A/N: I have decided to re-post the disclaimer from the last chapter, just to make sure everyone stays reminded on what to expect from this chapter.

There WILL be OOC behavior on the part of some major characters for the first few chapters, such as this one. This isn't an oversight or a sign of my ineffectiveness, but an intentional choice and a rather vital part of their story arcs in this AU fic. Things WILL get better as we go along, I promise, but for now, you'll just have to bear with it in the meantime. Yes, I know it's a bit painful. Trust me, it gets grating sometimes for me as well. But I'm just a big fan of taking stories a little slowly in terms of pacing and devoting time to exploring characters, even if they're radically changed at certain points.

I assure you, I know what I'm doing, even with the jarringly OOC stuff, and the rest of the story will gradually make up for it. Everyone will become the characters you all know and love. I really wish I could prove how seriously I take these characters, and how much I actually want them to be accurate, by writing a non-AU fic already. Unfortunately, I'm just so swamped with school and work at the moment, not to mention I'm still trying to figure out a solid plot.

But fortunately, people don't have any reason to worry any longer! The next chapter is definitely where the real meat of the story begins! And that means we'll be seeing some great character development! :D

P.S.: Today's the big day! "Avengers: Endgame" is officially released to theaters around the U.S.! For those of you who got tickets to see the big premiere, HAVE FUN! I'm sure it'll be the greatest ride ever! And please, no spoilers! I plan on watching the movie tomorrow with my brother and my cousins, so I don't want any killjoys running over my fun.

"Wait..." Hiryu replied, his mind trying to process the newest information. "What?"

Izuku stared at the others fearfully, and his body started quaking with mounting anxiety. Most of the others were just as confused as Hiryu. However, Tenya, Momo, and Mezo seemed to know what he was talking about. The former two were giving him unhappy, disapproving looks, while Mezo simply looked puzzled by the abrupt suggestion. Only two people did not have any discernible reaction to the suggestion: Shoto and Yui.

"Our Hero Academia..." Ochako repeated. "What's that, Midoriya? I don't think I've heard of that movie-"

"It's the kind of manga Midoriya reads in class," interrupted Tenya, his tone stern and denigrating. "Apparently, he thinks it's more important than his academics. Aizawa-sensei is at his wit's end trying to get him to focus."

"Well, with a school like ours," Tsuyu replied, "I can't say I blame him."

Izuku stared at the green-haired girl with awe and a little relief. "Whoa!" he thought. "Asui doesn't judge me for reading manga?! I...I thought she'd make fun of me and say something that'd crush my soul, like she always does to people!"

Meanwhile, Ochako seemed to be enlightened by Tenya's brief explanation. "So it's a manga, huh?" she asked. "Ah, I see now!" She glanced towards Izuku, her bright smile still in place. "So My Hero Academia is the kind of stuff that you want to write one day, right Midoriya?"

"Y-Ye-Yeah..." Izuku responded, remembering his little fib about him wanting to become a mangaka when he graduated. "A-And it's Our Hero Academia..."

"The kind stuff that you want to write one day?" repeated a puzzled Tenya.

"Oh, that's right!" Ochako clapped her hands together with delight and looked at the class representative. "Midoriya told me he wants to become a mangaka when he gets out of school!"

Tenya looked at Izuku again. "Really now...?"

"So you want to be a mangaka, huh?" Hiryu asked. Then, to Izuku's surprise, the exchange student smiled slightly. "That sounds impressive."

"So you're an otaku, Minoriya?" asked Tsuyu.

"It's Midoriya, Rin," corrected Mezo.

"Oh, right. Midoriya."

Beads of sweat started to form on the freckled boy's forehead. Upon noticing this, Tsuyu gave him a smile, the warm and motherly glow of her face refusing to falter for a second.

"It's not like I think being an otaku is weird or not, Midoriya. If you like manga so much that you want to be a mangaka, then I'd normally think you're an otaku. I mean, those kinds of people are usually otaku. Well-educated otaku, yes, but otaku nonetheless. Anyway, the reason I'm asking is because I'm wondering if you're a member of Hatsume's club."

"H-Ha-Hat-Hatsume's cl-cl-club?" stuttered Izuku nervously. "Y-You mean the M-M-Manga & An-Anime Cl-Club?"

"Yes, that's the name," Momo replied. "We're trying to reach out to them."

"Bakugo picks on them every other day," Rikido explained, "and it looks like they'll need more friends to help them out."

"So are you a member?" Tsuyu asked.

Izuku rejoiced at the explanation. "They don't think it's weird, being an otaku?!" he thought. "This...This is so cool! I...I can't believe I didn't think about befriending them in the first place!"

But before he could respond to Tsuyu's question, he heard Tenya scoff disparagingly.

"You guys want that madwoman of an otaku to be in our ranks?" he asked, his voice tinged with a little disbelief. "Over my dead body."

"Ah, who cares if she's an otaku, Iida?" Ochako suddenly asked, pouting. "You make it sound like that's supposed to be a bad thing."

"I wasn't trying to. I like manga and anime too. I think those are great hallmarks of Japanese culture. But those guys are always off in their corners, obsessing over it too much. Unhealthy interests like that are always stuff to watch out for."

Ochako pouted at the class representative. "You're just saying that because Hatsume swindled you out of a samurai suit your brother bought for you. You need to get over it, Iida!"

"Yeah," added Hiryu. "She did give it back to you a week later, after all."

"But not before she completely defaced it and degraded its historical value!" Tenya replied angrily. "But that's beside the point! Uraraka, those people don't take reality too seriously! All of otaku culture is that way! They're way too wrapped up in fictional worlds to acknowledge any degree of importance to the world that they're currently living in! They're one step away from going insane! That is why I try to distance myself from the likes of them!"

"Nah, you just get triggered at the sight of them..." Ochako said teasingly.

"It matters not! This is why I was so reluctant to include Midoriya in our study group! And it appears my fears have been proven correct!"

"That's why Iida doesn't like my manga?" Izuku thought with surprise. "Because of a bad encounter with Mei Hatsume? ...Well, I can't really blame him. She's quite a character. ...But I thought it was because I was so distracted by reading manga that I never had the time to focus on my studies?"

Meanwhile, Ochako blinked with disbelief. "So you won't hang out with him because he might go cuckoo? Or because he has the same passion as Hatsume? Come on, Iida! Do you have any idea how petty that sounds?!"

"Yes, but-" began Tenya.

"Uraraka's right, Iida," Itsuka interrupted. Everyone turned their heads towards the redheaded girl, whose teal eyes were brimming with energy. "You were the one who said we should befriend people who Bakugo and his friends considered to be different, so they never feel alone or defenseless ever again. Take Komori, for example." Kinoko let out a high-pitched squeak at the mention of her name. "She likes idols, yet you never judged her for it when Ashido and Tokage did.

