Like usual, Sensei doesn't waste time on pleasantries. While Shinsou tells me his class is going to work on team-building exercises and quirk training in the afternoon, Sensei admits our morning will be in the gym. Or rather, everyone else's will be.

I, however, have stupid therapy.

"I'm going to be behind," I growl when he explains this idiocy over breakfast. "That- that's not fair!"

"You're not touching your quirk until she clears you," Sensei says, eyes narrowed. "So you'd be behind regardless."

"You- Seriously?"

"Seriously," he huffs, arms crossed from his place across the table. "Any more complaints?"

"A billion," I sneer. Sensei glowers back, unamused. "Why the hell did you wait until-"

"Watch your mouth."

"-six in the fucking morning to tell me?"

The dark-haired man looms forward, lips thinning with fingers tapping against his arms.

"One more curse and you're grounded."

"Like I'm not already?" I snap, smoke already rising from my skin. "All you do is fucking ground me! I need to train! I need to train and I can't and you don't care-"

"Will you stop?" Sensei interrupts, voice taking on an edge that should probably be a warning. I don't care though, feeling like a train barreling full speed ahead. I glare instead, jaw clenched, and hands curled into fists.

"What's even the point of being in the program? Was this your plan all along? If I can't train-"

"If you would let me-"

"Why-"

"Therapy is more important than today's lesson," he snaps suddenly, voice growling as he purses his lips. When I open my mouth to argue his eyes flash red and I shut my teeth moodily with a clack, crossing my arms to glare. "They will be working on their ultimate attack. You already have ultimate attacks. You have multiple. You've had them for a while. Your shadow snakes turned the tide of the battle against the League of Villains. You manifested a 30-foot-tall monster this summer and decimated multiple acres of land. Being destructive isn't something you need to work on and dragging out your fears in front of your classmates didn't work well the first time. Unless you want to attempt that fiasco again?"

I scowl at his logic and sink in my seat, understanding and hating it all the same.

"Why can't I go in the afternoon? Or this weekend?" Or not at all. The last thing I really want is another person digging around in my mind.

Sensei leans back, dragging a hand down his face. After a deep breath, he tries again.

"You have the wrong mindset about this."

I snort, expression skeptical.

"You also promised the principal," he says with a sigh. "Eat your breakfast."

I do, grudgingly, shoulders bent forward and eyes downcast.

"I'm going to get behind."

"Then I will help you catch up," Sensei says simply as if it were the most logical thing in the world. I glance towards his face, and he offers a tired sigh, lifting his glass and draining his water. He sets it down with a heavy thump. "Rin, I'm not going to stand in your way, even if I wasn't your guardian, as a teacher it's my job to push you to be your best. So stop fighting me and trust me to help you."

I watch as he rises, rinsing his plate in the sink and drying his hands. He returns a moment later, his hand settling on my head as he passes.

I sink under the weight, feeling my shoulders loosen.

"Get ready and Hizashi will meet you at the school."

"Yes, sir."

.

.

.

Present Mic does meet me at school, at the front of the building to be precise, with arms wide open and expression silly. I smile when he catches me in midair, spinning me around with a laugh.

"Sensei!"

"Rin!"

He stops and drags me close, squishing us together so our faces press close enough I wheeze.

"S-Stop it!"

"Aww! Fine, fine! You ready for your appointment kiddo?"

I untangle from his arms and wrinkle my nose.

"Now, don't be like that. I think you'll like this lady!"

I doubt it, but I hold my tongue, allowing Sensei to sling an arm across my back and lead me forward. He draws me up two floors and past a set of classrooms I've never seen. I'm not really sure why we're going to see a lady, wasn't Hound Dog the counselor anyways?

"I'd rather be training," I grumble sourly.

"This is a type of training," he says, shooting a finger gun with a wide, open smile. "Kid, in our line of work, having the mental strength to keep going is half the battle. Try it. If you hate her, we'll find someone else."

I frown.

