Bone of my Sword

by Brony-wan Kenobi

If an effort to help a quirkless Izuku, his parents take him to the U.S where he will take part in a top secret experiment. There he will meet a certain blonde haired, horned girl which will start him on a new journey...

18. Chapter 18

Uraraka laid on the floor of Tsunotori's dorm room in the space between the horned girl's bed and the glass sliding door that led off to a small balcony. When she had first arrived here, she had thought that she would be sleeping on the bare floor or actually sharing the bed with the blond. That second option was, well, a bit of a mixed bag with her sudden realization of her sexuality, her feelings towards Tokage (even though they had only been on one date), and what she had seen walking into the room. Thankfully, neither happened as Tsunotori had brought out a small futon for her to sleep on. She didn't know if the American girl just so happened to have one or if the school had provided her with one, but she was grateful for it.

As for the blanket, well, Uraraka was pretty sure that it came from Tsunotori. On it was the image of three people: a man with white hair and horns holding a staff with a red gem while maintaining an expression of forced calmness, a classic blonde elf woman wearing mostly green with big breasts, and a cat girl who might be a loli in skimpy attire. Tsunotori called this her 'Diablo' blanket. Well, at least it was comfortable.

Speaking of the American girl, Tsunotori was currently in the small bathroom freshening up for the night. Uraraka could hear the water running in the sink, the light buzzing of the electric toothbrush that must have cost her a fortune, and the humming. The was familiar and while the brunette couldn't see her, there was something about the way that Tsunotori was humming it that just showed how much passion she was putting into it.

With all the kindness, positivity, and energy Tsunotori seemed to have at her disposal it was no wonder Midoriya liked her.

Upon thinking about Midoriya and Tsunotori at the same time caused Uraraka's eyes to widen while a blush filled her face as memories of the day's events came back to her. After the group bath the girls had, she and her maybe girlfriend had made a quick dash to her 'apartment' to pick up a few things real quick. Just a few things like any school supplies she still had there, some spare clothes, all her uniforms, and anything else she absolutely needed. Though, being there with Tokage brought forth many of the naughty thoughts and fantasies that Uraraka had been having of late. More than once, she imagined how they would fall onto her futon. How they would laugh for a moment before staring into the other's eyes, Tokage closing the distance to go in for a forceful kiss while detaching her hands to pin the anti-gravity girl down by the wrists. That Tokage would then whisper in her ear, saying that if she wanted her to stop, then all she had to do was say stop. All while lowering her head to the neckline of her school uniform, looking ready to rip it off with her teeth. Dream Uraraka was so mesmerized by the hungry look Tokage had for her that she failed to notice that one of the green-haired girl's hands had moved towards her covered sex. She gasped once pressure was felt there.

It was really embarrassing when the real Tokage spoke up, pulling Uraraka out of her fantasy to ask if she wanted to bring two or three pairs of sleepwear. Uraraka had jumped so high that one might have thought that she used her quirk on herself! And there was also the issue of the wet spot between her legs.

Once they had managed to collect a sufficient amount, enough for Uraraka to get by for a while without crowding Tsunotori's dorm room, the two made their way out. Though, as they did, they could hear yelling for the office connected to the building. Tokage, despite Uraraka telling her not to, decided to sneak a peek inside by detaching one of her eyes and ears. Both pieces floated around the office, looking for any opening while their owner and Uraraka made their distance. A good thing too, as according to Tokage, the building manager was yelling up a storm as he spoke to someone on the phone while looking like his face was about to turn blue. And she meant that literally! That's when Uraraka informed Tokage of the man's quirk: Mood Skin. Basically, he was unable to hide how he truly felt at any given time as his skin shifted colors to indicate how he was feeling at any given time. Blue meant he was feeling sad or fearful.

No doubt the investigation that Principal Nezu was already well underway and wasn't looking good for him.

As the pair made their way to the dorms, talking about how exciting it was that Uraraka was going to be living on campus. And even while she spoke, Uraraka's mind was abuzz with questions about herself. Why was she having such thoughts about a girl she had only recently become close to? Did this make her some sort of whore? Was she as perverted as Mineta? And why was her body longing for Tokage's touch ever since they slept together and more so when they were in the bath?

These sorts of questions continued to play in the back of Uraraka's mind until she saw something that caused her brain to crash, the image of the scene before her being burned into her mind. It was when they opened the door to Tsunotori's dorm room, finding the American in a heated moment with her boyfriend.

Uraraka's face continued to heat up as she remembered every moment of that scene with clarity. How Tsunotori was sitting on Izuku's lap, her back against his chest as her butt ground itself against his pants. How her face was turned to the side, eyes closed while their lips met and tongues clicked together. The moans the girl made as Midoriya's hands slid under her top to reach for her breasts. How Tsunotori's legs spread up as far as she could while somehow managing to turn her grinding into bouncing. All the while Uraraka stood there, watching alongside Tokage with their faces burning and unable to take their eyes off the sight.

Now, back in the present, Uraraka was unable to move past that image as it played again in her mind. Every moan, every squeak of the bed, every sound of lips smashing against lips, and more filled her ears. The desire the two had for each other that almost seemed to take on an aura around them. All of it just continued to play in the girl's mind as she stared vacantly at the ceiling.

Then, slowly, the image changed into something far more explicit. Slowly her mind began deleting the clothing she had seen them wearing, causing Uraraka's breath to hitch. She had seen the American girl in the nude several times, so it wasn't like her horny brain didn't have a reference to those firm, perky breasts with their slightly enlarged nipples or her shaved sex. Nor did she have to fill in the blanks for how Midoriya looked shirtless as she had seen him with his shirt off once after he had used his quirk during training, tearing his top to shreds in the process. Well, she also had seen an image of the topless, muscularly lean teen on Tsunotori's dresser.

When it came to Midoriya's lower half, her mind began to take some liberties in order to fill in the blanks. Now, while the Uraraka family was very poor that didn't mean they didn't have the internet. It was something that her parents needed for work as well as something she needed for homework when the library was closed. However, they only had one computer and it wasn't the best in terms of speed. Because of this, while Uraraka was tempted at times to use it to look at porn the embarrassment she would feel if her parents tracked her history was strong enough to deter her. That as well as the fear that she would go to a site filled with viruses and be the cause of needing the ancient thing looked at. Still, that did not mean she had never seen porn as her parents had a collection of old porn they kept in their closet. Mostly old DVDs and something called VHS, so she had been able to watch. Perhaps that was where her mind conjured the image of Midoriya's cock as it stood erect, pressing against Tsunotori's slit as she ground and bounced on his lap.

As Uraraka's hands began to move, touching her breasts and trailing along her stomach, the brunette's mind took the scene to the next level. Now Midoirya's cock was inside the American girl. Everything else was the same, but Uraraka could not help but feel something in her core building as she watched the altered memory. Her focus was on how the cock speared the girl, stretching out her hole as Tsunotori just continued to bounce without a care in the world while her lips were connected to Midoriya's.

Then, her mind decided it was time to go wild which was unfair. In what felt like a blink of an eye, Tsunotori was no longer there. Instead, it was Uraraka! She was now the person on Midoriya's lap, the cock buried deep in her pussy as she fucked Midoriya. His lips moving to her neck and chin, causing the mental image of herself to throw her head back in pure bliss. As she watched, a dopey smile crossed the girl's features in the real world while her fingers moved to her nipples to begin playing with them while her other hand had slid down her pants. As her hands slid underneath the materials at both her top and bottom, she began hearing the voice of reason screaming over the image that she was still seeing. This voice demanded that she think about what she was doing, that if she got caught then she might lose her place to stay!

This was enough to cause Uraraka to hesitate…until the image in her mind changed again. Most of it was still the same as Uraraka saw herself in the throws of passion with her sex being stuffed. Only, it wasn't Midoriya doing the stuffing. It was Tokage! Uraraka could see herself clearly on the other girl's lap with Tokage wearing a strap-on dildo. The real Uraraka felt her hips buck as the image became a thousand times more intense with the mossy-haired girl pinching her double's nipples and those sharp teeth nibbling at her clit. The voice of reason was in a state of slack-jawed silence as it faded away leaving Uraraka to freely touch herself. Her padded fingers glided over her sex, finding her clit poking out and-

"I'm turning off the lights," came Tsunotori's voice, causing Uraraka to freeze as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water. Quickly she brought her arms out from under the blanket just as the light flicked off. As Tsunotori then made her way to her bed, Uraraka mentally chastised herself for what she had done. Though, hopefully, her friend hadn't seen anything. After all, from her position on the floor, the bed was blocking her view to the bathroom. And if she couldn't see the blonde then the blonde shouldn't be able to see her. Right?

After a moment or two of this, Uraraka decided to do the stupidest thing that came to her mind.

"Hey, ah, Tsunotori?" began Uraraka.

