Sorry, this is late. I had it mostly written and was just struggling with the battle between Class A and B. I will try to update this sooner next time. Though do feel free to nag me on the discord:

discord .gg/zGAvS4eHXm (just take out the spaces)

I post unfinished chapters/stories on there as well as stuff I haven't posted to ff.

"So, Endeavor. Do you have a favorite food?"

Endeavor blinked as Hawks said this calmly while his feathers went after a man attempting to streak in front of his office building.

"It might be a little heavy though. How hungry are you?"

A dog ran out in front of a truck and his feathers again saved the day, scooping up the dog and returning it to its owner.

"What about you, Hotaru?"

I shot him a glare, scowling from under the hood of my coat, having been doing my best to keep somewhat less noticeable while walking with the two heroes. Hawks didn't mind though, continuing as if he hadn't asked in the first place.

"I could really go for some yakitori too, though! Yoritomi's chicken liver is addicting."

"Yo, Hawks!" Someone called out as more people began to notice him. "Pretty rare to see you walkin' around these parts!"

Hawk idly waved, helping an older woman lift her luggage to the tops of some stairs. More fans wandered over, surrounding Hawks and asking for autographs and photos, but I slipped away to stay over by Endeavor. As much as the two of us didn't get along, we both had a similar dislike for the man who dragged us out this afternoon.

"Why are you here?" Endeavor finally grumbled, though I just folded my arms over my chest and watched Hawks handle his fans.

"He kept texting me, then suddenly showed up outside my dorm window with a letter from the principal saying I had to join him for something." I looked at Endeavor. "He hasn't told me shit."

Endeavor's eyes narrowed—possibly due to my foul language—before he looked back at Hawks.

"Hey, that bag is really styling! Can I really write on it?"

I sighed though. "He's really annoying, but he's good publicly, isn't he?"

Endeavor grunted, spotting a few boys chattering about him.

"Man, he's scary. He's got this presence, like… He always looks so fierce."

"Go get his autograph, dude!"

"No way!"

"You said you liked him though."

Endeavor took a step forward, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him and making him glare at me.

"Don't."

"Excuse me?"

I rolled my eyes. "People know you. It's the problem with being a big public hero. You trying to change, trying to be more open and act like All Might or whatever will turn people off."

He jerked his arm from me. "I'm not trying to be like All Might."

"Just be yourself, old man," I huffed, nodding to the kid. "You've got fans because you're standoffish and don't care. Hawks has fans because he's outgoing and an idiot. Trying too hard is a waste of time."

He went quiet, eyeing me before I looked back at him.

"Why did you request me to intern with you?" It was a question that had been nagging me for a while now. "I was pretty sure you were pissed because I showed you up at the sport's festival."

"You've got a mouth, that's for sure," he commented, huffing and folding his own arms over his chest. "But there's potential. I'm not so stupid as to ignore that over some argument."

I shot him a look. "You melted an entire vending machine of ice cream."

His hand tightened on his arm and he turned his head away stubbornly with a huff. He's so like Bakugou. Stubborn idiots. It's no wonder he and Todoroki don't get along. Hawks waved off his fans and returned to where we were, draping an arm over my shoulders before I could duck away.

"Were you impressed, Hotaru? It's always like this when I walk around."

I lifted his hand off my shoulder and scowled. "You know, I had plans today. So, if you could just get to the point of why you dragged me out here, that'd be great."

"Nah. Let's get some lunch first. I know just the place."

I sighed heavily as his wing stretched out behind me, nudging me along and we were soon seated in a traditional-styled restaurant fifteen floors up. Not one to turn away free food, I worked through the meal as Endeavor ate what he wanted then waited for Hawks to stop talking.

"She's right, you know," Hawks rambled, having been told what I'd stopped Endeavor from doing earlier. "That's your character, after all. Ah, if you're not gonna eat that, could I have it?"

"You're a greedy one, aren't you?" Endeavor commented as Hawks took his skewers of meat and smiled.

"Once I set my mind on wanting something, I just can't hold myself back. It's just my nature. It happened after the sports festival too! I sent an offer to your son, actually. I mean, who wouldn't want the status that'd come with having the number two hero's son under your wing? But, well… In the end I'm happy Tokoyami was the one who ended up coming. After all, Shoto went and failed the provisional license exam. He would've damaged my brand!"

Endeavor turned up the heat a bit, making me slide my ice cream away from him with a frown. "You sure know a lot, even though you're not a U.A. grad."

"I've always been a good observer, you see. Why didn't you come with me, Hotaru? I'm sure we could've done some great stuff!"

I set my spoon down and frowned at him. "Your personality is shit. We don't get along well, and I knew that from the start." Not to mention the damage I'd do to your so-called "brand."

"Ouch, Hotaru. That hurts," Hawks said dramatically, a hand pressed to his chest, but a cheeky grin on his face. "And here, I thought we were similar."

