"Here you are," said Dr. Yaritezawa as she handed a document to Samuel Abraham.

"Mr. Midoriya's been cleared?" he clarified as he looked over the medical document. His students had been dismissed for lunch, giving their teacher time for his own. The Teachers' Office was partially occupied like usual – the others who weren't there were assigned to supervising the cafeteria floor.

"He shouldn't be welding or soldering or sand-wheels or whatever else you guys do without some supervision," she elaborated. "He can use the automated machines, but fixing any... jams needs to be supervised."

"Understood." He chuckled to himself. "I could tell he was getting antsy doing nothing in the workshop..."

Dr. Yaritezawa sat down at her desk across from his. "Heard he was pretty popular." She chuckled, "Much to his own despair."

"It's passing."

"The Support Training Camp wasn't... well-received?"

Samuel shrugged, "It never is. I felt the same when I was a student, and I grew up in the U.S. The Work-Study is where most students wish to be."

"They gotta pass their Finals for that."

He replied, "Not just pass – they have to be in the upper percentile of the passing margin. If they don't, or just barely pass, they're back to the Training Camp."

"Show them the worst case scenario as an incentive?"

"It worked on my class," he chuckled with a shrug. "His bandages are a bit of a safety hazard." He then asked, "Can they be removed?"

"Hm..." Dr. Yaritezawa shook her head. "Not really."

The man muttered, "I... suppose since he's mainly operating the automated machinery it shouldn't be too much of a problem..."

"Have you told him about the upgrades to his Field Support stuff?" she asked.

Samuel shook his head. "No, I haven't."

"I guess it would be kinda awkward now... considering everything."

"He, or his parent, may not even wish to continue the program." He sighed, "There's time for everything to... settle down before that conversation is needed."

"Aren't you worried about your program?" asked Dr. Yaritezawa.

"It was a long shot, Doctor. I knew that when I pushed for it..." Samuel lowered his head. "Though, I admit I didn't expect all of this to happen. Perhaps I should've."

"Don't," she scolded. "I've heard enough of that from..." She trailed off before sighing, "I've heard enough of it. No one could've expected any of that to happen."

"Right... Right, of course." He then asked, "How are they doing in that regard?"

"Everyone's willing to talk about how they failed someone else," she sighed. "I can't really comfort them on that..."

"Why not?"

"One: not a trained therapist – got no idea what to do in that regard, and two: I'm not their peer or just their doctor." She set her cheek in her palm as she propped up her elbow. "To them, I'm an authority figure and being confronted on a personal belief by someone with power over you makes you more liable to shut down than actually talk about anything."

"I thought you said you weren't a therapist," he joked.

Dr. Yaritezawa smirked, "I'm just recontextualizing what I experienced when I was younger as an adult now."

"Younger?" Samuel echoed. "You're still young now – at least to these old bones."

"You wouldn't look so old if you did something about your hair," she suggested.

"I'm not wearing a wig."

"There's a program to get your hair growing again."

"No."

She chuckled, "Shame."

"Now, if we're talking about personal things." Samuel raised a brow. "You and Principal Ikoma...?"

Dr. Yaritezawa was tested. "Finish your sandwich, Bones."

"Yes, ma'am."

She huffed, "And be happy I'm not calling you Baldy."

He chuckled, "How gracious of you."

-XXX-

"I got cleared to use the workshop," said Midoriya as he found Kyoka on her way to their table in the cafeteria. "If you're up for it, we should probably work on fixing your Hero costume and gear," he offered as they sat across from each other. The usual suspects that would share said table weren't there yet – apart from Ashido though as she was glued to her phone.

She shook her head. "Oh, we don't have to do that now."

"I understand, but I thought it'd be best if we did... to give you more time to get used to it and all. Instead of last minute like before," he suggested.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" she questioned.

Midoriya blinked for a moment – instinctively glancing down at his bandaged hands.

