Chapter 45: Out With the Old

"This is a suffocating place, All Might. If I have an itch in my back, and I decide to scratch it with the chair, all the guns turn and point at me. They're not just monitoring my vitals, but my brain waves, too. If I even think about activating a Quirk…I'm suddenly in danger."

The Symbol of Evil was restrained by every limb, with a mask and tubing hooked up to him, keeping him alive. A thick wall of glass separated them, deep in this place called Tartarus. The prison for the worst sort of scum.

Toshinori leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. He'd dressed in his hero uniform for this visit, although in retrospect, it seemed silly. Of course he didn't look intimidating to this man. There was no point in pretending.

"You can't get out," he told All For One.

The man chuckled. "I suppose I'll let you think that for now. So…why are you here?"

All Might narrowed his sunken eyes. "You know why."

"Well, to be quite honest, yes. But I do enjoy talking, as I'm sure you know. This will be my first decent conversation in a while!"

"Where is Tomura Shigaraki?"

All For One's grin widened. "I don't know," he answered.

Toshinori fought to keep the despair off his face. It was possible that AFO was lying, but no…that smirk he wore was one of glorious ignorance. He truly had no idea of the League's whereabouts.

"Unlike yours, dear Tomura has flown from the nest already. I give him his independence, because I know that one day he will have to carry on without me."

"Every plan he's enacted in his independence has failed," said Toshinori, "but say it so. What do you mean, carry on without you? What were you trying to accomplish, All For One? To keep yourself alive for so long, in a state like that…"

"I could ask you the same question. Why continue to work as a hero after our last fight, with your body in such decay? I bet we have the same answer. Because the true work wasn't finished."

Toshinori clenched his teeth. The man was right, of course. "And what was your true work?"

"That's not a very productive question. You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Some people will just never understand each other."

"I know you wanted to rule the world. I understand that, at least."

"HA! Well, yes, in one way it is that simple. Just as you longed to become a legendary hero, I longed to do the opposite. And I was willing to do anything to let that happen. After all, it was within my power, so why not?"

"Then why bother raising a successor? Why bother with…" All Might hissed through his teeth. "Tomura Shigaraki?"

"Because of you," All For One answered, and his voice seemed to lower. "You destroyed my body. I am only alive now because of this equipment. When one senses the end is near, they pass on their work to the next person. Isn't that exactly what you're doing? And yes, I decided to use that family connection as well, just as an extra nail in your coffin. Dear old Shimura. If she saw her grandson now, and what you've allowed him to become…tut tut."

"You've got three minutes left, All Might!" the intercom said.

All For One tilted his head upward. "Oh? That's a shame. I would love to talk longer. Tell me, All Might. How are the UA students doing? Such intrepid children with bright futures. Surely you don't expend ALL your time training that Midoriya boy. You DO care about the others, right? After all, I didn't put all my eggs in the Tomura basket. I had…other projects."

All Might's nostrils flared. "Denki Kaminari," he growled. "Where is he?"

"With Tomura, I imagine. When the time comes, he will reveal himself…and that pillar of hope that society has placed UA upon will finally collapse." All For One's smile curled. "That is, if my other project doesn't do it first."

"What did you want," All Might snarled, barely holding in his anger, "with Doko Katayama."

"What I want from all people. His power. You don't think about Quirks very often, do you All Might? I do. It sort of comes with the territory. Judging which Quirks will work well with others, how they might adapt to my body, that sort of thing. But…most interestingly…I like to look at aspects of Quirks that people don't think about. If someone can control water, then they can also kill people in a matter of minutes by manipulating the water inside of them. But no one ever thinks of such things, do they? We're all too busy marveling at the titans who can just punch really hard. Do you think my Quirk and yours are the end all, be all of this world? No. Within that boy…within that boy is everything. Doko Katayama has the power to bend reality to his will, and he's going to use it to move debris out of the way during disasters. What a waste, don't you think? And it's all because no one has taken the time to open his mind. Least of all you."

"The boy's Quirk is his own. He chooses what to do with it. We all choose what to do with our power. Even if those…horrific potentials exist, most people choose not to use them even if they think of them. We're not all as vile as you."

"More's the pity. Well, All Might, I do believe your time is about up. It was a good talk. I hope you'll come back sometime."

All Might stood. "You're going to die in here, All For One."

"My fate is my own choosing. Take heart, All Might. Because of your retirement, hero society will begin to decay. The people of the shadows will try to take advantage of that, including Tomura and his friends. But, as a general rule, when a lot of villains take advantage and organize at the same time, there will be infighting. So that means less work for you and your hero friends…although, in the end, it doesn't matter."

All Might stood. Behind him, the doors had opened.

"Without your power, you're doomed to sit by and watch the war from the sidelines…just like me."

…

It was the morning after the provisional licensing exam, and most of Class A had gathered in the common room, ready to head to class…but there was small irregularity.

