"What are we going to do?" I asked, once Recovery Girl returned. Principal Nezu had come with her. Even though I was trying not to eavesdrop, I still heard Aizawa-sensei's side of the teachers' meeting. Not that it helped much, after talking about Eri's Quirk, most of what he had said was 'yes' or 'no'.

"We will need to talk to the girl," Nezu said, "But for now the plan is for her to stay here with Aizawa-san and Shuzenji-san."

"Recovery Girl already lives in the teachers apartments," Eraserhead explained, "We'll connect the module next to hers, with hers, so that we can each have our own room."

"I can't stay with brave fair and kind-kun?" Eri asked, revealing she was awake. Her grip on my hand tightened.

"Unfortunately," Nezu responded, careful to keep his voice low and comforting, "The Midoriya's apartment is not safe, and does not have a lot of space. It is better for you to stay here."

"Midoriya?" Eri sounded confused.

"That's me," I told her with a smile, "Midoriya Izuku. But you can just call me Izuku if you want."

"Izuku-kun?" she said tentatively. Though like many, she seemed uncomfortable with the repetition of the 'ku' syllable.

"Izuku-san?" she tried.

"How about Izuku-onii-chan?" Nezu suggested. I gave him a look, part annoyed and part confused.

"Izuku...onii-chan?" Eri sampled it. "Izuku-nii-chan? Izuku-nii-chan. Is that okay, Izuku-nii-chan?"

"Of course," I told her.

"And are you okay with staying with these two, Eri-chan?" Nezu asked. She looked at me.

"Aizawa-sensei can be a bit gruff, but he's a Hero and my teacher, and I trust him," I told her, "He risked his life to save me. And Shuzenji-sensei can take very good care of you. She has helped me a few times when I've been hurt. Plus, if you stay here with them, I can see you every day after class."

"You can?" she asked.

"Yes, this is my school," I confirmed.

"Perhaps you could stay here tonight," Nezu suggested, "To help Eri adjust. And you were already planning to return here tomorrow for our special study session."

Aizawa gave him a questioning look.

"I'll have to check with my mom," I qualified, "But I don't think she will object. So if that okay with you two?"

"Whatever," Eraserhead waved it off.

"I think that is a fine idea," Recovery Girl said encouragingly.

"Okay," Eri nodded, "I'll stay with them."

"Maijima-san should be done remodulating the apartment and installing basic furniture," Nezu said, "so would you like to head over there?"

"Actually, there is something else we need to do first," I said. The three teachers and Eri all looked at me. Then, on cue, there was a knock at the door. Aizawa-sensei checked it, frowned deeply, and then opened the door.

"Eri," I told her carefully, "I would like you to meet my very best friend, Asui Tsuyu."

My 'more-than-a-friend-but-not-officially-a-girlfriend-quite-yet' hopped in. She had on jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and a light jacket. And she was carrying a shopping bag.

"That's what you were doing on your phone," Aizawa muttered. I had pretended to text while Eri was sleeping. But I was talking to the Knights in Guild chat. And that's how I made my request of Tsu.

"I thought Eri needed some real clothes," I said, "And Tsu's little sister is about the same size."

"I hope you like these," Tsu told Eri, offering her the bag. Eri took it tentatively, and bowed the best she could in the bed.

"Thank you, Asui-san," she said timidly.

"You can call me Tsu," Tsu told the girl.

"Tsu-san?" Eri said. Tsu nodded. Eri suggested gingerly, "Tsu-nee-chan?"

"That's good too," Tsu agreed, "Would you like me to help you get dressed?"

"I... okay."

I think Eri was going to refuse, but she accepted anyway. Recovery Girl pulled the curtains around the bed shut, but Aizawa, Nezu, and I all turned our back anyway. Then I saw something. And took two quick steps over to the counter. On a surgical tray, there was a strip of cloth. About seven centimeters wide, two meters long, and mostly white. But there were red splotches at one end of the bandage.

"Recovery Girl, can I have this?" I asked, firmly and with a hint of sharpness. But also quietly, so Eri would not hear.

She walked over. She looked at the bandage. She looked at me. I realized she was now slightly taller than Tsuyu, and could easily look me in the eye.

"Normally that would be bound for the incinerator," she said, "Why do you want it?"

"I... I just have a feeling," I said, losing a bit of certainty. Then I gritted my teeth, "If nothing else, I want it so I don't forget that there are special kinds of evil out there."

She looked away. I suspect she was make eye contact with Nezu. It made me wish All Might was still here. Instead, he was back working on the internship forms. Both to make up for the teachers here, but also because of his time limits.

Whatever passed between them, or whatever her own thoughts, Shuzenji-sensei exhaled forcefully.

