The next day, on a bright and cheerful Friday morning, Izuku thoroughly thinks things through.

They failed.

Well, that's alright. The world's still spinning, isn't it? Sun shining, grass growing, people living their lives as usual. Nothing's really changed.

It's not like they've stepped backwards. They just haven't gone anywhere, and the door to UA's entirety - and any other hero course - has closed ahead of them.

So they need to take a step in a different direction. Surely there has to be some other way to be a hero than high school.

The Principal's message isn't straightforward in the slightest. They've re-watched it twice to make certain that their emotions hadn't clouded their rationality at the time - they had been, but Izuku came out of it with the same utter confusion regardless. Whatever he's calling them in for, only two things are clear:

First, he isn't offering a place at UA. He was clear enough that they hadn't been accepted, at least.

Second, he called Izuku a 'future hero'.

He might be wrong. Izuku knows nothing about him beyond his appearance and that he's Principal of UA - big (and very stylish) shoes - but that doesn't say much about his actual personality, and the message certainly doesn't help in that regard. So they can't know if he thinks they have another school listed, is taking a shot in the dark, or if he actually has something planned and ready to go.

They have to assume the former. They've already tried optimism, and look where it got them.

So, there's no chance that they can become a hero through school. No chance whatsoever. They have to keep telling themselves that or they'll end up neglecting their future again.

Right now, they need to research which step to take.


There are heroes who started out as vigilantes, or even villains.

Sure, most of them - all the villains - are from early on in the history of quirks. They started out back before hero training was a legal requirement, back when quirk laws hadn't been fully established and the vigilantes were the ones known as heroes, and as a result they were given an opportunity to become official heroes when those laws rolled over.

Some declined or were declined for various reasons, and were hunted by those they'd once walked alongside. Some formed alliances with official heroes, each helping the other cover their legality-induced blind-spots; cooperating like that was never actually outlawed, but the practice slowly faded to obscurity as heroes gained more legal power, and vigilantes became viewed more as criminals and less as unlicensed heroes by the public.

But what interests Izuku is that the law was never removed. In the right circumstances, vigilantes can still apply for hero licenses.

And it looks like some have.

It's never outright stated in news articles, but occasionally a vigilante will just vanish from the media without a trace and a new hero will pop up in their stead, with a very similar quirk and combat style, and no records of a hero education. They usually take the thirties and lower in ranking due to their lack of formal training and difficulty getting sponsors, but Argantuan - formerly Silver Spire - is currently ranked 17th, so it's certainly feasible to climb the ranks as a former vigilante.

It's calming, realising that there's still a way forward. Even if what the Principal has in store for Izuku is just platitudes and apologies, they can still become a hero.

Eventually. It'd take a lot more doing than the direct path, but what's important is that it can be done.

Izuku goes through specific case studies after that revelation, both former vigilantes and ones who applied for a license and were rejected - the latter of which are publicised much more openly, probably due to a loophole in some privacy law. The laws themselves don't specify any vigilante behaviour that prevents them from receiving a license, but there are certain correlations to be made here:

Vigilantes that kill or commit other serious crimes against civilians are rejected.

Vigilantes that leave their victims relatively unharmed for the police, especially with evidence of the victim's crimes, have a much higher acceptance rate than those who maim or murder.

Vigilantes must pass some manner of mental wellness test. Regardless of their previous actions, those who fail the test are rejected for safety reasons.

Finally, former vigilantes with high rankings were usually relatively well-known before they became heroes. Silver Spire had exceptionally good publicity - his day-job at the time was a hero marketer, so he had the experience to make himself stand out in the best way possible.

That's all good. Izuku wasn't planning on leaving anyone broken and bleeding in the first place, and they certainly hope they can pass an are-you-crazy test. That just leaves the rankings, but...

Honestly? They don't really care. Hero work - doing good for the world and the people in it - is all that they've ever aspired for. They don't need rankings to do that much.

Besides, what society doesn't love someone so dedicated to good? Former vigilante or not, Izuku has no doubt that they'll scale the rankings like they were born for it.

