AN/ Hey! Well... this is happening when the students are all 18. Except Ochaco, who is still 17 for a day, her birthday is Dec 27th. They're just a few months shy of graduation. Some spoilers possible for readers who don't read the manga. But, if you're reading FF not the manga... that's wrong. Only villains do that.

Flip flopping names — When someone is talking to someone in a hero/villain capacity they get their code name. In the head, or outside that constraint, it's their normal name. FYI. I'm going to go ahead and drop kun/san/chan/sensei ect unless it's in an 'official' capacity. Like, Ochaco would never not use the honorific when talking to her teacher, but when talking to anyone else... who cares? ALSO. I use the wiki spelling for consistency.

Rain

You get the gray skies outta my way,
You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day.
Turn a mere spark into a flame,
My beats per minute never been the same. — Wake Me Up Before You Go by Wham!

The first day of winter break. The day after Christmas. It was a Saturday, so I felt like the day was already starting wrong. I raised my eyes from my pillow, and at the same time connected the sound that had woken me to a rainstorm. I let my head drop, closing my eyes again, trying to make myself go back to bed. I had time, I peeked at my bedside clock, almost ten more minutes.

I felt movement beside me, Shoto slipping his arm around my waist to snuggle. "Sorry, your dad will kill me if I don't just get up now."

"I'll kill him right back. Stay."

"You know you'll get caught. You need to go."

"Aizawa said he didn't care."

I sat up, "He did? He told me that if they caught you again, he'd make sure you were castrated." I smiled as he shot me a dirty look, "I care about your genitals."

He laughed, his mismatched eyes crinkling, "Maybe he said he doesn't care as long as I didn't get caught." He withdrew his arm and play scolded me, "Dad hates rain and rainstorms almost as much as he hates you. You'd better not be late."

"Bakugo does too." I groaned, knowing that working with him in the rain was just going to suck. I scooted, heaving my legs out of the bed. "The way my luck is running, he'll make sure we're paired up again to walk the alleys while Deku roams around with an umbrella to help little old ladies cross the street." I stood, sending him a playful glare, "Have I said how much I hate your dad?"

"Meh. Join the club." He grabbed my wrist, pulling gently, raising his face for a kiss which I bestowed before shaking him off. "I'd better go anyway. Hawks is taking me to Tartarus with him." He moved off the bed, "I'd trade places with you if I could."

"Just go, so I can get naked and wet."

He stood, the fire that lurks behind an eye the color of sea glass suddenly apparent as his hair lifted, tendrils of flame licking slowly down his arm before he could reclaim himself. "Ahhh. You turn me on so much. I gotta get that under control."

"I hope you don't." I gave him a warm smile, my meaning clear. "But you gotta go."

"Go. Right." He checked his pajama bottoms, tying them tight before opening my door, "See you for dinner?"

"Yeah. Endeavor said that from Christmas to the day after New Years we didn't have to work nights since we have Winter break and can work during the day."

"Thanks a bunch, huh?"

I laughed, "GO!" I pointed at the door, "Be thee gone. See you later." I blew him a kiss, and though he wouldn't show this side of himself to anyone else, he caught it, and pressed his fingers to his lips. He turned and opened the door, carefully checking that Ashido was no where to be seen before slipping out.

On Duty...

I stood, my entire costume soaking wet and sticking already, listening to Vesta give our instructions in a bored voice, "We're hot on the Stairway investigation, and Endeavor has asked Deku to go topside to the area around Toyosu Fish Market. Don't forget you are in an investigation. If you see anything suspicious call for back up."

Vesta rested her hand, blackened skin that ran in a smooth gradient from coal dark fingers to a sooty elbow, on a hip. She drummed her fingers irritably on her scaled costume as she ran her sun-flecked eyes over the three of us. Her fires will burn for an exceptionally long time, and her suit was set with a heat exchanger that she could activate with a simple tap of those fingers at her throat. Vesta does not like dealing with anyone not Endeavor. She was the only person I'd met that was immune to Midoriya eyes, which are like puppy eyes except vibrant green and full of hope.

She continued, "Zero, Uravity, surprise, surprise! We need you to patrol the alleys and warehouses near the market. There is actual evidence that Stairway deals are taking place down there. This isn't punishment," she gave us a sneer. Endeavor's thoughts are hers a moment after he makes them, and he let me know weeks ago he only took me on for his son's sake. I managed not to roll my eyes. "So keep your eyes open and your mics on."

Bakugo pressed the receiver into his ear, and I screwed mine in as well. Vesta waved at us, a dismissal, and we three walked down to reception.

"I should grab a coffee to go. Even taking St John's isn't helping me sleep like it was."

Midoriya rolled his eyes at Bakugo, "Maybe if you didn't stay up all night necking with your boyfriend. You could try that."

Bakugo laughed, his arrogant smirk firmly planted. He slammed open one of the outer doors, holding it for Midoriya and I. "I don't," I argued back. I opened the passenger door of the car that would deliver us near the Fish Market. "We mostly just sleep."

"You're not supposed to be doing anything with him in your room at night." Midoriya slid in next to me, leaving the front seat for Bakugo. He held up a hand to forestall an argument, "It's against the school rules, okay? I'm not going to tattle, but you should do the right thing."