Then, Kyoka's eyes widened, "W-Wait, no—shit... I didn't mean it like that." She cursed at herself, internally. "Idiot... You could've worded that in literally any other way..."

"N-No, I get it..." He trailed off for a moment. "I was... kinda planning on getting some help anyway," he said. "Mr. Abraham's first project for this half of the semester was a partnered one." He picked at his bandages. "So, uh, I could ask Uemura. She worked on your costume for the Joint Assignment, right?"

"Yeah, she did."

"Great!" Midoriya finished, "We could partner up and get that sorted for you."

"I'd..." She nodded, "I'd appreciate it."

"Cool, great!" He let out a breath. "I'll talk to her."

"Hey, hey!" greeted Kaminari as he plopped himself next to Midoriya.

Kyoka and Midoriya returned it with, "Hey."

Midoriya looked past Kaminari and then around the room before asking, "Shinso's not with you?"

"Uh... Nah, he stuck behind to talk to Mr. Haimawari about something," answered Kaminari.

"About the Danger-Room?" offered Kyoka.

"Zone," corrected Midoriya quietly.

Kaminari shrugged, "Who knows?", before a yawn escaped his lips.

"You doing alright?" asked Kyoka.

"Ah... uh... just sleepy." He cracked open a can of coffee. "..." It took him a second to realize that his two friends were watching, expecting a longer response. "I, uh, decided to work a few more hours last night to earn some extra cash, but... big mistake." He lifted his drink. "Cheers." He took a swig before his face contorted. "Bleh..." His eyes traveled down to Midoriya's tray of food. "What's with the mountain?"

"Uh, I'm just... hungry." He offered, "And... the hospital food – it's like spice hadn't been discovered."

"Ah, you're just trying to bulk up again." Kaminari shrugged, "I can respect it." He gestured to himself. "I like sticking to the whole lean thing myself."

"Joke's on you then," said Midoriya. "I get to eat more of what I want when I want."

Kyoka reached over to Ashido. "Hey, you good?"

"Yeah? Yeah!" She scooted along the table. "I'm good! I just..." She shrugged, "I'm trying to plan something for my brother... a birthday party since its coming up, but..."

"You're not sure what to do?" offered Kaminari.

Ashido's head teetered, "I kinda... I don't want to do something near our home – I kinda want to show him somewhere else, but..." She sighed, "I don't know where else to go than where we usually go..."

"Anything near here?"

"Not really..." She scratched her cheek. "And... it's not like I have a ton of money to take him to one of those play—arcade—places."

"What about setting something up at the dorm?" offered Kyoka.

"What, like, in my dorm room?" She frowned, "That doesn't feel very special, and my parents squeezing in too? It—ugh..."

"Hey, there's nothing saying he couldn't have a birthday party with your parents at home and then one at the dorm with you." Kyoka pitched, "I mean, two birthday parties? I think that would make him feel pretty special." Midoriya and Kaminari shared a look that she silently caught. "Thank you for letting that pass without incident..."

"I mean... maybe... that could work," muttered Ashido.

Kaminari leaned forward. "When's his birthday anyway?"

"July 24th."

"Hero Course has a lot of birthdays around then, too." He chuckled, "Why not have a whole big thing with all of us?"

Ashido pouted, "Because that doesn't seem very special."

"It could be pretty cool," said Midoriya, looking up from his plate of food. It took him a moment to realize that he should continue talking instead of eating. "I mean, how old is he?"

"10."

"He likes Heroes?"

"Yeah. Who doesn't?"

Midoriya chuckled, "Surrounded by a bunch of up-and-coming Heroes and their amazing Quirks? I would've loved a birthday party like that."

"Wouldn't that make everyone else feel... tacky?" asked Kaminari..

"For putting a smile on a kid's face?" he countered.

She muttered, "His mind would be blown if we were all in costume..."

Kyoka turned to Ashido. "Imagine if you got permission to use our Quirks."

