Chapter Text
Hitoshi stood at the edge of the mats, his fingers buried in his capture scarf. The bright sun beat down on the ground outside, and he was grateful that they were indoors. How exactly his classmates managed to reserve a gym during lunch for him to fulfill his half-joking threat, he wasn’t sure. He was far past the point of questioning any of them. He didn’t know what his classmates were up to, but he wasn’t blind. He knew there was something. He also noticed the seemingly casual glances that seemed to follow him everywhere. He knew they were watching. Waiting. Judging.
Hence, his nerves.
He had made marked progress in the last month, now able to hold his own against his other hero classmates, but he could never quite forget the massive head start they’d had on him. Not to mention… he eyed his opponent. Uraraka was surprisingly vicious for someone so bubbly and sweet. No matter, he thought, pushing down his uncertainty and ignoring the sweat lining his palms, and smirked at her. He could be vicious, too.
Besides, being his favorite hero’s personal student was bad enough. He was really done with people calling him the man’s son.
Across from him, Uraraka shifted into a half-crouch, and a wide, sharp grin stretched across her face. Occasionally, Hitoshi could catch her with his quirk, but not in a one-on-one fight. Once she had her adversary in her sights, she preferred to do her talking with her fists. Scattered around him were his other classmates, many enjoying their lunch. All were eagerly looking on. Yet, even as he held the amused attention of his peers, one gaze weighed heavily on him. Even without seeing him, Midoriya’s calm, focused intensity left sweat beading on his neck. The green-haired ball of chaos was the undisputed leader of the mad house that liked to call itself a class. If Hitoshi were to be let in on the strangeness of this class, it would be Midoriya’s call. Hitoshi couldn’t help but feel that he was close to making a decision.
Blinking all other thoughts away, he stepped into the stance that Aizawa-sensei drilled into him. And without warning, they lunged at each other. Uraraka low, her right hand splayed open and reaching. He, already dodging to the side, flicked his fingers to send his capture weapon unraveling from his neck, a tendril lashed out and around Uraraka’s wrist, and he pulled.
She flew towards him, too fast, weightless, her feet swinging up to slam into his face. He twisted to the side, and she soared past him. He spun to face her, sending another end to wrap around her, but she twisted, her arm slipping free, and raised her left leg to intercept the second piece. Wrapping it around her leg, he whipped her around to throw her out of the ring, but before he could release her, she dropped her weightlessness. He tried to pull her feet from under her, but she landed firmly, and planting her feet, she bent low and pulled. His weapon, wrapped around her lower leg and his hands, snapped tight. Newton’s laws asserted themselves, and Hitoshi was suddenly headed straight to the ground, face-first.
Collapsing his arms under him, pushing off with his feet, he curled his head in and rolled, snapping his leg out before he completed the turn. He couldn’t see, but he heard her grunt and felt her arms beneath his calf in a block. He twisted free, pulling his leg to his chest before she could tag him. Head coming up, he immediately had to twist to avoid a knee to the face, and using his crouched position to his advantage, he jabbed with his left, his right hand still entangled in his weapon, and pushed with his legs.
His fist slammed into her ribs, his whole body’s force behind the punch. She staggered back, breath forced from her lungs. He tried to press his advantage, but she slammed her head down, her forehead meeting his jaw.
Pain.
It took him a split second to shake it off and refocus, but that was all Uraraka needed to grab his arm. With all five fingers.
Next thing he knew, he was upside-down, his weapon still entangled with his fingers, now wrapped around her fist as she beamed at him. He flicked his fingers, unraveling the end around her leg, and trying to shorten the length between them, but she had already grabbed the trailing fabric. She beamed beautifully at him and proceeded to swing him like a meteor hammer, just as he had attempted to do with her. Unfortunately for him, she was much more successful.
