Symbol

by silentplayermc03

Izuku Midoriya, chosen by All Might to be the next wielder of One For All. Expecting his life to be difficult, he didn't think he'd also become a father figure to a young child, find true friends, become an inspiration to others, be guided by remnants of previous OFA users or catch the attention of both villains & the HPSC. Watch as he struggles through it all while doing his best

24. Chapter 023 - Changes Part 1

Author's Note - Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well! Here's the next chapter for you! Also, quick thing is I'm aiming to post every 2-3 weeks, on a Friday. As things get better, I will try to post up quicker but for now, that's the goal.

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SYMBOL

CHAPTER 023 – CHANGES PART 1

Throughout his life, Mezo Shoji usually kept to himself and remained mostly quiet. It was something that he had learned thanks to the bullying he experienced when he was younger. The kids had started making fun of him when his quirk manifested and his appearance changed thanks to his extra limbs and facial features. Though it saddened him that his once called friends began bullying and discriminating against him, he never held a grudge against them. Even when they were the cause for the scars on his face, using an excuse of a girl being scared of his facial features and crying over it, Mezo never wished them ill. Instead, he only wished that they'd eventually mature and become better people. But he did begin to keep to himself and started wearing his signature mask from then on to not bother others.

Even when his parents switched his school to another one that was well known for their anti-bullying policies, Mezo kept to himself. That allowed him to observe his surroundings and his peers as he lived his life and in turn, developed his observation skills. Growing those skills allowed him to be very keen on details as well as keeping him from ever being sneaked upon. And another thing he learned was how to estimate others' personalities by just observing them for a while.

That ability helped him navigate his life and helped him avoid those who would've caused trouble for him. It did help him become somewhat friends with others who were kinder in general, even to him. But sadly most of those friendships didn't last as they grew older. Most moved away, found other interests or developed into people that either no longer liked him or Mezo didn't want to be associated with. All of those experiences molded Mezo into who he is now.

And who he is now, let Mezo learn a great deal about all of his current classmates at UA. One would think that just observations from just a few days alone wouldn't amount to much, but Mezo was living proof against that because of his experiences. Especially now as he noticed how everyone was behaving differently than from the previous week. And he couldn't blame them thanks to what they all experienced at the USJ just a handful of days ago.

One of the things that Mezo had noticed was that most of the girls of his class were grouped up together and engaged in many conversations with one another. He had noticed their behavior constantly switching from anxiety, fear and concern to excitement and hope. Not only that, but Mezo could've sworn he noticed some slightly reddened faces along with hints of jealousy in their tones and gazes towards the brunette of the group, Ochaco. He wondered why that was. Until, without meaning to, he caught some words and phrases that he could only relate to the one who had saved them all during the USJ incident. Figuring they were talking about the green costumed person, Mezo wasn't surprised over their behavior.

Though he did wonder why Momo always kept to herself during class after the first day of UA. Why did she look so downcast and depressed? And how did she look even more so today? Did something happen between her and the other girls? Or something over the weekend? He didn't know and didn't think it was his place to get involved at all. Especially since most wouldn't want him of all people to butt in.

The girls' situation wasn't the only thing he noticed. The blonde electric user had been talking to his two friends and Mezo couldn't help hearing certain things from them that made him think about how perverted they were. Sure, he liked girls too but he controlled himself to not go crazy like them. He didn't need another reason for the ones of the opposite sex to not like him. Mezo also learned about how Denki probably has a crush on a certain purple haired girl in his class. Why else would Denki glance at Kyoka much more often than before? And it was different this time though. Before, his glances were filled with interest. Now, however, he detected a bit of something else but wasn't exactly sure what it was but he could tell from the expression on his face that something else was going on in him.

Another was the blonde bombardier who was once again fuming in his seat. Mezo wondered if Katsuki was ever calm. Maybe it was an aspect of his quirk that didn't allow him to? Musing about that for a bit, Mezo moved on from that after a minute. Yet he could've sworn that Katsuki seemed to be even more annoyed and agitated than usual. He could tell by how his hands were clenched into fists when they usually were more relaxed and open. That's not even counting how he was being even brasher and ruder in general to everyone. Even to Eijiro who could be considered his only friend.

Another thing he noticed was how two of the other quieter ones in his class were behaving differently than usual. The first was Koji. For one, he was speaking with Yuga and Rikido. Even if he wasn't talking much, he was still interacting with them and that was unusual. Mezo wondered if he had gotten over some of his shyness because of what they went through at the USJ. Whatever the reason behind it, Mezo was glad that his classmate was able to grow out of his shell a bit. And that gave him hope to do the same as well.

The second was Shoto. Mezo wondered if there was ever any other person who could pull off the stoic yet angry look at the same time. Because that's how the resident ice user of their class looked at the moment. Even as Shoto stared ahead at the wall without moving an inch for the past several minutes, Mezo thought that there had to be something that was going on. Especially considering how he was staring, one would think that the wall had offended him in some way.

Even with so many things being noticed by him, no matter how much Mezo thought about them and his other classmates, his thinking would get interrupted every now and then. He thought about his actions at the USJ and how he wasn't able to do much. And about the one who had appeared out of nowhere and saved them all. Who seemed to be in a league of his own…

Lost in thought at the moment, Mezo didn't notice the classroom door opening at that particular time. He wasn't the only one though. Almost everyone in class didn't notice either.

"Quiet down you lot!"

Until their homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, spoke loudly from the front of the class. Immediately the room became quiet with the students hurrying to their seats.

"Sensei! It's good to see you in good health!" said Tenya with relief evident in his tone and others murmured their agreement.

"Thank you but that's not important," replied Shota dryly as he kept his gaze on his class. "We don't have much time since there's much for us to do today. However, I'd like to take this time to mention a few things."

Shota deliberately took a few seconds as if to gather his thoughts to make sure that his class was listening. "First up, I want to say that you handled yourselves well during the villain attack at the USJ." Smiles and happy looks formed on their faces. "Well, most of you." The smiles and happy looks vanished with almost all of them becoming worried. "Even though what happened was unprecedented and it was your first real altercation with villains, some of you portrayed unsatisfactory behavior. And before you ask how I know this…besides the statements you gave to the police, the surveillance system was still functioning and recorded everything that happened at the USJ in all the zones."

Shota fixed his gaze onto his students who shook in their seats but none dared to say anything. "You're here at UA to learn how to be proper future pro heroes. Not someone who'll crack under pressure and say inappropriate things, let their guard down around unknown persons, use up their energy in wasteful ways, volunteer themselves to be a decoy when they don't know their adversaries full capabilities, refuse to work with others properly or to go off on their own. I'm honestly surprised that none of you suffered more lethal injuries." Probably thanks to problem child number one…actually, now that I think about it, is he really that? Questions for later… Shota shook his head as he let out a sigh. "You all got off lucky. If you think for one second that you'll be lucky again in the future, either dispel that belief right now or you can leave UA immediately. If you stay, I expect better from all of you from this moment on. And we will be addressing the issues I mentioned."

The students of class 1A felt badly over the disappointment in his tone of voice. A couple however didn't let it affect them so much, who were Katsuki and Shoto.

Looking at his students again, Shota's expression changed into a gentler one that they actually noticed. "The second thing is this and make sure you remember it because I don't say things like this often. I'm glad that none of you were really hurt. This class is the first one I've had in a long time where everyone has the potential to become truly great heroes. I'm only tough on you because I want you to succeed when you leave UA."

Hearing their sensei say that made the entire class feel a lot better and most of them perked up at that.

"Understood?" asked Shota.

"Yes, Sensei!" answered his students together.

"Good. Now, get ready to leave since we have to go to the auditorium for an assembly. Nezu's orders."

"Sensei!" spoke up Toru as a jacket's sleeve was raised into the air. "What happened to the villains? How is Midnight Sensei doing? Is she back too? What about Midoriya? Is he alright?" Her questions made her classmates look at her first before returning their sight back onto their teacher with every single one of them wanting answers too.

"There's no point for me to answer them because you'll find out the answers to all of those questions along with some more information in the auditorium. Let's go," replied Shota as he headed to the door. He stepped out into the hallway and headed towards the auditorium with his class following after him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You doing alright?" asked Tetsutetsu as he walked up to several girls grouped together with Jurota, Yosetsu and Sen.

The girls turned towards the steel user before Itsuka replied. "Yeah, we're alright. Thanks Tetsu."

"We're good, thanks dude," chimed in Setsuna.

"Glad to hear it," remarked Tetsutetsu with a smile.

One of the guys stepped a little closer as he started speaking with a bit of excitement in his tone. "Have you guys heard the rumors?" asked Sen.

"What rumors?" asked Yui.

"That there's a replacement teacher for Midnight Sensei."

"What?!"

The girls glanced at one another with concerned gazes before Reiko began speaking. "It's actually not surprising that UA found a replacement for Midnight Sensei. Even though she's a pro, she suffered greatly at the hands of such terrible villains. It's logical for her or anyone for that matter to require some time to collect themselves and heal. Hopefully she recovers quickly and we'll be graced with her presence soon once more."

"Yeah, you've got a point," commented Kinoko.

Yosetsu turned towards one of the two green haired girls in the group. "What about you, Shiozaki? You seem alright. Don't you need some time to get better too?" he asked without thinking.

"Idiot!" chastised Sen as he smacked Yosetsu upside the head, making him yelp but it was too late.

All of them turned towards their classmate who let out a choked sound. Ibara had let the girls know she was alright thanks to her family being there for her but she was still being rather quiet. They, even Setsuna, wanted to help her in some way besides just being near her. But they didn't want to push things and make her feel uncomfortable. Especially when they didn't really know what to do.

At their collective gaze on her, Ibara felt nervous. This past weekend that was supposed to be used for her to calm down and gather her wit did not go well at all. With many incessant thoughts keeping her company, she wasn't able to calm down. Even with her adoptive father trying his best to help her, Ibara could only fake becoming better. She knew it was wrong and knew it was a sin to lie, but she just couldn't get out of her funk. And she didn't want to bother him with her problems.

With UA starting up again today, Ibara had no choice but to call her sister in all but blood. Natasha had dropped by who had used her quirk on Ibara after she had pleaded for her to do so. Reluctantly, Natasha did as was asked and Ibara felt her emotions and thoughts calming down. She was able to function enough to go back to UA.

Though her emotions and thoughts were being suppressed for the moment, Ibara was caught off guard. So when she was asked that question, she reacted with a startled sound. But, she was able to control herself quickly.

Raising her gaze, Ibara answered Yosetsu. "I understand what you wanted to say but please refrain from asking such insensitive questions."

They all noticed the rather eerie calmness of her voice but decided to not mention it. "Right! Sorry Shiozaki," apologized Yosetsu as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are you…really okay, Shiozaki?" asked Itsuka with noticeable concern.

Ibara turned towards her. "As much as I can be for the moment. And even with the terrible things I've gone through, a couple others have gone through worse. I cannot complain when God sent his warrior angel to protect me in my hour of need."

None of them said anything for a moment as they thought about what she said. Setsuna did look like she wanted to say something but was subtlety nudged by Yui not to.

"You right. But tell us if need help," stated Pony.

"Pony's right. If you need anything, anything at all, just let us know. Okay?" added Itsuka. Ibara gave a curt nod towards the two and they all smiled a little at Ibara for a second. Itsuka turned towards her other classmates. "So, do you know who the replacement is?"