"I… really?"

"Oh yeah. Won't do yah any good if you can't trust her, but I really think you'll like her. So give her a chance, okay?"

I huff as he stops in front of a simple door, the placard above blank like they hadn't even had the time to chisel a name. Sensei knocks and I wait beside him, stomach twisting before a warm, accented voice calls to open.

The room inside is nothing like I expect.

It's nearly the size of my bedroom, though a little bigger, with airy white walls, a sheer dark blue curtains on the two main windows, and a simple, gray couch pressed to one wall. Across from the couch are two modern-looking blue chairs, a lattice gray rug between them, and a light brown wood below. A bookshelf separates the seating and a desk pushed in the corner, a small table a few meters away, and perhaps the most exotic woman I've ever seen.

She's tall, taller than any woman I've ever met, with dark mahogany skin and even darker eyes. A dark blue and white polka-dotted fabric wraps around her head, matching her ankle-length blue pants and white sleeveless shirt. And when she grins, the white of her eyes and teeth seem to gleam.

"Ah, you must be Hoki, Rin," the stranger laughs, her heavy accent extenuated by her husky tone. "Come in and take a seat. Yamada-san, you will be back in an hour?"

Sensei laughs, his voice clear and cutting, and I snap from my stupor.

"Of course-"

"Y-You're not staying?"

He smiles and the woman stranger crosses the space to join us. She's as tall as Yamada-sensei's hair. Massive really, and I barely make it to her chest.

"Do you wish him to stay?" she asks.

"I…" Yes. I stare at her in wide-eyed.

"Come, sit with me first," she offers, holding out her hand. "I wish to tell you first of my quirk, and speak of my laws. When we finish, then decide, yes?"

I nod, hesitantly taking the hand offered.

It's smooth and warm and so unlike my classmate or guardian.

"A-Are you a hero?" I ask, unable to help myself.

"Oh no," she says, pulling me to the gray seat and taking a space at the other end. I glance past her, checking, and relax a little to find Yamada-sensei still lingering in the doorway, arms crossed and back pressed against the wall. "I have no desire to hunt men nor will I ever. I am a healer, not a fighter, my work is here in this room. Now, child, do you wish to be Rin or Hoki or something different altogether?"

"Rin," I answer quietly, sinking into the couch and pulling back my hands. It's a nice couch, though not as nice as Yamada-sensei's. I'm not sure anybody's is.

"Rin-chan, you may call me Tulutho. My quirk is honesty, I can tell no lie. So if I do not answer your question, it is because I am not ready to share with you my truth."

I blink.

Honesty?

"I… So, you're always honest?"

"Always," she says with a smile, her grin stretching even as she leans backward towards a small coffee table I hadn't noticed. She picks up a yellow pad and pen, pulling it into her lap and crossing her legs. "Now, my laws. Rules. Commandments. I shall protect your words and thoughts here, so long as they cause no harm. However, should I think you or anyone else in danger, only then will I reveal the things we speak of. And then, it will be only what is necessary to get you help. Do you understand that?"

I nod, eyes widening as the woman pauses to let the words sink in.

"This means, you are safe here. I will listen and guide you. Now, shall we begin? Tell me why you are here."

I…

I blink.

"I… I have to be?" I offer, looking at her oddly.

"Do you?" the woman asks, eyebrows furrowing. "Forced therapy will do no good. You must be willing to work. If that is all, you may leave."

I blink again.

"I… what?"

"You may go. I do not waste my time on the unwilling. If you wish to change stay, by all means, but otherwise this is pointless."

I don't move, and when the woman raises her eyebrow, I steadily keep my seat.

"Hmm, answer again then. What do you want from this? From me?"

I frown.

"I… I don't know."

"Very well," the tall woman says, nodding. "We will start there. Close your eyes, imagine for yourself you as an adult, grown and fully trained. A hero. Tell me, who you are? Tell me what are you doing?"

This is the strangest conversation I think I've ever had.

