Katsuki grumbled to himself, not for the first time.

The supplementary course for his license was not pulling any punches. Not that he'd want it to, but dealing with bruised and burnt palms while doing homework was definitely starting to irritate him.

Both his hands were wrapped in bandages, from his wrists to his first knuckles. Despite not being able to see them, due to the wrappings, he absently traced his right thumb over his left palm; up and down over the four thin scars.

The towering classroom door bursted open. Saito panted, running in before catching sight of him, stopping in her tracks and gasping at his state.

"Oh my gosh— Katsuki, what happened?" She rushed over to his desk, ears flattening as she looked him over fretfully.

"Tch, stop fussing, damnit!" He barked, and masked a wince when it strained the bruises on his face.

Saito frowned, lip jutting out in a slight pout.

Katsuki twitched, glaring to the side. "I'm fine. It's just those damn classes."

Saito perked up, sitting down facing the back of her chair, leaning in eagerly. "Oh, how're they going?"

Instinctively, he glared, sure there was a hidden taunt in her question, or condescension. But her bright smiled reminded him of who he was dealing with, and his glare faded

Before he could answer her, Raccoon Eyes arrived and blinked at him.

"So, like, what happened to Bakugou?" She asked the room at large. "Was he fighting again?"

His hands itched to spark. He fucking hated it when she did that— spoke about him as if he wasn't present.

"He's not the only one busted up. Look at the back of the room." Kaminari nodded over at Icy-Hot with a grin.

The bi-colored boy sat quietly, covered in as many cuts and bandages as Katsuki.

"His beautiful face! Who would do such a thing?" Raccoon Eyes lamented dramatically.

"The provisional license classes sure sound tough." Kaminari shook his head.

"Must be great workouts, though!" Raccoon Eyes pumped her fists.

That's it—

A vein popped from Katsuki's forehead. "Stop talking like I'm not here!"

His outburst— for some unknown reason —caused Saito to laugh. She ducked her head, eyes scrunching as a fit of giggles shook her.

Katsuki's rage faltered, his scowl slowly dissolving as he turned his head back to face her.

(She hadn't laughed like that since before Kamino…)

He blinked once, and clicked his tongue weakly, looking away from her again. His palms threatened to go off for a different reason.

"Class is starting now!" Four Eyes raised a stiff arm. "Sit correctly in your seats! Sadly I must mark Tsu and Uraraka tardy!"

"Their absences are excused." Ponytail calmly chimed in.

"Kirishima's not here either." Ears pointed out.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at Saito. "Aren't you sharing a work study with him?"

Saito blinked, then shot out of her seat. "Oh yeah! I just came in here to give Mr. Aizawa these." She rummaged around in her bag, and pulled out two forms she and Kirishima must have filled out. "I have to hand these off before we go. It's just some paperwork giving us permission to stay overnight in Esuha."

"Overnight?" Katsuki blurted out, immediately scowling to himself.

"Mm!"

"Did you seriously forget that's why you came to class?" Tape deadpanned.

Saito smiled sheepishly.

That idiot.

Ponytail sighed, standing and taking the papers from her. "I'll give these to him, now go hurry up and get to—"

"Thanks Mo!" Saito was darting out the door before she could finish, gone in a blur of pink.

Raccoon Eyes stood suddenly, slamming her hands on her desk. "Oh my god, I just thought of something!"

"That's a first." Tape jeered, earning a high-five from Kaminari.

But she didn't pay either of them any attention, instead looking to Ponytail and Ears.

"Hitomi and Kirishima are two balls of sunshine, and now they're going to be spending the night together in a far-off city, alone."

Katsuki tensed.

Ears arched a brow. "Okay? What's your point?"

Kaminari shook his head. "Wait, you're not implying what I think you are, are you?"

Raccoon Eyes pumped a fist. "I am! This work study is probably gonna take up most of their free time, that means they'll only have each other to hang out with. Imagine the raw wholesomeness we would see if they started dating! They'd be so cute together!" She cupped her flushed cheeks and swayed dreamily.