"You can call me Pony," interrupted the American girl. Uraraka then heard something rolling on the bed beside her and, a moment later, the face of Tsunotori was looking down at her with her head propped up by her forearms. "I mean, we are friends and roommates. Do you mind if I call you Ochaco?"

"N-No, I-I don't mind," stammered Uraraka as she looked up at the smiling face of Pony, feeling herself relaxing a bit. If the girl was acting like this, it had to mean everything was all good. Right? Still, she had to ask her question since she had already called out to her. "Ah, Pony, did you hear anything?"

"You mean other than you preparing to masturbate and bucking your hips? No," replied Pony, still smiling while Ochaco felt her soul slipping out of her mouth. As Pony saw this, she chuckled. "Yeah, you weren't really all that quiet. I could hear you while I was brushing my teeth."

"No," wailed Ochaco, wanting to just float away until she reached the vacuum of space. But, somehow, she managed to look up at the blonde. "So, I guess you want me to leave in the morning?"

Much to her surprise, and relief, Pony shook her head. "Nah, don't worry about it," she said. "Trust me, I know what it's like to have someone catch me in the act. There was this one girl who had no concept of knocking when entering a stranger's room who caught me in the act last year." As Pony said that last part, an uncharacteristic angry look fell upon her making her appear as though she were out for blood. Whelp, at the very least, Ochaco now knew what her pissed-off face looked like. Thankfully, the expression didn't last long as she quickly became a little embarrassed. "And you did walk in on me and Izuku while we were, ahem, in the heat of the moment. I was probably not being the best roomy then since I knew you were coming."

"No, no," said Ochaco quickly as she got into a sitting position. "It was our fault. We should have knocked louder and made sure you heard us."

"Well, don't worry about it," said Pony. "Like I said, I'm not exactly innocent when it comes to dealing with those urges. But, the next time you feel them coming, just let me know and I can leave to give you some time. I also have some hentai you can watch if you're into that." At that, Ochaco felt her face burn while steam rose from her forehead. At that moment, she thought God was being cruel for keeping her alive to suffer through all this embarrassment. It would be so much kinder to strike her down now!

"You don't have to," squeaked Ochaco as she began waving her arms around wildly, hoping that the situation wouldn't get any worse.

"You sure?" asked Pony as she rolled on the bed so that her view was now upside down with her head hanging off the edge of the bed. "I do have a couple lesbian hentai DVDs that should give you some ideas for when you and Tokage decide to do it." Yeah, that made the situation all the worse as her body seemed to turn to stone. But only for a moment.

"Me and," began Ochaco as she stared at the blonde whose expression showed that she was just trying to be friendly and helpful. "We're not…I mean…I like her…but how did you…"

"Ochaco, everyone in 1-B knows that something is going on between you and Tokage," said Pony in a matter-of-fact tone. "I mean, she's not really hiding how she feels. And they can all see the looks you are giving her when you think no one is looking. Not to mention I saw how content you looked in the bath when she was stroking your thigh." Then, very suddenly, Pony grew a bit more serious. "Is there a problem with liking her?"

"What? I," stammered Ochaco for a moment, but paused as Pony held out her arm. The American girl then raised a finger which, due to her position, made it appear as though she were pointing down. But despite all that, there was a seriousness to her expression.

"Listen, as far as I am concerned, we are having an extended slumber party at my dorm," said Pony with eyes filled with fiery determination. "And one of the rules of a Pony Tsunotori Slumber Party is anything said at a Pony Tsunotori Slumber Party stays in the Pony Tsunotori Slumber Party. We can talk about anything like crushes, getting stuff off your chest, what heroes you think are hot or not, and on and on it goes. Nothing leaves here via my lips." She then paused and looked away. "Well, unless you confess to something super illegal. Carla found that out the hard way she admitted being the one who called in that bomb threat at my middle school to get out of taking a math test. Seriously, who does that?"

"Ok," was all Ochaco could say to that before taking a deep breath. As she breathed in, she began doing her best to put her thoughts in order to best describe the situation she felt she was in. All the things she was feeling for the first time that confused her. What's more, as she exhaled, she realized that she had a great opportunity literally right in front of her. Out of everyone she knew, Pony was the only one in a serious relationship. So if there was anyone who could help her or, at the very least, give her some insight it would be her.

"Can I first ask you a question?" began Ochaco. Pony gave a little nod, which to Ochaco, looked odd as she was still lying on her back. Still, she continued. "How do you know you're in love?"

Pony didn't answer right away, just letting out a little hum before she spoke. "I think the best way to answer that question is a quote from one of my favorite samurai animes," she said with a look of fondness on her face. "It goes something like this: if you asked a hundred people about love you would get a hundred different answers. Or something like that. It's been a while. But I like it because it's so true. Love is not something that can be put in a box or on a list and said: this is what it is and nothing else. It's individual, changing from person to person. And it can change over time the more you experience things." Pony then paused, eyeing Ochaco seriously, "Are you saying you don't love Tokage?"

"…I don't know," said Ochaco, wincing as she said that. "I mean, I like her. As in, I really, really like her. And that's what's so confusing! Before I was never really into girls. I mean, I could see another girl and admit she's pretty but with Tokage I can't get her out of my mind! I keep getting fantasies about what I want her to do to me. Is this love or am I just being horny like Mineta? Also, she's so much more amazing than I am. She's a recommendation student! You have to be super amazing to get that while I'm this poor girl from the country. So I don't know what I'm feeling, why she feels so strongly about me, what I should do to figure everything out, how-" Ochaco was cut off as Pony reached out a hand, placing a finger on the other girl's lips.

"Ok, well, wow," began Pony as she pulled the finger away before rolling on the bed so she was lying on her belly once again. "I think I get what's going on. And trust me, you're nothing like Mineta."

"I'm not?" questioned Ochaco, feeling relief mixing with the confusion. "But, the way I've been feeling about her. The stuff I want to do with her. Isn't that the sort of thing that a pervert like Mineta wants to do with girls? Isn't it the same?"

Pony shook her head. "Trust me, it's completely different," said Pony in an almost sage tone. "Mineta doesn't care who it is as long as he gets to have sex. The person doesn't matter as long as they look good. But, from what I'm hearing, you only seem to be interested in Tokage."

"That's," began Ochaco, ready to be honest and admit that for a moment she imagined having sex with the other girl's boyfriend. However, a part of her was smart enough to keep her mouth shut as it walked her through the sequence of events. First, she was replaying the events of what happened before imaging them naked and actually having sex. Then she put herself into the role. Then she changed her partner, causing the real her to lose control. And that was the first time she had ever done it, so could it just been her mind slowly putting the pieces together to build the fantasy? Or maybe it was her trying to realize if she was bisexual or just into girls.

"For the most part," Ochaco finally admitted before giving Pony a meaningful look. "I…There's only been one other person I've fantasized about and it was today." Ochaco then took a deep breath. "It was Midoriya. I'm sorry, but I did have a passing thought a while back that if he wasn't dating you and I wasn't interested in Tokage then I might have had a crush on him. He's just nice and dedicated to everything he does. Plus, those freckles are kind of cute."

"They are, aren't they?" replied Pony as an odd smirk appeared on her face. "But just remember, in the real world, he's taken." As Ochaco let out a small squeak, Pony continued. "But, in all seriousness, you have nothing to be worried about. You're still learning about your sexuality and all that. But you're clearly not fantasizing about everyone you lay eyes on."

"Thank God for that," muttered Ochaco, grateful for that small miracle.

"Word of warning for when you join 1-B, Shiozaki is super religious so she might not appreciate you saying that," laughed Pony.

"I sort of noticed," muttered Ochaco as she looked away. "She doesn't really hide that she's proud of her faith. N-Not that that's a bad thing."

"No, it's not," said Pony. "It's what makes Shiozaki, well, Shiozaki. Just like how all the parts of you make up Ochaco Uraraka. It's something that everyone sees and Tokage really likes it. I honestly believe that she believes you're amazing."

"Not true," whispered Uraraka as her face turned red while her eyes found a spot on the floor that suddenly looked interesting. "I'm just-"

"A country gal who left the safety and familiarity of her home to become a hero," interrupted Pony, her tone stating that she wasn't going to let Ochaco put herself down. "A hero who wants to specialize in rescue efforts, saving people even when the camera isn't on you. Someone who wants to help her family, which is super important. A person who wants to stand out the right way. A person who is willing to work with others because it's the best way to do things. And Tokage thinks your blush is cute."

"Pony!" cried Ochaco, her face even redder now. However, the girl just continued to grin as Ochaco looked away with a pout on her face. She still didn't know why Pony thought she was amazing. Pony was the one who left her country, her culture, to go to one of the best hero schools in the world! And she heard that Pony's mom was a pro. So she was more amazing! "I still don't-"

"Nah ah," interrupted Pony. "None of that! Look, Tokage likes you the way you are. Remember what I quoted…paraphrased…whatever! Remember what I said about love? It's different for every person! Tokage clearly sees something in you that she adores. And you clearly see something in her that draws you towards her. So don't go telling her that she's wrong for feeling the way she does. Keep going on dates and see if it works out. You'll never know until you try."