Sen was about to answer when a couple others joined them. "Hey, what are you guys talking about?" asked Neito as he and Togaru stopped beside the others.

"Kaibara was about to inform us who would be replacing Midnight Sensei until she recovers," answered Jurota, making the two new arrivals glance at him before facing the other.

"Well? Spill it," ordered Togaru.

"Alright, keep your shirt on," said Sen. "So, I heard that Midnight's gonna be gone for a while as she recovers and the one who's gonna be replacing her is an ex-pro hero. And get this; it's someone who used to work for the HPSC."

"The what?" asked a confused Pony.

"The HPSC which stands for the Hero and Public Safety Commission. They're responsible for overseeing pro hero activities and making sure they do their jobs correctly as well as maintaining public order," explained Jurota.

"Oh." Pony nodded in understanding.

"How do you know all this?" asked Kinoko.

"My uncle works for the HPSC. He's just an office worker but he's got access to most of the areas and he hears things from the higher ups every now and then," revealed Sen.

"Huh. Okay," replied Kinoko.

"So, who's the ex-pro?" asked Setsuna.

Sen shrugged. "No idea. He wasn't able to learn their name. But apparently they're super skilled. And that person is only able to come to UA thanks to a deal that Principal Nezu and the HPSC President made together," explained Sen and his words made them all look at one another.

"What kind of deal would Principal Nezu make with the president of the HPSC?" asked Tetsutetsu out loud for them all.

Before any of them could think about that, the classroom door opened and their homeroom teacher walked in. "Alright, everyone to your seats!" barked Vlad while making his way to the podium. At once they all hurried to their spots. Once his students were seated and looking at him, he continued. "First off, I just want to say how glad I am that you're all safe and sound. I wasn't able to say this before you left after the USJ but I wanted to tell you now. And I also wanted to apologize for not being able to protect you all. I swear that I will do my best to never let that happen again," stated Vlad before giving them a bow.

"It's not your fault Vlad Sensei!" said Sen with several saying the same.

"We know you did all you could for us Sensei," remarked Itsuka.

"Don't worry Vlad King! We know you're always on our side!" exclaimed Tetsutetsu.

Vlad straightened out and he couldn't help but smile at them. "Thank you for that but still…I am your homeroom teacher and a pro. I should've been ready for anything like I keep telling all of you. Again, I promise things will be different. Now, for the second thing…"

Vlad took in a breath before he continued. "Though I'm sure all of us could've done some things better and differently, I still wanted to tell you how proud you all made me feel. None of you gave up and kept fighting and resisting till the very end or until help arrived. I know this because even though we weren't able to get a distress signal out and the alarms weren't working, the surveillance systems were still functioning. So, allow me to say that I'm lucky to have such wonderful students be in my class."

Cheers were let out by most of the students but a few remained subdued. One especially caught his eye and Vlad knew the reason why. Shiozaki's staying remarkably silent. She looks a little too composed. Especially after what she experienced just a few days ago. Gotta keep an eye on her… "Now, today we won't be doing much but it will be important. We all have to go to a mandatory assembly by Principal Nezu in the auditorium. After that, you'll have a quick bite to eat and we'll take you to your new dorms," revealed the blood hero and as soon as he finished speaking, several hands went into the air.

"Sir! Can you tell us what happened to the villains?"

"What does Principal Nezu want to tell us that you can't?"

"Is Midnight Sensei okay?"

"What happened to that Midoriya guy?"

"Alright, hold your horses!" said Vlad, slightly shouting and they all quieted down. "You'll find out all the answers to your questions in the auditorium. So get up and get moving!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you for attending this assembly since there's a lot of important information for all of you."

Nezu's words were heard through the auditorium's speaker system as he spoke into the microphone on the podium while looking over his gathered students. From first to third years and from hero course to business course, all of UA's currently attending students had assembled. For the principal wanted to inform them all at the same time of every single change and update that was going to happen at UA. Behind him stood almost all of his staff. One of them, the newest member, was standing to the side and hidden behind the red curtain for the time being. The other was with a certain family in his office.

Clearing his throat, Nezu continued. "As you all know, villains had invaded the USJ during rescue training for classes 1A and 1B this past Thursday afternoon. As you may have also heard already from word of mouth or from watching the news, it was a terrible, unprecedented event. Over one hundred and fifty villains had invaded and attempted to destroy what we all strive towards for at UA. They did their absolute best to attack, to hurt, to violate and much more, all in the goal of breaking down our pillar, our Symbol of Peace as well as destroying the future heroes before they start their paths. They wanted to show society that we heroes are nothing but fakes."

Nezu took a moment to make sure that his students understood that. He could see, even from his podium on the stage that they got the message thanks to their many different expressions that ranged from fear to anger. "That was their goal. But thankfully, they failed in reaching that goal. Even though they were outnumbered, our 1A and 1B students, along with Aizawa, Vlad, Thirteen and Midnight were able to hold their own and even took out many villains. And when All Might and another were able to arrive in time to aid them, they were able to turn the tides completely. In the end, everyone walked away from the horrible incident with their lives. Though I will not stand here and lie to you that they came out of it unscathed. Several have gone through some traumatic experiences, some worse than others, but they are still here with us and we should focus on the positives."

Another short pause from Nezu allowed the students to glance at one another. Many knew who the ones were that he was talking about. Some even looked towards the green haired girl from class 1B while others thought about one of their teachers. Many thought of the one who saved them all.

But when Nezu began speaking again, they all returned their attention to their principal. "With that being said, I would just like to say this before going into the changes and updates that UA has decided to do. Classes 1A and 1B…" Nezu shifted his gaze directly to the two classes who were seated together. Many of the other classes seated in the auditorium did the same, making most of the students in those classes become embarrassed and nervous from all the attention. "I cannot express in words how proud I am or how glad I am that all of you were able to stand your ground and come out of this terrible ordeal with your lives. And I wish to express my sorrow that because of my arrogance of UA's standing, I never thought of the possibility of villains attacking UA. I give you my word that something like this will never happen again."

Some of the students commented back and Nezu nodded at their statements. "Thank you. But even so, I promise you I will make sure of that. UA will no longer be complacent in anything and everything. And with that said, it's time to inform you all of some of the changes we've incorporated. First and foremost, every single person who went through the USJ incident, staff and students, will be required to attend at least one session with Hound Dog. If he deems that you might need more sessions or more advanced help, you will continue. And we have someone who comes highly recommended by Recovery Girl if you do need more professional help."

Several students shifted in their seats uncomfortably while a few others grumbled about that. A couple of them did it loud enough for their principal to hear them.

Nezu let out a sigh. "Seeking help does not make one seem weak. This was a terrible event and many of you experienced traumatic things. It is not wise to let such things fester. It is best to treat wounds as soon as possible. So, if you wish to remain at UA, you must attend your session and be honest with him. Everything will be confidential unless it's life threatening. Also, those who weren't involved at the USJ may still seek out Hound Dog for his assistance."

More shifting in seats but no other noises were loud enough to be heard.

"Now, next thing is this. All Might, who joined UA to start teaching and training the next generation of heroes, will no longer be the main heroics class instructor…"

"WHAT?!"

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL MIGHT?!"

"WHY ISN'T HE TEACHING ANYMORE?!

"IS HE ALRIGHT?!"

Tapping his microphone a few times, the sound blared out through the speakers and silenced his students to stop their outbursts. "I understand that many of you look up to the Symbol of Peace and I'm sure that he'll be happy to know how much you want him around. Rest assured, All Might will still show up at UA when he is able to. For now, his focus has shifted to finding the ones responsible for the USJ invasion who call themselves the 'League of Villains'. As a result, he will be working with the authorities to track them down. In the mean time, our current staff will alternate teaching heroics classes. We've even had other pro heroes express interest in teaching a class or assisting in one."

Murmurs between many were heard and Nezu allowed that for a few seconds. "Now, the next update is regarding one of UA's staff; Nemuri Kayama, pro hero Midnight." The murmurs stopped and many, especially the female students, gave their utmost attention to learn the fate of one of their teachers. The ones who were there to see how she looked were even more anxious to know. "You may have heard rumors of what happened but allow me to inform you all the truth; Midnight was assaulted and violated by disgusting, ruthless villains after…"

Several screams along with startled shouts were let out by many students outside of classes 1A and 1B. Some even cursed out loud and loudly asked if she was alright along with promises of beat downs delivered to those villains for what they did. Classes 1A and 1B remained silent, already knowing what happened to their sensei. But that did not mean that almost every single one of them was not feeling awful or angry over what happened to her.

Nezu tapped his microphone many times until his students finally quieted down. "I know how you feel and believe me; those responsible for Midnight's sorrow will not go unpunished." The way Nezu said those words, along with the expression on his face, let them all know that he was being deathly serious. Many had involuntary shivers go down their spines because of it. "Now, as I was saying, Midnight did her best to hold the villains at bay as long as she could in order to allow her students time to escape. Her sacrifice was not in vain and it was thanks to her actions that allowed several to escape from harm. And these words are for those students she saved; do not feel guilty or it will cheapen Midnight's noble actions. Instead, strive to become great heroes and make her proud."

Mina, Reiko, Denki and Tetsutetsu were feeling horrible, thinking they were responsible for their sensei's current condition. Nezu's words helped them but only a little. Katsuki however, wasn't moved at all. His only thought was that she was stupid for doing what she did when she knew she couldn't handle it completely. He believed that she should've just stepped aside and let him fight them.

"Thankfully, Midnight was rescued and is now recovering at a special hospital reserved only for pro heroes. It will be some time before she returns to UA. We will be with her every step of the way and when she's back to one hundred percent, we'll welcome her back with open arms."

Many students expressed that they wished for that to happen soon and that they wanted to help out in any way they can. The two girls who were with her at first at the downpour zone shared glances that told each other that they'd be there for her.

Nezu gave a small smile at that. "If an opportunity does come up that you might be able to help, I will let you know. For now, just know that she's on the road to recovery." Glancing to his side, Nezu locked his sight onto the person standing off to the side behind the red curtain. After giving her a subtle look, he faced his students again. "Until Midnight returns, her classes will be taken over by another. She'll either continue the class lessons or give her own. She is an ex-pro hero and also served the Hero and Public Safety Commission for a long time. Before I introduce her, I'll also inform you that she was imprisoned at Tartarus for a while…"

"WHAT?!"

"HOW CAN YOU LET HER TEACH HERE?!"

"ARE YOU MAD?!"

Nezu tapped the microphone again but it took many more times before they finally quieted down. "If we keep having more of these interruptions, this is gonna take all day and there are other important things that must be shared." Grumbles and worried tones were heard but Nezu ignored them. "Now, the HPSC and UA agreed to allow her this opportunity to atone for her wrong doings. And rest assured, she will not be allowed to just do as she pleases since we'll be keeping an eye on her at all times. So focus on the positives. Her experience, skills and lessons will be invaluable for you all. With that said, allow me to introduce UA's newest staff member; Kaina Tsutsumi, who's also known as Lady Nagant."

Kaina had stepped out onto the stage from behind the red curtain as soon as she heard her name. The moment she appeared, many shocked gasps and even startled yelps were let out from many of the students. Some began conversing with their friends about her since they heard rumors of who she was and what she did. A handful, who were either rather brave or rather stupid, actually commented pretty loudly how attractive she looked. It wasn't like they could be blamed either since Kaina was dressed in an attire that graciously showed off her rather fit and curvy body for someone who just got out of Tartarus. A purple sleeveless body suit that flowed into a knee length skirt along with a white belt around her waist and white zip up boots with black vertical lines all around was her outfit.

