Izuku fumbled blindly for his phone as his alarm buzzed a second time. He squinted at the bright screen as he turned it off and sat up. It was early, the grey of dawn beginning to fill his room. He stood, stretching his sore and tired muscles. The hall light was on, the light fanning across the floor from the gap at the base of the door.

He looked up and down the hall with a frown. There was movement in the kitchen and the smell of something sweet in the air. He stumbled into the kitchen mindlessly, still trying to process that he was at Aizawa's, what happened at combat training slowly coming back to him.

"Zuzu!"

He looked down at Eri sitting at the table, face covered in syrup, smiling. He smiled back and sat beside her.

Aizawa set a plate of pancakes and eggs in front of him wordlessly. Izuku stared at it, blinked, rubbed his eyes, and poked at the food, sure he was still dreaming. "But. . ." He glanced up at Aizawa and then back at the food, trying to form sentences in his tired mind.

"Eat, Midoriya."

"But," Izuku started again, closing his eyes, "I messed up."

Aizawa sighed hard, turning the stove off. "Eri, brush your teeth and get your things." When the bathroom door closed, he looked at Izuku, eyes tired and stressed. "I have to take her to the bus stop, then we'll talk. Eat."

Izuku nodded, watching them leave as he ate, giving Eri a wave as she disappeared from view. He picked up his empty plate and washed it, setting it in the drying rack as the front door opened again. Izuku sat back down, staring at the grain of the table as he waited for the oncoming lecture. He looked up when Aizawa set something down in front of him as he took a seat. Izuku picked up the pill bottle and read the label, the letters blurring together from his bleary eyes.

"Anxiety medication," Aizawa explained, pushing a glass of water towards him. "Two every morning with food."

Izuku popped off the lid without question and downed the glass of water. "That bad, huh?"

Aizawa's face softened. "This is something Mrs. Ito and I have been discussing since your last session. She was planning to give them to you tomorrow."

The last session. Izuku winced and dragged a hand through his hair. "Aren't you angry?" Across from him, Aizawa was quiet for a moment before saying, "Yes, but I'm more concerned

than anything. I understand that what happened yesterday was a result of more than you just overusing your quirk."

Izuku looked up, meeting his dark eyes. "I thought it would be different this time," his voice cracked, the emotions from yesterday surging up without warning, and he swallowed thickly heart racing. "I was wrong." He pressed the cuffs of his sleeve against his eyes to dry up the tears. "I was so wrong. I do this every time. I think it will be different. I'm so stupid, I can't learn!"

He let the hands that gently wrapped around his forearms pull his hands away from his face. "I told you, I'm not meant to be a hero," he cried, shaking his head.

"Midoriya—"

Izuku drew in a shuttered breath that caught in his throat. "They're lucky I'm a hero? I make people slaves? Is that what I do?" He grasped at the table as the feeling of falling rushed over him. "I—I'm not a villain. I'm not evil! I wouldn't—"

"Izuku!"

Izuku flinched away, fighting against the hands that reached for him—the hands reaching to strike him—his vision narrowing. He fell back, the chair tipping over. He curled up on the floor, gritting his teeth as his shoulder throbbed, lungs seizing up.

"Izuku!"

He opened his eyes a sliver. Aizawa was crouched on the ground, concern creasing his face, quirk ignited in a desperate attempt to help. Izuku stared into his red, glowing eyes feeling his mind slow.

Red.

"Breathe, Izuku," Aizawa ordered, hand reaching to him, but drawn back a second later, his lips pressing into a thin, frustrated line.

I also want you to start rethinking your responses to triggers. Like with the exercise band, I want you to try reconnecting the color with a new memory.

Red.

Izuku blinked, feeling his breath begin to steady. Aizawa's eyes were brighter, glowing, but they were close. He let every moment that Kacchan had turned his eyes on him fill his thoughts. The glaring, the sneers, the times he smiled, when they were creased with concern, the first time he met those eyes in first grade. All of it.

"Izuku?" Aizawa asked after some time had passed, his voice tense. Somewhere, there was an alarm beeping, and the sun was fully up.

Izuku opened his eyes, feeling his body ache. He tested his lungs, drawing in deep breaths and exhaling slowly.

