Entropy

by Imperium42

Midoriya Izuku didn't change overnight. The process was slow and gradual, the end result of a life filled with rejections and roadblocks- but everyone has a breaking point. Destruction brings renewal, and with the death of his old dream, Izuku has found a new one- one he intends to share. All orderly systems descend into chaos. No one is immune to entropy, heroes least of all.

19. Love's Labour's Lost

So in typical fashion, I both underestimated how busy my schedule would be and how much I still wanted to write! Apologies for that, but I hope you enjoy! I know the chapter title isn't the one I promised, but there's a further explanation about some minor structure changes down in the endnote once you've finished.

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Chapter 19: Love's Labour's Lost

Later that Afternoon

Syndicate Base, Yokohama, Naka Ward

"So Izuku, I almost forgot to ask, how are we gonna do 'good cop, bad cop' with three people? Ooh, wait, wait, how about this: You're good cop, Hitoshi's the bad cop, and I'm the moody wild card cop! I come in screaming and yelling at first, maybe do some light torture with my babies, but then later I simmer down and get all remorseful, start 'sympathizing' with him and stuff. There's a whole character arc I can go through!"

It was even more difficult than usual for Hatsume to contain her energy as she trailed Midoriya and Shinso down the hallway towards the Yokohama headquarters' holding cells, practically bouncing around them as she gesticulated wildly with her hands. She'd taken two Boosters earlier in the morning in order to stay awake while she put the finishing touches on a new anti-vehicle weapon design, and it was safe to say that the effects of Pandora's stimulants still hadn't worn off in the slightest. Momo must have added more of those delayed-release compounds, huh? I hope this interrogation doesn't run too long, if I'm lucky I can get in some more wo rkshop time before I crash!

"Now now, Mei, you know I don't like sticking to a script or formula for these types of things," Izuku chided, and Longshot couldn't help but grin. Here with just the three of them, their leader had shed most of his cold, calculating persona, and she could see a faint glimmer of genuine amusement rising up to the surface in his expression. Shinso noticed it too, and they shared a brief glance; in moments such as this one, with no one else watching, they could talk to their best friend, not the leader of the Syndicate, even if only for a short while. "It would take all the fun out of the process, after all! Half the joy in breaking someone is coming across all the little idiosyncrasies and weaknesses you never could have anticipated."

"So we're improvising again, huh?" Synapse smoothed back his messy bluish hair and cracked his knuckles, chuckling softly. "Yeah, guess that figures. Say, you think you can let me do the punching this time if it comes to it? I've been meaning to work on my form ever since that fight with Ojiro a while back."

"Ah yes, do please remind us of the time you were beaten by the fearsome Tailman."

"First of all, that was a clone, not me, and second, you know I've always had a bad matchup against melee types." Shinso shook his head and glanced wistfully up at the ceiling while Hatsume struggled to stifle her laughter beside him. "Besides, that was still back when we were hiding our quirks and identities. Strange that it was just a month ago… feels almost like another lifetime."

"Offer's still on the table for some combat enhancement babies, if you've changed your mind." Mei slipped up behind Hitoshi, and squeezed on his biceps before shifting her hands to his chest and sides. "Hmm, yes, you've been filling your musculature out nicely these past few months. I can fit a full suit for you anytime you like, maybe you and Izu could even match! I know you've mainly been support class up until now, but with some minor adjustments, I could easily make you an all-rounder."

"I still don't know how I feel about putting my body inside a high-powered metal death cage," Hitoshi remarked dryly. "No offense to you, Izuku, I know the suit is safe. It's an irrational fear, to be honest."

"So you trust me to make neural tech that could scramble your brain like eggs if I wire a circuit wrong, but a power suit is a bridge too far? Interesting."

"Wait, is it actually that dangerous?!" Shinso stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with genuine fear, prompting Hatsume to dart back in front of him and stick out her tongue.

"Well now I'm definitely not gonna tell you. How about I just let you think about that one for a while?" She leaned in close and tapped playfully at Synapse's sleek metal goggles, currently lifted to his forehead, then turned back on a dime and continued forward with a self-satisfied smirk on her lips.

"That's not funny," Hitoshi muttered quietly, crossing his arms as Izuku patted him sympathetically on the shoulder.

"You both know we've never been able to fully comprehend her sense of humor."

"Fair point."

They reached the next corridor just moments later, and in an instant Izuku's expression changed back to that of Seraph, his smile dying and his green eyes growing cold and distant. The four Precepts henchmen on duty nodded to him respectfully, and Setsuno Toya, their squad leader, bowed his head.

"We're honored by the visit, sir. Whose cage do you want me to rattle first?"

"We'll start with the doctor, if you don't mind."

"Fine by me. You want me to restrain him?"

"I hardly think it'll be necessary, to be honest." Midoriya glanced over to the security feed of the cell's interior, where David could be seen hunched against the wall in the far corner of the room. "I don't believe he's a threat to any of us in his present state."

"And just in case he is, I've got security covered."

A gleeful smile on her face, Mei drew Baby 2784 from her hip, a gas-cooled plasma pistol that she'd nicknamed the Agonizer. Still in the experimental phase, it was connected by a thin blue tube to a small canister and battery unit strapped around her thigh, Even aside from it, of course, she had plenty of weapons concealed everywhere around her body: a retractable electrical whip in her gauntlet, cryogenic grenades on her belt, sonic pulse cannons in her boots. Half of her more of her goods were destined for sale on the black market in order to fund their organization, and many of the remainder went to equipping Overhaul's foot soldiers, but she couldn't resist keeping a few prototype models all to herself. With the help of Momo and her practically unlimited resources, the past year and a half had been a renaissance for baby production, though ironically, the more infamous the Syndicate grew, the more missions Longshot was assigned to, and the less time she had for her workshops. Thankfully, Twice's quirk could compensate for that- even when Hatsume herself was busy, she could have at least one clone working at all times whenever Jin was free.

A few seconds and one complicated entry sequence later, they stepped inside as the door hissed shut behind them, and David Shield was the first to speak, hardly even looking up from where he was huddled on the ground.

"You again? Please, just… kill me already and get it over with, if that's what you're after. Murder me like you murdered Toshinori and Sorahiko. I have nothing to give you, no secrets you don't already know."

David's voice was quiet and hoarse from disuse- his clothes hadn't been changed since the abduction, and his food and water were untouched by his bedside. As pathetic as he was, Hatsume might have even felt a hint of pity for the man if her mind hadn't been preoccupied by a sudden desire to test out her sonic cannons on his eardrums.

"Well, you heard him," Midoriya replied promptly, clapping his gloved hands together. "If our honored guest wants to die, it would be a shame for us to deny him that. Mei, one plasma round to the head should do the trick, correct?"

"If melting his skull and brain down to a flaming carbon smoothie counts as 'doing the trick', then yep, I think one shot should suffice just fine."

Though Hatsume had no idea what kind of bluff Izuku was playing at, she happily armed and loaded her Agonizer all the same, giggling as the smooth rubber and steel of the grip began to hum pleasantly in her hands, and a sequence of lights on the side of the barrel began to switch from red to green.

"Ooh, here it goes! The firing sequence is just about finished- where on his head do you want me to hit? One of the temples, maybe, or right between the eyes? I'm so excited, this is my first time testing it on a live human! Twice's clones all turn to goop before I can get any valuable data!"

"W-what?!" His eyes widening in shock and fear, David scrambled back even further into the corner. "Aren't you going to-"

"Hold off just a moment," Seraph interrupted, holding up his hand. Half a heartbeat shy of painting the cell walls red, Longshot took her finger off the trigger and held the pistol up towards the ceiling. "On second thought, you can't die just yet."

Oh, I think I know where this is going. On Midoriya's other side, Shinso had come to the same conclusion, and shared a silent nod with Izuku before stepping forward of his own accord.

"That's right- we couldn't have you biting the dust without saying one last goodbye to your precious Melissa. Mei?"

"One step ahead of you." Hatsume tapped a key on her wrist gauntlet, and a panel opened in the wooden wall, revealing a window to their other captive's cell. Melissa was visible just inside, and jumped to her feet in surprise when the corresponding section of her own wall slid away.

"My baby girl…" slowly pushing himself to his feet, David started towards the window, then stopped in his tracks, his terrified gaze shifting back to the pistol in Mei's hands. "Please, can I just…"

"By all means, take a good look." Seraph gave the man a friendly smile, and waved him towards the panel. "But don't get any ideas about speaking with her- this is a two way mirror, four inches thick and fully soundproofed. You can see her, but she can't see you. I just thought you might want one last look at your 'baby girl' before you die- if you do still want us to kill you, that is!"

"I… no, that's…" One hand pressed up against the glass, David turned his head back in their direction, pain clear in his expression as he stumbled over his words. Just a foot away, Melissa was inspecting her own side of the mirror, her mouth moving wordlessly and her eyes growing dark with resentment.

"Ah, it seems like she has something to say to us." Synapse smirked. "Perhaps you'd like to hear her voice one last time as well?"

Another tap of Mei's gauntlet, and the audio from the other cell was connected to the speakers on the ceiling; his daughter's voice came through loud and clear and full of anger.

"You sick freaks are watching me through this, aren't you? I bet you think this is real funny, Midoriya Izuku! What, was killing All Might not good enough for you? First you murder my uncle, now you lock me in a cage like a rat? And what have you done with my father? Where is he? Come in here and talk to me yourselves, you-"

"I think that's plenty." Seraph gave Longshot a curt gesture, and she cut the audio just as quickly as she'd enabled it. "Well, now that you have a bit of closure, I suppose we'll be dispatching you, as requested. Unless, of course, you've had a change of heart!"

"I have," David swiftly declared, falling back down to his knees in front of them. "Please, I-I'm sorry. Don't kill me."

"I'm so glad to hear it! It would have been quite selfish of you, after all, abandoning your child like that. But let's not dwell on such a melancholy topic- I just want to clarify something, while we have the chance. A few minutes ago, you said you have 'nothing to give me'. I want to give you a chance to reconsider that statement."