I close my eyes anyway, not willing to give up, and trying to push aside the strange itch that settles beneath my skin and inside my chest.

What I'd look like as an adult?

I don't know.

I've never thought…

Well, think about it now.

I swallow.

"You are thinking, but your face gives doubts not successes. Focus, Rin, tell me what you look like as an adult."

"My mom," I say randomly, pulling the first thing that comes to mind. My eyes flash open as soon as I say them, regret instantly coating my tongue.

"Your mother? Hmm, how so?"

"I… we have dark hair?"

"Indeed?" Tulutho asks, smiling. She stands then, crossing the room to her desk and grabbing a blank paper and a bag full of colored pencils, markers, and crayons. She brings them over, clips it to a clipboard, and passes them with her constant smile. I relax a little at the honesty in it, unable to really understand why. "Draw it then, your shining future. When you cannot speak the words you mean, drawing them is sometimes enough! Now you work while I speak to Yamada-san."

I watch as the tall, giantess of a woman move to Sensei's side, and when both of them looking knowingly at me, I duck my head and start to work.

But it's hard.

I have no idea what I'd look like as an adult.

I start simply, long legs and little eyes. I don't know what I'd wear, so I work on the hair. A braid. But that seems… wrong. Mama never wore a braid. In fact, none of the women I know did. Theirs was always free, open, and…

I draw the hair free as well, stopping at my back and then a nose and mouth.

The outfit, I guess should be my hero outfit.

But this is supposed to be what I want, not what I am.

And I don't want to be the girl that made it. I don't want to cry or be weak or-

I erase it all, eyes narrowing as I focus back on the picture. I change it all, erasing the eyes to glare, the lips to smirk, and the hair… I draw the hair flaring around my head, remembering the way my shadows would move it to stick up.

The rest comes easier after.

My costume changes too. What's your best asset? Baggy pants covered in pockets, a simple tank top to expose my wings and flames, and-

Scars.

I draw them on to, the sharp lines that cut my forearms and dot my chest and neck.

I hate them.

I shade them in immediately, drawing my best rendition of combat boots and-

"Ah, Rin, I'm afraid we're going to have to finish up soon, your hour is nearly up," interrupts Tulutho as the tall, Amazonian woman comes to sit beside me. "What have you made?"

I show her reluctantly and she nods, eyes sweeping across the page.

"You covered the scars?"

I twitch, looking at her oddly, and she smiles, that patient grin she's worn most of the session back on her face.

"Y-Yes."

"Noteworthy. It's quite different from your old costume. Why do you think that is?"

I frown down at the paper, taking in the disproportion drawing and the various different pieces.

"I… I don't want to be her anymore."

"Then you have homework," Tulutho says in her steady accent, snapping her fingers with one hand even as the other grasps her knee. "To grow, you must have goals. Each day, I would like you to dream of things, no matter how outlandish, and record them each night. Do you wish to fly? Write it down. Do you wish to go bowling? Create your list. Try a new recipe, learn a new move, develop a new skill. There is no limit, it is not the quantity that matters, but the quality of these dreams, find things important to you—that is what matters."

I blink.

"I… Okay?"

"Good. We will meet again Monday. You did well today, Rin-chan."

I still, recognizing the dismissal but ignoring it.

You're not touching your quirk until she clears you.

"Ma'am… Sensei… My Sensei won't let me use my shadows without your permission."

"I am aware. We can speak on it on Monday," the woman says, nodding.

I frown.

"But- But I can't train without it," I continue, still not standing.

She frowns then too, leaning back a little and rubbing at her chin.

"You have three parts to your quirk, yes? Fear, anger, and joy?"

I nod, and she flips over her sheet, humming.

"I will approve training in joy today. We may speak Monday on including another, but that is all I will approve for now."

It's not what I want to hear, and she seems to know it. She stands then, gathering her things and returning them to her desk. I stand as well, my drawing in hand and lips thin as I meet Sensei by the door. Has he been there this entire time?

