Chapter 242 - 10-11

Chapter 10: Volume 5, pt 3 Grand Finale!

"Well… you're certainly a lot tougher to take down than I expected…" Ingenium managed between gasps, one arm holding his side while the other was still extended defensively between where the crowd had been and Stain himself.

"I don't wish to kill you," the Hero Killer grimaced, fingering his blade thoughtfully, "You aren't a fake, and so are needed in this world. You're merely… in my way."

"Getting in the way of harm so others are spared is the essence of being a Hero. Isn't that right?" Ingenium asked, noticing Stain seemed to like the self-sacrificing rhetoric of All Might and some of the other less-combat oriented heroes.

"Even so. But luckily for me, I believe I don't think we need to keep up this charade any longer."

"Wha-AH!"

Ingenium hit the ground, feeling his body freeze up and stiffen. He hadn't felt any attacks, and his side hadn't flared up to drop him, so how had he been disabled?

"Do not fret, Hero. You will not die this day. Nor will any citizen who you sought to guard from me. You have already given my quarry time to escape or come running. I will take my leave. Should they pursue me, their death will be on their own hands."

"I won't… let… you…" Ingenium gritted out, trying to claw his way back to his feet.

Stain didn't answer, simply turning away and leaping into the shadows again. Ingenium tried again to follow him, clenching his fist on the ground for a moment before letting out an anguished roar of defeat. He'd failed his sidekicks, his charges, his name… and his brother.

"I swear, Hero Killer…" he whispered, clenching his fist, "So long as I draw breath, I will hunt you in return. Fake or Not, I won't let you murder or humiliate anyone else! I swear to be there on the day your evil is removed."

"No doubt that day will be long in coming," Stain whispered, watching Ingenium from a nearby rooftop.

He didn't often listen to defeated foes after he'd judged them fakes or Heroes, but this one had been a special case. He seemed to be one who teetered on the edge. Perhaps ordered to hunt him, and regretful? Had Ingenium met him in attack mode, Stain likely would have treated him like a lesser fake: one who sought glory in defeating villains, rather than saving people as a Hero.

But fate had decided he see the truth of the matter this time. Ingenium had been focused on defending his sidekicks and the people, intent to capture him for their sake, not his own. True, he was not All Might, nor equivalent to him in Heroic worth, and so he would not allow himself to be killed by such a one, but he was not beyond hope.

"Hero Killer, Stain?" a melodious voice came from behind him, "May I have a moment of your time?"

"Deku, you really didn't have to do this…"

"Of course I did!" Izuku beamed, pushing more mochi onto Ochako's plate, "You're out of energy, and you promised to meet me in the finals! So I'm gonna help you get there!"

She smiled, her eyes seeming a little damp as she took another bite. Uraraka's face seemed to light up with each mouthful, which made it worth the expense.

"It's so good!" she managed, "I haven't been able to eat this well in so long…"

Izuku leaned down and took a sip of his drink, so glad straws had been invented. He couldn't exactly use his hands right then, which made food very hard to do. He could nudge it around with his elbows or the tips of his fingers, but fine control was still out. It probably would be for a while, actually. He'd need to work on that.

"Open wide!"

He glanced up, seeing Uraraka holding a ball of strawberry mochi with a little nub of chocolate ice cream in the middle. She pushed it towards him, her chopsticks gripping it tight enough he wondered if it was going to explode. Maybe the act of giving away food when she barely had enough for herself was so strange she was panicking?

Opening his mouth, he felt her deposit the cold morsel on his tongue and closed his lips around it. For a moment, he felt the wood of her chopsticks brush past. His face turned red so fast he was pretty sure if he opened his mouth the mochi would be melted into a puddle. Uraraka seemed to blush too, but much less pronounced. Then she stole one of his rice buns on her way back, and seemed to relax.

"H-hey!" he protested, trying to hold back his grin at how cute it was, "That's mine!"

"Trade."

Izuku did his best to pout, leaning down to sip from his drink again. She had no right being adorable when he was this tired. If he wasn't careful, he'd say something stupid and lose her friendship. No matter what else, he couldn't do that. She was his first real friend, and even if she was the most beautiful Heroine he'd ever met: he couldn't jeopardize that by admitting the fact aloud, and probably making her think he was some kind of pervert like Mineta. He would just have to compliment her in other ways. He could write about her in his Hero notebooks, and make it seem objective. Yes, she would think it was him nerding out about her powers, not her in particular. And then he could comment on how strong her conviction was, or how clever she was getting. Maybe something about how her bright and wonderful personality would make everyone around her smile, even in dark times. Of course, he couldn't phrase it like that… maybe something along the lines of "Your smile's even more contagious than All Might's!" or something? Would that sound weird though? He couldn't exactly just go with "you're really pretty and make me smile" after all, that would sound way too much like a confession that would absolutely destroy any chance she wouldn't be weirded out by him for the rest of all time, and oh no he'd been muttering and just said all of that out loud didn't he?

"Y-you think I'm pretty?"

"Eh?"

"You said… I make you smile?" Uraraka asked, her expression unreadable.

Izuku couldn't say anything. If he lied and pretended he didn't say it, she would be angry with him for thinking her ignorant or just for lying in general. He had to come clean.

"Uraraka… yes, you make me smile," he admitted, looking down at his plate, "You're… you're the first person I've ever had who I could call my friend. Kacchan… I don't know if he counts. Maybe once, but… But anyways, you're really special to me. You're always so happy and upbeat, and… you're so much stronger than you let yourself be. I look at you and wonder: "will I ever be a Hero as cool as her?" I'm so lame, and sometimes I wonder why you're friends with me. And… and as much as I try to pretend otherwise, I have lots of trouble talking to you. You are really pretty, and I get flustered around almost every girl, but with you… I keep swinging between worse than ever and just… comfortable. And I don't want to say or do something really dumb that'll make you realize you could have way cooler friends than me and… and then just leave. And I know that's really selfish of me, but-"

Izuku swallowed, unable to justify his actions.

Uraraka remained silent for a moment, then sighed. He realized she was going to leave now, and probably never come back. Then she slapped him.

"Deku you idiot!" she yelled, her face scrunched up and suddenly wet with tears.

"U-uraraka?" he asked, confused and worried.

"Do you really think so little of me?" she asked, her voice cracking a little in anguish.

Had they been anywhere public, Izuku was sure he would have been swarmed by people berating him for bothering her, or else be on the receiving end of ten thousand judgemental stares. He'd never experienced someone shouting "baka" at him before, and the experience was quite terrifying.

"Uraraka, I think the world of you," he protested, not sure where she was coming from.

"Then why do you think I'm so shallow that I'd ruin one of my only friendships over you finding me pretty? Don't you think I like being told I'm beautiful by my friends?!"

"I- I didn't think-"

"Of course you did!" she cut him off, reaching over and grabbing his collar, "You're always overthinking everything!"

Izuku nodded, knowing she was right. He'd probably ruined everything by his muttering, his overthinking, and his usual brand of getting in the way.

"If you'd just come out and said it, I could have said something nice back, but now I have to be mad at you for putting yourself down again!"

Recoiling a little, Izuku wondered if she was going to hit him again. He probably deserved it, but that didn't mean he was looking forward to it. It felt different when she did it. All Might had bopped his head to shut him up a few times, and Kacchan had whapped the back of his head with an explosion or two, but they felt like mild rebukes or disdain, respectively. Uraraka's slap felt… disappointed.

"I'm sorry…" was all he could think to say.

"You better be!" she huffed, sitting back down and looking away from him, seeming more miffed than he'd ever seen before.

Not sure what to do, Izuku curled up a little, taking a sip just for something to do. His whole motivation for winning and declaring he was there for the world suddenly felt very far away. His bubbliest friend wasn't happy, and it was his fault. Heroes were supposed to save and inspire people. He'd hurt and ruined the day of someone close to him. He wasn't sure he even deserved to win.

"Deku… why are you so scared of telling me how you feel?"

It took him a moment to realize Uraraka had asked him a question. He perked up a little and looked over at her.

"...because you'd think I wasn't worth hanging around anymore, and then… then I'd be alone again."

"Even if that wasn't absolutely wrong, and assuming for the sake of argument that I did decide to stop being your friend, which I absolutely wouldn't, you'd still have Ida and the other people in our class."

Izuku choked out a bitter laugh.

"Maybe for a day. But then they'd hate me too."

"Wh- why would you think that?!" Uraraka sounded oddly affronted at the idea.

"It only takes one screw up. After that, word spreads that you aren't worth being around, and people keep you at arm's length," Izuku muttered, thinking back to his prior schooling.

"Deku, we're all still at least cordial with Mineta. Mineta. He's like, the worst kind of person without being a criminal, and he hasn't been abandoned by everyone. Heck, Kaminari still hangs around with him, I'm sure that if you bothered me: you'd still have friends!"

Shaking his head, Izuku leaned down to pick up a rice ball with his mouth, not wanting to answer. She didn't know how Quirkless people were treated. How Dekus were supposed to be treated. Uraraka was too pure for the rotten world they were training to make just a little better.

"Izuku Midoriya, don't you shake your head at me," she glared at him, seeming ready to slap him again, "You absolutely would!"

"I- Uraraka, I really don't think I would. Ida might be nice to me, but he'd be one of the first to stop bothering with me when he didn't have to. Everyone knows- well, hanging around with me has never gone well for anyone," he mumbled.

