I do not own My Hero Academia.

This story was written with the help of another writer who wishes to remain anonymous, but has done most of the work and wishes for it to be posted here on fanfiction.

The countryside had always been an oddity for Inko Midoriya. For most, if not her entire life, Inko had stuck to the cities. In the last years, she had only travelled from urban area to urban area, if she had ever travelled at all. Seeing the vast fields, small forests… it was rather strange. At the same time, it felt nice.

At the moment, Inko felt like she was off to some grand adventure. Walking down a dirt road, between rows of trees, there was something ominous about trekking beneath the shade. Perhaps Inko was merely worried about the upcoming meeting, or the fact she was unused to such surroundings. Regardless, Inko was starting to get a bad feeling about her journey.

The dirt road led Inko to her destination: a small shop. Barely a wooden building, the shop offered all sorts of refreshments, candies and even gifts. There were fridge-magnets, trinkets and a few colorful earrings. Inko's attention, though, didn't linger on the place. Rather, her green eyes wandered off across the road, to a bench, occupied by two people: her parents.

Inko felt her heart skip a beat as she saw the pair. Old and grey-haired, they both wore straw hats, colorful shirts and baggy pants. They didn't have many wrinkles and might have been mistaken for a younger couple, yet their movements weren't fluid and there was a certain rigidity whenever they raised their tea cups to their mouths. Behind them, leaning against a tree, was their old battered motorcycle and their suitcase.

"Hey, bunbun, over here!" Called her father.

Inko smiled and hurried towards the couple. The elders stood up (with some visible effort) and hugged their daughter. It was a merry reunion, all laugh and smiles.

"Dear, you are supposed to want us long gone, not track us down across Japan," laughed Inko's mother.

"I'd never want that!" Said a scandalized Inko.

"Nah, you're too nice," chuckled her father. "We raised you way too straight and uptight, I'll say."

"Oh stop it, dear" chided her mother.

It was as they stepped away from each other that Inko took note of their height. She had always been rather short in comparison to her peers, however she had never questioned the fact both her mother and father were a head taller each, even in their old age. Why was she noticing that just now? Oh, she knew alright, but feared to even admit it.

"So you finally made it. We actually thought you'd get lost, didn't we love?" Her father joked.

"Of course not," harrumphed her mother. She did look like she was lying, though.

"Come on, let us sit down, bunbun," her father cheerfully said. "Dear God, I love this. The nature… the wild…"

The three sat by the bench, enjoying a moment under the shade of the trees and the gentle touch of the wind. Inko almost felt like she was back like her family used to be. Almost.

"What brought you here, bunbun?" Her father asked after a while.

"I just... wanted to see you, that's all," mumbled Inko.

"Come on, bunbun, you've never been the adventurous type," her mother pointed out. "Speaking of adventurous… how did you find us?"

"Yeah, we kind of lost our phone two villages back," wondered Inko's father.

"Your old friend Yamato had a good guess where you would be. All I had to do afterwards was call search for the cheapest bed and breakfasts along the way and ask for you two," said Inko.

"Should have never told Old Yama about this journey," grumbled Inko's father.

"Why didn't you tell me where you were headed?" Asked Inko, wringing her hands.

She didn't wish to have ill-thoughts about her parents, but to her it felt like they were abandoning her.

"We've told you already, dear. We don't wish to bother you," softly said her mother.

"We are in the twilight of our lives, bunbun," sighed her father. "Any moment now one of us will drop dead…"

"…and the other will follow no soon after," finished her mother.

The two squeezed their hands with comfort. Although it was nice to see them still so close and loving towards each other, the resignation and defeat in their faces made Inko's heart ache.

"Don't say that! People live up to a lot longer nowadays and you're not that old," Inko protested.

"No… but past life choices are coming back to haunt us," muttered her father.

Inko bit her lips, unsure. Should she bother or pester them further? She already felt bad enough for interrupting their little getaway, but knowing that she might actually be part of those past choices going after them…

No, think about Izuku, she thought. He deserves to know.

It was with thoughts of her son that she steeled herself and mustered her courage. Besides, she had come that far. Better not to return empty-handed.

"Don't pity us, bunbun," said her father, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes, we lived a great fun life," added her mother.

"We've made mistakes… a shit-ton of them… but over all, it was freaking worth it," grumbled her father.

"Dad," gasped Inko, scandalized.

"You're no longer a little girl, bunbun," chuckled her father.

Inko did not get the impression either of her parents were truly trying to enjoy their last decade or less of life. To her, it looked more as if they were escaping something. Perhaps the looming realization that death wasn't that far was affecting them a lot more than Inko had first thought.

"Y-you should have stayed in Mustafu. Izuku barely knows you as it is. He would have loved to have his family there…" Inko said. And so would have Inko.

There were times, especially after Izuku had been diagnosed as quirkless, that she felt as if her parents had run off, unwilling to help her. They had showed up a couple of times, but it all felt… awful, as if they were doing the bare minimum. Then again, Inko, probably much like Izuku, had held her problems too close to her chest and rarely opened up to her parents. Perhaps they really believed that Inko and Izuku weren't having such a rough time and they weren't needed.

"I think it would be best if he knows as little of us as possible," said her father with a grimace.

"The less he knows about us, the less he'll mourn us," sighed her mother.

