Back to School

"OK", said Izuku as he set up the small bed in his room, "This will go in your corner of the room, Eri. Hand me that screwdriver, please". "OK", said Eri softly. "Poor fella", said Monkey from within Izuku's mind, "I don't think she's smiled since we came home yesterday". "I hear that", said Izuku as he tightened a screw, "Now, Eri, which of these bed-sets do you like better, the cat one or the unicorn one?" "Um...the cat one", said Eri. "I told you she wouldn't use the unicorn just because she has a horn", said Monkey, "Racist". Just then, Izuku noticed Eri holding one of his toys, still in the box. "I wouldn't if I were you", he said gently, "It's a collectible. Here, use this instead." He opened a drawer and pulled out the exact same All Might figure, sans box. "I'm beginning to think our brother has a problem", said Monkey as Izuku's face changed. "I do not have a problem", said Izuku as his face changed back. "Who is this?", asked Eri. "That's All Might, my teacher", said Izuku, "He's one of the greatest heroes to ever exist, and a very good friend". Now that was a sentence Izuku didn't think he'd be saying. Just then, Inko entered the room with the home phone. "It's for you", she said as she handed the phone over.

"Hello?", asked Izuku. "Izuku Midoriya, am I a dog, a bear, or a mouse? It doesn't matter, because not only am I the principle, your picking up a collect call", said Nezu over the phone, "But more to the point, I've read your email and I am happy to inform you that you can, in fact, bring your little sister into UA for the next couple of days to help her acclimate to the wider world". "That's excellent to hear, Principal Nezu", said Izuku. "Indeed", said Nezu, "Well, see you tomorrow". With that, the only sound left with Izuku was a dial tone, before an automated message told him he was now out of twenty bucks to pay for the collect call.

"Upside", said Monkey from within Izuku's mind, "When Mina, Momo, and Ochako see Eri, they're gonna flip for sure". "I fail to see how that's a good thing", said Izuku, "She's already nervous, and knowing Aizawa Sensei, there's a small chance he won't tell everyone not to crowd her". "Small chance?", asked Monkey, "Dude can't go five minutes without lying about something or spreading rumors about someone else". "I don't remember him spreading rumors", said Izuku. "Only cause it hasn't happened yet, but it will", said Monkey. "Anyway", said Izuku, "Eri, are you excited to meet some of my friends tomorrow?" "I think so", said Eri softly. "Hey, don't be nervous", said Izuku as he sat down beside her, "My friends are some of the greatest people I know. They're gonna love you".

Elsewhere, Thomas entered the office of his teammate, Stephanie Mulberry, a blonde girl whose face was hidden by a black veil who wore a purple, hooded cloak and a purple belt and sash as well as a thigh belt. "Yo, Steph, what have you got so far on the identity of our leak?", asked Thomas. "Not much, I'm afraid", said Stephanie, "Between beginning DNA tracing on the sample you brought in and seeking out the leak, I've had barely any time to sift through the phone records". "Why phone records?", asked Thomas. "UA's computer systems are under constant surveillance", explained Stephanie, "The leak couldn't watch dirty videos in here without alerting Nezu. Speaking of which, you should probably have a talk with Mineta about that". "Whoo boy, is Midnight ahead of us there", said Thomas as an alert blared on the computer, "What's that?" "Something else I'm looking into", said Stephanie, "Take a gander".

She pointed to the screen, which showed a distinguished gentlemen with white hair that matched his short beard wearing a black and white suit with striped trousers and a purple cape. He had evidently just taken a briefcase filled with cash from a small store when some heroes arrived. The video feed cut out, but when it was restored, the gentlemen was the one standing victoriously over the heroes, having dropped the case off at the door. "Oh hey, I know of this fella", said Thomas, "Is this that Gentle Criminal guy?" "Yep", said Stephanie, "I think he has some kind of Quirk that makes things bounce like rubber, which would explain why the building is wobbling. So far, his only crimes are making a nuisance of himself and uploading that to the internet".