"Fine," she agreed. She took out a locking plastic baggy. She carefully folded the cloth and put it inside. Pressed the air out and sealed it. Then she handed it to me. I put it in my pocket. And then slipped it into my Inventory.

Then the curtain opened. Eri was now dressed in a white t-shirt with a diagonal green stripe, a knee-length, pleated black skirt with matching suspenders, green and white-striped long-socks, and black sneakers.

"You look very nice," I told her.

"Thank you Izuku-nii-chan," she told me. Then she turned to Tsu, "Thank you, Tsu-nee-chan."


It was a short walk to the teachers apartments. Eri held my hand tightly the whole way. Tsu came with us, and offered to hold Eri's other hand. The girl accepted, but it seemed more out of obligation than genuine desire, and her grip on Tsu was much less firm. At the same time, I 'texted' Mom. She agreed immediately, and started putting together an overnight bag for me, plus a few other things.

Nezu hadn't accompanied us, so it was me, Eri, Tsu, Shuzenji-sensei, and Aizawa-sensei.

There was an odd disparity when we entered Recovery Girl's apartment. The door opened onto a large living room with a kitchen off to the right. To the right side of the door, it looked normal. Two love seats not quite facing a TV. A dining table. Pictures on the wall. Also on the right side there were two doors, one to a bedroom and one to a western style bathroom. The left side of the room was empty. It had the same carpet. But the walls were white instead of tan, and there was nothing else on them. No furniture either. But there were three doors off the left side. Two bedrooms, each with a very generic bed and dresser. And another, larger bathroom. It was fairly obvious where Power Loader had opened up Recovery Girl's room and added an extra module.

"Well, I'm going to head back to my apartment and pick up some stuff," Aizawa waved to us and didn't enter, "I'll be back in ninety minutes, give or take."

Shuzenji-sensei nodded to him. The other four of us went in.

"It is dusty," Eri said, looking at the dining table.

"Sorry," Recovery Girl sounded put out, "I've spent the last three days dealing with battle hungry teenagers, and I wasn't expecting guests."

"I'm sorry" Eri said quickly and frightfully, "It's not bad. I just was not expecting it."

"I'm sorry as well," the retired heroine looked regretful, "I shouldn't have snapped like that."

"Why weren't you expecting it?" Tsu asked Eri.

"Overhaul-san hates dirt and germs," Eri explained, "He makes everyone clean up, a lot. And punishes anyone who makes a mess."

She shivered.

"Well, if that person doesn't like it, maybe we can just leave it for now," Recovery Girl suggested.

"Okay," Eri agreed.

Before we could do anything else, the doorbell rang. Recovery Girl checked the monitor, and hit the button. A minute later, the door opened and Mom entered. Eri studied her, huddling behind me.

"Eri, this is my mom, Midoriya Inko," I told her.

"Izuku-nii-chan's mother?" she didn't seem comforted by that.

"Inko-oba-san is a very nice lady," Tsu reassured her, "She takes good care of Izuku, and also me and my siblings."

"If this is too many new people, I'll go," Mom told Eri, "I came by to drop off Izuku's things, so he can stay over tonight and tomorrow night, and go to class from here on Monday. I'm afraid after that he will have to come back home."

"You can stay," Eri relaxed when Mom said I could stay more than one night.

"Thank you," Mom told her sincerely, "And I also brought some other things. For starters, lunch."


We hadn't owned many board games when I was growing up. My father like computers, and I was more into video games. There might be a link there, but I didn't really think about it. We had always owned a few classics, and played them occasionally, when my grandparents came over. Before my father moved to America.

After the Asui siblings became a regular fixture, they became a bit more of a common feature. It was easier for the five of us to sit and play a game at the table. Since I also only had three controllers for my Destiny.

Mom had picked out my personal favorite, and two of Satsuki's favorites. After a brief discussion, the five of us sat at Recovery Girl's table to play Machi Koro.

There were three things I noticed as we played the game. The first was the Eri was a bright girl. She understood the rules immediately. She did all the math by herself. And she picked up on the strategies of the game right away. Which also factored into my second observation.

Eri was not playing to win. Neither was I. Sometimes I would go for the victory, or would come out on top by accident. But I usually played to let other people win too, to make sure everyone had fun. Eri, on the other hand, seemed frightened to win. Like we would not like her, or worse, if she came out on top.

The third thing I noticed was that she did not smile. All of her emotions seemed to be muted, but I could see hints of sadness and frustration. Fleeting, but there. But she did not smile, or laugh, or even grin for other reasons. I think she enjoyed the game, because when Mom asked if she wanted to do something else after the first two rounds, she asked to play again. But she never smiled.