"I… n-no, I…"

"No? Did I hear you say 'no'? That's unfortunate, then, because it leaves us at a bit of an impasse. You say you want to live, but if you have nothing to contribute, then I see no reason to leave you alive, even after all the trouble we went to in acquiring you. What a pity… Mei, aim right for his forehead."

"You gotcha!"

"And while you're at it, why don't you go ahead and make the panel transparent both ways?" Shinso added, one hand perched on his chin in contemplation. "Melissa should see her father's final moments, don't you think?"

"Wait, no please!" Already down on his knees, David placed his palms flat on the floor, and bowed his head low. "Please… anything but that. I'm begging you."

Holding his gloved hand up once more to signal Hatsume to hold off on firing, Izuku took a step forward, then eased his foot down onto the older man's head, pressing his face into the floor.

"You should bow lower if you want to beg, doctor. You expected us to threaten your daughter, didn't you? You've been watching All Might defeat villains for half your life, so I suppose you thought you knew how this might go. Pardon my arrogance, but we operate a bit differently from the rest." Seraph crouched down low, lifted his foot, and grabbed hold of a tuft of David's hair with his mechanical hand, lifting it until they were eye-to-eye. "I other plans for Melissa; we're not going to kill her if you don't cooperate, we're going to kill you. Your life holds no inherent value, not so long as Twice can clone you. And rest assured: If that does come to pass, it won't happen quickly. Do you think I'd give you the luxury of a swift execution? Your death will last for days, and I think it goes without saying that Melissa will bear witness to every last excruciating detail. It would break my heart to do that to her, but the truth is I'd have no other choice.

In the event of your untimely demise, I'd also feel compelled to release all the information we have about you to the public, to ensure that your obituary is faithful to the truth. I have to say, I came across some truly interesting details while I was researching you; how fortunate, for instance, how our governments decided to overlook your involvement in orchestrating a terrorist attack and hostage crisis on I-Island last year. I wonder, what did you give them in exchange for commuting your sentence, and keeping the story out of the press? All Might's best friend giving aid to an agent of All For One… It must have been valuable. I'm sure the media would be salivating at the thought of publishing that scandal."

Shield remained silent in response, his eyes lowered to the floor in shame. After a few moments had passed, Midoriya shifted his grip to the collar of the doctor's shirt and rose to his feet, lifting him into the air.

"So, David, assuming that you don't want any of that that to happen, I'll ask you one last time. Do you have something to offer me?"

"Yes! Yes, I do! Please, I… I'll do anything you want!"

"That's much better." Seraph released Shield promptly, letting him sink back down to his knees on the floor beneath him. "Now, as far as your task is concerned… Mei, can you take it from here?"

"Sure thing!" She chimed back, a grin on her face as she stepped forward and gazed down at their broken captive. "Nice to meet ya, Doc! Now get back on your feet, and follow me- we're gonna make a great team!"

---

One Day Later

"Guys, they're up!"

"Seriously?! Already?!"

"Oh my god, I can't look! Someone go check for me!"

Tetsutetsu's shouted announcement that their final grades had been posted produced an instant panic in the 3-B common room, as half the class scrambled to look and the other half held back out of anxiety. Kendo, for her part, was one of the first to make it to the skybridge, with Real Steel, Yosetsu, and Kamakiri trailing close behind. Class 3-B's results had been taped to the window alongside 3-A's, and a good third of the other hero class was already present as well, searching desperately for their names. It only took Battle Fist a moment to find her own, and she could feel a drop of sweat rolling lazily down her brow as she read out her results, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest.

Kendo Itsuka: Hero Name, Battle Fist

Written Exam Score: 95/100

Practical Exam Score: 96/100

Final Academic Rank: 2nd

Final Quirk Proficiency Rank: 2nd

Itsuka breathed a sigh of relief that she'd passed, though she couldn't completely stifle the mild pang of disappointment in her chest that she hadn't made first for either of the rankings, as much as she wished she felt nothing but pride for her classmates. After three years, I thought I finally had at least one of them in the bag this time… I wanted be the best, to make All Might proud. Doing her best to keep a smile on her face as the crowd of students in the narrow hallway grew around her, she found herself searching for whoever had taken the top spots, and nodded in understanding when she came upon the first one in question. Well, at least I can't say I'm surprised.

Kodai Yui: Hero Name, Magnify

Written Exam Score: 100/100

Practical Exam Score: 89/100

Final Academic Rank: 1st

Final Quirk Proficiency Rank: 7th

"Congrats on keeping up the perfect streak until the end. I was really hoping to edge you out, but I guess I took one too many naps instead of studying, huh?" Kendo nudged Kodai playfully, and the black-haired girl gave a hint of a smile in reply. She'd sidled up next to Itsuka in complete silence, but Battle Fist had become an expert at sensing Magnify's presence over the past year.

"You were tired for a good reason. You spend you so much time out fighting villains and saving people that a score like this doesn't even really matter- you're already a hero, Itsuka. It's me who's lagging behind, not you."

"Don't even try and be modest, okay? You deserve this." Blushing involuntarily at Yui's compliment, Kendo wrapped her roommate in a hug, only to be interrupted when a set of wiry arms which could only be Tetsutetsu's wrapped around her shoulders from behind.

"Bro, I'm so happy! I didn't fail the written after all! There is a god!"

"That's awesome!" Kendo replied with a chuckle, extricating herself as gently as possible from the double-embrace she'd been enveloped in. "You two had your final last night with Kuroiro, right? I was meaning to ask how it went!"

"Yep, bright and early at four in the morning just like you guys did! It was us against the three hostages from Class A's matches- Jiro, Sero, and Mineta. They put up a good fight, but we came out on top in the end! You should've seen Vantablack in action, he was in beast-mode the whole time!"

"I wouldn't say that…" Sidling up behind them, Shihai gave a dispassionate shrug, his hands shoved in the pockets. "I just got lucky that there were so many dark places in the arena, it was a perfect matchup for my quirk. I still have a lot to work on."

"Oh, not you too. It's okay to be proud of a win!" Grinning, Kendo reached up and ruffled his messy white hair with one hand, then leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "You know, Kinoko was talking about you earlier this morning, wondering if you passed. I'm sure she'd love to hear all about how you went 'beast-mode'."

"R-really?" Kuroiro's standoffish persona vanished in an instant, and his speech began to come out in a nervous stammer. "Are… are you sure? I-I wouldn't want to bother her, y'know?"

"Hey, Kinoko! Did you hear about how well Shihai did this morning?" Instead of wasting more time trying to boost Vantablack's confidence, Kendo decided to go for the simpler option, and waved Komori over as she passed by. "He's been meaning to tell you!"

"Oh, really?" The shorter girl peeked out from beneath her heavy brown bangs, and Kendo nodded eagerly before steering Shihai in her direction and leaving the two to work things out on their own. That boy's had three years to confess to her… I'll be damned if he doesn't suck it up and bite the bullet by graduation.

"Ah, the blossoms of young love. Truly inspiring, isn't it?"

Itsuka chuckled at the sound of another familiar voice just behind her, and wrapped an arm around Kyoka's shoulder.

"What, are you gonna write a song about it?"

"We'll see if inspiration strikes me. I've never considered writing a mushroom-themed romance ballad, but now I might just have to give it a go."

"Oh, if it isn't the sore loser!" A sharp-toothed grin on his face, Tetsutetsu was quick to jump back into the conversation. "You should've seen her a few hours ago, in Recovery Girl's office after the exam. She tried to take us out while we were rescuing the hostage, but me and Kodai hit her with the old one-two combo before she even knew what was happening! Pretty sure she took a giant washer or two to the face before I knocked her lights out. Can't go easy in these things, even on friends."

"I hope it wasn't too painful," Yui added, leaning into their circle with an expression that almost resembled concern. "I may have gotten caught up in the moment."

"No hard feelings, it was all happening pretty fast. By the way, how'd you guys end up ranking? My written was so-so, I'm just happy to have made top five for quirk proficiency."

"Same here!" Real Steel cried excitedly, then leaned into an enthusiastic high-five that nearly knocked Jiro off her feet. It fell to Kendo to explain her and Kodai's performances due to the latter's impeccable humility, and Earphone Jack nodded in approval.

"As expected of you two. But if Yui got first in academic, who beat you in quirk proficiency? It's not even a question that you're the most powerful student at the school by far."

"Power isn't the only metric- more than that, it's how well you can control it, and I've still got a ways to go on that front. If I had to guess, it would be…" Trailing off, Itsuka shifted her gaze back to the scores, and quickly found who she was looking for.

Shiozaki Ibara: Hero Name, Shepherdess

Written Exam Score: 86/100

Practical Exam Score: 100/100

Final Academic Rank: 9th

Final Quirk Proficiency Rank: 1st

"Yeah, that makes sense, come to think of it…" Tetsutetsu replied, scratching the back of his neck. "She's gotten crazy strong, hasn't she? I mean, forget beast-mode, I heard from Setsuna that she absolutely annihilated Midnight in single combat, powered through her quirk and everything, and nearly took down Present Mic too! Man, I hope they release the footage from the exams for us to review…"

"I could give you a more accurate account myself, if you'd like. Tokage does have a penchant for exaggeration."

All of them aside from Kodai jumped in unison when Shiozaki appeared suddenly amongst them, a soft smile on her face. Itsuka had always gotten along well with Ibara, but there were still occasional moments when the girl's unyieldingly tranquil and pious personality sent an involuntary chill down her spine.

"Uh, sure, if you want! Congratulations, by the way, your quirk control has always been amazing! If you don't mind me asking, though, how did you manage a perfect score? Their grading standards on the practicals are always strict, and escaping without any mistakes felt pretty impossible with the other team to deal with…"

"Deal with the other team… how do you mean? I thought the solution was fairly obvious. Our team cooperated with Shishida's, and carried the hostage through the exit gate together. Gevaudan and I agreed that the potential point gains for a quick and flawless execution of the main objective by all parties involved far outweighed the point and time deductions we would no doubt inflict on each other if we competed."

