AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews everyone!
"I'll see you in class!" Himiko exclaimed as they neared the gates to UA.
"Have fun with your girlfriend," Ochako teased, seeing the older girl already waiting inside the gate.
"Oh we will." Himiko grinned back before taking off inside.
"I know it's been a year, but seeing her here is still strange," Ochako admitted. She watched the retreating form of the girl who, in another life, would have been her killer.
"Because of all the memories from UA?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah." Ochako bobbed her head and turned to Izuku. "I know it's all new now but… there's so much that's the same. I… it's going to take some time to sort everything out."
"I know how you feel," Izuku confessed. He squeezed her hand for comfort. "But we'll figure it out, right?"
"Of course!" Ochako chirped. "I'm sorry, I know I should be better but-"
"No buts," Izuku insisted. "We both knew coming back would be hard. Now that we're here, we've just got to figure it out."
"You're right." A smile tugged at Ochako's lips. "Thanks Izu."
"Anytime." Izuku smiled back.
"Hey, there they are!" a familiar voice called out. Izuku and Ochko both whirled to see the future Big Three of UA approaching them. Nejire smiled and waved as she floated toward them, while Mirio half-dragged Tamakin along. "There's our kouhai!"
"We didn't see you at the opening ceremony yesterday," Mirio commented, "but since we didn't see you in Kan-sensei's class, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together."
"Aizawa does that every year, doesn't he?" Izuku asked nervously.
"Mhm!" Nejire rapidly bobbed her head. "It threw us for a surprise too when he did it to us!"
"Since you're both here, that must mean you weren't scared off though!" Mirio said.
"No," Izuku replied. "It would take more than that to chase us off.
"I would hope so, after what you put us through at the exam!"
"Speak for yourself," Tamaki said. "Your quirk is practically purpose built to counter theirs."
"Yeah…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "It was a good reminder that there's some problems we can't solve by punching."
"It's a good lesson!" Ochako added.
"Well, I'm glad we're already helping." Tamaki awkwardly rubbed the back of his head while he offered them a brilliant smile.
"I know it's only the first day, and I'm sure you have plenty on your minds, but if there's anything you need, just come find one of us!" Nejire said happily.
"Actually," Izuku began, "I can think of one thing already…"
"Oh, what's that?" Nejire asked, vibrating with excitement.
"It's actually not for us-" Izuku admitted. "But a friend of ours. She just transferred to UA to finish her final year in the Support course, and she doesn't really know anyone yet? I was um, wondering if you'd be willing to introduce her to other third years?"
"Do we have to?" Tamaki asked.
Mirio laughed lightly as he elbowed his friend. "Of course we can! It must have been a big deal for her to transfer to UA so late, though!"
Ochako laughed nervously. "Y-yeah, you could say that! It's not our story to tell though!"
"As long as she's not like Kenranzaki." Nejire pouted.
"I don't know who that is," Izuku said nervously. "But she's really nice and friendly! I hope you get along with her!"
"I'm sure we will!" Mirio said.
"That sounds great. Umm, can we introduce you to her at lunch?"
"Of course!" Nejire said. "Just bring her to our table."
"Thanks." Izuku smiled at the trio. "We appreciate it."
"Of course," Mirio said. "We're aiming for the top this year, so it's up to us to set an example for everyone else!"
Izuku and Ochako gave each other knowing smiles. "I'm sure you'll do fine."
"And we'll be cheering you on!" Ochako remarked.
"Yay!" Nejire rushed forward and pulled Ochako into a hug. "I promise we won't let you down!"
Separating, the third years began to lead Izuku and Ochako to the main building, happily talking about the school experience and what to expect. Even though the information wasn't new to them, they both smiled and politely listened, secretly thankful for the break in their routine.
It gave them hope that things would be different this time.
After introducing Melissa to her fellow third years, Izuku and Ochako made their way back to the table where Kyoka and Aika chatted idly away with Tenya and Tsuyu. Himiko, unsurprisingly, had been dragged off to eat lunch with Emily and her friends, leaving Izuku and Ochako alone to help integrate their old friends with their new ones.
Lunch flew by, and before they knew it, they returned to their homeroom. Everyone in the class sat with eagerness and excitement. It was time for their first proper Heroics lesson!
But one person was more excited than others.
After they split up and sat back down at their desks, Izuku practically buzzed in anticipation, his eyes glued to the door. From her own vantage point, Ochako watched her boyfriend's reaction before she gave up on him. With a quiet sigh, she rolled her eyes and turned her attention toward the door. It wasn't like they haven't been through all of this before. She had to admit though, there was something nostalgic about the energy in the classroom. It felt simple… and nice.
