To Make A Friend

Midoriya Izuku started off the day like most any Middle Schooler would. By smashing his alarm clock. Lucky for him, he didn't break it. Even luckier was the fact he'd remembered to switch from his Limited Edition Silver Age All Might clock to a much simpler one. Izuku rose slowly from his bed and picked the sleep out of his forest green eyes. The light of early morning showed through his window as he proceeded to stretch and give a massive yawn. His freckled face was framed by a head of untamable green curls. He trudged his way past the dresser covered in All Might merch and opened the door to the bathroom.

A half-hour later, Izuku walked into the Midoriya Household's kitchen as he finished doing up the buttons on his blazer. It never took Izuku long to get ready for the day but that didn't stop his mom, Midoriya Inko, from worrying. She was pacing the kitchen, scrambling to finish the family's breakfast. Her son would need to leave soon and proper meals were paramount if she wanted her boy to succeed. Izuku drew a chair out from the table and sat down.

"Morning mom." Izuku said with a slight bow. Inko sat out a glass of orange juice for her son. "Anything good in today's Hero News?"

"Gossip mostly." Inko said, taking a second to blow lightly on her coffee before sipping it carefully. "'All Might Seen At Cafe', 'New Pros Rumored To Make Debut'. Couple things here and there about high-profile villains but nothing new."

"So nothing important." Izuku hung his head in disappointment as his mom sat out plates of food for the both of them. "Ah, thanks, mom!"

"It's the least I could do for a growing boy like yourself." Inko said, waving off her son's thanks. She sat down and picked up the newspaper while Izuku started digging in. "How're your schematics coming?"

"Slow." Izuku scratched lightly at his cheek as a bead of sweat dropped down the side of his face. He crossed his hands in front of him and looked over his breakfast with a sad smile. "I have the theory down but the prototypes refuse to work."

"Don't worry, Izuku, there's still two years before the Entrance Exams!" Izuku looked at his mom, smile changing to warm and confident. Inko could always cheer her boys up. "Now you finish up before you're late!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Izuku gave his mom an enthusiastic salute. Inko giggled at his antics and went back to eating as well.

After breakfast, Izuku slipped his shoes on and gently tapped his toes against the tile of the house's mudroom. With a final goodbye to his mom, he took off. It had been six wonderful years since the Midoriyas had moved to Yokohama and Izuku had never been happier. He watched the trees as he made his way down the familiar route to his middle school. The leaves were starting to turn yellow and brown, with the grass along the roadside following suit. Fall was almost here. Izuku stopped for a second to admire the gray skies before marching on. His homeroom teacher had teased the class all last week about a surprise and there was no way he was going to be late.

~ W-o-L ~

Akemi tugged at the sleeves of her school uniform. They were too short. In all reality, they'd been tailored to fit her perfectly but she generally preferred sleeves long enough to hide her hands in. Maybe once winter finally rolled around she could get away with her favorite oversized hoodies. The thought eased her nerves, somewhat, as she made her way to the staff offices of Rishi Junior High School. The district wasn't rich by any stretch of the imagination but the building itself was decently sized with no visible signs of age. Akemi supposed it was an easy and cost-effective way to properly maintain the facilities. Her footsteps echoed through the deserted hallway as she finally came up to the faculty room. A quick knock alerted any inside to her arrival and it didn't take long for someone to call out for her to enter.

"Ah, Miss Valence, I presume?" The teacher wore a comfortably fit business suit with their blazer thrown over the back of their chair. Their ruby red skin glowed brilliantly with the morning light and only served to enhance the deep ebony of their horns and sclera. The desk in front of them was messy but being a teacher in the middle of a school year could do that to the best. Akemi stepped up to the teacher and nodded. "Oh, good. I hope it isn't too early for you."

"Not at all." Akemi dipped in a respectful bow. "You're my homeroom teacher?"

"Yes. My name is Mx. Tsukimiya." They stood and bowed to Akemi in return. "I'll be taking care of you during this year of Junior High. I wanted to give you a short tour of campus before homeroom."