Inko felt terrible. Just why were her parents so fatalistic? Why were they treating the journey as if it may be their last? A horrible possibility struck her that perhaps that one of her parents had actually been diagnosed with a terminal disease and they didn't want to say anything.

"Let us no beat around the bush, bunbun," her mother said. "Why did you come to us?"

Well, it was time to get some answers.

"I-I am trying to figure something out," admitted Inko.

She noticed the way her parents exchanged worried and knowing looks. Inko wrung her hands. She didn't want to assume, but it felt like her parents were hiding something. She looked around, before biting her lip.

"It's about… well… Izuku," mumbled Inko.

"What about our grandson?" worriedly ask her mother.

"Well… how to explain this?" Inko bit her lip. "Izuku has – ehm – manifested a quirk."

Her parents gasped, shocked. A smile formed on their faces, delighted by the news.

"Thing is… it doesn't make sense," Inko carried on.

Something passed before the eyes of her parents. They glanced at each other, a knowing look flashing ever so quickly. Inko played it as if she hadn't noticed. Something about the whole thing was starting to worry her.

"In what way?" Slowly asked her father.

"Well, it is completely unrelated to anyone in the family," stated Inko. "It wouldn't be so strange if he wasn't a fourth generation quirk-user. There generally has to be someone quirkless in the bloodline for a random quirk to show up… at least in most cases."

"Oh dear," grumbled her mother.

Her father grabbed her mother's hand reassuringly.

"Could you give us some more details, bunbun?" Inko's father stated.

"Alright, Izuku can… well… he can transform into a rabbit girl."

The reaction was immediate. The two elders gasped, horrified. They immediately scowled. Inko's mother looked absolutely devastated by the news while her father gritted his teeth.

"God damn it," muttered her father. "Of course that had to happen."

Oh no, this isn't good, mentally worried Inko. Just as she had suspected Izuku's surprise quirk actually had an explanation behind it.

"Alright, bunbun, you'll want a drink or two for this," grumbled her father.

"Th-that bad, huh?" said Inko, trying to force a smile.

However, both her parents didn't look at all happy. In fact, they had an air of resignation hanging around them. They actually looked like two escapees who had been caught by the law.

Inko was not looking forward to this.

-…-

It was Monday, and thus the beginning of a new week in U.A. Students laughed and enjoyed their high school time before the first bell, all while they went towards their classrooms. Everyone looked content. To her own surprise, Izumi felt strangely full of energy and lively. She felt no pains or sore muscles, a miracle no doubt but Izumi was not about to complain. However, something strange had happened that morning.

The little rabbit girl entered the classroom next to a chirpy Ochaco. Most of their classmates were already in attendance, clustered in groups. The pair ignored most of their peers and went straight towards a seated Iida.

"Greetings Izumi, Ochaco" greeted Iida politely, only to frown at Izumi. "I do not wish to sound rude but there is something…"

"Different? Yeah, I don't know," nodded Izumi. "Ochaco said the same thing."

"I swear you look taller," Ochaco said, trying to make rough height comparisons with her hands. "I am sure I was like one head taller than you."

Iida studied Izumi who in turn shrugged. The rabbit girl, in part, was not about to tell them that she had also felt shorter when she woke up as Izuku. She had no idea what it meant, or if it meant anything at all. Perhaps it was just their imagination, or maybe there was something wrong. In any case, as long as it wasn't anything serious, Izuku wasn't worried.

From the corner of her eyes, Izumi noticed Mineta. She tried not to look too worried, but Izumi wondered if Mineta had been the source of the strange noise she had heard before the sleepover. Could he have seen her change forms?

Mineta was chatting with Kaminari and Sero. For a moment, Izumi feared that he was trying to convince them that he had seen her change forms. However, one glance from Mineta, and the petite boy sent her what he probably thought was a winning smile. Ochaco and Izumi cringed and looked away.

Apparently, if Mineta had been a peeping tom that Friday Night, he had seen little of Izumi. That was good. Izumi sighed in relief and, with a weight lifted from her shoulders, braced for the long day ahead.

Soon enough Aizawa marched in, scaring them into submission. Under a strict silence imposed by Aizawa's iron rule, he went over the roll call with his usual tired grumpiness. After a grueling time with Aizawa, their homeroom teacher left, their spirits returned and a new day at U.A. officially started.

One class afterwards, the first bell rung and the students all sprung from their seats, glad that they had one less class ahead of them. As some stretched their legs and other started chatting about this or that, a certain group of girls surrounded the resident peeping Tom of 1-A. Said boy grinned, ignoring the looming danger.

"Oh Mineta!" Ashido said with a singsong voice.

"Girls, how may I help you?" Mineta smoothly said.

"I don't know," Ashido said with a grin. "How about you answer a few questions?"

Mineta seemed to finally understand what was happening. He noticed Yaoyorozu's stoic face, Jiro's glare and Hagakure's moody demeanor. He also realized he was surrounded.

"This isn't going to go down like in my fantasies, is it?" Mineta gulped.

"No," the girls chorused.

Mineta looked to his right, then to his left. Abruptly, he shot down his desk and made a run for the door.

"You'll never catch me alive!" Exclaimed the boy.

"Quick! Grab that pervert!" Ashido ordered.

