BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MY HERO ACADEMIA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. YOU TRY TO USE STOLEN CHEMICALS TO GIVE YOURSELF SUPERPOWERS JUST ONE TIME, AND SUDDENLY EVERYONE STARTS SAYING THINGS LIKE 'THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY', OR 'MADMAN WITH A GOD-COMPLEX'. ABSOLUTELY UNFAIR, I TELL YOU.

So, after saving the entire friggin' multiverse, what's next for Deku? Why, going back to high school, of course!

Is it too late to let Vilgax destroy reality?

My Alien Academia

Chapter 51

Topping the Charts

Though he was the Vice-President of his class, Midoriya didn't often exercise any kind of authority he might have had. In fact, as far as Uraraka could remember, he had never done that. So, when he asked Aizawa if he could make a request of the class during Heroics, Uraraka was as surprised as anyone.

Then again, he had been acting a little strange for almost a week. Midoriya wouldn't say why, but he seemed exceedingly cautious—he would often quickly glance around corners or through doorways, or do a quick headcount every time the class assembled. It was like he was expecting trouble at any moment, and needed to reassure himself that everything was fine.

Other than Uraraka, the only person who seemed to have noticed this odd behavior was Yaoyorozu, but since Midoriya had been getting a little better over the last couple of days, they agreed not to bring it up.

That was why Uraraka was surprised by this abrupt announcement from her boyfriend.

"Sorry to bring this up," he said, once he had everyone's attention. "I wanted to ask if you were all willing to spend a little extra time in Heroics today."

"What's this about?" Sero asked.

Midoriya hesitated, as if he didn't quite know how to phrase it. "I noticed that all of our combat-oriented lessons are either one-on-one or team-versus-team situations. But I don't think we've ever practiced with one of us against multiple opponents. I asked Aizawa-sensei, and he said that that's usually something we would learn next year, but after everything we've been through so far, he agreed that we should learn how to fight while outnumbered.

"That's why…" Midoriya took a breath. "I'm challenging you to a fight. All of you, against me. At the same time."

The class was stunned into silence; even though they knew how strong Midoriya was, to challenge everyone at once reeked of arrogance. It was so unlike him that even Bakugo looked thrown for a moment… but only for a moment.

"You're on, Deku!" he shouted. "I can't wait to make you eat dirt!"

"This won't be a cage match," Aizawa cut in sharply. "I'm going to have Cementoss create some terrain that will force you all to be creative in your tactics. And I'm only allowing this because I know Midoriya can use Swampfire to heal himself; after this, we'll randomize smaller teams against one person."

Uraraka only half-listened; she was still focused on her boyfriend, who had a strangely serious look on his face. He almost seemed to be readying himself for a real fight, not a training exercise.

Just what is going on with you, Izuku?

"Anyone else a little freaked out?" Ashido asked as she and the other girls put on their costumes. "Since when does Midori call us all out like that? Not even Bakugo does that."

"I could hear his heartbeat," Jiro said. "Right before he got up to talk to Aizawa-sensei, he sounded like he was about to have a panic-attack, but after he started talking to us, he got really calm."

"Maybe this isn't just about us, ribbit," Asui said. "Maybe he's trying to prove something to himself."

Jiro scoffed. "What does Midoriya have to prove? He just might be the strongest Hero on the planet, and he's still in high school."

"Whatever it is, it's his business," Yaoyorozu said, in a tone that clearly indicated that this was the end of the conversation. "If it helps him with whatever issues he has, then we will help him by giving our all during this exercise."

As the girls started to leave the locker room, those in the Rising Stars shared a concerned glance, and came to the same conclusion—if this fight didn't help Midoriya, an intervention would be necessary.

Midoriya didn't say a word until they arrived at Gym Gamma. Cementoss was already prepared; he had created a multi-level maze out of concrete, with stairs, false doors, and random holes in the walls. There was also a white line about ten feet beyond the structure.

"A few ground rules," Aizawa said as the class stretched. "First, no serious injuries; you fight to incapacitate, not kill. Second, this exercise ends when either Midoriya is captured, or the rest of you are unable to keep going. If you are incapacitated, I will call for a pause, and Cementoss will pull you out of there before resuming. Anyone who crosses the white line is considered to have forfeited. Midoriya, since you're the target, I'm giving you a sixty-second head-start… now."

Midoriya had already turned into Ghostfreak and passed through a wall before five seconds passed. Everyone else took the time to finish stretching, or warm up their Quirks; in the interest of fairness, Aizawa wasn't letting them strategize beforehand, but everyone knew that Midoriya knew their strengths and weaknesses better than some of them did.

It was starting to look like even less of a fair fight, and not in the way the class was expecting.

Back in his office, Nezu and All Might watched the extra lesson through the many small cameras Cementoss had mixed in with his concrete. Nezu had been intrigued when Aizawa had told him about Midoriya's proposal, but All Might was sweating.

"This is insane," he said. "When I was young Midoriya's age, I never would have challenged my entire class at once."

"To be fair, you were still getting a handle on One For All at that age," Nezu reminded him. "That was why Gran Torino always pulled you aside for personal lessons, instead of letting you fight other students."

"Young Midoriya hasn't had that kind of—" All Might almost said 'torture', but refrained, in case Gran Torino unexpectedly burst in. "—intensive training. With his powers, he could cause serious injury."

"Which is why Cementoss can open a tunnel for Aizawa to erase Midoriya-san's Quirk if things get out of hand," Nezu assured him. "Now, let's see how this plays out."

It didn't take long for the fighting to begin; nineteen students broke off into groups, entering the maze from different locations. It was a good idea; they could chase Midoriya down without getting picked off one by one, and keep him busy long enough for everyone else to arrive.

Unfortunately, Midoriya had their number, and wasn't pulling his punches.

Iida was the first to fall; he was blindsided by XLR8, who knocked the wind out of him with one good kick, and then frozen up to his neck by Articguana. Sero tried to restrain him, but Big Chill passed through his tape, and Grey Matter took him down with a quick jab to a nerve cluster. Mineta, remembering how Grey Matter had given him a black eye, tossed a flurry of balls in anger, but the little alien used the frozen Iida as a shield. After a moment, Terraspin blew Mineta—and a few strands of Sero's tape—into a far wall, where he was stuck.

Aizawa called for a pause as the first defeated group was withdrawn; as soon as they were gone, Midoriya was back on the hunt.

And that's what it was, Nezu realized. Midoriya wasn't just fighting his classmates, but actively hunting them down.

"It's a lesson," he said in quiet shock.

"What is?" All Might asked, then winced when Four Arms used Sato as a makeshift club to take down both Kirishima and Kaminari.

"Well, since Midoriya-san isn't going easy on them, he's giving his classmates a choice." Now it was Nezu's turn to wince when Wildmutt sniffed out Hagakure, chased her down, and tackled her. "They are confronted with an opponent they can't defeat, so their choices are to either run, or somehow trick him into disqualifying himself. It's like the test we gave the students before."

"It isn't his job to teach students," All Might argued, and then almost stood up when Shocksquatch electrocuted Jiro.

"Not officially, no," Nezu agreed, "but we also encourage our students to help each other grow. This is a lesson that they all need to learn, no matter how bitter it may be."

The next few minutes were a frightening display of superiority. Midoriya quickly took down all but a few of Class 1-A, sometimes in rather brutal ways; Nezu was shocked when Rath powered through a cluster of mines Yaoyorozu had created, then punched her clear through a window. If Uraraka hadn't tagged her with her Quirk as she flew past, she could have been seriously hurt.