"You're a good friend." I knew Midoriya wouldn't say anything, and he and I had been friends since I decided to stop crushing on him in first year. "Bakugo?"

"It wasn't me. I'm not even on his floor. Besides, I'm looking forward to Aizawa tying him to a pole, stealing his quirk, and beating him bloody."

"You're such a sweetheart." I watched the streets whiz by, "Thanks."

"Che." He spat, his head turned the same angle as mine, "Did you have time to study the pictures of Stairway doses?"

Midoriya nodded, "Yeah, red liquid in a syringe. The product always looks the same since last year when the bad guys discovered that cutting it had bad effects. That's why each dose comes prepackaged." His face hardened, "I'm glad we're part of getting it off the streets."

"Me too," I smiled at him, "I just wish I didn't have to stand in mud to my ankles. Or worse."

"If I have to do that again, I'm..." Bakugo threw up his hands with a quiet snarl.

"Not going to do anything?" Midoriya joked, making us all laugh.

The car pulled up, and we got out, the rain still sheeting down, soaking the previously dry boys. It was cold, and I shivered. "Let's go. At least the market is covered." I shot Midoriya a venomous look, "We could switch if you wanted?"

"Nope. I'm good." The green clad hero-in-training touched his ear, and I copied him, turning our mics on. "Deku check." He reminded us, "If you see anything, let me know. Zero, don't you dare blow anyone up."

"Fuckin' rain." Bakugo tapped his ear, "Ground Zero check. No worries, Deku."

"Uravity check." I sighed, "Okay. Let's go. Meet at noon for lunch?" Midoriya nodded and we separated. I heard the soft clicking as the three of us deactivated our mics. I pointed out an open alley, "Lets take it, see where it goes. Looks like it might be... dry-ish?"

Bakugo nodded, his hair dripping into his eyes. "There better not be anyone down here. I hate rain."

We stalked up and down the allies, joking quietly, complaining about squishes and smelly things. I checked my watch, sighing again because it was noon, and Midoriya had already been called to back Vesta a few blocks away. "Let's eat."

"Ugh." Bakugo shook his boot, scraping it rapidly against the broken concrete, "How can you eat?"

"It's traditional in my family." I rolled my eyes. I was cold, wet, and smelly too. "Let's..." I broke off, grabbing his gauntlet to stop him, I whispered, "What's that?"

A man with a small syringe case, the kind we'd been briefed on, stood with his back to us while a woman who was waving several purple toned yen notes furiously scream-whispered at him. He shook his head when she stopped and said something neither of us could catch. She slammed the money into the man, scattering the notes on the ground, taking two syringes with red liquid. Stairway, she was buying Stairway!

Bakugo tugged me deeper into the alley where we crouched behind a rotting dumpster. He tapped his mic, "Vesta? We have a sale."

"Capture. Both if you can, but the dealer for sure! We'll be there in ten. Less." Static as they clicked off.

We nodded at each other, our training taking over as we moved as a team. Zero Gravity is what our classmates called us when we joined forces, an unstoppable duo. Together, we could even beat Deku, full cowl, 80% power, his limit when we'd fought last.

Ground Zero stepped up, his loud voice echoing down the street, bouncing off the walls, reverbing, it was almost terrifying to me, and I knew I wasn't the one setting him off this time. "Halt! The sale and manufacture of Stairway is prohibited! If you move, you die." He lifted his hands, dry enough now so that smoke twined his fingers. I raised my hands too, five fingers ready to touch his neck and bring his fury up close and personal in under two seconds. As a duo, we were faster than most speedsters.

The woman shoved the dealer to the side, her face twisted into angry lines. We expected her to run, like the dealer was trying. Instead, she ripped the cap off one of the syringes, and injected herself. The dealer dropped his case, clearly he knew something we didn't because he was legitimately scared to death. I touched Bakugo, and he shot a quick burst at the same time, sending him forward at a blinding rate of speed.

I steepled my fingers letting him stop in time to take a long fist punch to the face from the woman. He rolled with it, chuffing out a derisive laugh, "You hit like a girl!" He rolled forward, an attempt to punch her back, I assumed. But he stopped in time to see her rip her coat off, showing yellow and black mottled arms.

She laughed too, "With this much adrenaline," she ducked, throwing her shoulder toward Zero, "the drug will hit me like a freight train!" Her smile was manic, she licked her lips.

I dashed forward toward the dealer, relieving my weight long enough to jump impossibly far, "Drop it!" I had forgotten that the dealer had already dropped his case, but he dropped like a stone to his stomach.

"Take me, get me out of here! Now, now! You don't know what she'll do!" He had tears in his eyes as he trembled.

The woman moved, a long, loud moan echoing though the alley, "Ha!" She screamed, and lifted her arms, swinging them overhead in a hard motion, "Let's see how you feel about me now!"

At the same time Zero moved, his hands cupping in a gesture I'd become familiar with, his mouth now in a hard line. "Stun grenade!"

I threw myself down on the shaking drug dealer. I slapped hands to my ears just as an overwhelming flash and bang flooded the alley. The dealer was weeping, now, "She got me. It's on my skinnnn..."

AN/ If you're into it, please leave me a note! They really make my day! Let me kick off this story with a heartfelt thanks to my beta, mr Mosevic. He's writing, too, and I'm plugging it.