"What're you two so bandaged up for?" Mina asked. "Also, why are you vacuuming?"

Midoriya and Bakugo looked up at her glumly.

"Fought last night," Bakugo grunted.

"We're on house arrest now," Midoriya mumbled.

"WHAT?!" the class exclaimed together.

"That's ridiculous!" said Sero.

"Was it Aizawa-sensei?!" asked Hagakure.

"The pinnacle of stupidity…" Tokoyami muttered.

Doko looked at them strangely. Why did they fight? Was he the only one wondering about this?

Ochaco and Iida approached Midoriya uncertainly. "Did you two…make up, at least?" the brunette asked him.

Midoriya gave her a blank, exhausted stare. "That greatly depends on your definition of make up."

"You were lucky to just get off on house arrest!" Iida snapped. "Fighting in the middle of the night like that is incredibly unbecoming of you both! And now you're going to miss class!"

Bakugo ground his teeth.

Todoroki stepped in front of Doko. "Bakugo, what are you planning to do about the extra classes for the provisional license?"

"I don't fucking know yet! Now leave me alone, I'm vacuumin' here!" the boy snapped.

Todoroki blinked. "Right, of course. Happy cleaning."

"DID YOU SERIOUSLY JUST TELL ME THAT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE?!"

Sero snorted. "Todoroki let off a good one after all!"

"Yeah, Bakugo!" Kirishima taunted at him, as they walked out of the dorm. "Happy cleaning!"

"Grrrrr…."

The rest of the class was following them, Ochaco and Iida included. "Doko," Mina said, tapping him on the shoulder. "Ready to go?" She pointed back with her thumb toward the door, and offered her other hand out to him.

"Oi, Katayama. Hold up a second." It was Bakugo, from his other side.

Doko winced and smiled at Mina apologetically. "One moment. Wait for me outside, dear."

She smirked. "Call me that more often and I won't get impatient." With a twirl of her skirt, she left him with Bakugo.

"What do you want?" Doko asked the other boy. Whoops. He hadn't meant to sound aggressive or annoyed.

Bakugo's red eyes flashed over to Midoriya, who was whistling to himself on the other side of the common room, cleaning a corner, far out of earshot. "Listen," the blonde boy said in a low voice. "I was the one who picked the fight with the nerd last night."

Doko blinked. "Okay. I kind of assumed that already."

Bakugo cringed. "Look, I just…if he hadn't gone through with it, I would have asked you instead."

That took him aback. "Bakugo…I can't fight you right now. I'm not even at full strength."

"I know. That's why I was glad that Deku accepted. I didn't want to have a rematch when you're not at your best."

Doko suddenly felt weary, and more than a little irritated. "What would be the point of us fighting anyway? Were you just looking for people who've got the best of you in the past, so you can get revenge?"

Bakugo just stared at him for a moment, and Doko saw grief in his red eyes. For a moment, his shoulders sank. I'm…I'm being too mean again, aren't I? Just like with Todoroki at the sports festival, I'm assuming things…

"I just wanna know," the boy mumbled. "Have you been feeling…responsible, at all? For everything that happened?"

"What, because we got captured?"

Bakugo nodded almost imperceptibly. "It was because we let ourselves get taken…because we were weak…that All Might…" He stopped talking abruptly, as if his breath had caught in his throat.

Doko didn't know what to say. "I…I'm sorry, Bakugo. It didn't really grace my mind. I…" He swallowed. "I can't really tell you, but All For One spoke to me about some…things. While you were fighting the rest of the League, right before All Might got there. And those…things are what I think of the most, when I think back to that day. I haven't been able to dwell on anything else."

Bakugo nodded. "Well…alright then. I was just making sure."

Doko's eyes nearly popped out. Was he…worried about me?

"I'm gonna head out now," he muttered, taking a step back and tightening his bag on his shoulders. "I…look forward to seeing you both back and training, when this punishment is over."

Bakugo had already turned back toward his vacuum, but he looked over his shoulder again. "You're not very competitive, are you Katayama?"

"Yep. It's what you've always hated about me, remember?"

"I called you an extra." The blonde's eyes were far afield, as if he was already returning to destructive thoughts. "Hurry up and get the strength in your legs back, so we can compete properly. And don't give me that crap about not competing. Even if it's one-sided, I'll keep trying to pass you, and the damn nerd, and Icy Hot…and you guys will keep improving, too."

"We'll all improve," Doko said softly, smiling now. "Have a good day, Bakugo."

He turned, and went outside. It was a beautiful, sunny day…and Mina was waiting for him, her hand outstretched, a toothy grin on her face.

Doko took her hand, and they swung them as they walked together, toward a new day of school.

"What did the time bomb want?" Mina asked.