After Aizawa-sensei returned, Mom and Tsu left. But before she did, my friend made a suggestion to Eri and Shuzenji-sensei that she expected to annoy both me and Aizawa-sensei. The joke was on her, I loved the Frozen trilogy, soundtrack and all. Not the second one as much, which was fine because I helped prepare dinner and we ate during it. I also spent a chunk of the movie, on my phone, on Amazon JP.

Glancing at my homeroom teacher's face throughout, I warned Tsu that she might be in trouble Monday.

By the time we finished the third film, it was well into the evening and Eri was drooping. It had been an intense and unusual day for her.

Recovery Girl helped her take a quick bath, and then, dressed in kitten pajamas (where those came from, I still don't know), tried to put her to bed. Eri resisted, so I also did my nightly clean up. Then I carried her to bed, and lied down next to her. She curled up next to me, and shuddered. Not from the temperature or bedding either.

"It's okay," I said, taking her hand, "They can't hurt you here. I won't let them."

She calmed, and murmured, "Thank you, onii-cha..."

She was asleep before she finished.


8 PM was an early night for me. But I wasn't about to leave Eri. Instead, I talked with the Knights for a while. I had already told them everything about Eri earlier, so we talked mostly about internships. About which Heroes we hoped to get offers from, about how we thought they would go. Mikoto and Kyoka teased me about potentially getting offers from Korea, Hong Kong, or even America. I told them that I wouldn't take offers outside the country. Probably not even out of the province, depending on how comfortable and safe Eri was.

Still, the conversation tapered off, and by 9:30, I was asleep. Which was still sooner than I normally went to bed, especially on Saturdays. So I wasn't too surprised when I woke up at just after 5:30 the next morning. That was when I normally got up for school, but I slept in until seven or even eight most Sundays.

Of course, being awake didn't mean I could get up. Eri was still plastered to my side and clutching my hand. Which meant I was basically trapped until she woke up.

Instead I floated my phone over. Turned off my alarm. Checked my email. I had a text from principal Nezu, telling me to let him know when I was ready for surgery practice. I responded that I was awake, but trapped.

'That is the cross big brothers must bear,' he responded, followed by a bear emoji. I smiled and set my phone down.

Maybe ten minutes later, Eri sat bolt upright. She was panting fiercely, and looking around the room wildly. I quickly, gently, and firmly pulled her back down into a hug and began to stroke her hair.

"It's okay, Eri," I told her, "It's Izuku. I'm here. You're safe... Onii-chan is here."

"Onii-chan," she clutched onto me. I could feel tears seep into my shirt.

"It's okay," I repeated.

A minute later, her shaking stopped. She pulled back.

"I'm okay," she said.

"It's okay if you aren't," I told her.

Then her stomach gurgled.

"We probably shouldn't raid Recovery Girl's fridge without asking," I told her, "But it shouldn't hurt to take a peek."

I was trying to sound as humorous as I could. But she just gave me a serious look and nodded.

We got quietly out of bed, and went out to the main room. It was just after six at that point. But I was surprised that both Recovery Girl and Eraserhead were awake. Each held a mug, and while I wasn't sure what Shuzenji-sensei was drinking, but Aizawa-sensei had coffee so strong I could smell it from here. And I think it was giving me a light caffeine buzz, too.


We had a light breakfast. Cleaned up and got dressed. Then, almost like he was spying on us, principal Nezu arrived. He brought a large box of internship forms. Then he apologized profusely to Eri, and said he had to take me. Aizawa-sensei's annoyance at his unfinished work changed to suspicion, and he eyed us both.

Eri hesitantly accepted his statement, and let me go without complaint. I think she wanted to protest, but was still too afraid she would make us angry. I promised I would be back for lunch, and then we left. I offered Nezu-sensei a ride on my shoulder for speed, and he guided me to UA's massive walk-in refrigerator. Thankfully, he must have let Mom know the plan, because she had packed my heaviest jeans and my winter jacket.

The food locker was multiple times the size of our apartment. It was packed with enough fruits and vegetables to fill 1-A's classroom to the brim, with enough left over that 1-B would have been waist deep. There were two, full butcher stations inside, and when we arrived there was already a pig carcass on each.

"They have had their blood drained and their digestive tracts voided and cleaned," Nezu told me, "But otherwise they are fully intact and have not been frozen."

I nodded. He jumped down.

"Would you help me with this?" he asked. I lifted the heavy work bench he indicated. Placed it alongside the table, to give him a platform to work off of. Then Nezu-sensei reached into his jacket and took out a small case. He opened it to reveal a pair of scalpels and a trio of spreaders, scaled down to his size.