He clasps my shoulder and walks me back.

.

.

.

My class is still training by the time I return. Dirty, sweaty, and already tired, I can tell immediately they've been productive just from the size of Mina's spray, the variety of attacks Bakugou manages to get off, and Toru's sparkle. I glower at Sensei, something dark growing in my chest, as he gestures me over.

"That was a waste of time," I tell him immediately, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my vest, fully dressed in my hero uniform.

"Later," he says shortly, his arms crossing more than likely at my bad attitude. "You were given permission to train with your glow. Go work with Midnight."

I sigh and shake the drawing in his direction, unsurprised when he half-heartedly grabs it and places it in his stack.

"What is this?" he asks, raising an eyebrow even as his eyes scan the page.

I roll my eyes.

"Later Sensei," I repeat, stripping off my vest. "Can you cut my back?"

"Excuse me?"

I snort at his scandalized look and turn, presenting him the solid fabric of my spine.

"Sensei, for my wings. You know, since I can't train anything else."

He groans, bends down, and drops his clipboard to the ground with a clatter. A moment later he rises and sticks two fingers in the back of my collar. It pulls taut at my throat, the roughness of his callouses strange on the soft skin.

"Don't move. After practice, you need to see Power Loader. You need a costume redesign."

No shit.

I open my mouth to say something, but a cold tip slips against my back followed by a sudden chill. The distinct sound of ripping fills the air. I nearly squeak when a moment later his fingers move, and I hear several clicks followed by sudden heat.

"Sen-"

"Don't move," he repeats, sharper this time as the same feeling is repeated again. "I'm sealing the seams, so your uniform doesn't unravel from the tear. I'm nearly done. There."

I twist immediately, blinking at the lighter in hand and watching him shove it back into a pocket. He stares down with half bored eyes.

"Midnight, now."

I smile, unable to help myself despite my annoyance at his restrictions.

"Fine. Thanks, Sensei."

He snorts and I climb some weird piles of rubble and a ramp of cement to join my aunt.

"Oh, baby girl, decided to join us now, have you?"

I give her a flat stare that only makes her smile grow. She throws her hair behind her shoulder with a laugh.

"Well, what have we got to work with today? I saw that guardian of yours cutting up your uniform. Do I want to know how you convinced him of that? Especially when we got those damn taco cats last time over a little skin."

I shrug and drop my vest on the ground.

"My wings would have choked me otherwise. He wasn't happy last time when I took off my shirt."

Aunt Nemuri blinks, shocked for a moment, before breaking out in loud guffaws.

I sigh, annoyed, and glance in Sensei's direction, wondering why he stuck me with her of all people. He stares back, eye twitching.

"You- You-"

"Auntie, can we get started?"

She snickers one last time and grins.

"Sure, kid. So you got permission to use the happy powers I'm assuming?" When I nod, she considers me for a moment, the laughter on her face fading as she takes on a more thoughtful expression. "Hm, well I suppose your wings are probably your strongest asset with that form. Can you fly with them?"

"No."

"Well, let's see if you can't at least glide or get a little lift. Try for the bird wings, dear. I think those are going to be our best bet today."

I nod and concentrate, pulling up the memories that power them.

Will you say it again?

I care?

No. Love.

I love you.

The warmth heats my skin, radiating from my chest out in a brightness that I can't stop. I remember Shinsou, his expression of shock and amazement as Sensei claps his shoulder.

"Rin's analysis is not wrong," Sensei intercedes, leaning forward against his fist. "You have improved. Which is why you'll be joining Vlad's class tomorrow in 1B. Welcome to the hero program."

The dazed look is back, and it's probably a good thing we're sitting.

"I… I did it?"

"Yeah," Sensei says, that little smile he never shows in class peeking through. "You did it, kid. Good job."

