This is stupid. This is so very, very stupid. Tenko wishes he could find a better word to describe this, but stupid is the best he can come up with. Dumb might work, but it just doesn't feel strong enough. Illogical or irrational might work best if talking to Aizawa about it.

He groans under his breath while his classmates chat happily around him. Class 1-A had all been gathered together, in their uniforms carrying their hero costume cases, at the train station before internships were set to begin. Their homeroom teacher wanted to make sure everyone got to their destinations in a timely fashion.

Don't get Tenko wrong, that part makes sense. If he knows teenagers like, well, like himself, he'd also want to make sure they got to where they are going. But there is a slight issue with that when it comes to Tenko…

His internship is at his own house!!

Seriously, why is he here?! He literally left his house, just to go right back! Sure, he doesn't have his hero gear but he could've taken it home with him on the last day of classes. Or had it delivered.

Those apps mean it when they say they'll have anything delivered to you. Tenko knows, he's tested them thoroughly. Does it get you weird looks when you're ordering a coffee machine, beans, batteries, and energy drinks at one thirty in the morning? Obviously. But he tips well so they don't seem to mind too much.

Gran may mind if he ever looks at his credit card statements, but that's a problem for future Tenko.

None of that still explains why he had to wake up at the crack of dawn just to come here, but whatever. He shifts the suitcase in his hands. "I could be at home playing games right now," he mumbles irritatedly to himself.

"I know what you mean."

Tenko hopes that no one saw him jump just now as Todoroki seemed to materialize next to him. Someone should put a bell on that kid. "You play games?"

Todoroki shakes his head. "I meant about being home. Endeavor offered to simply drive me to his agency this morning, but I am required to be here."

"I see…" Tenko replies somewhat awkwardly. He feels like the other boy is trying to start a conversation but doesn't know how. And unfortunately for him, he chose the worst person to try with. Hell, Koda would've been a better pick than him! And he doesn't even talk!

Tenko used to always laugh at those awkward game cutscenes where a person had to use the weather to start a conversation. Now? He may be starting to see the appeal…

Coughing into his hand, Tenko starts. "Weather is nice today." He tries his best to not show the cringe on his face.

"I wouldn't know," Todoroki replies simply. "My quirk allows me to regulate my body temperature to my preference."

"Cool…" Wonderful. The silence is back. They are still waiting for a few members of the class to arrive, and to aid in Tenko's continued torture, Midoriya is one of them!

As it turns out, growing up and keeping yourself isolated does not lead to practice with talking to other people. While yes, he did talk to people online frequently, those discussions were usually about how they were having physical relations with his mother.

Nothing can really take the pain away of his mother being gone. But he can at least take some satisfaction in listening to those idiots shut the fuck up real quick when he tells them she's dead.

Back to his point, chats in online gaming weren't exactly how normal conversations go in places like school. So in situations like these, Tenko usually relied on Midoriya to bail him out. Something he couldn't exactly do when he isn't here! Now what-

"It looks like your conversation is going nowhere." Never had Tenko been so glad to hear that voice. He and Todoroki turn around to find Tsu's wide eyes staring them down. "Need someone to save you both from your awkward talk? Ribbit." Blunt as ever.

"Yes," both Tenko and Todoroki shamelessly answer.

Tsu nods in understanding. "Todoroki, you did well in trying to find something you both have in common. Maybe there's a hobby or interest you both share?"

"Video games," Tenko replies without a second thought, before looking at Todoroki.

The scarred boy takes a moment to think. "I do enjoy investigations. My time has been taken up recently by extraterrestrials, but I have been making an effort to research the possible existence of demons as well."

Tenko and Tsu stare.

Todoroki stares back.

"…How about one of those horror games where you have to figure out a mystery?" Tenko tries.

To his relief, Todoroki mulls it over. "I am not familiar with that genre, but Midoriya told me trying new things is important, so I will purchase the required products after internships."

Relieved and not wanting to point out they're having an actual conversation, afraid that would ruin it, Tenko responds, "you don't have to do that. I have some games you can try, the console, and extra controllers."

"Nonsense, Endeavor has more than enough funds for me to try a healthy amount of games." Tenko's not sure, but he could've sworn there was a twitch on the side of his mouth as he said that.