"No no, what is it that everyone knows?" Uraraka pressed, taking away his food as hostage.

Swallowing, Izuku looked away.

"It doesn't really work anymore. The words don't fit…"

"So it has something to do with how Bakugo called you Deku," she deduced, her frown increasing, "Let me guess: he used to say that "Dekus bring everyone around them down"?"

"Yeah… guess he was right."

"...I'm gonna kill him."

"Please don't…"

"Why?!"

Izuku looked up at her, confused.

"Why shouldn't I?!" she asked, now even more enraged than before when she'd yelled at him, "That exploding idiot made my bestie think he wasn't as perfectly amazing as he is!"

Rubbing her temples and turning a very pretty shade of pink, she sighed and chopped her hand down in a passible imitation of Ida.

"Do you know how many girls would be absolutely thrilled to hear you call them Pretty?"

"...more than zero?" he wagered, not sure how but certain his actual answer would annoy her.

"Let me put it this way, I can't think of a single one in our class who wouldn't be overjoyed to hear that you, Mr. 10,000,000, "I can fly and also punch hard enough to blast glaciers to dust" guy, find them nice to look at."

She giggled and started counting off fingers of the others in their class.

"Mina or Toru would probably have a field day with it, running around and telling anyone they could get to listen, that Izuku Midoriya thought they looked good. Jiro would probably act all aloof, but you know she'd be blushing as soon as she turned away. Momo… well, she'd probably call you beautiful back and not really get it, but I bet if Tsu were told she'd be so blunt about how handsome you are that you'd pass out."

Considering, she grinned and picked up another mochi ball.

"Heck, I bet Shoto would like to be told he's pretty too, especially after your… intense match," she teased.

Izuku muttered a question, not really sure he really wanted to know the answer.

"You'll have to speak up, I'm not in the mood to interpret your mumbles right now," Uraraka said, still not quite recovered from her earlier anger.

"I just… you didn't mention yourself in the list…" he managed, adamantly not looking at her.

"You want to know what I think of you calling me pretty?" she clarified, her voice a little higher than usual.

Izuku nodded, feeling very embarrassed she was being so direct about it.

"Then you should ask. Properly, this time, ya know?"

She sounded much more jittery, all of the sudden. He realized how shallow it must sound, asking someone to tell you you're attractive. Izuku wanted to reassure her, as well as fix his friendship.

Steeling himself, Izuku sat up straight and managed to look at her, seeing how red her residual anger had left her.

"Uraraka," he said, trying not to panic, "I hope this doesn't affect our friendship, but: I think you're very pretty, and being your friend is one of the best things that ever happened to me. You light up my day just by being in it, and your smile makes everyone feel better. You're going to be a wonderful Hero, and I'm privileged to know you."

He figured he should do the thing properly, and stood to bow over the table.

Uraraka was silent for another few seconds, and he worried she'd just asked him to see if he'd do it, or if she was stunned he had the guts to attempt it. Then she laughed so hard her saliva came out in a short, high pressure spray.

"Pfffff! Deku, you look so formal and sincere!" she giggled, grinning at him now.

Izuku couldn't help but frown at her nonchalance at his… well, it wasn't exactly a confession, but it was in the same vein. She quickly waved her hand for him to sit down, smiling in a way that told him she wasn't making fun of his words, just his delivery.

"But… do you really feel that way, Deku?" she asked, a red color coming to her usual spots that he was pretty sure was a blush.

"I- I do," he promised, swallowing down his fear before it rose up and strangled him, "You're… you're really special to me."

They stayed silent for a few moments, before Uraraka spoke up again.

"Deku… Do you know why I hate it when you put yourself down?" she asked, her voice soft and hesitant.

"You're always standing up for people, Uraraka. I guessed it was just my turn."

"Maybe at first… but- Deku, you're not the only one who hasn't really had a lot of friends before U.A.," she muttered, tapping her fingers a little nervously, "When holding your hand can make someone start floating away, and you tend to throw up after you get them down…"

Izuku wished he could hug her. Could wrap her up and tell her it was alright now. But even if she still wanted to be friends, his arms… his arms wouldn't be usable for days.

"But you Deku… you were just happy to be my friend, and you didn't care that the first day we met I used my Quirk on you and threw up like never before. Deku… I really want to be like you. You're always so dedicated and want to help everyone. You give everything for everyone, and… it's so special. You're gonna be the best Hero, one day. I know my Hero goals seem shallow compared to yours, but… I think my life would be so cool, if you were always in it."

Izuku made his ugly face for a moment, feeling his heart squeeze, but then it shifted to a giddy and relieved grin, while tears began to flow.

"I think it'd be really cool to keep you in my life too," he admitted, beaming at her, "Can we- can we still be friends?"

Uraraka looked at him, before she got her evil grin again. Standing up, she tapped her chin and stepped around to him.

"I don't think so… after an emotional snack like this, I think… we should be Best Friends!"

Nodding, Izuku looked up at her in grateful admiration. Before he could say anything else, she lifted him from the chair and pulled him into a hug. Unable to use his arms, he laid his head on her shoulder. It was… nice, having a best friend.

"Aw…" Uraraka sighed, drawing his attention as they pulled apart, "Does this mean I can't call you Deku anymore? I liked calling you by such a cool nickname."

Chuckling, Izuku grinned at her unwavering bubbly nature. She was so constant, like the North Star, where he could always find his way by just a glance.

"You can keep calling me Deku. I think I'd have a heart attack if I had to call you by your first name so soon," he admitted.

Uraraka tapped her mouth, contemplating his answer.

"Well, you need to give me a nickname now," she decided, "Something cute, but easy to say. Hm…"

Izuku thought about his own name. Deku. Izuku read slightly wrong. Ochako could have a similar shift, perhaps. If ko was kept the same, then…

"Senchan."

Uraraka looked up at him, surprised.

"Huh?"

"I just… a nickname," he muttered, "Ocha is tea, but if you mean inexpensive but sweet tea, it's Sencha. Plus Sen means to look ahead, or just money..."

Uraraka seemed to light up.

"I love it!"

Leveling her finger at him, she gave off her rare aura of intense decisiveness.

"From now on, Deku, you can call me Senchan!"

"Ida, it's such a great day, isn't it?!"

"Uraraka, I have terrible news!"

The two stared at one another for a moment before realizing they were probably not going to like their conversation.

"Um… I guess my news can wait a bit," Ochako said, her protective instincts coming on in full.

"I can't believe it, but my brother just called from the Hospital!" he bemoaned, clenching his fists and placing them on the divider between the 1-A seats and the hallway out, "He was beset by the Hero Killer."

Ochako gasped, horrified and worried for her friend.

"Is he-?"

"He lives, and should make a full recovery by next week," Ida sighed, contained fury in his stance, "But he was humiliated as a Hero. Tensei said he was protecting civilians, but it felt like the villain was simply toying with him, and when he wished to escape: he merely froze him with a neurotoxin or Quirk and ran off, leaving him to bleed on the street. While I am glad he's alive… the shame of being deemed unworthy to kill is too deep to ignore out of hand."

Realizing her friend was coming apart at the seams, his entire worldview shaken by his brother's treatment, Ochako pulled him into a hug.

"I don't know much about honor and worthiness," she admitted, "But if I was a villain, I'd be sure to kill you after a good fight."

"..."

"I'msorrythatcameoutwrong!" she insisted, burying her face in her hands and starting to float off a little.

From the seats below them, a handful of heads turned to watch the display.

"You wanna get her down?"

"I wouldn't want to be disqualified for interfering with an opponent before our match."

Ochako peeked through her fingers to see someone not of 1-A looking back at her, on Yaoyorozu's left. Her hair was a lot more patchy than usual, which wasn't really fitting her usual look, but it was unmistakable.

"Shiozaki?" she asked, disengaging her Quirk and landing by Ida.

"Hello, Uraraka," Shiozaki greeted her, smiling back up at her, "I hope to have an excellent match with you. You don't mind that I'm over on this side, do you? I wouldn't want to seem like I was trying to intimidate you, but YaoMomo and Jiro asked me to enjoy the break with them."

"Oh… no, you're good," she said, still a little surprised.

Kaminari turned around from the seat he was in a row ahead of them. He pointed to the three girls behind him and the boy beside him.

"These kids can fit so much angst in them."

"Shut up and sit back down, dunce face!" roared said boy, who turned out to be Bakugo.

Ochako frowned at him.

"Oh, hey Kacchan," she said, frowning at him, "I didn't see you there."

Ida balked at her, evidently surprised at the venom in her voice. Then again, he didn't seem to have truly grasped what exactly "Deku" meant before Ochako changed it, nor who had bestowed her best friend with the title.

Bakugo growled, but Kirishima's hand slid over to hold him down by his shoulder.

"Easy, big guy. Not worth it."

"Yeah, you would say that after she beat you up, you brainless rockhead! Haven't you watched me fly before?! You can't just hit stuff with no leverage and hope you'll stay in place!"

While the two got into a half-fight about their tactics (half-fight because Kirishima was adamantly not rising to his challenge), Ida tapped her shoulder politely.

"You said you had good news of a sort, Uraraka?" he reminded her.

"Oh, it's… it's not very important, now that I really think about it. Ya know, in the grand scheme of things…" she muttered.

Ida raised a hand, but instead of chopping through the air like normal, he whacked the top of her head.

