(A/N: Formatting reminder: "Hitoshi using his Quirk." )

...

As everyone was busy with their different tasks, Hitoshi was starting to get a migraine from all the attempted brainwashing he was doing. He rotated between the four Pussycats trying to get them to respond to him. Even Vlad King stepped in as he wasn't as familiar with him or his Quirk. Meaning he had five new people he didn't know well who all had differing personalities. The trick was to try and assess which of his tactics would be the best to get them to respond the fastest.

Easier said than done.

Hitoshi managed to get Mandalay with a joke once but after that she was more cautious as they sparred. Pixie Bob was harder to figure out though a comment on her age seemed to do the trick. Though the absolute thrashing he received afterwards that didn't make it seem worth it as he found himself buried up to his neck in the dirt. Tiger was another case as his Quirk and strength already made him a tough opponent. Hitoshi couldn't concentrate on getting him to talk as he spent most of the time trying not to be pounded into the same ground he had been buried in before.

When it came to Vlad King, Hitoshi tried a few things but the grumpy man was as stubborn as he looked. However, the brainwasher was able to get him with an impression of Shouta asking a question in regards to his beloved dog. Which confused Vlad King because Aizawa never talked about his dog preferring cats instead. His simple response of 'what' was all Hitoshi needed to take control.

Upon his success, the teen made the serious man do the little teapot dance just for fun. His foster dad hid an amused smile in his scarf as he blatantly took a video for blackmail material. Hitoshi snorted though it was more of a grunt because he could feel Vlad King fighting to break free. Both of them were quick to hide up in the nearby trees before the brainwasher released him. Neither of them wanted to experience his wrath as he stormed off looking for them. Once the coast was clear, Shouta ruffled his kid's hair before they got back down to resume his training.

Three out of four wasn't so bad but Hitoshi hoped for more. Now he was facing Ragdoll whose own Quirk showed his every weakness. How the hell was he supposed to work his way around that? She immediately knew he needed a verbal response since she mimed zipping her lips shut as she took over his training.

Great. Just great.

He tried everything he could think of. Jokes, mimicry, insults, jingles, but nothing worked. Ragdoll could see right through him and simply sparred with him all while smiling brightly. It reminded him of someone else who was all green haired and smiley. Able to pull at your heart strings with a single look. It gave him another idea.

"Damn it!" he cursed, trying to sound as frustrated as possible. "Why can't I do this?"

The brainwasher threw a punch attempting to make it appear like a desperate move. Which it kind of was because he wasn't sure what else to try with her. Ragdoll easily blocked the hit and used his momentum to flip him over her shoulder and onto the ground. Very much mirroring how Izuku took him in their final match in the festival.

"Fuck," Hitoshi groaned with a grimace.

The Hero looked down at him in concern before helping him up.

"Thanks," he said as he grabbed her hand to pull himself up. "Don't suppose you're going to answer me still?"

Ragdoll shook her head still smiling but he could see a hint of apology in her eyes.

"Then I give up," the teen muttered before crouching down in seeming defeat. The Hero followed and looked at him with worry. Hitoshi let out a dramatic sigh as he said, "I just…sometimes I don't think I'll ever be good enough to be a Hero."

"Aw, don't say that," Ragdoll assured him thinking the match was over. She could see his weaknesses but wanted him to know that they didn't have to hold him back. "You can still be a great Hero and not be perfect all the time. Not all of us are All Might."

Yeah, no kidding but he can still be an idiot too, Hitoshi thought, fighting back a grin at the memory of threatening the Number One Hero. Instead, he schooled his features to appear hopeful and shit like Izuku does. At least the best he could as an insomniatic purple troll doll while slipping his Quirk into the mix.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, I…" then the Hero trailed off has her eyes went blank.

A single clap pulled purple eyes away from his most recent victory to see his foster dad approaching.

"Well, done," Shouta praised. "A different technique than I've seen you try before. Effective though perhaps not always practical."

"None of mine are perfect for all the time," Hitoshi retorted with a raised brow.

"True," his dad agreed. "What was the inspiration for this one?"

The brainwasher grinned as he replied, "Izuku and his puppy dog eyes."

They both looked over to said boy who was talking with one of the 1-B students before moving on to the next. Shouta hummed in understanding a moment later recalling the different times that particular technique had been highly effective. Though whether the green one intentionally used it or not was up for debate. Both, probably both. Either way, it would certainly be useful in certain situations depending on the circumstances.