"But now you're gonna ostracize Midoriya all because he likes to read manga? In spite of everything you said? So what?! If Midoriya really is too wrapped up in the stuff that he reads, then it's our shared responsibility to snap him out of it in the nicest way possible!"

"Yeah, that's true," Hiryu remarked, nodding his head with agreement.

"But to be perfectly honest, I doubt he's too absorbed because he consciously made the effort to come here and join our study group. He didn't have to. He could've just turned down Uraraka when she offered it to him. But he accepted it. And that tells me he's as ordinary as manga readers can get. I don't even see a single manga volume anywhere near him!"

"Oh, if only you knew, Kendo..." Izuku thought guiltily.

Itsuka continued passionately, "And since Midoriya chose to make that effort and accept the same kind of friendship and hospitality you'd willingly give to others, it's only fair that you, and the rest of us, accept his own extension of friendship and hospitality. And we do this by watching the movie he wants to watch."

"I agree!" Ochako replied. "Let's be nice to Midoriya and watch his movie together, Iida! I mean, it can't be that bad, can it?!"

"Yeah, why not?" Rikido asked, shrugging his shoulders and grinning. "I mean, the guy laughed at my math joke anyway. Even if the movie's terrible, I'm still gonna find some way to enjoy it."

"That's 'cause you always love terrible movies," Mezo replied deprecatingly.

"Now that hurts, man."

Mezo ignored him and said, "I'm in. I did hear snippets of what this manga is about and it sounds like I won't be falling asleep during the movie, anyway."

Though he said that, Izuku looked at Mezo and saw a glimmer with legitimate interest flashing across his eyes.

"I think I'll give it a look-see too," Hiryu added. "There's no need to be a killjoy about it, Iida."

"I-I-I-I'm in t-t-t-too!" stuttered Kinoko. Her teeth chattered against each other intensely as she lowered her voice. "A-A-As long as th-th-there are pr-pr-pretty g-g-girls i-i-in th-th-there..."

"I guess that means I'm in as well," Tsuyu said nonchalantly.

"I guess we're already getting a majority vote," Itsuka replied. Then, she looked at Shoto, and Izuku noticed a slight but passionate blush forming on her cheeks. "What about you, Todoroki? You wanna watch the movie?"

"Might as well," the redhead replied distantly, nonchalantly. "I see no reason to pick apart your speech anyway, since it's already so good and there's nothing to contest about it."

Itsuka's blush brightened a little, and now, Momo noticed it as well. Izuku watched as the class vice-representative took a deep breath and looked away, her shimmering eyes attempting to mask anguish.

"I guess I'll have to go as well," the wealthy student remarked with a strangely stiff voice. "After all, I need to make sure everyone's exercising their best conduct in the theater. We can't afford to inconvenience the other attendants, after all..."

"HOORAY!" cheered Ochako. Then, she looked at Himiko, who was giggling quietly at the screen of her cellphone. "Toga, we're watching a movie."

Himiko didn't lift her head from her cellphone. Either she didn't hear her friend, or she did and simply didn't care. Either way, Ochako grumbled with annoyance.

"Toga," she said, putting more emphasis in her voice, "we're watching a movie."

"I don't caaaaare, Uraraaaaakaaaaa..." the dirty-blonde whined. "I'm following my dearest Bakugooooo..."

Ochako sighed, while Momo and Itsuka shook their heads. However, Tsuyu had an idea.

"Hey, Toga," she said, "I wonder what Bakugo would think of you if he realized you're not having fun with your friends..." Himiko's head perked up slightly with alarm, prompting the green-haired girl to continue. "You know, I heard him talking to his friends yesterday. He said he doesn't like girls who slack around and are slaves to social media. He likes girls who are active and outgoing-"

Himiko shot up from her chair, her face giddy once again. "I'M ACTIVE AND OUTGOING! I WANNA OUTGO! LET'S GO! W-WHAT ARE WE DOING?!"

"Watching a movie."

"I wanna watch a movie! I wanna watch!"

"Wow..." Izuku thought with surprise. "This girl's really obsessed with Bakugo...and to think she's surrounded by people who don't like him at all..."

Meanwhile, now that Himiko's approval had been guaranteed, Ochako looked at Yui, who was simply idling at the corner.

"I know Yui-chan wants to go!" she said energetically. This earned her a mere stiff nod from her cousin. "Alrighty! And as for Iida..." The chestnut-haired girl looked at her peer. "What do you say?" Then, she gave him a cheeky smile. "But you know you're outnumbered, though, so you might as well try out the movie!"

"I do not appreciate your attempt at peer pressure, Uraraka," Tenya replied. "I will not stand for it."

"Excuse me, but who's the one who apologized to Midoriya for doubting him?" Ochako crossed her arms and stuck out her chin a little. "You even bowed your head and everything. You never do that unless you're being super-serious about something. Don't tell me you're taking back what you said, Iida! I thought your family never backtracks on anything?"

"No, but-"

"There's no buts about it, Iida! You need to give Midoriya a chance! It's just like Kendo said, he went all this way to try and be friendly to us, and we need to show him his efforts mattered! Now you may not be a big fan of what Izuku likes, and for personal reasons, but that should be no excuse to distance yourself from him!"

Tenya blinked at Ochako, processing her words. Then, he looked up at Izuku, who chuckled and smiled nervously at him. Then, after a minute or so, the class representative sighed and bowed his head.

"Very well," he said. "I will try this movie of yours, Midoriya. I apologize for continuing to maintain a low opinion of you. It was an insensitive decision on my part, and I promise that I'll henceforth be more friendly and receptive towards you." Then, he raised it and gave Izuku a hard stare. "But know this: I will always find manga and anime to be a bad influence on the minds of people. That opinion will not change. This will be the only time I will take you up on an offer like that. Do you understand, Midoriya?"

Izuku's skin crawled at the sharp, piercing gaze the disciplined class representative gave him. At that moment, he felt as if an invisible barrier had sprung up between them, expressly forbidding them from establishing a mutual understanding about manga. No matter what he tried to do, no matter how much he would try to sugarcoat it, Izuku knew Tenya Iida had made up his mind about the things that made him happy.

Nevertheless, the green-haired boy nodded slowly.

"I understand, Iida..." he said. Then, he thought privately, "At least we're getting somewhere. At least he's not shooting me down again..."

"ALRIGHT!" Ochako shouted, hopping up and down with delight. "Now that Iida's in, it's movie time, everyone!"

"Settle down, Uraraka," Momo replied as she moved towards the doorway. "There's no need to be in a rush." She opened the door and was greeted by a maid. "Shimizu, where's my mother?"

"In the study," the maid replied. "I assume you and your fine friends are going to town?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Very well. I'll inform her of your departure."