"Well I'll be damned…" Not a moment later, Kendo caught a brief glimpse of Kamakiri walking past with Setsuna- she proceeded to grab Togaru by the arm and pull him over, gesturing towards Shiozaki with a grin on her face. "See, I told you! She worked with the other team and got a perfect score, it really was the trick!"

"Wait, seriously? Aw, goddamn, that's a load of bullshit. How were we supposed to guess that when they set it up like a standard versus match?"

Itsuka had to stifle a laugh at Ibara's shocked expression, and bit down hard on her lip as the inevitable chastisement arrived in force.

"Kamakiri, I'm disappointed in you! Your score may have been beneath the average, but there's no need to resort to such vulgar language! With our professional lives just ahead of us, we should be looking inward now more than ever, to ensure that we leave this school with pure spirits untainted by the violence that surrounds us. If you'd like, I'd be happy to offer you some moral guidance in-"

"No worries, I'll make sure he learns his lesson," Setsuna interrupted, holding Togaru back before he said something even worse in reply. "He's a stubborn one, but I'm sure we'll wash that soul of his clean eventually."

"I'm glad to hear it! Ah, I've been meaning to ask you, Tokage- have you been enjoying the Bible I gave you? I made sure to mark my favorite verses for your spiritual benefit!"

"I… have, yes! I've just been feeling… so holy lately!" Stammering out her reply, Setsuna threw a glance that screamed 'help me' in Kendo's direction, and Itsuka quickly improvised an interjection.

"By the way, Ibara, do you know what you're doing after graduation? We should definitely team up sometime, I bet I could learn a lot from working with you in the field!"

"That sounds lovely- I'll be sure to contact you, once my agency is in operation!"

"Your agency?" Kendo's eyes widened. "You mean… you're going out on your own? Already?"

"Indeed I am- the paperwork is almost finished." Ibara clasped her hands together in a gesture of prayer, and her eyes fluttered shut. "I searched long and hard for a professional hero as dedicated to the teachings of Christ as I, but my mission was fruitless all along. I realized some time ago that it is my duty to establish a new refuge for children of the church, a place where heroes who share my passion and faith can gather!"

Half the hallway was looking at Shiozaki by the time she finished her impromptu sermon, and Kendo nodded, impressed.

"That sounds pretty amazing… I wish I had that kind of drive, but I'm planning to stick with Miruko for at least another year before I go solo, so I can learn as much as possible."

"Yeah, I'm sure you wanna hide under the number three's wings for as long as possible. Typical."

Itsuka let out a heavy sigh as Bakugo stalked towards her across the skybridge, an all-too-familiar scene that did nothing but bring back memories of a night full of mistakes. Before she could even begin to compose a response, he brushed past her, his gaze fixed on 3-B's exam and ranking results. A smug grin spread across his face the moment he found hers, and he jerked his thumb back in the direction of Class A's scores.

"Read it and weep, Ms. Perfect."

Her arms crossed, Kendo rolled her eyes before reluctantly glancing over at the other side of the hallway. Itsuka already knew full well what likely awaited her, but all the same, seeing it still sent a lance of defeat stabbing through her chest.

Bakugo Katsuki: Hero Name, Ground Zero

Written Exam Score: 97/100

Practical Exam Score: 98/100

Final Academic Rank: 1st

Final Quirk Proficiency Rank: 1st

"You know we're in different classes, right? The scales aren't the same, you can't make a direct comparison. By your logic, Kodai and Shiozaki both beat you out."

"I'm not talking about them," Bakugo snapped back at her. "They don't matter. I'm talking about you and me."

Itsuka raised an eyebrow skeptically, and at Ground Zero's side, Kaminari snorted with laughter.

"Dude, that sounded way more romantic than you intended. Are you trying to ask her out?"

"Shut up, Sparky!" His teeth grit together, Bakugo held up a middle finger in Denki's direction, keeping his eyes fixed on Kendo. "She knows what I meant! The point is, my scores were higher. Guess I should start calling you Second Place now, huh?"

As much as she wanted to slap him out the window, Battle Fist restrained herself, and even put on as genuine of a smile as she could manage. Here I was hoping he wouldn't pull this after the talk we had last week. Guess old habits die hard, huh? There would be no point in yelling back, but I think this might get under his skin even more. I'm done taking the low road for his sake.

"Congratulations!" Kendo replied in the happiest tone possible, extending her hand to shake his. She could practically hear Jiro and Tetsutetsu's shocked expressions behind her- the hallway had gone dead silent around them.

"Huh?! I don't need your damn congratulations!"

"Well, that's all I've got to say about it, really. Looks like you got me fair and square. You should be proud!"

"The fuck… no, you…"

"What, did do you want me to yell at you? Scream that I'm better, and you can go to hell? God knows that's what you would be doing in my place. I'm not really in the mood, for it, though. So why don't you take it easy, for once? I'll see you at graduation- I need to go home and work on my speech."

Then she turned and walk back toward the 3-B common room, without so much as a spare glance behind her. She wouldn't actually be leaving for a while longer, but it felt like the right note to end the confrontation on all the same, and Kendo couldn't help but smile to herself. Yeah, you may have gotten me this time, but I'm still kicking your ass after commencement.

To her surprise, though, the shift in tactics actually seemed to garner results; instead of following her and prolonging the standoff, Bakugo turned and stormed back in the opposite direction, muttering a variety of creative profanities under his breath. Kaminari and a few others from 3-A followed him, but the majority of the students on the skybridge slowly gravitated into Class B's common room, and within a few minutes everyone was socializing amicably, basking in the glow of their last morning in the U.A. dorms. In just over an hour, pro heroes from the faculty and staff would arrive to escort them home for the weekend, a rare privilege usually only reserved for summer vacation and major holidays; the family visitation policies had grown increasingly restrictive over the past two years, for the sake of student safety. Then on Monday came graduation itself, and move-out the day after.

"It's crazy how fast this is all happening!" Uraraka was saying, trying her hardest to wipe away tears with her sweater sleeves as they welled up in her eyes. "It feels like just yesterday that we were moving in for the first time, and now it's almost over… I'm just gonna miss everyone so much."

"It's not like we're never gonna see each other again!" Kendo leaned across the coffee table and laid a hand across Ochako's. "I'm sure a lot of us are going to end up working somewhere around Tokyo, at least for the near future!"

"That's right!" Tetsutetsu cried enthusiastically. "I've already started planning some group patrols with Awase and Kaibara. If anything, we might be spending even more time together than before!"

"I know, yeah." Uravity sniffed, and eagerly blew her nose when Itsuka handed her a tissue. "I'm a bit sad, but mostly, I'm just so happy that I can finally help my parents. I talked to Ryukyu yesterday, and I'm going to be a full-time sidekick at her agency starting next week, with a salary and everything! My first paycheck is going to be the most money I've ever handled in my life, and I just…" Fanning at her eyes with her hands, Ochako broke into a wide smile, and Itsuka only barely managed to suppress the urge to cup the girl's round, innocent face in her hands. "I've had this dream for so long, and for it to finally come true… it doesn't feel real."

"Well you better believe it's real!" Hagakure declared, sneaking up on Uraraka from behind and wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I'm so excited to finally work with you as a pro, you've got no idea! And you too, Battle Fist! Defeating villains by day, ladies' nights after five!"

"That reminds me," Real Steel interrupted, "do you and Shoji know what you're doing for work, with Edgeshot out of commission? You were mainly working for him, right?"

"I think we're gonna be able to stay busy for the foreseeable future. Mount Lady and Kamui are still busy, so there's plenty of work left for us to do." Though Kendo couldn't see Toru's face, she could easily tell by Lightwave's tone that the girl was winking in her direction, and shot her a brief glance that said something along the lines of 'keep quiet about that' before turning her attention back to Uraraka.

"That's awesome that you're starting full-time so soon, though! Is Ryukyu recovering alright after Yokohama? I know that must've been hard on her, mentally and physically."

"All of her operations have gone well, and she's ready to get back in action! I just hope that I can live up to her expectations, after I failed last time…"

"That's not true, and you know it, Ochako." To Itsuka's surprise, Kodai was the next one to speak up- until now, she'd been sitting silent by Kendo's side, content as usual to watch the conversation without participating. "You didn't fail anyone. No one was ready for the Syndicate."

"Yui, you don't have to make excuses for me… I have to take responsibility for my own weaknesses. I fought Toga, and I lost."

"Then beat her next time," Kodai replied earnestly, as if it was the most obvious solution in the world. A bit of Uraraka's smile returned as she nodded in response, and Kendo leaned forward, her curiosity piqued.

"No offense, but I had no idea you guys were close- not that it's a bad thing, that's great!"

"We weren't, until last week! It's funny, I live just a few hundred feet away, but Yui and I never talked much until I ran into her at a café on the way back from one my counseling sessions. Did you know we activate our quirks the same way? I even gave us matching manicures the other night!"

Ochako held her hands up to reveal a glossy black sheen on her nails, a gesture that Kodai hesitantly mimicked after a few moments, and Kendo nodded approvingly. The past two days had been so hectic that she hadn't even noticed the change, despite the fact that her roommate was generally quite barebones in her use of cosmetics.

"Whoa, sweet color!" Tetsutetsu scooted closer across the couch and peered curiously at the girls' hands, his eyes wide. "Itsuka, we should get in on this! Well maybe blue for you, but I think black would go well with my costume."

"I can't tell if you're kidding or not right now, Tetsu, and that's honestly the scariest part of that comment."