We got to work. Nezu performed standard surgery on the pig. Cracked and spread its ribs. He carefully and precisely removed each organ from the torso individually and set them aside. Part of me thought we should have invited Ami. Even if she no longer intended to be a trauma surgeon like her mother, she might have still appreciated this, and learned something. She might have even been able to teach Nezu-sensei a thing or two. After watching him for a few minutes, I turned to my own patient.

The fundamental of Psychic Surgery was to perform the operation without cutting into the patient. That and doing it with psionics, I should say. Since the target was neither alive nor injured, I couldn't heal its wounds. But like the name implied, the skill could also be used to remove things. Tumors, bullets, knife tips, 100-yen coins, organs that were beyond recovery, et cetera. That was what I would be practicing today. To gain my first level in the Skill I had unlocked but had left unused. I wasn't sure how far this would take me. I hoped enough to buy the next Talent and with it more efficient and specialized Psy-biology skills.

I focused on the pig. Thankfully, Lunch Rush had, or had provided, a handy chart of the porcine torso and organ layout. I started with the large intestine. With a psychic push, I caused it to disconnect on both ends. The cellular bonds effectively split at my mental pressure. Then I also separated it off from the circulatory system. Once it was free, the hard part began. I pulled. The intestine passed through the veins, muscles, and finally the skin. It was almost like it became intangible, but really it was just the cells slipping past each other. I struggled a bit, and tore a few capillaries. But finally I got it out.

[First operation complete. Skill Psychic Surgery (lvl 2) unlocked.]

That was the first time a new skill jumped straight to level two. But given the time and Energy the operation took, it wasn't a surprise.

I floated the intestine to the other end of the table. Then I started on a lung, figuring the small intestine would be easier with the large removed. I figured by moving around, rather than going in a line, I would challenge myself more.


Nezu-sensei finished his pig, just as I was completing the first step. I set the heart down amidst the now complete spread of thoracic organs.

"Nicely done," he congratulated me, looking at my patient's intact belly.

"There is a bit of damage inside from the earlier ones," I told him, "But I think I'm getting the hang of it. Now comes the harder part."

He raised an eyebrow at me. I pointed my hands at the offal. The two intestines shifted until the originally joined ends touched. And slowly, painfully, they began to reconnect.

"Interesting," he said.

"It is Psychic Surgery, not Psychic Butchering," I said, "Though it would be easier if the cells were still alive."

He nodded thoughtfully. After I had forced the cellular walls to reconnect, I moved to the other end of the small intestine and the stomach.

"Nezu-sensei," I called for his attention, even as he watched me reassemble the insides of the pig. He turned to me.

"There is something I want to talk to you about," I continued.

"Hmm, actually, there was something I potentially wanted to ask you, depending on how well this went. But you can go first, Midoriya-kun."

I decided to jump in feet first, "Party Invite, Principal Nezu."

He also jumped. But unlike my figurative leap, his was literal.

I gave him the quick rundown of The Gamer. Showed him how to access his status. And also the Quest "Save the Symbol of Peace".

"That explains why you are so intent on saving All Might," he mused, "and also gives us a more precise timeline to work with. That is helpful. As will be knowing and controlling my Skills. I will need to check out my Skills and Talents later, so I ask that you leave me in your party for as long as you can, as frequently as you can."

"I'm sorry I can't invite you to join my Guild," I said.

"Oh, I understand why you wouldn't want your school principal in your private club," he said, teasingly.

"That," I agreed, "And there are now three, maybe four people I want to invite, but I only have two open spaces. I assume the Guild can get bigger, but so far all my Guild Talents have been Quest rewards. I don't see many on my list."

"If you are correct about The Gamer extending from an external entity," he suggested, "That may be a way to control you. Or to protect you, if you had a forty person guild, you might have invited all of the Hero students straight away, without knowing if you can fully trust them. Given the need on multiple levels to keep your circle of trust small, this may be for the best."

"That's probably true," I admitted sheepishly.

"So, how close are you to the Telepathic Skill sharing?" he asked.

"I need sixteen more levels in any combination of Telepathic skills," I explained, "Then when I buy the next Talent, I will gain access to Skill Jockey. I was actually working on Empathy yesterday, when you called. It was also how I found Eri."

"Well, I would suggest you practice it now," he said, sounding both amused and disturbed, "But it seems just talking is too much of a distraction."

I looked down and realized I had fused the gallbladder to the heart.


We moved on to cows, after I fixed my mistake and reconnected the lungs. After a few minutes, Nezu spoke again, his back to me.

"Midoriya-kun," he said.

"Yes?"

