Enji Todoroki- the #2 ranked professional hero in Japan known as Endeavor- was no stranger to U.A. University. Though he wasn't a formally employed instructor, he had done his share of lessons, taken on various interns, and assisted with one-on-one assistance for several up-and-coming heroes over the years. He knew well the layout of the school, the dorms, and what his son Shoto was going through with unpacking, socializing, and preparing for his first year at the school. Despite the fact that his own flesh and blood was having such a busy day, Enji had accompanied Shoto to the school for an entirely separate purpose.

It was an obligation he never once expected he would need to fulfill, and one that he dreaded down to his very core. Just for the occasion, the man had dispelled his ever-present flames, instead opting to appear in just a dark blue suit. Despite the formal clothing being incredibly expensive, Enji had never felt quite so naked in his life. Several people had seen him, and yet, he suspected that only a few realized who he was without the signature wreathes of fire around his face and shoulders.

Enji couldn't help but feel that he, too, barely recognized himself upon looking in the mirror that morning. Whether or not it had anything to do with his Quirk, he couldn't say.

With a deep inhale, Enji rapped his knuckles against the embossed mahogany door standing before him. In his other hand was an expensive bottle of rice wine, which he turned over multiple times while waiting. There was no response for several seconds, and Enji considered turning on his heel and leaving without a second attempt. Just as he reached up to knock again, the door swung open to reveal the muscular frame of Toshinori Yagi- his rival and higher-ranked colleague commonly known as All Might. The man's ever-present smile faltered immediately upon seeing Enji, though he made no move to close the door.

"…Endeavor," Toshinori said in a neutral tone as he looked the man over. "Does Shoto need something in the dorms?"

"This has nothing to do with him," Enji corrected as he continued to turn the bottle over in his hands. Eventually, he worked up the nerve to look Toshinori in the eye only to find a mirrored stoic expression upon the other man's face. "I'm here to see you. I think we need to talk."

"…might I ask what this is about?" Toshinori said, lingering with one hand on the door. "I have quite a bit of work to get done, unfortunately…"

"It's about you," Enji said quickly. "And… me. And Sir Nighteye."

It was Toshinori's turn to take a deep breath as he pushed the door open and turned to walk back into the office. Enji was quick to follow, closing the door behind himself as he watched the number one hero in Japan shrink down to a skeletal-looking form that was barely a shadow of his public persona.

"…I don't know what your angle is, but tread lightly. The news about Sir Nighteye is coming out soon. Very soon…"

"I know," Enji replied as he began to look around the room. "Offending you is the last thing I want to do tonight."

The interior of Toshinori Yagi's office was rather spartan in its decoration. Beyond a desk with his name plate and several photos of various heroes and moments from his career, there was little else to mark the place as unique. A single mannequin wearing the professional hero's "Silver Age" costume was the only uniquely identifying feature, while everything else was furniture and bookshelves. It struck Enji as more of a temporary space than a permanent one that the other man had any intention of utilizing for a prolonged period of time.

"I'm not 'offended', nor was I when you barged into his agency office the other night," Toshinori denied as he settled into the chair behind his desk. "In truth, I wasn't even disappointed."

"Because you expect such things from me," Enji guessed.

"I didn't say that," Toshinori reminded. "But I'm not going to deny it, either."

Enji let out a noise of amusement as he sank into the seat across from his colleague and placed the bottle atop Toshinori's desk.

"I know it's just a hollow gesture, but… I'm not good at this sort of thing."

"Few people are," Toshinori observed as he steepled his fingers. "What do you even say to someone who has lost one of their closest friends, especially in this line of work? When a good man has been murdered for daring to dedicate his life to serving others?"

"I wish I knew," Enji admitted. "But I haven't the slightest idea. I often find that I don't know what to do or say when a situation requires humility."

"Yet still you make the attempt," Toshinori praised. "I don't think that you're bad at hero work, Enji. I also don't think that you're a bad man- merely a little… unpolished."

"That's certainly one way it could be phrased," Enji agreed. "I suppose I should just start with a simple… 'I'm sorry,' Toshinori. My attitude was the last thing you needed that night at the office."

"While true, I think that Miss Awata would benefit more from your apology," Toshinori suggested. "She isn't well, physically or mentally. A hero her age shouldn't have to suffer through a situation like this. We've been here before. Both of us."

"Maybe… but not to this extent," Enji reminded. "Don't try to downplay your own grief and suffering by redirecting me. While we may not be 'friends', I know you well enough to tell that you, too, are not 'okay.' I came here to once again offer whatever I can to help take steps toward fixing that. I meant what I said that night before leaving."

Toshinori gave the other man a smirk and picked up the bottle from the desk, turning it over in his hands to inspect the label.

"…maybe you do know me, at least a little. Working together for years will do that, I suppose…"

"It will," Enji confirmed. "But it isn't enough on its own. Recent events seem to be a portent of things to come… and in such a case, I would expect that we will both need not only more allies, but… something else, as well. There is only so much a man can take before he breaks. I'd like to try to be more than what we are now. It isn't in my nature, but I can see your need for a… friend."