Aizawa shifted to a sitting position letting Izuku lay on the floor for a while longer. "Are you ok?" Izuku blinked up at him. "No."

"Alright. That's fair," Aizawa sighed, rubbing his face. "Do you want to stay home for the day?"

It was tempting, but. . . "I'd rather not be alone, and I don't want anyone to worry. They'll ask more questions."

Aizawa frowned, looking unsure. "Midoriya. . ." he trailed off as Izuku sat up.

"This is mostly my fault for overworking myself," he said, drawing his knees up to his chest. "I wanted us to win,"—he looked up at Aizawa—"and I wanted to be part of the reason. To prove it. . .to myself." He looked down as the realization hit him.

"You still don't think you can be a hero," Aizawa said softly, almost a sigh.

"I don't know," Izuku said after a moment. "I think I can, but. . .part of being a hero is public support. My own classmates are scared of me. What would civilians think of me?"

Aizawa stared at him hard. "The actors at the practical were impressed at how you used your quirk," he said carefully. "One man in particular who was injured said you were able to numb his pain." When Izuku didn't look fully convinced he continued, "The truth is, Midoriya, that there will always be people who are scared of you; it wouldn't matter what your quirk is. Shinsou has had to deal with similar things being said about him, so have I. Nearly every pro-hero has had an instance when someone said they were dangerous, that their quirk causes more harm than good." He took a breath, reaching out to Izuku and relaxing when he didn't flinch away. "You can't let this destroy you."

Izuku turned to rest back against the leg of the table. "Ok," he said, feeling himself nod. "I'll try."

Aizawa accepted that and stood. "Are you sure you want to go to school?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Alright, but the moment you show signs of stress, you're going back to your dorm. Understood, problem child?"

"Yes."

Izuku paused outside of his classroom. Aizawa had a hand on the handle ready to open the door. They were late by twenty minutes and Izuku could hear the muffled chatter of his classmates inside. He hesitated, moving one foot back.

Aizawa's hand dropped from the door as he considered Izuku. "Midoriya?" "I'm ready," he said, taking a deep breath to relax.

The door slid open and Izuku followed in, keeping his eyes on the ground as he walked to his desk, ignoring the stares and murmurs of his classmates. The class fell silent as Aizawa came to stand behind the podium.

"I know you all want to talk about yesterday," Aizawa started, "but I want to make something clear first. None of you are to interact with Class B. Vlad King is handling his students, so there is no need for you to get involved. There will be severe consequences if you do." He waited till everyone muttered a confirmation before he continued. "Now, let's discuss the exercise and what happened. Does anyone have any questions?"

Nearly every hand shot up, but Aizawa nodded towards Iida. He stood, glancing to Izuku who turned away to look out the window. "I was truly impressed with Midoriya's fighting skills. We

were able to capture the last flag because of him."

There were murmurs of agreement, but Izuku remained turned, putting all of his focus into blocking out their thoughts.

"Are you ok, Midoriya?" Uraraka asked gently. "I wasn't there, but I heard about what happened. It wasn't right for Monoma to say those things."

Izuku looked down at his desk, frowning. "I'm fine. Just tired from overusing my quirk." He felt like there was gravel in his throat. "That's the thing though," he said, looking back out the window, "no one has to say anything. At least Monoma had the guts to say it to my face."

"Well, fuck him!" Mina said, hands slamming against her desk. "Fuck them all!" "Ashido," Aizawa warned.

She looked at Aizawa, chin up. "I secrete a highly corrosive and deadly acid, Kaminari can shoot lightning bolts from his hands, and Bakugo could destroy the school if he wanted to!" Her shoulders shook as she took in a breath. "Midoriya isn't any more dangerous than the rest of us. That's why we're here! To become heroes and uses our quirks for good!"

Izuku looked over at her, eyes straining as they widened. Her anger and frustration brushing against him.

"He held off twelve students so that Bakugo and I could handle the robots," Kirishima said looking ashamed. "I could tell he was under a lot of strain too, but we were being overrun and couldn't help. We all need to get so much stronger."

"I agree," Aizawa said, stepping up to the chalkboard and drawing a circle, marking where the flags had been with Xs. "Let's discuss your teamwork and strategy."

