up for this exchange program after her big win against Sanageyama. He had heard through the grapevine that Sanageyama was looking for a rematch, and with what he knew about the guy and the others in the elite four, he wouldn’t come unprepared. So, for reasons he wouldn’t admit, he sent her away to another school far away from him until she became stronger.

“I don’t know why you’re so worried. I beat ’em easily the first time round,” Ryuko replied, leaning against a payphone while waiting for her bus into town after a long boat ride from the artificial island she had called home for the last few weeks. “I could do it again, no problem!”

“I don’t doubt that, OK? Honest. It’s just—don’t you need to get stronger to avenge your father?” he attempted to use her ambition against her. “So play along for now, OK? I gotta go. Play nice, don’t start any fights, OK?”

She was about to give her rebuttal, though the words were caught on the dial tone after he hung up. “You litt—…” she sighed and put the phone down as the screeching sound of a bus stopping behind her cut her off.

“So, what’s the person you’re staying with like?” Senketsu asked. Though he was always with her, he felt a bit left out as Ryuko hadn’t told him anything about where she would be staying.

“With an old friend of mine,” Ryuko replied.

“How old?” Senketsu questioned nervously.

Ryuko danced around the question while boarding her bus and paying her fare. Once she sat down, she caved into the uniform’s curiosity. “We haven’t seen each other since we were five… But! We were pretty close, so it should be fine,” she replied loudly, earning weird looks from the people around her on the bus.

“…Ryuko… you’re 16 now,” Senketsu said in his usual monotone voice. (Had to age her down a year)

“He will remember me! Right?”

Senketsu was confused at the mention of her friend being a boy, though he didn’t say anything, letting the conversation end there.

About half an hour later, Ryuko arrived at an apartment complex in Musutafu with nothing but her uniform, her scissor blade, and an address. Ryuko was silent but seemed somewhat excited until she reached the door. Knocking on it less aggressively than she normally would, she showed a bit of respect for the home of her old friend. She heard frantic movements inside, then footsteps approaching the door. There were a few mutters, something pressing against the door, and then it opened to reveal a short, chubby woman with green hair and green eyes.

They both recognized each other instantly—Ryuko immediately felt an overwhelming, unconditional love being forced upon her, and Inko felt an instant maternal instinct to embrace the teen standing before her.

“Ms. Midori—?” Ryuko started but was cut off as the smaller woman all but tackled her, crying for some reason.

“Ryuko, you’ve grown so much! The last time I saw you, you were still being potty trained!”

“Pfft,” Senketsu started to laugh, though he was silenced by a glare toward his single eye from Ryuko.

“I’ve missed you too. Thanks for letting me stay here, ma’am,” Ryuko said.

“It’s no problem at all! I’m happy to have you, and I’m sure Izuku will be as well! He should be getting home soon. I haven’t told him you’ll be at the same school, so it will be a nice surprise!”

Inko grabbed Ryuko’s hand and dragged her inside. She set Ryuko up with some tea and a snack before saying she had to run out to handle some errands to account for her stay. “I won’t take long,” she promised before leaving.

Ryuko sat in the living room in silence after the door shut behind Inko, the quiet broken by Senketsu’s voice.

“She seems nice and reminds me of Mako’s mom. Are all mothers like this?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t know. It was just me and my dad while he was around,” Ryuko answered.

She set the cup down and sat up. While she was alone, she figured she might as well get acquainted with her new living arrangements. She explored the kitchen, which, of course, wasn’t anything special. The bathroom, however, was nice—complete with warm water, a privilege she hadn’t had in a while. The thought of taking a bath was tempting, though she didn’t have anything besides Senketsu and her jacket.

Inko wouldn’t mind if she borrowed something, would she? Then again, now that she thought about it, the woman’s clothes probably wouldn’t fit her, even if she still had anything from when she was younger. Opening the first door she found, Ryuko discovered Inko’s room. It was nothing special—not messy or filled with any loose makeup to make it stand out.

The next room, however, surprised her, and she instantly knew who it belonged to.

Izuku’s room was covered head to toe in All Might merchandise—posters, pictures, figurines, and even an alarm clock resembling the hero’s appearance. Picking up one of the various notebooks on a shelf, though this one was slightly burned, she flipped through it. Inside were notes about various quirks and heroes.

“Hasn’t changed a bit,” she muttered, tossing the book onto his bed.

Moving to his closet, she considered her options. She was fine wearing Senketsu during the day, but he wasn’t exactly sleepwear. If Izuku was still that same nerd who had needed her to save him from bullies, he would probably have several sets of spare pajamas—likely the All Might variety.

Izuku arrived home late. His first day was very stressful, especially with Bakugo hounding him all day about his quirk. He just wanted to get inside and lay down, so he didn’t take his time putting in his key and opening the door.

The lights were off inside. Was Mom home? he thought.

Upon reaching his room, he noticed the light was on, and he heard rustling inside. Maybe she’s cleaning my room, he thought, though there was never much of a mess to clean.

“Mom…?” he called out.

The movement stopped.

Izuku opened the door, expecting to see his mother getting his dirty clothes out of the hamper—not a girl his age sitting on his bed, wearing his clothes and reading his books.

Izuku’s mind raced. Oh my gosh! A girl is in my room! She’s pretty… and she’s wearing my clothes. W-wait! She’s wearing my clothes. How did she get in?!

He started to panic but took a deep breath and straightened himself out.

“Hello! Who are you?!” he managed to squawk out before feeling like he might have a panic attack.

Ryuko looked up at him. Yep, it was definitely him—one of her few, well, only friends before her dad sent her away to boarding school.

“Hey, Green. Been a while,” she said, trying to sound cool. She thought he would remember her that way… wouldn’t he? Yeah he definitely would, Ryuko thought before noticing they had been quiet for a while so she spoke “little Green? Are you there?” He just kept staring at her probably trying to figure who she was which caused her to get a little annoyed with him “Don’t tell me you forgot about me”

“I-I’m sorry I don’t seem to know you .. how did you get in here?” Izuku was trying to rationalize the situation. Maybe she was mentally ill and somehow wandered in. He thought about it for a moment. She called him little green which was weird. Did he know her?

Flashback

“Ya already made him cry, so stop it! Leave him alone!”

A young Izuku was trying to stand up and protect a boy who was being bullied and beaten by Katsuki Bakugo and his friends. Even though Bakugo and his crew were far stronger than he was, Izuku wouldn’t back down.

“What are you gonna do, pretend to be a hero?!” Bakugo sneered. Sparks danced in his hands as he slammed them together in an attempt to intimidate. “Ya don’t stand a chance without a quirk!”

“Katsuki, cut it out!” Ryuko yelled, as she shotgunned a rock at one of Bakugo’s friends. The rock hit the boy square on the head, leaving a rather large lump and sending the round child to the ground, crying.

“R-Ryuko?” Izuku stammered, hastily wiping his tears away in front of her. “Thanks.”

Ryuko tossed a rock into the air, catching it with a smirk. “No problem, Little Green” the older girl said

“RYUKO!”

Turning around hastily, Ryuko froze like she was in trouble. Her father stood nearby, his presence enough to make her drop the rocks she had been holding.

“Come on, we must go,” her father said, scooping her up and carrying her off.

Ryuko looked over his shoulder at Izuku as she was taken away. After that, she was sent off to boarding school. She didn’t hear from him, nor he from her, ever since.

Flashback End

“Ry-Ryuko?” Izuku stammered. He wasn’t entirely certain, but he was sure enough. She looked similar enough and even called him by the same nickname.

Ryuko smiled as he said her name. He did remember her.

“It’s been so long! How have you been?” Izuku asked.

Senketsu, who was hanging on the closet door, watched Ryuko interact with her friend. After Izuku remembered her name, they seemed to pick up where they had left off, with Ryuko telling him about her current situation and why she was there—though she didn’t tell him everything.

“Exchange student? So you’ll be staying with us and coming to U.A. with me? That’s great! You’re gonna be a great hero!” Izuku’s mind started buzzing with questions. She must have a quirk if she’ll be attending a hero school. She must’ve just been a late bloomer. What could it be? Hopefully it’s strong… but if it’s anything like her, maybe it’s a strength enhancement quirk. She was always stronger than even the older boys when we were kids.

“I wouldn’t say I’m set on being a hero, you know. I’m just browsing my options while keeping ’em open. Get it?” Ryuko said. She didn’t want to reveal the truth about why she was here—it would probably break him to know that she was only here to get stronger to kill someone. They had just reunited, and that would be too much for someone like him.

Changing the subject, she decided to talk about him instead. “Well, you’re in U.A. now—that’s something! Guess your quirk finally manifested. To hell with that toe thing!”

Now it was Izuku’s turn to lie and laugh it off. He hadn’t even told his mom the true nature of his quirk yet, and no matter how much Ryuko had meant to him before, he wasn’t about to tell someone who had just come back into his life about his power.

“It’s just like when you two were little!”

Both teens looked up immediately to see Inko Midoriya, who had come home with groceries for dinner and a new futon for their guest to sleep on. The small woman seemed to be tearing up at the sight of them being so buddy-buddy. She was just happy her son had a friend again.

After getting her to calm down, the two teens washed up for dinner.

Ryuko nearly cried when she tasted the food. Sure, Ms. Mankanshoku’s cooking was great, but this was amazing. She had been eating the same croquettes for weeks, and this was incredibly filling. For once, she didn’t have to wonder if she was eating monkey knees or moose ankles. It was 100% real chicken, and she couldn’t have been happier.

Ryuko raised some more of the food Ms. Midoriya had prepared to her mouth before biting down and letting out an exaggerated sound of satisfaction.

“This is delicious, ma’am!” Ryuko said with her mouth full.

Inko laughed and offered her more, which she happily accepted.

The extra person at dinner was welcome, but Izuku felt something as he took glances at Ryuko eating—something he felt often, sure, but it felt different now that he had his friend again. Content, besides the flurry of questions from him and his mom, dinner was uneventful.

Until it came time for bed.

As Izuku sat on his bed, he watched Ryuko set up the futon she would be sleeping on. Due to the lack of a guest room, they would be sharing a room for a while. They used to have sleepovers when they were kids, even sleeping in the same bed, so it wasn’t that weird.

“You sure you’re fine with the floor?” Izuku asked.

“It’s cool. I’ve been in a similar situation for a while, actually,” Ryuko answered.

Though her response raised another question in his mind, Izuku thought it would be rude to ask, so he stayed quiet. The silence hung in the room until Ryuko broke it with a question of her own.

“So, what’s your class like?”

“Off first impressions?” Izuku thought about his first day. A lot of his class was nice, like Uraraka and Iida, but there were others mixed into the crowd that made him less sure. “Colorful…”

“Yikes, that bad, huh? Well, I’ll see for myself tomorrow.”

Izuku nodded and turned over to sleep.

After a couple of seconds of silence, Ryuko looked up at the closet door where Senketsu was still hanging, his single eye staring down at her.

“He seems nice,” Senketsu said. “I don’t have your blood to go off of, but you seem to be feeling pretty nostalgic.”

Ryuko didn’t respond and turned over to sleep, leaving Senketsu feeling a little hurt.

[Next Day]

The next day, Ryuko finally saw the school she would be attending. Though she didn’t know her class or have her uniform yet, she would need to pick one up from the principal. For now, she was just wearing Senketsu and carrying her scissor blade in its guitar case.

