Washington D.C.

The congressional office was about as quaint and cramped as any mid-level staffer's in the system. Stacks of old folders and dusted cabinets imprisoned the short girl pinned within the plywood desk littered with pointless cables. The girl switched the screen from her email to a live video feed. On the feed, Izuku lay on the ground deflated and defeated from the events of the day. Occasionally, the screen flickered with the blinking of Sam The Dog.

The girl, now donning glasses that made her look more her age, chuckled at the site of the former Symbol Of Peace drooling on the hardwood floor. She never thought Izuku would be caught in such an undignified fashion. Yet, here he was with the footage being live-streamed through Sam.

The door opened. The frump, blonde woman with a pink pantsuit waddled inside. Immediately, a sickly saccharine raspberry scent invaded the girl's nose.

"You got it done?" She asked in her shrill voice.

Claire Merlope, her name etched into the plastic nameplate on her desk, nodded. "Didn't even see me. Sam appears to be acting normal as well."

"Good," she said and sat down in her chair. "I'd hate to for them to get suspicious now. Or ever for that matter."

"Do you think he'll actually get to the bottom of it," Claire said. "The whole quirk thing?"

"Doubt it," She hung her thick legs over the armrest and took a swig from the flask hidden inside one of the leather folders she clutched in her arm. She smacked her lips at the stinging flow of whisky singeing her throat. "He's not exactly a detective."

From the open door, another man paraded into the room. A tall, blonde man with the brightest green eyes and a dumbass smirk that always seemed to piss off or charm anyone with no other option. His undercut hair matched his impeccable dark green business suit and emerald tie. His pearly teeth shined under the copper light of the desk lamp with his the permanent flint of mischief pointed towards the girl behind the desk. His svelte figure slithered up to her right as the door slammed shut behind him.

"Testimony schedule," Alistair Leonhardt smacked the folder onto the desk. "Everyone we wanted," he said in his British accent.

"Perfect," Linda said. "Although we should be mindful that they'll try to introduce someone last minute."

Claire opened the folder and peered at the list. Despite being a new staffer to the woman's team, she had learned quickly about the underhanded tactics of politics. She blinked and traced her pen over the names until she landed on the ones at the bottom.

"No Deku," Claire said. "I thought we wanted him, Linda."

"The opposite," Linda grabbed the folder from her and read the list. "That's why we bugged him. Or, dogged him for lack of a better phrase. Alistair here has done great in keeping tabs on him for me all these years."

"He's basically an open book," Alistair chuckled. "I could learn when he lost his virginity if I asked."

"Okay, I don't need to know that," Claire hacked for a second.

"The point is that," Linda closed the folder. "If he does testify, we can make sure he's…compliant. With all Alistair has on him over the years, plus what Sam may find, we could have quite a few things that he wouldn't want public."

"Ah, so blackmail."

"Favors," Linda said. "I saved his life. He may just save my confirmation."

Claire frowned and looked back at the screen. A medic had come in and started to roll Izuku onto a stretcher. Sam The Dog followed them as he was dragged out of the room down to the hospital wing.

"Did you interact with him much after Void Industries," Claire asked. "And when did you first meet him? In real life."

"I think it was when I was clerk for the UN," Linda stretched her neck on thought. "I was there when all that Fletc Turn nonsense happened. He saved the day, of course. I shook hands with him and All Might. And that was it until the operation to save him from Void."

"But after that?"

"Oh, he hated me," Linda sighed. "Said I was using him as a campaign prop for the governor's race. I mean, I would have won anyway. Any liberal would have in California. But it bought me a lot of capital, I admit. Passed almost everything I promised."

"But not the World Hero Headquarters," Claire said.

Linda stared daggers at Claire. She fumed and narrowed her eyes. Her stubby hands squeezed the plush armrests, and she gave off a harsh swallow that throbbed the violet veins running over her neck.

"No," Linda said through her teeth. "Los Angeles had too much traffic. That was the official public reason from the WHA. As if Tokyo doesn't have cars."

"But in reality," Alistair said. "Deku didn't want it in California. And he has a lot of sway with heroes."

"Because of Linda?" Claire asked.

"Never said," Alistair shrugged. He grabbed an apple from the desk and chomped into the fruit. The juices ran down his chin, and he rubbed it away with the forearm of his suit. "But probably."

"Well, I doubt we'll have him called to testify," Linda said. "I mean, this is Secretary Of State. The President wants me. The Party wants me. Open and shut. Really not much to do with Pro-Heroes. All they need to know is that I led the operation to save him and you, Alistair, and I've had little reason to interact with him since. I doubt they even ask much about it. It's old news."