Unfortunately, the boy used his small size to run under desks and people alike. Confident on his escape, Mineta laughed at the girls who tried to capture him. Desks were pushed aside, chairs toppled and more than one student exclaimed as they were almost jumped over. Jiro reached the door first and slammed it shut, but Mineta had seen the girl beforehand and changed course to the windows. With one leap, he nearly achieved his escape.

"Goodbye, suckers!" Laughed Mineta mid-air, almost reaching freedom.

Suddenly, a tongue slapped him away from the open window. Mineta bounced against a wall, and tried to recover. Before he could move, however, he was wrapped by a lasso and secured. Yaoyorozu pulled from her end and brought the captured pervert under her heel, tying him hands and feet together like a wild pig.

"You go, cowgirl!" joked Ashido.

"Oh man, this is so hot," drooled Mineta, red-faced and steam rolling out of his nose.

The girls, as expected, recoiled with disgust.

"Is there something you aren't into?" mused Kaminari from afar.

"I have an answer for that," said Ashido. "A good old fashioned interrogation session."

"Ha, jokes on you! I'm into that too!" Mineta replied with a smirk.

"Oh yeah? We'll see how you enjoy it," cackled Ashido.

"Hey, you can't just… torture me," Mineta proclaimed, sweating.

But the girls didn't respond. Instead, they marched towards the door, their prisoner in tow.

"Hey, come on!" Mineta shouted, struggling against his bindings.

He addressed his classmates, trying to pull the most desperate face.

"Argh! No! Somebody help me!" Mineta screamed. "Hanta! Denki!"

Sero and Kaminari raised their arms in surrender, clearly unwilling to step in.

"Sorry man, but you kind of went looking for it," said a sympathetic Sero.

"Yeah, we did kind of warn you," Kaminari added with an apologetic smile.

"I will remember this!" Said Mineta, before he was finally dragged out of the classroom, his fate sealed.

The rest of the spectating 1-A shrugged and went back to whatever they were doing. Izumi and Ochaco shared a look before chuckling.

"Such reprehensible behavior," harrumphed Iida. "Perhaps they should allow the teachers to handle this matter."

"Look at it this way: maybe Mineta will learn a valuable lesson about respecting people's privacy," Izumi replied.

"I think it might take more than this," chuckled Ochaco. "Do you think they will leave a corpse behind?"

"That will depend on Mineta, I guess," sighed Izumi. "As long as he doesn't go out of his way to share his fantasies with Ashido and the others…"

The two girls looked at each other before laughing.

"Well, there goes a classmate," snickered Izumi.

When the girls and Mineta returned, the boy was but a mere shell of himself. It was unclear what they had done or how they had threatened the resident pervert, but by the way Mineta kept his hands close to his nether regions, it was safe to assume it probably involved acid dissolving certain body parts… or worse. Izumi wasn't sure how to feel about that.

At first, Izumi was afraid that Mineta had seen a bit too much about Izumi, or even Izuku, but with the way the girls didn't say anything and kept on acting as usual, Izumi found herself rather relieved. She even managed to have a good day.

The rest of the morning was uneventful, pleasant even. The classes were their usual tiresome themselves, mentally exhausting the students before each break time.

Lunch time was a bit more exciting if only because there was a loud hubbub at the cafeteria as word spread that Miruko of all people was in U.A. Scuttlebutt was running wild with theories and conspiracies. Of course, Izumi was the target of stares from other students and questions from her classmates, as if she was supposed to have known about Miruko beforehand for some reason. In the end, by the end of lunch time, the general consensus was that Miruko had fled her problems back home, which was still brewing and developing even without the rabbit woman's input. Many a Pro-Hero wanted her spot in the rankings, and many would do anything to get it.

Things calmed down for the evening and the rest of the day went by nice and easy, just like Izumi preferred it. Without having to worry about Mineta having discovered her identity, she was allowed to relax and enjoy her time with Ochaco, who had started to act a bit weird. She seemed to laugh a tad more, stare at times whenever she thought Izumi wasn't looking and, at few odd times, Ochaco seemed flustered and unsure. Izumi dismissed it as mere happenstance.

After classes, Ochaco and Izumi hit the gyms with Iida. It was rather enjoyable, especially with people to chat during down time. Iida regaled them his two female friends about the hijinks that had taken place during Friday night (all of which were "high inappropriate for such a prestigious institution as U.A.!"). On their part, while the two girls did share some bits of their weekend, certain things were kept secret.

Once they returned to the girls' dorm, however, the two girls discovered that perhaps the day had been a tad too quiet. It was not everyday Izumi and Ochaco found the residents of the dorms discussing something in the entrance hall. Even girls from class 1-B were involved.

"He's obviously lying," said Kendo.

"But what if he isn't?" Rebutted one of the girls of 1-B.

"I think he might have been telling the truth… then again, we did obtain the information under duress. He could have said anything to appease us, ribbit" Asui admitted.

Izumi gulped. Just when everyone was going just fine…

"Hey, what's going on?" Ochaco wondered.

"Oh nothing, just something Mineta spilled during our… session," Ashido giggled.

"So what did Mineta say?" Asked Ochaco.

Izumi held her breath. This was it.

"Oh, the little pervert confessed alright," scoffed Jiro. "He admitted to having tried to spy on us. Unfortunately for him, he slipped out of his dorm when we were watching the movie."

"That's good," sighed Ochaco with relief.

