This AU follows Izuku Midoriya who never meets All Might or saves Bakugo from the sludge villain. He has grown through high school and still does not seem to have a quirk. Class 1-A and B have continued training and the LOV has proceeded to attack just like in the manga. However, everything that happens during the Overhaul arc has not occurred yet. The characters are just older and time has shifted. It's time to find out what Izuku's been up to all these years...

There will be OC's introduced, special chapters dedicated to other characters, but most of all, Izuku's journey to becoming a hero in his own way. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 15: Quirk Discoveries

"You're going to shoot me."

The boy stopped laughing and frowned. "So, you saw it already?"

"Yes, the outcome of you shooting me is unavoidable, unless I touch you again." Nighteye shifted his gaze over to her crumpled body. He barely noticed the small rise and fall from her chest. She was still alive. He hadn't seen Bubble Girl's fate in his prediction, only his own. But he was going to do everything in his power to save her.

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you get away with what you did to Bubble Girl." Nighteye pulled out the seal from his pocket. Even as he did so, he knew what was going to come next. Nighteye would throw the seal, hit the boy's knife, and then get attacked over and over and over until he was defeated.

But he didn't want that to happen right now. Just like he didn't want any of his other predictions to come true. Nighteye remembered the first time he had predicted something bad.

He had been in junior high, walking home with one of his best friends at the time. After he had touched his shoulder, he had seen him miss the winning goal for the soccer match he would play the next day. And it had happened. Just like he saw it would. His friend had been angry at him once he confessed.

"Why didn't you freaking tell me Mirai?! I could've done something about it!"

"But it was your future, Shuji. You can't change your future."

"Yeah, a future you saw. But what if I didn't want that to happen? I could've tried harder. Maybe then at least I would've felt better, even if I lost. Because I knew I did all I could to try and avoid it."

I could've tried harder.

Maybe then at least I would've felt better, even if I lost.

Because I knew I did all I could to try and avoid it.

Nighteye had written off Shuji's words as futile and useless. His friend was a lost cause, an arrogant asshole who was always trying to win. But he had never had a reason to apply Shuji's words to his own predictions until now. Even with All Might's future, he still wasn't sure when it was going to happen.

What if it had already changed? He had been thinking about that possibility now more than ever, especially after what happened with Izuku Midoriya.

What if he, Nighteye himself, could find a way to change that future as Midoriya had? How did he know any of his attempts would fail? What if he just hadn't found the right one yet?

Nighteye had always accepted his quirk's oppressive force because he had never been able to change it himself. No matter how hard he tried. But what if he had been looking at it the wrong way this whole time?

What if he didn't need to change the outcomes? What if, instead…

"If the outcome stays the same then it shouldn't matter what or how you try and stop something, right?" Nighteye asked slowly.

But it did matter. Shuji, with his desire to go down fighting, and Izuku Midoriya who was prepared to sacrifice himself to save someone else's life. They might've been stupid, but it was starting to make sense.

His attacker stared back at him darkly. "What the hell are you talking about?" The gun seemed to shake in his hands.

Even if it hadn't happened yet, Nighteye had never truly given up hope that there was a way he could help All Might. He might've stopped trying, but deep down he always thought about it. Especially after everything that had happened a week ago. Now more than ever, Mirai Sasaki didn't want to give up hope.

"I don't need to change anything. The future shouldn't be something you try to run from, it's something you shape. Each and every one of our actions determine an outcome. But you decide how you reach your destination."

Nighteye had been so busy worrying about the outcome of the futures he looked at, that he had stopped thinking about the in-between. The things that could happen within that time frame.

He didn't want to stop fighting. He didn't want to reach that future he had seen. He didn't want All Might to die, no matter how much he believed there was nothing he could do.

Is that what you would have said if I told you about your future, kid? Nighteye wondered, a small smile beginning to form on his lips.

He still didn't understand how Izuku Midoriya had beat the outcome he had seen, but he was sure that he had shaped his own present. One way or another, Izuku Midoriya had influenced a change.

At that moment, something clicked in Nighteye's head as he replayed the image he had seen after touching Jun. There was a crease in one of the film-like images and as he reached out his good hand and touched it, it seemed to flicker and dissolve. Nighteye watched the imaginary pieces reach the floor and he gripped the seal tighter in his hand. He was going to save Bubble Girl and he was going to get an answer. Only then would he truly finish understanding how Foresight worked. Even if it meant he wouldn't have it anymore. The film went blank.

He looked up and gave his attacker a grin. The uncertainty of not knowing, the nakedness he felt in not being able to know where to go and what to do… It was liberating.

"Take my future, boy. Take it. But don't mess with my present. I won't let you."

Nighteye threw the first seal. Maybe it was good that Jun was too fast for him. Maybe it was time he stopped relying on his quirk. The seal hit the hand that held the gun and it flew out of his hands as they both dove to reach for it.

"Only I get to decide how and when you shoot!"

—

"So, they're going to be alright?" Izuku pressed the phone into his ear with shaking hands. He had rushed out of the shower to call him back as soon as his mom told him Mirio left a message. There was still soap on his body and he stood in his room naked and dripping wet.

"Yep! Most of the blood wasn't even Sirs," Mirio explained on the other end. "It belonged to the person who attacked him. They're running an investigation right now."

Izuku exhaled. At least they had survived. He ignored the burning sensation of shampoo going into his eyes and started drying himself off with a towel. "Are you there right now? I– I can head over–" he turned to stare at the clock on his desk. 7:15 PM. Visiting hours had ended hours ago. Damn.

"Don't bother. They're not letting anyone near him until Eraserhead arrives," Mirio added. "Hold on Midoriya– Hi, yes can I get an order of the All-Mighty Miso Ramen? Sauce on the side, yep. Thank you!"

"Wait, Eraserhead?" Izuku frowned, slipping on a random t-shirt and reaching for a pair of boxers from the drawer. He turned red when he realized the only clean pair had a bunch of All Might faces on the fabric.

"Why are they waiting for him?" he finished putting on his sweats and jumped into bed. Mirio seemed to hesitate. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet.

"Sir Nighteye doesn't have a quirk anymore."

Izuku nearly dropped his phone. "What do you mean? Is that even possible?" He scanned his rows of books on quirk theory and analysis in the far right corner of the room. Izuku had never heard of such a scenario. Even if someone had the ability to take quirks away, it was never permanent right?

Mirio sighed. "I don't know, Midoriya. There's a lot of things they aren't telling me, either. That's just what I overheard before they kicked me out of the room."

"They kicked you out? But you're Lemillion!"

He heard Mirio laugh on the other end. Izuku couldn't help but think he sounded sad. "Oh, problem child. Just because I have a hero name now, doesn't mean I'm always treated like one. I don't have that kind of power in society yet."

