Let's get the ball rolling here people, no extended preamble. Let's get the "meat" of this story off the ground.

The digital clock at his bedside proclaimed ten fifteen. That made over half an hour now that Izuku had been lain in bed, just staring up at the ceiling. All Might's poster bound grin beamed back at him, the hero's pearly whites catching the little light within the room.

Izuku released a quiet sigh, cycling through his memories of the day. His homecoming had been pretty typical, a warm greeting from his mom and the scent of home cooking permeating the air. When the topic of his new school came up was when things took a turn.

News of him making friends had frozen Inko mid-chew. Dinner quickly devolved into a rather dramatic display, the elder Midoriya bawling in joy at her boy's recovering social life. Really, it was a little bit much for Izuku.

That line of thought had the boy reaching for his bedside table. His hand brushed past the bulky clock and grasped the sleek frame of his smart phone. The screen lit as he dragged it into sight, already opened to a now familiar page. His list of contacts gazed back at him, now twice as long as it was the day before.

He'd been bringing up the menu and staring at the new entries every five minutes since getting under the covers. A sheepish corner of his mind relented that maybe his mother's reaction wasn't too off the mark. Really though, it was surreal how much had changed over the course of a single afternoon.

Hagakure and Minetta's names sat proudly at the top of his newly minted "friends folder." The invisible girl had helpfully placed her name at the tippy top of the list, "cementing her position as bestest friend." Her words, not his. Minetta had fixed her with his flattest look throughout, but wisely chose not to usurp the natural order of things.

Izuku couldn't hold back a smile. His first new, real life friends since starting middle school. He had to scroll down at that, lest he start a re-enactment of his mother's tearful display at the dinner table.

Ochako Uraraka

That entry sobered him right up. Misting eyes gave way to a searing blush as Midoriya turned away from the phone screen, going so far as to slap his hand over it. That whole "exchange" at the end of the field trip had been… awkward, to say the least. Izuku never would have guessed they'd trade numbers after that.

Of course, he couldn't account for the unstoppable force that was Mina Ashido, meddler extraordinaire. And also number four in his "new friends" folder. Though, if he were being realistic, Midoriya might label the horned girl as more of an interference than an acquaintance. And the fact that she had traded contacts with Hagakure beforehand was… slightly worrying.

Minetta had, silently, wished his fellow man the best of luck in the future.

Izuku sighed, his arms flopping out across the sheets and mattress. Again the hero hopeful was caught staring up at All Might's boundless grin. Releasing a long breath, the greenette posed to the Symbol of Peace, "Any thoughts?"

A sharp ping pierced the air, throwing Izuku upright, his arms swinging in towards his chest. His loose grip sent his smartphone sailing into the wall of his bedroom. As the device clunked off the wall and onto the mattress, the active screen absolutely flooded the room with light. Midoriya had to pause for a moment, surprised by this rarely glimpsed function.

He was snapped out of his stupor some moments later as a second tone rang out, the space again exploding into light. A glance to the side showed his clock now reading ten twenty. So then… this was a late night text session?

Izuku jumped on his phone, swiftly opening the text chat.

Minetta: Anybody still awake?

Hagakure: I'll tell you in the morning.

The boy sputtered. It looked like the session was just between the three of them… Probably for the best. Before he could organize what tho say next, more messages came in

Minetta: Boo!

Minetta: Don't give me that, I need entertainment!

What followed was an image sent by Tooru, a photo of the corner of a darkened room. Midoriya could see the top of a bed post on the bottom left side o the image. Just what was this supposed to be?

Hagakure: A picture of my winning smile, may you cherish it.

Looking again, now Izuku could make out the neckline of a T-shirt at the bottom of the image.

Minetta: …

Minetta: Midoriya, save the conversation.

Midoriya: … Knock knock?

Tooru swiftly posted a picture of Eraserhead holding his face in his palm, utterly exasperated. Izuku's smile was full on teeth at this point. This certainly wouldn't help him get a full night's sleep.

Sunlight filtered through orange drapes, casting the remarkably spartan bedroom in a hue of amber. At seven on the dot, the old analogue clock sitting on the table beside the bed started rattling fiercely. A flat palm slapped down over the small hammer bouncing between the clock's wide bells, silencing the cacophony.

