We'll Carry On: An Ochako Omnitrix Story - Volume 1

by Transwiththeplans

Ochako Uraraka finds herself unexpectedly taking on the mantle of the Omnitrix wielder from Ben Tennyson. As Ochako begins to explore the capabilities of the Omnitrix, she must also navigate the complex relationships and alliances, all while facing off against increasingly powerful enemies. Cover by @ZebraKnight1 on Instagram

131. Open Your Heart

This is a collection of short stories. Enjoy!

Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

---

Blowout (Synonym for Whiplash)

3 1/2 weeks until the play.

The best way to describe the band meetings was...casual, but with that air of intensity. Jirou had worked with her dad over the weekend to transcribe one select song from Beauty and the Beast into a jamming rock song- Be Our Guest.

Mina had choreographed a small dance for the part too, and some of the backstage actors were now drafted into learning a dance number. Kinda insane, but at least they got in on the fun.

It was just a very odd mix of people, working together in this band- sure, there were SOME loose connections (Jirou and Momo, Kaminari and Bakugou), but there was a disconnect.

...and that was thanks to Bakugou's intense drumming. Whenever he started to play, it was like the whole room shook with the force of his hits. It was almost like he was trying to overpower everyone else in the band. Jirou tried to ignore it and keep playing, but sometimes she felt like she was competing with him instead of playing with him.

"Do you always need to drum that loud?" Jirou finally asked after the latest practice run.

"Isn't that the point?" Bakugou asked.

"Ok, don't do that mocking attitude with me right now. You're literally trying to drown out every other person here. That's not how being in a band works."

"I'm just trying to bring the pain with the song," Bakugou replied, a scowl on his face.

"This is 'Be Our Guest'. Not 'The Heaviest Matter of the Universe'." Shinsou scoffed.

Tokoyami raised an eyebrow. "A Gojira fan? You have excellent taste."

"Thanks." Shinsou said, going back to tuning his bass.

"Energy is one thing, but causing an actual blowout with your drumming is another. You're going to give us all whiplash," Kaminari chimed in.

"So, what? You're saying I'm too good for this?" Bakugou asked.

"No, we're saying you need turn it down from a 24 to a 9," Jirou said, "Play with us instead of against us. That simple."

Bakugou rolled his eyes, clearly not happy with the criticism. "Fine, I'll try to tone it down. But don't expect me to play like some weakling."

"None of us are implying that..." Momo said.

"What's your deal, dude?" Kaminari said.

"You want me to play at my best, right? That's what I'm doing," Bakugou scoffed.

"It's not about playing at your best if it means drowning everyone else out. We're a team," Jirou pointed out.

Bakugou sighed heavily, looking around at the rest of the band. "Fine..."

"Now, let's try and take it from the top." Jirou said.

"Alright. 1, 2, 3," Shinsou counted down to start playing.

Unfortunately, despite Jirou and the rest of the band's request, Bakugou did not reign it in at all. If anything, he played even louder and more aggressively than before, completely overpowering the other instruments and causing some members to wince in pain from the sheer volume of his drumming.

Jirou tried to keep playing, but it was almost impossible to hear herself or any of the other members over Bakugou's thunderous beats. She glanced over at him, hoping he would catch on to the fact that he was ruining the harmony of the song, but his face was twisted in concentration, completely oblivious to the chaos he was causing.

After a particularly loud crash of the cymbals, Jirou signaled for the band to stop. "Bakugou, what did we just talk about? You're drowning out the rest of us."

"Are you serious!? That was me not even trying!" Bakugou frowned.

"Uh huh. Like you weren't playing with the intensity of a ritual." Tokoyami frowned.

"You seem more agitated, kinda like your original self...what's got you in a twist?" Shinsou frowned.

Bakugou frowned. "Whatever...I'm outta here." Bakugou threw his drumsticks behind him, and stormed out. Jirou huffed, not even bothering to stop him.

"Jerk." She muttered. She turned around, only to see Kaminari looking concerned about something. "What's with you?"

"...I think I may have an idea why Bakugou's kinda going full throttle."

"Would be glad to hear it," Jirou said.

"You seem...incredibly insightful when it comes to him," Momo admitted, "It's a bit surprising if I'm being honest."

"Yeah, I get that," Kaminari sighed.

"So, what's wrong with him?" Shinsou asked, getting them back on track.

"...you guys notice which arm he was really drumming with?" Kaminari asked.

"No, not really." Jirou said.

"...he was using his left arm." Kaminari said.

That was all they needed to hear for them to put two and two together.

"Ohhhhhh hell," Jirou muttered.

"Do you think he's just sort of...venting?" Shinsou guessed.

"No, no. There's gotta be more to it." Momo said.

"...Kaminari, you're comin' with me," Jirou said after thinking about it, "Take five everyone. We'll be right back."

"And where are we...?" Kaminari asked.

"To both apologize and get this straight."

"U-uh, alright." Kaminari said, setting his guitar down. Bakugou was more someone who prefered not to speak on his emotions- he was more of an 'acting out' kind of guy so someone else could initiate the conversation.

...and by god was Kaminari gonna initiate it.

Well, if Jirou didn't beat him to it.

They made their way to Bakugou's room, hesitating for a second before knocking on the door. There was a moment of silence before the door opened to reveal Bakugou, his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"We came to apologize," Jirou said.

"That soon, huh? What, the band fall apart without my presence?" Bakugou snarked.

"Well, uh...we kinda realized WHY you're drumming so intense..." Kaminari said.

Bakugou raised an eyebrow. "...and?"

"...it's because of your arm, isn't it?" Kaminari said.

Bakugou stared at the both of them, before he scowled. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity," Jirou insisted, "Are you just...using this as an opportunity to show you can still perform well with a prosthetic-?"

"No, that's not it," Bakugou snapped, "I just don't want to be held back by this damn thing. "I don't need anyone's validation to know I'm still a damn good hero-!"

Bakugou realized what he said.

"...and drummer," Jirou finished for him, a small smile on her face.

Bakugou glared at her. But there was a flicker of something in his expression that made Jirou think he might have been grateful for the support.

"You don't have to prove anything to us," Kaminari added. "And you've honestly just been killing it, but...try to keep tempo with us, okay?"

"Yeah, fine. I'll try to work with you all instead of against you," Bakugou grumbled.

Bakugou hated how obvious this was. After all, it was sort of his fault for the festival being closed off this year. It didn't really bother him until...well, he heard some gossip on the way to lunch one day.

"You hear about this?" Some general course loser muttered. "Class 1-A and 1-B is doing a stupid concert. For our sake."

"Really? Geez. Talk about conceited..." Her friend frowned. "Are we supposed to be bending over backwards for them, after all we've suffered?"

Bakugou grit his teeth as he listened to the conversation. How dare they talk about Class 1-A and 1-B like that? Those nobodies were completely ignorant of all the things both classes had been through...He felt the anger building inside of him, the urge to explode and give those students a piece of his mind. But instead, he remained silent, seething with anger.

(He knew they didn't mean to dismiss his hand- it probably was an oversight. But still. To say you've suffered when the blood is shed by other students? Disgusting.)

Words usually didn't stick to Bakugou, but here...He couldn't shake off the feeling of frustration and disrespect.

"...so, are we just gonna stand here? Or are we getting back to practice?" Bakugou said.

Jirou nodded, sensing that Bakugou needed a distraction from his thoughts. "Yeah, let's get back to it."

Bakugou led the way back to the band room. As they entered the room, everyone turned to look at them.

"So, everything's good now?" Momo asked.

"Yeah. Let's just focus on the music," Jirou said, picking up her guitar.

"Finally," Shinsou huffed.

Bakugou took his spot behind the drum set, adjusting his seat and getting ready to play. As they started up again, Jirou couldn't help but notice a change in Bakugou's playing. He still had that same intensity, but he was also playing in sync with the rest of the band.

I doubt these guys will ever hear the bullshit I heard* Bakugou thought. *But they know how to spot someone who's hurting...*

He looked down at his arm, and closed his eyes. Bakugou took a deep breath, letting go of the anger and frustration that had been building up inside of him. He was still on edge, but the playing helped to ease that tension.

It was the weirdest thing- Bakugou felt a sense of peace that he hadn't felt in a long time. Why?

He's always wanted to show off...so, maybe if I take some pressure off of him, he can finally do something he's never been able to do. Jirou thought. Just do it for fun.

Just like me.

---

Say Yes to The Dress (Please Say Yes I Put Hard Work Into It)

3 weeks until the play.

"Sooooo, what are we doing again?" Setsuna asked, having taken a seat backstage with Todoroki, Kamakiri, Kaibara, Tsuyu, Komori, Reiko, and Kendo.

"We're just waiting on Momo and Yuga to roll out our costumes." Todoroki said. "I hope they've been managing this all okay...Momo's been doing double duty with this and the band."

"I mean, I know we're all putting everything we got into this, but doesn't it seem like a few people are going a bit further?" Komori asked.

"Come to think of it, yeah," Tsuyu admitted, "Izuku and Ochako spring to mind there. Whenever they rehearse their lines, it's like they won't accept anything less than perfection."

"Wonder why they're going being so perfectionist about this...Uraraka's usually so laid back." Kaibara frowned.

Kendo had a idea of what it was, but she wasn't sure. According to Tetsutetsu's account, both Ochako and Izuku had fought pretty valiantly to save that kid...and someone mentioned something about her attending the play...