"Ok," said Ochaco slowly. Honestly, the American girl had a point. Tokage clearly saw something that drew them together, and opened up this new road for her to walk in terms of her sexuality. So maybe she could keep walking on it. And maybe she could see for herself that love had nothing to do with worth. Or maybe she had more worth than she realized? Still, that left one major issue that needed to be resolved. "But what about these, er, desires I'm having?"

"Oh, I think that's natural," Pony said, shocking Ochaco. "What? Do you think that I never masturbated to Izuku before we started dating? He was the centerpiece of most of my fantasies!"

"O-Oh," began Ochaco as she was honestly surprised at hearing this. Though, now that she was remembering how they were going at it, she really shouldn't be surprised. "Then what do you think I should do to, er, deal with this?"

"That's…a bit trickier. And not something someone else can help you with," said Pony. "When you become comfortable with Tokage, I think you should talk to her. Let her know how you feel. Then, if she feels the same way, then take as much or as little time as the two of you feel comfortable taking."

"But, what if it doesn't work out," began Ochaco. "What if one of us messes up? What if she hears what I want and just goes along with it and later regrets it? What if we end up having sex too soon and it ends our relationship? What if...what if things just don't work out later on?"

For a moment, Pony was silent as she rolled over on her bed again so that she was viewing Ochaco upside down. As the moment passed, Ochaco began to stew in her own worst fear. That this relationship would only be a temporary thing. Like any of the contracts that her parents got over the years, filling them with hope that things would finally turn around and get better only for it to end in tears. Could she handle something like that happening to her after giving Tokage her virginity?

"Let me ask you this," began Pony, speaking up at last. "Do you think that Tokage is really the type of person who will just go along with what you want?"

Ochaco blinked at that before reality and common sense hit her over the head with a sledgehammer. No! Like hell she would! Tokage was the type of person who spoke her mind, even when it was something that the other person didn't want to hear. Just like with her apartment, the girl could have just gone along with it like everyone else. But she didn't! She told Ochaco what she needed to hear, which was the truth. More so, she went above and beyond to get her the help she needed. It was more likely that, if Ochaco did want to act on her feelings and Tokage wasn't ready, then she would put her foot down. Hard.

"Honestly, I was in a similar position back when the school year started," continued Pony, surprising Ochaco. "Izuku and I, well, we had known each other since we were four. We have always been each other's rock despite living on opposite sides of the earth. He was always the person I could talk to about things bothering me and he could do the same. Even when we couldn't physically help each other, knowing there was that person we could confide in was nice. In time, I fell pretty hard for him. Believe me, I know how you feel getting caught in the act. I'm just glad it wasn't my parents." At that, Ochaco shuttered. If that had happened, she knew she would have died from the awkwardness.

"Then, I came here," said Pony. "I was so excited! I was in the land that brought me all the anime and manga I enjoy, get to attend the greatest hero school that has produced the highest number of pro heroes in the world, and I get to spend more in-person time with Izuku! But, I wasn't ready to tell him. Not right away. I kept telling myself that it was too soon and that I should wait. That everything around me was just so new and Izuku was the one thing that was the same. I didn't want to ruin or mess anything up."

Upon hearing that, Ochaco was unable to hide her surprise. For as long as she had known the couple, they seemed to just act as if they had been dating their entire lives. Sure she knew that wasn't true, but when you just looked at them, well, it was hard to describe. They just had this feeling that surrounded them that just shouted to the world how much they loved each other. How much they cared about each other. It really never occurred to her that either of them could have felt nervous telling the other how they felt.

"So what changed?" asked Ochaco.

"The USJ attack," replied Pony, her words sending a shiver down the brunette's spine. "After that, I realized that I couldn't wait any longer. While it's not as common here in Japan as it is back in the U.S., heroes can lose their lives at any moment. It's the path we chose. So, I didn't want to wait any longer to tell him, and show him how I felt." Pony paused to smile as a blush appeared on her face. "Let's just say that he didn't voice any complaints. Since then, we've been testing the waters. Whenever one of us wants to take things a step further, we let the other know. And we always tell the other what we're not ready for. But, that's me and Izuku. Like I said, we've known each other for a long time so I can't say what pace you should be going at. So, when you're ready to really commit to Tokage, you need to tell her what you're ready for."

"Right," replied Ochaco slowly as she took this all in, the fear she felt from remembering the USJ attack still lingering. How could she forget that day when she saw true evil for the first time in her life? The hordes of villains marching out of portals. Thirteen on the ground with part of her back missing due to the villain turning her own quirk against her. And when it looked like all hope was lost, all she could do was apologize. Mentally, she said she was sorry for not being more helpful to her classmates. That as well as saying she was sorry for her funeral putting her parents more in debt.

With her hands balling into fists, she knew better than most that Pony was right. Life as a pro-hero could be long for some like All Might and Endeavor. But the events of the USJ showed just how quickly that life could be cut down. Aizawa might have died had All Might not arrived when he did. Thirteen would have died. They would have died! She had already decided to date Tokage, but she knew she needed to make things official. Because, deep down, she liked Tokage. And she wanted to see if those feelings could grow into something more. She left like they could and wanted to give them that chance.

Taking a breath, Ochaco knew that there was a chance that things might not work out. It was still the thing that scared her the most. But, maybe, if they did realize that what they had between them was just an attraction or lust, then hopefully they could leave as friends. The last thing she wanted was to be a bitch and hate the person who had helped her so much. It would be like in a story where the author teased a romance between two characters and then ended it without them getting together and rarely ever speaking to each other after that!

"You're right," said Ochaco aloud while giving Pony a meaningful look. "I'm going to talk to her." Then she looked away. "Though, I am a little nervous. I've never really had a girlfriend before. Or boyfriend. So I don't really know what I'm doing."

At that, Pony suddenly shot up so that she was standing on the bed. Like this, her horns grazed the ceiling yet there was a passion in her eyes that was clear even in the darkness of the room. "Then, I have just the thing to help! Anime!" she declared while pumping a fist into the air.

"Pony, I don't think that the answer to this issue can be solved with-" began Ochaco. However, she was interrupted as Pony seemed to just appear next to her and place a finger on the other girl's lips.

"Shh, shh, shh. Trust me," said the American. "Never doubt the power of anime."

"I just don't think-", Ochaco said, but before she could finish the finger was back on her lips.

"Shh, shh, shh. Don't fight it," said Pony before getting up and heading to her collection. "And I know just the one we need. Strong female character. Love. Action. Comedy. The ideal anime for those who want a little something of everything while also wanting the best guide to the art of love. It's 'Love After World Domination'!"

Ochaco blinked as Pony put the DVD in. What kind of a title was that? Well, she guessed she was going to find out as the screen came to life in Pony's room.

[hr]

"Yaoyorozu, please. This discussion is pointless," said Ida dryly as he sat at the desk of his room while his mechanical pencil scratched at the paper in the notebook before him. The room was dark, meant to block his view from anything that might cause him from being distracted from his studies, with the only light coming from the lamp attached to the top of his desk. Next to his notebook was one of his open textbooks which he constantly glanced over to whenever he needed a refresher. On the other side of the desk, far enough so it was mostly out of sight, was his phone with the speaker on.

"Please Ida, I'm worried about our class," spoke Yaoyorozu, causing Ida's frown to deepen. He had given the class rep his number for the sole reason of contacting him for official class rep business. The only reason he had accepted her call was because he thought there was a chance that he had forgotten something and the girl just wanted to remind him. To make sure he got the message instead of leaving it in a text. But instead, what he was getting was this. Honestly, Yaoyorozu was not taking her role as class representative seriously.

"You're worried about Uraraka and Ashido," said Ida, his tone becoming sharp when he said the pink girl's name.

"Yes I am worried," said Yaoyorozu, clearly not taking the implied hint that he didn't want to talk about the girl who had dared to call his morals and ethics into question. "Look, I know what I was told was second-hand information at best. However, the sources are credible. I feel it would be prudent for the two of us to speak with Aizawa to see if we can confirm this. Then, if it is true, we should do our best to dissuade him. If the two of us approach him-"

"The answer is no," said Ida stiffly.

There was a pause. A long one at that. Unfortunately, she didn't hang up the phone. "Do you believe the information to be false?" she asked. "That Aizawa would never expel one of us?"

Ida nearly broke his pencil before shooting a glare at the phone. "I believe that this entire discussion is pointless," he stated, feeling the irritation within him growing. "We are students of the most prestigious heroic school in the country. As such, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards possible. Clearly, both Uraraka and Ashido are failing to live up to those standards if Aizawa is planning to expel them. The only ones they have to blame are themselves for bringing forth this great shame upon them."