Momo bowed. "Thank you very much, Shimizu."

"Uh," a befuddled Izuku piped up, "why don't you just tell her your- Mmph!"

Ochako had covered his mouth, placed her index finger over her lips, and shook her head softly.

"Well, that was weird..." he thought. Then, he stared at his crush as she smiled brightly at him, and he had to turn away to hide his blush. "But at least I've got Uraraka to willingly stand up for me! And she doesn't think I'm weird at all! Or my hobbies! I'm...I'm so, so happy!"

With that, he followed the others out of the room, a skip present in his step.

A dot in a sea of dots. That was normally what Izuku would feel like right now.

But now, the freckled boy no longer felt like a meaningless dot. Now, he was a member of a group that was totally willing to accept him for who he was. And to make matters even better for him, another member of said group was his longtime crush! He really wanted to believe this was too good to be true, but he thought that thought too many times already and was proven wrong at every step of the way.

"This is real," Izuku thought with bursting exhilaration, as he stared into the backs of Momo, Tsuyu, Shoto, and Rikido. "I found people who want to be my friends, who want to try out the movies I suggest! Ohhh, if only Shimura-san were here to see this..."

"Hey, Midoriya?"

Izuku's skin crawled at the sound of Ochako's sweet voice. "Y-Y-Ye-Yeah, U-Ura-ra-raka?" he stuttered.

"Jeez, you must be excited for this movie if you're so nervous!"

"W-We-Well, o-of course! I...I always watch the anime adaptation of Our Hero Academia from my home. So seeing all of my heroes on the big screen is going to be a completely different experience for me..."

"But I'm sure it's an experience you're happy to have, all the same!"

"Yeah..." Izuku's lip trembled a little. "And I get to share it with you..." Suddenly, he blushed brightly and quickly added, "A-And y-y-your f-fr-friends too, o-of course! Y-Yeah, don't wanna leave out Iida and everyone else!"

"Aw, thank you, Midoriya! I'm so glad I experience this with you as well!"

"Ohhhhh, Uraraka... You have no idea how angelic your words are right now!"

Just then, Ochako whispered, "And I'm really glad you didn't leave back there."

Izuku looked at her, puzzled. "Huh?"

"Earlier, when you told us your mom had an errand for you to do...I knew that was a lie..." The girl stared at him gently and deeply, and with sympathy. "You felt left out and wanted to leave because of it, didn't you? And don't come up with an excuse this time, Midoriya. I know a lie when I hear one."

"I... I-I..." Izuku gulped uncomfortably. "I..."

Ochako smiled softly and shook her head. "It's okay, Midoriya. You don't have to say anything if you're uncomfortable. I just wanted to let you know that I understand." She then stared at the rest of the group as they conversed. "I didn't tell you this, but I started out in the same position as you. I had no friends besides Yui, but I couldn't really count her since she's not much of a talker."

"You...You didn't have any friends at first?" the green-haired boy asked, startled. "Ho-How?" He imagined the warm and bubbly smile she always gave to people. "Y-Y-You're the fr-friendliest a-and m-most approachable person ever!"

"That was built up through a whole semester of spending time with friends." Ochako stared at Iida as he talked to Hiryu about Japanese history. "Especially Iida."

"Iida?"

"Mm-hm. He was the one who introduced me to Yaomomo, Kendo, and the others. He's like what I am to you right now: someone who helps you get the hang of socializing with others. So, I must apologize to you for his behavior. He's usually not like this, but he can take things too seriously and get hung up on the most petty stuff."

"Well, he's got a point..." Izuku gazed at the ground forlornly. "I've never cared too much about school. All I want to do is read manga and..." His voice trailed off a little, before he uttered in an improvisational blurt, "And work on becoming a mangaka. In a sense...he's right when he says I don't take reality too seriously..."

Ochako looked at him. "But you love manga and want to pursue that as a job, right? So how's aspiring for that not taking reality seriously?"

"That's because I actually don't want to become a mangaka, Uraraka," Izuku thought in response. "The only real goal I have is becoming a superhero like the stuff I see in Our Hero Academia. Now that is not taking reality seriously..."

"Though now that you mention it," the girl continued, "you said you'd rather read manga than devote yourself to school. I can see why Iida would be so concerned about that."

"That's kinda my point." Izuku sighed. "I guess that's why I have difficulties relating to other people. I find people more interesting if they come from my computer screen, or the panels of a manga." Then, he started to panic. "N-No-Not that I th-th-think y-you're not i-in-interesting, Uraraka! I-I r-r-really app-appreciate y-your-"

"Relax, Midoriya." Ochako giggled. "Jeez, you apologize too much! I'm just very glad you're being honest with me! That's all that I want out of you. Honesty..." She looked up at the sky, hope gleaming in her wide brown eyes. "Honesty is really important to me. The more people lie, the less people will truly trust one another. True friendship is built on honesty. And I'm glad you're being forthcoming with me." She looked back at him. "It shows me that you really want to be my friend."

Izuku pursed his lips sadly, but he then forced a smile onto his face. "Well, of course. I want to be your friend. For a long time, that's all that I ever wanted."

Ochako blinked twice. "For a long time...all that you ever wanted?"

"AGH! I-I-Is that w-wh-what I s-s-said?!"

"Uh-huh. Pretty much." But the chestnut-haired girl smiled yet again. "Don't worry, I'm not creeped out or anything."

"We-Well...I...I always saw how friendly you were to other people... You never judged anyone... I...I really admired that. A-And I wanted to be your friend, b-but I was afraid y-you wouldn't understand my hobby. So...th-that's why I just kept my distance..."

"Well, you never know until you try. And guess what? You tried, and I don't mind your hobby at all!" She clapped him on the shoulder. "See, you can only get somewhere in life if you just try it out first! Isn't that right?!"

"I...I guess so..." Izuku smiled softly but with excitement. "I'm...I'm really glad I took you up on your offer, Uraraka." He looked up at the rest of the group. "It's been a rough start so far, but everyone has been so nice. They even want to see the movie I want to see. I...I just can't believe I'm in the company of such great and understanding people... Sometimes I wonder if this is just a dream. I mean, this is just too good to be true- OW!"

Ochako had just pinched his cheek. "Did you feel that?"

The freckled boy clutched his skin. "Yeah! What was that for, Uraraka?!"

"Hey, if you felt it, that means it's not a dream. This is all real." Ochako wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close, while she raised her other arm in the air with a toothy smile. "And we're friends! So you should just let all of your worries go and celebrate like there's no tomorrow, Midoriya!"

"Y-Yeah... L-Let's ce-celebrate..."

However, Izuku was blushing intensely at how close he was to his crush.

"And we can do that by watching your movie!"

"Y-Yeah! We-We can do that!"

