Midoriya peeked over walls, peered around corners, skulked behind garbage cans and benches, going above and beyond to catch a glimpse of the international students at work. Was this considered stalking? He hoped not; after seeing their performances during recent events he became fascinated by their quirks, determined to learn more about them and what these upcoming heroes had to offer for the future. Although approaching them would be easier than his current method the significant social and status gaps between them made him nervous about proceeding, especially when he's only partially acquainted with them. Midoriya was going to fill the pages of his notebook and complete their profiles one or another.

In the cafeteria, listening as closely as he possibly could from a safe distance, Midoriya attentively monitored for certain keywords that would divulge their conversations into explaining aspects of their abilities and skill sets. He was so focused that he was oblivious to the bubblegum bubble inflating next to his ear, then pop!

"Waaah!"

"What'cha doin', creep?" Shelby casually asked.

"Huh?! Ah-? Oh, Shelby, it's just you, haha. Me? O-Oh, well, I can explain, I swear! You see- Gah!"

Before he could even attempt to persuade her with an obvious lie, Shelby dug and rolled her elbow deeply into his shoulder until the notebook fell from his hands and caught from underneath with her free hand.

"Shelby..! It hurts-..!" Midoriya strained then gasped in relief when she finally pulled her arm away.

Shelby didn't seem to pay mind as she flipped through the pages and skimmed through each information tidbit, lightly rocking from side to side on the balls of her feet absentmindedly while reading.

"Oh wow, you made your own hero's guide? That's so cool!"

"You think so?"

"Uh, yeah! You did a really good job simplifying everyone's quirks and drawing their profiles!"

Midoriya was almost speechless, he wasn't expecting someone like her to compliment and appreciate his interest, "T-Thank you! It means a lot that you-"

"Buuuuut-"

"But?"

"Our pages are almost empty!"

"What do you mean? I wrote down exactly what you four said the other day."

"Still, there's hardly anything written here other than a few sentences! Oh, but don't worry, I'll fix it for you. I know pretty much everything about Yemi' n the boys!"

As Shelby quietly went through each page and neatly filled in absent tidings, the fluffy pink topper of her pen swayed with the motion of her wrist jewelry that softly jangled with each brisk movement.

"...Shelby?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you want to become a hero?"

For a second, her pen abruptly stopped moving, "Why do I want to be a hero? Does there need to be some sort of reason other than wanting to help protect and save people? I mean, that's basically the definition of a hero, right?"

"Uh, r-right."

"Hey, how come all the other abroad students' profiles are practically blank?!"

"Well, you see, that's what I was-"

"Ohhh, I get it; you just haven't gotten around to asking them yet! Don't worry, I'll ask for you!"

"W-Wait, Shelby! I don't think-!" Midoriya was too late; there was no stopping her as she was much quicker than he was getting up, and by the time he'd gotten close enough to her, everyone at the lunch table had collectively agreed out loud.

Ah.

Watching Estelle's footwork on the thin layer of diamond as she effortlessly created circular and serpentine patterns by gliding efficiently on the blades of her skates was just as impressive as her sequences, or so Midoriya thought. After performing a couple of toe loops through a cleanly executed jump combination, Estelle approached her next jump backward and used the toe pick of her opposite foot to take off, spinning three times, then landing on the outside edge of her other foot; marveled by her attainment, she was eager to continue exhibiting her skills to her one-person audience. Starting with a sit spin, her speed increased as she slowly unbent her knee and transitioned into a layback spin, and with sleek flexibility, transformed her spin into a flawless Biellmann. From her skating to her quirk, everything about Estelle was unblemished, but even perfection isn't absolute; as she set up to perform a triple loop, the edge of her skate hit a small notch in the diamond, causing her to trip and land hard on her bottom.
"Arrrgh, ki kaka sa?! Ki sa'w gen yen?!" Estelle yelled, kicking her feet angrily while thrashing her fists around.

"Estelle, are you okay?! Also, that was amazing!" Midoriya shouted as he ran over and extended his hand to help her up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine; I've had worse. Idyot. Salopri." She murmured into her hands, which pressed tightly to her face in shame.

"Please don't feel bad, we all make mistakes."

"If this were a competition, the judges would've wiped the floor with me for that."

"Good thing it isn't, huh?"

Estelle sighed, kneeling with her hand to her diamond sheet to break the crystal apart, "Guess so."

