"Damn, Midoriya, you're actually somewhat good. You sure this is your first time?" Sadao asked, the last of the group to step out as the arcade shut down for the night. The overhead lights were already dimming, a clear signal they were being kicked out.

"I've played a few arcade games when I was like seven?" Izuku admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wow." Shiki commented with a chuckle, letting out a loud burp from all the soda he'd downed. "You've got some skill for a noob, I'll give you that."

"Groooosss." Camie wrinkled her nose at Shiki, but her tone was playful. Then she turned to Izuku, grinning. "But, like, Midori, your reaction time is actually kinda scary. I bet if you had a quirk, you'd be able to go pro."

(I wish I had a quirk)

"Wow, insensitive much?" the bear-quirked girl remarked, giving Camie a side-eye as they stepped onto the stationary escalator.

Camie's face fell. "Oh… I didn't think. I'm sorry, Midoriya."

"It's no big deal," Izuku reassured her with a small smile. "Really."

If anything, the comment had made his brain switch from how dark the empty arcade was to what it would look like if he had a quirk with dark vision.

Reaching the doors, they felt the bristling cold of the winter night air. Izuku lamented having to walk home alone in the cold, although maybe...

"Where's Katchan?" Izuku asked, pulling his jacket tighter around him. As much as he wasn't thrilled at the idea, walking home with Bakugo would give some legitimacy to their cover-up stories.

One of the boys shrugged. "He's hanging back. Said he needed to use the bathroom. Also told me to tell you there's no way in hell he's walking home with you."

"That boy is so rude," Camie remarked, her voice unusually flat.

"So, you're walking home alone?" the bear-quirked girl asked, eyeing Izuku. Unlike the rest of them, she seemed perfectly unfazed by the biting cold, which Izuku assumed was thanks to her mutation. Now that he looked more closely, her features definitely had a bear-like quality, especially her thick fur-like coat.

Izuku blinked, realizing he'd been staring. "Oh, sorry, I zoned out. Uh, yeah, looks like it."

She frowned, clearly displeased. "You and your cousin are good to get home together, right?" she asked, turning to Camie.

"Yeah, no worries," Camie nodded.

"Great, then I'm escorting you home," the girl said, turning back to Izuku with a decisive smile that left no room for argument.

Izuku blinked again, feeling both surprised and a little flustered. "Cool," he replied, awkwardly giving her a thumbs-up.

The group soon scattered as they took their various routes home, and Midoriya felt himself alone with his thoughts and a girl that was a hero in training who he didn't really know.

He should have felt safe, but something about how she was acting weirded him out. She kept brushing up against him as they walked, and they talked, but Izuku wasn't really sure what about. Izuku never remembered her name, or much about her appearance aside her quirk, but what he did remember was when she pulled him down an alleyway and pressed him up against the wall. Her hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming.

The things she whispered to him only made him panic more as he understood her intentions.

Panic surged through Izuku. His thoughts blurred, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he didn't stand a chance. Her quirk was likely giving her enhanced strength, and without a quirk of his own, he was completely powerless.

(If you had a quirk, you could fight back)

His arms flung around wildly in his panic, in trying to find a way to get her off him, his hand clamped over her forehead, and for a moment he puzzled why he had reached for there, until he felt the hair under his fingers.

He pulled, and she screeched in pain as she threw him away from her, he collided full force with a brick wall, knocking the wind out of him as he fell to the ground. Somehow, he was still conscious after the throw, and he could feel her pulling at his shirt as he tried to recover.

Just as dread began to settle in, two pops followed flashes of light and a familiar voice cut through the dark.

"Oi! Get your hands off him, you bitch!" Bakugo's voice was a growl, and the girl immediately released Izuku's shirt, who continued gasping for breath.

"It's not—" She tried to explain, but Bakugo wasn't interested.

"Shut up!" he barked, his voice laced with fury. "I don't care if your head is messed up or you're in heat or whatever—back off and leave him alone."

She backed off slightly but bristled at Bakugo's insult, her eyes narrowing. "What are you going to do about it, you quirkist prick?" she spat, taking a step toward him. "I have a license that says I can arrest you if you use your quirk illegally. You can't do a damn thing to me."

Bakugo's hands flared with orange light, a cacophony of sound as a series of explosions ejected from his palms. It was a show of power meant as a warning. "You think I care? Who do you think they'll believe—me, a top student with a bright future, or you, a freak who just tried to assault a quirkless kid?"

The girl's face twisted in anger, her hands balled into fists. But before she could move, Izuku, driven by a surge of adrenaline, grabbed a nearby metal pipe. Without thinking, he swung it with all his might, the heavy end crashing down on the back of her head.

She dropped, unconscious, and the alley fell silent, save for Izuku's ragged breathing. His hands trembled as he let the pipe clatter to the ground.

Bakugo's eyes were wide. Realistically, there was no way of consoling the fact that a quirkless person had managed to knock out someone with a bear mutation. Luckily for both of them, Bakugo's instincts were good enough to take over when his brain was reeling.

"Let's move." He barked at Izuku, who followed suit, wincing as the injury in his leg protested the movement.