Katsuki snarled, whirling around in his seat, rearing to snap at her to shut up, and that no one wanted to hear her romantic bullshit.

But she was already looking back at him, her mouth pursed in a sly smirk, with an intrigued gleam in her dark eyes.

Katsuki growled, slumping back down and training his gaze on the blank blackboard.

He did not glance down at the empty desk in front of him. He didn't.

"But wait, doesn't Hitomi have a thing for that Togata guy?"

His palms itched, the bandages growing damp. He traced the scars harder.

(And an emotion he refused to identify sat sour in his stomach.)

…

"I dropped off the forms!"

Eijirou pumped a fist upward, beaming at her from his place standing at the gate of UA. "Awesome! Let's go!"

Hitomi sprinted over, and the two took off toward the nearest train station. The Fat Gum agency was located all the way over in Kansai, in Esuha City, so their commute would likely take a full three hours on the bullet train. The forms she handed in were so she and Eijirou had permission to stay the night in Esuha, that way they could take the train back early in the morning and make it in time for class, while still having a full night's sleep.

"Still can't believe Amajiki recommended us." Eijirou shook his head, before backtracking hastily. "I mean— not that it's surprising he picked you! You're awesome! It's just—"

"You're awesome too, Eijirou." Hitomi cut him off before he could put himself down. "You're super strong, and you've got a heart of gold. Momo told me about your call to action when me and Katsuki were with the League, you were brave enough to go on the mission alone if you had to. You're admirable."

The redhead flushed under the praise, scratching the back of his head. "Heh, thanks. It was Midoriya's quick thinking that saved you guys, though."

"But you were the one that reached out to us." Hitomi looked down, smiling ruefully and gripping the straps of her backpack tighter. "You did more to help than I did."

Eijirou frowned empathetically. "Hey, you fought hard too, while your leg was broken. It's impressive that you were still even conscious when we showed up."

Hitomi opened her mouth, but said nothing, her mind going back to the talk she had with Mr. Aizawa the night Katsuki and Izuku got into their fight.

"All that matters is that you're alive. Use this to motivate you. Don't think of your scars as a brand, think of it as a badge. One you earned by still standing. Still being here. By being stronger than them."

"Mm…" She hummed, mouth quirking in a faint smile. There was no point in stubbornly putting herself down about it, as it would only reinforce her own insecurities, instead of the message her teacher tried talking into her.

The two fell silent after that, walking quietly all the way to the station, sitting side-by-side wordlessly once boarded. It felt strangely… awkward.

Eijirou must have felt it too, huffing a short laugh.

"I just realized, we've never really hung out much, just the two of us."

Hitomi blinked, brows raising as she wracked her brain and confirmed what he said. "You're right. There's always Katsuki, Denki, Hanta, or Mina there with us,

"Exactly." Eijirou nodded once, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Kinda weird, honestly. I'd say you're one of my best friends, but I've never spent much time with you just one-on-one, not like I have with Bakugou, Kaminari, Sero, or Ashido."

"That's true…" Hitomi wracked her brain for any instances of the two of them alone together, but nothing much was coming to mind. Mid-thought, she glanced at him, and noticed something she hadn't before. "Oh, did you re-dye your hair?"

Eijirou jolted, gaping at her for a second. "Wha— How did you know I dye it?"

Hitomi giggled, tapping her nose. "I can smell the bleach and dye. Other than that, there's no way to tell, don't worry. I just noticed it was brighter this morning, that's all."

Eijirou sagged slightly, cheeks flushing. "Ah man, no one but Ashido was supposed to know."

"Mina found out?"

"Er, well, we were in the same middle school, so we somewhat knew each other before entering UA. She recognized me on the first day, despite the new look, and asked me about it."

"Huh, I don't think I knew that you guys went to the same school." She cocked her head curiously. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your natural color?"

"Hm? Oh, it used to be black. I left it down, too. Nothing special." He shrugged.

Hitomi leaned in close, eyes squinting as she tried imagining Eijirou with such dark hair.

"I think… that sounds adorable."

Eijirou twitched, face reddening further. "What?!"