Alistair nodded. "Agreed. So, how about drinks? The team or going out to prepare for the hearings tomorrow."

Linda got up from her chair. "Excellent. I'll meet you there."

She marched out of the room in anticipation of alcohol. Alistair smiled when she left into the busy corridor. Before he left, he looked back at Claire.

"You did great today," Alistair said. "And working after the trip back from Detroit? All in one day?"

"It was easy," Claire said. "I thought they would have sent you instead since your quirk works better than mine."

"We can both be invisible. That's what matters," Alistair stepped to the desk. He placed his and just inches away from Claire. "Isn't that where true power lies? The power that can't be seen? Until it's too late?"

Claire shivers at the light, warm touch of Alistair's hand. He beams down at her, and the girl twitched when Alistair runs his finger behind her palm.

"Alistair," Claire said. "What is your plan? Doing this against your former teacher?"

"I can show you part of it right now," Alistair said.

He turned around. His hand hovered over the door handle for the lock to ensure there would be no interruption.

Click.

Click. Click.

Riley stroked his chin at the flashbulbs popping off outside of the bank. Directed at a beautiful brunette wearing the most ostentatious hero costume, the photographers snapped more photos with the cameras shuttering at the speed of machine guns. Now matter how far into the future he has travelled, some things remained the same. The old-fashioned cameras capturing the image of the woman taking pictures in front of the destroyed bank was proof that the media was as desperate and salacious as ever.

Hawks had taken control of the area. He corralled most of the students in front of the photographers and reporters. He talked to one reporter while a few construction workers slathered on cement to bricks and began repairing the bank wall.

"Yes, Deku will be out in just a few moments," Hawks said. "He just got caught up in something."

Riley faced the rest of the class. Most of them had bandages taped to their faces and blemished arms or legs. Their civilian clothes on their battered bodies, some of the teams fared better than others. The boy with white hair had a few bruises on his face while Lynn rubbed some burns covered by gauze on her arms. The peppy theater kid had immaculate shining skin as he spoke to his phone and recorded a strange message to some application. Riley did not understand the appeal of recording his daily life and showcasing it to others unless it was for informational purposes. Was he filming a documentary?

Merle pet Sam The Dog as the golden retriever trotted over to his cowboy boots. Sigi continued to peer at the sight before her. Once in a while, she would glance at Riley. He felt her eyes pointed at him with a strange warmth emanating from her. When he turned back, she would rip her eyes away and glance elsewhere. The stares, however, did not hold as much mirth as earlier in the day.

"You think he's really kicking us all out?" Merle asked more to himself than anyone. "He said if we failed, we were gone."

"Yeah, that sucks," Aiden said with a smirk pointed to the press scrum. "But at least I can say I got beaten by Moxie. Damn, she's even hotter in real-life. You think when I turn eighteen, she'll notice me?"

"Oh, she'll notice you alright," Merle said with the ghost of an eyeroll.

"Thank y'all for coming," Moxie, also known as the Pro-Hero Lagniappe, waved at the press.

"Lagniappe," One reporter said. "What brought you to do this exercise today."

"Well, I remember when I was just like all these children," Moxie said with a faraway look in her grey eyes. "I was just a little kid when I walked into Professor Deku's class. I was a little tadpole in a giant bayou, and I didn't think I had it in me. But then Professor Deku taught me what I needed to know, and he brought that confidence in my to be a good hero. He was also very funny, and he could be clumsy also. Sometimes, he would have this weird smell on him, also. Then, I found out that he has a habit of sometimes biting his fingernails. He could get quite nervous about things. It reminds me of this one time when-."

"Okay, thank you Lagniappe!" Deku, out of nowhere, ran over to Moxie and grabbed her arm. He waved at the reporters with a bright smile. "And thank you, everyone. We are now heading back to school. The entire class did great today!"

Deku hummed to himself as he pulled Moxie away. She blinked at the soft, strange song Deku hummed that she heard despite the cacophony of noise.

The reporters barked more questions, but Deku ignored them and escorted Moxie to the class. "Alright, class. You are dismissed for today. We will discuss all that happened here tomorrow. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I had a question for Lagniappe?" Aiden raised a hand.

"Okay, no questions. Thank you!" Izuku rushed Moxie away with a bus pulling up to the corner. Izuku rushed Moxie away towards the parking garage across the street, and they disappeared up a shoddy staircase to a vehicle.

