The next day, Izuku was sick.

His back hurt. His legs ached. His head throbbed. He would have chalked all this up to the craziness of the previous day, but the fact that his body felt like it was roasting on a barbecue rack was evidence that it was more than car accident trauma. His face as red as his soft slippers, he trudged down to the hospital floor of the USAHS school building.

In the main atrium, he sludged past inquisitive students and faculty that pointed at the barely lucid man when he climbed up the stairs to get looked at by the nurse on scene.

Seated on a cot, Izuku stuck out his tongue when the nurse looked inside his throat. She jabbed a tongue depressor in which caused him to gag. He coughed when the nurse pulled away and write something down on a clipboard.

"So, you look like shit," The Nurse stated.

"I feel like it, too," Izuku wheezed out.

"Well, I don't see anything here other than a cold. Probably all the excitement from the past few days catching up to your immune system. I'll give you a prescription of the Good Stuff. Should have you feeling better by end of today."

"The Good Stuff?"

"That's what it's called," The Nurse said. She handed Izuku a red pill and a small cup of water. "So, drink up and head back to bed."

Izuku blew out a deep sigh. Well, as long as he could get back to his life sooner than later, he could acquiesce to this lady's demands. He grabbed the small cup and downed the red pill in one swoop.

And so Izuku slimed his way back to the separate teachers condominium building on the opposite part of the island from the student dorms. He shuffled his slipped past the open doorway to the cafeteria where a few students caught glimpses of the beaten and battered Pro-Hero.

One such student, Riley, furrowed his brow from the counter of the pizza line. Based off the conversations he eavesdropped on with other students, this teacher known as "Deku" to the others was a big deal around this school. From Japan, he had saved many people as a "Pro-Hero" which he supposed was a profession like superheroes in comic books.

"Oh, and this is the app you use for it!"

Riley looked down at Skylar who opened up one of these strange "social media" applications that existed in these extremely intelligent phones. Nowadays, they weren't just for calls and conversations. They were the equivalent of computers where one could search a myriad of topics or waste their lives watching odd videos of other people. Since he had been in the same line as this excitable, loud blonde for food, he figured he could learn the ways of his generation during this time. He had come to regret that decision.

"So you can do all kinds of things on this app," Skylar babbled out. "Most people post themselves with some song and then they do a dance. Or they do some challenge that's trending. I like to mix both of them; but it's important to engage your audience so they feel like they're with you when your doing whatever. The important thing to get followers is consistency."

"So what happens when you get followers?" Riley asked. "You win something?"

"Yeah, you win in life," Skylar beamed. "Here, we can make something right now. Y'know, you're really muscular and hunky. But you don't really seem that high energy. I think you'd kill on Insta. Why don't we start making that one for you? Do you have any thirst trap pics?"

"Like…I'm stuck in the desert?" Riley asked.

Before Skylar could respond, he saw from the corner of his eye the pink ponytail of Melanie passing by with a bowl of poutine. Around her neck was a bright ruby crystal hugging a golden chain. She hummed to herself and snaked past the rows of students filing through the cafeteria.

"Hey, freshman."

Melanie spun around on her toes. Gavin marched towards her and stopped just a foot away.

"Oh, hello Mister," Melanie waved. "What brings you here?"

"What brings you here?" Gavin mocked. "The crystal. I want it."

"Oh, the crystal that I apprehended in that strange cylindrical chamber just the day previous," Melanie thumbed the crystal around her neck.

"No, the crystal at your mom's house," Gavin rolled his eyes. "Yes, that crystal. I want it."

"But Mister, I do bel-."

"My name is Gavin."

"Well, Mister Gavin," Melanie said in a formal tone. "I would be happy to return you this gem, but I don't believe it to actually be yours. I think it would be best if I held onto it until the rightful owner can be ascertained."

"And how do you think we'll do that?" Gavin bit his lip in frustration.

"In order to defray this fracas between us, I was hoping you could assist me with something," Melanie said. "And perhaps in exchange for that assistance, I could lend you what you seek as well."

"What are you, a wizard," Gavin asked. "If you want help with something, just ask."

"I have the rest of my classes off," Melanie handed Gavin her tray of crumb-littered plates. "Please meet me at the tall oak tree in the central courtyard at four. I will know you are serious then."

