Interships are chosen. Nezu and Izuku have their first class. Izuku needs to talk to Toshinori yesterday. Himiko has some stuff to process. Tsuyu has some things to get off her chest. Izuku goes to see Support. And finally...what is the Hero Killer, anyways?
After the name furor had died down and Midnight left the room once more, Aizawa got up from his nap and tiredly began to hand out the classes internship offers. As Izuku was perusing his, he had a moment of worry and indecision. Recognizing it now as one of those flashes he'd been getting, he glanced up, looking around the room. He noticed a lot of his classmates, specifically those without offers, seemed unsure who to choose.
Izuku nodded to himself, deciding to speak up and offer his assistance. "Hey uh, I was gonna go over the list of agencies and take some notes on the heroes, see if there are new ones I don't know about or something. If uh, you guys are having trouble picking one, maybe my notes could help a little?"
"Dude, seriously? That'd be a lifesaver!" Kaminari exclaimed, looking up at Izuku with wide eyes.
"Yeah, I'm not really sure who to pick here," Kyoka muttered, staring at the sheet and shuffling through the papers.
Half the class ended up speaking up, asking for Izuku's advice, the greenette feeling slightly overwhelmed but also happy that they respected his opinion that much? He couldn't help but grin about it. Aizawa told them they had only a couple days to decide, so Izuku figured he'd get on that first thing once he'd settled on his own…which he found a pretty easy decision.
Sir Nighteye had sent him an offer, and considering how good he knew Nighteye had been with his Quirk training before, he figured he'd be of great help with the three 'new' ones he'd unlocked. Internally, he was also hoping to grill the man about anything involving Chisaki, wondering how that investigation was going. There were few people he wanted to see in jail more than that bastard (Nine being about the only other one in his mind), and so he really hoped Nighteye had made some progress.
Katsuki had accepted Best Jeanist's offer, which Izuku was internally snickering at. Izuku knew how his brother came off, and knew Jeanist's reputation. Katsuki would learn a lot from the man…but also be annoyed as all hell within the first ten minutes. He hoped Jeanist forced him into one of his uniforms and he got ahold of a picture, just so Izuku could send it to Auntie and Uncle for a quick giggle.
When Ochako squeaked aloud and stared at her list, Izuku had no choice but to lean over and look at the page, his own eyes widening.
"Miruko?!" he exclaimed, getting the attention of the class as they all ended up scrambling to see Ochako's offer.
"But she never takes anyone on?" Toru said.
"That is very clearly her name on the application," Momo pointed out.
"'Chako, that's so cool, you'll be her first intern!" Himiko squealed, hopping up and down in excitement.
"Wait, I thought you wanted to be a rescue hero?" Sero asked, scratching the back of his neck.
"I…I do, but I also want to learn more about combat. Rescue heroes still have to fight sometimes. And I'd rather be able to defend myself and others than just waiting for another hero to show up. But…why me?" Ochako asked, dumbfounded.
"'Cause you're a badass, Cheeks. Stop questioning it. That right there is the queen of kicking ass, she's exactly the person you need to learn from if combat's what you want," Katsuki drawled.
"You should do it, Ochako. You must have really impressed her at the tournament! This is a great opportunity! Only if you want to, though," Izuku encouraged her, but made sure to leave open a way out since it seemed like the class was pressuring her a little. Luckily, that sixth sense he had about her mood showed she didn't feel pressured, just…confused, shocked, nervous…and a little bit smug.
"Y-yeah. I'll do it! This will be super cool!" Ochako said, grinning widely. Izuku could feel the pride wafting off her, the nervous energy, and couldn't help but smile down at her. He bent down and kissed her on the top of her head, Himiko mirroring him a moment later, the brunette's cheeks flushing at the unsanctioned PDA in the middle of the class.
With the excitement dying down slightly, the class returned to their seats to review their choices. Momo mentioned something about Uwabami, but Izuku instantly spoke up.
"I wouldn't do that, Momo. She's a good hero when she's doing hero work, but she spends more time modeling and doing advertisements this time of year."
Momo tilted her head to the side. "Then who do you think would be my best choice?"
Izuku gestured for her list, which Momo handed over without an issue. As he scanned over it, he paused. "Huh. Sir sent you an invite too? Well…he'd be great for you, thinking ahead and planning rapidly in combat is his speciality. And we'd be interning together, he's my pick too!"
Momo glanced over the name for a moment, smiling shyly as Izuku spoke. "Um…yeah, okay, that sounds like a good idea then! Thank you, Izuku."
"No problem!"
"I have been chosen by Hawks, it appears, but I worry about his reasoning," Tokoyami mused.
"Nah, Keigo's a bit of a flake, but I could tell he really wanted to help you!" Izuku remarked without thinking, his eyes widening as the class turned to stare at him at his remarks. Shoto glanced up at him.
"I thought he told you not to let Tokoyami know he was intending on asking him to intern with him."
"I was distracted!" Izuku protested.
"...you spoke to Hawks about my internship?" Tokoyami asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"Hawks brought my brother to see me after the tournament. I had not seen my brother in many years. During the discussion, my brother offered an internship to me so we could reconnect. Hawks mentioned he was going to ask you for one. I believe the other one said he would be asking someone as well?"
"Yeah, Tenko…uh, I mean, Chronos said he might ask someone?" Izuku questioned.
Tenya held up his hand as he looked over his list. "I…I believe he chose me? You know, you never did explain how you knew him?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I uh, met Tenko before enrolling at UA. He had a…unique perspective on what I went through as a kid. He's really good friends with Hawks and Pyre, which is how I met them."
"...Geez Midoriya, how freaking cool are you?" Kaminari asked.
"What? I'm not cool! I just get really lucky sometimes, and Tenko is just, a really nice guy under all his video game references and…well, he's kinda like an older brother? So it's just…nice to talk to someone who gets it, you know?" Izuku shrugged, his cheeks flushing at Kaminari's words.
"Yeah, that sounds like something a cool person says," Kaminari replied sagely.
"Ain't nothing cool about the nerd," Katsuki replied.
"You're his brother, you are contractually obligated to give him shit, and therefore your estimation of his coolness factor is inadmissible!" Sero interjected, grinning.
