We now returned to our regularly scheduled programming.

Welp, the results from the last upload was pretty much how I suspected things would pan out. I'm looking forward to seeing if anyone has figured out what is going to happen. That being said, this story is planned out, and I felt clues in prior chapters can help you solve the puzzle if you pay close attention.

Anyway, we have arrived to Arc II proper.

Old readers, expected a more refined experience. New readers...buckle up, because shit is about to get real in this arc.


My Hero Academia Untold: The Knights of Fafnir

Saga I: Dusk

Arc II: The Incident

Chapter XVI: The First Move


"They say it is the first step that costs the effort. I do not find it so. I am sure I could write unlimited 'first chapters.' I have; indeed written many."

-J. R.R. Tolkien


Overhaul didn't enjoy being led by the squat, seedy little man. One of Giran's creatures, the Yakuza Boss had reasoned with little doubt since the information broker himself has been notably scarce as of late in the Underworld. While the little man himself apparently didn't know who had attacked his crew. He did claim to know people who did, which led Overhaul to a warehouse on the outskirts of town in the dead of night.

"Right this way, Lord Chisaki." the short man wheezed, opening the warehouse door with the lowest bow his large stomach could allow. The inside of the warehouse was poorly lit. Yet, Overhaul already knew who was there, the heir-apparent to The Emperor: The Pale Prince, Tomura Shigaraki.

"Lord Shigaraki, I have brought your guest," the man called out with another deep bow before taking a few steps back and closing the door behind him.

Overhaul wasn't afraid, and though their first encounter from a couple weeks ago hadn't been the best, no fight had broken out. Yet, a line had been drawn in the sand, representing the divide between the new and old guard of the Underworld. Although its name may have changed over the years. It was always the same organization led by the one the Yakuza often referred to as either The Emperor of Darkness or the Cardinal Emperor for those aligned with the Four Cardinal Kings.

An appropriate title as it was one that many Yakuza Lords believed he earned when he had surfaced all those years ago, usurping power from them in the Underworld. Becoming mightier than the Four Cardinal Kings, the greatest of the Yakuza. However, no name was ever given from this Emperor, for he simply went by the name of his illness: All For One.

As Overhaul stepped further into the large building, his beak-like mask helped filter some of the stale, dusty air of the warehouse. However, the germaphobe still couldn't help but feel a bit more agitated the deeper he went inside it. His golden eyes began to scan the room when he finally spotted him.

Tomura Shigaraki simply sat there, sporting his signature black-blue outfit with fake hands all over his body. He was sitting on a small wooden chair in the center of the warehouse, with a small light hanging over his head like a spotlight. As Overhaul moved to face Tomura, he kept a respectful and healthy distance from the Hand-Covered man, knowing that one wrong touch from either could mean their untimely ends.

"Overhaul," said Tomura softly, addressing his guest as he leaned ever so slightly forward from his seat.

"Shigaraki," Overhaul answered back sharply and stood firm.

"Word is that you and your gang were recently attacked..." said Tomura with a teasing chuckle. "How very sad."

"Does this conversation have a point, Shigaraki?" Overhaul replied, annoyed by the man's taunting, "I'm here to talk business."

"Heheheh, it does indeed, my friend," Tomura continued as he proceeded to get up.

"So, to start on our business, I'm aware that you are currently looking for three things, correct?" The Pale Prince added while holding up three fingers on his left hand. Overhaul remained silent to avoid betraying his thoughts, carefully trying not to show weakness.

"The first is obvious; you want to know who attacked you and your little gang of bird boys. Luckily for you, I happen to know who did it." He started listing each answer with a finger as he paced around the room. He always made sure he kept a steady eye on the Yakuza Lord.

Hidden behind the beak mask, Overhaul felt a twitch of anger run across his mouth.

"Second," Tomura continued, lowering the second finger.

"I know from my own spies in the cops that you lost almost all of your main manpower. Save for a few grunts," Tomura looked over to Overhaul expectantly with a growing hidden grin. "I know you need more "expendables" in your party, right?"

Overhaul's golden eyes narrowed. Tomura had been right on the money so far.

"And finally, the one that's made me the most curious. An albino girl with a small horn on her head," Tomura finished up as he lowered the last finger, the hidden grin on his face at its widest. "Is that right?"

Overhaul couldn't stop his eyes from widening.

No one was supposed to know about Eri.

"Now, I don't really care about the girl mostly because we're villains, and I don't kink shame here, but..."

Overhaul was about to step up and shut Tomura up for even implying that he would do something so disgusting until he saw Tomura's eyes. Instantly, his muscles tensed, and he found himself unable to move closer when he looked into those ruby-red eyes that seemed to drill into the very depths of his soul. Eyes that chilled him to the very bone as they spoke only one word of warning.

Death

"Now, now, as I said, Overhaul," Tomura began speaking again, blinking and looking away from the Yakuza boss.

Overhaul felt his body return to normal but could also feel the minute shakes from whatever the hell that was. Yet it didn't make any sense; he knew that Tomura's Quirk involved using his hands, so why did he freeze when he looked into his eyes? Tomura, however, didn't seem to care about Overhaul trying to figure out about one of his other Quirks.

Instead, the Heir of Darkness continued his speech to keep the Yakuza Boss on his toes.

"I don't care about your lifestyle choices; we're villains, and you should be able to do whatever the hell you want. But...what I do care about is possibly..." Tomura breathed in before motioning with his hand as if he were reaching out.

"Lending a helping hand to you and," suddenly, the Pale Prince withdrew his hand. "Before you even ask. Of course, I want something from you."

Tomura laughed as he saw the frustration furrowed on the man's face despite the mask.