"Uraraka!" he scolded, "My brother fought for the safety of others, but he also fought for their happiness! If we spend our lives always being dejected for those who were hurt for our benefit, their sacrifices will have been little more than in vain! Do not let this news ruin your day. Instead: let it brighten ours!"

She realized others were looking over at her now, and she blushed in embarrassment. Well, she had to say something now…

"I um… Deku gave me victory mochi and a nickname, and I'm kind of excited because I've never had a nickname before," she admitted softly, hoping only a few of the nearest ones would hear.

Jiro seemed to catch it, and smiled for her, leaning over to whisper it into Shiozaki and Yaoyorozu's ears so it would remain confidential for the most part. Shoji seemed to hear too, but didn't say anything. Ida though, he seemed to be about to blurt it out to the world.

"Ida, if you do that overhead clap thing again and shout bravo, I'll leave you on the ceiling until my match starts," she warned him, not entirely playfully.

"Speaking of," Shiozaki quickly interjected, "I think it's about time we head down. The matches have been rather quick these last few rounds, and we don't want to be late for ours."

Ochako gave her a pair of finger guns and grinned.

"Right-O! I'll see ya down there!"

"Go get em!" Mina shouted, standing up and raising a fist.

"Get… 'em?" Shiozaki asked, "You want us to… "get" each other? I don't think we should indulge Uraraka's monetary schemes by allowing her to sell herself, Ashido."

Even Yaoyorozu sighed at that, patting her shoulder.

"Never change, Shiozaki."

"Okay everybody! I hope you're back from the break, ready for our final three matchups!" Mic roared, much to the crowd's approval.

"Due to the insistence of Recovery Girl, who's become very concerned about the welfare of our wonderful fighters," Midnight called out, her voice amplified by the speakers to ensure everyone heard, "In the event both persons are ringed out, whoever touched the ground second will be declared the victor. So, if you've got a way to win by just tackling them and taking the fall, it's up to you not to get flipped in midair. Just try to keep the wrestling to a minimum. We are live, after all."

Tsuyu flexed her tongue experimentally, feeling the wrappings in her throat and not particularly liking the sensation.

Well, at the very least, Midoriya said he wouldn't kick me, so I won't have to worry about my stomach flipping inside out or anything, she reasoned, trying to stay on the bright side.

Speaking of Midoriya, he seemed… oddly happy. Maybe Recovery Girl had pumped him full of happy drugs so he'd be able to keep standing? That or a girl had called him cute. Probably the latter, honestly. He was pretty oblivious.

"You know her, you love her, she's the Lady of the Lake and Queen of the Pond: Tsuyu Asui!

Versus

The Broken Berserker, his wings are clipped, but he's still kicking: Izuku Midoriya!"

Midnight raised her whip, grinning at the two of them.

"Ready?"

Tsu nodded, getting into a crouch. Midoriya nodded and looked ready to jump.

"Start!"

Without waiting, Tsu shot her tongue out to wrap around Midoriya's waist, pulling him towards the edge. To her surprise, he didn't budge. She glanced back to see him floating a centimeter off the ground, straining against her tongue.

Making sure she was sticking to the ground for the best traction, she pulled harder, and the strain on his face grew. It would be a battle of wills then. She didn't know if she could beat Midoriya in such a contest. Tsu had to ring him out now, or he'd outlast her.

Recalling her tongue, she decided she'd have to pummel him like she had Ojiro. It wouldn't be pretty, but he wasn't leaving her many other options. But instead of coming back, she felt her tongue catch.

As he'd been pulling, Midoriya had begun to twist in place, wrapping her tongue further around himself. The friction between them was too great to just release. She'd have to take a few seconds and untangle herself from him. The surprise from the action was all he needed though.

Midoriya was spinning in place bringing his foot out to catch her tongue and pull her along. She resisted for a brief moment, before the ground was torn from under her and she started flying. He was keeping her at a distance with the force of his spin, but in doing so she didn't think he could attack either. Hopefully his stomach would give out before hers did, given how much faster he had to be going at the center.

Tsu started forming a plan. If she could get free without losing her grip, she could drop below the spin a little and try to return to ground and get him while he was recovering from the spin. She started untying her tongue, feeling the slight shift as she loosened from the grip.

The next thing she knew, Tsuyu was flying away from where she'd been. She caught a slight glimpse of Midoriya floating stock-still, looking very wobbly.

He'd stopped dead, the moment he felt her hold weaken, and cast her towards the wall with terrifying force. She turned to try and brace herself, when a soft boom of air came from behind her. Then Midoriya was in front of her, and she hit him instead, the two of them slowing as he fought to cancel her momentum before they hit the wall.

He stopped just shy of the concrete, his feet millimeters from the edge. She'd managed to catch hold of him as he'd helped her avoid impact with a lot worse pain, and in theory she could try and out him. But as she looked at his back, realizing he'd risked losing for her sake, she didn't have the urge to win right then.

She hopped off, landing on the grass.

"Asui Out! Midoriya Wins!"

"Good match, Midoriya," she beamed up at him, "And hey, you didn't kick me."

"I promised I wouldn't," he said, floating down to be more level with her.

"I can see why Uraraka likes you. Guys who keep their word are pretty good."

He blushed and itched the back of his head.

"Y-yeah, I can see how they would be…"

Hopping towards the exit, she pointed towards the way out.

"I'm gonna go get fully healed now. Maybe take a nap. Be sure not to lose to something stupid. It'd make me feel bad."

"R-right."

"And hey!" Jiro shouted after her, leaning on the doorframe, "Don't psych yourself out."

Yaomomo nodded beside her, her bouncy and bright aura overflowing as she grinned after her. Ibara gave them a thumbs up, took a deep breath, and started walking out towards the ring.

"Everybody say: HEY!

It's the champion of 1-B; recovered from her last victory and ready to reload like an atom bomb; it's Ibara Shiozaki makin' waves!

Versus

1-A's trickiest cinnamon roll; She's a shooting star, leaping through the sky like a Tiger; it's Ochako Uraraka!"

"Don't hurt yourself with the Queen references, Mic…"

Stepping up the stairs to the ring, Ibara shook her head. He should have called her a supersonic woman, because she wasn't going to waste a second before claiming victory this time.

"Fighters ready?" Midnight asked, to which Ibara raised her vines.

Uraraka didn't drop into her low crouch like she had for the other matches. Instead, she seemed to just be stretching in a streamline position. Still, she gave the thumbs up.

"Start!"

Her hair rocketed forward, all six of her remaining healthy vines wrapping Uraraka's torso and preparing to toss her to the side. She started to pull, but blinked in surprise as shewas the one who started sliding across the ground.

Narrowing her eyes, Ibara blinked in surprise as she realized what Uraraka had done. She'd held her hands up to avoid them being wrapped up, and brought them down to zero-G her vines. But her vines were still connected to her body, so she too was floating, and even if she detached them: she wouldn't counteract the effects.

Ibara had no traction now, but she could make some. Withdrawing two of her vines, she prepared to anchor herself into the ground and throw Uraraka out anyway. As they disengaged from her chest though, she felt herself continue to move.

Uraraka hadn't let go, still pulling on her vines as she tried to spin in place.

"Grip-breaking special move: Zero-Traction Hammer!"

Pulling herself up onto her vines, Ibara managed to catch air as they started spinning faster, but wasn't able to get a grip on the ground in time. Uraraka was spinning her for all she was worth, exactly like her move said: as an olympic hammertoss might go. But she couldn't swing forever, and if she released her grip, they'd both go flying, which would give Ibara the advantage again. She just had to outlast Uraraka's stomach.

She decided to add some extra incentive, and sent her remaining vines to grab her again, when everything shifted. She felt the pull of the spin gain the return of gravity and the loss of traction. Ibara felt herself start flying out and towards the wall.

Unlike Kirishima, she did have a vague understanding of physical laws, and retracted her vines to try and bring Uraraka's mass closer, so she would be easier to flip onto the other side and land second. In that moment, she knew she'd messed up. Uraraka came toward her unnaturally quickly, and before she could slow her vines: a pair of shoes hit her in the hip. The distraction took only a moment, but in free-fall that was all it took for her back to impact the ground.

"Shiozaki Out! Uraraka Wins!"

Sighing, Ibara laid her head against the grass. Uraraka had switched to remove her own gravity so quickly, when they were moving on the outward motion, she hadn't recognized a difference in her weight. But when they'd begun to fall, and she'd pulled her down, the change was obvious. It had probably taken every single trick Uraraka could think up to buy herself those crucial seconds.

"Shiozaki... please let go, so I don't throw up all over your hair… and you..."

Glancing up and over, she saw Uraraka was still being held aloft, holding her mouth and clearly distressed.

"Right!"

Easing her down, she let Uraraka go, and erected a quick cocoon for her so she wouldn't have to vomit another time on camera. After a few moments, she crawled back out and breathed heavily.

"Th-thank you…"

"Think nothing of it," she assured her opponent.

"You gonna watch my next fight with Deku from the 1-A box?"

"I think so. After I get my hair regrown. I don't really think the half-bald look works for me, do you?"

"Nah… Jiro probably thinks it's hot though…"

"She might," Ibara admitted, "But I'm not really up for punk looks. Far too scandalous."

"If you say so. See ya, Shiozaki."

"Bye…"

As the robots came over to help her up and clean up the mess, Ibara shook her head. The winners this year would both look like the worst of the losers, while the most thoroughly beaten of the losers seemed in pristine conditions. How would that seem to Pros looking for interns and sidekicks?

"No. I absolutely forbid it."