She grasped Kyoka's sleeve, shaking her back and forth. "He might love it..."

"Hey, hey~!" called out Camie-Senpai as she approached.

Kaminari stood at attention. "S-Senpai!" The inside of his knees knocked into the base of his chair, pushing it back and over. The clap of wood against the tiled floor echoed throughout the room – plunging the room into a brief silence.

Kyoka whispered loudly, "Hey, Kaminari!" She gestured with her jacks. "You dropped your chair."

Fellow classmates at the nearby tables snickered at that.

"Shut up," spat a red-faced Kaminari as he quickly fixed his chair. By the time Camie found a place beside Ashido, he too was seated.

"Did I spook you?" giggled Camie. "Sorry."

Kaminari coughed, "N-No worries..."

"Hanging out with us again, Senpai?" asked Kyoka.

"Yeah..." she grumbled. "My girlfriends in Gen-Ed got in trouble, so they can't have lunch in the cafeteria for today and tomorrow."

"No one in the Hero Course?" offered Ashido.

Camie said, "Oh, they are totes freakin' out about the Finals for this semester." She took a bite of her food. "I mean we have so much time, but you know... the big Practical."

Kaminari tilted his head. "Like what was supposed to be our Practical?"

"Yeah, for the midterm." Camie teetered her head. "But, like every Practical is never the same, and sometimes, they don't even tell you it's the Final Practical." She motioned as if she was telling a scary story. "I mean, the only thing we really know is that for this semester it's in July – right before the break. So, they're sleuthing around, trying to figure out what it is."

Midoriya mentioned, "That's the same time around your little brother's birthday."

"Oh? You have a little brother!?" gasped Camie. "Oh my god, do you have pics? Can I see?"

"Uh, sure!"

As Ashido scrolled through her phone's gallery, Camie cooed, "Aw~, he is so adorbs! I just want to put him in my pocket and carry him around~!"

Midoriya then asked. "What did the Practical turn into after the whole Hero Killer thing?"

"Right, you were in the hospital..." Kyoka answered, "We really didn't have one or at least, not the tournament that was originally planned. I think Mr. Haimawari used a sparring class to replace it."

"Huh..." Midoriya's face contorted, offering, "You're welcome?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," laughed Kaminari. "Just, uh, next time, bud? If you want to save us from the big, bad Practical, just pull the fire alarm like a normal person."

-XXX-

After class had ended, Hitoshi slipped away from his classmates. "Can't believe the Danger-Zone's shut down... What kind of maintenance are they doing that would take so long...?" he grumbled. He went through his gym locker, and instead of pulling on his Hero costume, he wore the standard Shiketsu gym uniform. Then, he walked past the heavy metal doors of the Danger-Zone and found the normal, wooden doors to the gym equipment room.

Now, the gymnasium was for big activities like sports events, but could also double as an auditorium. The Danger-Zone was specifically designed for Hero Training, and lastly, where Hitoshi was heading, was the gym equipment room or rather the Physical Training Room.

It was occupied with equipment you'd expect in a public or a membership-based gym.

His student badge logged his entry and unlocked the door. "Not too busy..." he observed, which seemed normal based on his previous visits. "Some of these guys are second-years... Maybe even third-years...?"

As he walked deeper into the room, towards the bench presses, he spotted a familiar lab coat on the back of a familiar woman. "Steady," said Dr. Yaritezawa to the boy pushing up the weighted barbell.

Its metal clanked against the bracket above his head as he let out a long, heavy breath. "I can do more," said Midoriya as he slowly sat up. He wasn't in the t-shirt and shorts combo that Hitoshi wore, but a full tracksuit – covering himself head-to-toe. That contrasted against his bandaged hands and neck.

She marked something down on the clipboard she held. "Of course, you can." She then picked out a water bar and a protein bar from her bag on the ground. "Drink, eat."

