Chapter Twenty-One: Promotion

Nedzu had called a meeting, and the teachers already knew, in broad strokes, what it would entail.

The conclusion of the Sports Festival was followed by a flurry of activity. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for maybe a greater degree of attention directed to the First-Year results. Bingo cards had been distributed accordingly and a general buzz of excitement followed the staff as they went about their usual work.

As the Principal of this prestigious institution, he had to sift through the torrent of e-mails, or in some cases, plain, snail mailed forms. For the best and brightest of the prospective additions to the Hero community, it would not do to leave promising careers to wither on sub-par workplace experiences.

For High Specs, it was a trivial, albeit time-consuming affair to ensure the opportunities were up to par. A few eagle-eyed observers had put their requests in the very minute the draft had opened up, having clearly put them together before the conclusion of the last event, some maybe even typing up their requests during the obstacle course. A few were known to be prompt, such as Sir Nighteye, Gang Orca, and the Hero Public Safety Commission.

There were also usual suspects. Desperate, low-ranking Heroes eager for the boost in publicity by picking up the high-performers of the third phase. Evidently, none of them had caught onto the fact that being early, or even first did anything to help their chances.

So, a Sunday afternoon saw the teachers and other members of the school staff file into the conference room, cards at the ready, and settled into their seats.

"Welcome, everyone! Help yourself to your choice of beverage and I will endeavor to take up as little time of your day as possible."

A click on the remote and the projector listed out the names and profiles of the First-Year participants of the elimination round.

Snipe whistled. "That's quite a display, Nedzu. When was the last time we saw that many non-Heroics students make it that far into the competition?"

"It has been a few years," Nedzu acknowledged.

"Five students that had only been eliminated by poor match-ups during the initial lineup. And all of them were knocked out by the finalists."

"I mean, technically…?" Present Mic dragged out.

"All but Midoriya got eliminated by the final four contestants," said Eraserhead, "and Midoriya is excluded because he was one of the ones delivering knockouts."

"Too true. Makes you wonder how the finals would have gone if the he or Kendo had gone onto the finals."

Nedzu hummed, thoughtfully. "An intriguing mental exercise that we will regrettably have to shelve for later. In the meantime. We have the entries from the other courses, especially how high some rose to the occasion. There are methods of handling such unorthodox situations, though I would ask their homeroom teachers for their thoughts before any formal decision is made."

Power Loader tapped his chin, and said, "I don't think either Hatsume or Hajime will go for it. Though with their performance, at least extend the offer. Alternatively, we can offer dual enrollment."

"Excellent! Thirteen? Your thoughts of Shinso."

The rescue hero tented her fingers in her lap. "Shinso made considerable progress compared to his initial performance during the Entrance Exam. He's still a little rough from what I saw during the Sports Festival, but if his drive persists, he should at least be forwarded as a possible transfer going forward."

Present Mic weighed in. "Heck, he's even interacting more with his classmates." At this, he gave Eraserhead a pointed look over his sunglasses, which was pointedly ignored.

Nedzu smiled and clicked to the next profile. "Suzuki, on the other hand, performed adequately during the Entrance Exam, but fell short by a handful of points on the practical test, even in consideration of her scores on the written portion. Obsidian?"

"She's driven and determined," she answered. "She's probably due for some additional counseling with her history. But if those parameters are met, I don't see anything wrong with fostering her talents to what are already her admitted goals."

"I agree. She seems a little reckless, and I think we can all agree that determination in the face of adversity can easily be counterproductive if not properly tempered." Another click pulled up the next slide. "Next, is Izuku Midoriya."

"Why the hell is he in Management!?" Present Mic laughed, incredulously. "The top-scoring student of the general admissions, beating out several Heroics students in a straight fight and achieved a mutual knockout with a girl who's practically All Might's second coming."

"And has already seen live combat. Can't forget that."

Yagi's eye was almost twitching, so Nedzu had some pity on the man. For now.