"Yeah, but he also said that he did manage to get a peek into one of the bedrooms," added Hagakure.

"And that's when he got weird. Mineta swears he saw a boy in one of the rooms, a boy who was actually changing as if he was part of the dorm," Yaoyorozu haughtily dismissed with a sniff. "Clearly a fabrication to dodge punishment."

Izumi felt her blood freeze.

"A-A boy?" Asked Izumi.

"Come on, Izumi, it is clearly a lie," said Ashido. "There is no way that there is a boy here. We would have known… unless we have another stalker on the prowl."

"Maybe from another course? There could be someone that has the ability to slip in unnoticed, ribbit" Asui proposed.

"That would be horrible," muttered Jiro with a shudder. "Just what we needed, another pervert."

"Oh, but what if he was helped inside?" Suggested Hagakure.

The girls looked at her, confused.

"Think about it! Maybe one of us wanted to slip a boy for… ehm… you know, reasons" Hagakure proposed.

"For a fun night?" Ashido might not have thought it possible before, but the scandalous possibilities were clearly exciting her. "Ooh, I love that possibility!"

"Unlikely," Yaoyorozu stepped in. "The acceptance rates, even for the general studies course are extremely low, and there are multiple prospective students from all over the country. Odds are against such a possibility of a couple making it in."

"But Momo, you don't need to know someone to want to sneak a boy in," chuckled Ashido. "Some people like having fun with strangers, or acquaintances."

Yaoyorozu looked outright shocked at such a notion.

"I don't know guys, sounds like a lot of trouble for just sex," Jiro bluntly said.

"But totally something any teenager would do, especially with how strict and restrictive the school is," replied an excited Ashido. "And who says it is just sex? Maybe someone wanted to invite a friend?"

Apparently, someone had liked the notion of naughty teenagers running about. The rest of the girls, however, weren't convinced. Izumi was rather concerned that Ashido had taken to the idea, even if the rest hadn't. If Izumi had learned something about the pink-skinned demonette it certainly was her drive to dive deep into the heart of a controversy… which in this case was Izuku.

Izuku felt a knot form on her gut. She knew right then and there, that with Ashido on the prowl for answers, it was only a matter of time until the truth got out. One thing was certain: she had to tell Ochaco beforehand.

If only it was so simple…

-.-

When Ochaco had told her parents she intended to become a Pro-Hero and attend U.A., she had left unsaid that she had no plans of dating. Her plans were to graduate a Pro-Hero and make as much money as possible. In her mind, dating and relationships were a roadblock to her plans. That was before Izumi, unfortunately.

As Ochaco put on her costume, she tried to push back against her traitorous thoughts. While she was still coming to terms with her apparent attraction to a certain animal girl, Ochaco had no intention of messing her career. She knew she had to focus on her goals and she couldn't do that if she was distracted by that adorable, fluffy rabbit girl with those beautiful amethyst eyes that…

Ochaco groaned, gently bumping her head against her locker in self-chastisement. She really needed to get her emotions in check.

"You alright, Ochaco?" Asui asked, finishing to put on her own costume.

"Yes, just… thinking about stuff," sighed Ochaco.

"Are you worried about something, ribbit?" Asui asked.

"Kind of? Never mind me, Asui, I am just lost in the clouds," sheepishly chuckled Ochaco.

"Call me Tsu," insisted the Frog Girl. "It looks to me that you have a lot on your mind actually, ribbit."

If only she knew, thought Ochaco.

With her own costume done, she turned around and finished adjusting her bracers. The rest of the girls were also almost finished, with the sole exception of Izumi, who was nowhere in sight. Thank goodness for that, or else Ochaco knew she would have been really distracted.

At last, they were all done and the girls marched out of the changing rooms. By that point the boy were already done and, thus, all went together to their destination: Battle Center B. They all shared the same concerns and excitement. Would they go through another Battle Trial? Or something else entirely? All Might, their teacher, was already there much like during their first class of Heroics.

"Alright, alright, gather around everyone!" All Might said.

It was rather unnecessary, actually, with everyone already moving to stand in front of their teacher.

"Alright everyone! First is first: Announcements!" Proclaimed All Might with his usual boisterousness. "I am honored to announce that from this day forth, I will not be your only teacher."

The students blinked at their teacher, dumbfounded. They had brought another Pro-Hero to teach them? Who? They all waited with abated breaths, expectant.

"Please, give a warm welcome to none other than the one and only, the rabbit hero: Miruko!" All Might said, pointing to a side.

Miruko? Ochaco repeated in her mind in utter disbelief. All around her, the others weren't handling the news much better.

All heads slowly turned to where All Might was pointing, but no Pro-Hero Miruko suddenly materialized next to All Might. The teenagers scratched their heads, confused, while other were rather amazed by the turn of events.

"I said… rabbit hero Miruko!" All Might repeated with more enthusiasm to no one in particular.

Apparently, that didn't help either.

"Urgh, young ones, always lacking a good flair for dramatics," huffed All Might. "Very well, I'm sorry to disappoint you everyone but it would appear that-"

CRASH

"Ah-HA! Here I am!"

The class stared, befuddled, as a white dash crashed into the concrete ground next to the Number One hero. A cloud of dust rose from the broken concrete, only to disperse and reveal the missing person in question. Clad in a sleeveless white leotard with dark purple trim and a golden crescent moon over her chest, Miruko looked way scarier in person. Her muscles made Ochaco's eyes bulge. That Pro-Hero was definitely a special kind of beauty.