With his prior attempt to shorten the length of his weapon and thus keep it out of her hands, drawing him closer to her, she was easily able to swing him around at dizzying speeds, the world around him blurring. The force of it nearly tore him from his weapon, and when she released him, he shot out of the ring like a bottle rocket. Slamming into a nearby wall, he groaned. Trying to clear his eyes, he couldn’t recognize the hands that helped him to the ground before gravity reclaimed its hold on him.
“You did great, man!”
Blinking, Hitoshi was able to see a shock of red hair and a wide grin. Luckily for him, he could have been blind and still have recognized the golden retriever in human form that crouched before him.
“That’s not how it looks from where I’m sitting, Kirishima,” he replied dryly.
“Yeah, she beat you, but it’s Ochako. You fought her in close quarters. That you managed to make her work for it is an accomplishment!” he said, his voice bright.
“In that case, I feel so much better.”
“Aww, come on, Shinso!” Kaminari slung an arm around Kirishima, beaming at his still crumpled form on the floor. “You did great! Ocho’s a hand-to-hand champ, beating her without using your quirk is something most of us would struggle with!”
“And you certainly didn’t go down easily,” a bubbly voice chimed in. Looking up, Hitoshi saw Uraraka at the edge of the ring, smiling at him, despite the shadow of pain on her face. “I think you bruised my ribs!”
A bright laugh rang out as the rest of the class made their way over to him. “That’s our purple boy!” Hagakure’s cheerful voice filled the air. “He might not win, but he’ll make it hurt!”
“Second that!” Uraraka had an arm around Midoriya’s shoulders and was leaning against him, but she still smiled at Hitoshi. “You hit like a truck!”
Hitoshi looked around at this crazy class that he had been thrown into. They were not what he had anticipated of the infamous 1-A. They were weirdos, overly cheerful and accepting, surprisingly caring and chaotic beyond measure. They welcomed him, him who had challenged them, warmly and without prejudice. This class was not what he had expected, but it felt like where he belonged. Hitoshi let the endless chatter wash over him as Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, and Bakugo walked Uraraka to the nurse's office, their heads together. That seemed a bit excessive for an escort to the nurse…
1-01110110
Izuku had Ochako’s arm slung over his shoulders as he and the others walked her to Recovery Girl to head off what was already promising to be a spectacular bruise. Katsuki, of course, wasted no time. “He’s ready.”
Izuku kept silent, continuing slowly down the hall. Ochako hummed. “I think so too. He’s come really far since he joined our class.”
Momo nodded. “He works well with us; his mentality makes me believe that he would be open to at least hearing us out, and he’s proven his dedication to be a hero.”
Izuku kept walking, watching his feet as he considered. He had all but made up his mind, but he knew this could very well be the decision that ended them if he chose poorly. The quartet continued in silence for several seconds, and Izuku felt a now-familiar warmth bloom in his chest. He knew that Ochako and Katsuki were impatient by nature. That they would give him his time, without pushing or showing that impatience… it meant the world to him.
“Shinso is competent in close-quarters combat, and his skill with his capture weapon is one of his greatest strengths. He is willing and able to use his quirk effectively, but he also understands when not to use it. He has become friends with several of us, including me, and no longer holds prejudice against us. He is kind, and his determination stems from a desire to be a role model and prove to himself that he can. He wants to help people.” Izuku took a deep breath. “I believe that he would want to join us, and if not, he would not stop us. I believe we can trust him.”
“YES!” Ochako cheered loudly, before hunching over and wheezing. “Ow.”
“Heh. Idiot.” Katsuki had a wide smirk on his face.
“Oh, knock it off, you’re excited too! I know you’ve been giving him tips when you spar and want to see him actually put ‘em to use.”
“Shut up,” he groused.
“I agree with you, Izuku,” Momo said, her usual graceful air contrasting heavily with the delighted gleam in her eyes. “I can’t wait to put him through the paces. I’m sure he’ll be running with the rest of us before we know it!”
Ochako winced, likely in sympathy. “You sadist.”
