Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

At the end of the beginning, they threw Deku into deep water and expected him to swim. He learned then that he learned quickly. And he learned about pain.

“You’ve grown from the last we saw each other.”

That was a lie. Deku was just as pathetic a creature as when they first caged him. He nodded regardless. Rat could play along with Sensei’s games better than the others.

“I trust your education is almost complete?”

Why would Sensei summon him if not?

“Speak, boy.”

A shiver crawled up Deku’s arms and legs, making his skin tremble. The Hound wanted out. Deku couldn’t let the Hound out now. That beast would be worse than useless in this situation.

“Y-yes, sir,” he squeaked. “Toga was especially helpful with my social reeducation, a-a-and Dabi and I have been training more with my quirk, getting the duration of each change to increase. Shigaraki…” Deku trailed off. He swallowed. “Well, w-we’ve gone over tactics, mostly, and subterfuge. And…yeah. M-m-mostly that.”

Sensei hummed. Deku got the feeling his master hadn’t listened at all. The tall, shadowy bulk of him slunk closer, making Deku back up instinctually. He forced the Hound to remain where he stood as a large hand reached out, clasping his shoulder in a vice grip. The hand caused all of the writhing identities inside of him to still.

“You’ve come a long way, child, and in such a short time. It was less than a year ago that you remained in the cage, a thing of madness. You were no better than a dog. Do you recall?”

“Yes, I-I…I do.”

“Good.” The hand pressed on him and his quaking knees threatened to buckle. “Never forget where you came from, boy. You are not a person like the others. You are my creation, sculpted to help carry out the plans for the new world. You have no purpose other than what I give to you. You will play your part, or I will unmake you. You do understand.”

It was not a question. Deku nodded numbly. He quickly remembered Sensei’s lesson, and said, “I do understand. T-thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”

“Your talents make you particularly suited for this assignment. I trust you, Izuku. I know you won’t disappoint.”

Another shudder. Of course, Sensei trusted him. It was in the nature of a hound to adapt and shape to its environment. That had been the first thing Sensei taught him.

“In light of your high performance, I have something in mind to give you. A reward to help with your upcoming task.”

Oh, no.

Deku’s trembling increased, the bones of his legs turning to jelly. Whatever Sensei wanted to give him, it would only make things so much worse. His body and mind were tangled and misshapen enough already.

“T-that's really not…. I don’t think another one is a good idea right now-”

“Silence.”

Deku’s mouth slammed shut. He wanted to cry. He wanted to beg and grovel like a cowering dog. He knew it was futile. Sensei had too much ambition. He often got carried away by his discoveries and cared little for the consequences. There was another mutant-type quirk he wanted Deku to possess, no matter how much it might cost his body and soul to do so.

What was left inside him to sever away?

He would soon find out.

---

Sensei gave Deku five or six quirks in total. Five, not counting the generic transformation quirk that meant nothing to a terrified child recently torn away from the cooling body of his mother. He does not know if he had the quirk before they took him or not. Why they wanted him in particular, he does not know either. There is little of the “him” from before left to remember.

Sensei called them “gifts.” Deku would know them as the new occupants in his head, taking up space where there should exist a whole person. He often wonders if he exists at all, or if he was simply a malformed amalgamation of the traits and powers rammed into his body, separated by trauma and necessity. He does not know the exact order they were gifted to him. The Hound probably came first. He is the undercurrent to everything Deku feels. He is the reason Deku stays complacent – how he survives.

Angel came after. He was like a shining light in the world when there was no one. Not exactly a “friend,” as Deku would call him. Angel has too much of a superiority complex to truly befriend anyone. The same is true of Rat and Dragon, though for vastly different reasons.

It took years in that cage to pull together a semblance of humanity. The others both helped in their different ways and hindered him. Together they pieced themselves into something resembling a human, something functional. When they finally released him from that cage, he was a trembling, malleable mess, willing to do anything and everything required of him so long as he never returned. The various members of the League taught him well enough. Some of them liked his fear and took advantage. His education came in many forms, some not so intentional. They had plans to insert him into the hero academy as a mole. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. Deku would do it faithfully.

Only a week before they planted him, Sensei gave Deku his final gift. That week was lost from his memory. The others told him he had done well, training with them and going over strategies. He had been sociable and quick to learn. He didn’t feel like himself anymore (not that he ever felt like anyone in the first place, and yet). Something was different. A shadow now lurked at the corner of his eyes. Nightmare, he called the newest of the group.

And then there were five.

Chapter Text

“Welcome to the academy,” said the bored teacher at the gate. He eyed the lightly-packed bag slung over Deku’s shoulder. “My name is Shota Aizawa. I’ll be your homeroom teacher for the term. Is that everything you brought with you?”

Deku tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack. Was he supposed to have more things? He didn’t have his uniform or supplies yet.

“Y-yes?”

The teacher looked at him with a strange, flat expression. He was being examined. Deku tried not to fidget under the man’s intense stare. He didn’t know where he was or how he got here. He had a vague recollection of someone dropping him off. His memories tended to get fuzzy when he was nervous, and since this latest gift from Sensei…

Well. At the very least, he knew this was his major assignment. The details would come back to him when he needed them.

Shota Aizawa, his third eye informed him. Pro hero Eraserhead. Underground. Works as a teacher at the Hero Academy U.A. High School. Can erase a quirk so long as he watches the user.

Deku blinked hard. Aizawa was evidently not employing his talents at the moment. The power of the third eye was new to him, and it made his head throb with tension. It didn’t seem he could turn it off.

U.A High School, huh? It sounded familiar.

The teacher rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Well then. Kozue Oshiro, right? I’m not mixing you up with some other kid standing outside our school?”

It was always a possibility. “That’s…that’s me.”

“Right.”

Aizawa didn’t look convinced.

“I’m sure you are aware that it’s the weekend. The construction of the dorms has been pushed back, meaning we still have some time left before you can live on campus. That means you have to live with me for the next few weeks.”

Deku wondered who was the unfortunate one in this situation. Probably him.

The teacher continued, “While we’re here, I thought it would be a good time to show you the grounds. You’ll be disoriented enough on Monday without getting lost. And there were a few things Principal Nezu wanted to clear up about your quirk as well.”

Terror clawed up Deku’s spine. He did his best not to let any of it leak out. He didn’t even know this Nezu person, anyway. He might be nice. Ha.

“Okay.”

Something about his reaction made Aizawa pause. He didn’t mention it. He turned and said, “Follow me then,” and Deku did as he was told.

I don’t like him, sniffed Rat. He suspects we’re up to something.

Dragon stirred from his slumber. A fight? He gurgled, his voice calling from far underwater.

Deku ignored them. For now.

Their steps echoed across the campus yard. Daku felt the ground stretch on forever. He couldn’t recall being in a space so large. When had he last been outside, watching the setting sun?

“Watch your step.”

Deku halted in his tracks as the man in front of him stalled, opening the front door to the enormous, gleaming, many-windowed building awaiting them. It was then that a fraction of what Sensei wanted from him hit him in the chest.

This assignment was going to be a problem.

The teacher gave Deku another one of those suspicious looks. Deku studiously ignored him as he ascended the steps and entered the jaws of his doom.

Each part of him had different reactions to being inside the school. The Hound’s instincts were ingrained into him: don’t like big space, don’t like scary sounds, don’t like unknown people.

But that was always what the Hound felt. Rat was looking for escape routes, angles of attack, anything to keep them alive. That was what Rat did best, and he did it at every hour of the day. Dragon was content to slumber onward for the time being. He kept one eye slightly ajar, ready to spring into action should Deku need him.

And then, there was the newest part of him. He didn’t care to know what that particular shadow had to say.

The most prominent voice clamoring inside him, however, was Angel. Deku couldn’t help but be swept up in his fiery passion. Angel was most similar to what he imagined he had been before the cage: impassioned, loyal, prideful. Angel knew their true goal in this assignment, and yet he couldn’t help but revel in the chance to attend a school and be someone significant. And a hero school, at that.

Calm yourself, Deku told him. Set realistic expectations. Angel of course ignored his advice.

They walked through the echoing halls in silence. It felt like walking in a dream. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe Deku was still in that cage and had finally lost his marbles.

“Inside here, please.”

Deku startled, standing in a new place, an unknown amount of time having passed. Aizawa guested with his chin to another open doorway. “Right here.”

Dubiously, haltingly, Deku entered the room. A large desk and a big chair waited inside. No one occupied them that he could see.

I sense it, shrilled the Hound at his temples. Danger!

Go away stupid mutt!

The chair moved, and suddenly he didn’t know if the Hound had been so wrong. There was a presence in the room he had not noticed before. His spine stiffened as a small animal in a suit stepped onto the desk and bowed deeply to him.

“Hello!” greeted the white rodent with an intelligence quirk. Already, he reminded Deku of Rat’s nervous cunning. “Principal Nezu, at your service!”

Deku shifted on his feet. Was he supposed to applaud? Toga’s education had been a bit…lacking.

The principal lifted a cup of tea. “I must admit, you are an interesting case, Kozue Oshiro. A last-minute student entered through official recommendation, whose guardians are not here to greet us, or to care for you while we complete the dorms… You wouldn’t happen to know which hero provided your recommendation to the school, would you? The board has been surprisingly tight-lipped on that subject.”

“Um, no?”

Nezu cleared his throat, and there followed a long moment of silence which Deku felt he was meant to fill.

“As it stands,” the principal continued at last, “your quirk application forms were frustratingly short on details. This must be corrected to place you in the appropriate course. I understand it is something of a minor transformation quirk?”

