My Super Robot Academia

by Navek

When Izuku was four, it seemed like his dream of becoming a hero was over. But after a day with his father, that dream is reborn into something greater. "Maybe I can't become a hero like All Might...but I can build a hero just as great as him!" Get ready for a hot-blooded, heavy metal revolution!

15. What Happens Next?

Author's Note 1: My Super Robot Academia is a non-profit fanfiction series.

My Hero Academia is a property of Bones, Funimation, and Kouhei Horikoshi.

Any original characters or concepts are owned by Navek and xpegasus.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 15: What Happens Next?

Within an empty bar, Kurogiri's portal opened, and he and Shigaraki stepped out of it. Shigaraki's body shook with barely contained rage. He took in a deep breath and said one word.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

Normally, Kurogiri would chastise his young master for screaming an obscenity so loud that it shook all his nice glasses. But considering how their day went, he felt Shigaraki's outburst was actually pretty justified.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I could definitely go for a coffee right now."

"...make one for me, too," Shigaraki said before slamming his fist down on a table, causing some cracks. "Fucking hacking bratty pieces of fuckin' fuckheads."

"I take it from your outburst that the League's first deployment didn't go over so well."

At the end of the bar area was a lone monitor mounted on the wall. It had an active live feed but no visual.

"That's a goddamn understatement, Master," Shigaraki growled as he began to remove the severed hands from his person. "Looks like no one is seeing All Might in the obituaries tomorrow."

"Hey, don't be so down, my boy."

"But...I failed. I didn't even manage to kill any of those fucking brats." Shigaraki grit his teeth, irritated by the image of that brown-haired girl looking down on him.

"Failure is simply a part of the journey, Tomura." The Master spoke with a calm and reassuring voice, not unlike a father comforting their upset child. "Learn from it so that next time, you won't make the same mistakes. But for now, relax, drink your coffee, and maybe de-stress with one of your comfort games."

"Ya...that sounds just right." A night of breaking Elden Ring's difficulty in half with his overpowered pyromancer build sounded like just the thing to lower his stress levels.

"By the way, I noticed Nomu isn't with you."

"Ya...that reminds me, is the Doc there with you?"

"Give me a moment. Dr. Garaki!"

"Here, my lord." An older voice spoke through the feed. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The problem is that your 'All Might-Killer' turned out to be an over-hyped piece of crap," Shigaraki bluntly stated, slamming his fist on the counter.

"Well, that's a disappointment. But I suppose that All Might wouldn't be the Number 1 Hero if my first version of the Anti-Symbol of Peace felled him."

"Except it didn't even get to fight All Might. Three kids killed it."

The line went silent...before Dr. Garaki shouted, "WHAT!?"

"Doctor, that was right next to my ear."

"S-Sorry, Master, but...Shigaraki...you're joking, right?! Kurogiri, tell me he's joking! There's no way one of my brilliant creations could've been bested by children!"

"I'm afraid that's the truth, Doctor," Kurogiri said as he poured two fresh cups of coffee and began to add cream and sugar. "It would seem that this new batch of first years are quite the potent fighters."

"It's bullshit is what it is," Shigaraki added. The doctor's angry breathing and teeth grinding was obvious from the other side.

"Who?! Who did that to my life's work?!"

"A stupidly strong brunette girl, some big kid cosplaying as Ingenium, and a green kid piloting a mini-boss robot." The lanky man explained as he grabbed his cup of coffee and began heading upstairs. "So yeah, make sure the next Nomu doesn't suck. Talk to ya later, Master."

"Goodbye, my boy." And with that, the call ended.

At the other end, in a dark room lit only by the light of a computer screen, a tall man sat in a wheelchair, an oxygen mask on his mouth, his body clad in an expensive-looking suit, and his other features clad in shadow. But his expression was not one of frustration at his young ward's failure but one of bemusement.

'Ah, Toshinori,' the man thought fondly of his hated foe. 'It seems your students will be just as troublesome as you were. I suppose we'll soon see who the better teacher will be.'

But in yet another part of the complex, an area with rows upon rows of green liquid tanks, a short, bald man with ornate goggles over his eyes and a big bushy gray mustache was feeling absolutely livid! Years of research and butchery to create his wonderful abomination! His drive to prove all those who doubted his theories dead wrong!

All of that destroyed...by CHILDREN!

His Anti-Symbol of Peace, a beast explicitly designed to kill a man who could alter the weather with a single punch, HAD BEEN KILLED BY CHILDREN!

