Monday morning came and Hikari bolted awake as an alarm went off in her room. It was Tenya's who immediately cut it off and stood up, catching Hikari's eye. Hikari screamed and backed up, proceeding to fall off of her bed with a loud thump. Izuku stood up quickly and went to the other side of the bed.

"Hikari?! A-Are you okay?!"

Hikari looked up at Izuku, still in flight mode. Once she registered Izuku's face, followed by Tenya, Hikari groaned in annoyance.

"Damn you two! Scared the hell out of me! I-...Did I sleep though yesterday?"

Izuku nodded slowly, "Damn it! Whatever, I'll worry about it later. I'm guessing we're up earlier than normal due to your early alarm Tenya?"

"Yep! We must be first to arrive! It seems Aizawa Sensei has already left as well!"

Hikari sighed and shooed the two of them from her room as she started her morning routine. Once the three of them were ready, they started on their trek to school. Soon the trio arrived and took their seats, waiting as the rest of their classmates filtered in for the day. Hikari watched as everyone took their seats and her father entered the room, taking his usual place at the podium in front of the class.

"Let's see here…Right, summer break is fast approaching but of course, it stands to reason none of you have enough leeway to just relax for thirty…"

Hikari grimaced as her classmates started getting restless in excitement. Didn't they have enough trips already? The last one ended badly and now they were having another? She hated the idea but knew it was needed to be a hero, regardless of her frustration.

"We'll be going to a summer break forest lodge."

Cheers spread across the class and Hikari sighed softly, not ready for another potential disaster so soon. However, she couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm.

Mina pumped her fist in the air, "Let's give each other dares!"

Asui smiled, "And fireworks."

Tenya had an excited look across his features, "Summer break means curry…!"

Hikari laughed lightly at his expression until Mineta piped up, "The baths! The baths! Outdoor tubs! Hot springs!"

Narrowing her eyes, she glanced at the boy, "I would hope you mean that because you haven't experienced them in a while."

Mineta bit his lip and put his head down, "I'm sorry."

Hikari shrugged her shoulders, "Eh, progress I suppose. Good job."

Tenya thought for a moment, "The parameters of our activities will probably change in a natural environment. Challenging us to choose wisely in any environment…Interesting."

Kirishima's excitement grew, "Food and bed with the whole class! Whooa, I'm getting excited!"

Aizawa quickly gathered their attention, "However, should any of you fall short of a passing grade for the end-of-term test then you're stuck in school, in remedial hell."

Kirishima pumped his arm and addressed the class, "Let's do our best, everybody!"

Katsuki grumbled, "What a load."

Hikari rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's bad attitude and smiled to herself at the thought. Everyone was excited for the trip so maybe this time it wouldn't end that badly. Right?

"Alright. Everyone dress in your hero costumes and head to the ruined cityscape. We've got some training to do today."

With that said, the class filtered out to the changing rooms and promptly dressed before they headed to the ruined cityscape of the U.A. campus. Aizawa led them through some of the buildings until they reached the fourth floor of one of the buildings. After going down an evacuation tube, he called up and had the boys come down first, ending with Izuku.

"Next. Midoriya."

Izuku answered nervously, "Okay."

Uraraka smiled encouragingly, "Good luck, Deku!"

Hikari smiled to herself as the boy grew flustered, nodded, and stepped into the chute. She glanced down at her father who gathered her and the other girl's attention.

"Great, boys are done. Girls next. Come on down, Yaoyorozu."

"Yes, sensei."

Yaoyorozu stepped into the tube and started down. After her, Hikari went down, just in time to hear Minoru sigh about them not being in skirts and being in gym uniforms. Asui, who appeared just behind Hikari, piped up.

"Let us know when you grow up, Mineta."

Hikari looked at the boy who shut his mouth and guilt crossed his features. Despite this, Tenya started on his own little rant that made Hikari crack a smile at his obliviousness.

"She's quite right, Mineta. I fail to see how flipped skirts would improve our training. This athletic wear is geared towards mobility, making it the logical choice for an evacuation exercise. No, wait now! In any genuine evacuation, I suspect we would, in fact, witness a number of women in skirts. I see…Skirts would add a dash of realism!"

Izuku gave him a concerned smile, "Nah, I don't think it works that way."

Katsuki huffed and glared at the boy, "Wipe that dumb grin off your sorry excuse for a face, Deku."

"Really, Kacchan?"

Hikari snorted in amusement, "I can already tell you his problem. He thinks evac's training is the pits."

Tenya looked appalled at the blond, "How could you think that?! Any hero worth his salt must be ready to prioritize the rescue at any time! Learning how to utilize lifesaving tools such as this one is key, making this a wholly worthwhile lesson!"

"Like I care. We all got our strengths, y'know? Let someone else handle the rescues while I kick some villain ass."

Tenya looked at him appalled, "Do you truly hope to become a hero someday?"

Izuku placed his hands up, "Take it easy, Ida!"

Shoto spoke up, "He's not wrong about people having different strengths."

Izuku glanced at him, "You think so, Todoroki?"

"I just mean it's hard to picture Bakugo saving anyone."

Katsuki immediately turned to him, "Try saying that again!"

Kaminari laughed, "No doubt! He'd probably hurt 'em even worse!"

"How about I make you my first 'rescue' then!"

Hikari watched a small explosion spark in Katsuki's hands, causing the girl to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy Katsuki. Denki's poking fun and you know they're just saying they can't picture it, not that you can't do it. Calm down some, alright? Keep that energy in store for fighting."