"I'm taking him, love. If he doesn't learn this now, he'll become set in his ways by the time he becomes a Pro, and as much as I hate to say it: he's well on his way," Yu said adamantly.

Nishiya sighed, rubbing his temples with a soft scraping of wood.

"You've seen what kind of Hero he's trying to become. It'll be torture for the both of you, and more you than him if he doesn't crack under your torture," he insisted.

Patting his shoulder affectionately, Yu grinned at him.

"Hey, you should be worried about your own intern. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was your secret love child or something. Gotta teach her all the ways to use your powers, yeah?"

Frowning at her, Nishiya sighed.

"We're not that alike," he protested, "And at least I know I won't be assaulted in my own agency while I'm with her."

"I dunno," Yu teased, tapping her lips thoughtfully, "She had some fire in her eyes there in the match before this. You might get-"

"Don't you dare-"

"-burned."

Her pun seemed to physically wound him, with how much he sagged and slumped against the table at that. Yu giggled at him. He was always so dramatic.

Usually she would have given him a quick kiss to make it up to him, but Deatharms was on his way back over, and they were still keeping their relationship on the down-low.

Izuku swallowed, not sure if he was ready for this. Fighting Ura- Senchan? He wouldn't even know how. He wouldn't kick her, and unlike with Tsu-chan, he couldn't exactly use her power against her. Then again, her power didn't really affect him all that much either. Would they just be stuck in a match of them rushing around one another?

"It's that time, ladies, gents, and the technicolor rainbow in-between!

Leader of the last two events; he's untouchable but he appreciates the attempt; Izuku Midoriya!

Versus!

She's tricky, she's quick, and she's all smiles today; Ochako Uraraka!"

Present Mic was fairly screaming now, trying to get the crowd invested. He had to admit, they weren't exactly drawing out the fights like the first years traditionally did. They weren't even really showing off like they could have. They were doing the thing rationally, like Aizawa might have: winning and moving on. Well, mostly.

"Ready to lose, Deku?!" she called at him, beaming with excitement.

"Either way, you're not getting that Buffet Dinner, Senchan," he teased back, hopping on his feet a little.

Midnight's grin wasn't one he particularly liked right then. He realized she might have made all sorts of implications about their having nicknames, had they not been live. Instead she just raised her whip and called out the ready.

Senchan gave a few quick punches and nodded. Izuku got on the balls of his feet and gave the OK.

"START!"

Izuku charged, turning on his Float and rocketing towards Senchan feet-first. She dropped into a crouch just like his, and seemed like she was preparing to catch him. At the last second, he stopped dead, slamming his shoes into the ground with all he was worth, not drawing on the odd lightning that seemed to come from someone else (probably Nana, but he didn't want to call her out just yet).

The impact of his sudden stop released a gust of air, blowing Senchan backwards with immense force. But instead of simply moving back, she rocketed upwards, her hands pressed together in her reverse-grip to let herself fly. His attack had thrown her clear of the ring, but she wasn't coming down any time soon.

Leaping after her, he tried to nudge her back down, but found her Zero-G body was hard to push around without her just spinning away and laughing. If he had his hands or a sure place to put his feet he could do it, but he didn't really want to step on her and hurt her back.

Izuku continued to circle and push at her, the two gliding higher and higher as the crowd watched them. They could probably see he was getting frustrated, and Senchan was getting a little nauseous. Hopefully she could hold out until he found a way to put her down, otherwise she'd end up falling-

"Goodbye organs," she groaned, tapping her fingers together and falling limp.

Then she started to plummet. Her Quirk, her body, or both had just given out.

Izuku didn't think, but simply moved. He raced down below her, shifting himself into an angled wedge so she would be caught between his chest and legs, since he couldn't grab her otherwise. He managed to slow her fall, before feeling his own power slowing and starting to fail. He let them land, sighing that she was safe.

"Midoriya Out! Uraraka wins! Ochako Uraraka is the winner of the First Year Sports Festival!"

"What-?!" Izuku tried to sit up, surprised and confused.

Senchan was already sitting up, managing to get off him and run towards the ring to get back where people could see her. As she got to the edge, she turned to look at him. She grinned and made the same unconscious face she'd had above, but left an eye open; the one on the side he hadn't been able to see.

She'd played him.

The sheer absurdity of his losing to such a simple trick made him shake his head and laugh. Well, he'd told her not to hold back, after all. He supposed it was his own fault.

"Izuku…" Inko bawled, the waterfall of her happy tears flowing out the door and down to the street.

She'd passed out multiple times throughout the festival, several of them being from dehydration. Mitsuki was holding her gently, patting her shoulder and offering her another water bottle.

"He did good, didn't he?"

"He's so cool!"

"Now, let's move on to the awards Ceremony!" Midnight called, waving to the three-tiered podium.

On one were young Shiozaki and young Asui. The two viridettes stood with small smiles, waving a little. Across was young Midoriya, his successor and right now: his pride and joy. He seemed a little shell-shocked, and Toshinori realized he was probably still surprised he'd made it to the second round, let alone the finalists. And on top, crying her eyes out in joy, was young Uraraka. She seemed to be giving young Midoriya a run for his money in the tear department, but at the same time she was smiling as brightly as he ever had.

Increasing his size and activating his power, Toshinori became All Might and prepared to leap into the stadium as Midnight read off the victors' names.

"Now for the medals!" she called, while All Might picked up the box and placed it in his belt, "Presenting them this year is… you know who!"

He leapt up and over, laughing as he felt the air around him.

"I AM…"

"He's everyone's favorite hero… All Might!" Midnight said at the same time.

"HERE with the medals!" he finished, landing in spectacular fashion.

All Might glanced over at her, confused. She placed her hands together and bowed apologetically.

"Cut you off. Sorry." she whispered.

Giving her a small nod, All Might stepped over to the third-place stand. The two girls stood at attention, the latter seeming a little wary of him. Well, he was rather large when seen up close for the first time.

"Asui, Shiozaki," he greeted, holding out their bronze medals.

Placing one on Asui, he gave her a small hug.

"Asui. You were imaginative and quick in your matches, and I foresee you will be a strong Hero one day. But keep your wits as sharp as your tongue, else a clever villain out-think you."

"Kero," she agreed.

Next he awarded Shiozaki, who took the hug much more stiffly.

"Shiozaki, you fought with a passion and original thinking I was greatly impressed by," he admitted, "But while normally I tell young heroes to find grace in defeat, for you I have a different task: learn to accept that in this job you will fail. You will struggle, and sometimes you will make mistakes. Others can't wait for you to find peace with yourself, so you must learn not to hold back your strengths and to act without self-incrimination until the day is over."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

He stepped past to the #2 spot, where his pupil stood, ready to challenge Uraraka's attempt to dethrone him as Prince of Crying. He laughed softly, and offered up the silver medal.

"Midoriya," he said, feeling some emotion in his own voice, "I told you before this started to show the world you were here and ready to protect them. You've utterly succeeded, my boy. But in the future, I'd recommend you show them you can continue protecting them after a match."

"R-right," he managed, holding back tears as he received his hug and medal.

"Uraraka," All Might said, stepping up to reward her with the gold, "I've heard of your wonderful Hero motivations. The best defenders of peace start with their homes. For this reason, I praise your resolve and ask… that you not sell this medal."

She managed to get a laugh past her tears, and nodded as he placed it over her head.

"You were devious, clever, decisive, and showed great dedication. Though you pushed yourself further than your limits each time, and showed the world the cost of your attempts, you held strong. I foresee you becoming a Hero greater than you can yet imagine. All I can recommend is that you be certain to train your body to handle the strain of time. Each match had you worn out, and in the field one cannot be so easily defeated. But you're well on your way."

"Yes sir!" she vowed, gripping her medal with the brightest smile he'd seen her wear yet.

"Oh, and don't let Midoriya get you too worked up," he added, as an afterthought, "If you start breaking bones like him, you'll be the one popping up expenses."

Stepping away, he gestured to the four.

"Well! These are your winners! But hold on, everyone! Each and every person who gave it their all had the potential to be standing up here! You all witnessed it!

Competition!

Encouragement!

The Refusal to Accept anything but your Best!

Pushing one another to climb higher and higher!

The seeds of potential you saw here today will sprout into the Heroes of the Future! In that spirit, let's have one final cheer! Everyone say it with me! One, Two, and…"

"Plus Ultra!" dozens of voices shouted.

"THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK!" All Might called at the same time.

There was an awkward silence, into which Midnight whispered to him: "I think they wanted you to say Plus Ultra…"

"I- I know," he protested back, just as quiet, "But they all did so good…"

Chapter 11: Interlude: Our First Steps

Everyone was chatting about how they'd been greeted and received by the public on their way to class that day, but Ochako was already wiped out. She'd come home to a rather terrifying but ultimately wonderful greeting by her parents, a home-cooked meal as the "champion" and then spent the next day begging Deku to stay on the phone with her so she didn't have to leave the house and face the press. He had, of course… given in and only hung up when his phone died and then called back four hours later begging to be forgiven.

Couldn't ask me out or to come over and relax, even after all that business during the festival, she thought wryly, that'd just be too easy.

"Uraraka!" a loud voice came from the front of her desk, "You cannot sleep in class! It's poor posture for your spine, and Mr. Aizawa will not be pleased when he comes in!"

"Good for him…" she yawned, "Maybe he can give me some advice for how to stay away when I'm this exhausted from people. He does it with Kacchan and Mineta every day…"

"You got something to say, Round Face?!"