"His preferences were listed with Management as his first choice," he said. "An offer will be extended, but I would be in remiss not to remind you to support his choice either way, as with any of the other students mentioned." He clapped once, and added, "Now. Onto the meat of the discussion, and into familiar territory. The Draft!"

Uraraka, as expected, had an outpouring of nominations. Yoarashi wasn't far behind her, with the number of requests falling in the standard ranges for the runner-up. While not surprising, Kendo and Midoriya both nearly matched their numbers, despite the latter not even being in the Heroics course. Established professionals and the largely ignorant masses alike were generally drawn to the flashier matches, and their nominations reflected this.

Yaoyorozu had a decent array of requests. While her family name likely drew some attention, her performance against Monoma and Kendo adequately demonstrated her talents that more than the lesser dregs of the nominations had turned out. Edgeshot, Gang Orca, and Fat Gum were just the highest ranked agencies on her list.

Todoroki was in a similar range, winning out by a narrow margin and probably for similar reasons. But even without Endeavor's influence, he wouldn't be hurting for options. Nedzu noted the faces Midnight and Cementoss made when his nomination listing was displayed.

As Snipe had noted, the number of students from outside the Heroics department was rather unusal. Not the most, but still above average, and a marvelous performance from each and every one. Even leaving Midoriya aside, there was Shinso and Suzuki, both up whom had gone up against opponents that, by rates, outclassed them by leagues, the sort of underdog tales that attracted the more insightful elements of Underground Hero community. And Hatsume and Hajime had both matched against the finalists.

The chaotic skewing of results was delightful, Nedzu found. It was also appealed to the educator, as it encouraged other students to reach higher and the Heroics students to work harder and more intelligently to improve themselves. So long as it didn't devolve into blatant animosity and violent rivalries, this was the sort of effort and drive that should be seen from students.

By the time the sun was beginning to set, they were wrapping matters of alternate arrangements for Support and Management for the Work Experience week, and Nedzu decided to press on his earlier observations.

"Kayama, Ishiyama, do you have anything pertinent to bring up in regards to Todoroki?"

Both teachers look at one another, and Midnight spoke up first.

"It concerns some of the things that Midoriya and Todoroki said to one another before and during their fight. While it initially came across as mean-spirited trash talk, with how the fight and their…discussion carried on, Cementoss and I agree that these concerns run far deeper beneath the surface."

"And what might these concerns be?"

"We think Endeavor might be abusing Torodoki."

Silence fell on the conference room in a hurry, even quiet side conversations puttering to a halt.

"That is a serious accusation, Midnight," said All Might.

Nedzu raised a hand. "I would like to hear your reasons, all the same. As it has already been voiced, please. Continue."

Midnight nodded. "I was hoping to bring this up in private, but…Shouta, has Todoroki ever used his fire during training?"

The clues visibly clicked together in Eraserhead's head, the exhaustion in his eyes burning away. "He's never used his fire during training. Apart from thawing himself or his classmates, he focuses on his ice." The pencil he was holding snapped in his hand. "How did I miss that?!"

"Midoriya spent a good deal of the fight picking at Todoroki's mentality," said Cementoss. "Both as a student and as a Hero. While I didn't quite hear all of it, Midoriya was kind enough to speak loud enough for us to hear most of it. We're talking an adamant refusal of fully employing his whole Quirk point that Todoroki would risk losing a limb to frostbite rather than do anything that would make him remote resemble his father."

Present Mic placed a hand on Eraserhead's shoulder. "You couldn't have known, could you?"

"I shouldn't have needed it to be it pointed out to me by a student!" he retorted.

All Might looked unsettled by the revelation. "Endeavor is already known to be gruff and borderline belligerent in public. I can't imagine he would be any less in private. But to the point of abuse…"

"That scar had to come from somewhere," Snipe wondered, aloud "A training accident, maybe?"

"Now, now," Nedzu interjected. "I believe we are beginning to tread into the realm of pure conjecture. Kayama, Ishiyama, thank you both. I think that is enough to warrant the beginnings of an investigation. For the rest of you, please exercise discretion until the results have come in. If Todoroki, or any other students for that matter come forward with information, please give it due diligence and forward their concerns to either Hound Dog or myself."