Hitomi nodded surely, sitting back. "Mm! I'm just imagining you as a cute lil' kid, with a head of black hair."

Eijirou gave her a wry deadpan look. "You realize that sounds weird, right?"

She shrugged casually.

After the three hour long ride, the two all but cheered once they reached Esuha Station, retrieving their bags and cases. Weaving through the crowds, they kept an eye out for a certain someone, spotting him and hurrying over once stepping outside.

"Hi Amajiki!"

Their upperclassman flinched, shoulders hunching as he pulled his costume's hood further down over his face.

"Thanks again for recommending us, man!" Eijirou beamed.

"Y-yeah. Let's go." Amajiki murmured, barely audible. He turned, leading them to a taxi parked up ahead.

Hitomi and Eijirou traded eager grins.

…

"Welcome to the Fat Gum Agency!" The large Pro Hero crowed with a grin, arms spread.

"Thank you for having us!" Hitomi and Eijirou both bowed.

Fat Gum was as big as he seemed on TV, not only in terms of width, but also in height. He reminded Hitomi vaguely of the Russian nesting dolls Momo liked to make. His voice and scent were warm and welcoming, making him come off as some kind of human-teddy bear, all soft and comforting. There was a reason he was ranked so high in the Hero pole for children ten-and-under.

Amajiki quietly walked over to a corner on the Hero's side, huddling himself smaller, as if trying to disappear.

"So, Suneater tells me you two are lookin' for a work study?"

"Yes sir!"

"You're both from UA, and you're okay with joining an agency so far from Musutafu? You'll be making a total of a six-hour long commute every time you come here. Does that sound like something you can handle, on top of your school work?" Fat Gum arched a masked brow.

Hitomi and Eijirou nodded firmly.

"We understand what we're signing up for, sir." Eijirou assured.

"Mm. We're prepared for the difficulties ahead. Hero work was never supposed to be easy."

Fat Gum grinned, humming in approval. "You both sound strong-willed."

But then the Hero said something that stopped both of them cold.

"Unfortunately, I'll only be able to take on one of you."

Hitomi blinked, then whipped her head around to face Eijirou.

The redhead's expression matched hers, both of them shocked and dismayed.

Fat Gum watched impassively. "I'll let the two of you hash out who's staying."

Amajiki looked away, his hood masking his face.

The room was silent, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating. Until—

"You take it—"

Both Hitomi and Eijirou stopped, staring at the other in surprise, before they simultaneously squared their shoulders and hardened their gazes.

"Really, you—"

Eijirou shook his head, brows furrowing. "Damnit, Hitomi—"

Hitomi clenched her fists, ears flattening. "Eijirou, I mean it—"

"You should take it! You got the highest rescue score of the class! You deserve to be out there, saving people!"

"You're the one who's done the real saving! At the USJ, I-Island, Kamino, and the licensing exam! I'll find another agency!"

"Sir…" Amajiki lowly broached.

Fat Gum held up a hand, silencing his ward.

Eijirou glowered— but it was weak, and more sad than angry. "Look, I know how much it's been eating you up that you haven't been signed with an agency yet. And you've been wanting to find someone to help train your Quirk, and Amajiki's perfect for that! You should take this offer!"

Hitomi growled. "I won't!"

"Well, then I'm not either!"

"Sir…" Amajiki tried again, this time sounding exasperated.

When Hitomi and Eijirou looked back at the Hero, they paused.

Fat Gum was beaming, shoulders bouncing with silent chuckles.

"Well, aren't you two somethin' else. Usually when I play that trick the students get into a fight for the exact opposite reason. I think I like you two kids."

Hitomi slowly cocked her head, while Eijirou stared wide-eyed.

"Alrighty, let's get down to business." Fat Gum clapped his hands, then opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out two small stacks of paper. "You'll both need to read these and sign—"

"Wait, you mean—" Eijirou started.

"You'll take us both?" Hitomi finished hopefully.

"Hm? Of course I'm taking you both. It's not every day that Tamaki vouches for someone, let alone two first-years."