"Hey," another voice said beside Izuku. The green-haired boy nearly fell over into Ochako with surprise, but he saw that the new speaker was Yui. Once again, she was giving him a neutral expression.

"K-K-Kodai?!" stuttered Izuku.

"Yui!" Ochako said. "What'd I tell you about surprising people like that?"

"Sorry," Yui replied with a monotone voice. "I was going to say we've arrived."

Izuku looked ahead and saw the rest of the group gathered around one of many entryways into the local shopping mall. At the corner of that entryway was the theater. There were a number of film posters lining the walls, boasting the movies that were being shown inside. People were streaming in and out of the entrance, chatting zestfully with excitement and anticipation. Overhead, there was a bright neon sign reading 'KIYASHI THEATER'.

"Alright!" Ochako cheered. "It's movie time! Yaomomo, do you have enough money to buy all of us tickets?"

"Of course," Momo replied. The class vice-representative reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a brand-new leather wallet that was so shiny that it made Izuku's eyes hurt.

"Of course Yaomomo's gonna be the one to pay for all of us," remarked Rikido.

"Well, yeah," Hiryu replied, smirking. "In case you didn't notice, she's loaded."

"I was only speaking hypothetically, Rin."

"So, Midoriya," Momo said as she pulled out some yen from the wallet and began counting it, "what is the movie called again?"

"Our Hero Academia: Duo of Heroes," Izuku replied, his voice shaky from sharing this kind of information with the class vice-representative.

Momo nodded before approaching the ticket booth with the appropriate amount of yen. She prepared to hand it over to the employee when she froze, and her face contorted into an expression of disgust.

"Well, well, well," a voice drawled, "if it isn't Yaoyorozu."

Recognizing the voice as well, Ochako and Tenya both frowned at the booth. Izuku followed their stares and felt his heart stop upon seeing who was working in there.

"What're you doing here, Kaminari?" Ochako asked.

Denki flashed a roguish grin at her. "Ah, good to see you guys too," he said as he straightened his bow-tie. "I see you're all doing well..."

The blond womanizer started scanning each of the girls from head to toe, with the exceptions of Himiko and Kinoko. And as he did, Izuku felt his stomach tie itself into knots at the sight of Denki's eyes, which were gleaming with a sickeningly lecherous aura. The green-haired boy looked sideways at Ochako and saw how unsettled she was in his presence.

"I'm glad to know you're employed and seem to be taking your occupation seriously, Kaminari," Tenya replied, though his voice indicated nothing but evident disapproval on his part. "But the looks you're giving to your female peers right now is nothing short of disgraceful to your employer. You're not going to gain any respect from your customers or coworkers in this way, so I suggest you-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it, Dad," Denki interrupted once he was done scanning Momo for the second or third time. Then, he spotted Izuku and blinked with surprise. "Huh? What's the otaku doing here?"

"We're here to watch his movie, Kaminari," Itsuka replied defensively. "Just give us our tickets and we'll be on our way."

Denki complied, taking the yen from Momo's cautious hand and giving her the allocated number of tickets. However, he was still befuddled by the revelation.

"Really? So he's with you guys?"

"Yes. Does that mean you and your friends will do the right thing and leave him alone?"

"Eh, it depends. Either way, he's still Bakugo's lame punching bag..." The blond gave Izuku a nasty grin. "I'd watch your backs if I were you. I bet he's making you guys watch something dumb. Even by your standards, guys, this is a new low. Now his dorkiness is gonna rub off on ya-"

"Well, it can't get any worse than your dorkiness, Kaminari," Rikido interrupted, smirking triumphantly as he took a ticket from Momo's hand.

Denki shot him a suspicious glare. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"We all saw Jiro's YouTube video, Jamming-Yay." Denki blushed brightly and started to sputter like a failing engine, which provoked a loud, amused laugh from Rikido. "Good day to you, and watch out for falling baseballs!"

Denki growled vengefully at Rikido's insult before looking at Mezo. "Yo, Shoji," he growled. "This movie had better not be long. We've got a game later today and Shinso's just come down with another sickness. Bakugo will be on your ass if you ain't there."

"Uh-huh, yeah..." Mezo replied in a noncommittal tone as he took his own ticket. "OOF!"

Himiko had just pushed Mezo aside and ran up to the ticket booth. Her face was as red as a cherry and her catlike eyes were gleaming with pure excitement.

"Hey, hey, you're Kaminari, right?!" she cried, barely able to contain her giddiness. "Bakugo's friend?!"

"Y-Yeah..." Denki replied. "Wh-Who's asking...?"

"Tell my dearest Bakugo that Toga sends him all of her love!" The ashy-blonde girl started swaying from side to side like a cobra dancing to a snake charmer. "And that she's waiting for him to schedule their next date! Hee-hee-hee..."

"Toga... Wait, Toga?" The boy's eyes widened with terror, and he muttered, "Oh, shit..."

Himiko looked at him with a sickeningly adorable expression. "What was that?"

"I'll-I'll be sure t-to do that!" Denki tried to give her one of his charming smiles, but Izuku could see how painfully forced it was. "D-Don't worry, y-you can c-count on me, T-T-Toga..."

"YAY! Ohhhhh, thank you so much, Kaminari!" Himiko leaned forward to give the boy a hug, but wound up bumping into the plastic barrier that separated him from his customers. "Ohhhhh, I just wanna hug you!"

Denki looked mortified beyond belief at that prospect. "That...That won't be necessary..."

The group walked away from the ticket booth, with Momo passing the tickets to the others and Himiko skipping along the way. On instinct, Izuku gazed over his shoulder at Denki. The blond boy, once smug and confident in his taunts, was now seething in a mixture of embarrassment and terror, which left the next customers in line confused and a little nervous.

"You alright, Midoriya?" Ochako asked, catching the boy's attention.

"Y-Yeah..." Izuku chuckled with disbelief and scratched his cheek. "I...I just can't believe I got out of that intact. E-Every time I come across Kacc- er, Bakugo or one of his friends, I always have a couple of bruises. I've...I've never had anyone come to my defense before..."

"Well, that's about to change! I told you, Midoriya, we're not like Bakugo and his friends. And I promise, if you have any problems with them, we'll be there to protect you!"

Izuku looked at Ochako, and she stared back at him with her bright, friendly grin. The sight of it made his heart flutter.

"Th-Th-Thank you, U-Ur-Uraraka..."

"You're welcome!" Then, as she turned her head away from him, Ochako spotted several colorful posters lining the wall and gasped. "Ooh, look! Is that the movie were gonna be watching, Midoriya?!"

"H-Huh?"

Izuku followed his crush's gaze and spotted the poster in question as well. It was the most colorful of the bunch, filled to the brim with the dazzling blues and yellows of the sunrise-marked horizon in the background, and the sea of grays and silvers that greatly highlighted the urban landscape taking up the foreground. And, in front and center, were some of the many heroes of the movie, most especially Mikumo Akatani, who was in one of his heroic poses.

