Samuel Abraham was a man with quite the history. He once stood beside the great David Shield on the mountain of scientific and engineering opportunity that was I-Island. So, to say that he was revered wouldn't be an overstatement. Though, one could tell he still wasn't quite used to teaching high school students, especially those straight out of middle school. Rumors were abound as to why he wound up teaching at Shiketsu.

It was only the end of the first week before most of that died. It was replaced with a restrained excitement. The first week was always dedicated to safety procedures and general knowledge as to a Support Workshop, and even Samuel recognized the drawl of a course it was. So, almost all of the students grinning as they explored the workshop before them.

The workshop was a lofty room in which its size was comparable to a warehouse. At the far west-end of the room, there were rows and columns of computers for programming and coding. The opposite end was a walled-off testing range. It was a highly technological area with the ability to shift its walls, ceiling, and floor for recreating many possible scenarios. Between both were machinery and tools of varying make and function as well as a commutative hub for all students of varying years.

The hub was mostly broken down into personal stations and workstations. Personal stations are for the students shared via alternate years. Workstations were specifically dedicated to certain steps of the engineering process, ranging from cutting metal or printing plastic to soldering or welding. All of which were locked behind shutter doors.

The students wandered about the hub like it was a zoo. Some peeked through the shutters, eyeing the tools that ranged from high-tech to analog. Others were already calling dibs on their personal stations, despite them already being assigned.

Samuel laughed, "Now, now." He shook his head, "As excited as I'm sure you are. We're working on Project Outlines. Then you can work." He was met with an array of cries and whines. "Let's go over to the computers and start." His students' shoulders sagged as they shuffled over to the computers as told. "And, if some of your outlines are good enough, you might get to start tomorrow," Samuel teased. Suddenly, the group flipped their attitude, and rushed for the computers.

Samuel put his hands on his hips, letting out a laugh whilst shaking his head. "These kids are an energetic bunch…" His eyes landed on a certain student, an outlier of sorts. "But…" For all the grins and glee, there was a single student that floated through it all from the lessons till now: one, Midoriya Izuku. "At first, I thought it could've been about the lessons or common-sense quizzes, but…" No one enjoyed those lessons but accepted them as a means to an end. Hence the energy that came from the new freedom of the workshop, but Midoriya didn't budge.

He could write it off. It had been a depleting week of boring work after all. Also, if memory served, Midoriya was living in one of Shiketsu's apartment complexes, so maybe the stresses of living alone were biting him. Or maybe just getting up this morning could've brought about this mood. Though, something felt familiar about it: a lack of… something… Soul, perhaps. It was something he knew all too well. To see a fifteen-year-old with such listlessness was worrying. An adult it was almost expected to occur once or twice maybe more, but someone on the cusp of youth? It felt like a real shame.

-XXX-

Midoriya Izuku wasn't an idiot, or at the very least, not an un-observative one. He could very well feel the eyes of his teacher linger on him occasionally. Subtle glances, hidden by the adjusting of hair or scratch of the nose, gave him the chance to read Mr. Abraham's gaze. Now, Izuku wasn't some expert in facial readings, nor in Mr. Abraham's tells and habits but he could infer.

There was no furrowed brow nor deep frown. "So, he probably isn't angry with me about something…" The brow was raised, and the lips were downturned but only lightly pressed. "Sad…? While looking at me…? That doesn't make sense… Disappointed…? I mean I don't think I've even done anything yet… My grades are solid… Last time I checked, at least… Disapproval…? Over what…?" Izuku's gaze washed over his classmates as they focused on the keyboards, tablets, and monitors before them. It was almost scary how the screen was reflected in each of their eyes. Then, there was him. He was leaning back in his seat, rubbing his chin, and wandering mentally.

He blinked, "I… I guess I… I haven't really been here…" The excitement was palatable, always was since the first day. He just never partook in it like his classmates or Mr. Abraham. It wasn't like a conscious choice that's just what it was. Another look around him and he could feel the tinge in the air. Here they all were, aiming to become the top engineers of the next generation. They wanted to support and raise Heroes on their backs for glory, money, or the mere satisfaction of it. And here he was, gliding by as if… He took a deep breath, "An insult… to them and everything they want to be…"

One of Izuku's hands left his chin while the other left his desk. His arm-span maximized before his palms slammed against his cheeks. The slap hung in the air for a moment or two. Some were curious enough to turn their attention away from their work, but before they can really take in what happened, as the perpetrator was focused elsewhere.