"Hey, guys!" The sound of new arrivals catches the class' attention as Midoriya and Uraraka run to join them. Midoriya, unsurprisingly, doesn't have a suitcase, and Uraraka swings hers so freely as she speaks to everyone that Tenko is pretty sure she used her quirk on it.

Midoriya apologizes when a few people ask about Kaminari, the last of their number missing. He was supposed to walk with both he and Uraraka but somehow, they ended up on different trains. Tenko pretends not to notice Mina and Toru celebrating quietly in the back of the group.

"I wish those two would stop dancing around each other already," Tsu says pointedly, looking at Midoriya and Uraraka continuing to greet everyone.

"I think Mina is working on it, if you wanna help," Tenko jokes. Look at him! Talking with another actual person one right after another! And neither included the grouchy old man he lives with. It's a good day; he's earned his playing time tonight.

"No, if I was going to do anything, I'd just tell them directly, ribbit. There's no reason to worry about a crush when you can just ask someone." She looks at him and Tenko freezes, a weird feeling when it's combined with his rapidly heating face.

Tsu's expression remains the same, but it's like he knows what she wants him to do. "S-so, um." He swallows. "Is there someone you're feeling t-that way about?" 'Stop stuttering! You're almost as bad as Midoriya was at the beginning of the year!'

The frog girl doesn't break eye contact. "Maybe. I'm still not sure. But I'm open to spending more time with you to find out."

Okay… Tenko, take a breath. Everything is fine. It'll be okay. You're starting to choke, you still haven't taken that breath. There you go. Nothing can be done about the face or heart yet, but those will come later. Assuming you survive this encounter.

You've trained for this. It's what all those dating sims were for. Just respond with something sincere and…wait, there's no dialogue selection in real life! What is he supposed to say?!

Again, her face is blank but he can feel the expectant energy coming from her. Might as well be honest? "I'm not sure either? I've been thinking about it, but would be open to spending more time with you too." Tenko almost faints when she nods at him with a small smile.

"I made it!" The pair look up when Denki runs up to everyone, waving and smiling. "These two tried to ditch me, but you guys can't get rid of me that easily!" Denki winks, shooting them all with finger guns.

Midoriya and Uraraka protest vehemently, but Jiro's the one to have her voice heard. "We can't get rid of you easily? So that makes you a cockroach?"

"Jiroooooo," Kaminari whines, waving his suitcase around. "That's so mean! You know that's now what I meant!"

"We know…" Uh-oh, Midoriya has that look in his eye. "Hey Jiro, how much would you give me to turn him into a cockroach?"

"Izuku!"

"275 yen."

"Jiro!"

"I'll give you 300 to turn him into a spider!" Sero raises his hand.

"I've got 300 here!" Izuku points to the tape user. "Anything better?"

"400 to fix his hair," Aoyama counters, fluffing his own stylishly done hair and making Tenko feel self-conscious about his own wild mop of hair.

"A bat would be interesting to see, 450." Tokoyami doesn't raise his voice, but they all hear him anyway. Koda sighs in relief when they move away from turning Kaminari into a bug.

"Nah, let's make him something tough!" Kirishima pumps his fist in the air, much to the annoyance of Bakugo next to him. "600 to make him a gorilla!"

"Something more unique would be interesting. 650 for an octopus," Shoji suggests from a second mouth, with Ojiro giving him a 'seriously?' look next to him.

"Why are you all sticking to such boring options?!" Mina grabs Midoriya roughly by the collar, shaking him. "1000 to make him a Xenomorph! Do it now!"

"I don't get a say in this…" Kaminari tries again to interject.

"1200! Turn him into me!" Even Dark Shadow is getting in on the action, flying out of Tokoyami to call out her suggestion.

"And where would you be getting this money to pay Midoriya?"

"From you Fumi!"

"You can't just!-"

"1500 to make him a Pikachu!" Toru pulls Mina off the green-haired boy. Although, Tenko thinks that was more to ensure she was heard than for Midoriya's sake. "Just look at his hero name, it's obvious he wants to be a Pokemon!"

Kaminari groans very loudly. "I told you all already, that was an accident! Raikou is another name for the Japanese God of Thunder, I forgot it was also a Pokémon!"