More fascinating was what went unsaid, or maybe never realized by even Midnight or Cementoss.

High Specs might have granted Nedzu an intellect that surpassed the majority of most humans, it did not come with experience or wisdom, both of which he had had to seek and hone on his own initiative. Psychology was by far his favorite subject, even as it often left him perplexed when it came to the finer points of the human mind and the lines along which it developed over time. But he nonetheless understood the relational qualities in what could make people tick.

As such, Midoriya was a fascinating subject. Not many came into power like that, and certainly didn't sharpen themselves to such a degree without an express purpose in mind. And what's more, to see things that even seasoned adults didn't implied a degree of familiarity with the subject. All the more so if his words resonated with Todoroki so readily.

But before he could make any deductions, he would have to review the security footage from the Sports Festival, and perhaps find if one of the microphones had survived to record the relevant dialogue. It could prove challenging.

But Nedzu always did oh so love a challenge.

[IB]

Izuku breathed deeply as he finished another spar with Yuri. As expected, she had taken him to task for acting so recklessly in public, and had all but dragged him into a spar first thing the next morning. The physical exertion of a Quirkless spar was just the sort of release he had been hoping it would be.

"So," said Yuri, sitting on the floor across from Izuku. "I know you wouldn't have risked revealing yourself just for shits and giggles. What's on your mind?"

"I have a paternal uncle," Izuku began to explain. "If Quirks from the same lineage follow similar behaviors, is it possible he could also transfer Quirks? Or maybe just his own? The old man is fond of literature, especially dating before the time of Quirks. 'All for One and One for All' would appeal to his propensity for consistent themes."

Yuri rested her chin on clasped hands. "That could be a distinct possibility."

Not just the ability to pass from one person to the next, but to accumulate strength or energy over time. A stockpile-type made the most sense. The old man had implied he had given him some sort of Quirk, but wouldn't have given him something that could be used to properly challenge him, or let slip his grasp so easily. A Quirk fusion, maybe?

RPG's connection flared uncomfortably at the thought, and Izuku shook his head.

Too little information, not enough solid data, too many possibilities. Two centuries had seen many generations of All for One's followers come and go, so it was unlikely anyone alive could have been around to remember what happened back then. Even the doctor's tenure at the old man's side represented a fraction of the time he had been operating in the criminal underworld.

Or maybe not? There had to be a Quirk or two still in the world whose previous owner had been around back then.

"And what about Kendo?" asked Yuri. "If she's connected to this pass-down of your uncle's hypothetical Quirk, your little demonstration might have just drawn undue attention to her."

"I think her ties to All Might have already given the game up. The old man probably already has the entire lineage of the Quirk traced. And if the Hero Commission has gone through so much to keep All Might's Quirk under wraps, it's probable they know what's up."

"And if this is just a divergent branch of the Quirk or another evolution entirely?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I'd like to get to know more about Kendo first before I run that kind of risk. If she isn't who I need to talk to, then she's the next step I can make in talking to All Might directly."

"Making friends with the biggest dog, huh?"

"He's the one who knocked the old man out of action. It's good a place as any to start, wouldn't you agree?"

"And the reason you're not walking up U.A. right now is…?"

At this, Izuku sighed. "I'm worried that they won't give me time to explain, that they'll just see me as a security risk somehow and try to lock me up. Or just throw me onto the street."

"I don't necessarily agree with that assessment, but you've made your point. And it's not as if you can take back what's already been done. Finish cooling off. I'll get started on breakfast here in a bit."

Something akin to a tap on the shoulder, or maybe a knock on the door tugged on Push's connection.

"Okay," said Izuku. "There's just one more thing I'm going to do before washing up."

"Anything I can help with?"

"Just one of the Quirks wanting to talk, I think."

Izuku gave a second of consideration and let the connection complete, and Nana's visage materialized, looking around awkwardly. If there had been a door frame to hang from, she would have done so.

"Uh…not to intrude, Beansprout, but were you talking about your Uncle?"