Deku pulled tighter on his backpack strap. “Um, I guess you could say that…”

He tried in desperation to recall everything he and Shigaraki had studiously drilled over the past week. If only he hadn’t been so occupied with holding together the pieces of his sanity.

Aizawa shifted beside him and the principal sipped his tea. “Take your time. And don’t be so nervous! It’s not a problem if you find it hard to explain. We’re no strangers to weird or overly complex quirks. We simply need to know all the aspects of what we’re dealing with. Why don’t you take a seat?”

Deku hadn’t been aware of the chair behind him, but he sat, as the principal suggested. There was another long pause, and this time Deku understood he was meant to be the one to speak.

“Right. So, my quirk.” He licked his dry lips, mouth sticky. “You know I can transform? A…a little bit?”

“A little bit” was a major stretch. He waited on the adults this time, and they nodded, encouraging him to continue.

“I can…I mean, I can transform parts of my body, depending on the situation. Just…animal stuff, y’know?” He swallowed. “N-nothing overly specific. Claws, and larger ears, and enhanced muscles for running a-and stuff.” He raised his hand and grew out his nails into Dragon’s claws. “Only certain animals. I could make a list for you, but, ah, it might be a lot.”

“Humm…” Nezu muttered, examining him with those twinkling dark eyes. The Hound should have wanted to chase this creature down, but the Hound was also a coward at heart, and so the cutting, too-knowing gaze of the principal made Deku shrink away. “And which animals?”

Deku hesitated. Had he gone too far with that? He needed to keep his full transformations a secret for the sake of his assignment. “Their, ah, m-mammals? Mostly, I mean, I can do some other things too if I try, but those are the easier things.”

Aizawa jumped in, “So this is localized to a single body part?”

“Yes?”

The teacher narrowed his eyes and Deku hastily continued, “I-I mean, I can do more but it kind of hurts? And it’s harder. Easier to f-focus on one thing at a time.”

All true. The best lies were centered in truth. Shigaraki had taught him.

“You said it hurts. Is that due to over-use as well? Are there any other effects we should know about?”

“Um…I, um…”

Deku’s gaze flittered from one expectant face to the other and then down to his fidgeting hands. What to say to that question, he had no iota of a clue. He felt suddenly too light, too out of his head. What was Sensei thinking, putting him in this den of wolves?

“Kid?”

He jolted. “Right. So. My quirk.” He bit his lip and tried to keep the Hound’s canines from drawing blood. “No? I mean, if I use it too much, I get kind of antsy. More…more than usual, I guess.” He let out a scattered laugh. No one else joined him.

Aizawa frowned. “Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?”

“Oh – ah. Why-why would you say that?”

He tried to play it off as nothing. Rat signed internally and pushed Deku out of the driver’s seat. My turn, before you ruin everything.

“I’m fine.” Rat cleared his throat, interrupting the adults before they could answer. “Should I not be nervous about my first time in such a prestigious institution?”

The two adults exchanged looks. “I suppose,” Aizawa began, “but-”

“Nothing to worry about. I do feel somewhat overwhelmed by the enormity of everything. I didn’t even know I was coming until last week. I’m sure you understand.”

More lies buried in truth. Rat reveled in his tangled knots.

“Could we go to your house now? I’m very tired. I’d like to get a good night’s rest.”

His homeroom teacher stared down at him, something shifting behind his level gaze. Deku stared back stubbornly. It was the perfect thing to say, and yet perhaps a little too perfect. Teenagers were rarely so articulate. Still, the man would have nothing to complain about this way.

Nezu clapped his small paws. “Wonderful! I understand young Oshiro still requires his supplies. You can both return tomorrow to pick up a spare uniform and books. Does that sound agreeable to everyone?”

“Agreed,” said Rat, nodding sharply.

Aizawa signed after a long moment of consideration. “Agreed.”

And so began Deku’s life in a new, very different sort of hell.

Chapter Text

The ride to Aizawa’s home was awkwardly long and short at once. That didn’t matter to Deku. He was too stuck in his head, arguing with the voices inside him like a four-way ping-pong match.

Let me stay in charge, Rat insisted. They trust me. I can be a good student. I can be watchful like the master wants.

Angel easily pushed him aside. You would make a terrible option! No one wishes for a scheming rodent to rescue them. Me, on the other hand…

Deku and Dragon both rolled their eyes in unison. Amateurs, Dragon huffed. Deku rolled his eyes at Dragon, too.

Like you’re one to talk. We all know the same things!

“So…”

Aizawa cleared his throat. He was watching Deku through the rearview mirror. “Your father is a hero from Nagasaki, also with a non-specific animal transformation quirk. And your mother is…quirkless.”

The man had a strange way of making conversation. Still, it saved Deku the energy to recall the details of his cover. He shrugged. It was a lie, but it felt right, somehow.

A smile, more of a grimace, tugged at the corner of the teacher’s mouth. “Not especially talkative, are you?”

“What should I say?”

The question came out a little too forced, too robotic.

Aizawa frowned. “Nothing. You don’t have to say anything.”

The rest of the ride continued in strained silence.

They arrived at the little apartment complex in time to watch the sun vanish below the city skyline. Aizawa escorted him up several flights of outside steps. Deku was dead on his feet by the time they arrived at the apartment and he stumbled into the front room. He removed his shoes, almost falling over as he did, and placed them on the rack where his teacher indicated. That was one of the few things Toga instilled into him during his social “reeducation.” She had weird a thing about household customs.

The sound of a merry whistle emanated from the kitchen, along with some very tantalizing smells. Dragon and the Hound lifted their heads at that. Deku’s stomach let out a low rumble.

“I see I don’t need to ask if you’re hungry.” Aizawa threw his bag on the floor against the couch. He motioned with his head toward the kitchen. “My husband Hisashi Yamada will be your school president. At home, however, he’s more of a domestic type. I’m sure you’ll get along swimmingly.”

“…Okay.” Deku was staring after the kitchen, trying to keep in his drool.

The teacher rubbed his face. “Hey, kid. Are those senses of yours enhanced all the time, or only when you transform?”

Deku stiffened. He could lie and say no. Keep one of his best weapons close, at the expense of future mistakes. He didn’t want to do that, either. Every option felt like a bad idea.

“Kid?”

“I, um.” Deku fidgeted. “Yes? I mean, kind of…”

“Kind of,” the man repeated flatly.

“Y-yes, sir. I guess they are a little heightened. You know, on their own…”

“Well then. I’ll remind Hizashi not to use his quirk around you. He’s usually not so bad, but sometimes he gets a little carried off.”

As if on cue, the sounds of water ceased in the kitchen. “Oh, honey!” called an enthusiastic voice. “I can hear you!”

Aizawa pulled down at the skin around his eyes in evident exhaustion. When the bright, spiky-haired face of his husband burst into the front room, however, Aizawa’s smile was genuine.

Hizashi Yamada, recited the third eye. President of U.A. High School. Known pro hero President Mic. Married to pro hero Eraserhead. Quirk: enhanced voice.

There was more, but Deku shut it down. His forehead throbbed, and he resisted the urge to clutch his face in the middle of an introduction. The room was suddenly ten degrees too cold.

“And you must be Oshiro! Welcome, welcome! What was this again about me getting carried off?”

The two adults embraced for a quick kiss, and Deku found himself looking down at his feet, heat rising in his face. People hooked up all the time around the League HQ, but something about this was too real. Too meaningful. The phantom brush of hands rolled across his back, and he shivered, banishing all the thoughts in his head.

Aizawa separated them. “When don’t you get carried off?” he grumbled.

The two turned back to Deku. Hizashi said, “I take it my illustrious voice isn’t appreciated by everyone.”

Deku looked to Aizawa, not sure what to say. His new homeroom teacher seemed to find that amusing.  

“Our guest has a quirk that enhances the senses. That means we need to bring things down a notch.”

“Well, I say it’s a shame! But I take your point. I can turn down the volume sometimes.”

Hizashi’s volume had stayed relatively the same, so Deku took it to mean he would refrain from getting any louder. Great. Just fantastic.

“Where do I sleep?” Deku asked abruptly. He wanted to put down his bag. He looked at the couch. It seemed comfortable enough.

“Oh, no!” Hizashi scolded, and Deku flinched, wondering where else they might think to put him. He started looking for broom closets or basements. Of course, they didn’t have a basement, living in a nice apartment complex. But they might have a panic room. Those could just as easily be used to keep people inside as well as out. The Hound was pounding in his chest now, and Dragon at his clenched hands, and Rat squeaking into his ear things he couldn’t pay attention to right now, Rat. Go away!

“Your room is just over here!”

The blond hero gestured down the hallway. Both heroes looked at him expectantly, and Deku swallowed, trying to take a deep breath. They were watching him. Scrutinizing his every move. He needed to get himself under control.

He followed the couple down the hallway to what would be his room for the foreseeable future. Hizashi kept talking, “We have an official fostering license, so different kids have used this room over the years. It shouldn’t be a problem. If you find any secret stashes of drugs, be sure and let us know!”

Deku stood alone by the bed while the other two waited outside. He turned to them. Hizashi held an oddly expectant look on his face while Aizawa spent the last minute in quiet observation. Had the last part been a joke? Deku didn’t know if he should laugh, and it was too late now to laugh, anyway. So he stared at them.

“Right.” Hizashi chuckled nervously. “Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. We’ll get you if you haven’t come out to join us. Okay?”

