Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“It’s too bad Dad couldn’t join us today.”

Edward sighed as he glanced over at Alphonse, “I think you mean ‘thank goodness’, Al. He’d probably just talk our ears off about that book he’s reading…”

Winry rolled her eyes as she fiddled with Nina’s braids, whispering mostly for the giggling kids, “Said the boy who talks everybody’s ears off about alchemy.”

Nana laughed softly, “Come now, Edward, don’t be like that. Hohenheim is just excited about being in a book club,” she reached over to grab an apple, handing it to Eri as the child was cheerfully recounting something to Mei, “which is why I told him he didn’t need to cancel today.”

“Yep! Just means more food for us~!” Ling snatched a sandwich out of Edward’s hands, taking a big bite out of it.

“HEY!” Edward went to smack him, “Quit stealing my food, ya idiot prince!”

“Ah ah ah!” Ling wagged a finger at him, “That’s EMPEROR to you!”

“Fine then, idiot emperor! That better?!”

“Much! Just like how this sandwich is better than that boot your mother fed me.”

Nana smiled a little at that, “Oh, are we still talking about that?”

“Yup!”

Winry huffed, “Honestly, Ed, couldn’t you stop picking fights with everyone for just five minutes?”

“Wh- but he started it!” Edward waved his fist indignantly, gnashing his teeth as he pointed at Ling, “He stole my sandwich!!!”

“And I’m ever so thankful…” Ling wiped away a tear dramatically with his handkerchief, “After all, it’s your responsibility as a Major representing your country to be a good host to foreign leaders~!”

“HA! Shows what you know!” Edward snatched Ling’s second sandwich out of his hands before taking a bite out of it, “After everything that went down, I got promoted before I retired!” Edward preened slightly, “I became a Lieutenant Colonel before I left.”

Nana leaned back on her palms, “And they made me a Brigadier General before I left as well.”

“Ooh, fancy!” Ling knocked his head to the side, “Though I AM curious - Ed was in the military for longer, was he not?”

Edward froze, narrowing his eyes at Ling, “So?”

“So I’m just wondering…” The emperor smirked, opening one eye ever so slightly, “Why would they give Nana a higher rank than you, hm?”

The golden alchemist grumbled slightly, crossing his arms before he spoke up to be heard properly, “Exemplary service during the Promised Day.”

“Which makes sense if you ask me.” Mei nodded firmly as she spoke, Xiao Mei mimicking the action.

“I guess it’s fair, since she DID finish off Father.”

Nana smiled gently, ruffling Edward’s head, “Thank you, my boy.”

“Now, if you don’t mind me asking,” Ling went to lay down on his stomach, kicking his feet in the air behind him, “why retire at the heights of your careers? With all you’ve done, surely the military would give you anything you wished for.”

Edward set his sandwich on his plate, laying down on his back with his hands behind his head as he watched the clouds drift past, “Well, I only became a State Alchemist to try and find a way for me and Al to get our bodies back.”

“And I originally only joined to have resources for finding a way home.” Nana sighed, gently running a hand over Eri’s head, “But the only answer I could find was the same thing that apparently brought me here - human transmutation.”

“Yeah…” Edward nodded to his brother, “But Al’s got his body back, and that’s all I can really ask for.”

“Ah, I see!” Ling reached for Edward’s unattended sandwich, “You gonna eat that?”

“Yes.” Edward immediately snatched it up, scarfing it down.

“Aw…”

Nana smiled softly, going to reach for the basket - then gasped sharply as a light filled the air. She jumped to her feet, reaching for the children as a gray eye opened up and started to pull them in, “Kids!”

“No - no no no!” Edward tried reaching for her and the others.

In a moment, they had all vanished without so much as a trace…

Nana gasped after emerging from the white void of the Truth, looking around quickly, “Kids…?!”

“Mom…!” Eri quickly ran up to her with Nina, the two small children clinging to her legs.

The heroine let out a relieved sigh, smiling gently as she scooped the two of them up, “There you two are… Boys? Winry? Ling, Lan Fan, Mei?”

“We’re all here, Missus Nana…” Mei helped Edward pull Alphonse to his feet as she spoke, “Where are we…?”

Edward was looking around quickly, hands at the ready to clap, “And why were we pulled through the gate…?!”

“I don’t know, but everyone keep close to me.” Nana started to walk through the narrow alley they had found themselves in, Greed, you alright?

“Yeah, we’re all fine in here too.” Greed raised a brow in Nana’s mind, “No souls missing, too - whatever happened, it didn’t take from us.”

That’s good, at least… Nana emerged from the alley… And gasped as her eyes slowly widened with recognition.

Edward gaped at the sight, “Look at the size of those buildings…!”

Alphonse nodded, “They’re so tall…”

“I can’t believe it…”

Alphonse looked up at Nana, “Mom?”

“I know where we are…” She gently set down the girls, “This - this is Japan…!”

Edward’s eyes widened as his head whipped around to face her, “The country you and Eri are from?!”

She nodded, spotting a newspaper on the ground. She squinted, carefully picking it up to look it over - and gasped sharply, “That can’t be…!”

“Missus Nana?” Winry stepped closer to her, “Is something wrong…?”

“According to this paper…” Nana turned to them, “I’ve been gone for four decades…!”

“What?!” Edward pointed at her, “B-But you’ve only been in Amestris for like, two years!”

“There’s so much we don’t understand about this…” Nana looked around, running a hand through her hair as she let the newspaper drop, “Right now, we need to find shelter and lay low - I can figure that out.” She turned to her boys, “Edward, Alphonse?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“You two keep an eye on the others,” Nana started to walk away backwards, “I’ll get our money situation sorted.”

Edward gave her a thumbs up, “Got it!”

“Stay safe, Mom…!”

She smiled reassuringly, “I will, my boy - and you as well! I’ll be right back.”

Nana walked into a pawn shop, walking up to the counter, “Excuse me?”

The clerk looked up from a paper they were reading, smiling as they set it down, “Ah, hello miss! How can I help you?”

“My kids and I were cleaning out the house recently…” She reached into her pocket, setting a couple of items on the counter, “And my daughters found these in our attic. They don’t really have any sentimental value to us, and we could use the cash; how much could I get for them?”

“Hm…” The clerk inspected the items, a small perfectly cut diamond and a gold chain necklace, “This is some quality jewelry. You sure you wanna part with it?”

Nana smiled warmly, “Like I said, we could use the cash. But I thank you for your concern.”

“If ya say so, lady.” The clerk set aside the jewelry, then handed her a stack of yen.

“Thank you.” She offered a light bow after pocketing the cash, “You have a lovely rest of your day.”

The clerk smiled a little, “Thanks. You too, lady.”

Greed spoke up in Nana’s mind as she left, “Alright, a couple more shops like those last few and we should be good! Let’s transmute something else.”

A few days later…

“Alright!” Nana stood in front of a house, Eri and Nina held in each arm, “Here we are, kids!”

“Looks nice enough…” Edward nudged Ling as they walked in, “Probably not as nice as your palace though, eh?”

“I like it!” Ling smiled cheerily, “Reminds me of the childhood home I had.”

“My Lord…” Lan Fan glanced at him, “That one was burned to the ground by a rival clan.”

“Ooh, you’re right Lan Fan!” Ling nodded, still smiling cheerily, “Ahhh, memories!”

Nana chuckled lightly as she set Eri and Nina down, watching as Alexander walked beside the two of them, “Okay, kids, get settled in!” She went to walk into one of the rooms, “I’m just going to do some research real quick.”

Edward nodded as he tried not to be too concerned over Ling and Mei competing over who had more threats against their lives growing up, “Okay, Mom. Have fun hitting the books.”

She smiled softly, closing the door and going to the brand-new computer. She took a deep breath, then opened it up and typed a name into a search engine.

“Toshinori Yagi?” Greed raised a brow, “That kid you gave your powers to?”

That’s right. He wanted to be a great hero, so I’m trying to see where he… Hm. Nana frowned, eyes glancing over the results, This can’t be right… Nobody’s even heard of him…?

“Maybe he’s just not popular?”

Or maybe, Nana’s face fell somewhat as the thought crossed her mind, maybe he fell in my absence…

“Oi. Don’t be so grim! You’ve been gone a while, apparently. A lot could change in that time.”

Right… Nana nodded to Greed’s voice in her head, then typed a new search into the computer.

“Kotaro… Shimura? Ooh - lookin’ for your kid?”

Nana nodded, I may have missed his childhood, but I want to make up for lost time - if he’ll let me. She glanced over the computer, tapping on one of the results… And felt her heart stop.

“Nana? Nana, what’s-”

“H-He’s…” Nana held a hand over her mouth, tears falling from her eyes. She looked over the screen desperately, hoping that it was a mistake, some sort of sick joke, “The Shimura household was destroyed in a horrible accident… A-And… And the entire family was…!”

“Oh - oh, Nana…” Greed’s face softened in her mind.

Nana’s hands trembled as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Here - let me take over. You take all the time you need.”

Nana didn’t make a response as she let Greed take over, sobbing in her mind.

The next day…

“… Hey, Mom?”

“Mm?” Nana glanced up as they ate at the table, “Yes, Alphonse?”

“Brother and I have been thinking… So long as we’re here, maybe we could learn to be heroes like you…?”

Nana’s eyes widened, then her face softened into a warm smile, “Hm! Well, you are about the right age to go enroll for a school’s hero program…”

Edward grinned wide at that, “A school for heroes, huh?”

“And Winry,” Nana turned to the young mechanic, “perhaps you could enroll in a school’s hero support course!”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Winry rubbed the back of her neck, “I’m not really sure I’m interested in being a hero-”

Nana calmly took a sip of her coffee, “The support course focuses on making tools like automail to improve the lives and abilities of heroes, actually.”

Winry slammed her hands down on the table as she shot to her feet, stars in her eyes as she shouted excitedly, “I’ll do it!!!”

Mei raised a hand, “Maybe I can be a hero too!”

Lan Fan turned to Ling, “What of us, My Lord?”

“You can do that if you want, Lan Fan!” Ling rested his chin against one hand, “I think I’d just like to take normal school classes. It’d be interesting, seeing how normal civilians our age think!”

“Then we’ll need to whip you all into shape!” Nana turned to Alphonse, “And heroism can be rather intensive on the body… But I may have a workaround for your current condition, my boy!”

Alphonse perked up, “You do…?”

“With the right support gear, we could have something to help keep the strain off of your body until you regain your strength!” Nana beamed wide at her son, “I can work with Winry to get a good design before schools start having their entrance exams.”

Winry clapped her hands giddily, “Yes!”

Nana smiled softly, watching as the kids started to excitedly chatter with one another about the prospect of this brand-new school experience.

Chapter Text

Several months later...

Nana stood in front of Winry and the four soon-to-be hero students as other kids walked past them and into U.A., "Do you have your water bottles?"

Edward nodded as he held his up, "Yeah, Mom."

"And the papers I got you, to show that your items are registered as support gear?"

Lan Fan gave a single nod, "Yes, Missus Shimura."

"Alphonse, how's your leg gear? It isn't uncomfortable, is it?"

Alphonse laughed softly, tapping one foot against the ground experimentally, "It feels fine, Mom...! You and Winry did an amazing job on it, and the physical training you set up for me really helped too."

Winry smiled confidently, "Well of course! You're looking at the best mechanic around!"

Eri hopped in place slightly, "Good luck...!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Nina gave Edward and Alphonse a quick hug, "You're gonna be heroes!"

Nana sighed softly, smiling warmly as she ruffled each of their heads, "You're going to be amazing, kids. We'll be here when you're finished kicking this test into next month, you hear?"

Edward gave her a confident smile, "Hell yeah!"

"And Winry," Nana gave her a pat on the shoulder and a thumbs up, "I know you'll blow the socks off of everyone in the support department test!"

Winry smiled wide, holding her wrench close to her chest, "Thank you, Missus Nana!"

Lan Fan bowed to Ling, "I will make sure to honor you with my performance, My Lord."

"Aw, Lan Fan!" Ling laughed jovially, "I'm sure you'll do great!"

"I guess it must be nice to only have to do the at-home written exam," Mei folded her arms, "isn't it?"

"Not as exciting though!"

Nana gave the kids one last hug, then waved them off before taking Eri and Nina to play until the exams were finished. Ling followed after them, and they could vaguely hear him asking about wanting another lunch.

Edward turned his gaze to the entryway, walking alongside the others, "What do you think we'll have to do?"

Alphonse hummed, mostly to himself, "Maybe they'll have us fight someone pretending to be a villain?"

"Or maybe rescue someone from a fake natural disaster..." Mei rubbed her chin.

"Whatever it is," Edward folded his hands behind his head, giving a confident grin, "I'm sure we can pass it all, no problem!"

"My exam is supposed to be over here..." Winry pointed in a different direction than the one the others were headed in, where only a handful of the gathered students were going, "So I'll meet up with you guys later, okay?"

Alphonse nodded, "Good luck, Winry!"

"Thanks, Al! And good luck to all of you!" Winry waved them off as she separated from the group.

Alphonse gave her a smile as she walked off before turning to look ahead - and jolted as he saw a boy with dark green hair start to fall forward. He went to run forward and was about to clap his hands, "Hang on, I'll-!" He stopped with a gasp, eyes widening at what happened next.

The boy had spontaneously stopped falling, floating at an angle as a girl with light brown hair pulled her hand away from his back as she laughed softly, "Are you okay?"

Edward's jaw dropped as the boy started to freak out, his legs running on empty air before he finally stopped, looking at the girl as he realized he was no longer falling.

She laughed again, calmly grabbing him and setting him back on his feet with ease before pressing her fingers together, "I stopped you with my Quirk - I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, but I figured you wouldn't mind me catching you!" The boy stared at her in shock as she spoke calmly, "Isn't this all like, way nerve-wracking?"

Mei leaned in closer to the others, "Did she just stop him from falling...?"

"More than that, she made him start to float...!" Edward started to mutter under his breath, "I wonder how she did it... I know Mom can make herself float, but that girl just made another person float..."

The boy started to stutter awkwardly, tripping over his own words constantly.

"Well, I guess I'll meet you inside!" She gave him a wave as she continued walking, "Bye!"

Alphonse leaned in closer to his brother, "What do you think her limit is?"

"I'm more curious about the equivalent exchange..." Edward narrowed his eyes as they walked alongside the other kids into an auditorium.

The quartet took a group of empty seats that were right next to each other, and Alphonse noticed that the boy from before had found a seat not too far from them. Before he could say anything, however, some lights started to shine down on the stage - looked like things were about to get started.

A man wearing a leather jacket with some sort of device around his neck and with his long blond hair styled to stick upright slid onto the stage, "What's up, U.A. candidates?! Thanks for tunin' in to me, your school DJ!"

Alphonse leaned in closer to Edward, whispering softly, "What's a DJ...?"

"I don't have the slightest idea, though I gotta say I like his style..." Edward nodded slightly, not noticing the eye roll the others gave at that - of course he'd like the guy in all leather.

The man spread his hands out, "C'mon and lemme hear ya!" He turned to face the side of the stage, holding a hand up to his ear in order to listen closely - but the crowd greeted him with an awkward silence. He gave a tiny shrug, the grin never leaving his face, "Keepin' it mellow, huh?" He rested a hand on his hip while holding up a finger on his other hand, "That's alright, I'll skip straight to the main show. Let's talk about how this practical exam's gonna go down, mkay?"

Mei blinked a couple of times before she whispered softly, "Oh, so he's showing us the exam?"

Alphonse knocked his head to the side, "He almost sounds like a radio show host..."

The presenter posed dramatically, "Are you readyyy?!" He paused and was met with silence once more before he let out a tiny yell, "Yeah!"

Alphonse glanced over at the sound of muttering, and saw the boy from before gushing to himself. He knocked his head to the side as he thought to himself, Is he a fan? Maybe this guy is popular...

"Like your applications said, today you rockin' folks will be conducting ten-minute mock battles in super-hip urban settings!" A screen behind him lit up with the text You Are Here as he spoke, "Your drawings, my friends!" He spread out his hands as the screen behind him flashed to show several boxes connected to the first one, each one designated with a letter, "After I drop the mic here, you'll head to your specified battle center! Sound good?"

Alphonse blinked, checking the card he'd gotten in the mail alongside the others.

There was a beat of silence before the man shouted to the crowd, "Okay?!"

"I'm labeled with C..." Edward glanced at Alphonse, then looked past him to Mei and Lan Fan, "What about you guys?"

"Oh, mine says I've been assigned to B." Alphonse glanced at his card before looking back up at the presentation.

Mei showed them her card, "Mine says I'm in A."

"I have been assigned E."

"Maybe they don't want people who know each other teaming up for an unfair advantage?" Alphonse rubbed his chin as he mused aloud, "It'd make the most sense - make sure everyone has an even playing field and all that."

Edward nodded to what his brother was saying, "Yeah, that sounds about right to me."

"Okay, okay!" The screen behind the man showed an image of some tall buildings, "Let's check out your targets!" He held up a hand as four silhouettes appeared, each one associated with a number, "There are three types of faux villains in every battle center! You'll earn points based on their level of difficulty, so choose wisely!"

Edward watched as the screen showed a pixelated version of the man approaching a faux villain, "So it is a fight against some fake villains..." He grinned confidently, "Shouldn't be a problem, then."

"And it looks like they're using a point system." Mei nodded decisively as she crossed her arms.

"Your goal in this trial is to use your Quirk to raise your score by shredding these faux villains like a mid-song guitar solo! But, check it!" He pointed to the crowd, sweeping his finger over them, "Make sure you keep your face heroic! Attacking other examinees is a U.A. no-no, ya dig?!" He wagged a finger at them, still grinning.

Alphonse knocked his head to the side, frowning softly, "Wouldn't that go without saying, though...?"

"Eliminating the competition is a logical strategy in this sort of scenario," Lan Fan crossed her arms as she spoke, "it would mean there's less people to earn points before you do, therefore increasing your chances of getting enough points to pass."

Mei nodded, "That's true. I doubt they put enough of these faux villains in there for everyone to pass, after all."

"That's true..." Edward narrowed his eyes, "Though still, we should keep an eye out just in case - don't want anyone getting the drop on us."

As the four were talking, a bespectacled boy with dark blue hair stood up from his spot a few rows ahead of them and raised his arm, "Excuse me, sir, but I have a question."

The man on the stage pointed to him, "Hit me!"

A spotlight shone down on the young man as he held up a piece of paper, pointing to a silhouette that was next to the three faux villains, "On the printout, you listed four types of villains, not three. With all respect, if this is an error on official U.A. materials, it is shameful!" He held a hand to his chest, "We are exemplary students, we expect the best from Japan's most notable school! A mistake such as this won't do. Additionally," he spun around, pointing at the green-haired boy from before, "you with the unkempt hair!" He quickly spun around to point at the quartet, "And you four, the golden-haired and dark-haired individuals!"

Edward squinted, leaning forward in his seat, "You got a problem?"

"You have been muttering and chatting amongst yourselves this entire time!" The blue-haired boy held up a finger, chopping his other hand at the wrist as he spoke, "I ask that you stop that; if you can't take this seriously, then leave. You're distracting the rest of us!"

Alphonse quickly grabbed Edward's shoulder before he could try to climb over the seats and held a hand over his brother's mouth before he could start shouting, "We're sorry! Most of our school experience has been being home schooled, we've developed a habit of thinking better by talking to each other. We'll be quiet!"

The green-haired boy clasped his hands over his mouth, muttering out a silent apology.

"Alright, alright!" The man on the stage waved his hands in a "simmer down" motion, "Examinee number 7111!" He gave a thumbs up to the blue-haired boy, "Thanks for calling in with your request! The fourth villain type is worth zero points! That guy is just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way! There's one in every battle center - think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid! It's not that it CAN'T be beaten, but there's... Kinda no point."

Edward and Alphonse traded a glance - no point, huh?

The man held up a hand, "I recommend my listeners try to ignore it and focus on the ones toppin' the charts!"

The blue-haired boy bowed deeply, "Thank you very much! Please continue, sir."

"That's actually all I've got for you today! I'll sign off with a little present - a sample of our school motto! As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, 'A true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes'. Mhm, now that's a tasty little soundbyte!" He grinned wide at the crowd, "You ready to go beyond?!" He spread his arms wide, "Let's hear a Plus Ultra! Good luck! Hope you practiced hitting more than just books!"

The quartet got up with the other students, walking with them to their respective buses - after all, it was time to pass their entrance exams.

Chapter Text

Edward stepped off the bus with the other test-takers, his eyes scanning the gate before them, "Big wall..." He stretched his good arm as he muttered to himself, "Definitely looks like it's scaled to a small city, for sure... They really spared no expenses, huh?" The alchemist grinned wide, popping his neck, "This'll be a cakewalk."

Some of the others were talking amongst themselves as they stretched, marveling at how big it was. Edward glanced over the crowd when he locked eyes with someone walking in his general direction, a dark-haired girl with... Wires extending from her earlobes?

Mom wasn't kidding about there being some strange-looking people in this world...

"Alright, let's start!" Everyone looked up when they heard Present Mic shouting from the top of a concrete tower that overlooked all the mock cities, "Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles!!!"

Edward grinned, turning to the gates as they opened up while everyone was still watching the Hero, "That's right!"

Present Mic was spinning his arm rapidly as he continued on, "Run, run, run, listeners!" He spread his arms wide as he let out a laugh, "You're wastin' airtime here!!!"

Edward glanced behind himself after he passed through the gate, grinning wide; most of the others had started running before Present Mic was done, but luckily for him they weren't quite as prepared for the sudden start as he was. He turned back to look ahead - then promptly ducked with a shout when a robot swung a large and bulky arm at him, a white 1 painted on it. The alchemist slid underneath the robot, clapping his hands together and planting them on the ground as he came to a stop.

The robot turned around to continue the assault, only to get crushed between two stone walls that came out of the ground to sandwich it between them.

The young alchemist grinned, quickly getting to his feet and running further into the mock city, "Alright, not too shabby! I'll be getting those points in no time!"

A trio of robots - a 3-pointer and a pair of 1-pointers - leapt down from a building as he was approaching it. The 3-pointer stared Edward down, red eye flashing as it spoke in a monotonous tone, "Target acquired. Now eliminating." The weapons on its back started to whirr to life, and it fired a salvo of missiles at him.

Edward grinned wider, clapping his hands and placing them against the ground. A set of stone fists emerged from the ground, one of them colliding with the missiles while the others crushed the robots against the ground.

He laughed as he ran past them, "Enjoy being scrap metal! Alright," he turned a corner, glancing to the side as he saw another test-taker rip off a 1-pointer's arm and use it to smack aside another one, "I'm at six points already - gotta focus on boosting those numbers!"

"Ack-!" Edward glanced to the side when he heard the exclamation, watching as a girl with ginger hair and disproportionately large hands held a 3-pointer from falling on top of her, a 1-pointer rushing in from the side.

The girl glanced to her left, wincing in anticipation for the robot to strike - only to hear a clap and sound of metal ramming into stone. She opened her eyes, gasping when she saw a wall that wasn't there before.

"Hey!" She glanced behind herself as Edward spoke up, "You alright?!"

"Oh, yeah!" She offered him a smile, "Thanks for the assist!"

Edward returned a grin, waving as he ran off, "No problem! Good luck!"

"Thanks! And you too!" The girl called after him as she shoved the robot off of her, delivering a quick punch through its face.

The alchemist turned a corner, grinning when he saw the backs of a 2-pointer and a 1-pointer, "Hey, you buckets of nuts and bolts!" He clapped his hands together before grabbing both of the robots, watching as they started to crumble, "How do you like that taste of 'deconstruction'?! Haha!" He rushed off as the last of their pieces fell to the floor, looking around for more robots to dismantle.

As Edward ran through the mock city, a pair of 3-pointers and five 1-pointers emerged from multiple alleys to surround him. The machines whirred, moving in closer with raised limbs and primed weapons.

Edward grinned wide, clapping his hands before touching the ground. A spear in his usual gothic style emerged with an alchemical flash from a crater that formed around it. He twirled it in his hands, holding it at the ready as the robots approached, "Come at me! I'll take you ALL on!"

Three of the 1-pointers whirred, swinging their limbs at him in unison.

The golden alchemist slid underneath the thrown limbs, swinging his spear and slicing through the watching 1-pointers while the other three smashed into each other. He spun as he got to his feet, burying the spear into the face of one of the 3-pointers.

As the machine slowly powered down and slumped to the ground, the other 3-pointer rushed in from behind and slammed into Edward's back.

"Gah!" Edward tumbled forward, the spear getting yanked from his hands as he slid into a shoulder roll. He turned around while clapping his hands together, sliding his hand over his automail as his arm blade extended and he swung his arm in one fluid motion, slicing clean through the limb that the 3-pointer was about to slam into him. He grinned wide, swinging onto the robot's back and sliding his blade through it, "It'll take more than you've got to take ME down!"

The 3-pointer went slack as Edward pulled his arm blade out of the robot, collapsing against the parts of the other fallen robots.

"Check-in time, listeners! You have just six minutes left - hope you've been racking up those points to reach today's top playlist!"

"Alright..." Edward climbed down from the pile of parts, "Gotta pick up the pace." He picked up his dropped spear, then paused to consider it briefly, "Mm... Ya know what?" He stabbed it into a piece of metal, "Leave it for someone without alchemy," he ran off to search for more robots to take down, "I could always make another if I need it, anyhow!"

As he was running through the streets, slicing through stray 1- and 2-pointers or smashing them with giant stone hands, he came across another pair of examinees. One of them, who seemed to be covered in a reflective metal, shouted in exertion as he ripped an arm off of a 1-pointer and smacked a different 1-pointer with it.

"I wonder how..." He shook his head, "No! Can't get distracted," he continued onwards to slash through more robots, "gotta keep moving, no telling how many points I'll need to beat out everyone else."

After a few minutes of Edward cutting down machines and helping other examinees out of some scrapes and jams, Present Mic called out over the sounds of battle, "Less than two minutes remaining!" Edward glanced up from a pair of downed 3-pointers, then glanced around as the ground trembled beneath him, "And the 0-pointers are on the loose! You better steer clear if you don't wanna go from toppin' the charts to flopping big-time!"

"Two minutes, huh? I've already got a nice 57 points..." He grinned, running towards the source of the tremors, "Might as well do some crowd control!"

As he rounded a corner, a crowd of examinees started to run past, shouting about some sort of giant as they ran in a panic.

"Giant? What sort of giWHAT THE HELL?!" Edward skidded to a stop, gaping at a machine that towered over the building as it pushed one over with a single hand, "THEY MAKE THINGS THAT HUGE?!"

"Hey, small fry!" A guy with pure black eyes started to run past, "Keep moving or that thing's gonna crush you!"

A vein popped on Edward's forehead, "Who are you calling," he clapped his hands before placing them on the ground, a huge flare of alchemical energy spreading outwards around him, "A MICROSHRIMP THAT'S INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE?!"

The guy made a face as he backed away, "Dude, literally nobody said any of that..."

"GRAAAH!" Edward quickly rose into the air, a giant fist made of stone shooting upwards with him on top of it.

"OH, WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Just one minute left, listeners!"

The alchemist glanced over his shoulder as Present Mic called that out before turning back to the robot, "Hey, bolts-for-brains!" Edward waved to the giant machine, grinning as it turned to him, "Why don't we see who the REAL minuscule pipsqueak is!"

"DUDE JUST DROP THE NAPOLEON COMPLEX!"

Edward pointedly ignored the shouts, laughing as he clapped his hands and planted them on the pillar. A collection of fists and spikes extended from the pillar, rocketing towards the machine.

The monolithic robot reached for Edward, only for the deluge of fists to pummel it as the spikes dug into it.

Edward grinned, jumping onto the outstretched arm and running down it. He leapt towards the chest once he was close enough, clapping his hands and pressing them against the chest, laughing as it started to deconstruct under his touch.

The metal groaned around the punctures and gaps, and the giant started to fall backwards as it started to collapse inwards from the destroyed internal supports.

Edward slid off of the machine as it collided with the ground, whooping the whole time, "Haha, take THAT!"

The other examinees gaped at what they saw, absolutely dumbstruck by it.

"And that's that. Tiiime's up, everyone!"

Edward glanced up as an alarm blared after Present Mic's announcement, grinning as he folded his hands behind his head, "Piece of cake, just like I thought!" He started to walk back towards the gate they all entered through, "Just wait 'til Al hears about this!"

The other examinees watched as he walked past, muttering to themselves about the kid with the powerful Quirk.

Chapter Text

Alphonse stepped off of the bus with the rest of his group of examinees, glancing around at all of the other kids as they started to chatter while stretching before turning to the gate.

I wonder if this is a permanent part of the school... Alphonse knocked his head to the side as he started musing to himself, Do they use it for tests year-round?

"Okay, this is it - a mock battle..." Alphonse glanced to the side when he heard someone speaking not too far away, catching sight of the green-haired boy from before talking to himself, "How come none of these guys seem nervous at all? Are they that confident...?"

Ah, so he's nervous... Alphonse closed his eyes as he stretched his arms, I wonder what his power is? He looked around some more, noticing another examinee who was wearing a fancy-looking belt. Alphonse squinted, He's so sparkly... Kinda reminds me of Major Armstrong.

The young alchemist looked over his shoulder when he heard a yelp, watching as the bespectacled boy who called them out earlier grabbed the green-haired boy's shoulder, "She looks like she's trying to focus on the trials ahead." Alphonse turned to look in the same direction, noticing the girl from the school gates, "What are you going to do? Distract her and ruin her chances to succeed?"

"No, no, no, of course not...!" The nervous boy started to wave his hands quickly, "I-I..."

"Hey, over there..." Alphonse spared a glance at another group of examinees as they started to speak, "That's the guy who almost bit it out front earlier."

"He practically wet himself in the lecture hall when he got called out with those other kids."

"Dude, what a loser," Alphonse frowned as they continued on, "but one less rival to worry about, I guess."

The green-haired boy clammed up, looking down with a defeated expression as most of the others grinned to each other.

"Hey," everyone turned to Alphonse when he started to speak up as he approached the two standing in the back of the group, "it isn't exactly polite to talk down about someone - especially when they're within earshot." He stood between the green-haired boy and the bespectacled one, "Is that really how you think Heroes would behave?"

The rest of the hecklers grumbled as they turned away, the green-haired boy staring at him with wide eyes.

Alphonse offered him a gentle smile, "You alright?"

"O-Oh! Um-" he gave Alphonse a deep bow, "Th-Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" The alchemist held out a hand, "I'm Alphonse Elric-Shimura. And you are?"

"Alright, let's start!" Before the boy could reply, they heard Present Mic's voice from the top of a concrete tower, "Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles!!!"

"Ah, gotta go-!" Alphonse started to run through the group as they started to catch on to what was happening, "Good luck!"

"Run, run, run, listeners! You're wastin' airtime here!!!"

"Hey, wait up!" Alphonse glanced back as the boy finally started to run after the group, "Save some villains for me...!"

Poor guy... Alphonse split off from the group, clapping his hands together when a 1-pointer slid into view. He placed a hand against the ground, watching as a pair of pillars curved out of the ground to flatten the robot between them, I hope he's able to earn enough points - he really seems like a nice kid. But right now... Alphonse turned a corner, quickly ducking beneath a robot's thrown limb before clapping his hands and deconstructing it with a touch, I need to focus on getting points.

As Alphonse went through an alleyway with machine parts scattered throughout it, he heard a pained grunt from underneath a collapsed robot, "Geez, these are HEAVY...!"

"Oh! Are you okay?" Alphonse knelt down next to them, scanning the debris.

The other examinee glanced up, blinking, "Uh - yeah? I'm just a little pinned, I should-"

"Here, let me help." Alphonse clapped his hands, and with a touch and an alchemical flash, the robots collapsed into smaller, easier-to-move pieces, "Is that better?"

The student blinked a few times, then gave him a big grin as he climbed out, revealing his large and somewhat cylindrical elbows, "Yeah - thanks!"

Alphonse returned the smile, "You're welcome!" He stood back up and ran off, waving over his shoulder, "Good luck!"

"Thanks!" The other examinee ran in a different direction, returning the wave, "And you too!"

"Check-in time, listeners!" Alphonse glanced up after smashing another group of 3-pointers underneath a stone slab, "You have just six minutes left - hope you've been racking up those points to reach today's top playlist!"

"Six minutes left?" Alphonse dusted off his hands, watching as the examinee with the fancy belt shot a laser through some lined-up machines, "And I'm already sitting at 35 points... But I can't afford to get sloppy."

As he turned a corner, he watched as the bespectacled boy from earlier took a running jump and kicking through a robot's head, steam pouring out of some pipes in his calves, "That puts me at 45!"

Wait... Does he have ENGINES in his legs?! Alphonse blinked in surprise, But they don't even look like automail...! Winry would love to see that, I bet. He glanced to the side, clapping his hands and creating a stone hand to smash a group of robots that had swerved into the alleyway he was standing in, "Alright, that bumps me up to 48..."

Alphonse glanced around as a bunch of other examinees started to shout out their own point totals or started bickering over who got which robot. Then, in the crowd, he noticed the green-haired boy panicking as he looked around at everyone.

I shouldn't get distracted... But, Alphonse swerved around the chaos, I can't just ignore someone who needs help...! He ran up to the boy, waving a hand, "Hey! Are you okay?"

"H-Huh?!" He spun around quickly, "O-Oh, Elric-Shimura...! No! I mean yes! I-I mean - I just - I don't...!"

Don't...? Oh - he must not have any points... "Hang on." Alphonse clapped his hands, touching one of the downed robots. In an alchemical flash, a steel staff formed in his hands, and he held it out to the green-haired boy, "Can you use this?"

He blinked in confusion, hesitatingly taking it from Alphonse, U-Um - yes...?"

"Then use that to get some points - you should still have a few minutes! If you're fast enough, you can-"

"Less than two minutes remaining!" Alphonse looked around as the ground began to tremble while Present Mic spoke, "And the 0-pointers are on the loose! You better steer clear if you don't wanna go from toppin' the charts to flopping big-time!"

Everyone looked up as a shadow was cast over them, watching as a giant robot towered over the buildings. It crushed one of the towering structures as it rested a hand against it, swinging the other fist towards the ground.

"Move!" Alphonse turned to the crowd, "Everyone move out of the way!" He winced as a dust cloud surged over them after the robot punched the ground. He glanced over when he heard a thud, seeing the boy drop the staff as he fell to the ground while the other examinees ran past. Alphonse walked over and grabbed his hand, "Come on, we need to get away from-!"

"Ow!"

Alphonse's eyes widened, turning back around as the dust began to clear - the girl from before was struggling to pull herself up, her leg pinned underneath some rubble. He started to run forward, clapping his hands, "Hang on!"

As he placed his hands on the ground and a line of alchemical energy surged towards the girl, he watched as the green-haired boy ran ahead, his legs starting to glow as he squatted down before he was suddenly launched into the sky, rocketing towards the giant machine's face.

The girl looked up in surprise as he flew upwards, then looked down when she felt the weight get lifted off of her leg. A set of small pillars were rising from the ground, lifting the rubble off of her.

"Miss!" Alphonse knelt down as she looked up at him, "Miss, are you alright?"

"I-I am, but that boy-!" She looked back up, eyes wide.

Alphonse looked up as well, watching as the boy threw a punch with explosive force that caved the robot's face in as it began to fall backwards, small explosions going off in a chain reaction in its body. That's just like...! Wait... Alphonse squinted, Why do his limbs...?

"Just one minute left, listeners!"

Alphonse gasped as the boy started to fall with a scream, "His limbs are broken-!" He clapped his hands, and with a huge surge of alchemical energy a pillar formed underneath him, "Hang on!" The alchemist held out a hand as he got closer to the falling boy, "Quick, grab on!"

The green-haired boy reached out, grabbing his outstretched hand with his good arm, "Thank y-!"

The pillar shook, and Alphonse shouted out as it collapsed underneath them. He looked down, noticing one of the robot's limbs colliding with the now-crumbling pillar, "Oh no - hold on!" He pulled the boy closer, squeezing his eyes shut as he positioned himself between him and the quickly approaching ground.

"W-Wait, no! I think I can-!" The green-haired boy struggle, accidentally shoving Alphonse off of him, "No, no-!"

Alphonse's eyes shot open - right as something was moving towards them. He turned his head, everything suddenly going in slow-motion as the girl from before was laying on a floating piece of robot, her outstretched fingers grazing Alphonse's shoulder as her other hand was slapped across the other boy's face.

As all three of them were about to touch the ground, they slowed to a stop and hovered mere inches off the ground. The girl's face was contorted with exertion, and with a bit of struggle she touched her fingertips together as she muttered out, "A-And release...!"

They fell to the ground harmlessly, Alphonse shooting up and quickly patting himself down, "We're okay...?!" He turned to the girl, "Thank - oh!" He covered his mouth as she vomited up a rainbow, "Oh no, are you-?!"

"D-Drawback of my Quirk..." She forced herself to sit up, her face a mix of worry and exhaustion, "Is he...?!"

Alphonse gasped, quickly turning to the green-haired boy as he started to drag himself with his good arm, "Please, stay still!" He rushed over, looking around as some other examinees started to gather to witness what was going on, "Someone, please, get a doctor!"

"I-I can't afford to wait...!" The green-haired boy fought through his tears, "I-I just need some points! Any points! I-I worked too hard to fail-!"

"And that's that. Tiiimes up, everyone!"

Alphonse's face fell as an alarm blared out, kneeling to pat the boy on the back, "I'm so sorry..."

He bit his lip, resting his face against the ground as tears streamed down his face.

"Did you see that dude's attack...?" One of the examinees crossed their arms as they spoke, "I didn't think he had that kind of strength..."

"Me either..."

"Looked like some sort of reinforcement-type Quirk, but..."

"There was something else."

Alphonse gritted his teeth, turning to face the rest of them, "Would you all PLEASE stop just standing around and get help?! He needs a doctor!"

"Is that right?" They all turned around as a small, elderly woman using a giant needle as a walking stick approached, "Very nice, everyone, good work all around. You're all Heroes in my eyes, every one of you - now please, move aside so I can do my work." She reached into her pocket, dropping some gummies into their hands as they moved past, "Here, reward yourselves. Don't eat them all at once, okay?"

"Miss, he's broken three of his limbs...!" Alphonse waved to her as she approached, "Do you need help moving him? Where's your equipment...?"

"Don't you worry about that, deary." She looked over the boy's broken limbs, "My goodness... You were hurt this badly by your own Quirk, sonny?" She knelt down, gently kissing the top of his head.

Alphonse made a face he'd picked up from Greed, "Huh? Miss, what are you...?"

"You're watching a school nurse in action." Alphonse turned around as the boy with the fancy belt spoke, "The Youthful Heroine, Recovery Girl! She's the only reason U.A. can hold these reckless exams."

The green-haired boy's limbs started to glow with a sparkly green light, and Alphonse gasped as they started to twist back into shape, going from the dark and bruised discoloration to their natural hue.

"Her Quirk is a très awesome boost of healing power." The boy with the fancy belt flicked his hair with a sparkle, "Look, she's saving him months of recovery time!"

"Alright, he'll be fine now. Anyone else injured?" The old lady looked up at Alphonse.

"Uh - no, I'm fine...!" Alphonse stood up, looking down at the boy with a crestfallen expression, Even if he isn't injured anymore, without any points... He watched as the other examinees were being guided out of the mock city, then walked after them, a determined expression on his face.

The next day...

"Are you sure about this, Alphonse?" Nana turned to look at her son, a worried expression on her face.

"I'm sure, Mom. It isn't fair for him to fail just because he chose to save someone over earning any points. And besides," he looked up at her, giving a big smile, "what kind of Hero wouldn't stand up for the little guy?"

Nana returned the smile, gently ruffling his head, "Okay. I'll be waiting right out here while you talk with the teacher, okay>"

"Okay." He gave her a quick hug, "Be right back!" He ran inside of the building, getting directions to one of the rooms. As he walked up, though, he noticed a familiar face already standing there, "Oh, hello!"

The girl turned around, blinking in surprise, "Oh, the golden boy with the amazing Quirk...!"

Alphonse smiled good-naturedly, "I could say the same about yours...! I'm Alphonse Elric-Shimura," he offered a hand, "and you are?"

"Ochaco Uraraka!" She shook his hand, her pinkie outstretched, "What are you doing here, Elric-Shimura?"

"Oh - just Alphonse is fine! I was actually coming in to talk to this teacher about that boy who didn't get any points."

Ochaco perked up at that, "Me too...! It isn't fair for him to fail when he was just trying to help me!"

"Right!" He looked at the door, then back to her, "Together, then?"

She smiled with a nod, "Together!" She turned to the door, carefully sliding it open, "Excuse us? Do you have a second?"

Present Mic turned around, grinning wide, "Hellooo, listeners! What can I do for ya today?"

"You know that boy with the really messy hair and freckles?" Ochaco held her hand above her head, wiggling her fingers to emulate said hair. She held a hand to her cheek, "It's hard to describe his face... He's kinda plain-looking...? Uh, doesn't really stand out or anything, you know?"

Alphonse leaned in, "The one who's equivalent exchange caused his limbs to break?"

"Yes, him!" Ochaco nodded, "We were wondering... Is there any way we could convince you to let him try again...?"

"Or to even give him some of our own points...!" Alphonse gave him a pleading look, "He worked so hard just to get in, and even though he didn't have any points he still risked everything to save her...!"

"Yeah...! He would've had a better score if he hadn't stopped to try and help me! He saved me, I have to make it up to him...!"

"Please, sir?"

Present Mic smiled, pulling his hands out of his jacket pockets, "Thanks for showin' up to the station with your requests, listeners." He ruffled each of their heads, "But there's no reason to give him either of your points. The kid's chartin' well on his own!"

Alphonse blinked, giving a confused expression, "Huh?"

The Pro Hero grinned a little wider, spreading his arms, "Ah, stay tuned to your letters and you'll find out! No spoilers from this DJ - all I'll say," he tipped down his shades so they could see his eyes, "is don't worry 'bout your little friend. Now you two should hurry on home, mkay?"

"Um..." The two traded a look, then turned back to Present Mic and nodded, "Okay?"

"Okay!" Present Mic straightened himself out, shooting them some finger guns, "I'll catch ya on the air next time, dear listeners!"

"Bye, sir...!" Alphonse waved to him as the pair walked out, then he turned to Ochaco, "I guess I'll see you around?"

"Mhm!" She offered him a smile, waving and showing off the beans on her fingertips in the process.

Alphonse's eyes sparkled at that, "Oh my goodness you have kitty fingerbeans-"

"Hm? Oh, haha!" She laughed it off, "Yeah, I guess I do!"

He held a hand over his mouth, "I am, so sorry-"

"No, no, you're fine!"

"Right! Well. Goodbye, Ochaco!"

She blinked a couple of times, "Huh?"

Not catching her confusion, he quickly walked off to meet back up with Nana. I wonder what he meant about that boy "chartin' well"...

A week later...

"Yo, kiddos!" Greed walked into the living room, holding a pile of letters, "Mail's here!"

Edward climbed over the couch where he and the other teenagers were puzzling over the TV, "Hand it over-!"

"Alright, alright, geez!" Greed lightly tapped his face with a letter, "And no climbin' on the furniture, remember? We're civilized folks!"

Edward took the letter, then shot her a look, "This is the water bill."

"For your super-long showers. You're welcome to pay up anytime, kiddo."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny. Where's the mail that's actually for us?"

"Hm? Oh, do you mean.." She held up a set of envelopes with a wax seal labeled with a U.A. on them, giving a lopsided grin, "Theeese?"

The teenagers perked up, each reaching for their envelopes and tearing them open - only to find small discs that fell out.

"The hell?" Edward picked his up, squinting, "What's THIS supposed to-?"

Nana took over to lightly smack his head with a letter for the expletives he started to spew when it displayed a hologram right as Eri and Nina walked into the room.

The confusion was quickly waved away, however, when each of the devices told the children the same thing - that they were officially students of U.A.

Chapter Text

Nana smiled as she watched the teenagers gather at the front door, "You all have everything you need, right?"

Alphonse nodded, "I made sure Brother packed all his books, Mom."

"Don't see why we need to carry 'em," Edward pulled on his backpack, "it'd probably be easier to just keep them at school, wouldn't it?"

"That's something you can talk to your teachers about." Nana walked closer, taking a moment to adjust Edward's loose tie, "You should keep to the dress code, okay? Some teachers take it very seriously."

"Alright, alright!" Edward tugged on his shirt's collar, grumbling about having to wear another uniform.

Lan Fan was already standing outside, holding the door open, "We should get moving, My Lord. I don't want you being late to your classes."

"Can't I squeeze in another breakfast?"

Before Lan Fan would have a chance to agree with Ling, Nana started to shoo them all out the door, "No, you definitely cannot. Go on and make a good first impression, kids!"

"Bye...!" Eri waved to them with Nina, "Be home soon...!"

Alphonse gave her a smile and a thumbs up, "We will, don't worry!"

Winry smiled as she waved goodbye to Nana and the girls as the teenagers all walked out, "You three have a good day!"

"You too!" Nina waved excitedly.

Nana gave them all a warm smile, giving them one last wave before she closed the door.

Alphonse gave Mei a quick hug before she and Lan Fan went down a separate hallway, waving her goodbye as he moved to catch up with the still-walking Edward, "So we're both in class 1-A... What do you think it'll be like, Brother?"

"If it's anything like the mock battle?" Edward grinned wide, hands crossed behind his head, "It'll be a piece of cake!"

Alphonse smiled, then hummed to himself, "We'll have 20 classmates, too. Think we'll get along with them?"

"Eh, so long as they don't insinuate anything about my height, we'll be juuust fine." Edward turned a corner as he spoke, "Aha! There we are! At... This..."

Alphonse craned his neck upwards as they approached the door, "Wow..."

Edward's jaw dropped, pointing at the door emphatically, "Why do they need a door THIS big?!"

"!!! Elric-Shimura?!"

Alphonse turned around, gasping in surprise, "Oh, you're here! And just Alphonse is fine."

"Eh?" Edward leaned back to look past Alphonse as the green-haired boy ran up to them, "You know this guy, Al?"

"He's the boy I told you about! Remember, Brother?"

"Oh yeah, the bone-breaker..." Edward squinted, "You look... Smaller than I expected."

Alphonse shot his brother an ignored look that said you're one to talk before turning to give the other boy a smile, "I'm sorry, I never got your name the other day."

"O-Oh, right...! My name's Izuku Midoriya," he gave Alphonse a boy, "a-and thank you for everything you did, Elric-Shimura...!"

"It's a pleasure to know you, Izuku! And you can just call me Alphonse." The young alchemist looked at the door, "Are you in 1-A as well?"

"Dur?" Izuku blinked a few times, then quickly nodded his head, "I-I mean yes! I am!"

"Alright, enough chit-chat already!" Edward went to open the door, "Let's just go ahead and grab our seats."

Izuku briefly had a concerned expression, then quickly shook his head as he reassured himself that everything would be fine-

As soon as Edward opened the door, the bespectacled boy who had called them out in the lecture hall was speaking scoldingly to another student with pale hair and red eyes, "Take your feet off of that desk right now!!!"

The other student gave a smug smile, "Huh?"

The one who was still standing started to point and chop his hands for emphasis as he spoke, "It's the first day and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing school property, you cretin!"

Edward made a face as he muttered to himself, "Oh great, we get to deal with this crap..."

"You're kidding me, right?" The student with his feet on the desk just grinned wider, "Your old school put a stick up your ass, or were you born with it?"

"Hey now, that's not very polite!"

Izuku started to panic as the delinquent turned to them, face hardening into a glare, "What was that?"

Alphonse, however, was undeterred, "He's just telling you it's impolite to keep your feet where other people have done their schoolwork before you." Alphonse crossed his arms, "And then your response is to start insulting him?"

As the red-eyed boy started to grit his teeth, the one who was still standing next to his desk started to speak as he placed a hand to his chest while chopping his other hand, "Ah - perhaps it'd be best if we start over? I'm Tenya Iida from the Somei Private Academy."

"Somei, huh?" He turned back to Tenya, his confident sneer back, "So you must think you're better than us." He leaned forward, "I'm gonna have FUN tearin' you a new one!"

Tenya gasped as he took a step back, "You would threaten me? Your own classmate?!" He frowned, "Are you sure you're in the right place?"

"He's right," Alphonse gave him a disapproving look, "that isn't a very HEROIC thing to do, now is it?"

He shot Alphonse a look, "Nobody asked you, pencil-legs!"

"HEY!" Edward gritted his teeth, stepping in front of Alphonse, "You don't get to talk to my brother like that!"

"Butt outta this, shorty!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A MICROSHRIMP?!" Edward started waving a fist, gnashing his teeth as Alphonse grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't shout, ya damn extra! Just because you can't hear properly doesn't mean the rest of us can't."

Alphonse sighed, "Let's just find our seats, Brother - he isn't worth the effort."

"What did you say?!"

Alphonse chose to ignore him, pulling Edward to a pair of empty desks in the back - unintentionally exposing Izuku, who had been hiding behind them.

Tenya's eyes widened, "It's you."

Alphonse paused, glancing over as Izuku jolted and stared at the ceiling before he spoke, "Uh, hi-!"

Tenya started to power-walk towards him, "My name is Tenya Iida fro-"

"Yeah, I-I know...!" Izuku quickly held up his hands, "I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's, uh, super nice to meet you...!"

Edward raised a brow, "For someone who really wanted to get into a Hero course, he sure is nervous."

Alphonse gave a small nod as Tenya straightened out, "Midoriya. You realized that there was something more to the practical exam, didn't you?" Tenya closed his eyes as he spoke, "You must be very perceptive." He held up his hands, chopping them for emphasis, "And I completely misjudged you, I admit. As a student, you're far superior to me."

"He's so damn serious..." Edward sighed as he plopped down into a desk.

Alphonse just nodded as he eased into the spot next to him.

"Hey! I recognize that messed-up hair!" Izuku turned with a gasp, "Falling boy!"

Alphonse looked up, "Oh, Ochaco! You're in this class too?"

Ochaco looked past the entrance and waved to him, "Oh, Elric-Shimura! You're here too!"

He offered a smile, "Like I said the other day, just Alphonse is fine!"

"Right!" She turned back to Izuku, "Anyways, I'm really glad to see you made it in! You totally deserve it," she started to wave her fists as she spoke, "that punch was amazing!"

"O-Oh, hey, hi! Oh my gosh!" Izuku covered his face, "So, uh, I should probably be thanking you for going in and talking to the teacher...!"

"Huh? How'd you know about that?"

"Oh-! Um, w-well, heheh...!"

"Ah, well!" Ochaco beamed wide, "What do you think we're doing today besides orientation? I wonder what our teachers are like - I can't wait to meet everybody!"

Edward sighed, resting his cheek against his propped arm, "Boy, does she have a lot of energy or what...?"

"If you're just here to make friends," the students all started to look around when a new voice started speaking, "then you can pack up your stuff now."

Alphonse frowned, leaning forward in his desk, "Wait, where did...?"

Izuku gasped, looking at the ground behind Ochaco. She turned around to look as well, her face a mix of surprise and concern.

Edward stood up, trying to peer through the door and seeing... A disheveled man in a yellow sleeping bag.

"Welcome to U.A.'s Hero course." The man opened the sleeping back just enough to bring a juice pouch to his mouth, slurping it up. He then stood up while the students watched in shock, unzipping the sleeping bag and stepping out, "It took eight seconds before you all shut up. That's not gonna work - time is precious. Rational students would understand that."

"Is..." Alphonse leaned over to Edward to whisper, "Is he our teacher...?"

Edward was making a face, "He looks like he hasn't slept in days..."

The man looked over the room, "Hello, I'm Shota Aizawa. Your teacher."

Alphonse blinked as the other students reacted with surprise, "I suppose that answers that."

Aizawa fished through his sleeping bag, then pulled out what looked like a blue track suit, "Put these on and head outside."

The students traded glances, then followed Aizawa's directions to the locker rooms where they could get changed.

As the students walked onto an empty field after changing out of their uniforms and into the gym clothes, Aizawa turned to address them, "Today, we'll be performing a Quirk assessment test."

"But orientation!" Ochaco held up her hands, "We're gonna miss it!"

Aizawa turned away, "If you really wanna make the big leagues, you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies."

Edward crossed his arms, muttering to himself, "Can't say I'm complaining about that... Probably would've just been some stuffy guy showboating anyways."

"Here at U.A., we're not tethered to traditions." Aizawa looked over his shoulder as he spoke, "That means that I get to run my class however I see fit." He moved to stand between two circles on the ground, "You've been taking standardized tests most of your lives," he held up a device, "but you never got to use your Quirks in physical exams before. The country's still trying to pretend we're all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel - it's not rational. One day, the Ministry of Education will learn." He lowered the device, turning to the red-eyed boy with the temper, "Bakugo, you managed to get the most points on the entrance exam."

Edward narrowed his eyes as he glanced at him alongside the other students.

Aizawa continued on, "What was your farthest distance throw with a softball when you were in Junior High?"

"67 meters, I think."

"Right." Aizawa pulled a softball out of his pocket, tossing it to him, "Try doing it with your Quirk." He pointed to one of the circles on the ground, "Anything goes, just stay in the circle."

"Is that it...?" Edward grinned as he rubbed his hands together.

"Go on." Aizawa rested his hands in his pockets, "You're wasting our time."

Bakugo started to stretch his arm, "Alright, man, you asked for it." He took a step forward, grinning wide as he swung his arm over his head and launched the softball with an explosion from his palm, "Die!"

Edward tensed as the ball soared through the air, glancing at Alphonse, "Al, did you see-?!"

Alphonse covered his mouth, having flashbacks to a certain alchemist he once fought, "That's a lot like..."

"All of you need to know your maximum capabilities." Aizawa pulled out the device again as the softball thudded against the ground, "it's the most rational way of figuring out your potential as a Pro Hero." He turned to the students, holding up the device as it read "705.2m".

"Whoa, 705 meters, are you kidding me...?" A kid with blond hair and a black lightning bolt in it turned to Bakugo, "Are you kidding me?"

"I wanna go!" A girl with pink skin clapped her hands together, "That looks like fun!"

"This is what I'm talkin' about," Alphonse turned around, recognizing the boy with the strange elbows from the exam, "usin' our Quirks as much as we want!"

"So this looks like fun, huh?" The students turned to Aizawa as he spoke, "You have three years here to become a Hero. You think it's all gonna be games and playtime?" The teacher grinned, "Idiots. Today, you'll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none, and will be expelled immediately."

This immediately sent the students into an uproar.

"You can't do that!" Edward waved a fist at him, "We worked hard to get in here, dammit!"

"You think that guarantees success?" Aizawa glanced at him, "So everyone else that took the entrance exam, the ones who didn't make it into our Hero course - did they just not work hard enough? They didn't give it their all?"

"Er..." Edward gritted his teeth, "That's not what I'm-"

"Exactly." Aizawa turned to Izuku as he continued, "In the real world, working your hardest, doing your best isn't always the best. Chances are, there's always someone above you. You don't like how this class runs," he glanced back at Edward, "you might as well just quit and go home now."

"Grrr..." Edward clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes.

Alphonse frowned, glancing at a distressed Izuku.

"You can't send one of us home!" Ochaco stepped forward, "I mean, we just got here! Even if it wasn't the first day, that isn't fair!"

"Oh, and you think natural disasters are?" Aizawa stepped forward as the students gasped, "Or power-hungry villains? Hm? Or how about catastrophic accidents that wipe out whole cities? No," he leaned in close, "the world is full of unfairness."

Edward sighed, He's right about that, at least...

"It's a Hero's job to try to combat that unfairness. If you wanna be a Pro," Aizawa stood upright as he glanced over the students, "you're gonna have to push yourself to the brink. For the next three years, U.A. will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So, go beyond. Plus Ultra-style." He made a "come here" gesture, "Show me it's no mistake that you're here. Now then," Aizawa popped his back as the students started to steel themselves, "we're just wasting time by talking. Let the games begin. First up," Aizawa nodded to a small robot, "the 50-meter dash."

"Brother," Alphonse grabbed Edward's arm as he whispered while the other students were moving, "I'm going to try and score lower than Izuku."

"What?!" Edward frowned as he fiercely whispered back, "But Al-!"

"He can't use his Quirk without hurting himself yet - it's unfairly biased against him." Alphonse offered a reassuring smile, "I'll be fine, Brother."

Edward sighed, "There you go again, being difficult... Fine," he ruffled Alphonse's hair as the pair moved to join the others, "do what you gotta do."

Aizawa waved a hand, "Whoever wants to go, go. This will be done two students at a time."

Alphonse watched as Tenya and a girl with dark green hair stepped up to do it. He hummed when Tenya ran and the girl leapt like a frog, leaning over to Edward, "I seem to remember him being faster during the exam..."

Edward crossed his arms as he hummed, "Maybe he needs to build up speed gradually, like a car."

Alphonse nodded, "I think you're right, Brother."

Aizawa glanced up from his device, watching as Tenya was musing to himself, "Well, he's definitely in his element, but speed won't help him in every test." He looked back down at the device, "Next."

This time, Ochaco walked up alongside a guy with short blond hair and a long tail. She touched her clothes and shoes, giving a satisfied nod as she got into a ready position.

"Reducing the weight she's carrying to make herself faster..." Alphonse nodded, "That's smart."

Edward pursed his lips as the two started to run, "But then why not go all the way and reduce her own weight?"

"I don't think she has a way to propel herself like Mom does," Alphonse tapped his chin, "when she used it on me, I couldn't move."

"That right?" Edward frowned, "Then we should avoid letting her get too close if we ever fight her."

Alphonse gave him a look as other students were called up, "Brother, she's a classmate."

"There could be sparring matches!"

The brothers continued to watch as other students went, Alphonse always going a few students after Izuku whenever possible to try and get at least a slightly lower score, though for a handful he did end up outperforming him. The other students tended to get fairly average results, save for when their Quirks were fully applicable to the current test.

Then, eventually, it came time for the softball toss. Aizawa glanced at his device, "Bakugo, your results for this have already been recorded. Uraraka," he turned to the crowd, "you're up."

"Okay!" She stepped into the circle, lightly tapped the ball, then threw it forward.

Despite it not being a particularly powerful throw, they all watched as it kept drifting further and further into the sky, until it eventually disappeared from view entirely.

Edward made a face as realization hit, "I think she just sent it into the upper atmosphere..."

Aizawa glanced at his device, then just calmly turned it to the students to show the results.

They all gaped at what it said, "INFINITY?!"

"That's INSANE! How's that possible?!"

Aizawa huffed, "Midoriya," he tossed Izuku a new softball, "your turn."

Izuku gulped, stepping into the circle and gripping the ball.

Tenya crossed his arms, "If Midoriya doesn't shape up and get at least one remarkable score, he might be the one going home."

"Huh?" Bakugo glowered at that, "Of course he is. He's a Quirkless loser!"

Tenya gave him a confused look, "He most certainly has a Quirk."

Edward frowned, glancing at Alphonse and making sure to whisper quietly enough nobody else would hear, "Do you think...?"

Alphonse shook his head, "I don't know... We should keep that to ourselves, Brother."

Tenya chopped his hand as he spoke to Bakugo, "Did you not hear about what he did in the entrance exam?"

Izuku took a deep breath, winding up to toss as him arm started to glow with red lines of energy.

Alphonse tensed up, watching as Izuku released the ball with a yell... Only for it to thud a little over 40 meters away, Izuku's arm still fully intact. Alphonse frowned, "What the...?"

"Uh... What gives...?" Izuku stared at his arm, confusion painted across his face, "I was trying to use it just now..."

"I erased your Quirk." Everyone turned around as Aizawa spoke, all of them gasping and taking a few steps back when they saw his eyes glowing red while his hair and scarf floated in the air, "The judges for this exam were not rational enough. Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll at this school."

"Now hang on...!" Alphonse went to step forward, only for Tenya to place a hand in front of him.

Tenya shook his head, "I believe we should stay back for now, Elric-Shimura. We shouldn't interfere with Mr. Aizawa, regardless of our... Personal opinions."

"Mm..." Alphonse frowned, watching Izuku closely.

"Wait, you did what to my-" Izuku gasped when he spotted something, "Ah! Those goggles - I know you! You can look at someone and cancel out their powers... The Erasure Hero, Eraser Head!"

"The ability to erase powers, huh?" Edward crossed his arms, "Pretty useful in a fight..."

The other students glanced at each other, "Eraser? Who's that?"

Aizawa stared down at Izuku, "You're not ready. You don't have control over your power. Were you planning to break your bones again? Counting on someone else to save your useless body?"

Alphonse bit his lip, thinking back to Izuku's fall during the exam.

"N-No! That's not what I was trying to do-!" Izuku gasped when Aizawa's scarf suddenly grabbed him, pulling him closer while Aizawa walked towards him.

Alphonse narrowed his eyes at the back of Aizawa's head when he started to speak quietly so only Izuku could hear.

After a minute, Aizawa closed his eyes as his scarf released Izuku and wrapped itself up around his neck, "I've returned your impractical Quirk." He started to walk away, "Take your final throw. Hurry and get it over with."

Izuku stood there for a moment longer, staring at the ground as he contemplated.

Edward crossed his arms, "Dunno what he said exactly, though I can't imagine it being anything other than harsh..."

"Mhm..." Alphonse nodded slightly, watching as Aizawa used some eye drops, "And I don't know if it was constructive, either - if Izuku can't use his Quirk, shouldn't it be his job as a teacher to help him learn control?"

"Hate to say it, Al, but I don't think this guy actually has our best interest in mind."

"I may have to disagree with you on this." Tenya crossed his arms, "What he says holds some truth - Midoriya's Quirk has a massive toll. After all, if he breaks his arm here, he won't be able to perform the remaining tests. It would be one success at the cost of several failures."

"So it wouldn't be an equivalent exchange..." Edward gave a frustrated sigh, "I hate how that makes sense."

Alphonse watched as Izuku started to wind up, frowning when he noticed none of those red lines like before... Then watched with wide eyes when just his fingertip lit up the second before the ball was launched through the air, the wind whipping around Izuku as it soared upwards.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Edward grinned wide, shielding his eyes from the sun, "Look at it go!"

"Mr. Aizawa..." The teacher looked up from the device as Izuku spoke, the green-haired boy gripping his fist as he bit his lip, "You see? I'm still standing...!"

Aizawa grinned, "This kid..."

"He threw it over 700 meters!"

Ochaco pumped her fists over her head, "Nice, he's finally showing us his true power!"

Tenya held up his hand to keep the sun out of his eyes, "But his finger appears to be broken now."

Alphonse smiled, "But that's still better than him breaking his whole arm...!"

"Still..." Tenya rubbed his chin, "This Quirk is very odd."

"I don't think so," Edward folded his hands behind his head, "it's like hysteric strength, just cranked up past eleven."

Ochaco blinked, "Hysteric strength?"

"A phenomenon where a person's strength exceeds their normal limitations, typically only accessible in life-or-death scenarios due to the tearing of muscles..." Tenya nodded, chopping his hands, "Is that what you think, Elric-Shimura?"

"Just Edward is fine, or even Ed - but yeah, basically."

"I see!" Tenya nodded, "You're quite perceptive, El - Edward."

Edward grinned at him, "I am, aren't I?"

Bakugo was slack-jawed as he stared at Izuku, then he growled as tiny explosions went off in his palms, "I'm getting to the bottom of this..." He started to run forwards, "Hey!" He held up his palm, "Deku, you bastard!"

Edward narrowed his eyes, going to chase after him, "Hold up!"

"Tell me how you did that, or you're dead!"

Alphonse clapped his hands as Izuku screamed, then paused when Aizawa's scarf suddenly shot out and wrapped around Bakugo, restraining his limbs.

"What?!" Bakugo struggled against it, straining to look back at Aizawa, "Why the hell is your damn scarf so strong?!"

"Because it's a capture weapon made out of carbon fiber and a special metal alloy." Aizawa stared at Bakugo apathetically, "Stand down. It'd be wise to avoid making me use my Quirk so much." His eyes glowed red as he spoke, "It gives me serious dry eye."

"So that's his equivalent exchange, huh...?" Edward stepped back to stand next to Alphonse.

Aizawa closed his eyes as he retracted the scarf, "You're wasting my time now." He waved a hand dismissively as he walked away, "Whoever's next can step up."

Alphonse kept an eye on Bakugo as Izuku carefully sidestepped him and walked back over to the group.

Ochaco winced when she got a better look at his hand, "Ouch, is your finger okay...?"

"Sure, it's fine...!"

"Here," Alphonse stepped forward, picking up a small rock and ripping a piece of fabric from his shirt, "we should at least put it in a splint, so it doesn't dislocate and cause you any more pain."

"Dur?" Izuku blinked, "O-Oh, but I can't exactly go to the nurse's office right now-!"

"Don't worry, I can do that here!" Alphonse clapped his hands, "I'm afraid I'm not skilled enough in the medical applications of it just yet..."

"Medical???"

"But I can still do this!" Alphonse touched the rock, shaping it into some miniature splints before setting them on Izuku's finger and tying them up with the fabric.

Izuku gaped like a fish out of water, head darting from his finger to Alphonse, "The applications of your Quirk are amazing-!"

"Oh, this is nothing!" Alphonse rubbed the back of his neck, "If Mom were here, she could actually fix your finger."

"Amazing...!" Izuku's eyes sparkled.

As the tests came to a close, Aizawa stood before the gathered students, "Alright, time to give you your results. I've ranked you all from best to worst - you should probably have a good idea of your standing already." He pulled out the device he'd been using to record their scores, "I'll just put up the whole list. It's not worth going over each individual's score."

A holographic list popped up showing their scores next to their names. Edward raised a brow - he was just barely beaten out by someone named Momo Yaoyorozu. He scanned the crowd, trying to remember who that was... He blinked a few times when he spotted her, then nudged his brother, "Al. Al, look at that girl over there."

"Brother, it's rude to stare," Alphonse sighed, though he still glanced over, "what is - oh. Hm."

"Doesn't she look like the bastard colonel...?!"

"It's rude to say that when you're comparing someone to him, Ed."

"Okay but you see it right?"

"I... Can't say you're WRONG."

"Well, whatever." Edward huffed as he turned back to the board, "Now let's see who's... Oh."

Alphonse looked up as well, his face falling slightly. He was just below Izuku... Putting him in last place.

Izuku's eyes widened, turning to Alphonse in surprise.

Alphonse gave him a comforting smile, "Guess my body's not quite where it should be for this, huh?" He gave Izuku a thumbs up, "You learn a lot for me, okay?"

Izuku started to tear up, "E-Elric-Shimura...!"

Alphonse laughed softly, "Come on, I said you can call me Alphonse!"

"Also, I was lying," Aizawa deactivated the scoreboard, "no one's going home."

The students stared in stunned silence.

Aizawa grinned wide, "That was just a rational deception," he moved his eyes slightly to make direct eye-contact with Alphonse, "to make sure you gave it your all in the tests."

Alphonse straightened out as Izuku, Ochaco, and Tenya all screamed in shock.

Momo glanced over at them, "I'm surprised the rest of you didn't figure that out."

Edward and Alphonse's heads both whipped around to face her, then they looked at each other with wide eyes.

Edward slowly held up a hand to cover his mouth as he whispered, "Is it just me, or does she sound like...?"

"The lieutenant...?" Alphonse nodded after he whispered back the finished thought, "I hear it too..."

The two shared a look and a thought, Is she... Mustang and Hawkeye's secret love child or something?!

"I'm sorry, I guess I probably should have said something."

Alphonse quickly shook his head, then waved his hands to her, "O-Oh, no, you're perfectly fine...!"

"That's it, we're done for the day." Aizawa started to walk away, "Pick up a syllabus in the classroom. Read it over before tomorrow morning." As he started to walk past Izuku who was letting out a sigh of relief, he paused and held out a piece of paper, "Midoriya, take this and go have the old lady fix you up." He went to keep walking when Izuku took it, "Things are gonna be tougher tomorrow when your actual training begins. Make sure you're prepared. Oh," he glanced over his shoulder, giving Alphonse a knowing look, "and you too, Elric-Shimura A."

Alphonse stood upright, giving a single firm nod, "Yes, sir."

Edward held his hands behind his head as he started to walk out of the school with Alphonse, "So you think Aizawa knew you weren't actually giving your all?"

"I'm certain of it, Brother. but with everything he said, I'm surprised he still didn't expel me - I thought under-performing would be a no-go for him."

"Eh, maybe he thinks you'll keep everyone on their toes." Edward grinned as he lightly punched Alphonse's shoulder, "I know you keep me on mine!"

Alphonse laughed lightly, then looked ahead, "Oh, there's Izuku! We should go say hi."

Edward groaned, "You already risked expulsion for him today, isn't that enough?"

"He's a nice boy, and we could use more friends."

"I have enough friends!"

"Brother, you are currently living with roughly 90% of your friends." Alphonse gave him Greed's lopsided grin, "Do you really want Ling's food thievery to be some of the only social interactions you get?"

"... Dammit, fine." Edward sighed in defeat, "Now stop grinning like that, Greed does it often enough when she talks about my height."

Alphonse hummed in satisfaction as he started to walk a little faster, "I don't know what you mean, Brother." He waved a hand right as Tenya placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, "Izuku! And Tenya, too!"

The two turned around, and Tenya chopped his hands as he spoke, "Ah, Alphonse and Edward Elric-Shimura! Greetings to you both."

"Hello!" Alphonse gave them a warm smile before focusing on Izuku, "How's your finger doing?"

"Ah, yes," Tenya turned to Izuku as well, "I was about to ask the same thing."

"O-Oh! It's doing fine, thanks to Recovery Girl." Izuku held up his finger, flexing it slightly before yawning.

"Midoriya?" Tenya chopped a hand, "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine...! Turns out Recovery Girl's Quirk works by stimulating the body's natural healing process, which requires energy..."

"So that's her equivalent exchange..." Edward hummed, rubbing his chin, "Then it probably isn't safe for her to heal someone very often, is it?"

"! She actually said that to me today...!"

Edward preened at that, "Nailed it!"

Tenya rubbed his chin, "I must say that I was a bit concerned by Mr. Aizawa's approach to class... But I trust the school's judgement - U.A. is the top program." He crossed his arms with a sigh, "Even so, lying is downright immoral."

The brothers shared a look at that.

Izuku smiled, then turned to the brothers, "Uh, do you two live far from here?"

"Oh, the station to our place isn't very far!" Alphonse pointed at the entrance, "But we are waiting for some of our friends."

"Hey! Wait up, you four!" They turned around when Ochaco started to run up to them, "Are you guys headed to the station? I'll join you guys!"

Alphonse smiled, "Hey, Ochaco!"

"Oh, you're the infinity girl." Tenya adjusted his glasses as she caught up.

"I'm Ochaco Uraraka! Let's see, you're Tenya Iida, I already know Alphonse," she turned to the other alchemist, "and you're his brother - Edward, right?"

"That's me."

"And your name is..." She turned to Izuku, "Deku, right? Midoriya?"

Izuku flinched, "'Deku'?!"

Ochaco blinked, "Uh, yeah, isn't that what Bakugo called you? During the fitness test, he said..." She held up a finger, doing her best to imitate him, "'Deku, you bastard!' Right?"

"Uh, w-well... My name's actually Izuku." He started to fidget nervously, "Deku's what Kacchan calls me to make fun of me."

Tenya rubbed his chin, "That's unsportsmanlike."

Edward rolled his eyes, "So he's a self-centered bastard, what else is new? I could've told you that."

"Oh, I didn't realize that! I'm sorry." Ochaco rubbed the back of her head, "But you know what? I like Deku. It could make a great Hero name! Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute."

Edward raised a brow, "Cute on a shrub, mayb-"

Izuku was beet-red, "Deku it is!"

Alphonse made a face, "Huh?"

Tenya was chopping his hands very quickly at that, "Just like that?!" He started to move his hands all over the place, "Weren't you just saying that it was an insult?!"

Edward gave Izuku an odd look, "You alright?"

Izuku covered his face, "Paradigm shift! My whole world is upside-down!"

Ochaco blinked, "Wait, what?"

"Alphonse!"

The young alchemist turned around at the sound of his name, smiling wide, "Mei!"

"I tried looking for you during orientation, but you weren't there!" Mei ran up to them, the other three close behind, "Where were you?"

"Oi," Edward leaned over, "I wasn't there either, peewee princess."

"I wasn't looking for you, micro alchemist."

"I'M TALLER THAN YOU!"

"EVERYONE'S taller than me, just like how everyone ELSE is taller than you!"

"Why I oughtta-!"

Alphonse hugged Mei, "Brother, be nice."

"Wh- but she-!" Edward huffed in indignation, crossing his arms.

Tenya chopped his hands, "El - I mean - Alphonse are these the friends you mentioned?"

"Oh, yes! Let me introduce everyone." Alphonse stood upright, "This is Ling Yao..."

Ling inhaled a donut from a box he was holding, "Hello!"

"Lan Fan..."

She nodded to them before eating one of the offered donuts.

"My girlfriend, Mei Chang..."

"Hello!" Mei offered the three of them a bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And our best friend since childhood, Winry Rockbell!"

"Hi there!" Winry smiled at them.

"Guys, these are some of our new classmates!" Alphonse motioned to the trio, "This is Izuku Midoriya..."

"H-Hi there...!"

"Ochaco Uraraka..."

Ochaco gave a bubbly smile, giving them a wave.

"And Tenya Iida!"

He nodded as he chopped a hand, "Greetings to all of you!"

"Oh, Tenya!" Alphonse turned to him as the group started walking, "Winry's in the Hero Support course - I think she'd be interested in hearing about your Quirk."

"Hm?" Winry blinked, turning to Tenya.

"My Quirk is called Engine," he lifted his leg and pulled up the pant leg, briefly extending his exhaust pipes.

Winry's eyes sparkled as she went to inspect them, a wrench suddenly in her hand, "Oh my goodness! That's gotta be a real heavy-duty engine to have so many exhaust pipes!"

"Indeed!" Tenya chopped his hands as he straightened out his back, "Just today, they allowed me to perform a 50-meter dash in just 3.04 seconds!"

"That's amazing! And they're fully integrated?!"

"Indeed! I was born with them after all - the Engine Quirk has been in my family for a few generations now!"

"Remarkable...! Tell me, what do they run on? Does anything make them stall? What's your top speed?"

"To answer your questions in order: orange juice, carbonated drinks, and uncertain; I have not had a great many chances to explore my full potential, though I have on occasion outpaced a number of automobiles!"

"That's INCREDIBLE!" Winry bounced as they walked, "Oh, I would love to see them in action one day!" She gasped, "I wonder if I could make any improvements...!"

"You're not experimenting on me, Winry, you hear?" Edward huffed, "I'm satisfied with my automail just the way it is."

Izuku blinked at that, "Automail?"

Edward tugged off his glove, rolling up his sleeve to show off his right arm, "See? Entire right arm, then my left leg from the knee down - fully mechanical."

"O-Oh my - I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-!"

"Nah, you're fine. Happened a long time ago," Edward rolled his sleeve back down, "and Winry's an amazing mechanic, I'll give her that."

"Thank you, Edward - though I'd APPRECIATE it if you showed that by maintaining your automail instead of wrecking it."

"Hey, I haven't broken it in weeks!"

"And you haven't been in a FIGHT for months!"

"That was the dog's fault and you know it!"

The group continued to laugh and chatter as they made their way to the station to get to their respective homes after making it through their first day at U.A.

Chapter Text

Alphonse opened the door for everyone else, "We're home!"

"Al...!" Eri ran over to the entrance, holding up a crayon drawing, "I made you a cat...!"

"Aww, thank you Eri!" Alphonse beamed as he took the drawing, giving her a quick hug.

Edward slowly crept through the door, glancing around, "Where are youuu...?"

Winry rolled her eyes as she took off her shoes, "Can you stop being over-dramatic, Ed?"

"The dog will NOT best me this time!" Edward waved a fist as a shadow loomed over him, "This I swea-!"

"BWOOF!" Alexander dropped from the ceiling, panting happily as he smothered Edward.

"HRMPH!" The alchemist started to flail his limbs, letting out a string of what were presumably muffled curses.

"Welcome home, kids!" Nana calmly shooed Alexander off of Edward before helping him up, "How was school? Did you enjoy orientation?"

"Al and I couldn't tell ya," Edward huffed, giving Alexander the stink-eye while Eri and Nina giggled at him, "our teacher decided to have some physical tests."

"Is that right?" Nana started walking into the kitchen, "How did that go, then?"

"Well, he didn't expel Al," Edward swiped an apple from the counter, going to take a bite out of it, "so that's something."

Nana slammed a cabinet shut, making them all jump. She slowly turned to them, her lips pulled into a tight smile, "Edward. Why would Alphonse be risking expulsion on day one?"

"I-It's not what you think...!" Edward quickly waved his hands, "See, our teacher, Mr. Aizawa? He had this whole idea that whoever performed the worst in these Quirk application tests should get kicked...! And Al, he had this whole idea-!"

"What Brother is TRYING to say, Mom," Alphonse calmly held up his hands, "is that I intentionally scored lower than another classmate, Izuku Midoriya - the one I told you about?"

Nana frowned a little, "The one who broke his bones during the exam?"

"That's right! The tests were biased against him, so I wanted to make sure he would pass." Alphonse rubbed his neck, "But in the end, Mr. Aizawa said that he was just telling a lie so that we'd work our hardest."

"I see..." Nana sighed, then smiled softly, "I'm proud of you for trying to do the right thing, Alphonse. But next time," she ruffled Edward's head, "don't let your brother explain the situation."

"Wh- I can explain things just fine!"

"Edward, my darling boy," she gently held his face, "you were going to leave it at ALPHONSE ALMOST GOT EXPELLED. And you thought I wouldn't freak out?"

Edward pursed his lips, "... I may see your point, Mom."

"Because I'm right." Nana walked back into the kitchen, "So! Did you meet anyone interesting at school?"

"Okay wait," Edward clambered onto a stool, "we've established that time works differently between here and Amestris, right?" He started to gesture wildly as he spoke, "So would it THEORETICALLY be possible for the bastard colonel and Lieutenant Hawkeye to have had a child in secret that was then pulled here and adopted by a family that raised her as their own?"

Nana set down the utensils she'd grabbed, slowly turning to him, "Edward... That is FAR too hyper-specific to be a theoretical question. Who did you meet?"

"One of our classmates, Momo Yaoyorozu," Alphonse piped up, "looks remarkably like Colonel Mustang and sounds exactly like Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"It could just be a coincidence, boys." Nana went back to cooking, "There were a handful of times where someone in Amestris reminded me of someone I knew here in Japan."

"Really?" Edward blinked, "So what, you think that's just a common thing?"

"Maybe not a common occurrence, but certainly nothing to worry over. Now!" She smiled at them, "Who wants stew for dinner tonight?"

Alphonse threw his arms into the air, "Yeah!"

Eri mimicked him, "Fuck yeah!"

Nana took a deep breath as the teenagers broke out in laughter, "The person who taught her to swear is VERY lucky that I love them."

Edward tapped his chin, "Wasn't Martel the one who taught her that one?"

"Huh?" Nana made a face as she turned to him, "I thought that was you?"

"No," Alphonse shook his head, "Brother taught her-"

"Crap!" Eri smiled wide, proud of herself.

Edward was sweating nervously as Nana stared him down, "Edward. How long has she known that word?"

"O-Ohhh, ya know Mom...!" Edward tapped his fingers together, "Just..." He rubbed his neck awkwardly, "Three... Months...?"

"STOP TEACHING HER TO SWEAR."

"I didn't TRY to! I just dropped something on my good foot!"

The teenagers laughed as the conversation continued on.

The next day...

Edward glanced around the lunchroom, a tray in his hands as he grumbled, "Why's there so many damn people...?"

"Hey, Ed! Over here!"

The alchemist glanced over, spotting Ochaco waving him over from where she was sitting next to Izuku and Tenya. He went over, setting down his tray as he slid in next to her, "Hey, guys-"

A carton of milk was forcefully slammed down on his tray, and Alphonse was smiling down at him, "You forgot to get your milk, Brother."

Edward narrowed his eyes at it as his brother sat down, "I don't gotta drink it if I don't wanna."

"Calcium is an important part of any growing boy's diet!" Tenya chopped his hands vigorously as he spoke, "If you do not take proper care of your body now, your growth will remain stunted well into your future as a potential Hero!"

Edward's eyes twitched as he slammed his fists on the table, "Who you callin' a kid so short he needs a stepstool for the counter?!"

Tenya adjusted his glasses as he chopped his free hand, "I said nothing of the sort?"

"Don't mind him, Tenya," Alphonse took a bite of his food, "he's just sensitive about his height."

"I am NOT sensitive about my height!"

"Oh? Is that why you go on a tirade whenever someone mentions it?"

The students continued chatting as they ate, passing the time until it was time for the class they had all come here for.

"Brother," Edward glanced over at Alphonse when he started to speak as the students took their seats, "what do you think our Hero Basic Training teacher will be like?"

"I just hope they aren't too over-the-top," Edward picked his ear, "Present Mic is loud enough during English..."

"I actually liked his class. It was very engaging!"

"Eh, I guess."

"I am here!" The door opened rapidly, a muscular man with a red, blue, and yellow costume leaned into the room, "Coming through the door like a Hero!"

Edward made a face, "If he rips off his shirt and starts sparkling, I wanna refund."

"Brother, don't be rude...!" Alphonse chided him silently.

The other students were gasping and speaking over the brothers, "I can't believe it's really All Might!"

"So he is a teacher! This year's gonna be totally awesome!"

So this is All Might, huh? Edward leaned against his fist, Figures he'd look like the Major...

"Hey, look..." Alphonse glanced over as the girl who leapt like a frog during the Quirk application test spoke up while All Might walked towards his podium, "Is he wearing his Silver Age costume?"

"I'm getting goosebumps... It's so retro!"

"Welcome to the most important class at U.A. High." All Might posed with his fists on his hips, "Think of it as 'Hero-ing 101'! Here, you will learn the basics of being a pro and what it means to fight in the name of good!" He started to flex dramatically, and for a moment Edward was concerned he was actually going to rip off his shirt, "Let's get into it!" All Might turned back to them, holding up a card that read BATTLE in big red text, "Today's lesson will pull no punches!"

Bakugo grinned at that, "Fight training."

Izuku started to sweat slightly, "Real combat...?"

Edward smirked, leaning over to Alphonse, "Looks like we're in our element here, huh Al?"

"But one of the keys of being a Hero is..." All Might pointed at the wall as parts of it started to slide open, "Looking good! These were designed for you based on your Quirk registration forms and the requests you sent in before school started."

"FINALLY." Edward sighed in relief as the other students started to cheer, "I can get outta this stuffy uniform...!"

"Get yourselves suited up, and then meet me at Training Ground Beta!"

"Yes, sir!" Came the students' replies as they went to grab their costumes before heading to the lockers.

Edward adjusted his red coat with a satisfied hum as they walked down the long tunnel, "Heeere we are, MUCH better." He glanced to the side, "What about you, Al? Enjoying the armor?"

"It's lighter than I was expecting..." Alphonse lightly tapped an armored knuckle against his forearm.

His new armor was a similar design to his temporary body, though it was sleeker for a somewhat more aerodynamic flow, and it was a solid white with silver highlights and a gunmetal gray Flamel symbol on his left shoulder.

"Or maybe you're just stronger?" Edward squinted as he took a closer look.

"I don't think so..." It feels thinner than I was expecting."

"Hrm... We'll have to have Winry check it out later, huh?"

Alphonse nodded as they started to exit the tunnel alongside the other students, spotting All Might waiting for them.

The Pro Hero grinned, "They say that clothes make the Pros, young ladies and gentlemen, and behold, you are the proof! Take this to heart - from now on, you are all... Heroes in training!" All Might let out a laugh, "This is getting me all revved up. You look so cool! Now," he held out his hands, "shall we get started, you buncha newbies?!"

The brothers glanced back when they heard Ochaco gasp, watching as she greeted Izuku, "Hey, Deku!"

"U-Uraraka!"

"Love your costume!" Izuku jumped at Ochaco's praise, "Not too flashy, ya know?"

Alphonse knocked his head to the side, "He reminds me of something..."

"Yeah," Edward held his hands behind his head, "a startled rabbit."

Alphonse gasped, "That's exactly it!"

Ochaco rubbed the back of her head, "I should've been more specific about what I wanted... This bodysuit is tight - not really my style..."

Edward frowned at that, "You don't really want anything too loose in a fight..."

"Which is why you always tear off your coat, Brother."

"Hey! I can fix it afterwards with alchemy in a snap anyways!"

Alphonse smiled placatingly, "Of course, Brother." He glanced back at Ochaco, humming, "Still, you don't want anything too tight - it can restrict your movements."

All Might looked up at Izuku's costume... Then looked to the side as he covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

Edward turned to the teacher, raising a brow, "What's his deal?"

"Hm..." Alphonse glanced between All Might and Izuku, noticing a few similarities between Izuku's costume and the Pro Hero's appearance, I wonder...

All Might cleared his throat, "Now that you're ready, it's time for combat training!"

"Sir!" Alphonse glanced over at Tenya's voice, noticing he was also wearing white armor - albeit with navy blue highlights and silver exhaust pipes like that found on a car, "This is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean that we'll be conducting urban battles again?"

"Not quite!" All Might held up two fingers, "I'm gonna move you two steps ahead! Most of the Villain fights you see on the news take place outdoors. However, statistically speaking, run-ins with the most dastardly evildoers take place indoors."

Edward rubbed his chin, So we'll be training in an enclosed space?

"Think about it: backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs..." All Might looked up as he held a fist to his chin, "Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows. For this training exercise," he looked over the crowd of students, "you'll be split into teams of good guys and bad guys and fight two-on-two indoor battles."

Edward grinned, offering Alphonse a fist-bump, "Looks like we're in our element, Al."

The frog girl spoke up as Alphonse returned the fist-bump, "Isn't this a little advanced, ribbit?"

"The best training is what you get on the battlefield!" All Might clenched his fist, "But remember, you can't just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people now!"

Momo raised a hand, "Sir, will you be the one deciding who wins?"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes, "How much can we hurt the other team?"

Ochaco wrung her hands, "Do we need to worry about the losers getting expelled like earlier?"

Tenya raised one hand and chopped with the other, "Will you be splitting us up based on chance or comparative skill?"

The boy with the sparkly belt showed off his even sparklier cape, "Isn't this cape très chic?"

All Might stared up at the sky, "I wasn't finished talking...!!!" He pulled out a comically tiny booklet and opened it, "Listen up!" He started to read from it, "The situation is this:

the Villains have hidden a nuclear missile somewhere in their hideout! The Heroes must try to foil their plans! To do that, the good guys either have to catch the evildoers or recover the weapon. Likewise, the bad guys succeed if they protect their payload or capture the Heroes." He held up a yellow box, "Time's limited, and we'll choose teams by drawing lots!"

The brothers traded an apprehensive look as Tenya spoke up, "Isn't there a better way?"

"Think about it!" Izuku held up a finger as he spoke, "Pros often have to team up with Heroes from other agencies on the spot, so maybe that's the reason we're seeing that here."

Edward grumbled, "I guess that makes sense..."

"Yes, I see." Tenya nodded, "Life is a random series of events..." He bowed to All Might, "Excuse my rudeness!"

"No sweat." All Might spun around, raising a hand dramatically, "Let's draw!"

"Okay, Brother," Alphonse patted his shoulder, "be sure to work together with whoever your partner is, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Edward waved his hand away.

"First we have... Ochaco Uraraka with Izuku Midoriya! You're Team A!"

Alphonse smiled a little, "Well, at least they both know their teammates already."

All Might fished through the box, "Alphonse Elric-Shimura with Tsuyu Asui! You're Team B!"

"Oh, that's me...!" Alphonse stepped forward and glanced around, "Where is...?"

"That would be me, ribbit." The frog-like girl stepped forward, "Tsuyu Asui. You can call me Tsuyu or Tsu, ribbit."

"Nice to meet you, Tsuyu!" Alphonse smiled brightly, offering a hand, "You can call me Alphonse, or just Al if you prefer."

Tsuyu nodded as she shook his hand, "Ribbit. It's nice to meet you, Al."

"You too!"

All Might called a few more pairs - including Katsuki Bakugo with Tenya as Team D - before he called out, "Momo Yaoyorozu with Edward Elric-Shimura! You're Team G!"

