The Commission representative stood before Class 1-S with his hands behind his back, holding a briefcase. Like all of them, he wore a perfect black suit, with a white shirt underneath. He had no tie.

"You are going to be assigned to Team Endeavour," he told them. "The Shiketsu students will assist Team Edgeshot in securing Gunga Mountain Villa and combating any villains found there. You will do the same in assisting Team Endeavour."

He held up a finger. "However. You will only assist them upon our specific orders. No matter how you assess the situation, until we instruct you, you will not engage the enemy. Is that clear?"

Fukusei saluted. "Affirmative, bossman."

The representative looked to the rest of them, and they all followed Fukusei's example. Ikari, however, paused before his hand went fully up.

"Why shouldn't we help out if it's urgent, and you don't tell us to?" he asked. "Seems kind of counterintuitive to not throw everything we have at the big bad if they're strong enough."

"It's because they want to hide us until absolutely necessary," Fukusei replied, looking back at Ikari, even as the Commission representative opened his mouth. He frowned, and shut his mouth.

"They don't want the fact that they're training us to get out there. Isn't that right?" Fukusei looked at the representative with a questioning tilt of the head and a smile that dared him to lie.

The representative looked away. "That is correct."

Ikari raised an eyebrow sceptically, but saluted at last anyway.

"Your consent to battle is noted," the representative said. "You will all be informed of the location at which you are to be positioned, and at what time, by tonight. The attack on the Paranormal Liberation Front will take place tomorrow, so please prepare yourselves and ensure that any support items you may be in need of are in working order. If not, then adjust them accordingly."

"Less than a day really isn't the best preparation time!" Yamaguchi said hotly.

"You have Yasuda Rikugo with you. He can help you with any repairs you need," the representative informed her indifferently.

"What about the Shiketsu students?" she said. "They don't have Yasuda-san."

"They have another student whose quirk can be used for that situation. You need not concern yourself with them. Just be ready at the time you are given. We will give you further instructions when necessary."

"And you'll contact us how, exactly?" Fukusei asked pleasantly. "Just going to show up in your black limousine every time you need to tell us to stay alert?"

"You are to be given earpieces," the representative said, and held out the briefcase he'd kept tightly gripped in his hands the entire time. Fukusei took it and undid the clasps, looking with interest at its contents even as the representative continued.

"They have each been marked with your names," the representative continued as the others came forward to look for themselves too. "A manual has been provided to instruct you on how to operate your earpiece."

He bowed. "The Hero Commission wishes you the best of luck in your efforts. You are advised to handle the upcoming situations with calmness and rationality. Good day."

He left with surprising speed after that, leaving Class 1-S on their own.

"Which teacher is supposed to be here?" Fukusei said absently, still staring at all the different earpieces, the briefcase balanced perfectly on the tips of his splayed fingers.

"It's Tuesday, isn't it?" Ikari asked. "So that means it's…"

"Cementoss was supposed to be here by twelve forty," Yasuda said, sliding down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. "It's almost one, now."

Fukusei gently shut the briefcase.

"Hm. Yamaguchi, can you send me to the staff room?"

"Hell no," she scowled. "Not after you let that other class know about us."

Fukusei smiled. "Well, that's valid. It's alright though, I won't let anyone know this time."

Yamaguchi examined him critically for a moment, then held her arm out and opened her hand.

=0=

Aizawa leaned back in his chair, and let out a tired sigh.

Too much damn paperwork, all the time. And he couldn't forget about the attack they had planned.

Or the fact that his demon children knew about the secret class.

He had too much on his plate, honestly.

Aizawa took a sip from the mug of coffee on his desk. He held his hands around the mug, warming them. The winter had passed, certainly, but there was still a kind of chill in the air.

And then he spilled scalding coffee all over himself as Fukusei dropped silently onto his desk from above, landing crouched in a catlike pose so as to not disturb the papers strewn all over the place.

"Ah, sorry about that, sensei," Fukusei said apologetically as Aizawa scrambled out of his chair, holding his soaked shirt away from him. He looked up to see the portal wink out like an old television, and then turned a baleful glare onto Fukusei.

"I'd like to mention that I didn't open that one, nor did I know where I was going to end up," Fukusei clarified with a tiny grin. "Do you want me to help?"

Aizawa held the affected area of his clothes out. "You would have to in any case, you realize. I wouldn't let you get away without clearing this mess."

"Of course, sensei," Fukusei said, and held his hand out, curling the fingers while staring intently at the coffee stains. Slowly, it started to clear from Aizawa's shirt, and a light mist began forming in the air. After a minute, his clothes were completely dry.

"Pick it off the chair and the floor too," Aizawa said, holding his shirt up to his face. "And get off my desk."

"My bad," Fukusei said, hopping off the desk. He began to clear the coffee dripping off the chair. "I forgot I was on your desk, honestly."

"Why does this still smell like coffee?" Aizawa said dryly, holding out the patch of fabric he'd been sniffing. "I thought you could evaporate it."

"It's a mixture, so I can't evaporate the coffee as a whole," Fukusei replied as he finished with the chair, and moved his attention to the floor. "If you evaporated saltwater, you'd be left with salt. It's the same deal with coffee. I can only do the water part of it."

"Hm. Alright," Aizawa said. "Why did you even come here?"

"Oh, I was just wondering where Cementoss-sensei is. It's his slot, but he's twenty minutes late."