Hawks could not help but laugh. After all these years, Izuku was still easy to fluster. "Everyone please get on the bus. Dinner will be served for you all when we get back!"

"Yeah, food!" Aiden slapped Merle's shoulder and ran to the bus.

"I hope they have caviar options," Skylar chirped to Leon. "Like maybe a caviar burger."

"I have caviar a lot," Leon said. "Is that normal for people to eat?"

"What's caviar?" Lynn asked under her breath.

The remaining students jumped into the bus. Hawks examined each of them as the filed in. Frankly, he was just happy most of them could be discharged from the hospital. He had to admit, however, that some of these students show promise. All the groups had interesting plans of action to rob the bank. Despite only one group succeeding, he appreciated that none of them gave up voluntarily. He also was glad that Group C had physically incapacitated Abel and Monoma, both of whom were extremely annoying to Hawks. He hoped this knocked both of them down a peg.

Hawks stepped up to the steps of the school bus. Perhaps this class could be molded into decent heroes yet. And hopefully, they would have a good future.

Then, he stopped at the base of the step. He looked down at his feet and sighed.

If they had a future at all, he thought to himself.

"…wasn't that long of a flight. Though, I don't think I've been this far up north in a while. I like driving more, anyway, which is why I brought my car with me this time. I didn't think you'd be on so many planes being a big Pro-Hero. I sorta thought each hero would have a town or something to take care of, but I've been doing all kinds of stuff in like some really exotic places. Y'know, like Toronto up in Canada. It reminds me of when I was little and-."

"Moxie," Izuku rubbed his temples. "Can you lower your voice? I still have a headache."

The echo of Izuku's outburst bounced over the concrete of the parking garage. Izuku stopped at the trunk of Moxie's 1969 Dodge Charger. The small sports car gleamed with a day-glo orange that complemented the pristine leather interior.

Moxie spun around and tilted her head like a curious nutria. "Something rattlin' your cage, Professor?"

Izuku shook his head. He had a hard enough time deciphering proper English, let alone whatever garble Moxie spoke. "Let's just get in the car. I need to speak with you."

Moxie unlocked her Charger and climbed inside. Izuku did the same, and the V8 engine roared to life. Smoke puffed out the exhaust, and the frame shook with Izuku's arms rattling on the armrest.

Moxie shifted backwards, and the car screeched out of its spot. Izuku clung to the ceiling handle for dear life when the vehicle jolted to a halt. Moxie pushed the clutch in, and then she shifted forward. Izuku's body slammed into the seat behind him as the car zoomed forward at a breakneck speed.

Izuku screamed, but not even his screams could overcome the six-hundred horsepower engine that roared onto the Detroit street. 'Merica.

The car skid out on the highway and peeled into the snaking traffic. Moxie slid the car between impossible tiny gaps and waxed her hands over the leather steering wheel like she was wiping a window.

"Moxie," Izuku cried out. "Please slow down!"

"I am going slow," Moxie said before the car went up a hill.

With a massive heave, the Charger lifted off the ground and flied over the hump in the road. Izuku shrieked and shielded his eyes. Moxie yanked back the shift stick, and she pulled the steering wheel the left. Izuku's stomach floated up to his throat, and his feet rose up from the force of zero gravity until the car slammed back down to Earth.

Blam! The car touched down on the road. A truck honked when the vehicle screeched across the highway and tailed off onto the exit ramp. It barreled down the slope to the red light, and Moxie mashed her foot on the brake. The car brushed over the concrete with deep tire tracks burning rubber onto the surface, and the car sailed closer and closer to the red light. Izuku shut his eyes and pushed his arms forward to protect his face.

Blam! The force of the stop caused Izuku to crash his forehead onto the dash. The seat belt around his middle kicked the wind out of his lungs, and fell back into the chair with his eyes watering. Whether from the impact or from his life flashing in front of him, he was unsure.

"Y'alright, Professor? Moxie asked.

It was a while since Izuku cried, so he decided this was the perfect opportunity.

On the edge of the river, the car parked opposite the school on International Island. Moxie shut the door and cracked open a can of Doctor Pepper. She dug her heels into the fine sand of the bank. The area was mainly a park, but the ground ended just feet away into the shallow riverbed. The shimmering water swam to the edge of the sand with the calm trickle of the crystalline liquid spitting through gaps in the smooth skipping stones marking the riverfront. Behind the parked car, a running trail separated the beach with a green meadow replete with kites swishing in the tangerine sky and children chasing around a small dog.

