It's update time my dudes!

I've got an important note for the end of the chapter, but for now let me apologize in advance if this chapter doesn't seem as good as usual. Again, all will be explained but yes. For now, just enjoy the general movement of plot towards other plotty things.

PEACE.


"So, we'll all be living together, huh? This is gonna be wild."

"Indeed! Which means we must organize our chore charts immediately! If we don't synchronize which utilities are being used by whom, and when, it'll quickly descend into chaos!"

"That sounds like a lot of work."

"Only if we don't follow the guidelines! I've taken the opportunity to lay out an entire schedule for all of us."

Hitoshi rolled his eyes as Tenya began reaching into his satchel to dig out the folders he had printed and organized for everyone. It was a very typically Tenya thing to do, of course, and he supposed he appreciated the effort, but he'd be damned if he were going to spend all his time reading through and organizing his life around when he was allowed to use the washing machine.

That was, assuming they wouldn't have the small army of robots the school used to do it for them.

"What do you think?" He looked over to his best friend, his arms firmly clasped behind his head. "Izuku?"

Izuku didn't reply. The boy seemed to be frowning deeply, his eyes focused downwards as they walked. Perhaps in a testament to his supernaturally heightened senses, he had yet to stumble or walk into anything, though there had been some close calls.

Either way, it seemed as though he were a thousand miles away.

Hitoshi rolled his eyes, then suddenly slapped the end of Izuku's tail.

The boy blinked back into the present and looked over to Hitoshi. "Huh? What?"

"You've gone from Hell-bound to space cadet, huh?" Hitoshi chuckled. "The dorms, idiot. What do you think?"

"Oh. Yeah. It's gonna be fun I guess."

Ochaco was suddenly at Izuku's side, a sly grin on her face. One that masked the flash of concern through her eyes. "Wow, you sound real committed to that answer."

"Perhaps we share a concern," Fumikage added from behind the ground, where he and Shoto had been silently walking side by side. "We, cursed of darkness, are not one to do well in social situations. Being made to live alongside others may prove… challenging."

"You'll be fine, I'm sure." Hitoshi grinned. "Dark Shadow can't be that annoying to live with."

Fumikage's face fell. "You have no idea."

The dorms loomed into view before them, and already the rest of the class had gathered outside, the usual cliques and groups talking and discussing various matters. Of course, the main topic was All Might's retirement and the terrible War of Tokyo. Finding the remaining Heralds had become something of a national priority, and their infamy, before heightened thanks to the attack on Hosu, had now become something of an international issue.

Many foreigners had died in the War, and places like the United States, Britain, and China were beginning to put pressure on the Japanese government to hurry up and catch the culprits.

Even as they joined the crowd of students, Hitoshi could hear Denki talking to Sero about how his uncle's cousin's brother's best friend in another city had totally seen American special forces moving through their neighborhood looking for the Heralds.

Hitoshi shook his head. Like that would ever happen.

He looked over to the large buildings that made up what was now known as Heights Alliance. The huge white stone and brown brick buildings seemed welcoming and modern, and Hitoshi had to admit he was impressed. Though he had to wonder if they thought the students were that stupid as to paint a giant '1-A' on the front, just to make sure they knew where to go.

He glanced at Ochaco and saw her practically beaming at the thought of having such a lovely place to live. She'd been living out of a tiny box room apartment her parents had been scraping money together to afford. It'd been cheaper to do that than pay for her to get the train at stupid o'clock in the morning every day.

Just out of interest, however, he moved slightly closer to Izuku, who seemed to be looking over the building with an unfocused gaze, and whispered, "hey, do you get any vibes from this place?"

"What?"

"You know. Vibes. Holy, damned, rainbow flavored?"

Izuku paused for a moment longer before adding. "There's… something here, for sure. Like a soft bubble." He looked to his feet and frowned. "… there's something under the pavement around the dorm. Probably something Hawks put down."

"That's good, right?"

"I guess so."

Hitoshi frowned. Izuku could be spacey sometimes, but this seemed like something else. Something that might need some late night working through. He knew that Izuku's mother had been in the hospital lately, and with his father being taken out of the picture, well, he guessed there was a lot there to unpack.

He just wished he'd damn well talk about it.

He was about to open his mouth, perhaps to brooch the idea of a private chat, when Aizawa's commanding voice broke the air.

"Alright, you're all here. Good."

Immediately the chatter died down. Together the students looked towards the entrance to the dorms as their teacher began approaching them. Where he'd been hiding Hitoshi had no idea, but he wasn't about to question it. Aizawa was like a ninja. A very grumpy, harsh ninja.

And, like a ninja, you never wanted to get on their bad side.

Which, the second he met Aizawa's gaze, he knew he was most certainly on.

"I'm sure your parents have talked it through with you, but in case they didn't, here's the summary. Because of what happened in Tokyo and the retirement of All Might, it's been decided that for your own safety, you will now be living here, on campus. These are your new dorms, and before you ask, yes, we've already assigned your rooms."

There was a momentary groan from some of the students, no doubt ones who had been hoping they'd get rooms next to one another.

"The good news is that the entire class has been gathered. Also, the school has seen fit to retain the faculty we have on board."

"That's great!" Eijiro called out, looking to the others. "We're all back together, safe and sound!"

"I was worried some of us might not be allowed back, ribbit." Tsuyu placed a finger onto her chin. "Things looked really bad for a minute there."

"It's good to see you in one piece, Izuku," Momo announced, looking to Izuku with a soft smile. "I'm glad you were rescued."

