Chapter 3

Innovation, Inspiration, Determination

Ariden and Izuku

The sun blazed down on Ariden, and Izuku trudged across the scorching sand, their arms straining as they hauled a broken fridge behind them. Sweat trickled down their faces, and their muscles burned with effort. They were grateful that All Might wasn't perched atop the bulky frame this time, but the task was still challenging. They had been training relentlessly for the past month, trying to build their strength and endurance.

"Jesus! Vishnu! Pasithea! Whatever gods are up there!" Ariden hissed through gritted teeth as he strained against the ropes. "Give us a damn break! I'm using muscles I didn't know I even had!"

"You're… Telling… Me…" Izuku wheezed. "I think… this qualifies… as a form of torture!"

As they strained against the ropes, footsteps on the sand interrupted their labored breathing. They turned to see Toshinori approaching, his tall frame casting a long shadow in the blazing sun.

"Complaining won't make it any easier." The tall man said as he frowned at them.

"Sorry." Both boys said with a slight bow.

"This isn't a race. You've got nine months left." Toshinori reminded them. "If you can't handle this right now, work on something you can." He said as he grabbed the ropes from the boys' hands.

"Yes, sir!" The boys said with a nod.

"Also, don't forget that you two still have to go to the Hatsumes. So don't overdo it!"

Both boys groaned in agony at the thought of dealing with Mei.

"What did I say about complaining!"

"Sorry!"

All Might, The World's greatest hero, was a complete taskmaster. He was unrelenting whenever he was around.

He might have been bad, but Mei was like the devil.

I'm going to tell her you said that, Ariden.

OH GOD, PLEASE DON'T!

The Hatsume workshop was a wonderland for novice and master support gear makers. It was broken into four sections, each focused on a specific area of support gear manufacturing. On the far right wall was a foundry and forge, and on the far left, a more traditional workshop with tools and saws. The near right was an isolated room where computer parts were manufactured and programmed, each one unique to the support gear it was built for. On the left was another secluded room with various shelves of chemicals and reagents and tables with various chemistry equipment. Scattered throughout all four sections were workbenches and tables with multiple gadgets and inventions in different states of assembly.

Ariden and Izuku sat at one of those workbenches busy. Izuku scribbled down notes as he looked over a homework assignment from school. Ariden tinkered and fiddled with a task Mei had given him. A simple communication device that could be activated without using one's hand; all a person needed to do was twitch a cheek muscle, and the machine would start.

After screwing the battery panel into place, Ariden stuck the device in his ear and twitched his cheek. He heard a chime as the device activated and smiled at the success of his test. He deactivated the gadget and took it out of his ear, scanning the workshop for Mei.

Mei sat at a workbench alone and worked on her own project. She had been doing so for the past week or two. While he couldn't see the invention due to Mei blocking his view, he knew what it was since he had seen it plenty of times over the past week. It was a pair of large metallic boots with three fans strapped to the bottom.

Ariden got up from the table and walked over to Mei. She didn't react to him as he approached, but that was to be expected. It always took a few tries to get her attention when she worked. Though this time was a little different, as Ariden got closer, he noticed that Mei fumbled to grab a screwdriver. She caught it before it slipped off the table, but it was still strange.

"Hey." Ariden greeted as he reached Mei's workbench. "Finished that assignment you gave me."

Mei only grunted and tried to grab the device from his hand. However, She missed and flailed her hand around, trying to reach it until Ariden put the gadget into her hand. Mei set it down on the table off to the side.

"Need me to do anything else?" Ariden asked, hoping to start a conversation.

Mei never answered and continued to work. Ariden sighed and walked back towards his table, though not before giving Mei one last worried glance. When he reached the table, he paused. Ariden couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He turned back to look at Mei and watched as she haphazardly tossed the screwdriver she had been using to the side. Ariden knew he had to do something.

"Hey," Ariden said as he shook his brother's shoulder.

"What's up?" Izuku asked as he looked up from his notes.

"Hatsume is acting kind of weird, and I don't mean in her usual way."

"I've noticed that as well," Izuku said as he turned to give the conversation his full attention. "She isn't as energetic as she normally is." He said. "Do you think we should ask her if she's okay?" Izuku asked, a concerned look on his face.

"I mean, it wouldn't hurt." Ariden shrugged.

Izuku got up from his seat and walked over with Ariden toward Mei.

"Hey, Hatsume. We don't mean to bother you, but is everything alright?" Izuku asked.

Mei just shrugged half-heartedly and continued to work. Ariden watched as Mei started connecting a cable to an outlet it wasn't supposed to connect to. His hand flashed out in a blur and grabbed Mei's arm before she could join them. Mei finally reacted as she looked up at Ariden in irritation.