"Then, why…?" Eijirou asked weakly.

Fat Gum's smile sharpened. "It's a good way to test character. You two proved that you've got good morals, and a strong friendship. You look out for each other, and when risking your lives out on the field, you'll learn that that's an invaluable thing to have." He held out the papers, giving both of them their own stack. "Sign those and you'll be contracted to my agency for your work study. Now, keep in mind, this'll be a heck of a lot harder than your last internships. This ain't a week long, and it ain't to be taken lightly. I'll have you on for four months, or until you feel like taking a shot with a different agency— I promise there'll be no hurt feelings if you feel like you should change courses. You'll be paid for your service, but keep in mind this'll be grueling work. As students, try to keep your grades in mind, but don't stress too much about that for now. Any questions?"

"No, sir!" Hitomi and Eijirou crowed in unison, hands gripping the papers tight.

The two signed right on the dotted line.

…

The group of four walked through the busy streets of Esuha City, led by the hulking Hero. They were out on their first official patrol as newly minted (provisional) Heroes, eyes peeled for any suspicious behavior in the nightlife. But the area was packed with open establishments, ranging from small food stalls to massive brightly lit casinos. All the glowing signs, neon lights, and billboards kept the stretch of city lit decently well, giving off a safer feeling than some less-active locations; they couldn't let their guard down, though, keeping vigilant.

That didn't hinder Fat Gum from stopping at every other food stall or restaurant they passed— his stop at Crab Heaven left him with a whole tray of takoyaki, which he casually dug into as they marched along.

"We've got idiots fighting non-stop on the streets these days. Can't eat enough to keep up!" Fat Gum popped another takoyaki ball in his mouth, already having knocked out almost half of them. "Anyway, the agencies around here have been wanting close-combat types. You're just what the doctor ordered, Red Riot, Ōkami."

"I promise I'll do my best!" Eijirou punched his hardened fists together. "Fourth Kind doesn't accept work study students, so I really appreciate you taking me on."

"Same here! We won't let you down, Sir!" Hitomi grinned, tail wagging.

"If only Mirio'd been around." Amajiki shuddered, likely remembering her and Eijirou's extremely grateful groveling over him vouching for their work study. "Man, your energy was terrifying."

"We're gonna work on those delicate nerves of yours, Tamaki, and then you'll be worth your weight in gold." Fat Gum said goodnaturedly.

Amajiki clutched his chest, croaking sickly. "Your expectations only drag me deeper into despair. It's always like this!"

Hitomi clasped her hands up at her chest, ears drooping. "Awww, poor thing."

Eijirou put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't just say stuff like that to someone, it comes off sounding sarcastic."

Hitomi furrowed her brows. "Who would say something like that sarcastically?"

Amajiki tugged his hood down, still wallowing from Fat Gum's comment. "I swear, this man scouted me just so he'd have someone to torment. I wanna go home…"

"Maybe he's trying to encourage you. That's what mentors are supposed to do, right?" Eijirou tried reassuring him.

Hitomi put a finger to her chin. "Actually, when Aunt Rumi trains me she always makes fun of me a ton. Ties me up sometimes, too."

A sweatdrop beaded Eijirou's forehead. "That's… concerning."

"Fat, come eat at our place!" Another food vendor called the Hero over.

Fat Gum waved. "Tomorrow!"

"I'm not like either of you, or Mirio. Positivity's not my strong suit." Amajiki lamented lowly, staring down into his hands.

"Hey, man, I know how it is." Eijirou assured him with a tone of understanding. "Sometimes when things get crazy, I feel useless too. There's a gap between me and my classmates that's only getting wider. But I'm doing my best to close that gap so I can fight beside them!"

Hitomi smiled, raising her hands and transforming them into paws. "You're not alone. I'm only just learning about my Quirk's full potential. I've got a long way to go to master it, and when I see how versatile and skilled Katsuki is with his, or how far Izuku's come to not hurt himself as much, I get worried about never being able to catch up to them. But that's what we're here for, right? To get better, and grow as Heroes!"