Katsuki huffed in annoyance but calmed down nevertheless. Aizawa's voice echoed over the students as the last girl came down from the chute.

"Have you all forgotten why you're here?"

Everyone piped down and focused intently on Aizawa as he continued.

"Different strengths or not, excuses like that won't cut it once you're on the scene. Pro heroes willingly do whatever they can to help. When the police and rescue teams can't make it in time, it's up to you to point evacuees towards safety."

Hagakure raised her hand, "Isn't it faster to save them for real, instead of just guiding them or whatever?"

Yaoyorozu addressed her question, "I believe Sensei is referring to mass evacuations?"

Aizawa nodded and continued, "Exactly. Saving one or two people is one thing, but these rescue tools are invaluable when dealing with a larger group. You don't want to find yourselves lacking the knowledge to use them when the time comes, which is why their basic application is part of our curriculum. Understood, Bakugo?"

Katsuki uttered his answer, "Sure."

Izuku, with his excitement getting the better of him, rambled quickly, "Of course! And I bet we could even combine these rescue tools with our Quirks in order to deal with mass evacuations! Like Uraraka's ability to make things float, Hikari's tentacles, or Sero's tape… Even Mineta's sticky balls could be useful. A professional hero should be ready to come up with all sorts of clever combinations on the fly!"

Aizawa disregarded the boy, "Anyhow, next up is…"

He was suddenly interrupted as a helicopter descended on their position and All Might jumped from it, landing on the ground feet first in front of them.

"I Am Here…from the sky!"

Hikari laughed quietly as Izuku started to fanboy, asking if it was really All Might, as if he didn't see the man the day prior.

"So sorry I'm late, everyone! I was on my way when—wouldn't you know it?—a pesky villain turned up, just begging to be dealt with!"

Aizawa sighed in exasperation, "Unbelievable. This was supposed to be your class to teach."

"I saw the news online! You really caught a bank robber?" Izuku asked excitedly.

"Indeed, but what hasn't made the news yet is that another ne'er-do-well was holed up inside the bank."

"T-too awesome, All Might!"

All Might waved him off a bit, "Midoriya, praise is always appreciated, but let's shelve it for now. We wouldn't want to keep the chopper waiting, would we?"

"The helicopter? You mean it wasn't just bringing you here…?"

"There's no emergency, kid. And I'd never use it just to make a grand entrance. No, the helicopter is part of your rescue training! Prepare yourselves!"

"The H-Hero Course sure is s-something else…"

Sighing in sync with her father, Hikari followed her classmates aboard the helicopter to head to their destination.

A few hours later, and one snowcapped mountain and waterfront later, everyone returned from their rescue training and returned to their classroom. Hikari tuned everyone out, including Mineta who once again continued on his woman-filled rant.

"If I ever drown, I wanna get CPR from a chick… Hot, heavy, and deep. Enough to take my breath away!"

Kaminari raised an eyebrow, "Wouldn't that defeat the point?"

Tokoyami sighed, "Truly, an embodiment of lustful desires…"

Everyone suddenly straightened themselves in their seats and turned their attention up front, Hikari included, as Aizawa entered the classroom. He turned his attention to the students.

"Good work today. Moving right along, we'll be having Parents' Day next week."

Kirishima groaned, "Even the Hero Course has gotta do stuff like that?"

Ignoring him, Aizawa continued, "Make sure your parents or guardians see this. And for homework, you'll be writing them letters of appreciation."

Everyone was silent before bursting with laughter, all except Hikari who knew her father was being dead serious. Kaminari wiped a tear from his eye.

"Hang on, hang on. What're we, little kids?"

Aizawa's eye twitched in annoyance, "Have I ever been one to joke?"

As silence filled the room, he continued, "During the class, you will each read your letters aloud to your parents."

Kaminari shared his protest, "For real? That's ridiculous!"

Kirishima muttered, "Talk about embarrassing…"

Tenya shot up to diffuse everyone, "Everyone, quiet down! Quiet! Quiet!"

Asui spoke up, "You're louder than anyone else, Ida."

Tenya grimaced, "Oh. Apologies. However, surely you understand why we're all so vexed, Sensei? Parents' Day implies an ordinary class that our parents or guardians come to observe, so I can't understand why we would instead be reading letters of appreciation! Shouldn't they bear witness to an activity more befitting the Hero Course?"

Aizawa answered curtly, "Nothing would be a better fit for the Hero Course."

"What do you mean, Sensei…?"

"As aspiring heroes, you're all bound to receive thanks and appreciation from those you save. Which is why it's essential to consider just what that entails. Well, not that you all becoming pros is necessarily set in stone."

Hikari piped up, "I get that but from my perspective, I thank you on a daily basis already and considering past experiences, couldn't that be a bit…triggering to really get into the thanks depending on what's required?"

Aizawa's gaze softened a bit, "It doesn't have to go too much into detail. You can make it simple without anything specific such as past traumatizing experiences."

Tenya perked up, "How true! This exercise will confirm whether or not we have the correct frame of mind to be heroes, who must remain modest, humble, and always grateful! That makes perfect sense!"

Aizawa shook his head as Hikari relaxed and Uraraka addressed Tenya with a laugh, "You didn't take much convincing."

Continuing, everyone quietened down, "Before the recitations, though, we'll give them a brief tour of the campus and a practical demo."

Kaminari blurted out, "Shouldn't that be the main event?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, the same question on everyone's mind.