When Izuku asked what was in it, she told him, “You’ll see.”

The other students seemed to stare at her for being out of place, though it didn’t really bother her.

Izuku went on ahead to his class, leaving Ryuko to traverse the school on her own.

“It should be on the second flo—” she muttered to herself, stopping abruptly when someone bumped into her.

The person was around her age, with pink hair and strange birthmarks. His uniform didn’t look like the ones worn at U.A.

“My bad,” he said before running off.

Two others in similar uniforms came running after him. One had hair that resembled a sea urchin, and the other was a girl who asked, “Did some pink-haired idiot come running through here?”

Ryuko nodded and pointed in the direction he had gone. The girl grabbed a hammer from her waist before running off, leaving the boy to shrug and follow her in pursuit.

“Well, that was weird,” Ryuko said to herself before continuing on to the principal’s office.

Ryuko knocked on the door, and a very squeaky voice gave her the go-ahead to enter. So, enter she did.

The office was pretty standard, though it was almost empty, save for a desk and a chair that was turned away from her. Oh great, they’re doing the thing. She walked in and closed the door behind her, which acted as the cue for the chair to turn around, revealing… a small dog? Mouse? Ehh, it didn’t matter. The underlying issue was that he was way too small for the chair, making the entire bit feel really cliché to her.

“I don’t recall your face, and due to the streak in your hair—which is clearly a prime sign of character design—I have deduced you must be Matoi, our new exchange student,” Nezu said, getting up and standing on his desk to be at eye level with her.

“Yes, that’s me. You must be the principal…” Ryuko trailed off at the end. Sure, animal quirks were nothing new, but something about him was off. “I’m just here because I didn’t get, well, anything I need to be a student here.”

“Yes, I expected this visit. It fills time and is easy to write because writer’s block is hard to get past, so cut me some damn slack, OK?” Nezu yelled at no one in particular before pausing to stare at the right wall of his office.

Ryuko just watched Nezu’s outburst. After her time spent at Honnōji and with the Mankanshokus, nothing that could be seen as “odd” really bothered her anymore.

“Riiight… well, do you mi—”

She was cut off by Nezu.

“Right, of course! Normally, wearing a uniform would be something required, though since I was told about the circumstances of your power, you will only need to wear a blazer over your sailor suit.”

Nezu attempted to snap his fingers but, due to his lack of opposable thumbs, struggled before saying, “Oh, forget it,” and doing a little clap. This caused the required piece of cloth to appear on Ryuko, which officially hit her weird limit.

She began to panic a little. Was this rodent a god? What kind of quirk does he have that lets him do this?!

Nezu climbed off his desk to open the door for her. “Now, if you would excuse yourself, you must hurry off to class… oh right, 1-A! Go, go! Hurry, hurry!”

Ryuko got up to leave, but before she did, she had to ask, “About that exchange student thing. Shouldn’t I be a transfer? Who was I exchanged with?”

[Somewhere at Honnōji Academy]

“This is a pig who attempted to defy Honnōji Academy and he had been punished as he should be…” Taiyō read the sign wrapped around the very very skinny man’s neck who was being held up at the gate of the school “Is it always like this here?” He asked the brunette next to him

“Yeah but it’s ok you're one of them fancy U.A students you’ll be fine…probably” Mako said while practically bouncing up and down while trying to tackle Taiyō how she would Ryuko

[Back at U.A]

As she approached the door, Ryuko could hear a lot of talking going on inside. She wasn’t going to be at this school for long—just this year—so she figured she might as well play around a bit and make an entrance.

Opening the door, Ryuko kicked it open and shoved her hands into her blazer pockets as she walked in with a bow-legged waddle toward the front of the class. The entire class stopped their conversations and turned to look at her.

Hmph, they think I’m awesome already! she thought.

During her time in boarding school, she’d learned a few things—two rules being the most important. The first: never drink toilet wine. The second: if you disrespect the teacher in any capacity on your first day, you’re automatically set near the top of the food chain.

Ryuko stopped and looked at the class, a proud smirk plastered on her face.

She didn’t see a teacher around, just a yellow sack behind the desk. Taking this as a chance to further climb the ladder, she grabbed a marker and wrote her name on the whiteboard.

“I am Ryuko Matoi, better known as the Crazy Bitch from Konto at my prior schools.”
(Pretty sure that’s her nickname.)

Ryuko turned to the class, and their reactions were mixed. Most of the girls, excluding Mina and Jiro, looked somewhat appalled by her actions. Mina’s eyes lit up with a level of admiration, clearly seeing Ryuko as “the cool girl.” Jiro, on the other hand, was eyeing Ryuko’s guitar case, assuming she was a music fanatic like herself.

On the guys’ side, the reactions were just as expected. Mineta was ecstatic about the girl-to-guy ratio getting even the slightest bit closer. Iida looked like he was about to explode from her blatant disregard for the school’s codes of conduct. Near the middle of the class, Izuk was not very subtle about letting his presence be known, aggressively waving his hand. Though it was low, it was obvious.

“Any questions?” Ryuko asked.

“Yes, just one,” a voice came from behind her.

The yellow sack behind the desk slowly rose up, unzipping enough to reveal the face of a shaggy-haired man with minimally trimmed facial hair.

“Who gave you the right to walk into my class and act this way?” he asked, his tone a mix of tired and pissed—though mostly tired the way he sounded gave Ryuko the feeling that he was going to be a rough disciplinarian.

[Honnōji Academy]

“The hell?! What do you mean you just let Matoi leave?!” Sanageyama shouted, attempting to rip Gamagoori a new one. After learning about the “new girl’s” exchange, he had been furious that she chickened out of their rematch without a word. I mean, come on, he thought, I waited there in the rain for an hour!

“IT’S NOT FAIR!”

Ira had about had it with Sanageyama’s insufferable whining. Without warning, he partially activated his uniform and began whipping Sanageyama with the tendrils that extended from his sleeves.

“QUIET, WILL YOU!? I DON’T LIKE IT ANY MORE THAN YOU DO, SO STOP CRYING TO ME ABOUT IT!” he bellowed.

He stopped, calming himself down, and cleared his throat before speaking. “Besides, the decision wasn’t mine to make—it was Lady Satsuki’s. So we have to support it.”

Sanageyama bit his lip, holding back curses about what must have happened. Deciding not to brandish his sword over this, he muttered, “Fine. If it was her choice, I’ll stand by it. I’m still getting my rematch, though, so I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Fine by me, just fill out the proper for—” Gamagoori stopped mid-sentence, twitching repeatedly before violently sneezing. The sneeze caused his uniform to activate and attack Sanageyama again, sending him flying through the window.

Ira paused, cleared his throat, and said, “Excuse me.”

A chuckle came from the other side of the room.

“Seems like someone’s thinking about ya, Mr. Disciplinary,” Nonon interjected with a smirk.

“Shut it, Jakuzure! You’re not off the hook—you haven’t been managing the clubs under your jurisdiction properly!” Ira snapped, activating his uniform once again.

[FIN]

“So how did you like the chapter?…”

Nezu and the void space went silent for a moment as he waited.

“Well, I’m waiting for you to respond. Are you just not gonna say anything? What, the ending was weird and abrupt? It’s called a Bonus Segment, you know—like Hunterpedia or an after-credits scene. No, an ending doesn’t have to lead into the next chapter. Writing’s hard, OK? I’m not here to please you; I’m here to please me, got it! Hmph!”
Nezu stopped typing and powered down his computer. He would work on his project more tomorrow.

Chapter Text

The class had gone silent after Ryuko’s entrance and the subsequent scolding from their teacher, Aizawa, better known as the pro hero EraserHead. Ryuko looked up at the long-legged man who had made himself a human wrap in his sleeping bag.

“If you just came here to show out and be popular, you can go ahead and leave now because you won’t make it a minute with me,” he said, lazily wobbling toward her, showing his true commitment to the bean burrito bag and his unwillingness to put in any real effort.

Ryuko didn’t say anything but locked eyes with the man. She didn’t typically care for the type she believed her new teacher to be, having dealt with plenty during her years at boarding school. However, something about his rugged and unkempt appearance threw her off—it reminded her of her homeroom teacher, Mikisugi.

Aizawa looked at Ryuko, then toward the desk in front of him with a piece of paper in hand.

“So, you’re our new student… Well, just because you’re an exchange student doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you,” he said. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh while letting his sleeping bag fall to the ground, revealing he was in his hero costume. “Alright, everyone outside.”

---

Soon, the students gathered outside on the practice field, one of the many gymnasiums on the large campus, after a quick clothing change into their gym outfits. Ryuko wore the shirt over Senketsu.

“DIE!” Bakugo screamed as he threw the ball, accompanied by a large smoke cloud from the ferocious fires of his explosion.

*Die?* Ryuko thought. That was so like him. It seemed he hadn’t grown much on the inside. She inched over to Izuku, who was nervously fidgeting, and tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

She whispered, “Same old?” She pointed back with her thumb so he’d know she was referring to Bakugo.

Izuku let out a sigh and replied, “Same old… He is really amazing, though.”

The other students, Izuku included, were amazed by Bakugo’s performance after he clocked in 705.2 meters on his toss. However, after what she’d seen at Honnōji, it wasn’t too impressive.

“Seen it, done it,” she remarked. “Don’t know how far I could have sent it, but it should be further.”

The class around her looked toward her in awe at the confidence she displayed. Unfortunately, her words reached the ears of someone who shouldn’t have heard them—someone brimming with pure, unbridled ego.

“What did you say, extra?!” Bakugo snarled, turning toward her with sparks in hand. He damn sure remembered her—the only other kid besides Izuku who had fought back against him. Unlike Izuku, however, she’d actually won. Quirk or not, when they were little, she was just naturally stronger than him.

“Don’t think I forgot you, gear eyes.”

“Don’t think I care, Katsuki.”

Typically, Ryuko wouldn’t take an insult without barking back, but she knew he had a fragile ego, and staying calm would hurt more. Turning to Aizawa, she asked, “Hey, Teach, can I take a throw? You have been informed about my situation, right?”

Aizawa, who had been tuning out their bickering, blinked and replied, “Huh? Oh yeah. Use what you need.” He gave her the OK.

“Sweet.”

Ryuko took the case off her back and opened it, letting it fall to the ground. She removed her jacket and dropped it on top of her scissor blade, which Izuku managed to catch a glimpse of.

“Who wants to see something cool?” she asked to no one in particular, though she heard the distinct voice of a certain green bean saying, “I do.” With a smirk, she grabbed a ball and stepped up to the plate.

“You ready? I wanna show you off,” she said to Senketsu, who had been silently listening the entire time.

Izuku watched her carefully, full of intrigue. *A giant scissor? That’s a strange choice of gear, but it’s cool at the same time.* He thought about what she’d said earlier about her situation. *Was she referring to her quirk? Last I remembered, she didn’t have one. Was this scissor a support item? What could it b—*

Before he could finish the thought, Ryuko pulled on her Seki Tekko, allowing Senketsu to feed on her blood. His fibers flowed freely, reconstructing himself around her, though tighter this time. With a series of painful-sounding snaps, Senketsu entered Sync Mode.

His appearance changed drastically—his eyes extended outward in a wing-like shape, jetting out just above her shoulders. Her skirt and top transformed into skimpy armor held together by tight straps. Ryuko’s hair stood on end, with the red streak now dominating her lower locks.

“HELL YEAH, AN EXHIBITIONIST!”