Edward turned to Momo as he thought to himself, Guess this is my chance to see just how much of a coincidence she is.

Momo walked towards him, "Elric-Shimura, correct?" She placed a hand against her chest as she held out her other hand, "I am Momo Yaoyorozu."

"Nice to meetcha, Momo." Edward shook her hand, "You can just call me Edward."

"Erm..." Momo blinked a few times, "Very well, Edward."

Edward glanced her costume over, then looked up, "Your outfit's... Interesting."

"Admittedly, it isn't exactly what I was imagining," Momo sighed softly, "in fairness to the designers, I had specified I needed exposed skin for my Quirk."

"Yeah?" Edward raised a brow, "What's your Quirk?"

"It's called Creation," she placed a hand to her chest, "so long as I understand it on a molecular level, I can convert my fat cells into any object I desire."

He stared at her, wide-eyed, "Is that right...?"

Momo nodded, "And what is yours, if I may ask?"

"Er - right." Edward shook his head, "It's called Alchemy - if I understand the structure of raw materials, I can deconstruct them and then reconstruct them into new forms."

"Oh! It would appear our Quirks are quite similar, aren't they?"

"Surprisingly so, yeah..." Edward nodded slightly.

"Sir!" Tenya quickly raised a hand again, "You said that we would be participating in two-on-two fights, yet the number of teams is odd!" He started to chop his hands, "How will this be handled, sir?"

"Thank you for asking, Young Iida!" All Might gave him a thumbs up, the corner of his toothy smile sparkling, "Simply put, once the final match is called, whichever pair did not get selected will be split up and added to the teams that got drawn!"

Alphonse hummed as he thought it over before speaking, "That makes sense to me."

"Mhm," Tsuyu nodded, "the alternative would be one of the teams going twice, which would put them at a disadvantage in their second fight, ribbit."

"Right - because the other team would've had a chance to study their movements."

Tsuyu held up a hand, "Not to mention how exhausted they might be, based on how much they exerted themselves."

Alphonse nodded, "That's true too."

"All Right then!" All Might stuck his hands into two boxes - one a black box labeled VILLAIN, the other a white box labeled HERO - and started to fish around for a few seconds, "I declare that the first teams to fight will be..." He held up a ball with the letter D from the Villain box, and a ball with the letter A from the Hero box, "These guys! Team A will be the Heroes, Team D will be the Villains." All Might rested his hands on his hips, "Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch!"

As the students gave their collective agreements and started to follow All Might's directions to the monitoring room, Alphonse turned to wave to his friends, "Izuku, Ochaco, and Tenya, do your best!" He glanced at the boy with oversized grenades on his arms, "Katsuki, right?"

"Shut it, you damn nerd!" He gnashed his teeth, "We aren't friends!"

"Fine then, Bakugo." Alphonse made an 'I'm watching you' gesture, "Be nice to my friends."

Tsuyu walked beside Alphonse as Bakugo continued to gnash his teeth, "He won't make it very far as a Hero, ribbit."

Alphonse gave a little sigh, "His temper is very short, isn't it? And he doesn't even attempt to hide it, unlike my brother."

"Hey!" Edward waved a fist, "I'm nowhere NEAR as bad as him! And don't call me short!!!"

"And yet you still acknowledge that you have a temper, Brother?" Alphonse smiled, "And I wasn't calling you short, I was merely commenting on your anger issues."

Edward grumbled, "Nothing about me is short, everyone else is just so damn tall..."

All Might walked into the monitoring room after speaking with the two groups, checking the time, then he pressed a button to activate an intercom, "All Right! Let's begin the indoor combat training! Team A and Team D, your time starts now!" He released the button in order to address the observing students, "Pay attention, kids. Think about what you would do."

Edward rubbed his chin, muttering to himself as he watched the screens, "Well, it'd depend on which side we'd be playing for..."

"Indeed," Momo nodded, "but then the question is also whether you focus on immobilizing the enemy, or focusing on the weapon?"

"The ideal scenario is knowing what your opponents would do - but we don't have that luxury today." Edward watched as Izuku and Ochaco snuck into the building, navigating the maze within, "That works as a double-edged sword today."

Alphonse nodded, "With no way of knowing how our classmates think, we can't anticipate their exact movements and they can't anticipate ours; right now, we can only work off of our first impressions."

On the screen, they watched as Bakugo leapt out from a corner that the Heroes were approaching. Izuku just barely managed to grab Ochaco, pulling her out of the way of Bakugo's explosive punch as half his mask got torn off.

"No surprise there, ribbit." Tsuyu placed a finger to her chin, "Bakugo seems like the guy who'd want an all-out offensive."

"And Iida is protecting the weapon." Momo glanced at the other screen before turning back to the encounter.

"Izuku doesn't seem surprised by Bakugo's arrival..." Alphonse nodded slightly, "I think he knew this was coming."

A guy with spiky red hair punched his palm, "What kinda man pulls off cheap crap like a sneak-attack?"

"It's a viable strategy." Edward glanced over at All Might when the Pro said what he was about to, "He's playing the part - acting like a true Villain would."

"Still, it didn't work." The girl with pink skin pumped her fists, "Midoriya's dodged him!"

"Look!" The boy with the bolt in his hair pointed at the screen, "He's going in again!"

Edward narrowed his eyes as they watched Bakugo charge in, "I doubt this is just an act..."

"It does seem like he's treating this personally..." Alphonse watched as Izuku charged towards Bakugo, tensing slightly - then gasping when he grabbed Bakugo by the arm and tossed him onto his back in one clean move.

"Impressive..." Edward nodded approvingly, "Using his own momentum against him."

"And with such speed, no less." Momo grabbed her chin, "It almost looks as though Midoriya knew Bakugo would open with that right hook."

"Hey, who's Bakugo talking to?" The redheaded boy nodded to the screen, "I'm not hearing anything. Can we get any sound with this video?"

"He's got a radio in his ear so he can talk to his partner." All Might pointed to his own ear with a similar device, "I gave it to him before the match started, along with a map of the building. Also, this-" he held up a small white roll, "a roll of capture tape! Wrapping this around your opponent means you've apprehended them, and they're out for the rest of the game."

Edward glanced at the screen with Tenya in it, "From the looks of it, Bakugo's ignoring his teammate, not communicating..."

"So, there's a 15-minute time limit," the pink girl turned to a timer with 13 minutes left on it, "and the good guys have no idea what floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?"

"Correct, Young Ashido!"

"Then the Heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here - a big one!"

"That's just how it goes," Edward shrugged as the other students turned to him, "I mean, in a real fight, they aren't just gonna tell you where the key to their success is."

"Well said, Young Elric-Shimura!" All Might glanced over his shoulder at the screen, "Real Pros have to outwit Villains on a daily basis. That's life - even when the odds aren't in our favor, we fight!" He threw his fist into the air, "All together!"

Alphonse laughed a little before he called out with the other students, "Let's hear a Plus Ultra!"

"Monsieur." The boy in sparkly armor pointed at the screen, "He's on the move."

They turned back to the screen, watching as Ochaco started to run off right as Bakugo launched himself into a kick that Izuku caught with his forearm.

Alphonse grew concerned, "They're separating...?"

"Hold up!" The boy with the bolt grinned, "He's using the capture tape on Bakugo's leg!"

Edward watched as Izuku quickly dodged out of the way of another big blow from Bakugo, "He's reading the bastard like an open book..." He grinned wide, "Awesome."

"He's holding his own, and he hasn't even used his Quirk yet!"

"Probably because he can't, ribbit." Tsuyu held a finger to her chin, "If he isn't careful with his blow, he won't be able to avoid Bakugo's attacks."

"Right..." Alphonse crossed his arms, "Do you think he's trying to tire him out...?"

Edward watched as Izuku turned around and started to run through the maze, Bakugo following after him, "Sure looks like it - making Bakugo do all the work."

"It's also buying time for Uraraka." Momo glanced at the screens showing her and Tenya as she spoke.

"That guy as some real anger issues." The kid with the bolt made a face as Bakugo was shouting something with small explosions going off in his palms, "It's kinda scary..."

"It really isn't working for him right now." Edward watched as he blew a door off of a wall, "He's wasting energy, not to mention time he doesn't have."

"And he's making dumb decisions as a result." Alphonse nodded to the screen where Tenya was cleaning for some unexplained reason, "With his firepower and Tenya's speed, they should've swapped places - have the faster of the two searching for the Heroes while the one with greater firepower defended the weapon."

"Speaking of Tenya, though..." Edward nodded to the corner of that window, "Ochaco's found him."

Alphonse winced when Ochaco seemed to laugh at something, giving away her position to Tenya, "Bit of a rookie mistake... But now I'm curious - which of them will come out on top?"

"Iida is certainly faster, no doubt about that," Momo pursed her lips, "but Uraraka's Zero Gravity means if he isn't careful, he'll be immobilized with a single touch."

Alphonse snapped his fingers, "That could be why he spent so much time tidying up the room! Ochaco can't apply her Quirk if there aren't any loose objects sitting around."

Tsuyu nodded as she glanced at the timer, "There's only six minutes left, ribbit."

"Uraraka and Midoriya have better communication than the other two - it looks like Uraraka just told him the location of the weapon." Momo rested her hands on her hips, "If he can manage to slip past Bakugo, the Heroes will have all but won."

Edward grimaced, "Except Bakugo just snuck up on Izuku."

Sure enough, the screen showed them Izuku turning around to face Bakugo.

All Might gasped when Bakugo pulled on one of the large pins on his gauntlets, quickly grabbing a mic and speaking into it, "Young Bakugo! Don't do it, you'll kill him!"

"Kill-?!" Edward jolted, "The hell is he pulling?!"

The answer came when Bakugo released the pin, a huge explosion tearing through the hallway and surging towards Izuku.

As the monitoring room trembled from the explosion, All Might gripped his podium as he spoke into the mic again, "Come in! Come in, Midoriya!"

Alphonse quickly scanned the screens, muscles tensed... Then he let out a sigh of relief, watching as Izuku slowly sat up as the dust began to clear, "He's alive...!"

"What kinda weapon did they give him?!" Edward started to wave a fist, "Shouldn't there be restrictions on that kinda crap?!"

All Might muttered under his breath, "The support agency went overboard with those gauntlets..."

Alphonse turned to the teacher, "Sir, shouldn't we stop this...?!"

"If Young Bakugo doesn't tone it down, I'll be forced to interfere, yes."

Edward turned back to the screen, "He'll have to stop if they lose, right?" He pointed at the screen as Ochaco leapt into the air while Tenya was distracted. Mere seconds before she could touch the weapon, however, Tenya grabbed it and ran to the opposite end of the room, leaving her to tumble into the wall.

"Oof..." Alphonse winced as Ochaco sat back up, "On second thought, maybe it was a good idea to have Tenya defend the weapon."

The redheaded boy turned to All Might, "Sir, isn't this getting outta hand? That Bakugo's acting real crazy - he's gonna kill 'im!"

"Not so, Young Kirishima." All Might focused on the screen with Bakugo and Izuku as he spoke into the mic again, "Young Bakugo, use that stored-up power again and I'll stop this fight - your team will lose. To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That's a poor strategy, whether you're a Hero or a Villain. The penalty would be a massive loss of points."

Edward shot All Might a glance, then turned just in time to see Bakugo rocket through the air towards Izuku. When Izuku went to throw a punch, however, Bakugo released a small explosion that made him go over Izuku while the smoke got in his eyes before he blasted Izuku in the back.

"What was THAT move?"

A boy whose entire right side was just covered in ice finally spoke up, "He doesn't come off as a guy with a strategy... But he's actually quite intelligent."

"He's got decent battle instincts..." Edward glared at the screen, "I'll give the bastard that much."

"Huh?" What're you two talking about?"

"He changed his trajectory while in midair using a blast that doubled as a smokescreen - very clever."

Momo nodded to what the icy boy said, "A feint attack like that requires an extreme amount of precision. He had to calculate the physics and demonstrate control over his Quirk."

"Ugh, Bakugo is uber talented..." The boy with the bolt groaned, "I hate it."

"You said it..." Edward crossed his arms, "I just want him to get what's coming to him already."

Alphonse winced when Bakugo smacked Izuku's arm with his gauntlet before grabbing it, spinning the both of them around with a series of explosions in his free palm before tossing Izuku to the ground, "I don't think he can take much more of this...!"

"This is too hard to watch!" The girl with pink skin started to turn away from the screen, "All he has to do is wrap tape around him, not kill him!"

A boy with a bird-like head narrowed his eyes, "Bakugo's certainly acting like a Villain."

"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing at the start of the fight, but he's completely outmatched in terms of combat power." The kid with the bolt tapped his temple, "Not to mention, Bakugo seems like a natural at all this stuff."

They watched as Izuku finally got up, "He's running away...!"

"Not very manly, but he doesn't have a choice - he's out-gunned here."

"But he's also opening his back up to Bakugo..." Edward squinted, "Izuku must know that, right?"

"You think he has some kinda plan?"

They watched Izuku stop next to a window, watching as Bakugo approached. Then, after the two shouted something at each other, they both started to run forward and leap, both preparing to throw a blow.

Alphonse bit his lip as Izuku's arm started to glow, "Here we go..."

"They're gonna kill each other!" The redheaded student turned to All Might, "Sir!"

All Might gritted his teeth, then he quickly pulled the mic to his mouth, "Both of you, stop-!"

In what couldn't have been more than a second, they saw Ochaco grab onto a pillar in response to something Izuku said - right as he repositioned his arm to deliver an uppercut to the ceiling rather than a straight punch at Bakugo. As Bakugo released an explosion on Izuku and Izuku threw the punch, the wind whipped around them and tore through the ceiling of every floor above them, including the floor of the room Tenya and Ochaco were in.

Ochaco, now gripping a loose pillar and using her Quirk on it, swung it like a bat and flung all the debris towards Tenya. Then, while he was distracted with shielding himself from the onslaught, she launched herself forward and grabbed onto the weapon.

"They did it-!"

"The Hero team..." All Might gripped his podium when Izuku started to fall, "Wins!"

Alphonse turned to the teacher, "We need-!"

"All of you stay here!" All Might was already running for the door, "I shall ensure Young Midoriya gets to the nurse!!!"

The students nodded as All Might rushed outside - nobody was going to argue with him on that, at least.

Chapter Text

"What a weird way for this to end..." They watched as Tenya started to fret over a keeling Ochaco, "The losers are practically untouched," they glanced over at the screen where Bakugo just stood over Izuku in shock, "and the winners are both on the ground."

"How does the old saying go?" The boy with the bird-like head closed his eyes, "They may have lost the battle, but they won the war."

Tsuyu watched as All Might helped load Izuku onto a stretcher carried by two small robots, "This class is intense."

Alphonse watched as Izuku disappeared off the screens, "I hope he'll be okay..."

They watched as All Might gathered the other three, leading them back into the monitoring room. As the lights went up, All Might stood before the crowd, "Well, despite the results... The MVP of this exercise is Young Iida!"

As Tenya and some of the other students gasped in surprise, Tsuyu held up a hand, "Shouldn't it be one of the Heroes instead, since they're the winners?"

"Mm! Valid question, Young Asui." All Might held up a finger, "Why didn't I choose one of those two?" He held up his other hand, "Who has a guess?"

Momo raised her hand, "Sir, I can tell you why!"

Alphonse raised his hand as well, "I believe I know why as well, sir."

"Let's hear from Young Yaoyorozu first, shall we?"

Momo nodded before she started to speak, "Iida embraced this challenge - he was the only one who truly adapted to his assigned role." She motioned to the downcast Bakugo, "Bakugo's judgment was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier, launching a large-scale attack indoors was a foolish move - it could've proved to be more disastrous than it had turned out."

"Very good, Young Yaoyorozu!" All Might turned to Alphonse, "And you, Younger Elric-Shimura?"

Alphonse held up a hand, "While Izuku had some decent counters against Bakugo, it still wasn't planned out as well as it could've been, if you consider how much damage he'd taken - both from Bakugo's attack and from the backlash of his own Quirk. The unfortunate truth is," Alphonse glanced over to where the three students were standing apart from the rest, "it very easily could've gone in the Villains' favor, had Bakugo launched his attack even a moment sooner, or if Ochaco had wound up getting caught in Izuku's attack."

Edward nodded to what Alphonse was saying, crossing his arms.

"But even if Ochaco still wasn't caught in the blast, there was a chance she couldn't have reached the weapon with the distraction it caused - leaving her to deal with the Villains all on her own after Izuku immobilized himself with that final gambit. As for Ochaco's performance," Alphonse glanced at her as she looked down, "she let her guard down in the middle of a fight - it only gave away her position today, but if this were a fight against a real Villain, that would've been the difference between life and death for her. Additionally, her final attack was somewhat reckless, given the hypothetical stakes involved. If it were a real weapon, who's to say that some stray debris hitting it wouldn't have set it off? It was simply too imprecise a move for a scenario like this."

"Some excellent points, Younger Elric-Shimura! And what of Young Iida's performance?" All Might crossed his arms, "How was he the ideal display of a Villain in this battle?"

Alphonse gave Momo a smile, "You can go ahead and take this one if you like."

"Thank you." Momo turned to All Might, "Iida was fully prepared for his opponent's arrival: he had a strategy, and he never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if he was ultimately foiled in the end."

Tenya beamed at this praise, holding a hand to his chest as he looked upwards.

"The Hero team won technically, yes, but they took advantage of the fact that this was training." Momo closed her eyes, "They didn't respect the spirit of the trial."

"Y-Yes, well, you overlooked a few things..." All Might held up his hands, "Young Iida could have relaxed a little bit in the exercise, but..." He rested his hands on his hips before giving the two a thumbs up, "Otherwise, you two nailed it!"

Alphonse smiled, "Thank you, sir."

Momo rested her hands on her hips, "One should always start with the basics and devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning - that's the only real way to become a top Hero."

"Now then - time to blow this joint!" All Might stood next to the boxes that he was drawing teams from, "Let's move on to the next match!" He held up a finger, "Think about everything we saw and discussed as you tackle this training for yourself."

"Yes, sir!"

"Match two!" All Might pulled out two teams, "Team G will be the Heroes! And Team B will be the Villains!"

Edward and Alphonse shared a look at that announcement, blinking a few times in surprise.

"Ooh, sibling fight!" The kid with the bolt grinned, "Who's gonna come out on top?!"

"All Right, kids! Let's get you into position!" All Might ran for the door, "Follow me to your destination!"

The four followed All Might to a different building, and Alphonse glanced at the destroyed structure as they walked past it.

"Young Elric-Shimura and Young Yaoyorozu, you two take these and wait out here!" All Might handed each of them an earpiece, a map, and a roll of capture tape, "Younger Elric-Shimura and Young Asui, you two take these and go inside!" He handed Alphonse and Tsuyu their supplies, "Don't open them up until you're inside - you'll have five minutes to prepare for the Heroes!"

"Yes, sir!" Alphonse went to the entrance, standing next to it and motioning to his teammate, "After you, Tsuyu."

"Ribbit," Tsuyu started to walk through, "thank you, Al."

Momo inserted her earpiece before opening her map to analyze it as the entrance was sealed off behind Alphonse, "It would appear this match-up will play differently than the rest of the teams, unaware of their competition."

"Yeah - Al and I know each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"Indeed. Still, it isn't an unbalanced match - after all, we possess just as much information as they do."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that."

"Oh?" Momo glanced at Edward, "Why is that?"

"Because in all the times I've sparred against him seriously," Edward frowned slightly, "I've still never beaten my brother."

"Hm... I see." Momo nodded slightly, "Then I suppose we have our work cut out for us."

"You can say that again. Now, when we get in there," he looked at Momo, "I think we should limit how much you use your Quirk - you only have a limited amount of fat cells, but I can work with anything in the environment."

"Understood - I'll do what I can to limit my Quirk usage."

After a few minutes, they heard All Might through their earpieces, "All Right! Teams G and B, your time starts now!"

Edward got up, clapping his hands, "Alright - let's get in there!" He pressed his hands against a wall, creating a set of gothic doors for them. He pushed them open, squinting at the darkness as he entered the building, "Damn, it's dark in here...! Coulda sworn the other guys had more light than this..."

"I suspect this is a ploy by our opponents, and not just an aspect of the building's design... Hold on," she held her hands palms-up as they started to glow with multicolor lights, "I have a solution."

Edward watched, intrigued, "Are you using the fat cells in your hands?"

Momo shook her head, "No, from my midsection - I'm simply choosing for the items to emerge from my palms. Here," she held out a hand as a small device with an elastic band popped out of each palm, "a forehead-mounted flashlight, to keep our hands free."

Edward grinned as he grabbed it, slipping it over his head, "Good thinking!"

Momo offered a slight smile as she started to walk further in, "Thank you."

The alchemist walked after her, one hand sliding against the wall as the path before them was illuminated by their lights.

"Wait," Momo slowed down, frowning softly, "the floor layout - it's changed."

"Eh?" Edward made a face, "How could you tell that?"

"I memorized the layout of the map and the distance between corridors, and I've been keeping a mental note of my footsteps," she glanced down a branching path, "and that hallway is approximately six feet early."

"Crap... Al's playing dirty," Edward squinted as he glanced down that path, "changing the layout on us like that."

"It's a wise move for a Villain..." Momo held her chin, "And as Heroes, we should be prepared for intel to change at the last possible minute."

"When you're right, you're right..." Edward crossed his arms, glancing at Momo, "Should we go down it?"

Momo pursed her lips, "I am unsure - who's to say this isn't a trap?"

Edward tapped his foot against the ground, "... Dammit, Al knows I'd go down there - no way it ISN'T a trap. Where are the stairs to the next floor?"

Momo pointed down a different hallway, "It'll be the third left."

"Then we keep going," Edward started to walk, "but keep a mental note of any other changes, okay? Could come in handy later."

Momo nodded as she walked alongside him, "Understood."

Tsuyu peered around the corner of the altered hallway as they walked away, then pressed a finger against her ear, "They're headed towards the stairs to the second floor, ribbit."

"Thank you, Tsuyu! Move to position L1, I'll redirect them from the stairs."

"Got it, Al." She jumped up and clung to the ceiling, stealthily crawling through the darkness to a new corner of the first floor.

Edward turned the corner, spotting the stairs, "Still there - perfect!" He grinned, putting his foot on the first step, "You're slipping up, little brothACK!" He fell backwards when the step suddenly shot down and turned into a pit, a set of bars rising up to the ceiling in their place and blocking the pathway upwards. He propped himself up on one arm, watching as every other step also descended while a set of bars rose up.

"Edward!" Momo knelt down, grabbing his right arm to help him up, briefly noticing the feeling of firm metal under the fabric, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Edward rubbed his head, "Just startled is all." He scanned the bars, humming, "Al doesn't want us going up the stairs..." He turned to Momo, "I say we find a different way up."

"Shouldn't we keep moving?"

"No," Edward dusted himself off, "Al knows I'd go chargin' through - we gotta play smarter than him if we wanna win!"

"Alright then," Momo started to walk back the way they came, "let's move."

Edward paused, squinting as he glanced to the side, "You seeing what I'm seeing?"

Momo turned to what he was staring at, "The altered hallway is missing entirely..."

"I wonder..." Edward clapped his hands, touching the wall where the hallway was.

The wall started to crumble away, revealing the hidden path... Along with a large boulder that started to roll towards him.

"GAH!" Edward jumped back with a shout, watching as the walls extended to block off the paths on either side, leaving only the one directly opposite of the boulder. He gritted his teeth, "Move it!"

Momo started to run down the path, "It would appear your brother anticipated this-!"

"Yeah, yeah, he's real smart-!" Edward skidded as he turned a corner, grabbing Momo's arm and yanking her over as the boulder continued to roll.

Momo cleared her throat, "Thank you, Edward."

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he waved a hand dismissively, "don't mention it."

"Perhaps now would be a good time to change tactics?"

Edward squinted at her for a moment, "... Go on."

"It's clear now that your brother is using his Quirk to change the environment based on what he knows you will do. As such," Momo placed a hand over her chest, "I think it's best that we start following my lead - use a wild card he isn't prepared for."

"Mm..." Edward sighed, "Yeah, you're right. So then, Boss," he shot her a grin, "what's your plan?"

Momo looked upwards, pointing to the ceiling, "Use your Quirk to make an entrance and a ladder right here, then dispose of it once we're both through. Then, we keep moving from there."

"Got it!" Edward clapped his hands, placing them against the wall.

A hole opened up directly above them, with a set of rungs emerging from the wall leading up to it.

Tsuyu crawled down from the ceiling and glanced around the corner after listening in on Edward and Momo, then held a finger to her ear, "Al, your brother just made an entrance to the second floor from point H1 before reaching L1, ribbit. Looks like they're starting to follow Yaoyorozu's lead."

"Copy that, Tsuyu! Move back to L1, I'll have your entrance ready."

"Ribbit," Tsuyu nodded as she started to move, "copy that, Al."

Momo leaned against a wall, peering around, "Hm... It would appear the layout's been changed even further on this floor than the last one."

"Here," Edward clapped his hands in preparation for a transmutation, "what's your weapon of choice? We should be ready for a fight."

"A staff will suffice. Preferably without any..." Momo briefly made a face as she though of the door he'd made, "Additional designs."

Edward huffed as he touched a wall, "Don't make it badass, got it." A staff slowly emerged from the wall, which he handed off to Momo.

She tilted her head to the side as she took it, "Do you hear that...?"

The alchemist paused to listen, closing his eyes for a moment as he did. As he listened, he started to hear the shifting of stone.

"He's already changing the layout on us..." Momo frowned, "But he's leaving our immediate area unchanged."

"But we made the entrance we used!" Edward waved a hand, "And we can't even chalk it up to him reading me - you're the one who picked where I made the entrance!"

"We have to consider the possibility that he's spying on us," Momo looked around, "it's the only way he could be adjusting the area immediately around us."

"Alright then," Edward punched his open palm, "I say we find Al, then! If he's not gonna let us pass, it's not like we have much of a choice."

Momo nodded, glancing down the different paths, "Which path should we take?"

"Hrm..." Edward frowned, resting his hands on his hips, "... What if," Edward grinned as he clapped his hands, "we force him to us?"

Momo frowned slightly, "What are you planning?"

"Just be ready for Al to show up!" He pressed his hands against the ground, a surge of alchemical energy passing through the floor.

The walls started to tremble, and the floor of the pathways around them started to slant towards the flat space the two stood in.

Tsuyu glanced down at the floor from her spot on the ceiling, watching as it shifted and started to slant towards Edward and Momo. She pressed a finger to her earpiece, "Looks like they're making their stand at H2, ribbit. Ed's destabilizing the ground."

"They think I'm the one spying on them, right?"

"That's right."

"Then they won't be expecting you from the ceiling; get into position, I'll signal you when I'm there."

"Sounds good, ribbit." Tsuyu slowly crawled along the ceiling.

Momo watched the different paths leading to their position, "I think we're running low on time, Edward..."

"Al's almost here..." Edward clapped his hands, touching a wall and drawing a spear out of it, "I can feel it...!"

Before Momo could reply, they heard a loud metallic clap as a stone fist rose out of the ground and reached for Edward.

"GAH-!" Edward stumbled back, swinging his spear at the fist.

"Gwahaha!" Alphonse slid into view, giving them a lopsided grin that Edward recognized as Greed's own smile, "You've blundered into our trap, Heroes!"

Tsuyu leapt off the ceiling from around the corner and onto a wall, then immediately bounced off it and grabbed onto Momo.

"Ack-!" Momo stumbled slightly, using her staff to stop herself from stumbling over.

Edward gritted his teeth, turning to Alphonse, "You might've gotten the drop on us, Al, but don't think you've won yet!"

"Brother, Brother, Brother... Don't you see?" Alphonse's lopsided grin grew wider as he clapped his hands, "We've ALREADY won! Muahahaha!"

Edward grinned back, clapping his hands at the same time and placing them against the ground, a series of giant stone fists rising from the floor, walls, and ceiling, all of them going straight for Alphonse, "An all-out attack's all I need-!"

Alphonse placed his hands against the ground as he sidestepped the giant fists completely, "You haven't beaten me with any of your other all-out attacks, Brother! This one's no different!"

Edward went to take a step forward, grunting in surprise when his legs refused to budge, "What the-" he looked down, gasping when he saw each leg encased in stone.

"Tsuyu, now!"

"Huh?" Edward looked up, "What's - GAH!" He jolted when Tsuyu leapt off of Momo as she extended her tongue towards him, the capture tape attached to it getting wrapped around him.

They heard All Might's voice through their earpieces, "Young Elric-Shimura has been captured!"

Momo turned quickly, her stomach glowing with light before a cannon emerged from her skin, "Not so fast-!"

Alphonse ran towards Tsuyu as she was starting to approach the ground, grabbing her hand and spinning for a moment before tossing her, "Grab her!"

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu grabbed her capture tape as she was launched at Momo, knocking the other girl off her feet as she collided with her before quickly wrapping the tape around the Hero.

"And Young Yaoyorozu has been captured! The Villain Team... Wins!"

"We did it!" Alphonse jogged over to Tsuyu, offering her a fist-bump, "You were amazing, Tsuyu!"

"You too, Al." Tsuyu gave him the fist-bump, "It was thanks to your strategizing that we won, ribbit."

Alphonse gave her the same wide smile he learned from Nana, "But my plan only succeeded because of all your hard work."

Tsuyu returned a froggy smile, then she turned to Edward and Momo, "We should let them out, ribbit."

"Right!" Alphonse clapped his hands to release Edward's legs, then he bent down to untie Momo, "You two did a great job, too!"

"Thank you, Elric-Shimura." Momo sat up, dusting herself off as she got to her feet.

The young alchemist smiled, "Just Alphonse is fine!"

"Ah - very well, then."

Tsuyu went to untie Edward, "Your Quirk is very impressive, ribbit."

"Oh, thanks." Edward stretched his arms, "Yours is cool too - I wasn't expecting the abilities of a frog to be so impressive."

Tsuyu stuck out her tongue slightly, "You should see me in a watery environment, ribbit."

Edward grinned, "You'd be even more in your element than just being in the dark, huh?"

She nodded as the four walked back to the observation room, "It was smart of you guys to make headlights, ribbit."

"Momo deserves all the credit for that," Edward folded his hands behind his head, "I couldn't make those unless the parts for it were actually laying around."

All Might turned to them as the four entered the monitoring room, "Well done, you four!" He placed his fists on his hips, "Now - for your review! The MVP of this exercise," he motioned to Alphonse, "was Younger Elric-Shimura!"

Alphonse blinked a few times, "Wait, really...?"

Edward grinned as he playfully slugged his brother's shoulder, "Ah, don't act surprised."

All Might looked over the crowd of students, "Who believes they know why I chose Younger Elric-Shimura?"

"Um..." Ochaco slowly raised a hand, "I think I do?"

"All Right! Take it away, Young Uraraka!"

"It's because he really embraced the role of a Villain like Iida, right? Not to mention that he coordinated with Asui the entire time to hinder the Heroes."

"You hit the nail on the head, Young Uraraka!" All Might gave her a thumbs up, "It's true that Younger Elric-Shimura dedicated himself both to the role and to his teammate, which cemented his team's victory!"

Alphonse smiled, "Tsuyu did the hard part, spying on the Heroes."

"Thank you, Al," Tsuyu looked up at him, "though it was all your plan, ribbit."

"Yeah, little brother," Edward slung an arm around Alphonse's shoulders, "just take the praise - you deserve it."

Alphonse laughed a little, "Okay, okay...!"

"All Right! Let's move on to the next match-up!" All Might clapped his hands together as the students continued on with the class.

At the end of class...

All Might blew a whistle, "All Right, that's a wrap! Super work - you really stepped up to the plate. And we didn't have any major injuries, except for Midoriya. You should be proud - excellent first day of training, all around!"

Edward watched him closely, "Seriously, I feel like at any moment he's gonna rip off his shirt and start sparkling..."

"His resemblance to the Major is uncanny, yes... However," Alphonse wagged a finger at him, "you shouldn't tempt fate, Brother."

Tsuyu spoke up as Edward waved off his brother, "It's nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class, ribbit." Tsuyu scratched her cheek as the other students started to nod, "Mr. Aizawa was kind of a buzzkill."

Edward snorted, "More like a huge bastard, forcing us to compete day one..."

"Brother!" Alphonse lightly chopped the top of his head, "You can't just talk about our teachers like that."

"But he is."

All Might spread his arms wide, his cape billowing behind him, "I'm happy to bring such staggering positivity to my alma mater! That's all for now, folks." He held up a hand, "I should go and check on Young Midoriya's progress! Now, watch how a Pro exits-" he posed briefly, then ran with a trail of wind following after his blurred form, "like he's got somewhere to be!"

Edward made a face, "Can I say it now, Al?"

Alphonse was also making a face, "... That was a very Armstrong-like thing to do, Brother."

"Okay, you guys, THAT is a Pro Hero!"

"Aw, I'll never be able to run that fast..."

"Super awesome...!"

"He knows how to make an impression, I'll give him that..." Edward started walking, his hands behind his head, "Not sure about the rest of you, but I'm gonna walk normally to the lockers."

Alphonse grunted as he followed, "Yeah, my legs could use a break..."

"Something wrong, ribbit?"

"Hm?" Alphonse glanced to his side, "Oh, Tsuyu! It's nothing - I'm just recovering from something is all."

Tenya sped up to walk beside Alphonse, chopping his hands as he spoke, "What is it, Alphonse? If you require medical assistance, I can escort you to the nurse's office!"

"It's nothing like that, Tenya, really." Alphonse gave a nervous laugh, "I just had a bit of an accident that left my muscles unused for a long while - I'm still just building them back up after all the atrophy."

"What happened?" Ochaco gave him a concerned look, "Was it a Villain attack...?"

"It's actually kinda personal...?" Alphonse rubbed his neck, "I'm sorry, I'd just rather not talk about it right now."

"Ah, of course!" Tenya chopped his hands quickly as he spoke, "Forgive our rudeness for prying!"

"No, you're fine!" Alphonse smiled placatingly, "I was the one who was talking aloud about it, after all."

"Right..." Ochaco tapped her fingers together, glancing down a hallway, "Do you guys think Deku is okay...?"

"I'm sure the little guy's okay." Edward shrugged, "Probably just resting up before getting back to class."

Alphonse nodded in agreement as the students got to the locker rooms to change back into their uniforms.

At the end of the day...

Edward sighed as the final class ended, tugging on his tie, "I can't wait to get outta this monkey suit..."

"Edward!" Tenya chopped his hands wildly as he approached the alchemist's desk, "You should keep your uniform on until you get home! It reflects poorly on the school if someone sees you disregarding U.A.'s esteemed uniform!"

"Yeah, yeah, geez! Get off my case, will ya?" Edward grumbled as he readjusted his tie, "You're almost as bad as Mom in the morning...!"

Tenya continued to chop his hands emphatically, "It sounds like your mother simply wishes for you to have the same amount of respect for the uniform that the school expects, Edward!"

"Don't push it too much, Tenya." Alphonse stood up as he spoke, "Brother just has a thing with authority."

"Hey! Don't make it sound like I'm a complete delinquent!"

"Don't worry, Brother," Alphonse gave him that mischievous lopsided smile, "you do that all on your own."

"Why you little-! C'mere!" Edward pulled him into a headlock, grinning as he started to give him a light noogie, "This'll teach ya to disrespect your older brother!"

Alphonse laughed despite himself, "Brother, quit it!"

"What? You afraid I'll mess up your hair?"

"O-Okay, okay, I yield!"

"HahaHA!" Edward pumped his fists, "At long last, I have claimed victory!"

Alphonse rolled his eyes as he picked up his backpack, glancing over at the door as it slid open, "Oh, Izuku!"

The boy with red hair grinned with his sharp teeth, "Hey, it's Midoriya! Good to see ya back, super!" Izuku gasped as he got closer alongside some other students, "Ha! Man, I don't know what you were saying during that match - but you were all fired up, huh?"

The boy with weird elbows Alphonse had helped during the exam held up a finger as he spoke, "I can't believe you held your own against Bakugo - he's super strong!"

The girl with pink skin and black sclera hopped closer to Izuku, "You did a great job dodging!"

Another one of the boys grinned, "You guys really turned up in the first match," he clenched a fist, "so none of us held back in our rounds, either!"

The sparkly boy leaned over in his seat from behind the girl with pink skin, "You were far from elegant, but I suppose-"

She hopped in front of him to cut him off, "And the dodging was like, whoa!"

Edward raised a brow, leaning in closer to Alphonse while Izuku gasped as the other students were complimenting him, "He's certainly become Mr. Popular, hasn't he...?"

Alphonse smiled good-naturedly, "I suppose that's what happens when you do what he did."

The boy with red hair grinned wider, "Hey, I'm Eijiro Kirishima." He jabbed a thumb at the boy with the cylindrical elbows, "We've been goin' over training results while you were in recovery."

"Hi! I'm Hanta Sero."

"More importantly," the fancy boy sparkled a little more, "I'm Yuga A-"

"I'm Mina Ashido!" The pink girl cut him off as she waved her arms, "And I just gotta say, your dodging was awesome!"

Edward turned to Alphonse quickly, "I'm sorry was he about to say Armstrong?"

"No, he couldn't have - it must be a coincidence," Alphonse shook his head quickly, "he doesn't have the hair loopie."

Edward squinted at Yuga as he sparkled, "If you say so..."

Tsuyu leaned out from behind Mina, "Tsuyu Asui. But please, call me Tsu."

The other boy that had gone to greet Izuku at the door gave a thumbs up, "Hey, Sato."

"U-Um..." Izuku sweated nervously as he waved his good hand, "Hey, guys...!"

A comically tiny boy with purple spheres for hair leapt up in front of the others, "And my name's Mineta!"

Edward grinned wide as he caught sight of Mineta, "He's shorter than me...!"

Alphonse glanced at him, "And by quite a lot, at that..."

Edward preened at that as the other students continued to bombard Izuku.

Tenya's head swiveled, then he started to powerwalk to the boy with the bird-like head, "Tokoyami!" He started to chop his hands as he got to him, "Stop using that desk as a chair! Get off of it this instant!"

The girl with wires extending from her earlobes rested a hand on her hip, "Dude, you need to chill."

Tenya's jaw dropped when the boy with a tail chimed in, "You're carrying a lot of tension."

Tenya slouched in defeat, "No one understands..." He placed a hand to his chest as he started to shout again while chopping his other hand, his glasses reflecting the light, "I cannot condone actions that disrespect these desks - not when great men and women, our upperclassmen, once used them!"

Tokoyami watched him apathetically, "Also noisy."

Alphonse gently rested a hand on Tenya's shoulder, "I understand where you're coming from, Tenya - but perhaps it would be better to ask calmly rather than loudly demanding?"

Tenya turned to him, chopping his hands slightly, "You do understand?"

"Mhm," Alphonse nodded slightly, "you're thinking that since these desks are where other students have learned, they're just as important as any other part of the school."

"That's exactly right!" Tenya beamed as he chopped the air, "And as such, these desks deserve our respect and should be used the way they were intended to be!"

"And while that's a very fair thing to believe in," Alphonse motioned to Tokoyami, "your classmates deserve that same respect. When you make demands without explanation, it can make people think you don't value their own thoughts on the subject - or that you care more for the furniture than the individual."

Tenya gasped sharply, "But that was not-! I didn't mean to imply-!" He spun to face Tokoyami, bending himself in half as he bowed, "Please forgive my rude outburst, Tokoyami! It will not happen again."

Tokoyami blinked, slowly getting off the desk, "All is forgiven, Iida."

"Thank you!" Tenya straightened himself out, turning to Alphonse and chopping his hands, "And thank you, Alphonse, for pointing out my blunder!"

Alphonse laughed gently, patting Tenya on the shoulder, "What are friends for?"

Tenya blinked a few times, then nodded as he adjusted his glasses, "Right you are!"

The door slid open again, and this time the boy with the bolt in his hair walked in with Ochaco, each of them carrying a stack of books. He smiled at her, "So, anyway, wanna grab a bite sometime? What kinda stuff you like?"

"Anything sweet..." Ochaco turned around, "Oh! Hey, Deku!" She moved over to stand next to him, "Why didn't she heal your injuries?"

"Oh! Uh..." Izuku smiled nervously, "Well, it has to do with how much stamina I'm using...!"

Ochaco knocked her head to the side, "Stamina?"

"Um, Uraraka," Izuku pointed to an empty desk, "where's Kacchan?"

She glanced at the desk as well, "We tried to stop him from leaving, but he wouldn't listen."

Edward huffed, "Speak for yourself..." He jumped when Alphonse elbowed him, "Ow! Hey!"

Ochaco motioned to the door, "You just missed him."

Before anyone could say anything else, Izuku was rushing out the door.

"Wait, Izuku-!" Alphonse went to follow, stumbling slightly and starting to fall.

Edward immediately caught him by the arm, a concerned expression on his face, "Al, are you-?"

"I'm fine, Brother - legs are just tired." Alphonse smiled placatingly, fishing through his backpack, "Thankfully, Mom and Winry made me this..." He pulled out a short stick, then extended it into a walking stick for him to lean against, "See? Good as new."

Tenya watched this for a moment, then carefully chopped his hands as he spoke, "Alphonse, if I may ask - why did you seek out to join the Hero Course if you're still in a period of recovery?"

Alphonse smiled softly, "Because I want to save people, like Mom..." He looked down at his legs and the walking stick, "If she could save lives after losing a limb, then I thought I could do the same even with my current limitations."

The other students leaned in close, "Your mom lost a limb?!"

Alphonse blinked in surprise, then laughed lightly, "Her left arm, actually...! It's a bit of a story," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not sure if she'd want me blabbing about it without getting her permission first."

The other students started to chatter as they exited the class, heading their separate ways.

"Huh," Edward glanced over at Mina, who was standing with Ochaco and Tsuyu as they stared out the window, "I wonder what that was all about..."

"What's going on?" Edward walked over, peering out the window.

"Midoriya and Bakugo were having some sort of conversation, then All Might walked up while Bakugo was leaving, ribbit." Tsuyu pointed out the window, and the brothers saw Bakugo walking away while Izuku and All Might stood there.

Ochaco held up her fists, "The fated battle between rivals."

"Whatever Midoriya was saying," Tsuyu held a finger to the corner of her lip, "it looked like Bakugo really wanted to punch him."

Ochaco leaned her forehead against the glass, "Childhood friends turned enemies!"

Edward watched as All Might leaned in closer to Izuku as the two spoke. He huffed, tapping Alphonse on the shoulder, "C'mon, Al, we should get going."

"Right!" Alphonse started to follow his brother, then waved to the girls, "See you tomorrow!"

Mina grinned, waving emphatically, "Seeya!"

Alphonse smiled, looking ahead as the brothers went to meet up with the others before going home.

Chapter Text

Nana hummed as she pulled a set of pies out of the oven, smiling while she listened to Eri and Nina play in the other room.

"If the kids don't get home soon, I'm eating that chicken pot pie myself!"

Now now, Greed - the kids need to eat too.

"They can have leftovers!"

You know as well as I do, Nana glanced at the fridge, that there AREN'T any leftovers with Ling and Lan Fan around.

Nana heard the door open and Edward call inside while Greed laughed in their head, "We're home!"

"Welcome home, kids!" Nana pulled off her oven gloves, "I just pulled the pies out of the oven!"

"Ooh, pie!" Ling licked his lips, walking into the kitchen and reaching for one.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Nana lightly whacked his hand, "We're sharing the pies, and we're going to let them cool off first."

"Aw..." Ling slouched as he walked out of the kitchen.

Nana stepped out after him, nudging Alexander off of Edward with her foot, "How was school today?"

While Edward was grumbling and shooting a look at the dog, Winry beamed with sparkling eyes, "I met this girl in my class, Mei Hatsume! She's developing some AMAZING babies in my class, and we started talking about how some of them could be integrated into my automail designs!"

Edward shot her a glance, "You're not gonna use me as a guinea pig, are you?"

Winry didn't even spare him a glance, "You'd just break the poor babies before we could even test anything."

"I'M NOT THAT BAD, DAMMIT!"

"Yes you are!" Winry huffed, "I wouldn't trust you to test out a prototype if it was designed for you specifically!"

Nana laughed softly as she rested a hand on Winry's shoulder, "I'm just glad that you've found a friend who shares your interests, Winry!"

The young mechanic beamed, "Thank you, Missus Nana!"

Nana returned the smile, then turned to the other kids, "And what about the rest of you?"

Mei crossed her arms, "Lan Fan and I had an uneventful first day in our Hero Course, I would say."

Lan Fan nodded, "Indeed."

"I met some interesting characters in general studies!" Ling sat down cross-legged on one of the chairs, leaning his cheek against a propped fist.

"Well," Edward scratched his forehead, "You remember that Momo girl we told you about?"

"Mustang and Hawkeye's "secret lovechild"?" Nana smiled slightly, "I remember."

"Her Quirk is basically atomic alchemy."

Nana stared at him for a long moment, "... Come again, my boy?"

Edward lifted his hands, "Her Quirk allows her to convert her fat cells into any object so long as she understands the structure of it completely!"

"... Is..." Nana briefly made a face, "Is she actually the secret lovechild of Mustang and Hawkeye...?"

Edward threw his hands higher into the air, "That's what I was saying!"

"But speaking of Momo..." Alphonse spoke up to change the topic, "Our Hero Basic Training class had us fighting each other in teams of two - Edward and I wound up going against each other. Edward was on a team with Momo, and I was on a team with another girl from our class named Tsuyu Asui."

Nana smiled softly, "Is that right?" She glanced between the two of them, "Who won?"

Edward sighed, plopping down in a seat, "Who do you think won?"

Alphonse smiled mischievously, "It was meee!"

Mei beamed, giving her boyfriend a hug, "Of course you did!"

"Hey!" Edward waved a fist, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Mei shot him a side-glance, "That you're a shrimp of a boy, and Alphonse's a knight in shining armor."

"I AM NOT A MICROSHRIMP-!"

Nana laughed aloud, ruffling both of her sons' heads, "Regardless, I'm sure you were both amazing!"

Alphonse beamed up at her.

"Now!" Nana clapped her hands together, "Who's ready to eat?"

All of the kids voiced their eagerness for the pie, gathering around the table to eat.

The next day...

Edward yawned as he approached the school with the others, "Why do we have to be up so early...?"

Winry rolled her eyes, "It isn't early just because you'd rather sleep until noon, Ed."

"Oh, shut up..." Edward waved her off, then squinted at all the people standing in front of the gate with cameras and microphones, "The hell's going on here?"

A woman at the front holding a microphone turned as they walked up, "Hey, you kids!" She rushed over and held the microphone in their faces as several people with cameras surrounded them, "Are you some of All Might's students? Can you tell us what it's like to be in a class with him?!"

"WHOA! Hey, you guys ever hear of personal space?!" Edward started to wave a hand to try and shoo away some of the cameras.

Winry backed up into Lan Fan, "Uh, no, not all of us are students of All Might-!"

"So then some of you are!" The woman looked between each of the students, "Who's taking the Symbol of Peace's class?!"

Lan Fan narrowed her eyes as she stood defensively in front of Ling, glaring at one of the cameramen directly opposite of her.

"Not to be rude or anything," Alphonse forced a smile, "but we're actually trying to get to class right now, so if you don't mind-"

"We'll only take a minute of your time!" The woman shoved the microphone closer to Alphonse's face, "If you can just answer our questions-!"

"Hey, you leave my boyfriend alone!" Mei quickly shoved the microphone away from Alphonse, taking a battle-ready stance in front of him.

Edward sighed in frustration, clapping his hands together, "Everybody, stick close!"

The woman blinked in confusion as the other teenagers scooted closer to Edward, "Wait, what are you-?"

The alchemist placed his hands against the ground, and the teenagers were lifted into the air and over the crowd by a stone pillar that deposited them next to the gate. Edward stepped through the gate, clapping his hands again and returning the street to normal before preening, "There we go!"

"Whoa!" One of the cameramen looked at the other adults, "Did you see what that little kid did?!"

Edward twitched, then immediately spun around, "WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A MICRO-TODDLER WHO NEEDS A BOOSTER SEAT-?!"

Winry and Alphonse grabbed him by the arms, lifting him off the ground as they continued walking towards the school as the young mechanic spoke in a chiding tone, "Now now, Ed, don't try and aggravate the media."

"Yes, Brother, just ignore them and come to class."

"Screw class, lemme give them a piece of my mind!!!"

"Elric-Shimura," the teenagers turned as Aizawa started to walk forward, "don't do anything unheroic. I'll handle the press from here."

Edward huffed, "Oh yeah, big Pro like you probably lives for the limelight, huh...?"

Aizawa gave a long-suffering sigh, "No, I absolutely detest this sorta thing..." He ran a hand over his hair, "But having them loiter in front of the school is an even larger nuisance."

Edward blinked as the woman held the microphone up while Aizawa approached, "Please, sir... Can you get All Might for us? Also, you look like a mess - what's your deal?"

"All Might's not on campus today." Aizawa waved his hand dismissively to them, "Now get outta here, you've disturbed my students enough already."

The reporter gasped as Aizawa turned around and started to walk away, "But my viewers wanna know how he's adjusting to life as a teacher!"

One of the other reporters scratched his head, "I feel like I've seen that guy somewhere before... But where?"

"I don't know," the first reporter rested a hand on her hip, "but he's a bit scruffy for a Hero..." She clenched her fists, "Alright... If you won't bring All Might out, I'll get him myself-!"

A cameraman gasped as she walked towards the archway, "No, hold on!"

The teenagers jolted when an alarm blared as she tried to pass through, and they watched as giant metal plates extended upwards to block off the entrance and over the tops of the walls surrounding the school.

Winry's eyes sparkled, "What an interesting defense system!" She turned to Aizawa, still sparkly-eyed, "How does it tell the difference between trespassers and people who are supposed to be here, sir?"

Aizawa sighed, "It scans individuals trying to pass for student and teacher IDs or a special pass," he held up his own teacher ID for emphasis, "this is how we prevent overeager media bugs from getting inside." He put his hands in his pockets, "Now get to class, all of you."

"Right, sir!" Alphonse nodded quickly, giving Mei a quick hug before they all split up for their respective classes.

"Decent work on yesterday's combat training, you guys." Aizawa stood before the class as he spoke, "I saw the video feeds and went over each of your team's results."

Edward and Alphonse traded glances - they weren't exactly expecting Aizawa to be giving out praise, however small it may be.

"Bakugo," Aizawa turned to the student in question, "you're talented. So don't sulk like a child about your loss, okay?"

Bakugo looked to the side, "Yeah, whatever."

"And Midoriya," Izuku jolted and stared at his desk intensely when Aizawa called his name, "I see the only way you won the match was by messing up your arm again." He looked up from the papers in his hand to stare at the green-haired boy, "Work harder. And don't give me the excuse that you don't have control over your Quirk - that line's already getting old. You can't keep breaking your body while training here."

Alphonse leaned back slightly in his seat, Maybe if I learned some medical alkahestry from Mom and Mei...

Aizawa closed his eyes, "But your Quirk will be really useful if you can get a handle on it."

Izuku looked up with a gasp when he said that.

"So show a little urgency, huh?"

Izuku nodded, "R-Right, sir!"

"Let's get down to business." Aizawa glanced over the students, "Our first task will decide your future."

Edward made a face as he had a similar thought to the rest of the class, Is it another damn Quirk test?

Aizawa decidedly ignored their concerned gazes, "You all need to pick a class representative."

Alphonse blinked as the other students let out sighs of relief, "Class representative...?"

Eijiro raised both his arms, "Pick me, guys! I wanna be class rep!"

The kid with the bolt, Denki Kaminari, lifted his hand off his desk, "I'll take it!"

Kyoka Jiro, the girl with wires extending from her earlobes, raised her hand high, "Yeah, you're gonna need me."

Yuga held a hand to his chest as he raised a sparkly hand upwards, "Someone with style would be best-"

Mina cut him off as she jumped in front of his desk, waving her arms, "I'm, like, totally the right pick!"

Edward turned to Alphonse as the other students continued to shout over one another about being picked, "What's class representative, and would I want it?"

As Alphonse shrugged, Momo turned around to address Edward, "Did your previous school not have a class representative?"

"Oh, we were actually homeschooled for most of our lives growing up!" Alphonse rubbed his neck with a smile, "So a lot of the things that a school does is pretty foreign to us."

"Ah, I see!" Momo nodded slightly, "In that case, allow me to educate you - it is a role taken on by a student in each homeroom to make sure the class runs smoothly. They worked with the teachers to make sure the other students behave, to make sure the class has an adequate amount of supplies, and other such duties. It also reflects well on your record later on," she held up a hand, "it shows that not only are you capable of such tasks, but also that you are willing to take them on."

Edward grinned, standing up from his desk, "Then I should get it! I have plenty of experience doing that sorta stuff!"

Alphonse gave Edward a look, "Brother, I wouldn't exactly define you as leadership material."

"Shut up, Al! I'd be amazing at this!"

"Silence, everyone, please!" Everyone went silent and turned to look at Tenya as he shouted, his glasses reflecting the light, "The class representative's duty is to lead others - that's not something just anyone can do. You must first have the trust of every student in the classroom. Therefore," he adjusted his glasses, "the most logical way to fill this position is democratically. We will hold an election to choose our leader!"

Edward slowly looked up, "Says the guy who's holding his hand the highest."

Tenya trembled with barely-restrained energy as the other students stared at the hand he held high above the rest, then everyone spoke in unison, "It's pretty obvious you want us to vote for you!"

Denki blinked a few times, "Is this really the best idea?"

Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "We've only known each other a few days, how do we know who we can trust?"

"Besides," Eijiro held up a hand, "everyone'll just vote for themselves."

Tenya chopped his hand at the two of them as he stood up, "Most people will." He clenched his fist as he swept his other hand outwards, "But that means whoever does receive multiple votes must TRULY be the most suitable person for the job!" Tenya turned to Aizawa as the teacher was zipping himself up into his sleeping bag, "It's the best way, right sir?"

"Do what you want, just decide before my nap's over."

Tenya bowed his head as Aizawa went to lay down on the floor, "Thank you for your trust!" He turned to the other students, chopping his hands, "Everyone, write your vote onto a slip of paper!" He held up a finger, "And for integrity's sake, only write one! A duplicate vote will not be counted!" Tenya chopped a hand towards the front of the class, "Once you have written your vote, place the slip onto the podium - I shall tally the votes once they have all been turned in!"

Edward grinned as he wrote his own name on a slip of paper, going to set it on the podium, Wonder who else is gonna vote for me?

Alphonse tapped his pen against his chin, glancing over the other students, Who to vote for... His gaze eventually fell on Tenya, and he hummed to himself, Tenya's a dedicated and hard-working person... Alphonse smiled as he wrote Tenya Iida on a slip of paper before going to set it on the podium, I think he'd make for a fine school representative.

"Alright!" Tenya stood up and power-walked to the podium after the last student put their slip up there, counting each of the votes and writing the results on the board before returning to his desk.

Edward grumbled, noticing that he only got one vote like most of the class. He leaned over to his brother, "You seriously didn't vote for me, Al...?"

"I said earlier that you wouldn't be a good fit for it at this time, Brother," Alphonse glanced at his name on the board, "though I wonder who voted for me..."

Edward blinked as he turned to him, "Wait, you didn't vote for yourself?"

"Wait, how did I get three votes?!"

The brothers looked over at Izuku's exclamation, then Alphonse smiled a little as he spoke, "Guess that means he's the winner, huh?"

"Okay, you idiots," Bakugo slammed his hands on his desk as he stood up, "who voted for him?!"

Hanta gave him a look from his nearby seat, "What, did you honestly think anyone was gonna vote for you?"

Bakugo rounded on him, "What did you say?!"

Edward cupped his hands around his mouth, "He said you're a volatile jerk, you bottle rocket!"

"You wanna go, runt?!" Bakugo tensed his fingers, a series of small explosions going off in his palms.

Edward slammed a hand against his desk, clenching his other fist as his eye twitched, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING PIPSQUEAK?!"

"If the platform shoes fit, you damn nerd!"

"That's it!" Edward started to stomp forward, rolling up one of his sleeves.

"Brother, don't," Alphonse calmly held a hand in front of Edward to stop him, "if you fight him you'll get in trouble - it's best to just ignore him."

The older alchemist narrowed his eyes, "Gah! Fine, whatever," he pointed at Bakugo, "but say anything like that again, and I WILL beat your ass!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"One vote..." Tenya trembled as he stared down at his desk, "I feared this might happen, but I can't argue with the system I chose...!"

Momo turned to Tenya, "So you voted for someone else, then?"

Sato leaned over, "But you knew it was best to vote for yourself, right? What were you tryin' to prove here, Iida?"

"Alright," Aizawa spoke up in his usual monotone, "the class rep is Midoriya, and our deputy is Yaoyorozu."

Izuku trembled as he went to stand at the front of the class alongside Momo, "Really? Uh, it's not a mistake...?"

Momo sighed, folding her hands in front of herself as she closed her eyes, "How did this happen?"

Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "This might not be so bad."

"Yeah," Eijiro grinned, "I can get behind Midoriya I guess."

"Yaoyorozu was totally on top of it when it came to the Quirk application test, and even if her team didn't win yesterday she was really on-point with everyone else's results!"

"Well..." Edward muttered as he leaned back, "I guess having the two of them is better than Bakugo..."

"I think Izuku will do just fine as class representative," Alphonse nodded, "and I'm sure Momo will be able to help him out a lot."

Alphonse glanced around after grabbing himself a tray of food, smiling when he spotted his girlfriend, "Mei! How's your day been so far?"

"Alphonse!" She walked over, balancing her own tray in one hand as she gave him a quick hug, "We had to choose a class representative today, so I'm trying to convince my classmates that I'm the natural pick." She narrowed her eyes, "But I think that servant of the Yao clan is going to get in my way..."

Alphonse laughed lightly, "Come on, Mei, be nice! I'm sure Lan Fan isn't going to do anything. And besides, even if you don't get the position," he took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, "you'll always be a princess."

"Oh Alphonse! You always know just what to say." Mei smiled at him, "What about you? How is your day?"

"We also had to pick a class representative - Tenya suggested we put it to a vote, and Izuku wound up being the popular pick."

She gasped at that, "They didn't elect you? The fools!" Mei clenched her fist as they sat down at a table, "Can't they see you're the perfect candidate for a leadership position?!"

Alphonse smiled placatingly, "It's not so bad, Mei. I'm not sure I'd even know what to do - I haven't been part of a proper classroom since I was a little kid."

"Excuse me, ribbit." The two looked up as Tsuyu approached their table, "May I sit with you?"

"Oh, hey Tsuyu!" Alphonse turned to Mei, "You don't mind if she sits with us, do you?"

"Very well," Mei nodded, "you may sit with us."

"Thank you." Tsuyu set down her tray and sat across from them.

Alphonse motioned to Mei as she picked up her chopsticks, "This is my girlfriend, Mei Chang." He turned to Mei, "And Mei, this is a friend from my class, Tsuyu Asui."

Tsuyu offered her hand, "You can just call me Tsu or Tsuyu."

"Very well then - it's a pleasure to meet you, Tsuyu." Mei took the offered hand, shaking it, "Alphonse spoke of how you two worked together during class yesterday."

Tsuyu nodded, "He's very good at what he does, ribbit."

Mei beamed at that, "He is, isn't he?"

"Aw, you guys...!" Alphonse rubbed the back of his neck as he laughed, "You're gonna make me blush...!"

"You're also very modest," Tsuyu took a bite of her food, "those are some of the reasons why I voted for you."

Alphonse blinked in surprise, "Wait, you're the one who voted for me?"

Mei puffed out her cheeks, "Clearly she was the only person in your class wise enough to appreciate your skills..."

"It's just because none of us really know each other yet." Tsuyu took another bite of food, "Meanwhile, I got a first-hand look at what you're like from working with you. Give them time, ribbit."

Before anything else could be said, a bell started to ring out throughout the entire school and a voice came through the speakers, "Warning. Level Three security breach. All students please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion."

Alphonse immediately shot up from the table, scanning over the crowd of already-panicking students, Where's Brother and the others?

Mei stood up with him and Tsuyu as she spoke, "What's a 'Level Three security breach'?"

Another student looked at her as he was running past, "It means that someone's managed to get past the school's barriers! This hasn't happened in my three years here - now come on, we need to get going!"

Alphonse frowned, heading for the hallway with everyone else, I hope the others are okay...!

"Ack-!" Mei stumbled a little as another student shoved past her, "Hey, watch it!"

Tsuyu ducked out of the way of someone with larger than average shoulders, "Everyone's panicking and trying to shove past each other to get out first..."

"Ow!" Alphonse winced when someone elbowed him, feeling everyone get packed closer together as more people got into the hallway, "Everyone, we need to calm down...!" He went to keep walking, then stumbled when someone else stepped on the back of his foot.

"Alphonse!" Mei went to prop him up before he fell, waving off some students that were still rushing in their direction, "Give us space!"

"Let me help, ribbit," Tsuyu grabbed Alphonse's other arm, "we'll make sure you don't get bumped into again."

"Thank you...!" Alphonse tried to look over the crowd, "I hope Brother and the others are doing better than us...!"

As he was watching the crowd of students, he suddenly saw Tenya float into the air, his glasses falling off of his face as he pulled up his pant legs and extended his engines' exhaust pipes, "Engine Boost, go!"

Some of the nearby students slowed down to watch as Tenya spun through the air rapidly, eventually colliding with the wall they were all headed towards.

"Listen up, everything is okay!" Tenya shouted over the crowd while he grabbed onto a pipe that was above him as he stood on the exit sign, "It's just the media outside, there's absolutely nothing to worry about - everything's fine!"

Alphonse breathed a sigh of relief when the other students all came to a stop, looking up at Tenya as he spoke.

"We're U.A. students, we need to remain calm and prove that we're the best of the best!"

"Look, the police are here!"

Alphonse looked out the window when another student called that out, finally noticing the crowd of reporters that were being held back by Aizawa and Present Mic right as the police officers were getting out of their vehicles.

"Al? Hey, Alphonse! Where are you?!"

"Brother?" Alphonse waved his hand above his head, "We're over here!"

Edward squirmed his way past some students as they started to disperse, sighing in relief when he saw his brother, "Geez, talk about wild panic...!" He glared out the window, "I have half a mind to give those reporters a piece of my mind!"

Alphonse sighed, "Brother, let's just leave that to the proper authorities. Okay?"

"Gah... Fine, whatever." Edward shoved his hands in his pockets, "We better not have to skip lunch because of this..."

Alphonse rolled his eyes as everyone started to walk back, some groups trying to find friends that they got separated from as they did.

"It's time, class rep." Momo turned to Izuku when everyone was back in class, "Let's begin."

Edward leaned back in his seat, watching the clearly freaking-out Izuku, "And we're sure he's fine doing this...?"

Alphonse shushed his brother, "Be nice!"

"Um..." Izuku trembled, "O-Okay, so we need to figure out who the other class officers will be...! But first," he looked down, "there's something that I wanna say. I've thought a lot about this - and I think that Tenya Iida should be our class rep!"

Alphonse blinked, glancing at Tenya as they boy in question sat up a little straighter.

"He was able to capture everyone's attention and get us in line..." Izuku looked back up with a smile, "So I believe that he should be the one leading our class from now on!"

"Yeah, you know what?" Eijiro turned to Tenya with a grin, "If Midoriya vouches for him, I'm good. Plus, he was a big help!" He turned to Denki, "He totally manned up and took charge, right?"

"Yup! Oh," Denki grinned as he pointed at Tenya, "did you notice he looked like the dude on the emergency exit signs when he was on the wall earlier?"

Alphonse smiled, "Well, I already voted for Tenya - but I do think the events of today really helped prove how capable he is for the role."

"This is a waste of time." Aizawa made Izuku jump when he sat up as he spoke, "I don't care who the rep is, just hurry up."

Tenya looked at Alphonse for a brief moment before standing up, "If Midoriya is nominating me for this job..." He folded one hand behind his back as he raised his other fist high above his head, "Then I humbly accept! I pledge to carry out the duties of class rep to the best of my abilities!"

Eijiro grinned as he gave a thumbs up, "Sounds good, Emergency Exit!"

"Emergency Exit Iida!" Denki grinned as he shot some fingerguns at Tenya, "Don't let us down, man!"

Momo slouched from her position in front of the class, "Hello, I got one vote more than him...!"

"I voted for me," Denki jabbed a thumb at himself, "so you can just think of this as me redoing my vote!"

"That's not traditionally how voting works, Kaminari..." Momo sighed, "But I suppose I just have to work with what I've got."

"That's the spirit, Momo!" Alphonse gave her a smile and a thumbs up before the rest of class resumed.

Chapter Text

"Today's training will be a little different," Aizawa got in front of the class, "you'll have three instructors: me, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you."

"Three teachers?" Edward raised a brow, "Seems a bit excessive..."

Alphonse rubbed his chin, "Maybe it's because of the break-in...?"

"Mm..." Edward pursed his lips, "Could be..."

"Sir!" Hanta leaned forward in his desk as he raised a hand, "What kinda training is this?"

"Rescue." Aizawa held up a card with the word on it in blue blocky letters as he spoke, "You'll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, stuff like that."

"Disasters, huh?" Denki grinned at Mina, "Sounds like we're in for a big workout."

"Real Hero stuff!" Eijiro leaned forward with a grin, "This is what separates the men from the boys." He clenched his fists, "I'm shakin' with excitement!"

"Finally, I'll get to show off how good I am in water, ribbit."

Edward made a face for a brief moment, "Are we gonna have to swim...?"

"Guys, I'm not finished yet."

The students shut their mouths as they turned back to Aizawa.

"What you wear in this exercise is up to you. I know you're excited about costumes..." He pressed a button to make them extend from the wall, "But keep in mind that you haven't gotten used to them yet, and they might limit your abilities. This special training's at an off-campus facility, so we'll be taking a bus to get there. That's all," he started to walk for the door, "start getting ready."

Edward went to grab his outfit, grinning, "Finally, something more comfortable!"

"Tch," Bakugo sneered, "Hot Topic wannabe..."

"Shut up, you're just a buncha grenades tied to a firework!"

"Brother..." Alphonse leaned in to whisper to Edward, "What's a Hot Topic?"

"I dunno," Edward started to whisper back, "but he's saying it like it's an insult."

"Ah... Oh well then," Alphonse grabbed his armor before walking to the lockers, "we might be able to ask Mom when we get home today."

"Yeah," Edward clenched his fist as he followed, "and then I can come up with an appropriate comeback!"

"Brother, you already made a comeback."

"Maybe for TODAY, but I'm talking for the future, Al!"

Alphonse just sighed, "You're hopeless, Brother."

Edward rested his hands on his hips as they walked out of the school, staring at the bus, "How do you think they'll do this, Al? Think we'll be split up into teams again?"

"I don't think so," Alphonse crossed his arms, "or at least not as small as they were last time. It's natural disaster scenarios, right? It wouldn't make sense for there to be just one or two Heroes responding to something like that."

"Maybe you're right, yeah."

"Deku? Why are you wearing your P.E. clothes?"

Edward glanced over at what Ochaco said, raising a brow, "I know Aizawa said to wear whatever, but I would've thought you'd prefer your costume."

Izuku chuckled nervously as he held up his gloved hands, "You saw it after the combat training - it was kinda trashed...! I'm still waiting on the support company to fix it up."

The older of the two alchemists huffed, jabbing a thumb at himself, "You should've given it to me! I would've had it fixed up and upgraded in two seconds flat."

Alphonse gave his brother a look, "You were wise to not give it to Brother, he would've put skulls on it."

"Skulls are cool, Al!"

"But they don't match Izuku's aesthetic," Alphonse crossed his arms as he raised a brow, "do they?"

Before Edward had a chance to reply, Tenya blew a whistle to get everyone's attention, "Gather around, Class 1-A! Using your student numbers, form two neat lines so we can load the bus efficiently!"

Izuku stared as Tenya blew the whistle a few more times, "Iida kicking it into high gear as our class rep, huh...?"

Alphonse smiled as he walked over to get loaded on, "I think it's nice he's showing such dedication."

"So long as he doesn't let the power get to his head..." Edward muttered as they got on, taking a seat.

Tenya stepped onto the bus last... Then slouched as he took a seat, "The bus's open layout ruined my boarding strategy..."

Alphonse smiled placatingly, patting his back, "Better luck next time, Tenya."

"Yeah Iida," Mina smiled wide, "you just need to chill out a little!"

"If we're pointing out the obvious, then there's something I wanna say..." Tsuyu turned to Izuku, "About you, actually."

"A-About me?" Izuku pointed at himself, "What is it, Asui?"

"I told you to call me Tsu."

"O-Oh - right, yes...!"

"That power of yours." Tsuyu knocked her head to the side, "Isn't it a lot like All Might's?"

Izuku yelped, "W-What?! Really? Y-You think so, huh?" He started looking around, moving his hands around nervously, "I never really thought about that, I guess it's kinda similar...!"

Edward and Alphonse traded a glance, then stared at Izuku again as he continued rambling to himself.

"Wait, hold on, Tsu." Eijiro raised a brow, "You're forgetting All Might doesn't hurt himself. That makes a HUGE difference!"

"... Yeah," Edward leaned his cheek against his fist, "Izuku's Quirk is more like hysteric super-strength; really powerful, but with a lot of recoil."

Alphonse watched as Izuku breathed a sigh of relief at that explanation, then glanced at Edward again, Could he...?

Edward returned the glance, giving a subtle shrug.

"Still," Eijiro leaned against an armrest, "I bet it's cool to have a simple augment-type a' Quirk. You can do lots of flashy stuff with it." He held up an arm as it turned jagged, "My Hardening's super strong and can destroy bad guys in a fight, but it doesn't look all that impressive."

"Oh, no way," Izuku's eyes lit up, "I think it's really awesome looking!"

"Yeah!" Edward grinned, "Real badass that you're able to do something like that to your own body!"

"Yeah!" Izuku nodded vigorously, "You're definitely Pro-material with a Quirk like that!"

Eijiro looked at his hand, "You guys really think so? Seems like it'd be easier to be a popular Hero if I had somethin' flashier."

"Flashier isn't always better, you know." Alphonse crossed his legs at the ankles, resting one hand on his lap while he held the other one up, "And your Quirk allows you to do things a lot of people can't."

Yuga sparkled while his chin was resting on his hands, "My Navel Laser's got the perfect combination of panache and strength."

Mina smiled as she rested a hand on his shoulder, "But it's way lame if it gives you a stomachache, sweetie."

"Well, if any of our classmates have Pro Quirks, it'd be you Elric-Shimuras," he nodded to Edward and Alphonse before glancing to the side, "as well as Todoroki and Bakugo."

"Sure, but Bakugo's always angry," Tsuyu stared directly at him as she spoke, "so he'll never be that popular."

"What'd you say?!" Bakugo started to stand up while Kyoka leaned away from his shouting, "I'll kick your ass!"

Tsuyu stuck out her tongue as she turned to Alphonse while pointing at Bakugo, "Ya see?"

"It's true," Alphonse nodded sagely, "it's a Hero's job to protect people, both physically and mentally. If you're always threatening violence..." He shot Bakugo a side-glance, "Nobody will feel safe enough to trust you."

"Y'know, we basically just met you." Denki pointed at Bakugo, "So it's kinda telling that we all know your personality's flaming crap mixed with garbage."

Bakugo gripped the railing, "You're gonna regret the day you applied to this school, you loser...!"

Alphonse rolled his eyes while Bakugo continued to shout threats, looking around the bus.

"This is such a disgusting conversation..." Momo covered her mouth.

Ochaco beamed from her spot right next to Momo, "Yeah, but it's kinda fun listening to them fight."

Alphonse shot his brother a lopsided grin, "I'm just glad Brother isn't the one picking fights anymore."

"HEY! What's that supposed to mean?!" Edward waved a fist indignantly, "I don't just go around starting trouble for the fun of it!"

"No you don't, and you aren't as unpleasant as Bakugo," Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "though you can sometimes get carried away, ribbit. Especially if your height's mentioned."

"I am NOT short!!!"

Tsuyu stuck out her tongue slightly, "I never said you were, ribbit."

Alphonse laughed while Edwar stumbled over himself.

"Hey, hey, we're here." Aizawa stood up as the bus started to slow down, "Stop messing around."

The students turned to him with a collective "Yes sir", with only Bakugo giving a disgruntled "Whatever".

"Alright everyone!" Tenya got up and rushed for the door, moving his hands emphatically as he spoke, "Exit the bus in a calm and orderly fashion and line up by your student numbers so that a proper headcount can be conducted!"

Edward rolled his eyes as he got up, "But he already did a headcount."

"Tenya's just being responsible, Brother. Besides," Alphonse went to stand in the line outside, "I'm sure he's just making sure nobody gets stuck on the bus."

"Fine, fine - let's just get this over with."

Tenya looked over the students, making sure to do a thorough headcount before turning to Aizawa, "Everyone is present and accounted for, sir!"

"Well done." Aizawa turned around, walking towards the dome the bus had parked next to, "Alright everyone, come along."

As they walked over, they were greeted by the sight of someone that was wearing a puffy white jacket reminiscent of an astronaut's suit with a black helmet that had two white eyes on it.

"Oh!" Alphonse leaned over slightly to whisper to Edward, "I suppose this is the other instructor Mister Aizawa mentioned."

Edward nodded before whispering back, "Looks like an interesting character..."

"Hello, everyone," the Hero waved to the students, "I've been waiting for you!"

Izuku gasped excitedly, "It's the Space Hero Thirteen...!" He held his hands over his mouth as his eyes sparkled, "She's the chivalrous Pro who's rescued a ton of people from disasters across the world!!!"

"Space Hero, huh...?" Edward rubbed his chin, "Now I'm curious what she can do..."

"Woo-hoo!" Ochaco beamed wide, "Thirteen is one of my favorite Heroes!"

Thirteen laughed lightly, "I see my reputation precedes me!" She motioned to the dome-shaped building, "I can't wait to show you what's inside! Come along, come along!"

As they entered the giant structure and got a good look, the students started to gasp in awe.

"What the - Al! Al, look!" Edward started to point emphatically, "They have a GIANT SHIP in here!!!"

Alphonse gasped at the sight of it, "Wow...!"

"Holy crap!" Eijiro looked at all the different areas, "It looks like some kind of amusement park!"

Thirteen started to point out some of the different areas as she spoke, "A shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm, et cetera-" she spread her arms wide, "I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters! I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint! But you can call it," Thirteen turned back around to point at the students while balancing on one foot, "the USJ!"

About half of the students stared while muttering, "Like Universal Studios Japan..."

Alphonse blinked, "Universal Studios...?" He glanced at Edward, who could only offer his brother a shrug.

"Hey," Aizawa looked around as he walked up to Thirteen, "shouldn't All Might be here already? Lemme guess," he rolled his eyes while she went to stand normally, "he booked an interview instead."

"Actually, it's something else..."

Edward frowned, trying to look past Aizawa when Thirteen started to whisper, though all he could catch was her holding up three fingers, "Hrm..."

"That man is the height of irresponsibility... The clock's ticking." Aizawa glanced past Thirteen, "We should get started."

"Excellent! Before we begin," Thirteen spread her arms slightly, "let me just say one thing. Well, maybe two things - possibly three, or four, or perhaps even five..."

Edward's eyebrow was slowly raising higher and higher as she went on.

Alphonse smiled warmly, "Miss Thirteen, maybe you can just say what you need to? I'm sure we can count it out."

The Hero laughed a little, "Point taken!" She held up a hand, "Listen carefully, students. I'm sure at least some of you are aware that I have a powerful Quirk - it's called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust!"

Edward's eyes went wide at that, "Anything, huh...?"

"Yeah, you've used Black Hole to save people from all kinds of disasters before," Izuku smiled as he spoke up, barely noticing Ochaco energetically nodding her head while holding up her hands, "haven't you?"

"That's true, but my Quirk could also very easily be used to kill."

Alphonse nodded a little as some of the students gasped in shock, "That makes sense, with how powerful it is..."

Thirteen looked over the students, "Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous. In our superhuman society, all Quirks are certified and stringently regulated, so we often overlook how unsafe they can actually be." She held up her hands, "Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly - even if you're trying to do something virtuous like rescuing someone. Thanks to Aizawa's fitness tests," Thirteen motioned to the other teacher as she mentioned him, "you have a solid idea of your Quirk's potential."

"I mean," Edward huffed while muttering, "I already had an idea for my potential..."

"Brother," Alphonse elbowed him subtly, "don't be rude."

"And because of All Might's combat training, you likely experienced how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people. Carry those lessons over to this class, because today, you're going to learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives!" Thirteen held up a finger, "You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a Hero is all about: ensuring the safety of others!"

Alphonse smiled wide at that, "I like this teacher."

"Well, she's not making outrageous demands..." Edward subtly glanced at Aizawa, "So that's nice I guess."

"That's all I have to say," Thirteen took a bow, "thank you so much for listening!"

Aizawa pushed off of a pillar he was leaning against as the students gave Thirteen a round of applause, "Right. Now that that's over-"

Suddenly, the lights on the dome started to flicker while a water fountain down below them started to sputter. In mere moments, a swirling cloud of black mist formed and expanded in front of the fountain.

Alphonse blinked a few times, starting to take a stance, "Mister Aizawa...?"

Edward glared, clapping his hands and preemptively extending a blade from his automail arm, watching as a hand reached out of the mist, "The hell's going on here?"

Aizawa quickly rounded on the students, "Stay together and don't move! Thirteen, protect the students!"

"What is that thing?"

They watched as figures started to walk out of the black mist.

"Wait, has the training started already...?" Eijiro held a hand up to shield his eyes as he spoke, "I thought we were rescuing people."

"Stay back!" Aizawa snapped at them when a few students tried to walk forward, lifting his goggles to cover his eyes, "This is real - those are Villains down there."

Edward took a battle-ready stance, "You're not expecting us to just let you go in there alone, do ya?"

"I'm not going to recklessly endanger my students' lives, Elric-Shimura," Aizawa turned his head slightly to Edward while keeping an eye on the Villains, "I can buy enough time for the rest of you to get more Heroes."

They watched as a pair of yellow jagged eyes formed on the black mist, "The only real Heroes I see are Thirteen and Eraser Head. How perplexing... According to the schedule we retrieved from U.A., All Might should be here as well."

"So you scumbags used the press as a cover and sneaked onto campus." Aizawa grabbed his scarf as he took a battle-ready pose.

"Where is he?" A young man with pale blue hair with hands gripping his face and arms looked around while the other Villains slowly walked towards the students and their teachers, "I went through the trouble of bringing so many friends who're eager to meet him. They want All Might... The great Symbol of Peace." He spread his hands outward, "I can't believe he's not here... Maybe if I kill a few kids, he'll come out to play?"

Eijiro grimaced while watching the Villains get closer, "How could so many of them get into a U.A. facility this secure...?"

"Yes, Thirteen," Momo stepped forward, "why aren't the alarms going off?"

"Good question..." Thirteen looked up, "I'm afraid I'm unsure."

Shoto spoke up, "Is the entire campus under attack? Or is this their only target? Either way, if the alarm sensors aren't being triggered, then one of these Villains must have a Quirk that's masking their presence here."

Edward glanced around the dome, "And they picked out an isolated facility right when our class got here..."

"They're fools for trespassing here," Shoto narrowed his eyes, "but they've thought this out. Whatever their plan, they must have a concrete objective in mind - but what is it?"

"They were saying something about All Might," Alphonse turned to the others, "maybe they have a grudge against him?"

"Enough speculating! Thirteen," Aizawa started to walk down the steps, "get them outta here and alert the main campus. If they've got the ability to block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications, too - Kaminari," he glanced over his shoulder, "try using your Quirk to contact the school."

"Uh," Denki nodded quickly as he pressed a hand to the antenna he had attached to his ear, "yes sir."

"Mister Aizawa, sir! You can't fight them alone...!" Alphonse held up his hands, "Let us help!"

"Yeah, there's too many of them...!" Izuku's eyes darted over the Villains, "Even if you can nullify their Quirks, your fighting style's not suited for this - your powers work best in stealth and one-on-one fights. That's not gonna help with a group...!"

"You can't be a Pro if you only have one trick. I'll leave it to you, Thirteen."

The space-themed Hero gave him a nod before Aizawa leapt down the stairs and almost immediately took out three of the Villains with his capture scarf.

"So he's not just talk..." Edward watched over his shoulder as he started to run for the exit alongside the others.

Alphonse glanced back, "Izuku, come on!"

"Yes, this is no time to be analyzing!" Tenya motioned for Izuku to keep following the group, "We have to go!"

When they were about halfway to the door, that same black mist emerged from the ground and forced the group to skid to a stop, "There is no escaping from this place." The yellow eyes formed once again, "It's a pleasure to meet you - we are the League of Villains. I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello."

Edward gritted his teeth, carefully stepping in front of Alphonse as he held his arm blade at the ready.

"And besides, isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to take his last breath?"

Alphonse frowned slightly, "So they were here for All Might..."

"I believe he was supposed to be here today, and yet I see no sign of him - there must've been some sort of change in plans we could not have foreseen. Ah, well... In the end," the shadowy figure stretched out further to the sides, as though they were spreading out their arms, "I suppose it doesn't matter. I still have a role to play."

Thirteen held up a hand, the fingertips of her glove opening up as she pointed them at the figure - but she gasped when Bakugo and Eijiro suddenly leapt towards the figure, striking with their Quirks and creating a huge cloud of dust, "Students!"

As the dust started to settle, Eijiro held up his arms in a battle-ready pose, "Did ya think we were just gonna stand around and let you tear this place to shreds?"

Edward and Alphonse both clapped their hands, preparing to transmute something at a moment's notice.

"You live up to your school's reputation..." The shadow quickly reformed into a towering shape, with some sort of silver collar just below the eyes being revealed, "But you should be more careful, children - otherwise, someone might get hurt."

"You two, get out of the way right now!" Thirteen tried to wave Bakugo and Eijiro out of the way, her other hand still outstretched.

The shadows quickly spread outward, "I'll scatter you across this facility to meet my comrades," they started to circle around the students, "and your deaths!"

"The hell's this...?!" Edward shielded his face, trying to squint through the darkness... When he felt himself sliding across the ground, "Gah-!"

"Brother!" Alphonse bent down, pressing his hands to the ground and transmuting a handle. He grabbed onto it, then reached for Edward's hand, "Brother, hold on!"

"Al...!" Edward struggled against the pull, shouting with exertion as he tried reaching for his brother's hand... Only for their fingers to brush right as Edward vanished.

"BROTHER!" Alphonse looked around desperately as the shadows started to disperse, showing the small handful of students still there.

"Shoji..." Tenya grimaced, keeping an eye on their assailant while Mezo started to make eyes and ears on his tentacles to analyze their surroundings, "Got them? Anything? Where is everyone...?"

"They've been scattered across the facility - but our classmates are still here."

While the other students breathed a sigh of relief, Alphonse turned to him quickly, "And Brother? Where's Edward...?!"

"Right down there," Mezo pointed to the fountain, "with those Villains..."

Alphonse turned in that direction, "Brother!"

Edward screamed as he was spat out of the mist, rolling as he hit the ground and quickly getting to his feet.

"So you're the pipsqueak with the impressive Quirk..." the guy covered in hands scratched the side of his neck, "And Eraser Head called you Elric-Shimura, didn't he?"

The alchemist screamed while clapping his hands and placing them against the ground before a deluge of fists surged for the Villain, "Who the hell are you calling a midget that needs a ladder for the bottom cupboard, you handsy freak?!"

"And with such a temper too..." The Villain held up his hands, pressing his fingers against each of the fists. The moment he did, they each crumbled to dust almost immediately.

"What the-?" Edward growled, holding up his fists, "Of course you fight like that bastard..."

"What's someone like you, with all that pent-up rage," the Villain knocked his head to the side, "doing as a wannabe Hero? You'd have much more fun being a Villain, trust me..."

"Like hell I would, creep!" Edward grinned as he jabbed a thumb at himself, "You're starin' at a Hero, through and through - I beat up bastards like you for breakfast!"

"Is that right...?" He scratched the side of his neck again, "Well, if you're not fighting with us..." He rushed forward blindingly fast as he reached for Edward's face, his red eyes glinting between the fingers on his face, "You're just another dead kid."

"Gah-!" Edward quickly leaned back to avoid the hand, keeping his own momentum going by doing a flip and trying to kick the guy with his automail leg.

The Villain was barely phased when the metallic foot connected with his midsection before the alchemist slid out of reach, "You're a slippery little thing... Your hitbox is so small, it's so hard to land a blow on something so tiny."

"I..." Edward clapped his hands, "Am not..." He pressed them against the ground, "SHORT!!!"

The Villains turned when a giant cannon suddenly sprung from the ground, firing on the one covered in hands.

Aizawa took advantage of this distraction and took some of them out, briefly focusing on Edward, "Elric-Shimura, get out of there!"

"I can handle this BASTARD!" Edward kept his eyes moving while the dust was settling, "He isn't the first guy like this I've had to deal with...!"

"Brother!" A shadow passed over them as an arch made of stone formed overhead, and Alphonse leapt off of it, "Brother, are you okay...?!"

"Al! Yeah, I'm fine!" Edward glanced to the side as the dust finally settled fully, grimacing at the sight of the guy covered in hands, "He's barely even phased...! Hey, Al!"

Alphonse took a battle-ready pose next to Edward, "Yes, Brother?"

"This guy stops at the second phase!"

"Just like Scar..."

"Yeah..." Edward grinned a familiar smile, "And we know how to deal with that bastard, don't we?"

"Only barely, Brother," Alphonse glanced at Edward, "we should try and get to safety."

"But we can-!"

Edward was cut off when Aizawa's capture scarf darted past them, wrapping around the Villain covered in hands, "Get out, now!"

"Mister Aizawa!" Alphonse gasped, watching as the Pro rushed in to start trading blows with the Villain.

The Villain struggled for a moment, then finally he managed to grab Aizawa's elbow, "It was hard to see when you were jumping around, but I've found your tell - it's your hair. When it drops," the part of Aizawa's sleeve he was grabbing turned gray and started to crack, "it means you've stopped using your Quirk. You're having to blink more often... Don't push yourself too hard, now-" they could see Aizawa's skin cracking open now, "you might just fall apart...! Wouldn't that be a shame?"

"His equivalent exchange...!" Edward clapped his hands, "Aizawa, duck!"

Aizawa glanced to the side, then slid back when some small stone hands suddenly shot out of the ground, gripping the Villain's arms and prying them off of the Hero. He quickly punched the Villain away from himself before jumping back, then he had to maneuver through several other Villains that came charging.

"That annoying Quirk of yours isn't suited for drawn-out fights against big groups, is it Eraser Head? I guess it's lucky..." The guy covered in hands started to get up again, "That you've got some brats helping you out."

"You're the one who brought me up close and personal," Edward charged in, forcing the Villain to dart back as he swung his automail blade, "and I'm gonna make you regret it!"

"Right..." The Villain suddenly rushed him, swinging a hand downward and hitting the ground.

"Ack-!" Edward stumbled back as the ground under his feet started to collapse.

The man covered in hands reached forwards, grabbing Edward's left leg as it went up, "Gotcha...!"

"Brother!"

Edward's eyes went wide, watching as his pant leg disintegrated before his automail from the knee down broke off. He hit the ground, quickly pulling himself back and away from the Villain with his hands.

The Villain watched as the metallic leg in his hand slowly disintegrated to nothing, "Down a foot..." He rushed forward, reaching for Edward's face, "Game over!"

"No!" Alphonse quickly slid in, tripping the Villain's feet. As the alchemist was getting up, he grabbed the Villain from under the arm and spun briefly before tossing him away. Alphonse knelt down next to Edward, carefully wrapping his brother's arm around his shoulders before helping him up, "Brother, are you okay...?"

"Yeah, Al...! He only got my - Aizawa, look out!"

Alphonse turned around, spotting the large guy with a somewhat bird-like beak and an exposed brain towering over Aizawa, "Sir!"

"Oh, and by the way, Heroes..." The Villain covered in hands started to stand up again, "I'm not the final boss."

The giant of a Villain swung his fist, and they saw a splatter of blood as Aizawa's goggles went flying before the Pro collapsed.

"Mister Aizawa!"

"What do you think of him, Eraser Head?" The guy covered in hands squinted happily as the other Villain held Aizawa down, "He's the bioengineered, anti-Symbol of Peace... But you can call him Nomu."

