Chapter Summary: Izuku is given a new responsibility; Toshinori toils with both of his.

A/N: And now, folks, we've started to settle into the next arc of this series. Looked forward to this part for *ages.*

Izuku wasn't looking forward to having to face Kacchan when he got to school. By the time he found out Kacchan had left the infirmary, he was both disappointed and yet relieved to find that he had already exited school grounds. While he was glad to know that he was doing alright, it still bothered him to know that Kacchan spent the whole afternoon recovering from their battle. His feelings only grew stronger when he got home and spoke to his mother.

"Just got a call from Mitsuki," she told him, "she says that Katsuki was really upset when he came home today…" The memory of her sad eyes made his heart clench. "I hope he's feeling alright."

'I do, too,' Izuku prayed silently.

Still, despite his heavy heart, Izuku tried to focus on the brighter side of things. At the end of class yesterday, his class was told they were going to be leaving to go on a field trip sometime after lunch and he couldn't wait to find out what it was for. All Might and the other teachers wouldn't say.

"You'll just have to wait and see, my boy," All Might told him the day before. He tapped Izuku on the nose and gave him a soft smile. "But I'm sure you and your class will have fun."

It was still… Strange to have him as a teacher. Sure, he had gotten used to All Might mentoring him during the past year or so, but for him to stand in a suit and actually teach classwork was a completely different experience. After the Hero vs. Villain exercise, the class had been given forms to fill out as practice for filing reports and collaborating with other Pros at agencies, which was both exciting and enlightening to Izuku. While some of his classmates groaned at the idea of doing paperwork after such an intense exercise, Izuku loved writing the report and was happy to turn it in with a bright smile.

'I was a bit surprised to see him teaching here,' Izuku mused, 'but he seems to be doing alright. I think some of the class likes him a bit more than Sensei Aizawa.'

Sensei Aizawa was still taking some getting used to, as well. He was a lot more intense than any of the teachers Izuku had in the past and was a bit stricter, too. After the exercise, he commented to Izuku that getting his power under control during the exercise was a "start", but that he still had work to do before he proved that he was actually capable of becoming a hero. Izuku hated that it was his first instinct to duck his head down upon hearing that.

'I'm still playing catch up,' he reminded himself, 'I just have to work harder to get where I need to be.'

As his eyes lifted up to meet the growing familiar sight of U.A., Izuku blinked with surprise. Wait, why was there a crowd of people outside?

"Hey, kid!" shouted a member of the crowd, causing him to jump. Before Izuku could prepare himself, the stranger darted towards him with a microphone in hand and a cameraman following quickly after. "I gotta talk to you!"

"M-Me?" Izuku stammered.

All it took was a blink and suddenly, more people from the crowd had come closer. Izuku took a step back, only to back into another person and jump forward with a scream.

"You're a student at U.A., right?" asked a reporter. Her hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and her pantsuit was nicely pressed. "Can you tell us what it's like to have All Might as a teacher?"

Izuku's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"Look, you don't have to lie!" shouted the reporter. "I know U.A. can't afford to have all their students sign an NDA, so you can at least tell me something!"

"I…" Izuku drawled, swallowing a bit. He tugged on his backpack straps. "W-Who told you All Might was teaching at U.A.?"

The reporter's eyes practically sparkled. "So you admit it!"

Panicked, Izuku waved his hands. "N-No! I-I was j-just ask—"

"Is he teaching the students about heroics?" exclaimed another journalist.

"How does it feel to have the Symbol of Peace spread his knowledge to the younger generation?" demanded a younger gentleman with a camcorder.

"Is he just as charming in person as he is on television?" gushed the reporter from before.

Izuku practically spun on his feet to try to find an opening for him to escape through, only to find more and more people closing in.

"P-Please, I-I d-don't—" he tried to say.

The crowd paid no heed to his words. Their voices joined together became a cacophony of noises that left him unable to even hear his own thoughts, his words catching in his throat. His hands went to his eyes to shield them from the flashing cameras and the loud clamor of voices caused his heart rate to rise to dangerous levels.

"Why is All Might hiding his new position from the public?" questioned a reporter.

"Answer the question, kid!" one cameraman shouted.