Doko winced. Honesty. I must be honest. He'd been utterly, completely transparent with Mina about everything up to this point…except for the thing Recovery Girl had told him.

His faster aging.

Forget about that for now! Do I tell her this? I mean, part of it is Bakugo's feelings…which he may not want to be shared…

Mina seemed to read the conflict on his face. "If it's something you can't talk about, I understand," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "You two both went through something awful together, right? I imagine there's a certain…bond now. If you can even call it a bond when Bakugo's involved."

Doko chucked tiredly and ran his free hand through his hair. "I guess so, yeah. And it was indeed about our joint capture. He wanted to know if I had been feeling guilty about All Might's retirement, since he had to come and save us. I think…I think he was genuinely considering my feelings."

"You sound awed," Mina giggled.

"Well, aren't you? Bakugo's changed a lot."

"I suppose so. But he and Midoriya still got in trouble for fighting. I wonder what all that was about."

For some reason, Doko felt like he had a murky idea. Nothing concrete, though. Is it something to do with All Might?

"Well, I don't think it's any of our business," he said aloud. "Enough people will be gossiping about it as it is."

"Oh, I know," Mina groaned, with an eyeroll. "For such a prestigious school, some people here just can't keep their mouth shut."

"Don't act like you aren't part of the problem."

She giggled and stuck her tongue out.

…

As predicted, they heard whispers about the "mysterious fight outside the dorms" echo through the crowded halls as they made their way to 1-A's classroom. A girl with very long blue hair passed by, repeatedly patting the back of a tall blonde boy and pestering him with comments.

"Did you hear? I heard it was two first years! Two first years, can you believe it? I wonder which ones? Were they Class A? Class B? Do you think the villain attack has affected them? I wonder…"

The tall blonde boy just kept smiling as he walked, barely paying any attention to her. Third years, I guess. In the middle of the hallway crowd, they had stood out to Doko for some reason.

At the edge of the first year hallway, Doko and Mina caught up to the rest of the class…some of whom were outside the classroom, talking to a group of students from Class B.

Or more accurately, having a sort of…spat.

"Hahahahaha! I heard you had TWO! TWO people fail the licensing exam!" Monoma cried, laughing hysterically and pointing at them.

"You're insane as ever, huh?" Sero commented.

"And what about you?" Kirishima asked. "Did you end up being the only one who failed, Monoma? Just like the final exams?"

Monoma turned around dramatically, gathering himself with a deep breath. "We…ALL PASSED!" he exclaimed, whirling around and throwing up his arms in frantic victory.

Kendo decked him in the side of the face. "Sorry again," she apologized, bowing to Iida.

"Don't worry about it!" Iida replied a bit too aggressively.

Todoroki had a shadow over his face, and he was leaning against the wall. "Sorry guys…it's my fault…"

Kirishima waved his hands. "No, dude! They're the ones making it a competition all on their own!"

"Oi," said Setsuna Tokage as she passed by, following some of the Class B members into their room. "Don't lump us in with Copy Machine." Behind her, Ibara Shiozaki nodded. "We will take responsibility for his sins," she said gravely.

Sero straightened up. "Oh, h-hey Shiozaki, didn't see you there."

"Hello, Sero-kun." Ibara gave him a glowing smile. "I am glad to see that you passed the exam. We are one step closer to bringing peace to the streets once again."

"Haha, yeah! Glad to s-see that you passed too!"

Doko, Kirishima, and Shoji all deadpanned at him.

"Obvious."

"Not subtle."

"Cringe."

Sero glared at them, but Ibara gave him a parting wave and a last smile as she entered the B classroom, and he wilted, smiling back. From within, they could hear Monoma shouting at her about fraternizing with the enemy.

"Let's get inside," said Shoji.

…

"So," Aizawa said to them, as they all sat down in the classroom. "The new semester has begun in earnest. And you all…mostly…have your provisional licenses now. With what's going on in the outside world, we cannot afford to waste time. Today we will stay indoors, but you will have harsher training than ever this semester."

Tsuyu raised her hand.

"Yes, Asui?"

"Ribbit. What's a work study?"

Hushed gasps and whispers crackled around the room. Doko stiffened. A work study…along with the dorm fight, rumors about this mythical activity had been circulating through the halls. The upperclassmen all already seemed to know what it was, but the first years were clueless.

"I have been wondering about this as well," said Tokoyami.

"Yeah, me too!" Sero added.

Aizawa sighed. "I was planning to tell you at a later date…but I guess it is also logical to do it now. A work study is an extended hero activity at a professional agency. They are similar to the internships you all did after the Sports Festival, but they are much longer, and closer to a real job. Also, unlike internships, they are only available to those who have received their provisional licenses. Which means…until this year, only third years and a few select second years have been doing them. But now, with the villains as active as they are, we are thinking seriously about your participation."