After a long day of research, Izuku finally finds it in themselves to allow for some optimism.


It's Monday.

Izuku took the weekend as a break, surfing the web, watching old hero movies while snuggled up on the couch with their mother, chatting away about everything from the changes to hero costumes over the years (spandex is totally practical! It's easy to move in, iconic, and it's an expression of confidence!), to their newest hobbies (Izuku really should help their mom get a proper gaming PC someday).

The exam results don't come up at all, and Izuku realises that they'll have to tell her at some point. She's been just as worried as Izuku since the exam, and their silence after the letter arrived brought her nearly to tears. She deserves much more than this.

They've decided to wait until a weekday to speak with the Principal. Regardless of their new vigilante-related discovery, an outright rejection from their dream school isn't something they can just shake off without a serious blow to their motivation. Besides, what Principal would want to waste his Sunday talking with a teenager about their rapidly disintegrating future plans and distinct lack of a backup? Better to wait until the weekend is over.

But now it's Monday, and they think they're just about ready to leave bed at a decent time and take on the day.

Then the alarm clock goes off.

Just one more hour. The Principal can wait, right? He did say convenience.

Groaning, Izuku mashes the snooze button six more times, ten minutes for each press.

In the end, the extra hour doesn't really help. Now they're just sleepy and late, and that's a combination that nobody wants.

Thankfully, their quirk gives them a few advantages. Two spare sets of clean clothes are summoned from storage (both shirts are feminine fit but they'll have to do - at least neither of them are t-shirts that say 't-shirt'). Both faces are slapped with water, both sets of near-identical boots pulled on and laced up, Izumi's hair is brushed through within a minute and Izuku's fluff vanishes and then re-appears detached from his face.

It's just lucky they showered last night.

"I'm heading out!" he calls out when he's just about ready. "Be back in a few hours!"

"I'll have dinner ready for you when you get back," she yells back, and he smiles to himself, already hearing the chopping of vegetables. It's been a while since they had katsudon. "No getting caught up in villain attacks, alright? Stay out of the alleyways!"

She really deserves more. Maybe they could make Saturday a family bonding day from now on.

That's a good idea.

"I'll try!"

He shifts to Izumi the moment the door is closed.

Then the next door over slams open with the fury of a thousand suns and out stomps Kacchan, his face a contorted mask of something so far beyond rage that Izumi is gripped by fear just looking in his general direction.

"That BASTARD!" he screams to the heavens. Izumi winces. He's read the rankings, then. "I'LL FUCKING-"

Then he sees her standing on Izuku's doorstep, and for just a moment his eyes bug out and his mouth works without the cooperation of his vocal chords.

Finally, his expression dies down to something which most would call 'incensed', but for Kacchan is closer to 'upset and disbelieving'. He at least doesn't look like he'll want to turn her skin to charcoal, which is... good?

"Bag-girl?" he asks like he can't trust his eyes, and she cringes a little. So much for letting him forget.

"Um, hi! Aren't you-"

"Where the fuck have you been?" She blinks at his hushed demand, and he takes the opportunity to step into her personal bubble and grab her wrist just hard enough to be uncomfortable. "You weren't in the exam! I wasted three damn hours searching the rankings for your name! And then you show up out of nowhere the next fucking day?"

"...Wait, you never even asked my name," Izumi points out in a fit of logic.

He growls, but more in distracted annoyance now that his anger has petered out. "I know your face, genius. They show school photos with the rankings, I was looking at those."

The alarm bells in her head slow to a dull thumping, and she sighs. Kacchan might not deserve a full conversation, per se, but she'd feel bad if she just up and left right now, after he's searched-

Hang on, was he looking for her before the exam started? Did she really leave that much of an impression?

"Alright, I've got somewhere to go right now, but let's sit down and talk for a bit later," she says on a split-second decision. "It's a long story."

There's a short pause, and he reluctantly nods, face set in a scowl. "Vanish again and I'll wreck your shit," he assures.

She doesn't doubt it.