"Hey, Nana. Yeah, we're talking about him. It was probably long before your time, but did you ever hear anything?"

"After a fashion, yeah." Nana looked skyward and plopped down "next" to him. "Ugh. There's no easy way to say this, but you're pretty much on point with your analysis."

Izuku froze and slowly turned her way. "And you're only telling me this now…Why?"

"Because it's been a closely held secret for generations. Because I'm still kind of paranoid how much surveillance All for One is capable of putting on you, even in the relative safety of your own head. Or maybe it's because the last thing you needed at the time was to go charging straight towards Mighty Tower and making trouble for yourself before you were ready to deal with the consequences. Take your pick."

"Okay, fair. My head was a complete mess back then." As opposed to the partial mess it was now. "So, you're All Might's immediate predecessor, correct?"

"There was a reason All for One put as much effort into destroying me as he did, and it isn't because I was annoying or because he's a sadist."

"…This explains a bit more than I was expecting. Again, why now?"

"Because the cat's already out of the bag and letting you make assumptions is only going to hamper your efforts in the long run. Just remember to take it slowly. Like I said, One for All has been a fairly close secret for all the past holders, and blurting it out might make things more difficult at the worst moment."

"Might make a good trump card, though. As a last resort, of course."

"Keep an eye on Kendo, too. I think I may have connected with my counterpart lurking in One for All. During your fight, I mean. If it's anything like when I got handed off to you, it should be pretty unsettling."

"Understood."

Nana vanished and Izuku pulled himself back to physical awareness. Rising to his feet, he went to wash up. He had some research to do.

But first: breakfast.

[IB]

Itsuka was fully ready for the cast to be removed. The surgeon had looked it over and made sure the risk of bones warping was little to none. She would be checking in with the nurse's office when she got to campus, but some proper medical care and rest seemed to alleviate most of the issue for the most part.

Recovery Girl was right that she needed some alternative training to better acclimate to One for All. But it might not even be a training issue in the first place, rather just a matter of time to get her body used to it at lower levels. In which case there was nothing to be done but carry on and hope for the best.

Coming down for breakfast, Itsuka saw her father watched the replay of the Sports Festival, leaning forward and tapping his fingers at the side of the couch. She left him to that while she poured herself some coffee, a task made excessively difficult with one hand to work with, but she managed and moved to sit down next to him. He eyed her cast then went back to watching the replay.

When the quiet continued, Itsuka hazarded a quiet, "Dad?"

Shinutsu sighed, pausing the video and wrapping an arm around her. "Itsuka. I've watched you train and fight since you were old enough to walk. I've watched you grow, and your Quirk with you, and I can't recall you expressing anything like this beforehand. So I'll ask right now: did Toshinori pass his Quirk to you?"

Itsuka blinked at the blunt accusation. "…I guess that depends on what you already know."

"I saw Toshinori when he was in school. He was always a big guy, even back when he started. He was Quirkless at for the first year and a half, and then suddenly, he's throwing punches like you wouldn't believe. Faster, tougher, and seemingly endless stamina, it was as if he had grown a Quirk overnight and it made him the strongest around."

Itsuka sat up. "Did anyone ever ask about it?"

"Oh, plenty. He deflected. And at the time, most of us were thinking it was a such a surprise to him that he didn't have a right answer for it. I mean, how often is a Quirkless kid going to have their breakthrough halfway through puberty? Figured he was embarrassed how the Underdog story he was working on kind of got undermined." Shinutsu snickered and stroked his daughter's hair. "But he eventually said something how his physical development must have finally been enough for his Quirk to materialize, and that was after he had almost destroyed a block of the simulated city we were in, so it might have been that his body was holding back to avoid turning him to paste. At least, that's how he explained it."

"It does sound like a reasonable assumption with what you knew."