The wings that unfurl are larger than normal, the same length as each arm and fuller than ever before. Aunt Nemuri smiles at them, not with her typical silliness, but something softer and more real. It reminds me of the beach. In the light of my glow, it casts an almost ethereal look on her face.

"Wow," she says, even as I flap them experimentally behind me.

I blush, embarrassed as a pink hue colors everything.

"Aunt Nemuri," I whine.

"Sorry, sorry! Alright, so let's work on these. Why don't we see how strong they are? See if you can pump them enough to get up off the ground."

I do, attention split as I try to keep their shape as wings and not think about kisses against my head or fingers in my hair or hugs and soft whispered words. The wings flap all out of rhythm, each at different times, or all together in strange tempos.

Midnight finds it all hilarious.

"Stop laughing," I huff when the wings lift me a few centimeters only to forget to keep flapping and stumble back.

It doesn't help that I have to focus on happy thoughts instead of frustrated ones or they disappear.

They'd already shrunk to my forearms.

"Alright, let's pause that idea then. Can you make them larger again?"

I sigh and concentrate, searching for more memories to build them up.

Sensei braiding my hair. Midnight's hug at the beach. Lying in Shinsou's dorm bed, content and free. Yamada-sensei's expression in the bed as I stutter through my question.

"Do… Aizawa-sensei says we're—that we're a family. Are… You're family too though. Right?"

"Yes, Rin-chan. We're family too."

"Rin, you are my daughter. I'm not interested in replacing your parents or taking up some arbitrary title, but when I agreed to become your guardian, I agreed to raise you. So yes, I love you."

They grow again, expanding further and adding more weight. I blink in surprise at the sheer size of them, a good hand past my fingertips, and almost brighter than before.

"Alright dear, go ahead and spread 'em out? Let's see how well you glide!"

I blink, spreading my wings automatically.

"Gli-"

I cut off with a scream as she pushes me off the edge.

I shriek loudly, wings flapping uselessly at my back as the world spins around me. I most definitely DO NOT glide. Instead, I plummet in a flurry of quickly disappearing wings nearly twenty feet into the pavement. I brace myself for impact, my hands coming to my face, only for a pair of arms to catch me instead. I slam into a chest, green filling my vision, and my stomach rolls to my throat.

"Hoki-chan! Are you okay?"

I nearly vomit.

I try to ignore Midoriya's freckled face angled down, the way his eyes fill with concern. I groan instead. I clutch at his shirt to catch my breath, waiting for the world to right itself.

"Hoki-chan?"

"Sorry love, guess that's a negative on the gliding."

"Midnight."

I smile queasily when Sensei's voice cracks across the room. Midoriya, still holding me, jumps wide-eyed, his rather scarred hands still locked on my shoulder and knees.

That's a lot of scars.

Has he always had them?

"Midoriya," Sensei says, taking charge immediately. "Good catch. Now put her down and return to your training. Midnight, do not push students off ledges. Recovery girl isn't here to mend broken necks."

I frown as Midoriya sets me gently on my feet, his hand lingering on my shoulder as worried green eyes stare. Aunt Nemuri, still on the platform, snorts and jumps down.

I have no idea how her knees don't rattle from the impact.

"Eraser, Ectoplasm had a clone right under us. He would have caught her just fine and you know it. Stop being so protective and let me train her like we discussed. She learned two valuable lessons, she can't glide, but also that she doesn't react as quickly when in glow-mode to danger. There's a delay as you switch from positive to negative emotions where the shadows don't automatically come. Rin, are you hurt?"

"N-No."

"Don't do it again."

"I don't need to," Aunt Nemuri scoffs, giving him a sour look. "I just told you we figured it out. Rin, you and I will need to work on preventing your powers from shrinking as you get frustrated. Let's head back up and we can work on finding a tempo with your wings for lift. Ready?"

I'm not.

She just pushed me off a cliff.

But the idea of not going back and training sounds even worse. So I follow my weird aunt back up the side making a face as we go and trying to ignore the black emotions swirling in my gut as everyone around me progresses.