But soon, Garaki's anger gave way to unhinged laughter. He rushed towards his lab computer and turned it on. 'Then...the next Nomus...I'll have to make the next generation of Nomu even stronger! Yes, yes! So strong that it'll bring all of hero society to its knees! Even the Master will be terrified of their power!'

Madness-induced laughter echoed through the lab as Dr. Garaki began to work on his next nightmare creation.

Meanwhile...

"18...19...20." A detective counted the students. "Looks like everyone is accounted for. And no major injuries, thank goodness."

It had been about an hour since the last of the villains had been taken care of. A small army of police officers and paramedics had been deployed to the USJ. While the officers and teachers were rounding up the remaining villains, the paramedics were looking over class 1-B head-to-toe with the assistance of medical robots.

"Are you sure your injuries aren't too grave?" Yanagi asked Kirishima, glancing at the his arms wrapped in bandages. Kirishima just gave her a reassuring smile that once again made Yanagi glad her costume covered her face.

"Don't worry, Yanagi. It's gonna take more than that to take me down."

Meanwhile, the police inside the USJ were having a big furry problem. Death Claw, still hanging around the Mountain Zone, was growling at the officers, warning them not to take another step toward her.

"S-Should we call Animal Control?"

"I don't think they can handle that thing." A fellow officer replied, nervously pointing a tranquilizer rifle at the growling beast.

"Gentlemen, this seems a bit harsh." The cops turned and saw Nezu approaching them, with Koda accompanying him. "We don't even know what her intentions are. Koda, if you would?"

Koda nodded, walking past the police and towards Death Claw. The massive tiger's eyes softened at the sight of the boy. The police couldn't hear what Koda was saying to Death Claw, but she responded with a few growls. Koda eventually returned to Nezu and the police.

"She said as long as no one with weapons approaches her new territory..." He motioned to the entire mountain zone. "...no one will be harmed."

Nezu rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Hm. I suppose we'll need to stock up on raw meat for our new guest. Tell Miss...Death Claw...was it, that she's free to stay. I doubt we'll be using this facility for a while anyhow."

The giant tiger growled again.

"She says she doesn't want to be called Death Claw anymore." Koda translated.

"Well, I guess we'll need a proper name for her as well."

Koda pondered the idea for a moment and turned back to the tiger. "What do you think of the name Tangerine?"

Suddenly, the tiger rushed towards Koda. The officers reached for their weapons, only to stop. They saw that the big cat wasn't attacking Koda but rubbing her face against him. "She likes the name," Koda said with a warm smile. The boy giggled as he scratched and petted the newly christened Tangerine. "Who's a good kitty, you are, yes you are." Nezu and the officers watched in amazement as the tiger rolled onto her back and let Koda rub her belly.

Outside, the other students were chatting amongst themselves. Mineta was trying to impress Kendo and Jiro about how he and Ochako beat up a crazy man with laser eyes. Kaibara and Tsunotori embraced each other for comfort. Hagakure, now fully invisible again, was making Fukidashi, Kamikari, and Tokage swear not to tell anyone what she actually looked like. And Izuku, Ochako, and Yosetsu helped a still tired Tenya onto a stretcher.

"Fuck, you're heavy," Yosetsu groaned as they laid Tenya down. "Is that the costume, or are you just being ridiculously huge?"

"Well, according to my father, Iida men are naturally burly. Though my choice of costume probably doesn't help," Tenya said and tried to grin, which made Ochako raise an eyebrow.

"Was that you trying to make a joke?"

"Indeed. I thought it would lighten the mood."

"I mean, it kind of did," Izuku commented. But his eyes turned and saw the mangled and battered form of Striker being loaded onto a flatbed by a group headed by Power Loader. "I...I gotta..."

"Go ahead," Ochako said, understanding her friend's desire to see his mecha. Izuku thanked her, and it took every ounce of self-control Izuku had not run to Striker at full sprint.

Izuku's heart had already been broken when he'd been forced to sacrifice Striker to defeat Nomu. But now, gazing upon Striker's ravaged form, Izuku felt his heart being ground into powder. "Power Loader..." Izuku said as he turned to the hero.

Higari sighed. "Well, your mom's probably gonna be pissed." Izuku stared at the man in confusion. "I promised I'd keep you safe until you could handle this kind of crap on your own. So much for that."

"Hey, you did keep your promise." Higari returned the look of confusion. "We built Striker together. So the fact that I'm alive means that you did protect me."

But even as he said that Izuku felt a pit in his stomach as he looked at Striker's melted face. He remembered the fear that came from facing Nomu and Shigaraki. He recalled when Higari first came to his home all those years ago, telling him about the dangers heroes faced. And today, he had come face to face with that danger. But Izuku was only more determined than ever before.