Later on, Hikari sat in the teachers' lounge on her favorite couch, listening in as her father made call after call to her classmates' parents to inform them of Parent's Day and gather who would be attending. Keeping her eyes closed with her head back, she listened in with amusement.

"Hello? This is your son's homeroom teacher, Aizawa. Do you have a moment? No, Fumikage isn't in any trouble. I'm actually calling about the Parents' Day we're holding next week… Yes. There's something I'd like to discuss."

After a short talk, the call came to an end, "…looking forward to your cooperation next week. Goodbye, then."

After a bit of staring at the paper in front of him, All Might entered the room and caught Aizawa's expression as seeing Todoroki was next on the list and having no answer from his home.

"Something wrong, Aizawa?"

"No… I just couldn't get ahold of anyone at Todoroki's house."

"Young Todoroki, huh… Did you try his emergency contact?"

"Not yet. You-know-who might be working."

Hikari snorted in amusement, "What? Is he Voldemort now? Jeez dad. He was insufferable but he wasn't the plague."

Her father shot her a look before he and All Might continued their conversation.

"Endeavor, right! Why don't you let me handle this one? Like she said, he's a stand-up hero!"

Hikari peaked open an eye, "Hey! I did NOT say that. Speak for yourself."

Aizawa glanced at All Might, "Eh?"

"I've been wanting to talk to the man ever since the Sports Festival, actually!"

All Might then transformed into his buff form and took the phone to dial, pressing the wrong buttons in the process.

"Let's see… Zero, nine… Ah, wrong button! These giant fingers sure weren't made for dialing."

"Why transform at all then?"

"Because my voice changes too, and I need him to recognize me! Zero, nine… Ack."

Hikari groaned, "Then why not dial first, transform right after you hit call? You're making it too complicated. That and dad looks like he'll burst an aneurysm from the wasted time."

True to his daughter's words, in frustration at the wasted time, Aizawa swiftly grabbed the phone and dialed the number before handing it back to All Might.

"Thank you, Aizawa! You're nicer than people give you credit for!"

Aizawa stopped and pondered what the man had said. Hikari opened both eyes and let out a whistle.

"Well damn, that was kinda backhanded, wasn't it?"

Nodding, Aizawa refocused and turned to dial the next number on his list. Katsuki Bakugo. Right as he went to dial, he was interrupted as All Might's voice boomed out.

"Ah, is that you, Endeavor? It's me, All Might!"

Hikari smirked as her father was unbeknownst muttering his internal thoughts. All Might couldn't hear him, but she could.

"What, they're pals now?..."

"Heyyy, how've you been? Shame we had so little time to chat at the Sports Festival, am I right? Anyway, we oughta sit down for tea one of these days and… Huh? 'Leave your message after the tone'…? Drat, voice mail!"

"Slow on the uptake, aren't you?..."

Hikari contained her laughter as her father misdialed the Bakugo number from All Might's airheaded display.

"Kinda nervous, having to leave a message… Hrm."

Clearing his throat, All Might continued, "Hey, Endeavor! Guess who?"

Aizawa muttered again, "Why the pointless quiz?"

"The answer is…All Might! Anyway, we haven't talked since the Sports Festival, but I'm hoping we get a chance to catch up soon! About how to raise this next generation, and the like. In fact, I found this great vintage café that brews a mean cup of coffee! You're a java man, right? You mentioned that to me…about ten years ago, I think? Something about the perfect beans? To be honest, I'm the sort of lowbrow who'd settle for canned coffee! Oh. Ran out of time."

Aizawa snapped slightly, "All Might. What was the point of that?"

"Eh, the point…? Ah, so sorry! Parents' Day, right! Let me try again…"

Hikari laughed quietly, entertained by the two knuckleheads. They reminded her of Mina and Kaminari.

"Never mind. I'll just send a fax straight to Endeavor's agency."

Aizawa muttered to himself again, "Calling again would be a waste of time, and another attempt at a message? Forget it."

"Sorry, Aizawa… Urk!"

Hikari, no longer able to contain her laughter, burst out laughing as All Might deflated and blood left his mouth. Both adults looked at her in bewilderment until Present Mic spoke up.

"Wow! Two seconds I'm back from the toilet, and already there's blood!"

Hikari laughed harder now, holding her sides in the process. Mic quirked a big smile at seeing her reaction to such a corny line. Disregarding her for the moment, Mic continued addressing All Might.

"You okay, All Might? Looks like you need some liver in your diet! And, oh—the principal wants to see you in his office."

"I wonder why… Hopefully not more of his elaborate educational theories."

All Might sulked away at his impending lecture with Midnight calling behind him, "Good Luck."

Hikari finally gathered herself and she looked at her father.

"You're lucky he can't hear sometimes. Your internal dialogue was verbal."

Aizawa shut his mouth into a thin line, not meaning for her or anyone to hear his internal snark that the airheaded man unleashed. Mic laughed lightly and addressed the semi-embarrassed man.

"Oh, faxing something? Wonder when that's gonna fall out of style! Ahh, contacting the parents, huh. Homeroom teachers have got it rough."

"I guess so."

"Hey, hey, how's that thing coming along?"

Hikari turned her attention to Mic, interest now peaking.

"What thing?"

"The big hostage situation thing!"

"Oh. That. Well, we've…"

Mic interrupted him, "I've come up with a real hot idea! Somebody stop me, I'm so clever! Hey! Teachers! Wanna hear my frosty-cool plan? Everybody say 'yeahhh'!"