I grunted, sipping my tea and eyeing him while he and Endeavor discussed the Nomu. I honestly don't understand him at all. He's smart. I know that, but he's… suspicious. I can't put my finger on it. I remember he's a spy, or a double spy, but his ideals are… muddy. I can't remember a detail like that from the manga, but even now—even looking at him as a person—he's just a hot mess, isn't he?

"Get the check! I'm going home!"

I blinked as Endeavor stood up, having only been half-listening as Hawks told him his proof about Nomu still being around was just rumors.

"Hold on a minute! Just listen to me, all right? The truth is, the Nomu sightings haven't just been here. I bet you didn't know that, right?" Hawks went on, making Endeavor pause. "Similar rumors have been popping up throughout the entire country. Although, not enough to get everyone's attention or write news stories about. However, you do hear about it in wives' gossip, or even grade school kids chatting on the way home."

And there's the hint of intelligence.

"What are you saying?"

"They're smart," I muttered, drawing Endeavor's gaze to me as I sipped my tea and Hawks smirked.

"This is why I brought you, Hotaru." His wings fluffed up a bit as he leaned forward on the table. "I've heard so many interesting things about you. You're cunning. Way better than most kids."

I rolled my eyes as Endeavor grumbled once more.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed. "I told the police this before, and those at U.A. Their goal isn't just taking down the heroes. It's undermining them publicly. They're trying to get the public to turn by spreading unrest through rumors. They're being subtle to avoid suspicion. You just proved how easy it is to go through with it unnoticed. No police officer or pro hero would look into baseless rumors."

"Except me, of course," Hawked beamed. "I flew around the country and tried doing some investigating of my own."

"And?"

"Although they weren't exactly the same, similar rumors were coming up, but in a completely different region. When all was said and done, they were all just as Hotaru said. Baseless rumors. It's an abstract theory to say the least, but after the U.A., Hosu, and Kamino incidents, everyone and their brother knows about these 'modified humans' and how they're creepy as all hell. If some dumbass blowhard is going around trying to spread anxiety to the populace, it's already propagating across the nation."

"Quit putting on airs already. What the hell are you trying to accomplish here? Why bring some kid into it? Tell me your endgame!" Endeavor snapped and Hawks threw out a thumbs up.

"I want you, the number one hero, to become the leader we can rely on! You can verify these rumors that have been enveloping society, and you can tell everyone to 'rest easy.' I want you to puff out your chest and declare it to the world!"

I snorted then, making them both turn to me as I pointed a skewer at Hawks, finally understanding what was going on. "You just don't want to do anything."

Hawks leaned his head on his hand, smiling at me. "In an ideal world, I would just leisurely patrol the streets, come home, sit back with a cold one and say, 'Ah, another peaceful day' and then hit the hay! Now, that would be the life. I want the world to be a place where heroes have more free time than they know what to do with."

Endeavor and I watched him for a second before a chill went down my spine. What… I'd caught something out of the corner of my eye and glanced out the window to see a speck of black very quickly heading our way.

"Endeavor," Hawks said calmly, seeing it as well as the door slid open, and a waitress knelt with the check.

"Get down!" I shouted, launching myself towards her the same instant Hawks did, just as the large Nomu burst through the glass.

"Which one of you is strongest?" It questioned as the waitress screamed in Hawks' arms and I felt my heart leap up into my throat.

I don't remember this. I-I have no idea what this is, why the Nomu is here. It's finally happened. I've reached the end of my foreknowledge a-a-and I don't know what to do. My breaths were a bit erratic and my mind fuzzy with ringing starting up in my ears. Then, Endeavor's voice broke through the fog.

"Hawks, evacuate the building! Hotaru, get out of here!"

"L-Let me help!" I argued, managing to get myself to focus on him and push my internal panic behind me to deal with later. "I-I can help evacuate! Contact the police!"

He didn't once take his eyes off the Nomu, but I could feel his flames getting hotter, flickering in agitation. Hawks spoke up though, saving us from arguing when there was a villain right in front of us.

"I'll make sure she's safe. What will you do, Endeavor?"

"Looks like it was more than just a rumor after all," said man grunted out, increasing his firepower even more. "What fortuitous timing on his part. Well, no matter. Either way I came here prepared for battle."

A high-speed fist threw the Nomu out of the restaurant and Endeavor used his flames to fly out after it.

"Come. I'll show you what it means to be No. 1."

"Endeavor, you can fly?" Hawks questioned as he herded out the closest civilians and I pulled a fire alarm to get others in the building out quickly.

"I can only prevent myself from falling. Keep your guard up! This guy is still moving!"

The Nomu was regenerating from what I could see, though the rate of it made me nervous.

"That's fast," I muttered, drawing Hawks' attention as I spoke up louder. "I-It's regeneration… It's faster than the one that was at U.A. and it talks. Endeavor, this Nomu is different! It's of a whole 'nother level! Even All Might had to go all out against the Nomu in U.A. and it wasn't dead! You can't underestimate this thing!"