"He's barely in control," All Might realized. "It almost looks like he's fighting to kill."

"The Villains they fight will have even less restraint," Nezu said. "If anything, this will sharpen their instincts in future battles."

At that point, only Uraraka, Ashido and Bakugo were left, and even Nezu was starting to get worried. With how Midoriya was acting, he might drop what little restraint he had for Bakugo; at the same time, those two girls were among those closest to Midoriya, and either side might hesitate.

Bakugo tried to blast NRG, but in a cruel repeat of the Sports Festival, it was ineffective. Ghostfreak tried to possess him, and in the close confines of the maze, Bakugo couldn't dodge. Ghostfreak then used Bakugo to stun Uraraka with a long-range blast, then charged in close to Ashido, who reflexively kicked between his legs; it was only then that she realized that Ghostfreak was no longer possessing him, and Bakugo fell to the floor with his hands over his groin.

That was when Nezu saw it; just before Diamondhead finished the match, Nezu saw a storm of emotions cross his face. Diamondhead was harder to read than most humans, but Nezu knew grief and self-loathing when he saw it. Then Diamondhead slammed the girls' foreheads together, and Aizawa called the match.

"I don't like this," All Might said sharply, and left without another word.

For once, Nezu didn't argue with him. Something had happened to Midoriya, something that had turned determination into ruthlessness. There had been no incidents since the fight with Gentle, so Midoriya's change in behavior was puzzling.

And few things caught Nezu's attention like a good puzzle.

"I'm so, so sorry!"

If there was one good thing to come out of the one-sided beating, it was that Midoriya was acting normal again. He'd been babbling apologies nonstop since getting back to the dorms, and even the most reluctant of the students—except for Bakugo—accepted, if only to shut him up.

Uraraka smiled at him, even as she held a bag of ice to her aching head. "Deku-kun, I'm fine. You didn't even knock me out, and I'm already feeling a little better." She paused. "Still, maybe we don't share this story with our parents. I'm pretty sure mine would kill you."

"I'm pretty sure mine would kill me," Midoriya muttered.

Yaoyorozu reached for her tea, and winced when her bruised ribs protested. "I suppose we have some things to talk about, such as how we could have done better."

"That's part of it, but…" Midoriya sighed. "I challenged you all because we were getting used to practice matches. If we're going to fight real Villains on a regular basis, we can't pull our punches like we would against each other."

The Rising Stars wanted to protest; they hadn't held back against the Eight Precepts, after all. However, it had been some time since then, and they had to admit that they'd fallen into habits during training that could negatively affect them in the field.

"I think we need another internship," Todoroki said quietly, then rubbed his jaw where Four Arms had backhanded him. "The more experience we have in real situations, the less likely we are to hold back in training."

"It's only been a few weeks since our work-studies, ribbit," Asui croaked. "I don't think we'll have another one for a while."

"Actually, it is possible," Yaoyorozu said. "There was a notification in my email account that I was going to bring to the attention of the entire class tomorrow. It seems that our teachers had the same idea as you, Shoto, and are allowing Pro Heroes to offer internships to students of their choice every month. All we have to do is get approval from Aizawa-sensei and the principal."

As Midoriya considered that—and felt bad that his impromptu 'lesson' was now unnecessary—there was a knock on the door, and Aizawa entered. He looked at the students in the room and shrugged.

"I wish there were more of you here, but whatever. We have guests, so make yourselves presentable."

Before the Rising Stars could fully process that, five very familiar faces walked inside, and four of them struck a pose.

"Your feline fantasies have returned!" Mandalay said happily.

Pixie-Bob winked. "As strong as we are cute!"

"The Wild, Wild Pussycats are here to visit!" Ragdoll finished, while Tiger merely flexed behind them.

Standing behind Aizawa, Kota put his face in his hands, embarrassed with his aunt's antics.

Midoriya blinked rapidly. "W-what? Aizawa-sensei, what are the Pussycats doing here?"

Aizawa sighed. "They're rotating in for added security this week, and also volunteered to help with our Rescue Training."

"It's good to see you all," Yaoyorozu said to the Pussycats with a bow. "I'm sorry that the rest of our class isn't here to welcome you."

Mandalay waved off her apology. "No worries, Aizawa told us you guys had been through a rough training session." She gestured to her civilian clothes. "Besides, the intro doesn't land as well without our costumes."

Ragdoll bounded over to Uraraka. "Hey, kitten, how's the arm?"

Uraraka smiled and held up her prosthetic. "Even better than my old one. And thanks to you, I didn't lose anything else."

Ragdoll sniffed and wiped away a tear. "Aw, that's so sweet!"

"I told you she wouldn't hold a grudge," Tiger said with a laugh, and then peered closer at the students. "You all look like you took a beating, except for you, Midoriya-san."

Ashido gave her 'twin' a look. "Yeah, because he was the one giving out the beating."

Pixie-Bob did a double-take. "What, he took on the entire class? If you weren't spoken for…"

Midoriya blushed, Uraraka scowled, and the other Rising Stars laughed as Mandalay smacked her teammate over the head.

"No! Bad! We've been over this." Mandalay sighed. "Seriously, just use that dating site I showed you and save yourself some embarrassment."

Desperate to change the subject, Midoriya waved to the young boy who looked even more embarrassed than he did. "Hi, Kota! What are you doing here?"

Kota mumbled something and hid his face behind the brim of his hat. Mandalay grinned and put her hand on his head.

"Kota insisted that he be allowed to visit you," she said with a grin. "There was something he really wanted to say."

Midoriya knelt so that he was level with Kota… though he did make sure to stay out of his reach, in case the boy tried to punch him in the groin again.

"Um…" Kota didn't look Midoriya in the eye for a moment. "I wanted to thank you. For saving my life, back at the camp."

Midoriya smiled. "Of course."

"And I also wanted to thank you for coming back alive." Kota looked uncomfortable saying the next part. "I guess not every Hero who goes to save people is going to die."

Mandalay sniffed and scooped her nephew up in a hug; Kota began to halfheartedly flail, but his aunt didn't let go.

"Hey, kittens, what time is it?" Pixie-Bob asked.

Sero looked at his phone. "Uh, about five. Why?"

"Ooh, turn on the TV!" Pixie-Bob started bouncing in place. "They're announcing the Top Ten Heroes soon!"

"Wait, that's today?" Midoriya leaped onto the couch and grabbed the remote. "I could have sworn that was tomorrow!"

Iida bowed to the Pussycats. "My apologies, Izuku is very enthusiastic about Heroes, and he was looking forward to this. How did your team place in the rankings?"

"We moved up!" Ragdoll said proudly. "We placed at twenty-seventh this year."

"That's a huge boost, isn't it?" Uraraka asked as they walked over to join Midoriya. "Weren't you closer to the triple digits?"

"It's because of the attack on the camp," Tiger explained. "Our actions were heavily scrutinized, both by the government and the media. We've received quite a bit of popularity because of that."

"A lot of Heroes who were part of major events got bumped up," Ashido added. "Sky Dancer told me she finally made it past thirtieth place!"

"My brother, Ingenium, actually dropped to forty-first," Iida said. "He was out of action for some time, after he was attacked by Stain, but he says he earned some of that back after the raid on the Eight Precepts."

"I wonder where Ryukyu landed this year, ribbit," Asui said as she hopped onto the couch. "She's usually near the bottom of the Top Ten, but she was a lot more active this year."