"Give him…shit? Is that what I am supposed to give to Toya?" Shoto asked, confused.
"No!" Izuku shouted, getting Shoto's attention. Izuku sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's a figure of speech, about how siblings tend to use friendly mockery to show affection."
"Showing affection through mockery? That doesn't make much sense."
"Remember how Toya calls Keigo 'chicken'? Yeah, that's affectionate mockery," Izuku tried to explain. "Or how Kacchan calls everyone by slightly insulting nicknames, it's his way of saying he cares."
"Shut up nerd, I never said I cared!" Katsuki snarled at Izuku, the greenette just ignoring the blonde.
"Anyways," Izuku continued, ignoring the pops coming from his brother's hands. "Chronos could be good for you, Tenya. Not your Quirk so much, but his expertise in rescue operations is incredible, and the agency he works out of belongs to Thirteen, so you'd know one of our teachers there too!"
Tenya nodded slowly, distractedly as he looked over his list. "...yes, I think that may be the choice I go with. Thank you, Izuku."
"No problem!" Izuku said once more, smiling brightly.
"Hey, Izu babe?" Himiko said quietly, pulling his attention over to her. He was a bit surprised when he saw the unusual look of consternation on her face…not upset, nor confused, so much as just in a state of 'really?'.
"Yeah?"
"...can you double check I'm reading this right?"
Izuku blinked, getting up from his seat and stepping over to look down at Himiko's sheets. She only had a few, maybe a couple dozen, but the one she was staring at had Izuku also looking at the sheet with the same expression she had.
"That…is definitely a hero, that's for sure," he said haltingly.
Himiko nodded absently. Ochako, now curious as well, peaked over Izuku's shoulder. She also stared at the sheet in confusion. "Well. Uh…I mean, that's a good thing, right?"
"I think so?" Himiko replied, a question in her tone.
"I think it'd be a good choice for you, especially since you want to go underground," Izuku offered, setting aside his own confusion to think about it logically.
"...Yeah. Okay. I think I'll pick them then," Himiko muttered.
"We got a couple days to think, Himi, no rush needed," Ochako said.
"Yeah…but still I think it's my best choice."
"Alright, if you're sure."
The trio were still a little bit flabbergasted by the name on the sheet, so none of them noticed Tsuyu coming up behind Ochako and tapping her on the shoulder. The brunette jumped, her hand tapping Izuku on the arm thoughtlessly, the greenette finding himself rising into the air uncontrolled for a moment before Ochako squealed and released her Quirk. Izuku barely avoided falling over from the sudden drop, but managed to steady himself with Himiko's quick reflexes.
After the trio got their breath back from something straight out of an old Three Stooges skit, Ochako turned to look at Tsuyu with a plastic grin. "Yeah Tsu?"
"Sorry, ribbit. Didn't mean to scare you," Tsuyu started with. Ochako waved it off, relaxing slightly as her nerves calmed.
"It's fine, I shoulda been paying better attention! What's up?"
"Can I speak to you three in private later?" the green-haired girl asked.
Ochako shared a glance with Izuku and Himiko, the blonde and greenette both shrugging, seeing no issue with it.
"Sure! Why don't you swing by my room later, after dinner? Izuku has an extra class today so we'll have to wait a bit," Ochako offered hesitantly.
"Okay. Thank you. I'll see you later, ribbit." With that, Tsuyu walked back to her desk calmly. Ochako was a bit confused as to Tsu's sudden need to speak to them in private, and looking at Izuku she could see he was confused too. Himiko on the other hand had a strange half-smile on her face, almost like she was celebrating winning something before it was announced.
The bell rang, signaling the end of that class and the start of lunch. The students quickly began to file out, heading to get food and prepare for afternoon classes, the upcoming conversation quickly pushed from Ochako and Izuku's minds.
"Well, I'm glad we could find time for this, Midoriya," Nezu said, smiling as he slid a cup of tea across his desk to Izuku.
Izuku smiled widely, taking the tea and sipping at it. "Me too! I'm so excited. I've been looking forward to this!"
"Have you now? Why exactly is that?"
"I mean…you're one of the smartest beings on the planet. And you thought my work was worth discussing, that's the biggest compliment I could get!"
Nezu chuckled for a moment. "Oh Midoriya, I think you give me too much credit. I am quite intelligent, tis true, but true intelligence is knowing that you don't know everything. I am woefully uneducated in certain matters…like human sensibilities, or some of the various decisions on ethics and morality that your kind has decided upon. But when it comes to strict, objective reality…well, I like to think I am fairly versed in objective truths."
Izuku paused, tilting his head to the side. "In what sense?"
"Science, mostly. I like to keep abreast of a multitude of fields. It's quite fascinating, really. Even if I don't have the drive to join one of these fields myself, I do like to follow interesting projects and tend to support those I think will be of the greatest benefit to society."
"Is that why you are constantly donating to various institutions?"
Nezu's grin grew wider. "Why yes, yes it is. I'm curious…how much do you think I donate? Yearly, that is."
Izuku's notebook was in his hand before Nezu finished his sentence. "Honestly sir, I think that's a misleading question. Based on what I was able to uncover, it's almost impossible to separate your personal fortune and UA's funding. Since UA also contributes to many causes, and there is no way to tell what things are based upon your whim or what may have had other contributing factors, I don't think that's a question I can answer with any accuracy."
Nezu clapped his paws twice. "Excellent response, Midoriya. You didn't fall for my bait. Another person may have felt pressured to respond since I had asked, but you did not believe you could answer it with any accuracy, so chose not to. A good decision. That said, don't be afraid to be wrong. It is often only through being wrong that we can learn what is right."
Izuku beamed at the compliment, but his expression faded to be more serious as Nezu continued on. He nodded in understanding. "I'll keep that in mind sir, I promise!"
"Now, for this first class I would like to keep it mostly simple, and focus on something that has a direct impact on you right now…the internships. I believe you intend on notating on the forty agencies for your classmates perusal, yes?"
"Yes sir…if that's alright?"
Nezu waved off Izuku's concerns. "Of course it is! Helping your fellow students is absolutely something we want to encourage here. If you have a talent in analysis and a wide knowledge of heroes, why not use that to better your class? You are in the hero course, Midorya, and at its core, what is a hero but someone who helps others?"