"Well, keep it as an option," Shouta said looking back to his foster son. "Now release her so you can continue training."

Hitoshi nodded and let go of his control over the Hero. Ragdoll blinked back to herself before sending a beaming smile at the teen.

"That was a neat trick!" she praised no way offended by his underhanded move. "I didn't see that coming at all. Great job! You're learning to fight dirty like Eraser here."

"Uh, thanks," Hitoshi replied, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly at the compliment.

His foster dad gave a pleased hum before walking off to go observe the others.

"Now that you managed to get me, we're going to mix things up," Ragdoll proclaimed as she stood up. He followed. "We are here to train your Quirks so I want you to brainwash me and practice ordering me around."

Okay, he could do that. Hitoshi had gotten some practice with his classmates but more wouldn't hurt.

"Shall we begin?" the brainwasher asked.

"Yes," Ragdoll responded with a smile until he took hold of her mind and her expression turned blank.

Let's get started then.

...

By the end of the day, they were all exhausted. Again. Only this time they weren't done working for the day yet. Their next challenge? Dinner. As promised, the Pussycats wouldn't be making their food anymore. If they wanted to eat, they would have to prepare it themselves. Tonight's menu was curry and they were faced with piles of vegetables and meat.

While they were tired, the two classes worked together to start cooking. Teams focused on cutting the carrots, potatoes, onions, and meat. Then others assisted on getting the fires ready with wood and setting up pans to cook in. Shouto was particularly helpful with that task using his left side to help start the fires. Izuku cherished the small smile on his friend's face as the others thanked him for his help.

See? Fire isn't so bad.

Well, mostly. Bakugou tried to light one of the fires with an explosion but put too much power behind it. Let's just say he wouldn't be in charge of that next time. Despite that, with everyone working together, they finished cooking and finally were able to eat. Not the highest quality of food considering they were a bunch of tired teenagers, but after an exhausting day of training, anything would taste good.

"Kouta!" Mandalay called out. "It's time for dinner. Where are you?"

Izuku quickly scanned around and found the kid walking off into the darkness. The greenet excused himself grabbing a plate of food before following the boy into the night. The stars were shining bright against the big black sky. You could see so many out here away from the city. Izuku found the boy staring up at them while sitting near the edge of a cliff.

The sound of the boy's stomach growling made him chuckle as he said, "I heard that."

Kouta stiffened at his voice and snapped his head to glare at him.

"You must be hungry," Izuku continued. "Here, I brought you some dinner."

He offered the boy the plate as he approached. Only for the kid to stand up in anger and snap at him.

"What are you doing here?" Kouta demanded to know. "How'd you find me?"

"I followed you," the greenet replied with a shrug. "You should eat before it gets cold."

"Just leave me alone," the child growled, his hands fisted at his side. "I'm fine. I don't need or want anything from your or the other losers. Get lost and forget about my secret hideout."

Secret hideout?

Izuku looked around. There wasn't much. Just a wide ledge overlooking the forest below. There was a cave though.

"You stupid wannabe Heroes," Kouta scoffed. "Spending all your time 'improving your Quirks'. Yeah, right. They just want to show off. And you! Why are you even here?!"

The greenet stared at the angry child confused as he asked, "What do you mean?"

"You don't have a Quirk," the boy snapped. "So why are you even here?!"

Izuku confusion turned somber and it made the kid pause. But he didn't understand and wanted answers. Why was someone who was Quirkless at a training camp to improve Quirks?

"Kouta, do you think someone without a Quirk can be a Hero?" the teen asked.

Black eyes studied him for a second before he spoke.

"I don't know," he huffed as he crossed his arms. "And I don't care either. Wanting to be a Hero is stupid."

"Why do you think that?" Izuku pressed but in a gentle tone. "Growing up, everyone wanted to become a Hero. Even me."

Kouta rolled his eyes as he said, "Yeah, so what? Not everyone wants to be a dumb Hero."

"That's true," the greenet conceded with a nod. "But why don't you?"

Izuku slowly sat down on the ground, purposefully putting himself at the boy's level. If he hoped to help the kid and get some answers, it would be best to talk to him as an equal. He didn't want to seem like he's trying to diminish or dismiss the kid's beliefs. Much like Chizome had done for him on that roof over a year ago.

