When he arrived at the headquarters of Team Idaten for his internship, Tenya found the thought of Niseko Sezu lingering in the forefront of his thoughts. He wouldn't have thought anyone would even think about abandoning one of their own children, just because they had been born Quirkless. Toshinori Shimura was Quirkless as well, and while he hadn't been able to become a Pro Hero, his career as a social worker had done a great deal of good. And yes, while some of that was probably due to his close relationship to Councilman Midoriya, a lot of it had been due to Toshinori's ability to empathize with people.

All kinds of people, apparently, since he'd heard more than a few people talking about a man by the name of Toshi; one who fit the description of Toshinori Shimura that he'd gotten from his brother, since he hadn't yet had the chance to meet the man in person.

Making his way inside the building, Tenya found himself confronted by the rather odd sight of Stendhal himself standing in front of Tensei. The both of them seemed to be discussing something having to do with the Hero internships that all of the first year students had been dispatched on. Curious, Tenya hurried closer.

"Well, that's about everything I can tell you about internships, Stendhal," Tensei said, grinning as he took his helmet off of the desk it had been resting on. "I'm still kind of surprised that you, of all people, chose to take on an intern, though."

Stendhal scoffed, though he seemed more generally unimpressed than focused on anyone present. "I've heard this one's Quirk referred to as a utility Quirk, but that's only the limiting view of society. This one's determination impressed me."

He'd often heard Stendhal described as a man of few words, but this was the first time he'd actually had the chance to experience Stendhal's economy with words for himself. As he and Stendhal passed each other, he on his way to speak with Tensei and Stendhal on his way out after doing just that, Tenya paused for a long moment to study the other as he walked by. Stendhal's narrow, crimson eyes studied him for a long moment, before the man put his helmet back on and made his way out the door.

"What was that all about?" he asked, once he'd made his way over to Tensei so that the pair of them could converse at a more normal volume.

Tensei laughed softly. "That's just the kind of man Stendhal is. If there's anything that man values more than dedication and hard work, it would have to be professionalism."

"I see," he said, looking out toward the path that Stendhal had taken when he'd left the building.

He could respect the man's dedication, at least, even if the only thing he really knew about him was the fact that he didn't work for any Agency; he hadn't founded one of his own, either, hence why he was popularly known as the Freelance Hero.

~MHA~

Making his way into Best Jeanist's Hero Office, Katsuki raised an eyebrow as he saw all of the people – probably Sidekicks or something, given the way most of them were dressed, and sometimes how they looked – he saw in the main room of the Agency. Puffing air as he caught sight of Best Jeanist himself, Katsuki headed for the Pro to talk with the guy.

"Hey," he greeted, making his way up to where Jeanist himself was standing.

Most of the guy's face was covered by his costume, something that Katsuki had always found himself wondering about; maybe he'd ask about what the idea behind that was, if he was shy or if he just wanted to cultivate an air of mystery or something. There were other things too, of course, but he was probably going to have the chance to talk about that later. He was also trying not to pick up on any of Izuku's bad habits.

He'd been with the nerd long enough to recognize them, at least.

"Katsuki Bakugo," Best Jeanist said, sounding almost like he was testing the name out; in a weird way, it reminded him of Uncle Sashi. "To be perfectly honest, you're a great deal more brash than any of my other recruits. However, I do wish to know why you chose to intern with me to begin with. I suspect that it was not simply because I am one of the Top Five most popular Heroes."

"Nah," he said, shrugging easily. "I mean, that was part of it, but there's also your Quirk. I mean, I'm kind of surprised that someone with what most people would consider a utility Quirk would go into Pro Heroing in the first place, although it's possible that you might end up inspiring a rash of nudist Villains, or something," he paused, shuddering. "Still-" blinking as he thought back on what the hell he'd actually been saying, Katsuki palmed his face. "Kill me, I'm turning into a nerd."

He couldn't quite be sure, since it was starting to seem like Best Jeanist was about as soft-spoken as Uncle Sashi – or maybe even more – but Katsuki almost thought he'd heard the Pro chuckle.

"Yes; it seems that you have a great deal of genuine interest in this internship," Best Jeanist said, and Katsuki found himself wondering if the man ever actually smiled. "Still, there remains the matter of your appearance, your mannerisms, and your manner of speech."

"Huh?" he asked, tilting his head.

He hadn't been expecting that.