"I just said it, s'plody boy…"

Bakugo started to get out of his chair, seeming ready to fly over and blast her to smithereens, when a hand caught his shoulder and pushed him back into his chair. Ochako blinked. That had looked like Deku. She must be more tired than she thought. It certainly had to be Kirishima or someone else, because he didn't even stand back up, just looking at the person in utter disbelief.

Before she could check on what was going on, Aizawa came in, now bandage free, and everyone was in their seats and sitting up straight. She realized she'd got into position by habit, but once he'd made it to his podium, Ochako'd fallen back down to rest her forehead against the desk. It was warm where she'd been before, so she moved to find a cold spot.

"Uraraka, sit up, you'll want to be awake for this," their teacher sighed from the front.

"Yes, Sensei…" she managed, straining to get back to an upright position.

He seemed to accept that, and moved on with the lesson. Ochako took a deep breath and tried to focus, not knowing quite what would be important today.

"Today you have Hero Informatics Class, and a Special one at that."

Ochako vaguely recognized that was a bad thing, probably constituting a lesson on laws or logistics. Then again, if she knew it, she could exploit it for money… but was money really that important when there was sleep to be had?

She slapped herself, coming back to the focus just in time for Aizawa to continue.

"You'll be coming up with your Hero Aliases."

The entire room exploded with cheers and excited sounds, which immediately died as Aizawa's hair flared up and everyone became as still as before.

"But first… concerning the Pro Draft picks I mentioned the other day…"

He went on to explain the importance and significance of why some students were getting scouted and why others were being overlooked, which really helped Ochako wake back up. What did get her brain running again were the counts which appeared on the board.

Todoroki Shoto: 3,123

Uraraka Ochako: 2,687

Asui Tsuyu: 1,009

Bakugo Katsuki: 720

Midoriya Izuku: 616

Jiro Kyoka: 411

Yaoyorozu Momo: 108

Kirishima Ejiro: 20

Ojiro Mashido: 19

Ida Tenya: 5

Sero Hanta: 2

Ashido Mina: 2

Mineta Minoru: 1

Reaching forward, Ochako took Ida's shoulders and shook him in joy, her eyes welling with tears of joy. They liked her! They liked Deku! Some of them even liked Ida!

"Usually they're less favorable towards first years, but you gave a good showing, so…"

Aizawa shrugged, putting the numbers away.

"Whether you were picked or not, you will have the chance to work alongside the Pros," he continued, "It's true you've already experienced more than most, but seeing Pros in action and taking part will still be worthwhile training. Remember: for every day out there in the field: a true Pro will gain experience worth a week in here. You're out there to learn, not have fun, so don't get too caught up in the crowd… Midoriya, I'm trying not to look at you right now."

A few snickers went through the class, and Ochako shot her best friend a look, smiling at how he seemed to take the comment well, rather than shrinking in on himself. Good, he could use a good teasing now and then.

"Now, about your Hero names," Aizawa yawned, stepping over to the side where he kept his sleeping bag, "They're only tentative at this point, but you still want to pick something appropriate…"

"Or you'll know true torment!"

Everyone turned to the door, where a woman was walking in with all the seductive grace she could muster, which was quite a lot, considering it was:

"Midnight?!"

"The name you pick now," she said, winking in response, "may be what the world ends up calling you. It happens plenty often, to more Pros than you might expect."

"Mhm. Midnight here will be assessing your names for final approval. I'm no good at it."

As he grabbed his bag, he gave the class another significant look.

"Just think on this: What future do you see for yourself? What kind of Hero will you be? The name you choose will bring you closer to cementing your identity and a certain image. Names can reflect the true character of a person."

With that, he zipped up and hit the ground, probably already snoring. Midnight stepped up and winked at them as the pads were passed back for them to work with. Ochako nodded to herself. She'd already picked one, of course, and even put it in Deku's analysis notebook. But speaking of Deku, she could potentially shift the name just a titch.

"So, what are you thinking, Ida?" Tsu asked, leaning around to look at him, "I've had mine since I was eleven, but I want to know what other people are thinking, kero."

"My family have long held a Hero Name each generation, begun by my Grandfather and taken on my different Heroes. I've been asked to continue honoring that tradition!"

"But won't having three Ingeniums all at once be confusing, kero?"

"I prefer to think of it as assuring; that no matter what happens: an Ingenium will be there to help swiftly!" Ida proclaimed, though his voice quavered just so that Ochako wondered if he might be trying to convince himself.

"Well, it's not like you can number yourselves…" Ochako mumbled, scribbling her name down and decorating it a little.

"Not unless… how nerdy would you like your Hero name to be, Ida?" called Deku, a tint to his voice that meant he was in total otaku mode.

"What do you have in mind, Midoriya?" he called back.

Ochako glanced over to see Deku thumb back at Yaomomo. She blushed and tapped her fingers together nervously.

"W-well… in chemistry there's a bit of an issue labeling transitional metals," she said, clearly embarrassed, "And when something like Iron or Platinum isn't defined, it's given a numeric following…"

"So… Ingenium (III)?" Ochako asked, trying to imagine the branding on an action figure that would undoubtedly destroy many a birthday as the wrong Ingenium toy was bought.

"If I went with that…" Ida mumbled, pulling over his board and starting to work.

After a few more minutes of talk and calling across to one another, Midnight called for them to start offering their names up for approval and group discussion.

Shining Hero: Can't Stop Twinkling was approved, while Cameron Hero: Alien Queen was shot down hard, leading to the scribbles of a few too many rewrites.

Froppy: The Rainy Season Hero got a thumbs up, as did Sturdy Hero: Red Riot. Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack, Tentacle Hero: Tentacole, Taping Hero: Cellophane, Martial Arts Hero: Tailman, & Sweets Hero: Sugarman were also quickly agreed upon, along with Mina's desperate "Venus Hero: PINKY!" Ochako giggled at how on-the-nose some of them were, especially when the next two were: Stun Gun Hero: Chargebolt & Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl.

Some of the heavy hitters went next, like Everything Hero: Creati, Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi, & Fresh-Picked Hero: Grape Juice. She was surprised Midnight allowed Todoroki to just go with his name, but quickly forgot about it as Koda offered Petting Hero: Anima. It made her feel bold enough to go after Kacchan's fiasco attempt.

"Sencha-Flavored Hero: Uravity," she proclaimed.

"Comforting and Punny!" Midnight approved.

Mina sniggered playfully.

"You wanna be known as "Green Tea" girl?" she checked, nodding her head over at Deku, who seemed to be awestruck by her action.

Ochako blushed and nodded.

As she went to sit down, Ida passed her, giving her a bright grin and a nod. He placed his plaque down and declared his name with his usual commanding roar from when he stood at the front.

"New Turbo Hero: Ingenium (V)!"

"Five? Who else is-" Sero asked, confused.

"My Grandfather had the title first," he explained, "As did my Aunt, before she changed to Quickstep. My brother currently holds the title, and while she never officially held the name: My Grandmother technically came up with it, and would have used it had she returned to Hero Work before their retirement. As such, I am counting all of them as prior Ingenium Heroes, and so will take on the moniker of V."

"It also means you can have five partners helping you out and still be on brand!" Momo praised him, before getting a handful of odd stares.

"Indeed Yaoyorozu!" he agreed, planting his hand over his chest, "The term will not only help merchandising factors, and honor my heritage, but potentially teach younger generations chemistry!"

"...Ida, you're going to be interning with your brother, yes?" Midnight asked, frowning at him.

"I intend to, yes, Midnight-sensei," he agreed.

"Good, you're taking me with you so we can get Tensei's name changed. I need to see his face when you tell him what you came up with."

"Oh… okay."

He went to sit down, and Deku stepped up, seeming ready to shake apart with nerves. He planted his plaque, and the entire room gasped.

"Yo man, are you sure?" Kirishima asked, glancing at Bakugo.

Ochako felt her eyes get a little teary as she looked up at the name he'd chosen.

"I'm sure," he agreed, holding up his still cast-covered arm in solidarity, "I always hated it before, but then someone helped me see it in a new light and make it my own. For the first time ever… I felt happy to be called by it. I want other people to learn to make their insults their power too."

Deku: The "You can do it too" Hero.

Oh no, she was crying again.

"A truly noble name," Midnight agreed, waving him back, "Which just leaves Bakugo's revision."

"LORD Explosion Murder!"

"No. You get one more. Now go sit down and try to come up with something that won't immediately scream: "I'm a Villain in disguise.""

"This is going to be so much fun!" Yaomomo cheered, pulling Kyoka and Shiozaki along into the mall, "I almost never get to shop with friends! Where should we go first? What should we do? Is there somewhere we need to check in or verify our funds?"

"She's too bright this early in the morning," the other two sighed together.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, Yaomomo," Shiozaki stepped in, leading them towards a clothing store, "But let's start with the essentials."

Yaomomo nodded with a furious bobbing of her head, her hair shaking like it was as alive as Shiozaki's. It made Kyoka chuckle, seeing her friend so excited.

"So, how extravagant must we dress? Will there be a dance? Will we need to pick up some form of jewelry or tokens?" Yaomomo asked, fairly quivering with excitement.

Shiozaki led them to a plain-looking shop, where simple sundresses, skirts, dress shirts, pants, and a few plain jackets were on display. Kyoka couldn't see any vests, tuxedos, bowties, gowns, or anything fancier than what someone might wear to work at a bank or insurance firm.