This time we'll protect this feeling. Ochako promised herself as she swept over the classroom one last time before she joined her classmates in watching the doorway.
"I am coming in… like a normal person!" the muffled voice of All Might said moments before the door slammed open.
Practically everyone in the classroom gasped. Some shocked and some flabbergasted. For five of them it would be just like their previous lessons, but for the other fifteen, they were finally getting a unique opportunity - training with Japan's Number One hero!
Giving the class a small wave, All Might crossed the front of the room to stand behind the comically miniscule desk. "Good afternoon class! Welcome to your first Heroics lesson! I will be your teacher for the year."
Everyone felt the enthusiasm in the air as All Might smiled at them. Then he finally raised a hand to calm his students. "And for your first lesson, we are going to let you try using your quirks in mock combat!" he exclaimed. Holding up a tiny remote, he pushed a button, activating a projector and lighting up the wall behind him. A diagram of Training Ground Beta appeared with five buildings highlighted, forming a circle around a small central building. "You will be paired off and then face off against another random team in mock two-versus-two combat for ten minutes with each team having a different objective."
"How will we choose partners?" Mina asked, her hand shooting up.
All Might let out a quiet laugh. "Why, you're getting ahead of me already! Teams and opponents will be chosen randomly - after we have a costume check and go over the ground rules."
"Costume check?" Momo asked curiously.
"Indeed," All Might said, looking at the recommendation student in particular. "While your initial costumes were designed according to your submissions, you may find them lacking when it comes time to actually go out onto the field. Why, when I was a hero student like you, I would lose my costume practically every week!" He laughed boisterously, hearing several groans from the class. "Until I met my good friend David Shield, who has been designing my costume ever since. Not only was it durable enough to withstand the rigors of battle, but it also looked stylish!"
Momo's face seemed to heat up under All Might's gaze as she thought about her own costume. "I understand sir."
"Hmm, I guess I got ahead of myself," All Might continued as he mentally reviewed his speech. "I guess that means we can move on. Well then, onto the important part of class." All Might looked over his students before he held up his remote. Pressing another button, a part of the wall slid away, revealing twenty numbered cases. "I'm sure you're all excited to try your costumes on! Once you have changed, we will reconvene in front of Ground Beta for the first part of today's lesson."
As they stood, Ochako finally managed to make eye contact with her boyfriend. Even without their silent language, she could feel his enthusiasm wash over her. Rather than fight it, she smiled back at him as she closed the gap between them.
"You sure your mom didn't sneak in a homemade costume?" Ochako teased.
Izuku laughed nervously. "She would've made one for Himi and me if we let her but no. I can't wait to see Melissa's design in action!"
"As long as it keeps you from breaking anything," Ochako said.
"Hey! You're just as much at risk as I am!"
"True." Ochako smirked at her boyfriend. "But I don't have a history of it."
"That's not fair."
"You're right," Ochako conceded. When it was her turn she grabbed her case and pulled it from its mount, unable to keep the smile off her face. "I can't wait to try this on!"
"I'll see you in a bit then," Izuku said as he grabbed his own case before they followed their classmates out the door and toward the locker room.
"How do I look?" Aika asked excitedly.
Ochako paused to examine the other girl. She wore a black-and-orange bodysuit with white knee-high armored boots and armored gloves that ran nearly all the way to her elbows along with an armored white skirt, which Ochako knew were filled with various gadgets and devices to help her in the field. She also wore what looked to be an orange headset with two white antennas sticking out along the sides.
"You look great!" Ochako complimented. "The costume is very you."
"What she means to say is you look gaudy," Jiro said as she crossed her arms smugly.
"Hey! I want to be a shining star on the battlefield," Aika defended.
"I think it suits you," Mina said as she slapped a hand on Aika's shoulder. "Although, I don't quite get the headphones. Aren't you supposed to be an idol?"
"They're supposed to help with my quirk!" Aika exclaimed. "Since I need to sing to use my quirk, I need some way to filter out the noise so that I can hear what is going on. So with a touch of a button here," Aika proudly explained as she touched a spot on her headset. "I no longer hear- woah ok this is weird, can you guys hear me okay?"
Aika looked at Kyoka who gave her an amused smile. "Man, I'm going to need to get me one of those so I can filter out your voice too."
"Hey!" Aika shouted, a little louder than necessary.
"We can hear you just fine," Ochako assured her friend.
"Great! This is perfect! Now I can sing and I won't have to worry!" Aika said smugly. "This equipment's great!"
"Good thing I have my noise-suppression collar," Kyoka said as she adjusted her jacket and looked over her gadgets. Between Emily and Melissa, she had a half dozen different devices that she could plug her ear jacks into for different effects, and she was sure it would take months for her to master them all. Once she was confident that everything was secured properly, she reached into her case for her final piece of equipment - a collapsable sword.