"What are you doing?" She glared at him coldly.

"Stopping you from frying the motherboard," Ariden said as he pointed at the two wires.

Mei's half-lidded eyes widened immediately as she looked back at the cable and outlet. The line ran directly from the power supply. The outlet was connected to the motherboard without resistors to obstruct the power flow. Mei quickly attached the cable to its proper outlet and stepped away from the table.

"Seriously, is everything alright, Hatsume?" Ariden asked.

"Oh yeah! Just fine!" Mei smiled brightly. "In fact, I've never been better! Just a few more touches and my baby will be complete! I know you two will just love it!"

"A moment ago, you almost set yourself back by at least a couple days," Ariden said as he pointed a thumb at the invention.

"I've had that happen a few times before. It's nothing new." Mei shrugged. "Just one of the drawbacks of not sleeping."

"You've not been sleeping?" Izuku asked, a concerned look on his face. "For how long?"

"Oh, since Saturday, I think, or was it Sunday? My memory is a bit fuzzy." Mei smiled brightly.

"Hatsume," Ariden said as he looked at the girl bewildered.

"Yeah?"

"It's Thursday."

"Really?" Mei quirked an eyebrow. "I thought it was Tuesday." she shrugged. "But there is no need to be concerned. I do this all the time, and I'm perfectly fine."

"No, you're not!" Izuku shouted at her in concern. "Not sleeping for long periods is detrimental to your health! You're putting yourself at risk for mental degeneration, heart disease, and stroke! We don't want to see you get hurt."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine." Mei smiled at them warmly. "Besides, nothing bad has happened yet."

"That is objectively false," Ariden said.

"But nothing bad happened," Mei whined.

"It would have if we hadn't stopped you." Ariden looked at her pointedly.

"That doesn't count!" Mei said as she blushed, embarrassed. "I've wasted enough time as it is! Move. I've got to get back to work!" She snapped.

Mei tried to push past the boys, but they didn't budge an inch.

"Hatsume, please. Get some sleep." Izuku smiled at her kindly. "Your project will still be here in the morning."

"No." Mei shook her head. "I'll have all the time in the world to sleep when I'm done."

"Enough!" Ariden snapped at her. "Your health is far too important for you to be acting like an idiot! Sure, your mistake wasn't bad this time, but what do you think would've happened if you mixed the wrong chemicals or crossed the wrong wires and nobody was around!?"

Mei opened her mouth to say something but stopped before any sound could come out. She looked at Ariden and Izuku's concerned faces and slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"Fine, you win." She mumbled.

As soon as she muttered those words, her knees buckled. Ariden and Izuku caught her by her shoulders and helped her to an empty workbench. She didn't resist when they laid her down and draped one of their school jackets over her as a makeshift blanket. Within seconds, Mei was snoring softly, out like a light.

"She must have stayed awake for so long by sheer willpower," Izuku said as he looked at Mei.

Ariden stayed silent and looked at The worktable Mei had been working at.

"I think we should finish Mei's project," He said.

"Are you sure?" Izuku looked at his brother anxiously. "It'd be rude of us just to take her project away from her."

"She'll need more than a night's rest to recover," Ariden said as he looked back at Mei. "And when she wakes up in the morning, what do you think she'll do?"

"Go back to work," Izuku said and shook his head, exasperated.

"Look at it like this. It'd make for good training, and if we succeed, Mei will be impressed."

"Well, when you put it like that…" Izuku mused. "Fine, let's do it."

"Then let's get started," Ariden said with a smile.

The boys returned to the workbench Mei had been using and looked at it closely. For a woman going a week without sleep, Mei kept an organized workspace. Save for a couple screwdrivers tossed to the side, everything was neat and tidy. Tools were off to the right side in an orderly row. In the middle, the hover boots sat in an unfinished state. And on the left, a stack of notes and a pencil almost worn down to the eraser.

Ariden picked up the note at the top of the stack and examined it. For all of her genius, Mei's handwriting needed some work. They were legible enough to make out, but they were a mess. Some lines of text overlapped each other and interspersed all over were sketches of partial schematics and blueprints.

"Damn, it's like I'm looking at the ramblings of a madwoman from a Lovecraft novel," Ariden said as he squinted at the paper.

"Maybe that's where she gets all her ideas from." Izuku laughed.

They put the notes down, focused on the invention, and sighed.

"We've got our work cut out for us," Izuku said as he smiled wearily at Ariden.

"Then we better stop wasting time and get to work," Ariden said.