"Yes sir!" Izuku's smile came back, ready to work. He'd been waiting for this moment since Nezu had brought up the idea. He didn't think he could express to everyone else exactly how excited he was by this prospect. He didn't really like to show off his analysis, even though he was happy to help his classmates when they had Quirk questions…but part of him was very proud of it. The work he put into it was substantial. He made it look easy because he'd worked his ass off to be good at it, and someone appreciating the effort he put in just made him actually feel pride in himself for once. He brought his attention back to Nezu as the animal hero placed down a notebook of his own on the desk.
"So what I would like us to work on is that analysis of the forty agencies. I want to see your notes and compare them to the ones I have, and we'll go over the conclusions we each came to and where the discrepancies lie to determine which of us has the better understanding."
Izuku's eyes lit up, the challenge just making him even more excited. A direct competition with Nezu's own talents? He didn't expect to win (as much as winning was even possible in this sort of thing), but he hoped to hold his own.
Nezu paused for a moment, his gaze flicking to the screen to his left. Although his expressions were difficult to read, being a different species, Izuku did notice the flash of…annoyance? Anger? Disgust? He wasn't sure what, but something made Nezu unhappy for a moment.
Nezu's gaze returned to Izuku's, the animal hero letting out a rueful chuckle. "Ah. You saw that. Perceptive. I do apologize, I just received some news I had been waiting for and it was somewhat concerning."
"I understand. Should…should we postpone? If you need to deal with something sir, I can wait," Izuku offered.
"No no, Midoriya, nothing I can do about it right now. In fact, I may as well tell you what it is, since it does involve you to a small degree. The analysis on Nomu's remains has come back, you see."
Izuku's good mood vanished at those words, his expression going carefully blank as he instinctively felt his Quirk roil in his chest, the energy straining to be released in defense of him. He felt the Vestiges reaching out to him…Nana's hand on his shoulder, Yoichi's on his head ruffling his hair, Toshinori's reassuring smile…even the more distant ones were pushing feelings of calm towards him, helping him hold his composure at the sudden news he was not expecting.
"I can see this topic bothers you. Do you wish to move onto a different topic?" Nezu offered.
Izuku took a deep breath, centering himself. "No. I'm not going to be afraid anymore. Please sir, I would like to know what was found out."
Nezu steepled his claws together. "Very well. You'll forgive me for speaking bluntly, I find it is best for such situations. Nomu is some type of bioengineered weapon, as we deduced before. But three things have come up that concern me the most. One…it is unlikely this is the only such creation of its kind. You don't get to this level of bioengineering without creating prior versions, or post ones. Two, due to that fact, the HPSC has sent out a dictate that these creatures are not human, and are to be treated as a weapon…therefore, they advise lethal force when dealing with them. Which, while I don't necessarily disagree with, I find the act premature when it is based upon a single sample…but that's how the HPSC operates," Nezu sighed.
Izuku was not really surprised by the first fact, but the second one had him slightly taken aback. Still, he chose to soldier onward, speaking hesitantly. "And the third?"
"Nomu had multiple different Quirk factors. In other words, it possessed multiple Quirks."
Izuku's head flared, the sound of the Vestiges all shouting at once giving him a tremendous headache. He bent over, clutching at his head from the sudden pain of seven voices speaking at once with screaming emotions spilling across his mental walls. Hissing out a pained breath, he waved off Nezu's immediate leap over his desk in concern.
'Silence!' Yoichi's voice thundered across Izuku's mindscape, the Vestiges quieting slightly at the rare show of force from the First. Yoichi sighed, before addressing Izuku directly. 'We're terribly sorry, Izuku. That news implies something we are…concerned about.'
Concerned nothing! Eighth fucking crushed his skull! That bastard can't still be alive!' the rare sound of Third's voice echoing in response.
'It is entirely possible it's not him, it could be some sort of contingency, or perhaps the Nomu is from before the fight with Eighth. We should not jump to conclusions,' Hikage said.
"Midoriya? What is going on? Should I retrieve Recovery Girl?" Nezu asked, one paw on Izuku's knee.
Izuku shook his head, wincing as the motion made him feel queasy after the sudden migraine he now sported. "N-no. I…I was going to tell you, I can speak to the Vestiges while awake now. I don't know why but they are freaking out about something involving Nomu."
'Ask Toshinori to explain. It'll be…easier, if he explains it,' Nana said quietly. Izuku could feel Toshinori's vestige nodding in agreement.
"Nana says to ask Toshinori about it…but I get the feeling you know what it is they aren't telling me," Izuku said quietly, looking up to meet Nezu's gaze.
The animal hero didn't flinch or look away, but his expression remained placid and unmoving as stone. "I do. But she is right to say you should ask him. For now, please, sit back and try to relax. Take another drink of tea, it may help calm your nerves."
"...I doubt that, but the headache is fading a little now that they aren't yelling," Izuku muttered, taking the drink as requested.
'Once again, sorry about that, kid,' Daigoro said sheepishly.
'I won't say it's fine, but if you guys could, you know, not do that again that's good enough for me,' Izuku thought back.
'Ten-four good buddy!' Daigoro replied, far too cheerily.
'What does that even mean?!' Izuku was mentally rolling his eyes in exasperation.
'Ignore him, he got really into all those old, pre-Quirk American cop movies that Toshinori liked so much,' Nana said.
'Hey, you leave those alone, good cinema died with Quirks!' Yoichi said, Izuku able to feel the vestige sulking.
'There were plenty of great movies made after Quirks, Yoichi!' Daigoro argued back.
'Nope, media sucked post-Quirks,' Third replied gruffly.
'Ehem!' En interjected, clearing his throat. 'Perhaps we should rebuild the wall if we intend on having this argument once more. Izuku is a little bit shaken right now, and this is unlikely to help his mood.'
'...You have a point. Once again, we apologize Izuku. Please, continue your lesson, it's not important right now,' Yoichi said softly.
Izuku sent his mental agreement, feeling the voice and presence of the vestiges fading back as the mental wall was rebuilt. He sighed in relief, taking another sip of tea, before looking down at the worried gaze of his Principal. "They went away for now. I'm okay, thank you sir."
