A year after that, Hitoshi went missing before Izumi felt ready to re-enter school properly; it had been almost 2 years since that fateful July night that her whole life had changed. The celebration of her 12th birthday was the second-best birthday she had ever had, the best being her 11th, the first actual birthday she ever had. It was nice; Aizawa and Hizashi came over along with Toshi. She couldn't help and cry tears of joy as they sang happy birthday and when they gave her natural gifts, not something her father would throw at her in the night.

Inko was overcome watching the changes; they both had changed and gotten healthy, at least physically. Mentally was still a daily exercise and their therapist was happy with the progress they made. The first steps to fundamental outside excursions that were not wrapped in fear and anxiety were milestones. One would have assumed that a great prize was won when Izumi went down to the lobby on her own to retrieve the mail and talked to the receptionist and someone in the elevator on the way back up. Today though, when the candles were blown out, Izumi said, "I want to go back to real school."

There were questions and concerns, but seeing how determined she was to take back another part of her life, her support network could only do that support. It was determined that she would attend an all-girls academy as men still understandably made her uncomfortable; the only exceptions were Toshi, Aizawa, and Hizashi who had been slowly integrated into her life and felt safe around them. But due to her experience in Aldera, others made her nervous. Nemuri was looking into something they could comfortably afford but Toshi was having none of that and instead had lined up for an interview with the prestigious all-girls academy, Megami-Tachi Educational Academy.

He didn't bother to mention that the interview was a formality and that Izumi's spot was already secured. Being the number one had its benefits. Plus, when you factor in that Izumi was rather intelligent and when allowed to study without harassment had scored in the top 1% of all her testing. It wasn't a hard pitch for the number one, the school offered discretion and privacy as it catered to some of the top families in the country, not to mention its stellar curriculum, which would guarantee Izumi a spot in any field she chose to pursue including heroics. They had a few former pro heroines on staff to teach heroic and quirk theories.

When Izumi exploded with joy at being accepted, the pro just kept quiet, not wanting to take away from the young girl's sense of accomplishment. To his surprise, In private, Inko hugged him and thanked him for pulling whatever strings he did. When he began to protest, she told him that she could tell from the nature of the interview that Izumi would be admitted.

With Izumi returning to school, Inko decided to do the same, wanting to finish her nursing degree and see about being a surgical assistant. Her quirk would be helpful in the field and perfect with some training. It was Aizawa that she turned; he was surprised but did not refuse her request to train her quirk; when they were alone, he was surprised when she told him to teach her how to fight. She would not let herself or her daughter be a victim again. When he was soft, she chastised him; when he went hard, she thanked him. Her spirit was being reforged, and she would not tolerate anything other than complete rebirth.

Izumi was ready or about as prepared as she could be she was nervous, integrating into a new school, one where she wouldn't know anyone was going to be, for lack of a better word, scary. But it was a type of difficulty that she wanted to tackle; all the time in therapy and training had helped to rebuild a small fraction of her self-confidence. Her quirk was a prominent backbone of it; she had focused on learning to strengthen her shielding not only to keep herself safe but to keep anyone she was trying to protect safe. All-Might had figured that piece out when the object was to hold a shield to keep him from laying a finger on Nemuri during training. In Izumi's mind, she knew that Nemuri could protect herself, but the knowledge that someone was behind her, depending on her, allowed her to push to higher levels. It was almost like that night; her shields kept that asshole from hurting her mother. Taping into that feeling and holding it had become the breakthrough she needed. She was slightly worried about her mentor, though he was on a secret mission and wouldn't tell them anything about it.

The years had been good for Izumi, once again a healthy weight, and thanks to the guidance of Recovery Girl, her suppressed development had started to catch up, though that came with the caveat of training bras, which Izumi was not a fan of. Thankfully there wasn't much there to train, but if her mother were any indication, that wouldn't be the case for long. She didn't want anything like that to draw attention to herself, her fear and apprehension around men being the main factor. The morning she woke to bloodied sheets was not one that would soon be forgotten in the household from the shattering scream that woke everyone. Part of her wanted it never to happen, a naïve hope, but one she had held onto for a bit. But that crimson awakening was just another sign to herself that she was getting better, average, not a freak, or somehow deficient in some way. In the end, it was a complicated relationship with womanhood. At least her new school uniform looked cute. Black with pink accents, Izumi had opted for the knee-length skit option though there was a shorter one hiding in her closet that she couldn't bring herself to wear yet.

She stood in front of the grounds staring at the beauty of the tree-lined walkway, the way the other girls walked with what she perceived to be exquisite taste. She looked as the guards at the gate gave her polite smiles as she stepped across the threshold; it was her imagination, but it felt like the air had changed as she nervously made her way to the entrance. As she switched out her shoes, she could feel her locker mates looking at her in curiosity as being new. She stood out, trying not to squeak or make any weird sounds. She went to the office to report in and receive her room assignment.