"Don't tell me what to do," Endeavor snarled, shooting me a glare that made me flinch. "Now, go! I'll capture it alive and get information out of it!"

He charged at it again and I whipped around to Hawks.

"We have to get everyone out! It'll take down the building if given the chance!"

He nodded and we got to work only for the building to shake as Endeavor was plowed through the center of it. I grimaced in sympathy for him but continued to get people out until the building began to slide.

"Hotaru, get in the air!" Hawks ordered and I felt a hint of panic well in me as I clung to a woman who was hysterical with fear.

"But the people—"

"I'll take care of them! Get out of the building!" He demanded and I swallowed thickly at the expression I saw on his face before I nodded, releasing the woman and changing.

I flew out the nearest window, wings spreading wide and catching on the wind as I watched the people being pulled out of the building by Hawks' feathers. I flew after Hawks as a Steller's sea eagle, being careful to stick close to him as he flew by to distract the Nomu and alert Endeavor that the civilians were evacuated from the building. A quick look down below had me spotting other heroes as well.

"And heroes are evacuating nearby! You have room!" I replied as I flew over the Nomu's head and clawed at it before Endeavor's flames shot through its neck.

Multiple bands of fire cut into the Nomu and the emptied-out building behind it, slicing it into pieces, yet it kept regenerating. I clicked my beak in annoyance, keeping up with the two pros as they fought, slicing the building into small pieces and missing the Nomu as it dodged.

"Clearly, you've never actually cooked before, Endeavor!" Hawks teased, rolling on the roof of a building before scuttling backward with Endeavor, still chucking pieces at the Nomu with his feathers. "Your dicing technique needs some work! You're supposed to cut it into neat, uniform pieces!"

"Less talking, more moving!"

"I'm telling you, if I use too many feathers it lessens my ability to fly!"

"Oh, well excuse me!" Endeavor complained before shooting me a look. "And I told you to leave, Hotaru!"

"Hey, I'm staying out of the way and safe! I know more about this kind of Nomu than you do too! I'm trying to figure him out for you!"

"Brat, I can figure it out myself!"

I rolled away from a flying piece of debris, nearing him with a glare of my own. "Then, why are you trying to cut him up! You should be trying to blow him up! The only way All Might could beat the other one was overwhelming its regeneration rate! Use the sky to your advantage! If you can just get under it and aim up, you have a chance of killing it without people getting hurt!"

"We need to catch it!"

"And I'm saying you can't!" I argued. "God, this is why I have a problem with heroes! You're all so damn overconfident in yourselves! The longer you drag this out, the more damage to the city, the more people get in the way! If this thing has a brain, it's going to use it! Don't let it get that far!"

Endeavor groaned, seeing the Nomu releasing other, smaller Nomu to fight the other heroes trying to help but shouted. "Fine! But you better do your part! You've got my permission to engage! You better not waste it!"

I cracked a smirk, diving for the nearest Nomu. "You got it!"

"To be frank with you, power struggles aren't my forte," Hawks sighed, landing on a car and sending two more people away as the Nomu he'd attacked healed themselves. "My back just ain't broad enough to put the people at ease."

He blinked though as a large shape fell from the sky, sending the Nomu into the ground. A Kodiak bear lifted itself off it and slammed a large paw into a second Nomu, defeating it as well before turning to Hawks with a lip lifted in a snarl.

"Sounded like you were complaining," Hotaru grumbled as a few heroes ensured they were restrained.

"Ah, well. I talk about having a laid-back time and we get attacked by Nomu." He shrugged. "Luckily, they weren't strong."

Hotaru snorted. "The darker ones are the troublesome ones." Her brows furrowed though, nose lifting to the sky with a sniff. "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Hawks asked, giving orders to the heroes to expand the evacuation perimeter and locate the other seven Nomu that had been sent out.

The building behind him collapsed and he looked towards it as Hotaru growled and stepped up beside him.

"It's gone quiet. Endeavor's not fighting."

Hawks waited for a moment, a sense of anxiousness creeping in. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Come on, Endeavor. Another building collapsed and when more silence followed, Hawks was startled as Hotaru started running.

"H-Hey! Hold on! Where are you going?" He rushed after her as they ducked through the city streets with the ease of someone who knew them like the back of their hand. "Hotaru, you can't—"

"If that Nomu gets away, it'll go for the next strongest person!" She explained, skidding around a corner and ducking into another alleyway. "It will find the biggest grouping of people to find that person! If Endeavor is down, that Nomu is going to head for those evacuating!"