"Alright everyone," Momo announced as she and Yuga made themselves known, "Thank you for showing up on such short notice. We have the costumes all set, but we wanted to see how everyone felt about them. See if there were any alterations that needed to be made."

"And in order to do that," Yuga smirked, "We're going to do a bit of a show."

"Show?" Kendo repeated, tilting her head. Yuga clapped his hands, as if inviting someone in. On his cue, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu walked in- both were dressed in rather fancy garb.

"Check us out. Sir Crimson, and Sir Silver!" Tetsutetsu declared.

"Oh my god, we're doing an improved fashion show, aren't we?" Komori asked.

"Oui!" Yuga nodded.

"Interesting," Todoroki said. "...I take it you made an overabundance of costumes and can't decide?"

Momo looked away. "...maybe."

"We only needed like one costume per person! Why'd you go so crazy with it, Yaomomo?" Kendo asked.

"I...may have...maaaaaybe gotten too absorbed in my work," Momo blushed, totally embarrassed.

Todoroki hummed. "Understandable. The quality on these outfits are quite nice," He said, feeling some of the texture. "Did you use your quirk to make all this?"

"Nope. I used alchemy." Momo said.

Everyone stared.

"Good one," Reiko said.

"N-no, I'm being serious," Momo said, holding up her hand and surrounding it in a magical aura.

Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "...I wish to see this alchemy in work."

"Uh, okay..." Momo said, holding out her arm. She made a long piece of fabric, which Yuga then held. Momo then made some chalk and drew a circle on the floor.

"...oh my god, she's serious." Reiko deadpanned.

"But there's...I mean she doesn't actually know magic, right?" Komori asked with a slight chuckle.

Momo finished up the circle, and rubbed her hands together. "Alright, any requests?" She asked, as Yuga set the fabric down in the circle.

Tsu hummed. "A frog onesie."

"That tracks," Setsuna smirked. And then everyone else saw Momo turn the strip of fabric into a perfect frog onesie with three more quick hand motions.

"There you are," Momo nodded.

"...how," Reiko asked.

"Magic."

"...How."

"The president of the US told Ben 10k to give me a magic book." Momo said.

"...what?"

"Hey could someone...someone just pinch me? Feeeeeels like I'm in a dream," Komori said. When Setsuna obliged and pinched the mushroom girl, she squeaked in light pain and realized, no this as actually happening.

"When did you meet the president of the United States?!" Kendo asked.

"I mean, I haven't met her in person." Momo said. "I dunno if I ever will."

"Can we focus on our costumes, please?" Yuga beamed, presenting a rather fancy dress with a thick sleeve on the left side. (edited)

"Ooh, who's that for?" Komori asked.

"This dress is for Mrs. Potts," Yuga said. "While keeping a french renaissance look, we took a few creative liberties, including integrating a few bits of Tsu's costume in it."

"Ooooh. I like it!" Tsu said.

"Wonderful! Now, dressing room's in the back, because its time for you to try it on!" Yuga said, gently handing over the dress to Tsu.

"I didn't expect Yuga and Momo to be the dream team when it came to costumes," Kirishima said. "It's like a match made in heaven."

"I mean it makes sense. Momo's Quirk...and apparent literal magic paired with Yuga's eye for, what does he call it, anything 'sparkling?'" Kendo said.

"Yeah that's his catchphrase," Kirishima smirked.

Tsu had already hopped away to the dressing room to get ready.

A few moments later, Tsu returned as Mrs. Potts. The costume was incredible- it did well to emulate the iconic teapot-shaped dress from the broadway musical, but with intricate gold and bronze detailing that gave off a regal and elegant vibe. The bodice was form-fitting, accentuating Tsu's curves, while the skirt flowed out in a dramatic flare, almost like a ballgown. A matching headpiece, with delicate floral accents completed the look.

"I really do feel like a teapot..." Tsu hummed. "Is this real ceramics?"

"Oui! I thought they added a certain bit of realism to the look. You are a teapot after all, aren't you?" Yuga chuckled.

"Oh my god," Komori gasped before she just sported the biggest grin her classmates had ever seen, "You look amazing!"

"Now, our Bimbettes." Momo said. "Awful name, especially considering you three have some of the highest grades in Class 1-B."

"It's just irony," Setsuna said, rubbing her hands together. "So, let's see these dresses."

"One moment!" Yuga said, dashing back for a quick moment to grab the needed dresses, "Now, the colors aren't exactly as they were in the film. We decided to make them more match you, just to add that little personal touch things like this require."

Setsuna's eyes widened. "Did you manage to replicate my hero costume's scales!? That took my costume company forever to perfect! How did you-?" She cut herself off. "Magic?"

"Magic." Momo nodded.

"Ohhhh and you even gave mine little 'shroom patterns! Perfect!" Komori beamed.

"And mine has my qipao's patterns! That's a nice little touch." Kendo said, holding it up to her body. "Kinda going crazy for a few gals that only have like...4 scenes in total."

"Maybe, but that means you should sparkle all the more!" Yuga proclaimed, surprisingly getting nods of approval from Momo.

"Go try them on~! We got a few more people to go through." Momo said, clapping her hands. The girls rushed off, and Momo turned her attention to Todoroki. "Todoroki- we need an extra prince for a scene at the start. Do you want to fill that slate?"

Todoroki paused. "I don't see why not."

"Now, I wasn't actually sure which side to lean into for design choices, so you have two," Yuga said, "One that leans into the fire, one that leans into the ice. You can choose which one you'd like."

Todoroki eyed his choices- fancy red robes, or fancy blue robes...

"I'll take the blue," Todoroki said. "Reminds me of my hero costume."

"Excellent choice." Yuga beamed, handing it to him.

The trio of students who played the "Bimbettes" walked back out in their dresses and they had to admit, they were perfect. Komori was even allowed to keep her mushroom hat, just for that extra bit of personal touch.

"Soooo, how do we look?" the mushroom hero-to-be asked, adjusting her cap.

May 18, 2023

"You allllll look fabulous~!" Yuga declared, throwing glitter out of nowhere.

"How did you do that. Kirishima muttered.

"Well you helped make them," Setsuna chuckled, "But what does everyone else think? Just as good?"

"You look great, Tokage!" Tetsutetsu approved. "Same to you, Kendo! If you were in 'Miss UA', I'm sure you'd score a few points!"

"Miss UA?" Todoroki repeated.

"Yeah, it's something set up by the business course. It's a beauty pageant...and we all decided not to register because..." Momo made a face. "You know who is a judge."

"Oh, I see." Todoroki nodded in understanding. "...gross."

"Yes, very."

"Well, I think the costumes are amazing," Kirishima said. "I can't wait to see all of them in action."

"Same here," Tetsutetsu said. "This play is going to be the talk of the school, I just know it!"

"Let's hope so," Yuga said, as Todoroki went to get changed into his outfit. "Now, who's up next?"

"Ship!"

Momo and Yuga looked down to see Ship, wagging his tail and panting. Momo raised an eyebrow. "How'd you get out of Ochako's ro- oh, whatever. It's a good thing you're here..." Momo said, pulling out a smaller hanger. "We do need to see if your Sultan costume works..."

It was relatively uncommon to have a live animal in a Broadway show, as the logistics and animal welfare concerns could be difficult to manage. However, there have been some notable exceptions, such as the horses used in the production of "War Horse," the dog in "Legally Blonde," and the cats in "Cats." No play production of Beauty and the Beast had a "Sultan", at least to my knowledge, so this would be an interesting turn of events...

Ship's Sultan costume was a luxurious masterpiece. The royal blue fabric was embroidered with intricate gold detailing, giving the costume a regal and majestic appearance. The collar area was adorned with jewels and precious stones, and the sleeves had gold trimmings that were lined with fur. The final touch was a small turban-style hat, which matched the rest of the costume perfectly. The outfit fit Ship like a glove, and he looked both adorable and dignified in it. Yuga and Momo couldn't resist petting him and giving him treats for being such a good boy.

"I want ten of them..." Tetsutetsu said, as Ship nuzzled up against his leg. "This is the goodest of boys!"

Todoroki walked out in his costume. "...How do I look?" He asked the group.

Todoroki's costume was a stunning display of blue and silver. The pants were loose, flowing down to his ankles, and were adorned with silver embroidery. The top was a long-sleeved, button-up shirt with a high collar and silver cuffs. Over the shirt, Todoroki wore a navy blue vest with silver buttons that matched the embroidery on his pants. Completing the prince look, he wore a silver belt around his waist and navy blue boots.

"Wow, Todoroki, you clean up nicely," Kaibara joked.

Kamakiri nodded in agreement, his eyes never leaving Todoroki's outfit. "I have to admit, this is quite impressive. You have the regal presence of a prince..."

"He has to look dignified! His dad would be a 'king' in this scenario, right?" Komori pointed out. "Endeavor's gonna be the next Number One in a few weeks."

Todoroki paused when he heard that.

"Right...I almost forgot about that," he said, a bit of tension creeping into his voice.

"Aside from a few extras, I think we've got everyone's costumes set-" Momo said.

"WAIT!"

The group looked over to see Tooru, running over. "Ohmigosh, sorry! I forgot the meeting was right now!"

"O-oh! Tooru!" Momo said. "I almost forgot..."

Tooru's eyes widened as she took in the impressive costumes of her classmates. She looked up at Momo and Yuga with hopeful eyes.