The offending hand slipped swiftly away, moving to snap together the top buttons of a dark green blazer. As the sol figure in the room adjusted the shoulder straps on his pack, he turned to the tall mirror mounted on his closed door.

A middle schooler stared back at him, his tired eyes drooping at the far corners. Brown orbs shifted about in his reflection, lazily drifting over his features. His right hand was already reaching out of frame, picking up a comb to at least attempt to tame his monstrous mess of bed head.

A few quick runs saw his blonde lockes into some semblance of order, chin length strands smoothed downwards in a rough bowl cut. As always, that one tuft of dark hair stood out proudly as it hung down the center of his brow.

Family quirks were weird.

As per usual, a pair of loud bangs slammed against his bedroom door. No words accompanied them, only the soft thumping of footfalls leading down the hallway. The boy blew out a sigh before gathering his clothes and a towel.

Freshly bathed, the blonde made his way down the tight staircase. He had to shrug on his blazer one arm at a time to avoid smacking his elbows into the walls. The jade jacket and maroon pants made for an eye catching uniform, kids going to his school were usually tagged as "Santa's Little Helpers."

A quick turn at the bottom of the steps lead into the kitchen. A woman brushed past him, a steaming mug in one hand drawn up to her lips. Her other palm touched down on his scalp, immediately ruffling up his "carefully controlled" hair. She was out of sight, through an opening into the front room without so much as a word.

Stoic bitch looked like she just rolled out of bed, one shoulder showing out her collar and just one sock peeking out the bottoms of her sweatpants. And that long hair of hers was a mess of splits, the tangled curtain of yellow and black making her look like a tiger with mange.

"Mom, don't go outside til you clean up."

"Eat your damn breakfast and keep your mouth shut."

He almost choked out a laugh but the kitchen's other occupant beat him to it. Sitting at the circular table, a plate thick with eggs and various meats, was a teenage girl. At least, she had the physical proportions and voice of a young teen. Her hair was a bursting shock of dark orange that shot out in all directions, her light blue eyes partially obscured.

The short pelt that covered her features, her neck, and the rest of her body was a more faded hue of tan. Her lips were peeled back across her short snout, sharpened teeth clenched together as a round of snickers hissed through them.

Rolling his eyes, the young man plopped himself into the adjacent chair where a more balanced plate of food awaited. She was still laughing when he sat down, so the boy made a play for one of her sausages. A fork swiftly parried his own.

"Dai~chi, what have we learned previously about swiping from my plate?" The cute tone was coupled with a few twitches from her pink little nose. It was all a warning of impending violence.

Daichi retreated back to his own food, "Fuck off, Ranko. Don't leave me openings and then start trying to act cute about it." He promptly shoveled a chunk of rice omelet into his mouth.

Stamping her sleeve covered elbows onto the table, Ranko perched he jaw atop her knuckles and fixed her fellow teen with wide eyes. "You… you're saying I have to try to be cute?"

The boy cut off another chunk of his meal then catapulted that at the literal bitch in front of him. Ranko's expression instantly turned bestial as her jaws snapped up the sailing morsel. After a short show of smacking lips and gnashing fangs, the girl caught Daichi's flat features and returned a feral smirk.

"Savage little shit," the blonde declared, taking a draw of his cooling tea. Ranko may have gotten a little sloppy when she stabbed into and then bit off a nice mass of sausage, ham, and cheese infused eggs in one go. Nothing intentional, of course.

"No flirting in the house, especially when I'm in earshot."

That bit of commentary had Ranko up in laughter once again. Daichi cringed as bits of food fell free in her fit. His mom really was a conniving ass.

At least Ranko gained control of herself in a timely manner. But then she started speaking, "Whatever you say, Mama Senki!"

A pair of tortured groans filled the dwelling. Daichi couldn't even enjoy his mother's suffering, lost between Ranko's sickening saccharine delivery and the fact he and his mom shared the same reaction.

Family quirks were weird.

It had been some time since Izuku Midoriya had had anything close to a "proper friendship." As such, he had never learned the regret of a careless night spent gossiping over the phone. It was a reality he was becoming quite acquainted with that morning.

"Izu~, did you remember your underwear?" Inko's tired demeanor was to be expected. Not only was she without her coffee – the precious nectar of waking – but she'd already spent a good supply of energy helping her son with his early morning rush.

