This was late. By a lot. And it's shorter than usual. Man, summer is just not my time. This is why, in August, there will be NO ONE PUNCH DEKU. I hope to come back in September when things cool off, and I do some changes to the plans. If the plans stayed the same, the story would still be good. But, I want more than good. So the break to let me catch up, not miss the deadlines I set for myself, and maybe improve on myself as a writer. Anyway, let's answer some guest reviews.

SadGuest59
I surrender! The English language wins! I will no longer attempt to see reason in it!

Valhalla10
Thank you. Families are difficult to write for me, so I'm glad I did well. And, to my surprise, there were rare few people who did in fact NOT appreciate the Nejire fanservice for various reasons. Shocking, I know.

Guest
Well... it's complicated. He IS an ass. Just not the worst one out there. And while he COULD be redeemed, if the Midoiryyas gave him another chance, but they won't, because I don't want them to.

hucahyo
I don't care much for Hisashi in canon, some people really want to see what he's like, I just don't care, but in the story, he will play out the role I need him for, and then he will be gone forever.

I OWN NOTHING! I'M BUT A HOBO THAT SNEAKS INTO THE LIBRARY AND WAISTS TIME WRITING THIS INSTEAD OF WATCHING PORN!

"Hey there!" -regular dialogue
"Who is this guy again?" -inner thoughts
"I AM HERE!" -All Might muscle form
"Time limit is nearing!" -All Might muscle form inner thoughts

This chapter was beta read by Marethyu. Thank you for your awesome work!

It was the next day that Izuku returned to school. Alone. Nejire was picked up by her dad in the afternoon, too late for the man to save him from the embarrassment of showing her and Tatsu his room. Nejire curiously looked over his collection of figurines, getting excited briefly over the Ryukyu one, since she had one just like that. Which quickly brought the mood down, remembering the call she received from the Lair.

The dragon heroine was still in the hospital, with Recovery Girl healing her every three hours or so, allowing her exhausted body to rest, and focusing on the most dangerous injuries. The nerves in her lower body were once again responsive but would require a special method of healing that will leave her unable to walk until she re-learns it. Nejire promised to schedule a visit as soon as it would be allowed.

The rest of the day after the older student left was spent with his sister, showing her around the neighborhood. It had been… awkward, but pleasant all the same. He even took her to the sandwich shop, and while she seemed to share Nejire's distaste with his choice of bacon, she didn't say anything against it.

She also entertained his questions about the American hero system, how the Top 10 heroes were monitored for quirk usage strictly outside their work, mainly to avoid another Mr. Incredible incident, where the hero saved someone jumping off a building, only to get the crap sued out of him. That seemed to be the main difference between Japan and the U.S. While in Japan their heroes were almost worshiped, in the States, some people were part of one extreme that actually did worship them, and others wanted heroes to be de-powered, incarcerated, or executed. There was a whole slew of laws protecting heroes so they could do their job without every 5th American sending a bullet their way and bullet protection was a requirement in almost every hero costume.

His notes on some American heroes also got a lot more detailed. His sister knew a great many deal of the up-and-coming heroes and heroines, and of course, had rubbed shoulders with the Top Heroes. All and all, by the end of the day they were both smiling, and it warmed Inko's heart when she saw them like that.

But today it was time. As per his deal with detective Tsukauchi, he would be questioned at U.A, in front of the principal, same with Tatsumaki, who would arrive later. Apparently one of the first 'bones' the HPSC threw her was allowing her to fly in Japanese airspace. Nejire was gonna have a field day rubbing that in his face.

His thoughts on his best friend gloating in his face were interrupted when he heard his name called out. Looking ahead he spotted the class prez herself waiting there for him, dressed in casual apparel. She looked surprisingly quaint in the simple summer dress, and her hair down from the usual ponytail. Though her facial expression seemed… off. Maybe a student council meeting went wrong?

"Prez." He greeted her, and tried to proceed onward, thinking this was just a polite greeting exchanged between two meeting acquaintances. He thought wrong. Before he could make more than three steps past the brunette, she squeaked.

"I saw you with that girl villain! The one that was stuck on Mineta's bal- orbs."

