Introducing another child into the Midoriya Home for Wayward Children was surprisingly much less complicated than anyone could have anticipated. Eri was attached to the hip of Himiko; the only other person she would go to was Izuku. It took a bit to introduce her to the others; it would have been a slow and arduous process.

Except for one thing. Mizuki Bakugo.

Mizuki walked in, saw Eri, stomped over to her, and grabbed her hand. "We are going to go play!" it wasn't a question; it wasn't a request and left no room for argument.

"But what if the bad person comes for me?" Eri tried to protest.

"Then I will blow them up?" Mizuki turned around and looked at Eri, "Is the bad man still out there?"

"No, they have been taken care of," Izuku said; they all saw the look of disappointment cross Mizuki's face.

"How are you going to blow them up?" Eri asked.

"With my mind!" Mizuki responded. "Izu said it was fine, however. Now, let's go play!"

Eri couldn't think of a response, and the thought of going against this little girl was not in her best interest. "My name is Eri."

"I'm Mizuki, but you can call me Mizu," everyone seemed surprised that the only person allowed to call her Mizu was Izuku, and that was under the belief that she called him Izu.

"I don't know how to play?" Eri mumbled.

"Then I will teach you," Mizuki said, and the two girls entered the backyard.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Hitoshi said.

"I am not going out there," Katsuki said with a smirk. "You are welcome to try."

Hitoshi's sweat dropped, "No, thank you, I choose life!"

"Very noble of you, my dear," Reiko said, patting his shoulder and earning some giggles from the rest.

They did make their way outside, but they were sitting on the back deck going over some notes and studying for a test in school, leaving the mothers inside. "Where are Fuyumi and Natsuo?" Camie asked as Shoto was staring at the bowl of fruit.

"Natsuo will meet Toya at U.A. for training; Fuyumi has a date." He said, plucking out a strawberry.

"OMG, she has a date with who? And did your dad freak out?" Cammie said, suddenly more interested in the answer than anything.

"Honestly, I have no idea," Shoto said; Cammie instantly deflated, though she wasn't surprised Shoto didn't seem interested in romance.


-Meanwhile-

"So the boy killed someone," Enji said, looking across the table at All-Might; Sir Night Eye and Gran Torino joined them.

"Yes," All-Might said gravely. "From what I understand about the battle, it was a kill-or-be-killed moment."

"Overhaul, he can kill with a touch," Night Eye added. "His quirk could have been beyond amazing for the world; I mean, top hero, legendary if he wasn't so disturbed.

Enji raised an eyebrow as he looked over the file before him; the report on Eri and her quirk was also somewhat surprising. "And there has been no report of the incident? No one has come looking for the girl?"

"Nothing, which is almost disturbing," All-Might said. "There were people around to witness the battle; the video was almost certainly taken, but after the fight, they seemingly deleted the videos and went about their night. There are no records of any emergency calls; everything is spotless."

"This is most disturbing indeed," Enji looked out the window. "Could it be Azrael's work?"

"Izuku questioned him, and he said it was the work of another, possibly attempting to curry favor with him," Night Eye said as he rose to pour another cup of tea.

"I still question if this Azrael is real?" Enji said, returning his gaze to All-Might, "I thought you had suffered a mental break when you told me about that, but as you also revealed the truth about your quirk, I couldn't find a reason to doubt it. And even if it is a delusion of his quirk, it seems to drive him to save others; it led him to Toya after all."

"What are we going to do then?" Torino said with a little bit of grumpiness in his tone.

"Nothing has changed. We have to track down All for One and end this," All-Might replied.

"Agreed, not only for the sake of the world but for the children as well," Enji added.


-The Children-

"I don't have words," Katsuki said, hugging Izuku tight. "I am sorry that you had to go through that."

The silence from Reiko, Shoto, and Camie was nearly deafening. They looked at their friend, and seeing the toll of him making such a hard choice was difficult. They listened as he shared what had been done to Eri, what had been revealed to him when he had killed Overhaul, and the torment that I had brought him.

Izuku looked at Mizuki and Eri playing in the backyard, a simple game of kicking the ball back and forth; it was heartbreaking watching the uncertainty playing out on Eri's face. "I don't think I will ever stop asking if there was another way, but he was so…"

"Evil," Reiko said; she got up and joined Katsuki in the hug. "That man was pure evil. Maybe with years of training and other heroes to support and help you, there may have been another way, but that was not the case, my friend. I think nothing less of you; I am saddened that I cannot share this burden."