“HOTTIE ALERT! WOOO!”

Minoru Mineta and Denki Kaminari yelled from halfway across the field. They were swiftly silenced by a double boot to the head from Mina, who had been standing right behind them.

Izuku froze, on the verge of a not-unfamiliar mini panic attack. He came to his senses when he felt something fluid trickle down his face. Raising his hand to his nose, he realized, with shame, that puberty had gotten the best of him again. Wiping the blood from his upper lip, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Ryuko really had changed. *Was she into this sort of stuff now? What happened to her? Had she been with anyone?* He knew he shouldn’t be thinking this way, but how could he not? His childhood friend was hot and flaunting it for everyone to see.

Ryuko tossed the ball up and down in her hand a couple of times, tuning out the yells from the yellow and purple boys. It was more distracting than anything else. She had come to terms with her body a while ago and didn’t exactly care if she was seen while synced.

Ryuko was about to throw the ball when Senketsu tightened, holding her arm in place.

“Wait, Ryuko,” he interjected.

“Wha—just what do you think you’re doing?” she replied, annoyed.

“Try and match the previous throw.”

“…Why?”

“I’d like us to exert as little energy as possible during this assessment. This isn’t Honnōji—you can’t just up and leave when you’re out of gas.”

What he said made sense. She did need to get better at conserving her energy for long-winded battles. After a second of silence, she reeled her arm back and shotgunned the ball as hard as she could, sending the thing flying. After it eventually hit the ground, Aizawa checked his meter and turned it to the class.

“Well done. I commend you—806.2,” he said.

Ryuko was cloaked in sparkles as Senketsu returned to his normal state. She picked up her gym jacket and put it back on as she waltzed back over to the rest of the class.

“Rats, I was going for a 9. Well, can’t win ’em all,” she said while passing Bakugo, ensuring he heard it. She then took her place next to Izuku, watching him heat up like a choked-up chihuahua.

“Yo, Izu,” she said, waving a hand in front of him to snap him out of his trance—a reaction she would eventually learn is very common for him.

Aizawa sighed, already feeling a headache coming on from knowing that the two of them would likely be a pain to deal with.

“Well, Matoi and Bakugo have started us off today. You’ll be doing eight basic exercises. Whoever comes in last will be expelled.”

What he said caught Ryuko’s attention, though she was still attempting to get Izuku’s attention.

*Expelled? This guy means business… and I took him for a slacker.*

Right beside her, Izuku was thinking about his current position. Eight exercises, and he could only use OFA for one of them. If everyone else used their quirks, he was guaranteed to come in dead last—and maybe even get expelled.

Ryuko had something—whatever her sailor suit was. A support tool, maybe? But then, why did it transform into something like that?!

Thinking back to it only made him start freaking out again. On the verge of another panic attack, he was pulled from it by the feeling of someone grabbing his hand.

“Izuku, come on,” she snapped. “The others are already starting.”

She really isn’t one for personal space, huh? Guess they had picked up where they left off. Izuku didn’t struggle when she tugged at him or speak, for that matter, simply allowing himself to be dragged along as he was too busy panicking to say anything.

*She’s touching me!*

---

**First Event: 50 Meter Dash**

For the 50 Meter Dash, Ryuko once again went into Sync Mode, just barely beating out Iida for first place with 3.01 seconds. He would have won if the dash was any shorter because he had a much faster starting speed than her due to his exhaust, which Senketsu took a slight interest in.

After her time was shown to her, Ryuko went to return Senketsu to normal, though he refused.

“Ryuko, let’s stay synced until this is all over, alright? Just our transformation uses some energy.”

---

**Second Event: Grip Strength**

Izuku finished his attempt, deciding against using his quirk for this, afraid of a repeat of last time. He only managed 56 kg—though, at least it was an improvement from middle school.

*I wonder how Ryuko’s doing,* he thought, turning to see her. Immediately, he felt a lot more concerned about his own chances of passing.

*436 kg—and she didn’t even seem to be trying that hard! When did you get so strong?!*

He watched as she moved onto the next event.

Ryuko flew through the tests without issue, making marks pretty close to Katsuki’s, though always higher by one digit in an attempt to spite him. She was doing fine, but when she looked at Izuku, he didn’t look so swell.

---

During the long jump, he barely even made it 3 meters compared to her 20. He seemed winded after the 50-meter dash—something Ryuko had taken note of. It didn’t surprise her when he didn’t seem confident.

When it came time for the final exercise, she decided to pull him aside while one of the others was taking their turn.

“What’s your deal? Don’t you have a quirk?” she asked, dreading his answer.

“I do, I just can’t use it. It’s too strong for my body, and I can’t use it without hurting myself. It’s like… an egg in a microwave, and my body’s the egg. I think? And the quirk’s the microwave? I don’t know.”

He tried using the analogy All Might had given him, though he could hardly understand it himself.

Ryuko didn’t know how to respond to that—a power so strong he could hardly use it? Well, now that she thought about it, her first time using Senketsu was kind of like that. Though, for her, the problem was more about how long she could use it rather than its output.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. You’re smart—you’ll figure something out. Just believe in yourself.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and locked eyes with him. “You got this,” she said with a small, reassuring smile.

Even if it was small, her words of encouragement brought some confidence back to Izuku. He smiled back at her.

“Yeah… I got this,” he said before going to take his turn.

---

“Midoriya is gonna be the one going home if he doesn’t take some initiative…” Iida exclaimed.

“No shit—he’s quirkless,” Bakugo interjected, making Iida and the others look at him with some confusion.

“He has a quirk. Did you not hear what he did during the entrance exam?”

“Huh?!”

“Quiet down, Student A—some of us are trying to watch,” Ryuko chimed in with a shit-eating grin, her comment almost causing Katsuki to pop a blood vessel.

“What was that, shank?!” he yelled, getting in her personal space.

“Who are you calling skank, Student B?” she said, not even bothering to look toward him, knowing it would only piss him off further.

“Stop changing it!”

“Whatever you say, Student C.”

“Will you two quiet down!” Aizawa raised his voice, reprimanding the two of them.

---

Izuku stood in the center of the circle, firmly gripping the ball in his hand. He hadn’t used his quirk at all, hoping that if he got a big number in the final test, he would be spared from expulsion. At the rate he was going, he would have the lowest score if he didn’t.

*So, to him, was breaking his body worth it?*

Yes. He’d do anything to achieve his dream, no matter how hard it would be.

With that, Izuku wound his arm back and released…

*46 meters.*

Izuku’s eyes shot open.

*What was that?!*

He was trying to use it, wasn’t he?

*It’s like his power just vanished.*

"I erased your quirk," Aizawa said. The cloth around his neck unraveled to reveal a pair of gold goggles. "That ridiculous entrance exam was completely irrational when someone like you slipped in."

"Eras—wait, I know you! You’re the Erasure Hero, EraserHead," Izuku said with some level of admiration.

The other students all started to quietly chat about him, all coming to the conclusion that they had no idea who he was.

"I saw how you can’t control that power of yours. You would have just incapacitated yourself all over again, hoping someone would step in to help you after you were done, right?" Aizawa continued.

Izuku tried to talk, but Aizawa stopped him, ensnaring him with his capture cloth. "What use are you as a hero if all you can do is inconvenience others?"

Ryuko didn’t like how he was laying into Izuku, but she knew he was right. *What use would he be if he’s out of commission after saving just one person?* She thought the same way back on No Tardies Day, though thinking back, she wished she would have just left that girl. But that’s beside the point.

"You got this!" she said out loud, trying to encourage him further.

Aizawa restored Izuku’s quirk, and Izuku prepared to throw again. He couldn’t regulate his power—not yet—so this was all he had. He had to give it his all.

*I’ve got one shot. My future rides on this one throw.*

If he couldn’t use his power without hurting himself, he’d have to use it in the safest way possible. It didn’t matter what he did as long as he could at least stand afterward.

*I can’t regulate my power, so… I’ll have to forget about that and…*

Izuku reeled his arm back and shot it forward with only a second of doubt before releasing the ball.

*"I’LL FOCUS ON WHAT I CAN DO NOW!"*

This time, the ball flew fast and far.

---

It was like cooking a turkey as an amateur. You’re tasked with making the entire Thanksgiving dinner, but you overslept and have to do it quickly. Even though the recipe calls for 350°F for one hour, you cook it for 5 minutes at 9000°F.

If that amazing analogy doesn’t make sense, here’s the simple version:

He used his quirk for as little as possible, applying it only at the very last point of contact. His finger broke, but that didn’t matter to him.

"Sensei… I can still move," Izuku said.

"705.3," Aizawa announced.

The students all watched in amazement as Izuku stood triumphant.

*It hurts, but I can bear it.*

---

"Way to go, Deku! Showing us what you can really do!" Uraraka said excitedly.

"Yes, but his finger seems to be broken. Did this happen during the exam as well?" Iida asked.

"Woah… If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t yours only 705.2?" Ryuko leaned in and asked Bakugo, her trademark shit-eating grin plastered across her face.

Bakugo didn’t react. He was too busy being himself to care. *He had a quirk? Since when? Was he hiding it all this time? If so, why didn’t he say anything? Did he lie just to make me feel better?*

When she didn’t hear him retort, Ryuko looked over at him. His eyes were burning with hatred, as well as his hands. His own natural nitroglycerin crackled and cried for blood in his palms.

Ryuko could already see what he was about to do, so it didn’t surprise her when she had to step in.

"DEKU, YOU BASTARD! HOW DID YOU DO TH—"

Bakugo felt a powerful force slam into his right cheek just as he was about to charge toward Izuku. Ryuko had punched him square in the jaw, causing the blonde to stumble to the side.

"Cool it, Katsuki," she said, already done with his shit. "What the hell is wrong with you? We were all friends growing up, weren’t we?"

"As if! You two mean nothing to me," Bakugo barked.

Ryuko didn’t feel particularly offended. The two of them had drifted apart long before today.

"Are you serious?! Seriously, ever since you got your quirk, you’ve been a real prick."

A vein threatened to burst on Katsuki’s forehead from pure rage. "Like you’re one to talk! You went and became a little slut. What, did Daddy not have time for you?"

He said this with a murderous look in his eyes. He hated her—he thought he’d always hated her for constantly protecting Deku.

A serious fight was about to break out between the two. Bakugo was damn near growling at her before realizing his quirk wasn’t working.

"That’s enough, you two!" Aizawa said, raising his voice.

Despite his initial willingness to let it play out, he wasn’t in the mood for a lecture about a fight breaking out. He would end it now.

"Anyway, let’s move on to the results… Also, I lied about the expelling part."

A good portion of the class seemed surprised at this, though some had figured it out a while ago.

"The documents about the curriculum are back in the class, so give them a look. Also, Midoriya, head to Recovery Girl, would ya?" Aizawa said, handing him a pass for the nurse’s office. With that, he and the rest of the class moved on.

---

**The Results Are:**

1. Momo Yaoyorozu
2. Shoto Todoroki
3. Ryuko Matoi
4. Katsuki Bakugo
5. Tenya Iida

"Alright, top five!" Ryuko said, leaning to her right and extending her fist out for Izuku to bump, which he gladly accepted.

19. Minoru Mineta
20. Izuku Midoriya

"I’m literally at the bottom," he said with a groan.

"WHAT?!"

From in front of them, Bakugo yelled, not happy with his placement compared to Ryuko.

"How did she get in front of me?!"

