(A/N: Edit to a previous chapter. It was pointed out for chapter 1 of this part that Izuku should have asked Aizawa about what to do with Bakugou. I more was thinking they wouldn't have done that 'off screen' but I added a small part anyway. :) You can read it if you would like, but basically Aizawa agrees to Maijima and him being the ones to talk to Katsuki but not keeping the fact that the info is from Izuku a secret. Katsuki needs to learn to work with Izuku. :) So thank you, LadyPhoenix68! ^_^)

...

And so the weeks passed. Izuku studied, trained, and proceeded through meeting with all of the first year Hero Course students until he was finished. Any changes to their costumes or gear were being submitted after each session. The ones that were more of a priority being first so they would hopefully be ready in plenty of time to practice with them before the final exams. The rest would have to wait until the next semester. As to what the exams would actually be, the teachers were being very quiet about what the they would entail.

The Quirkless teen was so busy that when Maijima had proposed a contest to the Support students he opted out immediately. It was for some sort of weights intended as a training tool. Preferably high in weight but compact in size. It was an interesting idea to have weights on while training. You could build your strength while improving your speed with added weight, then theoretically you could become super-fast once you took the weights off. Izuku might have to look into that as a potential training tool in the future but for now he was far too busy for such side projects. Mei on the other hand eagerly took on the challenge.

Izuku made sure to meet with both 1-A and 1-B intermittently as to not show any favoritism. He focused on the ones he wanted to discuss their costumes and potential Support Items first. Not necessarily glaring issues like the others but more suggestions and questions.

In general, everyone could use more protection. Ojiro could easily add a sort of under armor to his outfit with added material to protect his tail. The appendage was strong but it was still exposed skin. The same could be said for Shouji's arms. He understood that parts of them needed to be uncovered for his Quirk to work properly, but the main limbs could and should be protected. Both appreciated his input and agreed to the additions.

Aoyama's costume wasn't necessarily terrible though it could use a redesign in Izuku's honest opinion. His obsession with shiny things was a bit much for him though he personally wanted to go Underground rather than stand out so much. At least the armor protected vital areas which Izuku made sure to request an upgrade of the material to a more decent one like with Tenya's. His red glasses did protect his eyes though they didn't need to be so big much like his armor didn't need to be so bulky. Then there was the cape that served no purpose but for show.

However, the laser wielder was adamant on keeping it as close to the original as possible. Even insisting the cape was essential for his look. Guess that's flashy Daylight Heroes for ya. Though he was open to the idea of adding more outlets for his emitter gear on his palms so he could shoot his lasers from his hands. Izuku also got the glittery boy to agree to speak with Recovery Girl about his tendency to get an upset stomach from Quirk overuse. Perhaps she would have an idea that could help him.

Tokoyami was more receptive to change having trust in Izuku's judgement since the Sports Festival. For him the cape did actually serve a purpose to provide a dark place for Dark Shadow to recharge. Though it didn't necessarily need to be so long so they compromised with a capelet instead that went to his waist. Then he would have the cover needed for Dark Shadow but was less likely to trip or get caught on things.

The dark teen was also in agreement that he relied on his Quirk too much. Dark Shadow was strong but they were a pair and needed to work together. Izuku suggested a pair of gauntlets to protect his hands and wrists with talon-like tips to the fingers for added offense. The greenet also suggested shoulder guards as well to protect his neck and shoulders. Last couple of ideas were a utility belt to hold supplies as well as a sort of flash bomb or emergency light source in case Dark Shadow got out of control. Just in case.

Hitoshi already had an idea of what Izuku wanted to do for him. It started off as more of a joke when the brainwasher teased that the antenna housing the greenet designed for a new helmet for his own costume looked like bunny ears. His retaliation was to threaten to make a version with cat ears for his jerk of a friend. Same with the nickname, Hitoshi actually turned out liking the idea. To a point that is.

He more wished to emulate Eraserhead's style of patrolling the streets as a Hero hidden in plain sight. Both hiding their Support Items, his mask to Aizawa's goggles, in their twinned scarves and able to quickly switch into Hero mode by putting them on in an instant. Wearing a helmet like that all the time wouldn't be as practical even if it was for protection. But they figured it could be of used for specific missions or raids when he would need even more anonymity. His hair could be just as recognizable as Izuku's but also proved in Hosu to be useful in conjunction with his Quirk.