"Ditto," Cami said, joining in the hug.

Shoto didn't say anything as he joined in. Once they separated, they soon made their way out to join in the game.


-Inko and Hisashi-

"I don't know what we are going to do?" Inko said, her arm around her husband's waist. "He is being dragged into so many things that how do we keep up."

"We can't," her husband replied. "We can't keep up with him, but we can be there when he stumbles or needs to let go for a moment. We can't all be part of the mom action squad."

"No one messes with my babies while I'm around," Inko smirked. "Are you really okay with all this, honey?"

"I felt hurt that it seemed I was being pushed into the background, that decisions and things were happening without my consent," he sighed. "It was an ego thing, but then I saw it in his face, and when I talked to him, I realized that my "job" is to do all I can to support him and all of them. Despite everything, they are still kids; he needs me to be his father."

"I need you too," Inko said, facing him. "I love you so much, Hisashi." She was surprised when he leaned down and kissed her, that that he did so, but it wasn't a simple peck but a much more passionate kiss. Inko pulled back, her breathing a bit heavy; he smiled at her devilishly; she didn't protest when he scooped her up bridal style and carried her to the bedroom.


-Later-

"Where is Momma Inko?" Hitoshi asked.

"Taking a nap," Hisashi called from the kitchen, "Pizza tonight for dinner; find out what everyone wants."

"Ok, Dad," he replied, walking back outside.


-The Return to Normal-

Over the next few days, Himiko and her shadow often surrounded Inko; once it became clear that Inko was safe, Eri could be with the woman without panicking. It was an important step, as Himiko had to return to school the next day. She had missed a couple of days to stay with Eri and get her adjusted, but she couldn't afford to miss more classes than necessary. It was a stressful day for Eri, but it helped that Himiko and Izuku would call during breaks to tell her hi and how they missed her.


-Eri-

This new place was much better than her old place, and Overhaul's being gone allowed her to sleep better. But the bad dreams didn't just disappear like magic; the cool fire from Izu helped her quiet them a bit. She liked sharing a bed with Himi; how Himi held her tight during the night made it feel safe. Getting used to the others was made more accessible by finding out they all wanted to be heroes together, real heroes that save people and help others like Himi and Izu helped her.

She had wondered about school, but the thought scared her. However, she liked it when Mizu would come over and tell her about her day at school. About playing, learning, and all the different things that happened there every day. She had walked over to Inko and tugged on the hem of the woman's apron.

Inko never really scared her; she was a bit wary of her, but coming from her circumstances, it was understandable. But seeing how much Himi and Izu loved her and the smiles they gave each other was enough to get Eri to trust her. After Himi had to return to school, it was just the two of them for most of the day, but today, Eri wanted to know something.

"What is it, sweetie?" Inko said sweetly.

"Can I go to school one day?" Eri said hesitantly.

"Of course, you can," Inko said, squatting before Eri. "Do you want to go to school?"

"I think so," Eri fidgeted with her skirt. "I like hearing about Mizu's day, and when I asked Himi and Izu if I could go to school with them, they said that I have to be older to go to their school, but I could go to school with Mizu."

"That is correct," Inko said, lightly taking Eri's hand. "School is very important; you meet new people and learn important things. I can teach you some things here at home if you want."

"Home," Eri whispered; she liked that word. "Like practice school?"

"Exactly!" Inko's bright smile tugged at something inside Eri. "If we practice hard when the new school year starts, maybe you can go to school with Mizu."

"I would like that," Eri tightened her grip on Inko's hand. "Does that mean I can stay here, stay…" Eri struggled. "I want this to be my home…is that okay?" she shut her eyes, scared at what Inko would say.

"Eri, this is already your home." Eri's eyes opened quickly. "You are not going anywhere till you are all grown up. We will never kick you out or make you go away. This is your home, Eri, forever and forever."

Tears pooled at the corners of Eri's eyes as she whispered, "Forever? But what if Eri does bad…"

"Forever!" Inko said, wiping the stray tear from Eri's face. "No matter what!"

Eri broke down and started crying, clinging to Inko like she was on a life raft and lost at sea. It took quite a while for Eri to calm down, and soon after that, Eri fell asleep in Inko's arms. No nightmares and no worries entered her mind. Instead, she dreamed of Home.