Izuku watched as his three lieutenants bickered playfully and felt the warmth that had become increasingly familiar over the last year bubble up, spreading through his chest until a bright, wondrous laugh broke free. Tears clouded his vision and his face almost hurt with how much he was smiling, but he couldn’t care less.
When his eyes cleared, the others were looking at him with warmth (or in Katsuki’s case, not annoyed, which amounted to the same thing), and he beamed at them. His wild, cobbled-together family of a team was gaining another member, and he couldn’t be happier. Ochako leaned more heavily on him, looking up to meet his eyes. “What’s up?”
“Nothing new.” His smile softened, looking out at all of them. “I love you guys.”
Ochako beamed and pulled him closer. Katsuki huffed and rolled his eyes. Momo grinned at him teasingly. “Oh, Izuku. We know.”
1-01110110
Vlad groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. His day off had been a much-needed reprieve, but now he was back, and the little hellions had run him ragged once more. They had let him teach through homeroom as he was accustomed to, but he got the sense that not a single one of them was giving him the time of day, even though they managed to answer any questions he posed. Had he not been so fed up with them, perhaps he would have let them use the time a little more creatively when confronted with their lack of interest, but after multiple concussions and the running around, he was unwilling to give them the slightest bit of leeway.
He slumped, resting his head on the desk. Even when they were behaving, they were exhausting. There was an edge to 1-A that he’d never felt from his class before. A restless energy that always left him slightly wary. He had no idea how his coworker slept in that environment. At the thought of his black-clad counterpart, he looked over at the nearby desk. Aizawa’s worn face hung close to the surface, poring over what looked like his lesson plans. Vlad blinked tiredly before audibly dropping his head to his desk. His lesson plans for gym were far less involved than the ones he created for hero law, but he still needed to take the time and energy to look them over and figure out what he needed to prepare for tomorrow. This was unfortunate, seeing as his greatest desire at the moment was to pass out on the spot. However, he knew he’d regret it tomorrow if he didn’t prepare now, so he reluctantly sat up and pulled out his planner. “Why are your kids so exhausting?” he wondered tiredly aloud, not truly asking or expecting a response.
He received one anyway. “They’re passionate. And teenagers.”
Well, he appreciated that Aizawa didn’t try to deny it, but he would not describe the quiet, persistent unease that seemed to fill the room as passion. He flipped through his planner and felt a quiet sense of relief. He would have them for homeroom, as he had every day of this disastrous week, but after that, he was home free. After tomorrow morning, 1-A wouldn’t be his problem until Monday.
1-01110110
Katsuki approached the support department the same way he approached all things in life: purposefully and angrily. If he was doing something, it was for a damned good reason. It hadn’t taken him long to learn that if you acted as if you belonged, people assumed you did. They were even less likely to question you if you looked like you might bite their head off for asking. So Katsuki marched angrily to the support department long after the day had ended, Monkey Tail right behind him, both of them carrying very full bags. The UA staff they passed didn’t give them a second glance.
Reaching the door, he threw it open with a bang. He wasn’t concerned with drawing attention. There was only one idiot who would insist on working this long past school hours. “Oi, Gearhead!”
There was a loud clang, followed by several loud, rapid steps. A pink blur rounded the corner, and he smoothly stepped to the side as she barreled past and into the door behind him. It took her only seconds to spring back and spin around. What he could now tell were rocket shoes still sputtered small bouts of flame at her heels. “Bomber-chan!” She cried gleefully, putting her face in his. He blinked in annoyance. “Are you here about your order?” She suddenly backed off, a dramatic pout on her face. “Your pickup isn’t until tomorrow.” She planted her hands on her hips and smirked. Katsuki scowled. She continued, “But they’re almost done anyway, because I’m just that good.”
He huffed. “I’m not here for pick up. We agreed you’d drop them off when you’re done. We’re here to make an addition to the order.”
Hatsume grumped. “Aww, but Bomber-chan, I was almost done!” Her eyes sharpened. “What are you looking to add?”