Either way, Izuku designed a helmet that incorporated a lot of his own tech. In the cat ears would be a new listening apparatus inspired by Jirou and Shouji connected to a bone conduction speaker system. The helmet's visor was able to be raised or lowered and had similar features to his goggles. Infrared and the ability to record with a new setting for night vision that he also would be adding to his goggles. The inventor also hoped to add his tracking system to the visor but wasn't sure if there would be time. They would have to see.

One feature Izuku was on the fence about for Hitoshi was keeping his mask. That night the brainwasher had confided in him about his home life, the greenet learned that his friend, his brother, had been made to wear muzzles in the past. It turned his gut sour at the thought, but Hitoshi insisted he was fine and not to worry about it. Izuku would anyway and made sure to add into the design that the helmet could attach to his mask but also easily detach as well. Just in case at any time wearing it became too much.

The only other costume change Izuku had for 1-A was for Bakugou. Seriously, those grenade gauntlets did not look comfortable. They were bulky and obstructed his movement despite the intended purpose of storing his sweat for bigger attacks. Instead, he thought that a body suit that collected the sweat from all over his body would be a more efficient.

His Explosion Quirk mainly centered in his hands, this Izuku knew personally well having faced them so many times in the past. It came from a combination of Masaru's Acid Sweat that was localized in his hands and he could ignite it if he rubbed his hands together, and then Mitsuki's Glycerin that secreted from her skin all over her body. Bakugou being their son had the combined effect of producing explosive sweat anywhere on his person but with the ignition point concentrated at his palms.

With that in mind, the body suit would be able to collect much more of his sweat and could direct it wherever he needed. That being either his hands or his smaller grenades. The latter by the way could be automatically filled with a special apparatus instead of manually filling them every time. As for his gauntlets, Izuku drew up a redesign that were of a similar style but slimmer.

These proposed changes could not be given by Izuku directly. Bakugou would outright reject anything he suggested and most likely reprimand him for being a 'creepy stalker' again. But as he thought before, and his teachers agreed, it would be Maijima who would talk to Bakugou through his notes with Aizawa there to supervise the unpredictable blonde.

The rest of 1-A were either suggestions for Support Items or inquiries about their Quirks. For the girls, Tsuyu could definitely use a waterproof communication device after what happened at the USJ. Ashido could have bombs similar to Izuku's but filled with her own acid to throw at her opponents instead of shooting a stream at them to better localize the acidic pool.

For Jirou, Izuku felt she could use gear similar to Present Mic. They were quite similar with Quirks related to sound after all. Her Stereo Boots were just fine but she could use more gear to plug her jacks into. Perhaps around her neck like the Voice Hero or even Support Items for her hands. Jirou thought that was a good idea and left with plans to figure out what would work best with her fighting style.

He didn't have much for Hagakure as his concerns with her suit had already been relieved. Thank gods they hadn't tried to make a teenage girl fight naked as he had first feared. Instead, he asked her questions about her Quirk. Turns out it wasn't just simple invisibility but light refraction. They tossed ideas back and forth wondering as far as if Hagakure could redirect light attacks or even refract enough light to make herself visible. Their talk gave her goals to work towards in her training.

Sero was pretty much set with his Quirk that he wielded with practiced ease. It was super versatile helping with offense, defense, and mobility. He very much reminded Izuku of that old comic book superhero. Just your friendly neighborhood tape dispenser! To be even more similar he could add a Support Item that redirected his tape down his arm to his wrist. The only other thing they discussed was if Sero could produce different kinds of tape or was he limited to just one. Because if he could, changing to double sided tape or even surgical tape could make him even more versatile in the field.

For Satou, they discussed his Quirk and how exactly sugar affects him. Turned out that consuming ten grams of sugar gave him three minutes of increased strength by five-fold. He could extend that time by ingesting additional ten-gram servings, but once it wears off, he suffered from a sugar crash and became very sleepy.