"Well, first off: no you won't need to bring anything," Shiozaki clarified, heading over to the hanging racks of brown and grey dresses, "And we encourage you to dress well out of respect, but not so fancy as to draw attention away from what we do there. Would either of you like to go with pants instead of a dress? I'm partial to a long-sleeved cut, myself."

And like that, they were off. Yaomomo insisted they try on each and every frill and lace item she could find, mixing and matching ideas with them like Kyoka was her own personal doll to be dressed up and down for a display. Yet, despite the rather intense nature she and Shiozaki were pushed through, it never felt cold or superior, but genuinely affectionate to them, as if it was her greatest joy to help them find something that would look entirely them.

Of course, Yaomomo didn't stay out of the fun long. After a few tries ended with Shiozaki in dress pants and a pale blue button up shirt, she got so flustered her vines literally pushed the heiress into one of the changing rooms with a dress as she told her to stop having all the fun without them.

It was strangely fun, if not really what she was into, being able to find a look with her friends like this. Then again, they hadn't got to the shoes yet, which she just knew would be a pain.

Eventually they did settle on a few designs. Shiozaki got an earth-toned, sleeveless dress with a bit of a V-neck, though she paired it with a white shrug and pale flats. Yaomomo settled on a more modest lime fit, with puffy sleeves which went to her mid-bicep and a relaxed collar. She was the only one to take heels, despite being the one who needed them least.

Kyoka settled on a mix of what she already had and a few new additions, herself. Her hero jacket would go over the top of a more traditional pink dress, with Shiozaki showing her some dark leggings that would go along nicely. She ended up snagging a pair of lace-up dress shoes, since Yaomomo was paying and she might as well not wear her boots.

"Now what?" the very tall heiress asked, positively overjoyed they still had time to spare around the mall.

"I could… eat?" Kyoka mumbled, not wanting to seem like a leech off her friend's money, but also kind of starving.

"An excellent idea, Jiro!" she agreed, pointing to a bakery and tea shop across the gap which seemed to be catered to a younger demographic.

Toru or Mina might have been at home there, and Ochako probably would at least check the price-tag before dismissing it, but Kyoka wasn't really in the mood for… well, that. Luckily, Shiozaki was there to save the day.

""But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by Bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."" she quoted, reaching out to take their hands and tug them towards another escalator.

Kyoka gave her a blank stare, while Yaoyorozu seemed a little put out.

"Since Yaomomo got us the clothes," she explained, gesturing to the new floor food court with an expansive gesture, "It's only fair I pay for lunch."

The level of joyful bounce coming off the heiress was nearly visible as she smiled and seemed overcome by gratitude. Kyoka felt a swell of thanks as well, before it was overcome with a bit of guilt that she wasn't paying for anything. Then something bopped her nose.

"And don't you get pouty on us," Shiozaki admonished, "You were the one who arranged our little weekend jaunt. You can pay for something next time."

That made her feel better. Or, she was annoyed at the bop and was sort of equaling out with the compliment. Regardless, she saw the tell-tale triangle and circles of a pizza offering, and her feet were already on the march.

Tensei stretched a little, trying to gauge how well his healing had gone. So far he only had the one set of stitches, but he'd snapped his fair share of those before, and didn't really care to get them reapplied.

"You're in working order," the doctor agreed, tapping her chin thoughtfully as he finished his examination, "Just don't overdo it, and you'll be fine. No Recipro-whatsits for a while, unless you want new ribs?"

"I think I'll be fine with the ones I have," Tensei agreed, stepping to the door to don his shirt once again, "But I can go on patrol and get back to work?"

"Yes, yes," she waved him out, sighing, "Go save the world and whatnot."

Chuckling, he shook his head.

"Oh no, not this month. I've got an intern coming next week, and I'm taking him villain hunting."

"...if you bring Tenya in here with anything more than road rash from a trip, I'm pulling your stitches out. By hand."

Tensei stood in the door for another moment, blinking at his usual doctor for a moment before dashing for the door with all possible speed.

"Wellitwasgreattocatchup,seeyoulater,byeeeeeee!" he called back.

He was out the office door and halfway back to his agency by the time he stopped to catch his breath. Villains he could fight all day, and patrols for days without rest he could endure, but people with medical licenses threatening him with retaliation? That scared him.

Had he been any more distracted, he would have utterly missed the phone his secretary was holding up at the front. Tensei slowed up and shook his head to clear it. Who could possibly be calling him directly on a day of medical leave? Tenya was studying or something, and he'd spoken to his mother before getting checked out.

"Hello?"

["Tensei, baby!"]

He sighed, not unhappily but with a definite edge of tiredness.

"Hello, Nemuri," he greeted Midnight, "What can I do for you?"

["You know, I heard a construction worker on the phone the other day, and he asked it "What can I do ya for?" If you'd asked that, I could have made a pun."]

"Of course you could have," he agreed, going to sit down before she said something to make him fall over in shock, "Hence why I didn't say it. But I'll ask again: what do you need, Nemuri?"

["Can't a girl call her old friend when she's lonely?"] she begged across the line, somehow conveying that she was squirming in her seat like a schoolgirl, ["What if I just wanted to make sure you got healed up well? Maybe I'm worried you won't be around to get your rebranding? I'm thinkin' Dragman."]

"As much as I like the speed pun," Tensei admitted, "How can I say… Absolutely Not."

["Phooey. Well, regardless, I wanted to make sure you're gonna be ready for me to come over next week. I'll keep an eye on your little brother during transit, and try not to break his heart in too many ways."]

"Nemuri, you know I support your whole "R-rated" brand thing, really I think it's good you're teaching the next generation of Heroes how to tune out distractions like that, but you've gotta stay in your own lane."

["Tensei, I'll get in your lane if you aren't careful."]

"..."

["Okay, that one didn't make as much sense as it could have, but you know what I mean."]

Laughing at his old friend's antics, Tensei relaxed a little bit, feeling the pain in his side ease a little.

"Sure, but wouldn't Shota get jealous?"

["Why would he be jealous? Have you heard something?"]

"Yeah, you two were going out, right?" he checked, trying to confirm the last rumor he'd heard, "Or was it you and Hizashi?"

There was a boisterous laugh from the other end of the line.

["Me and… and Eraserhead? Or Mic?! Where do you get this from?!"] she managed between laughs, ["Ms. Joke's spoken for the one, and Mic's too busy with his radio station to stay in a relationship."]

"Wait… you mean the one Shota can't stand? They're together?" Tensei asked, stunned.

["Well, not yet, but she's called dibs, and you know my rule about sisters who call dibs."]

"Sure, whatever you say, Nemuri."

For the fifth time that day, Tetstutetsu found himself on his back.

"You have to fight harder!" Monoma screamed, his own skin the same metallic sheen as Tetsutetsu's own, "We can't let 1-A get ahead of us again! Everyone has to train their hardest, no matter what! We're gonna show them, those bastards, we'll show them all!"

A massive hand came swinging down to crush him, but Monoma just exhaled an air shield and charged Tetsutetsu again. He rolled aside and managed to get back onto his feet, punching his sparring partner in the jaw to try and get him to back off.

All around the gym, almost every member of 1-B were present, fighting or training in some way. Shishida was charging around, bashing into anything and everything Kodai could expand to get in his way, playing what might have been a game of red-light green-light, except with more explosions and roaring.

"Want me to tap in?" came a voice from his shadow.

Tetsutetsu looked down to see Kuroiro grinning up at him evilly. He'd advanced to shadow-hopping now, and it wasn't exactly comforting to know he could be anywhere at any time. He didn't want to be listened in on while he practiced his manly workouts!

"Aren't you supposed to be fighting Kinoko?" he asked, jogging around to dive through a cloud of Tokage parts where Monoma might not follow.

"Yeah, but she's scary. Tried to grow a mushroom in my throat and block my windpipe. Got all the way to my jawline before I managed to escape."

He had to admit, Kinoko could be formidable when she wanted to be. Usually she was more reserved and happy-go-lucky, but when she got serious… well, he didn't blame Kuroiro for running.

"Dodge!"

Tetsutetsu glanced up just in time to be bashed across his stomach by a fist which emerged from the ground. Naturally, Honenuki wasn't above a cheap shot.

Choosing to keep to the manly way, Tetsutetsu grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the ground, tossing him over at Rin, who smacked him aside without effort.

"I can't believe not one of us was a finalist! I'm gonna get whoever rigged that stupid festival!" Monoma screamed, back on the attack.

Tetsutetsu growled and swung around to catch his fist on his side, twisting around to kick him in the back.

"Hey, I made the Tournament!" he challenged, clenching his fist angrily, "And Shiozaki made the semi-finals! Speaking of, Where Is She?!"

"She's off with her friends," Tokage explained with a smile, her head hovering by, "Monoma didn't make her come since she did so well."

"I did well too!" he grumbled, jogging over to dropkick Kamakiri.

"You weren't told to come!" the insectoid-headed boy called, managing to get just shy as a blade pushed him away, "We went to go do our punishment training, and you kept begging us to tell you where we were going and let you come along!"

Ah. Yes. He had done that, hadn't he?

His momentary distraction earned him his sixth landing on the ground, flat on his back, this time with Yanagi's characteristic purple glow around the literal anvil which had smashed past him.

"You know, I expected more chanting."

"Chanting?" Ibara asked, confused.