"How do you know that?" Sero asked.

"Nejire told me."

"Ah."

The Pussycats stood behind the sofa, while the students—and Kota—sat down. Midoriya's gaze never left the screen. The announcer was in the middle of her speech, going on about how this televised display of the Top Ten was unprecedented, but after All Might's retirement, the powers-that-be had decided that this was the best way to usher in a new era.

Midoriya wasn't surprised that Kamui Woods made it to tenth place. He was still fairly new to being a Pro Hero, but his work ethic was commendable. He'd dealt with over a hundred cases in just this year, including the attempt to rescue Midoriya from the League of Villains, so he'd become very high-profile.

Yoroi Musha, the Armor Hero, had landed at ninth; as one of the oldest active Heroes in Japan, he had stayed in the Top Ten for most of his career, though he'd been slowly dropping to the bottom of the pack over the last decade.

The Shield Hero, Crust, surprised Midoriya by dropping to eighth. He was usually higher in the rankings, but after All Might's retirement, Crust had almost completely fallen off the radar, other than posting on social media that he was in mourning. He had received some criticism for that; after all, All Might wasn't even dead.

In contrast, Gang Orca had shot up the rankings, ending up at seventh place. He had been at the very bottom of the Top Ten for years, but his assistance of police crackdown on crime in recent months, while not as publicized as other Heroes, had vastly improved his 'score' among law-enforcement.

The interns of Ryukyu burst into cheers when she made it to sixth place. She had never gotten so high in the rankings before, usually getting tenth or ninth place. She looked positively bashful as she accepted her new position, but going by the crowds cheering for her, she deserved it.

Right above Ryukyu in the rankings was the Rabbit Hero, Mirko. She had hovered near the Top Ten for a while, but her popularity had soared after a few candid speeches about how Heroes—and the government—should crack down on the League of Villains. From her flawless track record of subduing Villains, Midoriya wondered if her rank would have been even higher if she'd been part of the Eight Precepts raid.

Edgeshot took fourth place; it wasn't the first time he'd gotten into the upper half of the Top Ten, but Midoriya had always suspected that he would have been ranked even higher if he was more approachable. Then again, he was a ninja, so it made sense that he would be a little more introverted.

Best Jeanist's introduction was almost drowned out by cheers as he took third. He had been badly injured during the fight with All For One and hadn't done much work since then, but his reputation and his clothing line had kept him popular enough to move up a spot. Midoriya was just glad that he had recovered enough to be present.

Midoriya couldn't help but grin proudly when Hawks was officially made the number-two Hero. Even with everything he'd been through, it felt pretty cool to have interned under the—now—number-two Hero in Japan.

"Here it comes," Todoroki muttered; out of all of them, he'd become more withdrawn as the announcements went on.

Midoriya almost slapped himself; in his excitement, he had forgotten that the new top Hero was… well, to say that Shoto's relationship with his father was 'strained' was like describing the fires of Hell as 'a little on the warm side'.

The other Rising Stars gave him sympathetic looks; Ashido took Todoroki's hands in hers and leaned in close. The Pussycats noticed the change in mood, but a throat-cutting motion from Asui kept them from saying anything.

"And now, the new number-one Hero… Endeavor!"

The first thing Midoriya noticed when Endeavor walked onto the stage was his costume. He'd added off-white armor to his shoulders, while the rest of his costume looked like a thinner material. He wondered what the armor was made of—certainly not metal, since prolonged contact with the Flame Hero would melt it after a while…

"Does he know he's muttering?" Tiger asked, as Midoriya scribbled frantically into a notebook.

"You get used to it after a while," Sero said dismissively. "Ochako thinks it's cute."

Midoriya blinked and looked up at his girlfriend, who shrugged.

"Actually, no, it's kinda goofy." Uraraka gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're cute, though."

Everyone else cooed or laughed, except for Kota, who made gagging noises in the corner.

Eventually, the Pussycats and Kota said their farewells, and left the students to their own devices. The mood was one of excitement, but also deep contemplation.

"Shoto, there is something I must ask." Iida sat with his arms crossed. "You have told us of how your father treated you and your family. His behavior is utterly reprehensible, and he should have faced consequences. How has he remained a Pro Hero?"

Todoroki's cold expression was scarily reminiscent of how he used to be during the Sports Festival. "Money. The bastard paid off anyone who might have blown the whistle on him. The only reason my brother and sister didn't say anything is because we were worried he'd threaten our mom."

"Did he?" Ashido asked. "Threaten her, I mean."

"No, thankfully." Todoroki took a deep breath. "But we were always scared that he might. That's why I thought I could get revenge just by using my mom's…" he stopped, then smiled at Midoriya. "By using just the ice half of my Quirk."

"Do you ever want to go after him with a legal team?" Yaoyorozu looked thoughtful. "I could ask my parents what kind of lawyers they could refer…"

"No, it's fine." Still, Todoroki had a far-off look on his face that suggested he was imagining what kind of legal power he could bring to the table with Yaoyorozu family funding. "He can't hurt me anymore, and I'm patching things up with Mom. Thanks for the offer, though."

Sero coughed to get their attention. "Okay, drama aside, how cool is it that half of us have interned with some of the top Heroes in Japan?"

Midoriya had to agree, until a thought occurred to him. "Hey, did any of you notice that the announcer never said the words 'in Japan'? It was like she was saying that we were the only country that had Heroes."

Uraraka frowned. "Huh. Now that you mention it, I think you're right."

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of Japan's Heroes," Midoriya went on, "but there are plenty of amazing Heroes around the world. There's Stars And Stripes, Gentleman Jack, Maccabee, Monkey King—no one ever talks about them on the news."

That got the other Rising Stars thinking; as far as they could remember, mainstream Japanese media never reported on foreign Heroes, even on the rare occasion one visited. It was almost like the media thought Heroes from outside Japan weren't worth talking about. They had no idea if other countries acted the same way, that only their Heroes were discussed, but Japan was also the only country that didn't send Heroes to international taskforces.

Before Midoriya could think too hard about that, his phone started to ring. At first, he thought his parents were calling to discuss the Hero rankings—because he'd always talked to them about it in previous years—until he saw the caller ID.

"Why is Hawks calling me?" he wondered, and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, kid, what's up?" Hawks' voice was almost manic, like he'd had too much coffee. "Did you see the new rankings? Pretty cool, right?"

"Y-yeah, it is! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Don't get me wrong, I worked hard, but part of me never thought I'd get so high in the rankings before I hit twenty-five. Hey, I heard your class would be open for internships again."

Midoriya blinked at the abrupt topic-change. "Uh, yes?"

"Cool! Any chance I could snag you for that week?"

As if there was any other answer Midoriya could give. "Absolutely!"

"Awesome. I'll have Yuki pick you up on Friday. See ya later, kid!"

Midoriya stared at his phone for a moment, and then turned to his friends. "I guess I'm interning with Hawks this week."

"All right, Hawks, what's this about?"

"What, I can't spend time with my favorite intern?"

"Playing cool only works with your fans. Not us."

"Hey, you wanted Midoriya under surveillance, and now I'll be able to keep an eye on him for a whole week. I thought you'd be happy."

"… Fine. As long as you can keep the boy away from the rodent."

"Sure thing. Oh, and I'll need something else to keep my cover intact for my other assignment."

"Go on…"

"So, just to be clear… everything is fine now?"

Midoriya nodded. "Yes."