Melanie smiled at Gavin and patted him on the shoulder. She hopped past him and skipped out of the cafeteria. Gavin sneered at the girl before looking down at his own hands. He grimaced at the used cafeteria tray and hurried for the conveyor belt that cleaned the dishes.

Riley and Skylar watched the second year hurry past them. Riley was still confused at the fact that people seem to also have all kinds of hair shapes and colors in this world naturally. Then again, the fact that he was standing next to some kid with a halo hovering over his head and light protrusions in the shape of wings to his back should be more concerning.

"Oh. My. All Might," Skylar slapped his face and let out a strange noise from the base of his throat. "Was that Melanie Wicker of Class 1-A rizzing up a second year on our second day? Oh, this is so much drama! I mean, she's totally cute and he's totally cute so that's a whole mood. Ah! I gotta ask my followers what to do."

"These…followers…sound important," Riley said. "Are they more important than your subscribers?"

"No, but they're for different platforms," Skylar tapped out a post to put on his feed. "Subscribers are for YouTube. Followers are Insta and Twitter. I guess Facebook also? Until they got sold to MySpace a few years back. Yeah, MySpace did make a comeback, didn't it? Although I-."

"Did you guys hear?"

"Yah!"

Skylar jumped into the air in shock at Ayumu's dream state popping up out of thin air before them. Riley as well took a defensive step back. Apparently these "quirks" could defy the laws of the physical and metaphysical in so many ways as to allow ghost-like apparitions in his presence. Or perhaps ghosts were real and they were simply allowed to co-exist with humans in this future.

With no Leon to catch him, Skylar fell onto his back. Fortunately, his wings cushioned his fall, and he bounced upright like a hyper buoy in the choppy ocean. Ayumu giggled and spun around Riley's head which made the boy's green eyes loop around dazed from the movement.

"Our beloved teacher is sick! So he's going to his room to lay in bed and possibly die! So sad. At least we might get tomorrow off as well!"

"Sick," Riley said. "People still get sick."

"Hey, I'm shocked, too," Ayumu did a barrel roll in the air. "With advancements in modern medicine and quirk medicine, you'd think we would have gotten rid of the common cold and diabetes and whatever. But no! People just love their refined sugars!"

Skylar stroked his chin for a second. Then, his halo lit up when he snapped his fingers. "I got an idea! Why don't all of the class visit Mister Deku to help him in his time of need!"

Riley blinked. "Uh…I'm sure he can handle himself."

"That's a freaking excellent idea!" Ayumu chortled. "I'll fly off to everyone and tell them go to where he is staying! We can take turns so we aren't all crowded in at once! I call the last one of the night so I can sing him to sleep!"

"I'll text everyone!" Skylar said. "I think I already have everyone's number or I can DM them. Except you, Riley. What's your number?"

"Oh," Riley tugged at his collar. "My phone number? I actually am not that sure."

"I'm not hitting on you," Skylar whined. "I just want our class to feel more interconnected! Besides, we need to make sure Mister Deku is well!"

"Uh…I'll take yours down," Riley said. "I'll call and you can save my number then."

Izuku, drowsy from the drug, fell into his bed. His teacher's condo was a sleek, modern apartment that spanned a large part of the upper floors of the building. However, he remembered little of the condo save for the simple blue bed and lime walls that surrounded him. Glass doors divided the interior from the large balcony that held two chairs and a small coffee table overlooking Detroit. Across from the bed was a plasma screen television which had a surface obscured by the light from the attached bathroom Izuku had just exited. His nose was completely clogged up, and he rolled onto his back and tried to stretch his tight muscles.

"Ugh, when is this medicine going to work?" Izuku asked in a nasally voice.

"Did you take the red pill?"

"I did," Izuku said. "The nurse gave me-Wah!"

Izuku grabbed his sheets and covered up his body. At the edge of the bed, Sigi sat at the very corner and unfurled a yo-yo from her fingers.

"Sigi!" Izuku shouted. "What are you doing in my room? How did you get in? I didn't give you permission."

"I'm not Dracula," Sigi hissed. "I don't need permission to enter a room."

"My room!" Izuku said.

"Look," Sigi stood and approached Izuku. She held a small plate of food in her grasp with the yo-yo oscillating up and down in her other hand. "The class wanted to make sure you were okay, so we're going to visit you throughout today. We told Hawks, and he was fine with it. So I suggest you simply accept this, and we won't have any problems."