Again, there was silence and Ida hoped that the rich girl would finally drop this matter as he did not have time to deal with it any longer. He was busy after all. The teen needed to finish his studies for the night in order to keep his grades at a prime level, one expected of someone like himself. After that, he wanted to do some training with his home equipment in order to maintain his own standards of physical excellence. There was no time for helping others who were not serious. However, the class rep chose not to end the class.

"Highest standards. Sure," replied Yaoyorozu in a crisp tone. Upon hearing that, Ida narrowed his eyes at the device.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Just that Ashido was right about what she said today," replied the girl. "Your morality is easily bent when it benefits yourself."

"How DARE you?!" Ida growled as red-tinted his vision. He could still feel the anger within him when that pink-skinned party girl had the gall to even suggest that there was something wrong with his moral compass. Like she was somehow better than he was. Well, she wasn't. No one who talked like she did and liked to have that much fun could ever be considered a student of the hero course. She had no right, no right at all, to talk back to him! But, to hear that from someone he thought was his intellectual equal who also strived to pursue the same level of excellence? How could she?

"Yes, I dare!" snapped Yaoyorozu, her tone shocking Ida. "Do you have any idea what happened after you left the classroom? Of course you don't because no one trusts you to deal with their problems anymore! Like how you dealt with the lunchroom incident! Or how you dealt with Bakugo screaming at everyone, cussing at them, and belittling them."

"Like you've done any better!" Ida all but shouted, slamming his fist on his desk. How dare she bring that innocent up again! Couldn't they see that he was trying his best to calm everyone down, to tell them that he was going to deal with the situation in a professional manner? "I don't recall you saying or doing anything while I was left to deal with that Business Course girl all on my own!"

"You're right, I failed that time," said Yaoyorozu, causing Ida to smirk. Clearly she saw that he knew was in the right and- "And I realize that, which is why I am making an effort to improve. You seem oblivious to the fact that everything in our class is falling apart right before our eyes! Half the class is at each other's throats while the other half are having nervous breakdowns! Today, after class was over, I was approached by one of them who is clearly in a poor state of mind. Ida, this student is terrified that they are becoming the worst version of themselves. That the course is changing all of us for the worst!"

"Sounds to me like this student should drop out of U.A. if they are going to act in such a shameful manner," replied Ida coldly, earning a gasp of surprise from the rich girl. "If there was anything wrong with us, Aizawa would have done something by now. Now, tell me this student's name so that I can explain to them that if they can't handle the pressure then they should just leave rather than taking up a slot for someone more worthy."

"Do you even hear yourself?" yelled Yaoyorozu. "That is how you react when I tell you that we have a classmate who is having a mental breakdown?! You don't even know the full story! You don't even care! No wonder nobody in class is willing to come to you with their issues! How can someone as heartless as you call yourself a hero in training?"

At that, Ida gritted his teeth as he lashed out. With a single gesture, all his notes and book were swept onto the floor while his open palms slammed onto the desk. "At least got into the hero course on my own merits!" he yelled while veins appeared on his forehead.

"I took the same exam as-" began Yaoyorozu, but was silenced as Ida laughed.

"No, you didn't," he stated. "You took the recommendation exam which should only be for those whose quirks are recognized by other pro-heroes. But you? You got in via your money and family connections. If you had taken the regular entrance exam, there is no doubt in my mind you would have crashed and burned. And do you know why? Because you can't buy villain points when the villains are robots. You would have only lasted three minutes making those stupid, immobile cannons you love so much before your body gave out and needed to be rescued."

"…Is that how you really see me?" asked Yaoyorozu. Ida could hear it in her voice. The sound of heavy breathing, her hitched breath. He could tell that her nose was runny. No doubt she was getting ready to cry. Still, a hero needs to press on in the pursuit of truth. And it was well past time that she learned the truth.

"That's how the entire class sees you," stated Ida as though this were an irrefutable fact. "It's honestly beyond naïve of you to believe that your wealth has nothing to do with you being in 1-A. Sure, you can make whatever you want but that just shows what type of person you really are. Can't do something yourself then get something to do the work for you. I bet you even used your money to ensure that you got the class rep job! Admit it! That or you used your-" As Ida spoke, the sobbing grew louder and louder. But Ida pressed on, fueled by his belief in that he was right as well as a darker emotion that had been bubbling up inside of him since the start of, well, the school year. Ever since that first day, he had been a model student worthy of entering these hallowed halls. Yet, for some reason, failure of the most unbecoming manner seemed to always be attached to him. The looks his parents gave him shortly after getting his acceptance letter. Aizawa's disapproval for his inability to calm everyone down in the lunchroom that day. The antics of his classmates. Why was all this happening to him? Why was it all laid at his feet as if he had approved of it? He had done what was required of him to stop Monoma and Mineta from their behavior. He had tried to keep Ashido from causing a scene. So why? WHY?

Then, Yaoyorozu finally hung up.

By this point, Ida thought he would be feeling better. His throat stung a bit and he was panting while some sweat dotted his brow. Yet, despite all this, it should have made him feel better to tell that girl off. Yet, for some reason, that dark feeling just continued to bubble and turn within him along with something else.

Confused, Ida fell back onto his hair while his hands reached to clasp the sides of his head. The frustration would have continued to build had his door not opened and the lights flickered to life. For a brief moment, Ida found himself slightly blinded before his sight came into focus. With the lights now on, you could now clearly see that bookshelves that reached all the way to the ceiling and loaded with books covered every wall of his room. This, of course, caused his bed to be pushed to the side a bit, whose covers were tightly tucked in.

"Hey there," came the voice of the person who entered his room, drawing Ida's attention. Slowly a smile appeared on his lips as he saw that it was his older brother: Tensei. "Heard you yelling from downstairs. Something the matter?"

"You could say that," replied Tenya, feeling himself relaxing in the presence of his hero and brother. "A bit odd though. Normally you don't visit this late at night."

"Yeah, sorry about that," replied Tensei as he scratched his head while an odd smile formed on his lips. "To be honest, I've been meaning to visit since I heard you were accepted into U.A. But, well, you know. Busy, busy, busy with the hero killer and all. My sidekicks finally convinced me to take a break and, well, I was going to surprise you in the morning." Then, Tensei's expression became more serious. "Mom and Dad. You know they're worried about you, right?"

"No," replied Tenya, looking away from his brother to stare at the floor. "I…regret to say that my attention towards them has been lacking of late. My focus has been on leading my class as proper students of U.A. However, it has been met with pushback from truly selfish people who have no place calling themselves heroes."

"…Can you tell me about it?" asked Tensei, his voice the most neutral that Tenya had ever heard him. Raising his head, the youngest Ida looked at his brother to find that he was still standing there at the doorway instead of coming inside and sitting on his bed like he normally did. Nor did he have on his usual smile or that twinkle in his eyes that he had whenever he asked about how school was going. Instead, he looked like how he did whenever Tenya answered that he hadn't made any new friends or gone out.

Still, Tenya was eager to talk to his brother. So he began to explain everything that had happened. Everything from the first day all the way up to today with Ashido refusing to help the class while making a scene and the phone call he just had. As he spoke, he felt better knowing that his brother would agree with him. That he would assure him that everything he had done was in line with how a proper hero should act.

What he got, however, wasn't what he expected. Tensei just lowered his head, shoulders slumped before turning around in the doorway so that his back was facing him.

"I'm sorry Tenya," said Tensei, his voice sounding as if he were about to cry himself. But, how could that be? Tenya had once seen his brother crash into a wall while he was training, breaking an arm in the process yet never shedding a tear! "Looks like I…I failed you as a big brother."

"What?" shouted Tenya as he stood up. He stared at his brother with wide eyes as he tried to process his brother's words. Yet it was like he was speaking some foreign language.

"I thought I was being a good model as to what a hero should be," continued Tensei, never turning around to look at the younger. "I thought I taught you better. But, if acting like that is what you took away, then I think I'd better stay away for a while."

"No brother," exclaimed a shocked Tenya. "You've done nothing wrong! It's people like Ashido who-"

"She did nothing wrong," interrupted Tensei. "Other than standing up for herself and her beliefs."

"It was selfish," counted Tenya, refusing to let go of an issue he knew was right. "Think about it as though we were sidekicks working for the same hero agency! She has been deep undercover, learning all she can about the villains we are about to face. But rather than sharing this information with her fellow heroes, she is keeping it to herself so that she can have all the glory! It is unacceptable!"

"What is unacceptable is how you are trying to justify your actions," said Tensei, who still refused to look at his brother. "She did nothing more than going to another agency, training with them along with other heroes because you refused to help. Because you put them down. And now you are demanding that they share any information they see. Training regimen, equipment, maybe info on an upcoming Trigger raid. Anything you can use that they showed her in confidence. And what you said about your fellow classmates? Do…Do you honestly believe that that mindset will make people want to follow and support you?" There was a pause before Tensei began to walk away. "I'm going home. I hope you open your eyes before it's too late or else you'll end up alone when it matters the most."