Kaina walked towards her fellow staff members while ignoring all the words that she was hearing. Or at least doing her best to do so. Anan, who was in her hero costume but with her helmet off and held in her right hand, acknowledged Kaina who stopped beside her. The taller of the two gave a curt nod before facing towards the assembled students. Putting some stray strands of her pink and indigo dual colored hair behind her ear, she kept a neutral look on her face. But on the inside she was feeling nervous with so many eyes on her. Not to mention annoyed too thanks to what she was hearing. Stupid hormonal brats…

Nezu, after giving his students a few more seconds to digest everything, decided to move things along to get to the other points. As well as give Kaina some relief from their attention. "Treat Lady Nagant with the same respect you will of myself. Now, this allows me to bring up the next point; security measures across UA have been increased considerably so please feel more at ease. We will no longer be under the threat of warped in attacks and all public areas in UA are being monitored. Surveillance systems, alarms and even coordination with the authorities and local pro heroes have been stream lined and upgraded. UA is now on par with that of Tartarus itself, if not better. However, even with these upgrades, I must request that you all do your part as well. Do not be careless in sharing information. Also, if you spot any lapse in security or have an idea to make things better, please do not hesitate to bring it to our attention."

Impressed nods and comments were let out by the students before Nezu continued. "The next item is concerning the UA dorms. You were supposed to have already moved in this past Friday but had to be pushed back due to what happened. As a result, we did have a chance to upgrade the dorms with better security as well as other perks. You will know what I mean when you finally move into your dorms. But, I will say this; because of what happened at the USJ and what we learned, we decided to change up the dorms a little."

Whispers between the students were heard but Nezu ignored that. "In the past, UA has always done things out of the norm. And now, we will do it again. Most would've made each class have its own dorm building and that was our initial thinking as well. But with how well classes 1A and 1B worked together at the USJ, we realized we've been doing things wrong. Of course, healthy competitiveness is needed to help push each other forward, but being able to work with one another and help each other will allow for more successful missions and better relationships for us all."

Giving them a few seconds to understand and finish their whispers, Nezu continued. "As such, we've decided that dorms will now be shared. With that said, all department classes in each year will share dorms together. For example, hero classes 1A and 1B will share a dorm building. Same for general, support and management. Your homeroom teachers will show you to your dorm buildings and give you more information if need be."

Taking in a breath, Nezu quietly let it out. "Besides dorm changes, there's some other news. First, we will have an open day for our students' families to come visit in two weeks. This will give them a chance to see how UA functions and to ask any questions of their own to us. Secondly, there will be several events for students to attend, both on and off campus, if they so wish throughout the year. Some of that may even be public service jobs given out by the HPSC but we'll talk about that later when the time comes. Thirdly, which may be the most important, is that the UA Sports Festival will be held in two months time."

Seeing the concerned expressions on many of the students, Nezu let his usual smile form on his face. "I know what you're thinking; why hold events, especially the Sports Festival, after what happened? Well, we can't let some uppity villains keep us from doing what we always do. Plus, you only get one chance per year to show off to everyone and that's one of the best ways to get internships and recruitment offers from the pros. Not to mention it's the most watched event in the country, replacing the Olympics so we cannot cancel it. So make sure you're prepared for that."

Nezu took another short pause before he continued. "For today, there will be no classes. Instead, you'll have either lunches before going to your dorms or afterwards. Your homeroom teachers will explain everything about them at that time. Your belongings that were picked up by the UA movers will already be in your assigned rooms. You'll use today and tomorrow as well to settle in and get used to things. On Wednesday, UA will function as normal. Well, for the most part. We'll be speeding up certain plans because of the USJ incident. Now, with everything said and done, it's time for you to head back and..."

"WAIT!"

Everyone looked towards the one who shouted and found a tall, rather built, blonde male, standing from his seat. He looked like a buffer and somehow kinder version of an old story character by the name of Tintin.

"Ah yes, Mirio Togata, what is it?" asked Nezu cheerily.

The blue haired girl on his right gave Mirio a curious look. While on the left, his eternally anxious and socially inept friend huddled into himself, not liking the indirect attention. Ignoring both of them for the moment, Mirio spoke. "I just wanted to ask, who's the other person who arrived with All Might and helped everyone out?"

Mirio's question made everyone in the auditorium look at Nezu with many wanting to know the answer too. Many from classes 1A and 1B became anxious as well.

"Ah, yes…him." Nezu nodded a few times with a smile. "I won't disclose personal things since it's not my place. However, his name is Izuku Midoriya and he's part of class 1A. Due to some events, he wasn't able to attend UA in the beginning but was able to join his classmates the day of the USJ incident. I must confess that if it wasn't for his timely arrival with All Might and his actions, there would've been far more serious and devastating results. Not only did he save his classmates but he was also the one who rescued Midnight from her horrible ordeal. UA owes Midoriya much and we've been helping him recover from his injuries. Thankfully, he's recovered enough to rejoin us soon. With that said, I request that you and everyone else to please respect his privacy and to not bother him unnecessarily."

Everyone in the auditorium reacted in some way due to Nezu's words. Many whispered to one another. Others were lost in though. Some began feeling many different things that were mostly from classes 1A and 1B.

Satisfied with the answer he received, Mirio smiled. "Alright, thanks Principal Nezu! He sounds like an awesome person to get to know!"

Nezu and many others, both from staff and students, agreed with his statement. "Yes, he is." Mirio sat down and Nezu continued. "Now, this assembly is finished. All of you except for classes 1A and 1B, please exit and head back to your homerooms. Your instructors will let you know what'll be next."

Besides the mentioned classes, everyone else stood up and began making their way out of the area. Some wondered why those classes were told to stay put as they whispered with their friends about it. Though one was being rather loud about it but it was in no way rude or mean spirited, who was Mirio's blue haired friend. She was just curious about it thanks to her personality. Her two friends consisting of Mirio and the anxious one ushered her out of the auditorium rather forcibly because they knew that if they didn't, then they'd get in trouble for taking too long to leave.

When they finally left, Nezu cleared his throat one more time before speaking. "Now that it's just us, there are a few more things I'd like to speak with you about."

Almost all of the students from both classes straightened in their seats at the serious tone from their principal. Wondering why they were made to say, they figured that it had something to do with the USJ. Some also thought if it had something to do with Midoriya as well since he was with them…

"Before, I mentioned how proud and glad I am over how you handled yourselves and that you're alright. Allow me to be clearer. I'm proud for the most part." Several students shifted uncomfortably in their seats at his tone change. "I didn't want to put this out there in front of everyone in the school but I was very tempted to do so. I've seen the surveillance recordings along with your instructors. They already had their say, but I must also inform you of how I'm a little disappointed in the actions and behaviors that some of you've displayed. Even with it being a villain attack, you must always remain calm, think through your actions, work with others and not take unnecessary risks at the very least. If you can't do that, then perhaps becoming a pro hero isn't a suitable future for you. You were lucky in this instance thanks to All Might and Midoriya arriving in time to help out."

Noticing the many different expressions on their faces, Nezu took mental notes about a few of them that seemed rather concerning. Letting them stew in that for a handful of seconds longer, he continued afterward. "Regardless, use this experience to do and be better. Moving on, there's something I need to tell you about Midoriya..."

Nezu noticed the sudden shift in many of the students' behavior. Many were giving their utmost attention filled with anxiousness and some even looked hopeful. Why am I not surprised? You've really made an impression on them, haven't you? And in such a short amount of time… As soon as he thought that, however, was when he noticed something else; one particular blonde looked like he was close to exploding from several emotions. And not in a good way. Hmm…

Keeping his observations from being known, Nezu continued on. "Midoriya has a request for his fellow classmates." Many either tilted their heads in confusion or gave looks of curiosity after that statement. "He's already received permission from me but he still wants to speak about it and seek your approval before he actually does it. I won't say more but I did want to let you know in advance that I've already allowed this as long as you'll be alright with it."

Exchanging looks with one another, all the students from 1A and 1B wondered what it could be that Izuku wants to ask them.

"Now…" Getting their attention for his final statements, Nezu continued after he verified they were all looking at him. "There's no more to be said and I'm sure you'd rather be eating instead of listening to more information being dumped on you. After you settle into your dorms, if you have any questions, please let myself, your homeroom teachers or other staff personnel know. Off you go!" finished Nezu cheerily as he waved his paws in a 'go' motion. As the students got up and made their ways out of the auditorium with their instructors leading the way, Nezu left as well with his staff.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, how are you doing, Recovery Girl?" asked Izuku.

"I'm doing alright. I'd be doing better if I knew the reason why I'm still waiting here per Nezu's request. I already finished healing your body. And no, I'm not healing your arm until Friday. But something tells me I'm waiting here because of you," replied Chiyo with a slightly annoyed tone.

Glancing at his mother, then at his mentor, Izuku faced the elderly woman again and gave an awkward chuckle while rubbing the back of his head. The little girl sitting on his lap looked up at him with a curious look but he didn't see it. "Well, you see…um…"

"Hello everyone!"

Nezu greeting everyone as he walked inside the office after opening the door stopped Izuku from continuing. Moving towards his desk, he hopped onto it and faced his guests. "Thank you for coming here and for waiting while I did the assembly."

"That's alright. But why wasn't my son involved with his class in the assembly?" asked Inko.

"Because if he was there, then most of the students' attention would've been on him instead of me," explained Nezu cheerily.

"Ah, I'm sorry Principal Nezu!" apologized Izuku as he bowed his head.

Nezu chuckled. "Don't be sorry for that Midoriya. That just shows how much of an impact you've made on them. And that's with barely interacting with them! I wonder how things would go once you spend some actual time together," mused Nezu. His words make Izuku redden while Inko and Toshinori exchanged smiles and Eri titled her head.

"Alright, Nezu. You know how busy I am and how I don't like to waste time. Why am I here?" asked Chiyo with noticeable annoyance.

"Alright. Well…" Nezu moved towards the very edge of his desk and stopped there before he continued. "My dear Recovery Girl, remember what you were looking for all these years?" he asked.

Furrowing her brow, Chiyo thought about what he was talking about. Until a moment later when it clicked in her head and she took in a sharp breath. "You mean?!"

Smile widening, Nezu nodded. "Yes. A true healer such as yourself has been found."

"Who?! When?! How?!" asked Chiyo, actually getting to her feet and demanding answers. But before they could reply back to her, she realized something and faced Izuku. "Wait, is that why you're here?! Do you know who it is? Were you the one who found'em?!"

Glancing at Nezu, who nodded at him, Izuku faced Chiyo before speaking. "Yeah, um…it's me."

Silence in the office for a moment. Until Chiyo spoke with barely contained emotion even though she felt like exploding from the multiple different feelings whirling around inside her. "Explain."

"After being discharged from the hospital yesterday, we went to see how Nemuri-san was doing…"

Izuku began explaining what happened at once. As he did that, the elderly doctor listened with rapt attention. What he was feeling and thinking after seeing how she was doing. How he was suddenly able to heal Nemuri. What he learned about his quirk thanks to those who know about it. And how he wanted to request learning all he could about healing from her since she was so knowledgeable. How he wanted her help to train his new healing ability. How he kept it secret and only Dr. Dobrev knows. He explained as much as he could without revealing One For All or the previous users because of a certain little girl in the room.