~MHA~

Looking around at the small apartment she'd been directed to by Stendhal's letter, Momo found herself wondering just what the large building the apartment was attached to would end up being when she was finally able to see inside it. She knew from everything she'd read about the Pro, once he'd offered her an internship, that he didn't work for an Agency, and he hadn't founded one of his own, either. Stendhal, the Freelance Hero, Momo reflected. I wonder why someone like that would offer me an internship.

Uwabami, the Snake Hero, had also made an offer, but Momo had been more curious about what Stendhal had had in mind when he'd made his offer; Aizawa-sensei had informed her that he wasn't known for doing things like that.

Making her way up to the door of the apartment, Momo hit the chime and stepped back as the door was opened for her. Finding herself facing a tall, lanky, well-muscled man with narrowed, red eyes and a long, tightly-bound ponytail tied high at the back of his head.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said, bowing respectfully to the man as he stood before her. "My name is Momo Yaoyorozu."

"Current Hero name, Creati," Stendhal said, and Momo looked up to see that the man was wearing a rather thoughtful expression on his face. "Well then, let's see what we have to start with. Come inside. Did you eat before you came here?"

"Yes, sir," she said, following the man into a small, rather sparsely furnished apartment.

"As I understand, the proper functioning of your Quirk depends on a steady supply of calories," Stendhal said, leading them towards what seemed to be a small kitchen.

It was only sectioned off from the equally small dining room by the counters that surrounded the refrigerator, as well as holding the stove on the opposite side. Momo didn't know quite what to make of a place so small; really, Stendhal's entire apartment seemed to be only two or at best two-and-a-half times the size of her closet back home. She didn't know just how anyone could live in such a tight space, but she supposed she was going to find out.

At least, while she was working with Stendhal.

~MHA~

The sight of Uncle Mirai, making his way up to him with Togata-sempai, brought a wider smile to Izuku's face.

"Hi, Uncle Mirai!" he called, hurrying up to where Uncle Mirai was standing.

"Izuku," Uncle Mirai greeted. "I'm glad to see that you've kept your cheerful enthusiasm from the last time we met."

"Thanks, Uncle Mirai," he said, grinning.

"Come on, Izuku!" Togata-sempai said, making his way over, a wide grin on his face, as well. "Let's get you settled in!" Togata-sempai said, wrapping his right arm around Izuku's shoulders as he began to lead him up the stairs.

"As I understand, you've chosen the Hero name Myriad, in reference to the multi-faceted nature of your Quirk, as well as the many other Quirks that you have been able to collect," Uncle Mirai said, walking beside him and Togata-sempai as they made their way up to the second level. "It's a worthy choice. However, I do hope you've improved your writing skill. Try not to rely so much on puns that only work in English."

"Right, Uncle Mirai," he said, laughing softly as he continued on his way up the stairs.

Uncle Mirai, who'd worked as a Sidekick under Uncle Toshi using the name Sir Nighteye until he'd started his own work as a Pro and gone on to found his own Agency, had always said that humor and energy were the most important things that Heroes – even if they weren't Pros yet – could have. He'd gotten along really well with Granny Nana when he'd met her, of course, since she was always saying that Heroes should smile to put people at ease, and that also meant that they needed to have humor and energy. Uncle Toshi had said that the pair of them had teamed up a lot, back when he and Uncle Mirai had been working together.

He knew that the both of them were still good friends all this time later, too, so that was good.

~MHA~

The sight of his sweet daughter laying in her hospital bed, though it was a marked improvement from being forced to observe her second-hand through the glass of the tank that Dr. Ujiko had been forced to place her in while she recovered from the symptoms of what the both of them had found to be only a slightly weakened version of Rosaru Fever, still brought out the familiar, simmering annoyance that Hisashi always found himself feeling when those he was fond of were threatened. It had been just the same with Shiro, though to a rather worse degree since his sweet, naïve little brother had been so sickly, as well.

The sight of Bombalurina-chan's right ear flicking, the way it seemed to do quite often when he would watch her as she woke up, brought a slight smile to Hisashi's face as he continued watching his little girl as she woke up slowly.

/Papa?/

"Welcome back, baby girl," he said.

He'd learned a long time ago that Bombalurina-chan's father had called her by that very name, during the time that she had been able to stay with him; it was something of a comfort to her to hear such a thing, and so he was pleased to be able to offer Bombalurina-chan something of the life she'd lost.