Striker was the only thing in their entire class that even stood a chance against a beast like Nomu. And it had nearly been destroyed by Izuku's reckless piloting. In the mecha shows and manga, he had watched nearly his whole life, Izuku often heard pilots calling their mechs their 'partners.' He had often thought it was just some prose to pull at the viewers' heartstrings.

But seeing Striker like this, his face melted and brutalized body, Izuku began to understand. He'd poured his heart and soul into building Striker; he was more than a machine; he was a part of Izuku.

And now that part of him was broken.

Higari saw the look in Izuku's eyes and recognized it. It was the look of an inventor in dismay at the state of their creation, followed by the look of determination to fix it and make it better than ever before. It was a look Higari had seen in the mirror time and time again. Underneath his helmet, he smiled at the resolute look on his pupil's face.

The main detective got off his phone before addressing the students. He was a tall but rather bland-looking man with plain features, wearing a beige trench coat and matching trilby. "I just got off the phone with Recovery Girl. Thirteen has terrible lacerations across their back and upper arms, but their life isn't in danger. Vlad King has some major bruising and some minor anemia, but he's got some donor blood pumping into him."

"Um...Mr. Detective, what about All Might?" Ochako asked.

"He's fine from what I hear. He's the one who brought Thirteen and Vlad King to Recovery Girl." He took note of Ochako's concerned look before continuing. "Hey, he's the number 1 hero; you really think a little thing like fighting a hundred villains is enough to keep him down? A little rest and All Might will be right as rain. As for you kids, let's get you back to UA. We'll get your statements another day."

He then turned to his fellow officer. "Officer Sansa, I've actually got some other business to take care of. Can you handle things from here?"

"Of course, sir." The feline detective said with a salute. Ochako wondered what the detective's other business was...but was distracted by the cute bell necktie Officer Sansa was wearing.

And so, the students of Class 1-B were sent back to their classroom to pack up their things, and the police would escort them home. Principal Nezu had also informed them that tomorrow's classes were canceled, giving the students a long weekend. However, they were invited to talk to the school therapist if they just wanted to talk and process.

"What the hell am I gonna tell my folks?" Yosetsu asked as he put his books in his bag. "They're not gonna let me leave the house for a month."

"Well, my apartment is probably flooded by now," Izuku said, already imagining the flood of well-deserved tears his mother would no doubt generate.

"I think I could use a hug from my parents after today," Ochako said.

The door to the classroom was slammed open, and a distraught Mei came rushing in. "Guys!"

The usually eccentric inventor hugged Izuku, Ochako, and Tenya with all the strength she could muster as her eyes began to water. "I...I th-thought...thank god you guys are..." She couldn't do anything else but whimper.

"Hey, it's okay, Mei," Ochako said softly, patting her friend's back. Izuku hugged Mei back but had to stop to get some air. But then he saw Katsuki walk into the classroom, his red eyes looking...well, the last time Izuku saw his buddy looking like that was when his cat died.

"Hey, Kacc-" Izuku was cut off as Katsuki practically leaped across the room to him. Katsuki said, but Izuku could hear his friend's shaky breathing.

"I knew those villain chumps couldn't beat ya," Katsuki said, his voice barely above a whisper. Izuku could feel his friend's body tremble as he spoke.

"Yeah...I kicked their asses," Izuku said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and his voice tinged with melancholy.

It was a melancholy that would hang over all of Class 1-B for the rest of the week.

The Following Sunday...

"Well, now that everyone is here, I think we can start the meeting," Nezu said to all the teachers, save for the still recovering Thirteen, gathered in UA's main boardroom. The staff was joined by Detective Tsukauchi. "The first topic on the list is the mental state of our students. Inui?"

Ryou Inui, AKA Hound Dog, was a beast of a man, literally and figuratively. The man's Quirk gave him the appearance of an anthropomorphic dog with long and untamed blond hair. He wore a black muzzle over his pointed snout and a brown and black outfit that resembled that of a fantasy barbarian. And yet, he spoke softly.

"Well, some of the kids have been having nightmares. Some of them are still kind of in disbelief that the USJ incident was real. I think having someone to talk to has been good for them." Inui then sighed. "This is the kind of shit I've seen Pro Heroes deal with. Not kids still in school."

"Then we'll have to do a better job protecting them until they're ready," Vlad King said, his arm still in a cast and sling.

"I'll say this about them, though; none of them have even mentioned dropping out or transferring to another school. Hell, some have even mentioned convincing their parents to let them come back," Inui then looked at Vlad. "You got some resilient freshmen, Kan."

