Chapter 1460 - 9 - ||

Mina was gazing at her cup with new appreciation. "So this is the tea of a rich person…!"

Izuku reached under the table and nudged her foot, giving her a slightly confused look.

The front door opened and in walked a nervous-looking Ochako, a bag slung over her shoulder and a large box that she carried with ease in her arms. "U-um, hello?" Her eyes went wide as something pink rushed at her and she suddenly found herself in a tight squeeze.

"Urara-chan!" Mina cried happily, nuzzling the other girls' reddened cheek.

"Mina-chan?" Ochako blinked, hugging her back and looking around the room, spying the muscular girl with crimson hair, who waved. "Eiri-chan, too!" Then she saw Izuku and her smile grew. "And Deki-kun, as well! We're all part of the same class?"

"Yup!" The horned girl was bouncing excitedly, before she frowned. "Himi-chan's in another class, though. Not sure about Iida, either, I haven't seen him yet. You'd think he would be here by now!"

The gravity girl giggled in agreement before spotting lunch laid out. "There's food?" She asked, practically salivating. Izuku set a plate down next to his spot and patted the table invitingly, and Ochako practically teleported over, leaving her box floating in the air. "I'm starving!"

"Please, help yourself, there's plenty," Momo welcomed with a wave and a smile. "I'm Yaoyorozu Momo, it's a pleasure to meet you."

That set off a round of introductions, even from the bird-headed boy, whose name was Tokoyami. Then the group split up. Most went to the entertainment room to continue playing; Mina had dragged Ochako up the stairs for some 'girl talk' while Momo and Toru were conversing about dolls.

Izuku went back to his post by the door with a full belly and a desire to relax; so he retrieved his phone, selected a song (the Song) and let his eyes close, gently bobbing his head to the beat. The day was stretching on and while it had been somewhat stressful, things had settled down. There was still a while to go yet, but there was a rhythm to these things.

"Good song," someone said from right beside him.

Izuku jumped in surprise, eyes flying open to see a girl standing nearby. She was lithe with chin-length purple hair, a sharp jaw and rather unenthusiastic-looking eyes, wearing what one might call a 'punk rock' getup; a dark purple tank top with the words 'Deep Dope' on it, an olive green canvas jacket decorated with numerous pins and badges, fingerless gloves and ripped jean shorts, finished by a pair of boots. Though what drew his attention the most were the headphone jacks dangling a few inches from her earlobes by cords of flesh.

"Sorry to ruin your vibe," she blinked at him, her jacks rising in an approximation of a shrug. "This is the dorm for 1-A, right?"

"Yeah, it is," he coughed into a hand to recompose himself. "Midoriya Izuku."

"Jiro Kyouka," she introduced with a nod, and it might've been the light but he could've sworn there seemed to be horizontal streaks like those on an EKG monitor in her hair. "So…sleeping on the job?"

Izuku shrugged. "Been a long day," he noticed the case slung on her back and another in her hand, and a couple of boxes behind her. "Would you like some help?"

"Sure," she grabbed a key as he picked up her stuff, her eyes flickering around the room as she walked to the elevator, taking in the groups of fellow students. "Not even a day, and already there are cliques."

"Bit of an overstatement," he commented, leaning against the back wall as she hit the button for her floor, the fifth. He eyed her cases. "You're a musician, then?"

"No, I just like the way they feel when I carry them around," Kyouka muttered, rapping her fingernails on the handle of her guitar case. "Yeah, I play, mostly bass and guitar."

"That's cool," Izuku said, a little awkwardly, "My best friend and I, we play instruments as well. I'm on the keyboard and she has a harp."

"Oh?" Her eyebrows arched as she looked at him. "Been playing long?"

"A couple of years," he shrugged, grimacing a little. "Haven't actually touched it in a while; too busy training for the Entrance Exam…there might be some empty rooms left over, maybe we can use one of them to practice in…" He hummed thoughtfully as he mumbled to himself.

"Let me know when you do, I could use some practice myself," she added lightly, a bit of tension easing from her shoulders. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open, with Izuku following her down the hall. "Here it is."

Izuku set her boxes down and nodded at her. "There's food if you're hungry and company if you want it. Nice to meet you, Kyouka-san."

"Just Kyouka," she muttered, setting her cases against the wall before flopping down on the bed. "…This won't be that bad…"

As soon as he stepped off the elevator, he noticed the tall form of Shouji by the tables, joined another tall, muscular teen though a bit wider built, with short spiked brown hair, thick lips and a round nose. He introduced himself as Sato Rikido and gave a very firm and friendly handshake.

Not even a minute later another tall, muscular teen entered the dorm, this one with a rather uneven-shaped head that looked somewhat like rock, if that rock was flesh and bone. He didn't talk, though, rather introducing himself in sign language. His name was Koda Koji, and he was very pleased to meet them and hoped they all got along together.

While they were getting sorted, Izuku refilled the snacks and cleaned up from lunch; at that time in the day, it was either snack lightly or just wait for dinner. Just as he had sat down with a cup of tea, the door opened once again and in came a girl.

The first thing he noticed were her eyes; they were wide and round, with black irises that seemed to stare into his soul. Her mouth was rather wide and dipped in the middle, with hair a dark green like seaweed that framed her face and spilled down her back, where her locks were tied into a large bow. The second thing was that she was wearing a worn jean jacket, a long blue skirt that brushed her ankles and a t-shirt that read 'Hop to It.' A bag was slung over a shoulder and a box was under an arm, and he couldn't help but notice her rather large hands.

"Hey, these the 1-A dorms?" She asked by way of greeting.

"That they are." He stood up and offered her a hand. "Midoriya Izuku, pleasure to meet you. Can I help you move in?"

"Asui Tsuyu," she replied in a clipped tone, "Just call me Tsuyu-chan. And yes."

She handed the box over and Izuku noticed that it wasn't very heavy, but inwardly shrugged and carried it. He'd offered, after all.

Tsuyu picked a key from the wall and waved. "Lead on."

He did so, stepping by the group on the couches around the TV, cheering on the four players beating the virtual crap out of each other. He could feel eyes on his back as he shared a nod with Momo. "Which floor?"

"Third," she replied, leaning against the side of the elevator. "Midoriya-chan, you work out a lot, don't you?"

Izuku blinked, bemused. "Huh? Er, well, yeah, I do. I figure that anyone who'd wanna come here would do the same."

She bobbed her head. "Mm, that's true. It's pretty noticeable on you, though, and I always say what comes to mind."

"Mm," he nodded, "Honesty is the best policy?"

Her large eyes swiveled up to regard him. "Frogs aren't always good at body language. Ribbit. So I don't want to cause any misunderstandings."

Izuku glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Did she just ribbit? Holy shit that's cute. "Your Quirk?"

"Yup."

"Very cool."

"Frogs hibernate when it's cold enough, ribbit." The doors opened and they stepped off, finding her room quickly. "Not really welcoming as far as rooms go, but at least I can decorate how I want."

Izuku set her box down, shooting her a curious look. "So, being honest, why'd you have me carry the box?"

Tsuyu blinked at him. "You offered."

He shrugged. "I did. I'll let you settle in, Tsuyu-chan. If you need anything I can actually help with, here's my GroupChat ID, just send me a message." His phone chimed with a message.

Froppy sent you a friend request!

Froppy: Hi.

Chuckling, he replied.

RightPebble: Hey.

"See you later," Izuku waved as he exited the room, taking the stairs back down. He whistled as he arrived into the entertainment room, holding up his phone. "Hey guys, do you have GroupChat? Let's trade IDs." This started a miniature storm on the couches as after he got theirs, they traded with each other and got to talking about their phones.

Leaving them to it, he looked up as the door was flung open and a slender young man with long blonde hair that spiked out at the ends, with a rather round, girly face. "The hero has arrived!" He announced flamboyantly, posing. "And he's sparkling!"

Izuku blinked. There was shifting of cloth and bodies as the teens in the entertainment room looked over, nonplussed. Someones' character, mid-jump to get back on the platform, plummeted to their doom. "…Okay." Izuku offered his hand with a bemused smile. "Nice to meet you, Sparkling-san, I'm Midoriya Izuku. Welcome to the 1-A dorms."

"Honhon, indeed! Of course, one with such a shining Quirk as I would be welcomed!" The sparkling boy took his hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Aoyama Yuga is the name! You may call me 'sparkling' if you wish, for that is what I am! You must be so pleased to have me in your class! And I equally-" He posed, realized the door had closed behind him and hurried to open it before retaking his pose, "-would be pleased to have your help moving my stuff?"

Izuku arched an eyebrow at the large mass of boxes sitting outside of the dorm, most of it marked with the characters for 'Fragile, Do Not Drop.' "That's quite a bit of fragile items," he noted. "Let me see if I can get some more help."

Eiri practically jumped at the chance to carry heavy things; "Helping is manly!" She proclaimed, and it was definitely not because Sero was handing her loss after loss in Smash Bros. Sato was also down to help out; because he was friendly or because he was bored was up for debate. And Shouji was agreeable to lend a hand or five.

"-Fairly certain I didn't pack a robot," they heard Yuga mutter as they arrived at the front door.

"Robot?" Izuku asked, glancing that way before his eyes widened and he broke out into a broad grin. "BB!"