"You have a sword?!" Toru exclaimed.
"Isn't that a little excessive?" Momo asked, her eyes a little wide.
"Wait, you think a single weapon is excessive?" Himiko asked as she buttoned up her coat. "Then don't ask how many knives I've got right now."
Her costume didn't have nearly as many accessories as the others - it simply consisted of a skintight black bodysuit that was designed to survive her transformations, a pair of black boots, and a Victorian-style crimson long coat. Despite the simplistic appearance, her coat and boots were both filled with hidden holsters and gadgets, many at Emily's insistence.
"Himi-" Ochako said, staring at the girl in exasperation.
"What?" Himiko grinned at her friend. "It's not like I have some fancy quirk like the rest of you, I've got to have ways to defend myself!"
"I- I think I'm underequipped," Toru said, her gloves pressing together as she waved her hands in front of her.
Ochako looked at the invisible girl sympathetically. "That's what the costume check is for, to see what you need. Maybe we can help you design something better?"
"Yeah!" Himiko bobbed her head rapidly. "I can introduce you to my girlfriend - she'd be glad to help!"
"The girl who had you pinned against the wall this morning?" Toru asked cautiously.
Himiko's grin widened. "Yep!"
"Wait, what?" Momo asked, a blush darkening her cheeks.
"Oh you didn't know about that?" Himiko asked playfully.
"I'm actually surprised you haven't seen it yet," Kyoka commented dryly.
"Himiko and Emily are enthusiastic about their relationship," Ochako explained.
"That's an understatement!" Aika said, turning off her earphones. "Those two are shamelessly in love!"
"Emphasis on shameless."
"You're just jealous!" Himiko countered.
"I'm not!" Aika insisted. "Someday I'll find my sunshine! Until then I'm gonna keep chasing my dreams!"
"Girls, please," Kyoka said, barely hiding her exasperation as she stepped in between the pair. "Our teacher is waiting for us."
"She's right," Ochako pointed out as she slipped her last accessory on her arm. "You two can save your bickering for later." Looking at the rest of their classmates, Ochako gave them a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, they aren't always like this."
"What are you saying, you guys are great!" Mina said as she danced towards the exit. "This is going to be fun!"
"I… never expected to have classmates like this," Momo admitted as she closed her own costume case.
"It'll work out!" Ochako assured. "Just give them a little time!"
Momo looked at the gravity girl with relief. "Thank you. Shall we get going?"
Izuku tugged his gloves into place before giving his costume a quick examination. His costume was reminiscent of the same design he wore at the battle of Jaku, but the support gear contained within the outfit has been vastly improved by Melissa's genius. His white gloves had been streamlined with openings on the back to allow for him to use Blackwhip properly, and the oversized ring that was formerly used to direct the air blasts from his Air Force attack had been removed, replaced with a smaller ring that housed his Full Gauntlets. Unfortunately the material that went into Full Gauntlet was rigid and inflexible, and so, Melissa opted to build a toggle into his gloves, allowing him to activate the gauntlet only when necessary.
Similarly his black boots had been redesigned, containing their own variation of Full Gauntlet that he could deploy around his legs, but he hoped that the reinforced soles Melissa designed would be more than enough given how much work Mei's more basic Iron Soles did in the past. Finally, the fabric of his suit had been upgraded to the same durable material All Might's costume was made of, designed to keep him safe from most elements and designed to be extremely durable.
Satisfied that everything checked out, Izuku followed his classmates out to the mustering area in front of the training ground. There he joined half of his classmates and watched as the rest joined him, keeping an eye out for one girl in particular.
When he saw the group of girls approaching, he couldn't help but smile as he finally saw her in her costume. Ochako's costume was a primarily-white bodysuit with two black strips that ran from her shoulders down her torso and inner legs, and black sleeves. She had opted for chunky knee-high boots with pink soles, as well as a high tech belt that wrapped around her back and sides, serving as both storage and as part of a system to relieve her nausea when she overused Zero-Gravity. Finally she had two round white gauntlets with pink handles mounted on each wrist, each gauntlet both capable of firing cable wires and deploying her own Full Gauntlet when she needed to use higher percentages of One For All. Finally, she wore a white headband with a pair of pink antennas sticking out from them.
Just like Ochako, it was both familiar and different to Izuku, and very very her.
"I'll admit, that's not what I was expecting," Ochako said as she stopped in front of Izuku. "I mean, I saw the designs, but the hood just doesn't suit you in practice."