"There is a reason I am pushing this a bit," he told me, "Although having seen your Quest, I feel I can relax, a little. But given both the age and severity of Yagi-san's injuries, I was hoping we could practice before we help him."

"Practice," I noted his emphasis on the word, "You mean on another person don't you."

"Yes," he said, "It was theoretical, but now there is someone else I feel needs our help. And would be a difficult case, but still simpler than All Might's."

"You mean Ingenium."

"You are perceptive," he complimented me, "Yes. It hasn't been made public yet, but the damage to Tensei's spine is beyond any known medicine or Quirk. The doctors are considering a cybernetic bypass, but spinal bypasses are... not a well developed technology yet, unlike individual limbs. I am told it has at best a forty percent chance of working, and even then he will only be able to walk and will still likely need a brace or cane."

"But you think we can fix his spine with my power," I asked for assurance.

"Yes," he confirmed, "Even more so now that I know the depth of your abilities. I think it is worth attempting, and would be a good test run."

"I want to help Ingenium," I agreed, "But All Might has to be our priority. If we get far enough that we can help Ingenium first, that would be ideal. But I don't want to rush it, and put them both at risk."

"I understand," he nodded, "And that makes perfect sense."

I half expected a new Quest or a revision to pop up. But nothing happened. Maybe it wasn't enough of a challenge or issue. Or maybe The Gamer was sparing me.


After the two of us finished, I found I had a call from Aizawa-sensei. He asked me to go to the mall, both to pick up lunch and to find something other than a game to entertain Eri. I decided coloring books fit the bill. And they weren't something already on order. So first I went to the bookstore. I got a huge box of crayons, and five different coloring books. Then I started to head to the restaurant. He had called an order ahead, and I just needed to tell them what I wanted. It seemed burgers, fries, and milkshakes were on the menu.

"Where is the girl?"

I heard the voice, felt it was directed at me. But there was no-one nearby.

[Status ailment Charm resisted. Charm Resistance improved (lvl 19).]

I felt a compulsion. To answer truthfully and honestly. But the compulsion ran headlong into my resistances and broke.

"What girl?" I asked the disembodied voice, wondering if he could hear me, "Do you want something with Tsuyu?"


Nemoto Shin resisted the urge to facepalm. His support item let him direct his voice at a person, triggering his Quirk remotely. And also picked up the target's answers. But asking someone a question and forcing them to tell the truth did not matter if the target didn't understand the question. They had naturally assumed the events of the previous day would be most important to the Hero in training. They hadn't considered that there might be other 'girls' he would be thinking about.


"Where is Eri?" the voice hit me again, confirming my suspicions.

[Status ailment Charm resisted. Charm Resistance improved (lvl 23).]

Whoever this was, his Quirk was head and shoulders above Hitoshi-san's. I was glad I had built up additional resistance on top of Gamer's Mind. But given the power of this new charm, I wished I had drawn the fight with my schoolmate out longer.

"Eri is safe and hidden," I gave an unclear but accurate answer. I also changed direction.

"Are you resisting me? Or do you not know where she is?"

"Yes," I said simply and my resistance leveled again.


"You have to know that we will find her?" Nemoto decided to break the boy. To force him to confront the painful truth.

"And that when we do, the harder it is, the longer it take, the more Eri and anyone keeping her from us will suffer."


"I know nothing of the sort," I retorted angrily, "What I know is that your best bet is to turn yourself in, to get away from anyone who hurt Eri. Assuming you aren't one of them. That may be the only way you survive."


Nemoto shuddered. His Quirk had never failed. Which meant the boy believed it. It was impossible, and crazy. Nemoto implicitly trusted his boss. Even All Might couldn't stand against Overhaul if he went all out. That was the Shie Hassaikai officer's fervent belief on the matter. But if this Midoriya was that crazy, he could be dangerous in other ways.

Then Nemoto realized he had lost track of the kid. He had blinked while thinking about Midoriya's threat. And in that time, the green-haired shorty got lost in the crowd. His gear required direct line of sight to work. But it seemed like he wasn't getting anything good out of the kid. He could still find the little bastard again, and trail him. That might lead to something.

A hand landed on his back.

"Don't move," the boy's voice said sharply.

Nemoto froze.

"How did you find me?" he asked carefully, not sure how the kid might react.

"Once I realized you were not next to me, invisible, I estimated that, whatever item or Quirk you were using, you must need to have a clear view of me. So I started wandering slightly, to try to narrow down the places where you could have been."


I was lying to him straight out. I used Ki Detection to find isolated people. And then Empathy to check their emotions. But I took the extra point of resistance from his power, and the clarification that it was sound based.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"I'm thinking about knocking you out," I ignored the ping, "To make it easier."