"But you can't just…just…ack!" Izuku sneezed into his pillow. He wiped his nose with the case and sniffed to clear his nostrils.

"Gross," Sigi shoved the plate onto Izuku's lap. "Here. It's braunschweiger."

Izuku looked down at a strange dish of pink, grounded up meat on top of slices of white bread.

"It's what?"

"Braunschweiger. Pig liver. It's German, so it's good. Eat up."

Izuku was mortified at the thought of eating pig liver. However, seeing his student looming over him in anticipation made him wary of hurting her feelings. After all, if his class was going to make an effort to make him fell better, he could not turn down such a showcase of affection!

He gave a quick look at Sigi. The girl, wearing her school uniform, glared down at Izuku as if forcing him to eat with her mind. Izuku swallowed deep and grabbed a piece of the soft bread. He shoved the sand which into his mouth and chewed on the cold pink meat. The braunschweiger melted in his mouth, and the soft crunch of onion nipped at his teeth. Izuku felt the meat slide down into his esophagus, and he shivered at the cold substance within him.

"It's not bad," Izuku said. "Thanks, Sigi."

Sigi frowned and looked around at the spacious and sparse room. "I had a question for you. I was on the phone with one of your previous students. Or, I was trying to be but his Secretary keeps hanging up on me."

"Oh," Izuku braved another bite of the sandwich. "Why do you want to talk to them?"

"I have a few questions," Sigi said. "I wanted to find someone that knows a thing or two about solving mysteries. I heard that guy with dragon powers has a keen eye."

"Drake?" Izuku blinked. "I haven't spoken to him in a while. He was always quiet, but really perceptive."

"I heard," Sigi stepped off the bed and walked to the glass doors overlooking the balcony. She stared out the window and ran a finger over the glass. "I wanted his help in solving the Riley Riddle."

"The what?"

"That's what I'm calling it," Sigi said. "Riley isn't strange to you?"

"He's quiet," Izuku said. "But perceptive."

"Do you even know where he's from?" Sigi turned and asked. "His parents? Anything like that?"

"Look, Sigi," Izuku set down the braunschweiger. "Riley is a student just like you. He just wants to get through the year, and he means no trouble. Perhaps if you were more trusting and helpful to him, you would have suceeded in the test yesterday."

"If it was nighttime, we would have," Sigi mumbled.

"Everyone has limitations," Izuku said. "Don't make more of them. Besides, you seemed to have no problem following him to the basement yesterday against school rules. What were you doing down there?"

"I don't remember," Sigi said. "Maybe I was trying to stop him from ending the world or something."

"Or maybe," Izuku smirked. "You like to follow him around."

"What do you mean by that?" Sigi shot out.

"Do you find Riley to be quite handsome, Sigi?" Izuku teased.

Sigi blushed and covered her mouth. "I have no attraction to that dumb meathead! You know what? Guten appetite!"

Sigi ran out of the room. She slammed the door shut. Izuku sighed remembering just how difficult it was to deal with hormonal teenagers. He hoped that his other students wouldn't cause so much trouble for him.

The barrage of pillows buried Izuku.

He suffocated under the mountain of fluffed feathers with a thermometer jabbed into his mouth. He clawed a small hole in the surface and wrestled his face into the cool room air.

Next to him, Mai sat with a silver cart of tea and miso soup steaming in a porcelain bowl.

"-and you have to make sure your internal temperature remains over ninety eight. Anything under, and I'm afraid I'll have to call the ambulance since it's likely you're dying from hypothermia. Also, have you lost any sense of smell or taste? That may mean you have West Nile Virus. Do you think you have that?"

"No, Mai," Izuku cried out. "I'm fine."

"Well, it's been an hour," Mai grabbed a bottle of thick pills. "It's time to insert these medicines into your body."

"By insert, do you mean just letting me swallow them?"

"Go! Go! Go!"

Aiden screamed and jumped on the bed. The television played a football game of which Izuku knew none of the rules. However, Aiden cheered and did a somersault right next to Izuku.

"That's what I'm talking about," Aiden clapped. "Don't that make you feel better, Mister Deku? The adrenaline of football?"

"Not really, no," Izuku said.