Before Uraraka could respond to Real Steel's proposal, though, Sero Hanta approached their group with a wave and a quiet greeting, taking a seat next to Hagakure. While the physical wounds from Uravity's capture and captivity had all healed relatively quickly, Cellophane still bore the scars of his ill-fated encounter with the Syndicate for all to see. A chinstrap-like metal brace extended halfway around his jaw to hold the bones in place while they healed, and when he opened his mouth to speak, parts of it were filled with metal wires and braces. He'd lost a good portion of his teeth to Gentle's fist, and was in the process of having them artificially replaced; not even Recovery Girl could grow bones back from scratch. Hanta's outgoing personality had grown a great deal more subdued after his mentor's death, especially in the first week following his release from the hospital, and though he was gradually regaining some of his liveliness, it still hurt Kendo to see a classmate so broken in spirit.

"Hey, I just wanted to apologize for Bakugo earlier," Sero began, clapping his hands together in a gesture of apology. "Pulling that kinda shit on one of our last days together isn't right. Me and the guys, we've been trying to talk to him these past few weeks about making things right with you before graduation, but you know how it is- mostly it's like dealing with a brick wall. Things were improving for a little while, but's been a lot harder since… since Kirishima got injured."

A collective ripple of silent despair spread throughout the circle at the mention of Red Riot's name, and Tetsutetsu in particular slumped back in his seat, his eyes dropping to the ground.

"Yeah," Kendo replied quietly, "that makes sense."

"And he was in an especially shitty mood today, given recent circumstances."

"Recent circumstances?" Suddenly Real Steel perked up again, turning to Sero with a mix of confusion and worry on his face. "Did something happen? Was there an update on his condition?"

"Yes, but you guys have to keep this between us, okay? We're trying not to spread this around, or make a big deal out of it, since we're technically not supposed to know." Once everyone present had given their agreement, Hanta continued haltingly. "Bakugo's pretty tight with Eijiro's old man, and he got a call from him earlier this morning, about Kiri's outlook. Apparently, the doctors said that most dangerous part of the recovery has passed- he's going to live. But whether he'll ever wake up again… that's another question. They're giving him a 40% chance at best of recovering from his coma, and even if he does, he's most likely going to be paralyzed for life from the waist down. His spinal cord was just too damaged for them to fix."

"Jesus…" Kendo felt her hands curling into fists, but managed to stomach the anger for the time being, and wrapped an arm around Tetsutetsu as she looked up to meet Sero's gaze. "I'm so sorry. I really hope things turn out for the best."

"You and me both. He probably still won't be awake, but me, Denki, and Mina are gonna go visit him and Suneater at the hospital tomorrow. You want in, Tetsu?"

"Absolutely, man." Real Steel rose to his feet, grabbed hold of Cellophane's arm, and pulled him in close for a hug, clapping his back with one hand. "Wouldn't miss it for anything. And I swear to you, I'm gonna take down the fuckers who did this to him, who did this to you. We're gonna get all of them, real goddamn soon."

---

"Alright, everyone ready? You all know the drill, split into groups based on where you live! Everyone from Kyushu, over here with me!"

"Yokohama area, this way!"

"Saitama, Saitama with me!"

Forty-odd minutes later, the U.A. staff and faculty showed up outside the dorms like clockwork, and as the students filtered out into the sunlight, a cacophony of shouts rose up in the cool morning air. Bunching together in groups based on their hometowns or native prefectures, the members of 3-A and 3-B drifted slowly to their designated teachers, and Kendo exchanged a brief hug with Jiro before Kyoka joined Bakugo to head back to Shizuoka together.

"Stay safe, alright, Itsuka? And let me know if you want me to come by, okay? I can take the train anytime, it's not a problem. I know you might be… you're dealing with a lot right now."

I know you might be lonely, Kendo finished in her head, giving the other girl a soft smile as they broke apart. I won't be mad at you for pointing it out. While her peers all had their families to go back to, she would be returning to an empty house; both of Itsuka's parents had been planning to return for her graduation, but now those plans had been put on indefinite hold thanks to the Syndicate, and now her siblings were under police protection alongside her grandparents in far-off Hakodate. Battle Fist, the new Symbol of Peace, would be walking across the stage at graduation without a single member of her family in attendance, at a ceremony with military-grade security. What a lovely end to my high school glory days. But it'll be alright, as long as I'm surrounded by friends.

"Don't worry, I'll text you. You stay safe too, alright? Don't let Bakugo wear your ear off bragging about his 'victory' the whole way there."

"Ah, don't worry, I'm way ahead of you. These aren't gonna be coming out until I walk in my front door." Flashing Kendo one final grin, Jiro popped in a pair of skull-adorned purple earbuds and cranked up the volume on her phone before sidling reluctantly towards Ground Zero and Cementoss, their pro hero escort.

Leaving Earphone Jack behind, Kendo made the rounds and said her goodbyes to Juzo, Reiko, Kodai, and a few others before finally spotting Midnight, her designated chaperone, already waiting off to the side with Mina. Normally, Kirishima would fill out the group heading back to Chiba, and his absence was impossible to overlook; Itsuka's wave of greeting died before it began when she was the somber expression on Ashido's normally jubilant face. She heard about the new update his condition too, right? I should say something… would it be overstepping my bounds to offer to come to the hospital with him? I mean, Eijiro and I were friends, but I was never as close to him as she was…

Before Kendo could decide either way, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to find Tetsutetsu standing beside her, a nervous smile on his face.

"H-hey…"

"Hey dude, what's up? You lost? The rest of the Saitama gang is over there." Itsuka nodded to the right, where Aizawa was doing his best to ignore Kaminari's repeated and unsuccessful attempts to flirt with Tokage as they waited for Real Steel.

"Nah, I was actually thinking that… well, that you might…"

"Tetsutetsu, finish up saying your goodbyes and get over with your group!" Midnight called, glancing at her watch. "There'll be plenty of time to see each other again on Monday."

"Ma'am! With all due respect, I would like to request to change my destination for today!" Suddenly Real Steel snapped to attention under Nemuri's gaze, and though all the stammer left his voice, his cheeks only grew redder the more he spoke. "Kendo has no family in Chiba right now, so if it's alright with you, I'd like to help escort her back, and make sure she adjusts to home life again properly! A-as a friend, of course! I could also help ensure that her residence is safe and secure, in light of the recent Syndicate threats on her life!"

"Tetsu…" Her eyes widening as her heart began to pound in her chest, Itsuka fumbled for words and found none. Midnight, however, had no such problem.

"Oh my goodness,how wonderfully, perfectly youthful!" Her cheeks flushed scarlet, Kayama regarded Tetsutetsu and Kendo with a gleeful expression, and glanced to the side to make sure that Aizawa wasn't watching before sidling closer to the duo. "Aren't you two just adorable? Such lovely concern and affection among classmates! Well, as much as I'd love to say yes, it's crystal clear in the rules that I have to chaperone you back to your family residence."

"Wait… Midnight-sensei, I think there's been a-"

"However… they never said we couldn't make any pitstops. I live in Saitama, so I'll be returning there at the end of the day regardless. If I were to take you back just a bit later in the afternoon, I don't believe that either of us would be breaking any regulations. What do you say, Ashido? Any objections?"

"Not as far as I'm concerned," Mina replied, her tone suddenly taking a turn for the suggestive. When she turned towards Kendo and gave her a wink, it was all Itsuka could do not to die of shame then and there. "I mean, as far as the rules are concerned, I didn't hear any of this conversation."

"Are we… is this seriously okay?" Glancing hopelessly between the two, Kendo tried her best to piece together exactly what was going on, without any hint of success. Tetsutetsu gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up when she shifted her gaze back in his direction, and Itsuka quickly found herself turning the same color as her hair. I'd figured this would happen at some point this weekend, but already? My place is probably still a mess!

"It is if I say so," Nemuri replied, then turned in Aizawa's direction. "Oi, Eraser! I'm taking charge of Real Steel, don't worry about him!"

"Suit yourself," Shota grunted indifferently, pulling his scarves tighter around himself as he glanced over toward Reptilia and Chargebolt. "Dealing with these two is more than enough for me anyway. Alright, that should be everyone. Let's get moving, people!"

---

"You really are impatient, huh?" A grin on her face, Itsuka elbowed Tetsutetsu playfully in the side. "Couldn't just wait until tomorrow? I'm already making plans to hang with Kyoka."

An hour later, Ashido had already been dropped off, and Midnight was walking ten paces behind, doing her best to pretend she wasn't watching as Battle Fist and Real Steel made their way up a quiet suburban street toward the Kendo family home. The two had remained quiet out of embarrassment for most of the trip to Chiba, and Kendo could still hardly believe that Nemuri had actually agreed to Tetsutetsu's request, but in the end, it wasn't as if she had any particular objections either.

"It's not that," Real Steel replied quietly, glancing anxiously back at their chaperone as Kendo waved amicably to a pair of her neighbors out walking their dogs. He kicked a pebble aimlessly along the pavement, his eyes lowered to the ground and his hands shoved in the pockets of his grey U.A. uniform. His voice was lower too, though his tone was as earnest as ever. "This may look one way, but… after everything that's happened, after everybody we've lost, I just didn't want you to have to go home by yourself. There's a lot on your mind right now, I bet, but if there's anything I can do to help shoulder some of that burden… you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Of course I do." She reached down and squeezed his hand, ignoring the giddy squeal Midnight produced from behind them. Moments later they were standing at the coded entrance to her yard, and Kayama gave them a brief wave before continuing past them down the street.

"Well, looks like I've done my duty and dropped Kendo off! I'm just going to be off grabbing some coffee by the corner, but the lines are awful this time of day. It might be an hour or so before I'm ready to leave for Saitama…"

"We get the message," Itsuka replied, managing to keep a straight face as she waved back and punched in the entry code.