.

.

.

Training with Aunt Nemuri is unique.

It's similar to training with Aizawa-sensei but different, more relaxed and spontaneous and dangerous. She offers continuous praise for nearly everything, cracks little jokes at every turn, and she works at a breakneck pace where I have no choice but to hold nothing back or falter.

By the end of the first hour, I can flap both of my wings to three different tempos—though I still get barely any lift. By the time Vlad's class shows up, we've sparred several rounds and I'd learned not only that sparring with wings is three times as hard as normal, but they're also terribly annoying to roll with.

The only thing more annoying is All Might.

I glower and grab my things, caught strangely between happiness to see Shinsou and annoyance that the liar is wandering around in the same building, giving out tips and smiling at others like he didn't just spend the last few months lying to all their faces.

He glances my way and thankfully does not come over.

What would I even say?

Shinsou gives me a knowing smirk when he catches my eye, and I know he knows it too.

I can't help but scowl, climbing down to meet him.

"Hey."

"Yo," he says grinning, and I wrinkle my nose at his too amused expression. "How's training?"

"Illuminating," I grumble, checking behind me to make sure Midnight won't overhear. She'd probably come make a scene if she did. Shinsou actually laughs at that, the sound short and rough. "How was your bonding?"

"Ehhhh…"

My mood sours further as I notice the rather large space between him and his classmates as well as the blonde dressed as a magician's particularly dirty looks.

The one that couldn't read directions.

I shoot him a nasty one in return, wishing I could summon my shadows to make my hair dance like Sensei's.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just another obstacle to work through. It's fine, stop glaring. What are you doing now?"

"Going to see Power Loader, I need to redesign my costume. Do… Do you want me to pick you up a paper too? Have you made your design choices yet?"

He grins down at me and I flush, crossing my arms.

"You already have one don't you?"

"Vlad-sensei gave me a stack this morning. It's sweet you think I need help though."

I scowl and roll my eyes.

"You're so lucky we're not in the clearing."

"Why, you in the mood to eat dirt?"

"Ugh!" I whine, unable to stop my smile. I lean forward, ignoring the others around us, and steal a hug. He sighs dramatically but doesn't pull away, and through the PE uniform, I can feel him relax slightly. I squeeze a little tighter. "Text me when you finish?"

He pats my head and sighs.

"Sure Rin. Oi, now how about a little personal space?"

I let go with a little giggle and step back.

"Alright, alright! Bye, Shinsou!"

"Hitoshi," he corrects, and I can't help the residual light dusting my skin that brightens again.

"Bye Hitoshi-kun," I offer.

He groans, ears turning pink, and walks off.

I giggle and leave too, heading towards the school as most of the others make their way towards the dorms. I'm thankful we're going in separate directions considering their loud chatter and excited screeching. They're so noisy.

Why are they always so loud?

Mina, exuberant despite the long hours of training, is for some reason on Kirishima's shoulders. Her voice echoing as the red head turns in circles. Kaminari and Sero's loud guffaws obnoxious. Even Bakugou seems in rare form, visibly red as he shouts and a pair of gloves pump the air not far behind him.

Gloves...

Is she naked? I wonder suddenly, making a face. How is that okay but I can't show my bra?

I wave back as a few call my name and shake my head at their theatrics.

Weirdos...

Instead, I turn resolutely ahead and catch sight of the green-haired boy from earlier.

Midoriya.

Even from a distance, I can see he's deep in thought. Curly head bent forward and the sound of quiet mumbles carrying back with the breeze.

I try to ignore Midoriya's freckled face angled down, the way his eyes fill with concern. I groan instead, clutching at his shirt to catch my breath, waiting for the world to right itself.

"Midoriya-kun?" I call. He looks up, head snapping, and I frown at the rather serious expression on his face. Is something wrong? I jog forward, slowing at his side. "Hey! Hey… um… Are- Are you okay?"