"I know you are not stupid enough to believe that I would simply do this out of the goodness of my heart. No, I will need your help with something. Something I believe we can both come to some...mutual agreement; help me with this, and I will aid you: funding, spies, and revenge."

Overhaul looked at Tomura with gritted teeth. Some of the other Yakuza clans had begun encroaching on his territory, like sharks who could smell blood in the water coming for a feeding frenzy. He knew that he didn't have many options, and he knew this could be his best opportunity here to get back on course with his own pursuits and regain some of his lost strength. Even if it meant having to work with the wretched, then again, when seeking a cure for a plague, a good doctor had to work with those infected, did he not?

Overhaul finally answered after a long pause and a small, silent sigh of defeat.

"I will hear what you have to say."

Tomura grinned under his hand mask.

"Good, I think you will come to agree with me on this...You see..."


Ochako was deep in thought as she and her two new friends took the train to start their first school day. She watched as the two boys began catching up with each other. She was happy to see that Izuku seemed to be more relaxed with Katsuki than she often saw whenever she visited his house. The greenhead always seemed to be slightly more on edge in her presence, given what she observed herself.

Izuku didn't seem to have friends except the explosive ash blond boy.

It often made her feel bad since Katsuki couldn't visit as frequently as he used to. Thankfully, the last few days have shown some real progress for Eri. She slowly adjusted to and was not overwhelmed by the number of visitors to Izuku's apartment. However, she struggled a bit more when they took her outside, but progress is progress, and they take what they can take.

As Ochako sat on the train across the two boys, her mind drifted to what Katsuki had said to her earlier, just before meeting with Izuku at the train station.

/

"Uraraka."

Ochako had heard a voice to her left as she arrived at the train station to wait for Izuku. The country girl turned to see that Katsuki was already there and had started walking up to her. It had only been a day or so since they last saw each other.

"Not 'Round face' anymore, Bakugou?" Ochako asked with a faint hint of sass, making the ash-blond boy crack up.

"Nah, you earned my respect for placing third and saving that nerdy brother of mine," Katsuki answered with a slight grin that vanished into a frown just as quickly as it came.

"Be real with me for a moment, Uraraka. I'm not about to get into this whole business with you two. Especially since Izuku's been much happier now than I have seen him in years."

Katsuki wore the strangest mask of anger that had carried a peculiar sense of calmness.

"Bakugou..." Ochako said, surprised at seeing this side of Katsuki given all that she had seen from the explosive boy.

"Look, I'll just say this. I can read the tea leaves and see that you like him already…ah! Stop it," He added, motioning Ochako not to interrupt as her face grew beet red.

"I already know that look on your face, and it's the same as his," the blond let out a low sigh. "Stop it. I mean, for fucks sake. You've basically adopted the Unicorn already and are calling each other by your first names. Don't act like there isn't anything there."

This proved to Ochako that Katsuki was not only intelligent but observant. He may be brash, but he is by no means stupid, nor was he wrong in this case. She had grown very fond of Izuku despite the relatively short time she had known him. She found him very sweet and earnest, but she also knew he held back on her. Something that prevented Izuku from being a hundred percent honest with her.

His explanation to everyone about how he knew All Might after saving Katsuki felt rehearsed. Izuku said some things didn't add up; he was hiding something. Not because he wanted to lie but because he felt he needed to and had no choice.

"It's not that...I'm just not sure he trusts me all that much yet..." Ochako responded sadly.

"It's not that he doesn't-" The blond quickly shut his mouth.

"Look, it's not my place to tell you why, but I know the reason why it seems like it. I've known the nerd since we were babies...which is why I'm only going to say this once," he said with a slight air of tension growing.

"That nerd is basically my brother, and he's been through enough. I don't care how or why, but if anyone," he suddenly pointed at her. "ANYONE tries to make his life worse than it is now, they will deal with me...you get what I'm saying...right?"

Ochako looked at Katsuki in the eyes; it only made her wonder what must have the two gone through for Katsuki to be so protective of Izuku. She was glad that Izuku at least didn't suffer alone. Katsuki had been there for him, and she wanted to be there now, too.

"I understand," Ochako said firmly.

Instantly, the tension broke, and Katsuki actually smiled at her.

"Good...now, how is the Unicorn doing? I know that I can't visit as often as before, but it doesn't mean I still can't be the fun uncle without knowing her better, now can I?"

"Pffft," Ochako sputtered, caught off guard by Katsuki's sudden change in demeanor regarding Eri. Remember the story of the candy apple he had gotten for her when Izuku told him that she loved apples.

"I didn't see her yesterday since I needed to get all my stuff ready for today, but I know they got her a brand-new bed the day before yesterday."

"Is that so? Oh, look who's here."

/

Ochako hoped Izuku would be more open with her in time, even if it was only as friends; the greenette was nice enough to deserve that much. When the train stopped, the trio got up from their seats and promptly exited the train. The two boys continued their conversation about Katsuki's father, Masaru, who had recently recovered from his injuries.

"Nearly a month-long wait just for the specialist to fix his back in like eight minutes; what kind of bullshit is that?!" Katsuki complained loudly.

"I mean, healing quirks aren't universal, Kacchan; some work in precise ways, or some can even strain the practitioner if they use them without rest. I'm just glad Uncle Masa is finally back on his feet properly."

"Yeah, yeah..." Katsuki said dismissively.

"We're looking for Class 1-A, right? I'm glad we're all in the same class," Ochako added as the trio continued the search of the hallway for their new homeroom class. After a while, they found the sign that read 1-A.

"Found it...holy shit…this bitch is huge!" Katsuki said upon seeing the door. "Why the fuck is it so big?"