Izuku listened to Aizawa's dissection of their plan, writing notes diligently, happy to have something to distract him. Still, he fought to keep his eyes open sometimes staring at a half- finished word, mind drawing a complete blank. Each time he had to pick up where Aizawa had moved onto, leaving his notes a mess of half-finished sentences and scratched out words.

Are you ok?

Izuku's head shot up, scared out of almost falling asleep again. He looked across the room to where Shinsou was looking at him, concern drawing between his brows.

I'm really tired, Izuku pulled together in reply. Shinsou just nodded and turned back to the board. As the bell for first-period rung, Aizawa looked at them once more. "I mean it when I say us

teachers are handling this situation." With that he left, door shutting behind him.

Izuku struggled through the rest of his classes till the last bell sounded and he stumbled across campus to the third year Support Course dorm. He went up to Hatsume's room knowing that she would be in Power Loader's shop for a few more hours. Her door was always unlocked, so he entered the darkroom, maneuvering around half-finished babies and parts that scattered the floor and curled up in her bed.

When he opened his eyes again, her desk lamp was on and it was dark outside. She was sitting on the floor, head resting on the mattress, fingers caught in his hair.

"Hey," she said softly, dragging her hand through his hair a few more times. "Hey." Izuku forced himself up on his elbows.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Izuku looked over at her, tired eyes searching her face. "You heard?"

She shrugged, resting back on her hands. "I heard some rumors. News travels fast here. Especially about a fight like that."

He snorted as he sat up completely. "Figures," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "The training exercise with Class B didn't go well."

"Did you overuse your quirk?"

"Oh yeah. Way overdid it." His face flushed. "Kacchan had to carry me out."

Hatsume winced. "Yikes."

Izuku nodded in agreement, the embarrassment burning his skin. "But it was also the first time since the final I had fought with my quirk."

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "I'll take that it went badly?"

Izuku looked away rethinking the end of the fight. "Just one guy really. He was pretty upset, but I'd overworked myself so much that I couldn't block out the thoughts of the others."

"Izuku. . ."

"He called me a freak and I just couldn't. . ." he trailed off, gripping his arms. He leaned into the hug she wrapped him in, breathing in her familiar scent of oil and singed rubber. "My class is angry and tired to make me feel better, but. . .I don't feel like they understand."

Hatsume pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. "I don't think anyone can, Izuku. You should let them help, though."

Izuku tried to blink away the blurriness that took over his vision. "But they're already scared of me."

"Do you know that for sure?"

That's what Monoma said. "I guess not," Izuku admitted. "But I've actually killed someone before, Hats. I mean it was a result of me using my quirk, I didn't make him, and I know that, but those things he said are true whether I like it or not."

She moved to sit beside him on the bed. "Izuku. . ."

"Aizawa said I can't let this get to me."

"You should trust him. He has a lot more experience."

"I do," he said, nudging his shoulder against hers. "I feel a lot better today, but that could also be because of the medication."

"Medication?"

"Anxiety," Izuku explained. "I guess I was supposed to start at my next session with Mrs. Ito, but they started me this morning instead."

Hatsume wrapped her arms around him again, resting her head on his shoulder. "I get to walk you to your dorm tonight."

He gave her a playful shove. "I can walk myself."

Her arms tightened. "Nope! Villains show no favoring of sexes so you're just as much as a target as me." She grinned as he huffed.

Izuku waved goodbye to Hastume as he entered his dorm. The common room was filled with his class watching a movie in the lounge area. He paused, watching for a few seconds. Some action hero movie by the looks of it.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku jumped at his name being called and spun around. Kirishima and Tsu were carrying bowls of popcorn. Behind him, the movie paused.

"Hey man, you gonna watch the movie with us?"

Izuku looked at the popcorn, his stomach growling. He hadn't eaten since that morning.

"You already promised!" Kaminari said, jumping over the back of the sofa, ignoring the shouts from Iida about disrespecting school property. "You have to stay."

Izuku gave an apologetic smile. "I'm still pretty tired, Kami." "Guys, if Midoriya wants to rest, we should let him," Tsu cut in.

Mina wrapped her arms around him. "We've all been so worried. If you want to go to bed, we won't stop you, but you should eat first." He let her push him towards the kitchen. Bakugo was there, scowling at the popcorn maker, holding a bowl steady as it filled. He looked up as they entered. "Feed him!"