Kouta watched him, still scowling, but it was a mix of anger and confusion. He followed his movements as Izuku slowly leaned forward to place the plate of curry closer to the boy before retreating. The kid looked between the food and him a few times before slowly sitting in front of it. Instead of answering his question, Kouta picked up the spoon and shoved a bite into his mouth.

The effect was almost immediate. The taste wasn't the best and it was nothing compared to his cousin's cooking. But the boy was hungry and he started shoveling the curry into his mouth. It helped a little with his mood though he was still annoyed with the loser watching him eat. But Izuku said nothing patiently waiting for him to finish. He was just glad the kid got something to eat.

When the plate was empty, Izuku asked, "Better?"

"…maybe," Kouta replied as he wiped his mouth clean.

They were quiet for a while longer. Izuku hoped the boy would answer his earlier question but he seemed to be as stubborn as Bakugou. That was okay. He had experience with that.

"Can I tell you why I want to be a Hero?" Izuku asked instead.

Kouta scoffed and crossed his arms, but the boy didn't say no or walk away so he took that as the go ahead. Izuku turned to face the stars above and the forest below. It really was a beautiful night.

"Growing up Quirkless wasn't…easy for me," he began, choosing his words carefully. "People would tease me and tell me I couldn't do anything. Being Quirkless now-a-days is pretty rare. We're so used to everyone having these special powers that someone like me is seen as a freak."

Green eyes peeked over to see black watching him only for the boy to look away as if he didn't care.

"Originally, I wanted to be a Hero like All Might. Brightening people's days with a smile. Over time though, I wanted to be a Hero for other reasons. To show that those who are considered weak like me could still be whatever they wanted to be. And for me, that's being a Hero."

The wind whistled through the trees below as a summer breeze ruffled his hair. Reminding him of his mother when she would run her fingers through his green curls. Only for him to remember where she was right now.

"Recently there's another reason," he said, doing his best to keep his voice even though Kouta could sense the hidden emotions and curiously glanced up at him. "My mom. Sh-she…"

He cut off his stuttering voice as the tears started to bud in his eyes. Damn it. Izuku didn't want to cry in front of the kid but he couldn't help it. He did try to hold back but Midoriyas were criers. Crying was inevitable.

"What about your mom?" Kouta asked quietly.

Green eyes shot to him in surprise that he would ask. Only to find a child with eyes filled with lingering anger mixed with sadness and concern. Could it be he…?

"My mom was h-hurt by a Villain," Izuku let out shakily, doing his best to keep it together. "She's in the hospital right now."

"Is she…okay?" the boy asked hesitantly.

"For now, yes," he answered, wiping a few tears away though more followed. "But she got really hurt and they have to wait to try and heal her."

Even though they didn't know if she would be able to be healed. Muscular did quite a number on her from what he was told.

"Oh…," Kouta said, his eyes cast down.

"Yeah," Izuku replied solemnly with a sigh. "I wasn't there to protect her. I don't think I even could if I had been there. That's why I want to work hard and get stronger so that next time I for sure can. I want…need to protect others so they don't have to suffer."

They fell silent again and let the sounds of the night play out.

After a while, Kouta quietly spoke next to him, "I…understand. Not about wanting to be a Hero but…"

Izuku turned to face the kid properly as he trailed off sensing that Kouta might be opening up to him. Black eyes peeked up at him for a moment before focusing on the ground. He had his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. His fingers picking at a stray thread on his shorts.

"My parents," he murmured quietly, his anger just barely holding back his tears. "They were…Heroes."

Were.

That explained why Kouta was here and not with his parents. At least to a point but Izuku could guess there was more to it.

"Have you ever heard of Water Hose?" Kouta asked, glancing up at him with the tiniest of tears in his eyes.

"Of course!" Izuku answered, recalling exactly where in his notebooks in analysis on the Hero duo was. "A two person Hero team who worked together. They saved so many lives over the years. They even…"

Only for him to trail off at the scowl on the boy's face. Yeah, he remembered the news report now. Gushing over the boy's deceased parents…not cool, Izuku.

"I'm sorry," the Quirkless teen said, internally chastising himself. "I'm kind of a Hero fanboy."

He chuckled awkwardly but it did nothing to alleviate the tension.

Crap. How can I fix this?

