AN: Something to state about this fic. A lot of my stories I have a vague idea of where each one shall go. I have specific scenes and plot points planned out going in and I use those, my existing changes within the story, and the base structure of the world and such to plot out each chapter as I go. This one though, I've recently planned out a rough outline for the rest of the fic and have a planned conclusion. Shit's gonna get FOCUSED now. There is a plan and it's about to get REAL.

What Doesn't Kill Me

Chapter 34

-Reiko-

"So, girl, you looking forward to seeing your man's new hero costume?" Mina grinned at her as they walked out towards one of the training fields. The Internships had just ended, and their teachers had decided to see what they had learned with a joint training session.

"I do not know what you are insinuating Acid Queen." Reiko kept herself composed, refusing to allow any blush on her face. She knew damn well what the acid creator was insinuating but she refused to give Mina the satisfaction.

"Is that so?" Tokage leaned in, joining Mina in the teasing as the girls from the two first year hero courses continued into the large waiting room, still having a few minutes before the lesson was set to actually start. "Hmmm, so what you're saying is you won't mind at all if, say, Momo, Kendo, or Ochako tried ogling up your green haired husbondo?"

"Despite the common belief to the contrary, one I am unsure of the origins I must reiterate, Midoriya is not my 'husbondo' as you put it Lizardy." Reiko made sure she didn't use Midoriya's first name this time. Just because she felt warm inside whenever he was near doesn't mean she was infatuated with her adaptive friend.

"I never said it was Midoriya." Tokage grinned wider, "There are other green haired boys here after all. And go on, use his first name, we all know you want to."

"I-" Reiko was cut off as they heard some of the boys walking down the hall, having finished changing.

"Hey guys, look who finally got himself a Hero Costume." Kirishima called out, arm around Midoriya's shoulders.

Midoriya's costume certainly made him stand out now. Black dress pants and a matching dress shirt. A dark vest with green filigree. A green tie that bore a tie pin looking like the shield crest on the uniforms of the Water Hose heroes. On his hip was a pistol of some sort and there was a holster on his back that sat empty for the moment.

"Yeah, it was a gift from Gang Orca." Izuku gave a grin, running a hand back through his hair, drawing attention to the dark gloves on his hands, "It's all made out of my hair, so it'll grow with me. It's supposed to fix my concerns about costumes being destroyed constantly although I'm not sure if that means it can fix itself, is more durable, or just easier to repair." She knew it was somewhat rude, but she barely registered what her crus-friend! Her…damnit, she couldn't even lie to herself about it anymore.

"Be back." She grabbed Mina and Tokage who were grinning, fully aware of what was going on as she drug them off, the boys being confused in the background.

-Izuku-

"What was that all about?" Izuku blinked in confusion as he saw Reiko drag Mina and Tokage off.

"I don't even know man, girls are confusing." Kirishima sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"I have to ask though, what's with the empty harness thing on your back?" Tetsutetsu asked, gesturing to said piece of apparel.

"Well, I got this for when I'm not shifted." Izuku pat the side of his new pistol, "It's one of the cement guns from Gang Orca's agency, just modeled to look more like a traditional pistol to fit my outfit better. Gang Orca's a great mentor but the man is very insistent on one's tool's matching their outfit."

"Smart man." Yaoyorozu nodded with a small smirk, the other girls Reiko hadn't drug off seemingly aware of what was going on even if they didn't seem all that inclined to share it at the present moment.

"ANYWAY." Izuku gave them a playful mock glare "This pistol won't exactly work when I'm transformed, my hands are too big to even hold it properly and if I made had it made for my transformed state then it would be way too big for my untransformed state to use, not to mention how tricky carrying it would be. Melee weapons have the same issue so the support course is currently trying to make a durable weapon that can have a collapsible form to carry on my back. That way my transformed state can be 'elegantly armed' as Gang Orca put it."

"They're just happy you're finally accepting their help, aren't you?" Kendo smirked as Izuku grimaced.