"Oh, shit!" Aiden cheered at another completion. "Go! Go! Go!"

Sam The Dog lay on top of Izuku's chest. The heavy Golden Retriver dozed on his body, and Izuku wheezed to gain some oxygen in his shivering body.

"When I'm feeling down," Merle tilted in a rocking chair with his cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes towards Izuku. "Sam would always lay on me, and I'd feel better. Is it working for you, Mister Deku?"

Izuku could not respond due to the large furry body crushing his lungs.

"I'm sorry, Mister Deku," Melanie twirled a strand of her pink hair. "But my healing powers have no discernible effect on internal viral or bacterial maladies."

Izuku blew his nose in a tissue. He flashed a weak smile at Melanie who sat in a chair next to his bed. "It's okay, Melanie. I know you mean well."

"However, since you are still ill, I am of the firm belief that laughter is the best medicine," Melanie pulled out a puppet of herself from seemingly out of nowhere. "May I introduce you to puppet Melanie!"

"I really don't want to talk to puppet Melanie," Izuku said.

"Greetings, Mister Deku," Melanie, now speaking in a voice akin to Cartman from South Park, projected to Izuku with the puppet mouth on her flapping its gums. "Would you like to hear a joke?"

"Not really."

"Oh, that's okay," Puppet Melanie said. "I was just gonna tell you to look in mirror, cause that's the funniest joke you'll ever see!"

"What?"

"Aww," Puppet Melanie shouted. "I guess whatever joke I'd make wouldn't be as funny as your face."

"Excuse you!"

"Puppet Melanie, that was extremely mean," Melanie said. "Apologize."

"Enough, Melanie," Izuku said. "I have a huge headache."

"Not as huge as your mom!"

"Puppet Melanie!"

Ayumu was not as annoying. She basically slumped into the room and passed out on the spot next to Izuku on the bed. Izuku immediately rolled out of bed for fear of being caught in a compromising position with a student. He sat in the rocking chair left by Merle while Ayumu drooled on his pillow.

"What a rude girl," Izuku said. "I'm the sick one, and she just takes over my bed."

"Try counting sheep!"

Izuku screamed and fell on the floor when Dream Ayumu rose up from the ground and hovered over him.

"I'll help you count," Ayumu screeched. She flew in a circle around Izuku and counted each lap.

"One! Two! Three!"

Izuku, now laying within a circle of candles, opened his eyes to the strange ayahuasca scent that burned from the candles. The blinds were shut, and Izuku found his wrists tied to ropes that were nailed to the floor.

He craned his head up and found Tao in a black robe looming over him.

"I have made a sacrifice for your health, Mister Deku," Tao said. "Now, the ritual may commence."

Izuku screamed.

Hours later, Izuku sat upright on his bed in a comatose state. His mind processed nothing and drool dribbled out the corner of his mouth.

Ivan poked one of his eye tendrils around each portion of the room. Next to Izuku, he pulled out a rat that crawled around his shoulders and twisted over his arms.

"Isn't he adorable," Ivan grabbed the ray and held its face towards Izuku. "Within just the last day, I've learned how to communicate with him. In turn, he's really helped my cooking skills."

The rat licked Izuku's nose. The man betrayed no movement.

Leon stared at Izuku for what felt like hours to the Pro-Hero. The boy's bright blue eyes bore into his, and Izuku swallowed from the strange tension in the room.

"Leon," Izuku stammered. "Is there a reason you've been staring at me for the last twenty minutes."

"Skylar said it was normal for people with no servants or personal nurses to have someone watch over them. That's what I'm doing."

"Most people don't have servants!"

"Really?" Leon blinked. "Perhaps I can shock you and that will get rid of the illness inside you."

"That won't help at all!"

Izuku, now with his hair frizzled up due to electrical charge, leered at Lynn who cried at the television.

A soppy reality show played on the screen. A couple started to get into a fight, and a few bleeps censoring language rang out.

"Oh, no!" Lynn cried. "Why would Samantha break up with Ed like that? They were literally perfect together!"

Izuku seethed.

By the time Skylar showed up in a nurse outfit, Izuku had enough.

Skylar thought that Izuku needed some entertainment. So, Skylar placed his phone on a tripod and recorded him singing to the sick man. In his tight white nurse outfit he picked up from a Halloween store, Skylar sang almost a full musical for Izuku with his subscribers watching along.