Aizawa shouted in pain as Nomu gripped his arm, twisting it at the elbow until it cracked.

Edward grimaced, "Al, let me down - you can't help Aizawa if you're holding me up...!"

"But Brother-!"

"I'll just do what you said Mom did," he glanced at his younger brother, "alright?"

Alphonse gasped, then nodded as he carefully set Edward down.

"You can erase peoples' powers... That's irritating, but it's nothing impressive. When faced with true, devastating power, you might as well be a Quirkless child."

"Hey, Handsy Freak!"

The Villain turned to the pair of brothers.

Edward got up, briefly finding his balance on a temporary stone leg he'd transmuted onto his automail stump, "Why don't you tell Bird Brain to pick on someone his own size, huh?!"

"You two, get out of - GRAH!" Aizawa was cut off with a scream when Nomu slammed down his free hand, the Hero's arm writhing with a sick snap. Aizawa groaned as Nomu grabbed the back of his head, lifting him up.

"Now now, you two..." The Villain motioned to Aizawa and Nomu as he addressed the brothers, "You don't want Nomu to kill your teacher, do you?"

Alphonse grimaced, eyes darting between him and Aizawa.

"Tomura Shigaraki." The shadowy figure appeared beside the Villain as he addressed him.

"Kurogiri," Shigaraki turned to him, "did you manage to kill Thirteen?"

"The Rescue Hero is out of commission."

Alphonse gasped, "Miss Thirteen, no...!"

"But there were students I was unable to disperse," Kurogiri narrowed his eyes, "and one of them got outside of the facility."

"Huh?!" Shigaraki started to growl, then he scratched the sides of his neck aggressively while panting, "Kurogiri... You fool...! If you weren't our warp gate, I'd tear apart every last atom in your body...!" He suddenly stopped, "There's no way we can win if dozens of Pros show up to stop us. It's game over - back to title screen." He slouched, "And I was looking forward to finishing this today. Dammit... Let's go home."

"That's it...?" Edward held up his fists, "They're just running off...?"

Alphonse glanced over at the sound of splashing, his eyes widening when he finally noticed Izuku and Tsuyu by the water's edge with Mineta.

"Oh, before we leave," Shigaraki started to turn around, "let's make sure the Symbol of Peace is broken." His red eyes narrowed, "Let's wreck his pride!"

"Get ready, Al!" Edward clapped his hands.

Shigaraki rushed forward... And then completely past the brothers, his hand reaching for Tsuyu, "Let's make this hurt!"

"TSUYU!" Alphonse clapped his hands, propelling himself towards the water's edge with a pillar of stone and sliding himself in front of the froggy girl, arms outstretched.

"ALPHONSE!" Edward's eyes went wide as he screamed out, reaching for his brother as Shigaraki firmly planted all five fingers on the young alchemist's chestplate.

Alphonse panted, glaring down Shigaraki for a few seconds as nothing happened.

The Villain grunted, "You really are so cool..." He looked over his shoulder, "Eraser Head."

Edward turned around, seeing Aizawa glaring down Shigaraki even as blood poured down his face. The Pro grunted in pain and exertion, "Get them... Out of there...!"

"Right-!" Edward spun around, clapping his hands and placing them on the ground.

A stone wall shot up between Shigaraki and Alphonse, forcing the Villain to release the young alchemist.

Izuku then leapt up, his arm pulled back as he went for Shigaraki, "You! Get away from them! Now!" He gritted his teeth as his fist connected, a huge surge of wind pushing outwards and shoving away the water and some of the Villains, "SMASH!"

"Izuku!" Alphonse turned to face him, his eyes slowly widening as the air cleared... Showing Nomu directly in front of Izuku, the young Hero in training's fist having connected with the giant Villain's midsection.

"You're pretty powerful. This 'smash' of yours..." Shigaraki shot Izuku a glance, "Are you one of All Might's disciples? Doesn't matter either way... I'm done with you now."

Nomu grabbed Izuku's arm, raising his other hand up high as the boy started to scream in panic.

Alphonse's eyes darted between Izuku and the wall, noticing it crumbling to dust as Shigaraki reached both hands forward while Tsuyu was extending her tongue towards Izuku.

"Alphonse!" Edward started to run forward, clapping his hands together.

Suddenly, the doors to the USJ were blown off and a cloud of dust formed at the entrance. Everyone stopped to watch as a large figure walked through the dust.

"Have no fear, students..."

Alphonse gasped, "All Might...?"

Edward stared in shock, "He looks pissed...!"

All Might glared at the Villains, for once his smile no longer plastered on his face as he tossed aside the suit jacket he was holding as he arrived, "I am here!"

"Ah..." Shigaraki looked up, "Looks like our game's getting a continue."

Chapter Text

"I couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone wrong here when Aizawa and Thirteen didn't answer my calls..." All Might started to walk down the steps, "So I hurried over, running into Young Iida along the way. He told me of the villainy at work here - so have no fear, students..." He ripped off his tie, shredding it in the process, "Because I am here!"

Mineta was bawling his eyes out, "Look, we're saved!"

"Ribbit," Tsuyu reeled Izuku in with her tongue, "Al, we should move."

Alphonse clapped, "On it, Tsuyu!" He planted his hands against the ground, and the students were launched into the air by a stone pillar.

"He's here..." Izuku stared at the Hero as he flew through the air with the others, "All Might...! And he's not smiling..."

"Hang on, you guys!" Edward clapped before pressing his hands on the ground, creating a pair of stone hands to grab the airborne students and carefully set them on solid ground.

Shigaraki was no longer paying attention to the students as he muttered something too softly for them to hear.

"Whoa, All Might's here - I've never actually seen him in person before...!"

"I didn't expect him to be so huge!"

"Heh..." One of the minor Villains glanced at the others, "This is no time to talk, you idiots! If we strike now, we can kill him-!"

Faster than any of them could blink, each of the minor Villains that was blocking the path between the stairs and where Aizawa had collapsed were knocked back after just a single blow from the Pro.

All Might knelt down, tenderly picking up his fellow teacher, "I'm sorry, Aizawa - I should've been here..." He turned around, glancing between the main Villains and the five students.

Edward punched his palm, "A'ight, let's get to-!"

The alchemist was cut off when All Might suddenly moved blindingly fast, holding Aizawa under one arm and the students under the other as he skidded to a stop a good distance away from the Villains, and the hand covering Shigaraki's face fell to the ground.

"Gah!" Edward squirmed out of All Might's grip, "A little warning would've been nice...!"

"Everybody, back to the entrance." All Might gently set the other Pro on the ground, "And take Aizawa with you - he doesn't have much time."

"No, no, no...!" Shigaraki covered his face while going to pick up the hand that fell off, "It wasn't supposed to go this way..." He was panting, almost hyperventilating, "He's still fast, Father..."

"Sir," Alphonse carefully wrapped Aizawa's arm around his shoulders, being mindful of his elbow, "about those Villains - the one with all the hands deconstructs whatever he presses his hands against, and the big one managed to take a punch from Izuku."

"Is that right?" All Might stared down the Villains as Shigaraki placed the hand back on his face. The Hero grimaced as the Villain seemed to mutter something to himself, "Students, get out of here!"

"Like hell I will!" Edward gritted his teeth, glaring at Shigaraki, "The bastard destroyed my leg!"

"All Might, you can't fight them!" Izuku looked up while grabbing one of Aizawa's legs, "That brain Villain took One For-" he stumbled over his words, glancing at the other students.

What he didn't notice were Edward and Alphonse's eyes going wide as something just got confirmed for them.

Izuku quickly corrected himself, "I-I smashed him and didn't break my arm this time, but he wasn't phased at all...! He's too strong!"

All Might swept a hand back towards them, "Young Midoriya!" He turned around, holding up two fingers next to his eye, "I got this!"

Edward glanced between All Might and the Villains before turning to the other students, "C'mon, I'll make sure nobody gets close while you guys carry Aizawa."

"Right." Alphonse nodded, heading for the stairs after the others grabbed Aizawa's remaining limbs.

All Might turned back to Shigaraki, then rushed forward with his arms crossed, "Carolina...!"

Shigaraki watched calmly, "Nomu."

The large Villain darted in and stood in front of Shigaraki, his arms spread out.

All Might swept out his arms the moment Nomu was directly in front of him, "Smash!" He looked up at Nomu's face as the water behind the Villain erupted from the force of the blow, "Huh?"

The Villain growled, completely unphased and trying to grab All Might.

Edward looked back with a frown, "Damn, he didn't even flinch...!"

All Might ducked away from the attack, "Guess he wasn't wrong when he said it had no effect on you!" He threw a punch directly into Nomu's gut, "Let's try this!" The Hero started to deliver punches to the Villain's face.

Nomu barely even noticed the blows, screeching as he tried reaching for All Might again.

The Hero jumped away from the Villain's swinging fists, "Doesn't even matter where I punch you, does it?" He skidded to a stop, delivering another set of punches to Nomu's chest as the Villain closed in immediately.

"That's because Nomu here has shock absorption, All Might..." Shigaraki slowly grinned as he called out, "You'd only be able to hurt him by slowly gouging out his flesh - of course," Shigaraki spread out his hands as the two continued to fight, "I don't think he'll sit back and let you do that! You've finally met your match!"

"Wait, shock absorption?  Not nullification...?" Alphonse gasped, "So if he's hit hard enough-"

"The blows will start doing something!" Izuku glanced back, "But it looks like All Might's already giving it his all...!"

"Ha!" All Might ducked away from another one of Nomu's blows, "Thanks for telling me how to beat him!" He darted behind Nomu, wrapping his arms around the Villain's waist, "All I have to do is wear him down," All Might started to lean back, bringing Nomu's head to the ground, "and then it's on to you!"

The students looked back as a giant cloud of dust erupted from the pair's collision with the ground.

"Hey, hey now...!" Shigaraki shielded himself from the shockwave of the blow.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Mineta grinned, "That suplex looked like a huge explosion! All Might's on a whole 'nother level!"

Tsuyu brought a finger from her free hand to her cheek, "And yet he still has to look at his notes when he's teaching us."

"We have to put our faith in All Might..." Izuku frowned slightly, "If we try and go in there ourselves, we might get taken captive - that'd be so much worse than just getting in All Might's way..."

"But it doesn't feel right," Alphonse glanced back, "just leaving him alone like this..."

Mineta looked back, "Get that guy, All Might! Punch him right in the balls!"

Edward glanced over his shoulder, "You guys think he really has the ability to kill All Might?"

"Maybe we were worried about these bad guys for nothing," Tsuyu glanced back as well, "All Might's unstoppable."

Izuku bit his lip as he turned his head away from the other students.

As the dust began to clear, they saw All Might still leaning back and holding Nomu in a suplex... But the Villain's upper body was going through one of the portals, making it so he was directly underneath All Might with his fingers digging into the Hero's sides.

Alphonse gasped, "Oh no...!"

Izuku grimaced as the Villains seemed to have an exchange with All Might they couldn't hear from this far away, "Mineta... Will you take Aizawa's other leg for me?"

"H-Huh?!" Mineta turned to him, "What're you gonna do?!"

Edward glanced at him, "You ain't going over there - not alone, at least!" He punched his palm, "I still wanna get payback for my automail he destroyed."

"Brother, Izuku," Alphonse frowned, "are you guys sure?"

Edward gave him a confident smile, "We'll keep them busy until you guys get Aizawa outta danger. Got it, Al?"

Alphonse stared for a moment before nodding, "Be safe, Brother. And you too, Izuku."

Mineta screamed as Edward and Izuku ran towards the fight, "Are you guys crazy?!"

"Come on," Alphonse started to move a little faster, a determined look on his face, "we have to get Aizawa to safety...!"

"Ribbit..." Tsuyu nodded as she and Mineta moved to keep pace with him.

Izuku started to run ahead of Edward as he called out, "I'm coming!" He leapt forward with a shout, one arm outstretched.

Kurogiri moved into the student's path as he opened a portal, "How foolish."

Bakugo suddenly flew in from Kurogiri's blind spot and hit him with an explosion, "Get the hell outta my way, Deku!" He grabbed Kurogiri's collar, slamming him face-first against the ground.

As ice quickly crept along the ground and climbed up Nomu's left side, Edward clapped before pressing his hands on the ground. A set of hooked spears slowly emerged and dug into Nomu's right arm before retracting, pulling the limb with them.

Shoto glanced at a grinning Edward, then turned back to the Villains, "One of your poorly-trained thugs told me you're here because you think you can kill All Might."

All Might grabbed onto the partially frozen hand still gripping his, pulling it out of his side with relative ease before leaping away and landing between Edward and Shoto, "Thank you, Young Elric-Shimura and Young Todoroki...!" He grunted, pressing a hand to his still-bleeding hip.

Izuku gasped, "Are you okay...?!"

Eijiro leapt in with a shout, trying to strike at Shigaraki only for the Villain to dodge out of the way, "Damn, that was gonna be cool...!"

Bakugo grinned as he held Kurogiri down, "Guess I found your body that time, ya smoky bastard!"

Edward took a battle stance, grinning wide, "Guess you bastards are on the back-foot now - all thanks to a buncha students!"

Shoto stared down Shigaraki, "The Symbol of Peace will not be defeated by delinquents like you."

"Yeah, what Popsicle said!"

Mineta glanced back as the other students helped All Might escape, "Todoroki and Bakugo..."

"And Kirishima too, ribbit."

Alphonse nodded, "With two of the Villains restrained and that many opponents, I don't think that guy with all the hands really stands a chance..."

The three glanced at Aizawa as the teacher groaned in pain, then Tsuyu spoke up, "Let them handle it, we need to hurry."

The alchemist nodded as they continued walking to the steps.

"Wait, is that Tsu and Al down there?" They glanced up at the sound of Ochaco's voice, spotting her pointing down at them before she started to wave, "Hey! We're all up here!"

"It's Ochaco!"

"Hey! Can you come help us out?!" Mineta made a face, "He's super heavy and bleeding all over the place!"

Ochaco and Sato ran down to help them out, with Ochaco making Aizawa lighter while Sato carried him the rest of the way.

"You guys...!" Mina waved a hand from where she was kneeling next to the other Hero, "Thirteen said we should find a place to hide, things will probably heat up once the other Heroes get here...!"

Alphonse glanced back, "But Brother and the others-!"

"I'm sure they'll be fine, ribbit." Tsuyu walked up next to him, "But right now, most of our heavy-hitters are down there fighting those Villains - who's to say there aren't more hiding, waiting for us to let our guard down?"

The alchemist turned to Tsuyu, then glanced at the injured Heroes and other students. He bit his lip, then nodded with a sigh, "I hope Brother can handle his own... Okay," Alphonse nodded, "let's get Mister Aizawa and Miss Thirteen to safety."

"Right!"

Shigaraki glanced between the students, "Kurogiri... How could you let this brat get the best of you? You've gotten us into a real jam here..."

"Heh." Bakugo grinned down at Kurogiri, "You got careless, you dumb Villain - it wasn't hard to figure you out! Only certain parts of you turn into that smoking warp gate. You used that mist to hide your actual body as a kind of distraction, thinking that made you safe! That's why we missed earlier... But if you didn't have a body, you wouldn't be wearing this neck armor, right? You're not immune to physical attacks if they're well-aimed!"

Kurogiri growled, starting to shift underneath Bakugo's hand.

The living grenade made a few tiny explosion against the armor, "Don't move!" He leaned in close, "You try anything funny, and I'll blow your ass up so bad, they'll be piecin' you back together for weeks!"

Eijiro made a face at that, "Oh, that doesn't sound very heroic."

Edward rolled his eyes, "So now all of a sudden he's good at actually analyzing his opponents...?"

Shigaraki held his hands clasped together before turning to the partially-frozen Villain, "Nomu."

Nomu started to screech, the ice covering him cracking as he forcibly stood upright, the stone spears tearing off chunks of his left arm while both his right limbs broke off.

Edward grimaced, "Geez! Self-destructive much...?!"

Izuku flinched back, "How is that thing still moving...?! He's all messed up...!"

All Might held out a hand, "Stay back, everybody!"

The ice still covering Nomu suddenly cracked apart, the muscles underneath rippling and stretching out from his missing limbs before they took a proper shape as the missing chunks from his other arm reformed as well.

Edward's eyes widened in recognition, "Wait, it's just like...!"

Shoto shot the alchemist a side-glance as All Might spoke, "What's this?" The Hero got to his feet, "I thought you said his power was shock absorption."

"I didn't say that was his only Quirk - he also has super-regeneration." Shigaraki started to grin again, "Nomu has been modified to take you on even at 100% of your power... He's basically a highly efficient punching bag that hits back!"

Edward grunted as he resumed his fighting stance alongside the others, "Great, as if this bastard wasn't hard enough already...!"

"First, we need to free our method of escape." Shigaraki turned to Bakugo, "Get him, Nomu."

Edward's eyes went wide as Nomu seemed to vanish, turning to where Bakugo was standing over Kurogiri right as the giant Villain threw a punch, a huge cloud of dust forming from the impact and knocking them all off their feet.

"Ugh, such force..." Izuku gasped, getting to his feet, "Kacchan-!"

Edward started to get up, then did a double-take to his side, "How'd the hell you get over here?!"

The other students turned to see Bakugo on the ground right next to them, staring ahead in shock.

"Kacchan?! Whoa, that's awesome, you dodged him...!"

"Shut up," Bakugo glared, "no I didn't, you damn nerd."

Eijiro raised a brow, "Then how'd you get over here?"

Shoto turned with a small gasp, "Isn't it obvious?"

As the dust settled, they finally saw All Might with his arms up in a defensive position, coughing slightly.

Izuku gasped, "All Might!"

The Hero glared at the Villains, "These are kids, and you didn't hold back?"

"I didn't have much choice." Shigaraki walked up next to Nomu, "He was threatening my companion. Besides, these kids are no angels." He pointed at the students, "The plain-looking one? He tried to kill me with a maxed-out punch. And the little boy in red, he came at me with a blade... What kind of 'Heroes' would do things like that?"

Edward ground his teeth, "I am not little, you bastard...!"

"You think you can get away with being as violent as you want if you say it's for the sake of others..." Shigaraki spread out his hands, "Well you know what, All Might? That pisses me off. Why do people get to decide that some violent acts are heroic and others are villainous? Casting judgment as to what's 'good' and what's 'evil'..." He shrugged slightly, "You think you're the Symbol of Peace? Ha - you're just another government-sponsored instrument of violence! And violence always breeds more violence. I'll make sure the world understands that once you're dead."

"This is a rich... Load of crap," Edward pointed at him, "coming from the bastard that started this fight and tried to kill us!"

All Might stared Shigaraki down, "You're nothing but a lunatic. Criminals like you... You always try and make your actions sound noble, but admit it; you're only doing this because you like it! Isn't that right?!"

While Shigaraki said nothing, Edward could just barely see his eyes squinting from behind the hand. The young alchemist made a face at that, Oh, All Might got the nail on the head there...

Shoto narrowed his eyes, "We've got them outnumbered."

Izuku nodded as he raised his fists, "And Kacchan found the mist guy's weakness."

"These dudes may act really tough," Eijiro narrowed his eyes as he spoke, "but we can take 'em down now with All Might's help." He activated his Quirk on his arms, "Let's do this!"

"Don't attack!" The students turned to All Might with a gasp as the Pro moved to stand in front of them, holding out a hand, "Get out of here."

Shoto flexed his right hand, "You would've been in trouble earlier if it weren't for me, remember?"

"Hey, it wasn't just you!" Edward shot him a look, "I pried Bird Brain's other arm off of him!"

The icy student paid him no mind, "You need our help."

"I thank all of you for your assistance, but this is different." All Might clenched his fist, "It's gonna be All Right - just sit back and watch a Pro at work!"

"But you're too hurt," Izuku glanced at his side worriedly, "you're bleeding still...! And you're almost out of ti-" he shut his mouth, glancing at the others.

Edward shot Izuku a glance right as All Might gave a small thumbs up.

Shigaraki turned his head slightly to the other Villains, "Nomu. Kurogiri. Kill him - I'll deal with the children."

"Looks like we've got our match-ups..." Edward clapped his hands, "Hey, All Might! Don't hold back against the bastards, ya hear me?"

All Might laughed as he clenched his fists, "Very well, Young Elric-Shimura! I shall give my all for as long as you students live!"

"Let's clear this level and go home!" Shigaraki ran forward, reaching out with his hand.

"Heads up," Eijiro took a stance once again, "we're fightin' after all!"

Edward pressed his hands against the ground right as All Might and Nomu charged each other, their fists colliding with a massive shockwave.

Shigaraki paused as he glanced over at them, watching as Nomu's arm rippled slightly as it absorbed the shock of the blow, "Weren't you listening? One of his powers is shock absorption!"

"Yeah? What about it?!" All Might grinned wider as he kept delivering blow after blow, his fists flying faster and faster as the force created a steady and powerful wind that was forcing the students back.

Shigaraki went to keep moving, then grunted when his feet refused to budge.

Edward grinned as the ground started to rise up and wrap around Shigaraki's legs, "You shouldn't get distracted in a fight, pal!"

Izuku grunted with exertion as he tried to fight the wind, getting low to the ground, "He's gonna fight that brain guy head-on...?!"

"Whoa, they're..." Eijiro braced himself against another surge of wind, "So fast!"

Kurogiri shouted as he was forced further away, "No! I can't get near them...!"

All Might planted his feet against the ground as it started to break apart, still delivering a deluge of blows to Nomu, "It's as the Young Elric-Shimuras pointed out before... Your Quirk only being shock absorption and not nullification means that there's a limit to what sorta punishment you can take, right?!"

Edward winced when Nomu managed to land a blow to All Might's bleeding hip, then grinned wide and cheered when the Villain was starting to get forced back, his body rippling from the force of the Hero's blows, "Beat his ass!"

"So, you were made to fight me, big guy!" All Might slowly walked forward as Nomu started losing ground, trees being sent flying around them as the ground was breaking apart from the force of his blows, "If you can really withstand me firing at 100% of my power... Then I'll have to go beyond that and FORCE you to surrender!"

"Damn, All Might throwing punches at random is kinda terrifying...!" Eijiro grinned despite himself, pumping his fists.

"But they're not random..." The other students turned to Izuku as he spoke, "Each one is specifically targeted, hitting the same points repeatedly again and again to push his opponent's body to the limit...!"

Edward narrowed his eyes as he grinned, "He's brute-forcing a weak-point onto the bastard...!"

All Might sent Nomu flying with a punch, "A real Hero..." He leapt after the Villain and continued delivering the blows, "Will ALWAYS find a way for justice to be served!" He leapt into the air after Nomu, grabbing him by the arm before spinning around and tossing the Villain to the ground with a yell.

Edward shielded himself as a massive crater formed in the ground where Nomu landed, the Villain rebounding slowly into the air, "Hell yeah!"

"Now for a lesson!" All Might quickly landed on the ground, "You may have heard these words before, but I'll teach you what they REALLY mean!"

The young alchemist watched as All Might clenched his fist, feeling a familiar energy charge the air, It's like the Promised Day...

"Go beyond!" All Might's fist was surrounded by air streams that took a star-like shape before he punched Nomu directly in the gut, "Plus... ULTRA!!!"

The students whipped their heads around as they could see the force explode outwards from Nomu's body as the Villain shot straight into the air, colliding with the dome and shaking the entire facility as he kept soaring into the sky without even slowing down.

"HOLY-!" Edward pointed at the giant hole now in the dome, "Did you guys see that...?!"

Hanta looked up while he was supporting Thirteen, "Um, did a Villain just fly by? Or am I goin' crazy...?"

Alphonse looked upwards as well, "It was that Nomu guy...!"

"Such power..."

"Ah... That's All Might for you...!" Mineta pumped his fists, "That's why he's the most amazing Hero in the entire world!"

Alphonse breathed a sigh of relief as the other students started to cheer, glancing at where Edward and the others should be.

"That was like the finishing move in a video game!" Eijiro shielded his eyes as he stared at the sky through the hole, "He beat the shock absorption right outta him - I've never seen that kind of brute strength!"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes, "Imagine having power like that... He must've been punching that monster so fast he couldn't regenerate."

Edward grinned, turning back to All Might.

"I really have gotten weaker..." All Might grinned, still holding the same pose from which he delivered the final blow, "Back in my heyday, five hits woulda been enough to knock that guy out..." He stood upright, planting a fist against his shoulder, "But today, it took more than 300 mighty blows!"

Edward's eyes bugged out, "300?!"

All Might turned to Shigaraki as the Villain freed himself from Edward's trap, "You've been bested, Villains. Surrender - we all want to get this over with quickly."

"He beat me - he's not any weaker at all...! And look what he did to my Nomu..." Shigaraki growled, trembling with rage, "He cheated...!"

"What's wrong?" All Might stood at the edge of the cloud that formed from his blows against Nomu, "Not attacking me? Didn't you say you were going to clear this level earlier?" The Pro's brow furrowed, "Well, come and get me - if you dare."

"Man, this is..." Bakugo stared at All Might, "Intense..."

"As I expected." Shoto crossed his arms, "There's no reason for us to fight now - he'll handle this."

Edward glanced between them and All Might, frowning slightly, Why isn't All Might attacking the bastards...? The alchemist grimaced slightly, Don't tell me...

"C'mon you two," Eijiro waved to Edward and Izuku, "we should regroup with the other guys. The last thing we wanna do is get taken hostage or get in his way."

"What?" All Might took a small step towards the remaining Villains, "Are you scared?"

Shigaraki quickly stepped away, his fingers twitching nervously. He growled, lifting his head up as he started to scratch red marks onto his neck, "If only Nomu was here... He'd rush you right now...! Pound you into the ground without giving it a second thought!"

"You sure about that?!" Edward pointed at the Villains as he shouted, "'Cuz All Might just beat that guy's ass! Your bird-brained 'secret weapon' didn't stand a chance - he was a complete dud!"

Izuku gasped as he turned to Edward, "Wh-What are you doing...?!"

"Calling it as I see it!" Edward crossed his arms while forcing a grin. He glanced at the Villains, And hopefully scare 'em enough to not think WHY All Might isn't attacking...!

"Tomura Shigaraki!" Kurogiri leaned down, "Please, do not fret. Look at him - he has definitely weakened. Nomu's attacks were successful."

Edward grimaced, Crap, crap, crap...!

Shigaraki suddenly stopped scratching as Kurogiri went on, "He's on his own - the children appear to be frozen in fear." He turned slightly as some of the other Villains were starting to get off the ground, "And look, our underlings are recovering. We likely still have a few minutes before their reinforcements arrive... If you and I work together, we can do this. We haven't missed our chance to kill All Might!"

"Yeah..." Shigaraki's hands slowly went down, "Yeah, you're right. This is it - we have no choice. We have to do it now. I mean," he lowered his head, "the big end-boss is right here...!"

Eijiro turned around as some of the minor Villains stood up fully, "I think All Might can hold his own against those two main guys." He hardened his arms as he made an X with them, "Let's make sure these dudes don't hurt anybody else!"

Shoto glanced at Edward and Izuku, "Will you two be joining us?"

Shigaraki started to run towards All Might before either of them could reply to their classmate, "Consider this revenge for what you did to Nomu!"

All Might slowly spread his legs as the two Villains charged in - and Izuku leapt in, his legs flopping slightly as he flew through the air.

Edward grimaced, "Izuku-!"

Izuku pulled his arm back as he stared down Kurogiri's armor, yelling as his fist started to glow with energy, "Don't you touch All Might...! You stupid Villain!"

Shigaraki suddenly reached a hand out to the side and through one of Kurogiri's portals, which opened up so that Izuku's face was on a collision course with it.

Kurogiri narrowed his eyes, "I won't fall for that again!"

"Hold on-!" Edward clapped with a yell, placing them on the ground and sending a wave of stone towards Shigaraki to try and force his hand away from Izuku's face.

Suddenly, they could hear the bang of a firearm as a bullet tore through Shigaraki's hand. The Villain yanked it back with a pained yelp, gripping the wound tightly with his other hand.

All Might glanced to the side as they heard more gunshots, "They're here...!"

"Sorry, everyone!" Alphonse turned around, slowly smiling wide at what he saw, "I know we're a bit late - but I got the teachers over here as fast as I could."

Ochaco started to tear up slightly, "It's Iida...!"

"Tenya!" Alphonse beamed, "You did it!"

"Your class rep has returned!" Tenya pounded a fist against his chest, "I've fulfilled my duty," he swept a hand out over the numerous Heroes, "and I've brought reinforcements!"

The minor Villains glared at the Heroes, some of them using their Quirks to try and attack them.

"Heh..." Present Mic walked towards the top of the stairs, taking a deep breath before unleashing an incredibly loud yell that the students could see as it rippled the air, "YEAH!!!"

The Villains caught in the yell started to scream, covering their ears as they fell to their knees.

Alphonse winced and covered his ears as well, watching as another teacher opened his mouth. A few gray blobs poured out, and they started to shift before taking the same forms as the teacher to fight off some of the Villains still standing.

The principal pointed forwards, "Our priority is to protect all of our students!"

"Yes, sir!" The rest of the teachers rushed down the stairs and started to split up, heading to the various different sections of the USJ.

"Aw, man..." Shigaraki backed up closer to Kurogiri, "The Pros are here...! It's game over - for real." He turned to his fellow Villain, "Let's get home and try this when we can-" he gasped and collapsed as several more bullets pierced his limbs before Kurogiri could stretch out his mist to shield Shigaraki.

"Let's go!" Kurogiri started to pull Shigaraki into one of his portals, then grunted when something started to suck him in, "This is-!"

Edward spun around, grinning a little wider, "Thirteen...!"

Kurogiri grunted with exertion, trying to fight against the Hero's Quirk as Shigaraki started speaking to All Might, "I may have failed to kill you this time, but your days are numbered...! All Might, Symbol of Peace - I am going to kill you...!"

"Crossdraw..." Kurogiri narrowed his eyes as he was starting to get pulled up the stairs, "Stop the Hero...!"

"Since you asked so nicely..." Alphonse spun around as a figure ran up the wall of the stairs from the treeline, watching as the figure leapt towards Thirteen with blade-like fingers.

The alchemist's eyes went wide at the sight of the woman, Lust...?!

"Stay back-!" Hanta pointed the elbow of his free arm at the Villain, firing some tape at her.

She stepped to the side while slicing up the tape, "Don't worry," she swung her other hand towards Thirteen, "I don't do kids!"

"Miss Thirteen!" Alphonse quickly shook his head, clapping his hands and pressing them against the ground to create a barrier in front of the injured teacher.

Thirteen stopped using her Quirk as the Villain's fingers dug into the wall, her head falling slightly from exhaustion.

"There we go," Crossdraw retracted the blades back into her fingers, leaping backwards with her arms spread wide, "Farewell, Heroes!"

Kurogiri narrowed his eyes as he expanded his mist to catch her, "Well done, Crossdraw. And to you Heroes..." His voice started to echo as he vanished with Shigaraki and Crossdraw, "I bid thee farewell."

"Al!" Edward went to run up the stairs, "Al, are you alright?"

"Brother!" Alphonse went to stand next to Edward, "I'm fine - what about you?"

Edward grinned, ruffling Alphonse's hair as he jabbed a thumb at himself, "They didn't even touch me this time! That All Might sure is something, ain't he?"

Alphonse nodded, "The way he sent that Villain flying...!" He started to speak quietly, "It's almost like..."

"Yeah..." Edward frowned slightly as he whispered back, "I think we were right on the money, Al..."

"Well, my, my, my." One of the teachers holstered the gun he was using as he tipped his hat.

Another teacher with a dominatrix-like outfit sighed as she rested a hand against her hip, "I can't believe we let them escape, after everything they did here..."

"They did catch us completely by surprise." Principal Nezu folded his paws behind his back as he was set on the ground, "For now, we need to make sure all the students are okay."

Edward's eyes widened at that, "Wait, Izuku-!" He turned around, "I think he broke his legs, he's over by All Might-!"

"Cementoss should be there by now, don't you worry!" The principal smiled wide, "You let us worry about the injured for now, you two just go and wait with your classmates outside."

The two brothers traded a glance before nodding to him and heading outside.

Chapter Text

At an empty bar somewhere in Japan...

Kurogiri opened a portal, gently setting Shigaraki on the ground as Crossdraw stepped out.

"Ow..." Shigaraki winced as he lay there, "Shot in both arms and legs... All those underlings wiped out... Even Nomu was beaten...!" He glared at Crossdraw, "And you were nowhere to be seen the whole time...!"

"Hey, I told Mister Tall, Dark, and Misty when he hired me," she leaned against the bar while crossing her arms, "I don't fight kids. Plus, I would've been useless against our dear Symbol of Peace."

"It's true, Tomura Shigaraki - she was meant solely to aid us in the event of more Pros arriving. And in that regard," Kurogiri narrowed his eyes as most of the mist vanished to reveal his three-piece suit, "she succeeded in her task. Were it not for her disrupting the Hero Thirteen, I would not have been able to make a portal fast enough for you to escape with your life."

Shigaraki growled, "We still failed - those kids were so strong, and the Symbol of Peace wasn't weakened at all... You were wrong, Master." He glared up at a small TV, "So wrong!"

The screen remained blank when a reply came from it, "No, I wasn't. We just weren't as prepared as we should've been."

"I agree," Another voice came from the TV, "we underestimated them. Thankfully, we failed under that cheap 'League of Villains' name and not our own."

"Shame," Crossdraw extended the blades from her fingers to pluck a glass from behind the counter, "the name was growing on me."

"And what about the creature the Master and I created? Where is Nomu?"

"Yes, why is he not with you?"

"He was blown away, Master."

"What?!" The second voice exclaimed at Kurogiri's answer.

"It was All Might's doing. Without coordinates to his precise location, I couldn't use my warp to bring him with us." Kurogiri walked towards the TV, clenching his misty fists, "We didn't have any time to search for him."

"This is a travesty! And after all we did to make him as powerful as All Might..."

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped." The Master spoke up, ultimately sounding unphased at the revelation, "Unfortunately."

"Power... That reminds me." Shigaraki narrowed his eyes as he pressed his fingers against the floor, "There was a kid there who tried to protect All Might."

Crossdraw glanced at him, casually tracing a finger over the glass in her hand.

"He was just as fast as him..."

"Oh?"

"If he hadn't gotten in our way," Shigaraki dragged his nails over the floorboards, "we might have killed the Symbol of Peace...! That brat... That brat!"

"Naturally, you're upset - but this was not a futile mission. We've learned many things. Gather the villainous elite, and take all the time you need to. I must remain hidden in the shadows, which is why I need you to be my face. A symbol of your own. Tomura Shigaraki... Next time, you WILL show the world that it should be afraid of you."

Crossdraw set down the glass she'd finished carving her name into, "So long as you don't bleed out first." She turned her gaze to Kurogiri, "Unless the 'face' we want is just a skull with a hand over it."

Kurogiri nodded slightly, going to grab the first-aid kit.

Back at the USJ...

"... 18, 19, 20, 21." A detective in a beige coat was counting the students while some other officers were loading the Villains into police transports, "Everyone seems to be unharmed, except for the boy whose legs were all messed up."

Ochaco waved towards Edward, "But he lost a leg...!"

Edward started to wave his hands quickly, "My AUTOMAIL leg! I'm not technically injured, it was a prosthetic! A quick trip to my mechanic and it'll be fixed it right up!"

"Ah - thank you for the clarification." The detective turned to some of the other officers as he approached the children, "Let's go ahead and get these students back to the main campus. They've been through a lot, we don't need to question them right away."

Edward groaned, "Right, the questioning..."

"Detective," Tsuyu made a few quick hops forward, "what about Mister Aizawa?"

The detective held up a phone in his hand as someone spoke through it, "The bones in his arms are splintered and he's got facial fracturing. Fortunately there doesn't seem to be any serious brain damage... But," Alphonse winced at the description they were being given, "his orbital floor has been almost completely destroyed. We have no way of knowing if his eyesight will be impaired once he's healed up."

The detective frowned slightly, "Well, you heard the man..."

"Ribbit..."

"Damn, his eyes...?" Edward grimaced, "That's gotta be rough for Aizawa..."

"Um, sir," Mina stepped forward, "what about Thirteen...?"

"There's no need to worry there." The detective offered a tiny smile, "Despite some pretty bad lacerations to the back, Thirteen is gonna pull through - good as new."

Alphonse let out a sigh, "That's a relief, if nothing else..."

"And All Might is also without any serious injuries. He's in the nurse's office right now - Recovery Girl's power should be all the treatment he needs."

"What about Deku?!" Ochaco clenched her fists, concern written all over her face.

Tenya nodded, "How's Midoriya?!"

"Midori- ah," the detective smiled slightly again as he grabbed the brim of his hat, "Recovery Girl is taking care of him as well. He's gonna be fine."

Ochaco placed a hand over her chest, "Oh, thank goodness...!"

Edward crossed his arms, "The guy just can't go a day without visiting the nurse, can he...?"

"Now, let's get you back to class. Sansa," he turned to another officer, "I still have some business in the nurse's office. I'll leave this to you, okay?"

A man with a cat's head turned and saluted him, "Yes, sir!"

"... Alphonse," Edward squinted as he glanced to the side, "do not-"

Alphonse's eyes were sparkling with his hands over his mouth, "But he's a kitty...!"

"He's a full-grown man is what he is...!"

"Aw," Ochaco smiled slightly from where she stood next to Tsuyu, "lookit his little bell!"

Alphonse turned to the two of them, "Right?!"

Eijiro turned to Bakugo, "C'mon, man, we're goin' back to class now."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard him, ya idiot." Bakugo started to walk towards the bus.

"Tsukauchi, sir!" Edward slowed down, glancing over as an officer approached the detective, "Someone thought to be involved in this attack was just apprehended in a wooded area nearby."

The detective frowned, turning to the officer fully, "Report."

"He has no apparent injuries and seems to be complying with officer commands, for now. He hasn't said a word, however - we're not sure if he can even speak..."

Edward frowned, glancing at Alphonse as he whispered, "Could he...?"

"He can't be..." Alphonse glanced back, "Right...?"

The older alchemist sighed, getting on the bus, "There's no way for us to know right now..."

Once everyone was loaded onto the bus, it started to make the drive back to the main school building to drop off the students.

Nana glanced up when the home phone started to ring, picking it up, "Hello?"

"Yes, is this the legal guardian of Edward and Alphonse Elric-Shimura?"

She frowned, switching the phone into her other hand, "This is their mother, yes - is something the matter?"

"I am Principal Nezu of U.A. - I would like to preface this by stating that your boys are overall unharmed, save for some damage to young Edward's prosthetic leg. However, we did have an incident where some Villains broke into a section of our campus that their class was in."

Nana's eyes widened, "What-?! Is everyone okay?!"

"Other than a student whose own Quirk injured himself and a handful of our teachers who were first to respond to the incident, there were no serious injures."

"Okay... Okay," Nana rubbed her face, pacing around the room, "that's a relief to hear... I'll be at the school soon to pick them up."

"Perfect! We will see you soon."

"Girls!" Nana set down the phone, "Put your shoes on, we have to pick up the boys from school!"

"Okay, Mom!"

Edward looked up when Nana walked in, smiling awkwardly, "Heyyy, Mom...!"

Nana sighed as she approached them, "You two just attract trouble, don't you?" She ruffled their heads, "You're lucky that I know you can handle yourselves, or I'd consider pulling you out!"

Alphonse laughed a little, "But we're okay...!"

"And thank goodness you are!" Nana rested her hands on her hips, "Although..."

Greed took over, shooting Edward a lopsided grin, "Winry's gonna beat yer..." She glanced at Eri and Nina, "Butt," she turned back to Edward, "when she sees what ya did to your leg."

"Hey, I didn't CHOOSE to break it!" Edward crossed his arms with a huff, "There was a Scar copycat...!"

"Hello, hello!" Nezu walked up, holding out a paw, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Missus Elric-Shimura."

Nana smiled slightly as she took back over, shaking his paw, "Actually, it's just Shimura; my boys simply wished to keep their birth mother's surname when I adopted them."

"Oho, is that right?" Nezu kept smiling, "My mistake!"

"You're quite alright, sir!" Nana stood upright.

He turned to the little girls, "And who might you two be?"

"Um..." The horned girl smoothed out her skirt before bowing, "I'm Eri."

"And I'm Nina!" The other little girl beamed, "My name is like Mom's!"

"Oho! Is that so?"

"Yeah, yeah! Her name is Nana!"

"Nana? My, what a wonderful name!"

"Excuse me?" Eri held up her little hands, "Are you a kitty...?"

"Oho! What could I be indeed?" He held up a paw, "I could be a cat, or perhaps a mouse, or perhaps even a bear! Regardless of what I am, who I am is U.A.'s very own Principal Nezu!"

Eri did a few tiny hops, "Okay...!"

Nezu folded his hands behind his back, looking up at Nana, "Missus Shimura, would you actually mind following me for a moment? There's something I would appreciate your assistance with!"

"Oh?" Nana blinked a few times, "Very well - Eri, Nina, you two stay with your brothers, okay?"

"Okay!"

Nana smiled, following the principal through the school halls.

Nezu hummed to himself, walking towards the nurse's office, "You know, Missus Shimura, I'm actually quite surprised by you!"

"And why is that, Principal Nezu?"

"I think you'll see in a moment!" Nezu opened the door to the nurse's office, "All Might, you're not sleeping are you? I brought a visitor for you!"

The boys' Hero Basic Training teacher? Nana smiled slightly, I suppose I'll have a chance to thank him personally for everything he did today.

"P-Principal Nezu!" The voice that responded was slightly panicked, "You know not just anyone can see me like this-!"

"Don't worry," the principal opened the door further and pulled Nana inside, "I believe she can keep a secret."

Nana froze, staring at the man laying in the bed - with the image of the young boy she passed One For All to in her head. She covered her mouth, "Toshinori...?!"

"Wait, THIS scrawny little thing is who you gave MY power to?!"

The man's eyebrows raised higher, "Master...?!"

Izuku stared dumbfounded from his nearby bed, "Dur???"

Nezu smiled as he grabbed the door, "Why don't I grab us some tea while you catch up? Be right back!"

"Toshinori, is it really you...?!" Nana moved to the side of his bed, "What happened to you? Why does no-one know you exist...?!"

"Never mind me, Master, how are you here...?!" He sat upright, wincing as he held his side, "I-I saw you die...!"

"Uh-!" Izuku waved his arms all over the place, "What's going on??? All Might??? Sir???" He pointed at Nana, "Who is this???"

"Ack, Midoriya-!" Toshinori coughed up a spurt of blood, "I totally forgot you were here!"

"Toshinori Yagi are you aggravating your recent injuries sitting up?!" Nana pushed his shoulders to make him lay down, "Let me get you some ice water-!"

"I-It's actually an old injury, Master-!"

"Why are you calling a woman who looks younger than you 'Master'?!"

"Okay, OKAY!" Nana held up both her hands, looking between the two of them, "I think... We should all slow down and get on the same page. Toshinori," she turned to him, "is it safe to assume that Midoriya is...?"

"Yes, Master..." Toshinori nodded slightly, "Young Midoriya is my successor, and the current wielder of One For All."

Izuku started to blink rapidly, "D-Does she know about One For All???"

"Young Midoriya, this here is Nana Shimura..." Toshinori turned to the young student, "My mentor, and the one who wielded One For All before me."

"DUR?!?!?!" Izuku's eyes bugged out as he looked between the two of them, "A-A-And you said earlier you thought she was DEAD?!"

"Which I'm still confused about...!" Toshinori pressed a hand to his forehead, "When I saw her I thought I was seeing things...!"

"There's... God, there's so much I need to catch you up on." Nana rubbed her face, "Where do I even begin...?"

Toshinori looked at her again, then promptly coughed another spout of blood, "Maybe with you remarrying?!"

Nana inhaled sharply through her nose, "That would be a good place to start, I suppose...! Don't freak out, alright?"

Toshinori sighed, "I'm not sure I can freak out any more than I am, Master...!"

"Oh, you'd be surprised..." Nana closed her eyes, Greed?

"Say no more, babe." Greed took over, opening her now dark purple eyes while shooting them the same lopsided grin they'd seen on Alphonse, "So YOU'RE the kid who Nana gave One For All to, eh?"  She poked Toshinori's shoulder, "Pretty scrawny, don't ya think?"

Izuku yelped, "A-Are you possessed...?!"

"Oi, don't be rude!" Greed stuck out her tongue, "The name's Greed Shimura the Avaricious. Nana willingly chose to share her bod with me after I died."

Toshinori shot upright, "So you're a ghost?!"

"No, a Homunculus, keep up."

The Pro was bewildered, "What the hell is a Homunculus?!"

Greed shrugged casually, "An artificial human made via alchemy."

Izuku blinked rapidly, "Isn't that the Quirk of the Elric-Shimuras???"

"It's more of a science, really." Greed sat at the foot of Toshinori's bed, "See, my old man - real bastard, we killed 'im a couple months ago - made me, killed me after I decided I wanted my own life, used me to try and off Nana so I'd get sole custody of her body, yada yada... But get this!" Greed grinned wide, "She ASKED me to take her body just ta save her squirts! Your friends," Greed turned to Izuku, "heard a lot about ya, by the by, lookin' forward to actually getting to know ya. Anyways! She took me on willingly which meant she didn't die when I got introduced, we started workin' together, she helped me get back the memories my old man tried to wipe, fast forward through flirting and junk and TADA!" Greed grinned while showing off the wedding rings, "Missus and Missus Shimura!"

Toshinori coughed up blood, "That's so much information!!!"

"Damn, that's not even everything that happened in the, what, two years Nana was gone?"

"Two-" Toshinori made a face, "she's been gone for nearly four decades!!!"

Greed picked her ear, "Yeah, we figured out time works weird between the two dimensions."

Izuku nearly jumped out of his bed, "YOU'RE FROM A DIFFERENT DIMENSION?!?!?!"

"Yep!" Greed grinned wide, "You're starin' at the strongest alien you're EVER gonna meet!" She leaned forward, "We killed the guy who swallowed God."

Toshinori's eyes went wide, "You killed GOD?!"

"Hey! Get your facts straight, I said the guy who SWALLOWED God. Big difference."

Izuku gripped his head, "All Might, I think I got hit in the head at some point...!"

Nana sighed as she took back control, then she gave Toshinori the same gentle smile he'd remembered from so long ago, "My wife didn't handle it as... Gently as I would've liked-"

"Hey!"

"- but why don't I go grab my kids and give you the full story of what happened to me?"

"M-Master, I realize they're your children, but we can't just trust anyone to see us like this-!"

"Then trust me, Toshinori. And besides," Nana smiled softly, "they already know the secret of One For All."

Toshinori coughed up blood, "They do?!"

"A-All Might-!"

Nana sighed as she patted Toshinori's shoulder, "Just sit tight, okay?"

The bedridden Hero sighed, wiping the corner of his mouth, "Very well, Master."

She smiled a little wider, quickly stepping outside and heading for the lobby again, "Alright, you four! Come with me."

Edward squinted, "Why?"

Nana chuckled softly, ruffling his head, "You'll see in a moment, my boy."

"Okay, Mom!" Nina got up, grabbing one of her hands while Eri grabbed the other.

Nana hummed as she lead them to the infirmary, "And here we are."

Alphonse blinked a few times, "The infirmary...?"

"What's so special about this...?" Edward pushed the door open, walking inside. He stopped just inside, slowly turning to Izuku before Toshinori, "... Who the hell are you?"

"E-Edward? Alphonse?" Izuku looked down as Nana shut the door after her kids, "Two little girls???"

"These two are Eri and Nina, my daughters."

"Master..." Toshinori coughed blood as he exclaimed, "Did you just adopt every kid you came across?!"

"Wait a minute... That voice!" Edward started to point at him as Nana let out a laugh, "All Might?! But you're so...! So...!"

Toshinori sighed, sitting upright, "Master - er, that is... Your mother - says that you already know the nature of her powers, yes?"

"Oh, is that why we were brought in?" Edward crossed his arms, raising a brow, "So you could tell us you gave Izuku One For All?"

Izuku screamed at that, "HOW DID YOU KNOW?!?!?!"

Alphonse smiled placatingly as he held up his hands, "We've had our suspicions for a little while now, but some of the things that happened today just confirmed them. In fairness to the two of you, though," Alphonse glanced between Toshinori and Izuku, "we only really connected the dots because we already knew about One For All from Mom!"

"Still! My goodness, are you boys sharp...!"

Edward grinned wide as he pulled up a chair, "You bet we are!"

"The reason I brought you in was so that everyone could be on the same page," Nana glanced between each of them, "it's important that we're transparent with each other. Now - I promised to share what happened while I was gone."

Toshinori and Izuku nodded, listening to the tale of Nana's adventures in Amestris with her children chipping in every now and again...

"What a story...!" Toshinori ran a hand over his hair after Nana finished recounting the tale, "And to think you were only gone a couple of years..."

Nana nodded, "We arrived here a few months ago, along with Winry Rockbell, Lan Fan, Ling Yao and Mei Chang. They know that I'm originally from here, but they don't know the full story of One For All - not like my children."

Edward nodded, "We thought that bit was for the best."

"Why didn't you come looking for me, Master? All this time, I thought..."

"I didn't know you were All Might." Nana glanced to the side, "When I tried searching for a Hero with your name, there weren't any records of 'Toshinori Yagi' - and while I had my suspicions that All Might was an inheritor of One For All, I couldn't be certain... And I couldn't take the risk of revealing something like that to a random stranger."

"I see..." Toshinori sighed, "I understand, Master. I'm just glad to see you alive...!"

"Now," Nana smiled slightly, "I have a request for the principal."

"Oho!" The door opened again as Nezu entered with a tray, "Then it would appear I returned at the perfect time with tea!"

"Ah, Principal Nezu." Nana stood up to give him a bow, "It's been brought to my attention that the school's nurse has some limitations when it comes to healing certain students."

"I-I'm sorry...!!!"

She gave him a gentle smile, "It's fine, Midoriya." Nana turned back to Nezu, "I'd like to offer my services as an additional nurse. My alkahestry may work differently from Recovery Girl's Quirk, but I can help with individuals that don't have the energy necessary for her Quirk."

"Interesting!" Nezu started to give everyone a cup of tea, "And you already know All Might's secret as well." He smiled as he held his own cup, "Very well then! I'll allow it!"

"Thank you, sir." Nana smiled before ruffling Edward's head, "I'll try not to embarrass the two of you too much."

Alphonse returned her smile, "I'm sure we'll live, Mom."

"Hm," Nana glanced down, "I'll need to find a babysitter for the girls..."

"Oh, no need for that!" Nezu waved a paw dismissively, "They look like fine young girls, the two of them can stay with you while you work."

Nana blinked while making a face, "Huh?" After a moment she smiled, giving him another bow, "Thank you very much then, Principal Nezu."

"You're quite welcome, Missus Shimura! We can work out the finer details tonight - you can call the school when you have the time at home."

"Understood, Principal Nezu. Kids?" Nana glanced over the four of them, "Let's get going - I'm sure the others are wondering where we are.:

Alphonse grinned mischievously as he leaned closer to Edward, "Get ready for the concussive wrench, Brother."

Edward was sweating nervously as he shoved Alphonse's face away from himself, "Sh-Shut up, Al...!"

Nana let out a booming laugh as she walked out of the infirmary with her kids.

Chapter Text

Two days later...

Nana opened the door to the nurse's office, dressed in her Hero costume, "Remember, girls, be respectful and mindful of the space, okay?"

"Okay Mom!" Nina ran inside, pulling Eri after her.

Recovery Girl turned her seat around, "Hello, dearies! Principal Nezu told me you and your mother would be joining me here." She hopped down, folding her hands behind her back as she gave them a smile, "Are you ready to be my assistants?"

Eri gave a quick nod, "Uhuh...!"

"Good girls!" Recovery Girl patted their heads before turning to Nana, "I will say, it'll be nice to have someone else around to help out with the rambunctious teenagers."

Nana returned the smile, "I look forward to being able to help you, Recovery Girl."

"Principal Nezu told me your name," the older Heroine climbed back into her chair, "and your connection to All Might."

"And he told me that you were one of the few who are in the know about All Might as well." Nana crossed her arms, still smiling, "It's reassuring to know he's got people to rely on here at the school."

Recovery Girl nodded, turning to her computer, "Have you chosen a Hero name you'd like to use?"

Nana smiled a little wider, "You can call me the Avaricious Hero Starbound."

"Avaricious, huh?" Recovery Girl glanced over her shoulder, "An interesting epithet."

"It was my wife's idea," Nana leaned against the counter, "I quite like it."

"Of course you do, it's badass!"

Nana smiled a little wider, Of course it is, Greed.

"You guys!"

Edward glanced over, squinting while muttering under his breath, "I'll never get used to the invisible girl..."

Toru, as the boys remembered her name, continued on, "Did you watch the news last night?"

Edward leaned back, folding his hands behind his head, "It was the only thing on the TV... I think."

"It was so cool that we got a few seconds of screen time!" The invisible girl slouched slightly, "Though I bet nobody noticed me hanging out in the background..."

Mezo stared directly at her, "Probably not."

Mashirao, the boy with the long tail, laughed nervously as he held up a finger, "It is difficult to stand out when you're just gloves..."

Alphonse leaned forward to give her a reassuring smile, "I'm sure plenty of people were paying enough attention to notice you!"

"Aw, thank you!"

Denki grinned as he glanced back at Eijiro, "We're totally big deals. Those news channels love us - we're basically celebrities!"

Eijiro nodded, "Yeah, it's kinda crazy, right?"

"Get over yourselves," Kyoka stopped twirling her ear jack, "the Hero course that pumps out Pros was attacked - that's what they care about."

Hanta leaned forward and folded his arms on his desk, "Who knows what would've happened to us if the teachers hadn't shown up."

"Why'd you have to say that?!" Mineta started to flail his limbs all over the place, "I'm gonna pee myself just thinking about it...!"

Edward shot him a glance, "Can you chill out...?! Geez, for someone in the Hero course you sure like to whine!"

"Oh, grow up!" Bakugo turned to shout at Mineta at the same time as Edward, "Grow a pair, loser!"

Edward grimaced, grumbling to himself, "Can't believe me and Bakugo are on the same page..."

Sato held up his fists, "Did you guys see All Might fighting the bird guy?" He threw a few punches, "That dude was super strong, and he STILL destroyed him!"

Alphonse nodded, "It really was something to see, yeah...!"

Fumikage, the boy with the bird-like head, closed his eyes as he nodded, "Indeed... His strength is truly a thing of wonder."

"Attention!" The clock ticked as Tenya ran to the front of the class, "Homeroom class is about to begin!" He held out his hands, "Everyone stop talking and take your seats!"

"Uh," Eijiro slowly raised a brow, "we're all sitting, bro."

Edward leaned forward to rest his cheek against his fist, "You're the only one still standing, Tenya."

The class representative sat down in his chair heavily, making a face as his arms trembled, "Dang it...!"

Ochaco beamed as she held up her hands, "Don't sweat it."

Alphonse nodded, "It was a nice thought, Tenya!"

"Hey, Tsu," Mina leaned her chair back as she spoke to Tsuyu, "so..." The frog-like girl had to hold up her chair so she didn't tip over, "Who do ya think's gonna teach class today?"

Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek, "No idea - Mister Aizawa's still in the hospital recovering from his injuries."

The door slid open at that moment, revealing Aizawa covered almost entirely in bandages with both of his arms in slings, "Morning, class."

The entire class erupted at that, "Mister Aizawa, what are you doing here?!"

"Whoa! What a Pro...!" Denki recoiled slightly, holding up a hand.

"Mister Aizawa!" Tenya's hand shot up, "I'm glad you're okay!"

Edward frowned as Aizawa shuffled towards the podium, "Wouldn't exactly call that okay..."

Alphonse watched the teacher with concern, "You should still be recovering, sir...!"

"My well-being is irrelevant." Aizawa turned to the class, and they noticed his voice sounded hoarser than usual, "What's more important is that your fight isn't over yet."

"Our fight?" Edward raised a brow, "The hell's THAT mean?"

Mineta trembled as he gripped his head, "Not more bad guys...!"

Aizawa stared ahead, "The U.A. Sports Festival is about to start."

Most of the students went through various levels of shock as they shouted out, "Why would you scare us like that?!"

"Hell yeah, the sports festival!" Eijiro clenched his fist as he grinned wide, "Let's go kick some ass-!"

"W-Wait a second!" Denki shoved Eijiro's face to make him quiet down.

Kyoka raised her hand, "Is it really such a good idea to hold the sports festival so soon after the Villains snuck inside?"

Mashirao nodded at that, "They could attack once we're all in the same place again..."

Alphonse leaned over to Edward, "What's a sports festival...?"

Edward gave his brother a helpless shrug.

"Apparently," Aizawa sighed, "the administration thinks this is a good way to show that the threat has been handled and our school is safer than ever." He bowed his head slightly, "Plus, they're beefing up security compared to past years." Aizawa stared at the students through his bandages again, "This event is a huge opportunity for all students at U.A. - it's not something we can cancel because of a few Villains."

"Opportunity...?" Edward raised a brow, "Opportunity for what...?"

Mineta held a hand to his face, "Uh, I'm sorry, but WHY can't we cancel? It's just a sports festival...!"

"Huh?" Izuku turned back to look at his classmate, "Mineta, don't you know how important this competition is?"

"Yeah!" Edward leaned in closer, "You tell 'im Izuku, say what we already know about why this is so important."

Alphonse sighed, "Brother-"

"Of course I know!" Mineta gripped his desk, "I just don't wanna get murdered...!"

Edward rolled his eyes as he leaned back, muttering to himself, "Oh please, Al and I used to be in more life-threatening scenarios in any given week...!"

Shoto glanced at Edward out of the corner of his eye, though it seemed that the other students hadn't caught what he had said.

Aizawa sighed again, "Our sports festival is one of the most-watched events in the entire world. In the past, everyone obsessed over the Olympic games - but then Quirks started appearing. Now, the Olympics have been drastically reduced in terms of scale and viewership. For anyone who cares about competition, there's only one tournament that matters... The U.A. Sports Festival."

"Oh," Alphonse nodded slightly, "so then it's just a public event...?"

"It's much more than that!" Momo nodded, "Top Heroes everywhere will be watching," she clenched her fist, "this is where you get scouted."

Mineta made a face at her, "Sure, unless you're dead...!"

Edward leaned on his desk, "So what, it's basically just a way to show off to actual Heroes?"

"Kinda, yeah!" Denki grinned, "After graduating, a lot of people join Pro Agencies as a sidekick - way easier to get in if those Pros know you've got the chops!"

Alphonse rubbed his chin, "I guess it makes sense that you can't just go straight from school to being your own Pro, huh...?"

"Yeah," Kyoka knocked her head to the side, "but that's as far as some people go. They miss their chance to go indie and stay eternal sidekicks. Actually..." She turned to Denki fully, "That's probably where you're headed - you're kinda dumb."

Denki groaned, narrowing his eyes at Kyoka after she said that.

"It's true that joining a famous Hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity," Aizawa nodded slightly, "that's why the festival matters. If you wanna go Pro one day, then this event could open the path for you. One chance a year... Three chances in a lifetime... No aspiring Hero can afford to miss this festival." He ran a critical eye over all of them, "That means you better not slack off on your training."

"Yes, sir!"

"Class is dismissed." Aizawa started to slowly shuffle towards the door before their next teacher would arrive.

Eijiro sat on his desk as Cementoss was leaving after his class, "That Villain stuff sucked, sure," he grinned as he clenched his fists, "but I'm pumped for these games!"

"We put on a good show," Hanta nudged Eijiro with his elbow, "and we're basically on the road to bein' Pros!"

"Yeah," Sato punched his palm, "this is why I'm even here in the first place."

"We get so few chances." Fumikage bowed his head as he closed his eyes, "We have to make the most of this."

Edward leaned over to Momo, "So what all does this sports festival entail, anyways?"

Momo turned to face him, "Have you not watched the U.A. Sports Festival in the past?"

Alphonse smiled wide, "We come from a pretty low-tech countryside, actually - not a lot of TVs back home, you know?"

"Ah! I see, then." Momo nodded slightly, "The exact games played for the sports festival change from year to year - they're decided randomly during the event itself."

"Huh..." Edward leaned back in his seat as he crossed his arms, "Guess that'd make it harder for someone to cheat, huh? Can't prepare if you don't know what to expect."

"Oh man, Ojiro," Toru seemed to be pumping her fists from the way her sleeves were moving, "I'm getting kinda nervous about the festival...! I have to come up with a way to get noticed!"

"U-Uh, sure..."

"Maybe with a cheer!"

Alphonse looked over with a smile, "Maybe a shinier costume would help?"

Yuga posed dramatically, sparkling as he seemed to be surrounded by roses and speaking before Toru could reply, "My, what's a boy to do? I stand out even when I'm standing still." He closed his eyes, "That means the scouts won't be able to take their eyes off me!" He leaned in closer to a quiet boy, Koda, "Don't you agree?"

Edward was making a face, "He's an Armstrong alright..."

Alphonse smiled awkwardly, "Yeah..."

Denki sighed as he sat on his desk, "You're so lucky, Shoji... People are bound to notice your unique Quirk."

"Sure," Mezo held up a hand, "but what matters is that I show them how useful I can be."

Kyoka smiled mischievously as she held a hand to her mouth while pointing at Denki, "No doubt you'll make a scene, too...!"

Edward raised a brow as Denki growled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kyoka grinned wider as she turned to the alchemist, "When Kaminari discharges his electricity, he gets this really dopey look on his face and can't even think!"

"That's an..." Edward grinned slightly as he raised an eyebrow, "Interesting equivalent exchange for your Quirk."

"This is gonna be nuts!" Izuku looked over his classmates, "Everyone's so excited...!"

"Well, yeah, of course we are!" Tenya stood up as he held out his hands to the side, "We enrolled at this school with the sole aim to become Heroes." He started to roll his fists, "So naturally, we're all getting fired up!"

"Wow, Iida." Tsuyu looked over, "Those are some interesting moves, ribbit."

Alphonse smiled a little, "It's like when a little kid is pretending to be a train...!"

Tenya leaned in closer to Izuku as he was chopping his hands, "You have to be excited, too! Right, Midoriya?"

"W-Well, yeah," Izuku clenched his fists, "of course I am...!" He looked up, "And also nervous..."

Edward walked over with a slightly uneven gait, patting Izuku on the back, "Eh, I'm sure you'll do juuust fine..." He grinned wide, "But I'm taking home the trophy!"

"Deku! Iida!"

They looked over at Ochaco, and Edward actually yelped at the menacing aura surrounding her.

"Let's do our best in the sports festival."

"U-U-Uraraka," Izuku held his hands in front of himself, "what happened to your face...?!"

"This aura...!" Edward held up a hand while taking a step back.

Alphonse nodded, "It's just like Teacher...!"

Mina popped up from behind the boys, "Seriously, what's up? You're normally, like, the most laid-back girl ever."

Mineta blushed, "PM-?"

Before he could finish that thought, Tsuyu smacked him with her tongue hard enough to knock his head into facing a different direction.

Ochaco spread her feet out as she raised up a fist, "Everyone! I'm gonna do my best!"

Alphonse smiled while giving a thumbs up, "That's great, Ochaco...! We're gonna give it our best shot too!"

While some of the others cheered their agreements, Ochaco whipped around to face the ones who didn't, "I said, I'm gonna do my best!"

They nervously voiced their agreements as well while Eijiro just gave her a concerned look, "Uh, you okay...? Ya kinda look like you're losin' it..."

"Hey, Uraraka?"

Edward glanced over while walking towards the cafeteria when Izuku spoke up.

Ochaco smiled, all semblance of the menacing aura gone, "What's up, Deku?"

"Why did you decide to come to U.A.?" Izuku knocked his head to the side, "What made you wanna be a Pro Hero?"

"Oh...!" Ochaco gasped slightly, "Well... Because..." She played with her hands awkwardly, "They have a really good pay...?"

"Uh-" Izuku blinked a few times, "for the money? You wanna be a Hero so you can get rich?"

"If we're cutting to the chase," Ochaco was rubbing the back of her head quickly, "then, yeah." She started to wave a hand in front of herself, "I'm sorry if it sounds greedy!" She held her hands to her cheeks, "You and Iida have such admirable motivations, and I'm sure Ed and Al do too - I hope you guys don't think less of me now...!"

Tenya spread out his hands, "Not at all!" He raised his hands upward, "Your goal is to support your wellbeing," he lowered them again to hold them towards Ochaco, "which is a perfectly admirable ambition to have!"

"And besides," Edward folded his hands behind his head, "our mom would probably say somethin' like 'greed isn't always a bad thing' - it's how ya go about it that makes it good or bad."

"Mhm," Izuku nodded firmly, "it's just kinda surprising is all."

"Well, you see," Ochaco sighed, "my family owns a construction company," she started to mess with her hair, "but we haven't gotten any work lately, so we're flat broke..."

Alphonse gasped slightly at that, "Oh no...!"

"Anyway, this isn't really something I usually tell other people, but..."

Tenya brought a hand to his chin, "Construction, eh?"

Izuku did the same thing, then gasped slightly, "If she got licensed, I bet she could use her Quirk to bring costs down a lot!"

Tenya beamed while holding up a finger, "And they could sell their heavy-lifting equipment!"

Edward grinned as he snapped his fingers, "She could float everything!"

"I know, right?!" Ochaco hopped in place as she pointed at them, "I've been telling Dad that since I was a kid!" She glanced to the side as she slouched slightly, "But..." She gripped her skirt, a determined look on her face again, "I'm gonna become a Pro. I'll sign with a good agency and make plenty of money - then I'll be able to let my parents have an easy life!"

"That's beautiful!" Tenya started to clap his hands over his head enthusiastically, "So noble! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"

Edward grinned, giving her a thumbs up, "If anybody can reach for the stars, it'd be the girl with Zero Gravity!"

"Yeah!" Alphonse smiled wide, "We believe in you, Ochaco!"

Suddenly, they could hear the booming laughter of All Might as he quickly approached, "Young Midoriya," he pointed at the green-haired boy as all the students stared in shock, "is here!"

"W-Whoa, All Might!" Izuku's eyes widened, "What are you doing here?"

"Lunch!" He held up a tiny box held in some blue bunny-patterned fabric, "Ya wanna eat with me?"

Ochaco had to quickly look away as she let out a laugh, "That's adorable!!!"

All Might continued to grin, "Whaddaya say?"

Alphonse smiled at Izuku, "We can catch up later if you like?"

Tenya smiled at him as well and gave him a nod, "Indeed, Midoriya!"

Ochaco tapped her chin as she got into the lunch line with Tenya and the brothers after splitting up with Izuku, "I wonder what he wanted with Deku..."

Tenya chopped one hand while he held the other one up with the palm facing himself, "I heard that when All Might was attacked by the Villains during the USJ incident, Midoriya leapt in to try and save him. Perhaps that's what this is about."

"Oh, yeah!" Ochaco hit her palm with her fist like a gavel.

"Also," Tenya quickly chopped his hands towards Ochaco, "remember what Asui said on the bus?" Tenya lowered one hand while bringing the other to his chest, "Since Midoriya's Quirk is so similar to his own, it's possible that All Might's taken a liking to him. How lucky for him!"

"Yeah," Edward shot Alphonse a knowing glance, "that's probably it."

From his spot a little further ahead of them in the line, Shoto glanced back at the two of them as he overheard their conversation - and catching the knowing glance that Tenya and Ochaco missed.

"Say, Edward..." Tenya chopped his hands towards the alchemist, "Is something the matter with your leg? You've been walking with an irregular rhythm all day."

Edward huffed, "It's this damn temp leg...!" He rolled up his pant leg to show off the lower-tech prosthetic, "It's gonna be a couple days until my mechanic can get me some proper automail, so until then I've gotta put up with this." Edward let out a sigh as he rolled his pant leg back down, "At least I didn't wreck my port this time..."

Alphonse grinned mischievously, "You still got smacked by Winry's wrench though, Brother."

"It's not funny, Al!" Edward waved a fist, "You try gettin' hit in the head by a flyin' wrench!!!"

The others laughed as they went to grab their food.

Chapter Text

"Um..." Alphonse tried to peer out of the classroom's door at the end of the day, "What's going on here?"

"Yeah..." Ochaco pointed at the huge crowd of students waiting just beyond the doors, "Why the heck are you all here...?!"

Tenya quickly lifted a hand, "Do you students have some sort of business with our class?"

Edward tapped his foot impatiently, "Some of us have got places to be...!"

"Why are you blocking our doorway?" Mineta waved a fist, "I won't let you hold us hostage!"

"They're scouting out the competition, idiots." Bakugo walked past his classmates as he stared at the other students apathetically while Mineta just trembled and pointed at him, "We're the class that survived a real Villain attack."

Izuku nervously held up a hand as he whispered, "Let's just hope he doesn't explode anybody..."

"They wanna see us with their own eyes." Bakugo stopped in front of the students, who took a step back as he stared them down, "At least now you know what a future Pro looks like."

Edward rolled his eyes while muttering, "Pro jerk, maybe..."

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at the students outside, "Now move it, extras."

Tenya started to chop his arm rapidly at Bakugo, "You can't walk around calling people 'extras' just because you don't know who they are!"

Alphonse crossed his arms, "Yeah, it's very rude and disrespectful!"

"So this is Class 1-A... I heard you guys were impressive," a tired-looking kid with purple hair walked his way to the front of the crowd, "but you just sound like an ass. Is everyone in the Hero Course delusional, or just you? How sad to come here and find a bunch of egomaniacs."

Edward piped up while some of the other students behind a now-growling Bakugo quickly shook their heads, "Oi, it's just him!"

The tired-looking kid rubbed the back of his neck, "I wanted to be in the Hero Course, but like many others here, I was forced to choose a different track... Such is life. I didn't cut it the first time around - but I have another chance." He stared Bakugo directly in the eye, "If any of us do well in the sports festival, the teachers can decide to transfer us to the Hero Course... And they'll have to transfer people out to make room."

Alphonse blinked, leaning in closer to Izuku to whisper, "Wait, they can do that...?"

"Scouting the competition?" The student looked over the rest of the classroom, "Maybe some of my peers are, but I'm here to let you know that, if you don't bring your very best, I'll steal your spot right from under you... Consider this a declaration of war."

"Hey!" Edward stomped forward, "Who the hell do you think you are, threatening us like that?!"

"Hey, you!" They looked over as a boy with silvery hair and sharp teeth marched over, "I'm from Class 1-B next door to you!" He clenched a fist, "We heard you fought some Villains, and I came to see if that was true - but you're just a buncha brats who think you're better than us, aren't you?!"

"Again, that is NOT our view," Edward started to wave his hands before pointing both of them at Bakugo, "that's JUST this asshole!"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at Edward, "Shut it, you bastard."

"Talk all ya want!" The kid with silver hair pointed at Bakugo, "It'll just be more embarrassing when you're KO'd!"

Bakugo rolled his eyes, shoving past the students as he walked away from the 1-B student.

"DON'T YOU IGNORE ME!!!"

Eijiro ran up to the door and called after Bakugo, "Dude, where are you going? You gotta say something - it's your fault they're all hating on us, Bakugo!"

"These people don't matter," Bakugo glanced over his shoulder, "the only thing that's important is that I beat them."

"I cannot emphasize enough," Edward made an 'x' with his arms, "that he does NOT reflect our opinions!"

Eijiro clenched his fist, "I hate that that was such a manly exit...!"

Denki looked at him, "Huh?"

Alphonse sighed as he dragged his hands down his face, "I just want one easy day, is that so much to ask for? Just one day where my classmates don't cause problems...! Why can't the drama ever just be convincing Mom to let me adopt the stray cats I see...?"

Sato rubbed his chin as he turned to Eijiro, "You said it, Kirishima."

"Huh?!" Denki rounded on him this time.

"We have to beat them," Fumikage closed his eyes as he bowed his head slightly, "he wasn't wrong."

"Yeah, sure, but this sucks!" Denki held up his hands, "He made us everyone's enemies!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Mineta waved his tiny fists, "All these dumb students will be gunning for us in the festival now-!"

"OI, Grape-Boy!" Edward smacked his shoulder, "Callin' them dumb to their faces ain't gonna help our case!!!"

"Heya, everybody!"

Edward made a face, "Oh god, THIS idiot-"

Mineta pointed at him wildly, "What did you just tell me not to do?!"

"I know this one, so I'm allowed to say that!"

Ling smiled jovially as the students turned to face him, "There's still two weeks until the festival, you all have plenty of time to scope them out!" He folded his hands behind his head, "But you'll only have so much time to train hard enough to beat 'em!"

"Hey, you're supposed to be my friend!" Edward waved his fists at Ling, "Who's side are you on?!"

"I'd be a bad class rep," Ling rested an elbow on the purple-haired kid's shoulder, "if I didn't stick with my fellow classmates!"

"Wh-" Edward pointed at him, "they made YOU class rep?!"

"Yep! Well, seeya around, Ed!"

Edward sighed as the students outside the classroom finally started to disperse, slinging his bag over his shoulder, "C'mon, Al - I wanna get some training done today."

"Coming, Brother!" Alphonse grabbed his own bag, then walked down the hallway with Edward.

"Elric-Shimuras."

Edward paused, turning around and squinting at Shoto, "Whaddaya want?"

The dual-toned boy's expression was as neutral as always, "To speak in private."

The older alchemist's eyes narrowed further, "Why? Do you want something?"

"There's a matter I want to discuss with you two."

The brothers traded a glance before Alphonse turned to Shoto fully, giving him a nod, "Alright then..."

"Good." Shoto turned around, leading the way to a deserted hallway.

Edward crossed his arms while leaning against the wall, watching Shoto closely and preparing himself mentally for a fight, "Now - what's so urgent?"

Shoto made direct eye-contact with him, "Are you two spies?"

Alphonse blinked a few times, taken aback by the suddenness of the question, "Spies...?"

Edward raised a brow, "But U.A. isn't military - it isn't even government. Why would spies come here?"

"U.A. is internationally famous for how many successful Heroes have graduated from here."

"So... What," Edward frowned as he started to think it over, "you thought we came here to steal school success secrets?"

Alphonse crossed his arms, "I suppose U.A. is pretty guarded..."

"Not just that," Shoto glanced between the two of them, "taking U.A. down would severely damage public views of Heroes as a whole. If the school famously known not only for training them but also being fully staffed by them was taken down from the inside, people would start to doubt the abilities of Heroes altogether."

"A political anti-Hero approach..." Edward's frown deepened, "Alright, I see your point."

"From what I've been able to gather, the two of you only just moved here, right before the school year started - the same year that All Might started teaching here, and the same moment where the Villains attacked the school. During the USJ incident, the two of you were directly involved in the fighting against the guys in charge of the whole operation - and yet the only 'injury' either of you sustained was some damage to a prosthetic leg."

Alphonse held a hand to his chest, thinking about how it was only thanks to Aizawa that he didn't get hurt when saving Tsuyu...

Shoto folded his arms over his chest, "Then there's the fact you two seem to know something about Midoriya and All Might."

"What, that they both have super-powerful Quirks and that All Might's giving the bone-breaker some pointers?" Edward rolled his eyes, turning his head to the side, "Anybody in our class would be able to tell ya that, Peppermint!"

"... Peppermint."

"Yeah," Edward pointed at the top of Shoto's head, "because of the hair. Duh."

"Hm. What I was saying," Shoto's eyes darted between them, "is that you two know more than you're letting on."

Edward crossed his arms again, narrowing his eyes at Shoto, "I dunno what you mean."

"But we're not spies, Shoto - honest." Alphonse held up his hands, "We just want to learn to be Heroes, like you and everyone else in our class."

Shoto stared at the two of them for a long moment, and Edward was just waiting for a punch to be thrown... Only for Shoto to calmly walk past them, "Alright then."

"Hold up," Edward squinted as Shoto kept walking past, "is that it?"

"I believe that you two aren't spies." He glanced over his shoulder at them with his electric-blue eye, "But I still think there's something you're hiding from everyone."

Edward huffed, pointing at Shoto as he spoke, "Listen here, Peppermint - if you don't trust us, fine. But don't you go around thinkin' we'll let anything happen to this place! We're aiming for the top, you hear me?" He crossed his arms, lifting up his chin, "So we're here to stay, and so's this school!"

"Hm," Shoto turned away from them, "alright then."

Alphonse watched as Shoto walked off, sighing softly, "Well, that was... Unexpected."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Al." Edward patted him on the shoulder as he started walking, "We could've taken him in a fight."

"Brother," Alphonse rolled his eyes as he followed after Edward, "saying things like that would only reinforce thoughts like Shoto's..."

"Oh, quit your Worrying! We aren't actually guilty of anything," the older of the two folded his hands behind his head, "so we don't have anything to worry about."

Alphonse sighed again, "I suppose you're right, Brother."

The door to the infirmary opened up, and Thirteen stepped inside with a tiny wave, "Hello?"

"Hi!" Nina looked up from the large paper she and Eri were drawing on to smile at the space-themed Heroine.

"And who might you two be?" Thirteen rested her hands on her knees to be closer to the girls' height.

"I'm Nina! This is my sister Eri!"

"U-Um... Hello..."

"I'm the Space Hero Thirteen!" She reached into a pocket on her puffy jacket, pulling out a small sheet, "Would you two like some stickers?"

Eri perked up at that, "Do you have a kitty sticker...?"

The eyes on Thirteen's helmet squinted happily as she peeled off a sticker of a cat wearing an astronaut's helmet, pressing it against Eri's shirt, "I sure do!"

Nina bounced as Eri clapped her hands, "I want one too!!! Do you have one with a dog?!"

Thirteen laughed, giving her a sticker of a dog on a spacewalk, "Here you go!"

"Yay!"

"Oh, hello!" Nana walked out from the back, setting down a piece of equipment, "Sorry, Recovery Girl's stepped out to get herself some lunch. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ah, Recovery Girl just wanted me to stop by for a moment - I can wait," Thirteen held out her hand, "I don't believe we've met."

"I'm the Avaricious Hero Starbound, Recovery Girl's new assistant nurse." Nana smiled as she took the other Heroine's hand, "But you can call me Nana Shimura."

"I am the Space Hero Thirteen," she opened up her helmet to reveal hazel eyes as well as navy blue and blonde hair, "but you can also call me Anan Kurose if you like."

"Oh! You were one of the teachers present for the incident!" Nana took a step back to give her a deep bow, "I must thank you - my sons are students in Class 1-A. I shudder to think of what might've happened to them and their class if it wasn't for your hard work..."

Anan smiled, giving her a small bow in return, "I appreciate your gratitude, but it's unnecessary, Shimura. What sort of Hero would I be if I didn't do everything I could to save them?"

"Still," Nana stood upright with a smile, "I owe you a debt of gratitude as a mother. If you ever need anything, anything at all-"

Anan laughed gently, patting Nana's shoulder and having to stand on the tips of her shoes to do so, "I'll keep you in mind, Shimura. Deal?"

Nana laughed lightly as well, "Deal."

Chapter Text

Two weeks later...

"Aw man..." Mina tugged on her P.E. uniform, "I was totally hoping I could wear my costume...!"

Mashirao smiled as he was stretching out his arm, "At least everyone'll be in uniforms."

"It's probably why we can't wear our costumes," Alphonse started stretching his legs, "they don't want us having any unfair advantages over the students who aren't in the Hero Course."

Sato's clenched hands were trembling ever-so-slightly on the table, "I wonder what they'll have in store for us in the first round..."

"No matter what they've prepared," Fumikage crossed his arms as he spoke, "we must persevere."

Tenya slid the door open, "Everyone, get your game faces on! We're entering the arena soon!"

Edward grinned wide, "About damn time!"

"Swallow your fear, swallow your fear, swallow your fear...!" Mineta rolled his hands together quickly before miming swallowing something.

"Midoriya."

Edward glanced over as Shoto approached Izuku, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Hey, Todoroki," Izuku turned to face Shoto, "what's up...?"

Shoto continued to stare at him with a neutral expression, "From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that I'm stronger than you."

"Uh-!" Izuku recoiled slightly, then gave a small nod, "Um, yeah..."

"However," Shoto bowed his head slightly, "you've got All Might in your corner, helping you out."

Alphonse shifted in place, glancing between the two of them.

"I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two..." Shoto met Izuku's eyes once more, "But know that I will beat you."

Edward cracked the knuckles on his good hand as he muttered to himself, "What's with this class and rivalries...?"

"Whoa, guys..." Denki turned in his seat to face Shoto and Izuku, "What's with all the declarations of war lately?"

"Yeah," Eijiro walked over as he reached out a hand, "what's the big deal?" He placed it on Shoto's right shoulder, "Why are you pickin' a fight all of a sudden? And right before we get started-"

Shoto shoved Eijiro's hand off of his shoulder, "We're not here to be each other's friends." He started to walk towards the door, passing Edward as he did, "Don't forget - this isn't a team effort."

Alphonse started to walk towards his friend, "Izuku, are you alright-?"

"Wait a sec, Todoroki..." Shoto slowed to a stop as Izuku spoke, "I don't know what's going through your head, or why you think you'd need to tell me that you'll beat me... And yeah, of course you're better than me - in fact, you probably have way more potential than ANYONE in the Hero Course. That's why you got in so easily."

Edward crossed his arms, leaning on one foot, "Oi, Izuku, you're plenty good enough to be where you are right now."

"Yeah, Midoriya, maybe you're being a little too hard on yourself," Eijiro held up his hands while smiling nervously, "and us too."

"No, he's right, you guys." Izuku clenched his fists, "All the other courses - they're coming for us with everything they've got. We're all gonna have to fight to stand out." He finally looked back up to stare Shoto in the eyes as the dual-toned boy turned back to face him, "And I'LL be aiming for the top, too."

Shoto stared at him for a moment, "... Fine."

Alphonse smiled lightly, resting a hand on Izuku's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze, "I believe in you, Izuku."

Izuku turned to him, smiling a little, "Alphonse...!"

"Hey-o! Make some noise, all you rabid sports fans! Get those cameras prepped, media hordes!"

The students all glanced up at the sound of Present Mic's voice over the stadium's speakers.

"This year, we're bringing you some of the HOTTEST performances in sports festival history, guaranteed! I've only got one question before we start this show: are you ready?!"

"That's our cue!" Tenya was chopping his arms as he motioned down the hallway outside of the prep room they were in, "Alright everyone, move in a calm and orderly fashion towards the main arena!"

"Let me hear you SCREAM as our students make their way to the main stage!"

The students could hear the crowds in the stadium cheering as fireworks were set off in the sky above them.

"Let's kick off another U.A. Sports Festival, where up-and-coming Heroes leave everything on the field as they fight for the chance to achieve worldwide fame and celebrity! This first group are no strangers to the spotlight! You know them for withstanding a Villain attack - they're the dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid-gold skills! Iiit's the Hero Course students of Class 1-A!"

"Wow...!" Alphonse shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked over the packed stadium, "Look at all these people!"

Izuku was looking around nervously, "I-I wasn't expecting there to be so many...!"

"I hope we're still able to give our best performances," Tenya started to look around as well, "even though all these eyes are watching us. I suppose it's just another aspect of being a Hero we all have to get used to."

"Besides," Edward folded his hands behind his head casually, "if they weren't here in person they'd probably be tuned in on their TVs. Though I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever seen this many people in one place before...!"

"Present Mic sure did talk us up a lot... Kinda makes me nervous." Eijiro glanced around the crowd, then turned to Bakugo in front of him, "How you feelin', man?"

Bakugo lifted his head to show an almost malicious grin, "I'm not worried. Makes me wanna win this thing even more."

Edward shot him a side-glance, muttering under his breath, "Might wanna wipe that look off of your face before a camera catches it - and cracks."

"Brother!" Alphonse lightly slapped Edward's shoulder as he scolded his brother.

"They haven't been getting nearly as much screentime, but this next group is still chock-full of talent!" Present Mic continued on as another group of students emerged from a different entrance, "Welcome, Hero Course Class 1-B!"

Alphonse smiled, waving to Mei as she walked onto the green.

"Next up, general studies classes C, D, and E!"

Alphonse made a face, "Huh?"

"Support classes F, G, and H!"

"Are the other classes not getting a special announcement...?" Alphonse turned to his brother, "I don't really think that's gonna help everyone's opinion of our class..."

Edward leaned forward to look past Alphonse, a look of shock overtaking his face, "I'm more concerned by what Winry's lugging around...!"

Alphonse looked over as well, his face going pale as he grabbed his brother's arm, "She's done it, Brother...!"

Izuku glanced over, only for his eyes to bug out, "Is she lugging around a mech suit...?!"

"And finally, the business classes I, J, and K! Give it up for all of U.A.'s first-year contestants!"

"We gotta focus!" Edward slapped his cheeks lightly, "And try to stay outta Winry's way...!"

"Now, the introductory speech!"

Alphonse looked up at the stage that all of the students were walking towards, "Oh, it's Miss Midnight!"

"Uh, someone should talk to Miss Midnight about what she's wearing..." Eijiro averted his gaze.

Edward crossed his arms, "Yeah, it isn't exactly protective in a fight..."

Denki turned to him, "That's your concern with it?"

"What?" Edward raised a brow, "What should I be concerned about?"

Fumikage just sighed, "If that apparel is really appropriate for a high school game, perhaps...?"

Mineta just gave an emphatic thumbs up.

"Silence, everyone!" Midnight called out to the crowd, "And for the student pledge, we have Edward Elric-Shimura!"

"Eh?" Edward blinked a few times, looking around quickly before pointing at himself, "Wait, me? Huh???"

"You have been chosen!" Tenya started to push Edward towards the stage as he chopped his free hand, "You shouldn't keep everyone waiting, Edward!"

"W-Wait!" The alchemist looked around quickly, whispering fiercely so the microphone wouldn't pick it up, "What am I even supposed to say...?!"

"Whatever you feel is appropriate, dear." Midnight offered a smile, "Just don't go too long, okay?"

"Uh..." Edward glanced over the crowd, taking a deep breath as he tried to put his thoughts together, "... There's no such thing as a painless lesson, they just don't exist. Sacrifices are necessary - you can't gain anything without losing something first. Although... If you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you'll find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle."

"Bravo!" Tenya started to clap his hands over his head, prompting the other students to do the same, "Bravo, Edward!!!"

One of the students from another class leaned over to whisper to their classmate, "I guess not everybody in 1-A is an arrogant jerk..."

"Thank you, Elric-Shimura! That was a beautiful message." Midnight smiled as Edward stepped off the stage to rejoin his class, "Without further ado, it's time for us to get started!"

Ochaco pursed her lips as the teacher went on, "U.A. really doesn't believe in letting us catch a breath, huh...?"

"This is where you begin feeling the pain, the first fateful game of the festival! What could it be?" Midnight swung her arm upwards as a holographic screen popped up, a list of words rolling too quickly to be read on it before stopping, "Tada!"

Edward frowned slightly, "Obstacle course, huh...?" He grinned, punching his palm, "Shouldn't be too hard...!"

"All 11 classes will participate in this treacherous contest - the track is four kilometers around the outside of the stadium. I don't wanna restrain anyone," Midnight flicked her whip upwards, "at least in this game. As long as you don't leave the course," she held a hand out towards the students, "you're free to do whatever your heart desires! Now then - take your places, contestants!"

As the students gathered in front of the red gate that marked the starting point, Edward narrowed his eyes as he cracked his knuckles again, "It's too narrow for everyone to fit through..."

Alphonse nodded as he crossed his arms, "We'll need to move quickly if we don't want to get stuck, Brother..."

The green lights at the top of the gate started to dim one by one, and when the last of them went dart Midnight flicked her whip again, "Begin!"

While the rest of the students started to run, they heard the roar of an engine and what the brothers could only describe as a terrifyingly familiar maniacal laugh as Winry suddenly shot in front of them all, the metallic suit she'd been lugging around suddenly resembling a miniature car that swerved around students and shot clear of the entryway. Hovering after the car and attached to it by a cable was another girl with pink dreadlocks, who was covered in equipment and also laughing like a madwoman.

Edward made a face as he started shoving his way through the long hallway, "When did she MAKE that...?!"

"We can worry about that later, Brother...!"

They heard Present Mic's voice over the stadium speakers again, "And we're off to a racing start! How 'bout some color commentary, Mummy Man?"

They heard Aizawa's tired voice reply, "How did you talk me into this?"