"Wait a second…" Uraraka stood up out of her seat. "If there was a whole other internship-like system, then why did we go through all that trouble getting scouted from the Sports Festival, then?!"

"Calm down, Uraraka-san," Aizawa told her. "Just like the internship agencies, agencies that have the potential to be a place of work study use the Sports Festival as a scouting opportunity. However, considering the heavy workload that UA puts on its students in the second semester, we do not make these connections for you as part of class. There will be no list of offers handed to you; you will have to search for a work study at your own discretion. This means that those who did not do well in the Sports Festival will have a very hard time securing one this year. Not all of you are ready to take on this challenge, in any case. With this being the first year where students your age have licenses at all, we're still ironing out the kinks."

"...Right…" Uraraka mumbled, sitting back down. "I apologize for the misunderstanding."

Doko fell into his thoughts, wondering. With my license and my Sports Festival victory, I could do a work study and start putting my Quirk to use right away…

But he needed his legs back. Bakugo did have a point. He absolutely needed his Quirk to fully return to him…and soon.

…

EARLIER…

"You caught a pretty big fish, didn't you Twice?" Shigaraki rasped.

Denki took a step sideways as the man known as Overhaul came into view. Alongside his long, pointed mask and white gloves, he wore a fancy vest with fur lining the top, almost like the one Ashido used to have with her hero costume. Aside from his getup, he seemed to have normal brown hair, and a normal-looking build. What is his Quirk, I wonder? If things came down to it, Denki would protect the League. That was what All For One had told him to do.

"Big fish? That's ironic…League of Villains." The man's voice was normal, too.

"Huh?" said Magne, resting her magnet on her shoulder. "Is this guy famous or something?"

Shigaraki chuckled. "He's yakuza. The head of the Shie Hassaikai. The Eight Precepts of Death."

A shudder went up Denki's spine.

"So he's at the top of organized crime?!" Magne cried. "Oh, I didn't realize! Wow, he even smells dangerous!"

Overhaul sighed. "Sick…" he mumbled.

Denki tilted his head. What was the guy talking about?

"Organized crime?" Toga questioned. She looked up at Compress, who was sitting on the box above her. "How's he any different from us?"

"In the past before Quirks, there were many such groups," the magician replied smoothly. "They operated below society, out of the reach of the police, building criminal empires by dealing in things like drugs and firearms. They would protect the communities they resided in, and often better than the official authorities did. That was the old way of crime. But since the emergence of heroes and villains…" Compress looked back up at their new friend. "...The yakuza has gone a bit to the wayside."

Overhaul chuckled. "Well, it's hard to see why groups like you have taken the spotlight from us. Gods, but is this place dusty." He coughed, and shifted his foot nervously, rubbing it along the floor of the warehouse.

"So what is this impoverished yakuza boy doing here? Are you also looking to capitalize on All Might's retirement?" Magne asked.

"I'm looking…for a cure," he mumbled, and the hair on the back of Denki's neck stood up.

"It's not about the loss of All Might," he continued. "But about the loss of the other. All For One."

Denki gasped, and he stepped forward, bringing himself out of the shadows. "You understand, too?" he asked the man. "The importance of the Symbol of Evil…"

Overhaul's eyes widened. "You're a UA kid, aren't you?" He turned his head back toward Shigaraki. "You've been busier than I expected. Having a hero student turn traitor is definitely a good start, and more than I was hoping for, but still…" he rubbed the sides of his mask in an almost obsessive way.

"What are you talking about?" Shigaraki growled. "Why did you mention Master?"

"Because," the yakuza leader said plainly, "he was the leader of us all. Not in the same way that All Might led the light side, of course. We criminals work differently. While All Might commanded respect and admiration and dedication on one side of the coin, All For One commanded fear on our side. He was a mere legend to my generation, but my elders had reason to be afraid of him. He kept all kinds of villain groups in line with his mere presence. That's power. After Kamino Ward…All Might's power was completely drained, and All For One was finally caught, for the first time ever. Thrown into Tartarus. The hero side is scrambling for a new leader, so…should we not be doing the same? Who will be the next legend that commands fear throughout the underworld?"

Shigaraki chuckled. "You knew who my master was, and you're still asking that? The next leader is me. I've only begun to gather troops. More will come soon, and then we will crush hero society from top to bottom."

"And do you have a plan?" Overhaul asked.

Shigaraki took pause. "A…"

"A plan. I'm asking if you have one."

"Why, you little…" the hand villain snarled, and began to step forward. Twice tensed up, looking back and forth between them frantically. "Did you come here to challenge me?"

Overhaul shook his head. "No. We need to work together. You have widespread name recognition as the League. My organization…lacks that, but we have something that you lack as well. A concrete goal, and the means to carry it out. Heroes…villains…it's all a warping, don't you see? A warping caused by this disease that began with rats in China, spread to a mother who gave birth to a glowing baby, and kept spreading from there."