With that, Tenya Ida was left alone in his room.

[hr]

The next morning, in the Teacher's Lounge…

"All Might, you've really done it this time," said Kan from his seat on the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose as he spoke. His eyes were closed, too exhausted to look at the man sitting across from him on the opposite couch with his head lowered. The day had been going so well. The blood-themed hero had managed to get to school a little earlier than normal, allowing him to get a mug of Lunch Rush's coffee before heading to the Teacher's Lounge.

On his way there, the man received two emails from Principal Nezu. After opening the first, the white-haired hero groaned as it detailed some last-minute changes in the happenings of the hero course. Kan's first response to this had been to groan, wondering what the hell All Might had done. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the man's mood to improve. It turned out that there would be a new teaching assistant as well as an additional heroics teacher for the first years starting today. When Kan read this, he felt himself nodding in approval as this had been something that several of the teachers had been championing for a while. Himself included. He understood the original reasoning for the alternating schedule, having the students push themselves to the max and then allowing them to rest the next day with lighter work. It made sense. However, as people like himself, Present Mic, and Midnight pointed out, this system had its flaws. In order to go to areas like the USJ, a minimum of three teachers were needed in order to get the maximum results for a single lesson. This was something a class couldn't do when the heroics teacher was busy with the opposite class. It would also be very beneficial to have the heroics instructor present in the classroom when Kan went over the training in more detail, adding in additional feedback.

The email ended with the names of those taking the positions. Surprisingly, there was only one teacher's aid: Fuyumi Todoroki. As for the second heroics teacher, it was Enji Todoroki.

Kan had to blink several times as he stared at the names in confusion. Father and daughter were working at U.A. at the same time? This had to be something more than a coincidence.

Believing that the second email might have the answers, Kan opened it. While the first email had been written more like a general announcement to the entire staff, the second had a bit more of a personal touch to it. In it, Nezu did explain his reasoning for hiring both of them. That Fuyumi had been the target of an attempted kidnapping nearby and that Endeavor believed that those responsible were still in the area. Given Kan's history of dealing with victims of sexual abuse, the Principal had assigned the young woman to his classroom. As for Endeavor, given the rocky past All Might had with the students of 1-B, Nezu felt it best to send the Number Two hero to his class for the time being. While somewhat saddened to see this after all the strides All Might had been making recently, Kan accepted this as the message stated that this would be a temporary situation.

Hopefully, his class wouldn't be too hurt. And he could honestly tell them that these orders came from Principal Nezu himself so there wasn't anything that could be done.

By this point, Kan had made it into the Teacher's Lounge to find All Might in his skinny form waiting for him with a look of horror on his face. At first, the white-haired man believed that All Might had finished reading the first email along with an additional one stating that he was only teaching 1-A now. Given how much work he put into regaining their trust, it would have only been natural to see him upset by all of this.

Sadly, that wasn't the case as All Might relayed the events of the previous day to him. How he had done a lesson whose focus was on not underestimating a seemingly weaker opponent. Which had been fine…until he spoke to the class. Oh, that was a headache that Kan had been really hoping not to have today.

"I know I did," said All Might, head lowered. "I just wish I could have explained it better to them."

"You know you did this to yourself," said Kan sternly as he lowered his hand. "You could have just left it at the textbook definition of the differences between a criminal and a villain before moving on. Not injecting your own personal bias towards the quirkless."

All Might's head snapped up. "I don't have any bias towards the quirkless. It's just that they need to understand their limitations!" he stated heatedly. Kan, however, raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"Really?" asked the blood-themed hero. "I seem to recall how shocked you were that we allowed a quirkless student into the business course. Like he had no business even attending this school."

"That," began All Might before blood gushed from his mouth, spewing onto the table separating them and on the floor. Instantly panels on the walls opened allowing several robotic drones to escape and begin cleaning the mess. Panting, All Might raised his head while using the back of his hand to wipe away the mess. "I was just surprised, that's all. It's far too dangerous for the quirkless to be connected to any part of heroics."

"Oh yes," said Kan in a sarcastic tone. "It's far too dangerous for someone who can't bench press a mountain to go over earning revenue and creating contracts for merchandising. Guess that we have to make a ban saying that quirkless people shouldn't practice law. Oh, I know. Being a doctor might be too dangerous for them! I mean, all those sharp objects and advanced equipment. If they do something wrong there, they could get hurt! Just like any other doctor dealing with patients with problematic quirks." Kan then looked away. "It's no surprise Slip Steel is still pissed at you."

"If I had known he had a quirkless daughter then-" began All Might, but Kan silenced him with a look.

"Then what? Well? What would you have said?" demanded Kan with fury in his eyes. "That it's too dangerous for a hero to have a quirkless child? That he should give her up?"

All Might's eyes widened. "What? No!" he stated in a panic as the robots finished cleaning the room. "I…Look, I have someone who is like my niece. She's quirkless as well. And she is studying to be a hero support engineer."

That earned the man another eyebrow raise from Kan. "I'm surprised you didn't say that that's too dangerous as well," he said.

"Well," began All Might, his tone screaming that what he was about to say would ruin any progress he had made on the subject. "To be honest, I'm still worried about her. I mean, so much can happen. But I feel a bit better since she's studying on I-Island."

"…So you're only ok with the quirkless advancing in life in a society where everything, and I mean everything, revolves around heroes as long as they are accepted onto the most elite scientific community that also happens to be on a man made island in the middle of the ocean," stated Kan. As he said that, All Might just blinked at him as the words slowly penetrated that thick skull of his.

"Well, ah," began All Might as he began to look nervous. Then his gaze hardened. "Look, it's a hero's job to protect the people. That includes the quirkless! I'm just looking out for them and, well, maybe I am going a little too overboard. But still, allowing the quirkless into the best hero school where some dreamer might try using the Sports Festival to get into the hero course? That's a recipe for disaster! I mean, what was Nezu thinking of lifting the ban that prevented them from entering that course?"

For a moment, there was silence as Kan looked at the man before him. He could see it in those blue eyes, begging for him to at least see his point of view on the matter. To at least move a toe over a line drawn in the sand in order to help validate his point. Or, at the very least, show that he understood the man's concerns. However…

"Nezu wasn't the only one who made that discussion," said Kan flatly. "The issue has been popping up at meetings at the start of every year since I became a teacher here. We actually argued over the pros and cons for what seemed like hours. In the end, it was both myself and Aizawa that helped convince Nezu and the rest of the teachers to allow the quirkless into the hero program." At that, All Might couldn't hide his shock. His head reeled back, mouth hanging open as he stared at the man in red for what felt like an eternity. After All Might's brain finally reformed from being blown to pieces he managed to finally close his mouth and clear his throat.

"That's, ah, hard to believe," said All Might. "I mean, given the man's behavior and all."

Kan shrugged. "It was one of the last times I actually followed his rationale," admitted Vlad King. "He said that we have allowed people with pretty weak quirks to pass the entrance exam as long as they show they have both the skills and/or attitudes that we seek. If someone who is quirkless can walk into the exam and manage to stand on equal footing in either area, then it shows they have great potential. That, at the very least, we know they are willing to put in the hard work required to improve themselves. What they lack in a quirk can be supplemented with support equipment."

As he spoke, Kan could remember going over the proposals with the rest of the teachers for helping a quirkless hero student. One was to get a gun specially made for this student along with custom-made bullets that ranged from being specialized dart bullets that injected powerful sedatives, flash bang bullets, and maybe even ones that exploded. Snipe, who was one of the other teachers who sided with them, fully supported this and even went so far as to help train students. Another idea was to invest in a specialized power suit. This was a bit of a hard sell to Power Loader as they weren't there technologically. And, even if they were, the amount of upkeep on the suit needed might be an issue. However, he did say that they could make specialized gauntlets and boots to give the student an edge. Something that made Nezu cheer in excitement.

"Until the equipment breaks down in the middle of a fight and they are helpless," grumbled All Might as he looked away, his tone dismissive. "I've seen it too many times."

"Just how I've seen too many heroes who fail because they were too reliant on their quirks," snapped Kan, All Might's attention being whipped back at the man. Now Kan was getting angry. Did All Might think that the tube attached to his costume was organic? No, it was all part of his support equipment meant to help him access more of his blood freely without needing to cut himself! And did the man really think that he had never experienced a moment when his equipment broke or malfunctioned when he needed it the most? That has happened several times! It's why he trained himself and his students to deal with those issues! "Which is the garbage that you were trying to feed to my students!"

"That wasn't what-" began All Might, but stopped when Kan stood up suddenly.