When he finished, Izuku waited for her answer for a little while. Seeing her not moving or saying anything, he asked his request. "So…will you, Recovery Girl? Will you help me train and get better at healing people?"

Chiyo stared at Izuku for a few seconds longer, making everyone else in the room become a little nervous while Nezu kept silent with the usual smile on his face. "Of course I will!" exclaimed Chiyo all of a sudden, making them all jump, startled, except for the principal. "I've been waiting for a long time to find a suitable apprentice! Even though I'm worried that you were able to basically create a new ability just from your desire, there's no way in hell I'm letting a rare opportunity like this pass!"

"Thank you so much Recovery Girl!" said Izuku happily with a bow of his head.

"Yes, thank you Chiyo," chimed in Inko while Toshinori just smiled.

Waving her hand, Chiyo kept her sight on Izuku. "I should be thanking you Midoriya. But don't think that means I won't be strict with you anymore. I'm gonna teach you everything I know and more so don't think it's gonna be a walk in the park. And I still expect you to get better and not hurt yourself. Especially now that you're capable of healing."

"I'll do my best but…I don't know if I can heal myself too," revealed Izuku, finishing the last few words in a low tone of voice.

"We'll figure that out together and even if that's the case, don't worry about it," stated Chiyo. "I'll need to set some things up. I might even have Dobrev help me out with this, since I don't have some of the necessary equipment here at UA..." Trailing off, Chiyo thought for a moment as she looked towards the ground. "Yes, yes, that should work." She raised her gaze back towards Izuku. "Be ready Friday after classes to go with me to the hospital. We'll check on your new ability then."

"Will do and thank you."

Turning around and walking towards the door to leave while speaking out loud about how busy she's gonna be for the foreseeable future, Chiyo stopped once she reached the door and glanced back. "I hope you're ready Midoriya. As for the rest of you; don't tell anyone else. "

Izuku nodded. "I will be and I won't." Eri nodded too as she hugged his casted arm slightly tighter.

"We'll make sure of it," stated Toshinori with a smile and Inko did the same.

"Good." Without another word, Chiyo left the office and closed the door behind her.

Once she left, Nezu spoke up. "Well, that takes care of one item. Onto the next." Clapping once with his paws, Nezu drew attention to him from the Midoriyas and Toshinori. "Now, I've already notified your classmates about these updates. So to recap…" Nezu quickly explained everything that he said in the assembly.

"Oh wow, an ex-pro hero? How come I never heard of her?" asked Izuku after hearing about Kaina.

Nezu's smile lessened but it was subtle. "I can't disclose too much information, but let's just say it has to do with some wrong doings on her part as well as the HPSC's."

"Is it truly alright to hire someone like her?" asked Inko with worry.

"Don't worry; we have eyes on Nagant at all times. Except for when she's in her personal quarters. I do believe in some privacy," explained Nezu.

Inko didn't look too convinced but Toshinori placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. "She won't be able to do anything. Security's been upgraded like crazy. And all of UA's staff are gonna keep tabs on her. I promise," he said with conviction.

Feeling somewhat comforted by his words, Inko nodded. Facing Izuku, she spoke. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

"I promise, Mom."

"Good," spoke Nezu, making them look at him. "Now that's settled, I also wanted to let you know this. Your classmates know that you want to ask them a request and that I already approved it in advance as long as they do too. I kept it general so they don't know the specifics of your request, which is it being towards the females and the dorm side. The sooner you get their answer, the better. So, are you ready to go join your classmates?" he asked.

"Thanks, Principal Nezu. I am but I won't lie and say I'm not nervous," replied Izuku, feeling anxious.

"You'll be just fine," said Inko kindly, making Izuku look at her. "Just be yourself and remember all the hard work you did and how you saved everyone."

Toshinori jumped in to add his own encouragement. "Your Mother's right and don't forget how you have several big admirers already, my boy."

Izuku snapped his gaze towards his mentor. "Hey! I wasn't thinking about that! Now I'm even more nervous!" he said while blushing slightly and they chuckled at his flustered state.

"Why are you nervous Papa?" asked Eri.

Izuku composed himself the best he could as he faced Eri. "Well, it's just that I helped out some people and I'm nervous over how they'll act when they see me," said Izuku, trying to explain things as simply as he could without getting into the fact that its regarding several rather attractive girls. He didn't need to talk about that with Eri of all people.

Eri tilted her head. "But...you're not…like that…with me, right?"

Izuku smiled at her. "Of course not, Eri. I'll never be nervous with you and I hope you'll never be nervous with me either."

Eri shook her head fiercely. "I won't! And…don't be nervous Papa cause I heard them say other people said good things about you and that they like you," she finished saying while pointing at the two adults.

Izuku was momentarily stunned at her words while the rest were surprised at her observations. When he snapped out of it, Izuku gave a big smile before he hugged Eri who hugged him back. "Thank you Eri. That helped me a lot."

Nezu cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "So, as I was saying, Midoriya, you ready to go join them now? They're probably still in the cafeteria since first years got to go first. Good place as any to start things off."

Izuku nodded as he stood up. "I guess so, sir."

"Alright." Nezu hit the button on his desk.

A moment later, Hizashi opened the office and walked in. "Yo! What's up?" Greeting everyone, they returned it and the pro turned towards Izuku. "You ready to get this show on the road?"

"Yeah, just give me a sec." Standing up, Izuku moved closer to his mother and handed Eri over to her. Locking eyes with his daughter, Izuku made sure she was listening. "After I get settled in and get the approval, I'll come get you. And then you'll move in with me here at UA. I'll need a couple days or so. Okay Eri? Can you be patient and wait with Grandma Inko until then?"

Eri didn't want to be away from him even though she had warmed up to Inko considerably by now. But, she knew that this was important. She knew that Izu needed to get things ready so she could come and live with him again. If she had to, she'd wait for that as long as was needed because she knew that he'd come back for her in the end. Thankfully, she only had to wait for a short time. She could do that. Right? "Okay Papa. I'll wait. But…please…please don't forget me," said Eri in a quiet voice.

"Never," replied back Izuku immediately. Smiling at her, Izuku pecked her on the forehead, making Eri redden but kept her sight on him. He looked at his mother afterwards. "Thanks for helping me out."

"Of course. I'll always be there for you Izuku. Plus, I don't mind at all watching over little Eri. We always have fun together. Right Eri?" asked Inko and Eri nodded with slight embarrassment while keeping her eyes onto her Papa

Toshinori moved towards his protégé. "Izuku, don't worry about a thing. I'll be there with them too. So go join your classmates, show who you are confidently and don't forget to have some fun too."

"Thanks." Smiling at them, Izuku faced Hizashi who gestured for them to leave. Following after the pro hero, Izuku left the office.

"We might as well take our leave," stated Inko before looking at their host. "Thank you once again for everything Nezu."

"You're welcome and it's my pleasure. See you soon!"

Inko, while carrying Eri, made her way out with Toshinori walking beside her. Right before they left, Eri waved bye at the white hybrid animal. Nezu's cheerful smile became radiant as the door closed. Tilting his head slightly in amusement, Nezu moved his paws behind his back and began thinking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, you ready to finally join your classmates?"

"Yeah. I'm a little nervous, but I can't wait to meet everyone for the first time," said Izuku. "Well, you know, without things being in a dire situation."

Hizashi smiled at that. "I bet. But I think you'll be just fine. And if you have any trouble, just let me know and your ole pal, the awesomely cool Present Mic, will help ya out!"

"Thanks. I appreciate it but I think I got it," replied Izuku. "But I'll definitely let you know if I do!" he hurriedly added after seeing the pro hero become comically depressed.

"Alrighty!" Present Mic's demeanor completely changed, making Izuku hold back a chuckle. "Let's go! So, what are you excited for?"

The two of them continued talking while making their way to the cafeteria. When they finally reached it, Hizashi said his farewell yet took a rather long time to leave. When he finally left the first year to his own devices, he decided to go find his oldest friend and see what he was doing.

Once he was alone, Izuku stared at the door for a moment before taking in a breath. Well, here goes… Opening the door, the sounds of laughter, talking, utensils hitting plates and more was heard. Izuku walked in and headed towards the order counter as he looked around the cafeteria. Almost everyone was sitting in booths or around tables with some standing around them.

When Izuku reached the UA staff member, he greeted him. "Hey, Lunch Rush. How's it going?"

"Midoriya! It's been a while. I heard what happened. It's good to see that you're on your feet already. You doing alright?" asked Lunch Rush, doing a quick glance at the arm in a cast and sling before shifting his gaze back towards Izuku's.

"I'm doing alright and it's good to see you again too, sir. Been doing well?" replied back Izuku.

"Hey, I told you not to be formal with me," said Lunch Rush and Izuku chuckled sheepishly. "Anyways, I'm doing well too. Congratulations on being an official UA student now. So, what'll you have? Katsudon again, I presume?" he asked with slight teasing.

Izuku reddened slightly. He remembered the first time he met Lunch Rush during his training with All Might. Going all star eyed at the pro, Izuku also let his rather intense obsession with katsudon be known to the pro the first time they met while getting his autograph. He was teased by his mentor for a good week after that. "Yeah, if you don't mind."

Shaking his head in amusement, Lunch Rush quickly prepared his meal. "I knew it. Well, here you go. Let me know what you think," said the pro as he handed a bowl of katsudon.

"I'm sure it'll be as good as always." Izuku took the bowl with his left hand. He placed it on his tray and grabbed a few more things available from the counter. When done, he faced the pro. "Thank you."

"You're welcome and enjoy. See ya around, Midoriya," said Lunch Rush.

Izuku thanked him again while bowing his head slightly. He was about to pick up the tray when he suddenly froze as he noticed something. The noisy cafeteria from before was now completely silent. Feeling as if hundreds of eyes were locked onto him, Izuku swallowed the saliva that had accumulated in his mouth all of a sudden before he slowly turned around.

Once he was facing everyone, Izuku realized that what he was feeling was true. Every single person in the cafeteria was looking right at him. So many people that Izuku figured it was the entirety of first year in the cafeteria. No one was moving or making a sound. Gulping once more, Izuku had a thought enter his head. I think I'd rather go another round with that Nomu thing instead of dealing with this…

Feeling extremely nervous while his heart started beating a little faster, Izuku did his best to remain composed. Taking in a subtle breath, he greeted them with the first words that came to mind. "Um, hey everyone."

"OH MY GOD!"

"MIDORIYA!"

"THAT'S THE GREEN SAVIOR?!"

"IT'S HIM!"

The instant Izuku greeted them, was when they all seemed to snap out of it. Multiple shouts and yells were let out by many that included males and females. Some were happy, others excited but they were all surprised in one way or another. Many had even gotten up and rushed towards him who froze in shock with wide eyes like a deer in headlights thanks to their actions. They started talking excitedly and loudly over one another with the green haired young man as they crowded around him.

Izuku's nervousness increased while also feeling completely overwhelmed. Having never experienced such a thing, he was having a difficult time in being able to comprehend what was actually going on. He was so lost he wasn't even able to respond back to any of them. And even if he could, they were too busy talking loudly nonstop to even give him a chance to say anything. He heard them say things like asking about his quirk, how badass they thought he was and even questions about his relationship status. A couple times he also yelped since he felt someone grab hold of him. But he couldn't function enough to do anything or even to respond.