"Quirks can make people come in all shapes and sizes, Kacchan, like big sis Yū or Kyū," Izuku answered casually. Katsuki clicked his tongue at the mention of his cousin and proceeded to open the door for them.

The room was nearly full of students; it appeared to them that they may have been the last ones to arrive. The room was already buzzing with light chatter as some tried to get to know one another; others remained to themselves altogether. One pair, however, seemed to know each other well, judging from their conversation.

'Ah...shit.' Katsuki thought as he spotted the familiar tall boy with blue hair who had called him and Izuku out during the exam. He was the only one standing, speaking to another boy with short red-white hair and flawless features on his sharp face. The two seemed to be in quite a conversation. The tall one was vivacious with his movements that punctuated his speech.


"So, she is getting trickier, huh," Shouto commented as he looked at Tenya, who had tears streaming down his face. It sounded like the Iida heir had been struggling with some of Hikari's new methods of pranking him.

"I swear, I know Hatsume has something to do with it! The last time she came over with Yuno, she brought a box that disappeared when I looked away!"

"It doesn't mean she's involved..." Shouto continued in his deadpan fashion. He knew full well what the box contained. After all, he helped Mei find the perfect hiding spot within the Iida household. But he wouldn't tell Tenya the truth; it was much more fun this way. "I mean, she could have just gotten part of my sister's ice Quirk to make the steam?"

"It was clearly a smoke bomb!" Tenya said, his voice strained with indignation.

"It sounds more like paranoia to me," Shouto answered with a slightly mischievous smirk.

Tenya was about to respond in frustration when he heard the door open. The two friends both turned to see three new students entering their homeroom. The trio was already familiar to Tenya; however, Shouto's eyes instantly drew to the green-haired boy. His father, the Pro-Hero Endeavor, had told him and Tenya everything vital they needed to know about him.

'Huh, so that's Draco Knight's son.'

"Ah, it's you! Good morning!"Shouto heard Tenya say as he began marching up to the new trio, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Wait, Ten-" Shouto began before he realized that Tenya's full attention had turned to the trio.

Izuku tensed up as Tenya grew close with a wary-looking Katsuki and confused Ochako.

"I am Tenya Iida from Somei Private Academy. And I must confess that I had completely misjudged you back at the examination," Tenya explained with a sudden deep bow in front of Izuku. "Therefore, I apologize for my rudeness!"

This completely threw the trio for a loop. Katsuki had remained quiet, ready to fire back for his earlier stunt at the entrance exam, but between his need to be more reserved and this sudden change in attitude. The ashy blond wasn't sure how exactly to proceed from here. However, once he figured that the tall boy was clearly speaking to Izuku, Katsuki used the moment to look over the rest of the class and scope out the rest of their competition. One student instantly caught his attention due to his appearance. Katsuki almost felt his blood go cold as he looked at the boy seated at the back of the room.

Tall, with wild, jet-black hair and piercing golden-yellow eyes.

'Uncle?' Katsuki thought briefly before shaking his head. 'No...he's different from Uncle.'

"If you're here to just socialize, you can get out now."

They all heard a voice say behind them, snapping Katsuki out of his thoughts. Everyone faced the doorway and found several students gathered outside who, in turn, were looking down on the floor. Katsuki followed their grazes down and saw a man dressed in what appeared to be a mustard yellow sleeping bag rapidly draining a juice box.

He looked like a corpse.

"Good, now that you've all shut up, get dressed in your PE outfits; we're going out to the field." The zombie man ordered the class flatly.

"Umm, I can ask who you are first?" Ochako asked as she took a step back, being wary of the stranger.

"Shouta Aizawa," the man answered as he seemed to arise from the ground with little effort while still inside the sleeping bag. "I'm the head of the Department of Heroics here at UA."

Katsuki flinched at this statement as he learned to whom he would have to report too soon.

"And I am here to assess all of you in both Class A and B," the man added, extending his arm to point his thumb at the other students outside the classroom. Now, I am not going to repeat myself again. Change into your PE gear and head out."


Inko cheerfully had tea with Mitsuki for the first time in weeks as they were seated at the kitchen table. Meanwhile, Eri was trying her best to read the book Ochako had left behind in the living room, which had recently been used as a bedtime story. That being said, the young girl had been completely enthralled by the old tome and was now trying to continue the story without waiting for Ochako to read it to her at bedtime.

"It's nice to have the place to ourselves and enjoy some quiet time, you know?" Inko said serenely as she enjoyed the warm cup of green tea.

"Eh, I still prefer my home to be a bit rowdy," Mitsuki replied with a small grin. "It doesn't feel right without the chaos."

"Did Yū finally move out?"

"Not yet, but you should have seen how happy she was after the recent elections. I hear they already began overturning some of the more damning bits of the "volatile" classifications," Mitsuki took a sip of her own tea. "But some of them will take longer to change than others, so Yū should still be in our home for a little while longer."

"Well, that's good; it's a shame it couldn't happen before all those students got rejected from Hero courses in the country," Inko said quietly as she refilled their cups from the pot next to them. "I was so scared for Izuku when he went up for the evaluation."

"Heh, you were scared? Trying to have Katsuki as a son. That firecracker was rejected the first time before he agreed to go to that one month of counseling camp, remember? I knew those fights would come back to haunt him," Mitsuki sighed as she leaned her face against her hand. "Which brings me to something important about which I wanted to talk to you."

"And that is?" Inko said, concerned at seeing her friend's sudden change in tone.

"Your two guests," Mitsuki answered, her voice turning into a whisper. She motioned with her head toward one of the said guests sitting in the living room. The woman noticed that every picture featuring Hisashi was still hidden away.