"Yes, Doctor..." he murmured, taking both. Then, he blinked as his eyes traveled past her. "Shinso?"

Dr. Yaritezawa turned, glancing at him, "Ah, Mr. Shinso," before setting her clipboard down and standing up. "Can I help you?"

Hitoshi took a step back. "Oh, uh, sorry... I was just surprised to see either of you here."

"I'm just overseeing Mr. Midoriya's exercise as a precaution," she explained. After she made eye contact, her eyes then darted elsewhere.

When Hitoshi followed the glance, he realized, "That's the explanation for everybody else – the rest of the room..." He turned his head back to the two. "This must be about the Healing Factor..." He considered his next words for a moment before saying, "How's he doing?"

"About as expected."

"Could be doing better," Midoriya muttered.

Dr. Yaritezawa turned to him. "Impatience is a good way to get re-admitted." When he opened his mouth, she swiftly added, "Don't make me call your Mom."

Midoriya's voice died on the tip of his tongue. In almost a huff, he turned away, finishing his protein bar, before drinking from his water bottle.

"What about you?" she asked Hitoshi. "Any lingering nausea? Headaches?"

"Uh, no," he answered. "I'm all good."

She hummed, "I sense hesitation." She sighed, "But, fine, I'll find out one way or another." She turned away for a moment, but then, CLAP!

Hitoshi jumped back as the doctor clapped her hands right before his face. "What was that!?"

Dr. Yaritezawa's eyes narrowed, muttering, "Not much of a headache..."

"I told I didn't have one!" he cried.

"Hero Course students like you always tell me you don't have 'X' or 'Y' even when you do." Her hands found their way into her coat's pockets, shrugging, "Gotta get creative..." Her phone was then drawn out as she asked, "Would you like to watch this video showing the front row seat of one of the craziest roller-coasters in the world?"

Hitoshi waved his hand, nearly knocking the phone from her hands. "I'm not nauseous!"

"I didn't say you were," she countered. "Just watch the video."

While fighting off the phone being shoved in his face, he questioned, "Does this actually work?"

Dr. Yaritezawa was surprisingly skilled at maneuvering. "Ha! You disbelieve!?" She grinned, "I business-expensed VR goggles specifically for this!"

"Doctor?" As he placed the empty bottle in the bag, Midoriya asked, "Can we continue?"

She paused for a moment before sighing and tucking her phone away. "Fine..." She cleared her throat. "Mr. Shinso, if you plan on using a bench press, why not this one?" She offered, "You could be right next to Mr. Midoriya, and I could be your spotter."

Hitoshi flashed an apologetic glance to his friend before pointing to the row of treadmills. "Uh... No, I think I'm gonna work on my cardio, actually..."

"Okay..." she responded; eyes narrowed.

"Good luck," offered Midoriya.

Hitoshi returned it as he started to leave, but as he glanced towards his friend, his eyes drifted. "Those bandages..." After he walked off, his jaw tightened as he thought to himself. "What's underneath it...? Does it still hurt...?" His hands balled into fists. "If I ever get my hands on either of those two cowards..."

-XXX-

Izuku hunched over his legs, taking a deep breath. He slowly straightened his back before leaning into his seat. He looked at his desk in his dorm room in front of him before reaching for his medication and taking it. Eventually, he faced forward, scooted closer to the desk, and then opened his laptop. He opened the chat program, logging in via the information Dr. Yaritezawa gave him.

He was the first one in the meeting, but it wasn't too long before his Mom joined in. "Izuku?" Though, her webcam wasn't quite set up correctly – only showing her eyes and above.

"Hey, Mom." He smiled.

She asked, "How're you doing, sweetie?"

"I'm doing..." he trailed off before answering, "I could be better, but I'm getting through it."

"That's good."

Izuku chuckled, clearing his throat. "You might want to adjust your camera by the way."