"I'd appreciate it, Mx. Tsukimiya." Akemi said with a soft smile. The teacher led Akemi out of the staff room and back down the hall. The signs above the doors told her these were the first-year homerooms. Tsukimiya revealed as much as they slid open the door to room 1-C and ushered Akemi inside.

"This will be your homeroom for the year." They walked Akemi over to a desk by the window. It overlooked a field that Akemi presumed was for Physical Education and Sports, among other such activities. Tsukimiya gestured down to the desk. "Your desk, Valence. You can leave your bag here during our tour."

Akemi nodded and did just that. The desks all had hooks on both sides for students to hang their bags or blazers. Akemi thought it was a little too hot for a blazer and decided to leave it with her bag. Tsukimiya smiled and gestured for Akemi to follow as she left the room. They made their way to the front of the school, stopping long enough for Akemi to note the locations of a few more classrooms and the floor's bathrooms, before coming up to the lockers. They weren't anything new, as lockers for students' personal belongings tended to be a staple in every culture.

The rest of campus was relatively standard. Library, computer lab, sports field and fieldhouse, locker rooms, gymnasium, and various club rooms. Tsukimiya concluded the tour right as the most diligent students began arriving and had Akemi stay in the staff room with her while the rest of the student body arrived. Before long, it was time for homeroom to start and Akemi followed close behind her teacher. She was instructed to wait in the hall so Tsukimiya could "prepare the class". It didn't take long.

"Valence, you may enter." Mx Tsukimiya called. Akemi gingerly opened the door and shut it behind her. She didn't have stage fright, per say, but the eyes of so many new people watching her meant she couldn't stop a gentle blush from burning her face. Akemi bowed to the teacher, then turned and did the same towards her new classmates. "If you'll introduce yourself, please."

Akemi took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves before she started. "My name is Valence Akemi and my family is originally from America." That was good. Short, sweet, and to the point. She was about to make her way to her seat when more than a few students' hands shot into the air. Akemi blanched.

"Midoriya, why don't you go first?" Tsukimiya called on a boy with messy, green hair and freckles. The boy, Midoriya, nodded with a smile that sat somewhere between nervous and excited.

"W-what's your Q-Quirk?" Midoriya asked.

"I… I'd rather not talk about it." Akemi looked down and away, scratching at the back of her head. This was, apparently, the wrong thing to say.

"Why not?"

"Are you Quirkless like Midoriya?"

"Is it just a useless power?"

The class erupted into a frenzy of questions, causing Akemi to take a startled step back. Tsukimiya stepped in front of Akemi, acting to shield their newest student from the overwhelming flood of curiosity. From behind her homeroom teacher, Akemi spotted her desk. She was sitting behind Midoriya.

"Sorry about that, Valence." Tsukimiya bowed as the class finally settled. They gestured over to her desk. "Why don't you sit and we can move on."

Akemi nodded and gratefully rushed to her seat as Tsukimiya began the rest of the day's business. Midoriya shifted a bit in front of her and passed a note back to Akemi under his arm. Her first day and she was already breaking the rules. Her dad was going to be so proud. Akemi carefully unfolded the note.

Sorry about that. I didn't think I'd cause such an uproar. My name's Midoriya Izuku.

She wrote back, Don't worry about it. Nice to meet you!, and passed the note back when Tsukimiya was turned away. Midoriya seemed like a nice guy.

The environment may have been different but one thing remained clear to Akemi. School was still school. And math classes sucked. She wasn't, by any means, bad at any particular subject but math always gave her the most trouble. The numbers and letters bounced all over the page, confusing her. She'd gotten the hang of tracking them over the years but occasionally she still tripped over the various formulas. Aside from this hiccup, Akemi sailed smoothly through the day. Lunch came before long and luckily the rest of the class seemed content to leave Akemi be.

"Mind if we eat together?"

Well most of them, at least. Akemi looked up to see Midoriya sitting at his desk holding what seemed to be a bento. Akemi had brought her own; a mixture of leftovers from meals her dad had cooked. She shrugged as she pulled out her own lunch. "Sorry, again… about this morning."

"I already said you're fine, Midoriya." Akemi said with a dismissive wave of a hand. Truly, it was fine. Sure, she'd been a little startled but no harm came from it. They quietly ate their food, each trying to think of something- anything- to talk about.

