Chapter 27: Can't Escape From Crossing Fate

Midoriya took a deep breath and faced his chosen teammates. Only knowing the name of Mirio's Quirk was still a large advantage. With a name like Permeation, it was rather obvious what it did, so he had chosen his team accordingly.

Bakugo and Todoroki for heavy hitters that had attacks that could force Mirio to go intangible to evade them, letting Midoriya and his team dictate the engagement. Jiro on the off chance that she could detect him in objects. Tsu for her steady reliability and her close combat expertise from training with Mirko and sparring sessions with Maki. Kaminari since even if Mirio went intangible, electric current would hypothetically would still affect him. Finally, he added Hagakure. With her ability to go unseen and her new Warp Refraction move, she would be perfect for getting the drop on Mirio with a surprise attack that would leave him blind.

He quickly explained his battle plan. He, Bakugo, and Todoroki would be the front line. Jiro, Tsu, Kaminari, and Hagakure would make up the back line. Kaminari would stand away from the others, as bait.

"You guys ready?" Mirio asked. Midoriya studied his face. There was a big smile. Honestly, with the blond hair and blue eyes he almost seemed to be like All Might.

The Miracle Squad -as Hagakure had cheerfully dubbed them- took their fighting stances. Emerald lightning crackled around Midoriya, sparks went off around Bakugo's palms, and ice and fire swirled around Todoroki's hands. "Ready!" Midoriya said.

"We'll kick your ass!" Bakugo yelled.

Off to the side, Gran Torino walked in, largely unheeded by the other students and stood next to Aizawa. "So?"

"I made sure to keep Midoriya and Yaoyorozu apart. I also kept Iida on his own to make sure he's not riding Midorya's coattails." Aizawa said.

"Good, good. Can't have them too used to fighting together, especially with their different styles." Gran Torino mused. "Nighteye requested this didn't he? For Midoriya to fight Mirio?"

Aizawa grunted and returned his attention to the fight. Currently it was a stand-off, with neither side wanting to break the stalemate.

Then, Mirio vanished from sight.

"Wait, what?" Kaminari said.

Midoriya kept his cool. "Headphone Jack, where is he?"

"I don't know!" She said, her voice verging on panic, "I can't hear him!"

Midoriya was about to issue orders when Mirio shot out of the ground at Jiro. "To the plexus!" He shouted. He punched her in the chest and she went down. Tsu lashed out with a kick but it phased right through him. Mirio went underground again.

"His Quirk control is incredible!" Midoriya said. "Okay, plan B!"

Kaminari and Hagakure got into position. Mirio resurfaced and attempted to attack Kaminari. "Not this time, Taser Fist: One Point Three Million Volts!"

Once again, the blow went right through Mirio. "Warp Refraction: Say Cheese!" Hagakure emitted a flash of light.

"Oh, so that's how it is?" Mirio said.

Temporarily blinded by the flash of light, Midoriya could only hear the scuffle. When his vision cleared, Mirio was standing over Hagakure, Tsu, and Kaminari. He struck a pose. "POWER!"

"How do you keep popping out of the ground like that?" Bakugo demanded, "Who the hell made your Quirk, Bethseda?"

Mirio scratched his neck. "Well, that's my dad's name. So... I guess?"

Todoroki immediately let out a blast of fire. Mirio calmly walked out of it, then disappeared underground.

"That's it!" Midoriya said, "Todoroki, make ice where you think he'll appear! Bakugo, start blowing holes in the ground!"

Bakugo and Todoroki had no clue what Midoriya was on about. Nevertheless, they followed his instructions to the letter. Todoroki slapped his right palm on the ground. "Heaven-Piercing Ice Fortress!" A ring of ice crystals formed around them, reaching almost to the ceiling.

Bakugo attached shotgun attachments to his gauntlets and started blowing a hole in the ground. "Gauntlet Fire: Shotgun Salvo!" Since he hadn't been fighting for long, his gauntlets quickly ran out of stored sweat and he followed up with blasts of his own.

Mirio attempted to attack, only for him to shoot out of the hole and faceplant against the ice wall.

"Got you!" Midoriya cried. He leapt forward into a flying knee. "JETSTREAM SMASH!" Finally, someone landed a hit on Mirio. He was sent through the ice wall and had Bakugo hot on his heels.

"ENOUGH OF YOUR BULLSHIT!" Bakugo screamed, "HOWITZER IMPACT!"

He launched forward into his ultimate attack as Mirio vanished from sight. An instant later he popped up right underneath Bakugo, "Here's an Ultimate move! Blinder Touch-"

Bakugo aborted his attack and retaliated. "GOT YOU! ARMOR-PIERCING SHOT!"

Mirio phased through Bakugo's attack but held his ground. "Your reflexes are amazing, but how's your predictions? Who am I going to target next?" He sank into the ground again, but as he did he started heading for Midoriya.

"MIDORIYA, HE'S GOING FOR YOU!"

Midoriya whirled around, only to watch Bakugo's prediction be proven wrong with a punch to the back of Todoroki's head. "Tough luck." Mirio said. In the blink of an eye he was gone again.