-U.A.-

"The recommended exam is stacked this year," Nemuri Kayama, aka Midnight, said as she looked over the files on the candidates, "And Izuku is part of that crop."

"Do not remind me," groaned the underground Hero Eraser Head or Shota Aizawa, casting an evil glare at Vlad. "You are still a dick for that one Seki."

Sekijiro Kan, aka Vlad King, laughed. "Well, if you feel that strongly, I will take him off your hands."

"Really?" Aizawa said, his voice so full of life and hope, more than anyone could remember.

"No, that headache is all yours!" Kan kept laughing, seeing the hope drain from Aizawa's face.

"Oh yeah, STICK IT TO HIM," Present Mic said, unable to contain his amusement.

"That is mean, Hizashi," Nemuri snickered. "Funny but mean."

"I hate all of you!" Aizawa declared.

The door opened with Nezu, Chiyo, Power Loader, and Snipe walking into the room. "What are we going to do with all these recommendations?" Aizawa said, looking at Nezu.

"That is what we are here to discuss," Nezu smiled as he sat. "We have quite the crop of students this year; aside from some questions about their ranking on the academic side, I can see almost offering them automatic entry." The teachers all looked at him surprised. "Almost," Nezu said, holding up one finger. "Almost. We have considered expanding the hero course some before, and I believe we should revisit that. Opinions?"

"20 Headaches are more than enough," Aizawa said quickly, "But what if we expand the recommended slots to three."

"I would normally object to that, but with this crop," Kan said, motioning to the files. "Are you going to make Izuku take the exam? Even if he didn't answer a question, right with that healing quirk? The press conference."

"He would refuse," Chiyo said with a smile. "If we insisted, he would probably go to another school, and when the press asked, he would say exactly why."

"Oh, a boy with conviction, I like it!" Nemuri said playfully.

"I may not be one of the heads of the hero course," Snipe said, drawing everyone's attention. "But it seems that if you are going to expand the recommended students, then that takes away from those that don't have that advantage, which seems a little unfair to other folk."

"Then we expand the hero course to 22?" Kan said after a pause. "Plus, one recommended and one standard?"

"I say we keep it as is," Nemuri replied. "We have never expanded or changed before, and if the recommendations don't make the cut and refuse to retest, then we should let them walk; it is a bit mean, but as we all know, life can be a bit cruel."

"I expected you to vote to increase the class size," Hizashi said, leaning forward.

"I have looked over the list of recommendations and the list of our normal applicants. I can say without a doubt that this class will be one to remember." Nemuri leaned back and smiled. "I can't wait to see what happens!"


-Shoto Todoroki-

Shoto couldn't help but smile as he and Izuku stood before their friends and family, wishing them well as they were prepared to head out for the exam. Watching his mother and father standing there holding hands while photos were being taken was more than anything he could have dreamed about all those years ago. His home had been so cold and empty until Toya came home. The day that Izuku brought his brother home was the day that the entire course of his life changed.

His father had changed, his mother had come home, and the entire house had just woken up and come alive. Now, he couldn't dream of it being so cold again. Then there were his friends, all future heroes, all training and working every day to be better and push to that goal of not being the future Number One hero but of being heroes that people could rely on.

He would be a hero the nation would look up to.


-Recommendation-

Momo Yaoyorozu stepped out of her limo; she looked up at the enormous gates of the U.A. and felt small. She felt like she wasn't worthy; self-doubt, nerves, everything was building up inside her as she stood looking at the gate.

"Hey, are you alright?" a voice said, startling out of her head.

She turned and saw a boy with green hair and a concerned look; standing behind him was another boy with Heterochromatic hair and eyes.

"It seems big," he said, stepping forward. "Like the Horn Gate."

"The gate of dreams," Momo responded.

"Exactly the gates of dreams," he said, smiling; she liked his smile. It was warm and reassuring. "In Greek mythology, dreams pass through two gates: the Ivory Gate for prophetic dreams and the Aeneid Gate for deceptive dreams that elude mortals." He looked up at the gates of U.A. "Through there are our dreams, the ones that drove us to this point and the ones we don't even know about yet."

"Some would say that dreams are foolish," Momo responded, unconsciously stepping forward. "That a dream is just something for children to hold onto instead of looking at reality."