"I'm here now! Can I try on my costume too?" she asked eagerly. "I can't wait to see how it turned out!"

"Oh, uh...yeah." Momo said.

...I totally forgot about her costume! Momo panicked. I was so focused on everyone else that Tooru's costume must have slipped my mind!

Sacre bleu! Yuga thought. We can't have our resident Invisible Girl left out!

"Of course, Tooru," Yuga said, quickly going to retrieve her costume. "We didn't forget about you."

"I'll help you find it!" Momo yelled, as they both rushed back stage. Tooru bounced up and down as she waited for her costume. A few moments later, Yuga and Momo returned with...

A teacup.

A tiny, fancy teacup.

Tooru stared at it.

Then she stared at everyone else's fancy costumes.

Then back at the teacup.

"Umm...is this it?" she asked, uncertain.

"...yes."

Tooru blinked.

The air was so awkward the author couldn't think of a good way to end this short story.

---

Outsourcing

2 1/2 weeks until the play.

"Do you think this would work for the big climax?" Sero asked, passing over some notes to Todoroki and Kirishima.

"Maybe, maybe." Kirishima said. "Yui's models are kinda collapsable, but there's some aspects we just can't match..."

"What about the ballroom?" Kurorio proposed. "No matter how we slice it, we can't match the majesty of the movie. Even with the hardwork."

"Present Mic said he wanted us to make it feel like a story was jumping off the page...but that kinda feels impossible with what we're working with." Juzo frowned. "What do we do?"

"Well, we could consider outsourcing some aspects," Todoroki suggested. "I know it's not ideal, but it could potentially give us the results we need."

The group murmured in agreement, considering their options.

"I mean...who did you have in mind?" Rin asked.

Todoroki took a deep breath.

"Shiketsu did say they wanted to establish more of a relationship..." Todoroki said, pulling out his phone.

---

"Beauty and the Beast, huh?" Camie asked.

"Precisely! A tale as old as time!" Medaka said with a grin.

"Please, don't burst out into song right now," Zenkichi said.

"That...wasn't what I was going for, but that's actually not a bad idea. But it'll have to wait! While our schools have always been seen more as 'friendly rivals,' this is an opportunity to really strengthen the 'friendly' relationship between our schools!"

"Well, I could dazzle the crowd with my illusions...should work wonders for some scenes," Camie hummed.

"Don't we already train with them-?" Zenkichi muttered, before Inasa cut him off.

"I can't believe Todoroki called ME! I usually have to initiate conversations over text!" Inasa beamed. "This is awesome..."

"Exactly! This is a sign, Zenkichi!" Medaka announced, "We can't just pass this up!"

Zenkichi huffed. "Fine, fine. Tell em...we'll be there-"

"Tomorrow!" Inasa said. "And, sent!"

Zenkichi paused. "...I was gonna say next week."

"TOO BAD!" Inasa said.

"The sooner the better after all!" Medaka agreed, "Their festival is only two and a half weeks away. Showing up so soon to the deadline just wouldn't be practical!"

"...when you put that way, I guess. Still coulda given us a bit more time, like 'two days from now,'" Zenkichi suggested.

"No waiting! Only doing!" Medaka grinned, her little ahoge wagging like crazy.

"...you know, I have this weird feeling you're gonna try and hijack the play and turn it into a movie." Zenkichi said.

"I think that's already happened," Inasa said, "Todoroki said Present Mic's the director, after all."

"...oh."

Medaka hummed. "Hm. I'll have to see his notes and make some suggestions."

Zenkichi groaned. This is gonna be a disaster, isn't it?

---

"Ok! Now let's see," Present Mic said as he flipped through some pages in the script, "Early scenes are pretty much wrapped up, confident in their delivery and the vibes there..."

"What about my performance, director?" Monoma grinned.

"Great. You make me wanna punch you in your face." Present Mic said, not even looking up from the pages.

"HUZZAH- hey..."

"That's a good thing in this case! Gaston's supposed to be punchable!" Present Mic said.

"...that just feels like you're trying to do damage control there," Monoma muttered.

"Maybe, maybe. Your teacher complains about you a lot..." Present Mic said, as Todoroki approached him.

"Have they arrived yet?" Todoroki asked.

"What, the other two members of the 'disaster squad'? Nah, not yet. They'll be here soon." Mic said. "Look at you, taking initiative. I would've thought that Kurokami girl would have inserted herself into the production sooner than later..."

"But there are five of them," Todoroki said, "So it would be the other three members."

"Were there? I don't recall anybody else there..." Mic said.

"That screw kid," Bakugou frowned, boredly flipping through the script and hating some of Izuku's changes.

"Oooooh, yeah! Him. Yeah, that kid was...yeah." Mic frowned. "...yeah."

"Off-putting?" Todoroki asked.

"You said it, not me!"

Suddenly, the door to the auditorium opened- Medaka looked eager. "We are HERE~!"

"HEY TODOROKI!" Inasa yelled.

"Ah, there you are," Todoroki said.

"Ready to help! Where do ya need us?" Inasa asked with his seemingly permanent grin and endless optimism.

"Hey now, hold your horses!" Mic yelled. "Settle in, and watch us perform this sce-" Too late. Medaka was already flipping through the script Bakugou was looking at.

"H-HEY!" Bakugou cursed.

"Interesting, interesting..." Medaka hummed, "I assume this is all your work, Present Mic?"

"Not entirely. Few edits here and there, but for the most part, its Mr. Midoriya's handiwork!" Mic nodded.

"Really? Impressive!"

"Can you gimme back the damn script?" Bakugou huffed, nabbing it from Medaka's grasp.

Zenkichi waved Midoriya over. "Yo." He said, staying cool like always. Izuku hopped off stage, and approached his friend. Zenkichi whistled. "Nice threads."

This was the first time Izuku had been in full costume- it was a green tailcoat with a white shirt underneath, a red vest, and black pants. He also wore a golden medallion around his neck. His outfit was completed with black boots and white gloves.

"Oooh, Midoriya! Don't you look dapper." Medaka cooed.

Izuku turned red. "I feel kinda ridiculous wearing this..."

"Nonsense! You look exactly as you should! Now, what about the Beauty? Because I assume this is for the finale, yes?" Medaka wondered, turning to Present Mic.

"We changed a few points, so he won't be using that costume once or twice." Mic grinned.

"Intriguing!" Medaka hummed.

"So, where do we start with helping?" Inasa said, all fired up.

"Alright, Inasa, how much control do you have over those winds?" Mic asked.

"A lot. I know you've only seen me go crazy with it, but I can make them as slow as the situation calls for!"

"Perfect! You can help out the stage crew!"

"RIGHT! I'M READY TO HELP!" Inasa yelled. "WHERE'S TODOROKI?!"

"OMG, shhh! Keep your voice low, hun! it's like so totally cray-cray that we're helping, but like, maybe let's chillax a bit." Camie said, walking over. Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"Uh..." The last time Izuku saw Camie she did...not speak like that.

「yeah, i know. she talks weird」

Izuku flinched, as he spun around. "C-crap. Don't do-"

"W-what the!? Where'd you come from!?" Zenkichi yelled.

「the bus」

"You weren't invited!" Zenkichi frowned.

「oh. well. no one noticed or cared when i got on, so...i just went along with it」Kumagawa explained.

"Well...if you're here, then maybe you can help?" Medaka said.

"...ya sure about that?" Zenkichi asked.

「where do you need me?」Kumagawa asked, ignoring Zenkichi's nay-saying.

Mic hummed. "You're generally negative, right?"

「yes」

"Okay! You can be our critic." Mic said, pulling out a seat for Kumagawa.

"What?" Izuku questioned.

"Huh?" Zenkichi frowned.

「hm?」

"Every good play has a critic! And some are valid!" Mic explained.

"I think Kumagawa would be perfect for the job."

Kumagawa shrugged. 「doom and gloom is my main bread and butter」

Mic chuckled. "That's exactly what we need! Someone to give us an honest critique and keep us grounded."

「honest and grounded...yeah that tracks with me」Kumagawa said, taking a seat next to Mic in one of the atrium chairs.

"...well, that's solved." Izuku said, as Camie tapped him on the shoulder.

"OMG, like, hi there! I don't think we've like, totally crossed paths before! Hey there, I'm Camie, but you can call me Illuso-Camie, my hero name! OMG, so like totally stoked to meet you, hun!" Camie said.

"How did you emoticon with your mouth?" Izuku asked.

"...Idk~!"

"O...kay then," Izuku blinked. He was just taken by surprise at how upbeat she was, how much energy she had. It was just a total 180 from that calm schemer from the license exam; it was incredibly weird honestly.

Ochako walked out on stage, wearing her big frilly dress for the dance. "Sorry I'm late, it took forever to get this on-"

Medaka's eyes lit up as she saw Ochako's dress. "Ooooh~ That is absolutely beautiful, Ochako! You look like a princess!"

"A-ah! I didn't know you guys would be here!" Ochako said, as the Shiketsu kids swarmed the stage to admire her costume...sans Kumagawa.

「do do do doo do do do-」

"What are you doing?" Present Mic asked.

「humming, now shut up」

"That dress is like totally amazing on you! It's like, hugging your curves in all the right places and making you look like a total bombshell! You're like, totally slaying in that dress, girl!" Camie grinned.

"...thank you, stranger?" Ochako blinked.