Going to a school that required such a long commute was gonna prove a challenge. Doubly so if Izuku made "late rising" into a habit.

The younger Midoriya snorted at his mom's question, stumbling slightly as he smoothed out his jacket and shrugged his pack on. He didn't bother giving an answer as he kicked on his left shoe – he'd worry about tying it once he made the station.

"Izu~, are you still here?" Izuku's mother was slumped over the kitchen table, the coffee machine going about its task at the most laborious pace possible as Inko weakly clinked her "Hot Mama" mug (Fuck you, Mitsuki) onto the flat surface.

Izuku made for the door, passing the kitchen threshold and fixing Inko with a bemused look. If she were more coherent, she may have returned the expression after seeing her son wearing his grey tie like a scarf. Poor boy was hopeless.

"Leaving now mom, should make it just in time." The hero hopeful turned to the exit when a sudden tug caught his right sleeve. A glance her way showed Inko with her arm extended, her features less sleepy and much more stern. Izuku pushed down the desire to roll his eyes.

"I love you, mom."

Satisfied, the Midoriya matriarch beamed brightly before dropping her head to the countertop again. Her son sputtered all the way out the door.

Ten months of training hell had more benefits than just receiving the power of the Symbol of Peace. Izuku had basically sprinted the dozen or so blocks to the station and was only just starting to feel winded. He made sure he was up the stairs onto the platform proper before toppling forwards, palms atop his knees.

He was feeling more or less recovered in three huffing breaths, already righting himself.

"Deku!?"

Of course Izuku knew that he and Kacchan lived in the same neighborhood. Of course he knew that Kacchan was the restless sort who liked to get to school early. Freakishly early, perhaps. And, of course, Izuku knew that the tram to UA ran through the same station he used in the morning.

He had just forgotten to add all those details together.

"Oh… hey Kacchan," the greenette replied, very much adopting the deer-in-the-headlights look.

For his part, Bakugo resisted the normal urge to shit on his former friend. Some of that was a combination of shock and confusion from seeing the boy again, some of it was the rationale that they weren't classmates anymore and had zero investment in each other's business.

He refused to acknowledge the spot of nervousness he felt, the memory of fucking Deku standing up to him behind their middle school not so long ago. Deku wasn't strong, Deku was the furthest thing from strong.

"The hell are you doing here so early?"

A train rapidly pulled away behind the blonde, droves of early commuters flowing across the platform. The masses streamed around the pair to the opposite side of the terminal, leaving the two to their discussion.

"It's an hour by train to get to my school," Izuku relayed, rubbing the back of his head, "I actually should have been here earlier."

Katsuki scoffed at the statement, "The fuck have you got going on that has you running late, nerd?"

Midoriya fell into nervous laughter as the tell-tale ding of train doors opening rang out from behind him. He kept up his awkward humor response for a brief moment more when realization hit him.

That was his train loading up passengers behind him.

"Midori!" Something snapped up Izuku's sleeve and tugged him into motion. Katsuki almost jumped at the headless girl's uniform that darted past him, dragging off his childhood friend. "Come on, the train'll leave without us!"

"Hurry up," Minetta cried, holding the doors open from inside the train. Some office worker strode past the waist high teen with a curious glance, noting the near herculean strain the boy was exerting.

He… did know that those doors were programmed not to close when there was an obstruction, right?

"Hurry," the tiny teen heaved, face going red as he strained against the inert door.

Tooru, playing along (hopefully), started forward at a sprint. Izuku, his arm captured in the unseeable girl's vice like grip, had little choice but to follow along. But again, Midoriya was a fit boy and kept pace pretty easily. He was actually about to overtake her when Hagakure dropped his sleeve and shot ahead.

Izuku slowed to a stop and watched as his invisible classmate took up position opposite Minoru, taking hold of the other side of the doorway and mirroring the small boy's stance.

"Run Midori," Hagakure stressed, her tone strained to comedic extremes, "before it's too late!"

The office worker who had been observing Minetta's artificial struggle now slotted his sight between the tiny teen and floating girl's uniform. He promptly retrieved a flask from the inner lining of his suit jacket, unscrewed the top, and started pouring a bit of the contents into his coffee.