Midoriya and Bakugo moved back to back. "This is like a bad joke!" Bakugo said.

"He's testing us, I think." Midoriya said. "Based on his reaction time and ability to predict- BAKUGO, ON YOUR LEFT!"

Bakugo set off an explosion in the indicated direction, but Mirio emerged unscathed and unleashed a punch. Bakugo tried to block, but once again Mirio went unimpeded.

Bakugo responded by headbutting Mirio's fist. Mirio backstepped. "Wow, both of you got a hit in! It's been a long time since someone's been able to-"

"Cut the crap." Bakugo grunted.

"You're going easy on us." Midoriya said, "You let me hit you earlier. You're testing us."

Mirio grinned. "Yep, and you two passed. You two have provisional licenses, yeah?"

"Yeah, we do." Bakugo said.

Mirio flashed a thumbs up. "Great! You two will be doing work studies this term. You'll be coming with me to Sir Nighteye."

Midoriya felt a chill run up his spine. "All Might's former sidekick?"

Mirio nodded. "Sure is! So, how about it?" He extended his hand. "You in?"

Midoriya and Bakugo looked at each other and nodded. "Absolutely." Midoriya said.

"Great!" Mirio said. "One more thing..."

He disappeared from sight again and Midoriya's head was assaulted by Danger Sense. "Oh, crapbaskets."

They both valiantly tried to dodge, but Mirio landed blows on both of them, sending them down. "POWERRRRRRRR!"

"And people say I'm excessive!" Bakugo snarked.

Well, this was an utter disaster.

Against a practically unknown Quirk, Iida had opted for a team that could handle a variety of situations. Himself, Kirishima, Maki, and Sato for the frontline, backed up by a backline of Shoji, Sero, and Aoyama.

Then it became apparent what Tamaki's Quirk was. He could seemingly manifest parts of animals that he had eaten. That was the only possible reason for Sato going down from being smacked in the face with a giant clam that had replaced Tamaki's hand.

Maki had then attempted to attack, but his strength was limited in a training battle like this. He got a hit in, but Tamaki's feet became talons and he manifested bird wings. He grabbed Maki, flew in the air and threw him back down. Sero attempted to tape him up so Aoyama could get in a clear shot, but only got divebombed by Tamaki for his trouble.

Iida used his Recipro Torque throw to hurl Shoji at him. This attempt only caused Tamaki to sprout octopus tentacles out of his fingers which snagged Shoji out of the air and sent him back to where he had came from.

So, after less than a minute, only Kirishima stood against a seemingly all powerful foe.

"Surrender." Tamaki said imperiously, "Or fall."

Kirishima cracked a grin. "Don't you know who I am?" He took his stance and hardened his forearms, "I'm Red Riot! And no villain's ever gonna beat me down! Come on!"

Tamaki sent out octopus tentacles to grab him. Kirishima held his ground. "Is that the best you've got?" Kirishima positioned his hands as if he was going to attack with a chop, then hardened his arms into blades. "RED CUTTER!" He slashed his arms through the tentacles, slicing them to bits.

Tamaki charged and turned his legs into cow hooves. He aimed a vicious kick at Kirishima's midsection.

Kirishima caught the blow and threw his leg to the side. While Tamaki was unbalanced he threw out a gut punch. While he was reeling from the blow, Kirishima grabbed his opponent in a headlock, then hit him with a clothesline. "RED LARIAT!"

Tamaki hit the ground and took a knee. "You could have prevented this. I'm sorry." Four scorpion tails burst out of his back. "Vast Hybrid: Scorpius Toxin!" The tails surged forward and attempted to inject him with their venom.

Kirishima focused his Quirk and made his chest harder. The stingers on the tails crumpled like cheap plastic. He grabbed one of the tails and ripped it off. Tamaki yelped in pain. "Here! Take this back!" Kirishima yelled. He swung it around and smacked Tamaki upside the head with it.

Tamaki was stunned. Metaphorically. He made a mental note to ask Fat Gum if he would take on another intern. "You're amazing... but this is where this fight ends! Vast Hybrid: Chimera Kraken!"

Multiple tentacles tipped with crab claws shot out from Tamaki and attempted to grab Kirishima. He attempted to cut through them again, but this time the tentacles were armored with crab shells.

Kirishima was able to cut through the first tentacle, but his next strikes didn't thanks to the crab armor fouling his strikes. Tamaki threw Kirishima to the ground in front of him He pinned him down with a foot transformed into a talon. "It's over."

"NOW!"

Tamaki whirled around just in time to get blasted by Aoyama's laser. "You should've made sure we were actually down, oui?"

"Tape Shot!" Sero snagged Tamaki with his tape and pulled him into the middle of Maki, Shoji, and Sato. Maki grabbed him by the head and rammed it down into his knee.

"OCTOBLOW!"

"SUGAR RUSH!"

Tamaki was subjected to a blistering onslaught of blows from both sides. He managed to manifest some crab shell armor, but that only blunted their assault. He staggered away, only to come face to face with Iida.

"RECIPRO TURBO!"