"Would it be okay if I asked you about your Quirk again?" Midoriya finally spoke. Akemi looked around the room, noting its emptiness and how it seemed the boy's stutter disappeared when there were less people to hear him. Akemi shrugged and decided to indulge him. He was polite and it wasn't like there was anyone around.

"It's called Patient Zero." Akemi explained. "I can receive any type of blood and have no blood type. My blood also acts as a true 'universal donor' and we think that extends to healthy nerves and organs I donate and receive, as well."

"Oh, wow!" Midoriya's mouth was practically on the floor. Akemi let out a small giggle and pressed her chopsticks against his chin to close his mouth. His cheeks filled with a soft, pink blush as Akemi went back to eating.

"How about you?" Akemi asked. Midoriya blinked, his blush deepening as he looked down and away. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and mumbled something too low for Akemi's ears to pick up on. "What was that?"

"I'm Quirkless…" Midoriya confessed. His eyes were shut tight, shoulders were bunched up, and he was shaking. Ah, that was right. One of the multitude of questions Akemi had been bombarded with had alluded to that. Still, the boy somewhat reminded her of Melissa. He obviously had a rougher time with being Quirkless than her, however, so Akemi didn't hesitate to reach out and ruffle the boy's green curls in an attempt to calm him. It seemed to work, since Midoriya's shoulders unknit and his shaking calmed a bit as he opened an eye just a sliver. She gave him a warm, comforting smile.

"One of my best friends is Quirkless." Midoriya's eyes widened to the point they could arguably be called dinner plates. Akemi giggled again and brought her hand down, offering the boy a handshake. "You can call me Akemi."

"Th-then call m-me Izuku!" Okay, so the stutter wasn't totally gone but Akemi didn't mind.

"Let's be friends!" Izuku beamed at Akemi's words and hastily took her hand. The two shook on it excitedly and turned back to their food. They spent the rest of lunch engaging in idle chatter.

Akemi found her new school life to be relatively easy. Izuku helped a lot in getting her settled into the routine and was a massive boon when it came to studying. She still didn't need help when it came to sciences and English but he was amazing at math. With his influence, the teens were always a unit or two ahead of the rest of their class. The social aspect of school, however, was a different story. Between her refusal to explain her Quirk and adamance on hanging out with the 'Quirkless Kid', her schoolmates seemed to decide on their own that Akemi was also Quirkless. They were mostly left alone, so she wouldn't let it bother her.

"Ahem!" Izuku cleared his throat, pulling Akemi out of her thoughts. She looked around to see the rest of the class had already emptied out.

"'Sup, Izuku?" Akemi quickly packed her stuff into her bag and joined Izuku as he made his way out of the classroom.

"Finals are next week, y'know." Akemi clicked her teeth in annoyance. Izuku smiled at Akemi nervously, 'Yupp, she'd forgotten.' A bead of sweat dropped down Izuku's face. "Maybe we should get together and study?"

Akemi crossed her arms and rested a hand under chin as she nodded in thought. "That would be smart. How about today and tomorrow? We can take turns hosting."

"H-hosting…?!" Izuku's eyes widened in shock and his cheeks flared crimson. "L-like we g-g-go to each other's h-homes?!"

"Well, duh! Today, we'll head to my place!" Akemi exclaimed. She pointed a finger at the trembling boy that walked alongside her. "These aren't any old pop quizzes or tests! They're our end-of-year exams!"

Izuku sighed in defeat, accepting that it was time for the friends to meet the other's families. Akemi gave the boy a commiserating pat on the back and a reassuring smile. Surely it couldn't be that bad… right? "I'll text mom and let her know where I'll be."

Akemi had never been more wrong in her life.

She and Izuku stood at the front door with her mom standing inside the doorway. She was nearly doubled over as she tried to contain her laughter. Akemi's cheeks were heating as she endured her mom's fit with an annoyed glare. Beside her, Izuku looked so confused that she was afraid steam might stare pouring from his ears.