"Because I’m awesome even without a quirk," Ryuko said, leaning back in her chair.

"Without, huh?!"

The entire class erupted in noise at the revelation of her quirklessness.

The rest of the day was uneventful, leaving Ryuko bored out of her mind. The idea of going back to her temporary home and sleeping kept her going.

[Heading Home]

“I’m beat!” Ryuko declared, stretching her arms above her head with an exaggerated yawn. “What ’bout you?”

“Same,” Izuku replied, more tired than he should have been after using Recovery Girl’s quirk.

“How’s your finger?”

Ryuko and Izuku both jumped at the new voice, turning to see Iida behind them with a firm grip on Izuku’s shoulder.

“Yes, it’s fine! Recovery Girl fixed me up!” Izuku replied, still jumpy.

“Aizawa-sensei sure fooled us, to think our own instructor would deceive us like that.”

“Why are you talking to us like we’re friends?” Ryuko said, though it barely fazed Iida.

“Waaaaaaait up, you two! Are you heading to the station? Wait for me!”

A new voice could be heard approaching them, belonging to the brown-haired girl from the earlier assessment.

“It’s Infinity Girl!” Iida exclaimed as she approached them.

Ryuko was content to stay silent and let them talk.

“Matoi, right?” Uraraka asked, getting her attention. When Ryuko nodded, she continued speaking. “I’m Ochako Uraraka,” she said, introducing herself with some excitement at the thought of new friends. “Ryuko Matoi, Tenya Iida, and Deku? Deku Midoriya, right?”

“Deku?” Ryuko and Izuku both said, confused.

“Yeah, that’s what that Bakugo guy called you, right? During the exam he said…”

Uraraka’s face comically morphed as she made an uncanny impression of Bakugo.

“DEKU, YOU BASTARD!”

“Well, no, my name’s Izuku. Deku’s just what Kacchan calls me to make fun of me,” Izuku sheepishly explained, slightly embarrassed about the nickname’s origin.

“So a derogatory nickname? How callous,” Iida remarked.

“Yeah, he’s an asshole,” Ryuko added.

“How callous!” Iida reprimanded Ryuko, to which she rolled her eyes and let him blabber.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that,” Uraraka said apologetically. “But ‘Deku,’ it just says ‘do your best.’ I like it!” she added excitedly.

“Deku it is!” Izuku said, his face flushed red.

“Midoriya, show some backbone. Isn’t that an insult?” Iida asked, understandably confused by the sudden shift.

“Guess he’s turning it into something positive—you know, removing the power the word has over him,” Ryuko said. Though she didn’t believe her own words for a moment, it was clear Izuku’s resolve was beginning to fall apart in front of a girl. She shrugged it off, hoping it would at least help him grow up and not take Bakugo’s crap lightly.

[Train Home]

The group went their separate ways for their various trips home, leaving Ryuko and Izuku as the only ones left. Their train came last.

It was late, so it was no surprise to either of them when they found themselves as the only passengers on board.

The ride began silently, neither of them having any real idea what to talk about. Ryuko sat in a daze, staring out the window at the lights of the track as they wisped by. The only sound was the subtle yet soothing hum of the train tracing over its rails.

“Hey…” Izuku spoke up, breaking the silence and dragging her from her daze.

“Thanks… for today,” he said with a small smile.

“You’re welcome. But what did I do?” she asked in a tone that could only be described as content.

“For stopping Kacchan… earlier,” he said.

“Please, I’m sure Teach would’ve had em,” she replied.

“Still, you’ve been there to help me for a while… I’m glad you’re back.”

“…Me too.”

---

The next day, after their regular classes—which Ryuko and the rest of the class would describe as boring—Izuku and Ryuko shared their lunch break together so he could ask questions about Senketsu, since he didn’t get the chance the previous day.

“Interesting… Do you know how you can talk? Or… think?” Izuku asked while buried in his notebook, scribbling down every detail Ryuko could cough up about Senketsu.

“No idea,” Ryuko said, taking a bite of her citrus snack—a lemon.

“Do you know how he makes you stronger?”

“No.”

“Do you know why he turns into… that?”

“No.”

“Well, what *do* you know?”

She paused for a moment to gather a sufficient answer.

“…He likes being ironed,” she said before downing her lemon.

“Interesting,” Izuku said, jotting it down.

---

After lunch, they returned for a more exciting class. Izuku practically jumped in his seat as he quietly squeaked, “He’s here.”

The sound of loud running echoed down the hall, followed by the screeching of shoes coming to a halt. The Number One Hero and newest faculty member burst into the room.

“I HAVE COME THROUGH NORMALLY!” All Might yelled as he entered the class, striking a pose in front of everyone.

“NO TIME FOR DELAY—TODAY IS BATTLE TRAINING DAY!” he yelled again as the wall began to move, revealing the students’ costumes.

Everyone excitedly got up and rushed to retrieve the case with their seat number.

After a short costume change, the entire class stood out in uniform on the field. Izuku, being the last one out, saw everyone else’s costumes—some better, some flashier. Sure, his wasn’t anything special compared to theirs, but his mom had made it. How could he possibly wear anything else?

Looking around the field again, he noticed Ryuko off to the side, most likely talking to Senketsu. Deciding to approach, he started toward her.

She noticed him before he could say anything, so she spoke first.

“Oh hey, Izu—” She stopped mid-sentence, noticing his costume. While she knew his mom had made it, she couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. It did look kind of ridiculous.

“Nice costume…” she said flatly, trying not to sound rude.

“Th-thanks. You gonna transform?”

He looked her up and down, stopping when he saw Senketsu’s single eye. The suit blinked at him in a way that resembled a smile.

Ryuko swatted his forehead. “Eyes up here.”

She didn’t believe he was being a perv—it was just an excuse to tease him.

“And for the record, I was about to.” She took off her blazer and handed it, along with her guitar case, to him. Grabbing the pin on her Seki Tekko, she gave it a quick yank.

Senketsu fed on her blood, his strings coming loose to engulf her in a Sailor Moon-esque transformation. The suit slimmed down around her, entering Sync Mode and taking a form that a certain 18+ hero would appreciate.

“All Might’s voice echoed across the field.

“Shall we begin?”

[Honnōji Academy]

“EEEEEEK!” Taiyō cried out, ducking behind a wall to avoid another needle shot toward his temple. Ever since being transferred here, he hadn’t gotten a day of peace. Apparently, he had taken the place of some girl, so all her responsibilities fell onto him—meaning anyone who beat him got promoted to a higher star.

But today was different. This wasn’t some student wanting a better life; it was a grown man trying to take him down.

After the shooting calmed, Taiyō peeked around the corner.

“Hel-looo?”

Almost instinctively, a mask of crimson emerged from his skin, solidifying to protect him from another shot.

“Seriously, who are you?! Why are you attacking me?!”

Across the courtyard, a man with a large red Mohawk ashed his cigarette while reloading his gun.

“Nothing personal,” the man said. “I was told to help you get stronger the only way I know how.”

“Okay, that’s cool and all… but—”

Taiyō took a deep breath before running away as the man started firing again.

“I just wanted to be a hero!”

[FIN]

“So, how did you like this one?” Nezu asked. “Shame I wasn’t in it, though. It seems he tried adding some moments between them, though I don’t know when any actual romance will take place… maybe in—”
The door opened, and Lunar walked in, dropping a few papers.
“Who the hell let you in here? SHOO! SHOO!” He rushed at Nezu, who, in rodent fashion, jumped off the desk and scurried out of the room.

“Sorry about him. The papers? Oh, there—those are the comments. Though few in number, I want you to know I appreciate every one of them, and they genuinely make me smile. See you in the next one! Hopefully, it will come out sometime this week, though I can’t promise that I want to get at least 5 chapters out so I have the pleasure of writing a Christmas special for our sixth. Buh-bye!”

Chapter Text

“Deku! Matoi!” Uraraka called out to them, jogging over in her hero costume.

“Uraraka!” Ryuko responded as the girl got closer. “Nice costume.”

“Thanks! Though I think I should have been more specific about certain things,” Uraraka said while pinching and pulling at her suit, letting it snap back to further interpret her point.

“You and me both,” Ryuko said, pulling one of Senketsu’s straps.

Both girls broke out in laughter, while Izuku looked like he was about to break out in hives, reduced to a silent scream in a pitch so high neither of them could hear. He couldn’t handle it—he was a growing boy, after all. Uraraka’s suit was nice, but Ryuko’s barely covered her at all, letting him see her surprisingly toned body.

“Hey… hey,” Ryuko said, snapping her fingers in front of her friend’s face to get his attention. “He sure zones out a lot. Is there something wrong with him?” Senketsu asked.

“Maybe…”

He should be jumping at a chance to talk about hero stuff. Ryuko’s face started changing hue as she realized why Izuku was so out of it.

“Something wrong?” Uraraka asked.

“Nothing…” Ryuko replied, taking her belongings back from Izuku.

“All ready? Let’s begin!” All Might’s announcement got the class’s attention. His instructions were simple: everyone would be split into teams of two—heroes and villains. The hero team would have to capture a weapon from the villains, while the villains would have to protect it.

The teams would be decided by drawing lots, but due to the uneven number of students, one person would go through the training twice to avoid a 3v2 scenario.

**Teams A-J**

(A) Izuku Midoriya & Ochako Uraraka
(B) Shoto Todoroki & Mezo Shoji
(C) Momo Yaoyorozu & Minoru Mineta
(D) Katsuki Bakugo & Tenya Ida
(E) Mina Ashido & Yuga Aoyama
(F) Rikido Sato & Koji Koda
(G) Kyouka Jirou & Denki Kaminari
(H) Tsuyu Asui & Fumikage Tokoyami
(I) Mashirao Ojiro, Toru Hagakure
(J) Ejiro Kirishima and Hanta Sero

Ryuko stood apart from the rest and spoke up after the teams were sorted out. “So, do I get to choose whose team I’m on?” she asked.

“Ryuko, try being a team player—join a team that needs the help,” Senketsu suggested.

“Give someone a free ride, huh?” She scanned every student, narrowing it down to Team I or Team C. One was 60% naked, and the other had a grape as central support. With her choice finalized, she raised her hand toward Team C.

“I’ll be the extra for Matoi!” Yaoyorozu blurted out, volunteering herself to make the difference.

Well, that changed Ryuko’s plan. Guess she was with Team I, then.

After her placement was settled, All Might brought out two containers, one labeled “Hero” and the other “Villain.”

“Moving on! The first up are…” He reached into both boxes and pulled out two balls. “THESE GUYS!”

The hero ball had the letter A, while the villain ball had D.

Izuku’s eyes went wide as he began dripping with sweat, luckily hidden behind his cowl.

Maybe he isn’t that mad… he thought, trying to reassure himself. He glanced at Bakugo, who was glaring at him intensely.

HE’S MAD!

Izuku shook with the idea of being in a situation where Kacchan could hit hard and use his quirk without punishment. But his resolve kicked in as he remembered why he was here in the first place. He stared back at Bakugo with a less-threatening glare, surprising him.

The rest of the class was escorted to a monitoring room to watch the fights while All Might gave additional instructions to the participating teams.

Inside the building, Bakugo and Iida had to stay in the room with the weapon, Izuku and Uraraka were allowed to look at the layout with some maps provided to them.

“Training or not, even acting as a villain pains me,” Iida remarked, walking around the weapon, which was obviously fake.