Denki's eyes widened, his heart thumping.

"You're all sick," Overhaul snarled, "and you need a cure. Put yourselves under me, and we'll reach your goal of destroying hero society. And no one will ever live with a Quirk again."

"Twice…" Shigaraki growled, stepping even closer. "Don't bring people here without checking their intent."

"Boss, I…"

"My intent?" Overhaul chuckled. "It will be more than intent soon enough. I'm sure All For One had his reasons for choosing you, Tomura Shigaraki…but it should have been me. I'll be the one to step up and rule the underworld."

Magne leapt from her perch, dashing toward Overhaul with her magnet outstretched. "Sorry, Mr. Yakuza! But we didn't gather here to be put under someone ever again! The League of Villains means to live free, when all is said and done!"

Overhaul suddenly glowed blue, and was yanked toward her, Magne's Quirk pulling him in. Denki froze, unsure of what to do.

"We're here…because we don't want to be bound by ANYTHING!" Magne roared, and the two of them collided, her magnet driving into him…

Too late, Denki saw that Overhaul had taken one of his gloves off.

A single pale hand dragged over the edge of Magne's wrist, the tracing touch as light as a feather. The magnetic villain swelled gruesomely, and then exploded, into a pile of blood and guts and bone.

Denki heard someone scream. It might have been him.

"Fuck's sake," Overhaul muttered, his body leaned over like some kind of foul creature. "That's filthy…"

Blood rained down around him. Twice was stepping backward in horror.

"B-big Sis Magne!" Toga wailed.

"This is exactly what I wanted to avoid…" Overhaul growled, sounding genuinely angry. "You all made the first move, don't forget."

Compress leapt forward, hand outstretched.

"WAIT!" Shigaraki yelled.

"This guy's trouble! I'll seal him away with my Quir…"

Something came whistling through the air, over Denki's head, on a half-vertical trajectory toward Compress's outstretched arm. It passed through with a thwack, and the magician faltered. "Huh? My Quirk?"

Overhaul glared daggers at him. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" he screamed, and swatted Compress away, the magician's arm blowing up in the process, a second eruption of blood raining down on the floor.

"ARRGH!" Compress wailed in pain, clutching his bleeding stump and backing off. "AAAAAH!"

Shigaraki rushed in. Denki saw another thing whiz past, and saw it bounce against the floor, missing Shigaraki. In a split second, he saw it for what it was. A bullet.

Overhaul's eyes shot open in panic, and he crossed his arms in front of himself. "SHIELD!"

Another masked man appeared out of nowhere, and Shigaraki's hands went deep into his chest, decaying him to gray dust as Overhaul scrambled away.

Denki and Toga ran forward. To the left, Twice was kneeling over Compress, trying frantically to stop the bleeding. In the center of the room, Shigaraki and Overhaul stood apart, the remains of the two corpses between them.

"If that's what you were aiming for, you should have opened with it," Shigaraki growled.

The hangar door burst open, revealing more men in masks. One of them was MASSIVE, and muscular, with a very small man riding on his shoulders. Another, in a white cloak, leapt down gracefully. "That was close, Overhaul!"

"You're late," the yakuza leader grumbled.

"Sorry, I missed a shot. There was enough immediate effectiveness, though." The white-cloaked masked man held up a gun. Denki connected the dots in his head. A bullet that cancelled Compress's Quirk?

"How did you…boss, I swear! We weren't followed!" Twice babbled.

"It was probably someone's Quirk," Shigaraki said with a sigh.

"It'll be hard to make objective decisions like this…" Overhaul drawled. "Anyway, it's not productive to cut down each other's forces. We're even right now with a corpse on each side. It's a good time to stop. We'll owe you an arm, though."

"BASTARD!" Twice roared. "I'll kill you!"

"Tomura-kun, I can cut him, right?" Toga asked with deadly seriousness, unsheathing her knife.

"No," Shigaraki growled.

"Let's talk again on another day," said Overhaul, turning to walk out of the half-destroyed hangar, his lackies following him. He tossed a business card over his shoulder, and it floated to Shigaraki's feet. "Think about your organization. When you're ready to do business, give me a call."

As they left, Twice said to Shigaraki, "Why did you let them go? Please, let me take responsibility!"

"I want to cut them!" Toga echoed.

"Right now," said Denki, inserting himself into the conversation, "you need to get Compress to the hospital." He leaned down and helped the magician. "Can you stand?"

"My Quirk…" the man choked out. "Wouldn't come…"

Denki felt cold. That man…wants to replace All For One instead of Shigaraki…

And the Eight Precepts of Death had beaten the League utterly in this encounter. Shigaraki was retreating into the shadows to brood, true enough. By all appearances, the yakuza were more numerous, more organized…

And he wanted to get rid of Quirks entirely.