After cleaning up her makeshift ice rink, Midoriya and Estelle found a nearby bench to sit down at and shared pieces of dous makos that Estelle had pleasantly wrapped inside her bag, "Shelby said something about you wanting to interview all of us for your book? It's natural, of course, that you'd want to speak to me first." She confidentially spoke with her chest puffed out.

"Erm, well, actually, you were the first one I found." Mumbled Midoriya- at least she cheered up, "Anyways, do you mind telling me about your quirk?"

"Not sure what there is to tell. My quirk is Diamond. I can create diamonds anywhere on my body as well as project them- supposedly, through my pores," Estelle stated, pinching her cheeks and gently tugging on her skin.

"Oh, I see! Your quirk generates similarly to Keali'i's!"

"Yeah, but a lot of times I get fragments stuck in my skin, so I gotta pull 'em out with tweezers or cut them out with a scalpel. Totally not fun."

Midoriya nodded twice, "That's quite common for many mineral quirks."

"Are you sure you want to be a hero and not a researcher?" She lightly chuckled.

"Oh no, this is just a hobby of mine! I'm just very passionate about it, like you are with ice skating! Too bad I'll never get into the Olympics with writing."

"In that case, you're better off being a hero, trust me." "What makes you say that?"

Estelle sunk in her seat, nibbling listlessly on a small piece of fudge, "...Mwen pa konen, 'cause it's not as great as people make it out to be?" She took her hair out of her ponytail and ran her fingers through her thick, curly hair, "Sure, it's not as extreme as being a hero, but you put so much on the line, and for what? Your fans, your money, your reputation- gone the instant you're no longer able to skate. Not to mention the pressure, the criticisms, the competition- look, I love competing way more than the average person, but there can't be any mistakes, no screwing around or slacking off, not if you want to be the best. Don't get me wrong, all those trophies and medals look amazing stacked up on one another, but you earned them by becoming your own worst enemy. I want rewards that actually mean something, pride that never dies, glory that lasts for generations- I'm more than just a one-trick with a pretty face and a luxurious quirk, ala tonnè!" She softly gasped before clasping her hand over her mouth; Estelle didn't like showing vulnerability, especially for people she hardly knew. So she sat in silence, shaking in frustration with a flushed face.

"Estelle, i-is everything alright...?" Asked Midoriya, but no verbal response; however, she put her hand close to his face with her palm facing towards him and then slap! Estelle's hand made hard contact with his face, knocking him off the bench and onto the ground. When he recovered, she was nowhere to be seen, "Estelle? Estelle, where did you go?"

As he called out for her she hid behind a large oak tree, squatting low to the ground as she mildly pummeled her fists against her head while quietly grumbling insults towards herself.

"Oh yeah, Estelle has a hard time opening up to people. I'm surprised she told you all that!" Mused Javier.

Lost in observation, Midoriya continued to touch and prod at Javier's arms, "Amazing, even though your arms haven't fully recovered, you've managed to regain your reflexes and overall control in such a short amount of time."

"Recovery Girl deserves credit for that one. Her quirk helped speed things along!"

"And it doesn't hurt at all still?"

"Not really. Aside from my skin still being a bit tender and my joints snapping when I bend them, I feel fine!"

"I wish I had your pain tolerance; it's one thing to break bones, but severing limbs is something else entirely."

After relinquishing control of his arms, Javier went back to tending to the plants on his balcony, leaving the sliding door open to keep as much attention on Midoriya as possible while he worked through multiple pots and planters, "It took years to overcome the hesitation, but it's worth it. Molten Core is a lot more complex than people think- I'm a human volcano. If you couldn't already tell, my body doesn't function the same way as everyone else's does; my quirk is difficult to control and extremely dangerous, an emanate destruction of unrelenting magnitudes." Javier sat up to stretch his back,k then flexed his muscles towards Midoriya, "But, this power was given to me by my Inca ancestors, and I'm going to do my best to honor it by becoming a legendary hero!" He cheered with a wide smile.

"So that's why you wanted to become a hero, that's awesome! I would've never guessed that was your reasoning, especially because you seem so attached to gardening."

"You're not wrong; Montañero Farm & Winery has been a family company for generations. I spent my whole life working on acres of lush fields of fruits and vegetables and love every second of it- even when I'm not home, I'm still farming! Weón, I can't even sleep at night without completing a full day's work, and this is how I satisfy that need. I'm truly privileged for the life that I have, and I know not everyone has the luxury to live the way they want to, so if I can make someone's life easier by taking care of daily injustices, then I'm more than happy to do just that!"

"Sounds like Chile's getting a new number-one hero after graduation. You're surely making your family proud."