"Or like… repeating the words of the speaker?" Jiro tried, frowning as she tried to figure it out, "Like, I thought everyone had to repeat "And it came to pass" every time the preacher said it."

The three of them giggled just a bit as Jiro's voice went a little deeper, as if to imitate one of the speakers or the entire crowd saying it in a monotone. Her impression wasn't bad.

"That's Catholic again," Yaomomo reminded her gently.

"Oh… yeah, okay. But seriously, it was really lax in there. Does that even count? We just listened to a few people tell stories about their lives, said to be nice to one another and overcome our weaknesses, then hung out and learned about some history. It was like a short day at school; quick ethics lesson and all."

Ibara wasn't sure what to make of that. She frowned and went to ask when Yaomomo stepped in again, still in the soft voice she'd picked up since entering.

"She's saying she liked it."

"Ah! Well, it's very centered around personal understanding," she explained, hoping she was answering the question, "We try not to have too many rules about things that don't make sense, and when we do: we try to make sure people understand why we don't have a simple reason. Even interpersonal understanding is important."

"Like how you had to keep shaking your head at everyone when they greeted us and explain we're your friends from school?" Yaomomo asked, a question in her voice beyond the rhetorical one.

Ibara pursed her lips and nodded.

"Well, yes, that's a… personal explanation, I suppose."

"Yeah, you kept getting all jittery about it too," Jiro noted, frowning a little, "Did we do something wrong? You said our gear was fine."

"Nonononono!" she insisted, waving her hands in a panic, "You were perfect! I just… they worry about me..."

They stayed silent for a bit, walking over towards Yaomomo's chauffeur to get them home.

"Okay, I know the jacket and gloves are pretty punk, but I didn't think I was that scary…"

Ibara sagged a little bit, realizing she'd probably have to tell them. But it was better she receive a little judgement than they feel unfairly guilty or angry on her behalf.

"It wasn't your look, Jiro," she sighed, "And it wasn't even you particularly. It's just… well, I suppose the best way to explain it is that I've taken a personal vow of celibacy."

Jiro gave her a confused look, while Yaomomo seemed… not so much surprised at the news and more surprised she'd guessed correctly on something.

"Why would you do that?"

"Concisely? Because I wish to follow the commandments of my Lord God, and one of my many struggles is that I'm… I won't be able to proceed in love the way I'd like to."

She barely noticed her vines starting to wrap around her body, curling in on her as she became more anxious.

"So, what, they worry we're going to corrupt you?" Jiro asked, a little defensively.

"Not precisely…"

"Then what precisely? You seem so bent out of shape over this, but you keep pulling back like you've done something wrong," the earphone girl protested, frowning with a hurt expression, "You say we didn't do anything wrong, but I keep getting the impression our just being there was a problem or some-such."

Ibara ran her hands up over her face, running the fingers through her vines to try and calm them.

"I… they wondered if I'd brought you here as a date," she managed, staring adamantly at the sky and silently praying for strength.

Jiro didn't answer, but Yaomomo sighed in resignation. She understood then.

"And your religion doesn't approve of… dates, with the same sex?" she clarified anyway.

Ibara shook her head.

"I know my tastes and my trials. Many people know as well, since I've rejected male companionship more intimate than tentative friendships. Most of them know I've chosen to stay alone, but loneliness… it's a burden which only gets heavier with time."

"Then why would that be a rule?" Jiro asked, her voice full of indignation, "I know you said something about old-fashioned policies, but that's freakin' ancient, dude."

Trying to think up a way to explain it, Ibara closed her eyes and hummed in concentration. Then she got it. She'd use parables.

"Have either of you smoked a cigarette before?"

The question caught the other two off-guard so thoroughly, Yaomomo actually stumbled.

"Wha- no?!"

"Heavens, no!"

"Why not?" Ibara asked, pitching her tone so they knew she had a point.

"It causes terrible damage to the respiratory system!" Yaoyorozu said, still indignant.

"It's not rockin' to give out on stage."

"Did you understand those reasons when you were five?"

They closed their mouths, considering. Then, they shook their heads.

"Then why didn't you try them back then?" she pressed.

"My mother and father told me they were dangerous."

"Dad said he'd flay me alive if I ever touched one."

Ibara smiled, nodding.

"Have either of you ever taken Lidocaine?" she tried this time, seeing they understood the process now.

Jiro shook her head, but Yaomomo nodded, running a hand over her shoulder in what seemed like a subconscious movement.

"Why not? It's an excellent tool for numbing pain, and we certainly go through a large amount of pain in Hero training."

Yaoyorozu was first to the response once again.

"It's highly potent! Uncontrolled use could lead to addiction and overdose! Impairment of judgement and health effects. It must only be used by trained professionals in specific circumstances," she informed them.

"That's why we have the rule," Ibara continued, getting back to the original point, "Our Father in Heaven asked us to keep physical intimacy within the confines of marriage, and for marriage to be limited to a single male and a single female at a time. We don't know all the effects disobeying will cause yet, because we're only children on this Earth. We do know that we've been asked to obey it though, and that it does have a purpose, in Yaomomo's words: "in specific circumstances.""

"Okay… I don't totally agree, but I get where you're comin' from," Jiro sighed, "But still, with both of us here, they should have known we were just here as friends. It's not like you could've brought two people on a date."

Ibara just turned a little pink and opened the car door, not looking at them. When she glanced up, she saw Jiro's face had exploded into a fiery glow, while Yaomomo seemed stunned again.

"It's not much of a difference in difficulty," she said, trying to get them to unfreeze and avoid the driver staring at them, "Being alone without one person is mathematically the same as being alone without more than one person."

"And all of them know this about you?"

"I'm not ashamed of who I am. Anyone who has asked knows."

They didn't move, and Ibara began to worry she'd revealed too much.

"I-I don't wish to hold you up," she sputtered, stepping back from the door, "Th-thank you for coming with me today and cheering me up after our match, Jiro-sama, Yaoyorozu-sama."

She turned to walk home, glad the day was at least marginally cool, when something touched her shoulder with a tentative softness. Ibara glanced back, palling as she saw one of the earphone jacks had reached over to stop her. She didn't know what to do, and simply waited for them to speak.

"Shiozaki-chan…" Jiro muttered, recalling her Quirk and tapping her fingers a little timidly, "Y-you don't have to leave. We're not mad or anything. Just… surprised?"

"If I made you uncomfortable, I didn't mean to imply-"

"Shiozaki?" Yaoyorozu interrupted, sliding her hand down into Jiro's before looking at her, "We're… not opposed to yesterday having been… a date. We just… wish you'd been honest with us."

"I was," Ibara insisted, fear still coursing through her veins, "Yesterday and today; they weren't meant to be anything other than what I said they were. I truly do wish to be your friend, and to repay you for your help. I don't mean to be rude, and I would consider myself more than lucky to date either one of you, let alone both, but… It's something I can't do."

The other two glanced to one another, then back to Ibara. Yaoyorozu let go of Jiro's hand and got into the car, leaving the other two to stare at one another. For a moment, Ibara feared or perhaps hoped she'd get in too, close the door, and they'd drive off. Instead, Jiro held out her hand.

"Well, friends don't leave each other on the side of the road," she said, "come on. Let's go home."

"So, who did you pick, Senchan?" Izuku asked, looking over his pages of offers and feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Gunhead!" she proclaimed, punching the air and grinning.

"Really?!" Izuku asked, confused and surprised, "But you got offers from a bunch of higher-up Heroes! And aren't you looking to be a rescue Hero?"

Senchan nodded, and clenched her fists in determination.

"Yeah, but I won most of my fights by luck and being tricky, and most of them because everyone was tired. I need to get better at fighting. Ida had me dead to rights from the get go, I just had the advantage of an early tag. I need to know how to get those in faster and more accurately, and how to avoid getting hit so much!" she proclaimed, "Plus, I check on some of the other fighting Heroes like you said, and he's one of the better grapplers and stuff. Everyone else is all punchy-kicky, but he's good at grab and capture."

"You're pretty smart to focus on your weaknesses after a victory, kero," Tsu praised, stepping over with her own paper, "I'm more looking to focus on getting better with someone who knows how my Quirk works."

Izuku glanced at her requested choices, and blinked in surprise at the options. #2 of Selkie was obvious, but at #1-

"Gang Orca!?" he gasped, eyes shining, "The Number 10 Hero requested you?!"

"Kero. He sent in the offer."

"It looks like many of us will be working with our personal preferences, rather than merely the greatest Pro to offer us a spot," Ida put in, grinning and chopping a little, "My brother requested I join him for some specialized training, though I did receive an offer from various others. I even found an offer from Mirko, though I rejected it on principle."

"You skipped out on Mirko?!" Ashido gasped in alarm, "Who gave you the right?!"

Ida wasn't taking her flak though. He chopped his arms down simultaneously, his expression fierce.

"The Rabbit Hero: Mirko has a standing policy of solitude, viewing other Heroes working together as failures and weaklings, rather than seeing the value of teamwork, the covering of shortcomings, and other such important skills of a Pro Hero," he said, bruskly, "I would undoubtedly be well-served in my Quirk skill acquisition, but I would rather not work alongside such a poor worldview until my own character and ideals are cemented enough to endure them without being shifted."

"Hm… I thought about going with the IPhome Hero or Morning Jenny for that reason," Todoroki interjected, "But at the end of the day, my fire's underdeveloped as it is, and I need to catch up. So I took Endeavor's offer. At least put Mirko in as a second, so you can have it on record you were willing to learn from her."