"Sorry about the delay," grunted Miruko, who acted as if she hadn't landed like a meteor. She dusted herself off, grinning. "My secretary held me for a while…"

Ochaco got the distinct impression Miruko hadn't minded being held back by the secretary. Perhaps there were good news about Miruko's latest controversy?

"Holy crap, it is true," gasped Kaminari.

"Miruko?" Kirishima gaped in disbelief.

The rest weren't faring much better. On and on they went, whispering in amazement and confusion. Of course, more than one person was thrilled with the developments, particularly a no-longer subdued Mineta. They might have heard that Miruko had been around the school grounds, but none had imagined she would be teaching. In fact, most people assumed she was incapable of being around underage people.

"Now, now, everyone, enough of that," All Might said. "We are here to train you, so let us being!"

"Wait, can we ask Miruko a few questions, please?" Ashido begged.

"Sorry, but we are rather short of time!" All Might replied. "Let us get straight to the task at hand!"

Ashido was not the only one disappointed at the lack of information. Ochaco too had a handful of questions herself. Her fellow classmates whispered their discontent but otherwise didn't respond to their teacher.

Ochaco turned her head and was surprised to find that Izumi had been standing there all along. She didn't look that surprised to see Miruko. In fact, Ochaco noticed a flash of recognition and even dread in her eyes. Had she known beforehand? Was there perhaps credence to the claims that Miruko and Izumi were related? Maybe Miruko had decided to visit the school to be with her… sister? Niece? Cousin?

"Today's exercise shall involve the most gruesome of tasks when it comes to villains… chasing after them!" Proclaimed All Might. "You all have seen Pros running after evildoers, from the purse-snatcher to the escaping criminal. What you need to learn and practice today are the fundamentals for a successful capture. Do you know the key to that?"

Silence. Seconds passed and no one dared to speak. As expected, seeing as no one else was going to respond, Yaoyorozu and Iida raised their hands.

"Anyone else? What about you, young Bakugo?"

"Firepower," scoffed the explosive blond.

"That's… I should have expected as much," said All Might.

"Like the spirit, but nope," Miruko snickered.

Bakugo just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Alright, Iida!" All Might said.

"Speed!" proclaimed the mechanical boy.

"That's a negative!" All Might laughed. "Young Yaoyorozu?"

"Communication," stated the rich girl.

"Ding-ding-ding, we have a winner," All Might said. "That's correct. The key to a successful capture is the ability to communicate and coordinate with fellow Pro-Heroes. No matter how fast you are, villains can always be faster than you, and even then some can be truly sneaky. A single Pro-Hero could technically capture a villain on their own, but it is always best to get other Pros involved."

Ochaco noticed Miruko rolled her eyes and shake her head at that.

"Sometimes the difficulty is not solely on catching up to a villain but rather successfully capturing the individual. A villain on the run, after all, will put a fight if cornered. It is important to reduce the risk to public, so the faster a villain is apprehended the better. If possible, the best tactics to capture running villains involve herding the target towards the heroes with capture quirks, or strong fighting capabilities, while also moving them away from vital or more populated areas," explained All Might. "The strategy used, however, will always depend on the target and situation."

"Who comes up with a strategy, though?" Wondered Yaoyorozu.

"Excellent question. The truth is that the plan generally is discussed quickly between heroes," All Might answered. "That is not always the case, however. At times, one hero can organize the best course of action. It will always depend on the others, no doubt, and how well you can work as a team. Sometimes you may need to swallow your pride and follow a plan not your own but which you know is better, and other times you need to build your courage to offer your own plan."

And so, All Might started explaining how most Pro-Heroes communicated during chases. Some of it sounded obvious and basic, like how most Pros chose to employ either cardinal directions or street names. Other stuff might have been obvious but required saying, such as the most important descriptive features that needed to shared (recognizable clothing, quirks and threat level, etc.). By the end of it all, though, Ochaco felt a bit overwhelmed. Miruko, on the other hand, looked absolutely bored about it all.

As it so happened, it was not going to be all lecture that day.

"Alright, let us practice what we've learned so far, shall we?" All Might said. "For today's fun exercise, you'll be randomly divided into teams of five and scattered across this small city. You'll only have a basic overview of the Battle Ground and the street names and you won't know where your teammates or target is. Then, your mission will be to find and capture your target in half an hour."

"Who's going to be the…?" Started askig Ojiro the tailed boy, only to trail off as his eyes landed on Miruko.

The rabbit woman smirked.

"That's right, kiddos, I'll be your target," mused Miruko.

"What? But we'll never catch her!" Said Sato. "She's way too fast."

"And do you think that's an excuse for any hero?" All Might rebutted. "Worry not, Miruko here has promised to go easy on you. The task, however, will require good communication and coordination."

The teams were made and Ochaco was disappointed to be on a team without Izumi or Iida. Thankfully, she wasn't in a team with Bakugo. Ochaco pitied the rest of Team One, who already looked miserable about being teamed up with the explosive blond. Oddly enough, the team was made of some of the strongest classmates: Bakugo, Todoroki, Kirishima, Tokoyami and Sato.

Team Two, on the other hand, seemed made entirely of fast and mobile classmates: Asui, Sero, Mineta, Ojiro and Iida.