"That's the plan! Ah, here you go," said Javier as he handed Midoriya a small basket of fresh vegetables, "I gathered the best of the bunch just for you!"

"Wooow, Javier, these look amazing! They look almost unreal!"

"That's all thanks to the Montañero family secret! Now I rinsed the dirt off of these with purified water, but make sure to wash them again to get rid of the excess dirt before eating."

"Oh, I will, thank you, and thank you for talking with me! I'm going to see if anyone else is around so I can hopefully get this done by the end of the day! Bye, Javier!"

"Chau chau, mino! Que tengas un buen día!"

"Gimmie that shit!" Asserted Mickey as they swiped a carrot out of Midoriya's basket.
"W-Wait, Mickey, don't! Javier said they had to be washed first!"

"Quit earbashin' me, will ya'?! I know how veggies work!" They chided, hawking up a glob of spit, then rubbing their saliva into the root with their elbow until the vegetable began sparkling, "There, ain't she a beaut'?"

"Wha-?"

"So ehhh," Mickey began, taking three bites of the carrot, "What's up, Deku?"

"I, um- I just really want to know how your quirk works. Please."

"Ain't'cha figured it out already?! I'm a bloody Toon! The one who specializes in takin' wowsers down a peg, squashin' egos, an' confusin' brainiacs, who holds no barres an' takes no prisoners in humiliation, embarrassment, an' bewilderment; the wacky, zany, karmic trickster character that everyone loves to tune into every Saturday mornin'! Mickey Cox is the name. Creating chaos is my game!" As Mickey illustrated their presentation, they rapidly cycled through different Golden Age tropes to exemplify their quirk: juggling dangerously, amusing injuries, cranial eruption, circling birdies, hammerspace, dynamite candle, eat the bomb, dinner deformation, non-fatal explosion, inflating body gag, and with a deep burp, Mickey blew out smoke in the shape of the word 'ouch' with an unwavering smile.

Midoriya, who had trouble keeping up with what was happening, was writing so fast in his notebook that, for a brief moment, the friction created smoke. "Ah, um, M-Mickey? Do you think you could be more specific, please?" He pleaded.

They rolled their pie-eyes with a groan, "Not the full quid, are ya'? No drama, I'm sayin' I can do everythin' they can do in the ol' cartoons! Bop it, twist it, pull it, I can do it all! Sure, I don't know how my quirk works half the time, but it's heaps fun messin' with blokes- I just think of doin' somethin', an' it happens!" To demonstrate, Mickey pulled Midoriya's tie down, prompting his pants to drop down; scrambling to pull them back up, they swapped his notebook with a pornographic magazine. After viewing the contents for a few seconds he pushed his arms out and looked away flustered, then Mickey took his arms and elongated them before tying them into the shape of a balloon dog. To stop him from freaking out, they clasped his hands and untied them by shaking them loose- smacking him in the face with his rubbery arms as they returned to normal. As Midoriya was rendered flabbergasted, Mickey nonchalantly returned his notebook and pencil to his hands and manually reset his pose.

"S-So what you're telling me is you don't actually know how your quirk works?"

"Erm, well, yeah!" From an irregular corner, Mickey pulled out a large chalkboard and then retrieved a graduation cap and large glasses from their cranial compartment before putting them on, "Quirks are just phenomenons, right?" They asked while jotting down answers on the green board in chalk, "Well, so is Toon! A character whose personality an' appearance are exaggerated, often unable to complete the most basic tasks without falling victim to several improbable variables to fulfill consistent, tolerated chaos, an' just how do we accomplish that? We just, uh, do, 'cause we can!" Mickey felt intelligent by their sound explanation, but Midoriya was still quite perplexed.

"I...I'm still so confused."

"-The hell with you, then!" Shouted Mickey in frustration at his lack of understanding, shoving the chalkboard and him out of frame where he wound up in Ximena's bedroom, the next place he was going to after talking with Mickey; she was sitting at her desk softly humming to herself while writing.

Ximena's instincts kicked at the moment Midoriya forcibly entered her room, pulling her headphones off her head and looking in the opposite direction, "...Eek!"

Midoriya slammed his body on the ground and frenetically bowed repeatedly, "Ximena, I'm so sorry! I have no idea how I got here, I swear! One minute, I was in the school with Mickey, and they pushed me, and now I'm here! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't eat me!"

"E-Eh? You said Mickey pushed you?" She sighed in relief, "That makes a lot more sense then. I hate when they do that!"
"So you're not gonna eat me?"