The tall, one-eyed robot waved stiffly. "Hello-Father," it greeted in a stilted, heavily electronically-tinged voice. "Mother-sends-her-greetings. Begin-playback: Hey 'Zuku! I upgraded BB and made another one! This one is your BB! I mean, he's our baby and your BB but now he's my BB too! …Not that I'll use it for that, but…anyways, they can also send messages to one another because they're linked to a hive-mind! Try it!"

"Alright…" He tapped his chin in thought as the other teens began to move the boxes. "Hey Mei, it's Izuku. I hope you're having an easy time moving in and that the workshop is-"

A loud air horn noise suddenly blasted from BB, making them all jump, Sato and Eiri nearly losing their grip on a long box. "Ha! Pranked, Izuku! Why would I give them just recording capabilities when they could also be two-way communicators!" Mei chuckled victoriously. "Anyways, moving in was a snap with two BBs! And the workshop is awesome! There's so much stuff I can use! But you're always the best when it comes to making babies, Zuku!"

Behind him Eiri stumbled over nothing and ran into the doorway as Shouji, Sato and Yuga traded looks before deciding to ignore what they heard.

"Thanks, Mei," Izuku smiled sheepishly, "I'll come visit you soon, I had a few ideas in mind and so did Himiko. Also, I insist that you stop by my dorm so I can make you dinner. It's only fair to treat you after ordering in so many times at your place."

"Ideas? Like what?" And of course she would ignore the rest of his words.

"Making a wrist-mounted grapple hook."

There was a second of silence, then a rustle of papers. "Oh! I had that idea, too, but the torso-mounted design fit better with Hemiko's design aesthetics…wrist-mounted would need extra support webbing so that it doesn't tear the arm off or be integrated into an existing suit…" Then came the noise of scribbling and very low muttering.

Izuku waited patiently. "…Mei?"

BB shrugged helplessly. "Sorry-Father. Mother-closed-the-line. Would-you-like-to-leave-a-message?"

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Mei, remember to eat and sleep, and I insist on cooking for you." Pinching his nose, he shook his head. "BB, please play that at some point today, okay? Loudly, if you have to."

"Yes-Father. Reminder-set."

Izuku glanced over at the boxes; despite the others' work, there were still quite a few left. "BB, mind helping me move this stuff inside?"

"Of-course-Father."

He discovered that whatever was inside the fragile boxes was something that he could pick up in his field, so to cut down on time he stacked them in his arms and reduced the weight by lifting them with his mind. BB followed him inside, a large, flat, rectangular box balanced on its shoulder. Yuga wasn't on the first floor, though, so he looked to the board of keys and noticed one missing from the topmost pegs. "Looks like we're going to the fifth floor, BB."

"Acknowledged-Father."

Mina perked from her spot, leaning on the back of the couch with Toru. "Wait, 'father?' How does that work?" They couldn't see it, but by the swishing of hair it seemed Toru was nodding in agreement.

BB perked up. "Queuing: 'Human Reproduction for Dummies.' When a man and a woman love each other very much, or their marriage is failing and they're desperately trying to make a reason to stay together even though they're a terrible couple and I'm right here, Phyllis-"

"No, no, none of that!" Izuku reached over and lightly slapped the robot on the back of the head. "I helped put him together with a friend of mine, Mei. Since she calls her creations 'her babies' the ones that can talk refer to her as mother. And since I helped…" He waved the thought on. "Anyway, you wanna help with these boxes?"

"Nah, I'm good watching the parade," she shrugged, propping her chin up on her hands.

A little confused, he continued onward. Once he and his BB had gotten on the elevator and Shouji had passed them going back out, Toru leaned over and whispered, "The hunk parade," and then they giggled.

Even working together, it took them several trips to bring all of Yuga's stuff to his chosen room and by the time they were done, the flamboyant blonde barely had energy left to pose as he thanked them and shut himself in his room.

Izuku poured them all drinks when they arrived back downstairs; they were sipping juice when the door opened again. They looked over and blinked in confusion as there seemed to be no one there. "Uh, hey…" They looked down…then down some more until their gaze settled on a short teen.

And by 'short,' it meant three feet and some change 'short.' There may have been a few inches added by the large dark purple balls growing from his scalp, but it was still a boy who'd need a step-stool to reach the stove. He had a round head, puffy cheeks and large eyes which gazed up at them with some trepidation.

"Hey there," Izuku greeted him with a wave. "Welcome to the 1-A dorms, I'm Midoriya Izuku."

"Hey," the short guy repeated, carrying a single box with a bag on his back. He leaned up on his tiptoes, trying to peer around them. "Is it just you guys or are there actually girls staying here?"

Eiri, sitting right next to Izuku, dropped her friendly smile and gripped her cup tightly. "I'm a girl," she pointed out through grit teeth.

Ball-head gave her a rather blatant once-over and frowned. "I mean soft, curvy…actual girls."

The glass shattered in her hand.

Izuku cleared his throat. "There are females living here, yes. Why not pick out a room key and get settled in…" He gave the shorter boy a flat look. "But first, you insulted a fellow student, our future comrade as Heroes. An apology would be appreciated."

The intimidating visage Izuku had brought to bear was completely ignored as the short one giggled to himself, gazing speculatively at the keys. "Which floor has the most hot girls on it? Are the rooms side-by-side? What about bathrooms?" He'd set the box on the ground as he plotted, and through the opening at the top, they could see a busty-half naked woman on the cover of a doujin.

Izuku thought quickly. There's only Toru on the second floor. "Second floor," he said, glancing at Eiri to find her frowning at him. He motioned for her to wait a bit as Mineta grabbed a key and his box, then ran into the dorm, stopping to stare at Mina's legs as she sat upside-down on a couch. "Text Toru-chan and ask her to move," he told her under his breath, getting an understanding nod. "I get the feeling that guy doesn't care much about privacy when it comes to girls."

The red-haired girl growled as she typed up the message, then sighed, her hand taking on a rock-like consistency as she swept the shattered glass into a pile. She frowned at the pieces and the puddle of juice, flexing her hand into a fist. "Girls can be manly too, right? And still be girls?" She muttered to herself.

Izuku reached over and laid his hand on top of the broken glass. "Does it really matter what he thinks?" he offered, the glass dissolving into sand by his will and flowing back together into the shape of a cup, though now opaque. Pulling on his chakra, he tapped it with his finger and it became clear, as if it had never been broken.

Eiri examined the glass, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You know, I don't actually know what your Quirk is. Mina said it was some kind of rock armor and you were wearing metal at the end." She glanced at him and her cheeks pinked; she hadn't realized they were so close to each other that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure we'll all go around talking about our Quirks soon enough," he deflected with a smirk, stepping back from her space.

She opened her mouth to continue questioning, only for the door to open and admit another guy. This one was taller than the last, with short blonde hair swept forward and narrow eyes set in a plain, if friendly face. And, of course, the biggest thing was the large tail coming from his back, nearly as thick as his torso and hairless except for the tip, which bore a fluffy tuft of hair matching that of his head. A large box was held aloft easily by his tail, with a bag on his shoulder. "Is this the dorm for 1-A students?" He asked politely.

"That it is, welcome!" Izuku greeted him with a friendly smile. "Grab a key, grab some snacks and join our GroupChat! I'm Midoriya Izuku."

"Kirishima Eiri," Eiri introduced, pouring herself another drink after cleaning up the remnants of the previous glass of juice.

"Ojiro Mashirao," he returned with a bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you." He stood straight but loose, with an almost noble but approachable bearing. Almost as soon as he had sat down in the entertainment room, he was pulled into a match of Smash Bros. and freely ribbing the others as they fought.

"But seriously, I wanna know-"

The door opened again, and this time by someone they both recognized. "Iida-kun!" Izuku greeted with a wave. "Welcome to 1-A!"

"Hey man, you finally showed up!" Eiri added, offering a fist.

Iida bowed sharply, hair and glasses remaining in place despite the violence of the motion. "Midoriya-kun! Kirishima-kun! I have shamed my lineage by being late, but that was only because I was saying farewell and acquiring last-second advice for living away from home for the first time! Thank you for welcoming me into our shared home for the foreseeable future!" he chopped a hand, eyes wide and serious. "I shall endeavor to be a model dormmate! Do you need any help moving in?"

The other two traded looks. "We've been here since this morning, Iida-kun," the green-haired teen replied. "Do you need any help moving in?"

Iida's eyes darted about behind his glasses. "…Ah. No, thank you, Yuuei provides furniture, living space and food, as expected of such a well-funded school, so I only brought a few mementos from home and my family, as well as casual clothes. If I require more, I will simply run over to the shop just off of the campus." He picked a key to a room on the second floor, then paused at the snack table, his hand darting to snatch a rice ball and shove it in his mouth so fast it was a blur. "Ahem, excuse my impropriety, I am quite hungry."

"No worries man, everyone else already ate," the muscular girl commented, waving a hand at the table. "Help yourself."

Seven rice balls and two sandwiches disappeared into his maw, teeth flashing in the light so fast they were a little surprised there weren't chainsaw noises. Iida pulled a napkin from somewhere and wiped his lips. "Thank you. I shall introduce myself to our fellow students and get my room in order. I look forward to working alongside both of you." He sharply bowed again, barely missing the edge of the table.

"Yo, Idaten!" Mina called from the couches, "How are you so late when you're so fast?"

"Ashido-kun, sit properly on the furniture! Your improper posture disrespects this very institution!"

"There's an actual robot here, and somehow you're the stiff."