As she entered the office, she was greeted with the hustle and bustle of activity; not sure how to approach, she was spared when a kind-looking woman with white hair up in a proper bun waived her over.

"Hello, Dear," the woman said, her voice radiating a calming sense. "You must be a new student; I am Ms. Gochi. What is your name?"

"Izumi Shimura, ma'am." She got out with a slight squeak to her voice.

"Don't worry, deary I don't bite, now Izumi, welcome to our academy. I will hand you over to a member of our welcoming committee; they will take you to get your I.D. and gym clothes and give you a tour, after which they will escort you to your homeroom. They will be your buddy for the next few days, helping you navigate the school and get used to things."

"I don't want to be a bother; it sounds like much work for them."

"Nonsense, that is what the welcoming committee does; now let's see who they assigned you?" the woman looked down at her sheet and smiled. "Well, you are in great hands; I am sure your escort will be here soon. Why don't you take a seat over there."

The wait sparked more of a nervous excitement inside Izumi, wanting to start this new step in life but fearing that it would not go well. She sat looking at the floor, fretting slightly. Her nervous habit of nibbling on the edge of her hair had reared its ugly head. Her nervousness dissolved into mumbles.

What if no one likes me? Or if I do something that makes everyone mad? Could they all hate me already? They may know me from the news. What if they were fans of the HIM? Where has he disappeared to? Mr. Toshi says everything is fine; Mom seems to feel that way, not to mention Aunty Nemuri; even Mr. Aizawa seems confident about it. Though he did tell me how to strike the throat for maximum damage, if necessary, what if no one likes my quirk?

"Well, if I don't see how, you can make everyone mad? People shouldn't judge someone just because of what they have seen on the news; in my opinion, to have come through something so terrible and still push forward is very admirable."

Thank you for saying so. But what do I say when I meet them? What if they are mean?

"I don't think I am mean, though I am a bit awkward sometimes despite my upbringing; being around others my age is a new experience, but how about you just say hello."

It took a moment for Izumi's brain to register, and with a surprised eep, she jolted back, bringing her legs to her chest, and looked up at the person who had been listening to what she thought had been an internal dialogue and had even responded. Izumi expected to find a look of scorn or disgust; instead, she saw big dark onyx eyes and a gentle smile, her hair still in the corner of her mouth; Izumi had to reboot.

Momo smiled at the girl who sat mumbling; she had tried to get the girl's attention. As she got closer, she could hear the girl muttering to herself; as Momo listened to the girl rambling, the girl's words drew her in. It took Momo a moment to recognize that what the girl referenced was the case with Fire Breath. Momo was aware of the issue more so than most because her parents were heavily involved with the Hero community, their support department, and hero health care. Momo looked at the girl fondly as she let out an eep and jumped back; the piece of hair hanging in her mouth made Momo smile at how cute the girl looked.

"It is a pleasure to meet you; I am Momo Yaoyorozu, a member of the Welcoming committee," she said, still smiling as she offered her hand.

"Izumi Shimura, it is a pleasure to meet you," her voice coming out soft and slightly unsteady.

"I didn't mean to startle you, but you seemed lost in your world."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be it is understandable with all you have been through."

"You know who I am?"

"Yes, but trust me, I have no positive thoughts about Fire Breath; I am only more aware of the case due to my parent's company and their ties to the hero community."

"Are your parents the head of the Yaoyorozu Corporation?" Izumi asked.

Momo winced as this was where things would generally shift to someone sucking up to her or looking to exploit something. "Yes," she responded as she stood to her full height, ready to distance herself.

"That's cool," Izumi said, "I was in one of their hospital wards after the incident; they took excellent care of me." Izumi got to her feet, grabbing her bag. "Thank you, Yaoyorozu, for welcoming me to Megami-Tachi Academy; I will be in your care." Izumi pulled the piece of hair from the corner of her mouth and politely bowed.

"If you do not mind, why are you worried about an adverse reaction to your quirk? Is it perhaps bizarre in nature or unconventional?"

"I create energy shields; I can change their shape or strength depending on the situation. I just haven't had it for very long, so I am still learning everything I can do. My trainer has been beneficial."

"You have a quirk trainer?" Momo asked inquisitively.

"Yes, he was a friend of my grandmother's. They had lost touch, and he found us after the incident. What's your quirk?"

"I can create nonorganic things from the lipids in my body as long as I know the chemical composition. It manifests from my skin, so I have to have it exposed a lot to use it properly, which is rather embarrassing." Momo replied with a blush.

"That would be troublesome, sempai?"

"Sempai?" Momo looked at Izumi with a questioning look.

"I'm sorry, I just assumed you were older than me due to you being… so mature," Izumi fumbled.

Momo knew it was because of her development; even at her age, she was assumed to be a few years older due to her development.