Hawks bit back a curse, realizing she was right and hurried with her, taking to the skies a bit higher in the hopes of seeing where the Nomu was and whether Endeavor was really down or not. He wouldn't give up so easily, but she's smart to be prepared for if he is down. Then, he caught sight of flames, feeling a sense of relief only to spot the Nomu making a beeline for the evacuation area. He flew as fast as he could, seeing Endeavor fighting to catch up to the Nomu. Endeavor used his flames to propel him forward and Hawks used his feathers to help as best he could as Hotaru flung herself from a roof and distracted the Nomu by biting into its leg—hanging for a moment before releasing. She changed into a condor then, flying up and pulling at Hawks' hood to haul him away as Endeavor was finally close enough to send a flaming punch to the beast's face.

"H-He needs more," Hotaru grunted out, Hawks glancing up at her to see blood slipping down her feathers.

It was a cut, thankfully. Nothing too bad, but frustrating for him. He never wanted her to get dragged into this. He only meant to talk about some things with the Nomu and the League. He'd heard about her contribution to the other big fights and thought it was interesting. That there was someone like him out there. Someone who didn't care about being the next big hero. Someone fighting to live. He'd seen that in her fights during the sports festival. She was smart, calculating, always keeping her eyes and ears open, and working through everything she could as quickly as she could. He understood her. He wanted to get to know her more, see more of her hidden talents and what she would become. Yet, someone changed the plan and now she might very well get dragged into this even further because of that… because of him.

"Hawks!"

He turned at Endeavor's call hesitating. What more could he do? He had limits. His feathers were already burning.

"My feathers are basically ash now!" He called back. "I won't be able to offer much help!"

"Take him up," Hotaru said, eyes on the sky. "It's the only way he can completely let loose. Get him up and away from everyone!"

Hawks cracked a smirk and nodded, watching as Endeavor flew up and a bright ball of flames engulfed him and the Nomu. At that moment, everyone's heart stopped, waiting for a sign that it was finally over. Then, he began to fall.

Hawks flew to the ground as best he could with his tiny wings and Hotaru's help. He landed and Hotaru flew alongside him as they rushed for where Endeavor landed, seeing him just barely standing with his fist thrown up in the sky—the Nomu a charred rock lying behind him. Just as he started to falter, Hawks reached him, catching him and slowly lowering him to the ground as Hotaru landed carefully on the ground beside them.

"I can't believe you actually used the same pose as All Might," Hawks teased, earning an eye roll from Hotaru as Endeavor grunted out a response.

"No… I used… the other arm… his was… the left."

"Whatever, same difference! Anyway, thank you… for winning!"

"…I give it 0 points. I got off to a pretty horrible start," Endeavor argued, making Hotaru snort as she checked her wings for damage.

"You give yourself points? I'd give you a negative 5 for ignoring my advice."

He shot her a small glare but knew she was right. He'd ended up doing exactly what she'd said in the end. Listening to her would've saved him a lot of trouble but trying to trust a student who lacked experience—in every sense of the term—wasn't something any pro hero would have done. Yet, she proved herself just a bit here. Still, she wasn't going to be his first pick for a student anytime soon.

"Well, first thing's first," Hawks cut in, eyeing Endeavor's bleeding face. "We have to do something about your injuries and stop the bleeding."

"I can't move an inch. Call someone and—"

"Oi," Hotaru muttered, drawing their attention to her ruffled feathers and where she was looking as someone approached.

Dabi from the League of Villains walked calmly forward, a grin on his face.

"Hold up for just a minute. A lot of things went beyond my expectations, but well, let's do things in order. It's nice to meet you, I guess… Endeavor."

"Dabi," Hotaru muttered, recognizing him and the zombie-esque man tipped his head before his smirk grew.

"Well, well. If it isn't our little animal friend. If I'd known you were around, I might have prepared something a little more exciting."

Blue flames encircled the three of them, forcing approaching heroes to move back as Endeavor sank further into the ground.

"You need to rest," Hawks argued with him. "I'll take care of him. I only have these puny feathers left, but at the very least, I can stall for time."

Hotaru changed again, standing before Hawks and Endeavor with a dangerous snarl. The fur on the back of the Timber Wolf was raised though her pure white fur had a stain of red across her back from earlier. Still, the sight was intimidating, and Hawks hesitated to stop the student from helping. Yet again, she knew what to expect better than he did. She'd dealt with Dabi before.

"Hey, give me a break, would you?" Dabi teased. "I just came to take back that Nomu. I mean, there's no way I could win against the top two heroes and some brat when they're both on death's doorstep!"

He rushed forward, fire on his arms, and Hotaru hesitated, teeth still bared but ears flicked back in unease. There wasn't much defense for fire when you were an animal, but she was willing to try and her muscles tensed as he got closer only for someone to slam into the ground between them.

"I saw the news and hopped right over! Looks like things are really heating up here, eh, Endeavor? Hawks? Dog?"

Hotaru's eye twitched but she went ignored as the rabbit-like woman grinned manically at Dabi.

"You're one of those League of Villains bastards, ain'tcha? I'll kick you to kingdom come!"

"Miruko?" Dabi grumbled. "Man, just when things were getting good. A little help, Ujiko?"