"Don't-bring-me-into-this."

"And you! Sit straight, hunching over like that can cause future back problems!"

As Denki said something muffled by an explosion from the TV, Izuku chuckled. "That's one way to make fast friends," he muttered, finishing his juice and checking the time. If I get started on dinner now, that should be enough time to make a variety. But of what? Something simple…

"Dude why are you twitching? Are you having a stroke?"

"And you! Get out from under the table and cease giggling, it's-" They heard a distant crash as Iida tripped over something and tumbled to the ground before popping back up. "Who left a box in the middle of the room, someone could trip and hurt…themselves…" There was a loud, almost theatrical gasp. "This…this is PORNOGRAPHY! This must be disposed of!"

A distant wail. "Nooooo! My treasures!"

Eiri nudged his arm with a grin, her sharp teeth making it a rather fierce expression. "At least it won't be boring," she offered.

"That it won't," he agreed, grinning back.

"Yo, Eirishima!" Mina called, leaning over the back of the couch, "We're doing girls versus boys in Smash, c'mon! Midori, you too!"

Izuku waved her off. "Nah, I'm going to get started on dinner. There's…eighteen people here, with the possibility of a few more coming. I need to make something big, but relatively simple and easy to tweak…" His eyes went to the pantry and all the noodles therein. "Aha."

It was a good thing the stove was near industrial-sized and there were plenty of pots and pans to be used. Grabbing chicken and pork from the freezer, he set it to thaw over low heat before getting cutting boards and vegetables out on the counter. The largest pot was for the noodles; the others were for chicken, pork and vegetable stock.

As he'd started cutting greens to saute, he noted a presence out of the corner of his eye and turned to find Sato approaching him. The large teen gave a friendly smile and nodded at the kitchen. "I saw you're making something, can I help? I know more about cakes and the like, but I know my way around soups." He scratched his temple sheepishly. "Also, they've been kinda kicking my ass and I'm tired of that. Damn Kirby."

Izuku offered a fist and got a bump in return. "Yeah Sato-san, glad to have some help. Cut these and separate them into three equal piles while I check the meat, alright? You watch the noodles and the chicken, I'll take care of the vegetables and the pork, then we'll season. Alright?" He clapped his hands with a grin. "Then let's do this! Wait. Is anyone allergic to anything?!"

"I'm allergic to Kirby's BS!"

"Kaminari-kun, such inappropriate language-!"

"Ha! Sucks to suck, don't it?"

Not hearing any actual replies, he shrugged. "Alright then."

Soon enough, the scent of cooking meat, the boiling of broth and the crackle of oil filled the kitchen, slipping into the rest of the floor and drifting upwards. The noodles, the wet sort that were kept in the fridge, had just been added and were being lightly stirred when the door opened once again.

In walked a girl, a bit taller than Himiko with striking features that immediately drew the eye. Her hair was a pure, snowy white on the right side of her head and a rather autumnal red on the left, split directly in half at her crown. The red side had been pushed back and secured with a clip in the shape of a light blue snowflake, displaying a bright turquoise eye and large, jagged red scar surrounding it that spilled onto her forehead and near her ear. The white side was loose, brushing just over her shoulder, with the eye on that side being a flat grey. Her face was round and feminine, one would even say attractive, if not for a distant, almost absent expression. And some even then would still say such.

Her eyes flickered over the two teens in the kitchen, then the others lying about on couches and beanbags, and she made a noise somewhere between a hum and a scoff. "So this is 1-A," she muttered, adjusting the bag on her shoulder and grabbing a key.

"Welcome!" Izuku called, looking up from the sizzling slices of pork with a smile and a wave. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, this is Sato Rikido! Do you need any help moving luggage?"

"Todoroki Shimo," she nodded slightly. "And no, thank you."

"Alright!" He turned to the muscular boy tending the noodles. "How do they look, Sato-san?"

The other teen tested one of the thick noodles, chewing thoughtfully and then nodding with a grin. "Just about done!"

"Excellent! Everyone!" Izuku leaned over the counter so his voice would carry into the next room, "Dinner's almost ready!"

Mina flopped down on a stool on the other side of the counter, propping her cheek upon her hand as she grinned. "So whatcha makin'?" She asked, fluttering her eyelashes. "I hear bubbling so I'm guessing soup…or it just might be the boys' brains after we kicked their asses!"

Eiri punched her fists in the air. "Winning is manly!" And held up hand so Toru could high-give her.

"Soba!" The green-haired teen replied. Unbeknownst to them, Shimo had been silently making her way towards the elevator until she heard that word; then she just as silently spun back around and leaned against the counter. "We've got chicken, pork and vegetable! Come on up and tell us what you want!"

"Allow me to render assistance!" Iida declared, sharply chopping a hand in a gesture almost like a salute.

"Can you grab some bowls, Iida-kun?" Izuku clapped his hands as the other students gathered on the other side of the counter. "Alright, what do you want?"

Together, they served up each of their classmates until all of them had a bowl of steaming noodles with their toppings of choice capping it off, sitting together after putting a few tables end-to-end. Izuku had just sat down on the other side of Mina, who'd dug in eagerly after adding a dash of memmi sauce, quietly moaning around a mouthful of noodles and meat. She gave him a lidded gaze and sighed softly. "Fuck…I hope Himi-chan knows how lucky she is to have a boyfriend who is such husband material." She licked her chopsticks, pink tongue flicking over the wood.

Izuku blushed and looked down at his soup sheepishly. A seat down, Ochako sat up, brown eyes wide. "Wait, Himiko-chan is your girlfriend?!" Her cheeks darkened as the rest of the table looked down at them, sensing gossip. "S-sorry," she mumbled.

"Yo, you got a girlfriend already?!" Denki called, looking impressed and a bit jealous.

"We live together," Izuku clarified, his thoughts racing. Probably wouldn't help if I told them we consider ourselves more 'lovers' than boyfriend and girlfriend…not to mention Suku.

"Oooh," the gravity said in understanding, slumping in relief, "Are you related?"

The Geokinetic refrained from laughing, remembering his mom talking about incest. "No, not related." He swirled some noodles together into a bundle, pausing as he felt a foot touch his. Mina gave him a subtle wink, her lips curling in a smile.

"So why do you live together, then?" Kyouka asked with an apathetic gaze, idly stirring her noodles.

Izuku's eyes darkened. "Her family are bastards," he said simply, before shaking his head. It wasn't his story to tell.

Shimo looked up from stirring ice cubes into her soba, eyes narrowing slightly.

Before he could finally start eating, the front door opened once again. And in stepped a familiar ash-blonde girl with sharp red eyes and a scowl. Izuku rolled his eyes. Of course Bakugou's in my class… "Bakugou," he greeted her politely but distantly, her scowl deeping as she saw him stand up from the table. "Need any help-?"

"No I don't need any fuckin' help, especially not from you, Deku!" She barked, baring her teeth.

The various chatter died down as every head turned towards the two of them; the hostility thick, but visibly one-sided tamping down on the friendly atmosphere from before. "Ooooh," Mina's noise of realization neatly snapped the tension in half, "She's Miss Volatile, right? Or was it She-Salty?"

Izuku blinked, then realized it must've been from a conversation Mina had with Himiko. "Bakugou Katsuki," he introduced, the volatile blonde staring incredulously at the pink girl. "She's-"

"The fuck did you call me, Raccoon Eyes?!" Her eyes narrowed, fists clenching.

Mina arched an eyebrow, propping her cheek on her fist, stirring her noodles. "Volatile and salty," she answered bluntly, eyeing the other girl. "I'm not a gambler but I'd say I'm right on the money."

"...You wanna fight?" Bakugou growled, a crackle filling the air as her palms popped with mini explosions, the scent of burnt sugar wafting from her. "I'll blast you straight to hell you pink fu-"

"MY BABY!" A woman wailed and Izuku instantly spun around, looking for his mother. Instead, it was Mitsuki, theatrically throwing her arms around her daughter's head before pulling it into her chest and exaggeratedly nuzzling her hair, all while crying. "Oh my sweet li'l child! I'm gonna miss you so much!" She gasped and stage whispered, "They grow up so fast!"

Katsuki flailed as muffled giggling filled the air. "Leggo a'me goddammit!" She shrieked into her mother's bosom, face burning as whatever intimidation factor she'd arrived with died a pink, cuddly death. "You fuggin' HAG!"

Mitsuki frowned and pushed Katsuki back, then loudly slapped her on the back of the head. "What'd I say about swearing in front of new people, brat?!" Then she just as quickly pulled her daughter back into a smothering embrace. "I'll even miss your fronting, my darling child!"

At the dinner table, many were laughing at the display, but inwardly many were glad that their own mothers hadn't done such a thing.

Izuku was grinning victoriously to himself. His mom had done that, but they'd been smart enough to come before anyone else.

Proper planning for the win, bitches.

"Mitsuki," he greeted the ash-blonde woman with a nod and a smile.

Her eyes opened and found him, a grin on her lips before she ruffled his hair with an aggressive coo. "Bonsai-chan!" She looked down at her red-faced daughter still struggling to get out of her grasp. "Lookit that, Katsu-chan! Your best friend in the whole wide world is here, too! Isn't that just wonderful?" She turned wide, watery eyes on him, lower lip trembling. "You'll watch out for my sweet baby, right? Keep her safe and out of fights? She has such a delicate constitution…"

Izuku glanced down. Katsuki was glaring at him with bulging red eyes promising violence upon his person. A normal weekday, then. He brought a fist over his heart and bowed solemnly, fighting to hold back a grin. "Of course, Mitsuki, I swear on my heart and soul that I will keep the delicate little princess safe and sound."