There was a loud, and rather comforting round of agreements from the rest of the class. Hitoshi could see Izuku flush at the response, and Ochaco planted a warm hand onto the teenager's shoulder, flashing a grin and a thumbs up.

"The cost was high, but thankfully no students paid with their lives," Aizawa announced with a nod. "We're lucky to come out of it as well as we did, even though we lost two of the Pussycats, and plenty of police offices." There was a momentary pause from them all. They all felt the weight, Hitoshi more than most, even with his vow to get better, to do better, and to never let it happen again. "However, before we continue, there is something I intend to address. Hitoshi Shinsou, Fumikage Tokoyami, Shoto Todoroki." All eyes turned on the students, and Hitoshi felt a cold chill run down his spine and into his stomach.

"You all disobeyed direct orders to return to your homes and instead, went into Tokyo to rescue Izuku, even when the logical option was to assume that we pro-heroes were organizing our own effort to do so."

Hitoshi felt his cheeks burn, and his hands clench into fists. That wasn't the case at all. They had known that those heroes would have died if they hadn't done what they did. They risked everything to save Izuku, to save the world, and they succeeded. Yes, many people had died, but far, far more people would not be here now if it weren't for their actions.

He glanced to Shoto, and he could see the temper within the teenager rising into his eyes. Shoto was usually calm and stoic, but anyone who knew him like Hitoshi knew that he had one of his father's worst traits hidden deep inside. A fiery hot temper that could explode like a volcano when pushed to the fore.

"Wait, you guys did what?!" Hanta stepped towards them, his eyes huge. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"You disobeyed the school?" Momo gasped loudly. "How could you?!"

"You could have been killed!"

"Dude, what was it like?"

"You helped rescue Izuku? Badass!"

"Tres courageux! I applaud you!"

"Silence." Aizawa's command quickly cut down the mixed responses. His eyes moved to Tenya and Ochaco. "You two. Did you know?"

"Sensei, I swear to you that I only found out their actions afterward. As class president, I have already expressed my opinions on the matter to all of those involved," Tenya announced, stepping forward and bowing.

"Don't punish them, please!" Ochaco added, stepping beside Tenya. "At least, not too harshly!"

Aizawa sighed deeply, then looked back to the three teenage boys. "If it were any other circumstance, I would expel you all on the spot. However," his eyes glanced to Izuku and back, "All Might has retired, and the future will need every hero it can possibly get." There was a shadow on those words, Hitoshi could hear it. Something bitter that Aizawa had been forced to swallow. "Therefore, I will only say this. If you three ever, ever, step out of line again, you will be punished severely. From this moment forwards, you will work, study, and train as if you are all model students. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sensei." The three boys announced immediately and with tight, respectful bows.

And with that, he turned away, leading the curious, and somewhat gloomy group into the dorms.


The dorms themselves were wonderful. Izuku had never stayed away from his home before, and while the first time he'd done so he'd been brutally attacked and then kidnapped, he'd high hopes for his second and more permanent attempt.

After all, from the second he stepped over the threshold of the door he could feel it.

The protective bubble he'd sensed outside only grew stronger within. It wasn't painful, it wasn't the familiar low-electric charge he now associated with the power of faith, but it was there. The closest he could approximate it to was like wearing a pair of gloves on his hands while handling something dirty.

He could work with them just fine, but the sensation of wearing them was always somewhat present.

The dorms were all smooth hardwood, white-coated walls, and a smart, efficient layout that was designed to accommodate not just them but plenty of other future students. It was clear a lot of work had gone into the design of the place, from the shared, open, and welcoming common space to the well-stocked and open plan kitchen. The dorms, split evenly into male and female sections with Aizawa giving very strict warnings on anyone who crossed over into the other, were widely spaced and open.

Izuku went into his own dorm, with his boxes of things already placed inside, with some slight trepidation.

He was amused to see that, unlike his old room, the window was facing to the east, so the sun would shine bright and warm into his dorm every day. He went right up to said windows and drew the curtains.

That would be quite enough of that.

In the welcome gloom, he unpacked his things, slowly setting his room layout how he liked it.

A desk for his computer, places for his books, and his small, meager belongings to be placed along the shelves.

He was surprised at how little he really owned, or perhaps, how little he had taken from his childhood home.

Sure, he had some vintage All Might posters he'd collected, a picture of his mother, a selfie that he and Hawks had taken once, but that was about it.

His room felt oddly… bare.

The quick unpacking meant he had time to sit on his new bed and think. And thinking was not something he really wanted to do much off.

The place felt nice and welcoming, but it didn't feel like home.

It felt like a gilded cage.

It felt like they had done this to keep an eye on him. Gathering all the students together with the guise of protection, but really, they were simply wanting to keep the Prince of Hell under a tighter watch.

Nemesis ghosted warmly through his blood, and Izuku took a deep breath.

He couldn't focus on those thoughts.

Maybe he could help his friends unpack their things.

Yeah, that would help.

And so, he set off on his own attempt to distract himself from his thoughts instead of dealing with them directly. It had always worked out great when he'd done that in the past.

However, just as he opened the door, he heard a hand take the knob.

And his heart tightened as he knew exactly who it was.

"Come in, Aizawa-sensei."

The man opened the door, and Izuku could see that there was a vaguely nonplussed expression on his face. A mix of expectant surprise and dour determination. Izuku could guess why he had come, of course, there were probably a hundred different questions on his mind.