Instead of a 'yeah', Midnight indulged the man to quiet him, "Sure, sure, what now?"

"I know this crowd can do better than that!"

Midnight huffed and raised her hand with little enthusiasm, "Don't count on it."

"How about the nosebleed seats?"

Cementoss looked at Thirteen and Ectoplasm, "Oh. Does he mean us?"

Ectoplasm responded curtly, "I would prefer silence."

Thirteen encouraged them, "Aw, let's hear him out, at least."

"First! Holding a big group hostage means you gotta make 'em stay put, right? And my Voice is the perfect tool for the job!"

Aizawa sighed in exasperation, "This is what you were getting at…?"

"I'd gather those hostages behind closed doors and give 'em a front-row seat to my explosive live show! It'd break their hearts and their eardrums, knocking 'em out cold! Any hardheaded heroes who came along to save the day would also get brought to their knees by my sweet voice! Go, go, heaven! A foolproof plan, wouldn'tcha say? Well?"

"No. Listen here…"

Aizawa was then interrupted by Midnight, "Eh? I say you're just too loud. It's enough to make a gal lose interest in a hurry."

"Huhh? What's wrong with being loud?"

"Personally, I prefer it when someone holds back in silence until it all comes leaking out in a nice moan."

Hikari smirked as Thirteen answered her, "Midnight, do try to contain yourself,"

"Such a prude, Thirteen. All I mean is that it ought to be done smarter, not louder."

Cementoss spoke up, "You have a point, I suppose."

"What's wrong with my plan? This is one listener who's dying to know!"

Midnight continued, "Knocking them out cold is all well and good, until they regain consciousness."

"In that case, I'd just keep the noise coming with an all-night live show!"

"That's not all, though. Bursting their eardrums, really? No. With my Quirk, I could keep the hostages in place and even send their would-be rescuers to dreamland. Nice and peaceful, and nobody needs to get hurt."

Ectoplasm interjected with a raised hand, "Peaceful…? Seems unnecessary, given what we're discussing. Because taking hostages still counts as a crime, and whoever heard of a peaceful crime?"

Thirteen spoke up, "But we wouldn't want to actually hurt anyone!"

Ectoplasm responded, "Naive, Thirteen. However, my clones are the perfect solution in this case, as I could have them stand guard. One clone for each hostage."

"Actually, I don't think…"

Aizawa was interrupted once more as Midnight interjected, "Hmph. What if one of the hostages had a strong Quirk and just blasted past your clones? My putting them all to sleep still seems like the strongest option."

Cementoss lit up, "Strongest? I'm afraid I can't agree there."

"And why not, Cementoss?"

"In our world, you can't toss that word around unless you're talking about All Might."

"C'mon…"

"He could round up the hostages and bind them in an instant. Not to mention, he'd blow away any and all heroes trying to save them."

"Yikes, you're right! The strongest hero would make for the strongest villain!"

Aizawa grumbled as he couldn't get a word in as they continued, "Annoying…"

Sighing, he dialed the Bakugos' number and spoke, "Hello? This is Katsuki's homeroom teacher, Aizawa. Do you have a moment?"

"Sure, All Might is the strongest. I'll give you that. But how would you go about it, Cementoss? You'd surround the hostages with cement, right?" Midnight asked.

"Surround them? No. I'd cover the whole group with a cement dome, and any heroes would get the same treatment. Nowhere to run for hostages and heroes alike."

Thirteen asked uneasily, "Um, wouldn't everyone end up suffocating, though…?"

"So be it. The important thing is that the hostages can't escape."

Ectoplasm agreed, "I concur."

Thirteen looked at them in shock, "Ehh? Surely that's going too far…"

Mic put his hands on Thirteen's shoulders, "Lighten up, Wet Blanket Boy!"

"'Boy'…? I-I'm twenty-eight years old, I'll have you know."

"Wet Blanket Man, then! And we still haven't heard from you."

Thirteen hesitated, "Me? Right… I suppose I would use my Black Hole…?"

Mic smirked, "Now who's 'going too far'?"

Ectoplasm nodded, "Atomizing the hostages would defeat the purpose of having hostages in the first place."

Mic smiled and laughed, "Wow! Thirteen seems so harmless, but he's got the blackest heart of all! Hoo boy!"

Midnight hummed, "Mmm, I have to admit, I'm a fan of that devilish discrepancy,"

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Thirteen exasperated.

Aizawa, who was half listening, finished his call, "…we'll see you next week. Goodbye."

Next on the list he saw was Hagakure. Right as he went to dial the number, the phone rang, and he picked up the receiver.

"Hello? You've reached U.A. High School."

"Hi, I'm calling about Shoto Todoroki, in class 1-A. Could you get me Aizawa, his homeroom teacher?"

"Yes, this is Aizawa. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with…?"

"Ah, sorry! I'm Shoto's older sister, Fuyumi Todoroki. And thanks for all you do for him."

"Perfect. I was trying to reach your household, actually."

"Really? I'm just on my way home now. Staff meeting ran a little late…"

"Staff meeting? Oh, you teach elementary, right?"

"Ah, yeah. Something a little funny about this, talking teacher to teacher. Um, so…is everything okay with Shoto…?"

"Everything's just fine. I'm making calls about Parents' Day."

"Oh, of course."

"May I ask who will be attending Parents' Day next week?"

"Ah, that would be me. That's actually what I'm calling about…"

"How can I help?"

"Would it be all right if I brought a camcorder to the event? I'd be sure to keep out of the way, of course."