Izuku hummed quietly. He remembered thinking back to how free Mirio had seemed yesterday, how easily they had let him go after Nighteye. Izuku had assumed it was just because he had a quirk, but maybe he had just gotten lucky.

"Hey, are you still there, problem child?"

Izuku blinked out of his thoughts and sat up quickly. "Yeah, yeah! I'm here. Sorry," he mumbled, gnawing on his bottom lip pensively.

"I'm sure they'll let us see him soon. Either way, I'll keep you updated, kay?"

Izuku nodded again, even if Mirio couldn't see him. "Yeah, thank you Mirio. I'll let you go so you can enjoy your ramen now. Bye."

Izuku hung up the phone and closed his eyes. Even if Nighteye was alright, even if Mirio hadn't been allowed to see him, this still didn't change the way he felt about his quirk. He had to figure it out, he was going to figure it out.

Tonight, Izuku decided, turning over on his side and picking up his alarm clock. A faded All Might sticker covered one of the buttons and Izuku finished peeling it off.

Tonight, after mom falls asleep.

—

Kiho Fujikawa had no reason to believe Izuku Midoriya was a liar, but after the events of last week, she realized she knew nothing about the green-haired kid she had had a crush on for years. And Kiho hated not knowing things. Especially about someone she had spent her whole time analyzing.

Had she been wrong about him? Did he have a quirk all along? She thought back to what Detective Tsukauchi had asked her and furrowed her brows.

Do you think Izuku Midoriya has a quirk?

At first, when he had asked her the question, she had laughed in his face. Izuku Midoriya, having a quirk? The kid who would get bullied because he was quirkless? Wouldn't he have tried to prove everybody wrong or show off his quirk if he had one? She thought back to him getting pushed down the stairs and being shoved in lockers. Wouldn't he have fought back then?

She remembered watching him in high school, trying to find a way to get close without having the whole school find out she was interested in him. She didn't care that he was a nerd, it was actually what made him attractive. But Kiho's parents had high expectations for her, especially after she had failed the UA entrance exam. They wanted her to stay out of trouble in high school and make a name for herself. She needed to be the best. And if she stood out too much for the wrong reasons, her parents would be disappointed again.

So, Kiho had just watched Midoriya get bullied.

It wasn't like she enjoyed seeing him get pushed around, but her mother scared her even more. Kiho shivered, thinking back to how disgusted Mrs. Fujikawa had been when Kiho told them she didn't get into UA.

"I'm sorry! I'll work harder!" she had cried. But her mother wasn't listening.

"You're a disgrace to our family, Kiho. All those years of private lessons, wasted because our daughter came out with such useless powers."

After that day, Kiho swore she'd never let anything distract her from making her mother proud. Not even her own quirk. She decided to devote herself to academics and started working on building up her resume. Lots of places rejected her and she was about to give up hope when the Princeton acceptance came.

It was like a sign. Her mother owned a building up in Jersey, so she could get an apartment or live in the dorms nearby. Money wasn't an issue either, her parents were loaded. And in the US at least, there was a certain prestige that came from saying you went to such a school. Kiho had found a way to turn her life around. Finally, she could be the perfect daughter and didn't have to worry about her quirk holding her back. Her life was set.

Running into Midoriya again was just a happy coincidence. They worked at Masegaki together during their senior year but never talked because their shifts were at different times. Kiho had thought about going up to him but figured it would only distract her. That's why she had been so forward with him on the first day of summer classes. Except she never imagined that talking to Izuku Midoriya would change her life so much in so little time.

She couldn't even focus on packing anymore, too busy thinking about the huge hole in the wall at Masegaki, and wondering how a scrawny little boy like him could've caused so much destruction.

Maybe he was a liar.

"I'm going out," Kiho announced, slipping on her denim jacket and putting on her running shoes. Sei, their butler, gave her a strange look but didn't stop her.

"Where are you going at this hour, Miss?" he glanced up at the clock. 11:59 PM. Kiho looked at it too but shrugged.

"I need to clear my head." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. She had passed by Masegaki Elementary a couple of times in the past week but had never been bold enough to step over the caution tape and broken rubble. Plus, it was full of police officers in the daytime so Kiho wouldn't have been allowed to enter.

She heard Sei sigh as she shut the door. He was probably going to tell her mother about this when Mrs. Fujikawa got home tomorrow but Kiho didn't care. She would come up with an excuse later on. Even though she figured there could be security patrolling the school, she had to go. Kiho had to see for herself what Izuku Midoriya had done to escape the fire that should have killed him.

—

Izuku crept out of bed when midnight arrived. He had planned to sleep a little before but had lied awake instead, listening to the sound of his own breathing and the ticking of his alarm clock every time the hour changed.

His mother was generally a heavy sleeper but he still took his time, making sure he was as quiet as possible. He stared down at the new shoes waiting for him at the door. His mother had managed to find him a pair that resembled the red ones he used to own. This would be the first time he'd wear them.

Izuku finished tying the laces and walked outside, letting the cool summer night air greet him. For a while, he didn't move. He wasn't completely healed and it might've not been smart to head over to Masegaki right now, but when else could he do this? The last person he wanted to run into again was Tsukauchi. Especially after he had lied straight to his face yesterday.

He wasn't sure what he would do once David completed his analysis either. Would he go turn himself in? Tell Tsukauchi what he had found out and apologize for having lied?

That's why Izuku was determined to find out for himself. So he could have time to think about it. He didn't know what he was going to do when he arrived at Masegaki, but he figured he could try and activate any muscle memory by acting everything out the way it had happened.

Running out of the classroom, going up the stairs, finding Kota unconscious. And then…

Izuku started jogging. He only stopped when he arrived at the top of the hill where he had run into Eri. If he had had that kind of raw power that day, he could have definitely saved her. That's why he needed to experience it again.

He thought back to the conversation he had had with Mirio as he continued running. How Nighteye had lost his quirk. How would that affect the investigation? It only made Izuku want to hurry up and run faster. They couldn't afford to wait any longer.

Finally, he reached Masegaki. Izuku looked down at his watch and realized 45 minutes had passed since he had left the house. He frowned. As soon as he was better again, he would start building up his endurance. Nighteye and Mirio were both fast heroes. He needed to be fast too so he didn't hold anyone back.

To his surprise, there was no one guarding the area. Izuku was able to step over the caution tape with ease, hopping onto a mound of dirt as he surveyed the area. The office was in front of him. It had remained relatively unharmed. Then there was the building for the older students on the left, and the one for the younger students on the right.

Izuku had taught in the small annex on the right. It had two floors instead of three and faced a playground. But the building was almost unrecognizable. As Izuku approached it carefully, he realized most of the entrance had collapsed and the only part of the building still intact was the left side of the top floor. He could make out the charred remains of desks and bookshelves, along with planks of driftwood that hung from the ceiling as he stepped inside what would have been his classroom.

