Izuku Midoriya was on cloud nine. He was in U.A. Highschool! It was the best day of his life, no question.

He gets to spend multiple days with future heroes, not as a friend, but as one of them! He was so excited that he didn't care how terrible his apartment was. He got to school an hour early.

It was lunchtime, and he somehow managed to not gather any suspicion despite not understanding the material. Midnight and Eraserhead kept giving him strange looks. He couldn't figure out why.

Izuku got up as everyone else left. He needed to get ready for hero training. It was going to be so fun! Wait a second, he was there for information. He shouldn't get sidetracked by idiotic wish fulfillment. Alright, what did he need to find out?

"Akatani, do you want to go to lunch together," asked Todoroki, his voice the usual cold tone. Oh yeah, that was why. He had to get information about how people got along with Akatani, for some reason.

"Yeah," said Izuku in a perfect Akatani impression. They sounded a little alike already so it was easy. He stood up. He didn't slouch, but he put his shoulders down to mimic it. Nobody should be able to notice.

They walked down the hall together. Izuku followed Todoroki but made sure not to fall too far behind. He didn't want to let it out that he didn't know the way to the cafeteria.

He had to think about how he'd confront Akatani's friends. Especially since that article came into the mainstream. He was able to keep them from confronting him directly with a few texts. It wasn't about their family, anyway. 'We can't judge without any information,' he told them over the group chat.

It was taking a long time. They walked around a corner. The hall was nearly empty. Izuku felt it get a little cold.

Todoroki grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him into the wall. His face was blank, but it felt angry.

"What's up? Did I do something?," asked Izuku with a twinge of fear. Why did Todoroki suddenly get so pissy?

"You told some reporter about my family. I told you that stuff in confidence." Todoroki was pissed. Izuku was a little afraid. He couldn't believe he already forgot about that. He never thought about it much. He got paid and that was enough.

Was this what he got for lying in the article? Was this karma in a screwed-up way? He never did anything wrong. Well, except for drugging Todoroki and forcing him to tattle on his dad. That was a little bad.

He had one choice. He didn't want to ruin Akatani's life, for at least a week. "Listen, I have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't say anything to no reporter." That was vaguely true.

"Then how did the article get made? They repeatedly cited you!" He pushed his elbow into Izuku's neck.

He forced his voice through his throat. "He must've been lying. Trust me, I never would've told a person what you told me." He did his best to look honest.

Todoroki let him go. He took in a deep breath. "Sorry, I should've suspected something was wrong," said Todoroki. He was back to his glum self.

Izuku rubbed his throat. "It's fine. I probably would've done the same thing." Maybe a bit more violent. "The question is, who would want to hurt you?"

Todoroki blinked. "I have several people in mind."

"Then we should drop it." Izuku casually leaned on the wall. "It was probably a stalker anyway. Some psychopath who saw us together and got jealous." That was incredibly insulting, to himself. It wasn't close to being true. He couldn't care less about Todoroki's relationship with Akatani.

"But I have a stalker. Shouldn't that be something to be worried about?" Should've thought of that.

"It should be fine. If you get kidnapped, just take it as a break from your family. Especially your dad."

"How is that fine?"

"Don't ask me. I'm not the one with a stalker." Izuku blinked, shocked by the irony of his statement. Akatani did have a stalker and was kidnapped by her. That was hilarious. But in a bad way or whatever.

Izuku walked down the hall. "Are we getting lunch now? I want to be prepared for hero training." They did, and Izuku got the katsudon. Nothing happened during lunch.


Hero training was right after lunch. Hero costumes, learning to fight, and getting practical experience in the field. Definitely the best part of the day. Izuku could barely keep his act as Akatani together.

He was in Akatani's seat, waiting for the teacher to arrive. Everyone was giving him awkward looks, but he completely ignored them. Nothing in the world could sour his mood.

Eraserhead entered the room. He was way more disheveled than his public appearances. He sat at the desk. "Everyone but Akatani, get your hero costumes and go to Ground Beta. Akatani, meet me at my desk."

Izuku did as he was told. The rest of the class took suitcases from the wall and left. The only one that was still there after they were gone had Akatani's seat number. Izuku assumed it was his.

Izuku was quietly freaking out. If he had to do something, he could miss training. He only had a few chances to train with the future heroes! If it wasn't important, he might just walk out.

"Akatani," Eraserhead interrupted his thoughts. "Recent developments in the 'Quirkless Killer' police investigation have come to light. I am in the unique position to have some of this information."