Too many voices, too many noises, too many things all happening at once. Izuku could feel tears prick at the corners of his eyes, which only made his panic increase. Was he really about to cry in front of all these strangers with cameras?

Then, all of the sudden, a pair of hands clapped down onto his shoulders and Izuku looked up with a shuddering gasp. His eyes met with a familiar set of auburn brown eyes and he blinked.

"Uraraka?" he whispered softly.

Uraraka smiled at him. "Don't worry, Deku! We'll get you out!"

'We?' he thought. Then, a hand grabbed a hold of the back of his collar and he whipped around to see Iida behind him. 'Iida, too?'

"Get out of the way! " Iida exclaimed firmly. "You're blocking the way onto school grounds!"

"Hey, you're ruining our interview!" the reporter shouted.

Uraraka slipped her hand over to Iida. "Hang on tight!"

Before Izuku could ask what she meant by that, he felt his feet start to lift off of the ground. With a startled shriek, Izuku clung to Uraraka and closed his eyes while the three of them rose higher and higher above them.

"What the hell?" exclaimed a journalist.

"How're they doing that?!" questioned another.

Iida's arms wrapped around Uraraka and Izuku firmly. "Apologies for my brashness!"

Then, when the familiar sound of his jets kicked on, Izuku braced himself and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He would just have to pray that the three of them didn't wind up crashing into the building or, worse, the ground.

"Uraraka, now!" Iida ordered.

"Release!" Uraraka replied, and just like that, gravity found its way back to Izuku's body. He let out another terrified scream and clung to both of them for dear life. It wasn't until his feet touched the ground that he dared to open his eyes.

"They're getting away!" shouted someone from the crowd. "Get them!"

Iida tightened his grip. "Normally I wouldn't say to run, but now isn't the time for manners!" He spared a look at both Uraraka and Izuku. "Hang on!"

Izuku barely uttered out an "OK," before Iida shot down the pathway and towards the entrance of the school. He spared a glance back at the crowd behind them and froze when he saw them drawing closer, causing him to cling tighter to Iida. Thankfully, they found themselves at the front steps of the school in only a matter of seconds, leaving a good amount of distance between them and the swarming reporters. Once they made it to the doors, Iida kicked the door to the school open and hauled both Izuku and Uraraka inside.

"The barriers will keep them out!" Iida said while he set them down. As the door was getting ready to swing close violently, Iida caught the handle with his hand. Slowly, he closed the door and let it come to a gentle close. With a light sigh, he turned to Izuku and Uraraka. "Are you two alright?"

Izuku let out a wheezy breath. "Pretty sure I saw my whole life flash before my eyes back there…

Uraraka laughed as she fixed her messy hair. "I think that was just the flash from the press' cameras."

"Why are the press here on school grounds?" Iida asked. "What do they want to do with U.A.?" He combed his hair out with his fingers and straightened up his uniform. "It's not time for the Sports Festival and we don't have any other events going on."

Upon recalling their questions, Izuku frowned. They thought that All Might was working at U.A., which, while true , wasn't exactly supposed to be public knowledge. How had they realized that he was actually teaching at U.A. when he was supposed to be in disguise? Was there some sort of leak? Then, he went still. Had All Might's identity been found out?

"Midoriya?" Iida questioned, causing him to break out of his thoughts. "You alright?"

Izuku swallowed. "They… asked me questions about All Might."

"Huh?" Uraraka replied. "Like what?"

"They think that he works at U.A.," Izuku told her, causing her and Iida to blink, "which is—"

"Ludicrous!" Iida blurted out. He clapped his hand over his mouth and flushed a bit. "Sorry… that was impolite of me."

Izuku chuckled softly, relief sinking down onto his shoulders. "I mean, you're still right… I think we'd all notice if All Might was a teacher at U.A., you know? Kinda hard to miss him."

Uraraka giggled. " Right? He's, what? Six feet tall?"

"Seven feet, actually," Izuku clarified, and she gaped, "and two inches. That's not even including his hair ."

"Well, I don't know where the press got that idea," Iida commented, scoffing a bit, "they must be looking to fill their headlines with something absurd to gain viewership." He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "And they wonder why people don't trust the news anymore."