He had to admit however, he was surprised Aizawa would come so soon. He figured he'd at least give him a day or two to settle in before drilling him with questions.

Deciding it might be better if he seemed more casual about it all, Izuku moved to sit back on his bed.

Aizawa seemed to take the hint and closed the door behind him. He then turned back to the boy and, just for a moment, the two simply looked at one another. The air was pregnant with anticipation. Izuku's tail curled behind him, which was an annoying giveaway that he had been trying to work on without much success.

Finally, Aizawa broke the silence. "I think it's best we talk."

"Y-yeah." Izuku gulped softly.

Aizawa sighed softly and moved closer to him, but Izuku was still surprised when the man sat down beside him. He had never seen his teacher act like this before. Usually, he was so standoffish. He wasn't the type of teacher who made friends with anyone, though Izuku knew that there was a deep, caring heart under all that cold dismissal and blunt logic.

"First thing first. I want you to know that I plan to treat you no different than any other student in my class. Is that clear?"

Izuku figured this at least was coming and nodded. "I don't want any special treatment. Nothing's really changed about me, Aizawa-sensei. I just… I guess I just know more about myself, that's all."

"I was informed that you only knew of your… heritage a few days before you went to Hawk's agency. Is that true?"

"Yes."

Aizawa's eyes locked onto his, and Izuku knew he was looking for any hint of a lie. However, it didn't take long for him to accept the answer. If he suspected Izuku of any wrongdoing, his suspicions weren't that well-founded. If anything, Izuku was sure he was glad when he spoke again.

"Secondly, I think you should know for your own assurances that only myself, All Might, and Principal Nedzu know who your family are."

"T-Thank you." Izuku sighed softly, then frowned at his hands. "I can't believe Principal Nedzu knew…"

"He knew who your father was, not who you were. He only put it together after the events in Tokyo."

Izuku frowned deeper. "I just… it feels like he kept everyone out of the loop, even me. It's so frustrating because he pulled all the strings and now he's gone and it's just." Izuku took in a deep breath. "It's a lot."

Aizawa let the statement settle for a moment before finally replying. "I knew for your father for many years, you know. Only as the human he pretended to be of course, but I did know him." Izuku looked back to Aizawa, though his gaze was cautious. "Rest assured, he didn't tell anyone anything if he believed they didn't need to know. You aren't the only one he kept in the dark."

"I… I know that. That's who he is." Izuku replied bitterly.

"I have to admit, I'm glad to see you're not much like him. I think you're far more like your mother, actually." Izuku couldn't help but smile a little. He wasn't sure what part of his mother he was more alike, but he suspected it was her stubbornness. He was surprised then, when Aizawa added, "you both care far too much for your own good."

Izuku looked to his teacher, whose eyes were glancing around the bare-bones room. "Your mother drove herself into the hospital out of her desire to keep you safe. It was only when you truly expressed your desire to help others that she caved. I can see why she did what she did for you, even when it was the wrong move to make. You keep doing the same. You keep putting yourself forwards, thinking it best to take on all challenges, without considering those around you."

"I-"

"You and Hitoshi are like two peas in a pod. You're going to make me grey before this school year ends if you keep it up."

Izuku paused. He wasn't sure if Aizawa knew about Hitoshi being the successor, though something in his tone told him he suspected it as much. However, he had also blatantly revealed the secrets of others before and if he could avoid doing so again, he would.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It means you've got drive." Aizawa sighed. "I've expelled students for having far less."

Izuku wasn't sure how to take that, so he remained silent. Nemesis coasted softly through his blood before suddenly speaking. "We do not intend to cause harm to those we care about."

Aizawa turned to look at the boy. There was an inkling of concern in his eyes before it was quickly shoved down. "That's good. You didn't have that attitude when you arrived."

"We were divided. Now we are healing. Our priorities have changed."

"Good. Keep it up."

For a moment, another silence settled on the room before Aizawa quietly asked. "There's one more thing I need to know." He didn't make eye contact, and Izuku got the bizarre impression that his teacher, the man who had openly spoken about expelling entire years of students, seemed… nervous. "My quirk has a very strong effect on you. I've also noticed it affects Fumikage and Shoto quite strongly as well. I've come to assume that there's something about the three of you that you all share. Do you mind telling me what that is?"

"I- well." Izuku paused and chewed his lip. "You'll have to ask them, sensei. It's not really my place to go revealing their secrets, you know?"

The man simply nodded.

"But as for me… I'm not really sure if what I have is really a quirk." There was tiny, but noticeable change as Nemesis took over. "Our power comes from our soul, from what we are. It is not simply a quirk."

"Yet your file indicates that you have the lack of bone in your toe. Your quirk is also affected by other quirks, like mine." Aizawa pointed out. "So, in that sense, you could argue what you have, what the Celestials have, is like a quirk."

Izuku had never really thought about it before. He supposed, in many ways, Nemesis was like a quirk. After all, Nemesis was a part of him, as he was a part of it. But he could easily say that about any of his friend's quirks. Tenya, Ochaco, Shoto, even Fumikage's quirk was technically just his bird head and not Dark Shadow. Hitoshi too had been given a quirk on top of the one he already owned.

And yet Hitoshi's brainwashing worked just fine on him. As did Ochaco's zero gravity. Aizawa's dispelling of Nemesis was… an interesting phenomenon. And was what happened to Himiko also proof that there was some connection between quirks and the powers of the Celestials?

He frowned in thought, trying to connect the pieces.

"I… I mean. Maybe they have a link somehow? I've never considered it before. But I could ask Hawks about it."