"Seriously! That thing looks like a lot of time and effort was put into it!" Inasa added.

"I can only imagine how much work it took to make that dress," Zenkichi chimed in.

Ochako blushed at the compliments. "T-thanks...God, I'm just kinda nervous with all these eyes on me now..." She admitted. "How am I gonna do this play with thousands of eyes on-"

Medaka placed a hand on Ochako's shoulder, her eyes shining with excitement. "Ochako, my dear, embrace this moment with all the extravagance you possess! Let your presence electrify the stage, captivating the audience with your grace and charm. Imagine yourself as the radiant sun, and let your performance shine brighter than any star in the sky!"

Ochako blinked, taken aback by Medaka's over-the-top advice. "Um, that's... quite extravagant, Medaka. I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not sure if I can pull off something that grandiose."

Medaka waved a dismissive hand. "Nonsense! You possess the power within you to captivate hearts and minds. Remember, a true princess radiates confidence and poise. As you step onto that stage, envision yourself as the embodiment of elegance and enchantment. Embrace the spotlight and let your inner princess shine through!"

Did Yuga possess Medaka for a moment!? Izuku thought.

Ochako's eyes widened, trying to process Medaka's words. "Well, I guess... I'll give it a shot. I can't promise I'll be able to match your level of extravagance, but I'll try to embody the spirit of a princess..."

Medaka beamed with satisfaction. "That's the spirit, Ochako! Now show us the magic that lies within you. You are destined to leave a lasting impression!"

"R-right!" Ochako said, ready to carry on with her perfromance.

Zenkichi turned to Izuku. "What about you? You nervous too?"

Izuku gave a 'so-so' gesture with his hand. "Eh, I'm fine...I just got the dance to worry about...and the...ending scene..."

"...ending scene?" Zenkichi asked. Izuku palmed over his script to show Zenkichi what he was so worried about.

Zenkichi glanced at the script and quickly skimmed through the ending scene. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he looked up at Izuku. "Wait, you're worried about this? It's just a simple kiss on the cheek. Why are you so concerned?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, it's not just that... It's the timing, the emotions, and... well, it's Ochako. I don't want to make her uncomfortable or anything."

Zenkichi chuckled and patted Izuku on the back reassuringly. "Eh, you'll be fine. Just kinda ease into it."

"Ease into it?"

"I dunno. I've never kissed anyone." Zenkichi frowned.

Todoroki walked out on stage, donning a black headset and a utility belt filled with tools. He wore a black jacket with "Backstage Coordinator" written on the back, and his pants were equipped with multiple pockets for easy access to supplies. He carried a clipboard in one hand, which held a detailed schedule and notes for the play.

"Inasa," Todoroki said, calling over the boy. "Over here."

Inasa's face lit up, and made his way over. "There he is! So, what's up, Todoroki? Need some of my wind power?" Inasa asked enthusiastically.

Todoroki nodded and handed Inasa a small diagram on the clipboard. "I need you to adjust the airflow in the stage area during certain scenes. The director wants to enhance the dramatic effect, so we'll need some gusts of wind at specific moments. Can you handle that?"

Inasa flipped through the diagrams. "...did you make all these?"

"It was a group effort." Todoroki said, as Camie also approached.

"So, like what's my gig?" Camie asked. "Where do you need me, hun? ;)"

"We'll need you for the opening number, ball room scene, the first time Maurice enters the castle, the climax and ending...maybe a few other scenes." Todoroki explained. "Medaka might be needed to add a bit more charm to some scenes, or if you over extend your limit..."

Inasa's eyes widened as he examined the diagrams further. "Whoa, this is going to be so cool! I can totally handle it, Todoroki! Just leave the wind effects to me!"

Camie smirked and playfully twirled a strand of her hair. "Sounds like I'll be enhancing some of these props- easy peezy~!"

"Let's run through the chase scene! Where Maurice gets chased by the beast." Mic yelled.

"Alright- places everyone." Todoroki clapped. He handed Camie a visual ref of how the background should look for this particular scene.

"Alright, I can totes handle that!" Camie said, looking over the picture quickly and moving to take her place.

"Gonna need wind for this one?" Inasa asked.

"No doubt, yes," Todoroki said, "Over here."

"Awesome!"

Kumagawa scoffed from his chair.「i doubt there's going to be anything worthwhile in this performance. just UA showing off again...」His eyes darted over to Bakugou, who was drilling holes into the back of his head.

「why hello again!」Kumagawa grinned. 「how are you」

"Fine...just wondering why the hell you're here," Bakugou said.

「he actually answered! oh truly, a rarity!」Kumagawa said, putting his balled fist to chest, mocking one of Medaka's famous poses, 「but as to your question...why not? the others were called in to help and, now, so am i. i'm your critic, in case you missed what your director said.」

"I heard him just fine. But you only got that job after your sorry ass got here. Why'd you really show?"

「like i said」Kumagawa smiled. 「i just got on the bus and no one noticed」

"Uh huh. The fact that your talentless ass was put on 'talking points' duty shows how much of a weight you add to this production," Bakugou frowned.

「...then how's your arm?」Kumagawa sneered.

"First off, fuck you. Second off, doing much better actually. You'll see that when I start playing," Bakugou snapped back.

「ah, let me guess. gaston? ego's big enough.」

"Drummer."

「oh you meant play an instrument...never took you as the type. learn something new everyday, hm?」

"Your talentless ass couldn't handle a triangle." Bakugou snarled.

「its a beast i never truly conquered...」Kumagawa sighed.

"Then sit back and shut up. This show might even stir something in your dead heart.

「now that would be impressive, I will admit」

「but i doubt that will happen」Kumagawa thought, as the lights dimmed. Camie activated her quirk, blowing her Glamour mist into the scene to inject that extra bit of magic.

Kouda sat in a chair, in the Beast's study. Kaibara (who was dressed as a hat holder) wrapped a blanket around the 'older fellow', took his hat, and bowed. "O-oh! What service."

"This has gone on far enough," Iida-Cogsworth said. "I'm in charge here-" His sentence was never finished. He was suddenly steamrolled by Tsu, entering as Miss Potts.

"Ah, ould you like some tea, sir?" Tsu asked as politely and as motherly as she could, "It'll warm you up in no time!"

"No!" Iida-Cogsworth said, "No tea. No tea!"

Kouda just ignored him and grabbed the small teacup after Tsu had poured him a cup.

"His mustache tickles, mama~!" Tooru-Chip giggled. Kouda's eyes widened, as he laughed as well.

"Oh! Hello!" Kouda greeted the tyke. Kumagawa rolled his eyes.

「basic copy and paste, nothing new. i don't think camie's ambiance adds anything...」Kumagawa sighed. 「lame-」

But his opinion quickly changed. The door to the den slammed open and a strong gust of wind blew into the room (thank you Inasa), extinguishing the fireplace in an instant. Iida-Cogsworth dived for cover, Tsu-Potts shook and Tooru-Chip jumped back onto the tea cart and took refuge from behind her mother.

"Oh, no..." Tooru-Chip shook.

Kouda-Maurice shivered and pulled the blanket over himself tightly as Shishida-Beast thundered onto the stage. The wind blew his cape dramatically as he descended the steps with a growl. The beastly prince sniffed the air and shook his head.

"There's a stranger here," Shishida hissed.

The Beast entered, crawling on all fours. He looked around in the darkness. Kouda-Maurice's heart was pounding in his chest as he watched the imposing figure of the beastly prince in front of him.

The beast's entrance was enhanced by the slight rhythmic tapping of a drum- Bakugou's drum- the steady beat heightened the awareness of the impending danger, suggesting that something significant was about to happen. The drumbeat became louder and more intense as the beast made its way onto the stage...

And Kumagawa was entranced by it.

"Ah! M-master, allow me to explain," Alan-Lumiere stammered nervously, "The gentleman was lost in the woods! He was cold and wet so-"

Shishida-Beast cut off his "butler" by roaring in his face, silencing him there and blowing out the candlestick's flames with some extra wind from Inasa.

"A-ahem!" Iida-Cogsworth righted himself, dusting himself off, "Master, I would merely like to say...I was against this from the start! This is all his fault! I tried to stop them but would they listen to me? Noooo, no, no-" but the clock was silenced the same way, a monstrous roar that forced him to dive back behind his cover. Kouda-Maurice looked to the left, behind the chair, and when he saw nothing, he turned to the right and was now face-to-face with the beastly master of the castle himself.

Maurice-Kouda looked to one side of the chair, then to the other and saw Beast-Shishida. Shishida was seriously in character, he looked unhinged and feral. "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" Shishida roared.

Maurice-Kouda was very scared and backed away from the advancing Beast. "I... I... I was lost in the woods and..."

"You are not welcome here!" Shishida roared- Camie used her Glamour to make Shishida appear even more threatening.

"I-i-i'm sorry!" Kouda-Maurice stammered, shivering in pure fear at the sight of the enraged beast. His eyes locked onto the hulking form of the secretive master of the castle.

"What are you staring at?" Shishida-Beast muttered, his voice low but his fury rising.

"N-nothing! Nothing, I swear!" Kouda-Maurice promised.

"So...you've come," Shishida-Beast grabbed Kouda-Maurice by the collar with both clawed hands and picked him up off the floor, "to stare at the BEAST have you?!"

"P-please, I meant no harm! I-i-i just needed a place to stay!"