"No, I am the same age; it just seems that puberty decided to bless me overly. The doctors think it has something to do with my quirk due to the amount of calories I consume and the rich nature of my diet I have been given this." She motioned to her body. "Trust me, I wish it hadn't. It makes me uncomfortable around members of the opposite sex; I attended a different school but decided to transfer here last year due to their actions."

Izumi felt terrible for her comment, "I am sorry, Yaoyorozu, I didn't mean anything by it."

Momo could feel genuine remorse from the girl as she lowered her head, making Momo think she had kicked a puppy. "I may have come off a little harsh, Izumi; I apologize. It's hard to make friends. Even when they discover my family name, it becomes them sucking up or attempt to use me for something. Then there are the snide comments about my body, that plastic surgery has been involved, and how desperate I must be to do something at such a young age."

"I think you are very nice, Momo, not just because of your body or family line; you have made me feel like it's ok for me to me in this little time we have been talking even though I have messed up. I don't have any friends either, so if it's not too presumptuous, I would like to be your friend. I don't come from a rich or high-ranking family; I have no desire to get into the medical or support field. I want to be a hero to protect those that can't protect themselves."

"I want to be a hero myself, actually," Momo thought. She only had a handful of people that she would consider a friend, and most of those were on the welcoming committee with her, and only one of them was even in her year. Part of her wanted to say no immediately but could also sense how lonely Izumi seemed and recognized that loneliness. Momo decided to take a risk; if it didn't work out, she could distance herself. "I think we can be friends, Izumi," Momo said hesitantly, saying the girl's first name.

This action was not lost on Izumi as she heard Momo call her by her first name. It made Izumi almost painfully aware of the pit that had been buried inside her for so long, for being ostracized for so many years. She had lost her only friend when she was four and had never found another one in 8 years. She wouldn't cry; she didn't want to seem like a total weirdo, "Thank you, Momo." She said shyly.

The campus was impressive and leagues beyond anything Izumi had any previous experience with; everything was very high-end as it catered to those of station; she was relieved when Momo informed her that 25% of the student body was on scholarship and that everyone had to test to get in. High standards were to be maintained, and bullying had a zero-tolerance policy. That only some students were part of some prestigious family helped to put Izumi at ease.

She stopped, picked up her gym uniform, located her locker, and retrieved her books from the student store. Their final stop was the cafeteria, where Momo went over the options for lunch and that breakfast was offered if she arrived early enough. All the meals were included in the tuition; the only thing that took any money was the vending machines and the drink bar in the quad. Izumi had begun to relax during the tour, finding it easy to talk with Momo whenever a question arose. They stopped before 2-A; Momo turned to her and smiled; we are in the same class, so you will at least know someone. Momo entered first and spoke with the teacher as Izumi straightened herself out, ensuring she looked presentable. She heard the teacher call her in with a deep breath; she stepped in.

She looked over her class and saw more looks of curiosity at the new arrival than the looks of disgust she was accustomed to at her last school.

"Introduce yourself and then sit behind Yaoyorozu," the teacher said.

"Greeting my name is Izumi Shimura; I hope to make friends with all of you and look forward to getting to know you all." She finished with a bow and made her way to sit down.

"Good job Ms. Shimura please pull out your Modern Japanese history book and turn to chapter 4."

No spitballs, no taunts, there were no snide comments. Izumi smiled, doing as instructed; this was a chance to start over, a new beginning, a rebirth.

A few girls introduced themselves at lunch, asking Izumi what she thought of the campus and course, one of the most critical questions. "What is your quirk?"

It was the first time that, in a school setting, she could answer the question in class and not immediately have the room turn against her when she would say it hadn't manifested yet. Momo gave her an encouraging smile.

"I call it Shield; it allows me to create forcefields in different sizes and strengths." Instead of dismissal, she got a few favorable comments and asked if she wanted to be a support hero; one girl seemed interested and asked if she could lift things with her shield and how strong they could get. Izumi smiled and continued the conversation until the bell rang, calling everyone back to their seats.

Of course, it was not all rainbows and butterflies; there were clicks and groups like any social structure. Nothing too disturbing, but it was present; some tried to quietly dissuade her from hanging out with Momo, and others just left her alone because she didn't wear specific make-up or follow certain celebrities. But nothing like she had experienced before, so it was all pleasant to Izumi. Those who attempted to dissuade her were quickly rebuffed, but of course, that meant Izumi would be part of whatever gossip would be spread.

The biggest problem arrived when she was asked about boys, and Izumi replied that she didn't like boys as they made her uncomfortable. Immediately she was questioned about her sexuality when Izumi answered truthfully that it was something she had never thought about, only adding fuel to the fire.