"What should we be paying attention to in the early stages of the race?"

"The doorway."

"Ack-!" Alphonse stumbled when his feet suddenly refused to budge, looking down and seeing a layer of ice encasing everyone's feet, "What the..?!"

"Ow, no fair!"

"S-So cold...!"

"Shoto!" Edward growled when his two-toned classmate kept running past the students frozen where they stood, clapping his hands, "C'mon Al, we can't let him beat us!"

"Right, Brother!" Alphonse clapped his hands together, and the two of them pressed their palms against the ice on their feet at the same time.

The ice coating the two deconstructed, leaving them free to continue running after Shoto while most of the others were stuck behind. Then, not long after the two of them, some of the other students of 1-A freed themselves from the ice and launched over the still-frozen students.

Momo shot a long pole out of her palm to lift herself into the air before she flung herself forward, "Nice trick, Todoroki!"

Bakugo glared as he rocketed forward with the explosions from his palms, "I won't let you get away so easily! You icy-hot bastard!!!"

Mashirao grinned as he leapt into the air with his tail, narrowly dodging another wave of ice, "You froze me in place once before - it WON'T happen again!"

Edward grinned, "Ha! Looks like most of the class managed to avoid Peppermint's attack...!"

Alphonse glanced back, frowning slightly when he saw the purple-haired kid from before being carried across the ice by some blank-faced students.

"Gah...!" Edward started to slip and slide across the ice covering the whole pathway, waving his arms to keep himself upright.

"Brother, we need traction!" Alphonse clapped his hands before tapping his shoes one at a time, transmuting tiny spikes into the bottom of each one.

Edward grinned, doing the same, "Great thinking, Al!"

Mineta laughed as he threw down some of his hairballs and bounced off of them, pointing at Shoto, "You think you're so cool, but I've outsmarted you! HA! How pathetic, Todoroki! Eat this - my special attack!" He pulled off another hairball, preparing to throw it - only for one of the robots from the entrance exam to jump at him, smacking him with a large limb.

The machine whirred as several others joined it, "Targets acquired. Terminate them!"

"Gah, these things again...?!" Edward glanced past them, "Hold up, why are there parts of them strewn on the-?" He cut himself off, making a face, "Winry and her insane creation...!"

"Ooh! Enemies have shown up out of nowhere! I bet we're in for a treat here! A test of strength and cunning! It's a Robo Inferno!"

Edward glanced up when he heard more laughter from up ahead, "Winry?" He recoiled at the looming figures standing before the mechanic, "And a whole bunch of those giant guys?!"

The automail mechanic in question was laughing as she stood in her creation before the giant robots.

Denki recoiled at the sight of the machines, "Are those the zero-point Villains from the practical test?!"

"Witness my baby in action!!!" Winry pulled a lever, causing a pair of cannons to emerge from the back of her miniature vehicle, "Mei, do the thing!"

"With pleasure!" The other girl grabbed the controls for the cannons, pointing them at one of the giant machine's legs and firing. A beam of energy fired from each one, cutting clean through the leg and causing the giant machine to topple away from the others.

"Let's move!" Winry climbed back into the vehicle, laughing as she darted past the giant machines before they could move to re-block the path.

Edward stared in horror before slowly turning to Alphonse, "She has too much power now...!"

"She does, Brother...!"

Shoto stared up at the remaining giants as they moved to block the path, "So this is what the other students faced in their entrance exams."

"Where'd the school even get the funding for these things?" Momo scanned the towering machines as she started to open up the bottom of her shirt.

"They obviously went through a lot of trouble," Shoto took a step forward as ice started to form on the ground and his right hand started to get covered in frost, "but I wish they'd prepared something a little more difficult."

Edward whipped his head around to Shoto as the two-toned boy pressed his hand against the ground, "I'm sorry, MORE difficult?!"

Large chunks of ice emerged from the ground as the robot reached for Shoto while he spoke, a slight hint of animosity in his voice, "Especially since my dear-old dad is watching." He swung his arm upwards, and a gust of cold air swept over the other students.

Alphonse shielded his face, then gasped when he pulled his hand away, "The thing's completely frozen over!"

"We can get through between their legs!" Some of the students started to run after Shoto, "C'mon!"

"Careful now," Shoto looked over his shoulder as he passed the robots, "I froze them while they were off their balance..." He looked ahead as one of them started to topple over, "On purpose."

"Gah-!" Edward clapped his hands and pressed them to the ground, "Get down!"

As the giant robots started to collapse into various frozen pieces, a series of stone hands shot out of the ground and caught the larger pieces before they could fall on the other students around them.

"That's Todoroki from Class 1-A pulling ahead of the others with a devastating display, but will he be able to catch up with Rockbell and Hatsume of Class 1-H from their point in the lead?! Either way, it's amazing! He's the one we should watch, it almost seems unfair! Thoughts?!"

Edward waved away the dust when Aizawa's reply came, "His attack was both offensive and defensive."

"No wonder he was let in on recommendations! He'd never even fought those Robo Infernos before, but they didn't stand a chance against his chart-topping moves!"

Edward took a stance as the remaining robots drew closer to the students, "We can't deal with a prolonged fight if we wanna get anywhere...!"

"The first-year students are already off to one rockin' start! And it's only the first round! Talk about a cruel obstacle course! Our players are racing against each other in a vicious battle where anything goes so long as they stay on the track!"

"Watch it."

"We'll continue to bring you live updates and pulse-pounding action thanks to the camera robots placed around the course!"

"Why do you need me here?"

"The stakes are high! We've got a whole school of top-notch students trying to be Heroes, but do they really stand a chance against our heavy-metal swarm of Robo Infernos?!"

"Hey!" Another student pointed to the biggest piece of the frozen robot that was decently far from the crowd of students, "There's someone trapped under that robot!"

"What-?!" Alphonse clapped his hands, about to start running over.

"Do you think we should try and help 'em?"

"Are people SERIOUSLY gonna die here...?!"

The metal at the top of the machine started to break apart, then suddenly Eijiro burst out, "I'M ALIVE!"

"Kirishima from Class 1-A! What a hardcore debut for this rookie!"

Alphonse sighed in relief, "His durability must've saved him...!" He cupped his hands around his mouth, "Eijiro! You okay up there?!"

"Yeah, but it's no thanks to Todoroki!" He glared in the direction Shoto went, "I can't believe you pulled something like that! Jeez - anyone but me woulda been killed!"

"Class 1-A really IS full a' jerks!" Part of the robot next to Eijiro suddenly erupted as the boy from Class 1-B - now fully covered in reflective metal - emerged, "I'll smash that ice guy when I get my hands on him!"

"Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B was also stuck underneath! What are the odds?!"

Tetsutetsu glared in the direction Shoto went, "I can't believe you pulled something like that! Jeez - anyone but me woulda been killed!"

Edward blinked a few times, "Eh?"

Alphonse was making his usual confused face, "Huh?"

Eijiro started to run across the downed robot, "Our Quirks are basically the same! How am I supposed to stand out now?!"

"You damn copycat!" Tetsutetsu was running in the same direction as he gritted his teeth.

"Man, how lucky are they...?!" Denki ran a hand through his hair, "They don't have to worry about being crushed or anything!"

Another student held out his hand before it was covered in green scales, "We're racing each other, but we can team up for now. Let's carve a path!"

Edward turned at the sound of explosions, frowning as he saw Bakugo launching himself into the air, "That damn bastard...!"

"Class 1-A's Bakugo is rocketing over the obstacles! Clever!"

Alphonse watched as Hanta and Fumikage used their Quirks to join Bakugo on top of one of the giant machines before he clapped his hands, "Ready, Brother?"

"Ready!"

The younger alchemist nodded, pressing his hands against the ground and launching the two of them into the air with a stone pillar.

Edward grinned as they started to descend onto the head of one of the giant machines, clapping his hands and pressing them against the green metal as they landed.

They heard Present Mic as alchemical energy surged through the robot, "Wow! Elric-Shimura just used his Quirk on that Robo Inferno! ... What did he do, Eraser?!"

"Ha!" Edward grinned wider as he and Alphonse started to slide down the robot, "I only fused all their joints into a single giant piece - now they can't even move a finger!"

"Good thinking, Brother!" Alphonse skidded for a moment when they got to the ground before breaking into a full run, glancing behind them to see the other students trying to get past the machines. He squinted as he spotted Izuku pick up a large panel off the ground, I wonder what he plans to do with that...?

He got his answer when Izuku swung around to face a robot that was swinging an arm at him, using the panel to slice off the arm.

"Oh!" Alphonse beamed, "He's using it as a weapon, since he can't use his Quirk...!"

A series of explosions went off, and the two brothers looked up as the giant machines suddenly started to topple one after another.

"What the-?" Edward looked down, eyes wide as the dust settled behind them, "Momo?!"

She stood next to a cannon that had smoke coming out of it, the lights on her stomach fading, "A piece of cake!"

"She took them down like it was nothing...!" Alphonse turned to keep running, glancing to the side as Tenya quickly surpassed them, "Oh - he's in his natural element in a race...!"

"For those of you who thought the first obstacle was easy... Let's see how ya feel about the second one!"

Edward skidded to a stop, staring at the chasm filled with tall pillars connected by wires up ahead, "They're just tossing deathtraps at us...!"

"If they take a spill, they're out! If they wanna pass this test, they'll have to get creative! It's 'The Fall'!!!"

Ochaco squeezed her hands together, "When did they even have time to build something like this...?"

Edward squinted, "Whaddaya think Al - bridges?"

"We should split up," Alphonse pointed to a series of pillars, "make small bridges that'll collapse as we walk across them."

"Don't want anyone following us, right." Edward offered his brother a fist bump, "Seeya on the other side, Al."

"You too, Brother." Alphonse returned the fist bump before the two ran in separate directions, making thin bridges to different pillars.

"Behold, my beautiful creation in action!" Winry climbed onto the mech after it changed back from the vehicle mode, flipping some controls as it started to fire some cables and reeled itself towards the pillars to get to the other side.

Tsuyu walked up to the edge of the chasm, then after bending down for a moment she took a huge leap onto one of the cables connecting the pillars and started to crawl across, "Ribbit! This is my moment, easy peasy."

"Everyone!" The girl with pink hair that was with Winry spread her arms wide, "Observe what my brilliant gadgets can do! Wire arrows and hover soles!"

Edward glanced back, "That must be the girl Winry was talkin' about the other day..."

A wire shot out of the harness she was wearing, and she started to cackle as it pulled her through the air while her boots allowed her to float up the sides of the pillars.

Ling smiled as he started to run along the cables, Lan Fan close behind, "It's just like running along the rooftops back home! Ain't it, Lan Fan?"

"Indeed, Milord."

"Yao!" Mei started to run along the cables as well, grinning at him, "Don't think I'll let you beat me!"

"I'd be surprised if you didn't try!"

"In the world of Heroes, it can be hard to get popular without a flashy Quirk. Right, Eraser Head?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, idiot."

Alphonse glanced ahead, watching as Shoto froze a cable while sliding across it.

"Looks like Todoroki has surpassed Rockbell and Hatsume and taken the lead, with Bakugo hot on his heels! Will Rockbell be able to reclaim the lead when her hotrod can get solid ground beneath it?!"

Edward briefly turned to the side, watching as Tenya started to skate along the wires as he held his hands out for balance.

"Boy, does he look foolish! The leaders are really putting distance between themselves and the students stuck at The Fall!"

Edward got to the other side of the chasm shortly before Alphonse did, and the two started to make a run for it again before the Xing trio managed to make it over as well.

"It hasn't been announced how many competitors will make it through to the next round, so there's no time to relax!"

"Hey, Ed and Al!" Winry grinned as she drove past them, "Seeya at the finish line!"

"Winry...!" Edward ground his teeth, "It's so unfair that she got to bring a goddamn robot suit to this...!!!"

"And now, we're finally approaching the last obstacle... Everyone had better tread carefully - YOU'RE STEPPING ONTO A MINEFIELD!!!"

Alphonse's head whipped towards the nearest speaker as they ran past, "We're crossing a WHAT?!"

"If you look carefully, you can see where those little bombs are buried, so keep your eyes on the ground, folks! By the way, those land mines were designed for the games, so they might be loud and flashy, but they're not all that powerful. Just enough to make you wet your pants!"

"Get a hold of yourself."

"At least they aren't trying to kill us...!" Edward glanced around as other students started to catch up to them and ran up the steps.

A few of the students ran forward carelessly, shouting as they were suddenly launched upwards by an explosion of pink dust.

Edward scanned the minefield, noticing Shoto just barely ahead of Winry as the mechanic was swerving while laughing, "Her speed's making it so she gets out of the explosions in time, but she's moving so randomly that it isn't a path most can follow..."

Suddenly, Bakugo flew in just over the land mines, using his own explosions to keep himself airborne as he surpassed Shoto before he tried to hit him with an explosion.

"Just like that, a new student takes the lead! The media here is going CRAZY! There's nothing they love more than an upset!"

"C'mon, Al!" Edward started to dart through the minefield a little faster, being careful not to step on any of the mines, "We can't let that bastard beat us!"

"Hang on, Brother!" Alphonse clapped his hands as he ran, tiny stone pillars shooting out of the ground to propel his feet forward and over the mines as he ran.

Edward grinned at his brother, "Good thinking, Al!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" The brothers glanced over to see Tenya outrunning the explosions as Present Mic called out again, "The rest of the competitors are catching up, too! And what's this?! Can our two leaders fight each other AND stay in the front of the competition?!"

"Yaoyorozu!" Mineta leapt for Momo, one of his hairballs in each hand and stuck to the bottom of each shoe, "I'm coming for you-!"

He slammed into a stone wall that shot out of the ground while Edward looked at him with disdain after transmuting it, "Little creep..."

Momo glanced over at him while she was maneuvering the mines, "Thank you, Edward...!"

"You can thank me by letting me win!" Edward turned to his brother, "Now c'mon Al! If we can just catch up while they're still fighting," he dodged to the side as more students set off some mines, "we can pass 'em-!"

There was a huge shockwave that passed over them as a massive explosion went off at the start of the minefield, "What's with that huge explosion in the back?! That was way more powerful than it should be!"

Alphonse glanced back as he shielded his face, then his eyes went wide at what he saw next, "Izuku...?!"

Izuku was rocketing through the air as he was launched by the massive explosion, clinging onto the piece of metal like it was a sled and soaring towards the front of the minefield.

"Incredible!!! What just happened?! Whatever the case, Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya is suddenly in hot pursuit of first place! Strike that," they watched as Izuku flew past Shoto and Bakugo, "the lead is his!"

Edward's eyes darted between Bakugo as he flew after Izuku, then to Shoto as he made an ice path to better chase after the two. The alchemist grinned, jumping onto the path Shoto made, "Thanks for the assist!"

"Look at that plot twist! Those two aren't fighting anymore - they're chasing after Midoriya! That's what having a common enemy will do in this competition! This fight is still FAR from over, though!"

"Izuku's startin' to lose speed," Edward narrowed his eyes as he and Alphonse were slowly getting closer to the three in the lead, "if we can just catch up to them before the end...!"

Alphonse clapped his hands as Izuku got close to the ground, Shoto and Bakugo right on top of him... Then his eyes went wide when he saw Izuku grip a wire connected to the large piece of metal and used it to swing it towards the ground, "Look out-!" He pressed his hands against the ground to make a stone wall, grabbing Edward and yanking him behind it.

"Gah! Al, what're you-?!" Edward was cut off when the plating slamming against the ground caused yet another large explosion as it set off several land mines, knocking Shoto and Bakugo back while propelling Izuku further forward. The alchemist glanced at his brother, "Good call, actually - now let's go!" He ran out from behind the wall, charging forward.

"Right!" Alphonse chased after his brother as the pink smoke from the mines filled the air.

"In a stunning move, Midoriya has blasted past his classmates from 1-A! I don't believe it - he cleared that minefield in an instant!"

Alphonse glanced to the sides as Shoto and Bakugo quickly recovered from the blast, charging after Izuku just ahead of the two brothers.

"Oh?! It looks like the Elric-Shimuras used Midoriya's explosive trick to catch up with Todoroki and Bakugo, but will they be able to surpass them?! Eraser Head, your students are amazing! What the heck are you teaching them?!"

"This has nothing to do with me," Edward ground his teeth as the finish line grew closer and closer, "each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."

"There you have it, Eraser Head is a terrible teacher!"

"I'm WHAT?"

Alphonse was panting from the exertion of running, clapping his hands together and transmuting parts of the ground to rise underneath his feet and push them forward for some added speed and distance.

"Who would've imagined at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a non-stop mega-mix of surprises?! The first to make it back into the stadium is the first-place winner!"

Edward looked up as Izuku exited the long hallway and entered the stadium right before Shoto.

"Izuku Midoriya is our champion!"

The crowd cheered at Present Mic's announcement, and they continued to cheer as Bakugo ran in just after Shoto, with Edward just ahead of Alphonse for fourth place. As the rest of the students started to arrive back in the stadium, the first game of the sports festival was complete - and it was only a matter of time before the next game would be announced.

Chapter Text

"Whew...!" Edward stretched his back, "Now that was a workout...!" He turned to his brother, holding out a fist, "How're you holdin' up, Al?"

"I'm doing... Just fine... Brother...!" Alphonse panted while resting his hands on his knees, then he shakily gave his brother a fist bump.

"Take it easy, okay?" Edward frowned slightly with concern, "You shouldn't over-exert yourself."

"Okay, Brother..." Alphonse looked up, waving a hand as the other students started to show up, "Izuku...!"

"El - I-I mean, Alphonse...!" Izuku walked over quickly, moving his hands around erratically with concern, "A-Are you okay...?!"

"I'm fine, Izuku..." Alphonse smiled wide, giving him a thumbs-up, "Congrats on getting first...!"

Edward grinned, giving him a thumbs-up as well, "Hell yeah! You deserve it after that trick you pulled on the minefield!"

"Y-You guys...!" Izuku sniffled as his eyes started to water up before he started to wipe them quickly.

"The contestants are pouring in one after the other! Let's hear some applause for all our competitors as we prepare the results!"

"Deku!" Ochaco ran up, panting a little heavily, "That was amazing...!"

"O-Oh, thank you...!"

Ochaco clenched her fists as she beamed, "I can't believe you got first place, I'm jealous...!"

"Uh-!" Izuku quickly wrapped his arms around his head as he looked away from her, "It was nothing...!"

Edward glanced to the side, waving a hand, "Yo, Momo! Awesome work with that cannon earlier!"

"Thank you, Edward." Momo smiled slightly as she started to close up her shirt, "And thank you again for the... Rescue."

The alchemist made a face again, "With Grape Boy? Geez, what's wrong with that guy anyway...?"

"The first game for the first years is finally over," Midnight spread her hands as she spoke into her microphone, "and what a game it was! Now, let's take a quick look at the standings, shall we?"

The students all looked up as a holographic list of names and rankings showed up behind Midnight, listing the top 42 students.

"Only the top 42 will advance to the next round. But don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut! We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine." Midnight smiled at the students, "Now the real fun is about to begin. The chance to fully move yourselves into the limelight! Give it your best!" She flicked her whip upwards as the games started to roll again, "Let's see what we have in store for you next! Will your wildest fantasies come to life?"

Alphonse looked up as he started to steady his breathing.

"What could it be? The waiting is torture. Prepare yourselves... For THIS!" Midnight swung her hand towards the screen as it said 'CAVALRY BATTLE' in yellow text, with a picture of two silhouettes holding up a third one next to it.

"Cavalry battle?" Denki groaned, "I'm terrible at those...!"

"Huh," Tsuyu held a finger to her chin, "it's not an individual event. I wonder how they'll split us up."

"Eh?" Edward blinked a few times, leaning in closer to Alphonse, "Hey, Al, any idea what a cavalry battle is...?"

"I'm sure she's about to explain, Brother..."

"Allow me to explain!"

Edward grimaced, knowing the smug look on his brother's face without even turning to see it, "Don't even say it, Al."

"The participants will form teams of two-to-four people as they see fit." Midnight turned to the screen, showing a picture of Thirteen, a barely visible Snipe, and Present Mic all struggling to hold up All Might.

"Snrk-!" Edward quickly covered his mouth to contain his laughter, "They look so ridiculous...!"

"In theory," Midnight looked over her shoulder at the students as she went on, "it's basically the same as a regular playground - but there is one difference. Each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course."

"I get it," Sato crossed his arms, "a point-based system like the entrance exams... That seems pretty simple."

Ochaco lifted her fists slightly, "So that means each team will have a different point value based on which students are on it."

Mina grinned as she pointed at Ochaco with both hands, "Uh-huh!"

Edward brought a hand to his chin, "So what, do you earn points for taking down other teams?"

Midnight stomped a foot against the ground, "Maybe you should shut up and let me explain things to you!"

"Ack-!" Edward recoiled slightly, "Sorry, Teacher...!"

"Now, then." Midnight huffed as the screen with their placements returned, "The point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom. For example," she flicked her whip towards the bottom of the screen, "42nd place is worth five points, and 41st is worth ten. And the point value assigned to the first-place contestant is..." The teacher flicked her whip towards the top of the screen while motioning to Izuku with her free hand, "Ten million!"

There was a beat of silence, then slowly each of the students turned to Izuku while he just stood frozen in place.

"Ten million, huh?" Edward started to grin wide, rubbing his hands together as he turned to Izuku as well.

"Brother!" Alphonse lightly smacked his shoulder, "We shouldn't bully Izuku's team."

Midnight smiled as she rested her whip over her shoulder, "That's right... It's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top! Those of you who are at the top will suffer the most... Of course, that's something you'll hear over and over again at U.A."

Edward crossed his arms, nodding slightly as he muttered, "Everybody's gonna be gunnin' for that number one spot..."

"Show us what 'Plus Ultra' means! Now, first years!" Midnight swung her whip back towards the screen as each of the teachers on it was assigned a point value, "These are the rules that you'll abide by: the game itself will last 15 minutes. Individual point values will be added together to reach your team total." The screen changed to show just the individual points, then added them all together and put the new total on a band around All Might's head, "Everyone will know how much you're worth thanks to your headbands. Swipe as many headbands as you can to raise your team's score. Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up - so the more you steal," the screen transitioned to All Might steadily wearing more and more headbands until only his eyes and hair were visible, "the harder it'll be to manage them!"

Alphonse nodded slightly, "Okay..."

"And another thing!" Midnight flicked her whip in the students' direction, "Even if your headband gets stolen or your team falls down, you can keep playing until time's up!"

"It's anyone's game, then..." Momo brought a hand to her chin as she mused aloud.

"And since there are 42 contestants," Sato turned to the side, "there'll be ten or 12 teams fighting on the field the entire time."

Yuga slowly popped his head up while clutching his stomach, "Sounds hard..."

Mina pressed a finger into her cheek, "So, if you lose your headband at the beginning," she moved her hands to hold her index fingers further and further away from each other, "you have more time to make up a plan."

"I dunno, Mina." Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek again, "Maybe we should wait and see how the teams turn out before we start strategizing."

"This is going to be rough." Midnight gripped her whip in both hands before flicking it out to the side, "You may use your Quirks as much as you like! But there are still rules! Make a team fall on purpose and I'll slap you with a red card. You'll be disqualified!"

Bakugo glared to the side at that, "Tch..."

"Okay..." Edward brought a hand to his mouth, tapping his finger against his cheek as he started strategizing, "So then we probably shouldn't do any direct attacks..."

Alphonse nodded slightly, "Forming protective barriers will probably be our best bet."

"Now," the screen changed to show a timer as Midnight spoke, "you've got 15 minutes to build your teams - I recommend you get started!"

"Crap-!" Edward turned to his brother, "Al?"

"Of course, Brother." Alphonse started to look around, "Now, who else...?"

"Alphonse!" May ran over to them, "We should team up!" She clenched her fists, "With the two of us together, we can dominate this competition!"

"Hey!" Edward's eye twitched as he waved a fist, "I'm here too!"

May didn't even spare him a glance, "I suppose you are, servant."

"Servant?!" Edward rolled up his sleeve, "I'll show you servant-!"

"Brother, May, please." Alphonse smiled as he held a hand out to each of them, "I'm sure we can all work together on this."

The two huffed as they turned away from each other, speaking in unison, "Fine!"

"Thank you." Alphonse scanned the crowd, "Should we get anyone else-?"

There was a tap on his shoulder, "Ribbit."

The alchemist turned around with a smile, "Oh, Tsuyu!"

"Hey, Al. Can I join your guys' team?"

"Of course!" Alphonse turned to Edward and May, "If that's alright with you two?"

Edward folded his arms, "Mm... I guess her prehensile tongue would be really handy for grabbing points..." He grinned, giving Tsuyu a thumbs up, "Sounds good to me!"

"Very well," May nodded as well, "you can join our team."

"We should figure out how we're going to position ourselves..." Alphonse rubbed his chin slightly, "Brother, May and I can only really use our Quirks when we're touching the ground..."

May shook her head, pulling out five knives with each hand, "They only let me bring two sets of knives for this competition for my Quirk, I don't think we can afford to recollect them every time I perform alkahestry."

Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "May should be the knight, then Edward and I should be behind Alphonse." She looked up at Alphonse as she spoke, "You're the tallest, ribbit - having you be one of the people in the back would make it a little too unbalanced."

Alphonse smiled at that, "It makes sense. Good thinking, Tsu!"

May hit her palm like a gavel, "And with my acrobatic talent, I can jump across teams to collect their points!"

"And then I can use my tongue to reel you in," Tsuyu extended her tongue as she spoke, "ribbit."

Edward grinned wide, "Alright, sounds like we got a game plan!"

"And with our individual points..." May crossed her arms, "Our team's gonna be worth 700 points right off the bat."

"So anyone who isn't gunning for Izuku..." Edward crossed his arms as well, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the other students forming groups, noticing Ling and Lan Fan approach the purple-haired guy, "Is probably gonna be goin' for us."

Tsuyu held a finger to her chin, "We'll need to keep our eyes peeled, ribbit."

"I think we should avoid Midoriya's team altogether." May rested her fists on her hips, "We don't need to paint that big of a target on our backs."

"But his points would be an instant win..." Edward turned to her, "And we don't know how many teams will be getting in."

"This is game two of three, isn't it?" Alphonse pursed his lips, "It'll probably only be four to five teams, given how big they're letting us make them."

"Hm... You're probably right, Al." Edward nodded slightly, "Just to play it safe, let's try and get ourselves into the top three."

Tsuyu knocked her head to the side, "But should we go after just a few teams with high point totals, or do we go for a bunch of low-point teams?"

Edward rubbed his chin, "Only getting a few teams that are worth a lot means we're at greater risk of not making it for each band that might get taken."

"But if we take a bunch of bands from team worth less points," Alphonse crossed his arms, "that would make more teams that are desperate to get any points..."

"Then we'll try to go for a mix," May nodded her head decisively, "we'll get a couple of high-point bands, then enough low-point bands to get us into the top three. I'll try and wear the bigger points in difficult to grab places as well - make it less likely we'll lose too many points all of a sudden."

Alphonse smiled, "Great thinking, May!"

"Thank you, Alphonse!"

"Shoji! Shoji!" Mineta wailed as he looked up at Mezo not that far away, "None of the girls wanna team up with me!!! Please be my partner!" He hopped in place while waving his arms as the giant boy started to walk away, "I'm super tiny, so I can't be a horse, but for some reason no one wants me to climb on top of them so I can be a rider!"

Edward glanced down at him with disdain, "Maybe none of the girls wanna team up with you 'cause you're a little creep."

"Shut it, Elric-Shimura!" Mineta pointed at him, "I'm still pissed at you for getting between me and Yaoyorozu...!"

"We're in a competition, and you were trying to get all clingy with her!" Edward jabbed a thumb at himself, "I was doin' her a favor."

Mineta waved Edward off before turning back to Mezo, "With your huge body and those tentacles, you could cover me completely, so no one'll take my headband!"

Mezo stopped at that, turning to look down at Mineta and making a tentacle with a grinning mouth, "Good idea. Let's go."

"Thank you...!!! Let's go find some girls to join-!"

"No!" Mezo grabbed him as he spoke quickly, "I-I mean, why not, Tokoyami? His Quirk would be useful in snagging headbands, and I could carry the both of you no problem."

"Huh?! But I wanna-!"

"Nope, sorry, only way it'll work out." Mezo started to carry him over to their bird-headed classmate.

"Aw man...!"

Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek, "Shoji's just looking out for us, ribbit."

"Yeah," Alphonse nodded slightly, "Mezo's a nice guy."

Edward glanced over the crowd again, grimacing slightly as Mashirao walked away from Izuku, "Geez, everybody's avoiding Izuku like their lives depend on it..."

"He's going to have the biggest target on his back right from the start," May nodded slightly, "they probably just don't want to get caught up in the heat of it."

"Hey, Deku!" They glanced over as Ochaco walked up to Izuku with a smile, "Let's team up!"

Tears started to pour out of Izuku's eyes like a pair of rivers, "Uraraka! Are you sure? Everyone'll be after me and my ten million stupid points! Tell me you're not kidding...!"

Edward made a face, "That is... That's a LOT of tears."

Alphonse frowned with concern, "I hope he doesn't get dehydrated...!"

"That's your only concern, Al...?!"

Ochaco smiled as she wiped off some of the tears, "If we run away the whole time, then we'll win, right?"

"Um, you're either overestimating me or underestimating everyone else here..."

"Phooey! Anyway," Ochaco beamed at him, "it's better to team up with people you like!" She blinked when Izuku squeezed his eyes shut while making a face, "Is something wrong? You look so gross."

"No," Izuku rubbed his eyes with his forearm, "I-I just thought my chest was gonna explode for a second..."

Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek while the two walked off to find more teammates, "I think they like each other."

Edward blinked at her, "Huh?"

Alphonse nodded, smiling slightly, "I think they look very sweet together."

"Huh???" Edward turned to his brother, "Al, what're you talking about?"

Alphonse just sighed at that, shaking his head, "Brother, you can be so clueless sometimes..."

"Clueless about what?!"

May shook her head, pressing her palm against her forehead, "This is why you don't have a girlfriend."

"Hey!" The alchemist shook his fist at her, "I don't see what that has to do with any of this!"

Alphonse gave him a deadpan look, "That's the point May's making, Brother."

A loud horn blared as the timer hit zero, and Midnight stretched her arm as she started to address the students again, "Oh, goody. It's time to get this party started!"

Present Mic whispered just loud enough for the speakers to catch it, "Hey, hey, look alive!" He cleared his throat before speaking at his normal volume, "After 15 minutes to pick teammates and talk strategy, 12 cavalry teams are preparing to go head-to-head!"

"I see some unexpected student combinations..."

"C'mon, everyone get your hands in the air! It's time for an arena-thumping U.A. battle royale!"

"Let's do this!" Edward grinned as he and Tsuyu lifted up May while grabbing Alphonse's shoulder, "You ready, Al?"

"Ready!" Alphonse took a stance as the rest of the teams got into position.

May wrapped the headband around the top of her head tightly before holding up her fists, "We're gonna be standing at the top of this sports festival!"

"Let me hear ya scream!"

Edward glanced over the crowd as they gave a loud cheer, briefly catching sight of a large man covered in fire watching one of the groups closely. The alchemist followed his line of sight, noticing Shoto staring back at the man with a glare, Huh... Do they know each other?

"Okay, all you first years! I hope you're happy with your chosen teams! Let's get this party started! One final countdown before the game starts! Three!"

Edward tensed his legs as he focused ahead.

"Two!"

May's eyes darted between the teams with the other students from 1-B.

"One!"

Alphonse glanced at Izuku's team, noticing Mei and Winry holding him up alongside Ochaco.

Midnight flicked her whip, "Begin!"

"Alright!" Alphonse lead the team off to the side while most of them went after Izuku's team, "Where to first?"

"Go for one of the teams on the outskirts!" May pointed at Izuku's team launched themselves into the air, "Catch the stragglers!"

"Right!" Alphonse nodded, moving to intercept one of the other teams.

"Chang!"

May looked up, getting to her feet on top of her teammates, "Monoma?"

The blond kid's hands were twitching, a second headband already wrapped around his neck, "How could you side with 1-A? You traitor!"

"I'm no traitor," May jumped over, planting her feet against his chest while grabbing both of the bands, "I'm just playing smart!" She launched off of him, taking both of the bands as she soared into the air, "Tsuyu!"

"Whoa! Chang got separated from her horses almost immediately! Is that even allowed?!"

"Ribbit!" The frog-like girl's tongue darted out, wrapping around May's waist and starting to reel her in.

"She never touched the ground, so technically," Midnight gave a thumbs up, "it's okay!"

"Hold on!" Alphonse clapped his hands, blue alchemical energy surging around his feet as the ground underneath their team rose up to bring them out of reach of the other team before a slope formed on the other side.

May landed back on her teammates, tying both of the new bands around her neck, "Alright, that puts us at 1,395!"

"And now we've got one of the Elric-Shimuras changin' up the terrain! Is that also technically allowed?!"

"He didn't knock over any other teams!" Midnight gave another thumbs up, "So it's also allowed!"

"May Chaaang!"

Edward made a face as they ran down the slope Alphonse made, "What's that guy's deal?"

"That's Neito Monoma," May rolled her eyes slightly, "he has this idea that everyone in Class 1-A is our rival because of how much attention you guys get."

"I'm sorry," Edward looked up at her, "does he mean the VILLAIN ATTACK we were subjected to?!"

"His views don't reflect everyone in 1-B!" May huffed slightly, "... But most of it is actually because of Bakugo."

Edward groaned at that, "Oh, because of course it is...!"

"Wow! Barely two minutes have passed since we started, and it's already a total free-for-all! Yeah!" They could hear Present Mic slam his hands down as he shouted through the speakers, "Watch those headbands! You can even ignore the ten million points and go after the other chart toppers!"

Alphonse glanced to the side, quickly skidding to a stop, "Hold on-!"

As Edward and Tsuyu stopped themselves before ramming into Alphonse, they watched as Winry zipped past on her hotrod, cackling alongside Mei while Izuku and Ochaco screamed.

Edward made a face as a handful of teams continued to chase Izuku's team, "I don't envy them..."

They could hear Mineta's cackling, turning to see Mezo running towards them with his tentacles folded to cover his back, "This is too easy - it's not a fight, it's more like a massacre!"

"Chang?!" They turned to see a team of 1-B students as Tetsutetsu called out from his position as knight, "What're you doing with those 1-A students?!"

"Working together with my boyfriend!" May's eyes darted between the two approaching teams, "We need to move, we can't get caught between them!"

Edward grinned, "Leave that to me! Tsuyu, hold onto May!" He brought his hands together to clap, alchemical energy surging through the ground.

Tetsutetsu's team stumbled momentarily as the ground beneath their feet started to shift, a circle on the ground forming around them and May's team before it was suddenly spun around, making the teams switch places.

"Way to go, Brother!" Alphonse started to run, "Let's move!"

"GAH!" Tetsutetsu waved his arms, "After them-!"

"W-Wait, Tetsutetsu, your headband-!"

"Huh?!" He looked down at his teammate as he reached for his forehead, "What about my - hey! Where'd my headband go?!"

Tsuyu lifted the headband worth 705 points up to May with her tongue, "I snagged this while they were distracted, ribbit."

Alphonse glanced back to beam at her, "Way to go, Tsuyu!"

"Yes! Now we're at 2,100!" May put it around her neck, smiling down at her teammate, "Thank you!"

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu stuck out her tongue slightly as she gave a thumbs up.

At the sounds of some explosions up above them, they glanced up to see Izuku's team being followed through the air by Bakugo. Before their foe could grab them, however, Winry pulled a lever and a pair of bolas shot out to wrap around Bakugo's arms and legs. As Bakugo struggled against the restraints and started to fall, they saw Hanta fire some tape that latched onto his back and reeled him back in.

"As expected, everyone's after the first place team, giving them no time to catch their breath! What a show this is! Now, who wants to take a look at each team's points so far? It's been seven minutes, so let's get those rankings thrown up on the screen!"

The crowd went silent as the screen lit up.

"Hold up here, this is an unexpected turn... Other than Midoriya and those on Chang's team, Class 1-A's not doin' so hot - even Bakugo is losing!"

"Huh?" Edward glanced up, eyes wide, "The hell? Most of 'em are at zero points...!"

"That'd be my classmates," May narrowed her eyes, "some of them decided to single out Class 1-A to take the lead."

Edward grimaced at that, "Geez...!"

"But we can't worry about that right now! With only four bands, we're already in second place... At this point in the game, it's a matter of keeping away!"

"Right!" Alphonse nodded, "They're going to start getting desperate for points; we can't afford to get reckless and let our guard down!"

"And now we've reached the halfway point of the game! As the cavalry battle enters its second half, it's anyone game! Class 1-B has made an unexpected showing, but who will wear the ten million points in the end?! That's the real question, sports fans!"

Edward glanced around, "With any luck, everybody's gonna be gunning for that headband - so long as we make sure not to get too close to 'em, we should make it out just fine!"

"I hope you made somethin' strong, Yaoyorozu!" They glanced over at the sound of Denki shouting over the ruckus of battle, watching as most of the teams were trying to converge on Izuku's team, "Indiscriminate Shock... One point three million volts!"

Alphonse's eyes went wide, quickly clapping his hands and transmuting a wall in front of them as Denki released a giant wave of electricity that hit all the surrounding teams.

"Geez!" Edward narrowed his eyes, "That guy's got some serious - gah!" He looked down when his feet refused to budge, "Again?!"

"Oh no!" They could hear Winry cry out as they started to deconstruct the ice coating the ground and their feet, "My poor baby's frozen in place!"

"Will you look at that! He's stopped all those teams cold in their trakcs, even the second-place Team Chang!"

"But only after Kaminari had immobilized the students using his electricity. In the obstacle course, he was surprised by how many people avoided his attack... He's adapting his strategy."

"Nice commentary!"

"While he wasn't going for this," Alphonse pulled his feet free alongside the other two after he deconstructed the ice, "Shoto actually helped us out in the long run...!"

"Yeah!" Edward grinned wide, "We aren't gonna have nearly as many people gunning for our headbands as long as they're stuck in the ice!"

"Team Midoriya has nowhere left to run!"

May turned around, narrowing her eyes at the wall of ice Shoto had made to block off part of the arena, "It seems Todoroki wanted a one-on-one with Midoriya..."

"Wait a sec," Edward frowned, "if first place is unavailable to them, doesn't that mean..."

"As second place," Tsuyu glanced to the side, "we're the big target now."

"Only one minute left! Todoroki has cornered the ten-million-point team and is poised to seize the ultimate prize! At least, that's what I WOULD'VE predicted five minutes ago! Unbelievably, Team Midoriya's been able to keep away from the ice master for the last half of the game - even after losing Rockbell's rockin' hotrod!"

"If we can't get the first-place band..." A handful of teams started to run at May's team, "We can at least gun for second place!"

Edward grinned wide, "Good luck with that! Al, now!"

"On it, Brother!" Alphonse clapped his hands together and another surge of alchemical energy flowed as the ground beneath them suddenly shot up underneath them, a tower forming with a deep bowl around it.

"Gah!" The teams skidded to a stop, staring up at them, "How're we supposed to get up there with less than a minute left...?!"

"That's the idea!" Edward laughed, pointing at them, "Witness the brilliance of the Elric-Shimuras!"

"Nice trick - too bad we're familiar with your playbook!"

Edward turned around, eyes wide, "Ling?!"

The emperor grinned down at them as he and Lan Fan jumped over the edge and into the air, Hitoshi supported above them. The purple-haired kid reached out a hand, "We'll take your points now."

Edward growled, "Like hell weee..." His expression went blank, his arms going a little slack.

Alphonse's eyes went wide, eyes darting between his brother and the quickly-approaching team. He clapped his hands, transmuting a half-bubble between them and their opponents while a slide formed on the other side, "We gotta move...!"

"Edward!" May hit the top of the alchemist's head with her fist, "Wake up and MOVE!"

"Gah-!" Edward shook his head, eyes wide and looking around quickly, "What the hell-?!"

"Brother!" Alphonse yanked the others down the slide, the three of them managing to stay on their feet as they slid down while the other team moved to chase after them.

"Wha-ho-ho! What just happened?! Todoroki's team was one big blur! Holy smokes, folks! Why didn't he show off that super speed in the preliminaries?!"

Edward looked up, "Seriously, what HAPPENED...?!"

"You went brain-dead, now focus!" May glanced back, glaring at their pursuers, "Yao and his dog are hot on our tail...!"

"This entire game was just turned completely on its head! Todoroki's team has the ten million points, and Midoriya's team is suddenly left with nothing at all!"

"Midoriya's in trouble now, ribbit." Tsuyu glanced back, "And so are we if they catch up to us again."

"Then we don't let that happen!" May glanced down at the three of them, "I'm counting on you!"

The rest of her team nodded in return, "Right!"

"With time almost up, Team Todoroki is in first place and Team Chang in second with four headbands each! Despite their best efforts, Team Midoriya has fallen to the bottom! Will these be the top four teams that move on to the next round?! Oh - what's this?! Team Bakugo nabs two headbands and moves into third place!"

Edward glanced back, gasping slightly, "Hey, where'd Ling go...?!"

May glanced back as well, grinning slightly, "He must've realized I was the superior half-sibling and gone off to find easier prey!" She looked ahead and smiled wider, "Which works out just fine for us!"

"The final moments of the game have been full of shakeups! Oh, to be young again!"

"Now look at this. Class 1-B's strategy was a reasonable one, but there's one thing they forgot to consider... They didn't take into account Bakugo's overwhelming tenacity."

"With JUST 11 seconds left, Team Midoriya's back in the game!" Present Mic paused for a moment, "Oh, no! Team Midoriya didn't get the ten million points after all - it was only 70! The game is almost over!"

Alphonse winced slightly, "Poor Izuku...!"

"Wait, what's this?! Team Bakugo's been knocked down a peg - Team Shinso has skyrocketed suddenly into third!"

"Shinso?" Edward glanced over, eyes widening, "I think that's Ling's team!"

"The game is almost over! Time for a countdown!"

A buzzer sounded, and they could hear an explosion next to the wall of ice as Bakugo screamed, "Damn it, Icy Hot, gimme your ten million-!"

"TIME'S UP!!!" The crowd cheered as Present Mic went on, "And with that, the second round is officially over! Now, let's take a look at who our top four teams are! In first place, Team Todoroki! In second place, Team Chang!"

Edward cheered as May climbed down, giving Alphonse a double high-five before offering each of the girls a fist bump, "We did it!"

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu gave him a fist bump, "That was intense - what happened with that Shinso guy, Edward?"

The alchemist frowned, glancing to the side, "I dunno... When I was talkin' to him, my body just stopped responding to what I was thinking." He looked down at his hand, "But when you thunked me, I snapped outta it..."

"In third place, Team Shinso!"

Edward turned towards the ice wall, narrowing his eyes as he tried finding the group, "We're gonna have to keep an eye out for him in the next game..."

Alphonse nodded, "Right..."

"And in fourth place, Team Midoriya claimed a spot at the last second!"

Alphonse quickly looked up, smiling, "Wait, they made it...?!"

They could hear Izuku scream as a geyser of tears launched into the air, and Edward made a face as he muttered, "That guy's got some issues..."

Alphonse smiled awkwardly, "He's just a little emotional, brother..."

"These four valiant teams will advance on to the final round! Now, let's take an hour lunch break before we start the afternoon festivities! Seeya soon!" Present Mic took on a more casual tone as the crowds started to disperse, "Hey, Eraser Head. Let's grab some food."

"I'm taking a nap."

Chapter Text

"My boys!" Nana scooped up Edward and Alphonse as the students were leaving the stadium, grinning wide as she gave them a tight hug, "You two have been simply marvelous in there so far!"

"Gah-!" Thanks, but..." Edward groaned, "Too tight...!"

"Ah! Sorry, my boy!" Nana laughed as she set them down, still beaming wide, "Just got a little carried away!"

Ochaco blinked a few times, "Hey, uh... Aren't you the new school nurse?"

Tenya adjusted his glasses while chopping his hand, "Yes, why are you embracing the Elric-Shimuras?"

"Oh, did my boys not tell you?" Nana grinned wide, resting her fists on her hips, "I'm their mother! Nana Shimura, also known as the Avaricious Hero Starbound," she went to shake their hands, "it's a delight to meet some of the friends of my two boys!"

"Ah, I see!" Tenya gave her hand a firm shake, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Missus Starbound!"

Ochaco gasped when Nina and Eri caught up with their mom, bending down to speak with them, "Aww, and who are you two?"

"I'm Eri Shimura..." She fiddled with her skirt.

The other little girl beamed wide, "And I'm Nina Shimura!"

Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "Aren't you two just the cutest, ribbit."

"It's so nice to meet you!" Ochaco waved with both of her hands, "I'm Ochaco Uraraka!"

Eri gasped, bouncing in place a few times, "You have kitty beans...!"

Ochaco laughed at that, "Yeah, I do!"

Eri held out a gloved hand, "Can I squeeze them please...?"

"So cute!!!" Ochaco held out a hand to her, "Of course you can!!!"

Eri bounced a few more times, taking Ochaco's offered hand and squeezing the beans on her fingertips.

"You two are about the same age as my little sister, ribbit."

Alphonse gasped as he turned to his friend, "I didn't know you had any siblings, Tsuyu...!"

She nodded while holding up two fingers, "I have a little sister and a little brother, ribbit. Their names are Satsuki and Samidare."

"How sweet!" Alphonse smiled wide, "I bet you're an amazing older sister to them."

Tsuyu smiled at that, "Thanks, Alphonse."

Edward glanced to the side when he noticed some movement away from the crowd. He squinted slightly, watching as Shoto and Izuku walked off to an isolated hallway.

"Well! I won't keep you kids up," Nana ruffled Edward and Alphonse's heads, "you boys enjoy lunch with your friends, you hear me? You'll need the energy for the end of this tournament!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Alphonse knelt down and waved to Eri and Nina, "You two be good and cheer for me and Brother, mkay?"

"Okay!" Nina wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug before dragging Eri by the hand after her, with Nana walking close behind.

Alphonse smiled as he started walking with the others, then glanced over his shoulder at Edward, "Brother? Are you coming?"

"Huh? Oh," Edward turned around, "yeah, I'll catch up in a minute."

"Don't delay for too long!" Tenya chopped his hands as the group started to walk again, "We have only an hour to eat before our events begin again!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Edward waved a hand over his shoulder as he quietly walked over, pressing his back against the outer wall to eavesdrop on Izuku and Shoto.

After a brief moment of silence between the two, Shoto finally spoke up, "I was overwhelmed..."

Izuku gasped slightly as the two-toned boy spoke.

"And it made me break the promise I made to myself a long time ago."

Edward frowned, tilting his head to the side as he closed his eyes.

"Iida and Kaminari... Yaoyorozu and Uraraka... None of them felt it. In that moment, I was the only one who could sense your true power. It reminded me of something... Experiencing All Might's Quirk."

The alchemist opened his eyes slightly, Is he gonna connect the dots...?

He could hear Izuku gulp nervously before replying, "Oh, yeah...? Okay... Is that all?"

"I'm saying... The power coming from you felt the same as All Might's. Midoriya, tell me..."

Edward frowned again, holding his hands at the ready to clap in case Izuku needed help.

"Are you really All Might's secret lovechild or something?"

Shoto's question was met by a stunned silence. Just outside, Edward was slack-jawed with his hands hanging at his sides, and he had to resist the urge to slap his forehead, That's WAY off the mark, Peppermint!

"Well, are you?"

Edward could hear Izuku take a frantic step forward, his hands waving all about, "No, no way - that's not it at all...! But I guess even if I was, I'd totally say I wasn't, so you PROBABLY won't believe me no matter what, I bet. Anyway, I promise, you've got the wrong idea...! And... Why would you even think that about me?"

"'That's not it at all' is interesting wording."

The alchemist had to resist the urge to slap his forehead again, Dammit, Izuku...!

"It suggest there is something between you two that you're not supposed to talk about."

"U-Uh...!"

Shoto was silent for a second, "My father is the Hero Endeavor - you must've heard of him. Which means you're aware that he's the number-two Hero."

Edward frowned a little deeper, leaning against the wall again, Endeavor...? Wait... Could that be the dude with the flames earlier?

"So if you're connected to the number-one Hero All Might in some way... That would mean... That I have even more reason to beat you."

Oh, great... Generational rivalries. Bleck.

"My old man is ambitious - he aims for the top. He used his power to make a name for himself as a Hero... But he was never able to best All Might, so the Symbol of Peace is living proof of his failure. He's still at it, though, trying to take down All Might... One way or another."

"I'm not really sure what you're getting at..." Edward could hear Izuku press his back against the wall as he spoke, "What are you trying to tell me, Todoroki?"

"Habe you ever heard of... Quirk marriages?"

Edward raised a brow, The hell is that?

"They became a problem in the first few generations after superpowers became widespread. There were those who sought out potential mates solely with the intention of creating powerful children... Many people were forced into relationships. They were simply viewed as old-fashioned arranged marriages. But clearly, it was unethical."

Edward frowned, trying to discreetly scoot closer while still keeping out of sight.

"My father has not only a rich history of accomplishments, but plenty of money to throw at his problems as well. He bought my mother's relatives to get his hands on her Quirk - and now he's raising me to usurp All Might."

The alchemist gritted his teeth while glaring at the ground, clenching his fists, So he IS a bastard!

"It's so annoying... I refuse to be a tool for that scumbag. In every memory of my mother... I only see her crying."

Edward's face softened slightly at that, looking back up to stare at the entrance.

"I remember she called my left side unbearable, before she poured boiling water on my face."

His scar-! Edward covered his mouth as his eyes went wide, thinking of the burns across Shoto's face.

"The reason I picked a fight with you was to show my old man what I was capable of doing... Without having to rely on his damned fire Quirk. You see," Edward could hear the barely-contained rage in Shoto's voice, "I'm going to show him that I reject his power, and I can take first place without using it."

Edward looked down at his hands, failing to notice the sound of footsteps.

"You're obviously connected to All Might - even if you won't tell me about it. But no matter how fiercely you come at me in the future," Edward tensed when he finally registered that Shoto was outside and walking away, "I will defeat you using only my right side... I can assure you of that."

"Hey, wait!" Izuku ran after Shoto, failing to notice Edward pressing himself up against the wall, "I'm only here because others have supported me. I've been really lucky...! In fact, I've had even more help since I've come to U.A." Izuku looked down at his right hand as he held it gently, "All Might is constantly saving people with a fearless smile... He's the greatest Hero. And I wanna be just like him...! In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become number one."

Shoto glanced over his shoulder to watch Izuku, his eyes briefly darting over to Edward.

"I know my motivation might seem stupid compared to yours... But, still - I can't lose this, either! I owe it to everyone who's supported me to try my best. You declared war on me earlier... Well, right back at you." Izuku clenched his fist tightly, "I am going to beat you!"

Shoto stared at him for a long moment, then simply walked away without a word. Edward sighed in relief when Izuku walked off as well, slinking away to get some lunch.

"Elric-Shimura."

Edward squinted up at Shoto as he took a bite of his sandwich, "Whaddaya want, Hotel Mint?"

"Edward!" Tenya chopped his hands quickly, "Please do not resort to hostility!"

"It's just a nickname, Tenya, relax...!" The alchemist rolled his eyes before turning back to Shoto, "Well?"

"I need to talk with you." Shoto glanced at the others, "Privately."

"Fine, whatever," Edward stood up, one hand in his pocket as he took another bite of his sandwich while walking, "but I'm takin' my sandwich with me! Don't want the scavengers getting to it."

"Aww, but Ed!" Ling leaned back so far in his seat his head nearly touched the ground, "I'm starviiing!"

"Then eat your mountain of food!!!" Edward huffed as he stomped off, Shoto following after him.

The dual-toned boy glanced at him, "I wasn't expecting you to be eating with the competition."

"They're my friends. Some of them begrudgingly... So," Edward leaned against a wall in an abandoned hallway, "go on."

"You overheard my conversation with Midoriya," Shoto looked him directly in the eye, "didn't you?"

"Straight to the point, eh Peppermint?" Edward took a bite from his sandwich, "Yeah, I overheard what you said. What of it?"

"Why were you there?"

"Because Izuku's my friend, but frankly, the guy's hopeless when it comes to self-defense."

The dual-toned boy narrowed his eyes, "You thought I would attack him?"

"I thought you're real confrontational with him, and you dragged him away to an isolated location." The alchemist raised a brow as he took another bite, "Ideal setup for a fight, don't ya think?"

"... Hm," Shoto nodded slightly, "that's fair then."

Edward blinked a few times, "... Uh. Look, did you actually need something?"

"Yes..." Shoto walked closer, looking down at him, "I don't want you telling anyone what you overheard."

"What, about how you think Izuku is All Might's secret lovechild or something? Why?" Edward grinned, "Think everybody'll laugh at ya?"

"Because my reasons are personal," Shoto narrowed his eyes while holding up his left hand, "and I only told Midoriya so he understood the seriousness behind my desire to beat him."

"... Right. Well, don't worry," the alchemist shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm not much of a blabber."

"Good. That's all, then." Shoto started to walk away, "I'll let you get back to your lunch."

"... Hey, Shoto."

He stopped, looking over his shoulder at the alchemist.

"I know what it's like, thinking your dad's a bastard. And from what I've got, you're right about yours." Edward met his eyes, lifting his right hand and clenching his fist, "So if you want somebody to slug 'im for ya, lemme know, ya hear? I've got some experience beating bastard dads."

"... I'll keep that in mind."

"And one more thing!" Edward pointed at him, a confident grin on his face, "You might think Izuku's all you gotta worry about, but you're DEAD wrong about that. Because at the end of the day, I'm gonna be standing at the top of this competition! Even if I've gotta beat you to get there. Not that it'll be hard, since you're not using your full power."

Shoto turned to him fully, narrowing his eyes, "You heard what I said about my father's power, didn't I?"

"Who said anything about your old man's power? Last I checked, if you make the fire," Edward started to walk past, taking a bite from his sandwich, "then it's your power - not his."

The dual-toned boy paused at that, glancing down at his left hand.

"The way that I see it, it's only his power..." Edward looked over his shoulder, "If you let him keep it. But maybe that's just me." He waved a hand over his shoulder as he walked away, "Seeya in the tournament, Peppermint!"

"... Right," Shoto balled his left hand into a fist, turning to watch Edward walk away, "you will."

Nana was making her way back to the infirmary before the games started back up, then paused as she was passing the girls' locker room for Class 1-A. She glanced over, blinking slightly, "Girls, what are you doing? The optional games will be starting soon!" The Hero rested her hands on her hips, "Are none of you participating?"

"Oh, Missus Starbound!" Ochaco smiled, "No, we just need to get dressed for the cheer battle we'll be having!"

"... Cheer battle?" Nana raised a brow, shifting most of her weight onto one foot, "There's no cheer battle on the schedule for the mid-tournament events, Miss Uraraka."

"What?" Kyoka frowned, "But Kaminari and Mineta said..."

"A-And there were girls in these uniforms!" Momo held up an orange outfit, "Ours were apparently misplaced, so I made them for us...!"

Nana frowned, grabbing the outfit from Momo, "Girls, these are the uniforms that the cheerleaders from America will be wearing - none of the students will be wearing them."

"Gah!" Kyoka growled, "Kaminari and Mineta...! They're the ones who told us Mister Aizawa said to wear these...!"

Momo groaned in despair, "Why is it that I always fall for that little pervert's stupid schemes...?!"

"Is that right?" Nana narrowed her eyes as she glanced off to the side, "Sounds like I need to have a talk with those boys..." She smiled as she turned back to the girls, "Why don't the rest of you just go and participate in the games? I'll handle things from here. Oh, and Miss Yaoyorozu!"

Momo looked up, "Yes, Missus Starbound?"

"I don't want you missing any energy because of this practical joke the boys pulled. Here," the Hero motioned for her to follow, "I've got an extra sandwich and a slice of cake I was saving for later in the lounge, you can have it."

"Oi, Nana! That's MY food!"

Hush, Greed, she needs it more than us. I'll buy you twice as much later.

"Ooh, I can work with that!"

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly take your meal...!"

"Nonsense! I'm an adult who won't be exerting myself for the rest of the afternoon, and you're a growing teenager that's about to go into the final game of the sports festival!" Nana smiled gently, "I insist."

"In that case..." Momo smiled slightly, folding her hands in front of herself and offering a bow, "Thank you for the offer, Missus Starbound, and I'll take you up on it."

"Excellent! And the rest of you," Nana smiled at them as well, "remember to have fun out there!"

The girls returned the smile as she walked away with Momo, "We will, Missus Starbound!"

"Get those foam fingers in the air! It's almost time for the last round! But before that: good news for everyone who didn't make the finals!" The students started to walk back onto the field as Present Mic was making his announcements, "Since this is a sports festival, we've prepared some super-fun side games everyone can participate in! We even brought in cheerleaders from America to get your blood pumping! Have fun competing in these little side games, everyone!"

"W-Why aren't you wearing the outfits...?!" Mineta was pointing at the girls, "Mister Aizawa's gonna be real pissed when he-!"

They could hear a door opening through the speakers, "Present Mic and Eraser Head - sorry for interrupting."

Edward whipped his head up at that, muttering softly to himself, "What's Mom doing...?"

"Starbound! Here to give some riveting commentary with me and Eraser Head?!"

"She can take my place."

"Oh, no, I just need to make an announcement!" They could hear Nana clear her throat as she got closer to the microphone, "Could Denki Kaminari and Minoru Mineta please come to the nurse's office? I want to have a word with you two."

Alphonse blinked, turning to the two of them, "What's this about...?"

Kyoka narrowed her eyes at Denki and Mineta, folding her arms over her chest, "Missus Starbound told us what was actually happening."

Mineta gulped, his knees knocking together, "O-Oh...! Heh... No hard feelings...?"

"It was all his idea!" Denki quickly pointed down at Mineta, "He roped me into it...!"

"Tell that to her!" Kyoka huffed, "Now get moving, or she might just pull you two by the ear."

Edward watched as the two quickly ran off, then turned to the girls, "What the HELL was that all about?"

Tsuyu pointed to the cheerleaders, "Kaminari and Mineta tried to trick us into thinking that all us girls had to wear those outfits, ribbit."

Alphonse gave a scandalized gasp, "Why would they do that...?!"

"Because Mineta is a little pervert, and I'm far too gullible..." Momo slouched, "I even used my fat to make us the outfits...!"

"How rude of them...!" Alphonse gave her a concerned look, "Can I get you something to eat to make up for the lost fat-?"

"No need for that," Momo smiled slightly as she waved a hand, "Missus Starbound made sure I ate something when she found out."

"Yeah," Edward folded his hands behind his head, "that sounds like Mom."

"Wait," Kyoka pointed between him and Alphonse, "that was your guys' Mom? No offense, but I don't see the resemblance... Or, well, I guess you guys have her smile?"

Alphonse smiled slightly, "Oh, that's because we're adopted!"

"Oh! Oh," Kyoka blushed slightly in embarrassment, "sorry...!"

"Nah, you're cool," Edward waved a hand, "we get that a lot, actually."

"Back to my announcements! After these side games, 16 students from the top four teams and a special plus one will be duking it out one-on-one in a tournament-style fighting competition! I promise you're not gonna wanna miss these epic match-ups!"

"Wait, top sixteen...?" Edward squinted, "But the team Ling was on only had three people."

"The teachers approached us before we went to lunch for that..." Mina smiled a little as she pointed to the screen, "Since our team came in fifth, they let one of us get into the tournament. We all sorta agreed on Bakugo."

The alchemist made a face, "Why'd you agree to that jerk getting the spot?"

"Wellllll..." Mina rubbed her neck as Denki and Mineta walked back onto the field, "The alternative was a sorta free-for-all to see who would get in if we couldn't all agree, and you know how Bakugo can get. We wouldn't exactly stand a chance against him in a straight fight, ya know? So we thought it would be better to just let him take it."

"Damn..." Edward popped his neck, "Kinda hope I get a chance to kick his ass at the very least, then."

Alphonse knocked his head to the side, "Out of curiosity... Is the final game always a tournament?"

"The final is always a one-on-one competition," Momo held up a finger, "but they switch it up every time. For instance, last year it was a foam sword-fighting match."

Midnight held up a yellow box, "Come closer as we draw lots to see who you're up against, then enjoy the pleasure of the recreational games before we start! The 16 finalists have the option of participating in those activities or sitting out to prepare for battle. I'm sure you all want to conserve your stamina."

"Whaddaya think, Al?" Edward turned to his brother as Midnight drew match-ups from the box, "Should we sit them out?"

"I dunno..." Alphonse hummed slightly as he tapped his foot, "They could be fun..."

"Alright! Take a look at the bracket, my dears." Midnight flicked her whip, "These are your opponents!"

They looked up to the screen as the first match-up was revealed, saying "SHINSO VS MIDORIYA".

"That is you, right?" Edward squinted slightly, glancing at the purple-haired guy as he spoke to the green-haired boy, "Izuku Midoriya?"

Izuku just yelped, stumbling away from him.

"A pleasure. So," Hitoshi raised his brows slightly, "you excited?"

"U-Uh, y- mrph!" Izuku was cut off when Edward held his hand over his mouth.

"Heh." Hitoshi grinned, resting his hands in his pockets before walking away.

"E-Edward...!" Izuku pulled the hand away from his mouth, "What was that about...?!"

"I dunno what the exact deal is... But when you reply to something he says," Edward looked into Izuku's eyes, "you lose control of your body. It happened to me during the cavalry battle..."

Izuku gasped, looking back at Hitoshi, "Just by replying to him...?!"

Edward nodded as the screen revealed the second match-up to be "TODOROKI VS YAO".

Ling grinned casually at the dual-toned boy, "Don't hold back now, ya hear? I may not have a flashy Quirk, but I could end you!"

"Hm." Shoto gave him a side glance, "We'll see how you fare."

"KAMINARI VS A. ELRIC-SHIMURA" showed up as the third match-up.

Denki grinned at Alphonse, making some sparks in his palm, "I'm not gonna hold back!"

Alphonse smiled back at him, "Then I'll give it my all as well!"

The fourth match-up was revealed to say "IIDA VS HATSUME".

"Hey, legs." Mei walked up to Tenya, "You're Iida, right?"

"Hm?" He turned to face her, "That's correct. I am Tenya Iida."

"Oh! That's perfect!" Mei flung her arms out to the side as the lenses on her goggles sparkled, "I have something nice for you!"

After glancing at the fifth match-up of "ASUI VS FAN", Tsuyu turned to Lan Fan, "Looks like it's the two of us, ribbit."

Lan Fan simply nodded, "May the best warrior win."

Edward punched his palm with a grin at the sixth match-up, "Looks like it's you and me, May!"

May grinned back, "I'll wipe the floor with you, micro-alchemist!"

"I'll kick ya into next week, Mini-May!"

"I get to show off the rest of my babies!" Winry's eyes sparkled as she turned to Momo, "I'm gonna go all-out for our match!"

"Good! I expect nothing less from this competition," Momo rested a hand on her hip, "I look forward to facing you!"

"Uraraka?" Bakugo made a face at the final match-up of "URARAKA VS BAKUGO", "Who the hell's that?"

Ochaco gasped a little at that, staring at him in disbelief.

"Okay, let's press pause for a momentary interlude! Before the battles begin, it's time for some pulse-pounding side games! First, how about a scavenger hunt?"

The students started to scatter around the field as they played the side games before the main event would take place.

Chapter Text

"Thank you, Cementoss!"

The teacher in question gave a wave as he finished crafting the arena for the final tournament for the sports festival.

"I-I should get going..." Izuku stood up from his seat in the spectator section for Class 1-A.

"Hey, Deku!" Ochaco beamed as she gave him a thumbs up, "Do your best, okay?"

Alphonse smiled as he waved at him, "We'll be cheering you on from up here!"

"Yeah - just be careful, alright?" Edward frowned slightly, "And remember what I told you."

"R-Right...!" Izuku nodded as he started to walk away.

"Hey, sports fans - are ya ready? After all the action you've already witnessed, it's time for the real battles to begin! Can ya feel the excitement?! Our competitors are on their own now! Sometimes, Heroes have only themselves to rely on! Heart. Skill. Strength. Wisdom. Courage. They'll have to use all of these things to rise to the top!"

Alphonse turned to Edward, "Do you think he'll be alright, Brother?"

"As long as he keeps that guy's Quirk in mind..." The older alchemist narrowed his eyes, "Izuku should be just fine..."

"Alright, audience!" The torches around the arena lit up as Present Mic spoke, "Let's cut to the good stuff and not delay these finals any longer - welcome our first fighters!" A screen displayed an image of the two students, "Whoa, he looks kinda scared in that picture, doesn't he? It's Izuku Midoriya from the Hero course!"

"Go, Izuku, go!" Alphonse cheered from the stands.

Edward cupped his hands around his mouth, "You can beat him, Izuku!"

"Versus... Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies, who really hasn't done anything to stand out yet. The rules are simple: immobilize your opponent, or force them outta the ring! You can also win by getting the other person to cry uncle! Bring on the injuries, 'cause we've got our very own Recovery Girl and Starbound waitin' on standby! So put your morals aside and don't be afraid to play dirty!"

"Um..." Alphonse leaned closer to Tsuyu while discreetly glancing at Bakugo, "Should he really be endorsing that...?"

"But of course, no life-threatening crap, folks. It's not allowed! Real Heroes use their power to throw Villains in jail, not KILL them!"

Cementoss held up a hand as he sat in a stone chair he'd made, "I'll stop anyone who tries to get too rough."

"Looks like they're prepared, ribbit."

Alphonse sighed in relief, "That's a little reassuring, at least..."

"Ready?!"

Edward leaned forward, watching closely as Izuku and Hitoshi were staring at each other. It looked like Hitoshi was speaking to Izuku, though what exactly he was saying was unclear, Damn... If only we got to hear the fighters...! Or if they'd at least speak up...!

"Begin!"

The alchemist's ear twitched, and he growled as he focused in on Hitoshi, "He just called me short...!"

Alphonse just sighed as he rubbed his face, "Brother, please, we can't even hear them-"

Izuku started to run towards Hitoshi while shouting something, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Gah, no!" Edward gripped his head as he stood up, "I told him not to reply...!!!"

"Huh?! Hey, hey, what's the dealio?! This is the first match! It should start out with a bang!"

"Snap outta it! Hey!" Edward gripped the seat in front of him as some of his classmates stood up as well, "Izuku!"

"The fight has just begun and Izuku Midoriya is... Completely frozen?! He's not moving a muscle! And what's with that look on his face? Could this be a Quirk at work?! Hitoshi Shinso seems to have Izuku Midoriya completely stunned!"

Alphonse frowned with concern, "Oh, Izuku...!"

"He didn't stand out in the first rounds at all, but it's possible Shinso's crazy powerful! Who could've imagined this turn of events?! That's the Festival for ya!" Present Mic let out a laugh.

"This is a perfect example of why the entrance exam isn't rational."

Edward looked up at that, "What's Aizawa going on about...?"

"Huh? Why's that, Eraser?"

"Since we're on to the individual matches, I had some information compiled about our final competitors..." They could hear a light crinkling and shuffling of papers through the speakers, "Shinso failed the practical exam to get into the Hero course."

"Wait..." Alphonse focused on Hitoshi, "He wanted to be in the Hero course...?"

"Ah, wait-!" They could hear May hit her palm like a gavel as she spoke, "I think I remember seeing him now...!"

Aizawa went on with his explanation, "Since he also applied for general studies, he probably figured that would happen. His Quirk is incredibly strong, but that entrance test consisted of fighting faux Villains - robots. It gave a huge advantage to those who had physical superpowers they could show off."

"But it also made his Quirk useless against them..." Edward sat back down, leaning forward as he clasped his hands together.

"And even if he'd controlled other students to destroy the robots..." Alphonse frowned slightly, "They would've just been the ones to get the points, not him..."

"Despite his abilities, Shinso never stood a chance at passing."

Hitoshi said something, and in response Izuku turned around and started walking towards the edge of the arena.

"Uh - what?!" Present Mic let out a scream, "Midoriya's obeying him!"

Ochaco squeezed her hands together, "Oh no, Deku, what are you doing...?!"

"He can't walk out of the ring!" Tenya was quickly chopping his hands before he started to wave them around and make a "time-out" gesture as he spoke, "He'll lose the match if he does!"

"He doesn't exactly have a choice..." Edward gritted his teeth, "Dammit...!"

The crowd watched as Izuku's foot hovered over the boundary of the arena, waiting for it to touch the ground and officially end the match... Then suddenly, there was a gust of wind that blew around Izuku and kicked up a cloud of dust that spread outwards.

Alphonse leaned forward quickly, watching as Izuku started panting - and with both feet still inside the arena. The alchemist cheered, "Way to go, Izuku!"

"What's this?! Midoriya stopped just in time!"

Tenya threw his arms into the air as the rest of the crowd cheered, "That's the way to do it!"

"Whoa...!" Ochaco let out a sigh as she placed her hands over her chest, "I was about to freak out!"

They could hear Aizawa gasp before he spoke, "His fingers... He broke them in order to stop Shinso."

Alphonse squinted at that, gasping when he managed to notice the slight discoloration on part of Izuku's hand.

"Wait..." Edward frowned as Izuku clamped a hand over his own mouth, "How'd he do that if Hitoshi was controlling him...?"

"We can ask him when he wins...!" Alphonse cupped his hands around his mouth as Izuku ran up and started to shove Hitoshi, "You can do it, Izuku!"

"Oof!" Edward winced when Hitoshi punched the green-haired boy in the face, "Man, he can take a beating...!"

Alphonse clenched his hands together when Izuku got shoved to the side while the other boy stepped away from the edge. The young alchemist tensed up slightly when Hitoshi started to shove Izuku closer to the edge, "C'mon, Izuku...!"

They could faintly hear Izuku shout in pain as he grabbed Hitoshi's arm, then they all gasped when the green-haired boy flung him over his head, Hitoshi's back bouncing against the boundary.

Midnight flung her arm into the air, "Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next match!"

"WOO!" Edward grinned while the crowd cheered, "Way to go, Izuku!"

"And with that expertly performed throw, we have our first victor of the finals! Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya!"

"Ugh," Ochaco sighed as she plopped back into her seat, "that was so nerve-wracking!"

Tenya grinned as he watched the field, "Turning the tables at the last moment - a classic Midoriya maneuver!"

Denki grinned as he turned to Bakugo, "He's pulled that shoulder throw on you before, huh?"

"Shut your damn face, Sparky." Denki's face fell as Bakugo snapped while staring at Izuku.

"Oh, yeah!" The screen switched from the nervous-looking image of Izuku to Present Mic as the Pro Hero spoke, "That was actually kind of a boring first match, kids." He wagged his finger at the camera as the two got up to stand in the middle of the arena, "But both of you fought bravely! Let's show them some love, everyone!"

Alphonse leaned his cheek against his hand as Hitoshi started to walk towards one of the exits from the field, "He looks kinda dejected, doesn't he...?"

"That seems only natural," Tenya chopped his hand, "he did lose, after all."

"You were awesome out there, Shinso!"

They looked over at that, seeing some of the other General Studies students leaning over the wall to address Hitoshi.

One of the girls waved her hand, "We're proud a' you!"

"You didn't tell us you were that good!"

"You really showed 'em what you were made of, Shinso!" Ling hopped onto the wall, his legs dangling over the ledge as he grinned down at his classmate, "Next time, I could see you making it all the way to champ!"

"Yeah, you're the star of our program!"

"I can't believe you put up such a great fight against the dude who was in first place earlier!"

Alphonse smiled slightly, "He was rather impressive."

"... Yeah," Edward sighed, "I guess I'd be cheerin' for the guy if he wasn't going against one of my friends."

One of Hitoshi's classmates jabbed a thumb towards the section the visiting Heroes were sitting in, "Listen to them!"

"With a Quirk like that," a Hero that looked something like a humanoid dinosaur with a skull on his head crossed his arms, "it would be very simple to capture dangerous Villains. Wish I had it..."

A woman sitting beside him that was wearing a mask with smiling faces on it held up a hand, "I can't believe they stuck him in General Studies - those idiots."

"Well, there are a ton of applicants each year. Some of them probably just slip through the cracks."

"Shinso, you hear that? It's great! They think you're incredible!"

Hitoshi stared up at his classmates for a moment, "... Depending on the results, they might transfer people into the Hero course. Remember that. Even if it didn't work out this time, I'm not giving up. I'll get onto the Hero track, get certified, and then, I'll become a better Pro than any of you...!"

Ling smiled down at him, "That you will, Shinso!" He leaned his cheek against his hand, "Be sure to let me mooch off of your success, yeah?"

"Don't do that!" Edward waved his hands to Hitoshi while Ling laughed, "He'll give you a food bill so big your grandkids will be payin' it off!"

Izuku nodded to Hitoshi and seemed to make a soft reply, then gasped when his expression suddenly went blank.

"Wh-" Edward groaned, "Izuku...!"

Hitoshi chuckled, "You know, usually people tense up whenever they talk to me..." He glanced over his shoulder at Izuku as the other boy seemed to regain his senses, "If you're not on guard, someone's going to defeat you. So be careful. You better not lose and make me look bad."

Izuku nodded, "I won't!"

Edward gripped the sides of his head when the green-haired boy got yet another blank expression on his face, "Stop FALLING for it!"

"Ah, there you are Deku!" Ochaco waved as Izuku walked back into the bleachers, "You did good!"

"Yeah!" Edward grinned, offering a fist bump, "Great job breaking out of that mind control!"

Tenya pointed to a spot next to himself, "Come on down here - we saved a seat for you!"

"Ha! Thanks, guys!" Izuku walked over, returning Edward's offered fist bump before sitting down.

Alphonse leaned forward slightly, "How are your fingers holding up...?"

"O-Oh, they're fine...!" Izuku held up his hand, "Your mom's Quirk is really something...!"

"Wait, Deku! Did you already know their mom's the new nurse here? Why didn't you guys tell us?!"

Alphonse smiled placatingly, "Sorry, Ochaco - it must've just slipped our minds!"

"Besides, Izuku visits the nurse more than any of us," Edward grinned as he ruffled Izuku's head, "isn't that right?"

"E-Edward...!"

The torches around the arena lit up again, "Enough standing around! Now welcome to the ring, our next players!" The screens flashed to show the second set of fighters, "He showed some real acrobatic talent, and seems to have some sorta dynamic with students in the Hero course! From the General Studies course, it's Ling Yao!"

"You got this, class rep!" Some of the students from 1-C cheered at Ling, "Show us what you're made of!"

Alphonse turned to Edward, "Do you think Ling stands a chance, Brother?"

"Dunno... He doesn't exactly have any weapons, and with Shoto's ice..."

"Versus, an early front-runner in the competition who's way too strong for his own good! Someone who rightfully got into the Hero course based on recommendations! It's Shoto Todoroki! And now, for the second match of the finals. Ready?!"

Ling smiled, crossing his arms, "Don't hold back, Todoroki! I wanna see what you've got."

"Hm."

"Begin!"

The young emperor leapt into the air, quickly descending onto Shoto with an axe kick.

"What an opening move from Yao!"

Shoto grunted as he brought his left arm up to catch Ling's foot against his forearm, swinging his right hand and creating a wave of ice.

Ling hooked his knee around Shoto's arm, swinging himself around to stay out of the ice's way, "Fancy trick!" He jammed his elbow into the dual-toned boy's hip, unwrapping his leg from the other boy's arm as he struck at his elbow.

"And now he's sticking close to Todoroki in an attempt to avoid getting iced! It's like he's a seasoned veteran at fighting!!!"

"C'mon, I said not to hold back!" Ling opened one eye a crack, "I saw those flames during the cavalry battle. Bakugo's little explosion made sure I had the opening for it." He ducked below a swing, turning it into a sweeping motion with his leg.

His opponent moved his right leg into the sweep, "Apologies."

Ice was sliding across the ground and encased the emperor's leg before climbing up the rest of his body until only his head was uncovered. The ice kept going, freezing over half of the stadium and nearly freezing the audience in the process.

"GAH-!" Edward leaned back, staring at a shard of ice that was mere inches from his face, "What the HELL, Peppermint?!"

Ling smiled calmly, "Overselling it a touch, aren't you? You must get along great with Edward!"

Midnight was shivering, the right half of her body encased in ice from the attack, "Tell the truth, Yao... Can you move at all?"

"Not one bit!" Ling was still smiling, as if he didn't even care that he was encased in ice, "So unless Todoroki wants to be nice and unfreeze me, he wins!"

"Yao has been immobilized! Todoroki advances to the second round!"

"Sorry about that." Shoto walked towards Ling as part of the audience started to call out "nice try" to the loser, "It was a bit much." He pressed a hand against Ling's chest, steam rising as the ice started to slowly melt, "I was angry, is all."

"No hard feelings! About this," Ling opened one eye a crack, "or about you holding back."

"I didn't-"

"Hold back on your ice? No doubt about that!" Ling shut his eye again, "Luckily, I don't care when people half-ass things."

Shoto narrowed his eyes, keeping silent as he continued to melt the ice.

"Hey...!" Edward's teeth were chattering slightly when he saw Shoto while walking Alphonse to the field, "You nearly froze my face off with that attack! What gives, Peppermint?!"

"... Sorry, I got carried away." The dual-toned boy went to walk past, "I was just angry."

"What, did the idiot say something stupid?"

"Brother!" Alphonse lightly slapped his shoulder, "Don't say things like that about our friend."

"Eh, he doesn't care!" Edward picked his ear casually.

"No, it wasn't anything Yao said."

Edward raised a brow, then turned to his brother, "You should hurry, Al - don't wanna miss your fight."

"Right!"

"Good luck!" Edward grinned as he waved him off, "I wanna see if I can finally beat you!"

Shoto glanced at him as Alphonse disappeared from view, "... You two are close."

"Yeah, well, he's my brother." The alchemist shrugged casually while folding his hands behind his head, "I'd do anything for him."

"... Right."

"So. You gonna tell me what's got you pissed, or do I gotta guess?"

Shoto made no response as he continued walking.

"Alright, guessing then. Is it your bastard of an old man?"

He clenched his left fist, "Yes."

Edward sighed while glancing down at his hand, "Listen, Shoto... You can't let your old man keep the monopoly on your Quirk. Remember what I said to you earlier?"

"I don't know how you see it that way," Shoto held up his left hand, "this power... It came from him."

"... You know, I got my Quirk from my old man too. Real bastard - walked out on us when me and Al were little. He had his reasons, and he's tryin' to get back into our lives... But I didn't know that when I was little. All I knew was that he left without saying goodbye."

Shoto slowed down, raising a brow slightly at Edward but keeping silent.

"When I found out that I could do what he did, you know what I did with it?" Edward held up his right hand, staring at the palm for a moment before clenching it into a fist, "I took it for myself. I didn't sit around treatin' it like it was his power, because it wasn't. Not so long as I was the one using it." He turned to Shoto, "Your Quirk, your fire and ice together - it's an amazing Quirk! Seriously. And what do you think all those people will believe when they see you using them both? That your old man's the amazing one? Nah..." Edward grinned wide, "They'll be saying that about YOU. Hell, they'll probably forget all about him! All he's got is fire and a lousy personality."

Shoto watched him for a moment, processing the words, "... Why are you so set on doing this for me?"

"I have a vendetta against dads who are bastards. Also bastards who use fire," Edward shrugged, offering another grin, "and you seem like a cool guy. Now c'mon, Peppermint, or we're gonna completely miss out on watchin' the fights."

"... Hm." Shoto nodded slightly, walking after Edward.

"Welcome back to the finals, everyone!"

Alphonse walked onto the field as Present Mic made his announcements over the cheering crowd.

"Sorry for that long wait - the insane amount of ice from the second match has finally been cleared, though, so it's time to welcome new competitors!" The torches ignited once again, "His amazing Quirk and exceptional teamwork has kept him in the top five for the entire tournament so far! From Class 1-A's Hero course, it's Alphonse Elric-Shimura!"

Alphonse smiled at the crowd, waving as he stepped into the arena.

"Versus his classmate with the electric personality that immobilized the competition! Another Hero in the making, Denki Kaminari!"

Denki grinned, waving to the crowd as he approached the center of the arena.

"Keep those eyes peeled! I wanna see a super-flashy battle this time! Ready?!"

Alphonse took a deep breath, taking a battle-ready stance.

"Begin!"

"Sorry, Present Mic!" Denki's body started to course with electricity, "This is all gonna be over in two seconds! Indiscriminate Shock, one point three million volts!"

Alphonse clapped his hands and placed them against the ground, a stone dome forming around himself that the discharge electricity passed over before a stone fist shot out from underneath Denki, launching him into the air.

"WEH???" Denki flew through the air, a vacant expression on his face as he landed in the grass.

There was a beat of silence before a hole formed in the dome, Alphonse poking his head out, "Um..." He blinked a few times, turning to Midnight.

"Kaminari was just tossed like a softball! That battle was over in a flashy instant!!!"

"You did ask for a flashy battle."

"Now you're making quips, Eraser Head?!"

"Kaminari is out of bounds!" Midnight flicked her whip towards Alphonse, "Elric-Shimura advances on!"

The crowd cheered as Alphonse returned the field to normal before going back to the viewing area.

"Hell yeah!" Edward grinned as he leaned back, "That's my little brother for ya!"

Ochaco smiled, then blinked and glanced to the side when she heard Izuku mumbling.

The green-haired boy was analyzing the field closely while writing something in a banged-up notebook, "I've seen Kaminari in action - he's super strong. But Alphonse was one of the top-ranked students in the entrance exam. Not to mention the versatility of his Quirk..."

"Uh..." Edward blinked while staring at Izuku in alarm along with the rest of the class, practically seeing the words floating out of Izuku's mouth.

"He's very analytical... He probably devised a strategy against Kaminari the moment he saw his Quirk in action. Kaminari might've had a better chance trying to get closer to Alphonse and stunning him rather than delivering an all-out attack, but it's just as likely that Alphonse would've seen that coming and stopped him... Really, Kaminari didn't stand a chance. So what would be a good counter to Alphonse, then...? Immobilizing one of his arms so he can't clap? Blinding him? Separating him from the ground is a good option, but how is the question..."

Ochaco smiled a little awkwardly, "Maybe you should take a sec to relax before planning too many matches ahead."

Izuku yelped, nearly tossing the notebook into the air, "O-Oh, sorry! Sometimes I don't realize I'm talking out loud when I'm taking notes!" He looked down awkwardly, "It's not every day I get to see incredible Quirks on display like this! Even if Alphonse is a classmate, seeing him and everyone else like this is amazing...!"

"So," Edward leaned forward, "are you just studying my brother, or...?"

"Oh, actually, I've been taking notes on everybody in our class! Your Alchemy is shared under Alphonse's," Izuku flipped through a few pages before holding it up to Ochaco, "but here's what I've got on your Zero Gravity!"

"Uh-!" Ochaco stared in surprise for a moment before chuckling and smiling, "Y'know, Deku, I've always known that you're amazing. You've got so much drive and focus in you! And the sports festival's reminding me of that."

Edward tried to take a peek at the notebook, "Yeah, Izuku, these are really detailed...! You notice all this stuff about us?"

"Uh-"

"Let's keep pumpin' out these hits and move on! Time for the fourth match!"

"Oh, we made it back in time!"

Edward glanced over, grinning wide, "Al! Hey, great job out there!"

Denki pouted as he slumped into his seat, "I should've known better than to open with a finisher...!"

Alphonse smiled placatingly as he sat down, "Don't worry, Denki! I'm sure you'll get me next time."

"Uh, most people don't encourage their own defeat, y'know..."

"Get ready to watch two new players duke it out! He's the kid with engines in his legs - Tenya Iida from the Hero course! Versus... A fully-equipped gadget dynamo - the support course's Mei Hatsume!"

Kyoka leaned forward slightly, "So it's Hero class versus support."

Tsuyu pressed a finger to her chin, "I have no idea what this fight will look like."

"Uh..." Edward blinked a few times, a dumbfounded look on his face as he pointed at Tenya and leaned in close to try and listen in to the arena, "Anybody gonna talk about his getup...?"

Sato leaned forward to point as well, "Where the heck did he get all that weird gear from?!"

Midnight stepped forward on her podium, "Hero course students can't use support gear unless they have to. And you didn't fill out any of the proper paperwork for that!"

Tenya gasped, "I didn't know that was the rule! Aoyama got to wear his belt, so I thought it was fine-!"

Alphonse glanced over at the sparkly student as he casually pointed at his belt.

"He turned in the proper forms."

"I apologize, ma'am." Tenya bowed deeply, "It's just that, my heart was moved by my opponent's sportsmanship."

Edward raised a brow, leaning in closer.

"Even though she's from the support course, she wanted this to be as even a match as possible since she made it this far. To have a fair fight! So, she offered to give me this equipment." Tenya clenched his fist, "I respect her integrity! That's why, to honor her, I would like to wear this gear!"

"Such youthful vigor!" Midnight giggled for a brief moment before flicking her whip towards him, "I'll allow it."

"Really?"

They could hear Aizawa sigh, "I guess if everyone's in agreement, then it's okay. Right?"

"Uh..." Edward leaned in closer to Izuku, "She was on your team, right? Does this sound like something she'd do...?"

"W-Well..."

"Well, if everyone's on the same page, let's begin the fourth match!"

Mei watched as Tenya ran straight for her, then suddenly they could hear her voice throughout the entire stadium, "Bet you love how fast that gear makes you! Huh, Iida?"

"Hey, now-"

They could hear suspicion in Aizawa's voice as he spoke, "Is she wearing speakers?"

"... Oh boy." Izuku started to sweat slightly, "She's really doing that, isn't she...?"

"What?" Edward whipped his head over to him, "Doing what???"

"Don't your legs feel lighter than usual? That's to be expected! I designed those leg parts specifically to increase the wearer's speed and mobility! But of course..." A set of poles launched out of Mei's backpack, lifting her into the air and incidentally tripping Tenya, "I can easily evade you with my hydraulic attachments!"

Tenya turned quickly, charging Mei from behind as she landed back on the ground.

Before he could catch her, however, another pole shot out and lifted her out of the way, "Since I've got sensors in every direction, it's impossible for an opponent to sneak up on me!"

Tenya yelped as he almost landed face-first on the ground, only for the strange winged contraption on his back to shift and keep him upright, turning him back around to run at Mei.

"Look at how adeptly Iida just changed his course!" Mei spread her hands wide, "It's all thanks to the ingenious auto-balancer I created!"

Present Mic sounded far less energetic than usual, "This is weird."

"She's turning the festival into one big commercial."

Edward made a face, "Is... Is she using Tenya for product placements...?!"

"That..." Izuku nodded slowly, "That sounds like Hatsume..."

"There's absolutely no lag time! The auto-balancer is equipped with a custom 32-axis gyro sensor!"

Tenta screamed when the device kept him upright after he tripped, spinning like a top while skirting the edge of the arena.

"As you can see, it can keep the user from falling unless they actually want to!"

Tenya got close enough for Mei's mic to pick up his voice, "I thought you said you wanted this to be a fair fight...?!"

Mei simply laughed as she jumped high above his head, "That's right, I'm practically flying through the air!" She pointed at her feet, "These electro shoes use electromagnetic induction on both feet. They're perfect for evasive maneuvers or just keeping things light!"

Her walking advertisement started to charge forward while she descended, "As soon as she lands I'll stop her-!"

Mei spun around as she landed, firing a red net from a gun. She turned around and held it up while Tenya struggled on the ground, "A capture gun to use against Villains! The nets are loaded into small cartridges, you can fire up to five before having to reload!"

"... Is Winry's fight gonna be like this...?" Alphonse was just staring in shock as he spoke, unable to look away.

Momo suddenly looked very concerned at that thought, glancing over at the support course and noticing how Winry seemed to be gushing over every displayed intention.

"And all of these items were developed by yours truly - Mei Hatsume, Support Course prodigy! So, to any support companies out there looking for strong new recruits, the choice is clear. You want me! Again, I'm Mei Hatsume, that's H-A-T-S-U-M-E! And now, let me introduce you to a few more of my babies!"

Edward gripped his head, "There's MORE...?! How many things did she MAKE?!"

The audience continued to watch as, for the next ten minutes, Mei showed off gadget after device on poor Tenya.

Eventually, she simply walked out of bounds while wiping her forehead, "Whew! That was fun, but I think now I've shown off everything I wanted to. I suppose it's time for me to wrap this show up."