Izuku felt the weight on his chest lift up a bit. He was sure that if he didn't know what All Might's true form looked like, he would never have guessed that his Hero Basics and Public Relations teacher was actually the Symbol of Peace of himself. If he weren't in the know, he would have thought it was just as absurd as Iida did.

So how exactly did the press come to think that All Might was a faculty member?

"What're you three doing loitering up here?" drawled a tired voice. All three of them turned and went still when they spotted Sensei Aizawa standing there, looking more annoyed than usual. "And why are your uniforms in such disarray?"

Iida straightened up and held up a rigid hand. "Sir, there are members of the press outside! They tried to bombard Midoriya with ridiculous questions, so Uraraka and I had to forcibly remove him from the crowd so we could enter the school!"

Aizawa blinked slowly. "The press is outside?"

"They were asking questions about All Might!" Uraraka chimed in. "They think he teaches here at U.A.!"

Something akin to surprise flashed across Aizawa's features. "They think what? "

"I know," Iida affirmed, bringing his hand down in a vicious chop, "absolutely unfounded claims, sir. And they tried to crowd Midoriya in the process of questioning him! It was wildly unacceptable!"

Aizawa let out a small hum of displeasure. " Vultures… Where do they come up with this stuff?"

Izuku shrunk beneath his gaze. "You're… not mad at me for getting caught up in the crowd, are you?"

"No, problem child," Aizawa replied, causing him to blink, "the press does what the press does. Not your fault for getting caught up in the worst of it." He let out a ragged sigh. "I'll go handle this. Just get to the classroom."

"O-Oh," Izuku stammered, "I, um… Thanks."

He thought he saw the corner of his teacher's lip tug up. "Don't thank me just yet. I haven't had the chance to tell them off for bothering my students."

Toshinori really didn't know when to quit. It was something he had always struggled with for years, ever since he was a young lad under his mentor's tutelage. Whenever he'd return from U.A. with tired limbs and slump onto the couch after training, she'd always laugh and stroke his head while telling him to just take it easy.

"Always a hard worker, Toshinori," she'd tease, curling a finger around his long bangs. He'd huff tiredly into the couch and she'd chuckle. "You gotta stop burning the candle at both ends, kiddo."

Now, as an old man, Toshinori still found himself struggling to follow her advice. Even while he was dressed up in his work suit, he had still suited up into his All Might costume underneath just in case he needed a quick transformation. It was a habit he had carried with him for the past few years once he gained his injury and his time limit had shortened to such a degree.

'And it's only gotten worse,' he mused, 'my power has only grown weaker since I gave Midoriya One For All…' He grimaced to himself. 'And since the sludge villain attack.'

Toshinori hated to be on the sidelines when a crisis was happening. However, that trait was just as much of a virtue as it was a vice, because it was that very same disdain for not being able to do nothing that had left him in that position in the first place. He knew logistically that with all the heroes on the scene, young Bakugou would have been saved from the villain, but the hero in him was screaming for him to act. That voice had won over in the end, but all it had done was leave Toshinori worse off than before.

'I saved him,' he thought, 'but by doing so, I've cost myself the ability to help more people.' He closed his eyes with a deep frown. 'And yet, if I had to do it all over again, I'd go back and save him in a heartbeat.'

That same mindset was the very same reason Toshinori was running late to school on his morning commute. He had already stopped multiple crimes and accidents just by making his way through the city, but they just didn't let up. Right as he finished one, another one landed right in his lap and he simply couldn't ignore it, not when there were people crying for help. His classes didn't start until the late afternoon, but at the same time, he hated to potentially leave his students hanging. He had gotten only just a glimpse of their abilities during yesterday's exercise and he wanted to see more, he needed to see more because by God, what were they feeding these kids to make them so strong?

Then, his mind circled back to Bakugou and a frown tugged at his lips. He couldn't stop replaying over the conversation they had in the hallway just the day before. The image of the boy's tearful eyes and broken voice haunted him well throughout the night, leaving him unable to rest. He had gotten used to dealing with emotional outbursts from Midoriya over the course of their training, but Bakugou's emotions were far more intense, if not downright explosive. With Midoriya, his emotions had the same ebbs and flows of waves crashing down upon the shore, while with Bakugou, his emotions came with a fuse that could be lit.