This is too much! I need help! I shouldn't have come here like this! I need to…

*CLAP*CLAP*CLAP*

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Booming claps followed by loud, angry screaming made everyone freeze and look towards where it came from. Itsuka, Kyoka and Ochaco were standing next to each other. The red head was giving a disappointed and annoyed look. But both the brunette and the purple haired girl were straight glaring right at the crowd of people who had surrounded Izuku. They had noticed the expression on his face and worked together without even meaning to.

Seeing the girls' expressions, the crowd came to their senses and quickly dispersed with almost all of them returning to their seats. The ones who stayed behind were some of the girls' classmates.

Rubbing the back of his head, Tetsutetsu gave an awkward half laugh before speaking. "Heh, sorry, I don't know what got over me."

"Don't apologize to us. We're not the ones you bothered," chastised Itsuka.

"You should be saying that to Midoriya," advised Ochaco with slightly narrowed eyes.

"That's right so get to it!" demanded Kyoka.

Eyes widening, Tetsutetsu realized they were right. "Oh shit, you're right!" Turning towards Izuku, he bowed while speaking. "I'm so sorry Midoriya!"

"Me too! I'm sorry!" The others still there followed suit and did the same who were Hanta, Mina, Tenya, Toru, Sen, Kosei, Setsuna and Hiryu.

Izuku became flustered over their behavior. It took him a few seconds to snap out of it. "It's-It's okay, guys! Really! I'm just…not used to so much attention," he said while rubbing the back of his head.

Straightening themselves back up, Setsuna was the first to speak. "Really? Now that's interesting. Why is that, Wonderboy?" she asked with a slight seductive tone.

"W-Wonderboy?!" stammered Izuku in shock, making Setsuna grin over his reaction.

But before she or anyone else could say something, Itsuka spoke up. "Set, that's enough."

Setsuna rolled her eyes but kept the grin on her face. "What? Can't a girl say what's on her mind? I really do mean what I said." Itsuka shook her head while Kyoka and Ochaco kept glaring at Setsuna, making her grin widen even more.

One of the boys, who was taller than most with blue hair and wearing glasses, began speaking. "We should stop this inappropriate banter. And we should get back to our meals as we have other important things to do today," suggested Tenya and most of them agreed. "But first!"

Tenya, in a rather dramatic fashion, turned to fully face Izuku. "My name is Tenya Iida. Midoriya, whether you remember it or not, I wanted to apologize to you over my behavior back at the entrance exam. It was uncalled for. And when the time came to show what it means to be a real hero, I ran instead of helping others yet you stepped up without hesitation. At that time and at the USJ, though I wasn't there but heard what happened from everyone, you showed how you are a much better person and hero than I am. Please forgive me," said Tenya before he gave a deep bow in front of them all.

Izuku were surprised at his actions and so were the others. He was about to say how it wasn't a big deal and it was water under the bridge but froze as he opened his mouth. He suddenly remembered the sessions he had with Dr. Dobrev and what they talked about. How he shouldn't just brush things off all the time. That certain things needed to be addressed and to do so when the opportunity presents itself. He might have let them off the hook just now for them crowding him, but he didn't need to do that every time and for everything.

Taking in a breath, Izuku let it out before he replied back. "I'm not gonna lie and say that it didn't bother me, how you acted and blew things out of proportion that day. But since you're being sincere and apologizing, I accept your apology and I'll let it go this time. Try not to assume things and remember what it means to be a good person and a hero."

Tenya straightened out and looked Izuku in the eye. "Thank you for accepting my apology. I swear that I will do my best to be a true hero like you, Midoriya. Your actions speak volumes and I will strive to do better and remember my promise."

Izuku smiled and raised his left hand. Tenya smiled back, grasped his hand and they shook before separating. Tenya left the group afterwards, stating he has to finish his meal and returned to the booth where Jurota and Nirengeki were seated.

"That was so MANLY!" exclaimed Tetsutetsu with his fists raised in a 'pumped' position, making Izuku raise his eyebrows in surprise over his reaction.

The invisible girl chimed in. "Wow, never seen him like that. He's usually in 'overly serious' mode all the time," commented Toru, glancing at her classmate. He doesn't look too bad when he smiles. If only he's not too serious all the time... Pushing her thinking about possibly putting Tenya Iida back onto her list of possible boyfriend choice, Toru faced Izuku again. It was only noticeable thanks to her clothes. "Does your quirk change how people behave or something?" she asked teasingly.

Izuku chuckled while shaking his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Hey, Midoriya…" Izuku turned towards the one who called out his name and he continued. "I'm Sen Kaibara and I just wanted to say thanks for saving our asses man."

"Yeah, what he said. And I'm Kosei Tsuburaba and thanks man," added Kosei.

"Same here and I'm Hiryu Rin."

"Good to officially meet you guys and you don't have to thank me for that. I just did what a hero would do," replied back Izuku sincerely.

"SO MANLY!" Izuku faced his silver haired peer again. "I'm Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! I know, it's a mouthful so just call me Tetsu! And dude! You're a much better person than I thought you'd be!" commented Tetsutetsu without thinking, making Izuku tilt his head over his choice of words.

Izuku was about to reply back when Setsuna spoke up. "Okay, I think we can hold off all the gratitude stuff for now. Food's getting cold, lunch is halfway over and Wonderboy's probably hungry too."

"You know, you could say all that without calling him 'Wonderboy'," muttered Kyoka with narrowed eyes locked onto Setsuna and Ochaco agreed with her classmate, mirroring her expression.

Both girls glared at the 1B student who just smirked at their reactions while her friend just let out a sigh.

That interaction went unnoticed since one of the boys had walked up to Izuku. "They got a point, we should continue lunch," said Hanta. "By the way, Midoriya, I'm Hanta Sero and do you wanna join me and my…"

"Nope! He's joining us!" interrupted Mina as she wrapped her arm around Izuku's good arm and began half leading and half dragging him away. "C'mon, let's go to our booth!"

"But my katsudon!" shot Izuku, remembering his bowl waiting for him when the others mentioned lunch was halfway over.

"Don't worry, we got'chu!" Mina glanced back towards the brunette. "Ochaco! Bring his food!" she yelled and without waiting for a reply, she faced forward again. She continued escorting Izuku while pressing closer to his arm. "I can't wait to introduce you to everyone and get to know you better Midori!"

"Mi-Midori?!" he stammered while blushing due to the close contact from the pink girl and the sudden nickname she game him.

Turning her face to look at him, Mina gave him a pout. "What? I think it's cute. You don't like it?" She could see his face turning redder by the second but he didn't say anything back. Her pout turned into a beaming smile. "I'll take that to mean that you do! C'mon! Everyone's waiting!"

As Mina took Izuku to the tables where their friends were at, five girls followed after them. Itsuka was feeling partially amused but also worried about things. Setsuna was both impressed and disappointed in the fact that her kindred spirit was the first one to make a move when she should've thought of that. Toru was busy checking out Izuku from behind and was happy with her scanning. Kyoka was following after them with her arms crossed and muttering to herself. And Ochaco looked peeved even with her pout over what was happening while carrying his tray.

The boys went back to their own seats with some of them and their friends feeling jealous over all the attention the girls were giving their green haired classmate. A certain short, purple haired boy was practically snarling while somehow crying tears of jealousy at the sight. He did think about becoming Midoriya's friend over the weekend so he could learn from him on how to be a badass and attract attention from girls, but c'mon! How could he not feel jealous and angry over what he was seeing?!

Not noticing or not caring about how everyone was staring at her, Mina led Izuku to the tables and had him sit down next to Yui before sitting next to his other side. "Everyone, this is Izuku Midoriya! Midori, this is everyone!"

Feeling a multitude of feelings whirling around inside him, Izuku did his best to remain as composed as possible. Even when he knew he was still red in the face. "Hi e-everyone. My name's Izuku Midoriya and I'm glad t-to see you're all doing well. Thank you for allowing me to join you for lunch," he greeted them with a friendly smile. He tried to stay calm, confident and composed as he spoke thanks to his teachings from his mentor. Though he did stutter a little bit, he did much better than he would've done in the past. Plus, who could blame him when he's smack dab in the middle of a bunch of girls? Who are attractive and also strong since they got into UA?

After his greeting, the girls introduced themselves one by one.

"It's a pleasure to formally meet you Midoriya-san. My name is Reiko Yanagi."

"My name Pony Tsunotori! You so cool!"

"Tsuyu Asui. Thanks for saving me and call me Tsu."

"I-I'm Kinoko Komori a-and I'm happy t-to see you again."

"…I-Ibara Sh-Shiozaki…"

"Yui Kodai."

Izuku faced each girl in turn when they greeted him as they went around in a circle. He remembered each of them and how he found them back at the USJ. He really did feel happy to see that they were all alright and seemingly doing much better than last he saw them. He did notice how some of them seemed shy or had difficulty from their embarrassed looks and quiet tones. He couldn't blame them at all. He too wasn't that great with strangers if it wasn't heroics related. Though he also thought if it was because of what he did for them last week as his mentor's words echoed in his head about having admirers. He quickly pushed that aside. It wasn't the time to be lost in thought at the moment. Especially about that.

What he needed to do right now was to acknowledge them and reply back to what they said. And he did while looking each in the eye as he did so and mentally thanking Midnight for the practice she did with him. "Thank you and the pleasures mine Yanagi-san. Your horns are pretty cool too, Tsunotori-san. You're welcome and only if you insist once more, Asui-san. I'm happy too, Komori-san. You don't have to force yourself with me, Shiozaki-san but thank you for telling me your name. And Kodai-san, thank you also for sharing your name with me."

After Izuku spoke, each of the girls there reacted by either smiling at him, by averting their gaze while reddening out of shyness or by just nodding back at him.

"Oh wow, never seen one guy affect several girls at once with my own eyes! You're really a Casanova aren't ya, Midoriya?"

Izuku shifted his sight onto the green haired girl and saw the sharp toothed grin plastered all over her face. "Casanova?" questioned Izuku while giving a curious look.

"Don't tell me you don't know what that means?" asked Setsuna and Izuku shook his head. She and several of the girls became surprised. "Huh…I'm actually shocked. And here I am, thinking you were a…"

"Ok, I think that's enough," interjected Itsuka, appearing beside her loudmouthed friend while also nudging her in the side.

"But he…"

"NOPE! We're not going there!" shot Itsuka with a sharp look at Setsuna.

Crossing her arms and looking to the side, Setsuna grumbled. "Always running my fun…"

Shaking her head, Itsuka let out a sigh before facing Izuku. "Sorry about her. She's a bit of a handful at times."

"No worries, I get it," replied Izuku, making Setsuna whine about Itsuka already ruining her image and many from the group chuckled. Izuku then faced the green haired girl and the invisible girl. "By the way, I know Urarak-san, Jirou-San and Kendo-san. But I don't know both of your names."

"Hey, how do you know their names already?! And how come you don't know my name?!" asked Mina with a pout while crossing her arms.

Izuku glanced at Mina before looking at the girls who had different expressions on their faces and he noticed. Itsuka had raised her eyebrows. Kyoka looked annoyed. And Ochaco blushed while looking a little uneasy.

Izuku unknowingly cut off Ochaco right when she opened her mouth to say something as he turned his sight back towards the pink skinned and haired girl and answered her. "Well, you never told me your name. And I met Kendo-san at the USJ, Jirou-san when I helped her family with a delivery and Uraraka-san back at the entrance exam."