In the next instant, Tamaki was bowled over and staring at the ceiling. He decided that he had been outmaneuvered and that continuing the fight would be-

"There's something I should mention." Iida said, "My Recipro Turbo lasts for ten minutes."

That was just unneighborly.

Watching from the sidelines, Gran Torino made the decision to take Tenya Iida under his wing. With the proper guidance, the boy could become what he was to All Might for Izuku Midoriya. That could be crucial in the coming days.

A sadistic grin spread across Gran Torino's face. That is... if Iida survived.

Yaoyorozu had a problem. Two of her teammates were convinced that they were dead weight, and she was in the unenviable position of having to buoy up their confidence before their fight with Nejire.

Both Koda and Mieko were feeling inadequate. Koda because there were no animals for his Quirk to affect outside of a few bugs in the area that were too scared to come out due to Bakugo's explosions and Kirishima's yelling.

And Mieko... because all she could do with her Quirk was the warp gate function, which came with a hefty cooldown. So in her mind, she was a one hit wonder that would become useless for the rest of the fight afterwards.

A plan begun to take shape in Yaoyorozu's mind. With a name for her Quirk like Wave Motion, then it was probably some form of Emitter Quirk. Tokoyami and Ojiro would be the first wave, and then herself, Mina, and Uraraka would make up the second. Meiko and Koda would remain in the rear, where Mieko would pick an opportunity to create a portal for Koda to ambush Nejire with a surprise grapple attack. He had been learning hand to hand from Kirishima, so hopefully that would bear dividends now.

After she had explained the plan Koda had been... cautiously optimistic. Mieko was less convinced. "But after I make the portal, that's it for ten minutes! I won't be able to do anything else!"

Yaoyorozu placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't believe that, Mieko. I have complete faith that you'll find a way to contribute."

Mieko rolled her eyes, "That's easy for you to say! You vibe checked All For One with an anti-tank rifle!"

Yaoyorozu laughed and shook her head. "Yes... I did do that. But there was a time that I lost confidence in my own ability."

"What happened then?" Mieko said, "How'd you get your groove back?"

Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow before looking back at where their classmates were sitting and smiled at Midoriya. "Someone very important to me reminded me of what I had accomplished despite the failure that felt like a knife to the heart." She turned back to Mieko. "Mieko, you do not have just a warp Quirk. You have your mother's Quirk. But unlike her, you can use it as a force for good. You can make it your own."

Mieko swallowed. "If you say so, Yaoyorozu." Her body language didn't quite match her unconvinced response. She stood up straighter and threw her shoulders back. "Let's do this."

As Yaoyorozu's team took their positions and Dark Shadow covered Tokoyami, Nejire sprang up from a crouch. "Oh, is it time? Say, why are those two in the back? Are you laying a trap? Please say you're laying a trap!" Nejire continued on her merry way, heedless of the confusion she was sowing. "It's been so long since anyone thought they could actually make a trap that I haven't planned for already, so I'm really curious to see if you can actually-"

Oddly, Ojiro's patience was the first to run out. "Enough of this. TWIRLING TAIL DANCE!" He sprang forward and whipped his tail around as he leapt towards her. Nejire raised one of her hands and caused an energy shield to materialize. Ojiro's blow was harmlessly deflected.

"Curses." Tokoyami brooded. "Light."

Nejire cocked her head. "Say, aren't you the first hero student with a Class Two Quirk? That's pretty cool, don't you think?"

Ojiro bluescreened. He knew that was blatantly obvious to just about everyone, but this was the first time that anyone had brought it up. "Uh, thank-"

Nejire cut him off in the middle of his response by dropping her shield and hitting him with a point blank energy blast. He went flying. and Tokoyami responded immediately. He covered himself with Dark Shadow. "You won't find me so easy to suppress." Dark Shadow's arms grew in size and went racing towards Nejire. "Black Abyss: Covert Black-Ops Arms!"

"Oh, you're strong!" Nejire pooled power in her arms and grinned, "But it won't be enough. Output ten." In the instant before Dark Shadow's attacks landed, she cried out. "SPRIAL PULSE!"

"Damn it! Power through, Dark Shadow!" The blast that Nejire sent at him hit him dead center, resulting in him staring at the ceiling. "What? How? Dark Shadow, are you-"

"Get off of me! Spiral Pulse!"

Dark Shadow's arms were blown back by a smaller blast. Tokoyami quickly came to the realization that there had been empty space in the middle of the blasts. "Her blasts are spirals! Aim right down the middle!"

Mina brought her arms up for an acid shot, but was rudely interrupted by Nejire rocketing at her, fist first. With acid bursts from her feet she skated out of the way. "Rude!" Nejire twisted in midair and shot a blast from her feet that caught Mina off balance, sending her crashing into a wall. "Super rude!" She grumbled.

During the chaos of Nejire dunking on Mina, Yaoyorozu signaled Uraraka to attack. She used the distraction to create a stun grenade and trigger, and then threw it at her opponent's feet. Uraraka knelt down at touched the ground. "I'm stopping you now! URAVITY CRATER!"