"Ah," Inko said understandably.

"Do they know?" Mitsuki asked before leaning in. "About Hisashi?"

"I think Eri is a bit young to understand the situation since she hasn't asked about any father figure in Izuku's life. As for Uraraka," Inko hummed as she considered that possibility. "I've talked about it with Izuku, and we're both terrified about how she'll react if she found out."

"I can't blame you two, given the last few times people found out. Now, this next topic is…a bit harder for me to talk about, but," Mitsuki said with a touch of guilt in her voice, given her previous jokes about it. "I'm concerned about Eri's condition."

"What do you mean? We've been taking her to check-ups every week with both a pediatrician and a psychiatrist who specializes in children dealing with mental and physical trauma." Inko answered with a confused look on her face.

"She reminds me of a little boy I met back at the counseling camp when Masaru and I had to attend for Katsuki," said Mitsuki as she nursed her cup of green tea.

"He was there trying to cope with the removal of his foster family. He had heavily imprinted on them, and when it came time to separate them..." Mitsuki finished up with a look of both frustration and sadness. "Well, it was heartbreaking, to say the least..."

Inko looked at her friend and began to think carefully about her response. Still, Mitsuki made a small assuring wave of a hand.

"I'm not trying to ruin the little fantasy here, Inko. I think it's cute," The Ash-blonde woman continued while glancing at the girl reading her book.

"But as far as you know, this is only temporary, and what if you ultimately have to separate? I'm just saying this because I don't want you, Izu, Pink Cheeks, or Eri to be hurt should the worst-case scenario hit," she placed a hand on Inko's shoulder. "You know that, right?"

Inko looked down; she knew that Mitsuki had made a good point.

It would have to be something they would need to discuss in more detail with the professionals, the two teens, and All Might, who had entrusted her with Eri. Inko began to frown the more she thought about it before looking at the snow-haired child again. She had already grown very fond of the sweet little girl that had clearly been through Hell, and she would be damned to let her go unless she knew that the child was going to be left in good hands.

Upon seeing her best friend's mood, Mitsuki tried to uplift her dampened spirits with a positive spin on the possibilities.

"But then again, Inko, maybe I'm wrong, and you'll get to keep her," Mitsuki said assuredly before another mischievous smirk grew on her face. "Then you can go and get bragging rights on being the sexist single grandmother available."

Unfortunately, Inko happened to be taking a sip of tea during Mitsuki's comment. The fluids flew out of her mouth and went down the wrong pipe, causing her to cough violently as she tried to regain her composure.

"Mitsuki!" Inko yelped out, her face heating up into a bright red as she nervously began reaching for a tablecloth to clean the mess she had just made.

"What? It's true!" Mitsuki said with a laugh.

"You wouldn't have to worry so long about getting grandkids. I mean, my ass is either going to be very old or in the grave before my firecracker of a son finds a girl that meets his "High Standards" and brings me a grandchild." Mitsuki laughed again, though it had a bittersweet hint. "Then again, I don't have to worry about a possible teen pregnancy."

Inko knocked on the table, shuttering at the thought.

"Shut your mouth and knock on wood, Mitsuki! That's how you get jinxed! I'm pretty sure Izuku and Uraraka aren't even together...officially…"Inko quickly shook her head at the thought. "And even then, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be that reckless."

Mitsuki, however, did not knock on the table, opting instead to simply continue teasing her friend.

"I'm just saying! I mean, I remember back in your third year when you and Hisashi..."

"MITSUKI!" Inko interrupted; her flustered face was now completely red, much to her friend's amusement.

"I mean, I didn't blame you for doing so! He had almost died that time! It happens!"

"Inki? Miki? Are you mad?" They heard Eri ask innocently.

The two older women turned to face the young girl, eyes filled with worry. Inko, grateful for a chance to drop the subject, calmed down and spoke softly to ease the child's concerns.

"Oh, no! Dearie, we're just having a bit too much fun, and maybe we're a bit too loud in our girl talk. Isn't that right, Mitsuki?" Inko added with a touch of warning in her voice.


Nemuri Kayama, better known as the Pro-Hero Midnight, should have been over the moon. She should have proudly stood in front of her Homeroom class as a newly minted Homeroom teacher of a first-year class at the opening ceremonies. Instead, she and her fellow educator, Sekijirou Kan, better known as the Pro-Hero Vlad King, stood there annoyed with their new boss's sudden impromptu change of plan with their students.

"Another logical ruse..." Nemuri growled quietly through gritted teeth. "My perfectly rounded ass, Shouta..."

Nemuri had been so giddy with delight earlier that morning when she was busy putting on her hero costume and making her way to work. Ever since she joined the UA teaching staff years ago. She had always wanted to have a chance to be a first-year homeroom teacher, applying for it every year. She still couldn't believe that she finally got the job, especially after all her previous rejections for reasons ranging from quote:

"Inappropriate."

To...

"We don't need another incident with your outfit. Once was enough, twice was bad luck, but thrice was too many."

And her personal favorite.

"A number of your last Sex Ed students needed therapy afterward."

Nemuri, however, had simply said boo to all of that noise and continued trying.

Applying for it, again and again, year after year.

Now here she was, a first-year homeroom teacher at last...yet without her homeroom class. So, to say that Nemuri and Sekijirou were annoyed with their new boss was an understatement. As they stood at the opening ceremony without their students. They had been told that Shouta would simply lead their students to the ceremony; sure, history wasn't on their side.

Still, he wasn't a homeroom teacher anymore, so they expected that he wouldn't go for his usual tricks. Now, they stood there waiting for the ceremony to end. Ready to run to the field and claim their students from the clutches of Shouta's vile, dead-looking hands.