"Doesn't change the fact you still named yourself after a Pokémon," Sero laughs, patting the blond's back. "Should've done more research, buddy. You brought this on yourself."

"Enough," Aizawa drawls. "Shut up and listen because it's almost time for you all to depart, and I will not be repeating myself."

While the class begins to quiet down, Midoriya uses it to say, "got you guys! I would've done it for free!" He covers his mouth at Aizawa's glare, and it is time for their internships to begin.

"SHOTOOO!!"

"It's good to see the Sports Festival wasn't a fluke." Ochako doesn't answer, choosing to press her attack on Gunhead with the demonstration knife he had given her.

Going for a stab, the hero is quick to move to the side, but almost as quickly, Ochako flips the blade in her hand and attacks him again. Just as before, Gunhead dodges. "And not bad with a knife either," he compliments.

Ochako backs off to get her bearings. "The person who taught me made sure I knew my way around one!" She begins her assault again. With Deku's reassurances, she knows she made good progress. But sparring with Gunhead, and knowing he's going easy, Ochako knows she has a long way to go.

His movements are fluid and practiced, like he's done this a thousand times plus some, which to be fair, he probably had. Ochako thrusts the knife again and when he predictably dodges, she changes up her attack.

She kicks the back of his knee to disorient him while at the same time, switching hands with the knife in mid-air to attempt a double attack on him, with both the knife and the threat of her quirk. A pretty good plan if she thought so herself.

There is just a slight problem. Gunhead is faster than her. And has a lot more experience. So it isn't too much of a surprise when Ochako's vision whirls and she finds herself on her stomach. "Good try!" Gunhead tells her as he helps her up.

Ochako thanks him sheepishly. She knew she couldn't have won but dangit, just one hit would've been so satisfying! "I think now, I have a good idea of your abilities and where to start you in our lessons. But how about a tour first?!"

The brunette covers her mouth to stop her laugh and squeal. She couldn't help it! He sounded so cute when offering her the tour. She quickly agrees, walking through the dojo with the hero while he introduces her to various sidekicks and students.

Eventually, he leads her to a side room, where a few sidekicks were cleaning and polishing. The room is filled with framed photos and various weapons and artifacts that had to be from different countries.

"I'm quite proud of this area. Like to see the world when I can, learn from other fighters so I can improve my own technique, and collect interesting things along the way." Ochako nods to Gunhead's narration while she walks around the room in awe.

"A lot of history here." Gunhead points to a small open wooden box on a pedestal. "Like these. In here you have The Ten-"

"Bracelets?" Ochako questions, looking at the circular objects inside.

Gunhead laughs cutely. "I've never heard them called that before. But that's it for the dojo, so how about a patrol as well?"

"Yes, sir!"

"SHOTOOOOOO!!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Denki rises from his bow. "Izuku has told me a lot about you, and I appreciate your offer of internship," he finishes politely, before thinking back to another piece of advice his cousin gave him.

"Uhh…" not exactly sure how to begin, Denki looks beside him for help. Mirio gives him a blinding smile of encouragement and a thumbs up, so he faces forward again. "Why doesn't Thor ever notice his little brother?"

Sir Nighteye's face refuses to change from his spot behind his desk, merely raising an eyebrow while Bubble Girl types rapidly on her phone next to him.

"Because he's…Low-Key!" Denki delivers the punchline. Mirio snorts next to him, breaking out in a small bit of laughter as Bubble Girl's head shoots up. Sir Nighteye meanwhile, still hadn't moved.

"Get it?" Denki nervously asks. "He's low-key because he stays out of sight but his name is also Loki…"

"Yes, I understood the joke." Nighteye leans back. "That was…not terrible. I particularly enjoyed the pun, but I believe you can put more work into the setup next time."

He doesn't say anything else, opting to stare at Denki seriously. When he sees Mirio's serious look as well, Denki quickly says, "oh! Y-yes, sir!"

Nighteye nods, satisfied. "Furthermore, I thank you for taking my call before we finalized the internship. I am unsure of how flattering Midoriya was when he spoke of me…"

"He says you're cool…now…" Denki says the last part much quieter.