"I'll GIVE YOU a place to stay!" The Beast roared. The Beast forced Maurice-Kouda out of the chair, carried him out of the room and slammed the door, plunging the den, along with Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Chip and the audience into darkness.

"Aaaaaaand scene!" Mic called out, "Perfect! Abso-LUTELY perfect!"

Shishida and Kouda walked back out, as the cast gathered on screen. Camie looked pleased with her display of Glamour.

"Soooo? How was that?" She grinned.

"The vibe! The atmosphere! The delivery! The music! Everything hit perfectly!" Mic praised, "Unless of course, our critic has something to say to counter that?"

Kumagawa stared at the stage, tears in his eyes.

「i fucking suck as a critic, that was great」

"Called it!" Bakugou said triumphantly from backstage.

---

A Visit from Eri

2 weeks until the play.

Another day, another successful rehearsal, even with Kumagawa's "scathing" criticisms. With Present Mic's direction, the music and the performances, there wasn't much for the Shiketsu student to really critique. Chalk up another small loss for him. Ochako and Izuku were on their way back from the rehearsal, one of the last scenes from the play and both were INCREDIBLY nervous about it. They were trying their best but even Mic could see that maybe they needed a bit extra time for it.

"We were doing so good too!" Ochako groaned into her hands, "Why did we keep freezing up like that?"

"I don't knooooooow," Izuku said, "Everything was going fine, the deliveries were perfect for everyone else and then just-!"

All Might's successor blinked as he noticed something that distracted him from the obstacle. Hiding behind a bush, not very well since he got spotted almost immediately, was Mirio. It looked like the former protégé of Nighteye hadn't realized he'd been spotted and was muttering something to himself.

"Hmmm, what kinda sudden entrance will get a laugh out of them," Mirio wondered aloud, "They look like they could use a good smile right now."

"Uh...do you..." Izuku muttered, trying to point out the not-very-well hidden upper classman.

"Huh? Do I-?" Ochako turned and saw Mirio just duck back behind the bush. "Oh...you mean that. Yeah, I saw it. No stress hallucinations for you."

"Oh. Good. But uh...why is he-?" Izuku asked as he and Ochako got closer. Peeking out from behind the bush was an unexpected, but incredibly welcome, person.

"Eri?!" both students gasped in surprise and joy.

"H-hi," Eri gave a shy wave. Her outfit had been given a massive upgrade from the almost hospital gown-like dress Overhaul had provided for her. Now, she was wearing a white dress shirt with a frilled collar and a plain red pinafore with two large, golden buttons on either side of her chest, gray tights and a large pair of tan boots. Slung over her shoulder was a small dark red messenger bag, decorated with a floral pattern on one side. Even her hair looked better, much more straight and clean than it was during her time with the Hassaikai.

A few seconds after Eri's re-introduction, Mirio attempted his "sudden entrance." He shoved his rear through the bush and yelled "The peach is ripe!"

But when no one laughed, he looked behind him, peeking his head out from the bush and chuckled.

"Oh! Eri! Got tired of waiting huh?" Mirio said, righting himself and patting her on the head.

"I just didn't know what you were trying to do," Eri admitted.

"Alright you two," Aizawa spoke up as he walked over to them.

"Mr. Aizawa? What's-?" Ochako asked.

"Considering her...circumstances, Principal Nedzu decided it was best to have her take a tour of the campus before the festival starts up. Avoid overwhelming her."

"And I also volunteered!" Mirio added.

Eri nodded shyly, "It's really nice to see all of you again."

"It's amazing to see you too, Eri!" Ochako exclaimed, giving her a quick hug. After she released Eri from the hug, she noticed something odd, on her wrist. It looked like...

"Why does...Eri have a weird Omnitrix thing?" Izuku asked.

"That's to monitor her vitals." Aizawa explained.

"Hey! Ochako! Izuku! We're wondering if you'd wanna stop by-" Mina called out, walking up to the duo with Kirishima in tow. but she paused when she saw the girl.

"Oh my god. Eri?!" Kirishima beamed and raced over.

"Do...I know you?" the girl asked, tilting her head to side cutely.

"Oh! That's right! Couldn't introduce myself cause of the injuries. Eijiro Kirishima! I was part of the team that helped save you!"

"You were?"

"Y-yeah! And I was...kinda..." Kirishima trailed off.

I cannot tell Eri I nearly got myself killed trying to save her, Kirishima realized. What do you say in this situation?

"...I was busy...securing the perimeter!" Kirishima lied.

"You got hurt from that?" Eri asked.

"Y-yeah! I'm...really clumsy!" Kirishima lied.

SAVED IT.

"Oh. But you look so tough!" Eri said.

"Yeah! Well, uh...cars hurt!" Kirishima lied. "I got...hit by one."

"D-dude. Just stop." Kaminari frowned. "You're terrible at lying and improvising."

"I'm trying, dam-er, darn it," Kirishima corrected himself for Eri's sake. And his own because as soon as the first three letters left his mouth, he could just feel Aizawa starring daggers at him.

"Lucky her actual guardian isn't here," Aizawa muttered.

"Wait...her actual-?"

"Albedo."

"Eh, don't get mad. We've been practicing pretty hard recently." Mina said, trying to mediate. "Let's take a tea break, guys!"

"And while they're doing that..." Mirio beamed. "Why don't we check out what everyone else is doing?"

"Counterpoint. Smoothie break instead," Ochako suggested.

"You're gonna make Aizawa regret letting that be put on campus, I swear," Mina joked.

...I could go for a smoothie, actually. Aizawa thought. But he'd never say it out loud.

Mirio, Izuku and Ochako led Eri around campus. "Saturday's usually a day off, but because of the dorms, there should be a lot of people around here, working on projects." Mirio explained.

"You all live at school?" Eri asked, "Why?"

"Let's...just say its a safety measure," Izuku explained.

"Ohhh."

A few business course students (3rd years with some first years) passed by, carrying a few boxes. "Hey, it's Togata!" One of the third years said. "And he's got a kid!"

"I-is that why he took time off?" Another third year muttered.

"Please. No one can have kids that fast." A rather familiar voice said. Izuku's eyes shrank, as he nervously laughed.

"Mirio. Do not engage with the purple guy." Izuku muttered.

"What, that tall guy with the orbs in his hair?" Mirio asked.

"Tall guy-?" Ochako repeated, turning to look- and oh my god.

Everyone took to the sight differently...and by differently, it was all horror just with unique expressions. If Kaminari had been drinking something right now, he would've spat it out. Mina just blinked in confusion, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. When the sight didn't vanish after that, the poor girl knew she was in the worst timeline. Because what good timeline would have a tall Mineta?

"...ignore him," Mina muttered, refusing to make eye contact. "Ignore him and maybe he'll shrink again."

"What even HAPPENED." Kaminari shuddered.

Allow me to explain- Chronic stress may have negative effects on growth, as it can disrupt the body's hormonal balance and interfere with essential growth processes. For example, stress can increase the production of the hormone cortisol, which can interfere with the production of growth hormones and cause bone loss. In Mineta's case, he was extremely stressed. So, when he dropped UA's hero course...the stress vanished.

...and he sort of grew.

DIdn't get bulkier, didn't get more refined- just grew.

He looked like he'd been pulled like a Stretch Armstrong figure.

"Well...ignoring that, but I don't think I'm sleeping tonight. That's just uncanny," Ochako said, Izuku nodding in agreement.

Mirio (who didn't quite understand) decided to just go with the crowd and avoid eye contact with the purple kid. Mineta did notice the group, but decided not to pursue them. He had bigger fish to fry nowadays.

Like an internship with Deternat.

But that's for later.

Now, Izuku didn't want to show off too much, too many spoilers for Eri, but he thought the props could at least be shown-off. To get to where the prop depatment had set up shop, the group had to make their way through the main fairgrounds. Even though the festival was still a ways off yet, the student body were all hard at work setting things up. Classes 1-A and 1-B might be the focus for this story, but there were still plenty of other students setting up booths and other events.

"Hey, hand me that nail will you?" one of the students asked a classmate.

"Ok, shooting range should be good!" a student in the support class gave a thumbs up to Mei.

"Perfect! Now, which one of my babies are we using for the gun?" Mei eagerly asked.

"Everyone's bringing a Plus Ultra attitude to this, wouldn't you say?" Mirio said, looking down to Eri.

"Plus Ultra?" Eri repeated.

"Our school motto, you could say," Ochako beamed, "It means to give it your all, and then give it some more!"

"Ohhhhh. Neat!"

"Is Neijire around?" Ochako asked. "I bet she'd like to see Eri right now."

"Oh, yeah. She's probably around...probably preparing for Miss UA." Mirio hummed.

"Miss...UA..." Mina repeated, "...she's gonna need so much strength for that."

"Huh? Why? Its just a beauty contest."

"You are lucky you were spared the horror and drama," Ochako commented.

"Ooh, ominous!"

"Maybe that's why Aizawa didn't mention the beauty pageant..." Izuku said.

"It's crazy. Last year, Nejire was the runner up. She really wants to win for her last year here..." Mirio said. "And I think she can do it."

"Wait she was runner-up? Who beat her?" Kaminari asked.

Just as Kaminari said this, a massive tank passed by him. It beared the face of a woman with extremely long eye lashes, curly ojou sama hair, and heavy make up.

"...what the heeeeeeeeeeeck." Kaminari muttered.

"That's her." Mirio said. "Bibimi Kenranzaki of the Support Course. She's crazy!"