"Sounds tough", said Thomas. "Hardly", said Stephanie, "The worst crime this so-called villain commits is disturbing the peace and hacking, though that falls to this La Brava chick who works with him". "Let me guess: hacker type?", asked Thomas. "Like you wouldn't believe", said Stephanie, "I think she can actually give me a run for my money in that department". "Hmm", mused Thomas. "Oh no, you don't", said Stephanie, "We are not recruiting even low level villains on this job". "Not yet anyway", said Thomas, "For now, take a load off, Steph. I'll look for the leak in the meantime". "You sure?", asked Stephanie, "This seems like the kind of thing Bertram or Henry should be doing". "Now what kind of team leader would I be if I let others do all the work for me?", asked Thomas with a smile, "Get some rest. I can handle this for the time being".

At the same time, Midnight and All Might had finished grading papers and were taking a quick lunch break. "Did Gran Torino mention anything about that Toga girl yet?", asked Midnight. "Not yet", said All Might, "I'm surprised you're getting so into that case considering that she stalked your daughter and nearly stabbed my old mentor". "Call it woman's intuition, but I know people with blood Quirks", said Midnight, "To have a reaction like that, she'd have had to be starved of blood for a long period of time. Come to think of it, I've asked Detective Tsuragamae to let me know if her parents showed up, but he hasn't called in the last two days". "That is suspicious", said All Might, "I have a feeling something more is afoot". "Whatever you say, Benoit", chuckled Midnight. "Does, uh, does Young Yaoyorozu know you're still involved in the case?", asked All Might. "Not yet", said Midnight, "She and I have been somewhat at odds since the Sports Festival. Honestly, I think she's holding back a lot of the anger and disappointment from that event, and, if I may be frank, I fear she's going to blow up if she finds out I'm trying to help out a Villain like Toga. I don't know. Do you know how to talk to someone about something like this?" "Just...try to talk it out before things go really south", said All Might as his gaze grew distant, "We oftentimes never realize we're running out of time to fix things until it's too late". As he walked off to grab a water bottle, Midnight sighed before going through her phone's camera roll, looking through old photos of herself and Momo. "Hmm, I'll talk to her later", she mused.

The next day, Eri clung to Izuku's arm as they walked through the front gates of UA. "You doing OK, Eri?", asked Monkey as Izuku's face changed. "Little bit", said Eri. "We're almost to class", said Izuku cheerfully, "I only need to pick up your visitor pass from Principal Nezu and we should be well on our way". Just then, they ran into Midnight, now wearing a long, tan trenchcoat over her usual Hero costume. "It's only for this week, it's only for this week", she muttered under her breath, "Oh, hello, you two. Nezu told me this young one was going to need this". Midnight then placed the lanyard around Eri's neck as the young girl stiffened. "Hey, don't be scared", said Midnight, "You're in one of the safest places in Japan, and if anyone tries to get past that, they'll have to go through me next". "OK", said Eri.

"Right, so, the lanyard?", asked Monkey. "Merely a security protocol", said Midnight, "Aizawa will know when he sees it". "OK, and will the other teachers know?", asked Izuku as his face changed back. "Sure will", smiled Midnight, "Now, hurry along, you two. You don't want to be late for class". "Yes ma'am", said Izuku as he took Eri by the hand and headed to class. As she watched them run off, Present Mic stepped beside her. "Going back to the trenchcoat, I see", he said. "I couldn't help it", pouted Midnight, "Nezu told me not to in appropriate in front of a five-year old". "I hope your at least wearing something under that", chuckled Present Mic. Midnight simply glared at him.

Soon enough, Izuku and Eri arrived to class, where some of the students were arriving. Mina, naturally, was the first to notice the small child clinging to Izuku's side. "You brought a baby!", she exclaimed. "I'm not a baby, I'm five", shuddered Eri. "Oh, she's adorable", squealed Toru. "Guys, try not to crowd around her", said Izuku, "She's been through...well, a lot. Eri, these are Mina and Toru. They're some of the friends I told you about". "N...Nice to meet you", said Eri nervously. "Nice to meet you, too", said Toru as she held out her invisible hand. Eri shrank back, but bowed politely. Tsuyu and Koda both took notice of Eri's skittishness and gently moved Toru and Mina out of the way. "Nice to have another Faunus among us", said Tsuyu, with Koda nodding in agreement, "I think Satsuki would make a great friend for you, Eri". "Who's Satsuki?", asked Toru. "My baby sister", said Tsuyu. It was Momo's turn to meet Eri after those words, the elegant girl kneeling down to get on the child's level. "Hey, looks like your arm is doing better, Yaomomo", said Izuku. "Yes", said Momo, "The doctor said it would only take an hour into today for it to regain full functionality. Why don't you tell me about your sister?" "Eri's just a bit shy", said Izuku, "I'm not sure if we're allowed to talk about it, but she's been through a lot of horrible stuff, and my mom and I are helping her come out of her shell, so to speak".