The blood hero gave a small smile at that.

"Well, if any dumbass evildoer wants to try pulling something like that again, they're gonna be in for a world of hurt," Higari said, chuckling to himself as he thought of the improvements he made to UA's security system. Especially the bees. Snipe scooted his chair away from the laughing man.

"Speaking of evil, we've managed to identify some of the members of this 'League of Villains' based on testimonials." Tsukauchi plugged a flash drive into the boardroom table, and the screen lit up, showing Sister Mercy's profile. "This is Sister Mercy. Real name: Unknown. She's a notorious serial killer who first came to the police's attention last year when a civilian managed to catch sight of her killing the Pro Hero Cymbal. Afterward, police were able to connect her to dozens of other murders, including the slaughter of an entire orphanage in Osaka six years ago. Her Quirk seems to be a sort of 'silencing field' that negates all sound around her, but we have no idea what the exact mechanics or limits of her Quirk are. Combined with her skill with sickles and stealthy tactics, she's been a nightmare for Japan's police force. Honestly, it's a miracle the boys survived against her."

The next slide showed a mugshot of Trapper out of his costume. "One of the villains we actually managed to capture was Kade Savage, AKA Trapper. He's a notorious game hunter from Australia and is wanted in countries worldwide. He uses his Quirk, Fear Factor, to scare any prey he hunts, whether human or beast. That's probably how he managed to control that Quirked tiger and make it work for him."

"Speaking of, are we just, like, gonna let her live in the USJ from now on?" Present Mic asked.

"According to young Koda, the mountain zone reminds her of her home," Toshinori chimed in. Koda had been permitted to visit Death Claw over the week, helping her acclimate. "Until we build a suitable enclosure for her, it seems the best option is to just leave her be. Besides, she seems to have grown attached to young Koda."

"Well, I don't think having a giant magma-breathing tiger named 'Death Claw' hanging around is going to be reassuring to any concerned parents," Midnight stated.

"Actually, Koda gave her a new name: Tangerine," Nezu explained. Midnight squealed over how cute that name was.

Pressing a button showed a video of a laughing Hellgaze and a mug shot of a man with a wicked grin. "Next is..."

"You're fuckin' kidding me!" Snipe shouted, slamming his fist on the table.

"You know this guy, Snipe?" Midnight asked.

"Know him? This asshole is my archenemy." Snipe spat out. "Taiga Goka AKA Baron Von Hellgaze. The guy's a fuckin' blowhard with an ego the size of Mt. Fuji...but he's got enough skill to back that big mouth up. I've been trying to stop him for over ten years, but every time I think he's been locked up for good, he manages to escape."

"Wait a minute..." Midnight said, eyes widening in realization. "Is this guy..."

"Yup. He's the bastard that's broken out of prison over a dozen times."

"Is there anything you can tell us about him, Dan?" Nezu asked.

"Well, his hell-beams can melt through solid steel, and he can control their exact flight path." Snipe placed a hand on his mask. "Believe me; you do not want to get hit by those things. On top of that, Goka's a master of hand-to-hand combat and a master escape artist."

"Oh, come on. Uraraka and Mineta beat him. He can't be that bad," Mic spoke up.

"Was he one of the villains arrested?" Snipe asked.

"I'm afraid not. Both he and Sister Mercy were unaccounted for," Tsukauchi answered.

"Then he probably lost on purpose. Mark my words; right now, Hellgaze is probably in the midst of a convoluted scheme, and 'losing' to those two kids was probably part of his plan."

"Well, great," Mic said. "The League managed to get a ringer."

"Hellgaze and Mercy aren't the only ones." The next slide showed footage of Kelly taking down an entire team of mercenaries, breaking their limbs and turning mist. "The woman Vlad King fought against is called Kelly Santiago." The slide after that showed Kelly in full combat gear labeled 'PCRD' and amongst a team. Though her expression was far more dull compared to her current flirty self. "She was a top-tier agent of America's Paranormal Crime Response Division for three years, went AWOL for a month, and then reappeared as a mercenary calling herself Cannonball Kelly. She's carried out assassinations, illegal arms, and drug smuggling, and blackmail for anyone who can match her price."

The next slides showed stills of Shigaraki and Kurogiri at the USJ. "As for these two, we have no intel on anyone named Tomura Shigaraki or any teleporting villain named Kurogiri. Based on first-hand student accounts, Kurogiri has a physical body and seems to be affected by strong light. And Shigaraki, the apparent ring leader of this whole ordeal, has a rapid disintegration Quirk that requires the use of all five fingers."