Team Three were the class' trackers or with the best senses or tracking abilities: Shoji, Izumi, Jiro, Koda and Yaoyorozu.

The rest landed on team four and it felt like they all were far better suited for capture or incapacitate a target than actually pursue it. Ochaco got the distinct impression that the teams had been chosen beforehand rather than at random. In fact, she could almost feel there was a purpose to the order and team distribution to it all.

That's how Ochaco found herself in the familiar observation room with her classmates, watching as Team One failed roundly to even find Miruko. They all desperately run around and failed to talk it out. Between Tokoyami's gloomy disposition, Todoroki's coldness and silence and Bakugo's yelling, it seemed they had failed before they had even started.

Miruko did not need to run too fast. In fact, at first she didn't even run. She just trotted around, looking amused, all while dodging the wandering heroes before she could even be spotted. By the way her ears perked up, it was obvious that she could tell who and in what direction was coming towards her. In that way, she moved from alleyway to alleyway, chuckling. If Miruko didn't taunt them, Ochaco knew Team One would have missed her completely.

"She's fast AND she has good hearing? This is going to be impossible! I mean, even Bakugo and Todoroki are failing to even find her," sighed Ojiro.

"That's part of the exercise," hummed a thoughtful Izumi.

Ochaco and the others paid careful attention as the rabbit girl started to explain.

"Most heroes when they join a chase need to be informed about the target's abilities and description. Team One already know about Miruko's quirk and general abilities… but they failed to take them into account for the chase," said Izumi.

"So we are not merely testing how to chase after a target; we are learning to first find it as well," Iida summarized.

"Makes sense, I guess," nodded Yaoyorozu. "When a Pro-Hero joins a chase, they are general just told the general direction and location of a target, as well as abilities and threat level."

"But what could they have done? They don't exactly have anyone that could track Miruko down," remarked Sero.

"They don't need to. Miruko is clearly going to avoid any source of sound, so having Bakugo is an advantage. He could be used to herd Miruko towards the others. Todoroki could also use his ice to cut off exits… in fact, if they guys had coordinated better, they should have tried to herd Miruko towards Tokoyami."

Ochaco stared, and much to her chagrin, her heart skipped a beat at just staring at her. Izumi was adorable and all, but that look of determination… man, Ochaco needed to do something about her god-damn crush. And the hormones. Why had a mere sleepover ruined her sanity like that?

At the same time, though, Ochaco felt ashamed. She should focus more on her career, on being a hero. She should be able to understand situation like Izumi. Ochaco couldn't rely on her friend forever, not if she wanted to succeed and achieve a well-paying spot. Izumi though, made it look so easy…

In the end, Team One managed to find Miruko and gave chase to her (she didn't run that fast even then). As expected, Bakugo's single-mindedness made it hard to coordinate and, by the end of the exercise, Todoroki and Bakugo started berating each other (one cold and stoic, the other burning with fury and loud) alongside their peers all while an amused Miruko watched from a building above them.

Differently from the Battle Trial, All Might did not outright say what they did wrong or right. Instead, he kept a knowing smile and took notes.

Team Two, having learned from Team One's failure, were not only able to coordinate and plan a strategy, but they managed to "capture" Miruko. Capturing her involved managing to lay a finger on her so as to make it easier for the students. Even so, Miruko proved to be a slippery target.

Team Three did by far the best. Then again, differently from Team Two, they had someone who took control of the situation and the rest were far more receptive to the plan. Ochaco could only stare as Izumi, the same fluffy rabbit that had fallen asleep in a cute bundle a mere couple of days before, commanded her peers to victory.

Izumi was the one who managed to "capture" Miruko, which ended with a laughing Miruko wrapping an arm on the little rabbit girl and rubbing her knuckles on Izumi's head as some kind of congratulations. They almost looked like sisters, the elder teasing the young sister. If Ochaco didn't know any better, she would have assumed that Izumi and Miruko knew each other… but that couldn't be. Ochaco believed Izumi when she said that the two rabbit people weren't related. And yet…

Again, as Ochaco watched, she felt a pang of something in her. Jealousy? No, it was something different. She felt… well… inadequate. In comparison to some of her classmates, she found herself lacking. Seeing Izumi go into action, determined and powerful, it made Ochaco realize the gap between them. Izumi had a far stronger drive… and she also clearly had some formal instruction in hero work, differently from Ochaco.

A voice in Ochaco's head wondered if her friend hadn't been tutored by a relative… perhaps other rabbit people, or rather a certain rabbit woman in particular.

Team Four struggled the most, but that was because their quirks were poorly geared towards chases. Communication with the likes of Aoyama was an uphill struggle, but they had somehow managed. Their main problem was that between the five of them (Ochaco, Hagakure, Ashido, Aoyama and Kaminari) none could take the initiative and link up their efforts.

Team Four didn't have its own Izumi who could drive the team together. Ashido might have had the spirit, but she was more of a "let's have fun" sort of leader. Kaminari was much more laid back and Hagakure was mostly excitable. Aoyama was… well… Aoyama.

Ochaco wished she could step up as a leader, and at times during the exercise she wondered what Izumi would do in a situation like that. It didn't help that thoughts of the rabbit girl were a distraction of their own.