"I'm sorry, but for security reasons, we don't allow recording devices on campus."

"Right. I understand…We'll see you next week, then. Goodbye."

"Sounds good. Thanks again."

As Aizawa finished his call, Present Mic loudly interjected, "Well, I'd just jack into the broadcast station and send my sound waves soaring, on air! With everyone knocked out, I'd nab the jewels and the damsel's heart! Like a regular Lupin III!"

Midnight scoffed, "Jewel thievery's not as easy as cartoons make it out to be. Those jewelry stores have tight security, you know?"

"My voice breaks ladies' hearts and reinforced glass into a million pieces!"

"Who wants to know about the bad things I'd do? Just kneel down and lick my boots if you want to hear."

Cementoss blinked, "I'll pass on that."

"You too, Cementoss? Such a stick-in-the-mud. Fine. I'll tell you all, no charge. I'd put a person to sleep and figure out their weaknesses—for blackmail."

Ectoplasm shook his head, "How deceitful."

Thirteen piped in, "A bit mundane, but realistic enough, in a bad way. But what if they had no secrets to exploit?"

Midnight smiled, "In that case…I'd frame them somehow. Work a little magic while they slept, if you know what I mean."

"How underhanded." Ectoplasm stated.

Thirteen grimaced, "So believable it's scary."

Mic smiled, "Bad and sexy…? That makes you the Fujiko to my Lupin!"

Midnight turned to Hikari, "And what might you do in a hostage situation?"

All teachers went silent, Aizawa included, to see what she could think of. Hikari kept her eyes closed and shrugged.

"That's easy. I have a ghoul quirk and one of the most agile. Say we're talking about 5 hostages or so. I'll set a time limit for the heroes to meet my demands, which as we all know, they can't really do that unless in absolute dire situations. Depending on what abilities I have up my sleeve and how harnessed they are, I'd tell them they have an hour to meet whatever demand I have. Every 10 minutes, I kill a hostage with my kagune. Not only will it horrify heroes and onlookers alive, the screaming from surviving hostages would be more initiative to listen. My healing factor makes quirks like Snipes ineffective, and burns too from those like Endeavor. He wouldn't be able to get close without cooking a hostage himself. All Might would also have his hands tied due to my erasure. Once I run out of hostages, whether I'm captured or not, the heroes lose because they failed to protect the citizens I had, and the news would eat that up and throw doubt on the hero society. Now if I'm up against dad, it's a matter or who erases who's quirk first but at that point I'd use a hostage as a cover and use my kagune spikes to keep him dancing out of site long enough to get an angle on him to erase his and incapacitate him. Trying to surround me will only further put the hostages at risk. Even if you played at my heartstrings, that never guarantees I'll let them go. The only sure way is to meet my demands and suffer with knowing that was your only option. Even then I could get what I wanted and still kill the hostages if I felt like it but that would be a gamble you'd have to take. If it added to fear factor, I'd take bites out of the hostages that were dead and alive to keep my quirk fueled so realistically, in a sick fucked up way, had I turned out a villain instead, everyone would be screwed. Good thing I'm not, huh."

Sensing the silence around her, Hikari opened her eyes to see the shocked and horrified faces of those around her, father included. Feeling a pit in her stomach, Hikari swallowed the lump in her throat and laughed nervously.

"What?...Too dark?..."

Midnight coughed, "More like scary with how easy you came up with that."

"I-I mean….I watched anime and horror movies….I kinda just think about these things sometimes…I guess that's why the CCG is after me with them probably thinking I'll turn up that way…"

Aizawa snapped a bit, "Hikari! Quiet."

Mic and Midnight snapped their heads to Aizawa along with Cementoss, Thirteen, and Ectoplasm, all exclaiming their shock and disbelief.

"The CCG is after her?! Why didn't you tell us!"

Hikari paled, "H-Hey he didn't have part! I didn't want anyone else to know aside from my friends and whatnot! Just, forget it until later and finish your conversation from earlier…."

Midnight huffed but respected her wishes along with everyone else in the room. Hikari felt her father's tired eyes on her and she met his eyes, sending him a quiet apology to which he nodded slightly.

"Fine then. I wonder why talking about doing bad gets me so hot and bothered? I'm aching inside, just thinking about it."

Cementoss responded, "Such is human nature."

Thirteen grimaced, "But we're heroes. It's just not right."

Mic laughed, "C'mon, Thirteen! It's just hypothetical! Pure, 100 percent fantasy!"

Cementoss thought for a moment before voicing them, "Come to think of it, we all wanted to become heroes from a young age, no? Which meant internalizing the idea that we mustn't ever do wrong. Suppressing that side of ourselves."

Smiling, Midnight eagerly responded, "Self-denial makes that eventual gratification all the spicier, but one mustn't let it build up too much. Everyone needs a good release now and then. It'd be simple enough, boys—just say the word. Toss away the pride that's holding you back, and I'd be happy to make you my house pets."

Hikari smirked as Cementoss responded, "I'll pass on that too."

Amused, Ectoplasm spoke, "This sort of thought experiment isn't entirely without merit, though. It could even help us understand the mind of a villain."

Thirteen nodded, "That's true enough."

Hikari glanced at Mic as he blurted out in excitement, "Right, exactly! Speaking of a good 'release,' everyone's used their Quirk to play a prank or two when they were kids, yeah? This is just like that!"

Thirteen shook his head quickly, "Pranks? Not me."

Glancing at her father who was in another phone call, she could see him mouthing the word seriously? to himself. She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Seriously?! Never? Not once in your life? Glory be, we're in the presence of Saint Thirteen!"