Togata didn't like the way Midoriya's eyes kept darting about. Even though they had found a secluded spot to talk, he had demanded that they both check every inch for any way someone could eavesdrop. After twenty minutes of paranoia, even Togata had started to lose his patience.

It had been a week since Midoriya and that other girl—Julie, he vaguely remembered—had started asking him for his help. The details didn't always stay in his mind, which was concerning, but Midoriya had hinted that that was okay. In fact, he had suggested that Togata not ask too many questions about a mission that he couldn't remember going on. Togata didn't accept that, and had all but ordered Midoriya to tell him the truth.

So he did.

Being told something was a far cry from actually remembering it, so being told that he had died was… well, it wasn't easily brushed off, but since he didn't remember, it wasn't as traumatizing as Midoriya had clearly feared. There was also a lot that he couldn't wrap his head around, like ancient magic and the beginning of time itself.

What he could understand was that the good guys had won, and the bad guys were gone—though there had been a price to pay.

"How many people… how many universes didn't make it?"

Midoriya shrugged. "Nobody was sure. They were basically erased from time, so unless you were outside of one of those universes when they were destroyed, you wouldn't remember they existed at all."

"That's… ow, that makes my brain hurt."

"But, um, everyone from our universe is safe."

Togata sighed. "That's good, I guess. What happens now?"

Midoriya shrugged again. "Nothing. We finished the mission, and now we can get back to our lives. Or, try, I guess."

"That'll probably be easier for the rest of us, since we can't remember." Togata put his hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Midoriya sighed. "I don't know. It's still pretty raw right now. I know I can talk to Ben and his family if I need to, but…"

"You want to see if you can go without needing help?" Togata finished.

"Yeah." Midoriya took a deep breath. "You know, I think Nejire saw you pull me away. All our friends probably know where we are by now."

"Good point. I can just tell them that I wanted to run my newest Quirk by you, see if you had any cool ideas."

"Thanks, I—" Midoriya blinked. "New Quirk? What new Quirk?"

Togata grinned; he'd successfully gotten the truth out of Midoriya, and now his distraction had worked. "Well, I can float through the air."

Midoriya was already hard at work, scribbling away in a notebook. Togata felt no small amount of relief behind his smile; for now, Midoriya seemed to be doing all right.

Dr. Garaki swiveled in his chair when he heard the door open. "Ah, Dabi! How good to see you again. How's Shigaraki's progress with Gigantomachia?"

"Well, he's not dead," Dabi said with a shrug. "Don't know how the guy can keep going for this long. I saw Nine walk by on my way here. You gave him another healing Quirk?"

Garaki sighed heavily, and his bushy mustache fluttered as he did so. "Nine is an amazing specimen, don't get me wrong, but his Quirk factor is annoyingly stubborn. It's so hard to find a healing Quirk that won't burn out, or get rejected; I had hopes for the last one, but it only lasted six days."

"What about this new one?" Dabi asked.

Garaki shrugged. "Similar to the last, but less powerful overall. I'm hoping that the energy required won't conflict with his other Quirks, and will last longer because of it. If it lasts at least three weeks, I'll be able to narrow down the parameters further, and maybe find that perfect match.

"Now, while I appreciate your interest in my work, I know it's not genuine. Why are you really here, Dabi?"

Now it was Dabi's turn to shrug. "I heard a rumor about a couple of top Heroes going to Kyushu, and thought it'd be a good idea to see if we could kill one of 'em. Even if we can't, a big attack right after the new rankings should keep people nervous. The longer the League can get away with this kind of stuff, the more the sheep are gonna lose trust in the shepherds."

"Well, that's surprisingly deep, my friend." Garaki laughed, and then pressed a few keys on his laptop. "I've just awakened one of my greatest creations—a High-End Nomu. I call him Hood; he'll need half a day to fully acclimate, but once he does… well, even if he fails to kill a top Hero, it'll provide me with all kinds of useful data."

Dabi nodded. "Sounds good, Doc. I'll make sure you get a hell of a show."

Rather than take a train to Kyushu, where Hawks wanted to meet him, Midoriya was picked up by a car just outside UA. It was certainly a nice car, but other than being red, there was nothing to indicate that it belonged to Hawks. Midoriya assumed Hawks didn't want the car swarming with fans when he wanted to pick up his intern.

"Hey, Midoriya!" Takeda waved as Midoriya got into the back seat. "Been a while, huh?"

"Hi, Yuki-san." Midoriya noticed something different, and smiled. "I like your Hero costume."

"Thanks!" Takeda beamed. "It's hard to find something that works well with my Quirk."

Takeda's costume consisted of a white sleeveless top and pants, with a pink jacket that looked several sizes too big. The jacket also seemed to be made of flexible hexagons, rather than any cloth or leather; Midoriya also noticed a silver band around Takeda's neck that looked like a sleeker version of some Quirk-suppressing technology.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what is your Quirk?"

"It's called Enhance," Takeda explained. "I generate this energy from my shoulders that spreads to my whole body; it makes me stronger and faster, and it improves my thought process so that my mind can keep up with my body."

Midoriya was already writing that down. "Is there a drawback? Is that why you have that jacket? Is it a Support Item?"

Takeda chuckled ruefully. "Yeah, I've got one kinda annoying problem. If I use my Quirk for too long, it can cause overheating in my muscles. The jacket helps vent excess heat. If I push even further, I can black out, and I can't remember anything that happened for days. That's why I've got the Quirk-suppressor; it kicks in if I reach dangerous levels."

"That sounds like a dangerous problem," Midoriya observed.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, and I've learned to always fight in a team; that way, I don't have to push myself that far." Takeda shrugged. "But enough about me, how are things at school? You ever go out with that girl you were on the phone with after the thing in Hosu?"

The conversation made the trip seem much shorter than it was, and before Midoriya knew it, he was in Kyushu. Takeda rolled down Midoriya's window, and Hawks leaned in.

"Hey, kid, how's it going? Sorry, but I wanted to get a patrol in today, so do you mind getting into costume? Yuki can give you some space."

"Oh, uh, sure." Midoriya waited until Takeda was out of the car—and was thankful for the tinted windows—before getting his costume out of its case. He left his school uniform neatly folded in the case, and got out of the car, where dozens of people were clamoring around Hawks and Takeda.

"Sorry, folks, I wish I could stay and chat, but my Sidekick and my intern here need to cover a lot of ground today," Hawks said.

"Is something wrong?" a civilian asked.

Hawks blinked. "Huh? Oh, sorry, nothing like that. It's just that a couple of Heroes who normally cover this area came down with the flu, and asked me to help 'em out. Since Kyushu is my own backyard, I couldn't say no."

Suitably assured, the crowd dispersed, though a few lagged behind to wave at Midoriya, who shyly waved back.

"Looks like you're getting popular," Hawks said to him. "I didn't get any kind of publicity until I actually went Pro, but you took down the head of a major crime syndicate right after getting a Provisional License. You're gonna make the rest of us look bad."

"He already has," Takeda said, and rolled her eyes.

"Overclock, did you leave your phone in the car again?" Hawks asked suddenly.

Takeda—or Overclock, since they were now working—glared at him. "I forget one time, and you never let me hear the end of it."

"Okay, but did you?"

Overclock hesitated, and then sighed. "Be right back."

"Bit of a lesson for you, kid," Hawks said as Overclock dove into the car. "Some missions will have you using an earpiece or something, but it's always good to have more than one way of communicating with people, just in case."

Midoriya nodded, and made a mental note to keep his phone with him at all times.