Denki looked down at his own hands, which would course with electricity if he willed them to, only…they hadn't always. This Quirk wasn't made for him; it had been gifted.

Were Quirks made for humanity in the first place? Maybe…maybe they really should be gotten rid of…

As Toga and Twice helped Compress up, Denki stared at the retreating yakuza, no longer afraid. I don't know if Shigaraki can reach the heights of All For One. But that guy…

That guy maybe could…

…

It was three days after Aizawa had initially told Class A about the work studies, which meant that Midoriya's house arrest was over. He rejoined the class with a determined gusto that Doko found mildly amusing. "I've got to catch up on everything I missed the last three days!" he declared to them, steel in his eyes. The boy really did have a drive, didn't he?

"Well, now that Midoriya's here…" Aizawa said in his usual tone of voice, as the class settled down to listen. "...I can talk to you more about the work studies. Or, actually it won't be me talking. Come in."

The door opened. A small effect of Doko sitting in the first seat in the classroom, right in front of Mina? He got the first look at every person who entered the room.

His eyes widened. It's the blonde boy from the hallway! And the girl with the blue hair! Oh, and another guy. What's he look so depressed about?

Three students. Three third year students. Class A was gasping and whispering, looking at the newcomers with wonder and confusion.

"These are the Big Three," Aizawa explained. "They represent the very top of the UA student body. The third year hero course students with the most notable achievements attached to them. They all participate in work studies, and will be able to better explain their nature better than I could. Now, if you'll introduce yourselves, starting with Amajiki."

The third one, the one Doko hadn't seen before, lifted his head. He had long dark hair and pointy ears, and his eyes were narrow, and seemed to bore into their very souls.

Class A wilted under his piercing gaze, frightened. "What's with that look?" hissed Jiro.

Then…Amajiki wilted. "Hado…Mirio…it's no use…" he mumbled, in such a low voice that Doko could only hear him by virtue of being at the front of the room. "I imagined them as potatoes like you suggested, but the rest of them are still human. I can't do this…my mind's going blank…" he suddenly whirled on his heels and leaned his head against the wall. "I want to go home."

"Huh?" Kirishima raised an eyebrow.

"Erm…" Ojiro coughed. "You are among the top of UA's hero course, right?"

"Of course he is!" said the blue-haired girl with twinkling eyes. "Amajiki's just a little shy, don't worry!" She leaned over, and patted her friend on the shoulder. He grunted and continued to lean against the wall. "Anyway, that's Tamaki Amajiki, and I'm Nejire Hado! It's so pleasant to meet you all! We were asked to come talk to you about work studies, but uhh…" Her eyes suddenly widened, and she gasped, leaning forward to Ojiro's desk with a giggle. "Ojiro-kun, can you support your whole body with your tail?"

Ojiro flushed red, his eyes darting down toward Nejire's ample chest and then back up, as he scooted his chair backward. "Well, uhh…"

"And what about you? You're Shoji, right?" She slid to the right, continuing down the row. "Why do you wear the mask? Are you sick? Is it to look cool?"

"Well, as a child, I…"

"No way, is that Todoroki back there? Oh my god, it is! You're so mysterious! How did one side of your face get burned like that?"

Todoroki bristled. "Isn't that a bit…"

"Oh, Ashido-san!" Nejire suddenly hurtled toward Doko's side of the room, forcing him to shrink against the wall to avoid getting smacked in the head by her chest. "Can you remove your horns? Can you wiggle them without touching them, like some people can wiggle their ears?"

For once, even Mina looked a bit flustered and confused. "I don't…"

"Asui, are you a true frog, or are you more of a toad? Oh man, I have so many questions, it's just too much!" Nejire swayed back and forth.

Aizawa flashed a dangerous look at the blonde boy. "Isn't this lacking rationality?"

"Right! Sorry, Eraser Head! I'm going last to wrap things up! Anyway, that's Nejire Hado, as you already heard, and I'm Mirio Togata! Say it with me, everyone! The future is…"

Class A remained silent. The future was…what? They had no idea what he wanted them to say.

"...Grim! That's what you were supposed to say, but…it looks like my call and response was a huge failure, haha!" The boy smiled endlessly while he spoke, waving his arms around like a madman.

"Oh no," Doko gasped, looking down at his desk. "All three of them are weird." Behind him, Mina snorted.

Mirio Togata seemed to collect himself. "Well, you all look like you don't know what's going on, huh…and my jokes don't seem to be landing…"

Nejire looked back at him, making an intrigued O with her mouth. Amajiki stirred against the wall. It was like the two of them already knew what he was about to say.

Mirio thrust his fist into the air. "Why don't all you first years fight me at once?"

"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed.

"Fight you?" Sato sputtered, in disbelief. "Isn't that kind of…sudden?"