"I… maybe I can change it later?" Izuku said, looking at All Might. "I had originally designed it because of - you know. But we really are growing past that, aren't we?"
"Yep." Ochako smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure you'll look like a hero no matter what you decide on."
"Thanks." His face heated up.
"Welcome!" Ochako held her hands behind her back. "So, what do you think?"
"It suits you," Izuku said. "You look great!"
"Thank you," Ochako breathed. "I was worried 'bout keeping my original design but…"
"You don't have to worry about me," Izuku said. "You'd look amazing in anything."
"I wouldn't say anything if I were you," Ochako laughed. "But I appreciate it."
"Shall we?" Izuku asked as he noticed the last few members of their class arriving.
"Yeah, let's go!"
All Might stood there with his signature smile as he examined the twenty students, assessing each of their costumes.
Most of them are acceptable. Some may need to have their material adjusted or additional accessories added, but those things are mine. Those three however…
"Young Kirishima, Hagakure, and Yaoyorozu," All Might called out. "We need to have a discussion with the support company about your costumes."
"M-me?" Momo asked, her cheeks heating up.
"I knew it!" Toru wailed in despair.
"What's wrong with my costume?" Kirishima asked in confusion.
"Do you really believe pants and shoulder pads are enough protection?"
"But my quirk is Hardening," Kirishima explained. "My bulky size would just tear apart any shirt, and I doubt any fabric would be stronger than my quirk."
All Might chuckled at that. "As I mentioned in class, I used to have the same problem. However the material does exist! Besides, you don't want to keep your quirk active all the time, and the same material would provide protection against weak attacks, to say nothing of saving you from dealing with scratches and debris!"
Eijiro seemed to take everything under consideration before bobbing his head in understanding. "Yes sensei. If I'm adding a shirt, I should probably upgrade my pants and mask as well…"
"Exactly! Which brings me to the next person-" All Might looked at Toru.
"I can't help it!" Toru wailed. "It's just the way my quirk works. I need to be mostly naked to be invisible."
"I don't fault you at all," All Might said. "I am angry, but my anger is toward the fact that nobody told you that a workaround exists."
"I'm so sorr- wait, what?!" Toru exclaimed. "There's a way for me to wear clothes?"
"Of course!" All Might reassured her. "There are companies that specialize in creating DNA-infused clothing, created out of someone's hair. I believe Young Himiko is wearing such an outfit."
"Yep!" Himiko chirped, stepping forward. "If I use my quirk to change my clothes, it would destroy whatever clothing I'm wearing. But my bodysuit was made from my hair, and it transforms with me! So when I drop my transformation I'm not naked!"
"But how will that work? My quirk is invisibility!"
"I don't believe that is entirely correct," All Might explained. He had talked it over with Izuku and Ochako, and they had explained to him that Toru's quirk is really light refraction, which meant that a DNA-infused outfit would work for her. "If your quirk was true invisibility you would have problems seeing, when you clearly don't. Therefore we can assume that there is some other factor in play - and that factor could be enough. I am going to insist that we take a sample of your hair and send it off to the support company to have it analyzed, and they will be able to tell us if it's possible to create a costume for you."
"Yes!" Toru exclaimed. "That would be amazing! I'd love to wear more than gloves and boots!"
"I believe I can already see what you are going to say," Momo said as All Might turned toward her. "If I tried to use Creation through clothing, it would rip my clothes, but if I had one of these outfits, it would in theory use my clothing as the outer layer instead, while protecting me."
"Precisely! And I believe there is an easy way to test that."
Momo's eyes went wide. "How?"
All Might pointed toward her head. "Try making something out of the back of your head."
Realization filling her face, Momo began to concentrate until a matryoshka doll suddenly sat on top of her head. "T-that worked."
"That means you can easily wear something more protective! Plus it has the added benefit of your opponent not knowing where you will be creating objects from!" All Might explained. "But that's not all."
Excitement was quickly replaced with dread as Momo looked at All Might. "There's more?"
All Might pointed to the bookshelf resting on Momo's back. "If you were to stumble and fall, you would injure yourself! That is unacceptable. May I suggest something smaller and more convenient, like a watch with a holographic display, or perhaps even a visor to store information?"
Momo blushed. "Those both sound more practical than what I'm wearing."
All Might put a hand on Momo's shoulder. "There's no shame in not coming up with these solutions on your own. That is why we are having these costume checks after all! To ensure you have the best equipment possible!"
"I, thank you All Might," Momo said as she looked up at the hero.
"Don't thank me," All Might chuckled. "I'm just doing my job as a teacher!" Looking up, his gaze swept over the rest of the class. "Now then, let's see how we can improve the costumes for the rest of your classmates."