"I imagined as much." Nighteye seems unbothered. "I just wanted to reiterate before we got started that I intended to request and assist you with your quirk, no matter your relation to the hero Thor. Asking you to request a meeting with him for me is more of a convenience than anything."

"I know, and thank you for being so transparent with me over the phone before I signed on," Denki thanks him with a smile. "And I'd be happy to ask Dad to meet you!"

"Fantastic." He stands. "But let us focus on the real reason you're here. You're going to spar Mirio so I may gauge what we need to work on."

"Wait, right now?!" Denki is taken aback for a moment, before getting a determined look and accepting the challenge. "Bring it on!"

"That's the spirit!" Mirio punches his shoulder, leading him out of the office to one of their training rooms. "You won't be allowed to use your support item by the way. And my quirk requires me to think constantly about what to do next. That's sorta what you want to learn, right?"

"Yeah," Denki confirms. "I don't wanna be the guy who just throws lightning at people and hopes for the best. I wanna be able to use my brain more!" Denki goes to tap his head but uses his suitcase hand by accident, bumping the metal object against the side of his head. "Ow!"

Mirio laughs heartedly, messing with Denki's hair. "Don't worry! I had my work cut out for me too!"

"I'm ready!" Denki would come to regret these words in just a few minutes when he found himself being constantly slammed onto a mat by the older student, not landing a single hit. But he couldn't have been having a better time if he tried.

SHOTOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Tenya steps off the hospital elevator and makes his way down the hall to his brother's room, passing by a coupon of janitors playing on their phones. Reaching the room, he goes to knock, but is surprised when the door opens instead.

"Oh!" Dr. Reiwaru puts a hand over his heart, trying to calm his breathing. "I apologize, young Iida, but you scared me! Don't test an old man's heart like that!"

"I am sorry, Doctor, it was not my intent to frighten you!"

"It's fine, my boy! Just surprised me is all," his brother's doctor forgives him easily. "He's waiting for you inside." The man walks past Tenya, only to frown at the janitors slacking at their job.

"Hey!" He calls out, marching toward them. "What do you think you're doing?! The devil makes work for idle hands, you know!" The cleaners are quickly back on their feet and scrubbing the surface near them.

"You have to be on a first name basis with the staff with the number of times you've been here." Tensei laughs at his own greeting, causing Tenya to smile sadly.

"I would never disrespect them by referring to them as such!" Tensei shakes his head good-naturedly at Tenya's words. "I cannot stay long, but I wanted to inform you that, unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to be able to visit while on my internship."

"I didn't expect you to. You'll need practice for when I convince you to take the Ingenium name." The smile doesn't leave Tensei's face, but the jab makes Tenya grimace all the same.

"Okay…" is all the younger brother can get out, before wrapping his arms around Tensei, and hugging him tightly. "Goodbye, Tensei."

The former hero laughs again, hugging Tenya back. "It's only a week, little bro! I'm not going anywhere!"

That's true, but Tenya couldn't say the same for himself. At best, he'll be in jail by the end of the week. At worst… he doesn't want to think about that. Either way, Tenya doesn't know when he'll get to hug his brother again.

Blinking himself out of the memory, Tenya chastises himself for ignoring Manual while the man gives him a tour of his hero agency. He is already disrespecting the hero enough by essentially using him for his own goals, no reason to add not paying attention as well.

Still, while Tenya is sure Manual is a good hero, he isn't sure how much he can really learn-

"And here!" Manual slaps a large stack of papers on a desk. "Is where you'll be. Let's go over how to fill out reports."

Perhaps he can find a way to enjoy himself after all.

"SHOTOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"Let's see if those video games can be put to good use for once." Gran puts on the finishing pieces to his hero outfit. "You want to try what you learned in that game?" Tenko nods. "Hop to it then! I'm not getting any younger!"

Biting his tongue, Tenko closes his eyes and concentrates from where he stands in the middle of the living room. 'Remember, One for All is not an active skill you turn off and on. It's like an elixir of power. Turn it on once and keep it on.'

Tenko digs deep inside himself. It's not hard to find the raging storm of his new quirk inside him. He can feel it wanting to burst out of him but he controls it. Or more accurately, redirects it. Instead of trying to push all the power into a single part of his body, Tenko lets it flow through his veins, treating himself like a container that can be filled.