It was similar in a way to Kaminari's issue with his Quirk causing him to be more vulnerable from Quirk overuse. He suggested training to extend his time limit as well as his improved strength. He also inquired whether the types of sugar played a factor or could it be any kind. He's only ever seen the other boy either eat sugar cubes or just down a pack on sight. Satou said it could be any kind and even could get his power from any sweet things like cakes and other deserts. He even liked to bake as a hobby that also helped his Quirk.

That was all well and good but carrying around cakes in battle didn't seem very practical. The sugar cubes and packets were better, but perhaps something similar to Recovery Girl's energy gummies would work as well. They would be compact and easy to eat. He also suggested that Satou would benefit on increasing his base strength so that his Quirked strength was even stronger.

Last but not least for 1-A was Kouda. The quietest of his consultations as it was all in sign but just as constructive as the rest. Izuku did suggest more protection and coverage when it came to his costume. Like extra padding for his shoulders, elbows, and knees as well as protective gloves and boots. He could even add a mask to hide his mouth so people wouldn't be able to see what he was saying to his animal companions. It was something they could discuss over the coming weeks to see what his friend would like to do.

However, the main thing he discussed with Kouda was his challenge of actually finding animals to use his Quirk with. Again and again Izuku has seen the animal whisperer unable to apply his Quirk because there were no animals around. And so, his suggestion was actually having a dedicated animal companion, at least one, that would be with Kouda always to help him fight. And perhaps as a friend and comfort animal as Kouda was very shy.

Izuku would have to ask Nezu if that would be possible depending on the rules of the school. But if you thought about it, for Kouda an animal companion could be classified as a Support Item for his Quirk. Animals essentially were the tools he needed for his Quirk to work and without them he was fighting Quirkless. Izuku, of course, could very much relate.

Again, they would have to see if that would even be allowed though Izuku was sure they could. Though they may be limited by the type of animal more than anything else such as bigger predators like tigers and bears. But it would be nice to have a variety eventually such as birds for reconnaissance from the air or moles for underground. Or even bugs would be great for espionage if his Quirk did work on them. Kouda seemed a bit freaked out by the idea so Izuku moved on but also made a mental note for his other assignment.

Surprisingly most of 1-B didn't have much issues with their costumes. Other than Shiozaki, who was still considering his ideas, Izuku mostly approved of their designs with only minor tweaks or additions. Much like with her, he donned his Hiro disguise to meet with the other Hero students starting with Shishida.

His costume was simple with boots, pants, a collar, and sunglasses, but why have a collar with no shirt? Perhaps most materials would irritate his fur while transforming into his beast mode but there had to be a type out there that would work with his Quirk. The gruff teen was actually quite receptive to his suggestions and kind of gave Izuku some Hound Dog feels. Which when he mentioned it, he learned Shishida actually respected the Hero and they spent some time talking about him.

Support Item wise, he had a number of candidates for upgrades. For Kaibara, he suggested protected coverings for his fingers that would add to his offensive capabilities and increase his attack damage when they were spinning. Komori's Quirk worked best in humid environments and having some sort of Support Item to increase it in enclosed spaces or areas would be helpful for her mushrooms.

Awase was limited by his need for physical contact with his hands to activate his Weld Quirk. If he had some sort of long, sturdy but light objects on him then he could connect two different targets without touching them at the same time. Like a linking log of sorts. As for what material they were made out of, steel was strong but heavy. Graphene would be more ideal and Awase was able to weld any material together, organic or inorganic alike.

From watching their Battle Training, Izuku knew that Rin could shoot his scales out like bullets, but with a Support Item he could increase his accuracy and shots per second. The Quirkless teen also asked if he could reverse the direction of his scales or not because if he could then the sharper edges would increase his attack damage.

Kendou could use protective gloves that could grow with her hands. Yes, her hands could be huge but they were still just her hands, vulnerable to injury. He also voiced his curiosity of whether she was limited to between normal to huge or could she adjust the size of her hands. Because if she could, she could give a specially sized hand in any given situation.

There were a few others that Izuku thought would benefit from having various items on their person to manipulate with their Quirk. Such as Yanagi with Poltergeist or Shouda with Twin Impact. The latter could also use a locating device to keep track of the objects he hits, thinking of his own tracking device, but it turned out Shouda already had a plan for such a thing. Great minds think alike, right?