"Huh?" Inko gasped, "O-Oh my!" There was some fiddling on her end with the camera – which at one point cut out completely. "Oh no!" Eventually, the camera landed on his Mom's face; neatly centered and most importantly, turned on. "Oh, thank goodness you caught that before either of the Doctors logged in."

"How're you doing?" offered Izuku.

"I'm okay," she answered. "Yu has been keeping me updated on the... 'Boy on Fire' story. Apparently, some news stations are still trying to find information on you, but they haven't been able to gather enough to actually write anything." She explained, "Yu reached out to the people who... you helped save from the... she called him, Spike-Mouth?"

He nodded, "I remember."

"Well, she asked them to stay tight-lipped about what you look like and so on for your privacy." She then added, "Though, they have shared what you did. You protected a little boy?"

Izuku admitted, "Not... directly. He was at one of the cafes affected by the attack."

"Well, apparently he talked about you a lot," said Inko.

"Really?" He couldn't help the smile that grew across his face. "That's nice." He then asked, "Do you know if he's doing alright?"

"From what I heard, it seems like he's perfectly happy," she answered.

"Good, good..."

Inko cleared her throat. "Izuku?" She hesitated before asking, "Have you... thought about the... U.A. offer?"

"Uh... No, Mom, I..." He shook his head. "I mean... all my friends are here. I don't really want to go anywhere else."

"I understand that, but..." She sighed, "I'm just worried about that school board. Do you remember what Principal Ikoma told us after the... Hero Killer?" She sat up in her chair. "Have they bothered you at all?"

"N-No, I... I haven't been talked to about anything." He offered back. "What about you?"

"No... I haven't heard anything beyond courtesy." She frowned, "It bothers me... They were quick to suggest you be punished the first time..." Then, there was a beep followed quickly by another. After a moment or two, Dr. Yaritezawa and Dr. Shuzenji appeared on screen.

A few greetings were passed between all callers before Dr. Yaritezawa began, "So, Ms. Midoriya, this call is mainly to update you on Mr. Midoriya's situation." She explained, "At this time, I've determined that he is ready to re-enter the Support Course's workshop with some supervision."

Inko smiled, "That's great."

"Unfortunately, I can't recommend he proceed with anything involving the Field Support program. At least, until he's made further progress in his recovery."

"Understandable," he replied.

Inko asked, "How is his recovery?"

"We're taking things slow and steady," answered Dr. Yaritezawa. "Considering there's so much we don't know, even if his quick recovery is promising, we just... can't proceed as if this is normal. Everything must be observed and recorded properly."

"Okay," she replied, nodding.

"Now..." Dr. Shuzenji adjusted the chatroom, opening a new screen of what were medical tests. "I've received results from the tests that were performed on Mr. Midoriya's blood, saliva, and tissue samples.

First, a quick explanation of my Quirk on a cellular level. When I activate it and my lips make contact, I essentially inject a series of stem cells that then stimulate the subject's own cells, enhancing their reproduction. Resulting in an accelerated healing process." She tapped on her keyboard. "I say all of this because..."

The screen changed, showing two microscopic images of a bunch of cells. The difference between the images was what they highlighted, specifically: a pale, white cell in one and the other was nearly pitch-black. "In the left image, you'll see a sample of one of my usual stem cells. In the right, you'll see one of those cells taken from Mr. Midoriya."

"Why is it so... different?" asked Inko.

"An external factor that I've not been able to determine its cause. It's clearly been mutated, resulting in its alternate appearance." She added, "My assistant named it the Black Cell."

"Couldn't have come up with something better?" muttered Izuku.

Inko frowned, "Izuku—"

"I'm not happy with it either..." murmured Recovery-Girl.

It was clear his mother didn't quite know how to react for a moment before she shook her head. "So, what does this mean?"