No wonder he kept getting those weird looks. That meant only Midnight and Eraserhead had this insider knowledge. It must've been some kind of task force with heroes.

"It was the family's wish to keep this confidential until after the funeral, but I feel like you should know." He slid a picture of Hitoshi Shinsou across the desk. "The General studies student, and hero hopeful, Hitoshi Shinsou, has been found dead by an apparent attack from the Quirkless Killer."

How did they it was connected to him? He was so careful not to let his fingerprints on him when he dragged his body through the portal. He even forced Toga to transform into him so his fingerprints would appear on the glasses. He thought of literally everything. It should've been seen as a random act of violence.

Izuku barely kept his emotions in check. He had to keep a cool head so he could train. He was sure that they wouldn't give dangerous hero equipment to people with emotional problems. "Why are you telling me this? How is this related to me?"

Eraserhead was taken slightly aback. He kept his cool tone. "Shinsou was training with you. The last time you were seen together it seemed you were good friends. Also, the Quirkless Killer seemed to have taken an interest in you. They could be trying to kill your friends before going after you."

Izuku almost rolled his eyes. He didn't 'take an interest' in that idiot. He simply had to kill him before he became a hero. He also only started pretending to be him because Toga just so happened to like him. So many coincidences, he couldn't let the opportunity pass him by.

He tried to muster some emotion about that guy's death. He failed. It wasn't his fault the guy died. Well, it was his fault. But he didn't hold the knife and that was basically the same thing. He tried to control Toga, damnit!

"He had a quirk. The Quirkless Killer only kills the quirkless. Can I go train now?"

Eraserhead narrowed his eyes at Izuku. "Ok. You can go. But you have to know something important."

"What is that?" Izuku was getting annoyed. This wasn't important. It was only a murder.

"You can talk to us if you're having any problems. Don't bottle it up."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Yes! They took his apathy as emotional distress! He didn't have to pretend to care. He took the remaining briefcase and made his way to the locker room.


Izuku turned the corner. He was sure that was the way to the locker room. He walked down the hall. It wasn't there. He was officially lost.

The place was built like a maze. It was a miracle he found Class 1-A. Nothing in the school made any sense. He passed class 2-B but then came across 1-H. Why didn't he get a map when had the chance?

An explosion filled the hallway. A metal door shot in front of his face. It was inches away from hitting him. He saw his life briefly flash before his eyes. It was extremely pathetic.

He put the thought aside when someone called 'his' name. "Hey, Akatani."

"Yes, that's me. Akatani," said Izuku.

Mei Hatsume came out of the room. She had pink hair and was covered in soot from the explosion. Izuku remembered her from the Sports Festival. She did a long show about several gadgets and forfeited. He didn't take any notes about it. All Might didn't use any support equipment.

"Did you come to visit me about the addition to your costume?"

"Yes." Izuku pretended to know what she was talking about. "Is it ready?"

"Yup!" She dragged him into the room. "It was so hard to make. Such a fun challenge. It took me ten hours and five iterations before perfecting it." She forced him into a chair near her desk. It was covered in black soot. Like there was an explosion. Izuku didn't want to stay there much longer.

Hatsume stood in front of Izuku. She had a small metal cylinder that fit in her palm. She was holding it like it weighed more than it seemed. "Here it is! The Po-Staff! Patent pending."

She took out a small remote and clicked a button. The metal cylinder extended into a three-meter-long metal staff. She gave it to him.

It was the perfect weight. Izuku stood up and easily spun it with one hand. It felt so natural it was like a part of him.

"It's perfect. You really outdid yourself." Izuku ran his fingers across the weapon. It was completely smooth to the touch. Hatsume gave with the remote. He pressed the button. The staff shrunk into his palm.

"Thanks," said Hatsume. "Just one bit of advice. Be careful when extending it. It's a little strong."

"What do you mean," asked Izuku. She pointed upwards. There were five holes in the ceiling. It was made of cement. "Right, that makes sense."

Izuku put the Po-Staff in his briefcase. Wait, Po-Staff? That name was weird. "What's a Po-Staff," said Izuku.

"It's short for 'Pocket Staff.' Do you get it?"

"It's like Pokemon. So funny." He didn't think it was funny. He did bow out of courtesy. "Thank you for the staff." He turned around. "I'll be seeing you." There was a map of the school by the destroyed door. He quietly took it as he left. It was finally time to get to hero training.

Hopefully, he wasn't too late.