They stepped through the gate in unison, and Kendo nearly forgot to check their mailbox, which was full to bursting now that her siblings were gone and her aunt and uncle hadn't been by. Stuffing a bundle of letters under one arm while Tetsutetsu grabbed the half dozen magazines they still needed to unsubscribe from, she fished the key out of her pocket with her free hand and sheepishly led her guest inside. Her shoes were flung off unceremoniously the moment she stepped through the door, and once she'd set a pot of water to boil for tea, Itsuka slumped down on the couch and began to rifle through the stack of mail, all while Real Steel eagerly read her little brother's latest copy of Shonen Jump on the armchair.

It was a comfortable scene, but the house was eerily quiet and dark around them, with hardly any sun filtering through the windows, and a thin layer of dust already accumulated on the coffee table. Despite the fact that it had been occupied just a few days ago, it felt like the home had been empty for far longer. Even the family dog was gone, spirited away to Hokkaido by her siblings, and her sister's fish were at a classmate's house until further notice.

"God, it feels weird not coming home to a mountain of chores," Kendo murmured, smiling softly as she tossed aside another piece of junk mail. "Wash the dishes, walk the dog, feed the dog, reach the shelves that are too high for them, do the laundry. Itsumi's been getting a lot better about helping out lately, but even so, I think I like it better when she leans a little more on me, on the rare occasions I do come home. It makes me feel needed, y'know?"

"Hm? Uh… yeah." After a moment's silence, Tetsutetsu glanced up from the magazine with a guilty, sharp-toothed grin. "Sorry, could you say that again? I was kind of spaced out reading. My favorite manga has a new chapter out, some crazy shit is going down."

"I'm sure it's super crazy," she chuckled, looking back down at the mail. There goes that one-track mind of his again. Occasionally frustrating, but generally endearing. Let's see what we've got here. More bills, bank statements, advertisements… ah, here we go. Down towards the bottom of the pile, Itsuka finally came across a bundle of fan letters, each one stamped with a government seal of approval. The fanmail process with regard to pro heroes had been strictly regulated over the past few decades for the sake of safety, after a fungal-type villain once used 'fan letters' to poison multiple heroes with anthrax and other deadly spores, killing one pro and hospitalizing half a dozen other heroes and staff members. Letterbombs weren't unheard of either in the historical record, so each piece of fan correspondence to professionals and heroes-in-training alike now went through a rigorous biochemical screening process.

Regulations aside, reading the letters was still one of Kendo's favorite parts of being a hero- a year after her debut, she still ended up crying nearly every time she read them, even as the volume steadily increased from month to month. Most went to her mailbox at U.A., but a few always managed to slip through and land at her house instead; she had plenty of fond memories of her brother and sister surprising her with them at New Year's and Golden Week. This time it seemed there were only a handful waiting for her, but she still managed to tear up midway through reading the first, a note from a middle schooler she and Miruko rescued from a derailing train a month back in Yokohama. Wiping furiously at her eyes and nose with a tissue as the girl ended by declaring that she wanted to work at Kendo's agency as a sidekick when she was old enough, Itsuka took a deep breath and set it aside before pulling a piece of paper and pen out of her bag as a reminder to compose a reply later.

The next letter provoked a different reaction.

"You scummy bitch, I hope you die in a fire. You claim that you're All Might's successor, but you let him die. You let all of Japan down. You don't deserve to be called a hero, you ugly-"

Tetsutetsu plucked the piece of paper out of her hands before she could read any further, likely having noticed the look of distress and unease on her face. After taking a brief moment to skim over the contents, he scowled and crumpled the letter into a ball before tossing it angrily into the unlit fireplace.

"There, now you have some more kindling for the winter. That's all that crap is useful for, trust me. Don't let some loser like that get a rise out of you, that's exactly what they want. Whoever it is, they don't matter one goddamn bit."

"You're right, they don't." She gave him a weak smile, and rested a hand gently on his arm. "Don't you get worked up about it either, okay? It's not my first time getting one like that, and it won't be the last. Hate mail isn't anything new for big heroes. Just ask Miruko- she and her sidekicks read her hate letters once a month with a bottle of sake, laugh at them, then set them all on fire. You're new enough that she hasn't invited you yet, but I'll make sure she does next time."

"Damn, do all the pros really get this kind of stuff?" Real Steel's eyes widened. "What about Nighteye?"

"He puts his through a shredder every Friday, then donates it to a recycling plant to be turned into compost."

"Whoa, sustainable."

"Yep. More than hate mail, though, I'm curious to see if…" Kendo trailed off as she continued to glance through the last few letters, searching for the nondescript grey style of envelope that she'd found under her door at U.A. just days ago.

"To see if what?"

"It's nothing," she sighed once she'd reached the bottom and found, simultaneously relieved and frustrated at the lack of mysterious packages with her name on them. "I was wondering if the Syndicate had left another message for me, but it doesn't look like it."

"Thank god," Tetsutetsu replied, leaning back in his chair. "Can you imagine what a pain it would be to call the cops over here on your first day back?"

"Fair point."

Moments later, a screeching whistle from the other room announced that the water was ready, and Real Steel followed close behind when Itsuka rose and strode over to the stovetop. They brushed together ever so slightly as she turned to set the kettle down on the counter, then locked eyes, staring wordlessly at each other in the calm quiet of the kitchen as if some kind of internal alarm had been triggered. They began to kiss within moments, the tea forgotten entirely as Kendo pinned Tetsutetsu against her fridge, biting at his neck as he grunted softly and stroked her hair, untying her ponytail. Several magnets and a handful of her little brother's drawings clattered down to the floor as Itsuka shifted back to his mouth and pressed harder against him, and they both laughed breathlessly before continuing. She yelped out in surprise when he slipped an arm under her legs and picked her up bridal style, but her expression quickly shifted back to a grin as they made their way to her bedroom.

"We're gonna have to make this one quick." She glanced down at her watch; it had already been around fifteen minutes since Midnight dropped them off. "No more than half an hour. Keep track of time for me, okay?"

"I'll try my best, but no promises."

In the end, it predictably fell to Kendo to set an alarm, though it still had some time left when they finished an even twenty-five minutes later, panting, sweaty, and tangled in her bedsheets. Though her head was still faint and her mind was swimming in the afterglow of complete sensory overload, Itsuka could identify a distinct sense of déjà vu about the scene; she'd lost her virginity to Tetsutetsu in the very same bed, over summer break during their second year. It had been a dramatic few weeks to say the least, with All Might retiring and Real Steel confessing within days of each other, not to mention the I-Island crisis and a handful of especially perilous missions with Nighteye. And while she shared her classmate's feelings, the looming responsibility of taking up the mantle of the Symbol of Peace made it clear that it had hardly been the right time to start a relationship. After a few days of contemplation, she had reluctantly declined him, explaining that she didn't want to expose Tetsutetsu and their time together to scrutiny from the press, not to mention the added risk of being targeted by villains.

All the same, though, they were each aware of the other's feelings, and they'd kept up an on-and-off, informal relationship ever since, all with Jiro's knowledge, blessing, and occasional participation. Miruko, Kodai, and a handful of others knew as well, but they'd all kept the secret faithfully so far. Just like they've kept the secret about you and Bakugo, a voice at the back of Itsuka's head reminded her, and a shiver of guilt and revulsion raced up her spine- she nuzzled closer to Tetsutetsu, tracing her fingers lazily along his bare stomach and chest, still glistening with a thin sheen of perspiration. After graduation. I'll get it off my chest after graduation. We're not officially dating, so it wasn't cheating… right?

"Everything okay?" Tetsu's voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she nodded before leaning over to plant a kiss on his forehead.

"Yep, all good. I was just thinking how miserably this plan of yours would've failed if our escort had been literally anyone other than Midnight."

"You make it sound like this was my objective!" Real Steel protested, his tone shocked and appalled. "Present Mic might've gone for it too, for the record."

"Uh-huh, and are you so very sure that it wasn't?"

"…Well, not my main objective…"

"Ah, there it is. What a shameless pervert."

She kissed him before he could protest, and when they finally broke apart, he continued down her body, planting a trail all the way from her neck down and back up, his callused hands dancing gingerly along the faded outlines of her numerous scars as he worshipped every last inch of her skin. The room fell silent aside from Itsuka's soft moans; Tetsu was somewhere around her torso when he spoke again.

"I think I love you."

Her heart skipped a beat, and she reached forward and wrapped one of his hands in her own, intertwining their fingers.

"I know."

Vrrrt. Vrrrt. Vrrrt.

Loud and obnoxious, the vibration ringtone on Kendo's phone went off before she could say anything else, and she bolted upright, her eyes narrowed in confusion as she reached over to the bedside table. I turned the alarm off after we finished, and it hasn't been an hour yet…

"Is it Midnight already?!" Real Steel asked frantically, leaning over her shoulder.

"No, worse." Kendo's eyes widened in horror the moment she saw the screen. "It's my sister, she's facetiming me! Throw me a t-shirt, my closet's right there!"

"Shit… can't you just answer it on voice?!" Sliding nimbly off the bed, he scrambled to his feet and proceeded to nearly trip over her laundry hamper, shouting back at her as he threw open the closet doors. "Say your hair looks bad or you're eating or something!"

"I can't, that'll look suspicious! We always do video chat! Ah shit, I've got sex hair, don't I?"

"Maybe a little," Tetsu answered sheepishly as he tossed her a fresh white t-shirt. She slid it over her head in record time, then grabbed a tie from a jar on her nightstand and quickly set to work on shaping her battered hair back to its normal style. The phone continued to ring all the while, and a drop of sweat rolled down Itsuka's brow as she worked.

"How about hickeys, did you give me any obvious ones? And turn on the lights, she'll think it's weird if I'm sitting in the dark."

"Not above your collar. Dude, just tell her you're on the train!"

"I told her what time I'd be getting home, plus our security system logs when someone unlocks the front door!"

"Your little sister has access to your home security system?!"

"Our parents are both abroad, she's a really responsible kid!"