"Group hug!" Mitsuki cheered, pulling him down to her shoulder, kissing his cheek then raining pecks on her daughter's head. "You hear that, Katsu-chan? You're gonna be safe!"

Katsuki finally managed to free herself, nearly snorting smoke from how badly her face was burning, glowering at everything and everyone as she stomped to the board of keys, grabbed one, then stomped out of the front door.

The older blonde watched her kid go, eyes tracking her progress. Once the door had swung shut, she wheezed and buried her face in Izuku's chest before bursting out into laughter. "Oh my-oh my god!" She managed around her rampant giggles, "It-it was so worth all those hours stuck in traffic! HAHAHA!"

Katsuki marched back in with a box in her arms, leveling her strongest glare at everyone in eyesight, but especially at her mom and the green teen she was leaning on. "I'll kill you," she promised under her breath.

Izuku smirked and thumbed his nose at her twice. "So you guys got caught up in traffic, huh?" He asked, turning to Mitsuki.

At the table, Mina let loose a low whistle. "Man, how lucky do you gotta be to be in that position?" She muttered, waving her hand at the beautiful blonde woman leaning on the hunky teen. "What a MILF."

"MILF?" Ochako asked, brows furrowing.

The pink-skinned girl glanced at her. "Yeah, you know, Mom I'd Like to-"

"I-I know what it means!" The gravity girl stuttered, chopping hand in front of her face. "But-but, uh, you…?" She nodded at Mitsuki. "…You know?"

Mina shrugged. "Even if someone didn't…they would for that, right?"

Ochako looked down at her nearly-empty bowl, red-faced and mumbling, "Maybe…"

"Alright, come help me out a bit, yeah?" Mitsuki started for the door, "My brat tried to pack light, but I remembered how quick she goes through training clothes and I'd rather not get a huge bill from Yuuei for destroyed clothes, equipment and land. Plus I snuck a bunch of baby pictures in her stuff."

"It's only funny because you're not gonna be here when she finds them," Izuku chuckled, smiling as he spotted the familiar form of Mitsuki's husband removing boxes from the trunk of their car. "Masaru, hey! It's been a long time!"

"Izuku," the older man greeted him with a friendly nod and a smile, "Nice to see you, too. I'm glad you're gonna be here with Katsuki, I think she'll need someone to lean on out here in the real world."

"Mm," he hummed noncommittally, taking a box from a silent Mitsuki. "How's work been?"

"Very good, we've been very busy, and expanding, actually. Overseas, if you can believe it," Masaru relayed, and his wife said nothing. "With Katsuki-chan moving out, it felt like the time to focus more on the career, you know?"

Izuku nodded, but didn't really get it. "Well, I hope it works out," he smiled, and went to carry the box inside. Mitsuki joined him with another package, her earlier humor almost entirely gone. "Which floor did she pick?"

"Fifth," she replied shortly, passing through the entertainment room. Most had finished eating and moved back to the couches; Iida was speedily washing bowls at the sink while Sato was storing away the leftovers, though Izuku's bowl was still at his seat.

They stepped into the elevator as a scowling Katsuki marched out, and Mitsuki hit the button. As it rose, she sighed deeply and rested her head against his shoulder. He shifted the box to his other arm and wrapped her in a side-hug. "It'll be okay, Mitsuki," he murmured, "I doubt she'll ever admit it out loud, but Katsuki definitely loves you. She'll hide it deep down, but she'll miss you."

"Heh, I know," she muttered, "But that's not the problem."

He opened his mouth to ask what was, but then the doors opened. Setting their boxes down, they returned to the elevator and took it back to the ground floor, the older woman leaning on him the whole way down. Katsuki was leaning on the counter, watching them with a thunderous scowl that only grew deeper when her mother grabbed her into another tight hug. "Dammit hag-!"

"Listen to me, brat," Mitsuki whispered, and Izuku wasn't sure she knew he could still hear her, "This isn't just a school, you got me? The people you meet here are the next generation of Heroes. The next movers and shakers in the most dangerous job in the world. Do not treat it like Aldera, understand?" She withdrew, smoothing her daughters' hair down then lightly kissing her forehead. "And for fucks' sake, quit swearing so much and make some goddamn friends, alright?"

"Whatever," Katsuki muttered, slipping out of her arms and slinking off.

The older blonde sniffed and wiped her eyes, then turned to him and hugged him, too. "I know it's not fair to ask you this," she murmured, her breath brushing his ear. "But please, look out for Katsuki, okay? Don't…hold her hand or anything, just…make sure she doesn't end up alone, okay?"

"I'll do my best," he promised, and she kissed his cheek.

"Alright," she sighed, stepping back and ruffling his hair once more. "You look out for yourself and Himiko too, got it Bonsai-chan?"

"I will," Izuku nodded, ignoring the snickering.

Waving, Mitsuki left the dorm and he was finally able to sit back down and start eating. He'd just taken a bite of his now-cold soba when Mina spoke up. "So…" She said coyly, her foot poking his, "Bonsai-chan, eh? I can see it."

Izuku frowned. "Don't call me that."

"Oooh, is it a special nickname from a special lady, hmmm?" The horned girl waggled her eyebrows with a grin.

"If by 'special' you mean 'my mom's absolute best friend who I've known almost my entire life' then…yes," he answered dryly, chewing on some pork. This is pretty good cold, hm. "Believe it or not, Bakugou and I have known each other since we were kids. Mitsuki, or 'hag' as Bakugou likes to call her, is like…my aunt." Who hasn't been exactly occupying that spot since I really hit puberty, but…

"Oh," Mina sighed, "Well, that's…still interesting." She shook her head. "Anyway, come play some Smash with us! I'm wondering how you'll do against my Voracious Pink Monster."

Izuku glanced at her, wondering if she understood how that could be taken. By her grin, she did. He looked back at the kitchen, now practically spotless. "…Alright, I guess I could play a match or two…take it easy on me, though, I haven't played it in a long time."

Eiri groaned and covered her face. "Why'd you say that?" She mumbled into her digits, giving him a pitying look. "Now she's gonna pound you into the dirt."

The pink-skinned girl smiled a rather feral smile. "Don't worry," she said unconvincingly, "I'll be nice."

…

"Welp, that's it," she sighed over an hour later as the victory screen played, setting the controller down. "It was a good fight, Midori, and you got me more than I thought you would…" She hopped up on her feet with a victorious whoop. "I won, baby! YEAH!" And then she started dancing.

Ochako patted Izuku on the shoulder. "Don't worry, she's beaten everyone so far."

He shrugged good-naturedly. "I'm not too down, I said I haven't played it in a while, I honestly expected to lose." He checked his phone and stretched his arms above his head. "And on that note, I'm going to bed."

"It's nine o'clock," Kyouka pointed out, glancing over at the clock.

"And it's been a long day," he nodded, pushing himself up, "Plus, it's our actual first day at Yuuei tomorrow. I want to be rested and ready for anything."

Iida shot up from his seat, where he'd been sitting stiffly. "An excellent suggestion, Midoriya-kun! I, too, shall go to bed!"

Izuku nodded to the gathered students. "It was nice to meet all of you today, and see you tomorrow." He'd just made it to the elevator when Mina and Eiri joined him inside, swiftly followed by Toru. At his questioning look, the pink-skinned girl shrugged.

"It's not easy kickin' all your asses, you know." She grinned, "And I need my beauty sleep!"

"Being well-rested is manly," Eiri offered.

They looked at Toru. "I'm just tired," she said.

They parted ways outside of the elevator, heading for their separate rooms. Inside of his own, Izuku sighed at his boxes and made a note to get set up tomorrow; having all that stuff on the floor made his spine itch. He then noticed that his closet door was open, and not only open, the closet itself was filled with copies of the Yuuei uniform. "Well that's a bit creepy," he muttered, eyeing the balcony suspiciously. "Someone snuck into my room…?"

"It-was-me."

He jumped as the robotic voice came from BB, who'd been sitting completely still in a corner. "Oh, BB, you got my uniform?"

"A-man-delivered-packages-for-the-entire-class," it reported, pointing at the trash can filled with torn plastic wrapping. "I-distributed-them-while-you-were-losing."

"Thanks, BB," Izuku muttered, grabbing some fresh clothes. "Getting trash-talked by my own son…"

"The-future-is-now-old-man."

Shaking his head and chuckling, he headed for the small bathroom attached to his dorm; there was enough room for a shower, a toilet and a sink with a mirror.

The hot water felt good on his skin, the heat seeping into his muscles and the bones below. It's been a long day, he thought, scrubbing his scalp with shampoo, All these new people…most of them are friendly, too. This…could be a really good time.

He'd been drying off when he heard knocking on the door. "What's up, BB?" He pulled his sleep pants on, towel hanging around his head as he dried his hair.

"You-have-someone-at-the-door."

"Thanks BB. You can deactivate or whatever you do at night, alright buddy?" He said, heading for the door with his towel around his shoulders. He pulled open the door and paused, seeing Mina, Eiri and Toru standing there. "…Uh, yeah?"

The horned girl tore her eyes away from his damp, shirtless chest and fixed him with a lilac-backed smile. "I just remembered that I didn't say goodnight."