Izuku gaped as she left, leaving him alone with Bakugo. "I-I'm not a pet, Mina!" he called after her.

She just waved him off, grinning over her shoulder. "Ignore him if he's grumpy, Izuku, it's past his bedtime."

Izuku looked at the clock. It was just after nine. He sighed and went to get one of the prepared meals he'd missed, but Bakugo grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"They brought the new meals today," he said, dropping Izuku's hand. "You'll mess up your schedule if you eat one of the new ones." Izuku soured thinking about the wasted food. A wrapped plate was shoved into his hands. "You can warm this up."

Izuku finally looked up at Bakugo, snagging on his eyes. "Thanks, Kacchan. Sorry about yesterday." Izuku busied himself unwrapping the food trying to ignore how Bakugo was staring at him.

"Do it again, and I'll kick your ass, idiot."

"I-I won't," Izuku stammered, thanking the heavens when the microwave beeped. He hurried into the dining room to eat. When he finished, he edged into the lounge room glancing around in the dark for a place to sit. Mina waved to him, shoving Kaminari over. He sat between them trying to be mindful of the limited space, but Kaminari swung his legs over Izuku's lap using Kirishima as a backrest and Mina curled up against him, head on his shoulder.

Feeling better?

Izuku looked over at Shinsou on the other couch next to Jirou. I am, but it's been a long day. Shinsou snorted softly, shaking his head as he looked back at the screen. Understatement.

"You've got your suit, right?"

Izuku tossed Mina another shirt. She was sitting on his bed, duffle in front of her, folding the clothes he threw her. He'd tried to get her to leave, he would only be gone for two nights, but she'd forced her way in saying she needed to make sure he didn't forget anything.

He got the feeling she was just worried about him, so he let her help.

"Yeah," he said, nodding towards the case by the door. "I picked it up this morning."

"I'm so jealous you get to work with Mirko." She groaned, flopping back on his pillows. "She's, like, totally my idol!"

Izuku pulled a hoodie off a hanger and roughly folded it before stuffing it into the bad. "I'll get a picture for you."

She gasped, spring up to wrap him in a hug. "You're the best, Izuku! But you can't fold for shit." She pulled out the hoodie he'd just put in the duffle and refolded it. "You have to keep us updated on everything. I've already added you to our group chat."

"I will," he promised. "I'm really excited."

"You should be! Internships are so fun. We don't get to pick ours back up till this summer," she whined, resting her cheek in her hand.

Izuku looked over his list, glancing at his bag as he checked things off. Bathroom stuff. He looked around this room, spotting the bag on his desk. "I am nervous though; I've never taken the train so far."

"Want me to go with you?"

"No, I've already got the tickets, so I just have to get on the train and Aizawa gave me detailed directions to her office." He smiled at her. "I'll be ok."

"Alright, but I mean it, keep me updated."

Izuku set the bag with his bathroom stuff down and looked at her. "I'm ok, Mina, really." She frowned, lips parting. "Denki said it was really bad. He was scared for you."

He sat down beside her. "I was just overworked. When that happens, I lose control of my emotions and quirk. That's all. I'm better now," he explained, looking at his lap, feeling bad for making them worry so much. "I should've been more careful. I just wanted us to win."

Mina tossed an arm around his shoulders. "The only way to go now is up, right? You can only get stronger from here."

The corner of his mouth turned up in a determined smile. "Yeah. You're right."

"Fair warning, Bakugo always came back exhausted from interning with Mirko," she said standing. "So, prepare to have your ass kicked."

Izuku zipped up the duffle and strapped it across his chest. "That's what I'm hoping for."

"Deku."

Izuku paused, looking back at the steps of his dorm where Bakugo was descending. "Hey, Kacchan, what's up?" Izuku met him halfway, waiting for Bakugo to say something as he stared with narrowed eyes.

Bakugo glanced around the courtyard and then back at the dorm doors. "What's the deal with you and Shinsou?"

"N-Nothing. We're just friends," Izuku said, looking away. "Why?"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes further. "You're still a shit liar, Deku. Shinsou lives with Aizawa. It also explains why you're so close to Eri." He took a step closer, chin tipped up in what felt like challenge. "You do too, don't you?"