As Ida and Todoroki began to discuss the merits of their choices and reasons, Izuku started looking over his own list. There were dozens of Pros there, with so many of them excellent fits. Even the American Hero: Captain Celebrity had sent over an offer. But… he needed someone who wouldn't just teach him how to fly. He needed someone who could help him start to get a handle on the multiple Quirks he was unlocking. All Might had specifically said to focus on recapturing the purple lightning which had enhanced his body.

The problem was, so far as Izuku could tell, the actual activation of the Stockpile part of his Quirk had been due to Nana Shimura activating it for him, and not realizing how ill-prepared he was to use it. He had to be able to summon it on command and control the power. But he didn't know who he could even talk to about it, since the odd nature of his power meant the secret of One-for-All was tied to his abilities.

"It's like a performance at this point…"

Izuku's head snapped up as he realized he'd been muttering again.

"S-sorry," he muttered to his friends, seeing all of them watching him with kind but clearly dead-eyed smiles.

"It's okay, Deku," Senchan assured him, smiling brightly, "We know you're having a hard time picking."

"It's not like there are a lot of Pros who have to deal with a multi-Quirk," Ojiro agreed, holding up his paper and smiling in an almost apologetic way, "For me it was pretty simple. I know Sero's all in for standing out, but I think Manual is the right guy for me to stick with."

"The Normal Hero?" Izuku verified, "But he's got a water control Quirk…?"

"Yeah, but he's a good Pro for the ground-level stuff, and he's pretty versatile in what he works with," Ojiro clarified.

Nodding, Izuku packed up and sat down so he could push his chair out.

"Whoa, Midoriya!" Kirishima called, grinning over at him, "What was that? Did your chair just give out or something?"

"No, I just sat down so I could push it out," he said.

"Sat down?" Senchan asked, confused, "but you were already sitting, weren't you?"

Izuku shuffled his chair back in and got to where he was.

"Okay, you can pull it out now."

Senchan eased his chair back, revealing him to be holding an Air Chair position, though quivering a bit more than he had been before.

"Dude! So Manly!"

"He seeks to hunt hares with his wing bound. Soon he will crash and find no meal, or else learn to fly through will alone."

"You're so depressing, sometimes, Fumi. You should encourage him!"

Shaking his head at Dark Shadow's usual antics, Izuku threw his bag over his shoulder and gave Senchan a second to grab her things. They headed for the door, deciding he should probably go to the computer lab and check up on some of his offers. Senchan was right alongside him, idly chatting about how they could try mid-air sparring when they got back, since no one else really had to deal with that problem, when the door swung open.

"I Am Here in a Peculiar Pose!"

"Whoa, it's All Might!"

"Yo, Teach!"

"What's with that face, Young Man?" All Might asked, only now lowering his voice to normal, "You're makin' me feel even more jittery. Come, there's something I wish to discuss."

Glancing back at Senchan, who gave him a little shove and whispered that she'd wait for him in the lab, Izuku followed his master to a quiet part of the floor.

"Young Midoriya," he sighed, not looking at him, "I know you've received many excellent offers, and perhaps even have a few in mind to attempt working with. Have you given serious thought to any of them yet?"

"Not yet, All Might," he admitted, itching the back of his head anxiously, "I was thinking of Sir Nighteye's agency, but I think that's just because he's your former sidekick and I was fanboying a little again."

"You two might get on well thanks to that," All Might mumbled, "But I'd recommend not seeing him just yet. Nighteye… has his opinions on One-for-All, and you might be pressured into doing something reckless."

"Sir Nighteye knows about-"

"Yes, he was one of the few I trusted to keep the secret. We had a bit of a falling-out some years back, but I know he won't betray us even in disdain for my choices."

There was so much pain in All Might's voice, Izuku wanted to give him a hug. He felt the dark tendril-like power ripple along his arm, but he forced it down with a spike of fear. It seemed to know not to come out when he felt afraid or worried.

"But now isn't the time for such things!" All Might declared, getting back into his upbeat mood, "I have an offer from… from a Pro you've likely never heard of. He personally requested I deliver your invitation to intern with him, and… I'm obligated to oblige."

Izuku thought he'd been shaking when doing his air chair, but with the way All Might was vibrating he wasn't so sure. The taller man smacked his leg a few times, muttering for it to calm down, which shocked Izuku more than anything else in a while. Who was this Pro who could make All Mightshake in his boots, literally?!

"His name is Gran Torino," he continued, swallowing, "He was my homeroom teacher for a single year while I was at U.A., and knows all about One-for-All. In fact, he made it clear he wanted to help you learn to control it better."

"That would be amazing!" Izuku cheered quietly, before pausing.

He did some mental math, recalling what All Might had said before about who knew of the secret.

"Wait, if Sir Nighteye was one of the four people who knows other than you and me… and the others are Principal Nezu, Recovery Girl, and your detective friend from the USJ… how does he know?"

"Well, you see, he's been retired for some time," All Might explained, shaking a little again, "I, ah… forgot about him. Oh. Oh no…"

And to Izuku's utter dismay, All Might started muttering.

"Did he draft you because he didn't think my guidance was enough? But for him to make this scouting pick using his old name from way back when? And then to call and tell me to be sure you picked him instead of anyone else?"

He straightened, before thumbing back at the folder Izuku was still holding.

"A-anywho, training you is fundamentally my duty, but… well, he went to all this trouble, so… I guess I can let him take a cr-cr-crack at it…"

"A-All Might?" Izuku asked, now a little scared himself, "Are you sure I should, when he scares you like this? How did he even find out about you? Did he overhear a conversation or something?"

"No… actually, he didn't learn about it from me," All Might admitted, "He's from the older generation. He was the sworn friend of my master, and your Quirk's predecessor: Nana Shimura. I suppose he might be… a little nostalgic to see her in you, so you'll probably be okay."

Probably?!

"On a more positive note: your costume's been repaired and updated!" he said, clearly wanting to change the subject, "I took your notes you had for it over when I had a chance, and they seem to have everything you asked for. Still very simple, but not just a jumpsuit with a parachute."

"You know, I'm kind of worried about my pick," Jiro sighed, stretching out and looking over her page, "I know Uwabami's kind of a big name, and her snakes kind of match up with my jacks, but… I don't know, I feel like she's gonna make me do something stupid."

"As a Pro Hero, she must have an intense foundation of skill and wisdom," Momo offered comfortingly, "I'm sure she'll help you grow in ways you've never expected."

"Hm… I suppose," Jiro sighed, rubbing her eyes with her fingers, "Where'd you end up going to?"

"I settled on Air Jet," she explained, offering her page, "Majestic was a close second, with Uwabami at third."

"Why'd you pick air-cannon dude? You can't make air blasts, can you?"

Momo shook her head.

"I can make air just fine, but it just bursts out with no real pressure. I might be able to generate fog or smoke, but it wouldn't disperse very much. I'm better with solids."

"Hm."

"But to answer your first question, he's one of the few Heroes known almost exclusively for his equipment," she continued, "I think he would be an excellent Pro to learn about proper application of support items and when to create them."

"Sounds like a plan. Anyone else have an interesting pick?" Jiro yawned, leaning against her desk to watch Momo sleepily.

"Tokoyami was drafted by Hawks, I believe," she considered, going over who had who, "I believe Bakugo was requested by Best Jeanist, which makes another of the top 10. Asui- Tsuyu said Gang Orca was at least an option… Mineta was going on about how Mt. Lady chose him, which I can only imagine will end poorly for both sides... Oh! I heard something about Shiozaki getting Kamui Woods!"

"Good for her," Jiro sighed, frowning a little, "I- do you think we're gonna be okay with her?"

"Be… okay?"

"I mean, she's really cool, and I want to stick with her," Jiro clarified, her jacks moving in place of her arms to show she wanted to explain herself first, "She'd be a nice person to have as a friend, but I just wonder… I wonder if she's gonna be okay being around us. I know she said she didn't care what other people thought, and that she was gonna stick to her guns, but I kinda think we're gonna make her life harder by being in it."

"How do you suppose that?" Momo asked, trying to think it through, "I believe she'll be able to dissuade the more radical elements of Class 1-B that we're not hostile…"

"No, I mean…"

Jiro groaned and hummed in concentration for a second, clearly trying to work out how to word her thoughts.

"How many lesbians do you know who are polyamorous?" she asked, rather bluntly.

"Including Shiozaki?" she considered, "...three that I know of."

"And the other two? How many of them hang around a bunch of other girls they aren't interested in, or are actively telling themselves they won't get interested in?"

"I see your point…" Momo agreed.

"Right? Even if she thinks she's okay being alone forever, which I'm still not down for, by the way, if she keeps hanging with us then there's gonna be every chance she'll start pinning, and then start beating herself up trying not to. Plus if we… well, if we decide to go past Besties, then it'll be even harder for her, being close to us."

The conundrum was indeed puzzling, and rather distressing.

"I suppose we should talk to her after the internships," Momo agreed, "I wish to be her friend as well, especially after she shared part of her life with us like she did, but I don't want her to force herself through pain for our sake."

"Maybe Air Jet can give you some advice," Jiro teased, "Or better yet: Kamui Woods will tell Shiozaki all about his secret love affair with Mt. Lady when she comes crying into the office after Mineta tries something and/or she accidentally steps on him."

"Jiro, I worry about you sometimes."