Finally somewhat satisfied with her appearance, Kendo pressed the answer button on the second-to-last ring, positioning the shot with her back to the bedframe so that only she was visible. Both her sister, 13-year-old Itsumi, and her brother, 7-year-old Itsuno, were in the shot, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of them. They both shared her red-orange hair and bluish eyes, though Itsumi wore hers in a standard ponytail behind her head as opposed to her sister's tufted bangs and fluffy sidetail. Itsuno had just lost a few baby teeth in the past few days, and eagerly showed off his gaps right out of the gate with a wide, gleeful smile.

"Nee-chan! Look, look, I lost three teeth in a row!"

"Wow, look at you growing up on us!" She giggled at the sight, nonchalantly easing up the collar of her shirt with one hand to make sure nothing suspicious was visible. "I sure hope the Tooth Fairy was generous! And how about you, Itsumi? Anything new?"

"Nothing much," the younger girl replied calmly, a polite smile on her face. "Grandma and grandpa are trying to decide which middle school is best to enroll me in for next year, so hopefully I'll finally have the chance to make some friends up here soon."

"Well if everything goes well with my job, that won't be necessary- I want you guys to be able to move back here as soon as possible, not to mention for mom and dad to come home. If your big sis does well these next few weeks, you'll be back in Chiba before you know it."

"All the same," Itsumi quipped, "it's best to plan for every contingency, wouldn't you agree? I've already been looking at high schools in the area, just in case- there are a few with fairly high-ranked hero programs in the Sapporo area… though business is still my first choice, of course." She flushed slightly towards the end, her cool and collected persona on the verge of breaking for a brief instant before she regained it, and Itsuka's smile widened even further.

Her younger sister's quirk, Grip Strength, allowed her to crush practically anything that she could hold or grab onto- the maximum force measured so far by the doctors was in excess of 500 tons per square centimeter, far outstripping even Battle Fist's raw physical power, though the area of effect was obviously much smaller- she could enlarge her hands as well, but only to around two times their normal size. It was a popular joke among the Kendo family that they could strike it rich any time they wanted if Itsumi got her hands on some coal and squeezed down hard enough. Despite the suitability of her quirk for hero work, though, Itsuka's sister had always been more practically minded and precocious, preferring to indicate a future in finance whenever her family asked about her dream job.

Try as she might to hide it, though, Kendo knew that deep down her sister wanted to be a hero too- she could see it in her eyes the way Itsumi looked at All Might, who had been an occasional visitor to the household while he was alive. More than almost anything else, Itsuka wanted for her sister to look at her the way she'd looked at Toshinori. His death had been hard on both of them, but particularly on Itsuno, who idolized heroes, and spent hours on end running around with All Might and Fatgum and Miruko action figures. His quirk, the creatively named Big Limb, allowed him to enlarge an entire arm or leg with the same strength enhancement as Itsuka, but only one at a time; he already had dozens of crayon drawings of his future hero costume, several of which she and Tetsu had accidentally knocked down from the fridge earlier.

"Mhmm, I'm sure it is. How about you, Itsuno, are you excited to make new friends if you end up starting your next year of elementary school up there?"

"Yeah! I miss my old friends, but I already met some guys when grandma took us to the playground, and I think we're going to the movies together on Sunday!"

"Aww, that's awesome!"

Suddenly a crash sounded from the other side of the room, and Kendo glanced up to find that Tetsutetsu had somehow managed to trip over the same hamper he'd avoided earlier, knocking a lamp off the cabinet in an attempt to catch himself. He'd caught it before it broke, but the noise was still enough for her siblings to notice over the call; Itsumi in particular narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Nee-chan, is there someone else there with you? Your hair is messier than usual. Don't tell me you went to school looking like that."

"No, of course not! I was just taking a nap, that's all!"

"Oh, I see. So that noise was just the wind, then?"

"Uh…"

"Nee-chan, what's that black spot on your neck?" Itsuno asked, his innocent eyes wide with curiosity. A quick glance at her reflection on the screen proved there was one small hickey Tetsu had missed just above her collarbone, and she felt her face turn red all at once- the urge to shoot Real Steel a death glare was incredibly difficult to resist.

"That's… I think nee-chan might have accidentally scratched a mosquito bite…"

"So you wouldn't mind if I checked the feed from the front door entrance cam, then?"

Oh, shit. I forgot I gave her access to that function too. Letting out a deep sigh of defeat, Kendo looked up and nodded to Tetsu, who had thrown his shirt and pants back on in the meantime.

"L-look who just dropped in!" She cried in fake surprise, standing and turning around to catch a vividly blushing Tetsutetsu in the shot.

"Big Bro Tetsu!" Itsuno shouted in excitement- Real Steel and Earphone Jack had met her family on plenty of occasions, so her siblings were already familiar with both of them. Tetsutetsu waved back awkwardly, but shortly afterward, Itsumi turned to him and gestured toward the door.

"Hey, why don't you go ask grandma when lunch is going to be ready? Nee-chan and I need to have some girl talk for a minute."

"Ew, gross!" His face screwed up in disgust, Itsuno stuck his tongue out at the camera, then darted off to the other room.

"Don't get the wrong impression," Itsumi declared coolly, as soon as he was gone. "I approve of you two, I always have. I was just worried it was someone else, to be honest."

"Always have… wait, how long have you known?"

"The whole time, obviously. Did you really think you were being subtle? By the way, nee-chan, your t-shirt is on backwards."

"Ah, crap, it is, huh?"

"And yours is on inside-out, Tetsutetsu. Besides that, you should really take care of those hickeys on your neck before you go home to your family. My sister should have plenty of concealer for you to use on them."

"Will do," Real Steel responded weakly, hiding his bruised neck with one hand as he shot Itsumi a halfhearted thumbs-up with the other. "Sorry you had to see this, by the way…"

"Oh, it's fine. If anything, it's valuable research material for when I get a boyfriend of my own. On that note, I have some questions for you two, actually…"

Midnight, could you please get back a little early? Kendo begged, looking down at her phone with pleading eyes.

Their escort did not answer her prayer with mercy. It took another ten-odd minutes of uncomfortable conversation with Itsuka's sister before Nemuri finally called Tetsutetsu to indicate that she was ready to go, but thankfully Itsuno returned to save her from more 'girl talk' soon after Real Steel left. By the time the call was over, she was exhausted, and very nearly fell asleep of her own accord before she remembered that she was starving too, and got dressed to head up to the convenience store, seeing as there were hardly any ingredients to cook with besides cup ramen and old cereal. Half an hour later she was feasting on a cutlet sandwich, her feet kicked up on the coffee table as she flipped through the channels on the TV.

"Nothing but commercials," she muttered in frustration, watching the latest Detnerat ad for a few brief seconds before continuing on her search for something interesting. "Jeez, what's up with that guy's nose anyway?"

Finally she landed on a news channel, right in the middle of a special report on the Syndicate, no less. Her expression soured even further, but she set the remote down and kept watching, out of a mixture of boredom and morbid curiosity.

"…And according to eyewitness accounts, sightings of these symbols have been growing more and more common in metropolitan areas across the country," one of the anchors was saying, as the picture on the screen displayed graffiti in an alleyway: two white angel wings, outlined in dark forest green, with a golden halo above them. "Depictions of the symbol appear to be most highly concentrated in in Tokyo and Osaka, where the municipal authorities' diligent efforts to wash the graffiti away have only been met by further vandalism. But what does this seemingly innocent artwork have to do with the group of villains terrorizing the nation? Here to explain the connection is Kamihara Shinya, better known as former pro hero Edgeshot, who spent six months as lead investigator in charge of monitoring the group's activities."

Her interest piqued, Kendo leaned forward and set her sandwich aside. Oh god, what the hell are those assholes doing now? Kamihara looked slightly less haggard than he had at the strike team meeting, and seemed to be able to breathe without an oxygen tank, though his silver hair was still down in a ponytail as opposed to his usual style, and parts of his burn scars were visible on the back of his neck when he turned to the side to address the anchors.

"Thank you for having me. Though this graffiti may seem innocuous at first glance, closer inspection reveals multiple concerning connections to Midoriya Izuku, the self-proclaimed leader of the Syndicate. The wings and halo seem to be an allusion to his villain persona, 'Seraph', a name borrowed from Christian Biblical tradition, while the green coloring is nothing more than a reference to his name and appearance. By depicting himself as an angel, the Syndicate is waging a war of symbols with the hero community– they're hoping desperately that with time, the public will come to accept Midoriya as the savior he claims to be, regardless of the brutal and horrific nature of his actions."

"But how could such a small organization possibly cover such a wide area?" The second anchor produced a folder from under the desk, and opened it to the first page. "According to this declassified government report on your investigation, your estimate of the Syndicate's membership is no more than forty individuals, even including the Eight Precepts and their manpower."

"While we can't underestimate this group's mobility, given the villain Kurogiri's involvement, the only reasonable conclusion to draw regarding the sudden appearance of these symbols in so many locations around the country is that the number of civilian sympathizers is still rising," Edgeshot replied grimly. "In the past weeks we've seen dozens of websites and forums crop up across the internet dedicated to spreading and even expanding on so-called 'Syndicate Doctrine', and the government's attempts to shut down or quarantine such groups has been largely unsuccessful. This latest development makes it all too clear that some of these devotees have begun to act in coordination with each other off the web. The implications are… concerning, to say the least."

Then Shinya turned directly to the camera, and Kendo shivered involuntarily under his intense gaze. "So as the former Number Four Hero, I have something to ask of all of you today. If you see one of these symbols in your community, please contact your local hero agencies and police departments so proper measures can be taken to remove it and monitor the area."

"Well, I'll certainly be keeping an eye out in my neighborhood. But Edgeshot, could you explain to our viewers what about Midoriya these sympathizers find so compelling? What do we know about his background and upbringing that could have led him on this path?"