"Manly," Eiri mumbled.

Izuku blinked at her, idly wiping the water seeping from his hair as it slipped down his face. "Alright then, goodnight." He went to close the door when Mina shoved her hand against it. "Yes?"

"Really?" She gave him an incredulous look, motioning at herself in a loose tank top and sleep shorts, "I'm standing out here like this and all you're gonna do is say 'goodnight?'"

He looked down at her. "…You look cute?" He offered with a shrug.

Mina stared at him for a second before huffing. "Fine, if you're gonna be like that," she stepped into his space and threw her arms around him. "It's not a 'good night' without a goodnight hug you big, dumb…" She trailed off as he hugged her back.

Izuku tried not to focus on just how soft and almost velvety-smooth her pink skin felt, nor her figure pressing against his. "Goodnight, Mina," he murmured into her ear.

Mina began to giggle. Not in a girly, innocent way, but in a sorta 'old man' way. Eiri pulled her back and the pink-haired girl stumbled back, face nearly entirely lilac.

Izuku looked at the muscular girl and opened his arms. "Do you want a hug, too?" He asked.

Eiri flushed and gulped audibly, her eyes on his chest before she shook her head and offered a fist. "Night, man." She grinned as he bumped her fist and led her best friend back to their rooms, with Mina still giggling.

"Well I do!" Toru said energetically, nearly hopping as she pulled him into an enthusiastic hug. "Night-night, Izuku!"

"Goodnight, Toru-chan," he chuckled, the invisible girl bouncing down the hall to her room. Stepping back inside his own, he sighed as he flopped back onto his mattress. Tomorrow's the big day…

He heard a thump coming from outside. Sitting up, he found nothing on the balcony…until Himiko shot up over the side, landing outside of his door with barely a sound. "Housekeeping!" She announced as she came into his room, unhooking her grapple-belt and letting it drop on the floor.

"Himiko," Izuku smiled, hugging her as she lay down on top of him, their lips seeking each other. "I missed you."

She sighed, snuggling against his chest. "Me too. Met some nice people today, though. Some cute girls, too."

"Tell me later," he murmured, nuzzling her hair, "The only cute girl I wanna think about right now is you."

"Can do," she replied, and they fell into a comfortable silence. "We should call mama, let her know how the day went."

"Mm," he hummed agreeably. "And afterwards, well…you're here, I'm here, and there's this bed…"

Himiko grinned and kissed him. "You read my mind."

…

The next morning, after a light workout, Izuku left Himiko with a kiss and the promise to walk to class together, then separated to get ready for the day. As it was dawn and nearly six in the morning, no one else was up. Looking about the kitchen, he rubbed his hands together and thought. "Pancakes are simple, easy to make in large quantities," he muttered, scratching his chin and already moving to the pantry. "And you can top them with anything you want…mm, yes, that'll work."

Some time later, Shimo stepped onto the ground floor, sniffing as a delectable scent filled her nose. Balanced on the balls of her feet and with a lifetime of experience, she silently crept into the kitchen, spying a platter on the counter piled high with steaming pancakes. Over the cacophony of cooking, she could hear someone singing.

"Flip me a stack, of flippin' flapjacks,

Pile 'em high, right up to the sky,"

Arching an eyebrow, she peeked around to find Izuku standing in front of the stove, lightly nodding his head to some rhythm in his head. She snuck around him, an easy feat given his attention to both his song and cooking, and opened the fridge to retrieve the leftover noodles and toppings from the previous nights' dinner.

"With melting butter and drowning in syrup,

Eatin' so much I might just throw up,"

Pouring a healthy amount into a bowl and mixing with some chopsticks, she took a seat at the small table the snacks had been served on yesterday. Her lip may have possibly twitched just a tad as she listened to him sing.

"With chocolate chips, or fruit inside,

Or why not with all, there's no downside,"

His voice wasn't bad, given that he wasn't aware of his audience and the inherent silliness in singing a song about pancakes. And it was such a picture of domesticity that she couldn't help but find it somewhat endearing. And a little painful for reasons she'd never admit.

"Just throw 'em at me before I blow my stack,

For a flippin' plate of flippin' flapjacks!"

As he finished the last line, he flipped a pancake high up, did a little spin, spotted Shimo silently sitting at the table sucking down noodles while staring flatly at him, squeaked a little and caught the pancake in his hand instead of the skillet when it came down. "Ow, ow, ow," he hissed, quickly throwing it back and rubbing his burning hand on his apron. "Uh, g-good morning…Todoroki-san?"

She stared at him, unblinking, cold soba disappearing into her maw. He almost would've thought she was a statue if not for the shimmering noodles and the slightest signs of breathing.

"…I'm making pancakes, you know?" He gestured rather obviously at the pile of steaming griddle-cakes. "Would you…like some?" Izuku spun back around as he remembered the cakes still cooking.

As his back turned on her, Shimo blinked rapidly to moisten her dry eyes, chewing and swallowing the noodles in her mouth then gathering more, returning to her position of eating and staring just as he looked at her once again.

Wow, she's intense…he thought, rubbing his fingers together. "Would you like some pancakes, Todoroki-san?" He asked, feeling the weight of her gaze.

The last of the soba vanished between her lips, and she swallowed delicately, before giving a single nod. Then she stood from the table, revealing that she was wearing the Yuuei girls' uniform; a grey suit jacket with dark green trim and epaulettes with gold buttons over a white shirt and a red tie, with a dark green skirt, black socks and grey shoes.

Izuku glanced over the pile of breakfast he'd made, tapping his chin. I think I've made enough for the whole class, I guess, and there's still batter left over if I need to cook more. Now for fruit. The blueberries were simple, they just needed to be rinsed; the strawberries would need to be sliced. Should I cut some apples, too?

Instead of using a knife, though, he coated his fingers in glass talons, sharpened to a razor edge and cut them that way. Sprinkling a bit of sugar over the top, he'd just started on tea when he heard a patter of footsteps and Iida darted up to the counter, hair, uniform and glasses immaculate with razor creases.

"Ah, Midoriya-kun!" He greeted with a sharp bow, though a shorter, more friendly one. "I see you have awakened before me! I must admit I was not expecting this, nor your cooking! I was, in fact, planning on doing the same!"

Izuku grinned. "Iida-kun, good morning! Sorry if I pre-empted you, I always wake early for morning training and I figured since I was already up, I may as well cook breakfast. Can I ask what you would've made?" He plated pancakes and set them on the counter for both the speedster and the intense, dual-colored girl. "Todoroki-san-"

"Shimo," she said flatly, grey and turquoise eyes boring into his emerald.

"Shimo-san," he nodded, pushing the bowls of fruit and the jug of syrup towards her, "Breakfast is ready."

She hummed, sitting at the counter. "Thank you," she muttered, picking her toppings and digging in.

"My breakfast of choice is four fried eggs on top of rice, Midoriya-kun," Iida commented, eyes scanning the breakfast on the counter. "Perhaps I should make some? No offense intended Midoriya-kun, but a balanced breakfast requires protein as well."

He waved towards the kitchen at large. "I welcome your assistance, Iida-kun."

The speedster darted about the room, pulling together the rice cooker before starting it and frying eggs.

As the morning went on, more people started stumbling from their rooms, rubbing their eyes and adjusting their uniforms, seeking out breakfast like sleepy missiles. Eventually, Bakugou descended from her room, looking as grumpy as she usually did, though her eyes lit up a bit at the sight of food. Mina, who'd been idly making shapes with the remnants of her syrup, eyed the other girl with a frown.

Katsuki sat down at the counter, piling pancakes onto a plate and only lightly dousing them with syrup before turning a glare on the green-haired teen. "Where is it, Deku?" She asked shortly.

In response, he reached into a cupboard and pulled out a can of red pepper flakes, sliding it over to the volatile blonde. That received a few curious looks, a seemingly passive-aggressive move from someone who had been so friendly before; at least until Bakugou grunted and proceeded to dump chili flakes on her pancakes before shoveling them in her mouth.

Izuku checked the time and clicked his tongue. "I need to grab a shower and get dressed," he muttered, pulling his apron off and setting his dishes in the sink. "Don't worry about cleaning, Iida-kun, I'll ask BB to do it while we're in class."

With that said, he hurried up to his dorm, freshened up and got dressed, though he couldn't stop himself from ignoring the chunky brown dress shoes that came with the uniform; instead wearing the footwear Himiko had bought for him, a pair of red tabi shoes, made for silent movement and running.

Picking at his jacket and feeling constrained by it, he unbuttoned the majority except for one, but even then it just wasn't comfortable to wear. Back on the ground floor, he swiftly rolled a pancake with fruit and consumed it in an instant. "I'm heading to class," he told the room at large, already heading for the door.

"Why? Class only starts in like forty minutes," Kyouka pointed out, lying out on a couch with her phone in hand. "And the campus is five minutes, maybe."

"Wanna be early," Izuku shrugged, fiddling with his jacket one more time before giving up. As he left the building, he was quickly joined by Iida, Mina and Eiri, with Ochako swiftly catching up. It was only a short walk until they reached the 1-B dorms where a group of girls were loitering outside. "Himiko!"

His blood-drinking lover perked up with a grin, nearly skipping over to give him a hug. "Mornin' Zuku!" She turned to the other 1-A students. "Morning Mina, Iida and Ochako! You guys settling in alright?"