"Impossible. Mei's crazy," Mina said.

"Yeah? Well, Kenranzaki's crazier." Mirio grinned.

"...how crazy?"

"She casually made a Voltron." Mirio shrugged. "Just cuz."

"IIIIIIII'M SORRY?!" Mina and Kaminari said in sync with eachother.

"Yeah. Just a Voltron sitting in a storage shed on campus somewhere," Mirio nodded.

"...WHAT!?" Kaminari and Mina yelled.

"What's a Voltron?" Eri asked.

"IT'S AWESOME, THAT'S WHAT!" Kaminari said. "Well, except for anythng past Season 3."

"Well, just the Netflix one," Mina shrugged, "Dunno about the others."

"How did she win!? Intimidating the crowd with robots?" Ochako frowned.

"Nope! Her charm." Mirio smiled. "...and maybe she bribed some people."

"...would Mineta take a bribe?" Izuku asked, "He is one of the judges isn't he?"

"Uh...good question. If it was someone like Momo or Kendo, probably yes. But Bibimi...probably not," Kaminari guessed.

"He's in the business course. He'd take it." Ochako said. Lord knows I would.

"Um...why does the lady with pink hair have so many gadgets?" Eri said, looking at the support class' wild card as she carried a comically large pile of various inventions.

"Mei, we only need one-" another student said.

"But we want this to be awesome, don't we? I have plenty of babies that can work to give a little extra kick!" Mei beamed.

"Heh, she's in the support course. U.A. doesn't just teach Heroics. We got classes for making support items, like Izuku's boots or Ochako's gauntlets," Mirio explained.

"Ohhhh," Eri said. After a few more minutes of walking, the group eventually made their way to the Prop Department, headed by Yui.

"And this is where Class 1-A and 1-B making all the props for the play!" Mirio grinned. "I think they're finishing up some work on it now."

Eri watched as some members of Class 1-B were painting a miniature of sorts, being very precise. "Okay, are you using hexcolor bba77c for it?" Setsuna asked.

"Hm." Yui nodded. She had magnifying visor on to help her more accurately paint the small board.

"Hex...color?" Eri asked.

"It's like...a really, really specific color." Kaminari explained. "Yui's pretty particular about the set designs."

"I don't get how that small thing she's holding is gonna be on stage..." Eri was very confused.

"It's her Quirk," Ochako explained, "She can shrink stuff down or grow stuff just by touching it. Watch. Hey Yui?"

"Hm?" Yui asked, as she finished setting up. Setsuna perked up as she saw Eri.

"Oh, hey! The kid from the raid..." Setsuna said. "Yui. You gotta make this one BIG. Kids like big things, right? Like dinosaurs and stuff."

"That might be just you." Izuku said.

"You're telling me you never had a dinosaur phase as a-...wait. No. You always had a Pro Hero phase, didn't you?" Setsuna corrected herself the minute she was about to finish her original thought.

"Yeah, was about to say," Izuku chuckled a bit.

"Hmm...I could spare some time. But what to show off," Yui wondered, looking over some of the props that were already finished.

"Show them...the castle." Setsuna hummed. "We finished that earlier. It should be dry now, right?"

"It...should be, yes," Yui hummed and turned to go get the prop, "One moment."

"You have a castle?" Eri asked with a gasp. Her eyes sparkled as Yui came back after a few seconds, carrying a small, but incredibly detailed and well painted castle miniature. The girl tilted her head upon seeing it, thinking that it did look pretty but it wasn't as impressive as they all made it out to be.

"I would suggest standing back a bit," Yui cautioned, giving everyone time to take a few good steps back. The usually quiet girl of 1-B then placed five of her fingers on the model and, in an instant, the miniature was surrounded by a purple glow. In a second, it went from a small chess piece size to a true castle, its towers reaching to the sky above.

'Woaaaaaaah," Eri gasped.

"Impressive, right?" Setsuna asked, "Say hello to where a good chunk of the story's gonna take place."

"What's the story?"

"Ah-ah, no spoilers!" Setsuna winked.

"Spoilers?" Eri tilted her head.

"Giving away too much about the story. We want you to see it for yourself, be surprised by what happens," Izuku explained.

"O-oh. Ok."

"There is one thing we can give away, I think," Yui said, "See your two friends there? They've got some pretty big parts to play."

"They do?" Eri asked excitedly.

"Well, didn't want to brag about it," Ochako chuckled sheepishly.

Mina's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot!" She gasped.

"What?" Ochako asked. "What's wrong?"

"We had a dance rehearsal!" Mina said. "With Shishida! For...that scene!"

"Wait, what time is it?!" Ochako gasped, instinctively looking at her wrist. The Omnitrix didn't tell time, though. Why did Ben not give it that kind of upgrade?! She instead pulled out her phone and saw it was almost 2:45.

"Ahhhh we only have five minutes to get there!" Ben's successor panicked.

"Already?! What the-?! How did-?! It wasn't even 2:30 when we wrapped up!" Mina sounded dumbstruck there, "How does time even work sometimes?!"

"Ask Clockwork," Izuku said, in a rare, perfectly timed joke.

"...I don't know what's weird, Mina losing track of time, or Izuku landing a reference joke like that," Kaminari chuckled.

"Hush you!" Mina said before grabbing Ochako by the wrist, "It was fun catching up guys, but we gotta go! Enjoy the rest of the tour, Eri!"

"But I wanna see it..." Eri said.

The group paused, and shared a look. Would it be okay for Eri to see an important scene like this?

"Eri?" Aizawa asked.

"Hm?"

"Ochako's putting a lot of work into this to surprise you. Wouldn't wanna spoil that would you?"

"W-well no," Eri said.

"Is there anything else you'd wanna see on campus?" Mirio asked.

"...where's lunch?" Eri asked, innocently.

"We'll take you there," Aizawa said, taking a deep breath. I could still use a Smoothie.

"Oh, trust me, you'll love it! Pretty much...most things pale in comparison to Lunch Rush's cooking!" Mirio cheered, "This way!"

"Hope you enjoy it here, Eri!" Setsuna waved.

"See you at the premier," Yui nodded before she started humming in thought, "I could've sworn there was something else I was supposed to work on..."

Ochako sighed. "I wish we could spend more time with Eri..."

"We'll have the festival to do that," Izuku said. "Assuming all goes well."

"All WILL go well!" Mina grinned. "Trust me. That kid's gonna love the play."

"Considering this is her first time seeing one of the biggest classics in the world," Ochako added.

"Ochako! Look at me," Mina said, deciding for a quick pep-talk as they made their way to the dance rehearsal, "You two, Momo, practically everyone involved in the raid is putting their all into this. It is going to go off without a hitch! I promise!"

"R-right," Ochako nodded. Again, everything's gotta be perfect for her first time...and that includes this dance.

The dance from Beauty and the Beast was a simple waltz- but the main issue was the added addition of the 'trade off'. Mic insisted there be some symbolism, where Shishida and Izuku would swap places so Belle could see the real prince. Stuff like that.

"Ok, so we're pretty much all in agreement that the tradeoff is the main problem, right?" Mina asked.

"Of course. Great idea, just a little hard to execute," Shishida nodded.

"Right. Wellll I might have an idea on that. For the moment, we'll just do two separate pairs. Ochako's with Shishida and Izuku's wiiiith me!"

"W-what?" Izuku asked.

"We'll trade off inbetween, so you'll constantly be in rhythm!" Mina explained. "The trick will be the exchange..."

"Has to be smooth, near perfect," Shishida said.

"Exactly. So for now, we're just gonna focus on that. Just do a few moves and then try to swap. Ok?"

"R-right." Izuku said, as Mina took his hands.

"...holy crap your palms are sweaty." Mina muttered, as they started to dance. Ochako took a deep breath, and began to waltz with Shishida. They'd done this rehearsal a few times, and she had most of it memorized by now. Shishida was a good partner...

In dancing.

"A-are they?" Izuku asked, trying to play it off.

"Dude, just chill out," Mina reassured, "Just follow my lead and then on three, we'll switch."

"Sorry, I've...never really done this-"

"We've done this twice," Mina sighed. "Listen, Midoriya- just feel the movements. In that instant...visualize it. Take yourself out of your head and into your body. You have to let go of your fears and doubts, and just trust yourself and the music."

Midoriya nodded nervously. "R-right!"

"Ok, now, like we practiced," Mia said, taking Izuku's hands in her own, setting them up in the right position for a waltz.

"Like we practiced," Izuku repeated, still a bit nervous. At the same time, Shishida and Ochako had taken each other by the hands as well and got themselves in the right position.

"On the count of ten, we swap. Aaaaand start," Mina said. She had already gotten the waltz music from that scene up on her phone and had it set at a decent enough volume, putting it on loop just in case there were any interruptions. With that, the two pairs began to move slowly, gracefully. They moved close enough to the others to still give themselves space to move, but when the time came, the swap would be quick and seamless. At least, that was the plan, they just needed to see if it worked.

"So far so good," Mina nodded before counting down, "1...2...3...4..."

Izuku was doing his best to keep his cool here, do as Mina said and just take himself out of his head and into his body. Still a weird analogy but, ok, sure. It was probably just Mina's way of saying "act without thinking."