The boys started slow, not wanting to ruin Mei's progress and also not precisely knowing what they were doing. They took turns deciphering Mei's notes and tinkering with the project. As evening turned into night, they had gotten into a steady rhythm. It was like clockwork. When one stopped what they were doing, the other would, too. They'd trade places and pick up where the other left off. As the night dragged on, the boys lost all focus on anything but the project, including the time.

Inko and Toshinori

Inko glanced at Toshinori as he quietly sipped his tea. He had called her asking to meet but didn't give any details as to why. She didn't know what to make of the man. On the one hand, he supported her sons as they trained to become heroes. On the other hand, he was still a stranger she knew nothing about. Maybe it was time to change that.

"So, Mr. Yagi, you wanted to meet but never said why," Inko said as she set down her cup. "Is this about the boys? I hope they aren't giving you grief."

"Oh no. not at all." Toshinori shook his head. "they haven't given me a single issue." he said. "I asked to meet you because I figured I would be in your lives for a while. I figured it'd be good to get to know you all and maintain a friendly relationship with you."

"Really?" Inko looked at him in surprise. "I just had the same idea." She laughed.

"I'm glad we are on the same page then." Toshinori chuckled.

"So, what do you want to know?"

"Let's start with something simple. What are the boys like when they aren't training?"

"Oh, they can be a handful at times!" Inko laughed.

"Tell me about it." Toshinori smiled and shook his head. "I've seen them do this weird muttering thing. It's like I'm watching a conversation on fast forward."

"They do that all the time. It's like their version of a secret handshake since nobody can completely understand them." Inko said. "I've tried listening to one of those 'meetings' they have. Even the parts I could understand went over my head. The stuff they know and understand is staggering sometimes," She said. "And the way they get when they set their minds to something. If they weren't determined to be heroes, they'd be doctors or lawyers."

"I know what you mean." Toshinori nodded. "It's why I am having them learn to make support gear as well." He said. "Well, that and I've seen their notebooks. The stuff in there would blow away a few of my colleagues."

"I'm amazed they let you look at them!" Inko looked at Toshinori in awe. "They keep those things under lock and key as if they held national secrets."

"I need to tell the boys not to document anything about One for All in them. Then they'd have to keep them under strict access." Toshinori thought to himself. "I'm surprised you haven't looked at them yourself. I mean, you see them every day."

Inko looked away from Toshinori, a forlorn look on her face.

"I've… I've never really tried." She quietly admitted. "I've never tried to support them or their dream," Inko said with tears in the corner of her eyes. "I can only imagine how much they resent me."

"Nonsense!" Toshinori exclaimed as he slammed his hand on the table. "If you failed, I wouldn't be sitting here now, would I? You raised those two into respectable young men who think the world of you! Have faith in yourself and in your sons!" He ranted, blood gushing from his mouth in excitement.

Inko shrieked with such terror Toshinori almost summoned the strength One for All gave him out of sheer instinct.

"What is it!? What's wrong!?" He asked frantically.

"Mr. Yagi! You're bleeding!" Inko cried as she pointed at Toshinori. "Do I need to call the paramedics!?"

Toshinori looked down at himself and noticed the blood that stained his shirt as it leaked from his mouth. Then it all clicked.

"No, no. I'm fine, thank you." He said and held up his hands placatingly. "It's a medical condition. As far as my doctors tell me, it can't be fixed."

Though Inko wasn't panicked anymore, she still looked at him with concern. She raised her arm towards the kitchen and beckoned with her hand. She repeated the action a few more times until Toshinori saw a towel float out of the kitchen and towards her hand. A few gestures later, the towel was in her hand. She then offered it to Toshinori.

"Thank you." He nodded to Inko as he dabbed at his chin

"You're welcome, though. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, perfectly fine."

"If it isn't too much, may I ask what happened?"

"It's a bit of a story." Toshinori chuckled. "It's actually how I came into the employ of All Might."

"Really?" Inko looked at him with curiosity.

"Oh yes, There I was buying groceries when suddenly a villain showed up and started to rob the place," Toshinori said, gesturing to add effect to the story. "And this dude was mean-looking, eight feet tall, and had toxic green hair and a massive chainsaw."

"Oh! I think I remember the boys talking about him before." Inko said.

"I'm not surprised." Toshinori laughed. "But yeah, He came in and started to rob the place. However, the manager pressed the silent alarm and locked the place down. As you can imagine, the villain wasn't happy."

"What happened next?" Inko asked in anticipation.

"Well, The villain attacked, of course. He took a swing at the manager."

"Did he kill the manager?" Inko gasped in horror.

"No, 'cause that is where I come in." Toshinori smiled fiercely, "Before he could strike a blow on the manager, I managed to push the manager out of the way."

Inko breathed a sigh of relief, which made Toshinori chuckle.

"However…" Toshinori said as he lifted his shirt.