"That right there? That's called positivity, first-years." Amajiki deadpanned.

Suddenly, a loud cry caught their attention.

"They're fighting! Someone, help!"

"Oh, at it again." Fat Gum nonchalantly said, turning and looking back behind them.

A group of shady looking men dressed in suits were sprinting in their direction, clearly in some kind of hurry, though for who-knows-what.

"What're you going after them for?"

"Idiots thought they could sell on my turf without permission!"

"Can't blame us for tryin' to make some cash! Come on, we've gotta eat, just like anyone else! Let's split up for now!"

"Right!"

Before the men could do as their leader suggested, Fat Gum slide right in their path, catching them in his squishy body. How they missed the giant Hero ahead of them, Hitomi had no idea.

"Not so fast!" Fat Gum hugged them to his front, restraining them against him. "Mister Fat's got a little hug for ya!"

"Damnit!" The silver haired leader molded his body with his Quirk, coiling around and out of Fat Gum's hold, like a human ribbon.

"Whoops, lost one! Looks like he's got the same Quirk as Edge!"

Hitomi extended her claws, excited to test out an ultimate move she designed after the discovery of her isolated transformation—

But Amajiki was faster, shifting the fingers on his right hand into thick and lengthy octopus tentacles. They whipped around the criminal, holding him poised in the air, unable to escape like he did from Fat Gum.

"Tentacles?! Who's this freak?"

Amajiki deflated. "That was just cruel."

"The guy's a dirtbag loser, don't let him get to you!" Eijirou simultaneously chastised and reassured him.

"Your Quirk's way cooler than his!" Hitomi nodded furiously, punching the air.

Amajiki hurled the bad guy around, slamming him into his left hand— which was now a giant clam with fingers on the edge, then threw him down to the ground and pinned him with the large talons of a chicken foot.

"I'm so confused… what are you?" The man whimpered into the pavement before passing out.

"Clams are good for offense or defense. They're very handy. I try to incorporate them into my diet every day." Amajiki shrank after making such a cool show of his power. "Guess the wings were overkill…" He folded the unused chicken wings protruding from his back.

Hitomi pouted minutely, somewhat bummed that she didn't get to help out and prove her abilities. She was sure Eijirou must've felt some level of the same disappointment as her.

Amajiki hung his head. "Was that okay? It felt terrible."

"Are you kidding?! You're so fast, and you've got great control of your Quirk!" Eijirou hyped him up.

"Mm, mm! You took him out like that!" Hitomi nodded rapidly, snapping her— normal again —fingers.

"Yeah, our Suneater's got some serious talent." Fat Gum loudly praised his charge, the men he caught now being handcuffed by police. "His mental game needs work, but he's as strong as a Pro, right?"

With that, the crowd around them went from silently watching in awe, to cheering wildly.

"Good job, Suneater!"

"You're so amazing!"

"Love the wings, man!"

"He's totally cute, too!"

"I, uh, wha…?" Amajiki stammered, trembling from all the attention.

"Aw, poor— I mean…" Hitomi smiled sheepishly, patting him sturdily on the back. "It's okay, Amajiki. Just take a deep br—"

Her fur stood on end, eyes widening and snapping to scan the crowd in half a second, just as Fat Gum shouted a warning.

"He's got a gun! Down!"

There was a bang, and Hitomi flinched harshly as Amajiki reeled back, almost like he was struck.

Her stomach dropped, as she watched him fall to his knees with a horrified realization.

It wasn't like he was struck. He actually was.

"Now's your chance, man!" The shooter crowed from within the crowd, urging his buddy to escape while he could.

"You okay?!" Eijirou threw himself in front of Amajiki.

"All of you, get down now!" Fat Gum ordered, charging in.

But then another shot rang out.

The bullet collided and bounced off of Eijirou's hardened forehead.

Something monstrous raged in Hitomi's chest. Her hands grew and claws sharpened, while her torso rumbled with furious growls.

Eijirou shook it off, the left side of his temple reddened from the impact. His whole body hardened with jagged edges.

"That guy's mine!"

The crowd scattered, leaving the shooter standing alone.