Izuku leaned forward, "Ten months of a crash course in engineering isn't a lot… However, it's a decent foothold as an amateur…" His fingers shifted the monitor's focus onto a text document, "I need a project that's reasonable, but not easy… Something to affirm my skill or lack there of… Something to push me…"

His mind started, "Capture Devices are easy in concept… In reality, technologically, they're extremely complicated… And to say that there is shortage of creative ideas in the realm would be completely untrue… Also, CDs are completely situational… They're items that are almost exclusively made as needed… Which means if approached as a general assignment… Then it needs to be a catch all…"

He followed that rabbit-hole, "Electricity as a stunning or limiting function doesn't work if the villain has some form of energy absorption… A chemical C.D. could be impressive… If only I had nudged some chemistry into my ten-month crash course… I'll have to make some time for that, but in the end, it can't be applied now…" He concluded, "So, if I were to make a C.D., it would be heavy-duty handcuffs… Hydraulic-based… Remote-controlled…" His mind countered, "To simply put, something that already exists… I suppose it'll do as a back-up plan if all else fails… So, let's not make that the top project then…"

"Items for Heroes are situational as well… Dependent on the Hero, of course… Fifteen years of obsession could pay off easily… Though, that is dependent on whether or not I'll be allowed to create a device for a hypothetical commissioner…" He sighed internally, "And… Well, trying to look back on it, I don't quite remember all the details… Heck, I don't even remember where that book is… A quick search of random Heroes could bring about some memories…" His hands hovered over the keyboard, a line blinking in the search. "Why…?"

Izuku shook his head, "A catch-all item for Heroes, maybe… Something up-close… A melee weapon… There are Heroes with Emitter Quirks so they may be happy with a solid melee weapon…" He considered, "Light material… Heavy enough to hit… Maybe it could collapse for ease of storage or carry… Electric discharge…? On and off function to prep for an electric villain scenario…" His mind wandered, "It can be better than a stun baton… A fancy stun baton then..."

He started on his outline, "Project… It needs a proper name, uh…" He pondered, "The Baton…? No… The Claw… I feel like that's from a movie… The Stick…! Okay, now you're just being dumb… Uh…" He typed out, murmuring, "Project War-Hammer." He meddled with the built-in computer programs, "Hm… There should be a list of materials on hand…" He began to mutter, "Fiberglass for grip… Aluminum-Steel alloy for the actual body… Knife length averages around thirty centimeters. Baton length: fifty-nine… Average between both is around forty-five. Collapsed length should be eighteen… Nineteen? Nineteen… Yeah, nineteen. Collapsing system could be spring, lock, or hydraulic. Spring could be really messed up by the actual use of the item and so could lock… Hydraulic could work… The PSI doesn't need to be very high… A hydraulic system could be made to be repaired and replaced… Lock or spring would require the item to be taken apart and then repaired…"

He practically jumped out of his skin when a hand landed on his shoulder, "Mr. Midoriya?"

"H-Huh!? Y-Yes?" cried Izuku, turning to the teacher. "Mr. Abraham…?"

"I'm glad to see you so engaged… However, well…" "Perhaps your thought process shouldn't be entirely aloud?"

Izuku blinked, turning his head to his environment, "O-Oh, I was…" He didn't register the eyes aimed at his form until now. Some were in annoyance while others just seemed weirded out. "Oh… I'm…" He coughed in his hand, adjusting his position in his seat, "I'm sorry, I wasn't… Well, being considerate, I guess…" He recomposed himself, "I'll get it under control. I'm sorry for the disturbance."

Mr. Abraham waved off the issue, "It's fine. I apologize for startling you." The teacher hovered over the student's shoulder, "Now, if you don't mind me asking, what are you working on?"

"It's a…" Izuku stared at his screen for a moment, "A non-lethal… emergency weapon… of a melee variety…?"

"Quite eloquent," joked Mr. Abraham. "Not many Heroes use weapons."

"Not many can rely on their Quirk in every scenario. This is in case someone gets too close, too fast. All else fails."

"Needs to be small, but… hefty," posed Mr. Abraham.

Izuku nodded, "Ease of carry is important, but it's countered by the need of weight to be an effective weapon."