"No! I would never- I mean, not without spitting you right back out afterward!" "Oh, thank goodness." He alleviated, sinking into the carpet face down and lying still. "Um, do you need a minute . . . ?"

"Yes, please."

Once Midoriya was able to recuperate in silence fully, he returned to his full vigor and was ready to continue his task, "So Ximena, tell me about your quirk!" He cheerfully asked, sitting at the edge of the coiled length of her tail.

"Are you sure you don't want some water or something? You seemed exhausted."

"Don't worry about me. I'm a lot tougher than I look!"

"Well, if you say so, but I'm not sure what I can tell you, I'm a snake, after all."

"True, but we don't have as many rattlesnakes in Japan, and you're the first person I've met who's the most snake-looking!"

"Oh, I'm flattered that you noticed! What exactly is it that you want to know, though?"

"Anything! What is it about you that makes you different from other reptilian heroes?"

"Motive, perhaps? I know I'm soft-spoken and shy, but I'd like to be able to utilize my appearance and status to make a difference in my country. You've probably already heard this from Javier, but Latin America has some of the highest crime rates in the world, combined with more than triple the world average- mainly due to social inequalities. I know that if I can help the women of Mexico achieve awareness, safety, and equality, I can choose the right path, and I can be more than I limit myself to be."

"So your goal is to become an advocate for women's rights in Mexico, maybe even a symbol like All Might?"

"Oh gosh no, I don't think I could live up to that title, but something to a lesser extent is good enough for me!"

"And what is it about your quirk that makes you such a powerful hero?"

"Um, let's see, well, pit vipers have a fossa here between our eyes and noses, which are just external openings to extremely sensitive infrared-detecting organs; they're used to help determine the size and range of warm-blooded prey or find cool locations to rest during the day. We also have these muscles called MPG between our heads and venom glands that force venom out when they're contracted."

"I see. That's how you were able to tell I was in the room even though you didn't hear me."

"There's that and the fact we're ambush predators- we typically wait patiently in hiding and strike unsuspecting prey; crotalines keep to themselves and strike only if cornered or threatened; you may have scared me when you were pushed in, but I could sense you weren't an intruder."

"That's a relief. You're the last person I'd want to surprise- hey, what are you writing there, by the way? Homework?"

"O-Oh, this? No, it's not homework. I-I just like writing, like you."

"You do? Do you also like researching heroes and creating cyclopedias?"

"Not exactly, no, I prefer certain types of fiction..."

"A fiction writer, huh? That's so cool! I bet you're the type that writes in-depth fantasy novels with tons of lore. I would love to read your work sometime!"

"N-No! I-I mean, I don't think you'd be interested in reading my stuff. It's not very good-"

"Don't say that. We all have to start somewhere! I'm sure what you've written is great!"

Ximena didn't want to come off as rude; she truly did appreciate Midoriya's enthusiasm, but she couldn't allow him to read a single sentence on her paper or else find out exactly what type of literature she was into writing. At the moment, she couldn't think of a way to diverge his attention elsewhere and continued to babble excuses- that was until she slipped up: hidden between the coils of her tail were resource materials that accidentally slipped out as Midoriya meandered further. On the cover of the vintage book were two beautiful women in the throes of passion while impending doom awaited them.

Ximena and Midoriya both stared at the book in silence, "...Ah, Ximena? Is that your-?"

The tip of her tail began rattling furiously, and he knew right away that he was in danger; he cautiously brought his eyes back up to hers and could instantly feel the agitation in her deadly gaze. Enthralled to make her acquaintance, he overstepped his boundaries by overlooking her kind aberrations.

"Get ouuuuut!" She hissed loudly as her fangs sprung out from her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Ximena! Please forgive me!" Shouted Midoriya, bolting out of her room without looking back.

The water resistance was no match for the sheer force and speed of the anthropomorphic vertebrate as his silhouette soared through the outdoor pool. Midoriya could hardly keep track of his impressive movements. Even with one arm, the molecules pulling against his aquatic skin couldn't slow him down. The practice carcasses spread out were undaunted by Bassam's spy-hopping and breaching, but watching him approach each slab of meat with different techniques and tear through them with ease was truly a sight to behold.

"Wow, Bassam, you're incredible and terrifying!" Midoriya cheered from the pool's edge, eagerly writing down his observations.

"Haha, thanks! I get that a lot!" Beamed Bassam as he drew near and tossed his stump arm over the lip of the pool's edge.

"Is it something you had to learn, or is it pure instinct?"

"A little of both, you see; my mom is ring wrasse merwoman, and my dad is a great white shark merman, two completely different orders of vertebrate quirks!"