Hikari snickered as her father mouthed to himself about for once, being on the same page as Mic. She then realized just how much of her father's mannerisms she really took compared to her mother, despite not knowing all of hers yet. She raised an eyebrow as her father seemed to remember he was on the phone.

"Oh. Pardon me. Right, so on the day of…"

Thirteen glanced at Mic, "I don't suppose you'd tell us what sort of pranks you committed, Present Mic?"

"When my friend was snoozing at lunchtime, sometimes I'd start spitting rhymes right into his ear!"

Thirteen glanced at Aizawa before looking back at Mic, "Such a rude awakening would be enough to stop my heart, I daresay."

Mic continued, "Other times, I'd interrupt his naps with drawn-out, immersive ghost stories!"

"Your poor friend."

Aizawa's eye twitched before he couldn't take it anymore. He covered the receiver of the phone with his hand and turned to them, "That friend was me, by the way."

"Ohh, true enough, old buddy, old pal! Sorry, sorry! But what say we flush that ancient history down the toilet?"

"An appropriate solution for all your bullshit."

Tired of his antics, Aizawa returned to his phone call, "Mrs. Midoriya? Sorry about that… Now, as I was saying…"

Washing away his guilty look, Mic turned to Midnight, "Let's hear about your pranks, Midnight! Guessing you were always R-rated, even as a kid?"

Ectoplasm quickly glanced at her, ""No dirty stories, please."

"Not at all—I was a charming little girl. But…there was that time my first crush and I played doctor."

Mic wiggled his eyebrows with a grin, "Ooh. Any stethoscopes involved? Listening to each other all over?"

Flashing a smile, she answered cryptically, "I'll leave that to your imaginations. Let's just say it escalated until we went from playing doctor to playing surgeon…"

"Eh. What kind of surgery…?"

"Heh heh. Like I said, imagination. In any case, that boy went on to bat for the other team, and I might've played a role…"

Mic's eyes widened, "W-what'd you do to the guy?"

"It all must've been a little too stimulating for him…besides, nothing you haven't experienced a time or two, I'm sure.."

"Doesn't sound like that should be a fond memory for you! Back me up, Thirteen?"

Thirteen sighed, "Well, to start with, that bit of mischief had nothing to do with her Quirk."

Midnight laughed, "I suppose it didn't. Whatever. Let's hear some more stories—how about you, Ectoplasm?"

"Though I have never used my Quirk in service of a prank, there was one time when I acted in error…"

Mic grew excited, "Confessing to a crime, huh? This oughta be great! Go on and paint for us a real clear picture of what went down!"

Thirteen furrowed his brows, "But you're so very stoic, Ectoplasm. I can hardly imagine you committing a wrongdoing."

"Alas, a sin is a sin… I exercise my right to remain silent."

Midnight smiled, "Teasing us like that just makes it worse, y'know."

Mic nodded, "It's true! Now we want to hear!"

Ectoplasm shook his head no and remained silent, regardless of the whining. Mic pouted and begged him.

"Hey, hey, you can't do that to us! Better not leave your audience hanging!"

Ectoplasm remained centered, "I only wish the memories could be purged."

Suddenly, Ectoplasm regretted saying anything as Cementoss piped up, "Confession is good for the soul. And as your colleagues, we'd be happy to help lighten the burden you've been carrying."

Giving in at Cementoss' sincerity, he sighed, "Well, this was back when I was in grade school…"

Hikari listened in and cracked a smile as her father mouthed that it didn't take much to make him sing. She knew all too well how the other heroes in the room were. They make each other crack on a daily basis. Aizawa returned to his phone call.

"Ah, hello. Is this the Mineta household? I'm Minoru's homeroom teacher, Aizawa, and… Yes. Of course. We appreciate all you do, too. I'm actually calling about Parents' Day…"

"One morning, I found myself unable to extricate myself from the comfort of my bedchamber, and time itself seemed to elapse at the speed of light…"

Mic furrowed his brows, "Huh? I don't get it."

Hikari sighed and answered with Cementoss, "He overslept."

"Though gripped by despair, I dashed to the schoolhouse, undeterred… Alas, the merciless morning bell rang out before I could enter, so I sent one of my clones into the classroom instead…"

Mic tilted his head, "Meaning, you used a clone to avoid being marked late to school?"

"Indeed. My perfect attendance award was at stake, though I know now that no such excuse can make up for my grave sin…"

Everyone sighed in disappointment and Midnight asked him, "That's all? You used your wits to solve the problem and still walked away with perfect attendance?"

Mic nodded, "We were expecting a lot more from your 'sin.' Like a Shakespearean tragedy, full of love and deceit."

Ectoplasm shot back, "The fault is with you people for expecting more. I only spoke my truth."

Thirteen piped up in some excitement, "I have an embarrassing tale as well. Once, I wet the bed and destroyed the evidence by sucking the very futon into one of my black holes…"

Mic nodded enthusiastically, "Now that's using your noggin. Wish I'd had that option, way back!"

"But I got in trouble for it all the same.."

Midnight laughed lightly, "Bed-wetting? That's kinda cute, coming from you."

Thirteen looked at Cementoss, "How about you then, Cementoss? Did you ever get up to any mischief?"

"Me? Right… I once put up a wall of cement to avoid being caught in hide-and-seek. That's the worst I'm willing to admit."

He kept his face flat as the heroes jumped at his words, "So there are things you won't cop to…?"