It felt more like a threat than a statement of fact. Deku nodded, and the two walked away, going back to the kitchen. He went to the door and closed it behind them, having to tug out the claws stuck in his backpack strap. The door didn’t have a lock.

Deku sighed, tossing his bag onto the bed. He opened the zipper and searched inside. There wasn’t much to find. He had a few changes of socks and underwear, one pair of pants, and a t-shirt. He had a toothbrush but no paste. Damn it, who had been in charge of packing his bag? Maybe it was him, and he didn’t remember.

The room was larger than anywhere else he’d ever lived. Done with everything he could think to do, Deku stood by the door and listened. Dogs were often thought to have the highest range of hearing among animals. In truth, rodents can hear at much higher ranges than dogs, making them more suitable to situations like this one.

Deku summoned a bit of Rat and pressed his large, rounded ear to the door. The two husbands muttered in the kitchen. They knew he had the potential to listen in on them. The thing is: if you take the ear of a rodent and size it up to human proportions, you get something far, far more powerful.

“…think Nezu might be right on this,” Aizawa was saying. “There’s just so many little things, stuff I can’t quite articulate. What do you think?”

Hizashi hummed. “I trust your judgment.”

“What, don’t want to throw in your opinion?”

“You know my opinion already. It’s the same as yours.”

They suspect us! hissed Rat.

They are heroes, Angel chastised him. They suspect everyone coming into their school. We must do our best to prove we are true of heart.

They finished making dinner without further comments. Deku opted to leave and join the table rather than having the adults come and get him. He shuffled awkwardly at the edge of the room until Hizashi spotted him and insisted he take a seat. “I hope you like Donburi. Are there any particular toppings you don’t want?”

Deku stared at him blankly. Was that a test question?

“…I guess I’ll throw it all on, then. Let me know if I put too much.”

Deku didn’t know why he would do that, so he sat in silence while the blond-haired hero filled up his bowl with rice, sliced pork, and fried vegetables. It smelled like everything he ever dreamed a restaurant would taste like. His eyes trailed the food as it came closer, and he resisted the urge to snatch it and pile it into his mouth.

He stilled the Hound rioting inside him to eat the food before someone took it away. His hands shook on his lap as he stared at the steaming, still-simmering bowl before him, waiting for the others to get their meals and sit down. The two heroes said a silent prayer of thanks, and Deku dipped his head, pleading with whatever deity to please just let him eat already. He slid his hand up along the table to still his quaking as he retrieved the chopsticks. He picked up a piece of pork, and somehow he managed to raise it to his mouth. He ate the meat.

Suddenly, no one else was in the room with him except that bowl of Donburi. He shoveled bite after bite into his mouth until he was halfway down and choking. He coughed a few times when rice traveled down the wrong tube, and someone started padding his back like Toga did when he panicked.

Voices filtered back to him slowly.

“…The hell do you do that for?” Hizashi was scolding him, though not in an especially mean way. He sounded a little alarmed, to be honest. The two of them had probably been telling him to slow down for a while before he started to choke.

“Sorry,” Deku managed to rasp as he took a swig of his water. “I got a little carried away. Your food. It, ah, it smells good.”

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. “Are strong smells going to be a problem?”

“No! I-I mean, it won’t happen again. I’m just not used to eating food that tastes this good.”

“You’ve never had Donburi?”

“I, ah…”

There was always the possibility his mother made it for him. He couldn’t even remember her face now, let alone the taste of her home-cooked meals. The majority of what he knew was the salty tang of instant ramen or canned soup. They fed him granola bars in the cage when they were generous. He still can’t smell oats or peanuts without feeling sick.

But he couldn’t say that, of course. For all these people knew, he had loving parents waiting for him to return next weekend. He was supposed to be a normal kid who did normal things like eating wonderful meals every day.

Surprisingly, Angel decided to answer, saying, “My mother’s cooking is quite lacking. While I do appreciate her hard work, I wouldn’t say I have a good time eating at home.”

It was convenient that nothing he said was a lie. Angel hated lying, even when he knew it was necessary.

Hizashi said, “Well maybe that’s why you’re so scrawny. You gotta get some meat on those bones if you wanna be a hero, kid. But go slower this time.”

“R-right.” Deku picked up his chopsticks again. He suddenly felt very, very full. He probably hadn’t eaten this many calories in a while. He thought he might throw up if he continued, but he picked up another piece of pork and shoved it in his mouth regardless, showing them he could eat more slowly. At least it still tasted like heaven.

They continued with their meal for a few minutes. Eventually, Aizawa announced, “We’re going back to the school again tomorrow to pick up your books. We still have to request a uniform, but for the time being you can borrow one of our spares that fit. Have you filled out a uniform request form yet?”

Deku shook his head, so Aizawa went to his office and came back with a paper to fill out with all of his measurements. There was a large section available for special requests. Deku considered asking for slots under his arms so he could summon his wings. He decided against it.

“You’ll have a similar form for your hero costume, but we can use the numbers on this one so long as they’re correct. I’ll give you more time to make a sketch for that.”

Deku stared down at the form. “T-thank you,” he said hastily. Never forget your manners. “I’m very grateful this is an option, it’s just…”

“You don’t know your measurements.”

“Um, yeah.” Deku felt his face heating up. “I have no clue.”

His homeroom teacher hummed. He had probably suspected as much. “Well, we’ll just have to figure it out. You have your measuring tape, Hizashi?”

“I can find it!”

They spent the next half-hour measuring Deku from head to foot and filling out the form. By the time they were done, he was ready to pass out on his feet. They said goodnight and he tottered back to his too-large room and shut the door. Going to his backpack, he pulled out the disposable flip phone Dabi had probably given him and read the message on the screen.

Emergency mission, it said. His third eye instantly devoured the message and then he deleted it.

Deku went to the bed and lay down. He was tired. He would sleep for however long his body allowed, usually a few hours at most, and then get up to fulfill his mission.

Tonight, Angel was going out for a spin.

Chapter Text

“Alright.” Deku took a deep breath in an attempt to steady his nerves. He stood on the apartment complex roof, shirtless and barefoot, wearing only his utility pants and Angel’s goggles clutched in his hands. He paced back and forth a few times, trying to psych himself into jumping off the edge.  

He shook out his arms and legs, envisioning what Angel’s power felt like coursing through him.

You could allow me control, Angel argued.

Deku ignored him. Angel would have control enough while they used his form. He couldn’t afford to lean too heavily into any of his personas, or they might take him over completely.

And what’s so wrong with that? I’m perfect! I would lead us to victory!

Ignoring him, Deku stepped to the ledge and looked down. He swallowed and stepped back. Okay. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. It was fine, though. He had done this plenty of times before with Dabi. He could do it on his own, no problem.

Deku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He held out his arms, fully allowing Angel’s power to ignite inside him. His whole body jolted from the force of righteous fire washing through his blood, cleansing him. His bones were set on fire as the change took hold. That was probably the worst part about using Angel. All the changes hurt in their own way, but Angel had the most extreme mutations. His bones took on a lighter consistency and warped to an anatomy better suited for flight. His arms and feet grew longer while his thigh bones shrank, bringing his knees closer to his body. His fingers thickened and elongated until his arm span more than doubled his height. Deku bit back a groan as flight feathers grew out of the bone of his arms and tore through his skin. He had twenty on each wing, with smaller feathers on top to help him steer in the air. Hundreds and hundreds of softer feathers burst across his head and torso. They were tinted a rusty brown in the dark of the city nightlights.

And those were only the most obvious changes. Inside, Deku’s body was burning. He couldn’t breathe for a time as his lungs divided and moved in his chest, his entire respiratory system getting a re-arrangement. He almost fell when his toes curled into nasty claws, skewing his balance. He hunched forward and clutched his face as Angel’s beak warped his mouth and broke his jaw.

The mutant who stood on the roof was not quite a bird and not quite a bat. His feathered wings reminded Deku more of those flying dinosaurs than any existing creature. He could still use his clawed thumb and first finger to grab onto things, which was especially useful on jobs. He used them to feel his face, flexing the strange, owl-like beak where his mouth and nose used to rest. It was strange, that part. The beak was more of a covering – Deku still had all his regular human teeth.

Angel stepped up to the ledge. Unlike Deku’s boring, regular form, Angel’s feet clutched the edge with confidence, his balance better than any human. His sharp eyes raked the city skyline for movement. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Well then. He would have to change that, wouldn’t he?

Sliding the goggles over his face, Angel stepped back from the ledge. He flapped his arms several times to feel the air currents. Then, he got a running start – one, two, three huge running jumps – and threw himself into the sky.

“Yeah!” Angel couldn’t help but shout as the air caught his wings and yanked him higher, above the approaching building in front of him. He flapped and rose to greater heights. The night’s wind was cold against his skin, but Angel’s fire kept him warm.

This was true freedom!

He and Dabi had practiced flying and using his feathers as weapons in abandoned parking lots. This was the first he had gotten to really stretch his wings. Despite Angel’s flaws, the mutant embodied the soul of purpose and adventure. Deku’s problems began to disappear as he became someone else, a hero who could face anything thrown his way.

Except we’re a villain, Rat reminded him.

Yeah, yeah. Angel rolled his eyes. Whatever.

Tonight was supposed to be observation-only. Shigaraki wanted to get the point on Stain’s movements. The League wanted to recruit him, but wouldn’t risk a play until they had an upper hand. Any blackmail material would be doubly rewarded. Shigaraki knew Deku had wings to fly and good eyes. More than that, he knew Deku’s newest gift, a thing that would give him a tremendous advantage in this exact kind of situation.