Dabi began to get covered in inky black slime that sent a shiver down Hotaru's back.

"He's running away," she informed them.

"That's right! Catch ya later, Mister No. 1 Hero! I'm sure we'll have another chance to talk, but until then break a leg out there! But don't go kickin' the bucket! Todoroki Enji!"

"How about you talk right now!" Miruko demanded, slamming a kick into the sludge but he was already gone, and his flame vanished as well. "He's gone. Dammit! Ugh, that stinks! Isn't this the same thing that happened in Kamino?"

Hawks though, finally relaxed. "Well, for the time being, I guess that's another one in the books, eh?"

"Speak for yourselves," Hotaru grumbled, muscles relaxed but ears still flicked back. "I'm going to be in so much shit when I get back to school." Her eyes snapped to Hawks. "And I'm blaming you."

Hawks laughed as heroes approached and began to get Endeavor treated and on his way out of there to the hospital, though he eyed Hotaru as she argued with some of them about her back injury. I never wanted you dragged into this, kid. I need to find out what the hell Dabi was thinking.

"Hey."

Hawks blinked, looking at Hotaru as she eyed him, and he tipped his head curious as to what she wanted to say.

"Stop thinking so hard. I can hear the cogs turning from here."

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as she rolled her eyes and settled beside him, much to his surprise.

"I don't know what you're thinking," she said then, eyes focused ahead of them as Endeavor was loaded into an ambulance. "If you're doing it for them, you're an idiot."

His eyes widened before narrowing. Does she… How?

"And if you're doing it for yourself, you're even more of an idiot." She glanced at him with eyes so knowledgeable that he felt uncomfortable. "It's a lot of work to do alone for someone so determined to live a lazy life."

"What do you know?" He asked, voice quiet and unheard by anyone nearby with the sounds of sirens and shouts from nearby heroes and civilians.

"More than I should," she replied, leaning over and flipping his hand with her nose so it rested on her head. "Must be hard, yeah? I keep finding people who try too hard to be happy when they're anything but, and you're the worst. You can just admit it. No judgment here considering I'm just as big a fuck-up as you."

He shifted his hand, petting down her fur before he sighed. "Yeah… it's tough."

I hadn't been wrong. The moment I'd returned to the dorms, I was surrounded by the others demanding more detail as to what happened and why I was with Endeavor and Hawks in the first place. Having dealt with the chief of police—again—I told them I couldn't explain much and gave them what I could.

I was with them because Hawks invited me out for lunch.

No, we didn't expect the Nomu.

Endeavor gave me permission to help as long as I stayed safe.

My only injury was the gash on my back that Recovery Girl healed the moment I returned to campus and faced Aizawa and the principal.

Said adults were less than pleased about me ending up once again in the spotlight, and I was the same. The last thing I wanted was the group of reporters who'd figured out who I was, waiting at the gates and demanding interviews. It was for that reason I was glad to be living on campus. I had no need to leave and run into them, and Aizawa was providing my more immediate needs for the next week. Now, if only I could get everyone else to leave me alone. I've got more important things to worry about…

I'd struggled this last week. The Nomu attack was something I hadn't remembered. I'd either forgotten it or simply didn't see it. Since we hadn't had the battle with class 1-B yet, I'd apparently forgotten it. It frustrated me, but more importantly, it made me anxious. I was waiting for the backlash. I'd gotten lucky with Endeavor and Hawks not knowing about my foreknowledge, so they didn't think of questioning me about what happened, but Aizawa did, and it put me on edge.

"You had no idea."

I shook my head, hands wrapped around a mug of hot tea that I had yet to touch as I waited with him in one of the quiet rooms he used for napping. "I-I only knew one future and it only went so far… I don't know anything else."

Despite my gaze being focused on the cup in my hands, I could feel his gaze boring through my head.

"Nothing?"

"Just that there's a battle between class 1-A and 1-B, but I don't know anything about it or what will happen after. I'm useless now."

He sighed heavily, standing up and grabbing my cup from me. I jolted in surprise as he grabbed my arm and pulled me up from the couch.

"W-What—"

"Get out."

I was rather startled, confused, and a little hurt as he pushed me out of the room and eyed me with tired eyes.

"Go find your friends," he grumbled. "Be a kid, brat. Not having that burden is something you should be grateful for. You're more useless to me when you're acting like this."

I opened my mouth to argue only for him to close the door in my face.

"Go. I've got another meeting I need to get to."

"In the nap room?" I questioned, getting him to peer out of a crack in the doorway.

"Go, or I'll give you laps."

The door shut again, and I begrudgingly walked away. But… aren't I useless? I don't know what's going to happen anymore. People could get hurt or worse and it's expected for me to… I-I only know how to use that. All my decisions are based on that information. Without it… what am I supposed to do? I winced as I bumped into someone, grimacing when I saw who it was.

"Oh, hi, Hotaru!" Midoriya chirped, fidgeting slightly and glancing at All Might beside him.