"You think we would've heard of a guy who can do that before," Midnight commented.

"Not necessarily," Toshinori chimed in. "The mastermind types tend to lay low for years until they're ready to strike."

"First hand experience?" Eraserhead asked, getting a nod from the Hero of Heroes.

"What about the...what did you call it again?" Nezu asked before looking at Power Loader.

"Chimera. According to Izuku, it's a fringe theory in the Quirk Analyst community about how it could technically be possible to splice multiple Quirks into a single body through genetic engineering."

"Well, after what the forensics team has discovered, it's no longer just a theory." The next slide showed three people listed as 'Missing': a man and two women. "They found the DNA of three people that went missing a few years ago. And each of them had a Quirk that matched the powers that the chimera, Nomu, showed: Super Strength, Regeneration, and Shock Absorption."

The teachers began to discuss amongst themselves how such a thing could be possible, but Toshinori's hands began to shake. Putting multiple Quirks into one body felt a lot like his MO. But the Symbol of Peace had to calm himself down. That man—no, that monster—was dead. He made sure of it. His teacher performed a double-tap just to be sure.

No villain, no matter how strong, could survive having a fist punched right through their head.

"Is it possible that Shigaraki might've had a hand in that Jinkai article about Midoriya?" Ectoplasm asked.

"It makes the most sense," Eraserhead replied. "Considering the state of the broken gate matches how his powers work, he's almost definitely the one who broke in that day."

"He knew All Might was scheduled to teach at the USJ," Vlad King scowled. "If he had access to that information, it's possible he might have gotten access to our student files."

"That media shitstorm around poor Midoriya has been pretty distracting," Present Mic stated.

"It wouldn't be the first time a villain did something like this." Toshinori spoke up, rubbing his chin. "Back when Volcano and his gang were terrorizing Japan, he had some of his Volcanauts infiltrate news organization, weaving in hints to taunt the heroes about their upcoming diabolical plans. But it seems this Shigaraki isn't as egotistical as ol' Fume Head."

Nezu opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. He wanted to bring up his theory it was the HPSC itself that tipped off the press to Midoriya's Quirkless-ness. Unfortunately, he had no evidence to back up such a claim.

His relationship with the HPSC was already rocky at best, and making baseless accusations would do him no favors. It would be just the excuse they'd been looking for to terminate him as UA's principal and replace him with a commission crony. Someone who wouldn't think twice about expelling Midoriya after he'd worked so hard to get in.

Sure, he knew Toshinori would probably have his back, and Higari would jump at the chance of getting payback for his precious protege. But everyone else would probably think he was crazy. No, the best course of action was to keep that theory to himself until he had solid evidence.

"While that is a possibility, we don't know for sure if Shigaraki and his League of Villains had anything to do with Midoriya," Nezu said. "Furthermore, the villains didn't seem to be particularly interested in Midoriya during the attack or even aware of who he was. If they truly wanted to shake the public's confidence in UA, it would have made sense to try and kill Midoriya after revealing his Quirkless status. Until we have any evidence that suggests otherwise, we shouldn't assume these two events are connected."

"That is a good point," Tsukauchi said. "Jumping to conclusions too quickly could lead us down the wrong path. I'll need to speak to the woman who wrote the article, Miss Fumiko Fujita." The meeting continued with Tsukauchi informing the teachers that the Special Crimes unit would be on the lookout for the League of Villains and anyone affiliated with them.

Meanwhile...

The days following the USJ attack had been...a lot for Izuku and his classmates. When Izuku got home, his mom spent an hour tearfully hugging him, and Izuku soon joined her in the waterworks. Hisashi arrived home soon after and joined the family hug, unable to stop the flow of tears as he embraced his son and wife.

Over the weekend, Izuku, Ochako, Tenya, and Yosetsu weren't allowed to go anywhere alone. It seemed a bit much, but it was understandable why their families would be worried for their safety after surviving a villain attack.

But the weekend proved to be eventful even after that. Reporters and bloggers hounded not just Izuku and his friends but every student of Class 1-B for insight on the USJ attack. Though after Mitsuki pepper sprayed six of them, Ochako's dad kicked one of them in the balls so hard that their voice cracked, and Hisashi finally called the police on them, the buzz around the Midoriya's apartment died down considerably.

Online, however, Izuku still couldn't find peace. Apparently, the buzz around him being UA's First Quirkless student had turned far more vicious after word of the USJ incident got out. According to a substantial amount of, in Katsuki's own words, 'smooth-brained conspiracy nutters,' the only reason the League even attacked UA...was because of Izuku.