'Young Midoriya is in tune with his emotions,' Toshinori mused, 'they carry through in everything that he does. But with young Bakugou, his emotions are what drive him. He's subject to their beck and call, not the other way around.' His frown deepend. 'I'll have to see how I can help redirect him towards better control…'

Then, as Toshinori was getting ready to land on an upcoming building for another leap, his phone rang in his pocket. With a frown, he grabbed it from his pocket and sprang onto the roof for another leap.

"Hello?" he asked, trying to ignore the ache in his lungs. God, was he getting tired now? Oh, that wasn't good.

"Yagi," said Nedzu, and instantly, Toshinori tensed up, "where are you?"

Toshinori huffed out a sigh when he landed on another roof and leaped. "On my way to work."

"That so?" Nedzu replied. "Well, then, what's holding you up?"

"Just some traffic," Toshinori replied, which wasn't a total lie. He did get caught up in stopping a hit and run earlier. "I should be there soon."

Nedzu let out a hum of thought. "Would that have to do with the string of crimes that happened to occur on your morning commute?"

Toshinori sighed. He never could hide anything from Nedzu, could he?

"Nedzu, I can't just ignore people in need ," he stressed, "look, we'll discuss this when I get to the school. Right now, though, I need to see what I can do to help—"

"Yagi, you can't try to do everything at once ," Nedzu interjected, and his tone was enough to give Toshinori pause, "you have a duty to your students. They need you, too."

Toshinori resisted the urge to growl. "Nedzu, I'm sorry that I'm running late, but so long as I get there on time, then it should be—"

"Yagi, I'm not calling you just because you're running late," Nedzu cut in, "I'm calling because we have a situation of our own here at campus."

"A situation?" he repeated. His eyes widened. "Are the students in danger?"

Nedzu sighed. "The press has shown up to U.A. today. They seem to think that…" He paused, then spoke again with a much softer voice. "That you're working here at U.A."

"I am teaching there," Toshinori replied, blinking in confusion.

"Yagi," Nedzu said with more urgency, "they think that All Might is working here."

Toshinori almost stumbled on his feet as he landed again. He fell to a bent knee and clutched his phone tight enough he thought he would break it.

"They what? " he blurted out. Toshinori stood up straight and stared hard into the cityscape. "How did they—"

"We have no idea," Nedzu replied, "but they've been swarming the school since early this morning and…"

"'And' what? " Toshinori demanded. "Nedzu, what did they do? "

Nedzu exhaled sharply. "I think it'd be easier for you to check for yourself."

In an instant, a small notification sounded off with, "You have a text message!" Blinking, Toshinori pulled his phone away and opened up his app to see that Nedzu sent him a link. He tapped on it and it took him to a recently uploaded clip onto a news website he didn't recognize. The site took a moment to load before it showed a media player, which buffered for a moment until it finally played. Toshinori's breath hitched once he saw Midoriya's face appear on his screen.

"Can you tell us what it's like to have All Might as a teacher?" asked a reporter off-screen.

"I…" Midoriya said uncomfortably. "W-Who told you All Might was teaching at U.A.?"

Toshinori watched with wide eyes while the reporters around Midoriya drew closer while a voiceover played. "It appears that U.A. has hired Number One Hero All Might to work on-campus!"

"What the hell? " Toshinori breathed.

Then, the video continued. "Judging from how students have reacted, they've likely been sworn to secrecy!"

The next clip showed Iida and Uraraka within the fray of reporters and it jumpcut to them rising in the air above them. Iida's pants were pulled up over his calves, allowing him to blast over the crowd and past the school gates while he held tightly onto his two classmates. As soon as they landed near the doorway, he hauled both Midoriya and Uraraka inside the school building.

"Other faculty refuse to comment on this development!" the voiceover continued.

Aizawa's face appeared next, looking tired and irritated. "You've all bothered my students enough. Get out of here."

"But the news teams have yet to leave!" the announcer said. "The truth will be uncovered and shared with the public! Live updates will be given at U.A.'s school grounds!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Toshinori practically growled, "they're harassing the students and calling it journalism? " As soon as the video ended, he put the phone back up to his ear. "Nedzu, are the press still there?"