"Well, I don't think a cutie like her is going to have any trouble fitting in here", said Ochako. "Hi, I'm Mineta and I"… "Am going to chose my next words very carefully", said Izuku as he cracked his knuckles. Mineta wisely backed down. Just then, Eri stiffened when Fumikage entered the room. "How do you do, fellow students of the arcane darkness?", he asked. "Cool, a baby!", cried Dark Shadow as she slipped over to Eri. The girl shrieked before cowering behind Izuku's leg. "Great going, bird brain", snarled Kyoka, "You've scared her". "It was an accident", pouted Dark Shadow. "Doesn't matter", said Kyoka, "Would a Hero go around sneaking up on children?" "Shes right", said Fumikage, "Just apologize to Eri and we'll be on our way".

"OK", said Dark Shadow, "I'm sorry for scaring you, Eri". "It's OK", said Eri softly. Kyoka knelt down next to Eri. "It's OK to be scared", she said, "I get scared of a lot of things, but I push through those boundaries to be the best me I can be. Give it time. You'll do the same". "I hope so", said Eri quietly. "Me too, kid", said Kyoka. "Ahem", grunted Aizawa, "If you're all quite done crowding the five-year old, we have a lot of work to do and not enough time to do it." The students all took their seats as Aizawa pulled up a drawing on the white board. "Due to Internships taking precedence over it, the prizes awarded to Sports Festival winners will be given out today", said Aizawa, "Midoriya, Bakugo, you along with Tokage from Class B will be given an all expense paid trip to I-Island to participate in the upcoming Expo. I need not mention what happens if you disgrace the good name of UA while there". Bakugo snorted, but Eri noticed something off about Aizawa's expression, almost like he and Bakugo had an understanding. Monkey noticed too, but decided not to start an argument this early in class. "Before you all go, in two days time, we will be doing a hostage rescue simulation", said Aizawa, "Make sure your are reasonably ready for it. That will be all". With that, Aizawa zipped himself up into his yellow sleeping bag and fell into a deep slumber.

Over in the Support Studio, Mei Hatsume was hard at work on something when Thomas walked in. "Hey, genius, what'cha working on?", he asked. "I'm trying to fine tune this baby for Ten Million", said Hatsume as she tightened the screws into a metal cylinder. "Oh, you mean Midoriya", said Thomas, "So what does that thing do?" "It shoots things", said Hatsume. "That's it?", asked Thomas, "I thought you were gonna do something bigger after meeting my crew". "I am", said Hatsume with a smile, "When everyone sees the big ape using my babies, they'll have to come to Hatsume Industries". "Hmm, I don't know if something that shoots would help Hatsume Industries, you know, stand out", said Thomas, "Almost every Support company has something that can shoot. When you saw my Support gear, what did you see?"

"Mostly melee weapons", said Hatsume. "Exactly", said Thomas, "Shooting things from a distance is a legitimate strategy, but when there's no time to shoot or they get up close, we need to be ready for that as well". "Oh", said Hatsume. "Also, be absolutely sure that thing won't blow up", said Thomas, "A Support Item is no good if it blows up the person using it. Remember, we're the heroes to the Heroes. Anything we do is either going to help them or harm them". "Right", said Hatsume. "Tell you what, kiddo", said Thomas, "Take a page from my book and become my protege. It'll be fun". "OK", said Hatsume as she began to take apart the cylinder. "Let me grab my book and I'll be right with you", smiled Thomas.