Kodai could also carry objects on her person, ones preshrunk by herself. With her Quirk she could carry quite a number of preshrunk items though she would be limited by weight. Size affected the volume of the things she touched, not the mass so the weight would remain the same. But she could shrink a few heavier items or a bunch of lighter ones so she was always prepared.

When it came to what fuels a Quirk, there were two that should keep emergency supplies on them. Tetsutetsu would benefit from iron-rich snacks or something similar. Perhaps vitamin pills or even gummies. He could also use a sort of gauge to track his iron levels so he knew when he was running low. That was what had led to his loss to Eijirou in the Sports Festival.

Tokage could also use energy snacks on hand. Much like Momo, her Quirk drained her energy when she regenerated pieces of her body. It was a weakness that she typically combatted by returning her separated parts before her time ran out but that wasn't always possible. Also, Izuku was intrigued to learn that her suit was made from her own cells so that it regenerated with her body.

Having been inspired by his Quirk, Izuku actually asked Bondo for advice on how he used his Quirk. Cemedine was a really cool Quirk and would be great for trapping people, but Izuku had yet to find a way to use it without hampering his own or others' movements. Turns out that Bondo could control how fast his glue dried meaning it didn't stick around as a gooey mess.

Perhaps Izuku could look into a different type of glue instead with quick drying features. He still planned on improving his capture bombs but if he could use the glue bombs in a similar fashion that would open up more possibilities. As for suggestions for the fellow glue user, the Quirkless teen suggested Bondo possibly having glue bombs of his own on hand to prevent overuse of his Quirk.

Kuroiro could use a sort of bomb as well. His Quirk, Black, allowed him to merge into any dark color becoming one with the shadows. However, there won't always be shadows available if he went up against a well-lit opponent. But if he were to have black paint bombs on hand, he could make his own darkness in an instant. Kind of like an instant black hole like in those old cartoons.

Fukidashi had an interesting Quirk that allowed him to materialize physical manifestations of words he speaks. Specifically, onomatopoeias as he saw during their Battle Training though it was from watching Monoma use it instead. He wondered if Fukidashi could record his voice and leave 'word bombs' in places or did it have to come straight from his mouth.

If he couldn't, it was still a cool Quirk. Izuku was curious if the volume that the word was said in affected the power level. They were things for the other boy to try out. Besides that, Izuku suggested vocal and breathing exercises to increase his limit as well as keeping cough drops on hand to sooth his throat.

The rest of 1-B were more inquiries about their Quirks and how they worked. Honenuki got in on recommendation and was a pretty solid fighter. A bit ironic as his Quirk allowed him to soften things he touches as well as return them to their original state. But thinking of Bondo's Quirk, Izuku wondered how Honenuki's affected things that were already soft or even sticky like glue. Because his Quirk isn't hardening so wouldn't it make soft things even softer? Ultimate softness?

Kamakiri was pretty intimidating and had a similar air to Bakugou, but he willingly answered Izuku's questions about his Quirk. Turns out he can control the shapes of his blades, able to produce various designs as needed. He could also control exactly where they came out of his body. Though they weren't sure if the blades were detachable or could be reattached if they were. It was something Kamakiri could try but Izuku stressed to not force himself if that ended up hurting him. The taller boy was strong but it would be best to avoid harming himself.

Tsunotori was a delight to work with and they chatted in English much to her relief as she was still learning Japanese. He learned that she could produce a seemingly infinite number of horns and could remotely control up to four at a time. She could even make herself fly by riding on them which was so cool. He wondered if her mental state affected her level of control and also suggested a diet rich in keratin to strengthen her horns.

Tsuburaba's Quirk was very versatile and would be great for obstructing movement. Barriers in midair to block their way barely visible to the seeing eye. Izuku was curious if it could also help with mobility as well like making platforms that could be used as stairs for example. He figured his Quirk relied on how much air he breathed out kind of like how Gran Torino's is affected by how much he breaths in. Breathing exercises would be helpful to increase his lung capacity.

Last but certainly not least, was Monoma. It would be the first time interacting with the blonde since the Sports Festival. Only this time the copier knew what he looked like out of his disguise. Because of this, Izuku removed his beanie and goggles while cleaning the soot off his cheeks as best he could. He had been looking forward to this meeting hoping to find a fellow Quirk enthusiast.