"It's the best way to experience our experience firsthand!" Mirio beamed. "To truly figure out what a work study has to offer! What do you say, Eraser Head?"

Aizawa's hair had fallen over his face like a shadow. "Do what you want. I think I'm gonna take a nap."

…

Gym Gamma.

The eighteen students of Class A (missing Bakugo) and the Big Three had assembled with their gym uniforms on. As they filed into the gym, Nejire Hado stepped up next to Doko and Mina.

"Oooh, are you two dating? I think I heard something about that. From Yuyu who heard it from Reia who heard it from…oh, it doesn't matter. Well, are you? Oh, that's so cute! I can't believe first years are dating when there isn't a single couple in my class! It's so annoying! Anyway, Ashido, what IS the deal with these horns?" Nejire suddenly reached up with her hands and started wiggling them, curiously. Mina winced, a blush suddenly spreading across her face.

Doko went pale. He remembered that night in Aizawa's apartment.

Doko…rub my horns…they're sensitive…

"Oi," he growled at Nejire, putting a hand on her shoulder, placing himself between her and Mina. "Stop that. She doesn't like her horns touched."

Nejire shuddered. "It's the winner of the sports festival! What the heck? Scary."

The blue-haired girl backed off.

"Thanks," Mina muttered.

"Your panties still dry?" he asked her, smirking.

"That!" His girlfriend blushed even deeper. "It doesn't work when another girl does it…just you…"

"I'll keep that in mind."

They joined the rest of the class in facing Mirio, who stood on the opposite side of the gym from them. "All right!" the boy declared. "Are you all ready?"

"Mirio…this is a bad idea…" Tamaki whispered from against the wall. "We could have just talked about our experience with the work study and what we learned…"

"And who was going to do the talking?" Nejire asked. "You?"

Tamaki shuddered. "This is irrational. I can't believe Eraserhead approved it. Not everyone has your ambition, Mirio. What if you hurt their feelings so bad that they don't recover?"

"Hold up, what?" asked Kirishima. "Hurt our feelings? Are you underestimating us so much that you're worried about that?"

"We've fought villains, you know," Sero warned.

"We've been through far greater darkness than you could fathom," Tokoyami echoed.

Mirio only laughed. "Well, in any case, we can begin! Attack from anywhere, anytime! I'm ready!" The boy only stood there, in his gym uniform, not even getting into a fighting stance.

Doko narrowed his eyes, watching Mirio closely. It must be some kind of trick. Does he have an illusion Quirk?

"I'll attack first," Midoriya announced, stepping ahead of the rest of them, to most of the class's surprise.

Mirio's grin widened. "The problem child, huh? Come on then, let's see what you've got!"

"Right!" Kirishima declared, getting pumped up, clashing his hardened fists together. "Midoriya will be the vanguard, and then people with close-ranged Quirks can surround him!" Flanking him were Ojiro, Sato, Shoji, and Tsuyu. A bit further back, Mina and Sero and Aoyama took their stances, with their mid-range Quirks.

Doko looked to his left, at Momo and Iida, and then to his right, at Todoroki and Tokoyami. We five…we have the most powerful Quirks. Well, plus Midoriya, who's going in first. In any case, he knew there was something more to this battle. Mirio wasn't acting so confident for no reason. Doko didn't want to be the first one out…if only I had my legs!

"Here I go!" Midoriya roared, and he dashed forward with his green lightning, closing the distance between him and Mirio fast. The blonde boy kept smiling and standing there…until suddenly, his clothes slipped off of him, revealing him completely naked.

Midoriya faltered in mid-air, and Koda, Jiro, and Hagakure all screamed.

"SORRY!" Mirio apologized. "It takes some fine-tuning…"

"You're full of openings!" Midoriya said, continuing his attack anyway. His kick swung directly for Mirio's face…and passed right through.

"Huh?" Sero and Kirishima exclaimed at the same time.

Midoriya landed on the opposite side, sliding. "His Quirk lets him pass through things!" he shouted to his classmates. "Don't let him…"

Mina, Aoyama, and Sero all attacked at once, sending their acid and laser and tape right through Mirio. The two former abilities hit the rocks behind him, causing an explosion of dust. Midoriya had to dodge out of the way.

Iida stepped forward. "Wait! Stop attacking!"

As the dust cleared…Mirio was nowhere to be seen.

"I'll start with the long distance fighters!" he suddenly declared, from BEHIND them.

Jiro yelped, and fainted as he swept his legs under her, still naked. Doko tried to grab a piece of boulder that had fallen off from the prior attack, but Mirio was upon him an instant. "You, teleporter, I must take out quickly!" he declared, still with that goofy grin.

Time seemed to slow. Doko watched the boy's fist lower toward his chest like a descending shadow. He couldn't move. He tried, he really did. But his Quirk refused to go. What had come to him nearly as easy as walking or sprinting was no longer with him. All thanks to All For One and whatever he had done…Doko couldn't move.