Nezu removed his paw from Izuku's knee, nodding. He strolled back around his desk, hopping up into his chair. "If you're certain. How about we get back to focusing on our original intent, and work through those heroes, yes?"
Izuku nodded, quite willing to get away from the mystery that was whatever caused all the Vestiges to blow a gasket. He opened his notebook, grabbed at the folder holding the information on the hero agencies that were available for internships, and bent over to begin his note taking.
"Toshinori wasn't available to talk?" Ochako asked, as the trio had gathered in her room after he finished his lessons with Nezu.
Izuku shook his head. "No, he had something to finish up he said. But he told me he'd explain before we left on internships, so I'll just get with him in a couple days to find out what's up."
"Well…guess you gotta be patient," Himiko said, shrugging.
Izuku shrugged back, but he was a little on edge. His lesson with Nezu ended great, to be honest…the animal hero's intelligence was truly on another level. He noticed things Izuku never even thought to pay attention to. But what made Izuku happy was that he had impressed Nezu a number of times, and Nezu even said that in some places Izuku's observations were better than his own! Nezu even crossed out his own notes and replaced them with Izuku's musings!
That good mood had lasted him until he came back to the dorm, and felt Himiko's trepidation. She was trying hard to hide it, but it was clear she was trying to find a way to open the door to talk about what she'd been holding back ever since her discovery of her father's occupation.
Izuku didn't want to let her stew in it forever, she was getting more and more upset the longer she waited. So he chose to kickstart the conversation. "Himi? Do you want to talk?"
Himiko looked at him in surprise, before her expression cleared and was replaced with suspicion. "...did your fancy new sense thing tell you that?"
Izuku nodded slowly. "It did. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm intruding, but I can't exactly figure out how to turn it off yet. Especially since it's stronger if I'm focused on someone, and I focus on you a lot." Izuku's attempt at flirting went over pretty well, he felt the sudden flash of warm affection and embarrassed happiness that exuded from the blonde, her cheeks taking on a pink tinge as she looked away.
"Don't do that when I'm trying to be serious," she protested, but Izuku wasn't fooled. He grinned at her, winking at Ochako for good measure as the brunette rolled her eyes good naturedly at him. She got up and stepped over to Himiko's side, sitting down beside her and wrapping one arm around her shoulder.
"Himi, if you want to talk, we're willing to listen," she offered, hoping she could help encourage her with Izuku.
Himiko sighed. She nuzzled into Ochako's side for a moment, before getting up and moving towards her bag. Opening it, she pulled out a worn, beaten, blue three-ring binder and stared at it. She came back to the bed and sat down on it between her partners, keeping her gaze locked on the binder. Her hands shook as she held it, taking a deep breath. "Dad…dad said he kept a record of every villain he brought in or…took out. He gave it to me…said he wouldn't have any other secrets from me. This…this is it."
Izuku and Ochako shared a wide-eyed glance. This sort of information would be devastating to her father's life if it got out…self-admitted proof of his crimes, in black and white, where not even a hero like All Might could possibly get him out of trouble if it was intercepted somehow. And he just…handed it to her?
"He must trust you a lot, to give you that," Izuku offered quietly.
"I…I haven't opened it. I'm afraid of what's in there. I'm afraid to see what he's done," she admitted, as if she hadn't heard Izuku's words.
Izuku could feel how afraid she was to know the one thing he hadn't told her…how many. And he could feel how afraid she was not knowing too. His heart ached knowing how much this hurt her…so he didn't think, didn't hesitate.
"Would you like me to read it and tell you the bare minimum?" Izuku offered. Internally, he winced, as he couldn't say he wasn't worried about what he'd find in there too…but better him than her, he thought. He didn't have the same connection to her father that she did, and it wasn't like he hadn't killed anyone before so-
'Fucking idiot, stop that,' the gruff voice of Second echoed in his mind. Izuku flinched, but didn't respond directly, not willing to fight over that. It wasn't like he could control thoughts like that from popping up!
'No but you can try not agreeing with intrusive thoughts like those,' En admonished.
'Can we not do this right now?!' Izuku thought back desperately, wanting to focus on Himiko and her current state of shock at his suggestion.
"A-are you sure, Izu? Won't it bother you?"
"I'll be fine," he reassured her. Even as he said it, he knew it was only partly true…the idea bothered him too. Maybe it wasn't too bad, for all he knew there were only a couple and they were moments with no choices, but he was worried it was much, much worse.
'Ninth…kid…what if we looked for you?' Third offered, making Izuku freeze in confusion.
'...what?'
'We can't exactly hijack your body or anything like that, but if you let us, we can kinda…co opt your eyesight? Make it so you don't process what you see, but we do it for you? Then we can tell you how bad it is,' Second replied in a gruff tone. Izuku had the odd mental image of the blonde vigilante crossing his arms over his chest.
'...that won't bother you?' Izuku asked.
'Kid…we likely have a higher body count than the blonde's father ever could,' Third replied.
'...okay. Fair point. Um…let me ask her. I don't know if she'll be okay with me looking, much less you.'
'We're gonna see anyway, but yeah, ask her.' Third said.
Izuku paused. '...why are you offering to do this though? You don't like me.'
There was a silence in his head, the other vestiges not speaking and letting Third get his thoughts in order. 'It's not about whether we like you or not, Nine. Chief and me just think you're too soft. Like all these others. Even Yoichi never quite got it. But we don't hate you or anything stupid like that.'
'What he's trying to say is we don't know if you got the fucking ability to do what needs be done to finish this,' Second interjected.
'Finish what?! You still haven't even told me!'
'Eight will tell you. Now's not the fucking time though. The blonde's waiting. Do you want us to do it or not?'
Izuku took a deep breath, then turned to look at Himiko. "Um…that was uh, Third, and Second I guess. They uh…offered to look it over for us? They don't um…they were vigilantes during a war, so they uh, did some stuff and it doesn't bother them I guess?"
Himiko bit her lip as she looked down at the binder in her lap, contemplating. Ochako on the other hand was a bit more confused. "Um…how will they do that?"
"I guess they can…intercept my sight or something? It wasn't super clear but they said basically I won't see it but they will."