"They are," Nedzu replied, which only made him scowl even more, "we've had to sneak some students onto campus to get past them."

Toshinori grit his teeth. Those were kids they were harassing— his kids. Was that all the news had been reduced to nowadays? What was the world coming to?

"Help!" someone shouted from down below. "There's a hostage situation happening down at the jewelry store!"

His phone creaked in his hand. Speaking of the world…

"Yagi," Nedzu said, causing him to break out of his thoughts, "what are you going to do?"

Toshinori straightened up and let out a sharp exhale. "I'll be right there. Just… keep a handle on things while I'm on my way, alright?"

"Alright," Nedzu replied, "we'll be waiting for you."

As soon as Nedzu hung up, Toshinori sighed heavily. His eyes fell back to the city below him and he couldn't help but frown. What kind of a hero was he supposed to be if he couldn't save everyone that he came across? He was supposed to be the Symbol of Peace, damn it, he was better than this.

"Oh, thank god! " someone exclaimed. "Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods are here!"

He forced himself to relax. It would be fine. He didn't have to jump in, it would be fine . There were plenty of other Pros who could handle the situation without his interference.

'Besides,' he thought as he crouched down to prepare for another leap, 'my kids need me right now.'

As if Izuku's day couldn't get any more insane, he somehow wound up being voted as the Class President. It was a startling turnout that left him shaken even as he sat to the lunchroom with Iida and Uraraka, the former of which still seemed a bit downtrodden at his loss. A year or so ago, Izuku might have been jumping over the moon at having won, but now, all he felt was this heavy weight at the pit of his stomach.

'Three votes,' he thought, 'was that really all it took for me to win?'

Izuku had no clue what it was that drew some of his classmates to vote for him. He sure as hell hadn't voted for himself— why bother if he wasn't sure he was going to win? Except, he did win, and now he was Class President. How did his life become so strange?

'I guess All Might would be happy for me,' he thought, 'but… am I really suited for the position?'

To make matters worse, Kacchan hadn't said a single word to Izuku. He supposed that should have been expected, all things considered, but it didn't lessen the sting that Izuku felt anytime Kacchan made a point to avoid his gaze anytime they wound up within each others' sights. Even an insult would have been a welcome interaction so long as Kacchan was actually interacting with him in some way.

'I know he just needs space,' Izuku thought as he continued to eat his food, 'but I was hoping that he'd at least look in my direction.'

He sighed. Kacchan's pride was no doubt wounded after having lost in front of everyone and it seemed that their classmates knew it, too. He was uncomfortably quiet in class and would stare either down at his desk or at the chalkboard upfront while everyone in class talked with one another, then seemingly disappear when it came time to go to the lunchroom. Izuku couldn't help but feel empathetic; that had been him not too long ago.

'He'll come around in due time,' Izuku told himself, recalling Principal Nedzu's words, 'whenever that is, though, I have no clue…'

"Mmm, this rice is so yummy!" Uraraka said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "So much better than the cafeteria food back at my old school!"

Izuku almost smiled. "Yeah… Lunch Rush really knows how to make a meal, huh?"

Iida arched a brow and swallowed his bite of food. "Everything alright, Midoriya? I figured you'd be a bit more chipper after class."

Before Izuku could even begin to think of a reply, however,a tray settled down beside him and he blinked. He turned and nearly jumped out of his seat when he saw Yaoyorozu slip into the empty spot beside him. It seemed Iida and Uraraka shared his surprise, since both of them went quiet upon her arrival.

"Hello," Yaoyorozu greeted, "I don't believe we've officially acquainted ourselves." She held her hand out to Izuku. "I'm Momo Yaoyorozu."

Izuku fumbled with his chopsticks before he finally set them down on the table. "O-Oh! Uh, Izuku Midoriya!" He held his hand out stiffly. "But, you, uh, probably already knew that, didn't you?"

"You don't have to be nervous, you know," she told him, causing him to blink, "we're going to be working together more in the future. Might as well get used to one another."