He's the last person I want to see me like this. He'll be the most disappointed if something were to happen. This is his life. I've been seeing his life and if he gets hurt… if someone else gets hurt and I could've stopped it—

"Hotaru?"

I snapped out of it, managing a small upturn of the lips. "Sorry. Where are you headed?"

"Um, class is about to start. Aren't you heading the wrong way?"

Shit. Already? "Ah, I wasn't paying attention…"

He frowned lightly and I looked away, not wanting to see his expression out of fear of what my own mind would come up with.

"You can join us then," All Might declared, giving me a thumbs up and a grin. "I'm going to watch today too. It seems like it'll be fun."

"Fun, you say…" Midoriya muttered as we returned the direction we came and Aizawa popped out of his room with Shinso on his heels.

His other meeting…

"Oh, it looks like you two are getting along well, as always," Aizawa commented, giving me a brief look before I glanced away.

"Aizawa! You've got it all wrong! He was being really pushy so—"

"Stop acting like you've just got caught having an affair. It's weird."

"That was a little harsh, don't you think…?"

I snorted at the odd dramatic relationship the two seemed to have as Midoriya greeted Shinso.

"Shinso-kun! You were with Aizawa-sensei back then too, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so," the purple-haired student replied secretly before Aizawa interrupted.

"Midoriya, hurry and get suited up. We have a busy day today. You too, Hotaru."

I nodded and walked with Midoriya to where the changing rooms were.

"Is everything all right?" He asked then, looking worried and I hesitated.

We were dating now, sort of. Our lunch dates had been pushed off due to my recent experience with Hawks, Endeavor, and the Nomu. Not because of Midoriya, but because I was basically hiding from the others to avoid their constant questioning. I didn't want the reminder of what I'd forgotten. Still, Midoriya and I were close now. Wasn't talking about these sorts of things supposed to be normal? But this is about him… about what I know…

"I… I'm just trying to figure something out," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "Sorry."

"N-No, it's okay," he waved off with a small smile. "You just looked a little worried, is all. If you want to talk about it—"

"I'll come right to you," I gave in with a hint of a smile of my own. He's asked me that far too much. I'll… indulge him. Maybe once I figure some of this out myself.

It wasn't long before everyone from our class had gathered, wearing their upgraded suits that had been fluffed up for the winter season or improved for their new skills. My own suit didn't need much changing. My fur-lined coat was warm enough for me and my improved metal mouthguard hung around my neck, ready for when I'd need it. Other than that, there wasn't anything more I could do to improve my Quirk through my outfit. Or in general, my mind supplied poorly, adding to my frustrations.

A hand roughly hit the back of my head and I turned with a scowl to find a far deeper scowl on the face staring back at me.

"What the hell—"

Bakugou growled. "Stop worrying about stupid shit, ya damn mutt."

I blinked back in surprise, but he was already storming towards Midoriya shouting about the flattery he was spewing about Bakugou's improved winter suit.

"Oi, oi. Quite the relaxed vibe coming from you guys," a familiar—annoying—voice chimed in then. "You wouldn't be underestimating us, now would you?"

Kirishima grinned, hands on his hips as he spotted Class 1-B. "Oh, they made it! We ain't underestimating you! We're looking forward to it!" He hollered back as I sighed softly.

He would be super friendly with them. I suppose it's better than how things usually go though.

"Fufu, is that right? But it's a shame. The wave of momentum is definitely moving to our side now. Now, Class A! Today is the day we settle things between us, don't you think!" Monoma shouted, making me drill my knuckle into my temple.

I didn't get enough sleep for this. He continued to fuss about some questionnaire thing before Aizawa finally strangled him with his scarf, much to my relief.

"We're going to have a special guest this time," Vlad announced as Aizawa released Monoma.

"Please don't do anything to embarrass yourselves."

The class grew even more excited, but I had already spotted the head of purple hair tucked behind Vlad as they announced Shinso was joining the class battle to determine his place in the hero department. People were excited as well as nervous, which was understandable. Shinso had a mind-control Quirk that could very easily turn the tides of a fight if people weren't prepared. Still, I'm glad Aizawa saw some potential in him, I mused, recognizing the scarf he wore and seeing the obvious differences now from when we first met. He stepped forward to greet everyone then and I folded my arms over my chest, curious what he was going to say.

"I know I've already encountered many of you at the sports festival, but you won't catch me thinking that we're all buddies now that we've exchanged blows. I'm not some good-natured person trying to tout a superficial sense of sportsmanship. The fact of the matter is, I've gotten a late start and I've already been left in the dust by hundreds of steps by you all. I'm sorry, but I'm desperate. I will become a great hero so that I can use my Quirk to help others. All of you here today are obstacles that I must overcome. I have no intention of making friends."