The acid-spewing girl hugged her friend tightly. "It's easy to get comfortable in a place where you've already got a bunch of friends," she replied, frowning slightly. "Speaking of, how're you? I'm sad you aren't in our class."

Himiko gave Ochako a squeeze before answering, stepping back next to her classmates. "It's not so bad, I've met some cool people. Such as…" She gestured at a girl her height with brown hair that reached her shoulders and bangs that completely covered her eyes. The style somewhat resembled a mushroom. Instead of saying anything, however, she stepped behind Himiko, lips trembling. "Komori Kinoko. She's uh, a little shy around new people."

As the blood-drinker attempted to bring the other girl out of her shell a bit, the next girl stepped up with a confident, sharp-toothed smile. She had rather large, very dark green eyes that matched- "Tokage Setsuna!" She introduced, pointing at Izuku. "A new member of the 'green hair' club, nice!" And then held her hand up for a high-five.

Bemused, Izuku gave her a high-five…and her hand snapped off at the wrist. The green-haired girl dropped to her knees, shrieking in pain and clutching her arm as Ochako squealed, hands flailing between offering help, somehow, covering her mouth or admonishing the green-haired boy who'd done broke someone's hand off.

"Midoriya-kun, please!" Iida shouted, eyes wide, face pale, arms chopping frantically, "Moderate your strength!"

Eiri looked torn between being disgusted and impressed, clutching her temples as she was hit with an existential crisis. It was unmanly to break someone's hand off on accident, right? But wasn't it also manly to be strong enough to do so?

"Oh snap," was all Mina said.

Izuku looked down at his hand, frowning. He hadn't hit her that hard. His eyes flicked up and noticed several things. One, Setsuna's face hadn't gone pale from shock, nor was there any blood. Unless she was made of spun sugar, there was no way he'd actually snapped a limb off. Secondly, neither Himiko, who looked amused, nor the other 1-B girls seemed to be panicking. "…Is that your Quirk?"

Setsuna hopped back up with a frown. "C'mon, man! You're supposed to be all panicking like your pals here, not being all 'oh, that's interesting.'" Her face cracked into a smile. "Admit it, I gotcha."

He squinted at her. "…I don't like you."

She burst out laughing as Himiko threw her arm around the girl with a grin. "Well, I do!" announced the blonde proudly, subtly stepping away before the green-haired girl got the full brunt of Iida in full 'righteous indignation' mode.

"Tokage-san, to use your Quirk in such an inappropriate manner shames-!"

Himiko cleared her throat and nodded to the other girls. "This is Kodai Yui," she introduced, nodding to a girl who somewhat resembled Momo, but with shorter hair, cerulean blue eyes and a very neutral expression on her face, who gave them short bow. "And finally, Yanagi Reiko."

This girl was taller and also had blue eyes, but were a paler shade or seemed so next to her grey hair, with dark bags underneath. "A good morning to you," she greeted them in a tone devoid of emotion. Her elbows were crooked, hands hanging loose in an oddly zombie or ghost-like pose. It wouldn't be surprising if she had a mug that said 'Caffeine is my fuel.'

"Good morning," they echoed. Except for Iida, who was still full-steam ahead at a grinning Setsuna.

Izuku offered the blonde his arm. "Shall we?"

She took it with a grin. "We shall."

They chatted as they walked to the main school building, joining with a stream of uniform-clad students doing the same, mostly about what it was like living in a new place, surrounded by new people and so on.

The conversation, as it naturally tended to do, went to Quirks, especially after Setsuna's little display. Kinoko's Quirk, as relayed by Himiko, let her release fungal spores from her body that would rapidly grow into all different sorts of mushrooms, and was also called 'Mushroom.'

Reiko, in a rather wordy manner, told them of her Quirk, which allowed her to control small nearby objects telekinetically. She called it Poltergeist.

Izuku glanced down at Himiko, who gave him a knowing look. That sounded very much like what his own Quirk was, before he'd delved deeper into it. He made a note to talk to the ghostly girl later; perhaps there was more overlap than just the description?

The deadpan Yui explained her Quirk, Size, which was rather self-explanatory and allowed her to change the size of objects she touched. Ochako found some commonality with the other girl as they both used their Quirks by touching their fingertips together, and the two spent the rest of the walk with their heads bent, talking.

And finally, Setsuna proudly announced that her Quirk was called Lizard Tail Splitter, or Autotomy. She could effortlessly split her body into many pieces, each capable of independent, high speed movement and levitation; which she demonstrated by sending her hand out to fist-bump Eiri, ruffle Mina's hair, poke Iida in the cheek and tweak Izuku's nose. Apparently it also allowed her to regenerate the pieces if she had to, but that was 'a major pain in the ass,' in her words.

At this point, it was only Izuku's self-control that stopped him from turning to the 1-B girls and taking a deep dive into their Quirks, his teeth grinding together and his hands balled into fists. Himiko reached into her satchel and retrieved a black notebook from within, handing it off to him with a pat on the arm. When he saw that it was a new 'Heroes of the Future' volume, he would've kissed her right then and there if it hadn't been for their previous agreement to keep their actual relationship on the down-low.

It was then the 1-A students' time to share. Ochako was drawn from her conversation to explain her Quirk, Zero Gravity, and demonstrated by touching Yui with the pads on her fingers. The other girl simply hummed as she floated up, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Mina showed off her Quirk by splashing her Acid onto the grass, the group watching it melt into a bubbling slurry with varying levels of appreciation. She could also control the solubility and viscosity of her acid, which she showed by skating ahead of them. She very much did not appreciate the trail of acid left behind being compared to the slime trail of a slug.

"Can you regen your head if I melt it into a puddle?" She threatened, yellow and black eyes narrowed.

"Yeah," Setsuna replied bluntly, grinning as Mina pouted and crossed her arms.

Eiri's Quirk, Hardening, was shown off by her rolling up her sleeve, her muscular arm gaining a rock-like look. She seemed a little embarrassed by it, her eyes going wide and her teeth gritting as the 1-B girls told her of a classmate of theirs called Tetsutetsu, who had a Quirk that gave him metal skin.

Iida, still puffed up indignantly, proudly relayed to them of his family and their similar Quirks, called Engine. He showed them by rolling up his pant leg, displaying the engines in his calves and his muscular legs. It allowed him to run at high speeds, obviously.

Then it was Izuku's turn. "It's called 'Rock Field,'" he said shortly, and offered nothing else.

"What, like a zen garden?" Setsuna asked with a grin.

Mina giggled, nudging his side with her elbow. "I can see it," she teased, "After all, people put trees in those, right Bonsai-"

The atmosphere darkened as Izuku stilled, the sunny sky suddenly stormy as his face seemed to become carved from solid, unfeeling stone. His eyes, the irises seeming to have shrunk to pinpricks, slowly slid over to stare at Mina as his brow furrowed slightly.

They would later swear that simple motion had summoned the screams of the damned.

The pink-skinned girl gulped, a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek, smiling weakly. "O-oh, look at that, we're here!" She announced before darting into the 1-A classroom to get away from that piercing gaze.

Izuku huffed and the world returned to normal. "See you at lunch, Himiko?" He asked, as if he hadn't just tried to ignite someone with his gaze alone.

"Of course!" She waved him off, letting go of his arm and reaching into her satchel to retrieve a metal bracer. "But first…"

"That's right, I wondered when you were going to bring it up," he muttered, fussing with the sleeve button of his jacket before pulling his arm out entirely and rolling the sleeve up. With a smooth, practiced motion he clamped it around his forearm and pulled a vial from somewhere, inserting it into the Blood-Draw Bracer. "How much, do you think?"

"Two," Himiko replied, biting her lip as the vial filled with carmine liquid.

When the first was filled, he sealed and passed it to her before beginning another.

"Midoriya-kun, explain!" Iida demanded, peering curiously at the device.

"I drink blood to make my Quirk work," the blonde answered for him, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up, daring them to say something about it.

"Like a vampire?" Mina asked, poking her head around the door. "That's so cool!"

Izuku gave her another look and she withdrew with a mumbled apology, then glanced at Himiko with a victorious look. Didn't I tell you?

She rolled her eyes but smiled softly, her hand subtly stroking his other arm. You did. The bracer dinged as the second vial was filled, a slot opening up and fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookie slid out, steaming.

He grabbed it with his teeth and handed the bracer and filled vial to her. "Have fun in class," he said around a mouthful of fresh cookie.

"I will," Himiko nodded, grabbing his wrist and taking a bite out of his treat with a smirk. "Thanks for sharing!"

Izuku narrowed his eyes at her playfully, then nodded to the other 1-B girls. "It was nice to meet you, I hope we speak again soon." He said politely, getting nods in return.

The 1-B girls headed to their class, still as silent as they'd been since he'd given Mina the side-eye from Satan. "…That was hot." Yui muttered tonelessly.

The blonde blood drinker grinned. "Yup."

In 1-A, Izuku took a seat by Mina, who had ducked her head into her arms to avoid his gaze. "Mina," he called softly, and she shivered. "No one except that woman can call me 'Bonsai,' okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled, nodding into her arms. She jumped as he poked her in the side, looking up to find him giving her a smile.

"And only you can call me 'Midori,' okay?" He murmured, sending a friendly wink her way. "Okay, Pinky?"

Mina had started smiling until he called her that. Then she groaned and dropped her head on the desk. "Oh god," she moaned in despair, "Please never, ever, ever call me that again."