Finally, Principal Nezu clapped his hands with the remaining students, concluding the opening ceremonies. The two Pros immediately began running toward the testing field with murder in their eyes. All Might, who knew of the plan beforehand, decided to follow as well, albeit being far more subtle about it.


"Come on, everyone. You got this! Show the true passion in your hearts!" As he zoomed by, Inasa yelled out to most of Classes A and B, Claiming another lap in the track test, using the powerful winds to propel himself further ahead of everyone else. He was followed shortly by Shouto, who used his ice abilities to create a never-ending slide for himself, trailing behind the wind user. Behind him was Tenya, who ran using his engine legs, only having to slow down for the corner turns or when passing by other students repeatedly. Following close behind him were Katsuki and Izuku, who were neck-in-neck in the running. The former used bursts from his Quirk, while the latter kept a steady ten percent of his Quirk active to force his legs to keep up.

Finally, there was Momo Yaoyorozu, who was using a bike she made for this exam, ringing the bell as she rode, trying to encourage everyone else as she looped past them for the second or third time. Everyone else was spread relatively evenly throughout the track. Most of them, however, looked at the leading six with some manner of envy or awe or were simply left flabbergasted. Each of them made some sort of comment toward these individuals that overtook them by leaps and bounds.

"Damn, that is so manly!"

"Oh god. Someone just kill me already..."

"This so isn't lit, fam."

"Anyone else feel overwhelmed and outgunned?"

"We have the sword of Damocles, named expulsion, hanging over our heads; shut up and keep running!"

"What did you expect from a mix of the recommendation students and the top two from the entrance exam?"

"Oh god, that face is going to haunt me!"

"Hey, who are those two?"

"Is that Midnight?"

"And Blood King!"

"It's Vlad King, idiot!"

"Doesn't that mean the same thing?"

Shouta lay on the ground, wrapped in his sleeping bag, with the creepiest smile plastered on his face. He had threatened the students with his favorite punishment, the tried and tested: expulsion, but this time, it was an empty threat. At least he was getting good results from both classes. Ironically, Nezu had reduced his trigger-happy expulsion powers with this promotion.

Besides, the students didn't know that fact, so he would milk it for all it was worth.

"Eraserhead!"

'Ah damn it.'

The fun was over as he saw his two co-workers, the classes' homeroom teachers Nemuri and Seikijirou, running in to rescue their students. The two pros took a moment to catch their breath, having come all the way from the other side of the school to get to this specific field. Nemuri was incredibly out of breath due to running in those heels that must have been murder on her feet.

When Sekijirou recovered, with the addition of a few veins now popping out of his face, he looked at Shouta with annoyance.

"Hello Vlad, Midnight; nice day we're having, right?" Shouta greeted them nonchalantly. "How was the ceremony?"

"The ceremony would have been lovely...If Midnight and I weren't just standing there alone without our students looking like complete jackasses," Seikijirou snapped quietly so as not to make a scene in front of the students.

However, Nemuri had different plans. When she finally caught her breath, she stood tall while grabbing the whip from her hip and cracked it to catch everyone's attention.

"Everyone, please gather up and divide yourselves by class!" the woman called out, to the relief of every student.

Izuku was about to gather with the rest when he saw the shortest boy in their course, one who had purple orb-like hair, on the ground, struggling to get up.

The little guy had collapsed in the middle of the track exam and fell far behind everyone else. Izuku could tell that he had tried very hard during the exam. However, before Izuku could go up and offer any help to the purple-haired boy, one of the girls from Class 1-B with what appeared to have green vines for hair went ahead and helped the boy up instead. The boy thanked her for her assistance but still looked shaken up, not that Izuku could blame him. He had come dead last in almost every test, as they had all taken their department head's threat very seriously.

Shouta sighed as the two homeroom teachers broke up his fun. It was the last test anyway, so it ultimately didn't matter as he still managed to get the results he needed to form this semester's teams.

As the students divided back into their respective classes, Shouta stood up and announced the exam results via the projection. Inasa Yoarashi from class 1-B, whom many had dubbed "The Windbreaker," placed first and dead last was the name Minoru Mineta of Class 1-A.

The short boy just went pale and looked as if he was ready to just keel over and die.

Nemuri saw that Shouta had indeed been up to his old tricks.

"Hello, everyone. I am Nemuri Kayama. Though you may know me better as the Rated-R Pro-Hero Midnight, and I am your 1-A homeroom teacher," The woman announced to her new students. They all looked at her in disbelief that a hero like her would be their homeroom teacher.

"And don't worry, everyone, you're safe; no one is being expelled," Nemuri continued as she let out an exasperated sigh. "At least not in my class."

That was the breaking point for Minoru. He finally did kneel over and pass out from the stress when the sudden relief that his career hadn't ended before it could even formally start overwhelmed him. The same could be said for most of everyone taking the threat seriously.

"Clean up in aisle five!" Yelled a blond boy with a black lighting-shaped streak in his hair and bright golden eyes, eliciting a few laughs from both classes.

"I'm sorry. What's your name, please?" Nemuri asked the boy with a false sweetness in her voice.

"Denki Kaminari," the boy answered with a sly, charming wink, which caused some to laugh. In contrast, others either cringed or mentally facepalmed themselves.

"Well then, Mr. Kaminari. Thank you very much for volunteering to carry your classmate back to class," Nemuri said with an innocent smile that now seemed to contain a threatening aura behind her.

"W-wait, what?" Denki asked dumbfoundedly, which prompted almost everyone else in the class to laugh at him now. His shoulders slumped as he went to pick up his classmate. "Ah...crap."