“So… does Deku really have a quirk?” Bakugo asked.

Stopping mid-stride, Iida replied, “You saw his monstrous power, no? Though I believe it hurts his body, so I would ask you not to go right after him.”

“Tch.”

“Personally, I don’t understand your innate anger toward Midoriya, and I believe you sho—”

“Mind your damn business, extra! And stay outta my way!” Bakugo barked at him.

Seeing he wasn’t going to make any progress with him, Iida sighed and went back to pacing around the weapon. They were teammates, so despite his opinions of Bakugo, he wouldn’t jeopardize the objective.

Outside, Izuku was attempting to formulate a plan for capturing the weapon. However, he was far too worried about fighting Bakugo and instead opted to memorize the layout of the building and think of an attack plan along the way.

“Hey, Deku…” Uraraka glanced back at Izuku, who was practically pale from the sweat leaking from under his costume. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just… we’re up against Kacchan, and he’s really strong—combined with a stronger quirk,” Izuku said, beginning to praise and analyze aloud. “Along with Iida’s speed, I don’t see many chances to win.”

Uraraka adopted a sympathetic look and tone. “Bakugo is the one who bullies you, right?” Her expression soon turned optimistic as she pumped her fist in the air and declared their victory. “It doesn’t matter how amazing he is—we’re gonna win!”

This made Izuku smile and straighten himself out. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ve got two great people rooting for me, so I won’t lose to him.” He stopped and adjusted his mask, putting it on properly. “I guess including you makes three.”

The two of them talked about strategy for their remaining time, during which Izuku came up with a pretty good plan. All Might then started the first match: Team A vs. Team D.

From the basement spectator room, Ryuko watched the screen intently as Izuku and Uraraka entered the building via a window.

“You worried?” Senketsu asked.

“Nah, I’m sure he has a plan,” Ryuko replied.

Things seemed to be going well. After getting into the building safely, the two opted to stay together because of the blind spots the corners created.

“DIE!” Bakugo shouted as he leapt from behind a wall, attacking the two with a swift explosion. Luckily, Izuku managed to grab Uraraka and roll out of the way, avoiding harm aside from half his mask being burned off.

“Nice dodge, Deku,” Bakugo said flatly.

The students, along with All Might, stood surprised at the sudden burst of action. Ryuko, however, didn’t seem too surprised, focusing on what was going on rather than any premature celebration.

Izuku made a hard read, grabbing Bakugo’s arm and swinging him over his shoulder, pivoting around and slamming him into the floor hard. “You can call me Deku all you want. It doesn’t matter to me because…”

Midoriya’s cry echoed off the tight and narrow walls of the building, letting everyone around—and watching—know who he was.

“FROM NOW ON, DEKU IS THE NAME OF A HERO!!”

Bakugo slowly lifted himself to his feet, muttering to himself angrily. “How can you spout that crap while scared out of your mind?” He raised the explosions in his hands, his rage almost as loud as his voice. “IT PISSES ME OFF!!”

Bakugo stood still, appearing to be talking to someone else. Though the class watching couldn’t hear, All Might quickly explained the small earpieces and capture tape they had been given.

The fact that the heroes don’t know where the weapon is sure puts Izuku at a disadvantage, Ryuko thought.

“You worried now?” Senketsu asked.

“Not gonna lie, a little bit, yeah,” she replied.

Bakugo bounced back into the air, using his explosions as aid, and sent a left kick, which Izuku blocked. Using the opportunity, Izuku began wrapping the capture tape around Bakugo’s leg.

Predictably, Bakugo roared, “DAMN YOU, DEKU!” He went for a right hook, which Izuku dodged as Uraraka ran just as instructed.

Ryuko began to show a little excitement. Alright, this is where he counterattacks!

“Alright!” Izuku yelled as he pulled his fist back, his arm glowing with One For All coursing through his veins. Bakugo braced for impact, but no punch came—to the surprise of Ryuko and everyone watching.

“Nigerundayo!”

“Eh?!??” the class yelled in unison.

Instead of attacking, Izuku turned off his quirk and darted around a corner, booking it in a zigzag pattern so Bakugo wouldn’t know where he went instantly.

This infuriated the blonde, who wasted no time chasing him down, attempting to make use of old tactics, hunting him like a typical slasher.

“Hey! Must have been fun, yeah?!” Bakugo yelled before setting off another loud explosion. “Hiding that flashy quirk of yours!”

Around the corner, Izuku crouched to avoid being spotted if Kacchan rushed by. He pulled his cowl back and evaluated his current situation.

“It’s good I broke off from Uraraka when I did. Kacchan seems to be doing his own thing. If I stayed with Uraraka, Iida might have joined in, and our chances of winning would’ve been cut down significantly.”

Now was crunch time—does he break off from Bakugo to double-team Iida, or does he take him head-on?

“Hey, Deku!” Izuku recoiled from Uraraka’s voice in his earpiece.

“Hey, Iida found me! Sorry, I’m trying to run, but—”

“Where are you?!” Izuku cut her off.

“Uh, I’m on the fifth floor near the middle,” Uraraka replied over the radio.

Near the fifth? Great—he’s just below her, Izuku thought, and now he had an idea. We’ve got just about six minutes left. That should be enough.

He slapped his cheeks and stood up with newfound resolve to win as Katsuki turned the corner, raising one of his gauntlets toward him with a murderous glare, slowly pulling the pin located on the handle of the grenade-like glove.

This act prompted All Might to turn on his radio immediately. “STOP THAT NOW, YOUNG BAKUGO! YOU’LL KILL HIM!”

The class collectively gasped at Bakugo’s reckless approach—Ryuko especially. She stood up in a panic, Senketsu recoiling at her building blood pressure from her racing heart.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, Katsuki?!” she called out, loud enough to be heard over the still-on radio.

“DODGE OR YOU’LL DIE, DEKU!” Katsuki cried out as he ripped the pin completely, releasing all his stored-up sweat in an explosion that nearly engulfed the entire hallway.

How the hell is he supposed to dodge that?!

Izuku raised his arms defensively in front of his face as he jumped back, avoiding any actual damage. However, the remaining part of his cowl, along with an entire sleeve, was destroyed.

All Might got back on his mic. “BAKUGO, USE THAT ATTACK AGAIN, AND YOU’LL LOSE FOR YOUR TEAM!”

The teacher part of All Might screamed that he should stop the match, but the hero in him wanted to see it through to the end.

Izuku stood up, examining the damage done to the building by the blast. The destruction gave him a good view of the outside, aligning perfectly with his prior scouting of the area.

“Uraraka, hold onto that pillar by the window, okay?”

“Ryuko, your blood is really hot. You shou—” Senketsu began to speak, but Ryuko cut him off.

“Don’t start.”

She was worried—pissed off, even. Katsuki was taking it too far. This “villain role” was letting him push the limits of right and wrong. She could feel her teeth grinding against each other and the pit in her stomach burning away, replacing worry with rage.

What’s he even trying to prove anymore? That he’s stronger than him?!

She took another look at the screen, seeing Izuku wobbling to his feet. Well, whoopty-doo, asshole. You’ve done that—you’ve done that your entire life!

“Calm down, Ryuko. This isn’t healthy. The angrier you get, the harder it will be to stay synced,” Senketsu said in an attempt to soothe her.

You don’t… Fine.

Ryuko crossed her arms and sat back down, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She stared down at her kamui’s single eye, nodding solemnly before looking back at the screen.

“You two get along quite well for people who haven’t seen each other in years,” Senketsu remarked, looking up at her with an eye smile, adding tenderness to his voice. “We haven’t been synced very long, but I can tell this connection between you two is strong—stronger than any other. Maybe stronger than ours. I think I’m getting a little jealous.”

Ryuko looked down at him and scoffed, a red hue taking to her cheeks. “Don’t say it like that—you make it sound all lovey-dovey. Where’d you learn this stuff from anyway?”

“You fell asleep next to Ms. Midoriya, so I watched those soap operas with her.”

“That’s why you were all soggy when I woke up.”

Back in the building, Izuku stood up and raised his fist, readying himself as Bakugo blasted off the ground toward him, crying out in frustration.

“I’LL POUND YOU TO A PULP!”

If dodging was impossible, then he’d counterattack. Izuku started this plan by swinging his fist forward to take advantage of the blonde’s forward momentum. But Bakugo swiftly flew to the side with an explosion, faking Izuku out. He got behind him and blasted him in the back, earning a pained grunt in response.

The attack only encouraged Bakugo to continue his combo, attacking with a right hook and grabbing Izuku’s arm. Using his explosions as a boost, he twirled around.

“YOU’RE NOTHING COMPARED TO ME, DEKU!”

He threw Izuku to the ground and loomed over him.

Everyone watching through the cameras looked on in horror at the brutal beating Izuku was receiving. Ryuko, once again, restrained herself from stepping in.

Is this how Mako feels watching me fight?

Senketsu looked up at her again, seeing the conflicted look on her face. “Are you thinking of stepping in?”

She sighed and looked down at him. “No, he’s got this. It’s just pissing me off that Katsuki can talk crap and back it up.”

Izuku hurriedly scurried away to gain some distance, backing into a wall. Bakugo approached with several heavy stomps, raring to finish what had started.

“Why won’t you use your quirk on me?”

Izuku didn’t respond, which pissed Bakugo off even more. “You’ve been hiding it our whole lives… Do you think you’re better than me?”

The blonde raised his hands in anger, setting off several sparks. “Have you been pitying me? Not fighting back because you knew you’d win? Well, you won’t!”

“That’s what you think?” Izuku questioned, stepping forward in a show of confidence—though not too close; he wasn’t stupid.

“You’re an idiot!” he remarked angrily. “You’ve always been the stronger one. That’s why I wanna win. YOU’RE AMAZING, AND THAT’S WHY I WON’T LOSE!”

Izuku’s scream echoed through the building.

“You’re… more pathetic than ever,” Bakugo snarled. “IF YOU WANNA BEAT ME SO BADLY, DON’T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY!!”

“This looks bad, Sensei!” Kirishima said, panic in his voice, as Bakugo and Izuku rushed toward each other. “Sensei, Bakugo’s gonna kill him!”

Kill him?!

Ryuko stood abruptly, finally reaching the peak of her restlessness.

“STOP THEM NOW BEFORE THEY KILL EACH OTHER!” she screamed at their Number One Hero, her hands trembling as she clenched them tightly.

All Might struggled with his decision. He wanted his students to grow from this experience, but was it worth it if two of them could end up seriously hurt—or worse? He had to choose quickly, and even if he didn’t want to, he had no other choice. He turned on his radio.

“BOTH OF YOU—” he started but didn’t finish.

“NOW, URARAKA!” Izuku shouted, his tears burning away from the fierce fire in his heart and the destruction in his path.

“Right!” Uraraka hugged the pillar as previously instructed.

I can’t beat you—not yet—but still… I CAN WIN!

Izuku swung up with 100% of One For All.

“SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!”

The two attacks clashed, his punch canceling out Bakugo’s blast. The impact’s pressure began destroying the floors above him, tearing through five layers and ripping through the roof. The powerful gust of wind scattered debris everywhere.

The class gawked at the sheer power Izuku displayed. His immense strength caused all of Ryuko’s worries to leave her as she sat back down.

“Whoa… Izuku…” she murmured, watching the massive hole in the building grow larger as broken bits fell apart. “When did you go and get so strong?”