"Who's the kid?" Nikki asked as she tried gasping for breath. Akemi rolled her eyes, grabbed Izuku by the wrist, and shoved her way past her mom. As they passed, Nikki grabbed Izuku by the shoulder and spun the boy so they could face each other. There wasn't a trace of her earlier mirth remaining. "Don't ignore me, Akemi."

"It's just Izuku, mom. Y'know? The guy I told you I made friends with on the first day?" The stare Akemi shot her mom would've withered anyone else. Of course, Nikki was where Akemi learned that glare but she wasn't near as practiced and intense as her mother could be. Seeing that her mom wasn't cowed, Akemi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms underneath her chest with an annoyed huff. "We're just studying for finals!"

"Don't be like that, Kem." And there was the Good Cop. Akemi rolled her eyes. "Go on, sweetheart, dinner'll be along soon."

Akemi dragged Izuku deeper into the house by his wrist, leading him to her room. She practically threw the poor boy inside before almost slamming the door behind her. Izuku stood silently, his blush having never left his face. He fidgeted with his fingers and stared down at the carpeted floor. Akemi sighed and tossed her bag onto a small table that sat in the middle of the room. She took a seat and began pulling out her textbooks and worksheets.

"Well?" Izuku took a second to work up the courage to move his gaze from the floor to his friend. "You gonna stand there all day or are you gonna sit and study?"

Hours later, Izuku sighed and fell backward as he and Akemi finally finished studying English. It was his worst subject but having a native speaker to help him was a boon almost beyond comprehension. He was beginning to wonder how he'd made it through all those years of English classes without her. Luckily, their studying wouldn't ever be one-sided. Akemi was quite open about her distaste for math and inexperience with Japanese. He was more than happy to oblige.

Giving one last huff of mental exhaustion, Izuku sat back up and began to take in his surroundings for the first time since they'd arrived. Akemi's walls were painted a soft blue with posters and shelves containing various books and merchandise. He was vaguely aware of the SciFi/Fantasy genre but none of her books seemed familiar. In the same vein, he noticed that the posters, action figures, and scattered accessories were all reminiscent of tokusatsu. He, himself, had gone through an Ultraman phase that hadn't lasted all that long. The monster designs were cool but he'd always been drawn back to modern Pro Heroes; especially All Might.

"See something you like?" Izuku started a bit and quickly shifted his attention to Akemi. His friend was sitting across from him with a bemused look on her face that made the already self-conscious Izuku blush. Akemi covered her mouth as she chuckled, pointing a finger at Izuku. "I'm only teasing, Izuku!"

"Haha." The boy mustered up as much snark as he possibly could and crossed his arms in mock annoyance. The effect was somewhat diminished by the tinge of red that still lingered on his cheeks. "I didn't know you were into Pre-Quirk media too."

"Ah, yeah." Akemi said, wistfully following Izuku's gaze around the room. "Dad was a sucker for stuff like that and I happened to find his stash of Power Rangers box sets in the move; old DvD and Blu-Ray discs that were gathering dust. It kinda stuck."

"I can see." Izuku said as he laughed softly. Akemi rolled her eyes. "What are those things on the shelves?"

"I'm going to assume you know what an action figure is." Izuku looked straight at Akemi, deadpan, as she gave him a mischievous smirk.

She got to her feet and moved over to one of the shelves, pulling down a couple of the accessories that had sat on it. The first was wrist-mounted, white, and resembled the head of some sort of pterosaur with gold/black accents and a red eye. The second looked much like an outdated, silver and blue cell phone- one of those that only had a number pad and folded on itself- with the general shape of a wolf's head. Gingerly, Izuku reached out and took the latter as Akemi fastened the former to her wrist.

"These are morphers from the Dino Thunder and Wild Force eras of the Power Rangers franchise." Akemi pressed down on the red button of her own 'morpher'. The thing's eye glowed red and the mouth of the unfamiliar pterosaur flew open as an electronic cry sounded from the device. "This is a replica of the White Dino-Ranger's Dino-Morpher. The one you're holding is the Lunar Wolf Morpher."

"Why's this one a cell phone?"

"My best guess is the invention coincided somewhat with the creation and release of that series of Super Sentai." Izuku blinked at Akemi and tilted his head in confusion. "Super Sentai was Japan's original series while various other nations adapted it into Power Rangers."