Iuzku gulped, meeting Bakugo's scrutinizing gaze. "How do you know that?" "Doesn't take a genius," he scoffed, crossing his arms. "I won't tell anyone. But why?"

Izuku blinked, sorting through the years that he'd known Bakugo. He opened his mouth and closed it, then tried again. "He kinda forced me," he finally said, reaching up to grip the strap across his chest.

Bakugo's lip curled back. "What about your parents?"

Izuku fell quiet again, staring up at Kacchan realizing just how much he'd hid and lied as a child. "I. . .don't have parents, Kacchan."

His scowl softened to confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Izuku checked his watch. He still had time. "I guess I never told you," he muttered to himself. "I've been in the foster system since I was four."

Bakugo's mouth fell open, gaping like he was trying to say something, hands balling into fists. "What?" he finally asked, sounding strained.

"Aizawa made me stay with him over the break," Izuku said with a shrug. "Kinda just happened. Look, I'm sorry, Kacchan, I just didn't want you to think I was any weirder than you already did when we were kids."

Bakugo dragged a stressed hand through his hair, pulling hard at the roots. "I thought you were fighting. . ." he muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." He spun around, back to Izuku. "You're gonna miss your train."

Izuku watched him leave, mind reeling. When the door closed, he started walking again taking his time getting to the train station. He checked his phone when he got there, sending a text back to Mina saying he was at the station. He received a flurry of emojis in response. He sent a text to Hatsume, too, but she didn't answer. Probably knee-deep in the junk pile searching for parts.

He looked up as the train rumbled down the tracks coming to a screeching stop. His seat was towards the back of the car. He sat his bag and case in one chair and rested his head against the cool glass, putting his earbuds in. The city faded away to countryside as the sun sat low in the sky.

It was almost dark when the train pulled into his stop. The directions Aizawa had given him were detailed and Izuku found his way with little trouble, used to navigating city streets. He stopped outside of the small office building scanning the floor directory till he found Mirko Independent Agency and entered. He crossed the empty lobby to the elevator and hit the third-floor button. As the doors closed, his heart began to race with a mix of anticipation and fear.

When the doors opened, he stepped out and looked around. A wide hallway lined with windows on one side, the other side doors with neat metal plaques. Izuku chose left, scanning the names listed till he found Mirko and knocked. When no answer came, he pushed the door open.

"Hello?" he called. The lights were still on. The desk in the center of the room was covered in papers and sticky notes. "I'm Izuku Midoriya," he said, closing the door behind him, "I'm here for my internship."

"In here!" a voice called down the hall to his left.

Izuku followed, looking around as he walked. It was plain, the decorative fixtures covered in dust. He got the impression she didn't use the office often. He stopped outside of what once was probably a break room but was converted to a workout room.

Mirko smiled at him with a two-finger wave as she lowered the weights she was pressing. "So, you're Midoriya?" she asked, smirking, looking him up and down. "I've heard a lot about you, kid."

He gulped, reaching up to grab the duffle strap. "Oh, really? I'm still new to all this, so it's weird people knowing about me."

"I heard," she said, sitting up and brushing the powder from her hands. "Set your stuff down and tell me about your quirk."

Izuku dropped the case with his suit and the heavy duffle bag, working the soreness out of his shoulder as he set up the folding chair that had been leaning against the wall. "The best way to describe my quirk is mental manipulation," he started, self-consciously scratching at his cheek. "I can convince people to act a certain way or forget a memory. I can read minds, which has been really useful in gathering information. I still have a long way to go, but Aizawa thought I was ready." He shrugged, wringing his fingers. "I hear thoughts all the time. I can't turn my quirk off, so I'm working on not getting overwhelmed or overworking myself. But I really need to work on my combat skills—"

"Midoriya?"

He sucked in a sharp breath, snapping his head up to look at her and the lazy, amused smile she wore. "Yeah?"

"That's a pretty sick quirk."

"Y-You think so?"

She nodded, resting her chin in her hand. "But you need to relax. I won't bite."

Izuku shrunk back. "Sorry, there's just been a lot of changes in the last two months."

She stood and stretched. "Well, hero work is all about adapting to change, so get used to it." Her smirk grew as she put up her fists. "Now let's see what you got."