It's strange, and nothing like his own quirk, but at the same time comforting, and terrifying if that makes sense. He's anxious and excited to gain control of the quirk, but at the same time, there's always that doubt in the back of his mind about whether or not his grandmother would even approve of him having it.

Gran and All Might tell him she would, but those are empty platitudes at this point. Maybe rescuing Hana can help him feel more deserving? That's probably selfish to think and another reason why he shouldn't have One for All, but there's no going back now.

Opening his eyes, Tenko isn't sure what he expects. He thinks he did it? He can feel One for All swimming throughout his body, ready to use, but he looks no different? No physical indication the quirk is on.

"Did you do it?" Gran watches him closely.

"I'm not sure…" Tenko answers honestly.

"I can think of one way to find out!" He can't even start to speculate on the meaning, before Gran is bouncing around the room. "Better get a move on, zygote!" Gran whips past him, clipping his shoulder in the process.

Tenko grabs his arm but notices he's not in as much pain as he usually is. One for All's doing? "Pay attention!!" Tenko yells when he has his feet knocked out from under him. "You want to make your grandmother proud? Start trying!"

Feeling a pit of anger start to form in his stomach, Tenko jumps back to his feet, his eyes darting around the room to try and keep up with Gran. "I am trying!" He notices too late that the old hero is launching at him and gets kicked in the side, hard.

What is going on?! Tenko can feel himself getting more frustrated and angry with each passing hit he takes. It's not like before. The first time he threw a punch with One for All, his senses were overwhelmed. Now? He can feel the quirk but none of the power that came with it.

Tenko grunts at a particularly hard hit to his back. "C'mon Shimura! Show me what you can do!"

Gran is trying to egg him on and holy hell is it working. He thought he had it figured out! Gran said his plan was solid, so why wasn't the quirk working?! He's getting none of the speed or strength despite knowing for certain that One for All is present just underneath his skin.

A bitter part of him thinks it's taunting him. Teasing him with what he could have but never will. Tenko knows that can't be the case, but it doesn't stop the thoughts anyway. Gran passes by for another hard hit and Tenko swipes at him wildly, his anger continuing to rise at his lack of progress and Gran's continued assault not letting him think.

On and on, Gran continues to zoom around the room, landing solid blows on Tenko as he does. And still, he can't get One for All to work properly. 'Why?!!'

He needs to figure this out, but he can't with Gran's constant hits! Tenko has to stop him, to catch him. He wildly tries to smack Gran out of the air again but fails, earning another kick to his arm for his efforts.

One for All hums inside him but still, it does nothing. Tenko lets out another angry yell after missing Gran again. He knows he can figure this out! He just has to catch Gran Torino first!

Miss.

'Smack!'

Miss.

Miss.

'Smack!'

Miss.

Tenko is at his breaking point now. Gran won't stop, and he doesn't see an end in sight! Not to mention he can't hear anything now that it almost feels like One for All is screaming in his ears. He's starting to feel overloaded. And all he wants to do is fucking catch Gran!!!

Yelling again and not quite sure what he's doing, Tenko feels One for All surge painfully inside him as he swings his arm. Before he can stop it, Tenko gasps as his sleeves rip and multiple black tendrils shoot from his wrists, ripping through the walls and furniture as they please.

"Wha-" Tenko can't finish his thought before one of the tendrils, as if it has a mind of its own, is able to wrap around Gran's leg and pull him roughly to the ground. "Gran!" Tenko still can't think before the tendrils begin to tear through the house, making him howl in pain as his arm feels as though it's being ripped from the inside out. Finally, the last thing Tenko sees is a yellow boot coming to his face.

'I'm so proud of you, Tenko.'

Groaning, Tenko opens his eyes to find he's lying down in the middle of a destroyed living room, with Gran looming down at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" Tenko rubs his sore throat, sitting up with Gran's help, trying not to put any weight on his hurt arm. "How long was I out?"

"A few minutes." Gran picks up his cane and hands him a water bottle. "I called Toshinori and Chiyo. They'll be here soon to check on you, so we can try to figure out whatever the hell that was."

Tenko nods, taking a greedy sip of water. "Right…" he inspects his arm. It's not as bad as when he broke it. His clothes are shredded and it's definitely bruised and cut up, but nothing feels broken at least.