"So they'll take over your body?"
Izuku shook his head no. "No, they made it clear they can't do that. It's just like…blocking my view I guess." He felt the agreement coming from Second at that description.
Himiko spoke softly, almost inaudibly. "...okay. You can look for me, if you're sure Izu."
Izuku smiled softly at Himiko. "I'm sure, Himi." With that, he gently took the binder from her unresisting hands, the blonde not even watching as he took it over to Ochako's desk. He set it down, his back to the girls and blocking their view as well. He placed his hands over it and waited, seeing what would happen.
He felt it as soon as it happened. He was still in control, he could tell. It was more like…like a hand, guiding him, holding and moving him to open the binder. He could stop it if he so chose, could have ignored the gentle push, but he didn't. Even as words filled his vision, it was all blurry, nonsensical, completely unintelligible…yet he knew he was reading it. He didn't feel panicked at the sensation…partly because being this close he could feel they were genuine in their desire to help him.
He also could tell they thought it was weak that this bothered him much less Himiko, but they were aware their beliefs were pretty antithetical in this day and age. But the strange sense of relief he got from them made him that much more curious about what the book said.
He lost track of time, knowing he was flipping the page every minute or so. There were a lot of pages, but it seemed they focused specifically on the ones that mentioned death. Himiko's father kept his binder organized, at least…the files were all categorized meticulously.
He came to his full senses after a while, blinking rapidly as he felt their 'help' fade back. The binder was closed before him once again.
'Meh. Not really that bad kid. 16 villains. All of them worst of the worst. Murderers, rapists, pedophiles, that sorta thing. And not even ones with a tragic past or shit. The type who hurt others to get their kicks. The kind of people that even the top heroes wouldn't be too upset if they died during an arrest, you know?' Third said calmly.
'...I'm…relieved. Is that wrong?' Izuku thought. He still wasn't exactly accepting of it, but assuming they were being up front, and he had no reason to doubt them, they were the kind of villain he didn't feel much sympathy for.
'I don't think it is, Izuku. I think it's okay to believe the world is better off without them, even if it's the way it happened,' Nana replied. 'But for now, I suggest you worry about Himiko. We'll be here if you need anything.'
'...thanks. And thank you, Second, Third…I really appreciate it.'
'Eh. Whatever. Take care of the vampire, kid,' Third replied. Recognizing the dismissal for what it was, he turned around in the chair and stepped over to Himiko, carrying the binder with him. Ochako had Himiko's head in her lap, running her fingers through the blonde locks that had been taken out of their habitual buns, Himiko laying there with her eyes closed, tension slowly bleeding out of her…tension that ratcheted back up as Izuku approached.
She sat up, staring at him with worried eyes as he took a seat beside her, still holding the binder. He took a deep breath. "Alright. Do you want to hear what they told me?" Himiko merely nodded, Izuku choosing to repeat what he had been told in as dispassionate a tone as he could muster.
He was almost overwhelmed with the emotions flooding off his girlfriend, the blonde feeling a myriad of things he could barely process. Anger, sadness, relief, fear, guilt, even a small amount of joy…trying to shuffle through them to figure out what and why was an exercise in impossibility, so he didn't even try to sort her emotions to address them. He just reached out and held her, pressing her head into his chest and resting his upon the crown of hers.
She closed her eyes and pressed herself into his chest, letting her senses be filled with the sound of his heartbeat echoing in her ears. She had no idea how to feel right now…the curiosity and trepidation was gone, but now replaced by a dozen other feelings she couldn't even name. So she didn't bother, just choosing to let her beloved make her feel safe.
Ochako stretched her arms out around the two of them as well, squeezing Himiko tightly even as she ran one hand up and down Izuku's back. She was perhaps the least affected of the trio…she couldn't feel what Himiko or Izuku did, and she didn't see the binder. Part of her felt guilty that she wasn't able to understand better, but she shoved that feeling down and hissed at that side of her mind. This wasn't about her, this was about them, and she'd be damned if she let her own worries co opt her giving comfort to the people she loved.
However, she knew Izuku was using his worries about Himiko to set his own feelings aside…she didn't need some fancy empath sense to know what sort of bullshit he'd pull. It was his MO, to ignore how he felt in favor of helping others. But she wouldn't confront him on it now…he was right that Himiko needed them more right now. Still, she wanted to be sure he knew she cared too, which was why she made sure that while one of her hands was clasped in Himiko's, being squeezed by the blonde, the other was rubbing Izuku's back gently, making sure he knew she was there for both of them.
The trio sat in silence for a good ten minutes. After a while, Himiko sat upright, wiping at her eyes surreptitiously (not that Izuku or Ochako would comment). She took a deep breath. "I'm…maybe I'm not okay with it all, but…I still love him. And that does make it a little easier to know they…deserved it? Ugh. This is so much. I…thank you, both of you, but I gotta process this. Later."
"Should we give you some space?" Ochako asked.
Himiko looked horrified at that suggestion. "Hell no! I want my cuddles and my kisses, I'm not giving that up no matter how much I'm off!"
"There's our girlfriend," Ochako teased with a gentle smile, bopping Himiko on the nose with one finger. Himiko playfully chomped at it, Ochako smirking as she pulled her hand back in time.
Himiko's smile faded once again as she leaned into Izuku's side, pulling Ochako closer through the grip she had on the brunette's hand. "I'll be okay guys. I just need to think. Let's…let's just move on for now, okay?"
"Alright Himi…but whatever you need, we're here for you," Izuku said, Ochako nodding along with him.
"I know. But enough about this! Tsu's coming to talk to us soon, and I think it's time you two stopped being dense!" Himiko leapt off the bed out of Izuku's slack grip, turning around and staring at her now confused partners.
"...what?" Ochako asked, the question mirrored on Izuku's face.
Himiko planted her hands on her hips and sighed deeply. "Okay. You two have any idea why Tsu wants to talk to us?"
"Not really? But it seemed important," Izuku muttered, thinking.
"She didn't say, so how would we know?" Ochako reasoned.
"Wow. You two are absolutely oblivious," Himiko sighed. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she spoke after a moment. "Okay. So like…she thinks we're all hot, right?"