Itsuka nodded in agreement while Kyoka smiled a bit as she remembered that. And Ochaco's mouth fell open slightly with her heart skipping a beat. There was no way that his mother didn't tell him about her visit, her name and how she stayed the night beside him. She was pretty sure that was the only time she had mentioned her name to him, even if it was indirectly. She had already told her friends but that was beside the point. He was trying to cover for her in front of everyone so she wouldn't get embarrassed and he didn't really know her…

Surprised over his rebuttal, Mina was momentarily stunned. But it didn't last long at all. "Nice save Midori," she remarked before her pout turned into a grin. "But you're right; I did forget to tell you. My bad! My name's Mina Ashido! But you can call me Mina, Midori!"

"Hey, hey! Don't forget little ole me!" said Setsuna as she leaned over the table towards Izuku and got real close to him. "Setsuna Tokage's the name but you can call me whatever you want, Wonderboy~"

Izuku reddened again but was saved from responding when Itsuka grabbed hold of Setsuna and pulled her away from him.

Toru took this opportunity to introduce herself. "Heya Midoriya! I'm Toru Hagakure! If you ever need anything, just let me know, okay?"

"Hello Hagakure-san. Good to meet you and thank you for that. I'll keep that in mind," he replied and Izuku couldn't see due to her invisibility but Toru was beaming at him.

Before anyone else could talk, Ochaco moved forward and placed the tray with his food on the table in front of him. "Here you go, Midoriya. You should eat this before it gets too cold."

"Yeah, before Ms. Inappropriate here gets any more funny ideas," remarked Kyoka with a slight glare at Setsuna, who merely replied back that she was just getting started.

Izuku chuckled and so did several in their group. "Good point. And thank you Uraraka-san," said Izuku with a nod towards her along with a smile and Ochaco smiled back.

"C'mon everyone, finish up. Lunch is almost over," advised Itsuka, deciding to get everyone back to their meals for two reasons. First was because lunch would end soon. The second was because she noticed the looks being given towards Izuku and Ochaco.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Girl Scout," mumbled Setsuna as she sat down to finish her half eaten food.

As the girls finished up their meals, Izuku started working on his. There were still some conversations that popped out here and there between Izuku and the girls or within the girls themselves as they ate. Luckily it was minimal so it allowed Izuku to focus on his food. Though all of the girls would sneak glances at him whenever they thought they could. Some of them shared similar reasons for it too. The ones who did it the most were Ochaco, Ibara, Kyoka, Yui, Setsuna, Toru, Kinoko and Mina.

During this time however, Izuku was having some difficulty. Trying to do things with his left hand since his dominant one was in a cast was proving to be a bigger pain than he thought. He kept fumbling with his utensils and struggled eating. Several times the parcels of food just fell back onto his plate when he raised the utensil to his mouth.

After the fifth time it happened, right when Izuku's annoyance was about to tip over as he let out a small, barely noticeable growl, the utensil was gently taken out of his hands. "Huh? Wha…"

"Allow me," said Yui in a soft tone of voice as she took his utensil, got some of his food onto it and held it up close to his mouth.

Turning crimson red over her actions and how he felt so embarrassed over the situation, Izuku didn't react for a second. But during that miniscule bit of time, many thoughts went through his mind. Oh my god! I can't believe she's doing this! Isn't she embarrassed at all?! Though her expression was still surprisingly neutral, Izuku noticed the emotions twinkling within her cerulean eyes. She is…but she's dealing with it…for me…

Internally kicking himself into gear while feeling touched, Izuku quickly acted. "Thank you, Kodai-san," he told her with noticeable gratitude before opening his mouth.

Yui's facial expression didn't change but her eyes seemed to flicker with joy over his acceptance of her action. Following through, she fed him and got another bite ready for him as he chewed.

"Damn it, I should've thought of that! You win this round, Yui," commented Setsuna with a huff.

Yui faced her close friend before sticking her tongue out at Setsuna in a deadpan way, who just laughed in response while wagging her index finger at her.

Izuku blushed again while rubbing the back of his head over their behavior. But also because he noticed how several of the girls around him were either glaring a little at Yui, like Ochaco and Kyoka, looking down at their plates with reddened gazes, like Kinoko and Ibara or giving impressed looks at Yui, like Mina and Toru who made some similar comments as Setsuna.

*CLANG*

The sudden, rather loud, sound of a plate hitting the floor drew their and many other's attention in the cafeteria. Looking towards the direction it came from, Izuku's eyes widened in recognition.

It was Momo and she had her hands clapped over her mouth with her eyes filled with water. Staring at him for a couple seconds, she turned away and hurried out of the cafeteria with her long spiky ponytail swishing behind her erratically.

Feeling horrible over what he just saw, Izuku was thankfully able to function enough to know that he had to do something. He started speaking as he stood up and made to follow Momo. "I'm sorry for just leaving suddenly but thank you girls for being so kind to me and allowing me to join you for lunch! I'll repay the favor!" He quickly left the cafeteria while leaving behind the group of girls who looked flabbergasted over what just happened…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yaoyorozu-san! Yaoyorozu-san! Wait up!"

Izuku called after the black haired girl while running down the hall after her. At first he thought that she wouldn't stop and would keep going. But after a few more seconds, Momo started slowing down until she came to a stop. Her face fell before being buried within her hands. Her body began shaking with small sobs coming out of her while she tried to hold them back.

Finally reaching her, Izuku stood barely an arm's length away behind her. Taking in a breath, he exhaled it before he tried talking to her again. "Yaoyorozu-san…what's wrong?" he asked her in a gentle and worried tone.

Momo took in a stuttering breath. She didn't turn around nor did she raise her gaze from her hands. But she tried to say something. "M-Midoriya…I…I…"

She couldn't continue. How could she? How could she tell him what she was going through? The stupid arrangement she was forced into? The complications she was dealing with at UA because of a horrible misunderstanding that led to stupid actions? That her parents commanded that she stay away from him but she didn't want to listen to them? That she wanted nothing more than to get closer to him? That she was prevented from going up to him when he first entered the cafeteria because of her unwanted fiancée's controlling behavior? That she felt horrible that she didn't help him get out of the crowd. That she felt like she swallowed a horribly tasting bug after seeing him surrounded by many girls who were being very friendly with him. That when she was finally able to leave Shoto by threatening to scream in front of everyone and started making her way towards him to share lunch together, that she felt as if her heart crumbled when she saw him being fed by one of the girls? How could she tell him any of these things? How? And how could he not see her as some messed up, useless person who wasn't worth the trouble because of all the problems and baggage she carried?

While Izuku waited for her to say something, he could feel his stomach twisting into knots. There was something wrong. He could feel it. He wanted to do something to help her but didn't know how. He didn't want to cause more issues somehow, but he at least wanted to let her know that he was there for her. "Hey, what is it?" he asked her again in that same gentle tone of voice. "I'm here, Yaoyorozu-san. I promised that I won't go away, remember? What happened? Just tell me what's wrong and I'll try to help you however I can."

Hearing him speak again with that caring tone that also carried conviction that he meant what he said, not to mention bringing up the promise, made Momo's heart flutter and she reacted because of it. She lowered her hands a little and turned her gaze slightly back towards his. "I…"

"She doesn't need your help."

Both of them turned around to see where that cold tone of voice came from. A red and white haired young man was standing a few feet away from them. A heavy scowl along with burning, differently colored narrowed eyes was locked onto the green haired one of the two.

Izuku, though realizing the new arrival was probably angry for some reason, remained calm however. "I remember you. From the USJ. You froze the villains pretty quickly and left just as fast."

"So you remember. Good. That means you should remember what I'm capable of. So understand when I say to stay away from my fiancée or else."

Izuku's eyes widened and his eyebrows went up. "Fiancée?!" Glancing back at Momo, she looked down to the side and hugged herself. But Izuku was able to catch the expression on her face along with the slight trembling of her body. That same feeling filled him again. Something's not right…

Facing towards him once more, Izuku locked eyes with him as his protective nature took over. "Is that so? Well, I would normally say congratulations are in order, but from how Yaoyorozu-san's behaving right now, I don't think that would be the right call."

Momo's gaze snapped up in shock over what she heard Izuku say.

Shoto's scowl deepened before he let out a growl. "It's none of your business," he snapped, stepping closer to Izuku. "What happens between us is none of your concern. This is between the Yaoyorozus and the Todorokis. So keep your nose out of other people's business. Or you'll be dealing with a lot more than just a broken arm," snarled Shoto as he stopped right in front of Izuku.

Izuku, though he became worried about the possibility of getting into a fight with a classmate on his first day back, kept his outward demeanor as calm as possible even with the threat he just received. He had a lot of experience doing that in his life unfortunately. "Even so, Yaoyorozu-san's my friend. And I help my friends if they need it and even when they don't ask for it."

Shoto's right hand shot forward and grasped the front of Izuku's blazer, making Momo yelp in shock but Izuku stayed silent. Gripping it tightly, Shoto made Izuku lean towards him a bit. "She doesn't need or want any friends. All she needs is to hold up her end of the promise and do what I say. Nothing else. This is your last warning. Stay away from her or I'll bury you in a mountain of ice!" threatened Shoto with actual frosty breath escaping from his mouth. The temperature around them seemed to drop.

Ignoring the sudden chilly environment, anger flared up within Izuku yet he remained composed for the most part. Lifting his left hand, he grabbed Shoto's wrist in an iron grip and pulled his hand away from him. "I told you already. She's my friend. I care about my friends and I'll do all I can for them. Neither you or anyone else can stop me."

Momo's heart skipped a beat over Izuku's words. She couldn't believe it. Without even knowing anything, he was already willing to be on her side. Midoriya…

Shoto was momentarily stunned in disbelief at Izuku's blatant dismissal of his threat. Not to mention how he could feel the strength behind his grip on his wrist. Even injured, he's still this strong?! It took a few seconds, but Shoto was able to gather himself and wrenched his hand free. Snarling again, his hands clenched into fists with his right side starting to ice over. "I don't care how strong you think you are, you just made a big mistake. And I'm gonna…"

"What's going on here?!"

Izuku, Shoto and Momo looked towards where the voice came from and found the newest staff member, Lady Nagant, glaring right at them with her hands on her hips. They never noticed her coming near them or the crowd of students huddled a short distance behind her, so caught up with what was happening.

Gathering himself and having his ice go away, Shoto answered back. "Nothing." Quickly stepping away from them, he walked over to Momo and grasped her hand. Forcing her along, Shoto walked away from the other two.

Momo wasn't functioning properly and so couldn't object to his actions. At first. Allowing herself to be dragged away a few feet, she suddenly dug in her heels, making Shoto abruptly stop.

Snapping his gaze back to hers, Shoto glared at her. He opened his mouth to order her to move.

But Momo pulled her arm free and held it against her chest with her other hand before she spoke. "No! I'm not an object for you to control! You don't own me!" she hissed at him in a low tone of voice.

Furious over her behavior but not wanting to attract more attention than he already has, especially with one of UA's staff nearby that he knew was trouble because of who she is, Shoto took a step closer to Momo before whispering out his words so only she could hear him. "You want to misbehave? Fine. Keep acting out. No matter what you do, you're stuck and you will end up doing as I say in the end. So choose. Easy way or hard way. Remember that and don't blame me when you end up regretting your decisions and actions."

Glaring with all his anger and hate at her, Shoto noticed her trembling before he turned around and walked away from her while doing his best to not lose himself to his rage.

Momo kept trembling a little even as she watched him go away. She felt that she might have just made a huge mistake…

"Yaoyorozu-san?"