None of that helps explain what that was just now. And Gran's surprise isn't helping. Just what has he gotten himself into? And speaking of things he doesn't understand…

Looking around, Tenko asks, "is there someone else already here?"

"No?"

"Are you sure?" Tenko persists. "When I was knocked out, I could've sworn I heard a woman's voice…" Feeling something on his face, Tenko puts a hand on his cheek and is surprised to find tears. Why is he crying?

Izuku gulps, looking at the building he was set to intern at up and down. It is certainly not what he was expecting, but also exactly what he expected at the same time.

Unlike its neighbors, the hero agency didn't look like your typical office building. Instead, it appeared as if someone had built their three-story home in the middle of the city.

Despite how out of place it seemed, passersby on the street paid it no mind, either used to its presence or not noticing it at all. Taking a breath, and hoping all the practice he's had in social situations since starting at UA would help, Izuku strolls up to the door wishing to make a good first impression.

A sign on the door invites Izuku to walk in freely and he does. The outside of the agency gave a homey feeling and that went double for the inside. He is greeted by a warm room with several different pleasurable smells wafting throughout.

The large space has a hardwood floor with brown walls. In the middle is a circular desk and computer, which currently sits empty. There are double doors on either side that presumably lead to other rooms, and at the back of the high-ceiling area, a twin set of spiral staircases.

With what Izuku knows of the man, he'd say it matches. The decor is sophisticated, but definitely not in an 'in your face' kind of way. He wonders-

"I take it you're the boss' intern?" Izuku yelps, falling to his knees when a platform made from a ring-shaped energy emerges from under his feet and carries him into the air.

In a few meters, he's brought level with a hero he recognized. The man's appearance could be compared to a wizard, with numerous fabrics and sashes of different patterns and colors around his person, including a sash that covered his eyes. To complete the look, he wears a red pointy hat on his head.

"You're The Magic Hero: Majestic!" Izuku exclaims, completely forgetting being off-balance and conjuring a notebook. "Can I have your autograph?!"

The hero tilts his head curiously at Izuku, moving his platform to be right in front of him. "You know who I am?"

"Of course I do!" Izuku fanboys, jumping to his feet before quickly having to steady himself on the man's platform. "My quirk was registered under the same name as yours, magic! Your costume is so different from most heroes, and you have a quirk that lets you do a ton of useful things, including flying! Can I ask you a question or twenty?"

It's hard to tell because of Majestic's blindfold, but Izuku is pretty sure he's blinking under it. "Uh- uh yeah, sure kid. Sorry, not used to people knowing who I am." He scratches at his goatee. "But let's start with my question first."

He holds his hand out smiling and Izuku is quaking in excitement as he hands his notebook over. The hero asks, "you are the new intern for the week, yeah?"

"Oh! Sorry, yes, that's me!" Izuku apologizes, quick to execute a crude bow. "Izuku Midoriya, it's really great to meet you!"

"Likewise," the man chuckles, signing the notebook with style and handing it back to an awestruck Izuku. "Shouldn't you have your hero costume with you?"

Izuku answers by vanishing his notebook and at the same time, using his magic to change into his hero outfit. If he let the change happen a bit slower than usual to show off, no one has to know.

"That's useful," Majestic notes. "Make sure to change back before the big man sees you."

"Okay, I will! First question, how do you see through the blindfold?!"

Majestic laughs, pointing to said blindfold. "A magician never reveals his secrets." He angles his head behind him, creating several more platforms with his wrist. "You better get going. Boss is big on punctuality."

Izuku nods, changing back into his UA uniform and starting to make his way back down to the ground as the makeshift stairs led him to one of the sets of double doors. Before he can make it, however, Majestic calls out to him one more time.

"Just walk right in. And hey, if you're up for it after, I wouldn't mind answering some more of those questions you might have." Majestic shrugs casually, but a couple of small glances sent Izuku's way tells him the hero might be a bit more interested than he's letting on.

"That'd be great!" Izuku waves at him when he reaches the floor, getting a smile and nod in return. One last calming breath and Izuku is walking through the doors into the office.

He is the first there. The room is much like the rest of the house. Lavish, but not to the point of being gaudy. A bookshelf and picture frames line the wall to the left and in front of him, two very comfortable looking chairs sit on one side of a large coffee table.