"From what I'm hearing, it's the only way it could have been interpreted," growled Kan as he pointed a finger at All Might, looking down at the skinny man. "You said it yourself. That there are villains out there that can't be defeated without a quirk. That's where your focus is. The quirk! Not outsmarting someone whose quirk is superior to yours. Not training your body to take on more powerful opponents. Not having gear to compliment your abilities and make up for your shortcomings. No! You focused only on the quirk! It goes against everything those kids have been working on since they started their training sessions."

"Look, I get that I misspoke," said All Might loudly as he too stood up. As he did so, one hand went to the wound hidden under his clothing. Then, as he continued to speak, the man pressed against the injury he hid from the world. "I shouldn't have discounted all the hard work that so many people put into their training. But I can't accept that someone who doesn't have a quirk can be a hero. It just simply isn't possible. They'll just end up being ineffective in a fight, getting in other people's way. Even if they do find something that will help, it will be unreliable at best. All the villain needs to do is target that one spot, the one glimmer of hope they have, and it's over for them. Then they'll either be severely hurt or worse: killed. Those kids need to face the reality that there are some things that can't be changed. That these are the facts of life in hero society."

Kan didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked the other man in the eyes. He could see it. The conviction, the absolute certainty that he was right. That he knew what he was talking about. And the man clung to the 'absolute' the same way a man clings to a raft in the storm, believing that it alone will be the thing that will save them from the deep dark ocean below.

However, as Kan continued to glance down at All Might's wound, his mind went back to the past. He remembered the first time he had seen his wife, huddled in a corner with so many injuries. He then thought about how he had found Megumi that night; bleeding, battered, and raped all from her parents. She had been hurt, even with a quirk. No, it was partly because of her quirk that she had been hurt. The other part was from all the vile people who wished to use the quirk as an excuse to show the world just how rotten they were without judgment. And it wasn't the quirk that had helped her recover, helped her face the world again so she could stand tall. It was her own, personal strength. He helped, of course, along with many other people who didn't have quirks that let them ease the pain of the trauma. But, none of that couldn't have happened without her desire to push through it all. While Kan had always thought the world of her, he now saw that she was so much stronger than All Might.

1-B's homeroom teacher was aware of why All Might was probably saying all this. His body language was practically screaming it to the high heavens. He, the most powerful hero on the planet, had been injured and hurt. His time as a hero was running out. If someone like him could be brought down to his knees like this, then what hope did someone who had no quirk have? Honestly, it made Kan wonder if this was the first time he had been seriously injured in his entire life.

As Kan's mind continued to move down this train of thought, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the spot All Might was clutching. He recalled how badly hurt Thirteen had been during the USJ, nearly losing her entire back. But had she just given up, gone all doom and gloom while speaking about how the weak shouldn't try? No, she pulled herself together and acted when the people who needed her the most were in trouble! She was recovering. Even Aizawa, a man Kan felt like strangling most days in recent memory and was the closest hero on staff to being considered quirkless, was more of a hero than All Might was right now. The man had fought against dozens of villains, buying time for help to arrive until that Nomu thing got a hold of him. That monster had broken bones, damaged muscles, and even the man's eyes which was the source of the man's quirk. But despite all of that, the man kept going and trying to help protect his students. And he still showed up to 'teach' his class.

But here was All Might, clutching a wound like it proved his point. That if his unbreakable skin couldn't protect him from one random villain, then what good was support equipment going to do for a quirkless person? That he, even with his overwhelming strength, struggled against a single villain, then what could someone with no powers do in that situation?

Now, Kan was not some optimistic fool. He knew that there were some villains out there that couldn't be taken down so easily. However, as he told his class, that he considered it a personal failure of his to kick any of his students out of his class. So, if he did have a quirkless student, he would have done everything in his power to help that student become the best hero that they could. Unlike All Might, he wouldn't disregard all the hard work that someone put into their training to get into U.A. just because they didn't have a quirk. Moreover, just because there were some villains that couldn't be taken down easily didn't mean that you had to give up entirely. It just meant that you had to know when to bow out of a battle and help in other ways.

Then, a thought came to Kan. It was a method he rarely ever implemented with his students. Mainly because it always left a bitter taste in his mouth and he normally gained so much respect from them that such methods were not needed. However, there were those who were a bit too hard-headed. Those who needed a symbolic slap in the face to get them to realize just how poorly they were acting. Something to get them to reflect on their words and actions. And, honestly, he was all primed to do so. All he needed to do was pull the trigger.

"If that's how you feel," began Kan as he turned towards the door. "Then I wish you the best when you have to leave this school in the near future."

"What?" All Might shouted in confusion. "But…I'm not getting fired! I've done everything that Nezu has-"

"You're time as a hero is running out," interrupted Kan, not bothering to face the deflated hero. "As time passes, you lose more of your precious time in that form. Pretty soon, you'll barely be able to hold onto it for a few seconds. Then, not at all. At that point, well, you'll be quirkless. And, as you yourself said, the quirkless have no place anywhere in heroics unless they are on a manmade island. So shouldn't you be treated the same way you treat them?"

"That," gasped All Might before the sound of him falling onto the couch could be heard. Kan could imagine what the man's face was like now. A look of shock mixed with horror at what his future was soon to be like.

"If you still want a future in heroics, I suggest hitting the books so you can earn a place within I-Island," continued Kan. "Maybe call up that niece of yours and see what it's like for her there. Or maybe ask Slip Steel what it's like for his daughter. Well, I guess you could also go out on your own and see just what it's like to get a job as a quirkless man at your age. I believe it would be an enlightening experience." By this point, Kan was at the door ready to open it. "Oh, before I forget, there should be an email waiting for you from Nezu. Endeavor is now employed as a heroics teacher and will be teaching my class."

With that, Kan left without another word.

[hr]

Elsewhere, Melissa Shield felt a bubble of nervous energy as she excitedly undressed in the locker room, although it was different from the ones she was used to on I-Island. This one lacked the optical scanners that were commonplace for all the labs on campus. She also highly doubted that they were made of the highly compressed metals and nanotechnology that would allow them to survive several tons of most common explosives found on the island without a scratch. Heck, with those lockers you could hop into one and survive just about anything for twenty-four hours before the emergency life support systems ran out.

Instead, the blond support engineer in training found herself placing her blouse into a locker that looked, well, like a normal green locker. One that you needed a key to open instead of biometric readers. There wasn't even a mechanical arm inside that you could hand your clothes to. Using it was sort of weird for her. But, then again, this wasn't I-Island.

A shiver of excitement coursed through Melissa's body as she unhooked her bra, glancing around at several of the other girls. They had all come from different parts of the world, flown here to Texas, and brought to this large lab. As far as the blonde knew, she was the oldest out of ten girls who were in the room with the youngest being five and a half. At least, that's what the little girl had said brightly when she introduced herself. Now she was over in a corner, her mother helping her undress and prepare for what was to come. The girl of the girls naturally fell somewhere in between the two. Barely anyone talked, either too nervous or excited for this experiment. A top secret project that would give all of them the thing they had always wanted: a quirk. A chance to be normal.

Melissa shimmied out of her pants, her mind still wondering if this was really happening. More than once, she had had dreams that played out exactly like how all this had come to be. That one day, her Papa would call her into her office where two men in suits would be waiting for her with wide, happy smiles on their faces. How her Papa would say that through his connections (in this case, he had been contacted by an American man whose company he had done some work for) he could offer her the greatest opportunity. And while signing a non-disclosure agreement was one element that never came up in her fantasies, everything from there was spot on! No, it was better! Because, after they had informed her that there was a process to get a quirk of her own, they told her that she would be able to pick one out from their files!

"Hey, you going to stand there all day daydreaming?" came a voice next to her, causing Melissa to jump in surprise. Turning to her side, she saw Carol Blackhound standing there with only a towel wrapped around her form. And Melissa knew that she was naked underneath that. According to what she knew about the process, they would all be placed into tanks and mostly submerged into a, well, they didn't go into too much detail on what the substance was. Just that they would be floating in it. This chemical was pretty important and the scientists wanted as much direct skin contact as possible. Meaning they would all have to be naked once they got in. Thankfully, the people running this project were doing their best to make this as easy for them as possible. The boys and girls would be separated (as there were ten guys in the other changing room getting ready for this) and that the doctors watching over them would all be women.

"Sorry," replied Melissa as she stripped off her panties and placed them in the locker before grabbing her own towel. "Just still…processing everything. I mean, this is really happening!"

Carol gave her a smile. "Yeah, I know how you feel," replied the girl. "And sorry if what I said came out a bit harsh. But-" Carol suddenly became a little uneasy as she looked around. "You standing there like that might give the others the impression that you're…flaunting."