According to these nutjobs, Izuku being admitted into the hero course was basically a big neon sign inviting villains to attack the now weak and vulnerable UA. That this would've never happened if he wasn't enrolled in their school.

(Never mind the fact that would mean the League of Villains had somehow amassed over a hundred villains and coordinated their attack on the USJ in a matter of hours after the article was published. It's not like logic got in the way of conspiracy theories before.)

For most of Friday and Saturday, Izuku was able to avoid the white noise online...until they started messaging him and his parents directly.

The first message he got told Izuku he was being selfish and putting 'real' students in danger by 'not knowing his place.'

The second message was massively condescending, with the poster saying they felt 'sorry' for Izuku, who was apparently just a pawn in U.A.'s attempt to seem more 'diverse.' There was also a massive list of links to old (and by now thoroughly debunked) theories about DEI and firms that didn't even exist anymore.

The third message told Izuku he was a 'genetic failure,' was ruining hero society, and that he should kill himself.

After that message, the Midoriya family decided to private all their social media accounts for the foreseeable future. It sucked, but less time online was always a good thing.

At the moment, Izuku was trying to take his mind off of...everything with a lesson from Dr. Lim. She'd popped over rather suddenly to check in on the Midoriya family and offered to stay and help Izuku update Striker's OS.

"You see, this doesn't really need to be a subroutine," Dr. Lim explained as she and Izuku reviewed Striker's OS. "While it works, it creates a delay between the input and execution of commands." She spoke between bites of dango, holding the skewer in one hand while the other practically flew across the keyboard.

"I see," Izuku said, taking notes along the way. "So, how do we change it?"

"Well, we're gonna have to go back and change some of the earlier code to make it work." Dr. Lim tapped her screen with her now empty skewer. "And we'll want to test with actual hardware to ensure the change doesn't create other problems and make the machine malfunction."

"Oh, well, it'll... be a while before we can test run the new OS on Striker." Izuku's expression turned sorrowful, images of Striker's battered face flashing through his mind.

Dr. Lim sucked in a breath through her teeth. She stared at Izuku for a moment before an idea crossed her mind. "Hey, you still got the skeleton robot lying around?" Izuku nodded. "Well, why not use him? In fact, you could use him as a base to make a mini Striker; that way, we could test-run changes to the operating system without needing to mess with the big guy."

"That's an excellent idea, Dr. Lim," Izuku said. Dr. Lim smiled at the bright look in the boy's eyes. He began rambling about all sorts of ideas until they were suddenly interrupted.

"Alright, that should do it," Hisashi exclaimed as he exited his home office, laptop in hand. "Every account we got is officially privated."

"Probably for the best," Inko replied from the kitchen. "Lord knows I've spent way too much time on Instagram."

"You know, my offer still stands," Dr. Lim said, leaning back in her chair.

Hisashi gave an awkward laugh. "I mean, we appreciate it, but I don't think a virus that infects anyone that sends us disparaging messages online is a good idea. Lords knows how the media would run with that."

Dr. Lim shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Izuku was eerily quiet throughout their conversation. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry." Hisashi and Inko looked at their son. "This...this is my fau-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Inko raced towards the dining table and hugged her son. "You did nothing wrong, sweetie."

"B-But..."

"Izuku, your Mom and I have been on the internet longer than you've been alive," Hisashi said in his attempt to reassure his son. "Some people are just gonna be giant pricks online no matter what you do or don't do."

Dr. Lim nodded in agreement. "Words of wisdom to live by, kid. Besides, if you let people talk enough shit, they'll eventually say something they shouldn't have and shoot themselves in the foot."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hisashi groaned as he approached it.

"If you're one of those reporter goons, I've got a cast-iron skillet, and I'm not afraid to use it!" He swung the door open and was relieved to find Bakugous and the Hatsumes standing on the other side.

"'Sup?" Mitsuki said, holding up a bag of groceries. "We saw what happened on the net. We figured you guys could use a pick-me-up."

"A good meal does wonders for a mood," Gin said with his usual big smile.

"Well, you're right about that." The Bakugous and Hatsumes were let into the Midoriya's apartment. While the parents took the groceries out of the bags and onto the countertop, Katsuki and Mei approached Izuku.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Mei said nothing, her usual energy nowhere to be found as she just wordlessly hugged Izuku.

"...you want to just watch some anime or something while they cook? Your choice." Katsuki asked.

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "I mean, Dr. Lim and I are working on updating Striker's OS, and I wouldn't want to—"

"Oh, go on," Dr. Lim said. "We've been working on this for hours; you need a break anyway. Besides, would you really rather hang out with this old lady than your friends?"