"Is ever gonna bring…meeeeeeeeeee-!"

"Stop it!" Izuku screamed. He slammed his fists on the bed and threw off his covers.

Skylar ran to the stereo system behind him and paused the track as Izuku rose up from his cocoon.

"Mister Deku, whatever is the problem?"

"The problem, Skylar," Izuku roared. "Is that I'm sick and no one will leave me alone! I have been suffocated and probed and probably dying due to or dysentery or whatever else I caught from Sigi's cooking and Ivan."

"Huh?"

Izuku glared at the phone still live-streaming. He ran over to it and pressed the off button on the stream.

"Mister Deku," Skylar said. "I was raising money for you. #DekuIsDying was trending online!"

"I'm not dying!"

"But you just said you are!"

Izuku stormed out of his room. However, when his door opened, the portal was blocked by all of his students storming into the room!

Izuku screamed and fell back. He crawled backwards to the wall with his students mobbing him like zombies ready to eat his brains.

"You should be a Packers fan," Aiden said. "Wanna go to Lambeau?"

"What really happened at Void Industries, Deku?" Sigi shouted.

"Would you like to pet my rat?"

"Can I make a TikTok of you dying?"

"I bet All Might wouldn't get sick like this!"

"I'm going back to Canada, asparagus-head!"

The voices grew louder and louder. Izuku cowered with the shadows covering him. He shut his eyes and folded his arms over his head to protect himself. He was helpless from the awful voices and comments with his students converging on his spot as he leaned back on the glass pane leading to the balcony.

"Quirkless nerd! Quirkless nerd! Quirkless nerd!"

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Izuku flew out of his bed. He twirled to the side, and with his covers, fell onto the floor. He groaned and writhed with his elbow jamming the carpet.

He flipped onto his back and moaned from the pain that radiated in his head. He flickered his eyes open and found the night outside with only the lights from the city skyline casting a long shadow from the bedpost over his face. He slowed his breathing and leaned back on the wall.

Knock. Knock.

Izuku wailed and spun towards the door. He held out his fists in preparation. "Don't come any closer!"

"Mister Deku," a soft voice said. "Mister Deku, it's just me. Riley. I have something for you."

Izuku blinked. He supposed Riley was the last person to fly above him or make dances online of him laying in bed. He grabbed the edge of the bed and lifted himself onto the cone we. He sat and fixed his hair.

"Come in."

Riley opened the door. He held a plate of cookies in his hand with a slight blush on his face. He was hoping to learn a lot more from this teacher, but he also realized that situations like this where he had to make someone feel better were not his strong suit. Still in his new school uniform, he took a deep breath and marched into the room. He stood upright like a proper soldier before Izuku with the plate of cookies.

"Hello, Riley," Izuku said. "Did you make these for me."

"Sort of," Riley said. "Skylar thought it'd be a good idea if the class worked together to make cookies for you. It took us about eight hours, and also we're banned from the kitchen for the next month per Principal Hawks. So, each of us contributed one cookie to this plate. Mine is the simple chocolate chip."

Riley set the plate on Izuku's lap. On the dish we're cookies of varying degrees of success. Some circular. Some square. Some hard as a rock and black. Some white and almost raw. Some with nuts. Some with sprinkles. In a way, Izuku could tell which student had a hand in which cookie.

"I'm assuming this one," Izuku grabbed the burnt one. "Is from Tao."

"He seems to get frustrated easily."

Izuku chuckled. He took a bite. His teeth gnashed on the hard cookie with the crunch rivaling that of an earthquake. After a few minutes, he swallowed part of the burnt edge and smacked his lips.

"Thanks, all of you," Izuku said. "I really appreciate it."

"Understood," Riley tugged at his collar. "I suppose I should take my leave now."

"Actually, Riley," Izuku said. "I want to know…why do you want to be a hero?"

Riley blinked. "A hero? Like yourself?"

"Is that your goal?"

Riley looked down at his combat boots. He shuffled on his spot and sighed. "I suppose so. I'm not sure, actually. I'm…I'm…it's easy when I have someone tell me what my mission is. But to have one with my own goals…well, the mission is my goal."

"But is it a goal because it brings you fulfillment," Izuku asked. "Or because you were just told to do it?"