They reached the train station just in time to hop into a car as the doors slid shut. It didn't matter that it wasn't going in the right direction—they just needed to be moving.

Bakugo leaned against the side of the car, pulling out his phone. "Do you have your phone?"

Izuku nodded, his hands trembling as he fumbled to pull it from his pocket. "Y-Yeah, I do," he said, his voice shaky. He collapsed onto one of the seats, massaging the muscle in his leg as he caught his breath.

"Good. Call someone—anyone," Bakugo said, his eyes darting around, as if making sure they weren't being watched. "I'm calling my dad. We need to let people know what happened before she wakes up and spins some BS story of her own."

Izuku froze for a moment, his mind racing. Who could he call? His mom was the first name that came to mind, but no—that would only cause her to panic. She'd find out soon enough from Mr. Bakugo anyway.

Instead, his thumb hovered over another name in his contacts. Someone who would understand, who wouldn't panic, who might know what to do. Someone who always made him feel safe.

The phone rang, and for a few agonizing seconds, Izuku worried the call wouldn't be answered. But then, the familiar voice came through.

"Hello?"

Tears sprung at the edge of Izuku's eyes as he talked. "Mr. Toshinori, I need your help."

Katsuki Bakugo's foot bounced erratically against the floor the entire trip to the precinct. The moment they stepped off the train, a cop had taken him and Deku into custody, escorting them straight to the local station.

They'd been separated, leaving Bakugo in a barren room with nothing but his thoughts.

Great. Just great.

He replayed the scene in his head, over and over.

He was suspicious of her since she kept checking Izuku out at the arcade. So he decided he'd hang back and keep an eye on her, he regretted that the instant he saw her pull him into the alleyway.

He'd arrived just in time to see Deku slammed into a brick wall, crumpling to the ground like a ragdoll. The sight had frozen him in place.

For a split second, he'd thought Deku was dead.

The thought tightened his chest, anger bubbling up—not just at the mutant bear woman who'd done it, but at himself. He'd frozen. He'd stood there like a coward while Deku, quirkless and fragile, got wrecked.

Then he saw her reaching for Deku's clothes, and his anger erupted.

Before he knew it, his quirk flared, sparking uncontrollably at his palms. His explosion had been a mistake, but there was no taking it back. He played it off like it was intentional, running his mouth in a futile attempt to bluff her into backing down.

He knew he was talking shit. He knew the chances of beating her were slim. As much as he talked down about Shiketsu, it was the number one hero school in the country, and that meant she was no slouch. Meanwhile, he wasn't even a hero student yet.

But bluffing was all he had.

And it hadn't worked.

He'd braced himself for the worst, convinced they were screwed—until Deku moved.

Against all logic, Deku staggered to his feet, wobbling but standing. Then, with strength that shouldn't have been possible, he yanked a pole out of the wall and swung it, the clumsy but powerful blow knocking the mutant to the ground.

It didn't make sense. Any of it. For someone without a quirk—someone who could break their neck falling down stairs—that kind of durability, that kind of strength, was impossible.

The door opened, snapping Bakugo from his thoughts. A cop entered and started peppering him with questions.

He answered tersely, fighting the urge to bite the guy's head off. It didn't take long to realize the bastard wasn't interested in what really happened—they were just fishing for dirt to pin him for using his quirk.

His patience wore thin. His leg started bouncing again, his hands clenching into fists under the table. He wanted to tell the pencil-pusher to shove it.

Before he could, the door opened again, cutting the cop off mid-sentence. A new figure stepped in: a detective. Behind him, Bakugo caught a brief glimpse of Shishida—the second highest ranking mutant hero—and a tall, skinny blonde man in a suit. They were arguing in the hallway, their heated exchange barely audible. Bakugo strained to catch a word, but the door slammed shut before he could make anything out.

The detective wasted no time, introducing himself and casually mentioning that he had a license to use his quirk during interrogations. Bakugo's eyebrow twitched in curiosity—and then satisfaction—when he heard what it was: lie detection.

Finally, someone who wasn't full of crap.

The cop grilling him went red with frustration as the detective hijacked the questioning. Unlike the first guy, the detective's questions were fair and to the point, and Bakugo found himself answering more freely.

But just as the interrogation gained momentum, another officer burst into the room. The case was closed, he announced. No charges were being pressed.

At first, Bakugo felt a surge of smug satisfaction, savoring the sight of the cop's defeated scowl. As the officer escorted him to the reception area, he reveled in his small victory.

That smugness evaporated the moment he saw her—the bear mutant—walking out of the precinct alongside Shishida. She looked completely unbothered.

Bakugo's blood boiled.

She's getting away with it? Are you kidding me?

He dropped into a chair in the reception area, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His glare burned into the door they'd walked through, simmering in silent fury as he waited for his father to come pick him up.

In his anger, he almost missed it.

Deku, walking out of the precinct, right next to the tall blonde man from earlier.

Bakugo leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he tried to track them as they disappeared out of the front door.

The hell's going on!?

"Wait in Recovery Girl's office. I have some business to attend to quickly, and then we can talk," Mr. Yagi instructed Izuku, his tone offhand but reassuring.