Inko recoiled at the sight of his injury and looked like she would cry out of sheer grief for him.

"The villain earned the name Toxic Chainsaw for a reason." Toshinori sighed. "Thankfully, All Might saved the day before he could do any more damage. However, for me, it was far from over. His toxic quirk destroyed my stomach and part of my respiratory system."

"I'm so sorry," Inko said commiseratingly.

"It isn't your fault. And besides, after I recovered, All Might offered me a job. He told me I 'had more guts than most heroes he knows.'" Toshinori chuckled.

"That was insensitive of him to say," Inko said, a little heat in her voice.

"Maybe so, but I find making light of hardships makes them easier to bear."

Inko nodded her head, conceding the point.

"But enough of such heavy topics." Toshinori shook his head. "Let's talk about your quirk."

"My quirk?" Inko blinked in confusion.

"Yes, I saw you use it earlier and was curious how it works."

"It's nothing special," Inko said dismissively. "I just gesture, and small objects come to my hand."

"You'd be surprised at how versatile Telekinetic quirks are." Toshinori said, "It can be used in rescue and support, for example. And I've seen more practiced users able to battle with incredible ferocity." He explained, "You'd make a good hero if you decided to go into the field." He smiled at Inko.

"Me!? A Hero!? No way!" Inko shook her head as she blushed madly. "I'm far too timid for that kind of job!"

"Really?" Toshinori looked at her curiously. "You say that, and yet I still remember our first meeting and how fiercely protective you were over your sons."

"That was different," Inko said as she glared at him.

"You're proving my point right now," Toshinori said as he smiled at her.

Inko blushed a deeper shade of red and gave a huff of annoyance.

"Setting that point aside, My quirk is far too weak to be helpful to anyone. I'd only just get in the way." She said, an edge of bitterness in her voice.

"Who says that?"

"My ex-husband once said that to me." Inko scoffed.

Inko's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Toshinori shifted in his chair uncomfortably. He hadn't expected an answer like that. Not knowing what to say or do, the two adults sat there in awkward silence for what felt like too long a time.

"I…" Toshinori hesitantly broke the silence. "I am sorry that you were treated so harshly," he said, giving Inko a sympathetic look. "If I may ask, this ex-husband of yours. Did he say the same kinds of things to your sons?"

"No, thankfully." Inko sighed and slumped her shoulders. "He hasn't been around for 13 years."

"Ariden and Izuku are 17 now, so that means…" Toshinori did the math in his head and scowled. "Their father left when they were 4, probably when they were declared quirkless." He thought darkly. "What kind of pathetic excuse of a man leaves his family over such petty issues."

"His name was Hisashi. He was a businessman, so he spent most of his time abroad anyway," Inko explained. "He isn't all that bad." She sighed. "When he filed for divorce, he agreed to continue to support us financially since I had to drop out of college to take care of the boys."

Toshinori saw Inko's expression grow more and more despondent the more she talked about Hisashi and knew he had to change topics before it got worse.

"What were you studying in college?" He asked.

"I was studying law." Inko smiled fondly. "I was hoping to become a civil servant of one sort or another. But that's all in the past now."

"Selflessness, Steadfastness, and Tenacity." Toshinori mused out loud. "All those qualities can be found in some of the greatest heroes. And from everything you've told me, you have all those qualities," He said. "I was right to say you'd make for a good hero." He nodded at Inko approvingly.

"W-well t-thank you, Mr. Y-yagi." Inko blushed crimson. "Your words are very kind. Your wife is a lucky woman by the way you praise so easily."

"O-oh! Thank you, Miss Midoriya. I appreciate the compliment, but…" Toshinori smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not married."

"Really?" Inko looked at him, astonished.

"I'm not exactly easy on the eyes." He joked as he gestured at himself. "Besides, I'm practically married to my job, so I don't have time for much else."

"With how different people can look in this day and age, there really isn't room to judge," Inko said, smiling at him warmly.

"Very true," Toshinori said with a nod.

"Also, it isn't good to be consumed by work all the time," Inko said. "Especially with your health the way it is."

"How many times have I heard those words?" Toshinori sighed to himself. "I can't just take it easy or quit. My job is too important to All Might for it to go vacant for any measure of time."

"I'm sorry I misspoke," Inko said. "I wasn't saying to quit. It's good to have a job and a purpose…" she said.

"I hear a but in there," Toshinori said.

"But!" Inko laughed. "It is also good to take a break occasionally."

Inko picked up her teacup and smiled at Toshinori

"Kind of like what we are doing now."