"Cementoss has been called for a briefing by the Commission," Aizawa told him. "Mic was assigned to monitor you in his absence, but he probably forgot, since it's not a part of his usual schedule. I'll tell him. You go back to your area."

"Sure thing. Oh, and the Commission's representative came a little while ago. We got our special earpieces and orders to stay put and prepare in advance for the attack. Just thought I'd tell you."

Aizawa nodded. "Alright. Thanks. Now go back. I'll tell Mic to get over there as well."

Fukusei pulled off a casual two-fingered salute. "Yessir."

Frowning with concentration, he made a motion with his hand, like gripping the air, and snapped his hand open. A portal flared open in front of him.

"You're getting better at using that quirk," Aizawa commented. "How often do you practice again?"

"This one?" Fukusei said. "About thrice a week."

"Good." Aizawa picked up his phone, and tapped on the phone icon. He waved a hand at Fukusei. "Now shoo."

Fukusei stepped through, and the portal closed right as Present Mic picked up.

"What's up?" came Hizashi's voice through the speaker.

"Are you at the S compound?" Aizawa said in a practiced monotone.

"Oh shit!" Hizashi said. The sound of him scrambling to get up came clearly through the speaker. "I forgot I had to be there. Thanks for reminding me, man!"

"Airhead," Aizawa said, and ended the call before Hizashi could respond.

Aizawa looked at his now half-empty mug. He sighed, drained it, and went to make himself some more.

=0=

"Well now," Ikari said, staring down at Jaku hospital. "Doesn't this look like fun."

"There's Noumu inside, apparently," Fukusei remarked. He'd gotten a tree trunk from somewhere in the forests near the hospital, and was leaning against it, following the events from his earpiece as they unfolded.

"White, gray, or black? Or are they those intelligent ones?" Yasuda asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"Sounds like they're dealing with them pretty efficiently, so I'd say they're white. Maybe gray. Ah, Mirko says she's found some more in the hidden area of the hospital."

"Good for her."

=0=

"The High-End Noumu found in the hospital are giving the heroes engaging them some difficulty," said a voice in the room. "The doctor is attempting to revive Shigaraki, and the heroes may be unable to get past the High-Ends in time. Backup recommended."

"Contact 1-S," the general with the glasses said, his gloved hands steepled in front of his face. "Send Collateral Damage to assist."

"Gran Torino is already headed that way," another general replied. "Their help may yet be unnecessary."

"It makes no difference if he is seen or not," the first one responded. "A good portion of the heroes engaging the High-Ends are aware of the elite programme. Those that aren't can be trusted to keep the secret. It is better to have a powerful unit on standby than none at all."

The general who had replied nodded. "Notify them."

=0=

"Hey, Neru," Fukusei said. "You're up. Fight the Noumu in the basement. Yamaguchi, you've been sent the coordinates. Portal him."

=0=

Enji readied a fistful of fire to blast the incoming Noumu.

A ring of flaming blue opened up between them and then the room was full of thunder and shockwaves.

His flames were blown out in the ensuing gales. Enji clutched at one of the wires that snaked over the floor like vines in the jungle, and grabbed onto Mirko to prevent her being blown away too.

When the storm died down, Enji opened his eyes to see the room completely wrecked, pink liquid leaking out of the shattered remnants of the cells that crowded this place. The blue circle was gone, and in its place stood a boy in green and blue, perhaps no more than Shouto's age. His hands had fresh blood on them.

In front of him, the Noumu lay. At least, what was left of it.

"Hell," he said. "This doesn't make me a murderer, does it? I don't want to kill anyone."

"No, it doesn't," Enji said as he rose. He laid Mirko gently on the floor, propped against the base of one of the cells, then stood.

"Who are you? Your face is familiar."

"Yeah, you probably don't remember," the boy said, looking away. "I'm part of the Commission's elite programme. My quirk is Collateral Damage. I can release concentrated bursts of power. I've been dispatched to help you take care of the Noumu."

The Commission's elite programme. Enji could remember something like that.

"Thank you for your assistance," he said, as Gran Torino rocketed their way.

"Sorry I'm late!" he said, hovering in place as he looked at the boy. "Who are you?"

"Hero student Collateral Damage," the boy said smoothly. "Call me Damage though."

"Should he be here?" Torino asked Enji. "It's not safe for students to fight something like this."

Enji gestured at the remains of the female Noumu. "He killed that one. You can figure for yourself whether or not he's capable."

Gran Torino looked at the smashed remains, the splatter that surrounded it. He looked at the blood on the boy's hands.

"Alright then."

A few of the other heroes came running up. "Endeavour! Do you need any help?"

"No," Enji replied. "But we must stop Garaki before he can revive Shigaraki!"

"On it," Damage said. "Which way?"

Behind Enji, Mirko must have pointed, because the boy's eyes flickered to her.

"Alright."

He crouched.

And then he was gone in a blur of motion accompanied by rushing winds, cracks left in the floor, depressions where his fingers had gripped into the ground.

The other heroes gaped. Except for Present Mic. He just frowned.

"Endeavour, who's the kid?" Rock Lock asked.

Endeavour glanced at what Damage had done to the Noumu. "Later. Are there any other Noumu?"

"Yes! Eraserhead, Crust, and X-Less are facing them!" Ryukyu said.

Endeavour kindled fire in his hands. "Then let's take them out. Mic, Torino, you go with the boy. We cannot let Shigaraki wake up!"