"I'm also sorry for your loss," Izuku offered with a solemn smile. "I know I still have my parents and I can't understand exactly how you feel. But I almost lost my mom less than a week ago and I almost lost my dad when I was ten. Even though he pulled through and hopefully my mom will too, it was still…scary."

"You were…scared?" the boy asked, surprised he admitted it. Kouta didn't want to admit how scared he was when he first found out about it. Anger was much easier to deal with.

"Yeah, I was," the teen answered with a nod. "Almost losing someone is scary. You don't know if you'll ever see them again. My mom and I are close. When I found out what happened, I felt like it was my fault for not being there for her. Still do to be honest."

The greenet let out a sigh as he felt the lingering guilt that he knows is misplaced. He just couldn't help it. They sat there quietly absorbing what they had learned about each other. Kouta finding someone that might understand what he was going through and Izuku better understanding the boy next to him.

"I guess I can see why you wouldn't like Heroes," Izuku commented, looking over at the kid. "I would be upset too if I was in your shoes."

"I'm not upset," Kouta scoffed, pointedly turning away. "And we don't have the same shoes."

Izuku chuckled as he was right. His little black boots were nothing like his own red shoes.

"No, that's true," Izuku conceded. "But I can sort of understand how you're feeling. It's okay to be upset, Kouta-kun."

The boy said nothing but he also wasn't glaring at him. Kouta was more staring out into the night thinking about what he said. Izuku didn't want to bother him anymore than he had. So, he reached for the boy's plate and prepared to leave him be, but a small hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him. Green eyes connected with black in silent question.

The kid looked down before asking quietly, "Can you stay…please?"

"Sure," Izuku answered easily, settling down closer to the boy.

They didn't talk anymore. Only sat there enjoying the evening air. But as Kouta was starting to nod off, Izuku suggested they go back and offered the boy a ride on his back. Kouta sleepily nodded and once the boy situated with the empty plate in hand, he walked them back down to camp.

Aizawa glared at him as soon as he spotted the problem child who had broken curfew. However, upon seeing the boy on his back, his eyes softened considerably. The tired man let out a huff as he silently took the plate from his hands so Izuku could better hold the kid.

"Is he alright?" Aizawa asked as they walked to the boy's room.

They passed Mandalay who was visibly relieved to see her young cousin.

"He's fine," Izuku assured as she followed them and listened. "Just tired. He did eat though."

The brunette nodded in thanks as they neared the kid's room. She opened the door and let Izuku inside who gently placed the boy on the bed. Mandalay worked quickly to take off Kouta's shoes before tucking him into bed. They walked out of the room as quietly as they could before closing the door behind him.

"Why don't we go talk?" Mandalay offered as she led them to a sitting area.

The student and teacher followed her and they were joined by Pixie Bob who brought a tray of drinks for them. They settled on the couches with Aizawa and Izuku on one and the other two Heroes on the other.

"So, I'm guessing you have questions?" the telepath asked, sounding more like a mind reader.

The greenet nodded as he said, "I was surprised when Kouta-kun didn't seem to like Heroes. But after we talked and I learned about who his parents were, I can kind of understand why."

Mandalay's eyes widened in surprise as she asked, "He told you?"

"Mhmm," he nodded again. "Not at first, but I told him a bit about my mom. It helped us to have something to relate to."

Izuku grimaced not wanting to think about the state of his mother, but it had helped.

"What happened, if I may ask?" Pixie Bob asked hesitantly.

"His mother is in the hospital currently," Aizawa spoke up, knowing his student most likely didn't want to talk about it himself again tonight. "She was attacked by a Villain a week ago."

The Pussycats stared at him in shock that quickly morphed into concern for the teen.

"Do you know who the Villain was?" Mandalay pressed but not too pointedly.

The tired man glanced over at his student silently asking if it was alright to say. Izuku gave him a nod in response. Aizawa nodded back before turning back to the other Heroes.

"Muscular."

Both women gasped and shared a look of horror. Aizawa and Izuku also cast a glance at each other before turning back. It took a moment for the other two to calm down.

"I see…," Mandalay said, doing her best to keep her composure. "I'm sorry for what happened to your mother, Midoriya. That man…he's a monster. He's the one who murdered Kouta's parents."

This time it was Izuku's turn to gasp. His eyes trailed to the direction of Kouta's room even though they were separated by a wall. Guess he could relate to the boy much more than he thought.