Izuku flushed, looking away from the blonde as Ochako coughed suddenly, surprised by the statement. After clearing her throat, Ochako continued. "Y-yeah? At least, that's what she said the other day."
"And she's cute, right?"
"Uh, wha?" Izuku asked, unsure how to respond.
"Don't overthink it Izu, answer the question. I think she's adorable, don't you?"
"Uh…well, I mean…uh…" Izuku sputtered for a moment, before Himiko took pity on him, rolling her eyes.
"Oh my god Izuku, I'm not gonna be mad if you think another girl is cute, how shallow do you think I am? We've been over this, nothing wrong with acknowledging other people's attractiveness."
Izuku fidgeted in place, sharing a glance with Ochako. "Well, uh…I mean, yeah, she is? If we're being honest, most of the class is, I think…" he trailed off slightly.
"Yeah, pretty much all of them are in one way or another," Ochako muttered.
"Okay. And she thinks you two are. And me, of course. And she spoke to you, 'Chako, with Mina, and you told them the story about us, right?"
"Yeah?"
Himiko nodded. "And you let slip that we might be willing to have others in the polycule, yes?"
Izuku blinked, still confused, sharing a glance with Ochako who was now even more confused. "Yeah? Himi, where is this going?"
"Shush, lemme finish!" Himiko said, her eyes flicking up to look at the door to the room before turning her attention back to the duo on the bed. "Okay, now use your logical brains and connect these dots…we have a cute frog girl who thinks we're all attractive, who knows we're open to dating more people, whose life you literally saved at the USJ Izuku, and who also thinks you saved us all 'Chako (which you did but that's besides the point), who wants to talk to us, alone. And she's seen us all half-naked!"
Izuku froze, eyes wide as he did as his girlfriend commanded and 'connected the dots'. Ochako gaped for a moment, shaking her head with a nervous smile afterwards. "Y-you can't possibly mean you think she wants to ask us out?"
"I do, ribbit," the voice from the doorway had the two spinning about to see Tsuyu, standing in the doorway, an uncharacteristic flush to her cheeks and she stared at them blankly.
"...how long were you standing there?" Izuku asked.
"I was walking to the door when I heard Himiko say my name. And then she texted me to open the door, ribbit." Izuku and Ochako turned to look at Himiko, the blonde showing her phone in one hand that she had apparently been texting on without either of them noticing. Not for the last time, Izuku internally cursed Himiko's ability to hide things from them.
"It's okay Tsu, these two are really dense. Come in and let's talk," Himiko cajoled. She walked over to the shorter girl and gently pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind them. She placed one hand on Tsuyu's lower back, pushing the unresisting frog girl along. After she got Tsuyu to stand in front of the duo on the bed, she spun about and plopped down next to Ochako, grinning at Tsuyu as she waited for her to speak.
Tsuyu fidgeted nervously, her blank expression at odds with the clear nerves. She twisted her long fingers together, tangling and untangling them before speaking up. "It's difficult for people to read my expressions, so I try to be blunt. Yes, I am interested in you, Izuku, and you as well Ochako, ribbit. I don't know you as well Himiko, but you are very cute and I think you're funny…and it was hot when you drank my blood," the red on the frog girl's cheeks got deeper as she spoke.
Tsuyu took a deep breath. "I know we haven't spent much time together yet, but…I'd like to spend more with you? See if you might enjoy my company too, ribbit?"
"Back up…you like us?" Ochako said, gesturing wildly to herself and Izuku. Tsuyu nodded at her. "You like us?!" the brunette reiterated, her voice rising.
"Is that so hard to believe, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked, tilting her head to the side.
"I…Izu I get, but me? It's a miracle Izu and Himi like me, no one else-"
"Stop," Izuku ordered, his voice filled with steel. Ochako froze at the command, a little bit afraid (and a little bit of other things she was not going to think about right then at hearing him be so forceful). "No. No talking down on yourself. Ochako, I adore you, and it's no miracle, it's because you're one of the most amazing people I know! So of course it makes sense that Tsu could see that about you!"
"About you as well, ribbit," Tsuyu interrupted Izuku's rant. The greenette flushed as he looked up sheepishly at her. Tsuyu brought one finger up to her mouth and tapped it against her lips for a moment, looking contemplative. "I see it now, why neither of you noticed. You really don't see what we all see in you."
"Ugh, I've been telling them this for months," Himiko groaned, rolling her eyes.
"You're really amazing too, Himiko. That's why I came here…I want to see if you could care about me too, because I think you're all very cute and smart and you make me feel safe, ribbit. When everything went wrong, you three helped keep us all safe. And at the sports festival, you helped me. You made me feel warm, and I appreciated that. Knowing we're in class together means I know no matter what happens, we'll get through it, because you're here, ribbit. Also, you look like a dad when you're with Eri and I keep picturing you as a father and it's very cute, ribbit."
Izuku seemed struck dumb, and Ochako was not faring much better if her very red cheeks and refusal to look up at the others. Himiko, her own cheeks a little flushed at the unexpected compliment, gently bumped her shoulder into Ochako's, sending the brunette into Izuku and making both of them look at her.
"Hey…let's not keep Tsu waiting forever. Confessing is pretty nerve-wracking after all," she smiled at the other two, her fangs visible as she grinned.
Izuku rubbed at the back of his neck, letting out a deep breath. He glanced at his girlfriends, seeing Himiko give him a nod to say go ahead. Ochako seemed to still be collecting her thoughts, so he decided to speak for himself. "Well…um…I don't…I don't know how I feel yet, um, been pretty focused on everything going on and all that…but…I'm not against seeing if something's there?"
"...yeah. I…what Izu said. You um…you're very cute too, Tsu, and I really like hanging out with you, so…uh, maybe after internships we go on a date or something?" Ochako asked, unsure.
"Uh…yeah. Yeah, that could be fun. We haven't gotten to do much together as is, a date would be a great idea!" Izuku said, warming up to the idea now that Ochako had brought it up.
"Great! Why don't we come up with some ideas while we're on our internships, and we can try one out when we get back?" Himiko asked.
"That works for me, ribbit. Thank you," Tsuyu said, a small smile crossing her face.