The thought of what he was meant to do made him shiver. But he wasn’t Deku right now, the little coward bullied by practically everyone he met. No. He was Angel, and Angel wasn’t afraid of the Nightmare.

Eyes wide, he allowed the third eye on his forehead to crack open. Not very far. The knowledge it would give him was already too much to remember later. He had to keep the power focused, or else he would wake up three days from now, not knowing his name.

The city skyline blurred into a haze, then sharpened. The people walking along the street stood out like red pinpricks of light. The more time he spent looking at one, the more detailed and realistic they became, until he could have been walking right alongside them. He reeled the power back suddenly when his wing clipped the side of a skyscraper. He blinked, and his focus changed to the buildings, those standing out and leaving the people invisible.

Angel grit his teeth when his head throbbed in pain. Flying and using the third eye together was harder than he thought. He tried looking for the people again, this time taking firmer control of the eye and demanding answers from it. Give me what I want, he pressed, give me Stain!

The third eye obliged, but not before punishing him with a vicious stab to the temple. The eye opened just the tiniest bit further and swiveled wildly, almost knocking Angel out of the air from the dizzying mismatch of images. Then the eye snapped to a halt, focused on a target far below. A tall, lanky man with a ratted scarf around his neck sat hunched on a roof at the north side of town. He was a lot closer to Aizawa’s apartment complex than Angel had suspected he would be. He wasn’t moving at all. He sat and observed the city below him. Waiting.

Angel knew enough predators to recognize one searching for a meal.

He swooped closer to Stain’s location, staying far enough away to avoid attention. He wasn’t supposed to do anything except observe. A pretty easy assignment. There was only one, tiny, actually huge problem with that.  

Eraserhead was also on the prowl.

The third eye informed him of the knowledge and took its toll in the process. Angel was forced to shut it down before he fell out of the sky. Damn it, what was Aizawa doing out so late? Or early, more like. He supposed it was a weekend night, meaning he didn’t have any school to teach tomorrow. He was probably planning to tough out the sleepiness while escorting Deku around for the day.

That didn’t fix the problem of Stain perched just a few blocks away. Was the hero-killer waiting for Aizawa specifically? It didn’t matter in either case. Eraserhead wasn’t a very well-known hero, but he was a hero, and Stain would use that excuse to take him out. Angel needed to divert his attention before their paths could cross.

Folding in his wings, Deku went down at a steep dive. He angled for the rooftop just in front of the one where Aizawa stood. Shooting out his wings and flapping a few times, he came stumbling to an awkward stop, almost ambling right over the edge of the building. That was the problem with physics-based flight quirks. Any minor disturbance during takeoff or landing meant a messy crash.

He couldn’t have been more obvious if he tired. Eraserhead watched him in confusion while Angel reeled his arms, trying to regain balance. He laughed nervously as he finally got himself under control and faced the pro hero.

“Greetings!” Angel called, waving a wing.

Deku would have palmed his face in exasperation if he had palms. We were supposed to be observing…

“Hello?” Eraserhead said. Angel could almost see his eyes narrow behind his goggles. “Do I know you?”

“Not yet!” Angel declared. “Be assured, fine hero, that you will soon know my name!”

Eraserhead raised an eyebrow. “And that name is…?”

“It’s, ah…” Angel's mind went characteristically blank. He couldn’t just call himself Angel, could he? He had a secret identity to uphold!

You could be Phoenix, suggested Rat in his mousy way, almost like he gnawed at a pencil in thought. Or maybe Emberwing, or Fire-falcon, or Firebird, or-

“I am Firebird!”

Deku had thought the option the weakest of the list, but he supposed it worked well enough. It was too late now to switch, anyway.

“Can I help you, ah, Firebird?”

Angel pointed to Aizawa with his wing. The length of it almost spanned the gap between him and the building where the hero stood. “We are enemies, you and I, for I am an associate of the notorious League of Villains! You are Eraserhead, underground hero to the people. It is our destiny that we meet in glorious battle!”

The mention of the League made Eraserhead tense. “Do you know what you’re talking about?” he asked. “How old are you? Twelve? You’re out flying in the middle of the night. And not very well, I might add.”

A very undignified sound like a chicken’s squawk burst from Angel’s chest. He cleared his throat. “I am a mature adult, actually, and a perfect flyer! I have more knowledge than you can imagine! For instance…” Angel took a step back, letting the tension grow, “I know the person you and your little hero friends are looking for.”

“Do you, now.”

“Of course.” Angel held up the one finger on his right hand. “You want Stain,” he said and reveled in the widened eyes of his teacher. Aizawa opened his mouth to demand where he had gotten that information, but Angel continued, interrupting him, “And I might tell you about him one day. But that’s not who I was referring to. No, Eraserhead. Think for a second. I know about the person you really want.”

He waited, watching the gears turn. He was already on the move when he saw Aizawa’s lips mouthing the name. The name Angel couldn’t allow himself to think for fear of fearing him. He was Angel. He wasn’t allowed to be afraid.

“Don’t use your quirk,” he called out to Eraserhead as he got a running start toward the ledge, “Or I’ll die!”

“Wait-!”

A white scarf snapped out and grabbed Angel’s bare ankle. Angel flapped as hard as he could, giving himself more height, and then brought his wings together, snagging one of the medium-sized feathers off of his opposite wing. He flung the feather at the scarf. The quill caught fire as soon as it left him, alight like a beacon. The explosive heat of it cut the scarf neatly in half. Eraserhead was forced to dodge as the missile blazed past his head.

“See you around, hero!”

Angel shot across the sky in the opposite direction as Stain. He made sure to fly low enough that Eraserhead could chase him for a few blocks. Then he angled upward, flying higher and higher until he vanished from sight.

We’re going to regret that…Rat and Deku thought together.

Angel would agree to disagree.

Chapter Text

Deku and Aizawa had equal bags of defeat under their eyes at breakfast. Aizawa for obvious reasons. He was a hero with a new enigma flying around to worry about. Deku had likewise failed in his attempts to locate his target. He had returned to find Stain gone from his spot, and he couldn’t use the third eye so soon without consequences. He had spent the wee hours of the morning looking for anything to give Shigaraki and came up empty-winged.

That meant he was going to have to go out again tonight.

“Something wrong with your breakfast?” Hizashi asked.

“Oh, ah…”

It must be strange to them, watching Deku devour the Donburi the night before, and now just sitting and staring at his bowl.

Oatmeal. It had honey and nice little fruits on top. Deku should have been starving after all the flying he did last night. Smelling the oats cooking, however, his stomach had clenched up. He tried his best to hold back his nausea.

“It’s nothing,” he choked out, grimacing. “Not very hungry, I guess.”

“You should at least try to eat,” Aizawa said tiredly, sitting down with his own bowl. “We have a lot of errands to run today.” He was looking at his phone, responding to someone’s message. Deku’s third eye offered to give him the information for a price. He refused. His head hurt enough already.

“R-right.”

He picked up his spoon and nibbled on a strawberry. The two men noticed his lack of enthusiasm, but none mentioned it. Hizashi began to do the dishes while Aizawa ate. “You should add our contacts to your phone,” the teacher said, still typing on his screen.

“I don’t…” Deku trailed off when both men’s eyes trained on him. The Hound did not like that. “Ah, I d-don’t have a phone.” The cheap flip phone currently hidden in his bag didn’t count. He ducked his head down. “Sorry.”

“No phone?” Hizashi said in wonderment. “At your age?”

Aizawa frowned. “Why are you sorry? You don’t have control over whether or not your parents gave you a phone.”

“Yeah…I guess…”

The man visibly resisted rubbing his face. He didn’t want Deku to feel like a burden, as though Deku didn’t already. “I’ll add it to our shopping list, then. You need a phone if you’re going to attend U.A., in case of an emergency.”

“Okay.”

“Kid…”

Aizawa trailed off. He and his husband exchanged looks. “Nevermind. Finish your breakfast, and we’ll go.”

Deku managed to choke down all the fruit and a few bites of oatmeal. He should have known it was a mistake when ten minutes later he was heaving up everything he ate into the toilet bowl.

We should have come up with a better excuse, Rat said unhelpfully.

Grimacing, Deku wiped his mouth and flushed the toilet. At least he had managed to keep the puking quiet. He had plenty of practice there.

They left Aizawa’s apartment shortly after, diving to the school first. Deku kept quiet for most of the ride, starting at the sights outside the window. He had never seen this side of the city before. He had never seen a lot of its sides.

The school interior was much the same as yesterday: too big and echoey, with not enough people to fill out the walkways. This is my school, Deku thought idly as he trialed behind his teacher. This is the school I dreamt about as a little kid.

But that had been then, and this was now. That innocent, quirkless child was a distant memory to which Deku had no attachment. Survival did not care about people’s dreams. It was kind of bitchy like that.

They went to a small room filled with several sizes of uniforms and Aizawa left so Deku could try them on and find one that fit. With the teacher gone, Deku felt oddly ungrounded. He picked out the smallest jacket and tried it on. It didn’t exactly fit, per se, but it was as close to something fitting as he would get. He grabbed the matching pants and folded the clothes to take with him. He paused right before opening the door. A loud something rang against the background hum of the building’s inner workings. Probably a generator of some kind. He found it distracting, and the more he listened to it, the louder it got, until it filled his whole head with an overwhelming buzzing.

A knock on the door startled him and he gasped. The buzz faded into the background.

“Kozue? Are you done yet?”