Momo introduced her to Kinoko Komori at lunch, another member of the welcoming committee, and a student in the same year as them. The girl was quiet, making Izumi wonder how she was a welcoming committee member. But when the conversation about Kinoko's quirk Mushroom suddenly the girl came alive, Momo smiled as Izumi came alive herself, and they were talking excitedly about Kinoko's quirk.

It was an excellent beginning overall, having a regular gym class. Though some of the girls questioning her sexuality acted exaggeratedly while they were training, it wasn't physical assault, so Izumi brushed it off.

It was a beginning, and that was all Izumi wanted.

-Everything Starts Somewhere-

Soon school was like a familiar sweater; Izumi had her routine and had made some friends. Momo and Kinoko were her circle; the three would text and study together. She got along with others in class well enough, a heaven-sent gift in Izumi's mind. But the two members of the welcoming committee were her confidants; she even joined the committee to help herself come out of her shell more. The side benefit of hanging out with her friends more was not lost on her.

Inko almost cried the first time Izumi asked for permission to go to Momo's house to go swimming or when she asked to go to the movies with her friends. It took some time, but Izumi eventually could fully confide in her friends about her living with Midnight and over a very emotional sleepover about her past traumas. Izumi was afraid of rejection, but she wept at the tight embraces and soothing words instead.

Not to say their outings were not without trouble, with boys hitting on the trio or harassing them. But it never escalated to the point of danger. Thankfully, it also helped that Momo had a private driver so they could avoid using public transportation.

The three girls had a common goal of becoming heroes and decided to start working out together. All-Might supported their efforts by creating exercise plans for them. Momo and Kinoko also got to know Izumi's "Uncles" and Inko quite well. They spent much time together, often staying at each other's houses or going out. Their parents were used to seeing them together and didn't question it when one or both girls showed up at the other's house.

As she embraced her heritage, Izumi blossomed into womanhood with her unique charm. Though different from Momo, she became undeniably cute with a fuller bust, curvier figure, and even slightly taller. Thanks to the help of Momo and Midnight, Izumi also learned to manage her curls beautifully.

Momo stepped out of the house in her new bathing suit and saw Izumi emerging from the water. Momo couldn't help but stare at her best friend, perplexing her. However, Izumi didn't seem to notice and quickly hugged Momo before using her shields to launch them both into the pool. It was a typical day for them, minus Kinoko, who was dating a boy she had met at her parent's shop.

"Do you think her date is going ok?" Izumi asked as she floated by Momo on a floaty.

"She said she would call us after, but I hope she seemed excited," Momo responded. "What about you, Izumi? Do you think you will ever go on a date?"

"I don't know?" she said. "I haven't met a boy I would even consider going on a date with, but then again, don't meet any unless we go out. I think they are hitting on you two, and they talk to me so as not to exclude me. What about you? Don't you have another ball coming up?"

"I do, but I do it more because my parents ask me to; I am supposed to meet the youngest member of the Ida clan, but I don't think it will work."

"Why is that?"

"We have talked a few times, but I don't feel any spark or connection with him."

"It's ok, Momo; we can get married when we are older and cause a scandal; we will use artificial insemination so I can bear you children while you run the world."

Momo laughed. "What about being a hero?"

"And pass the opportunity to be a kept woman, hell no!" Izumi said, laughing. "I think Mr. Aizawa has a thing for my mom." She added nonchalantly.

"Wait?"

"Yea, he has been training her for a few years now, and how he looks at her when he thinks no one is watching gives it away."

"Is she interested in him?"

"I don't know; she seems open to it now that she started working and stuff but after my sperm donor…."

"He hasn't popped up, has he?"

"No, not a word, but did you hear about Mr. Quick? He got arrested for attempted rape yesterday; he was shot in the leg when he attacked a fan in an alley."

"No, I hadn't heard that, but I don't follow hero news like you do,"

"I know you are too busy stalking Caliben from The Sound of Fury," Izuku said, teasing her friend's celebrity crush.

"It's not stalking. I like to stay updated on my future husband's whereabouts," Momo said confidently.

"We are not even married yet, and you already have lovers lined up."

"Look, if I am ruling the world, I should be surrounded by as many lovers as I want, baby. You know you will always be number one," Momo said, doing her best to sound sultry.

"I guess I can live with that."

Two girls erupted in laughter. Kinoko phoned later and shared that her date went well, leading to plans for another one. The trio conversed for some time, exchanging giggles, and inquiring about Kinoko's experience. However, that night, as Izumi snuggled next to Momo before sleeping, Momo found herself more conscious of her friend's presence.

It was in the 15th year of Izumi's life that everything changed again. Inko woke her daughter up in the middle of the night, immediately putting her on edge. Inko calmed her some when she told her daughter that this had nothing to do with HIM, but instead, All-Might had been critically injured and was in the hospital. The two got dressed quickly and raced off into the night. Izumi worried about what or who could have critically injured the Number One Hero.