Uraraka sprang into action, using her quirk to grab one of the disconnected pillars, making it weightless.

“Sorry, Iida, but it’s over!” Uraraka shouted before swinging the pillar like a bat.

“Improvised special move: Comet Home Run!”

She sent some of the floating debris hurtling toward Iida, who shielded himself with his arms. None of the debris struck him, however, as Uraraka leapt up and over him, hugging the weapon and yelling out, “Secured!”

“AHHH, THE WEAPON!” Iida screamed cartoonishly, like an over-the-top villain.

“The Hero Team… WINS!” All Might announced through the PA system.

Bakugo looked around at the destruction and devastation caused by just one punch. Gaping holes littered the building, the concrete reduced to rubble and dust. The force of Deku’s so-called “Smash” had blasted through his attack, tearing straight through the ceiling. His own explosion, by comparison, had barely broken through a wall.

The sunlight beamed down on Bakugo, highlighting his broken arm—a sickening shade of purple.

“Was this your plan from the very beginning? It was, wasn’t it?” Bakugo’s voice dripped with disbelief.

He could hardly process what had happened. Izuku really did have a quirk—one that might even be stronger than his own.

“You were toying with me… bastard,” Bakugo muttered through gritted teeth, his words full of venom and hatred. He couldn’t begin to fathom how fast the fight had ended once Deku started to fight back.

“One punch…”

“I was never… actually gonna use it,” Izuku said as the smoke surrounding his arm and body began to clear.

Bakugo’s expression twisted into one of disgust.

“I can’t control it… this power of mine,” Izuku continued. “Mr. Aizawa believed me to be useless. Well, I am not. This was just my only way to win after you got so serious…”

Bakugo’s eyes widened, the shock settling in as the buzzer went off. Izuku collapsed to the ground, letting exhaustion consume him after the brutal battle.

“So… you thought you could win… without it?” Bakugo murmured. Though Izuku never implied it, Bakugo’s mind twisted the narrative, fueling his hatred even further.

“He did it,” Ryuko said to herself and Senketsu as she stared at the devastation on the monitors.

Both Uraraka and Izuku lay hurt on the ground, while Iida and Katsuki were almost uninjured. Ryuko wanted to be happy for her friend’s victory, but she couldn’t shake her concern.

Izuku was practically broken—all because Bakugo had forced him to go all in. Is this the cost of his quirk? she wondered. It’s so much worse than what he described.

Her gaze returned to the screen, where Bakugo stood acting like a sore loser.

Was it worth it? His pride was so important that he would kill another… kill his best friend over it.

Whatever the reason, Ryuko had some choice words for him.

[Somewhere in Korea]

‘Well, this is just out of hand.’

Papers had been piling up in the agency of Korea’s Rank 26 hero, Asagao—better known by the public as The Monkey Hero, Monarch—for weeks now. Nothing was being approved, and the new intern was afraid he’d lose his job if things didn’t start moving. He had been unable to reach his boss, who would come into work, go on patrol, then sit in her office doing nothing but waiting by her phone.

She picked up every call, only to hang up immediately when it wasn’t who she wanted. Who could she possibly be waiting for?

Deciding this had gone on long enough, the intern stood up and made his way to her office. Before he could reach the door, the help desk lady called out to him.

“Hey, Jin. Where are you heading in such a hurry?”

“Nothing’s getting done around here, Hana—just look.” He raised a binder filled to the brim with papers and notes. “She won’t sign anything or take any calls. What could be so important that it stops her from all work?”

“You must be new around here… She’s likely waiting for a call from her little brother. Heard he got sent to some other school due to an exchange program.”

“He can’t be that important—it’s been weeks.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that,” Hana warned, shaking her head knowingly.

[Honnōji Academy]

Mako bounced up and down the road behind Taiyō, who she had followed after noticing he hadn’t come home after school. She had lost track of how long they’d been walking and couldn’t understand why. A payphone? Why does he need one so badly?

“Taiyōōōōōōōōōōōōōō, my feet hurt,” Mako whined like a child tired of shopping. “Carry me!”

Without waiting for a response, she jumped on his back, earning a grunt as he felt the extra weight.

“You shouldn’t have come. This is rather personal for me,” Taiyō said, continuing to walk while grabbing her legs to keep her from falling off. “I want to tell my sister I’m okay.”

“You have a sister? Wowy, what’s she like?”

“Wowy?” Taiyō repeated, raising a brow at the odd word before answering. “She’s… well, she’s really nice to me but also the complete opposite of me. Confident, tough, and probably the scariest and strongest person you’ll ever meet.”

Mako tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. “Scary? Like how scary? Does she have sharp teeth? Or maybe she talks super quiet and creepy before she gets mad?”

Taiyō chuckled at her comparisons, shaking his head. “No, nothing like that. She doesn’t need to yell or bare her teeth to scare people. She just has this way of looking at you—like she already knows what you’re about to do before you even know it yourself.”

Mako gasped dramatically. “She sounds like a mind reader! Is she a mind reader?! Can she read my mind?! …Can you?!”

“No, Mako, she’s not a mind reader, and neither am I,” Taiyō said, rolling his eyes. “She’s just… perceptive. Growing up, she was always looking out for me.” He paused, his expression softening. “I owe her a lot.”

Mako rested her chin on his shoulder, her usual carefree expression briefly replaced by something gentler. “She sounds like a good sister. Why haven’t you called her already?”

Taiyō sighed, his grip on her legs tightening slightly as he kept walking. “I haven’t been able to. It’s not exactly easy to find a phone around here—half of them are broken or stolen. Besides, I entered the exchange program without telling her. I heard this school was tougher than U.A., and I thought the challenge would make me strong like her. I… I sound like an idiot, huh?”

Mako blinked, her bubbly nature quickly returning. “You’re not an idiot! You’re just… a little clueless sometimes! But that’s okay! I’m sure she’ll just be happy to hear from you.”

Taiyō laughed quietly. “Thanks, Mako. That actually makes me feel a little better.”

“Good!” she declared, throwing her arms in the air triumphantly, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

Taiyō managed to steady himself before spotting the payphone at the end of the street. His steps quickened. “There it is.”

Mako slid off his back, landing with a bounce. “Go on, Taiyō! Call her! I’ll wait here.”

He nodded, digging some loose change out of his pocket and stepping into the phone booth. The door shut behind him, muting the outside world. His hand hovered over the receiver for a moment before he finally picked it up, dialing a number and waiting as it began to ring.

“Hey… Asa.”

Chapter Text

Sometime after the first match concluded with Team A as the victors, All Might called for Transpo-Bots to carry Izuku’s battered body to the nurse’s office.

On the other hand, Katsuki hadn’t moved an inch from where he stood not forward nor back. His body was so unresponsive that even the slightest gesture felt infuriating to perform.

His head ran hot.

Was it because he was so cold?

That rigid, rough outline where Izuku had shattered not only the building but also his ego remained imprinted in his mind.

Watching Izuku win the round was something new.

Something indescribable.

This pain… this was new pain.

He stared down at his hands. They were so warm, yet he couldn’t shake this feeling of frostbite. Was it his disbelief? His denial?

That bead of sweat that had finally begun forming trickled down his face hitting his right hand which fell under its little insignificant weight.

Whatever it was, it rendered him unable to ignore the thought that if Deku had gone all out from the start…

He likely wouldn’t have gotten this far.

That idea infuriated the blonde, but he couldn’t hold onto that anger. Instead of screaming, he stood still, hyperventilating on the verge of a panic attack.

A rather large hand slammed down onto Katsuki’s shoulder, snapping him back to reality the reality that he had lost.

“Calm down, young Bakugo. It’s time to assess your score,” All Might said, speaking in a steadier, more subdued tone, in direct contrast to his usual loud manner of speech. “Remember, whether you win or lose, you can always learn something from the experience—as long as you’re open to it.”

A few minutes passed, with everyone except Midoriya gathering back in the monitor room to review the performances in the first trial. While most of the students believed someone from the winning side would receive MVP, All Might actually awarded that praise to Iida instead. His announcement drew several surprised gasps from the students—and a look of disbelief from Iida himself.

“Shouldn’t it be someone from the hero team?” the frog-like Tsu questioned. “They won, after all.”

“Hm. Just why didn’t I choose one of them? Anyone have a guess why?” All Might said, opening the floor to the class for their input.

This was Ryuko’s cue to step back and try to seem small so she wouldn’t be called on. She hadn’t paid much attention to Iida or Uraraka anyway.

“Sensei, if I may,” a rather regal voice spoke up. The source was the girl with the large bang in her hair Momo Yaoyorozu. She noted that Iida had adapted to the challenge and had taken on the leadership role, forming a counter-play to improve his team’s chances of victory.

“From what we saw, it was clear Bakugo was merely motivated by some personal vendetta. Midoriya suffered from more or less the same issue, which affected his decision-making,” she explained with an air of authority that made her come off as a little pompous.

“You also reprimanded Bakugo for making a similar decision earlier. Launching such a powerful attack against another student even under the circumstances was foolish and risky.”

From the back of the room, Ryuko gritted her teeth while Yaoyorozu finished her explanation. She stifled a low snarl, holding herself back from any sudden outburst, glancing toward Katsuki, who was sulking in his seat.

She was happy with the outcome of the battle but not the way it had come about. Izuku had finally come out of his shell, if even just a little, and stood up to Bakugo, shattering his ego in the process.

All things considered…

“Good job, dude,” she whispered to herself, making sure no one especially Katsuki would hear her.

Once her classmates had finished their analysis of the three participants, All Might wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. She put it better than I could have, he thought before giving a thumbs-up and letting out a weird-sounding chuckle.

“Spot on! You nailed it!”

“It’s always in one’s best interest to start with the basics and devote themselves to working their way up. It’s the only real way to becoming a top hero,” Yaoyorozu concluded.

“She’s got a good head on her shoulders,” Senketsu remarked.

Ryuko nodded in approval. “Yeah, though she made it a little too sophisticated for me,” she whispered back.

With all the analysis over, All Might called for the next two teams to face off, drawing two balls from the container.

“Next up…” He held up the letters I and B. “These dudes!”

“We’re up. Try not to show off too much,” Senketsu said, his voice more snobbish than usual.

“No promises,” Ryuko replied, following the other members of Team I out to the field.

Match 2: Team B as the Heroes and Team I as the Villains

Inside the building, Ryuko and the other members of Team I were conversing rather than formulating a plan.

Hagakure was in the midst of taking off her gloves and shoes to become completely invisible, but she seemed a little nervous about doing so in front of Ojiro.

“Don’t look, okay?” Hagakure said. Her voice, along with her mannerisms only visible through her remaining glove and slight footwork came off as someone who wasn’t too comfortable being naked.

And to her right was someone who could relate.

Question is, what should I say? Ryuko thought.

Eh… how did Mako do it?

“GET NAKED, RYUKO!”

…

Yeah, no. She definitely couldn’t say that.

Maybe something more… human.

Ryuko stepped forward and put her hand out, using Hagakure’s remaining glove as a reference for where her shoulder should be.

Hagakure flinched at the sudden contact maybe not the best idea to grab onto her while she was undressing, but there was no going back now.

“Relax, okay?” Ryuko started, keeping her voice low so Toru would stay calm. “I get it. It’s weird, right? But no need to be uncomfortable or nervous about it. You’re doing what you need to win, right? No shame in that.”