Momo heard him and slowly turned around to face him. She saw how concerned he looked for her. Unable to match his gaze, she looked away to the side. "I…I'm…" She took in a stuttering breath to try and control herself but it didn't help. She could feel that she was about to break down again and she didn't want to do that. Not now and especially not in front of him again. "I'm sorry, but I need to be alone right now." Turning away from Izuku, Momo half ran down the hall and entered the girls' bathroom.

Izuku felt horrible over her expression and her behavior. He wondered if he might've done something wrong and he wanted to try and fix it. He barely took a step forward when he felt someone grasp his shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure I heard her say that she wanted to be alone for a bit," stated Kaina.

Remembering who was there, he forced himself to calm down and take in a breath. Turning around, he faced the new UA teacher. "You're right. I'm sorry, Lady Nagant-sensei." He gave her a short bow before raising his gaze back to hers.

"Good." Glancing back at the crowd of students, Kaina spoke to them as well. "Alright, show's over! Get to class!"

Not wanting to piss off the new staff member, who most of them were rather nervous and somewhat scared of, all the students quickly made their way to their classes.

"Not you, greenie," said Kaina right when Izuku made to join his classmates. When he faced her again, Kaina didn't continue just yet. She waited until the students were gone and even glared at a few who lingered to make them leave. Though she did notice someone entering the girls' bathroom as well, she kept that to herself. When they were finally alone, Kaina spoke. "Now that we're alone, you wanna tell me that was all about?" she asked him.

Izuku looked to the side and thought quickly. He didn't want to bring up something that was probably personal. And wasn't his place to share with others. At least not just yet. Letting out a sigh, he looked Kaina in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Lady Nagant-sensei but I can't tell you anything."

Her eyes narrowed a little. "Is that so? You know, I did hear some of what was said at the end there and it wasn't hard to notice everyone's expressions."

"Even so, I still can't tell you."

"And why not?"

"It's…personal."

"Personal." Kaina repeated his answer and Izuku nodded. Silence between the two for a few seconds. "Fine. I get it and I respect that you don't want to spill the beans."

"Thank you. I appreciate that and…"

"BUT!" Kaina interrupted him and Izuku went silent. "Whatever happened there, you and dual tone looked ready to fight. I can't just ignore that as part of UA's staff."

Izuku knew she had a point and couldn't argue against it. "You're right and again, I'm sorry. I'll control myself better and it won't happen again."

Kaina took in his words and noticed his tone. It was both genuine and yet somehow forced. Unable to help herself, her left eyebrow rose from intrigue. "Even though it looked like you wanted to punch the other guy into next week, somehow, I believe you."

Izuku reddened and rubbed the back of his head as he turned the side. "Thanks, I guess. And I'm sorry. I just…"

"Its fine," interrupted Kaina, making him look at her again but this time in disbelief. "Why so shocked? You didn't do it so it's fine. Though from the little I caught, it sounds like he would've deserved it."

Izuku was astonished over her comment. "Uh, shouldn't you not say something like that?"

"Why shouldn't I?" retorted Kaina as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a slight glare.

"Well, what did you just say? You're a teacher here, right? UA has certain standards you have to follow that are different from most schools and they take pride in them," reminded Izuku. Especially when compared to my old crappy schools…

Eyes widening a little, Kaina shifted her gaze to the side. "Nezu gives us some freedom to do as we please within reason. And that's just my opinion on some observations I made." Letting out a sigh, she faced the young man in front of her again. "But, you got a point. Let's just call this even. I won't say anything about what happened here if you don't tell anyone what I said. Deal?"

Not expecting her brazen words, Izuku remembered his mentors for some reason. Specifically, the one who helped him out with his social anxiety. Unable to help himself, he chuckled while shaking his head in amusement. He raised his left hand and prevented her from commenting on his chuckling since he started talking. "Already bending and breaking rules, huh? It's alright, I'll keep your secret and you got yourself a deal, Lady Nagant-sensei."

Kaina scoffed lightly at that but she grasped his hand anyways. "Just Nagant is fine. It's too long and 'sensei' makes me sound old as hell."

Izuku tilted his head curiously as they shook. "Don't know who in their right mind would call you old but if they did, they'd be crazy cause you still look young and attractive, Nagant," he remarked before smiling at her.

Kaina was thrown off. Not only because of his words but because of that damn smile of his again. Withdrawing her hand rather quickly, Kaina glared at him. "Watch it. I don't like ass kissers. Behave yourself and get to class. And I changed my mind. It's Lady Nagant-sensei to you," she told him before walking away with her arms crossed over her chest.

Genuinely confused over her sudden behavior, Izuku remained where he stood while watching the newest staff member leaving the area in a brisk pace with her boots causing clacking echoes in the hallway. "What was that?" he asked to himself in a whisper. "I didn't offend her in some way, did I?"

After thinking about what just happened for a little longer, Izuku took in a breath before exhaling. He began walking down the hall towards his homeroom class. Can't focus on that. Gotta prepare for how I'm gonna ask the girls about the dorms. I hope they'll understand and not make things difficult because of what happened just now and in the cafeteria…

While lost in thought, Izuku reached the door to his homeroom rather quickly. Unable to stop his thinking, he opened the door and walked inside. Barely a second or two inside the room, and Izuku heard the voice of his long time bully screaming at him.

"DEKU! YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE HERE, YOU DAMN EXTRA?!"

Thankfully, Katsuki's screaming made Izuku get out of his thinking and he faced his long time bully who was stomping up to him with his hands setting off miniature explosions while glaring lividly at him.

Izuku noticed how quiet the room was as well as how everyone's attention was on them with various expressions on their faces through his peripheral vision while facing the incoming blonde bombardier. Though he didn't want to deal with this right now, and there was a little bit of nervousness and anxiety filling him thanks to past trauma, Izuku stood his ground with composure and confidence. I'm actually surprised this didn't happen sooner. "Hello Kacchan…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Momo was sitting on one of the toilets with the lid down in a bathroom stall inside the girls' bathroom. Elbows propped up on her knees, she had her face in her hands once more. Desperately trying to keep herself from breaking down again, Momo was trembling. Her mind kept repeating what happened just recently with images flashing through her mind.

She had no idea what to do since she had gotten to a point where she never imagined she'd be in. The girls being around Izuku and how it made her feel. Shoto's threats. Izuku not backing down and being there for her. Her actually standing up for herself a couple times against Shoto, even if it was thanks to sudden bursts of confidence caused by seeing Izuku. It was too much.

Momo did realize something else. And that something was how everyone and everything was changing. Her family. Shoto. The girls. Herself. And she knew the reason why.

Izuku. It was all because of him. Somehow, for better or worse, even with such a short of amount time being in their lives and affecting them in some way, Izuku was making everyone and everything change. She realized how incredible that is…as well as how dangerous that could be. But she also knew that he was not the type to use that in bad ways. Well, not intentionally at the very least.

But even with that realization, Momo still wanted with all her being to get closer to Izuku. But with what her parents demanded, what was revealed to Izuku, what occurred with Shoto and how she behaved, she became filled with hopelessness and several other negative emotions…

"Hello?"

Momo's gaze jerked upwards at that with her heart skipping a beat as she faced the stall door. What?! Why is she here?!

"Yaoyorozu?"

Feeling anxious and debating if she should answer back, Momo remained silent.

A sigh was heard. "Yaoyorozu, I know you're in here. I'm not here to cause problems. I just…I just wanted to talk to you, to see if you're alright and to see if you needed anything."

Eyes widening, Momo was astonished over what she heard. And that made her react without thinking. Standing up and opening the stall door abruptly, she stepped out and faced the other girl. "Why are you saying that?! Why are you trying to help me?! Especially after what I did to you?!"

The one who entered was none other than Ochaco. She'd been planning on speaking with Momo for a while now after getting hit by her. When Momo had entered the bathroom, Ochaco noticed since she was within the crowd in the hallway. After telling her friends that she needed to use the bathroom, she broke away from them and decided now was the time.

Keeping her gaze locked onto Momo's, Ochaco didn't reply immediately since she was organizing her thoughts. After a short time of silence passed between them, the brunette finally spoke. "I'm not gonna lie. Even if it was an accident and you were trying to hit someone else, I am upset over you hitting me. But that's not the only reason why I'm here. I'm here because I want you to know that you're not alone. You still have classmates who are willing to give you a shot at becoming friends. But you have to do your part too."

Momo felt her breath hitch at what was just said to her. They…they still do? "What…what do I…have to do?" she asked in a whisper.

Ochaco shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to figure that out yourself since everyone's different. The only thing I can say is what I noticed about you. You have the tendency to take everything to heart and feel as if everyone's against you and that's one of the major causes of this rift between us girls."

"But they are!" snapped Momo, anger suddenly filling her. "And that's not even…"

Ochaco raised her hand, signaling Momo to stop who barely did. "Even if they are, why are you letting them affect you and control you so much?"

"Because it's frustrating when people believe certain things to be true and when they won't listen when you try to explain things!"

Ochaco understood, nodding a few times. "True, I agree. I can't say anything against that."

Momo felt some tension lift from her as she felt validated for once. "Then, you understand. I'm not wrong in the slightest!"

Ochaco raised her eyebrows at that. "Is that so?"

Momo suddenly remembered what she did again. Looking off to the side with a grimace, she grasped her left arm with her right hand. "I…I wasn't…including that with it…" Swallowing the saliva in her mouth, Momo forced herself to face her classmate. Lowering her arms, she then bowed towards her. "I apologize for striking you, Uraraka. It was never my intent. Please forgive me and if you cannot, I completely understand."

Silence once again filled the bathroom. A couple seconds later, Ochaco responded. "I can only accept your apology once you do a few things for me."

Straightening out, Momo became concerned thanks to her tone. "And…they are?"

"Well, for starters, you'll find an opportunity to talk things out with Kyoka and Setsuna. Doesn't have to be right now or tomorrow or the next week. But the sooner the better. You'll talk with them and hash things out. We're gonna be here together for three years and it'll be better if we all got along."

Momo felt anger fill her again but she controlled herself this time. "I get what you're saying but I'm not the only one who made mistakes."

"True. And that's why I'm gonna tell them too. So don't think it's just on you."

Anger dissipating, Momo couldn't say anything. Her head hung slightly. "Okay. That's fair."

"Good. And here's the rest." Ochaco waited for Momo to look at her before she continued. "Whatever you got going on between yourself and Todoroki…good or bad...whether it involves school or your engagement or something more personal…I'm asking as a friend…please, please, please…don't get Midoriya involved in it."

Momo's eyes widened as she took in a sharp breath. "W-What?! Who-Who are you to tell me what to do regarding that?!"

"I'm not trying to be a...a bitch here…but I say that…because…" She trailed off because an image popped into her head that made her become sullen.

"Well?! Will you answer or not?!" spoke up Momo angrily and impatiently.

Ochaco snapped out of it while ignoring the hostility she was receiving. "Look, I'm not trying to be mean here. I just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one going through problems and issues, okay? And Midoriya…he…"

Momo became concerned over what she was saying and her anger was replaced with worry. "What about Midoriya? What's he going through?"