As he left the room, Thomas bumped into Power Loader. "Ouch, watch the road, Majima!", whined Thomas as he rubbed his shoulder. "How did you do it?", asked Power Loader, "Hatsume is one the most hyper-active students in my class, but you have her, well, actually thinking before she acts". "Yeah, getting her to do that was the easy part", said Thomas, "She reminds me of my Aunt Nora. The hard part was telling her why she needed to think things through". "How so?", asked Power Loader. Thomas' expression grew dark, almost cloudy. "Remember Pyrrha Nikos?", he asked. "I do", said Power Loader. "Then you know what happens when a Support Item fails in single combat", said Thomas, "Hatsume learned well during her Internship, but thanks to the Grimm, we had to cut it short. So, you and I are going to be co-mentors". "Wait, co-mentors?", asked Power Loader. "Yeah, she mentioned how much she looks up to you in spite of, in her words, your 'rigid desire to conform to boring', whatever that means". "What am I going to do with the both of you?", groaned Power Loader as Stephanie walked in.

"Any news so far?", asked Thomas. "On the leak? No", said Stephanie, "On your other project? Oh, boy". "What other project?", asked Power Loader. "Oh, you know, Nezu business", said Thomas. "Yep, that'll do it", said Power Loader. "I've isolated the DNA base", explained Stephanie, "With any luck, I can get working prototype done in two weeks". "Perfect", said Thomas as he grabbed a book off of the shelf, "Have Bertram look over any designs. I want to see your best, Steph". "On the double", said Stephanie as she disappeared in pop of purple smoke.

Later at lunch, Eri continued to stick close to Izuku, but seemed a lot calmer around Kyoka and Ochako. Indeed, the little girl just watched Kyoka while eating an apple. Izuku looked at his sister's tray, trying to find something other than apples. "Don't bother, it's a fool's errand", said Monkey, "On the plus side, she'll never have to see a doctor again". "So, Kyoka", said Ochako, "I've been wondering about your Hero Name. Where'd you come up with it?" "It came from a band", said Kyoka in her usual blunt manner. "Gonna have to look that one up later", said Monkey as Izuku's face changed. Just then, a girl with dirty blonde hair sat down a few chairs away from where Momo was sitting. "Totes sorry, is this seat taken?", the girl asked. "Not at all", said Izuku as his face changed back, "I'm Izuku, the other guy inhabiting my body is Monkey, this is my sister, Eri, and these are Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka". "Real nice to meet ya, peeps", said the girl, "I'm Camie from Class 1-B".

At once, Izuku flinched in pain. "So sorry", said Monoma, "I guess your head has grown in size from being a member of the great Class A". "Totally not bussin', Monoma", said Camie. "As I have told you many times, I don't speak that language", said Monoma as he put his tray down, "And quit fraternizing with the enemy". "They aren't our enemies, Monoma", said Camie firmly, her voice taking on a sharp edge unlike the jive lingo she was spouting earlier, "And before you lose your temper, remember that there is a child present". "Oh, so now the great Class A needs a child to defend them?", said Monoma sarcastically, "Well, color me"… Just then, he was shoved aside by Todoroki.

"Enough", said Todoroki, "You're scaring the little girl". Monoma's face twisted in anger. "Scaring the little GIRL!?", he asked. "We, uh, we might want to move", said Camie as Kendo ran over. "Yeah, probably for the best", said Monkey as Izuku's face changed, "If Host Body and I can't put stop to this, get Eri to a safe distance and watch the fireworks." "On it", said Kyoka as she gently picked up Eri, "Come on, Eri. We're going to hide over here until a teacher comes in".

"Knock it off, the both of you", said Kendo as she pulled Monoma away, "The five-year old is acting better than you, Monoma". "I think you've proven your point, Todoroki", said Monkey, "Now, let's get back to eating so I can study for the finals in peace". "OK", said Todoroki as he turned his back on Monoma and Kendo. Not one to let it go, Monoma grabbed an apple and threw it at Todoroki, hitting him the shoulder. "Let's see if I can use these flames better than you", he snarled as some fire appeared on his forearm. Todoroki turned and glared upon Monoma. "Oh no", muttered Monkey.

To Be Continued...