"R-Right…" Izuku replied. He took her hand into his and then just as quickly withdrew it. "Oh, geez, my hand is sweaty…"

Uraraka, thankfully, came to the rescue. "Nice of you to join us, Yaoyorozu! We haven't really gotten the chance to talk, have we?"

Yaoyorozu shook her head. "We haven't. But, since Midoriya and I have been voted as class representatives, I figured now would be as good as an opportunity as any to talk." She picked up her chopsticks and grabbed a bit of rice. "Despite my critical analysis of your performance yesterday, I was impressed by your ability to turn things around. Bakugou seemed like a very wily opponent."

"Oh, yeah," Izuku said, laughing a bit. The tension in his chest started to loosen up and he relaxed. "He can be pretty intense when it comes to competition."

"Well, you proved your merit yesterday," Yaoyorozu commented, which caused Izuku's ears to heat up. Her eyes settled onto Iida and Uraraka. "All three of you did. It made for an entertaining match."

"Your match was pretty amazing to watch, too," Iida told her, "the way you barricaded the doors to keep the heroes from getting in was a great strategy. Very commendable."

Izuku perked up. "Speaking of… I hope this isn't weird to ask, but… how exactly does your Quirk work? How did you make that stuff?"

Yaoyorozu swallowed her food. "I can create any non-organic items with the lipids in my body."

Almost instantly, Izuku brightened. "You can? That's amazing! How does it work? Does it transform the molecular structure of your lipids? How do you control it? Do you have to be aware of the composition of the item you're making? What kind of elements can you transform the lipids into—"

"Slow down , Deku!" Uraraka laughed. "Let her answer first!"

Izuku clapped a hand over his mouth. "Uh, right… S-Sorry."

Yaoyorozu chuckled. "Most people usually don't ask me questions about my Quirk, but… since you're curious ." She took in another bite of food and swallowed. "To answer, yes, my lipids undergo a transformation whenever I create items. However, in order to make the item correctly, I have to know the exact molecular composition of it." Then, to Izuku's utter surprise and delight, she fished out a small booklet. "I usually carry this around with me. I have multiple editions of it back home in my room."

"No way! " Izuku blurted out. "Do you take notes to help you with retention?"

"I do," Yaoyorozu replied.

He practically beamed as he turned to face her completely. "How do you usually take your notes? Do you use shorthand to save on time and space? Do you organize the items by function or by type? Or do you usually just take notes on items that you're likely to use the most?"

Yaoyorozu's smile grew. "Most times, I use the abbreviations from the element table to make sure I have it right. Plus, I usually sort items out by type, function, and alphabetical standing."

"Do you use different colored pens and highlighters to allow for easier reading?" Izuku asked. "I was actually thinking about trying out tabs for my notebooks."

"So was I!" she said. Then, she blinked and her cheeks turned a shade of pink. She brought a hand to her face and chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry… I get a bit… excited when it comes to notes. Didn't mean to lose my composure there."

Izuku held up his hands. "Hey, it's alright! I like taking notes, too! I actually have a notebook collection of my own where I've studied Pro Heroes and their Quirks." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "When I was little, I would stay up late and watch the news just to add onto my notes…"

"Aw, that's so cute ," Uraraka said, which made his cheeks flush.

"Is that why you were mumbling to yourself back during the exercise?" Iida asked. "You were analyzing everyone's Quirks like they were Pros?"

Izuku's cheeks only grew hotter. "Uh, yeah… It's just a force of habit, you know? Some people usually think it's weird."

"I think it's good to be observant," Yaoyorozu told him, causing him to turn back to her, "that's what saved you back during the exercise. You were able to read Bakugou's movements and predict what he'd do."

Iida nodded in agreement. "Your courage and quick thinking under stress will serve you well both as a hero and a leader. Not to mention that you demonstrated an excellent amount of strength and control during the exercise." He turned back to his food. "Those are some of the reasons that I voted for you."

Izuku blinked. "Wait, you were one of the three?"

"Whoa, so that's why you didn't vote for yourself?" Uraraka commented. "But I thought you wanted to be class representative, Iida."

Yaoyorozu tilted her head curiously. "It is a bit surprising. I was a bit taken aback when I realized you didn't even vote for yourself."