"Mmhmm. No one made much of it after that. Then his mentor died, and one of her friends became his homeroom teacher for a single year before he graduated. Gran Torino was good enough not to show blatant favoritism, but there were still moments that Toshinori clearly held the man's full attention. A mentor whose Quirk could telekinetically pushed against objects and was also obscenely strong." Her dad paused, sipping at his coffee. "So imagine my surprise when my daughter manifests that same strength I had seen from two people I know of, one who had an unrelated Quirk and one who apparently didn't have a Quirk at all."

"So that's how you made the logical leap to a transferable Quirk?"

"There's a great deal of Quirks we don't know or rightfully understand. My first thought was that whole 'Quirk Singularity' theory, but that didn't seem right. But when one of your classmates can copy Quirks, it was a short distance between that and a Quirk that could be transferred."

"Are you mad?"

"A little annoyed, maybe. I wish you had talked to me sooner, or maybe gotten Toshinori to discuss this with me beforehand, but I think we're past that now."

"I suppose it was a bit much to expect anything to slip by you."

"I'm your Dad. That's part of the job description, sweetheart." He kissed her on the top of her head. "That's enough for now. We can talk more about it later, and see if you can twist Toshinori's arm to be there for that."

"Yes, Dad." Itsuka stood up and paused.

All Might's mentor had a telekinetic Quirk that operated by pushing against objects. Was Midoriya's Quirk all that different?

Great, Itsuka groused. More questions.

[IB]

Momo Yaoyorozu walked through U.A., fighting a profound urge to sigh or complain. The media gauntlet had been nigh-unbearable, cameras flashing and microphones shoved into her face. Luckily, Thirteen had been on hand to distract them so that Momo and a handful of other students could slip through without further interference. So, she was surprised to hear,

"Yaoyorozu. A moment of your time, if you would."

Momo slowed her stride, letting the other girl catch up. "Suzuki. Good morning."

Her hair was still growing back to its previous length, but it was long enough to put into a bun, tied off with a length of chain and a couple of hairpins. Makeup was artfully applied, but that did little to conceal bags under her eyes.

"I believe apologies are in order," said Suzuki. "Long overdue, in fact." The girl proceeded to bow. "My behavior in middle school was uncalled for. For that, I am sorry."

Momo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I…accept your apology. I can't say I completely forgive you, and there's someone else you needed to apologize to before you apologized to me."

Suzuki stood up straight. No sign of the boldness and belligerence from her "declaration of war" was present. The haughty girl she had known back then was fidgeting nervously, searching for words. Momo resisted the urge to sigh or roll her eyes.

"He's not going to eviscerate you, you know," she said. Even if Suzuki had deserved it back then, Izuku had exacted his pound of flesh and more. "And he's not that vindictive to keep torturing you."

"He said something to that effect during the Sports Festival. But be that as it may, I would still appreciate a mediator, if you are in any way amenable."

"…How are you really?"

"Better. Worse. Kind of both?" Suzuki pulled a breath and let it out slowly. "I was used to wipe the floor on international television and that, for some reason, was enough for some Hero Agency scouts to ask for me specifically for the upcoming Work Experience week. And yes, that is a reason for me apologizing today. But not the only one."

"Congratulations." Polite, but professionally cool. Suzuki might not have been a close friend or colleague for some time, but that didn't mean Momo could forget her manners. "Are you going to take them up on the offer?"

"I'll have to wait for the official say-so from U.A., but yes. And it would invite bad karma not to extend an olive branch of my own volition when I benefited from his restraint." Suzuki glanced out the window at the security gate. "Has he always been like that?"

"Hm?"

"Midoriya. Has he always gone about helping people without needing to be asked?"

"As long as I've known him. Even people I know he hasn't exactly been fond of."

Suzuki scoffed. "You make it sound like his forgiveness is endless."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. You know where the limits of his patience lie."

Bakugo was a prime example of where Izuku's limits could be reached. Insult him, and he would laugh it off or ignore it, but hurt his friends or bring up his family and all bets were off. Knocking Bakugo out of the competition was both a way to remove a threat to his friends and a deliver a blow to the explosive blond precisely where Izuku knew would hurt.

"True," said Suzuki, head sagging a little. "Well. Thank you for hearing me out."