"When?" Izuku asked as he turned back to them.

"Two years ago," the telepath answered. "He was still so small and couldn't understand. They were protecting civilians when they were killed. An honorable death for a Hero but how can you explain that to a child? They were everything to him. His entire world ripped away and making him feel left behind."

The air was thick with sorrow for the boy in the other room.

"At the same time, his parents were being praised for their sacrifice. That it was a noble act. But I think this caused Kouta to despise Heroes instead. To be honest, he doesn't seem to like us all that much being Heroes like his parents. Perhaps he thinks he's stuck here with us having nowhere else to go."

Like me being a ward of UA.

Though that wasn't entirely true. While his mother was incapable of taking care of him right now, his father could. But that would mean leaving UA which Izuku didn't want to do.

"Heroes just don't make sense to Kouta," Mandalay said with a shake of her head. "Because if his parents hadn't been Heroes, then they still would have been here for him."

Izuku nodded at that but didn't have anything to say in response. He bid the Heroes good night before heading towards the shared room with his classmates. He made quick work to get ready for bed and then tiptoed his way over sleeping bodies in the dark room to his futon on the other side. Hitoshi was passed out which was good. Shouto also seemed to be asleep as Izuku settled down on the ground. However, either he was faking or just barely asleep, his friend woke up and blinked at him blurrily.

"Zuku?" Shouto slurred out as he reached out for him instinctively.

The Quirkless teen scooted closer to him as he whispered, "Sorry I'm late. I was talking to the kid."

"Kid?" the other mumbled sleepily as they settled next to each other.

"Kouta, the little boy," Izuku replied. "I brought him some dinner and we talked for a bit. He's…angry and doesn't like Heroes, but after talking to him I can kind of understand why."

Though he still found it weird to meet someone who adamantly did not want to be a Hero. Shouto merely hummed in response already falling back asleep. Izuku chuckled quietly as he tucked a lock of hair behind his friend's ear before drifting off to sleep himself. Tomorrow was going to be another tough day and he knew he would need as much rest as possible.

If only he knew just how tough it was about to become.

...

The breeze was warm as Dabi stood on the cliff looking down at the forest below. Not that he could really feel it on his scarred skin nor did he care. His focus was elsewhere. Hidden within the trees were unsuspecting Heroes living in a peace they would soon interrupt. Give the kiddy Heroes a little taste of the future Shigaraki wanted to make.

Not that Dabi cared about that all that much. His only goal was taking Endeavor down and unfortunately their target had thrown a wrench into his plans. But that handsy fucker wanted him for some reason and so they'll get the Quirkless shithead for their 'boss'. Shiggy's attitude had seemed better since their first meeting having come to terms with something he hadn't before. Gaining some form of maturity seemingly out of nowhere. But he still acted like a child at times through tantrums at seemingly nothing.

Whatever. Dabi just didn't care. He had a mission to do same as the others. They were just waiting for everyone to arrive. Toga was there complaining about the last-minute Support Items they ordered from the black market. While the twerp Mustard chastised her for focusing too much on aesthetic rather than function. Though he did have a point that it was more important that the gadgets worked, not that they were 'cute'.

They were soon joined by Magne hauling her large magnet covered in clothe. Followed by the cannibalistic Moonfish, the lizard guy Spinner with purple hair, and the cloaked Muscular who was just itching for a fight. He had been complaining ever since being sent to get Midoriya the first time that he hadn't been able to 'finish the job properly'. Dabi didn't give a fuck about his need for violence or how pumped up he was.

"Shut the fuck up, you crazy bastard," the fire user snapped, glaring over his shoulder before turning back to the forest. "There's only seven of us here. We wait for the other three to join our little party."

Muscular growled in complaint but said no more. Dabi rolled his eyes in annoyance anyway. Why did he have to deal with these people?

"Attacking the USJ with a bunch of random thugs had been a mistake for the League," Dabi said into the night. "Using a small group of elites is better."

In a room, Aizawa and Vlad King were working late finalizing plans for the next day.

"First, we take away their sense of peace…"

The students slumbered away with no knowledge of the Villains lurking above.

"…let them know that their lives…"

One Midoriya Izuku snuggled closer to one Todoroki Shouto none the wiser what the universe had in store for him next.

"…rest in our hands."

That the Vanguard Action Squad was ready and waiting to strike.

...

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