Nejire was forced to take a knee by the force of gravity tripling. "You're holding back." She said. "I don't like that." She began charging another blast, one that would end this battle in one shot.

Uraraka's eyes narrowed. She could spot the strain in Nejire's body language and expression. She was running out of steam.

Yaoyorozu created a ICER pistol and unloaded on Nejire. She put up another energy shield and cocked her head at the blue splatters left behind. "Say, those aren't normal bullets, are they? You were aiming for what would be kill shots with normal ammo."

"Perceptive." Yaoyorozu said." Not perceptive enough, though." As soon as Nejire's eyes went wide, she hit the button on the stun grenade's trigger. They were assaulted by a flash and sound. Through supreme determination, Yaoyorozu stood her ground. Uraraka had hearing protection and flash protection built into her new visor, so she was much better off. Even if it had jarred her enough to disrupt her focus on increasing Nejire's gravity,

"Oh, you've gotta be shittin' me." Uraraka drawled.

Yaoyorozu's vision was still clearing, but Uraraka slipping into her accent was usually a bad sign.

Nejire rose above the battlefield on energy coming from her feet. Her hands were glowing from the massive blast she was charging. A retractable visor covered her eyes. "Man, this sucks. I was hoping you guys would do better after the last two groups. Oh well. Output thirty. SPIRAL SURGE!"

In that moment, Mieko Eto struck. The space in front of the masssive energy blast became slightly askew, as if looking through glass that was off by a few degrees. Nejire hadn't noticed and unleashed her attack. Her attack went through the portal and came out the other side.

Directly above her and headed down.

"GOT YOU!" Mieko said. "Koda, go!"

As soon as Nejire was finished getting pummeled by her own attack, Koda ran in and got her in a full nelson. "Hit her now, Y-Yaomomo!" Koda managed to say at something approaching a reasonable volume.

Yaoyorozu created a new magazine for her ICER and reloaded it. Nejire preferred to remain not shot, thank you very much. She rammed the back of her head against Koda's face. That was the first step of breaking this hold.

Koda's grip didn't go slack like it was supposed to. "Wha-"

Yaoyorozu shot her, causing Nejire to go unconscious and go slack in Koda's grip. The gentle boy ever so carefully laid their adversary down on the ground.

"I guess... it's a good thing that I'm just more durable than the average person?" Koda said.

Yaoyorozu smiled at him and at Mieko who had ran over. "Well, it wasn't exactly how we planned, but you two did great."

Mieko was beaming. "Thanks, Yaomomo!" She smiled coquettishly. "Say, you and that special guy of yours wouldn't be interested in-"

A vein pulsed in Yaoyorozu's forehead. "I do not share."

Mieko's shoulders slumped. "Damn."

Koda facepalmed.

Tenya Iida was in the middle of a very delicate operation. It demanded his complete focus. Even a moment of distraction, a moment of hesitation could spell disaster...

As he attempted to apply the chest decals of the HG Gundam Heavyarms. He held his breath as the tweezers in his unerring hand held one of four decals, one of four decals that could easily spell doom for this otherwise perfect build.

Seriously though. Who thought that decals that had to be placed on raised surfaces were a good idea? No one! He began to move his hand downward, Success or failure hinged on the next few moments. He would let nothing stop him from-

A knock on the door shattered his concentration like Midorya's bones on a bad day. The tweezers opened just enough for the decal to fall out and float down... down...

Onto his desk. Sticky side down.

For a brief moment, Tenya Iida contemplated becoming a villain. Then it passed. With a mighty sigh, he got up and opened the door.

He was presented with a short old man wearing a yellow costume that was oddly reminiscent of Mega Man. "Can I help you?" Who was this man? And why was he knocking on his door?

The man laughed. "Ha! Good one, kid. No, I'm here to help you. My name is Sorahiko Torino. You may or may not know me as Gran Torino."

Iida's eyes lit up with recognition. "Yes, I know you. Midoriya's mentioned his extra lessons with you."

"Good, that saves time." Gran Torino said. "May I come in?" Iida motioned him inside. He raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the boy's room. One wall was dominated shelves of spare glasses and plastic models of anime robots. Well, that was fine. Everyone needed a hobby. On his nightstand Gran Torino noticed a framed photo of Iida and Melissa Shield. It spoke volumes to Iida's character that he had taken the time to frame the photo rather than just keep it on his phone. "Alright. Here's the thing. Work Studies." The old man raised his cane like a giant finger, "And I know the real story about Hosu, so don't give me nonsense. I'll say it plain. I want you to come work with me."

"Why?" Iida asked. "Wouldn't it be more productive for you to keep working with Midoriya?"

"Nah. My teaching style doesn't vibe with him. Mirko's been doing good work with him, and I ain't about to mess with that." Gran Torino leaned forward, "I want you, because I see my younger self in you. And I intend to make you into what I was for All Might, but for Midoriya. A confidant and... brake, when necessary."

"All Might?" Iida asked. "What does he have to do with this?"