He slowly turned around, and something in his eye prompted Momo to speak quickly

"I saw you showing off the body. There was also someone from class 1.B there, and he told everyone that you killed someone. I should have told him to keep quiet, but I didn't. But, I also… I also told almost everyone in class that you were quirkless."

She bowed at the waist, unknowingly imitating Iida.

"I revealed your secrets. Because of my negligence, your reputation might be ruined. And I suspected you of becoming a villain. I profusely apologize, and will try my best to make amends!"

Izuku was not sure what to do, or say. To be honest, her revealing he was quirkless bothered him the least. It was something he had gotten over and freely talked about it to... Kota. Crap, the little guy must hate his guts. People knowing he killed someone was a different matter. Tatsu described potential scenarios to him, but he would need to talk to a proper law practitioner if things escalated. As for suspecting him, she could have known better, if he had taken the time in their bi-weekly discussions as class representatives, to maybe talk about himself. Instead, he was strictly business then, and just fulfilled whatever she told him to do, which wasn't much, probably because she was not sure if she could rely on him. Great, his anti-social behavior had come back to bite him in the ass.

He took a second more and decided on what to say. His first thought was to dismiss her, but that would be rude, and he just decided that being a dick was not the way to go. Also, he had an annoying feeling that he might need help in the future.

"I accept your apology. As for the amends, I have two, no three things."

She looked at him, eager to earn forgiveness. It was almost cute.

"First off, I recently became aware that I possess a not-insignificant amount of money. I would like some advice on how to… you know. Stonks and stuff."

While confused by the term he used, she could get the gist of it. He had money, he wanted more of it, and investing was a decent way of getting that.

"What amount are we working with?"

"If I did my math right, about 26 million yen."

Not the amount she expected, but that was a good thing! It gave her much broader options.

"Next, I might need an attorney shortly. I don't expect you to cover the fees, just get me in contact with one."

Again, another easy one. Her family attorney most definitely knew some reliable people.

"And third one… I need a month's supply of the best Canadian bacon commercially available."

He did feel a bit guilty asking for that one. But Tatsu and Nejire both needed to see that the meats of the Great North can match and outclass the American grease strips!

Momo was surprised by the last request, but she could probably arrange that through her family's contacts in Toronto. While governments closed themselves off and rarely shared info, the business world had to keep running to deliver goods and services people wanted/needed, quirks, and closed borders be damned!

"Um, sure, I can do that."

"Thanks, Yaoyorozu. I'll see you when school starts." Izuku turned and rushed off, not wanting to be late, leaving Momo standing there, mildly shocked. He said that with a smile. She went to the gate where her driver awaited her, while also pulling out her phone, wanting to get started on his requests ASAP.

It was harder than he thought, reliving those events. What made it worse was the principal. He just stared at him. He had not said a word, after greeting him and inviting him into the office. The Detective had asked questions and recorded the entire conversation. From the start of the Test of Courage, all the way to when he left the premise of the battlefield in Kamino. Izuku decided to leave out his brief meeting with Bakugo but otherwise told the whole truth, as confirmed by Tsukauchi.

The detective left after being done, promising to stay in contact in case they'll need him. Which left only Izuku and Nezu in the room. The rat himself stayed quiet for another minute, before finally breaking the suffocating silence.

"I've been keeping an eye on you, Midoriya. I saw how you behave in class, and carefully read reports of your teachers, both inside and outside of U.A. You changed throughout the school year, and I was comfortable keeping away, letting you figure things out on your own. But, what you did in Training Camp, was incredibly stupid, so I decided to take a bit more active approach."

Izuku listened. It was not strange to him that the principal took interest interested in him, the extra test after the entrance one made that very clear. But he had no idea what this active approach would be.

"You decided to engage the villain, to test your new skills, and tried to gauge the limit of your power. A selfish, foolish action that ended up forcing you to take a life. You then surrendered yourself to the villains, not trusting your classmates, and heroes on-site to be capable of defending themselves and others. You counted on your imperviousness to pull you through. As you learned, that wasn't the case. You fought opponents that you could take care of easily, but you did not. Something held you back."

Nezu looked deep into the green eyes of his student.