The door opened to an irate looking Monoma who sneered as he entered. It made Izuku worry for a second that maybe this wouldn't go so great after all. But then again, Monoma hadn't seemed to judge him because of his Quirk status before so maybe it would be okay? The greenet gulped but didn't cower under the glare of another blonde, refusing to ever do that again.

"Really, Hiro?" Monoma scoffed as he entered the room. "Putting me at the bottom?"

"I was saving the best for last!" Izuku replied with a bright smile, a little forced due to nerves but sincere none the less.

The copier's irritated mask twitched as he tried to keep it on but it broke under the sheer power of sunshine radiating from the Quirkless boy. Monoma let out a laugh as he shook his head and sat down.

"So, you really are Hiro, huh?" the blonde asked, already knowing the answer but still wanting to make sure.

"Yep, that's me," the greenet confirmed with a nod before adjusting himself to sit straighter. "Midoriya Izuku. It's nice to officially meet you."

He gave a bow with his greeting.

"Monoma Neito," the other boy said, giving a bow of his own. "So, what do you have for me? Wise words to improve my Quirk? Proposed gizmos or costume changes? 'Cause I've gotta say 1-A has quite the opponent in me already."

The copier smirked in his typical antagonistic way but Izuku knew it was a mask. A veil to hide the insecurity within. He too had experience with that but instead of arrogance it was his smile. Hiding how much he was hurting inside by smiling others' worries away. Something that didn't work as much now that he was at UA with friends and teachers who cared.

Of course, his mom always worried about him but she had felt powerless to do anything to help him on her own. Which Izuku in no way faulted her for. It had been hard enough for him to survive his past schools until he could sort of stand up for himself. Fighting back enough so he wasn't just a human punching bag to his classmates. And now he didn't have to fight as much because the teachers had his back here.

It wouldn't surprise him if Monoma experienced something similar. Yes, he had a Quirk but it was one that only allowed him to copy the powers of others. It kind of reminded Izuku of the first holder of One For All. Seemingly Quirkless while actually possessing a power that gave him the ability to pass on Quirks. Only able to become useful after the forced acquisition of a stockpiling Quirk.

Monoma's was similar having to first copy Quirks and then wield them as his own for a certain amount of time. It explained the stopwatches on his Hero costume. His Quirk on its own was no Explosion or Half-Cold-Half-Hot but once he copied said powers, he became a powerhouse himself. Able to possess multiple Quirks at a time and arguably had the most versatile potential out of all the first years.

"Actually, I don't have much on your costume or your Quirk," Izuku replied, earning a confused look from the blonde across from him. "If anything, you just need to keep working on extending your time and number of copies you hold. Or even working towards potentially using more than one at a time."

"Which I'm already working on," Monoma said, letting out an exasperated sigh as he slumped back into the chair and crossed his arms. "So why am I here? Just to chat? I could be out there training, you know."

"Actually, yes," the greenet answered. While he didn't have anything analysis wise to share with Monona, there was still something he wanted to talk to him about. "Why do you have it out for 1-A so much?"

Pale blue eyes widened at the sudden question about his beef with 1-A. His surprise was quickly overshadowed by the mask returning in a challenging smirk.

"Feeling protective now that you're a part of the 'superior' class?" Monoma sneered and using air quotes.

"No," the Quirkless teen responded with a shake of his head. "I just want to understand why you keep antagonizing 1-A. We're going to be allies in the future, not rivals."

"Clearly you don't know how Hero rankings work," the copier scoffed. "Everyone fights to be a better Hero than someone else. Pushing themselves on their way to the top."

"Oh, I do, but that really only applies to Daylight Heroes," Izuku countered. "I'm aiming for more Underground work. Well, mostly. In my position I have to be a little of both. Kind of comes with the whole first Quirkless Hero thing."

The greenet rubbed the back of his head bashfully. It was awkward to admit it out loud even though it was true.

"Heh, guess you're right," Monoma conceded, uncrossing his arms as he leaned forward while steepling his fingertips together in contemplation. "The victor against the evasive Hero Killer certainly won't go unnoticed for a long while."