Hagakure hesitated but eventually nodded, though the motion was only visible to Ryuko from the slight movement of her shoulder.

“Yeah… right…”

A slight smirk tugged at Ryuko’s cheek as she removed her hand from the girl’s shoulder.

“Take it from me.” She pulled on one of her straps and let it snap back with a rather painful-sounding twip. “It’ll get easier. Don’t let your body hold you back like mine did.”

Some light seemed to shine between the two like an upperclassman guiding their younger peer.

Ojiro, who had been watching the whole time, cocked his head to the right and muttered to himself, “It’s not like we can see you anyway…”

Feeling much better, Toru spoke up. “So, any ideas on our attack plan?”

Both Toru and Ryuko looked toward Ojiro. Ryuko didn’t know anything about the other team, and since Toru was asking she didn’t have any input.

“Eh… well, Todoroki is clearly gonna be the other team’s ace,” the tailed trainee said, gesturing as if he were thinking hard. “His ice quirk is gonna be hard to get around.”

Hagakure hummed in agreement. “Mhmm. He scored second on the quirk assessment, so I’m sure he’ll be able to do as much damage as Midoriya if he tried.”

“Don’t you guys worry about him,” Ryuko interjected, thrusting her fist forward in a show of confidence. “I’ll handle Tie-Dye. Let’s just focus on his supporters for now.”

The other two nodded, and Toru went to take off her shoes “Wait” Ryuko said aloud “Don’t take those off until we’re sure the threat of a frozen floors out of the picture”

Toru paused and put her glove back on before giving a thumbs up and an “Ok!” after a few more minutes, the match began.

Team I went in with a solid strategy while Ryuko and Mashirao would go out to take on Team B before they could even reach the weapon, Toru would stay behind, ready to ambush anyone who made it past them.

Meanwhile, Team B remained on the lower floors, walking around aimlessly in search of the weapon until one of them took initiative.

“We’ve got one on the north side of the fourth floor and another just above us, barefoot,” Shoji relayed to the others through a secondary and tertiary mouth. “The invisible one must be planning an ambush.”

Todoroki and Yaoyorozu looked toward one another, both recommendation students silently formulating a plan based on their individual abilities.

“You two head outside ” Shoto said as he approached a wall “It’s gonna get real chilly in a second” 

With Hagakure right above, this move would likely be even more effective than planned. To avoid any unnecessary yellow cards, Shoto Todoroki made sure not to freeze the area directly above him. Instead, he pushed deeper into the building, careful to avoid that spot with his limited precision.

Once the building was nearly completely frozen over, he neglected to inform his team. Sure, he could easily handle Toru if it were a one-on-one.

His breath came out in visible puffs as he navigated through the ice-covered hallways. Now, I just have to clean up.

Assuming the building was clear of any immediate threats, Shoto made his way up the stairs to deal with whoever was scurrying around above. 

He turned several corners, heading toward the general area he had left unfrozen—

That’s when he heard them.

Footsteps.

Huh?

His eyes narrowed slightly. Did they predict I’d freeze the place?

It was a possibility. Hagakure had the advantage of invisibility, meaning she could have scouted ahead and relayed information to her team. If they were anticipating his moves, it meant they weren’t on the defensive.

Maybe Hagakure is a bigger threat than I thought.

With newfound caution, Shoto turned the corner—

WHAM!

A fist slammed into his cheek with staggering force. His vision jolted, his head snapping to the side as he stumbled back. Pain flared across his face, sharp and immediate.

What?!

His mind scrambled to catch up. Someone was here, not Hagakure.

Before he could react, his attacker was already moving.

Ryuko.

She rushed in, following up with another strike this time a hard jab to his white side. The impact sent a jolt through his ribs, forcing him back another step.

His body tensed. How is she—?

That’s when he noticed it.

Her feet.

She wasn’t wearing shoes.

She had tricked them.

By removing her shoes, she had made it seem like she was Hagakure, playing into their expectations. While they had been wary of a potential sneak attack from the invisible girl, they had completely overlooked the possibility that someone else might use the same trick.

Smart.

Shoto clenched his fist. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, his mismatched eyes locking onto Ryuko’s stance.

“So that’s how you’re gonna play this,” he muttered, his breath curling in the freezing air.

Ryuko smirked, rolling her shoulders in preparation for round two. “Surprised?”

“Hardly.” Shoto raised his right hand and flung it toward Ryuko, several ice pillars shooting up from the ground on his right side, racing toward her.

But Ryuko wasn’t about to let up.

With a mad grin, she swung her scissor blade wildly, smashing through his attacks and making a broad swing with the blunt end of her weapon. Todoroki barely dodged by jumping back, letting the blade pass through the free space and slam into the wall, breaking a large chunk out from the sheer force of her swing.

“We expected that if anyone were to attack us alone,” the half-and-half hero muttered.

He stepped forward, sliding his right foot over the already existing ice, extending it into a continuous slope that shot toward Matoi.

“It would be you.”

Ryuko pulled her scissor blade back and darted to the left wall, avoiding the slope.

“Oh great, you really get me,” she teased.

Her heeled shoes reformed, ensuring she wasn’t barefoot on the slick ice. Anticipating her counterattack, Shoto pushed off the ground, creating a shooting ice stump beneath his feet to propel himself upward.

“Shoji, Yaoyorozu, get up here now! I could use some help!” he yelled into his radio as he formed a towering wall of ice.

Ryuko was forced to jump back to avoid being frozen, but instead of retreating, she ran up the wall and kicked straight through it, shattering the frozen barrier.

“Look, man, I don’t wanna do the whole unstoppable force versus immovable object shtick with you. That’s no fun—and it’s boring to watch.”

Shoto stared back at her, mildly annoyed. Was this a game to her? Or was she just trying to get in his head? …Both?

He leaned forward, shifting his weight.

“You’re not taking this seriously, are you?”

Not expecting an answer, he didn’t wait for one. Sliding his right hand forward, he unleashed another massive wave of ice toward Ryuko.

She stepped to the left and struck it with a great amount of force, shattering a portion of the frozen wave. Looking up at Todoroki, she squinted—not the least bit impressed by his ability—as he approached, capture tape in his left hand.

“You know…” Shoto started, his tone shifting to something sharper. “I’m a little disappointed. I expected more from you, but you’re just muscle.” His voice carried a mocking edge, his eyes narrowing slightly.

And Ryuko responded by… giggling?

That caught him off guard, but he didn’t stop his slow stride.

“You’re one of those types,” she said, her smirk widening. “I mean, even compared to Katsuki, you’re narcissistic. But he’s got his ego as an excuse and it’s not too hard to guess what yours is.”

She tilted her head, watching his expression shift ever so slightly.

“I bet those daddy issues are just eating away at you, huh?”

Todoroki stopped his advance and stared back at her, his red brow twitching with annoyance before he lashed out again with another large formation of ice.

Ryuko barely reacted.

With a sharp inhale, she swung her scissor blade overhead, stabbing into the attack and using the impact to vault herself over the jagged ice. The air stung against her skin from being so close to the cold. Twisting her body midair, she landed—not so gracefully—a few feet from Shoto, stumbling slightly before sliding to a stop.

“So, where’s your team?” Ryuko asked, her tone carrying an almost teasing lilt. “Weren’t they supposed to come help, or did they ignore your call?”

Todoroki didn’t say anything right away. Instead, he opted to watch her carefully, searching for any slight movement that might hint at an attack. But all she did was absently tap her heel against the ground—a meticulous motion that kept him on edge as he inched forward.

“They’ll be here any second,” he said evenly. “Though they can take their time… I’ve just about figured you out.”

“Oh? Well, you should’ve done that sooner.”

“You talk a lot,” he noted, taking another step forward. “It’s almost like you’re stalling for your team to arrive.”

“I don’t have to do that.”

Shoto stopped, staring at her, his right hand clenching slightly as he prepared to attack again.

“Why’s that?”

Click.

“She’s already here.”

Shoto’s eyes flicked down toward his left hand only to find it had been fastened with capture tape by a set of non existent hands.

“I did it!” Toru exclaimed, whatever her victorious gesture or expression she was making was unknown so.. jumping?

Just then, All Might’s voice boomed through the intercom.

“SHOTO TODOROKI HAS BEEN CAPTURED! HERO TEAM DOWN TO THREE MEMBERS!”

Shoto stood still, his breaths coming out in slow, controlled exhales as realization set in. His mismatched eyes flicked between Ryuko and his bound wrist, the weight of his loss sinking in.

He had been captured so easily.

He had long dismissed Toru as a threat after the adrenaline from Ryuko’s initial attack had kicked in. That mistake had cost him.

Ryuko chuckled. “Damn. No ‘good job’? No ‘congrats’? You’re cold, man—oh, wait.”

She snorted at her own joke, twirling her scissor blade lazily before slinging it over her shoulder. Taking a few casual steps forward, she tilted her head at him.

“You mad?”

Shoto didn’t answer. He just looked back at her with an unreadable expression before turning away and heading outside.

Ryuko watched him go before looking in the general direction of Toru. “Think I was too rude?”

Silence.

“Hagakure?”

No response.

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Instinct kicked in and she twisted around, scissor blade half-raised—But no one was there.

“We should put a bell on you,” Senketsu muttered, trying to fulfill his quota of lines per chapter.

“Sorry,” Toru finally spoke up. “I went to grab my gloves so I could gesture.”

“Oh. Well?”

The invisible girl shrugged—or at least, Ryuko assumed she did, since her gloves moved in that sorta way.

“Yeah, I thought so.”

Ryuko and Toru felt a buzz in their ears from the radio turning on and Ojiro’s voice coming in through static “Hey I snuck up on Yaoyorozu like you said” he said rather casually for the implications of his message 

Frantically Ryuko pushed the button on her radio to respond back “Well how’d it go?!”

There was a brief pause before Ojiro answered, his tone still frustratingly calm.

“I managed to capture her so it’s just Shoji left”

Ryuko grinned once Ojiro’s words registered her plan had worked out exactly the way she envisioned it.

Though she usually wasn’t much of a planner nor the strategic type, often opting to throw herself into battle and figure out an attack strategy as she fought, this turned out well with a little help from Senketsu on the strategic side. She found this working out better than she had expected. With Mashirao taking down Yaoyorozu, she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly and thought she would have to rush in and assist him.

Nor did she expect what came next.

A sudden second crackle in the comlink made her recoil and move to cover the affected ear.

“Shoji just surrendered,” Ojiro reported, his voice laced with surprise and a little skepticism.

Ryuko blinked at the notion, turning to Toru and gesturing in disbelief with a little roll of her free hand.

Toru’s gloves failed slightly. “Seriously?”

There was a brief pause, then All Might’s booming voice echoed through the intercom:

“VILLAIN TEAM WINS! HERO TEAM HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!”

A victorious smirk spread across Ryuko’s face as she pumped a fist forward. “Hell yeah!”

Toru cheered beside her, mimicking Ryuko with a similar pump of her glove. “We did it!”

Ojiro listened over the radio, letting out a satisfied exhale, not bothering to turn it on as he looked toward Shoji. “That turned out better than I expected.”

As the match officially concluded, Ryuko slung her scissor blade over her shoulder, her blood still buzzing with adrenaline. She desynced with Senketsu, returning him to his usual sailor uniform appearance.