"You do that. He doesn't seem all too eager to talk to me, even if I have plenty of questions for him."

"Do you… need to know for a reason? Sensei? Not that I wouldn't tell you, it's just-"

"I need to know because if I intend to teach you, I need to know how best to do so. After all, with your power, you could possibly overpower me. However, my quirk has already proven that it can easily kill you if I use it on you long enough. It's simply a matter of practicality, nothing more." Aizawa sighed softly and reached out. His hand rested upon Izuku's shoulder, strong and controlled.

It was a comforting gesture, and Izuku felt better for it.

"Consider it an extra assignment for running off during the forest fight when you should have stuck with the group. See what you can find out for me, and I'll try and do the same." He then stood up with a slight, middle-aged groan. He shoved his hands in his pockets and began heading towards the door. "Like I said, I don't intend on treating you any less than any of your other classmates." He paused, then looked back at Izuku. "To me, you're still just my student, understand, problem child?"

Izuku allowed a wobbly smile to cross his lips and he gave several quick nods. His heart was still weighed with the events of the past few weeks, but he did feel better after the talk. The feeling of being in a gilded cage now felt a little less so.

But even so, it wouldn't shift completely.


Classes had finally resumed, though the sense of normalcy still felt a little forced. It was like they were all trying to pretend that things would be okay, even though the world had gone through a giant seismic shift and nothing would ever be the same ever again.

Still, the staff, the students, and the entire school seemed determined to press on. They had been called into training ground alpha, which was a great dome over which a great barren stretch of earth and stone was laid out. Plinths rose up to various heights, as well as a few great dips to match.

The room had been quickly filled by the sound of students working, which echoed through the vast chamber. Rocks were smashed with heavy blows, all while chatter filled the air.

And they all happened to be working on a very particular thing.

"MEGA SMASH!"

Izuku pulled a face. "Eeeeeeh."

"Alright, how about, SUPER BLOW!"

"I dunno."

"FALCON PUNCH!"

"That's copywrited and you know it."

"Fine, why don't you come up with something, genius?"

"How about doing what All Might did and just name them after cities?"

Hitoshi looked at Izuku like he was some kind of idiot. "Dude. I'm not All Might Jr. I'm trying to make my own brand here."

"Yeah, but it could be like a callback, you know?" Izuku shrugged. "Like a reference."

"Nooo, it'd be like I was copying his ass and you know it."

Hitoshi sighed and wiped his forehead with one arm. The two boys glanced as Tenya zoomed past them, and they both heard his loud shout of "RECIPRO BURST!" Followed by a sudden gust of air and kicked up dust that they both shielded their eyes against.

"See, look at that. That's a cool super move name."

"Yeah, but Tenya basically got that with his hero costume. I mean, I bet even Shoto will borrow a few names from Endeavor."

"You could borrow some things from your family." Hitoshi mused with a cunning smile on his face. "Like 'Devil Burn' or 'Lucifer Fire' or something."

Izuku frowned at his friend, and Nemesis responded. "We'll devil burn your hair off if you say that again."

"You wouldn't dare. Besides, everyone knows baldness equals more power, so you'd be doing me a favour."

"Oh really? Fine then!" Izuku suddenly lunged at his friend, an unlight clawed hand full of burning blue flame. "Come here!"

The two quickly began struggling against one another in their lame playfighting before a voice suddenly shouted out to them. "Altashjie! Morningstar!" The two turned with almost identical expressions of surprise on their faces.

All Might was quickly making his way across the chaotic training ground towards them. All Might who was skeletal thin. Izuku knew he shouldn't feel shocked, but it was still bizarre and weird to see All Might not being, well, All Might. He kept blinking and expecting to see the man muscled and huge and grinning.

Instead, all he kept seeing was the sickly-thin form of a man who wore oversized clothing and looked like he needed a drip attached to one arm.

And it was less seeing him in such a state, but more that it was out in public, where anyone could see him. Izuku glanced around and noticed that some of the other students had indeed stopped what they were doing to look over at him.

"You two need to pick up the pace, this isn't time for horsing around."

The two quickly mumbled out a "sorry All Might" before Hitoshi glanced away. "It's just, I can't think of a cool name for my super move."

"Well, for now, focus on actually getting the move down pat." All Might offered helpfully. "The name will most likely come naturally once you've mastered the super move itself. What is your super move, anyway, young Shinsou?"

"I was thinking like… punching. But really strong punching. Maybe with some shouting behind it."

All Might raised an eyebrow at this. "… I see…" He then turned to Izuku. "And you, young Midoriya. What's your super move."

Izuku bit the inside of his lip. "I… really don't have one, All Might."

"You know you can call me Toshinori-Sensei if you wish from now on. I'm not All Might anymore."

"No way," Hitoshi replied with one of his small, but meaningful grins. "You'll always be All Might."

All Might chuckled before addressing Izuku again. "Well, young Midoriya, if you don't have a move in mind, perhaps I could suggest one?"

"Oh?"

He looked around conspiratorially, before leaning closer to the boy and whispering out. "I understand you are working on balancing your, erm, soul between your human self and your, erm, demon self."

"Fallen self." Nemesis grumbled back, Izuku's eyes flashing with annoyance for just a moment. "We are not a demon."

"Fallen, yes, yes." All Might gave a nod to himself. "But with that in mind, well, how far can you push your Fallen-self?"

Izuku blinked at this, then frowned in thought. He hadn't really considered that. "We suppose… right now we can summon our wings, strength, speed, and senses to about… maybe ten or fifteen percent of what we are truly capable of."