Katsuki gestured towards the back of the shop, a flat expression on his face. Was she planning to make them stand there the whole time? He had seen Monkey Tail shuffling his weight from foot to foot for the last few seconds. The bags weren’t light, and if Gears didn’t start showing proper courtesy soon, he was liable to drop his on her feet.
“Sure, sure,” she waved him off and bounced back towards her station. Rolling his eyes, Katsuki followed, Tail doing the same. The bags clinked quietly as they walked. Turning into her area, Hatsume plopped down on her chair and spun to face them. “So…” she spoke with a drawl, her fingers tapping impatiently. “What do you need? New gear? Duplicates? Adjustments? Although that would be dumb, my work is amazing, and you haven’t even seen it yet.” Her eyes glinted. “Experimental improvements?”
Katsuki suddenly remembered the shudder that would run through Four Eyes whenever this particular inventor’s work was mentioned. With far more care than was customary, Katsuki set down his bag, and Mashirao did the same. “Nah, we need a new set.” He leaned against the wall behind him, loosely placing his hands in his pockets.
“Ooh, mystery number 19?”
“Uh-huh.” He looked over as Monkey Tail bent down to retrieve the documents from his bag.
Hatsume eagerly received the file, flipping through it rapidly, before snapping it shut. “This is gonna cost you,” she warned. “In both price and time. I can’t get this done in a day.”
Mashirao nodded. “We know. Would Monday be enough time?”
She scoffed. “Who do you take me for? Of course it would!”
“Alright then. We need a full suit and helmet, boots, gloves, and a communicator. The department should already have his measurements from his costume, but if you need them, we can send them over. Did you see the specs for his weapon?”
Katsuki watched the flurry of pages as she rifled through until she found the specifics of the capture weapon. Gearhead’s eyes gleamed, and her gaze snapped up to Monkey Tail’s. He nodded. “Yes, you can keep it. We need one in black or industrial black. And please,” here he paused, ensuring he had her full attention. “No experimenting. It needs to work just like his other one. Whatever you do with the information afterward, I have no control over.”
Gears cackled happily, and Katsuki could almost see the plans forming behind her eyes.
He rolled his eyes and pushed off the wall. His part was done for now. Behind him, he could hear Tail pulling Gears back to the job.
“Now the specifics: he is going to need a voice modulator like the rest, but without any electronic components. They prevent the use of his quirk, and we want him to have access in case…”
Their voices trailed off behind him as he stopped paying attention, eyes on the various half-finished projects as he wandered. As he did so, he thought over the remainder of his to-do list. Talking with the Gearhead would be done soon enough; he planned on checking in with the nerd before the evening was over, dinner still needed to be prepared, but it wasn’t his turn tonight, he needed to finish the English assignment, but he had that in the bag and wouldn’t take long at all… huh. He had some free time. At least half an hour. He could do another workout, but that didn’t appeal to him this late in the day. He’d rather just work extra hard tomorrow morning. He could check Sparky’s homework, but he had been working on it with the idiot yesterday, and he probably wasn’t done with it yet.
Maybe… maybe he would work on another one of those logic puzzles the Hag had sent him. He found them strangely relaxing and enough of a challenge to be worth his time. They were a good downtime activity that he could pour his focus and passion into without being too loud. Those who hung out in the common room in the evening had become somewhat accustomed to hearing him growling at stupid Joline and her stupid friends and their stupid cats, all of which had different collar colors and ridiculous names. Most of the time, he worked on them in silence, by himself, not wanting to be distracted by the noise that came with the group of idiots that he had slowly learned to call his friends.
That was part of the reason he was surprised to realize he didn’t hate the company of Ponytail of all people while solving the puzzles. She just sat there silently, sipping her tea as he scribbled in the answers. Sometimes she would read a book or look over notes; he didn’t particularly notice or care. But between the quiet rustling of paper and the scent of her tea, he found her presence to be a productive space. She mustn’t have minded, because after the first time he briskly knocked on her door and, after being invited in, dropped to the floor to lounge against the wall as he worked, she just started leaving her door cracked in the evenings — an unspoken agreement.