"Uh, Hatsume stepped out of bounds," Midnight quickly raised her hand before flicking her whip at Tenya, "so Iida advances to the next round!"

Tenya gripped his head in both hands, "I can't believe I let you trick me!!!"

"Sorry about that." Mei smiled as she looked away, "I needed to use you to make a name for myself."

Izuku trembled slightly, "Iida's so sincere he trusted her motives... She probably made it sound like she was doing him a favor. She's so driven... Straightforward about her goals..."

"Uh, Izuku?"

Izuku didn't notice Edward trying to get his attention or Ochaco getting up from her seat and walking away, "And from what I can tell, she'll pretty much do whatever it takes to reach them. Amazing..."

Chapter Text

"We're gonna charge right along to the fifth match, and it's a battle between Hero classes for this one! In this corner it's a deadly assassin from 1-B, it's Lan Fan!"

The retainer bowed to the crowd before turning to her opponent.

"Is..." Denki slowly raised a finger, "Is she not gonna fight the assassin comment, or-"

"Versus... Class 1-A's very own amphibious classmate! It's Tsuyu Asui!"

"Ribbit," Tsuyu nodded to Lan Fan, "good luck."

"And you as well."

"Hey, Lan Fan!" Ling smiled wide, "You got this!"

Lan Fan gave him a bow, "Thank you, Milord."

Denki blinked a few times, "Sorry, did she say Milord-?"

"You got this, Tsu!" Mina grinned as she pumped her fists, "Kick her butt!"

"Neither of you hold back!" They all glanced back at Mineta, "Fight like it's one of those games where the clothes come off!!!"

Kyoka made a face, "You pervert!"

Edward made a face as well, clapping his hands as he stared back at him.

"Huh-?" Mineta let out a scream when his chair suddenly folded up on him as alchemical energy coursed over it.

"HA!" Kyoka grinned, "Serves you right!" She turned to the alchemist, "Nice goin' there."

"Heh, thanks!" Edward grinned back, cracking the knuckles on his good hand before turning back to the stage.

"Let's see..." Izuku analyzed his notebook, "Asui-"

Alphonse leaned over, "Tsuyu."

"R-Right-!" Tsuyu has better range with her tongue, unless Lan Fan has a Quirk she hasn't shown off yet... The two are about equally skilled when it comes to maneuverability, so it all comes down to who can overpower who..."

"LAN FAN!" Tetsutetsu pumped his fists while leaning over the wall, "Show 'em what Class 1-B is made of!!!"

"Now let's get started! Fifth match... Begin!"

Tsuyu immediately squatted down, opening her mouth wide as her tongue darted out towards Lan Fan, "Ribbit!"

Lan Fan quickly maneuvered around the tongue even as it chased after her, eventually flipping over Tsuyu's head and landing behind her.

"Ribbit!" The frog-like girl leapt forward, turning in midair and trying to grab Lan Fan with her tongue again.

The retainer narrowed her eyes, sliding so it would just barely miss her before grabbing it in both hands. She spun for a moment, then flung Tsuyu towards the edge of the arena.

Tsuyu turned in the air, then stuck her tongue to the ground and reeled herself in just before she flew out of bounds. She looked up as she drew her tongue back in before jumping out of the way of a punch from Lan Fan at the last second.

Lan Fan narrowed her eyes as she stared down the frog-like girl, "Impressive... Not many can evade my attacks."

"You're not too bad yourself, ribbit." Tsuyu bent down, then leapt at Lan Fan and wrapped her limbs around the other girl as she clung to her back.

Lan Fan grunted, prying Tsuyu's limbs off of herself before finally managing to pin her to the ground, the frog-like girl's head resting just outside of the arena.

"Asui is out of bounds!" Midnight flicked her whip upwards while holding a hand out to Lan Fan, "Therefore, Fan moves on to the next round!"

"Yet another fight with no flash to it, but interesting nonetheless!"

Alphonse cupped his hands around his mouth, "You fought well, Tsuyu!"

"Hahaha! Looks like that fight showed who's really superior between 1-A and 1-B!"

Edward groaned as he looked up, spotting Neito peering over the wall dividing them, "Don't you have something better to do, ya little weirdo...?!"

"Lan Fan won because she worked hard for it," Alphonse glanced up at the still-laughing student, "and Tsuyu worked hard as well. They should both be congratulated for making it this far."

"Bold words from someone who got an easy win out of his own classmate!"

Denki growled, "Hey-!"

"MONOMA!" May leapt from her seat, kicking him in the back of the head before landing on the wall and pointing at him, "Don't you DARE insult my boyfriend's ability again!"

"I still can't believe you'd align yourself with the likes of them, Chang! They're our sworn enem-!"

A ginger-haired girl walked up and chopped Neito in the back of the neck, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and waving to 1-A, "Sorry 'bout him. C'mon, May."

"Thank you, Itsuka! Honestly, this boy..." May hopped down from the wall.

Most of 1-A stared up at the wall as the two disappeared from sight, all thinking the same thing, Man, I hate that guy.

"Lemme out...!" Mineta waved a hand, "Are there any panties...?!"

"Mineta," Alphonse turned around with a serious tone to his voice, "if you don't learn to be respectful to your female peers, I will take corrective action into my own hands."

"Now, let's not let this hot streak cool! Time to move on to the sixth match!"

"Ack, that's me-!" Edward ran off while waving a hand over his shoulder, "Wish me luck! Oh - hey Tsuyu! Nice fight! Gotta go!"

"Hey Ed. Good luck, ribbit."

Alphonse smiled as he looked over his shoulder, "Tsuyu! You were great out there - sorry you didn't beat Lan Fan."

"It's okay." Tsuyu took her seat next to him, "I'm just proud of making it this far."

"Hey, that's great!" Alphonse smiled wider, "It's always nice to appreciate what you have."

Kyoka leaned over to Alphonse, "So who are you rooting for in this match, anyways? Your brother or your girlfriend?"

The alchemist turned to her with a smile, "I just want them both to do their best! I'm rooting for both of them - they both deserve a chance to proceed!"

Tsuyu knocked her head to the side, "You're a real nice guy, Alphonse."

"Yeah!" Mina grinned as she leaned over their seats, "You're like, one of the most pleasant guys I know!"

"Aww, you guys...!" Alphonse rubbed his neck as he squinted happily, "Thank you! That means a lot to me."

"This fight's gonna be another battle of the Hero course classes! In this corner, we've got another front-runner for the tournament thus far who's also the one who got the highest score on the Hero course entrance exams! It's Edward Elric-Shimura of Class 1-A!"

Edward grinned as he ran into the arena, waving to the cheering crowd.

"And in this corner, we've got an up-and-coming Hero from Class 1-B who was the knight on Elric-Shimura's team in the last game! It's May Chang!"

"CHANG!" Tetsutetsu waved his arms, "Beat his ass! Show the world that 1-B can make it all the way to the end!"

"I'll try my best, Tetsutetsu!" May waved to him before turning to Edward.

"Ready?! Fight!"

Edward clapped before sliding his left hand over his automail arm, extending a dulled arm blade as he transmuted the surface of the carbon fiber into graphene while he ran towards May with a shout.

May ran forward as well, jumping into the air and delivering a flurry of kicks, "No flashy tricks, alchemist?!"

"Wouldn't be fair if you can't use your alkahestry as freely as my alchemy!" Edward grinned as he repositioned his automail to take the blows before swiping at her.

"Don't do me any favors!" She jumped off of his arm, spinning in the air before landing on the ground and pulling out a knife with each hand, "Or I just might leave you in the dust!"

"I wouldn't bet on it!" Edward ran forward again, swinging his right arm towards her.

May grinned as she lifted a dagger up to catch his arm, "Oh really?" She quickly drew a star on the ground, dropping some daggers onto the points before pressing her foot against it.

The alchemist's eyes went wide, and he quickly jumped back with a shout as a stone hand emerged from the center of the array and reached for him, "Nice try...!"

"I'm only getting started!" The princess recollected her knives as she ran forward, stowing most of them away before swinging two daggers at him interchangeably.

Edward slowly stepped away from her as he deflected each blow with his own blade, glancing back as he was pushed towards the edge of the arena, Okay, just a little more...!

"Alright!" May jumped into a kick towards Edward's chest.

He just grinned, grabbing her foot and tossing her behind himself.

"No-!" May's eyes went wide as she skidded along the ground, her foot sliding out of bounds.

Midnight raised her hand while flicking her whip towards Edward, "Chang is out of bounds, Elric-Shimura moves on to the next round!"

"CHANG, NOOO!" Tetsutetsu gripped his head as he screamed before leaning over the wall, "You were meant to beat himmm!!!"

"Hell yeah!" Edward grinned, transmuting his automail back to normal before he offered his hand to May, "Hey, nice fight!"

"You too." May smiled as she shook his hand, "But next time, I'll beat you!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Another fight with little flash!!! Hopefully that changes soon, right Eraser?!"

"I honestly do not care."

"Anyways, let's get ready for the next fight!"

Momo stood up, "That's my cue - I should prepare for my fight."

"Good luck!" Alphonse smiled wide, "Do your best!"

She smiled back at him before walking for the arena.

As Edward walked back in and took a seat, Present Mic started his announcement, "In this corner, we've got the great creator! She got admitted into the Hero course because of recommendations, and I think we can all see why! From Class 1-A, it's Momo Yaoyorozu!"

"Let's go, Yaoyorozu!" Mina grinned as she pumped her fists, "Clear this stage with ease!"

"Say, Brother," Alphonse glanced at Edward, "did you see where Ochaco went...?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Edward jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, "she's in that waiting area we were all in earlier, mentally preparing for her fight against Cherry Bomb."

"The hell did you call me, Shorty?!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING-?!"

"Brother, Bakugo," Alphonse turned to face them, eyebrow twitching as he gave them a menacing smile, "if you two try to start a fight here in the stands, I WILL find a way to get you out of this competition."

"But Al, he-!"

"Brother."

Edward huffed, crossing his arms while grumbling and sinking into his seat.

"Versus... Another gearhead from the Support course, it's Winry Rockbell! Let's see if this match turns into another commercial!"

"Please don't encourage it."

Winry stepped onto the field, grinning wide and her goggles covering her eyes. She was wearing a multitude of devices, the functions of which they could only guess at.

"Ready?! Begin!"

Winry tapped her ear before spreading her arms wide, "Apologies in advance, but I'd like to take this time to show off some of my own mechanical marvels!"

"... Don't say it, Eraser."

"You jinxed it."

"I said don't say it!"

"Oh, no..." Momo's shoulders slouched, her palm lighting up as she created a staff, "Can we please just have a normal fight...?"

"This will be quick, I promise!" The mechanic laughed, "And a fight's the best way to show off my babies!"

Edward rested his face in his hands, "I knew that gearhead was gonna get carried away...!"

"If I can just take you out," Momo ran forward, her staff at the ready, "this can be over quickly-!"

"When facing an armed opponent, you want a way to deal with them quickly! For that, I recommend this," Winry lifted her right arm to show off a metallic glove covering her hand and forearm, "a super-magnet launcher! Simply aim and with a press of a button," she pointed her arm towards Momo, pressing a button and firing a small disc that latched onto her staff, "the magnet sticks to their weapon! Now, to disarm!" Winry pressed another button, smiling wide.

"Ack-!" Momo gripped the staff in both hands, her feet getting dragged along the ground towards Winry as the Hero student struggled to pull on her weapon. After a moment, the staff was flung from her hands and pulled directly into Winry's waiting palm.

"Tada!" Winry grabbed the staff in her other hand, showing it off, "And as you may see, the magnet is no longer attached to the staff! Why? Because once it comes into contact with the glove, it releases the weapon and gets reloaded back into the launcher! For ease of storage, the launcher can hold up to three magnets at a time!"

"If you're going to fight with a magnet," Momo narrowed her eyes, creating another staff that was a slightly different color, "then I just need to fight with a non-magnetic metal...!"

"Clever thinking! That's an important quality in an inventor - but it's also important to believe that your opponent will be clever as well!" Winry pressed a button on her shoulder, a small cannon extending from her backpack. It took aim at the end of Momo's staff, then fired a ball of foam.

"What the-?!" Momo jolted as the foam connected to the bottom of her staff and the floor, grunting as she tried to pull it up, "Why can't I...?!"

"That's fast-acting capture foam! It converts into a solid with the durability of concrete the moment it makes an impact against a solid object!" Winry snapped her fingers, "Perfect for capturing Villains or sealing off a leak!"

Momo gritted her teeth, releasing the staff before making a bident with blunt points and tossing it towards Winry.

"Of course, you need to consider defense as well!" Winry raised her left arm to show off a bracer. She pressed a button on the inside of her forearm, and a large shield emerged to deflect the thrown weapon off of it, "A lightweight yet durable shield, which can be deployed at a moment's notice! This way, when not in use, it isn't getting in the way of whatever else you may be attempting to do!"

The Hero student ran towards her as a shield emerged from her own arm, holding it in front of herself.

Winry took a few steps back, firing the capture foam as she did.

Momo moved her shield to catch the foam blasts, still charging, "Even if the foam has the durability of concrete when solidified, it's still lightweight! Otherwise you wouldn't be able to lug it around!"

"That's right! Thank you for noticing!"

"Sorry, Rockbell," Momo used her own shield to bash Winry's to the side, her exposed stomach revealing a cannon, "but I need to move on!"

Winry's eyes went wide as the cannon fired a net that wrapped around her tightly. She struggled slightly as she fell to the ground.

"Rockbell, are you able to free yourself?"

"No, Miss Midnight." The young mechanic sighed as she rested her head against the ground, "And I had so many more babies to show off...!"

"Rockbell has been immobilized!" Midnight flicked her whip towards Momo, "Meaning Yaoyorozu moves on to the next match!"

Tsuyu smiled, "Ribbit! Way to go, Yaoyorozu!"

Momo smiled, going to help release Winry from the net before offering a hand to help her up, "Your inventions are quite remarkable."

"Thank you!" Winry smiled wide, taking the offered hand and getting to her feet.

"Hey, Ochaco?" Alphonse cracked the door open, smiling softly, "We just wanted to wish you luck for your fight!"

She looked up with a nervous smile, "Hey, guys...!" She gripped her wrist tightly, "So I'm next... This is it," she looked down at her hands, "my fight."

"It'll be okay!" Tenya turned to Izuku as he rested a hand against his chest, "I don't think Bakugo would use the full power of his explosions on a girl," he held up his other hand to motion to Ochaco, "right?"

Izuku gave him a straight look, "Yeah, he would."

Ochaco whimpered slightly, giving a somewhat strained smile.

"Yeah..." Edward rubbed his neck, "Can't say I'm surprised..."

"And besides," Izuku furrowed his brow slightly as he spoke, "everyone's trying to get the top spot in these games. Even if she wasn't fighting Kacchan, I don't think anyone would hold back..."

"Izuku's right," Alphonse nodded firmly, "you can't expect anyone to go easy on you in here."

Izuku looked down, "You've helped me so much." He lifted up his beat-up notebook, "Maybe I can repay you a little bit with this." The green-haired boy held it out to Ochaco, "I've got a plan for how you can use your Quirk against Kacchan. It's not much, but I did my best."

Edward grinned, ruffling his friend's head, "Way to go, Izuku!"

"Hey!" Tenya smiled as he lifted his hands towards Izuku, "Well, alright!" He turned to Ochaco as he gave her two thumbs up, "This is perfect!"

"Thank you so much for doing that." Ochaco smiled gently as she pressed her fingertips together, "But, no - sorry."

Izuku pulled the notebook a little closer at that, "What?"

"Ochaco?" Alphonse's voice was laced with concern, "Are you sure?"

"You're wonderful, Deku." She turned back to look down at the table she was sitting at, "I keep seeing that over and over again... During the cavalry battle, I told you it was good to team up with friends. But now that I think about it, I might've been trying to rely on you to get by..." She clenched her fists tightly, "That's why when Iida said that he was trying his best to beat you," Ochaco slowly pushed herself onto her feet, "I actually felt kind of embarrassed for myself."

Izuku's face softened slightly, "Uraraka..."

"So it's fine..." Ochaco started to walk past them for the door, "Really."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with counting on your friends when you need help...!" Alphonse turned to Edward, "Right, Brother...?"

"Yeah, but..." The older alchemist crossed his arms with a sigh, "She's got a point. You gotta know how to stand on your own from time to time, or else when someone else tries to lean on you, you'll both fall."

Ochaco stopped at the door, looking up, "Everyone's facing their future and giving this their best. That means we're all rivals. Even you and me, Deku. So..." She turned to face them with a nervous smile as she gave a thumbs up, "Guess I'll see you in the finals...!"

Edward grinned, "That's the spirit!"

Alphonse sighed softly, giving her a smile back, "We believe in you, Ochaco - now go and beat Bakugo! We believe in you."

"It's time for the next battle!"

The crowd cheered as the screen changed for the next set of fighters.

"Ribbit." Tsuyu brought a finger to her chin, "This might be the most disturbing match-up."

"I know," Kyoka rubbed her arms nervously as she watched the field, "I almost don't wanna watch it..."

C'mon, Ochaco, Edward narrowed his eyes as he watched her walk onto the field, you can beat him...!

"The eighth and final battle in the first round of matches! He was kind of a hot shot in middle school, and just look at that determined face! From the Hero course, Katsuki Bakugo! Versus... The one I'm personally rooting for, also from Class 1-A, Ochaco Uraraka!"

As the crowd cheered, Alphonse leaned over to his brother, "Is he allowed to pick a side...?"

"He can when it's the correct choice!" Edward cupped his hands around his mouth, "Kick his ass, Ochaco!"

Tenya glanced at Izuku, "Midoriya."

"Huh?"

"I'm curious." Tenya chopped both hands upward, "What was that strategy you came up with that would give Uraraka an advantage against Bakugo?"

Edward looked at Izuku, leaning over, "Yeah, I'm curious too..."

"Honestly, it wasn't really much of a plan." Izuku lifted up his notebook to look at it, "Kacchan's so strong... When it comes to close combat, he almost never has any openings. And the more he moves, the more he sweats-"

Edward grimaced slightly, "Which just makes his Quirk more powerful, right...?"

"Exactly! He's gotten really good at using his explosions to move around in the air. But, if Uraraka is able to touch him, she can use her Quirk to make him float - she could send him out of bounds."

Alphonse rubbed his chin, "And even if he used his Quirk to try and maneuver himself around, it won't be the same as what he's used to... Even trying to attack her will move him in the opposite direction."

"That's why," Izuku nodded, "it's obvious what Uraraka needs to do to get the upper hand..."

"Let the eighth match... Begin!"

"Strike first!"

Ochaco ran towards Bakugo, keeping herself low to the ground as she held one hand at the ready.

Edward grinned, pumping his fist, "Lookit her go!"

"Go, Ochaco!" Alphonse cupped his hands around his mouth, "You can do it!"

"That's a good start," Izuku grinned, "and all she has to do is touch him one time!"

"But it won't be easy..." Tenya smiled nervously, "You know Bakugo's not gonna let her get too close to him."

The green-haired boy nodded, narrowing his eyes, "Which is why he won't budge - he'll focus his energy on counterattacking!"

There it is... Edward gripped his armrests as Bakugo pulled his right arm back, The right hook Izuku pointed out the other day...! So long as she can dodge it-

The moment Ochaco was within reach, Bakugo suddenly swung his arm downwards before swinging it back up towards her with a large explosion.

Tenya and Izuku both jolted, "Uraraka!"

"Ochaco!" Alphonse covered his mouth, "He changed it on her...!"

"He blasted her...!" Mineta ground his teeth.

"Ugh," Tsuyu brought a finger to her chin as she spoke while Kyoka covered her ears next to her, "looks like Bakugo's not planning on showing her any mercy."

"Should've expected that..." Edward glared at the smoke still covering part of the field, "He doesn't know what mercy is."

Bakugo stepped out of the smoke slightly, hands at the ready. He turned at the sight of a blue uniform, swinging his arm down on top of it with an explosion.

"Ochaco-!" Alphonse gasped when the smoke cleared, watching as Bakugo held down a discarded jacket, "Wait, where is...?"

Ochaco jumped out of the smoke directly behind Bakugo, one hand pulled back.

"Whoa! She flew her jacket over as a decoy! What incredibly quick thinking!"

"Hell yeah!" Edward grinned wide, throwing a punch in the air, "Show 'em what ya got, Ochaco!"

Bakugo spun around, swinging his arm as he set off another huge explosion that sent Ochaco flying along with some rubble created from the ground.

"Look at that reaction time!" Hanta leaned forward.

"Seriously," Denki grimaced slightly, "the dude's insane...! You can't get the drop on him. And since Uraraka can't use her Quirk unless she touches him, his lightning-fast reflexes put her at a huge disadvantage!"

Alphonse frowned slightly, watching as Ochaco landed just outside of the smoke. He gasped when Bakugo soon emerged from the cloud, swinging his arm again and catching her in an explosion while creating more rubble and smoke, "Ochaco...!"

As Bakugo watched the smoke, Ochaco darted out of another part of the growing cloud with a shout while she reached a hand towards him. He swung around to meet her head-on, creating another massive explosion as he did.

Tsuyu frowned slightly, "Is she okay?"

"I can't watch this...!" Kyoka's voice was muffled slightly as she covered her face with her hands.

"Like I always suspected," Mineta rested his chin on his clasped hands, "Bakugo's a total sadist."

Alphonse bit his lip, watching as Ochaco kept going after Bakugo even as he set off explosion after explosion, the cloud of smoke growing bigger as more of the arena got blown up.

"Looks like she's not resting between attacks despite being exploded. The poor girl..."

One of the visiting Heroes leaned over the wall, "Hey, shouldn't one of the teachers step in?"

"Yeah," the dinosaur-like Hero from before spoke up, "this is too rough."

"I don't like it..." Edward gritted his teeth as he watched Ochaco panting on the ground before she charged Bakugo again, "But Ochaco's not down yet - she's tough enough to win...!"

"This is shameful." Another Hero stood up while pointing in Bakugo's direction, "Listen, kid you really wanna be a Hero?" He waved his arm outwards, "Then stop acting like a bully - if you're so good, just send her out of bounds!" He started to give Bakugo two thumbs down as Bakugo threw another explosion, "Stop toying with the girl and end this match!"

"Yeah, you heard the guy!"

Alphonse looked around as the crowd started to boo, frowning slightly.

"The crowd is now booing Bakugo! And honestly, I kinda agree with what they're sayin-!" They could hear someone getting struck through the speakers, "Hey, whoa - what the crap?!"

Aizawa was clearly ignoring Present Mic, "Where is the man who started this uproar? Are you a Pro?"

"Huh?"

"Because if you're being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape - I'd suggest looking into another career."

Izuku blinked as he stared at the box Present Mic and Aizawa were sitting in, "You know what he's talking about?"

"Bakugo's fierceness is an acknowledgment of his opponent's strength. He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he's making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top."

"I, uh..." Edward blinked a few times, "I can't say I was expecting Aizawa to defend both of 'em at the same time."

"He's right, of course!" Alphonse stood up, shouting so he could be heard by the Pros, "Ochaco's very strong, and for you to discredit her by way of shaming Bakugo for not holding back is disgraceful!"

"A-A-Alphonse...!" Izuku quickly waved his hands, "D-Don't upset the Pros...!"

Kyoka blinked as she looked up at the alchemist, "I don't think I've ever heard you that upset..."

"My apologies," Alphonse huffed as he sat back down, "but I just can't stand it when people look down on others just because of who or what they are..."

Edward frowned as he watched Ochaco stare down Bakugo while she moved her hands closer together, her fingers spread out, "Wait... Isn't that what she does to cancel her Quirk?"

"Huh?" Izuku blinked a few times, "But she hasn't touched Kacchan yet... And even if she did, she wouldn't want to deactivate her Quirk...!"

Alphonse looked up, gasping slightly, "Wait, look!"

Everyone looked up as well, finally noticing all of the debris from the arena floating high up in the air. As Ochaco pressed her fingers together with a yell, however, it all came rocketing back to the ground.

"A meteor shower!"

"Now you notice."

Izuku stood up with a gasp, "She had a plan all along...!"

"By attacking low to the ground, it forced Bakugo to create all the debris!" Alphonse beamed, "And with all the smoke and her relentless attacks, he didn't notice her sending them upward until it was too late...!"

Ochaco was running towards Bakugo, her arm outstretched as he raised a hand towards the debris.

"C'mon...!" Edward gripped the seat in front of him, "Take advantage of the opening-!"

Bakugo suddenly set off a massive explosion, one that dwarfed every other one he'd set off to this point as it blew away all of the debris and knocked his opponent off her feet.

"Gah-!" Edward winced, shielding his face as the force of the blast sent a huge gust of wind over them all.

Present Mic gasped before he started speaking, "Bakugo bangs out a huge demonstration of power! He blasted apart Uraraka's finishing move and remains untouched!"

"Oh, Ochaco..." Alphonse watched with concern as she shakily got to her feet, her back to Bakugo.

As Bakugo started to run towards Ochaco, she turned around to face him. As she went to move, however, she stumbled and caught her foot against her own leg and started to fall over.

"Uraraka is down!"

Tenya's head sunk slightly, "It's too much..."

"Yeah..." Izuku slowly sat back down, "She's way past her limit..."

They watched as Midnight walked onto the arena, holding a hand out to Bakugo while she knelt down next to Ochaco. The teacher rested a hand against the student's back as she spoke, "Uraraka is KO'd. Bakugo advances to the second round!" Midnight turned to a pair of robots as they carried over a stretcher, loading Ochaco onto it, "Take her to Recovery Girl and Starbound."

Izuku gulped as he stood up, glancing over at where Shoto had been standing after the dual-toned boy had walked off, "W-Well, my match is next, so I should get going..."

"Good luck, Izuku...!" Alphonse waved to him.

"And that's it for the first round!" Present Mic sighed as his voice became rather dejected, "I was really pullin' for her. Oh, yeah, I guess Bakugo's moving on."

"You're supposed to be unbiased, you know."

"Let's try to forget that depressing outcome."

"Or not..."

"With that, the first round is complete! We're taking a quick break and then we're back with more matches!"

Chapter Text

Alphonse stood up, concern still etched on his face, "I'm gonna go see Ochaco, make sure she's okay..."

"I'll stay here," Edward waved a hand distractedly, "let you know if you missed anything when ya get back..."

Hanta glanced up when Bakugo walked back into the stands as Alphonse left, "Hey, Bakugo! Playin' the Villain, huh? Musta been tough."

"Even if it was just because of who you were up against," Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek, "you DID make a pretty convincing bad guy."

Bakugo growled, his hands in his pockets, "Shut up, you idiots - or else!"

"For real, dude." Denki gave Bakugo a look while pointing at him, "I don't know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that."

"Hmph..." Bakugo sat down in his seat, "I definitely wouldn't call that girl 'frail'."

"That's something we agree on," Edward crossed his arms, "much as I hate to be on the same page as Bakugo..."

Bakugo shot him a side-glance at that, but otherwise remained silent.

"Man, I lost." Ochaco smiled while running a hand through her hair, "Too bad."

Izuku gaped at her for a moment, his hand still on the doorknob, "Uh - huh???"

"Ochaco, you should be recovering...!" Alphonse held up his hands, "You looked pretty beat up out there...!"

She chuckled nervously, "Guess I did get a little carried away at the end there, thinking I had it in the bag. Dang it!"

"You seem fine now, though..." Izuku walked towards her cautiously, "Weren't you injured real bad...?"

"Yeah!" Ochaco pointed at her cheek, "Recovery Girl took care of me - she was really careful not to drain my stamina too much, though." She smiled at Alphonse, "Then your mom patched me up the rest of the way!"

The alchemist let out a little sigh, giving her a smile, "That's good, at least...!"

"Geez, I didn't realize how powerful that Bakugo was!" Ochaco clenched her fist, "He wiped the ring with me - now I realize how much more training I have to do...!"

Izuku stared at her with concern, "You sure you're good...?"

"Eh?" She shook her head and smiled again, "Oh, yeah, totally. I'm better than I expected!" She held her phone closer to her chest as it started to vibrate, "Even if you've lost, you always keep looking ahead to what's next, Deku... This just means that I have to work harder now."

Alphonse smiled as he glanced between the two of them, folding his hands behind his back as he scooted away slowly.

"That's true..." Izuku held up his hands, "But-"

"Let's get the party started now, ya dig?!"

Izuku sighed as he turned around at the sound of Present Mic over the speakers, "Already...?" He smiled at the two as he started to walk off, "Later."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Deku!" Ochaco stood up quickly, "You weren't able to prepare since I was here...!"

"Nah," the green-haired boy smiled as he turned around while grabbing the door handle, "this was perfect."

Ochaco smiled back, waving her hand slightly, "I'll be watching. Good luck out there!"

"Good luck, Izuku!" Alphonse smiled brightly, "I hope to see you make it into the next round!"

"Thanks, you two. Really." Izuku left the room, heading for the stage.

Alphonse turned to Ochaco, his smile falling slightly when he noticed she wasn't as energetic now, "Hey, you okay...?"

"O-Oh, I'm fine...!" She chuckled slightly as she held up her phone, "Would you actually mind if I make a call real quick...?"

"Oh, of course! I'll give you some privacy...!" The alchemist walked for the door, leaning through it to keep his head in the room for a moment longer, "I'll be waiting with the others whenever you want to join us, okay?"

"Alright, Al, I'll be there soon."

Alphonse gave her one last smile before shutting the door, quickly making his way back to the rest of 1-A.

"So the match hasn't started yet?"

Tenya turned to face Ochaco, yelping in surprise.

"Ochaco!" Edward looked up while grinning slightly, "Was gettin' a little concerned when you didn't come back with Alllwhat is up with your FACE?!"

"Something horrible's happened to your eyes!" Tenya chopped his hands quickly, "You need to go see Recovery Girl or Starbound!"

"I already did. This is from..." Ochaco rubbed her eye as she sat down, "Something else."

"Ah, of course...!"

"You look dehydrated...!" Alphonse reached underneath his seat, offering a bottle, "Here, I haven't drunk any of this water yet...!"

"Aw, thank you Al!" Ochaco took it with a smile, gulping it down before turning to the stage.

Tenya turned to the arena as he spoke to Ochaco, "If I were you, I'd be frustrated, too."

"It's no time to wallow." Fumikage crossed his arms, "Use this next fight as a source of encouragement."

Ochaco nodded, "Will do."

Tenya just stared blankly ahead while muttering softly, "You're so wise."

"I can feel the anticipation in the stadium!" Present Mic shouted as the torches around the arena flared to life yet again, "And that's because the second round's first match is gonna be EPIC! It's the guy who won his last fight by a landslide and literally left half the audience frozen - the Hero course's Shoto Todoroki! And THIS kid almost walked out of his first match-up, but made a stunning comeback by showing off some impressive moves! Also from the Hero course, Izuku Midoriya!"

"Go, Deku!" Ochaco pumped her fists, "You can take on Todoroki!"

"Tokoyami," Tenya leaned forward as he glanced past Ochaco, "how do you think this match will go?"

"It depends on whether or not Midoriya is able to get in close to him."

"Shoto won't make it easy for him..." Alphonse held a hand up to his mouth, eyes darting between the competitors.

"Yeah, that's the big problem..." Ochaco nodded slightly, "How will Deku avoid the ice?"

"Both of the Heroes in training have been front-runners in the Sports Festival! Prepare for... Midoriya versus Todoroki! But which one of these rivals will advance to the next round?! Ready?! Begin!"

The instant the fight started, Shoto sent a massive wall of ice surging towards Izuku. In response, the green-haired boy flicked his finger, halting the spread of the ice and causing it to break apart as a gust of wind surged forward.

"Gah-!" Edward shielded his face as the wind and ice particles blew over the crowd, "C-Cold...!"

Alphonse squinted through the wind, "Look - Shoto kept himself in place with some ice behind himself...!"

"Clever thinking, Peppermint..." Edward squinted as the wind died down, glancing between Shoto and Izuku - the latter of which was gripping his wrist, some discoloration just barely visible on his hand.

"Wow! Midoriya managed to break Todoroki's INSANE opening move!"

Alphonse watched with the others as Shoto sent yet another wave of ice towards his opponent, only to wince when Izuku countered with another flick, "At this rate, Izuku's gonna break all his fingers...!"

"He countered again!"

"But seriously..." Eijiro nudged Bakugo as Izuku broke a third finger to counter another of Shoto's attacks, "It's crazy how you and Todoroki both have moves that blast the whole stadium!" He mimed an explosion as he spoke, "Must be pretty nice."

"Plus," Hanta leaned forward as he squinted at Bakugo, "you don't have to pause between attacks."

"It's not as easy as you think, ya morons."

Alphonse spared a glance back at Bakugo when he said that.

"If you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them apart. If you sprint too much, you run out of breath." Bakugo looked down at the hand he used to blow away Ochaco's final attack before looking back up at the match, "Quirks are physical abilities, too - they can get worn out. You can't just use them nonstop."

"It makes sense when you put it that way..." Eijiro leaned back as he crossed his arms, "I wonder if that's how Midoriya thinks he's gonna beat Todoroki."

The moment Izuku broke his fourth finger against one of Shoto's attacks, the dual-toned boy created a large ice bridge he started to run up.

"Todoroki withstood Midoriya's power and is now rushing his classmate!"

They watched as Izuku lifted his other hand, flicking his finger to destroy the bridge as Shoto got to be directly above him. He jumped back to avoid his classmate's punch, ice surging out towards Izuku once Shoto's fist hit the ground.

Edward leaned forward as the ice managed to snag Izuku's foot, squeezing his hands together as he watched the fight closely, If Izuku doesn't do something soon, he's outta the game...

Alphonse gasped when Izuku's entire left arm started to glow with energy, and the alchemist shot to his feet, "Izuku, no-!"

The fighter proceeded nonetheless, throwing a punch that created a far stronger gust of wind. Most of the ice exploded into mist that briefly obscured the field, though once it cleared they could see that enough of it had survived to stop Shoto before he was pushed out of bounds.

Edward squinted, watching Shoto closely, He's starting to shake, and parts of his right side are still covered in frost... Is that his equivalent exchange? The alchemist glanced up when he noticed Shoto look away from Izuku, glaring when he realized it was Endeavor.

"Whoa!" Present Mic called out in alarm as Shoto sent another wave of ice towards Izuku, "Todoroki continues his overwhelming attacks! Could this be his finishing move?!"

"Deku!"

"He's out of fingers..." Alphonse covered his mouth as he spoke, "He can't counter anym-!"

They all gasped, jumping out of their seats when another gust of wind suddenly broke apart the attack and sent Shoto sliding across the ground. He was only barely able to stop himself from sliding outside of the arena with his ice, his foot mere centimeters away from the line.

"Twice...!" Edward started to point wildly, "He must've broken his finger twice...!"

"That can't be good for him...!" Alphonse pressed both hands over his mouth tightly, concern and worry filling his eyes, "Who knows what that'll do to him...!"

"Bad as it is... It means Shoto still hasn't put a scratch on him." Edward turned to the dual-toned boy, And he's still holding back... The frost on his right side must mean he's reaching the limit for how much ice his body can take, but if he just used his fire he'd be able to warm himself up...! The alchemist leaned over the wall, cupping his hands around his mouth, "DON'T HOLD BACK!"

"Brother...!" Alphonse grabbed his arm, "Don't encourage him to break himself even more...!"

"That's the thing, Al..." Edward narrowed his eyes as he muttered, "I'm not."

"Wait, what...?"

They watched as Shoto ran for Izuku, his right arm pulled back to strike.

"Is he..." Alphonse squinted slightly, "Slower...?"

Must be the frost... Edward growled slightly, Just use it, dammit...!

The moment that Shoto was closing in on Izuku and his right foot left the ground, the green-haired boy darted in closer, his right arm glowing right before he threw a punch into his opponent's gut.

"A solid punch!"

Alphonse gasped when he noticed the blow wasn't as powerful, only sending Shoto tumbling rather than creating a giant gust of wind, "He's controlling his Quirk...!"

"That's the kind of action I like to see!"

"Izuku managed to land a blow..." Edward winced slightly when he saw Izuku recoil, shaking the hand he punched with, "But it doesn't exactly feel good to hit something with broken fingers... And it looks like Shoto managed to freeze his other arm during the attack." He watched as Shoto stood back up, sending another ice attack that Izuku managed to dodge, His attacks are DEFINITELY slower now.

Alphonse gripped his hands tightly as the two continued fighting, Izuku constantly trying to keep close to Shoto while he kept darting away and sending ice after him, "How much longer can this go on...?"

Edward winced as he watched Izuku stick his thumb into his cheek before flicking it to stop Shoto's attack, "He's broken his entire right hand twice at this point... If he wins, is he even gonna be able to continue...?"

They watched as Izuku struck Shoto with his head, stumbling slightly as he landed on his feet while the dual-toned boy slid back.

Wait, what's...? Edward leaned forward after Shoto recovered from another punch to the gut, watching as steam started to rise from his left side... Then steam turned to small orange flames, which soon turned into an inferno swirling around Shoto.

Present Mic gasped, "Is that...?!"

Ochaco held up her hands, "He's using his fire...!"

Edward grinned wide, staring at the flames, That's right...! Take it for yourself!

Tenya stared in shock, "Incredible..."

"Yes, Shoto!"

"Huh?"

The alchemist turned at the sound of that voice, glaring as Endeavor started walking down the steps and shouted towards the arena, "Have you finally accepted your purpose? That's it - very good! This is the dawn of a new era for us! With my blood in your veins, you'll surpass me. You will live up to the reason I created you!"

"Um..." Alphonse frowned slightly, "What's he shouting about...?"

"He's just a bastard shouting a buncha nonsense..." Edward gripped the edge of the wall, glaring daggers at Endeavor.

"Endeavor suddenly shouts words of... Encouragement? What a doting father."

"The bastard's anything but doting...! HEY, SHOTO!" Edward cupped his hands around his mouth, "IGNORE THE BASTARD! IT'S YOU SHININ' DOWN THERE, NOT HIM!"

Tsuyu knocked her head to the side, "Is Edward cheering for Todoroki now?"

"Sure looks like it..." Mina nodded slightly.

Mineta was gripping his head, "Are you all ignoring the fact he was just insulting Endeavor...?!"

"That's it, Midnight!" Cementoss pressed his hands against the ground as the wind whipped up around the two fighters, the cement shifting as he did, "One of them could be killed!"

"His body won't hold up!" Midnight ripped her sleeve, a pink mist getting released from her skin as she did.

They watched as Shoto sent forth a massive wave of ice, which Izuku narrowly jumped over.

"They're getting too carried away!" Alphonse gripped the wall, "Somebody stop them-!"

The ice all around Shoto started to evaporate rapidly as he raised his left hand while Izuku pulled back his right fist. As the two launched their attacks, several concrete walls shot out of the ground directly between them - only for the colliding attacks to tear straight through them with a massive explosion, sending rubble everywhere.

"GAH...!" Edward slid back from the force of the blast, glancing back to see the rest of the audience struggling against the shockwaves.

Mineta yelped and flailed as he was nearly sent flying before Mezo grabbed him by the ankle, "Holy crap balls!"

Denki was holding onto the chair in front of him, "This is crazy!"

Momo shielded her face, trying to look at the arena, "What's happening down there?!"

"Izuku?" Alphonse squinted as the wind died down, looking around, "Shoto? Are they okay...?!"

"Ugh..." Present Mic sounded disoriented, "What HAPPENED just now? What the heck is up with your students...?!"

"The air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down, and then rapidly expanded when heated up."

"Makes sense..." Edward rubbed his head as he tried peering through the dust, "It's a simple enough reaction, but to reach that scale..."

"Wait, THAT'S what caused the explosion?! How hot did the fire get?! Geez, I can't see a thing! Is the match still going on, or what, huh?"

The smoke finally started to clear from the arena as Midnight stood up from her destroyed stage, revealing Shoto standing perfectly still within the arena... With Izuku slowly slumping down after getting pressed to a far wall on the field.

Alphonse clamped his hands over his mouth, "IZUKU!"

"There...! Midoriya is... Out of bounds!" Midnight was somewhat breathless as she spoke, flicking her whip towards Shoto, "Todoroki wins! He advances to the third round!"

As the crowd started to cheer, Nana ran onto the field herself, easily scaling the larger pieces of rubble strewn about as she ran for Izuku, "Mister Midoriya!" She knelt down, carefully checking him over and sighing in relief, "He's still alive..." She gingerly picked him up, then quickly carried him off to the infirmary.

"I need to go make sure Izuku's okay...!" Alphonse got up quickly, rushing for the exit.

"Right...!" Ochaco went to follow, "Oh, Deku, please be okay...!"

"We'll have time before our match starts while they repair the arena!" Tenya started to run as well, easily catching up with them as Tsuyu and Mineta started to move as well.

"Gah - wait for me!" Edward scrambled to chase after them, mind occupied by the intensity of the battle... Though mostly with how Shoto used his fire.

"What's the matter?"

Edward froze, turning to look down a hallway with a glare as he growled, "Endeavor..." He turned back around to watch the others keep running for the infirmary, then sighed as he instead went towards the source of the voice. Soon enough, he came upon the sight of Endeavor standing before Shoto.

"Not gonna tell me to get lost?" Endeavor crossed his arms, "You need to learn to control your left side - it's dangerous to release so much energy like that." The Pro spread his hands out, "But I'm glad you're finally seeing reason! Now that you've abandoned your childish rebellion, we can get back to what's important. After you graduate," he held his hand out to his son, "you'll work by my side. I'll lead you down the path of the mighty, Shoto!"

The alchemist glared at the back of Endeavor's head, Self-righteous prick...

"I haven't abandoned anything..."

Edward looked past Endeavor, blinking slightly.

"Huh?" Endeavor raised a brow, crossing his arms again, "Don't be absurd, I saw you using fire - MY fire."

Shoto lifted his left hand to stare at it, "You're a fool to think my feelings could be so easily reversed... Because I didn't win with your Quirk - I won with MINE. Because whether it's your blood in my veins or not, it's only your fire... If you make it," he started to walk forward, shoving past Endeavor, "or if I let you keep it."

Endeavor gasped at that, briefly watching Shoto walk past.

The alchemist grinned wide at that, then cleared his throat before running ahead like he'd just arrived, "Hey, Shoto! Awesome match out there!"

"Edward." Shoto paused briefly, "... Thanks."

"Yeah, 'course!" Edward grinned wide before glancing behind Shoto, making direct eye-contact with Endeavor, "Shoto, your Quirk really is outta this world."

The Pro narrowed his eyes at Edward, watching as the two continued to walk off.

Edward glanced at Shoto's exposed chest before quickly looking away, "Man, you and Izuku didn't hold anything back in there...!"

"... Edward." Shoto slowed to a stop, "Did I... Do the right thing?"

"Eh, I think they would've liked a little less destruction?" The alchemist shrugged casually, "Of course, they probably expect stuff ta get destroyed during an event like this-"

"I mean with my Quirk." Shoto glanced at his left hand again, "Should I really be embracing it like this?"

"Oi, what'd you just say to that bastard?" Edward lightly chopped Shoto's head with his left hand, "It's all your power, Peppermint. Don't let him into your head, and keep gettin' better at it!"

"... Right. Thank you."

The alchemist grinned wide, slinging his arm around Shoto's shoulders, "Now c'mon, let's get your uniform fixed up." He glanced down at it again before quickly looking up, "Don't think there's enough left to use alchemy though... Not unless you wanna wear shorts."

Shoto blinked, "I don't think that's allowed with the dress code."

Edward snorted, ruffling his head, "It was a joke, Peppermint!"

"Oh."

"Ah, just stick with me." Edward patted his shoulder as they kept walking, "I'll show ya the ropes of humor."

Chapter Text

Recovery Girl sighed as she examined an x-ray, "The bones in your right arm were shattered - I can't say that they'll ever be the same again."

Nana crossed her arms as she looked down at Izuku, "My alkahestry can fix most of the damage, but the fact of the matter is that we'll need to remove the bone fragments before they get stuck in your joints."

Toshinori gasped, looking down at Izuku as the boy panted in pain before turning to his mentor, "Is there really nothing else you can do, Master...?"

"Alkahestry can do a lot, but it still has its limits." Nana uncrossed her arms, resting her hands on her hips, "To put it bluntly, every time Mister Midoriya pushes himself beyond his limits, the easier and easier it gets for him to break - or even destroy - the parts of his body that he pushed."

Recovery Girl sighed softly, "You lit a fire under this child and pushed him too hard. Look at what he's done to make you proud... I don't like it one bit. You're going too far - you hear? You and the boy."

"I must agree with her, my boy." Nana gently squeezed Toshinori's shoulder, "I'm afraid of what'll happen to him if he finds out what his final limits are, especially if it happens when none of us are there for him... It'll be bad enough if he ends up losing a limb, but what if the strain gets put on his heart?"

The other nurse nodded firmly, "Don't praise him for what he's done today."

Toshinori stared at his feet, a look of concern on his face - before he promptly spat blood as a handful of the boy's classmates barged in with a collective cry, "Midoriya!"

"Deku!" Ochaco walked further in with the others, "Are you okay...?!"

"You scared the crap outta me...!" Toshinori held a hand to his chest as the other students approached Izuku's bedside.

Ochaco turned to him, blinking a couple of times, "Oh - it's nice to meet you, sir."

Alphonse wrung his hands, "How is he...?"

"I'm afraid he's in no state for visitors at the moment, children." Nana carefully held up her hands, "He's still in a lot of pain at the moment."

Izuku opened his eyes, his voice straining to come out to speak, "Hey, you guys... Alphonse, Iida, shouldn't you both be getting ready for your match up next...?"

Tenya swept one hand towards the other as he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, "The stage was far too damage," he rested a hand at his side while the other was held across his chest, "they're taking a quick break to repair it now."

"That match was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life, Midoriya..." Mineta trembled as he pointed at Izuku, "What Pro's gonna want a sidekick that hurts himself?"

Tsuyu stuck her tongue to the side of his head, "Now you're just rubbing salt in his wounds - probably not a good time."

The grape-haired boy turned to her as she pulled her tongue back in, "Hey, I'm just speakin' the truth!"

Alphonse squinted at him, "Also, weren't we attacked by Villains just two weeks ago...?"

"Yeah, but I got to touch Tsu's b-"

The frog-like girl smacked him so he face-planted the ground, "I said you can only call me Asui."

"You're all much too noisy." Recovery Girl held up her hands as she corralled the students towards the door, "I know you're worried, but we've got to focus on surgery now."

The kids were in various stages of shock and concern, "SURGERY?!"

"I'm sorry, children," Nana gave them each a sympathetic look, "but you have to leave for now."

Ochaco squeezed her hands together, "B-But-"

Mineta was waving his arms, "Surgery's a big deal, isn't it?!"

Tenya was aggressively chopping his hand above his head, "Will his wounds be healed?"

"But what about your Quirks...?" Alphonse looked between the two nurses with concern, "Can't they help him...?"

Nana sighed softly, "Mister Midoriya pushed his arms too far, breaking them multiple times in the same spot... He needs to have the surgery to ensure that our Quirks don't heal something into a place it shouldn't be to begin with. But don't any of you worry too much," she gave them a reassuring smile, "just leave him to us - Mister Midoriya will be back on his feet in no time."

"Ribbit..."

Alphonse gave Tsuyu's shoulder a gentle squeeze as the door was being shut, "Don't worry, everyone - I'm sure Izuku will be good as new when they're done...!"

Tenya sighed, staring at the door for a moment before turning to Alphonse, "Come now... We should get ready for our fight."

"Right..." The alchemist offered a smile as he held out his fist, "Good luck out there, Tenya."

The bespectacled boy returned the smile and the fist bump, "And you as well, Alphonse."

"Alriiight, viewers! The stage has finally been fixed up after that flashiest of intros for the second round of our finals, so now it's time for match number two! Stepping onto the stage first is the younger of the field-shaping brothers, it's Alphonse Elric-Shimura!"

Alphonse smiled as he walked onto the stage, bowing to the crowd and to the teachers on the field before facing his opponent.

"Versus... His super-speedy classmate who was unfortunately used for a ten-minute product placement, Tenya Iida!"

"Is that how I am to be remembered...?" Tenya lamented as he bowed to everyone before turning to Alphonse.

"Let's see if we can keep this flashy battle sequence going!"

"We don't need the arena being completely demolished again."

"Ready?! Begin!"

Tenya immediately charged at Alphonse, going to deliver a kick to his chest.

Alphonse, meanwhile, clapped before pressing his hands on the ground, effectively dodging the kick before a stone pillar shot out of the ground directly underneath his opponent and launched Tenya into the air.

The engine-legged boy gritted his teeth, spinning himself so he landed on his feet before quickly running around Alphonse before going to push him from behind towards the edge of the arena. The moment his hands were on the alchemist's back, he let himself drop to the ground while clapping his hands.

As Alphonse's palms hit the ground, a set of small stone pillars shot out of the ground behind Tenya, striking him in the ground and sending him tumbling over Alphonse.

Tenya rolled with it, skidding to a stop just before the edge of the arena, "Engine Boost!" The engines in his legs revved as he jumped into a spinning kick at high speeds.

Alphonse looked up as he got to his feet, quickly stepping back, I can't take a hit from that-! He glanced back, then made it look like he stumbled to get out of reach.

Tenya landed on the ground directly in front of him, grabbing Alphonse's shoulders before pushing him backwards.

The alchemist suddenly dropped, clapping his hands before pressing them to the ground again.

Tenya gritted his teeth as the ground underneath him started to rise up and towards the edge of the arena, quickly running along the forming pillar towards Alphonse.

Alphonse rolled backwards onto his feet, clapping again to form a pillar underneath himself with the top spread out like a disc.

"Recipro..." Tenya's engines revved louder, "Burst!" Blue flames burst out of his mufflers, greatly enhancing his speed as he started to run up the side of the tower.

"Whoa-!" Alphonse stumbled slightly as the tower shook from the force of Tenya landing on it, clapping his hands to make parts of it jut out randomly.

Tenya grabbed onto one of them, using his speed to spin on it briefly as it extended beyond the disc before flinging himself up and above it. He started to spin in the air, this time the exhaust from his engines creating a smokescreen.

Alphonse frowned, clapping in preparation as he scanned the cloud of smoke.

Suddenly, Tenya dropped out of the smokescreen with an axe kick onto the disc. It started to shake and knocked the alchemist off balance, which he took as his opportunity to wrap his arms around Alphonse's waist and run towards the edge of the platform.

No-! Alphonse quickly hooked his foot around Tenya's ankle and yanked to try and stop him.

Tenya stumbled, suddenly skidding out of control and flying off of the disc with Alphonse, "Oh no-!" He twisted in the air so he was directly underneath Alphonse, wrapping his limbs around him tightly as the two landed squarely in the grass with the alchemist on top.

Midnight flicked her whip, "Both participants have landed out of bounds!"

Alphonse blinked before looking up at Tenya, "You could've let me drop...! Your speed could've let you maneuver in the air to land back in the arena..."

"But then you would've hit the ground! From that height, you would have been seriously hurt." Tenya patted his own chest, "I know I am hardier than you - I would be a bad friend and a poor Hero if I let you get injured! And I would rather avoid seeing anyone else end up in the infirmary today." He smiled as he stood up, helping Alphonse to his feet.

Midnight turned to the crowd as she spoke, "A tiebreaker shall be held at the end of the round to determine who will move on in the tournament!"

Alphonse straightened out as he turned to her, "Miss Midnight?"

"Yes, dear?" The teacher turned to face the young alchemist.

"I'd like to respectfully concede the match to Tenya. He only landed out of bounds because he was making sure I didn't get hurt."

"HOW CHIVALROUS!" Midnight squealed before taking on a more serious tone, flicking her whip again, "Very well! Then Tenya Iida will proceed to the next round!"

"Alphonse!" Tenya quickly chopped his hands as the crowd cheered, "I couldn't possibly ask you to do this! What about your chance to win?!"

Alphonse smiled warmly, "I always have next year. You go on and make your brother proud!"

"Alphonse...!" Tenya rubbed his eyes with his forearm before bowing deeply, "You won't regret this! I'll make you proud!"

The alchemist laughed lightly as the two started to walk back, "I'm sure you will, Tenya!"

"That was over so quickly...!"

"Both their Quirks are so amazing." Tsuyu held a finger to her chin as she watched Cementoss repair the field after Tenya and Alphonse's match, "Ribbit?" She leaned towards Ochaco, "What's wrong? You still worried about Midoriya?"

"They said they had to perform surgery..." Ochaco slouched slightly, glancing down at her feet.

"Recovery Girl's the best - you don't have anything to worry about!" Mineta gave a thumbs up, "And also..." He drooled slightly, "That scary nurse is totally hot-"

"Huh?" Alphonse made a face as he walked in at that moment, "That 'scary nurse' is my MOM, Mineta!"

"A-A-Alphonse-!" Mineta waved his hands quickly, "How long've you been there...?!"

"Long enough!" The alchemist stomped over, jabbing Mineta's chest lightly, "You seriously need to learn that women deserve more respect than being randomly lusted over! Honestly, it's a wonder you haven't gotten in trouble over this!"

"But I HAVE gotten in trouble - earlier today, even! Me and Kaminari both-"

"And yet you didn't learn from it?" Alphonse crossed his arms, furrowing his brows.

"W-Well..." Mineta turned to the frog-like girl, "Tsu, help me o-"

"It's Asui to you."

Mineta slumped, sulking away from them to sit in the corner.

Alphonse huffed, sitting down next to Tsuyu, "Honestly..."

She turned to face him, "Thanks for trying to talk some sense into him, ribbit."

The alchemist smiled warmly, "I just wish I could do some more."

"Now that the field's been fixed up, let's keep this tournament going with the third fight of round two!"

"Oh, it's Brother's turn!" Alphonse turned to the field.

"First up, we've got the only student from Class 1-B to make it into the second round of this tournament, it's Lan Fan!"

Lan Fan stepped onto the stage, bowing to where Ling was sitting on the wall before facing her opponent.

Denki slowly popped up, "Seriously, what's her relationship with that Yao gu-?"

"And over here, we've got another field shaper for a second fight in a row! Will he use his Quirk this time?! Let's see - it's Edward Elric-Shimura!"

Edward grinned as he walked onto the stage while waving to the crowd, taking a battle-ready stance across from Lan Fan.

"Ready?! Begin!"

Lan Fan immediately charged in, flexing her automail hand as a blade extended from her elbow.

"Whoa, a concealed weapon? Is that allowed?!"

"It's a dulled blade that was incorporated into her prosthetic, and she submitted all the required forms. Furthermore..."

Edward jumped away from a slash, clapping his hands and transmuting his own arm blade.

"Fair point, Eraser Head!"

"It's about time we had a rematch!" Edward grinned as the two traded blows, "Except this time, you don't have any of your smoke bombs or flash grenades!"

"I don't need them to fight you." Lan Fan narrowed her eyes, swinging her automail fist into his automail elbow before kneeing him in the gut.

The alchemist winced, quickly shoving her away from him before jumping back, clapping and pressing one hand against the ground.

Lan Fan ran forward, then gasped when her back foot suddenly caught on something. As she looked back, she let out a short yelp as a stone hand suddenly flung her into the air.

Edward grinned wide, clapping his hands again. Alchemical energy surged, then a stone cannon formed right next to him, "Bye-bye, Lan Fan!"

The retainer's eyes widened, unable to dodge as the cannon fired while she was in the air and flinging her onto the grass just beyond the arena.

"Fan is out of bounds!" Midnight flicked her whip towards Edward, "Elric-Shimura moves on to the next round!"

"WOO!" Edward threw his arms into the air, grinning wide as the crowd cheered for him.

"Man, another fight with hardly any flash!!!" Present Mic lamented as the students returned to their respective viewing areas, "What's with this year?!"

"The first fight this round had more than enough 'flash'."

"Well, let's keep this ball rolling! It's time for the fourth and final fight for this round! A walking arsenal of weaponry, it's Momo Yaoyorozu! Versus... The boy with the explosive firepower of a grenade launcher, Katsuki Bakugo!"

"You go, Yaoyorozu!" Mina grinned while pumping her fists, "Go, go, go!"

Alphonse smiled as he clapped, "You can do it, Momo!"

The two walked to their starting positions, taking their respective stances.

"Ready?! Begin!"

Bakugo propelled himself through the air with a pair of explosions from his palms, and Momo only barely created a shield in time to take an explosive blow that pushed her back.

"Bakugo's not holding back here - he's going for the all-out offensive!"

Edward crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes, "Whoever wins, I'm gonna have to fight next round..."

Momo struggled to keep her shield up as Bakugo kept delivering explosion after explosion while he took a step forward with each one, steadily forcing her to slide back with each blast.

"Oh no," Alphonse leaned forward, "at this rate-!"

Bakugo grinned wide, shouting as he swung his arm forward, "Get outta here, Ponytail!" His palm smacked against Momo's shield, a massive blast exploding outwards as it did, "Die!"

Momo let out a surprised yelp as she was flung back, the shield flying out of her grasp as she landed just outside of the line.

Midnight motioned to Momo, "Yaoyorozu is out of bounds!" She flicked her whip to the other competitor, "Bakugo proceeds to the next round!"

"With that vicious carpet bombing, Bakugo advances to the next round!" The screen changed from a display of all the fights to a series of headshots of the remaining competitors, "Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in-between, our final four!"

"So it's me against Bakugo..." Edward got a determined grin, standing up as he punched his palm, "I was hoping I'd get the chance to beat his ass!"

"Poor Momo, though..." Alphonse looked at the stage sadly, "She didn't even have a chance to do anything in that fight..."

"Oh, yeah..." Edward's face fell as he glanced down at the arena, "That's gotta be rough..."

"Deku!"

Alphonse looked up when Ochaco said that, perking up slightly, "Izuku, you're back!"

"Hey, Midoriya." Tsuyu watched as Izuku walked down the steps, "It looks like your surgery went okay."

"Yeah," Izuku nodded slightly, "Missus Starbound's Quirk really helped out. Just gotta keep the bandages on until my body's fully recovered..."

Ochaco watched with concern as he eased himself back into his seat next to her, "Still, shouldn't you be taking it easy...?"

"I wanna watch these matches in person." Izuku stared at the arena, his face serious, "This is where everyone's efforts are finally gonna pay off."

Momo slowly walked back into the stands, sitting down in her seat.

Alphonse turned to her, offering a sympathetic smile, "Hey, you tried your best out there - and you got pretty far in the tournament, all things considered...!"

"Thank you, Alphonse..."

"It's time for the first match of the semifinals!" The torches around the arena ignited as Present Mic spoke, "Both come from Hero families, making this a battle of elites! From the Hero course, Shoto Todoroki! Versus... His classmate, Tenya Iida!"

Alphonse looked between the two of them, "Who do you think will win?"

"It all depends on who can execute their strategy first..." Izuku started mumbling aloud, a hand on his chin as he analyzed both of the fighters, "Iida's likely going to attempt using his speed to simply shove Todoroki out of bounds, possibly even deliver some high-power kicks to take him out... With his speed, he might even be able to outrun Todoroki's ice - but then the closer he gets, the less time he has to react... Not to mention Todoroki's fire posing a significant offensive threat..."

"Wow..." The younger of the two alchemists turned to Izuku, "You really do think of all sorts of strategies, don't you?"

"H-Huh?!" Izuku was startled out of his thoughts, looking around to see everyone staring at him before quickly waving his good hand, "I-I just noticed their habits is all...!"

"Still, that's amazing!" Alphonse smiled brightly, "With those observational skills, I bet you'll make a great Hero one day."

The green-haired boy started to tear up, "Alphonse...!"

"Ready?! Start!"

They all turned to the field, watching as Shoto immediately sent a column of ice towards Tenya. The engine-legged boy ran off to the side in response, only to quickly skid to a stop when Shoto leaned over and pressed his right hand to the ground, creating another wall of ice to cut him off.

"Iida's been surrounded!"

"That's smart..." Edward crossed his arms, nodding slightly, "Tenya needs time to build up speed, so limiting how much space he's got to use means you're also limiting how fast he can get..."

Shoto slid his left foot towards his opponent as he swung the corresponding hand upwards, a column of fire surging forward as he did.

"Todoroki's going in for the win already!"

Tenya squatted down before he leapt up into the air mere seconds before the fire caught him, soaring over Shoto's head.

"Whoa!" Ochaco pumped her fists, "A standing long jump!"

They watched as Tenya pulled back his leg while he was still mid-air, with the blue flames suddenly shooting out of his exhaust pipes as he delivered a high-speed kick. Shoto narrowly ducked beneath the kick, but as soon as Tenya landed he spun into a kick with his other leg, slamming his opponent down against the ground.

"Look at that speed!!!"

"Whoa!" Hanta leaned forward, "That was a heavy hit...!"

"He made those blue flames during my fight with him as well..." Alphonse rubbed his chin slightly, "And it seems whenever he produces them, he doesn't need to build up his speed..."

Denki leaned forward, "So why not do that all the time?"

"Hm..." Edward snapped his fingers, "Maybe it stalls his engines with overuse."

"Oh, yeah!" Alphonse hit his palm like a gavel, "Like how your legs will stop working if you keep running even after you've exhausted your muscles!"

Tenya grabbed the back of Shoto's shirt before he started to run for the edge of the arena, his opponent dangling from his grip. He prepared to throw the dual-toned boy - then he came to a sudden stop, his mufflers frozen over before the ice moved to encase his entire body.

"Way to go, Peppermint!" Edward grinned wide at the stage, briefly glancing at where Endeavor stood.

Midnight flicked her whip, "Iida has been immobilized - Todoroki advances!"

"Todoroki moves on to the finals! Man, is it wild seeing him finally use those flames or what?!"

"At least he didn't blow up the stage this time."

Edward stood up, "Time for my fight," he stretched his good arm as he glanced at the others, "wish me luck?"

Alphonse smiled wide, offering his fist, "You got this, Brother."

"Yeah, Ed!" Ochaco smiled as she gave a thumbs up, "Beat Bakugo for me, will you?"

Edward grinned wide, giving his brother a fist bump while offering Ochaco a thumbs up in return, "Gladly!"

"And now, for the last fight in the semifinals, Edward Elric-Shimura versus Katsuki Bakugo!"

Edward cracked the knuckles on his good hand as he stared down his opponent, "A'ight, you oversized firecracker - bring it!"

Bakugo sneered, holding his hands at the ready.

"Begin!"

As Bakugo started to rocket forward, Edward clapped and pressed his hands to the ground. With a crackle of alchemical energy, a stone wall suddenly shot up in front of Bakugo, forcing him to crash into it.

"Whoa, Elric-Shimura just stopped Bakugo dead in his tracks!"

Bakugo growled as he swung his fist against the wall to blow it up, then quickly dodged out of the way of a series of stone hands that started reaching for him.

The alchemist grinned wide, running along one of the stone creations and leaping towards Bakugo, "C'mon, is that all you've got?!"

"Shut up, shrimp!" Bakugo snarled as he held his arm, firing an explosion at Edward.

Edward's eye twitched, jumping over the explosion and swinging his right fist, "WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A MICROSHRIMP YOU NEED A SPECIALIZED FILTER TO CATCH?!"

Bakugo sidestepped the blow, holding up his hand and firing another explosion point-blank.

The alchemist's eyes widened, quickly positioning his automail arm to take the blow. He was forced back and his sleeve got destroyed, but otherwise he was untouched. Edward grinned, going to clap his hands, "You've gotta try better than-!" He glanced down as his wrist jammed slightly, quickly smacking it before clapping his hands, "Ahem - try better than that, ya bastard!" He pressed his hands to the ground.

Bakugo's eyes scanned his surroundings for the attack, "The hell are you - GAH!" He flung his arms up as part of the ground folded upwards and wrapped around his waist, completely encasing the lower half of his body in stone.

Edward grinned even wider, clapping his hands again.

"That's it, I'm gonna-!" Bakugo went to move his arms again, only to let out a frustrated shout as a pair of stone hands suddenly shot out and grabbed each of his forearms, forcing them to point upwards.

"Bakugo has been immobilized," Midnight motioned to the alchemist, "Elric-Shimura advances onwards!"

"Incredible - incredible!!! Elric-Shimura managed to take out Bakugo in no time flat and secured his spot in the final round! This means our final fight will be between Todoroki and Elric-Shimura!"

"No, no!" Bakugo tried thrashing against the stone encasing him, "I was supposed to be this tournament's undisputed champion!"

"Hate to break it to ya, Bakugo," Edward grinned wide, "but that ain't happing today! But hey, nothing's wrong with third place, right?"

Bakugo ground his teeth together, "Keep talkin', pipsqueak!"

Edward's eye twitched, and he rolled up his remaining sleeve, "The hell did ya call me?!"

"Alright, you two, break it up!" Midnight crossed her arms, "Your fight's over - don't make me subdue you."

"Gah..." Edward rubbed his neck, "Alright, Teacher."

"Mister Elric-Shimura," the Pro turned to the alchemist, "I recommend you go rest up - you don't have much time before the big fight."

"Ack, you're right-!" Edward quickly clapped his hands to release Bakugo before walking off to cool down for a minute, Moment of truth... It all comes down to me and Peppermint. He grinned to himself, briefly glancing up at where Shoto was standing, This is gonna be EPIC.

Chapter Text

"Did you see that...?!" Ochaco held up her fists, "Edward took him out so quickly...!"

Izuku nodded nervously, "I-I can't believe Kacchan was defeated so easily...!"

"And I don't think Brother's going to let him forget that anytime soon..." Alphonse sighed as he gave a tiny smile, watching the arena as they got it ready for the final fight.

"I wonder what this match will be like..." Izuku stared up at the giant screen as it displayed both Edward and Shoto, "Besides intense..."

"We'll have to take notes for next time."

Izuku blinked as he turned around, "Iida...!"

"Oh, Tenya!" Alphonse watched with a smile as his bespectacled friend walked down the steps.

Tenya returned the smile, giving him and the others a small nod — before his entire body started to vibrate all of a sudden.

"W-Whoa!" Izuku held up his good hand, "What's wrong?!"

"Tenya?!" The alchemist shot to his feet as he held up his hands, "Is something wrong?! Do you need to go to the infirmary-?!"

"It's just my phone." Tenya replied calmly, reaching into his pocket and pulling it out.

Alphonse sighed in relief, "Is everything okay?"

"Hm? Ah, yes, it's just my mother," Tenya pointed over his shoulder, "I'm just going to step aside for a moment."

"Okay!" Alphonse smiled warmly, "See you in a minute, then."

The engine-legged boy nodded, walking off to somewhere private to have the phone call.

"Alright..." Edward popped his neck, shaking out his arms as he walked out onto the field with a grin, "Let's do this."

"Welcome to the final battle of the U.A. High School Sports Festival!"

The torches around the arena flared up as the two fighters walked to their starting positions while Present Mic spoke.

"In just a moment here, we'll see which first year comes out on top! Yes, it all comes down to this, folks! From the Hero course, Shoto Todoroki! Versus his classmate, Edward Elric-Shimura!"

"Hey, Peppermint!" Edward held up his left hand and clenched it tightly, grinning wide, "Don't hold back, ya hear?!"

"... Right." Shoto held up his own left hand and glanced at it. He curled it into a fist as he looked back up at his opponent, "I don't want you holding back either."

"Now — begin!"

Shoto immediately slammed his right hand against the ground, another stadium-covering attack surging towards Edward.

"I don't think so!" The alchemist clapped his hands, and the ground in front of him immediately curled upwards and collided with the ice, forcing it to go straight upward.

"Would you look at that, folks! Elric-Shimura just deflected Todoroki's attack like it was just a snowball! I bet that half of the stadium's real glad they're not getting frostbite this time!"

The dual-toned boy narrowed his eyes, sending more ice to destroy the stone wall.

Edward grinned wide, clapping his hands again. A stone pillar launched him into the air, allowing him to avoid the rubble from the destroyed wall before he landed on the ice and slid down it towards Shoto, "That can't be all you've got, Shoto!" He went to clap his hands again, only for his wrist to jam again, "Gah...!"

Shoto looked up at that, focusing on Edward's automail arm.

The alchemist slammed his arm, then clapped his hands before pressing them against the ice as he slid down.

His opponent glanced around as the ice started to turn to steam rapidly, obscuring the field, "Very well then..." He raised his left hand, sending a stream of fire towards the other fighter.

Edward dived to avoid it, skidding beneath the flames before rolling to his feet and turning back to Shoto, hands ready to clap, "Where are-? ACK!"

The dual-toned boy was suddenly right next to him, grabbing his automail arm in his right hand as frost started to cover the metal.

"Hey, quit that!" Edward raised his automail leg, kicking him in the chest.

"Oof-!" Shoto felt the wind get knocked out of him, falling back but still gripping Edward's arm as the ice started to freeze his hand to the metal.

The alchemist yelped as he started to fall with him, "Let me GO, Peppermint!" Edward punched Shoto with his free arm, trying to force him away.

Shoto stumbled back further, the ice on his own arm and Edward's automail growing thicker... Before the automail snapped off of Edward, the ice having formed inside of the prosthetic.

There was a beat of silence as both of them fell into a sitting position, with Edward looking between his sparking port and Shoto holding his frozen arm, before the entire audience started to break out in screams.

"OH MY GOD! Todoroki's ripped Elric-Shimura's arm CLEAN OFF!!!"

They could hear a loud smack and Present Mic's yelp of alarm through the speakers before Aizawa started to talk, "It was his prosthetic, don't cause more panic unnecessarily."

"NOOO, MY BABYYY!" They could hear Winry's pained cry as she leaned over the wall, gripping her head.

Shoto started to get up, glancing down at his hand as the arm crumbled to pieces, most of it ruined from the ice that expanded inside of and around it. He looked at Edward, "That wasn't what I meant to do."

Edward stared at him in shock, then quickly got a determined look on his face before trying to sweep Shoto's legs as he stood, "This ain't the first time I've lost my automail in a fight — which means this isn't over yet!"

"Elric-Shimura's still fighting?! Even after losing his arm?!"

Shoto quickly jumped away, sliding his right foot along the ground the moment he landed to send a line of ice towards Edward.

The alchemist dodged out of the way, staring at the new wall of ice before his eyes widened slightly. He grinned, turning to his opponent, "HEY, SHOTO!" Edward pointed at him, grinning wider with a fire in his eyes, "THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A TIEBREAKER, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT FAST ENOUGH TO FORCE ME OUT!" He started to run off, laughing as he did.

Shoto narrowed his eyes, raising his right hand as he sent another line of ice to chase after Edward.

Edward continued to grin, scanning the arena with a critical eye, That's right, Shoto, just keep chasin' after me! He made a sharp turn, the ice matching it.

Alphonse sighed softly, shaking his head sadly, "Brother doesn't know when he's beat..."

"Wait..." Izuku frowned, his eyes scanning the ice as the alchemist kept running in different directions, "Edward's making some sort of pattern..."

Edward laughed, "TOO FAST FOR YOU, STARMINT?!" He started to run with a slight curve in his path, glancing back to make sure the ice was still following him, Can't slow down, can't make a mistake...!

"He is?" Alphonse blinked, looking at the field a little closer.

Izuku nodded, pointing at the ice, "Look — he's making precise turns, there's the beginnings of a circle connecting to some of the lines..."

Alphonse squinted slightly, gasping as his brother made another sharp turn, "He's making a transmutation circle...!"

"Derp?" Izuku turned to him, blinking a few times, "A what?"

"It's the basics of our Quirk! It, uh — it takes a LOT of practice to do a transmutation without one, since you otherwise have to make the circle in your head, but when you have a circle...!" Alphonse pointed to the field, smiling wide.

Ochaco gasped, her eyes lighting up, "You can do it without having to clap?"

"Exactly!"

Almost there...! Edward made another sharp turn, running towards part of the ice, Just one last point! He vaulted on top of it, skidding to a stop and turning to watch as the ice collided with the wall.

"Elric-Shimura's made... A fancy picture using his opponent's Quirk? Is he just stalling for time?!"

"FAR FROM IT!" Edward grinned wide, kicking off his left shoe and jamming his automail foot into the ice, "YOU LOSE, SHOTO!!!" He raised his hand dramatically, slamming it against the ice with a laugh. The ice started to glow alchemy blue, energy crackling across the entire arena.

"Elric-Shimura's outsmarted his opponent," they could almost HEAR a grin in Aizawa's voice, something that was somewhat alien to them, "that's what he did."

Shoto glanced around, then gasped when the entire arena shot up into a massive rocky pillar at an angle, launching him and any of the rubble that wasn't stuck in the ice like a catapult. The dual-toned boy spun through the air, disoriented as he eventually hit the ground and rolled to a stop — out of bounds.

The crowd started to go wild as Midnight flicked her whip towards Edward, "Todoroki has been knocked out of the arena! Elric-Shimura is our winner!"

"WHAT A MASSIVE TWIST!!! Even after losing his arm in the middle of the fight, Elric-Shimura managed to trick his opponent into playing by his rules and giving him the win!!! With that, the final match is officially over! The first-year champion of the U.A. Sports Festival is... Edward Elric-Shimura from Class 1-A!"

"I won?" Edward looked around, standing upright as he watched the cheering audience, "I... I won!" He let out a laugh, grabbing his discarded shoe and hopping off of the ice, "I did it!"

'WAY TO GO, BROTHER!" Alphonse beamed as he clapped.

"Hey, Shoto!" Edward beamed as he ran over while Shoto was starting to sit upright, "Way to go out there, you were amazing!"

"... Thank you." Shoto held out his left hand, "That was clever, using my ice against me."

"Eh, I got lucky." The alchemist took the offered hand, helping him up, "If you'd chosen to freeze the arena or attack with fire, I'd have been a goner!"

"... I need more time to get used to using my left side." Shoto glanced at his right shoulder, "Sorry about your arm."

"I'll definitely need to get that fixed..." Edward jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, "Mind helping me find the pieces? I think my mechanic'll kill me if I don't get 'em all."

The dual-toned boy nodded, walking over to the arena to collect the pieces.

The students stood on the field after the arena had been cleared out, standing in front of Midnight. The teacher smiled wide as she spoke, "The first-year students have completed all of the events for the U.A. Sports Festival. Now it's time to relax and enjoy the award ceremony!"

The crowd cheered as fireworks went off in the sky above them, then a set of smoke machines and confetti cannons went off on the field as part of it opened up, a set of platforms rising up from the ground.

Standing alone on third place was Bakugo, rage still riddled across his face as his fists twitched in irritation as he looked over the crowd.

Izuku gulped nervously, "Kacchan looks... Uh, upset..."

On the opposite side and on a slightly higher platform than Bakugo was Shoto, who stood there calmly with his fists at his side.

Then, lastly, standing above them on the center platform was Edward, a wide smile on his face as he looked around at all the people cheering for them.

Alphonse frowned slightly, "Wait, where's Tenya...?"

Midnight glanced at all the cameras taking photos, "Tenya Iida actually shares the third-place award with Bakugo. But, unfortunately, he had to leave for family reasons." She smiled as she pressed a finger into her cheek, "Gotta love those familial bonds!"

"Oh..." The young alchemist frowned slightly, "I hope everything's okay..."

"Yeah, it's too bad Iida couldn't be here." Tsuyu tapped a finger to her cheek, "He was so excited."

Izuku bit his lip, glancing over at Ochaco as she frowned with concern.

"Now," Midnight flung her hand outwards, "let's break out the hardware! Of course, there's only one person worthy of distributing the awards."

They heard a familiar laugh from the top of the stadium, and they all looked up as All Might started to run across the roof, "Citizens!"

Midnight smiled, "All Might, the Number One Hero!"

All Might shouted over Midnight as he leapt down towards the field, "I am here with the medals!"

There was a beat of silence before Midnight pressed her hands together, giving All Might a strained smile, "Ruined that, didn't I?"

All Might stared at her awkwardly for a moment.

She cleared her throat, "So, now that you're here, All Might," she held up a tray with the medals on them, "why don't you start the presentation...?"

The top Pro laughed lightly, "Young Bakugo, congratulations." He approached Bakugo first, holding up the bronze medal, "You showed great strength out-"

"I was supposed..." Bakugo's fists trembled, a hard glare in his eyes, "To be the undisputed champion...!"

All Might sighed, resting the medal around his neck, "Things don't always turn out the way they do in our heads, Young Bakugo. The important thing is to learn, so you may improve for the future!" He held out his arms, going to give him a hug, "Just keep training, and next time you'll-"

"Save it!" Bakugo smacked his hand away, glaring as he sneered up at the Hero.

"... Very well, Young Bakugo." All Might grabbed the silver medal, then went over to Shoto, "Young Todoroki, congratulations!" He rested the silver medal around the dual-toned boy's neck, then clasped his shoulders, "I must say, I was mighty surprised to see you using your left side! Surprised, but quite proud. It's a mighty fine Quirk you have!"

"Midoriya and Edward..." Shoto looked down at All Might's feet, "They opened my eyes... I think I'm starting to understand a little about why you're so interested in Midoriya in particular. And..." He briefly glanced at Edward before looking up at All Might, "I want to be the kind of Hero you are. But my path isn't as clear as I thought it was... And I still have things to settle with someone, very soon."

Edward smiled a little brighter at that.

All Might nodded slightly, "I've never seen this sort of look on your face before." He wrapped his arms around Shoto gently, "I won't ask for details, but trust yourself. I'm sure you'll work things out!"

"Right."

"And now, Young Elric-Shimura!" All Might grabbed the first-place medal, holding it up, "You put on a most excellent display to reach first place in this tournament! Not only of strength, but also of ingenuity and skill!" He rested the golden medal around the alchemist's neck, grinning wider than usual.

Edward stared down at the medal, then looked up at All Might with shining eyes.

"I'm impressed with your performance today, young man!" The Pro gave him a quick hug and a pat on the back, "There's not a doubt in my mind that you made your family proud on this day!" All Might pulled back, the corner of his smile twinkling slightly.

"Thank you...!" Edward beamed wider, then he gave All Might a deep bow before standing upright again.

"Here they are!" All Might turned around to address the crowd, his voice echoing across the field, "The winners of this year's sports festival! But listen closely." He scanned the students closely, "Any of you first years could have ended up standing on these podiums. Think about what you've done today: you've challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer toward your goals of being Pros! I think the next generation of Heroes is proving to be our most promising one yet!" He raised his hand high as he pointed to the sky, "So I have one more thing to say! I want to hear everyone yell it with me! You know what it is!"

Alphonse and Edward beamed wide, each of them throwing a fist into the air as they screamed alongside everyone else, "Plus Ultra!"

All Might, meanwhile, shouted out, "Thanks, everyone, for your hard work!"

There was a beat of silence as Alphonse blinked a couple of times. After a moment, he slowly raised a hand, "Um, sir...?"

"WHAT?!" The audience was in varying states of disbelief, "That was the perfect time to say 'Plus Ultra', All Might!"

"W-Well, yeah, I guess," All Might rubbed his neck awkwardly, "but everyone did such a good job!"

Later, in the 1-A classroom...

"Nice work." Aizawa glanced over the students, "You have the next two days of school off to recuperate. I'm sure the Pros who watched the festival will wanna recruit some of you. We'll look over the draft forms and update you when you return."

Edward nodded, running his thumb over the medal as he listened passively.

"Get some rest. You still have a lot of training."

"Yes, sir!" The students started to get up, walking for the door.

"MY BOYS!" Nana laughed as she swept Edward and Alphonse off their feet the moment they walked out of the room, beaming wide as she held them at arm's length afterward, "You two were amazing out there! And Edward, you made it all the way to first!" She ruffled his head, "I'm so proud of you!"

Edward's eyes shined brighter before he pulled her into a tight hug with his one arm, "Thanks, Mom...!"

"Ed, Al...!" Eri hopped excitedly, "You two were so good...!"

"Thanks, Eri!" Edward grinned wide, giving her and Nina a quick hug as well, "Were you two cheering me on?"

"Of course, Little Brother!" Nina giggled as she hugged back.

Edward's eye twitched slightly, though he was still smiling, "I'll let that slide since I'm in such a good mood, Nina."

"We should celebrate!" Nana grinned wide, wrapping her arms around her kids again as they walked off, "Oh, and Edward? I managed to talk Winry into not throwing her wrench until tomorrow."

Edward laughed as he rubbed his forehead, "I appreciate that...!"

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of Japan...

A TV was replaying the end of Izuku and Shoto's fight, the volume muted as the green-haired boy slumped against the ground. The camera zoomed in closer as U.A.'s new nurse ran out to see him, then the screen paused when her face was in full focus.

"My my, it's been so long... You're a ghost of my past," a sinister grin emerged from the shadows, "Nana Shimura... Returned from the land of the dead, and barely even aged a day. How utterly fascinating."

Chapter Text

"Gah, this damn rain...!" Edward grumbled as he rubbed his right shoulder, "Why'd it have to happen on our day back...?"

Alphonse sighed as he shook the water off of his umbrella before putting it with the others, "I know, Brother."

"Ah, Edward and Alphonse!" Tenya jogged inside, going over to a small locker and opening it up to put his rain boots in it, "I see you two arrived early!"

"I'd rather be in bed..." Edward huffed as he sat on a bench, rubbing his left thigh tenderly.

"But your education is very important, Edward!" Tenya chopped his hands as Izuku walked up.

"Don't mind Brother," Alphonse smiled apologetically, "when it rains, the ports of his automail tend to cause him some discomfort."

"Oh, I see!" Tenya bowed, "Then I apologize for my ignorance!"

"Eh, I'll live." Edward waved a hand dismissively.

Izuku gulped as he shook off his umbrella, "So, Iida... Um..."

"If it's about my brother, don't be concerned." Tenya lowered the hood of his poncho, "I'm sorry if I made you worry. Everything'll be fine."

"Right, we heard about it on the news...!" Alphonse gave Tenya a sympathetic look, "If there's anything we can do-"

"Thank you, but truly, I'll be fine." Tenya gave an appreciative nod before walking to class.

"It's so weird that people recognize us from TV." Mina beamed as everyone was gathered in the classroom, "Everyone wanted to talk to me on my way here!"

Eijiro grinned as he pointed at himself, "Yeah, me too!"

Toru's sleeve moved to show she was holding a hand to her chest, "People on the street were staring at me! It was kind of embarrassing, actually..."

"Sure," Mashirao smiled awkwardly, "but isn't that pretty normal for you?"

Edward groaned slightly, "Al and I almost couldn't get off the train because of how many people were tryin' to talk to us...!"

Hanta grinned as he shot some finger guns at the two brothers, "Guess that's what happens when you get as far in the festival as you two did!"

Tsuyu turned to Edward, "Especially when you get first place, ribbit."

Denki grinned, "All it took was one sports festival and suddenly we're like celebrities!"

Mineta nodded, "This school really is amazing."

The door slid open, "Morning."

The students quickly took to their seats, "Good morning, Mister Aizawa!"

"Ribbit?" Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek, "Mister Aizawa, you don't have bandages anymore."

"Oh, yeah!" Alphonse smiled, "That's good news, right?"

"The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment." Aizawa casually scratched under one of his eyes, a prominent scar underneath the other one on full display, "Anyway. We have a big class today on Hero Informatics."

Some of the class tensed up at that, seemingly getting lost in their own thoughts.

Hero Informatics? Alphonse blinked a couple of times, Is this going to be laws relating to Hero-work?

Gah, it's probably gonna be a quiz, isn't it? Edward huffed as he leaned back, That seems like something he'd do...

Aizawa stared at the class apathetically, "You need codenames. Time to pick your Hero identities."

Most of the class started to cheer at that, "This is gonna be totally awesome!"

The teacher narrowed his eyes as they flashed, his hair standing on end.

The class quickly calmed down, sitting back in their desks.

"This is related to the Pro Hero draft picks that I mentioned the last time we were in class together." Aizawa's hair went back down as he spoke. He watched them all as his hands went down to his sides, "Normally, students don't have to worry about the draft yet — not until their second or third year, actually — but your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to first-years like you, Pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation, though."

Mineta trembled as he hit his desk with a fist, "Stupid, selfish adults..."

"So what you're saying is," Toru leaned forward slightly, "we'll still have to prove ourselves after we've gotten recruited."

Aizawa offered a slight nod, "Correct. Now... Here are the totals for those of you who got offers." He lifted a remote and pressed a button as he turned to the blackboard behind him.

It started to list a handful of students from their class and an associated number that climbed upward. Some of them only got one to two dozen like Ochaco, while others got upwards of a hundred like Momo, whereas Tenya received nearly three times as many with Alphonse just above him. Then there was a massive jump up to Bakugo with three and a half thousand, then Shoto just above him with a little over four thousand... Before yet another jump for Edward, who sat at well over seven thousand offers.

Edward gaped at the offers, at a complete loss for words as his mouth hung open.

"In past years, it's been more spread out." Aizawa motioned over his shoulder at the blackboard, "But there's a pretty big gap this time."

"Gah!" Denki leaned his head back, "That's no fair..."

Yuga was still smiling even as he fumed, "What about the real star? Moi?!"

"Edward's got more votes than Todoroki and Bakugo combined..." Kyoka muttered while looking at all of the offers, "Not to mention Alphonse getting more than Iida."

"Yeah, it's the opposite." Eijiro scratched his cheek, "You'd expect the winner of a fight to get more votes than the person they beat."

Hanta motioned over to Alphonse, "Maybe he got some bonus points because he gave up his spot because Iida sacrificed an easy win? Plus, his Quirk has a pretty wide range of applications..."

Momo sighed softly as she looked at her own offers, then gave Shoto a tiny smile, "That's amazing — you must be proud." She glanced back at Edward, "And you as well."

Shoto looked away, "These offers are probably because of my father."

Edward shook his head before lightly chopping Shoto's head, "Oi, Peppermint, don't go chalking up your success to your old man! You were the one who did amazing out there," the alchemist grinned, "people are just recognizing that."

Ochaco gasped as she erratically shook Tenya back and forth, "People want us!"

"Midoriya," Mineta frowned as he shook Izuku slightly, "you got none! I bet everyone was really grossed out by the crazy way you were fighting."

Edward cupped his hands around his mouth, "You didn't get any votes either!"

"Sh-Shut up!!!"

"Despite these results," Aizawa frowned as the class quieted down, "you'll all be interning with Pros. Got it? Even those of you who didn't get any offers."

"Oh," Izuku perked up slightly, "so we're all interning?"

The teacher nodded, "Yes. You already got to experience combat with real Villains during the attack on the USJ facility."

Edward frowned slightly, nodding as he leaned back again.

"But it'll still be helpful to see Pros at work — up close and personal, in the field. Firsthand."

Sato grinned as he clenched his fist, "And for that, we need Hero names!"

Ochaco pumped her arm, "Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!"

"These Hero names will likely be temporary, but take them seriously or-"

Midnight slid the door open as she cut off Aizawa, "You'll have hell to pay later!" She walked further into the room, her mask on her forehead rather than around her eyes, "What you pick today could be your codename for life. You better be careful, or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent."

"Yeah, she's got a good point. Midnight is going to have final approval over your names." Aizawa bent down to grab his sleeping bag, "It's not my forte."

Edward raised a brow, "Didn't you name yourself?"

"I didn't."

Alphonse made a face, "Huh? Wait-"

"The name you give yourself is important." Aizawa kept moving along, "It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of Hero you wanna be in the future. A codename tells people exactly what you represent. Take 'All Might' for example."

Midnight handed a stack of small whiteboards and markers to each student in the front row, "Take one and pass the rest to the student directly behind you!"

I already know what I'm gonna be! Edward grinned as he took his whiteboard, writing out a name on it immediately.

Alphonse, meanwhile, stared at his for a moment longer, I wonder what I should be...

After a moment of most the students scribbling on their own whiteboards, Midnight glanced over them all, "Now, students, who among you is ready to share?"

While some of the students started to whisper about not expecting this to be a presentation, Yuga calmly walked up to the podium. He slowly lifted his whiteboard up, "Hold your breath. The Shining Hero..." He held the whiteboard above his head as he sparkled, "My name is 'I can not stop twinkling'! Mon amis. You can't deny my sparkle."

Edward stared at him for a moment, "... That's just a full-on sentence!"

"It'll be better this way..." Midnight took the board to scribble on it, "Take out the 'I' and shorten the 'can not' to 'can't'." She smiled as she held the board back out to him.

"Huh?" Alphonse made a face, "Teacher, you can't be serious...!"