"Got my phone!" Overclock said brightly.

"So you did forget?" Hawks teased.

"Blame Deku," Overclock pouted. "He was distracting me with stories about his girlfriend."

"Which of those girls are you dating again?" Hawks asked as they started their patrol. "Not the pink one, you called her your twin… is it the tall one, with the black hair? Or the frog-girl? No, wait, it's the one who uses those mechanical wings."

"You just listed all of them!" Overclock protested. "By process of elimination, you were going to be right eventually."

"And that's why they pay me the big money," Hawks joked.

Midoriya decided to ignore the prying into his personal life. "Um, Hawks? Did you really want me to intern with you because some Heroes are out sick?"

"Huh? Nah, that was just a coincidence." Hawks scratched the back of his head. "I really did want to have you intern with me again, but I was actually hoping to have a more relaxed time. I know you've been through a lot over the last couple of months."

You have no idea, Midoriya thought. He then spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and froze.

"Is that who I think it is?"

Hawks spotted the incoming Hero in question, and flinched. "Oh, crap. Um, Overclock, can you run interference with the press over there? I think I'm gonna have to have a really uncomfortable conversation."

Overclock blinked, then grinned. "Sure thing, boss." She elbowed Deku before she left. "Pay attention, kiddo; you're gonna love this."

"Shut it," Hawks hissed as his Sidekick skipped away.

A moment later, a woman with tanned skin and white hair bounded over. She had long white rabbit ears, and a rabbit's tail poking out the back of a white leotard that had a crescent-moon symbol on her chest. Her leggings, which did nothing to hide her muscular thighs, ended in a pair of shoes shaped like a rabbit's feet

"Hey, pretty bird," Mirko said with a shit-eating grin. "Miss me?"

"About as much as a migraine," Hawks muttered, though Mirko's ears picked it up. "How're you doing, Mirko?"

Mirko laughed and hopped over to a gobsmacked Deku. "Aw, you brought the kid in again. That's cute that you still need backup to reach the number-two spot."

Hawks shrugged. "I either get a support system in place, or I burn out, and I'd rather not lose my hair before I'm thirty."

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I like working on my own, but this kid…" Mirko ruffled Deku's hair. "From what I've seen, he could actually keep up with me. Mind if I steal him for an internship?"

Deku blinked. "Huh?"

Mirko laughed. "Oh, you didn't tell him, Hawks?" She elbowed Deku, and her superhuman strength nearly knocked him over. "After that thing with the Yakuza, a lot of top Heroes want you to intern with 'em, but Hawks called dibs."

Deku took a moment to process the fact that some of the best Heroes in Japan wanted him to sign on with them. And also that they were fighting over him like children with a new toy.

"W-well, I'm happy working with Hawks," he managed.

"Lots of people are happy with him," Mirko said with a saucy grin. "Especially when he loosens up after a few drinks, right?"

"Can we please not talk about this right now?" Hawks said quietly. "Seriously, at least wait until we're indoors before you go saying stuff like that."

"Fine, be that way." Mirko glanced at a nearby restaurant. "How about I treat you boys to lunch?"

"What about Overclock?" Deku asked.

Hawks glanced in the direction his Sidekick had gone. "Eh, she likes to eat by herself. Come on, never refuse free food from another Hero."

"New development: the rabbit has intercepted the bird."

"Can you intervene?"

"Negative, they're already out of range. What are my orders?"

"Continue to play the obedient Sidekick, but be prepared to call in backup. We have sources that hint at a possible attack."

"Understood. Soldier, out."

Though there were a few other customers in the restaurant, none of them gave the Heroes any serious attention—at least, not after Mirko gave them a fierce glare. She then dragged Hawks and Deku to a private booth, far away from everyone else.

"So," Mirko said after they ordered food, "I'm guessing Hawks here told you about what happened?"

"N-no?" Deku looked at Hawks, who looked like he wished he was anywhere else. "He didn't even tell me he knew you."

Mirko snickered. "Considering the night before, I guess he'd have a hard time remembering what happened."

Deku took about five seconds to figure out what she was talking about. "Wait. You and Hawks…"

"It's been six months, and she still messes with me about that," Hawks muttered, and then looked Deku in the eye. "Look, kid, Heroes can lead stressful lives, and we all need ways to blow off steam. If we don't, we're liable to snap."

"Or get drunk and mess around," Mirko said, her grin never fading.

Hawks sighed, but before he could comment, he saw Mirko's ears twitch. "What is it?"

"Dunno." Mirko frowned. "Sounds like… jet engines? Whatever it is, it's coming fa—"

The wall abruptly exploded inwards, and a dark, twisted form burst in. For a brief, terrifying instant, Deku thought that it was one of Vilgax's twisted drones that had somehow survived. Then he saw the exposed brain within the long, snakelike neck, behind the glowing eyes and long teeth, and realized it was a Nomu. Its arms were long, and would have brushed the ground even if it wasn't hunched over; behind its shoulders were two organic vents that pushed out air with enough force to let it fly.

"Wh-which of y-you is s-s-strongest!?" the Nomu shouted.

Deku didn't know what surprised him more—that the Nomu could speak, or that he seriously considered that it was after him.

"Get him outside!" Hawks shouted.

"Finally!" With a wide grin, Mirko flipped over the table and kicked the Nomu in the chest, sending him flying back through the hole in the wall. She rolled, then jumped after the Nomu.

Hawks and Deku—now Diamondhead—hurried after her. Mirko was crouched on top of a dented car; she had her eyes fixed on the Nomu, while she pulled a frightened civilian out of the car.

"Y-you're s-strong," the Nomu growled at her. "But n-not strong enough! I w-want a r-real challenge!"

"Oh, I'm just getting started!" Mirko jumped off the roof of the car with enough force to shatter it, and brought her foot up to the Nomu's face.

This time, her kick was slapped aside; she tried to correct in midair, but the Nomu wrapped his hand around her waist and slammed her headfirst into the pavement. Before he could hurt her further, a dozen foot-long shards of crystal punched into his chest.

"Let her go!" Diamondhead ordered. "You want a fight, then try me!"

Hawks looked at him sharply. "Deku, you can't—" He shook his head. "Never mind, you probably can take him. I'll work on evacuating this area, just don't let him leave this spot, okay?"

"Understood," Diamondhead said, and scowled when the Nomu pulled the shards out of his chest and healed almost immediately. "This is going to be annoying."

You have no idea, Hawks thought as his feathers zipped around, snagging Mirko and any nearby civilians and pulling them to safety.

"Guys!" Kaminari tore through the dorms, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Guys, get out here, now!"

Ashido, who had been taking a nap, opened her door and rubbed her eyes. "This better be good, Kaminari, or I'm melting your phone."

"We need to turn on the news, right now," Kaminari told her breathlessly. "Midoriya is fighting a Nomu in Kyushu!"

Ashido's skin turn a noticeably lighter shade of pink as the blood drained from her face. Wordlessly, she sprinted to the television downstairs, where several other students were already watching, including Uraraka. Ashido reached out to her and pulled her into a hug as she watched Midoriya squaring off with the weirdest Nomu any of them had ever seen.

"Hawks is helping get civilians out of there," Uraraka said quietly, not taking her eyes off the screen. "But the Nomu already took down Mirko, so it's just Izuku out there."

"He'll be fine," Ashido assured her, though she wasn't completely sure if the trembling she felt wasn't her own. "He took down Chisaki, and that Nomu from USJ, right?"