Gran Torino shook his head. "More than you know. Here's the problem, we're at the awkward part of this conversation where I have to tell you that to work with me you have to be okay knowing some real dark shit." He saw Iida's back straighten, but the boy didn't recoil. Interesting.

"I was at Kamino." Iida said, looking Gran Torino dead in the eyes. "Do your worst."

Internally, Gran Torino was practically giddy. Someone serious who would actually rise to his challenges? He hadn't had that since All Might as a teenager! "All Might's Quirk is transferable. He gave it to Midoriya."

Iida blinked. "That explains a lot."

Gran Torino pulled out his phone. "One more thing, kid." With a few button presses, he added Iida to the group chat. "Welcome to hell."

Iida squinted at his phone. "The... Secret Cabal?"

Gran Torino just looked at him, with the dead-eyed stare of a rational man charged with holding back the tides of chaos.

"Nezu?" Iida asked.

"Nezu." Gran Torino confirmed.

As he scrolled down the list of names to familiarize himself with who all was in on the secret -of course Yaoyorozu knew, there was no way that Midoriya would be able to hide anything from her- a new name popped in.

Ochako Uraraka.

Moments later, a text from Bakugo came through. "Sorry. There was no way I wasn't gonna come clean to Ochako about this nonsense."

Uraraka explained further. "Yeah... I was trying to get out of him what your weeekly super secret meeting was about and he cracked. Like an egg."

Gran Torino and Iida both experienced an easily explainable urge to put Bakugo through a wall.

"We might as well bring young Todoroki in at this point, as he's the last on Izuku's shortlist of classmates he wanted to know about... everything after Kamino." All Might said.

Iida frowned. "Is All Might's user name really Small Might?"

Gran Torino shot him a look. "Really? That's your takeaway here?"

"Yes."

Sir Nighteye was annoyed. He was annoyed at the lack of progress in the investigation into the Shie Hassakai. He was annoyed that Bubble Girl was running out of jokes to slip into her report. Honestly, just sprinkle in some Pre-Quirk memes. Was it really so difficult? He was annoyed that Strongarm hadn't reported in. Yes, he knew full well that Strongarm was on a deep cover mission that came with a do not report in if it will jeopardize your safety clause. The silence was disconcerting.

But most of all, Sir Nighteye was annoyed that Toshinori Yagi would dare to suggest that he did not have the capacity to remain professional when dealing with Izuku Midoriya. "Why would you even begin to think that I would be biased against your son?"

Sir Nighteye allowed himself an inward grin while maintaining his stoic mask. That had rattled him. The woman with him -Inko Midoriya- was less affected. Gran Torino had told him about her, and warned Sir Nighteye away from certain lines of inquiry. Namely questioning Izuku Midoriya's fitness as the wielder of One For All.

"Well our last conversation- Ah..." All Might spluttered. "You berated me for giving One For All to a Quirkless teenager rather than to Mirio Togata."

Inko narrowed her eyes. "The third year that Izuku had to field a team against? What's your game?"

"No game, ma'am. Not anymore." Sir Nighteye said. "Even if I don't agree with All Might's snap decision to give his Quirk to Midoriya..." He sighed before taking a sip of his hot chocolate, "In the end, Midoriya's efforts at the USJ, Hosu- yes, I know the real story, I-Island, and Kamino have proven that he is worthy of One For All. I am not going to question that." He leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "What I am going to do is hone him the way I have Mirio. You have laid his foundation, All Might, by your example. He has inherited your mad zeal for heroism that I have never quite understood. Eraser Head and Mirko have continued your work by teaching him how to apply his power and how to be wise with it. I will show him how to overcome impossible odds and do so with a smile on his face." Sir Nighteye smiled, "Because a future without smiles is no bright future."

All Might swallowed. "I... may have misread this situation." Inko raised an eyebrow at him. He swiftly corrected himself. "I have misread this situation. I just didn't want Izuku to suffer because of the gulf between us."

Nighteye gestured to the room around them, covered in nearly as much All Might merch as Midoriya's bedroom.. "Look around you, Toshinori. I've always been your fan, the dissolution of our friendship notwithstanding. How could I ever turn away any that want to be more like you?"

While All Might was struck speechless, Inko was not. She patted his shoulder. "I think I'll leave you two alone now so you can catch up. And mend some fences." She got up and left Nighteye's office.

"Truly a remarkable woman." Nighteye said.

The corner of All Might's mouth quirked up in a smile. "She really is." He caught Nighteye smiling at him, "What?"

"I'm glad you've found some measure of happiness. Even though..." He winced. "Does she know? About my prediction?"

All Might shook his head, "No. We're the only ones that know." He leaned back in his chair, "What would it change if she or Izuku knew? You've been very clear that your predictions can't be changed. I'd rather spend the time I have left with my family."

Nighteye took a pull of his hot chocolate. "I thought you didn't believe in fate... I believe you said something along the lines of damn you, damn fate, and damn your prediction."

All Might shrugged. "Worst case scenario, I die a gruesome death in a year or two. That doesn't mean I stop living now."

They lapsed into silence for a moment before Nighteye asked the question that had been frustrating him since he had learned of Izuku Midoriya. "Why did you choose him? Really?"