For a moment, Melissa stood there blinking in confusion. Then, as she wrapped the towel around her, she looked around before realizing what Carol was talking about. Out of everyone in the room, only she and Carol lacked any sort of scarring. This made sense as Carol's father owned the company that was responsible for this project, no doubt using their influence to ensure that she was never in a hostile or prejudiced crowd. The same was true for Melissa. While her Papa wasn't wealthy, his name and fame acted like a, well, shield at times. How many times had she heard people on I-Island talking about her behind her back, plotting to 'teach Shield her place' only to stop when they remembered who she was connected to? The rest here, however, did not have that luxury. Many of them had scars and bruises from beatings that would normally be hidden under their clothing. Even that little girl was not spared as it looked like she had a fresh wound.

Though, now that she looked, there seemed to be one missing. A girl who had come in wearing a trench coat, face mask, and sunglasses. Maybe she went to change in the adjoining showers?

"Sorry," whispered Melissa as she turned to look at the black-haired girl again.

"It's fine," said Carol with a wave. Though now she had her back pressed against the locker door, her eyes seeming to scan the room. Like she was looking for the missing girl as well. "I know you weren't doing it on purpose. I've just had…less than ideal meetings with other quirkless people out there. Believe me, they don't need a quirk to really tear into you."

"I can see that," said Melissa with a sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a ten-year-old girl who had a nasty scar that made her wince. It started from her shoulder, running down all the way to her elbow. What made it so unsettlingly was that it looked like the wound had been opened, patched up, and then reopened several times in a row. "Living pretty isolated, I was unaware that things were getting this bad."

"Yeah well, that's kind of where the world is heading," replied Carol with a sigh. "As time goes on, quirks get more powerful and the amount of quirkless become smaller. As people look up to the flash and awe of heroes, they turn a blind eye to us. We've nothing more than…" Carol trailed off for a moment before shaking her head. "Well, it won't matter too much longer. Once I graduate from college, I'm going to make sure this project is a complete success. And that will only happen when it becomes available for everyone out there who needs it."

"That sounds like a nice dream," said Melissa.

"Oh, it's not a dream," said Carol with a laugh. "It's a goal! But, anyways, what quirk did you decide on?"

Melissa beamed at the question. "It was pretty hard to pick when there were so many," she admitted. "But, I finally decided on one. It's similar to all those heroes out there that under old-world logic would have been considered cyborgs. You know, combining human anatomy with robotics? Like having a wind turbine in their chest or engines in their legs? Well, this quirk was originally owned by a German-American support hero who-"

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

Melissa was cut off from her answer, which had been the product of hours of research in order to come to her conclusion, as a scream filled the locker room. At once, both the blond and black-haired girls looked up to see a seven-year-old girl running out of the shower. The girl looked completely panicked. But, the screams continued to come from the shower. Before Melissa could fully process this, Carol moved quickly in the direction of the distress with purpose.

As Melissa was about to follow her, the phone in her locker began to ring. By the sound of the ringtone, it was her Uncle Might. Odd, he normally didn't call her around this time. Usually, they contacted each other via email to schedule a time. However, Melissa allowed the call to head over to her voicemail as she headed towards the shower. The call could wait. There was someone who was suffering and helping them was the right thing to do. It was what her Papa would have done. It was what Uncle Might would have done. So he would understand.

It didn't take long to find the source of the distress. In a corner of the wide open room, as for some reason this shower had an open layout with no stalls, was a girl around sixteen. Or, rather, what appeared to be a living corpse of a girl judging by her appearance. Her arms and legs were unnaturally thin, looking like they didn't have any muscle or fat to them while also being laced with a number of scars. As Melissa drew closer, she could see that one of the legs was bent in an unnatural way. Like someone had twisted it so the foot always pointed to the opposite heel and would never come undone. Only random patches of the girl's hair remained, letting her know that it had once been brown. Her face was scarred and as she wailed, Melissa could see just how many teeth were missing. One of her breasts was missing, looking like it had been sliced off. As if it couldn't get any worse, the girl's body was covered in words that had been poorly carved into her skin. 'Quirkless Freak', 'Loser', and 'Just Kill Yourself' were easily seen. Then there were her eyes. Or rather, eye, as there were several scars around her left eye as if someone had tried to slash at it over and over again leaving only one eye to remain open revealing a dull blue orb. Seeing all this made Melissa want to throw up her lunch.

"Don't look at me," whispered the girl on the floor, wincing in pain as she tried her best to push herself back against the wall on her one good leg. As she did, her hands reached out for the trench coat that was lying near her.

Carol, however, reached her first. Before Melissa's eyes, the dark-haired girl took the trench coat. With the coat in hand, Carol wrapped it around the poor girl like a blanket before hugging her gently.

"It will be alright Olivia," whispered Carol, causing the girl to sob even louder. "You're safe here. Soon, everything will get better." Olivia just began to sob, louder and louder until it became a wail. As if this were the first bit of human kindness she had ever received.

It wasn't until later, when Melissa and the others were heading to receive their treatment, that she learned a disturbing fact about Olivia: she wanted to die. Like all the others there, they were aware that there was a chance, a really low one at that, that there might be complications with this process. Only one person had survived the first time they tried this and, while they had done plenty of simulated tests over the years to ensure that the same wouldn't happen, there was still a chance one of them may die. While people like Melissa had seen, gone over the data and thought about the odds before signing up, Olivia signed on as soon as she heard that she might die. She didn't even pick what quirk she wanted. Just hoping that she would be the 'unlucky' one not to survive.

So, as Melissa got into her tank, she made a promise to herself. There was no way she could get the horrors that girl had been through out of her mind. Nor could she ignore the feelings she was having. Revulsion at the people who could do something like that and think it's ok. Anger at the heroes for letting it get that far. And shame at herself for being so sheltered and protected from such cruelty. But, what was done was done. She lacked the power to go back in time to stop such acts…as of right now. So instead, she vowed that she would help Carol in her goals. Once she was done with her education on I-Island, she would help with this project to make it as safe, easy, and affordable for all people so that there would never be another Olivia.

[hr]

At the same time Melissa was getting into the tank to begin her procedure, on the other side of the world Izuku Midoriya was on his way to the cafeteria with Pony by his side. In one hand, he held his notebook which was opened to a page so the both of them could see what he had drawn: his new hero costume.

"So, what do you think?" he asked. For a moment, Pony looked at it before letting out a hum.

"Well, this feels less like an upgrade and more like you just created a new costume," she said. "I can't see anything from the original design. Are you sure you want to do something like this?"

Izuku didn't say anything at first, just looking back on the design he had made last night. Or, at least, the one he felt the most comfortable sharing and considering as his hero costume. Gone was the appearance of a martial artist hero, replaced with what could best be described as a high school thug. The outfit had no shirt, but a special material that went up to his ribs that was based on the scarf that people like Eraserhead used. It was flexible and thin, yet strong enough to throw around people who weighed a ton or more around without breaking. That should be good enough to protect his organs in the event he wasn't able to protect them with Bone of My Sword in time. The sketch also showed him wearing what could best be described as a sleeveless trench coat with the back altered so that it would always leave space. As for his pants, they were slightly baggier than normal with additional materials added in. And finally black boots.

"It's the closest thing that I feel comfortable wearing while being practical," admitted Izuku with a sigh. "Originally, I wanted to wear something to honor my sensei for everything he taught me. But ever since the beginning of the year, every time we do a training exercise in costume my outfit gets several holes. It's really becoming a pain. And if I ever do need to go all out, there would be nothing left. I talked to the support department about some specialized clothing, but even with DNA-infused material there's little they can do. Altering size and phasing through solid matter are a bit different from having sharp bones sticking out of your body. So I asked about self-repairing costumes to Power Loader. His response was that there is a limit to how much they can put into a costume before it becomes a problem."

"Hmm, I don't know," replied Pony with a mischievous smile on her face. "I wouldn't mind seeing you naked as you run through the streets, fighting evil."

Izuku blushed before giving her a quizzical look. "You know if that happens," he said in a low tone. "That everyone else will be able to see me naked as well. In training, all of our classmates. And if it happens during something like the Sports Festival then the entire world will see." As he spoke, he could see the gears turning in his girlfriend's head as her large eyes seemed to grow even wider. Her face twisted from a smile to a look of utter horror.

"No! I take it back! I take it back!" she shouted, surprising anyone else in the area. Thankfully, she quickly quieted down before giving Izuku a meaningful look. "Right now, that right is reserved for me and whoever it is you're changing with!"

"I knew you'd see it my way," replied Izuku with a chuckle before leaning closer to Pony, gesturing to parts of his new design as he spoke. "With my new costume, I've been able to solve many of the issues the old one had. The trench coat will have several pockets inside, allowing me to hold more medical supplies and I can take it off easily in order to comfort the people I'm trying to rescue. Without a shirt, I'll be able to use my ribcage without having to worry about ripping my costume. Meanwhile, the trench coat's design will allow me to use the bones in my arms, shoulders, and even my spinal cord with greater ease. The pants are fitted with the self-repair nano-technology. However, even with this, they'll only be able to patch up a few holes and it'll take them about an hour or so to do it. Any more damage, well, then I need new pants. Overall, I'll be able to try out a new super move I've been thinking about lately based on that one manga you lent me last year."