"It doesn't mean I'm not worried." Uraraka bit her lip. "I just wish we were there to help him."

Ashido winced when she saw the Nomu grab Diamondhead by the face and punch him over and over. "Yeah… so do I."

With a grunt, Deku turned into Big Chill—partially to escape the Nomu's grasp, and also to freeze his arm with a gust of ice-breath. The outer layers of skin froze and shattered, only to regenerate a moment later.

"He's healing even faster than the Nomu from USJ," Big Chill muttered. "Hawks, how's the evacuation!?"

"Almost done!" Hawks shouted back. "Mirko is waking up, so once she's back on her feet, she can help clear out the last couple of blocks, and then we'll help you put that guy down!"

"Thanks!"

The Nomu laughed. "S-stalling for t-time? You n-need backup, Hero?"

"You're smarter than you look," Big Chill said, and then turned into NRG. "Then again, that's not a hard feat!"

There was more laughter, even as the Nomu charged; he slammed both his fists into NRG, but his armor held. NRG grabbed one arm, and his armor began to glow; the Nomu's flesh warped and sizzled, but before the damage spread too far, the Nomu tore his own arm off and jetted back. NRG fired a beam of radiation at his face, which the Nomu blocked with his remaining arm; the radiation slowed down the regeneration, but not by much, but that wasn't what caught Deku's attention.

When he blocked that attack, he was desperate, he thought. That shot would have hit his brain. Are all Nomu weak there?

To test his hypothesis, NRG fired again; this time, the Nomu flew into the air to outright dodge the attack.

"S-smart!" the Nomu crowed. "B-but s-smart won't b-beat me!"

"Oh, I think it will," NRG said. "You might be strong, but you're still weaker than me!"

That made the Nomu still. "What did you say?"

NRG surprised even himself when he laughed. "You're a monster… and I beat monsters."

The Nomu roared and rocketed back down at him. NRG raised his arms to block, but the Nomu's arms stretched out and around his guard to sweep his legs out from under him. On his back and with no leverage, NRG was smashed into the street over and over. His armor held, but being pummeled by a hideous monster wasn't a pleasant experience; he kicked the Nomu off him, and heated up his entire body.

"Come and get it," NRG taunted.

Again, the Nomu roared, but before he reached NRG, a white blur crashed into him from behind. "Nice grit, kid! Now I really want to steal you from Hawks!"

"No, I found him first!" Hawks called out.

Mirko laughed, and when the Nomu tried to swat her aside, she suddenly flew over the attack. NRG knew she couldn't have naturally pulled off such a move, and wasn't surprised when he saw a pair of Hawks' feathers sticking to her back. They wouldn't grant her true flight, but with Hawks controlling them, Mirko had a better chance of keeping up with—

If NRG had eyes, they would have went wide with horror as the Nomu's arm stretched far longer than it should have to snag Mirko's leg. He flinched when he heard the sound of bone cracking, but that was all he was going to let the Nomu get away with. He turned into Buzzshock, and then Ultimate Buzzshock, and by the time Mirko could register the pain in her leg, the arm holding her had been severed by a crackling blade of electricity.

Mirko fell to one knee, clutching the other and glaring up at the retreating Nomu. "Dammit, I can't keep up with him when he's in the air like that."

"And you're in no shape to fight anyway," Hawks said as he jogged over to her. "Seriously, I think you have a concussion. How did you talk me into helping you with that stunt anyway?"

Mirko grinned, despite the pain she was in. "You can't say no to me, remember?"

"Whatever, bunny-girl." That got him a punch to the shoulder, but he ignored it in favor of watching Ultimate Buzzshock pursuing the Nomu. "That one's new. I didn't know Buzzshock was one of his special forms."

Mirko followed his gaze, and her eyes went wide when Ultimate Buzzshock broke part into segments, and the spinning blades cut and burned. "Aren't you going to go up there? He's your intern, until I steal him."

Hawks sighed. "Honestly, I think I'd get in the way of that fight. That Nomu is a power-type, and I suck at dealing with those. Also… well, this fight's gonna get the kid noticed, just like the thing with the Eight Precepts."

"You want him to take that kind of spotlight?"

Hawks thought about his mission, and how Midoriya now factored into it. "Something like that."

Midoriya was no xenophobe, but he had started to come to the conclusion that there were some creatures that were just too awful to let live. Each Nomu he had seen had been a mindless beast, which was already terrifying; this thing, however, seemed to revel in every blow given, and taken in return.

"More!" the monster shouted. "Give me more! I w-want to test my strength!"

At that point, Ultimate Buzzshock was ready to give everything he had. He had managed to push the monster into the air, away from the streets and the civilians, but there was a very real risk that the Nomu could push through his pieces and get back to the ground.

That could not be allowed to happen.

With less hesitation than he should have felt about taking a life, he sent out two of his segments to slash apart the Nomu's jets. Four more spinning blades cut off his limbs, and a fifth cut deep into his brain. There was a shriek of agony and denial, and then the lights of his eyes dimmed. The many segments slowly lowered back to the ground; Ultimate Buzzshock let the Nomu's corpse gently fall, and then reconstituted himself before going back to normal.

"Looks like it's over," Hawks said quietly, and patted Deku's shoulder. "It was a Nomu, kid. Don't be too hard on yourself. Besides, the government already has a standing kill-on-sight order for these things."

Deku took a long, shuddering breath. "Is everyone okay?"

Hawks blinked; yes, it was the responsible reaction for a Hero to be worried about civilians after an incident, but there was an almost desperate need in Deku's voice. He sounded fragile, like not hearing good news would break him.

"Well, Mirko's gonna have to get her leg fixed up, but other than some damage to the street, everything's fine."

Deku closed his eyes and smiled; Hawks didn't know why, but it looked like Deku had resolved something for himself.

He was about to say something lighthearted, so that his intern would snap out of whatever he was going through, when he saw Overclock at the end of the street. She was mouthing something at him, and his eyes were sharp enough to read her lips. What she said made his blood run cold, but at the same time, it presented an opportunity he may never have again.

"Come on, kid," he said gently. "The fight's over, but we're not done being Heroes."

Uraraka silently thanked every deity she could think of that Midoriya was okay. It was one thing to fight alongside her boyfriend and be there if he needed her; it was another thing entirely to helplessly watch him fight a monster that had tossed aside a Top Ten Hero.

By the end of the fight, the entire class had gathered around the TV; there had been no shortage of gasps when Mirko had been taken out of the fight, and few of the students had thought that Midoriya, a mere student, had actually stood a chance. But then he had; he had fought the Nomu off, and then won. They should have known that he was capable—after all, he had beaten Chisaki—but some of them had wondered if that had been a fluke. Now, after defeating a monster that had stood up to Mirko, it was clear to everyone.

Midoriya was a Pro Hero in all but name.

"Mission in progress. The Heir plans to meet with the Wildcard."

"Understood, Soldier. Maintain distance, only interact if necessary."

"Copy."

Midoriya waited impatiently for news on Mirko. She had been taken to the nearest hospital, and after Midoriya and Hawks had given their initial reports to the police, they had quickly followed after her.

"She'll be fine," Hawks assured him for the eighth time. "Trust me, she's taken way worse than this in her career. Seriously, it's a rare month that the news doesn't report on her breaking something. She'll be up and kicking butt by next week."