The crisp late-summer air wafted into Moxie's nose before she took a pull of her soda. She leaned on the hood of her car and crossed her ankles when Izuku stepped out. His face, still pale from the journey, relaxed with the tranquil river trickling past the two. From the angle facing south, they both had an incredible view of the main school building along with the village of dormitories dotted with lights illuminating bedrooms. Over the steel bridge, Izuku's eyes traced the tresses to the skyline of Downtown Detroit twinkling like the fireflies that twisted past in the light breeze.

Moxie slurped away on her can. Izuku swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Moxie," Izuku said. "I'm glad you could be here. I hadn't seen you in a few years. Other than at the movie premiere for a few seconds."

"Being a Pro-Hero's got me chasing all kinds of couyons," Moxie smacked her lips. "I've been trying to stay in one place. Like what you said I should do. I've turned down lotsa agency contracts so I can be in New Orleans. I really only leave if someone from our class needs help with something."

Izuku tugged at his collar. What he would give to have One-For-All's support again.

"But I reckon it's for the best," Moxie said with a wide grin. "Most of the time, it's just a bunch of drunks at the French Quarter or some Acadian getting lost in the bayou. I think I scared a lot of the big villains away. Remember when I started?" Moxie have Izuku a quick wink.

"Yes, that's what I wanted to speak about," Izuku faced Moxie and out in what she could only describe as his teaching face. "You were really hard on my students today. Even harder than James was on Leon. You scared the bejeezus out of them."

"I thought you said to not go easy on 'em."

"That doesn't mean make them terrified," Izuku said. "You used Blackwhip, Smokescreen, and I know you added in some of Gearshift as well."

"It was just a little…well…Lagniappe, Professor," Moxie took another sip of her drink.

"Lagniappe," Izuku sighed. "I still don't know what that word means."

"It means a little more."

"A little more what?" Izuku said. "Forget it. The point is that you could have taken them down without scaring them. In fact, that's the case with all of the villains you took on."

Moxie slid herself around to look at Izuku. She peered down at him and squeezed her soda can. "What's that mean?"

"It means that I've been very hands-off since you became a Pro-Hero," Izuku said. "But maybe too hands off. You have a responsibility with One-For-All, but frankly, you've been abusing it."

"Abusing?" Moxie asked. "How so?"

"Moxie, villains are terrified of you," Izuku said. "You do that same theatrical stuff with them that you pulled off in the bank earlier."

"What's wrong with that," Moxie crossed her legs. "I thought we were supposed to scare villains."

"But not civilians," Izuku said. "Moxie, I've had my hands full the last three years making sure they don't suspend your license for all the stuff you do. You have come within one vote four times of having your license revoked. For showy, dumb stuff!"

"What stuff? I just save people."

"Remember when Kurogiri showed up in Baton Rouge? You locked him in an Iron Maiden and hung it over the Causeway on the lake! Then you took his sidekick and fed him to gators!"

"He was a bad boy, Professor," Moxie said in a defensive fashion. "What am I supposed to do? Ask nicely for them to stop?"

"It's not just the big villains," Izuku fumed. "You decapitated a mugger during Mardi Gras! You smushed a bank robber with a bus! You threw that home burglar into a wood chipper! And then last month with that corrupt cop. Hooking him up to a car battery and electrocuting him?"

"I figured if he was using a taser on his wife and kid," Moxie said. "He could have a taste of his own medicine."

"It's unethical," Izuku said. "Pro-Heroes aren't juries or judges. And we certainly aren't executioners. I didn't try to kill anyone when I became a Pro-Hero. Not even Shigaraki."

"Well, maybe yah'd been better off if you did," Moxie said. "It would've saved everyone some trouble."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Izuku raised his voice."

"It means you talk a lot about trust and being ethical," Moxie frowned. "But your friends sure as hell ain't like that."

"My friends never did what you're doing," Izuku yelled. "You're worse than Kacchan!"

Moxie gasped. Her eyes widened with hurt causing her gaze to lower down to her feet. she slumped over her spot on the hood and sniffled.

The terse silence stretched for what felt like hours. Izuku bit his tongue. His words, cruel and wrong, suffocated him.

For a few moments, it was only dead silence.

Eventually, Izuku let out a deep breath. He paused and placed his hand on the car. He stared out to the river. The sky bloomed in a soothing lavender with the first remnants of stars twinkling over the horizon. He slowed his breath, and he listened to the running water lapping over the rocks just to the side of his feet.

"Professor Deku," Moxie said. "I have something to tell you, too. If you want to hea

Izuku looked back at Moxie. She set down her can and looked down at her lap. The downtrodden expression on her face seemed alien to him. For all the arduous training he made her go through, she had always held an upbeat perspective. Yet, at this moment, Moxie appeared small.