"7...8...9...aaaaaand switch!" Mina announced, letting go of Izuku's hands and almost spinning him over to Ochako. Shishida did the same, spinning himself over to Mina. The two princes in the play passed by each other, and while Shishida was able to keep his momentum and rhythm with Mina, Izuku fell a bit short, stumbling a bit once he took Ochako's hands.

"Ah-! Sorry, sorry!" Izuku apologized.

"No need to apologize. We haven't tried something like this before. I'd be more surprised if we got it right first try," Mina admitted.

"Let's try again," Ochako said, giving Izuku a reassuring smile. "We'll get it eventually."

Mina took charge again, counting down and starting their waltz once more. This time, Izuku focused more on feeling the movements and trusting himself. He let go of his doubts and fears and just danced. And when the countdown came again, he smoothly swapped with Shishida, both of them keeping their rhythm.

"Nice job, Midoriya!" Mina praised him. "God you learn fast."

"Thanks," Izuku smiled. Usually it was the third time where things like this went right. Nice to know he broke some tropes.

They continued practicing, switching partners every now and then, until they were able to do it seamlessly. Only then did they stop, all of them sweating a bit but grinning widely, happy with their progress.

"You all did amazing," Mina said, beaming with pride. "Eri's gonna be amazed!"

"Yeah," Ochako grinned, "Gonna be...the best performance ever."

Now, considering her previous accommodations, Eri didn't really have many expectations for what the food would be like here. Mirio had gone on for a bit about how Lunch Rush was the best chef in the country. At first, that just sounded crazy, but then she actually tasted one of the dishes and it was one of the best things she'd ever tasted.

"See, told you," Mirio nodded, "So, what did you think?"

"I...don't really know," Eri admitted. Mirio's face fell just a bit there, wondering if maybe she'd gotten overwhelmed on the trip.

"All these different people...trying their hardest," Eri said as she grabbed her drink, "I...I wanna see how it all turns out."

Mirio beamed at that. He got this weird, goofy look on his face that confused both Kaminari and Eri.

"After the tour, we're gonna need to swing by the principal's office, Mirio." Aizawa said, taking a break from his Cardamom Licorice Sunshine smoothie. "He pulled a lot of strings and ruffled some feathers to make this happen."

"I can imagine," Kaminari said. "Only people with licenses, right?"

"And some of the other kids helping out with the play." Aizawa said. "Security is gonna be tight- even if an alarm gets set off by mistake, the whole thing's off."

Kaminari frowned. "Yikes."

"It's necessary." Aizawa said. "The principal wants you kids to have the same opportunities as any non-hero student...while also making sure the other courses don't get upset."

"Of course I do!" Nedzu said, almost making Aizawa choke on his smoothie from surprise.

"S-sir?!"

"Apologies, Eraser! I'm on break and couldn't help but overhear," the diminutive principal said, "A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Miss Eri. I do hope you've enjoyed your time so far at our school and that you'll enjoy the culture festival even more."

"I-i will!" Eri said. There was the smallest hint of a grin there, and Mirio couldn't help but beam. But then his joy turned to a bit of comedic confusion when he noticed that the principal...was just eating cheese. Just a good-sized slice taken right from a wheel. Maybe those rumors were true and Principal Nedzu was some kind of mouse...

Kaminari hummed. He is not beating the mice allegations.

---

Perfect Preparation

One week until the play.

There was a frustratingly low amount of free time for Izuku. As the script writer, he had to be on the set constantly to make sure lines got revised if they didn't roll off the tongue, or something needed some quick revisions. As an actor, he had to be there for a few quirk rehersal scenes, dance routine practices and other fun things. And as a student, there were studies to be upheld.

It gave him little to no time to perfect this new technique he'd been cooking up with All Might. But, huzzah- a small bit of salvation was opened up one Saturday morning. Late practice because Inasa, Shinsou, Camie, Bakugou and Todoroki had their remedial class.

And Mina had a therapy appointment (mandated by Ren, of course). So, Izuku was free to...get up early so he could practice.

Yayyyyyy.

Well, to someone with an overworked schedule, this would be the worst time to have an opening. But for Izuku, this was better than nothing.

SMASH! Izuku flicked his finger, sending a massive burst of wind towards the woods surrounding UA. Izuku grunted, shaking his hand a bit. "Still hurts..." He muttered, holding his wrist in pain.

"Don't worry." Yang said. "Your aura will heal that up- once we unlock it, of course."

"Y'know, we can do it right now if you want." All Might approached with an ice pack to treat Izuku's bruises. "I know you got Blackwhip to reinforce your arm, but it can't prevent wounds..."

"I want to...I think I got the basics down," Izuku said, thanking All Might for the icepack. "But..."

"But?" Yang repeated.

"Isn't there some sorta aecret to attacking with even greater control?" Izuku asked his mentor.

All Might paused.

"Dunno."

"Great answer," Yang sarcastically rolled her eyes.

"I just was able to use full power from the very start. All I can do is the visualization thing...and that's it." All Might said. "Just try reinforcing it."

Izuku nodded. "Right," He then turned to Yang. "What about you? We've got a similar fighting style- how do you kinda...control your punches with aura?"

"Aura's sort of a two directional street. One side's for attack, other is for defense." Yang explained. "If you want to control your punches with aura, you have to use your defensive aura to create a sort of 'cushion.' That way, when your punch connects, the cushion absorbs the impact and allows you to control the strength of your punch."

"Interesting," Izuku nodded.

"It's a whole different story when a Semblance is involved." Yang said. "But that might take some time to form."

"If that's the case...maybe now's a good time to give unlock my aura." Izuku said, taking a deep breath. "I don't know how fast I'll get accustomed to it, but Kaminari got the hang of his a while back...so, it can't be that hard, right?"

Both All Might and Yang exchanged cautious glances before giving a small nod. "Alright, let's get started then," All Might said, extending his hand. He placed it atop Izuku's head, and closed his eyes.

"Wasn't there some chant I have to say to unlock the aura...?" All Might muttered.

"Nah, that's some dorky thing Pyrrha did." Yang smirked.

"Ah, okay." All Might said. "Now. Close your eyes, and envision your aura surrounding you. See the light flowing through you, and imagine it taking shape around your body..."

Izuku followed his instructions, taking deep breaths as he did. He imagined a white light surrounding him, and he felt a shiver run down his spine as he saw it take shape around him.

Suddenly, it burst into life, and Izuku felt a warmth spread throughout him. Izuku looked down at his hands- the aura surrounding his body briefly flashed, before vanishing.

"There you go. You got an aura." All Might said. Izuku wiggled his fingers.

"...cool."

"Yep."

The three stood there.

"Does it kick in instantly or-?"

Izuku's question was cut off by something rustling in the back. All Might barely turned his head, and stuck out his hand. He suddenly caught some golden orb with wings.

"What the?" All Might muttered.

"Sorry!" A voice called out. "Test run!"

From out of the forest, Mei and Ceres came running over. Izuku raised an eyebrow. "W-what are you guys doing here so early?!" Izuku asked, a bit confused.

"Early?" Ceres asked, looking at the sunrise. "...oh, shit. Did it again."

"Whatdaya talking about? It's like 2 PM!" Mei said- her internal clock was really, really messed up.

"...it's like six thirty," Yang corrected.

"Wow is it?! Ha-haaaaaaaaaa! Well, I guess that's what happens when you're on your...twentieth? twentyyyyyyyyyy-fifth? cup of coffee back to back!"

"That cannot be healthy, Mei," Izuku said.

"Maybe not! But it's workin' for me! Can't argue with resulsts!"

Ceres shrugged. "Anyway, I came here to test out this little gadget I've been working on." She held up the golden orb with wings. "It's a prototype drone I call the 'Flutterfly.' It's equipped with a small camera and can be controlled remotely. I thought it would be useful for scouting or surveillance during missions."

"Interesting," All Might said, admiring her handiwork. "This for a student?"

"Something like that," Ceres said.

"BY THE WAY!" Mei remembered. "Izuku! About that costume thingy you wanted! I'm almost done with it!"

"Wait really? Great!" Izuku beamed.

"And its only on revision 5! Which is surprising for me!"

"Honestly, I didn't really need it until after the school festival..." Izuku said.

"Well, just like how artists doodle in the free time, I tinker in my free time!" Mei grinned.

"You tinker all the time." Ceres said. "You're tinkering right now!"

"YEP!" Mei grinned.

"That's nuts- I mean, uh, thanks!" Izuku said.

"Item? What's the item?" All Might asked.

"Just something he came to ME for." Yang grinned.

"Young Midoriya...how could you?" All Might pretended to betrayed, throwing in some extra dramatic flare before returning to a smile, "Dust related I take it?"

"A little bit," Izuku said. " I've been reading up on different types of Dust that my quirk could use enhance its effects. Mei has been helping me come up with a special device that can store and release Dust in a controlled manner, and also create a small funnel to help aim my air blasts better."

"In essence, these air blasts will have some dust in them." Yang grinned.

All Might nodded, understanding the concept. "Ah, I see. So, by incorporating Dust into your air blasts, you'll be able to add elemental properties to them, like fire, ice, or electricity?"

"Exactly!" Izuku replied enthusiastically. "It opens up a whole new range of possibilities for combat and support."

"And lemme tell ya, it has been...WILD working with the stuff! I never thought I'd get the chance, but seeing the real thing, Dust in the palm of my hand! It's like holding a wildfire or a thunderstorm in crystal form! It's *amazing!" Mei cheered, practically bouncing on air.