On the other side was another chair, which sat in front of a desk and bay window that could easily view the street. Izuku takes a step forward on the nice rug and before he can wonder what he should do, a door to his right opens and Izuku sucks in a breath as the hero he's interning with steps inside.

"Izuku Midoriya!" The man greets with a friendly smile and no, he does not almost pass out from hearing him say his name. "A pleasure to meet you in person at last, young man!"

"I-it's great to meet you as well, sir!" Izuku bows, using it to get his nerves in check. Or at least try. The man chuckles, gesturing to one of the chairs while he sits across the coffee table, putting down a teapot and two mugs Izuku just noticed he is carrying.

"My partner is out at the moment and will join us later." Izuku sits, unable to keep the grin off his face. Is he really gonna have the chance to share tea with him?! "If you'll excuse my brazen asking, I was surprised when you accepted my offer of internship."

"To be honest…" Izuku rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment, "you instantly shot to the top of my list when I saw your name. I didn't mention it in the emails, but I've been watching your videos for a long time." Izuku laughs a little to himself. "I was even watching one when I got my letter from UA!"

"It's here, Izuku! Your exam results!"

"Money is not my goa-" Izuku quickly closes his laptop and races to the living room to find his Mom holding a letter with UA's stamp with trembling hands.

"That is quite flattering," the man says genuinely, before beginning to pour the tea into the mugs, holding the pot much farther away than he needs to. "Should we ever have met in person, I had hoped to ask you, what possessed you to start emailing me your quirk analysis in the first place?"

"I just wanted to help in any way I could," Izuku answers sincerely. "The police are always putting up lists of the most notorious criminals in any given area and their quirks, so I thought I could help you if you ever ran into one while you were exposing those corrupt businesses."

"Yes, my partner brought your analysis to my attention. Technology is not my fortitude, I'm afraid." The hero hisses in pain when, predictably, he misses the next mug he had intended to pour tea in and spills some on his hand.

Quickly correcting his pour, he adds, "and your labors were not in vain! Your insights helped me take down quite a few of those ruffians."

"Really?! That's all I could've ever asked for! You-" Izuku clears his throat. "I mean, happy to help," he amends in a level voice to the man's amusement. "I'm sorry about how long some of them were. I'd just get so absorbed when writing some of them! One time, I didn't even notice a friend of mine coming to my room!"

Deku is at his desk, watching some sort of video she can't hear. Ochako approaches and realizes he has two windows open on the computer. On one, Deku watches the video of some older gentlemen with silvery hair and a mustache speaking in front of a store.

In the other window, he's writing an email. She doesn't want to read it without permission so Ochako looks away, only catching the briefest sentence. If she had to guess, it looks like it is about quirks.

Ochako taps his shoulder, and Deku whirls around in surprise, taking one of his earbuds out. "And that's why, my dear viewers, Golden Tips Imperi-"

"Uraraka!" Deku pauses the video and closes his laptop, before taking out his other earbud. "S-sorry! I didn't think you'd be here yet."

"I wish I had known you were at the Sports Festival," Izuku continues. "I would've loved to meet you then!"

"As serendipitous as that would have been, I'm afraid neither I nor my partner could make it to the festival. Heroes' duties and such compelled us to have to watch after the events had been completed," the hero corrects Izuku's assumption.

"And to say we were impressed would be an understatement. I am looking forward to working with you. So much so that I have decided to celebrate the beginning of our internship with one of my favorite blends of tea."

The hero slides Izuku's mug to him, his silver slick-back hair, handlebar mustache, and beard shining a little from the sunlight behind him. The thick black lines around his eyes crinkle in anticipation of Izuku tasting the drink.

He carefully takes the tea from the man, not wanting to spill any on his refined clothes. The man notices and gives him a grateful look. "I have clearly made the right choice. And on an occasion such as this, only Golden Tips Imperial will suffice!"

Leaning back, the man holds his own mug to Izuku. "After you drink and obtain the full appreciation of what you possess, we will begin! And hopefully, this internship will fulfill both the desires of you and my mustache!"

Izuku looks up, smiling wide.

"I am in your care, Gentle Hero!"