"Huh?" he asks, eyes going wide, and I can't help but snort at his eloquence.

He flushes and I shove my hands nervously back in my jacket.

"You look thoughtful," I try again, not glancing his way but noticing the pink of his face out of the corner of my eye. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I… uh… that…"

It's nice, for once, not to be the one struggling with words.

I pat his arm and offer what I hope is a kind smile.

If it were Shinsou I'd just lick him.

If Sensei found out about that, he'd have me writing essays for months.

Midoriya might also actually combust.

I almost want to do it, just to see.

"It's okay, you don't have to say," I shrug, stealing my hand back when he turns even pinker, unable to stop my grin. I could get used to this. "Are you going to get a costume change?"

"I… well, sort of," he mumbles, smiling as he rubs his head. "I… It's…"

"It's okay," I repeat, noticing at once his hesitation. "You really don't have to say. I don't always like to talk about things either. I really just wanted to say thank you, for earlier."

He blinks and I wonder for a moment if he forgot.

"When you caught me…" I remind him, giving him a funny look.

He pinks again and I can't help the glow that flutters across my skin.

Why is this so fun?

He squeaks at the sudden light on my skin and I roll my eyes. It's not like he's never seen it before anyways.

"Y-You're welcome. I… I mean, you're always helping me. I- I just saw you falling and reacted. Did… Did Midnight-sensei really push you off?"

I scoff, and he blinks.

"Yes," I tell him sourly, remembering her rather gleeful expression when we returned. "Aunt Nemuri does whatever she wants. I think she wanted to annoy Aizawa-sensei. She likes to bother him and Yamada-sensei a lot. She told me once they were like brothers and she does it all the time she comes over. Ugh."

Midoriya's nervousness finally seems to melt away, leaving him looking equal parts embarrassed and amused. Less mumble-y too as we enter the school.

"That sounds awkward," the green-haired boy admits, rubbing his neck as his shoulders visibly loosening. "Kaa-chan's mom can be like that. Her and my mom are friends and she was always saying embarrassing stuff."

I give him an odd look.

Kaa-chan?

"Who?"

He grins, making him look younger and more carefree.

I... kinda like it.

"Katsuki-kun."

I still have no idea.

"Bakugou?" he tries again, and I blink at him in surprise.

"Oh," I scratch my chin and try to imagine growing up with the rather explosive boy. He seems so much worse than Niko. I glance at the other boy oddly. Was he like that as a kid too? Or was Bakugou nicer back then?

I shrug.

It's not like it really matters.

You're not the same anymore either.

.

.

.

The support room is chaos. Some girl with pink dreads feels all over Midoriya, who blubbers and squeaks, but doesn't push her away. Iida and Ochako appear, apparently wanting upgrades also, and get roped into testing out new equipment. And for some reason Power Loader, the head of this department, doesn't feel the need to wear a shirt.

How is that okay for everyone but me?

I take the new costume forms and beat a hasty retreat, not liking the way the constant explosions put my teeth on edge.

Instead, I head back home almost immediately, my mind swirling on the homework I have to accomplish.

And my brother.

You couldn't have mentioned he was fucking quirkless?

I believe he may not be as attached to the league of villains as we first thought.

Then why? Why was he at the USJ at all? Why hunt for me? He'd known where I lived all along, why hadn't he just gone straight there?

I enter the dorm and pass the boisterous students on my way to Sensei's apartment, eyes downcast as I stare at the blank costume paper.

So many whys…

"Rin?"

I look up as I enter and frown at Sensei's surprised face the table covered in his paperwork. I blink.

"Sir?"

"That took less time than I expected."

"I only needed a paper," I remind him flatly, closing the door behind me. I click the lock closed and head towards my room, already shrugging off my PE shirt. It's disgusting, covered in thick layers of dust and sweat. I toss it on my bedroom floor before returning and leaning against my chair. Wearing a simple tank top, I glance down and frown. "Sensei, how come everybody else gets to be shirtless except me?"