"At U.A we do not make killers, but we don't make cowards either. We make heroes, people who fight the good fight, and try as they might, sometimes that requires taking a life. Your desire to not kill, while not inherently wrong, put others in danger. My first question to you is… What will you do about this fear?"

Izuku found it harder to look into the eyes of his principal. It made him angry to be called a coward. He did not say it was wrong, not wanting to kill. But it was not something he, a hero-in-training, had the luxury of. Except…

"I want to master my power."

"I expected such an answer. But, can you really do it? Do you even understand it? Will you attempt to do it alone?"

Izuku did not know if he could do it, nor did he understand why his body did the things it did. But that would not stop him. Nezu seemed to read that from his eyes.

"I can't do it alone. And I'm guessing that you have an idea, so, would you help me, principal Nezu?"

The spark returned to the black eyes of the furry creature, and the serious atmosphere dispersed. The small principal jumped from his chair behind the desk and moved to a much more comfortable seat next to a coffee table.

"Most certainly. Your unique power has intrigued me for many weeks, but I believe that I have a workable theory."

Izuku took a seat on the couch, feeling not so terrible as he thought he would, asking for help. That might have been because the one he was asking wasn't a human, but that was not something to ponder on ever.

"Your power seems to have no limit as of now. You can easily handle delicate objects with the same fingers capable of punching a hole through steel. You can give a fist bump with the same fist that can punch through walls and floors. I asked myself why that was. And I came to a solution. Intent."

"Intent?"

"Yep. Intent. Your strength, wherever it may come from, is tied to your intentions. The fastest you ever moved was when you desperately wanted to save little Kota, correct?"

Izuku thought for a second. He jumped over Muscular, who had charged straight at Kota without pause. It took him a few seconds to turn mid-air, notice what the villain's intentions were, land, and then kick off into a mad dash to stop the villain. His air from the moment he realized the blunder he made was filled with one thought. SAVE KOTA!

"Yes, that single goal made you move. You did not know how much speed you needed to cross that distance. But it was enough to reach the villain, and in fact, save the little boy. I theorize that if we can make you focused enough, you will be capable of incapacitating every opponent you face, with a single punch. You have great potential within you, and the U.A academy will do its best to help you bring it out."

Izuku pondered on this. On all the times he used the power within him. How it responded, how it felt. Could it really be that simple? Could he guide this power with intent alone? Thinking it over, he only had one question.

"When do we start?"

Nezu slammed some papers on the table, together with a pen.

"May I talk to you about the Height Alliance dormitories?"

"Hey, Nejire, can I borrow your phone?

"Yea, sure."

Yuyu fumbled with the device tossed her way, before grasping it firmly, and looking for whatever she needed. Probably to see if Nejire still had a higher score than her in Candy Crush 666, Sugar-Free Saga. However, she noticed something else first.

"Oh, hey! You deleted all your dating apps!"

"Yea. With Ryuko gone, I'll need to work overtime at the Lair, so no time for meeting new people."

"How many more people do you want to meet? Didn't you max out your contact list once?"

"That was just to see if it had a limit! Turns out it does, damn phone companies."

Yuyu laughed at her grumbling friend, floating on her back with her legs in the air. Good thing she was wearing pants otherwise she might have tried to sneak a peek of her underwear. Deciding to check on a whim how many contacts her blue-haired friend did have, Yuyu discovered something that shocked her to the core.

"Nejire…"

"What?"

"Why is your top favorite contact Izuku Midoriya?"

"I dunno. Guess we just text that much."

"Why?"

"I dunno. Guess we have a lot to talk about."

Suddenly Nejire found herself upside down, being shaken by her collar by her distressed friend.

"Please don't tell me that's true! How could you!"

"What did I do?!"

"You replaced me as your best friend! With a boy of all things!"

"I did no such thing!"

"Say it then! SAY IT!"

"SAY WHAT?!"

"SAY THAT I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND!"

"YUYU, YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND!"

Both girls started laughing, and Nejire hugged her best friend tightly. The concern for Izuku and Ryuko had left her tense, but her best friend always knew how to make her forget, if even for a second. Now her head was a lot clearer, and she felt a lot better.