"Now, for everyone else, please head back to homeroom. Once you get changed back into your normal uniforms, pick up a syllabus and standby for further instructions," Nemuri told the rest of the class. "We'll take care of proper introductions and seating arrangements when we get there...now let's go!"

With another crack of her whip for emphasis, some of her students began to cringe with fear. Hoping to avoid getting on the wrong side of their homeroom teacher as they broke off and walked away.

"Good job so far, Midnight." She heard Shouta say. "You sounded like a real homeroom teacher there."

"Bite my perfectly rounded ass, Shouta," Nemuri said, still annoyed at the man's growing grin, before walking away.

Shouta, however, lay there for a few more moments with his thoughts until he heard those familiar heavy footsteps.

"Hello, All Might."


Izuku and the rest of class 1-A finally sat in their temporary seats, refreshed and much calmer than earlier, when Nemuri walked in with a calm smile.

"Alright, everyone, awkward introduction to the first day aside. It is very nice to meet you all. Now I think some basic introductions are in order so we can all get to know each other better," Nemuri said sweetly as the students settled in, leaning on the podium with a slightly lewd pose. "Come on now, don't be shy; I'll start picking people if I don't get any volunteers."

Tenya promptly stood up and started his introduction as though he had practiced it.

"I am Tenya Iida, formerly of Somei Private Academy! I hope for a solid and productive year of training and education from the country's best hero course!"

"Thank you very much for being first, Mr. Iida," Nemuri turned to the rest of the class and shifted to another provocative pose that raised a couple of eyebrows. "Now, does anyone have any questions for him?"

Shouto raised his hand, much to Tenya's confusion.

"Yes?"

"Why did you get nervous during the 50-meter dash?"

Tenya gave his longtime friend a strained look.

'Shouto, are you really my friend and not the Devil?'

"The voice from the robot reminded me of someone who scares me," Tenya said solemnly as he adjusted his glasses. His thoughts turned to that familiar pink hair and those cross-haired yellow eyes.

The introductions continued without incident—at least until Katsuki needed to learn something that had been bothering him for a while. Once, a tall boy with messy jet-black hair and bright golden eyes began speaking; he struck.

"Hi everyone, the name's Ryu Kasei; it's very nice to meet all of you!" He cheerfully introduced himself with a wide smile.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Mr. Kasei. Does anyone have questions for him?" Nemuri asked the class, who continued her impromptu modeling of lewd poses.

Katsuki raised his hand with a neutral look on his face.

Ryu looked at Katsuki with a raised eyebrow.

"What's up, buddy?"

"What's your Quirk?" Katsuki asked, noting he hadn't seen this boy use his powers during the exam.

Ryu's eyebrow rose up upon hearing the question.

"Oho! It's pretty sweet. I call it Dragon Slayer," Ryu answered with a crafty grin growing on his face before blowing a small puff of flames from his mouth that quickly dissipated in the air.

However, Katsuki saw a slight twitch run through Izuku when he heard the name of the Quirk. Ryu's physical appearance did not help Katsuki's mood, which rapidly turned sour.

"Don't bullshit me. What kind of name is that?!" Katsuki growled, sitting up straight to look at the boy right into his eyes.

"Hey, hey! Okay! It's actually called Fire Eater, but Dragon Slayer sounds so much cooler, right?" Ryu said, trying to laugh off Katsuki's more combative tone.

"I read a manga from ages ago where the MC(*1) has a similar ability to my Quirk, so I went with it," Ryu quickly added as if hoping to quell this sudden aggression that left him more than a bit wary of the ash-blond teen now.

'Might have to keep an eye on this guy.'The two ironically thought at the same time.

"I like it!" Denki suddenly called out from his desk, distracting the two boys from each other.

Ryu, taking the opportunity presented, answered as Denki did earlier.

"Eeeyyy," which included a round of finger guns, much to the amusement or annoyance of the others in the classroom. Some of their classmates now believed that the two boys were peas from the same pod. Luckily for Ryu, Katsuki didn't seem interested enough to follow up with any other questions and let the rest of the class continue introductions.

The last student to be introduced was a silver-haired beauty with blue eyes and glasses.

"My name is Kashiko Sekigai. My Quirk is called Sensor Chart," The girl said confidently. "I'm looking forward to working with all of you this year."

With that, introductions were completed just in time for the first-period bell to ring.

The rest of the day went like a typical first school day. They were introduced to their regular core classes, rules, regulations, and special activities they would expect in the semester. As their first day ended, Izuku received a text from All Might. It was time for their first of many meetings as Master and Apprentice in the halls of UA.

"Ochako, Kacchan, I need to go to the teacher's lounge for a minute," Izuku told his friends. "I'll be right back."

"Make it quick, or we'll miss the train," Katsuki said while Ochako was busy texting her friends and family back in Mie about how her first day at UA went.

When Izuku arrived in the lounge, he found All Might sitting calmly on the couch in his skinny form. It had been the first time they had really spoken since Eri came into his life.

"How have you been, young Midoriya?" Toshinori asked calmly as he motioned for the boy to sit opposite him.

"I've been well, sir," Izuku answered with several questions swirling in his head as he eased into the soft couch.

"Life at home seems to have gotten much more interesting for you now, huh?" Toshinori coughed with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, it has been much more lively now, but how did you know that?"

Toshinori chuckled.

"Well, since I technically employ your mother, I expect progress reports to show how young Eri is doing. So I've spoken with her on and off ever since I got settled into my role here."

"All Might about that...I've been feeling a little strange about what you did for us," the boy's eyes widened at how that sounded. "I mean, please don't get me wrong. I'm grateful. I truly am, but I can't help but feel like we're just being given a handout for our struggles."