"I'm sorry. I should've explained this to you first since the girls already know too. After the USJ, when everyone was going home, I went with Thirteen to the hospital. And…"

Ochaco quickly explained what she experienced at the hospital. The doctor she met and what she learned from her. Seeing Izuku bed ridden and covered almost completely in casts and bandages. Learning of Izuku's selflessness, his quirk's drawbacks and how he'd knowingly break himself just to help others. The little girl…Eri…who he saved but got injured in the process and how attached she's become to him. His kind mother, who cares greatly for her son and how noticeable her concerns are for him…

After explaining it all, Ochaco waited for Momo to say something. But when the heiress remained quiet while sporting a shell-shocked look on her face, she continued. "Do you understand now why I asked that of you? Midoriya…he'd go to the ends of the world for someone, breaking himself in the process, even if he didn't know them. I've seen it at the entrance exams when he saved me. He did that with the little girl he saved. Everyone at the USJ has seen it when he fought that Nomu monster. With you included, all the girls from both classes know it. That's probably why they went a little overboard with him at the cafeteria. And we saw it again just now. He's not even fully recovered and he's already staring down Todoroki, your fiancée, to help you."

"But…But I never…asked him to…"

"I know. That's why I'm not blaming you. We probably won't be able to control his actions. Especially considering when he said what he believes being a true hero means back at the USJ. I'm just asking…to please think about him and his health too. I noticed the…look…on Todoroki's face. I don't want Midoriya to get hurt."

"I…understand. But…I don't know if I can keep going on my own with no one to help me and…"

"Hey, I never said you have to be alone," interrupted Ochaco with a friendly tone. "I'll do what I can to help you out myself. Most of the girls would probably help out too. You just have to get on the same page with them after hashing things out with them."

Momo was in disbelief for a moment. Until she couldn't help herself and she smiled a little. "Thank you, Uraraka. Really. For coming here, taking the time to talk with me, letting me know about Midoriya's situation and everything else. I really do appreciate it. Thank you."

Ochaco smiled back. "You're welcome. Oh, and before I forget, there's just one more small thing."

Momo actually chuckled at that. "Can't be as bad as the other stuff you said if it's small, so go ahead."

"I get to slap you once in return."

Momo's eyes widened and she let out a startled cry. "W-What?! I thought you said you forgave me!"

"Did I?" asked Ochaco as she tilted her head with a rather peculiar expression on her face.

Momo realized that she didn't. She only stated that she would if she did what she asked of her. "Oh. That's right. You didn't…But, isn't the other stuff enough?!"

"The first thing I asked for benefits you and the other girls. The second thing benefits Midoriya. And this last one benefits me."

"Aren't heroes not suppose to take revenge or hold grudges?" asked Momo, hoping that would make her classmate second guess her request.

"Hmm, you got a point," started Ochaco and Momo relaxed a little. "Good thing we're not heroes yet."

And Momo's relaxed state completely vanished and became filled with fear and nervousness. "Uraraka, please, I'll uh, uh…"

"Don't worry, Yaoyorozu. I'm not gonna slap you." Momo began relaxing again. "At least not right now. One day though. When you least expect it, just like what happened to me. So, you're in the clear. For today at least."

And once again, Momo became a jumbled mess of nerves and fear. Uraraka's scary!

An eerie smile formed on Ochaco's face. "Yes. I am scary."

Momo's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat out of fear. "H-How did you know what I thought?!"

Ochaco rolled her eyes. "You practically have the words 'scared shitless' written all over your face."

"Can you blame me?!" snapped Momo indignantly.

Ochaco laughed at that before she turned around and headed towards the bathroom door. "No, I can't. But know this; I'm not like this most of the time. I actually don't like doing this because it's just not me. I don't like getting angry or being scary."

Momo took in a breath to calm her nerves. "I think I understand. But…can I ask why?"

Reaching the door, Ochaco stopped and turned her body halfway to look at Momo. "Why what?"

Hesitating at first, Momo decided to ask what came to her mind. "Why be that way if you don't like behaving that way?"

Ochaco didn't reply immediately because she thought of how best to answer her. When she finally came up with an answer after a handful of seconds, she told her. "Like I said before, Yaoyorozu…you're not the only one who has problems and issues that you're going through. Some of us…are just better at hiding them than others."

Absolutely frozen still from what Ochaco just told her, Momo couldn't believe it.

Giving her a moment, Ochaco faced away and grasped the door handle. "C'mon or we'll be late to class."

Coming to, Momo began walking towards Ochaco. "Right. And…I understand. I'll keep what you said between us."

Glancing back, Ochaco nodded at Momo before facing forward and opening the door. "Thanks. Otherwise I'd owe you two slaps," she joked as she stepped out into the hallway but held the door open.

Momo rolled her eyes, understanding the joking tone. "You know, I think I was better off dealing with Todoroki's tantrums. At least I know that he wouldn't hurt me badly…"

"Oh, shut up!" said Ochaco as she playfully and lightly smacked Momo's shoulder.

Glancing at the brunette who was smiling a little while facing forward, Momo smiled a bit herself before facing ahead too. "By the way, you just used up your slap."

Ochaco gasped. "No I didn't! That wasn't a slap!"

"It was open palm, wasn't it?"

"But it wasn't to your face!"

"Still counts!"

"It doesn't!"

"Yes, it does!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Ah-ha! You said it!"

"Does…wait, what?!" Seeing the triumphant smirk on Ochaco's face, Momo realized what she did. "Ah, damn it!"

"Wow, I'm surprised you said that. Are you allowed to say words like that?"

"Oh, quiet you!" shot Momo as she crossed her arms and pouted while turning red in the face.

Ochaco however, just started laughing as they continued down the hallway. It didn't take much but Momo began laughing as well and joined in. They finished up when they were a short distance away from their homeroom class.

"Uraraka?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. Really."

"You're welcome. That's what friends are for, right?"

Momo smiled and she felt a little bit lighter compared to the past several days. It was unspoken, but a bond of friendship had developed between the two. And who would've thought it'd start this way. But she wouldn't dare complain. "Yes. Yes, they are." Friends...I finally have one…

When the two reached the door, they could hear a faint commotion from inside. They wondered what that was before a sudden boom was heard coming from inside the room. Exchanging worried looks, the two girls faced forward with the black haired girl opening the door and the brunette leading the way inside. All they saw at first was smoke. Until it cleared away thanks to windows being opened and what was revealed made them become both shocked and angry…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eyelid slowly opening, the sky blue eye behind it was able to finally move around to take in its surroundings. Medical equipment on either side of her. A slightly opened window in the side wall. A flat LED TV hanging on the wall opposite her. A closed wooden door on the other side of the room. And a red haired woman writing something down on her clipboard as she looked at the screens displaying her vitals connected to the medical equipment.

Moving her sight towards the ceiling, it was then that her mind started racing. Memories consisting of sounds and images of what she went through recently made her become filled with horrible feelings. As a result, the screens displaying her vitals began to change.

As it did so, the red haired woman noticed it. Glancing towards her patient, she found her to be awake. And already looking horrible. "Hey, it's okay. I'm Dr. Natasha Dobrev and I'm here for you," she said as she got closer to the bed-ridden pro.

Nemuri let out a choked, garbled cry as she tried to hold in her sob. "I…I…" Her voice came out hoarse and dry and that caused her some more pain to go along with the pain she was already feeling. Not to mention everything else she was feeling. From sadness, fear, hopelessness, disgust, worthlessness and so many more things that she had no words for, all of those feelings made Nemuri feel empty. Getting to her and unable to hold it at bay any longer, tears flowed out from her eye before she began to cry.

Natasha felt horrible at seeing her so distraught. A once proud, skilled and famous or infamous pro hero depending on how you looked at it, was looking like a shell of her former self. And she couldn't blame her in any way for it and she never will. Natasha wanted to do something for her and she began to act without thinking. She reached over with her hand and grasped her shoulder.

"No!" snapped Nemuri, somehow pulling her shoulder free from Natasha's grasp that shocked her. "Don't!"

Realizing that she knew about her quirk, probably because of Recovery Girl, Natasha was still surprised as to why she didn't want to feel a little better. "Why?"

"Won't…Won't change…anything," sobbed Nemuri while keeping her gaze to the ceiling.

"Maybe but it's available for you anytime you want," replied Natasha. Staying quiet for a little bit to allow her patient to release some of her pent up anguish, she started speaking again over Nemuri's sobs. "I know that you think that there's no coming back from this but over time, little by little, things will get better. Things will change and you'll remember…"

"No, they won't," interrupted Nemuri with a whisper but she was heard.

Natasha frowned but remained calm and patient. "They will. You just need to give things some time. It may seem like the end, but remember that many people still care for you and wish for you to get better. They even visited you. Remember?"

She did remember. Nemuri remembered all the people she met in her life and the friends she made. Her fellow pro heroes. Her own group of fan boys, calling themselves 'The Midnight Boys' who helped her on some hero cases. Her close personal friends. The few lovers she actually had in her life but they never lasted long. All of those memories of the ones she cared about and cared for her in return, crossed through her mind.

And the one who appeared more vividly in her mind than them all was the one she helped train and mentor recently. Those caring green eyes. That beaming smile. And that passion he displayed for anything and everything related to heroics. How he wanted to just help people even though he suffered throughout his life. And she remembered how he looked up to her and thought the world of her…

But that was now broken for she remembered how he looked at her the last time she saw him. And that was when she realized the truth of what happened and how horrible she felt. That she was no longer the person she used to be…

Natasha became concerned over Nemuri's silent staring at the ceiling. "Hey, what can I do for you? Just let me know. Things will slowly change, Midnight and…"

"You're wrong," whispered Nemuri, barely holding back more sobs while cutting off Natasha who went silent. "Things…already changed. I've lost the right to be called a hero. I'm no longer worthy for that title..."

"What? What are you saying?"

Nemuri swallowed the saliva in her mouth with some difficulty before answering. "I'm saying that…as of this moment, Midnight is dead. From now on, I'm just Nemuri Kayama. The broken, raped woman who's not worth anything…" She trailed off with more tears escaping from her eye.

"Midnight…"

"I told you! Midnight's dead! Don't ever call me that again!" screamed Nemuri, snapping her gaze onto Natasha's, who was shell-shocked over her outburst. Nemuri's anger vanished as quickly as it appeared and she broke once more. "I'm…I'm…"

"It's alright," said Natasha, gathering her senses. She moved closer and held Nemuri's hand to give her some support as she started crying again. Natasha said no more and just allowed her patient to let out her grief once more.

Nemuri cried until she could cry no more. And all the while, though one of her hands was being held by her sympathetic doctor, her hand still felt cold. Just like the rest of her body. Thanks to her exhaustion at the end of her crying, her eye began to close. But before she fell asleep, she remembered the warmth that covered her hand before. The warmth that was from her mentored…

In the moments before she lost consciousness, she wished for that warmth to envelop her entirely. She had nothing else to give in exchange but she'd sacrifice anything and everything for it. She'd gladly embrace her end, if she could just feel that warmth just one more time…

---

Author's Notes - So, what'd you guys think? Did you like the interactions? What was your favorite part? I'd love to hear from you!

Also, the next chapter, chapter 24, is already up for pa tre on members! I'd really appreciate it if you can become a member as I'm trying to become a full time writer. I'm not asking for much either so if you can, that'll be awesome and I'll be very appreciative of it. If not, that's fine. You'll just have to wait longer to read.

However, it's gonna be the only way to read my all original story that's gonna be posted up there soon along with some member exclusive goodies. I know I've mentioned it before a few times, but I've made some progress on it and some stuff is gonna be posted up soon. To become a member, just add /silentplayermc03 to the end of pa tre on's website!

Hope all is well, that I hear from you all so leave a review, fav and follow! Thanks in advance and take care!

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