All that remained were the burned memories of posters and drawings he and his students had hung up in the prior term. He stepped over a broken chair and stopped when he noticed a familiar object on the floor. Izuku bent down to pick it up. It was Ezumi's stuffed elephant.

There were parts on the plush that weren't burnt, but when he lifted it up, the entire thing fell apart. Izuku wiped his hands on his sweats sadly and walked out the door. Pieces of burnt wood stuck out at odd angles but the frame was still standing.

The hallway was completely black however and the smell was almost unbearable. Izuku started coughing when he approached the stairs. They looked unstable but he had to try. He put his foot on the first step when someone yelled behind him.

The stairs suddenly collapsed from the tiny bit of weight he had applied and Izuku stumbled backward in a cloud of black dust. He held his breath and squinted until it was quiet again and the air had cleared up. Then, the voice behind him spoke.

"Are you trying to go backto thehospital, idiot?"

Izuku quickly turned around and noticed Kiho standing over a collapsed portion of the ceiling. She wore a dark blue denim jacket over some kind of expensive-looking nightgown. The material was probably silk because it looked shiny and had lace running around the edges. Izuku didn't realize he was staring until Kiho gave him a strange look and he quickly looked away.

"Perv," Kiho snickered, jumping off the rubble and walking over to him. Izuku turned red and gave her a frown. "Why are you wearing that out here? Wait, why are you even here?" he blinked, taking her hand as she helped him up.

Kiho let go and shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. What about you?"

Izuku's frown deepened. "You 'couldn't sleep'? So you decided to come here, of all places? Don't you live like, really far away?" he scratched at the back of his head. It was hard trying to talk to someone without looking at them but Izuku didn't want to be rude.

"Hey. I answered your question, now you answer mine. What are you doing here?" her big green eyes seemed to shine as she asked the question. Kiho was standing directly underneath a beam of moonlight. It made it look like her whole body was glowing.

Izuku realized he was staring again and he puffed out air through his nose in frustration. Should he tell her the truth? It's not like there was anything wrong with him being here. They were both trespassers anyway.

"Wellllll?" she asked with a smirk.

"You're gonna laugh at me." Izuku looked back down at his dirty shoes. Maybe he shouldn't have worn the new pair today.

"Ugh, Midoriya, I'm gonna laugh regardless, now tell me!" she insisted, tugging at the sleeve of his sweater.

"Fine, fine." He shrugged her off and averted his gaze before deciding his words carefully. "I came here to find out more about my quirk."

Kiho didn't laugh like she said she would. She kicked at a piece of wood and shoved her hands in her pocket. "Me too."

—

The last person Kiho had expected to run into while sneaking around Masegaki had been Midoriya himself. Although it didn't surprise her. The guy was an idiot with a death wish. If she wouldn't have been around, he probably would have been crushed by the stairs and then no one would know if he was actually quirkless or not.

She also hadn't thought she'd be so honest with him when he explained his motives for being here, yet there she was, telling him the truth. Maybe it was easier this way though. She could kill two birds with one stone.

Kiho sat down on one of the swings and looked over at Midoriya expectantly. "Push me."

He stared back at her in shock and she rolled her eyes.

"Hello? I'm waiting."

They had decided to move to an area that was easier to breathe and talk in. When Midoriya didn't move, she got up and dragged him over to the swing next to her. "Fine. Don't push me, but stop standing there and gawking at me like an idiot. If I'd known your pervy ass was gonna be here, I would've worn something different," she teased, hopping back into her seat and kicking off the ground to start swinging.

Midoriya gave her a half-hearted smile and stared at the ground. Kiho turned to look at him and stopped swinging. He was acting differently. Something was up. "Dude. You're alive, stop acting like Kota didn't make it or something."

"I know, it's just that I wish I could figure it out," Midoriya said quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kiho asked awkwardly. She had never been good at these kinds of things but he looked miserable. Midoriya continued staring at the floor.

"I spent all my life thinking that if I wasn't quirkless, I could be a hero. But what kind of hero can't even get their quirk to activate?" Midoriya kicked at the sand. Kiho watched him closely, pressing her cheek against the steel beams that held the swing set together.

"So, what? Are you just going to forget how you saved that kid? He's alive because of you Midoriya," she sighed watching as a black cat jumped over the wall in the distance. When Midoriya didn't answer her she continued. "Look, I don't know what you were planning on doing before I stopped you but there has to be some other way we can figure out your quirk. Aren't you the Young Professor or whatever they used to call you last term?"

Midoriya looked up suddenly and his cheeks turned pink. "Oh, god," he groaned, "I hated that nickname. It was so embarrassing."

Kiho smirked and leaned towards him on the swing. "Good to know," she laughed, kicking her legs into the air and letting the momentum swing her back to where she had been. "Seriously though, can't you just analyze yourself the way you do with the heroes you talk about in class?"

"You don't think I've tried? I take notes on everything," Midoriya began. Kiho stopped swinging again. "Wait, you don't have notes about me in that little notebook of yours, right?"

Even with his head down, Kiho could tell Midoriya was blushing.

"Midoriya!" she smacked his shoulder the next time the swing brought her close to him again.

"Ow! Just because I'm out of the hospital doesn't mean you can start hitting me," he mumbled, rubbing at his arm and mumbling something incoherent.

Kiho furrowed her brows. "Well if you have any notes about me, you better get rid of them." She stood up abruptly, walking over to the monkey bars and sitting up on the tallest one.

Midoriya followed her with his eyes. "Why?" he asked from below. Kiho stared down at him and then looked away.

"Don't you only write about hero stuff in there?"

"Yeah, so?"

Kiho sighed. She thought back to the rejection letter and stiffened. "I don't plan on ever becoming a hero so it's kind of pointless, no?"

"What, why not?" Midoriya stood up and walked over to her.

"Ugh, I'm not like you, Midoriya. I don't care about saving people. I just want to go to school, get a job, and get ready to take over my family's business one day." Even as she said it out loud she knew it was a lie. But Kiho had already decided what she wanted to do. She didn't have to like it. Midoriya stared back at her, his mouth slightly open and Kiho turned red. Crap, she had definitely said too much.

"You're joking, right?" Midoriya laughed suddenly as he made his way over to the monkey bars too. He struggled a little when it came to getting on, but eventually sat comfortably on the smaller structure next to her.

"Don't you remember how you helped get everyone out that day?" he asked with a smile, staring at the sky. Kiho watched as a puffy white cloud covered the moon and then disappeared behind some trees. Of course, she remembered. It had also been the first time she had used the full power of her quirk since the UA entrance exam ended four years ago.