"So that's why you have multiple of the same posters in different languages?" Akemi knew the question was more rhetorical than anything but she still nodded her head. Izuku looked around her room once more before landing on another poster. This one was of a person with blue and red armor that reminded Izuku a lot of the other posters but it seemed the show had a different name. "'Kamen Rider'?"

"Ah, yeah." Akemi blushed and scratched at the back of her neck. "Admittedly, I don't know all that much about that franchise. It just looked cool, I guess."

"That's okay!" Izuku said. He waved a hand in front of his face as if to reassure Akemi. "I've got a few posters of Pre-Quirk superheroes that I thought were neat."

"Hey, yeah!" Akemi sat up on her knees excitedly and pointed at Izuku, her hand a mere inch or two from his face. Sweat dropped down Izuku's head as he blinked in surprise, not able to move. "You said 'too' when you brought it up! You like Pre-Quirk stuff?!"

Izuku gulped. Oh well, she was going to find out eventually. He just hoped he could avoid coming off as creepy. "A-actually, not really. M-mostly just Old W-world c-comics. I ran into a c-couple issues of Batman, Iron Man, Green Arrow, and Hawkeye a wh-while back when I was at a store l-looking for new All Might m-merch."

"Do you like All Might?"

"YES!" Izuku practically yelled in excitement as he started nodding his head emphatically. The sudden burst startled his friend and made Akemi stumble back onto her ass. Just as quickly as he started, Izuku stopped and switched to embarrassed flailing and bowing as he tried to help her up and apologize at the same time.

"Never apologize for being passionate about something." Akemi accepted his help and the two stood. She led him over to the shelf where she'd grabbed the morphers and they gently placed them back in their designated spots. Akemi turned back to Izuku with a big smile. "Besides, I bet you're a huge All Might fanboy!"

Izuku blanched. He was about to protest when a knock came from the door to Akemi's room. They walked over and Akemi opened up the door to show her mom was standing just outside. The air was filled with the smells of dinner. Spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread. Izuku blushed as his stomach responded immediately with a loud growl that was reciprocated by Akemi's own stomach. Her mom looked at them with a slight smirk and gestured for them to follow her.

"Izuku, would you stay for dinner?" Akemi's mom asked politely. It took every ounce of self-control Izuku had in his body to not drool as he nodded dumbly and took a seat. Before the food was served, he managed to shake his head free of his stupor and texted his mom. Akemi's mom sat full plates in front of them as she sat across from them with her own. "There you are, kids."

"Thanks, mom!/Thank you, Mrs Valence!" The two exclaimed in tandem as they began to eat. Izuku was immediately wolfing down his food with no regard for temperature while Akemi paused just long enough between bites for them to cool down enough to prevent burns. She'd had her fair share of self-inflicted food burns in the past and, while not altogether cautious, wasn't keen on gaining any more. Burned tongues were annoying and left your sense of taste muted. It took some convincing from Akemi and her mom for Izuku to fill his plate with seconds but he significantly slowed down his eating pace for this plate.

"I-if you don't m-mind me asking", Izuku asked with a sheepish grin as he played with his food, "w-what's your Q-Quirk…?"

Akemi's mom smiled devilishly and pointed her left hand over her shoulder as she summoned a clone of herself. The clone wore the same grin and stood with hands on hips. Akemi rolled her eyes at the theatrics while Izuku's eyes grew larger than saucers. She had to do a double take as she glanced at her friend, seeing a notebook labeled Hero Analysis For The Future Vol. 11. Her head spun to the end of the hallway and back. 'His bag is over there against the wall, so how…?'

"What's it called?!" Izuku gaped. He was furiously writing down every detail as it was told to him. Where'd he gotten the pencil?

"Nine Lives." Akemi's mom answered in a matter-of-fact tone. Her dad lightly kicked his daughter's shin underneath the table to get her attention. She turned to see him point at Izuku's notebook with a bewildered expression. Akemi just returned the look as she shook her head and gave him a shrug. "I can create up to eight clones. After enduring damage up to a broken bone, they dissipate."