I could tell that I was angry, maybe even on tilt. But these people were hunting Eri, a little girl. They couldn't just leave her alone. No, they could. They were choosing not to.

"Either way..."

"Good morning, Midoriya-kun," Detective Tsukauchi interrupted me. Both the Villain and I glanced back, to see the detective was flanked by four uniformed officers. All of whom had stun batons ready.

"Detective," I relaxed, "You got here fast."

"Well, you could say that we were on alert," he told me, "And this is?"

"Nemoto Shin," I answered, having Analyzed him, "He was using his Quirk to compel me to give up Eri's location."

"Did you?" the detective looked at me, and the criminal perked up slightly.

"I answered truthfully," I explained, "But also in the vaguest possible way. So even if you have to release him, he won't be able to tell Overhaul anything useful."

The yakuza officer flinched. Given the fear Eri had of his boss, I had a good idea why.

"Well, we will need to contact you later for a statement," Tsukauchi-san told me, "But thanks to the upgraded cameras here, it is a fairly open and shut case. So you can go."

I nodded, and finally took my hand off Nemoto's back. I waited until the police had handcuffed him, then I hurried off. I hoped our food wasn't getting cold.


"Tokyo Metropolitan Police have Nemoto," Mimic reported angrily, "Our contact confirmed it, and that Tsukauchi Naomasa was directly involved in the arrest."

"Told ya, you should have let me go, too," Rappa said.

"You just want to fight the kid," Tenga countered flatly.

"I wanted to make this a clean operation," Overhaul told Rappa, "And you don't exactly do clean."

"What is our next move?" Chronostatis asked. Overhaul sifted through the stack of pictures, mostly of the students the Midoriya kid had been seen interacting with at the UA Sports Festival. Then he found one, and drew it out.

"If the kid won't give up Eri, maybe someone else will."


Iguchi Shuichi looked at the two women opposite him carefully. He was sitting in a clean, plain room, a metal table before him. There was also a darkened window on one wall. It was obviously some sort of interrogation room, a belief born out by the middle-quality, matching, black suits his abductors wore. One was about the same height as him, very pretty, and had half-red, half-blue hair pulled back into a ponytail. The other was shorter and thinner, and had mid-length brown hair. She was somewhat attractive, but her features made he look perpetually angry. Either that or she was just pissed at him for some reason.

"Iguchi 'Spinner' Shuichi," the two-tone woman finally broke the silence, "Age twenty. According to our information you have been involved in a number of small and mid-level heists, and are quite the wheelman. Also a few violent altercations. But despite that, you have managed to stay off the police's radar."

"Assuming any of that it true," he said carefully, "What do the feds want with me?"

"He thinks we're the government," the brunette snorted.

"Well, that was the purpose of these outfits," two-tone said, "It is fairly well integrated into the collective psyche. We look like agents, and no-one interferes."

Then her voice relaxed. Became lyrical and somewhat mocking, "Sorry, Spinny. We ain't with the FBI, the NPA, or the YMCA. We are here on behalf of the League of Villains."

"Who?" Spinner blinked in confusion.

"We were the ones responsible for the attack on that UA facility," the brunette asserted proudly.

"Yeah, right," he barked, "You and about half a dozen other groups."

That seemed to really get her goat. She looked ready to attack him, and her hair started moving. Then two-tone held her hand up, and the other woman cringed.

"Sorry, mistress Harley," the brunette mumbled.

"It's okay," Harley said, to both of them, "It ain't shocking you haven't heard of us. The police are probably keeping it quiet, so they know anyone who uses the name is probably the real thing."

Then she took out her phone. She showed him a video. It showed Harley and the brunette, along with a skinny, crazed man and another woman with stone like hair. They were walking towards the camera. And in the background was All Might, being held by a bleeding ankle by the exposed brain monster the police had released the image of.

"This is one of the few, real videos of the USJ attack," Harley told him, "Taken by our teleporter after our Jammer was disabled. You can see me and Mindy right there."

"Okay," Spinner relaxed a bit, and his voice betrayed his awe, "Then what does the League of Villains want with me."

"We want to recruit you," Harley told him, "Like I said, you are a good wheelman and can keep yourself anonymous, despite your appearance. We appreciate that. But, if I am being frank, the main reason we chose you, is because you run the largest 'Hero Killer Stain' fansite. And again, have not be arrested or approached for it."

"You need a website?" Spinner asked, dubious. He ran the site and had designed the appearance. But all the stuff that kept it hidden from the cops had been his various 'acquaintances'.

"We need Stain," 'Mindy' said.