She's walking to their doom. Each step puts her closer to the reality of failure.

She can turn back now. Leave it for another day. Maybe if they're patient enough, it'll sort itself out.

She can turn back now.

And deal with Kacchan.

...

Why is she scared about a meeting, again? With a wry chuckle, Izumi shifts to her male form and carries on walking towards the UA gates.

The Hero on guard duty (cowboy theme, revolver, a letter S engraved on the hat - Sniper? Sharpshoot? He's only vaguely familiar) steps forward. Izuku's a little unnerved.

"Midoriya Izuku," he says. "My name is Snipe. You... have the password?"

"Loss."

They both heave in a breath and sigh it out in unison, Snipe putting a gloved hand to his mask. "Swear to whatever God there is..." he mutters, shaking his head to rid it of that memory. "The Principal's been waitin' for ya all weekend. Go crash his party for me, would'ya?"

Izuku nods, some of his nerves dissipating.

Maybe that's the idea behind such a dumb passcode.


"Ah, greetings, Midoriya-kun!" is Izuku's first impression when he steps into the office. "Is it a bear? A cat? A dog? It's just me, your Principal!"

Oh, so he does that every time. Is he everyone's Principal?

"Not everyone's, just those who are willing to learn," the Principal replies, and Izuku realises with a blush and an apology that he was muttering again. "Oh, it's no trouble at all. Everyone has their own eccentricities! Tea?"

Izuku nods wordlessly, and is poured a cup with a few sugars and milk.

He is thoroughly off-balance.

The Principal's beady eyes (was that scar always there?) are pulled into a neutral expression, but there's something behind them that turns it... not intimidating, exactly, but steely. Un-ignorable. "Midoriya-kun, I hope you realise just how special you are," he says. "Your practical exam results are beyond what could possibly be expected of almost anyone in our school - let alone someone applying for a first-year position - and something tells me your written results would have been similar if not for your quirk's backlash. And your quirk is something that nobody can put an explanation to, as far as I am aware."

Izuku nods in agreement, not sure if he's supposed to, and is rewarded with an assessing stare.

"Quite simply, you have become a legend. People have seen your achievements, and people want you to join UA. I want you to join UA. But just accepting you outright would draw shade to the integrity of our system. There would be those who doubt our students, those who doubt you in particular, Midoriya-kun, if we just let you join the hero course.

We have unfortunately strict guidelines for when retakes can be granted. If your quirk's mental drawbacks had been legally recognised before the exam, you would have been perfectly eligible. If you had requested a hospital visit after the practical, same story. But it is my understanding that you yourself weren't fully aware of the backlash until it came time to take the written test?"

Izuku nods, inwardly cursing at the two escape clauses they completely missed. "I've never had a reason to go all-out before then, I guess," he mumbles, and the Principal nods.

"Perfectly reasonable, heroes discover new limitations and abilities every day. It doesn't help our situation, but I don't blame you an iota."

He takes a long sip of his tea, and Izuku follows suit, mostly to avoid just sitting there in silence.

It's... pretty bad actually. Weird, Izuku could've sworn they tried tea at one point and found it nice. Was that Izumi, then? They do have different tastebuds, so it'd make sense for them to have different tastes. Or has this tea just been brewed differently?

With a frown, he adds another sugar and stirs. The next sip is better.

Not great, but still better.

The Principal looks on with quiet amusement.

"There is one option that hasn't been closed to us," he says. Izuku almost chokes on his drink, and he decides it'd be better to just place it down for now. Could this be- "I didn't want to say it in the projection since it took quite some doing, but my standing in the school is unparalleled. I made it work!"

He slides over some papers, and Izuku reads the title: 'Recommendations student application: Midoriya Izuku'.

"The rec-" his voice breaks and his eyes water, and he hastily dries them on his sleeve so he can see. "The recommendations exams are over," he points out needlessly.