"It was no trouble," Momo answered, letting Suzuki go her way.

Izuku did have some pretty clearly defined limits, and Momo didn't know where his head went in those moments. She was pretty sure she didn't want to know. And until it became something she needed to know, she would remain blissfully oblivious.

[IB]

Izuku compared his write-ups with those of Suzume's and Haru's. Both they and the rest of the class had been ecstatic with the data they had been able to gather from the Sports Festival. His own contributions had been derived from rewatching the events from start to finish, layered with firsthand experience, which his classmates ate up.

"Could you have won?" asked Haru.

"Mm?"

"Do you think you would have won the Sports Festival if you hadn't been knocked out of bounds?"

"Possibly," Izuku admitted.

"What would have happened if you had won the entire Sports Festival?"

"That is a good question. If you had asked me at the start of the semester, I would have bowed out before the end. But now, I think Ochako would have taken offense at me going easy on her."

Suzume shuddered. "I'm not sure I want to know what it'd be like to see you go all out."

"If I ever do, I guarantee that will be an interesting day."

Ms. Obsidian walked into the room, and Tengen led them through greeting. Once they were all settled in, their teacher dropped a manila folder onto her desk.

"Good morning, everyone," said the teacher. "Hope you enjoyed yourselves during the Sports Festival, because we'll be hitting the ground running from here to the end of the semester. Starting with Work Experience Week."

A hand was raised. "Um, teach? Isn't that usually for the Hero students?"

"Yes, this typically is something that pertains to the Heroics course, as they're the ones that usually get the most screen time during the Sports Festival. But we still offer some outlets for you to get your feet wet in the industry, depending on which outlet you're choosing to focus on at that time. This year, though, Though some of you overachievers have been asked for. By name. Suzuki, Midoriya. Principal Nedezu would like to speak with you."

[IB]

Izuku noticed Hitoshi lingering outside the principal's office in a state of shock. He leaned into the other boy's field of view.

"You can go first, Suzuki," he said, then, "Hey, Hitoshi. What brings you here?"

The boy remained unresponsive, staring ahead until Izuku started waving a hand in front of his face, sitting up and lazily looking up at him.

"Oh. Izuku. Hey."

"You okay? You were kind of spacing out right there."

"I think so. Just...processing things."

Izuku plopped into the seat next to him. "Like what?"

"I got green-lighted for a tentative enrollment into the Heroics course."

"Really? That's great news, Hitoshi! I knew you could do it"

Hitoshi rolled his eyes. "Right. This is part of your grade, isn't it?"

"True, but I wasn't expecting results quite this soon."

"You were expecting me to fail?"

"No. I was expecting someone was going to argue against your admission since you didn't win and have to go for an overall improvement before the end of the semester. But it seems like U.A. knows what to look for. And take some pride in this victory. You've earned it."

"I'll take it under advisement."

"So, what's next?"

"Well, Aizawa wants to run me and any other Heroics candidates through a boot camp of sorts during Work Experience week. If I do well enough there, I'll get added to the roster after summer break at the latest."

Izuku nodded. "Be sure to talk to Momo about course work. Best not to leave that sort of thing until the last minute before trying to catch up."

"Huh. Being friends with a Heroics class president. That's awfully convenient."

The door to Nedzu's office opened. Suzuki stepped out.

"He's ready for you, Midoriya. He also wants to remind Shinso that he has homeroom that he's missing out on."

Hitoshi raised a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Anyway, I probably better get moving. You should, too, if you're meeting The Rat."

Izuku laughed at the audible capitalization and stepped into the Principal's office.

"Good morning, Midoriya. Care for some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Nedzu poured two cups, and after he had gotten Izuku situated with refreshments, he got straight to business.

"Your performance during the Sports Festival was most impressive." There was a lot of insinuation in that sentence. "It has certainly been a long time since someone demonstrably outshone nearly the entire Heroics course."

"I did pass with the highest score on the Entrance Exam."

"Indeed you did. Some might consider it a waste of talent, leaving you in Management."

"Where are you going with this, Principal?"