The class clapped and even I cracked a smile at that. It's refreshing. All the bluntness you'd get out of Bakugou, but without all the rowdy cursing. He's honest… We're so going to be friends. As if he'd heard my thoughts, Shinso glanced at me and I lifted a hand in a wave and small smile, earning a sigh from him as he rolled his eyes and looked away. Yeah, we're friends.

Vlad picked up a microphone then, making me wince as he shouted about what we were going to do today. It was going to be team mock battles where once a team captures the other four people on the team, it's their win. Thing is, they were separating the team into groups of four, leaving at least two people the odd ones out. I suspected Shinso being counted as an extra member given him being behind the rest of us. I didn't expect the other to be me.

"Hold on, me?" I questioned, earning a tired sigh from Aizawa. "You have an even number of people, can't you just put me in the team opposite Shinso?"

"There's still a difference in the level of strength," Aizawa explained. "Doing a 5v5 match with five students who are experienced versus four experienced students and one who is lacking is unfair."

"So, what? You're going to pair me with him?" I grumbled. "That's unfair too. Then, it's an extra player on a team, giving them more strength than the other."

His scarf snapped out and I barely dodged it, grabbing it with a breath of relief that he'd missed. "If you would let me finish," he growled, jerking the scarf from me with a scowl. "Both of you will be placed on a team; one with Class A, one with Class B. However, you will be an optional team member, Hotaru."

"You're joking," I grumbled, earning a half-hearted shrug.

"It will be up to the team if they want you in or not. If they do, you will replace one student in the fight. The switch can be made only once, and the person switching out has to be willing to switch. No switching out a captured student or a student incapable of fighting. Verbal consent is required. Everyone understand?"

Nods went around the two classes and I wrinkled my nose with a scowl. I wasn't thrilled with this setup, considering I could literally never be allowed to fight if the team I was on didn't need me. Still, I...I'm frustrated that I still don't know what's supposed to happen here. I've got this nagging feeling it's something important. I glanced around as the teams were chosen. Aizawa and Vlad are here though, and All Might is supposed to show up too, not that he'd help much in a crisis in his condition. Can't be anything too dangerous then… right? I stepped up to pick my teams and sighed. I was in Class-B's team 2 and Class-A's team 5.

I glanced over at Midoriya who grinned at my being on his team and managed a small smile as we got set up in a spectator area and the first two teams were sent out. It was definitely an interesting fight for more than one reason. For one thing, it's the first time we get to see how Shinso has improved.

"You look eager, Hotaru."

"Hm?" I glanced over at Todoroki, a little surprised that he'd started a conversation. Though he has opened up quite a bit. "Ah, well, I knew Shinso had potential since the sports festival. I'm glad he got someone else to notice."

"That's right. You were on his team for the cavalry battle."

I nodded. "Yeah, but he's different now, did you notice?"

Todoroki glanced up at the screen, eyes narrowed. "You mean that device around his neck?"

"There's that, but he's fit too. He's not just been working his Quirk."

There was a commotion on the screen and I watched as a large beast-like student burst into the area where our class's team was.

"We'd already taken into account that we'd be located by Sir Kouda's searching ability. Of course, we also knew that you'd be the most wary of Lady Shiozaki! So, we used her as a decoy, allowing me to crawl up close! There's a strong possibility that, if we left him to his devices, Sir Kaminari could run away with the match. Therefore, we brazenly invaded your territory first! I've got quite the sensitive nose, you see!"

"Oversharing, isn't he?" I drawled, incidentally drawing attention to myself as Uraraka and Midoriya perked up.

"What do you mean?"

I nodded towards the screen. "He just rattled out their plan, which is honestly just a waste of time, but he gave something about himself away too." I touched my nose. "He just gave away that he uses his nose to locate people. Anyone can use that to their advantage. You can either wreck his nose with a powerful scent or you can use that information to trick his nose into sensing something wrong. Putting all your eggs in one basket is stupid. You should be able to use all your senses, not just use one and confidently boast about it. All it takes is a good pepper spray to the face and you're out for the count otherwise."

"I didn't think about that," Midoriya mused before suddenly, everything went quiet.

All eyes went back to the screen where the beastly student had frozen.

"Artificial vocal cords: 'Persona Code'."

I smirked. "There we go. Let's see what you've got, Shinso."

It was a voice changer that he had now, allowing him to use his mind control while using someone else's voice. It was definitely tricky to deal with and would force a breakdown in communication, though watching the beast student proved interesting as well.

"Oh, he does have a brain in there," I noted as he changed from a beast to human and back again.

"H-Hotaru," Midoriya whined with a wince, glancing at the few nearby Class-B students.

"I'm just saying it's impressive that he utilized the on-off function of his Quirk to his advantage. You've seen me do something similar in that fight with Mirio, Midoriya."

"Oh! You mean changing from a small animal to a big one!"

"He just did the opposite," I nodded. "And look. He's taking out the people he knows will cause the most trouble. Kirishima just went flying."

Sure enough, Kirishima had been thrown away from the beast and towards Shiozaki, while he kept Kouda's mouth shut.