Sensei coughs and I raise my eyebrow at his immediate scowl.

"Excuse me?"

"You let Toru walk around in shoes and gloves," I state blandly. Because really, how was that even fair? "She's naked."

"She's invisible."

"And Power Loader?" I ask grouchily. "He's shirtless and nobody has anything to say about that?"

"Rin," Sensei huffs, eye twitching and clearly done with this topic. "You're not going topless. There are restrictions on how much skin a female can show, and that's illegal. If you have a problem with it, take it up with Nemuri, it's probably her fault anyway. Now, why are you so grumpy?"

I sigh and set down the paper, dropping it in his chaos of paperwork, and stepping away. Leaning backward over the couch, I topple over, feet bent across the arm. Sensei makes a noise, grumbling as he removes the paper from his piles before standing. He heads towards the kitchen; I can only assume to start lunch.

"I can't use my quirk until Monday."

"And? You haven't used it in weeks."

"Midnight pushed me off a cliff."

"You were fine when you left, what is this actually about?"

I groan and stretch and sigh. Miska, curled in the cat tower, yawns back.

I make a face.

"I can't stop thinking about Kaito. I have all these thoughts and- and I have all these questions! How are you supposed to get answers from a- a villain that keeps trying to cut off my head? What do I do, mail him a letter? Hey Kaito, I know you've gone crazy, but could you, I don't know, explain why?"

It sounds even more ridiculous saying it out loud.

Sensei snorts pulling out the rice cooker and a skillet.

"You could try addressing it to the League of Villains."

I glare in his direction.

"You're not funny."

He cracks a smile, already pulling out the rice and frozen packet of veggies.

"Were you being serious? If the police were only able to solve crimes with direct statements from the perpetrators, the judicial system would be a nonfunctioning mess. Moreso then usual. That's why they have files Rin. The police and heroes work together in teams to compile a list of relevant material, working together to use logic and rationality to solve it."

I…

I don't know what I was expecting.

It certainly wasn't that.

"A… file?"

Sensei's eye twitches, and he levels me with a look that is entirely unamused.

"Yes, Rin, a file. We went over this the first week of school. I know I went over it then."

He narrows his eyes in a sharp stare.

I blush.

"Ah… I, yeah?" I whine, sitting up quickly. "And uh… everyone has one?"

He sighs, head falling forward as he massages the bridge of his nose.

Rude.

"Yes. Everyone has a file. All of them are classified and can only be accessed by individuals with the correct clerance."

I...

I sit up fully on the couch, heart suddenly hammering in my chest.

Did that mean...

Could I… Could the answers…

It couldn't be that simple, could it?

"Oh…" I manage, mouth suddenly dry. "And… And who has clearance?"

Sensei pauses, before setting down the freshly opened bag of veggies and stepping away. In several, quiet steps in front of the couch, expression carefully bored.

"Rin," he says, pausing to squat in front of me. "Your brother is an active serial killer. I know you have questions, I know you want to understand why, and I understand your need for closure, but this obsession with him is not the answer. The police have already assembled a team of heroes working even as we speak to bring your brother to justice. He's not your responsibility. Focus on your own problems."

I open my mouth, fully prepared to argue that he's my brother.

That absolutely makes him my problem.

But something stops me. Maybe it's the look in his eye. Maybe it's that hidden folder, stuffed away in his closet.

Pronounced dead February 23.

Probable cause: heart attack

I don't.

"Like the Licensing exam?" I ask instead, shoulders sagging as I slowly meeting his eye.

He tilts his head slightly before nodding.

"Yes," he says, and reaching out, taps his fingers across my knee. "If you're truly serious about being a hero, you need to focus on studying and preparing. The Provisional Licensing exam is a major obstacle towards being able to do actual, legal hero work. You'll be competing against every hero school across the country."

"Yes, sir."

Sensei sighs heavily.

"C'mon, you can help me season the food and then go spend some time with your peers."