Izuku chuckled and turned back to Mei and Katsuki. "You know, there is this one show I've been meaning to check out."

Forty or so minutes later...

"La! La! Lalalalaaaaaa!"

As the ending credits to Bang Brave Bang Bravern Episode 2 finished, Katsuki sat silently on Izuku's desk chair, still processing what he had just watched.

"...I think it would've been less gay to just have them kiss."

'Gonna be having some...interesting dreams tonight,' Mei thought as she sat on a bean bag chair.

But it was far from the most bizarre thing related to superrobots Katsuki had seen. While he understood why Izuku loved this genre, sometimes it was got pretty damn weird.

"I guess," Izuku responded, sitting on his bed and still looking sullen. Katsuki and Mei hated seeing their buddy like this.

"Look, you can't get all bent out of shape just because some online extras told ya to kill yourself. Nine times out of 10, they're just some hyperbolic pansy that would never say that shit face-to-face."

"Some people just really let loose when they get any kind of anonymity," Mei said. "I've definitely said some raunchy stuff on some engineering forums. I definitely wouldn't say IRL."

"...would you believe it's not those messages that got to me." Katsuki and Mei raised their eyebrows as Izuku continued. "I mean, I've heard the same kind of horrible stuff from the jerks at Aldera. You're right about that just being overreacting nonsense."

The greenette's brow narrowed in visible frustration. "No...the ones that really stung were the ones that tried to...that treated me like some defenseless little animal or that UA was...using me, somehow. 'Look at him! How could UA do that to this softboi?' 'Poor kid's a diversity hire and doesn't even know it.' 'Someone get him away from there! He's baby!' 'Guess we know how UA gets all their funding now. #TokenRep.'"

He clenched his bed sheet in frustration, a bit of tears starting to well up in his eyes. "I...I'm n-not even a person to them. I'm some kind of walking glass doll that's being manipulated and can't fend for himself." Izuku gripped his head in frustration, fighting back tears. "I hate it." It was barely a whisper, but the weight it carried was great.

An ugly silence filled the room. Mei had a guilty look on her face, while Katsuki remained staunchly neutral.

After a full minute of deathly quiet, Katsuki spoke. "You know...I kind of get it. When I heard you guys were being attacked...I felt fucking useless. Like after years of sticking up for ya meant nothing because I couldn't do shit while my best friend was fighting for his life." Katsuki scowled. "I know that we're not gonna be able to fight together all the time when we go pro. That's something I just gotta learn."

He looked towards his friends, who were looking at him. "The reason I've pushed you guys to take physical training seriously is because...well, I want you to be able to protect yourselves when I'm not there. I...care about you guys."

He then stood up. "But those pricks? You're right. They don't care about you as a person. They probably just want to look like they care about anything other than their cliques." He gestured to Mei. "They're probably the same people who say that Mei's too reckless to be a 'proper inventor.'" He then gestured to himself. "Or that I don't have the right attitude to be a 'proper hero.' And it's always been bullshit!"

Now Katsuki really started to heat up. "Those jackasses at Aldera laughed at us for trying to go to U.A., and we proved them wrong. Because that's what we fucking do, and we'll keep fucking doing it!" He pointed to Mei. "We show them that science can be pushed past the conventional!" Then to himself. "That a guy with a bad attitude and a destructive Quirk can be an All Might-level hero." Then to Izuku. "And that even a guy without a Quirk can be a superhero."

Katsuki's crass but heartfelt speech was infectious. Mei shook her head. For the last few days, she was worried like crazy.

That wasn't her at all.

"Kacchan's right!" Mei stood up, her signature energetic smile finally back. "That's the old Hatsume family motto: as long as you put in the effort and don't give up, even the most far-fetched dream can become a reality. I'll make gear so great that not even 100 of those Nomu things will be able to stop you guys!"

Izuku looked at Mei & Katsuki. He chuckled a bit before rubbing the tears out of his eyes. He really was lucky to have these two as his closest friends. "You guys are right."

Izuku got off his bed and stood up. "It's the same as always: the world telling me what I can or can't be. But impossible odds never stopped the Braves! Never stopped any Sentai team! Never stopped Koji Kabuto! And they're not gonna stop me either!" Izuku held his fist up. "Striker and I are gonna save people no matter what!"

"Hell yeah!" Mei and Katsuki cheered on. Leave it to the energy of youth to part the clouds of melancholy. After dinner, the trio got to work talking about Striker's repairs, some ideas Katsuki had to improve his costume, and some support gear ideas Mei had in mind for their other friends until it was time for Katsuki and Mei to go home.