This was only a training exercise, but damn, did winning feel good. Still, she shouldn’t let it go to her head not yet, anyway. With the match wrapped up, the next step was to regroup with Ojiro, head back to the monitor room, and be assessed then wait for the other matches to conclude. Then she could gloat to Izuku about her win.

Then she could get a big head.

Yeah, that’s gonna be nice.

Once they got back to the observation room All Might began to go over his notes of the battle and critique their performance “Good work all of you all be short this match was excellent!”

“Team B Todoroki Yaoyorozu and Shoji you had a solid foundation. You assessed your quirks well and structured a defensive plan accordingly.” His smile faltered just slightly. “However, the breakdown of communication and the decision to split up so early led to your downfall. Remember: even a perfect power set falls short without teamwork.”

He nodded at the three of them, then turned slower than before, toward Team I.

“Team I” His tone dropped only a little in weight. “You executed your plan to success. You utilized a mix of stealth, deception, and teamwork very impressive for a group that hasn’t worked together before. And to top it off you won the match.” 

Ryuko gave a smug little nod, arms crossed as Senketsu hummed in approval, smug in his own little way.

“However!” 

That word struck the room like a hammer. All Might's voice didn’t help that fact echoing with enough force to bounce off the walls making some of the less confident students straighten up in place.

Ryuko’s expression faltered, a little Senketsu wrinkling a little around his eye.

“You were far too reckless,” he said, his gaze directed at the team as a whole, however Ryuko could tell he was speaking about her. “You split your forces immediately, removed your protective footwear on an ice-slick battlefield, and used yourself as bait while assuming Hagakure would secure the objective without backup.”

He folded his arms in an attempt to seem stern. “It worked. But had even one factor gone differently it could have been a disaster, say if Todoroki hadn’t assumed you were her, if Shoji had taken out Ojiro before he reached Yaoyorozu, or if you failed to take on Todoroki in that encounter it could have easily ended in disaster.”

Ryuko frowned, leaning slightly to the side, but didn’t argue.

All Might looked around the room and then asked, “Can anyone tell me what Ryuko Matoi did wrong despite winning?”

For a moment no one dared to raise a hand a few twitching hesitantly at their sides, but it was Tanya Iida’s who answered first, his hand slicing through air into a textbook perfect pose. 

“Sensei!” he called. “Permission to give an assessment!”

All Might gave a nod. “Go ahead, young Iida.”

Iida adjusted his glasses, the light gleaming off the lens. “While Matoi’s plan was effective in execution, it prioritized style and misdirection over calculated efficiency. Relying on assumptions such as the enemy misidentifying her as Hagakure introduces an uncontrollable variable. Additionally, she removed her own equipment, diminishing her physical safety.” 

He paused and glanced toward Ryuko. “It was a bold move… but unnecessarily dangerous.” 

“Exactly,” All Might said, a bit of sweat dripping down his brow. “I’d also like to add that they had great initiative but yes you are correct.” All while thinking *He said it better than I could!!* 

Ryuko scoffed quietly but didn’t speak.

“Still,” All Might said, clearing his throat and returning to his usual tone, “Just learn from this. Don’t treat unpredictability as a crutch.”  

Senketsu whispered into her ear, “Told you so.”

“Shut up,” Ryuko muttered, barely hiding a smile.

All Might clapped his hands together once more. “Alright! Let’s prepare for the next match!”

[A Couple Hours Later – U.A. Class 1-A Building]

The afternoon sun hung lazy in the sky, stabbing its rays through the windows, casting warm light across the polished floors of U.A.’s main corridor as a very familiar pair of big red sneakers dragged quietly down the hall.

Izuku Midoriya limped a little with every other step, his left arm bound in a fresh white cast from just above his elbow down to his fingers, swinging uselessly in a sling across his chest. His costume—or what was left of it—was singed and torn at the sleeve and neck, his head hanging to the side with tufts of his curly hair messily sticking in every direction.

“I missed all the other matches…” he muttered under his breath with a huff, his expression pinched in mild frustration. “Recovery Girl said I shouldn’t move too much, but if I’m late for class again, Aizawa-sensei is gonna kill me.”

His muttering was broken by a sudden, energetic voice from the classroom ahead.

“MIDORIYA!” a pink-skinned girl with matching hair said, leaning out of the doorway with a grin, waving one arm excitedly while the other held a soda can against her cheek. “Hey, look who crawled outta bed!”

He entered the class a tad bit more comfortably, though still half-expecting to immediately be snatched by the teacher’s scarf and strangled of all the life he had left.

“Glad you’re still breathing, man!” a red-haired and taller boy chimed in, appearing behind the aforementioned girl with a toothy grin and a thumbs-up. “That throw earlier was totally manly!”

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with his free hand. “Haha… thanks. I, uh, really thought I was gonna pass out again…”

“You did pass out,” the pink one pointed out with a cheeky grin.

“Minor detail,” the red one added.

Izuku, who was only halfway through the doorway, noticed small gestures from some of the others in the class as the ones who were speaking to him introduced themselves as well as some of the other students whose names he didn’t know yet. A short roulette of names, which was nice for him to get to know his class. Uraraka gave him a soft wave, Iida nodded in formal acknowledgment, and even Todoroki gave him a brief glance before returning to his notebook.

And then there was Ryuko, lounging in the back of the class in her chair, her arms behind her head, her shoes propped up on her desk as she leaned back haphazardly. Senketsu’s single eye was half-lidded, as if in a resting blink.

She turned her head slightly, and the second she saw a familiar set of green curls and that soon-to-be-familiar cast, her posture shifted. Her shoes dropped from the desk with a light thud when they hit the ground. Pushing herself to her feet, she casually made her way over to the group forming around him.

Izuku barely had a second to register her presence before he was suddenly flanked by a small crowd consisting of Kirishima, Sero, Aoyama, Mina, Tsuyu—who prefers to be referred to as Tsu and Sato, all crowding in with various greetings.

“Deku, you good, bro?” Sero asked, slapping him gently on the back, which earned a sharp wince from Izuku.

“You look fabulously injured,” Aoyama added with a sparkle in his eye, hand posed dramatically over his chest.

“I saw you flying through the air like BOOM, ribbit,” Tsuyu said matter-of-factly, referring to his dodges and being attacked, tilting her head slightly.

“Y-Yeah, thanks, guys,” Izuku said awkwardly, looking slightly overwhelmed as the circle grew tighter.

“Midoriya!” Mineta’s voice rang out a little too eagerly from the corner as he stumbled his way toward the group, hand raised like he wanted to be included.

Nobody acknowledged him.

“Midori—!” he tried again, but trailed off awkwardly as even Sero stepped a little to the side, blocking him.

Just then, a voice rose from the side of the room.

“Tokoyami! You know it’s against classroom protocol to sit on your desk like that!”

Iida, in perfect form, pointed sternly across the room.

Tokoyami didn’t even turn his head. “So noisy,” he replied, brooding into the void.

“Just let it go, Iida,” Ryuko muttered, cutting in as she finally reached the group, her hands slipping into her blazer pockets. “You’re gonna give yourself a stroke before midterms.”

“Yeah, chill out a bit, dude,” Mina added with a teasing elbow nudge to Iida’s arm.

Finally, Uraraka pushed her way through the crowd, offering a smile.

“Hey, Deku. You doing okay? How’s your arm?”

“Oh uh…” Izuku blinked at her, distracted. “It’s alright. Still hurts, but Recovery Girl said it’ll be fine in a few days.”

His eyes drifted past her as he asked, “Where’s… Kacchan?”

There was a short beat of silence before Mina responded, shrugging one shoulder. “Oh, we tried to stop him from leaving. But he wouldn’t listen to any of us,” she said with a slight pout.

“He looked pretty mad,” Kirishima added. “Didn’t say anything, just… stormed off.”

“He’s probably upset from losing,” Ryuko said bluntly, arms crossing as she leaned on one hip.

“Give him some slack,” Sato muttered, glancing her way.

“He’s an asshole,” Ryuko replied with zero hesitation, a frown tugging at her lip.

But she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing as she caught something move in her peripheral vision the door creaking slightly. Taking notice, Izuku was no longer beside her. She turned her head and saw the tail end of him already halfway out the door, moving down the hall with more speed than someone with a broken arm should be using.

“Izuku?” she called after him, but he didn’t turn around.

The door clicked softly shut behind him.

Ryuko didn’t waste a second more pushing off her heel and jogging out of the classroom after him, Senketsu’s collar rustling faintly as she moved fast enough to earn the faint sound of Iida attempting to reprimand her. But she couldn’t care less in that moment, her shoes echoing low taps and squeaks across the hallway until she caught up to him just as he was rounding the corner.

“Hey!” she shouted, catching his wrist.

Izuku stumbled slightly in surprise and turned on his heel, blinking wide eyed at her. His cheeks flushed red the second he saw it was her the combination of her hand wrapped around his and the proximity between them enough to send his nervous system into temporary meltdown.

“R-Ryuko…?” he mumbled, trying not to stare. “What are you—?”

“What are you doing?” she cut in, not letting go of his hand just yet.

“I…” He looked to the side, embarrassed, then motioned over his shoulder with his casted arm. “I just… wanted to tell Kacchan something real quick. It won’t take long.”

Ryuko’s brows furrowed as her grip tightened slightly—not enough to be painful, but firm—not letting him pull away.

“Tell him what? That it’s okay? That you’re not mad he tried to kill you in a school-sanctioned match?”

“I—! That’s not what I wa—” he tried to respond, but Ryuko didn’t let him.

“Izuku,” she said plainly, dropping his hand to do a gesture of frustration, “Are you seriously trying to coddle him right now because he lost?”

His lips parted like he wanted to reply, but no response came. His feet shifted awkwardly and his eyes dropped to the floor, not having the will to look her in the eyes as she chewed him out.

“I’m not trying to be mean,” she continued, softer this time. “You’re my friend. You’ve always been my friend. But screw Katsuki. Seriously.”

She took a step closer, her voice staying quiet but firm.

“I know how he treats you. Hell, I knew before watching. It’s worse than just picking on you, isn’t it? … I’m sorry I wasn’t there—wasn’t around back then when we were little, and he made you feel like garbage every damn day. But I’m here now, and I’m telling you…”

Her voice caught with a breath, her expression serious.

“You’ve got to grow a backbone. And that starts with not running to him like some dog that doesn’t know any better.”

Izuku stood frozen for a moment, the hallway’s quiet pressing into him as did her eyes. In that single second, he was silent, making the moment feel like a full minute under her gaze. Though he did look up at her, that swirling storm of emotion held behind his eyes filled with conflict, guilt, and a tiny bit of shame.

But Ryuko didn’t back off. She had only just started and was already done watching him chase after someone who couldn’t even show him a sliver of respect.

“…You’re not a punching bag anymore,” she said, more gently now. “You’re not the kid who let him walk all over you. You don’t owe him anything.”

Izuku swallowed hard, nodding faintly barely but it was there. Then came a pause.

“I just…” he started. “I just wanted to say something. I don’t even know if it would be okay to say.”

Ryuko withdrew her hand and gave him a look not upset or disappointed, just understanding. She understood enough to not push.

“I get that. But sometimes? It’s okay to leave things unsaid.”

He looked at her for a long moment, then glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand.

“…Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said, arms folding across her chest. “Now get your nerdy ass back in the classroom before the teacher gets upset at us both.”

Izuku chuckled weakly, the tension in his shoulders finally starting to fade. “Y-Yeah. Okay.”

Together, the two started walking back toward the classroom.