"True, so what's your solution?"

"Material. Aluminum-Steel alloy."

"Hard-hitting, but light-weight, I see." Mr. Abraham's eyes glossed over the screen, "A fiberglass handle? Would that hold up?"

Izuku teetered his head, "I would need to test it. There's only so much you can learn from articles and others' research."

"Very true." Mr. Abraham straightened, "Well, I must say I look forward to how your project turns out, Mr. Midoriya."

"Uh, thanks…" stumbled out Izuku as the teacher began to leave. "But it's rather simple…" he offered, causing his teacher to pause. "I'm sure someone else has, um, something more impressive."

Mr. Abraham smiled, advising, "At times, simplicity done well is better than complex done poorly." He placed a hand on his student's shoulder, "Hold yourself with a bit more confidence, Mr. Midoriya."

"Hm…" Izuku replied, "Thanks."

Mr. Abraham nodded as he wandered off while Izuku was left in the wake. The lingering gazes of Izuku's classmates turned his skin prickly. The feelings of those gazes were ranged, mostly on a negative spectrum. As singular praise can be quite attention-grabbing. It doesn't need to be high praise nor continuous; it just needs to be from someone of respect or authority. No matter the environment nor time, it is quite easy to be singled out. Also, no matter how fleeting that moment can be, it is always discomforting. Thus, even though those gazes were no longer lingering, Izuku couldn't help but scratch at his arm.

"I need to keep an eye on my own behavior… I don't want anyone's attention lingering on me anymore…" A memory of the strange form his classmates took while he sat upon a classroom floor flashed in his mind. Those mocking gazes, sneers, and pity were all things that made his skin crawl now. "Bakugo isn't here… No one I know is here…" He turned back to his computer, "No one knows who I am… Except maybe the name… I can be someone entirely new…" He pondered, "I could try and be popular, but… I feel like popular people have stuff to say… I don't think I have a lot of that… Maybe lean into my… Hero otaku-ness…? N-No… Why-why would I want to do that…? Um…" He concluded, shaking his head, "Forget it… Nothing so… stressful… Keep it simple… I won't glide by and barely do anything… But I won't be the center of attention either… I'll… I'll just merge with the background…" He took a deep breath, refocusing on his work, "It's for the best…"

War-Hammer's project outline was a… process. A lot of referencing to a technical dictionary occurred. It didn't help that, to avoid attention, Izuku kept many questions to himself. "I mean… I got a computer in front of me… Should be fine…" It was a headache. Referencing a technical dictionary became an almost standard aspect until he realized how pretentious it all came off. Then, he went back, edited everything, and so on and so forth. The outline was barely finished by the time the bell rang.

The Support Class was the last period of the day, and thus, meant that it was time for the students to pour out of the school. With no real Project to work on, Izuku had no reason to stick around. A part of him could feel Mr. Abraham's attention on him, no doubt waiting for an opportune moment. This caused Izuku to disappear out the door just a little bit faster. A pair of earphones and a tug of the cap separated Izuku from the rush of departing students, leaving him his own mind.

TRACK SET: "LIVING IDLY AND DYING AS IF DREAMING" - EVE

From doors, to quad, to gates, to the sidewalk, Izuku wandered to his 'new' home. The street he walked was casted in daylight. By the time he was within eye-shot of his apartment complex, there wasn't a large movement of departing students anymore. Its majority broke off, possibly forming groups of friends to hang out. He spotted a few of those along the way which contained no one he recognized nor remembered.

Of course, not that his gaze was up long enough to register those faces. Izuku's journey had a preferred setting of private, so his eyes were usually focused on the ground before him. His earbuds blotted out any conversations that were too loud, and if anyone wanted his attention, they weren't getting it.

It wasn't long until Izuku had to pull off the sidewalk and make a quick dash across his complex's parking lot. His red shoes clomped onto the concrete staircase as he climbed the floors. He passed a few people: mostly students, believe it or not. Oddly, an adult was there, but considering he was scolding an apprehensive teen girl, Izuku could have a guess as to who he was. Eyes were kept especially low when he passed those two. A pair of students cluttered the stairway by deciding to make it a casual seating arrangement. Izuku only had a jog in place for a moment or two before they shifted out of the way, calling apologies. A muttered response and a flash of a smile was their reply.