/Thanks, Papa,/ Bombalurina-chan said, purring as he reached down to gently stroke between her ears. /What happened?/

For a long moment, Hisashi found himself wondering just what he should ultimately tell his sweet daughter about what had happened; what had become of her first father. Still, there was a way for him to delay such a matter, something that would also give Bombalurina-chan a better chance to survive anything else that might happen to her. He'd ordered Dr. Ujiko to take the opportunity he'd been presented with, while Bombalurina-chan had been in his care, to adjust her physiology so that she would be able to take another Quirk, in addition to the one he'd already provided her with when he'd first adopted his daughter.

A powerful regeneration Quirk, this time.

Pressing his right palm to her forehead, Hisashi drew upon the stockpile contained within All For One again; selecting one of the stronger regeneration Quirks that he'd collected, Hisashi pressed it into Bombalurina-chan's body and felt it begin to assimilate. Smiling softly as he watched a subtle twitch run up the length of her spine, Hisashi found himself reminded of the way Shiro had reacted when he'd first presented Stockpile to his sweet, naïve little brother. Bombalurina-chan settled back into the bed she was sleeping in, her body naturally returning to rest as the new Quirk she'd been given integrated with her physiology.

Tucking the covers more neatly around her slumbering form, Hisashi leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his sweet daughter's forehead.

~MHA~

Panting as she completed her regiment of assigned cool down stretches, Momo made her way into Stendhal's small kitchen so that she could grab a drink for herself. Stendhal, whose given name was Chizome Akaguro – though Momo wasn't quite sure if she was allowed to use the man's name, since he hadn't specifically given her that kind of permission – had been more serious about training her Quirk than anyone else she'd met. Even Aizawa-sensei didn't seem to be nearly as dedicated to bringing out the full potential of her Quirk as Stendhal was.

Settling down on a nearby chair, Momo turned her attention to the television. Taking a few moments to rest and replenish herself, since that was one of the many things other than combat that Stendhal encouraged her to do, since she would need to keep her stamina up both to use her Quirk, and to go out on the patrols Stendhal had insisted she come along on. When Momo found herself watching a commercial, one that seemed to star Kendo, two other women that Momo didn't recognize, and Uwabami the Snake Hero, she found herself more than a little surprised. As she watched more, however, Momo began to have the feeling that Kendo wasn't happy about what she was doing.

Momo didn't think that she would have been happy with that kind of thing, either.

~MHA~

Looking up at the building where his current target was staying, Hari Kurono turned his attention to the tall, broad-framed man standing next to him. Kendo Rappa was many things, but subtlety was not one of them.

"You know why you're here," he said, narrowing his eyes behind the mask that all of the Eight Precepts wore.

"Yeah, yeah; you fetch the kid, I'll keep those Heroes off your back," Rappa answered, with the flippancy that had always annoyed Kurono whenever he would hear it. "I just hope I'll get to fight someone strong, for once."

Narrowing his eyes slightly further; truly, Rappa was nearly more trouble than he was worth. "Just make sure you create enough of a distraction that my movements aren't impeded."

Not bothering to pay any mind to what else Rappa might have said, Kurono waited until he heard the sound of the veritable human wrecking-ball that was Kendo Rappa smashing his way into the building before beginning his own efforts at infiltration. There was little enough chance that all of Ingenium's sixty-five would leave for the battle that Rappa was instigating with them, and so Kurono would plan for just such contingencies while he was making his way into the building. After having studied the floor-plan of the building where the prize the boss wished for him to collect was actually staying, Kurono had naturally taken the time to plan his approach.

The same could hardly be said for Rappa, of course.

~MHA~

When he'd seen the concern that Yaoyorozu had shown, for a girl who wasn't even her classmate, Chizome had found himself more than a little impressed. True, such selfless compassion was a trait that all true Heroes should cultivate within themselves, but then that was all the more reason to encourage such a development within the girl during the time the pair of them had to spend working alongside one another. In light of that, the decision to make a stop at Uwabami's Hero Agency was not such a difficult one.

Irksome as he found the woman's lack of properly professional conduct, he could at least respect her dedication to her rescue work.

However, when the pair of them were about halfway between his small apartment and the Hero Agency that Uwabami had established for herself, an alert from the program he had monitoring police and Hero frequencies went off in the earpiece he was wearing as a part of his costume. Narrowing his eyes as he listened to the message that was going out, Stendhal turned his attention to Yaoyorozu.

"Creati, continue on without me," he ordered, narrowing his eyes still further as he began to receive details about the current cause of the alert.

"Wait, Stendhal," the young woman – the hero-in-training that he was meant to nurture for the whole of the week the pair of them would be working together for – called, causing Stendhal to pause for a long moment, turning back to her. "What do you mean by that? Where are you going?"