"A friend," Toshinori repeated.

"…or at least, a more trusted ally," Enji corrected. "One that you feel comfortable speaking to even off the field."

"So, a friend," Toshinori said again with a smirk. "I see no need to back down from that, though it will take some time to get there."

"Then let it take time," Enji suggested. "Soon, I have a feeling there will be much for us to do, both in and outside of U.A.. We'll be seeing more of each other, whether we like it or not… so…"

"It's better to make an effort at patching things over," Toshinori agreed. "Though, if you really do want to help… there is something you could do for me."

"And that is?" Enji asked, dreading the answer.

Katsuki pounded his fist into the door of the unfamiliar dormitory. Try as he might, he couldn't stop himself from fuming as he stared down the dark green door. The color reminded him of Deku, serving to reinforce just how annoyed he was with the other boy. Throwing a punch the second the door opened was tempting, but the notion evaporated the moment he saw Shoto Todoroki in the doorframe instead of his target.

"…Bakugo?" the soft-spoken boy questioned. "Are you here for Midoriya?"

"You're damned right I'm here for Deku," Katsuki spat. "It'd be best if you leave, Icy Hot. This is going to get ugly."

"You don't need to leave," Izuku's voice called from deeper into the dorm. "Just let him through."

Shoto stepped aside and closed the door behind Katsuki as the blond stomped his way inside.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Katsuki demanded. "We need to talk, right now, alone."

Izuku Midoriya looked up from where he was sitting upon the couch. The boy was dressed in shorts and a sleeveless tee, showing off several scars on his arms and legs from his training sessions over the summer. He met Katsuki's eyes without any fear, almost as though he had been expecting his friend to drop by and start yelling.

"…yes, and no. We should probably talk, Kacchan, but it doesn't need to be alone. Not anymore."

Katsuki clenched his jaw, working to understand what exactly Izuku was trying to say.

"…so this is your game?" Katsuki asked. "You're using him to keep my mouth shut, and hiding in your dorm to avoid an argument?"

"Not quite," Izuku answered calmly. "There's no game. He just… doesn't need to leave. I know why you're here, and I knew you'd be upset… but I have my reasons."

"I know about One for All," Shoto said as he walked into Katsuki's line of sight. "Midoriya told me, as well as his mother."

Though Katsuki wasn't quite certain what an aneurysm felt like, he was fairly sure that he was having one as a sharp, stabbing pain surged through the front right side of his forehead. He was at a total loss for what to say as he suddenly just stopped thinking at all. Before he knew what was going on, words simply started flying from his mouth as he advanced upon Izuku.

"You what!?" Katsuki demanded. "You… what the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Keep it down," Izuku insisted. "The rest of 1-B is in the dark, and they might come running…"

"Well at this point, why not!?" Katsuki asked. "This is a big deal, you dumbass! I wasn't even supposed to know, at first! Now you've gone and told your mother, your roommate, the Big Three and Bubble Girl are aware, and next we'll be dealing with Endeavor…"

"I'm not going to say a word to anyone, Endeavor included," Shoto chimed in as he sat upon the armrest of the couch. "The secret is safe with me."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you on that?" Katsuki asked.

"Yes," Shoto replied. "We're heroes. We do what we need to do and keep the secrets that need keeping for the greater good. You and I are both here to support Midoriya, and given that the two of you are in separate classes… he chose to confide in me, in the event of an emergency."

Katsuki clenched a fist. As much as he hated to admit it, the reasoning did make sense to him, even if he didn't agree with it. He knew that he couldn't be there for Izuku as often as he was before U.A., and he also didn't want to be saddled with that burden. Even so, Katsuki found that he couldn't help but worry, and that worry manifested as anger. The question of who that anger was directed at was another matter entirely.

"…did you clear this with All Might?" Katsuki asked. The look that Izuku and Shoto exchanged told him everything. "Seriously?"

"He'll… I'll tell him soon," Izuku reassured. "Promise."

"Your promises don't mean a whole hell of a lot right now," Katsuki accused. "I can't believe this bullshit. This isn't just about you and your problems, Deku. This is about hero society at large- maybe even all of society. The villains working in the background aren't going to be as loose with information as you are, and all it's going to take is for one person to slip to fuck everything up and put your classmates or civilians in danger. I've got nothing more to say, after this."

"Kacchan, wait!" Izuku called as he watched his friend walk back to the door of the dorm. "I've thought about it! I kn-"

The door slammed before Izuku could finish his sentence.

"…are you sure you have the correct read on things?" Shoto asked.

"I… yeah," Izuku answered as he looked over at his roommate. "I don't regret telling you. He'll come around…"

"I was talking about your read on Bakugo," Shoto corrected. "Are you sure you understand him as well as you think you do?"

Author's Note:

Next time- more dorms.

-RD