Izuku nodded eagerly and scurried off into one of the elevators, leaving All Might alone in the hallway. As soon as the boy was out of sight, he let his shoulders fall and his neutral face turn to a glower. He stepped into the large private elevator that lead to his office.

Sir Nighteye was already waiting inside, pacing the floor, his usually professional demeanor seemed slightly erratic. His eyes darted toward All Might the moment he entered. "That took longer than expected," he noted, his gaze sharp with curiosity. "What happened?"

All Might took a breath, collecting his thoughts. "I had to talk down Shishido," he said, not entirely sure how to phrase the situation. "The girl who attacked Midoriya is part of his hero agency."

Nighteye stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing as he processed that information. With a heavy sigh, he sank into the nearest couch. "I didn't expect Shishido to get tangled up in something like this. I thought he'd rather distance himself from the situation than protect someone who assaulted a civilian."

"That was my initial thought too," All Might replied, taking a seat across from him. "But Shishido's focus is on appearances—he's determined to paint himself as one of the good ones. He wants to appear spotless, this allows him to push the narrative that heteromorphic quirks shouldn't be blamed when someone acts out. He's trying to protect the group by emphasizing that these incidents are individual mistakes, not genetic flaws. If he can be perfect, so can any other mutant."

Nighteye rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's a more palatable to the average person than Gang Orca's approach. Orca tries to highlight the prejudice mutants face, but his aggressive stance often backfires. Still, Shishido risking his reputation to cover this up is dangerous for him. If it ever gets out that he's shielding an assailant, it could destroy everything he's worked for."

All Might nodded gravely.

Nighteye paused. "So, what did Shishido want?"

All Might let out a small sigh. "He wanted Midoriya's friend fined for illegal quirk use and was pushing to have the boy arrested for villainy."

Nighteye's eyebrow rose. "Did he use his quirk?"

"He did, but only as a display of intimidation. No one was hurt," All Might explained. "Still, it's technically illegal quirk use."

"Which gives Shishido leverage," Nighteye concluded.

"Yes," All Might agreed, leaning back in his chair. "But I managed to convince him to have her drop the charges."

"And how did you manage that?" Nighteye asked.

All Might let out a small embarrassed cough. "I made it clear that if the charges weren't dropped, this would go public. The court of public opinion would be brutal, especially so because she's a mutant, and Shishido knows it."

Nighteye crossed his arms, considering this. "And the girl?"

"She walks away without charges too," All Might admitted, his voice tinged with reluctance. "I would've preferred if she faced consequences for her actions, but protecting Midoriya in this situation required both sides to agree that this never happened."

For a moment, silence filled the room as the weight of the decision hung between them. Nighteye tapped his fingers on the armrest of the couch before speaking again. "And Midoriya? How is he handling this?"

All Might sighed. "He says he's fine. But..." His voice trailed off as he thought of Izuku, the memory of the boy's worried expression as Toshinori found him waiting in the police station had given him no small amount of anger. "He was more concerned for for his friend than anything else. That's just how he is."

Nighteye gave a small nod, though there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Midoriya might appear fine with it for now, but we should keep an eye on him. He's like you, I find it very likely that he'll internalize this encounter and avoid admitting how it's effected him for the sake of others."

All Might didn't respond, but the gut feeling of unease grew stronger. He felt it pushing him to make a decision he was hoping to still postpone for a while.

Nighteye's gaze sharpened, his keen eyes picking up on the shift in All Might's demeanor. "You're thinking of giving him One for All, aren't you?"

All Might blinked in surprise, but quickly realized he shouldn't be shocked—his old friend had always been able to read him like a book. He nodded, "I am."

"Why? Is it because you think it will protect him from situations like this going forward?" Sir Nighteye probed, leaning forward with a serious look. "That isn't realistic. This assault would have happened anyway, he'd just be charged for villainy like his friend instead of just the criminal charge of assaulting a hero."

"I know, still, I would prefer him being able to defend himself in cases where there isn't someone nearby to protect him." All Might argued. "I'm also not happy that he's linked to me with a paper trail now, the HPSC is likely trying their hardest to track down my potential successor. If one of them stumbles onto this case, then it won't be long until they connect the dots."

Sir Nighteye nodded. "I guess that is fair. Although what do you think the HPSC will even do if they discover him?"

"Aside from using it as leverage against me?" All Might explained. "I'm worried they'll try to manipulate him. They could twist him into someone like Nagant."

Nighteye's nose crinkled in distaste. "You think Midoriya has that in him? To become someone like her?"

All Might's voice grew quieter, more somber. "I met Nagant while she was still a young student at UA. She was more like Midoriya than you'd think."

Sir Nighteye raised his hand as if to stop All Might. "I'll admit I've never met her, but I find that hard to believe. Regardless of that, what about the other candidates for One for All?"

"They all have quirks." All Might explained, the implications obvious. "The only exception being Melissa, but I agree with Nezu that having a local Japanese successor is better than giving more power to the United States. They don't exactly need it, and I'm one of the few big canons in Japan's arsenal."

After a moment, Nighteye asked, "And Mirio?"

"Mirio doesn't need One for All to achieve his dreams," All Might said. "Midoriya does."