Izuku couldn't help but let out a long sigh while Toshinori let out a wet cough for a moment before answering. After speaking with Inko a fair number of times, he knew that sooner or later, Izuku would bring up this subject.

"I understand," Toshinori started with a nod. "It was a point of pride for me as well, young Midoriya, but here I am, the Number One Hero in the world. The Symbol of Peace, yet I couldn't do much to save the man who saved me from certain death and allowed his good name to be dragged through the mud while his family was persecuted."

Izuku forced himself to look down with his eyes suddenly burning as he did his best not to cry.

"I have all this money, young Midoriya," Toshinori continued while motioning with his hands. "And while I can and do donate to various charities often. I'm still left with far more than I could ever need. If I could, I would simply clear your father's name in a heartbeat so your lives could return to a sense of normalcy, but it is beyond my power alone. "

"Instead, I can...no; what I want to do at the moment is to do my part to help you and your family out. I know your mother is a proud lady, and like I said, we've been speaking at length about this subject. But you are my successor, and now, I'm your teacher; my main goal is to ensure you have all the tools to succeed, and one of those tools is peace of mind at home. Yet...it seems I may have been wrong again; please forgive me."

"No, no, please, All Might, I didn't mean for it to sound like that!" Izuku pleaded to his longtime hero. "I don't need an apology; I just...wanted more clarity, I guess."

Izuku was feeling better about the subject now that they spoke about it. But he still needed to swallow the rest of his pride for the remaining thoughts of guilt. There was nothing wrong with getting help when it's truly needed.

"Now that I hope we got that out of the way," Toshinori began after a brief silence. "I wanted to speak to you about something important regarding young Eri."

"And that is?"

"We need you to bring her here to UA for a proper evaluation of her Quirk."

"Couldn't we do that with one of the pediatricians who specializes in that?" Izuku questioned, knowing it would be difficult for Eri to be around so many strangers.

"We could, but the investigation about young Eri's past has made a small breakthrough," Toshinori answered. He recently received reports about new information regarding Eri found in the yakuza hideout that had been investigated after the fire. "We've actually managed to recover quite a bit of information about her past."

"Really?!" Izuku said excitedly, hoping the information would help Eri.

"Yes...unfortunately, it was a mixed bag, however. Eri's parents aren't in the picture at all. The rest of the information, combined with the doctor's reports from her first physical that I have received from your mother, only confirmed some of our fears."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, face now full of concern.

"If the reports are correct," The older man grimaced. "She had been a human test subject for a group of villains that spared her no mercy in their...horrific experiments."

At that very moment, Izuku could suddenly feel a wave of burning anger in the pit of his stomach as he processed those words.

'A test subject...a human test subject. Eri...a child, had been used as a human test subject. What kind of monsters could do that to such a sweet girl?'

Izuku had seen the scars on her limbs so many times by now. The fear in her eyes and the screams when her night terrors got the worst of her. All Izuku could feel at that instant was pure boiling hot rage twisting in the pit of his stomach. Katsuki's voice answered his thoughts.

'THOSE...BASTARDS! THOSE EVIL, SICK, TWISTED MOTHERFUCKERS! IF I EVER COME ACROSS THEM, I WILL-'

"Young Midoriya!" Toshinori suddenly called out.

"Huh?!" Izuku breathed out as he was suddenly snapped out of his dark thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Toshinori asked with a hefty look of concern on his face.

"Y-ye-yes, sir," Izuku responded as he relaxed back into his seat with a developing headache.

All Might looked at the boy, processing what he had just seen.

'I swear I saw his eyes flash red for just a second...I pray it was just a trick of the afternoon light.'

"That aside," Toshinori decided to continue the conversation by staying the course and keeping Izuku's focus on what was best for Eri. "We found out that her Quirk could possibly be very dangerous. Enough that even with the looser reforms that are currently being proposed in the Diet, her Quirk could still be enough to place her into isolation."

"NO!" Izuku yelled, suddenly standing up. The mental image of Eri being left all alone crying again ran through his head. Realizing how rude his outburst was, he quickly bowed and apologized to the man.

"It's okay, young Midoriya. This is why we want to do the evaluation here at UA; she may have to attend with you here for a week or two. But I've already spoken about it with the staff here, and we've gotten the go-ahead."

"Okay...but is that really the best idea, All Might?"

"Given that you and young Uraraka have been able to deal with young Eri out in public," Toshinori responded warmly, trying to lift the mood. "I don't see the harm in bringing her here as well, as it will only be a short period. Plus, if this all goes well, we can upgrade her status and can even get her formally enrolled in a school for herself."

"That would be good; Mom and I have been thinking a lot about that for her, you know?"

Toshinori nodded before speaking up once again with a slightly related subject.

"Ah, that reminds me, my dear young man...what exactly is your relationship with Miss Uraraka?"

"W-w-what?" Izuku stuttered, his face turning red with embarrassment. "We're just friends...I think?"

"You two are on a first-name basis, and I did first meet the lass in her apartment with you," Toshinori lightly teased his young apprentice with a playful grin. "I hope that you haven't been exploring youth too much, my young successor."

"I swear, All Might! We haven't done anything like that!" Izuku said, hoping to drop the subject before he dropped dead from the sheer embarrassment.

"Very well, now...does she know anything critical?" Toshinori added, his tone turning serious. A change that Izuku more than welcomed to save himself from further embarrassment.

"No, sir. Nothing about my powers, and we've even managed to lay low about my father for now."

Toshinori relaxed his posture with Izuku's answer.

"You're worried, aren't you, my boy? About how she might react to the truth about your family's past."

"Yes, sir...history hasn't been the most kind to me when people discover the truth about me and connections with my father...I just hope with her that things will be different, if not for me, but for Eri."