"I don't know," he teased faux-thoughtfully, tapping his chin, "If it gets this kind of reaction from you every time, I might just have to call you that all the time."

She lifted her head and pouted at him. "If we're going by color, you'd have to call me Sakura."

Izuku lost his smile, the memories of a girl with flowers for hair flashing before his eyes. "I'd rather not," he said flatly, before squinting at her. "How 'bout 'Horny?'" He grinned.

Mina glowered. "Might be true, but also hell no."

"Fluffy?"

"No."

"Fluffy-horny-pinky?"

She held up a hand, acid bubbling in her palm. "I'll melt you."

"You wouldn't melt me, you like me too much," he retorted.

Mina sighed. "Just 'Mina' then, alright? Since you suck with nicknames, that's gonna have to do." She paused upon noticing what was in his hand. "…Where'd you get a cookie?"

"From my blood," Izuku answered, finishing it off.

Soon enough, the rest of the students began filing in, lounging around on desks, chatting as the time of the first class came. Iida was lecturing all and sundry, his own nerves coming to the forefront as the clock ticked onward.

Tapping his fingers on the desk, Izuku glanced around at everyone else. Denki was chatting with Eiri and Mina as Toru's sleeves gesculated at Ochako; Iida was chopping an arm at Tokoyami, who was sitting on top of a desk while Ojiro and Kyouka watched in amusement. Sato and Sero kept trying to pull a scowling Bakugou into a conversation; the kid with balls for hair was unsubtly gawping at Momo's legs as she sat in her chair with the poise of a princess, politely listening as Yuga yammered on about sparkles and twinkling. In the back, Shoji and Koda sat quietly next to a silent Shimo, her gaze flickering towards the door.

Izuku let his focus on people-watching fade and let the conversations wash over him. "-and then I punched right through the robot just as Mina melted its head," Eiri finished, flexing an arm and grinning at her friend. "The writing part kinda sucked, but punching robots was manly as hell! It was awesome to just go all out with my Quirk…and it was super manly seeing Izuku punch out that Zero Pointer…"

And suddenly she had Bakugou's attention. She'd seen the giant robot stomping around the test area, it was kind of hard not to. Personally, she had avoided it and used the extras' panicking to score some more points. That's just like Deku, attacking something worth nothing. And still, her ears were cocked.

"Woah, dude!" Denki exclaimed, turning around in his chair to look at Izuku, "Why'd you do that? I mean, it's cool and all, but they weren't worth any points!"

The noise had pierced through the other conversation, and now several pairs of eyes were turning in his direction. Izuku looked away, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and vainly hoping the redness in his cheeks wasn't too visible. "Well, it looked like it was about to crush someone…" He tried not to look at her, but Ochako had fixed him with a warm smile, brown eyes sparkling. "I had to step in and, well, take it down."

"With one punch," Ochako added her perspective. "Some rubble fell on me and I couldn't get it off, and the Zero Pointer was just about to-" She bounced her fist off of her desk, making a few people jump, "-flatten me. My life was flashing before my eyes and then I heard this crunching noise and there Deki-kun was, holding its' fist back. And it was…" She cupped her cheeks, eyes sparkling. "And then his eyes started glowing like two green suns…he threw its fist away and then just jumped and bam!" She hit the desk again, and even the students who'd been paying attention jumped. "He punched it right in the face and its head just…pah!"

"It disintegrated," Mina chimed in with a grin, hands under her chin, "The whole head in pieces. He punched it so hard a hole opened up in the clouds."

Several of the students in earshot turned in their seats to look at Izuku, eyes wide. His face was burning under their attention, and his gaze was firmly fixed on his desk. Katsuki's fingers dug into the wooden surface of her desk, muffling the miniature explosions going off in her palms, the smell of burnt sugar and small tongues of smoke leaking through her fingers.

"What is going on?" Iida demanded, stepping up next to Izuku's desk. "Why are you harassing Midoriya-kun? Such actions-!"

"They were just talking about the Entrance Exam, Iida-kun," Izuku muttered, giving more attention to his fingernails than they had need of.

"Ah," the speedy boi adjusted his glasses and nodded. "I see. There is no need for embarrassment; indeed, your actions were most admirable. Running towards such a large opponent even while I, Iida Tenya of the illustrious Iida family of Heroes, retreated is indicative of a Hero's Heart. It only made sense that you were scored the highest, Midoriya-kun, even breaking the previous record."

Bakugou's eye twitched dangerously, a subsonic growl building in her chest.

"In fact, if I am remembering correctly, the previous record was held by All Might, at 243 points." Iida continued, unaware as everyone else of the coming of Hurricane Katsuki.

"That is impressive, Izuku-san," Momo commented, her hair done up in a fan-like ponytail except for a bit that draped over the right side of her face, the hairstyle bobbing a bit as she nodded her head. "What was your final score, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Ffehummafimm," by that point, Izuku had completely covered his face with his hands, desperately wishing for the subject of the conversation to change to literally anything else. The longer it went on, the more he wished he could borrow Toru's Quirk. Tsuyu, sitting at the desk in front of him, was poking the exposed skin of his face because it was just that red.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Momo asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"He said 'three hundred and five,'" Iida relayed simply.

The silence that fell over the classroom was deafening as almost every eye in the room turned to the green-haired boy, who had pulled his jacket up to cover his face.

"…Okay, seriously dude," Denki said after a moment, "What the hell is your Quirk?"

"Please refrain from improper language!" The speedster chopped an arm emphatically. "…I would also like to know the details, though."

"It's called-" Eiri began to explain, only to be cut off from the impact of a hand hitting a desk with some force.

The hand belonged to Bakugou. The desk was Izuku's. "How," she growled, eyes alight with fury, a vein throbbing dangerously in her forehead. "How the fuck did you do it, Deku?!"

Izuku had jumped at the sudden noise, eyes wide as she loomed over him. The atmosphere had changed so quickly his brain had skipped a bit. "Uh, wha-"

"EVERYTHING!" She thundered, seizing him by the lapels, "That Slimy FUCK, the Fucking Zero Pointer, breaking the FUCKING RECORD! How did you, with your useless Fucking Quirk beat me?! Have you been lying this whole time you useless fucking DEKU-"

"That is Enough!" Iida interjected, standing at his full height, glasses glinting dangerously. "Unhand Midoriya-kun at once! Cease your violent behavior and your improper language this instant, or there will be consequences-!"

"Fuck OFF, Four-Eyes!" She barked, shooting him a burning glare.

"Katsuki," Izuku said softly, and she whipped her head back around to look at him as he slowly rose from his desk. She realized that he was a head and a half taller than her; she'd known that he was taller, but with him looming over her it became self-evident. He looked down at her with a blank face, but his emerald eyes glinted like freshly-cut gems. "Do not. Talk to him. Like that."

The other students felt tingles up their spines and hairs prickling; the atmosphere so charged with the potential for violence that many of them subtly readied their Quirks in case a fight did break out.

And then the door opened.

Every head snapped to the front of the room. But there was no one there. Instead, what appeared to be a giant, undulating, writhing maggot, larger and longer than a man and bright yellow with thin black stripes. It slowly inched towards the teacher's lectern, letting out a low, irritated-sounding groan.

Katsuki and Izuku traded looks. "…Is that what I think it is?" He asked, squinting,

"A giant maggot?" She replied by way of question, her hands dropping from his lapels and falling ready by her sides, just in case that thing decided to attack. A thing that size would have some serious muscle power behind it…even though it would be funny to watch.

"Not just any giant maggot," Izuku muttered, stepping around Iida and towards the maggot, which shivered disgustingly. "That's an Australian FHM, or 'Feckin' 'Uge Maggot," he declared, carefully kneeling next to it. "Australian wildfire fighters raise them from birth, then saddle them and ride them in the Outback to dust out wildfires. Maybe…this one is here because it's intelligent?"

The maggot writhed and groaned. "A maggot for a teacher?" Mina asked, looking somewhere between very impressed and completely disgusted, recoiling and hissing as he reached out to touch the writing creature. "Don't touch it!"

"Shh," he soothed, gently stroking its hide, noting that it wasn't slimy to the touch at all. Kinda soft, actually. "Don't worry, uh, big guy, I'm sure you'll be a wonderful teacher, it'll just take some getting used to…" He turned to the class at large, whispering, "Maybe it has a Quirk? Wouldn't be the strangest thing." He mulled that statement over. "Still pretty strange."

The maggot gurgled and shuddered disgustingly.

"Sorry, maybe 'strange' is offensive to a…a maggot of your stature," Izuku added hurriedly, petting it again. "Maybe something like, uh…different…teaching style…?"

There was a zipping sound, and the hide of the giant maggot split open, except instead of exposing the oily, squishy guts of an organic being…it was an actual organic being. A man, to be exact, with long unkempt black hair, messy stubble and deep bags under his dark eyes…dark eyes, which were currently giving Izuku the flattest look imaginable.

Izuku stood up and without saying a word, he turned and walked back to his desk and sat down, his face resembling a tomato. Some of them were tempted to laugh, but the glare the teacher leveled at them was more than enough to silence any titters.