Izuku stood, taking a few steps back. He didn't need his notebooks to know Mirko could beat him with the tap of her foot. Still, he raised his fists and opened his quirk. He dodged her first couple of punches then landed a kick to her side.

"Alright, not terrible. But you need a lot of work!"

He struggled to keep up as she steadily picked up the pace, even faster than Bakugo. He stumbled.

"Convince me to stop," she said, swiping his legs. He landed on his back with a thud. She crouched over him; fist aimed at his face. "Convince me or I'll break your nose."

Izuku pushed into her mind ordering her to stop. She blinked, fist hovering an inch from his nose, and he released a held breath, relaxing. He pushed deeper till she got off and offered him a hand up, then he let the hold go.

She was still for a few seconds as she tried to figure out her actions. "Wow, ok." She stepped back, hands on her hips as she considered him. "Anyone ever told you that it feels weird?" she asked, scratching behind an ear.

"Yeah, a few times."

She hummed thoughtfully. "Grab your things. Let's go."

Izuku followed her out of the building and down the street. "Where are we going?"

"My place first to drop your stuff off, then your first patrol!" she grinned over her shoulder. "Maybe some food first, though."

"Patrol? Already?"

Ahead of him, she shrugged. "Best way to learn is by doing."

Izuku stood next to Mirko, overlooking the city from a rooftop. What was left of the day was a golden hue on the western horizon, and the city began to wake with neon signs and the taillights of cars. He crouched down, feeling the cool breeze on his face, something in him igniting.

Mirko took a seat beside him, pulling up one leg. "Awesome, isn't it?" "You do this every day?"

She nodded, ears twitching at every sound. "As is the life of an independent hero. I don't have lackeys to do my work. I like it better this way."

Izuku shifted so that he could sit, kicking his legs over the edge. "You never get tired?"

She cocked her head to the side, a soft smile on her face. "I do this because I love it. Even the hard days. Being tired is a sign that I've worked hard." She nudged her shoulder against his. "What kind of hero do you want to be, kid?"

Izuku tipped his head back, looking up at the stars blinking dimly through the city lights. "The kind people trust." He looked down, watching as a couple walked down the street laughing. "The kind that people reach out to with no hesitation."

"Why didn't you start sooner?"

Izuku looked over at her, meeting her eyes. "I didn't think I could be one even though I wanted to be," he answered honestly. "The teachers were actually going to force me to transfer because I couldn't control my quirk very well. I suppressed it for a long time. I even pretended to be quirkless through school," he said with a forced laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I always wanted to be

a hero, I thought I could do it without my quirk. Then I tried to be one with my quirk in middle school and it ended badly, so I. . .let the dream go."

"So, you're a quitter?"

"I was," he agreed with a breathy laugh. "Now, I can't seem to give up."

Mirko gave a hum of thought as she looked back over the city. "I wouldn't have taken you on as an intern if I didn't see some fight in you." She smiled, looking over at him. "You've got the makings of a hero, kid."

Izuku felt heat rush up his neck but didn't bother trying to hide it. She could probably hear how his heart sped up anyway. "That's actually something I've been wondering. Why did you request me? Were you watching the provisional exam?"

Her eyebrows rose slightly, glancing away. "Huh, that's interesting," she muttered under her breath, an evil gleam in her eye that made Izuku want to scoot away. "But, no, I wasn't at the exam. Let's just say, you were recommended to me."

"I-I was? By who?" He leaned towards her, grabbing her bicep to stay steady on the ledge. She shoved him away with a hand to the face. "Oh no, I'm gonna see how this plays out."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he scoffed, stumbling after her as she stood and walked away. "Who was it? Mr. Aizawa?"

She laughed, throwing her head back. "Please, I'm surprised he even agreed to let you intern with me."

Izuku huffed, pulling out the small notebook he kept in his back pocket and started writing a list of possible names.

Mirko snatched it from his hands, waving it above her head. "You think too much. Come on, Deku, I hear trouble starting a couple blocks over." Her grin grew at his confused expression. As she turned, she tossed the notebook back.

Izuku put it back in his pocket, figuring that she must've seen his hero name on the paperwork. He hurried after her, using his staff to help him across the gaps between buildings. He landed beside her in a dark alleyway.