"I heard in the forest you, erm, Nemesis that is, took over your body for a short while, is that true?"

"Yes. We needed to do so to humble Dark Shadow and hold back Himiko."

Izuku felt Hitoshi stiffen a little beside him. He wasn't sure why mentioning Himiko made Hitoshi so nervous. Was it because she had been so like Izuku? A dark reflection of him, sure, but she had been the closest anyone had ever been to another being like him, and one Nemesis in the world was already difficult enough.

Maybe it was because he didn't speak her name with any malice or disgust. Though, to be true to himself, he still wasn't sure what to think about Himiko Toga. Deep inside, part of him hoped she still lived, even if the hope was about as far-fetched as hope could get.

"Hm, then perhaps working on that should be your super move goal. You could call it…" He drew his hands apart dramatically before them, "Celestial Switch!"

"… we shall keep it in mind."

Okay so the name sounded terrible, but the idea of pushing himself further was a good suggestion. If Izuku were ever going to stand a chance against other high-level demons or, God forbid, his own aunt-uncles, he would need to become stronger.

And he knew, now that Lucifer was gone, his list of powerful allies grew thin.

"Oh, also, consider visiting the support students and asking for some costume upgrades." All Might noted with a smile. "It can never hurt to change up your style and improve in areas you were previously lacking."

Izuku could have laughed. His costume was forged by demi-gods in times of ancient myth. No human hand could ever craft something so perfectly designed just for him. Lucifer may have been an annoying asshole, but his gift of the armor was, without a doubt, the single greatest gift Izuku had ever been handed. In all the time he had used it, it had never so much as received a scratch. Sure, it got dirty and needed cleaning, but wear and tear?

The Armor of the Morningstar was untouchable by mortal hands.

Well, all of it but one part.

Izuku removed the glasses that Azrael had given him and frowned. "I wouldn't mind getting these changed up. They come off a bit too easily. I don't know how Hawks keeps them on."

All Might gave his successor a quick pat on the shoulder, Izuku a quick and supportive smile, then turned away, calling out to Eijiro. "Young Kirishima! I have some tips for your hardening!"

One All Might was engaged in conversation with the attentive Eijiro, Hitoshi turned back to Izuku. "… you know, if you want to go visit the support students, I'll go with you."

"Why do you want to go?"

Hitoshi nodded slowly. "I… I feel like I need to do something with my voice."

"Your voice?" Izuku asked as the two began strolling along towards the door.

"I have One For All." Hitoshi said in a low tone. "But I still have Brainwashing too. I need to work on being able to use both more effectively. Maybe even finding a way to mash them together. Fighting Satani kinda proved that. I can kinda… cast it forward, but it doesn't work super well. So, maybe I can get something to help with that."

As they approached Aizawa for permission to leave, they heard a casual shout from behind them. They turned and watched as Shoto walked up closer. "Are you guys going to the support students too?"

"Yeah, are you coming?"

"I want my suit to have better regulation when switching between my fire and ice." Shoto shrugged. "And I can't think of a super move."

Izuku nodded. "I can, but I'm not sure working on turning into Nemesis here would really be helpful to everyone else."

Nemesis bristled at the comment but didn't get too upset. It was true after all. Becoming Nemesis inspired fear and terror in people, it was part of being a Fallen. If they were to do so in a room full of people, it might be bad for everyone, and at the very least, having people complain at him while he was practicing would be an irritating distraction. The class still had an edge to it, a nervousness that hadn't been truly dispelled. Becoming Nemesis wouldn't help with easing that edge.

They would settle on working on their transformation skill later, maybe with some privately scheduled training time. He was pretty sure if he explained it to Aizawa he'd agree, though he also had the feeling the teacher would want to be there to monitor him.

They soon asked Aizawa, and the teacher gave them a sharp nod of acceptance, though he made them promise to be back within the hour. Izuku had the very distinct feeling that it was less to do with them missing any lesson time, and more to do with the fact the three of them seemed to be super-charged trouble-magnets.

The journey to the support rooms was swift, and on the way, they went back and forth on various ideas for moves and suggestions for improvements. Most of Izuku's tended to be around focusing his flame, though Nemesis admitted their 'set everything on fire and see what survives' attitude wasn't the best when it came to fighting enemies.

Shoto, of course, offered some tips on that front, just as Hitoshi and Izuku offered to help him improve on his close combat. Shoto was all mid-to-long range and needed to shore up his CQC.

However, as they approached the workshop room, where the smell of oil, metal, and other weird chemicals became stronger and stronger, Izuku's pointed ears pricked as he heard something from beyond the door.

"What?" Hitoshi asked as Izuku moved ahead of them.

"Something's going on in there." He mumbled, coming to the door and putting a hand onto it. "Some- FUCK!"

Nemesis was unbelievably fast, however, it turned out that even they could not dodge a young woman being thrown at a door by an explosion of her own making.

The door simply blew apart in a ball of fire and smoke, and Izuku oofed as someone smacked right into him, knocking him instantly to the floor. He quickly regained his senses however as the weight shifted, turning, and leaning over him.

The smoke quickly cleared to reveal the dirt-covered face of a girl. A girl grinning widely, with eyes of warning-hazard yellow, focused with crosshair-like green-yellow pupils. Her hair, long pinkish braids, flopped about around her head.

"DEVIL BOY!"

Izuku was fighting very hard not to look directly down, but that didn't count for much because he could feel her notably ample chest pressing against his own.