"Oh wow, I would've never guessed! That's amazing!"

"Heh, yeah, I don't have my dad's nose so not many people guess right, though I feel the teeth and tail are a dead giveaway."

"And what about the ring wrasse?"

"Well, males of that species are known for having vibrant blue and green coloring, but my reckless habits shred up my pretty fins."

"So aside from appearance mostly, you're more shark than anything?"

"Yes, akeed! They even say I've got the jaw pressure of my prehistoric ancestors!"

Midoriya's body tensed as he cautiously asked his next question, "I-I um, hope this isn't too personal, but can you tell me what happened to your arm?"

"Ya rayyal, this thing? When I was younger, I was pretty dumb, more dumb than I am now, and I'd take on any challenge without thinking, so this one time, my friends challenged me to a diving scavenger hunt, and I just had to do it! Things were going great, you know, I was totally in the lead, that was until I got my arm stuck between some rocks. I tried everything to get it loose, but it hurt too much, and that's when I started drowning. Being a little kid, you're scared, you're not experienced enough to know what to do in those situations, so I did the only thing I thought I could do: I had a nearby reef shark bite my arm off. Wallah, it hurt so bad, wallah, by the time my friends came to my rescue my arm was already shark food; you'd think with an experience like that I'd gone vegetarian!"

Despite his light-hearted storytelling, Midoriya felt devastated by the truth of his loss. As someone whose hands were a valuable asset yet fought inconsequential with them, he has yet to imagine a future without them.

"Bassam, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what? It wasn't that bad, although I was originally right-handed!"

"But didn't you worry missing an arm meant you couldn't become the hero you wanted to be?"

"Wouldn't you?" He asked, pushing himself away from the edge with his feet and then floating on top of the water on his back. "I still doubt myself sometimes, but you know what? I know I'll be a great hero- I am a great hero! You know, living off my family's fishery I didn't know much of anything, then I found out how beautiful the world is, both sea and land! I always loved watching things grow and change, and I wanted to help everyone that made that happen, it turns out fighting crime was the best way to do it!"

"I had no idea you felt that way, I-"

"Oo, there's my bud with my extra meat!" Bassam excitedly cut off Midoriya, splashing him with a large surge of water accidentally with his tail. Not only was he being ignored, but he was also dripping wet.

"I'm so sorry about Bassam. He tends to be easily persuaded and side-tracked when it comes to food." Fatima light-heartedly chuckled as she helped dry off Midoriya's face and hair.

Midoriya didn't respond. He had been rendered speechless by his upperclassman's beauty; he hoped she wouldn't point out his reddened face and clammy skin.

He nervously thought, "I've never seen Fatima this close before; she's so pretty, and she's touching me!"

"What was it you needed from me?" She asked, handing him the towel before walking back over to the kitchen counter to continue baking her macarons, "Some information about my quirk for a project?"

"Uh, n-not exactly- I mean, i-it's more of something for myself, you know?"

"Well, regardless, I'm more than happy to tell you. Now let's see, where should I begin...? My quirk, Mechanical-Mass Teleportation, is based upon the theory that black holes act as portals to alternate universes rather than stellar chasms; by calculating the target distance and radius needed, I create these gravitational bodies by wiggling my nose, and it's as simple as that!"

"It was so cool watching you phase in and out during your final fight but scary getting sucked into one of those things."

"Once an object has been centered inside, there's no pulling away, and only I am capable of returning the object."

"Just out of curiosity, what happens if someone gets pulled inside and you don't return them?"

"Hm, that's an interesting question, although I would never experiment with another person. I'd imagine they'd be stuck floating in an endless void of blackness until I brought them back if such a thing was even possible."

"What about you? Do you ever worry about anything happening to you traveling through something that powerful?"

Midoriya could tell Fatima was hesitant to answer, almost as if she was thinking of the right words to say, "Oui, tous les jours de ma vie," her voice had become dispirited as her eyes dimly shunned grief, "this gift I got from my father, I will always be grateful as his only child to have such a powerful quirk, even when this was the very quirk that killed him."