"That's so amazing!" Izuku was practically vibrating with excitement. It was honestly kind of cute. "You could be a Pro Hero with a Quirk like that!"

"She is." Akemi stated. Izuku's breath hitched a bit at the revelation, his jaw falling slack in surprise. The Valence women simply chuckled.

"On a technicality, sweetheart." Nikki clarified sternly. "I don't do hero work, I just wanted to freely use my Quirk."

"What's your codename, Mrs Valence?!" Izuku asked.

"Bannai Cat." She answered coolly. The clone behind her disappeared in a puff of white smoke. "I was active in America for around a decade before I relocated to I-Island when Akemi was born."

"Wait… I-Island?!" Akemi sighed and pressed a hand to her temple as Izuku became slack-jawed once more.

"We needed their help researching Akemi's Quirk." Her mpm said.

"Patient Zero, right?" Akemi and her mom nodded in tandem. "Makes sense, it seems like a rather enigmatic Quirk."

"It caused the hospital staff so much trouble." Nikki chuckled as she fondly remembered the day of her daughter's delivery. She sighed contentedly before looking at her daughter.

"They're both still such cool Quirks!" Izuku exclaimed as he threw his arms in the air. Akemi and her mom gaped at his now-empty hands. Neither had seen him put away his notebook.

"What's your Quirk, Midoriya." Akemi's mom asked. Izuku's mood dampened a bit and a light blush colored his cheeks as he wriggled a bit uncomfortably in his seat.

"I-I'm actually Q-Quirkless…" He said, sheepishly scratching his cheek. "Akemi mentioned a friend of hers that was Quirkless?"

"Ah, yes." Akemi's mom said wistfully as she leaned back in her seat. "Melrose is such a sweetheart. It broke her and Akemi's hearts when we had to move."

"That sucks." Izuku frowned, turning to Akemi. She looked down into her lap and wriggled in a manner very similar to what he'd done moments earlier. "What brought you to Japan?"

"UA." Akemi answered. She nearly fell out of her seat as Izuku leaned in close with a loud gasp.

"You wanna go to UA, too!" Akemi nodded in answer. "To be a Pro Hero?!"

Akemi nodded again, slowly regaining her composure. "What about you?"

"Hehe, well I doubt I could be a hero in the same way, seeing as I'm Quirkless." Izuku said, scratching at his cheek gently. He looked down at his plate and took another bite of spaghetti before continuing with a small sigh. "My mom's very supportive of me, though. She convinced me I could be a different kind of hero."

"Oh?" Nikki asked. She had an eyebrow raised in curiosity, looking at Izuku with an expression that invited him to continue.

"Mm-hmm. I want to make Hero Support Gear." Izuku met Arthur's eyes with a gaze full of determination. Then, with a sheepish smile, his nervousness returned. "Though a part of me will always wanna be a Pro."

~ W-o-L ~

School the next day wasn't anything special. Akemi was actually rather pleased with how quick the day seemed to go. She was silently hoping to get the rest of her and Izuku's studying done so she could spend the weekend de-stressing before the exams next week. Rishi Junior High School employed a 3-Semester system and luckily she'd transferred near the end of the 2nd semester.

She had to play catch-up but it didn't bother her much.

Especially now that she and Izuku could study together. In that vein, she was currently walking home with said green-haired boy. Just like the day before, they planned on studying for finals. Except, today would take the duo to the Midoriya household. The walk wasn't terribly long and, before too much time had passed, Akemi found herself walking up to a Japanese-style home with green exterior paint and a small courtyard between the entrance gate and the front door. The roof was a red-painted metal and the door was fairly nondescript oak.

"Woah." Akemi said. She found herself lost for words as Izuku unlocked the door and led her inside.

"Mom, we're here!" Izuku called. As she crossed the threshold, the smell of cinnamon and chicken steamrolled her sense of smell. Izuku's eyes sparkled, running up to embrace his mother as she stepped out of the kitchen to greet the kids. Akemi blinked a couple times in shock at the uncanny resemblance. His mom had given Izuku his kindness and temperament along with her softer face and green hair, but nearly everything else was clearly from his father. His jaw was more sharp and angular than hers and his hair was much more wild and unkempt. She was barely shorter than Izuku. "Katsudon?!"