Soon enough, Monday rolled around, and Izuku was getting ready to head out for school.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay home?" Inko asked, clearly still worried. "You can always just call in sick."

"Mom, I'm fine."

Inko bit her lips. "It's just...if anything happens, don't hesitate to call-"

There was a knock at the door, and Katsuki opened the door. "Oh, hey, Kacchan."

"Hey. Dad and the hag wanted me to meet ya here."

"See, Mom? Kacchan's gonna walk with me like always. And we're going to grab Mei along the way."

Even with the assurance of Izuku's friends providing extra protection, Inko still looked worried, but Hisashi put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Go on ahead, boys. Have a great day," Hisashi said.

"Okay, Dad." While the two boys left, Hisashi moved his arms to hug Inko from behind, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Do you think I'm overreaching?" Inko asked her husband.

"Maybe a little bit. But that just shows how much you care." Hisashi looked towards the door. While he put on a brave face, he was also worried about his son and his future. Was this what they, and more importantly, what he would have to deal with from now on?

The commute to school was, thankfully, rather uneventful. But even though no one had confronted them directly, Izuku saw more than a few commuters glancing at and whispering amongst themselves. A quick, dirty look from Katsuki sent most of them minding their own business.

Izuku tried not to pay those people any mind, but he was admittedly eager to get to class and away from them. As Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki turned the corner to approach the school, they stopped in their tracks.

"Shit," Katsuki exclaimed.

Yet another crowd of protesters gathered outside of UA, and from their homemade signs featuring pictures of Izuku, it was clear why they were there. While the crowd was about half the size of the one from the day of the USJ attack, it was still a daunting sight. The protesters shouted about how UA was being "unfair," giving Izuku "preferential treatment," and "endangering" him.

Thankfully, a combined group of police officers and pro heroes kept the crowd at bay. They appeared to be much more organized and prepared compared to the first day of protests. A line of steel barricades and police officers kept the protesters clear of the entrance, leaving a clear path into the campus.

"Hey, you three," a policeman said as he and another officer ran over to Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki. "Don't just stand there, get inside."

"R-r-right, thank you," Izuku sputtered as the officers escorted him and his towards the gate.

As the group approached UA, one of the protesters spotted Izuku and yelled, "Hey! It's Midoriya!" The officers reached for their guns as some of the protesters tried to run towards Izuku. Suddenly, a stream of water flew in front of the protesters and took the shape of another barricade.

"Now, now, that's enough of that." Izuku's eyes widened in recognition as he saw a hero dressed as a fireman with water spigots for his hands.

"Oh my god, it's Backdraft," Izuku cried.

"Well, it's always nice to meet a fan, though I wish we could have met under better circumstances," Backdraft said as the protesters cried in indignation. He ignored the crowd and turned to Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki. "Don't worry; we've got this handled. Now get to class. You've got a bright day of learning ahead!"

The officers rushed the students along, keeping on the agitated crowd. Although, Izuku couldn't help but notice how some of the pro heroes and police officers would glance at him. Just like how the commuters did earlier.

Izuku, Mei, and Katsuki made their way to their classrooms, trying to put the thoughts of the protesters behind them. As Izuku took his seat, he felt a pair of eyes on the back of his head. He turned around and saw Honenuki staring intently at him. The look unnerved Izuku.

Izuku tried to take his mind off it, Honenuki, the protesters, and the people online by talking with his classmates. Everyone was excited to see each other after the long weekend, excitedly chatting with one another and doing their best not to bring up the USJ. Soon enough, the room fell silent as Sekijiro walked in. Everyone saw his arm now in a cast.

Sekijro gave his students a toothy grin. "Good to see all of you. I hope you've had an excellent weekend."

"Are you okay, Mr. Kan?" Tsunotori asked.

"Nothing another few days of rest can't solve." Sekijro narrowed his brow. "Though I wouldn't rest yet because something big is coming up."

The students were on edge by what their homeroom teacher meant by that. Was it another villain attack? Some kind of surprise test?

"The first week of July is when the United Allies Sports Festival starts!"

'That's so normal!' The students thought with a combination of surprise and relief.

To be continued...

Author's Note 2: Now, I know what you're thinking. "Wait, July? But in the anime & manga, the Sports Festival was only a few weeks after the USJ, not almost two months."

Well, that's just me addressing one of my biggest issues with MHA. Frankly, an absurd amount of story arcs and events take place in just Izuku's first year at UA. So we're spacing them out a bit.

Next Time: Start Your Prep Time!

Please be sure to read, favorite, and review.

PLUS ULTRA!