Deku’s breathing was too rapid. He took a few deep breaths, getting it and his shaking under control. He opened the door. Aizawa looked down on him in concern. “Are you alright?”

“Of course,” said Rat innocently. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You were in there for over twenty minutes.”

“Oh, er.” Even Rat stumbled at that information. “I think it important to get the correct uniform. That’s all.”

Aizawa eyed the tiny bundle of clothes under his arm. “Hum. I’m sure.”

They got his books next, and Deku started to sweat, having to haul the huge bundle around with his new uniform sitting on top. Maybe Hizashi was right about him needing to eat more. He wished his transformation quirk allowed him to change into anything he wanted, or at least grow a few inches. Alas, he needed a solid basis on which to morph. That was probably a good thing, considering his lack of knowledge on the inner workings of regular or mutant bodies. Without that basis he might turn into a blob on the floor.

Sensing someone in his way, Deku stepped to the side, too lost in thought following Aizawa to consider what he was doing.

“You’re very perceptive, Oshiro-kun,” said an amused voice.

Deku halted and turned around. No one. He moved the stack of books to the side to see the principal standing beside him. It was strange to stand over anyone, let alone the person he was supposed to follow orders from. Should he be scared of the principle? He felt terrified, but that wasn’t exactly abnormal.

Those dark, shiny eyes watched him like a hawk. Deku swallowed. “T-thank you?”

“Your senses. They are highly enhanced?”

“A little…” Deku said, edging in the direction of Aizawa’s trail. His teacher was already far down the hall. “It, ah, comes with the territory, I guess. See you later, master Principal Nezu, sir.”

He winced at his stumble. The small principal’s eyes glittered with humor. “You as well, young learner.”

Nezu watched him until he caught up with his teacher. He smiled and waved his small paw as they turned the corner.

He’s going to be trouble, Rat commented. Deku couldn’t help but agree. At the same time, he felt Rat’s eagerness for this trial of wits like a vibration in the back of his skull. Rat loved to play his games.

--

They toyed with Deku’s new phone before dinner that night. It felt odd in his hands, as though it didn’t belong there. Hizashi and Aizawa kept their conversation light as they explained to him all the functions of a regular smartphone, but he could tell they were somewhat put off. They expected today’s youth to know far more about technology than they did. Deku had never even used a touch screen.

He sat on the couch and stared into the screen while the men finished dinner. He swiped his finger across the glass, making the app menu scroll up and down. He didn’t know what any of them did besides the obvious ones. There was a chess app. He could play on that.

Sighing, he turned off the screen and set the phone next to him on the couch. He stared at it bitterly. Kids begged and begged their parents for one of these stupid things. He felt absolutely nothing for it but contempt.

“Oh Ko-zue!” Hizashi sang from the kitchen. “Dinner is read-yyyyyy!”

Deku winced. Maybe one day Hizashi would learn to keep it down around him. There was no way Deku would crash his parade.

He walked into the kitchen and sat down at his place on the table. He knew people ate meals at tables, but this was strange for him, to look people in the eye while eating. He was used to standing in a corner, scarfing down whatever he managed to scrape from someone’s jacket pocket. Or he would sit on Toga’s ratty couch and watch the nature channel while slurping ramen. This whole event of setting out silverware and drinks felt too familial. Too homey. It made him paranoid.

“Kozue?”

“Hum?”

Deku looked up to see both men watching him with concern. “Is something wrong?”

He blinked. “No?”

The two husbands exchanged looks. They seemed more confused than anything. Aizawa said, “Are you going to eat that?”

There was a pickled vegetable in his chopsticks. He had been holding it halfway to his mouth and staring at it. “I, um…”

His mind was blank. He felt like a rabbit caught in a snare. What was wrong with him? Honestly, freaking out over a piece of carrot.

He set the chopsticks back down without eating anything. “I not sure I like this,” he admitted lamely. “I mean, I’m sorry, sir.” Shit, shit, shit….

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. “So, you’ve never had tsukemono either?”

“Ah…”

Hizashi gestured at the other bowls on the table, trying to break the tension. “No problem! You can have the regular steamed ones instead. And there’s plenty of fried rice, too.”

“T-thank you, Yamada-sensei.”

Slowly, still waiting for the punishment to fall, Deku reached out and spooned himself more rice. He ate as much as he could stomach without throwing up, knowing Angel would need fuel tonight when he went out. The adults ate their supper over a quiet conversation about tomorrow’s curriculum. They thankfully didn’t invite him to join.

The three fiddled more with Deku’s phone after dinner, showing how to play videos on the internet and take notes. He supposed it was useful. He still missed his notebooks. Sensei always took them away whenever he finished one. They had given him one as part of his school supplies. Only one. Deku would be expected to use it like a normal student. That meant keeping his more astute observations to the domain of his third eye.

Deku yawned loudly, then tensed, eyeing the two men sitting opposite him on the couch.

Hizashi smiled at him ruefully. “Shopping’s a chore, huh? Wears you out.”

“Oshiro,” said Aizawa, and Deku tensed up further, glancing over at him. It felt as though his eyes were the only thing with the ability to move

“Before you go to bed, we decided to put you in class A-1, where I teach. I thought some familiarity would help as you adjust. Does that sound agreeable?”

The man was asking him. Not telling him. Was this a trick? Was Deku supposed to disagree? He couldn’t do that – it went against everything inside of him not to obey.

“…Y-yes, sir.”

Deku tried not to flinch as his new teacher breathed slowly, clearly controlling his reaction. This was it. Deku had no idea what he’d done wrong, but the timing was right. He would now receive his punishment.

“Alright,” said the man. “We’ll knock on your door when breakfast is done, but we expect you to be out of bed and mostly ready by then. You understand?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Goodnight then, Oshiro.”

“G-goodnight.”

More of a question came out as he spoke. He stood on numb legs and looked between the two adults. Slowly, he made his way toward his room, watching them watch him go. Neither made a move to follow him. They did not jump up suddenly and insisted he go a different way.

There was no punishment.

Deku felt as though he floated into his room, shutting the room behind him softly. He waited there, listening for footsteps. None came. He pulled a hand down his face. His night was just getting started.

Chapter Text

Duku felt like a nervous wreck the next day. He had spent far too long flying in the early hours of the morning. Angel liked to take advantage of his free time. He hadn’t encountered Eraserhead, but neither did he find anything on Stain. Everything was relatively quiet last night.

Not good.

Shigaraki would text him any second. He would probably insist on Deku meeting someone in person to give his report. Deku wished he could focus on finding Stain if he wasn’t so scared of going to school.

“Nervous?” Hizashi asked.

Deku jumped from where he stood by the door, clutching his backpack. “Oh, ah, yeah. I-I am.”

He didn’t know why. Sitting in a room listening to someone lecture all day sounded easy enough to him. A little voice in his mind (that little voice being Angel) whispered hero school!

He shushed that rambunctious piece of himself. Go back to sleep. You can be annoying once we get there.

“That’s perfectly understandable!” Hizashi clapped him on the shoulder, and Deku couldn’t resist the slight flinch. The pain from Angel’s transformation still sat hot in his bones. “If any of the students give you a hard time about anything, you come to one of us, okay?”

“O-okay. Thank you.”

Another thing to worry about. Great.

The ride to school seemed to get longer every time. The city looked strange from the level of the ground. Deku trailed nervously behind Aizawa like a stray puppy as they walked up UA’s front steps. Aizawa had on his hero costume, his school bag under his arm. They passed several students lounging outside, chatting with friends or looking at their phones. Many of them glanced at Deku curiously as they passed. A very serious-looking student spend past them with a “Good day, Aizawa-sensei,” and a curt nod in Deku’s direction.

Aizawa nodded to him in return. “Good day, Ida-kun.”

Deku guessed he was one of Aizawa’s other students, and based on how he held himself, he was destined to be class president.

Deku waited nervously in the hallway while Aizawa stepped into the teacher's area to put away his stuff and retrieve coffee. Deku could have used a little of that right now if it wouldn’t make him jumpier. He doubted anyone would give a four-and-a-half-foot-tall teenager coffee, anyway.

A girl with pink skin and hair and black eyes passed him as he waited. She waved at him confidently, and Deku ducked his head, avoiding her stare. Why was this so hard? Maybe the larger spaces, the crowds, the bright lights, or any combination of them that made the Hound so on edge. He decided then and there that he hated this place. He wanted to go home, back to his closet. He wanted to snuggle under a blanket on Toga’s couch and forget everything except the nature channel.

He was biting his nails when Aizawa returned with his coffee. He frowned down at Deku. “Did something happen?”

“Huh?”

“Stop doing that.”

Deku stopped. His thumb was bleeding. “Oh. Ah…”

Aizawa sighed through his nose. “Hold on. I’ll get a band-aid.”

Deku shifted his feet while he waited again for his teacher a second time. It wasn’t like Toga had told him not to do that in public. Then again, maybe she did and Deku hadn’t been listening.

“Here.”

Aizawa arrived with a bandage ready to stick to his finger. Deku held out his thumb as the man wrapped it. “Don’t chew on your nails. It’s an unclean habit that could get infected. If you need an activity to do with your hands, I can get you something else.”

If he summoned his Nightmare, the wound would heal on its own. Deku decided not to mention that.

“Sorr-sorry. I forgot I do that, sometimes.”

“You have a lot of nervous habits,” his teacher observed dryly.

“Um, yeah.” Deku resisted to urge to wring his hands. Probably not the best time. He stuck them in his pockets instead. “I guess so.”