"And that's why those involved have agreed to allow you to be given other tests instead," the Principal agrees mildly. "Should you accept, you will be granted a temporary spot on the hero course until the Sports Festival. There, you will be treated as any other student attempting to join the course, and your permanent place will be decided accordingly. You will also be given a written test, which you will also need to pass - if you place too low in the Sports Festival but pass the written test, you will still have a place waiting for you in the general course. And finally, you will be required to take an interview."

He stirs his tea, then taps off the droplets with three small tinks. "No time like the present for that, wouldn't you say?"

Between Kacchan and this meeting, Izuku starts thinking that maybe they should have hit snooze a few dozen more times.

He signs the paper, of course.


The Principal pulls a recorder from nowhere and hits play, beginning the exam. "This is an audio recording of the interview portion of the Recommendations Students Application Assessment. Student name: Midoriya Izuku. Overseen by: Nedzu. This recording is to be reviewed only with the explicit permission of the current or acting Principal of UA. Midoriya-kun, should you wish to pause the recording at any time, please raise your hand and I shall oblige."

Izuku tries it, and the Principal - Nedzu, apparently - pauses immediately, making a note in a small book that Izuku swears wasn't there a second ago. "Testing your tools before using them, very smart," he compliments.

"Um- Is everything I do graded?"

Nedzu lets out a tinkling laugh. "Only the important things!" he chirps, writing another note. "A person's impulses can say a great deal more about them than they think.

Recommendations students are under far more scrutiny than others; because they are brought in by an outside source, it is important to know that they will not pose a risk to security. That is, in part, what the interview is all about: ensuring that the student is not hiding things that would be better disclosed, both for our benefit and theirs."

He takes another sip from the mostly drained cup. "Are you ready to continue the exam, Midoriya-kun?"

Izuku half-heartedly weighs his chances. "Will my teachers be able to hear this?"

"Not if you are uncomfortable with it."

"Okay, let's carry on."

There's the small click of the play button. "Recording paused for one-minute-forty-three-seconds. Now Midoriya-kun, please explain to me what you believe your quirk to be."

Well, here goes nothing.

"My quirk's name is Deja Vu, but a more accurate name would be Body-Swap."

He takes a deep breath.

She releases it shakily. This is their first time ever changing forms with someone's knowledge, let alone with someone watching. It almost feels like undressing in public...

"It allows me to change between a maleandfemale format will," she finishes in a rush, tripping over her words slightly.

It takes her a moment to notice that she doesn't receive an answer. What's that squeaking-

The Principal drums himself on the chest with a paw, nose and chin dripping wet and coughing as violently as a... creature of indeterminate species can. "Am I a dog or a mo-use?" he croaks weakly, wiping his face on a miniature towel. "Doesn't matter, I'm okay!"

"You don't look it."

"I don't feel it either, but rest assured that I am." He flings the cloth behind him and turns back to Izumi, occasionally shuddering with another repressed cough. "So, the practical? That lamp-post you made vanish?"

Izumi shifts to Izuku, taking their backpack from storage. "I can store items when I change, as long as they're light enough to carry." He shifts back, storing it again, then she unstores notebook No. 5 without shifting.

"And that's why you teamed with- of course. I suppose you were using bursts of air to control your flight?" She points a finger, releasing enough air to make a small pop at the end, and he suddenly positively radiates glee. "You learned all this yourself?! The kind of mindset that would require... What else can you demonstrate to me?"

She stills, thoughtful, at the idea that pops into her head. Yeah, that would be pretty great, she thinks, drinking the rest of her tea.

It's nicer now that she's Izumi. It's just too bad it's already gone cold.

He pushes himself up from his sitting position-

The feeling dissipates and she sways in her seat. They can do this!

He pushes himself up from his sitting position and sidles around the desk, taking care not to bump anything and ruin the illusion. The back of Nedzu's head comes into view, and he abruptly wonders if this could be used for reconnaissance, or if it's just a mental reconstruction-

They shift.


"How'd it go?" Snipe asks as Izuku returns, a little light-headed.

He grins, un-storing an orange and splitting it into eight. "I made him choke on his drink."

"You-"

"Twice." He holds out an orange-filled hand. "Want a slice?"

"Holy shit, kid."