Nedzu smiled, beady black eyes inscrutable. "Are you interested in the Heroics course, Mr. Midoriya?"

It was a simple, straight-forward question. Not unexpected, but Izuku wasn't sure how to answer it

"Not as such." Not anymore. Not for a long time. But it isn't about what I want, is it? He reminded himself, then answered, "I've always been interested in Heroes and Quirks, but more from an academic perspective. I figured Management would be a better place to augment that rather than going into the frontlines as a matter of course."

Nedzu inclined his head. "A respectable choice. Though, in light of more recent events, is that still what you desire?"

"An intriguing offer, but I'm curious what lies behind doors two and three."

"I was hoping you might say that. While not enrolling you in Heroics Course, would you be amenable to taking Foundational Heroics as a form of dual enrollment? Even if you prefer to remain in a position of coordination, having some field experience can be a boon to understanding the decisions you make as a commander or as a manager. Judging by your approach to the Sports Festival, you seem to be a hands-on sort when it comes to your work."

"And the third option?"

"A simple refusal, of course. Know that I will respect and support your choice no matter which option you select in the end. Regardless of what other powers might wish, if needs be."

Izuku's eyes narrowed, imperceptibly. But for Nedzu, he had been already reading him like an open book, or knew something. What the extent of his knowledge was, Izuku would like to find out, but he figured he wouldn't get his answers here. Regardless, he didn't much care for the feeling.

If Nedzu knew, as his reputation and implications indicated, then was this a means to keep an enemy, even a potential enemy close, or an olive branch? A sign of trust that encouraged reciprocation. Was there even a hidden message in all of this, or was it all just an elaborate fabrication of his own paranoia?

Well, it's not like I was expecting to get any sleep tonight anyway.

Izuku weighed his options against his plans and projections, then answered. "I'll take the dual enrollment option."

"Then in light of your answer, I will inform Ms. Obsidian to release the recommendations you received over the weekend."

[IB]

Now that the cast was off, Itsuka breathed a sigh of relief. There would be scars along her right arm, but when she could have lost the arm entirely, she would take being able to stretch and move it around without lingering pains.

All Might showed up without his usual bulk. "Itsuka. I'm glad to see you've recovered."

"You and me both, Sensei," Itsuka replied, giving her arm a gentle rotation. "We're going to be picking our Hero names today, so I'll have my writing hand back for that."

"You wanted to speak with me?"

"I have a bunch of things to ask, but if we'll need more time some of them can wait. I guess the first thing is that Dad already figured out you passed your Quirk to me." She gulped down some air. "I didn't tell him anything, other than confirming that he had. You've apparently been leaving clues enough for him to piece together when I kind of...exploded during the Sports Festival."

"I suppose I should have guessed such a thing would happen eventually. Was that the extent of it?"

"He also wants to have dinner sometime soon to discuss it more thoroughly. I think he's not wanting to press me for what are your secrets."

"I'll look at my schedule and see what we can work out. And you said you had more to ask?"

Itsuka sat back and blew a strand of hair from her face. "I figured I'd at least bring it up since I kind of told him I would. But I think Endeavor abuses Todoroki. And probably neglects the rest of his family, at best."

All Might blinked blankly at her. "How did you come by this information?"

"He kind of dumped it on me before the 1v1s. I think either he or his dad was using me as a placeholder/measure stick for how well he was performing. We didn't get to meet in the third round, and I didn't get to talk to him in private afterwards."

His fight with Midoriya seemed to do something, though. Time would tell if it did anything positive.

"Is there anything you or the school can do to help?"

"You're not the first to bring this matter up," All Might answered, "though this is more concrete than the observations made during the Sports Festival."

"Really?"

All Might nodded. "It may prove difficult considering the parties involved, but the Principal is going to see what can be done on the sly. I'm sure the Todoroki family would appreciate not having this dragged into the open. At least until we're left with no alternate recourse."

"Okay. Good."

"Don't fret, young lady. Even if we can't move forward quite yet, we can still offer a helping hand. Just be warned: the Principal might want to interview you directly since you've come forward with this information."