Toshinori looked at his tea cup in a new light. He had seen this meeting the same as training the boys or doing hero work. Part of his job. But what was this meeting accomplishing? He could easily keep his distance, and the boys would still be trained all the same. Sure, he could make the excuse that this was how he did things, always going beyond. But sitting in a quiet room and conversing pleasantly while drinking tea wasn't precisely strenuous work. It was quite the opposite. It was a much-needed break.

"When you put it like that, who am I to argue the point?" Toshinori smiled and lifted his teacup in a salute.

They continued to talk for a while after that. The conversation veered into a myriad of topics. From what the boys' training was like. To Toshinori telling wild anecdotes from his job, much to the horror and delight of Inko. And Inko shared recipes with Toshinori that would work well with his restrictive diet. Only when they ran out of tea did Inko look up at the clock.

"Goodness! It's 11 o'clock!" Inko said, surprised. "I wasn't expecting time to go by so quickly."

"Good tea and pleasant conversation tend to do that." Toshinori chuckled.

"But where are the boys? Aren't they supposed to be home by now?" Inko asked as she looked around the room.

"They are. Their schedule has them coming home by 10 o'clock."

"You don't think something bad happened to them on the way home?" Inko asked with a grim expression.

Toshinori felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw he had three unread messages.

"Let's not assume the worst just yet," Toshinori said calmly as he looked at the messages.

Kikai- The boys are still here. Didn't you give them some sort of schedule? | Sent at 10:00

Kikai- I can't get their attention, and Mei's passed out, so she can't do anything. Please come get them. | Sent at 10:30

Kikai- What did I do to deserve this? My daughter is a gremlin already. I didn't need two more let loose in my shop. | Sent at 11:00

I'll be there soon. | Sent just now -All Might

"It seems I need to pick them up," Toshinori explained.

"I wish to come with you," Inko said immediately as she got up from her chair.

"You are more than welcome to tag along."

"Let me clean up, and I'll meet you by your truck," Inko said as she used her quirk to gather the teacups.

"Just don't take too long. I don't know how much longer Mr. Hatsume can last."

A couple minutes later, Inko sat in Toshinori's truck on their way toward the Hatsumes. The drive over was filled with more conversation, mostly of Inko telling the various misadventures that Ariden and Izuku got up to. One story made Toshinori laugh so hard that he had to pull over to cough up some blood, which slightly delayed their journey.

"Why are they so far out?" Inko asked.

"They are very private people. And are very protective of their trade secrets." Toshinori explained. "But it's mostly due to all the noise complaints they received when they operated in the city."

They arrived around 12:13. The forested area buzzed with insects singing their songs. Inko gasped in awe when she exited the car and looked up. The night sky was a deep blue, and stars brightly shone from every inch of its canvas. The edge of the Milky Way stretched across the horizon in a band of white light.

"You have to admit that being remote does have its perks, though." Toshinori smiled as he looked at Inko's awestruck expression.

"It's so beau-" Inko started.

"Who goes there!" Kikai shouted as he approached the pair with a massive wrench.

Inko grabbed Toshinori's arm and clung to it for protection, making the tall man blush.

"I am the man All Might tasked with training the boys." He said with a bow. "And this is their mother." He gestured to Inko, who nervously bowed as well.

Kikai looked at them intensely for a moment before he grunted in approval.

"Don't know why All Might tasked a gangly skeleton to train them boys, but if you work for him, I guess that has to count for somethin'." Kikai huffed and started walking back towards the shop.

Toshinori slumped his shoulders in despair at the comment and walked after Kikai, despondent. Inko patted his back in commiseration and followed along.

"I've done tried everythin I could think of to get those two boys' attention," Kikai complained. "Loud noises, pullin' them away from their workstations. Hell, I gave one a smack on the rear, and it did nothin."

"I beg your pardon?" Inko flatly asked as she glared at Kikai coldly.

"It wasn't hard enough to actually hurt 'em."

"I'll take it from here. So don't think of getting any more ideas." Inko said heatedly.

"I just told ya I was out of ideas." Kikai looked at her oddly. "But good luck to ya. You'll need it."

Kikai opened the door to the workshop, and all three entered. They looked around and saw the boys. Ariden was at an anvil and wore a leather apron. Sweat poured from his brow as he hammered away at a piece of glowing red metal. Izuku sat at a worktable, a large stack of papers beside him. He wrote feverishly and muttered to himself like a madman. Inko went to Izuku's side first.

"Honey, it's a school night. You need to go to sleep." She said softly as she gently shook him.

"Maybe if we changed the shape of the fan, we'd get more lift. Either that or we need to find a more efficient power source." Izuku mumbled as he scribbled away, ignoring Inko completely.

"Young man." Inko's voice grew harsher. "If you continue to ignore me, you are in serious trouble! I'll take your notebooks away!"