"Better to let sleeping dogs lie! Like my gramps always said, the scariest people are the ones you'd never expect!" Mic said.

Ectoplasm frowned, "This, after I was forced to confess? How cowardly."

Midnight leaned closer, "I'm dying to hear this, too. Especially now that we know it's such a secret."

Cementoss laughed, "Please, I was only joking."

Midnight sighed, "What? A joke? Don't scare us like that."

Ectoplasm nodded, "Jokes are meant to be funny."

Mic groaned, "Your sense of humor ain't doing my blood pressure any favors, Cementoss!"

"I'm sorry, really. And my best regards to your wise grandfather, Mic."

Midnight huffed, "Yeah, well, we won't forget this."

"Flush it all down the toilet, I say!"

Hikari snorted in amusement as her dad mouthed that he'll need to call a plumber at this rate. Aizawa turned back to his phone call.

"…and we're looking forward to seeing you next week."

Hikari watched him check off Yaoyorozu's name from his list before he turned towards his colleagues and muttered quietly enough that Hikari heard him.

"How long can five people talk about nothing whatsoever…?"

Mic suddenly turned to Hikari, "You're young! Have you used your quirks for anything you weren't supposed to?!"

All eyes landed on Hikari who smirked to herself, "Plenty. Used my kagune to hide dad's things in unreachable and unseen places and then put them back to make him feel crazy, erased a kids quirk to watch him fall because he'd been picking on my friend, and accidentally used my kagune during s-never mind that one. I almost put my foot in my mouth there. Not going into that. Anything else?"

Aizawa gave her a hard stare that she ignored as Midnight gave her a knowingly proud smirk, Mic laughed, Thirteen shook his head, Cementoss stifled a laugh, and Ectoplasm chuckled silently. Hikari closed her eyes and continued to relax on the couch until Mic, with newfound energy, shouted to them.

"With all our Quirks combined, we'd make for one nasty villain team! The world'd be no match for us!"

Nezu smiled from behind him, "Well, aren't you all in high spirits?"

Mic jumped, "Sir!"

"Did I hear something about you all taking on the world?"

"No, it's not what you think! We were just discussing how to handle you-know-what!"

Midnight nodded, "Exactly. Just brainstorming which of our Quirks could best handle a group of hostages, and so on."

Nezu nodded, "Ah, yes. I do know what."

Midnight tilted her head, "How would you go about it, sir?"

"First, I would prepare a giant maze."

"A maze, sir? Why go that route…?"

"Why? Hostages are taken for a reason, of course. The hostage taker may do it to evade capture, to acquire some reward, or simply to garner attention… If I were a villain, however, my hostages would be in service of an experiment."

"An experiment?"

"Indeed! I would place them at the maze's center, forcing their would-be rescuers to navigate the labyrinth under a time limit. Mind you, there would be electric fences, pitfalls, shifting walls…all to provide a proper challenge. Perhaps even doors that would require the heroes to solve complex puzzles to open…And any paths trodden would be sealed off, just as life offers no second chances… Heh heh… Ha ha ha ha! I wonder how many clever little mice would reach the goal in time…?"

Mic shook his head, "Whoa, that's more than just blackhearted. We're talking a double shot of espresso, hold the cream!"

Hikari smirked, "Now that was dark but I think mine was a bit darker…"

All Might watched everyone glance at Hikari and Nezu, "Sir, I think you're scaring everyone."

"Oh my, I lost myself for a moment, there. In any case, heroes must always overcome the high walls they face and engender that Plus Ultra spirit! In that sense, my maze would provide the ideal trial! Oh. Leaving already, Aizawa?"

Aizawa tidied up his desk and nodded, "Yes. I'm finished for today."

Mic complained, "Like hell you are. You still gotta tell us how you'd wrangle a bunch of hostages. Admit it—my Quirk would be super handy!"

"As I said, I could just put them to sleep. My Quirk is best suited to the task."

Mic pouted, "No, mine."

Thirteen hesitated, "Remember, everyone–safety should be our number one concern."

Cementoss gave a quick suggestion, "I think we ought to team up to get the job done, no?"

Everyone nodded, "You said it!"

A puzzled All Might looked at Aizawa, "Hmm? Isn't everything already set for you-know-what, Aizawa?"

"Yes. It is."

Everyone gasped, "For real? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"You started running your mouths before I had a chance to. Anyhow, I'm leaving. It's dark now.."

"After all our brainstorming?"

Aizawa muttered to himself, "Reminds me of the kids just before class begins….What makes it so fun for them exactly?...People worth teaching…"

Hikari stood up and followed her father to the door. She waved goodbye to those behind her and proceeded to follow him down the hallways and out of the school. Soon, the two of them grabbed a quick dinner before heading home, arriving right as Mineta and Shoto did. Aizawa seemed to remember that they were staying and told the two where the guest room was and to get to sleep soon. Hikari glanced at the two, winking at Shoto and motioning to the night sky, signaling him that she'd be going out tonight. Picking up on the motions, he nodded and headed to the guest room with Mineta, both of them getting ready for bed and saying goodnight to the two Aizawa's. Hikari went to her room, locked the door, changed into her Fear costume, and left from her window. Soon, her burner phone went off with a location, so she quickly pocketed the phone and headed in that direction. It was an abandoned bar. As she walked inside, she was immediately hugged by Anastasia.

"Glad you made it! Shigaraki's in the other room."

Fear pushed away from her mother, taking in her surroundings, "Where's the others?"