"If you wouldn't have been there…" he shook his head and looked over at her. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

They stared at each other for a while in silence. Kiho felt her body warm up and she gripped the monkey bars tightly. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to accept what he was telling her, but it just didn't seem possible that someone like her could be associated with such a strong word.

Hero.

"Look, write about me all you want, but I'm telling you, it's pointless." Kiho jumped off without another word and walked over to where she had left her bag. She could make out the 'Missed Calls' icon glowing from her phone inside but ignored it. Midoriya jumped off after her but didn't stick the landing and Kiho burst out laughing.

"How did you punch through a wall but can't land on your feet? You weren't even up that high."

Midoriya blushed and looked away. Kiho did too, taking the opportunity to stare up at the part of the building he had wrecked. Most of the wall had come down but Kiho remembered watching him do it. It had seemed otherworldly. Something only a pro could pull off, the dust flying around him, making it look like he had worn a cape.

She liked making fun of him, but ever since that day, Kiho had gained a silent admiration for the green-haired boy. She'd never say it out loud, but it crossed her mind now and then.

"I guess I can only do cool stuff when I'm in danger, huh?" she heard him laugh.

As soon as he said that, a lightbulb went off in Kiho's head. Turning over to look at him, she could tell he was thinking the same thing. Midoriya paneled and backed away slowly, falling into the sandbox behind him. "Uh, Kiho, why are you looking at me like that?"

Kiho smirked and stepped forward.

"Izuku Midoriya, I think I know how we're going to activate your quirk."

—

"Alrighty class, today we will be splitting up into teams and completing the Build Your Own Hero worksheet I handed out when you came in," Izuku began as he stood in front of his students. He shot Kiho an annoyed glance, and she smirked back, giving him a lazy wave. She sat in the back corner of the room atop one of the desks waiting for class to be over so they could start Operation Danger Zone, or whatever she had called it.

She hadn't stopped bugging him about it after they met at Masegaki two nights ago. And Izuku had thought she forgot about it until he saw her waiting for him on the steps this morning. Her plan involved sneaking into the UA Training Grounds after class, but that was everything she had told him. He kind of didn't want to know the rest. It made him nervous.

One of the girls up front, Chiharu Chigusa, raised her hand excitedly and pointed at Kiho after Izuku called on her. Her quirk was called Sprout and let her grow small plants on various parts of her body. Today, she had a bean sprout growing out of her head. "Um, Midoriya-sensei, can I sit on my desk like Miss Fujikawa?"

Izuku's left eye twitched and Kiho's grin grew wider as she leaned forward in her seat. "Well, can they?" she asked, innocently batting her eyelashes at him.

"No, Chigusa. Miss Fujikawa," he shot her another look and then smiled at the little girl, "is actually here to demonstrate what a bad student acts like."

"Hey!" Kiho pouted and the children giggled.

Izuku straightened and let a small laugh slip. He couldn't help himself. So far, they had had class this whole week at UA and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Well, aside from Sasano accidentally swallowing a penny but he had gone to the hospital and was feeling better now. Izuku peeked over at him and noticed he was staring at his wallet in horror. Okay, maybe not all better, but at least he was safe.

"Actually, I changed my mind about the worksheets. We can do those later. Kiho, would you come up here please?"

Kiho gave Izuku a strange look and made her way over to the front of the room slowly. "What's up, Young Professor?"

More giggles.

Izuku cleared his throat and then stepped back so she was left alone in the middle of the room. She mouthed something at him, but he ignored her.

"Does anyone remember how Miss Fujikawa's quirk works?" Izuku turned to face the class as he sat down at his desk. A couple of hands went up and he called on a freckled boy in the middle row. Toru Yasunaga. Quirk? Pinocchio. If you didn't answer his question truthfully, he could make your nose grow up to twenty feet long. The only way to reverse it was to confess the lie.

"I think her quirk makes her light up like a Christmas tree!"

This time Izuku laughed along with everyone and Kiho gave him a death glare. Izuku remembered Operation Danger Zone and immediately quieted everyone down. He knew she was going to get him back after this but it didn't matter. He wanted to have a little fun too. Plus, after what Kiho had told him at the playground, he couldn't just let her continue thinking she wasn't hero material.

"Yes, sort of. Thank you Yasunaga. Her quirk allows her to light up her whole body as long as she holds her breath. She can control the amount of light and the temperature too. That's why today we are going to analyze it!"

Everyone cheered and Kiho raised an eyebrow at him. "What? But I'm not a hero. Midoriya, what the hell?" she whispered, walking up to his desk as the students chattered excitedly behind them. Izuku looked up and smiled. "Is there a problem, Miss Fujikawa?"

"Uh, yeah, 'Mr. Midoriya'. I thought I made it clear I didn't want anything to do with this hero crap!" Kiho hissed. She didn't look angry though. Actually, Izuku had never seen her this way before. Her cheeks were red, even though she was frowning. She looked flustered. He decided she had to be embarrassed. It was kind of cute.

"Well, if you come into my class, you have to play by my rules," he poked her nose with a pencil and ducked before she could smack him. Izuku laughed as he ran towards the back of the classroom.

"Come on, Miss Fujikawa! You don't want to disappoint your fans, now do you?" he grinned.

Kiho blinked. "My what?"

"You did save them. And that makes you…"

"A hero!" the kids finished, jumping up out of their desks excitedly.

"You were so brave back there Miss!" someone said.

"Yeah, yeah! When you broke down the door, and, and–"

"And then you just exploded like a beam of light! It was awesome."

Kiho stared at all the kids who had crowded around her and then looked up at Izuku. He gave her two thumbs and she let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Okay, okay. But I'm only going to do it for a few seconds, so watch closely."

The kids nodded quickly, forming a circle around her feet. Kiho looked like she wanted to run away. Izuku remembered hearing she didn't like little kids but all traces of nervousness seemed to vanish from her body when her arm started to glow.

Various 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' erupted from the children as they looked up at her in fascination. Izuku watched too, slowly making his way over and staring at her arm. The first time he had seen her quirk she had only used it to light her finger up in their second year of high school. And then she had also used it during the fire, but Izuku had been too busy worrying about his students to pay attention to it. Now though, he had a front-row seat.

Their eyes met and Izuku smiled. Kiho frowned and exhaled, the glow vanishing from her arms. A couple of the kids sounded disappointed and started getting up when Kiho started talking again. "Wait. That was just a warmup. I haven't done it in a while, so, um hold on," she said the last part quietly.

Then, Kiho took in an even larger breath, her cheeks puffing up as her whole body was enveloped in vibrant, yellow light. Izuku didn't even have to shield his eyes. She had adjusted the glow to make it so that it wouldn't hurt them.

After a few seconds, they locked eyes again. This time, Kiho returned the smile.