"Is there a way to make the design less bulky?"

Inko sighed in defeat and walked over to Ariden, who was still busy hammering away. She watched him as he slammed the hammer down onto the metal. Each blow fell steadily, and Inko waited for her chance. As Ariden started to raise his hammer, Inko struck. She used her quirk, and the hammer flew from Ariden's hands into Inko's. Ariden looked at his open hand and looked around to see where his hammer had fallen. After a fruitless search, the young man shrugged, pulled another hammer from a strap on his apron, and resumed work.

"Don't you ignore your mother, young man!" Inko yelled angrily.

The young man continued to ignore her. He just hammered and shaped the metal on the anvil without another thought. Inko started to see red. Ariden raised his hammer high and tried to bring it down but was stopped when Inko used her quirk to try to rip the hammer from his grip. Ariden and Inko's wills strained against each other, fighting to overwhelm the other. But in the end, Ariden was more determined in his mission. He slammed the hammer down onto the anvil, even with the added burden, and continued to work as if nothing was wrong.

Inko sighed and relinquished her grip on the hammer. She walked back toward Kikai and Toshinori, head hung in defeat. Toshinori gave her a conciliatory smile and shrugged his shoulders. Kikai groaned and shook his head in annoyance.

"Well, I guess nothin' can be done till either they finish or run out of steam," Kikai grumbled. "We've got some guest rooms if ya want to stay the night. I imagine y'all will want to collect them in the mornin'."

"Thank Mr. Hatsume." Toshinori bowed. "I will kindly take up your offer."

"You're staying?" Inko looked at Toshinori curiously. "I would have thought you'd be too busy."

"I'd be a poor teacher if I didn't scold my students for not following their schedule and ignoring their mother." He said. "Besides, it wouldn't be decent of me to leave you stranded out here." He laughed.

"Well, when you put it like that." Inko smiled.

"Have a good night, Miss Midoriya."

"You too, Mr. Yagi."

The two adults went their separate ways and turned in for the night. All the while, Ariden, and Izuku worked and toiled into the early morning hours. It was about 3 when they finished. They were covered in sweat, and their bodies ached, but they looked at their work with pride and promptly passed out.

Mei

Morning rays streamed through the windows as Mei woke up bleary-eyed and confused. She rose and felt something slide off her. Mei looked down and saw a school jacket that she didn't recognize draped over her. Then she looked around her and saw she was still in the workshop.

"What happened last night?" Mei thought as she rubbed her eyes. "Last I remember was working on…"

Mei's eyes widened in panic, and she looked around the workshop. Sure enough, it was a mess. The tools hadn't been put away and were strewn everywhere. Metal shavings littered the ground, and sheaves of paper were scattered on the tables.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Mei wrung her hands. "Dad will kill me if he finds out I blacked out in the workshop again!"

Mei knew she had to act quick and hide all traces of the mess before her dad woke up. She stood up and strode towards the janitor's closet but tripped over something and stumbled. She turned around to see what she had tripped on and saw them. Her two minions were passed out on a workbench. The green-haired one lightly snored while the peppered-haired one drooled a little.

"What are they doing here?" Mei looked at them curiously.

Then it clicked, and memories rushed back to her. She recalled everything that had happened last night and looked around the workshop again. On the table where she had left, it was her baby, now in a complete state. And next to it was a massive stack of notes.

Mei forgot all about cleaning as she walked over to the worktable. She picked up one of the boots and examined it closely. It wasn't perfect; Mei could see a few scuffs and dents in the metal that shouldn't be there, but she could easily fix that herself. She pressed a button on the side, and the boot powered up smoothly. Mei felt a shiver of excitement run down her spine at her baby's successful startup. She turned the gadget off, set it back down, and turned to the notes next to it. She picked up the letter from the top of the stack and saw it was addressed to her.

Dear Hatsume,

I'm sure you've noticed your project is in a different state than when you last saw it. We decided to finish it for you so you didn't push yourself when you woke up. We may have gotten a little carried away, but in our defense, we wanted it to meet your standards. Hopefully, you like it. -Ariden and Izuku Midoriya.

P.S.- We also had some ideas and improvements that could be made. That's what that giant stack of notes is. Enjoy!

She looked up from the letter and scanned the notes on the table. She smiled wildly as she read them. She hadn't thought of half of these possibilities. Some were more tedious and practical, which she skimmed over. The more wild and crazy ideas she read with her full attention. Fanless hover boots, Higher altitudes, Slimmer design, and a more powerful energy source. With each note she read, her own mind spawned ten different solutions. Some ideas they had come up with wouldn't work, which Mei chalked up to their limited knowledge. Excitedly, she almost dropped the note they had left her, but then she noticed another line of text at the bottom.