Izuku blushed at the reminder of his 'accomplishment'. Monoma didn't know the whole story, only what was reported to the media. Unaware of all the different pieces that were purposefully kept missing because the entirety wasn't as pretty of a picture. But with him being credited alone it drew attention away from the flaws surrounding the take down of Stain.

"Uh, yeah, heh," the Quirkless teen replied, wanting very much to move on from the subject. "Anyway, I know that there is a focus on rankings when it comes to Heroes now-a-days, but I'm concerned with your level of rivalry with 1-A. That you're more focused on the power play than what aspiring Heroes should be focused on."

"And what's that?" Monoma questioned, leaning back a little as he lowered his connected hands a bit.

"Heroes are meant to protect and save people," Izuku answered, saying what he has said time and time again. To Chizome, his friends, mentors, Bakugou, and so many more. "To me, without that mentality the ranking system means nothing when it comes to Heroes. What number you have doesn't determine the kind of Hero you are. Much like your Quirk doesn't define you."

...

Neito was suddenly reminded of their first conversation after Class 1-B's Battle Training. How they both understood what it was like to be considered 'weak' because of their Quirk statuses. Neito having no power other than to copy others and Midoriya with none at all. The copier recalled the Quirkless teen's parting words that day.

'Every person, and Quirk for that matter, has the potential to be great. If you learn how to use it right and for the right reasons.'

Back then, Neito hadn't known what to think about the odd kid who came to observe their class. Just some rando from the Support Course scribbling notes in his notebook. Which were more extensive than the blonde ever expected, nor did he expect the other boy to actually praise his Quirk declaring it 'amazing' and 'useful in any kind of situation'. That with Copy, the 'possibilities are endless'.

He still didn't know how to feel about that or instill the confidence that it was true. Still burdened by years of having to prove to others and to himself that he could be a Hero with a Quirk like his. Because ever since his Quirk manifested, he always heard the same thing. Repeated over and over again like a broken record.

'You'll never be a Hero with a Quirk like that. There's no such thing as a Hero who can't do anything on their own.'

But they were wrong. The boy across from him was proof of that. Midoriya had even less than him with no Quirk to rely on and yet he thrived. They were a lot alike, Midoriya and him. Both replicating Quirks of others to use as their own. Neito's method just happened to be with his Quirk and Midoriya through technology.

The Quirkless teen was already making a name for himself. Winner of the Sports Festival, revealed cleaner of an entire beach of trash, and more recently singled out as the aspiring Hero who took down the Hero Killer Stain. All without a Quirk and instead with gear he made himself to compensate for what he lacked genetically. Never letting his lack of a natural power hold him back.

Neito was the same. It was true that Copy didn't make him naturally strong on his own. He knew that he was never meant to be the protagonist of the next Hero generation's story. Merely a supporting character but with the potential to outshine the main cast. Because Midoriya was right, using Copy he could be strong.

Despite what others said to him growing up, he never felt bad about or resented his Quirk. It was the power he had been born with and he would wield it with pride. Perhaps a bit too much for his classmates to stomach with his penchant for dramatics, but that was how Neito psyched himself up so that he had the confidence needed to fight.

Sure, it made him seem less than heroic but that was on par for the course for him. He knew he couldn't be stronger on his own. That he needed to use others' Quirks to have any level of raw power. It was a weakness he was very aware of and accepted. That in order to become a Hero, Neito had to act in less-than-heroic ways to get by.

The copier was sure Shinsou felt the same. He had dismissed the gen ed student as a nobody who would drag 1-B down, but the brainwasher fought his way to the very top landing in second place. He too didn't always act as the perfect Hero. What little of his fight with Bakugou that could be transcribed due to smoke, the trash talk and insults had been very satisfying to read. He was sure it was just as much for Shinsou to say them straight to that exploding crap bag's face.

Ah, kindred spirits.

Perhaps not all of 1-A was so bad. At least when it came to the two transfer students. Midoriya praised his Quirk and was pushing him to be a better Hero. Shinsou was surprisingly shrewd and a force to be reckoned with on the mental plane. Neito could see them as allies in the future, but as for the others it would take more time.

It's just so hard to see past the ego of that Bakugou. Declaring he would win only to land in third. How naïve. As Midoriya says, the Quirk does not define you or your worth.