"What do you know?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Izuku looked down the alley, a car waiting, its lights off but running. He couldn't read the sign above the door to the building on their left, but inside he knew there were four people in a rush. "There are four inside and that must be a getaway car."

She nodded. "Not bad. What else?"

Izuku reached out further, letting their thoughts enter him. "They're scared you're going to show up soon."

"Even better. Stay close."

He followed her inside, pausing only to send a command to the driver to keep looking forward, broken glass crunching under his shoes. The four looked up, muttering curses.

Mirko put her fists up. "Let's get this over with."

The biggest one cracked his knuckles, spikes growing from his skin. "What happened to the angry one?"

"Repeat offender," Mirko said to Izuku, inclining her head towards him, her eyes never leaving the robbers. "I wouldn't relax just yet with this one." She jumped, landing a kick to his jaw. He fell to the ground in a heap. She turned to the others, ready for a counterattack, but they didn't move. She walked up to one, waving a hand in front of her dazed expression.

"I can hold three just fine," Izuku said, leaning on his staff. "Commands are easy." Her ears drooped slightly. "How long does it last?"

Izuku looked over the three left standing. "Considering they didn't want to fight you anyway; I'd say a while. It'll wear off eventually."

"Damn, I was looking forward to a fight. All well," she huffed, pulling out her phone. "I'll call the cops."

Izuku looked around the jewelry store, stepping carefully over the broken shards of glass as flashing lights and sirens flooded the store. Most of the cases were empty, but no alarms were going off. Curious, he reached into the minds of the robbers to figure out what their plans were.

Mirko was speaking with a detective when he stepped up to one of the men. "He's a manager here," he said, jutting a thumb at the guy.

"How do you know that?" the detective asked, flipping his notebook closed.

"I can read minds. He knows the codes, that's why there are no alarms going off."

The detective raised an eyebrow to Mirko who shrugged. "Test him if you want to," she said, crossing her arms.

"Alright, what am I thinking?"

"Your dog's middle name is Barktholomew." Izuku narrowed his eyes. "But your wife refuses to put it on his paperwork."

The detective laughed, flipping the notebook back open. "Thanks for the tip kid. I'm going to guess you're the reason they look like zombies?"

"I convinced them that they don't want to fight. They should stay docile for a few hours at most." "That's handy. Thanks for the help."

Izuku stepped aside, letting the cops do their job arresting the criminals and collect evidence. "Let's get some food," Mirko said, turning to leave.

"Alright, explain it to me," Mirko said, handing off a to-go box of noodles. "Everything you know about your quirk."

"I thought Aizawa sent you a report?"

She shrugged, slurping noodles. "Maybe, but I didn't read it, besides I want to hear it from you."

Izuku thought, stabbing aimlessly at his noodles. "I already told you the basics." He chewed slowly as he considered his development over the last two months. "Just accepting the thoughts that come my way is the easiest thing. That's why I try to fight hand-to-hand as long as possible. Giving commands just depends on the person. Sometimes it's as easy bringing the thing they really want to do to the front of their thoughts, and they'll do it without having to be convinced. Other's, if the command is against what they want to do, I have to convince them that they want to do the action by altering their memories." He swallowed another mouthful, watching the busy street below them. Music was thrumming from somewhere nearby. "I meet my limit in about thirty minutes with commands. If I pace myself, I can last longer. So, I really have to pick and choose my fights."

Mirko nodded, also considering the street below them. He watched curiously as her ears swiveled and twitched, wondering what she was listening to. "What happens when you reach your limit?"

"A bad headache. If I overwork myself, a debilitating migraine."

Her eyes slid over to his as she leaned back. "Could you change a person? Completely?"

Izuku looked down at the people chatting and laughing below. "I could," he said quietly, "but it's dangerous. I have to be careful when messing with memories."

"Why?"

"It's a drawback of my quirk," he explained with a frustrated sigh. "For a while after, I have trouble differentiating between my memories and the ones I experienced."

Mirko hummed deep in her throat, nodding as she understood. "Then I guess I'll just have to teach you how to kick ass."

Izuku couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Kacchan said you would. I'm looking forward to it."

She quirked a white brow, ears turning to him fully. "Who's Kacchan?"