Pony's eyes widened at that. "You mean Battle Angel: Last Order?" she asked hopefully. When Izuku nodded, Pony seemed to vibrate with excitement. "First we create the drill that pierces the heavens and now this? Best year ever! Now we need names and we're ready to be heroes!"

"Do you have something in mind?" asked Izuku.

To that, Pony nodded. "Yep! I'm going with Rocketti. It's a really cool name. What about you?" She then looked at Izuku, her devilish smile returning. "Are you still going with 'Mighty Boner'?"

Izuku's head slumped. "I was nine," he moaned. "I had no idea what I was even saying!"

"Oh, the looks on all the adult's faces when you proudly declared your hero name, standing proudly at the top of the playground with a fist raised in the air, is a memory I will always treasure," she said, laughing so hard that tears were forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Please. Stop," begged Izuku, cringing at the phantom sensations caused by the memory. The laughter of the kids he could have dealt with, but the utter looks of horror and disgust from the parents watching the kids were a different matter. Follow that up with many of them leaving and having his own parents pulling him away to explain why what he had said was so wrong was just so embarrassing. Seriously, he just wanted a name that mixed All Might's name with his quirk. At the time, it sounded good to him!

"Okay, okay," laughed Pony as she waved a hand in the air. The horned girl then leaned closer to her boyfriend, her lips close to his ear before whispering in a seductive tone. "But you know, it would be a shame not to give the name to never use the name again. After all, you do have a 'Mighty Boner'." As she said this last pant, a hand reached over to briefly cup his groin. Though it lasted only a moment, Izuku's cock reacted to both the touch and the words as it began pressing against his pants.

"I…Well…Maybe," conceded Izuku, mentally screaming at his cock to calm down. The last thing he needed right now was to go walking around school in this state. Thankfully, his dick got the memo as it reluctantly began to return to its unaroused state.

"Yay!" squealed Pony in joy. When she spoke next, she did her best to imitate the announcer from that old Batman TV show. "So, what will the daring hero change his name to? All Bones? Boney Might?"

"Actually, I…just want to distance myself from All Might right now," admitted Izuku with a sigh. At that, Pony's good mood seemed to diminish.

"Still upset about what he said?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Izuku. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I still think he's a great hero who's saved a lot of people. Honestly, I don't think anything will change that fact. But…I need some time to process how I feel about him as a man. You know?"

"Yep," agreed Pony while nodding. "I just hope Stars and Stripes doesn't feel the same way. It would be super depressing if I ever heard her say something like that. So, have you come up with anything?"

At that, Izuku looked a little crestfallen as he placed a hand on his head. "Last night, I was trying out a few names. After a while, I landed on The Unlimited Bladeworks Hero: Forge."

"Hey, that sounds pretty cool," said Pony. "And it fits you perfectly! So what's the problem?"

"…It's already taken," replied Izuku with a sigh. "I only remembered just as the excitement of coming up with the name died down. He doesn't have 'The Unlimited Bladeworks' part of his title, but I'm sure it'll still cause some confusion."

Pony stared at him for a moment before sighing and hanging her head. "Now that you say it, I think there's a Forge back in the U.S.A. Heck, there's even an old-time comic book hero named Forge." Then Pony lifted her head up. "Ok, well we can workshop. How about something cool and simple? Like Saber! Or we could throw people for a loop and have you call yourself Archer!"

"I guess," said Izuku slowly, though truth be told he wasn't really feeling either name. Saber kind of worked as a name. After all, his quirk was called Bone of My Sword and sabers were a type of sword. It would be a meaningful way of connecting to his quirk. But, at the same time, it felt a little too generic. Plus, he did more than create swords. Meanwhile, with a name like Archer, well it would throw people off. But in terms of long-distance attacks and abilities, he just didn't have any. He had tried creating a bow and arrow using his quirk…with less-than-stellar results. Honestly, if he went for a name like Archer, he felt like he would be lying to the world about who he was.

He was about to bring the issue up with Pony when he noticed something was off with her expression. Her eyes seemed brighter as a bubble of happiness seemed to surround her. Then she turned to Izuku.

"I got it!" she declared. "The Unlimited Forging Hero: Bladeworks."

Izuku blinked, nearly stopping dead in his tracks as he thought about the name. Bladeworks, well, kind of worked pretty well. It was a good reference to his quirk like Saber was, but a bit more broad as it implied he could use more than just one type of sword. That he had access to a number of bladed weapons. Heck, that had been the reason he had included it in his introduction. Why hadn't he thought to use it as his name?

"Pony," he said at last. "You are a genius."

By this point, the pair were walking through the various benches and picnic tables before opening the door that would lead them directly into the cafeteria. Instantly noises and smells assaulted their senses as the students living at the dorm either waited in line to collect their breakfast or were already seated as they scarfed down their food. Meanwhile, the pro hero Lunch Rush was moving around the kitchen like a blur to both cook and set the dishes on the counter all by himself. As was typical of the Pro Hero, each morning there was a sort of theme. While there were basic items like turnovers, toast, and muffins each day, the man wanted to ensure that those staying at the dorms got their money's worth as well as having the experience of a lifetime. So, each day, you could count on him making breakfast dishes from around the world.

As soon as it was their turn, Izuku and Pony discovered that today they were being treated to a Polish breakfast. Loaves of Piernik (honey bread) were served next to rows of ponczkis. Near them was a dish called racuchy z jablkami, or Polish Apple Pancakes, which Pony began filling her plate with. After adding a few to his plate, Izuku took a helping of kielbasa as well as some kiszka before heading to find a seat. It didn't take him long to find the newest resident of the dorms sitting off in a corner by the windows. Uraraka looked like she was in heaven, holding a strawberry-filled ponczki in both hands, happily eating it with an expression of pure bliss on her face while her helping kaszanka (blood sausage) and fuczki (sauerkraut pancakes) laid there half-eaten.

For a moment, Izuku hesitated to approach the girl while Pony continued to grab whatever she could find that contained apples. Despite rooming with Pony for the time being, the 1-A girl had left before he got there. Something that Izuku was a little glad for as it would have felt awkward walking with her after what she had walked into last night. That and he wanted to spend some alone time with Pony as that had become even more limited.

Still, Izuku knew he couldn't avoid her forever. He was the vice-rep of the class she was trying to get into. So he would have to deal with this sooner or later. Better to have it done sooner rather than letting the issue fester and to avoid any wild speculations. With that, Izuku took a deep breath before approaching the table.

As the green-haired teen sat down, he noticed Uraraka opening her eyes for the first time. Instantly her blush deepened out of clear nervousness, slowly lowering her food as Izuku sat his tray down. Then, he gave her a nervous smile.

"Ah, Midoriya," spoke Uraraka first. "About last night." However, that was all she could say as she averted her eyes.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," said Izuku, trying his best to sound as nonchalant as possible. As if he were talking about the weather. However, it didn't go as well as he had hoped as his voice nearly broke halfway through. Hearing this, both teens could feel the slight tension there. "Look, how about we, ah, just forget about what happened."

"Right," agreed Uraraka before letting out a deep breath, her body instantly relaxing before digging into her kaszanka. Seeing this allowed Izuku to relax as well as he too began eating his meal.

"So, how are you liking the dorm life?" he asked, doing his best to steer the conversation.

"It's amazing!" she cried happily. "The food is so good here! I've rarely ever had non-Japanese meals like this before. Nothing beyond pancakes and doughnuts. It feels more like I'm at some fancy, fifty-star restaurant than a school cafeteria! Not to mention that Lunch Rush told me that we're having more of this Polish cooking for dinner!"

"Ah, I don't think there's such a thing as a fifty-star restaurant," he said. However, as Izuku began to eat his food, he realized that that's how this all had to feel for her. Given what he knew about the girl, most things above the simple were luxury items held by the elites.

Just then, Pony sat down next to Izuku. "So, Uraraka," began Pony, "you ready to finish Love After World Domination tonight?"

"Yes!" cried Uraraka, her eyes sparkling with glee with her hands all but slammed onto the table. "Desumi is like the coolest girl ever! Seeing how strong she is really motivates me, you know! Like how she keeps up with Fudo in a fight without having any quirk? And their relationship is too pure! I have got to see how it ends!"

"I know!" cried Pony. "Just wait till Desumi's little sister enters the picture. But then we need to figure out what we're going to watch next. Maybe another romance? Oh maybe My Dress-Up Darling? I have all three seasons back in my dorm and it will blow your mind into a thousand pieces!"

"And another one joins Pony's Cult of Anime," muttered Izuku with a hint of a smile before joining the conversation.