"I can't believe I'm gonna be watching that movie in a few minutes!" Izuku thought. "And with some new friends! Oh, if only Shimura-san were here to see this... Not to mention I'm actually watching a movie...based on his work..."

"You're not allowed to come back here until you find something productive to do at school, Midoriya. I don't care what it is, as long as you make friends and enjoy life beyond the pleasures of manga."

"I wonder how Shimura-san would react if he realized that I found a small workaround to his instructions..."

"Wait a minute, is this supposed to be superhero-themed?" Rikido asked, as he and the others congregated around the poster as well.

"W-Well...yeah..." Izuku replied hesitantly.

"Holy crap, no way!" The large, muscular boy jabbed a thumb at his chest. "I'm a big fan of Paragon Comics, and I think their cinematic universe is one of the greatest things in existence! And I can't wait for the new Ultimates movie!"

"Whoa, really?!" Izuku's green eyes widened with excitement. "I...I didn't know you were a fan of superheroes, Sato!"

"Well, of course! Paragon movies are so action-packed but also so lighthearted! I think I can attribute my sense of humor to those movies!"

"Huh," Tsuyu replied. "No wonder your jokes sound like they were plucked out of memes. 'Cause they are."

Rikido started laughing. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment, Asui!"

"Alright, everyone!" Tenya called, attracting the attention of everyone else. He was standing at the entrance of one of the theater rooms as people were passing by him. "I know this poster looks astounding, but the movie is about to start in a few minutes and we have a responsibility as moviegoers to be punctual! So, out of deep and utmost respect for all of the people who worked on this film, I suggest we not dawdle for any longer!"

"Says the person who didn't want to see this movie in the first place," Itsuka responded flatly.

"Perhaps you changed your mind about it...?" added Hiryu.

Tenya nearly fell over in embarrassment. "Ack! I just said I have a deep respect for the people who produced this work, and I believe it should be our duty to see the fruits of their labor in all of its totality! This isn't out of legitimate curiosity of its source material or anything like that!"

"Uh-huh..." Ochako replied. "Sure..."

Everyone proceeded to follow Tenya into the theater room, but Izuku remained behind for a few moments. He wanted to see if this group of newfound friends was entirely willing to go inside and see the movie on their own accord, and not just because they felt like they had an obligation to welcome him into their fold.

After all, no matter how excited he was, and no matter how much reassurance he got from Ochako...this all still seemed too good to be true for him...

"Hey, Midoriya!"

Izuku was snapped out of his musings by Ochako, who was standing at the doorway of the theater room, waving at him and smiling widely. Tenya and (Izuku had forgotten about her yet again) Yui were standing beside her. The former looked slightly impatient but otherwise just as willing to acquiesce to the requested movie, while the latter looked monotone as usual.

"Are you coming in or what?!" Ochako called.

"Calm down, Izuku. This is real. Uraraka told you so. I should let all of my worries go and celebrate this new friendship!"

He replied, "I'm coming!"

With that, he joined Ochako, Tenya, and Yui; and the quartet proceeded into the theater room together.

"Don't worry about a thing, Izuku," he thought, smiling from ear to ear. "After all, you wanted to see this movie for the longest time, and now you have friends who want to experience it with you! What could possibly go wrong?!"

Izuku munched happily on his popcorn as his green eyes remained glued to the theater screen. Right now, the film was in the middle of an action sequence, with Mikumo and all of his friends, old and new, facing off against a horde of Villains that had taken over C-City. And as he continued to eat, he took quick glances at Ochako and her group of friends as they too watched the movie, and for the most part, it looked like a success, surprisingly.

Ochako seemed to be the most eager out of everyone. Her brown eyes gleamed as she watched one of the main female protagonists, Yuu, also known as Mt. Lady, use her Gigantification Quirk to gain the upper hand against her foes. All the while, she would shout words of support and encouragement to Mikumo. The chestnut-haired girl listened to every word of dialogue that was spoken and munched on her popcorn just as enthusiastically as Izuku.

Yui didn't look as interested, by far, but then again, she always looked uninterested. Therefore, Izuku couldn't tell if this was her legitimate reaction to the film. The same went with Shoto, who looked just as indifferent. In fact, Izuku noticed his eyes were in a perpetual state of emptiness, as if he constantly had something else on his mind and he was actually not paying attention to the movie at all.

Tsuyu appeared to be indifferent for most of the film, but her eyebrows would always be raised whenever Froppy would show up and use his frog-themed powers to restrain enemies, swim through pools of water, and stick onto surfaces. The same went with Mezo, who never exhibited any outward reaction to the film, sans some energetic blinking whenever the mutant student Tentacole filled up the screen and showed off his Quirk.

Momo started off being dismissive of the movie, spending her time sipping out of her cup of water and eating individual kernels of popcorn, as if eating more at once would instantly fatten her up. But when Creati got her first chance to shine, the class vice-representative's attention was finally piqued, and she started following that character's story arc ever since then. In contrast, Itsuka was instantly enthralled by the film's visuals and had been constantly and surreptitiously egging on Momo to enjoy it more.

Rikido definitely trailed behind Ochako in terms of enthusiasm for the film. He would cheer and laugh quietly but jovially every time an action sequence occurred and boasted the film's fluid animation. Oftentimes, this would attract unwanted attention from the people sitting around him; they would always shoot him looks of irritation and attempt to shush him as politely as they could.

Hiryu and Kinoko also looked like they were enjoying themselves. They would smile whenever the heroes would show up and triumph over the obstacles in their way. Also, they would always join the rest of the audience whenever they laughed to something funny.

For once, Himiko's mind was no longer on Katsuki, and she was devoting all of her attention to the movie. It didn't really surprise Izuku, though, since one of the protagonists was a Hero-in-training called Ground Zero, who (Izuku realized this for the first time) was a doppelganger of Katsuki...except that he was much kinder and gentler, if not a little too honest for his own good.

And finally, there was Tenya. He was staring at the theater screen with narrowed eyes, as if he was judging every scene of the movie from a critical lens, all the way to the last detail. The lenses of his glasses were constantly shining from the light coming from the massive screen and the darkened theater room, preventing Izuku from getting a good read of the class representative's blue eyes.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" Izuku thought glumly. "Iida probably is judging the movie already. He could probably write an entire essay poking holes in the plot and tearing this entire movie to shreds! He probably started hating it after the five-minute mark! Why am I expecting any other reaction from him...?" Then, the green-haired boy scanned the rest of his newfound friends. "Well, at least everyone else looks like they're having a blast...except for Kodai and Todoroki, that is."