As it so happened, Ochaco's hunch had been correct. At the end of the class, All Might admitted to the rouse and explained his reasoning: first he wanted to prove that power and individuality wasn't everything in a hero career (Miruko looked like she wanted to contest that too; as a matter of fact, she seemed to want to contest most of All Might's lessons but kept quiet about them). Then, All Might explained much of what Izumi had mentioned, how being able to assess a target at first glance could be instrumental for victory.

All in all it was a fun class without near death or bodily harm. They managed to make use of their quirks, got a blast chasing a top-ranking Pro-Hero and learned a few valuable lessons. In summary, it had been a great day.

Yet Ochaco felt bothered as she left the changing rooms. She felt rather incompetent and her current thoughts on one rabbit girl made it difficult to feel any better. She knew she should be trying to do better, to be more like Izumi. But how could she change that?

I need to get my act together, summarized Ochaco.

How could she get better? Training with Izumi was nice and all, but it was clear that with her recent discoveries and hormones going overdrive, Ochaco needed someone else, someone that could help her grow… but who? Who could teach her?

Ochaco walked out of the changing rooms and bid her farewells to Izumi, who was dragged away to spar with the other girls. Ochaco felt a rush of possessiveness about that, but she chided herself. She was a young woman who wanted to be a Pro-Hero, not some god-damn drama queen.

It was with those thoughts that Ochaco went to the teachers office. She wrung her hands, and pondered on what she planned to do.

If Ochaco needed something, it was definitely a tutor of sorts. She hadn't gone to a dojo or the kind to learn to fight, so someone with experience on that field would be useful. That and Ochaco sought someone that could help her have some more initiative. She didn't want to rely always on others to lead.

I need a teacher, Ochaco summarized in her mind and, thus, knocked on the door.

She knew this was stupid and unlikely to succeed, but if it meant growing stronger and a more capable Hero, then she would do it. Ochaco thought about her parents, about the sacrifices they had made, and Ochaco found the courage to steel her nerves and continue. She was not going to fall behind Izumi, nor would she let her feelings get on the way.

The door opened, only to reveal the one person Ochaco had wanted to see. Dressed in a black hoodie and shorts, Miruko looked ready to go back to her home, wherever that was. She also looked somewhat annoyed at Ochaco. Clearly, she had had her quota of mingling with kids.

"There's no one else here," stated Miruko, who started to close the door.

"W-Wait!" Ochaco exclaimed. "I-I wanted to talk to you."

Miruko scowled, but opened the door nonetheless.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" grunted the rabbit woman.

"It's just that… c-could I… could you help me grow stronger?" Asked Ochaco, feeling ready to die of shame on the spot.

Ground, please, swallow me whole, begged an embarrassed Ochaco in her mind.

The hero glanced at her but didn't appear to care.

"Sorry, but I have-" Miruko was dismissively saying only to pause mid-sentence.

Ochaco watched, confused, as Miruko scowled and, reluctantly, searched for something on her hoodie's pocket. By the looks of it, it was a yellow piece of paper, like those one uses as a memo. Ochaco frowned, bewildered, as Miruko's expression soured further.

"Urgh, alright, what is your problem exactly?" Miruko grumpily asked. She glanced at the note before trying to look friendly. Keyword: trying.

Why do I get the feeling she has a memo to remind her to try and be nice with the students? Thought Ochaco.

"You aren't about to ask me about all that crap back in my jurisdiction, are you?" Miruko asked, squinting at Ochaco.

"N-No! I just… I wanted to know if you could teach me," Ochaco said. "I… I am kind of pathetic when it comes to fighting and-and I don't think I am hero material… yet. I want to get stronger and… and I'd like you to teach me if-if it isn't too much asking."

That's it, that's how you get ridiculed by a Pro-Hero, Ochaco whined internally. No, think about your parents! You can do this! How hard can it be to convince Miruko to teach her?

Miruko blinked at her.

"You serious?" The Pro-Hero asked.

"Ehm… yes?" Tentatively replied Ochaco.

"And why should I do that?" Miruko said. "My time is really valuable, after all."

But aren't you stuck in U.A. instead of your working place? Ochaco wanted to ask.

"Oh, y-you know, to improve your image?" Ochaco tentatively tried.

"Sorry, but I don't-" Miruko once again was dismissively saying, only to pause and scowl. She once again looked at her memo, glaring at the piece of paper. "I hate it when she does that…"

Ochaco frowned. Just what was written in that memo? Better question yet, just who had the kind of pull on Miruko to follow a memo?

"Alright, come with me," Miruko harrumphed. She looked like she rather do anything else other than be around a teenager. "My secretary will know if you are worth it. First though I need to finish this stupid paperwork…" Miruko whispered a string of insults and swears "…I escape one paperwork to have this one… figures."

She walked back into the teacher's longue and went to her desk, only to angrily type on her computer. Ochaco awkwardly stood there, and waited. Minutes passed, and Ochaco was starting to reconsider her options, when finally the rabbit woman finished her paperwork. Satisfied, Miruko turned off her computer, grabbed a bag from under her desk and happily hopped out of the teacher's longue.

"I'll give you points for patience, kid," said Miruko. "Now, to meet my secretary."

Ochaco was curious about this mysterious secretary. Clearly, whoever she or he was, that person had a strong pull on Miruko. Perhaps her latest controversy had forced Miruko to paid heed to her secretary's opinion. However, since she was bewildered and did not want to ruin the opportunity, Ochaco kept quiet.