"Oh…They're not here at the moment. They went on a quick run for some things."

"I see…I was under the impression that I was meeting them…"

"You are. I promise. Tonight."

"Okay…Lead me to him then.."

Nodding, Anastasia led the way to the back room where Shigaraki was sitting on an old worn-down chair. Fear made eye contact with him, and he stood. A flashback to the image Hikari saw swam through her mind before she buried it. Letting her emotions get the better of her, Fear erased his quirk and wrapped her arms around him.

"I know you'd never allow this in front of others, and I know that we haven't spent much time in each other's presence, but I do care for you just like mom does and I want to do more for you. Thank you…Thank you for asking your Master to help with getting mom home to us…"

A single hand rested hesitantly on her back, one finger not touching by habit, regardless of his quirk being gone temporarily. A realization hit him, and he muttered quietly.

"..It doesn't itch…"

Not sure what he meant but figuring it wasn't something she should press, Fear slowly let him go and blinked as his hand went back to his side. Deactivating her quirk, she sat down on the couch opposite Shigaraki and watched as he took his seat once more. Just then, the familiar voice of Giran filled the room.

"Ah! She's here! Perfect. Come on in, everyone. It's time for introductions. This is the most recently popular villain, Fear. She is the biological daughter of Carnage."

A blond girl poked her cheeks with a smile, "But I thought her only daughter was a hero in training? Unless she's a double agent!"

Fear tilted her head and glanced at the group before removing her mask and hood, revealing her full face, hair, and features.

"I am. It's the only way I can keep tabs on what the heroes are doing and gather information for my brother to use later on. When we're together, call me Hikari. When out on business, call me Fear. If we cross while I'm acting hero with others, it's White Reaper or hero to keep the facade. I will fight full force with the heroes to keep the act up as agreed upon by Shigaraki. If I'm injured in the process, I hold no personal grudge."

The blond girl giggled, "Perfect! I'm Himiko Toga! Can I have some of your blood?!"

"Sure, but what's your quirk first? Everyone here already knows mine for obvious reasons."

"Oh! Right. My quirk is Metamorphosis. If I ingest your blood, I can transform into you."

"Interesting. Show me?"

Excitement grew on the girl's face as she nodded and bit down on Hikari's offered wrist. After drinking some of her blood, Toga stepped back and Hikari watched in awe as her body became her own.

"That…will definitely come in handy with avoiding detection."

"Right!"

Hikari watched said girl transform back into herself before Hikari glanced at the next in line. A familiar face.

"Dabi. Long time no see. Any new burns?"

Dabi merely looked away, "Wouldn't you like to know. Any new police raids?"

Hikari smirked, "Obviously not. You haven't been called so you should know that."

Glancing past him, she spotted a man in a full body suit who seemed to be arguing with himself. She tilted her head curiously as he turned to her and did what she could only guess was a smile behind his mask.

"Hi! Call me Twice! I can make duplicates of myself and others as long as I have their exact measurements! No, not of us you idiot or it'll happen again. Ah that's right, of course. You didn't say your real name. I forgot! My name is Jin Bubaigawara!"

"Uh..Nice to meet you? I see there's trauma there, so I won't go into it…I'll take your word for it."

Satisfied, she glanced at the next in line, a lizard man that was dressed like Stain. He was obviously a Stain follower, so Hikari nodded in acknowledgement.

"And you are?"

"Shuichi Iguchi. Call me Spinner. I'm a lizard man and can do anything a lizard can."

"Gotcha. And you?"

Hikari glanced at a man who wore a top hat and reminded her of magicians.

"Mr. Compress at your service. Atsuhiro Sako is my name. My quirk is Compress. Anything I touch can be compressed into a small marble without being harmed inside."

"That's useful indeed."

Hikari glanced at the next in line and saw a bulky guy with a crazed look in his eyes. He cracked a crazy smile.

"Muscular. That's all you need to know name wise. My muscle fibers are the strongest there is. You look strong, wanna fight?!"

"I'm good, thanks. Next person?"

"Mustard. I use a poison gas quirk. Then there's Moonfish. His teeth become huge metal knives that destroy anything in his path."

Nodding, Hikari looked next in line to a very muscular woman with sleek red hair and facial hair. She tapped her weapon and smirked.

"Call me Mange. Quirk Magnetism."

"Alright then. I think that's everyone. So, aside from this, why call me here brother? I already know the ghouls…unfortunately."

Shigaraki nodded, "I'm planning my next attack. It'll be on your pesky classmates when I find the right chance. That'll have to make All Might come running. Not to mention, I hear you've gotten close to the explosion kid. I want him to join me. We'll be going after him and a few others we deem necessary. Specifically, the green haired kid who keeps getting in the way of things."

"...If he joins, keep me updated so I can fill him in but when with everyone else, I'll have to fight to keep him safe. As for the green haired kid, you're talking about Izuku Midoriya, right? His quirk hurts himself for the most part but it's strong."

"I see. I'll task Muscular with handling him when the time comes. I don't have anything else to ask of you currently. I'll contact you when I have further plans. Go home and sleep so you're rested for those damn heroes."

"Understood. I suppose I'll see all of you later."

With that, Hikari put her hood and mask back on before leaving the rundown bar. Once home, she quickly put up her costume and burner as she prepared for bed. She unlocked her door and went to the bathroom with her clean clothes in hand, wanting to shower before the following morning. After she finished, she went to her room and went to sleep, the images of the three people from a few days ago still fresh in her mind along with the image of Shigaraki.