"A dream is just reality that we haven't brought forth yet," the green-haired boy said, taking another step.

"A dream is something you can't just wait for it to happen, but you have to step forward and grab it," the other boy said.

"What is your dream?" the green-haired boy said, returning to her.

"I want to be a hero," Momo responded, looking again at the gates. The gates of dreams, where beyond them was her dream of being a hero, her dream of being a beacon for others, to save others with a smile. She wanted to make people feel safe when things were dark, just like a hero did for her.

"Then let go be heroes," the green-haired boys said.

Momo nodded, smiling, her fears fleeing her as they started walking. "Thank you," she said. "I don't even know your names."

"Shoto Todoroki," the Heterochromatic.

"Izuku Midoriya."

"I am Momo Yaoyorozu; thank you for being so kind." She felt her smile growing as they got closer to the gates, closer to their dreams. "I hope that after this, maybe we could," she fidgeted with her hands. "exchange numbers; I would like to keep in touch."

"I would very much like that as well," Izuku said with a smile.

"As would I," Shoto added, "I have learned that one can never have enough friends." Shoto smirked, looking towards Izuku, "They make life interesting."

"I know you from the press conference," Momo said, looking at Izuku, who blushed. "And are you the son of Endeavor,'" she told Shoto.

"You are the eldest child and heiress to the Yaoyorozu Corporation," Shoto said.

"I am," Momo said, glancing down for a moment. "But I want to be a hero, not just sit in a board room," her voice sounded slightly sad. "When I saw those gates, I wondered if I was strong enough to do this."

"Even if Endeavor has trained you," Shoto said after a pause. "You wonder the same thing; you look at things your friends have done and gone through and wonder if you are good enough. But in the end, all you can do is push forward." Momo seemed surprised, "There are things you want to accomplish, and the only ones that can do that are you."

"No one will hand you your dreams," Momo said, her voice filling with determination. "You have to go forward, take them in your own hands, and bring them into reality." She smiled at them both. "Thank you."


-A Rival Appears? -

No sooner had Shoto separated from Momo and Izuku than he was walking towards his interview area when a moving wall appeared in front of him. Shoto paused and looked at this man at first, thinking he must be a teacher of a third year by his height and build. He was well over 6 feet tall with buzzed brown hair and black eyes.

Shoto went left, and the wall matched his movement. Shoto went right; same thing. "Can I help you?"

"YOU ARE SHOTO TODOROKI ARE YOU NOT?" the wall said.

"I am? Who are you?"

"FORGIVE ME; I AM INASA YOARASHI, LIKE YOURSELF. I AM HERE TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDED EXAM, BUT I JUST HAD TO MEET YOU FIRST!" He said rather loudly. Shoto thought, wondering if he was somehow related to Katsuki.

"Is there a reason you have sought me out? I do have the interview portion to get to?"

"I APOLOGIZE. I WANTED TO ASK IF YOU COULD TELL ME WHY ENDEAVOR HAS CHANGED?" the boy said. "I MET HIM ONCE BEFORE, AND THE EXPERIENCE LEFT ME WANTING; HIS EYES WERE COLD AND DISTANT. I WAS WORRIED I WOULD SEE THE SAME EXPRESSION IN YOUR EYES, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE."

Shoto eyes narrowed slightly, but then he thought about it; he had witnessed this very change; he had even seen it mentioned on television. Of course, there was constant training when Katsuki accused his father of going soft, sparking an intense session. Shoto was surprised when Katsuki turned down his father's recommendation; Katsuki told Endeavor he wanted to make his way. He needed to prove to himself that he belonged.

"We had a rough patch in our lives, but we have found our way through it," Shoto said. "You will understand that I will not go into further details on a family matter."

"I APOLOGIZE!" INASA SAID, BOWING STIFFLY AT A 90-DEGREE ANGLE. "I HOPE THAT IT IS A PERMANENT CHANGE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BOTH US PASSING THIS EXAM!" And just like that, the strange boy walked away. Shoto shook his head as he headed for his interview.