"...she's caused unspeakable damage to the lab." Ceres said. "Power Loader had a fit."

"I can imagine..." All Might frowned, before the Flutterfly began to fly off. Mei began to chase after it.

"I DIDN'T PROGRAM YOU TO DO THAT-!" Mei yelled. "COME BACK!"

"...should we worry about that?" Yang asked.

"I think its fine," Ceres said, "Stress those first two words though."

"You should probably chase after her-" All Might said, before they heard the sound of glass breaking.

"...yeah. Yeah, I should." Ceres huffed, running off.

"It's good that you're experimenting with Dust." All Might said. "I never got that chance when I had support gear."

"You used support items!?" Izuku gasped. As an All Might afficiando, he was insulted that he didn't hear about it sooner.

"Yeah! Toshi had a bunch of gear back in the day." Yang explained. "Dave insisted he try out some support gear. It was before his time as the Symbol of Peace, when he was still finding his own path."

Izuku's mind raced with questions, his curiosity piqued. "What kind of support gear did you use?"

"One of the most notable pieces I used was a prototype of a strength-enhancing exoskeleton. It helped amplify my already formidable power and allowed me to deliver even more powerful punches." All Might sighed. "What did we call it? The Skele-Might?"

"Something stupid like that." Yang said. "Oh, and let's not forget the jet boots he used to fly around. Those were quite the spectacle! He crashed into so many walls."

"Kinda redundant now that we know about Float." All Might said. "Of course, the stuff would get smashed up pretty quick. Had to leave the tech alone and chose to fight with my own body."

"Ben has this great saying; 'it's a gadget, be the hero.'" Yang said. "Don't rely on your tech too much, y'hear? Especially if losing that item makes you feel helpless."

"Right," Izuku nodded.

---

The rest of the day seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. With classes and other rehearsals sprinkled throughout their schedules, everyone felt like the day had been shorter than it actually was. By the time the moon had risen, both Hero classes had been utterly exhausted.

Momo was on cooking duty for Class 1-A tonight, following a recipe for tonkatsu given to her by Kendo. She had already finished the sauce and was currently working on actually cooking some of the pork chops needed for the meal on one stove, while the other was busy heating up the tea she'd been sent. It was around then Jirou walked into the room. She had a towel hanging from her neck, both of its ends in her hands as she walked in.

"So...tired..." Jirou sighed, but perked up when she smelled the meal Momo was cooking, "Is that...?"

"Tonkatsu, yes! Kendo gave me the recipe when I was trying to figure out what to make for everyone tonight," Momo explained.

"What about the tea?"

"A care package from home. Golden Tips Imperial, very rare, very expensive."

"From home?" Jirou repeated.

"Well...my aunt sent it to me. Since...everything that happened."

"W-wait, crap, sorry. Didn't mean to bring that back up!" Jirou put her balled fist against her forehead, akin to a facepalm in this situation, "Stupid."

"Huh? Oh! No, no! Jirou, its fine. I'm...coping with it as best I can, I promise. I just thought to share something like this with everyone. We deserve something a bit pricey given all the hard work we've done."

"Never heard of it, but I'll try some!" Sero said.

"Same! Sounds suuuuuuper fancy!" Tooru beamed.

"W-well, I guess I could try something pricey," Ochako said sheepishly, "What about you, Izuku? Up for...something..." The Omnitrix's successor blinked a few times as she saw her classmate and friend hunched over his phone, obsessed with finding out about All Might and his support items. He'd never even heard of that before, and while hearing it from his mentor was great, he still wanted to find out more himself.

"Merchandise? No. Pics? No, nothing? Not even a clip?" Izuku muttered, clicking on a video but he aimed just a centimeter too high and clicked the wrong one, "Whoops."

"My dear viewers, allow me to open today's video with a question," an older, British-accented gentlemanly voice narrated, "What kind of tea do you drink? And when?"

"A...video about tea? Fitting, but not what I thought you'd be watching," Ochako said, surprising the All Might fanboy as she handed him a cup and saucer, having gotten one for herself in the meantime.

"Personally, a spot of tea before and after every major tends to do wonders alleviating the stress beforehand and the fatigue after. The variety is based on the scale of the job, you see. Take for instance," the man picked up the tea cup with a gloved hand, holding it in front of his face to hide his identity for a moment, "this cup. High-Quality Royal Flush! For my fellow tea aficionados watching, you'll be familiar with how wonderful this brand is. Now, dear viewers, do you comprehend what such a piping hot, high-quality cup could mean?"

"Psst! It's so cold you can't tell the difference even anymore, Gentle!" someone whispered from off screen.

The narrator lowered the cup, revealing his mustached face with what seemed to be dark circles around his eyes. Or was that just marker?

"The implication, my dear viewers, is that my new video will be a wake-up call! Not just for you, but for the whole of society! I do hope you've prepared yourselves! Until then, don't forget to like, comment and subscribe for more gentlemanly content!"

And with that, the video ended.

'Well that was...short," Ochako said.

"Wait a sec...that guy," Izuku muttered.

"You know him? Is he famous?" the gravity girl looked and winced at the ratios, "Wow. Pretty half and half on the likes and dislikes." It was an odd 60/40 split, with 306 dislikes and 459 likes.

"Not really famous, but...I heard about him on accident. He's not as popular as Stain after his last upload, but he's...kinda up there. He goes around and causes trouble, nothing too big. Mostly robberies and things."

"And the police haven't caught him yet? Even when he uploads the videos?"

"The vids get taken down sometimes, but somehow they always get reuploaded," Izuku hummed in thought, "I wonder what he's planning now...a wake-up call to society...what could he mean?"

---

Whenever a couple gets really, really, REALLY into something, chances are you will not hear from them in a while. That's how it had been with Gentle and La Brava. Minimal contact with their fans, and minimal uploads. And a week without tea time for either of them! The longest they'd ever gone.

Gentle and La Brava were perfectionists when it came to planning a heist, but they needed to be far greater here. UA was prepared for any and all foreseeable incidents. What they were lacking, however, was preparation for the unforeseen. It left them vulnerable to a genuine crisis.

"Okay," Gentle said, finishing the planning on his Google doc. "I think we've got it...let's just do a quick review."

"Right," La Brava said. "So, we'll be getting up bright and early! 5 AM. We'll be taking Dorin Street, which has the least hero agency traffic compared to any other routes. Then we'll divert onto smaller roads that lead to UA, into residential areas..."

"Those areas are good cover. Hardly any activity in the early hours. Same with the park we'll be cutting through. Raises no alarms and will take one hour on foot." Gentle said.

"We should get a car..." La Brava hummed. "For like. Future things."

"We should..." Gentle said. "A cool one. Like...a Mazda."

"Would that fit our image?" La Brava proposed.

"Another question for a future date." Gentle said.

"Anyways, then we'll be...hanging out at some old house near a hardware store?" La Brava said. "I didn't know you added this."

"That is a café," Gentle said. "The proprietor is in his twilight years and is barely scraping by- and I'd like to support small businesses. Since only a few notice this business, there's only five or six regular customers. So, I'd like that we drink tea there to wait."

"Why there?" La Brava asked, eyebrow raised.

"Because! That place serves golden tips imperial, an elusive and rare tea! Fitting for a job as grand as this, no?" Gentle grinned.

"Fair enough," La Brava said, looking at the details. "So, we'll be there at 7 AM, hang out for 90 minutes...so much careful ground work..."

"Then, we re-enter the side streets, pass a construction site, and climb the wooded mountain to UA...and bam! We're in." Gentle said. "They'll have Hound Dog patrolling- that's his forte. Upon entering these woods, we'll rub the local dirt and leaves over our bodies to mask our scents."

"The UA barrier is an elaborate system of security sensos. Spreads the entirety of the grounds- and that's where my specialities come in. I hack into the system, deactivate the sensors, and we'll be walking around and doing whatever we want for a while!" La Brava grinned.

"Our masterpiece~!" Gentle declared. "Oh, my love! This will be our biggest video yet!"

"Um...Gentle, I do have one question," La Brava said.

"No need for hesitation! Ask away!"

"Are we gonna involve the kids? I mean they all have such bright futures!"

"Hahahahaha! My dear, your concern is touching! One of your greatest attributes in that grand heart of yours!" Gentle cheered.

"G-gentle!" La Brava blushed brightly at such a compliment.

"But, if all goes accordingly, not a single student nor wizened Pro will spot nary a speck of us! This incursion is for their benefit in fact! It shall strengthen their resolve, pushing them further along from their fledgling beginnings to grand and shining stars!"

"So cool! You care so much about the next generation!" La Brava swooned.

"And with you at my side, my dear, nothing shall stand in our way. In you, I have found the perfect accomplice. I am truly, truly grateful for you, La Brava," Gentle explained.

"Awwww knock it off! I love you too, Gentle!" La Brava said, the short computer genius blushing and swooning even more, until a soft but firm hand found itself on her head.

"La Brava. I mean it," Gentle said.

"In all honesty, I was frightened to do this...but doing this with you, it's been...different." Gentle admitted. "La Brava! I shall stake my beloved beard and very soul on this grand caper! For the world, for the people, for my dreams, and to honor your love for me!"

La Brava was getting all choked up listening to this. "Gentle-!" She flung herself at him, knocking them both of them to the ground. "I love you! I love you sooooo much!"

"And I, you, La Brava..." Gentle said, brushing her head.

"We're gonna succeed...I'm sure of it!"