He looked back at the screen and felt his heart throb with joy at the sight of Mikumo using his Super Move on a Villain.

"And at least I'm having a blast with them! I can't raise my expectations too high. This is good for now! It's a good first step! Yeah, a good first step indeed..."

The alleyway and the mysterious girl returned to Izuku's mind again, for a split-second, but he suppressed the thought with all of his willpower...and forced a smile.

"Wow, I liked that movie!" Ochako exclaimed as she and the others reentered the lobby.

"You did?!" asked Izuku.

"Well, of course, Midoriya! I like a good action movie every now and then, and your movie delivered all the goods!" In an action that almost seemed adorable, Ochako made some light punches in the air as she spoke. "Oh, and I especially liked that Yuu girl! She kicked some serious butt!" Then, she looked at Yui, who was taking a last sip of her soft drink. "What'd you think, Yui?! Did you have fun or what?!"

"I liked it," Yui replied in her usual robotic voice, once she was finished with her sip.

"It was alright," Tsuyu remarked. "I wish some of the characters had more screentime, though."

"Yeah," added Mezo. "I feel the usual roster is bigger than those half-dozen students or so, but all the remaining people had to be shafted to make room for those main characters."

"I'm-I'm sorry you think that way," Izuku replied, taken aback by the criticism. "I-I-If you guys are in-interested, th-the manga a-and anime juggle the m-m-main cast a wh-whole lot b-b-better-"

"We didn't say the movie was terrible, though." Mezo walked up to the smaller boy and patted his shoulder softly. "Relax, Midoriya. Aside from what I just said, I think the movie was good."

"O-Oh!" Izuku's green eyes glowed with happiness. "I'm...I'm so glad you think that way, Shoji!"

"Well, I for one thought the movie was fantastic!" exclaimed Itsuka. "The animation was so fluid! The studio that worked on it should give itself a pat in the back for making such cool sequences."

"Y-Yeah, I-I think so too! B-Bones has a good reputation for high-quality animation!"

"Bones?" Hiryu repeated. "What kind of name is that for an animation studio?"

"I JUST LOVE, LOVE, LOVE GROUND ZERO!" Himiko squealed loudly, her face so pink Izuku could've sworn she finished hyperventilating over nothing. "HE'S...HE'S LIKE BAKUGO'S BROTHER! WHEN I MEET UP WITH MY DARLING, I GOTTA DRESS HIM UP AND-AND MAKE HIM LOOK LIKE THAT HUNK!"

"Bakugo, as Ground Zero?" Tsuyu asked flatly. "He may have the looks, Toga, but he doesn't have the attitude of Ground Zero."

"Yeah," added Rikido. "Ground Zero is a thousand times more the man Bakugo could ever hope to be."

Himiko giggled manically. "You all say that, but as long as I'm around, my beloved Bakugo will have the best of manners! I will purify him even more, just like he purified me! After all, that's what star-crossed lovers do, am I right?!"

The ashy-blonde girl swayed again at the thought of Katsuki, leaving Izuku slightly unsettled. Meanwhile, Ochako spotted Tenya, who seemed to be texting someone, and approached him with a cheeky smile.

"Well, Iida?" the chestnut-haired girl asked. "What did you think of the film? I betcha it changed your mind about otaku culture at least a little."

"I thought it was average at best," the class representative replied, looking up from his phone screen.

"Oh..." Izuku replied. "As I suspected, Iida didn't like the movie. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised-"

Izuku's thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly felt a presence lurking beside him. He looked sideways and saw...

"AGH!" he squeaked, startled. "T-To-Todoroki?!"

"Don't worry about Iida," the redhead replied quietly, seemingly unaware of the surprise he subjected Izuku to. Instead, he maintained his focus on the class representative. "He enjoyed the movie."

Izuku's eyes broadened. "R-Re-Really? Ho-How'd you know th-that?"

Shoto's eyes turned to slits as he replied, "Intuition, I suppose..." He paused briefly. "I saw him paying particularly close attention to one of the characters. The one with the suit of metal armor."

"You mean Ingenium?" The green-haired boy blinked with surprise, his mind filling with memories of the unkempt, laid-back boy, definitely a far cry from the likes of Tenya. "Wow. I, uh, I never knew Iida saw something in him..." He looked up at Shoto. "Thanks for pointing that out, Todoroki. I thought it was gonna be difficult, becoming friends with Iida."

To his surprise, Shoto's only response was to give him a soft, noncommittal grunt. Once again, his eyes looked unfocused and glazed, and there seemed to be some sort of dark energy brewing behind his pupils.

"That's weird," Izuku thought. "Todoroki's one of the smartest in my class, but he always looks so distant and distracted, like he's always got something else in his mind. Something that has nothing to do with the situation at hand. I...I wonder what it could be..."

"See you later, Yaomomo!"

"Goodbye, Uraraka. Don't forget to continue studying."

"I won't, I won't. Hey, Midoriya! Midoriya!"

Izuku was snapped out of his trance by Ochako's voice. He found himself a few feet from the doorway of the cabin that stood guard in front of Momo's grand, expansive manor. He had his backpack on, and he could steel feel the combined weight of his textbooks and Yamikumo cosplay inside.

"Wh-What?" he asked, his panic quickly building. "W-Wh-What's happening?!"

"Say goodbye to Yaomomo, Midoriya!" Ochako replied. "Don't simply space out when you leave a friend's house!"

"O-Oh!" Izuku waved awkwardly at Momo, Itsuka, and Rikido, who were standing at the doorway. "B-Bye, Yaoyorozu! K-Kendo! S-Sa-Sato!"

"See ya later, Midoriya!" replied Rikido, waving energetically with a large, stocky arm.

"Hey, catch ya later at school!" added Itsuka. "Don't let Bakugo give you a hard time, 'kay?! You be strong!"

"S-S-Sure..." Izuku stuttered, before proceeding to walk away with Ochako and Yui by his sides.

Ever since the group returned to Momo's mansion, everyone decided to go their separate ways, now that the study group was officially over. Mezo was the first to depart, citing the upcoming baseball game with Katsuki and his cronies. He was immediately followed by none other than Himiko, who kept begging him to take her along and reintroduce her to Katsuki. This was followed by Tenya, Shoto, Hiryu, and Kinoko, who all needed to rest for the upcoming school week.

Now, it was just him with his crush. And her cousin too, but Izuku kept excluding her from the equation with ease.

At that thought, he felt the combined weight of his textbooks and Yamikumo cosplay increase exponentially inside his old backpack. Izuku briefly wondered why he brought that costume along in the first place...

"So, Midoriya," Ochako said, smiling up at him, "did you enjoy yourself?"

"Y-Yeah..." replied Izuku, his voice shaky. "I'm...I'm sure I made quite an impact back there..."