P.P.S- If we are still asleep, please wake us up. We have school in the morning and can't afford to be late.

She turned back to the sleeping duo and shrugged to herself. She'd wake them up, but they never specified how. She walked over to the boys and grabbed both by the collar of their shirts. And with a grunt of effort, she started to shake them violently as if they were old carpets that needed dusting.

"Wake up!" Mei shouted. "My minions don't sleep on the job!"

Both boys snapped awake in an instant. It took a moment before Mei let go of them. When she did, the boys stretched, yawned, and looked at Mei with half-lidded eyes.

"I'm pretty sure we got the job done already." Ariden snorted. "Also, good morning."

"Thank you for waking us," Izuku said. "I hope you aren't angry at us for finishing your project for you."

"Why would I be?" Mei looked at him curiously. "You're here to learn, aren't you? And what better way than throwing yourself into the deep end! Though I will admit, our baby needs a few touch-ups before it's complete."

"Everyone's a critic." Ariden softly chuckled. "Do you like the notes we left?"

"Oh yes!" Mei nodded violently. "More than you know! I have so many ideas now!" She said excitedly. "But, before we do anything else…" Mei gestured to the whole room. "You two need to clean up the mess you made. My minions aren't slobs."

"Yeah, that seems only fair." Izuku nodded.

Ariden and Izuku got to work. They swept and dusted the shop while Mei sat at the desk and reviewed their notes more thoroughly.

"If you finish in time, we may have time to test our baby," Mei said as she looked up from the notes.

"Boys!" A woman shouted. She had a scandalized look on her face as she entered the workshop. "How could you two be so irresponsible! I thought I raised you better than that! Which one of you is responsible!?"

"M-mom!? H-h-how you g-get here!" Ariden gulped, his face going white with dread.

"W-we c-ca-can explain!" Izuku squeaked as he trembled where he stood.

"What do you mean?" Mei asked as she looked at the newcomer. "They're both responsible."

The boys' faces burned crimson at Mei's words.

"I mean, just look at it!" Mei smiled as she grabbed their baby from the desk and brought it over for the stranger to see. "They helped me make this baby! And I can't wait to see how well it works!"

The woman looked at the device, then at the boys, then back at the device, and gave Mei a flustered look before she walked over to the boys and scooped them into a big hug.

"I'm so sorry, boys! I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly!"

Mei watched as her minions' faces started to turn purple. They turned to her with a pleading look in their eyes.

"Mei…" Ariden croaked. "A… little… help…"

"Can't… breathe…" Izuku gasped, "Help… us… Mei…"

"I think that's the first time they've used my first name." Mei thought, "It's nice to hear. Being called Hatsume all the time was getting a little annoying. What was I doing again? Oh yeah!"

She quickly approached the strange woman and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Could you stop strangling my minions? I still need them."

"What? Minions?" The stranger looked at Mei, confused.

Mei just pointed at the boys. The woman turned to look at them, saw their faces had started to turn blue and let go of them immediately.

"I'm sorry, boys. I really need to stop doing that." The woman said as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"You… don't… say!" Ariden wheezed.

"How… did you… get here?" Izuku asked between gasps.

"I brought her."

Mei turned back and saw a tall, skeletal man and her father standing at the workshop's entryway.

"Boys, you owe your mother an apology." The tall man said with a stern look. "When you didn't return home on time, she worried about you."

Both boys bowed their heads in shame at the man's reproach.

"We're sorry." Both boys said at the same time.

"Just don't let it happen again." The man said.

"And if something does happen, please call me." The woman said more gently. "I'd like to know that you're safe."

"Yes, ma'am." The boys nodded.

"Now then. Finish cleaning up and get ready for school."

Ariden and Izuku

As the boys cleaned, Mei was introduced to the two strangers. She didn't remember their names. But she at least knew they could be trusted, and that's really all that mattered. Once the workshop was cleaned, the boys washed up and got ready for school. As they were about to leave, Mei approached them.

"What's up?" Ariden asked.

Without a word, Mei wrapped both the boys in a hug. It was far more gentle and warm than what would have been expected of the mad inventor. Both boys blushed madly, but that was the worst of it. After a moment, she let them go and just smiled at them.

"W-what was t-that for?" Izuku stuttered, his face red as a tomato.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me finish our baby."

"O-our baby?" Izuku blushed harder.

"Well, yeah. You two helped make it as well. Some of the credit is yours."

"It was the least we could do," Ariden said with a dismissive shrug.

"Even if it was the least, it means a lot to me." She smiled warmly. "Besides…" Her smile turned more fiendish. "Had I known you could pull all-nighters earlier, I would have cranked up the workload. I won't be making the same mistake."