All Might laughed, "You're probably going to laugh or hit me."

Nighteye raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

"He was giving me Shonen protagonist vibes." All Might admitted, his trademark grin splitting his face.

Nighteye felt an urge to curse All Might and his entire ancestral line.

It wasn't even the first hour of his work study with Sir Nighteye, and Midoriya was already on patrol. With Mirio, of course. Bakugo was back at the agency, getting training from Sir Nighteye. The next day they were there, it would be reversed.

Before he and Mirio had been sent out, Sir Nighteye had explained the current case he and his sidekicks were working. He was investigating the last Yakuza family that was still truly worthy of the name. The Shie Hassakai and their young leader, Kai Chisaki. He went by Overhaul these days.

"C'mon man, loosen up!" Mirio said, "You're as stiff as a board! Didn't you go on patrol during your internship after the Sports Festival?"

Midoriya smiled, "Sure, if you mean a week of hellish training and then taking down the Hero Killer."

Mirio laughed. "Oh, that's right! I remember seeing that on the news. So, Mister Miracle, huh?"

Midoriya nodded. "Yeah, that's my name. Because I'll twist the wishes of villains and make a miracle." After a beat of silence he scratched the back of his neck. "Also, my girlfriend came up with it after the USJ."

Before Mirio could respond, a civilian ran up to him. Judging by the apron he wore, he worked at a grocery store or convenience store. "Heroes, some villains are holding up the corner store!"

"Do you know how many or what their Quirks are?" Mirio asked.

The man shook his head. "No, I just heard them shouting about how they're going to rob the place! One of them said that if anyone tries to stop them, she'll take some Trigger and kill everyone!"

"How'd you get away without them noticing?" Midorya asked.

"I snuck out through the loading dock! If you hurry you might be able to sneak in that way!"

"We're on it!" Mirio said. Without any preamble, they dashed off towards the corner store, then circled around to the back. "Door's wide open... hold on..." A thug ambled into view, and Mirio yanked Midoriya behind a wall. "We can't let him report back to his buddies. They might do something rash. Think you can take him quietly?"

Midoriya peered around the wall at the thug. He didn't have any weapons, but he was wearing body armor. There was no outward signs of a Quirk. "I can take him, but I can't guarantee it'll be quiet."

Mirio weighed his options. "Go ahead, you need the experience. I'll follow close and back you up if you need it."

"You sure?" Midoriya asked. "If I mess up..."

"I'll be right there to cover for you!" Mirio said quietly, "We're partners after all!"

Midoriya nodded then got to work. He checked the angles he had on the thug. He had the perfect angle for a sneak attack, but he had no idea about the layout of the store, this could get bed quick. Midoriya took a moment to calm his nerves. He had all of the possibly available information. There were people in danger. It was time for action.

He activated Full Cowling and leapt to a nearby wall before kicking off it and careening at the thug. He extended his legs into a drop kick, hitting the thug in the center of his chest. He flew backwards and hit the corner of a crate before coming to a stop in a heap on the ground. "Bullet Train Smash." Midoriya whispered to himself. He knew it would be reckless to shout his attacks right now, but tradition had to be upheld. He dragged the unconscious thug into one of the aisles of the warehouse area of the corner store, partially hiding him from view. He made his way to the door that would lead into the store and peeked though the window.

He could see three thugs. One looked like he had he had some sort of complex mutation Quirk, probably Warthog judging by the snout and tusks around his nose and mouth area. The second was a thin woman with electric blue hair, styled in an undercut. Based on the collar and gloves she wore, Midoriya could only assume that she had some sort of emitter Quirk. The third was trying to open a safe behind the counter. He had a stethoscope coming out of his ears.

That was certainly... Quirky.

Mirio came up behind him. "Save the big guy for last. Take out the girl and safecracker first. Trigger doesn't have any effect on complex mutations, so he won't be able to take the dose off the woman. Don't worry about stealth, just blitz them before they can react."

Midoriya tested the joints in his arms and legs for pain. Nothing as of yet. It seemed that his body had acclimated to fifteen percent of One For All reasonably well. Without a word, he burst through the door towards the woman. He didn't waste any time and decked her across the face. "MIRACLE SMASH!"

As All Might had once said, the hammer of justice knows no gender.

The woman dropped like a sack of potatoes, and Midoriya went for the safecracker. The warthog guy started shouting. "THE HELL? HEROES?"

The safecracker pulled a gun and pointed it at a hostage behind the counter. "Freeze hero, or this bitch is as good as-"

Midoriya didn't give him a chance to finish. He brought his heel down on the man's head in a picture perfect axe kick. "DOWNBURST SMASH!" The man's face slammed into the counter with a crack. Midoriya turned to the last villain. "Surrender!"

"Ha!" He snorted, "You think I'm gonna let some snot nosed All Might fanboy push me around? Come on, kid. Let's see what you've got!"

Midoriya lunged at the man before slipping around his clumsy blows thanks to Danger Sense. He went into the Dempsey Roll, pummeling him with a barrage of body blows. "TSUNAMI SMASH!"