Toshinori smiled at the response; Izuku still placed others before himself.

"If you want, and only if you really ever plan to tell her about your father," Toshinori responded gently, knowing Izuku needed all the support he could get. "I can be there by your side to help explain anything and address any concerns she might have about you."

"You would do that for me, All Might?" Izuku said, surprised by the offer.

"Of course, my boy. Now go on home; I'm pretty sure I've taken more than enough of your time already. Speak with your mother when you get the chance about the new plan. She knows most of the details already. But I think you and young Uraraka should make a basic plan with her while I get a guest pass ready for young Eri."

"Yes, sir, and thank you again, sir," Izuku said, bowing to Toshinori before heading out the door. The veteran Pro sighed with relief as he melted into the couch once he was alone. His tired eyes looked at the setting sun through the windows. He still had a lot more work that needed to be done before the day was finished.

"Man...being a teacher is hard..."


Sir Nighteye sat with the most incredible look of annoyance as he was forced to listen to the current Representative speaking before the Diet. He was forced to stomach the man's diatribe against foreign heroes in Japan and propose new legislation to make it more difficult for said foreign heroes to get licensed in Japan. All in the efforts to promote a nationalist agenda under the guise of preserving a sense of quality and trust that apparently only homegrown Pro-heroes could provide.

It didn't help that the man speaking, Representative Kimura, was the Diet's liaison with the Japanese branch of the HSPC.

"Ever since the incidents with the "Hero" Captain Celebrity(*3)..." The man continued his rant, echoing throughout the grand stage, which was the whole legislative body of the country.

Nighteye sighed as he fixed his glasses.

"Some people never let things go," The man whispered as he rubbed his temples in annoyance.

Captain Celebrity had been a Pro-Hero in the US and was forced to come to Japan in disgrace due to several scandals that plagued his career. However, the man had seen real progress in trying to get his act together in the last few years after a large-scale bust of the drug Trigger a few years ago. Yet, there were always those with an agenda who refused to acknowledge his efforts to reform himself just to prove a point.

"Hey, Sasaki," Nighteye turned to the young man next to him, another representative named Akihisa Yoshi, a member of his own coalition. However, Nighteye often found him to be a boorish, immature idiot and did not hold his breath when it came to his...commentaries. Nighteye still could not believe such a man could ever be elected.

"Yes, Yoshi?" Nighteye answered, knowing he would regret speaking to the boyish man.

"Ya think Kimura's wife took a round with the big Double C? It would explain the hard-on he has for the guy."

It took tremendous willpower for Nighteye not to smack his fellow Representative upside his head. His political allies weren't much better than those in the Neocon movement. Still, he ultimately needed to work with them. After a few more moments, he finally answered the boyish politician.

"I do not know if that would be the case, but even if it was, it does not reason to condemn other foreign pro-heroes who work here or foreign students with hopes here."

"Yeah, that would suck; there's this one Pro that I met when I went on a tour of I-Island. An American Pro: Cow Lady II, lord have mercy the knockers on her! And she does a lot of joint work with our pros here. Be a real shame if she suddenly found herself not working here anymore."

Nigheye glared at the young man, who finally seemed to get the message upon seeing the retired Pro's face.

'Foolish boy.' Nighteye thought that he could barely stomach the life of politics, longing for his days of being a Pro-Hero; hell, being All Might's sidekick was better than this. 'I miss my agency...I miss my old office...I miss Tickle Hell...'

"Thank you, Representative." The Speaker of the House spoke up as Representative Kimura took his seat with the rest of the parties allied with the Neocons. "The proposed bill is that the Representative is now ready for a vote."

Nighteye looked down, seeing many in the Neocons already handing in their votes. He voted "No" and prayed that the votes would go his way, as some on his side agreed with the neocons on this topic. Still, he was biding his time; he had his own bills to propose, and the moment the committees got reshuffled. He'll be able to pounce and call for a vote to override the National Police Commission to set up a proper Internal Affairs investigation at the national level.

Sooner or later, Kai Doumeki and his suspected partners would have crosshairs squared directly on them.


Author's Commentary

The new arc kicks off by seeing the first steps everyone undertakes in this soon-to-be chaotic journey. When I first wrote this chapter many years ago, it was missing a ton of the finer details and it wasn't coming off the heels of the Arc VII chapter. It felt like a basic next step, but now it feels like a real bridge between the Arcs. Introducing us to some new ideas, new characters both canon and non-canon, while new developments in the shadows are taking place to challenge our heroes.

(*1)Fire-Eater: Ryu, cheeky little bastard, and yes, that was a reference to the anime/manga Fairy Tail. There are some similarities between Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer magic and Ryu's Quirk. Like I mentioned, Ryu is both canon and non-canon, but again I can't reveal how this works just yet. However, if you look at the stories that inspired me and are sharp with MHA lore. On who inspired his canonical status while getting a better idea on the full range of his abilities.

(*2)Captain Celebrity: Not an OC. He is an American Pro-hero who debuted in Vigilantes's My Hero Academia spin-off series. So he is entirely canonical and, like everything else in this story. There are a few changes from what happened in the vigilante's storyline to make sure things make sense for this story.

Now, I know some readers have been asking for years for details about including the Vigilantes in my storyline, and while there are elements of that story in the Untold Universe. I just cannot do a whole story based on it, because it would spoil A LOT. Let's just say this, Tomura and his "family members" were we more active during that era and technically prevented or altered several events that happened during Vigilantes era. Readers of the vigilantes manga might find references to certain arcs and how they changed later on down the story line.

That covers every that I wanted to go through today, I'll see you all next time!

ZX