His smile disappeared once they were out of sight. He pushed himself up the final stretch of stairs, turning on to his floor. His jog turned stroll as he made his way to his apartment. And, as his destination was in reach, he pulled out his phone; tapped on his mother's name and began to text her. It was something simple, quick to dash away any bubbling worry.

With the message sent, he unlocked his apartment door and slipped within. The door was kicked shut. As he turned to lock it, he let his bookbag slide off his shoulders. Then, he brought his bag into his room, and he redressed himself. Then, into his kitchen he went. He checked his fridge and, in finding no drinks, he kicked it shut. He sighed as he took a cup of ramen and began to boil water. He slipped towards a storage closet, pulling out a circular wooden table. With his 'dining room' set, he enjoyed his lunch… before he'll eventually enjoy a carbon-copy of the meal for dinner.

-X-

The sky was darkening into night with a smoldering flame on the horizon. The city that laid before Shiketsu High School was quiet. The occasional worker stumbled, the occasional group laughed, and the occasional drifter slipped through the alleys. They avoided the artificial light that lit the streets unlike a certain teen.

In terms of fashion, casual comfort was the name of Izuku's game, Shiketsu's tracksuit. With music as his company, he made his way over to the nearby convenience store. He meddled on his phone, looking through articles and such. Then, his gaze shifted to the night sky, trying to pick out the stars and constellations. His body also collided with a mailbox, caused a tumble and stumble, but he recovered. He quickly took in his surroundings before doubling his efforts to reach his destination.

He turned into the store, rubbing the back of his neck. The teen behind the counter welcomed him in and bowed. A small reply was returned as he wandered towards the refrigerator section. A case of tea bottles was his choice before he swung by the magazine section. Impulsively, he reached for a weekly magazine that had All-Might on the cover before his hand paused. He shook his head, picking a magazine about Support items and tucking it under his arm, "Motherboard of the Month… Woo-hoo…"

Izuku hesitated going to the counter; instead, he turned to a grounded fridge. "Should I get a popsicle?" He murmured to himself, ignoring the ding of someone else entering the store, "It's kinda cold out…" He laid his hand on the glass, staring at the treat, "Should I…?" Alongside his contemplation, a low groaning noise escaped his mouth.

The convenience store clerk spoke from his right, "Are you okay, sir?"

He jumped from his sudden presence, "H-Huh?" He blinked at the blond-haired teen, "Ah, uh, y-yeah. I'm good."

His grin was casual and a brim with energy, welcoming in a way. His age could've been the same as Izuku's or very close at the very least. His golden hair had a lightning-like highlight in black; the overall color matched his eyes. "Okay." He shrugged, "But, you better finish up."

Izuku blinked, "Huh?"

The clerk pointed to the Quirkless' track jacket, noting the school emblem, "Shiketsu, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

He tucked his hands into his pockets, peering out the storefront, "You're staying up pretty late, ya know?"

Izuku opened his mouth for a moment before thinking about it and then checking his phone, "A-Am I?"

"It's 21:00." He smirked, "Spring's rolling in and the sun's settin' late." He shrugged, "I can't judge ya, though. Even though I know daylight saving's coming, I still get confused."

"Y-Yeah…" He muttered to himself, "Homework must've taken me longer than I thought… Thought it was late 19:00 or just 20:00..."

He turned off, waving his hand, "Well, see ya. Thought I'd check in with ya before I switch out for the night."

Izuku blinked, "Wait, you're a student? And you have a job?"

The worker's smile faltered for a moment, "H-Heh… Uh…"

"Shiketsu policy says that students can't have jobs," stated Izuku.

"W-Well, uh… um…" His eyes wandered, "I… I have…" He snapped his fingers, "I have permission!"

Izuku's eyes narrowed as he slowly nodded, "Right… I'm sure you do."

Izuku turned to pull a popsicle from the fridge, feeling the clerk watching him from behind, "Cool… Cause I do…"

"You seem worried, in spite of that…" murmured Izuku.

The commentary wasn't missed, "W-Well, uh…"

"Look, I don't care if you have a job. I'm not going to report you for it."

"R-Really?"

"No, I don't exactly have a reason to. I can't even think of one off the top of my head. The rule is just to make sure you focus on your studies. I don't even think those rules are that… harshly enforced. Considering you're working somewhere that's just down the road."