Miruko started walking away and Ochaco followed, curious. They left the main building and out a path. The sun was already setting in the distance and few students were roaming around.

"So, what's up, Bubble Girl?" teased Miruko all of a sudden, perhaps out of boredom.

"Bubble… girl?"

"Yep! Because you are bubbly and that crap," chuckled Miruko. "Nah, seriously, I just don't remember your name."

Ochaco might have felt offended about that, but given that Miruko was actually bothering to consider whether to be Ochaco's tutor, the girl thought it best to let it slide. Besides, it was her first day. Miruko counted be expected to remember every single name, right? Then again, Ochaco's performance had been less than stellar, differently from other students.

"Oh, I'm Ochaco Uraraka… or Infinity Girl if you ask Izumi," replied Ochaco. She blushed at the last part.

"Infinity Girl?" It was Miruko's turn to look confused.

"We had this test on the first day with a bunch of exercises from Middle School… and one of them was ball throw. You know… with my gravity removing quirk I kind of reached infinity score," recounted Ochaco.

"Infinity?" Miruko wondered, amused. She no longer looked so bored.

"Y-yeah, the ball went into space," Ochaco sheepishly said.

"Seriously? Huh, not bad," said Miruko. "Y'know, maybe you'll be worth training as well. Could use someone to remove assholes into the exosphere."

They approached a large building, similar to the dorms. Ochaco recognized it as the apartment structure for all guests and some heroes of U.A. Inside, Ochaco saw a couple of teachers from the Hero Department chatting. Aside from curious glances, they spared her no mind. Past a large entrance hall and up the elevator they went, only to walk out and towards one door.

"Here we are," said Miruko.

Miruko started opening the door.

"Home sweet ho– Cheese and Crackers!" Miruko was saying, only to stare at what awaited her inside.

Ochaco leaned to a side and saw what was within Miruko's apartment. Ochaco's jaw dropped and her face burst into an intense shade of crimson.

Laying on a sofa and facing the door, was a woman. She was, much as Ochaco would later admit, absolutely gorgeous. With long scarlet flowing hair and vibrant green eyes, she was a beauty. It was hard to miss the long fluffy tail swaying calmly behind her or the large fox ear protruding from her scalp. Then again, the fact she was only in her underwear and with a Hawaiian green shirt didn't go unnoticed either.

There was something else Ochaco noticed on the woman. It was briefly, and she thought she imagined it at first, but around the woman's wrist and neck there appeared to be scars. Then again, what followed happened so quickly that Ochaco didn't get a chance to confirm anything.

"Well, hello fluff how – SWEET JESUS, RUMI!" Exclaimed the fox woman, eyes landing on Ochaco.

Many things happened at once, all before a shocked Ochaco's face. Firstly, the woman appeared to shrink. The green Hawaiian shirt suddenly became oversized in comparison. Then, she jumped behind the sofa, releasing a child-sounded squeak. Finally, a pair of ears peeked from behind the couch followed by the reddened face of what looked like a child version of the previous woman.

"What the hell Rumi! Give me a warning when you are bringing someone over!" Shouted the child.

"Me? Don't go around half-naked if you advise me to bring potential internees to you!" Miruko retorted, waving her yellow memo.

"I just wanted to help you remove some stress…" pouted the child.

"Alright, go change into something decent," grumbled Miruko.

Ochaco, who hadn't moved an inch, found herself being pulled out of the apartment. A million thoughts flashed across her mind, each one worse than the next. Miruko closed the door and went to the wall opposite, only to lean against it, annoyed.

"Sorry you had to see that," muttered Miruko.

"It-It's fine," stammered Ochaco. In fact, she hadn't find the view that bad…

"No, it isn't. Should have seen it coming, though. Great, now some jackass will think I am trying to groom little girls!" groaned Miruko.

Now that really got Ochaco's face burning like a dying sun.

"You can enter!"

Ochaco blinked. Had that sounded like a man's voice? Miruko sighed and, once again, opened the door. Out of paranoia, she placed a hand over Ochaco's eyes and peeked inside first, before dragging Ochaco in.

To the brunette's surprise, there was indeed a man waiting for them. Rather than an attractive woman seated there, a red haired man, with the same vibrant green eyes, fox ears and red furred fox tails, sat on the couch. He had the same Hawaiian shirt as the woman before, only with a loose tie and (thankfully) beige pants. His face held a smirk that, alongside his sharp gaze, gave off an air of slyness. All in all, he looked like a used-car seller that could swindle you with ease.

Ochaco's eyes went to the man's neck and wrists, as if to confirm where she had seen correctly scars on the woman. Sadly, the man had covered said parts with a black wide choker and wrist-bands.

"Alright, Infinity Girl, let me introduce you to my secretary," Miruko started. "Infinity Girl, Z. Z, Infinity Girl. Now that that's over, I leave you to talk business. Give a call to Eraserhead. Last thing I want is for him to bust in here."

"Will do, Fluff," mused the man.

A smirk stretched on Z's face, looking almost predatory. Ochaco stood there, still dumbfounded.

He can change into a woman? Or is he a woman that can change into a man? Or maybe it's neither…? Ochaco wondered. Either case, it was way too weird for her. Just who had such a kind of quirk?