"Defective piece of junk!" He glared at the gun for failing to actually hit Eijirou.

Hitomi took a step forward, paws twitching and lips curling with the urge to inflict pain.

It was like her fury toward the purple haired Shiketsu student, but on a whole other level.

Before she could charge at the shooter, however, Amajiki spoke up from his spot kneeling on the ground.

"I figured that would hurt more." He commented casually, as if he hadn't just been shot.

"Suneater! You're alright? That's great!" Eijirou glanced back at him in relief.

Hitomi stared at him worriedly. "B-but you—" She stopped, taking a second to sniff the air, stunned when she noticed a certain smell missing. "You… you're not bleeding."

The shooter panicked, spinning around and pushing people to the side as he tucked tail and ran.

"Move! Get out of my way!"

"On it!" Eijirou didn't hesitate to give chase.

Hitomi moved to follow him, but froze when Amajiki outstretched his hand after them.

"Wait, I'll use my tentacles!"

The tips of his fingers started to turn pink, and grow out, but then… nothing. His face fell in an expression of stunned fear. He lowered his hand, staring down at it.

"Don't go runnin' off! That's just askin' for trouble!" Fat Gum called after Eijirou, but he was too far. The Hero looked to his other two trainees. "You good? I'm gonna go after him. Other Heroes'll be here soon. Fill 'em in!"

Before Fat Gum could leave, Amajiki spoke up in a panicked voice.

"I'm not hurt, but my Quirk won't activate!"

Fat Gum stopped, mask wrinkling from the furrow in his brows. "Is Eraser nearby or somethin'?"

Hitomi gasped, something clicking in her mind. She whirled around, frantically scanning the ground— finding what she was searching for when she spotted the small red bullet laying discarded. That was why Amajiki wasn't bleeding, because it wasn't a bullet, it was a dart.

With that discovery, she hurried to Amajiki's side, ignoring his startled look and sputtering as she lifted his cloak off of his shoulder. There, sticking out of his arm was a matching dart, this one with the needle embedded in his bicep. Without wasting another second, Hitomi ripped it out, earning a yelp from her upperclassman. She collected the other one off the ground, comparing them.

"Sir…" Hitomi held the darts aloft in her palm, showing the Pro Hero.

Fat Gum looked at it grimly, his wide smile long-gone, a grimace in its place.

Amajiki gave his mentor a weak nod. "Go help Kirishima, I'll be fine."

Fat Gum gave a short sigh, then took off, running at a startlingly fast speed considering his size.

Of course, that was when the criminal Amajiki had previously subdued, decided to act. Using the absence of the Pro, and Amajiki's confirmed current weakness, he shot to his feet as the police were moving to cuff him, sprinting away.

He only made it about ten feet, before something obscenely heavy slammed into his back and pinned him down.

The man craned his neck, peering back at what had captured him again, and gave a short shout of fear.

Hitomi growled, her paw covering the entirety of his back. She was in her Beast Akita form, fangs bared and hackles raised in a clear warning to him not to try something stupid like that again.

Stepping off of him, she quickly leaned down and bit into the back of his jacket. She lifted him up, dangling the criminal from her mouth almost like a pup. When she turned her head he swung around limply, and she very casually held him out to the policemen.

After a moment of hesitation, a cop came closer and slapped a pair of cuffs on the man, catching the criminal from falling to the ground when she dropped him.

Almost immediately, she shrunk back down to her smaller Akita size, then fully human again. It seemed she was only able to hold her thirteen-foot size for a scant few moments, before settling back on her original eight-feet.

Hitomi shook her head like a dog drying itself, rotating her shoulders and rubbing her neck.

"Ah jeez, still not used to that." She winced at the lingering ache in her bones, finding it felt similar to the pain of a wicked growth spurt.

"Thanks to you guys, we were saved." One of the policemen praised their work. "These criminals are part of a gang selling illegal drugs around this area. We've been looking for a chance to nab them for a while!"

Illegal drugs… What a crazy thing to happen on their first day of official Hero work.