What else were you supposed to do, spinning in circles in a cage?

They went to homeroom after that. The time for them to be there had already passed. Aizawa made Deku stand in the hallway while he introduced him. Deku stood like a jittery animal, wanting to flee. Why was he so nervous? He could deal with a few stares, a few words of gossip. He had larger things in the world to care about than what some teenagers thought of him.

“…And I would like to introduce your new classmate. He’s joining us on special recommendations from Nagasaki. Please welcome to your class transfer student Kozue Oshiro.”

A strange buzzing sound filled Deku’s head as he stepped from the safety of the hall into the classroom. He couldn’t bear to look at anyone at first. He stepped up beside his teacher and bowed deeply, not saying anything.

“Would you like to introduce yourself?”

No, Deku would not.

“Sure. Um…” He straightened, looking out over the dozen or so expectant pairs of eyes. “I’m K-Kozue Oshiro. I’m sorry I’m a week late, but, ah…” What was he supposed to say? “I hope to quickly catch up.”

He bowed again awkwardly. When he straightened, his eyes immediately met with someone amid the crowd. A boy in the middle right side of the class, watching Deku with a stare like molten rock. He had spiky blond hair, blazing red eyes, and an arrogant sneer on his lips.

Bakugo.

That name. Deku jolted as their eyes met. He had known this person from a long-ago lifetime. The memories, both new and old, gave Deku a dull, metallic taste in his mouth. Once, Bakugo had been his idol and his bully. He was the one who named him. Deku could not think of the word quirkless now without that face appearing in his mind’s eye. How had he forgotten? Bakugo had been his first tormentor – the start of everything. Without him, Deku would not have known what a manipulator looked like in Sensei.

“Go ahead and sit in the empty seat.”

The seat just so happened to be right behind his past bully. Deku didn’t know yet if that was a good or bad thing. He quickly shuffled past, avoiding that red glare targeting his every step.

--

The first few classes went by without incident. Aizawa escorted him to English despite Deku having a schedule on him. He had been given a tour of the grounds on Saturday, but by the way his teacher led his every unsure step, the man knew Deku didn’t remember any of it. Maybe it was customary, to be certain he wouldn’t get lost. It was a confusing building for anyone to traverse.

It turned out that Hizashi was his English teacher. Unfortunate, though thankfully he resisted yelling loud enough to shred Deku’s eardrums. It was a hard lesson for someone who’d never been taught English in a formal setting. Thankfully his third eye was adept at context clues, so he was a least semi-confident in the worksheet he turned in.

His history teacher was surprisingly a hero in a scantily-clad costume. Deku had no idea how anyone could focus on history with their teacher dressed like that. He kept his eyes on his notebook and tried not to shake the whole classroom with his restless legs.

He lied to himself when he thought sitting still would be easy. The bell for lunch was like a blessed call from heaven. Deku hurriedly stuffed his bag and made to leave. Those burning red eyes never left his back even after he turned the corner.

It was supposedly lunch now, but he had no idea where to go. He vaguely recalled being shown the cafeteria yesterday – they had eaten a quick lunch of temaki there before running more errands. That whole day was practically a paste of mashed-up memories.

What day wasn’t?

The signs along the ceiling didn’t help at all. None pointed to the direction of food. He must be on the wrong floor. Deku turned a corner he was sure he passed before, and that’s when his senses went off. Something was not right. Did he hear something past that god-awful buzzing noise? No one remained in the halls, except…

A hand grabbed Deku’s shoulder and jerked him through the door to the nearest classroom. He stumbled to a stop inside. The door slammed shut so hard behind him that it bounced back open.

“What. The fuck.”

Bakugo was fuming, red eyes blazing in the dim light of the empty classroom. He sneered. “What are you doing here, Deku?”

That name spoken aloud did strange things inside Deku. For a moment, he simply stood there and stared at his long-ago friend. Hadn’t they once been close? Why did Deku feel such a mixture of extremes inside his chest?

It didn’t matter. He couldn’t afford to let this dumbass kid ruin his assignment. No one could know his true identity.

His face twisted into a scowl. “Do I know you?”

That confused the other boy. Bakugo leaped forward and slammed Deku against the wall, forearm pressed to his chest. “Don’t bullshit me, you little creep. What’s a quirkless looser like you doing here?”

Ah. There was that word again. Inside, all five of his quirks were growing restless. He tried to push them down, but it was impossible to fend them off forever.

“Get your hands off me,” growled Dragon in a low, dangerous voice. It sounded nothing like Deku’s normal tone. It was too rough, too emotionally charged. Dragon didn’t come out very often, but when he did, somebody needed a beating. He was all Deku’s caged frustration at the world pushed into a tiny little ball. He was a grenade ready and willing to explode.

Bakugo leaned away, taken aback by the ferocity. His arm, however, only pressed harder against Deku. “Not until you answer me. Where did you go, huh? When Auntie died…” His eyes trailed the back wall. He shook himself, then ground out, “My parents wanted to adopt you, you know. No one else volunteered. But you left. The police said you went to live with family. I never fucking saw you again.”

Dragon couldn’t help it. He snorted. It was ironic that this kid considered himself to be a victim. The bully, deprived of his precious entertainment.

And it was also ironic, that practically no one had noticed Deku gone. It made sense that the League would have connections in the police department. No one really cares about quirkless children, especially after they stop showing up. That made the situation here all the more dangerous. Anyone could be a member of the League for all he knew. No one could be trusted. Not the police, not the heroes, and not his shitty ex-best friend.

Deku was lucky Dragon decided to emerge first. If not him, then the shadow wasn’t very far behind. Their entire existence, after all, was all Bakugo’s fault.

“You think this is funny?”

“I said,” Deku repeated, raising his hands to grip the arm pressed to his chest, “Get. Off. I won’t ask again.” He squeezed, allowing Bakugo to feel the power in his hands. Dragon would rip him to shreds.

Bakugo leaped away as though burned. He stared at his arm in astonishment, at the red lines where ten very sharp nails had almost cut through his skin. “What the hell…?”

“I don’t know anything about this loser,” Deku said, pushing himself off the wall. “I’m Kozue Oshiro, and you wish I were quirkless.” He raised his hand to show off the nasty claws. They were steepled from the ends of his fingers, like sharpened rock. He took a step forward and got the satisfaction of seeing the larger boy unconsciously retreat.

“What are you talking about?” Bakugo demanded. “You think I would forget that pathetic face? You haven’t changed at all!”

Deku took another step forward. “Evidently I did, seeing as my name isn’t Deku. Now get out of my way. I’m leaving.”

“Like hell you are,” Bakugo snarled. Sparks snapped at the palms of his hands. “Not until you explain where you’ve been, and how the hell you got that quirk.”

This was bad. Deku frantically tugged on Dragon’s leash, but doing so was like trying to move a boulder. Dragon rolled his shoulders and popped his neck. “Well then. If you won’t move, I’ll go through you instead.”

Two sets of blazing eyes met. Deku felt sorry for Bakugo. Almost as much as he felt sorry for himself.

Chapter Text

“Who are you?” Bakugo demanded.

Deku rolled his eyes. “We just went over this. Kozue Oshiro. Now, are you going to fight me or what? Because otherwise, get out of my way.”

He tried to walk past, but the larger boy threw out his arm, blocking him. “No,” Bakugo said, “I know the fake name you already gave me. I want to know who you are, as in this tough guy. You aren’t Deku.”

Don’t attack, don’t attack, Deku frantically begged. We can’t murder anyone. Not on the first day!

Dragon snarled, showing off jagged teeth that fit together neater than a crocodile. “Are you stupid? I’m not the person you’re looking for. So I guess we have to fight, huh?” His snarl turned to a savage grin. “Look alive, Katsuki. There won’t be enough evidence left when I’m done with you.”

“Like hell!”

Dragon crouched into a ready stance, and already the change was starting. Deku’s nails grew longer, his teeth sharper. Cool, silvery-blue scales popped up across his back and shoulders.

No, no, no! Deku begged, hauling back on the leash even as Dragon pulled him forward one step at a time. No changes! Please! No fights!

“Am I interrupting something?”

Both of them turned to see a purple-haired boy standing in the doorway. In that instant of surprise and deflated anger, Deku wrestled back control. Without the anger, Dragon did not exist at all. He fell back underwater to remain in slumber. For the time being, anyway.

“You!” Bakugo turned his own unchecked fury toward the new arrival. “I know you, you nobody, you’re-”

Suddenly, Bakugo stopped talking. His arms fell to his sides in a very uncharacteristic manner. His eyes were wide and unseeing.

The new boy signed and pushed his way into the room. He had one hand in his pocket, the other holding his school bag over one shoulder. “I wouldn’t have to use my quirk on you, Katsuki, if I knew you wouldn’t blow up in my face.” He turned to Deku. He had such forlorn, intense eyes, that Deku could only stare into them for a second before glancing shyly away. “The name’s Hitoshi Shinso. Aizawa asked that I come and check on you. He suspected you might have gotten lost.” He said the last part with a meaningful glare at Bakugo.

“Ah, yeah. About that…”

“Come on. Let’s go before all the nice-looking sushi rolls are gone.”

“Um. O-okay.”

With one last nervous glance at the dazed Bakugo, Deku slipped from the room and followed after the other student.

“Um. I hate to ask. Is he going to be okay?”

Shinso hummed. “Bakugo’s never okay. But that’s beside the point. He’ll stay there for a few more seconds, at least until we get inside the elevator. The question is whether or not he’s going to do something to get us back for this. Knowing him?” The other boy shrugged. “He might forget about it. He’s surprised me before.”