"I believe that these Black Cells are simulating my Healing Factor within Mr. Midoriya. And during our tests..." The screen showed a time-lapsed clip of the stem cells attached themselves to existing cells and augmenting their reproduction process. "Much like my own Quirk, they dissolve themselves after a certain point of use, consuming themselves to complete the process." The white stem cell dissipated into the surrounding cells while the Black Cell remained. "While mine dissolve after a minute from contact, the ones within Mr. Midoriya endured to a certain point."

She then added, "Until we stimulated it, the Black Cell remained in a dormant period, inactive. So, we can assume at this time that: there are a limited number of these Black Cells within Mr. Midoriya and that eventually will dissolve themselves."

"How?" asked Inko.

"Exercise..." muttered Izuku, rubbing his chin. "It essentially damages muscle fibers already, albeit minorly... So, overtime, if I eat enough, exercise enough, I can slowly deplete the remaining Black Cells within me..."

"Exactly."

Inko slowly nodded to herself, digesting the information, before asking, "How did this happen?"

"I had the same question." Dr. Shuzenji explained, "I know that the original side effect was from my use after the Hero Killer incident, resulting in lingering stem cells within Mr. Midoriya.

Now, this mutation? I was unsure, so I decided to investigate whom Midoriya may have encountered either at school or during his Field Support internship that may have caused it. In doing so, I discovered a villain he encountered with Mount-Lady, one she named, Spike-Mouth."

"R-Right, he had this... black ooze practically spilling out of him," recalled Izuku.

"Yes, he fired projectiles at you from his mouth which was where a great deal of this ooze was coming from. He fired two at you, which broke the skin on your forehead and chest."

"They actually manage to pierce you?" questioned Inko.

His voice was high. "I didn't mention that?"

"No, you didn't," she said.

His voice then went very high. "Are you sure? Maybe I did."

"Mr. and Ms. Midoriya." After a few sorrys, Dr. Shuzenji continued, "This seemed to coincide with this 'big fever' that occurred that same night, if you both recall."

She gasped, "Oh, I almost forgot..."

"A lot happened that night," he murmured.

"I've come to theorize that this black ooze and this strange mutation are related in some way," said Mr. Shuzenji. "We're reaching out to the MCPD to determine where this villain was transported. From him and their evidence storage, we may be able to get a sample of this ooze and find out its true nature."

"Do we know if there are any... negative effects from this... ooze?" asked Inko.

Dr. Shuzenji shook her head. "It doesn't appear so. Not from these tests."

"My examinations haven't determined any negative effects either," finished Dr. Yaritezawa.

"Good... Good," said Inko.

His Mom had more questions and the doctors answered the best they could. Izuku was only half-paying attention. The idea that something else was inside him was... disturbing, but something in the back of his mind told him that he already knew, somehow. The more he thought about it, the more he felt the blood in his veins move... How they came to a harsh stop at his fingertips before shooting back into the rest of his body.

He looked down at his hand as something tugged at the back of his mind. It was a memory, but the more he focused on it, the more distant it became. However, with some concentration, he was able to pull something from it. "Ishimura... The Doctor... Doctor... Dr. Tsubasa...?" he muttered quietly to himself.

A part of himself said he made it up – his imagination running wild... The other said the opposite, and in the end, he elected to keep it all to himself.

-\ XXX /-

AN: Another chapter done! With a few hints and reveals and...

Oh, hey, that bear's back...

┬┴┬┴┤•ʔ ├┬┴┬┴

What's he doing there...?

┬┴┬┴┤ᴥ•ʔ ├┬┴┬┴

Hey man...

┬┴┬┴┤•ᴥ•ʔ├┬┴┬┴

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

"ThAnK yOu FoR rEaAiNg, AnD pLeAsE cRiTiCiZe AwAy!"

Oh! Thanks?

┬┴┬┴┤•ᴥ•ʔ├┬┴┬┴

┬┴┬┴┤ᴥ•ʔ ├┬┴┬┴

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He's getting smarter...

Update Window: April 20th - 26th

Intended Due Date: April 24th