"We are trying to approach him," Harley explained, "But we want to get a better feel for him, and for his agenda. To know we can work together."

Spinner's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward.


"What a fanboy," 'Mindy' groused. She stripped off her suit jacket and threw it in the back seat. Then she popped the top two buttons on her blouse, making sure an immodest amount of her cleavage and bra were visible.

"That's not a bad thing," Harley said, slipping into the driver's seat.

"Can I ask why?" the brunette was nervous. She had learned, the hard way, not to challenge Harley. Unfortunately, given how loony her direct superior was, 'Mindy' wasn't always sure what would be treated as a good question and what would be treated as a challenge.

"Stain is a regular prima donna," Harley explained as she merged violently into traffic, "He has his mission, but he wants to be seen and acknowledged. He wants fans, and probably haters too. So if we bring him in, and Spinny starts fawning all over him, that will grease the wheels, so to speak."

'Mindy' nodded.


The rest of Sunday went fine. Eri thanked me for the coloring books. She lent one book to me, and another to Recovery Girl. We spent the afternoon filling in the pictures in relative silence. Eri was very meticulous about it. Aizawa-sensei even took a turn, after he finished with the packets.

I also filled them in on the yakuza's attempt to get Eri's location from me. But I waited until she was in the bathroom.

The night and Monday morning were calmer. Eri didn't force me to go to bed at the same time she did. Though she was still awake when I did go to bed. And she did not wake up the next morning in a panic.

In class, Aizawa handed out the packets. I wasn't sure which was the thickest packet; mine, Mikoto's, Ami's, Momo's, or Todoroki's. Sensei was going to show how many offers we each received, but Iida-kun and Momo stopped him, claiming it wasn't polite or fair. Besides, by his own admission as many as half had been thrown out is inappropriate. He grumbled about Mount Lady not being active long enough to have an intern, but inviting everyone.

Most of my classmates didn't pay attention for the rest of the morning lessons, going through their packets instead. Our teachers let them, so long as they didn't disrupt class for the rest of us.

As we went to lunch, the excitement started to build, knowing that we would be spending the afternoon learning more about the internships. I sat down at our normal table, and the Knights all joined me. And somewhat surprisingly, so did Mei. And a few minutes later, Kendo-chan and Hikari.

"Not that you aren't welcome," Kyoka looked at the 1-B ladies suspiciously, "But don't you normally sit with the rest of your class?"

Hikari sighed deeply, and Kendo-chan dropped her chin down to her chest, stating, "I can't spend any more time around him."

She pointed. We looked. It was Monoma Neito. The normally confident copier had an almost literal dark cloud around his head. Though he was at a table with other members of 1-B, they were all giving him a wide berth.

"What's wrong with him?" Mikoto asked.

"Kan-sensei told him he is on probation," Hikari said simply. Kendo-chan gave her a sharp look.

"It is true," the photokinetic said, unapologetically, "He has until the end of the term to pick up his grades, especially in Hero Studies. If he doesn't, after summer break he'll be sent to General Studies, and the wind girl from 1-D will get his spot."

"That's rough," Hagakure-chan said, having sat down in the tail end of Hikari's explanation. Momona-san seemed to have heard it, but he unexpected brightened. He stood up, and drifted over to our table.

"Yes, I may be the shame of 1-B, placed on probation," he smirked, "But 1-A has it twice as bad."

"Why?" Hagakure asked, "No-one in our class is on probation."

The certainty with which she said it seemed to pierce him like an arrow.

"You aren't?" he asked weakly.

"Nope," she said brightly, "Aizawa-sensei thought there might be some confusion about that, so he personally reassured us we are safe. At least for now, since I guess it could happen to anyone."

I think she was trying to be kind with that last statement. At least it sounded like that to me. But Momona crumpled into a heap.


After lunch, we went to the auditorium. Mei stayed with us, having revealed while we ate that she had received internship offers from two Hero agencies and a dozen support companies. When we arrived there were fifty two students in total. All of 1-A and 1-B. Mei and five other Support Course students. Two Business Course students. Kongou Mitsuko and Kuroiro Shihai, unsurprisingly. Plus one General Course student who hadn't made it into the top 44. I guess he must have impressed someone with his run through the Labyrinth. And finally, Hitoshi Shinso.

He noticed us looking at him.

"Yes, I got an offer," he said defensively, "From the number four Hero, no less. I guess someone sees my potential."


The assembly was dry. Most of it was how to read the forms. They were rather complex. The principal also covered how to look up the agencies in UA intranet. How to learn which second and third years had interned with them in previous years, and how to contact those seniors to get their feedback.