He tried to dodge anyway, and took the punch as a glancing blow to the shoulder. It was hard enough to knock him down, causing him to clutch his shoulder in pain, doubled over.

The battle continued. Dark Shadow swept out toward Mirio, but the boy passed right through the creature and slammed Tokoyami to the ground. Sero's tape bobbed and weaved through the chaos, but Mirio continued to zoom between Class A, punching Sero and then Aoyama and then Tsuyu and then Momo…

Doko's eyes darted around, trying to follow it. In mere seconds, his class was getting taken down. Mirio was darting all over the place, disappearing and reappearing, all their attacks passing right through him.

Shoji's eyes and ears were moving all over the place, trying frantically to follow the third year. "He can warp!" Shoji declared. "He can warp, like Katayama…"

"No," Doko muttered, getting to his feet. "That's not it."

He's using the floor. He's passing through it, dropping into it and coming back out again…

Even if Mirio wasn't always solid…the floor was.

Todoroki tried to send a wave of ice out, but Mirio passed through it easily, landing a solid hit on the boy's chest that put him out of commission. Just like that, Todoroki was out…and then Mirio disappeared again, appearing behind Mina.

Mina tried to bring her palm around to hit him with light acid, but her reaction time was too slow. He landed his hit, sending her to the floor.

Doko's eyes followed him again as the boy dropped through the ground, slipping into it…and he immediately went to that spot, punching the floor where he'd disappeared, sending his Quirk through his fist. "VOID SHRED!"

The floor burst into pieces, and the close combat fighters went flying from the force of the impact. Doko lost his footing too, sliding backward, recoiling from his own attack. The dust cleared, and Mirio was stepping back away from them, still naked and smiling…but with a fresh bruise on his arm.

"Heya!" he shouted to Doko. "You could have killed me, you know?"

"That comes with the territory when you don't tell us your Quirk," Doko growled back. You punched Mina. You PUNCHED her.

"Oh?" Amajiki raised his head slightly from the wall. "One of them landed a hit. That's never happened before."

All of Class A's long and mid range had been taken out. Doko backed up, rejoining Kirishima, Uraraka, Sato, Shoji, Iida…and Midoriya.

"His Quirk may let him slip through solids," said Midoriya, "but there's a moment in which he makes himself solid to hit us, right? That's when we have to hit him."

Mirio grinned, facing them down. "Good! Now, let's dance!"

He ran at them, falling into the ground once again. Doko didn't have the energy to do Void Shred again so soon. It had been effective, but…

Midoriya suddenly whirled. "He's gonna appear…!"

Mirio burst out from behind them, and Midoriya was ready.

"Yes! Good work!" Mirio praised, although Midoriya's foot passed through his face again. The third year ducked low, and punched Midoriya in the stomach.

Iida dashed toward him, but Mirio simply let the boy slip through, and his engines misfired causing him to run into the rocks beyond. The third year dodged two more hits from Kirishima and Shoji, elbowed Sato in the face, and then took out the rest of them with a one-two-three series of left and right hooks.

"I meant to take you out first, but you're persistent!" Mirio said to Doko, zooming toward him. In a heartbeat, Doko realized he was the last one standing, just like that. That was it.

No. No, he's made a fool out of everyone else! I don't want this! I want to be the one…

"You're not very competitive, are you Katayama? Hurry up and get the strength in your legs back, so we can compete properly."

I want to be the one…who BEATS HIM!

Doko moved his right leg forward, and his Quirk discharged, like a glorious, long-awaited release. He warped through Mirio, the boy's fist passing through open air, and with a battlecry, turned round and kicked…

If he's above ground then his Quirk isn't activated in his legs and I can hit his legs and feet I can I can I CAN…

Doko deadlegged Mirio, planting his foot solidly in the crook between the boy's upper and lower leg.

From the sidelines, Amajiki's eyes widened. "I can't believe it!"

"Katayama!" Nejire exclaimed. "Your Quirk!"

Mirio staggered, coming to a halt, and then he laughed. "Brilliant!" the boy said, clapping his hands. "Alright, the fight is finished. You landed a direct hit on me! I can't believe it!" He was still laughing as he said it, as if he was genuinely happy for Doko.

The rest of Class A was stirring, groaning on the ground as they began to sit up, nursing their wounds.

Mina stared at her boyfriend in disbelief. "Doko…your legs…"

He looked down. His lower body was shimmering purple. He was GLOWING, like his Quirk was happy to return there, to the place where it belonged.

Doko smiled in relief. All For One's lingering ghost had fled. He was himself again.

…

Long chapter, hope you guys enjoyed! This one really felt like it flowed out of me. As you can probably tell, Mirio is quite impressed with Doko…maybe even impressed enough to ask him to consider joining him at his work study.

Until next time…