"Okay, we have a plan! We can proceed forward with this then! I'll just have to take some notes…" Izuku began muttering as he started patting the bed around him for his omnipresent notebook, not noticing Himiko was holding it, arching an eyebrow at him as she waited for him to realize. Ochako rolled her eyes fondly at her partners.
Tsuyu giggled, the clear, almost bell-like sound making the three look up at her as one. "I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow, ribbit. I should get to bed. Goodnight, Izuku, Ochako, Himiko!" Tsuyu turned around and left the room, a noticeable difference in her posture as she left compared to when she had arrived.
Izuku blinked at the abrupt exit, but shook his head to clear it. "Um…okay then. Yeah. I wasn't expecting that…"
"Me neither," Ochako muttered.
"Yeah you should get used to that, Tsu's not the only one with a crush on one or more of us," Himiko remarked offhandedly. Ochako sputtered as Izuku choked, both of them turning to stare at their blonde girlfriend, who looked both unrepentant and almost annoyed. "Seriously? You two didn't notice? Kyoka practically confessed to you with those songs Izuku. Not to mention she stares at my butt when she doesn't think I'll notice. And you bridal carried Toru to Recovery Girl, not to mention brought her greatest wish to life!"
Himiko pointed a finger in Ochako's face. "As for you, seriously, do you not realize how much Mina likes talking to you? The girl's head over heels for you, and pretty sure she likes me and Izu too after that display the other day when she caught us half-naked. Seriously, how have you guys not noticed?"
"...I guess Momo kinda showed some interest the other day too, didn't she?" Ochako mused, thinking back to her interactions she's had with the heiress, not to mention how often the dark-haired girl would be flustered by Izuku.
"...I…did I really miss the signs?" Izuku thought out loud.
"Izuku, pretty sure you missed the signs of us liking you for half a year before you even contemplated it," Himiko deadpanned.
"I got better at it!" Izuku protested. He shook his head rapidly. "Wait, wait…let's not jump to conclusions here. Tsuyu saying she likes us doesn't mean everyone else does. Hold on, let me finish!" he said, interrupting Himiko who was about to argue with him. The blonde closed her mouth with a snap, pouting at her boyfriend and his raised hand. "I'm not saying you're wrong…just that let's not assume."
"He's got a point Himi…I know you're really good at picking up the signs, but it might not be a thing…or even if someone does have feelings for one of us, doesn't mean they are into polyamory, you know?" Ochako said.
"Yeah yeah, I know I know. Fine. But when I'm right, I want both of you to admit it, and I get all the kisses!" Himiko crossed her arms over her chest and smirked.
"Sure Himi, whatever you say," Ochako grinned back.
"But you know Izu babe, this is a perfect opportunity to do a little experiment," Himiko said, her grin growing wider, almost psychotic as she giggled.
"...experiment?" Izuku asked hesitantly.
"You and Momo picked the same internship…why not see how she acts, with you two being together the whole week, hmm?"
"Oh my god Himi!" Ochako exclaimed, giggling at her girlfriend.
"Am I wrong?! It's a great chance for them to see if there's chemistry!"
"Are you saying this cause you think they'd be cute together, or because you want to make out with Momo too?" Ochako asked.
"Yes!" Himiko nodded, her smile not fading.
Izuku didn't really have a response. On one level, he really couldn't think of a good one. On another, Himiko wasn't entirely wrong about the fact they'd be together for a week and maybe it was worth getting to know her better, she was the Vice Rep anyways, they had to work together a lot. On the last level…okay, yes, he was pretty sure everyone in the class thought Momo was absolutely gorgeous, and the thought of anything between any of their little trio and her was…an interesting thought. No he did not hear any snickering from the vestiges in the back of his head, no sir, not at all.
"Izu? Earth to Izuku?" Ochako said, a smirk on her face as she leant over into his eyesight.
He jumped a little, not realizing how deep in thought he'd gotten. "Uh…yeah?"
"So, gonna make the moves on Momo during your internship?" Himiko asked.
"No! Uh…I mean…not like, like that or anything, but you have a point about getting to know her better. So I will do that, but I still don't think she's got a crush on me or anything."
"Once again, believe what you want…I'll get my payment once you come back and admit I'm right," Himiko dramatically tossed her hair over her shoulder.
Izuku rolled his eyes, back on familiar territory. With his own smirk, he arched an eyebrow at the standing blonde. "Why don't you come down here and get a little taste of your win then? We've been in this room for an hour and no ones gotten a single kiss, I think we need to rectify that."
Himiko giggled again, darting over and launching herself at Izuku and Ochako, the pair catching her with practiced ease. Himiko immediately licked at Izuku's neck, numbing the spot as he tilted his head to the side to give her better access…ever since she drank from Tsuyu, Himiko had had a preference for the necks…and it wasn't like Izuku or Ochako took issue with that. As Himiko drank her fill from one partner, Izuku waited patiently…he had a brunette and a blonde he planned on kissing senseless as soon as she was done with her snack.
Having submitted all of their decisions across the class, and with internships looming in a few days, Izuku decided to take a trip down to the Support studio, see if anyone there had some ideas for his hero costume. Of course, he couldn't have a single easy day could he? Danger Sense flared, his instincts making him dodge out of the way as the door exploded. He saw a body flying through the air and bolted towards it, leaping up and catching it in his arms, spinning about midair to slam into the ground, hard.
A grunt of pain left him as he felt a force on his chest, the greenette blinking smoke-filled eyes and coughing lightly as he saw…pink?
"Oh hey Ten Million! Good catch!" Mei Hatsume said, sprawled out over Izuku's chest. Izuku glanced down at her, blinking rapidly as he tried to comprehend what had just occurred, only to immediately avert his eyes once he witnessed the fact Mei was wearing a tank top that was not doing a great job at keeping her…contained.
"Mei!" Power Loader's voice roared from the lab, the helmeted hero stomping out of the smoke filled room. "I swear, I'm going to ban you from the studio if you keep this up!"
"But Sensei, explosions are the mother of invention!" she protested, not bothering to sit up as she lay on Izuku.
"No they are not! And would you get off the student already! Midoriya, was it? Are you alright?"
