Akatani yawned as he walked down the sidewalk. Having just left school, the young teen was dressed in his uniform and had his schoolbag in hand. It had been a few days since the cookout and the boy was still trying to figure out just what exactly he wanted to do as he got older. Even though he was still young, Akatani was a planner by nature. In stark contrast to his normally impulsive sisters, Akatani was cautious when it came to new things and generally slower to adapt to new situations or problems. Turning down a side street, Akatani felt a little bit of stress leave his body as he slowly put distance between himself and the rest of the pedestrians. Eventually, he was alone. The sky was clear of clouds, and the occasional breeze brought with it a nice reprieve from the summer heat. As the sun shone brightly, Akatani's floppy brown rabbit ears heard a voice that sent a chill down his spine.

"Hey kiddo."

Turning slowly, Akatani's suspicions were confirmed as he saw a large figure lurking in a nearby alley.

The man was wearing clothes that looked like they had come from a donation center. Bulky pants, large boots, and a bulky jacket with a large hood that covered the man's face in darkness.

The scary man chuckled sinisterly. "You freeze up like that every time you get scared kiddo? Not exactly the best reaction."

Not bothering to answer, Akatani took a slow step away from the stranger.

"Seems like you didnt tell your dad about our first meeting huh?" The strange man said slowly. "Why is that?"

Even though his brain was screaming at him to run away, Akatani paused.

"How d-d-do you know that?" Akatani asked shakily.

The hulking man smiled wide enough for Akatani to see his jagged yellow teeth. "Because if you did, he would have killed me already."

Akatani frowned. "My dad w-w-wouldnt do that. You are lying."

The man's smile widened. "Oh I never lie kiddo. I may be a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them."

The hooded man straightened up, making Akatani flinch backwards.

"Calm down kiddo." The man rasped. "I aint gonna hurt you. Last thing I would do is hurt you. I just wanna talk."

Just as Akatani was about to make a run for it, the man said something that made him pause.

"You really don't know your dad at all huh?"

Akatani stopped and felt a spark of defiance ignite in his chest. "You don't know anything about me." Akatani spat.

The hooded man shrugged. "True, but I know your dad better than anyone else in your family. Even your mom."

Seeing that Akatani had not yet run away, the man continued.

"Your dad was like a brother to me. We fought together, bled together. He showed me what it meant to truly be strong. I know his darkest secrets, and he knows mine. You only know his future, I only know his past. If you want to truly understand your dad, you will need my help."

Akatani wanted to say that the man was lying, but deep down he knew that the man was right. Even though he knew his dad loved him, Akatani had always felt a distance between them. Not a distance of love or compassion, but of trust and understanding. To Akatani, his dad was a near mythical figure who seemed to have an endless supply of secrets that he only revealed when necessary. On the rare occasion Akatani or his sisters had questioned their dad directly about his past, they were always brushed off and simply told to wait until the time was right.

"But…" Akatani said slowly. "My dad said that I just need to wait until I am older, then he will tell me. I trust him, and you sound like you are trying to get me in trouble."

The hooded man sighed. "Your dad thinks keeping you in the dark will keep you safe. He is wrong. Contrary to what you may think about me, I want to keep your family safe. Your dad and your mom can only do so much by themselves. There will come a time when his secrets will come out whether he wants them to or not. Better to get ahead of the curve and be prepared."

Akatani mulled over what the man was saying before speaking again. "Why talk to just me though?"

The man chuckled. "Because your sisters are loudmouths who don't think things through, just like your mom. You were the most likely to listen."

Akatani felt his gut churning with unease. On one hand, the strange man was clearly not telling the entire truth and probably also had ulterior motives. On the other hand, the prospect of understanding his dad better and possibly helping him in the future was a tempting offer as well.

Taking a steadying breath, Akatani made his choice.

"Okay…let's say I listen to you." The young teen said cautiously. "What is it you want from me?"

The scary smile once again split the man's face. "For starters, to keep our little chats a secret. The last time I talked to your dad, we did not exactly leave on the best terms. I plan to talk to him face to face, but not right now."

Akatani nodded hesitantly. "You aren't going to make me do anything that would hurt anyone?"

The man shrugged. "Who you hurt is up to you. As your uncle it is my responsibility to protect you and prepare you for the future."

Akatani frowned. "And what will you do if I do tell my dad about you?"

The strange man shrugged. "Nothing, try to talk to him and stop him from killing me on sight I guess. Like I said, I would never hurt you or your family. If you tell me to stop, I will. I am a changed man."

While Akatani did not fully trust the man, it did seem like he had a complicated past and was trying to change things.

"Fine." Akatani said quietly. "We can talk some more later. How will I reach you?"

The hooded man held out a small piece of paper. "Here is my number. Try to keep communication to voice calls only. Text me only if it is an emergency."

Quickly taking the paper, Akatani stuffed it in his pocket. "Okay…um…what now?"