Not Deku. To him, Bakugo was the same old bully from when they were little kids. No doubt he would plot his revenge.

Deku must have waited too long to reply, because Shinso turned to him and said, “So you’re the new transfer on special recommendation? There are a few more of those around here. Keep your eyes sharp.”

“A-and you’re one of them?” Deku asked. “That was an impressive quirk.”

Shinso hummed again, but Deku thought he heard smugness under that air of indifference. It seemed Deku may have found a weak spot.

“Unfortunately, no. My grades weren’t high enough for my school to recommend me. I knew Aizawa as a family acquaintance, but he refused to recommend me either.” He signed, pressing the button for the elevator. “Whatever. I got in, so I’m over it.”

Deku didn’t know what to say. He fidgeted with his backpack strap while they waited. The other boy watched his movements like a hawk. He reminded Deku of Aizawa in that way. A little too smart and perceptive for his own good.

“Did it scare you?”

“Huh?”

“My quirk.” The whole time Shinso spoke, his intense eyes remained fixed on Deku. “You seem a lot different than you were before. Did I scare you?”

“Oh – no, not at all!” Deku laughed nervously as he rushed to explain, “I get a little carried away sometimes when I use my quirk, that’s all. I’m really nice, I swear!”

“I see that.” An amused smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Everyone in school has been wondering what you can do. I guess I got a front-row seat, huh?”

If only, Dragon grumbled sleepily.

“Ah, yeah. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Deku found it mildly amusing that the boy had yet to ask about the subject of their scuffle. Evidently, Bakugo picked fights with enough of the student body for it to not matter so much.

The elevator dinged open and both of them stepped inside. A cold sweat broke out over Deku’s neck as he watched the doors shut behind him.

“You okay?”

“Um, what?” Why was it so loud in here?

“You’ve gotten a lot paler all of a sudden. Don’t like elevators?”

“I, um.”

Deku blinked hard and pressed his hand to the wall, certain he would fall without it. The whole box shuddered as it began to descend. This fear was a new development. Every small space reminded him of the cage, but it wasn’t like he could avoid them around the League. He had lived in a broom closet for All Might’s sake. One that had a lock on the outside, making it its own kind of entrapment. But now, here, his body was having a visceral reaction to this little room. It seemed it only took a few nights in a big fancy bed to start feeling trapped. The boy standing with him was nice enough, but Deku didn’t know him – couldn’t trust him.

He pressed himself more to the wall. He tried to say something, to reassure the other boy that he was fine. He couldn’t. He choked up, and suddenly, he couldn’t breathe at all.

“Are you-”

The boy stepped forward but stopped when Deku flinched away. A frown knotted his forehead. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…Are you okay? Can you take a deep breath for me?”

No, Deku could not. His diaphragm was spasming from heaving in and out. He squeezed his eyes shut. He did try, but it was useless. The walls were beginning to close in on him.

“Give me a verbal response, and I can help you. Can you do that for me?”

Deku tried to suppress the trembling as he got out, “Y-y-y-yes…”

And then, in the blink of an eye, the pain and fear washed away. The sensation that replaced them was not what he would call pleasure. It was a blanket of numbness – a cast-off of the responsibilities of being a person. He stood there dumbly in the same way as Bakugo, eyes lost in the distance, mind blissfully blank and silent.

It was so peaceful.

“Take a deep breath.”

Deku did, and the air tasted sweet on his tongue. It filled his lungs with liquid life.

“A few more. There we go…”

Shinso ordered him to breathe each step until he was more calmed down. The taller boy walked him confidently out of the elevator when it opened like he had done this a thousand times before. He sat Deku down on a bench beside the nearest bathroom, and there he released his quirk.

“Sorry about that,” Shinso said. “I swear I wouldn’t have used it on you under normal circumstances.” He winced at his wording. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being claustrophobic. It happens to tons of people.”

“Hum?”

Deku wasn’t really paying attention. He was suddenly very, very tired, more tired than his body had allowed him to be in a long time. It took a real effort to keep his eyelids peeled open. “Oh. Ah, yeah. M’sorry.”

The frown had yet to leave Shinso’s forehead. “We should go to the nurse’s office. My quirk has this effect on people sometimes. Better for you to fall asleep there than with your face in a bunch of rice.”

Thankfully, the nurse’s office was on the same floor as the cafeteria. Shinso stayed close beside Deku, clearly concerned the smaller boy might fall over any second. Deku totted along in a numb haze. He felt as though the other boy’s power was still in effect. All five of his quirks were silent and still inside of him. It felt oddly…empty.

Shinso explained to the nurse an abridged version of what happened while Deku stared at the wall. The nurse was a tiny older woman, full of wisdom and understanding. At least, Deku hoped. She was the only nurse he could recall meeting since the time he was diagnosed as quirkless. He found he had no choice but to put his trust in her as she led him over to the bed and sat him down. She gave him a quick peck on the forehead, and just like that, he was out like a light.

--

“You didn’t need to stay.”

Deku woke blearily to the sound of his teacher’s monotone voice in the hallway outside. Rat took an immediate interest in the conversation.

Shinso replied, “I didn’t miss any classes. Nurse Shuzenji wouldn’t let me. Nothing besides half of lunch, don’t worry.” He sounded annoyed, though Deku suspected staying late and missing lunch wasn’t what annoyed him.

“That’s not what I meant. But thank you. For doing what I asked earlier and for staying. I appreciate your help.”

A hum in response. “Are you going to explain his deal or what?”

“Why don’t you tell me about what happened first, and I’ll be the judge of what you get to know.”

As though Aizawa knew anything to begin with.

“Tsk. Fine. I found him. We got into the elevator and he started freaking out. Had a panic attack, I think. It seemed like being in a small space caused it. I got his permission to use my quirk on him – or at least I think I did. I’m not sure if he knew what he was signing up for, but I wanted to help. Anyway, I got him to chill and we went to the nurse's office. He’s been sleeping ever since, as far as I know. Seemed tired even before it all started.”

It was nice of him to opt out the part about his fight. Aizawa unfortunately ruined it when the next thing he asked was, “What was he doing when you found him?”

“He and Katsuki were going at it. I don’t know. Ask him when he wakes up.”

“I suppose I’ll do that.”

“So what about my explanation?”

Deku could practically hear his teacher rubbing at his brow. “To be perfectly honest with you, Shinso, I have no idea. We don’t know much about him other than his father’s occupation. He just doesn’t seem all that…stable, to the staff here. His mood swings, the spaciness, and the fear of talking back are semi-normal, and claustrophobia in itself isn’t that strange, but all the things together? Something doesn’t add up.”

“That’s new,” Shinso said dryly. “The honesty. Doesn’t seem to me like you’re very good at it.”

“I’m very serious here. I told you when you asked for my recommendation that you’re still too rash and irresponsible. I have yet to see much of an improvement in your attitude since that time, even if you are an exemplary student. I don’t see your heart in this line of work for the right reasons. Heroes do more than fight the bad guys. Sometimes heroes have to help people do the small things after a wrong is already done. This kind of work is hard, and tedious, and thankless, but it’s important. This is a chance for you to show me you can do that. Do you understand?”

“I…Yeah. I guess. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you, I guess. It’s not your fault.”

“Well, maybe not. But what we do from now on is our responsibility. I’m putting my faith in you.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“You should get home. Your parents will start to worry.”

“I wanted to apologize-”

“You can tomorrow,” Aizawa interjected. “I’m not going to wake him up today for you to do that. And besides, Oshiro doesn’t seem like the kind of person to hold a grudge.”

“No. I didn’t think so either.” Shinso sighed. “Alright. I’ll do it. But don’t expect me to be very good at this whole friendship thing.”

“I think you’re well on your way.”

Deku could hardly believe what he had just overheard. Aizawa had given away a treasure trove of information for his third eye to devour. At the least, he knew he was doing a bad job of keeping cover. The thing that stuck out to him the most, however, was the last part.

He had a friend.

A coerced one, but a friend all the same. Perhaps it was better that his teacher forced the relationship. Maybe then Shinso wouldn’t abandon him at the first sign of deceit. Maybe Shinso could accept all the different parts of Deku that Deku could never show him.

And maybe one day yen would rain from the sky.

Chapter Text

Aizawa didn’t mention anything about either incident on their way home. He seemed to understand that Deku wasn’t quite present, at the moment. He was too caught up in absorbing the day’s events. It was all too overwhelming. How was he supposed to do this every day without napping through half of it?

Hizashi insisted on him eating a large dinner full of shrimp and steamed vegetables. He ate much more of a portion than he expected of himself, though nothing was good enough for Hizashi besides the entire pan. The man was incensed that Deku had skipped lunch.

Afterward, Deku totted to bed without having said more than ten words to either husband. He fell asleep immediately. Of course, having slept all day, he woke up early in the night, perhaps even before midnight.

Angel wanted out.

With the night wind of the city brushing against his wings for the third time ever, it occurred to him that maybe he had already blown it. His third eye wasn’t picking up anything of Stain. Perhaps the hero killer already knew Angel was on to him, and had started going out at different times or changed his route. Angel was about to give up when he spotted something.

Eraserhead was out searching, too. Perhaps Stain had gone underground because he disliked the attention. Or maybe he was out hunting in another part of the city. Angel decided to turn around for the night, but not without a quick wave at his favorite nightlife hero.

Eraserhead chased after him a few blocks in a vain attempt to catch up. It was futile. Angel was like a rocket when he set his mind to it.