"Alright, fine," Neito sighed, slumping back in defeat. "I'll try to not focus on it so much, but I won't stop challenging 1-A to a fight. Nothing wrong with some 'friendly' competition, right?"

...

Izuku signed in relief as well as resignation. He knew that Monoma wouldn't stop entirely. It was just part of his nature it seemed. But at least he gave the Quirkless teen's words some thought. It was better than nothing.

"I appreciate that, Monoma-kun," Izuku replied with a small smile.

"You can call me, Neito, you know," the copier said suddenly, earning a shocked look from the greenet. "Heh, don't act so surprised. I know we haven't known each other very long or talked much, but I feel connected to you in a way. Like we have a lot of similarities."

"M-me too, Neito-kun," Izuku stuttered out, smile growing brighter. "You can call me Izuku if you'd like."

"With pleasure, Izuku," Neito smirked, making the other boy blush. "So, anything else you want to talk about while I'm here?"

"Oh, yes!" the Quirkless teen chirped, messing with his tablet to pull up his notes. There were some questions he had about his Quirk. Once he found what he was looking for, he looked eagerly at Neito ready to take notes.

"The Quirks you copy, do you know how to use them upon copying them? Or do you have to observe how the original wielder uses it? Like instinctive versus observation? What does it feel like when you copy? Do different types of Quirks feel different when you do? Like mental versus emitter? Oh, you also mentioned something about 'misses' during the Cavalry Battle. So that must mean that there are certain Quirks you can't copy, right? Or is it more certain aspects of a Quirk that limit you? I was also wondering…"

"Woah, woah, Izuku, hold up," Neito interjected with a placating gesture. "I can only answer one question at a time."

The blonde smiled in amusement at the greenet's embarrassed bashful expression.

"Sorry about that," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head. "I just get so excited learning about Quirks and how they work. It's kind of a bad habit of mine."

"It's no problem," Neito assured him, amusement in his pale blue eyes rather than judgement. "I find them fascinating myself and with my Quirk a certain level of analysis is a must. I'm fine with answering your questions, just…one at a time, please."

They both chuckled at that. Izuku reorganized his thoughts and went back to the beginning of his list. They stayed there talking Quirks much longer than he had with his other sessions. It was so nice to have someone to talk Quirks with who held a similar passion as him. Perhaps not outright curiosity and rather more related to his Quirk, but it was a subject they were both knowledgeable about. The thought of having a Quirk analyst buddy brought a smile to the Quirkless teen's face.

...

Katsuki glared down at the paper in front of him. He had been waiting to meet with that damned specialist even though he didn't plan to listen. One by one the extras were absent from training and then coming back either deep in thought or as happy as can be. The gushing praise for whoever it was made him want to barf. The only thing that would make it worse was if Deku were there all the time but he was still gone for a good portion of training. But no way in hell was Katsuki interested in what the shitty nerd was up to. He didn't at all care.

Well, maybe a little. Okay, no, he was curious as fuck. Always had been when it came to Deku who had followed him like a Quirkless puppy growing up. But as the years passed, a distance grew between them as Katsuki's pride manifested and grew stronger with his Quirk. With that distance, he found he knew less and less about his childhood friend. Didn't even know about that stupid beach until the rat said something. It made him wonder what else he didn't know about Deku. What other secrets he may be hiding from him.

Katsuki did have a gist of what was in the nerd's notebooks though. Scribblings about Heroes though he didn't know what exactly. He had always thought they were just stalker notes that could only be considered creepy. But he had been wrong apparently as Nezu himself found them intriguing. Whatever. Let the rat like them. Katsuki didn't want anything to do with that or Deku.

Apparently, he couldn't get what he wanted unlike the Quirkless bastard.

"Bakugou, we have your notes from the analysis specialist," Aizawa said, leaning against the wall next to the orange haired Support teacher. "Here. Read it, consider it, and take the advice that will help you improve."

His teacher held out the paper waiting for Katsuki to take it. The blonde teen glared at it a second more until the tired man shook them in his face. He grumbled as he snatched the paper without looking at it.

"Why am I not meeting with this 'specialist'?" Katsuki demanded to know, wondering why he was being singled out. "Am I not good enough for that elusive fucker?"