Toshinori Yagi sat in a hospital bed. He just finished signing his letter of resignation, placing it next to a 'Get well' card from young Melissa. Maybe now that he is retired he could visit her more. He felt bad when he told her that young Mirio couldn't use support items unless she knew of a way to make hair into materials other than fabric. Young Togata explained once how his vizor was made, but the process was gross, and Yagi worked hard on repressing that memory.

He would still work as a teacher at U.A, but he had to do at least one more press conference before that. People deserved to know the truth. Experimentally, he turned into his muscle form. It hurt. It hurt a whole damn lot, even when he was not moving! Just breathing caused pain. And, of course, the ever-present spark of One for All was absent. He reverted back to his now normal form and spat a mouthful of blood to the trash can.

He thought he'd become an anxious wreck by now. That he'd be twitching something fierce, or at least wallow in self-pity some. But the words spoken by young Midoirya echoed through his mind. This was not the end yet. He still had a job to do! He confidently swung his legs over the side of his bed, prepared to teach Miro and the new generations with whatever vigor he could manage! Only to get whacked by a cane in the shin.

"Maybe some consideration for the injured!" He wheezed and looked at his assailant, who looked absolutely unapologetic.

"Exactly! You're injured! Stop working yourself up like that, or you'll make your stay here even longer!"

Recovery girl sat on the chair next to his bed, while he settled back on it, and sighed.

"I doubt you're here to heal me."

"I'm not."

"Then I assume this is about young Togata?"

"Yea. He's still asleep, but when he wakes up, tell him this is the last time I'll be healing his shattered bones."

Yagi wanted to object, but the nurse's stern gaze made him clamp his mouth shut.

"I healed that boy more times this year, than in his other two combined, Yagi. He's been getting a better grasp on One for All, but Mirai keeps pushing him over the limit, instead of letting him acclimate. Izuku is the only one who knows how to keep their spars tame, and even then, Mirio pushes forward, hoping for a victory, only to find himself in my care. I won't tolerate it anymore. Not for you, not for Mirai."

The two adults sat in silence for a moment.

"Why do you let the kid push himself so much, Toshi?"

"I tried to reign him in. But Mirai is a much larger influence on the boy. He seems to be sure that I'll die, and that the power of One for All will be needed in the future. I thought that Kamino would make him ease up, but no. With young Midoriya making the visions he sees so much vaguer, his paranoia only grew."

"Couldn't Midoriya help Mirio?"

"No, I don't think so. Mirio and Midoriya are friends and rivals, but with Midoriya being strong as he is, Mirio will do what he can to keep growing stronger. If anything, I'd say young Amajiki could help better. They are, um, close."

"I'd hate to exploit the bond they share, but if it benefits Mirio in the long run, I suppose we might as well try."

"Tatsu, are you sure about this?"

"I am. As soon as we get done with dad here, I'm leaving for the U.S, and start getting Lucy up to snuff. It's high time she became her own hero."

"Her quirk is powerful, but is she really prepared?"

"I personally trained her to use Vector in a nonlethal manner. I will personally vouch for her, as the new leader of the Blizzard agency."

"Alright, I'll set the paperwork and break young Kaede the good news. Have fun at your part-time job!"

Stich hung up before she could reply, which made her huff in annoyance. She always preferred to have the last word, but she'll let him get away with it this time. Putting down her phone she picked up the small bunch of papers she just finished sighing. On top of the first one, in bold writing spelled: U.A DORMITORY SECURITY DETAIL CONTRACT

Boy, would Izuku be surprised? She looked up from the papers at the smiling face of one Present Mic, and Eraserhead, sipping on tea, while Inko reluctantly signed the consent papers, while confirming on the phone with Izuku.

Maybe she'll keep her new employer a surprise for just a little bit longer.

Chapter 33. Shorter than usual. Summer heat just kills my body and spirit. For the last two or three months, my writing output has been going down. First I stalled on the DxD fic, then I started missing deadlines. So now we're here, and I decided to take a break so I can catch up, and get this story back on track. Thank you for understanding. READ. REVIEW. Let me know what YOU think, and we'll read each other next time. NPGamer out.

PEACE

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The next chapter of One Punch Deku MIGHT come out on September 15th.