"You can tell me anything," Moxie," Izuku said.

"Well, you talked a lot about the connection with One-For-All and the past users of it," Moxie said. "And I thought it was just the quirks at first. But then, it became more than that."

"Right," Izuku said. "It's a connection beyond the physical."

"I'm a person, Professor. A human being. Just like everyone else. Right?"

"Of course."

"I keep hearing them," Moxie said. "The old owners. Even All Might."

Izuku nodded. "Yes. I still get messages from them all. Even giving this to you, there are still elements of it that stay with you forever."

"But Professor Deku," Moxie said. "It's more than that. They keep speaking to me. In my dreams, I see them. And…it's just some strange revelations they give me. About me."

"What are they?"

"Morbid," Moxie said. "That I'm gonna die soon. Not because of some villain or person. But…I'm just gonna die. And I've only really started living in these last three years, right? So how could I be dying?"

Izuku balled up his fists. He had spoken at times about the toll One-For-All had on a person, but he only discussed the physical injuries on a person. What he failed to discuss was the fact that all users of the quirk had an exponentially decreased lifespan compared to their peers. In fact, looking at the records, eighteen years was the absolute most a person had held this power. Izuku was lucky; without a quirk, he knew he would last much longer especially since he gave it up relatively soon compared to others. However, with no All-For-One to threaten, Moxie was likely to wither away just like All Might. And with how aggressive she used her power, this end would be met much faster than most of the other wielders.

It was likely, then, that the teacher would be attending the pupil's funeral. Not the other way around.

Izuku blinked with his eyes stinging from a flush of emotion. He swallowed hard and brushed away a hint of saline from his eye. He bit the inside of his lip and faced Moxie. The girl stared out to the river, but her normally sparkling grey eyes were filled by worry.

Izuku stretched a forced smile, as if the more he forced it, the more convinced she would be of her well-being. He sat on the hood with Moxie and and scooted closer to her.

"Well, I've heard a lot from them too," Izuku said. "And all of them show a long future for you, Moxie. One of saving a lot of people and stopping a lot of bad guys. I had these thoughts as well when I started, and I realized soon that it wasn't the other users of One-For-All. It was just my nervous, dumb self talking down to me."

"These thoughts," Moxie said. "They ain't real."

"No," Izuku smiled. "It's just you. After all, the past ancestors of this quirk only want what's best for you. They would never pass a message like that to you. And with Shigaraki and All-For-One out of the way, you have a chance to have this power for way longer than anyone else."

"Really?" Moxie's face brightened up.

Izuku grabbed her hand. He squeezed it in assurance. "I would never lie about that, Moxie," Izuku said. "You'll be the first One-For-All member in a nursing home."

Moxie chuckled. "Nursing home? Nah, I'm gonna be on a boat house right in the bayou. And I'll use my famous seasoning to make jambalaya everyday."

Izuku laughed. However, it was a forced laugh. His eyes met Moxie, and for just a second, he feared she could see right through his lie. However, before she could be sure, Izuku broke from the stare and looked back out at the water. Moxie, as simple as she seemed, was too smart to buy something like this. At least, not for long.

Then, he started to hum a song.

Had he looked to his left, he would have seen the smile disappear from Moxie's face. She had spent enough time around her teacher to know his various quirks and coded language.

Whenever he started to hum….

….That's when he was lying.

Thank you everyone for sticking around!

I admit this chapter is a bit self-indulgent. It's tying in some of the story to An American Life. Basically, Moxie Lee is the new owner of OfA, and Izuku is retired. Alistair is a British dude from an old SYOC of mine who "somehow" got transported to the YHAverse, and he tried to end the universe but it didn't work out. So now he's working in Washington with Linda, who was an unscrupulous politician that ended up helping rescue Deku from a fake digital world he was trapped within. Ho hum.

So sorry I didn't focus on the new OCs as much here. They will be the focus in the next one.

Also, Moxie, AKA Lagniappe, is this sweet, humble Cajun girl who is also a devout Catholic. However, I have this strange headcanon that she is absolutely ruthless when it comes to defeating villains. Like, worse than Bakugo ruthless. Like, borderline war crimes ruthless. Idk why I think that's funny.

That said, what do you think will happen next? What do you think happens next? What do you want to happen next? Please review! The more I get, the faster the next Chappie comes out! And join the discord!

And yea, still accepting applicants! Keep 'em coming!

Thank you. See you soon!