The warthog-man stumbled backwards and fell to his knees. "Goddamn... I haven't been rocked that bad in-"

Midoriya silenced him with a roundhouse kick. After he was certain that the warthog-man was unconscious, he checked on the hostages. "Is everyone okay?"

A woman nodded. "I think so, they hadn't hurt anyone yet."

Mirio walked in. "Cops are on their way. As soon as they get here, they'll take your statements. "Good job, Mister Miracle!"

Midoriya smiled, "Thanks, Lemillion!"

One of the workers chuckled. "Let me guess, Mister Miracle. Everything's alright because you are here?"

Midoriya gave the man a thumbs up. "Yes, sir!"

About halfway through their patrol shift, Mirio convinced Midoriya to actually wear the mask that came with his hero costume.

About five minutes later, this became very important when a small child ran into him. He knelt down next to her. "Hey, are you alright?" She was wearing a ragged dress, had bandages on her arms and legs, and had a single horn protruding from her head.

"Hmm? What's up?" Mirio asked.

"This girl just ran into me." Midoriya said. He turned back to the girl who seemed... frightened. Why?

She flinched away from him. Midoriya frowned. The way she flinched... it reminded him of how he...

How he used to flinch away from Bakugo. "Hey, you don't have to worry." He smiled as widely as he could without seeming threatening or crazy. "It'll be alright, because I am here!"

Mirio raised an eyebrow at Midoriya's chosen method of reassurance. "Where are your parents?"

Midoriya was confused. She hadn't reacted at all to All Might's catchphrase. What kid in Japan didn't know it? Something was seriously wrong here.

"Oh, heroes. Thank you for corralling my wayward daughter for me."

Midoriya looked up and saw a man in a plague doctor mask fashioned after a crow's beak. Midoriya kept his expression as neutral as he could, and hoped that the man didn't notice his eyes widening. Because the man was Overhaul.

Mirio stepped in. "Is this your daughter, sir?" Gotta play it cool. If we try to force our hand here, the investigation could be blown to hell!

"Yes, she's just throwing another one of her fits. You know how it is."

The girl suddenly clutched the front of Midoriya's uniform and all of his protective instincts fired into overdrive. "She seems pretty scared of you, and these bandages... it doesn't exactly paint a good picture." I need to try to save her! It's what All Might would do!

"Hey, it takes all types to make a world, right?" Mirio said. Dammit, I nearly gagged on that. Stop being so suspicious, Midoriya!

Overhaul fixed Midoriya with an appraising glare. After a moment that felt like an eternity, he relented. "Ah, leave it to a Hero to be sensitive to the details, right? She's just scared because I was going to give her a scolding." He turned his gaze on Mirio. "What agency are you two with, anyways? Haven't seen you two around before."

Mirio threw a smile, "Oh, it would be pretty presumptuous of us to say we're from an agency when we're still in school. We're just using our internships to gain experience."

"I see." He turned. "Eri, come."

Eri didn't move. Instead, she spoke for the first time, only loud enough for Midoriya to hear her. "Don't... let him take me..."

"I just don't think it's normal." Midoriya said, fearing neither god, man, or Overhaul, "For a child to tremble like this without making a sound... what are you doing to her?"

Overhaul's eye twitched. "You're just determined to expose me for being a terrible parent, aren't you?" He began to walk down the alley he and Eri had come from. "Can we at least do this somewhere quieter?"

Overhaul reached for the surgical glove covering his left hand. Midoriya gasped as pain from Danger Sense lanced through his head. That was the worst that it had ever been...

Eri broke away from him and ran back to Overhaul. "Oh, finished your tantrum? Good."

"Wait-" Midoriya gasped again and leaned against the wall from another round of Danger Sense. Was Overhaul that dangerous?

Mirio grabbed him in a way that mad it seem like he was steadying him. ""Whoa there, partner. You get a headache again? You've got to start eating better!"

"Take care, heroes." Overhaul said as he faded into the darkness with Eri, a note of derision on his lips, "Do your best."

Eri looked back at them, pleading with her eyes for them to not abandon her to Overhaul. There was nothing they could do.

Midoriya clenched his fists. "Dammit... we couldn't do anything..."

"Come on, we need to report this." Mirio said, "Sir will want to know."

Midoriya glared down the alley, hoping he would suddenly manifest the ability to strike Overhaul down with a look. After it became clear that such power would elude him, Midoriya sighed. "Fine, let's go."

For once, Sir Nighteye didn't mind that there were no jokes in a report.

"Holy shit." Bakugo said. "We literally cannot take you anywhere, Midoriya."

Nighteye pondered Bakugo's vulgarly expressed frustration. "Is this common? Midoriya just walking down a street and encountering supervillains?"

Midoriya shrugged helplessly.

"We call it a Midoriya Moment." Bakugo added.

Sir Nighteye had a thousand yard stare for a moment. "I am... familiar with the concept. Now, before we get to the meat of your report, congratulations are in order. Excellent job with the corner store holdup. You can expect a modest amount of media coverage, the height of which could be the security camera footage going public."