"Oh, I'm sure of it too! There's no way any one of them wouldn't like you!"

Izuku looked down at the ground woefully. "Except for Iida, that is..."

Ochako rolled her brown eyes. "Oh, don't you worry about Iida, Midoriya. Remember, he's still pretty hung up with what happened between him and Hatsume. You know, whenever his brother is concerned, Iida takes things super-seriously. I mean, I understand, because it's his brother." She went up to Yui and wrapped an arm over her shoulders. "If anyone did anything to Yui, I would stop at nothing to make sure they pay!"

"At nothing, huh...?"

Izuku tried to imagine Ochako exploding at someone who insulted or inconvenienced Yui, but found the image more cute than intimidating. Then, before he could stop himself, he started chuckling while clutching his sides.

"Oh, what's so funny, Midoriya?" Ochako asked, crossing her arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Uraraka!" Izuku stifled the last of his laughing and wiped the corner of his right eye. "It's just... I really can't imagine you being angry at all."

Ochako's eye twinkled mysteriously. "Oh, trust me, Midoriya. When I'm angry, you'd better watch out."

"I guess I'll keep that in mind."

"What?" The girl playfully bumped Izuku's shoulder. "You don't believe me?"

"W-Well, you're just the friendliest girl I've ever met. Everything about you is smiles and sunshine." Izuku blushed a little and prayed Ochako wouldn't notice. "And you want to help people, no matter who they are or what their hobbies are. I... I just can't imagine you being aggressive and intimidating at all, Uraraka."

"Oh, just you wait and see, Midoriya." Ochako raised a fist of determination. "The opportunity will come when you know the full power of my rage!"

Izuku and Ochako started laughing at the latter's enthusiasm over her own anger. By that point, the three teenagers had reached the front gate. Once they got close enough, it opened up automatically, allowing them to officially leave Momo's estate. They then took the sidewalk headed towards town.

"Anyway..." Ochako continued, once she stopped laughing, "it's like I said. Iida really loves his older brother. He tells me every other day he can't hold a candle to him. To him, Tensei Iida is the person everyone should strive to be. That's why he gets so defensive whenever his brother is concerned, even though he'd normally consider that improper behavior by anyone else. And deep down, he knows it, which is why he keeps generalizing you and otaku culture. That way, it'd seem like mainstream thinking to him, even though it sort of contradicts what he stands for."

"I see." Izuku stared ahead at the pathway. "So basically, his brother is a sensitive topic for him."

"Well, if you insult his brother, that is." Ochako too stared ahead. "You know, Iida's a pretty big Japanese history buff."

Izuku chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed."

"That's why his brother worked so hard to get him a samurai suit. It was legit and everything. I saw it once; it was quite cool. But then Hatsume had to go and make it look like something out of a mecha anime." Ochako let out a single laugh. "His brother and his love for Japanese history. Insult both, even unintentionally, and it's a perfect storm. Still, I wish he'd let go of that already."

"I wish." Izuku flashed back to all of the times Tenya would encourage the entire class to take their studies seriously and reprimand those who would disregard him. "You should see him in my class. It's more like a government office, but he's the only politician in there. Many of the others are rude and condescending, or otherwise just plain dismissive of him and his efforts." He sighed. "Myself included..."

"Aw, come on, don't beat yourself up, Midoriya! You've been trying to win his favor all day even if your hobbies clash with his." Ochako raised her index finger. "And I'd say you're getting somewhere!"

"You think so...?"

"Yep! Remember, the fact that you were willing to go to the study group told him you were on your way to taking school seriously! I'm sure once you go back to class, his treatment of you will have improved, at least a little."

"I suppose. As long as he doesn't see any of my manga..."

Ochako pouted. "Hey, don't worry about reading your manga too, Midoriya. He's gotta learn to get over his petty grudge against Hatsume too. If you were willing to take school seriously in his eyes, Iida should start learning to treat otaku as people. I mean, I don't think your hobbies are weird or anything. No one does. Well, maybe except for Yaomomo, but at least she knows how to be respectful of newcomers. And I have no idea about Todoroki, but he's always quiet, so either way, at least he's being respectful of you too."

"Yeah..." Izuku's thoughts shifted to the silent, seemingly brooding redhead. "Hey, Uraraka?"

"Yep?"

"Uh, what's going on with Todoroki? I think I've only heard him speak twice over there. And I've never heard him speak before in class, so..."

His voice trailed off, promptly Ochako to reply, "Oh, yeah. Good ole Todoroki. Don't worry about him. He's not the type to willingly attract any attention to himself. It's a shame, though, seeing he has his own fan-club." The chestnut-haired girl smiled. "But he's a friendly guy, Midoriya. Don't take his coldness as his opinion of you from now on."

"I didn't say I was bothered by him. But...something tells me he looks...bothered."

"Well, his dad's the police chief. There are lots of worries that come with that job."

"I guess..."

By that moment, the trio had entered the town. Ochako checked her wristwatch and pursed her lips.

"Oh, darn," she said. "It's getting late..." She looked up with a sympathetic smile. "Yui and I have to get going, Midoriya. Her parents are expecting us back in about ten minutes. Are you alright with walking home alone?"

"O-O-Of course!" Izuku stuttered. "I'm-I'm not a little kid, you know!"

"Well, of course not! I'm just worried you'll run into Bakugo and his friends along the way-"

"Be careful what you wish for, Round Face," a new voice said, sending chills up Izuku's spine.

He, Ochako, and Yui looked behind them and saw Katsuki walking up to them with a confident stride. He was wearing the school baseball uniform. The same grenade-painted baseball was in his right hand, while he had a red cap tucked under his left armpit. By his sides were Eijiro and Denki, who were also wearing uniforms of their own. There was also someone hugging Katsuki's right arm, making sure her breasts were pushing against his skin: smutty cheerleader Setsuna Tokage.

Ochako scowled at Katsuki. "What do you want, Bakugo?" she asked.

"Nothing," Setsuna replied innocently, speaking in Katsuki's place. "Only for you and your sweet lil' friends to step aside. We've got a game to go to."

"Yeah, and there's no time to waste!" exclaimed Eijiro. "So move or be moved!"

Denki didn't say anything and simply averted his eyes from Izuku, Ochako, and Yui, which surprised the former.

"Huh," Izuku thought. "I suppose he's still embarrassed by what Sato said to him back at the booth."

Katsuki's group continued walking towards them, so Izuku, Ochako, and Yui acquiesced and parted to allow them to pass through. As they did, Katsuki turned his head slightly to glare vengefully at Izuku.

"You're goddamn lucky you've got Round Face to back you up, otaku," he snarled savagely. "But I still haven't forgotten what you did to my lucky running shoes. If I lose the game, it's all on you, ya hear me? I'm gonna make the rest of your high-school life a living hell, ya got it?!"