He had never really thought much about girls. Or guys for that matter, since Hitoshi had once asked him if he was on 'his side' or not. He had always been far too focused on school, working out, meditation, and trying to not let his thousands of other horrible life problems crush him into the dust.

So, in terms of his sexuality, Izuku had considered himself 'to be updated at a later date'.

But he at least discovered one new thing about himself in that moment.

He got very embarrassed when looking at the generous cleavages of girls.

Mei was quickly grabbed by Hitoshi and Shoto and hauled up to her feet. She began dusting herself off while the last of the smoke settled and, from within the workshop, the sound of a fire extinguisher could be heard.

Izuku picked himself up while Nemesis rushed in flurries across his skin. It seemed even his Fallen-self had no answer to shapely women literally throwing themselves onto him.

"Hey, Mei." He finally managed to answer. "We're here to-"

"HATSUME." A furious voice broke through the air like a sudden burst of thunder and from the now shattered remains of the doorway, a head poked around. The cold orange iron head of the Support Student teacher, Power Loader, who to Izuku had always somewhat resembled a dinosaur.

Maybe he was supposed to.

"HATSUME! What the hell did I tell you about crossing Unobtanium fuel with Chemical-X components!"

"I had to find out for myself!" She quickly cut back. "You said to learn by doing!"

"I DIDN'T MEAN BY BLOWING YOURSELF UP!" The teacher roared before taking a deep breath. "Count to ten, Higari, count to ten…" After a second or so, he looked to the three boys. "… hero class students, first years. What can we do for you?"

"We'd like some costume upgrades if you can?" Shoto asked, stepping around Mei, who seemed to be suddenly focused on Izuku's armour.

"Hrm. Hatsume! They're your fellow first years, figure something out for them." He turned away. "And try not to blow yourself up for five minutes."

"Alright, teach!" She gave the retreating man a thumbs up before turning to the boys. "Come into my wonderland, and yee shall receive!" And without waiting for a response, she turned and marched back into the workshop.

Mei hadn't been bragging. Her workshop truly was a wonderland. Izuku's mouth gaped as he looked upon the literal piles of bizarre, fascinating, and utterly incredible amounts of gadgets, inventions, devices, and technology whose functions he couldn't even begin to guess at.

If he were a more mechanical-minded being, this would be like walking into a room filled to the brim with gold.

And yet his wonderment was dampened when he spotted an unborn clutching to a chain dangling from the ceiling. The thing most closely resembled a bird, maybe an owl, but it had five spidery limbs ending in human-like hands, each with eight fingers each. Three wide eyes, unblinking, locked onto him, the only features it had on its face. He saw no mouth, nose, or ears.

Just watching eyes and twitching fingers.

He noticed that Hitoshi caught sight of it, and frowned, then looked over to Izuku. A silent acknowledgment passed between them. If they got the chance, they would chase it off. Unborn were, essentially, harmless for the most part. But Izuku had seen how they could feed off the negative energy of other beings, or to put it another way, the sins of humans. In that way, they could also subtly affect those they fed upon.

This one was no doubt feeding off the desires and emotions that the support students felt while working.

Getting rid of it would, at least, help clear the air in the room and help the students feel better. It wasn't like the unborn could hurt them but having them around certainly affected people's spirits in an unconscious way. It was, to put it another way, the same as simply walking into a room and having a bad feeling about it.

"So," Mei announced, drawing their attention back to her. She fell into a desk chair, spinning around once before slamming her boot onto the floor and placing her other foot onto her knee. Her fingers pressed together, and she grinned. "What can I do you for, Devil Boy and Co?"

"Erm, well, I would like a pair of these that don't fall off so much." Izuku announced, taking off his goggles and holding them out to her.

"I can do that in five minutes. Boring." She looked to Hitoshi. "Purple Rain, what would you like?"

"I- wait, Purple Rain? Really? Whatever." He shook his head. "I want something that I can use to support my voice quirk."

This got the young woman frowning in thought. "Interesting… I could whip something up. I think I might have some babies hanging around in the prototype stages." She finally turned her piercing gaze to Shoto. "Rich Boy. What about you?"

"I would like my suit to better regulate temperatures when I switch from ice to fire." He spoke bluntly, as he always did.

Hatsume nodded slowly, but then her eyes narrowed. "And what are you all going to pay me?"

The boys looked at one another. No one had mentioned anything about payment. Wasn't she supposed to do this for free?

"I can pay you if you want." Shoto shrugged. "And I'll cover everyone else. How much money?"

"No, no, no. It's against school policy to charge money for anything the students work on." Mei huffed and flopped onto her workbench. "I could be rolling in cash but nooo. Hatsume Industries is gonna have to wait until I graduate."

"Hatsume… Industries?"

"SO!" She sat bolt upright again, her eyes blazing with excitement. "You'll have to pay me in other ways!" Her eyes moved to Izuku. "Like maybe I can get a closer look at what you have…"

Izuku went a peculiar shade of pink while Hitoshi almost burst out into laughter. "Errrrr-"

"Your armor! Let me examine it." She was suddenly on her feet and grabbing at Izuku's wrist. Before Izuku could react, she had raised his arm braces to her eyes and was gazing at them intently. "I've never seen such beautiful artistry in the metalwork!" Her pupils seem to focus intently. "It's flawless. I must know how it was made!"

Izuku paused. There was absolutely no way he was going to let her know that his armor was forged by Celestial beings in a time before mankind.

"… I can't really say. It's a secret."