Izuku managed to clamber to his feet as Mei leapt off him and to her feet, grinning widely as she did. He dusted himself off. "Wasn't hurt, Power Loader. I dodged the door, I just fell down when I caught Hatsume is all."
"And a good catch it was!" Mei replied. "And call me Mei! We won round 2 together after all, and I got to show off my babies to the world! Is Gravity Girl around? I still need to thank her!"
"No, she's busy at the moment, it's just me. Her name is Ochako Uraraka, by the way."
"Yep! Already forgotten! Anyways, no time to chat, gotta work!" Mei gave a sloppy wave as she bolted back into the room, Power Loader sighing deeply as his shoulders slumped.
"Alright…did you need something, Midoriya? The costume upgrades your class requested are all in for their internships, so if you're concerned about that it's been handled."
"Oh no sir, I just had some ideas for my own Quirk and I thought I should see if there was any Support equipment that could-"
"Did you say support equipment?!" Mei shouted, appearing before Izuku in a flash.
"Um…yes?" Izuku squeaked out, a little bit taken aback by how in your face she was.
"Then you need to check out some of my babies! I bet one of them would be perfect for you! Here-" and she grabbed his arm with a surprisingly strong grip, almost pulling him off his feet as she began to drag him into the development studio.
As he was being pulled, he focused on her, trying to get a read on her with the sense he was just starting to get a hold of. And oh, that was a lot. Manic energy, determination, drive, a mind spinning through a thousand thoughts at once…and under it, a deep, subtle undercurrent of fear, desperation, and loneliness.
He thought back to the Sports Festival…one moment in particular coming to mind. The moment Himiko had mentioned how unusually straightforward Mei was, how Mei's previously manic smile had cracked and turned brittle, fake…like a dish that someone had smacked off the countertop.
Maybe she wasn't a member of his class, but she was a fellow student, and something was clearly bothering her and had been for a long time. He had to see if he could help, but he didn't think now was the time to say something. She was too focused on trying to prove something right now, and he was pretty sure pushing would have her double down on whatever she wanted to do. So instead…he'd just redirect her a little.
"Well, actually, I was thinking…I have some ideas I wanted to see how feasible they were? I have some notes, if you'd like to see them-" Izuku began, Mei freezing in place as he spoke, no longer dragging him. She spun about, an appraising look on her face.
"Notes, you say?"
Izuku nodded, pulling out one of his notebooks. This one, specific to support item idea's he'd considered, both for himself and some of his classmates. He turned to a page about a third of the way in, pointing down at the device he'd marked. "This is one of the big ones I was considering. With the way my Quirk can reshape energy, I think that I should be able to focus it through another object of some kind. As it is, if I tried to just throw energy out without shaping it, it's just a…blob, for lack of a better word. But something to allow me to focus it would be of great help?"
Mei was nodding along, her eyes scanning the images in the notebook carefully. She reached out for it, surprisingly gently, and Izuku let her take it without struggle. She flipped to the next page, and then the next, one by one scanning each of them with a silent intensity he had yet to see from her. She looked up at Izuku. "Do you have any measurements or data I can use?"
"Oh yeah! Here!" Izuku flipped the book back to the earliest pages, pointing down at a full breakdown of how his Quirk worked that Nighteye had forced him to write up, followed by a periodic update of his progress with both absorption and manipulation, annotated by date so it was clear when the development occurred.
"Can I borrow this?" Mei asked, her tone quiet.
"Sure! I'd like it back before I go on my internship if I can, but if not I understand!" Izuku smiled widely.
"I'll just have one of my babies make a copy real quick, it'll be done in a few minutes. I…you sure I can use this?" Mei was hesitant, so unlike her normal bombastic energy Izuku was getting more and more concerned at how quickly she'd changed her tune. The emotions wafting off her were a confusing mix of fear and hope…and he definitely wanted to encourage the latter more.
"Yep! So long as you're allowed to work on my stuff, that is."
"First Year Support students work with First Year Hero students normally, Midoriya. So yes, she can work on your equipment, so long as you say it's alright," Power Loader added, hunched over a desk in the corner but close enough to have heard the two of them.
"Then yeah! Go ahead, I'd love to see what you come up with!"
Mei stared at him blankly, uncomprehendingly, as if she couldn't believe he was there. After a few uncomfortable seconds, her manic smile returned, eyes alight with frantic energy. "Alright! Don't you worry Midoriya, I'll have some awesome babies just for you in no time!"
"If I'm gonna call you Mei, you should call me Izuku," he replied.
"Izuku it is! Thanks, I'll get to work right away! Let me get that copy done first!" Mei darted away towards what to Izuku's eyes looked like a massive pile of scrap, but who knew how support students organized their stuff.
Izuku smiled as she ran off. She might be a bit flaky and had some issues with social graces (then again, that described half his friends at this point), but he could tell she had her heart in the right place. He was pretty excited to see what she came up with.
"We need to work on our recruitment. The last ones we picked were pathetic," Nine remarked, annoyed. Ever since that kid had called him out, he'd been frustrated at how little they had accomplished. Shigaraki was being incredibly hesitant to risk anything, saying 'all in good time', like that would bring about the revolution they needed! He turned about in his barstool, staring at the screen in the corner. "What about the Hero Killer? Can we recruit him?"
From the monitor in the corner, a slow, low, chuckle resounded. "Oh, no, that won't be possible."
"Why? He's got the right idea, and he's already causing lots of terror in the streets. Seems like the type of guy we need," Chimera remarked, not a big fan of the way Shigaraki spoke to them.
"Because the Hero Killer is not something you can reason with. It's not a human being."
Nine arched an eyebrow. "What, is it a Nomu or something you let loose?"
"Not a Nomu, no. Nomu's are still human…technically. Perhaps…you might consider it a precursor to the Nomu. Or a mistake. Or both at once. Either way, it cannot be reasoned with," the doctor's voice answered Nine this time.
"A mistake? Whose?" Nine asked, narrowing his eyes at the screen.
Shigaraki's second chuckle only made the hairs on the back of his neck rise once more as the man on the other side of the screen spoke. "That is less important than what it is. I shall just suggest you avoid it at all costs, my dear friend. It is the stuff nightmares are made of."