Riley stared at Izuku. Matching shades of green. However, there was no judgement or north to Izuku's gaze. An almost parental curiosity.

"I haven't thought about that," Riley said. "About what emotion it brings me."

"Doing virtuous things doesn't make you virtuous," Izuku said to Riley. "If you do it for the wrong reasons. Fame. Money. Women. Or if you do it, and it makes you a bitter and resentful person."

Riley peered out at the Detroit Skyline. He saw his reflection blink back at himself.

"So…I should do what I want?" Riley said.

"Maybe," Izuku said. "But I don't think it's that simple. I mean, if doing what you want makes you a villain, then that'd be worse. You seem like a very moral person, Riley. In that you stick to your morals and convictions no matter what. You won't waver no matter who is in your way. So maybe the answer isn't to just do whatever you feel, but do what you know you need to. In order to comply with you morals. The values that made you who you are today. Do you know what those are?"

"Family," Riley said. "God. Country. Protecting those weaker than yourself. And being ready to fight those who will take any of that away."

Izuku smiled and gave a quick nod to Riley.

"The good news," Izuku said. "Is that you won't be short of anybody trying to fight those. In fact, they're may be more of those now than ever. But it's a good thing that people like yourself will be around for that. Always."

Riley blushed and bit his lip. "Yes, always. No matter the time."

Riley turned and headed for the exit. He grabbed the door handle and prepared to close it behind him. "By the way, I think there is one more visitor after me."

"One more visitor?" Izuku groaned. "Look, I already saw the whole class today, I don't think I need anyone else."

"Whole class?" Riley asked. "We were in the kitchen all day? Nobody came up from us."

Izuku tilted his head in confusion when Riley closed the door. Then, he shrugged and took a bite of a macadamia nut cookie. For the most part, the cookies were not bad, but the care that his students showed him gave Izuku a warm feeling that made his sinuses clear up. It seemed that the medicine was finally working, and Izuku wiped his brow of sweat with his fever breaking.

In fact, with all the craziness with his class, he found himself closer to them than he previously thought he would. He was hopeful that the class would cease to be a group of students jammed together, and they would form a closer bond akin to his former group. Despite the business concerning his main mission at this school, he took teaching these students as serious as anything concerning the quirk-erasing signal. Soon, he would find it and put an end to it along with the sources of other crime in the city. Then, he could focus all of his attention on his new children.

Izuku smiled at the thought. His children.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in!"

The door opened. Within the frame stood a familiar woman. Izuku looked up at the girl and smiled at her.

"Hello, Momo," Izuku said.

"Izuku," Momo, wearing a fantastic blue strapless dress, clasped her hands together. "I hope you're doing better."

"A little bit," Izuku munched on more cookies. "I believe I'll be gooder than snuff starting tomorrow."

"Gooder than what?"

Izuku coughed and cleared his throat. "Figure of speech. I'll be fine soon."

"Great," Momo said. "It's so unfortunate that we had to cancel our dinner yet again."

"Oh, you're right," Izuku facepalmed. "I'm so sorry. I was spaced out the whole day and forgot to even tell you about this. Yes, tomorrow. And I can pay for it."

"Actually," Momo took a gingerly step into the room. She closed the door behind her and pressed the lock on the knob. "I think we can rectify that right now."

"Well," Izuku frowned at how Momo was traci g her feet into his carpet in a nervous state. "I don't want to get germs at your place. I don't think I'm good enough to leave yet."

"That works in our favor then," Momo said. "Because what I have cooked up can actually occur right here?"

"Momo," Izuku let out an anxious chuckle. "You don't have to use your quirk to make food for me! We can just wait for tomorrow."

"That's the thing, Izuku," Momo said. She stood right in front of Izuku just a foot away from his lap. "I don't think I need to wait until tomorrow. Because we have everything we need for this…right here."

Before Izuku could respond, Momo reached for the zipper at the back of her dress. She pulled it down and shrugged off the silk fabric that cascaded to the ground like a waterfall.

Crack!

The plate of cookies fell onto the ground and littered the floor.

Izuku looked at the one in his hand. Then, back to the girl now standing before him.

Without any clothing.

One more glance at the cookie.

Either my students have drugged me, Izuku mused. Or the red pill is stronger than I thought.