Yuga twinkled as he held up a finger, "It's stunning, mademoiselle."

Several other students stared in shock, "She likes it...?"

"Also," Sato pointed at Yuga, "you're not really French, are you? That's just an act."

"Okie dokie, lemme go next!" Mina skipped up to the podium, setting down her whiteboard, "My codename: Alien Queen!"

Edward grinned, "Now that's a badass name!"

"Hold on!" Midnight gave Mina a concerned look, "Like that horrible monster with the acidic blood? I don't think so!"

Mina slumped over as she walked back to her desk, "Dang it..."

Alphonse smiled reassuringly as she sat down while the rest of the class looked around in confusion, "Don't worry, Mina, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu held up her hand, "I think I've got one. Okay if I go next?"

"Come on up!" Midnight smiled as she pointed to the frog-like girl.

"I've had this name in mind since grade school." Tsuyu walked up to the podium before turning her whiteboard to the class, "The Rainy Season Hero: Froppy!"

Alphonse gasped softly, "That's such a cute name, Tsuyu...!"

"That's delightful!" Midnight pressed her hands together, "It makes you sound approachable — what a great example of a name everyone will love!"

Most of the class started to chant "Froppy" over and over again as Tsuyu smiled before making her way back to her desk.

"Hey," Edward raised his hand casually, "I'd like to go next."

"Go ahead, dear!"

He walked up to the podium, grinning as he set down his whiteboard, "The Alchemical Hero: Fullmetal!"

"A cool-sounding name that gives others an idea of how you fight — I like it!" Midnight gave him a thumbs up, "Approved!"

"I've got mine too!" Eijiro ran up as Edward returned to his desk, "The Sturdy Hero — my name is Red Riot!"

"'Red Riot'? Interesting!" Midnight held up a finger as she smiled lightly, "You're paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot, yes?"

"That's right." Eijiro grinned with a mouthful of sharp teeth as he rubbed the back of his head, "He may be kinda old school, but someday," he held up a finger, "I wanna be just like he was — Crimson is my idol!"

"Hm..." The teacher briefly looked Eijiro over, "If you're bearing the name of someone you admire, you have that much more to live up to."

Eijiro lifted his fist, "I accept the challenge!"

Edward grinned wide at Eijiro as he sat back down, "It's a pretty badass name ya chose for yourself!"

"Man..." Denki rubbed his chin as he stared at his blank whiteboard, "I still haven't been able to think of anything that's cool enough..."

Kyoka tapped his shoulder, one of her earjacks wrapped around her marker, "Hey, I've got one." She held up a finger, "How does 'Jamming-yay' sound to you?"

"Ha! Oh," Denki pointed to the side, "it's like 'Hemingway', who wrote A Farewell to Arms, right?" He held his chin with his thumb against his cheek and his index finger pointed outwards, "Real clever, I like it!"

"No...!" Kyoka held a hand over her mouth as she started to laugh, "It's because even though you're powerful, you always... Jam your brain!"

"HA!" Edward threw his head back to laugh aloud, grinning wide.

Denki clenched his fist as Kyoka got up, "Oh, come on, Jiro — quit messing with me!"

Kyoka smiled as she set her whiteboard on the podium, "The Hearing Hero. I'm Earphone Jack."

Midnight grinned as she pointed at her, "Now that's a good one!"

Alphonse looked down at his own whiteboard, frowning slightly, I still need to name myself...

Mezo walked up to the podium, holding his whiteboard in four hands while he made an eye to stare at it and a mouth to speak with, "The Tentacle Hero: Tentacole."

"Oh, I like what you're doing with that!" Midnight held up a finger, "A nice portmanteau."

I don't really have a superhero from my childhood I want to name myself after like Eijiro, or a name I've wanted to use since I was little like Tsuyu... Alphonse tapped his marker against his chin, And I didn't have an alchemist title to call myself now like Brother and Mom... But maybe I can base it off of something ELSE from my past...

"You can call me the Taping Hero," Hanta grinned as he rested his whiteboard on the podium, "I'm Cellophane!"

"That's on the nose." Midnight tapped her thumb against her nose before giving him a thumbs up, "Good work!"

Mashirao walked up, flexing his tail as he spoke, "Martial Arts Hero: Tailman!"

"No surprise with that one, I guess!" Midnight smiled, "Approved!"

"Um..." Alphonse raised his hand as he finally set down his marker, "I'd like to go now, Miss Midnight."

"Certainly, dear! Why don't you come up?"

Alphonse took a deep breath before setting his whiteboard on display, "The Armored Hero: Stoneguard."

"Ooh, what a perfect name!" Midnight clasped her hands together as she beamed.

The young alchemist perked up slightly, "Really...?"

"Yes! It immediately fills one with the sense that you're here to protect them!" The teacher smiled wider as she gave him a thumbs up, "It's got my seal of approval!"

"I like it, ribbit." Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek, "It makes it sound like you're a knight in shining armor."

"Hey, yeah, it does!" Mina grinned.

Alphonse beamed wide, walking back to his desk.

Edward grinned as he reached over to tousle his brother's hair, "That's my little brother for ya!"

"Brother...!"

Sato ran up to the podium, "I'm the Sweets Hero: Sugarman!"

Midnight held her hands to her cheeks, "Perfect!"

Mina slammed her whiteboard down again as she punched the air, "Pinky!"

Alphonse smiled, "I like it!"

The teacher pumped her fist, "Make those looks work for you, girl!"

"I got it!" Denki grinned as he walked up, setting his whiteboard on the podium, "I'm the Stun Gun Hero: Chargebolt!" He tapped the top of the board, "Electric, doncha think?"

Edward grinned slightly, "Actually, that one's pretty cool!"

Midnight clasped her hands together, "Makes me all tingly!"

Toru slid behind the podium, "The Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl!"

"That really suits you!" Midnight gave another thumbs up before flinging her hand upwards, "Now come on, who's gonna step up next?!"

"I can go, Miss Midnight." Momo raised her hand before walking up to the podium, "I hope that I can live up to this name... I'm the Everything Hero: Creati!"

Alphonse smiled wide, "It's a clever name, Momo!"

"Yes!" Midnight clapped her hands again, "It's CREATIve!"

Shoto calmly walked up to the podium, showing a whiteboard with just his name on it, "Shoto."

"Just your first name?" Midnight rested her hands on her hips as she stepped closer, "Is that it?"

"Uh-huh..."

Edward cupped his hands around his mouth with a mischievous grin, "You should've called yourself Peppermint!"

The dual-toned boy glanced at him before walking back to his desk.

Fumikage walked up next, showing off his whiteboard, "Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi."

"Ah, God of the night!" Midnight nodded, "Clever!"

Mineta held up his whiteboard, with nothing but the top of his hair being visible from where he stood behind the podium, "Fresh-Picked Hero: Grape Juice!"

"That's..." Edward made a face, "Something...?"

"Very kitschy!" Midnight nodded as Mineta started walking back to his desk.

Koda nervously held up a whiteboard that said "Petting Hero: Anima" on it.

Alphonse smiled reassuringly, "I think it suits you!"

"Indeed!"

Bakugo slammed down his whiteboard, a sinister look on his face, "King Explosion Murder."

Edward raised a brow, "You think that's a Hero name?"

Midnight held her chin, "I'm gonna say that one's a little too violent."

"Huh?!" Bakugo whipped his head towards her, "Whaddaya mean?!"

The older of the two alchemists rolled his eyes, "She means it sounds like you're gonna try and murder people!"

Eijiro lifted his hand to point at Bakugo before he could round on Edward, "Why don't you be Explosion Boy?"

"You shut up, Weird Hair!"

Bakugo kept shouting at his classmates as Ochaco stood up, "Okay, my turn..." She set down her whiteboard, smiling nervously, "This is the name I thought of: Uravity!"

"I love that!" Midnight clapped as Ochaco gave a relieved sigh. She then turned to the clock, "To be honest, choosing names is going faster than I thought it would. All we have left is young Bakugo," she held a hand up over her eyes as she looked over the students, "who needs to rethink his, and Iida. Oh, yes, and Midoriya as well."

Alphonse glanced over at Tenya, frowning softly as he quickly erased what was on his board. The bespectacled boy walked up to the front, simply setting down his whiteboard as he looked down to the side.

Midnight frowned softly, "You're using your real name, too?"

Tenya just nodded, going back to his seat.

"Alright then, if you're sure. Well, Midoriya," the green-haired boy looked up quickly as Midnight called for him, "are you ready?"

"O-Oh — yes!" Izuku quickly walked up to the front, gulping slightly before setting down his whiteboard.

Mineta leaned forward, "Really, Midoriya?"

Denki held up a hand as he spoke, "You sure about that?"

"Yeah, man — remember, that could be your name forever."

"Right... I used to hate it." Izuku glanced down at his board, "But then, something changed. I guess... Someone taught me that it could have a different meaning — and that had a huge impact on how I felt." He smiled brightly, "So, now I really like it."

Alphonse smiled, resting his chin on his hands as he glanced at Ochaco.

"Deku..." Izuku finally looked back up while holding his board a little higher, "That has to be my codename!"

Edward grinned, crossing his hands behind his head, "Alright then, Deku it is."

Bakugo slammed his whiteboard down on the podium after Izuku returned to his seat, "Lord Explosion Murder!"

Midnight gave him a look, "That's basically the same thing."

Alphonse smiled awkwardly, "I don't think the rank you were giving yourself was the issue, Bakugo..."

Edward rolled his eyes before cupping his hands around his mouth, "Try Firecracker instead!"

Bakugo's eye twitched, "I'll show you a firecracker!"

"Oh, like you did during the sports festival?" Edward grinned tauntingly, "Oh wait, I beat your ass back there!"

"Shut it, Micro Bastard!"

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?!"

"Both of you, stop it!" Midnight stepped between them, already gripping her sleeve, "Don't make me subdue you both!"

Alphonse sighed as his brother sat back down, then he raised his hand, "Ground Zero."

"Eh?" Bakugo narrowed his eyes, "What's that supposed to mean, Pencil Legs?"

"That could be your codename," Alphonse folded his hands on his desk as he nodded decisively, "it's the epicenter of an explosion."

"Hey, that's actually pretty cool!" Eijiro grinned, "Ground Zero — it's easy to remember, too!"

Bakugo blinked a few times, staring at his whiteboard. He growled as he aggressively wiped it clean before writing, slamming it down, "Fine, Ground Zero! But don't go thinking I owe you any favors, you got that?!"

Alphonse smiled calmly, "Of course not, Bakugo."

Midnight gently nudged the other teacher as Bakugo returned to his desk, "Aizawa, wake up."

Aizawa grumbled before reluctantly standing up, the sleeping bag still hanging around his waist, "Now that everyone's decided on their Hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships." He grabbed a stack of papers from the podium as Midnight stretched, "They'll last for one week. As for who you'll be working with... Those of you who were on the board will choose from among your offers — everyone else will have a different list." Aizawa lifted a paper from the top of the stack to show it off to the class, "You have a lot to think about. There are around 40 agencies across the country who've agreed to take on interns from your class. Each agency has a different specialty that its Heroes focus on. Keep that in mind."

"Imagine that you were Thirteen!" Midnight held up a hand, "You'd want to choose a place that focuses on rescuing people, not fighting Villains. Understand?"

Aizawa nodded slightly, "Think carefully before you decide."

"That makes sense..." Alphonse nodded slightly, "But it'd probably also help to have a variety of experiences, right? Like choosing a Hero who has an expertise in a field you're interested in but don't have a lot of personal experience in."

"That's smart thinking, Elric-Shimura!" Midnight smiled, "Just don't pick one you've got no experience with, mkay?"

"Right, Teacher!"

Aizawa started the process of handing out the papers as the bell started to ring, "Turn in your choices before the weekend."

"Wait," Hanta looked up from his sheet, "we've only got two days?!"

"Yeah," Aizawa slung his sleeping bag over his shoulder as Midnight waved to the students before both teachers started to walk out, "so you should start now." He glanced over his shoulder, "You're dismissed."

"So, guys," Mina slumped against her desk as she stared at her paper, "have you decided what Pro Agency you wanna go for?"

Mineta jabbed a thumb at himself, "Mt. Lady's my top choice!"

"Mineta." Tsuyu started to walk past him, her hands lifted up, "Are you thinking something perverted?"

"Pro-" he glanced at Alphonse, gulping as the alchemist narrowed his eyes, "I-I mean no! O-O-Of course not, Tsu-!"

"Asui."

Mineta slouched in defeat as Mashirao walked up to where he stood next to Mina and Ochaco, "You made it pretty far in the tournament — it's weird you didn't get many offers."

Mina shot up from her desk, "I know!"

"Hey, Deku," Ochaco turned to Izuku, "who's on your list?"

Izuku didn't seem to hear her as he muttered to himself, "There are only 40 Heroes who'll take us, so after looking up their specialties and splitting them into groups, I can start narrowing..."

Edward sighed, "Muttering up a storm again, eh Izuku?"

"Huh?" The green-haired boy jolted in surprise, "O-Oh — sorry, what'd you guys say?"

"You're really thinking hard about this, aren't you?" Tsuyu walked up to his desk as she spoke.

Ochaco held up her hands, "It'll all work out! I've settled on my pick."

"Already?" Mina turned to her, surprise evident in her voice.

Mashirao knocked his head to the side, "What Agency?"

"The one that the Battle Hero Gunhead runs."

"Huh?" Alphonse blinked a few times as he turned to face her, "Who's that?"

"Gunhead's a big brawler..." Izuku frowned slightly, "Are you sure that's where you wanna intern, Uraraka?"

"Yup!" Ochaco beamed before she punched the air, "He sent me an offer."

"Whoa, really? But," Izuku blinked a couple of times, "I thought you were trying to be a Hero kinda like Thirteen, more into rescuing than fighting."

"Ultimately, that's the plan." Ochaco lowered her fist, "But I've been thinking ever since the festival — well, at least since I faced off against Bakugo..." She took a stance, punching the air with her other fist this time, "The stronger I am, the more possibilities I'll have! Plus, learning from a Battle Hero will give me a different perspective, like Alphonse was saying. Right?"

Izuku blinked again, "Yeah, totally."

Alphonse smiled wide, "That sounds great, Ochaco!" He patted her on the shoulder lightly, "I hope you learn a lot from him in that case."

"And hey, if ya ever want a sparring partner," Edward grinned as he wrapped an arm around Alphonse's shoulders, "you've always got us!"

"More importantly, there's something I've been meaning to ask you all day..." Ochaco glanced down at Izuku, "Why are you trembling?"

"Huh?" Alphonse blinked, finally noticing the same thing, "Yeah, what's wrong? Are you cold...?"

Edward frowned, "You need to see the nurse?"

"Oh, this?" Izuku looked down, "It's exercise."

Ochaco brought her hand back in, "Exercise?" She gasped as she held up her fists slightly, "Were you doing that during the whole class?!"

Mina leaned in closer, "There's no way!"

"That's such an old-fashioned way to train." Mineta shook his head as he walked up — before yelping as Edward shoved him away.

The older alchemist looked down at Izuku, his hand still pressed against Mineta's forehead, "Aren't your legs tired...?!"

"It's a smart way to train, though." Mashirao held up a finger, "The isometric muscle contraction that's needed to hold your body above your seat makes it an easy way to work out without moving."

Alphonse blinked slightly, looking down at his own legs, Maybe I should try that out then...?

Fumikage crossed his arms, "Tis skill, not strength, that governs a ship..."

"Hey, Deku!" Ochaco ran up to Izuku at the end of the day, "Wanna walk together?"

Izuku smiled back at her, giving a nod, "Mm-hm."

"Iida," she started to turn around, "come with u-!" She stopped when she noticed his empty desk, "Huh..."

"I think I saw him walk off with his paper already..." Alphonse slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"I bet he already decided where he wants to do his internship." Izuku went to open the door, "My guess is he's off turning his forms in right now."

The moment he opened the door, All Might suddenly slid in front of it while doubled over, "I am here in a bizarre position!"

"U-Um — yeah, what's that about," Izuku watched with concern, "and why are you in such a hurry...?"

"Hi, come with me a sec!"

Edward made a face, He's not exactly making things subtle...

"Uh, sure. Okay..." Izuku turned around, "I'll catch up with you guys...?"

"Yeah! Bye, Deku!" Ochaco smiled as he walked off after All Might.

"What?" Ochaco pulled out her umbrella as she glanced at Izuku, "You got an offer, Go, Deku! That's awesome!"

Edward grinned wide, "Yeah, that's great!" He started to tousle Izuku's hair, "Guess you didn't offset everybody after all, huh?"

"Y-Yeah — thanks, you guys...!" He opened a locker, frowning slightly.

"Aw, man..." Ochaco pouted slightly, "Did Iida go home without us?"

"Eh, his mind's probably just occupied..." Edward frowned slightly as he folded his hands behind his head, "What with everything going on with his brother..."

"Yeah..." Alphonse nodded slightly as he collected his own umbrella before walking out with the others.

Chapter Text

"Everyone has their costumes, right?" Aizawa rested his hands in his pockets as he stood before the students at the train station, "Remember, you don't have permission to wear them out in public yet, and don't lose them or anything."

Alphonse nodded, briefly patting the numbered suitcase with his armor in it, "Yes, Teacher!"

Mina grinned as she lifted hers above her head, "Gotcha!"

"Speak properly!" Aizawa sighed as he shook his head, "It's 'Yes, sir', Ashido."

The pink girl slouched, "Yes, sir..."

"Make sure you mind your manners with the other Heroes during your internships. Now get to it."

The students all nodded, "Yes, sir!"

As they started to disperse for their respective trains, Edward turned to his younger brother, "You sure you'll be fine on your own, Al?"

"Don't worry, Brother! It's only for a week, and Mom said she already spoke with the Hero I'm shadowing about my situation." Alphonse smiled reassuringly, "Plus, I've been feeling a lot stronger lately!"

"Alright... But don't push it, ya hear?" The older of the two grinned as he held out his fist, "And if this Hero gives ya any trouble, just slug 'em in the jaw."

Alphonse gave Edward a look even as he gave his brother a fist bump, "That isn't exactly the kind of behavior a Hero should be participating in, Brother."

"It is if they're a bastard!"

"Ribbit?" Tsuyu knocked her head to the side, "Are you two not shadowing the same Hero?"

"Yeah!" Mina pointed between the two of them, "I totally thought the two of you'd be stickin' together when we learned most Heroes have two students shadowing them at once."

"Well, Brother and I both wanted to get a variety of experiences," Alphonse smiled slightly, "so we thought it'd be best if we shadowed different Heroes — to get a variety in experiences that we could share with each other at the end of the week."

"That makes sense, ribbit."

"Well, we should get going! Brother," Alphonse turned to Edward, holding up a finger matter-of-factly, "don't forget to call Mom every day to let her know how you're doing! And be sure to maintain your automail, we don't want it breaking after a couple of days."

"Okay, okay!" Edward picked his ear with his pinkie, "Geez, you're as bad as Winry sometimes..."

The younger alchemist huffed, "Well, someone has to be responsible between the two of us."

"Hey, I'm PLENTY responsible!" Edward ground his teeth as he marched off, "Just you watch, I'll come back and my automail will be BETTER than new!"

Alphonse rolled his eyes before he offered Tsuyu a smile, "See you in a week?"

"See you next week, Alphonse." Tsuyu gave him a wave before walking off.

Edward glanced to the side as he walked to his train, pausing briefly, "Yo, Peppermint."

Shoto turned to him, "Do you need something, Edward?"

"Nah, just wanted ta wish you luck." The alchemist grinned, holding out his fist, "You're shadowing your old man, right?"

"Yes, I am." Shoto glanced down at the offered fist, then slowly gave him a fist bump.

Edward grinned wider, jabbing a thumb at himself, "Well, if he gives ya any crap, just give me a call! I'll punch the bastard's lights out for ya."

"... Thank you, Edward." The dual-toned boy turned to his own train, going to step onto it, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Seeya next week!" The alchemist waved him off before running for his own train.

Alphonse glanced down at the piece of paper in his hands, then back up at the building in front of him, "I suppose this is the place..." The young alchemist pushed the door open, walking further inside and approaching a counter with a young woman dressed in a Hero costume behind it, "Excuse me?"

"Hello and welcome to MTT Hero Agency!" The woman offered him a smile, "How can I assist you, young man? Is there an incident you wanted to report?"

"No, I'm actually here for the Dazzling Hero?" Alphonse held up the slip of paper, "My name's Alphonse Elric-Shimura, I'm here for the Hero Shadowing."

"Oh, of course! He's been expecting you — here," she got up from behind the counter, motioning for him to follow, "he wanted to meet you in your Hero costume! We have a locker room you can use."

"Ah, thank you!" Alphonse quickly followed after her, walking into the locker she had led him to. He took a moment to change out of his school uniform and into his armor before stepping back out of the locker room.

"I like your armor!" The woman smiled as she started to walk again, "I think you'll fit right in during your time here."

"Thank you, Miss!"

She nodded before opening a door, "Sir? The second Hero student is here!"

Oh, I wonder who the other student is? Alphonse double-checked his armor quickly.

"Thank you, darling! Go ahead and send him in."

The young alchemist gave the woman an appreciative nod as he entered the room, glancing around at the two people already there.

"Hello there, darling!" A tall, robotic individual leaned against a desk as he spoke to Alphonse. His costume was primarily black, with hot pink boots and a chestplate with a speaker and large dial. A silver belt around his waist had a pink heart on it, and his black hair was swept to cover his right eye.

"Hello there, sir!" Alphonse stood upright before offering him a bow.

"You know me as the Dazzling Hero: Mettaton!" He returned a light bow to the alchemist, "I know your name, but why don't you introduce yourself for your fellow student?"

"Yes, sir!" Alphonse rested a hand against his chest, "My name is Alphonse Elric-Shimura, of U.A.'s Class 1-A. It's an honor to meet you both!"

Mettaton smiled as he leaned against the desk again, "And your codename, darling?"

"Oh-!" Alphonse smiled awkwardly, rubbing his neck, "I'm still getting used to it... I'm the Armored Hero: Stoneguard!"

"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Stoneguard!" The Pro turned to the other person in the room, motioning to her, "And now it's your turn, darling."

She nodded, her short ginger hair bouncing slightly before she gave a slightly exaggerated salute, "Salutations! My name is Penny Polendina, of Atlas Academy's Class 1-B! My codename is the Stringed Hero: Marionette!"

Alphonse smiled, giving her a bow as well, "It's nice to meet you!"

"And the same to you!"

"Now that you're both here," Mettaton strutted over to the door, holding it open for the both of them, "why don't we go out on patrol?"

Penny gave another exaggerated salute, "Affirmative!"

"Oh — yes, Mister Mettaton!" Alphonse quickly nodded as he started to follow the Pro.

Edward slung his personal bag over his shoulder while hefting his numbered suitcase, stepping off of the train when it arrived at his stop. He glanced around as he started walking for the exit, "He's apparently gonna meet me outside the train station... Just gotta-"

As he was walking, a woman with golden hair who was wearing shades walked in front of him while staring at a map. The two ended up colliding with one another, and she looked up as she recovered her footing while he dropped his bag and suitcase, "Weh? Oh, I'm sorry young man! I should've been watching where I was going."

"Nah, you're fine," Edward bent down to pick his things up, "you alright?"

"I am... Say, you seem oddly familiar..." The woman squinted as she folded up her map, leaning in closer to his face.

The alchemist grinned as he stood upright, slinging his bag to hang over his shoulder before he held a hand under his chin, "We-he-hell, if you watched the U.A. Sports Festival this year..."

"Oh!" She stood upright and smiled as she hit her palm like a gavel, "You're Edward Elric-Shimura! You got first place for the first years!"

"That's me!" Edward snapped before pointing at her, smiling wide.

"Your alchemy was quite impressive! Especially with the way you used Todoroki's Quirk against him after he destroyed your automail."

Edward grinned wider as he gave her a thumbs up, "Hey, thanks!"

The woman smiled back, then pointed in the direction she was originally heading, "I'd love to speak with you more about this, Mister Elric-Shimura, but I'm afraid I actually have somewhere I need to go."

"Nah, you're fine," the alchemist waved a hand dismissively, "I actually gotta be heading out too."

"You have a good day!"

"Yeah, you too lady." Edward waved a hand as the two walked their separate ways. He glanced around as he stepped outside, adjusting the bag strap on his shoulder as he did, "Now, where is he...?"

"Excuse me, young man, but are you Elric-Shimura?"

The alchemist glanced over, spotting a short, heavily-bearded man wearing a horned helmet and carrying a large pan on his back, "Yeah, the name's Edward."

"Pleasure to meetcha," the man held out his hand, "I'm the Culinary Hero: Senshi."

"Oh, you're who I'm shadowing?" Edward blinked as he shook the man's hand. On the inside, however, he was cheering wildly, Yes! Yes! An adult that I'm TALLER than!!!

"You're the one who won in the sports festival?" A tall girl with cat-like features wearing a school uniform looked down at him.

"Heh!" Edward grinned smugly as he held his hand under his chin, "Yep, that's m-!"

She gave him a bored look, "I thought you'd be taller."

A vein popped in the alchemist's forehead, then he waved a hand as he gnashed his teeth, "The hell's that supposed to mean?!"

She gave him a smug look, "That you look like a middle-schooler."

"I am NOT a middle-schooler!!!"

"Come on now, you two," Senshi stepped between them, holding up his hands, "we're gonna be workin' together for the next week, so let's try and get along." He looked up at the cat-like girl, "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

She sighed, crossing her arms, "Izutsumi."

Edward raised a brow, "Just Izutsumi?"

Izutsumi just shrugged, "It's the only one I need."

"... Alright."

"Why don't we go to my Agency?" Senshi rested his hands on his hips, "You two can put away your things before we do our tasks for the day."

Edward huffed, "Fine, fine. Lead the way."

The Pro nodded, walking down the street with the two students following close behind.

"Hey, Starbound."

Nana turned around, offering a smile, "Midnight, Thirteen! Do you two need help with something?"

"Not quite," Midnight returned the smile as she rested a hand on her hip, "we were thinking of going out for drinks after work today, wanted to see if you'd like to join us?"

"Oh, I'm not sure — I have the kids at home, I normally make dinner for them. Although..." Nana leaned back in her seat as she crossed her arms, "I suppose I could ask Winry to watch the girls... It certainly won't be as hectic for her with most of the others being out of the house for the week."

"Exactly! So what do you say?" Midnight wrapped her arm around Nana's shoulders, "You coming with?"

Nana sighed softly, nodding with a smile, "So long as Winry's okay with watching the girls for me."

The eyes on Thirteen's helmet squinted happily as she gave a thumbs up, "Sounds good!"

"We doin' drinks?!" Present Mic rested his elbow on Midnight's shoulder, "Count me and Aizawa in!"

Aizawa looked up from his desk tiredly, "I didn't agree to this."

"Aww, c'mon Shota!" Present Mic wrapped his arm around Aizawa's shoulders as he started to poke him in the cheek, "Live a little! Bond with your coworkers! With your students outta town, it's not like ya got anything to do in the morning!"

Nana smiled nervously, "He doesn't have to join us if he doesn't want to."

"But it's good for him to go out!" Present Mic pumped his fist, "He needs to socialize SOMEHOW!"

Aizawa let out a long-suffering sigh, "He won't leave me alone until I agree... And someone needs to be able to get him home."

"Thaaat's right!" Present Mic grinned wider as he lightly shook the other man's shoulders.

Nana laughed softly, "Looks like it's decided, then!"

"Look, look, it's Mettaton!"

"We loved your show last night, Mettaton!"

"Thank you, thank you darlings!" Mettaton waved to the civilians with a smile as the three of them walked past.

"Ooh, isn't that the Elric-Shimura boy from the U.A. Sports Festival?"

Alphonse lifted his head a little higher at that.

"Wait, the one who got first place? Where?!"

"Ah, no, it's the other one. The one who gave up his chance to keep going?"

The alchemist sighed softly, then smiled as he looked ahead, "Well, they still know about me..."

"Don't mind them, darling," Mettaton patted Alphonse's shoulder lightly, "sometimes, selfless acts can fly under the radar."

"Oh, I don't mind!" Alphonse smiled a little wider, "And I don't regret the decision I made either — Tenya worked hard to get where he did."

Penny blinked, leaning forward to look at Alphonse's face as they walked on opposite sides of Mettaton, "Did you not work hard as well, Stoneguard?"

"I did! It's just..." The alchemist's smile grew softer as he looked down, "He wanted to make his family proud... Not to mention he chose to protect me from harm instead of taking an easy win."

"The decision you made was one any decent Hero would have, darling." Mettaton smiled as he lightly patted the top of Alphonse's head.

Alphonse beamed again at that, "Thank you, Mister Mettaton!"

"Of course, darling. Now!" The Pro clapped his hands before rubbing them together, "Let's go ahead and cover the basics of Hero Work, shall we?"

Penny gave a salute, "Yes, sir!"

"Pro Heroes like myself receive wages from the government, which makes us civil servants," Mettaton held up a finger, "however, with the Quirks that we bring to the stage and the licensing allowing us to show them off, our responsibilities to society differ from that of normal workers. This is important to remember — many people try to join the world of Pros solely for the wages," he wagged a finger as he spoke, "but these individuals often fall short and fail as Heroes, due to how ill-prepared they are."

"That's true!" Penny nodded, "One should never seek to do good solely for personal gain."

"Now now, darling! That's not necessarily true," Mettaton lightly tapped her nose, "if we kept that mentality, a lot of good wouldn't get done. It's always better to let someone do good even if it's for a selfish reason, than to tell them they can only do good if they're altruistic about it. And sometimes, a reason that may sound selfish could turn out to be selfless with context."

Alphonse raised his hand slightly, "My friend Ochaco wants to be a Hero for the pay, but it's because her parents have some financial troubles and she wants to be able to help them live an easy life."

"Precisely!" The Pro smiled again, "But even if her reasoning stopped at the salary she'd get as a Hero, that wouldn't necessarily mean she's a bad person, or ill-fitted to be a Hero — if anything, choosing Heroism specifically COULD be seen as sacrificing the 'easy' way to get money."

"One of my moms has a saying..." Alphonse smiled softly, "'Everyone is a little greedy, which isn't good or bad on its own.'"

Mettaton nodded, "That can certainly hold truth. Now, for the actual duties expected of us as Heroes! What do you think our primary goal is, hm?"

"Oh!" Penny raised her hand, "It's to control criminal activities, correct?"

"Well done, Marionette!" Mettaton glanced over his shoulders, "Whenever a crime is taking place, the police will contact us Heroes, and said requests will be filtered by district as they all come in. For each incident we respond to, we file reports for the services that we provided. Can each of you tell me one thing that would be included in these reports?"

Alphonse rubbed his chin before looking up at the Pro, "Rescuing people?"

"And assisting with arrests!"

"You're both correct! My, darlings, you're both rather bright — it seems I chose the right students to shadow me!" Mettaton smiled again as he rolled his hand, "Once the reports are submitted, a special agency will review our work and decide how much we should get paid."

"So..." Alphonse crossed his arms slightly, "It's like doing commission work?"

"That's a good way of putting it, Stoneguard! Makes us sound like artists," Mettaton held a hand under his own chin, "which I certainly won't disagree to. Now, Heroes are also permitted to have side jobs."

Penny knocked her head to the side, "I remember the history books talking about some controversy surrounding that when Heroism was first getting established, though?"

"It's true that in the infancy of Heroism, they weren't fond of the idea of Heroes taking up jobs outside of that world," Mettaton shrugged calmly, "but in the end, with the level of popularity Heroes had gained in such a short amount of time, the public soon started to demand that they had the option."

"I see!" Penny nodded firmly.

The Pro smiled calmly, "In fact, I'll be hosting a TV program tomorrow evening as part of my own work — I was thinking that you two could join me, but of course you're more than free to sit this one out."

"I'm camera ready!" Penny gave an exaggerated salute as she offered a smile.

Alphonse smiled as well, "I suppose regardless of what sort of Heroes we'll be, we should expect to appear on live television from time to time, right?"

"Precisely, darling!" Mettaton smiled as he patted both of their shoulders, "Don't worry, it won't be anything too drastic today."

"So you've told us how we get paid..." Edward folded his hands behind his head, "But how often do you actually respond to threats?"

"There's usually one or two small incidents that I respond to each day," Senshi waved to a passing civilian as he spoke, "but I don't usually get into the super big fights. Usually, I just play support for the more combat-oriented Heroes whenever I'm called into a large incident."

Edward glanced around, "Any big-name Heroes you team up with?"

"Eh, from time to time." Senshi stroked his beard lightly, "Endeavor's agency isn't too far from here, actually. It's far enough that we don't see each other on our usual patrols," he pointed off in the distance, "but it's close enough that in dire situations we'll sometimes both get called in to help handle it."

The alchemist glared in the direction Senshi pointed, "Oh yeah...? Whaddaya think of the guy?"

"Hm... He doesn't understand the value of a meal."

Edward blinked a few times, "... What, like he never knows how much something costs?"

"Not quite what I meant," Senshi held up a finger, "see, some folks think of food as nothing more than just something you put into your body to keep ya upright, but it's so much more than that."

"Food is food," Izutsumi had a bored expression plastered across her face, "I don't see what else it could be."

"Yeah, I'm with Cat Girl over here."

"You two are still young," Senshi nodded firmly, "by the end of the week, I'll have the both of you understanding the value of a meal."

The two Heroes in training traded a glance before getting back to following Senshi on his patrol.

"I must say, Aizawa," Nana sat down at a table with the other off-duty Heroes, "I don't think I've seen you with your hair pulled back before."

Aizawa sighed softly, "Hizashi insisted on it."

"Oh? Is that right, Yamada?" She turned to him.

"Yeah!" The loud Hero wrapped an arm around Aizawa's shoulders, "Doesn't he look good?"

Nana smiled softly, "Honestly, I think he looks better with his hair down."

"Aw, c'mon!" Yamada leaned back, "You're supposed to be my styled-hair partner here!"

She shook her head lightly as she smiled a little wider, "I put my hair up because I think it looks good on me specifically."

"Nemuri!" Yamada leaned across Aizawa to get closer to Kayama, "Nems, you think Shota looks good, right?"

Kayama just smiled, "I have to agree with Shimura here... Honestly, seeing Shota with his hair slicked back is always a little more than strange."

Aizawa started to push Yamada back, "Get off me, Hizashi."

Nana laughed softly as the three of them continued on, glancing to her side before speaking, "What about you, Kurose?"

"Hm? Ah, Anan is fine," the space-themed Hero smiled, "remember?"

Nana smiled back, "Right then, Anan."

"As for the subject at hand..." Anan smiled a little awkwardly at Aizawa, "It's a little strange to see your hair like this..."

Aizawa glanced at Yamada, "I told you it'd be strange."

"Ah, shaddup!"

"Say, Shimura," Kayama leaned her cheek against her hand, "when are we going to get to meet your wife?"

"Ah, I suppose I haven't shown you yet, have I?" Nana smiled softly as she rested her good arm against the table. She shut her eyes, Greed?

The smile on her face turned into a lopsided grin as Greed opened her now purple eyes, "Yo! The name's Greed Shimura."

"Eh?" Yamada blinked a few times, "Wait, didja marry yourself?"

"Nah, that ain't it. See," Greed held up her good hand to show off her tattoo and the two rings on her ring finger, "me and Nana are two completely separate people — we just happen to share a body."

"Wow..." Anan knocked her head to the side, "What's that like?"

The Homunculus shrugged casually, "Makes communication pretty easy. Though we can't exactly surprise each other," she tapped her forehead, "ya know? Thoughts can be private unless we wanna share 'em, but I can't exactly do somethin' without Nana knowing."

"Well," Kayama smiled as she leaned on her elbows, "it must be nice, being able to see everything from the other person's perspective all the time."

"And you're never alone, too!" Yamada nodded slightly, "No matter what, it's always both of the two Missus Shimuras."

"Eh," Greed grabbed her drink and swirled it around, "fer the moment at least."

Yamada blinked, "Huh?"

"See, Nana and I have talked 'bout it," the Homunculus downed her drink, "we're open to another person gettin' added to this relationship. 'Course..." Greed grinned wide, "They gotta take both of us — we're a package deal!"

"Well, that's good for the two of you." Anan smiled as she held up her drink.

The Homunculus turned her grin to the space-themed Hero, "Thanks!"

Late that night...

The woman that had bumped into Edward at the train station was walking the streets, walking between two buildings as she looked at her map, "Now, where do I need to go next...?"

"Lost, little lady?" A woman's voice came from a shadowy corner, grabbing the other woman's attention.

"Ah, just a little turned around — don't mind me, I'll be gone soon enough."

"Oh, I don't think so..." The woman stepped out of the shadows, her fingers extended into blades.

"... So that's what we're doing, hm?" She stared Crossdraw down as she folded up the map, "If you're planning to rob me, I'm afraid all I have is some cheap jewelry — no cash, no valuables."

"Oh, this isn't a robbery. See, my boss is very interested in you... Cleopatra."

"Who?" The woman laughed softly, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you have the wrong woman-"

"We know that is not true, Madam Cleopatra..." A shadowy portal with yellow eyes formed behind her as Kurogiri spoke, "Our master is intimately familiar with your existence. Though I must say, you have evaded him for some time..."

"Ah... So you're his lackeys, then." The woman closed her eyes as she pulled off her shades, listening as several figures with exposed brains stepped out of the portal, "I'd recognize the smell of his handiwork anywhere..."

"You admit to being the person we seek, then?"

"I fear I have no choice in the matter. And I'm woefully unprepared for a fight against the lot of you... It's about time I meet him face to face, I suppose."

"Good." Crossdraw stepped forward, holding up her bladed fingers, "Then just step through the portal."

"Indeed. Come now, Madam Cleopatra..."

Cleopatra turned to Kurogiri, finally opening her golden eyes.

"... The Immortal Philosopher."

Chapter Text

Alphonse glanced around at the various costumes surrounding them, "Mister Mettaton, can I... Ask you a question?"

"Of course, darling!" Mettaton straightened out a cuff of the suit he was wearing, "Ask away."

"Why did you ask for me instead of my brother? Ah-!" The alchemist quickly waved his hands in front of himself, "Not to say that I'm ungrateful for you asking for me! It's just... He did get further than I did in the tournament."

The Pro smiled slightly, "It was your fight with Iida — not only did you show off your quick-thinking in the heat of battle, but also your integrity by allowing him to continue onwards. It's true that he chose to land out of bounds alongside you to prevent you from getting injured," Mettaton turned to face Alphonse, "and while you were under no obligation to, you recognized the selflessness of his actions and returned it in kind. That's quite an admirable trait in a Hero, you know."

Alphonse beamed, giving Mettaton a bow, "Thank you, sir...!"

The Hero gave him a bow in return, then looked between him and Penny, "Now! Are you two ready to step into the limelight?"

Penny gave a salute, "Aye aye, sir!"

Alphonse nodded with a smile, "Ready, Mister Mettaton!"

"Excellent!" Mettaton strutted for the door, glancing over his shoulder, "Follow my lead, darlings."

Both of them stood upright, smiling and giving the Pro a set of thumbs up.

"Okay, Mettaton..." A person that resembled a sheet ghost wearing a headset floated over, "They're ready for you..."

"Thank you, Blooky!"

Alphonse smiled at them, "Thank you, Napstablook!"

"Oh..." Napstablook started to float away, "You're welcome, Stoneguard..."

Mettaton flung the door open, walking out onto the stage as the live audience cheered, "Hello and good evening, my darlings! It's none other than your Dazzling Hero: Mettaton! But for today's edition of MTT-TV, I have two very special guests!" He swept an arm over to the door, "Please give a Dazzling welcome to the Armored Hero: Stoneguard and the Stringed Hero: Marionette, the two up-and-coming Heroes in training that are flying under my wings this week!"

Alphonse and Penny smiled as they walked onto the stage, both of them waving to the audience as they cheered again.

Mettaton motioned for the two of them to sit down while he took his own seat, then he smiled at the audience as he crossed one leg over the other, "Some of you may recognize Stoneguard as none other than Alphonse Elric-Shimura, who placed in the top eight of the first-year section of the U.A. Sports Festival this year!"

Alphonse smiled a little wider as he sat down, glancing over the audience as they showed an interest in that.

"But I think it'd also interest you all to know that Marionette is none other than Penny Polendina, who had also reached the finals of her own Atlas Sports Festival this year!"

"That's right!" Penny smiled and waved to the audience at that.

"We have an exciting show for you tonight, darlings! First up, we have-" Mettaton paused, glancing to the side as he held a hand to his ear, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Alphonse blinked, trading a glance with Penny as the audience started to mutter in confusion.

"My apologies, darlings, but we must be going!" Mettaton shot to his feet while motioning for the two students to follow, "We've just received a request for aid in dealing with a Villain incident in Hosu!"

The alchemist's eyes widened as he quickly shot to his feet, "That's where Tenya is...!"

"Remember, you two," Mettaton walked quickly as the two students trailed after him, "you follow my lead, understood? You're still students, and we're running into an emergency situation. And Stoneguard," he glanced over his shoulder at Alphonse, "I know that your friend is going to be there, and we may not know what his situation is — but you must remember that as Heroes, we cannot use our powers for personal gain. Civilians take first priority, understood?"

"Understood, Mister Mettaton..." Alphonse nodded slightly.

"... Uh-huh. Yes, I understand." Senshi lowered his phone, turning to Edward and Izutsumi, "Alright, change of schedule! There's an incident over in Hosu, they're asking fer as many Heroes as they can get to help. We'll be going in to provide support."

Edward frowned slightly, "Is it a Villain attack?"

"It sounds like it. C'mon," Senshi started to run, "let's get moving — we can get more details once we're on the scene."

"Right!" The alchemist nodded as he ran alongside the Pro, frowning slightly, Didn't Tenya say he was gonna be in Hosu...? And that's where the Villain attacked his brother... I just hope he's alright.

"Alright, darlings! It's important to remain calm!" Mettaton helped a civilian back to their feet after they tripped, "Remember not to shove each other!"

Alphonse glanced around, "So many people whipped up into a panic..."

"Th-There are Villains, all over the place...!" A young woman gripped Mettaton's arm as she spoke frantically, "They look like monsters, exposed brains and everything...!"

"Wait, what?" Alphonse's head whipped around, eyes wide, "That sounds like Nomu...!"

"You're safe now, darling," Mettaton patted her head lightly before motioning for her to keep moving, "the Heroes are here now. Just focus on getting yourself to safety, okay?"

"O-Okay...!"

"Mister Mettaton," Alphonse quickly grabbed the Pro's hand, a concerned look in his eyes, "if that description of these Villains is true, it could be connected to the group that attacked my class...!"

"During the USJ incident?" Mettaton frowned softly, "Then it's possible the danger here is greater than we might've anticipated... Our mission remains the same: protect the civilians, keep them away from danger!"

Penny nodded firmly, "Understood, sir!"

The three finally separated from the crowd of fleeing civilians, rounding the corner — just in time to see a bus get flung in their direction.

Alphonse's eyes went wide as he clapped, "Get down!" He pressed his palms against the ground, alchemical energy surging outwards. Numerous stone hands shot out of the ground the moment he did, grabbing onto the bus and suspending it in the air before it could crash.

"Well done, Stoneguard!" Mettaton started to run past the bus with the two students close behind.

The alchemist froze briefly as he caught sight of a hulking figure with red marks on their black skin and an exposed brain taking up most of their head, save for a lower jaw that almost seemed fused in place. The figure grunted as they tossed aside a Hero effortlessly, stomping around as the surroundings burned.

A more slender, winged individual with skin like aged paper flew above them, their eyes planted on the sides of their head and a prone Hero held in their talon-like feet.

Mettaton narrowed his eyes, lifting his hand and pointing a finger gun at the larger of the two as his finger started to light up, "Marionette, Stoneguard, the two of you stay back! Leave them to the Pros!"

"But Mister Mettaton," Penny held up her hands as her fingertips opened slightly, "we're combat ready!"

"You're both students under my protection," their mentor glanced down at them, "I don't want to risk your safety unnecessarily."

"W-Wait, Alphonse?!"

The alchemist's head whipped around, his eyes going wide again, "Izuku? What are you doing here?!"

"M-My Hero and I were on the train when we were attacked by one of these guys!"

"Oi, kids! Play catch-up later!" Another Pro ripped a fire hydrant out of the ground, a geyser of water sprouting up into the air, "Manual! Stop the fire!"

"Right!"

Alphonse turned around as Manual ran towards the water, That's the Hero Tenya went to shadow!

"Why'd you run off by yourself?" Manual gritted his teeth, "Where the hell are you, Tenya? Dammit...!"

The alchemist frowned slightly as the water was getting redirected to the fires, Wait, Tenya just left? Even with everything that's happening? He turned to Izuku, That doesn't sound like him...

"You kids need to get outta here!" Another Hero went to stand in front of Izuku as she spoke, "You'll just end up getting in our way — we can hold off these Villains on our own. You just focus on evacuating with the civilians!"

"Look out!" Penny slid in front of Mettaton as a car was tossed, a set of extremely thin wires firing from her fingers and attaching to the car. The car stopped as she pulled the wires tight, then she slowly lowered her hands to set the car against the ground.

"Well done, Marionette," Mettaton walked forward as he started to fire small energy bullets at the hulking Villain, "but she's right — you two should focus on helping the civilians get to safety!"

"But-" Penny yelped as she was suddenly yanked forward, looking up to see the giant grabbing onto the wires and reeling her in.

"Penny!" Alphonse's eyes went wide as he quickly clapped and pressed his hands against the ground, sending stone pillars to strike against the Villain.

The hulking figure was unphased by the stones striking them as they pulled Penny closer even as she struggled. They let out a muffled groan as they grabbed both her legs in one hand, lifting her up and making her dangle upside-down.

Penny screamed as the Villain squeezed, her legs cracking as sparks started to fly.

The Villain groaned again, lifting their other hand and wrapping their fingers around her left arm and squeezing again, though it seemed unphased as she screamed again as yet more sparks flew from the now-mangled arm.

"MARIONETTE!" Mettaton ran in, using both hands to fire energy bullets at the hulking Villain before going to deliver a kick to their knee.

The Villain grunted as they moved their hand to take the energy bullets, then they fell onto their knee as Mettaton kicked it out from underneath them. They went to swat the Pro away with their now-empty hand, but groaned as it met resistance.

Penny was panting in pain as she held her good hand up, the thin wires from her fingers wrapped tightly around the Villain's arm and pulling on them to keep the arm away from Mettaton.

"Dammit," one of the Pros gritted her teeth, "what ARE these things?!"

"Penny...!" Alphonse turned to Izuku as the green-haired boy was looking around frantically. The alchemist gave him a concerned look, "Do you think Tenya's...?"

"I-I think he might've found the Hero Killer..." Izuku bit his lip, "I can't leave him alone if that's true, but-"

"You go and find our friend," Alphonse clapped, "I'll try and help out here!"

"R-Right...!" Izuku quickly turned around, running off to find Tenya.

"Now..." The alchemist pressed his hands against the ground as he turned to the hulking Villain, "You let her go!"

The Villain turned their head towards Alphonse with a groan, then grunted loudly as suddenly they were pummeled by stone fists flying at them from every direction. They stumbled with each collision, barely even noticing as a stone spear shot out and dug into the wrist holding Penny up.

So this one doesn't have shock absorption...! The alchemist turned to the side, "Mister Mettaton!"

"Right!" The Pro leapt up as the Villain's grip on Penny slackened, grabbing her and running to a safe distance, "You did well, Stoneguard — but now I have a very important task for you!" Mettaton ran up to him, holding out Penny, "I need you to take Marionette to safety, and call assistance for her. Can you do that?"

Alphonse nodded firmly as he took his fellow Hero in training, then looked down at her with a reassuring smile as he started to run, "Don't worry, you're going to be just fine...!"

"Th... Thank you..."

"Edward? What are you doing here?"

Edward spun around, "Shoto! We were called in to help," the alchemist jogged over to Shoto, "but I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"We were on patrol in the area when these guys attacked. Edward..." The dual-toned boy narrowed his eyes, "They're like the Villain All Might fought during the USJ incident."

"Figures it's the work of those bastards..." Edward narrowed his eyes as he punched his palm. He gasped as he looked up, "Hey, have you seen Tenya-?"

"No, but I did receive a message from Midoriya." Shoto held up his phone, "It's only an exact location, however."

"Eh?" Edward raised a brow, "Why'd he send that to you...?"

"Whatever the reason, it's not too far from here."

"Wait, you don't think..." The alchemist looked up quickly, "He could be in trouble!"

Shoto nodded as he started to run again, "It's a possibility."

"Fullmetal!" Senshi bashed a Villain away with his shield-like pan, "Where are you going?"

"We got a tip that someone's in trouble!" Edward ran backwards briefly, "We'll handle it from here!"

"Hold on-!" The Pro grunted as the Villain got in his way with a screech.

"Mn," Izutsumi flexed her fingers, her claw-like nails glinting slightly, "guess they're on their own right now."

The two classmates ran through empty alleyways, searching for the location that Izuku had sent Shoto. Eventually, they started to hear voices — including a panicked Izuku.

"That's gotta be them!" Edward rounded the corner, his eyes going wide as he saw a man holding a sword over Tenya as his friends were laying prone on the ground.

Shoto narrowed his eyes, lifting his left hand and shooting a stream of flames at the man with the swords.

The Villain leapt away from the fire, "More people to get in my way..." He narrowed his eyes at Shoto as the attack stopped, the boy's left side still on fire, "Today's been full of distractions."

Edward grinned, "Way to go, Shoto!"

Shoto nodded before turning to the green-haired boy on the ground, "Midoriya," he slowly held up his phone, "you need to give more details in times like this."

"Yeah!" Edward stepped forward as he clapped, "If we hadn't figured it out as quickly as we did, we would've gotten here too late!"

Tenya's voice trembled as he managed to look at them, "You two as well, Todoroki and Edward...?"

Izuku looked up, "How'd you both get here...? H-Hold on, Todoroki, you're still using your left side?"

"How'd I get here? Good question... Your message took me a while to figure out." The dual-toned boy put out the fire on his left side, "Next time, try to send more than just your specific location — but you're not really one to send cryptic messages without a reason, are you?"

"Yeah!" Edward pressed his hands against the ground, and a surge of alchemical energy coursed towards the three that were lying prone on the ground. Stone hands emerged underneath each of them, bringing them to the grinning alchemist, "We figured out you were in trouble! So we decided to stop by since we were in the neighborhood."

Shoto ran towards the Villain as he nodded, "Everything's okay. The Pro Heroes will be here any minute!" He swung his left hand forward, another stream of flames surging towards the Villain.

Stain leapt onto a wall before jumping off it to avoid the fire, watching as the three injured were placed on the ground behind Edward.

"You're just what they said you were." Shoto stepped within the Villain's line of sight as his left hand was coated in fire, "But you won't be taking any more lives, Hero Killer."

"Yeah!" Edward clapped again, grabbing a spear as it emerged from a crater that formed in the ground, "Not if we've got anything to say about it!"

"Todoroki, Edward!" Izuku struggled to look at them, "You can't let that guy get your blood — I-I think he controls his enemy's actions by swallowing it. That's how he got us!"

"Eurgh!" Edward made a face, "That's disgusting...!"

"He ingests blood to keep people from moving..." Shoto glanced over the various weapons on Stain's person, "That explains the blades."

"So all we gotta do," Edward twirled the spear before pointing it at the Villain, "is keep him away!"

Suddenly, a knife was sent flying towards them. Shoto barely had time to move his head out of the way before the blade flew by, nicking his cheek.

"Ya have good friends, Ingenium-" Stain leapt towards Edward in the same moment the knife was thrown, swinging a serrated knife towards the alchemist's neck, "or you DID!"

Edward swung his spear up, catching the blade with the staff of it. He grunted as he slid back from the force of the Villain's blow, struggling to keep the spear upright as Stain kept pushing with his knife, "Damn, you're strong...!" Edward grinned, "But I've fought stronger!"

"Just another cocky so-called Hero, aren't you?" Stain narrowed his eyes, "Reveling in bloodshed like the Villains you despise."

"Nah, you've got me all wrong!" Edward lifted his left leg, kicking the Villain off of him, "Taking a life is a line I refuse to cross! But beating bastards like you senseless?" The alchemist pointed his spear at him with a grin, "That, I can do."

"But you do it for the joy of battle," Stain drew a sword and pointed it at him, "don't you? Even now, you smile as you speak of defeating me!"

"That's 'cause I was taught a valuable lesson!" Edward grinned wider, "When you're saving someone's life, you gotta smile to save their spirits! Show 'em that you're a true Hero, not just some punk throwin' around your authority."

"Oh?" Stain slowly grinned wide, "A true act of Heroism, then...? I see the truth in your eyes." He crossed his blades before charging forward, "Perhaps I'll allow you to live like the other one!"

"You're assuming that I'll let you kill anyone!" Edward ran forward as well, swinging his spear with a yell.

Stain leapt over Edward, throwing another knife at Shoto.

The dual-toned boy dodged the blade, then looked up to see a sword spinning through the air as it started to descend.

He looked down right as Stain got in close, his tongue reaching for Shoto's bloody cheek — before he leapt back as Shoto released another wave of fire, then he leapt off of a pillar of ice to grab his sword out of the air.

"He's strong!" Shoto watched as the Villain slashed through the ice before leaping away from a stone pillar made by Edward.

"Just stop this, both of you...!" Tenya clenched his jaw as he watched Edward throw his spear at Stain to force the Villain further back, "Why are you two doing this? His fight is with me! I inherited my brother's name... I'm the one that should stop him. The Hero Killer is mine!"

"You're Ingenium now? Strange." Shoto sent a burst of flames towards Stain before creating a huge wave of ice, "The Ingenium I knew before never had that look on his face."

Tenya gasped softly, his eyes slowly going wide.

"You've got a dark side... Guess my family isn't the only one."

Edward clapped before sending a series of stone fists that Stain dodged or leapt off of, "Tenya, you can't let this anger take a hold of you!" The alchemist glanced back as he narrowed his eyes, "This is a path you don't want to go down — that you CAN'T go down! Because once you kill Stain for this..." He pointed at Tenya, "What's stopping you from killing again, huh?! There's no equivalent to a human life, and the toll that taking one leaves on you... It's unbearable!"

"Todoroki, Edward, c-careful...!" Izuku grunted, then gasped softly as his hand twitched.

There was a series of slashes from behind the ice before it exploded outwards, Stain leaping through, "Ya blocked your own field of vision against an opponent who's faster than you... Rookie mistake!"

Shoto's left arm lit up with flames, "Come get me then-!" He gasped in pain, looking down as two daggers suddenly dug into his forearm while the fire went out.

"SHOTO!"

"You're good, kid." Stain started to descend from above, his sword held up as he went for the downed Pro, "Unlike him!"

Edward clapped his hands — then gasped in shock as a green blur slammed into Stain, dragging him across the wall of a building, "Izuku?!"

"Midoriya!" Shoto looked up as he gripped his arm.

"I'm not sure why, but I'm able to move now!"

The dual-toned boy narrowed his eyes, "So he has a time limit."

"N-No..." The Pro looked up at Shoto and Edward, "That kid shoulda been the last one to be freed... I still can't move a muscle...!"

"It can't be concentration-based either," Edward frowned as he ripped off part of his cloak, pulling the daggers out of Shoto's arm before wrapping the fabric around his wounds as he spoke, "otherwise all three of you would've been freed..." The alchemist rubbed his chin before he turned when he heard Izuku grunt, watching as the two of them landed on the ground, "What's your equivalent exchange?"

"Midoriya," Shoto lifted his right hand, "dodge!"

Izuku looked up, then quickly leapt out of the way as Shoto sent a line of ice towards Stain. The green-haired boy coughed as he landed behind Edward and Shoto, glancing up, "He swallows a person's blood to freeze them, but I was the one freed first... I've got three different guesses why: his Quirk could be less effective the more people he uses it on, the amount ingested could play into how long it works, or there could be a difference based on a person's blood type."

"If it's the last one," the Pro grunted, "my blood type is B."

Tenya watched as Stain stood upright, "I'm type A."

"So you figured it out..." Stain grinned slightly, "Bravo... Very impressive."

"It doesn't really help us that much to know how his Quirk works, though..." Izuku narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared Stain down.

"Yeah," Edward clapped his hands, sliding his hand over his right arm as he transmuted his arm blade, "all it means is we have an idea how long we'll be down for if he licks up our blood..."

"He's too fast... He can dodge my ice and fire." Shoto squinted as he grabbed his left elbow, "But maybe I can make a distraction while you two get them out of here."

"Outta the question, Peppermint!" Edward shot him a reassuring smile, "You're stuck with me, ya hear?" He took a battle-ready stance as he turned to face Stain, "Nobody's dying here today — not if I can help it!"

"Right..." Shoto nodded slightly, "Then our best option is to hold out until the Pros arrive and avoid close combat."

"No," Izuku turned to Shoto, "you know you've already lost way too much blood." His body started to light up as he spoke, "Edward and I can distract him while you support us from behind. Sound like a plan?"

The dual-toned boy watched him for a moment, "You want us to take a pretty big risk... Okay."

Edward grinned as he took a step forward, "We can protect 'em!"

"Three against one, huh?" Stain lifted his blades, "This fight won't be easy."

Tenya watched from the ground as Izuku started to leap all over the place, a streak of green light as he occasionally darted in to strike at Stain. Each time the Villain went to strike back, Shoto would send a line of ice or a burst of flames to force him back.

Edward clapped his hands and pressed them against the ground, "Take this, ya bastard!"

Stain glanced over, quickly jumping out of the way as a number of stone fists emerged to try and pummel him into the ground between Izuku's strikes and Shoto's elemental onslaught. The Villain grunted, seizing an opening and nicking Izuku's leg.

"Stay down!" Edward clapped again as Izuku fell to the ground, making a wall pop up before Stain could reach his friend. The alchemist grinned as a surge of flames forced the Villain to jump away, "Alright, Peppermint! Way to go!"

"You have to run..." The two of them looked back as Tenya spoke, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes, "I can't watch this...!"

Shoto gritted his teeth as he turned back to Stain, continuing to launch a stream of fire and a line of ice towards the Villain, "You wanna make your brother proud?!"

Edward's eyes darted between Izuku collapsing while Stain licked his blade and the Villain slicing through the ice, then he quickly clapped his hands and created a stone pillar to launch the Villain away.

"Then stand up and be Ingenium! Become the Hero he wanted you to be!"

"Yeah!" Edward lifted his automail blade, grunting as Stain clashed his blades against his arm and forced the alchemist back, "And we're gonna be right here!" He pushed the Villain away from himself before clapping.

Stain grunted, thrusting a dagger towards Edward, "Not this time, Little Hero-!"

"I ain't little!!!" Edward caught the blade with his right wrist before pressing his left palm against the side of the blade, grinning as alchemical energy coursed over it before it started to deconstruct, "Down another blade! How d'ya feel about THAT, ya bastard?!"

The Villain slid away, quickly drawing another dagger to replace it before leaping for Shoto, a wicked grin on his face as the dual-toned boy's left side ignited with flames.

"Shoto, on your right!" Edward started to transmute stone hands that tried to grab onto Stain's legs as he bounced against the walls and ground, "Damn, he's too fast...!"

"Ice and fire..." Stain ran through a series of ice columns while avoiding the streams of flames. He planted his foot against a massive stone fist as it tried to slam into him, using it as a platform to jump into the air.

Shoto frowned, sending another wave of ice towards the Villain.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you..." Stain ran across the ice before leaping at Shoto, "That you rely on your Quirk too much?!" He started to swing his sword for the dual-toned boy's chest, "Makes you a careless fighter!"

Izuku grimaced from where he was propped against the wall, "TODOROKI!"

Edward shoved Shoto out of the way, raising his arm to take the blow again, "Eh, maybe Peppermint could use some Quirkless fightin' lessons," he grinned wider, "but luckily, I'm here!"

"So you are..." Stain narrowed his eyes... Then grinned as his dagger caught the light before slicing into Edward's hip, "Thank you for that!"

"
GAH-!" Edward winced, quickly shoving his sword away before kicking the hand Stain was holding the dagger in with his automail foot.

The Villain lost his grip on the dagger as he reeled backwards, shaking his hand as he narrowed his eyes at Edward, "A powerful kick you have there, boy..."

"Yeah, this automail's useful for something, isn't it?" He winced as he pulled out the dagger, quickly deconstructing the blood coating it before he sealed his wound shut, "Gah! Still hurts like hell...!"

"You carry yourself like someone who knows the labors of battle intimately," Stain drew another blade with his free hand, "don't you?"

Edward narrowed his eyes as he held his hands at the ready, "You could say that!"

"It's kept your allies alive up to this point..." He rushed them again as Shoto started to lift his left hand, "But even experience has a limit!"

There was the sound of a powerful engine revving to life followed by Tenya's voice, "Recipro Burst!"

Suddenly, the sword that was mere inches away from Shoto's face was snapped in half with the blade flying upwards as Tenya delivered a high-speed kick skyward, blue flames pouring from his engines. In the split second his feet landed back on the ground, he quickly spun around and delivered a kick that Stain only barely managed to block with his forearms.

"WHOA!" Edward jolted as the Villain was forced away, "Tenya, that was amazing! And you're free from his control!"

Shoto nodded, "Guess his Quirk isn't as great as I thought it was."

"Todoroki... Midoriya... Edward..." Tenya was doubled over as he spoke, "This has nothing to do with you three — I apologize. I'm fine." He lifted himself up as he spoke, "And I won't let the three of you shed any more blood for me!"

"Ah, c'mon," Edward shook his head, "not THIS crap again!" The alchemist narrowed his eyes as he stared the Villain down, "We're not leavin' ya here!"

"It's no use trying to pretend you're a Hero now, little Ingenium." Stain held up his broken sword, and they noticed the blood dripping out of his palm, "A person's true nature doesn't change in just a few minutes. You'll never be ANYTHING but a fraud who prioritizes his own desires — you're the sickness that's infected society and ruined the name 'Hero'!" The Villain narrowed his eyes, "Someone must teach you a lesson."

"Oh, don't pretend ya know him, you bastard!" Edward punched his palm, "Tenya's a great guy! And he's gonna be an even greater Hero one day!"

Shoto nodded, "You're a fundamentalist lunatic. Iida," he turned to Tenya, "don't listen to this murderer's nonsense."

"No..." They all glanced at Tenya as he spoke, "He's completely correct. I have no right to call myself a Hero... At all."

Edward gasped slightly, watching as blood flowed down Tenya's arm from his wound.

"Even so..." The bespectacled boy clenched his fist, "There's no way I can back down. If I give up now, then the name 'Ingenium' will die!"

"Pathetic!" Stain darted forward, his eyes flashing.

Shoto quickly shoved past Tenya and flung his left arm forward, a huge stream of flames surging forward.

"Idiots!" The Pro on the ground grunted as he tried to look up, "The Hero Killer is only after me and that kid in the white armor...! Stop fighting back — just get out of here!"

Shoto gritted his teeth as he continued to pour the flames forwards, "I don't think he'd let me run even if I wanted to...! Something clearly changed in him just now — he seems rattled."

"And besides," Edward clapped and pressed his hands against the ground, a wave of stone surging towards Stain, "what kinda Heroes would just up and leave someone behind?!"

Tenya grunted as his engines stalled, then he gasped before turning to the dual-toned boy, "Hey, Todoroki! Can you regulate your temperatures?"

"Not well with my left," Shoto grunted as he sent more flames forward, "but, yes, I can."

"You gotta freeze my leg for me," both Edward and Shoto gave Tenya a confused look, "without plugging the exhaust!"

"You're in the way!" Stain leapt over the flames, flinging a dagger towards Shoto's head.

Edward's eyes went wide as he whipped his head around, "Shoto-!" He gasped, watching as Tenya flung himself forward so the dagger dug into his arm instead of his friend.

"No, Iida!" Izuku gasped as he fell forward, looking down at his arm.

"Why won't you stay down?!" Stain flung more knives forward.

"Tenya-!" Edward winced as Tenya moved to take the knives as well, "Hang on, I'll-!"

"Don't worry, Edward!" Tenya turned to Shoto, "Just do it, hurry!"

The alchemist grimaced as Shoto coated Tenya's lower leg in ice, his eyes darting between Izuku as he struggled to his feet and Tenya using his teeth to pull the knife out of his arm, "Dammit...!" He turned to Stain, "HEY, YOU BASTARD! Why don't ya just go straight to hell?!" He clapped his hands, pressing them against the ground.

Stain dodged out of the way of some fireballs thrown by Shoto, then narrowly ducked beneath a spear that launched out of the ground at high speeds.

Tenya's engines revved again, "Recipro Extend!" His exhaust pipes all released a stream of blue flames and smoke as he launched himself through the air towards Stain.

At the same time, Izuku leapt into the air as his whole body faintly glowed and green energy crackled around him.

Edward grinned, watching as his friends closed in on the airborne Villain, "Kick his ass, guys!"

Stain's eyes quickly darted from one to the other, unable to react in time as Izuku punched him across the face while Tenya delivered a kick squarely against his back. The Villain spat blood as his head was knocked back.

Edward winced as Izuku gripped his arm, then jolted as Stain suddenly grabbed one of his blades and grazed Tenya's hair with it, "Guys!"

Shoto narrowed his eyes as his left hand ignited again, "The moment they're clear, I'll make a blow...!"

"I will defeat you, Stain!" Tenya glared at Stain as he spoke, "Because you are a criminal! And I..."

The dual-toned boy flung his arm forward, "Don't let him get away!"

"Leave that to me!" Edward clapped before slamming his hand against the ground.

Stain looked down at them, then gasped sharply as a pair of giant stone fists suddenly wrapped around him and pinned his arms to his sides, "What-?!"

Tenya started to spin as the stone arms began to crumble, delivering a swift kick to the still-restrained Villain so he would be further from the wall, "Am a HERO!"

"Peppermint, now!"

Stain gasped as more blood spewed from his mouth from the kick, then they all watched as fire briefly coursed over him, leaving him with scorch marks as he continued to plummet.

Izuku gasped as Tenya's legs started to cough up smoke, then yelped when the two of them landed on some ice before they slid towards the other two Heroes in training.

Edward grinned as he lifted his fists back into a fighting stance, "Way to go!"

"Stand up!" Shoto narrowed his eyes as Izuku and Tenya grunted from hitting their heads on the ice behind them, "Keep fighting!"

They all looked up, noticing that Stain was caught on the ice as the stone trapping him started to crumble. From the looks of things... The Hero Killer was defeated, once and for all.

Chapter Text

Izuku panted as he slowly stood up, staring at the prone Villain, "He's gotta be knocked out after all that... Right...?"

"Then," Shoto let out a soft sigh, "let's restrain him and get him to the street. Maybe we can find some rope."

"That, you can leave to me." Edward whipped off his coat, setting it on the ground before clapping his hands.

"Yeah, okay..." As Edward started to transmute his coat into a restraint for Stain, Izuku held up his hand, "And we should probably take all his weapons, too."

Shoto nodded at that, "Good idea."

Edward glanced back, "Yo, Tenya, you alright?"

"I..." Tenya sat on the ground as he looked down while the other two started to restrain Stain and removed all of his weapons, "I will be fine, Edward. Your concern is unnecessary."

"Unnecessary my carbon-fiber foot!" Edward smacked the back of Tenya's head while he shouted, "You were just stabbed like, five times! And you went runnin' for a HERO KILLER all alone?!"

Tenya's lips drew into a tight line, "You're right, Edward... I-"

The alchemist sighed, shaking his head, "Don't even think about apologizin' to me right now. If he'd gotten to Al..." Edward knelt down, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Well... You're the more reasonable outta the two of us."

Izuku walked over to the Pro, going to help him up, "Can you move?"

"Yeah..." He started to get to his feet, pressing a hand to his primary wound before scooping Izuku onto his back, "I think I'm good as new now."

"Y-You sure-?"

"I saw you hurt your leg back there." The Hero smiled, "At least let me do this for you."

Izuku sighed, "Thank you..."

"I should be thanking you."

Shoto glanced up at Edward as the alchemist walked over with Tenya right as he finished tying up Stain, "Thanks for sacrificing your coat."

"Eh," Edward waved a hand dismissively, "I needed to get a new one anyways."

"Todoroki!" Tenya took a step forward as Shoto went to pull Stain away, "I can drag him from here."

The dual-toned boy narrowed his eyes, "Are you forgetting your arms are messed up?"

"Yeah," Edward grinned as he started to lift his right arm, "leave this to the guys with functional-!"

He was cut short as his hand fell off, exploding into a thousand pieces as it hit the ground. The alchemist started to sweat nervously as everyone slowly turned to him, their expressions screaming "You were saying?"

"... Well!" Edward continued to sweat as he held up his arm, "My mechanic's gonna kill me...!"

The Pro sighed as Edward quickly scrambled to pick up the pieces, looking ahead as he spoke to Izuku, "I have to apologize... I'm supposed to be a Pro, but I was useless back there."

"No," Izuku shook his head as the alchemist quickly caught up while silently cursing all the tiny screws, "I don't think any one person could take the Hero Killer on — not with that weird Quirk of his. He's too strong..."

Shoto nodded, "The four of us barely won against him, and even then, it was because of his own mistakes. He was getting riled up and desperate, and he forgot all about Midoriya's quick recovery time. Then he wasn't able to avoid Edward's stone casing, or Iida's last Recipro Burst or Midoriya's assault."

Edward pouted slightly, "Hey, he also wasn't able to hit me most of the time...!"

"Up until he stabbed your side, or the fact he apparently damaged your hand enough for it to shatter after the fight."

"Gah-! Peppermint!!!" Edward waved his automail stump indignantly, "You're supposed to take my side, dammit!!!"

"Right," the Hero paused as they got to the street, trying to change the subject, "let's get him to the police as fast as we can."

"What are you doing here, boy?!"

Izuku gasped as he looked up at a tiny old man dressed in a white and yellow costume, "Gran Torino! I was only-"

He was cut off as Gran Torino zipped through the air, his foot planted against Izuku's face, "I thought I told you to stay on the bullet train!"

Shoto blinked as the old man landed on the ground, "Who's this?"

"Gran Torino," Izuku groaned softly as he blinked a few times, "the Hero I'm interning with... I don't get it — how'd you find us?"

Gran Torino was fuming as he stared down Izuku, "I was told to come here by someone else. I have no idea what's going on, but I'm glad you're not dead, at least."

"Me, too... And," the green-haired boy looked down, "I'm sorry."

So this is the one guy who asked for Izuku? Edward looked him up and down.

"Around the corner!"

Izuku looked up, blinking in confusion as more Heroes started to show up, "Who's that?"

"Endeavor told us there was a request for help here, darlings, but..." Mettaton slowed to a stop as he looked them over.

Another Hero knocked his head to the side, "Children?"

"Those injuries look bad — I'll call an ambulance right away."

"Hey, look!" One of the Heroes pointed at the restrained Villain.

"Is that... The Hero Killer?!"

Gran Torino turned to look at him as well, "What?"

"I'll get the police on the line!"

"Oi, Sparkly! You're Mettaton, right?" Edward walked up to the robotic Hero, a concerned look on his face, "My brother's supposed to be shadowing you, isn't he? Where the hell is Al...?!"

"Oh, you must be Edward Elric-Shimura!" Mettaton offered a gentle smile as the other Heroes started to make calls, "Your brother is fine — but the other student under my care wound up being injured..." He rested a hand on Edward's shoulder, "I had him take her to safety away from the Villains."

Edward sighed softly, "As long as he ain't hurt... Where is he? I wanna check him over myself."

"Oh no you don't, darling!" Mettaton wagged a finger at him as he rested a hand on his own hip, "You don't look like you're in any condition to be moving around before you get some medical assistance!"

The alchemist rolled his eyes, "Oh please, my stab wound's all closed up! And I've dealt with worse!"

Another Hero looked over in concern, "You were stabbed...?!"

Edward waved his automail arm without thinking, "Nah, lightly stabbed-"

There was a scream as someone shouted, "I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR MISSING HAND!"

"Ugh," Edward grimaced as he looked at his stump, "I forgot about that for a moment..."

"You're bleeding badly," another Hero spoke to Tenya as he walked to the other students, "the ambulance will be here soon, but until then..." He trailed off as the bespectacled boy stopped.

"You guys..." Tenya clenched his fists as the other three looked back at him, then he bowed to them, "You three were all hurt because of me... I'm truly sorry." Tears started to stream down his face, "I was just so angry... I couldn't see anything else."

"I'm sorry too, Iida." Izuku's face fell slightly, "You were going through so much by yourself... But I couldn't tell anything was wrong. Even though I'm your friend."

Shoto glance down as Tenya started to sob softly, "Hey, pull yourself together. You're the class rep."

"Yeah, what Peppermint said," Edward lightly chopped the top of Tenya's head, "you gotta hold your head up high. And don't apologize — we're your friends." He grinned as he offered a thumbs up, "Of course we'll risk getting hurt to help you out!"

"Right..." Tenya sniffed as he rubbed his bicep against his eyes.

Gran Torino glanced to the side as something turned the corner high above them, "Get down!"

Mettaton turned around, quickly holding up his hand and firing an energy bullet at the winged Villain that was swooping towards them.

They nimbly spun around the energy bullet before snagging Izuku in their talon-like feet before flying off again.

"Izuku!" Edward gritted his teeth, trying to run after them as he held up his good hand.

"H-Hey!" Izuku struggled against the Villain, "Let me go!"

One of the Heroes shut her eye as blood splattered onto her cheek, "It's bleeding! It must be trying to escape!"

Edward felt like time started to slow down as he heard a blade sliding into place, turning around to see Stain licking the blood off of the Hero's cheek as a concealed blade slid into his hands.

The winged Villain recoiled, suddenly starting to fall for the ground.

Stain ran towards the other Villain, completely ignoring Edward as he ran past the alchemist, "The word 'Hero' has lost all meaning in this society..." He sliced through his restraints as he held the dagger above his head and jumped onto the winged Villain's back, "The world is overrun by fakes and criminals like you who chase pretty dreams!"

Edward recoiled, stumbling back as Stain dug the knife into the other Villain's head.

Stain grabbed Izuku as they fell, "You must all be purged. Everything that I do..." He pulled his knife out as he stood up, still grabbing the back of Izuku's shirt, "Is to create a stronger society."

The alchemist gulped, glaring as he held up his good hand, "C'mon, you bastard, make your move...!"

One of the Heroes glanced at the others, "Did he just save that kid?"

"He took him hostage, idiot...!"

"He killed that guy with no hesitation..."

"Everyone be on your guard," one of the Heroes held up her fists as she spoke, "we've got a fight on our hands!"

"Why are you all standing like fools?"

Edward glared, growling as he looked over his shoulder, "Endeavor...!"

The fiery Pro ran up the street, "The Villain must have flown this way, right?"

"Something like that, Endeavor..." Mettaton briefly glanced at Endeavor as he pointed his glowing finger at Stain, "You took care of the rest, then?"

"Mostly, things got a little rough at the end. Hold on..." He squinted at Stain, "Don't tell me that man is-"

"Stain," Mettaton gripped his arm a little tighter, "that's right."

Stain panted, glaring at the fiery Hero as his mask started to fall off, "Endeavor...!"

"Hero Killer!" Endeavor grinned wide as he pulled back his arm, a fireball forming in his palm.

"Wait, Todoroki!" Gran Torino quickly held up a hand.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, whoa, hold up!" Edward quickly waved his arms, "Izuku's still right next to him! Don't go flinging fire around all willy-nilly!"

The Villain released Izuku as he stood upright, glaring down Endeavor as saliva dripped out of his mouth, "You false Hero. I'll make this right..." He stumbled forward, "These streets... Must run with the blood of hypocrites!"

Edward tensed up, taking an uncertain step back, This feeling...! I-It's like I can barely move...!

"Hero! I will RECLAIM that word!" Stain stomped a foot against the ground, "Come on! Just try and stop me, you fakes!" He had a wicked look in his eyes as he spoke, "There is only one man I'll let kill me..." A deranged smile crossed his face as he continued on, "He is a true Hero... All Might is worthy!"

The alchemist gulped, staring the Villain down... Then gasped in surprise as the knife slid out of his hands, his eyes going blank.

"I think..." Endeavor frowned, "He's out cold."

"Izuku!" Edward shook his head, quickly running over and grabbing his friend's hand, "You alright?"

"U-Uh..." Izuku gulped, carefully getting to his feet with Edward's help, "I-I think so... Thanks..."

Nana glanced away from the news on Hosu, quickly grabbing the phone as it was ringing, "Hello, this is Shimura."

"H-Hey, Mom! Just wanna start by saying that me and Al are fine."

"Hi, Mom!"

"Boys!" Nana sighed in relief, "When I saw the news, I was starting to get worried! I knew the two of you were near Hosu for your shadowing. Where are you right now?"

"Uh, the hospital. I kiiinda, maybe, got... Lightly... Stabbed?"

"EDWARD JAMES ELRIC-SHIMURA YOU WERE STABBED?!"

"L-Lightly! I'm fine now, sealed the wound shut with alchemy before I lost too much blood, I'm practically already better thanks to the doctor!"

Nana rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I'm sensing a 'but' here, my boy..."

"... My, uh... Hand kinda... Fell off my automail...? And exploded...?"

The Homunculus slowly turned to Winry, "So you need automail repairs... Just about a week after the last incident."

"I-It's not like I was TRYING to break it!!!" Edward was silent, then he spoke in a concerned whisper, "Please don't let Winry kill me I have all the pieces-"

She let out a long sigh before smiling softly, "We'll be on the first train to Hosu in the morning, okay?"

"Alright... Thanks, Mom."

"See you when you get here, Mom!"

"Goodbye, boys." Nana hung up the phone before flopping against the couch, rubbing her temples, "Those boys of mine..."

"Mom...?" Eri had a concerned look in her eyes, "Are Ed and Al okay...?"

Nana smiled softly as she picked Eri up and set her on her lap, "They're perfectly fine, dear. We'll be taking a train ride to see them soon, in fact."

"Ooh, train ride!" Nina wrapped her arms around Alexander's neck, "Can Alexander come too?!"

The Homunculus laughed as she ruffled her head, "Of course, sweetheart!"

The next morning, in a hospital room...

"Did you sleep, Midoriya?"

"No," Izuku shook his head at Shoto's question, "not really."

"I figured." Shoto glanced down at his lightly bandaged arm, "Me neither."

"Ugh," Edward rolled over as he opened his eyes, "I was trying to, Peppermint. Geez..." He sat upright, "Hospital rooms get so tiring real quick..."

"R-Right..." Izuku nodded nervously, then a look of concentration took over his as he stared at the ceiling, "Thinking about that fight now, we did something pretty amazing."

Shoto nodded, "Yeah, I agree."

"After everything that happened back there, it kinda feels like a miracle we're even alive..." Izuku looked down as he rested a hand on his left knee, "With my leg messed up, I was an easy target. He probably could've killed me if he really wanted to."

"I hate to admit it," Edward frowned as he placed a hand over where he was stabbed, "but he did have a chance to go for a killing blow on me..."

"Yeah." Shoto lifted his left arm, "Seems to me, he let the three of us live on purpose." He turned to Tenya as he spoke, "I'm impressed by you though, Iida — he was actually trying to murder you, but you stood tall."

The bespectacled boy looked up from his heavily-bandaged arms that were in slings, and he spoke in a soft voice, "That's not true. I was-"

He was cut off by the door sliding open to reveal Gran Torino, Manual and Senshi. Gran Torino squinted as he spoke, "Oh, so the injured youngins are awake."

Izuku perked up slightly, "Gran Torino!"

"Oh, uh," Edward smiled awkwardly, "hey, Senshi...!"

Tenya's face fell slightly, "And Manual..."

Gran Torino turned to Izuku fully, "Idiot." He stomped towards the green-haired boy as he gulped nervously, "I could yell at you for hours right now!"

"Y-Yeah," Izuku nodded a little, "I'm sorry-"

"But before I do," the old Hero glanced over his shoulder, "you've got a visitor."

"Eh?" Edward looked up as a tall figure walked into the room, then yelped when he noticed they had the head of a dog.

"This is Hosu's chief of police — Kenji Tsuragamae."

Edward looked around quickly when he noticed Tenya and Shoto standing up from their beds, then quickly scrambled to do the same.

As Izuku went to get up, the chief simply held up a hand, "No, please, stay seated, woof."

Woof?! Dog-Man doesn't even bark when he's talking and he's LITERALLY half dog!

"So," Tsuragamae rested his hands in his pockets, "you're the U.A. students who brought down the Hero Killer, huh?"

"We are." Shoto nodded, seemingly having some thoughts of his own.

"Stain has some serious injuries — severe burns and several broken bones. Right now," the chief lowered his head slightly as he maintained eye contact with the boys, "he's in the hospital under strict guard, woof."

Edward frowned, rubbing his automail wrist subconsciously while Izuku gasped softly at the news.

"Here's a lesson you should have already learned: when Quirks became the norm, the police force sought to maintain the status quo. They decided we shouldn't use Quirks as weapons." Tsuragamae motioned to the three Pros, "That's when the Heroes came in. They could do what we couldn't — if they were licensed, of course, woof. It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of deadly Quirks. After all, we're here to stop such harm from being done. The only reason Pros can use their powers now is because of the strict code of ethics that the early Heroes chose to abide by."

... Oh great, Edward slouched slightly, we're being chewed out...!

"That's why it's against the law of uncertified people to use their Quirks to cause injury. Whether you were up against the Hero Killer or not, none of you had the authority to harm the Villain. That means the four of you, and your supervisors — Endeavor, Manual, Gran Torino, and Senshi — should receive harsh punishments for this gross abuse of your powers."

Shoto went to take a step forward, "Now wait a minute-"

"Yeah, hold on!" Edward pointed his right arm at the chief, briefly forgetting he didn't have a hand to point with, "Are you sayin' we should've just left 'em there?! Were it not for Tenya," he pointed at his bespectacled friend with his good hand, "that Pro would've been murdered in cold blood!"

Shoto nodded as he narrowed his eyes, "And if not for Midoriya, both of them would be dead. No one else even realized that the Hero Killer was in Hosu."

Izuku quickly held up his hands to the two of them, "Calm down, you guys...!"

Tsuragamae gave them even looks, "So it's okay to break the law as long as it goes your way?"

"If the law makes it so innocent people die," Edward narrowed his eyes, "then maybe!"

The dual-toned boy gritted his teeth, "Sir, isn't it a Hero's job to save people?!"

"This is why you're not a full-fledged Pro yet." The chief closed his eyes, "It's obvious U.A. and Endeavor haven't been teaching you near enough. What a shame."

"Oi, you leave that bastard outta this!" Edward gnashed his teeth.

Shoto growled as he stomped forward, "You damn mutt."

"Todoroki, Edward!" Tenya took a step forward, "Listen, he's right."

Gran Torino held up a hand in front of Shoto, "Stop there, kid. You'll wanna hear him out till the end."

Edward raised a brow, "What, does he have more reprimands?"

Tsuragamae lifted his head back up, "What I've said is the official stance of the police department. But," he reached up to scratch the top of his nose, "any punishment would only be necessary if this went public."

"... Eh?" The alchemist blinked a few times, then leaned over to Shoto to whisper, "What's that supposed to mean...?"

"If it did, you'd probably be applauded by citizens everywhere... But there's no way you could escape from being reprimanded. On the other hand, we could say Endeavor saved the day — Stain's burns would support this story completely, and we could pretend you weren't involved, woof. Thankfully, there were very few witnesses. This could be the last you heard of any punishments."

Edward glared, "But it'd mean that Endeavor gets all the credit despite not doing anything, doesn't it...?"

"That's right," the chief rested his hands in his pockets again, "you'd receive no acclaim at all. The choice is yours. Personally, I know where I stand." He gave them a thumbs up as his tongue stuck out slightly, "I don't wanna damage any promising young careers. Not for a mistake like this."

"Either way," Manual knocked his head to the side as he teared up slightly, "we'll need to take responsibility for being negligent as supervisors."

Tenya sighed softly, a small smile appearing on his face. He started to walk forward before giving Manual a deep bow, "I'm sorry. I should've listened."

"Yeah!" Manual lightly chopped the top of Tenya's head, "You caused us a lot of trouble. Remember that, and don't do it again."

Edward grumbled as he crossed his arms, "... Sorry," he glanced at Senshi, "for runnin' off like that."

Senshi held up a hand as he closed his eyes and shook his head, "All's forgiven, Elric-Shimura. Don't worry about it."

"And..." Izuku bowed his head, "I apologize as well."

"Me, too." Shoto offered a slight bow to the chief, "We'll leave it to you."

"I know it's not fair. You won't enjoy any of the fame and praise you probably would've received otherwise. But at least..." Tsuragamae offered the four of them a deep bow, "Allow me, as the chief of police, to thank you."

"... You know," Shoto glanced to the side, "you could've started with that."

"You said it, Peppermint!" Edward wrapped his good arm around his shoulders while waving his automail stump, "Got us all riled up about punishments and whatnot just ta pull the rug out from underneath us?!"

Izuku slowly smiled wide, "Todoroki, Edward..."

Izuku slid the door open, using a crutch to help himself walk back inside the room. He smiled slightly, "Oh, Iida and Edward — I just talked to Uraraka."

Shoto looked up calmly, "Midoriya."

Edward sighed, glancing away with a somewhat guilty look on his face.

Shoto continued on as Izuku turned to him, "Iida just got his test results back."

Tenya was looking at the ground as he spoke softly, "My left hand might have suffered permanent damage."

"What?" Izuku gasped, "Permanent...?!"

"Both my arms were pretty torn up." Tenya shifted his right arm slightly to rub his hand over his left forearm, "But the injury to my left arm was especially severe. There was damage to my brachial plexus, which just means... I'll have trouble moving my fingers." He offered a tiny smile, "And my hand might have some numbness. Apparently, there's a chance it could be healed with nerve transplant surgery."

"Or," Edward sat up, "I'm sure my mom could help out...! Couldn't hurt to ask, right...?"

"Perhaps..." Tenya looked back down at the ground, "When I came across the Hero Killer, I stopped thinking rationally. The first thing I should've done was call Manual — but I got lost in my own anger." He closed his eyes briefly as he recalled something before continuing on, "I hate him so much, but I can't deny he spoke the truth. That's why, until I'm able to call myself a real Hero," Tenya lifted his left arm slightly, "I'll leave my left hand as it is."

Shoto turned to him, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Edward frowned slightly, "this is a big decision you're making..."

"Iida," Izuku held up his scarred right hand, "I feel the same way." He gripped it into a fist before holding it out to Tenya, "Let's get stronger. Together."

Tenya met Izuku's eyes, giving him a firm nod.

Shoto looked between the other three with a shocked expression on his face before he looked down, "I feel... Kind of bad."

"Eh?" Edward leaned over, "What's this about now, Peppermint?"

"Whenever I'm involved," Shoto held up his right hand as he stared at his palm, "someone's hand gets all messed up. Is something wrong with me?"

The other three stared at him with dumbfounded expressions.

Shoto sweated nervously, "Am I cursed?"

"... Heh... HAHA!" Edward threw his head back as he laughed.

"Todoroki," Izuku wiped at his eye, "I didn't know you had a sense of humor!"

"This isn't a joke..." The dual-toned boy looked up at them again, "I'm like 'The Hand Crusher' or something."

"BWAHAHA! Oh, Peppermint!" Edward grinned wide, walking over and slinging an arm around Shoto's shoulders, "You really know how ta lighten the mood!"

The door to their room was suddenly slammed open, a menacing aura permeating the air, "Edward..."

The alchemist froze, slowly turning his head to the door, "W-Winry, heyyy...!"

"How did you... You about... Destroying my AUTOMAIL AGAIN?!"

"Don't throw your wrench!" Edward quickly scrambled to hide behind Shoto, "I-I'm behind someone else, you'll hit them instead if you throw it-!"

Winry pulled her arm back, throwing the wrench and hitting the alchemist squarely in the forehead, "You think I can't hit that massive target of yours?! You're so obsessed with science that all your growth's gone to that bloated head of yours!"

"OW! The hell's that supposed to mean?!"

"You're supposedly smart," the mechanic stomped further into the room, "figure it out for yourself!"

"Darn that Toshinori..." Gran Torino grumbled as he got off the phone, marching through an empty hallway of the hospital, "Getting my teaching license revoked for a few months is one thing, but getting my pay cut too?! That pupil of his caused me so much trouble..."