Midoriya nodded. "I just… need to be sure. If I had been a little faster, hit the Nomu harder, maybe she would—"

"Whoa, hold up, kid." Hawks lightly flicked his ear. "It is not your responsibility to look after us, okay? It's the other way around." He grinned. "Now, if you become the Number One Hero, then I'll accept you trying to keep me safe. For now, you're a kid, and you should enjoy it while it lasts."

Midoriya tried not to wince; barely two weeks ago, it had been his responsibility to save everyone, and in many ways, he had failed. Untold billions were erased, and only a few people in the multiverse even knew they'd existed at all. Realistically, he knew he couldn't be everywhere at once, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.

"He's right, you know," a familiar voice said. "Maybe try to have some fun before you become an adult, son."

Izuku whirled. "Dad!? What are you doing here?"

Hisashi grinned. "What, I can't say hi to my only son?" His smile quickly faded. "Actually, someone important asked me to join him when he saw you."

Izuku blinked as a tall man in a tailored suit stepped around his father. He was thin, with sharp features, an even sharper nose, and a receding hairline. Izuku couldn't tell what his Quirk was, except for a small blot on his forehead that seemed to move on its own.

"Greetings, young man," he said, hands clasped behind his back. "I am Yotsubashi Rikiya. I believe you know of my company, Detnerat?"

Izuku only needed a second to realize that this was his father's boss; more than that, this was a man who could very well destroy almost anyone with a few well-placed calls. Detnerat was a company that was mainly based in Japan, but it had branches across the world. They dealt with everything from the most basic commerce to Hero Support technology. It was quite possibly Japan's most successful company in decades, but that was almost entirely due to the genius—and ruthless—economic strategies of Yotsubashi.

"I, um, do, Yotsubashi-san." Izuku bowed. "It's an honor to meet you."

Yotsubashi laughed; behind him, Hisashi looked relieved. "Oh, none of that, young man! I didn't come here to see you kowtow to me."

Izuku heard Hawks snicker, and resisted the urge to glare at him. "Then, um, why are you here?"

"Well, I saw your impressive battle on the news, and I happened to be in our Kyushu office, going over some numbers with Hisashi. He was so proud of your victory, but at the same time, you are his son, and he was worried. I must admit that I took advantage of his concern, and took the opportunity to accompany him. I've been waiting for a chance to meet you for some time."

"M-me?"

Yotsubashi laughed again. "Oh, yes. You see, I learned from your parents that you're quite the Meta-enthusiast, just like me, and with a Meta-ability such as yours, I couldn't pass up the chance to speak with you."

Izuku blinked at the use of the term 'Meta'; it had fallen out of favor generations ago, when the governments of the world began using 'Quirks'. Then again, considering what he had learned about what Azmuth had done to his Earth, perhaps 'Meta' was actually more appropriate.

"Um, sure," Izuku said after a moment to process. "I'd be honored to."

Yotsubashi grinned. "Delightful! Why don't we sit down, while Hawks goes to check on Mirko, eh?"

Hawks bowed quickly in the man's direction. "Don't worry, sir, I'll take care of it. I'm sure she's fine, but the kid's been worried."

"Ah, so full of compassion," Yotsubashi said with a smile, and Izuku ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Anything to report?" Soldier asked as Hawks walked up to Mirko's room.

"The kid's got the target's full focus right now," Hawks said. "I hate to throw him under the bus like that, but the kid might be the only person in the world the target is more interested in than me."

"Not for long." Soldier stepped away from the door she'd been guarding. "I predict ten minutes, at absolute most."

"Well, I'll be done in five or six." Hawks hesitated. "The kid's dad was an unexpected surprise."

"Could he be collaborating?"

"Doubtful; the top brass investigated the entire Midoriya family once they found out what the kid could do. Hisashi might work for the company, but he's oblivious to its real dealings. He's the perfect cover."

"He might also be useful to the enemy as a hostage, to get the boy to obey them."

"Now that, I can agree with. Once operations begin, we'll need to make getting Hisashi to safety a priority; that way, the kid won't hold back."

"Rescue might not be an option," Soldier pointed out. "It might be more advantageous in the long run to eliminate Hisashi, make the kid think the enemy killed his father."

"Like hell," Hawks all but snarled. "You want to use Izuku as a weapon against these bastards, fine, but I'll be damned before I let you kill his dad. I want you and your bosses to understand that."

Soldier didn't even blink at his sudden vitriol. "They are your bosses too."

"Not when it comes to stuff like this. Or do I have to remind everyone about Lady Nagant?"

Bringing up the blackest mark of the HPSC was enough to make even Soldier take a step back. "That won't be necessary."

"Good. Now get the hell out of my way."

Soldier stepped aside; her head was bowed, but Hawks could see the hatred for him in her eyes. He just smirked, and walked into Mirko's room.

"Hey, bunny-girl," he greeted. "How's the head?"

Mirko, slightly loopy from painkiller, grinned at him. "What, worried I have brain damage?"

"Nah, you don't have enough of a functioning brain to damage, you psycho." Hawks sat down in a chair and propped his feet up on the edge of Mirko's bed. "Seriously, you good?"

Mirko scoffed. "Please, I'll be up and back on patrol in three days, tops." She paused. "I'm guessing I lost a few fans today."

"The opposite, in fact." Hawks' smile was bitter. "The press are spinning it so that people think you're so good that you were able to survive an enemy that had clear advantages over you with just minor injuries. It's giving people more hope that the League and their monsters can be beaten; it's just a matter of time." He paused when he remembered something. "By the way, thanks to the kid, we've confirmed that causing catastrophic brain damage to a Nomu will put it down."

"So, go for the head?"

"Go for the head." Hawks shared a quick laugh with Mirko. "Hey, if you don't mind, I wanted to give you something."

"Your phone number?" Mirko teased.

"Hell no." Hawks reached into his coat and pulled out a book. "You're gonna be stuck in here for at least a couple of days, right? Here's something to read in the meantime."

Mirko narrowed her eyes; even addled as she was, she could tell that something was off. "What makes you think I like reading?"

"It's that, or you try using this hospital's terrible Wi-Fi." Hawks held out the book. "Don't worry, I marked the good parts for you."

"Yeah… okay." Mirko took the book. "At least I won't be as bored."

Hawks laughed, but it was tinged with exhaustion. "With what's coming, boredom is the least of our problems."

"I have to say, your Meta-ability might be one of the most impressive I've ever heard of," Yotsubashi gushed. "You called in 'Genetic Instability', yes? I can only imagine how frightening that can be, despite the power."

Izuku's hand drifted to the scars on his arm. "Y-yes, it can be."

"It's also fascinating how some of the most potent Meta-abilities either require an outside stimulation, or have some kind of drawback," Yotsubashi went on. "Your watch, for instance."

Izuku also thought about Yaoyorozu's reliance on her supply of lipids, and Asui's environmental weaknesses.

"It's nothing like the comic books," he admitted. "All those stories had superheroes without any kind of limit."

The two of them had been discussing Izuku's various aliens—not that Yotsubashi knew what they really were—before shifting to Quirks in general.

"Yes, it's a shame that isn't the case now, though I imagine the writers of those stories didn't consider real-world biology."

"Um, if it's all right," Izuku said carefully, "can I ask what your power is?"

Yotsubashi chuckled. "I'm afraid it's nothing flashy; nothing that could let me be a Hero, anyway." He tapped one finger against the spot on his forehead. "This little spot is my Meta-ability. It can move to any part of my body, and grows when I'm stressed. Like I said, no practical use, though I did use it to entertain myself and my friends when I was a child."