—

"Have I mentioned this is a bad idea?" Izuku frowned as he followed Kiho towards the dome-shaped building that was the USJ. Classes had just finished and all the kids had been escorted home.

"Midoriya, they gave you a key card for a reason." She looked back slightly and then continued walking. Izuku gripped his empty pocket in frustration.

"W-well yeah but Principal Nezu said to use it for educational purposes only. Meaning with the kids."

"This is educational though. We are going to learn about what's going on inside your green little head," Kiho called over her shoulder before stopping at the door and pulling out the card from her pocket. She had taken it from Izuku while he had been busy helping everyone with their worksheets. He figured it was payback for what he had made her do with the kids.

Izuku sighed and watched her swipe it. The panel on the side glowed bright green and a robotic female voice let them know the main entrance was unlocked. "Okay, okay. But what are you going to do when they ask you why we're here?" he crossed his arms over his chest and stepped in front of her before she had time to go inside. Kiho rolled her eyes and handed him back the card.

"I don't know. Lie?"

Izuku narrowed his gaze at her. Kiho rolled her eyes again and sighed. "Ugh, isn't this a school meant for training heroes?"

"Uh, yeah. But what does that have to do with me?" Izuku frowned, squinting up at the shiny white building before them. There was a tiny part of him that felt excited. He had only seen the USJ on TV, especially after the attack happened. He never dreamed of getting here and seeing it in person. Much less going inside.

Kiho smirked and flicked him hard on the forehead. "Well, aren't we both heroes now?"

Izuku opened and closed his mouth in protest. "W-wait, um, I–"

"Isn't that the word your students used back there or were you just messing with me when you hyped me up on the playground?" Kiho stepped closer to him. Izuku stumbled backward, trying to look at anything but her fiery gaze.

When he didn't say anything, Kiho smiled and turned back around. "So, if they ask us what we're doing here, we just say that we're heroes using the training facilities in this amazing school, or something."

"Besides," Kiho looked back as they walked inside slowly. "It's not like anyone's actually here right now."

"Look out!" someone yelled right as Izuku crashed to the floor under the weight of someone who smelled a lot like cheese.

"Midoriya!" Kiho rushed towards them as the boy climbed off of him. Izuku blinked and watched as a bunch of tiny white dots traveled everywhere he looked. But when his gaze finally settled on the person hovering above him, he couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips. The blonde hair, red visors, swirly cape, and knight-like hero outfit could only belong to one person: Yuga Aoyama, a recent graduate from Class 1-A. Quirk, Naval Laser. Izuku couldn't help but stare at the shiny round object projecting from his stomach.

Aoyama's cheeks flushed pink as he held out his hand to help Izuku up. "Oh my! Je suis désolé. Are you alright?"

Izuku blinked again. "Did something happen while I got knocked out? Because I couldn't understand half of that." He shook his head and took Aoyama's hand. It was as smooth as what Izuku assumed his cape felt like.

Kiho laughed beside him. "Sorry. C'est un idiot."

Izuku whipped his head around to look at her and opened his mouth in shock. "Wait, you can speak–"

"Oh, my! Parlez vous français?!" Aoyama squealed. Kiho nodded quickly and flipped her hair coolly. It smacked Izuku in the face and he nearly fell again, more from surprise than anything else.

"Yeah! I was actually born there because my parents had an important business deal to take care of at the time. I only moved to Japan when I was five years old, but everyone else in my family is from here." She said all this in French however and Izuku only understood the word "Japan".

He could only stare as the two started talking about who-knows-what, but he couldn't help notice the way Kiho's eyes seemed to light up as she spoke. Izuku had never seen her this way. But he felt weird standing in between them. He was used to being ignored but for some reason, watching Kiho act so engaged with someone else made him feel… uncomfortable.

"Heyyyy, what else are you keeping from me?" he mumbled, poking her cheek slightly. Kiho turned to look at him and laughed.

"Lots of things," she winked and then turned back to Aoyama who was watching them closely. He smiled and bowed his head a little.

"Once again, I apologize for running into you…?" he looked up at him expectantly.

"A-ah! Izuku Midoriya." Izuku said quickly, going into a rigid head bow himself.

Aoyama's smile widened. "And you, mademoiselle?"

"Kiho Fujikawa, but please, call me Kiho."

"Kiho… and Midoriya. Magnifique! My name is Yuga Aoyama, from Class 1-A. It's so nice to meet you!" he smirked, staring at both of them up and down. Izuku felt a bit self-conscious and looked away but Kiho didn't seem to care or notice. He seemed to want to say something else when someone called out to them.

"Hey, what's taking so long guys?"

Kiho and Izuku turned around as a group of UA students walked up to them. They all wore their hero costumes and Izuku recognized them in an instant. The boy who had spoken was Hanta Sero. The girl next to him was Momo Yaoyorozu. Then there was Mina Ashido in the middle, who had her arm around Denki Kaminari. Several feet below him was Mineta Minoru and hovering above, in what seemed like floating gloves and idle shoes, was probably Toru Hagakure. Izuku stepped back a little and gulped.

"No way, are you here to train in the USJ, too?" Mina asked, jumping up and down excitedly. Izuku quickly shook his head.

"Actually, we're not from–" Izuku began, but Kiho grabbed him in a headlock so he wouldn't speak.

"Yep! Just two UA students. Trying to get some extra training in," she smiled through gritted teeth as Izuku screamed underneath her grip.

"Um, pardon me, but it seems as if your friend is suffocating there," Yaoyorozu pointed to Izuku and Kiho just shrugged.

"It's okay. He's fiiiiine!"

"I am not fine and we are not students here, please help me–" Izuku yelled out before Kiho covered her mouth with one of her hands.

"Will you excuse us for a second?" she smiled sweetly. Everyone nodded slowly.

Kiho dragged Izuku behind one of the bushes near the entrance and finally let him go. "Midoriya, what the hell! You were about to blow our big chance," she frowned.

Izuku fell to the floor, gasping for breath. "Kiho, you almost killed me!"

"Oh, relax. Wait, did that activate your quirk?" she inched her face closer to his and analyzed his eyes.

Izuku rolled his eyes as she inspected his face, pushing her away gently. "What do you think?" he grumbled.

"Okay then, let's go." Kiho straightened and started walking back to the group. Izuku went pale.

"You're not serious."

"Midoriya, this is our only chance!" she sighed, turning back and tugging on his shirt.

"N–no." He mumbled quietly, staring up at the group of recent graduates nervously. To say he was star struck was an understatement. But he wasn't going to tell Kiho that!

Kiho clicked her tongue and tugged at his sleeve. "So that's it, then? You're just going to give up your dreams of being a stupid hero?"

"Maybe we can come back when it's not so busy," he looked away with a blush.

"Oh, come on. I didn't think you were this shy. The building's huge, we can just train on the other side. There's only a couple of them. I'm sure they'll just ignore us."