"Apparently the first years in the support course have taken it as a competition." Izuku admitted what Power Loader had told him, "Or at least that's what the Support Course teacher described it as. I'm the only first year hero course student to not ask for any sort of special costume or support gear initially so now that I finally have put in a request, they're feeling…" he trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Competitive." Todoroki supplied.

"Exactly." Izuku nodded gratefully to his elemental friend who returned it.

"I must say, I do like the look you're sporting." Shinso nodded, "Makes me wonder if I need a bit more 'flair' to my uniform. Use drama to unsettle my opponents into talking and all that."

"Have you considered some sort of smoke screen generator?" Izuku asked as the rest of their classmates continued to enter the waiting area, "That plus throwing your voice with those Persona Chords you told me about would make a really good combination."

"Hmmm, I haven't. Remind me to swing by the Support course later to ask if it's doable." Shinso nodded, seeming eager for new ways to troll people in the name of Hero work.

"Take protection, things blow up there." Tetsutetsu shuddered.

"It can't be that bad…can it?" Shinso frowned before noting the flat stares from everyone else within earshot "…Metapod, Kakuna, your services are needed."

"LET THE MEME'S DIE!" the teased duo shouted in frustration.

"Even the one's mocking the legendary Heroic Stain Remover?" Tokage pouted as the trio of girls returned.

"…Okay, those can stay." Kirishima adjusted his stance as Izuku gaped.

"Traitor." He grumbled at his friend who smirked unashamed.

"Not even guilty." Kirishima cackled as the rest of the class finally came in.

"Alright class, time to get ready for today's exercise!" Vlad King called out as the last student stepped in, this one being Monoma who was glaring at Izuku's new hero costume. "This one will be similar to the bomb exercise you did at the beginning of term only this time it will be two on two. Added to that, both teams will know about each other going in so that there's more time to strategize how you can show off what you've learned and how you've grown. The catch? Each duo will be made of one student from each class." That got a lot of attention as those involved began to whisper about who they thought or hoped would be made partners.

"First up, we have Izuku Midoriya and Reiko Yanagi against Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki." Aizawa read out the random names before pausing, looking at them again, and muttering something under his breath in frustration.

"Well…this be one hell of an opening match." Shinso's deadpan remarked summed the situation up nicely.

-Nezu-

Frowning, Nezu stirred his tea as he considered the current situation before him. Izuku Midoriya, a first year, and already causing far more drama than his predecessors.

The Hero Commission had already come to the decision that as Midoriya was not a licensed hero he was not entitled to receive a share of the pay for helping to apprehend a villain. Furthermore, as he was not the one to defeat Stain himself, he was not eligible for any amount of the bounty they had placed on the Hero Killer.

If only it was that simple though.

There was a debate going through the parliament about what to do with Izuku. Someone had apparently pushed forward a notion to have Midoriya graduated early and drafted to the front lines of Hero Work. The Hero Commission was backing this idea with the addendum of having him assigned as a Sidekick to a 'respectable hero', code for one of their lackeys.

More conservative politicians were against the idea of rushing things but public opinion, and backhouse dealings, could sway things far more than he'd like.

"We need a power player in the political field." Nezu rubbed his temples with frustration. All Might was a respected hero but not a politician. The best he could do was sway the common people's opinion and direct the paparazzi with his own gravitation. The other alumni, those connected to Midoriya's circle and not, had the same issue. Tsukauchi was a cop, so he was out.

"I really didn't want to have to do this." Nezu sighed as he flipped a switch. Rapidly, his office walls shifted, becoming soundproof. His windows darkened as they tinted to prevent people from looking in remotely. Finally, he entered a passcode on one of his drawers to pull out a phone he kept for emergencies. A secure line so rarely used to help keep it secret.

"Why hello there." Nezu's call was answered almost instantly, "May I ask who's calling me and how they got this number? I must say, if it's about my car's extended warranty then I'll be hanging up."

"This is Nezu, Principal of U.A." Nezu kept any displeasure at having to bring in outside help out of his voice, "I've known of this number and who you are for some time. But I've come because I wish to parley for an alliance Rikiya Yotsubashi. Or do you prefer Re-Destro?"