"Ah, heh… Yeah… T-Thanks…"

"I'm also guessing you aren't doing it for fun."

He scratched the back of his head, "N-No, it's uh… Heh… Complicated."

"That's fine," he shrugged. "It's not really any of my business, in the end."

"Eh? You sounded pretty cool there, dude." He punched his customer's shoulder, "You remind me of one of my classmates, to be honest. You'd probably get along pretty well."

"Ow… That… surprisingly hurt…", Izuku internally winced. "Whatever you say…" was muttered.

"Well, I'll ring that up for ya!"

Izuku frowned at the blond's form, cautiously following after the clerk, "Weren't you going home?"

As the blond walked around the counter, he also waved off his question, "So I'll be a minute later? Doesn't matter to me."

"Well, thanks, I guess."

He shrugged as he stood across from his customer, "You're welcome."

Izuku's eyes landed on the blond's nametag, "So, uh, Kaminari?"

He nodded as he scanned the items, "Yeah." He then blinked, "Oh!" He grinned, giving a salute, "Kaminari Denki, a pleasure to meet ya!"

"Midoriya Izuku," he greeted with a bow.

Kaminari nodded before examining the register, "Okay, four-hundred-and-twenty-seven Yen."

"Here you go," he said after he had dug around in his pockets.

With the exchange finished, Kaminari waved, "See you around, Midori!"

His mind spun, "M-Midori…?" He blinked before he waved his hand in turn, "S-See you." He turned down the sidewalk and disappeared from the store's view.

He was halfway to his destination when a stray thought slipped into his mind, "Maybe I should get a job…" Down the rabbit hole he went, "I wonder if that café is hiring… Being a barista or baker wouldn't be too bad of a job… I think… I've only been there once with Mom… It didn't seem busy… But if it's popular, I might run into the same problem as Kaminari…" He pulled open the popsicle bag with his hand and his teeth, "There's no real telling of who will or will not rat me out… Reasoning I gave was sound, but good reasoning doesn't always meet reality, so…" With trash in his pocket, he enjoyed his treat with a departing thought, "Maybe I won't really bother… Even though it might be nice to have something else to do with my time…"

-\ XXX /-

AN: HI I'M SORRY! God, I'm late! Two days... I still don't like even if the quantity isn't dramatic. Excuses exist, they don't matter. Chapter is here.

So, this is the type of stuff that I don't usually write. Initially, I planned on just having Izuku be a Support Course student in full swing. However, I wanted to slow it down. Show Izuku as a normal student as normal as he is. So, a class assignment and living alone. Who Izuku is and is meant to be is still there, but just diminished. Like a smoldering flame, almost ash. He can still be that awkward self person, but that gives way to someone who just wants to be left alone, someone more reserved.

Other things, Samuel Abraham, for those who don't remember or don't know, is a character from the MHA: Two Heroes movie. While important, definitely a secondary character. Meant give that reliable teacher vibe. Initially, an OC filled this spot, Masami Rin from QHD. I back stepped this decision because, well, there are a lot of canon characters that exist. And I made a promise to not overindulge in using OCs. This project is about taking what exists and making something new. Definitely threw a hammer in the works, but I felt it was important to do.

Next, Kaminari Denki, one of the nineteen students from U.A. to make the trip over to Shiketsu. For some reason, I feel very attached to this head-dynamic between Denki and Izuku. Especially, a Support Course Izuku. Denki being this extrovert that is kinda dumb and Izuku being an introvert that is pretty smart. It's a relationship that I wanted to explore and excited to.

Chapter-wise, Denki makes up a nickname for Izuku on the spot. Easily, warms up to Izuku and so on. It's a start and that's all it really is.

Finally, Eve's "Raison D'etre". MV with English Lyrics are on Youtube. I decided to include music as a set-dressing. In the same way, show's have theme songs and characters have themes of their own. Music is powerful and can just push the story. In this case, it operates more as a theme than an amplifier. Though, it is important to note that I won't be overindulging in music either. They will pop up, not one every chapter or something like that.

With all that said, I think that's it. I'll be sure to answer questions that I didn't think of. Thank you for reading! Please give me your thoughts and I hope you stick around for the next one.

Update: Nov. 5th-10th (Gonna give myself some wiggle room this time. Just in case stuff comes up.)

EDIT (11-4-21): Adjusted 'TRACK SET' to a more thematically appropriate song.