"I'll try and brace for that. Oh, I got a recommendation from Grant Torino. He was your homeroom teacher back in the day right. All Might?"

All Might was shivering in place, full-on sweating bullets.

"Sensei, are you all right?" A stupid question, but she was trying to get his attention now.

The man suddenly bulked up, flashing his standard smile and a thumbs-up. "I'm All Might!"

Itsuka's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? You're having a stress reaction at the mention of his name! What the hell am I supposed to take away from that?!"

"I'm sorry." All Might shrank down again and coughed into a handkerchief, bobbing his knees up and down. "He was an old ally of my predecessor. He also knows of One for All, so it is a fair guess that he asked for you because of it."

"What was she like?"

"Hm?"

"Your predecessor. Dad said she died when you were still in school."

"Ah. Right."

"I'd like to learn more about my predecessors. Their Quirks or anything else you might be able to tell me. I'm trying to figure out what they might have done to handle One for All. If you're not comfortable talking about it-"

"Her name was Nana Shimura." His answer was distant, as if he were lost in a memory. "Her Hero name was Nimbus. She wasn't my mother, but she was as good as for the short time I was learning under her."

A thought occurred, and Itsuka asked, "Is there a chance that she's related to Midoriya?"

All Might flinched. "Run that by me again?"

"Her Quirk pushed objects away from her, right? Was it anything like what Midoriya was capable of? You always seem weird whenever Midoriya shows up, so I was wondering if it was some passing family resemblance."

"It's...possible. If so, then that line of Quirks must have evolved considerably in the last generation."

"One for All?"

"It shouldn't be able to be passed on genetically. The again, to the best of my knowledge, she was the only one to have children of her own while holding One for All, and I wouldn't be able to answer that question anyhow."

"How come?" Itsuka asked, then blushed as she waved her hands. "If I'm prying, you don't have to answer that."

"It's been a great many years since I've really talked about it. Not to worry." Exhaustion seemed into his voice as he talked. "She had a son. She sent him away shortly after her husband was killed, and essentially made us swear in blood that we wouldn't go and look for him. The risks were just too high of him and whatever family he might have had to be discovered. Even after...death, we never followed up on what became of her family. I can't help but wonder if that might have been a mistake."

Itsuka curled a strand of hair around her finger, twirling it around. "So. Gran Torino. He was a good Hero right? I mean, they let him teach at U.A., and he had to have been pretty good to keep up with One for All."

"Yes, and an effective, if brutal teacher and trainer."

Itsuka looked at the scars streaking across her arm. "Then I think I'll go with Gran Torino. If he was able to whip you into shape, then I think I could probably learn something from him, too."

"I won't stop you," said All Might, sounding for all the world as if he desperately wanted to.

Anything else would have to wait when the alarm buzzed, heralding the next period.

Itsuka jumped to her feet, and bowed. "Thank you, All Might. For the talk. And for listening."

"Good luck on selecting your Hero name. I'll let your dad know when I'm available next."

And Itsuka scrambled out of the room, leaving Toshinori Yagi with his thoughts.

[IB]

A quick jog to homeroom saw Itsuka arrive just before Vlad King did. He smiled and shook his head, letting her find her seat before he walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he said. "We'll be getting to work on your Hero names, but first, we have a new addition to our class. A student from the Management course joining us until further notice for Foundational Heroics."

Izuku Midoriya stepped into the room, bowing politely to the students of 1-B.

"A pleasure to make a formal acquaintance with you all," he said, an insufferable smirk etching across his face. "I do hope we all get along in the future."

A/N: That was quite the ponderousinterlude, but I think that helps set the next stage of the story. Luckily, the narrative kind of narrows a bit for the Hero Killer arc, so fewer characters to juggle around. So, closer examinations of both Izuku and Itsuka.

Also, a Happy Birthday to Ochako Uraraka, who was supposed to have a part in this chapter before I moved it into the next.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Are characters making improbable leaps of logic with information available to them? Let me know in a PM or review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Until next time!

Winterman, out.