"Sorahiko?"

The old Hero froze, then slowly turned around to the source of the voice, eyes wide, "Nana...?"

"Sora...!" Nana ran over, scooping the old man up into her arms and squeezing him tight, "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Toshinori mentioned you in his letter, but I almost didn't believe it!" Gran Torino quickly hugged her back, "Thought the pressure had finally cracked him...!"

Nana laughed softly as she set him down, "No, but I know how difficult it must've been...!"

"I'll say! And look at you!" Gran Torino fumed as he tried to compare their heights with his hands, "Supposedly dead for nearly four decades, and you had to go and stay exactly the same while I shrunk like a raisin?!"

"Long story, but..." She rolled up her left sleeve, the carbon fiber of her arm catching the light, "I'm not EXACTLY the same."

"The make of this prosthetic..." The old Pro knocked his knuckle against it before looking up at her, "Then I take it that golden brat is yours too?"

"Oi," Nana lightly chopped the top of his head with her good hand, "don't talk about my son like that! ... But yes, I adopted Edward while I was..." She glanced to the side, "Away."

"Hm..." Gran Torino rested his hands on his hips, "Sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do!"

"Oh," Nana stood upright as she started walking with him, "you have NO idea..."

Chapter Text

Alphonse smiled as he walked into their classroom, "It'll be nice seeing everyone again after a week away."

"Yeah, I guess..." Edward folded his hands behind his head, "At least I won't be fightin' with Izutsumi every hour..."

"Ribbit." Tsuyu looked up from her desk, "Hey Al, hey Ed."

"Tsuyu, hey!" Alphonse smiled a little wider as he walked over to her desk, "How are you?"

"I'm good. What about you, ribbit?" Tsuyu knocked her head to the side, "I heard you and Ed were in Hosu the other day too."

"Yeah!" Mina leaned in closer to Edward, "And I heard you ran into that Hero Killer! That must've been terrifying...!"

"Maybe a little! But then we were-" Edward paused, groaning as he slouched over. He started to grumble, "We were saved by Endeavor..."

Tsuyu knocked her head to the other side, "You really don't like Endeavor, do you Edward?"

"There's nothing TO like about the guy!" The older alchemist huffed as he crossed his arms, angrily tapping his foot against the ground, "He's a bastard! He's self-centered! And did you HEAR the things he was sayin' during Shoto's fights in the tournament?! He just kept bragging about HIMSELF, claiming SHOTO'S Quirk was HIS!"

Toru seemed to bring her hand up to her chin, "So you're angry... For Todoroki?"

"Eh?" Edward blinked, "... I mean, I guess?"

Mina grinned as she started poking Edward's cheek while pointing at where Shoto was sitting, "Do you liiike him?"

Edward yelped, quickly shoving Mina away before waving his hands erratically, "Wh- no — I don't — what're you tryin' to say?!" He pointed at Shoto as the dual-toned boy looked up, "He — he's RIGHT THERE!"

The pink girl only grinned wider, "You're dodging the question!"

"I don't — Shoto!" Edward scrambled over and slammed his hands on Shoto's desk before pointing at the others, "Tell them we're just friends!"

Shoto looked directly at Edward, his neutral expression never faltering, "... I haven't decided how I feel about you yet."

"Huh?! The alchemist gaped at him before grabbing his shoulders and shaking him, "The hell's THAT supposed to mean, Peppermint?!"

"We have a complex relationship and connection-"

"OKAY you can stop talking oh my god-"

Alphonse smiled slightly as he shook his head, "Oh, Brother..."

Edward slumped into his seat before his forehead thunked against his desk.

As if the universe were trying to spare the alchemist from more embarrassment, Eijiro and Hanta started to laugh hysterically and spoke in unison, "Holy crap! What the heck, Bakugo?!"

"Stop laughing...!" Bakugo trembled with rage, his hair completely smoothed down to his head, "My hair's gotten used to this and I can't get it back the right way!" He ground his teeth as the two continued laughing, "Did you not hear me? I'll kill you both...!"

While Eijiro started to fall for the ground as he laughed, Hanta merely held his stomach as he spoke through the laughter, "I'd like to see ya try, pretty boy!"

Edward looked up, then promptly burst out laughing as well, "Ya look like one of those kids that goes to a prep school!"

Bakugo's hair exploded back into its normal spiky style, "What'd you call me?!"

Hanta and Eijiro both laughed harder and spoke in unison again, "Hey, there it goes!"

"Well, it wasn't anything like Hosu..." Kyoka rubbed the back of her head, "But Death Arms had me help out during a hostage-taking situation."

"Awesome!" Mina leaned her hands against her knees as she spoke to Kyoka, "You got to face actual Villains?" She clenched her fist, "I'm super jealous!"

"Well, I didn't fight..." Kyoka twirled one of her earjacks with her finger, "All I did was help people evacuate and provide logistical support."

The pink girl pressed her hands against Tsuyu's desk, "But it still sounds like so much fun!"

"And that's still a very important role to play as a Hero!" Alphonse smiled warmly, "You should be proud, Kyoka."

"Heh," she smiled slightly, "thanks, Al."

Tsuyu glanced upwards and to the side as she pressed a finger to her chin, "I spent basically the whole time training and cleaning the ship deck. Though, there was this one day we caught a bunch of drug smugglers."

Both Kyoka and Mina turned to her, "Okay, that's cool!"

Alphonse's eyes sparkled, "You fought pirates...?!"

"Ribbit? Oh yeah," the frog-like girl nodded, "I guess they were pirates, huh?"

"That's amazing, Tsuyu!" Alphonse beamed wide, "I wanna hear all about it — is that okay?"

"Sure, Al. I can tell you guys during lunch later."

"That sounds great!"

Tsuyu turned around, "What about you, Ochaco? How was your week?"

Ochaco had a somewhat vacant expression on her face as she practiced a few moves, "I'd say that it was very enlightening."

Tsuyu blinked a few times, "I think she found her fighting spirit."

"Yeah," Kyoka nodded slightly, "that Battle Hero must've been something else..."

"Ah..." Alphonse sighed softly, "Reminds me of when Brother and I started training under Teacher..."

Mina turned to him, "Who?"

"Hm? Oh!" Alphonse offered a smile as he waved a hand, "Just the woman who trained me and Brother, Izumi Curtis. We can tell you all about her later!"

Denki stared at Ochaco, "After one week she's like a totally different person..."

"Different?" Mineta raised a brow at him as he wagged a finger, "Don't be fooled, Kaminari." He started to bite his nail nervously as he got a faraway look in his eyes, "All women are demons at heart... They just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces...!"

Denki gave him a concerned look, "What the heck did Mt. Lady do to you?" He reached over to pull Mineta's hand away from his mouth as he offered an awkward smile, "Everyone at my internship loved me — it was actually kinda great. Now, if you wanna talk about the ones who really changed," he looked past Mineta and towards the boys gathered around Shoto and Edward's desks, "it was those four."

"Oh, yeah!" Hanta held up a finger while Bakugo held him up by the neck of his jacket, "The Hero Killer!"

Eijiro offered them a smile while also being held by the back of his jacket by Bakugo, "Glad you guys made it back alive — seriously."

Momo held a hand to her chest as she gave them a concerned look, "I worried about you, too..."

Sato crossed his arms while some of the other students walked closer, "You were lucky Endeavor showed up and saved you guys."

"So cool..." Toru held her arms up, "Just what I'd expect from the Number Two Hero!"

Shoto looked down at his desk, "Yeah, that's right. He saved us."

Edward grumbled under his breath as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring off to the side.

"Did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?" Mashirao held up a hand as the others turned to him, "Everyone's been saying that he was somehow connected to the League of Villains."

"Eh?" Edward turned to him as he raised a brow, "Is that right...?"

Mashirao tapped a finger to his temple, "Can you imagine how frightening it would've been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?"

"He's scary, yeah." Denki rested a hand in his pocket as he lifted the other one up, "But did you see him in that weird video? It's all over the internet."

Alphonse blinked a couple of times, "Huh?"

"I didn't even know there was a video of him." Mashirao frowned slightly as his tail shifted to the side.

"Yeah — Stain's a pretty evil Villain, but, like, super tenacious." Denki jabbed a thumb to the side, "He's almost kinda cool, don'tcha guys think?"

"Kaminari...!" Izuku clenched his fists as he gave Denki a startled look.

Edward slapped his forehead before slowly dragging his hand down his face, using his free hand to point at Tenya who was giving Denki a scathing look.

"Uh — oh!" Denki clamped a hand over his mouth as he winced, "Dude...!"

"No, it's okay. You're fine." Tenya sighed softly as he lifted up his left arm to stare at it, "It is true that he's quite a tenacious Villain. I understand why people might think he was cool... But instead of helping the world, his beliefs led him to cold-blooded murder — no matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned."

Alphonse crossed his arms, nodding as he closed his eyes.

Tenya lowered his arm, still speaking softly, "To keep anyone else from suffering like me, well," he looked to the side as he chopped his right arm, "I promise: I will strive to be the perfect Hero!"

Izuku smiled as he lifted his fist, "Yeah, let's do it!"

The class representative lifted his left fist high as he bent his right arm at the elbow to bring that fist up just below the other, "It's time for class to begin! Everyone, please take your seats!"

Alphonse smiled softly, "There's the Tenya we know."

Fumikage sighed softly, "Indeed — he's back."

Kyoka shot Denki a look, "This is your fault for talking about weird stuff."

"Sorry," Denki looked down guiltily, "I'm gonna keep my mouth shut."

"To be fair," the younger of the two alchemists patted Denki's shoulder lightly, "he probably would've done this regardless."

"Thanks, Al... I guess..."

"I am here!" All Might rested his hands on his hips as he landed in front of the gathered students in their Hero costumes, "Hope you're ready to return to our lessons — today it's Hero Basic Training! Feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back!"

Alphonse smiled as he gave their teacher a small nod.

"Now then! Listen carefully for what's in store. We're going to be conducting a little race!" All Might held up a finger as he spoke, "Take everything you've learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training."

Tenya lifted his arm, "If it's rescue training, then shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?"

"Ah, that facility specializes in disasters." The Hero grinned a little wider, "As I said earlier, this is a race. So prepare — you're about to step into Field Gamma!" He motioned to the gate behind himself, "Inside is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around." All Might lifted a hand and spread out his fingers, "Most of you'll be competing in groups of five, with two groups of six! Each person starts from a different location on the outskirts of the model city." He clasped his hand and held up just one finger, "I'll send a distress signal, and you do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins!" He started to slowly point at Bakugo, "But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please."

Bakugo turned away as he made a face, "Why're you pointing at me?"

Edward shot him a side-glance while muttering, "Because you're the walkin' demolition crew, pal..."

"All Right! We'll start with Young Midoriya, Young Ojiro, Young Iida, Young Sero, and Young Ashido!" The Hero clapped his hands together, "First group, get to your places!"

Denki frowned as they watched the five get to their respective starting positions on the screen, "Iida hasn't completely recovered yet, right? He should sit this out..."

"Man," Eijiro crossed his arms, "everyone in this group has really good mobility..."

"Huh..." Momo sat down with her hands on her knees, "I'd say Midoriya is at a heavy disadvantage against those four."

"That's what I think." Kyoka plopped down next to her as she nodded, "Moving around quickly isn't really one of his strong suits, that's for sure."

Momo brought a hand to her chin, "And whenever he uses his powers, he gets badly injured."

Edward grinned wide as he folded his hands behind his head, Oh, we'll see about that, won't we?

Eijiro smiled as he turned to Denki, "Who's your pick?" He held up a finger, "I'm bettin' on Sero."

"Oh, yeah?" Denki grinned, "I got odds on Ojiro."

Mineta pointed at the screen, "I choose Ashido!" He clenched his fist, "'Cause she's got a super athletic body."

Bakugo stared at the screen apathetically, "I know Deku will be last."

"Ya think so, Firecracker?" Edward grinned mischievously, "Wanna bet on that?"

"Shut it, Pipsqueak, I don't do obvious bets."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A PIPSQUEAK-?!"

"Brother," Alphonse grabbed Edward's shoulders and turned him away from Bakugo, "let it go."

Edward grumbled under his breath as he crossed his arms.

Ochaco sat down next to Tsuyu, pulling her ankles closer to herself as she spoke, "Even if he's still recovering, I think Iida's got this one."

Tsuyu nodded, "Mm!"

Alphonse tapped his chin as he sat down next to them, "I suppose most of his injuries were to his arms, weren't they?"

"Is everyone ready?!" They heard All Might call out through the screen before an air horn sounded off, "Begin!"

They watched as the screen showed the competitors rushed off simultaneously in their own unique ways.

"Look at 'im go!" Eijiro grinned as he watched Hanta use his tape to swing up and over the tops of the structures, "In a maze like this, it makes sense to be above everything else!"

Mezo made a mouth to speak, "So that means Sero's at an advantage because he can take to the sky."

As they were watching Hanta's screen, they gasped as a glowing green blur zipped past him. They all turned their attention to Izuku's screen, watching as he sprung off of various surfaces as he glowed faintly and green energy crackled around him.

"WHOA! Midoriya?!"

Denki pointed at the screen, "Since when can he do that?!"

Edward grinned at a stunned Bakugo, "What was that you were sayin' about obvious bets?"

"Crazy! Those jumps..." Ochaco brought her hands closer to her face, "He looks just like..."

He's maneuvering himself like Bakugo... Alphonse glanced back at him, watching as Bakugo clenched his fists while glaring at the screen.

They watched as Izuku continued to zip across the field... Up until, that is, his foot slipped off of a pipe and he started to fall, Hanta using that opportunity to surpass him.

"And it's over!" The screen showed All Might holding out a sash as Hanta landed, "Thanks, Hero! And congratulations!"

"Alright!" Hanta put the sash on before taking off his helmet, posing triumphantly as the other competitors showed up close behind, with Mina stomping her foot at getting beaten while Tenya showed concern for Izuku as the green-haired boy was laying face-down on the ground.

"Young Sero may have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you all showed me some incredible improvements. Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!"

The other four nodded as Izuku started to get up, "Sir!"

"Group One, leave the field. You're up, Group Two!"

"Ah," Sato rolled his shoulder as the boys started changing out of their costumes in the locker room, "that was some tough training today, huh?"

Yuga wiped the side of his face with a sparkly handkerchief, "It's the first class in a while that had me glistening."

Eijiro huffed slightly as he removed the gears from his shoulders, "Man, I really gotta work on my mobility..."

"You could also compensate by improving other skills." Fumikage straightened out his tie before grabbing his jacket.

Denki sighed, "Still wish I could use my Quirk for speed..." He glanced over his shoulder at a grinning Hanta, "I'm jealous of guys like you and Sero, Tokoyami."

Alphonse knocked his head to the side as he removed the last of his armor, "Maybe you should look into some support items if you want increased mobility?"

"And wind up like Iida when he was manipulated by that Hatsume chick...?" Denki made a face, "I dunno..."

"Hey, Midoriya!" Mineta waved to get Izuku's attention, "You won't believe what I just found — the jackpot...!"

Edward rolled his eyes, "What is it this time...? A dirty magazine...?"

"Someone Shawshanked a hole in this wall!" Mineta blushed as he grinned, "A previous generation has given us a gift! You know what's next door, right?"

"Wait," Alphonse frowned as he looked over, "isn't that-?"

"This looks into the girls' locker room!"

Tenya started to chop his hand aggressively, "Don't even think about it! Peeping on them like that would be criminal!"

Mineta started to peel a poster away as he clenched his fist, "Then you'll have to throw me in solitary confinement, 'cuz you can't stop me!" He started to press his eye against the hole, "I wanna see-!" He was cut short as a familiar wire slid through the hole and into his eye.

Izuku jolted as Mineta started to scream, "That's Jiro's earphone jack! What a brutal and precise surprise attack from next door...!"

"Kyoka!" Alphonse clapped as he walked over with his eyes closed, "Tell me when you're clear, and I'll seal the hole shut."

"Alright — thanks, Al." The earphone jack slid out of Mineta's eye and back through the hole, "You're good."

Mineta rolled on the floor as the hole sealed up with a crackle of alchemical energy, then he slowly looked up as he felt a shadow fall on him.

Alphonse loomed over Mineta, his arms crossed and a disappointed frown on his face, "Minoru Mineta, this is a new low! Peeping on our fellow classmates when they're just trying to change in peace?!"

"Sh-Shut it, Elric-Shimura...!" Mineta pointed at him wildly, "You have a girlfriend! You don't know what it's like to never have the opportunity to see a woman's body like that...!"

"I have a girlfriend because I treat her kindly and with respect! And I would never invade her privacy, much less like this!" Alphonse rested his hands on his hips as he bent over to bring his face closer to Mineta's, "I am very disappointed in you, Mineta. The moment you're dressed," he narrowed his eyes, "I'm taking you to Principal Nezu."

"W-Wait! Let's not be so hasty...!" Mineta started to crawl away, "I-I didn't even see anything-!"

"The fact that you even attempted it is abhorrent!"

"Man..." Eijiro winced as Alphonse continued to chew Mineta out, "Your brother's usually such a pacifying force, seeing him go on the offensive in any way is terrifying..."

"That's my little brother for ya," Edward grinned slightly as Alphonse started to pull Mineta by the ear after the two were fully dressed, "he's a real force of nature when he wants to be... Probably why I've never beaten him."

Izuku blinked as they were walking to the tables after grabbing their food, turning to Edward, "Why is your mom standing here...?"

"Beats me... Hey, Mom," the alchemist walked over to Nana, "what're you doin' here?"

"Hm? Ah, nothing, Edward! Though," she smiled as she motioned to Eri and Nina, "would you and your friends mind watching your sisters for a moment? There's just something I needed to speak to Miss Yaoyorozu about."

"Eh? Sure, I guess."

"Hi there!" Ochaco beamed as she squatted down, balancing her tray on her knees before holding up her hands to Eri and Nina, "You two wanna eat lunch with us?"

Nina nodded excitedly, "Yeah, yeah! C'mon Eri!"

"Okay...!"

Momo frowned softly, "Is something wrong, Missus Starbound?"

Nana waved a hand gently, "It's nothing to worry over, Miss Yaoyorozu. You can bring your lunch as well if you like."

"Ah — thank you, Missus Starbound." The Hero student nodded to her friends before following the school nurse to a private office.

"Would you like something to drink?" Nana gently shut the door while offering a kindly smile, "I have a blend of black tea I've been wanting to try."

Momo perked up slightly as she took a seat and set down her tray, "I would love some tea, please and thank you!"

"Certainly, Miss Yaoyorozu!" Nana hummed slightly as she set about making the tea.

"... Missus Starbound, if I may ask... Why am I here?"

The Pro sighed softly as she walked over with two mugs, handing one to Momo before sitting across from her, "Simply put, I saw some of the photos taken that you were in with the Hero you were shadowing, and I have some... Concerns."

"She didn't think poorly of me, did she-?"

"No, no, Miss Yaoyorozu, she didn't say anything negative about you — and if she had, they would be false claims that your teachers and I would argue against. My concerns have to do with your costume..." Nana frowned softly, "Miss Yaoyorozu, is that the outfit you wear during Hero Basic Training?"

"Ah... Yes, it is." Momo nodded as she folded her hands in her lap, "Is something wrong with it?"

"I have a number of concerns around it, you could say." Nana nodded as she leaned forward, "It seems... Impractical — and it's a bit revealing, isn't it?"

"Well, I need to have plenty of skin exposed in order to properly utilize my Quirk..."

"And while I can understand that, Miss Yaoyorozu," Nana held up her hand, "I feel like there were better designs you could've given to capitalize on that. Why, you're one trip away from indecent exposure...!"

"W-Well..." Momo brought a hand to her cheek as she glanced to the side, "The only specifications I sent in was to have plenty of exposed skin, and for my book of data on materials..."

"... So you're saying," Nana frowned as she brought her clasped hands to her chin, "that the support company told you — a young, teenage woman — to go out with this sort of design? Without even consulting you beforehand?"

"That's correct, Missus Starbound..."

The Pro sighed softly, rubbing her face as she looked to the side. She turned back to Momo with a gentle smile after a moment, "Why don't I help you redesign your outfit, hm? In fact," Nana held up a finger as she spoke, "I'm willing to bet some of your classmates would appreciate a slight change as well! We can make a class of it."

Momo blinked in surprise, "You'd do that for us, Missus Shimura?"

"Of course! After all, most of you made your costumes before you had taken your first Hero-course class." Nana picked up her cup of tea, "I'm sure everyone would appreciate getting to apply their new knowledge of their Quirks, perhaps even get some support items they didn't have the chance to think of before entering the school."

"Thank you, Missus Starbound...!" Momo quickly stood up and gave her a bow, "I appreciate you doing this for me!"

"Think nothing of it, Miss Yaoyorozu." Nana smiled at her softly again, "Now go ahead and eat up — if you're still hungry, I've got some food set aside as well."

Momo nodded as she started to eat her lunch.

Chapter Text

As the bell began to ring at the end of the day and everyone else was starting to head home, Izuku walked up to one of the school offices. He blinked at the sight of Edward and Alphonse walking up to the same door, quickly glancing between them as he spoke nervously, "Uh, what brings you guys here...?"

Edward shrugged, "Mom told us to stop by..." He folded his hands behind his head, "Thought if I had to guess, it's somethin' about you-know-what."

"O-Oh — yeah, I..." Izuku nodded nervously, "All Might said..." He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. The green-haired boy cleared his throat before speaking, "It's us, All Might and Starbound."

They heard footsteps before the door slid open for them. Nana gave them a slight nod as she stepped aside, "Come in, boys."

The three of them walked in, and as they did they saw the de-powered form of Toshinori sitting on the couch, staring at his clasped hands with his elbows resting on his legs. He turned his head slightly towards them, "Come have a seat."

As Nana shut the door behind them and walked over to the couch, Izuku gulped before he walked towards one of the three seats set up on the opposite side of the table from the couch.

The brothers exchanged a glance before they sat down on either side of their friend.

"You all went through a lot recently — especially you two, Young Elric-Shimura and Young Midoriya. I'm sorry I wasn't around to help you out."

"Oh, no...!" Izuku quickly shook his head, "You don't need to apologize for that...!"

"Yeah," Edward waved a hand dismissively, "you can't be expected to be everywhere at once, y'know?"

"M-More importantly..." Izuku leaned forward slightly, "Um, you mentioned One For All earlier..."

"I heard," Toshinori licked his finger for emphasis as he spoke, "that the Hero Killer swallowed your blood in the attack."

"Oh — yeah." Izuku sat upright, "His Quirk made him able to paralyze someone after tasting their blood." He frowned slightly as he knocked his head to the side, "Is that what this is about?"

"Yeah, because..." Edward pointed between himself and his brother, "Al and I never got paralyzed by the guy."

Toshinori pinched his fingers together while holding up his hand as he spoke, "Do you remember how I gave my power to you? What I said that day?"

Izuku's face suddenly looked exactly like All Might's as he spoke in a pretty close impersonation, "'Eat this.'"

"OH WHAT THE-?!" Edward jolted as he nearly fell out of his seat, "Since when could you do that?!"

"N-No," Toshinori quickly shook his head, "not that part."

Nana leaned against the arm of the couch, gently lifting a strand of her hair, "It would've been about how his DNA was the key to passing along One For All to you."

The skeletal man nodded, "That's right — that's why you had to swallow the hair."

Izuku's face contorted in shock before he jumped to his feet, "Oh, holy crap!"

"W-Wait," Alphonse looked between them with a concerned expression, "does that mean Stain now has One For All...?!"

"No, he doesn't!" Toshinori clenched his fists, "I just thought you might be worried about that, but..." He slouched as he let out a sigh, "I see it didn't cross your mind."

The Homunculus in the room held out her hand palm-up as she spoke, "One For All can only be given to another person if you," she focused in on Izuku, "the bearer, intend to pass the torch. It isn't something that can be taken so easily."

Toshinori nodded slightly, "However, it can be transferred by force — like a schoolgirl forcing a gift of affection to her unrequited crush."

Izuku made a face, "What kind of example is that?!"

"Yes, my boy," Nana smiled a little awkwardly, "there may have been a better analogy than that... What was the one I used when explaining it to you? 'It's like putting a hat on their head'?"

"Er, right, Master..." Toshinori sighed before continuing on, "The Quirk you now have is unique, and you should know its origin..."

"Wait," Edward frowned as he leaned forward, "you're telling us about how this all started?"

Toshinori nodded, "One For All was derived from another odd Quirk, a power that's very old."

Izuku knocked his head to the side slightly, "It used to be something different...?"

"Indeed. The name of the Quirk..." Nana's automail fist started to clench tightly as she spoke, "Was 'All For One' — and it allowed the user to take Quirks from others. Then, the user could keep the Quirks for himself or give them away to another."

"What?" Izuku frowned slightly, "You mean... He could steal powers...?"

"This was back when Quirks were just starting to show up — before society had figured out how to deal with the newly powered among them. When Quirks first appeared," Toshinori held up a hand as he spoke, "suddenly, it was impossible to say what it meant to be a 'normal' person. Laws and human rights were hotly debated... Civilization's progress stalled. Society... Decayed."

Izuku closed his eyes as he started to quote something, "'If superpowers had never appeared, then humans would be taking interstellar holidays by this point.'" He opened his eyes as he looked back up at his mentor, "I remember hearing that from someone famous..."

"Right." Toshinori clasped his hands together again, "During that chaotic period of change, there was one person who managed to rally many people together. He went by the name of his power — All For One."

Nana glared at the ground, "He stole Quirks from other people... Then, with his overpowering abilities, he spread his power and influence all across the country. He would commit evil acts with little resistance, all as he manipulated people to serve his purposes."

"In the blink of an eye," Toshinori stared at the ground, "he became the leader of Villains and ruled over Japan."

"I've seen plenty of rumors about this online, sure," Izuku gripped his knee before he looked up at the two of them, "but... Isn't that all just made up? It's not mentioned in our textbooks."

"Edward and Alphonse can tell you from personal experience that if someone this powerful wants to remain hidden from existence..." Nana glanced at her sons, "He's more than capable of fading into the shadows of nonexistence."

Edward frowned as he crossed his arms, "So it's like that bastard, huh...?"

Toshinori nodded before he bowed his head slightly, "When a person gains true power, they enjoy showing it off to others."

"Okay, but..." Izuku leaned forward, "How does this all tie together, though? And what about One For All...?"

"We said that All For One could give Quirks to others, remember?" Toshinori frowned deeply as he spoke, "He made people trust him or submit to his will by altering their abilities. But apparently, there were many poor souls who couldn't bear the burden of the Quirks they were given. They became like mindless living dolls, incapable of speaking."

Edward grimaced as a thought crossed his mind, "Nomu and the other brain guys... They seemed pretty brain-dead, didn't they...?"

Alphonse brought his hands to his mouth, "And they had multiple Quirks...!"

"That's right, my boys." Nana crossed her arms as she looked out the window, "But some of the Quirks that he passed off onto others would actually wind up evolving as he did — some even combined together to form something new altogether."

"This evil man had a Quirkless younger brother." Toshinori looked down at his own hands, "He was small and sickly, but he had a strong sense of justice... They couldn't have been more different. It pained the brother to see All For One's deeds, so he kept resisting him."

"It was then," Nana turned to the boys, holding out her hand as if to grab their faces for emphasis, "that All For One transferred a Quirk to his sibling — one that would allow him to stockpile power. Whether this was meant to be a gift for a dear brother, or an attempt to force him into submission... We simply don't know."

"The ability to stockpile...?" Izuku's eyes went wide, "Don't tell me-"

"Yes. Even though everyone thought he was Quirkless, it turns out the brother did have a Quirk... Though even he hadn't realized this to be the case. He had a useless power that only allowed him to pass on Quirks." Toshinori spread his hands out wide, "And so, the stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother's power," he looked directly at Izuku, "and that is how One For All came to be!"

"There's a certain beauty..." Nana smiled as she turned back to the window, "That evil so often creates the very thing that would destroy it."

"W-Wait, hold on!" Izuku held up a hand, "I understand how One For All came about now, but this bad guy must be long dead by this point — so why are you guys bringing him up now...?"

"One who steals Quirks has no limits..." The lines underneath Toshinori's shadowy eyes started to show as he spoke, "Anything's possible — there are Quirks that halt aging. He probably has something like that."

"This All For One..." Alphonse turned to Nana, "Is he...?"

"Yes," the Homunculus stared at her right hand, "he's the one who tried to kill me... And who took my husband's life." She clenched her fist tightly as she shut her eyes.

Toshinori clasped his hands together, "The Symbol of Evil seemed pretty much immortal — with the state of the world at the time and the huge difference in their combat abilities, the younger brother decided to entrust this new Quirk to future generations. Even though he couldn't defeat All For One, he hoped One For All would continue to grow in power, until it was strong enough to stop his older brother. Eventually," he rested a hand against his own chest, "it was my turn, and I managed to defeat All For One! At least..." He leaned forward, staring at his empty palms, "That's what I thought... But he survived, and now he's back in action as the brain behind the League of Villains."

Alphonse held a hand over his heart as a particular Villain flashed across his mind, "That's why Shigaraki wanted to kill you...?"

Toshinori nodded as he took a deep breath, "Indeed. So," he stood up and walked to the window, "now you know. The entire purpose of One For All is to defeat All For One — as its holder, Young Midoriya, you may one day have to fight against this great evil yourself... Because I failed."

"Screw that!" Edward shot to his feet while clenching his fist in front of himself, "We're not lettin' Izuku fight the bastard alone!"

"Yeah!" Alphonse stood up quickly, "We've fought a Villain like him before and won, we can do it again...!"

Izuku started to tear up slightly, "Edward...! Alphonse...!" He took a deep breath, getting to his feet as well, "I'll do my best! I'll do whatever you ask, All Might — no matter what it might take! As long as you're with me, I can do anything...! I know you'll have my back!"

Toshinori shut his eyes as he held a hand over his mouth, struggling to speak before his voice came out softly, "Thank you."

"Don't you sweat your little heads, kiddos..." They all turned to the Homunculus as Greed gave them a lopsided grin, a fire in her eyes, "I already told Nana that I was gonna kill the bastard!" She walked over and patted Toshinori on the back as she jabbed a thumb at herself, "You just leave All For One to Greed. He stole from me... And I don't let ANYONE get away with that!"

Alphonse smiled, then he beamed from ear to ear, "If anyone can beat someone like that, it's the two of you!"

"That's right! Now you three scurry along," Greed waved them off, "we'll be outta here in a minute."

The three boys nodded, walking out of the room to grab their things.

"... He needs to know the truth, my boy." Nana shut her eyes as she took back over.

"I know, Master..." Toshinori tightly gripped the side with his injury, "I just... I don't know how to tell him that I can't be All Might for him forever... And certainly not if he has to fight All For One-"

"It's like Greed said back there," she lightly squeezed his shoulder, "nobody else will have to fight him." Nana patted her own chest, the two wedding bands on her finger glinting in the light, "The two of us will be able to drag that bastard down to hell, once and for all."

"Heh... With the stories you told me of your disappearance?" Toshinori managed a slight smile, "I believe you, Master."

Later that night...

"Alphonse? What are you doing up?"

Alphonse looked up from the table, smiling softly as he spoke gently, "Hey, May. Just thinking about things."

May sat down next to him, "Can I ask what about?"

He clasped his hands together, playing with his thumbs, "... If you had succeeded at giving your father what he wanted, you would've been named his successor, right?" Alphonse turned to her fully, "And you would've been expected to have a spouse from each clan at some point?"

"I would have chosen a consort from each clan, yes. Is that what this is about?" May gently set her hand over both of his, "Because if I were to become Empress, I'd of course choose you as my Emperor!"

Alphonse laughed softly, "It's not that exactly, but it's... Related, I guess?" He looked down at their hands, "I don't know how to put it..."

May smiled as she gave his hands a gentle squeeze, "Take your time, Alphonse."

"... I love you, very much, but..." He frowned softly, "I think I'm also getting feelings for someone else...?"

"Who is it?"

"Tsuyu." Alphonse rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "A-And like I said, I still feel the same way about you...! It's just, I think I'm starting to feel that way about her as well...?"

"Tsuyu, huh?" May glanced at the table, "I admittedly don't know her as well as you do — I only see her during lunch, but you see her all day. However," she turned back to Alphonse with a smile, "I also trust you and your judgment. When you say you still love me, I believe you."

Alphonse smiled back, gently taking her hands, "Thank you, May... Can I kiss you?"

"Certainly." May leaned in to give him a quick kiss, then wrapped her arms around him to give him a gentle squeeze, "If you want to talk to Tsuyu about this, I'm open to it."

"I think I'd like some more time to think about it," Alphonse hugged her back, "but thank you, May. And I'd like you to be there when I do talk to her...?"

"Of course!" May smiled up at him, "This is important, after all."

Alphonse smiled back at her, "Thank you. Now, we should both head to bed," he gently pressed his forehead against hers, "we still have school tomorrow after all."

May nodded, giving him one last hug, "Goodnight, Alphonse."

"Goodnight, May...!"

Chapter Text

"Well, it's almost time for summer vacation. Don't get too excited," Aizawa glanced over the class while standing at the podium, "you can't just relax an entire month."

Alphonse knocked his head to the side, Huh?

"You'll be training while you're camping in the woods."

"A big sleepover!" Mina pumped her fist as most of the class started to cheer.

Mineta popped up, "Baths!"

Tsuyu pressed a finger to her chin while looking up at the ceiling, "Fireworks!"

"Springs!" Mineta clenched his fists as he grinned.

Tenya chopped his arm excitedly, "And s'mores!"

Mineta had a look on his face, "Skinny di-!"

"Mineta," Alphonse had a menacing smile on his face as he tightly gripped Mineta's shoulder from behind, "behave yourself — now."

Mineta trembled as he went back to his desk, "Y-Yes, Elric-Shimura...!"

Eijiro and Denki watched with terrified expressions, "Scary Alphonse..."

"We've been training in cities," Momo narrowed her eyes as she gently held her chin, "so these will be very different conditions for most of us."

Edward grinned wide as he leaned back in his seat and folded his hands behind his head, "Ha! Me and Al practically lived in the woods growin' up! This'll be a piece of cake for us."

Fumikage crossed his arms, "No matter what the environment, we must always remain vigilant." He nodded slightly, "Yes — very wise."

Toru's sleeves showed she was waving her arms excitedly, "Hanging out with everyone all summer — I'm so excited!"

Aizawa's hair stood on end as his eyes lit up while he glared, "However..." His expression went back to his usual neutrality as the students all immediately sat silently, "Those of you who don't pass the final exam before the semester is over... Will have summer school."

Eijiro turned around as he held up a fist, "Everyone, do your best!"

"This is so stupid..." Bakugo muttered as he glared off to the side.

Mineta turned around to stare at the girls, "All you-!" He froze as he caught sight of Alphonse staring directly at him, gulping as sweat started to run down his forehead before he corrected himself, "A-All you people better pass this thing...! S-So we can all go together as a class...!"

Alphonse smiled as he nodded, "Better."

Aizawa sighed tiredly, "That's all I had to say," he started walking for his sleeping bag, "oh, and there's a special lesson plan for today."

"Huh?" Alphonse blinked as he made a face, "What sort of special lesson...?"

The door slid open quickly, and Nana leaned into the room while holding onto the doorframe, "That's my cue!"

How All Might-like... The entire class thought the same things as they watched her walk towards the podium.

"Good morning, Class 1-A!" Nana beamed at the students as she grabbed the podium, "With all of you returning from your week-long internships, I spoke with your teachers and came to an agreement with them. Today," she spread her hands out to the sides, "we'll be working on redesigns of your costumes!"

"But Missus Starbound," Eijiro lifted his hand, "we haven't been here that long. Isn't it kinda early to be redesigning our costumes already?"

"Not at all, Mister Kirishima! After all," Nana walked around the podium as she rested her hands on her hips, "all of you designed your costumes before you had a chance to really apply them in a situation where you act as Heroes!" She smiled as she held up a finger, "Now that you're starting to get a better idea of how your Quirks work in these scenarios and are starting to figure out the holes they can't fill, it's the perfect time to find the costumes and gear to support your skillsets!"

"Awesome!" Mina grinned as she pumped her fists, "We're gettin' a makeover!"

"I want each of you to grab your current costumes — but don't put them on," Nana pressed the button that made the lockers with them slide out of the wall, "we're just using them as a reference for the time being. Once you have your outfits, please follow me to the workshop we'll be using!"

"Yes, Missus Starbound!" The students quickly grabbed their costumes before following Nana out of the room.

Nana walked down the halls of the school, leading them to an empty workshop, "Oh, and because of the nature of today's exercise, we have a couple of volunteers from the Support Course here to give us a hand."

"Wait," Denki raised his hand, "is it gonna be Ha-?"

The door of the workshop exploded off of its hinges, and Nana's armored hand shot out on instinct to grab Mei by the collar of her shirt as she flew through the air as smoke billowed out of the doorway. The Pro looked at her hand, "... Miss Hatsume?"

"Hello, hello!" Mei grinned wide as she dangled from Nana's grip, lifting up her goggles before trying to wipe the soot off of her face.

"Why were you working on something that could explode?"

Winry peeked through the door, covered in only slightly less soot than Mei. She grinned wide as she lifted her own goggles, "Mei and I were experimenting with a new combat automail!"

Tenya was aggressively chopping his hands as a look of concern overtook his face, "I am suddenly having doubts concerning this exercise, Missus Starbound!"

"We'll try and keep the actual gear to a minimum today, Mister Iida." Nana looked between the two mechanics, "Isn't that right?"

Winry held up her wrench as she flexed the fingers of her free hand, "But the prototypes we could test!"

Nana pinched the bridge of her nose as she set Mei down, "Miss Rockbell, please."

"Aw," Winry pouted as she lowered her wrench, "fiiine..."

"Thank you." Nana smiled as she turned back to the Heroes in training, "Alright everyone, go ahead and take a seat! There's supplies here to draw out designs you'd like — and feel free to work together!" She walked into the workshop with the students, "After all, it serves to have a variety of perspectives when it comes to something like this."

As the students started to settle into groups around the workshop tables filled with supplies for sketching out costumes, Denki raised his hand, "Missus Starbound, I've got some ideas I need help with?"

"Of course, Mister Kaminari!" Nana walked over to him, "How can I help?"

"I wanna be able to zip around like some of the others," Denki scratched his head as he looked at his costume, "but I don't exactly know how I'd be able to do that with my Quirk."

Eijiro nudged him with his elbow, "Hey, don't forget about finding a way to shock people without frying your brain!"

"Hm... We might be able to kill two birds with one stone." Nana held her chin as she grabbed a pencil, sketching on the paper, "If you add retractable wheels into the shoes of your Hero costume, it'll make it easier for you to gain speed while also allowing you to traverse uneven ground when needed. Then, if you have a device on each forearm that fires a retractable metal wire, you could use it either to pull yourself towards a heavy-enough object, or you could wrap it around a Villain and use the wire as an extension of yourself to electrocute them from afar."

"Whoa, yeah!" Denki grinned, grabbing a pencil and adding to the sketch Nana started, "And people like a roller skater, right?"

Nana smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "They can certainly be popular, Mister Kaminari! Now, feel free to build on the design — make it fit with the rest of your look."

"Mkay!" Denki looked up at her, "Thanks, Missus Shimura!"

"You're quite welcome, Mister Kaminari!" Nana turned to Eijiro, "Is there anything you need help with, Mister Kirishima?"

"Eh, I could also use better mobility," Eijiro rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at his costume, "though I don't think wheels would really work for me, ya know?" He grinned back up at the teacher, "So I think I just gotta work on my own stamina and speed!"

Nana smiled back at him before turning to his costume. She frowned slightly, moving one of the gears that went on his shoulders, "Mister Kirishima, where's the shirt of your costume? Was it damaged during class?"

"Ah, I don't have one?" Eijiro rubbed the back of his neck, "They said they couldn't make a shirt that'd be able to survive my sharpness without being too hard to move around in."

"Nonsense!" Nana huffed as she sketched on the page in front of Eijiro, "There are plenty of fabrics that could withstand the wear-and-tear of your Quirk and provide you with protection from the elements — you could go with a Kevlar or a carbon-fiber fabric, for instance!"

"Oh!" He rubbed his arms slightly, "I guess it'll be nice to not be so chilly during class..."

"And if I may make another suggestion," Nana smiled slightly, "why not wear protective gear on your joints? That way they're still protected like the rest of your body when you activate your Quirk, but you don't have to sacrifice movement and the like."

"Ooh, good thinking!" Eijiro quickly scribbled on his sheet before giving her a toothy grin, "Thanks, Missus Starbound!"

"Happy to help, Mister Kirishima." Nana smiled and patted his shoulder before moving on. She walked up to where Momo was sitting, "Hello, Miss Yaoyorozu. Do you have any thoughts on your redesign yet?"

"I did put some thought into it, yes," Momo nodded as she showed off the detailed beginnings of a sketch, "I considered what you brought up yesterday, and turned the main outfit into a top and a pair of shorts."

"Good thinking, Miss Yaoyorozu!" Nana tapped the sketch lightly, "For the top, you should consider having it zip down the middle so it's easy to put on or remove without making it too revealing. For the back," she made a quick sketch next to the one Momo already made, "you should have an X-shaped strap with a magnetic clasp so it doesn't catch your hair, then another clasp at the bottom so it doesn't roll up randomly in battle."

"I see!" Momo added her own version of the sketches to make it match her general aesthetic.

Nana tapped her chin as she held her elbow, "You can keep the belt, but it should be more form-fitting — as it is, it'll get caught on debris and doorknobs, not to mention that it's an easy grabbing point for an opportunistic Villain. As for the lexicon, you have the right idea, but I would consider replacing it with a tablet. That way," she turned to face Momo, "you don't have to read through an entire book to find what you're looking for."

"Hm... Yes, I agree," Momo nodded as she sketched the new belt, with a pouch to hold a small tablet, "thank you, Missus Starbound!"

"As for your shoes... Heels, even ones those short, only really work on even ground. If you try running on uneven ground in those, you'll roll your ankle at best — or you'll break it at worst."

"And neither are good for our line of work..." Momo tapped her pencil against her chin, "Perhaps a pair of boots would work better?"

Nana smiled, "There we go! And you should include grip soles, that way you'll be able to scale smooth surfaces with greater ease."

"Right!" Momo added a series of notes next to the relevant parts of the costume before turning back to Nana, "Do you have any more notes for me, Missus Starbound?"

"Hm... I'd consider gloves with grips on them as well," Nana held up her own hand and tapped it lightly, "you can cut out the palms so you can still create weapons directly from your hands, but the gloves will make it easier for you to climb while also giving you a better grip on whatever tools you make for yourself."

"Alright!" Momo sketched the gloves, then paused before adding to the sketch, "Maybe I should consider elbow and knee guards as well..."

"Excellent thinking, Miss Yaoyorozu!" Nana smiled wide and patted her shoulder, "Keep working at it for as long as you need, okay?"

"I will!" Momo smiled at her, "Thank you once again, Missus Starbound — your input has been indispensable."

"If you need any more assistance, you know where to find me!" Nana looked around the classroom, pausing and focusing on Toru, "Miss Hagakure, where's your costume?" She walked over to the invisible girl, "Is most of it just invisible like you are?"

"Ah, no..." Toru seemed to be pressing her fingers together from how her sleeves were moving, "The Support Company said they couldn't really make a costume that working with my Quirk."

Alphonse paused, turning to her with a confused expression, "But wait, during class, we only ever see your gloves and boots...?"

Nana stared at Toru for a long moment, "... Miss Hagakure, did the Support Company tell you to not wear clothes?"

"Um..." Toru rubbed the back of her head, "Yes...?"

Nana pressed her hands together and held them in front of her mouth, taking a deep breath. She lowered her hands, smiling gently, "While it may be difficult to do, it shouldn't be IMPOSSIBLE to make an outfit that disappears alongside you — there are plenty of stranger Quirks that receive similar accommodations."

"Y-You don't have to work so hard for me-!"

"Miss Hagakure," Nana gently placed a hand against her shoulder, "you shouldn't have to expose yourself to every danger imaginable in the field just to do Hero work. I want to help you with this," she squeezed Toru's shoulder gently, "promise. Okay?"

"... Okay." Toru held up her hands, "Thank you, Missus Starbound!"

Nana smiled a little wider, nodding to her before glancing over the rest of the class as they started to chatter more excitedly about their costumes, Well, looks like we've really got our work cut out for us.

"Yeah, but you're gonna say some cheesy crap like 'the next generation's worth it,' aren't ya?"

Of course I am, Greed! And that's because they are.

"Yeah," Greed chuckled in their shared mindscape, "you're right about that."

Nana smiled smugly to herself as she moved to the next student, I know I am, love.

Chapter Text

Aizawa picked up some papers as the bell started to ring, "Alright, that's it for class today," he tapped them against the podium to straighten them out, "there's only one week left before your final exams begin." He glanced up at the students, "I'm sure you're all studying constantly, right?"

Alphonse sat up a little straighter, nodding at that.

"Don't forget to keep training — the written exam is only one element." Aizawa started walking for the door, "There's also the practical portion to worry about." He stopped to look over his shoulder, "Good luck."

The moment the door was fully shut, Denki held up his hands with a concerned expression while Mina just folded her hands behind her head with a carefree smile, and the two both spoke in unison, "I've barely even taken notes this semester!"

"And with the sports festival and internship," Denki gripped his head and spoke while a sign none of them could actually see pointed at him with a "22/22" on it, "I didn't have time to read the textbook...!"

Mina just continued to laugh, her own sign marking her as "21/22".

Fumikage sweated slightly as he was marked "16/22", "It's true that we haven't had very much free time lately..."

Sato scratched his head slightly while his sign read "14/22", "We'd barely learned anything when we took our midterms, so they didn't seem all that hard — but I'm kinda worried about these... We've been through a lot, and they probably won't pull any punches when it comes to testing us."

"As someone ranked in the upper half of the class," Mineta smirked as he leaned his cheek against his fist as he was labeled "11/22", "I'm not that concerned."

"What?!" Mina and Denki shot out of their desks, "You were 11th in the midterms?!"

"Aw, man," Mina gritted her teeth as she pointed at Minet, "and here I thought you were one of us!"

Denki's hands were trembling as he stared Mineta down, "Don't you know weirdo little creeps like you are only likable if they're kind of stupid?! Who's going to love you now?!"

"Everyone." Mineta continued to smirk as he glanced to the side, "Trust me."

Edward groaned as he leaned back, "Math and science are fine, but English is just so boring...!" He scratched his head, his own sign showing him as "6/22".

Mina ruffled her own hair aggressively as she threw her head back, "You don't get to complain when you're that high up in the class rankings...!"

"Ashido, Kaminari!" Izuku offered them a smile as he walked over, "We've still got time to study!" He beamed wider as he clenched his fists and was labeled "5/22", "That way, we'll all get to go to the training camp together! Right?"

"Yes!" Tenya quickly held up his hand as he was labeled "2/22", "As class rep, I have high hopes that we'll make U.A. proud!"

Shoto glanced over at them, his own label showing "7/22", "It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class, isn't it?"

Denki gripped his chest as he turned away from the three of them, "Why you gotta cut me down like that...?"

"Hey, don't worry about it, you two," Momo smiled gently as she held a hand to her chest, her sign showing her as "1/22", "I can catch you up to speed on the important topics, if you want."

"Yeah!" Alphonse beamed wide as he was labeled "3/22", "We can all study together!"

"You guys are the best, Yaomomo and Al!" Denki and Mina beamed as they looked between the two of them.

Momo's expression became gloomy as she looked down at her desk, "I'm afraid I won't be any help when it comes to the practical, though..."

"W-Whoa, Momo...!" Alphonse quickly waved his hands nervously, "Are you okay...?"

Kyoka cleared her throat as she walked over, "I've been studying, but..." She was labeled as "9/22", "Could you help me out, too?" She smiled slightly as she held up her notebook, "I'm having some trouble understanding quadratic formulas."

Momo looked up, her voice soft and surprised, "Really?"

"Tutor me, please!" Hanta clapped his hands over his head as he was labeled "19/22", "Classical Japanese is killin' me...!"

She turned to face him, "Ah..."

Mashirao walked over awkwardly, his own label showing "10/22", "Is there room for one more? I'm afraid I'm falling behind a little..."

Alphonse smiled a little as the three leaned in closer to Momo and spoke in unison, "Pretty please!"

Momo gasped softly as she held her hands to her mouth, her eyes sparkling, "This is wonderful...!" She shot to her feet and threw her arms into the air, "Yes, let's do it!"

"Alright!"

"Okay then!" Momo clasped her hands together, "We can hold a study session at my residence over the weekend!"

"Seriously?!" Mina grinned as she bounced closer, "I can't wait to see your fancy digs!"

"Oh!" Momo beamed as she held her closed hands next to her cheeks, "I must call Mother and have her prepare the great hall for us to set up; it'll be the perfect spot!"

"Huh?" Alphonse blinked a few times, "Wait, great hall...?"

Edward made a face, "Oh god it's the Armstrong Estate all over again..."

Momo was still beaming as she turned to the others, "What kind of tea does everyone like? I'll have her make sur we're stocked!" She clenched her fists, "In my family, we always drink Harrods or Wedgewood, so if you have any other preference, let me know!" She spun around, "When we're finished, you'll all be model students! I'll make it my personal duty to push you forward!"

Alphonse smiled gently, Well, she certainly seems happier now at least! "I don't think I've had those teas before, but I'd love to try them!"

Denki smiled at the aura emanating off of Momo, "Yeah, about that tea — I'm not so sure about the hairy one."

"No, it's from Harrods!"

Eijiro was labeled "17/22" as he grinned at Bakugo, "Sounds like I should be studying with her-"

"You think I don't know enough?" Bakugo was glaring at his desk as he was labeled "4/22", "Maybe I should beat the lessons into your skull!"

Eijiro just chuckled, "I'm counting on it."

"Hah — everyone's panicking right now," Yuga's eyes were closed as he rested his chin on his hands, "but it won't do them any good to cram this late in the game."

Mezo walked over as he was labeled "12/22" before extending a tentacle with a mouth to speak to Yuga, "Shouldn't you be more concerned?"

Yuga was labeled "20/22" as Mezo spoke.

"You didn't do very well in the midterms..."

"Are you talking about moi?" Yuga turned to him as his brows furrowed, "I did just fine, thank you."

"I'm kinda scared about the practical," Izuku set down his lunch tray as he frowned slightly, "I have no idea what it's gonna be..."

Tenya turned to him as he spoke, "It's hard to believe they'd give us anything too crazy."

"Eh," Edward narrowed his eyes, "I think it depends on who's makin' the practical exam..."

Izuku nodded as he picked up his bowl and chopsticks, "The written exam questions will all be stuff from class, so... I should at least be able to do those."

Ochaco had a faraway look in her eyes as she was labeled "15/22", "Do you really think it's going to be that simple?"

"It's driving me nuts..." Izuku looked up as he chewed on his food, "I just wanna know what they'll have us doing."

Toru lifted her bowl as she was labeled "18/22", "It's a comprehensive test of everything we learned this year..."

"Yup," Tsuyu nodded as she ate some bread while getting labeled as "8/22", "and that's about all we could get Mister Aizawa to tell us."

"Okay," Ochaco looked up as she brought her chopsticks closer to her chin, "so then it'll cover combat training and rescue training... Oh, and basic training."

Alphonse knocked his head to the side as he swallowed a bite of food, "Maybe there will also be teamwork involved? We do get split into groups pretty frequently for these sorts of things."

Izuku frowned, lowering his bowl as he held his chin in the same hand as his chopsticks, "We can't just study — we have to stay in great physical shape-" he was cut off with a yelp as he got elbowed in the back of the head.

"Oh, sorry — your head's so big that it's hard to miss."

Alphonse narrowed his eyes as he looked up, "Neito Monoma..."

"You're from Class 1-B..." Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he looked up at him, "Um... Monoma, right? That really hur-"

"I heard you guys stumbled across the Hero Killer." Monoma quickly cut him off, lifting his chin as Izuku gasped and Tenya tensed slightly, "Just like in the sports festival, Class 1-A isn't happy unless they're the center of attention. But you do realize you're not in the spotlight because people think you're good Heroes, right? It's just that you keep getting into so much trouble." He had a sinister smile on his face as he continued, "Here's food for thought: someday, the rest of us might get caught up in your mess, and then we'll all become unwitting victims as well."

"Hey now, that's unfair!" Alphonse started to stand up, "It isn't our fault that we got attacked!" He motioned to the four who encountered Stain, "And it isn't their fault that they had to go through that sort of ordeal! They were just trying to help...!"

"Help?" Monoma raised a brow as he continued to give them the sinister smile, "What kind of horrible Villains will you bring down upon us the next time you try to 'help'? What demon-"

"Neito Monoma!"

Monoma turned around just in time for May to deliver a flying kick to his face, knocking him off his feet as he dropped his lunch tray.

Before it could hit the ground, Itsuka caught it out of the air as she looked down at him, "That's not funny, Monoma. You heard what happened to Iida! Chill out!"

"And what did I tell you," May pointed down at him as the footprint she left on his face turned a bright red, "about talking to my boyfriend and his companions like that?!"

Tenya looked up at the two of them, "Kendo and Chang..."

Itsuka offered them a smile as she grabbed Monoma by the back of his shirt, "I apologize for him — I'm pretty sure there's a hole where his heart should be."

May huffed as she crossed her arms, "And he clearly struggles with listening to his class representative and her deputy!"

"Mm." Itsuka gave May a nod before she held a hand to the side of her head while turning to the 1-A students, "So I was listening... I know you're all worried about what's going to be on the big final practical." She lowered her hand as she continued on, "I heard it's gonna be combat against robots, like the entrance exam."

Ochaco blinked a few times, "Huh?"

"What?" Izuku leaned forward, "Really? How do you know that...?!"

Itsuka smiled as she jabbed a thumb over her opposite shoulder, "One of my friends who's a few grades up filled me in — I know, cheating, but oh well."

"No, I don't think so..." Izuku looked down and held a hand over his mouth as he descended into a muttering ramble, "I'm sure gathering information ahead of time is also part of the test... I definitely should've found an upperclassman to ask... Darn it, why didn't I think about that before?"

Alphonse laughed a little nervously at Izuku before smiling up at Itsuka, "Thank you very much for the information, Itsuka! If anyone asks," he mimed zipping his lips shut, "we didn't hear it from you."

"What kind of idiot are you, Kendo...? You just gave away our whole strategic advantage!" Monoma looked up from where he was being held by her, "This was our chance to finally pull ahead of that class full of idiots-!" He gasped as she chopped him in the back of the neck, going limp.

"They're not the idiots!" Itsuka huffed as she started to drag him away.

Izuku sweated slightly as he watched them leave, "She's like their class's big sister, huh...?"

Alphonse gave an awkward smile, "Yeah, I can see that..."

"Alright!"

Denki smiled as he spread out his hands after they were told what 1-B had shared during lunch, "This'll be super easy if it's just robots!"

Mina beamed as she folded her hands behind her head, "Such awesome news!"

Mezo made a hand to speak with, "Why do you sound so happy?" He frowned slightly, "You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks."

"Aha! Thanks to Missus Starbound's help with support gear ideas, that ain't true for me anymore! But even if it were," Denki threw his arms into the air, "I can let loose with robots!"

Mina threw her arms up as well, "And melting them'll be a cinch for me!"

Hanta grinned as he pointed at them, "Now you just need Yaoyorozu and Alphonse to help you study and you'll be all set for finals!"

"We'll do our best to get you guys ready!" Alphonse smiled as he turned to Momo, "Isn't that right?"

Momo beamed as she nodded firmly, "Indeed!"

Denki and Mina high-fived each other as they spoke in unison, "We'll definitely be able to go to the training camp now!"

"It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actual people." Everyone turned to Bakugo as he stared at Mina and Denki with narrowed eyes, "Why are you morons so excited?"

"Hey," Denki pointed at him while Mina just stomped her foot, "who are you calling a moron?!"

"Shut up!" Bakugo snapped at them, "You need to learn how to control your Quirks without relying on some lousy tech ya didn't even come up with on your own! Ya got it?!" He turned to sneer at Izuku, "Hey! Deku!"

Alphonse frowned as Izuku gasped from where he was sitting, carefully taking a few steps closer to his friend while the rest of the class watched.

"I don't know what's goin' on with your power," Bakugo narrowed his eyes further as he spoke, "but I saw the way you're using it now, and I want you to know — it's seriously pissing me off."

"Oh-oh..." Ochaco held her hands close to her chest as she walked over next to the others, "He must mean how Deku was flying around like him the other day..."

Mina turned to watch Bakugo, "Oh, yeah, totally..."

"I'm not gonna get knocked down like I did in the festival..." Bakugo gritted his teeth as he spoke, "We'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals — new rankings." He pointed at Izuku, "So we'll all know EXACTLY where we're standing! I'll show you how much better I am!"

Izuku gulped slightly as he straightened himself out, his lips drawing into a tight line.

"And Elric-Shimura?" Bakugo glared at Edward over his shoulder as he turned towards the door, "I'll kill you, too."

"Good luck with that, Explosion Boy!" Edward gave him a cocky grin as he crossed his arms, "There's a reason I beat ya during the festival."

Bakugo growled, slamming the door shut behind himself.

Eijiro rubbed the back of his head, "It's been a while since I've seen him that worked up..."

"Think it's impatience?" Fumikage crossed his arms, "Or hatred?"

Edward snorted as he stood up, "Knowing that guy?" He slung his bag over his shoulder, "It's probably both." He glanced to the side, "... Hey, Shoto — you gonna study alone?"

Shoto stood up as he picked up his backpack, "Most likely, yes. Why?"

"Ah, it's nothin'," Edward rubbed the back of his neck, "just wondering if you wanted ta study together — I could use some help in a couple subjects."

Shoto blinked slowly, "I think Yaoyorozu would be a better tutor than me."

"W-Well, maybe...! But she's already got half the class countin' on her, y'know?" Edward huffed while crossing his arms, "Figured I wouldn't add to her workload, but if you're too busy-!"

"Alright," Shoto nodded slightly, "we can meet at my place. What's your number?"

Edward blinked a few times, "... Wait, seriously? Uh — hang on," he fumbled to grab the phone Nana had gotten him, squinting at it as he unlocked it, "still gettin' used to this..."

"Here," Shoto held out his hand to take it, "I'll put my number in yours." 

"Eh? Oh, sure. Here," Edward placed the phone in Shoto's hand, "thanks."

Shoto just nodded, punching his number into Edward's contacts before handing the phone back to him, "I'll text you the address."

"Great!" Edward pocketed the phone, The hell's a text?

"Good." Shoto nodded to him before walking off, "See you around, Edward."

Alphonse had a mischievous smile on his face as he elbowed Edward lightly, "Just you and Shoto, huh Brother?"

"Eh?" Edward rounded on his younger brother, "The hell's that supposed to mean, Al?!"

Alphonse laughed lightly, waving a hand dismissively, "Oh, nothing!" He glanced to the side, smiling more genuinely, "Hey, Tsuyu! Do you want to join us?"

"Ribbit?" Tsuyu held a finger to her chin as she knocked her head to the side, "I suppose I could improve in some of my subjects." She turned to Momo, "So long as it's okay."

"Of course it is, Tsuyu!" Momo beamed as she clasped her hands together, "The more the merrier!"

A few days later...

"Wow..." Denki stared up in amazement at the gate as he arrived at Momo's address with the others, "I knew her family had cash, but I didn't know she was this rich!"

"It's definitely impressive..." Alphonse noticed a doorbell with a speaker next to the gate as he spoke, "Oh! I'll let her know we're here."

The moment he pressed the button and the doorbell started to ring, Momo's voice came through the speaker, "I've been waiting for you, everyone!" The gate started to swing open, "Please, come in!"

"Ribbit." Tsuyu adjusted her backpack slightly as she walked up to the mansion with the others, "She sounds pretty eager today."

Alphonse smiled gently, "I'm sure she's just looking forward to spending time with her friends outside of class."

Denki jabbed a thumb at his backpack as he spoke up, "Can it really be called 'outside of class' if we're studying for class, though?"

"I think so," Alphonse nodded slightly as they walked inside, "though I suppose you have a point, Denki."

"Welcome to my home, everyone!" Momo beamed as she welcomed them in, motioning for them to follow her into the great hall, "Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable, I'll be right back with the tea and snacks."

Tsuyu nodded as she went to take a seat, "Thanks, Yaoyorozu."

Alphonse set down his bag next to her before turning to Momo, "Would you like any help grabbing everything?"

"Oh no, I can handle everything! You're all my guests today, after all."

"Okay," Alphonse smiled, "then thank you, Momo!"

"Man..." Mashirao spoke as they sat down at a massive table, "I could not feel any more out of place right now."

"Yeah," Sero sweated slightly as he looked around, "me too."

Momo came back with a cart that had a fancy tea set and a selection of equally-fancy snacks and desserts. She smiled cheerily as she gave off a bouncy aura again, "Is something wrong?"

Everyone smiled back at her, "No, everything's perfect!"

Edward glanced between his phone and the house in front of him, I was kinda expecting something like the Armstrong mansion... He knocked on the front door before taking a step back.

"Coming!" Came a somewhat muffled reply. After a moment, the door opened to a woman who was a few years older than him with mostly white hair with small red highlights in it, "Oh, hello! You're Elric-Shimura, right?"

"Yep, that's me — but you can just call me Edward." He held out his hand.

The woman smiled as she shook his hand, "I'm Fuyumi Todoroki, Shoto's older sister. It's a pleasure to meet you, Edward — Shoto speaks highly of you."

Edward perked up slightly, "He does?"

"Mhm! Here, come inside," she stepped to the side to let him in, "I'll go grab him."

"Mkay." Edward walked inside, looking around as Fuyumi left to grab Shoto.

As he was looking around, Shoto walked into the room, "Hello, Edward."

"Shoto, hey!" Edward grinned as he turned to face him, "You ready to start studying?"

Shoto looked down at Edward's outfit, blinking a few times, "... Why are you wearing your Hero costume?" He looked back up at the alchemist's face, "Were you on a patrol with a Pro?"

"Eh? No, nothin' like that," Edward looked down as he lifted a leg slightly and tugged on his shirt, "this is just my casual clothes."

"So your Hero costume is just..." Shoto knocked his head to the side, "The clothes you wear normally?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up." Edward raised a brow, "Something wrong with that, Peppermint?"

"... No," Shoto shrugged casually as he turned around, "you do what you like."

Fuyumi smiled slightly, "Would you two like anything to drink?"

Edward shrugged as he followed Shoto, "I'm good with anything." He was silent for a moment before narrowing his eyes, "Except for milk... I hate the stuff."

Shoto smiled slightly at that, then quickly regained his composure as he turned to his sister, "Some tea would be nice, Fuyumi. Thank you."

"Of course! I'll bring it to you when it's ready."

"So." Shoto sat down at the table, getting his study materials prepared, "What should we start with?"

"English and Classical Japanese are the only things I'm really havin' any difficulty with..." Edward rubbed the back of his head as he plopped down opposite of Shoto, "What about you?"

"I would say I'm above average in those subjects — we can start with those before moving on."

"Sweet." Edward grinned as he snatched a pencil out of his backpack, "Let's kick this study session's ass!"

"Man..." Denki rubbed his head as they all started walking for the front gate, "That was a lot of work...!"

Alphonse smiled at him warmly, "I think you made some big improvements by the end there!"

Denki grinned at that, holding his fist under his chin while extending his thumb and index finger, "Heh, ya think so?"

Mina grinned as she hopped up next to Alphonse, "What about me?"

He smiled at her as well, "Yes, I think you've improved as well!"

"Hell yeah!" Mina and Denki gave each other a double high five as they spoke in unison, "We're gonna pass!"

Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "You should still do some solo studying when you get home, you guys."

"Tsuyu's right," Alphonse nodded firmly, "it's important to keep everything you learned in mind!"

Mina puffed out her cheeks, "Aw, alright..."

"Alphonse!" May waved to them as they got to the gate, "I came to walk you home!"

"Oh, May!" Alphonse beamed wide, walking over to give her a hug as the gate swung open, "Thank you! That's so sweet of you!"

Hanta grinned a little wider before he waved to the others, "Well, I'll see you guys in class!"

"Seeya!" Mina grinned as she started to jog away, "We're gonna ace this thing!"

Alphonse turned to the last person left, "Tsuyu, would you like us to walk you home?"

"Ribbit?" She turned to him, "Sure thing."

May smiled as well as she started to walk, "So then, how was today's study session?"

"I think everyone's made a lot of progress!" Alphonse smiled lightly, "It looks like there's a big chance that everyone in our class will pass, so long as everyone remembers to study on their own as well."

"That's good!" May huffed slightly, "It's been a piece of work helping Tetsutetsu study, I'll tell you that."

Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "I bet Bakugo's dealing with that from Kirishima."

Alphonse gave an awkward smile, "Yeah, probably... But Eijiro and Tetsutetsu mean well."

May nodded at that, "Yes, Tetsutetsu's a good classmate of mine."

"Yeah..." The alchemist glanced down at the two of them, slowing down slightly.

Tsuyu stopped and glanced back, knocking her head to the side, "Al? Something the matter?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine! There's just something I've been thinking about lately..."

May walked over, gently taking Alphonse's hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"Ribbit?"

"May and I talked about this the other day..." Alphonse took a deep breath in, "I've started to have feelings for you, Tsuyu. If you don't feel the same, or if you don't feel comfortable being in a relationship, I would understand — but I just wanted to make how I feel clear to you."

"I see." Tsuyu nodded as she walked closer, "Thank you for telling me, Al. Also," she took his free hand while offering a smile, "I started to feel the same way."

Alphonse blinked a few times as he stood a little straighter, "Really?"

"Ribbit." Tsuyu nodded again, "But I didn't want to say anything since you and May are together, and I didn't know how you felt about the two of us."

"Well, if you're open to it," May nodded firmly, "the two of us are more than willing to welcome you into our relationship."

"I'd like that," Tsuyu smiled a little wider, "thank you both."

"Of course!" Alphonse returned the wide smile, squeezing both of their hands gently as they all started to walk again.

"Hey, thanks for helpin' me study," Edward rubbed the back of his neck as he grinned, "it was a big help."

"Of course," Shoto bowed his head slightly, "thanks for coming over. It was... Nice."

Edward chuckled as he casually punched Shoto's shoulder, "Don't strain yourself with those compliments, Peppermint." He offered a fist bump, "Seeya in class?"

"... Yeah," Shoto lightly returned the fist bump, "I'll see you in class-"

"Oof, augh, my hand!" Edward shook his hand before grinning wider at Shoto, "The Hand Crusher strikes again."

Shoto started to fret, "Did I smash your automail? Do you need ice? I have a first-aid kit-"

"Shoto, Shoto!" Edward laughed, "Cool down, Peppermint! It's a joke, you know?"

Shoto blinked a few times, then looked at his left hand, "Did I catch fire again?"

"BWAHAHA!" Edward threw his head back before grinning at Shoto, "We gotta work on your slang and your sense of humor, don't we?"

"... Ah," Shoto sighed with a soft smile before giving a small nod, "right."

"I'll seeya later, Shoto!" Edward waved as he walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Fuyumi smiled as she crossed her arms lightly, "Elric-Shimura seems nice."

Shoto nodded again, "Edward's a good friend."

"I'm glad to hear that!" She beamed as she clapped her hands together, "It's so nice to know you're making friends at class. Though I must say," Fuyumi tapped her cheek lightly, "I am a little surprised you're okay with them giving you a nickname like Peppermint..."

"No," he shook his head, "Edward's the only one who calls me that."

Fuyumi blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Yes. Why?" Shoto knocked his head to the side, "Is that strange?"

"Well..." She smiled gently, "Perhaps not. Either way, I'm just glad you have a friend like him."

Shoto nodded, "Thank you, Fuyumi."

"Of course, Shoto!"

Chapter Text

On the last days of exams...

Aizawa glanced at the time as the students were taking the written exams, with some of them being in deeper concentration than the others. He then looked up as he raised a hand, "Alright, put your pencils down. The last person in each row, bring the answer sheets to me."

Edward and Alphonse got up alongside Momo and Ochaco, collecting all of the answer sheets from their respective rows.

Mina beamed as she threw her arms into the air while Momo and Alphonse were passing, "Thanks so much for all your help, you guys!"

Denki grinned as he gave them a thumbs up, "I didn't leave anything blank at least!"

Alphonse smiled as he handed his stack of answer sheets to Aizawa, "I'm glad to hear our study sessions helped you guys out!"

"Indeed!" Momo beamed wide, "It was our pleasure to be able to help you succeed academically."

"All of you," Aizawa took the last of the answer sheets before pressing a button to make their lockers extend from the wall, "put on your Hero costumes."

"Yes sir!" The students spoke in unison as they went to grab their new outfits before making their way to the locker rooms.

"Now then." Aizawa rested his hands in his pockets as the students of Class 1-A gathered in front of him and a handful of other teachers, "Let's begin the last test."

Edward tugged on his gloves, grinning in anticipation.

"Remember," their homeroom teacher narrowed his eyes as he continued on, "it's possible to fail this final — if you wanna go to camp, then don't make any stupid mistakes."

"Huh..." Alphonse crossed his arms, his new golden visor reflecting the light slightly, "I wonder why there are so many teachers here...?"

"Yeah..." Kyoka nodded slightly, "I was wondering the same thing..."

Aizawa closed his eyes, "I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea of what you'll be faced with today."

Denki grinned as he threw his head back, his bracers with lightning-themed launchers glinting in the light, "We're fightin' those big ol' metal robots!"

"Fireworks! S'mores!" Mina pumped one of her fists as she threw the other one up in the air, both of which were now wearing gloves with holes that still allowed her to spray acid, "Here we come, camp!"

"Actually, this year's tests..." They heard the muffled voice of Principal Nezu as Aizawa's scarf started to shift before he popped out of it, pressing against the tired man's face as he raised his other paw, "Will be completely different, for various reasons."

"Huh?" Alphonse blinked before speaking at the same time as some of the others, "Principal Nezu?"

Momo took a step forward, a look of concern on her face as she spoke, "You're changing things?"

"The tests now have a new focus." The principal started to climb down Aizawa's arm as he spoke, using the teacher's scarf as a rope while Thirteen held out her hands in case he fell. He dusted himself off as he landed before continuing on, "There will be Hero work, of course — but also teamwork and combat between actual people." Principal Nezu pointed at them as a shadow crossed his face, "So what does that mean for you?"

"Are we..." Edward made a face, "Fighting each other...?"

"Oh no, nothing like that! You students will be working together in pairs," Principal Nezu spread his paws wide, "and your opponents will be one of our esteemed U.A. teachers! Isn't that fabulous?!"

Ochaco gasped, "We're... Fighting the teachers...?!"

"Additionally," Aizawa crossed his arms, "your partners and your opponents have already been chosen — they were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships."

Wait... Alphonse frowned slightly as he started to mentally count the teachers, There's going to be eleven groups, but there's only nine teachers if you include Principal Nezu...

"First, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are a team..." Aizawa grinned slightly as he grabbed parts of his scarf with both hands, "Against me."

Momo gulped nervously, tugging on her new fingerless gloves as she glanced at Shoto.

"Then we have Midoriya paired with Bakugo."

"Ouch..." Edward winced as the two of them gasped and turned to face each other, "Tough team-up..."

"And their opponent is..."

Alphonse looked up, squinting as a shadow passed in front of the sun... Then his eyes widened as All Might slammed into the ground directly in front of Izuku and Bakugo.

"I am here to fight!" All Might grinned wide as he stood upright, clenching a fist in front of himself.

"Oh no..." Alphonse glanced at Edward, "That's not exactly a great setup for them...!"

"You're going to have to work together, boys," All Might opened up his hand as he addressed Izuku and Bakugo, "if you want to win."

"And now," Principal Nezu held up a paw, "let's announce the teams and the teachers they'll be fighting in order!"

"Kirishima, Sato," Cementoss lifted a hand, "the two of you will be going against me."

"Mister Cementoss, huh...?" Eijiro rolled his shoulder before checking over the new protective gear on his joints, "Think we can break through his cement, Sato?"

"It's our only hope of makin' it through...!" Sato punched his palm as he gritted his teeth, his new costume also including some basic protective gear that still allowed for ease of movement.

"Asui, Tokoyami." Ectoplasm nodded to each of them as he spoke, "I will be your opponent. Be warned: I will do my best to crush the two of you, so come at me with everything you have."

"Hm..." Fumikage narrowed his eyes slightly, his black cloak shifting in the wind, "What a mad banquet of darkness we have awaiting us..."

"Ribbit..." Tsuyu nodded slightly.

"As for me," Power Loader grinned as he pointed between Tenya and Mashirao, "I'll be going against you two, Iida and Ojiro!"

Tenya stood upright before bowing to the teacher, "We'll do our best to make you proud, Mister Power Loader!"

Mashirao nodded as well, his karate gi now also including some standard protective gear such as bracers and shin guards, as well as some light gear on his tail that still allowed for flexible movement.

"After them," Aizawa grinned again as he stared at Momo and Shoto, "it'll be our turn."

Shoto narrowed his eyes while Momo gulped nervously.

"Uraraka and Aoyama," Thirteen held up a hand, making a "come here" gesture as she did, "you'll be fighting against me."

"Miss Thirteen, huh...?" Ochaco clenched her fists as she got a determined look on her face, "We're gonna have to be careful with Black Hole!"

While her costume was largely unchanged in terms of support items, it was no longer quite as tight as it used to be, and she was now wearing a pair of fingerless gloves with grips on them and tiny star-like patterns on the black parts of her costume.

Yuga sparkled as he posed, "Leave it to me and my dazzling Navel Laser."

"Kaminari and Ashido," Principal Nezu waved a paw, "I expect the two of you to give it your all against me!"

Mina nervously tugged on the shirt she was now wearing over her bodysuit alongside a pair of tan shorts and a set of protective gear on her joints, then she leaned closer to Denki, "Do ya think we stand a chance against him...?"

"A-As long as we can get into close quarters with him we should be fine...!" Denki gave a shaky thumbs up, "R-Right...?"

"Jiro and Koda!" Present Mic grinned as he posed dramatically, "You're gonna be my airway rivals today!!!"

"Battle of the sound-based Quirks," Kyoka frowned as she adjusted her new gloves with built-in speakers like her boots, "we've got our work cut out for us, huh Koda...?"

Koda nodded nervously, holding his hands together anxiously.

"Shoji, Hagakure," Snipe tipped his hat at the two of them, "I'll be your fightin' partner for today, ya got that?"

"Yes, Mister Snipe, sir." Mezo nodded, lightly crossing his main set of arms.

"Alright!" Toru pumped her fist before twirling to show off her new light pink and blue bodysuit, "Let's test out this new costume Missus Starbound helped design!"

"Mineta and Sero," Midnight smirked as she posed while flicking her whip at them, "the two of you will be facing off against me."

Hanta tapped the chin of his helmet lightly, "We're gonna have to be careful about her-"

"Alright...!" Mineta grinned with a slight blush.

"Of course," Hanta slouched as he turned towards his teammate, "you're more interested in who our opponent is than what she can do to us..."

"After them will be us!" All Might grinned at Izuku and Bakugo.

"Um, Principal Nezu...?" Alphonse raised his hand, "Brother and I are still left, but there aren't any other teachers here?"

"Don't worry, Younger Elric-Shimura!" All Might grinned a little wider as he pointed behind them, "We didn't forget about the two of you!"

"Yeah, squirts!"

The brothers froze, slowly turning around as a dawning terror took over their faces.

Greed grinned back at them with all her sharp teeth as she cracked the knuckles of her good hand, "How could we ever forget about you two?"

"Brother...?"

"Yeah, Al...?"

Alphonse quickly grabbed Edward, "We're so dead...!"

Edward grabbed his younger brother at the same time, "I know, Al...!"

Mineta trembled as he hid behind Hanta, "The scary nurse...!"

"Tch," Bakugo sneered at them, "scared of your own mom? Pathetic."

"Shut up, Cherry Bomb Boy!!!" Edward pointed at him aggressively, "You haven't seen her in a fight...!!!"

"Now now, children," Principal Nezu held up a paw, "stop bickering while I explain the rules."

The two hotheads huffed, crossing their arms as they turned away from one another while muttering angrily.

"To complete the exam," the principal held up three fingers, "you'll have thirty minutes." He lifted a pair of specialized handcuffs, "In order to win, your objective is to put these handcuffs on your teacher! Or, you can win if one of you manages to escape from the combat stage."

Denki pursed his lips as he glanced down to the side and grabbed his chin while speaking, "So we've either got to capture the teacher or run away... It's basically like the combat training."

"Yeah," Mina held up a hand, "but is it really okay to just jet?"

Principal Nezu gave them a calm thumbs up, "Yup!"

Present Mic moved his hands like he was using a turntable, "It's gonna be much different than that combat training y'all went through earlier." He crossed his arms as he shot fingerguns to either side, "After all, you're up against people way better than you!"

"'Better'? Really?" Kyoka frowned slightly as Koda sweated nervously while holding his hands up in an attempt to stop her, "Wait, aren't you just the announcer?"

Present Mic stomped his foot as he started to shout, "Hey, watch your mouth, girl — have some respect!!!"

"Our opponents being better than us is an objective fact..." Alphonse frowned slightly as he crossed his arms, "All of them are Pro Heroes, and highly skilled ones at that..."

Thirteen nodded as she held up a finger, "This time, your exam will be very similar to a real battle. As strange as it is," she placed her hand over her chest, "please think of us as Villains."

"Yeah," Greed grinned wider as she rested her elbow on Thirteen's shoulder, "and we'll do our best to play that act up!"

"From Greed," Edward grimaced, "I can believe that..."

"Assumin' you come across your enemy — if you think you can win against them," Snipe crossed his arms as he nodded, "then fight. However..."

"... In instances where you're outmatched," Aizawa narrowed his eyes the slightest bit, "it would be smarter to run away and find help. Todoroki. Iida. Midoriya. And the older Elric-Shimura." He glanced between the four of them, "I'm sure the four of you understand."

Edward stood a little straighter as he narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists.

Tenya stared at his left hand, "I won't make that mistake again." He clenched his fist tightly, "I will pass this test and prove that I'm a Hero!"

"So we fight to win..." Izuku gulped as his brow furrowed slightly, "Or run to win."

"That's right!" All Might spread out his hands, "It's a test of your decision-making skills!" He rested a fist on his hip as he wagged a finger at them, "But with these rules, you're probably thinking your only real choice is to flee." He held one hand to the side while the other reached around and behind his back, "That's why the support course made these super-clever accessories for us!"

"Behold!" Present Mic posed while All Might held up a silver bracelet with black bars on it, "Ultra-compressed weights!"

Greed clipped it onto her good wrist before flexing that hand, "These bad boys are gonna put about half our total weight onto our bodies! It ain't much," she gave them a lopsided grin as she added more bracelets like the rest of the teachers, "but they'll eat up our stamina and make it harder to move around as much!"

"Oh, shoot...!" All Might's arm dropped slightly as he clipped them onto his wrists, "These are heavier than I thought." He cleared his throat slightly, "We had a contest to come up with these designs, and Young Hatsume ended up winning it!"

Izuku jolted in surprise, "Wow, good for Hatsume...!"

Bakugo gritted his teeth as he narrowed his eyes, "You think we need a handicap to win against you? Well think again...!"

All Might laughed for a moment, then lowered his head slightly as the shadows on his body grew thicker and one of his blue eyes caught the light, "This'll be FUN."

"Let's begin." Aizawa rested his hands in his pockets, "The teams will take the practical exam in the order you were called — we have a stage prepared for you. Sato, Kirishima." He turned to the two of them, "You're up."

Both of them stood upright and gave him a nod, "Yes, sir!"

"Those waiting their turn to fight can either watch the exams or try to strategize together as a team. It's your choice." Aizawa turned around to walk away with the other teachers, "That's all."

Tenya turned to his teammate at that, "Ojiro — I'd like to discuss how we might be able to coordinate the use of our Quirks."

"Tokoyami?" Tsuyu turned to her teammate as she spoke, "Let's go come up with a plan."

Fumikage nodded as he started to walk with her, "Agreed."

Mineta punched the air as he walked in front of Hanta, "We've got to figure out a way to destroy Miss Midnight's cooo..." He slowly turned to the side.

Alphonse met his gaze, narrowing his eyes while making an "I'm watching you" gesture.

"... Mpetition. Competition!" Mineta trembled as he turned to look ahead as he walked faster, "Th-That's TOTALLY what I was gonna say the whole time...!!!"

Hanta lifted his mask to grin at Alphonse as he walked backwards to follow Mineta, then he pressed his hands together above his head while nodding slightly, "Thanks for keepin' him in check, Al!"

Alphonse smiled warmly as he gave him a little wave, "You're welcome!"

"Hey, Al," Edward nudged his younger brother as the two of them started walking, "the hell are we gonna do?"

"Terrified as I am..." Alphonse shivered slightly before patting his own cheeks, then he gave a confident smile, "We don't have to fight Mom at all! Or at least," he turned to Edward fully, "not both of us."

"Eh?" Edward narrowed his eyes, "What are you thinkin'...?"

"Principal Nezu said only one of us has to escape, right?" Alphonse hit his palm like a gavel as they walked towards the observation room, "So then all we gotta do is have one of us distract them for long enough-"

"For the other one to escape!" Edward grinned, lightly slugging his brother's shoulder, "Nice thinking, Al! So — who's bait?"

"Well, that depends..." Alphonse grinned mischievously as he lifted an armored foot, lightly tapping the device incorporated into the side of it, "Did you get mobility-assisting support gear that doesn't rely on alchemy?"

"Wh-" Edward started to flail his limbs as they walked into the room, "you planned to use me as bait from the START?!"

"Oh come now Brother," Alphonse held a hand to his chest, "it's not MY fault you didn't think to add actual support gear to your Hero costume."

"I can't believe this!!!" Edward fumed as he rubbed his head aggressively, "Betrayed by my little brother...!!!"

"Oh, Ed and Al!" Ochaco blinked as they walked in, "You two are gonna watch too?"

Edward huffed as he crossed his arms, "Well APPARENTLY, Al has already decided to sacrifice me...!"

Alphonse smiled innocently, "Don't sell yourself short, Brother — you just have more experience than me in this sort of situation."

Edward paused, then preened as he held a hand under his chin, "Heh, admitting my skills in fighti-"

"It's because you're always fighting stronger opponents that are taller than you."

The older alchemist froze, slowly opening his eyes. He then grabbed Alphonse and aggressively shook him as his younger brother just smiled mischievously, "WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS BETRAY ME?! I'M YOUR OLDER BROTHER!!!"

"E-Edward...!!!" Izuku quickly waved his hands, "You shouldn't shake him like that...!"

"Gah...!" Edward released Alphonse with a huff before he crossed his arms, tapping his foot as he turned to the screen.

Alphonse continued to smile smugly as he calmly dusted himself off. He then turned to the other two with a more genuine smile, "What about you guys?"

Izuku smiled nervously as he scratched his cheek, "My partner isn't really... Interested... In talking strategy... With me..."

"Ugh," Edward rolled his eyes with a huff, "yeah, no surprises there..."

"And, uh," Ochaco smiled awkwardly as she pointed to the side, "my partner's a little preoccupied with himself..."

"He's certainly..." Alphonse knocked his head to the side, "Sparkly..."

Ochaco stood upright as she clenched her fists, "That's why I thought I'd try and get inspiration from everyone else's battles!"

"Right," Izuku nodded firmly as he looked up at the large screen, "that's smart."

"Team Sato and Kirishima." A computerized voice spoke as a screen of a mock city popped up, "Practical exam. Ready? Go!"

Edward tapped his temple lightly, "The two of 'em would stand a better chance if they tried to get outta there without fighting Cementoss... He's got better range than the two of 'em combined."

"That's true," Alphonse watched as the two of them leapt away from a stone wall that Cementoss created, "but knowing the two of them, they're going to try and take him out head-on."

"Come on, you guys!" Ochaco beamed as the two started to pummel their way through a series of walls made by Cementoss, "You've totally got him!"

"They're not gonna win it like this..."

Ochaco turned to Izuku with a confused blink, "Huh?"

"Their Quirks are amazing," Izuku held his chin lightly, "but there's a limit to how long they can use them — they won't last forever."

"But Mister Cementoss doesn't have that limitation..." Alphonse crossed his arms lightly, "It's a lot like our Quirk, just with slightly less application... So long as he has the concrete to work with, he can just keep making the barriers to slow down Eijiro and Sato until they hit their limits."

Ochaco's face fell slightly at that, "That's not good...!"

"It's no coincidence they were matched up..." Izuku nodded, "Mister Aizawa's pitting students against teachers they'll have a hard time against. To pass," he narrowed his eyes slightly, "we'll have to recognize our weakness... And overcome them."

"Exactly right." Recovery Girl nodded from her seat next to them, "So before it's time for your own final," she turned to the four of them, "you should think carefully about your compatibility with the teacher you're fighting."

"Gah, don't remind me...!" Edward rubbed his head as they turned back to the screen, "Mom's got too many damn tricks up her sleeves..."

Alphonse winced as he watched the stone walls curl in on the two students, with Eijiro still vainly trying to punch one of them while Sato stood in a daze, "And there's their limit..."

"Damn..." Edward frowned as a buzzer sounded after the two were wrapped in a dome of concrete, watching as it retracted to reveal the two of them lying on the ground, "They hardly stood a chance there..."

"Poor Eijiro and Sato..." Alphonse held a hand to his cheek, "They were really looking forward to that training camp..."

"Sato and Kirishima have been knocked out. Exam over."

Recovery Girl huffed as she hopped out of her chair, "It's only the first match and I'm already needed."

"No way..." Ochaco held a hand over her mouth, "It was that one-sided?"

"Their Quirks were too ineffective against his..." Izuku's lips drew into a tight line as his brow furrowed, analyzing the screen thoroughly.

Alphonse perked up slightly as the screen changed to show Tsuyu and Fumikage, smiling brightly as he pumped his fist, "Go, Tsuyu...!"

The buzzer sounded off again, "Team Asui and Tokoyami. Practical exam. Ready? Go!"

The moment the computerized voice spoke, the copies of Ectoplasm manifested all around the two students to surround them.

"Tsu and Tokoyami have good mobility," Ochaco frowned slightly, "but would that help against so many enemies...?"

They watched as Dark Shadow darted out and launched Tsuyu into the air, then when she stuck to a wall her tongue darted out and wrapped around Fumikage to bring him up with her.

"Yeah!" Alphonse beamed wider as he pumped his fist in the air, "Way to go, you two!"

Ochaco held up both her hands with a smile, "Nice!"

"An escape only the two of them could pull off!" Izuku grinned wide, grabbing onto the top of Recovery Girl's chair.

"That's good communication." They turned to Recovery Girl as she walked back in through the door while she spoke, "They're talking to each other. It may not seem like much," she watched the screen as she walked back to her seat, "but it's important."

Alphonse smiled softly as he nodded, "Right!"

The nurse climbed into her seat as she continued on, "And I don't just mean having a sidekick or teammate that you know you match well with — real Heroes need to be able to communicate with anyone."

"Um, so..." Izuku held out his hands as he turned to Recovery Girl fully, "We were talking about these finals and how each student is supposed to be facing their weaknesses."

Recovery Girl nodded as she continued watching the screen, "That's right."

"Okay, so," Izuku knocked his head to the side slightly as he spoke, "what do Tokoyami and Asui have to work on?" He held his chin as he contemplated, "I'm having trouble seeing how Mister Ectoplasm's Quirk is a bad match-up against theirs..."

"Oh?" Recovery Girl smiled as she looked down, "Well, it's not good... For Tokoyami, at least."

"Huh?" Ochaco knocked her head to the side, "Why do you say that?"

"Keep watching," the nurse waved them off, "you'll see."

"Hm..." Alphonse watched as the two of them navigated through various hallways while trying to fight off the clones, noticing a handful that slipped past Dark Shadow to get up-close and personal, "Is it Fumikage's range?" He turned to Recovery Girl, "Dark Shadow is great at attacking enemies quickly at a distance, but if an opponent gets too close he can't properly counter them?"

Recovery Girl nodded at that, "That's precisely right, my boy."

"Wow," Ochaco frowned slightly as she held her hand, "I never thought about his powers like that..."