"That's just the nickname I've called Katsuki since we were kids," Izuku explained, rubbing at his hot cheeks.

She was quiet for another moment before doubling over with laughter. "Kacchan? Oh, I can't wait to see that brat again!" Then she sobered as she looked at him, a lazy smile still on her face. "So, you two have known each other for a long time?"

"Yeah, we met when we were seven."

She crossed her arms with a humph. "He told me he didn't have any friends, the little liar."

"I wouldn't call us friends," Izuku said, leaning back against the brick wall. "I really don't know what we are. Two people who have known each other a long time?" He shrugged, shaking his head as he thought back to their conversation earlier that day. "It's complicated, I guess." He knew she was looking at him, brow furrowed like she was confused, but she didn't ask anything else.

Izuku yawned, stretching on the couch he'd slept on. He slapped at his phone till the alarm turned off, but it kept buzzing. Frustrated he picked up.

30 unread messages from Mina's Squad

He dropped his head into his pillow with a groan. He'd completely forgot about updating Mina.

He scrolled through the messages. Most were just Mina in various stages of yelling at him through text, the rest were from the other recipients telling her to shut up and that Izuku was just busy. There was Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and it looked like Shinou had been added at some point last night.

SHINSOU: why am I here?

MINA: you've been adopted 3 help me bug Izuku

Izuku shook his head with a fond smile and typed out a message, squinting at the bright screen as he did. Just as he hit send on the apology and promise to get a picture, Mirko knocked on the doorframe to her bedroom. She leaned against the wall; arms crossed over her chest.

"Sorry, the couch is lumpy. Don't use it much."

Izuku stood, stretching again. "It's fine. I didn't even notice." Better than the floor or a park bench.

"Follow me," she said, waving her hand. She led him to the first floor of the building which was a complete gym. Izuku gawked. He hadn't seen any of it in the dark. Mirko flipped a switch, filling the room with fluorescent light. "Alright, off with it, kid." She gestured vaguely towards him.

Izuku looked down at himself still dressed in what he slept in. Long sleeve shirt and sweatpants. "The shirt," Mirko explained, raising her fists. "I want you to feel the hits directly."

Izuku grabbed the hem of this shirt, hands beginning to sweat. He considered Mirko across from him wearing a sports bra and running shorts, even more of her skin of display than usual. Everywhere he looked, pale scars crisscrossed her tanned skin from the years of fighting. Some thick, wide, and ragged. Other's thin and only appearing when she shifted in the light just right.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled his shirt off, holding it to his chest for a moment before deliberately tossing it away. He met her eyes and raised his fists, sliding into position, willing the shake in his hands to stop.

Mirko's smirk shifted to a lopsided grin. "That look in your eye—Keep it."

Izuku blocked her first throw with his arm, eyes never leaving hers. She started off slow, working methodically, all technical, correcting his form when she saw fit.

"Good," she said, picking up the pace. "Offense. Fists only for now."

Izuku nodded and threw his own punches, dodging her defense. He saw an opening and aimed for her shoulder but at the last second, her arm came up to block and put him in a hold as he lost his balance.

"You knew I was going to that but didn't dodge," she said before flipping him over her shoulder. "You're too slow." She crouched down near his head and shove a finger into his forehead. "You're thinking too much about your moves."

Izuku scowled up at her, chest heaving. "I'm supposed to stop thinking?"

She shifted to sit on the floor beside him. "Right now, you're fighting other students who are learning to fight, just like you. The more experience you get, the more your body just acts on instinct."

Izuku sat up, leaning back on his hands. "Yeah, but the body still sends a signal. Even if the person isn't actively thinking about how they're going to attack or counter, I still know what they're going to do next."

Mirko shrugged. "Sure, but while you're processing that, they've already taken you down."

Izuku opened his mouth to argue then considered why he was laying on the floor and promptly shut his mouth. "So how do I stop thinking?"

"Your quirk gives you a huge advantage over your opponent, so you just need to learn to trust yourself. You're hesitating."

"So, react to instinct with instinct?"

She snapped her fingers. "Exactly. Let's try it."

Izuku pushing himself up off the floor and slid back into position. In front of him, Mirko shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking him up and down.

"Ready?" "Ready."