The next morning at breakfast was more or less at Deku’s lunchtime, he had stayed up so long. Aizawa watched his every tired movement with a keenness Deku was all-too aware of now. The hypocrite. As though he didn’t look just as dead on his feet.

His debrief to Shigaraki had been short but thorough. He didn’t think Angel would be much more help if Stain wasn’t visible from the sky in his area. He expected a text back immediately. Instead, he got nothing. Great. That meant Shigaraki wasn’t taking any of his shit.

“How did you sleep?”

Aizawa asked the question halfway through breakfast, breaking the dreary silence. Hizashi had already left to film some promotional thing for the school. Deku glanced up at his teacher and quickly glanced away. “I. Ah. I didn’t. I mean-” he jumped in when Aizawa’s frown deepened, “I did for a while. I think sleeping all day may have messed me up a bit. Sorry.”

“That’s not your fault. We should still talk about that.”

Deku set down his chopsticks and put his hands on his lap. “S-sure.”

“Shinso told me what happened in the elevator yesterday. I’d like to hear your side of the story.”

“Yeah. Sure. Um…”

“Take your time.”

“So, we went into the elevator.”

“Ah-huh.”

“And I kinda forgot that I…I mean it hasn’t been a problem before now, but I guess I forgot…”

“You forgot…?”

“I guess…I forgot I don’t like elevators.”

Aizawa stared at him. “You just happened to forget that you don’t like elevators. To the point you had a panic attack.”

“Ah. Yep.”

The teacher stared up at the ceiling, then down into his empty coffee mug, clearly wishing for it to magically refill itself. “All right. I’ll take your word for it. What about earlier, when Shinso discovered you? What were you doing arguing with Katsuki?”

Deku had put some thought into this during his hours souring over the city. He needed a good enough excuse on the off-chance Bakugo decided to tattle to the teachers about their past. He shrugged at Aizawa and picked at his food, as though it were nothing to think about.

“He recognized me? I don’t know. He said we used to go to primary school together. He got kind of upset when I didn’t know him. I mean, we grew up in separate parts of the country.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Aizawa watching him carefully. Crap. That whole thing had been mostly Rat talking, which meant he wasn’t stuttering. Aizawa was starting to pick up the patterns.

“But, ah,” Deku said, pushing Rat out of the way, “M-maybe we do know each other? I mean, I do forget things sometimes…”

A grunt of agreement was all the answer his teacher gave. Aizawa stayed quiet for a few more moments, probably giving Deku room to confess. When he stayed silent, Aizawa asked, “Are either of these incidents going to be a problem? U.A. has a lot of elevators. We rode them over the weekend and they didn’t seem to bother you.”

Not like I remember it all that much anyway.

“I can take the stairs?”

It turned into a question as he watched Aizawa raise an eyebrow. “You’re going to walk the stairs,” his teacher said flatly. “Every class period of every day.”

“I guess when-when you put it like that…”

“Listen, kid.” Aizawa rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Hizashi and I have noticed – no, the whole school management has noticed – that you need some serious counseling.”

“I don’t-”

Aizawa held up a hand. “Let me finish.”

“I…okay.”

“Thank you. As I said, you need counseling. Quirk counseling definitely, but we also think that talking with the U.A. counselor wouldn’t be a bad idea. You clearly aren’t sleeping very well. Whether that has to do with your quirk activating on its own or something else, you can bring that up to him. I won’t pry. But you do need to speak to someone.”

Deku’s quirk activating on its own was one way of framing things. He found himself slinking into his seat. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. This school counselor was likely a very nice person. At the end of the day, however, he was another person Deku would have to come up with lies to satisfy.

“Okay. If-if you think so.”

“I do. But you are allowed to argue with me, you know.”

Deku swallowed. That would probably never be true. “Yeah. O-okay.”

Aizawa gave in and went for coffee: round two.

--

There was a strange buzz in homeroom as Izuku and Aizawa entered together. His teacher had insisted on accompanying him on the elevator ride up. It wasn’t the most awkward situation he’d ever experienced, but close. Thankfully Rat decided to take the wheel, as Angel still had some serious issues with small spaces. Deku stood there blearily while Rat logically talked him through the ride. Aizawa’s voice filtered to him from somewhere, but he wasn’t listening. Nothing seemed to wake up his trance until they walked into homeroom and everyone went still.

“Settle down,” Aizawa said, as though they weren’t already dead silent.

Aizawa made his way to the front while Deku slunk to his seat, avoiding those blazing red eyes that followed his every step. Bakugo turned around to glare at him until the teacher cleared his throat to get their attention.

“As you know,” Aizawa began, “this upcoming Thursday is the mock battle training assignment. Yesterday I gave you your handouts detailing how everything will be done. Your preliminary costumes should be finished by tomorrow. Any questions?”

The serious boy from the front steps yesterday raised his hand.

“Yes, Ida?”

“Sir, I find it distasteful that some of us must embody villainy in this task. In such a prestigious academy as U.A., are we not required to uphold its honor to the utmost?”

“I commend your dedication to hero work. But your thinking is too uniform. You need to learn how a villain operates if you wish to stop them effectively.”

“I see. Thank you for clarification, sir.”

With that, Ida sat back down.

“Anyone else? No? Very well. Do whatever you want until first period. I’m taking a nap.”

Then Aizawa pulled out his yellow sleeping bag from nowhere and proceeded to cocoon himself inside. Deku envied him the ability to sleep anywhere at the slightest opportunity.

Quiet reigned over the class for a few moments after their teacher fully went to sleep on the floor. Apparently this was something everyone still needed to get used to. A buzz started up in the room, classmates talking to each other about random stuff or their strategies for the upcoming assignment. Deku didn’t care so much about that. He would deal with the task when the time arrived.

“I must sincerely apologize for my behavior!”

Duku blinked up at the tall boy suddenly standing like a pole beside his desk. “Um. Hello?”

Ida bowed so low his head passed below the line of Deku’s shoulders. “I neglected to introduce myself yesterday. I had other matters on my mind, and I suppose you seemed overwhelmed by the enormity of our prestigious academy. But I shall not wait another day! My name is Tenya Ida. It is an honor to know our newest student here on special recommendation.”

“Oh. Ah…Thank you?”

“You are most welcome. And your name is Oshiro?”

“Um, yeah. But you can call me Kozue. I don’t mind.”

“Then I shall insist on you calling me Tenya! I am sure we shall soon become friends in our similar struggles to herodom!”

“Yeah. I think so too.” Deku actually smiled. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled. The serious boy had turned out a lot more sincere than he imagined.

He caught Bakugo watching them. The blond scowled and turned back to his empty desk. Tenya noticed as well. He frowned. In addition to Bakugo, a gaggle of curious teens had formed around them. They peeked over Ida’s shoulder to glance at Deku with barely disguised curiosity, as though he were an exhibit at the zoo.

Tenya cleared his throat. “Kaminari. Kirishima. Uraraka. Would you like to introduce yourselves to our newest hero-in-training?”

While the two spiky-haired boys laughed and scratched their heads in embarrassment, the girl stepped forward confidently and held her hand out to Deku.

“A pleasure to meet you! I’m Ochaco Uraraka, at your service!”

“T-thanks,” Deku said, accepting the handshake. “I appreciate the-the confidence.”

“So, your name’s Deku, right?”

Deku jolted in his seat. “I, ah…”

His eyes shot over to Bakugo, who gave him a smug look.

“No,” he said firmly, glaring back at Bakugo. A bit of Dragon leaked out of his voice against his will. “That is definitely not my name. I’m Kozue Oshiro.”

“Oh,” Ochaco said, glancing in confusion between Deku and Bakugo. “Okay then.”

The two boys likewise stepped forward and introduced themselves. All of the new students were quite friendly. The conversation quickly strayed to their quirks. Tenya showed off his engine legs, and Ochaco lifted a pencil to the ceiling. Eijiro had hardened skin like stone, and Denki explained his powers of electricity, though he thankfully didn’t give a demonstration.

At the unspoken request on his turn, Deku said, “Well, my quirk…It’s…”

Everyone within earshot leaned closer just the tiniest bit.

“I can transform, sort of like an animal quirk. But-but only a small amount of my body, and only a short time. Like this,” he showed off Dragon’s claws, “or this,” Rat’s enlarged ear, “or,” and finally, he pulled up his lip to reveal the Hound’s dramatic canines. Perhaps it was a bad idea to reveal so many of his secrets, but they seemed trivial in the total scope of things. Besides, these were his peers. He needed to impress them, right?

Ochaco clapped her hands. “How neat! I bet that’s super useful in a bunch of situations.”

“I guess so. Yeah.”

“And what is its name?” asked Tenya.

Deku paused, glancing around at the curious stares of his classmates. He had never thought his quirk (quirks) needed a name. He bit his lip as he thought about it. Finally, he said, “I guess it’s called Manifold.”

The rest of the day went similarly; now that the ice was broken, the other students were more than willing to walk with him to their other classes. Shinso joined them as well, though he kept his distance, and no one seemed certain how to bring him into the group, least of all Deku. Many of the students were eager to tell him about everything he missed in his week (and a day) away from school. It didn’t seem like anything major happened – just a few hand-to-hand sparring matches and a lecture about ethics from All Might (holy crap All Might was his teacher now?!). He went along with the other students as best he could, copying whatever they did. He saw Aizawa and Bakugo eyeing him on occasion throughout the day. That was fine. This was fine.

Everything was perfectly fine.