-6 Hours later-

Izuku stood there looking at his downed opponent; she had long green hair, large eyes, and a toothy grin. Setsuna Tokage. Izuku looked at her and smiled; she was his final obstacle. It was simple; he had to defeat her in combat to advance. It was a short but intense battle. He was caught off guard when her body broke apart, and a whirlwind of parts descended upon him, attacking him from every direction, but he could heal; once the black flames erupted, the heat drove her back. Black Whip allowed him to grab her head, which allowed him to end the fight. He knelt over her and healed her slowly, letting her pull her limbs back together. She sat up and hung her head, the sensation of defeat washing over her.

"If I couldn't heal myself, that would have ended badly for me," he said, trying to console her.

"Guess it was bad luck on my part to get you as my opponent," she held out her hand so he could help her. "Don't get cocky there; I am going to take the practical, and next time, I am going to knock you silly."

"I look forward to it," he smiled as they exited different parts of the arena.

Izuku stepped into a waiting room, just as Inasa did. Soon, Shoto joined them, and a few minutes later, Momo stepped in, bruised but smiling. She was grateful for Izuku's healing, marveling at how cool the white flames felt. Once the four of them had been gathered, a door opened, and Nezu walked in along with Vlad King and Eraser Head.

"In case you were not aware, I am the Principal of U.A.," Nezu chirped. "And I would like to congratulate the four of you on passing the recommended exams and officially offer you a spot in our hero course."

The four all agreed with relief that they didn't have to fight again; it had been a rather long day.

"Shoto Todoroki and Inasa Yoarashi," Vlad King stepped forward. "I would like to welcome you both to the 1-B hero course. I expect great things from you both, inside and outside my class."

"I WELCOME ANY CHALLENGE YOU LAY BEFORE ME SENSEI!" Inasa said, bowing.

Shoto was a little sad that he wasn't in class with Izuku, but he knew that was possible and that the U.A. may be separating them because of how close they already were. "I look forward to learning under you, Sensei," Shoto said, bowing as well.

"Momo Yaoyorozu and Izuku Midoriya," Izuku noticed. Aizawa sighed on his name. "Welcome to Class 1-A."

Momo and Izuku both bowed and thanked him.

"Now, of course, we will send you home with your information packets and official acceptance letters," Nezu said. "You are free to leave; please travel safely."

Once they had received their letters and were all outside the gates, relief visibly washed over them.

"Inasa, would you like to exchange phone numbers so we can keep in touch before school starts?" Izuku said as the living wall went to leave.

"AH, YES THAT IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA." HE SAID AS THEY ALL TAPPED THEIR PHONES TOGETHER. "I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU ALL."

Shoto and Izuku said their goodbyes as they climbed into the back of a limo, seeing Rei and Inko sitting, waiting for them to close the door. The two boys nodded as their mothers pulled them into a crushing embrace. The call went out when they arrived at the Todoroki estate. All their friends were there, as were their mentors. The celebration lasted long into the night.


-One Month Later-

"The dorms are complete, and the exams have been scored; now we need to set the rosters for the Hero Course so we can begin preparation for the acceptance letters," Nezu said with a smile.

"IT WAS HARD TO SEE SO MANY LITTLE LISTENERS JUST MISS THE CUT THIS YEAR!" Hizashi said.

"It was extremely competitive," Vlad added.

"Let's get this over with; unlike some of you, I have patrol later tonight," Aizawa said, emerging from his sleeping bag in the corner.

"Very well, let us begin!" Nezu said with a grin. "First, we have the top scorer this year, Katsuki Bakugo!"


-2 hours later-

Class 1-A

Izuku Midoriya, Momo Yaoyorozu, Pony Tsunotori, Cami Utsushimi, Setsuna Tokage, Katsuki Bakugo, Ibara Shiozaki, Tsuyu Asui, Mina Ashido, Eijiro Kirishima, Denki Kaminari, Kyoka Jiro, Ochaco Uraraka, Tenya Ida, Fumikage, Tokoyami, Toru Hagakure, Koji Koda, Mezo Shoji, Minoru Mineta, Himiko Toga

Class 1-B

Shoto Todoroki, Inasa Yoarashi, Hitoshi Midoriya, Reiko Yanagi, Juzo Honenuki, Yui Kodai, Yuga Aoyama, Yosetsu Awase, Sen Kaibara, Togaru Kamakiri, Shihai Kuroiro, Itsuka Kendo, Kinoko Komori, Jurota Shishida, Nirengeki Shoda, Kosei Tsuburaba, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Manga Fukidashi, Neito Monoma, Hiryu Ren