"S-sorry."

"Don't be," Yotsubashi said. "I'm quite happy with my life. Besides, I've seen how stressful the life of a Hero can be, so my spot would probably cover my entire body by now." He looked at his watch. "Oh, dear, look at the time. As much as I've wanted to meet you, young man, I'm afraid that I have quite the busy schedule. Hisashi, we must be going."

"Of course, sir." Hisashi gave his son a quick hug. "I'll talk to you tonight, Izuku. And great work today; I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad." Izuku's smile dropped. "Um… how mad is Mom going to be?"

Hisashi went pale. "Oh. I guess I'll find out, and I'll text you if you need to hide."

Yotsubashi laughed again. "In that case, I'd better not keep you, Hisashi. And young man, when you become a Pro Hero, don't hesitate to call Detnerat if you need a sponsorship to start up."

Izuku blinked. "Th-thank you, sir! I'll definitely keep that in mind!"

After Yotsubashi and his father were gone, Izuku thought he could finally relax in the hospital's waiting room. That lasted all of five seconds, because his phone started to buzz, and he saw his messenger app blowing up.

Comet: ARE YOU OKAY!?

Frog: Stop getting into fights with monsters without us, ribbit.

Crayon: Shotos gonna giv u sum ice wen u get home, cuz im gonna smak you

Book: Normally, I would be against such violence, but in this case, I will help her.

Glasses: And so will I! Izuku, you were very reckless!

Tape: Kinda cool, though.

Tape: When you get back and see the weird mark on my face, know that Tsu just hit me with her tongue.

Snowflake: You're doomed, Izuku. Run for your life.

Izuku sighed, and wondered if he should book a hospital room in advance.

"I assume the operation went well, sir?"

"Of course, Curious. I made contact with the Midoriya boy, and I'm certain I made a good impression. In fact, I've never seen anyone his age so quickly stop using the term 'Quirks' and use 'Meta', or simply call them powers. We may not even need Hisashi as leverage to get him on our side."

"I can't say I share your optimism, Re-Destro."

"Obviously, it will take more convincing to sway him to our ideals, but I've got my foot in the proverbial door. It's a start, if nothing else."

"As you say, Re-Destro. What about our upcoming operation?"

"According to Skeptic, we are on schedule. He has agents ready to apprehend the target as soon as he is alone."

"They'll have to be fast, and lucky. Every one of my investigations indicate that he might be more dangerous than even Nine."

"Luck has nothing to do with it; they know exactly what they're doing."

Hawks brooded in his office, silently hating himself with every beat of his heart. After the incident in Kyushu, Midoriya had been debriefed by the police, and then sent back to UA early. The official explanation was that the appearance of a Nomu meant that the League of Villains was active again, and the student's safety was paramount.

If Hawks hadn't known better, he would have even said it was true.

"You know, I think you might be the first person I've ever hated," he said, glaring at the other person in the room.

Soldier stared back impassively. "I'm doing my duty."

"No, you're obeying your programming," Hawks spat. "The kid doesn't deserve to be treated like a threat."

"It has nothing to do with his personality or ideals," Soldier said. "Anyone with that kind of power is a threat, and will be observed. We took the opportunity to plant a monitoring device that wouldn't be detected by Nezu."

"You bugged a kid, goddammit!" Hawks' feathers broke off from his back and surrounded Soldier like a cloud of daggers. In response, yellow energy creeped out from under her sleeves. "Don't even bother; if I wanted you dead, you'd be skewered before your energy covered your head."

"If you aren't going to go through with your threat, why bother?" Soldier didn't sound alarmed; the personality the HPSC had implanted in Takeda didn't have the ability to feel fear.

"I'm trying to get across how pissed off I am." Hawks gripped the edge of the desk hard enough to make his hands hurt. "Your bosses are crossing a line, and it's going to bite them in the ass."

"If it means the security and stability of this society, then any and all measures will be taken." Soldier remained stoic. "Remember, Takami—nobody is irreplaceable."

Hawks' own expression could have been carved from stone as his feathers returned to his back. He knew that he and the HPSC were at a stalemate; they could kill or imprison him for defying them, but not before he revealed the truth about Lady Nagant, and their many other dirty dealings, to the world.

"If you do anything more than observe the kid…" he trailed off, but the warning in his voice was clear.

Two years ago, he never would have considered defiance. Apparently, having Midoriya as his intern had awakened a protective side of himself he hadn't known about.

On the other side of Japan, a team of agents took shifts watching the feed from a tiny drone that Soldier had planted on Midoriya's school uniform. As soon as the boy had returned to school, the drone flew to the corner of his room, and waited.

The true handlers of Japan's Heroes were tired of the mystery that was Midoriya Izuku, and they were determined to get some answers.

First of all, I want to give a long-overdue apology for the lateness of this chapter. After the last arc, I needed a break, but man, I didn't expect it to go for two months. I'm so sorry. It didn't help that I was completely swamped by work, and overworked to the point of being stress-sick.

Anyway, there's a lot of setup for the next parts of the story.

First off, Midoriya has been through stuff that has really shifted his viewpoint on fighting. It's kind of hard to go back to basically play-fighting with your friends when you've fought a war against horrible monsters, and watched universes die. Midoriya subconsciously wanted to make sure that his friends (and Bakugo) wouldn't be caught unawares again, even if they didn't remember.

The new Top 10 Heroes are announced. Wash isn't included, because Wash is a stupid washing machine. So Gang Orca keeps his spot in the listings.

The League (or, rather, Dabi) try to make sure people don't get reassured. This backfires, thanks to Midoriya. And, yes, Hood would have wiped the floor with both Hawks and Mirko; he had the power to counter Hawks, and the flight to counter Mirko. And I decided to have Mirko tease the living hell out of Hawks over a drunken tryst, on the grounds that it made me laugh. Also, I like the idea of the Top 10 fighting over who gets Midoriya for an internship.

Midoriya gets a moment with his dad, and meets one of the more interesting villains of MHA… until he turns into a sniveling yes-man, but that's for later. The sad thing is, if Re-Destro hadn't been a villain, I think he and Midoriya genuinely would have bonded over geeking out over Quirks.

The HPSC are just awful, and if you've watched the latest part of the anime, you know why. Lady Nagant deserved better. And I don't think it's impossible that they would have made an artificial personality for poor Takeda (though Overclock is a cool name, IMO). I can also totally see them setting up illegal surveillance on a kid, simply because he's very powerful.

*deep breath*

Anyway, yeah, a thing or two happened this chapter.

As always, please consider buying my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. You can find it on my website (link in my profile), or on Amazon, in both eBook and physical form. I'm trying really hard to get the sequel done, and some time has opened up for me to get that done!

See, I had a serious downsizing at one of my jobs, and lost much of my hours. This was actually my choice, as I was basically doing the work of several people, and was far too stressed to write. I have less money coming in, but at least I'm in a better place.

However, that means that I need your help more than before. It would be awesome if you could support me on P-atreon (link in my profile), to help counteract my diminished wages. Higher-tier patrons get chapters early, and highest-tier even get a PDF of my book!

Speaking of which, I'd like to thank the following Muffins:

Serious Muffins: Nimrod009, Aaron Meek, Matthias Matanovic, Red Bard, Lokthar, Hakuryuken, Anders Lyngbye, Kristen Tyler

Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, Crazyman844

Ultra Muffins: RangersRoll

Next Chapter: A kidnapping, a threat… and a declaration of war.

Plus Muffin!