There was a hitch in Midoriya's breath. He was ready to stop her before she started crying, but she continued, "I was very young when he passed, but I will always remember him as a gentle, caring man who always put everyone before himself and someone who loved love very much. My mom and he lived humbly as store owners, helping out the community and giving out to heroes- living the life they always dreamed of together, and yet, neither of them ever expected that someone would turn on them. During a robbery, my father used his quirk to protect my uncle from getting shot, but when he returned, my father didn't. Three days later, they found my father dead with more than half his body missing; the police believe his body, at that moment, was unable to transfer wholly and was caught in the rift upon reentry. Never in my life had I seen my mother more devastated. She'd completely shut herself and me from the world and disregarded all good brought to our attention. I thought she'd never change, that was until she met my step-mother- I don't know how she managed to bring the life back into my mother's eyes and return her to me. Maybe she saw the same thing she saw in my father? Mon Dieu, if it weren't for her, I would've never even considered being a hero, but she's always assured me my father was proud that I was becoming the woman I've always wanted to be." Fatima had tears in her eyes, and Midoriya choked back his tears, her story had moved both of them in a way he was not expecting.

As she gently pat-dried her tears, the alarm on the stove began to ding, "Oh, ma macaroons!" She exclaimed with a grin on her face, carefully pulling out the confections from the hot oven.

Midoriya was surprised to see her mood change so quickly, but he knew baking was considered therapeutic to some people, and watching her pipe the buttercream underside of every other cookie had its restorative effect on him.

"Parfaite! Now let's give these a taste-"

In the blink of an eye, Midoriya had planted himself right in front of the counter with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, his eyes bright and fingers briskly tapping, "And who better to taste them than our absolute sweetheart here?" Fatima giggled, lightly picking up the confectionery and placing the cookie in his mouth.

The moment he took a bite, his eyes began to water again, whining in delight as he chewed slowly to savor every bite, "Oh! You like them, huh? How about I just give you the rest of these, then? I promise it's no trouble at all. I can always make more!"

With a squeal of felicity, Midoriya took the box of deserts that Fatima had neatly wrapped up into his shaky hands, scurrying out of the room excitedly. Midoriya was certainly odd, but she was happy that he was delighted.

"So Bassam splashed you with rancid meat water and that's why you smell like the inside of a hot cooler?" Grumbled Chelsea, spritzing fruity air freshener on and around Midoriya.

"Uh, yeeeaah." Midoriya had no idea he smelt that bad, and whether Fatima was too nice to say something to him or the aroma of fresh baked goods masked, his scent was still on Bassam's part.

"Well, anyways, you came to see me because you wanted to know about my quirk?" She asked, pointing directly at the aerosol can in her hand that instantaneously switched places with the water bottle on her nightstand, "You do know magicians aren't supposed to reveal their secrets, right?"

Midoriya gazed upon her in awe, "That's why I've got to know how your quirk works! It's incredible! Everything you do is practically flawless, almost like you're using real magic!" He then feverishly moved around her room and intently inspected the strange gadgets and apparatuses throughout, "How many of these do you use out on the field? Do you have a strategy for each tool? Where do you store them? How do you store them? Did you make these yourself, or did you purchase them? How long did- Hrk!" He was no longer able to speak, his mouth had suddenly filled with a wad of cloth where a rope of tied colorful scarfs began spilling out.

Amidst his panic, Midoriya hadn't seen the end of the scarves slink in Chelsea's other hand until she pulled him towards her aggressively, "Do I look like I have all freakin' day?!" She chided, pulling the remaining scarves out of his mouth and twirling them around her arm before letting them fall into a small pile into her hand; then, with a tight grip, her hand became empty.

"If you have questions, ask them one at a time, please."

"R-Right! Sorry, sorry! A-Anyways, so um, what is your quirk, and how does it work?"

"Phantasia's kinda hard to explain, see it's a quirk that requires a mastery in performing arts, which is why my tricks and illusions appear seamless; without proper skill or handling, my strategies could be easily interpreted, but with precise visuals, you can astonish audiences and criminals alike while always keeping them guessing."

"I see, your quirk requires a lot of technique to utilize it to the fullest extent in combat."

"That's right- all these props are just gimmicks without the methodization. The classic magic wand, for example," using a pulling motion behind his ear, a black-and-white magic wand appeared in her grasp, "truly an icon for classic magicians, a sacred tool of the arcane, nah-"with an effortless snap, the wand broke in two, "I just buy a bunch'a these whenever they're on sale, and what about the famous top hat?" With a finessed toss, Chelsea catapulted her top hat using the weight of her water bottle into her hand, "Classic and formal, wouldn't'cha say?" As she mused whimsically, she blew up the topper and dropped the wand pieces inside, then tipped the hat over and patted the crown twice, where a waterfall of rabbits began suddenly pouring out and filling up her dorm room.