"No one is above or below each other in this," the orange haired shortie said, though the teen rolled his eyes at that. "It's just that…"

"You're not allowed to meet them," the hobo interrupted with a glare.

Katsuki glared back as he asked, "Why not?"

"Take a moment and think," was his gruff response.

So he did. Everyone has been meeting this specialist but Katsuki wasn't allowed. Instead getting the notes from the teachers, not whoever it was. Wait a second. Notes. Katsuki had a moment of epiphany as he snapped to the paper in his hands.

No.

Scribbled notes full of advice and questions. Drawings of suggested changes to his costume. Ramblings about his Quirk with information no one should know unless they knew him before UA. Which could only mean…

No, it can't be.

'It can.'

Fuck.

"No way in hell am I taking any of this!" Katsuki snarled, crumpling the paper as he made a fist. "Not from that Quirkless fucking De…"

Flashing red eyes and floating black hair made him stop even though it had nothing to do with erasing his Quirk.

"End that and you'll receive detention," Aizawa growled with a scowl.

They glared daggers at each other though Katsuki had that sick feeling of guilt souring in his stomach paired with annoyance. He almost said the long-standing nickname out loud in his anger again.

Dammit.

"You're not allowed to say that name, remember?" the tired man reprimanded.

The explosive blonde huffed out a sigh as he slumped back crossing his arms and said, "Yeah, yeah, I fucking know. It slipped out, alright? Same as the other time. Those extras kept badgering me and it pissed me off."

"I figured," Aizawa drawled as he blinked, dark hair falling around him. "Regardless, keep in mind that it is banned."

The teen grumbled but nodded none the less. The Support teacher silently watched the interaction.

"You will read those notes and you will give them actual consideration," the hobo ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This is directly tied to your improvement as a Hero and is meant to make you a better Hero than you are now. This is not the time for personal grudges or self-pity."

Katsuki scowls but says nothing.

"Everyone needs time to learn and adjust what they need to become better," Aizawa continued, his tone less fierce but still stern to make his point. "You are no exception. Even I had to learn through trial and error to figure out what works best for me Support Item wise."

Red eyes eye the hobo curiously though he still had a frown on his face. Though honestly that was just his face.

"I didn't start off with my scarf and goggles," the scruffy man explained. "As I fought and learned, I changed what I needed to be a more effective Hero. My Quirk allows me to erase others' Quirks essentially making it a Quirkless fight. To have more of an edge I came up with a new fighting style using my capture weapon to use in tandem with my Quirk, but it became obvious over time that it wouldn't be enough."

The Underground Hero reached into his scarf and pulled out his goggles. The new ones that Deku made.

"When I was a student here at UA, I can across a Villain with a Smoke Quirk. Can't exactly erase a Quirk when I can't see them. It was then that I started using goggles to protect my eyes and better use my Quirk. There's nothing wrong with change."

Katsuki begged to differ though he didn't have much of an argument other than his life was not turning out how he thought it would. But then again, he couldn't deny that parts of his predicament were his own fault.

"Change does not make you weak," Aizawa stressed, playing on his buttons to make a point. "It means you're improving. Allowing yourself to change and evolve will only make you stronger."

Once again, Katsuki glared at his teacher, begrudgingly accepting that he may have a bit of a point. Fine, he'll look at the nerd's stupid notes. If, and only if, he thought they could do anything to improve his already honed fighting prowess he would…consider it. But they were weeks away from the finals and he had time to find other ways to become stronger without Deku's shitty advice. Katsuki was going to be the best Hero on his own and no way the Quirkless loser would have anything worth while for him to actually consider.

With a huff, the explosive blonde trudged out of the room to stuff the 'advice' in his bag and then lose himself in training. Katsuki needed to be at his best to kill the finals and show those extras what a real Hero looks like. No way was he going to lose this time. He was going to win.

...

For the notes, type this first: at (period) tumblr (period) com/

Notes extension: ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic/part-3-chapter-6-lead-up-to-finals/hu49dxvg50q9

Tokoyami's Redesign: ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic/blank-canvas-heritage-tokoyamis-costume/q05umlvmo47y

Hitoshi's Redesign: ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic/blank-canvas-heritage-shinsous-new-helmet/j7n3sw36ohao