"There's been an attack on Team Idaten's headquarters," he said, beginning to move in that direction. "Given the reports I'm getting, it seems to be a single, powerful Villain who's responsible for it. However, as your purpose during this week does not entail setting yourself against a Villain of this caliber, I think it would be best if you continued on without me. You did say that you were concerned for your classmate, yes?"

"I am," Yaoyorozu said, an expression of admirable resolve appearing on her young face. "However, even if I am unable to contribute in any meaningful way to the battle against that Villain, there are bound to be evacuation efforts I can assist with."

Smiling under his helmet, pleased not only to see such dedication in one so young, but also to know that his assessment of Yaoyorozu's character had indeed been accurate, Stendhal called for Creati to follow him. Yes, this delay would likely cause its own share of problems, but knowing just how far the young hero-in-training's resolve would truly carry her was indeed worth the time. Truly, worthy results could not be achieved without resolve.

~MHA~

He and Tensei had just barely returned from their joint patrol, when a veritable mountain of a Villain smashed his way through not only the front doors but also the front wall of Team Idaten's ground floor.

"Tenya, look out!"

Dashing to the far side of the room, ducking out of the way of a hurtling door that had nearly slammed into his head, Tenya panted as he found himself staring up at a huge man in what seemed to be some kind of an orca mask. He barely had a moment to wonder about that, before the giant man reared back and slammed both of his huge fists into the floor underneath them. The sound of the huge man's wild laughter brought a strained grimace to Tenya's face.

"Well, looks like you two are strong," the laughing Villain proclaimed, and Tenya thought it was very likely that the orca-patterned mask he was wearing now concealed a sharp, dangerous grin. "Good; this would be so annoying if all I had to fight here were weaklings."

Narrowing his eyes as he attempted to determine just what kind of Quirk this man possessed, Tenya found himself wishing for a moment that Midoriya had been present, as well. Not only would his excitable classmate's vast array of Quirks be more than useful at a time such as this, but Midoriya also had a talent for swiftly analyzing Quirks; determining their strengths, weaknesses, and more crucially a way to overcome them.

It most likely stemmed from the nature of Midoriya's own Quirk, since an aptitude for analysis would be quite a bit more useful for someone whose Quirk allowed them to replicate other Quirks with a simple ingestion of genetic material.

Before he could lament Midoriya's absence for any real amount of time, Tanya found himself having to dodge out of the way as a quartet of small, black spheres came flying out of the dust kicked up during the course of their battle with the immense Villain who had decided to attack Team Idaten. Turning to watch as Stendhal himself leaped into the room, eskrima sticks out and clearly fully prepared to engage the attacking Villain, Tenya found his attention snapped back to said Villain by a low, annoyed-sounding growl.

~MHA~

The sounds of Rappa's rampage through the lower-level of the building – the Hero Agency, with all of the Sidekicks that would have inevitably been causing trouble for him, if he'd not been quick enough to appropriate the uniform of one of the cleaning staff – gave Kurono at least some assurance that he'd be able to collect the boss' prize without interference. Having made his way up the third level, which was apparently used for temporary or permanent living quarters according to the information that Shin had been able to obtain from one of the other workers who served this place, Kurono searched determinedly for his boss' prize.

More than anything, Chisaki wanted what Team Idaten had taken.

Nearly every door on this particular level was open, making it far simpler to search for the child than it would have been otherwise, and Kurono found himself grateful for small favors; at least Rappa was being somewhat useful. Making his way over to the only closed door on the third level, Kurono tested it. Finding that it had not even locked when Rappa had breached this building's forward defenses brought up a scornful sort of annoyance within Kurono.

Yes, it was a useful development, but it was also another demonstration of the arrogance of the so-called Heroic society.

Standing inside the child's room, Kurono made his way to the side of Chisaki's prize. Wary, silver eyes had turned in his direction nearly as soon as Kurono had made his way through the door; it was only fitting, that the pure child Chisaki had sent him for would also be the only one untainted by the arrogance of those surrounding him. Misguided as he was, however, the boy attempted to run from his salvation, and so Kurono quickly struck him across the back, Chronostasis taking effect as quickly as it ever had.

"Calm down, the effects will wear off after only a minute," Kurono reassured the child, making his way over so that he could inject the tranquilizer, calming the boy so that he would be able to transport the child back to Chisaki.

So that he could deliver the boss' prize at last.