He was a tall and slender man, wearing all black clothing except for a scarf that was matte grey and piled on his shoulders and around his neck, and utility belt with small grey pouches. His eyes flitted around the room, landing lastly on a red-faced Izuku. "…Why on Earth would you just pet a giant maggot? It's irrational…" He shook his head before fixing them all with a flat look, fishing around inside his sleeping bag for a pouch of some sort of jelly drink. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta," he told them, taking a slurp from the pouch for a moment. "If you're all done screaming at each other, go change into your gym uniforms and meet me out by Track Number 3."

Gulping down his embarrassment, Izuku raised a hand. "And where are those?"

…

He had to admit, the gym uniforms were rather snazzy, being navy blue with white trim shaped around the neck so that it formed a U and then down the chest and legs in the form of an A, with red piping on the arms. Izuku was just pulling on his shoes when he heard a perverted giggle. Slowly turning his head, he found the kid with the balls on his head with his face glued to the opposite wall-the wall that had the girls' locker room on the other side.

Standing, he padded over to the short teen and asked, in a carrying voice, "What are you doing?"

Ball-head jumped and hurriedly slapped a hand over what was undoubtedly a peeping hole. "Dude!" He hissed, giving the much taller Izuku a glare that was about as scary as a butterfly landing on his nose. "There's girls on the other side of this! Hot girls! Quiet down or they might hear you!" He made to look again, then gave Izuku a suspicious glare. "Were you trying to peek, man? That's so perverted and gross."

Izuku blinked. Then he reached down and grabbed the back of the short teen's shirt, effortlessly pulling him away from the hole while covering it with his other hand. "Listen to me…whatever your name is-"

"Mineta Minoru, and don't you forget it!" The short one proclaimed loudly.

"Mineta-san, listen to me," Izuku said seriously, "Your obsession with girls, while not exactly abnormal for men our age, is no way for a future Hero to act. You disrespect me, and every person in our class by acting the way you do. And most importantly," he jacked a thumb at the wall and the girls on the other side of it, "You disrespect them. They are our fellow students and future comrades as Heroes. Are they deserving of admiration, and even…appreciation? Yes." He leaned down to meet Mineta's eyes. "But not when it violates their privacy."

Mineta groaned dramatically and slapped a hand to his face. "God, you're such a stiff! What's the point of even being a Hero if you can't get hot chicks throwing themselves at you? And there's nothing wrong with 'appreciating' a girl!"

Izuku's face went blank. "You…are you saying that you joined Yuuei to become a Hero…to pick up women?"

"More than one when I make it big," the short teen grinned, buffing his nails. "Ladies love cool dudes, and nothing's cooler than a Pro Hero!"

The taller teen took a deep breath and bit his tongue. "Mineta-san, I'm going to warn you, just this once," he held up a finger, "Do not peek on anyone else, ever. What you get up to in your private time is your business, but if you do it again, I will report you. And more importantly," he nodded at the wall, "I'll tell them."

Mineta paled, grabbing a ball on his head for comfort. "Y-you wouldn't do that, r-right, bro?" He asked hopefully. "We're both dudes, right? We get it, right?"

Izuku did not answer. He simply closed the hole in the concrete wall with his field and walked away.

The ball-headed teen watched him go, sighing as the taller teen disappeared. "…Better run," he mumbled to himself before grinning and going back to the wall. "He closed the hole!"

…

In the girls' locker room, Eiri had just finished pulling on the top of her gym uniform when she glanced over and saw Bakugou taking her shirt off, revealing a plain green sports bra and her lean, compact musculature. "Woah dude, you've got some manly muscles, nice!" She grinned and raised a hand for a high-five. "You wanna trade workout tips and exercise together some time?"

Katsuki gave her a flat look, slipping on a tank top. "Don't talk to me, Extra," she muttered, zipping up the top.

"Jeez, no need to be so salty," Mina retorted, lounging around the bench in her black and teal-striped underwear, fiddling with a shoe. "But I guess that's your default state, huh?"

The volatile blonde gave her a contemptuous glare. "You don't know a damn thing about me, Raccoon Eyes, so fuck off before I blow you-"

"Blow me? Wrong equipment, girlfriend," the horned girl smirked, "I'm guessing you were thinking more of someone else, right? With green hair, cute freckles, muscles all over?" She pointed at the concrete dividing wall. "In the other locker room, perhaps?"

Katsuki clenched her fists, palms smoking. "Shut the fuck up-!"

"So loud," Kyouka muttered, tying her shoelaces, her ear jacks scratching her cheek, "Can you not turn it down, even a little? It's enough to-" She stiffened, eyes narrowing. "I hear someone giggling." She stared at the concrete wall, gaze flickering until it landed on a small hole below waist-height. "There!"

Her right jack shot out, stretching across the room. But instead of poking into an eye, as she expected, it felt like her jack was being blocked by a hand.

"What is it, Jiro-san?" Momo asked, peering over at her, as did several others upon noticing the fleshy line.

"There's a peep-hole over there," she muttered, glaring, "It feels like something's blocking it, though…wait, I hear someone talking." Kyouka put a hand over her ear, eyes narrowing as she listened in, relaying the other conversation. "'-disrespect them. They are our fellow students and future comrades as Heroes. Are they deserving of admiration, and even…appreciation? Yes.'" She felt her cheeks darken at the blunt assessment. "'But not when it violates their privacy.' The voice sounds like the big green guy."

"Midori?" Mina perked up, looking at the wall critically. "I'm not sure how to feel if he's peeking…on one hand-" She gestured at her underwear-clad body, "On the other…he is pretty hot. Hmm."

Kyouka frowned. "The short guy with balls on his head just said he's a Hero so he can look cool and pick up chicks," she relayed, getting frowns. "And Midoriya is speaking…'Do not peek on anyone else, ever. What you get up to in your private time is your business, but if you do it again, I will report you. And more importantly, I'll tell them.' I think he means us."

Katsuki shook her head and marched for the door leading to Track Number 3. "Fuckin' Deku," she muttered, with something that sounded suspiciously like fondness if one listened real deep.

Kyouka recoiled, recalling her jack with a grimace. "He closed the hole, on my jack, too," she rubbed it lightly. "Not sure how to feel about that."

Momo hummed, eyes looking behind the gym and to the track outside. "I think we have more pressing problems," she murmured, mind recalling the apathetic look on their teacher's face. "We should go."

…

Outside as the students, now all clad in their gym uniforms, were gathering before Aizawa's flat, unimpressed gaze. As they approached, Izuku tapped Momo's arm, bidding her to slow down. "Momo-san, there was an incident on the boys' side of the locker," he said in a low tone, eyes on Mineta, "Mineta-san found or made a hole to peek into your side. I'm not sure how long he was looking, so he may have seen quite a bit or not that much, but still, my apologies. I closed the hole and warned him, but whatever actions you wish to take, I will support."

Momo blinked, gazing at his serious mien. "Ah…t-thank you for letting me know, Izuku-san, I will converse with the other girls and see what they want to do."

He nodded and they fell silent as they joined the group. Without preamble, Aizawa spoke up. "The Board of Education tries to pretend that everyone is equal by forbidding them from using their Quirks in physical tests. This is irrational, especially for you kids." He pulled a softball from his pocket, eyes fixing on Izuku. "Midoriya. You scored the highest in the Entrance Exam. Step forward." Izuku did so, and the tired-looking man tossed him the softball. "Using your Quirk, I want you to throw that ball as hard as you can."

Aizawa stepped away, revealing a flat field of concrete marked with distances. Izuku stepped up to the beginning, lightly bouncing the ball in his palm.

Katsuki crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, watching as the green-haired teen stood there. C'mon Deku you bitch, show me how you beat me with your useless Quirk. Can you really throw pebbles that hard? She huffed as Izuku dropped the ball and stepped away. Heh, so you fuckin' realized you can't trick this many people at once, huh? Useless-

Then Izuku dropped to the ground, plunging his hands into the concrete that seemed to turn liquid under his touch, racing up his arms and around his body, condensing into armor that covered his entire form. When he was done, he looked like a rock golem with a polished surface.

"…the fuck?" Katsuki breathed, eyes going wide.

Eiri, Ochako, Iida and Mina traded confused looks. I could've sworn his armor was more designed than that, was the shared thought.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. That's not the same armor design as in the Entrance Exam, he noted, lips curling down into a frown. He better not be holding back…

Izuku picked up the ball and cocked his arm back, holding it there. His arm began to tremble. Quiet cracks echoed from his armored form as his entire upper body began to shake from the strain.

Then he went still.

His arm moved, then became a blur as the air around him rippled and snapped, echoing in their ears as the ground beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure of his throw, dust billowing up around him.

Aizawa pulled a device from his pocket, checking the screen as it tracked the distance the ball was going. He watched silently…and watched. Finally, he looked up. "Distance: 1.21 kilometers."

Many of the students gasped at the display, falling into stunned silence. Then Mina threw her arms up. "WHOO!" She cheered, clapping, "Nice arm, Midori!"

Izuku's armor dissolved into sand, disappearing under his clothes like it was never there. He looked at the other students, his eyes finding Katsuki. She stared at him. Ruby eyes found emerald.

And for the first time in a long time, it was like they could read each other's mind again.

Beat that.

Oh it's on, Bitch.

…

A leader is nothing without respect. Some say it is better to be feared than loved. Those people are idiots. Love, tempered by Fear, forged in Sacrifice and displayed with Power, creates the foundations on which true loyalty is built. Loyalty to the man…respect for the strength.

Power without question. Authority without asking.

Show up, and show off.

…

…

…

…