"That must be why my Quirk is acting like this." Amajiki lowly surmised, putting a hand over his bicep. "You shot me up with something." He glared at the man.

The criminal sneered. "Ha, you think I'll spill for you, Chicken Foot?"

The next second Amajiki stood facing the nearest wall, head hung.

Hitomi stomped up to the cuffed man. With a clawed paw she grabbed and yanked the front of his shirt, forcing him to bend to her height, and bared her teeth in his face in a venomous grin.

"I will break your legs." She simpered saccharinely, her nails pressing threateningly against his sternum.

He kept a fairly good poker face, but his ashen complexion gave him away. Though he held strong, mouth sealed shut.

"A-anyway…" The policeman stammered nervously, "leave the rest to us. We'll handle it."

Hitomi let the man go, looking back at Amajiki with a concerned purse of her lips.

…

"His Quirk powered up, huh?"

Eijirou nodded, reaffirming to Fat Gum the bad news.

"Quit moving." Hitomi hissed, taking his chin to keep his face steady, with her other hand she pressed gauze to his temple. She had taken the HUC actor's chastisement to heart, and kept her costume pockets full of medical supplies— which she was now using to help clean up some of Eijirou's minor wounds.

"S-sorry!"

Fat Gum looked considerately to the ground. "Power-boosting drugs are banned in Japan. It didn't last long, so it was probably a black-market version. The ones from the US work at least an hour."

"Wow, you know a lot about this!" Eijirou marveled, wincing guiltily when he shifted again, earning himself a non-too-gentle dab of disinfectant.

Fat Gum shrugged. "Yeah, I used to work with the cops to catch drug smugglers back in the day."

Eijirou turned his head to look at Hitomi as soon as she had the band-aid placed. "Hey, isn't that what your parents did a lot?"

Hitomi blinked, then smiled softly. "Yeah, that and taking down yakuza rings. They were good at gathering intel to use to shut down organizations like that."

A policeman from earlier came running toward the four of them. "Fat! I've got some info about that gun they had." He held up a gloved hand, holding a plastic bag full of broken pieces of black metal. "It got smashed up in all the chaos, but it definitely wasn't a normal weapon. I'll keep investigating and see what else I can find."

"Interesting. Thanks for lettin' me know."

"So, uh, how're you holding up, anyway?" Eijirou looked Amajiki over worriedly.

He tugged his hood completely over his face. "Awful."

"To take your Quirk like that, it's a total nightmare for a Hero." Eijirou spoke lowly, frowning.

Hitomi hugged herself, uncomfortable with the curiosity she had over what a drug like that would do to someone like her. How would it affect someone with a mutation oriented Quirk?

And Katsuki would be horrified if it happened to him, I'm sure.

"That's not all. You protected me back there. Just like Mirio. Both of you shine so brightly, like the sun."

"You're the same way!" Eijirou argued passionately. "I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't gotten me this work study!"

"There you go again. So much positivity."

Hitomi crossed her arms. "Positivity isn't something you just have or not. You have to make the choice to be positive, and sometimes it can get hard, yeah, but you see so much more good in the world when you keep your head up. If you're always looking toward the bad, all you'll wind up seeing is more of the same negativity. Positivity breeds positivity."

Amajiki slowly let go of his hood, peeking out from under it.

Eijirou blinked at her, then beamed. "Whoa, Hitomi, that was an awesome way of putting it!"

Hitomi dropped her arms, rocking on her heels with a small grin.

"Thanks, by the way, for stopping the gang member after I let him get away." Amajiki said quietly, still keeping his face mostly hidden.

Fat Gum gave her a hearty pat on the back, nearly knocking her over.

"Come on, we'll stop by the agency, then head to the hospital so you boys can get checked out. There are a coupla things I wanna look into as well."

"Okay."

"Got it!"

"Yes sir!"

"Ōkami, before I forget, lemme see those darts."

"Oh! Yeah, here." She fished them from her pocket, careful not to let the needles poke her.

Fat Gum took them, his scent heavy with masked apprehension and discontent.

It gave her a bad feeling.