Midoriya froze. "Wait, really?"

"Yep!" Mirio said, desperately trying to keep the mood up. "Especially since the cameras in that store had audio."

"Um... can we move on to the important bits?" Midoriya offered.

Nighteye nodded. "Go ahead, you two."

Midoriya and Mirio proceeded to relate their encounter with Eri and Overhaul. Midoriya made sure to point out Eri's condition and his suspicions of abuse, while Mirio put forth his observations about Overhaul.

Sir Nighteye frowned. "Midoriya, what makes you think that Eri is being abused?"

He glanced at Bakugo. "Because the way she trembled in my hands without making a sound... it reminded me of what happened the first time Bakugo beat me."

Nighteye glanced at Bakugo for a reaction but saw none except quiet acceptance. So, they've buried the hatchet? Good, they're proper rivals. And friends, it seems. "That will never hold up in court, however it gives enough probable cause to start calling in other heroes that are investigating other parts of the Shie Hassakai's network for a team-up. You three are dismissed for the day."

Midoriya hung his head, "I just wish we could've saved her..."

"None of that!" Nighteye snapped, "Haste makes waste in this sort of investigation. We will save her, Midoriya. But if we rush in without dispelling the fog of war, then the likelihood of us making a lethal mistake increases dramatically." He smiled ruefully. "Only All Might could take those kind of risks with impunity. We are not him."

"But that's just it, Nighteye!" Midoriya said, "Eri doesn't know about him! I tried to cheer her up with All Might's I am here before Overhaul got there, and she didn't even bat an eye! How am I supposed to be the new Symbol of Peace when there are people who like her who have never known peace?"

"You should not strive to be a new Symbol of Peace." Nighteye said. "All Might was able to rise to that pinnacle because of his innate ability to control all of his Quirk without issue and his vast wellspring of charisma. Unspoken rizz, as you kids call it these days."

"No one calls it that." Bakugo interjected.

Nighteye ignored Bakugo. "You do not have this, Midoriya. What you do have is the ability to inspire hope. That is the symbol you should strive to become. Mister Miracle, the Symbol of Hope."

Midoriya shivered as he got the chills. That was perfect.

Now he only had to prove himself worthy of that name.

The members of the Shie Hassakai had one simple rule. If you want to keep living, do not piss off the boss.

"You vermin." Overhaul hissed. "Because you let Eri escape, the heroes might be onto us!"

The thug in question saw his life flash before his eyes. "I'm sorry, boss! It won't happen again!"

He continued to blabber, pleading for his life. It was just noise to Overhaul. He yanked off the glove on his right hand and lashed out, scratching the man's cheek. In an instant the hapless Yakuza thug became a smear on the wall. "Filthy..." He turned to Eri, who was trying to look away. "Why are you trying not to look?" He knelt down by her and grabbed her head, forcing her to look at the aftermath. "This is your fault. If you hadn't run away, then this man would still be alive. If you hadn't been selfish, I wouldn't have needed to get my hands dirty." He stood up and dragged her away. He opened the door to a room and threw her inside.

She looked up and saw the operating table that had been her hell for as long as she could remember. However, this time was different.

She forced herself to remember the two heroes that had tried to save her from Overhaul. The one in green and the one in a cape.

For the first time in her life, Eri dared to have hope.

A/N: Here we go. Overhaul Arc is officially in full swing.

First, the fights against the Big Three. Mirio is basically an impossible opponent in a straight fight. But it's possible to create an opening by exploiting his Quirk's Skyrim glitching to send him somewhere he doesn't expect. Tamaki has the ultimate level of versatility, but against someone like Kirishima that can only go far. Nejire's weakness if her stamina. If you can outlast her, you... might have a chance. Because she's probably done a bunch of stamina training to make sure she's got the gas in the tank to keep going, even if it's on fumes.

Yes, Iida builds Gunpla. Yes, the chest decals for the High Grade Heavyarms are in fact that terrible. And yeah, Gran Torino is going to be taking Iida for a work study. That's why he gets to know about OFA.

Bakugo was never going to be able to hide anything from Uraraka, let's be realistic. And Todoroki... because it was only a matter of time until he came up with the conspiracy theory.

Yeah, Nighteye isn't a terrible person! And wants to help Izuku (and Bakugo). In his mind, it goes something like this. "All Might = good. These kids want to become like All Might. More All Might = better." Pretty based, to be honest.

All Might hasn't told anyone about Nighteye's prediction. He just wants to enjoy the time he has left if he does die. If he doesn't and gets to keep living with the people he loves? Even better!

I decided to show Midorya and Mirio actually doing some hero work before their run-in with Overhaul. Midorya's view of stealth stems from Metal Gear. There won't be anyone to notice if there's no one left to notice.

Overhaul is a bastard. What more needs to be said?

Nighteye's a little kinder than canon here, but the point is the same. They will save Eri, but when the time is right and their forces are fully arrayed against the enemy.

That's all for this chapter. Until next... wait... what's that sound?

Red Riot... UNBREAKABLE!