Izuku's mom giggled at her son's antics and gestured for Akemi to come inside. Akemi obeyed, robotically shutting the door behind her. She gave the kids a warm smile. "And sugar cookies. Now, I need to keep cooking so you two go do your studying. We can do proper introductions then."

"Okay!" Izuku said excitedly. He grabbed Akemi by the wrist and led her to his room, leaving his mom giggling at them as she slipped back into the kitchen. Four doors down from the living room, Izuku finally stopped in front of one that had an All Might themed name plate hanging on it. Izuku blushed and swiftly slid open the door as Akemi gave the boy a shit-eating grin. "Sh-shut up!"

"I knew it!" Akemi exclaimed, pointing at Izuku as they made their way into the room. "All Might fanboy!"

"That's not all there is!" Izuku pouted. He gestured emphatically to bookshelves that held stacks of textbooks and comics and the walls that were almost-evenly split between posters of All Might and various un-powered Pre-Quirk superheroes. Iron Man was the most prominent, with mock schematics for the hero's repulsors among the numerous posters. "See?!"

"Still a bigger nerd than me." Akemi said with a snicker. Izuku groaned in faux annoyance at Akemi's teasing. He pulled out his chair from under his desk and gestured for Akemi to sit as he took a seat on the bed that was placed next to his desk.

"Just for that, you can't see my workshop." Izuku said sourly, crossing his arms and turning away with a pout. Akemi sat in the chair and pulled out her school materials as she raised a quizzical eyebrow at the green head.

"'Workshop'?" Akemi asked. Izuku smirked with pride and held up a V with one hand.

"Of course! I make prototypes all the time!"

The hours flew by as the kids studied. Despite her best efforts, Akemi didn't finish studying like she wanted. Though, what little she had left could be easily done on her own Sunday night. Honestly, a last-minute cram session was her usual plan and she was truly thankful for Izuku's help. It made the idea of their exams much less daunting and she still had all of tomorrow- Saturday- to relax. In another stroke of luck, the Midoriyas seemed to have dinner a little earlier than she and her mom so Akemi was able to change Izuku's mind regarding his 'workshop'. As the kids were finishing up, a knock came from Izuku's bedroom door and his mother poked her head in.

"Dinner time!" She retreated back behind the door, leaving it open for the both of them to follow. Akemi and Izuku quickly finished their packing before almost sprinting out of his room and down the hall. As they stepped into the dining room, Izuku's mother was setting the table while his mom served the food.

"Feel free to get yourself seconds, dear." Izuku's mom said. Akemi nodded as the three of them sat.

"Thank you, Mrs Midoriya." Akemi said politely.

"Please, call me Inko." Inko said with a titter. The small talk was relatively similar to the previous night's. Izuku's mom didn't exactly 'grill' Akemi but she was asked about her Quirk and aspirations; her friend's parent was more than a little excited to hear she was aiming for the same school as her child, albeit her goal was the Hero Course. The last subject of dinner conversation was Inko's Quirk.

"Attraction of Small Objects." Inko explained, drawing a fork to her waving hand. "A weak, telekinetic ability, I'm afraid."

Akemi finished her food and shook her head. "It's still a great Quirk, Inko. Extremely helpful for everyday tasks, like my mom's ability to make clones."

Inko thanked her, waving the kids away with the explanation that she'd handle the cleanup. Izuku gratefully took the opportunity to drag Akemi back down the hall. She grabbed her school bag before he could pull her out the front door and the two jogged across the front lawn to a shed that stood against the fence. Izuku undid the padlock and flung open the doors. Inside was a floodlight that served to brighten the area, various machine parts, schematics, tools, and a couple of finished projects. Izuku walked inside and picked up what looked to be an in-progress grapple gun.

"I only have the firing mechanism left." Izuku explained. "Mom won't buy the parts or let me find them myself until I'm fourteen. If I had my way, I could make this."

Izuku took the gun back and grabbed the blueprints for what looked like a spring-loaded, wrist-mounted hidden blade.

"You're terrifying, Izuku."