Both boys looked at her dumbfoundedly.

"You can't be serious," Ariden said. "Don't we get a say in this?"

"Nope!"

"At least this will make our training go faster… right?" Izuku asked

"No idea." Mei shrugged cavalierly. "I just wanted to create more stuff! And you two are perfect for the job!"

"She really doesn't beat around the bush, does she?" Ariden mumbled to Izuku.

"At least you can trust her to be straightforward." Izuku shrugged.

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Mei said. "You can trust me on that." She smiled.

"You haven't put us in the ground yet, so I trust you." Izuku nodded.

"As much as we complain, it is fun." Ariden shrugged. "So I have no reason to doubt you."

"They trust me?" Mei thought, confused as to why she suddenly felt a gentle, warm feeling flow through her at their words. "Is this heartburn? Maybe I should lay off the coffee for a bit." She thought as she shook her head and returned her focus to her minions. "Well then, if that's the case, you better be prepared for tonight!"

Both boys groaned in agony.

The sun in the sky had reached the apex as Ariden and Izuku sat languidly at their desks. Their brains and bodies were burnt out by the previous night's exertions. The boys paid half attention to what the teacher was lecturing about. Thankfully, it was something they already knew.

"And on July 4th, 2310, the first hero system was established." The teacher explained. "Not many people know this, but out of the 189 vigilantes operating at that time, only 7 were officially recognized under the new system…" He rambled on.

"Hey," Izuku whispered, turning toward Ariden.

"What?" Ariden asked.

"I've been thinking."

"Glad you can. Mine's turned to mush." Ariden smirked.

"Listen!" Izuku hissed softly. "You know how we have nine months of training left, right?"

"Yeah." Ariden nodded. "Get to the point."

"Well, when Mei told us she would increase our workload…"

"Don't remind me." Ariden groaned out loud.

A few students turned to look at him curiously, though they returned to the lesson after a moment.

"It made me think we should also increase our physical training."

Ariden just looked at Izuku blankly.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Just hear me out!" Izuku pleaded. "This will only benefit us in the long run."

"Alright, but this better be good," Ariden grumbled softly.

"So I did the math. We have 273 days left to train," Izuku explained. "But! This also includes the 2 days of recovery in between each workout. So, in reality, we have 91 days of physical training."

"That isn't much time." Ariden mused aloud.

"My thoughts exactly." Izuku nodded. "To remedy the issue, I suggest we add 5 hours between the morning and night after we leave Hatsume's place. That way, we can gain an additional 455 hours." He mumbled.

"And our current strength training ain't going to cut it if we want to clean the beach in time," Ariden mumbled as he leaned closer toward Izuku. "We will need an entire body workout to reach our goal."

"Maybe this is a test to see how well we can adapt and deal with any situation." Izuku speculated.

"Damn! This is a crash course in heroics!" Ariden mumbled wide-eyed. "We just may be able to pull this off! All Might isn't going to be watching over us all the time, so we shouldn't have to worry about him interfering."

"Is it possible to shave time off our sleep schedule?" Izuku mused.

"Don't." Ariden shook his head. "Sleep repairs the body faster, so we need it if we want a chance."

The boys continued to their conference, oblivious to the creeped-out looks the entire class gave them. The class watched on with morbid curiosity for the better part of a minute. The teacher finally had enough of the interruption and used his quirk. His hands had detached and floated over to the rapidly mumbling boys. The teacher then karate chopped both of their heads, breaking the boys from their trance.

"Boys. It's good that you want to improve yourselves, but could you save it for outside my classroom?" He said.

"Crap!" Both boys thought, a blush of embarrassment on their faces. "We also have to study for the written portion of the entrance exam!"

The classroom roared into laughter at the pathetic display

"Those idiots still think they can get into U.A.?" A student laughed.

"I know, they're pretty deranged, right?" Another student said.

"They're fucking creepy if you ask me. Did you see how they muttered and mumbled?"

All the students gossiped amongst themselves. All but one. Katsuki Bakugo sat quietly at his desk and glared at the boys the entire time.

"Something isn't right here." Katsuki scowled. "Those idiots will put themselves into an early grave if they keep this shit up."

Author's Notes

Been a bit. Thankfully, all the time away hasn't been wasted, and I've been steadily working on this story since I posted the last chapter. The only real reason I have yet to post the next one was the inability to access my editing software. But now I am able to make the final edits to the backlog I have and shall resume posting on a somewhat more regular basis. But anyway, you've made it this far, so thank you for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed it. And once again, I ask that you post your thoughts in the reviews; they are fun to read. Until next time, take care, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to you all, and have a happy New Years.

-TheWritersApprentice