"Hey, sorry we're late!" another voice called out as three more students walked past them. Izuku let out a tiny shriek. It was Ochako Uraraka, followed by someone Izuku figured could only be Tsuyu Asui.

"Yes, fellow Class 1-A graduates, I humbly apologize for our tardiness. But we are here now and ready to begin!" That had to be Tenya Iida. He zoomed past the girls and bowed his head a couple of times making Uraraka and Asui.

"Okay, maybe more than a few people," Kiho bit her bottom lip. "Still, we can just–" she continued, but Izuku was already halfway across the lawn. He had tiptoed off while Kiho was left in the dust from Iida's arrival. Unfortunately, she caught up to him pretty quickly, yanking at his ear and dragging him back to where they stood before.

"No, no. Kiho, please don't make me do this I–"

"Yaoyorozu, who's that hiding in the bushes?" Ochako asked, tilting her head a little. The expression she made was undeniably cute and Izuku hid his face with the sweater tied around his waist. He remembered her from the entrance exam and hoped she didn't recognize him.

"They're students here… I think," Momo blinked as Iida stepped towards them.

"What? Ridiculous! I have never seen such faces around and I made sure to memorize each and every student's face on campus for safety reasons. Are they from 1-C or a younger year? The broccoli looking one can pass as a 16-year old but I don't know about the lady…" Iida frowned.

Kiho scoffed. "We're students. Do you need to know all the details, four eyes?"

Iida gasped. "F-four eyes?! That is highly offensive and disrespectful. Apologize at once!"

Sero burst out laughing. "Oh boy, she's like a female version of Bakugo–" a floating hand smacked him upside the head and he turned red.

Iida frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "As class president–"

"Dude we graduated. Give it up already!" Mineta groaned. Then he smirked and turned towards Kiho. "You obviously don't know how to talk to sexy ladies. Allow me." He cleared his throat and flexed his tiny muscles. "The name's Mineta Minoru. Single. Libra. And definitely into you." He grinned.

Kiho blinked and turned to look at Izuku. "Did that knock off grapevine prop just talk to me?"

Mineta looked like someone had just smacked him as he fell back, frothing at the mouth. Izuku managed to hear him say something about Kiho playing hard to get and being "too hot to handle" but he stopped paying attention when Kaminari yawned.

The blonde boy's eyes widened suddenly when he checked his watch while he stretched. "Holy shit, it's late. Can we hurry this training up? I have a date in a couple of hours."

Mina smirked. "Another date with Jiro? I knew you two would hit it off. That's why I get to name the first-born child."

Kaminari short-circuited. "Ch–child?"

"Oooh la la, love is in the air, mon ami!" Aoyama twirled, his stylish red cape fluttering in the wind.

Yaoyorozu sighed and shook her head. "You all made a commitment to spend the last two weeks of summer training together."

"But the others aren't even here. It isn't fair," Uraraka scrunched up her nose.

"I agree with Yaoyorozu. We must train, but before that…" Iida turned back to look at Izuku and narrowed his gaze at him. "We have to figure out who this intruder may be. What if they're villains?!" Iida stood in front of Uraraka and Asui protectively which made them both look annoyed.

Asui peeked over his shoulder with her tongue poking out of her mouth and blinked. Izuku blinked back, unsure of what to say. "Mmm, I'd say he looks more like a terrifying piece of broccoli who's about to be eaten right now."

Mineta seemed to have recovered from Kiho's insult and shot back up from the ground. He pointed at Izuku and gave him an accusatory look. "Y-yeah. What does that fiery chick see in someone so… so…. What's the word?" he grumbled to himself.

"Bland?" Uraraka asked, tapping her chin. She looked like she was lost in thought.

Izuku sighed sadly. Oh wow. She thinks I look bland. Hey, at least she doesn't remember me.

Kaminari, Sero, and Mineta burst out laughing in a pile of three and Hagakure smacked each of them. "It's rude to laugh at your classmates!" she whined.

"Yes, your behavior is highly inappropriate, everyone. I'm sure this mysterious student would love to explain himself if we gave him a chance." Momo gave Izuku a warm smile and he returned it, exhaling slightly. At least someone was nice around here. He even felt like telling them the truth. The worst that could happen was they got kicked out. Kiho and him could always try again.

"Ah, yes, well, my name is Izuku Midoriya and this is Kiho Fujikawa." But when he turned around, Kiho was no longer standing next to him. Izuku frowned and scanned the area but she was nowhere to be found. "Uh, Kiho?" Izuku asked out loud.

"Wait, is that her over there?" Mina asked.

Izuku frowned. "What, where?"

"She's going to jump!" Kaminari pointed as Kiho raced towards one of the larger pools in the building. Izuku whirled around and gasped. He thought back to what Kiho had told him right after the final lesson that day when he asked what Operation Danger Zone meant. It was right before Kiho stole the key card from him.

"Relax, I'm the one that can't swim. You'll be fine."

"But what does that even mean? You better not do anything stupid." Izuku had frowned and Kiho had only smiled more.

"Don't worry. You might be an idiot but I know you'll come save me."

But I know you'll come save me. He thought she was being cryptic or trying to mess with him after he made her act like a show and tell prop for class but this was something completely different.

"Oh my god, Kiho can't swim. She can't swim!" Izuku screamed, looking at everyone in fear and then watching as raced towards the deep end. They seemed to jump into action as soon as he said that but Izuku's body reacted faster. His heart started pounding in his chest, building up until his ears popped and he felt the sensation from before flood throughout his system. This time though, it didn't move to any specific part of his body. Izuku frowned. Was it waiting for him to decide?

Kiho let out a shriek as she jumped and Izuku rushed forward.

Right now, I need to be fast, just enough so I can reach Kiho, he thought and suddenly the sensation spread into his legs. He blinked and sped past Iida who had activated his quirk at the same time, knocking him down as he zoomed past him. The world blurred around Izuku and suddenly he couldn't feel the ground anymore. All he could focus on was getting to Kiho before her body touched the water. He could feel the wind whipping at his face as he rushed forward but it wasn't painful. He was also once again aware of how fast his heart was beating, growing stronger and stronger in his head, making it so that he couldn't hear the sounds of anyone behind him. When he blinked again, Izuku was only inches away from her.

Got you! Izuku felt her body land in his arms, but just like when he had held Kota, she felt weightless. In that brief moment, however, Izuku made the mistake of looking down and realized he was in the middle of the pool, standing over the water. Izuku's eyes widened but it was too late.

"What the–"

Splash.

They both crashed through the water and Izuku momentarily let go of her. He screamed and a bunch of water flooded into his mouth as he was forced to swallow it down. For a moment he couldn't see anything until Kiho's body floated up next to him. Izuku barely managed to grab onto her, when something pink wrapped around his waist and pulled them both out of the water.