"Whatever, I'll figure it out. No secret is beyond Mei Hatsume." She grinned and let him go. "But you'll let me look?"

"If you do all the things we asked, sure."

"We have a deal!" She stuck out her hand and Izuku, with a wry smile, took it.

Mei Hatsume could be a lot, and while he hadn't known her for very long, he could tell that she was earnest and true in her desire to simply learn for learning's sake.

And so, she went to work.

Hitoshi was first. She began digging through her small mountain of inventions, and indeed the pile almost filled up an entire corner of her workshop, and eventually produced a face mask that would neatly cover Hitoshi's mouth and nose entirely.

After a few moments of measurements and some adjustments to the frame, the teenager tried it on and found it to be a great fit.

The real surprise, however, came a few seconds later.

"Devil Boy, say something."

"Like what?"

"That's enough, now, Purple Rain, press the button there on the side of the mask."

Hitoshi did as he was told, then asked, "So, what's that- OH SHIT."

His voice had become an exact match of Izuku's.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya and I'm a big baby who cries all the time and sucks my thumb."

Izuku gave him a look of pure disdain. "Wow, it took you literally less than five seconds to sink to that level."

"Sinking to levels is what I do." Hitoshi continued in Izuku's voice. "Because I'm Izuku Midoriya!"

"No, you're Hitoshi Shinsou." Shoto replied flatly.

Hitoshi pressed a button on the side of his mask and then, in Shoto's voice, announced. "I'm Shoto Todoroki. I never smile but it's all part of my handsome, brooding charm."

"Do I really have a brooding charm?" Shoto asked, looking to Izuku.

"I don't know, what do you think, Hitoshi?" Izuku asked with a flash of sharp fangs.

Hitoshi looked down and quickly took the mask off. "Erm, yep, yep, seems like it works, thanks Mei."

Mei grinned. "Of course! As the CEO, CFO, COO, CSO, CLO, and CMO of Hatsume Industries, I personally guarantee one hundred percent satisfaction for all Hatsume Industry products!" She then rapidly mumbled a bunch of things into her hand, from which Izuku managed to pick out 'not responsible for sudden fires' and 'no refunds under any circumstances, all sales are final'.

Suddenly he felt a little nervous about letting this young woman find him a new pair of goggles.

Shoto was next, and Mei quickly began taking notes of his uniform, as well as measurements. Hitoshi looked greatly irritated as she did this, and Izuku wondered if it was because she was all over Shoto for the moment. Shoto, however, did not react in the slightest. And Izuku quietly texted Hitoshi that at least that was a good sign.

Mei then announced that it would take her a few days to really come up with a solid reworking of the fabric used in Shoto's costume design, and he would have to wait until then.

He nodded and thanked her.

Then she turned her greedy eyes to Izuku, and Nemesis jumped into Izuku's blood like a wolf who saw a too-friendly human approaching.

"Now, strip."

"W- what?"

"That armor. I want to take a good look before I work on your goggles. A deal's a deal, Devil Boy."

Izuku looked helplessly to the others, who only shrugged. Though Hitoshi was, once again, fighting back a wicked grin. He sighed in defeat, and quickly began removing his armor. Well, quickly was a relative term. The one big drawback to the armor was that it did take a while to put together.

It was all in separate pieces, after all, and Izuku highly suspected that other Fallen and Archangels used their court members, or other lesser demons or angels, to help put their armor on for them.

Just his luck that he didn't have some helpful little imp to come along and tie all the straps for him.

Thankfully his friends got the message and gave him a quick hand. Soon enough Izuku was standing just in his flowing chiton with only his black body glove underneath. He felt oddly exposed, even though he had long since gotten used to the feeling of the fabric.

He also felt vulnerable. The Armor of the Morningstar was comforting in a way he couldn't quite describe. Perhaps it was because it was such an important piece of his heritage, a symbol, and connection to everything he intended to become.

And perhaps because it was the only thing he had of his father's.

Mei Hatsume quickly hung the armor upon hooks overhanging a work pit and pulled down her bizarre goggle-like headset, which began buzzing and whirring as it activated. She began looking over the chest place first, her fingers moving with surprising fragility over the armor as if she might somehow break it.

"… it's… beautiful… Devil Boy, have you ever seen your armor up close?"

Izuku again exchanged a careful look with his friends. "… no?"

"It's perfect. Down to a nanomolecular level. And are those engraved? What are these symbols I… this level of engineering is… it's…" She suddenly turned on him, rushing at him and grabbing his chiton with two curled fists. It was only through the quick actions of Shoto and Hitoshi that he didn't completely topple over. "YOU MUST TELL ME WHO DID THIS! HOW DID THEY MAKE IT?"

She began shaking him, and Izuku felt the azure flame rush through his blood. Nemesis had been patient all this time, but their patience had their limits.

"Get… off…" He growled with an echoing tone.

The girl let go, suddenly turning back to the armor and pacing around it. If she had been bothered by his tone, she didn't show it. Izuku suspected she hadn't been listening.

"No, no, don't tell me. I don't want to find out from someone else, I will figure this out on my own. I have to know. I must know."

Izuku was about to say something, but he suddenly heard a strange noise. He looked up to the hanging chains where the unborn had begun moving. It was creeping towards Mei, its eyes glowing brightly, its limbs clicking as if the joints didn't fit together properly.

It was feeding off her. Her desire to know, her obsession, her passion.

It was growing fat off her emotions.