"I would rather not discuss what makes Seraph 'compelling'," Kamihara shot back, his tone suddenly much colder, and Itsuka nodded silently in agreement. Questions like that are dangerous. They make it seem like he's some sort of celebrity, not a psychopathic murderer. "But as far as his past is concerned, he seems to have had a largely run-of-the-mill childhood, by all accounts. Testimony from his father, who remains abroad for work, and his mother, taken prior to her hospitalization, indicates nothing abnormal about his early life in Shizuoka, aside from his distress at being diagnosed as quirkless at age five."

Pictures of Hisashi and Inko Midoriya flashed across the screen, and Kendo felt her stomach grow heavy at the sight of Izuku's mother. Her appetite vanished the moment she recalled the image of that bloody bathtub, and she turned the TV off with a heavy sigh, then leaned back onto the pillows with her convenience store coffee- as usual, it was too sweet for her tastes, but she drank it all the same, her mind wandering. I'm gonna be meeting her myself in a few days, huh? And all the rest of them too. Here I am worrying about my family, while these psychopaths were more than happy to leave theirs behind to suffer. Try as she might, though, Itsuka couldn't get the news anchor's question out of her head. What do we really know about his past? More and more, it felt like she was staring at a puzzle with half the pieces missing- there had to have been something that drove him this low, after all. People aren't just born evil, something had to have pushed him over the edge. Bakugo knows, even if he won't say it. But besides him… If I could just talk to her in private, before the operation starts… Maybe there's something the police and pros missed in their questioning.

An idea flashed through Kendo's head, and within moments she'd pulled up Miruko's number on her phone- as expected, Rumi responded almost immediately.

KI: Hey, so quick question. What hospital are they keeping Midoriya Inko at?

UR: oh lord

UR: you're gonna something stupid, aren't you? Because I feel like this is the start of a request to do something stupid.

KI: I don't think it's stupid. If I'm right, I could get some incredibly valuable intel regarding Seraph. I think there are some questions I could ask her that the investigators might have missed.

UR: you know how damaged this woman is, right? I can give you approval to visit her, but only if you swear to me that you know what you're doing. Do not overstep your bounds with her.

KI: I swear that I do. And I won't.

UR: promise to keep a low profile while you're at it. I don't want this shit popping up on the evening news.

KI: I promise.

UR: you're lucky that I trust you.

UR: St. Luke's International, main building, room 914.

KI: Thank you so much, I owe you one.

UR: you bet your ass you do.

Saint Luke's, huh? Pretty sure that's in Chuo Ward. Kendo switched over to her maps app, and clicked the first route that popped up. Hmm, traffic's not too bad right now, only a forty minute drive. I could always just fly, but taking the old-fashioned way actually sounds nice for a change. Plus, Miruko did say to keep a low profile. A grin of anticipation on her face, Kendo changed into a jacket and jeans, grabbed her keys from the rack, and slipped out into the garage, where the present her father had given her for her seventeenth birthday was waiting for her: a silver-grey Yamaha motorcycle, sleek and modern, in pristine condition. Two more belonging to her old man were visible in the shadows toward the back of the garage, behind the family car- her father was an avid rider, a passion he'd passed on to her. Itsuka had made time over school holidays to get her motorcycle license at sixteen, though she rarely had occasion to ride thanks to U.A.'s dorm system.

Man, have I been looking forward to this. And there's really no better way to stay incognito, she mused, sliding the silver and black helmet over her head as the garage door opened behind her. Another minute of safety checks later and she was out on the road, adrenaline pumping through her veins as the wind whipped past and the Yamaha hummed with life beneath her. In a way it felt almost better than flying- while the sensations were roughly comparable, though, there was a nostalgic value to the motorcycle that she couldn't deny, a reminder of a time when she couldn't fly across cities and break concrete with the air pressure from her fingers. For a moment memories of riding with her father flashed through her head, of the way she'd clung to his back, her fingers digging into the worn leather of his jacket for support as he weaved his way through the city traffic. An overwhelming sense of security suddenly swashed over her, and Kendo continued the rest of the way to her destination with a soft smile beneath her helmet.

I'll make sure you can come home soon, okay, dad?

---

Syndicate Cabin, Hokkaido

Later that Evening

"I see your latest conversation with Shoto just as productive as the first- excellent work, Pandora."

"I'm glad you found it satisfactory, sir. As always, I aim to please."

Midoriya did his best to ignore the suggestive smirk that accompanied the second half of Yaoyorozu's reply, diverting his gaze to the video footage from Coldflame's cell that was currently playing on his laptop. Two steps into his 'interview process' with Momo, Todoroki seemed to be falling for the bait hook, line, and sinker; by all appearances, he was fully convinced that he was a prospective Syndicate member, with a field test of his loyalty on the horizon. As far as he was aware, Pandora- who was still desperately in love with him, naturally- was working diligently day after day to convince Seraph and the other founders of his devotion to the group's cause. There were a few more days of 'internal deliberation' planned out before the next step- they couldn't move too quickly, after all, or even someone as dense as Shoto might clue in. Taking a pen in hand, Izuku began to jot down a few additional notes about potential adjustments to the timetable, and raised one eyebrow when Yaoyorozu took a step towards his desk instead of turning to leave.

"So can I assume that we're off the clock now, then?"

Though he didn't look up from his notebook, Midoriya knew from her tone exactly the type of coy smile Momo was wearing on her face, and exhaled slightly in exasperation. I suppose I should've known that a standard progress report and nothing else was too much to expect from her.

"I suppose one could say that, yes. That was the last assignment I had for you for the time being, assuming that all the necessary preparations have been made for Monday's operation."

"Of course- I finished producing the cyclonite earlier this morning, and the chemical triggers as well. What a shame that there's nothing else to do. I suppose I'd enjoy a chat with Himiko, but she's still off at her meetings, isn't she?"

"…It would seem that she is."

Another step forward, and Pandora was at his desk now, leaning casually against the side. When he finally looked up to meet her gaze, there was an unmistakable predatory gleam in her eyes, somewhere just beyond the cool confidence and barely restrained desire. A shudder wracked Midoriya's body involuntarily, and though his face remained calm, internally, alarms began to sound; he wasn't accustomed to being looked at as prey by anyone except Toga, and the sensation produced a variety of unanticipated responses. Ignoring them all to the extent that he could manage, Seraph looked back to his computer, and was preparing to tell Pandora to leave him when the back of her hand brushed against his forehead.

"My my, did you catch a chill just now? I can hardly blame you, with it being so dreadfully cold in here." Rather than remove her hand once she'd felt his temperature, though, Momo left it in place, ghosting her fingers back and forth along his skin and twirling strands of his green-black hair in between them.

"We've already had more than one conversation about unsuitable physical contact," Izuku responded quietly. It was taking every ounce of effort he had to remain calm and collected, and to make matters worse, he was fairly sure that she could tell he was close to cracking. Hitoshi, Mei, Neito. His eyes flit to his phone, lying well within his reach. One of you, call and save me, give me an excuse to leave. Even Chisaki would do.

"Are you telling me to stop?" With her other hand, Yaoyorozu reached over and gently closed his laptop; then she took hold of his chin and tilted his head up towards hers until their eyes met once more. All the while she continued to run her fingers through his hair, more and more confident with each passing second.

"It wouldn't appear that I am," Midoriya answered after a long pause, struggling to maintain eye contact as every sensible neuron in his brain cried out in protest. His chest was full of the same combination of excitement and fear that he felt whenever Himiko held a knife to his neck in bed, but it seemed that Yaoyorozu didn't need a lethal weapon to produce it. This course of action is illogical, he knew, his teeth grit in frustration I should leave, right this moment, get up and walk out the door before this insanity goes any further. But he didn't, and the carnivorous gleam in Pandora's eyes grew even stronger as a grin of delight spread across her face.

"I've been waiting so very long to hear you say that, darling."

"Darling?" He frowned, and came close to pushing her away. "I don't recall telling you that you could call me darling."

"And I don't recall you saying that I couldn't." Sliding her other hand behind his neck, she drew Izuku's head towards her, and leaned down until their faces were only inches apart. "Lie to me all you want, there are other parts of you that are honest." She rubbed her hand in a circle across the center of his chest, deftly undoing two of his shirt buttons in the process. "Your heartbeat, for example, seems to be quite elevated, and you're perspiring more than normal as well. If I didn't know any better, I might say that you're excited right now."

"Hardly." Despite Midoriya's best efforts, his cheeks were slowly filling with color under Momo's prolonged touch, but he still mustered the resolve to wrap a hand around her wrist and ease her teasing fingers away from his pounding chest. "You're making too many assumptions, Pandora." He shook his head disapprovingly, and gave her a soft grin. "I'm still in control here."

Then Yaoyorozu leaned forward, her lips brushing up against his ear as she whispered into it.

"No you're not."

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Izuku's concentration broke. His eyes widened in genuine surprise, and a range of emotions flashed briefly across his face before he regained his composure moments later, and responded in an even tone of voice.

"I would kill most people for saying that to me."

"Well it's a good thing that I'm not most people." Leaning forward again with a gleefully self-assured expression, Momo kissed him on the cheek. When Midoriya made no move to turn away, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pressed her lips against his own; Izuku only barely managed to resist the urge to kiss her back, and once she broke away, a bemused look spread across her face. "It's admirable, what a good fight you're putting up. It's alright to let go, you know. There's no one here but us."

"She could be back at any moment," Seraph breathed, tearing his eyes away from Pandora's lips and nodding towards the door, which was still ever so slightly ajar. They were on the second floor of the cabin, to be fair, away from the more crowded kitchen and living room, but there was still a chance that someone might pass by. "If that happens, you'll be dead before your body hits the floor. You're aware of that, yes?"

"All too aware," Yaoyorozu's smirk only intensified. "That's the most exciting part of this, don't you think? The risk of it all."

A sigh escaping from his mouth, Izuku placed his hands on her shoulders and gently eased Momo a few inches away. Somehow he'd managed to regain his senses for just long enough to stop things before they went any further into dangerous territory.