"And finally," Nezu said, "You must submit your decisions by 4 PM, this coming Friday. If you do not, those of you not in the Hero Course will be assumed to have rejected all offers. Those of you in the Hero Course, if you do not make a choice we will make one for you. I believe Yamada-sensei has a new dartboard he is looking for an excuse to test. Now, if anyone has any procedural questions, ask them now. Once those are covered, we will spread out to answer your individual questions."


After class, I went to see Eri. The Knights all wanted to come, too, but I thought seven new people would be too many. Because All Might was going to visit, too. Eri had already met him, but only briefly. Tsu politely bowed out, having already met Eri. The remaining six girls decided to play rock-paper-scissors. In the end, Cassandra and Ochako won. I chose not to point out yet that it was effectively impossible to beat Cassandra at rock-paper-scissors. Because I felt Cassandra's silence would be better for Eri. Also, I wanted Cassandra to get a read on the girl. Cassandra would be able to tell if Eri actually felt safe and happy, or if she was faking it. I could have use Empathy, and I had been. But a second opinion was always good.

We arrived, and Recovery Girl let us in. Eri hid behind her, looking at the three newcomers.

"Eri, I want you to meet a couple more friends of mine," I told her, kneeling down to eye level again.

"This is All Might," I introduced him first, "He's my teacher. You might remember that he helped us on Saturday."

She nodded. And then bowed to him, "Thank you, sir."

"Think nothing of it, young Eri," All Might boomed more quietly than normal, "It was my pleasure and it is nice to see you again."

"And this is my friend Cain Cassandra," I slid over and indicated her, "She can't talk because of her Quirk. But she is a good listener and a nice person."

"Hello, Cain-san."

\You can call me Cass,/ she told Eri. Eri looked at her flashing hands curiously.

"That's sign language," I told her, "She says you can call her Cass. No honorifics needed."

Then I leaned closer, and whispered loudly, "She's American. They are casual and kind of silly."

Eri nodded earnestly, and said again, "Hello, Cassu... Cassu... Cass."

Like many of my countrymen, she struggled with leaving off the last vowel sound.

"And this is Uraraka Ochako," I told her, "She is also my friend. She can make things float. And she is also a nice person, though she is a little excitable."

"Yes, I am," she smiled sheepishly, "And it is nice to meet you, Eri-chan. You can call me Ochako, if you like. Izuku and Cassandra seem to be rubbing off on us. Plus it's only fair, since we are calling you by your given name."

"Okay. Nice to meet you, Ochako-san," Eri bowed.

"Oh, she's so cute," Ochako squealed. Eri moved closer to me.

"It's okay," I reassured her, "She won't hug you without asking."

Eri nodded.

"Do you want to color, Izuku-nii-chan?" she asked. Both Cassandra and Ochako looked at me.

\It was principal Nezu's idea,/ I signed to them, \And I couldn't bring myself to tell her 'no'./

Then I looked at the packet in my hand.

"Sure," I told Eri, "But remember, I have to go back to my own place and my mom tonight."

Eri nodded. Cassandra touched my arm. But even without her, or Empathy, I could tell that Eri was unhappy to hear that, just holding it in.


All of us colored with her, even All Might. While we were there, multiple packages from Amazon arrived. Not just the ones I ordered, either. It was mostly clothing and books. But there was also a plush tiger from me, and plush Olaf from Recovery Girl. In the end, we stopped coloring and help Eri organize her dresser, clothing in the drawers and books on top.

Time did not wait for us, and before we knew it, we needed to leave.

"Eri, I'll come by tomorrow morning, before class," I told her, "and then again after school. If that is okay."

"Yes, that's good," she said softly.

We said goodbye to Recovery Girl and she closed the door behind us. The four of us walked to the end of the hall, to take the elevator for All Might's sake. As soon as the doors closed, he reverted to his real form, sighing in relief.

'Izuku,' Mom suddenly addressed me in Guild Chat, just before we reached the ground floor. She sounded annoyed, 'Would you please add me back to your party?'

'Of course,' I agreed, 'Party Invite, Mom.'

'Is something wrong, Inko-san?' Cassandra asked.

'Well, I seem to have been kidnapped.'


Status Changes for Midoriya Izuku:
Health: 827 → 828 (Plus Ultra penalty -35)

Attributes:
(A)gility: 56 → 57
(W)it: 57 → 58
(C)harisma: 43 → 44

Skills:
Oral Hygiene (C): 23 → 25
Ki Diagnosis (D/W): 12 → 13
Empathy (C/I): 32 → 33
Charm Resistance (D/W): 16 → 29
Psychic Surgery (I/D) → 27


Author's Note: Before anyone complains about Hitoshi getting an offer, just remember how Bakugou's canon internship went...