Iida closed his eyes. "Wanting a job and being suited for it are quite different things. Observing the Iida family's hero agency has taught me that much."

"'Agency'?" Izuku and Uraraka said simultaneously.

"I completely agree," Yaoyorozu added. She took a bite of food and swallowed it. "My own family has set the standard for greatness for generations. I can only hope that I can aspire to the same level as the rest of my relatives."

"Hold up," Izuku interjected, "what do your families do?" He perked up. "Are you two related to Pros? "

Together, both Iida and Yaoyorozu tensed up. Their eyes met across from the table and they stared at each other, their eyes lost in a silent conversation that Izuku wasn't privy to. After what felt like an eternity, they both dropped their heads and sighed dejectedly.

"I was afraid people would treat me differently if they knew about my family," Iida mumbled quietly.

Yaoyorozu looked down at her food. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Are your families…?" Izuku began, trying to find the words to say.

"Filthy stinkin' rich?" Uraraka finished, nearly making Izuku choke.

Iida let out another sigh and straightened up. "You see, the Iida family have been Pro Heroes for generations." He chuckled a bit. "Some people say it even runs in our blood… Like my brother, Ingenium."

Izuku's eyes widened. " The Turbo Hero? He's your brother? " He almost started bouncing in his seat. "He's a super popular Pro with 65 sidekicks at his agency in Tokyo!"

"He's the eldest son in the family," Iida continued, and oh, Izuku was so jealous . How cool was it to be related to a Pro? "And as the second-eldest son, I strive to be just like him."

"You're also a legacy kid?" Yaoyorozu blurted out. Her shoulders practically slumped. "Oh, thank god , I thought it was just me and Todoroki here for a bit."

Izuku thought he would combust . "You're related to a Pro, too? "

Yaoyorozu nodded. "I am. My parents are both Pro Heroes with their own agencies. They're quite competitive with one another." She chuckled a bit. "They do a yearly contest to see which one of them will rank higher on the hero charts. It's a fun way for them to push their limits and try to do their best."

"My own family is competitive as well," Iida commented, smiling a bit, "and as the second-oldest son in the family, I strive to do my best, just like my brother." Then, he closed his eyes and his smile only grew. "But perhaps it's too early for me to be in a leadership role. I still have some things to learn." He opened his eyes and turned to face Izuku. "Meanwhile, you've shown great strength and determination. Not to mention that you were insightful enough to find out what the judges were looking for in the entrance exam."

Oh… Right. Iida thought that he already knew about the rescue judges, didn't he? But Izuku had absolutely no clue they existed until he got his results and opened them with his mother. He had just gotten lucky, was all.

"Uh, listen," Izuku began, "about the entrance exam—"

Then, with no warning, a loud alarm bell rang out through the cafeteria, causing everyone to go silent and freeze.

"What is that?" Uraraka questioned.

The intercom crackled for a moment before a voice came on. "Warning: Level Three security breach. All students please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion."

Yaoyorozu's eyes widened. "Someone's managed to get past the school barriers?"

" That's what a Level Three is?" Izuku exclaimed. "But U.A. has such high-security measures! They haven't had a breach like this since—"

The clamor of students drowned out his voice and Izuku stared with wide eyes as everyone abandoned their lunch trays to exit the cafeteria. Before he could figure out what to do, an arm looped through his and hauled him up.

"We can worry about the 'why' and the 'how' later!" Yaoyorozu proclaimed. "C'mon, we need to make sure that everyone gets out of here safely!" She turned to a group of students who were running past their table. " Don't run! You'll only cause people to panic!"

"There's been a security breach!" the student barked at her. "People are already panicking!"

Yaoyorozu growled to herself and turned to Izuku. "We need to get to the front and try to slow everyone down. Then we can mitigate the flow of traffic and try to keep everyone safe."

"We?" Izuku repeated, his voice small.

"We're class representatives," Yaoyorozu told him, "it's our job to make sure that our peers are safe, Midoriya." She guided him towards the clamoring crowd of people. "Come on. We have to find a way to help."

Izuku tried not to audibly gulp. Good God, just what had he gotten himself into?

A/N: Listen. I just think that Momo and Izuku should get to talk more. I think they would make good friends with each other.