Izuku frowned deeply, but before he could begin to move, Hitoshi reached over and put a hand onto his shoulder. A quick look was communicated between them, and they acted.

"Hey, what's that up there?" Hitoshi asked suddenly and leapt up, boosting his jump with a percentage of One For All.

The unborn either didn't have time to react or didn't have the intelligence to react, as Hitoshi rushed a hand through the chains, knocking it from its grasp and causing it to land with a flat, plop beside Izuku.

Izuku, with a casual hand, let out a sudden burst of flame that consumed the ground beside him.

Thankfully it seemed the support class floors were made of sterner stuff, and there was barely a mark left where the unborn had once been.

"What?" Mei blinked suddenly as if she was coming out of some kind of trance. "What was that?"

"Just a bug." Izuku replied with a small smile before stepping towards his armor. "Now, if you don't mind, can I get this back now?"

For a moment it looked as though Mei was about to protest, but as if removing the unborn had clicked something within her brain, she simply nodded. "Alright, keep your secrets, Devil Boy. But I will figure out who made that, how it was made, then make a way cooler one with my logo right on the side."

As Izuku took the armor back into his hands, he couldn't help but take a moment to feel the comforting weight and coolness of the dim brass. This armor was older than the very continent he stood on, and yet it looked as though it could have been freshly forged yesterday.

It was an open flag to anyone who looked that he was the Prince of Hell.

His smile dropped a little.

It was a symbol of his otherness.

"Here."

He looked up. Mei stood before him holding out a pair of goggles.

"Huh?"

"Your goggles? Like we agreed?" She rolled her eyes and shoved them into his hand. "They contained a micro sight-reactive screen receptor that updates you on enemy combatants. You'll have to update the software every now and then, but as long as you do, you'll have instant information on bad guys. You know, before you kick their butts. And before you say it, yes, I know electronics don't like you. They've got Membrane chips in them, so they should be fine with you."

Izuku blinked, then smiled. "Thank you!"

"Now go on. Git." She turned away from the boys and went back to her workdesk, reaching under it to pull out a set of blueprints. "I'm working on my faster-than-sound emergency response drop ship! I'm gonna call it," she turned and moved her hands through the air, "the Mei."

"… you're a marketing genius, Mei." Hitoshi turned, just as Izuku had finished gathering up the last of his armor. "Thanks for everything."

Once they were back in the hallway, Shoto turned and asked. "What was that about? With the fire?"

"Oh, it was an unborn." Hitoshi answered. "Thought we might as well shift it while we were there."

Shoto nodded slowly. "I wish I could help with that."

"It's fine. You really don't want to see them." Hitoshi shrugged. "It kinda sucks. They're nasty." The two continued to make small talk, but Izuku was hardly listening.

His mind was once again moving over everything that had happened recently. His mother, the War of Tokyo, the loss of his father. He still felt so disconnected from so much, and even when he finally found himself acting more like he had done, the smallest thing seemed to knock him back.

Flame flickered through his blood as Nemesis picked up on his mood. The fire was comforting, the strength it promised was something he knew he could lean on, to carry him forward.

The future, however, now seemed so murky. How much fire would he need to light his path forward?

"You okay?"

Izuku turned to his friends. They at least, were his second strength. Even if he knew he had dragged them into such darkness and terror. They, at least, would be there for him.

Even if he had yet to truly reveal the depths of his inner, impotent frustration at the imposing feeling of aimlessness and loss.

He smiled. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Hitoshi pressed.

Izuku opened his mouth to answer, but the sudden ringing of loudspeakers broke overhead.

"Would Izuku Midoriya of class One-A please report to the principal's office. That's Izuku Midoriya of class One-A, please report to the principal's office. Thank you."

Well, one way of getting out of a funk was having his name called over the loudspeakers. He looked to his friend, who simply shrugged in response. "Better go see what the mouse wants."

"I think he's more of a small bear," Shoto added.

Izuku, however, could only feel the gnawing pit in the depth of his stomach grow a little wider. "I guess I'll meet up with you guys later. Cya."

And with that, he turned away from his friends, heading into the shadowed depths of the UA buildings, and leaving the two heroes-in-making, watching him go.


SO. As was revealed, Izuku is still thinking about Himiko, about his place in the world, and about what his future is shaping up to look like. His Otherness is also still on his mind. It's really like he needs to have a good chat with someone about all this, huh.

Well, perhaps he'll get that in the next chapter. I wonder why he was called to the office? HUMMMM.

But on more serious details, I'm going to announce that there isn't going to be an update on the next usual update date. Lately, I've been feeling incredibly stressed and drained. I've also been feeling like I've been drastically falling behind, and it's affecting the quality of my writing. Now I know this is just a hobby, but this is a work I take a lot of pride in writing. I want to give you guys something I'm happy with, not just something I've thrown out. I've noticed more than a few slip-ups in the quality, not just with spelling or grammar but with plot holes too. One of two of you might have noticed I didn't even reply to the reviews of the last update. I've been so drained and so busy that I've had no time to even sit down and reply to you guys, which I have felt horrible about.

So, I'm going to be taking 6 weeks off to work on the story, get some chapters done properly, and also take some time for myself to relax and get back into a better, more focused mindset.

But for now, just enjoy the chapter and wonder who might be showing up next update. Is it Lucy? Is it Gabriel? Maybe it's neither! Maybe I'm going to be dropping in someone mentioned WAY back who has only just now shown up? MAYBE ALL OF THEM IN A BATTLE ROYALE. Probably not the last one.

Until next update in six weeks my dudes! Peace!