Midoriya stared at his two friends, their grunts of exertion deafening in the awkward stillness. A glance over his shoulder showed Kacchan, his usual air of being a grump slightly tempered by the blatant "what the fuck" written across his face.

The greenette offered his old friend a wave, "Gotta go Kacchan, see you!" Then he made a dash for the portal his friends were "holding" open.

Boy snagged one of his shoelaces just as he was moving over the threshold into the train car. He turned the face plant into a tuck-and-roll, ending crouched down on fingers and toes between his classmates. A rather "mundanely heroic" pose.

"Safe," his two friends cried, fists pumped up in the air as they released their hold on the doors. They all held their stances for a long moment as the sliding portal waited another twelve seconds before it even began to close.

Office worker took a long swig of his enhanced coffee. Bakugo kept his sight locked on those closed doors as the train pulled out of the station, all the way up until it vanished from view.

Run…

Run…!

Don't stop running!

Can't stop running.

Fell far, pain. Out the window, pain. Have to ignore it, have to.

Keep running, have to get away. Run or he'll find me. Run or he'll catch me! Hurt me…

Hurt me like Miss…

Why hurt Miss? She was his, so why hurt Miss? Always loud outside Miss' room, getting worse and worse. Makes Miss sad, nervous, hold me close.

Miss helped me get away, left window open. Quiet outside… then he came through the door. I watched.

All I do is watch.

Then he saw me.

Still running, sun is higher. Taller buildings, ground is all hard, many cars and people. They see me, but only watch. No help.

I'm no better – I only watched. Worse, I ran, run, am running.

The world passes by in familiar purple, the only thing familiar. So fast…

Must go faster.

Need to get away, further, quicker. Nothing else, can't think of anything else. No distractio-

Smack!

…

… hit something, bounced.

Held in place, caught.

Looking up, up, up…

Their school wasn't one of particular renown, a good middle-of-the-pack sort of institution. The main draw of going there was that it was in walking distance. They also happened to be one of the few places willing to enroll Ranko…

Said dog girl was going about her morning routine of harassing the various vendors and shops lining their route. Daichi had quelled his efforts to halt these interactions months ago, the shop owners and his raucous friend having come to… "understandings" of sorts.

Those understandings did run the gamut between fending the teen hound off with a sacrifice of snacks to preemptively setting up elaborate traps and barricades. Daichi was rather impressed with the growing martial skill of the local butcher, his broom handling becoming quite formidable through the daily defense of his stock. Nowadays Ranko mostly messed with him because he was building up to be a good scrap.

They were about a block away from their "hallowed battleground" when something hard and plastic tinked off the point of Daichi's shoe. The sound was so sharp that it quickly caught Ranko's interest, the dog girl ceasing her assault of the mochi vendor to backtrack to her classmate.

Both teens glanced down to the wild, beady gaze of the small being trapped in the little violet sphere.

Ranko sniffed, her tail shifting slightly, "What's up with this hamster?"

Meet more cast! Izuku and company are gonna be sidelined slightly as we set up the up and coming "conflict" but they'll get involved as things escalate. Also hope you got your fill of class 1-A because we won't be seeing them again for... quite a while.

So, Daichi and Ranko... I don't want to say much about Daichi because we'll get more of him later. He's the "mysterious" one of the two, the one with a not so obvious power/personality. Note that last name though.

Ranko's a pretty clear cut rough and tumble type, from her mutation to her attitude. Her first name is lifted directly from Ranko of My First Girlfriend is a Gal, lending further to that confrontational persona. She has a last name too, one that's different from Daichi's (definitely not siblings) which is also lifted from a rather... rough character, we'll get to when it's relevant. I've seen the name "Wanko" used at least once before (Sankarea, if you're curious) and since I'm pretty sure the word "wan" translates as "bark" I was leaning on using that name but ultimately decided to sidestep that a little bit.

I believe this is probably the most I've used scene breaks in any chapter in any story I've written on this site. There's just a lot of moving parts here for having such a low word count, lots of perspective shifts. I knew this wasn't going to be a very long entry and I wanted to present new details and actors in as succinct a manner as possible. Create just enough intrigue that you'd feel satisfied but still want more. It'll likely continue to be pretty chaotic going forward as the conflict builds, the finer points being lain out piece by piece.

That'll be all for this entry, though. Next time: the morning routines press onward, perils yet to come.