Gasping for air, Izuku was deposited on the beach as Yaoyorozu and the others rushed forward. He sat up with shaky arms and crawled over to Kiho who was coughing out water.

"What the hell, Kiho?" Izuku gripped her shoulders, staring at her. He was angry, scared, and confused. Everything had happened so quickly he didn't know what to think. His heart was still beating really quickly and for a moment he felt like he would pass out. The warm sensation had now spread throughout his whole body and he could feel pins and needles on the tops of his arms and legs. It was a strange, but pleasant feeling that made the world seem clearer but his confusion sucked out all the fun of trying to explore it.

"Is everyone alright?" Yaoyorozu asked, a first aid kit in one hand and a pair of towels tucked under each arm. She had definitely not been holding those earlier. Izuku assumed she had made them on the spot.

"I- I think so. Thank you." Izuku took the towels and handed one to Kiho who was still coughing out water behind him. He nearly dropped his towel though when the fabric brushed against his skin and made him shiver. It felt so real, he couldn't explain it. Izuku had touched tons of towels before but he felt like he could feel every tiny particle as he gripped it in his hands.

"Whoa, any deeper, and I would've had to use my tapes to pull you out!" Sero cried as he jogged over to them, followed by Iida and the others. Izuku winced at how loud his voice seemed even if he hadn't yelled. He also picked up on the subtle dripping from his own body and could've sworn he heard a rustling in the bushes behind them. Izuku's heart sped up even more.

What the hell is going on?

Then, something even weirder happened. When Iida appeared, Izuku noticed there were scrapes on both his knees. He must have gotten those when he pushed past him. But Izuku had already known he was bleeding, even before he saw the blood. And that was because he had smelt it first. Izuku nearly gagged, trying to focus on what he was going to say next instead of the dozens of sounds and sensations coursing through his body.

Aside from blood, he also smelt lavender tea which he figured was coming from Yaoyorozu's direction. The towel also had a lingering tea scent as well. Then there was the smell of burnt bacon which Izuku figured must have been coming from Kaminari. He could also smell grape juice, office supplies, cupcakes, and books. But as the group merged together, all of those scents did too and they made him even more nauseous than he already was.

"Oh, man. I am so sorry. Did I do that?" Izuku stood up shakily despite Yaoyorozu's protests. His own voice even sounded weird, like he could listen to every breath and inflection. When he reached Iida though, the taller boy bowed suddenly and lowered his head. The scent of cleaning supplies was undeniable.

"Forgive me for thinking you were an intruder or had malicious intentions in our school. No evil-doer would have done what you just did and if it was at the expense of my body, then so be it. I, Tenya Iida, from the Iida family apologize."

Izuku stepped back in surprise and turned the same shade as the towel. The girls in the back giggled a little and he looked away shyly. Uraraka's giggle was high-pitched and cute, while Yaoyorozu's was reserved and even. Izuku wasn't even sure if he could count Mina's as a giggle. Now that he could pick up on people's voices and sound effects, it was more like a laugh cut short by her own breath.

Iida stared up at him expectantly and Izuku realized they were all looking at him the same way. "Uh, um. S-sure thing, Iida. You are forgiven, I guess." There was no way they would find his response believable. The hesitation in his breathing was so obvious, yet no one else seemed to notice this.

Iida stood up as straight as a pin-like before and gave Izuku a curt nod. "Thank you, Midoriya!"

Izuku noticed Asui's tongue was stretched out around the floor and he realized she must have been the one to pull them out. He could accurately recall the slimy sensation, even if they had been in the water when it happened. Izuku was about to thank her when Kaminari cut in, rushing forward. "Dude! How'd you do that?"

"What do you mean?" Izuku cringed, listening to the way Kaminari's sound waves bounced around in his head. It didn't hurt him because he still wasn't feeling any pain for some reason, but it was uncomfortable.

"You totally walked on water back there, it was so awesome!" Kaminari punched his arm in the air. Izuku even heard the whoosh sound it made. Everything was so clear.

"I don't even think I've ever seen Iida do that, and he's pretty fast." Ochako looked at him and then back at Izuku with a smile. Izuku felt his cheeks go pink.

"Kero," Asui agreed, sticking the last bit of her tongue back into her mouth.

Yao gave Kaminari a stern glance. "While it may have been 'awesome', Fujikawa could have drowned." Kaminari laughed nervously and hid behind Mina's poufy hair. Izuku stared at him in shock and then looked at the others. They were looking at him curiously, even Yao, despite the tone she had used on Kaminari.

Izuku didn't even have to turn around to know that Kiho had stood up behind him. He heard her breathing increase and felt movement. Even before she was done, Izuku was already helping her up. Izuku felt a little disappointed when he could only smell the chlorine coming from her body. Aside from the mascara running down her face, she looked fine so he let himself relax a little. Kiho gave him two thumbs up and grinned. Izuku narrowed his eyes at her but she continued smiling.

"It worked, didn't it?" He heard her whisper in his ear. The sound was like a flutter and it made his entire body weak.

"Y-yeah…" he whispered back, but he barely heard himself speak over the sound of his own heartbeat. Then he frowned and stepped away from her.

"I guess it did." Izuku furrowed his brows at her, taking everything in. The sensation was still coursing through his body. It made him feel like he could do anything. Everywhere he looked things just looked better. The plants were greener, the sky was bluer, the colors on everyone's hero costumes were brighter. He just couldn't stop his body from shaking and even though he wasn't stressed out, the intensity of his heart rate was starting to freak him out a little. Why was it still beating so fast when he wasn't even doing anything?

He looked down at his arms and legs, hoping to see some difference in the way they looked but he saw nothing. "But that doesn't mean I'm not okay with what you did. Kiho, what the heck you could have–"

"Wahoo!" Kiho cheered suddenly as she jumped onto him. Izuku easily caught her even if he wasn't mentally prepared to do so, as her legs wrapped around his waist and she laughed. He had no problem holding her up again and held onto her tightly only because she felt so real to him. The sensation spread to his arms and stayed there while she held her up. Then, he smelt the smoke.

"Oh crap, your feet are smoking, dude!" Kaminari cried from somewhere on his left.

Izuku let go of Kiho and shrieked, momentarily breaking out of his internal struggle as he rushed into the water. It sizzled when he stepped inside but Izuku felt nothing. Even as he lifted up his foot out of the water and noticed the melted sole and exposed flesh now covered in red blisters, Izuku didn't feel a thing. The sight sent his body into overdrive though and he started hyperventilating.

"I can't feel a thing," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else around him. Kiho helped him out again and Yaoyorozu handed him some kind of cream.

"Try this. It's a special cream for blisters. But we should go to Recovery Girl, that looks super painful, and it's strange that you can't feel it."