The hooded man chuckled. "Just keep doing what you always do. You ever wanna talk, just call me. Obviously keep it a secret. Things will get…complicated…if your parents realize who you are talking to."

Nodding, Akatani started to walk away. "Umm…okay…bye."

"See ya later kiddo." The stranger said. "And remember, just call me Uncle. We are more closely related than you may think."

Before Akatani could say anything else, the man had disappeared out of sight.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Akatani began walking home.

Just what had he gotten himself into?

Izuku yawned slightly as he put the food-stained plates from breakfast in the dishwasher. It had been a little more than a week since the cookout, and things had gone back to normal. Of course his daughters occasionally pestered him about inviting his pro-hero friends over again, but it was easily countered when he questioned them about their homework. Akatani had gone back to his usual quiet self, and while Izuku trusted his son to talk to him if he was troubled, the green-haired dad still worried every once in a while. Rumi was always busy with work and helping her students, so it meant that Izuku usually had lots of free time to do what he wanted.

Dressed in jeans, loafers, and a faded t-shirt, Izuku rinsed his hands in the sink and set the dishwasher to run. Just as he was about to leave the kitchen, the landline phone rang loudly. Picking up the phone, Izuku idly grabbed his tablet and leaned against the counter.

"Midoriya residence, Izuku speaking." He said flatly.

"Ah! Mr. Midoriya, just the man I wanted to talk to." A familiar voice said cheerily.

Arching an eyebrow curiously, Izuku gave his full attention to the phone call. "Good morning Principal Nezu." Izuku said cordially. "Don't tell me Rumi or my daughters got in trouble again."

The furry principal laughed lightly. "Not today Mr. Midoriya. I am actually calling you specifically for something else."

Izuku frowned slightly. "And what would that be?" He said suspiciously.

One could practically hear the mischievous grin in Nezu's voice. "I was hoping I could convince you to be a guest speaker again, just for a day."

Izuku sighed in annoyance. "With all due respect sir, I decline. I am not a teacher. You have my wife, what do you need me for?"

"I am glad you asked." Principal Nezu said. "You see, I am not asking you to do this simply for my own amusement. The Hero Commission wanted to understand why the majority of top-rated pro-heroes currently active all come from one specific class of mine. Besides the top three, the rest all have one thing in common…you. Of course, I explained this to the hero commission, and they were quite intrigued. I realized my folly too late, and now they seem to have taken quite an interest in you. You would think that your career records would speak for themselves, but it seems the current Hero Commission leaders are still skeptical."

Izuku suppressed a grumble. "So what? You still have not made a clear reason as to why I should care."

Principal Nezu sighed softly. "I understand your annoyance Mr. Midoriya, and I do sympathize. I spent several weeks corresponding with the Hero Commission telling them exactly what you are probably thinking. You just want to live peacefully and care for your family. So of course when the Commission bigwigs did not get what they wanted they started getting heavy handed. Making comments about investigating pro-heroes from UA, making sure there was no collusion or behind-the-scenes deals, that sort of thing."

Izuku's grip on the phone tightened, making the plastic casing crack. "So just because they can't get what they want they start making underhanded threats?! The fuck kind of administration runs that place?!"

Principal Nezu's voice darkened. "Trust me Mr. Midoriya, you are not the only one angered by this. In reality the administration is bluffing, they would find no evidence to support their claims. Even if they did try to falsify evidence, even a surface level investigation would clear the names of the accused. But that would bring needless controversy and stress to pro-heroes that they do not need."

"So you are just going to roll over and give them what they want?" Izuku growled. "What about me and my family?! You sound pretty self-centered right now."

Principal Nezu chuckled sinisterly. "Oh I have a plan to get back at those involved. Hence why I called you personally. I just want you to play along and give me some time. Trust me, you will enjoy the results."

Izuku could not help but grin a little. Principal Nezu was cunning to the bone, and if he had something up his sleeve that would get back at the bigwigs involved the results were sure to be spectacular.

"Now you are speaking my language." Izuku chuckled darkly. "Alright, you have yourself a deal. What do I need to do?"

"You will be leading a special training lesson at UA." Nezu said happily. "You are free to create your own lesson plan, I trust that it will be enlightening. The audience will consist of second and third year students from UA as well as two other nearby schools. Hero Commission observers will be there as well, along with some faculty from all schools. You have all of UA's resources available to you, so feel free to request whatever you need."

Izuku nodded as he began thinking about what he should teach. "What about guests? Can I invite observers or participants?"

"Within reason." Principal Nezu said calmly. "Nobody dangerous or unstable enough to threaten those in attendance."

"Of course." Izuku said quickly. "I was just thinking about inviting some former UA students."

Obviously understanding, Nezu laughed softly. "Then I have no objections. Feel free to contact me anytime."

Izuku grinned. "Affirmative sir. This will be a lesson to remember."