"His size means he's not easily paralyzed like Kirishima wants, too," I noted. "You all have grown overconfident in your abilities." I glanced over at Aizawa, who I knew was listening in. "Shouldn't you have taught them not to do that?"

He glared over at me briefly before looking back at the screen. Judging Shinso most likely. As time went on, things happened as I'd expected. Asui took advantage of the information that had been given using her slime to cover up their scents. With that and Shinso's Quirk limiting their communication, Class A was quick to win the first match. This meant it was my turn and I sighed before wandering over to join Class B's group scratching the back of my head. Kendo grinned, slamming my back hard and making me stumble slightly.

"Nice to have you, Hotaru! I hope we get along!" She chuckled. "You remind me of Aizawa-sensei!"

"Thanks?" I questioned.

"No problem!" She smiled with a thumbs up before we passed by our opposite team and she had a chat with Yaoyorozu.

She wasn't the only one with an interest either, as Tokoyami and Kuroiro had a brief talk as well. As we reached our designated starting points though, Kendo wrapped an arm around my neck and hauled me into their little group cheer.

"All right! let's take it to 'em!"

"Whoo," I drawled sarcastically, before getting released. "Just let me know when to switch out. I'll keep up with everyone until then."

"All right! Thanks, Hotaru!"

I waved her off before pausing, giving her a glance over my shoulder. "I have up to five changes, do you care if I change now just to keep an eye on everything?"

She shrugged. "I don't mind."

I glanced over at the nearest camera. "Aizawa? Any rules against that?"

His voice came over the intercom. "No spying on the other team or you'll be disqualified and no participation with your own team until you're called in. I will announce to the other team when you've been called in as well to prevent you being taken out before you're in."

"Gee, thanks," I sighed, shifting and taking off into the sky as a bald eagle.

I stayed low enough that I could be close to the team—without being mistaken as one of the team—and keep my eyes away from whatever the other team was doing. Neither team wasted too much time coming up with elaborate plans either, which I liked, though I knew Tokoyami made the same mistake Kaminari did in having too much confidence in his ability when Dark Shadow went charging in. What are you thinking, Tokoyami? Kuroiro obviously has a similar Quirk as yours. You should be prepared for that.

I landed on a post nearby and silently watched as the equally confident Kuroiro attempted to snatch Aoyama and haul him away. I had to say I was impressed though when Tokoyami somehow managed to learn how to fly.

"Oh?" I smirked as Kuroiro was forced from his shadows by Aoyama only for mushrooms to start popping up everywhere. "Here comes plan B."

The field was littered with mushrooms, covering the other team members in fungus. Before they could regroup too, Fukidashi sent out large onomatopoeias to keep them separated and grow the mushrooms even further, leaving Kendo to try and take out Yaoyorozu before she could come up with any more plans. I might not even be needed for this fight.

I sighed and settled into my spot, keeping an eye on my teammates and waiting solemnly. This would be so much easier if I just knew what was going to happen. I don't care about these matches much at all, but that nagging feeling hasn't gone away. Something big is going to happen but I don't know when or where. I don't even know if it'll be when I'm fighting. I glanced over at where the rest of our classes were watching, eyes spotting a head of dark green hair even from here. It's got to do with Midoriya if it's bothering me this much, right?

"Or a villain attack," I muttered under my breath, shaking it off with a frown and looking back down at my team, only to let out a screech and fall off my post before the wind caught my wings and I flew back up. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" Came the distant and weak call of Yaoyorozu as whatever she shot flew into Tokoyami's hands.

I landed on the wall of words separating the teams with ruffled feathers, huffing and straightening them out instinctually. What she'd given them though, had turned the tide as Tokoyami quickly caught two of my teammates, only to start coughing. A fungus, probably, I noted. Komori is rather dangerous, isn't she? A chill went down my back as I heard a commotion elsewhere too, spotting Fukidashi getting attacked as well only for Kendo to grab her while somehow wrapped around Yaoyorozu. I let out a whistle, swooping down a bit and circling overhead, reminding them that so long as they weren't unconscious I was still available. A fresh teammate waiting for the word. At that point though, the battle was already over, which was mildly frustrating.

I huffed, landing on a railing where the classes were gathered as the teams were brought to the infirmary and Kendo rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly as she approached.

"Sorry about that, Hotaru. I meant to have you switch out with Fukidashi and help me with Yaoyorozu but I just couldn't find the right timing."

I shrugged. "It's fine. You did pretty well anyway. If I wasn't needed, then you didn't need me. I understand."

She cracked a small smile of apology again, bowing before stepping away to join her classmates as Aizawa released me from my Quirk and I sighed. I might not have cared about who won or lost, but it would've been nice to feel even a little needed… Better get used to it though. Once people find out I don't know anything anymore, I… I won't be needed, will I? I turned my gaze to the ground, running a hand through my hair with a sigh; not noticing the set of worried eyes on me.