"Gah! I can't breathe!" Midoriya pleaded while searching for an opening; then, with a brief poof of smoke, the rabbits disappeared completely except for one sitting properly in Chelsea's hat, "While there's no magic in this ol' hat, it's been through some enchanting moments."
"Chelsea," Midoriya began with a light cough, "I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but you seem more of an entertainer than an enforcer."

"Hm, yeah, you caught me."

"Eh?"

"It's pretty obvious, huh? I won't deny that's who I was born to be, but what kind of life is that, anyway? I became a famous magician performing regularly at The Colosseum, making millions of dollars and dazzling hundreds of thousands of tourists a week, having more than everything I've ever wanted being served on a silver platter and hand fed to me, then when my secrets and vices are broadcasted and written for everyone to see I become another washed-up artist who guest stars in B-rated TV shows and product commercials just to revel in the spotlight for another minute and stay relevant for newer generations? Doesn't sound as rewarding as being a hero, does it?"

"I-I see . . . "Midoriya wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't expecting Chelsea to have looked so realistically into her future and approached her options with a clear conscious. Her maturity made him reflect on his own; was he on the right path as well, or was he allowing unrealistic expectations to skew his promise to All Might? While deep in thought he hadn't noticed Chelsea sitting next to him on her bed, her body pressed up against his arm as he scratched a few notes down in his notebook.

"Dekuuuu~" Chelsea playfully whined, "I thought you were interviewing me? Pay attention to meeeeee~" The charm of a beautiful upperclassman was a monumental feat to an awkward teenage boy, leaving Midoriya rendered completely stiff and flushed as her chest rubbed against his bicep; her face was close to his; he could feel her warm breath brush against his ear with every word. He was in trouble, and he needed to think fast.

"UUUhhhhthat'sallIhadtoaskyouyesthankyougoodbye!" Midoriya quickly spat, leaping off the bed and sprinting towards the door- only he miscalculated his trajectory and slammed his face into the doorframe full force before scuttling away in embarrassment.

Chelsea snickered, "What a dork, huh, Houdini?" She asked the white rabbit climbing on her shoulder.

"You're telling me you got this lump on your head because you ran into a door?" Omar asked, lightly dabbing Midoriya's forehead with a cold, wet cloth.

"Y-Yeah?"

"...I don't believe you."

"O-Omar, please!"

"Regardless, the swelling will continue to decrease with a cold compress, but you'll have a small scar once you've recovered."
"Thank you. I appreciate your help."

"It's no problem. I've had to play doctor plenty of times before. Now, about your request, you wish to learn about my quirk and its anatomy, correct?" He questioned with a grin.

"Yup, I'm ready whenever you are!"

"Very well. My quirk has been identified as Blood Marionette, it is a hybrid quirk derived from my mother's Arachnia and my father's Blood Pact. With Arachnia, underneath each of my fingernails are three spinnerets that emit lightweight, elastic silk from multiple spigots that are connected to a silk gland located inside the third phalanx. If you look closely, you can see the differences in our nails and fingertips." Omar politely gave Midoriya one of his hands for him to inspect, noting the subtle differences in size and comparing his hand to his.

"That's crazy. I would've never guessed just by looking at your hands."

"With Blood Pact, my opponent and I's blood coalesces within my threads upon release, making them lethal, even fatal; the more an opponent moves while bound, the more blood is released, strengthening the threads themselves. My blood isn't normal because of my quirk, and when activated, it becomes searing, and while severing digits or limbs isn't out of the realm of possibility, I'd never consider doing so unless necessary."

"The U.A. Battle Royale!..."

"I wished Hado and Tamaki had taken me more seriously at the time, but we came to an understanding afterward and are now on better terms."

"You know, when you were explaining your quirk and mentioned the word Arachnia, I was expecting that you'd be more-"

"Spider-like?"

"Yeah, heh."

"It's true; my mother had eight appendages, piercing fangs, venom glands, and eight eyes with both lateral and median ocelli, yet I look as human as my father did. Genetics, like quirks, are perplexingly peculiar."

"And Blood Pact-"

"Yes, the scar on my face is a result of my quirk." As he spoke, Omar unbuckled his eyepatch and lowered his mask under his chin, his face unabashedly in full view, "When a user first uses Blood Pact, a seal burns itself somewhere on the body. For my father, it was on his neck. As for me, well- you can see for yourself."

Midoriya never imagined he would get to look at Omar's scar this close, let alone allow him to see it; the scar itself wasn't as bad as he previously thought from a distance, yet the repaired skin had multiple textures and depth that could only be seen this close-up. To think Omar was receiving something so painful at a young age, plus years of implied ridiculing and built-up insecurities, made Midoriya's heart hurt. Someone as kind as he didn't deserve a malicious upbringing.