Izuku's heart sped up again, even faster than it was already pumping as he and Kiho yelled out "No!" at the same time. They looked at each other in shock and then Izuku snapped out of it.

He gave Yaoyorozu a polite smile and shook his head. "I mean, it's okay. This, uh, happens all the time. I promise, I'll be okay. But we should really get going." He gave Kiho a side glance and she nodded quickly, throwing her arm around Izuku and pulling him close.

"Y-yeah! Don't worry about us. We'll both be fine. It was nice meeting you all though," Kiho smiled and then they both rushed towards the door before the 1-A graduates could stop them.

"Uh, bye! Thank you for everything." Izuku called over his shoulder as Kiho slammed the door.

—

Izuku limped up the stairs, leaning on Kiho to keep from putting too much pressure on his injured feet. She deposited him on the chair outside the front door of his apartment and stepped back.

"Thanks," Izuku mumbled, looking away. About an hour had passed since the incident and his body had returned to "normal" now. Normal as in, he could feel pain and it freaking hurt. He felt like someone had ripped a layer of skin off from the bottom of his feet or burnt it with a blowtorch. Izuku also had a massive headache and even though his heart wasn't beating quickly anymore, he could still hear it echoing inside his head.

Plus, now that he wasn't so hyper-aware about the world around him, he could focus on his frustrations with Kiho.

"Kiho…" he looked over at her with a frown.

"So. Now we know it has a condition," Kiho said, as she hopped up on the balcony's ledge, swinging her legs up and down happily. Unlike her, his clothes were still damp. Izuku figured she must have used her quirk to dry herself off. Could she even do that? He shook his head. One thing's for sure, Izuku was cold and he wanted to go inside and change. To be alone for a bit and think about everything that happened.

"Kiho." He tried again. She continued staring at whatever was on his roof.

"And either you activate it by saving others orrrr it's based on the connection with the person in trouble. I think it's the last one, so feel free to tell me how you feel whenever you're ready," she giggled.

"Kiho!" Izuku shot up from the chair. He nearly fell back down when he put pressure on the soles of his feet. "You almost gave me a heart attack back there. I still can't believe you did all that."

Kiho finally looked at him. "Well, someone had to be the bait. If I made you believe I was in trouble you would come to the rescue."

Izuku furrowed his brows at her. "What do you mean "If I made you believe", you were clearly about to drown!"

Kiho burst out laughing and didn't stop until there were tears in your eyes. "Oh, I totally lied. I'm actually a really good swimmer," she jumped off the ledge with a wink. "It was the only way I would be able to execute Operation Danger Zone. Either that or push one of those idiots off a cliff and have you save them, but I know you'd think that was immoral and you'd be mad at me or whatever," Kiho sighed.

Izuku felt his left eyebrow twitch. "What do you mean you're actually a good swimmer?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Don't get mad, Izuku. Don't get mad. Don't give her the satisfaction of seeing you upset, Izuku told himself, trying to calm down. When he blinked again, he noticed Kiho was right in front of him, staring back with her annoyingly pretty green eyes.

"Yeah. That's literally what I just said. Now, aren't you going to invite me in?"

"What?" Izuku blinked, shaking his head quickly. "Kiho, you can't just go around lying to people like that, I thought you were going to–"

"Izuku, honey. Is that you?" Inko's voice came from inside and Kiho gasped, rushing to open the door at the same time as Izuku blocked it. They ran into each other and Kiho gave him a frown.

"Move."

"No! Are you kidding me? I've never brought a girl over before. I've never even brought guy friends. Plus, I'm still mad at you. So, stay still and listen to me–"

Kiho pushed Izuku out of the way but he didn't give up. Izuku yanked her wrist back as Kiho grabbed onto the door handle and the two fell. When Inko opened the door, Izuku was on top of Kiho, their legs intertwined, both breathing heavily from the struggle.

"Oh- oh my…" Inko said quietly.

Izuku's eyes widened and he felt his face flush red. "W–wait, mom! This isn't what you think– I," he looked back down at Kiho and then up, "We were just um…"

"Mrs. Midoriya, your son is a clumsy idiot and he tripped and fell on me," Kiho sighed, shooting Izuku a mischievous glance and then wriggling out from under him.

Inko nodded slowly, her hand at her chest. She kept looking between Kiho and Izuku as if she had just seen a ghost. "Y–yes. He is. A–and you are his..?"

"I'm his friend, Kiho Fujikawa. Nice to meet you," Kiho smiled.

Inko's eyes only got wider and she stepped back. "N–no way. A Fujikawa with my son?" she whisper-gasped, leaning on the door slightly. Izuku stumbled to his feet despite the pain and rushed over to his mother.

"Look, she's leaving soon anyway and–"

"Why doesn't she stay for dinner?" Inko offered quietly. There was a small smile on her lips and Izuku hated that she looked excited.

Izuku looked back at his mother in shock and quickly shook his head. "N-no! I mean, she's probably really busy and–"

"Oh, I'd absolutely love to!" Kiho cut in, pushing past him and giving Inko a head bow. Inko let out a tiny squeal and nodded quickly.

"Oh, wow. A Fujikawa, inside my house, about to try my cooking…" Inko laughed nervously and flushed. "If I had known you were coming, I would've made something better!"

Kiho smiled and shrugged. "It's alright. I can help set the table."

Izuku watched in horror as Kiho disappeared inside. Now, aside from the tremendous amount of pain he was in, he was going to have to deal with having Kiho at his house for the first time ever. And for some reason, that seemed like a harder task than figuring out his quirk.

—

Quirk Recap

Name: Chiharu Chigusa

Quirk Name: Sprout

Quirk Description: She can make plants grow from various parts of her body. They are usually small in size and usually appear when she's excited or stressed.

Name: Toru Yasunaga

Quirk Name: Pinocchio

Quirk Description: If he asks you a question and you lie, he can make your nose grow up to 20 feet. The effects fade after 15 minutes or if he moves far away from you.

Surprise! Did y'all really think I was gonna do my boy Nighteye like that in the last chapter? He's so important for this arc! I might reveal how the fight actually went down at another time (it's not rlly important, basically Jun summed it up p well), but it was soooo hard not to spoil anything haha. This is one of the many plot twists I thought of first for HA, and there's another one coming soon but it'll take place much later *wink wink*. Nighteye is still quirkless tho, RIP.

Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed the rest of the chapter. I had to upload a little later this week because of school. I might permanently change uploads to Sunday though (and maybe even Wednesday?)

Anyway, have your thoughts on Izuku's quirk changed? He'll definitely be going over what happened to him with Kiho in the next chapter, as well as visiting Nighteye in the hospital and talking to him. I also hope you enjoyed 1-A's camo appearance. We will definitely be seeing more of them soon.