"And Mister Ectoplasm's clones can appear anywhere unexpectedly..." Izuku muttered softly as he looked down before turning his gaze back to the screen.

"On the other hand, there's Asui." Recovery Girl leaned back in her seat, "A stellar student with no clear weaknesses. She can provide support to her ally, as powerful as he may be — but she's important in another way, too." She nodded slightly as Tsuyu took out some of the clones closing in on Fumikage, "Her level-headedness and ability to provide emotional support are the key to them passing."

Alphonse beamed as he turned back to the screen, "Yeah, that's Tsuyu for you!"

Edward grinned while elbowing his brother lightly, "A real keeper you've got there, eh Al?"

"Tsuyu's a remarkable fighter, and she excels at keeping calm under pressure," Alphonse smiled gently, "She'll make a great Hero."

"Look," Izuku pointed at the screen, "they've found the exit. Which must mean..."

Edward nodded as he crossed his arms, "That's the real Ectoplasm right there... He probably won't be as easy to dispatch as the clones." He frowned as Ectoplasm opened his mouth wide to spew out the cloning substance, "Gonna make a whole bunch of WHAT THE HELL?!"

Alphonse's eyes went wide, "He can make a giant clone...?!" He covered his mouth as the giant bit down on the ledge the two students were on, watching as the dust settled to reveal them both partially submerged in it.

"Damn..." Edward gritted his teeth, "But Dark Shadow's still free, right...?"

"Freeing both of them would take too long..." Alphonse winced as Ectoplasm kicked Dark Shadow away, "And it doesn't look like Mister Ectoplasm is going to let Dark Shadow through the gate..." He watched as Dark Shadow was kicked over to Tsuyu, then squinted slightly as the two pressed their hands together, "Wait, what did they...?"

They watched as Dark Shadow charged at Ectoplasm again, one fist pulled back. The two of them collided, with Dark Shadow's fist coming into contact with Ectoplasm's prosthetic leg before the shadowy Quirk was forced back.

Alphonse perked up as the dust settled, excitedly pointing at the screen, "Look! At Mister Ectoplasm's leg!"

"Whoa!" Ochaco beamed as she clenched her fists, "They legcuffed him!"

"Then they passed!" Izuku smiled as well before turning to Ochaco, "They figured out a way to do it! Dark Shadow and Frog together — what a great team!"

Ochaco nodded, "They're so smart!"

Alphonse beamed wider as he pumped his fist in the air, "Woo! Way to go!"

"Team Asui and Tokoyami have passed the final!"

They watched as Tsuyu and Fumikage left the arena before the screen switched over to show Tenya and Mashirao getting into position.

Once they were, the computerized voice started to speak again, "Team Iida and Ojiro. Practical exam. Ready? Go!"

Alphonse turned around as the door opened, beaming wide and walking over quickly, "Tsuyu!" He wrapped his arms around her, "You were amazing in there!"

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu smiled as she hugged him back, "Thanks, Al."

"Hey, guys, if you're done?" Edward glanced back at them while jabbing a thumb at the screen, "Tenya and Mashirao aren't looking too hot right now."

"Oh, right...!" Alphonse walked back over with the others, looking up at the screen, "What's happened so far?"

"Iida and Ojiro have found the gate..." Izuku frowned as he spoke, "But there's a ton of traps under the ground, which is limiting their movement..."

"And Mister Power Loader is tunneling under the ground too..." Ochaco held her hands together as she turned to the others, "There's no way for them to know where he's gonna attack from n-"

Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek, "Ojiro just hopped onto Iida's back."

"Huh?" Alphonse blinked in confusion at her before turning back to the screen, watching as Tenya's legs started to blast blue streams of flames as he ran with Mashirao on his back, "Oh! They're using Tenya's Recipro Burst to outrun the traps!"

Izuku grimaced as he watched Power Loader burst out of the ground in front of the two students, "Not good...!"

"C'mon..." Edward gritted his teeth as Tenya leapt over a pit Power Loader created, "You can do it...!"

They all watched as Mashirao released Tenya's back before wrapping his tail around one of his teammate's legs. Tenya then started to spin rapidly before kicking forward with the same leg, launching Mashirao straight through the gate even as Power Loader tried to grab the airborne student.

"Hell yeah!" Edward laughed as he punched the air, "Way ta go!"

"Team Iida and Ojiro have passed the final!"

Ochaco beamed as she pumped her fists, "They're both amazing!"

"Todoroki and Yaoyorozu are facing Mister Aizawa next..." Izuku crossed his arms as he watched the screen, "I can't say I really envy them right now..."

"Ribbit." Tsuyu nodded, "Mister Aizawa's a scary guy when he gets serious."

"Not to mention his Quirk canceling ability..." Alphonse frowned lightly, "I wonder how they'll work around it...?"

"They all watched the screens expectantly, hoping for the best for their classmates in the upcoming exam...

Chapter Text

The buzzer sounded again, "Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. Practical exam. Ready? Go!"

Edward crossed his arms, watching as the two ran through the neighborhood setup while Momo constantly made small dolls and Shoto occasionally produced small amounts of ice and fire, "Constantly using their Quirks so they'll know when Aizawa shuts 'em off... Smart move."

"But wouldn't it be better if they switched in terms of Quirk usage?" Alphonse frowned lightly, briefly glancing away from the screen as the two came to a stop, "Shoto's drawback isn't as big as Momo's."

"Actually," Edward shook his head, "his ice and fire cancels out each other's drawbacks."

"Wait, look!" Ochaco quickly pointed at the screen, "Yaomomo isn't producing dolls anymore...!"

"Oh no!" Izuku took a step back, "That means-!"

Edward grimaced as Aizawa dropped down on the two of them from a power line, "He's right on top of 'em...!"

They watched as Shoto tried to kick at Aizawa while Momo started to run, only for the teacher to effortlessly wrap him up in part of his capture scarf and suspend him from a power line. Aizawa then dropped some caltrops underneath Shoto while putting some eyedrops in his eyes, before he started to run along the rooftops in the direction Momo went.

"Dammit, Peppermint...!" Edward crossed his arms as he watched Aizawa catch up with Momo, "Why didn't the two of 'em fight him together? He can only cancel them one at a time...!"

"It looks like they were planning for Todoroki to distract Mister Aizawa while Yaoyorozu ran for the exit..." Izuku frowned as he held a hand over his mouth, watching while Aizawa wrapped his scarf around Momo's wrist and started to reel her towards him, "But Mister Aizawa's a master at one-on-one fights — a strategy like that was doomed to fail."

"Hold on, look at that!" Alphonse pointed as Momo made a large cylinder on the part of her forearm that was wrapped up before slipping free, running back in the direction that she had come from, "How was she able to do that?"

Tsuyu held a finger to her chin, "Maybe she noticed her Quirk was working the moment Mister Aizawa was blinking and took it?"

"Yeah, well," Edward frowned lightly as she reunited with Shoto, the two appearing to have some sort of exchange as Aizawa started to close in again, "whatever she does next, she better do it quick..."

They watched as Momo grabbed some of the dolls she'd tucked into her belt pouches and tossed them upwards the moment Aizawa started to descend on her. The teacher smacked them out of his way... Only for the top halves to fall away, revealing grenades with pulled pins within.

Alphonse winced as the screen flashed, blinking the light out of his eyes just as Momo lowered Shoto back onto solid ground while Aizawa was still recovering. The alchemist beamed wide as the two started to run, "So she was making flash grenades the whole time...!"

Edward grinned as he clenched a fist in front of himself, "Way to go, Momo!"

They watched as Aizawa quickly recovered before he ran after them along the power lines. The teachers leapt as he eventually caught up to them, extending his capture scarf in an attempt to wrap around Shoto — but in the last moment before capture, Shoto spun around and slid his right foot along the ground as a massive wall of ice like the one from the sports festival surged towards Aizawa.

"Haha!" Edward punched the air, "Now THAT'S an attack, Peppermint!"

"Huh..." Ochaco knocked her head to the side before turning to the others while Momo started to make an extremely long piece of thick fabric that piled up on the ground, "Why isn't Mister Aizawa going after them?"

"He might have overused his eyes..." Izuku turned back to the screen, crossing his arms as Momo made a catapult that she then loaded the fabric onto, "I wonder what she made there?"

Tsuyu pressed her finger to her cheek again, "It kinda looks like Mister Aizawa's capture scarf, doesn't it?"

"I mean, kinda..." Edward knocked his head to the side, "The color and thickness is off, though..."

"Hmm..." Alphonse narrowed his eyes slightly, "I think I see what's happening here..."

"Eh?" Edward turned to his brother, "What's happening here, Al?"

The younger alchemist just smiled, "I think we'll see soon, Brother." Alphonse nodded to the screen as the two students put capes over themselves, running past the edge of the ice wall, "Watch."

They all turned back to the screen as Aizawa gave chase, wrapping his scarf around the tops of the cloaks and smacked them together — only for it to reveal Momo and the catapult underneath, with a mannequin in her free hand.

Ochaco beamed, "A decoy!"

Momo's hand nearly missed the release mechanism for the catapult, but she managed to pull it as Aizawa tried to retract his scarf. As the long strip she'd made fluttered in the air around Aizawa, a burst of flames erupted from the second cloak and coated the ground underneath the teacher, the air heating up with sparks and embers.

"The hell?" Edward frowned, "Why isn't Peppermint going for the blow-?!"

"Because he doesn't need to — look!" Alphonse beamed as he pointed at the screen as the fabric Momo made started to harden and retract, wrapping itself tightly around Aizawa and restraining his limbs to his sides, "I thought I recognized the material; it's nitinol alloy!"

"Oh, you're right!" Edward grinned wide at that, "Smart thinking!"

"Knitting knoll?" Ochaco blinked a few times, "What's that?"

"No, it's 'nitinol'," Alphonse held up a finger as he pronounced it carefully, "it's a nickel and titanium alloy with shape memory!" He smiled as he bent his fingers towards his palm, "When enough heat is applied to it, it'll return to its original shape!"

Izuku hit his palm like a gavel, "Making this the perfect trap for Mister Aizawa...!"

"My, my..." Recovery Girl looked down with a smile as Shoto and Momo put the capture cuffs on Aizawa, "Turns out that man's a big softie after all."

The buzzer sounded again, "Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu have passed the final!"

"W-Well..." Ochaco started walking for the door, "I'm up next...!"

"Good luck, Ochaco!" Alphonse beamed as he gave her a thumbs up, "We believe in you!"

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu stuck out her tongue slightly as she gave her a thumbs up as well.

Edward grinned, giving a thumbs up with his good hand, "I better see you at camp!"

"Right!" Ochaco nodded firmly, rushing off to the field.

Edward stared at the screen with a confused expression, "How'd we wind up here...?"

Alphonse smiled awkwardly, watching as Ochaco and Yuga held onto a railing for dear life as Thirteen walked towards them with the glove for one of her fingers popped open, "I guess Miss Thirteen was waiting for them at the exit..."

They watched as the knees of Yuga's armor fired his laser... Only for it to be swallowed by Thirteen's Quirk alongside his visor.

Tsuyu knocked her head to the side, "Not even light can escape Miss Thirteen's Quirk, ribbit."

"Ack-!" Edward nearly leapt out of his skin as Ochaco suddenly let go of the railing to slap her cheeks with both hands, flying towards Thirteen as she did, "The hell's she thinking?!"

Thirteen jolted, her glove closing up to stop her Quirk.

Ochaco quickly threw a punch before grabbing the teacher's wrist and slamming her other hand against Thirteen's chest, pinning her to the ground.

As Thirteen was trying to reach up and grab at Ochaco, Yuga flew over with a laser and wrapped his arms around Thirteen's to pin it against the ground.

Alphonse blinked as Ochaco whipped out the capture cuffs and attached them to herself and to Thirteen, "... I mean," he turned to the others as he blinked again, "that's a success, right?"

"Team Aoyama and Uraraka have passed the final!" The computerized voice confirmed after the buzzer sounded off.

"Uraraka's judgement was great!" Izuku beamed as he clenched his fists, "I can't believe she thought to use her opponent's power to get in close!"

"Ribbit." Tsuyu held a finger to her chin, "I don't know — it looked to me like Ochaco just lost focus and let go for a second."

Alphonse nodded as he crossed his arms, "I was thinking the same thing."

"Oh," Izuku blinked as he turned to the two of them, "you think so...?"

"Uh-huh." Tsuyu nodded as she turned to him, "The two of them were talking. I wonder what Aoyama said that shocked her so much?"

"Who knows?" Izuku turned back to the screen, "It's too bad we can't hear their conversations..."

"Uraraka won!" They turned around as Tenya walked through the door with Momo, "Not surprising — I'm happy for her."

"Yeah, and both of you passed, too!" Izuku smiled as he held up his fists slightly, "Congrats!"

"Ribbit!"

Alphonse smiled wide, "Yeah, you were both amazing in there!"

Tenya smiled genuinely, "Thank you all for your enthusiasm."

"Yeah," Edward leaned over to look past them, "hey, uh, where's Shoto?"

"Ah, he just wanted a moment to 'cool off'," Momo smiled happily, taking off her new domino mask and wiping her forehead lightly, "he should be here in a moment."

"Now that this match is over," Tsuyu held a finger to the side of her chin lightly, "which team is taking the field next?"

Momo crossed her arms as she turned to the screen, "Ashido and Kaminari are paired up for the next battle." She narrowed her eyes slightly, "They're going to have to fight against Principal Nezu."

Izuku's brow furrowed as he spoke softly, "The principal of our school... It's rare we get to see someone like him in action."

Tenya nodded firmly, "We'll have to watch this round carefully."

"Ribbit."

"I can't remember," Alphonse turned to the others as the buzzer and computerized voice went off to announce the start of the exam, "what's Principal Nezu's Quirk? I know it makes him look like a cat-"

Edward glanced over, "I thought he was a mouse?"

Alphonse scratched his head, "Honestly, he could also be a very small bear...?"

"Oh, actually, his Quirk is High Specs!" Izuku leaned over while holding up a finger, "And it actually doesn't affect his appearance, as far as I'm aware."

"Huh?" Alphonse blinked as he made a face, "But he looks like an animal...?"

Momo turned to them in surprise, "You two don't know?"

"Eh?" Edward turned to her, "Know what?"

Izuku turned to the screen, "Principal Nezu is the only known case of an animal possessing a Quirk."

The brothers froze momentarily, turning to trade a glance with one another before returning their gazes to the screen.

They all watched as the two started to run frantically from collapsing buildings and pipes, all while Principal Nezu sat in a crane and drank some tea.

Tenya sweated slightly, "The principal looks so comfortable in that crane..."

"Yeah, but..." Izuku took a step forward, "How is he causing all this?"

"I don't know," Tsuyu held a finger to her chin, "he's too far away..."

Momo held her chin lightly, "He must have predicted their moves..."

Edward raised a brow as he turned to face her alongside the others, "Predicted?"

"Yes," Momo nodded as she turned to them, "I bet he planned his attacks through sophisticated calculations."

Alphonse turned to the screen as Principal Nezu knocked over a wall, which caused a series of explosions and collapsing buildings that seemed to chase after Denki and Mina, "So he's causing a series of chain reactions to block them off...?"

"At this rate," Edward frowned as he crossed his arms, "they aren't gonna have a way out of there...!"

"In the past," Recovery Girl held a hand to the side of her helmet as she spoke up, "humans conducted horrible experiments on Nezu."

Alphonse frowned lightly as he glanced at Edward, "Horrible experiments, huh...?"

Edward frowned as well, sharing a glance with his younger brother before whispering softly enough for the other students to not hear it, "Al, you don't think...?"

"I don't know, Brother..."

"So in times like this," Recovery Girl leaned back in her seat, "he gets his vengeance."

They watched as the two got pinned between two different piles of fallen debris. Then, Mina melted a hole in a wall that allowed the two to climb into a supply building — only for the ceiling to cave in on them from another chain reaction.

"Incredible..." Izuku narrowed his eyes, "He's two steps ahead of them!"

"And they can't attack him if they don't know where to find him..." Tsuyu nodded slightly, "What an impressive brain."

Edward nodded, his brow furrowing, "I wouldn't wanna get on his bad side, that's for sure..."

"The principal's strategy is nearly perfect..."

They could only watch helplessly as Denki and Mina continued to struggle against the chain reactions, never managing to find the principal or make their way to the exit before the buzzer sounded, "Team Ashido and Kaminari have failed due to the time expiring."

"So it's over..." Izuku's face fell as he looked down from the screen, "They lost..."

Tenya shook his head lightly, "They never even saw their opponent; I can't imagine how frustrated they must be."

The door opened, and they heard Ochaco's voice before she jogged over, "What? Mina's team lost their battle?"

Momo nodded as she turned around, "Yes... The principal's game plan was flawless; they just couldn't beat him."

"That's terrible...!" Ochaco clenched her fists, "Oh, man, they must be crushed!"

"But you passed," Tenya smiled wide as he walked closer to her, "congratulations!"

Ochaco returned the smile, "Thanks! You too, Iida!"

"Yeah!" Edward grinned as he gave her a thumbs up, "That was a wicked take-down you did there! You learn that from Gunhead?"

"Mhm!" Ochaco pumped her fists, "That was some of the Gunhead Martial Arts he taught me!"

"Ochaco," Tsuyu held a finger to the side of her chin as she spoke up, "what were you talking to Aoyama about right before the end of your match against Thirteen?"

"Uh — oh, well..." Ochaco's face suddenly turned a light pink before she started to wave her hands around erratically, "Ah, it was nothing! You've got it all wrong!"

Tenya was largely unphased, "What's the matter with you?"

"I-It was just battle stuff — understand?!"

"Your face is... So red."

"I promise, you guys!"

Alphonse smiled knowingly, "I see."

"Eh?" Edward raised a brow as he nudged his brother, "Hey, whaddaya know, Al?"

The younger alchemist just sighed, "I would tell you, Brother, but it'd just go straight over your head."

"HEY! The hell's THAT supposed to mean?!"

They all jumped slightly as the buzzer came to life again, "Team Koda and Jiro. Practical exam. Ready? Go!"

"The practical exams match students up with teachers they're supposed to have a hard time against." Tenya rubbed his chin, "That's the whole point, right?"

Momo nodded, "Yes, that's right."

Izuku narrowed his eyes slightly, "And it's easy to see what this team's weaknesses are..."

"I agree," Tsuyu nodded, "what are they gonna do against Present Mic?"

"They both have sound-related Quirks, right?" Alphonse crossed one arm over his chest while bringing his other hand up to his mouth, "Kyoka with her earjacks, and Koda with his ability to talk to animals."

Izuku nodded as they watched the two run through a forest, "But their opponent will be able to drown out everything around them."

As if on cue, they saw Present Mic open his mouth to yell. They could nearly see the yell as a series of yellow soundwaves that pulsed through the forest and washed over the two students, forcing them to cover their ears as they stopped in their tracks.

Edward winced as this happened a few more times, "Damn, that's gotta be rough..."

Alphonse rubbed his ears sympathetically, "Hopefully neither of them suffer any hearing loss from this..."

Izuku blinked, "Wait, what's Jiro showing Koda?"

Edward blinked a few times, "... Whatever it was, it made him run for the hills."

They watched as Present Mic shouted at them again, this time with Kyoka trying to cancel it out with her own speakers. After that, she jabbed her earjacks into a rock next to her to break it apart and reveal a ton of bugs — which made Koda scream again.

"Eh?" Edward blinked slowly, "Is... Is he afraid of bugs?"

"Aw..." Alphonse held a hand to his cheek, "Poor guy...!"

The two endured another shout from Present Mic, then as the teacher's voice fell silent, Koda knelt down next to the bugs as his lips moved. Kyoka, meanwhile, seemed shocked and alarmed at what was happening.

Alphonse blinked, "... Is Koda talking?" He turned to the others, "I thought he just talked to animals like they do, but his lips are moving to form actual words..."

"Maybe it just..." Izuku shrugged slightly, "Looks like talking...?"

"Oh, ew!" Edward recoiled as he pointed at the screen quickly, "Forget that, look at Present Mic!"

Everyone except Tsuyu and Alphonse had varying levels of disgust on their face as Present Mic was swarmed by various insects crawling out of the ground.

Tenya's glassed glinted in the light, "That's tough, even for a Pro..."

"Wow, Koda..." Izuku sweated slightly, "Harsh move..."

Recovery Girl, meanwhile, was just fuming as Koda carried Kyoka through the gate, "He let a few bugs beat him?"

"Team Koda and Jiro have passed the exam!"

"At this rate, they're gonna run out of time..." Alphonse frowned as they watched Toru and Mezo hide behind a giant pillar while Snipe took shots at it.

Tsuyu nodded as she held a finger to her cheek, "The only thing they've got going for them right now is that Mister Snipe's movements are slowed by those bracelets the teachers are wearing."

On the screen, they watched as Snipe threw a can towards the center of the room. Smoke started to billow out of it, covering the entire area and making it difficult to see things clearly.

Edward grinned as Mezo started to run while Toru simply vanished, the teacher firing bullets after the giant multi-armed student, "And he's officially screwed up!"

"Wait, what?" Ochaco blinked as she looked between him and the screen while Mezo held up his hands after Snipe shot the ground in front of him, "Whaddaya mean?"

"Shoji's echolocation!" Izuku hit his palm like a gavel, "And with Toru's new costume-"

Tenya clenched his fist as a set of capture cuffs suddenly shot out and latched onto Snipe's raised wrist, "The smokescreen gave her the perfect cover to disappear without giving Mister Snipe an idea of where she started from to predict her movements!"

The buzzer went off as the smoke cleared and Toru's costume started to reappear, "Team Hagakure and Shoji have passed the exam!"

"It's just as I expected!" Momo smiled brightly as she clasped her hands together, "Hagakure IS the best there is at stealth ops!"

Izuku smiled as well, "And Shoji had the guts to face Mister Snipe head-on and be their distraction!"

Alphonse smiled with a nod, "The two of them make a pretty great team!"

"Team Mineta and Sero. Practical exam. Ready? Go!"

Ochaco blinked before turning to Izuku, "Hey, Deku, isn't your match up next? Shouldn't you be waiting in the exam area?"

"O-Oh," Izuku smiled nervously, giving a small nod as he spoke, "probably... But I wanna make sure I see everyone else fight." He turned back to the screen, "It's definitely interesting to see how each team uses their Quirks — but I also feel like I'm getting stronger watching them! Our classmates are just so amazing... Even if they didn't pass, they fought until the very end. Every one of them embodies what it means to be a U.A. student!"

Ochaco beamed, nodding happily at that statement.

"You're right, Izuku!" Alphonse held his hands in front of himself, "Everyone is working so hard to give it their all today, so it's only fair that we cheer them on!"

Tenya was making a face, "Well..."

Momo, meanwhile, was giving the screen a look of disdain, "Mostly."

"Huh?" Alphonse turned to them, "What do you mean?"

Tsuyu pointed at the screen, "Looks like one of our peers is giving up."

Alphonse looked up, then his face immediately fell into one of stoic disappointment, "I spoke too soon, apparently."

Edward made a face as well, "What kinda Hero runs away while throwing a tantrum...?"

Izuku yelped, "What is he doing? He was looking forward to the training camp so much — why is he ready to give up now?"

"To be fair, Midoriya," Tsuyu held a finger to her cheek, "he was looking forward to it for the wrong reasons. Ribbit."

Recovery Girl spoke up as Alphonse just nodded to what Tsuyu was saying, "I don't know if he can bounce back from this. As far as the practical exams go, All Might, Present Mic, Cementoss, Starbound, and Midnight are especially hard opponents for you kids to best — it's not hard to imagine someone feeling as though they have no possible way to win."

Alphonse turned back to the screen... Just in time to watch Mineta look back at Midnight setting down an unconscious Hanta while he shouted something. The alchemist's shoulders slouched slightly, "Why do I get the feeling he's saying something inappropriate right now...?"

Momo closed her eyes with a sigh, "The little pervert's likely taking advantage of how you're not there to stop him, Alphonse..."

"Unfortunately, I believe Yaoyorozu speaks the truth." Tenya sweated slightly as he chopped his free hand while speaking, "While you are not the ONLY one to call him out on his behavior, you're certainly the most effective at getting him to cease."

Izuku just sighed as he stared at the screen, "Mineta..."

Recovery Girl rubbed her chin, "It might be hard for a kid like that to make it out of this school..."

"Wait," Izuku turned to her, "what do you mean?"

"U.A. is constantly creating new obstacles that our students have to overcome. In order to keep moving forward successfully," Recovery Girl held up a hand, "students need to have a concrete goal to focus on. If your desire is just to be a Hero for no reason, your path isn't going to be easy — if someone who's only wish is to become a Hero reaches their goal, then they have no real future."

"Because once they become a Hero..." Alphonse frowned slightly as he spoke softly, "They'll probably just stop progressing and become stagnant... Is that right, Miss Recovery Girl?"

The nurse nodded at that, "Precisely my point, my boy. So I wonder..." She looked up at Mineta on the screen, "Is there a goal in that child's heart he can focus on to win?" She pressed a hand to the side of her helmet as he seemed to say something, "... Well that's certainly straightforward."

Edward winced as Mineta was suddenly flung away by the crack of Midnight's whip, "Yeesh! That's gonna leave a mark...!"

"Ribbit." Tsuyu knocked her head to the side as Mineta started to run away with his hands over his mouth, "He's not gonna last very long just by holding his breath..."

"So at this point," Momo closed her eyes lightly, "it's just a matter of time."

"Hm..." Alphonse frowned slightly, holding a hand over his mouth as he watched the screen closely.

Tsuyu turned to look up at him, "What is it, Al?"

"Miss Midnight would've had an easy win if she stayed by the gate, right?" Alphonse held up a finger, "Either Mineta stays far away and time runs out," he held up a second finger, "or he tries to get out, having to pass through Miss Midnight's Quirk to escape. Is it possible that he planned for her to give chase by making a big deal out of it?"

"Eh," Edward made a "so-so" gesture with his hand, "I think that's giving the guy a little too much credit, don't ya th-?"

"Whoa!" Izuku gasped as he smiled, "He managed to trap her far away from the gate! There's no way her Quirk can stop him now!"

Edward sweated awkwardly as his hand went slack, "... Don't say it, Al."

Alphonse, meanwhile, had a smug grin on his face, "Don't say what, Brother?"

The older alchemist just grumbled as Recovery Girl hummed before she spoke, "Oh, so he's pretty clever. I think that kid pulled one over on most of us," she smiled as she glanced at Alphonse, "isn't that right?"

Edward narrowed his eyes, "Don't feed my little brother's ego TOO much..."

Alphonse smiled good-naturedly, "Don't worry Brother, I won't let it get to my head," he smirked mischievously, "I'm already taller than you as I am now."

"WHY I OUGHTA-!"

"Team Mineta and Sero have passed the exam!"

Tenya held his fist in front of himself, "Alright, they did it!"

Momo smiled slightly, "Mineta actually had a solid plan!"

"Ribbit!"

"Deku!" Ochaco leaned forward to look past Tsuyu and the two alchemists, "Your turn-"

Alphonse turned around to see Izuku no longer standing there, "Ah, he must've left to get set up for his exam..."

"You two are up after him, are you not?" Tenya chopped his hand as he turned to the brothers, "Shouldn't you be preparing for your fight against Missus Starbound?"

Edward groaned as he slouched forward, "Don't remind me — I'm STILL not lookin' forward to fighting Greed...!"

Momo turned to face the two of them, "Say, your mother has the same Quirk as the both of you, doesn't she?"

Alright, time to use the cover story Mom gave us for her Quirk. Alphonse stood a little straighter, "Not quite. See, we just have Alchemy, but Mom's is actually called the Ultimate Shield. It's a hybridization of our Alchemy and a Hardening Quirk like Eijiro's."

Edward nodded grimly, "She's able to perform transmutations like us, but she's also able to convert her skin into a graphene shield. Not to mention her crazy strength and agility..."

"How strange..." Tenya adjusted his glasses, "Two Quirks of such different abilities mixing together?"

"Not really, if you get down to the basics." Alphonse held up a finger, "Hardening-type Quirks are basically just transmutations applied to the individual's body, to alter part of themselves into a different state. For Mom, she's converting the carbon in her skin into it's strongest form!"

"And thanks to Alchemy mixing with it," Edward gripped his head, "she's also got some automatic self-healing going on...!"

"So essentially," Tenya held his chin, "she has the perfect defense... And even if you could get past those defenses, she can heal herself automatically?"

"Basically, yeah..." Alphonse nodded, "It's why we wouldn't stand a chance in a direct fight with her."

"Team Midoriya and Bakugo."

They turned to the screen as the computerized voice spoke after the buzzer.

"Practical exam. Ready? Go!"

"Tough as it's gonna be for us...?" Edward narrowed his eyes while crossing his arms, watching with the others as Izuku and Bakugo walked through the starting gates, "The two of 'em have just as much work cut out for them..."

Chapter Text

As Bakugo kept walking away and ignoring Izuku, Alphonse frowned and crossed his arms, "They're not communicating..."

"Midoriya's trying, though," Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek, "Bakugo's just not listening."

"Oh, dear..." Recovery Girl shook her head with a sigh as the students gasped and recoiled at Bakugo smacking Izuku away with his gauntlet, "There's absolutely no teamwork between those two." She frowned as she continued on, "Don't they realize the trial ahead of them?"

"Damn that hothead...!" Edward gritted his teeth as the two seemed to be shouting at each other, "If he'd just drop the complex and listened, that bastard might stand a chance at passing!"

Alphonse sighed as he closed his eyes, "It's unusual to think of you as being the calmer person in most situations, Brother, but in this instance you're actually right..."

Before Edward could snap at his younger brother, they watched as the street was suddenly torn apart by a huge gust of wind that blew Izuku and Bakugo off their feet.

They all gaped at the screens that showed the line of devastation that stretched the entire length of the mock city, then they peered closer as a shadowy figure emerged from the dust cloud surrounding the two students — before All Might stomped his foot down, dispersing all of the dust.

Edward shook his head before clenching his fists, "Get outta there-!"

While Izuku appeared to heed his advice and started to run in the opposite direction of their teacher, Bakugo simply held his ground as he lifted one hand and fired a bright blast in an attempt to blind All Might.

They watched as the living grenade then tried to rush All Might from the side, only for the teacher to grab him by the face with one hand.

"Hm..." Alphonse frowned as Bakugo launched a flurry of explosions in All Might's face as he was being held, "He's not even trying to break himself — geez!"

Edward winced as the teacher grabbed Bakugo with both hands before slamming him into the ground, "All Might really isn't holding back here...!"

"If Deku can just get away-!" Ochaco winced as All Might turned to Izuku before suddenly dashing behind him in a blur, hands still on his hips, "Oh no! Deku, get outta there!"

"Wait, not like that!" Alphonse took a step forward as Izuku powered up and leapt backwards right as Bakugo was rocketing towards All Might, "They're gonna crash-!"

Recovery Girl sighed as Izuku and Bakugo collided and bounced off of one another, shaking her head lightly at them.

Edward frowned as Bakugo started to march towards All Might while Izuku tried to stop him, "Cherry Bomb's got a death wish, huh...?"

"Ouch!" Alphonse winced as All Might leapt down with a torn-off railing underneath his feet that he pinned Izuku underneath, then the alchemist gasped as the teacher punched Bakugo in the gut and sent him flying.

"At this rate," Momo held a hand over her mouth as her eyes darted between the two struggling students, "they might not even survive the tests...!"

"All Might may be going a little extreme, dearies..." Recovery Girl turned her seat to face them, "But you can rest easy knowing that he won't cause them any lasting damage."

"Not physically, maybe..." Edward's frown deepened as he held his fist to his chin, watching as All Might pulled back his fist while standing next to an unsteady Bakugo — then did a double-take as Izuku suddenly leapt in and punched Bakugo himself, "Wait, what the hell?!"

"Midoriya!!!" Tenya chopped his hand aggressively as they watched the screen, "You shouldn't hit your teammate that hard during an encounter like this!!!"

Izuku, however, couldn't hear Tenya scolding him through the screen as he grabbed Bakugo and darted down an alleyway before the railing that had been pinning him down even hit the ground.

"Screw that, Tenya, it's basically payback for earlier!" Edward pumped his fist with a grin, "Kick his ass yourself, Izuku-!"

Alphonse nudged Edward's hip roughly, "Brother."

"Gah-! Al! Aw, fine," the older alchemist huffed as he rubbed his side sorely, "Don't beat him up too much... Better?"

"It could use some work."

Tsuyu knocked her head to the side as the two stopped in an alley after Bakugo had forced Izuku to drop him, "Ribbit... If they don't come up with a plan soon, they're gonna fail the practical."

"But even if they do make a plan..." Edward's gaze turned to a screen showing All Might running through the destroyed street back towards the gate, "Do they stand a chance against him?"

"Oh dear..." Momo sighed as Bakugo leapt out from a corner behind All Might, "It seems he's going for a direct attack again...!"

"Wait," Alphonse frowned, knocking his head to the side as Bakugo blasted at All Might and kicked up a cloud of smoke, "where's his other gauntlet?"

As if to answer the question he couldn't hear, Izuku leapt out of the smoke while All Might was focused on Bakugo. He lifted up the missing gauntlet and unleashed the massive blast as his teammate shot into the air.

"Hey, lookit that!" Edward grinned as the two started to run for the exit, "Grenade Boy actually worked with him!"

"And they limited the destruction to where All Might had already wrecked the place!" Alphonse smiled brightly, "If they can keep this up..."

Ochaco nodded firmly as she clenched her fists, "They'll win this thing!"

"Looks like we spoke too soon," Tsuyu pointed at the screen, "look."

They all turned their attention back to the screen as All Might was suddenly between Izuku and Bakugo.

As Bakugo swung his gauntlet to try and blast the teacher, All Might simply threw a punch that caused the entire gauntlet to explode in a shower of parts before doing the same to the one Izuku was wearing.

"Ouch..." Alphonse winced, "There goes that trump card."

All Might proceeded to drive his knee into Bakugo's chest to send him flying into a building before stopping an attack from Izuku by grabbing the boy's wrist.

When Bakugo tried to fly in for another attack, All Might simply swung Izuku into him and slammed both of them into the ground.

"Using one like a blunt weapon against the other...?" Edward clenched his fists tighter as the dust settled to show Izuku dangling from All Might's grip while the teacher's foot was pressed against Bakugo's back, "That's some brutal efficiency there..."

They all watched as All Might tossed Izuku away before taking a moment to speak.

As they watched, Bakugo gritted his teeth while twisting his palm to face upwards — before yet another massive blast shot up from directly underneath All Might.

"Wait, what?!" Edward gripped the counter before turning to the others, "If he could do that all along, why even bother with the gauntlets?!"

"Maybe there's a drawback?" Alphonse frowned as he held his chin, "That's a big blast, after all... The knock-back must be too much for his body unaided — perhaps the gauntlets are a way for him to fire off those bigger blasts without having to worry about dislocating his shoulder every time?"

"Maybe..." Edward turned to the screen right as Bakugo picked up Izuku, "Wait, what's he-? GAH!" He jumped as Bakugo suddenly launched his teammate with an explosive toss, "The hell is he thinking?!"

"I think he's trying to help — look!" Ochaco perked up as she pointed at the screen, "Deku's flying straight for the gate!"

"And with All Might still in the air," Alphonse stood a little straighter as he smiled again, "he just might make it through before he can give chase!"

Edward winced as All Might threw a punch that propelled him through the air and straight into Izuku's back, knocking him off-course and colliding with the side of a bus, "Think you guys spoke too soon..."

"Izuku!" Alphonse quickly covered his mouth as Bakugo launched himself after All Might, "Is he okay...?!"

Tsuyu squinted as the whole screen lit up after Bakugo unleashed another massive explosion, "Ribbit... Looks like Midoriya's having some difficulty moving."

"All those explosions Bakugo is making..." Momo frowned as they watched him unleash even more blasts at a quickly-approaching All Might, "If we're right about his drawback, then the amount of strain he's putting himself under must be immense..."

"C'mon, Izuku..." Edward focused in on him, "The sooner you get outta there, the sooner you get patched up...!"

"And for both their sakes..." Tenya winced as All Might slammed Bakugo into the ground, "I hope that comes soon."

"Wait, he's turning around." Alphonse gasped as Izuku's entire body lit up, "Don't tell me he's gonna...?!"

Ochaco jolted as Izuku punched All Might across the face, sending the teacher reeling as he picked up his unconscious teammate and ran for the gate.

"The hell is he thinking?!" Edward gripped his head, "They both would've passed anyways if he'd just run through the gate by himself...!"

"He went back for his teammate..." Ochaco beamed, "Deku rescued Bakugo, even though he didn't ask for it...!"

Tenya let out a relieved sigh as Izuku walked through the gate, "It was a big risk, jumping straight into danger... But he persevered, just like any Hero would!"

"Team Midoriya and Bakugo have passed the exam!"

"They did it!" Ochaco let out a laugh as she held Tsuyu's hands while jumping in place.

Alphonse gave a relieved sigh as he placed a hand on his chest, "That was a stressful match to watch...!"

Tsuyu turned to him as she released Ochaco's hands, "Now it's your guys' turn."

"Yeah..." Alphonse smiled nervously before giving Tsuyu a quick hug, "Wish me luck?"

"Of course," she returned the hug, "you two have this in the bag, ribbit."

"Yeah, let's hope you're right..." Edward sighed as he made his way for the door, "C'mon Al, let's get going."

"Right, Brother!" Alphonse waved to the others as he followed Edward to their designated exam area.

While in the hallway, Shoto looked up as he was walking towards the observation room, "Oh, Edward. Hello."

"Shoto!" Edward stood a little straighter, "Hey! Great job on your exam!"

"It was all thanks to Yaoyorozu's strategy that we passed."

"Don't sell yourself short!" Edward lightly punched Shoto's shoulder, "You were amazing in there, you know that?"

"... Thank you, Edward."

Alphonse smiled lightly, "Well, we should be going — we're up next."

"Yeah, what's the deal with that?" Edward crossed his arms as he raised a brow, "You missed everyone's exams."

Shoto focused on the older of the brothers, "Yours was the only one I had any intention of watching, anyhow."

Edward blinked at that, "Eh?"

Alphonse smiled a little mischievously as he started to drag Edward away, "Come now, Brother, we need to get going."

"Gah-! You're right!" Edward quickly shook his head and started to run.

"Residential area, huh...?" Edward cracked the knuckles on his good hand as the brothers got to the starting position, "We can work with this."

"But it also means we'll have to try and keep damage to a minimum," Alphonse turned to Edward, "do you think you can manage that, Brother?"

"Hey, I can go thirty minutes without wreckin' the place!!!"

Alphonse just gave him a silent look at that.

Edward's eye twitched as he turned away from his younger brother, "... Shut up, Al."

Alphonse rolled his eyes as he looked up, "Although..." He studied the dome with a dimly-lit nighttime sky on it as he spoke, "I wonder why they included the dome?"

"I dunno, to sell the difference in scenarios?"

"Team Elric-Shimura, A and Elric-Shimura, E. Practical exam. Ready?"

The brothers tensed slightly in preparation, each of them taking a stance.

"Go!"

As the two started to run through the city, all of the lights suddenly started going out in waves until only the dim light of the "stars" remained.

"Gah!" Edward squinted as he looked around, "The hell happened to the lights...?! I can barely see ahead of me...!"

"I think this is part of the test, Brother..." Alphonse narrowed his eyes, "The two of us are impacted by the loss of light-"

"But not Mom and Greed," Edward grimaced as he finished his brother's thought, "they don't HAVE that weakness."

"Right — but lucky for us," Alphonse smiled as he tapped his visor, "I thought of this sort of situation!"

The older alchemist made a face at him, "What, that visor got night vision or something?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Brother."

"Wait," Edward blinked a few times, "seriously?" He grinned wide, lightly punching Alphonse's shoulder, "Great thinking, Al!"

"Thank you, Brother." Alphonse slowed down slightly to peer around a corner, then motioned for Edward to follow, "Just keep your ears peeled, okay? We still have no idea what they're planning."

Edward nodded as they started to cut through a building, "Ri-"

The lights in the building switched on, and both of the brothers froze as it shined on them.

"Welcome home, boys..." A chair with another spotlight on it spun to face them, with Greed sitting in it. She grinned wide at them, slowly standing up and cracking her neck as she started to shield up, "Didn't I tell ya to be back by ten?"

"The hell...?!" Edward clapped his hands in preparation, "You were just camping out in a random building?!"

"Nah," Greed rolled her good shoulder as the shield stretched to cover her face, "I camped out in a specific building. You gotta remember, boys..." She darted forward faster than they could register, one clenched fist held above them and ready to throw a punch, "We know ya better than you know yourselves!"

"Al, run!" Edward swung his automail fist to meet Greed's good hand.

Their two fists met, with a blue alchemical crackle coursing through Greed's arm. She slid back quickly, shaking out her hand while looking at it before turning to Edward, "The hell was THAT?"

Edward just grinned, clapping and transmuting spikes onto his automail knuckles, "Wouldn't ya like ta know?"

"Keep her busy, Brother!" Alphonse turned around and ran for a window.

"Not so fast, kiddo!" Greed ran after him, her good hand stretched out to grab him.

"Gotcha!" Edward transmuted a stone wall directly in front of Greed's hand, watching as it crumbled against the wall.

"Huh?" The Homunculus made a face as she watched her dangling hand fix itself while Alphonse leapt out the window, then she turned to the remaining alchemist, "The hell didja do, kiddo?"

"Made your power work against ya!" Edward smiled wide as he took a battle-ready stance, "So what's it gonna be?" He made a "come here" gesture with his good hand, "You just gonna stand there gaping like a fish, or are ya gonna try and take me down?!"

"Heh..." Greed grinned wide as her hand started to reapply the shield, "Hahaha! Almost forgot how clever you can be! Alright, squirt," she clapped her hands together, red alchemical energy coursing through the ground, "let's get serious!" She ran forward with a yell, going to deliver a kick to Edward's head.

Before the blow could land, he spun out of the way and used his hand to keep her foot going before clapping his hands and planting them against her stomach.

Greed narrowed her eyes, slamming her foot down and swinging a clawed hand at Edward.

Edward grinned as he leapt back, clapping as he landed.

The moment he did, a stone pillar shot out of the ground and slammed into Greed's stomach and sent her reeling, before she gave a slight grin while her stomach started to regenerate, "Pesky little trick ya got there...!"

"I'm just lucky Nana doesn't have the reigns!" Edward grinned as he jumped away from another clawed swing, "She would've figured out a counter to it already!"

"She's a little preoccupied," Greed grinned, another pulse of red energy coursing through the ground as she planted her foot down, "keeping your brother away from the goal!"

"Wait, what?!" Edward's eyes widened as he ducked below a kick, performing a transmutation on her leg before punching her knee with his automail.

"Gah! That really smarts, kiddo!" Greed shook her leg as her knee fixed itself with a red crackle of energy, "Anyways... Ya really should've paid attention to the building," she grinned wide as she narrowed her eyes, "five corners, each with specially-shaped pillars..."

Edward squinted for a moment, then his eyes went wide with a gasp, "A giant alkahestry array-!"

"That's right!" Greed grabbed his automail shoulder, spinning him before tossing him at a wall, "With more arrays aaall over this city!"

"Gah-!" The alchemist huffed as he carefully picked himself up, then yelped as he rolled away from a punch that tore a hole in the wall, "You tryin' ta kill me?!"

"That'd be counter-productive to this exercise!" Greed grinned wide, another pulse of red energy pulsing around her foot as she stomped towards him.

Alphonse yelped as the ground underneath him started to give away, activating his boots and leaping off of a piece of rubble as he scanned the debris, More of Mom's alkahestry knives... They must've put traps around the whole city! He scanned the area around him, lifting his arm and pointing with just one finger.

As he did, part of his pauldron opened up with a cylinder popping out. As he flexed his finger, a grappling line shot out and clung to the building he was pointing to and reeled him in.

Winry and Mei really outdid themselves with my new armor, Alphonse smiled as he landed on the ground and got back to running through the city, I'll have to remember to thank them!

"C'mon out, kiddo!" Greed stalked through the building, a grin on her armored face, "You know you can't hide from me!"

"Who says I'm hiding?!" Edward dropped from the ceiling, clamping his ankles around her neck before twisting them quickly to slam her head through a nearby wall.

"Geez, ya always treat your sparring partners like this?" Greed pulled her head out as Edward ran around a corner, "That woulda hospitalized somebody!"

"But not someone with your abilities, right?!"

"Nah," Greed ran around the corner, grinning wide as she swung her fist at the first flash of red she saw, "still hurts like hell!" She yanked her hand back, "Got-! ... Huh?"

One of Edward's classic decoys stared back at her, with "GOTCHA" written on it.

Greed dropped it as she looked around, "Where'd ya disappear to this time..." She slowly grinned wide, "Shrimp?"

She heard a crash from a corner of the building, "WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A MICROSHRIMP YOU NEED A MOLECULAR MICROSCOPE TO SEE?!"

The Homunculus started to run towards his voice, "And just whaddaya think you're doing?"

Edward turned to face her, grinning wide as he angled a cannon at her, "Buying my brother some time!"

"Greed!"

"Not now, Nana!" Greed grinned wide as she crossed her arms in front of herself to take the cannonball that was fired, "You remember the deal, I focus on Ed, you take Al!"

"That's just it — Edward destroyed part of the array, and Alphonse is performing transmutations to mask his exact location in the alchemical energy."

"That right?" Greed raised a brow, then grinned wider as she darted forward and lifted Edward up by his automail.

"Gah!" Edward gritted his teeth, kicking his legs as he tried to pry her fingers off of his wrist, "Let me GO, Greed!"

"Nah!" She laughed as she crashed through the wall, red alchemical energy coursing through the ground as she landed, "We're just gettin' STARTED!"

Alphonse skidded to a stop as a giant wall climbed to the top of the dome in front of him, "What the...?" He turned around, clapping his hands together.

"C'mere, kiddo!" Greed turned the corner, grinning wide as she held up Edward, "We've got a sparring match to get to, remember?"

"Just go, Al!" Edward gritted his teeth as he kicked at Greed's face with his automail leg while the other one hooked around the arm holding him up, "I can handle her!"

"Brother!" Alphonse planted his hands against the ground, blue alchemical energy coursing through the ground and up the wall.

Greed looked up, grinning wide as the wall transmuted into a series of stone fists and dragon heads that surged towards her. She let out a laugh as she tossed Edward to the side, punching each of the constructs into dust, "You really think this'll stop me, kiddo?!"

Edward slid into a battle-ready stance as he clapped, "Not stop!" He grinned as he planted his hands on the ground, "Just slow ya down!"

Greed stumbled slightly as the ground shifted, glancing down to see the street sliding underneath her feet and pulling her away from the boys.

"C'mon, Al!" Edward started to sprint for the exit, "We can make it...!"

"Right!" Alphonse grabbed onto Edward's arm as he knelt down, "Hold on!"

"Eh?" Edward turned to his younger brother, "Al, what're you-?"

Alphonse smiled mischievously, his boots whirring to life as he clapped.

The color drained from Edward's face, "Alphonse, what EXACTLY did you get from the gearheads...?"

"Nothing," Alphonse grinned wider as he planted his hands on the ground, "just something to help with my mobility!"

A stone pillar shot up underneath them and launched them through the air. Then, as Alphonse looped his arms underneath Edward's, a series of panels opened up on his boots as well as his back.

"What's your armor doooING!" Edward felt a rush of wind hit his face as they suddenly rocketed towards the gate, a scream echoing out of his mouth.

Greed slowed down as she watched them rocket through the air and out through the gate, "Huh?"

"Team Elric-Shimura, A and Elric-Shimura, E have passed the exam!"

Edward squinted through the wind stinging his eyes, "YOUUU CAAAN STOOOP NOWWW...!!!"

"I CAAAN'T!" Alphonse laughed despite himself, "GOTTA WAIT UNTIL IT RUNS OUT!"

"ALPHOOONSE!" Edward flailed his limbs as Alphonse's armor started to quiet down after a second, "I'M NEVER TRUSTING THEM AGAAAIN!!!"

Alphonse laughed again as the engines died completely, angling himself as he activated his boots for a softer landing. He stumbled slightly as they came to a stop, releasing his brother before running a hand through his hair, "Woo! That was fun!"

"Speak for yourself-! Urk..." Edward doubled-over with his hands on his knees, "I feel like I'm gonna hurl...!"

"Don't be so dramatic, Brother!" Alphonse dusted himself off with a smile.

Edward made a face as he huffed, "Why didn't ya do that from the start...?"

"There's only enough fuel for one 'jump', as it were," Alphonse lifted one foot slightly and wiggled it about, "so I wanted to make it count."

"Damn... Well," he grinned as he stood upright, offering a fist bump, "guess we owe our win to Winry, eh?"

Alphonse beamed as he returned the fist bump, "I'm sure she'll appreciate hearing how successful it was."

"All matches for the practical portion of Class 1-A's final have now been completed!"

Later in the day...

Izuku groaned slightly as he was laying in one of the infirmary beds, "Thank you very much, Missus Starbound... I think I feel better."

"Yes, well," Nana glanced to the side as she recollected her alkahestry tools, "someone gave me plenty to work with."

Recovery Girl huffed as she marched over, "All Might, you really don't know how to hold back!" She waved her needle-like walking stick at him while motioning to Izuku and the unconscious Bakugo, "If you'd hit these boys any harder, they'd have permanent damage right now!"

Nana nodded as she crossed her arms, "Mister Midoriya's back was in a terrible condition — if I weren't here, Recovery Girl might not have been able to heal it!"

Recovery Girl sighed as she turned to the other boy, "Bakugo probably won't wake up for a while. For now," she turned back to All Might, "the two of you should stay here and rest."

"Yes, ma'am..." Izuku nodded as he spoke weakly, "Thanks again to the both of you... For all your help..."

"Of course, Mister Midoriya," Nana lightly patted his shoulder, "now, I should get going." She patted All Might's shoulder firmly as she passed him, "Be sure to get some rest, my boys."

"Right..."

"Y-Yes, Master...!"

Nana smiled softly as she shut the door behind herself

Chapter Text

"E-Everyone..." Mina sobbed as she stood with the other students that had failed the practical, "I'm looking forward to hearing all your stories of how fun camp was...!"

Izuku waved his hands quickly at the gloomy students, "M-Maybe they'll end up letting you go...!"

Alphonse smiled reassuringly as he held up his fists, "Yeah...! There could be a last-minute twist, like with that Quirk test on the first day of school...!"

"Midoriya, Alphonse, stop it..." Hanta placed a hand on each of their shoulders as he shut his eyes and shook his head, "By saying it out loud, you're just jinxing them."

"They said whoever failed the exams would have to skip training camp and live in summer school hell..." Denki stared down at the ground with a downcast look on his face, "We didn't pass the practical, so we're doomed...!" He spun around, jabbing a finger into Izuku's eye and another one into Alphonse's chest, "Don't you get that, Midoriya and Alphonse?! Or did All Might and that crazy contraption knock all the brains outta your heads?!"

Hanta leaned forward as Izuku let out a scream, "Ease up, Kaminari. I'm not sure I'll get to go, either..." He jabbed a thumb at himself, "Our team only passed thanks to Mineta. I got knocked out pretty much right out the gate, and since we don't know how they're scoring stuff, I might have flunked it too...!"

Alphonse held up both his open hands to Hanta while Izuku covered his eyes, "Hey, I'm sure you'll still get a decent score...!"

Tears were streaming down Denki's face as he held out his hands palms-up, "At least bring us back lots of camp souvenirs, please?!"

The door slammed open to reveal Aizawa standing there, his face a mixture of exhaustion and annoyance, "Once the bell rings, you should be in your seats."

There was a flurry of footsteps as he was speaking, and as he turned to the desks, he saw everyone seated calmly and silently with their hands on their desks.

"... Morning." Aizawa walked to stand behind his podium, "Unfortunately, there are a few of you who did not pass your final exams. So, when it comes to the training camp in the woods..." He grinned wide at them, "EVERYONE is going!"

The four students who failed the practical were in varying states of shock as they screamed simultaneously, "IT'S A LAST-MINUTE TWIST!"

Edward made a face as he watched their teacher, "It's always so creepy when he smiles..."

Eijiro grinned wide as he leaned forward in his seat, "We really get to go to camp?!"

"Seriously?!" Mina had tears in the corners of her eyes as she held up her fists.

Alphonse beamed wide at the four of them, "Hey, that's great!"

"Yeah." Aizawa went back to his usual neutral expression, "The good news is that no one bombed the written exam. However, five of you failed the practical — badly. Two teams, of course, and then Sero failed as well."

"Aw!" Hanta slapped a hand over his face, "Crap, I knew it...! Mineta made it to the gate, but I didn't do near enough to pass...!"

Alphonse smiled at him nervously, "At least you can still go to the summer camp, right...?"

"Allow me to explain." Aizawa glanced over the students, "For the practical battles, the teachers made sure to leave a way for the students to win — otherwise, you never would have stood a chance. We were interested in observing how you each worked together and approached the task at hand."

Mashirao knocked his head to the side as he spoke, "But didn't you promise that the teachers wouldn't be holding back?"

Aizawa shrugged slightly, "That was just to get you on edge."

Edward raised a brow as he leaned back, his hands folded behind his head, "Another tactical deception, huh...?"

"Precisely. Besides, the training camp will focus on building your strength — those who failed will need those lessons the most. We were never going to separate you." He grinned wide again, "That was just a second logical deception we used on you during the exams."

Tenya trembled as he clenched his fists tightly while the ones who failed the practical all cheered, "He tricked us all...! I should have expected this...!" He shot to his feet with one hand raised in the air, "Mister Aizawa, this is the second AND third time you've lied to us! Aren't you afraid we'll lose faith in you?!"

"Uh," Ochaco knocked her head to the side, a slight smile on her face, "a little blunt there, Tenya."

Aizawa turned his gaze to him, "That's a good point, I'll consider it. But I wasn't lying to you about everything." He narrowed his eyes as he turned back to the five cheering students, "Failure is failure."

They all paused mid-celebration to stare at the teacher.

"We've prepared extra lessons for the five of you." Aizawa shrugged slightly as they all got a look of dread and dismay on their faces, "Frankly, they'll be FAR tougher than what you'd face at summer school."

Alphonse smiled nervously, "Well... At least you won't need us to bring you home any souvenirs?"

Mina's forehead thunked against her desk, and her response was somewhat muffled as she slowly lifted her hand to give a thumbs up, "Thanks, Al..."

"This is gonna be great!" Mashirao smiled as he held up a pamphlet, "I'm so glad we're all going together."

Tenya pursed his lips slightly as he read his own copy, "Looks like we'll be at the training camp a full week."

Izuku blinked as he peered at the one in Tenya's hands, "I've gotta find a bigger suitcase..."

"Yeah," Denki looked up as he spoke, "I don't even have a bathing suit — guess I need to buy some stuff."

Mineta popped up next to them, "Like night vision goggles!"

Edward slowly pushed him back down, "Or more important things, like bug repellent. Damn mosquitoes are a pain in the ass this time of year..."

Alphonse smiled as he held up a finger, "Don't forget sunscreen — I'd imagine we'll be spending a lot of time in the sun."

"Guys, since we're off tomorrow and we finally finished exams," Toru's sleeves moved to show she was holding up her arms, "I have the best idea!" She started to wave her arms about, "Why doesn't Class 1-A go shopping together?!"

Alphonse perked up at the suggestion, "That sounds like fun!" He smiled down at Tsuyu, "What do you think, Tsu?"

"Ribbit," she pressed a finger to her cheek, "it sounds like a fun idea."

"Hey, yeah!" Denki grinned wide as he turned to Ochaco, "We've never hung out as a class before!"

"Bakugo!" Eijiro grinned as he turned to Bakugo while the other student was walking away, "Seeya there, right?"

Bakugo's eye twitched as he shut them, "I can't think of anything more annoying."

Edward glanced at Shoto, "What about you, Peppermint?"

"I visit my mom on days off." Shoto glanced at him as he pulled on his backpack, "Sorry."

Mineta popped up next to them, "You party poopers! Don't you ever get tired of being so serious?!"

"Nah, s'all good." Edward waved a hand dismissively while shoving Mineta down again, "Say hi to her for me, will ya?"

"... Would you like to come with?"

Edward blinked at Shoto a few times, "Come again?"

"Mom's said she would like to meet you," Shoto held up a hand, "after I've mentioned you in previous visits."

"You, uh — you talk to your mom?" Edward pointed at himself with an incredulous expression plastered on his face, "About me?"

"Yes." Shoto knocked his head to the side, "Is that... Weird?"

"N-No! Uh, not at all-!" Edward shook his head, "A-Anyways — sure! Yeah, I'll go! Al can get my summer camp stuff-!"

Alphonse smirked as he watched the two of them from across the room, a hand over his mouth as he did.

Tsuyu pressed a finger to her cheek as she knocked her head to the side, whispering to her boyfriend, "They like each other."

"They do," Alphonse nodded sagely, "but Brother's too dense to realize it." He let out an exasperated sigh, "And with how emotionally dense Shoto is as well, it'll probably be ages before they do anything about it."

Tsuyu nodded at that, "Ribbit."

The next day, at the mall...

"Oh, man, do I love this place!" Mina beamed and spread her arms out wide as she walked into the mall with everyone else, "It's got a ton of different stores to shop at, and they're all super cool and hip!" She threw a hand into the air, "The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall!"

Alphonse looked around in amazement at all of the storefronts, "This place is massive...!"

"Where's Chang?" Toru leaned over, her sleeves angled to show her arms were behind her back, "Didn't you invite her, Al?"

"Turns out some of the students in 1-B had a similar idea to us," Alphonse smiled warmly, "and she wanted to spend the day with her friends as well. But that's okay! We'll have the whole summer to be together, after all."

"Ribbit," Tsuyu nodded, "that's right."

From behind them, they could hear the muttering coming from Izuku as he tightly gripped the straps of his backpack, with the text on his t-shirt clearly saying "T-SHIRT" between his hands, "They carry designs for all body types, and have a range of gear for everyone from teens to seniors..."

Fumikage turned to Izuku calmly, "You're going to scare the children. Stop."

"Whoa!" Someone in the crowd pointed at the group of students, "Aren't those U.A. students?!"

"1-A!" Another person grinned as he noticed them, "I saw 'em on TV!"

"The sports festival was so good!"

Ochaco smiled nervously and gave them a tiny wave, "I can't believe they still remember that...!"

"A lot happened during the festival," Alphonse gave her a wide smile and a thumbs up, "and a lot of us showed the world what we were made of in the tournament."

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu gave her a thumbs up as well, "He's right, Ochaco."

"Aw, you guys!"

Kyoka smiled slightly, then turned to Momo while holding up her hands, "I wanna track down a new duffel bag to bring to summer training."

"Oh yeah?" Momo smiled back at her as she held a hand to her chest, "Maybe the two of us should browse together!"

"Let's see," Mineta started to look around at the various storefronts, "where can I get a lockpicking kit and a small drill..."

"Mineta." Alphonse turned to face him, closing his eyes and smiling as a shadow fell over his face, "You should focus on getting the essentials."

"Gah-!" Mineta trembled and nodded quickly, "Y-You're r-r-right...!" He tried to scuttle over to Alphonse and Tsuyu quickly, "Maybe I should go with you and Tsu to loo-"

"Nope," Tsuyu sidestepped him to get to Alphonse's other side before grabbing her boyfriend's hand, "and again, you only get to call me Asui."

While Mineta started to walk away dejectedly, Denki grinned as he pointed to a specific store, "Guess I should probably buy some outdoorsy shoes for this thing."

"Oh, that's smart!" Toru jumped in place, "Me, too!"

Tenya shot up next to them suddenly while chopping his arm, "The guide said your shoes should already be broken in, though! But, wait..." He turned around as he brought a hand to his chin in contemplation, "Perhaps it's a mistake to not factor utility into the equation..."

"So then," Eijiro held up a hand as the rest of the class turned to him, "why don't we split up and look around? We can meet here again when we're done!"

Mina beamed as she waved a hand, "Great idea!"

"Perfect!" Eijiro gave a shark grin as he jabbed a thumb at a giant clock, "Let's say we're all back around three?"

"Sounds good!" Alphonse gave a thumbs up as he replied alongside the rest of the class, then he smiled at Tsuyu as the two of them started to walk off, "Where would you like to go first?"

"I need to get some new sunscreen," Tsuyu held a finger to her chin as she tilted her head, "there's a specific brand I have to get that doesn't bother my skin."

"Oh?" Alphonse blinked as he looked down at her, "Does sunscreen normally bother your skin?"

"A little bit." Tsuyu nodded slightly, "Part of my breathing is through my skin, and the chemicals in most brands of sunscreen can cause some mild irritation because of that."

"Ah! Then I'll be sure to wear the same brand from now on," Alphonse smiled fondly as he squeezed her hand gently, "I don't want to irritate your skin whenever I hold your hand."

Tsuyu smiled back up at him, "Ribbit!"

Meanwhile, at the hospital...

Shoto walked up to the front counter, "Shoto Todoroki and Edward Elric-Shimura, here to see Rei Todoroki."

"Of course!" The receptionist smiled as she gave the two of them their visitors' passes.

"Thank you," Shoto bowed his head as he took the passes, then turned to hand one to Edward as the two started walking, "here."

"Thanks, Peppermint." Edward took the offered pass, glancing around as they walked down the hallways.

"... Sorry."

"Eh?" Edward raised a brow at his friend, "What're you apologizing for now?"

"I remember you saying," Shoto rubbed his neck as they walked up to a specific door, "that you're not fond of hospitals."

"Oi, Peppermint, I don't like STAYING in hospitals." Edward shrugged casually, "I don't mind tagging along to visit your mom."

As he nodded, Shoto pushed the door open and stepped inside, "Hello, Mom."

A woman with long white hair and gray eyes looked over from her spot on a bed, smiling softly, "Hello, Shoto."

"This is my friend I was telling you about," Shoto walked further into the room and motioned to the alchemist, "Edward Elric-Shimura. Edward, this is my mother, Rei Todoroki."

Edward stood a little straighter as he walked in and shut the door behind himself, "Hello, Ma'am!" He gave her a bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Ah, Elric-Shimura." She offered a slight smile as he stood upright again, "It's nice to meet you — Shoto mentions you often."

"Yeah?" Edward perked up slightly as a smile spread across his face, "All good things, I hope?"

She smiled wider at that, "I certainly thought so. Take a seat — I'd love to hear about how your boys' exams went."

Later that night, at the police station...

As she leaned against a wall in the alleyway, Nana looked up at Toshinori, "So then, to cover our bases..." She narrowed her eyes slightly, "Mister Midoriya had an encounter with Shigaraki while he and the others were at the mall today — and while nobody was injured, he was threatened."

"Yeah..." Toshinori gave a small nod, "That about sums it up, Master." He glanced over at the sound of a door opening, then gasped as he started to make his way over, "Young Midoriya! Tsukauchi!"

"All Might?" Izuku blinked as he looked between the approaching Heroes, "A-And Missus Starbound? But, how...?!"

The detective gave a slight smile as he walked behind the young boy, "I needed to talk to them anyway."

"What a relief..." Toshinori lightly patted the top of Izuku's head, "I'm so glad you're okay. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to protect you and the others."

"And I as well, Mister Midoriya." Nana bowed her head, "My apologies."

"It's fine..." Izuku glanced down at the ground, thinking in silence for a moment before he looked back up, "Um, All Might? Missus Starbound?"

"Yeah?" Toshinori narrowed his eyes slightly, "What is it?"

"Do you two... Ever have times when you can't save all the people that you want to...?"

Nana sighed gently while resting a hand on Izuku's shoulder, "Yes... We do."

Toshinori nodded as well, his gaze shifting to the ground, "And often." He then looked up to the night sky as Izuku gasped slightly, "Someone could be injured and calling out for my help anywhere in the world right now, and I would never know about it."

"I know it's frustrating, Mister Midoriya," Nana squeezed his shoulder while offering a gentle smile, "but we're only human — there will always be people beyond our reach. Ones that we can't save, whether it's because we weren't there or because we weren't fast enough."

"But that's all the more reason to stand tall and smile..." Toshinori nodded as a determined expression came across his face, "So the 'Symbol of Justice' is always there, even as just a flicker in people's hearts when I can't be there, whether they be a Hero or a Villain."

Tsukauchi held up his hand slightly, "The kid's worried about what Shigaraki said — but that was likely the Villain's resentment talking." He turned to Izuku, "All Might here has never failed to save someone after arriving at an emergency. And with what I know of Starbound," the detective glanced at her as he spoke, "I feel confident enough to say that the same is true of her."

Nana stood a little straighter at that, giving a slight nod.

"I think we've got everything we need," Tsukauchi turned back to Izuku, "so you're good. We're all done here."

"Izuku?"

The student turned around quickly at the sound of his name, "Mom?"

"Izuku! My baby...!" The woman stumbled over quickly, grasping Izuku's arm tightly while her other hand clenched a handkerchief as tears pricked the corners of her eyes, "I can't do this anymore...! I don't think my heart can handle another scare...!"

"I'm sorry," Izuku tried to offer a reassuring smile as he placed a hand on his mother's shoulder, "everything's fine. I'm okay, Mom — there's no need to cry. The Heroes and the police have been taking really good care of me all night."

Tsukauchi turned to the other officer that was there, "Sansa. Make sure they get home safe."

The cat-headed officer gave him a salute, "Sir."

The three watched as the Midoriyas climbed into the back of a police car before being driven away.

As the car disappeared from view, Tsukauchi started to speak, "This time at least, it appears to have been a purely coincidental meeting... But there's still a pretty big possibility that he or another student will be targeted in the future. Of course, we'll continue to be on high alert here," he turned to face the two Heroes, "but the school should be ready to take drastic measures — the stronger the light shines, the greater the darkness. I think that for the good of the students, you should consider leaving U.A., All Might."

Toshinori gasped slightly at that, "But I've barely gotten started...! I mean, it's only been three months of teaching."

"Heh..." Tsukauchi smiled as he rested a hand on his hip, "I told you before that you weren't cut out for it."

Nana chuckled softly as she lightly shoved her successor's shoulder, "Who knows, maybe I could take over for you class if you do leave."

Tsukauchi sighed softly, "All For One again..." He looked up to the sky, "This time, we have to capture him."

"Capture, huh?" Greed narrowed her eyes in the shared mindscape with Nana, "If I get my hands on that bastard, he's gonna be rotting in HELL, not a cell!"

I know, love.

Toshinori nodded slightly as he looked up at the sky as well, "One more fight. I'm counting on you again, Tsukauchi — and you as well, Master."

Nana smiled at that, clapping Toshinori on the back, "Of course, my boy."

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of Japan...

"Hm. You seem oddly happy today, Master — is it because the League of Villains' roster continues to grow steadily?"

All For One coughed slightly as he stared at a screen before him, "That's not why, Doctor... It's because Tomura Shigaraki has finally found his conviction. The League of Villains needs people who will get behind his principles; I'll leave all of the decisions to him for now." He stroked his chin lightly as he continued on, "If he asks for help, then of course I'll step in and guide him. That's not a problem, as I see it. In fact," a grin slowly crossed his face, "I've been waiting for the day when he seeks my aid — I'm preparing for him to become the next me... My successor."

"Temperamental pick for a successor... Seems fitting for you."

"Ah, yes — and as for you, Cleopatra..." All For One turned his head to the side and in her general direction, "You're a resilient one, aren't you?"

Cleopatra opened one eye slightly, "And you're smarter than I gave you credit for," she glanced away from the back of the throne to the small figure with an exposed brain that stood directly underneath where she was suspended in the air, with her limbs held out to the sides, "bringing me here in such a way that I couldn't transmute anything..."

"I thank you for the compliment — though from one immortal to another?" The Villain stood up from his throne and turned around, once again showing her the largely destroyed face behind the breathing apparatus, "You should have expected me to understand your shortcomings."

She shut her eyes again, "I assumed you'd be too arrogant to be this prepared."

"Tired already?" All For One walked closer, his hands folded behind his back, "Perhaps you're not as resilient as I thought."

"No," Cleopatra's face scrunched up in disgust, "I just can't stand looking at your face."

"Hurtful... But fair. Now..." He grinned as he lifted a hand, leaving it to hover mere inches from her face as it was coated in what resembled red and black flames, "Let's see what else you can teach me of your 'alchemy', shall we?"

Cleopatra's muscles started to tense, clenching her jaw as the flames started to touch her temples.

Chapter Text

"Edward?"

"Eh?" Edward glanced away from Winry doing her final checkup on his arm when he heard Nana call his name. "What's up, Mom?"

"You left your phone on the table," Nana walked into the room as she held up the ringing phone. "It looks like Mister Midoriya is calling you."

"Oh, Izuku? Hand it here," Edward held out his hand as he looked back down at Winry. "You almost done?"

Winry huffed indignantly as she reattached the outer plating of his arm. "Yes, yes! Always so impatient... And be sure you take care of it while you're at camp!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Edward answered the call, holding it up to his ear before speaking into it, "Hey, Izuku — you alright?"

"Edward, hello! Kaminari and Mineta just stopped by and invited me to the school's pool — I just wanted to see if you and Alphonse wanted to join us?"

"The pool, huh?" Edward glanced over at Nana, raising an eyebrow.

The Homunculus smiled softly as she leaned against the door frame. "I think you and Alphonse should go. It'll be fun having a day out with your friends before you get to training camp," she started to walk down the hallway. "It's gonna be intense!"

"A'ight," Edward grinned as he stood up. "We'll be there!"

"Great! We'll meet you guys at U.A."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Alphonse smiled as he walked to the locker room with Edward. "It was nice of Izuku to invite us."

"Yep," Edward replied as he walked with his hands folded behind his head. "He's a cool guy like that."

"You know, Tsu actually said she and the girls were going to be using the pool today as well." Alphonse tapped his chin lightly as he added, "I wonder if they'll be there at the same time as us?"

"Guess we'll see, eh?" Edward started to push open the door to the locker room.

As he did, they heard Izuku's voice, "So, we're using the pool to improve our stamina — that's a great idea, Mineta! Plus, if we're at school, we can use our Quirks!"

"Aw, wait, this is a training thing?" Edward raised a brow as he walked into the locker room. "What gives, Izuku? I thought you said this was just gonna be a fun hangout."

Mineta yelped and waved his arms before he pointed between the two alchemists while yelling, "Wh-What are you two doing here...?!"

"Izuku invited us to the pool today," Alphonse smiled gently as he went to get changed. "It'll be nice! I can't remember the last time I went swimming..."

"Yeah, well," Edward frowned as he got changed. "So long as I don't drown..."

"Don't worry, Brother — I'm sure you're tall enough for the shallow end."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

Alphonse smiled placatingly as he said in an even tone, "That you're taller than something, Brother."

Edward froze, then smirked confidently as he turned away. "Heh — you know it, Al!"

As the five finished getting changed, Denki and Mineta started to run down the hallway excitedly towards the pool with wide grins on their faces.

Edward slowly raised a brow as he trailed after them. "What's got them in such a good mood...?"

"There you are, slowpokes!"

Mineta wound up slipping as Tenya greeted them at the exit, quickly getting to his feet as he pointed at everyone. "No, no, no — what the heck are you guys doing here?!"

"Since we're doing endurance training at the pool," Izuku walked over as he held up a finger. "I messaged everyone to see if they wanted to come with us!"

"You did what?" Denki clenched his fist as he muttered, "Now all our plans are ruined...!"

"Don't lose hope yet," Mineta leaned in next to him as he held up a hand next to his mouth. "There will definitely still be g-"

"Denki, Mineta."

The two froze, slowly turning around to face Alphonse as he spoke.

The younger of the two alchemists smiled down at them calmly, the upper half of his face cast in shadows as he rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "You two are going to behave yourselves and train like you said you would... Right?"

"Y-Yep! Of course...!" Denki quickly stood upright as he held up his hands. "No funny business here...!"

"Good!" Alphonse clapped his hands together. "And just remember..." He knocked his head to the side as he spoke calmly, "I'll be right here the whole time."

The two held each other as they nodded vigorously. "R-Right...!"

"Ribbit. Ten points for the shutdown, Al."

Alphonse turned around, beaming wide as the shadows on his face faded away completely. He waved to the girls while they were stretching, "Hey, Tsu! And hi to the rest of you as well! Lovely day for a swim, isn't it?"

"Kaminari, Mineta, nice work!" Tenya walked over to where Denki and Mineta were sitting on the ground as he spread out his arms. "I'm proud of you two for suggesting more training — you're an asset to our class. Let me thank you!"

The two started to whimper as the class representative's shadow fell over them.

"Now, don't just sit there. It's time to come sweat with us!" Tenya laughed as he scooped the two of them up and carried them over to the rest of the boys.

Denki kicked his legs as he tried pulling on Tenya's arm, managing to wheeze out, "Y-You're choking me...!"

"No, wait," Mineta struggled against Tenya's tight grip. "Not cool!"

Edward smirked as he nudged Alphonse. "Bet they're regretting asking Izuku to the pool now, aren't they?"

"Honestly, they should have expected this to happen," Alphonse smiled slightly. "Inviting the whole class to a training exercise is exactly the kind of person he is."

"Alright, let's take a fifteen-minute breather!"

Edward groaned as he pulled himself out of the pool, coughing up some water. "I think I swallowed a little...!"

"Oh come on, Brother, don't be dramatic," Alphonse smiled as he stretched. "This is actually really nice! The water helps keep the weight off of your muscles as you work on them — I should train like this more often..."

"That's the spirit, Alphonse! Now," Tenya set down a cooler. "I brought these for everyone — please, drink up!"

"Nice!" Sato grinned as he grabbed a can of orange juice.

Mashirao smiled as well while grabbing a can for himself. "Thanks a lot, class rep."

"Thank you, Tenya!" Alphonse beamed as he grabbed two before handing one of them to Edward. "That was very thoughtful of you."

Denki quickly gulped down his orange juice as he sat in the shade. He sighed as he lowered the can, staring back at the pool as he whispered, "Why do the girls get to play around instead...?"

"They got permission to use the pool, so they can goof off," Mineta slouched while he was sitting next to Denki. "Can you believe it?"

"You idiot," Denki rounded on him as he narrowed his eyes. "Why did you make our application for endurance training?"

"Sure, blame me," Mineta's eye twitched as he stuck his face closer to Denki's as he started to retort, "I didn't hear YOU making any suggestions!"

"Hey, Alphonse!" Ochaco waved from the other side of the pool as she yelled, "We're about to start a new game! You wanna join us?"

"Oh! I'm not sure," Alphonse turned to Tenya. "My invite was just for the endurance training-"

Tenya smiled as he gave a thumbs up. "If they're inviting you, it'd be rude not to join them! You can simply rejoin us when you're done."

"Alright then!" Alphonse waved to the girls as he made his way over.

As Alphonse got back in the water, Mineta gripped his head and let out a yell, "LIFE IS SO UNFAIR!"

"Edward."

The alchemist squinted against the sun from where he was laying on his back, grinning slightly as Shoto came into focus. "Hey, Peppermint...! Tenya's really pushin' us today, huh?"

Shoto nodded slightly as he held out a hand, "You should get out of the sun. You might start to burn."

"Eh, I used sunscreen earlier," Edward grunted out as he took the offered hand, letting Shoto help him up. "So... You go swimming often?"

"Mm. Every now and again, I suppose."

"Yeah, not me," Edward glanced to the side, noticing Tenya and Izuku having a conversation by the side of the pool. "I'm more of a fan of training on solid ground, you know?"

Shoto nodded again as he crossed his arms before speaking, "Not much to use your Quirk on?"

"Nah, water's plenty easy enough to transmute — the problem is application," he started to walk with Shoto over to where the rest of the boys were gathered. "I can't exactly turn it into ice or into boiling water when I'm suspended in the stuff, you know? And turning it into vapor when I don't know if there's any impurities in it can be pretty dangerous."

"Because then you might inhale said impurities."

"Exactly!" Edward grinned wide as he elbowed Shoto lightly. "You're pretty bright, Peppermint."

"Thanks," Shoto held up his left hand as he made a fire in his palm. "It's my Quirk."

Edward snorted as he shoved Shoto's shoulder gently. "I was talking about your BRAINS."

"I know," the corner of Shoto's mouth tugged up ever so slightly into a grin as he spoke, "it was a joke."

"Ohoho, so you make JOKES now, huh?" Edward grinned as they came to a stop. "So you CAN learn some new tricks!"

"... And that's why," Edward heard the last of Izuku's conversation with Tenya as the green-haired boy stood up, "I'll work even harder from now on!"

"You'd better!"

Edward slouched at the sound of Bakugo's voice as he grumbled, "Oh great, it's Firecracker..."

"The next time I beat you," Bakugo's eyes were twitching as he stomped towards Izuku. "I want you to be at your strongest, you damn nerd!"

Izuku yelped loudly, "K-Kacchan!"

"Hey," Eijiro quickly slid in front of Bakugo with his arm out to stop him as he grinned at Izuku. "I got your message! Sorry I'm late, took a while to convince Bakugo to come out."

Edward rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms while muttering, "Why am I not surprised...?"

"So, Deku," Bakugo held up his hands as explosions crackled in his palms. "You wanna settle who's the best between us right now? Huh?"

"N-No...!" Izuku backed up slightly as he held up his hands. "That's not it...!"

"Actually, you know what?" Tenya pursed his lips as he held his chin while musing aloud, "We could make this training a contest..."

Edward blinked as he turned to Tenya, a confused look on his face. "Eh?"

"Hey, everyone!" Tenya held up a hand as he shouted to be heard by everyone, "I propose that we see which of the boys can swim fifty meters the fastest — a friendly race, if you will!"

Hanta grinned as he stepped forward. "That sounds fun!"

Sato clenched his fists as he spoke, "Let's do it!"

"Iida," Momo walked forward as she got out of the pool with the others and Alphonse rejoined the boys. "Why don't you let us help you out with this?"

"Yes, please."

"And Quirks." Mashirao held up a hand, his tail swishing for emphasis as he asked, "Can we use them?"

"We're at school," Tenya gave an immediate thumbs up as he replied, "so there shouldn't be a problem with that."

Bakugo grinned at that.

"However!" Tenya narrowed his eyes slightly as he chopped his hand repeatedly. "You cannot cause damage to your classmates OR the building."

Bakugo growled as he marched towards Izuku, "I'm gonna annihilate you, Deku."

Izuku narrowed his eyes slightly as he stood a little straighter.

"And you guys too, Icy Hot and Shorty," Bakugo's glare deepened ever-so-slightly as he turned to Shoto and Edward. "You bastards!"

"Hey! Who're you callin' a tiny kid that'd drown in a puddle?!"

"If the pool floaties fit!"

"WHY I OUGHTA-!"

"Brother, please," Alphonse calmly held a hand in front of Edward as he tried to stomp towards Bakugo. "You don't have anything to prove to him."

Momo cleared her throat as she made a whistle and went to stand next to one end of the pool. She raised her voice to speak over everyone else, "Let's do this in groups — there are sixteen participants, so start lining up and go in smaller groups to keep them easy to manage!"

After a bit of talking to one another, the first group of Mineta, Fumikage, Bakugo and Denki lined up.

"Alright, now, everyone on your marks!" Momo started to bring the whistle closer to her mouth as the four got into their starting positions. "Get set!" She took a breath and blew a single note on the whistle.

While the other three immediately dove into the water, Bakugo instead grinned as he leapt into the air and rocketed forward with explosions from his palms. "Burst Speed Turbo!" He landed and skidded to a stop on the other side before turning to point at the others while yelling, "How was that, you sidekicks?!"

"What do you think you're doing?!" Hanta yelled while pointing at Bakugo.

Eijiro started to point as well while yelling, "You didn't even touch the water!"

Edward cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted, "Instant disqualification!"

Explosions crackled in his palms as Bakugo yelled back, "It's called freestyle swimming!"

"You were SIX FEET above the water!"

Momo sighed, then cleared her voice as they continued on. Hanta, Yuga and Shoto lined up as she spoke, "Everyone, on your marks! Get set!" She blew the whistle.

While Hanta started to swing with some tape — only to be knocked out of the air when Yuga had to stop firing his laser and bumped into him — Shoto slid along the top of the water as he froze it.

Denki and Mineta both yelled in unison, "You're supposed to be swimming!!!"

Edward folded his hands behind his head as he chimed in, "Well, at least he was touching the water..."

"Last group," Momo called out after everyone but Tenya, Izuku, Mashirao, Mezo, and the two alchemists had gone. "On your marks! Get set!" She took a deep breath before blowing the whistle.

Alphonse took in a deep breath as he jumped into the water before clapping his hands, planting his feet against the wall of the pool before a small pillar shot out and pushed him through the water.

Edward watched as his brother did that and rocketed past him, gritting his teeth as he continued swimming. Why didn't I think of that?!

Denki gripped his head as Tenya slid along the rope dividing the lanes of the pool. "You too, Iida?!"

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu pumped her fists as Alphonse's momentum let him catch up to Tenya at the same time as Izuku. "Go, Al!"

Tenya gritted his teeth, his engines starting to spout blue flames as he tried to speed up.

As the class representative leapt for the wall, Izuku managed to get one last burst of speed and tapped it just before Tenya could.

The rest of the class cheered while Alphonse tapped it right after Tenya, "Nice one, Midoriya!"

"Iida and Alphonse were so close!" Mina grinned wide as she leaned forward.

Alphonse panted slightly as he climbed out of the pool. "You two were great!" He said to Izuku and Tenya while smiling before adding, "Well done."

Tenya nodded, smiling as Izuku helped him out of the water. "You beat me — good work, Midoriya."

"You were amazing out there too, Iida!" Izuku turned to Alphonse, still smiling. "And you too!"

Edward huffed as he climbed out of the pool, "Probably would'a won if I'd thought of using alchemy like that...!" He glanced between Shoto, Izuku, and Tenya, briefly noting the scars they'd all gained during the fight with Stain. Heh, he flexed his automail hand before lightly touching where he'd been hit during that fight. Guess we've all improved since then, though, haven't we? Shoto and Izuku even moreso, when you think about the Sports Festival... And we're just gonna continue to get stronger and stronger!

"U.A. High School was attacked by the League of Villains during a rescue training session — it would come to be referred to as the USH Incident," Tsukauchi pressed a button to display another set of reports. "Then there were the attacks by the Hero Killer Stain and the League of Villains in Hosu City, in what became known as the Hosu Incident. Just a few days ago, Tomura Shigaraki — thought to be the leader of the League of Villains — cornered Izuku Midoriya, a student in the Hero Course at U.A. High. As far as we can tell," he turned to the two Heroes as he turned off the presentation, "the League of Villains hasn't made a move since."

Nana narrowed her eyes slightly, nodding as she clasped her hands together on top of the table.

"While true," Toshinori glanced down at his clasped hands as he spoke softly, "we cannot forget..."

"Yes... There was the incident on I-Island with Wolfram — he may not have advertised to the world that he was working alongside the League, but we know that he possessed connections to All For One, who we believe to be the mastermind behind Shigaraki."

Toshinori nodded as he added, "I'm sure they're hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike again."

"Most likely, yes," Tsukauchi walked up beside the two of them as he nodded. "The police are currently working alongside Heroes to gather as much information about the group as possible. When we do find out where they've been hiding," he focused on Toshinori as the Hero started to transform, "we'll need you, All Might."

"I won't disappoint you, Tsukauchi."

"And of course," Nana rested her tattooed hand on All Might's shoulder as she smiled wide. "I'll be there as well."

"It's time for the final race!" With his hands on his hips, Tenya addressed each of the finalists, "Bakugo. Todoroki. Midoriya. As winners of each group, you'll fight for first place. Understand?"

Izuku nodded as he yelled, "Got it!"

"Yes," Shoto replied in his usual even tone.

Bakugo narrowed his eyes as he turned to Shoto. "Listen up, Scarface — you too," he rounded on Izuku, "you damn nerd. You two better give it your all! No holding back!" He gritted his teeth as he growled, "I wanna beat your best!"

Edward glared at Bakugo as he patted Shoto on the back. "Beat his ass for me, will ya, Peppermint?"

Shoto glanced back at Edward before turning to Bakugo. "I will."

"Then the fifty-meter freestyle final race will now begin!"

Eijiro grinned as he clenched his fist. "Blow 'em away, Bakugo!"

Denki grinned as well as he chimed in, "Don't kill the other swimmers!"

Alphonse smiled pleasantly at Izuku. "Give it your best shot!"

Edward smirked as he stared at Shoto. "You got this, Shoto! Blow that cherry bomb outta the water!"

"Do your best, Deku!" Ochaco pumped her fist as she yelled.

Momo smiled as she held up her hands. "Do your best, everyone!"

"Now!" Tenya raised a hand and lifted a whistle closer to his mouth as he spoke, "On your marks!"

The three got into their ready positions as they started to activate their Quirks.

"Get set!" Tenya took a deep breath, then blew into the whistle.

All three jumped forward — then promptly fell into the water.

Alphonse blinked as he made a face, "Huh?"

Denki took a step forward as he exclaimed, "What happened?!"

Hanta held up both hands to motion towards the pool. "Why aren't they using their Quirks?!"

"It's 5 PM," Aizawa walked through the door as he spoke, his hair still standing up and his eyes glowing red as he used his Quirk. "Your authorized pool time is officially over — hurry up and go home."

"C'mon," Denki spread out his hands as he pleaded, "just one second!"

"We were finally getting to the good part!" Hanta nodded as he pointed to the pool.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Are you questioning me?"

The entire class quickly stood at attention as they said in unison, "Not at all, Mister Aizawa!"

Later that night...

"... And just over here, Master," Toshinori motioned to the beach as they walked up to it, "is where I trained — huh? Young Midoriya?"

"Dur?" Izuku turned around in surprise, blinking a few times as he spoke incredulously, "All Might? And Missus Shimura? What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Mister Midoriya," Nana smiled softly as she waved to him. "It's a lovely night for a stroll, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah," Toshinori nodded as he went to stand beside Izuku. "But I could ask you the same question, my boy."

"I am here..." Izuku turned back to the beach, a determined expression appearing on his face as he thought back on everything and spoke softly, "Because this is where my journey began."

Toshinori smiled proudly, turning away from Izuku and towards the water. "Young Midoriya, the summer training camp will be tough."

"So give it your all," Nana nodded as she gently rested a hand on Izuku's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Mister Midoriya."

Izuku beamed and nodded firmly as he replied, "I will!"

Chapter Text

"Now that you've finished up your first semester at U.A. High," Aizawa looked out over the gathered students as he spoke, "it's time for summer vacation to officially begin — however..." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Don't go thinking these will be months of rest for you Heroes-in-the-making."

Alphonse stood up a little straighter, nodding slightly to what their teacher was saying.

"At this camp, we'll push you to go beyond your limits — you're aiming to become 'Plus Ultra!'"

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm so psyched!" Ochaco ran over to Izuku, beaming wide as she did. "I've been looking forward to this camp all semester, Deku!"

"O-Oh, yeah!" Izuku's entire face grew flushed as he quickly waved his hands and stammered, "It's definitely close, huh?"

From a short distance away, Alphonse smiled at the two of them. "How cute...!"

"Ribbit," Tsuyu nodded from her spot next to him.

Ochaco knocked her head to the side as she watched Izuku. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Izuku continued to avert his eyes, his face still red-hot as he replied, "I-I'm just a little hot!"

"Huh?" Ochaco blinked a few times, then let out a quiet scream as her face also got flushed and she ran backwards. "Uh — let's hear it for camp!"

Edward blinked as Mina and Denki joined her in cheering for camp. "They're sure excited for this..."

"I heard some of Class A is taking extra courses — does that mean they actually failed the final exams?! That must be SO embarrassing! Especially since you're supposed to be so much better than my class! All of you must be WALLOWING in shame!"

Alphonse rolled his eyes before turning to the voice. "Hello, Monoma."

Before Monoma could actually say anything else, he got chopped in the neck by Itsuka. As he was falling forward, May delivered a flying kick to his face to make him fall backwards.

Itsuka waved a hand as she grabbed Monoma by the scruff of his shirt, a red mark in the shape of May's shoe on his face. "Don't mind him!"

Alphonse smiled as he returned the wave while speaking, "Thanks, you two!"

"You're welcome, Alphonse!" May waved to him and Tsuyu as she followed Itsuka onto the bus, "I'll see you both at the camp!"