"It even looks like a spider." He gently commented.

"That's how I came up with my hero name. Arachnophobia didn't make much sense in my opinion, but Hemophobia, with certain language barriers, may accidentally come off as insensitive or prejudiced, so I went with Thanatophobia, the fear of death."

"Don't you think your hero name sounds a bit evil? N-Not that I think it does, of course!"

"No, you have a point. I will admit creativity has never been my strong suit. Regardless, I'm fully aware I'm not helping my case in appearing less villainous by my hero name and costume, but I hardly feel the need to justify myself simply because of how I look; a person, especially a hero, should be judged by their actions and how they treat others, not by their appearance. Besides, I'd like to think I'm about as insecure as everyone else- I'm quite content with how I look; I cover my face mainly to protect my skin and children's timidity."

"Your confidence is actually really admirable, and with a quirk like yours, you're already a great hero!"

"Is that enough, though?"

"Huh-?"

"I don't blame your ignorance, and many don't realize how comfortable their lives truly are; terrorism, corruption, hunger, disease, you hear of these atrocities and initiate once you've felt the agony of their cries, but what do you do? What can you do? How does one change the world for the better? They can't. That's the unfortunate truth. So now what? You inspire through your actions and your words; you create hope and determination out of nothing and rally the population; then, through gritted teeth and sharpened claws, you devour animosity and strike despair into your oppressors until they're bare-boned. Only through numbers and passion will things change, and if the igniter should fall victim to the brutality of the exploited system, then may the flame burn brighter for the reluctant. When Somalia becomes a country of justice, freedom, and equality, only then will I be worthy of calling myself a great hero."

What was this feeling that flooded Midoriya's body? Sadness? Aspiration? Why did Omar's words resonate so deeply within the pit of his stomach and throughout his heart? A staunching warmth overwhelmed his soul and nearly brought him to his knees; everyone's cultivating words suddenly congealed and drove into him, opening up a whole new perspective. The pieces of an unfamiliar world were starting to come together, expanding the prowess of what being the number one hero truly meant. Omar's statement repeated itself inside his head in his voice: only then will I be worthy of calling myself a great hero.

A tear dropped from Midoroya's eye, "Do not cry, Deku." Omar comforted, wiping away the tear with his thumb, "We came here to study abroad not only for our benefit but for yours, as well; while everything we learn might not be something we want to know, that information may come in handy someday. Although, I may have loaded too much on you at once, so I apologize." He softly chuckled.

"Ah, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start crying."

"There's nothing wrong with expressing an emotion through crying. You should be thankful that you're capable of feeling with ease. If I could take a moment to embarrass myself, my heroics derive from All Might himself; a corner store I frequented in Bujumbura carried international publications, so I would sit there and read about All Might all day." Mused Omar with a large, sublime grin.

Hearing that, however, made Midoriya sob in elation, "Me too, me too!" Which prompted Omar to attempt to calm him down frantically.

When Midoriya exited the dormitories, the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, the blend of warm colors painting a scenic view over Ground Omega. He took a moment to revel in his hard work and all the information he succeeded in gathering while walking along the brick path, making his way towards his room to relax finally; the abroad students were a lot more complex and honest than he initially presumed, everyone had their own stories that they were more than willing to share with him and in the end was glad Shelby took the initiative for him. Although, she could've done so less abrasively. They all even had their reasons why they were studying to become a Pro Hero, some more personal than others whether through experience or conviction. However, there was something that wasn't sitting quite right with him, a feeling that had built up over the day that he just couldn't shake.

"There you are! What are you waiting for? The world needs you!" All Might's voice suddenly boomed from existence.
Midoriya peeked his head out of his notebook to see where his voice was coming from, but he didn't see him around anywhere, then suddenly he felt someone bump into his shoulder to run past him and saw Bassam dressed in his hero costume ahead of him, then past his other shoulder came along Chelsea in her hero costume, and Fatima, Omar, Mickey, Estelle, Javier, Ximena, Arjan, Keali'i, Yemi, and Shelby all barraging past him and towards the sunlight following All Might's hardy laugh; through this strange occurrence his notebook slipped from his hands and dropped to the ground, the pages rapidly flipping over in the wind. The sound of the notebook hitting the brick brought him back to reality where he was alone, bending at the knees to pick up and closely clutch his notebook to his chest.

"I'm not that far behind...Am I...?"