Also unspoken was that his spot was on the floor. She seemed to realize he didn’t want a chair after he threatened to throw the offending object at her should she be foolish enough to provide him with one.
Katsuki glanced at the clock on the wall. That had better be enough time. He spun on his heel and walked briskly back towards Gearhead’s station. Luckily for them, Tail had finished up. Gears already had her blueprints out and was making room on her desk. Time to go. But first…
“We’ve got your payment.”
The wrench in her hand dropped to her desk as she spun to face him, her eyes glistening. “Yes?”
Katsuki lifted his bag from the floor to her desk and unzipped it. From within, he carefully pulled two scuffed-up 5kg fire extinguishers from his bag. One of the idiots had scrubbed the label off the canister after he loudly questioned them as to what they thought would happen if someone mistook the contents for fire-suppressing foam. Gearhead’s eyes sparkled as he gently set them down, the canisters clanging on the metal table top even with his care. He stepped back so Monkey Tail could do the same with his. The foam had long since been emptied out; the number of fires the fools he lived with managed to set was almost impressive. The nerd also might’ve stolen an empty canister from this department at some point. Tail held both canisters steady as he lifted them to the desk. Katsuki was almost impressed. They had been carrying those for a while, and they were damn heavy with the contents replaced.
Gears reached for them eagerly, removing the top. She spun around and rummaged through one of her bins for a moment before pulling out a small plastic bottle that had strips of paper in it. Removing one, she used a pair of tweezers to grip the paper and lowered it into the canister. After a moment, she removed it.
The paper had turned a violent shade of pink.
Gears cackled happily. “I can use this for so many of my babies…”
Katsuki crossed his arms. “Well, there you are. Including more than enough extra to cover the purple extra’s.”
With that, he marched out. Tail grabbed the empty bags before following. With his busted ears, he wasn’t positive, but he thought he heard a saccharine voice cooing “And Power loader-sensei thought he could cut me off~”
Monkey Tail turned to him, his voice drowning out any other potential noise. “I thought you were past calling our classmates extras.”
Katsuki scoffed. “Wait until he can actually beat one of us in combat. Then he can upgrade to purple.”
Tail just shook his head. Behind them, manic cackling echoed through the halls. Both of them quickened their pace. Neither of them wanted to be anywhere near an excitable Hatsume Mei with access to large amounts of nitroglycerin.
Reaching the entrance of the dorms, he kicked off his shoes and stepped into his slippers as Tail called out a greeting. Glancing into the common room, he spotted the nerd on one of the couches, surrounded by notebooks and loose paper. He grinned and waved him over. “Hi, Katsuki!”
“Nerd.” He dropped onto the couch just outside of the ring of paperwork that encircled the smaller boy.
“Are we all prepped for our next outing?”
Katsuki frowned for a moment. “My idiots need to do a run tonight.”
The nerd looked at him, puzzled. “That’s not in the schedule, and we wanted to lay low in case Vlad King was onto us.” He paused. “Not that it seems to be the case…”
Katsuki grinned at the nerd, a large number of colorful descriptions for the man on the tip of his tongue. It was not a nice grin.
He frowned. “Katsuki…” he warned.
“Fine.” With a huff, he replied to the original question. “Sparky raided the D route stash the last time we headed that way, and hasn’t replaced it yet.”
“Ah.” Izuku nodded. “And you wanted to use D for Hitoshi’s first run, should he accept.”
Katsuki just huffed in acknowledgment. The nerd thought for a moment before pulling out one of the notebooks and flipping through it, checking times tables and observations.
“You’ve got the green light,” he said after a moment. “We’ll keep an eye out here, but I don’t think there’s too much to worry over. Exit 7 should be your best bet.”
Katsuki grinned and stood. “Got it.” Tonight was going to be a good night. But first: homework and puzzles.