"Too bad, Bakugo," Ochako replied, before Izuku could, "because I'm gonna be beside him every step of the way! So you can forget about bullying him!"

Izuku's heart fluttered at the protection he was getting from his crush, but that was quashed when Katsuki stared at her, a fire lighting up in his eyes.

"I'd crush you on the spot if I didn't have a game to get to!" he roared. "So fuck off and know your place!"

"Yeah!" Setsuna added. She pointed accusingly at Ochako, her index finger centered on the other girl's nose. "Know your place, bitch!"

Fortunately for Izuku, the situation didn't escalate from there. Katsuki, Eijiro, Denki, and Setsuna continued on their way, with Eijiro turning around and giving them a death glare. He maintained that position until the quartet rounded a corner and went out of sight. As soon as they were gone, Ochako sighed with relief and pressed her fingertips together.

"Jeez," she said. "Bakugo... He really gets on my nerves. I don't understand the good people like Kirishima and Kaminari see in him. I bet he'd abandon them as soon as he gets the chance."

"Well, Bakugo's a pretty charismatic person," Izuku replied tenderly. "He...He gives off a powerful aura that reels people in..."

"Yeah, well if only he'd be more generous about his power." Ochako then straightened the straps of her backpack. "Well, enough of that. Yui and I have to get going. We'll be seeing you at school, Midoriya!"

Ochako and Yui started walking down the same direction as Katsuki and his group, which Izuku was quick to notice.

"Whoa, wait a minute, Uraraka!" he called, stopping the two girls. "You're...You're following Bakugo...?"

"Well, not by choice, obviously. Our home is down that way, and I know a shortcut." The girl smiled gently at him. "Don't worry about us. If we run into him again, we know what to do. Besides, I don't think he'd risk hitting a girl out in public. He's got his silly reputation to worry about, am I right?"

Izuku hesitated for a moment, questioning Ochako's logic. Then, he replied, "I guess..."

"Alright, then!" Ochako resumed walking away, followed by Yui. "I'll see you at school, Midoriya! Bye!"

Izuku couldn't see his own face right now, but he could imagine it being the reddest it has ever been. Nevertheless, the green-haired boy overcame his shyness and raised a shaky hand.

"B-B-Bye..." he stuttered. Ochako didn't hear him; not that it mattered to him.

He watched both girls leave, but he kept his sights on Ochako. His smile was ridiculous and dreamy, and his eyes became increasingly unfocused as he happily recalled the day's events and the time he unexpectedly got to spend with his crush. Then, he heard her chuckling at something Yui said, which made his heart flutter even more like it was a butterfly.

"I can't believe this is happening to me..." he thought. "I'm finally getting some friends, and on top of it all, one of them is Uraraka, the girl I've liked for so long! And she understands me and my hobbies! I know I keep thinking this is all too good to be true, but I've been proven wrong so many times today! Uraraka really does want to be my friend, and it's not for malicious purposes or anything! I'm...I'm truly blessed to have her! I don't want this friendship to end, not even for a second! Ohhhhh, if only I knew what to do to show my appreciation to her-"

"Hey, whaddaya wanna do for tonight, Iguchi?" a familiar voice asked, the tone a disturbing mix of tough masculinity and haughty femininity.

"Eh, I dunno, Hikiishi," another familiar voice replied with boredom. "We've done everythin' in this damn boring town."

"Well, I know what I wanna do tonight," snarled a vicious third voice. "I wanna get myself some pussy!"

Izuku froze as three people ambled out of an alleyway, and the first things he saw were the lizard tattoo, the triangular sunglasses, and the rippling muscles. Upon taking in all those physical features, he felt his world crumbling away, and he suddenly imagined himself standing in the middle of a crowd of uninterested onlookers.

"Oh, no..." he thought with terror. "It's them! It's them! The men who robbed that poor girl yesterday morning!"

"Hey, speaking of which..." the lizard tattoo man said, grinning hungrily, "guess what I just spotted!"

The muscular man followed his comrade's gaze, before a horrific, hungry grin broke out on his face.

"Perfect," he hissed. "Thank you, God, for high-school girls!"

Izuku covered his mouth to suppress his frightened gasp. He knew who they were talking about, and yet he stood on the same spot, petrified, watching as the three men observed their next prey like hawks.

"Hey, I want one this time," the lizard tattoo man said greedily. "You got to have your fun yesterday!"

"Fine, fine," replied the muscular man. "But I call dibs on the brunette!"

"Goddamn it, I wanted her!"

"Well, beggars can't be choosers. Now come on! Let's have ourselves some fun!"

The muscular man and the lizard tattoo man cheered ceremoniously, while the effeminate man just snickered sadistically. Then, Izuku watched as they prowled down the sidewalk, their eyes focused on their targets, refusing to let them out of their sights. Izuku wanted to do something, but once again, he was motionless like a statue, watching pathetically as the trio of depraved crooks got further and further out of his reach.

"No!" the boy thought. "No, no, NO! What am I doing?! I'm gonna let this happen again! There isn't even anyone around who I can go to for help! I...I have to stop them alone!"

At first, Izuku became terrified by this prospect. And then...

"Help!"

"Calling for help won't do ya any good. As you can see, no one gives a damn."

That memory unlocked something deep within Izuku. A newfound energy surged within his body like an electric current. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists so tightly that he almost drew blood from his palms.

"I cared...and I still do! I'm not gonna let Uraraka and Kodai go through the same trauma as that girl from yesterday! I won't! After all, I want to be a person who helps others for the sake of good and nothing else! I want to be a superhero! I-"

Then, all of a sudden, he remembered the Yamikumo cosplay inside his backpack...and immediately went to work.

A/N: You heard it here, folks! Izuku is about to go into his first foray of heroics in this Quirkless AU! You'll see how all of it works out in the next chapter, which is where the story REALLY kicks off! For those of you unhappy with all of the OOC moments, rejoice, for the next chapter is the point where everyone transitions out of that and turns into the characters we all know and love! I assure you, it's going to be a very fantastic ride!

Anyway, once again, there won't be another chapter in a couple of weeks or so. This is the last of the prepared chapters I have in my queue, and now I have to start working on new ones. Plus, I have to attend to my other fics as well.

I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing the last chapter:

-Tohsaka413: Okay, this will be the last time I have to say this: PLEASE state your thoughts on the current chapter in your review. I need as much feedback as possible from my readers if I'm going to keep up or even improve the quality of this story. If unrelated stuff is going to make up the entirety of your review, you might as well just shoot a PM my way to avoid wasting my time and getting my hopes up for nothing. Reviews should primarily be for commenting on the material of the story as of now, okay?

-YukiNikki: Don't worry. The next chapter will definitely kick-start the whole IzuMina tag, I promise. ;)

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!