"You know, after a year, this... 'pursuit' of yours still confuses me, Momo. I tolerate it because you're like me- you're brilliant, capable, decisive, rational. I've never been able to understand exactly why you insist on carrying on like this when you should know full well that you're only endangering yourself."

Pandora's grin slowly faded; he could see in her face that she understood that this was as far as things would go, and reluctantly released her grip on Seraph.

"Sometimes one's emotions demand a temporary cessation of logic. I explained it in perfect detail when I confessed to you- I'm attracted to intelligence, and simply put, you're the smartest man I've ever met. Confident, too, and so disciplined- you're everything I wanted to be, back when I was still pretending to be a hero. I can't stop myself from wanting this, even if I know I might come to harm in the process. But you should understand this kind of behavior better than anyone; wouldn't the more 'rational' option be to keep yourself free of emotional commitments in the first place, given your role? Your relationship with Himiko raises the same questions."

"Ah, there's the Momo I'm used to, always capable of making a strong argument. Instead of resorting to physical tactics, why don't you try and convince me why I should even begin to consider leaving Carmilla on your behalf?"

"That sounds like a challenge, Izuku. You know how much I love challenges."

"I wouldn't go getting my hopes up if I were you. It's not one you can win."

Suddenly Monoma's voice drifted through the crack, and they both started.

"Sir, I have my latest report on the Recruits ready for you, whenever you have the time."

"Ah yes, excellent. One moment, I'll be right with you. Is Carmilla back as well?"

"No, but she should be returning shortly. She's finishing up her final meeting."

"I see. Come in, please."

By the time Chaudron entered the dimly lit study, everything was back to normal; Seraph was sitting with his hands steeped atop his desk, with Pandora standing attentively off to the side, as if she'd just been listening carefully to Midoriya's instructions. If Monoma noticed something, the only indication he gave was a slight raise of one eyebrow as he stepped forward and opened a manila folder containing the records of all four active Recruits, plus the three prospective candidates still in the meeting phase, Hanged Man, Chariot, and Justice. As of now they were still unaware they were meeting with Toga Himiko, but bit by bit, their 'new friend' was nudging each of them closer and closer towards accepting the Syndicate's ideals, employing a variety of different methods personalized for each candidate. While Toga worked in the field as the actual point of contact between the Syndicate and the anyone labeled as a potential recruit, Neito served as her handler, monitoring the conversations through an earpiece and lens camera, and offering specific guidance if necessary by drawing on his extensive background research into the targets' interests, flaws, and vulnerabilities- anything that could be exploited to help drive them away from heroism was considered an asset.

"Remind me, Neito, who did she meet with today?"

"Tower, Temperance, Hierophant, and Hanged Man. Justice, Chariot, and Emperor had conflicts, and were rescheduled for tomorrow."

"I see. Well, any substantial updates that I should be aware of before I review the footage?"

"Nothing too out of the ordinary- Tower and Temperance both understand their roles for Monday, and the date and time for the explosives handover has been set. Additionally, going by Hierophant and Temperance's recommendations, I've marked two new prospective recruits to be moved from the monitoring phase to active meetings." Monoma drew a pair of files from inside the folder and set them down on the desktop; above the candidates; pictures were the codenames 'Empress' and 'Hermit'. Neito does love his tarot cards, doesn't he?

"Ah, these two are both excellent." Midoriya mused aloud, a smile spreading across his face. "Quite the diverse portfolio you're building- I'm impressed. You have my clearance to move forward with both of them."

"Very good, sir. I believe that Longshot and La Brava have a report for you as well, if you're ready to see them."

"Tell them I'll be with them momentarily."

"I'll go ahead and check in on them." Pandora nodded to Seraph and started towards the door- just as she passed him, Chaudron reached into his jacket pocket, drew out a silken handkerchief, and held it towards her.

"Your lipstick. It's smudged."

"…Thank you."

Once she was gone, Neito gave a heavy sigh, pulled up a chair, and took a seat opposite Izuku, his face laden with disapproval.

"You don't need to say anything." Midoriya had already switched back to jotting down notes, his eyes fixed on the two new files Monoma had given him. "I have things under control."

"Do you even know what you're playing at?" Chaudron replied quietly, his arms crossed. "This isn't a game."

"I know, it isn't. Just... trust me to deal with this, Neito."

---

"W-we still haven't been able to get any new intel on Gentle… I've been trying all day to break into the main tower's internal security cams, but the firewall is just too strong. It's the best adaptive security software that I've ever seen, and I haven't been able to make a dent… I just feel so useless, my Gentle is suffering and I can't do anything to help him!"

To her credit, La Brava only broke into tears a handful of times during her report on the situation in Deika City, which marked a substantial improvement from the night before; she had sobbed for hours on end when informed of Tobita and Iguchi's abduction, to the point that Shinso had been forced to brainwash her to get her to stop. Aiba had also attempted to convince them all to mount an immediate rescue operation, but settled for working with Hatsume on cracking their new rivals' systems after being overruled. Thus far, it seemed to be proving quite the challenging task; even Manami and Mei's best efforts had failed to produce any notable results beyond what they already knew.

"As La Brava was saying," Longshot continued, swiveling around in her chair to face Seraph, "this place is locked up way tighter than we expected, and not just the tower itself- anything past the outskirts is basically a dead zone for Aiba's program."

"But… how could that be possible?" A frown crossing her picture-perfect features, Momo stepped up towards the tech-savvy duo's extensive computer station, her eyes roving from monitor to monitor- half of the screens were displaying 'Error, No Signal' messages, and the others had only generic views from Deika's outskirts. "Aiba, your program works by hijacking street cameras, correct? Even in a small city like this one, there must be plenty around to work with."

"It's possible because all the cameras inside the city limits are encrypted with the same security program as the Detnerat headquarters building." Wiping away the remnants of her tears, Manami pulled up a street grid view of Deika, dotted by hundreds of nodes all spreading concentrically out from one central point. "The whole city is essentially one giant network, controlled centrally from that one tower- I've never seen anything like this at a municipal level. Detnerat and Feel Good Inc. have almost total control over all the information coming in and out, and without a team there on the ground, we can't get inside."

"That's not happening," Midoriya shared a brief glance with Overhaul, who was lounging in an armchair on the other side of the room. He was well aware that after the casualties Chisaki's forces had suffered in recent weeks, the Yakuza capo shared his reluctance to launch into a full-scale conflict with uncertain odds. "The plan still holds- take no offensive action until they reach out to us. If we can't break into their network, we focus on keeping them out of ours. Cease all efforts to penetrate their firewall, and focus on strengthening our own. We still have the resources to make this an even game, but not if they know our every move before we make it- ensuring secure connections and communication are your new top priorities. Understood?"

"You betcha!" Hatsume saluted enthusiastically while Aiba nodded politely in acknowledgement, and Izuku was close to turning and leaving when he recalled something else he'd been meaning to ask Mei.

"And how is your new assistant taking to his assignment?"

"Oh, the Doc? Man, what a natural talent! Deep down I think he loves getting ordered around, just take a look." A few taps on her keyboard and they were watching a live camera feed of David Shield working diligently in the Yokohama base's workshop, an explosives-laced anklet fastened around one leg in case he attempted to escape. Another Hatsume was welding two armor pieces together on the workbench beside him, and the one in front of Midoriya grinned at the sight. "My clone's working him hard, but I personally think they're getting along well so far." Suddenly her expression turned puzzled, and she stroked her chin with a grease-stained hand. "Or wait, is she the original, and I'm the clone? I've slept so little lately that I honestly can't remember! Could you help me check? Just chop off one of my fingers real quick, or even the whole arm if you want- Overhaul can put it back on."

"I've told you before, I'm not your personal medic," Kai snapped, looking up from his conversation with Yaoyorozu.

"I would rather not watch you be mutilated, clone or otherwise." Shinso's languid voice drifted over from the far end of the room, and Midoriya turned to find him leaning halfway through the doorway, his expression even more dispassionate than usual. "You're the real one, by the way, just for the record. Izuku, could you come downstairs for a sec? There's something I think you need to see."

When Seraph followed Synapse into the cabin's living room, Chaudron and Carmilla were both watching the former's laptop intently; Toga brightened up and planted a long kiss on his lips the moment she saw him, then nodded towards the computer.

"Check it out, baby! We just got this message a few minutes ago."

"It seems the camera Temperance planted in your mother's hospital room finally caught someone interesting," Monoma explained, turning the screen towards Midoriya. "Look who paid her a visit."

Izuku's eyes widened when an image of Kendo Itsuka came into focus, sitting by his mother's bedside, her hand wrapped around Inko's. A flood of conflicting emotions swelled up inside him all at once- rage, indignance, guilt, regret, and a dozen others in between. His mechanical hand clenched into a fist, then slowly relaxed.

"Well then," Seraph breathed, stepping forward and taking a seat at Chaudron's side. "Turn up the volume- let's hear what she has to say."

---

The first encounter between Kendo and Inko finally arrives! Plus, a few developments in some key relationships on both sides of the conflict. Given how much this story is going to change over the next few update, I made the decision to delay the graduation ceremony and the climax of this arc by one chapter, in order to focus more on character interactions and dynamics that are going to be important going forward, and to introduce new elements like Kendo's siblings and the concept of civilian sympathizers. (Plus a few new *potential* traitors to think about, to boot). As always, keep the guesses coming! The Kendo-Inko conversation was also originially planned for later in the story, but I thought now felt like a good time to start off that dynamic. This chapter has a bit of a slower pace than I intended, but it essentially represents the final calm before a lot of storms start raging at once.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and as always leave a review letting me know what you think! I think I've learned my lesson about making promise about chapter release dates, so I'll just say this- Rhapsody in Green is probably going to get a long awaited Chapter 6 first, then it should be back to the alternating schedule. As far as future plans go, once Rhapsody finishes (it's currently planned for a total of 10-12 chapters maximum), I've been thinking for a while about starting an Attack on Titan story. Would any fans of that anime/manga be interested? Regardless, it's still in the planning phase. Until next time!